3Peaks good choice for seafood

Why: 3Peaks Public House & Taproom recently opened next to the Pacific Northwest Best Fish Co.’s fish market and cafe in Ridgefield. It is the newest addition to Pacific Northwest Best Fish Co., a family-owned and -operated business.

The focus of 3Peaks is on handcrafted beers on tap and wine with food items provided by the cafe next door. Mobile food vendors are brought in Friday through Sunday evenings for additional options.

The whole family is welcome, and there are old-fashioned sodas for the younger-than-21 crowd.

What I tried: I tried a cup of the clam chowder and the PNWB Halibut sandwich. The clam chowder is made New England-style. I compared it to my last cup of clam chowder, which I had at McGrath’s Fish House, and found it superior. Unlike McGrath’s, which was more like a thin potato soup with a scant amount of clam pieces, 3Peaks’ is rich and creamy and loaded with clam pieces.

The halibut sandwich is served on an oversized fresh roll. Two pieces of lightly breaded halibut, thinly sliced red onions, Tillamook pepper-ack cheese, tomatoes, leafy green lettuce and tartar sauce are added to complete the sandwich. Overall, the sandwich was good but it was a bit dry. I ended up eating most of the components of the sandwich separate from one another. If I order it again, I would ask for extra tartar sauce; this might solve the issue. The sandwich was served with lightly salted shoestring french fries. They were an appetizing accompaniment.

Menu highlights beyond what I tried: Fish and chip options include European haddock, shrimp, scallops, coconut shrimp, beer-battered ono and panko-breaded salmon. Taco options include mahi mahi, halibut, shrimp, chicken and salmon. The crab cake sandwich sounded tasty, as did the quesadilla, which is made with your choice of grilled chicken, bay shrimp or Dungeness crab and filled with Tillamook cheddar cheese, green onions and pepper-jack cheese, all topped with chipotle cream sauce and salsa.

Atmosphere: The entrance is elevated — the same as the fish market and cafe. Entry doors are large, and a roll-up door on the north side opens to outdoor seating and a fenced yard. The decor is simple and rustic with the 3Peaks logo burned into table tops and displayed on an attractive see-through floor feature. Seating is basic, and picnic tables are provided for outdoor seating. Large windows allow in natural light, and light fixtures lend a soft, warm glow during the evening.

Other observations: Food service during my visit took quite some time — a bit more than 30 minutes — but then, 3Peaks is not wrapped around a dining experience. Orders arrive to-go style, in bags, disposable containers, and with plasticware, inspiring a picnic type of dining.

Service was very friendly, relaxed and attentive with drink refills.

Surfaces do not absorb sound, so if it’s a full house and you’re sitting amid the tables, conversation can be challenging.

Although the setup is perfect for fair-weather evenings, I think it will be cozy enough when the rain sets in.

Cost: Soup is $6 for 8 ounces, 16 ounces is $8, and 32 ounces is $14. Salad is $4.99. Salad with blackened salmon is $9.99, salad with grilled shrimp is $7.99, and salad with grilled chicken is $6.99. Shrimp and crab cocktail costs $12.99. Sandwiches are $9.99 to $13.99. The calamari strip basket and the clam basket are both $7.99. Bento is $6.99 and $8.99. Tacos are $6.99 to $9.99. The halibut house fish and chips costs $9.99 to $16.99 depending on how many pieces of fish you want. Other fish and chip options range from $8.99 to $11.99.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and on Sunday. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Where: 24415 N.E. 10th Ave., Ridgefield.

Contact: 360-887-3157. 3Peaks is also on Facebook and is expected to eventually have a website.

Health score: 3Peaks Public House & Taproom has received a preopening inspection and is scheduled to receive a routine inspection in the near future. For information, call 360-397-8428.