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Shellfest Returns This November!

We’re celebrating fresh, PNW shellfish this November with our annual Shellfest! Available in the Boathouse & Cafe daily now through November 30 – try them all!

Shellfest Menu

Oyster Shooter
house-infused spicy vodka, Dimitri’s bloody  mix, old bay rim, oyster $8
Steamed Manila Clams
chorizo, sherry, oregano, butter (by the half or full pound) GF $11/$22 

Steamed Penn Cove Mussels
shallot, garlic, white wine, butter, herbs (by the half or full pound) GF $11/$22

Peel & Eat Alaskan Spot Prawns
old bay dusted, bopo, lemon GF $28

Fried Coconut Shrimp 
thai chili dipping sauce DF $14

Baked Oysters
lime-seaweed butter, pickled sea beans GF $5/each

Oysters on the Half Shell
with shallot mignonette GF/DF $4/each

Black Pepper Tanner Crab
jasmine rice, steamed bok choy, scallion $36

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Celebrate Christmas Eve & Day 2023 at Ray’s!

Ray’s first floor Boathouse and second floor Cafe will be open on Christmas Eve and Day serving up your favorite dishes and seasonal specials. Join us Sunday, December 24 and Monday, December 25, 2023!

Reservations are available now and strongly encouraged for all parties on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: Reserve Boathouse. Reserve Cafe. There is very limited seating for parties larger than 6 people.

RAY’S BOATHOUSE
Christmas Eve: reservations from 2pm (first seating) to 8pm (last seating). 3-course holiday menu with soup or salad, choice of entrée, and dessert for $75 per person (beverages, tax and gratuity not included). We will also serve our normal menu offerings.

Christmas Day: reservations from 2pm (first seating) to 8pm (last seating). 3-course holiday menu with soup or salad, choice of entrée, and dessert for $75 per person (beverages, tax and gratuity not included). We will also serve a limited Boathouse a la carte menu.

Full children’s menu is available both days. Boathouse bar will be open with the same offerings for guests ages 21 and over, no reservations taken.

Boathouse Christmas Eve & Day Three Course Menu

Starters

  • Butternut Squash and Roasted Sweet Potato Soup Crispy kale, focaccia croutons, extra virgin olive oil
  • Winter Citrus Salad Blood orange, cara cara orange, grapefruit, fennel, mixed greens, citrus vinaigrette, walnuts
  • Prosciutto Wrapped Albacore Tuna Cranberry gelee, persimmons, puffed barley

Entrees

  • Applewood Grilled King Salmon sweet potato puree, marble potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, beurre blanc
  • Prime Rib of Beef spice rubbed, garlic whipped potatoes, seared brussels sprouts, demi-glace
  • Dungeness Crab Spaghetti spiced tomato butter, breadcrumbs, chives
  • Roasted Root Vegetables white bean puree, sauteed kale and white beans, roasted carrots and parsnips, soy tahini dressing

Dessert

  • Seasonal Inspired Dessert
  • Crème Brulee
  • Olympic Mountain Ice Cream and Sorbet

RAY’S CAFE
Christmas Eve: reservations available from 11:30am (first seating) to 8pm (last seating). Normal Cafe menu along with seasonally inspired a la carte specials.

Christmas Day: reservations available from 12:30pm (first seating) to 8pm (last seating). Normal Cafe menu along with seasonally inspired a la carte specials.

Full children’s menu is available both days. Cafe Bar & Lounge will be open with the same hours and menus with no reservations needed, ages 21 and over only.

Cafe Christmas Eve & Day Specials

  • Butternut Squash and Roasted Sweet Potato Soup Crispy kale, focaccia croutons, extra virgin olive oil
  • Prime Rib of Beef Spice rubbed, garlic whipped potatoes, seared brussels sprouts, demi-glace
  • Dungeness Crab Spaghetti Spiced tomato butter, breadcrumbs, chives
  • Seasonally Inspired Dessert

Kindly review our Christmas guidelines for a seamless experience!
*All reservations are for inside tables only.
*We cannot accommodate every window seating request.
*Walk ins are only accepted for our bar top and lounge seating (ages 21 and over).
*Sorry, no promotional discounts available. Loyalty cards accepted and encouraged!

We look forward to seeing you and yours soon!

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New Cafe Fall Menu!

Ray’s Cafe Fall menu is here! Check out our lineup of fresh PNW seafood, pasta, veggie dishes and more! Cozy up next to our two fireplaces and take in the gorgeous Olympic Mountain views this Fall while you enjoy this new menu. Available for lunch and dinner daily in our upstairs Cafe.

Dungeness Crab & Kohlrabi Salad shaved kohlrabi, shredded carrots, granny smith apples, fennel, arugula, herbed crème fraiche dressing

Salt Roasted Alaskan Spot Prawns provencal herbs, rouille sauce

Grilled King Salmon garlic whipped mash potatoes, green beans, chive beurre blanc

Seared Dungeness Crab Cakes cauliflower puree, fried cauliflower and red potato, brown butter vinaigrette, chervil

Steamed Tanner Crab Clusters fried Yukon potatoes, sautéed green beans, butter sauce, lemon

Mushroom Bolognese tomato and mushroom ragout, rotini pasta, pecorino romano, capers, breadcrumbs

Roasted Delicata Squash sauteed farro, mushrooms, kale, coconut milk-squash emulsion

Baked Brie walnut-fig jam, bruleed figs

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Hispanic Heritage Month Specials with Chef Gus

Ray’s Executive Sous Chef Gustavo Guerra hails from Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco, Mexico and he’s graciously whipped up his Pollo en Mole Oaxaqueño in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month!

This limited quantity dish will be available in the Boathouse and Café starting Friday, September 15 until it’s gone!

Pollo en Mole Oaxaqueño pan seared chicken breast, chayote, radish, marjoram garnish.

Gus’ mole recipe originates from Oaxaca and includes a delicious blend of chiles, spices, pepitas, raisins, Mexican chocolate and much more. He shares that the key to the best mole is starting with good quality chiles; his favorites are mulato, ancho/pasilla, guajillo and cascabel pods – all of which come dried and are reconstituted to create a deep, rich flavor. It takes at least two-days to prepare the mole to achieve the perfect taste and texture.

Gus makes this mole at family celebrations and get togethers, as well as his other favorite dishes including pozole verde, shrimp ceviche tostadas, and nopales (cactus leaves).

Look for different specials inspired by Gus’ heritage throughout the next four weeks!

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Thanksgiving at Ray’s 2023!

Note – Ray’s reservations are sold out for Thanksgiving 2023. 

Join us for Thanksgiving in our Boathouse and Cafe on Thursday, November 23, 2023! Our upstairs Cafe will be serving a signature holiday buffet throughout the restaurant and bar and our Boathouse will offer a seasonal Fall-inspired 3-course menu.

Reservations are required for all parties on Thanksgiving and can be made online for the Cafe here and Boathouse here.

Kindly review our Thanksgiving guidelines for a seamless experience!
*Reservations for parties of up to 10.
*All reservations are for inside tables only.
*We unfortunately cannot accommodate all window seating requests.
*Walk-ins are only accepted for our bar top seating in the Cafe and Boathouse bars (both ages 21 and over).
*Sorry, no promotional discounts available. Loyalty cards accepted and encouraged!

We look forward to seeing you this Thanksgiving!

RAY’S BOATHOUSE & BOATHOUSE BAR
The Boathouse’s 3-course menu offers a delicious seasonal Fall menu of soup or salad, choice of entrée, and dessert for $75 per person (beverages, tax and gratuity not included). Our children’s menu will include a $20 traditional turkey plate (excluding tax and gratuity). Boathouse bar top will be open with the 3-course menu available if the entire party is over the age of 21. No reservations taken.

Boathouse reservations are available from 11:30am (first seating) to 8pm (last seating) online for groups of 10 or fewer, including highchairs.

Ray’s Boathouse Thanksgiving 3-Course Menu

Starters

  • Mushroom Veloute Soup Roasted maitake mushrooms, crème fraiche, herbs
  • Roasted Beets Salad GF Whipped goat cheese, arugula, sherry vinaigrette, pistachios, scallion oil
  • Seared Oregon Albacore Tuna * GF DF Pickled cabbage slaw, apple cider vinegar aioli, grapefruit

Entrees

  • Oven Roasted Turkey Herbed stuffing, garlic whipped russet potato, green beans, cranberry, glazed carrots
  • Prime Rib of Beef GF Spice rubbed prime rib, garlic whipped russet potato, brussels sprouts, green beans, Demi-Glace
  • Mushroom Ragout Shepherdess Pie GF Roasted Delicata Squash, mixed mushroom ragout, butternut squash, green salad with red wine vinaigrette
  • Alaskan Halibut PNW pan seared halibut, gnocchi, sauteed mushrooms and kale

Desserts

Traditional Thanksgiving pies served with vanilla bean whipped cream

  • Pumpkin Pie
  • Apple Pie
  • Pecan Pie
  • Olympic Mountain ice cream or sorbet

RAY’S CAFE
Enjoy our signature Cafe buffet upstairs for $75 per person (includes coffee, tea, juice and sodas – excludes tax and gratuity) with a variety of guest favorite items including Seasonal Salads, Northwest Antipasto, Seafood Buffet with Oyster Shucking, Dungeness Crab clusters and Gulf Prawns, Oven Roasted Turkey with all the trimmings, Roast Prime Rib of Beef, smoked PNW Salmon Sides, variety of Fresh Seasonal Vegetables, Dessert Table and more!

Children 5 to 11 years old are $37.50 each (excluding tax and gratuity), children under 5 dine free.

Cafe reservations are available from 11:00am (first seating) to 8pm (last seating) online for groups of 10 or fewer, including highchairs.

RAY’S CAFÉ BAR & LOUNGE
The Cafe bar and lounge will be open. The lounge will accept advance reservations if the entire party is over the age of 21. Only buffet menu available. Cafe bar top will be available for walk ins only.

Ray’s Second Floor Cafe Thanksgiving Buffet Menu

Salads & Cold Items

  • Farm Lettuces and Greens Salad spring mix, chopped romaine, sliced red onion, white balsamic vinaigrette, dried apricot, aged white cheddar cheese (GF)
  • Roasted beets Salad, sherry vinaigrette, arugula, Goats milk cheese (GF)
  • Market cheese board domestic and imported cheeses, marinated mozzarella balls, dried fruit (GF)
  • Ray’s cured meats platter hot coppa, salame Toscano, sliced prosciutto, finocchiona salame
  • Vegetable Platter grilled vegetables, olives, pickled peppers, marinated artichoke hearts
  • Roasted Delicata Squash Salad pomegranate, arugula, pepitas, maple-balsamic vinaigrette (DF)
  • Kale and Honeycrisp apple salad, lemon vinaigrette, honeycrisp apples, grana Padano, pickled shallot (GF)
  • Caesar Salad chopped romaine lettuce, grana Padano, creamy Caesar dressing, house made croutons

Seafood Bar & Shucking

  • Half shell oysters mignonette, cocktail, lemons (GF)
  • Peel and eat prawns cocktail, horseradish. Lemons (GF)
  • Dungeness crab Clusters lemon, bopo (GF)

Carving Station

  • Spice rubbed prime rib of beef horseradish cream, demi-glace (GF)
  • House smoked NW salmon ginger-peach compote (GF)

Hot Entrée & Side Dishes

  • Manilla clams white wine, garlic, herbs and butter (GF)
  • Penn cove mussels coconut curry broth (GF)
  • Butter whipped Washington Russet potatoes (GF)
  • Oven Roasted Turkey cranberry sauce, herbed gravy
  • Pan seared PNW Rockfish roasted cherry tomatoes and mini sweet peppers, lemon-chive beurre blanc (GF)
  • Traditional Herbed Stuffing
  • Mac and Cheese
  • Corn Pudding (GF)
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts house smoked bacon, toasted garlic, chilies (GF)
  • Blistered green beans garlic, lemon (GF)
  • Glazed carrots brown sugar, fresh herbs, shallot, butter (GF)
  • Garlic Prawns garlic, smoked paprika, chili flake, EVOO, herbs, lemon (GF & DF)
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New Summer Menus!

All the fresh summer flavors are here! Our new Boathouse and Cafe menus are filled with sustainable local seafood and seasonal ingredients. Here’s a peek, come try them all this summer!

Cafe
Charred Corn & Crab Salad shredded romaine, lime aioli, cherry tomatoes, avocado, cotija cheese, jalapeno, cilantro
Warm Brie strawberry-balsamic, fresh strawberries, basil, toasted hazelnuts, rosemary croccantini
Tanner Crab Cluster fried Yukon gold potatoes, asparagus, butter sauce, lemon
Seafood Tom Kha PNW salmon and whitefish, clams mussels, prawns, seasoned coconut milk broth, jasmine rice, red bell pepper, basil, scallion
Creamy Lemon Ricotta Rotini seared zucchini, asparagus, herbs, breadcrumbs
Roasted Summer Squash quinoa tabbouleh, lemon-tahini dressing, watermelon radish, fresh herbs

Boathouse
Fried Oysters sweet peppers, pickled shallots, frisée, Calabrian chili aioli, scallion oil
Seared Octopus yogurt, smashed cucumber salad, pickled red onion, radish, mint, dill oil
Penn Cove Manila Clams Tom Kha, pickled serrano peppers, chili oil, chorizo, basil, baguette
Applewood Grilled Sake Kasu brown rice, gai lan, miso glaze, pickled ginger anddaikon
Dungeness Crab Cakes fried green tomatoes, corn salad, cherry tomatoes, cotija, lime, scallions, garlic aioli

Ray’s Cafe: Located upstairs is open Sunday-Thursday 11:30am-9pm, Friday & Saturday 11:30am-10pm. Walk ins only for indoor and outdoor dining.

Ray’s Boathouse: Located on our first floor is open Monday-Friday 5-9pm, Saturday & Sunday 4:30-9pm. Reservations accepted and encouraged for indoor dining, deck is seated on a first come basis.

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Try Our 50th Anniversary Beer Collabs!

Try our three 50th anniversary collaboration beers on tap in the Cafe while supplies last!

We partnered with beloved Seattle craft breweries Fremont Brewing, Georgetown Brewing and Stoup Brewing to create three celebratory beers. Raise a glass and sip on these as we cheers to 50 years!

‘Catch Some Rays’ IPA – Georgetown Brewing, 6.9% ABV. Custom brewed to celebrate 50 years of cold beer on the patio this bright, easy drinking IPA is bursting with citrus and stone fruit

‘Ray’s 50th Hazy Pale Ale’ – Fremont Brewing ABV 5.5%. Big and juicy bursting with tropical fruit and citrus featuring Equinox, Amarillo, Galaxy hops

‘Ray’s 50th IPA’ – Stoup Brewing, Ballard ABV 6.2%. Mosaic, Simcoe, Citra and a pinch of Waimea hops bring the citrus and pine. A Northwest Style IPA for a Northwest icon.

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Ray’s Father’s Day Specials Sunday, June 18!

Take Dad, or the Father figure in your life, out for a special celebration on Father’s Day Sunday, June 18, 2023! Treat him to lunch or dinner at Ray’s and enjoy these delicious food and drink specials.

Father’s Day Menu Specials:

Boathouse: Applewood Grilled NY Strip Steak fried marble potatoes, roasted sweet peppers, ramp butter. Our first floor Boathouse is open nightly for dinner. Reservations are available online.

Café: Marinated Hanger Steak charred spring onion, sweet corn, jalapeño, cilantro chimichurri. Our upstairs Cafe is open daily for lunch and dinner starting at 11:30am, seating is walk-ins only.

Father’s Day Cocktail Specials (available in the Boathouse and Cafe):

Man About Town
Old Forester Bourbon, Punt E Mes, Aperol, Crème de Cacao, orange bitters, boozy cherry, up. 16

Dad’s Day Off
Michter’s Rye, Amaro Foro, brown sugar-cinnamon simple, one large rock. 15

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Celebrating 50 Years this June!

We’re 50!! Thank you to everyone who has spent the last six months celebrating with us (and to many, the last 50 years). This June we’re diving into our 50th summer season so grateful for this community.

Though our roots in Ballard date back to the 1930s, the Boathouse and Cafe that you all know and love came to be 50 years ago when our owners had the idea to take a steakhouse approach to fresh, sustainably sourced fish and local seafood, grilling and preparing it simply to let the seafood shine.

50 years later we are honored to continue this same approach with the love and support of the incredible Ray’s community!

We remain locally owned and operated in the same location we opened at in 1973. After a devastating fire in 1987, another fire in the 90s, and many economic ups and downs, we’ve always bounced back with the help of our hard working team and unwavering support from you, our loyal guests.

We thank all of Ray’s staff, past and present, for being stewards of our mission and we thank our guests for making Ray’s a tradition that continues on with each generation.

Please raise a glass with us this month and cheers to the next 50 years!!

Highlights of Ray’s history, 50 years & beyond:

  • Ray’s begins: In 1939 namesake Ray Lichtenberger moved his growing boat rental and bait house to the current location and later opened a coffee house. Through the 1960s Ray’s operated as both a casual fish and chips cafe and boat rental. In 1973, Russ Wohlers, Earl Lasher and Duke Moscrip bought Ray’s Boathouse and transformed it into a nationally respected seafood restaurant while maintaining its cordial atmosphere. Moscrip left to pursue other restaurant ventures and Elizabeth Gingrich joined the ownership team in 1975. Seattle Sonics star Jack Sikma would join the ownership team a few years later and is still an owner today.
  • Under Wohlers, Ray’s built its reputation on seasonal dishes prepared simply to highlight the flavors of impeccably fresh seafood and the freshest locally grown produce.
  • Ray’s became part of a Pacific Northwest food revolution by helping to introduce its distinctive regional cuisine built around Northwest products, microbrews and wines.
  • This approach drew national recognition from top food critics, writers, chefs, and personalities including Julia Child who received a personal tour of the Puget Sound from Russ’ seaplane in the 1990s. It also captured the hearts and palates of locals and tourists who packed the restaurants nightly to enjoy the fresh, seasonal fare.
  • Many “firsts:” Ray’s was the first to reintroduce Seattleites to Olympia oysters, the region’s only native oyster, elevated Northwest delicacies such as singing scallops, Loughborough Inlet spot prawns, Copper River Salmon, Bruce Gore “frozen at sea” salmon and the then-novel concept of serving red wine with fish.
  • In 2002 Ray’s earned an America’s Classics award from the James Beard Foundation.
  • Notable Employees: Ray’s has had the pleasure of employing and fostering many local chefs and notable figures including Chris Cornell of Soundgarden who worked as a line cook in the 1980s.
  • Sustainable seafood before it was popular: In 1976, Ray’s was also the first local restaurant to purchase its own wholesale fish buyer’s license, allowing it to buy directly from the fisherpeople, ensuring the freshest catch—light years ahead of today’s “sustainable seafood” consciousness
  • Ownership from within: Two new co-owners stepped into the partnership from within the Ray’s family after Gingrich retired in 2017: Tom Olsson, a longtime Ray’s team member who started in Ray’s kitchens and worked his way to Chief Financial Officer, and General Manager Douglas Zellers, best known for managing iconic local restaurants.

Photo by Ali Nassersaid

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May Seafood Spotlight: Sablefish!

Try our two new Northwest Sablefish specials this May in celebration of our 50 years! 

Sablefish (aka black cod) is a rich, buttery fish that has been on our menu since the early days. Many of you know and adore our Sablefish in Sake Kasu, a now iconic dish which has remained a guest favorite for nearly 50 years.

This May we’re celebrating sablefish with two unique specials – a classic entree from our founding chef/partner Russ Wohlers – Cold Smoked and Roasted Sablefish, and a new appetizer from Executive Chef Kevin Murray – Roasted Sablefish Wraps.

Enjoy them now through May 31 in the Boathouse or Cafe!

50th Anniversary May Sablefish Specials

Cold Smoked & Roasted Sablefish
braised savoy cabbage, prosciutto, granny smith apple, mustard-riesling sauce

Roasted Sablefish Wraps
butter lettuce, shiso leaf, pickled cucumber and carrot, spicy honey soy, toasted sesame seeds