After reviewing the menu at highly popular Pirates Cove, we regretfully decided it was more than a wee bit beyond our budget plans for that evening ($20 and up per entrée). But we had a backup plan:
Ghost Hole. And what a fun experience it turned out to be! Though lacking Pirate’s Cove’s stunning bay views and upscale cuisine, it more than made up for it in terms of down-home atmosphere and local hospitality. We no sooner had set foot in the door, when the old geezers drinking at the bar began kidding us. "So you decided yet whether she’s the right one for you?" Followed by more razzing when Bob didn’t respond as quickly as anyone would have liked.
Though it was beginning to cool off, we chose to sit outdoors at a table on the enclosed wooden deck. The dark green plastic patio furniture décor was accented by hanging sphagnum moss pots growing trailing plants, as well as pots on the ground growing brightly colored flowers. A small lily-pond fountain against the fence made tinkling watery sounds. We ordered our customary pitcher of Bud and one glance at the menu was a no-brainer, at least for my pizza-holic husband: Pizza tonight! Deluxe pepperoni to be exact. 
It continued to cool off as the sun lowered in the horizon and we sipped our beer. The wait was encouraging for a pizza that advertised using homemade sauce and fresh bakery crust. But too long for us to continue sitting outdoors, so we moved ourselves indoors to eat our steaming hot pizza. I’d classify it as a good, respectable pizza in every way: tasty sauce, good assortment of veggies, medium crust baked golden-brown. Ghost Hole’s pizzas only come in one size: large. Full after eating only half of it, we went home with a box containing another pizza dinner. But before leaving and while finishing the last of our beer, a young car salesman named Tim gave us lessons on the tricks of playing video-poker on the old as well as the new machines (5 total – do a casino make in some states). To top it off, he sent us on our way laughing with a really funny medical-political joke. No, it was not complimentary to the present administration.
Ghost Hole, I wondered where that name came from, until I saw it on some maps of the area. It’s a popular fishing spot just south of town, out in Tillamook Bay. Indoors, next to the Danger Men Drinking sign is a Penny Lane street sign. Beyond that, Beatles Boulevard and various posters and magazine cutouts of Beatles from early to late. "The owner likes the Beatles". Total cost for the pizza and beer: $21. And the enjoyment of hanging out with locals instead of other tourists. Other menu options: six other kinds of pizza, a whole page of burgers, non-burger specialties such as fish ‘n chips, shrimp ‘n chips, chicken strips, steak and cheese.
From journal Tillamook to Nehalem, Oregon Coast