When Ivar’s Seafood Bar opened in Ballard decades ago, the neighborhood still had some frump, and the pair seemed a perfect match.

Ivar’s sold fish and chips and chowder to all kinds of people, fancy or otherwise, in a way that Ivar Haglund probably did when he started his Seattle fish restaurant business in the 1930s.

But Ballard has become alluring and pricey, and Ivar’s Seafood Bar has remained its unassuming, fast-food self.

So it wasn’t a total surprise Tuesday when Ivar’s announced it was closing its longtime Ballard shop at 6000 15th Ave N.W. But the news was still sad for many. In a neighborhood of trendy bars and restaurants, Ivar’s was a stalwart supplier of cheap, reliable food for kids and oldsters alike. Plus, it had parking.

“As a long-time resident of Ballard and Magnolia, it is so sad to drive down the new canyon of condos,” said one neighbor and Ivar’s fan who didn’t want to be named. “I’m sure the gentrification of Ballard has the old Swedes rolling in their graves.”

Neighborhood blog MyBallard reported that Ivar’s opened in Ballard in 1980.

“After many attempts to stay at this location and renew the lease, Ivar’s was unable to come to an agreement with the building’s landlord,” the company said in a news release. “Ivar’s thanks its many fans for their loyal patronage over the years …”

The company said it wants to re-open in Ballard some day. The last day is April 13. When it closes, it will join our lists of Seattle restaurants we miss:

Here’s a few more departed Seattle restaurants we miss; how many do you remember?

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