SOUTH BEND, Wash. – Some say expansive Willapa Bay is this nation’s most pristine estuary. From its southern extremity on the Long Beach Peninsula to its northern reaches abreast Cape Shoalwater, where the bay melds effortlessly with the Pacific, there’s almost no industry in evidence, save for a lumber mill in Raymond and the Willapa’s best-known activity – oyster farming.

Inland a bit, and washed by the gently flowing Willapa River which empties into the bay, the bucolic, welcoming town of South Bend is the self-proclaimed oyster capital of the world. Indeed, shells piled high alongside the highway and a bustling oyster processing plant bolster this assertion. South Bend’s diminutive downtown is cute, almost kitschy, and a serendipitous find for the intrepid traveler.

Historically, however, the town has lacked certain visitor-friendly amenities, among them a first-rate restaurant. Southwest Washington’s dining-out intelligentsia maintain the now-defunct Gardiner’s restaurant filled the bill, but that establishment is long gone. These days, diners in the know have shifted allegiance to Harbor Grille, an eatery occupying the same location.

You wouldn’t think a restaurant housed inside a converted manufactured home would hold much promise of a fine meal. Most savvy diners would assume such a plain-looking place would serve the burgers, chicken-fried steaks and massive breakfasts that are the signature meals for numerous road houses up and down Washington’s coastline.

Thankfully, Harbor Grille dispels those notions. Inside, the restaurant is nothing short of cozy, furbished with forest-green booths, decorated with burgundy tablecloths and valances and warmed by an open kitchen, wood paneling, a clear-coated fir floor and lots of potted plants. And make no mistake, Harbor Grille is a gastronomic outpost in a veritable culinary backwater, with its broad menu and capable kitchen.

Inspiration comes from owner-chef Robert Scrim, the centerpiece of the Harbor Grille story. A large, jovial and well-spoken man, Scrim has bounced around the restaurant world, landing mainly in the western U.S., where he worked for well-known corporate lodging-restaurant chains such as Sheridan and Radisson. Jobs took Scrim from San Diego to Montana, L.A. to Palm Springs and Reno. He found Harbor Grille while surfing the Internet in his last locale, Fresno, Calif., and snapped it up when he learned the asking price.

Scrim’s cooking is consistent, if predictable and not terribly distinctive, and reflects not only his culinary background – hey, this guy was a long-time hotel chef – but also his desire to please local palates. Entree choices extend to lemon-rosemary chicken, sesame-ginger salmon, a pungent Two Pepper steak smothered with brandy-green peppercorn sauce and a very creamy seafood fettuccine. The latter two dishes suffer from too much of a good thing, namely their heady sauces. On the lighter side, Scrim’s Saint Joseph’s pasta involves a plate of penne tossed with wilted spinach, toasted pine nuts and roasted red peppers lightly bathed in an olive oil base.

It’s all visually pleasing and broadly appealing fare, just the sort you’d expect to find featured in the upscale hotel-restaurant establishments that employed Scrim. Betcha none of those dining emporiums can match the freshness and delectablity of Willapa Bay oysters, though, offloaded from vessels moored a short seagull’s flight from Harbor Grille’s front door.

Fortunately, Scrim knows his way around a bivalve, and his menu showcases the local bounty. Order ’em pan-fried, deep-fried (if you must) or, preferably, grilled, drizzled with a garlic-butter blend and served on the half shell. Enhanced by the oyster’s natural nectar, the latter arrangement is truly a gift from the Willapa gods. Dungeness crab cakes pan-fried to a golden hue and matched with jalapeno tartar sauce are equally splendid. “There’s no filler except crab in these crab cakes,” one of our dining party commented contentedly.

Harbor Grille portions are generous and entrees are mostly moderately priced, topping out at $18.95 for the pepper steak. Even with a bottle of vino from the paltry but reasonably priced wine list, two could enjoy a fine meal for about $50, capped by a top-flight creme brulee. Asked about all that food for the money, Scrim replied that when he purchased his eatery, the large-serving china was part of the deal. “I have to fill the plates,” he added.

In the future, this 30-something, all-is-possible entrepreneur hopes to open a family-style pizza joint in nearby Raymond, although Scrim seems to recognize the reality of his market area. His reply to a query concerning Harbor Grille’s broad menu was to the point. “I’ve got a small town with a diverse group of people,” he said about his clientele. “I can’t just fill a certain niche.”

Contact the Mouth at The Daily Astorian, P.O. Box 210, Astoria, OR 97103, phone (503) 325-3211 or e-mail mouth@dailyastorian.com

Harbor Grille

Two and a half stars (out of four)

702 W. Robert Bush Drive (U.S. Highway 101)

South Bend, Wash.

(360) 875-5154

Hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Prices: Moderate. Lunches all cost less than $10; dinner entrees top out at $18.95 (pepper steak). Two could eat well here for about $50, including wine, dessert and tip.

Superior selections: Oysters prepared any which way, Dungeness crab cakes, Saint Joseph’s pasta, creme brulee.

Atmosphere: A manufactured home converted into a cozy space done up in greens and reds.

Service: Friendly, but in our experience, reticent (which certainly is preferable to intrusive).

Kid-friendly: Meals that should suit younger palates include a couple burger choices, grilled steak or chicken sandwiches, fish ‘n chips and spaghetti and meatballs.

Vegetarian options: Limited to ordering a pasta dish or a stir fry without the chicken or shrimp.

Alcohol: Bottled beer and an inexpensive but paltry (10 choices) wine list.

Access: The entrance will accommodate people in wheelchairs, the restrooms will not.

Credit cards: All major cards.

Personal checks: OK.

Reservations: Recommended for dinner.

Smoking: Not permitted.