Perfect afternoon. Monday afternoon a friend & I walked the lake, then on a whim went to Ray's Cafe. Beautiful sunny day of 60 degrees and a spot on the deck. Our server was Jess-- good energy, helpful and a little sass. We shared a trio of appetizers-- an affordable way to dine these days. read more

Ray's Café - Roasted Cauliflower, Calamari and Brie plate. - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

What a lovely seaside restaurant to enjoy an afternoon or evening in! The views are breathtaking in a clear day! I wanted something light for lunch today, so ordered the Bay Shrimp and Smoked Scallops salads. It did not disappoint one but. Let me just start with how amazing the smoked scallops were. Nice smokiness and smooth texture of the scallop were simply perfect. The rest of the salad is nicely balanced. Some juicy citrus (grapefruit and a lemon wedge) added brightness to the mix of fresh bay shrimp, almonds and avocado mixed on a med of spring mix lettuce. The portion was very generous as well, a light but very filling meal. The service was prompt and attentive. At some point my company dropped their napkin and someone noticed right away and brought a new one without us saying anything. I'm planning to come back very soon to check out their happy hour and try some drinks while enjoying that breathtaking view! read more

Ray's Café - Amazing Bay Shrimp and Smoked Scallop Salad! - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Popped in for Happy Hour and came away indeed Happy! Hubby had crab mac n cheese, a bit of a small portion yet tasty. I had the poke, it was delicious, and the chocolate pistachio tart, also delicious, Incredible water view, friendly charming bartender. read more

Ray's Café - the neon sign for ray's - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

What happened to Ray's Cafe?? It used to be our favorite lunch place. After their chef changed, prices doubled and the food... Father's Day lunch. Salmon undercooked,shrimp and scallop salad with zero shrimp (and I mean zero). It is the second time this happens (the first one we thought it was a one-off). Please bring Ray's cafe back!!! And by the way... a super sunny Father's Day and the cafe is half full... I guess I am not the only one noticing that the price-value equation is not working read more

Food was amazing, as always. I had the crab cakes and added scallops. Very tender. Atmosphere is great with a beautiful view. Fireplace took the chill off. Always a must when I visit Seattle. read more

One of Seattle's very best. Only concern was in the parking lot on the south side where there a couple of big dips in the pavement, almost holes, that we nearly tripped in. Will definitely return to the cafe and assume those spots have been filled in. read more

Ambiance is relaxing, good music -soft rock, 70's, 80's, etc. Great staff, fast service. Delicious Bloody Mary! First time here and had a lovely time seating close to the fireplace located on the second floor. We actually started at the bar. Had a cup of strong coffee with cream and sugar. That was satisfying while I pondered over the dinner menu. We were waiting for our reservation time at the bar. Husband opted for brandy on the rocks. Finally, at our designated table, we opted for the starter, the seafood Cioppino. It had clams, mussels, pieces of fatty salmon chunks simmered in a nice red sauce with a hint of white wine. It came with some toasted bread to dip in the sauce. That was so delicious and filling. We hesitated for entrees but we went for it anyway. I asked for the scallops carbonara with big cuts of panchetta in a nice creamy white sauce. It was also savory and delicious but I wish the noodles were a little thinner. However, it was still worth the try. Husband had the prime rib with savory, buttery mashed potatoes and broccolini's. He barely touched it though because he was already full. Both he and I asked for some boxes to take the rest of our dinner. All was good and served nicely with presentation. The whole service was pleasant and enjoyable. I felt relaxed while sipping on my drink which, was a very well mixed Bloody Mary. We were told that the first floor was more upscale but I think being on the second floor was just as good and more casual. This was our first time here and I recommend it for good date nights. The meals were well portioned and not very expensive. It was just right. There are plenty of parking but get here before 5pm and I highly recommend making a reservation. We've been wanting to come here for years but life happens and forgot all about it. Thankfully, my husband remembers and just had to make it happen on our special day- our 30th year of marriage. Another memorable memory that can't ever be replicated. If you're a hopeless romantic, bring your other half for a special intimate dinner. read more

Amazing food! The ambiance is beautiful on the waterfront! Server is professional and knowledgeable. read more

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It's a tourist trap. Prices are very high. Table 'seater' was ice cold, not smiling, non responsive, non smiling. The food: burger was salty, had no tomato slice either on the burger, or on the side. French fries (substitute instead of salad) were an extra $1.00 and portion was skimpy. The food server was OK, although when I mentioned that I wished to give him feedback, he became defensive and talked back. I think Ray's Boathouse Cafe is a tourist trap and not a good value. Just sayin'... read more

It took a while to get here. I'm glad they accommodated our reservations but still had to wait 30 mins or so for the cafe. We were seated in the back window area (as I requested from my reservations on Resy) for table of 8. Food was alright; scallops were small with the bucatini dish. read more

Picturesque location with dreamy views. Lots of parking available, but don't be fooled! This location remains busy during dinner hours so be prepared to circle the parking lot. They accept walk ins. The wait times are not incredibly long. Most of their tables whether indoor or outdoor have water views. There is bread and butter to greet you at your table after ordering drinks. They serve local Seattle soda- a surprising treat! The food seems average in flavor, nothing spectacular but I would still eat here again. For a large restaurant, it gives you that small town feel. Servers seem busy or not super attentive, perhaps having a lot of tables to cover. Either way, we still had a pleasant experience! Recommend for date nights, anniversaries, birthdays, family dinners, group outings and everything in between. read more

Ray's Café - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Favorite spot for happy hour. Last time we were there we saw two seals and an eagle hunting for fish! What an incredible experience!! You honestly can't beat the view. It's my favorite ever! The food and service are exceptional. They also have a really great drink selection. We love the caesar salad, fish and chips, calamari, and crab dip. read more

We SO appreciate Ray's allowing us to do our firm's headshots downstairs and then come up for lunch. It was pouring and our Discovery park plans were out. The Ray's staff was very accommodating from start to finish and lunch was such a nice break from our busy in office routine. Thank you so much! PS, loved the Cobb - *chef's kiss*. read more

Stopped in for lunch on a sunny afternoon. Such a beautiful location on the waterfront. We didn't have a reservation, but still got a great table in the bar area right away. We had the crab dip and calamari to start. Both were great! I had the fish sandwich which was a little underwhelming, but my friend had the sable fish and said it was amazing. Service was a little slow, but it was a busy afternoon and we were in no rush enjoying the view. read more

Ray's Café - Rockfish sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Terrific seafood (calamri, sable, salmon) attentive service, fun 80s music and lovely sunset over water. read more

Ray's Café - Sunset off the deck - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I truly do not know why the reviews of this place are liek this????? I've been going here, for 15+ years, and I promise you. I truly promise you, they are so good. The views are incredible, the decor and ambiance is so perfect. The staff is welcoming and kind, and the foood, the foooood is so delicious. The unlimited bread they give you is so truly DELICIOUS I think about it daily. (Well not actually, but you get my drift) I truly think rays cafe is amazing and I hope you can try it yourself, because rays cafe is not deserving these reviews. I promise. read more

A lovely spot near Golden Gardens beach with beautiful waterfront views and a delicious happy hour menu (4-6pm)! We actually had reservations for the boathouse restaurant downstairs but decided to go upstairs for this cafe and more casual vibes. We were most impressed with the tuna poke and crispy calamari, and the service was excellent! read more

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We went here on a Saturday around 1pm for lunch. I was surprised at how busy they were! Unfortunately we didn't make a reservation and there was a 45 min wait for outdoor seating, so we opted to sit inside. The view from outside is beautiful and luckily we were still able to see out the window. Our server was nice and quick. For food, we got the Dungeness crab dip as an appetizer and wow was this amazing! Highly recommend (although it is pricy). For my meal, I got the creamy lemon ricotta rotini and wow it was definitely lemony and the pasta was super over cooked and squishy. I was not a fan and barely ate any of it. My husband got the ribeye and he said it was incredible. We added on a cluster of crab legs and those were cooked well. Overall, this place has a beautiful view and a fun, casual vibe indoors but the food is pricy for what you get. read more

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Pros: Very good quality food, decent amount of food for the price, friendly staff, great views, and welcoming vibe Cons: no reservations first-come first serve read more

Ray's Café - Seared Oregon albacore Cobb salad - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Pros: Incredible view, good food, mostly good service. Cons: It's on the pricy side and we had a slightly unfortunate experience with service. My boyfriend and I are both in our early 20s and decided to have a date night here (this is relevant, I promise). We were both dressed nicely, honestly nicer than many of the other people there. We were able to order drinks and appetizers quickly but after that we were pretty much ignored. After a while we were able to flag the waiter who (before we could say anything) said he would bring us the check. I said we'd actually like to order some entrees which we did as well as dessert afterwards. I know we're visibly younger but it did feel like we were being rushed out on the assumption that younger people won't get a full meal or spend a bunch of money on a nice dinner. After we ordered entrees we immediately started getting better service. The waiter was nice in general but it was uncomfortable feeling like we were ignored for the first half of our meal/being rushed out. I would still recommend Ray's Cafe, overall it was a good meal and a beautiful spot, but I did also want to be up front about our experience with the service since it was noticeable. read more

We finally made it to Ray's Café after numerous attempts, and it was average. We came on a Sunday around 5:30pm and the place was hopping! The team there is very hospitable and friendly, and we got the chance to sit outside in the covered heated patio. That day the view was picture perfect, and the weather couldn't have been better - breezy and crisp. We went with a few HH munchies, fresh oysters, followed by a couple mains. The calamari and clam chowder soup from the HH menu were okay, but just weaker than we had expected coming from a seafood-centric place. The calamari were tiny in size and rubbery. The batter tasted frozen, and the sauce was not memorable. Clam chowder soup had decent flavor and texture, but tasted more like something you'd expect from a fast-casual establishment. Oysters were delicious and very fresh. Half a dozen at $22 is a great value, and they have 2 kinds for you to choose from. The mignonette sauce was a little too pungent for the natural sweetness in the oysters that day. For the mains, we ordered the 2-pc. Cod and Chips ($24) and the 1-pc. Dungeness Crab Cake ($23). Out of the 2, the Crab Cake was the standout dish. Even though we only had 1, it was a very good size and great texture. The mixture was nicely constructed so the texture of the crab and flavor really shined. The salad that accompanied it was good, especially the pickled watermelon radish. The Cod and Chips was mediocre due to the rubbery texture of the fish. It didn't taste like it was freshly fried either. The chips were underwhelming and for the price, it wasn't a good value. Our server was pleasant and attentive. She offered a nice experience. The view really is what you're paying for, and it's a great destination for groups. We'll be back for the Crab Cakes and oysters with our friends next time! read more

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Beautiful views, food was good got there for happy hour and had the clams & Caesar salad! Good service as well read more

Ray's Café - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Thanks Doug for the WA State update. We were misinformed. Fantastic lunch sorry for the confusion. read more

We came to Ray's for happy hour and it was absolutely delicious. We got almost everything on the menu. My favorite was the tuna tartar which tasted fresh and cool on a hot day. The clam chowder was so creamy and filling. We enjoyed the Caesar salad, mussels and calamari though they didn't stand out as much as the tartar and chowder. Only downside was the outdoor seating was super hot with sun reflecting off the water. Beautiful, but by the end we were eager to finish the meal and get out of the sun. Food also took a while to come out but expected since they were super busy! read more

Ray's Café - Happy hour offerings - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

They offer a more fancy dining area downstairs and casual seating upstairs. Checked in upstairs and waited less than 20 minutes for a table outside. The view was breathtaking and even saw a sea lion in the water! Not sure how different the menus were, but I was impressed with the selection. The service was excellent. It started to get a little chilly as the sun went down and someone came around offering blankets. The house bread was fresh and they gave our table another basket at no additional charge. The sablefish was absolutely delicious. Great texture and flavor. The presentation was great as well. The honey soy sauce really elevated the dish. The rice soaked most of it up, but I went in with some bread to get the rest. There were two large grilled bok choy which had a satisfying crunch. read more

Ray's Café - Sablefish - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Good food, good view on sunny day, good drink selections. I always enjoy their salad and soup along with view on their patio.

You can't beat the view from the deck at Ray's. And It was a beautiful day! Great place to take out of town friends and also to treat yourself to Seattle at its best. Our service was excellent. Could not ask for more. We had clams and also mussels as appetizers. Again wonderful. So why only 3 stars? The pasta Bolognese was terrible. Blame myself for ordering it at a seafood restaurant. The scallops we ordered came in a tomato sauce, a little bit sweet. I was expecting sautéed in butter. And they with peas, corn and carrots. Not really what I would want. I end my reviews by saying whether I would return to this restaurant. I definitely will, but at lunch I will simply stick to ordering from the appetizer menu. read more

Finally had an opportunity to try out this institution of a restaurant, and it didn't disappoint. They've got the crucial factor nailed down: location! I'd been hanging out at golden gardens enjoying the sun, and figured on a sunday, with some waiting, our party of three would be able to get an outdoor patio seat easily enough. Sure enough, with some patience, we finally got in, just in time for the tail end of happy hour. We shared the HH clams, some fresh oysters, bread and perfectly cooked and battered french fries. for the entree, i think our out-of-town guest picked the winner: the sablefish, which i know as black cod. it was moist and flavorful and had the perfect mix of smokey, sweet, tangy seasoning. so good. i had the scallops, which were also great. the gnocchi was i think the only vague let down at the table. not the best, but fine (that's what a vegetarian can expect ordering at a seafood spot, i guess). generous HH wine pours, which we appreciated, and the service was outstanding, as was the sunset. the infrared heater keeps you warm without being overbearing, and their plastic-sided enclosure is the perfect balance of outside and cozy. the best spot to get a little fancy while still dragging in a little sand in your shoes. thanks! read more

Ray's Café - the view! - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Always delicious food, and the view is spectacular! Normally, the service is top-notch, but not when our party of four was there in late August... The server had an attitude that we didn't appreciate and gave us the bill before we were done. She got really snippy when we then ordered dessert after she dropped off the bill without asking if we wanted anything else. read more

I've been here twice now and both times have been great. This time my partner called and a really friendly man (maybe the manager?) picked up the phone. He took his time answering all the questions around the snow conditions and even was able to reserve us a table the day of. His kindness really stood out to me compared to other restaurants. We ordered a good amount of food there. We ordered a dozen oysters, bread, chowder, steak, clams, brownie with ice cream, and creme brulee. Highlights for me were the clams and creme brulee. There was a good amount of clams (enough for me as an entree) and my partner mentioned how well the creme brulee was done. His steak was also huge, so the portions are pretty good here for the price. I would say, don't get the brownie. It's super basic and is just a brownie and ice cream. It would've been nice if they added a little something extra to it. Our waitress was also super helpful when it came to selecting drinks and helped us, which I appreciated. There was a little mishap with one part of the food and we were disappointed that nothing was done to rectify the issue. However, I wrote the GM listed on the receipt later and really appreciated talk to him. He was very empathetic and seemed to fully understand where I was coming from. He did rectify the situation (more than I expected) and worked to assure me this wouldn't happen again in the future. Overall, I would definitely return to this place when I'm interested in some seafood. The GM/co-owner really seems to care about this restaurant and is so nice. The food is definitely a great price for what you get, but there are definitely some items that aren't stand outs. So I would say to lookup on yelp to see which items people are talking about and like. read more

The food was very good, but the service especially the management was well below standard. I had an untimely water glass mishap breakage for which I was showered with the rest of my meal and water. The occurrence wasn't the issue but the way staff and especially the management under managed my issue. One busboy ignored it, my waitress tried to explain why it happened as did the manager once she finally decided to come to the table. I thank the busboy who did extend quite the assistance. I left as if this was an inconvenience to their day and my patronage was completed since I paid the balance of my bill, and yes they did take my meal off the bill but I wore the stew on my shirt, pants and as did my lunch guest the rest of the day. read more

They have a lot of good seafood here & everything tasted fresh. Nice location & amazing views. read more

Ray's Café - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I can't rate the food, we just stopped in for a cocktail. The cocktail's were excellent including several Ray's specials like the barrel aged Negroni - so smooth, cold and just right! The barrel aging seemed to take Just a smidge off the edge of the Campari making my favorite cocktail slightly smoother and somehow a little more mellow - wow! However good the bev's were the service was stellar! When a party of six shows up unexpected one might expect a somewhat surly reception. Not here! Hollie (sp?) at the reception desk was fun, actually seemed happy to see us and she found us a great table near the front windows. Our waitperson who's name we never got, I am sorry to say. But, she too was fun and actually seemed to be enjoying helping us choose from the cocktail menu!! I can wholeheartedly recommend stopping by - say hi to Hollie for me. read more

Food overall was okay. The portions were small, and a bit pricy for clam chowder even though we came for happy hour. The calamari was underwhelming, and the clams were a bit gritty. The Thai red curry mussels, however, were so succulent and good. They also give you complimentary bread, so we got full off the bread, which we used to sop up the sauces from the buttery clams and curry mussels. Honestly, food here would probably be 3 stars, but I really liked the vibes and views here since it's right by the water, so I would rate Ray's 4 stars because of the environment. It really gave a cabin retreat vibe! read more

The food, the view, the service... all EXCELLENT - chefs kiss Appetizer menu was super yummy. The mussels divine! The steak was deeee-lish. Can't say enough about the food. The wait staff is always impeccable and generous. I love watching the sun set over the sound. Amazing vantage. read more

Best place to enjoy a meal and watch the sun go down over the Puget Sound. The service is excellent, and so is the food.

Yes way! It's Ray's Café. We've always liked Ray's but hadn't been for a while. The sunset views are amazing here. First the bevs. I had a Smokin' Joey, a bracing yet refreshing soft drink concoction consisting of lime, ginger ale and bitters. My partner-in-dine had a Rosemary Grapefruit Drop which is grapefruit voddy, rosemary, and lemon juice. It looked great. We started with an excellent Brie and Apple Plate (all items mentioned can be seen in the attached photos.) with candied walnuts. Quite fine. We had the Ahi Poke Bowl, which was good - it had tuna two ways and the marinated tuna was amazing. We also had the pan seared Halibut, which was good but it was also $40 which seemed a tad steep for what it was. Our server KJ was perfect: attentive and helpful. Parking was no problem. We like Ray's! read more

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The service was fine and friendly especially the front desk staff. The ambience and view are a lovely, the food was just so disappointing. I had the cobb salad with albacore tuna and we shared the artichoke crab dip. The dip came out so quickly it had to be microwaved, the top had some char marks but the middle was cool which was not good. The albacore tuna on my salad was more grey than pink and it did not taste fresh, I ate a bite, the bacon was chunks of cold bacon and the soft egg was also cold. It was like a premade salad, the avocado and lettuce were fine. The server did not check back and I did not complain. I would go back for drinks and view but won't eat there again, too expensive for that quality. read more

Such a perfect place to have lunch on a sunny day. Especially when youre dining out on the patio with the waterfront view. For appetizer we ordered Crispy Calamari, Ray's Chowder, and the Dungeness crab dip. The crispy calamari with that lemon aioli was yummy. Rays chowder was kind of bland, i was expecting it to be good with all the reviews I saw. The Dungeness crab dip was good but the portions of the dip was small. You also get a free side of bread and butter but kind of wish the bread was a lil warm or hot because it was cold and hard but maybe thats how they serve it i guess lol. I got the Sunset Sour cocktail which was good but really strong. Get it if youre into strong fruity cocktails. Oh and btw we all had water but for some reason their cup had a strong metal scent to it. For the main entree i got the True Cod Fish & Chips. It came out very hot and crispy and so good. read more

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Great food and the service knocked it out of the park. Jess really took care of us, you can tell when someone enjoys and takes pride in their work. Jess recommended the Sabelfish and we were so impressed! Hands down the best fish dish in Seattle! Above and beyond service, the two entrees we ordered were split and served evenly between two of us. It was just noticed that we like to share and they did it without us needing to ask! We were in the cafe area on the deck and the view was beautiful. Sunset is especially lovely. We would strongly recommend anyone to come here and try the Pacific Nw Sabelfish in Sake Kasu! read more

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