Coastal Living: America’s Best Seafood Dives 2012

What exactly is a seafood dive? Writer and fried food expert Steve Millburg puts it best, saying that dive means ” a seafood restaurant with a casual atmosphere and great food. A wine list might be OK, but a beer list is better. The best dives prepare food simply but carefully, using only fresh ingredients. Prospective dives earn bonus points for being on the water, making their own sauces, and offering live entertainment—quadruple bonus points if it’s Jimmy Buffett,” he says.

This year, we asked him to narrow it down to the 50 best.

Tides Tavern, Gig Harbor
Noisy and friendly, the Tides feels authentically Pacific Northwestern. The local oyster shooters and craft beers are especially good.