August 17, 2007
by Karen Persson for The Columbian

The Parker House Restaurant overlooks the Columbia River and emphasizes seafood such as seared salmon with sautéed vegetables. (MIKE SALSBURY/The Columbian)

Where we ate this week: Parker house Restaurant Why: Only a handful of Clark County restaurants sit on the banks of the Columbia River, and the Parker House Restaurant is one of them. But the steakhouse-style restaurant doesn't rely on its commanding view to draw diners.

The restaurant offers lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch, happy hour, live bands and dancing.

Backstory: The Parker House, a landmark building that dates to the 1950s, sat vacant for 15 years before reopening in December 2005. The original sign, an icon from the past, still stands at state Highway 14 at Second Street.

Jockey Victor Espinoza bought the property in 2004 and undertook a lengthy renovation after learning environmental regulations wouldn't allow rebuilding on the same spot.

A new building would have had to sit on the other side of the parking lot, thus losing the view.

Atmosphere: From the chunky dark wood balusters and bold patterned carpet to the damask upholstery on the booths, the Parker House is a potpourri of 1970s style with a sprinkling of new-fangled elements. Large windows offer a remarkable view of the Columbia River from almost every seat.

The food: I enjoyed the crab cakes. They had a conservative amount of mayonnaise in the mix and weren't fishy. The accompanying whole-grain remoulade was a tangy complement.

Although the halibut was fresh, it was slightly undercooked and slimy. The mashed potatoes included some skins and were dry.

The fish and chips were made from excellent, no-gray cod portions covered with an extra-salty batter, which made the bland coleslaw a welcome accompaniment.

A creamy homemade clam chowder was the soup of the day on my visit. It had a rich, salty flavor not overpowered by the clams.

I ordered a salad but sent it back because the obviously pre-bagged lettuce was well past fresh.

Best deal: Kids eat free Mondays and Tuesdays. For each adult entree purchased, a child receives an item from the children's menu.

Cost: Appetizers are $6.96 to $11.25. Soup is $4 per cup or $6 for a bowl. Salads cost $6.95 up to $15.99 for a Dungeness crab Louis.

Lunch and dinner cost $7.99 to $29.

Wine by the glass is $4 to $7. Sunday brunch is $19.95.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

Where: 56 S. First St., Washougal.

Contact: 360-835-2167 or parkerhouserestaurant.com.

Health Score: The Parker House received a perfect score of 0 on May 31. Clark County Public Health closes restaurants that score 100 or higher. For more information, call 360-397-8428.