I spent several weeks in the San Juan Islands earlier this summer, and was really looking forward to finding amazing clam chowder while staying in the area. I sampled chowder at several other restaurants and was extremely disappointed by how watery and lackluster the flavor was. Then I found Bob's Chowder Bar! On our way home from the San Juan Islands, I spotted Bob's out of the corner of my eye. We were starving and had planned to visit a drive-thru for dinner, but after much protesting my husband agreed to pull over so we could check the place out. The restaurant was closing in 25 minutes, so I was a little hesitant to eat in, but the staff encouraged us to stay. It's a good thing we did, because to this day that bowl of chowder remains one of my favorite I've ever had. It was rich and creamy, and loaded with tender bits of clam. The potatoes weren't overcooked, and had a soft bite to them, and the soup wasn't overly salty. The restaurant has a fun, colorful vibe with lots of local flavor. There is interior seating, as well as extensive outdoor seating. Although the restaurant is on a busy street, through the usage of awnings oversized umbrellas, the seating area feels peaceful and inviting. The staff were incredibly gracious by encouraging us to stay! They stopped by to ask us questions about our visit to the islands, and wished us safe travels on our way home. We had a wonderful time visiting Bob's and would love to return when we find ourselves in this area once again. read more

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Last day in Washington and we decided to go up to Anacortes after hiking Deception Pass State Park- we had worked up an appetite! Quick google search, and a stop into another local eatery, we landed at Bob's! Specials are listed by the front door, seating outside and inside, we were sat immediately. John went with the special that was a 2 piece cod and chips and a beer (beer made locally), Eddie went with the shrimp scampi & I had their made in house clam chowder with a garlic biscuit. John's fish was perfect. Eddie loved his scampi (I tried a prawn- delicious). My chowder- I think the boys were grateful to try it and wished they had ordered it! The biscuit however- hard as a rock. It was a giant crouton. lol- but the drinks and food, otherwise, was wonderful. Service was friendly and fast. Great little spot to grab lunch with views of the harbor. read more

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This place is great!!! I'm not sure why the reviews are low. Maybe you just have to order the right thing. We ordered the wild salmon burger with a side of salad, the added a cup of chowder for ($6). It seems more reasonable that way because a chowder on its own is over $8 so you're saving $ if you order chowder as a side to your entree. The salmon comes with wildberry and tasted pretty good. I would've liked it a little undercooked to be more tender but it was still good. The salad tasted super fresh and they make their own croutons. I also liked the lemon love salads dressing which they also make. We also ordered the fried halibut. This was a little more disappointing because there wasn't a lot of meat. The breading wasn't thick which was great and tartar sauce was good because it's homemade. But the halibut wasn't a standout and I was longing for that juicy, thick and tender piece of white fish. It's not really what I expected. Clam chowder though was a for sure 5 star. Best clam chowder I've had. Bread was a little salty but the clam chowder surprisingly wasn't as salty so it matched well together. I'd definitely get another cup of chowder. Pro tip: skip the fries and red potato's and choose salad as your side to the entree!! So filling, healthy and delicious! Great portion too. read more

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A Must-Visit in Anacortes Bob's Chowder Bar is an absolute gem and a true staple when visiting our lovely town of Anacortes. The food is always fresh, flavorful, and consistently delicious -- I've rarely had a bad experience here. The menu offers many great choices, and while some popular items do sell out from time to time (a sign of how fresh and in-demand they are), whatever you order is sure to be satisfying. From the chowder to the seafood dishes, everything reflects care and quality. If you're passing through Anacortes or live nearby, Bob's is a must-stop spot. It perfectly captures the local charm and delivers a dining experience you'll want to come back to again. I only left four stars because they are often sold out of items. read more

I work in Anacortes and had not ate all day so I decided to have Bob's delivered. I ordered at 2:30pm 07/02/2024 a bowl of clam chowder and the Mini Bob which is a kid's fish and chips. the order arrived fast but the clam chowder was cold and looked like white oatmeal and I had to use a fork to scoop it. How can you have Chowder in your name and not focus on the most exquisite chowder ever. The Mini Bob was a real "treat." Instead of fish and chips I received breaded deep fried salmon bites. WTF gives a kid fried salmon for a fish and chips meal? Isn't it usually cod everywhere else on planet earth? I am not sure who's idea this was but thank you for making my lunch absolutely horrendous. read more

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I am surprised that I haven't written a review of this restaurant yet! Cause I tend to head over here fairly often. It's been one of my favorite places to get clam chowder and it hits you in the right spot. Every so often, I would drive an hour away just to satisfy my craving for Bob's clam chowder. It's the best item worth getting. I've tried the calamari and fish and chips here, but nothing beats their clam chowder. Don't get me wrong, the other items are good too, but the chowder is on another level. First time I had it, I ordered just a cup and immediately I regretted it cause I should've gotten a bowl! It was so good that I wanted more! The other times I did just that and there were a couple times that I've changed it up too. I've gotten their chowder sampler in the past and their bread bowl, but I think the best way to go is to simply just order a bowl of the regular clam chowder. Feel free to get something along with it, but make sure to get some chowder. Totally worth the drive! read more

Bob's Chowder Bar - Clam chowder bowl - Seafood Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

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First off, know that this restaurant is expensive. Like $25 for a 3-piece fish and chips- expensive. We've been eating takeout from here since during the pandemic. We always gave them a pass, because we liked the seafood and assumed the price reflected high quality. Today, we decided to splurge for lunch at Bob's, and to eat inside. There was only a single server, and though it wasn't super busy, getting seated and our order taken took 15 minutes. We ordered a bowl of chowder to share, my wife the salmon sandwich with a salad, and me the mango salsa halbut tacos. The sandwich arrived with fries instead of the salad, no biggy. But the salad that was finally produced was inedible, with rotting lettuce. The halibut tacos were so salty, I couldn't stomach more than one, but an examination of taco #2 revealed it hardly contained any fish. The chowder and the roasted potatoes that came with the tacos were both good. My wife said the sandwich was "average". We discussed just leaving and not complaining, but when asked, we shared our findings with the server as she presented us with a $75 bill for lunch (Without any alcohol). Astonishingly, she made zero effort - none! - to allay our disappointment. Nothing off the bill, no crappy desserts, comped beverages, nothing. "I'll let the cook know". Let the cook know we're never coming back. Let the cook know I'm writing a 1 star Yelp review. Let the cook know that he doesn't know how to cook. At the very least, some sort of negotiated resolution would have prevented the writing of this review. I live in this town, and I want our restaurants to be successful. But you don't want to eat here. read more

Great food casual place some of the best chowder I have ever had. Hoping to make it back one more time before we head home. Service was a little slow but not too terrible. Overall good experience would recommend. read more

We stopped off here after an epic kayaking trip this last weekend and were really looking forward to some comfort food. I was excited to see so many gluten free options on the menu and made the executive decision we were going here. It's a cute little place with lots of great seating options including a great outdoor patio where we were seated. Our server seemed a little frazzled when she stopped by but was able to get some answers about gf items from the kitchen for me and then take our order. She brought drinks to us but only brought half a beer to our friend saying the tap ran out and she'd bring him a second one with the meal but unfortunately that was the last time we saw her so we never got that promise fulfilled. The group ordered fried avocado bites which were not gf but apparently good. I wanted the fish and chips because they have gf breading and I was thrilled to try it! Unfortunately they use one fryer for everything so it's only safe for someone dieting, not with an allergy like me. That being said I did not go hungry because they had gf chowder and fish tacos! I had to send back the chowder originally as it came with bread in it despite me reporting the gluten allergy. The tacos were kind of meh but the chowder was fabulous! I had the salmon chowder and licked the bowl. The husband and our friends ordered crab sandwiches and fish and chips and they were so happy they kept complimenting my choice in restaurants. We didn't see our server again or get passed on to anyone if her shift finished, so we pestered anyone we saw for more drinks, water, and finally the check. My experience was closer to 3 stars considering the service issues and mix up with my meal, but everyone else was so pleased I've got to give it 4 stars per group consensus! Wish they had a dedicated fryer so I could pass out in a heap of golden crispy fried halibut but I'll keep dreamin! read more

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The biggest disappointment of day! I ordered the rock crab sandwich and that was a big mistake. The bread was old and hard. The crab did not taste like crab and had a pungent old taste. . The crab had a load of celery all bathed in mayonnaise that just kept dripping out. i did not even attempt to finish it. read more

Bob's Chowder Bar - Top-Old bread that was hard and wrinkle, like it had been microwaved. Bottom- all the watery mayonnaise that dripped out. - Seafood Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

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You know what I hate? Bad service. You know what I hate even more? Terrible service. We came in and were immediately sat in the dining room. I think they have 8 tables total right now inside, and maybe 4 outside. Not all tables were taken while we were there. 3/4 waiters/waitresses. Our drink orders were taken right away, and took 22 minutes to arrive. Then another 15 before our food order was taken. When food orders were taken, another drink was ordered. Said drink never arrived, and our drinks that were received, were never filled up. The owner even stopped by our table, and all cups were empty and nothing was said or done. We didn't even see someone long enough to ask them to be filled. They just sat, empty, at the edge of the table. When our food came out, the waitress stumbled and two meals fell in together making a sloppy mess on her tray(and our plates). No napkins on the table. None brought to help with the mess. We didn't see someone again until the check came. Now, the food was okay, but pretty bland. Everything needed a little salt(and of course there is no salt on the table due to COVID). I got three pieces of fish, and one was so rubbery that I couldn't chew it. The chowder was ok, but nothing to write home about. It was a pretty disappointing experience made even worse when the check came. They use a square system where you insert your card and pay on the pad.... not a terrible idea, but was made weird when the waiter was looking directly down telling my husband to enter the tip and watching his every move while he did so... on the pre chosen tip choices. It was so uncomfortable. This is not a place we will recommend and we won't be back. We had such high hopes after reading reviews and it did not live up to the hype. read more

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I wasn't too sure what to expect when this place was suggested. It is on a corner and the entrance is very "busy" that at first I thought it was just a take out window. It actually is a pretty large seating area both inside and out, plenty of light and well decorated. We were seated pretty quickly and had quick service even though they appeared to be moderately busy. I had the oyster burger and a salad. Now, I've never imagined having a pile of fried oysters in a delicious breading, smothered in tartar sauce, topped with coleslaw and all put into a ciabatta bun. Much to my surprise it was an excellent choice. Not too heavy for a sunny day. The house salad was a good mix of greens and croutons. For the dressing I chose their Lemon Love. Not too overwhelming with a good amount to tang. I also tried a Rock Crab Tater Tor, which was a small ball of rock crab meat held together with some type of sauce then breaded and fried. It comes with a big cherry mustard sauce I think on top and not in the middle. Moist, almost a little too much, but with a great flavor. Options available if you have someone in your party who does not like seafood. For the rest, you will find something you like! read more

Bob's Chowder Bar - Oyster Burger and salad - Seafood Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

Excellent chowder . Service was pleasant considering we came in late. Chill atmosphere. Been back a couple times since

First time at Bob's chowder bar and I ordered the fish sandwich and it was terrific fresh fish grilled on a brioche bun. Absolutely delicious as were the french fries so nice to not have a deep fried fish on a bun. It came with a side of coleslaw. very nice service and the french fries fries were good.. read more

Great service, good food, wonderful atmosphere! This establishment is doing a great job at keeping their place open and maintaining social distancing with hygienic processes. We were seated outside and hand sanitizer was made widely available. They're using paper menus at this time to avoid reusing and over sanitizing. The food itself was pretty good and tasty. The fish tasted fresh and the menu was variable enough to have something for everyone. I would return if I'm ever in the area! Next time though, I would avoid the fried seafood basket as that was too much fried food for me. read more

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We have been coming here for years and it's great every time! Best chowder and fried pickles I have ever had. Highly recommend the chowder flight so you can try all the goodness. Great spot with good parking and friendly staff. read more

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Absolutely delicious seafood! The Salmon Chowder Bread Bowl was the standout winner. New England Chowder was also good and the Fish and Chips were perfectly flaky and crisp. 10/10 give it a try! read more

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Had the Cod sandwiche, fries. I eat anything but this was great. Try it! Service was great! It's it a spacious place to eat

Good service, nice size portions. Unfortunately we both were sick by that night. Maybe flu, maybe the food. read more

Came here to get some clam chowder. I got a cup of New England clam chowder to go for $8. I grew up in New England, so I'm particular about clam chowder. The flavor was just ok, not enough chunks of potato. The server who helped us was very nice though. Ambiance was nothing special. Free street parking. read more

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Atmosphere was nice, service good. Food was not good. Steak awful. I would only recommend the chowder.

Super delicious food here at Bobs. Found this place on Yelp after our whale watch trip and glad I did. Cute outdoor patio with plenty of shade. We both had the clam chowder which was full of clams and hot and tasty. We both ate all of it. Then I had the penn cove mussels in white wine broth. I love mussels and these were very good to me- the broth especially! Hubs got the 3 piece Halibut and chips. So very good- the batter is crispy and cooked perfectly. Serious stop here to eat and ignore the bad reviews- this place was amazing!! read more

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I can't begin to tell you what a disappointment this place was. I'm usually pretty trustworthy of Yelp reviews but always harbor some reservations, and this is why I am sometimes skeptical. For the life of me, I can't figure out anyone would give Bob's 4 stars. First of all, the prices were out of control -- $9.99 for one fish taco ($11.99 if you choose salmon over cod)/$14.99 for two. Ok, maybe justified if they provide a generous portion of fish, but not the case here. My husband pushed back the coleslaw topping to find a sliver of fish (see photo). And it was served with a sauce (luckily on the side) that tasted like lemon meringue pie. He paid $2 extra for onion rings that had been cooked in rancid old oil. He said the whole situation was awful. I ordered a cup of the clam chowder and a small Caesar salad with grilled salmon. They said they weren't able to make the salmon medium rare (or anything other than well done), so I told them to skip it. It was still easily the worst Caesar salad I've ever had. There was more bread (croutons) than romaine, and the dressing was VERY heavy on fake lemon juice flavor. I literally couldn't eat it. At the end of the day, it was $46 for awful food. Sadly, you can't always trust your fellow Yelpers. Just do me a favor, skip this place! read more

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This was our first visit to Bob's and it won't be the last! Fabulous chowder with plenty of potatoes and so many clams! It was thick and creamy and the slices of bacon added just the right touch. A large bowl was perfect to share for two. We also split a 4 piece of fish. Told my husband I only wanted one abc he insisted on the 4 piece. The fish pieces are large and one for me with the chowder was plenty. The fish was light and flakey and the outside was crispy and perfectly cooked. It could use a little salt for sure; otherwise delicious! The fries were nice a crispy and there were plenty to share. The tartar sauce was also very good. It was also nice to see Bob actually walking around thanking people for coming in and asking how there meals were. I definitely recommend this site, go and enjoy you won't be disappointed. read more

Bob's Chowder Bar - Bob's famous chowder - Seafood Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

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Great chowder, but kind of pricey for what you get. The rest is mostly fried food. I think it's mainly for the tourists. Cute beachy vibe and order-at-the-counter service. read more

On our way to hike deception pass we drove past Bob's Chowder Bar. It was packed, so we knew this place was going to be awesome! We both ordered fish and chips and it was incredible! The cod filets are generous in size and the amount of breading on the outside combined for the perfect ratio. This is hands down the best fish and chips I have had in my entire lifetime. The owner stopped by our table to see how we liked the food. He's an amazing human being that took a few extra minutes to talk to us and I cant express just how much that means to me! Bob is amazing, and it's rare in this day and age to receive such personable service. The entire staff was friendly, fun and knowledgeable. We had to come back the next day to try Bob's award winning clam chowder and WoW is it special. (over 40 years - best clam chowder) I highly recommend Bob's Chowder Bar! read more

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Absolutely fabulous-every darn time. These people push out awesome food and always do service with a super friendly attitude. Love this joint and eat here EVERY time we go to Anacortes. Their fish & chips are outstanding. And their "lemon love" coleslaw dressing is to die for. Highly recommended!!! read more

Bob's Chowder Bar - 2 piece fish with a side of coleslaw. - Seafood Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

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Summary: Have the chowder and eat the fried stuff. Skip the entrée type of dishes! Lots of good reviews for this place so we decided to visit too. Cute place. The Good: A cup of chowder - I can taste the complexity of flavors. Good amount of clams and bits of potato. I think that toast is unnecessary as I like my chowder pure, but that's just me. I prefer my chowder not too thick, and the consistency of this one is spot on. Fried Avocado - I read of this in other reviews and decided to order it. Definite a surprise and a delight. A must. The Meh and skippable: Rock Crab Tater Tots - Sounds very promising, but tastes just ok. Assuming it's either mashed potato (i.e. tater tot) or the flour/bread-crumb consistency of crab cakes, it's mushy in the center with visible bits of crab but you can't taste it cause the flavor is overpowered by the seasoning. It tasted ok, but not worth it. Blackened Prawns - Please look at the picture. Does it look blackened to you? No. These are grilled prawns. They forgot the seasoning. Other than being grilled, it's fairly flavorless. At least the prawns tasted fairly fresh. One positive note, their cherry vinaigrette on the salad is tasty. (Ignoring the fact that I had asked for it to be on the side. And I already had to send it back once to remove the cheese on the salad, which I can't eat. I overheard other mistakes being made. The kitchen doesn't seem to read the order slips.) Grilled Wild Salmon - Please look at the picture. Does the "wild" salmon have the coloring you might expect for wild salmon? Not particularly. Did it taste like wild salmon? Not particularly. It was overcooked and dense, too. I noticed everyone else was ordering fried seafood. Probably should have done that. Just go for that chowder and fried foods artery clogging specials. read more

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Stopped by on the way to the docks, it was a little more pricy than anticipated for a quick lunch, but we opted for bowls of New England style chowder which was delicious. They came with slices of bread/croutons on top perfect for dipping. Excellent customer service, the staff was great. It was a nice day to sit out on the patio and enjoy some sun, would recommend dining outside if the weather allows! read more

Bob's Chowder Bar - Bowl of New England style chowder - Seafood Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

Anacortes is known for the Washington State Ferries dock and terminal serving San Juan islands . But what they don't tell you , is that it hide many of mom and pop's restaurant that has been well established. Bobs chowder is one of them . Chowder sampler is the easiest way to get introduced to their variety . They have fried avocado as appraiser, quiet unique and tasty . Definitely a must try . I ordered grilled salmon tacos; fish was cool just right ( which is hard to do ) generous portions if you're not hungry expect to take some home with you . Other ppl in our group ordered the oyster basket and fish &chips . They were also impressed with their food. Definitely a place to try if you're in anacortes. A great taste of the pnw ! read more

Bob's Chowder Bar - Fried avocado - Seafood Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

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Decent place. Outdoor seating with heaters. We got the food for there but they didn't give us utensils. They also forgot my friends soup and had to be reminded for the beer again too. The food tasted great though. Fish and chips were very hefty. Tartar sauce was delicious. Tater tot crab was unique and very delicious. Full packed. Yum! read more

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Get the New England style chowder!!!!! It was great. Fried fish amazing. This is a must go if you are in town. read more

Bob's Chowder Bar - Clam chowder - Seafood Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

Clam chowder was sad. Honestly, for the price, I would've rather microwaved a can of Campbell's. Also, the "toast" was basically crouton sheets, and the fried clams were burnt and to rubbery to eat. I was very disappointed! **edited to add that both my husband and I both got stomach aches and diarrhea about 2 hours after eating** read more

Bob's Chowder Bar - Clam chowder bread bowl, fried clams, and crab tots - Seafood Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

Really good food, however, the service was so bad I'm giving it one star. Once we ordered it took over an hour before we received our food. No refills for the entire hour and a half we were there. read more

My wife and I had lunch here after hiking around Whistle Lake. We were seated promptly and ice water came shortly thereafter. But from there things went sharply downhill. We ordered two draft beers, the appetizer crab tots, a cup of crab chowder, a bowl of clam chowder, and a large Caesar salad. It took about 10 minutes for the beers to arrive. Then another 5-10 minutes for the tots to show up. But these aren't crispy fried fritter-thingies. Instead they are soft little balls of crab and filler. Not terrible but not really good either. And then we waited. The couple next to us flagged down the waiter, as they'd ordered long before us and still hadn't received any food. He apologized and said there'd been a mixup and their order hadn't been put into the system. The table on our other side, who had ordered after us, had already received their chowders and were halfway through them. And we waited some more. The couple next to us got their food - but no, it was actually somebody else's food by mistake. The waiter apologized again and took it away. Finally, after about 30 minutes our food arrived. The salad was good and not overdressed. My chowder was quite good as well. But my wife's chowder, although good, was a bowl not a cup liked we'd ordered. For all of this the tab came to $76. Never again!! read more

We decided to try something new - we ordered our drinks, our server, an older lady who was very friendly but all over the place seemed new or just frazzled. My husband ordered an IPA, she got it confused with the Ale, asked my husband again "IPA or Ale" and still brought out the Ale, we let that slide and continued on. We had to repeat our order to her several times which was just Halibut and Cod Sandwiches (everything on the side). We ordered the Crab Dip and waited atleast 20 minutes or so for such, I still think she had forgot to put it in - it was nothing to brag home about, nonetheless. The toasted bread was extremely hard and was doused in olive oil, the crab dip tasted more like artichoke dip. I ended up eating it with a spoon because of how hungry I was. When our food was given, the server said out loud - "ohh! I don't think your order came out right." She didn't know which was which, but I had ordered mine with everything on the side, and the one sandwich did come as such so I took it. I opened up the sandwich and was surprised that it was one small piece of cod that only took up maybe half of the sandwich up. Perplexed, I called the server and the gentleman over and showed them - Is this right? They insisted it was and I insisted on breaking half the sandwich apart in disgust to show them that it wasn't acceptable. This was not worth $17. I lost my appetite after that - took the one piece of cod and ate it, didn't touch anything else on my plate. Looking back, I should've just given them the plate and had them remove it off our check but again, we were starving - I ate it so I paid for it. Our check was $75 for a flat Dr. Pepper, wrong beer, no (crab in it) dip, mediocre halibut sandwich, with a piece of cod (sandwich). Never again will we be back! Total waste of money, go to Seabolts instead! The only thing I regret is not taking a picture of it all. read more

We returned from a hike in Washington park and were a bit hungry. We stopped here and am pleased to report the chowder and the outdoor service were excellent. Chowder in cup is small but bowl at $8.99 is a no-brainer, served with thin and very tasty garlic toast. Would have preferred the garlic toast on a side plate rather than in soup, but I'm being picky... the cod fish and chips were meh, but frites on the side very good. I shall return for the bbq salmon! read more

Bob's Chowder Bar - Seafood Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

The fish and chips were amazing as was the tartar sauce with it. The salmon sandwich was good and the onion rings were amazing! The clam chowder is the best I've had in a long time. read more

For a place that boasts it's famous for its chowder and fish and chips, they should do a lot better. Why the frozen fries? Why the tiny portions? Service was very friendly. But unfortunately can't be this place's saving grace. There are better places to eat in Anacortes. read more

Bob's Chowder Bar - Crab chowder, that was the one piece of crab, the rest dissolved onto the broth. - Seafood Near Me - Anacortes, Washington

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I'm going to preface this by saying we probably ordered wrong. I think the secret is the fried stuff. Fried fish. Fried things. All things fried. However, we did get the chowder, and that's probably what you have to get when you go to a place with the name chowder in the title. What we did order, however, was a salad with grilled salmon. Grilled salmon was mentioned many times. Grilled. Salmon. We were in a hurry, so we grabbed it to go, got to the ferry terminal, and I guess that salmon was so fresh that it swam away, because as much as we searched it never turned up. Fair enough, they forgot to enter it on the ticket, so I didn't pay for it. We wanted a biscuit, and they also forgot to charge us for that, but threw one in anyway. As for the salad, without salmon, it was just a plain ol salad. But fresh, so I'll give them that. We opted with the "lemon love" dressing which had a lemony flavor, but is creamy and not vinaigrette-ya, and landed on the palate somewhere between lemon bars and lemon air freshener. That sounds bad, but I mean, who doesn't like lemons? The chowder was fine. Bob, you had so much potential. If I ever came back, it would be a fried bonanza. Get the fried stuff, save the salad for somewhere else. read more