A steakhouse in a prime location downtown, Feast At 316 has become a go-to for Camas residents and visitors for upscale dining, lunch options, and to grab a classic cocktail with friends. And it has been a labor of love for one couple, refining and honing their restaurant skills, sharing their food with the world.

Tim and Melissa McCusker chose to invest in downtown Camas six years ago, opening their first restaurant. “We had lived in Camas for four years, and we wanted to bring great food to this amazing town we lived in,” Melissa said. Tim has been creating interesting dishes, in cuisines ranging across the globe, for some time. It was that passion that brought the two to the restaurant scene.

Prior to moving to the Pacific Northwest, Tim and Melissa called Charleston, South Carolina their home for many years. While in Charleston, they owned and operated an eclectic dining venue called A Culinary Art Company as well as their own event catering business. Tim hails from the Isle of Mann, in the United Kingdom, and spent most of his young adulthood in England. He honed his palate throughout Europe before crossing the Atlantic and settling in New Orleans, Louisiana. Melissa is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and went on to achieve a psychology degree from the University of Vermont, and she plies her vision and business savvy in their restaurants, first in Charleston, and now Camas.

Opening that first restaurant downtown on 4th Avenue, Melissa said it was just the two of them, so there was a “challenge to make sure the business runs smoothly and we have time for our children.” Balancing work and home life can be a challenge for many families. The couple were committed to their children’s school and extracurricular activities such as soccer.And that family-centric focus is what they brought to their restaurants, as they later opened Miss Nola’s, a cajun restaurant, downtown as a companion to Feast 316.

With their success downtown, the couple have built a rapport with customers that is unparalleled. “Our customers genuinely care about us and our staff. They know all of us by name, and we know their names. And this is very apparent during this time (of Covid),” Melissa said. “We like to talk to our customers, ask them how their day is going. We have a business that involves human interaction, something people may not have had all day.”

Also important to note, when the couple has tourists and visitors, they find Feast 316 to be an ambassador for Camas. “Those visitors, they will spread the word of what a great town we live in,” Melissa said.

She said their secret sauce is in their connections … “I think we make it a point to connect with our customers, and it’s because we have such a great staff, front and back of the house. And, we make great food!”

Melissa is partial to their homemade pickles and pickled red onions. Tim, he’s a big fan of the steaks. In fact, just before the lockdown, Feast 316 was bringing in dry-aged beef, a much-coveted cuisine in steakhouse circles. Right now, during Phase 2 of the lockdown, they have a limited menu since they only have half the tables and a limited staff. “Hopefully, we will be back soon,” Tim said.

“We can’t wait until we can have all the mini festivals back that we have every year,” Melissa said. “The First Fridays, the Plant and Garden Fair, Camas Days, the Car Show. We want to serve all those smiling faces!”

Click the link to see their amazing menu. Be sure to try the hush puppies when they are on the menu – they are a fan-favorite! https://camasfeast316.com/