The view was nice, but everything else about this place was disappointing. The clam chowder didn't have enough clam in it, and the fisn and seafood medley had very small portions that weren't even warm when the dish came out. It certainly wasn't worth the high price!
Honestly I expected the salmon to be better. While the fish itself was quite good, it was overcooked. The veggies along with it were underdone and quite bland. The mussels we had were good but nothing that special. All in all it was good enough but a bit of a let down.
Ivar's is a Seattle institution. While most locations are fast food this one is sit down with a higher end selection of local seafood. One unique way to visit this location is to boat in. Pretty fun to show up to dinner by boat.
Ivar's has a great atmosphere with a good view of the space needle at night. Good food and great staff.
For the price, there must be way better, seasonal food worth spending big bucks on in Seattle. *I took into account the no-tip policy into my price assessment, just to be clear *. The food was good, but NOT great or blow-you-away amazing! I ordered the special, which was halibut. It's early July, and somehow they had a chanterelle garnish on top - chanterelles don't arrive in the US until at least mid-August, and in WA/OR, September. So that was wierd. Blackberries too. The view is obviously great, and the interior is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen - Pacific NW Native American art, canoes hanging from the rafters, and longhouse construction. So that was nice. Plus the staff didn't seem all too engaged, and the service was not what you would expect from a shwanky restaurant. Overall though, the food just isn't that great.
Great views and vibe, good food. Lots of seafood options. It s on the more expensive side, but makes for a nice treat.
Great ambiance and food, with a beautiful lakefront view and an even more beautiful collection of authentic artifacts from indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest.
This is the absolute superior Ivar's location. Fish seems so much more fresh than anywhere else, great location with nice (but little) seating. Definitely worth the visit!
This place service sucks. Waiter Muhammad and his supervisor stalked my wife and I about a buffet and who ate off the plate. Now people at the same table can t share food. Unheard of. We were clearly singled out. This place needs to reevaluate their management and train their employees better. If there was an issue or a rule about sharing food, management should have F ing communicated that. Not sneak a $45 add on b/c someone went and got a plate for another person. Now where I m from just not. And the food was crappy.
Food is fantastic, dining experience is great as is the view of the water and boats. Great place for a date or family dinner.
Ivar's is a pnw mainstay. Serving up breaded fish and chips, the prices have risen in recent years. But that will never be enough to deter me from their tartar sauce. The buffet is pricy, but if you're a buffet type of biped then why not? Otherwise, there's a small outpost on the side of the building offering standard Ivar's fare for those looking for a casual dining experience.
Great view. Interesting north west native decor. Delicious salmon.
Old and shabby. Very sad. There have been so many tourists through this place for so many years, a person would hope they might update the decor.
On our recent visit, the service was slow. The wait person was surly. One hated to ask for missing ketchup for fear of the server's reaction.
Facts are-- they were very short staffed at the tables and the the kitchen. The men's restroom was filthy.
I won't be back.
Appreciated Abraham and Christina's assistance and adjustments for our grandkids. The salmon sampler was scrumptious.
You might better food for the price elsewhere, but you can't find a better combination of food, views, service, and Seattle landmark for the price.
We were at the take-out bar, ordered and went down to the picnic area by the water. Small pieces of fish but very well done. Great view.
An amazing place to stop by the fish bar and eat it down on their waterfront dining. The interior of the restaurant is also quite impressive if you want a different type of experience.
Fabulous Seattle dining experience for lunch or dinner. Great for all ages
Interesting atmosphere. Plenty to see . Set up by the windows and you have a nice view of the water. Boats, sea planes landing, lots of things to see. Menu has so many good things on it that if I were in town longer I would come back again. The Chowder sourdough bread bowl was very good.
I ordered the fish and chips and to be honest there are many places serving better and at a lower cost. The staff was nice. Just not that impressed.
Got a Louie Salad with shrimp and crab - for the $25 price it was lackluster and disappointing both in terms of presentation, size and taste. The only thing memorable was the price. Very disappointed.
Watress did a wonderful job handling the big group. Food was good, oysters were deep fried, but ok. Everyone had a good time.
Does this place have vegetarian options? Like salads
The location is good. A bit pricey. Food so so. The clam chowder is good. If you like fish and chip, this is the place.
Amazing view of the river & city. The best fish we have ever had.
North side Ivar's is the BEST PLACE we found to eat in Seattle. Excellent food, superb, knowledgeable servers. Worth every penny.
Perfectly prepared Northwest seafood in an iconic setting, but the real treat on our last happy hour visit was our waiter - friendly, attentive, and willing to enter into the silliness of my job promotion celebration.
I had lived in Seattle for years before I discovered that this restaurant is actually 2 parts - an outside walk-up with counter service (great for fast meals!) and a beautiful, upscale indoor restaurant with a spacious deck. Outside has classic Ivars fare (chowder, fish and chips...) and inside offers delicious seafood dishes served up in a beautiful environment. This location's deck sits directly on the water (people can literally drive their boats up to it) and makes for a lovely summer evening dinner spot. Even if you can't make it to this one, keep your eyes peeled for other local Ivar's Salmon House locations - these are beautiful indoor restaurants NOT just walk-up counters.
A fun place to have lunch, with views of Lake Union and all the First Nation art and canoes. In all it makes for a dynamic, different eating location.
Now, price wise, it's better lunch place than a dinner place for those watching the budget. Its not cheap, you go to the Fish Bar outside for basically the same stuff at lower $, but lunch is the cheaper option for inside the Salmon House.
That's not to discourage a dinner outing for a special event. You are going to be hard pressed to get a more spectacular view of Seattle at night then from within the House.
Great seafood (specially the salmon), along with a great view of Seattle.
Hands down one of the best restaurants in town. Great food served in a cool neo native atmosphere. Wonderful service, and when you get the bill you won't be upset. The view of Lake Union adds to your pleasant experience.
Great atmosphere. Definitely more upscale than other Ivar's restaurants I have eaten at. The food was good, excellent fish. Great service, very knowledgeable server. Unhurried dining experience. Quiet enough that we could talk and hear each other well.
Food was expensive and very mediocre. Fish cooked too long.
You can get a happy hour Bud Light draft for just over $6 not including tip. That's about double most Happy hour prices.
One of Seattle's treasures! A beautiful restaurant with great views and delicious selections of some of the finest salmon anywhere. For romantic cozy dining for two to large celebrations for families and friends, this is a true gem for any time you're looking for an excellent meal and/or special occasions...as often as you can get there. The only challenge is very heavy traffic to be negotiated occasionally to get there.
My wife's birthday celebration week favorite dinner was at Ivars Salmon house ... King Crab legs served by Megan ... a full moon and clear skies ... pretty rare in Seattle.
Such a classic Seattle restaurant with a great view of the lake/city skyline.
The Salmon Caesar Salad and Salmon Chowder meal I had was wonderful. Salmon was cooked perfectly over alder wood and the Salmon Chowder--my first try of this vs Clam Chowder--was, in my opinion much tastier. Staff was efficient, friendly, and attentive. Kudos!
Beautiful place to eat delicious fish. Panorama from fear!
A Seattle staple that almost always satisfies. The general menu for sit down can be pricy, but there are options for tighter budgets. Good place for gluten free folks. The bar menu's permanent happy hour has solid options. Additionally, if you're look for fish and chips you can grab quicker foods at their street facing window. Don't worry, there is inside seating for those diners too. Unadvertised bonus : 4 pokestops!
No tipping required! What a novel concept. The restaurant itself is perched right on the banks of Lake Union. A lot of tables are available right by the window offering views of downtown Seattle. Food was okay, a bit lukewarm and the house favourites seemed to have come suspiciously quick after the order. Overall, fair for the price and oh, did I mention the no tipping??
If you love fish and chips as much as I do... This is definitely were you need to stop at the curbside window. Its super yummy and fresh off the frier within minutes.
This was my first visit. The salmon was good, thankfully. Otherwise, very bad for a salmon house. Good food, great service, gorgeous water views. I shall return.
Salmon portions are extremely small and dry. Meal, including salmon, was cold upon arrival. I used to love Ivar's Salmon House...very disappointing
Enjoyed my meal. Great seating by the window overlooking the water. Could've gotten a little more attention from our waitress towards the end but good service otherwise.
Solidly mediocre tourist trap.
We've eaten at the downtown and the North Lake Union locations, inside and outside, so I would say this place definitely had it's chance.
The only thing that is good here is the salmon chowder (with added red pepper flakes) . 4 stars for this dish only
The cod/halibut fish & chips are generally dry with no flavor (not even salt on the fries). The salmon fish & chip are a step up, in moistness but still flavorless despite the "Cajun" seasoning.
A friend had the "bacon wrapped salmon" that I was thinking of getting, envisioning a slice of salmon encased in delicious, salty bacon , but passed on because it was $32. Glad I passed on it though, because when it came out, it was like "where's the bacon?".There were a couple soggy little strips, mainly fat. Definitely not "wrapped".
Another friend had a ceaser salad (she had wisely eaten before) and it was bland. Like they messed up the recipe for ceaser salad, how!?!!
tldr service is fine, food is bland, if you HAVE to go here, get the salmon chowder.
Nice restaurant, their speciality is Salmon, they offer King Salmon and Sockeye, the second one was recommended by our very knowledgeable server, and he was absolutely fantastic, and let me clarify, Salmon is not my favorite fish, but after having this one ,Ivar's will be a must when ever we go back to Seattle.
Delicious, quick, and wonderful customer service. Mike Culp provided delicious food, and the chefs special was to die for. I come here every sunday
Pretty good. We came here Saturday evening for dinner and there was about a 30 minute wait for 4 people. The girl at the front seem hella frustrated we showed up without a reservation.
The wait for food wasn t too bad and prices were a little expensive for what it was. We got the bread basket (good), calamari (really good), and I got the Wild Alaska Coho Salmon (meeeeh). I would get something else next time, but everything else was great!
I got the salmon chowder, and it was tasty and cheap.
Good food, great service and nice view of the water.
Great views right on the water. Indoor, outdoor, and bar area seating. Fun atmosphere for happy hour. I sat outside, took forever to get my food. Actually think the waiter forgot me. Food was not remarkable when it did arrive. Three stars only for atmosphere.
The food was fabulous. Had the seafood medley. Service was also very friendly. Place has great ambience, the walk there was a little rough.
Yum! Excellent food. We were there in a large group for a rehearsal dinner. The service was outstanding. Our server came back several times and asked if there was anything else he could do. We had a couple of children and our group and he was sure to accommodate them. The entire experience was great.
Great food, the special was fantastic and the wontons with fricee salad was the bomb
Ivar's is old school Seattle and while it may seem like a touristy spot, don't let that fool you. The fish fresh and we'll prepared. Simple and delicious. Keep Clam!
We had outstanding service and food! Thank you Victoria!
Good parking across the street. Reat location on the lake. Quaint cafe counter out front with access to dock. Beautiful entry through large rhodies. Greeted promptly and opted for window seating in restaurant versus large lounge area. Menu offerings included lunch specials in addition to seafood entrees. Service was what you would expect at a fine dining establishment in the northwest. He was attentive and professional without being over bearing. An excellent afternoon out.
Great fresh seafood. Service was a bit slow though as the place was was packed. Great views.
Good food, reasonable price, good service. Interesting view of Seattle.
Always enjoy stopping by here. Usually we do by floating up to it on the way out for boating. Good drinks, crab salads, fresh fish, and good ears make all happy when it's time to hit the lake and enjoy a day putting around. Will continue to go here for time to come and will generally do it when the weather is great, outdoor seating is available and the drinks are flowing.
The food was excellent. We all had three different kinds of salmon and they were all great!
I just ate from the walk up window and in the sorta warmish room next to it. The food was traditional Ivar's so fried and tasty.
Definitely sit out on the waterfront! You can watch the boats going by.
ivars.com
