The Walrus and the Carpenter - Seattle (WA)

1 /5 Ozan Ersoy: Biggest rip off in town. Oysters 5 dollars a piece. Tapas style dishes are 20-30 dollars. Bread plate is 3 slices. Service is ok. We ordered bread and they never brought it, had to remind them 3 times. Sardines took 20 mins. Look... I get everything is more expensive nowadays, yeah, but not this expensive. My favorite was the sardines. Properly done. Update: 22% service fee was added which comes with the attitude of the service people. Google needs to have 0 star option.

5 /5 Rushad: Idk what others are complaining about. This place is on point with its food. The collar was one of the most unique takes on fish Ive ever had. Amazing smoky flavor with large chunks of fish. The oyster selection was incredible albeit pricey at 5 a pop but definitely worth it to try. Only disappointing thing was the goat cheese which was super dry and brittle near the rind.

5 /5 Katherine Shaw: This has been on my list forever to try and I’m so glad I did! Came as a solo diner and seated at the bar. Very comfortable and quick service. All the food was delicious: had raw oysters, friend oysters, and clams. Will be coming back.

5 /5 Tom L: An obvious Seattle favorite for the last 10 plus years, this place does not disappoint! With indoor and outdoor seating this lovely joint in Old Ballard finds itself nestled within a total experience space. In the basement is a private event area for events, and on the street side is Staple and Fancy serving as an Italian eatery and bar. This building is a one stop shop for drinks, events, and fantastic seafood and Italian. The Walrus and Carpenter itself has excellent service staff that can walk you through and needs or wants. The food itself is impeccable, with a choice selection of local Washington oysters and other mains such as the Plum Salad, Billy’s Tomatoes, Scallop Crudo, and Hama Hama Clams. All of which we had and enjoyed immensely. The drink menu also has many choice options such as the Burbank and Marvin’s Garden which are all fantastic. Highly recommended seafood place- but you already know this as The Walrus and Carpenter is one of the best places in Seattle for seafood. Doors open at 4pm, and the line starts at 3:45-3:50. No reservations, walk ins only. If there’s no room inside at tables, there’s also a bar that can accommodate.

2 /5 Paul Lein: The oysters were fresh and deliciously sweet. And the fried oysters, sardines, and asparagus were also quite nice and satisfying in their unique ways. But... (And theres always a "but")... Oysters at $5 a pop + 20% mandatory service charge is really not cheap. And the menu is rather lacking outside of the oyster selection. I know its an oyster bar but other nice places can also offer nice oysters with a more balanced menu. But the main reason for the rather average dining experience is the very long wait between service of additional dishes. We literally arrived second in line at 4pm when they opened and ordered shortly thereafter. While the raw oysters were served soon after our order was taken, the other 3 dishes literally took 20 minutes each to arrive at our table. So the entire meal felt like we were eating one dish at a time rather than a medley of different flavors that could be combined. It really really took away from the experience. With prices reaching close to fine dining levels, and the amount of food that was actually served, the overall meal ended up being quite disappointing, and I still have an unsatisfied taste in my mouth as I write this review several hours later. Im sure this restaurant doesnt need our business but I hope this review will better inform other potential diners to the experience that may await.