Waterfront Tavern Seafood and Bar Bellingham

Convenient downtown location simple parking, food , and if I remember right good beer and games.read more

We've been in Bellingham for about 8 hours and this is our favorite bar so far, and we've been to 5…read morebars since leaving the airport. Julia is our bartender here and she's amazing, she's kept our drinks full and has been so accommodating with our ridiculous pull tab orders, oh and did I mention we won $100? Before I even started writing this review, swear. 10/10 would recommend.

Pull tabs

See all

Cap Hansen's

3.3(63 reviews)

5 star dive bar! This joint is rad, check out the vintage ceiling tiles and get some free popcorn…read more Don't forget to try their signature drink: The Peruvian Bear Fucker. It's light and sweet and totally chuggable. After one or two, you might forget having the third, so be careful... they're dangerously delicious!

Be careful when you pay- make sure you get a receipt We…read morewere given the payment thing and then a few minutes later the bartender said "are you done it shouldn't take this long" and ripped it out of my hand 10 minutes later when I got his attention again and asked for a receipt- he acted like I requested a change in parliament..... It was a while until I got one... but it was incorrect....and a tip was placed on it that I Didn't give It was just and the owner was there (as a patron) Be careful of your $$$$ here We won't be back Notice the 1 stars are very recent.....

Patrons into their own thing.

See all

Black Sheep

4.4(526 reviews)

0.2 mi

Finally! A bar that serves flavorful drinks that aren't too sweet…read more We were quite happy, even delighted I might say, with This Goes to Eleven and the Mezcal Old Fashioned. Thanks for having good drinks!

Stopped by while we were in Bellingham. We were able to get…read morea table quickly. Service was good. I had the Pork Belly Taco and Queso Fundido. The taco was delicious. The meat was very tender and flavorful. The queso was ok. It was a 3 cheese sauce. Overall, nice spot to hangout.

Carne Asada Taco - very tasty and would recommend! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

See all

House Salad plus Chicken - absolutely delicious and filling! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

Glynn's Shamrock Pub

3.9(10 reviews)

5.6 mi

Not your typical Bellingham establishment. That's a compliment!…read more Do people come to Glynn's for food? Highly unlikely. Burger leaves much to be desired with little flavor and poor presentation. Potato wedges don't seem to be seasoned and we're over baked. Nachos are worth your time if you want a snack. The furnishings and carpet show their age. Not appropriate if you're on a date or trying to impress someone. Why 4 stars? The staff and patrons really make Glynn's a special place. People are friendly and social. Within 5 minutes of sitting down, 4 people approached us for service and participation in a Super Bowl activity. This is a contrast to typical service in Bellingham. Starin is an exceptional waitress and bartender. She checks in frequently and gives recommendations. She doesn't appear bothered to be doing the job for which she was hired. If you're Midwestern native like me, you'll feel right at home in Glynn's. I'm looking forward to attending events in the future.

Pretty good drinks, amazing nachos, pool, darts, that kiosk where you can que songs. There's…read moreusually only one person working so you need to order food and everything at the bar, but everyone is really friendly

Hard to pass a place with such an inviting sign.

Thanks, Glynn for making us feel so welcome. We'll see you again the next time we're in town.

See all

4 pool tables, darts, everything. Perfect place to stop by!

The Cocoanut Grove Sports bar

3.6(33 reviews)

1.9 mi

Love this bar. Foods great and the service was amazing. Bellingham doesn't really have great places…read moreto hangout with great service. Kudos for a great 4th weekend

So you walk up to this place and the first couple things you might think:…read more 1 - it looks like it might smell like cigarettes and stale beer 2 - you might think you are near off airport parking at the Reno airport or something equally depressing in perhaps 1985. BUT!!!! This place is gem. It just looks like something from another time and place, but it is really clean, people are friendly, drinks are affordable and I've watched many a hockey game on the TV's. Honestly, it might be one of the cleanest bars in all of Bellingham.

Cocoanut Grove Sports Bar

See all

Horseshoe Cafe

3.5(233 reviews)

An absolute legendary Bellingham establishment. The horseshoe cafe has been serving up cold beer…read moreand hot food to its guests since 1886. I have visited the restaurant dozens of times. Both in the daylight hours, and late at night. It is a great spot to enjoy some good food after a night of hanging out downtown. If you are into smash burgers, you have to make your way to the horseshoe to try theirs. Two thin patties are cooked to crispy perfection, then topped with gooey American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles & secret sauce. This burger is perfectly sized and will leave you very satisfied. 10/10 best smash burger in Bellingham. I would recommend the tater tots on the side with the ranch dipping sauce. The horseshoe cafe will always hold a special place in my heart. You have to stop in and try this place if you are visiting Bellingham

This was a fun old school diner through and through from the decor and vibes to the menu. So many…read morefun historic pictures on the wall, games to play while you wait, and a fun throwback experience overall

Dining are

Seattle dog

See all

Out front, Wednesday 20 September 2023.

The Black Cat

4.1(499 reviews)

2.4 mi

The Black Cat was selected for lunch, and I was very happy to support another small Bellingham…read morelocal business. Placing a to go order over the phone was very easy, the lunch menu is small but has a little something for every dietary preference. Customer service was excellent, as the hostess was extremely courteous. I absolutely loved the nostalgic decor, whimsical artwork, and stained glass windows. I would definitely return, and highly recommend!

We were looking forward to trying The Black Cat after reading strong reviews. I had taken the day…read moreoff to have lunch with my wife, and we were excited to visit somewhere new. We were seated promptly by a friendly hostess at a table in DT Fairhaven, and our server was the bartender. After being seated, we waited a long time without anyone taking our order. We eventually asked if we had a server and were told it was him, with no apology or explanation. We ordered drinks and food, but after more than 40 minutes, we noticed two tables seated after us had already been served, finished eating, and were leaving. At that point, we asked for the check and said we would not be staying. About 15 minutes later, the server returned with our food instead of the check. We declined the meal and sent it back. He then asked if we wanted it boxed to go, which we also declined. His reaction suggested frustration rather than understanding. We never got to try the food, so we can't comment on it. The service, however, was well below expectations given the restaurant's reputation. This was lunch on July 15, 2026. We may try The Black Cat again in the future, hoping this was just an off day.

Entrance

French Dip

See all

Gouda Pesto Chicken, mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts

The Royal

2.3(69 reviews)

I don't know why this bar gets so much hate, but I find this place very relaxing and just a good…read moredrinking spot. Good atmosphere, cool and respectful security and typical prices on drinks. Definitely better than the other bars around. Has a second floor with additional bar area and few pool tables. The business also owns The Underground night club. Go check them out.

Bouncer kicked my out for wearing sweat pants after letting in a guy in a bathing suit and flops,…read moreand my other buddy also in sweat pants and then started to verbally assault me after confronting the security that didn't let me in. Complete snob. Incredibly rude and turned a deaf ear to me. Crappy establishment that treats their customers poorly.

The Royal NightClub

See all

This is one of the bouncers

Rumors Cabaret

3.2(92 reviews)

I literally just had to download Yelp because of Rumors. THE BEST safe space, hands down, no…read morequestion, they are first and foremost about safety! Friendliest staff, and just to boot the best drinks east of the Mississippi! 5+ stars all day long

To coat check is $3 on top of the cover charge, which seems excessive. I somehow lost my coat…read moreticket number and even though I thoroughly described my coat, they would not release it to me and said I could come back at 1:45am when they were closing. I stayed awake and called at 1:30am to confirm I could come back- the person on the phone was extremely rude and said they "didn't have time to deal with that because they were too busy." I didn't realize picking up a coat was so time consuming... needless to say I will not be returning.

Main bar

Rumors

See all

Redlight Kitchen & Bar

4.5(189 reviews)

0.2 mi

This place was, to say the least, unforgettable. I grew up in Bellingham but have never lived there…read moreas an adult. I visited Redlight on my dad's 62nd birthday. Not only were the cocktails delicious and intriguing, the food delectable, and the atmosphere spectacular. The service was beyond words. Anna was a wonderful server as well as a different server who helped when I asked for something, but additionally I spoke to a bartender who provided great recommendations for my father. When the food and drinks were served, my expectations were exceeded. In addition to all of the positive experiences, once we had closed out a customized birthday card signed by the entire staff was delivered to my dad. PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND VISIT THIS RESTAURANT!

We had a really good experience at Redlight and I'm already looking forward to going back and…read moretrying more of the menu! First, the cocktail menu is fantastic. It's been a long time since I've seen one this creative and extensive. If I wasn't worried about falling over, I probably would have ordered one of everything . I had the Song of the Siren, which was a perfect balance of sweet and tart without being too sweet. I especially loved the hint of white balsamic vinegar. It was surprisingly strong though, so one was plenty! My husband had Le Tigre, which had guava, passionfruit, pineapple, lime and Thai chili tincture. It had just a touch of spice and a really interesting combination of flavors. We both loved our drinks. For food, we started with the ribs and then ordered the pork belly bao buns and the hot noodle dish. The ribs were cooked really well and had a wonderful crispy/fried texture, but they were very lightly seasoned. If you really want to taste the meat, you'll probably love them. For us, they could have used a little something extra. A couple of fun dipping sauces, maybe something like a honey gochujang, would have made them amazing. Our waitress, who was extremely friendly, told us the hot noodles are one of their favorites. They weren't quite for us. There was definitely lots of flavor, but the sauce was pretty rich and dense and the dish had a good amount of spice. We each had about a bite and ended up packing the rest to take home. It sounds like it's a popular dish though, so I think this one is probably just personal preference. The absolute highlight was the pork belly bao buns. I was a little worried pork belly might mean a lot of heavy fat, but these were much more meat-forward, with the perfect crispness around the outside. The flavors were phenomenal and the bao itself was perfectly cooked. Definitely order these! Overall, really good food, wonderful service and one of the most interesting cocktail menus I've seen in a long time. We'll definitely be back.

Vanilla Lemon Drop

Hot Noodle! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

See all

Hot Noodles

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

6 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Jack B.

10 years ago

Unless you are one of the alcoholic locals, forget it. We say "local" because the bar staff was on a first name basis with these obnoxious drunks. First and foremost, we were shocked that the bar staff were tolerating the vulgar comments directed at them by one of the bar stool drunks. This obnoxious ass was loudly describing to the bar gal all the places he would love to "stick his dollar bill" in her. This was followed up by obnoxious drunk #2 and #3 leaning in between my wife and I trying to force a conversation with another bar gal. I had to tell them both to back off, which they both actually did and stumbled down to the other end of the bar. Wife and I ordered a salad. She ordered a $4 side salad, I ordered a $9 chicken salad with ranch. Our salads came out and they were both the same size and were nothing more than a pile of wet slop. It looked like they put lettuce, tomatoes and whatever else in a blender and poured it on the plates. My 'chicken' was pea sized cubes of God knows what. Lesson learned. We know not to come back here. read more

David E.

11 years ago

Other than the nostalgic ambiance and I'm sure the staff and patrons are quite friendly, I would never go there again, not for food anyway. The seafood mix, captains plate or whatever was called, I got to go, was the most God awful plate of STUFF I've had in recent or distance memory. The the once frozen selection was unevenly cooked and some was either raw, rotten, and/or freezer burnt. It would also be difficult to say how long the product may have been in the freezer or the grease in the frier. I ate what I could, but the rest went out the window. It didn't set well on the stomach during my evening class. The building interior smelled like a hundred years of spilled stale beer and cigarettes. I would hope that the taps get a good cleaning occasionally. It would be a cozy little place once a fresher fare was served, and the carpets and walls got a good washing. read more

Nichole B.

Elite 24

357

419

495

2 years ago

Waterfront Seafood & Bar in Bellingham was a fairly average experience. The staff was friendly and the laid-back, local vibe was nice, but the food didn't really stand out. I ordered the fish and chips--while the fries were crispy and well-seasoned, the fish itself was a bit bland. The clam chowder was alright but lacked depth of flavor. It's a decent spot for a quick, casual meal, but nothing I'd go out of my way for. Might try somewhere else next time. read more

Sea U.

4 months ago

Boys and girls, watch your drinks every second if you don't want to end up roofied and worse.

Mark P.

9 years ago

Black eye to Bellingham. Dishonest. Dangerous.

Elisha A.

16 years ago

God's gift to bellingham.

Waterfront Tavern Seafood and Bar Bellingham - divebars - Updated November 2026

Waddaya know? Waddaya say? Here at Nicki's again for the best fish and chips in the state. No…read moresurprises here. Fish and Shrimp combo with a tower of onion rings. It's always good here and the ladies working the floor are a hoot. This place isn't fancy. It's a waterfront watering hole and I'm here for it. Great

The service was great and the food was perfect, after a long day of travel. We wanted to take the…read moredrive down the beach side from Canada and found this gem. Amazing views and food, if you're in the area come check it out.

Charboiled shrimps as apps -$12

Bar area

See all

Sunset (with boats)!

Bay Breeze Restaurant & Bar

Lunched there on a cool, rainy fall day, with just enough wind to make the bay appear to have…read morebreakers rolling in. Love that view. The nicely spiced herb crusted rock fish warmed us up! Perfectly prepared and presented, I highly recommend it. Our waiter John was friendly and responsive. I've eaten here several times over the past few years and rarely see many people dining there, I can't figure out why. Service can be a little slow but it's not a fast food joint, and I find the prices a bit lower than other dining establishments in the area. Great view and wonderful food! I'll be back!

While visiting relatives, we had a nice dinner with exceptional views of the sunset here. Our…read morewaitress, Kali, was friendly and helpful. We had the parmesan herb crusted rockfish, fish and chips, and I had the blackened rockfish sandwich. I enjoyed my sandwich and old fashioned. I recommend not serving your customers water in plastic glasses.

6/23 Today Special : King Salmon with Gnocchi

Atmosphere

See all

The view was amazing!

Alger Bar & Grille

Not far from the freeway, although not much traffic wanders this way. A nice stop while driving up…read moreOld 99 for a burger and a drink. The day I was here the taps were out, so if you wanted a drink it had to be from the cooler. Plenty of good options including some local ciders. The burger was cooked a little more than I'd prefer, but still tasty. Crisp bacon makes everything better. Good tots!

Dinner and drinks was great last night! I had a crispy chicken salad that was beautifully made and…read moreplentiful. My husband had a club sandwich with potato salad and was happy with his choice. Price and service was great- fun Halloween decorations and wheel chair accessible

See all

Dirty Dan Harris Steakhouse

OMG, it was absolutely divine. Be forewarned, pricey, but divine…read more The first thing our wonderful server, Leslie, brought out to us were our drinks. Mine was a perfectly delicious Blueberry Martini with a perfectly outrageous bubble atop it that so stunned us that, once we found our voices again, we couldn't stop talking about it. (Blew was right! See photo for this amazement.) (The Blood Orange Old Fashioned wasn't "half bad" either...) We ordered the salad special: oh, and it was! Not sure I have this all straight, but it included peach and blueberries, along with candied walnuts (a generous amount!) with a peach vinaigrette on the interestingly slightly wilty greens. Wonderful. The Miso-glazed Black Cod was melt-in-your-mouth. The Game of the Night was Elk. It was splendid (medium rare, so delicious, tender, not gamey). The roasted veg accompanying was very nice as was the stuffed baked potato. The fries were, hands down, the best we have ever had. I ended up eating them without dipping them in anything (and I am certain their aioli was a thing of wonder). Leslie steered us to beautiful wines. Sweetly (pun intended, but true) they gave us a birthday treat of Crème Brûlée--you had to smack hard with your spoon to crack the top--just the way I love it! It was an over-the-top occasion for us--and this was the perfect over-the-top place to celebrate. We loved Leslie. She was so patient and accommodating, and all her recommendations were perfect. We got to meet the owner, Steve--a really nice guy and committed to create a fabulous experience in a beautiful place. Wonderful birthday; wonderful night...couldn't ask for anything different. All was just perfect.

We really wanted to like Dirty Dan's, but unfortunately our experience was pretty disappointing…read more When we arrived, the restaurant was almost completely empty--just two other couples--and the layout felt a little strange and not particularly warm or welcoming. We started with the clams and mushrooms. Unfortunately, the clams had quite a bit of sand/grit in them, which made them difficult to eat. The mushrooms were also disappointing--they seemed like small button mushrooms from a jar covered in a BBQ-style sauce and just weren't what we expected. There were definitely some bright spots. My companion ordered the filet, and it was cooked perfectly. His mashed potatoes and fresh carrots were also very good. I ordered the scallop risotto, but the risotto was noticeably undercooked and crunchy. After hearing the owner tell the servers to "give her the scallops," they brought me a small dish with my three scallops on it. I appreciated the gesture, but the whole interaction just felt a little awkward. They did bring me a crème brûlée for my birthday, and it was delicious--probably the highlight of my meal. The owner, who was very casually dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, did come over and apologize for the food, which I appreciated. Overall, there were some good elements, especially the filet and crème brûlée, but there were too many misses for us to want to return. For a special-occasion seafood or steak dinner in the Fairhaven area, I think we'd choose somewhere else next time.

Elk and the world's best fries...

Seafood pasta

See all

Magnificent bubble on my Blueberry Martini

Keenan's at the Pier

I should have wrote this long time back but missed. Only thing I remember is having a very nice…read moreexperience with respect to food and service (not to miss the ambiance) for a party of 6 at this place and food and drinks didn't disappoint any one of us. Definitely would go back if I am in the area.

Food was delicious, seriously loved the seafood chowder. And the cod tacos were super fresh!…read moreService was quite slow but it was busy and it's a perfect place to see the view no matter the seat you get.

Glass of rose on the patio

VIew

KALBI SHORT RIBS

See all

Rusty Wagon Old Tyme Food & Beverage Co.

This was a amazing experience the waiter called me boss which no one else has called me that and…read morethe food was amazing 100 out of 10 stars

We were looking for a place that was kid friendly to have lunch with our granddaughter and found…read morethe rusty wagon. So happy we did! A local favorite, a little bit off the beaten path, but worse looking for it. Very friendly and timely service, really good food, and a great menu that everybody will find something on that they like. If you're vegan, that last comment may be inaccurate ;-). You gotta try the milkshakes, this reminds me of what I was used to growing up at some of the great family restaurants in the 1970s. Outstanding! The interior of the restaurant is decorated with an eclectic Western theme and your eyes will never get tired of looking for all the details. Our granddaughter loved it! And so did the grandparents and my dad. We'll be back.

Philly Cheesesteak with waffle fries. So delicious. The grilled onions on this sandwich though.

Dining room.

See all

Bellingham Bar and Grill

I'm not entirely sure why they have as low of an average as they do, I thought this place was just…read moredarn-right decent. I mean, keep your expectations in check, it's a sports bar pub place but the prices weren't terrible, the service was good (the server was friendly and personable, so no complaints there). Yes, typical bar food. Not the biggest selection as far as some other dining choices, but the food was good, not severely overpriced and the drink choices were pretty okay. Happy hour wine was alright, not my favorite, but drinkable and did okay with the burger I had. If I was on my cheat day diet wise, there would've been more choices (I would've destroyed a plate of the cheese sticks, but those days are mostly behind me). It's 100% a sports bar. TVs, pool tables, shuffleboard ... I bet this place is hopping later in the day. We went a little earlier because we were hungry ahead of a show. I think it's absolutely decent for what it is!

We used to absolutely love coming here for the food- specifically the mozzerella sticks and fish…read moreand chips (cod and chips) but in recent visits they have been pretty mediocre and we are so disappointed! The fish pieces were super small instead of the big ones we used to get. We were told they were hand cut, but the plate ended up being 75% French fries. The mozzerella sticks used to be cheesy, stringy and delicious and recently were a bit chewy despite us asking for them to be fried longer. We still love the place- drinks are good and well priced and pool is always fun!! Looking for a new fried food spot in town, though.

Ribeye stake is not bad. Tender and tasty

Bar area

See all

Eagles Nest

3.5

(15 reviews)

8.1 mi

Wonderful service, but the worst food I've ever had in years. Fish and chips were strangely rock…read morehard and chewy. We got tater tots and they tasted like months old oil. Cole slaw was OK. Ranch and tartar were gross. So disappointed because we love the venue

Walked in and no one to greet us. Sunday football was on and we sat in the bar area at the bar…read more Ordered buffalo chicken wings and a plate of fries.. wings were rubbery and needed to be cooked more and the fries were good. Drinks were good but I ordered a tall captain and diet and a short glass of Jack and diet for my husband and the bartender gave us the same size tall pint glass for our drinks but gave him his Jack and diet soda only 2/3 of the way up the glass - which was weird. They had other style and sized glasses.. anyway only stayed long enough for one drink and food.. and on to the next place.. thinking maybe need to try a new approach.

Bacon cheeseburger and tots

Yes they have beer.

See all

Bacon cheeseburger

Grand Avenue Ale House

I tried the fish and chips at the Grand Avenue Ale House on a Friday when they have a $10 special…read morethree pieces of delicious cod fish and chips. So far the best fish and chips I've had in the Bellingham area I will go there and have it again and recommend it to anybody that likes good English style fish and chips. The fish is delightful I don't like that type of chip but that's the chip they use for everything else they are good but they could be crispier.

First and foremost, this is a bar. The atmosphere is that of a bar and so is the service. I could…read moresee why the group I was with wanted to have a meal here, though. Really good hot sandwich and well seasoned fries with a good portion.

Alaskan wild cod and chips

Full Bar

See all

The Cabin

First time I came here, I just wanted a burger since I was coming home from a trip to Canada. Got a…read moreburger and a beer. Solid friggin burger, smash burgers, should have made it double, still good though. And the fries were amazing, wildly crispy. Bartender was cool too. The burgers is what made me come back, b/c I am a huge fan of smash burgers. So today I come back, 3 weeks later. The same bartender, and he remembered me which kind of caught me off guard, in a good way, it was cool. And I made sure to get a double patty smash with bacon & cheese. So if you want a easy spot, with a cool/chill bartender (with cool head of hair) solid inexpensive smash burgers.. come here.

Best smash burger, hands down! Perfect dive bar with a friendly bartender. It's a great place to…read moremeet up with friends for a drink and enjoy some delicious burgers. The fries, however, were disappointing. At least on the night I visited, they were burnt and mostly inedible. Even with that I would give it another try and still give this place a 4 stars regardless of how my fries turned out.