Our History 81 Years in the Making!
“The Hilltop House” has long enjoyed a reputation as a fine steak and seafood dining establishment. Sitting high atop a hill overlooking the upper bay and the dunes, “The Hilltop House” was originally home of Carl Nordstrom, a chef on an ocean going vessel. Mr. Nordstrom added a small dining area in 1934.
“The Hilltop House” was acquired in 1960 by Wade McDougall, who purchased it with the idea of providing quality banquet facilities since there were none in the area in those days. After the winds of the Columbia Day Storm of 1962 blew the awnings off the front of the restaurant from the upper level where the glass is today, the lower glassed-in area was added for additional dining space with a breathtaking view. During their ownership, “The Hilltop House” not only became one of the top ten restaurants in Oregon, but the most popular on the entire Oregon Coast. Purchased on Labor Day in 1976 by George Walker, Bob Coughlin and Manni Wieseka, it featured a German Chef and specialized in veal and lobster thermadore. In late 1993 the Tang family, owners of the Portside Seafood restaurant in Charleston, purchased the facility with the plan of returning the restaurant to its glory days.
On the first of April, 2002 Joseph and Jodi Zamora, became the proud new owners of this Bay Area Landmark. It is their wish to begin a new tradition of excellence for you to savor and enjoy… with your dining pleasure in mind.
Joseph has spent a lifetime honing and learning how to cook and prepare seafood and steaks from the best chefs from around the world. Joseph has had an undying passion to prepare and serve food that would dazzle and delight his patrons all his life. This undying devotion has lead Joseph to own and operate several different restaurants and even be named Food Service Director for NBC at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul Korea.
As Hilltop House’s head chef, Joseph Zamora dreams a dish into being, the biggest consideration he makes is in the selection of ingredients. Choosing the freshest, best seafood in Coos Bay makes for the most vibrant, delicious dishes. Perhaps more than any other ingredient, selecting the freshest fish requires a host of senses: smell, touch, sight, and eventually taste all play a key role. When done right, the end result is what the World newspaper describes as the best restaurant in Coost Bay.
If there is anything we can do, please let us know. If we have it, we can create it!
Make Your Reservation at Coos Bay’s Best Seafood Restaurant
When you are looking for the best seafood restaurant in Coos Bay, look no further than chef Joseph Zamora’s Hilltop House restaurant. Hilltop House specializes in the kind of dishes that exemplify the Oregon Coast food scene: bright, fresh, and gently-handled food that straddles the line between tradition and innovation. Lesser seafood restaurants try and hide the flavors of less-than-fresh seafood under layers of assertive flavors; in the best restaurant in Coos Bay, however, Chef Zamora only chooses ingredients he is confident will stand on their own. Come experience the best Oregon Coast seafood has to offer. Call and book your reservation today.
Call Hilltop House Restaurant & Lounge at 541-756-4160 to book a reservation, or browse the rest of our website for more information on lounge dining.
