Ajax Cafe — Restaurant in Washington

very popular with locals but not a place we will go again. Crowded and noisy - people at the table next to us (our tables were maybe four inches apart) tried to to talk to us and we could barely hear what they were saying. Ribs are the big attraction - they were OK, but if you have had ribs in Memphis, Kansas City, Hickory SC or Dallas you would not rate Ajax ribs more than a 5 on a 1 - 10 scale. I think the reason they are popular here is that there are so few rib joints in the area. I had the house wine and discovered if was served from a box - yuck. I ordered the bouliabase (spelling?) - half the shell fish were not open which most people realize is not a good sign that they are fresh. Mentioned this to the waiter and her response was to count how many unopened shell fish there were and that was it. This made me realize that neither the chef nor the wait staff have no clue about cooking good food. Prices were way out of line with the quality of food. The tables are so close and the place is so crowded that when I had to go to the restroom I had to stand there for a few minutes to determine how to navigate through the tables to make it - go toward the front, turn left at the first place to squeeze between the tables, turn right past two more tables, left again and then head toward the kitchen and then left near the bar. Too many really great restaurants in this area to waste our time driving to Ajax from home in...

Port Hadlock may not come to mind as quickly as Port Townsend or Port Angeles on the 5 star fine dining front, which is why Ajax Cafe is more than a great place to eat, it's a unicorn. The location is unassuming just up the road a bit from the local grocery store. It's close to apartments and a ton of maritime structures. My wife and I got a rare evening without kids and finally went in to see if the hype was warranted.

We went in excited, just like going on a first date. Immediately the mismatched style struck us as welcoming and fun. The server/bartender/table busser was the best. She didn't come over a single time when my mouth was full of food. You know what I mean. No. She just kept the beverages coming, and empty dishes clear. She smiled and chatted and was helpful in a way that makes you feel like you made the right choice. We ordered specials on Apps and long story short everything was incredible. Photos are of decor and all of the killer food. I hope you enjoy the pictures and if you find yourself in the area, definitely give this place a go. We didn't need reservations, but we made them because they can get packed quickly.

We'll be back and updating...

I have been going to Ajax for years and have never had a bad experience until tonight. We decided to take our sister-in-law who was here from out of town for a special night. I am wondering if the Ajax is under new ownership since Covid? My son loved his appetizer with was a pasilla stuffed pepper but the crab cake and Brussel sprouts were terrible. All 5 of us ordered the ribs...we have been going for the ribs for years and they have always been amazing. Tonight they were cold and the sauce had changed. They were happy to bring new plates of ribs but again they were just totally different than they used to be. Our food was nothing like it has been for all the years we had been going. It was sad to see. I know times have been very tough for restaurants but our bill was over $200 and the food was just nothing like it has ever been. The fun atmosphere with the funny hats was gone. I want to see them succeed so I hope they will steer things back to the way...