Reviews of Thorn's Showcase Lounge (Restaurant)

James Faleris

This is a cool old style place. No smoking anymore so its much better. Still its a dark littl bar but the Halibut is very good, My opinion that is the only reason to go. No high chairs for kids and waiters and bartenders are clueless on moat things you want to order other then beer or a jack and coke. History gives this place a five but thats about it.

Aaron Howard

Cozy place with some top notch Seafood Chowder. I highly suggest it!

Lyndsay Whitehurst

This was a great spot. Had a chance to enjoy some local brews and chat with the bartender who was not only really friendly but, super helpful in giving us tips for our trip. Definitely get the "bucket of butt" to enjoy some battered halibut and probably the best tartar sauce I've ever had!

Paulie Pan

awesome place for seafood. had steamer clams and halibut butt

Brad Simmons

Halibut was a little overcooked and dry. Otherwise great food

Ky Dorsey

Delicious halibut. Barely battered and fried perfectly. Amazing old fashioned served straight up. Like the 70s brought back to life. Eat here. Do it, do it now.

G. Grant Christian

Nice place. Friendly staff. Open in the off season!

Timothy Kane

Old seventies feel. I was only there for a beer. I would go again.

Jenny Huss

Tyler was an awesome bartender! The halibut is epic and so tasty!

Taylor Wilson

Best burger I have ever had and great service!

David July

I love this joint! With its red padded seating, string lighting and erstwhile decor, walking inside is almost like a trip back in time. Thorn's is probably best known for serving "bucket of butt" halibut meals, pouring stiff cocktails and displaying a large collection of vintage Jim Beam whiskey decanters.

Ryan Reynolds

Favorite bar in Seward! Awesome food and incomparable atmosphere. I would be here every weekend if I could.

esther bob

Halibut fish and chips are epic! Tyler was awesome

Zach Pennington

Chowder was great but service sucked

Joe Stout

Love the 70's posh Bar theme. The food was great, loved the fried clam appetizer and our waiter was very attentive. Don't expect cheap prices though.

Chad R

Good food!

Frances crosby

Delicious halibut chunks and seafood chowder with a quaint atmosphere. Our waitress was awesome!

Kennedy Myers

A truly unique experience! Vintage-retro-chic, STRONG drinks. Not the quickest or best of waitstaff, but the bartender totally makes up for that. The BEST halibut cheeks and tartar sauce I've ever had.

C J

These are old buildings, so a bit dark inside. The food and service was excellent. Always good when "locals" are eating at the same place! Black bean burger was excellent!

Leon Cain

Was so hungry did take a pic but they definitely didn’t disappoint..halibut was cooked to perfection, definitely hooked...

Matthew Bigman

Decent food, and an interesting atmosphere

Where in the World is Kate?

Nice family fun love the halibut, a little over priced, good food.

Jerry Ferguson

Cool retro vibe, reminds me of a 1960s Vegas lounge. Food is good, the sweet potato fries prob best I’ve ever had. Seafood chowder pretty good too.

Allen J. Harden

Excellent halibut!

N Declinetostate

$28 for ribs and they wanted to upcharge to sub fries and salad for beans and slaw. Tables so packed in you can barely get by. Dark and dated decor with the storage closet and can opener right next to our seating. What a crock!

Courtney Paz

Step back in time. Definitely worth going to!

Kaidie Dickinson

Great food. The best Bloody Mary's

LaVerne Robinson Kent

It was a great experience...even though the electricity went out for a short time, they were still gracious hosts and the tater tots were delicious!

Joseph Cynor

Great food, bad service.

Randall Kowalke

Great place. First visited in 1975! Hope to return again soon.

Jerry Q

A great spot for good Halibut and beer. The atmosphere is dated, but provides a local experience - and crowd. We always make it a point to stop in when we're in town.

Nick Meister

Good eats. Great drinks.

Doug Poedy

Nice people, great halibut fish and chips.

Susan Lang

New menu, new attitude, some great food!

Trent Smith

Good food, great service, had a few vegetarian options :)

Morgan Ball

Amazing food and great vibe! Friendly staff, too!

manuel fragoso

If you never been in a lounge from the 60's

Daniel Franco

Very retro. Good drinks

Amy Carity

Stopped in for a drink and stayed for supper!! Bartender and hostess were super friendly and the drinks were on point! Had the halibut, clam strips and fries to share between 2 ppl and it was plenty. The halibut chunks were big and perfectly deep fried and the tartar sauce was exceptional!! Also I know some reviews knock the decode but we loved it, something different and fun.

Race Bannon

It looks a little iffy on the outside, but the food was fantastic. We enjoyed the "bucket of butt." It was busy - the servers had to squeeze between chairs and we shared a table with another couple - but I can see why this place was recommended to us.

trainz123m

One of the VERY few places that was open today and was actually open compared to other places in town. My friend and I went to 4 other places that said “open” but turns out to be closed. Sooo I’m was in the mood for breakfast but after finding this place that is open, I was more hungry and care less. Burger is good, service here is well. Thank you for BEING actually open.

Alexander Coker

Great atmosphere. Service couldve been better but they were lunchtime slammed. Had gum on the seat so couldnt give 5 stars. But everytime in seward i have a butt bucket.

Cathy Daichendt

Great fresh halibut in a fun atmosphere!

Michelle Barney

The food was excellent and the staff very friendly, we will definitely go back next time we're in Seward!

Burly Cain

Great local atmosphere with a friendly staff and a bucket of but, halibut. I had the halibut salad and it was very good.

Caroline Rebecca

Family owned...the best seafood chowder and cheese fries.

Charlie Gray

Good food and good service.

April Ruhland

Seafood chowder was exactly what I needed on this cozy, sprinkly day!

Brandon Keenan

Probably the worst dining experience I’ve ever had. They quoted us 20 min to get a table which turned into an hour wait. Once seated in the restaurant that hasn’t been updated since 1970 it took the waiter another 15 minutes to get around to our table to get our drink orders. We got the pitchers of water which were smart but then that pitcher quickly filled up all the 8oz coors light disposable cups. It took them another 20 minutes to come to our table to take our order. I ordered the special and it turned out after waiting 30 minutes, they ran out of their famous baked potato so ordered the slaw. 5 minutes later they told me that they ran out of that also. Ordered the sweet potato fries which was the saving grace of the whole meal. The halibut was over cooked and the bacon that wrapped it was not cooked. The New York steak was cooked well when ordered medium rare and the side of bread was stale. At this point I just wanted more water which we had asked for 3 times already and the waiter told us that someone else was going to fill them up. We ended up just walking over to the bar and grabbing one of the 4 pitchers sitting there waiting for the waiter to bring to the various tables. In total our “quick” dinner turned into a 2 and a half hour ordeal. If you want slow service, terrible over cooked food, and an atmosphere that hasn’t been updated since the 1970s, then come here. Otherwise literally go anywhere else including the taco van down the street and you’ll have a cheaper more pleasant experience.

Todd Vollink

Great food, stopped in while on Vacation. I will definitely come back on my next visit to Seward.

Mitch Deines

Food was amazing! Loved the feel of the decor.

William Burton

Great steak, great hamburger, service was perfect. we never went dry. the meal came quick enough I would call this place a sports bar we were happy and will go back.

Victor Fernandez

Good food and decent prices.

lisa gray-arini

Loved this place. Back in June of 1996. My husband and I had such a great time here. It was a chilly day with clouds and light rain so we tucked into this bar. Met 3 young Indian ladies looking to have a good time. What a great memory .

Beth Hutter

Fun, no frills bar/ restaurant known for their "bucket of butt" (halibut)Great food, fun atmosphere!

Mandy Broyden

Unique ambiance. Not so great on vegetarian options. I know this is an Alaska fishing town, and vegetarian food is not a priority, but even the salads have meat. The black bean burger was sold out when I wanted to try it. The chowder is hearty, the Bucket of Butts is famous, and very fried. Wee one loves to go there for it, though.

Jeremiah Hupka

Awesome bucket of butts. Fries were really good. The place was packed at 8 on a Monday night. Servers were very friendly.

Elisa Roxas

Service was fast and the server was very attentive. Generous amount of food and delicious. Price was fair.

Cory Cousineau

Such good food and service!!!! Try the seafood chowder

Beth Ramsey

Order the bucket of butts (fish and chips). Great good. Dark hole in the wall=hidden treasure.

Adrianell Poteet Sorrels

Good hamburgers, but the Bucket of Butt (halibut) that they touted as being the best was only okay. Our relatives here for a visit, who don't often eat fresh fish, loved it. But I thought it was dry and just okay. After living in Alaska, I'm used to fresher and better cooked fish. But the atmosphere was definately fun and it was a great quick bite since we didn't have a lot of time. Great staff as well.

Linda Smith

Food and service very good

Kendal Larson

Talk about quirky. When you walk into Thorns it's as if you've walked into an old restaurant on the old Vegas Strip. Its quirkiness belies a great menu and equally great service. Do NOT miss the seafood chowder! And, if ya like tater tots, get them with cheese. Huge serving means enough for 3 or 4.

Jacob Corn

The much-lauded halibut is OK.

Shaun Simpson

Good food, reasonable prices

Aarron Schmidt

Great burgers interesting atmosphere

Rich Travis

Thorn's, is tuff to get to if you have a motor home. Seward streets, especially during tourist season, are hard to navigate. Park at the West end of the Safeway, and grab a 5.00 taxi. In Alaska always tip well!

Krissy Redwine

This place is an old time bar . When you step inside the decor is right out of the fifties. Little Christmas lights hang around the whole interior. The walls are covered in showcase shelving that holds many old time alcohol decanters. You will see Elvis decanter among many others very cool.The halibut and chips is the best around and the seafood chowder is to die for.I highly recommended this place!The best of the best as far as bartenders go Josh and Tim !

Kristopher Phillips

First time trying Halibut. Now im addicted. Nice atmosphere. Decor is on point.

Ryan Welch

Shared the large bowl of Halibut and couldn't believe how full I was! Also had a bowl of chili which was surprisingly good. It could certainly use some updating, but don't let that scare you away. This place is worth stopping by.

Leah Seals

Waitress was very unresponsive. Tried to get her attention for 10 minutes for sweet n low for our tea. When I did get her attention, she walks over to the table next to ours and asks them how they are doing...they of course have all kinds of needs and we have to wait another 10 min or so for her to get back to our table. I was not happy and had basically finished my meal without my tea which I paid $2.50 for. Unbelievably rude and unprofessional.

Kenai Backcountry Adventures

Awesome Thanksgiving Day buffet! Everyone was so nice and welcoming. Gratitude

Vaughn and Amycar

Homey feel neighborhood dive bar. Delicious Seafood Chowder. More delicious compared to some of the fancy place in San Francisco. Especially love the wall decor of whiskey, very unique. Busy when we got there, servers looked a little overwhelmed but remained attentive & pleasant. Please tip them well!

Michelle Shirley

This place was great food and drinks. It's kind of dark but it seems like this is the place to be if your a local. Super yummy!!!!

Peter Armstrong

Old school padded bar....

Elaine Tobias

Stopped in around lunch time. Sat at the bar since tables were full and we were only 2. It's a bit noisy, dark, but happy atmosphere. Had a brew and good lunch. Prices comparable to other Alaskan eateries.

Jason L. Cheung

Old school dive bar. Tasty, very well cooked halibut in the "Bucket o' Butts".

Michael Forte

This place is great. Not as busy as there time I was in Seward but that was for the 4th of July. The burgers are really great and this is a local spot (everything else was closed). They have tater tots as a side and the fries are really good too. But oh man TATER TOTS! Really

Deborah Alvàrado

Great food and service.❤Halibut! Have a Butt Basket!

Jace Toney

Really cool place. Dark and intimate. Good service and food food. Great for Sunday football.

chris whiskers

I was DD and during the pub crawl I wasn't allowed to get a stamp without getting a drink. Thank you for your safety concern. You were the only bar that ensured everyone got a drink. -2 stars for the stuckupness about it, and "Buying drinks is what the pub crawl is about"

elizabeth banach

Halibut fish was the best,but french frys dry,skinny, tasteless were the worst

William Snay

Bucket of butts! Great fish appetizer.

Cody Gerhartz

Get the Halibut Basket, might be the best in Alaska.

Daisy Meyers

Our server was awesome. The seafood chowder was very good.

Chris Moore

Good food and service worth a visit for sure

LM Cox

Food is OK. I liked the grilled halibut sandwich, the dill tartare sauce really was the star. "Butt" was a little dry. Beer is good and they have a huge collection of Jim Beam decanters to look at.

Ethel Reed

Delicious well seasoned cuisine, variety of foods & beverages, cocktails & desserts, friendly attentive staff

rjdorrance

This is a locals place. Like stepping back in time. The bartender was great. Stayed for lunch. Had the best seafood I've had in Alaska. Fish chowder was to die for as is the Bucket of Butts. (Lightly battered and cooked haddock ). If you like eating like the locals than this is your place...

Tim Jones

Best meal in Seward! Third night in Seward and I had already ate at two of the "top rated", they were good but overpriced. Had the bucket if but and the seafood chowder, wow. Best chowder I've ever had and I've been to Maine many times. The halibut was huge pieces and amazing as well.

StarHammock

Good food! Not anything revolutionary but it is consistent and yummy diner kind of food. The bar and restaurant it self have a cozy and classically loungy sort of feel, unique and worth checking out.

Terry Jones

Highly recommend. Ordered halibut basket. The food and service was great

עדי רוסו

Great American food and atmosphere

Mareth Griffith

Halibut cheeks are great! Best fish and chips in town.

Christine Shibles

Step back in time.

Rexann Bassler

Best halibut, fries could have been hotter. Wonderful wait staff and bar tender

Lucia Seitz

I absolutely love the atmosphere, the food was delicious and the drinks are perfect for the menu or just having a nice mellow drink.

Mike McCormack

Old fashioned bar/restaurant. Been around at least 50 years. Good food, good service.

Cindy Conrad

Loved it. Very unique. Great service.

Karen Cooper

Great halibut chunks in beer batter

Arnold Robinson

Friendly staff. Good beer. Really good food.

Craig Engerer

I love food so every time I travel I want to eat something good. I had the ribeye and basket of butt. Ribeye was above average and very flavorful. The basket of butt had a light breading that offered the full flavor of the Halibut. Few of the smaller pieces were a little dry but overall very good. I am satisfied and ready for a coma.

Zack Barnes

What a great bar! When you walk in, it's very 1950s with vinyl everywhere. We sat down at the bar and the bartender named Josh took great care of us. He was very knowledgeable with just the right amount of bartender sass. He had us laughing for the hour we were there. He makes great margaritas! The restaurant portion has great food. The chowder is delicious, as is the halibut burger and the chocolate cake.

Katherine Lewis

Great atmosphere, cool decor, and awesome food! Their bucket of butt is a must. So good! They were under staffed the day we went so the wait to get on the list was long because the poor hostess had to also bus tables and take drink orders. But it was well worth it.

Mike S

Among the best fried halibut and seafood chowder you'll find anywhere. The halibut has a very thin batter, perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Prices are consistent with the high cost of doing business in Alaska but not obscene as some of the other reviews indicate; definitely still a good value. The ambience is definitely old school, but awesome and a comfortable place to grab a drink and dinner after a hard day of play in Seward.

Phil

We came for lunch and had the 1lb steamed clams and cheeseburger with coleslaw. Very tasty clams in a wonderful and rich broth. Piping hot... the cheeseburger was large. Easy to get seating as during dinner times this place is packed most of the evening. Our server Michelle was very friendly and had a great personality.

Josh Shields

Best Halibut in town. Had a great time with family enjoying the environment

Sharlene Moyers

Great staff and food. Have always made the Showcase Lounge my Seward stop for Halibut and drinks.

Kip Nissen

It was like stepping in to my Dad's 1960 lounge bar. The service was great, the food was good, but the drinks were a little on the short side for me.

Jaibhagwan Sharma

A beautiful place to enjoy food at Seward.

Megan Billingsley

Definitely a local place feel. Seafood chowder was delicious and drinks were strong!

A Kilgore

Wonderful place.

Michelle Nye

We got a recommendation to try this restaurant from our guide Chris at Miller's Landing. It did not disappoint. Good food with a local flair. No wait and a decent price.

Tanya Wychopen

Visited based on great reviews, and they were absolutely correct !!! Loved how the place was preserved and kept up. They were short staffed, but handled it great !!!

Linda Amoroso

Super fun great drinks wonderful service

Rachael Dingle

Awesome treasure! We were advised to check out Thorn's for the bucket of butts and were not disappointed! Drinks were great too! Really friendly and engaging staff.

Kim Kaimana

Halibut was so good and fresh..Shrimp cocktail, the shrimps were huge, 2-3 bites per shrimp. Seafood chowder was the best.

Mike Springer

Unbeatable retro decor. Good food. Excellent drinks.

Landon Holley

I had my first bucket of butts in September 2017 and they changed my life. Coming back almost a year later, I’m delighted to find they’re just as good as I remembered!

Theresa Childs

Stopped in for a late lunch and was not disappointed. Our group of 4 adults shared a large (30 piece) bucket of butts (halibut nuggets), an order of tater tots and a few beers and were not disappointed. Lightly breaded and perfectly fried, came with a few dipping sauces, etc the butts were exactly as promised. Great local beers on draft.

Donna Rosado

Drink great! Bar food ok ..bar tender didn't seem very friendly

Hamala Makala

Came here after a long day of fishing right before the kitchen closed. Staff were friendly and polite and helped serve us right away even though we had come so late. We ordered cheese sticks, chicken strips with fries, a large bowl of halibut, and a large salad (to lessen the guilt). The halibut pieces with tartar sauce is a must try here, would recommend.

Paul Sonksen

Great old Bar, I now know where all the naugahyde went to die. Look for your state decanter.

c P

Fresh, delicious

azdren poshka

Really good food and good service

Angelo Damico

Great food fair price

Susan Wood

Fish was good. But not the best. Frys were hard, dry . Service good

Charlie Kim

We got the halibut nuggets here; super tasty, and fairly priced! If you're looking for a quick beer and something to munch on, you can't go wrong with Thorn's.

Aaron Miller

The wife and I stopped in for dinner after asking a local about their favorite restaurant. Seating was a little cramped, but food was delicious. We had a bucket of clams and then both had the halibut salads. One grilled the other fried. The fried halibut was better in my opinion. The fish was moist, flavorful, and not at all greasy.

Shaun Riffe

Yup! We liked this place. Bar lounge with a 1950’s vibe. Sit at the bar and order some halibut chunks, they’re super and not over battered. Get the chowder. And a salad...they don’t use iceberg lettuce, real greens!!

Mike Gartley

The halibut chunks were the best fish and chips I've ever had!!!

Raffy Shammay, OAM

A retro pub and good value eatery in Seward,Alaska

Ms K

The halibut tasted freezer burned.

Chris Goodrow

Wonderful old school bar atmosphere. Good food. Only thing miss g from the old school feel was the smoke filled room.

michael willean

Some of best food in Seward/cool old place

Rich Everett

Pretty good. We shared a basket and that was enough for a small lunch.

Anonymous

Great food and atmosphere

Ashana Flippo

Good Food, Friendly staff, really neat furniture and bottles all over the walls

Joseph Lapp

It's always classy at Thorne's. Whether you're up for some day drinking, or your an afficianado of rare liqour bottles in backlit display cases, Thorne's is the place for you. Do you like burgundy leather love seats on wheels? Check. A bucket of fried halibut? Check. Stumbling outside into the bright sun after sitting in a dark, underlit cave for awhile? Check.

Allin Rinehart

This is my favorite place to relax and enjoy the amazing food and conversation when I am in Seward.. no other place in town compares !!

KK HH

Very unique restaurant and bar. Tasty food and good service

Donna A

Love the halibut. Simple place that will take you back in time. Kwell place to have a drink and grab a bite to eat!!

Janée L. Anderson

Great service! Steaks cooked just the way we like too! Very reasonable price for my Jack Daniels.

Brett K

Really Good chowder and interesting old time decor.

Judy B

Ban there 3 times this week, great butts!

Clint Dennis

Chowder was fantastic, and the bucket of butt is a must try

Sierra

Great place to grab a drink.

Ken Faiman

Best damn Bucket of Butt I've ever had. Get the bigger size, you will not regret it.

Daniel Richter

I love seafood chowder. I have had it everywhere. Anchorage, Homer , Seward many restaurants in each and I have to say Thorn''s was the best. If you go there and don't at least get a cup you are doing yourself a disservice. I even went back second day and had a bowl. Bucket of buttstock good. Seafood chowder awesome.

Jason Williams

Don't let the looks deceive you. Actually a great restaurant. The Bucket of Butts (halibut) is fantastic!!

chris tidd

Great food, and service! Would recommend! Shrimp was delicious and onion rings were really good!

Elizabeth Angasan

Amazing halibut! Would reccomend the largest portion of the "basket of butt" to get the best bang for your buck. House salad was pretty tastey as well.

Robert Reisner

Great food, drinks, with an excellent atmosphere, friendly staff, and generally good customers.

Martin Hall

The Halibut chunks were very good, the Seafood Gumbo was just so so and the chili was bad, the beans weren't done. The interior of the restaurant was very dated,and little shabby. Too many restaurants in town to go back to this one

Paul Tyler,D.C.

Tasty food at reasonable prices.

Ho Siva

We ordered the bucket of butts. Nicely fried halibut it was. The place is comfortable and relaxing. Good place to eat and hang out with friends.

Kirk Tiberius

Wednesday night, stood in the doorway for almost 15 minutes with a hungry family and was never greeted. We left.

April Carson Carson

Great food n drinks