| The Kernville Steak & Seafood House
Like the osprey, you'll just keep coming back
Riverfront dining and
the annual spring pageant,
at The Kernville
By Niki Price
Oregon Coast Today
For many years, the staff and customers at the Kernville Steak and Seafood House have been privy to a spring ritual: the return of the osprey. Every year, a breeding pair has returned to the same nest that rested on top of a utility pole across the Siletz River from the restaurant, just outside Lincoln City. Using binoculars that are placed near the window seats, the humans inside could watch the osprey improve the nest, protect their eggs and rear their young.
So it seemed a sad joke when, on April 1, local utility crews removed the lines that supported the osprey’s nesting spot, and the long-rotten staff tumbled to the ground. John Bingham, co-owner of the restaurant often called “The Kernville,” saw the nest go down.
“There used to be a plethora of cables across the river that sort of cluttered up the view. So when utility companies took them down, it really opened it up,” he said. “But there’s that giant osprey nest that’s been out there for years, bearing the brunt of all the storms, and all of a sudden, it’s lying in the mud. I said, ‘Oh man, that hurts a little bit.’”
But this April Fools Day story has a happy ending. Within a few hours (and in accordance with their permit from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife) the workers had erected a new, more protected nesting platform for the osprey. Later that day the first osprey of the season arrived.
“They were flying around, going ‘Hey, didn’t we have a nest around here somewhere?’ But it didn’t take them long to find the new platform and they’re building a nest on it. Osprey are resilient birds, I’ve been told, and it’s not uncommon for them to have to build a new nest. I expect they’ll be putting on really good show for us,” John said.
It’s not just birds of prey that return to the Siletz River every spring. The Kernville patrons see beaver, otter and seals, along with a Canada geese and goslings, or as John puts it, a “flotilla of geese families, teaching the little ones how to fish and feed on the shore.”
Songbirds frequent The Kernville, too. Last weekend, the lounge played host to two of Portland’s finest blueswomen, Sonny Hess and Lisa Mann; earlier in April, songstress Beth Willis brought her original tunes to the riverfront. Live music will continue on Saturday nights (and sometimes Friday and Sunday nights, too) throughout the summer.
“The Kernville is about a wonderful, eclectic collection of people, too. “Kathy and I can’t do all this by ourselves,” John said. “Jim Windau, our chef, and his kitchen crew consistently put out tremendous food. Headed by newly promoted manager, Marilee Harrison, with servers Pam Young, Jan Heywood, Laura Knott and the rest of the gang, the serving staff is focused on providing warm, friendly hospitality with an occasional touch of entertainment thrown in.”
Add a menu that includes signature New York strip and prime rib, as well as halibut, crab, salmon and oysters, award-winning clam chowder, pastas and vegetarian delights, for lunch and dinner seven days a week, and there’s a lot to like about the Kernville. John, who owns the restaurant along with his wife, Kathy, said it’s a dream come true.
“Hospitality and food service have always been a passion for me. I love to eat and I love people, so it’s easy to accomplish my goals in a setting like this. It’s just so nice,” he said. “I think that’s what sets the Kernville apart from other restaurants: it’s like coming home. You’re a guest in our house. Come in. Make yourself comfortable.”
A little history
People have been gathering at this spot on the riverbank for more than a century. As the ghost moorings that dot the river suggest, Kernville was once home to a large dock and cannery. Across the river, a timber mill produced building materials and aircraft-quality spruce to the military during World War I. Three-masted schooners once sailed through Siletz Bay to these factories, to transport their fish and lumber products around the world.
By the 1950s, however, these industries had disappeared. The Siletz River and bay communities were served by a general store, tavern and post office that were immortalized in the 1971 film “Sometimes a Great Notion.” That structure later burned down, and the current Kernville Steak and Seafood House stands in the same location.
John and Kathy Bingham have owned the restaurant since December 2003. They’ve worked to maintain the tradition of logger-pleasing steaks, including their signature filet mignon and top sirloin. John’s favorite, and the top seller at the Kernville, is the prime rib. It’s a tender, flavorful cut of beef that’s rubbed with a special blend of herbs and spices, and slow-roasted to perfection. For dinner, you can pick your portion size, 8 12 0r 16 ounces; an 8-ounce cut, with your choice of soup or salad, and a side dish (baked potato, “red spuds” or rice), plus vegetables and bread, is $15.
He’s similarly proud of the Pork Loin Chop dinner, two 4-ounce center-cut chops grilled to perfection and served with a seasonal fruit compote ($16). The Binghams encourage their customers to get elbow deep in their Barbecue Smoked Pork Ribs ($12.50 for a half rack, $18.50 full).
There are plenty of seafood options, too, from the Dungeness Crab Cakes with basil, shallots, sweet peppers and lemon juice ($24) to the Seafood Fettuccine, a decadent assortment of prawns, scallops, salmon and halibut, sautéed with local mushrooms, garlic, basil and white wine and finished with your choice of sauces ($20).
Lunch choices include the Primo Prime Rib sandwich, the Kernville’s famous roast, sliced thin and piled high on a rustic hoagie roll with Swiss cheese and grilled onions (au jus and horseradish sauce on the side) for $10. The owner also recommends the turkey wrap, a combination of sliced turkey, crumbled bacon, provolone cheese, shredded lettuces and basil, chopped tomatoes and red onions, all snug inside a warm chipotle tortilla ($8). Burgers, steamers, salads and cups of the Kernville’s popular clam chowder — a consistent winner at the Lincoln City Chowder Cookoff — means there’s something for everyone.
New on the menu is the Pasta Page, with selections like Greek (with bay shrimp, capers, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese) and the Sausage Pasta (with spicy Italian sausage and four-cheese ravioli tossed with onions, sweet peppers and mushrooms in a pesto marinara sauce). Both entrees are $14.
The Kernville maintains a healthy wine list, with several vintages available by the glass. While most bottles are in the $40 and under range, the Binghams are happy to help with any special occasion purchases of Korbel, Veuve Cliquot and Dom Perignon. They offer regional microbrews on tap, and a full bar, tended by Ray Bell, Steff Ramsey and recent addition, Rick Leaverton, who after a long tenure at the Inn at Spanish Head has decided to head upriver.
This riverside steakhouse is also home to ongoing exhibits, with work by artists Brenda Wagner, Don Wisener, Dan Anderson and Tim Power. A new server, Kari Hegney, is painting on site every Thursday during the lunch hour. Whether you’re looking out the window or down at your plate, there’s always something interesting to see at the Kernville.
“We invite everybody to come down and enjoy the ambiance of the river, the art and the food here at the Kernville. It’s a great place to have a glass of wine and watch the world go by,” Bingham said. “There are things to feast on, with both your eyes and your tummy.”
The Kernville Steak and Seafood House is located at 186 Siletz River Hwy. (Hwy. 229), 1 mile south of Lincoln City and 1/8 of a mile from Hwy. 101. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily (sometimes later on Friday and Saturday nights). For details or reservations, call 541-994-6200; for a music calendar and other restaurant info, head to kernvillesteakhouse.com.
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