The Lockspot Cafe

This was our second stop while on a "Heart of Seattle Savory Food tour" with Evan, our guide. He provided a short history of this very old restaurant, which supposedly had a brothel upstairs nearly 100 years ago, (but that's since gone, of course). The dining area was cozy feeling, yet fairly dark, even though we sat window-side. I suppose that being an older restaurant without major renovations, this could be expected. Evan told us we really needed to try their fish and chips, which were lightly breaded (I believe it was tempura-based?), perfectly crispy, and served with French fries. The house-made tartar sauce was also very tasty. It would've been nice to try some other menu items, but we were limited in time and what was allotted with the tour. Our server was friendly and attentive. We'd definitely return during our next visit to this area.

Came on a busy afternoon, sat outside under the covered area. Self serve water, waitress was still very attentive and engaging. Best fish & chips I've ever had, I'd come back just for that.

We stopped here at the end of our Burke-Gilman ride. The prices were decent and the portions were generous. Our server recommended the salmon chowder. It was delicious! My one complaint would be that it was a warm day and they only had one fan running which did not blow on us. Maybe adding another fan facing the rest of the guests would be a nice addition for the summertime.

On the way home we decided to grab some chowder (Clam & Salmon) to go and boy are we pleased. Getting to experience each other made with some of the freshest seafood has been amazing!Definitely worth a visit.

While visiting our family we try to have at least one meal at The Lockspot Cafe in Ballard. They have always been consistently good. With so many established restaurants changing hands these days it is increasingly difficult to find the great local spots. The wait staff are great and helpful. I have had the fish and chips which were delicious and very filling. Last night I ordered the surf n turf which I really enjoyed. The menu has a good assortment of dishes to choose from. There are a good selection of drinks from the bar as well. I highly recommend this restaurant.

After enjoying a stroll through the botanical gardens and watching the ships go through the locks, the Lockspot Cafe was conveniently located nearby, just in time for a mid afternoon snack of clam chowder and a cold beer on a beautiful sunny day, plenty of seating outside to soak up the sun and enjoy the chowder and brew. The chowder wasn't the best I've ever had, but neither was it definitely not the worst. It could have been a little creamer and buttery tasting, but the amount of clams and over all flavor was good enough, worth the price, and the Maritime IPA went well with it. Maritime being another local brewery to check out later. Service was quick and friendly, a walk up window, place your order, and enjoy the sun for a few minutes. The chowder and beer was perfect to keep me going for the rest of the adventures for the day. Definitely will be back to try their fish n chips. Cheers!

athe sign outside says "our food slaps"...I'd give them a 5 star for food and service...the place is rustic and could use a good carpet cleaning. The onion rings and fish sandwich were really good.

I love me an old school divey spot and Lockspot Cafe is a fun place right next door to the Ballard Locks. I hadn't been here before but can appreciate there is a "eat-in" restaurant & bar in addition to an order window for food/coffee/beer. Inside is dark and divey...love it. Staff are generally friendly. I'll definitely return to try some other menu items and perhaps a drink at the bar...where I failed was getting a to-go order as I don't live terribly far away. My order of fish and chips, a beer, water...$30 Ooooff. The fish itself was decent; I really enjoyed the panko breading and homemade tarter. One piece was great and one was chewy however. I also don't think the meal warrants the $17 price tag, even though I understand prices are high in general right now. Fries were soggy by time I got home after my 10 minute walk. Sad.

Came here on a not so crowded rainy day and was able to sit right away. The look of Lockspot is part diner, part bar with an overall "near the sea" aesthetic.The server was alright, I'm not sure if it was a bit short staffed on this visit but he seemed to have been doing a lot of tables was a bit hard to reach at times, not being able to check in more.I got the Chicken fried steak and a pancake on the side. The Chicken fried steak was excellent easily the best part of the meal. The potatoes and eggs were good, but the chicken was so tender, and the gravy was great. The side pancake not so much. It tasted kind of 'doughy'. as mentioned above with our server seeming to be a bit busy It took a little bit to get some extra syrup to help it along.Overall, this Lockspot visit was ok and would give it another try maybe not with haste though.

The servers are always friendly, sometimes the food can be a little slow to come out, but it's always worth the wait. Everything tastes super fresh. Their calamari is delicious especially with the amazing aioli dipping sauce.