Ivar’s Seafood Bar

A family favorite for many years. The staff and food are both superb! You could be gone for 10 years, walk in and feel more welcomed than by family. They will remember your personal details and your favorite dish, which by the way might be a challenge to choose, from the scrumptious and inexpensive ever changing list of «poppers» to fresh grilled salmon or oh-​so juicy halibut or unique and chunky chowders, all VERY quickly made to order. Even long, long lines can’t slow them down nor lessen food quality. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Easy location, too.

I ordered Togo, already I smelled a stitch… Like old oil… Tried my food, cod was way to salty, and my frys are chewy… Like the texture taste like gummy bears… So weird… The food wasn’t like this a couple months ago…

This place is kind of nostalgic for me because when I was a kid, everytime I got sick my dad would bring me chowder and fish and chips from here. Now that I’m finally older, it’s nice to go here and actually dine in the restaurant.
I will always be a fan of Ivar’s clam chowder. Maybe I’m biased but I would say the northwest clam chowder is the best kind. My friends always tease me that I like going here because they never thought to go here and when I take them, majority of the customers are senior citizens! Haha, I don’t know why! It’s delicious to me. The food never disappoints.
I usually get a bowl of their classic clam chowder, shrimp ceasar salad, and then either fish and chips or clam strips. Sometimes I’ll splurge and get the shrimp cocktail. I love their tarter sauce I swear I eat the fish and chips and fries just to eat the tarter sauce lol. But no, in all seriousness, love their fish and chips, their batter is always on point and I just am a very happy person after a meal here. It’s like comfort food to me.

Delicious fish and chips. Better than what is served at saltys or Anthony’s for a lot les $. I have never had a bad meal always consistently great!

Great service we were waiting for friends to show and staff after a while came an offered drinks while we wait! Fish Tacos were very good.

Best fish and chips! Lightly breaded and the garlic vinegar is out of this world! Staff was super friendly too. Great job guys!

Ivars!!! Yes!!! I just love to treat myself to Ivars ever so often. You have to be in the mood for some fish and chips. The clam strips are also so so good.
But!!! The clam chowder… Oh, the clam chowder! Creamy, chunky, and just wholesome. This chowder is like a drug, because I can’t stop when I start. When I polish off a bowl, the satisfaction and aftertaste are enough to make my tank feel full.
Ivars is a little heavy on the wallet when compared to big chain fish and chip joints. However, you will notice a huge difference in the product quality when compared to big chains.

I used to love eating at Ivar‘s. It felt like it was getting more and more expensive by month. This restaurant was very dirty and the food tasted below average. I have not been to any Ivar‘s recently so I am not sure if they have been improved.

I want to rate this a 2, but I just can’t for nostalgic reasons. Growing up in Seattle we would be treated to Ivar’s chowder. The favor was awesome. The real treat was finding the a clam chunk in the white chowder.
Fast forward 20 years and I returned to Ivar’s with my son, a chowder junkie if there ever was one. We ordered 3 piece cod fish n chips ($ 7.79) and a bowl of white chowder ($ 5.79). His statement that is was now the best chowder ever well summed up out dining experience. The fish was decent, the chips soft and cold. The chowder did not have any of the large chunks that I was searching for.
The service here was great and super friendly.
I will not be back, simply because it is not worth the money.
What did I learn today? I believe the guy working behind the counter was the ‘The Flounder’. Check out the picture on the wall and you be the judge.

Awesome food. Awesome service. Not what I was expecting for fast food fish. Pleasant surprise.

This is the best Ivar’s that I have been to. I didn’t think chain restaurants were different but this one shines. The staff is super friendly and fast! They bring your food to the table if you order in. I ordered the 3pc fish and chips and the calamari snaker. Everything was perfect. Nothing was overly greasy or overly breaded, which I have experienced at other locations. I will definitely be back for my fish ‘n chip craving when in the area.

Bought the fish and chips. The fish was way over cooked, super chewy. Smaller fish pieces then usual. Fries were over cooked as well, though they do give you a lot. Gnats were in the restaurant. Was hoping it was going to be a great Ivars based on other reviews. Bought clam chowder as well, needs to be served a lot hotter then they served it.

I like this Ivars location better than some others I’ve been to. It’s sort of hard to spot from Pac hwy because it’s tucked away behind Red Lobster but it’s pretty easy to get to once you see their signs. And they have really close parking which is nice, especially in the rain lol.
It can get packed here (line out the door) but I’ve also seen it dead so it depends on the time and day you go. It’s nice to have a good fish and chips place in FW, saves a trip from going to an expensive restaurant for decent fried fish and chowder.
This place is also pretty well kept and the workers are friendly and quick with service. Ivars has always been pricey side so expect to pay about the same as you would at a non-​fast food chain restaurant.
They have some new menu items that is a cool option to have and their menu changes quite often. It’s just hard for me to not get fish and chips here so I usually don’t try anything new.

I expected more from this area in the way of seafood. No better than a Long John Silvers. Chewy halibut, chlorine smelling shrimp, gritty clams. Only the «white chowder» was passable. Overpriced as well. A mcdonalds type setting.

Great food, very friendly service. Couldn’t ask for more but as you leave you can even grab some tomatoes from their garden.

I love going here. The staff is so attentive and friendly. It is clean and the food is well prepared.
I can’t make salmon at home for any less!
So glad Ivars is in Federal Way.

Happy Birthday, Ivar’s!
First time coming to this location and it was a packed house tonight because of the promo for Ivar’s Birthday! Buy one entrée get another for $ 1.09 from their «Birthday Menu!» Considering how packed they were tonight, the line moved fairly quickly! Since seating was really limited, I ended up taking the food to go! The wait for the food was decent, they had a nice assembly line going with expediting the food in a timely manner.
The food must be delicious when you see other people sitting in their cars eating what they just ordered as I noticed here tonight! I was not disappointed with the fish! The chips (fries) on the other hand was not salted so they were pretty bland and flavorless. We got their Ivar’s ketchup and tartar sauce and malt vinegar too. I would have to say, the ketchup was rather blah and the tartar sauce was just ok. If I’m ever hankering from some Fish & Chips again. I’ll gladly go to Ivar’s before Long John Silvers!

Such a great garden out front maintained by employees and available to any customers who want to snack on cherry tomatoes or beans while waiting for their dinner.
Service is above average food is
you’ve probably come to expect from Ivar’s. Make this your stop on the way to and from the airport!

My daughter and I stopped in here for lunch. This was our first time at Ivars. We loved the outdoor seating area surrounded by a bunch of potted plants and vegetables. Kind of a country feel in a city.
The food was very good. My daughter had clam chowder bowl and I had two piece panko crusted fish and chips. The food was very tasty. Service was fast.
Why did Ivars lose a star? I think the portions were too small for the price.

I’m always a huge fan of Ivars. Every time I come home to WA, I make sure to get me some of my old fix. The chowder is always great, the fried fish is fantastic and I also have a great crab cocktail! This is quintessential Northwest Seafood!