Ivar’s Seafood Bar

The cod tastes okay, but the clams and shrimps taste not fresh at all. The shrimps only taste salty, and clams so dry…
They really should increase their food quality, coz no matter how much people love the seafood, we still only choose the good taste ones…
Hope they can change in the future, don’t waste the good location and people’s expectations.

This is the DIRTIEST establishment I’ve ever ate at. Just filthy. Fries squished onto the floor, each table top had food scraps and sticky spots on it. The girl behind the counter clearly hated her job. What a sore look she had the whole time while taking our and other customers orders. The cashier gave my husband change for a $ 50 rather than the $ 100 he paid w. The clams and chips are my favorite thing to get anywhere but here it was plain nasty. I’ve never ate at an Ivars and I never ever will again. It was worse than burger king. Wtf is their cocktail sauce? I regret spending that money. This place is filthy, rude, gross, and those teenagers who served us can’t give correct change. Fuck this place.

I’ve been coming to this Fish and chips establishment for nearly 20 years. The fish and chowder have always been stellar…:) This evening I ordered a #1 which is 2 pieces of fish fries and chowder for a poultry 10 $, to my surprise the fish is totally different, it’s definitely not what I’m used to which was flakey cod or halibut, this was something all together different and let’s face it cheap…:(I don’t come to Ivars for cheap product, I come to Ivar’s for nearly the top fish and chips in the Seattle area, that goes to Spud’s in Alki that Ironically is owned by Ivars and why is Spuds the best, because they keep it simple, high quality equals high satisfaction!!! Honestly I could give a $??t about the cost, I care more about how it tastes… So please Ivars keep it simple…

The best place un Seattle for fish and chips, the best part of this place is the view, Lake Washington is break taking, the Salmon Chowder is a most try here.

Fast fried fish n fries food flavored fantastically. Well, maybe not so fantastically, but cod and salmon taste alright. The clam chowder is always tasty. Sometimes the fish pieces are small, like ordering a 5 piece meal and getting 5 small strips atop a bed of fries. Don’t expect too much… Sometimes the line can get long in the summer.
Nice location on Lake Washington amidst Gene Coulon park. Seating outside to see the lake, boats, and the Boeing factory. Geese are desperate for food, often waddling around your feet for scraps. One even begged by pecking its beak in side of my thigh, something my dog would do with her snout or paws.

The restaurant was situated by Lake Washington. It has a beautiful view! When my friend and i went around 4pm, it wasn’t very busy. The service was good, the cashier was very nice. There’s plenty of seating. Parking may be tough because there are so many people visiting Lake Washington. We walked there, so we didn’t have to deal with parking but we noticed the frustration from other people.
The quality of the food was good and the price was fair. It wasn’t the best I’ve ever had. I ordered clam chowder and fish & chips combo. I think the clam chowder at fisherman’s wharf in San Francisco is better. I would return again when I visit Seattle again

Wow. What a disappointment. We came because it’s world famous so we thought, this has to be off the chain.
The only good thing about our fries, chicken strips, halibut, prawns and shrimp cocktails was the view and the prawns. I will never come back here. The fries were flavorless, fish was dry and TINY and the chicken, meh. I don’t understand the hype.

Great fast food to be enjoyed near the lake! Sit inside or grab it to go and find a bench, table or patch of grass and enjoy fish n chips watching the birds, planes or people. Lines can be long but they have someone taking your order before you get to the counter.

The food: ok.
The service Terrible! I don’t know why that people still working there !! The girls is so rude!

Ivars is a classic in Washington. Everyone goes here at least once as a tourist or a native. This location is especially nice because it’s away from the city yet right on lake washington. Of course their clam chowder bread bowl is always the best but then I like their sea food combo plate which is great to split with one other person while sitting on the dock with feet in the water watching sunset :)
I say have it at least once mate!

Went here after reading the reviews. Being from the UK we are keen on fish and chips and had to try this, had the cod and chips and have to say it was very nice, not greasy just nice. Travis was very welcoming and the young girl (didn’t get name) was pleasant too, we were asked if it was our first visit (which it was) and Travis let us try the Chowder which again was very good, we sat outside, a little cold but being Brits we’re used to it.
We will be back

Decided to try Ivars for the first time since moving to Seattle, I also wanted to check out Gene Coulon park too. We weren’t disappointed, the staff were very nice, the wait was short and the food was good. We’ll definitely be back in the future!

Disregard the negative reviews. Those that post a negative review are either not from here or have a total lack of understanding as how a fish bar works.
You walk up, you shout out your order, you pay, and eventually food is given to you.
It’s that simple.
The fish is great. The chowder is great. I can only imagine the people giving this place bad reviews are from San Francisco. And with a mediocre football team and a known history of whining, it’s understandable. ;)
So if you want great cheap (ish) fish and chips, and you’re not from SF, come to Ivar’s. If you are from SF or any other part of the US and you are whining about this place, go back to your terrible part of the country because no one here wants you here anyway!

So this location is at a park. You park and walk down a path to get to it. You pass a burger place and the restrooms down to the dock/​walkpath on the water. The people working here didn’t seem happy to be working here. It was a typical winter rainy day. They had business. But happy wasn’t on their faces.
It was mid afternoon but it was cold and we wanted some chowder!
We enjoy Ivar’s, but the fish/​chips here were so small we joked they had broken the piece into 3 due to being out. The fish pieces were tiny compared to any other location in the area. It was disappointing and not worth the money.
The fried scallops were good according to my kid.
The jumbo prawns were awesome. Fried perfectly, but they had good taste and were not overcooked. Highly impressed.
We will return simply b/​c of the location on the water/​beach. However, if the fish serving is that small again we will complain. Going to chalk it up to an off day.

The fish & chips were good for fast food. Pretty much what you’d expect. Not as good as Duke’s, but not crappy. It was crispy. Fries were okay.
I gave three stars because of how inexperienced the service seemed. First off it had to be everyone working there’s first job ever. The counter girl was so flustered she knocked over the stack of cups on the wet dirty doormat and then SERVED OUR DRINKS IN THEM anyways! Amateur hour. NEVER should happen. She also LAUGHED about it like it was funny while she was doing this. I want to blame her, but i think she was just young and stupid and this is management fault for improper training or hiring SO young so they can pay nothing.
Everyone behind the counter seemed to be freaking out because their was a line of ten people (which was 2 deep when we walked in, but they were so slow) and the bottom line is, every person in line is ordering the same thing: fish & chips. It should be the easiest job in the world. Seriously.
Anyways, I suggest this as a kids/​family place as the atmosphere along the dock (especially during the Clam Lights) is fun!

I go to this Ivar’s because of the location, right on Lake Washington, in Gene Coulon Park, one of my favorite parks in all of the Seattle area. The seafood is ok. Not great, not bad, but ok. I usually get the fried clam strips and clam chowder. The food is average to slightly above average, but when you consider the location, it’s probably one of the best-​value waterfront restaurants around!
For a Seattle-​insider experience, I like to take out-​of-​town guests here for lunch, then walk around the pier and the park to work off some of the calories and enjoy the glorious scenery. The trail is just the right length… not too long for those that aren’t particularly athletic, but long enough to get the experience of a Seattle hike. It’s a must-​do!

This Ivar’s location sits on Lake Washington inside Coulon Park near Kidd Valley. Now, this location runs on a razor’s edge. The kids behind the counter are often just that, kids. It seems like a great first job while on a summer break during high school. Often when I have gone there an older gentleman prowls the perimeter overseeing the young employees, making sure everything is clean, and managing the lines. He never seems to stay and talk, always intent on keeping the business going. That said, when he is not there I have seen the operation not go as smoothly.
The location is ideal looking out onto the lake. There is a lot of parking, but as anyone can attest parking in the summer can be a challenge. Coulon Park is the place to be in the summer. There is plenty of indoor seating, but also quite a few outdoor booths. The side of the restaurant opens so that on hot days, a cool breeze can mitigate the heat.
I rarely had to wait for my food longer than the typical Ivar’s five to ten minutes depending on what I ordered. Their food has always been very good, and this location is no different.

I am a HUGE fan of Ivar’s and am familiar with this location. I am so sad to that my 9÷13÷14 visit was so disappointing. The customer service was so bad that I was left not excited to eat. Shouting at customers with blank looks is a passive approach to showing us how unhappy you are with what you do. I apologize that you chose to work there. I only hope life brings you something new for the sake of other happy people that want to enjoy Ivar’s Seafood.
I will go there again because the staffs facial expressions and terrible attitudes don’t affect the taste of the food.

I went to this place as a kid every time I visited Seattle, and came back recently to find that nothing had changed :)
AMBIANCE: At it’s heart, it’s a fast food restaurant. You order at the counter, take your number and find a seat. However, stretched alongside Lake Washington, the restaurant’s value is in the setting. Whether you are sitting on the outdoor patio seating on a sunny day, or cooped up inside looking out over the water on a rainy one, you’ve got some classic Seattle views right in front of you as you chow down.
FOOD: Delicious, flaky fish and chips with clam chowder– that’s all I got to say. It may end up being a fast food meal costing double digits, but its so worth it.
SERVICE: Like I said, it’s a counter order place. There’s not much to screw up and I’ve never seen them do it.

This location is so picturesque! It sits on the dock of a southern part of Lake Washington. It is a great area to come wonder in the park and enjoy a tasty meal before or after. It was not very crowded today but i hear it can get crazy on the weekends & on holiday’s. It’s the type of establishment you grab your food and find a spot to eat either in their dining area, sit on the dock or grab a seat on the grass. (Very informal dining experience.)
The food…
I had the #3 Alaskan Halibut with chips (fries). The halibut is lightly battered and fried, very savory version of fish ‘n chips. I tasted the chowder and it was awesome too! The halibut is the most spendy of the items on the menu, I have had just the regular fish ‘n chips (original recipe) and they are equally as delicious. Their food is well priced for the quality, service and location.
I will definitely be back to enjoy more of their menu items.