This is an awesome place to go if you're visiting the locks. Even if you're just passing by, it's still definitely worth a visit. The convenient walk-up window makes ordering a quick order to go, or for a nice relaxing meal outside quick and easy. The food is excellent, the servers are nice and the atmosphere is casual. I definitely recommend the fish and chips. Two decent sized breaded and fried pieces, with a generous helping of fries. They're extrenely tasty and not dry at all. (These people make some GOOD fish & chips!). Plus even if it's too much for you to finish, since it's breaded and not battered it reheats well in the oven. :-D Finally, they also serve a mean Bloody Mary! ;-] read more

Near by Ballard Rock. Stop by to eat some early lunch. Nice inside and friendly lady served us! We ordered Chicken fried steak & eggs and added 2 pancakes. Good volume for 2!!! read more

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We stumbled upon this place after visiting the Chittendem Locks... the place is right next to the parking lot. Very convenient for the hungry visitor. Really good fish and chips and tartar sauce. Their beers are cheap too...... one of my friends practically drank the whole pitcher to herself! The waitress was very nice. I was able to order from the kids menu :) Their bathrooms are weirdly shaped. That's all I can remember. read more

The Lockspot Cafe - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The woman in charge told my 16 year old daughter that her service dog was not trained as a service dog, and would not look at the card or try to understand any of the explanations provided. Not friendly, not a good experience, my daughter is crying, we can not believe that in such a great community, people react this way... read more

The Lockspot Cafe - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Ordered the clam chowder. Served Luke warm. The potatos were raw and crunchy. It had an odd sour taste like someone had added too much vinegar to the soup. The cook should have tasted it before service. Won't go again. read more

Best chicken strips I've ever had, and the best homemade ranch and tartare sauce ever! Highly recommend this place to anyone wanting some awesome fried food read more

Delicious as always. Best fish and chips in Ballard. Good food, good portion size. Good value for the dollar!! read more

The Lockspot Cafe - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The fish itself was was great! However, the atmosphere was a little uncomfortable. We opted to order from the to-go window and eat on the picnic benches. While waiting for our food we noticed that one of the kitchen staff was whistling at every single woman that walked by, and then turning to his buddies and laughing and carrying on. So inappropriate. Will definitely not be back. They offer 1 free refill on soda. Come on guys, it cost you like $0.02 to refill a cup I paid $2.50 for. The fish was good though. Very crispy and flaky. Large portion. read more

My aunt's been taking me here, so many times, I can't count anymore. This place has been opened since 1917, and while others have had unfortunate experience with their food, I had been lucky enough to get the same consistency with all of their food. Maybe they just know it's me so it's always great read more

Appetizer- the calamari had a light crispy perfection outter that I had ever experience other than in a Greek restaurant, the Greek isle in Plano Texas. Not to gummy but just the right texture cover in assert butter garlic sauce. The price for the calamari is adequate and portions Entree-as we walked around the neighborhood we came across the "world famous fish & chip" so I had to try them. The cod was soft & juicy with a batter shell that could of used spices, a bit dull on flavor. A side of French fries came with the "world famous chips & chips" that I would of ask for more flavor I did like the view, enjoyed the rain through big windows with a great ambient if a local restaurant. The bar seemed a great place to spend time meeting locals or just a cold local beer. read more

The Lockspot Cafe - Calamari Was delicious - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

They do breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Oh yeah! Bloody Mary. It is a must have. This place is old school ballard. Nothing fancy, nothing modern, just a simple tavern style restaurant with old world charm that looks like the ballard I grew up loving. A place where back in the day you would find the Seattle fishing fleet, when we still had one, having a solid meal with a stiff drink and cold beer. This place is family friendly during the day. The service is very friendly and prompt and they really care about making sure you are taken care off. I had the huevos rancheros and my friend the eggs benedict. Could not have been more pleased with both. The house made hollandaise, real pieces of ham and a perfect poached egg is a thing of simple beauty. The huevos rancheros comes with black beans and was the perfect spicy indulgence that went hand in hand with a Bloody Mary that is simple, spicy and perfect. Hash browns are nothing special but crisp and nicely done. Again nothing shee shee here. Just a laid back spot to enjoy a great breakfast on a rainy Sunday morning in Seattle. read more

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I spent $22 on the 4 piece halibut and chips. Although the outside was crispy, the Halibut and batter was undercooked. Halibut was still clear in the inside and tough. Chips were gross too. I won't be back. read more

Drinks are good Ambiance cool French Dip Au jus blah.... roast beef tough...! Broccoli soup was really tasty and garlic bread AWESOME. Husband said chowder kinda blah! All in all I would recommend!! read more

Food was ok. We were more than hungry after touring Ballard locks. This place was conveniently located just outside the locks. We were able to grab a quick bite. Nothing to write home about. Device was good. read more

Since the totem is gone, thought we would try the lockspot. Big mistake. Ordered clam strips that were well overcooked and tasteless. Also shrimp and fries. Not much shrimp but butterflied with lots of cornmeal breading. Shrimp was tasteless and overcooked. Tarter sauce was awful, way too much dill. And the Chile sauce was jellied. I believe this seafood was frozen then fried on the spot. It was also expensive. My mistake, never again. Save your money. Go somewhere else!!!! read more

Folks! The Lockspot is not Portage Bay! I think why the Lockspot has low ratings is people keep wandering in after getting fed up waiting 45 min for a table at Portage Bay. As another reviewer said -- this is a dive bar. So no, it's not fancy food. And it's a little dingy. But it's not pretending to be something it isn't. I love the atmosphere, the staff, the food, the drinks, all of it. You'll get something unique and authentic here, unlike most new places around town. read more

Stopped in for take out: fish and chips. Pretty good, fish was cooked really well and I liked the batter. Fries were nothing special.

Lockdowns on the breaded shrimp and ready for deep dives in the cerulean tartar seas. This flour shrouding the seafood has been made for a good deepfrying experience. One major flaw stiffens the stars as their clam chowder did not have a similar love as a clear viscosity test suggest it was as droopy as a chicken noodle soup. If the chows don't convert you then the alternative route will as the billing can be difficult to justify. read more

I'm tempted to go one star on this, but I have had an ok time here. Until my last visit. We stopped in with a couple friends. It was the middle of the afternoon, not busy at all. When we first sat down, we asked our waitress if we could get separate checks or split the bill between credit cards , she said no, too busy. She had one other table. After a couple minutes, she came back and said she would do separate checks for us, we said thanks. So we got our food. It was fine, nothing fancy. Typical greasy-diner fare. That's exactly what we were looking for. After our meal, the waitress came back over and placed a single check on the table. That was after she had just finished berating her other table for having a complicated order. We asked her again for separate checks. This is where the fun begins. She starts yelling at us, telling us we don't always get what we want and we have no idea how hard her job is. Her job is hard, I know. I worked as a waiter for several years. The abuse you have to put up with in that line of work is enormous. People feel very entitled when they walk into restaurants. Anyway, I pointed out that we made a deal before any orders were placed. So she picks up the check and yells at us that she'll go back and split it for us. She comes back, slams it on the table and announces that she will not, in fact, split the check. So everyone reaches into their wallets and pulls out all their dollars and loose change. Just enough to cover the bill, plus about $1.25 for tip. Since I've worked as a waiter and I know the job sucks, I almost always make a point to tip 20%. An extra dollar out of my pocket won't be missed, an extra dollar here or there over the course of a shift adds up for a server. Because of that, I felt bad about the lousy tip. But on the other hand, she really didn't deserve anything. Turns out we should have left nothing. As we were walking to the car, she comes running out and throws the tip back at us. I won't be back. There have been occasions where I've been with other friends who wanted to stop in, until I told them this story. The food here is fine. You get exactly what you pay for. And odds are, you'll get a good server. But there is always the chance you'll get my waitress. And on the other hand, if she's able to get away with an attitude like that, some of their other servers probably do as well. read more

Their fish n chips really are all that. They don't have Guinness but they do have Hale's Cream Stout, which is the next best thing - if not the BETTER thing since it's local! Funky dark wood paneling made this a cozy place to have Saturday breakfast/lunch (definitely not brunch, it ain't that kinda place) and watch the snow fall outside over some pints. Their chowder was just okay - too dill'y for me. I sort of feel traiterous for having lived in Ballard for three years now and only just visiting the Lockspot for the first time. read more

This is a great spot to spend a lazy day in the old Ballard. Fish and chip are great, cheap beers, and the giant moose head on the wall is crazy awesome. The waitress make you feel right at home when you walk in. This place have could use a face lift and some serious update. Great location and parking. read more

Updating, since I just received a very nice note from management which is enough to prompt me to hit their walk up window sometime this week for a little deep fried lunch. More of an update to come once I've been. :) read more

The Deadliest Bar? I don't know about that. I might actually buy one of their t-shirts if it didn't have that cheesy marketing ploy splashed across the chest. Lockspot's cool though. It's fair food, fair prices and hometown bar-like atmosphere. It's a straight shot down 32nd from my house so I go in from time to time. I always hope to get nice bartender. Nice bartender says "Hey guys - coupla Maker's for you? I forget the beers though" and finishes us off with "Great to see you two again" this after only helping us maybe 2 or 3 times in the past few months. Mean bartender says "Whadda ya have?" When I ask for an IPA he reaches for the table-top beer list puts it in front of me, looks over my shoulder and says "we have two". Um, ok. Maybe he was having a bad day. Everyone else there is very nice though and the Lockspot should be checked out. read more

Blargh. Not just a sound a pirate makes, it's how I feel when I'm here. Did you know that "After the Catch" was filmed here? It's that show about Deadliest Catch, but, um, after the catch. Crap. Food is blargh. Drinks are blargh. Cleanliness is blargh. Service is blargh. Only redeeming factor is the pool table, pretty cheap, and oddly never seems to be taken when I come here. Also the jukebox has some good licks on it, as long as someone didn't commandeer it right before you. I suppose this fish and chips are good here, so I've been told, I don't eat fish so I wouldn't know. read more

I grew up at the Ballard Locks (Dad retired after working here 25+ years) so the Lockspot famous fish and chips is the only thing on the menu for me! The popcorn scallops are the perfect appetizer to prepare your tummy for deep fried barrage. Also worth mentioning is the great selection of Beers, all local except for the Rolling Rock (someone has to pay for the printed beer list haha). I had one of the rotating beers, Old Seattle Lager, and it just hit the spot after a long day boating. After your Lockspot visit dont forget to walk off some of the deep fried goodness by going next door to the Ballard Locks. Head to the fish ladder to check out the still living fishes and work up an appetite for seconds on the fish n chips!! A word to the service complainers. Stop being a spoiled American who expects to be pampered or worshipped like they are at Canlis. Lockspot is a PUB not a fussy fine dining joint with butlers. Goto any pub in England and see what kinda service you get, scratch that you dont, you order at the bar from the bartender making servers unnecessary and unavailable to massage your every whim. That btw, is the way it should be. If you want pampered and treated like royalty, go to the spa, if you want damn good food go to a greasy pub like Lockspot and enjoy living the good life. As a native of Ballard I have to mention to all the trendy folks who have bought new condos in Ballard, you have ruined it, please go back to the Hill and let Ballard return to a divey blue collar fishing town. The Lockspot is a remnant of the way Ballard should and used to be. read more

I'm shocked at the reviews for Lockspot. We loooooved it! On our afternoon of drinking and shopping we dropped in for some G&T's and chowder. I could chow on their chowder all day long. Both the clam and the salmon - thick, hearty, hot and perfect! This fisherman's hang is authentic and refreshingly welcoming. Our server, Lisa - decked out in Kick-It boots, was terrific. She even sat down for a bit for some girl-talk. She knows her stuff and made our time at Lockspot that much better. I'd absolutely eat and drink here again. read more

What's going on around here? Where's all the love for the Lockspot?? I love the Lockspot. To love the Lockspot is to understand what it is: an old fisherman's bar. This is classic Old Ballard - it's not hip, it's not trying too hard - it's just a great, comfortable spot with taxidermy above the fireplace, a good jukebox, and strong, cheap drinks. If you are eating, don't order something weird - keep it classic with their fish 'n chips. You'll get efficient, no-nonsense service and lots of fun people-watching. The Lockspot is great for a bite after a sunny day at the Locks, some hair-of-the-dog bloody marys after a night out, or a comfy spot to chill late-night. read more

My boyfriend and I went here the other night since we had a coupon for one free entree. It's pretty much a stone's throw from where I live, so we figured it would be a perfect choice. We split the regular fish & chips and the halibut & chips. Both were fairly decent...although I found the breading on the halibut to be a bit thick and since the pieces weren't that large, it was hard to really taste the halibut flavor. The fries, however, were a huge letdown. Absolutely flavorless! No salt, no anything. Just large hunks of potato. If I put enough salt and pepper on them, they were tolerable, but I was definitely disappointed in the fries. Our waitress was very friendly and checked in on us probably the perfect number of times. She is probably what moved this review from two stars to three stars. Overall, this place was okay. Nothing special and the food was just okay. I just don't know if we'll be back when there are so many other places with great fish and chips. read more

Always enjoy coming here when we're in Seattle. Beautiful day to visit the locks and enjoy The Lockspot. Keeping it real with the fish and chips. read more

This place is a hole in the wall that takes advantage of being right next to the Ballard Locks. It's run down and dirty. They actually keep a bucket of water with a rag that they clean the tables with, the. Keen the tag in the bucket for later use. Gross. Everything was sticky. The seats had a layer of grime. The food was poor. My son had pancakes with strawberries, which were from a can. The fish and chips were frozen and deep fried. Fish tacos were made of the fish and chips but chopped up. Service was slow. Didn't even say hello. Don't come here. read more

We popped in here for a quick lunch after visiting the locks. Worth missing. We had French Dip (OK) and shrimp basket from the senior menu. Smallest portions I've ever seen on a Sr. menu and totally forgettable. Then the server took ages to bring the check. read more

The lockspot has a huge place in my heart. First, it is hard to find a place like this in the new hip Ballard. In the winter time there are no tourists and nothing is better than sitting in the Lock Spot on a rainy day, drinking beer and eating fried foods. I have always had great service, great food and a good time here. Maybe it is because I am old school Seattle or maybe it is because I only take my best friends here so we are always too busy talking than getting annoyed at slow service. The Salmon here is amazing and the fish and chips are yummy. Also get some fried mushrooms. I can't say much about being here in the summer since I hide inside during the summer waiting for rainy days to come back. So wait until winter time, bundle up and brave the Lock Spot! read more

So entered. Seated ourselves like the sign asked was really in the mood for some seafood soup. Ordered a cup of smoked salmon soup and clam chowder for my gf. Waiter talked extremely fast to understand. Anyways he brought our soups promptly but my god like other reviews here I probably had 3-4 pieces of salmon smaller than a dime. I wish I was exaggerating. I couldn't taste anything. It was filled with potatoes. Smoked salmon soup what a joke. Waiter came out and checked on the two people by us and never checked on us. And as I am typing this review he still hasn't acknowledged the fact we are ready to leave. I mean we only had two soup cups come on dude... Plus it's expensive. And we continue to wait... Will update this UPDATE So waiter came 3 mins after a my first review. I asked for a manager he told me there wasn't one... Wtf. 2 mins later a guy comes and claims he's the manager. I was like dude I was just told there was no manager. Anyways the manager heard me out. I was very kind. Just detailed my experience he apologized. But I brought this review down to 1 star because apologies don't do much and lying to me about no manager was the last straw for a 2 star. I highly suggest staying away from here read more

So my cousin is in town from S. Cal, she watches that fishing/crabbing show on the Discovery channel, me well yeah I watch it from the closet. I mean the amount of second hand smoke coming outta my TV from the peeps on that show, it could choke a horse. Anywho.... She wants a t-shirt, had some kind of "discount" coupon from the airplane magazine and wants to head to the tourist-ridden Pike place market for some $4 dollars to produce the t-shirt that costs the poor unknowing tourist $29.99 with the discount coupon. I remember something about the Lockspot being Cap'n Sigs fav hangout. We drive over, find "free" parking and head in...for t-shirts. While we got the evil pirate eye from some of the regular's at the bar. On the other hand the help was more than willing to help my cousin find her sacred prize of the trip. For less money than Pike Place, free parking, got to see a poster with Cap'n Sig's signature on it, priceless... One thing I will say about this place, in the evening, if you've had a few, watch out for the "dip" in the floor near the pool table. It'll KILL someone, or at the very least knock a few teeth out when you stumble on it. Cheers Cap'n Sig!! read more

This is a great place to take your visiting friends when you just want good fish and local flavor. Although I wish they took more care in the upkeep of the joint. The halibut and chips are awesome nonetheless. ***Avoid this place when it's hot. Last night was a sauna and they only had a few fans scattered around so we had to sit near the door. read more

My friend and I took a detour from our walk and went straight to the bar in the back. The bartender was friendly enough, even if he was a Dodgers fan. Beers and whiskey were fine, but an appetizer was a better idea. We ordered the fried scallops and steamed clams. The clams were great, but the breaded scallops were better. They were crispy on the outside, but the scallops inside were not overcooked. I'm now regretting that I didn't place another order of the scallops. There's always next time. read more

If I want good food in a comfortable place without the pretentious vibe of most Seattle restaurants, I'll go to the Lockspot. This is a hometown establishment that has great seafood. Go in, sit down, order your food and enjoy. No hovering wait staff to assault you with a pepper mill. Recently, my True Love and I checked into another nearby seafood restaurant to find a two-hour wait, so we headed to the Lockspot. We had an amazing meal! Simple, tasty and satisfying. Sometimes I get tired of the fluff that comes with some of the Seattle eateries. It distracts me from just enjoying good food. If you're craving fish and chips, fried clams, or another seafood staple, head to the Lockspot Cafe. It's good food and good service in a traditional fishermen's diner environment that Seattle was built on. read more

It was pretty ok there. I ordered the grilled cheese sandwich with provolone and thin sliced tomatoes. ULTIMATE YUMMINESS. However, it DID take at least a good ten to fifteen minutes for the waiter to even get our drink order, and another twenty after that to take our food order. We were COMPLETELY STARVING. At least our food came out quickly, considering none of us (my family and I) got anything super fancy. MINUS STARS ON A NOT "A-OK" SERVICE. I did like their location though. Right next to the The Locks. And not too long of a drive from Woodland Park Zoo. read more

The Lockspot Cafe - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I had GREAT fish and chips here, but my complaint is the service and parking. My waiter, for some reason, was against making eye contact with me. I sat without a refill for 15 minutes, and I watched him stop at all his other tables, asking how things were, giving refills, etc. The first time he came to my table after dropping off my food (without asking me if I needed anything else) was to bring me the bill. He just threw the bill on the table and ran off again. I had to call him BACK over to ask if he would please give me a refill. I'm not going to eat ANYWHERE where I am considered a nuisance. I ate my dinner in a sheepish humility. Not a feel good place. read more

Glad to see the old Lockspot is still around. I frequented that place in early summer 1986 while renovating a salmon boat down the street, before we headed off to Alaska for the worst fishing season in 30 years. The Yukon, I believe. Just the right raw ambience to get a mean buzz on. Didn't go there for the food. I don't remember the word "cafe" in it's name back then -- I think it was just The Lockspot. It was OLD back THEN. Wouldn't bring a date here, or something like that. You've gotta know someone pretty well to bring them here or else a new person might question what the hell kind of person you are, suggesting THIS place. i.e. a Hawaiian would not bring a high maka maka girl here. Gotta remember to visit the place again when next in the locale. The locks themselves are pretty neat to watch. Who would have known that Seattle (Ballard) is about 6 hours from the ocean on a slow boat? read more