Ivar's Seafood Bar

I've been a Seattle resident my entire life and I've probably been going to Ivar's restaurants almost as long. Let's put it this way, I'm old enough to remember Ivar Haglund's commercials and his guest appearances on the JP Patches show. 😆 I've been meaning to write a review of the Issaquah Ivar's because I'm a local and I've always had such good experiences there. Truthfully, I didn't even realize there was an Ivar's in Issaquah until just a few years ago. As a former restaurant worker (Shari's) many years back, I'm pretty picky when it comes to restaurants. Here's what I like about this one: About the restaurant: -It's clean. -Bathrooms are well maintained. -Tables are cleared quickly. -The drink and condiment section (sodas, ketchup, tartar sauce stuff, etc.) always seems to be well-stocked with everything. -Floors are clean too. -Have I mentioned it's clean? lol -The food is always served hot and fresh. Fries are crispy, fish is crispy, chowder is *amazing*, salads are good. My kids don't like the coleslaw (I think it's good) but they love all the other stuff on the menu. About the people who work there: -Great, personable customer service. -The people who work there are quick when you need something. -I'm not sure who the red-headed manager lady is but she's really attentive, helpful, and funny. Ever since she started working there, that Ivar's location has really improved on all levels. The previous management was OK but this manager really seems to go above and beyond. -Bob - Have you met Bob? He's an older gentleman who works there and he's seriously an Issaquah legend. My whole family loves Bob! He is the kindest man and we always look forward to seeing him there. I mean, this Ivar's is good but Bob really sells it. He's definitely one of a kind. Overall, I feel comfortable eating at this restaurant because they seem to run a tight ship. As far as restaurants go, it's one of the cleanest I've been to anywhere. And now I'm hungry and need some fish and chips. lol. (Sorry I don't have better photos. I'm one of those people who pretty much only take pictures of food.)

I had never been to this location, but it is certainly my favorite in terms of having the sauces available, not having to beg for tiny portions. The place was very clean inside and the decor was on point! The service was great. The food was great. Anytime I’m in Washington, I have to hit up Ivar’s. I was headed out to Suncadia and this was the last one on my way, so I pulled in here and it is now my favorite for service and amenities. Now, as far as the view goes, the best views are at a particular location in Seattle.

One of the better Ivar's locations I have been to. The food was super fresh and came steaming hot. The facility is clean all around including the bathrooms which were spotless. Personally I highly recommend the Cajun Fish and chips but everything I've tried off the menu so far has been exceptional. If you have never been to an Ivar's, this is one of the best locations to introduce yourself to them.

Ehh.. I could find better seafood in Missouri. The salmon was tough and dry and barely even had any color to it. I questioned if it was even salmon with how fishy the taste was. This was the FULL order of mushrooms. I didn't even know they harvested mushrooms so small- much less only serve so few when they are. I thought the prices looked great until I realized the food was equally bad. It's unfortunate- the place has a good location, nice atmosphere, good service, but the food is severely lacking.

This is the perfect quick meal. Makes a wonderful lunch or light dinner that is affordable and will not disappoint. I highly recommend their two piece fish and chips meal. It is the perfect amount of food. Next time you’re in the area and need a quick bite, stop bu Ivars. You’ll be glad you did. Their clam chowder is also really good. **If you find my review helpful please click on the LIKE 👍 icon and follow my profile...thank you!**

$42 for 10 small pieces of fish, a smattering of fries, a large bowl of chowder, and a large bowl of coleslaw. Luckily they have free tartar, ketchup, cocktail sauce, and Saltine crackers. Was ok. What's really funny,...if you go to their fancy restaurant on Lake Union,...it's the exact same food, only served on plates, and more expensive.

Fresh & Delicious! I am so happy I choose this establishment today. The Cajun shrimp and Alaskan Cod were amazing & fresh! Didn’t leave disappointed. The staff is super friendly & helpful! Thank You for awesome customer service!

Awesome fresh, full of flavor, crisp, delicious food. Excellent customer service. Clean spacious place. Enjoyable food to the last bite, tasty fries. Friendly young casheirs. Nice manager. Good atmosphere. Highly recommend this place

Did take out which was very easy online. Food was ready early. Easy parking and pick up process. I will say the full boat for its name is not that big! Sounds like it would be a LOT of food but was actually pretty underwhelmed seeing it laid out on the table. I think accurate to say it could feed 2 people, barely three not very hungry people. Food wise: Salmon chowder solid as always, but was a bit saltier than usual. Classic chowder is also delicious. Love the bread bowls (doesn't come with the full boat). Fish and chips were good. They charge extra for sauces. Ambiance: Even though we took to go the seating area inside looked inviting and had a good bustle/energy. Would come back and dine in sometime.

The food was as I expected it. We enjoyed the fish, coleslaw, shrimp salad and the clam chowder.

Ivar's a great choice when you want a quick, easy, and satisfying meal in Seattle. Although the fish is smaller than I expected (like fish sticks), they were delicious. The fish is meaty and flaky, and the batter is pretty light. We substituted the chips with a Caesar salad, and that was quite good as well. The New England clam chowder is hearty, which I didn't expect from a fast food restaurant. Everything was delicious, and the service was quick and friendly. I wish they'd open some locations in California.

You can't go to Seattle and not stop for Ivar's. What a treat! The restaurant is clean and has great music. The service is fast and friendly and the food never disappoints. The gentleman that served us today served in the US Navy for 1958 thru 1961. What a gem he is. Thank you for your service Sir!

Not bad. Beats the heck out of Long John Silver's and their ilk. It's still just fast casual, but the flavor is pretty good and I especially enjoyed the smoked salmon bowl. The jumbo prawns were also decent, tender and not rubbery. Fries were pretty meh, though.

This place is my go to for fresh seafood! This time we had our usual 5 piece fish and tried their coconut prawns limited time special. Both we substituted the fries with Cesar salad! (Healthier option). So grateful that Ivars offers this option. The Prawns were sooo good and big! So fresh too. Comes with a sweet dipping sauce. All worth it!

Just did a quick stop, my husband grew up around here and recommended me this place as a must try, it just tastes so good, simple but delicious!

Ivars is a PNW establishment. I would not say it is the best fish and chips in town, but they are solid and fast. I like the fish and chips and my husband likes the fish sandwich.

Blue Friday's September specials Stopped in for a cup of Ivar's clam chowder @$1.20. Also got a side order of calamari. So yummy!

The service was great, and we enjoyed the clam strips and baby prawns. I had the red chowder for the first time and truly enjoyed it! It was a nice experience.

Fast friendly service, clean inside and they are nice. The White clam chowder is a bit too flour forward. Not quite what I'm looking for but close.

Another Ivar's fav spot. Quick checkout, friendly staff and food is fresh as always at Ivar. Our favorites are Fish Tacos, Fish Sandwich , Grilled Salmon plate with grilled salmon, wild rice and delicious corn bread & Clam Chowder. The Halibut plate was good but the Halibut was a smaller peice than a salmon plate dinner

Great food and service! Food came out piping hot, fresh and fast. The restaurant, tables and booths are clean and comfortable to sit at to have a meal. We love the Cajun fish and chips, fried scallops, and clam chowder! Cajun fish is very well seasoned, the fried scallops are juicy and sweet, and the clam chowder is wonderfully comforting! We are very happy to have an Ivar's in our local neighborhood!

Great casual, counter-service spot for a quick fish and chips, chowder, etc. in Issaquah. Fish itself is pretty good, relatively average, but it's a good value, and the service was quick and kind. Perfect place for a late lunch on a Lenten Friday.

This review is for the Issaquah location only. This was the first time at Ivar's. This is a fast food type location. I ordered the fish and shrimp and fries, and my hubby ordered the four piece cod fish platter. We also had the clam chowder. Yum ! The clam chowder was creamy and clammy with potatoes. I love a good chowder. The fish and shrimp was hot, crispy and flavorful. The fries were crispy. The cashier was friendly and took our order quickly. Just be nice and friendly and take my order. That's all I ask My husband enjoyed his fish platter, and inhaled it. You know it's good when we don't talk much. Lol Price was fair. Nothing is cheap nowadays. If your in the Seattle area don't forget to stop by Ivar's, it's a Seattle institution.

The food was good. Came out hot and the fries weren't saturated in grease. Good and crispy. The young adults working there were polite. I was shocked by the condition of the place though. The seat along the wall where I could see my car w my dog inside looked so shoddy. I expected more from Ivar's. The table was super dirty too. In fairness I think I came at a shift change. When I came to the counter they were counting their till and after I saw them doing some housekeeping in the seating areas.

Fast, friendly service. My four piece was hot and delicious. I switched out my catchup for tarter. The dining room was quiet and clean. I love Ivar's.

I was looking for a fish and chips fix and Ivar's was the most convenient place to get it. It was decent. Not the best I've ever had, but as good as I expected. It's maybe not worth a special trip, but I would go back for sure.

Ivers in the city of Bellevue and on the pier. Both were great. Seafood chowder was different at each location, would suggest the fish chowder or grilled halbuit plate. Their corn bread biscuit is one of the best side treats. The fish is fresh and cooked very good. For anyone that isn't used to seafood in the pacific northwest, I'd highly recommend them. Great price too. If you really want the ambiance, I'd suggest the original location at the port. The pictures on the wall give a great history lesson of Seattle and the captain. The service was very slow but they made up for up by cutting a salad off our order.

I wasn't really hungry. Ordered 2 tacos. With tip came to $11 something. The tacos came with 3 tiny tough over cooked remnants of fish. The picture tells the story. What a joke!

I hadn't been at Ivar's for a while. I like the regular Ivar's restaurants. I am not much of a fried or fast food person as I was when I younger. I was craving oysters, and would preferred raw or baked but I thought i would give Ivar's oysters and chips and added a ship cocktail. I see they had a crab cocktail too but they were sold out, and had beer too. I had food to go. I wish they had draft beer like other fish and chip places have. Everything was OK but good for price.

Ivar's has the yummiest fish and chips around! The plates of fries are always well filled and the fish freshly fried, making them oh so hot and tasty. Because of that, you have to expect a decent length wait after you order and before you get your food. But it's totally worth the wait!

I love stopping by when I'm driving by for work. The clam chowder is always delicious and my fries are always nice and crispy! I also love the root beer by Seattle soda that they carry!

The salmon BLT cured my depression. My skin became clear and my hair was shiny after I messily scarfed this enormous sandwich down without regard of who was watching me eat like an animal, because this sandwich deserved being eaten this way. A large, juicy piece of grilled salmon was stacked between a thicccc cibatta bun, fresh lettuce, bacon, and tomatoes, making my mouth so happy, I cried tears of joy. Through my tears, I managed to see my partner enjoying his seafood combo as well. This restaurant is clean, the bathrooms are clean, the portion size is awesome, and the staff is cheerful. The next best thing about this place is their ice!!!!!! Mkkaayy lisstennnn... I am an ICE connoisseur and this ivar's has the type of ice that is fun to crunch. It crumbles wonderfully on your tongue after each chew and the cylindical shape won't choke you or cut the insides of your mouth while melting. Legit. This place is legit.

Ordered 2 Salmon Caesar salads at Ivar's in Issaquah - look! No salmon. Warning - always check your order before leaving this place!! Negative 2 stars mostly because their phone mailbox is full and there's NO way to contact them other than driving back down.

Great service. Tasty food (I got the fish and chips of course). Loved the feeling of the restaurant, with pictures of the OG Ivar!

Got some fried fish n chips and clam chowder a few days ago. I've tried other locations in the past and was always disappointed so didn't have high hopes. I was so wrong. The cod was fresh and not all smelling, the chef breaded and fried it in front of me after I ordered it and it was crispy and golden and delicious, not at all greasy or soggy which means the oil was hot enough and not stale. The fries were fresh too and the clam chowder was better than most others I've had in Seattle (including other Ivar's locations). The coleslaw was light and fresh and really balanced out the fried fish n chips and chowder. I'm not sure why they are better than their counterparts but I'm glad they are and I will definitely be going back for more.

Yummy chowder! Really good cod fish and chips. Clean restaurant. Friendly staff. I'll definitely visit again!

Ivar's is one of my go-tos while visiting Seattle. While running errands, we stopped for lunch at this location. We order the 3-piece Cod with chips and the Fish and Clams combo. Our food came out hot and crispy -- not greasy. Having visited this locations multiple times, the food is always fresh and tasty and the service quick. Due to recent increases in food costs, it does seem like the fish pieces have gotten smaller over time but still great nonetheless. We'll be back...

They are serving old fish, I took it right back and Melissa told me mistakes happens. She was very rude and unprofessional. Never once apologized, thru me $2 back as a wannabe be apology. I refused to take it and she had the nerve to say thanks for the tip.

Well today I took biscuit out for her first Ivers lunch and as you can see she love the fish and chips. We will be back.

The chowder is amazing and the corn bread was really good thanks to all the guys in the kitchen

open! loved that is was open! the prices seemed lower but think it's because they changed fish rather than Cod, which is good. service was friendly and clean. restaurant all chairs on tables no inside eating but open during Covid! love it!

Fish and chips with a side of chowder. The usual Ivar's fare and worth it. Always good

Ride staff when picking up take out food. WAIT OUTSIDE FOR YOUR FOOD, they so rudely bark at you. Felt like that nasty soup guy on a episode of Seinfeld No, how about you make the food faster and have ready when we order it. Don't bitch at us because you cannot make the orders on time. Over you.... Will go some place else next time.... Don't need the hostile attitude for your over priced fried fish.

I think my long time love affair with Ivar's is finally over. I grew up eating this stuff any chance I got. Today I was forced to order a 3 piece bc they no longer offer a 2 piece. Well, my pieces of fish were so small I was still hungry. I wanted a small drink but I was told they only offer a large size. How convenient for the customers. As I ate the fish I smelled a horrible smell and wasn't sure if it was bc of the coating or the oil it's fried in. It tasted more lost rancid oil, but the smell was not as detectable to me on the fries. Whatever it was, it didn't smell healthy. Two stars for the friendly staff and clean restaurant.

Their fish and chips were my addiction for the last few weeks. I wanted to give them a zero star since I ordered 4days straight fish and chips for dinner and I had to do extra 30min cardio each time at the gym. I really need to stop eating these but I can't stop eating their fish and chips. It's so crispy outside and their cod is just omg...so soft and flavorful. I used to eat lots of fish/chips when I lived in Australia for 9yrs and I missed this so much. I won't be back here anytime soon, so I can control myself, but I'll be back in the future.

It's clean and I don't like fried food so really only good option was a classic chowder. Easy to get to and parking was easy. Maybe I'm spoiled I usually only go to the waterfront restaurants bits clean and basic nothing extraordinary. They do need to get an enter sign because when you order it's not clear at side to approach. Also more chowder than anything else lacking clams in the chowder and more potatoes bits

Simple: I just love their fish. Always breaded and cooked perfectly. Fries are good also. The staff is always warm and friendly. So happy they came to Issaquah.

Delicious chowder, friendly/kind young staff, and clean restaurant. I'd come back. *dear yelp, we don't have time for long reviews, we just want to know if we'll get food poisoning or not.

I always have a great experience here. The staff is friendly, the food is hot and consistent every time. The smoked salmon chowder is so delicious. Thank you to the crew here for being awesome.

Love that they opened this new location near me! I would always go to the one across from Crossroads Mall in Bellevue. The interior is so fresh and welcoming with the seafood theme incorporated all throughout. Its the perfect place to get your seafood fix on the go or you can even dine in. Its open seating and a casual place to grab a bite to eat. I usually get their Salmon Chowder and Fish and Chips which are super fresh and delicious. They also offer plenty of condiments to choose from with garlic vinegar, tarter sauce, cocktail sauce and hot sauces. The staff was friendly and welcoming. I will be returning soon for my seafood fix! Pro Tip: Order the Full Boat special which comes with 10 pieces of fish, 2 cups of chowder, coleslaw and french fries. You will save money instead of buying individual items.

I LOVE IVARS!! I have loved it for years, when I needed my fish and chips fix, we would always need to go to crossroads or coulon park! I was ecstatic when I heard that they were opening in Issaquah! The restaurant is gorgeous, staff is A+, service is amazing and the food is sooo yummy! I can't get enough of their clam chowder! You have a customer for life with me!

They run a tight Ship here! Consistent with great customer service and fresh hot/Love in a reasonable time. We love going on Fish Fridays when we can.

We've gone twice more since our not so great experience and the food was much better both times. I really like the prawn and chips and the Cajun cod fish and chips. I highly recommend getting the cod Cajun style. It's so good. I like the little bites they have now too, sriracha cod, onion rings and calamari. I don't recommend the tacos- but I think they are leaving the menu and that's definitely for the best. They put their coleslaw in the taco and it is so overwhelmingly sweet. Overall the food was good and we will definitely come back.

I like this pace. All staff are kind and nice. It is served quickly. My favorite menu is fried cod. It is so fresh and crispy and tasty. It is so good !

Writing this as I gather myself from a triggered panic attack because of how horrible the customer service here was. My boyfriend and I have been delivering for Door Dash during quarantine as we have no other way of making money. We have done tons of pick ups & drop offs with no issues, but this experience was one of the worst human interactions I've witnessed. Today we went into Ivar's and instead of a "hello" we got greeted with a cold demand to "stand over there, not there"...it was already off to a weird start but even after we "obeyed" her demand to go stand on the other end of the restaurant, the woman in the back kitchen practically yelled at us to go stand elsewhere (I still don't understand where else we could have gone) to make room for "other customers to come in"... Keep in mind we've been 6ft apart from other customers this whole time and we're not blocking the doorway AND it's literally quarantine--no other customers are coming in. Their attitude was mean and condescending for no reason. While I have a paralyzing fear of conflict, my boyfriend is one to stand for our honor. So, he says "there's no other customers coming in but we'll move when they do". Which she responded with even more bitterness, "wow ok. No. You can go stand outside" and with a smug smile she waved and said "bye bye". (I hope you read that with maximum attitude & bitterness haha) I was already in disbelief at this point by the rudeness, and I didn't think it could get worse but when my boyfriend explained we have a door dash order and we are just waiting to pick up, they *YELLED* at us to go outside. They were treating us like animals and I have yet to understand what we did wrong. As any sane person would do, my boyfriend said that we would be cancelling the order and that they will hear from us on yelp (hi how are ya, here I am). We get to the car and at this point, I'm sobbing (I know, I'm too sensitive I'm working on it lol)...I keep repeating "why are they so mean! what did we do!".. My boyfriend goes on the DoorDash app to cancel the order and as we're waiting in the car to get it processed the same woman who was behind the counter comes out with the bag of food *dangling* on her finger and walking with the most bitterness I done ever seeeen! She gets to our window, my boyfriend explains we canceled the order so we wouldn't be taking the food and she snaps at us saying "well then you can't park here" and my boyfriend said we would leave when we're ready and she threatened to call the cops on us! At this point I am hyperventilating and she keeps yelling at us and my boyfriend is standing his ground. This is a novel at this point but basically he tells her that he wishes she finds happiness in her life and that he made me cry and blah blah...and we drive away. With all that said, I genuinely wish these women well but I am overwhelmed at the dehumanizing service I experienced today. Will not be returning here as delivery workers or even customers! I want to give them the benefit of the doubt that they're stressed by the pandemic but that is no excuse for the way they treated us. This weird time of the world should be met with extra love and extra kindness. So disappointed in what people are capable of. Thanks for reading.

This review is for the Issaquah location only. I love Ivars and have been going to enjoy tasty food at their restaurants for 50+ years. I was not impressed, however, when I requested curbside pickup at the Issaquah location this afternoon. The employee who brought the food curbside was rude about having to bring the food outside to my car. I understand that they might be understaffed, but If they can't accomodate curbside service politely, the Issaquah location should remove the curbside option from their website.

Don't waste your money on the baked salmon. It was an extremely thin and completely over cooked! Texture was more like salmon jerky and had zero flavor!! In the trash it went. Too bad! Ivars of all places, a PNW restaurant can't cook a local specialty.