Ivar’s Acres of Clams – Seattle, WA (Since 1938)
“Keep Clam and Carry On” goes the tongue-in-cheek motto at Ivar’s – a Seattle seafood institution founded in 1938 by the eccentric, beloved Ivar Haglund.
Perched on Pier 54 overlooking Elliott Bay, Ivar’s Acres of Clams has been delighting Seattleites with cup after cup of creamy chowder and baskets of crispy fish ‘n’ chips for over 80 years. Ivar himself was a local legend: a folk singer who opened the city’s first aquarium on this pier and soon added a fish-and-chips stand to feed hungry visitors.
That humble stand grew into the full-service Acres of Clams restaurant (named after a folk song), complete with a fabulous neon sign of a clam squirting water and a folksy maritime vibe that Seattle has embraced for generations. Walking into Ivar’s today, you’re greeted by nautical décor – ship’s wheels, nets, mermaids – and often live accordion or guitar music tinkling in the background. Huge windows offer views of ferries crossing Puget Sound and gulls swooping for scraps (descendants, perhaps, of the gulls Ivar used to famously feed chowder to). The casual dining room is filled with families, tourists fresh off the Bainbridge ferry, and dyed-in-the-wool locals, all digging into Pacific Northwest seafood prepared simply and deliciously. The restaurant has modernized a bit over the years, but it retains a wholesome, eponymous charm – including placemats printed with Ivar’s corny clam jokes and whimsical historical trivia.
The menu highlights Pacific Northwest catches and Ivar’s classic recipes. First among equals is the clam chowder, arguably Seattle’s most iconic bowl of soup. Ivar’s award-winning version is a New England-style chowder: thick, creamy, and chock-full of tender razor clams and diced potatoes – so popular that Ivar’s sells it by the quart in stores across the region. A cup of chowder and a plate of fish and chips make a perfect meal here; the fish (traditionally Pacific cod or halibut) is beer-battered and fried golden, served with Ivar’s signature tartar sauce and a pile of thick steak fries.
Another longtime favorite is the grilled alder-plank salmon – a beautiful fillet of wild Alaska salmon roasted on a cedar plank to impart smoky sweetness, served with a huckleberry glaze or simple lemon butter depending on season. The steamer clams are literally “acres of clams”: manila clams sautéed in white wine, garlic, and butter, presented in a big bucket with plenty of sourdough bread for dipping in the briny broth. From the sea, Ivar’s also offers local Dungeness crab (cracked and served with butter), Northwest bouillabaisse (loaded with salmon, halibut, clams, mussels, and shrimp in tomato-fennel broth), and crispy panko-fried calamari strips with jalapeño-lime aioli – a nod to more contemporary tastes. Landlubbers can find a few options like clam chowder-topped cheeseburgers (the “Smokey Salish” burger) or grilled chicken, but the star of the show is clearly the seafood. And do save room for dessert: Ivar’s famous rum pie – a fluffy ice cream pie with an Oreo crust and rummy caramel sauce – has been the sweet ending to Seattle celebrations for decades.
Dining at Ivar’s Acres of Clams is a quintessential Seattle experience, not just for the food but for the legacy and levity that come with it. Ivar Haglund was a consummate showman – he famously staged publicity stunts like “underwater billboards” (placing ads on the bay floor as if to attract clams as customers) and once made a chowder to fill an entire swimming pool – and that playful spirit lives on. The waitstaff often wear sailor hats or clam-shaped pins, and they might crack a pun or two while recommending the catch of the day. On nice days, you can sit outside on the pier, feeding french fries to the swooping seagulls just as Ivar did (the phrase “Keep Clam” printed on the fry box encourages you to share). The restaurant walls are lined with Ivar memorabilia: old photos of Ivar strumming his guitar for orca whales, newspaper clippings of his legendary pranks, even the first dollar the restaurant earned.
Locals have a deep fondness for Ivar’s – generations have sung the jingle “At Ivar’s, we’ll claaaamour for ya!” and brought out-of-town guests here to prove that yes, Seattle does have great food beyond coffee. Even as the waterfront evolves with new developments, Ivar’s remains anchored in place – literally, as a historic pier landmark, and culturally, as a guardian of Seattle’s seafood traditions. Maybe you’ll spot a ferry captain grabbing chowder on his break, or a family celebrating a child’s first salmon taste (a rite of passage). And when you see Ivar’s famous neon sign – a happy clam holding a sign that boasts “Acres of Clams” – glow against the Seattle twilight, you’ll appreciate that a piece of the city’s soul is preserved here. Come for the chowder and fish, stay for the puns and history, and you’ll leave with a deep appreciation for why Ivar’s has been “clamming around” since 1938.