Ivar's Salmon House

Our friends invited us to have lunch here. It was good. I had the Copper River king salmon and my wife had the Copper River sockeye salmon. Having sampled the sockeye next to the king, I've determined that the king is better. That's a big middle finger to the sockeye 🤣, if you get the meaning 🤣. The calamari was also good. Their Famous white clam chowder was probably the best I've ever had. The view of lake Union was nice with the Space Needle at the far end. Lots of tables out on the deck but it was a bit too windy to sit out there today.

Our party of six had what I would call a very average meal with poor service and a high price tag. I was really disappointed because I had been thinking about halibut all day long and couldn't wait to give this place a try. The food was OK, but not the high-end experience that we thought we were paying for. Note to management, tell your servers to stop making excuses. Ask what you can do to make things right and do it with urgency. Exceptional service should be your top priority.

We love eating here. The staff is super friendly. The food amazing. My favorite is the crab cakes, and maybe because I love the mash potatoes. I’ve probably eaten half the menu and loved it all.

Cool Pacwest vibes abound with the native style totems and artwork. Ivars is like 2 different restaurants. Inside is more formal and the patio is more of a waterfront fun atmosphere. Food was good along with the service. Views are great with boats all over and a dock if you choose to boat in to eat.

It is always a pleasure at Ivar's Salmon House! We went there twice already. The food is tasty, well-prepared and fair priced, the staff and service are excellent and it has a unique atmosphere. At the summer they have an outdoor seating section above the lake, which is always fun and romantic. We were there at last year's 4th of July and it granted us direct, uninterrupted, and clear view to the fireworks above the lake. The restaurant is big and is filled with Native American signs and History, contributing to that unique atmosphere.

Sun-drenched at 68 degrees—Seattle’s version of a heatwave—I found myself basking on Ivar’s Salmon House patio, the scent of alder smoke wafting from their open-pit barbecue. The Alder Grilled Fresh Alaska Halibut arrived, adorned with pineapple salsa and a sweet chili glaze, resting on a bed of cilantro-ginger jasmine rice alongside tender asparagus . Each bite was a harmonious blend of smoky, sweet, and savory. Accompanied by a glass of rosé and a refreshing sangria, I watched seaplanes dance over Lake Union. The service? Swift and attentive, without the overbearing cheeriness. Dining in a Native American longhouse replica with panoramic skyline views, Ivar’s offers a quintessentially quirky Seattle experience—where tradition meets the unexpected.

Great backup option if Salty's on Alki is booked out. You still have a good view of the Seattle skyline, and Lake Union is beautiful on a sunny summer afternoon (watching all the boats going back and forth is fun too). There's nice outdoor seating as well. I loved the indoor aesthetic. Really captures the historic "frontier indigenous forest" vibes of the region. Service was attentive and engaging. We came early around 4:30pm on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't busy then. Our server was fun and appreciated his recommendations. I kept it simple--king crab bisque bread bowl. Super good, but I did notice the "bowl" seemed to have *more bisque* than the "bread bowl", even though the bread bowl is more expensive. Hmmm, okay. :) Free parking across the street reserved for restaurant patrons. Pretty close to Gas Works park so you can add it before or after on your itinerary.

Beautiful lakeside location with outdoor patio seating, and very cute interior. Food was generally dry and overcooked, with underwhelming sauces. Desserts were uninspired and overly sweet. Clam chowder was excellent though!

I had a great experience at Ivar's Salmon House. The ambience is great! The food is extremely well prepared and presented. The service is attentive. The restaurant is built thematically around Pacific Northwest indigenous people's traditions of the Longhouse. Food is largely themed around PNW seafood, but there are good salad options for vegetarians, and chicken and steak options for those who prefer something other than seafood. It's well worth heading here for lunch or dinner.

We went for Father's day and was surprised that it was buffet only. The interior is absolutely beautiful with stunning woodwork and a surprisingly nice waterfront view. The buffet was definitely nothing to write home about and the line was surprisingly long at times. I remembered that Anthony Bourdain said that Sunday buffet should be avoided because it's an opportunity for the restaurant to get rid of the food they couldn't sell that week. It certainly felt that way. On the plus side, the best thing that I ate were the brownies and cookies. They were the only things that tasted fresh. Salty's buffet is now $90/person which means it's somewhere I would only go every 3-5 years. In that sense, Ivar's wasn't too bad of a deal at $60/person. We also walked to Gasworks park afterwards which was a nice way to end the meal. The sidewalks are narrow and nonexistent at times though so beware.

Great backup option if Salty's on Alki is booked out. You still have a good view of the Seattle skyline, and Lake Union is beautiful on a sunny summer afternoon (watching all the boats going back and forth is fun too). There's nice outdoor seating as well. I loved the indoor aesthetic. Really captures the historic "frontier indigenous forest" vibes of the region. Service was attentive and engaging. We came early around 4:30pm on a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't busy then. Our server was fun and appreciated his recommendations. I kept it simple--king crab bisque bread bowl. Super good, but I did notice the "bowl" seemed to have *more bisque* than the "bread bowl", even though the bread bowl is more expensive. Hmmm, okay. :) Free parking across the street reserved for restaurant patrons. Pretty close to Gas Works park so you can add it before or after on your itinerary.

I will start with the positive. I ate with good company, and we had a great view. Unfortunately, our server was a C+ at best and could use some additional training. Don't make excuses when you get something wrong, just make it right and do it quickly. Don't insult us by taking the cost of the broccolini off the bill because the kitchen didn't pay attention and prepared it wrong. Really? What does broccolini cost anyway? My Manhattan was awful, and I've had better cocktails in a hotel bar. I knew as soon as saw the bright red cherry which typically goes in a Shirley Temple not a classic cocktail. That was a bad start for sure. My halibut was decent, but I thought it was overcooked. My daughters Surf and Turf also looked overcooked as well. The mashed potatoes were excellent though, and I thought the Creme Brulee was actually the highlight of the meal. All in all, it was a mediocre dinner experience at best. Disappointing for sure when I saw the big bill. The ambiance was really cool, and I had high hopes for this place, but I can't recommend this restaurant, and I wouldn't go back. There's got to be a better seafood experience in Seattle than this one.

One of the better bowls of chowder I've had. We got a great table outside with an awesome view. Service was fine. Don't waste your money on the baby prawns.

Ivar's is a solid choice for a seafood spot in Seattle. Thia Salmon House location on the north side of Lake Union has great views of downtown and the space needle. If you can go during summer and get a table outside on the water, it is awesome. Even in the winter time though, the great thing about this place is how big it is and how much seating there is. While we always try to book a reservation, even when we have decided last minute to head here for dinner with a party of 4 we have never had to wait to be sat. Their menu is decent and they always have seasonal options which have never disappointed. The food always taste fresh and the service has always been great. The food is a bit pricey, but for seafood in Seattle I don't think it is unreasonable. This Ivar's continues to be one of our go to spots for group dinners or when we have folks visiting us, so definitely recommend!

Ok they obviously don't read notes in making reservations and telling the hostess ahead of time. Requested a window view of the water for a birthday, instead got a view of the closed patio. Will not come here again! Food was subpar, brocollini had flowers in full bloom and cold, bulgogi was cold I was so embarrassed I need to repeat the birthday dinner elsewhere. Even if you are a tourist don't go here. There are better places for real pnw seafood like Taylors Shellfish. Anthony's , rockfish .

The service was very good. Our waitress was very friendly and patient with us. We had a party of 8 so getting everyone to pay attention tends to be a bit difficult sometimes. Ambience was good and we went at night so we couldn't see the view very well. For food I got the pesto penne and it was okay. I thought it was a bit bland but the salmon in it was tasty. The calamari was interesting. I got to enjoy 2 textures. I did enjoy eating it and there's a lot of it so it's easily shareable. The Hot Toddy was recommended by the waitress and I liked it. It was different because it was a warm alcoholic drink. It was kind of like a spiked apple cider in a way. If you're allergic to cinnamon I do not recommend getting it since there is a cinnamon stick inside. Overall I think this place is mostly for enjoying ambience. My friends seemed to have enjoyed the crab cakes and the salmon themselves. I'm just giving this place a 3 because the food wasn't as good as I had expected it to be but others may enjoy it more. I think this spots highlight is the view. To give you guys a heads up you would need to find street parking and walk over to this restaurant. There is a tiny parking lot for this restaurant but there's maybe around 10 available if they aren't taken.

The waitress we had was THE BEST, we thoroughly enjoyed having her wait on us- thanks Kendra S. We had a reservation and were able to get seated within 5 minutes on a Wednesday evening at 5:30pm. It's a very popular place and I had previously shown up and unable to get a place without a reservation (this was years ago). It's very fancy, right on the water with a great view. But you're paying for that ambiance! Lots of work dinners seemed to be going on around us. My pesto penne was HUGE and I have enough for a 2nd meal. It was a hefty $34. It wasn't the best penne I'd ever had. I would say you're paying more for experience and for fresh quality fish,

I absolutely loved the log-cabin ambiance in this place and the beautiful view of the Seattle skyline from our seat right next to the window. Our waiter was friendly and we didn't have to wait long for our food out the bread basket, which was quite good. I enjoyed my fish and chips, but I had been hoping there would be more sub $40 options on the menu. Definitely still a very nice dinner experience

Wow. Very expensive. Other than that the food was cooked beautifully and had many different choices

There were 12 of us traveling from SC, TX, MD, FL, NY who were looking for a good meal before our cruise to Alaska. Overall my clients enjoyed their meal. I expected more from Ivar's Salmon House. I ordered the Alder Grilled Salmon Sampler which was very bland and tasteless to me. Service was good but rushed. I loved the location as it sits on the water with great scenery of the Needle.

Came here on a business dinner. Wonderful, we can order anything we want. Loved the totem poles and the nautical sense of the restaurant. The The ambiance was really nice. Especially the wonderful view of the scenery and the Space Needle. It was a beautiful setting for a great meal, Sat down to a mostly empty restaurant. We were all hungry and eager to get appetizers and drinks,so the restaurant seemed empty. However, it took over an hour for us to receive our basic orders. Most of us ordered in ordered either fish and chips or a salad with clam chowder. Unfortunately, none of us were impressed with the food. Shouldn't take very long. We had too much to drink and no food. The fish and chips were over fried and cold. Equally, cold clam chowder with a layer of skim on it. Later, some people experienced gastrointestinal problems they linked to the clam chowder. Our server tried their best, even with a mostly empty restaurant. But still incredibly slow. We all were not happy with both our service and food. Loved the view, just a very unhappy group experience at a restaurant we expected better of.

The view was wonderful but the food was overpriced for the mediocre quality and small portions!!! To add insult to injury, we had to PAY FOR BREAD!!!! The final cherry on top was as we were leaving and the manager walked up to the kitchen and yelled out to the kitchen, "Where's my fucking food"!!!! I highly doubt we'll be back after this experience!!!

We went for the new year eve event. It was a very disorganized event. We went there at 9 pm and could not get food until 10:30 pm. We were in line for 1.5 hours on a new year night and was a horrible start to the night. The seating was very crowded and we were put on a L shaped weird table where we did not really have space to move. When we talked to the manager, he charged at us! He was taller than us and came so close to look at us in an intimidating way. He did not want to hear our feedback but just took out the frustration at us. The food was good which we appreciated. However, this is not how we wanted to spend our New Year's Eve. Do not recommend!

A friend of ours had a dinner reservation on 12/23 with the intent of viewing the Xmas boats but had a last minute conflict. She offered her reservation to us so we decided to check it out. The last time we were at Ivars was back in March when we had a great Easter brunch. We had the opposite experience this time. Pros: Ambiance - you can't beat the Seattle skyline and Lake Union view. Interior decor was PNW quaint Service was ok although our waitress never asked how our food was $22 Crab Cakes - this was one of two items we enjoyed $12 Dessert Trio - good way to sample 3 treats Kid's clam chowder and $10 grilled chicken were not bad $17.50 Manhattan well drink was ok Cons: $20 Mussels - they were overcooked and shriveled; the curry broth was almost not bread dip-worthy $6 sourdough rolls were plain and not worth having to pay for bread $33 Chicken Saltimbocca- chicken, prosciutto, & pears were melted together into 2 dry lumps. Again way overcooked and barely edible No king crab legs so we settled for the $65 whole Dungeness crab special. The crab was so dry that my husband said it was the worst crab he has ever eaten Our tab came to $225 for 2 adults and 1 child. Due to the poor food quality and preparation, we will not be returning.

This was my first time visiting this particular Ivars, and it was a great experience overall. As a local, the dine-in experience at Ivars restaurants beats the smaller ones that exist outside the city area. That's just my personal take. The only thing I didn't like was the sticky texture on the tables. But the view was gorgeous, and glad I got to share the experience with my plus 1! The chowder was creamy and chunky with just the right amount of protein in it. I was impressed at the portions, it was filling, and didn't disappoint. The other dishes we had also did not disappoint. The fried NW platter was spot on as far as how cooked it was to the overall taste. The highlight was the spicy mayo sauce - it hit the right taste buds with the spice, being mild, and creamy consistency. The fried fish cakes were also delicious, and not too oily, soggy, or lacking any flavor. Our waiter was attentive, and made sure we were doing alright. We would certainly come back!

I never knew that there were restaurants in Seattle that allowed boats to park outside on the lake to order food! It was a very cool experience. Saturday evening, we stopped by on our way back to return to Rainier Beach. We ordered from the outside bar that is around the corner where the main entrance is. I ordered the Salmon Fish 'n Chips (4pc) and Cup of White Clam Chowder, which was under $23 total. The chowder was SOOO GOOD. I could have definitely eaten more if I ordered a bigger size.

Sun-drenched at 68 degrees--Seattle's version of a heatwave--I found myself basking on Ivar's Salmon House patio, the scent of alder smoke wafting from their open-pit barbecue. The Alder Grilled Fresh Alaska Halibut arrived, adorned with pineapple salsa and a sweet chili glaze, resting on a bed of cilantro-ginger jasmine rice alongside tender asparagus . Each bite was a harmonious blend of smoky, sweet, and savory. Accompanied by a glass of rosé and a refreshing sangria, I watched seaplanes dance over Lake Union. The service? Swift and attentive, without the overbearing cheeriness. Dining in a Native American longhouse replica with panoramic skyline views, Ivar's offers a quintessentially quirky Seattle experience--where tradition meets the unexpected.

Wow. What a prime location and a beautiful tribute to the local indigenous folks who were here long before us Europeans. A beautiful building on the waterfront with dozens of handcarved pieces of artwork and craftsmanship welcomed us in. The food and beverage was also excellent. We all had some sort of seafood (hey, when in Seattle), which was perfectly prepared and lightly wood smoked. The cocktails and beer were a perfect pairing for an enjoyable family reunion. My only regret was that we had to get up early the next day, and so we were unable to linger for more than a few hours. If you go to only one Ivar's location, make it this one!

Walked in noticed the carpet was black like a pathway with seated at a table my arms probably stuck to the table, ordered lunch Caesar salad, which was watered down dressing and a seafood medley, which was coin size pieces of salmon scallop was hard and miniature, and the halibut was little tiny piecesvery hard and chewy overall pretty pathetic

Go for the view! Gorgeous. The seasonal dessert was fantastic - s'more cheesecake. They should have it on the regular menu, its that good. Unfortunately, my lobster roll was not successful. The buttered and toasted bun was delicious. The lobster salad inside was not. If I didn't know it was a lobster roll, I would never have guessed there is lobster in it. There is a mayo based salad with lots of stuff (celery, egg, other?), and little shredded pieces of what I would have guessed was surimi if I didn't know it was lobster. Do NOT order the lobster roll. The fries were requested extra crispy, and they were good. My friend's salmon sandwich was good. Our service was good until we wanted the check. We didn't see our server for 20 minutes after finishing the dessert before we could ask for the check. Maybe she was on a break.

We liked the location and service. Nice view from the table that we really enjoyed it. Food was great. Especially clam chowder. We will visit again.

This was a great dining experience. We got a reservation a couple of hours ahead of time and got to sit outside. The view was incredible. The service and the food were all very good. The drinks were great. If we go back to Seattle at some point we would not hesitate to return here.

We enjoyed the sceneries, and that was nice. The cocktails weren't muddled as asked (just a couple mint leaves thrown in a drink for a mojito, rather than muddled ), no simple or muddling for a mojito. Food was pretty bad. Clams came in a broth that tasted like nothing. No garlic, lemon, or anything. Clams came with zero seasoned broth and unseasoned bread... tasted like nothing, even dipping in the broth. Coconut shrimp was over fried, but still tasty. But views are nice!

Great place! Wonderful view, delicious food! Attentive service too. Had the sockeye salmon with strawberry rhubarb jam (yum)! Loved watching the boats come & go. Perfect spot to bring out of town guests!! A little expensive, but worth it.

Having eaten here multiple times as a child I have nostalgia for it. Unfortunately that's where it ended. I wanted my family to experience it, but thought it was atrociously bad. Tried the salmon sampler- $41 was overpriced and this place was just run down.

Food was great, drinks were good, service was good, view was spectacular! Server was pleasant and food came out in a timely manner. Not difficult to get a reservation, either.

Service was amazing! Was here with the UCLA crew team. We had a large party and service was AMAZING! Food was as good as I have heard it was. I had the crab cake appetizer and for main I have the salmon trio. Truly perfection. The mashed potatoes and asparagus were just as yummy. Hubby had the halibut fired fish and it was perfect also. So happy we got a chance to eat here in our visit.

Extremely sweet servers, beautiful view of Lake Union, largely mediocre food with some stand outs. The chowder was perfect: salty, creamy, warming and the chocolate raspberry cake was insanely good with just the right balance of flavors. Drinks were also good and the tawny port they had on the menu for $8 was really nice. The taste of the northwest (salmon, halibut, veggies, scallops and potatoes) was definitely not good, just absolutely overcooked into oblivion. The lighting was also super odd it felt a little hospital-ish. I think this would be a great spot to grab drinks and apps and / or dessert but I'd skip the entrees.

My fave place for a nice seafood dinner with visitors is Ivar's Salmon House, especially when we can sit outside in the summer. The rotating seasonal specials always make me do a double take but you cannot go wrong with their any of their entrees...I have consistently had a great experience there with service, and you'll get a taste of classic Pacific Northwest flavors.

The CEO subsequently contacted me and apologized for the mix up here. They extended the discount and it was well resolved. Good on ya Ivars! Keep up the great work. Ivars is the absolute best seafood in Seattle. The ambiance at the Salmon House is wonderful....it doesn't get any more Seattle-ish than that. If you have people coming into town for a visit, take them to Ivars!

Apparently, the manager responded to my review, saying that I had meant to review for next door. I'm pretty sure she's wrong and that I did review the bar inside of the restaurant. I went back and confirmed that I was in the right place, both by seeing the name on the Yelp service, as well as other reviews for the same place I provided my review.

The best Pacific Northwest salmon dinners in a restaurant takes place at this casual waterfront restaurant with a northwest native vibe. You enter through wooden doors. You will pass by the open alder wood grills where you see a group of committed restaurant workers with skills that compliment one another committed to the common mission holding each other accountable. The decor is old maps on wooden walls. You step outside to a view of downtown Seattle in the distance, Lake Union and the Space Needle. Nice umbrellas to shield you from the sun. Appetizers we chose mussels, calamari and breaded shrimp. The mussels fresh taste with a spicy citrus sauce. Calamari breaded with a thousand island like dipping sauce I found myself liking the sauce the shrimp your usual - although they were large fresh and cooked very well. My friend picked the king salmon which was served with a lobster citrus sauce. I chose the king salmon on top of purple mashed potatoes with a bacon cooked to perfection. The salmon again fresh and cooked to perfection. Also on the menu were sockeye salmon dishes and other seafood choices. The dessert was a flourless cake with raspberry sauce. This place has always had great sauces. Previous Chantelle mushroom sauce or a blackberry type sauce come to mind. Or yeah the the server that made eyes at my date one time the whole experience was off that visit. Many times the place is packed. Another time they gave us a tour of the open alder wood grill that lines the whole front part of the kitchen, a nice treat. Ivar's Salmon may not be your home grilled salmon dinner from the local natives that sell their wares by the river but it is the best indian baked salmon experience in a restaurant. Our server Zach...took care of us made sure we were happy. Two and a half hours lingering as the lights of the city came on- complimented with drink of whiskey.

Food I was here for a big family reunion and each person had to pay $45 for a set menu with a choice of Salad/Clam Chowder and Salmon/Fish and Chips/Chicken dish. For $45, i was expecting pretty good food. I got clam chowder and Salmon. The clam chowder was actually pretty good but the salmon was not good at all Salmon was dry and flavorless. The cornbread it came with was also not good. Considering the price we paid I was not amused at all. Service/Ambiance This is really the only thing place had going for it. A nice waterside location with good views. A nice motif to the restaurant and some nice servers. Nothing else really to say

The Buffet was very good with just a few little hiccups, while we had to stand outside until 9:30 sharp it had the worst odor of freshly applied Cow Manure on all of the landscape. It was cold outside and they could have opened the doors but rope it Off at the top of the steps they had seat's there where people could wait or use the rest Room. One Old Timer could barely walk and he had to stand outside for 20mins. The quality of the food was 4 Stars since I don't give out five, there's always room for improvement. Our waiter was Excellent and was on the ball the whole time we were there. In a nutshell I would highly recommend this place when they have buffet's it's well worth it, I'm hoping their breaded Calamari is the same every where I would think it would be. Consistency is very important with a name like Ivar's. I'll find out when I visit other spots.

This place is one of the must-try places in Seattle. Get a seat outside if you can and coming for Happy Hour is a serious deal. We ordered a ton of stuff and the service was 5/5 as well. The fried calamari- 5/5 stars. SO GOOD. Just get it. Perfectly fried with a light batter and seasoned well. Salmon steaks- 3/5 stars. Gotta do the salmon Seattle. But, personally, it was not my fave. Clams in sauce- 5/5 stars. We had both clam dishes that were on the HH and it was AMAZING. Like, get that extra bread to order so you can dip it in the sauce goodness. Fish and chips- 3/5 stars. I had high hopes, but it was OK for me. I think this would be the other place that I'd want to return to for the clams and their calamari. Solid 4.5/5

Great ambiance with a spectacular view on the end of Lake Union, I wouldn't recommend getting a steak! Service was good. The chowder to the Northwest platter was absolutely delicious. The best was the crab cakes with the mango salsa!

This was my first time at this place so when I walked into this place I instantly felt this coziness most restaurants would not have, and service was wonderful where my boyfriend and I were helped right away. What I got was the clam chowder and as someone who is from the Bay Area it wasn't the most impressive taste. It seemed like it was lacking flavor and missing the fresh taste a chowder would have especially when it's by the water. Other than having that, I tried the calamari and the crab cakes, those two were really good! The calamari had a nice texture and crunch to it, and the flavor had that kick to it I liked when you eat it with the dip. The crab cake also had a great taste to it, the flavor was on point and did not miss that crunch! If you're craving a good calamari and crab cake I recommend going to Ivar's for that! I will definitely be coming back for that!

Sitting outside by the water was so nice. Service was very good and the food was amazing!

If you like Mrs. Paul's fish sticks from the freezer you will love this place. Even the drinks are terrible- I ordered a top shelf margarita- how can you screw up a margarita? My friends got fish and chips- the fries were limp and not cooked properly and the cod and batter tasted like it came out of a frozen food box. The calamari is an abomination. Giant dark fried hunks of calamari with no flavor other than the brown crust and dipping sauce. The sauce was good. Crab cakes- no flavor, no crab. It tasted like they took milk soaked bread and deep fried it- again, no flavor no crab that I could detect- prolly the worst crab cakes I've ever had. My husband wouldn't even eat any of it, he said it was awful. Our servers, Jeff- was excellent. I would have taken a picture of the food but it wasn't worth the time The caesar salad though was excellent.

My family and I went out to Salmon House for Fathers day this year; an old favorite, we were able to make reservations earlier than their opening business hours due to the holiday and the fathers day brunch they were offering. We were a pretty big party and were able to be seated facing the water, which was beautiful. As always, the decor of a traditional Northwest Indian American Longhouse interior is always inviting. Our waiter was hilarious as well as made sure to check on us often, despite how busy it was. The food was amazing! Pictures would not do it justice; there were endless options of seafood as well as the traditional breakfast items so it made it really difficult what to choose from. The line to the customized omelette station was a little much as it went from the beginning of the buffet, down the ramp to the other side so cutting back to our table after we got our plates was a little tricky. As we went on a Sunday morning, parking is plentiful, either in their parking lots, street side, or in the open lot across the street. If you haven't tried this version of Ivars or dont have a lot of time, there is also the option to order outside from their "Seafood Bar". As the weather is beautiful out, definitely check out either !

A bit pricey (I almost wish I just grabbed something more reasonable at the fish bar) but the ambiance and view are top notch. They advertise a happy hour, but it's worth noting that you can only order happy hour stuff in the bar area, which is still pretty nice to hang in.

I've been to Ivar's Salmon House quite a few times. We usually get there early enough to get a table by the window. What a view! We always get the crispy calamari appetizer. It was always delicious but the last time we were there we were a bit disappointed with the dish. It used to be calamari tubes and tentacles. Now it's calamari tubes and small pieces of calamari steaks and not always crispy. The crab cakes, Manila clams, coconut crusted shrimp and clam chowder are favorites. Ordering off the 'Beat The Tide' menu is a good way to have a starter, entree and dessert for a set price. Desserts are wonderful especially the burnt cream and the NY cheesecake. Service is always good. Parking is available. If you get there early enough, you can park in front of the restaurant. If not, you'll have to cross a two lane busy street to get to the other parking lot.

Absolutely delicious lunch. Menu has been recently updated. Beautiful views of Lake Union. Had Mussels in a spicy broth, generous serving. My friend had coconut shrimp which he really liked, very tasty and crispy, 5 huge shrimp. Side Caesar salad fresh and crunchy. Best of all, service by Jesus was outstanding. Friendly and efficient. Highly recommend.

We ate here for our one night in Seattle before our cruise. Food and service were amazing. Really loved the ambiance and the view of the lake as well. Would definitely return if in the area again.

Seattle institution? Yes. Tasty food? Eh, not so much. Their famous clam chowder is awful. So much cream. Not so much clams or seafood flavor. It was basically a huge bowl of cream. So disappointing. The fish and chips are super basic. The choice of halibut or cod was nice. We tried both and had a slight preference for cod which had a more firm texture and was battered and fried nicely. On the positive side, this particular location is very family friendly. They have a kids menu and crayons to keep em busy.

Excellent dinner and great food and service was first class still a great place to go to eat with friends

The food is very tasty, waterfront view from the dinning table is fabulous! Definitely will come again when in town.