Reviews & Ratings for Ivar's Salmon House

09/09/11

Sunday Brunch...so so.

by swavey at Citysearch

Crowed, service very good, more seafood items (fish) was expected but not provided. Won't do the Sunday Brunch again. But, their everyday menu items are usually very good.

03/04/11

Prices up, food quality down

by literal101 at Citysearch

I hesitate to give this a low review because this has been our #1 favorite restaurant for many years with its great food, good service, and awesome views. As a reviewer noted some of their prices recently increased by $3/entree (I only noticed because I received the old menu while the rest of my table had the higher prices). The last two times, at least one person in the group has had undercooked meat or fish. Some dishes are still excellent, but you have to cross your fingers when you order the food. We'll have to think heavily before we come back again. Maybe their Sunday brunch is still good - we might give that a second chance.

06/13/10

Good food marred by no service.

by Skipper46 at Citysearch

Stopped by for lunch on my birthday. The hostess said something as she rushed us to a table, and there we were. We had one menu and another with the insides missing. After reading the whole wine list twice, with no service people in sight, I got up and walked back to the hostess area and got myself a menu. It was another 10 minutes before a waiter came by and asked if we' like a drink. We asked for water without ice and I asked for coffee. He brought us water a few minutes later and took our orders for lunch. During a long wait, I would have asked for coffee but there was no one around. The two other parties were enjoying some kind of free birthday lunch - not offered to me even though this was the first thing my wife told the hostess when we arrived. It seemed like a very long time and we were finally served. I asked for coffee and the waiter finally brought me some. I wiped the spilled coffee from the saucer with my knapkin. (Can you tell I was getting iritated?) I noticed that two of the three plates on our table were chipped; not something Ivar would have tolerated.

The fish was fresh and fine. The tarter sauce seemed fresh and made in-house but it was bland and not special. After serving our meals, our waiter disappeared again. I would have liked a second cup of coffee but I could not find ANYone. After waiting another 10 minutes, we got up and walked to the hostess station to pay. The hostess tracked down our waiter and he showed up with our check. He made a big deal of looking at my ID before allowing me to use a credit card, and told me what fine service that is to safeguard my credit card. He told me some of his life story. I wondered what service is like in Texas, his home State.

I will probably not go back. I might go again alone, but I certainly would not take friends there. I did not ever get upset but I was (really) astonished that such a well known, iconic, restaurant would prove to be so dismal.

We left and drove to a little cafe where I bought a cup of coffee to go. (grin)

• Pros: Good, fresh fare
• Cons: Service? There was no service.

04/19/10

Happy Hour Drinks, I’m there!

by JenKMiller at Citysearch

A recent impromptu date night led me to Happy Hour at Ivar’s Salmon House. Right off the bat, I was pumped to go-I had only been to an Ivar’s once to pick up a bowl of chowder. We got there around 6:30, just in time for happy hour drinks and food. Seating was a breeze, the waitress was really friendly and most of all the happy hour menu made me so “whoa, good thing we came here!”

After ordering a couple beers, we moved onto fish & chips, clam chowder, and calamari. The beer was delicious…the food was disappointing. I remember the bowl of chowder I had a while ago was so good! Of the three food items, the calamari was what I ended up finishing off because I was so hungry. I guess the morale of this story: just because happy hour goes until 7 doesn’t mean you shouldn’t eat a little something beforehand.

I will go again but I think only to have drinks with friends before heading to dinner somewhere else. Perhaps I’ll try the food again in the next couple of months…or I’ll just stick with the other chowder places in Seattle that I know I’ll enjoy.

• Pros: quick seating, great happy hour drinks, awesome view, friend
• Cons: food wasn’t that great

02/05/10

Not like it used to be

by HWP at Citysearch

Food quality isn't as good as it used to be. Clam chowder has no clams or clam flavor - it's more like potato soup. The cooks try to be too trendy - more interested in "presentation" that a pleasant meal. Several days ago for lunch I had salmon with mashed sweet potatoes. The salmon was on top of the potatoes instead of on the plate. Why would anyone want the salmon coated with potatoes? Several weeks ago I had an open faced crab sandwich without any crab, it was just white sauce over toast. Ivar must be turning over in his grave.

• Pros: Attractive building
• Cons: several

09/18/08

great happy hour

by daytrader33 at Citysearch

This is a happy hour worth going to. Great drinks, good food, and cheap prices! Definitly give it a try. Bonus, we drive right up on our boat and there is typically plenty of dock space.

• Pros: boat parking
• Cons: a little greasy

08/11/08

I love their brunch

by choirboy_lap at Citysearch

This a such a great place to enjoy seattle summer...now that we have some warm weather. I have been hitting up there brunch lately and you can't beat it with a bloody mary on a Sunday. if you can get out on the patio then go for it so then you can have the boats going by as you eat.

• Pros: brunch, salmon, summer time patio

05/18/07

If your going to go to Ivar's.

by epiceye at Citysearch

I love Ivar's clam chowder and yes there are many other places to get good chowder, but no other place with this kind of on the water dining. It gets a little crowded but well worth the wait to sit outside and enjoy the view. And if your their for happy hour, eat everything.

• Pros: nice place to sit on the water and eat
• Cons: crowded and loud

10/26/06

Once the best, but not as good lately

by movieman21 at Citysearch

This place used to have the best salmon in town. I've ordered the salmon and it just isnt as good as it used to be. I ve had to change to halibut. The outdoor seafood bar also changed the fresh salmon and it is worse than what was served when the price was 3 dollars less a few months ago. They say its an upgrade in quality but I disagree

08/16/06

Avoid the restaurant--Horrible customer service!

by druflorence at Citysearch

My parents were visiting from out of town and I brought them to Ivar's for some authentic Pacific Northwest seafood. The food was okay (if overpriced), but the terrible customer service was what ruined our experience. Our dinner lasted over two hours due to an inattentive waiter, and we never did receive the drink refills we repeatedly asked for. To top it off, the waiter billed us incorrectly, and, a month later, we are still waiting for the mistake to be remedied on our credit card! This place may be okay for happy hour, but avoid the indoor restaurant!

• Pros: Location on Lake Union
• Cons: Overpriced, Service