The Boat House Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Washington

We were in the area sight-seeing and thought we'd stop in for a late lunch, about 3pm. They weren't busy and the sign said "Seat Yourself" so we ambled out to the patio where the rest of the non-bar patrons were. The hostess/server saw us walk through and followed us with menus and took our drink orders quickly.

Our drinks arrived quickly and since we were ready to order, we did. I got a bowl of clam chowder along with the fish & chips. My wife got a BLT. The chowder arrived quickly and I was pleased with it. Every place has it slightly different and this was no exception. The cream base was a bit less flavorful than others but the addition of extra pepper during preparation stood out. There was more clam than I expected, certainly more than fancier restaurants I've been to. It wasn't the best I've ever had, but far from the worst.

Our food arrived before I finished my chowder. Three decent sized chunks of fish with a nice breading. I can't be positive but it appeared to have been made in a factory and frozen rather than being fresh and house-made. Disappointing given the place is so close to fish markets. It tasted good but still, fresh would have been better especially for the price.

The bacon on the BLT was done nicely, but overpriced for a sandwich consisting of three pieces of bacon and some garnish. Again, good but not great.

The service was okay. Business picked up while we were there and while I did see three servers, only one seemed to be doing the restaurant section with two in the bar. Not that they were needed, but it didn't help the single person waiting on tables. Not that there were that many tables. The two that were in use when we arrived left and three more came in, with 2-3 people on each table. Not overly busy. Still, I didn't get a refill of water and had to catch her as she ran by to get anything else. When she did check on us deliberately, it was almost an afterthought as she ran by.

In all, the food is okay, the service could have been better, but it's not the worst place we've stopped. Pricier than it should be, but it's a small town along the coast. Most things are going to be pricier than...

Host said they were short staffed so might take a while. Sat outside the other 3 tables were finishing up. Waiter arrived quickly and took order. The menu was great with lots of choices. Ordered the calamari appetizer for 12.00. It was average, not greasy but not great. The dipping sauce was a bland mayonnaise blend. We got the crab cake sandwiches for 14.00 and upgraded the fries to the clam chowder cup for 2.00. The chowder was gummy and tasteless, we all ended up with a headache and stomachache like after eating something with msg in it. The crab roll was lacking in definition not a nice Kaiser roll, just a squishy soft bun. Not sure if there was any crab as it was all goopy breading mix, absolutely awful. The 3 of us all wanted to send the food back. We also got the halibut fish and chips for 21.00, it was ok, not good not bad but definitely expensive. The waiter was not friendly or personable, regardless whether busy or not. They do not offer a military discount which is odd being so close to so many bases, alot of restaurants in the area do. The patio overlooking the water is nice, but they do not allow dogs because "dogs fight". We usually take our dog with us when we go out. Again many restaurants in the area do allow dogs. I also ordered a glass of wine which I never got, but was really looking forward to, as it was from a winery I have been to. They do have a nice selection of beer on tap. We had a seasonal one from gig harbor which was good. Would we go back? Probably not, would I recommend it? No. A 100.00 for some awful sandwiches and other items is really...

Stopped for lunch. I choose to sit in restaurant lounges, when available, for the quiet atmosphere away from diners with children. Had previously contemplated coming for prime rib Friday, but by pics from other reviews I couldn't tell if they had any lounge seating other than tall bar stools which are uncomfortable for me. I had called to inquire but couldn't get anyone to answer the phone. So I stopped for lunch to physically check the place out. There "are" 4 tables in the lounge with regular chairs, but they don't open them for use during lunch. It must not be overly busy during lunch time and wasn't while I was there. Luckily the weather was still allowing for outdoor seating. It was sunny, but a bit cool without a jacket. Very nice view of the water.

Ordered a cup of clam chowder and calamari sticks. Chowder was excellent, calamari satisfactory. I think they would do much better with calamari "rings" and some nice garlic lemon aioli. Service was very good and friendly. Food prices were decent. Not so much on the 1 mix drink. $9 for a White Russian!

I mentioned that I tried to call to inquire about the seating and the reply was, "We turn off the phone when we're busy." I get the feeling they turn off the phone busy or not. When I called it was 3 different times of the day that day. Needless to say, if they are unreachable you can't ask questions and can only make or change a reservation if you have internet access. I am undecided on whether to return for a dinner. It just feels like they may not be putting the...