I love this seafood spot, the atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable, the food is comforting and fresh, Andy they have so many different kinds of oysters to sample.
Dri S
Amazing Washington Oysters 😍😍🙌
Leland Clark
Decent service but pretty middling food and kind of pricey--I'm not from here but $5 per oyster seems high, especially with the mandatory 22% service charge. It's a cute place but we left disappointed. I don't eat meat but my companions were perplexed by the cheeseburger croquettes. The menu is kind of random.
Joshua Huels
Best burger I’ve ever tasted. Best tartare I’ve ever tasted. Don’t skip this spot!
Mónica Ramírez Castro
Had an amazing experience at this restaurant! The food was absolutely delicious, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. What really stood out was the staff—they were incredibly nice, attentive, and genuinely cared about making sure we had a great time. It’s always a pleasure to dine at a place where you feel welcomed and valued. Highly recommend!
Tracie Tuss
Had a great birthday meal at Boat Bar. The oysters were delicious and props to the person behind the bar shucking all night! It was fun to have a variety to choose from and we chose them all. The small plates are generous. The smoked scallops and crab-filled brioche donut were standouts for me. I also need to call out the incredible and attentive staff here. Our server was friendly and warm and everyone who we encountered was lovely. We will be back!
Olivia Lowell
Service was really attentive and polite. We went specifically to try the crab doughnut. For $30, I expected it to be as much crab as you'd find in a crab cake. There's wasn't very much it was more bread than crab, and the whole dish was dry and bland. And we had a piece of shell in it. Would consider trying the restaurant again but I wouldn't order the doughnut again.
jesse franklin
Boat Bar has long been a favorite, but on my latest visit, something felt off. The house-made nori crackers with steak tartare were the clear highlight—crispy, briny, and perfectly complementing the delicate richness of the steak. That slight taste of the sea elevated the dish beautifully.
Unfortunately, the bread pudding, which used to be amazing, was a disappointment—cold, stale, and lacking the depth of flavor it once had. It’s a shame to see a once-stellar dish lose its magic.
Overall, the atmosphere and service are still solid, but I can’t shake the feeling that things are slipping. Ms. Erickson, please bring back the love that made this place great! There’s still so much to love here, but a little extra care could bring Boat Bar back to its former glory.
Chan Larks
REJECT THE 22% SUR CHARGE: thats garbage, tips should only go to service or kitchen. how dare management put their salary through service charges. snide way to run a business ive traveled and have never seen this before. UPPER MANAGEMENT YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. ill continue to spread this word of mouth.
the service and food was yummy! our experience was great besides that disgusting surcharge that made absolutely no sense.
Max Harris
Slow, inattentive service last night. Food took a very long time to come out. Maybe they were short staffed. Everything tasted great though. Will try again and update my review.
Had some really great dishes + some really bad ones. Overall a great place to check out. The oysters are great, they clean them well no shells pieces at all. Surprisingly the burger is a hit, must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Denise Tanaka
We decided to check out *Boat Bar* because we love all of Renee Erickson's restaurants. Overall, the place had some hits and misses with the food and drinks, but the service and staff were excellent, and the atmosphere was really charming and relaxing.
We ordered oysters (a must!) and three other dishes to share. It felt it was a good amount for a couple. The tartare was delicious, and the scallops—while they looked a little odd—tasted great with a unique mix of flavors. The cauliflower, though, was a letdown—bland and mushy, definitely something we could have skipped. Same with the dessert; it didn’t really stand out.
If you go, I’d recommend sticking to the oysters and "sea creatures"(turumtz).
The place definitely has a great summer vibe, so I'd love to come back during warmer weather. Just make sure to bring a jacket if you're visiting in the fall—it was pretty cold! Overall, I enjoyed it, and the dishes are creative and always great to try. The chef Renee Erickson never disappoints.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Janine Bostock
Let me begin by saying my favorite restaurant is the Walrus and the Carpenter. Sadly, this was not that. Our server was dower and the food was weird. We had family in town and wanted to have a nice dinner on Sunday night. The restaurant was empty, and they sat us in the back behind a curtain facing the kitchen, which wasn't very clean or nice. The prawn dish consisted of pieces of prawns in whipped butter with an Asian inspired cracker. It was strange, fatty and hard to eat. Even the clams which were one of the better dishes were extremely over salted, and the broth at the bottom inedible. 5 of us ordered 12 items and 3 cocktails and left hungry, disappointed and unsatisfied.
I love this seafood spot, the atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable, the food is comforting and fresh, Andy they have so many different kinds of oysters to sample.
Amazing Washington Oysters 😍😍🙌
Decent service but pretty middling food and kind of pricey--I'm not from here but $5 per oyster seems high, especially with the mandatory 22% service charge. It's a cute place but we left disappointed. I don't eat meat but my companions were perplexed by the cheeseburger croquettes. The menu is kind of random.
Best burger I’ve ever tasted. Best tartare I’ve ever tasted. Don’t skip this spot!
Had an amazing experience at this restaurant! The food was absolutely delicious, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. What really stood out was the staff—they were incredibly nice, attentive, and genuinely cared about making sure we had a great time. It’s always a pleasure to dine at a place where you feel welcomed and valued. Highly recommend!
Had a great birthday meal at Boat Bar. The oysters were delicious and props to the person behind the bar shucking all night! It was fun to have a variety to choose from and we chose them all. The small plates are generous. The smoked scallops and crab-filled brioche donut were standouts for me. I also need to call out the incredible and attentive staff here. Our server was friendly and warm and everyone who we encountered was lovely. We will be back!
Service was really attentive and polite. We went specifically to try the crab doughnut. For $30, I expected it to be as much crab as you'd find in a crab cake. There's wasn't very much it was more bread than crab, and the whole dish was dry and bland. And we had a piece of shell in it. Would consider trying the restaurant again but I wouldn't order the doughnut again.
Boat Bar has long been a favorite, but on my latest visit, something felt off. The house-made nori crackers with steak tartare were the clear highlight—crispy, briny, and perfectly complementing the delicate richness of the steak. That slight taste of the sea elevated the dish beautifully.
Unfortunately, the bread pudding, which used to be amazing, was a disappointment—cold, stale, and lacking the depth of flavor it once had. It’s a shame to see a once-stellar dish lose its magic.
Overall, the atmosphere and service are still solid, but I can’t shake the feeling that things are slipping. Ms. Erickson, please bring back the love that made this place great! There’s still so much to love here, but a little extra care could bring Boat Bar back to its former glory.
REJECT THE 22% SUR CHARGE:
thats garbage, tips should only go to service or kitchen. how dare management put their salary through service charges. snide way to run a business ive traveled and have never seen this before. UPPER MANAGEMENT YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED. ill continue to spread this word of mouth.
the service and food was yummy! our experience was great besides that disgusting surcharge that made absolutely no sense.
Slow, inattentive service last night. Food took a very long time to come out. Maybe they were short staffed. Everything tasted great though. Will try again and update my review.
Restaurantji Recommends
So bad. Not busy at all yet zero service. Drinks took forever, food is mid at best.
It's definitely a nice spot to grab drinks lunch or dinner
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Tartare Egg Yolk Potato Chips, Crab Donut
Had some really great dishes + some really bad ones.
Overall a great place to check out.
The oysters are great, they clean them well no shells pieces at all. Surprisingly the burger is a hit, must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
We decided to check out *Boat Bar* because we love all of Renee Erickson's restaurants. Overall, the place had some hits and misses with the food and drinks, but the service and staff were excellent, and the atmosphere was really charming and relaxing.
We ordered oysters (a must!) and three other dishes to share. It felt it was a good amount for a couple. The tartare was delicious, and the scallops—while they looked a little odd—tasted great with a unique mix of flavors. The cauliflower, though, was a letdown—bland and mushy, definitely something we could have skipped. Same with the dessert; it didn’t really stand out.
If you go, I’d recommend sticking to the oysters and "sea creatures"(turumtz).
The place definitely has a great summer vibe, so I'd love to come back during warmer weather. Just make sure to bring a jacket if you're visiting in the fall—it was pretty cold! Overall, I enjoyed it, and the dishes are creative and always great to try. The chef Renee Erickson never disappoints.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Let me begin by saying my favorite restaurant is the Walrus and the Carpenter. Sadly, this was not that. Our server was dower and the food was weird. We had family in town and wanted to have a nice dinner on Sunday night. The restaurant was empty, and they sat us in the back behind a curtain facing the kitchen, which wasn't very clean or nice. The prawn dish consisted of pieces of prawns in whipped butter with an Asian inspired cracker. It was strange, fatty and hard to eat. Even the clams which were one of the better dishes were extremely over salted, and the broth at the bottom inedible. 5 of us ordered 12 items and 3 cocktails and left hungry, disappointed and unsatisfied.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
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