Jeff C.

As a native Seattleite (and someone who was a breader at Acres of Clams in the '70s :D I will always have a soft spot for Ivar's. I get the fish-n-chips cravings fairly often so Ivar's is one of the go-to spots. We went on a rare sunny day and brought our little 15lb pooch along for the trip but didn't realize that the outdoor seating over the water was a no-dog zone. No worries - tables in front worked just fine. Only tried one thing different this time - the Cajun seasoned cod. Kind of fun for a change of pace but won't completely replace the original. You know what you're going to get at Ivar's and it'll be good. If you go on a nice sunny day - even better. We're lucky in Seattle to have a good number of options for food and Ivar's will always be in the rotation for us. My better half likes the tomato based red chowder which is also a nice change of pace.

Ric V.

The service was fantastic. I don't remember the waiters name but the receipt says AM B. We had a group of senior citizens and he was able to be patient and friendly. Good view of the water and watched the boats and a view of the Space Needle. I had the Cod BLAT and it was ok. There was not a lot of flavor. The fries were good.

Lily P.

Salmon chowder is so good!!! Thanks to the worker for recommending it. Also got 3 pc cod fish and chips. Tbh fish was just okay, it had a bite to it instead of just being really soft? Maybe not the best cod or from being frozen

Sabrina B.

Visited this place during trip to Seattle. Ordered Fish and Chips. The fish had a fishy taste, dry and overcooked. The fries were ok. Unfriendly staff.

Come here for one thing: Picturesque views . The food here is.... There is excellent food, good food, mediocre, bad and then there is Ivar's. Here the food (or at least some of it) is pure scam. I tried their Smoked Salmon Chowder for $7 or more a small cup. The chowder itself was average in taste, but there were three major problems with it: 1) No smoke flavor in sight 2) No salmon pieces in sight (not even one) 3) The soup depicted in their menu looked nothing like the soup served. On the menu, it was full of large pieces of fish. In my cup there was not a SINGLE piece. After I complained about this, the staff working there, really, really tried. They told me that that's the kind of soup they have been serving all day, so it's not like they ran out of something. They tried to accommodate me and fished and fished for something and did their best. The best was some tiny minuscule bits and pieces of salmon. The menu however proudly boasts that this soup has gotten Ivar's supposedly some sort of awards. What I'm guessing however is the following. This self-serve cafe is a part of the large full-service restaurant in the same building - Ivar's Salmon House. The left over bits, pieces and bones left over from the main restaurant are used to make the chowder soup (which is fine for the base broth). However, no actual fish meat is added after this step. So the owners are simply engaged in a scam. We also tried Ivar's clam chowder and a simple small piece of grilled salmon at another location - a full service Ivar's restaurant at the Seattle pier. You would think that being a sea food restaurant in the heart of a Seattle, where salmon is everywhere, would enable them to make this super simple dish. Nope. The clam chowder was again average in taste and skimpy on the clams . And the grilled salmon was annihilated on the grill - dried out, no longer tender and juicy. If you would like to have a real smoked salmon chowder, go the Pike Market Chowder.

Joe N.

It's always good to come back here when visiting from San Francisco. This time my friends and I sat inside the restaurant instead of sitting outside on the street. I got a lobster roll with a virgin bloody to kick off my Sunday afternoon. The lobster was flavorful and the bun the lobster came on was to die for. Service was awesome as well from our very enthusiastic bar tender. Can't wait to be back.

Michelle T.

Nothing says Seattle summer like Ivar's on the dock. Go to meal to enjoy the outside. There is a boat dock to park at and grab a bit to eat. Order at the window and walk around back to enjoy your fish and chips

Erin K.

You order outside at the stand and find a seat indoors until they call your order over the speakers. The employees are nice, but you don't interact with them much other than to order and pick up the food. The indoor area is a pretty small space but has a simple and woody atmosphere. We ordered the baby prawns n chips and a tanker of white chowder. We shared the tanker between three people, and it was a good portion. It's pretty salty, but it was delicious. The baby prawns were smaller in portion than expected for the price, but they were still good. We ordered an extra side of fries, and we actually all thought the fries were delicious. The sauces (ex: ketchup, tartar sauce, etc) that the employees gave us were pretty limited, so we did have to ask for more. Although this place isn't the cutest or the most well-decorated, it's still a decent place to get quick take-out/bite. Ivar's Salmon House is right next to the fish bar for more of a restaurant feel, but I didn't get a chance to check it out.

Gina B.

I only get a couple things from the menu here, but they are great go-tos and the outdoor seating area by the water keeps me coming back! I always get a cup of their clam chowder (white) and my husband gets the salmon chowder. Both are so delicious. Sometimes we'll get some fish & chips (the regular cod) which always comes out hot & crispy on the outside, and juicy & flaky on the inside. I only wish the pieces were bigger! Also, once we got Cajun style thinking that both the fish and chips would be covered in Cajun seasoning, but it was just the fish. I'd love Cajun seasoning on the fries too. We've tried a few other items such as shrimp & chips and I think oysters & chips, but neither were as good as the cod. Service is usually pretty good, nothing spectacular but nothing bad. Just know that you need to order chowders separately from other items. I don't know why. Again, if weather permits (which I know is not often the case in Seattle), the seating in the back by the water is so lovely.

Marie B.

Been a Washingtonian since 1973, so Ivar's was a local treat before catching a ferry back to Bremerton ordering from the waterfront fish bar. Back then it was such an astounding feat to see orders taken 15-20 people deep. Talk about a kitchen crew crushing it! Ivar Haglund - a total Seattle legend! Was a Seattle resident since 1983 and my favorite spot was this particular Ivar's Fish Bar, Northlake close to UW campus and my UDistrict apartment. After hanging out in Frelard/Balmont and Gasworks Park, for nostalgic reasons and Ash Wednesday (3/2/22), I hit my old fave. Only two others ahead of me in line, probably due to pouring rain! Ordered a three piece fish and chips with a request for one each ketchup and tartar sauce. Friendly counter service, but none of the former showmanship ordering from the counter to kitchen line crew. No one to impress, I guess. I ended up eating these further down the road on Boat Street by UW South Campus after another brief stop. Good ol' pandemic dining, a la car! Fish and chips were nicely packaged and bagged up. However, in the past I recalled that the hand cut cod pieces were a bit bigger. Decent fries, just too many of them. Wish I asked for another tarter sauce. Way back when you'd end up with a ton extra which would get stashed in the fridge. As a Shoreliner since 2002, I usually get my Ivar's fix at the North Seattle/Aurora site. There the fish remained as I remember them, bigger cuts, moist, and crispy exterior. Realized I have never posted a Yelp review...so three stars, but an extra star for nostalgia on this rainy visit.

John G.

Great location with outdoors seating and great deals for happy hour! We stopped buy for late dinner and it happened to be happy hour. There are good discounts on popular items like fish and chips crispy calamari, beef tips and a lot more. So we ended up ordering too much food! The fish and chips was good as expected, the calamari was crispy and the dipping sauces good as well. I had the ram-ble on the barge which was good, but not my favorite. We enjoyed our time there, it was a nice day and we could see the boats on the water, the food and service were great and the happy hour menu .

Van H.

Spent $35 for two clam strips, and a chowder bread bowl, the clam were extremely over cooked-- the fries see better than the clam- what a shame. Local dive bar does a better job. If you are an ivar fan, the one on hw99 is the best --even better than the waterfront downtown . Third time here and I'm just dissatisfied. My poor family is eating burnt clams for dinner-- not fair!

Kayla P.

A great quick spot to grab some fish & chips or clam chowder! Nice spot in the spring or summer, and super close to the water or park where you can eat