Duke's Seafood History Timeline
Explore the history of Duke’s Seafood through a timeline of key milestones. From our early beginnings to today, these moments reflect our commitment to sustainable seafood and exceptional dining.
Key Milestones in Our History
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Ray’s Boathouse Leads to Duke’s Seafood
Duke Moscrip invested in Ray’s Boathouse and helped turn it into the seafood restaurant it is today. After visiting Ray’s, just a simple restaurant at the time, we were instantly inspired to make the concept of simply prepared, fresh local seafood a reality. From a… -
Duke Ventures Out to Open Bar & Grill
Duke’s Bar & Grill opened on Lower Queen Anne Hill. It soon became the hang out for advertising agency execs after work as it was a lively place where everyone could just relax. The menu was eclectic as we were trying anything and everything, but… -
Duke Introduces Mussels
Mussels are a delicacy on most good seafood restaurants today, but that was not always the case. “Nobody served mussels when I first met Peter Jeffords at Penn Cove Mussels. He brought me some to try one day. I was amazed at how tasty they… -
Eastside Duke’s Restaurant Becomes Instant Hit!
Duke opened his store in Bellevue that year with people clamoring for our clam chowder, already becoming famous. It was a long-time favorite of the Eastside crowd until they lost their lease and were forced to close in 1994. “I hated to close that store… -
Always Irreverent, the Kamikaze was Invented
“On Pearl Harbor Day in the late ‘70s, our manager, Mark Kobayashi, decorated the restaurant in bold Japanese war posters and decided to create a new drink, the Kamikaze cocktail,” says Duke Moscrip. “Now everyone makes a version of this fun cocktail, but I think… -
Duke Fishes with the Fisher People
Searching for the world’s finest seafood means getting on the boats. Whether he’s traveling to Chesapeake Bay to visit clammers or braving a hard-working boat to catch Copper River Salmon, Duke goes to the source. To get the best fish and seafood, you have to… -
Let’s Play Ball – Duke Get’s Idea to Buy the Mariners
I recall a time in 1987 when fans rallied behind my idea to buy the Mariners. Back then, team owner George Argyros was not a favorite of the fans. Since the team’s rocky beginnings in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots, the team never saw a… -
Chowder House Concept Launches Legacy
The restaurant concept evolved, and Duke’s Chowder House was born. South Lake Union with its views up the lake and docking for those wanting to boat up for a great meal. Famous for Duke’s creamy, delicious chowder, the restaurant thrived, and this was the start… -
Lakeside Chowder; Sunny Patio; Perfect!
Green Lake Duke’s Chowder House opened across the lake with a cozy umbrella laden patio looking at the beautiful lake and the hordes of walkers and bikers. It remains a strong neighborhood restaurant throughout the year and tourists’ hang out during the summer season. “Our… -
Nothing Fancy; No, Not for Duke
Duke tried to go fancy with a white table cloth restaurant just down the lake from his lively and always-busy Duke’s Chowder House and, well, it was not a hit. “We called it Duke’s Yacht Club. Our customers showed us that they loved Duke’s Chowder… -
Duke Heads to the Mall in Kent
Kent Station opened its doors right in the heart of Kent’s Green River Campus, ShoWare Center, plus all the great shops at Kent Station. The popular site soon takes off and shopper, event goers, and neighbors all now have a Duke’s Chowder House to serve… -
Duke Lands On the Tacoma Waterfront
Tacoma bound; Duke’s Chowder House opens not near the water on Ruston way; rather ON the water. Built on pilings on the shores of Puget Sound, our Ruston Way location is a South Sound favorite winning awards and accolades since opening. We had a rocky… -
Shop ’til You Drop; Then Dine
Our second mall location opened in South Center Mall (now Westfield Mall) ready for weary shoppers to kick back, have a cocktail, and relax indoors or on the covered patio. Little did we know that Duke’s Seafood would become the reason why our guests come… -
Mixology – Custom Woodford Reserve Blend
We’ve blended our own bourbon with the good folks at Woodford Reserve in Versailles, Kentucky since 2008 and each time, the flavor profiles just get better and better. Blending bourbon is tough work—no, I really mean it. We spent a couple of days just focused… -
Duke Leads Seattle’s Ban of Plastic Straws
In 2018, Seattle banned the use of all non-compostable straws and utensils in Seattle restaurants, but Duke’s Seafood made the switch 3 years prior. “When this started out, they (paper straws) were about 30-40% more expensive than petroleum-based products,” Moscrip told KIRO 7 who interviewed… -
Duke Awarded 100% Rating from Smart Catch
Smart Catch, a sustainable seafood program created with chefs for chefs to recognize environmentally sustainable fishing practices, awarded Duke’s Chowder House top recognition for its sustainable seafood efforts. The organization is designed to promote sustainability and raise consumer awareness through means of the restaurant industry.… -
Bellevue Bound; Better Than Ever!
Duke returns to Bellevue! Kemper Freeman of The Bellevue Collection and Duke met, and the rest is history. Duke’s Seafood opened a showpiece restaurant with a wonderful “upscale fishing lodge” theme that captured the spirit of Duke’s Chowder Houses but took it to another level.… -
Moving On Up South Lake Union
Duke’s Seafood moves up the lake to its new location on South Lake Union. This impressive new space is actually the original location for the 1990 failed concept, Duke’s Yacht Club. Today, Duke’s Seafood occupies the second story of the building with dynamic views of… -
First Event Venue Opens Dockside
Dockside at Duke’s opens, the company’s first event venue. Dockside takes up the entire main floor of the new Duke’s Seafood location on South Lake Union. “People want to celebrate at Duke’s Seafood all the time,” says Duke. “We can take groups at most of…
Our Logo Evolves Once Again
Throughout our years, Duke evolved his restaurant logos to meet not only the growing needs of our customers but our growth as a restaurant as well. We are proud of our evolution as any restaurant that remains stagnant, does not survive. In 2019, we continued in this tradition with a new logo and name adjustment to Duke’s Seafood. Oh, but don’t worry; we are still the same restaurant and we still have the best chowder in the city! For our loyal customers, this trip down memory lane will bring back happy times with friends and family at all of the variety of Duke restaurants since our first Bar & Grill. We hope you like our new look. We believe it reflects the premium quality of our ingredients with an eye to the future, and still has a little fun.
