Is Ivars a bit of a tourist trap? Yes.
Is Ivars overpriced? Yes.
Is Ivars playing to the masses? Yes.
Does that mean you shouldn’t go? No, GO!
They have so much going for them. Outdoor seating. On Lake Union. With a views for days… of the Space Needle and downtown. Salmon and all the fish. Great service. Catch the sunset.
But, really, that view. So maybe you’ll come here as a tourist. Maybe you’ll come when someone is visiting. Or maybe you’ll hit up the cheaper fish n’ chips window up front. At least go and give it a try for the sake of saying you did. Insider tip, they have a killer happy hour. Really. If you’ve never been to Ivars because of the price point, all bets are off during happy hour. It suddenly becomes not only reasonable, but affordable, too.
On a political note, because dating America IS political, we are also happy to see that they pay their staff a minimum of $15 and removed the tip line from the check. So, there is that.