A few months ago, I wrote my first “Have Eats, Will Travel” article about a restaurant located in Bodega Bay, California on Highway 1 called The Birds Cafe.

The experience gave me a new appreciation for locally sourced cuisine as The Birds Cafe offers a menu which includes seafood caught and served daily in the Bodega Bay.

Fast forward to the present, I came across another opportunity to try my hands at a different seafood restaurant just off of Highway 1.

But this one was located about 22 miles south of Bodega Bay in the tiny town of Marshall, California, located in the Tomales Bay area of Marin County.

The Tomales Bay region has arguably the best farmed oysters in California by combining techniques that preserve the pristine nature of those waters which flow in and out from the Pacific Ocean.

One of the restaurants taking advantage of the area’s fresh resources is Tony’s Seafood Restaurant.

Situated on Highway 1 in Marshall, Tony’s sits right next to the waters of Tomales Bay, and you have the option to either sit inside or outside.

Tony’s Seafood first opened back in 1948 by a Croatian fisherman named Anton “Tony” Konatich and had been run by his family for three generations.

In 2017, the company was purchased by both John Finger and Terry Sawyer, the co-founders of Hog Island Oyster Co. to revive and restore the local icon.

Me and my girlfriend decided to sit outside to take in the fresh air, while looking out at the fog on the other side of the Bay.

The temperature was around the mid-60s during the late afternoon, which was very pleasant; and it didn’t take long for the fog to go away.

To start off with drinks, my gf kept it simple and had a Mexican Coke; I went with a beer selection and had a glass of the Henhouse Brewing Denver Airport IPA.

This beer had a smoother kick to it than what I’m used to when I drink IPAs as they tend to have more of a bitter kick, but I have to say I liked the balance the flavors gave my palate.

Like I stated earlier, Tomales Bay is well known for their oysters; so I had to see what the fuss was all about.

And I must confess, I don’t have much recent experiences with eating oysters; and when I have eaten them, they’ve all been of the canned variety.

So this would be my first time trying fresh oysters the so-called “fancy” way.

We went with Tony’s BBQ’d Sweetwater Oysters, which is house-made with Tony’s OG BBQ sauce.

The sauce was really good and didn’t overpower the oysters; so we were able to get that distinct, rich flavor of Tomales Bay.

For our main course, my girlfriend went with the fish tacos, which featured grilled lingcod, hogwash slaw, guacamole, and chipotle aioli sauce.

My dish was the fish and chips that consisted of fried Alaskan cod, red cabbage coleslaw, house-made tartar sauce, and fries.

When I first looked at both filets, I thought they resembled big fish nuggets; buy that wasn’t the case at all.

The batter was coated perfectly and offered a nice crunchy exterior; while the cod fish was juicy and fresh with every bite.

I have to say, the difference between buying seafood caught and served daily compared to buying it in the grocery store is like night and day to me; you really get your money’s worth when you go fresh.

There are plenty of other delicious dishes to choose from at Tony’s, which include grilled halibut, steamed mussels, and clam linguine.

Besides the wonderful food and drinks, the staff at Tony’s were very friendly and always go out of their way to make sure every customer has a great experience when they dine there.

If you’re looking for a restaurant to dine at which is more laid back and quiet compared to bigger cities, check out Tony’s if you’re ever in Tomales Bay.

Tony’s Seafood Restaurant is located at 18863 Shorline Highway, Marshall, California 94940.

They’re operating hours are closed on Mondays, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Tuesday through Thursday), and 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Friday through Sunday); there is also live music featured every Sunday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.