I first visited Bill’s Tavern in the late ’70s on a stormy winter night. Cannon Beach was nearly deserted, but a handful of boisterous locals were gathered around the pool table, drinking beer and telling tales.

In those days, the best party in town occurred on Halloween night, when costumed patrons zigzagged from The Driftwood Inn across the street over to Bill’s Tavern and back. The original Bill’s was eventually torn down, but the friendly spirit of the old tavern still lives on.

When the owners remodeled Bill’s Tavern, they installed a brewery, where they produce exceptional handcrafted beers made from the finest raw ingredients they can find. The beer selection varies according to season, but there are regular standouts, including Duck Dive Ale, Bronze Ale and Thundermuck Stout. Bill’s also features Sweet William’s Homemade Root Beer. Wines by the glass and bottle feature Northwest wines, including Girardet pinot noir and Snoqualmie cabernet/merlot.

Framed by dramatic wooden beams, the restaurant’s Northwest-style interior opens to skylights and a view of the upstairs portion of the brewery. A welcoming wooden bar, fitted with retro stools and a generous line of beer spouts, divides the tavern proper from the family-style dining room.

Bill’s creative menu offers something for everyone, from starters to homemade soups, chowders and salads to beer-battered fish and chips and seafood stew. Among sandwich options, you’ll find bay shrimp and cheese served on grilled sourdough bread, albacore tuna seasoned with curry and lemon and turkey and cheese, made with oven roasted turkey breast.

For starters, a shrimp cocktail made with fresh bay shrimp and a spicy housemade cocktail sauce comes filled to the brim in a tall parfait glass. All you need to add is a kiss of hot sauce and a squeeze of lemon. I enjoyed the complex flavors of a crisp Duck Dive Pale Ale (which, according to the menu, is named for a surfing technique that allows surfers and ducks alike to glide through an oncoming breaker, rather than being pounded to the seafloor), but preferred the brewery’s Thundermuck Stout. With its jolt of roasted coffee, the creamy, latte-esque stout took me back to the craggy shores of Ireland, where I drank my first Guinness.

Steve Matthews, the kitchen manager at Bill’s Tavern and Brew House in Cannon Beach, drops off an order of fish tacos.The house salad is good standard fare – lettuce with slices of tomato, green pepper and cucumber. Dressings are good, but deserve a better vessel than a paper cup. One night, I split a bacon cheeseburger with a friend and we also shared a seafood medley with deep-fried prawns, halibut, cod, grilled oysters and French fries. The burger was good, not great. For me, the ultimate test of a good hamburger is leftovers for breakfast. I love a cold hamburger dipped in ketchup, with its juice-soaked bun, mayo and pickles. It can be heaven. When I retasted the burger the next morning, I was still disappointed.

Far better was the seafood medley. The fish was sea-fresh and expertly battered and fried. I loved the oysters, with their deep rich flavor and hot, crispy crunch. The halibut and cod were equally light, fresh and crisp, as were the onion rings. The fries were tasty, but on several occasions they have been limp and not crisp. The buttery garlic bread is a winner.

From left, Joel Marshall serves up lunch to Molly, Tim, Any and Kathlyn Johans of Boise, Idaho. The Johans have made it a spring break tradition to visit Cannon Beach.Clam chowder, laced with shredded carrot, celery and chunks of potato, is nice and creamy – not overly thick, like many renditions. One night, a special of hamburger “sliders” was delicious. For just $5, the bar menu featured three mini-hamburgers topped with melted cheese and caramelized onions. About three inches across, they were great to toss down with one of Bill’s freshly brewed ales.

Dipped in Bill’s beer batter, fish and chips come in cod or halibut. When I first ordered the fish and chips, I was a bit reluctant to try the halibut, as it looked like square fish fingers out of a box. But when I bit into the fish, I was pleasantly surprised. With a wonderful, crisp golden breading and fresh sea flavor, it was excellent. Desserts change daily and beers are seasonal, so go with an open mind. All said, Bill’s Tavern is a very pleasant place to dine. If you can, visit Thursdays, when one of the coast’s favorite bands – Floating Glass Balls – plays live.