About Ray's Boathouse

Like the red 50-foot "RAY'S" sign near its front door, Ray's Boathouse has become a Seattle icon that has changed the way the Northwest eats seafood. What began as a dockside cafe known for its home-cooked meals has become a must-visit restaurant with a majestic view of Puget Sound and rugged Olympic Mountains with a rare mix of dining elegance and hospitality. Its international reputation for seafood draws raves from publications like the New York Times, Gourmet Magazine, Chicago Tribune and Food & Wine.

In 1939 the original owner, Ray Lichtenberger, moved his growing boat rental and bait house to the current location and in 1945 opened a coffee house. By 1952, he'd built the neon sign that flashes "RAY'S" in bold, red letters on the dock overlooking Shilshole Bay at the crossing point to Puget Sound and the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks leading to Lake Washington.

Through the 1960's Ray's operated as both a casual fish-and-chips cafe and boat rental. In 1973 Russ Wohlers, Earl Lasher and Duke Moscrip bought Ray's Boathouse and quickly refurbished the structure, transforming into a nationally respected seafood restaurant while maintaining its cordial, glad-to-see-you atmosphere. While Moscrip left to pursue other restaurant ventures, Elizabeth Gingrich joined the owner team in 1975 and former Seattle Sonic Jack Sikma joined in 1986.

Under Wohlers guidance, Ray's built its reputation on seasonal dishes prepared simply to highlight the flavors of impeccably fresh seafood and the freshest locally grown produce. Ray's became part of what has been called a food revolution in the Pacific Northwest, helping to introduce a fashionable and distinctive regional cuisine built around Northwest products, microbrews and wines. Ray's was the first to reintroduce to Seattleites Olympia oysters, the region's only native oyster, and heralded Northwest delicacies such as singing scallops, Loughborough Inlet spot prawns, Copper River Salmon, Bruce Gore "frozen at sea" salmon and the concept of red wine with fish. In 1976, Ray's was also the first local restaurant to purchase its own wholesale fish buyer's license, allowing it to buy directly from the fishermen, ensuring the freshest catch.

On May 26, 1987, at the height of its popularity, Ray's Boathouse burned to the pier. The four-alarm fire was reported by major newspapers across the country and footage of the fire appeared on national newscasts. Seattleites responded overwhelmingly to rebuild the landmark and a new Boathouse opened in April 1988.

On May 23, 1997, Ray's suffered its second fire nearly ten years to the day of the first fire. Fortunately, damage was contained to the Boathouse kitchen and the restaurant reopened in July 1997.

Over the years, the restaurant's reputation has continued to grow and it is now considered one of the ten best seafood restaurants in the country. Ray's Boathouse was one of the select few enlisted to cater a gathering of over 200,000 people in Washington, D.C. prior to Bill Clinton's 1993 presidential inauguration. Its chefs have been guest cooks for Julia Child and the James Beard House, and have been invited to prepare Ray's cuisine in Beijing, Singapore, London, Paris and Stockholm, as well as many cities across the United States.

Ray's is committed to its community, being a prominent participant in Seattle's annual Taste of the Nation event, FareStart, and Children's Hospital's Auction of Washington Wines, as well as numerous auctions to benefit AIDS research, children, seniors, homelessness and hunger.

Ray's isn't just a place to eat, it's a place where people meet. A longtime staff, many of whom have been at the restaurant 15 years and longer, help create a special place where friends come to enjoy a memorable meal, an unforgettable location and a slice of history by the water's edge.