In Bellingham,WA for a State baseball tournament literally for a week and on day 3 - already bored with the food choices that came along with hotel life. We googled seafood looking for a fish n chips joint; being near the ocean a few suggestions came up. We chose Nicki's Bella Marina. It was a beautiful sunny day so we took the short drive to the marina. Greeted right away, we opted to sit outside on the deck that faced the marina. Only getting to walk through the restaurant itself briefly, looks like its a great place for dinner or after dinner drink. With several options for lunch we ordered the special Halibut n Chips, then the shrimp and calamari. Our server was very friendly and we didn't have to ask for refills for our drinks which came in mason jars. We cranked up the umbrella, took in salty ocean air adding to our hungry taste buds, we watched the seals in the harbor below with a few fishing boats coming in and out. Before we knew it our lunch was ready - exactly what we needed....fresh hot fried fish with seasoned fries! Tasty and yummy....even the shrimp and calamari were fried to perfection with plenty of dipping cocktail sauce with a kick of horseradish. Malt and Vinegar served along with delicious tarter for the fish, it didn't take long before we were stuffed. Would like to revisit for dinner one day and try the other menu items. read more

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Best.Fried.Clams.Ever! I'll never go anywhere else if I want clams. Generous wine pour. Hannah is the greatest server; cheerful, accommodating, efficient. It's fun to look out at the boats while enjoying yummy food and drink. read more

I used to suggest this place to friends visiting from out of town. Then my wallet and phone was stolen by an employee in the kitchen. I talk to the server, no management in on Sunday's I guess who admitted it sounded like something the person who just clocked out would do. So I asked for the owner to call me and my things returned. Never received a phone call and was blown off everytime I called. If you do choose this place do not park by kitchen doors lock car and do not leave anything at the table if you use rest rooms. read more

The most stellar fish and chips possibly in the whole wide world with pieces of fish that span the length of your forearm. YOUR FOREARM!!! We never order anything else because once you have fish and chips this good, there is no need for experimenting with what else a place has to offer. It just doesn't matter. It isn't relevant. These are all you will ever need from this place. I can rarely stop myself from eating the entire meal even though it is way too much for any human. If you feel like really messing yourself up, go with the deep fried Twinkie for dessert. It is delicious until you have to be alone with your stomach later. This is one of our all time favorite Bellingham restaurants and it never disappoints. If you eat on the deck, aggressive seagulls try to take your food which can be entertaining. Like I said best fish and chips in the world, and the seagulls know it. The wait staff is exceptionally fun and generous and I cannot think of a single complaint about this place. GO! read more

The most amazing fish and chips I've ever had in the US! They also have super friendly staff. It's definitely a place to come back.

When I'm in Bellingham and want fish and chips this is where I go! Yummy food and beautiful view! Service is a little on the slow side.

This place is ok, but not great. Went here on the suggestion of my family members, who live in town. I was not impressed! I loved the location and view but the food was horrible. I ordered a burger, which was suggested by the waitress. Took 1 bite and asked if I could get something else, since they put a funky "relish" on it. They refused to take it off the bill or give me something else. My son ordered the fish and chips were not very good either. Wait staff were friendly but not able to accommodate guests if the food was bad. I will not be going back on my next trip into town! read more

Their fish and chips are the bomb, and the view is incredible all for a decent price!

We came here today and it happened to be s really nice day. We sat outside and Corey was our waiter. We got mushrooms, pickles, and a mushroom cheeseburger. Everything was good. The tempura mushrooms were standout good. The price was fair. The outstanding part was Corey's service. He went above and beyond, made great recommendations, and sent us on our way with a coffee to go. Will be back next time I'm in the area. read more

We went here today for a late lunch, I had fish and chips and my wife had a burger. The fish and chips were okay, they would have been great if they were not so greasy. My wife said the burger was good. The waitresses were lacking in customer attention, we asked for a side when we ordered our food and when the food was served we asked again, after approximately 10 minutes he had to get the waitress's attention again before we finally got the side. Both waitresses seemed more interested in visiting with friends. This is definitely not the Nickis I remember. read more

We love Nicki's fish and chips. Recently voted best in Bellingham. So very tasty! Staff are the best. Nicki is a character and an awesome Ferrari mechanic to boot. He is never at the restaurant though. But we love it and I am almost hesitant to give a rave review because I selfishly want to keep people from discovering it. read more

The only good thing about this place is the drinks and the view. Everything else is horrible.

Eek. Methinks not, is right. NOT kid friendly, annnnd super slow- hence, REALLY not kid friendly, paired with awkward and sorta rude service. read more

Rude to the Max! Risk to Your Health! Placed order for pickup. When placing the order, we were very specific that one of our group was gluten intolerant. We opened our boxes and quickly saw that the order NOT gluten free. When we took the item back to the restaurant , the hostess was beyond rude! She claimed that we did not mention gluten free even though she spoke to two members of our party regarding gluten free items. She pouted and yelled, grabbed the item and marched back to the kitchen for a replacement. The item was NOT replaced!! Upon returning to the office, it was clear the the gluten heavy meal was dumped from one carton to another, with a pathetic attempt to remove some of the offending ingredients. Bits and pieces could be found on the bottom of the container!! If my coworker had eaten this, she would have become very ill. Her gluten allergy is no joke. The hostess risked the health and well-being of my coworker because of her unprofessionalism and ignorance. She may have been having a bad day, but that is not excuse to use such poor judgement. We will NOT return. read more

This isn't a dive. It's a tourist trap that is selling mostly Sysco food. We had a few hours to blow down on the marina and a bunch of us ordered drinks and food in an effort to pass the afternoon. Almost all of the food was meh or worse. If you guys think this is good fish and chips, you've been fed too much manufactured food, because that's just Sysco or the equivalent. I ordered the baked potato soup and was beat in the face with dried basil. So, so much dried basil. It was gross. And did I mention that I was charged $2 for "fruit" in my raspberry mojito THAT WAS MADE WITH BLUE SYRUP? No fruit. Syrup. Gah. If you want to pay Hearthfire prices and eat dorm food, well, go to. I'm no snob - I live for hole in the wall places that may or may not charm the health department - but this was exceptionally depressing food. read more

We are locals. We came for the ambiance of their deck (one of the best outdoor dining spots in town, as we know from this restaurant's previous incarnation). I had heard that fish & chips are good here, although we are not big on fish & chips. Anyway we wanted the view and a burger, so here we were. To nutshell, service was moderately awful. I left 15% which as a former server I only do if they truly suck. Burgers were good-- huge, expensive, yummy. I'd give them a solid 8 out of 10. Fries totally unremarkable. Do NOT believe crap on menu about "hand cut"-- my arse!! But whatever, I wasn't there to scarf down fries. Beers were yummy, cold, good draft selection. So... We will almost certainly come back... When the weather is awesome and we want to sit outside and are in the mood for a huge, pricey, slow burger!!! read more

We stumbled upon this place on a Sunday afternoon randomly. We were the only ones there other than one regular at the bar. Big, open restaurant with great views of the marina and an overwhelming menu of enormous burgers and other delightful fried bar food. It is a bit divey, but in a great way! read more

Good food. Great fish taco. Wife liked her salad except she found a hair in it. That's why only4 stars instead of 5. Would i go again, yes!

Exceptional service! Our waitress was so sweet. There was a wait which she kindly apologized for due to a large party ahead of us. Great food. Beautiful view! The part that sparked my interest most is the self serve breath analyzer sign I read in the bathrooms "just ask your waitress" to make sure you're safe to drive home... every place with a bar should have this available!! read more

My husband and I decided to go to dinner here after he had heard their ad about their World Famous Ribs. He said the ribs were okay, kinda dry, like they had been sitting around for awhile. He had the rice with them which was also just okay, and the veggies which were obviously frozen, not fresh. His plate, in all honestly, looked very cafeteria fare like. I, on the other hand, had the Teriyaki Burger which was pretty good, but it only had one small slice of pineapple (would have been better if their were two slices). The fries were good. Our server was awesome. The decor is awful...like a preteen from the early 80's decorated it...a couple Marilyn Monroe posters, some Betty Boop, and some other hodgepodge stuff. The tables, chairs, walls....everything really could use not only a good cleaning (my table felt sticky) but some modernization. It's a beautiful location...could be a beautiful restaurant given a little effort. read more

The food is great and so is the location especially in the summer when you can sit outside on the deck. My favorite is the 5 alarm burger as well as the fish & chips and prawns & chips. I would vote that they have the best burger in town. read more

The 2 star is for the view & the drinks, not the service or the food. Everything is deep fried & it took us 45 minutes to get our lunch. We all had the fish & chips, mostly batter & not much fish. Was really hoping for better since the Bay Cafe closed but alas, no luck. read more

Been twice and this is what i would call a greasy spoon bar or gastro pub. The not so creative menu offers huge burgers that come at a steep price. You get what you pay for but not always what you ask for in terms of meat temperatures. In fact last time i got into an argument with manager over 3-3 burgers that were overcooked extremely well done and i suspect they were reheated leftovers they were so dry. I was a grill cook for years, i know what a fresh burger looks like. Manager said she watched them cook them. I called her a liar and a bad manager for letting garbage come out like that. Next time i met my wife there for lunch i had their overpriced soggy cod fish and chips. With so few places having a view like this in BHam i cant wait for a new restraunt in this location. Shouldn't be long. read more

I am only giving 4 stars but the food was great. The burger we had was a custom and it was awesome. We had a lemon pepper salmon Ceasars salad and it was delish. The missing star is for the restaurants need for an update in the dinning area and restrooms. It's worn out and dirty. I would definitely recommend and will visit again. Excellent service as well. read more

Ok, this place is expensive. Do not be shocked at the burger prices. That said, please try it. My sis and I got the build a burger, no fries. We both got lettuce, tomato, cheese blend and bacon. Our friend got the pulled pork bake potato and substituted French fries. Our burger was juicy, delicious and filling, yum! But our friend's arrived cold and cheese not even melted. Small portion of pork, seemed odd. And yay! They had Coke! Yes, we will retu read more

My husband and I went for a nice quiet dinner and we were not disappointed. The drinks were great, we ordered the clam strips and we both thought they were the best we had ever had. My husband got the fish and chips, the portion was huge and very good. Unfortunately I got the fish taco. A fish taco should never be served in a flour tortilla. 1 huge peice of fish came wrapped in 1 huge flour tortilla. Ick. Using the exact same condiments but with smaller peices of fish and in small corn tortillas it would be a hit. We will return, I'll just try something different next time. read more

Ate here twice and had great service and good food. It was nice eating outside by the boats and water.

Waitress was an asshole. She sat us down, says a waitress will come over. five minutes later same girl comes over and asks if we are ready and we say "can we have another minute"? ..... An actual 13 minutes later, she comes back to take our order, and my girlfriend asked to get the kids fish and chips. Waitress just stares and her for about five seconds and says "Uhmm nope". Then tells my girlfriend "you can get chicken finger and fries appetizer". The most condescending waitresses I have ever experienced ever. Not to mention there were only two other tables seated in the restaurant. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND UNLESS YOU LIKE BEING TALKED DOWN TO AND KEPT WAITING FOR YOUR FOOD. read more

The fish and chips were greasy, the fries undercooked and the price was $17.00!!! I wondered why I was one of only six customers. Now I know! Never again! read more

Actually getting served here can be quite an adventure. Twice now, I've come in and have been simply "lost" by my waitress. While I watched others who arrived after me receive menus and drinks, I sat for over five minutes with an empty table in front of me while trying to catch the waitress' eye. Enjoyed walking out of the restaurant. Food is average... if you can get it. read more

Welcome to the unpretentious side of the Bellingham waterfront. A friendly staff, comfortable chairs, and a bright, seaworthy view. Few menu choices done well. I'll trade a few misspelled words on the menu for Ax Body Spray and Corporate Mango Salsa any day! read more

Very good food with fair prices. Have a nice outdoor seating area. The atmosphere is a little dated with old seats and tables, but the view of sqaulicum harbour makes up the difference. Must try the ooey gooey chesseburger, very good. read more

We had a great meal at Nicki's. The wait staff was awesome. The food was phenomenally good. My wife had the new york steak medium rare, temperature was perfect, flavor was excellent. I had the bacon mushroom burger, also perfectly cooked, juicy, bursting with flavor. We are going to be back as often as possible. Highly recommended. read more

This is a review for the downstairs 50's style bar and grill. I ordered the bbq onion burger and it was absolutely delicious. I usually don't go for giant burgers but I downed this thing in about five minutes without ever putting it down because it had such great flavor. I would recommend this place to any burger lovers. My gf ordered the fish and shrimp combo basket which comes with 2 foot long cuts of cod and about 16 butterfly shrimp. The fish was a bit soft but I thought the batter was tasty. Probably not the best fish and chips place in town (go to the bus in Fairhaven) but it's decent. All entrees come with bottomless fries which help make the price well worth it. Also make sure to bring in your girl on Thursday because they have a password that cuts their entree price in half and it's good for any party of 8 or less people. I think the password is "leave it to beaver" but check their website because they post it there. I also had my first deep fried twinkie here for dessert and it was really damn good. Can't wait to try more of their burgers, they are quite amazing. read more

I gave this 2 stars instead of one because this would be a great place for drinks only. View is great, service is not so good. I had to ask for napkins, they forgot our appetizer, they forgot basically everything. I had to get our drinks from inside at the bar, along with anything else we needed because the waitress didn't pay any attention to us. Food was eh. My husband didn't like the his food too much for the price and my fish and chips were OK. read more

Best fish I have ever had, steaks are amazing, ribs are delicious...service is excellent Phi the head chef is truly passionate about his food and the restaurants service... Nikki has made a wise choice in him and Courtney Rocks. read more

Friendly service, and great views make this bar and grill a 'must-have' for Bellingham. Their burgers are always beautifully prepared (if a bit heavy on onions), but delicious nonetheless. Waitstaff are all very friendly and eager to please. It usually gets crowded in the summer months, but the rest of the year it is fairly quiet. Pretty typical drink and food prices, but for what you pay, you get great food. The view at sunset is astonishing, as long as you're looking outside. This is a blue-collar bar, but the company is good. Worth a visit at least once, and I will certainly keep coming back. read more

I've been here twice since moving to bellingham. Both times the staff was super friendly. For mother's day they gave me a homemade gift & a rose. The outdoor seating is a wonderful dockside view & dog & kid friendly. Really the only place i've found in Bellingham where you can have a meal, beer, & outdoor seating with kids. Will definitely return soon! read more

Really disappointed with Bella. This was long our favorite place for burgers and a good view, but the last three times we have come here our burgers come out cold. Perhaps it's because they serve the burgers with freezing cold buns, presumably straight from the fridge. Common sense dictates that adding an ice cold bun will generally cool a hot piece of meat down faster than desired. No one likes a cold burger. No one. I also asked for no relish. The burger came out with the relish. I did send it back because the relish is pretty strong, if you don't like it, it can ruin the experience. I also told the waitress the bun was ice cold. She took everything back and I had to wait a long time to get a new burger with a bun equally as cold. She didn't really apologize or comp anything or even offer to bring me a salad to hold me over while I waited (super pregnant by the way), and my husband had already eaten his meal by the time mine finally came out (not sure what took so long since the bun wasn't toasted). It was an epic fail. Please Bella, if you do nothing else, toast your buns. Slopping a cold bun on an otherwise decent burger is careless, lazy, and so JV. read more

Oh my goodness. This place is a hidden little gem. I'm so glad the boyfriend and I got hungry while down at the marina. This place is really great. The service is great, the staff is chatty and fun and they know the menu. We got an order of fish and chips with the homemade tarter. The fish pieces are massive and flavorful. The homemade tarter is absolutely wonderful. You'll want to ask for extra. The fries were pretty standard fare. Nothing spectacular but with the tarter--instant transformation. We also ordered the buffalo chicken burger. The menu said it was spicy but I didn't believe it. When I got it I was pleasantly surprised by the flavors and the kick that burger had. The chicken was moist and the gooey mayo was really great. I asked for a side or ranch for my fries and it was awesome. It had a really unique kind of dill flavor. It was great. The prices were good, the food was good and the service was good. All that and a great location (literally) right on the water. I'm going to be heading there more often. read more