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Other Northwest staples like salmon and Dungeness crab are on the menu, but it’s really the oysters that shine at Elliott’s. What locals know, however, is that lurking beneath Elliott’s touristy exterior is the soul of a truly great oyster house. Off its 21-foot oyster bar, some 30 varieties of fresh, variously local oysters are available daily—Seattle’s best selection, respectfully treated.
Slurp Down Briny Bivalves at These 13 Oyster Bars
It’s right on the waterfront, but it’s the oysters and seafood that will grab your attention here more than the view (which actually isn’t all that great). Elliott’s is one of the most trustworthy lunch and dinner dining spots along Seattle’s fish-and-chips-oriented waterfront. I happen to love fresh Northwest oysters, and I love the vast selection available at Elliott’s oyster bar. Sample them the way you might sample wine—each variety has a different size, shape, texture, and taste. If you’re an oystermaniac, come during Elliott’s oyster happy hour when these briny bivalves cost just $1.50–$2 each.
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If oysters aren’t your thing, it might be tough to find something else, as some of the hotter dishes—like undercooked crab cakes and grilled halibut with a combination of side dishes and sauces that don't work with each other—are just okay at best. You're in reliable hands with their spicy crab chowder (which we could gulp for days) and an order of oily-but-pleasant fish and chips. For a better waterfront seafood experience, head to Ray's. For more information on our service charge, please read here.
Mother’s Day Brunch
Elliott’s Oyster House is one of the most touristy places to eat seafood, and it feels that way, too. It’s best to hang out here with out-of-towners, but it also can be fun to play hooky and pretend you’re on vacation—though it tends to get sleepy during off-peak season. The view of the water is great, it’s a festive place to slurp down oysters, and you can spend a few hours on the patio catching up with friends.
Essential Spots for Seafood in Seattle - Seattle Met
Essential Spots for Seafood in Seattle.
Posted: Tue, 04 Sep 2018 07:00:00 GMT [source]
But it seems a shame that, when so many are celebrating birthdays and anniversaries there, and so many out-of-towners are doling out big cash for what might be their only taste of our city’s legendary seafood, a more consistently good meal can’t be had. So, recently, having failed to please my Midwestern in-laws on previous visits to two decidedly non-touristy local seafood restaurants (thanks to bad service and bad food), I caved. It’s time to celebrate the mothers and mother figures in your life with a special brunch on the waterfront. Taylor Shellfish in Pioneer Square is one of the best oyster bars in Seattle. You’ll most likely luck into a pro who will wow you with her wit and efficiency, deftly offering an extra oyster, say, to make up for a long wait for drinks.
On a subsequent visit I suffered through a cioppino ($31) that, while chockfull of fresh local fish, mussels and clams, was served in a thick, harshly acidic, almost salsa-like tomato sauce. A sirloin steak, which I upgraded to “Oscar style”—topped with Dungeness crab and béarnaise sauce ($41)—was served rarer than requested and was supremely forgettable, despite (or maybe because of?) the gussying. Desserts are flashy in a dated way—a squiggle of caramel here, a stack of waffle cone and ice cream there ($9). It’s obvious when a crème brûlée ($6) arrives warm on top but shivering cold on the bottom that the kitchen is aiming for good enough, not great. For the seafood-focused Best Restaurants issue of Seattle magazine in April, I visited and revisited many of Seattle’s fish houses, from spanking-new Blueacre to tried-and-true Chinook’s. I found startlingly good geoduck, the coldest oysters tasting of beach and sea, stunning sardines, ivory salmon, clams steamed in multiple ways, seared scallops aplenty.
But you could just as easily fall between the cracks. On one Friday night, two managers chatted with each other while we craned and waved for their attention from 10 feet way, to no avail. I experienced exceptional and, frankly, awful service during my three meals at Elliott’s. B’s Po Boy is a New Orleans-themed restaurant in West Seattle with a great fried shrimp sandwich (but some other dishes we don’t like as much). The seafood at 100 Pound Clam in South Lake is great. Just know you’ll be eating it next to a screaming two-year-old and a dad wearing Sperry’s.
But to eat each of my favorite dishes in one night would require an epic Seattle restaurant tour. Despite my hopes of proving the snooty foodies wrong and actually uncovering a culinary gem on the Seattle waterfront, I’m back where I started. For oysters, a little vitamin D and some pinot gris on that coveted patio, and, oh, that fantastic salmon, you can bet I’ll go back to Elliott’s.
Elliott’s Oyster House's Wild Salmon Reuben is a Best Sandwiches in America winner - Restaurant Hospitality
Elliott’s Oyster House's Wild Salmon Reuben is a Best Sandwiches in America winner.
Posted: Mon, 08 Jun 2015 07:00:00 GMT [source]
