401 NE Northlake Way
Seattle, WA 98105
(206) 632-0767 Website
Categories: Bar, Restaurant
Restaurant Details
A walk-up fish bar (fried clams and chowder, too) faces Northlake Way. Inside, Ivar's Salmon House is a beautiful cedar replica of a Northwest Indian Longhouse decorated with native artifacts. Out back is a lakeside patio and it's not unusual for diners to arrive by kayak. Ivar's does not prepare the most exciting seafood in the city, but it is a Northwest icon and they do right by alder-planked salmon.
A nice and kind of homey restaurant lounge with a view of the Seattle skyline and a solid happy hour worth driving (or kayaking) for, with plenty of seafoody food specials and $1 off drought pints, 3:30 pm-6:30 pm and 9 pm-11 pm every day but major holidays. The bar has a sparkly water view and a big lakeside deck, and it is called the Whalemaker Lounge. The Whalemaker Lounge does contain whalemakers: two preserved Orca phalli, which Ivar is said to have acquired from the Hells Angels of Alaska. Night owls beware: Ivar's shuts down at 11 pm.
I met a man who claimed to be the ivars chef at a clam-bake on whidbey island. Nice guy. Tall. Beat me at pool. I told him that the calamari was half squid-bits, half whatever-was-in-the-bottom-of-the-frier-bits. Yuck. He claimed that he's gone home by the time I ordered (late) so it must have been the (insert scapegoat here). The 'Aoli' was also just maonaise, as far as I could tell.
Very cheap. Burger good. Drinks good. View good. Place good. Calamari bad.
I love Ivar's for happy hour because I can go in, spend little, and drink and eat a lot. The beer specials are great and during the winter time, happy hour lasts all night! That's right-- you can get a smoked salmon tostada and a Manny's for under $10 from 3:30pm till close.
As mentioned above, the view is also killer.
Posted by
socialarsonist on February 20, 2009 at 2:43 PM
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Rule of thumb: The better the view, the worse the food.
Ivar's has an awesome view. An all time classic view that you will remember for a long time. Seriously, this place has an incredible view. If you can stomach a really, really, really super excellent view, Ivar's is for you.
The staff is all under 23 and the customers are all over 65. Did I mention the view?
Posted by
elenchos on February 7, 2009 at 4:54 PM
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What a great place. I like sitting outside, enjoying the view while inhaling some fish and chips. I also like feeding the ducks my French fries, but don’t tell anyone that. I think it’s against the rules.
They also have a cozy bar and a decent happy hour if you’re so inclined. It’s a refreshing change from hipster joints, as the clientèle ranges from old drunks, to housewives out for a nip, to college students that live in the area.
Posted by
GoTime on July 20, 2007 at 1:50 PM
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Fnarf: you're my hero and it's weird not agreeing with you but...All of the Ivars suck. They should be all of the things you say but they aren't. It would be great having a "fish for the people" kind of place on the waterbut we don't. You want great fish and chips go to Pac Inn. They've got great fish and chips.
Posted by
chowbert on May 17, 2007 at 7:35 PM
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This is an institution, and has stood on this spot since 1620 or something. Nice patio, great fish and chips, nothing fancy offered and nothing fancy wanted. A great place. You don't really live in Seattle if you've never been here, or been back at least every two years.
Posted by
Fnarf on May 16, 2007 at 3:37 PM
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