DEPOE BAY — With so many seafood joints claiming to be the greatest, only one chowder house actually holds the title: Gracie’s Sea Hag was declared “the best clam chowder at the Oregon coast” by Willamette Week, a leading Portland newspaper noted for its gastronomic judgment.

In “Going Coastal,” the paper’s annual guide to fun at the beach, hard-to-please food writer Matthew Korfhage gave Gracie’s world-famous clam chowder a chart-topping score of 95 out of 100 points for its “unctuous depth that lingers long after each spoonful.”

The Hag was among 25 leading coast restaurants visited by the food critic, who graded their chowders on “general clamminess, texture and depth of flavor.”

A hundred years of tradition, he observed, “has made for some beautiful soup.”

Of Gracie’s, he wrote, “The chowder is made fresh daily from scratch and spiced just to a tickle, deep with herbs and potato and plenty of clam.” He called the dollop of fresh butter, parsley and paprika “an old cook’s trick” that still works like a charm at the 60-year-old coast landmark.

What’s the secret? It turns out there is none, the recipe having earned a page in the “New York Times Heritage Cookbook.” Owners Clary and Jerome Grant freely pass out copies to anyone who asks.

“People have strong opinions about clam chowder, and ours strikes the right note with many of them,” said Clary, who attributes the savory gumbo’s following to “fresh, quality ingredients and high standards.”

“You have to do that in order to come up with a great entrée at the end of the day.”

Korfhage claimed he ate “every bowl of coastal chowder between Astoria and Yachats that somebody said was the best,” learning along the way that East Coast clams — bolder and brinier than Oregon’s delicate razor and butter clams — make for the best Oregon chowder.

Other iconic restaurants from Lincoln Co. among the top 10 rankings included Gracie’s (No. 1, score 95 pts.), Georgie’s Beachside Grill, Newport (No. 4, score 90 pts.), and Chowder Bowl, Newport (No. 10, score 80 pts.).

At No. 4 Georgie’s Beachside Grill in Newport, the chowder “may be the most beautiful, classically French roux we tasted — a rich soup for conquering Normans.”

At No. 10 Chowder Bowl in Newport, Korfhage found an “ungussied” chowder popular with locals. “It’s not overly potatoey, it’s not overly buttery — it’s not overly anything,” he concluded.

Other Lincoln Co. restaurants that made the Top 25 chowder eateries at the coast included the Dory Cove (Lincoln City), Luna Sea (Yachats), Ocean Bleau (Newport) and Mo’s (Newport).

There you have it: the best clam chowder at the coast! For more good reading on dining and entertainment, visit Willamette Week.