Most Seattle locals can’t afford spendy restaurants for their seafood fix. They go to Ivars Salmon House, Ivars Fish Bar, Chinook's, or Spud's. The good news, for people on a Seattle vacation, is that the best cheap seafood restaurants in Seattle WA are also on (or nearby) the water.
Lingo for People on a Seattle Vacation
The first thing to know is that a cheap eats joint down at the "waterfront” means the Seattle Waterfront, near Downtown Seattle, the Pike Place Market, and Belltown. There are many waterfronts in this land of rain. A Seattle restaurant can be on the waterfront of lakes, bays or canals. “The Waterfront” refers to a specific area. Also, lots of places to eat, for example: “at Green Lake”, “at Alki”, or“in Ballard”, are on the waterfront or near water.
Ivars Fish Bar Down on the Waterfront (Seattle Waterfront)
Technically this is Ivar’s Pier 54 Fish Bar, but locals just call it Ivars. It’s named after a wacky guy who was a local Seattle legend, Ivar Haglund. This place is near Downtown Seattle, the Washington State Ferries, the Bell Street Cruise Terminal, and all the touristy places on the piers. Get the cheap food at the take out bar and sit outside. Why this place is great:
- Outdoor seating (right on the water) with a fab view of Seattle Fire Department's boat fleet and other ships on Elliot Bay
- Fish n Chips (also Cajun style) with good dips, shrimp and chips, fried clams (not as good as New Hampshire fried clams, but view is better)
- Clam chowder (and a warm place to sit on cold days)
- Begging seagulls with wild antics
- New York crankiness from Fish Bar employees on busy days
Ivars Fish Bar on Lake Union (Fremont Seattle)
Some people consider this area to be Wallingford, but technically it’s neither Wallingford nor Fremont Seattle. Seatown could call it Chihuly Land (famous glass artist is next door) or Gas Works Park Burg or, just, North Lake Union (as opposed to Paul Allen’s swank South Lake Union), but that sounds so grungy fisherman drydock to Seattleites. This is the best cheap seafood joint on Lake Union and it’s a great place for hungry people with boats. There are tie ups for 10-15 small craft, depending on size, and that’s a rough guess. Why this is great:
- Outdoor seating on the water (unfortunately there is traffic noise from the Freeway Bridge)
- Same fish bar food as other Ivars
- Splendid views of Space Needle, Downtown Seattle, and sleepless Seattle style houseboats
- Ever changing assortment of hungry people coming off high end yachts, creaky old cabin cruisers, and everything in between
- No seaplanes allowed to dock for dinner (click to read sign at bottom of page, if skeptical)
Little Chinook’s (shin-ooks) and Chinook’s at Salmon Bay Seattle
This restaurant is somewhat near the new Smith Cove Cruise Terminal Pier 91, but it’s not walking distance. It’s also near Ballard, Magnolia, and Queen Anne Hill. Call Chinook’s to see if they are serving the Monday All You Can Eat special for fish n chips (206 283-4665). Also, the alder-planked salmon is a reasonable price at lunch.
Little Chinook’s (fish n chips) has salmon, cod, and halibut, or prawns and clam strips. The cheap patio furniture is tacky, but it’s cool to be next to the real fishing boats, like those on Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch. It has:
- Outdoor seating on the water
- Good fish n chips
- Amazing view of Seattle Fisherman’s Terminal
Spud’s Fish n Chips at Alki Beach or Green Lake
The fish can be good or so-so depending on the day, but both locations are at Seattle’s main outdoor social spots: Alki Beach and Green Lake. Going to Spud’s is just a very Seattle thing to do. One can either eat inside Spud’s or eat al fresco (picnic) out by the lake or Puget Sound. Cool.
Looking for the best cheap food is a bit of a sport in Seattle WA. Because it is a seaport, Seatown people demand freshness. Because it’s an expensive city, they demand a good price. Ivars, Chinook’s, Little Chinook’s, and Spud’s are Seattle institutions. All of these places are on the water or near the water. People on a Seattle vacation should eat Seattle style and this includes burger joints and ethnic hole-in-the-walls.
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Christina Gregoire - Christina Gregoire writes about divorce, fashion, and baby boomers. Her forte is explaining complex ideas in simple language.
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