The Rising Star Cafe (http://www.risingstarcafe.com/)in Wheeler, Oregon is an excellent restaurant just one block off the Oregon Coast Highway as it passes through the town. Wheeler is a fun place to stop, there are a few antique stores that have interesting things to look as well as views of the Nehalem Bay. We went for dinner and it was an enjoyable experience and goes down on our list of recommendations of a great place to have a meal on the Oregon Coast. The place is small with a comfortable environment making it an exceptional location for a special dinner after a day at the beach. The menu has a range of local ingredient inspired dishes as well as some asian courses which was a pleasant surprise. The restaurant is cash and check only so make sure to bring cash or there is an ATM at the business next door.
We decided to share a few courses and a dessert. The dinner entree was a Halibut and Shrimp dish that also had a garlic mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. The halibut, Shrimp and Mashed Potatoes was around $21. The halibut and mixed with the mashed was delicious and something that I had not had together before. It is those kinds of dishes that make it fun to go out and try new places and new items that you might not have seen on a menu before. It came with salad with greens, onions, and carrots with a light dressing. We also ordered one of the rice noodle dishes, which had a coconut lime sauce, there was a slight heat to the dish and was mixed with vegatables. The rice noodles was $11 and could have added shrimp or chicken to it for an additional charge. Both dishes were large portions and very satisfying. For dessert we tried the Rising Star Bar which was chocolate chip cookie like pieces with ice cream, chocolate drizzle, and whipped cream. The dessert was $5 and perfect size for sharing between two people. The Rising Star Cafe is worth the trip if you enjoy experiencing great food prepared with fresh, local ingredients.
We look forward to going back to the Rising Star cafe and seeing what is on the menu next.