Ivar's Salmon House on Lake Union Review

Great view and location. Service was ok - felt they were understaffed. Waiter was nice but was too busy. This is unacceptable as they already factored tip into the price. Food was ok.

Great view and service, but overpriced for the seafood quality. Fried foods are overly oily and soggy, didn t feel great eating them.

The salmon caesar salad and Lavender Mule was awesome! Only reason I didn't give a 5 was because our server was rushing us to finish.

Most recently ate at the Fish Bar behind the Salmon House itself, which this time wasn't quite as good as it was back in the day, but still worth the visit. Shrimp & "fish n chips" tasty & fresh, not over- cooked; portion size ok for price, but not a bargain... then again, what is these days? Inside seating at the fish bar is a real bonus on cooler, breezy days; atmosphere & service friendly. I keep coming back when in the city because it's always tasty & satisfying & quick service at the fish bar. The Salmon House proper has always been a favorite for warm, welcoming atmosphere & better that just "good" food. Love that alder planked salmon!

Amazing food and service. Plus, the view of the water can't be beat.

This is the Ivar's to go to (unless you specifically plan to walk on to the ferry). Parking is plentiful and you have a choice of either the outside fry bar and eating out on the barge, or going inside for a nicer meal. Some of it is the same, so if you are there for fish and chips you can stick outside.

The happy hour here is also a pretty good deal. It is food specials, but the prices are reasonable and you get a view of the lake while you eat. If you are eating inside, this is what I recommend.

Love dining on the attached barge. Great Union Lake views, good service, nommie food.

solid place to eat, exceptional view, and good service

Went on a kayak trip for my buddy's birthday, stopped in to the Salmon House and pulled our kayaks onto the dock. The service was great and the salmon chowder I had was delicious. I would recommend the Salmon House to any of my friends.

Decor is worth the money alone, but food is excellent. The presentation is beautiful and tastefully prepared with superior ingredients. It is a little strange to have to pay to have bread at the table, but that would be the worst I would have to say. Service was great too though.

Nice place along the South Lake Union. A bit high priced, but the food was tasty. If you enjoy boat watching a nice view!

Fish and Chips were great, quick a d courteous waitstaff.

Best salmon I've had ever was from this restaurant!

Beautiful location to have lunch outside next to Lake Union. Delicious food

Service was fast, the people where nice and patient and the food was delicious!! 10/10 would go again!!

The food is amazing here, especially if you want great Pacific Northwest seafood. Anything with the salmon or alder smoked is a win. Also the views here are amazing day or night. At night the reflections of the city lights including the downtown skyline and space needle add a great ambiance. The interior is decorated with authentic Salish native art and carvings.

Views on the water are amazing. Love the interior of the building. It is really cool. Food Wes great as well.

hidden spot if you can find it, right on the water,
food always fresh and tasty, inside area to eat or outside on the dock you can overlooking lake union.

I hadn't been to this Ivar's in many years and was visiting family in Seattle and remembered the great location and a memorable meal here. Unfortunately, I should have left my memories where they were instead of trying to create new ones for my family and me.

Positives:
Great atmosphere & wait staff. The calamari appetizer was very good as was the beer.

Negatives:
Long John Silver's make better fish and chips than these guys do! My wife and daughter ordered the fish & chips. The fish (cod) and the breading had virtually no flavor. The number of pieces of "fish" they received were four (4). For $20, I was expecting more.

The "regular" cod fish and chips were stellar compared to the salmon version of "fish and chips" (Cajun style they call it) they sold me for $22. The fish was overcooked, dried out and very chintzy as to the number of pieces you get with the meal.

Our grandsons had hamburgers as they don't care for seafood. The burgers were overcooked and dried out just like the fish.

After spending $137+ with a tip, I can tell you that we could have had, overall, a better meal at McDonald's than at this overpriced restaurant.

They spoiled a very nice memory of a place that used to have it all. Sad.

Salmon dinner was perfectly prepared. Friendly and quick service. Great table at window at end corner facing Lake Union, Seattle. My favorite of the Ivar's restaurants.

Our waitress was very friendly and there was lots of seafood to be had! Just hope you get a window table if you're inside for the view of Lake Union and the Space Needle.

There is a big WOW when you open the front door, trust me!

My wife and I were in Seattle for the afternoon and decided catch an early dinner at the Salmon house. Got seated a table by the window the view is great. Tried the smoked salmon chowder and both of us had the Salmon sampler. Which was delicious 3 types of Salmon. It was fun to compare the taste of the different salmons. All fire grilled and a little smoky. The mashed potatoes were silky and had small chunks of skin and potato in them, which I liked. The seasonal veggie was brussel sprouts which were nicely cooked with some a little firm and some softer, I also like this variety. Will be back to try some more of the menu.

Poor service - slow. Asked server for lemons twice and still didn't get them. Food was mediocre at best.

A great place for a sunny day, you can throw extra french fries to the seagulls and get a great view of lake union.

Walk up window, swing and a miss salmon & chips very small and over cooked . I will not be back.

Awesome chowder and the outside seating is spectacular!

Decent happy hour value. Great view. Dated decor. Food could be better but HH runs 3pm-close.

Best view of the city! Enjoy some Salmon and fries next to the lake

We came to celebrate Valentine s Day as a family with two kids. The service was very good, everyone was very friendly and always smiling. Nice view of Lake Union and the city scape.

Fantastic service. The food was pretty good overall. I enjoyed the salmon sandwich. The corn muffins were on the dry side but the sourdough buns were delicious. The chowder was amazingly tasty! The view was delightful as well. Decent prices.

We lived in Seattle 38 years ago and loved eating at Ivar s Salmon House. However, we were totally disappointed in the service and the meal tonight. The King Salmon was over cooked, the rice was just warm, and the Halibut fish and chips was over cooked and almost hard. The best part of the dinner was the crab bisque and clam chowder which is the only reason this not rated a 1. We wished we had just had bowls of soup and not the entrees. The muffins were burnt. The bill was $156. The service was poor. We waited 20 minutes to pay the check. All and all a terrible experience from a restaurant we used to love.

Excellent place! Very good food of the best salmon I ate

Good food in a great setting. A bit expensive though.

Great local counter service for fast fresh seafood. Fried oysters were awesome and people behind the counter are really nice.

Fish and chips on one side, and a sit down restaurant on the other. I'm only familiar with the latter. It's delicious and hot, but the prices are too high.

Absolutely the best food in service I've ever had definitely recommend the same and sampler, bartender was right on point made my drink perfect very seldom do I ever get it made right!!!

Fuse fantastic staff very helpful. I thought the prices were a little high but you're paying for the location. I really miss the old days when the Captain's Table was still around and the old Pier 54 Ivar's was still unchanged

Happy hour menu is a great way to try tasty bites and have a beverage in a beautiful setting on the water without breaking the bank. Friendly staff, free rolls, cornbread, and whipped lavender butter, $6.50 bowls of salmon chowder, and a sockeye salmon sandwich with fries for just $10. Daily happy hour specials combine a drink and an appetizer in the range of $5-7. Will definitely be back for happy hour at Ivar's!

Whenever I was in Seattle I made sure to make a trip to Ivar's for some fantastic Salmon, in a relaxed atmosphere and great service!

The food is great. Really nice place, no cheap but I think is worth it. Our server was beyond expectations and he even find an off menu salmon burger for one of our guests (photo). Definitely try one of the two special soups from the house.