Toby’s
Is there any waterfront bar more famous than Toby’s in Coupeville?
I set out from my homeport of La Conner, went out the channel, hugged Whidbey, went past Strawberry Point, past Polnell Point and Oak Harbor. It took about an hour. It was a beautiful, calm day, but be careful, as it can really blow up in Penn Cove, and you might be stuck in the bar all night.
You can’t miss Coupeville. It has that glorious red barn out front, all on pilings. I don’t know how they afford to keep it standing. It must be expensive to maintain. They have a nice community dock there, with fuel–which was nice so I could return home. Right at the head of the dock is the cute little town of Coupeville with a plethora (big word) of shops and restaurants. You can’t miss Toby’s –-it has a big sign that says…”Toby’s.”
Toby’s is really the perfect bar to watch the Mariners. It’s not big. It’s narrow and long. The windows to the view are not large; they are small and aluminum—not the least bit cute or trendy. The attraction is in the bar. It’s dark and taverny. The 50- inch TV is right behind the bar, as God intended them to be. The menu is perfect as well—hamburgers and reasonably priced, too. They have exotic beers on tap, such as Coors Light. The bartender was pretty, friendly, and welcoming. Men were hitting on her—as it should be. They are open 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. everyday. Call (360) 678-4222 or email them at info@tobysuds.com
The Mariners won. What? It stayed calm on the way home. The tide was in so I took the shortcut over the Skagit Flats, up the river and through Hole-In-The-Wall. Dinghies, bars, and baseball don’t get any better than this. Toby’s receives a 5 out of 5 dinghy rating. Ahh—boating!
Next stop? I want to attempt that Rosario Strait crossing to that mecca of bars in the San Juans.