Ivar’s Seafood Bar

I love coming in the staff is wonderful they’re smart they’re fast personable they go out of their way to make sure you enjoy your meal and they’re friendly and no attitude I’ve never had a messed up order I will continue to go there I love it they are the best

Outside walk-​up order was amazing, my son ate every single solitary piece of the 5-​piece fish and chips, I could see him contemplate licking up the crumbs. Because we loved it so much we went to the inside restaurant, double the price for the same dish and he didn’t like it as much which is why we gave it only four stars. But you’ve got to try the walk-​up if you’re in the area.

We had oyster and chips, res&white clam chowder and soft serve. Hubby loved oyster and fries so much. The fires wee very fresh crispy outside and chewy inside.
The swirl soft serve in waffle cone was very nice. The cone was fresh. The soft serve was very creamy.
While clam chowder was good but I have had better. The red clam chowder was ok. The clam was fresh and no fishy smell.

It’s a typical Ivar’s but a fun thing to do when you’re stuck waiting for the ferry. On a hot day the rootbeer float hit the spot! It’s chaotic, especially during the rush, but they moved quickly & had food come out hot.
Be careful & make sure you catch your ferry instead of being stuck in line! Staff will send you to the back of the car line as we witnessed!

Food is not bad at all but the service is not too friendly. I guess you can’t expected too much on a fast food restaurant.

I’ve just moved back up here and had to try it again. I remember it being so much better when I was a kid. The fish and chips are still pretty good. I guess I can’t complain too much, it is fast food. They were really quick, which they have to be since most of their business is from people in a hurry to not miss the next ferry. I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here, but since I pass it often, I’ll keep eating their fish and chips and chowder. Maybe one of these days I’ll try the restaurant, it probably has better quality food.

We are big fans of Ivar’s. I began going to the «big» restaurant on the Sound in Seattle in the 60’s. When the Seafood Bars opened we enjoyed them often. Mind you, we are from San Diego, good seafood there but not Ivar’s.
After arriving at Sea-​Tac we drove to Tacoma for lunch at Ivar’s on the way to Port Townsend. The meal was perfect — great chowder, fish and chips.
Today we visited Ivar’s for the second time this week. We met our kids and grandkids at the Mukilteo Landing Seafood Bar for lunch to carry over to the beach park.
We were very disappointed.
Our five-​piece fish and chips were greasy, drenched in oil, the batter fell off the fish, the chips were soggy and the fish had broken into many small pieces.
It was clear the oil in which the fish and chips were fired was not hot enough. The oil should be at least 310 degrees F.
I hope the manager there reads this critique and takes steps to ensure their fish and chips return to greatness. Here’s hoping.

I LOVE Ivar’s! This pregnant woman has been craving clam chowder like crazy, and their chowder is seriously the best. I like that it’s outside and you can find a place to sit down by the water.
We did go inside our first time here. It was nice, but it was hot in there and also they charge a lot more inside than they do outside. You’re paying for dinner rolls, water, and a server. If that’s something you want, go for it! But if you’re just there for fish & chips and chowder, stick to the bar outside. Even when there’s a line, it moves quickly!

I can’t even.
I cannot stop by Mukilteo without getting Ivar’s. Their fish n’ chips are by far the BEST, FRESHEST I’ve ever had. I have given up fish n’ chips at every other place because it’ll just disappoint and taste frozen and tasteless. This fish is deep fried, not greasy, crispy outside, super hot, melts in your mouth, unbelievable flavor.
My mother came to visit last month and we threw down $ 45 for three people because we wanted to try a lot of food, and the quality is worth it. We got fish n’ chips (cod fish), fish n’ chips (halibut), fried oysters, cajun mini shrimp, and some drinks.
We went nuts over the oysters, and even though the cod is my favorite, the halibut was stunning!
There is always a line but it moves quickly, the service girls are always super friendly and quick, and I see a lot of people come here for big ice cream soft serves. I’ll try those when it warms up!
For two people, the 5 piece fish n’ chips is more than enough. I think it is $ 10. This is one of those places where you don’t want to be cheap and cheat yourself out of an amazing experience. The views of the park are also beautiful.

i love THIS ivars bar in particular because of it’s proximity to water, and the way they do their business. it’s very nostalgic to how things *should* be done, i think for a seafood bar. they yell for your order while you’re waiting in line, then you pay, grab, and go. it’s very quick service, friendly staff, and the location absolutely cannot be beat. perfect snack if you’re fishing, crab fishing, taking the ferry, strolling the lighthouse park, sitting at the beach, or playing in the kids area in lighthouse park. it’s great.

Randomly chose this place for lunch while checking out where the Mulkiteo ferry was heading torwards Clinton. I’m sure everyone in the PNW have heard of Ivar’s. Nevertheless i’m not sure if anyone had known about the smaller appetizers. I am crazy about brussel sprouts and so should everyone else but i’m selfish so don’t be and i can have it all to myself. It’s not the best tasting Sprouts I’ve had but it tops the charts in Washington. Full flavored, fresh and just the right portion. i didn’t have anything else but the next time you’re in the area, try the brussel sprouts.

Three of us stopped in for lunch before catching the ferry at the recommendation of a friend. Calamari appetizer was delicious– some of the best we’ve had. Fish and chips were good– above average, but not by a ton. Same with the chowder– good. Crab and shrimp melt was very good. Downhill from there. I had the blue cheese salad and it was SO bland and nothing more than 5 romaine hearts and 5 slices of apple. $ 5 extra for chicken. So for a $ 14+ salad, it was WAY disappointing. Would never order again. Overall, seafood dishes were good, but nothing to write home about and definitely overpriced for the quality and portions. Waitress was friendly, though a bit inattentive. Fine for a meal if you really need one, but we will likely look elsewhere.

If you think you’ll save money by ordering from the Seafood «Bar» outside, forget it; just go inside!
I ordered 2 of the 5-​piece Fish ‘n’ Chips + 1 soda. It came to $ 26+.
There’s a little seating area off the sidewalk, but it’s swarming with flies.
For the same price, maybe a few bucks more — just go inside the main restaurant and enjoy a fly-​free beautiful view with air-​conditioning and full service.
It never pays to be cheap.
PS: No access to restrooms from the Seafood Bar.

Fried Seafood…
The fish and chips were great! I wanted to eat here a 2^nd time but we ended up going to the restaurant next door instead. I must say being from Hawaii we don’t usually do fish and chips-​this was the best I’ve had.
The fried clams were pretty good too although the chowder had a slight smoky taste that I didn’t care for. Other than that everything we had was pretty good.

Fish and chips! Malted vinegar! The Union Jack and God Save the Queen!
Well OK not that last part. But the rest of it fits! The chowder is good too.
Only cons are that the standing room only line can get quite crowded and they don’t have any modern way of tracking orders. I’ve seen more than a few customers get passed over or forgotten. Also, make sure that if you order something for the ferry, CALL AHEAD or arrive well before your departure time (as in, more than 20 min before). Otherwise, you might just get caught!

For those of you wanting a casual spot or a quick bite to go, Ivar’s gives you the taste of best-​in-​class Puget Sound fish at a handy walk-​up location next to their flagship waterfront Restaurant in Mukilteo.
We’ve been hearing our newfound friends rave about this place. Having relocated from the land of Long John Silvers and greasy, muddy Gulf Coast seafood, we had no idea what to expect from the Sound’s 75 year old gold standard of fish. By the way, we moved here only 3 months ago. And we waited 3 months too long to try this place!
Ivar’s trademark fish and chips are… WOW! Flaky fresh fillets lightly battered let the tender meat speak for itself. Add a couple shakes of malt vinegar for a zesty flavor. Chips (fries) are homemade delish! And then there are the salmon fillets. My daughter had those, and I have truly never tasted anything like it! The smaller 3 piece order is a hearty enough meal, especially for a lunch.
Then there is the clam chowder. This is food for the gods! This is chowder perfection. And yes, i’ve had Skipper’s chowder before to compare. Albeit better than what I had to choose from in Texas, but a sad, distant 2^nd place to Ivar’s chowder. Let me spell it out for you: THIS SH1T IS FREAKING AWESOME!
In our previoius lives, our fish choices were limited to Long John Silvers, Captain D’s, and various dine-​in seafood chains that ship their frozen fish in to the masses (hello, Joe’s Crab Shack!). Ivar’s isn’t about variety. It is about fish… AND chowder… perfection!
Again, let me remind you that I’m not reviewing the upscale dine-​in Ivar’s at Mukilteo Landing, which is next door. This is a review of the Ivar’s Seafood Bar, the walk-​up location at the corner. The perfect stop for a to-​go order or a casual dine-​in thanks to their small self-​serve dining room.
Kinda makes me want to go throw mud at a LJS sign. haha

For a seafood bar at the ferry, Ivar’s is fair: the food and selection as expected (okay) – but I only reserve ordering here for periods of grave hunger and desperation. Service is friendly (enough), but a tad inefficient, leading to lines during peak ferry times. Call in to expedite your order (see my tip for the tele. #) – you can always call on your way to the ferry (hands-​free of course!). I’ve seen a few people caught in line during ferry loading – don’t let this happen to you!

The best fish
So great
Good value
Nice atmosphere
Will be back
Can’t wait for spring sunsets are amazing at the restaurant

Their Clam Chowder has bacon in it, so I opted for the Salmon Chowder.
My friend who is a local wasn’t really pumped on eating here, but I thought the Salmon Chowder was really good and so did my boyfriend.
The service was great as well.
It was overcast and a bit chilly, so it really hit the spot.

LOVELOVELOVE Ivar’s! We stopped by this location after going to the Boeing Tour.
There’s minimal sit down space so everything is take out here (read: no trays!)
Service is quick and food comes out fast and fresh! Highly recommend their fish and chips along with a side of the white chowder. Avoid the long ferry lines when you’re driving down Mulkiteo speedway and make a left turn and find parking along that side of the road. Ivar’s also has their own parking lot if you make a right turn but you will get stuck behind the gazillion cars trying to get on and off the ferry!