Ray's Boathouse, Cafe & Catering Reviews

The best dinner, drinks & apps ever with great service! Highly recommend! Deeeeelicious!

Beautiful view and good food. I've been here twice -- once with my mother for lunch about six years ago, and last night for a friend's wedding. With my mother we had some succulent salmon, and last night, even the wedding catering steak was very good. I'd recommend it for an everyday celebration or the celebration of a lifetime.

Wow, just wow! Sometimes you go to restaurants like this that have a nice location but don t live up to the hype. This is not the case with Ray s they live up to the hype and then some. Everything was perfect for a great date night and celebration with my significant other. Thank you Rays for a memorable experience!

I went for Christmas dinner. The view, the food, and the service was spot on. It is an expensive place but then it is justified.

Spectacular views, right on the water, with great cabin vibe and yummy food... esp the clam chowder, fried calamari and poke plate!

Had the mussels in wine and butter. However, these mussels were not local. They were imported from across the other side of the planet. So, not as fresh and certainly not as delicious as our own Penn Cove mussels. Customer service was good. View from the bar was beautiful. I would go back, but not for the mussels.

Sat outside for a wonderful lunch on a breezy Autumn day. Ray's Cafe has expanded its outdoor capacity with a permanent roof over the deck and good wind screens. The food and service were great, as always. One unfortunate concession to Covid-19: no more cozy blankets on the deck.

Loved the food, the servers were very very slow, it would take them 20 min to bring an extra menu for example. It fit was not for the food I would rate it at 3*. We were not in a hurry.

Fish and Chips over cooked, Calamari cold. Not good. We ate in the cafe.

I must start by saying I really enjoy this restaurant. My wife and I have been here several times for different special occasions. The food and staff are both great.

Rays boathouse is right on the water in a lovely location not too far from downtown Ballard, but also far enough away to make it have a quiet and comfortable atmosphere. Depending on the time of year you go, you can often seen boats coming and going by as well as you have a great view out over the water and across to the Olympic Mountains.

The restaurant has an upstairs "cafe" style kitchen and sitting area that has a separate menu from the downstairs fine-dining area, I think they call it the "boathouse" seating.

We've been to both dining areas and both are wonderful. In the summer, in the cafe seating you can sit outside on their covered porch that does have heating if it gets a little chilly and they offer you blankets as well. Both inside and outside are wonderful. The fine dining area has a wonderful aesthetic with really nice lighting and great overall ambience.

The menu in the fine dining is well thought out and just the right size. Also, their sea scollops are amazing. The wine selection is very nice, too! They even had a hard to find South African wine that is just fantastic and I was pretty impressed they had it.

Lastly I must say, when we went the other night and had dinner in the fine dinning area (which again, both areas are great, it just depends on what kind of experience and menu you're looking for) I experienced perhaps some of the best waiting service I've ever received at any restaurant. Similar or otherwise. Our waiter was just absolutely fantastic. Courteous, knowledgable, and friendly.

I definitely recommend Ray's Boathouse and I hope you enjoy your time should you give it a visit! If you're going for the fine dining experience I suggest getting a reservation though as it is pretty popular so it's probably best to call ahead. However, the upstairs cafe seating usually has a little more availability.

Price is on the higher end aka expensive. Great view, delicious foods esp if you love seafood, friendly staff, great service. Parking could be a bit tight.

Had fish and chips; dry, tasteless, overcooked, limp frys. Truly disappointed. Excellent view though.

One of the best seafood restaurants with a great view. Outstanding service given every time!

Food was expensive, but nothing special. Great view of the water. Wait staff was friendly and accommodating.

This is such a nice place! We were the one of the firsts in and the last ones out, and yet the service didn't change at all. This is an awesome experience and I thank them for such great service.

Great view, got to see a couple seals out in the water while enjoying dinner. Not a huge fan of the chocolate cake, as it seemed a little bit dry, but otherwise fine.

This is the place you want to be on a gorgeous Seattle day!

Fantastic experience! Lunch was great, friendly staff and a fabulous view!

Always welcoming, great views and atmosphere, food and drinks.

Outstanding food, great service, and one amazing view. I prefer the airy, more casual, upstairs part of the restaurant. If you can somehow get a seat on the patio on a nice day you're in for a real treat.

Always a favorite. Super tasty food, good price, nice people and amazing view. Ate at the cafe this time, and the fish tacos were AMAZING

I went to the "casual" section upstairs, which as far as I'm concerned has the same view as the pinky up section downstairs. Food was on the $30+ price range, typical for casual fork and knife seafood in Seattle. Great for a night out with your significant other. I guess downstairs are for those anniversary type evenings.

A very good restaurant with friendly staff. Had a dinner with three during mid-week around 17:30 and it was already quite busy when we arrived. We didn't had to wait though. The menu obviously consists mostly out of fish. I had black cod which was perfectly prepared. Well worth the price. I sure wish to go back whenever possible.

Beautiful location, questionable quality, overcrowded.. But, a big appeal due to the location.. The drinks are probably good, overpriced.. Overpriced.. Come for the view.. and except to pay alot.

Amazing view and beautiful restaurant. The food quality was on par for the pricing (little high, but worth it for the experience).

Nice ambience and cozy atmosphere with great views. The food was awesome as well.
We tried the applewood grilled salmon and the Tagliatelle and both dishes were good. The service was great as well.
All in all a decent place to celebrate special occasions.

Wonderful views of the harbor. Excellent food & atmosphere.

Food is good but not great. Ingredients are very fresh, service is good. Prices seem high for what you get. Offerings are less imaginative than I would expect. Wine list and quality is excellent

Great food.
Wonderful view.
Good service.
Relatively expensive.

Came for the oysters and seafood and Ray's did not disappoint. The waitress was very helpful in assisting us in ordering oysters. We had the crab and salmon and both were delicious. Nice atmosphere. Ordered a mule for a drink and it was also very good.

It was good, but I don't understand the hype. The views were nice, the staff was friendly, but it was very busy (Holiday season, I get it) and the food seemed... Just okay? My partners' food was not very good, the menu wasn't clear on what was actually being ordered. The portions seemed small for the price, especially in a place that seemed very family oriented. All told, I don't think we'll go back, maybe appetizers on a summer evening would be a better experience.

Beautiful view, very crowded... Wish they offered more vegetarian options.

A family favorite but have not been there in 3 years due to awful gridlock in the area; good seafood and service; unforgettable views of Puget Sound; also nice place for business dinners and out-of-town guests

Pleasant experience, great food selection. Awesome porch view

Pretty decent place and the lovely view to the ocean either in and out.

We had a private Christmas party here and everything was perfect.

Excellent food. Excellent setting. Attire is casual (button down shirt, slacks) to super casual (jeans or shorts)

Great mussels and bread
...

Downstairs is overpriced but upstairs is just right

Fantastic food great view and staff in the upstairs bar

The setting is second to none, the wine wonderful, and food top notch. Not a bad seat in the house! We had trouble taking our eyes off the sunset to order, but once the sun went down all eyes were on the food.

Service, food, and view were definitely worth it. Staff was very accommodating and attentive.

Amazing scallops, salmon, and a great view of the water. Its a great place for date night ;)

Absolutely beautiful sunset great food definitely recommend the ribeye with the Alaskan king crab absolutely amazing thank you

My cousin held his wedding rehearsal dinner here in the Northwest Room. The atmosphere was amazing and the food was great too! I don't know if it's on the regular menu, but if you have a chance to go for the smoked scallops, they're awesome.

Gorgeous venue but not even nearly as good as Anthony's home port. Miss that place

Not impressed with food or service. So many better options in Seattle, such as Dukes or Pallisades

I was surprised with the best "sable fish" (black cod) I have ever had in my life, professionally grilled with a sweet soja sauce, matched with a "glorious" riesling from the area... Foodie's go there for the catch (and match) of the day !!!!

This place has an excellent view of the water and even better food. Plenty of free parking in the restaurant lot. I'd come back here in a heartbeat!

Was a memorial service today. Very welcoming and a beautiful setting.
We have always had great food and service.
Can't best the view. Great in the summer out on the deck.

Breathtaking views. Fair cocktails. Good seafood. Packed during sunset for good reason. Offers valet in private parking lot.

Excellent food, excellent service, good ambience. Just make sure everyone in your party is up for seafood. Seriously, the very best of the menu is from water, it swims, fresh or salt. The turf selections are thin.

Great views. Fresh seafood. Nice service. Ordered crab roll with side salad.

Overpriced, mediocre menu and food, and not great service. You're paying for the view, but would be nice to enjoy the food too..

Hard to beat great food with a priceless view. Everything is delicious and always a great atmosphere.

Superb view with above average food. The salad was but the fish and chips was too dry.

RAY'S had an amazing ambience with equally amazing food .The staff was friendly as well as efficient.An experience to cherish .

Go for the view. Fantastic view of water and distant mountains. Food was very good. Cocktail was good. Server was good. Price was too expensive for what it was. View was outstanding.

Great service. Beautiful views. The food was plated very nicely, but the flavors were lacking. The food was good, but not worth the high prices

Awesome tasting fish and chips and drink. Love the beauty of nature outside.