Cutters Crabhouse

Had an amazing meal here: Tess was our server and guided us through the menu and we loved everything from the calamari appetizer to the decadent dessert paired with the perfect wine! Thanks Tess for all the good recommendations!

Cutter’s Crabhouse was pretty good. My husband and I decided to try them out after we went to another restaurant and they had a wait. We were able to walk right in and be seated. The view was very nice as this restaurant is on the waterfront. Also, we had an AMAZING waiter. His name was Hank! He had the BEST personality and made our experience fun! Definitely ask for him when you go. I’m giving 4 stars ONLY because Hank made it that much better. The food was more like 3 stars.
They start you out with complimentary bread and butter. It was a sour dough bread. It was pretty good. I loved the crusty and crunchy top it had on it. It gave the bread a nice crunch. After bread we ordered our food. I ordered crab legs with Garlic Parmesan fries and my husband ordered Roasted Chicken and potatoes. My crab legs were seasoned well and I love how they serve you butter over a small butter holder with a flame underneath of it to keep your butter warm the entire time. Although, I feel like it’s kind of hard to mess up crab legs. The fries were also good. Although it was served with a dipping sauce that didn’t really seem to go with the flavor of the fries. My husband said his chicken was just ok and nothing special. He said it lacked seasoning, however it was moist. We also ordered and shared a Grilled Romaine side salad. That was actually pretty good. The dressing it was served with as well was good. I don’t think it was a Caesar dressing (bc I know someone will read this and say Caesar. duh) but I think it was some kind of creamy vinaigrette.
Overall, my husband and I enjoyed our experience and had fun just sitting around enjoying the view and conversing. I would say I’m sure there are better crab houses but Cutter’s wasn’t bad. If you do go ask for Hank!

What a wonderful evening we had at Cutters last Friday. Lydia greeted us warmly and sat us at a window seat with a beautiful view. Lisa was our server, and she was delightful with wonderful suggestions. Don’t miss the mussels! They are to die for.
Cutters has been a favorite for a while, and they have never disappointed us. More suggestions? The crab cocktail, and the AMAZING salted caramel martini!
Thanks, Cutters. Until next time…

Great service, beautiful view but just so-​so in regards to the food. We had the Crab cake, Salmon chowder and Penn Cove Mussels for our appetizers which were all delish. But we were pretty disappointed with our entrees. I had the fish and chips, the fries were okay, but the fish was oily and bland and I ended up not eating it. The Fresh Alaskan Halibut that was ordered was also bland and needed hella salt and lemon. Same goes for the Wild king Salmon dish. We ordered the Almond Lemon cake and the Crème Brulee for dessert, the cake tasted stale and our crème brûlée was burnt. But they did make us ginger and mint cocktails which are not on the menu, so that was nice.
Will I come here again? Nope. This place is a little too pricey for the quality and quantity of the food they push out.

Great food and good service! Our waitress was new so there were a few hiccups but the food was great and we got a free dessert for some of the troubles! I had the seafood grill skewers (I think that’s the name) though for the price, thought there would be more to it and the strawberry basil refresher and both were really good! If I’m ever in Seattle again I’ll definitely be back!

The best thing about this spot is the view of the waterfront. Gorgeous. Overall the food is good. You can definitely tell that all the seafood was fresh. However, the prices are quite steep.
I went in for lunch and had the Seafood Grill Mix and was disappointed. Not by the taste, but the quantity. It came as a 5 item skewer: two pieces of salmon, two shrimp and one scallop, on a bed of mashed potatoes and some veggies. Price for this lunch was $ 25. Way too much and I was left hungry.
Like I said, the food was good. But I just think I paid a little too much.

I can’t believe we almost didn’t go here!?!
This place didn’t have an overall high rating on Unilocal and I can’t figure out why?!
We stumbled upon the place when our Savory Seattle food tour ended at the end of Pike’s place. We didn’t think we would go but when we originally showed up for a bite to eat at Etta’s we realized we were underwhelmed by the menu and overwhelmed by the prices. We took a quick walk across the street to discover that this crab house was definitely a better choice.
We ordered the pan seared crab cake with succotash and corn purée and the oven roasted crab stuffed prawns that came with succotash rice and seasonal vegetables.
Both dishes were rich in flavor and truly amazed us. We watched the sun set as we ate and the seafood was prepared to showcase itself as well as the vegetables very well. Every component tied together and left you wanting more.
To top off our experience we received a discount with our Savory Seattle tour card and a complimentary ride back to our hotel in the area.
I hope that there are readers out there seeing this review because Cutters is a wonderful restaurant with scenic views of the water and land across the way.
The service was wonderful and the ambiance was perfect. We were stuffed and rightfully satisfied with each bite!

This place is cozy and next to the water in the market area. The food we quickly ate before getting to our weekend shopping, was delish. It’s a nice place to have brunch, dinner or drinks with a friend. I’ll be back to have a full meal.

Can never go wrong with happy hour anywhere, especially here. Their plates are usually $ 7 – 8 which is very affordable and there’s a wide variety. I got orders of mussels and 2 of clams (I have a thing for seafood lol) and buffalo wings along with a couple of house red wine. The total was about $ 88~ after all the damage but it was a well-​worth-​it tab.
One thing I would love to see on the happy hour menu one day is oysters on the half shell. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking but this happy hour menu is sure one to check out! (The bar has an amazing view too so it’s a nice date spot to keep in mind).

I’m not sure why Cutter’s doesn’t have a better star rating on Unilocal,because I had a wonderful experience there. For starters, the ambiance and views from the restaurant are top notch. You really feel like you’re somewhere special when you walk in. The staff are helpful and mindful towards your needs. I really felt taken care of during my meal. My friend and I shared the:
PAN SEARED CRAB CAKE: SUCCOTASH, SWEET CORN PUREE, FRESH HERBS
and
OVEN ROASTED CRAB STUFFED PRAWNS: SUCCOTASH RICE, SEASONAL VEGETABLES, LEMON BEURRE BLANC, PRESERVED LEMON.
Our meal was delicious. The portions were big enough where we were satisfied without feeling like we were stuffed. The ingredients were fresh and flavorful. The presentation of the food on our plates beautiful.
It was a relaxing dinner and the icing on the cake was that they offer complimentary car service to any hotel in the downtown area!
Thank you Cutter’s for wonderful hospitality and a memorable meal!

After a crazy afternoon wandering around the flagship store of REI, and then checking out the chewing gum wall under Pike Place Market, it was time for some dinner. I asked my friends for a seafood recommendation, and they suggested Cutters Crabhouse as a place to enjoy gigantic Dungeness crabs with a gorgeous view of Elliott Bay in Seattle.
Cutters is located just to the south of Pike Place Market, along Western Avenue. It’s best to dump the car where you can, and just get out and walk. There is plenty to see in this area.
I was lucky enough to score a window-​side table at Cutters, and spent much of my time staring out at the boats cruising by on the Bay. I was able to watch the ferry boats crossing over towards Bainbridge Island and Bremerton, and also to see the smaller private vessels heading out for a sunset cruise.
The menu is termed Pacific Northwest Cuisine, which means that you’re getting the freshest possible seafood, and the specialty of the house is crab. Big olé honkin Dungeness crab!
I started with a cup of the smoked salmon chowder which was topped with crispy salmon skin, salmon roe, chives. Since I’ve only eaten smoked salmon with bagels or in sushi rolls, this was a real treat, and very tasty.
For my main course I went with a gut-​busting 2-​pound steamed whole Dungeness crab, served with drawn butter, grilled asparagus, and parmesan risotto. This darned thing was so big that it was nearly hanging off either end of the plate. My server tied on my bib, handed me the claw crackers and a little wooden mallet, and got out of the way.“Step back, I’m going in!“
Eating this thing was not pretty, but oh my gosh it was fantastic! Sweet, juicy, and still tasting of the sea. Now yes, I probably could have gone with a more sensible crab casserole, or even steamed crab legs, but I wanted the full Pacific Northwest experience, and that meant mono e mano with this giant crustacean.
In the end they could have probably hosed me and the table down, but oh my gosh this meal was fabulous! The panoramic views and the incredibly fresh seafood make this place a bucket list favorite in my book.

I would give this place 3.5 stars if I could, but since I can’t, I will gladly rank down to 3. The place is extremely well located and you get a really great view of the water and the general market area. The service was great, so I think that is one of the redeeming qualities about the place. The food, on the other hand, was just bland, and I didn’t think there was anything interesting or special about the selections.
It is a bit on the pricey side for what you get, but if you are a tourist in the area, why not?

We had a nice anniversary and Valentine’s Day brunch. Cheese curds, eggs Benedict and of course a mimosa.
Great service and atmosphere. We sat by the window and looked out at the beautiful (overcast) Elliott Bay.
The price was great and not at all out of range for a upscale establishment.

OK wow! Great view of the water, near the Pike Place Market (that’s how we randomly wandered over here to begin with) but beware on a sunny day, the glare can be blinding! We had to request to be moved, it was just too uncomfortable. They have private rooms for parties — –there was one decorated for New Year’s Eve. The décor is simple, modern, and elegant, yet relaxing at the same time. Not stuffy and reserved here. You feel welcomed. Also love the open kitchen here. As you are being seated, you walk by and see everything going on. Large bar area too.
Waitress was friendly and full of smiles. Attentive — came around several times for our food, water, soda refills. She was easy to flag down, mainly because her section had several tables in addition to ours.
Now onto the food: Fresh and Fried… can’t get any better, haha.
Calamari misto — also had thin pieces of squash and artichokes. Really amazed at how good a bread/​fried artichoke heart is. A pleasant surprise. Perfectly breaded and fried, not soggy at all. Two dipping sauces. HUGE platter. By the time our dishes came, we were half way to stuffed.
$ 12.95
Fish tacos — on the specials menu, so not sure if they have it all the time. But I can never turn down a good fish taco. Came with three, and the tortillas were doubled, so sometimes the texture seemed more dough like. It wasn’t exactly brimming with fish either, otherwise it would be overkill. An avocado cream sauce/​purée, and chopped chunks/​pieces of fish. Flavorful without being overwhelming in taste or portion. Also, amazing presentation. Small side of rice and grape tomatoes.
Fish n’ Chips — 2 or 3 piece option. Thick, hearty pieces of fried cod. French fries were amazing — crisp, without being hard or burnt, and had a wonderful parsley, parmesan, garlic sprinkling on it that really elevated a simple side. The tartar sauce was a bit different, but delicious!
$ 17.95 3 piece
Fettucine with prawns — Cream sauce or marina option available. Creamy, and had a bit of a kick. Too much pepper for my liking, but I would never turn down a pasta dish. Portion was huge! Felt good to know I was getting my money’s worth. We took all our leftovers home and had another meal at home. Can be pricey, considering it’s seafood dishes and a tourist location, but they’re not giving you tiny handfuls of food thankfully. $ 18.95
Also they give you a bread basket, with the exact number of rolls you would need per person in your party. Or maybe that was a coincidence for us when she gave a plate of two rolls. It’s bread, they could have probably tossed an extra one or two just for the hell of it! Not that it mattered — the food came out very quickly, with the appetizer first and the rest of the dishes after. It wasn’t jam packed or busy, it was an odd hour between lunch and dinner. I can see this place getting crowded and needing reservations. While we were being seated, I saw the hostess fielding a lot of phone calls and booking time slots.
Bathrooms had 3 or so stalls, with elegant rich dark brown wood, and dim lighting. It was also clean and on my last stop before leaving, I saw the other female host giving the sink area a good clean. But I also noticed there was no hot water here either to wash your hands. It was only weird because I had been noticing that at a lot of spots I had visited in Seattle.

Had a pretty terrible experience here. We visited on Thanksgiving Day with my whole family and we waited about 30 minutes even though we had a reservation. The hostess was rude and kept asking our name every 5 – 10 minutes, and wasn’t apologetic about the wait at all. Not a big deal, but since she is the first and last point of interaction with a guest, I think it’s worth it to put someone there who is genuine and more welcoming.
But on to the food: crab gnocchi, turkey dinner and a crab leg with risotto. We had a friendly waiter, a guy with a ponytail, and we notified him of my brother’s severe allergies, which are nuts and any dairy products. He had the risotto, which looked kind of creamy, but the waiter assured us that there was no butter. After my brother ate the entire meal, we asked the waiter to check with the chef again because he started to react to the risotto. He came back and said «Oops, there was cheese in that», but it was kind of late as my brother’s entire face had already started to swell up.
Fortunately, he took medicine immediately and the waiter took his meal off our bill, but I think it would have been nice if the manager came over to talk to us as well. I don’t believe our waiter checked with the chef regarding all dairy, instead of just butter.
— Service and communication… Needs improvement asap
— Food was pretty dry, gnocchi and turkey were just okay
— Pricey for mediocre food
Wouldn’t recommend this restaurant.

Amazing view of the water. Right down the street from Pike Place Market. Fine dining, perfect for a special occasion. I sat in the bar area so it wasn’t quite as fancy. I was in Seattle on business and this was the first time eating alone at a nice restaurant. I was sort of anxious and nervous to be sitting alone, but i felt totally fine in this environment. Everyone was very nice and social. Service was quick and food was amazing.
Some of the best salmon I have ever had.
Ordered the Washington Fresh Steelhead with roasted butternut squash, smoke chanterelle mushrooms, grilled broccolini, butternut squash brown butter vinaigrette. This was $ 23.90 which i feel is a very fair price for the quality of food, restaurant environment, and location.
They also have some happy hour specials.

Cutters does have delicious food and a great happy hour bar menu that is not to be forgot. But it doesn’t seem like it has, at least with tourists. It also has killer views of the Sound and the hub bub of the market to enjoy.
Last night I chose to take time to myself in between errands to dine at the bar with a glass of wine and one mighty fine crab cake. For nearly $ 20 it better be good and it better have a lot of crab going. Both of which it did! I highly recommend the crab cake for little filler, fresh crab and lots of it. I did find the corn and corn sauce to be a little too sweet and a little too much to detract you from the real star of the show; that being the crab. I’d still get it again!

I ate at Cutter’s last week while in Seattle for business. Cutter’s is located on the waterfront about a block or two from the market. I got there around 6pm on a Tuesday night and there was a decent amount of seating left, and the place smelt like a seafood restaurant — telling me I was in the right place.
The best part of the décor is that they have a view over the water, I was able to watch the ferry shuttle back and forth during my meal.
I had decided to dine on the baked lobster and crab gnocci, with a side garden salad, and a single oyster as an appetizer. I had been debating against the Cutter’s signature Louie salad. Though my kids were not with me, they had a decent childrens menu and there were a couple of kids in the restaurant.
The oyster was brought promptly, well prepared — on ice, with a spicy tomato based sauce and a second lemon (i think) sauce. I mixed both and it went down well. They also brought out some sourdough bread. I nibbled on it, and it was tasty.
The main course arrived. The gnocci was in cream sauce containing the lobster, crab, and cheese. Overall I’d give it a thumbs up.
For dessert, I had the Chef’s Seasonal Chocolate Dessert — which was a chocolate lava cake with a side of raspberry ice cream and whipped cream. It was pure heaven, and it comitted me to hitting the hotel gym that evening
Overall this was a good meal that I would repeat. However I will admit that I preferred the food at Seatown across the street better.

When we arrived we were told we would have a ten minute wait and so we decided to sit at that really long table by the bar and grab some drinks… Since someone had to drive the Prius, it was water for me. The woman who helped us was so friendly and polite!
We were very fortunate to get a seat at the window overlooking the water, especially since we were here with friends from Arizona who don’t often get to see the likes of Puget Sound.
Our waitress was Jen and she was amazing! She was helpful, friendly and polite as well as did not rush us. She gave us the time we needed with making our minds up and knew the menu very well. Three of us used her recommendations on what to order and we all had great food. Way to go Jen!!!
We ordered the crab dip appetizer. One of the people in our party is gluten free so our waitress Jen was happy to accommodate my friend by getting some veggies added to our dip! Again, thank you Jen! We all liked the crab dip and I was happy that there weren’t bread crumbs in it. I dislike breadcrumbs in crab dips! There was also a nice amount of crab meat and it was smooth and silky!
For dinner we had the Steamed Snow Crab Legs, Asiago-​Almond crusted scallops, the Halibut and the Ahi Tuna. I can say that the Ahi was seared perfectly and that the halibut was moist and flavorful. Everyone enjoyed their food. There was a slight mixup from the kitchen with a substitute of Asparagus instead of green beans with one of the plates but again our waitress Jen was on it and the asparagus came within a few minutes. Again… Way to go Jen!
We ended dinner with Crème brûlée and the chocolate lava cake. I tasted both and thought they were awesome. I preferred the chocolate lava cake. :D
A good solid meal with impeccable service. Thank you so much Jen for your great service. It is greatly appreciated and adds to the dining experience. We will be coming back!
Cutters, all of your staff that we interacted with were great!

Since I’m not from Seattle, I’m not knowledgable when it comes to good seafood. Cutters seemed like a good choice because of the view of the water, the menu had great options, and it was near Pike Place. The fact that a lot of reviews state this is a «touristy spot» is probably true. Aside from the smell of cannabis everywhere and homeless people at the park next to the restaurant, this place is quite lovely – especially since it got renovated, as I read!
My boyfriend and I had reservations for 5:30pm, but didn’t arrive until 6pm because we walked to the restaurant and got a little lost. They were very understanding, and we were still seated within a short amount of time with a view of the water as I requested.
I really liked my fettuccine dish with the jumbo prawns! The best part about my boyfriend’s dish were the prawns, as well. Though I’m sure there are fancier restaurants with more seafood options, I really liked the food. Not to mention, the crème brûlée was amazing. We didn’t finish it (but we always finish it wherever we go) and that was either because it was really big, or we were really full. Maybe both.
Our waitress was very nice and always made sure to check up on us. Honestly, because of the location’s surroundings and such, I would give this place a low 3. Since the food surpassed my expectations (I was worried when I read Unilocal reviews) and the staff was friendly, I gave this place an extra star.