Ruthie’s Soda Fountain

CLOSED. Lunch selection was minimal. I watched them heat up my French Onion soup in the microwave. Went once and one only. Would not go back.

This is a place in need of an identity and décor. It has a good location, but one walks into a nearly empty, rather grim space. There are a couple of tables and about half a dozen counter seats. On the counter were a few baked goods, although the most attractive item, some cupcakes, were on the bottom shelf of a refrigerated case with the sodas on the customer side of the counter. I should think it safe to guess that the place was begun on a severely limited budget, but now it needs a major infusion of cash and thought. For a place that is called a soda shop, there is a long way to go. A few old 45rpm discs on the wall isn’t enough.
We had a good chili dog and a good grilled cheese. For our beverages, there seemed to be two available straws in the container behind the counter. One, bent in two, was still proffered for use. It didn’t work.
The pumpkin pie was good, as was the vanilla ice cream. The butterscotch sauce was a very odd consistency, though; like a broken sauce and with semi-​crunchy bits.
The woman who served us was very pleasant, but we were the only customers there. I don’t know if it gets busy.
We wish them well, but live far enough away that even the
coupon is insufficient draw.

So, I really want to like this place. That is mainly because I think Bellingham area is really lacking on local food joints that are good enough to simply keep people eating locally. Also, the staff is so incredibly nice.
But alas, the food I had was lackluster, the décor is pretty much nonexistent and the place does not make very good use of the space.
But here is the main problem: this place cannot make up its mind about what it wants to be. It’s a Diner, a Soda Fountain (not sure anyone really gets what that is anymore), an ice cream shop and a bakery.
I don’t mind variety, but there has to be that «thing» about a place that says what it is.
Unfortunately, this place has a bit of an identity complex.
They are in a tough place for a café to work, yet Bellingham has such a market for a good café.
Finally, no public restroom. It is an eatery with no public restroom. So much for taking the kids out to this place.
This establishment has a lot of potential energy. I hope the owner can refine the vision, bring some gourmet comfort food to Bellingham at a fair price point and becomes a local superstar.
But for now, don’ t expect too much.

I really wanted to like this place but that is not what happened. The food was not good. The salsa had a fishy taste to it and the buffalo chicken dip was a pool of grease with hardly any chicken in it. The cost was a bit hard to swallow as well. 4 sodas, 2 appetizers for $ 25! The seating is very limited and if you have little ones who need to pee every 5 minutes, they do not have a bathroom. A sign letting patrons know this before hand would be a great idea. We did not try the ice cream which all the reviews and feedback seem to be focused on. I really enjoy supporting local businesses but my experience would cause me not to come back any time soon. Sorry.

This place is really good. The atmosphere is nice, the whole place looks like somewhere from the 50s. It’s really cute. They have a counter and a few tables set up for people to sit. They serve ice cream and foods. My boyfriend and I came in and we got an egg cremé and a strawberry cheesecake frap. The egg cremé was really light and refreshing. It’s made with cream, seltzer and a syrup that you get to choose. We got a coffee one and it was very good. We also got a strawberry cheese cake frap, and it was absolutely delicious. I was a little hesitant to try it, but I’m glad I did! It was very smooth and had a nice strawberry flavor. The prices were average, and they accept cards. I would definitely give this place a try.