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Ray’s Patio’s are Open – Here’s what you need to know!

We’re excited to share that our Cafe and Boathouse outdoor patios are now open for dining!

As we ease into summer here in the Northwest both patios are open daily, weather pending, and can close without notice based on weather changes. However our Cafe patio has a covered and heated section to allow for multi-season dining and remains open during rainy days as long as it’s not too cold.

We can’t wait to see you this spring and summer for the freshest Northwest seafood, cold cocktails, local microbrews, wines from our award-winning lists and more!

Ray’s Cafe

  • Our upstairs Cafe is open daily for lunch, happy hour and dinner with spectacular views and casual seafood menus.
  • 11:30am-9pm Sunday-Thursday and 11:30am-10pm Friday and Saturday.
  • Seated on a first come basis, no reservations taken for indoor or patio dining.

Ray’s Boathouse

  • Our first floor Boathouse offers dinner nightly with fresh, local Northwest seafood and the best Seattle waterfront dining views.
  • 5-9pm Sunday-Thursday and 5-10pm Friday and Saturday.
  • Reservations available at rays.com

 

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Ray’s New Partnership Chardonnay is here!

We’re thrilled to announce that our new partnership Chardonnay with Willamette Valley Vineyards is now available by the glass and bottle at Ray’s Boathouse and Café! Ray’s Chardonnay, bottled exclusively for Ray’s by Willamette Valley Vineyards, continues our tradition of partnering with Northwest wineries to create incredible wines for our guests.

“I’ve been excited about Oregon chardonnay for some time now. Most people think of Oregon and the Willamette Valley as the land of Pinot Noir; but amazingly Chardonnay is the real secret behind our friends down south and I’m thrilled to share this with our guests at Ray’s!”, said Chip Croteau, Ray’s Wine Director.

From the first time Chip met with the winemaking team at Willamette Valley Vineyards, he knew they were the perfect partners. Willamette Valley Vineyards believes that wines made with consideration for the environment, employees and community simply tastes better; and we couldn’t agree more. From their vineyard certification as LIVE (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon-Safe, to their use of biodiesel and support of native bee populations, Willamette Valley Vineyards’ focus on sustainability and being true stewards of the land echoes Ray’s own history and ethos.

As for the Chardonnay, it’s delicious! The vines used to grow Ray’s Chardonnay are 100 percent Dijon Clone that hail directly from Burgundy. Willamette Valley Vineyards’ founder Jim Bernau traveled with the Oregon Governor’s Delegation to Burgundy in the 1980s to seek out French clones to improve Oregon’s Chardonnay quality. These vines were brought back and quarantined at Oregon State University before being propagated for use in Oregon vineyards. Naturally derived Dijon Clones from France being planted in the Willamette Valley was one of the greatest tipping points in Oregon wine quality.

“Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a white Burgundy nut. Having an Oregon Chardonnay bearing the Ray’s name, made by such incredible people, and one that is downright delicious…well, you’ll just have to come in and try It for yourself,” Croteau said.

The new Chardonnay is now available for enjoying at both Ray’s Boathouse and Café for $15 a glass and $60 a bottle. It’s a versatile wine with mouth-watering acidity that pairs beautifully with the seafood focused menu. It’s a refreshing counterpoint to our Seared Octopus dish, the richness of garlic butter being smoothed out by the crisp edges of the Chardonnay. One of Chip’s personal favorite pairings: a great Chardonnay with Dungeness Crab. He can’t recommend enough Ray’s WVV Chardonnay with our tender, meaty Dungeness Crab Cakes.

About Willamette Valley Vineyards
Founded in 1983 by Jim Bernau with the dream of creating world-class Pinot Noir while serving as stewards of the land, Willamette Valley Vineyards has grown from a bold idea into one of the region’s leading wineries, earning the title “One of America’s Great Pinot Noir Producers” from Wine Enthusiast. All of the vineyards have been certified sustainable through LIVE (Low Impact Viticulture and Enology) and Salmon-Safe programs. The winery is community-owned by wine enthusiasts devoted to sharing the Oregon story of world-class wines. wvv.com

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Shellfest Returns January 5 to Ray’s Cafe!

We’re thrilled to kick off 2022 with the return of our beloved Shellfest in the Cafe!

Join us starting Wednesday, January 5 to enjoy new selections of delicious shellfish dishes created by our Executive Chef Kevin Murray and team.

Menu items include the following with new dishes popping up at the chef’s whim:

Alaskan Spot Prawn Appetizer shell on salt roasted prawns, lemon, thyme, butter sauce, fresh herbs (gf)
Manila Clams chorizo, sherry, oregano, butter (gf)
Penn Cove Mussels white wine, shallot, garlic, dill, butter (gf)
Baked Oyster Rockefeller butter, parsley, breadcrumbs, herbs
Coconut Fried Shrimp Thai-style chili dipping sauce

Items subject to change throughout the month without notice.

This limited menu ends January 31 so make sure to enjoy it while it lasts!

Ray’s Cafe is open Wednesday-Sunday from 11:30am to 8pm and is walk ins only. We’ll see you soon!

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Thanksgiving 2021 at Ray’s Boathouse & Cafe

Join us for Thanksgiving in our Boathouse and Cafe on Thursday, November 25th! Our upstairs Cafe will be serving its signature holiday buffet throughout the restaurant and bar and our Boathouse will offer a seasonal Fall-inspired 3-course menu.

Reservations are required for all parties on Thanksgiving and can be made online for the Cafe here and Boathouse here.

Kindly review our Thanksgiving guidelines for a seamless experience!
*All guests vaccinated or not must wear masks at all times unless actively eating or drinking.
*All guests must practice social distancing.
*All reservations are for inside tables only.
*Walk ins are only accepted for our bar top seating in the Cafe and Boathouse bars.
*Please be timely as we have no lobby space to hold guests. Early arrivals will be asked to wait outside on the dock.
*Sorry, no promotional discounts available. Loyalty cards accepted and encouraged!

RAY’S CAFE
Enjoy our signature Cafe buffet upstairs for $70 per person (includes coffee, tea, juice and sodas – excludes tax and gratuity). Children 5 to 11 years old are $35 each, children under 5 eat free (excluding tax and gratuity).

Cafe reservations are available from 11:00am (first seating) to 8pm (last seating) online for groups of 10 or less, including highchairs.

RAY’S CAFÉ BAR & LOUNGE
The Cafe Bar will be open and will accept advance reservations if the entire party is over the age of 21. Only buffet menu available. Cafe bar top will be available for walk ins only.

Cafe Buffet Menu

Salads & Cold Items

  • Farm Lettuces and Greens Salad white balsamic vinaigrette, dried apricot, aged white cheddar cheese, marcona almonds (GF)
  • Roasted Beets Salad, sherry vinaigrette, arugula, Goats milk cheese (GF)
  • Market Cheese Board domestic and imported cheeses, mixed-roasted nuts (GF)
  • Ray’s Antipasto cured meats, marinated mozzarella, olives, pickled peppers, grilled vegetables (GF)
  • Roasted Delicata Squash Salad pomegranate, arugula, pepitas, maple-balsamic vinaigrette (DF)
  • Kale and Honeycrisp Apple Salad lemon vinaigrette, honeycrisp apples, grana Padano, pickled shallot, pine nuts (GF)

Seafood Bar & Shucking

  • Half Shell Oysters mignonette, cocktail, lemons (GF)
  • Peel and Eat Prawns cocktail, horseradish. Lemons (GF)
  • Dungeness Crab Clusters lemon, bopo (GF) 

Carving Station

  • Spice Rubbed Prime Rib of Beef horseradish cream, demi-glace (GF)
  • House Smoked NW Salmon apple-pear chutney (GF)

Hot Entrée & Side Dishes

  • Manilla Clams white wine, garlic, herbs and butter (GF)
  • Penn Cove Mussels coconut curry broth (GF)
  • Butter Whipped Washington Russet Potatoes (GF)
  • Oven Roasted Turkey cranberry-orange chutney, herbed gravy
  • Pan Seared PNW Rockfish roasted cherry tomatoes and mini sweet peppers, lemon-chive beurre blanc (GF)
  • Traditional Herbed Stuffing
  • Mac and Cheese
  • Corn Pudding GF
  • Roasted Brussels sprouts house smoked bacon, toasted garlic, chilies (GF)
  • Blistered Green Beans slivered almonds, garlic (GF)
  • Glazed Carrots brown sugar, fresh herbs, shallot, butter (GF)
  • Garlic Prawns garlic, smoked paprika, chili flake, EVOO, herbs, lemon (GF & DF)

Dessert Table

  • Mini Pies, Bars, Cookies, Tartlets, Creme Brûlée, Cheesecake, and more!

 

RAY’S BOATHOUSE & BOATHOUSE BAR
The Boathouse’ 3-course menu offers a delicious seasonal Fall menu of soup or salad, choice of entrée, and dessert; $70 per person (beverages, tax and gratuity not included). Our children’s menu will include a $16 traditional turkey plate (excluding tax and gratuity). Boathouse bar top will be open with the 3-course menu available if the entire party is over the age of 21. No reservations taken.

Boathouse reservations are available from 11:30am (first seating) to 8pm (last seating) online for groups of 10 or less, including highchairs.

Thanksgiving 3-Course Menu

Starters
Potato Leek Soup GF
Yukon gold potatoes, leek, crème fraiche, chives

Chicory Salad GF
Radicchio, frisee, Treviso, fennel, blood orange, pickled shallot, ricotta salata, citrus vinaigrette

Pink Peppercorn Crusted Albacore Tuna GF DF
Avocado mousseline, shiso leaf, yuzu kosho, daikon radish

Entrees
Oven Roasted Turkey
Herbed stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry, glazed carrots

Prime Rib of Beef
Spice rubbed prime rib, mashed potato, brussels sprouts, green beans, Demi-Glace

Wild Mushroom Risotto GF
Arborio rice simmered in mushroom consommé, wild Northwest mushrooms, parmesan cheese, parmesan espuma

Alaskan Halibut GF
Whipped Washington potatoes, blistered green beans, cavallo nero, Parsley Vinaigrette

Desserts
Traditional Pumpkin Pie
Spiced pumpkin, vanilla bean whipped cream

Pecan Pie

Olympic Mountain ice cream or sorbet

We look forward to celebrating with you this Thanksgiving!

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Easter Sunday Dining at Ray’s Cafe

Marking our first reservation event since reopening the Café dining room (and takeout) earlier this month, Ray’s Café is delighted to announce our Easter holiday, Sunday, April 4, 2021. In addition to offering our Café menu on Easter, we’re extending a special three-course plated menu with choice of one under each course:

Soup or Salad Starter
Soup du jour
Ray’s Classic Chowder
Caesar Salad
Spring Pea Salad 

Entrée
Pan Seared Rockfish, rice pilaf, grilled asparagus, sautéed mushroom medley, chive beurre blanc
Grilled Sirloin, twice baked potato, broccolini, demi-glace
Vegetable Coconut Curry, somen noodles, fresh herbs, lime, chili oil, scallion oil (V, GF)

Dessert
Seasonal Berry Crisp
Brownie
Olympic Mountain Creamery Sorbet
Olympic Mountain Creamery Ice CreamPricing for this special menu is $55 (dine-in only; beverages, tax, gratuity not included).Reservations

  • We will be offering plated meals including our Café greatest hits menu, our Easter three-course pre fixe, and our children’s menu for those 11 years of age and younger from 11:30am – 9pm.
  • We will not be offering a buffet.
  • We are accepting reservations for inside dining on Easter Sunday April 4th for groups up to a maximum of 6 people including children and infants. Reservations can be made here.
  • If upon arrival you decide you’d like to sit outside we will cancel your inside reservation and add you to the end of the waitlist.
  • Guests arriving without indoor reservations will be offered our covered and heated tent and/or uncovered outside seating, weather pending.
  • Please be timely for your reservation as we are not allowed any lobby space to hold guests.
  • We do not offer happy hour and do not honor any promotional discounts on holidays.
  • We continue to be walk ins only on non-special event holidays.
  • Loyalty cards are accepted and encouraged!

Book your Easter table online or by calling 206.789.3770

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We’re Back! March 3 Reopening

Ray’s Café will open for dine-in service at 25% capacity and for takeout service on Wednesday, March 3! The deck will also be open, so join us on a walk-in basis for the views you’ve missed and the food you crave.

 

We’ll be waiting for you with such classics as our Seared (Oregon) Albacore Cobb Salad, the Blackened Neah Bay Rockfish Sandwich, our quintessential Grilled Wild Alaskan King Salmon, the ginger-aromatic Vegetable Coconut Curry, and our beloved Steak Frites. View the full menus online; dine-in or order takeout beginning March 3.

Please note, cloth face coverings are required anytime guests are not seated and while at the table and not actively eating or drinking. Maximum allowed party size is six people, including children and infants.

 

Café Lunch and Dinner Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
Happy Hour: Wednesday-Sunday, 4-6 p.m.
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays
walk-ins only; not accepting reservations

Note: The Boathouse remains temporarily closed for dinner and bar service.

St. Patrick’s Celebration March 17
Mark your calendars for specials available for dine-in at the Café or via takeout! House made Corned Beef Sandwiches on rye bread and a special whiskey flight.

$15 flights of Jameson Whiskey
(Five half-ounce pours)
Jameson Original
Jameson Black Barrel
Jameson Caskmates IPA Cask
Jameson Caskmates Stout Cask
Jameson Cold Brew
Sláinte!

 

Long Live the Kings’ Salmon Stream, A Benefit on March 18

 

Ray’s is proud to serve as a fundraising partner with Long Live the Kings (LLTK), as in King salmon! Join us in supporting their upcoming virtual event and auction byRSVPing and bidding in their auction (opens early on 3/15). Look for an afternoon of boating and a picnic featuring Ray’s food and treats, and other great items and experiences. Your support helps LLTK in fulfilling its mission to restore wild salmon and support sustainable fishing in the Pacific Northwest, a mission we are also dedicated to here at Ray’s.
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Happy New Year!

 

Community Spirit in 2020
&
Looking Ahead to 2021
As we enter the New Year, I wish to take this time to reflect on some wonderful things that our community helped make happen in 2020. I hope to convey my gratitude for all of the hard work and dedication that our guests, team, fishers, farmers, brewers, distillers, and purveyors have put in to make these possible. This was not an easy year for anyone. However, much like sharing food, adversity can bring people together. When communities come together, great things can happen. And we saw this happen here at Ray’s on a daily basis. I am humbled to be part of an organization that fosters this togetherness. Here are a few successes that touched me for which I am most grateful:

Rock The Vote:  We engaged rockthevote.org and encouraged restaurant industry voter registration through social media, in-house materials, and our Ray’s newsletter. The result contributed to more than 4.1 million Washington State voters casting a ballot this year, compared to the 3 million cast in 2008.

Black Lives Matter: We donated 100% of the gratuity from the first month of our meals-to-go program and helped raise awareness within our community as we help to declare racism a public health crisis in Washington State.

Ballard Food Bank: We provided two large perishable food drop-offs plus 100% of our gratuity from our December “gifts to go” promotion to help support those in need throughout our neighborhood.

Educator Gift Card Promotion: This past September, as remote learning started up again, we offered a gratis $20 card for each $100 in gift cards purchased with the hopes that people would gift it to those who are (or have become) educators in their families.

Reinventing Rays Happy Hour: When we re-opened in June, we knew that Seattle would need “more happy.” Our team worked hard to reinstitute our famous Cafe happy hour and facilitated some much-needed outdoor relaxation time for friends and families at a discount.

Best Seafood in Seattle: The fishers and purveyors who bring us amazing seafood, the culinary team members who make it happen, and our loyal Rays fans who voted us to the top as the Seattle Met magazine Best of 2020 “Best Seafood Restaurant”for the second consecutive year.

Resiliency: The guests who have supported us for 47 years, our flexible team that embraces ‘speed to market’ and absorbs change after change, and our compassionate leadership groups’ long-term strategic vision have allowed us to be nimble, adapt, and survive this current challenge. We earned a spot on the Seattle P-I’s “16 Historic Seattle Restaurants Still Open – and What They Look Like Today”article posted on 12/4.

Ray’s has been in Ballard long enough to have lived through the 70s oil crisis, the 80s economic depression, the 90s recession, the 2000s dot com bubble-bursting and the housing market crash. There will be a point in the future when we will all look back on 2020 and reflect on how we each persevered over the challenges we faced. I hope that when this happens, we will each be able to remember those around us who helped prop us up, kept us moving, and provided support. I know I certainly will. And I will thank my family, both here at work and at home, for helping me to remain grateful.
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A Letter of Thanks from Executive Chef Kevin

This Thanksgiving brings a close-knit holiday at home with loved ones, a day that we at Ray’s would otherwise be happily working for you. It’s a glimpse of reality the year has bestowed upon the restaurant industry.

However different this holiday may look, there is still plenty for which we can be thankful. As a chef, I am always grateful for the bounty the Pacific Northwest has to offer, and the countless people that work every day to ensure that it arrives on our holiday tables. From the farmers of Eastern Washington to the fishermen of Alaska, salespeople to the delivery drivers, the simple act of providing a warm meal requires a multitude of passionate professionals. The Thanksgiving meal is an amazing testament to the complex coordination between these people and is truly something to be thankful for each and every day.

Anne Utigard of King’s Garden is one such person. Once per week she drives from her farm in Eastern Washington over the Cascades to Seattle to deliver her produce to many local Seattle restaurants. Crates of summer-ripened tomatoes give way to autumn sunchokes and squash. Ray’s is lucky to be one of her first stops, both for the quality of her vegetables and for the kindness of her spirit, as anyone who has met Anne can tell you. I look forward to the next time her truck comes rattling into the parking lot.

I’m thankful for our relationship with Fish & Family Seafoods, a family-run business led by Lexi and Adam Hackett out of Sitka, Alaska. They supply us with pristine wild Alaska King salmon, and kind enough to be our guides around Sitka on a Ray’s Managers’ trip a few years back. At Rays, we are also, along with so many of our regular guests, grateful for Penn Cove Shellfish. Multiple generations of Ray’s chefs have had the pleasure of working with Penn Cove mussels, clams and oysters over the past 5 decades (the first Penn Cove delivery to Ray’s was in 1977!). Rawle Jefferds, one of the founders, still hand-delivers shellfish twice per week, without fail a smile on his face, eager to share the pleasures of the sea.

From land—or sea—to your plate is a long trip, and there are many hands on your food in between. Without them and their logistical savvy, getting food onto your plate would be impossible. Eydfinn Tausen of Olympic Seafoods has a knack for sourcing some of Neah Bay’s highest quality sablefish, for which anyone who has tried Ray’s sablefish in sake kasu should be grateful! As well, he coordinates the delivery of thousands of pounds of fat, oily keta salmon straight from Alaska’s Yukon River to Ray’s Boathouse every year. Daniel Shilley, our Merlino Foods delivery driver, is another of thanks. He is the ideal driver: neat, organized, controlled, and calm, a welcome sight twice weekly bearing sacks of flour, jugs of oils, and boxes of luxury. Daniel is always looking for ways to help and goes above and beyond the call of delivery driver.

By no means is this list exhaustive, there are so many more people that I could share, too many in fact. Thanks go to all of you!

Most of all, I am grateful for the amazing staff we have at Ray’s. For my fellow chefs, cooks, dishwashers, front of house staff, and everyone else. They work extremely hard to provide high quality food and service day in and day out. To all my industry friends and colleagues: stay strong, we will get through this time together, and use this time to reflect on what really matters in life and in work. I look forward to cooking and eating with all of you very soon!

During this holiday season, please be safe and stay at home. Wear your mask, and social distance. Please. Try out a new dish that you normally wouldn’t. This Thanksgiving is different, and it’s okay if your holiday table looks different, too! Support local independent restaurants and other small businesses, whether that is ordering take-out/delivery, buying gift cards, or just staying home and being safe so we can all get back to work. Tip, well and often. Urge your local Senator to support the RESTAURANTS ACT which would establish a $120 billion Independent Restaurant Revitalization Fund. We must support our independent restaurants and the thousands of farmers, fishermen, delivery drivers, and others that rely on them!

Finally, a big “thank you” to all health care workers who are working every day on the front lines to keep us all safe!

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays,
Executive Chef Kevin Murray

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Rock The Vote with Ray’s this October!

At Ray’s we believe that voting is one of the most important steps we can take for our democracy, for the future of our country and for generations to come. Our managers, cooks, servers, dish washers, hosts and bartenders each have their own reasons that they vote, and all are equally important.

Our goal this October is to give a voice to everyone through voting. This cannot be done without first registering to vote, so we are doing everything we can to help spread the word and get all of our guests and everyone in the restaurant community registered by October 26, 2020!

You can register to vote in two minutes or less by texting Rock The Vote at 788-683 or visiting rockthevote.org to learn more and register online.

Please help spread the word to everyone you know about how easy it is to register and let’s all put our voices to use this November 3rd!

Important dates and details for Washington Voters

      • Registration deadline: Monday, October 26, 2020
      • Voting by mail: All registered voters will be mailed a ballot. If you’re already registered, check your details by October 26 to make sure your ballot is going to the right place. You can drop your ballot at your county election office, a voting drop box, or mail it via USPS with plenty of time for it to arrive.
      • Early in-person voting: October 16 until November 2. Check your county for exact details.
      • Voter ID: Not needed to vote.
      • Voting abroad: Are you a U.S. citizen living abroad or a uniformed service member? Request an overseas ballot.
      • Voting deadline: Tuesday, November 3, 2020
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New! Ray’s Family Meals To-go

Try our new Ray’s Family Meals to-go with four delicious family-style menus! Each ones comes fully cooked and is hot and ready to eat at pickup. Family Meals are available to order online daily from 11:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. only on Ray’s Toast page.

Order a meal for one to two people or build a bigger family meal by adding two or three of the same meal or mixing and matching. We’ve also included recommended wine and cocktail pairings for each meal that can be added on for an additional cost. Cheers!

Ray’s Family Meal Menu:

True Cod Fish & Chips Meal (serves 1-2) $30
Cup of Ray’s New England Style Clam Chowder
2 piece True Cod fish and Chips
Cookie Bag (house baked cookies that change daily)

Pairing suggestions:
Torre Oria Brut Cava Sparkling Wine (bottle)
Underground Wine Projects ‘Mr Pink’ Washington Rosé 2019(bottle)
Black Cherry Margarita (serves 2)

Ray’s Famous Sablefish Dinner (serves 1-2) $62
Caesar Salad
1 large Crab Cake with orange-tarragon aïoli
Sablefish in Sake Kasu

Pairing suggestions:
Willakenzie Estate Pinot Noir ‘Pierre Leon’ Willamette Valley, OR 2014 (bottle)
Sokol Blosser Estate Pinot Gris Willamette Valley, OR 2018 (bottle)
Barrel-Aged Brooklyn Cocktail (serves 2)

An Evening of Seafood (serves 2) $80
Bowl of Ray’s New England Style Clam Chowder
Ray’s Seafood Salad featuring Oregon bay shrimp, house smoked Alaskan Coho salmon and house smoked scallops
Pan Seared Sea Scallops with squid ink spaghetti OR Alaskan King Salmon with sweet corn purée and sautéed asparagus
Mississippi Mud Pie

Pairing suggestions:
Treveri Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine from Washington (bottle)
Seven Hills Sauvignon Blanc Walla Walla, WA 2019 (bottle)
Ray’s Barrel-Aged Negroni Cocktail (serves 2)

Ray’s ShellFeast (serves 2-3) $105
Bowl of Ray’s New England Style Clam Chowder
Prawn Cocktail
Mediterranean Mussels with Thai style red curry, coconut milk broth
1lb King Crab with butter and lemon
Grilled Asparagus
Grilled Corn on the Cob
2 rolls with Butter

Pairing Suggestions:
Bollinger Champagne (bottle)
Treveri Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine from Washington (bottle)
Ray’s Private Select Woodford Reserve Perfect Manhattan (serves 2)