SEAReview
photo credit: Ray's Cafe
Ray's Cafe
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It’s not breaking news that Seattle gets a bad reputation for “the rain.” Sure, there are 152 rainy days per year on average, which is more than most U.S. cities. But hardly any of those days occur during the summer—it’s a fact that makes us appreciate everything about living here. But most of all, it makes us appreciate Ray’s.
This seafood institution on the water in Ballard is perfect for one specific situation: sitting on the patio in the summertime, drinking some wine, watching the sunset, and making plans to bring all your out-of-town visitors back so you can replicate the experience.
You shouldn’t be going out of your way to eat here in the winter, or anytime when you’d be sitting inside. The dining room feels a little like a vacation lodge at Hershey Park—without the gift shop full of plush peanut butter cups. And when you don’t have those late-July views to put you in a good mood, the expensive, generally just-fine seafood is not what you should be eating in a city with so much excellent fish to offer. You’ll be much happier at The Walrus And The Carpenter, RockCreek, Local Tide, or even Ray's Boathouse, the better and more upscale restaurant located directly downstairs.
photo credit: Ray's Cafe
And yet, we love the cafe anyway. Why? Because the food is good enough for the times when the sun finally comes out, you put your sunglasses on, and you think, “I remember this hot bright thing.” When this happens, Ray’s becomes a totally different restaurant. It’s a feel-good situation with a massive balcony deck, plenty of tables, an incredible water view of Shilshole Bay, and string lights. In other words, Seattle summertime gold. It does get busy on nice days, but that just adds to the celebratory energy. When it’s chilly, the servers will even hand out blankets, so you can retreat into a personal cocoon while eating some perfectly acceptable fish and chips and looking out over the water.
Once the rainy season ends, we encourage you to claim your spot on the deck at Ray’s among the happy crowd. Split a bottle of ice-cold Sauvignon Blanc with some friends, dodge the occasional airborne crayon or two courtesy of the child sitting behind you, and take in the view of Puget Sound. Just make sure to get a photo of the whole scene, so that come October, when you lose your left shoe (and your dignity) to some quicksand-like mud at a Snohomish corn maze, you can remember that this is why you live in Seattle.