Blue Water Bar & Grill
7 Spring St, Friday Harbor, WA, 98250
Blue Water Bar & Grill Menu
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Address :
7 Spring St
Friday Harbor, WA, 98250 - Phone (360) 378-2245
- Website https://bluewaterbarandgrill.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Touristy
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Sara M.
We stepped off the Ferry, saw this place with the 'great view' and figured it would be a good choice. I didn't check the reviews before we walked in but it was busy, the weather was great and we were HUNGRY so... The service was decent enough (ordered a bowl of soup, got a cup) but otherwise everything was as ordered. My husband really enjoyed his chowder & ceasar salad but my fish sandwich wasn't anything great. Two deep fried beer battered filets laid on top of a bun. It was tasty enough and perhaps it was my fault for ordering what I didn't really want in the first place. Overall pretty 'meh' so nothing special and no need to return.
(2)Krystle G.
Convenient location, server is nice. Took a while to get service, but we has a good view to distract us. I ordered the crab cakes (plural) and got 1 crab cake. My boyfriend had the blacked fish burger which he says was very peppery, it was hard to finish. We chose this place because downriggers is gone and the place next door is closed for the season.
(2)Kyle G.
Dont know why the hate. Place was good with nice view of harbor. Drinks great too. Try the blackberry press!
(4)Charles L.
Service was literally non-existent. I waited for an hour and no one served me. I literally waved both arms to get the attention of the servers (2 at the bar). No luck.
(1)Dan J.
Not sure what happened to my review from yesterday. Stopped in after our whale watching. Nice place and location, after that it fails! Kitchen appeared to be pumping out the food but at least one, ours, waitress was really lacking in her job. Taking orders and then forgetting what and who ordered what. Lucky us. Walked out and spoke to her directly, never knew who and where we were sitting in her section. Others in her section by the windows also complaining about the service, getting their food cold and chasing her down for the check. May try again but not her as our waitress.
(1)G B.
It was ok. We only went here for lunch and were super hung over from the night before (karaoke night at Herb's, Wednesday nights). The fries were delicious. I should have known better than to order a "philly" cheese steak from the northwest. Why must they call it a "philly" cheese steak when they even told me that it's NOT a philly cheese steak, but a northwest twist of a "philly" cheese steak??? Just call it a Friday Harbor Cheese Steak then. Stop giving Philly a bad name. The sandwich was actually very good EXCEPT..... EXCEPT for the gobs of horseradish mayo. Completely ruined the sandwich. I tried to wipe it off, but it was just not easy to get rid of under the melted cheese. Please, please I beg you, take the horseradish mayo OFF of the sandwich completely. put it on the side if you have to. But get it off the sandwich. It would have been a GREAT sandwich if you just got rid of the horseradish mayo. Other than that, the service was painstakingly sloooowwww. It wasn't just our hangovers. It literally took about 45 minutes for our food to get out to us. My wife and I went through our facebook, clash of clans, candy crush, we exhausted the entertainment value on our phones before we finally were served our food. Someday, I will explore the area further for meal options. The only good place so far that we've found is Tops'l (loved it!!) above the Cask and Schooner (don't go there, it was a hot mess).
(3)Julie S.
Amazing French fries, great service, great location! Enjoyed a wonderful happy hour. Thanks!!
(5)Jay P.
WAY OVERPRICED. What the hell are the owners smoking? $5 for a split plate charge? $7 for tiny appetizers at happy hour? $4.25/beer down from $4.75/beer at happy hour? You serve bar food you pieces of shit. $7 for a salmon bruschetta, it was two pieces of bread about 3 inches long with hardly any salmon. It tasted like salmon pizza with a butt hole clogging amount of cheese on it. $17 for three prices of cod and a salad instead of fries. Again, it's BAR FOOD and nothing more. I'm not even sure why we stayed. The atmosphere sucked too, just a bunch of mid 40s local losers hanging out talking like they're college kids. "We went to a casino and smoked like two packs of cigarettes" coming out of the mouth of a 45 year old. Loud and annoying. Real classy, morons. The one thing that was nice was our server. She was great. If I were her I would get the hell out of that bar before that place pulls her into the pile of smoldering shit that it truly is.
(1)Emma H.
Slowww service! Very slow service. The food is ok.. Nothing to brag about. We were in that restaurant for 2 hours though. No one came to check on us after they brought out the food, no one bothered to bring us the check either. We had to chase one of the waiters finally which he just held on to our card for 15 min. Ugh! This was a waste of time.
(1)Steve L.
It was OK, the food was good, the service was attentive. Because they have two entrances it is a little confusing as to were you are to go. But once we got seated it was pleasant event though we were in a back corridor patio, they did not forget about us. Worth the visit.
(4)George K.
This is the best place on the island to get a decent, sit-down lunch with waitress service. The food is excellent and servers pleasant and doing their job well. The food came on time and was properly cooked, although the kitchen (not the server) did make one mistake. Plus you get a view out the waterfront if you are seated near the front of the dining room. I cannot understand the bad reviews. We had two different lunches here and both were fine. If we had stayed on the island more than 3 days, we would have eaten even more meals here. Second best on the island would be Madrona, but the food is better at Blue Water. After that, it does down the skids pretty fast. We ate one lunch at Rocky Bay Cafe, since they were getting such good reviews. Well folks, if you're used to McDonalds, Rocky Bay is a step up. A number of other dive bars, bad Chinese, you name it. But Blue Water is the only place that's upscale and has good food. Coho is a lot more upscale, but you'd starve is you expected them to serve you lunch (they're not open). Neither are the island's other upscale places.
(5)Gina P.
My husband and I went here for dinner on a Monday night. Our server was nice, and we were the only customers in the restaurant. The crab cakes and clam chowder were decent but clearly pre-made. We both ordered cheeseburgers with fries. I asked for medium rare and my husband medium. The cook came out to tell us he had just started cooking our burgers and they would take about 6 minutes, we expected good burgers at $15 each. Unfortunately the cook delivered the burgers with a comment about not being able to cook them as requested. The burgers were inedible. We asked if they were frozen and they confirmed that they were. They were thin overcooked frozen hamburger patties...disgusting. Our server gave us $10 off, but we still ended up paying over $75 for 2 cups of clam chowder, 2 individual crab cakes, 2 drinks and 2 gross overpriced inedible burgers. We will not be eating here again. How hard is it to cook fresh meat and serve fresh food?
(1)Ed G.
Blue Water is a contender for the lamest of the lame in Friday Harbor because they have so much to work with and do so little with it. Great location in town, near ferry dock with a beautiful view. All they would need to be is okay to be a hit. Instead, they have very mediocre food at a premium price serviced by poorly trained and disinterested wait staff. Most of the reviews are poor and that explains why I have never seen it very busy ( I am a frequent year round visitor). Recently I was in for happy hour and had a couple of glasses of fairly good reasonably priced wine (that was okay), and two happy hour priced buffalo chicken nugget sliders for $6.95. Are you kiddin' me? What a rip! I thought happy hour was supposed to be a deal. This was the worst happy hour offering I have ever seen. Oh well, I had not been in for awhile and was just checking goin to see how things were. Sucked...same as always. It is close to the ferry dock though.
(1)Gurei C.
Waited over 30 minutes for food. Waitress at the table only twice, when she took the order and when we were ready to leave. Had to tell hostess that we were ready for the check. When that didn't work, asked the nice staff member who was refilling people's glasses of water. He seemed to be the only one on the ball. Memorial Day weekend, bring in additional wait staff. Nice view of harbor from large window does not make up for poor service. Two stars instead of one because the food was not horrible.
(2)Bob S.
2 stars (instead of 1) because of view of ferry. We had orzo salad (average), crab cakes (I think they were pre-made, frozen) and an ahi roll (worst ever...dry, tuna was faded, I think it may have been frozen also....or maybe just old). We only came here cuzz the first choice (Vinny's) had a wait. Blue water had lots of open tables....now we know why.
(2)Mark H.
Had a early dinner here. Service was very slow and the place was not that busy. Servers were all chatting at the bar while we waited for drinks. The food was just so so. My braised ribs were served luke warm after sitting in the window for 10 minutes (open kitchen). It's a service-expected business Blue Water...Your people could do much better.
(2)Vivi R.
I've read Yelp reviews before coming into this restaurant. I read a lot of bad reviews. A lot of the restaurants, their kitchen was closed before 10pm on Thursday. We wanted to eat dinner somewhere. We checked like 4 different restaurant near the ferry entrance. All of them said their kitchen closed. So we came in here, 10 minutes before the restaurant ends, this friendly waitress let us in. She didn't even rush us either. She checked on us few times and that was nice. I read on Yelp reviews that the customer service was horrible, but I didn't get any bad experience. I really liked the spicy wings. I was worried if it was going to be too spicy, but it wasn't too spicy. The celeries that came with the spicy chicken was fresh. I am giving 4 stars because I didn't really like the ribs I ordered. The meat was dry, it was somewhat good, but it wasn't all that special. The Lima beans as a side dish was lot delicious than the ribs. The ribs are saucy, but the meat itself was dry and a little hard to chew on. It was decently okay, I would give it 3/5 goodness. If you're wanting to drink lemonade, try the raspberry! I really liked it! It was a little watery, but it was tasty. The kitchen looks small, but there's like over 30 tables, I think. There were extra tables outside too. And also a bar was right next to the restaurant. I like how you can see the ferry outside too. Somebody typed "tourist trap" on yelp. I don't think it was a trap. I mean if the place gets busy, there's lots of chance you'll get bad luck. No one was there when we got there. Well no one inside, but there was one group of people eating outside the restaurant.
(4)Scott M.
Picturesque town, nice boat ride, great summer weather all down the drain after having lunch at Blue Water. Island prices, Bowery quality. They really need a cook! Atmosphere 80 The only thing positive about lunch Service 70 Didn't expect better Food 70 About as bad as it gets without sending it back Value 70 Even the scenery didn't help Not many choices in town, but try anywhere else. This one was bad - 6 people in our party all agreed.
(1)Laleh J.
We were really hungry, so we enjoyed our meal. They have a very nice view of the ferry!
(3)Missi B.
I had a delicious burger here. It was pricey though ($16) for a burger and fries. The view of the harbor is great- fun to watch the boats and people come and go. Service was so-so.
(3)Mark H.
As described by others this is just basically bar type food. Almost all of it is fried. The food is average in quality but above average in price. The waitress put only the minimum amount of effort into her service. I don't think she smiled once. They promote happy hour which brings the prices down slightly. There is a great view of the ferry and harbor but the noise inside can be a little on the high side.
(2)Zulma E.
This was our fist stop to lunch after leaving the ferry. Service was nice. Highly expensive for all simply fried items. Although you have to say that fat is what you are to expect for such a menu, there was something on this one that made us food sick the rest of the day...leftovers in the garbage.
(1)Rebecca H.
Can't rate the food since bar service was so slow that we couldn't order. And no, it wasn't that busy.
(2)Cherie M.
Deserving of its aggregated two-star rating. I should have checked Yelp before walking in the door. Super nice service getting us seated at a window table facing the harbor and then it all went down hill from there. Not a horrible experience, just a lesson in mediocrity that I could have used not learning. Terrible service from start to finish. We went for brunch. One cup of coffee (no refill offered) and no water. We both ordered eggs benedict. I am sure the hollandaise must have been powdered or something. It was this scary yellow color that made me afraid to eat it. Flavor was fine, but I couldn't get the color out of my mind. The muffin was so tough I had to use a knife to cut it. Deep fried potatoes. I guess when you are in tourista-ville, right there on the water, that's what you should expect. And it was $32 for two with coffee. I don't mind spending that - at all - if it is a superb experience. The other thing - the bus station was next to the kitchen, which was visible to patrons, and it was FILTHY. Gross.
(1)Jennifer T.
Yay. Vegan options. We had the orzo appetizer without the cheese and a hummus plate. Yum! They were very accomodating. ;)
(5)April R.
This place was mediocre at best. Went for dinner day after Labor Day and waited almost an hour to eat. Dining room was very cold and staff was nice but not anything special . We could hear chef yelling and slamming pots and pans. I ordered the curry bowl on the special and it had a yucky sauce, prob from a jar. Had 6 little prawns in it and they did not seem fresh at all! My mom ordered the salmon- it was overcooked and tasted frozen. Cost 50$ for 2 entrees, no drinks or dessert. Not worth it. The bathroom was also really messy. Overall very misleading and we would not eat here again.
(1)M F.
Mediocre. Right off the ferry; wonderful views - but definitely a tourist dive: Couple next to us raved about the clams, which I ordered and found chewy, luke-warm & gritty; served with gross "garlic" bread. calamari was good tho. Give this place a pass... OR, go for the view and beer. Can't go wrong with beer.
(2)Wendy P.
We called on Saturday to make a reservation for lunch at 2 on Sunday and were assured everything was fine. When we showed up at 2, the woman at the desk said that they did not take reservations. We told her that we had made the reservation and then called back to confirm. She just "couldn't imagine that someone took a reservation" since they did not take them. We suggested that she needed to educate whoever answered the phone and she didn't seem to care. Great location but there is no customer service, at least at the front. They rely on tourists and the season is short...don't waste your time and money here.
(1)Scott M.
Only thing good here was the drink they made... Other than that, terrible service and food. Ordered fish n chips that took 45 min and came out cold. In general staff was not pleasant. It was obvious we were not the only unsatisfied customers.
(1)Matthew C.
Really unfriendly and curt. Fish taco was mediocre at best. If it wasn't for the location I'm sure this place would be out of business by now.
(1)Ildi K.
View and location are good but that's where it ends. I don't like to be so negative but we both ordered the fish and chips and it was perhaps the most in edible meal I've had in a long time. The fish was dry, unseasoned and flavorless - oh and coated in a very thick over-fried batter. Quote from my dining partner: Somehow they even made lemon taste bland.
(1)Rachel W.
This place was horrible! Don't ever go here! It's a tourist trap!!!We had to wait an hour for our food. Other couples that were sat after us received their food before we did. Out waitress wasn't attentive. She didn't apologize at all about the wait. When we asked her how much longer it was going to be she said she didn't know and walked away and waited on another table. She didn't go and ask the cooks or anything. I use to waitress and this waitress seemed like she didn't care. The food was good, but unless you have an hour to kill I would recommend going across the street.
(1)Raina D.
Food was OK, nothing amazing. I had the alfredo which was SWIMMING in sauce, just how I like it but it was bordering on too much, even for me. Also came with garlic bread which helped me with the sauce situation. The boy got nachos, ha! Can you screw up nachos? The beans were not very seasoned, but apart from that, seemed par for the course. Prices were OK for those two items, but meat items are steep! Glad to be a vegetarian at this place... Also had raspberry lemonade with was quite good. Sat by the window which overlooks the water, but they ruined it by putting a bunch of window paint on it so your view is obstructed. Service was just OK, nothing to stand out.
(3)Sage N.
Had the game on. Cold beer. Close to the ferry. Food was decent. Super nice waitresses. Don't think it deserves the poor reviews on here. We've been here twice, last time for happy hour. Good choices on happy hour menu and they were quick enough that we made the ferry. Works for me.
(3)Barbara A.
Breakfast - their waffles were the worst I have ever been served and my husband had the eggs, bacon, potatoes and sour dough toast. Everything he had was too salty to eat and the food even looked awful. Our waitress was polite and attentive, but we'd never go back because of the taste of their food. I did enjoy my glass of milk.
(1)Aaron B.
Terrible wait staff. Unfriendly. Bothersome. Unhelpful. We felt so uncomfortable by the way we greeted and treated by the bartend we left. To take a chance anywhere else.
(1)Jean G.
Stopped in for dinner while traveling through San Juan. The location is great. Could see the ferry while eating. We had Cedar Planked Salmon, clam choudar & cesar salad. The schoudar was good, the cesar salad excellent. The Cedar Planked Salmon was the driest salmon I've ever been served. The steemed veg & rissoto were the best part of this entre. I would not recommend or return.
(2)Brandon T.
I really liked this place. Varied menu, great drink list, great view, awesome Bloody Mary. The Blackened Fish Tacos and the Curried Chicken were great. Don't under estimate the small kitchen; big things come in small packages.
(4)Lor B.
Great place to grab brunch while waiting for the ferry in Friday Harbor. If you're a Seattlelite, this place feels like the Bluewater Bistros you're used to. Casual, yet cool with good comfort food that will have you coming back! Ordered their BlueWater basic with sausage and it totally hit the spot. (The sausage in particular was awesome) Hubby had the Chicken Fried Pork - (their version of chicken fried steak) gravy is delish! Both plates come with a heaping pile of fried hashbrowns that are majorly good. Service was swift and coffee was filled to rim the entire time. Definitely a good way to end our weekend in San Juan. Would consider coming back here for sure! PS - they had a spicy Tiger hot sauce that was so good on our eggs - we had to make a pit stop at the Hot Sauce store down the street to buy a couple of bottles to bring back home with us..
(4)Jon D.
Meh. I think the only real positive thing I could say about the Blue Water Bar and Grill is the view of Friday Harbor and it's close proximity to the ferry. That way, if you have a couple of beers here, you know you don't have far to go to catch your ferry. Stopped in here for a bite during a recent day trip to Friday Harbor. Thoroughly uninspired. Tried the coconut shrimp. eh...okay. Had some fries. Um... I guess fries are fries in this case. And tried the Jalapeno Poppers because it's a favorite of the gf. Well, needless to say, there weren't any pop in these poppers - just way too much cream cheese. Kinda wish we'd gone someplace else. Oh well, lesson learned. We'll head someplace else on our next visit to the Harbor.
(2)Kevin H.
My wife and I ate here twice in the past few days. The first time was great. Great food, great service. So we went back. Next time - okay food but awful service.
(3)Dylan Z.
As I'm sure is the case for much of this restaurant's business, my group of 7 wandered in while we were waiting for the ferry. We had about a 10 minute wait, which isn't too terrible for a group of our size, but the place was empty enough that it would have been nice for them to cram some tables together for us. We sat down and ordered, and it took our waitress 3 tries to actually get us all of our drinks correctly, and we had a good several minute wait between her attempts. After she finally got us our drinks, we received our food. I suppose I should point out that some of the rest of my party said their meals were OK, but mine was terrible. The hollandaise sauce on my eggs benedict was just shy of inedible, it looked and felt like they dumped it right out of a can onto the eggs, and the "home-style" potatoes appeared to be straight out of the Costco freezer aisle. I wasn't even able to finish half my food, and I can tell you that I am a fat enough dude that that's a rare occurrence. From where I sat, it looked like everyone else's meals were of a similar quality The service overall was intolerably bad. As far as I could tell, there was just the one waitress covering the whole restaurant, plus some other chick who sort of wandered aimlessly about with a pitcher of water. She screwed up our orders, took forever to get anything done, and just gave a general impression of not caring about the customers. One last complaint - they wouldn't let us get separate checks because our group (of 7) was too big. I realize that this is not that uncommon, but that is so ridiculously inconvenient that it absolutely will not stop me from marking down any restaurant that does it. I would advise any person that is considering going into this place to get away as quickly as possible, at least if you value your appetite.
(1)MATT M.
Steer clear of this tourist trap. Terrible service, and worse food. I ordered fish & chips for lunch. The place wasn't very busy. After eating part of my meal I realized the fish was bad to the extent that the inside of the fish was more of a paste. I was on a short timeline to make the ferry and had to check out. I expected to get the fish & chips off the bill but the server, who had dropped the ball several times already, said it wasn't possible because there wasn't a manager present and made no attempt to contact one. Verdict: zero tip, bad Yelp review. Be warned people, be warned.
(1)Lynn R.
Strolling down the streets of Friday harbor dying for a beverage and we walk into the blue water bar and grill.. What a mistake..there was a hostess standing at the front entrance and did not bother to look up or say hello, so we seated our selves at the bar, after a couple minutes the bartender peaked his head around from the back, but still no acknowledgement that we even existed. So after 10 min the server came over brought us some menus and left. We waited for another 10 minutes and still no service so we got up made our way through the flies and back out door.
(1)Hunter C.
Yuk! Let me start off by saying that the service was good, the appetizer was good but overpriced. The meal itself was crappy! I had the fish and chips which were recommended by the server. I have had better fish and chips from VanDeKamps boxes in the freezer section at the market. They were cooked at the wrong temp so they were greasy and heavy, the fish was frozen when it was put down so it was tough and almost inedible. One of my dinner guests had the vegetarian burger which she said was tasty but definitely not worth the price, my other guest had the captains plate, also had the same review of the deep fried fish, but the clam strips were good but only had about 5. Overall I would say I'd rather eat my shoe than go there again. Was not a good experience and for the 3 of us with no alcoholic beverages came to just shy of $100. Way over priced, lacklustre food, nasty restroom. Skip it and go across the street to the Cask & Schooner. . . . I ate there the night before and you can read my review of it to make your own educated decision!
(1)Kelly G.
Beautiful view, and our server was wonderful. Great bloody mary and dark beer on tap! I have to give this place only 2 stars because of the food, though. Okay in quality, certainly overpriced for what you receive. I wouldn't go back, and would recommend Downriggers or Cask and Schooner instead.
(2)Jen D.
My husband and I went to Friday Harbor on Sunday. We searched for a bit in the main restaurant/shop area for a decent restaurant where we could get something to eat before exploring the island. We read the menu for Blue Water Bar & Grill and thought we could definitely eat the nachos and the zucchini nut burger. We went in and ordered. The place has a kitchen that is right in the dining area, where you can see and hear everything the chef is doing. I watched the plate of chips, cheese and beans go into the microwave for several minutes.... beeped.... several minutes later, he pulled out the nachos and they were served. They weren't the worst.... but definitely not worth $10 bucks, considering a college frat boy could make them. The zucchini nut burger came out, split in half because we were sharing the burger. I took a bite and it was actually decent, even those I'm 100% sure it was frozen. We were definitely thinking that this place would be perfect for Kitchen Nightmare. As I was just about to take a second bite of my burger, I looked down and saw a DEAD BUG on my lettuce. My hands started to shake, my face went pale and I almost puked up those microwaved nachos. I told the waitress, quietly, and she apologized and asked if I wanted another burger. She was a bit shocked that we did not want another burger..... but she took it anyway. Another person came to the table and said 'I'm sorry about that and we took that off the bill, so you don't have to pay for it' LOL oh.... gee, ya think???????? I had to control my tongue, say a tiny thanks and chalk it up to 'never going to a place like that again' type situation. Jesus.
(1)Marina C.
Island food is necessarily problematic. You can hope for some things picked up locally and fresh... Everything else has to be trucked in on the ferry and is naturally problematic. Costs are always going to be higher than they would be for a restaurant actually on the coast. So when I was up here with my SO we ended up spending a day in Friday Harbour while staying at the Orcas Hotel (the walk-on ferry is free between the islands, so this is an awesome idea). Nice things included the large selection of hot sauces (bad part--the bottles were sticky. I hate that). Bad things--the food was pretty typical, about what you'd expect from a regional-chain of midgrade sitdown restaurants, and too much influence of Caribbean style seafood instead of the northwest staples I generally want when vacationing in the San Juans. Nonetheless, it was a filling meal with large portions, the veggie burger was.. okay, the fries quite good. Service was prompt and helpful, though having the television on != a good thing when in the islands; yeah, great, some chemical tanker overturned on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Let's enjoy the harbour instead. But it's a solid place which should deliver if you just want some place to eat with the family. One warning, though, the only bathrooms are in the mall and are inobvious in where they are. And cold.
(3)Dan S.
I actually clicked on 5 stars but decided to go with 4. If they were a little cheaper I would have gone with 5, but as it is consider this a 4 and a half ; ) First off, great view just like almost everything else in Friday Harbor. They have a couple outdoor tables and a nice counter that faces the water. I recommend the counter for the view and the people watching. I had spent my first day ever on the island hiking up some steep trails and was quite hungry when I settled in for dinner. I went with the bleu cheese bacon burger and it was outstanding. Nice crispy bacon, lots of bleu cheese, and even the fries were good. They tasted like curly fries but were regular shoestring ones. Straight curlies if you will. The burger was pretty big but I was still hungry so I downed a piece of keylime cheesecake afterward. That was the only disappointment; it was good but not an especially big slice and it was about $7. The prices overall are a little high, but they're not extravagant; we're only talking a couple bucks more than you might expect. Went back the next day for lunch and had the french dip with a salad. Everything was again excellent: well-cooked savory beef (not the garbage you sometimes get with a french dip) and a nice salad with more than just a little lettuce in it. I will definitely be back if I make it back to the island. Oh and they're open until 10:00 which is also nice.
(4)H C.
Meh. We had the clams, and they were super buttery, had lots of broken shells and wasn't that tasty. Also had the calamari. Pretty bland and one piece was just batter. Gross. The service wasn't great. Pretty slow, no quality check.
(1)Kristen R.
Our food was pretty good - nothing too fancy. The taco salad I ordered was gigantic and I appreciated that the lettuce was actually good, dark green and not "salad in a bag" lettuce. The presentation was entertaining too. If you want an amazing meal you may want to try elsewhere but if, like us, you're just looking for anything to eat it'll do. Was very quiet the night we were there (a Wednesday evening.) It was a bit pricey too....but maybe the fancier dishes are worth it?
(3)Sarah C.
Zach and I decided to have dinner here when we finished hiking the American and English camps. We both ordered burgers and they made it to our table in about fifteen minutes. I think our waitress could tell that we were starving and tired and she really took care of us. Our table was right next to the window and the view, of course, was amazing. Even if the food hadn't been wonderful (which it was), I would be willing to go back just for the scenery. I drank two glasses of huckleberry lemonade and one raspberry lemonade. The huckleberry was the best flavored lemonade that I have ever had. It wasn't sickly sweet like most restaurant lemonades and I still crave it.
(5)Zak N.
We saw the prices and decided to just have an appetizer and drink before heading elsewhere for dinner. Watery mojitos, $14.95 fish tacos, and deep fried sushi rolls. Draft beers include Rolling Rock and Stella. Overpriced and overbranded.
(1)Madey A.
I actually liked the French Toast that I had here, but I tried everyone else's dishes and they were terrible. The hollandaise sauce tastes direct from a can and heated up in the microwave. The "seasoned potatoes" were nasty, they tasted right out of the box, and they were cold. I made the right choice going with the French Toast, it's pretty hard to screw that up. The waitress was an idiot, my friend ordered the Santa Fe scramble, and she literally asked "do you want that scrambled?" Moron. Don't go here.. it was so overpriced and the service and food were terrible.
(1)Sarah B.
It was clean, and service was attentive and friendly, but the food (breakfast) wasn't anything to write home about.
(3)Cheryl J.
Stopped in here while waiting for the ferry, as in some other reviews. Great view of the ferry landing. We told our server we needed to catch the ferry in under an hour, and they were great about rushing our order. But, cheeseburgers and fries were really not that good, and prices are high. So, if you want a great view, great service, are in a hurry and need something to eat, this place will do.
(2)Shana N.
Stopped in here for lunch after a wine tasting experience - needed food! We had a wonderful waitress, prompt service, hot food, overall great experience. We had the nachos and chicken skewers, both were very tasty! The Bloody Mary was awesome and the Vitamin C red bull drink was fantastic! Drinks were fairly expensive, appetizers were average priced, I would go back though.
(4)Yoon C.
I'm surprised to see such mixed reviews here. Perhaps we lucked out, but our food, drinks and service were all excellent. I had the 1/2 rack of BBQ ribs that were excellent (maybe even some of the best I've ever had), and my wife had the wild mushroom risotto, also very good. We had their margaritas and thought they were very tasty. Service was prompt and friendly. It's still the off-season, but we were glad to find such a good place so close to the ferry. Will be back on our next trip!
(5)Margaret T.
We came here with a group of 7 (a bunch of Seattleites on a whale-watching trip) at about 2.30 on a Saturday. It was somewhat busy. I ordered nachos - something I wouldn't order normally, but I wanted something simple I thought could not be messed up. Big mistake. Their version of nachos - basically a giant pile of chips with the TEENIEST bit of cheese buried inside, some well-aged canned jalapenos thrown on top along with soggy tomatoes. Our table was by the kitchen, and I watched this pile of "nachos" sit under the heat lamp for the 15 minutes that it took the rest of our food to cook. Needless to say - the nachos were terrible - cold, soggy and flavorless. Thankfully, my boyfriend got the calamari, which was edible, at least, so I had a few bites of that. And the drinks - the waitress didn't offer refills. Even on our bar drinks. Which makes no sense - that's an easy sell! The waitress also said that she could NOT split our check more than two ways. I used to wait tables, so I totally understand the pain in the ass that splitting a check can be, but I can't say that I've ever had this happen to me before. Weird. This restaurant is close to the ferry landing (its only redeeming quality), which is why we chose it. The next time I go to Friday Harbor, I'll walk a little farther for my meal and avoid Blue Water. You should too.
(1)Brittany W.
Well, Fiance and I went to eat here the first night we were at Friday Harbor. He: fish and chips/ vodka cran Me: mushroom burger with fries/ arnold palmer He: LOVED his fish and chips. Fish portions were MASSIVE, perfectly coated and tasted delicious. He was pleased. Me: Incredibly disappointed with my burger. There was NO flavor at all in the meat itself, the tomato on the burger had ZERO taste at all... the mushrooms were good but who can mess up a sauteed mushroom? there were more onions than mushrooms though. Overall, I dont think we'll be back. Unhappy wife is bad. LOL... We did find another place we loved and ended up eating there twice! I'll post on that in a minute.
(2)Paul W.
Horrible. My wife had a hair in her Cesar that was paired with the nasty chowder that everyone else is describing. Stay clear of this place.
(1)Anna T.
food was good, except the fact that food took forever to come, about 45 mins to hr. two different parties were seated after us and they got food before us. they must have come 10-15 mins after us too. overall poor experience. view is good if that is what is most important to you. i was mainly worried if we were going to make the ferry or not.
(1)Jess H.
Waitress was friendly, and service was quick, but the food was second rate. Clam chowder was bland with little if any clam in it; thick and pasty. "Vinaigrette" dressing is just low quality Italian dressing. Fish tacos actually looked much better than the menu description, or I would have ordered those, except they only come with a side of sour cream instead of a proper fish taco white sauce. $9 for a cup of chowder and side salad, but only the salad was worth eating, which made for an expensive salad. Great view of the ferry landing if you get a window table. Next time I'll just grab something to go at King's Market, or a crab sandwich at Friday's.
(2)Peter W.
First let me say, I WAS aware this place was a bar! Yet still it was absolutely some of the worst service we have ever had. It was not busy there, and it took way to long to get seated, get our drink order, and then our food. I had the nachos because for some reason it just sang to me. Well, I wasn't singing afterwards, it seemed like they were under the heatlamp for way to long waiting for me and the chips were stale, the cheese was rubbery...not pleased with it at all. My fiance had Fish and chips, and the best thing we had was the fries, they were actually pretty good. But the fish did not impress at all. I don't like fully bashing a place like this, but knowing they are in a town were most customers coming in are waiting for a ferry you would think they could hustle a little bit more. I had to get up and ask for my check and it seemed they didn't even want me to give them money they were no where to be found when it came time to pay. All in all, I will not be back, I go to friday harbor often, and ther eis plenty of better places then this!
(1)Katie U.
Great wine and service! Our bartender Kim was the best. The view is beautiful and they have an ice strip to set your drink on to keep it cold...or place with the snow. Great happy hour prices and appetizer menu!
(5)Shaunessy J.
Burgers were over-cooked with bacon that was dried out. Fries were just so-so. Service was hit or miss. It took a while for a food even though it wasn't that busy.
(2)Kayla B.
Our group of 7 walked into this restaurant looking for lunch by the Friday Harbor ferry and were very dissapointed. Our waitress did not know the menu very well, she had to ask everyone for their drink and food orders two to three times, and forgot most of the drinks the first and second time she brought some out and had to ask us again. She still mixed up a couple of the drinks. We all received the food we asked for and didn't have to wait too long but it was not impressive quality--everyone thought their food was anywhere from not good at all to okay. It just tasted like they were reheating pre-made meals or packets and not cooking fresh food. When we got the bill we were told that we couldn't split it just because they were busy (even though there were a few open tables in the small room). By the time the meal was over we were all ready to leave right away.
(1)Captain K.
The Good - the fish tacos were great, the beer was cold and the view was decent. Also, they're open till 10 which seemed to be late around Friday Harbor. The Bad - the service! Our waitress was busy with a large group so obviously wasn't too concerned about whatever tip she had coming her way from us. After we finished dinner (and one drink) she ran past our table and said "I'll have your bill in one minute." I guess that was our queue to go. We were ready to drink but we took our business elsewhere. I say skip it, there are other places around Friday Harbor that have better service.
(2)Jim R.
Wow...tourist beware this place is a con artist dream. Over charged my credit card after giving me the run around about the correct tab. I travel the islands all summer and am sad when they don't get customer service.
(1)Meghan B.
Can't judge the food because we couldn't even make it that far. I get that it was busy for labor day weekend, but I waited tables for years and the busy times are supposed to be your opportunity days! We walked in and were passed by multiple staff members without even a comment that they'd seat us when they got a moment. Finally a girl walked over with a quick "how many?" (I'm fine, thanks for asking!) and promptly dumped us at a table and left. We sat for about 10 minutes with no one greeting us before we spotted the restaurant next door that looked pleasant. Also noticed weird notes on their menu saying that they refuse to split checks & charge for splitting plates ($2.) No thanks.
(1)J F.
Yelped several eateries on Friday Harbor...Blue Water wasn't on our list. On a whim, we decided to eat here since it was the closest to the ferry instead of walking a few blocks over to a better rated restaurant. From the open dining room you have full view of the kitchen counter. Once the food was up, we noticed how it just sat on the counter. The cook doesn't call for the waitress to pick up unless there were several orders crowding the counter. Our plates sat there for about 10 minutes which explained the lukewarm clam chowder. The heat lamp wasn't even turned on. The Caesar chicken sandwich was deplorable. It looked like a piece of frozen chicken they had just taken out of the freezer, nuked it and then thrown it on the grill for the sear markings. Take that piece of meat and throw it on a dry hoagie roll with a bit of lettuce and call it a sandwich. But wait...where was the Caesar dressing?? It wasn't until we were leaving that I noticed how filthy the kitchen area was. They had cardboard on the floor ( we're guessing to keep the floor from being greasy) which was BLACK and GREASY. I wish we had noticed it before we sat down. The food inspectors need to get on that ferry. Giving it a 1-star only because the salad was crisp and the best thing of our meal. Should've kept to our yelp list!
(1)Tom S.
We went here on a Monday night, so barely anybody else was there. We had a caesar salad and coconut prawns basket; Both were pretty good! Exactly what I had expected, at exactly the right price. The view from the restaurant was wonderful. It overlooks the ferry landing and the bay. I would definitely come back again for more of the food and drinks.
(4)Aaron G.
When I walked in the door I felt like I was inconveniencing them by showing up. After waiting for 20 minutes to order a chicken sandwhich and a pepsi i knew it was only downhill from there. Another 40 minutes to get a peice of chicken between 2 slices of bread and some fries. When the waitress went to refill my drink she had to come back and ask me what it was and then brought me the wrong drink anyway. Service was less than friendly, food was mediocre, wait time was apalling, and for 1 sandwhich and 1 drink was nearly $20 dollars. I might have scored it a 3 but when I finally got my food and scarfed it down so I wouldn't miss my ferry, I had to wait another 20 minutes for the waitress to take my money while I'm waiving it in the air at her. Never again.
(1)Nicole B.
As with many of the restaurants my husband and I visited while on Friday Harbor, Blue Water was overpriced for the quality of food served to us. We were charged $14 for two piece fish & chips which was okay at best. My husband ordered the salmon ravioli which was good but not worth the almost $20 he paid for it. The server also did not give us the option to have our expensive ravioli served boiled instead of fried but did tell us at the end that we *could* have had it that way if asked. Perhaps this is my inexperience with ravioli but I am used to having it served boiled and would've preferred it that way. My mistake. While the food was just okay, the service was great (besides that one little fried issue). My husband would also like to point that the restaurant was a little noisy and if you are looking for a quieter dining experience you may want to sit outside. Two stars mostly due to price. Most dinner dishes started at $12 - $14.
(2)Kristen B.
Came here for lunch Wednesday afternoon .. Ordered the Hawaiian chicken sandwich and fries and my friend ordered the friend sushi roll .. The chicken sandwich was pretty tasty although not worth the $16 or whatever it was .. My friend liked the fried sushi roll a lot I thought it looked kinda unappetizing .. Food came out super fast and IPA and cider was cold .. Service was friendly I really liked that you could have dogs on the patio .. It was super overpriced though but I guess it does have view of the harbor .. Overall 3.5 stars ...
(3)Miya T.
They are conveniently located right by the ferry drop off. They've got great views of the waterfront, but that's pretty much it. Their menu is so small and the food is very mediocre. They don't do substitutions (or just don't have the means to), asked for fruit instead of potatoes, said they could only do sliced tomatoes instead :-/. No thanks. My Bloody Mary was nothing special, but my gf got their Bloody Ceasar and said it was tasty. Prices are pretty high, but to be expected in such a touristy place. Our server was very nice, but I doubt I'd have to come back here any time soon.
(2)Caitlin G.
We were in Friday Harbor for the afternoon and my husband had a recommendation from a coworker to stop in here. I will say after reading the yelp reviews I was a bit apprehensive about eating here.. My husband ordered a side Caesar salad and a bowl of clam chowder. I had the fish and chips. The clam chowder was very good, very peppery. The fish and chips were ok, but nothing that really set it apart from fish and chips anywhere else... Overall I can see where other reviewers might have had some lackluster service, but our waitress followed through with refills on our drinks and only seemed bordered line irritated. Haha.. We will probably go elsewhere next time we are visiting the island, but just to see what else we can get for a $40 lunch for 2 people...
(4)Adam G.
It was a cool late summer day. My wife and I came to enjoy a few beverages and a snack for happy hour (2pm on Sunday). We ordered chicken nachos and both got a rum & coke. The first drinks were overly strong... Not the source of my complaint... The nachos were over cooked and not very tasty. We were left with empty drinks in front of us for more than 20 min before I had to track down the waitress to get two more... Which were tasty. I wouldn't recommend this place if you are just wanting to hang out and drink. Maybe dinner service is different?
(1)kathy m.
If we hadn't ordered the ahi sushi I probably would have given this place more stars because the fish tacos were great. But these guys have no business making sushi. Well, they can try all they want, but let's just say they have no business selling sushi for money. For fourteen bucks there was a tiny sliver of ahi and tons of poorly-seasoned rice. I think all of their sushi rolls are "tempura style" because they think that by breading and deep frying these sloppy monstrosities they can hide how bad they really are. But the breading was heavy and cakey and while good on the fish in my tacos, was awful on sushi. We feel pretty ripped off.
(3)Tracey H.
Terrible service, terrible food. The oyster shooters were warm and smothered with overly sweet cocktail sauce. The oysters are local - how can you screw up local?!?!? The other food was mediocre at best and service was very slow and several things we ordered were forgotten. Disappointing food, but lovely view.
(1)Kevin F.
HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE!!!! Service went from poor to horrible in the blink of an eye. Served beer in a warm glass. Took our order (bowl of clam chowder made by Campbell's and all you can eat overly beer battered fish and chips). Server never ONCE came back to see how we were doing. She came to take the plates and asked if we were ready for the bill. Hint; how about making sure the customer wants more fish. I asked for more but instead brought me the check. I guess she was hinting for me to leave. She responded with, "oh you didn't get your fish?". I said, "your the server, shouldn't you know?". She brought me my fish and never came back. I got up, paid the bill and walked out for the last time. Do not go here unless your expectations are so low it doesn't matter what happens.
(1)Ryan A.
Stopped here for dinner after a zip line adventure. Seated us outside after a short wait. It was 6:00 on a Saturday night so that was nice. We all enjoyed our food very much. I had the zucchini nut veggie burger and chowder. Other people had the blackened cod sandwich, cod tacos which were just stuffed with cod, and ahi tuna. Everything was well prepared, great portions and was served fast. We had great service from the wait staff and the prices were reasonable for Friday Harbor. Would definitely visit this spot again and recommend. Outside seating has a great view of the marina and ferry terminal.
(5)Katherine S.
This place was not worth the $. Overpriced and not that good. We spend $80 here for what we thought would be a good seafood dinner, instead we got this nasty after taste in our mouths which we desperately tried to look for coffee to rinse out the taste. The halibut special had this weird orange sauce which threw off everything else and it was so over powering. The ahi tuna taco dinner had too much sugar but they did fries the tacos which was unique. Overall, their food was too sweet. Even the barbecue spicy chicken which is not hard to make. They made it like Korean chicken which is good if it said Korean chicken on the menu. The sauce was tasted 20% spicy and 80% sweet. If there is a next time, I would stick to burgers and fries.
(2)Kyrre F.
Had good fish tacos once. Had a pretty good eggs Benedict during a second visit. Their location, view and atmosphere is great.
(4)Jason W.
Food was overpriced but expected for the location...hostess seemed hurried & not real friendly...and way crowded outside. Here's a tip Blue Water...don't cram soooo many tables outside, try create a relaxed atmosphere...you're on the island for heaven's sake. 2 stars for me but only for the view.
(2)Megan J.
Based on its Yelp rating, Blue Water was not on my list of places to try in Friday Harbor, but both nights I was on the island, we ended up needing a late dinner and it was pretty much the only place open past 9 during the off season (kitchen was open until 11). That being said, I'm glad it was because it was delicious! We pretty much ate all the seafood in the two nights, going through the appetizer menu! Deep-fried California roll, oysters, crab cake, seared ahi, orzo with prawns. That's got to be the way to go because you get a taste of everything and with drinks it still was relatively cheap for good seafood in a tourist town!
(5)Kathleen L.
We had fish taco's, pesto chicken pasta bowl. Food is good, but kind of pricey. Service is slow, but server was pleasant. For the price, probably would not eat here again. Beautiful views from all tables.
(3)Susan P.
I thought this place was totally solid. It's very casual but still has a nice dockside ambiance. It was fast and the service was really good. Saw tables with kids and it seemed really family friendly. We are on a clean diet so we had to special order and they were really accommodating. I even heard our server double check with the cook that he had made the order correctly. We had salad with grilled shrimp and a bed of cabbage with blackened fish that normally goes on a sandwich. Each had a hefty portion of seafood that was nicely cooked and seemed to be of good quality. This is not the place for an amazing culinary experience for sure but if you want reasonably priced quality food in a casual atmosphere with friendly service, I highly recommend it.
(3)Taylann D.
The halibut was AMAZING!!! They accommodated my request for no carbs and served amazing crisp fresh veggies with the halibut! My husband had the Chicken Fried Chicken with jalapeño gravy and he enjoyed it...I was just super disappointed with the wine selection... Being in a marina where people from around the world come to... I would expect a nicer wine list!
(4)K H.
BREAKFAST. Come here for breakfast. We asked a local for restaurant recommendations and were given this for a "nice dinner" option (we were on a mini-honeymoon), but the second I saw the neon sign in the window I said "NOPE." That being said, we had a great breakfast here on our last morning. It was great to sit on the porch and look out over the harbor over an absolutely massive pile of eggs, potatoes, bacon, and biscuits :) Service was friendly and attentive, and you can't beat the view.
(4)Jaimee S.
Rude staff. A lack of focus on customer service, so much so that it was entertaining hence the two star rating. Definitely go here if you want you food slid across the table without being acknowledged by a waitress who certainly doesn't deserve a tip. Or if you want to wait in line while the party that arrives after you is seated first. Don't be fooled by the specials menu either, once you realise how average the offerings are (if the waitress even know what's on the menu) it's too late.
(2)Steven G.
BS this place isn't 4 star?....you HAVE to keep context in mind, and for San Juan Island, this place is STELLAR! Called for reservations at 4:00 pm for a 7:00pm seating, no problem! Found great street parking, no problem! BIG (what used to be) aquarium, now filled with glass sculptures, looked awesome! Servers, greeters, bussers, were all friendly and helpful. Mom wanted vegetarian, many options! I got a GREAT burger, protein style, and some tasty cocktails. View was good, vibe was good. People were eating excellent food, having a great time, and for a minute, I thought I was on Capitol Hill in Seattle, and not on San Juan Island....just that kind of fun, weekendy, no problemo kind of thing going on. An added bonus, I left my ballcap in the booth when we left, and a server grabbed me before we were out the door, and handed it to me. I have lost 3 hats in the past in restaurants(my big, big BAD!) and this is only the second time someone has saved me from my stupidity, THANKS!!! Eat here, you will enjoy it, unless you have 4 screaming babies at your table, in that case, go somewhere else, and let the big people enjoy their meals without your screaming, snotty bundles of joy!
(4)Susan W.
Stopped in here for Happy Hour while on a whale watch cruise. Hubby & I scored a seat on their small outdoor patio. We split 1 order of their oyster shooters because we just wanted a little something. Very easily could have had an order each. Very tasty but need to be served with crackers. Check your bill. Waitress charged us for a drink we didn't have.
(3)Jay B.
This place has potential, but they are just missing something. We stopped here after getting off of the ferry. We had the fried calamari for appetizer. Just a smidge over fried, but still alright. The sauce that comes with it was really good. The flavored lemonades are more of the flavor than they are lemonade. We both had a cup of Clam Chowder and enjoyed it. I had the Fish Burger and the wife had the Fish Chips. The Blackened Fish Burger was a lil too salty and lacked any real tastiness. The wife only got through one piece of Fish because it was too "Mushy" and more batter than it was fish. All and all it wasn't bad, but nothing special. I would recommend trying the burgers...I hear they are pretty good.
(3)Read H.
Clam Chowder is poor. Service mediocre.
(1)Tom C.
So this is another place right when you get off the ferry that I'd probably stay away from. I wouldn't go back in there, that is for certain. I'm just constantly appalled by lazy, poorly trained and/or managed waitstaff and bartenders I can barely stand it! This was one of those places that looks good, looks cool, but the waitstaff are bad and so is most of the food. Fish and chips at another table looked decent but w never even ordered food after Ty crummy service and crappy drinks. A $15 margarita that did not have a 1 oz shot of liqueur in it by any means. Do managers and owners actually read yelp reviews? WTF is wrong with the restaurant and bar business?
(2)Velvet C.
This service is bullshit !!! Went in alone and needed a place to regroup and gather myself..they REFUSED to seat me because I was alone.. despite the fact that they had three open booths on the bar side and a completely open restaurant side...they were awaiting a party of 50 so they WOULD NOT SEAT ME , even though the party wasn't coming in until 1:00. I was there at 12:30...YOU PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELFS !!!!!!!! SERIOUSLY unbelievable
(1)Valhalla M.
For a first timer on the San Juan after the long ferry ride that hasn't eaten all day, me and my girlfriend was hungry for a nice burger. Seeing there menu outside as we was walking we decided to try this place out. The classic burger was really, wasnt greasy or over cook tasted like what a burger should taste it. Fries was also great. The amount of food you get was good generous size. Friendly waitress but got a weird vibe like I was being stared at from the kitchen. Only readon I give this 4 of 5 star is that and was not comfortable seeing one of the cooks pick his nose or rubbing it in an area food was made -.-
(4)Rob H.
Not impressed with this place. All the people that worked here seemed miserable and the service was sub par. There were a ton of flies buzzing around and the place didn't seem very clean. Food had a funny taste to it- I hope I don't get sick. Would not come back.
(2)bret g.
Terrible customer service. We spent 1 hour waiting to get a table. They sat two groups of same size as our party ahead of us ( who were on the waiting list behind us). The third time they did it we asked why and they lied and said that they had spent 5 minutes looking for us . We left at that point and went to crabshack next door and got food quickly and efficiently.
(1)Stacey J.
I don't understand the low rating at all! Very close to the ferry with a great view. Went for lunch on a Friday and the place was busy, but not packed. Our waitress was great and when's asked for suggestions she said to add jalapeño and bacon to my "Where's the beef?" Best decision ever! That burger was so good. The fries were also solid (mix some tiger sauce with ketchup for dip). The boyfriend got the fish burger, which was also delicious, so I convince him to go half and half on our burgers :). Instead of fries, he got chowder as his side. Very good as well. Good portion size and fast service. What's not to like? Not the waitress suggested we NOT get the crab cake as it is mostly filler. Enjoy!
(4)Jeremy K.
Perhaps it was because a long weekend was winding down, but the service was far from spectacular. The food was sub-par at best. It's too bad because the location is fabulous.
(2)Dan S.
The only thing this place has going for it is it's location being close to the ferry dock. The quality of the food leaves nothing much to be desired, It's a lot of fried food, and the service is slow and lacks much personality. Our silverware was dirty, my waster glass was full of lipstick, and our waitress never said a peep. So come here if you want some battered shrimp, french fries, and a beer. But don't expect to leave wanting to come back.
(2)Renu D.
Oh Boy! The place does have some unhappy patrons! while I must agree on the quality of the food here is not phenomenal, it was not all that bad either. We had to catch the Ferry back and were looking for something quick to eat. This being the 'off season' most of the dining establishments were closed. We were really GLAD to find Blue water open. We were greeted very cheerfully and seated very promptly. It did take some time for our orders to be taken and I was feeling we might not make it to the ferry on time if we ate, so we may have to just go without food. When the server came to finally get our orders we mentioned that we had very limited time and if she could suggest what we could order that would be served under 15 minutes. She was very helpful with the menu. She stayed on top of things during the lunch and ensured that we had the check, to go boxes and anything else we needed. Sometimes, it is all about how well you were treated and these 4 stars are just for that. The crab cakes and French fries here were nice and so was the zucchini burger. I mean they did not Rock, but to a hungry mob of three, they were the best thing we had eaten all day!
(4)Jo C.
The food was awesome! Fish and chips were yummy but the fish tacos were awesome!! Fun atmosphere, beautiful view and the waitresses were great. I'd definitely go back.
(5)Debbie W.
Awesome waitress food and drinks. Waitress was super friendly and nice. Seafood pasta was awesome...
(5)Mirna U.
This was our first food and drink stop on our very first time at Friday Harbor. A little over a year later and we're back! We were surprised to have the same super friendly server, Katie! We love the irish nachos and fish tacos! They have seasonal appetizers, being August we got to try the clams in wine sauce- delish! Great food and great service, laid-back ambiance! This place deserves 5 stars hands down!
(5)Kelsey M.
We ended up having our wedding rehearsal dinner here, and it was wonderful! Had a party of about 30 people and the staff was amazing. Food was great, service was prompt and they antipicated all of our needs. The view from the back dining room wasn't too bad either ;)
(5)Devon T.
Highlights: Great deals during happy hour from 2-6PM every day; accommodating about customizations; family friendly; and don't miss the glass fish tank when you first arrive! Drawbacks: Food quality inconsistent; well choices very bottom shelf. We went here for happy hour as well as breakfast the following morning. Happy hour isn't just in the bar, which is a bonus when you're toting around young kids. They had great menu and drink options for the kids. The well drinks in the happy hour menu used very bottom shelf alcohols, but otherwise were well made and not weak. The food options during happy hour are not super extensive, but enough to keep things interesting and good, and I definitely recommend the sliders, although our appetizers took longer than I expected to come out. The service was inconsistent, as our first server was tough to catch, but second was great. At breakfast the following morning, we had wildly varying results. Most of the food was great, but the poached eggs in my eggs Benedict were cooked solid, which was disappointing. The omelets were all quite good. The potatoes that came with the breakfast dishes were barely warm, and would have been much better hot. The server was tough to catch and gave us our check before I was able to catch her to finish ordering sides for the kids. She also mistook one of our orders, and it was tough to get coffee refills, especially after she dropped off the check. In all a good meal, but a few adjustments in the consistency of service and food quality would make this a can't-miss, fun place for any meal of the day.
(4)Eastman D.
I don't know why this place only gets 2-stars. Food was fine, service was fine... This isn't fine dining, it's a regular harbor-view restaurant, with perfectly normal burgers, sandwiches and even fried sushi which was pretty good! We didn't wait an HOUR like other people are saying. I'm sure that's not normal here. There's no reason to shy away from this place. In fact, I would probably come back. To be honest this food is better than some of the places rated 4-strs in Friday Harbor. Patio seating and patio view is great. Only reason I wouldn't give 4 stars is that it's not a 4-star restaurant. It's burgers and sandwiches. It's perfectly fine for what it is.
(3)Cora G.
The bar tender was really sweet (and funny)! Great burgers and beers! Nice view as well! Great place for lunch and beers!
(5)J A.
Can't beat the location! Can watch sports games on TV. Indoor/outdoor seating. Great food, happy hour, and seafood specials. Disappointed that in the bar they have decorations on the wall that have foul language on them.
(3)Lana R.
It was one of the few places you can still grab food late (dinner until 11pm, bar open later Friday & Saturday I believe). We walked in at 10:55pm and did not feel that pressure/burden you usually feel when it's right before kitchen closing. Service was wonderful--our waitress was friendly, sweet, and simply charming. The food was great, we had the Hawaiian burger, Caesar salad w/ chicken, & orzo pasta--all things that are hard to mess up (though we have seen it happen before). The drinks were good and strong :)
(4)Steve V.
The only reason to go here is for a view of the water. Drinks are probably fine, but the food leaves much to be desired. I had the fried fish sandwich. There were two fried fish pieces (long thin pieces like when you order fish and chips) with tartar sauce, cole slaw, lettuce, tomato, onion on a round bun. The fish was battered and fried, but there was no taste, except for an oil taste, that is. Something in the sandwich was sweet - either the tartar sauce or cole slaw. It just wasn't good, and especially not for the $14 it cost. My wife tried one of the burgers, but it looked and tasted like a frozen burger. Nothing special and still not cheap. They do have happy hour where you can get discounted drinks and appetizers. A lot of fried things - fried wontons, fries sushi (interestingly no non-fried sushi on the menu). Service was ok. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to write home about either. So, to grab a drink while waiting for the ferry maybe, but for the food, I would pass. The challenge is that during the winter months, there really aren't a lot of other options, so this place can continue to serve mediocre food at high prices and still get starving patrons.
(2)Rebecca H.
Can't rate the food since bar service was so slow that we couldn't order. And no, it wasn't that busy.
(2)Cherie M.
Deserving of its aggregated two-star rating. I should have checked Yelp before walking in the door. Super nice service getting us seated at a window table facing the harbor and then it all went down hill from there. Not a horrible experience, just a lesson in mediocrity that I could have used not learning. Terrible service from start to finish. We went for brunch. One cup of coffee (no refill offered) and no water. We both ordered eggs benedict. I am sure the hollandaise must have been powdered or something. It was this scary yellow color that made me afraid to eat it. Flavor was fine, but I couldn't get the color out of my mind. The muffin was so tough I had to use a knife to cut it. Deep fried potatoes. I guess when you are in tourista-ville, right there on the water, that's what you should expect. And it was $32 for two with coffee. I don't mind spending that - at all - if it is a superb experience. The other thing - the bus station was next to the kitchen, which was visible to patrons, and it was FILTHY. Gross.
(1)Jennifer T.
Yay. Vegan options. We had the orzo appetizer without the cheese and a hummus plate. Yum! They were very accomodating. ;)
(5)April R.
This place was mediocre at best. Went for dinner day after Labor Day and waited almost an hour to eat. Dining room was very cold and staff was nice but not anything special . We could hear chef yelling and slamming pots and pans. I ordered the curry bowl on the special and it had a yucky sauce, prob from a jar. Had 6 little prawns in it and they did not seem fresh at all! My mom ordered the salmon- it was overcooked and tasted frozen. Cost 50$ for 2 entrees, no drinks or dessert. Not worth it. The bathroom was also really messy. Overall very misleading and we would not eat here again.
(1)Matthew C.
Really unfriendly and curt. Fish taco was mediocre at best. If it wasn't for the location I'm sure this place would be out of business by now.
(1)M F.
Mediocre. Right off the ferry; wonderful views - but definitely a tourist dive: Couple next to us raved about the clams, which I ordered and found chewy, luke-warm & gritty; served with gross "garlic" bread. calamari was good tho. Give this place a pass... OR, go for the view and beer. Can't go wrong with beer.
(2)Wendy P.
We called on Saturday to make a reservation for lunch at 2 on Sunday and were assured everything was fine. When we showed up at 2, the woman at the desk said that they did not take reservations. We told her that we had made the reservation and then called back to confirm. She just "couldn't imagine that someone took a reservation" since they did not take them. We suggested that she needed to educate whoever answered the phone and she didn't seem to care. Great location but there is no customer service, at least at the front. They rely on tourists and the season is short...don't waste your time and money here.
(1)Scott M.
Only thing good here was the drink they made... Other than that, terrible service and food. Ordered fish n chips that took 45 min and came out cold. In general staff was not pleasant. It was obvious we were not the only unsatisfied customers.
(1)Ildi K.
View and location are good but that's where it ends. I don't like to be so negative but we both ordered the fish and chips and it was perhaps the most in edible meal I've had in a long time. The fish was dry, unseasoned and flavorless - oh and coated in a very thick over-fried batter. Quote from my dining partner: Somehow they even made lemon taste bland.
(1)Rachel W.
This place was horrible! Don't ever go here! It's a tourist trap!!!We had to wait an hour for our food. Other couples that were sat after us received their food before we did. Out waitress wasn't attentive. She didn't apologize at all about the wait. When we asked her how much longer it was going to be she said she didn't know and walked away and waited on another table. She didn't go and ask the cooks or anything. I use to waitress and this waitress seemed like she didn't care. The food was good, but unless you have an hour to kill I would recommend going across the street.
(1)Hunter C.
Yuk! Let me start off by saying that the service was good, the appetizer was good but overpriced. The meal itself was crappy! I had the fish and chips which were recommended by the server. I have had better fish and chips from VanDeKamps boxes in the freezer section at the market. They were cooked at the wrong temp so they were greasy and heavy, the fish was frozen when it was put down so it was tough and almost inedible. One of my dinner guests had the vegetarian burger which she said was tasty but definitely not worth the price, my other guest had the captains plate, also had the same review of the deep fried fish, but the clam strips were good but only had about 5. Overall I would say I'd rather eat my shoe than go there again. Was not a good experience and for the 3 of us with no alcoholic beverages came to just shy of $100. Way over priced, lacklustre food, nasty restroom. Skip it and go across the street to the Cask & Schooner. . . . I ate there the night before and you can read my review of it to make your own educated decision!
(1)Kelly G.
Beautiful view, and our server was wonderful. Great bloody mary and dark beer on tap! I have to give this place only 2 stars because of the food, though. Okay in quality, certainly overpriced for what you receive. I wouldn't go back, and would recommend Downriggers or Cask and Schooner instead.
(2)Madey A.
I actually liked the French Toast that I had here, but I tried everyone else's dishes and they were terrible. The hollandaise sauce tastes direct from a can and heated up in the microwave. The "seasoned potatoes" were nasty, they tasted right out of the box, and they were cold. I made the right choice going with the French Toast, it's pretty hard to screw that up. The waitress was an idiot, my friend ordered the Santa Fe scramble, and she literally asked "do you want that scrambled?" Moron. Don't go here.. it was so overpriced and the service and food were terrible.
(1)Jen D.
My husband and I went to Friday Harbor on Sunday. We searched for a bit in the main restaurant/shop area for a decent restaurant where we could get something to eat before exploring the island. We read the menu for Blue Water Bar & Grill and thought we could definitely eat the nachos and the zucchini nut burger. We went in and ordered. The place has a kitchen that is right in the dining area, where you can see and hear everything the chef is doing. I watched the plate of chips, cheese and beans go into the microwave for several minutes.... beeped.... several minutes later, he pulled out the nachos and they were served. They weren't the worst.... but definitely not worth $10 bucks, considering a college frat boy could make them. The zucchini nut burger came out, split in half because we were sharing the burger. I took a bite and it was actually decent, even those I'm 100% sure it was frozen. We were definitely thinking that this place would be perfect for Kitchen Nightmare. As I was just about to take a second bite of my burger, I looked down and saw a DEAD BUG on my lettuce. My hands started to shake, my face went pale and I almost puked up those microwaved nachos. I told the waitress, quietly, and she apologized and asked if I wanted another burger. She was a bit shocked that we did not want another burger..... but she took it anyway. Another person came to the table and said 'I'm sorry about that and we took that off the bill, so you don't have to pay for it' LOL oh.... gee, ya think???????? I had to control my tongue, say a tiny thanks and chalk it up to 'never going to a place like that again' type situation. Jesus.
(1)Marina C.
Island food is necessarily problematic. You can hope for some things picked up locally and fresh... Everything else has to be trucked in on the ferry and is naturally problematic. Costs are always going to be higher than they would be for a restaurant actually on the coast. So when I was up here with my SO we ended up spending a day in Friday Harbour while staying at the Orcas Hotel (the walk-on ferry is free between the islands, so this is an awesome idea). Nice things included the large selection of hot sauces (bad part--the bottles were sticky. I hate that). Bad things--the food was pretty typical, about what you'd expect from a regional-chain of midgrade sitdown restaurants, and too much influence of Caribbean style seafood instead of the northwest staples I generally want when vacationing in the San Juans. Nonetheless, it was a filling meal with large portions, the veggie burger was.. okay, the fries quite good. Service was prompt and helpful, though having the television on != a good thing when in the islands; yeah, great, some chemical tanker overturned on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Let's enjoy the harbour instead. But it's a solid place which should deliver if you just want some place to eat with the family. One warning, though, the only bathrooms are in the mall and are inobvious in where they are. And cold.
(3)Dan S.
I actually clicked on 5 stars but decided to go with 4. If they were a little cheaper I would have gone with 5, but as it is consider this a 4 and a half ; ) First off, great view just like almost everything else in Friday Harbor. They have a couple outdoor tables and a nice counter that faces the water. I recommend the counter for the view and the people watching. I had spent my first day ever on the island hiking up some steep trails and was quite hungry when I settled in for dinner. I went with the bleu cheese bacon burger and it was outstanding. Nice crispy bacon, lots of bleu cheese, and even the fries were good. They tasted like curly fries but were regular shoestring ones. Straight curlies if you will. The burger was pretty big but I was still hungry so I downed a piece of keylime cheesecake afterward. That was the only disappointment; it was good but not an especially big slice and it was about $7. The prices overall are a little high, but they're not extravagant; we're only talking a couple bucks more than you might expect. Went back the next day for lunch and had the french dip with a salad. Everything was again excellent: well-cooked savory beef (not the garbage you sometimes get with a french dip) and a nice salad with more than just a little lettuce in it. I will definitely be back if I make it back to the island. Oh and they're open until 10:00 which is also nice.
(4)Kristen R.
Our food was pretty good - nothing too fancy. The taco salad I ordered was gigantic and I appreciated that the lettuce was actually good, dark green and not "salad in a bag" lettuce. The presentation was entertaining too. If you want an amazing meal you may want to try elsewhere but if, like us, you're just looking for anything to eat it'll do. Was very quiet the night we were there (a Wednesday evening.) It was a bit pricey too....but maybe the fancier dishes are worth it?
(3)H C.
Meh. We had the clams, and they were super buttery, had lots of broken shells and wasn't that tasty. Also had the calamari. Pretty bland and one piece was just batter. Gross. The service wasn't great. Pretty slow, no quality check.
(1)Sarah C.
Zach and I decided to have dinner here when we finished hiking the American and English camps. We both ordered burgers and they made it to our table in about fifteen minutes. I think our waitress could tell that we were starving and tired and she really took care of us. Our table was right next to the window and the view, of course, was amazing. Even if the food hadn't been wonderful (which it was), I would be willing to go back just for the scenery. I drank two glasses of huckleberry lemonade and one raspberry lemonade. The huckleberry was the best flavored lemonade that I have ever had. It wasn't sickly sweet like most restaurant lemonades and I still crave it.
(5)Zak N.
We saw the prices and decided to just have an appetizer and drink before heading elsewhere for dinner. Watery mojitos, $14.95 fish tacos, and deep fried sushi rolls. Draft beers include Rolling Rock and Stella. Overpriced and overbranded.
(1)Sarah B.
It was clean, and service was attentive and friendly, but the food (breakfast) wasn't anything to write home about.
(3)Cheryl J.
Stopped in here while waiting for the ferry, as in some other reviews. Great view of the ferry landing. We told our server we needed to catch the ferry in under an hour, and they were great about rushing our order. But, cheeseburgers and fries were really not that good, and prices are high. So, if you want a great view, great service, are in a hurry and need something to eat, this place will do.
(2)Shana N.
Stopped in here for lunch after a wine tasting experience - needed food! We had a wonderful waitress, prompt service, hot food, overall great experience. We had the nachos and chicken skewers, both were very tasty! The Bloody Mary was awesome and the Vitamin C red bull drink was fantastic! Drinks were fairly expensive, appetizers were average priced, I would go back though.
(4)Margaret T.
We came here with a group of 7 (a bunch of Seattleites on a whale-watching trip) at about 2.30 on a Saturday. It was somewhat busy. I ordered nachos - something I wouldn't order normally, but I wanted something simple I thought could not be messed up. Big mistake. Their version of nachos - basically a giant pile of chips with the TEENIEST bit of cheese buried inside, some well-aged canned jalapenos thrown on top along with soggy tomatoes. Our table was by the kitchen, and I watched this pile of "nachos" sit under the heat lamp for the 15 minutes that it took the rest of our food to cook. Needless to say - the nachos were terrible - cold, soggy and flavorless. Thankfully, my boyfriend got the calamari, which was edible, at least, so I had a few bites of that. And the drinks - the waitress didn't offer refills. Even on our bar drinks. Which makes no sense - that's an easy sell! The waitress also said that she could NOT split our check more than two ways. I used to wait tables, so I totally understand the pain in the ass that splitting a check can be, but I can't say that I've ever had this happen to me before. Weird. This restaurant is close to the ferry landing (its only redeeming quality), which is why we chose it. The next time I go to Friday Harbor, I'll walk a little farther for my meal and avoid Blue Water. You should too.
(1)Brittany W.
Well, Fiance and I went to eat here the first night we were at Friday Harbor. He: fish and chips/ vodka cran Me: mushroom burger with fries/ arnold palmer He: LOVED his fish and chips. Fish portions were MASSIVE, perfectly coated and tasted delicious. He was pleased. Me: Incredibly disappointed with my burger. There was NO flavor at all in the meat itself, the tomato on the burger had ZERO taste at all... the mushrooms were good but who can mess up a sauteed mushroom? there were more onions than mushrooms though. Overall, I dont think we'll be back. Unhappy wife is bad. LOL... We did find another place we loved and ended up eating there twice! I'll post on that in a minute.
(2)Paul W.
Horrible. My wife had a hair in her Cesar that was paired with the nasty chowder that everyone else is describing. Stay clear of this place.
(1)Lor B.
Great place to grab brunch while waiting for the ferry in Friday Harbor. If you're a Seattlelite, this place feels like the Bluewater Bistros you're used to. Casual, yet cool with good comfort food that will have you coming back! Ordered their BlueWater basic with sausage and it totally hit the spot. (The sausage in particular was awesome) Hubby had the Chicken Fried Pork - (their version of chicken fried steak) gravy is delish! Both plates come with a heaping pile of fried hashbrowns that are majorly good. Service was swift and coffee was filled to rim the entire time. Definitely a good way to end our weekend in San Juan. Would consider coming back here for sure! PS - they had a spicy Tiger hot sauce that was so good on our eggs - we had to make a pit stop at the Hot Sauce store down the street to buy a couple of bottles to bring back home with us..
(4)Jon D.
Meh. I think the only real positive thing I could say about the Blue Water Bar and Grill is the view of Friday Harbor and it's close proximity to the ferry. That way, if you have a couple of beers here, you know you don't have far to go to catch your ferry. Stopped in here for a bite during a recent day trip to Friday Harbor. Thoroughly uninspired. Tried the coconut shrimp. eh...okay. Had some fries. Um... I guess fries are fries in this case. And tried the Jalapeno Poppers because it's a favorite of the gf. Well, needless to say, there weren't any pop in these poppers - just way too much cream cheese. Kinda wish we'd gone someplace else. Oh well, lesson learned. We'll head someplace else on our next visit to the Harbor.
(2)Kevin H.
My wife and I ate here twice in the past few days. The first time was great. Great food, great service. So we went back. Next time - okay food but awful service.
(3)Dylan Z.
As I'm sure is the case for much of this restaurant's business, my group of 7 wandered in while we were waiting for the ferry. We had about a 10 minute wait, which isn't too terrible for a group of our size, but the place was empty enough that it would have been nice for them to cram some tables together for us. We sat down and ordered, and it took our waitress 3 tries to actually get us all of our drinks correctly, and we had a good several minute wait between her attempts. After she finally got us our drinks, we received our food. I suppose I should point out that some of the rest of my party said their meals were OK, but mine was terrible. The hollandaise sauce on my eggs benedict was just shy of inedible, it looked and felt like they dumped it right out of a can onto the eggs, and the "home-style" potatoes appeared to be straight out of the Costco freezer aisle. I wasn't even able to finish half my food, and I can tell you that I am a fat enough dude that that's a rare occurrence. From where I sat, it looked like everyone else's meals were of a similar quality The service overall was intolerably bad. As far as I could tell, there was just the one waitress covering the whole restaurant, plus some other chick who sort of wandered aimlessly about with a pitcher of water. She screwed up our orders, took forever to get anything done, and just gave a general impression of not caring about the customers. One last complaint - they wouldn't let us get separate checks because our group (of 7) was too big. I realize that this is not that uncommon, but that is so ridiculously inconvenient that it absolutely will not stop me from marking down any restaurant that does it. I would advise any person that is considering going into this place to get away as quickly as possible, at least if you value your appetite.
(1)MATT M.
Steer clear of this tourist trap. Terrible service, and worse food. I ordered fish & chips for lunch. The place wasn't very busy. After eating part of my meal I realized the fish was bad to the extent that the inside of the fish was more of a paste. I was on a short timeline to make the ferry and had to check out. I expected to get the fish & chips off the bill but the server, who had dropped the ball several times already, said it wasn't possible because there wasn't a manager present and made no attempt to contact one. Verdict: zero tip, bad Yelp review. Be warned people, be warned.
(1)Kristen B.
Came here for lunch Wednesday afternoon .. Ordered the Hawaiian chicken sandwich and fries and my friend ordered the friend sushi roll .. The chicken sandwich was pretty tasty although not worth the $16 or whatever it was .. My friend liked the fried sushi roll a lot I thought it looked kinda unappetizing .. Food came out super fast and IPA and cider was cold .. Service was friendly I really liked that you could have dogs on the patio .. It was super overpriced though but I guess it does have view of the harbor .. Overall 3.5 stars ...
(3)Miya T.
They are conveniently located right by the ferry drop off. They've got great views of the waterfront, but that's pretty much it. Their menu is so small and the food is very mediocre. They don't do substitutions (or just don't have the means to), asked for fruit instead of potatoes, said they could only do sliced tomatoes instead :-/. No thanks. My Bloody Mary was nothing special, but my gf got their Bloody Ceasar and said it was tasty. Prices are pretty high, but to be expected in such a touristy place. Our server was very nice, but I doubt I'd have to come back here any time soon.
(2)Caitlin G.
We were in Friday Harbor for the afternoon and my husband had a recommendation from a coworker to stop in here. I will say after reading the yelp reviews I was a bit apprehensive about eating here.. My husband ordered a side Caesar salad and a bowl of clam chowder. I had the fish and chips. The clam chowder was very good, very peppery. The fish and chips were ok, but nothing that really set it apart from fish and chips anywhere else... Overall I can see where other reviewers might have had some lackluster service, but our waitress followed through with refills on our drinks and only seemed bordered line irritated. Haha.. We will probably go elsewhere next time we are visiting the island, but just to see what else we can get for a $40 lunch for 2 people...
(4)Adam G.
It was a cool late summer day. My wife and I came to enjoy a few beverages and a snack for happy hour (2pm on Sunday). We ordered chicken nachos and both got a rum & coke. The first drinks were overly strong... Not the source of my complaint... The nachos were over cooked and not very tasty. We were left with empty drinks in front of us for more than 20 min before I had to track down the waitress to get two more... Which were tasty. I wouldn't recommend this place if you are just wanting to hang out and drink. Maybe dinner service is different?
(1)kathy m.
If we hadn't ordered the ahi sushi I probably would have given this place more stars because the fish tacos were great. But these guys have no business making sushi. Well, they can try all they want, but let's just say they have no business selling sushi for money. For fourteen bucks there was a tiny sliver of ahi and tons of poorly-seasoned rice. I think all of their sushi rolls are "tempura style" because they think that by breading and deep frying these sloppy monstrosities they can hide how bad they really are. But the breading was heavy and cakey and while good on the fish in my tacos, was awful on sushi. We feel pretty ripped off.
(3)Tracey H.
Terrible service, terrible food. The oyster shooters were warm and smothered with overly sweet cocktail sauce. The oysters are local - how can you screw up local?!?!? The other food was mediocre at best and service was very slow and several things we ordered were forgotten. Disappointing food, but lovely view.
(1)Jerre B.
Stopped in for a quick breakfast while we waited for the ferry. I had a fantastic breakfast sandwich (egg, cheddar, bacon on a brioche type roll). It came with potatoes and good coffee. The place is a little dark, and could have been a bit cleaner looking, but the wait staff was very good.
(3)Kevin F.
HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE!!!! Service went from poor to horrible in the blink of an eye. Served beer in a warm glass. Took our order (bowl of clam chowder made by Campbell's and all you can eat overly beer battered fish and chips). Server never ONCE came back to see how we were doing. She came to take the plates and asked if we were ready for the bill. Hint; how about making sure the customer wants more fish. I asked for more but instead brought me the check. I guess she was hinting for me to leave. She responded with, "oh you didn't get your fish?". I said, "your the server, shouldn't you know?". She brought me my fish and never came back. I got up, paid the bill and walked out for the last time. Do not go here unless your expectations are so low it doesn't matter what happens.
(1)Katherine S.
This place was not worth the $. Overpriced and not that good. We spend $80 here for what we thought would be a good seafood dinner, instead we got this nasty after taste in our mouths which we desperately tried to look for coffee to rinse out the taste. The halibut special had this weird orange sauce which threw off everything else and it was so over powering. The ahi tuna taco dinner had too much sugar but they did fries the tacos which was unique. Overall, their food was too sweet. Even the barbecue spicy chicken which is not hard to make. They made it like Korean chicken which is good if it said Korean chicken on the menu. The sauce was tasted 20% spicy and 80% sweet. If there is a next time, I would stick to burgers and fries.
(2)Ryan A.
Stopped here for dinner after a zip line adventure. Seated us outside after a short wait. It was 6:00 on a Saturday night so that was nice. We all enjoyed our food very much. I had the zucchini nut veggie burger and chowder. Other people had the blackened cod sandwich, cod tacos which were just stuffed with cod, and ahi tuna. Everything was well prepared, great portions and was served fast. We had great service from the wait staff and the prices were reasonable for Friday Harbor. Would definitely visit this spot again and recommend. Outside seating has a great view of the marina and ferry terminal.
(5)Kyrre F.
Had good fish tacos once. Had a pretty good eggs Benedict during a second visit. Their location, view and atmosphere is great.
(4)Megan J.
Based on its Yelp rating, Blue Water was not on my list of places to try in Friday Harbor, but both nights I was on the island, we ended up needing a late dinner and it was pretty much the only place open past 9 during the off season (kitchen was open until 11). That being said, I'm glad it was because it was delicious! We pretty much ate all the seafood in the two nights, going through the appetizer menu! Deep-fried California roll, oysters, crab cake, seared ahi, orzo with prawns. That's got to be the way to go because you get a taste of everything and with drinks it still was relatively cheap for good seafood in a tourist town!
(5)Jason W.
Food was overpriced but expected for the location...hostess seemed hurried & not real friendly...and way crowded outside. Here's a tip Blue Water...don't cram soooo many tables outside, try create a relaxed atmosphere...you're on the island for heaven's sake. 2 stars for me but only for the view.
(2)Kathleen L.
We had fish taco's, pesto chicken pasta bowl. Food is good, but kind of pricey. Service is slow, but server was pleasant. For the price, probably would not eat here again. Beautiful views from all tables.
(3)Susan P.
I thought this place was totally solid. It's very casual but still has a nice dockside ambiance. It was fast and the service was really good. Saw tables with kids and it seemed really family friendly. We are on a clean diet so we had to special order and they were really accommodating. I even heard our server double check with the cook that he had made the order correctly. We had salad with grilled shrimp and a bed of cabbage with blackened fish that normally goes on a sandwich. Each had a hefty portion of seafood that was nicely cooked and seemed to be of good quality. This is not the place for an amazing culinary experience for sure but if you want reasonably priced quality food in a casual atmosphere with friendly service, I highly recommend it.
(3)Taylann D.
The halibut was AMAZING!!! They accommodated my request for no carbs and served amazing crisp fresh veggies with the halibut! My husband had the Chicken Fried Chicken with jalapeño gravy and he enjoyed it...I was just super disappointed with the wine selection... Being in a marina where people from around the world come to... I would expect a nicer wine list!
(4)K H.
BREAKFAST. Come here for breakfast. We asked a local for restaurant recommendations and were given this for a "nice dinner" option (we were on a mini-honeymoon), but the second I saw the neon sign in the window I said "NOPE." That being said, we had a great breakfast here on our last morning. It was great to sit on the porch and look out over the harbor over an absolutely massive pile of eggs, potatoes, bacon, and biscuits :) Service was friendly and attentive, and you can't beat the view.
(4)Steven G.
BS this place isn't 4 star?....you HAVE to keep context in mind, and for San Juan Island, this place is STELLAR! Called for reservations at 4:00 pm for a 7:00pm seating, no problem! Found great street parking, no problem! BIG (what used to be) aquarium, now filled with glass sculptures, looked awesome! Servers, greeters, bussers, were all friendly and helpful. Mom wanted vegetarian, many options! I got a GREAT burger, protein style, and some tasty cocktails. View was good, vibe was good. People were eating excellent food, having a great time, and for a minute, I thought I was on Capitol Hill in Seattle, and not on San Juan Island....just that kind of fun, weekendy, no problemo kind of thing going on. An added bonus, I left my ballcap in the booth when we left, and a server grabbed me before we were out the door, and handed it to me. I have lost 3 hats in the past in restaurants(my big, big BAD!) and this is only the second time someone has saved me from my stupidity, THANKS!!! Eat here, you will enjoy it, unless you have 4 screaming babies at your table, in that case, go somewhere else, and let the big people enjoy their meals without your screaming, snotty bundles of joy!
(4)Susan W.
Stopped in here for Happy Hour while on a whale watch cruise. Hubby & I scored a seat on their small outdoor patio. We split 1 order of their oyster shooters because we just wanted a little something. Very easily could have had an order each. Very tasty but need to be served with crackers. Check your bill. Waitress charged us for a drink we didn't have.
(3)Jay B.
This place has potential, but they are just missing something. We stopped here after getting off of the ferry. We had the fried calamari for appetizer. Just a smidge over fried, but still alright. The sauce that comes with it was really good. The flavored lemonades are more of the flavor than they are lemonade. We both had a cup of Clam Chowder and enjoyed it. I had the Fish Burger and the wife had the Fish Chips. The Blackened Fish Burger was a lil too salty and lacked any real tastiness. The wife only got through one piece of Fish because it was too "Mushy" and more batter than it was fish. All and all it wasn't bad, but nothing special. I would recommend trying the burgers...I hear they are pretty good.
(3)Read H.
Clam Chowder is poor. Service mediocre.
(1)Tom C.
So this is another place right when you get off the ferry that I'd probably stay away from. I wouldn't go back in there, that is for certain. I'm just constantly appalled by lazy, poorly trained and/or managed waitstaff and bartenders I can barely stand it! This was one of those places that looks good, looks cool, but the waitstaff are bad and so is most of the food. Fish and chips at another table looked decent but w never even ordered food after Ty crummy service and crappy drinks. A $15 margarita that did not have a 1 oz shot of liqueur in it by any means. Do managers and owners actually read yelp reviews? WTF is wrong with the restaurant and bar business?
(2)Jaimee S.
Rude staff. A lack of focus on customer service, so much so that it was entertaining hence the two star rating. Definitely go here if you want you food slid across the table without being acknowledged by a waitress who certainly doesn't deserve a tip. Or if you want to wait in line while the party that arrives after you is seated first. Don't be fooled by the specials menu either, once you realise how average the offerings are (if the waitress even know what's on the menu) it's too late.
(2)Valhalla M.
For a first timer on the San Juan after the long ferry ride that hasn't eaten all day, me and my girlfriend was hungry for a nice burger. Seeing there menu outside as we was walking we decided to try this place out. The classic burger was really, wasnt greasy or over cook tasted like what a burger should taste it. Fries was also great. The amount of food you get was good generous size. Friendly waitress but got a weird vibe like I was being stared at from the kitchen. Only readon I give this 4 of 5 star is that and was not comfortable seeing one of the cooks pick his nose or rubbing it in an area food was made -.-
(4)Velvet C.
This service is bullshit !!! Went in alone and needed a place to regroup and gather myself..they REFUSED to seat me because I was alone.. despite the fact that they had three open booths on the bar side and a completely open restaurant side...they were awaiting a party of 50 so they WOULD NOT SEAT ME , even though the party wasn't coming in until 1:00. I was there at 12:30...YOU PEOPLE SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELFS !!!!!!!! SERIOUSLY unbelievable
(1)bret g.
Terrible customer service. We spent 1 hour waiting to get a table. They sat two groups of same size as our party ahead of us ( who were on the waiting list behind us). The third time they did it we asked why and they lied and said that they had spent 5 minutes looking for us . We left at that point and went to crabshack next door and got food quickly and efficiently.
(1)Rob H.
Not impressed with this place. All the people that worked here seemed miserable and the service was sub par. There were a ton of flies buzzing around and the place didn't seem very clean. Food had a funny taste to it- I hope I don't get sick. Would not come back.
(2)Stacey J.
I don't understand the low rating at all! Very close to the ferry with a great view. Went for lunch on a Friday and the place was busy, but not packed. Our waitress was great and when's asked for suggestions she said to add jalapeño and bacon to my "Where's the beef?" Best decision ever! That burger was so good. The fries were also solid (mix some tiger sauce with ketchup for dip). The boyfriend got the fish burger, which was also delicious, so I convince him to go half and half on our burgers :). Instead of fries, he got chowder as his side. Very good as well. Good portion size and fast service. What's not to like? Not the waitress suggested we NOT get the crab cake as it is mostly filler. Enjoy!
(4)Jeremy K.
Perhaps it was because a long weekend was winding down, but the service was far from spectacular. The food was sub-par at best. It's too bad because the location is fabulous.
(2)Dan S.
The only thing this place has going for it is it's location being close to the ferry dock. The quality of the food leaves nothing much to be desired, It's a lot of fried food, and the service is slow and lacks much personality. Our silverware was dirty, my waster glass was full of lipstick, and our waitress never said a peep. So come here if you want some battered shrimp, french fries, and a beer. But don't expect to leave wanting to come back.
(2)Renu D.
Oh Boy! The place does have some unhappy patrons! while I must agree on the quality of the food here is not phenomenal, it was not all that bad either. We had to catch the Ferry back and were looking for something quick to eat. This being the 'off season' most of the dining establishments were closed. We were really GLAD to find Blue water open. We were greeted very cheerfully and seated very promptly. It did take some time for our orders to be taken and I was feeling we might not make it to the ferry on time if we ate, so we may have to just go without food. When the server came to finally get our orders we mentioned that we had very limited time and if she could suggest what we could order that would be served under 15 minutes. She was very helpful with the menu. She stayed on top of things during the lunch and ensured that we had the check, to go boxes and anything else we needed. Sometimes, it is all about how well you were treated and these 4 stars are just for that. The crab cakes and French fries here were nice and so was the zucchini burger. I mean they did not Rock, but to a hungry mob of three, they were the best thing we had eaten all day!
(4)Jo C.
The food was awesome! Fish and chips were yummy but the fish tacos were awesome!! Fun atmosphere, beautiful view and the waitresses were great. I'd definitely go back.
(5)Debbie W.
Awesome waitress food and drinks. Waitress was super friendly and nice. Seafood pasta was awesome...
(5)Mirna U.
This was our first food and drink stop on our very first time at Friday Harbor. A little over a year later and we're back! We were surprised to have the same super friendly server, Katie! We love the irish nachos and fish tacos! They have seasonal appetizers, being August we got to try the clams in wine sauce- delish! Great food and great service, laid-back ambiance! This place deserves 5 stars hands down!
(5)Kelsey M.
We ended up having our wedding rehearsal dinner here, and it was wonderful! Had a party of about 30 people and the staff was amazing. Food was great, service was prompt and they antipicated all of our needs. The view from the back dining room wasn't too bad either ;)
(5)Devon T.
Highlights: Great deals during happy hour from 2-6PM every day; accommodating about customizations; family friendly; and don't miss the glass fish tank when you first arrive! Drawbacks: Food quality inconsistent; well choices very bottom shelf. We went here for happy hour as well as breakfast the following morning. Happy hour isn't just in the bar, which is a bonus when you're toting around young kids. They had great menu and drink options for the kids. The well drinks in the happy hour menu used very bottom shelf alcohols, but otherwise were well made and not weak. The food options during happy hour are not super extensive, but enough to keep things interesting and good, and I definitely recommend the sliders, although our appetizers took longer than I expected to come out. The service was inconsistent, as our first server was tough to catch, but second was great. At breakfast the following morning, we had wildly varying results. Most of the food was great, but the poached eggs in my eggs Benedict were cooked solid, which was disappointing. The omelets were all quite good. The potatoes that came with the breakfast dishes were barely warm, and would have been much better hot. The server was tough to catch and gave us our check before I was able to catch her to finish ordering sides for the kids. She also mistook one of our orders, and it was tough to get coffee refills, especially after she dropped off the check. In all a good meal, but a few adjustments in the consistency of service and food quality would make this a can't-miss, fun place for any meal of the day.
(4)Eastman D.
I don't know why this place only gets 2-stars. Food was fine, service was fine... This isn't fine dining, it's a regular harbor-view restaurant, with perfectly normal burgers, sandwiches and even fried sushi which was pretty good! We didn't wait an HOUR like other people are saying. I'm sure that's not normal here. There's no reason to shy away from this place. In fact, I would probably come back. To be honest this food is better than some of the places rated 4-strs in Friday Harbor. Patio seating and patio view is great. Only reason I wouldn't give 4 stars is that it's not a 4-star restaurant. It's burgers and sandwiches. It's perfectly fine for what it is.
(3)Cora G.
The bar tender was really sweet (and funny)! Great burgers and beers! Nice view as well! Great place for lunch and beers!
(5)J A.
Can't beat the location! Can watch sports games on TV. Indoor/outdoor seating. Great food, happy hour, and seafood specials. Disappointed that in the bar they have decorations on the wall that have foul language on them.
(3)Lana R.
It was one of the few places you can still grab food late (dinner until 11pm, bar open later Friday & Saturday I believe). We walked in at 10:55pm and did not feel that pressure/burden you usually feel when it's right before kitchen closing. Service was wonderful--our waitress was friendly, sweet, and simply charming. The food was great, we had the Hawaiian burger, Caesar salad w/ chicken, & orzo pasta--all things that are hard to mess up (though we have seen it happen before). The drinks were good and strong :)
(4)Steve V.
The only reason to go here is for a view of the water. Drinks are probably fine, but the food leaves much to be desired. I had the fried fish sandwich. There were two fried fish pieces (long thin pieces like when you order fish and chips) with tartar sauce, cole slaw, lettuce, tomato, onion on a round bun. The fish was battered and fried, but there was no taste, except for an oil taste, that is. Something in the sandwich was sweet - either the tartar sauce or cole slaw. It just wasn't good, and especially not for the $14 it cost. My wife tried one of the burgers, but it looked and tasted like a frozen burger. Nothing special and still not cheap. They do have happy hour where you can get discounted drinks and appetizers. A lot of fried things - fried wontons, fries sushi (interestingly no non-fried sushi on the menu). Service was ok. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to write home about either. So, to grab a drink while waiting for the ferry maybe, but for the food, I would pass. The challenge is that during the winter months, there really aren't a lot of other options, so this place can continue to serve mediocre food at high prices and still get starving patrons.
(2)Sara M.
We stepped off the Ferry, saw this place with the 'great view' and figured it would be a good choice. I didn't check the reviews before we walked in but it was busy, the weather was great and we were HUNGRY so... The service was decent enough (ordered a bowl of soup, got a cup) but otherwise everything was as ordered. My husband really enjoyed his chowder & ceasar salad but my fish sandwich wasn't anything great. Two deep fried beer battered filets laid on top of a bun. It was tasty enough and perhaps it was my fault for ordering what I didn't really want in the first place. Overall pretty 'meh' so nothing special and no need to return.
(2)Krystle G.
Convenient location, server is nice. Took a while to get service, but we has a good view to distract us. I ordered the crab cakes (plural) and got 1 crab cake. My boyfriend had the blacked fish burger which he says was very peppery, it was hard to finish. We chose this place because downriggers is gone and the place next door is closed for the season.
(2)Kyle G.
Dont know why the hate. Place was good with nice view of harbor. Drinks great too. Try the blackberry press!
(4)Charles L.
Service was literally non-existent. I waited for an hour and no one served me. I literally waved both arms to get the attention of the servers (2 at the bar). No luck.
(1)G B.
It was ok. We only went here for lunch and were super hung over from the night before (karaoke night at Herb's, Wednesday nights). The fries were delicious. I should have known better than to order a "philly" cheese steak from the northwest. Why must they call it a "philly" cheese steak when they even told me that it's NOT a philly cheese steak, but a northwest twist of a "philly" cheese steak??? Just call it a Friday Harbor Cheese Steak then. Stop giving Philly a bad name. The sandwich was actually very good EXCEPT..... EXCEPT for the gobs of horseradish mayo. Completely ruined the sandwich. I tried to wipe it off, but it was just not easy to get rid of under the melted cheese. Please, please I beg you, take the horseradish mayo OFF of the sandwich completely. put it on the side if you have to. But get it off the sandwich. It would have been a GREAT sandwich if you just got rid of the horseradish mayo. Other than that, the service was painstakingly sloooowwww. It wasn't just our hangovers. It literally took about 45 minutes for our food to get out to us. My wife and I went through our facebook, clash of clans, candy crush, we exhausted the entertainment value on our phones before we finally were served our food. Someday, I will explore the area further for meal options. The only good place so far that we've found is Tops'l (loved it!!) above the Cask and Schooner (don't go there, it was a hot mess).
(3)Julie S.
Amazing French fries, great service, great location! Enjoyed a wonderful happy hour. Thanks!!
(5)Jay P.
WAY OVERPRICED. What the hell are the owners smoking? $5 for a split plate charge? $7 for tiny appetizers at happy hour? $4.25/beer down from $4.75/beer at happy hour? You serve bar food you pieces of shit. $7 for a salmon bruschetta, it was two pieces of bread about 3 inches long with hardly any salmon. It tasted like salmon pizza with a butt hole clogging amount of cheese on it. $17 for three prices of cod and a salad instead of fries. Again, it's BAR FOOD and nothing more. I'm not even sure why we stayed. The atmosphere sucked too, just a bunch of mid 40s local losers hanging out talking like they're college kids. "We went to a casino and smoked like two packs of cigarettes" coming out of the mouth of a 45 year old. Loud and annoying. Real classy, morons. The one thing that was nice was our server. She was great. If I were her I would get the hell out of that bar before that place pulls her into the pile of smoldering shit that it truly is.
(1)Emma H.
Slowww service! Very slow service. The food is ok.. Nothing to brag about. We were in that restaurant for 2 hours though. No one came to check on us after they brought out the food, no one bothered to bring us the check either. We had to chase one of the waiters finally which he just held on to our card for 15 min. Ugh! This was a waste of time.
(1)Dan J.
Not sure what happened to my review from yesterday. Stopped in after our whale watching. Nice place and location, after that it fails! Kitchen appeared to be pumping out the food but at least one, ours, waitress was really lacking in her job. Taking orders and then forgetting what and who ordered what. Lucky us. Walked out and spoke to her directly, never knew who and where we were sitting in her section. Others in her section by the windows also complaining about the service, getting their food cold and chasing her down for the check. May try again but not her as our waitress.
(1)Steve L.
It was OK, the food was good, the service was attentive. Because they have two entrances it is a little confusing as to were you are to go. But once we got seated it was pleasant event though we were in a back corridor patio, they did not forget about us. Worth the visit.
(4)George K.
This is the best place on the island to get a decent, sit-down lunch with waitress service. The food is excellent and servers pleasant and doing their job well. The food came on time and was properly cooked, although the kitchen (not the server) did make one mistake. Plus you get a view out the waterfront if you are seated near the front of the dining room. I cannot understand the bad reviews. We had two different lunches here and both were fine. If we had stayed on the island more than 3 days, we would have eaten even more meals here. Second best on the island would be Madrona, but the food is better at Blue Water. After that, it does down the skids pretty fast. We ate one lunch at Rocky Bay Cafe, since they were getting such good reviews. Well folks, if you're used to McDonalds, Rocky Bay is a step up. A number of other dive bars, bad Chinese, you name it. But Blue Water is the only place that's upscale and has good food. Coho is a lot more upscale, but you'd starve is you expected them to serve you lunch (they're not open). Neither are the island's other upscale places.
(5)Gina P.
My husband and I went here for dinner on a Monday night. Our server was nice, and we were the only customers in the restaurant. The crab cakes and clam chowder were decent but clearly pre-made. We both ordered cheeseburgers with fries. I asked for medium rare and my husband medium. The cook came out to tell us he had just started cooking our burgers and they would take about 6 minutes, we expected good burgers at $15 each. Unfortunately the cook delivered the burgers with a comment about not being able to cook them as requested. The burgers were inedible. We asked if they were frozen and they confirmed that they were. They were thin overcooked frozen hamburger patties...disgusting. Our server gave us $10 off, but we still ended up paying over $75 for 2 cups of clam chowder, 2 individual crab cakes, 2 drinks and 2 gross overpriced inedible burgers. We will not be eating here again. How hard is it to cook fresh meat and serve fresh food?
(1)Ed G.
Blue Water is a contender for the lamest of the lame in Friday Harbor because they have so much to work with and do so little with it. Great location in town, near ferry dock with a beautiful view. All they would need to be is okay to be a hit. Instead, they have very mediocre food at a premium price serviced by poorly trained and disinterested wait staff. Most of the reviews are poor and that explains why I have never seen it very busy ( I am a frequent year round visitor). Recently I was in for happy hour and had a couple of glasses of fairly good reasonably priced wine (that was okay), and two happy hour priced buffalo chicken nugget sliders for $6.95. Are you kiddin' me? What a rip! I thought happy hour was supposed to be a deal. This was the worst happy hour offering I have ever seen. Oh well, I had not been in for awhile and was just checking goin to see how things were. Sucked...same as always. It is close to the ferry dock though.
(1)Gurei C.
Waited over 30 minutes for food. Waitress at the table only twice, when she took the order and when we were ready to leave. Had to tell hostess that we were ready for the check. When that didn't work, asked the nice staff member who was refilling people's glasses of water. He seemed to be the only one on the ball. Memorial Day weekend, bring in additional wait staff. Nice view of harbor from large window does not make up for poor service. Two stars instead of one because the food was not horrible.
(2)Bob S.
2 stars (instead of 1) because of view of ferry. We had orzo salad (average), crab cakes (I think they were pre-made, frozen) and an ahi roll (worst ever...dry, tuna was faded, I think it may have been frozen also....or maybe just old). We only came here cuzz the first choice (Vinny's) had a wait. Blue water had lots of open tables....now we know why.
(2)Mark H.
Had a early dinner here. Service was very slow and the place was not that busy. Servers were all chatting at the bar while we waited for drinks. The food was just so so. My braised ribs were served luke warm after sitting in the window for 10 minutes (open kitchen). It's a service-expected business Blue Water...Your people could do much better.
(2)Vivi R.
I've read Yelp reviews before coming into this restaurant. I read a lot of bad reviews. A lot of the restaurants, their kitchen was closed before 10pm on Thursday. We wanted to eat dinner somewhere. We checked like 4 different restaurant near the ferry entrance. All of them said their kitchen closed. So we came in here, 10 minutes before the restaurant ends, this friendly waitress let us in. She didn't even rush us either. She checked on us few times and that was nice. I read on Yelp reviews that the customer service was horrible, but I didn't get any bad experience. I really liked the spicy wings. I was worried if it was going to be too spicy, but it wasn't too spicy. The celeries that came with the spicy chicken was fresh. I am giving 4 stars because I didn't really like the ribs I ordered. The meat was dry, it was somewhat good, but it wasn't all that special. The Lima beans as a side dish was lot delicious than the ribs. The ribs are saucy, but the meat itself was dry and a little hard to chew on. It was decently okay, I would give it 3/5 goodness. If you're wanting to drink lemonade, try the raspberry! I really liked it! It was a little watery, but it was tasty. The kitchen looks small, but there's like over 30 tables, I think. There were extra tables outside too. And also a bar was right next to the restaurant. I like how you can see the ferry outside too. Somebody typed "tourist trap" on yelp. I don't think it was a trap. I mean if the place gets busy, there's lots of chance you'll get bad luck. No one was there when we got there. Well no one inside, but there was one group of people eating outside the restaurant.
(4)Scott M.
Picturesque town, nice boat ride, great summer weather all down the drain after having lunch at Blue Water. Island prices, Bowery quality. They really need a cook! Atmosphere 80 The only thing positive about lunch Service 70 Didn't expect better Food 70 About as bad as it gets without sending it back Value 70 Even the scenery didn't help Not many choices in town, but try anywhere else. This one was bad - 6 people in our party all agreed.
(1)Laleh J.
We were really hungry, so we enjoyed our meal. They have a very nice view of the ferry!
(3)Missi B.
I had a delicious burger here. It was pricey though ($16) for a burger and fries. The view of the harbor is great- fun to watch the boats and people come and go. Service was so-so.
(3)Mark H.
As described by others this is just basically bar type food. Almost all of it is fried. The food is average in quality but above average in price. The waitress put only the minimum amount of effort into her service. I don't think she smiled once. They promote happy hour which brings the prices down slightly. There is a great view of the ferry and harbor but the noise inside can be a little on the high side.
(2)Zulma E.
This was our fist stop to lunch after leaving the ferry. Service was nice. Highly expensive for all simply fried items. Although you have to say that fat is what you are to expect for such a menu, there was something on this one that made us food sick the rest of the day...leftovers in the garbage.
(1)Anna T.
food was good, except the fact that food took forever to come, about 45 mins to hr. two different parties were seated after us and they got food before us. they must have come 10-15 mins after us too. overall poor experience. view is good if that is what is most important to you. i was mainly worried if we were going to make the ferry or not.
(1)Peter W.
First let me say, I WAS aware this place was a bar! Yet still it was absolutely some of the worst service we have ever had. It was not busy there, and it took way to long to get seated, get our drink order, and then our food. I had the nachos because for some reason it just sang to me. Well, I wasn't singing afterwards, it seemed like they were under the heatlamp for way to long waiting for me and the chips were stale, the cheese was rubbery...not pleased with it at all. My fiance had Fish and chips, and the best thing we had was the fries, they were actually pretty good. But the fish did not impress at all. I don't like fully bashing a place like this, but knowing they are in a town were most customers coming in are waiting for a ferry you would think they could hustle a little bit more. I had to get up and ask for my check and it seemed they didn't even want me to give them money they were no where to be found when it came time to pay. All in all, I will not be back, I go to friday harbor often, and ther eis plenty of better places then this!
(1)Katie U.
Great wine and service! Our bartender Kim was the best. The view is beautiful and they have an ice strip to set your drink on to keep it cold...or place with the snow. Great happy hour prices and appetizer menu!
(5)Shaunessy J.
Burgers were over-cooked with bacon that was dried out. Fries were just so-so. Service was hit or miss. It took a while for a food even though it wasn't that busy.
(2)Kayla B.
Our group of 7 walked into this restaurant looking for lunch by the Friday Harbor ferry and were very dissapointed. Our waitress did not know the menu very well, she had to ask everyone for their drink and food orders two to three times, and forgot most of the drinks the first and second time she brought some out and had to ask us again. She still mixed up a couple of the drinks. We all received the food we asked for and didn't have to wait too long but it was not impressive quality--everyone thought their food was anywhere from not good at all to okay. It just tasted like they were reheating pre-made meals or packets and not cooking fresh food. When we got the bill we were told that we couldn't split it just because they were busy (even though there were a few open tables in the small room). By the time the meal was over we were all ready to leave right away.
(1)Captain K.
The Good - the fish tacos were great, the beer was cold and the view was decent. Also, they're open till 10 which seemed to be late around Friday Harbor. The Bad - the service! Our waitress was busy with a large group so obviously wasn't too concerned about whatever tip she had coming her way from us. After we finished dinner (and one drink) she ran past our table and said "I'll have your bill in one minute." I guess that was our queue to go. We were ready to drink but we took our business elsewhere. I say skip it, there are other places around Friday Harbor that have better service.
(2)Jim R.
Wow...tourist beware this place is a con artist dream. Over charged my credit card after giving me the run around about the correct tab. I travel the islands all summer and am sad when they don't get customer service.
(1)Yoon C.
I'm surprised to see such mixed reviews here. Perhaps we lucked out, but our food, drinks and service were all excellent. I had the 1/2 rack of BBQ ribs that were excellent (maybe even some of the best I've ever had), and my wife had the wild mushroom risotto, also very good. We had their margaritas and thought they were very tasty. Service was prompt and friendly. It's still the off-season, but we were glad to find such a good place so close to the ferry. Will be back on our next trip!
(5)Jess H.
Waitress was friendly, and service was quick, but the food was second rate. Clam chowder was bland with little if any clam in it; thick and pasty. "Vinaigrette" dressing is just low quality Italian dressing. Fish tacos actually looked much better than the menu description, or I would have ordered those, except they only come with a side of sour cream instead of a proper fish taco white sauce. $9 for a cup of chowder and side salad, but only the salad was worth eating, which made for an expensive salad. Great view of the ferry landing if you get a window table. Next time I'll just grab something to go at King's Market, or a crab sandwich at Friday's.
(2)Meghan B.
Can't judge the food because we couldn't even make it that far. I get that it was busy for labor day weekend, but I waited tables for years and the busy times are supposed to be your opportunity days! We walked in and were passed by multiple staff members without even a comment that they'd seat us when they got a moment. Finally a girl walked over with a quick "how many?" (I'm fine, thanks for asking!) and promptly dumped us at a table and left. We sat for about 10 minutes with no one greeting us before we spotted the restaurant next door that looked pleasant. Also noticed weird notes on their menu saying that they refuse to split checks & charge for splitting plates ($2.) No thanks.
(1)J F.
Yelped several eateries on Friday Harbor...Blue Water wasn't on our list. On a whim, we decided to eat here since it was the closest to the ferry instead of walking a few blocks over to a better rated restaurant. From the open dining room you have full view of the kitchen counter. Once the food was up, we noticed how it just sat on the counter. The cook doesn't call for the waitress to pick up unless there were several orders crowding the counter. Our plates sat there for about 10 minutes which explained the lukewarm clam chowder. The heat lamp wasn't even turned on. The Caesar chicken sandwich was deplorable. It looked like a piece of frozen chicken they had just taken out of the freezer, nuked it and then thrown it on the grill for the sear markings. Take that piece of meat and throw it on a dry hoagie roll with a bit of lettuce and call it a sandwich. But wait...where was the Caesar dressing?? It wasn't until we were leaving that I noticed how filthy the kitchen area was. They had cardboard on the floor ( we're guessing to keep the floor from being greasy) which was BLACK and GREASY. I wish we had noticed it before we sat down. The food inspectors need to get on that ferry. Giving it a 1-star only because the salad was crisp and the best thing of our meal. Should've kept to our yelp list!
(1)Tom S.
We went here on a Monday night, so barely anybody else was there. We had a caesar salad and coconut prawns basket; Both were pretty good! Exactly what I had expected, at exactly the right price. The view from the restaurant was wonderful. It overlooks the ferry landing and the bay. I would definitely come back again for more of the food and drinks.
(4)Aaron G.
When I walked in the door I felt like I was inconveniencing them by showing up. After waiting for 20 minutes to order a chicken sandwhich and a pepsi i knew it was only downhill from there. Another 40 minutes to get a peice of chicken between 2 slices of bread and some fries. When the waitress went to refill my drink she had to come back and ask me what it was and then brought me the wrong drink anyway. Service was less than friendly, food was mediocre, wait time was apalling, and for 1 sandwhich and 1 drink was nearly $20 dollars. I might have scored it a 3 but when I finally got my food and scarfed it down so I wouldn't miss my ferry, I had to wait another 20 minutes for the waitress to take my money while I'm waiving it in the air at her. Never again.
(1)Lynn R.
Strolling down the streets of Friday harbor dying for a beverage and we walk into the blue water bar and grill.. What a mistake..there was a hostess standing at the front entrance and did not bother to look up or say hello, so we seated our selves at the bar, after a couple minutes the bartender peaked his head around from the back, but still no acknowledgement that we even existed. So after 10 min the server came over brought us some menus and left. We waited for another 10 minutes and still no service so we got up made our way through the flies and back out door.
(1)Nicole B.
As with many of the restaurants my husband and I visited while on Friday Harbor, Blue Water was overpriced for the quality of food served to us. We were charged $14 for two piece fish & chips which was okay at best. My husband ordered the salmon ravioli which was good but not worth the almost $20 he paid for it. The server also did not give us the option to have our expensive ravioli served boiled instead of fried but did tell us at the end that we *could* have had it that way if asked. Perhaps this is my inexperience with ravioli but I am used to having it served boiled and would've preferred it that way. My mistake. While the food was just okay, the service was great (besides that one little fried issue). My husband would also like to point that the restaurant was a little noisy and if you are looking for a quieter dining experience you may want to sit outside. Two stars mostly due to price. Most dinner dishes started at $12 - $14.
(2)Raina D.
Food was OK, nothing amazing. I had the alfredo which was SWIMMING in sauce, just how I like it but it was bordering on too much, even for me. Also came with garlic bread which helped me with the sauce situation. The boy got nachos, ha! Can you screw up nachos? The beans were not very seasoned, but apart from that, seemed par for the course. Prices were OK for those two items, but meat items are steep! Glad to be a vegetarian at this place... Also had raspberry lemonade with was quite good. Sat by the window which overlooks the water, but they ruined it by putting a bunch of window paint on it so your view is obstructed. Service was just OK, nothing to stand out.
(3)Sage N.
Had the game on. Cold beer. Close to the ferry. Food was decent. Super nice waitresses. Don't think it deserves the poor reviews on here. We've been here twice, last time for happy hour. Good choices on happy hour menu and they were quick enough that we made the ferry. Works for me.
(3)Barbara A.
Breakfast - their waffles were the worst I have ever been served and my husband had the eggs, bacon, potatoes and sour dough toast. Everything he had was too salty to eat and the food even looked awful. Our waitress was polite and attentive, but we'd never go back because of the taste of their food. I did enjoy my glass of milk.
(1)Aaron B.
Terrible wait staff. Unfriendly. Bothersome. Unhelpful. We felt so uncomfortable by the way we greeted and treated by the bartend we left. To take a chance anywhere else.
(1)Jean G.
Stopped in for dinner while traveling through San Juan. The location is great. Could see the ferry while eating. We had Cedar Planked Salmon, clam choudar & cesar salad. The schoudar was good, the cesar salad excellent. The Cedar Planked Salmon was the driest salmon I've ever been served. The steemed veg & rissoto were the best part of this entre. I would not recommend or return.
(2)Brandon T.
I really liked this place. Varied menu, great drink list, great view, awesome Bloody Mary. The Blackened Fish Tacos and the Curried Chicken were great. Don't under estimate the small kitchen; big things come in small packages.
(4)Dan S.
The only thing this place has going for it is it's location being close to the ferry dock. The quality of the food leaves nothing much to be desired, It's a lot of fried food, and the service is slow and lacks much personality. Our silverware was dirty, my waster glass was full of lipstick, and our waitress never said a peep. So come here if you want some battered shrimp, french fries, and a beer. But don't expect to leave wanting to come back.
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