Caught the bus from Elma to Seattle today, boy was that a journey... When my friend and I finally got off the bus we were ready to eat! So we walked around looking for a place to grind. Stumbled upon Ivar's Fish Bar. I ordered the clam chowder in a bread bowl. I decided to order this instead of the fish and chips because its one of my favorite things to get when I'm in the mainland because Hawai'i doesn't have any good places that sell it. Personally I was slightly disappointed with my bread bow =[ The sourdough bread wasn't very good and it crumbled when I would try to break a piece off. Oh well. My friend ordered the fish and chips and really liked it. read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Clam Chowder in a bread bowl! - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Fried cod was very good, crispy on the outside and flakey on the inside. Fries were extra crispy. Plenty of outdoor seating. A lot of seagulls around though. read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Fried Cod - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

There are several Ivars eateries scattered throughout the Seattle area. This one is called a "fish bar" because it mainly focuses on take-out counter service. A more traditional Ivars sit-down style restaurant is located directly next door. So take you pick of either one. They're both located in the highly touristy Seattle docks area. This place is all about convenience because of its take-out window. You can carry your food on a ferry (there are several ferry boats in the area) or eat it on one of the outdoor picnic tables (picnic tables provided by Ivars). I liked both the selection and prices. Unfortunately my cod fish 'n chips was one of the worst I've ever had. And that's coming from a seafood lover that's eaten a lot of fish in his day. It tasted rubbery, yuk. It tasted like the Gortons frozen boxed fish you find at the supermarket. I simply expected more from Ivars. On the plus side, my dad praised about his clam chowder being one of the best clam chowders he's ever tasted. And that came from a tried and true New Englander who's eaten a lot of clam chowder in his day. read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Service was slow, and the waitress was inattentive and had a bad attitude. The food was overpriced for what it is. ( Not very good.) The original Ivar would be appalled at what has happened in his name. read more

Tourist Trap!!! And food network disappointment!!! Anything above a 1 star rating can't be trusted. I got their cod fish and chips with Cajun spice. It's basically a McDonald's fish filet sandwich, but not as good. Their fish and chips taste and look like ones that would be mass produced in a factory and frozen. If they say they're fresh and hand breaded I wouldn't believe it for a second. The only saving grace was that I got it with Cajun spice or else the breading would have just tasted like canola oil. The actual fish wasn't flaky or fresh tasting at all. The fries were good, but it's hard to mess up French fries. I'd still say that more of my French fries ended up going to the seagulls around the corner of the stand. It's encouraged that you feed the seagulls and I'm sure the seagulls are excited because they'll end up eating more of your meal than you will. If this place was good, I wouldn't throw it to the seagulls. That should be the first sign that this place is no good. read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Cajun fish and chips - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It's good if you're /really/ hungry, I guess. Cod tasted like it was from McDonald's. Fries were nice and crispy. The chowder I found actually tasted pretty good, although there wasn't a substantial amount of clams in my clam chowder. At the end of the day, this is like a fast-food joint, although their orders come out a lot slower than one. The price is decent for what you get. I would come here again if nothing else was open, but I wouldn't really recommend trying this place out. read more

Great cod & chips and even more amazing white clam chowder (the red clam chowder is also good and worth a try!). They were out of halibut when we went but the service was super friendly and I loved the seating options in a more casual cafeteria-esque space vs the restaurant on the right. Worth a visit on your Seattle trip and for the occasional chowder cravings! read more

Sorry, but overrated.....pityful 3 pieces of cod fish? Like a size of fingers? The chips are like Mcdonalds fried? At $10 bucks? Please!!! Go else where, a tourist trap....of course. read more

Went for lunch. Took the whole office. Quality of food was great. Service was great. At the end of lunch. I paid for the lunch. Ouch $$$. But it was fun and worth it. read more

Me: I would like the chicken strips and fries without the garlic topping. Ivars: We can do that but it will be $20 instead of $14 (mind you $14 is already a lot for chicken strips and fries). Me: You have got to be kidding me! Why would you charge 50% more just because I am asking you to leave off the garlic? Ivars: because we have to ring an order of chicken and the an order of fries separately. I mean, has all common sense gone out the window? Not everyone wants garlic piled on their chicken strips. But to charge $6 extra when someone asks for no garlic is the dumbest thing I have encountered as of late. Will definitely be getting my food from somewhere else next time I am at a sporting event in Seattle. read more

There was much to be desired at this establishment. Word about the legendary fish and chips from Ivar's drew my attention and it failed to satisfy my cravings. The establishment is situated in a scenic location overlooking the pier and evokes a maritime sensation. The comforting fish bar seeks to satisfy passerby's craving for aquatic creatures. I ordered the salmon fish and chips and it frankly disappointed. While the self-serve tartar sauce and vinegar was a nice gesture, the quality of the fried salmon was lackluster. The actual salmon didn't taste bad, but it was the way in which it was fried that underwhelmed. To be honest, it did not taste very fresh. I would be as callous to say it was reheated. The breading was a little hard and the salmon itself wasn't as soft or textured as I would like. The alluring aspect of ideal fried fish is the softness and subtly of its texture. A bite with minimal strength can slice through an ideal piece of fried fish like a French guillotine. With Ivar's, this was sadly not the case. However, given the price, they provided a copious amount. The silver lining; however, was that the pier allowed customers to feed the ravenous seagulls so my food did not go to waste. read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Salmon fish and chips. - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Nothing to get excited over. We were walking around the waterfront and decided to get a quick lunch. We got the 3 piece cod regular and Cajun with 2 cups of chowder. They had a sizable line, but got the food out pretty quickly. The chowder was edible, but nothing special. I really had to look for the clams and there was a very overpowering onion flavor. The cod consisted of 3 small pieces (maybe 4 ounces total) and was very plain. I asked for malt vinegar, but actually got standard vinegar that tasted spoiled. The Cajun cod didn't taste any different. Sadly, the fries were better than the fish. Most of the waterfront restaurants are closed or opening later due to Covid. I like supporting local businesses, but would not come back here. read more

Tourist trap. Lots of better options around town if you're willing to go off the waterfront. However, if you're looking for something in the area, Ivars is edible. Their bread bowl is chowder is probably the best thing they offer. The fish and chips are small and pricey for fast food. Oddly enough, I found Ivars at the mariners baseball stadium to be better than this waterfront stop! read more

This is a must if you're in Washington. The fish bars are throughout and consistently good. The service was good at all locations I visited. The food was always good for everything I tried. I was able to try the different chowders, the battered fish, and fries. Note that in Seattle they have the sit in restaurant. It's a whole different experience with a different menu. I personally enjoyed the fish bars a lot more. But if you can try both, then why not, and decide for yourself. Obviously expect a larger bill for the sit in. Plus is that they have wine and alcoholic beverages in the sit in restaurant. read more

Underwhelming and disappointing. Two stars because you can't beat the 2 draft beers for $5 happy hour on Monday.. and the view/ambience/location is nice... otherwise this would be 1 star. The happy hour pricing also means we didn't waste too much $$ here. We sat down and waited for 5+ minutes before we were brought water and a drink menu... another 10 minutes and two visits from the waitress before we got dinner menus. We ordered the NW chowder and the Smoked Salmon chowder, both were super bland with little to no actual seafood pieces and mostly potatoes, ($5) bowl at happy hour, pretty good price. We also got the seafood cocktail appetizer ($16),this sounded great on paper, but came out incredibly unappetizing!! Tiny shrimp on a bed of cocktail sauce so that everything was completely drenched in sauce, this were covered on top in guacamole (weird combo?).. 4 larger lemon poached shrimp were overcooked and rubbery. The teaspoon size portion of Dungeness crab was the best thing on the plate. Not tasty at all and not worth the money. Generally really disappointing. We skipped ordering dinner, left still hungry and bought sandwiches on the way back to the hotel.. Super bummed with this place. read more

We came here for dinner on the last night of our Seattle trip and it was interesting! Service/Setting: The service was ok, there was water cups available which was good because the food was a little pricey! The open dining areas were covered in left over food and bird....matter, so we decided to pass on those and go to the covered area. They had heaters in there which was nice because it was chilly but it was also pretty dirty and there were a lot of birds in there as well (I don't like birds). Food: The food was ok, a little bland. We ordered the calamari and chips and clam chowder, the chowder was decent but the calamari and chips had like no flavor. Overall: C+ The food was decent, maybe not for their price. The dirtiness of the place made it the most off-putting, perhaps if they cleaned it more often, I get that they're known for befriending the birds, but it was pretty gross to eat near all that. read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Calamari & Chips and Clam Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Good location to eat if you want more than just eating the food. Clam chowder was good. I would def go back to try again but prob not gonna eat the fish chip again. read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Ivar's is my go to for CLAM CHOWDER! It is beautifully prepared daily, and served hot with bread, crackers, etc. I was just here the other day for a cup of clam chowder. The service is that of a 5 star restaurant, and very helpful, classy, caring. The whole service makes it a perfect meal. Thank you Ivar's read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Most amazing clam chowder ever!! Cream based, not potato based like other restaurants. Lots of clams, potatoes, and BACCON!!!!! - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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What had become an unusually unfortunate dinner experience was made up for and recovered by the manager, Troy. One person in our party still hadn't received their food an hour into the meal, which we expressed to Troy. He immediately took ownership and accountability for what happened, and then more than made up for it. Truly appreciated! Because of this, we'll count tonight as a one off and look forward to future delicious meals at Ivar's. I know that mistakes can happen, and that's where what follows after can make or break it, and I'm happy to say that our group is leaving happy. read more

I just love Ivars. I grew up on Bainbridge Island. In the '70s We would hop on a ferry run over to Ivan's seafood bar get some fish and chips. Wait for the next ferry and watch the sunset and feed the seagulls. Through all the years the food was consistently delicious best clam chowder and tartar sauce. More recently my daughter and I would stop and order a late dinner to eat on the ferry after going to the opera. Good memories. Ivar's is such a part of Seattle thank you for being the best. read more

Don't ever come to this place. Horrible service and bad quality of food. It's my worst Seattle food experience.

Being a long time Seattle girl this is far for my first time visiting Ivars Fish Bar down on the pier. The best thing about this place is by far the clam chowder and location. The fish and chips over the year have literally shrunken down so small but of course the price has only skyrocketed. I'd much rather go to Spud's on Alki and eat there cod which is about four times larger and cheaper than what Ivar's has. However here we were for the day. We did have fun feeding the seagulls our french fries from our overpriced meal. Service is bar minimum not great not terrible. Hard to get excited about this place anymore. Sad about that. read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Had the chowder and crab and shrimp pasta. Internet opinion is the chowder is as good as Pike Place Chowder. Crab and shrimp pasta was delicious with wonderful dungeness crab. Service was great. Ambiance was nice being on the dock. I'd definitely recommend it. read more

Ivar's is truly a Seattle staple for seafood. I ordered the fish and chips from the walk-up counter next to the restaurant; the food was prepared quickly and came out very good! While there are better seafood restaurants in the Seattle area, Ivar's is a classic and is worth visiting for a meal (or at least a snack) while in the area. The outdoor seating is great, but be prepared to fend off some seagulls while you're eating. They seem to know how good this place is, too! read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Historic spot in Seattle! Everyone must go! Best best best white clam chowder worldwide!! Wonderfully friendly seagulls! Awesome halibut and chips! read more

This place was right next to the Argosy Cruise lines, I was getting a bit hungry and wanted to grab a bite to eat before heading out to the shores. Easy to order and the food came out hot and fresh. Got fish n chips. The fried fish I had are alaska cods, well cooked and goes great with the tartar sauce. The fries where crispy and not too thin or thick too. Would order here again. read more

Sad to see this has become a stereotypic tourist trap. Lovely venue, friendly service, mediocre to poor food and high prices for what you get. No more custom here for us. read more

Unfortunately this is thanks to the unpleasant lady posing to for a manager who worked there on Saturday. I have an ESA dog which I held an ID card for and she denied our entry. This would've been ok had I not dined in this place 3 days prior WITH my dog on the patio. Her demeanor was less than accomodating to say the least. Anyway, I live right across the street and had an intention to be a regular customer but no, NOT happening now. So kuddos for losing more business during those unprecedented times. read more

The walk up window at Ivars was exactly what we were looking for, reasonably price food, decent service and pretty good food. I liked the white clam chowder, as always, and the cod fish and chip was good considering the price. Not bad overall and I will be back. read more

Unseasoned understaffed depressing experience. I swear my high school had better fish n chips. Won't be back. This places was probably decent in 1938 when it first opened. read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Fish Fish 'N Chips - Original Cod - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I was recommended by my hotel shuttle driver to skip every recommendation others told me to try Ivar's and boy was he right! As an East Coast native I know good seafood and my gosh, this is giving us a run for our money. Everything was PERFECTLY cooked and delicious. I'm already planning on coming back to Seattle just to try their clams because I was in such a good coma I couldn't muster up the energy to eat anything else after my chowder sampler and grilled trio! read more

Loved the fish and chips from Ivar's last weekend. Awesome housemade hot sauce to go with it. The chowder was a little disaapointing but, to each his own. Just felt like we had no actual pieces of clams, just tiny chopped up bits. Maybe because it was so late at night? Still, they were open and they warmed us up! Love their outdoor seating area with heaters too. Very nice! read more

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So we really wanted to snack on something after our harbor tour, so my gf and I stumbled upon this place and wanted to get some fish and chips. It's safe to say that I won't come back here again. I thought that fried salmon and chips would taste good. I was wrong. The fish gets really dry if you fry it. Just stick with cod! Also they encourage you to feed the seagulls. Now I personally don't like seagulls but I said "whatever" and fed them. They are very aggressive. After a while there was one seagull just constantly demanding food from us after giving up a few pieces of chips. If you do come here, just eat your food. Don't feed the gulls, because they won't let you enjoy your food in peace. read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Battered Fried Salmon and Chips - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It was over 40 years ago the first time I had take out at Ivar's Fish Bar... And I still enjoy it. Some of the best take out fish and chips in the northwest. Located on the Seattle waterfront, the Ivar's Fish Bar is a great stop to grab some food. Parking is a bit challenging and pricey, but its downtown Seattle, so I guess that is what I should expect. The fish and chips are great, so are the clams and chips. Good chowder. Everything is good, I guess it should be since they have had 79 years to perfect their menu. If you have any leftovers, just feed them to the seagulls, they will certainly finish anything you don't. Having had Ivar's fish and chips at the local mall, and comparing it to the Ivar's Fish Bar on the waterfront it is just night and day. I would give a 2 to 3 star review to most of the Ivars mall restaurants, but this one is 5 star in my opinion for what it is.. perhaps the best take out fish and chips in the northwest. If you don't know the history of Ivar's, Ivar Haglund who started the Ivar's restaurant chain is a local legend, be sure to read some of the signs on Ivar and his shenanigans over his lifetime. A true Seattle Legend. For any tourist visiting Seattle, or a local out for lunch, Ivar's is my recommendation. And in closing, in the words of Ivar Haglund.... "Keep Clam" read more

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I am extremely pained to give this restaurant 2 stars. My family first came to Renton in the early 1990's. We since moved to Florida. We often visit, and whenever we do we *always* go to Ivars . You could call it a family tradition. I recently went, in mid June 2021, and we left more sad than disappointed. We used to be greeted with friendly and patient staff, now they're all ruse and have horrible attitudes. The price used to yield a very nice quantity of foos, it has been severely reduced. And the batter-to-fish ratio used to be spot on, although lately it seems its significantly more batter than fish. This used to be one of our favorite family spots: fresh air, nice water, overweight seagulls, and I hope next time we visit it will be returned to its former glory. read more

Great fish and a fun place to eat Are used to take my daughter here when I would take her to her medical appointments we would go at least once a month it's fantastic read more

Went here last night with my kids and had a great dinner on the waterfront for $35 which is a real deal here in Seattle. I had clams and they split a 5 piece cod. Both were great for the price and the place. Nice atmosphere watching the water and the seagulls are pretty amusing if somewhat cheeky. Parking is a little tough but we found some. And of course there are plenty of characters wandering around in this area. If you're cool with that you'll love it - if not, you might find it somewhat off putting. read more

Creamy Clam Chowder was phenomenal. Fish and chips were okay. We got the Cajun Style Cod Fish and Chips which were mediocre. The batter was nice and crunchy but the fish was rubbery. Seasoning was ok as well, nothing noteworthy to my taste. The Clam Chowder was amazing. Jam packed with flavor and seasoned very well. Best Clam Chowder I've eaten. There is a nice balance of peppery celery with the creamy Chowder. Good ratio of vegetables to Clam. The venue is very nice. It is right along the port and the fresh sea breeze felt nice. There was no salty, odd odor you'd get from a dirty port. Refreshing sitting along the port. Food came out quick and the person taking my order/working the front was very friendly. Would go again. read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Bowl of Clam Chowder and Cajun Style Cod Fish and Chips. - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place was not appetizing. The cashier seemed like he did not want to be there. The fish and chips were sad and dry. The calamari was disappointing. The seating area looked like it hadn't been cleaned in weeks. read more

So good and it tasted like I was eating at a really expensive restaurant and this guy made the seagulls go away by swatting them read more

Ivar's Fish Bar - Seafood Near Me - Seattle, Washington