tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption

CHAIN -- Ivar's
Owner -- Privately held
Primary Operating Region -- Washington State
Number of Locations -- 31 Quick Service, 3 Full Service

Ivar Haglund is a legend who will always be remembered for his promotional stunts as much as for his outstanding clam chowder.  

Haglund started out with Seattle's first aquarium in 1938 on Pier 54.  Haglund, a folk singer/tap dancer/comedian, sang songs about the critters in his aquarium at the entrance to attract people.  Two guys convinced him to allow them to run a fish and chips stand at the aquarium in exchange for a piece of the profits.  The stand did well and eventually closed when a neighboring restaurateur complained that Ivar's stand was taking away his business.  

In 1946, the full-service Ivar's Acres of Clams, named for a line in a song Haglund was known for singing on the radio, was born.  Ivar's showmanship made the restaurant, and him, icons.  The full-service Acres of Clams still thrives on Pier 54 (the aquarium closed in 1956).  The food is fabulous, the service fantastic, and the views stunning.  Enjoy a full line of seafood while watching ferries come and go or maybe the neighboring fireboat.  The Pier 54 complex also includes the "Exclusively Washington" gift shop, owned by Ivar's and operators of their website store, where you can order Ivar's white chowders and have them shipped to you.  Also on Pier 54 is a fast-food Ivar's Fish Bar, where you can order the fried fish and chowders Ivar's features at all their quick-serve restaurants.  Ivar's Fish Bar at Pier 54 probably sells the most fries NOT consumed by humans of any restaurant anywhere, because everybody is encouraged by signs to feed them to the seagulls who buzz by along the pier, a practice that started as a rebuttal when a neighboring business on the pier put up a sign asking people NOT to feed them.  The whole experience is very magical, and very Ivar.  The other two full-service restaurants, each unique in their own way, feature outdoor fish bars as well.

The award winning chowders are probably the best known menu items.  There is the classic White Clam Chowder, made with a non-dairy creamer instead of milk, and featuring a smoky bacon taste.  There's nothing else like it anywhere.  There is also a Red Clam Chowder, a bit tomatoey, a bit spicy.  It has clams and potatoes, but looks more like a tomato soup.  Finally, there is the Salmon Chowder.  This is another white chowder.  It's an acquired taste to be sure.

Lunch hour at the fast-food seafood bars is especially fun because everybody in the crowd just shouts the order to the fry cook and they sort out the particulars after.  "It works for us" says the sign explaining this.   Food is your usual fried fish but with more variety and including breaded and fried Salmon and Oysters.

Ivar Haglund died in 1985.  The spirit of Ivar is alive and well.  And there's no sign of it going away anytime soon.

Keep Clam.

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