Ivar's Seafood Bar

Greeted with a; Hello can I help you, from the moment I enter the door. The food takes on a uniform quality from my first visit to now. The service is good, order at the counter and they bring it to your tablet. They are not consistent with their after meal mints. They get busy and don't always bring them around. I'm sure they'd oblige me one if I asked at the counter. Meet me there, we'll all try it next time! 😉

When I get the Ivars crave I go to this location on Aurora. It does not disappoint...except for today! I ordered and took my 4 piece cod fish and chips to go. I live just a couple minutes from the restaurant. Got home, opened my meal and immediately knew it was not up to standard. The fries were pale and limp and the fish strips were small, almost like the kitchen cut a normal serving in half. Apparently the kitchen cook could care less about quality. Sad for this as I will probably not return. **The only thing that saved this visit was the cheerful and super friendly cashier, she deserves a pay increase!!**

Ivars has always been go-to spot for some fish and chips. Fish and chips were hot and tasty. The three piece was more than enough for a lunch portion. On this visit the clam chowder was lukewarm warm and more “watery” than usual. I’m not sure if it had been sitting out for a bit.

Wow! My buddy Kai took me here (I'd never been or heard of), and holy cow, this is exactly the fish-and-chips meal I'd been hoping to have since moving to the PNW! Really crisp, delicious, hot white Alaskan cod and also-very-crisp fries (chippies!) that, as a psychopath who sauces everything very heavily... that's load-bearing crisp. You can pour a lot of malted vinegar on those bad boys without soaking them. The lovely head-waitress type asked me, 'Have you not heard of us, dear?' and I had to confess I had not. I guess it's a Seattle institution, but my buddy Kai just said, 'Hey, we're taking an hour bus-ride north to get fish and chips,' and I just love fish and chips and he's treating, so I was, like, absolutely! Glad I did! Ivar's is incredible. Paired everything with a Dr. Pepper

I love this location, primarily out of nostalgia. The service is always friendly and fast and given the current troubling dynamics on Aurora, the staff is amazing. They have a staple of old regulars who remain loyal despite the neighborhood challenges. The fish and chips are a Seattle staple, you might find better, but Ivar’s is consistent. I love the smoked salmon chowder, it’s a must.