Downriggers is one of the most popular restaurants in Friday Harbor, so that was our choice the first night we were in. I got the halibut special. I personally thought it was good but not amazing. It was cooked well but could have been seasoned a bit better in my opinion. The whole menu is quite expensive which is to be expected, so keep that in mind as well. The staff was nice and it's right on the water so it has great views of Friday Harbor, so it certainly makes for a nice atmosphere. read more

Downriggers - Halibut - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

I orders the Bouillabaisse and it was, by far, the best I've ever had! My wife and her sister ordered the BLT/ Dungeness Crab sandwich and it was also the best! The potato chips were made to order. All in all, Downriggers is not to be missed if you are in Friday Harbor! read more

Downriggers - Bouillabaisse with a huge Scallop! - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

Food was okay. Service was fake. View was great. The cheesecake we got to go was the bomb.

Amber and Bailey are the BEST. Great beer, great drinks, great company. Beautiful scenery and the cheesesteak was absolutely delicious!!! Service was extraordinary! read more

Downriggers - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

Decent casual dining experience. Food is a little underwhelming taste wise, especially for price (but inline with area). Nice views. Service is efficient but impersonal. Not a destination but not terrible choice in area. read more

As I sat waiting for my name to be called to sit I had the advantage of hearing other patrons walk out sharing with each other about how great their meal was and how full they were. I was already excited to go in and try the food. We ordered a cup of their famous clam chowder. The clams were endless and fresh the soup was delicious. We then bought the tacos and fish and chips. To be honest the tacos were good but a little dry and salty. Yes I know they are blackened but in my opinion they were saltier than anticipated. The fish and chips had good flavor but over cooked just a bit. The ambiance was incredible even sitting in the bar as I did not go with a reservation on Valentine's Day. I appreciate the servers and staff as they did an incredible job. I would definitely return here. read more

We dined here twice during our visit to San Juan Island. Loved it. Everything was delicious. I had a Dungeness BLT special that was just that... truly special. The huge, meaty mussels were in a delightful broth, and the clams in red curry coconut broth was probably one of the best dishes I've ever consumed. The seafood Cobb was thoughtfully balanced with lump crab and shrimp, not overpowered by too much Gorgonzola or bacon. It was perfect. My daughters were pleased with the selection of oysters and flavored lemonades, the crab tots, and the cod and chips. Truly a wonderful dining experience. read more

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Service was a lot of attention at the beginning and regular check ins to see if we were good. That was appreciated. The portions of food and quality could have been better especially for the price. Really scenic views of the harbor, from the windows. Good for a date spot if you want a nice spot in the area...but they should either give bigger portions, reduce the price or improve the quality of the food. Either of those things would make me give another star. read more

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3 scallops for $50?? Very bland and not much flavor. The gnocchi tasted like it was pan fried with oil. Not in a good way. read more

Downriggers - Scallops and gnocchi (bland not much flavor) only 3 scallops for $50 - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

Best restaurant of our trip ( so far ). Sat outside right on the water and it was such a lovely view and atmosphere or as our kids would say " vibe". We started with the crab deviled eggs which was incredible and a light melon salad which was also delicious. I had the salmon which was the special of the night and every bite was delicious and my husband ordered the halibut which he enjoyed immensely as well. Service was friendly and attentive. Wonderful restaurant when visiting Friday Harbor. Would highly highly recommend it. read more

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I don't understand how this place has 4 stars It is overpriced and not that great In no way should fish and chips be 20 dollars me and fiance only got 2 entrees no drinks and it was SEVENTY DOLLARS that is outrageous if you are visiting the island try a different spot this place is overpriced and not great at all read more

We've been here before- the food is good, the service is also good. But this place isn't cheap, and honestly they need to class up the dress code for staff. Shorts shouldn't be shorter than long, knee length (honestly, capris are more appropriate in nice dining). Last time we were here a younger waitress had on super short shorts. This year, an older waitress had on mid thigh shorts and I am sorry but it looked bad. Bare thighs just aren't something most people want at eye level from their servers regardless of age or body. The wait staff with longer capris and long pants looked much more professional, can we just stick with that? Anyhow, I like the food but dislike the staff dress. It cheapens the feel of the place, which is sad. Our waiter was Sander (or maybe Xander?) and he was an absolute delight, really smart and took great care of us. read more

Downriggers - Bread with tomato butter, delicious! - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

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The food is delicious! Staff is very nice. Wait is decent. View Is beautiful. What more can you ask for? read more

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Food was mediocre. Poutine was not good or appetizing to look at. Not great service. But the view was good. Restaurant was cold after Being on a whale watching trip. read more

Best seafood I"ve had in a large restaurant. I am an admitted seafood snob and rarely expect much from restaurants trying to cater to a lot of people at once but I was thrilled, not once but TWICE. The first night (3/22/26), because I love gnocchi, I ordered the seared scallops. Not only were the slightly seared gnocchi , and the sauce, absolutely delicious, the scallops were done SO perfectly. The searing was golden brown, the scallop slightly translucent in the middle. Amazing texture. Then the next meal (3/24/26) was just as wonderful. I'm a mashed potato fan and the lemon caper salmon with perfectly cooked asparagus was really lovely. The salmon was not overcooked, the mashed potatoes were a great consistency, and the sauce was lemony with the perfect tang of capers. Fantastic, welcoming, attentive staff. Also wonderful contemporary but casual decor with incredible views. Thank you!! read more

The restaurant faces the water and has the perfect ambience. The service was great! We ordered the gnocchi, seasonal salmon, clam chowder, wagyu burger and the bouillabaisse. All the dishes were very delicious. They also give complimentary bread with sun dried tomato butter which was also very good. The wagyu burger patty was very soft and tender. The fries were crisp and well fried. read more

Fantastic service during a recent private dining experience. Attentive to large group of guests. The food and drink were excellent as well. No better place to sit outside in the sun and watch the harbor. read more

Quick service, good food, great view. Wait time wasn't too bad. Would definately recommend and wil be coming back when back on the island. read more

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Have enjoyed Downriggers many times. Visit this week was due to a business dinner. Beautiful setting with a fun atmosphere, and everyone that works here is amazing. From the service to the tasty food to the ambience, you can't beat this for a great place to enjoy a tasty meal in Friday Harbor. Highly recommended! read more

Yes, nice place, beautiful really, with a view and good service. My meal was also pretty tasty. However, it's crowded and expensive. I arrived mid afternoon to avoid crowds, sat at bar and had wild salmon, mashed potatoes and cider. All excellent. But too many people, and too expensive. Friday Harbor needs more restaurants open after peak season ends. read more

Great ambience. Had a reservation and got a nice spot outside. Fried calamari was very tasty. The grilled flat iron was pretty good, but not enough for 5 stars. We enjoyed our visit though read more

Downriggers - Grilled Flat Iron* *** - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

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Found ourselves in Friday Harbor on an offseason weekday -- limited open places in the colder months so we all gave this place a go. Food was decent. Huge portions -- you will not leave hungry. I think the rest of the group enjoyed their lunch a bit more than me...I went with the pastrami sandwich and house chips. The pastrami was a bit over brined for my taste...but that is a subjective opinion. I still ate over half so it was out terrible. And the chips were good. The rest of the table seemed to enjoy their orders as well. read more

Downriggers - Pastrami Sandwich with chips. - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

On a Sunday evening during the shoulder season most restaurants on the island were not open. We went to Downriggers due to the good reviews. Our meals were solid. I ordered the Halibut special. It's a big piece of fish that's fresh and sweet. It came with some chopped apples, roasted root vegetables, rice, and a buttery sauce. The food gets a passing grade. We appreciated being nourished with a healthy hot meal on a stormy evening. For $45 it feels overpriced though. read more

Downriggers - Halibut special for $45 - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

Shared a big bowl of excellent clam chowder and a turkey pesto sandwich. Great view of the harbor and good, friendly service.

Enjoyed my dining experience at this restaurant in Friday Harbor! I came here a year ago and had their clams and had to go back for more. The clams are just as tasty as I remembered! I love the red curry sauce with leeks in them. We got drinks as well and both of them were strong and tasty! I loved the coconut cream in the coconut mojito. The fried calamari was yummy, not too greasy and had a good portion of squid to breaded crumbs. The halibut we ordered was cooked perfectly and they were able to split it on two separate plates ($2 fee though). The service was decently fast for how busy they were and the staff was helpful and friendly. If you're planning to come here on a weekend, I highly recommend to make a reservation. read more

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Came on a day trip and was surprised of the fast seating. They are to the right of the ferry when you get off, right on the water.They do offer seating on the patio if you have dog which was nice. They do have shading if it's a hot day. Indoor looked really nice and not too loud. 10/10 on all the food. Everything hit the spot. We got the lunch special of the ribeye steak sandwich, the salmon sandwich and the salmon entree . Calamari was really good. We also got the crab devil eggs. Not a big fan of devil eggs but the table enjoyed them. Their bread sticks were nice as well, it came with a side of tomato butter which was a nice touch. We got the oyster app, unsure if it came with four or it's a build your own. The general staff were very attentive and polite. All smiles all around. Sadly our server wasn't as welcoming as the rest of the staff. It was a bit busy and it sounded like she was off soon. She came around less then four times our whole stay(bus boys brought food, filled water, and removed our plates). When taking our order, very short with no recommendations. When asked drink questions she just handed us the drink menu and waited for us to read it. I felt so rushed. On the menu the oysters aren't listed but when ordering them, all the info we got from our server was "we have four different kinds", again felt rushed so we just said give us one of each. Im not expecting our server to be super friendly and over talkative but at least make me feel welcomed and not a burden to wait on. Overall very good views and foods , deserves a five rating and a must stop on your trip to this island :) read more

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It's pretty much always delicious, the view and vibes are perfect, and service was great. Absolutely love the oysters, crab deviled eggs, and smoked salmon plate. Husband loves the seafood mac. And I'll be dreaming of the coconut margarita 100000/10 read more

Wow! Just wow! Views are spectacular. Service was great. The food was excellent! Crab BLT and the salmon Rueben. The salmon Rueben was the tastiest smoked salmon ever! read more

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We went to Downriggers twice when we were at Friday Harbor. We sat outside once and inside another time. If the weather is decent, definitely try to eat outside, the view is stunning. The first time we went, we had the the Chef's board (charcuterie) and some mixed drinks. I had their old fashioned which was very good, then my partner had lavender lemonade, which was very refreshing. The board was very nice. It had a mix of foods. The meats were fine, but I preferred the cheese options. The crostini was very good. I loved the pickled vegetables also. Overall, it is a good portion with good variety. The second time, we had a bottle of wine. They have a decent wine list, reasonably priced. We started with the clam chowder which we both loved, generous amounts of clam. For the main course, I had the special which was the halibut. This was cooked very well, still moist and the puree was an excellent complement. Make sure you get reservations, but if you can get in it is worth a visit. read more

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Staff were all friendly. Service was good. Would 10/10 recommend the Seafood Bouillabaisse loaded with local seafood. For apps the Crab Tots and the Mussels were both delicious. read more

Downriggers - Seafood Bouillabaisse*** - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

Amazing experience. We made reservations ahead of time and we were seated immediately. We ordered a ton of appetizers as shown. All GREAT. Crab deviled eggs, burrata, oysters, and ceviche are highly recommended. Even the bread and butter are to die for. Serving sizes are good but the food is so good I wish they were larger! The cocktails were very creative and tasted good. Vibes are perfect. Some folks dress very fancy, some dress casual. Both fit. There are beautiful views of the harbor. I recommend going at sunset. The only downside is the service is a bit slow as the restaurant is always packed. read more

My husband and I took the ferry for a quiet birthday meal at Downriggers. Arriving for our reservation, the front of house very pregnant "hostess", wearing a pink one piece leotard unceremoniously passed us over to her coworker who then led us to our table flinging the menus on the table and leaving without a word. Wow. Ok. So when our server, Olivia, arrived and asked how we were doing, we shared our observations. She apologized and said maybe it was "end of season attitude?" In any case, Olivia was great, attentive and funny. If not for her, we would've left there and then. As for the food: housemade chips were enh. A bit burnt tasting. My husband ordered the blackened halibut tacos which were quite tasty and well seasoned. I ordered bouillabaisse which was served in a thick, creamy tomato base but predominantly salmon. The flavor was fine. But overall nothing special. I did enjoy the lavender/pea drink but we finished our meal quickly and hightailed it to the ferry. The whole experience was just a let-down. It's a lovely view and lovely spot but, like other reviewers, there's clearly room for improvement. read more

We had a beautiful dinner on the patio overlooking the view of the water. This restaurant is right in the heart of downtown Friday Harbor on the right when you come off the ferry. Everything we had was delicious and Isaiah did a wonderful job waiting on us. He was very attentive and on top of it. We also booked our reservation through Open Table, they have indoor and outdoor seating available. read more

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We read this place is a must visit when coming to San Juan! We made reservations prior to coming to the island and we were so happy we did! We came around 7:45 on a Wednesday and was seated right away in the back patio. We had a gorgeous view of the dock with all the boats. We ordered the following: Clam chowder: this was delicious! Not too creamy and ratio of clams to vegetables to soho was perfect. Great appetizer choice. 4/5 Clams: we ordered the clams from the appetizer list and we were so happy we did. The sauce was extremely flavorful and paired well with the complimentary bread they gave. Decent portion of clams too which we appreciated. 5/5 Mac and cheese and prawns: this dish was pretty good! Decent amount of pasta and gave a couple of shrimp. The shrimp was on the smaller side which was okay. Menu said spicy pasta but it wasn't spicy at all. Overall pretty decent but probably wouldn't order again. 4/5 Seafood broil: we ordered the mixed seafood broil and this was also delicious! There was a good mix of clams, mussel, fish, etc. this was probably the best entree for our table. 5/5 House salad: we got a house salad to share and it was very refreshing! 4/5 Overall we were pretty impressed. We were worried service would be slow because of how packed the place was. However food came out pretty fast and we were pretty full. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for a yummy seafood dinner on the dock! read more

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I tried a large cross section of the menu here and the food is a mixed bag ranging from decent to downright unprofessional. That is not a good enough performance for a restaurant priced in a range similar to fine dining establishments in the city. Details below. 1. The calamari. This was actually excellent and the only thing I had that I would want to eat again. The batter is crispy and flavorful and it's the only time I've had it served as chunks rather than rings. This gives it a nice meaty body and is in my opinion the superior way to eat calamari. I have a hard time understanding how the same kitchen that served this calamari produced fish and chips in the state that it was in because... 2. The halibut and chips. This dish does not belong on the menu in its current state. The batter is soggy and flavorless, the portion size is tiny and leaves a lot of empty space on the plate, and at 38 dollars it's almost twice the price of the pub back home while being half the size and having none of the taste or texture. Serving this dish at this price point is insulting. 3. Crab artichoke dip. Decent but very small for the price point. 4. Mad hatcher chicken. An unprofessional dish charged at 29 dollars. It's way too salty with most of it concentrated in the rub on the skin. 5. Scallop gnocchi. Above average dish that feels like a haphazard assortment of decent ingredients served without coherence. The plating is on a wide and shallow dish with all of the components scattered about in a thin sauce. Even a switch to a bowl with layered presentation would make it easier to eat rather than having to play with my food to get a bite with every ingredient on the same spoon. Decent tasting dish with unprofessional presentation for 48 dollars. Service. The waiter tried to snatch the tab and my card from me while I was reading the receipt saying "you'll get it back" and then glared at me. What are you doing. This is a tourist trap that I would avoid, unless it's just to order the calamari. read more

Overall decent but nothing life changing here. The view is pretty. The service was quite good. Food was just average though. Very limited option in the area makes this basically the spot you have to go to however if you want a harbor view. read more

Downriggers - Downriggers Clam Chowder - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

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The ambience here was very nice. It was quiet on the bar side and more intimate. The larger side had a very nice view, but since we were there during Thanksgiving, it was colder since it was much more open. The service was extremely nice. Everyone was very professional and laid back at the same time. Very knowledgeable about the menu. My husband really loved his chicken entree and it also was very visually appealing. I had a starter as an entree and was semi-satisfied with my selection. I will not order it again if we go back. We are heading to a different island while visiting, so if we don't go back, it isn't because we don't like the restaurant, it's strictly because of lack of time. read more

Food was ok, service was friendly. The view was beautiful where we were seated. Came here with a group from work. read more

Downriggers - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

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I'll start with the negatives first because there really aren't many. I was pretty surprised at the prices. $40 bucks for chicken seems a little steep to me. $37 for salmon just as steep. Maybe chicken is a bit hard to come by on the island here, but salmon? I don't know, just seemed a bit extra to me. With that being said, all of the food items we did order were delicious. Our server was great - all of the staff that we encountered were fantastic. We were able to sit on the patio outside and got a beautiful evening with a great view of the water. Compliments to the bartender as well. The dirty martini and specialty drink we ordered were great. Overall would definitely recommend, however, as I mentioned earlier, be prepared to spend some money. read more

Downriggers - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

We ate here twice during our 4 day stay on San Juan Island. We loved sitting outside and enjoying the view, the food was excellent, and the service was friendly. Both of the fish dinner specials while we were there were delicious and made with fresh quality ingredients. Fish and chips were also a hit! read more

Downriggers - American Near Me - Friday Harbor, Washington

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