This was another great lunch at Wally's. We got seated fast and had our owner in quick. We both got the Cod and Chips special and a bowl of 50/50 chowder. The chowder is my all time favorite! The fish was cooked perfectly and breaded to perfection. The tartar sauce has just the right tang. This is such a great value! Great food, great service! read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Cod special - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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This place is so cute and feels like it belongs on the beach. I had the blackened fish tacos which were good but not "blackened" at all. The chowder I had with it was very good as well. The service was friendly and the place was very clean. I also enjoyed the music selection. They have lunch specials during the week but overall this place is priced fairly for the quality of the food. read more

I was invited to join a friend for lunch at Wally's. If you mention seafood, you have my full attention. This is a community oriented place and is family run for the most part. The decor is old style with wooden chairs and tables. The most notable thing is the owner/manager circulates the restaurant praising the staff in an odd way. This is a bit off putting, but easy to ignore. I had the shrimp cocktail, broiled halibut, and Caesar salad. The shrimp cocktail is a collection of tiny shrimp that are over cooked and the water not salted when cooked. I expected about 3-4 large shrimp. The cocktail sauce was good, but could use a bit of a kick with more horseradish. To me, the key to broiled or grilled seafood is the combination of spices/seasonings used that enhance the experience. The halibut was devoid of all seasoning, but did come with a lemon wedge. This type of fish is expensive and deserves better attention to detail. It was throughly cook , moist, but flavorless. This is a fish that I absolutely love and prepare at home. The Caesar salad was okay. It has the right lettuce, Parmesan cheese, and a very thick dressing. It too came with a lemon wedge. This also happens to be my favorite salad-ever. I must note that this place is not cheap, and for that amount, it's not too much to ask for a dash of salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic, whatever you can find in the kitchen to bring out the flavor and experience of the halibut. I would urge the chef/cook to explore seasoning for fish and remember that halibut is big, delicate, and needs seasoning. Also, cucumbers have no place near a Caesar salad, but fresh grilled or even fried anchovies would be delightful. read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Shrimp cocktail - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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Finished our trip off with fried seafood! The chowder is a must and very smooth and thick and creamy. One of the best we've had! The fried combo was a great option to try everything and the cod medallions and shrimp were the stars. You can pass on the crab strips and cod lings. Dungeness crab sandwich was hearty and definitely a great portion of crab. Food was great but missing salt. Service was great initially and then we were totally forgotten about and watched our server mingling as we waited for our check to be dropped off and picked back up. Other than that, it is a great option if you are looking for fresh seafood! read more

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Went here after searching for a local restaurant. This is a cute little spot and I am glad we visited while we were in town with my family. We got the fish and chips with fresh fish and clam chowder. This place was busy during early dinner but we waited about 10 minutes and got seated. Our server (forgot his name) was not the friendliest but it was okay since I figured we'd order immediately and just eat and go. Thankfully the food made up for the lack of friendliness. The fish and chips were fresh and fries were great. Fish wasn't greasy and came with plenty of sauce on the side. The clam chowder was definitely the star of the show. It was creamy, hot, and had plenty of flavor. read more

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We came in around 2pm on a Saturday and it was quite busy. The place is much bigger inside than it appears on the outside. They have a full bar and outdoor heated seating. They had so many employees working and I could tell it helped with service. Because it was incredibly fast. We had a wonderful experience and the food was delicious. We ordered a bowl of chowder and the combo platter to share. We stuck with the cod because cod is almost as delicious as halibut, especially because it's battered and fried. The service was super duper fast and we were in and out in 1 hour. The fries were top notch! Like some of the best. And the chowder...my oh my...it was thick and creamy. Very very good!! I almost bought a tub of it ($22) to go but I was so full at the end that I couldn't think of food anymore. read more

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This place was super crowded when I came...and it smelled amazing! I wanted to try everything, but picked a few items that were recommended by the bartender. I sat at the bar, being a party of ONE, it was easier and I got hear some good conversation from the bartender and watch some sports on TV. The Clam Chowder was excellent and the best tasting thing I had actually. I enjoyed a few drinks at the bar, they were all right, maybe I didn't choose the best options, but the bartender made up for it. The combo platter was just okay. I knew it was all going to be fried, but I think the taste was lost as everything was pretty much dry. The tartar sauce was sweet, which I liked, but I couldn't finish it all. This was a lively place, not too loud where you couldn't have a conversation. It's larger inside than it looks from outside. Parking was tight, but I found a spot in the back. read more

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Marcella and I just ate here for lunch. Had the best beer battered Rockfish and Rockfish tacos. The chowder is thick and full of clams. Impeccable service from Tanner who really made our lunch special. Make sure you ask for Tanner! read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - India Pale Ale - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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I had lunch today with my Mom at Wally's. The food was great and the genuine and pleasant interactions with our server Vanessa made the experience even better. As far as servers go, Vanessa is one of the best! Her kind and patient demeanor was so refreshing. She knew when to show up at exactly the right moments, and always offered information and assistance without even needing to be asked. Thanks again for your kindness and service Vanessa! read more

I am leaving this comment for my future reference and as a reminder to come back. But if it helps you, you can read it. All allow it. I got the halibut with chips. Great And slaw. Also great. And a cup of chowder to go. And damned if it wasn't great too. You can stop reading..... now. read more

Before too much time has transpired, I wanted to give my impressions of Wally's Chowder House. I was here shortly after they opened on a weekday, so there wasn't much customer traffic. I opted for the Daily Special, a Winter Combo of 3 Breaded Cod Medallions, 4 Prawns, 4oz of Clam strips, and fries. The seafood was fried and showed just a slight level of oil on the surface. The Malt Vinegar cut through that perfectly. A very pleasant lunch entree. However, two other items made my visit here memorable. First was the Clam Chowder, which isn't much of a surprise, as their name is Wally's Chowder House. I ordered a cup of New England Clam Chowder, which was a mistake. Why? I loved this so much, I regretted not ordering a larger size. I had ordered other items from the menu, which was the only reason I didn't order more chowder. They offer the Clam Chowder in cup, bowl, and quart sizes, and the next time I'm here, I'm going for the quart size! The other item I was impressed by was one that most people don't think twice about: the Cocktail Sauce. Cocktail Sauce is simple to make: usually ketchup with some horseradish, and perhaps other stuff for flavor, like lemons, Worcestershire sauce, and something spicy. Whatever they put in the cocktail sauce works. In fact, I can easily say that it was the best cocktail sauce I've ever had, and believe me, I've tried lots of cocktail sauces in my seven decades of existence. read more

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Well, we did it again. Both of us ordered the combo platter and each one was enough for 2. We took home 2 boxes and there was more than enough for lunch. Our server gave us extra tartar sauce and red sauce to go with it. Each time we go there, we say we are going to split this huge dish but somehow we don't and pig out. We thought the shrimp were exceptionally large tonight. The prices have gone up and this dinner is now $36.99 so with 2 beers, the total was $92.98 plus tax and tip. Will we never learn, split the combo! read more

Best meal I've had in soo long! We went here years ago and have been dreaming about coming back ever since! We drove from the Seattle area and will be doing that once a month from now on. The prawns were huge and meaty and absolutely loved the fries! The tartar sauce was delicious too, so we ended up purchasing a pint before we left. The Dungeness crab salad was delicious! I wish there was more salad itself as the portion was a bit small but the quantity and quality of actual crab leg meat more than made up for it! Loved their blue cheese dressing too. I ended up ordering a Diet Coke as their water tasted funny but that was the only downside. Great service and fun/local atmosphere. Reminded me of being on vacation somewhere. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we will be coming back monthly! Worth the money and the drive. read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - 8 piece Prawn Platter. And added a green salad on the side. - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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Service is still great! My friend was shocked by the price of the soda (basically now $5). Great blackberry pie- worth the price!!!! read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Chowder Clam Chowder - Bowl ($12.99) & Clam Chowder - Cup ($7.99) - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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A lively spot frequented by locals. You should come here instead of Anthony's. (I haven't really lived in Puget Sound in a while now, so I don't really consider myself a local anymore) Anywaayyys, service is super friendly, almost too friendly for my introverted taste lolll. But even if it were, the servers seem quite genuine and Jammie is a bad*** that memorizes almost all her orders. The vibes at the bar are immaculate. I don't usually just hang out at a bar, but if I did have to choose a bar, I'd easily pick this over any of the sports bars or others down the street. Got a pineapple hurricane. I could feel a bit of a buzz going into the bottom half, so I'm happy with it. Clam chowder bread bowl was pretty good. Nice and firm bread. The flavor of the chowder was generically good. We had a special fish and chips that was 3 piece cod and 3 piece halibut. Now, they made it sound like this was an incredible deal. At 6 pieces of fish, this was a good deal. However, I did note that the fish were on the smaller end. So if it had been only 3, it would've been a rip-off rather than simply average in my opinion. The fish itself was good, but just good. I did like that there wasn't too much breading. However, I did find the texture to be slightly too hard in some spots. At least, it was not evenly the ideal texture. A fairly generous amount of tartar sauce. On the other hand, the fries were phenomenal, which is weird because I don't really consider myself a fries guy. For fish and chips, my most common complaint has been that I like the fish, but not the chips. This is the only place I can remember at the moment that I liked the fries more than the fish. The light crispiness is on point. There is also some light seasoning that I found suited my taste perfectly. I had a hard time deciding between four and five stars. Maybe I'm slightly less forgiving today, but I'd warrant this is probably still the best seafood spot along this local waterfront. read more

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Absolutely delicious! We had the seafood combo, a bowl of chowder and chicken Alfredo. I would return! read more

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First time trying out this place. Thrilled to try since the ratings were high. The place was very homey and has an outdorsy feel. The staff were friendly. Ordered a combo platter to go. Since we are in a search of a good fish in chips in the area. Unfortunately, the place is just like any other that we have tried. The combo was very dry even the fries. You could tell that the fries was not freshly made. The seafoods were all greasy and has a very thick batter that it's almost hard to bite. The only good one is the cod. The other seafood felt like they were old and frozen. Felt bad since they were on a great location near the water so you kinda expect it to be a great find. read more

I think I've found something better than the fish n chips... blackened halibut tacos... amazing! Always great service, fast and friendly! read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Blackened Halibut Fish Tacos - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

Don't even think twice go to this place if you've not been there before, I'm in town working near the airport honestly this is my third time but my second and third time were last night and tonight. Cutest little place very cozy inside it's decorated beautifully with Christmas lights I have a feeling they do that year-round least with some of the lights. But it's all about the food yes get the clam chowder it is amazing outstanding I've always gotten the white I noticed when I ate in last night lots of folks around me ordered the red but the white clam chowder is hands down some of the best I've ever had last night I had the rockfish as it was on special they had it available three ways all you can eat, fish and chips or I got the tacos and it came either fried grilled or blackened my great waitress recommended the blackened and it was very flavorful and a perfect amount of spice in the blackened format. Wait stuff fantastic as well as the front counter folks for to go pick ups can't wait to be back in town again to have another meal here read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Quick shot of the cozy restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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If there's one place you can visit during a long layover at SeaTac and can't get to downtown Seattle, I would choose Wally's Chowder House every time. I was told the famous clam chowder is legendary, I now know why. It really is along with the fish and chips. You cannot go wrong with either one--I had both. The decor will keep the conversation going and your eyes wandering with every bite. read more

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I was going to give this recommended place four stars because both the NY steak and the Maine lobster tail were a bit on the tough side. Steak was cooked medium to medium rare. But the service and home made blackberry pie made up for main entrees. Plus, the martini was a generous pour and coffee was especially good, served with a small pitcher of cream. Simone was very attentive, offering refills, checking on my enjoyment and needs regularly. The ambiance was lively as the Mariners sailed past Toronto. Fun coastal decor. read more

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I didn't expect this stunning crab leg salad... amazing! So much gorgeous, fresh crab leg meat. My friend had rock fish and chips. Very fresh ingredients here. We shared a decadent warm chocolate brownie topped with whipped cream, ice cream and warm fudge sauce. My only complaint? The fudge sauce was in one spot, which we figured at toward the end of eating it. Would have been better spread or drizzled about. The servers were great! Very efficient and pleasant. read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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My girlfriend was vegetarian for 10 years, and didn't eat fish for 11 years. For her first time trying fish in that long we went to Wally's as it is a longtime favorite of mine. Not only did they have great drinks, and she loved her salmon and chips (first time trying ever!), but our waiter, Sean, blew us away with his great service. When he found out she had never been to Wally's or tried clam chowder, he brought out a complimentary sample bowl for her! And when we checked out, he also gave us a free slice of coconut cream pie! (First time both of us tried that, too!). Overall it was an amazing experience and I'm so glad my gf could have a great re-introduction to seafood. Shoutout the GOAT Sean! read more

Wally's has been a beloved seafood establishment in the Southend for many years. It's a neighborhood gem for fantastic seafood, from the best fish and chips in Seattle, IMHO, to delicious seafood pasta, and their award-winning clam chowder! The portions are ginormous with consistently fresh quality. The bar area is perfect to meet up with friends and catch up or watch a game and on nice days, the charming little outdoor patio area is an ideal place to relax and dine. Highly recommend!! read more

The food was hot, fresh and delicious and our server was very friendly. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because they messed up on our order twice. Our dine in order was remedied right away but our to go order ( to take to a family member that could not come) was missing the prawns from the steak and prawns ,this was not noticed until after returning home. The only thing offered was a free dessert when what we wanted was the missing prawns . read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Halibut and Cod - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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Service was friendly and fast. Restaurant had a fish fry family type atmosphere. We tried the local Cod and rockfish. Both were good, but the star of the show was the clam chowder. I think it's the best I've had, I'd go back just for the chowder! read more

This place has a great atmosphere, good location just a couple blocks near the water and really good service. Unfortunately the food was just okay. I ordered the blackened prawn tacos. The seasoning was good, portions generous but shrimp were overcooked. My husband ordered the broiled halibut and it was just okay. read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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I like Wally's Chowder House and Broiler. It has a compact and local feel to it. I came for the chowder and a beer. I sat at the bar which is great for solo dining and looking at my watch, I wish I'd been here 15 minutes later for their happy hour that begins at 3PM even on Saturdays and all day Sundays! Wow, I'll plan my next visit to coincide with those times. Anyway, I am happy to have finally tried this place I keep reading about. I had a bowl of white chowder and a pint of Old Des Moines Lager. The chowder is pretty darned good and it passed my spoon test (resting my spoon on top of the chowder and see if it sinks)! Nice and thick, just how chowder should be. Very creamy and not overwhelmed with potatoes like a lot of white chowders are. My favorite is still homemade chowder from a recipe from Charlestown St Cafe (was in West Seattle, now sadly closed). But as far as restaurant chowder, this one is right up there with the best. Good friendly service at the bar, a good amount of seating available and several TV's with sports on it. There is also an outdoor covered deck which must be very nice in warmer weather. Now I need to try the Wally's Drive In location in Yelm for the burgers! Great job Wally! read more

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You're not going to find better house clam chowder- wait staff is pleasantly quick for a small crowded establishment. Food is always good, seafood, everything fried is amazing, grilled options are equally amazing. Mondays specials are worth the trip. My go to is calamari appetizer, chowder, fish and chips with a side of slaw. Clam strip basket has pinky sized clams that are not just breading... open bar with cocktails and draft beer, seasonal desserts. Family friendly. You'll enjoy their seafood better than Saltys or Anthony's - my go to for out of town company that want PNW seafood experience with out the high price and snobbery. read more

One of da BESTEST New England clam chowder I've ever eaten! So my friend wanted to take me to Wally's Chowder House & Broiler for a seafood dinner after attending the Seahawks game. A small locally owned restaurant, Wally's Chowder House & Broiler features seafood items, but if you're not into seafood, they do serve steaks & chicken items at this restaurant. On the evening I came here, of course I had to try their New England Clam Chowder, and for my entrée meal, I ended up getting a (3) piece Halibut & chips. What can I say about the grub??? The New England Clam Chowder was the STAR OF THE SHOW! Ummmmmmmmmm, da buggah was ONO!!! As for the fish (Halibut) & chips, it was good, but I guess for what they charged, and the serving of food that I got, I felt it wasn't of good value as the food portions were pretty small. I guess with inflation, it's tough to keep the prices in check, especially when business have to deal with rising wages, and supply chain issues. Service here was prompt, and the food came out pretty quick once we placed our food order. As for the restaurant itself, I felt like I was in someone's house having dinner, as it had a nice homely feel to it. Kinda reminds me of some restaurants I went to when I worked in Watertown, Wisconsin. If you're curious about the menu, here's the link for Wally's Chowder House & Broiler with the current prices for their food. https://wallyschowderhouse.com/wallys-chowder-house-menu/ I guess the best time to come to Wally's Chowder House & Broiler is on a Monday night, as they have some kinda DEALAGES for "all you can eat" - Chowder and Fish and Chips. Darn! Should have come here on a Monday night! Lol! read more

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This is the kind of fish batter that I really love, I get super mad at the places that put that cakey giant batter that adds 2 in around the fish it's disgusting. This batter here is light and perfect. Cost is average for a fish and chips place however the all you can eat deal on Monday is absolute steal. Really like their New England clam chowder, the Manhattan chatter was okay but not the greatest. The best part about it was the homemade desserts, seconded only by the amazing customer service from the older lady who helped us as we sat outside. read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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Only 4 stars because the crab leg cocktail (which was $33) did not taste like crab and shrimp would have tasted the exact same. That being said, the clam clowder was delicious, as well as the salad, sourdough bread bowl and cocktail sauce! The service was fast and friendly. The restaurant itself is very cute and we loved the theming. read more

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We had a great lunch today. We all did the special one piece of cod, chips and a bowl of chowder... That's some of the best fish and chips. I've had definitely would come here again. Service was great. Our waitress was wonderful. read more

Best clam chowder and fish and chips I've had!!! Servers were so kind and attentive! Gave me some great recommendations. The place gives you a diner vibe. This place obviously has regulars and some loyal staff. The clam chowder was divine!!! Flavored to the gods of chowder! I still think about this chowder and compare every chowder to this one. The fish and chips were perfection. Seasoning was there, the breading was perfectly crisp and not at all oily. I will be back!!! read more

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We orders and got our food in 5 minutes! And oh my goodness it was delicious! The clam chowder had great flavor and a ton of clams. The bread bowl was the yummiest sourdough and the garden salad had a great blue cheese dressing!! My husband had the halibut fish and chips and it was perfectly fried and salted! The fry's were double fried with great seasoning! The three piece order was generous. Neither of us finished our orders due to their size. Our waitress was super friendly and gave us directions back to the airport to save time! Delicious super quick to the table food! read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Clam chowder in a bread bowl with a salad - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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The location is right in the main downtown area of Des Moines. I'm thankful that they have plenty of parking in their lot as well as street parking. Walking in and we were greeted right away in a friendly manner and promptly seated. The inside had a ton of seating and even had seating in a bar section. During the summer time, it appears they even have some patio seating. We tried each of the Clam Chowders and they didn't not disappoint. The Manhattan felt like a good fusion of beef stew but clam chowder form. Their New England was absolutely delicious. In my option, best clam chowder around. I even brought some home for my dad to try and he said the same thing. They were super generous with the clams and it wasn't all just soup. Then Calamari Fried had a great texture and was battered and fried nicely. The Ginger Aoli was delicious and something I would honestly order a bottle of. The main attraction was the 2 Pieces of Cod Filet with Fries and maaaaan. They were not joking about it actually serving two people. The fish was fried nicely while still being very moist on the inside. The fries were also cut nicely and seasoned well and tasted almost like jojos. Overall a really great experience and will be back for sure! They have some AYCE Fish and Chips deals during specific days and times and I will be back for that too. read more

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A friend of a friend suggested this place as the place for sea food. I went with the fish and chips based on other yelp reviews. It really was a large fillet. It just didn't enjoy the blandness of it paired with French fries. I'm not a usual fish and chips person so I don't know what else to compare it to but it just didn't excite me, especially based on the reviews which seemed so positive for this dish. I appreciated the entire outside was decorated with a ton of Xmas lights. It was homey inside and relaxed. Service was great! read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Fish and chips single filet - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

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The food was great, I am from Salt Lake City so the prices are gonna take some getting used too about $76 with tip but it was well worth it, burger was awesome and my wife had the chowder, the waitresses and every employee was so attentive and very kind and the fries were bottomless which was awesome. I'll definitely come here often now that I'm moved here. Thank you! read more

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Wally's is a charming chowder house near Puget Sound. They have been around for a long time and locally owned. I was looking for chowder outside of Seattle and found this place. They offer two type of clam chowders, New England ( white) and Manhattan ( red). Both were really good, but I prefer the New England. The clams are a combo of pacific razor and Manila clams. Service was fantastic. I'll be back again for chowder when around the area. read more

Wally's Chowder House & Broiler - Bowl of New England clam chowder. - Seafood Near Me - Des Moines, Washington

It ain't fancy, but it's good! If you're hanging with friends and co-workers and your want a nice beer and some decent seafood, then this is a nice place to come. They have a fantastic selection of beers to go with a rather large menu of good seafood dishes. I went here only because I in was in town from SF for work and it was close to the hotel where we were staying. However, I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town. read more