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Seafood restaurantSeafood restaurant

Varly's Swiftwater Seafood Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4/5 (100 reviews)
$$
Harbor Rd, Whittier, AK 99693 (907) 472-2550 Website
Varly's Swiftwater Seafood Cafe Varly's Swiftwater Seafood Cafe Varly's Swiftwater Seafood Cafe Varly's Swiftwater Seafood Cafe Varly's Swiftwater Seafood Cafe

Reviews (100)

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Mike Stone
★★★★☆ Jan 20, 1970

The food and the dockside fish shack vibe were excellent, but the fish and spot shrimp were super average. The cornmeal batter on the fish took a lot away from the fish, which was supposedly fresh. I don't know if you can do better in Whittier, but you can definitely do better in AK.

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DO IT WITH NATE
★★☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Their cheeseburgers were bigger than normal that's why I gave them a two-star the cheeseburger tasted kind of old and stale but the fries were excellent. Over $20 for one cheeseburger also they charge you tax when there is no taxes in Alaska

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Nancy Trask
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

It was their last day open. The fish and chips were excellent and the onion rings were perfect. No frills, just good food.

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Fiorella Calderoni
★★★★☆ Jan 20, 1970

This was a good, casual stop for lunch. They have fried seafood like fish and chips, fish sandwiches, calamari, and crab cakes. Service is friendly and fast. Prices are around $15-20 per dish. Decor is fun.

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Tamara Hamilton
★★★☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

I have been going to this restaurant for years, the fish was always delicious & fresh and since the recent change the quality of the food has diminished, the service remains friendly, courteous, prompt and always a welcome smile! Tamie Hamilton

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Steven McKay
★★★☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

It was average with average food with average cost. The fish sandwich tasted like a store bought fish and fries were only okay. Neat little place though.

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milo eakins
★★☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Unfortunately I did not enjoy this place. The crab cakes were not home made and I'm not sure they were crab. They looked like little hockey pucks and tasted like them too. Clam chowder was meh at best. The Staff was friendly though.

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Virginia McLean
★☆☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Ridiculously expensive food and not that great. The halibut and chips was $24 and the fish was just okay (taste was fine, it was very thin and not much of it). Good beer selection. Some of the tables are 'family style' and elbow-to-elbow seating area. Limited covered-porch seating is available and a few bar-level counter seats that look out onto parking lot. Sort of a typical dockside fish place with high prices.

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Bill McBride
★★★☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

The Halibut batter was thicker than the fish. Could not taste the Halibut from the batter . Clam chowder was excellent. Friendly staff. Was very disappointed in the taste and portion sizes

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Roberto Soto
★★★★☆ Jan 20, 1970

I ordered the clam chowder and I have to be honest, it was delicious! Very hearty, thick and with great flavors. The price was a bit high but if you are able, don't let this discourage you from trying it.

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Sela
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

The calamari was awesome and so was the fish n chips ! We sat outside in the covered area which was nice because it was raining..the coffee wasn't good but we were there for good seafood, not good coffee 😆 service was nice also !

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Greg Davis
★★★★☆ Jan 20, 1970

Nice refuge from the wind and rain, can't believe they stayed open in such bad weather. I was going to rate this place three stars, but they get an extra star for being open :) The interior was cozy and cute, with a nautical theme (obviously). The portion sizes were ok for the price. Not the best shrimp basket (shrimps were small and slightly over cooked), but the fish on the fish and chips plate was great, nice thick chunks of perfectly fried fresh cod. I would prefer thicker cut french fries with fish and chips, the fires here were thin. The lady running the place was very nice and served everyone with a smile. Mainly bar stool seating inside with only one table with actual chairs.

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Gary Ogasawara
★★★☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Order and pay at the counter and then they bring the food to your table. The outdoor dining area is covered and pleasant, looking out at the harbor. Breaded and fried fish and shrimp with french fries. Not enough fish, too many fries. Clam chowder was OK. It was very expensive, but there are few other options. Whittier needs more food options!

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Gabriella
★★★★☆ Jan 20, 1970

A quick, fun little spot for lunch. Clam Chowder is just delicious. The Calamari was well prepared as well and the Halibut Sandwich was fresh although not spectacular. The Fries were skinny and not my favorite. I would definitely recommend that you stop in for some Chowder!!

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Alex Palmer
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Had an excellent lunch here while waiting to board our cruise ship. The food was delicious! The outdoor space with tables was a perfect place to sit and eat. It was a beautiful day while we were there, but the outdoor space would even be nice on a rainy day, as it has a roof. There are also places inside to sit, and a restroom is available to customers. The picnic tables outside along the walkway also belong to Swiftwater, and we moved out there after finishing our food to sit (for 2-3 hours) while waiting for our boarding time. No one asked us to move (as all of the tables weren’t filled), and we had a really nice afternoon here.

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Chad Odom
★☆☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

WORST fish & chips I've ever had in my life!! $24.99 for 2 pieces of "halibut" and 6 pieces of small shrimp. I say "halibut" because it was not halibut. I've cooked and eaten a lot of halibut in my life and this was definitely NOT halibut. It was small, thin, dry, stringy, and had some tiny rainbow oil colors in the white meat. I was disappointed with the shrimps too as they were small. After eating here I read some of the recent reviews and it seems that the restaurant changed owners and everything has changed for the worst. Totally riding the coat tails of the previous owners and reviews. I 100% recommend NOT to waste your money here. Even the French fries sucked. And for some dumb reason they HID the ketchup packets underneath the paper sheet with all the fries so we didn't find the ketchup till we ate all the fries. Same for my wife's food too. Terrible place.

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Alizul Rosado
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

KILLER clam chowder. Absolutely delicious. Chunky carrots and potatoes and clam in every bite. Staff is friendly and helpful. Atmosphere is harborside quirky and there are Ray Troll shirts for sale. Great view off the patio. Also ordered fish n chips which did not disappoint. Stop in if you’re in Whittier!

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Miriam Zaga
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Salads fried halibu ,shrimp etc drinks soda beer wine 30.00 per perspn

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Cynthia Skogsberg
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Great fried food. Halibut, shrimp, cod, fries and onion rings. Busy place, efficiently run. Try the Cole slaw.... it's delicious. Indoor, covered patio, and outdoor seating (but no consumption of alcoholic beverages outdoors). Wonderful views of harbor as well as mountains.

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RS Bee
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Great little restaurant! Fresh catch, hand breaded and cooked when ordered. The halibut was delicious. Nice outside deck with a nice view.