Ivar's Acres of Clams is a historic Seattle institution located on Pier 54 along the waterfront, offering iconic views and a classic seafood dining experience. The restaurant underwent a significant transformation in 2015, enhancing its waterfront location.
Customer Perception
Customers frequently praise Ivar's for its classic clam chowder, often described as a quintessential Seattle comfort food. While many enjoy the seafood offerings and the waterfront ambiance, some reviews suggest inconsistencies in dish preparation or quality.
Additional Details
Ivar's has been a Seattle staple since 1938, known for its commitment to serving fresh, wild-caught Northwest seafood. The 'Acres of Clams' location is particularly famous for its waterfront setting.
Likely busiest during peak lunch and dinner hours, especially on weekends and during tourist seasons. Visiting on a weekday or slightly off-peak hours might offer a more relaxed experience.
We were looking for an easy, comfortable place to sit down and enjoy a meal, and Ivar’s was a perfect choice. They were able to take a reservation for six, which made things simple, and the view of the Puget Sound was absolutely beautiful.
There is outdoor seating available, though it was closed during our visit since it’s still March. The menu offered a good variety of reasonably priced options, so everyone was able to find something they liked.
Even though we made a reservation to avoid any wait, it was nice to see there wasn’t a wait at all. The staff was very friendly, and James in particular stood out—he was accommodating, offered great suggestions, and even let us step out onto the balcony to take some photos.
We had friends visiting from out of town who were especially excited about the patio, so that was a nice bonus. The restaurant was clean, welcoming, and overall just what we were looking for.
Thank you for a great meal—we’ll definitely be back!
Great ambiance and attentive service. The sourdough rolls are good. Downside is you pay $6 for 4 small rolls. We ordered the halibut tacos. These would have been good if the meat was better because the flavor was decent. We did ask for no spicy sauce because apparently they are normally super spicy. We would not order these $30 tacos again because the fish is more like a chewy chicken texture and was fried but cold and hard, almost like cardboard.
5
Fantastic spot for happy hour! First time hete and we’ll be coming back for sure. I ordered a butterscotch rum drink that was hot and tasted out of this world. All the food we ordered was delicious as well. I got 4 oyster shooters where each oyster was only $2.50 and they were big boys. Their cocktail sauce was more on the mild side and had flavor. Very good pricing for what we had. The view from our booth was of the ferrys and the sound. I’ll be thinking about this meal for another couple days.
2
Horrible experience yesterday. like most restaurants probably a staffing issue. we were sat and 20+ minutes passed before some checked to see if we been waited on. Waitress commented that they had just moved everyone around so there is confustion. Also, we came specifically for the vegetarian menu - 1/2 the items not available. Ordered Clam Chowder and when it was delivered and I asked for Hot Sauce - waited 15 minutes for hot sauce. waitress never came back. We had to ask buser for hot sauce and WATER as no water still delivered to table. just not a higher end dining experience that you expect when paying the prices. food was good for sure but cold soup is never the best. i did notice other tables, seated, served and left before us - they were lucky enough to get a section that was fully staffed. hope they have better luck with staffing
2
Visited with my family and ordered more than one kind of fish entree but all fish were old hence tasted very bad while paying a high price for each order. Atmosphere was comfortable but primary feature and reason for visiting a restaurant is to enjoy some food with good flavors but that did not happen here at all so do not plan to revisit.
