For a lot of Oregonians, the drive to the coast has never just been about the destination.

It's about the traditions.

It's the excitement of packing up the car before sunrise. The smell of Douglas fir drifting through an open window as Highway 26 winds through the Coast Range. The first glimpse of mist hanging in the trees. The familiar roadside stops that somehow became part of the trip itself.

Places like Camp 18. Places like the Elderberry Inn.

And for generations of Oregon families, there was another stop that became woven into those coastal memories: Oney's Pizza Parlor.

Long before you reached the bustling promenade of Seaside or Cannon Beach's famous shoreline, there was a little restaurant tucked along the Sunset Highway where hungry travelers could stretch their legs, grab a meal, and enjoy one of the most scenic stretches of the journey west.

What Oregon kid on their way to the coast doesn't remember the huge, smiling, axe-wielding Paul Bunyan statue that towered over the highway?

For many Oregonians, Oney's wasn't just a restaurant. It was a landmark.

A sign that the beach was getting close.

The History Of A Familiar Sight Along Highway 26

Located near the tiny community of Elsie along Highway 26, Oney's sits in one of the prettiest sections of the Coast Range. Towering trees surround the property, and the winding highway outside feels much the same as it did decades ago.

The location has been welcoming travelers for generations.

In 1938, Oney Camberg began her journey of providing hearty, home-cooked meals to local timber loggers in the Clatsop County region. Over time, this grew into a fully operating, three-meal-a-day roadside restaurant and lounge

Online evidence of Oney's presence stretches back at least to the 1970s, when the restaurant was already well known among coastal travelers. The newspaper ad (shown above) from 1974 provides evidence that Oney's had already become a recognizable stop along the route to the coast. The building itself was partly the old Elsie schoolhouse, renovated and repurposed.

That means generations of Oregon families have likely pulled into the parking lot at one point or another.Kids on summer vacation. Hunters headed into the Coast Range. Families making their annual pilgrimage to Seaside. Couples escaping Portland for a weekend on the coast. Everyone had their favorite stop, and for many people, Oney's was it.

The Giant Lumberjack Every Oregon Kid Remembered

Of course, no story about Oney's would be complete without mentioning the giant Paul Bunyan statue.

Standing watch beside Highway 26, the towering lumberjack became one of the most recognizable roadside landmarks on the route to the coast.

Decades before GPS announced your arrival in Seaside, Paul Bunyan was doing the job.

Families would point him out from the car window. Kids would sit up a little straighter in their seats. Parents knew they were getting close to the beach.

For many Oregonians, the statue became every bit as memorable as the restaurant itself.

Even today, countless people who haven't stopped at Oney's in years can still vividly picture that giant smiling lumberjack standing beside the highway. I know I do.

The statue became a marker of summer vacations, family camping trips, and weekend escapes to the coast.

It's the kind of landmark that instantly transports people back to childhood.

The Fire That Nearly Ended A Highway 26 Legend

For decades, Oney's was one of those places that seemed like it would be there for eternity.

Then disaster struck.

In 2008, a devastating fire tore through the restaurant, destroying much of the beloved building that generations of travelers had come to know. For many Oregonians, it felt like losing a piece of the coast-trip tradition itself.

What had been a familiar landmark on the road to Seaside was suddenly reduced to charred rubble, but not everything was lost.

Among the items salvaged from the aftermath was one of Oney's most recognizable pieces: the restaurant's famous axe-shaped door handle. The quirky handle had greeted visitors for years, and somehow survived the blaze. Today it stands as a tangible connection between the old Oney's and the new one. So does Paul Bunyan's friendly face. He survived too.

The fire may have destroyed the building, but it couldn't erase the memories.

In 2009, longtime owner Stephen Pitkin rebuilt the restaurant, and it had another good run until 2012 when rising costs and economic downturn caused Oney's to close its doors again. This time, many folks thought it was for good, but in 2023 under new ownership with Wayne and Anna Hicks, Paul Bunyan smiled once more. Oney's is back.

What To Expect When You Stop At Oney’s Today

Part of the charm of Oney’s is that it still feels like the kind of roadside restaurant Oregon used to have more of. It is casual, welcoming, and built for the exact kind of traveler who has been in the car just long enough to need a real break before reaching the coast.

The menu keeps things classic, with pizza at the center of it all. This is the kind of place where a hot pie on the table feels right after a long drive through the Coast Range, especially if you have kids in tow or a hungry crew headed home from the beach. Along with pizza, visitors can expect sandwiches, salads, calzone, beer, wine, and other simple comforts that fit the setting perfectly.

Sundays are fun days: All-you-can-eat buffet bar from 12:30-4:30 pm. That's a win.

Oney's isn't trying to be trendy, and that is part of the appeal. It feels more like a return to the kind of Oregon stop where you can sit down, slow down, and let the road trip breathe for a bit. Grab a slice, take in the familiar roadside atmosphere, and of course, make sure to say hello to Paul Bunyan outside before you go.

For longtime Oregonians, the food is only part of the reason to stop. The real draw is the feeling of being back in a place that somehow survived fire, closure, time, and change. For first-time visitors, it is a chance to experience one of those quirky Highway 26 landmarks that helped make the drive to the coast feel like an adventure long before the ocean ever came into view.

The Kind Of Place Oregon Needs More Of

There's something comforting about places like Oney's surviving in an era dominated by fast food and chain restaurants.

Every highway seems to have the same collection of franchises these days. but spots like Oney's remind us that Oregon still has character. They remind us that some of the best experiences happen in the places that don't look flashy from the outside.

The places with history.

The places with stories.

The places where locals and travelers sit side by side.

When you're driving toward the coast, it's easy to focus on reaching Seaside, Cannon Beach, or Astoria as quickly as possible.

But sometimes the journey itself is the best part.

And roadside landmarks like Oney's are a big reason why.

Ready To Grab A Slice At Oney's? Here's All the Details

Address: 43128 Sunset Hwy, Seaside, OR 97138

Phone: 503-298-1629

Hours: Thurs-Mon, 11:30 AM–8 PM

Web: oneyspizza.net

Socials: Facebook