Pelican Brewing has opened in Yachats on the Central Oregon Coast, and the blue whale mural from LeRoy’s Blue Whale is still there. The pub soft-opened September 18, 2026, and holds its grand opening ribbon cutting Friday, September 25, at 10:30 a.m., co-owner Mary Jones told the Lincoln Chronicle in its opening report. It’s Pelican’s sixth Oregon Coast location, taking over the Highway 101 restaurant where fellow co-owner Jeff Schons and Jones used to eat lunch while visiting his mother.

The remodel brought a smaller neighborhood pub to the old restaurant, with outdoor deck seating and a menu that includes seafood, burgers, and bowls. Pelican preserved the whale through the work, keeping a familiar part of the dining room for people who knew the building as LeRoy’s. For Schons and Jones, the address already held years of family memories before they became its owners.

Quick Glance

The whale stayed through another change at LeRoy’s

LeRoy’s history reaches back further than this building. In its account of the restaurant’s closing, the Lincoln Chronicle traced the business to 1980, when LeRoy Phillips and his stepson Don Lindsley opened in a former Dairy Queen. They moved to the current Highway 101 location in 1985. An arson fire in September 1990 forced a rebuild, and the restaurant reopened about nine months later.

Don and Angie Lindsley’s final day at LeRoy’s was April 25, 2025, after 45 years in business, the Chronicle reported. New owners reopened the restaurant as the Whale’s Tail diner that year. The Chronicle’s subsequent remodel coverage reported that the Whale’s Tail owners closed in March 2026 and sold the property to Pelican.

Schons knew LeRoy’s as a customer long before the purchase. In a Pelican announcement quoted by OregonLive, he said his mother had lived in Yachats for about 15 years and that he and Jones regularly ate lunch at LeRoy’s when they visited. He also said he thought his mother would be pleased they were buying the restaurant and remembering their time together there.

The Lincoln Chronicle’s remodel report dates the start of work to April 2026. During construction, JHC Co. superintendent Joe Werkheiser told the paper the crew had saved the whale and planned to frame around it. Pelican’s Yachats pub page confirms that the mural was preserved. The restaurant now has wrap-around outdoor deck seating around a building of about 3,000 square feet.

What to order

For a seafood lunch, start with the Dungeness crab and Oregon shrimp roll on the Yachats menu. Pale malt crusted salmon is another option, while the ahi poke bowl and crispy shrimp bowl give you two more ways to order seafood. If you’re deciding on a starter for the table, the menu includes an onion ring tower and burrata with crispy prosciutto.

The tsunami chicken bowl, burgers, and flatbreads offer other directions for lunch or dinner. Desserts are on the menu, too, along with meals for children ages 12 and under. Jones told the Lincoln Chronicle that Yachats serves roughly three-quarters of the menu offered at Pelican’s larger locations, so a favorite from another pub may not be available here.

Jones also described 16 taps, with Pelican beers, cider, and non-alcoholic options in the lineup. That gives a group room to order beyond beer without changing the lunch plan. Weekend brunch is still a future addition: Jones told the Chronicle it would come later, but gave no start date.

A smaller stop in Pelican’s coastal lineup

Pelican calls Yachats a neighborhood pub, with a smaller footprint than its flagship brewpubs. The building measures about 3,000 square feet, with New School Beer’s expansion coverage listing it at 3,023. That smaller format and the reduced menu are useful to keep in mind if your previous Pelican visits have been to its larger restaurants.

The Pelican coast lineup began with the Pacific City flagship in 1996, followed by Tillamook in 2013 and Cannon Beach in 2016. Siletz Bay in Lincoln City opened in 2022, and Rockaway Beach followed in October 2025 before Yachats joined in 2026. Readers who know Pelican through our earlier story about its Pacific City beer destination now have another address to work into a coast trip.

Plan your visit

The Quick Glance above keeps the address, phone, and everyday visit details together. Pelican’s reservation policy means you’ll take a table as one becomes available, and anyone bringing a dog should account for the weather-dependent outdoor seating. The parking lot was expanded during the remodel, the Lincoln Chronicle reported, but a current space count has not been confirmed. Friday’s ribbon cutting is scheduled half an hour before the listed daily opening time; the event time does not establish an earlier start for meal service.

For a longer outing, use our Yachats guide to plan the rest of your time in town. If you’re visiting several towns, the Oregon Coast map and guide can help you arrange the route. Check the pub’s current menu before heading over, particularly if you’re hoping to order something you’ve had at another Pelican location.

For more places to eat around the state, browse our Oregon food and drink guide, with restaurant stories, breweries, and local dining favorites.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Pelican Brewing’s Yachats ribbon cutting?

The grand opening ribbon cutting is Friday, September 25, 2026, at 10:30 a.m., Mary Jones told the Lincoln Chronicle. The pub soft-opened September 18.

Did Pelican keep the Blue Whale mural?

Yes, Pelican preserved the blue whale mural from LeRoy’s Blue Whale. The company confirms that on its Yachats pub page.

Can I bring children or a dog?

Children are welcome, and the kids menu is for ages 12 and under. Dogs are welcome in the outdoor seating area, weather permitting.

Can I reserve a table?

No, Pelican does not take table reservations. Seating is first come, first served.

Does the Yachats pub serve brunch?

Weekend brunch has been discussed, but no start date has been announced. Mary Jones told the Lincoln Chronicle that it would be added later.