Ray's Boathouse Restaurant, Cafe & Catering

I have been coming here for years and I have always loved what was on the menu as well as the location and the service. However the last time I visited Ray's was exceptional. The service was great throughout the night and when my keys were locked in my car by the valet (downside of the night) the bar tenders were super friendly and I got drinks and dessert on the house. I highly recommend the bartender Ben K, he was very friendly and made great drinks, and he was just fun to talk to. Overall, great visit, although the valet got no tip.

Posted 07/15/09

Sunday 5 PM at Ray's was a drag. The bartender's were interested in turnover only and had quiite the 'tude.
Not only was ther bar service as low as it can get, the plating was haphazard; our chese/fruit platter arrived with SLIVERS of cheese and grapes rolling around on the plate, until they rolled onto the counter . Appetizing...
Then the bartender commented that it was happy hour and that for $32 he could serve us a lovely cheese plate. Love the service with a smile! As fast as we could, we scooted over to a table. Everyone smiled in relief, except the laconic waitress who took over at the table.
DId everyone work too long at bunch? I'll have to take a break from Ray's until the summer staff is GONE! (Loved the WHITE Frog beer from Issaquah Brewery!
sushidaisukimimi

Pros: The view is as beautiful as ever!

Cons: If I want a snarly bartender, I'll go to Kelly's in Belltown

Posted 06/06/09

My wife and I have gone to Ray's for years. We tend to sit up in the Cafe for the view and the more relaxed atmosphere. The people are nice, view is great, but the food is really boring. The menu hasn't changed much at all over the past 5 years and the quality of the food isn't that great.

Hey Ray... update the menu to compete with the other great restaurants around Seattle, eh? It's not 1920 and there's better food out there for the same $ now days.

Pros: fantastic view

Cons: Cafe's menu is old, boring, quality lacks against competitio

Posted 05/11/09

By far my favorite - and felt the need to give credit. Everyone you meet at Ray's is friendly and first class.

I try different items and am NEVER disappointed! Ask the server to have the chef put together his reccommandation for the night- you'll be amazed!

Pros: Best View, service and food

Cons: No cons

Posted 05/10/09

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Pros: sk dksdj askdj asd asdsad

Cons: ask for the desert

Posted 04/29/09

wel this one is kinda different from any other restaurant... i like this place, it like a different experience;... wow, astonishing

Pros: best experience

Cons: isn't it?

Posted 04/28/09

wel this place is different, but i like it though. good for dates and other occassion coming. very good place...

Pros: non

Cons: non

Posted 04/28/09

a like this place.... its kinds scary but its really amazing how did they do that... experiencing another feeling while eating... good work

Pros: best in shore

Cons: what are the drawbacks

Posted 04/28/09

It's a staple. This is a test. This is a test. This is a test. I like facebook connect. Why does city search require a minimum number of words for this field? I'm tired of typing.

Pros: Best view, freshness of seafood, experience

Cons: price

Posted 02/22/09

Went to the restaurant on December 28th. Very good. Not the best in town, but very very good. Excellent wine. Glad I went, even though I could not see anything as it was dark at 5 p.m.

Pros: Very good food

Cons: Weird music played on their sound system -- kinda rap music .. too strange

Posted 12/30/08

Great views. Great food. Great Drinks!!! This is one of the best places to get good seafood in the city and to top it off the happy hour prices are fantastic.

Posted 11/25/08

This is where we take out of town company. They food is good standard go out to dinner fare and the view and atmosphere is great. Seattle has better places to go for unique food and seafood, this is a safe bet for picky (unimaginative) types.

Posted 11/04/08

This review is for the Cafe - Citysearch should have these separated as the experience at each is vastly different! The food was pretty good but the service was horrendous. When we were seated we were brought water right away but almost 15 mins later (no exaggeration) we had to ask for our waitress to come over. We ordered a bottle of wine, an appetizer and two entrees. But, when we were trying to remember what we had agreed on to split (15 mins earlier) she was visibly perturbed and walked off without letting us finish what we were saying. She was a total BI^CH!

Then we waited for another 10 or 12 mins and still NO WINE! Our appetizer came before our wine! When she finally brought the wine she was trying to make small talk (probably because she realized she was getting no tip at this point) and said she was moving home to South Carolina in 7 days. GOOD RIDDANCE!

The mussels appetizer was awesome and I don't even like mussels! The coconut curry broth was divine. The crab and shrimp cakes with a cilantro puree were excellent, but the salmon was disappointing. I cook salmon at home all the time and I could have done as good. The mashed potatoes with a cucumber hollandaise the salmon was served with was very good though.

So, overall, great food, sh^tty service.

Oh, and the preppy valet kid had a serious attitude. I wish I hadn't tipped him at all!

Pros: The view, the view, the view

Cons: Horrible service

Posted 09/23/08

This is a great place for either happy hour or more formal dining. Each time I've visited, both the food and service were good. It sure doesn't hurt that the location has a water view.

Pros: View, food, service

Cons: Parking

Posted 06/16/08

Ray's Cafe...The atmosphere at this less expensive version of Ray's is amazing, you can't beat the view and the food is pretty good, not great, but good. The fish from the fish and chips has an odd flavor that I wasn't crazy about, but the tarter sauce was awesome. The calamari and crab cake apps were tasty. I will definitely go here again, just won't order fish and chips.

Pros: View

Cons: Bad Fish and Chips

Posted 06/16/08

Ray's cheff will never dissapoint you. Fresh wild fish, prepared in various ways, always delicious!

Pros: Best, sofisticated, delicious and healthy food, best customer service.

Cons: You pay for what you get.

Posted 06/08/08

Chris Cornell, I heard was once a sous chef at Ray's Boathouse. Of course, he went on to a great career with a seminal band, Soundgarden. Now he has his own restaurant in Paris, Black Calavados. Ray's Boathouse was excellent during my last visit, and i'm eager to return.

Posted 06/08/08

We went there for my dads 50th birthday and we were expecting to have a good time as we always loved the atmosphere and the food there. We waited for at least a half an hour after our reserved time and by then it was already getting very late. The new menu provided by the new head chef didn't even have their famous clam chowder on it. How could you take something that everyone comes to your restaurant to eat off the menu. The tables also didn't have any salt or pepper. Even Burger King has salt and pepper available for you. The portions were so small that you would almost think that they were appetizers. All around I am very disappointed in the new head chef. He obviously learned nothing from the old executive chef and I think that Rays will lose many of its long time loyal customers

Posted 05/13/08

We celebrated our anniversary with friends and family at Ray's and were disappointed. The T-Bone steak offering was thin, and average at best - I can find a comparable steak at the grocery store. This was a far cry from a $36 steak. The ribeye that was served with the Turf & Surf special was flavorful, but tough and the three small prawns that were served with it were unexciting. The crab cakes were good, but the serving was very small. The seafood sampler includes a crab cake, a very small piece of salmon, and a very small piece of the black cod. All were good, but the servings were small.

The accompaniments all around were meager - I think I counted a total of six green beans with my sampler. The T-Bone was served very unceremoniously over a half of a small potato that was very plain and boring. Their sauces were good, but the dribble they provided wasn't adequate.

The dessert menu might appeal to some, but the items offered were too complicated for my taste and some of their old stand-by items are no longer offered.

The service was good, and our table was ready at the time we reserved.

Overall - very disappointing. The view is great but we can get a comparable view with much better food elsewhere.

Pros: View, service, wine list

Cons: Price, value, serving size

Posted 12/28/07

I was invited out to dinner at Ray's recently by my aunt-in-law, and I will say it met my expectations in almost every way. I recently decided to go vegetarian, and I was pleased Ray's had an option for me - it was thoughtfully prepared and delicious! (not just rice and vegetables like I was expecting)
My husband ordered the crab legs, which were slightly undercooked, and they gave him a claw instead of a leg, which was a bit harder to work with. My aunt-in-law was quite satisfied with her scallops and Swiss chard dish.
The service was mostly good, but our waiter was lacking personality and seemed a bit put-off to be at work that day. Although he was quite attentive towards the beginning of the meal, it took a bit too long to get our check.
Overall, a nice experience and I do recommend trying it out.

Posted 12/06/07

Possibly the best chowda in Seattle! They drizzle a little olive oil on top and that makes it. We went to the cafe upstairs for a lovely lunch. While Seattle was having a typical gray, rainy day the view is still wonderful. The restaurant is quite loud do to all the wood panneling but could still hear each other. My clam chowder was served minutes after ordering. This was a nice surprise as many restaurants take 20 minutes to get beverages and appetizers. Sourdough rolls were also delivered to enjoy. Would have been better warm but I solved that issue by sopping up my chowder base. Our entrees were served 5 minutes after finishing chowder. Entrees were hot and fresh. Again surprised by the timeliness. I ordered the cajun rockfish over polenta. Yum! The fish was perfect flaky and a nice size piece. The creole sauce atop had plenty of fresh vegetables. I was only able to eat half from filling up on chowder and twice the waitress stopped to ask if anything was wrong with my meal since I wasn't eating. She recommended that dish when I asked for a nice light white fish. Lunch prices are reasonable to moderate. Definitely not budget and if you add chowder and pop you'll spend $25/pp. They do offer a soup and sandwich or soup and salad combo. We used Passport card which is buy one entree, get one free. I'll go back and would like to visit during happy hour in the summer to enjoy the incredible deck.

Pros: Fresh seafood, many choices

Cons: Noisy, crowded on sunny days

Posted 11/14/07

As first-time visitors to Seattle, I chose Ray's because I wanted an excellent seafood restaurant with a view. I also wanted to be away from downtown, where we were staying. When we pulled up to the crowded parking lot, I was afraind we were in for a tourist trap. Luckily, we were wrong.

I had requested a table next to the window in my online reservation. At our appointed reservation time they didn't have one but had one better: a booth that faced the water. And what a view: my wife and I got to see the full sweep of the Sound, not just what would have been a more limited view at a window-side table.

Given this, we were rather surprised at the high quality of our dinner, since we expected that the owners would figure the view would compensate for shortcomings in the bill of fare. The appetizers and entrees were excellent and the chocolate dessert was superlative. We arrived at the right time to see the sun set and, given that the table was not needed after our seating, the server never rushed or hurried us in any degree. All in all, a great and never-to-be-forgotten evening.

Pros: Beautiful view and excellent food

Posted 08/30/07

If you've ever had the Chatham Strait Sablefish in Sake Kasu, you'll know what I mean when I explain that the flavors in this dish cannot be named. Cooked with the dregs of sake, the fish is at the same time smoky, sweet, and delicate. My family has been coming to Ray's for as long as I can remember and I'm sure we have tried almost everything on the menu, but the sablefish is the best by far. If you are a real calamari connoisseur, you might not want to order them here- they're nothing to write home about. The seared tuna appetizer isn't perfect, but it does fulfill my cravings on a hot afternoon (plus, it's on their happy hour menu!). Be sure to try the Rosemary Grapefruit Drop, which my waiter told me was crafted just for their cocktail menu by a genius who knew exactly what I wanted.

Pros: sablefish, view, cocktails, happy hour

Cons: too many loud children in the cafe

Posted 08/25/07

What must be avoided at all costs is the salmon burger. Usually this is served as basically a salmon sandwich (nice piece of salmon on a hamburger bun at Chinook's for instance) but it is truly a frightening chopped up creation with onion and god knows what else that I took a few bites of and left to itself. It takes a great deal for me to actually not be able to eat something. Except for the view and a decent happy hour, I've never been impressed with Ray's BUT pre-meal rolls are great and happy hour is decent.

Posted 08/07/07

I'm not sure how long Peter Birk has been the chef at Ray's, but he is changing my opinion of the place for the better. There are plenty of restaurants with good views and good seafood in Seattle, but I like that Ray's is really focusing on the sustainable, seasonal aspect now, using local purveyors. I went in recently and just ordered the chef's 3-course offering, which was outstanding. I will admit that for the price, the portions seem a bit small, but by the end of the meal I was perfectly satisfied without being stuffed, and the steak entree beat the pants off of anything I've had at local steakhouses. I don't mind paying more if the quality stays like that. Cheers, Peter!

Pros: Outstanding new chef using local, seasonal ingredients. Amazing wine list.

Cons: A bit pricey

Posted 06/07/07

It was our first time at Ray's Boathouse and everything exceeded our standards. We started off by sharing a starter of gravlax, a surprisingly generous portion served with slices of rye bread. Our wines, ordered by the glass, were generously poured. My husband had the seafood sampler, a delicious offering of King Salmon (with mashed potatoes), sablefish with kasu sauce (with jasmine rice) and halibut (with asparagus). We normally don't order salmon in restaurants because most places overcook it, but our server informed us that Ray's cooks its salmon medium-rare and indeed, the salmon was moist and melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I ordered the duck breast and was rewarded by a large, plump, juicy, medium-rare entree that was wonderfully seasoned, topped with crispy skin. For dessert, we had a creme brulee that was delicious although nothing outstanding.

Our server was warm, professional and knowledgeable. Our bread plate and water glasses were filled regularly. To top it off, it was my husband's birthday and they presented him with a bar of premium dark chocolate, produced by a local chocolatier, wrapped with a pretty ribbon and attached with a note thanking him for celebrating his special occasion with them.

While the prices definitely place Ray's in the fine-dining tier, it's still a lot more reasonable than many other eateries in town and I found the quality and portions of the food were definitely worthy of the cost.

Posted 04/03/07

Used the 25 for $25 and did not disappoint entirely. I arrived perfectly at the determined reservation of 5:45pm and had to wait in the lounge for a few minutes. What sense does that make? Is there someone sitting at my seat this early? The cucumber and mint mojito is refreshing and enjoyable. The butter with sea salt was a nice twist but had limp bread that was not refilled during the course of the meal. The soup of the day was cauliflower with basil oil and smoked scallop that was excellent. The main entree of 5 scallops was generous, unlike Ovio where you only get two, and perfectly cooked. The greens was a bit small in serving size with parm-reggiano bits that I wish was shaved to be more prominent. The sliced hearts of artichoke was ok. The chocolate cake was nothing too memorable with creme anglaise. The wine was generously poured and the service was average because as I was eating my soup, my main entree came. HUGE MISTAKE!!! I thought I was back in Cactus again, where the main entree comes while you are eating the appetizer. Overall, come for the view and drink the wine. Take advantage of the 25 for $25 deal because the regular menu prices are in the $30s range and not worth it.

Pros: The view of the sound

Cons: Main entree brought while eating appetizer. Steep regular menu prices

Posted 03/11/07

I took my cousin in for happy hour. The view was great, but the service was a bit slow. I would recommend going here on special occasions, but not as a regular visit.

Pros: view, drinks

Cons: slow during busy hours

Posted 02/06/07

Went here for the 25 for 25 November special. Service was good: courteous, passably knowledgeable, but sometimes intrusive - it's hard to get a good conversation going with strangers, especially when the waiter keeps on interrupting. The decor was fine - it was night so we didn't get the view. The prix fixe dinner menu looked pretty good, and our group sampled most things on it. Appetizers were nothing special, but the main dish with salmon was excellent. The sablefish was also very good, but that fish is so naturally rich in oils you'd have to work hard to spoil it. Dessert was uninspired and boring.
Looking at this as a showcase for their regular dishes, I probably wouldn't go back, given the quality for the price.

Pros: service, salmon and sablefish

Cons: price for the quality

Posted 11/24/06

I've been to Ray's so many times just this past, beautiful summer, that I must admit I'm a little bit tired of the menu.

Still, to their credit -- the people who work there have been consistently friendly on very hectic days, the food IS good (although menu is small), they have a great drink selection and of course, location location location. I love having a beer in the afternoon or a romantic dinner under blankets as the sun sets.

Posted 11/23/06

For years Ray's has been my favorite restaurant in Seattle. The food is great, the view is beautiful and the valet parking comes in handy. I have always loved the crabcakes, but have also enjoyed variations of their scallops and sablefish (black cod). It is a great place for a date or a nice dinner with friends.

Pros: Great Food, Ambience

Cons: Expensive

Posted 11/19/06

I would highly recommend you make reservations and have your visa card ready. The service is great, but the food is excellent.

Pros: great ambience

Cons: EXPENSIVE

Posted 11/17/06

The seafood is good...I can't say that it's the best I have ever tasted. I liked their clam chowder. It wasn't too busy when we went dinner, but we went late, so that could have made a difference. The service was ok. The view was absolutely beautiful.

Pros: Decent seafood, great view

Posted 11/15/06

I ate here for the first time about a week ago and it was one of the worst dining experiences I have had in seattle. We started with Calamari, which was cooked awfully and saved only by the quality of the Calamari itself. Then we ordered a couple of teas, mine was flavored with a syrup a fact which they failed to mention on the menu. The syrup made the tea incredibly sweet and because of this I couldn't drink it. My fiance ordered fresh Halibut which so bland she felt like there was no incentive to eat it, not only that but there was no salt on the table the one ingredient that might have saved the meal. I ordered Sea scallops which were okay at best, I really wanted to like them but in the end they too were too bland. The nail in the coffin that has convinced me to never go back to this restuarant was the horrible service. Our waitress left our waters empty for upwards of ten minutes, she was never around and when we did not order alchoholic beverages she was scoffed. Unfortunately the bill was so high that when I gave her my minimum tip it was still a decent amount of money. Sadly the only reason I would ever go back to Ray's is for the view and may be a cappuccino, or I may just be satisfied taking up space.

This may be a great date place, but there is much better food in seattle for the money.

Pros: Nice view of the sound.

Cons: Bad food, bad service, bad experience.

Posted 10/16/06

For such a highly respected restaurant, you would expect some decorum in the dress attire of the employees. Seeing a woman at the reception desk upstairs with a t-shirt that said "F*** religion, Jesus just love me" while groups of people with their toddlers are being sat is more than I am willing to put up with. If the people at Rays boathouse can't create a pleasant atmosphere where people can go and enjoy good food and great views without trashy politically dressed people behind their hostess desk, then I will simply go to someplace else where they have some respect for their patrons. Too bad, I love their fish & chips...

Pros: great view, great drinks

Cons: lacking respect for cutomers

Posted 10/12/06

Thats a big statement considering I've been pulling crab traps and making the cakes myself since I was about seven - but something about these little devils gets better every time. If you can, come to this place by boat and make it a whole evening. Great seasonal fish and seafood, with a classy waterfront setting. Always a winner.

Posted 10/11/06

...and the best summertime deck experience--they will even bring you a blanket if you get cold in the Seattle evening weather. A perfect place to take out of town guests any time of the year.

Posted 09/27/06

I am exceedingly pleased to report that my dinner at Ray's Boathouse last Friday completely exceeded my expectations. Ray's is something of a Seattle institution, but given its gorgeous Sound views, I had suspected that the accolades were more due to the scenery than to the food and service. Imagine my happy surprise upon finding that the views are only the third-best thing about Ray's! To start things off, our lovely server Brooke was quickly on hand to take my drink order. My party of two was feeling particularly ambitious, and we splurged on the Shilshole Sampler...a beautiful assortment of enormous white gulf prawns, smoked albacore tuna, Ray's fantastic manila clams seasoned with dill, scallops in a tasty soy dressing, and a tiny pile of Dungeness crab atop a sublime butter sauce.

For my entrée, I completely enjoyed the seared Alaskan sea scallops complemented by chard, artichoke hearts, fennel, and pecorino toscano. The scallops are apparently cooked in a black olive butter which really makes them unique (not to mention tasty). My friend enjoyed the grilled Alaskan King Salmon with delectable creamed Washington russet potatoes and crisp green beans. I had a taste of all three items on her plate, and they were superb. Our server continued to be attentive throughout the night, but I did remain puzzled by one issue:

Who thinks that Ray's is an appropriate place to take young children for dinner? Two rascally kids were seated near us for the first part of our dinner...they were replaced by a delightful preteen who pretended to gag every time seafood was mentioned at her table. Given that Ray's is a seafood restaurant...well, you get the idea...

All considered, I have to say that Ray's Boathouse is deserving of its title as a Seattle institution. While I could have done without the youth who shared the evening with us, our wonderful server and food made the experience a very positive one.

Oh yeah...the view was good, too.

Pros: Delicious seafood, attentive service, beautiful views

Cons: Lots of kids around

Posted 09/10/06

Just went to Rays for the first time. It was sunny. It was busy. But it was worth it. I recommend going for Happy Hour. It's 4-6 (even on weekends) and you can get drinks for $3 and appetizers for $3.50-$6 on average. We had four people, 6 appetizers, and 4 drinks (the spendy ones - not the specials), and we still came away with a bill of $68. Lots of food leftover too. We were happily stuffed!

Pros: Great view, casual but elegant, great happy hour deals

Cons: Crowded - expect waits on sunny days

Posted 07/07/06

I have dined at Ray's for years - usually in the Cafe. The food is almost always above average, the waitstaff quite consistently attentive. BEWARE - don't expect a perfect dining experience when it's randomly warm or sunny. I have made this mistake, and while everyone is still polite and does their best to attend to you, the hordes make it almost impossible to have a smooth go. My advice - go for a late lunch or early dinner - away from peak times. You will get the BEST service, and the food is at its best. Overall a lasting favorite.

Pros: Great Seafood, Unique Menu Items, Friendly Staff

Cons: Sometimes Overcrowded

Posted 02/28/06

My wife, her mother and I went to Ray's for lunch (unfortunately Anthony's nest door was closed) and it was not memorable. My mother-in -law had chowder which was great. My wife had salmon that was served cool and severely undercooked, stacked-up on garlic potatoes and had to be sent back. I had Ling Cod that was cool and stacked on strips of tofu. The Salmon lunch was 16.95 and was mediocre. My cod was so-so. I would rather have well prepared food without the 'artistic' stacking of the meal. On a large plate it looks ridiculous. The chocolate cake was good.

Pros: view

Cons: parking, overpriced

Posted 11/23/05

Ray's is one of the best places to eat in Seattle - they have amazing seafood, an incredible view and some of best cocktails that are poured in the Puget Sound! The service is always top notch as well. I recently used their catering for a private event and was very impressed.

If you come to Seattle, do not miss a chance to eat at Ray's. If you can't afford the restaurant try the Cafe upstairs - the view is just as beautiful and the deck is always lively. AND they serve the BEST MOJITO in Seattle!

Pros: Quality of food, View, Service

Posted 10/04/05

IF you like FOOD, don't go here. IT is one seattles' worst places to eat. Prices are ridiculously high for the quality offered, service offered by young people not really interested in serving, an uninspired menu with an uninspired chef. It is THE MOST over-rated places in seattle. It lives on it's view and long outdated reputation.

GO for a beer at HAPPY HOUR. The view on a sunny day at sunset can't be beat but it shouldn't call itself a restaurant and SHAME on customers who eat here.

Pros: view

Cons: food, service, prices

Posted 09/11/05

My wife and I enjoy eating lunch in a nice bar setting where we don't have to wait. Ray's is always no waiting, the bar staff is friendly and enjoyable and the view excellent. I can highly recommend the salmon skewers, the steamed clams and the sablefish entree, our favorites. It's also one of the few restaurants to offer Gewerztraminer (rather than simple Riesling) by the glass which makes it a favorite luncheon spot for us. The bartender. Adam, is a hoot and the host, Joey, frequently makes sure we get special treatment and free birthday lunches. If you have a Passport card, it's always two for one on the entrees. That makes it the best deal in Seattle.

Pros: Service, Food, Wine

Posted 08/19/05