La Conner Seafood and Prime Rib has been a fixture of downtown La Conner for more than 30 years, longer than I’ve lived in the Skagit Valley.
Situated halfway down First Street, it’s easy to find, has indoor and outdoor dining, and a view of the Swinomish Channel, so it’s popular with tourists as well as locals.
The indoor dining areas are dark and cozy, with low ceilings, and a side room with a bar that never seems to have anybody in it when I’ve been there, but presumably fills up later in the evening. A large patio spreads out onto the town boardwalk that runs along the channel, while boats sail up toward the marina and the sun sets across the water. Outside seating on the patio is weather-dependent; on cold days, it closes.
The coconut prawns are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, but the dipping sauce is a miss — it tastes like a watery sweet chili sauce with raw apples in it. (Photo by Jessamyn Tuttle)
They have a full bar, with a few seasonal cocktails. I got a very decent martini here, although they were out of my first two choices of gin. A short draft beer list has some good options.
Appetizers include a mix of typical fried pub food and some less common options, like scallops and seared beef tips. I had recently overheard someone say they always came here for the coconut prawns, so we had to try them. Sixteen dollars only got us four medium shrimp, which frankly seemed a little steep, but they were tasty — very crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Neither I nor my dining partner much cared for the dipping sauce, which was like a watery sweet chili sauce with raw apples in it.
On another visit, we tried the fried calamari ($17), which came in a generous portion with plenty of tentacle pieces (I love tentacles) and a cup of red pepper aioli.
The La Conner pasta includes a fat pile of linguine with plenty of crab and shrimp, mixed with a rich garlic-cream sauce and fresh spinach. The prime rib dip is excellent version of the classic sandwich, piled thickly with paper-thin slices of beef, with a smear of sauce and Swiss cheese, plus a bowl of jus. (Photo by Jessamyn Tuttle)
Fish tacos are my favorite when they’re good, and these were very good, with three tacos artistically arranged with very substantial pieces of fish perched on a bed of slaw, topped with pickled vegetables and a smear of sauce ($21). When I ordered, the server asked if I wanted to add avocado for $2, which of course I did. The fish was perfectly cooked, very tender and flavorful. I would definitely order them again.
Another option I enjoyed was the La Conner pasta ($32). If you’re in the mood for creamy seafood it includes a fat pile of linguine with plenty of crab and shrimp, mixed with a rich garlic-cream sauce and fresh spinach.
Besides seafood, as the restaurant’s name suggests, beef is the other star here. There are several steaks available, including a ribeye and a filet, and then of course there is prime rib, served after 4 p.m. every day for as long as it lasts.
You can get a slab of lovely, rosy slow-roasted prime rib as either a 10-ounce ($38) or 14-ounce ($42), served with horseradish, jus, seasonal vegetables and your choice of baked potato, herb-roasted potatoes, coleslaw, rice pilaf or French fries.
There are several steaks available, including a ribeye and a filet (pictured), and then of course there is prime rib. They are served with horseradish, jus, seasonal vegetables and your choice of baked potato, herb-roasted potatoes, coleslaw, rice pilaf or French fries. (Photo by Jessamyn Tuttle)
The baked potato is served with plenty of butter and fixings, and the herbed potatoes are small and glossy with creamy centers. Their coleslaw is my favorite style, very creamy with a little sweetness, and the rice pilaf is simple but has a good chewiness to it. The horseradish comes both straight (which will clear your sinuses out for the next three days) as well as a less-volatile cream.
For something a bit smaller, I recommend the prime rib dip ($19), an excellent version of the classic sandwich, piled thickly with paper-thin slices of beef, with a smear of sauce and Swiss cheese, plus a very tasty bowl of jus. You can also request it “La Conner style” which adds onions, peppers and smoked gouda.
Although it’s neither seafood nor steak, when I saw chicken marsala ($28) on the menu, I had to get it. The chicken itself came as two slightly overcooked and rather tough pieces of breast meat, but I loved the mushroom marsala sauce, which went beautifully with the accompanying rice pilaf and zucchini.
The dessert list includes several classics such as cheesecake, crème brulee and chocolate mousse. (Photo by Jessamyn Tuttle)
The dessert list includes several classics such as crème brulee and chocolate mousse. My dining partner tried the cheesecake ($8). It was very smooth — it didn’t have the slightly granular texture cheesecake sometimes gets — and was served with a sweet caramel sauce, almost more like butterscotch. He liked it.
While La Conner Seafood and Prime Rib isn’t as polished as some other restaurants in town, the prices are a little lower, and the prime rib plate and the patio are both worth showing up for. In cooler weather, get a table by the window, have a drink and watch the world go by.
Visit La Conner Seafood and Prime Rib from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily at 614 First St. Info: laconnerseafood.com.
