The Walrus and the Carpenter
| Address: | 4743 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107, USA |
| Phone: | +1 206-395-9227 |
| Site: | thewalrusbar.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 4–10PM 4–10PM 4–10PM 4–10PM 4–10PM 4–10PM 4–10PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 5
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Nam Nguyen
This place is always packed. From the first hour open to the last minute closed. Ive been trying to get into this place for close to four years. Every time I go theres about a 2 hour wait to get in as the place only seats about 49 people. They dont take reservations so you just have to get there right when they open or youll be forced to wait. So one day I went there and decided, Ive committed so much time attempting to come here, I will wait this time around. Just to see what makes this place so spectacular. We got there roughly an hour after opening and with no surprise, we were told thered be roughly a two hour wait. So we walked around Ballard to kill time. The two hours had past and we got a phone call that we were to be seated next. So we hurried on back and sure enough we got sat shortly after. The ambiance at this place is spectacular. Its got an old school nostalgic feel with all the white bricks, antler like chandelier, soft lighting and sketches of walruses and carpenters hanging on the walls. The sounds of chattering of 50 people, the clinking of glasses, the sound of water being poured, laughter, slurping of oysters, the noise of pots and pans from the open kitchen. I loved every sound about this place. Dinnerwise, we tried one of each oyster (MP was about $2.50 - $3.50 each), we had the clams appetizer and a small carafe of wine. The clams were done well. Great flavor and a beautiful presentation. Savory, sweet, with a hint of citrus. The portion wasnt very generous but decent for a "fine dining" experience. The presentation of the oysters was simple and nice. Bed of rock salt and the oysters laid out from the least to most salty. Served with a bit of champagne mignonette and a lemon wedge. Was it the best oysters Ive ever had? No. Was the meal divine in every bite? Not that either. Just under a dozen oysters, clams and a small carafe of wine equaling $90 later (after tip)... I was left unimpressed with the food. I wouldnt wait two hours to eat here again. I love the atmosphere and the service, it was live, the folks were genuinely friendly. Quality of food is bar none when it comes to fresh seafood however bang for buck and value I really couldnt see what I paid for outside of the ambiance and experience. Of the many oyster houses Ive been to, Ive had better food/value but not better ambiance. Thus they deserve that 3rd star.
JE
Jen H
You might be asking, Where is WALRUS and the Carpenter? Inconspicuous address and sign...where is this place?! If you see their sign, go to the right of the sign, open the window door, and walk down the hall. Walrus is located behind the restaurant/bar on the main street. Get there early because I can guarantee a wait no matter what. The best deal is to come during their first 2 hours of opening for their Happy Hour Specials. HALF-OFF Oysters and select wines; $2 off craft cocktails. Their menu is constantly changing to keep things fresh, so theres never a fear of whats in or out of season. Heres my take (June 2013): Butter Lettuce Salad - $10 (3-stars) Fried Oysters - $8 (My friends favorite; 4-stars) Hama Hama Oysters (HH $1.50) (4-stars) Malaspina Oysters (HH$1) (5-stars) Petalos Bierzo $40 Sea Cow Oysters (HH $1.50) Steak Tartare $12 (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE - Full of light flavor and just right!; 5-stars) Treasure Cove Oysters (HH $1.25) (5-stars) Chef Creek Oysters ($2) (4-stars) Maritime Imperial IPA $5 Panna Cotta $8 (love their dessert; 4 stars) Sleeping Beauty $8 Syncline Grenache Bottle $48 (soft red wine; light to medium body) Tomato Gelee $12 (really odd, literally jello like dish, but tomato flavored; 2 stars) Totten Pacific Oysters ($3) (4-stars) Whipped Cod $8 (small jar of whipped fish; 3 1/2 stars) Overall, I am a fan of this place and its a oyster lovers heaven. Its definitely a must stop in Seattle in the Ballard neighborhood, cant wait for my next visit!
MI
Michael McAfee
The Walrus and the Carpenter exceeded all of the expectations and hype associated with the restaurant. We arrived shortly after the restaurant opened and were able to grab a drink at Staple and Fancy next door while waiting for a spot to open at the Walrus. Ive heard that the wait can be many hours at peak time and Im not sure it would be worth waiting two to three hours for a spot to open here unless you cant come back. The food was incredibly fresh - oysters, greens, fish and steak were prepared in front of us and tasted as if theyd been bought that day. The freshness factor here cant be underrated. The marinated kale was a great vegetable - a nice vinegar taste with pine nuts and parmesan, it was at least green. There was ribeye steak on special that evening and it was served cold - I dont encounter this very often, but the meat was so good that the only seasoning it needed was oil and fresh tarragon. The highlight dish was the grilled sardines. The mixture of oil, parsley, shallot and walnuts went so well with freshly charred sardines and was the one dish Id pay to eat every day. All in all, The Walrus and the Carpenter is one of the best restaurants at which Ive had the pleasure of eating. If youre in Seattle, take a cab up to the Ballard neighborhood, put your name down and get ready for life-affirming seafood.
ME
Melissa Tan
I knew this place was expensive, but dang, I wasnt prepared to go bankrupt and NOT be full on top of that. Granted, the fresh oysters were top notch. We split 2 dozen oysters and tried all four kinds ranging from sweet to salty, including the amai (sweet). The menu has changed since I visited, so I cant tell you what the other 3 were. The price of the oysters ranged from $2-$4 a piece. I wasnt satisfied with the quantity of the original order, so I ordered more, not knowing that I chose the most expensive one. Yep, I paid $48 for 12 oysters (on top of the original order). Lovely. (I later had slimy, gigantic gulf oysters in Texas that made me sick for a week, so that goes to show all oysters are NOT the same). We also ordered fried oysters, which are pretty much a personal fave anywhere I go. I wasnt that impressed with the steak tartare, but maybe tartare is just not my thing. I dont know. My group of 6 got there at 3:35, and there was a wait, but at 4:00, the doors opened and we were immediately seated. We were fortunate though because it doesnt seem like a group-friendly setting. The place is tiny! The music was so loud I couldnt hear myself think. Reminds me of being in Abercrombie & Fitch minus the mood lighting.
CA
cashmab
Horribly overhyped and overpriced. I just dont get what all the buzz is about or why this is considered a must-try restaurant. We ordered raw oysters on the half shell which were excellent, but really how can you screw up raw oysters. We also ordered a butter lettuce salad with buttermilk dressing which was probably the highlight of the meal. Everything went downhill from there. For the main course, we ordered pan fried oysters, smoked trout, and fried herring. The fried oysters were so-so. Not horrible, not great. But the smoked trout tasted like wax, and the herring tasted like a fish that had been sitting out in the sun out in the back alley for a week, and had more bones than the catacombs of Paris. Between the three of us in our party, the decision was unanimous that the trout and herring were inedible. We spent an ungodly amount of money for the food that we got, and considering that we couldnt even eat half of it, thats a big thumbs down. I seriously just dont get what all the buzz and rave reviews are about. I guess when people hear that something is good, they become brainwashed into believing that it must be so and thus the trend perpetuates.
