#1169 #S710 - Bezt Lounge (Mr. D's Greek Restaurant), Seattle - 7/2/2010

Update: This location of Philoxenia / Mr. D's and the Bezt Lounge closed at sometime in 2016 or shortly thereafter.

Mr. D's Greek Restaurant and Lounge -- AKA "Philoxenia," AKA "Bezt Lounge," and not to be confused with Mr. D's Greek Delicacies now located in what was once the Montana Horse Meat Market -- is a first rate neighborhood dive.  I was exhorted to visit by my friend Frank, who had a fairly comic adventure ordering a Manhattan here.  Unfortunately Frank violated Pete's First Rule of Dive Bars, which is never order a drink that doesn't include all ingredients in the name.  Gin & Tonic, Jack & Coke, Bud Lite -- these are fairly safe bets.  Newfangled and obscure concoctions such as this "Manhattan" thingie -- not so much.  And don't even ask about the time my friend Ray aspired to order a White Russian at the Baranof.  (Okay, by that I really mean do ask, if you haven't already heard the story.)

The lounge at Mr. D's contains all the essential elements of a great dive.  The interior is decorated with a crazy hodgepodge of styles from various decades (check out the wood burning stove and standup piano in front of the brushed steel). 

The hand-done signs fall charmingly short of a recognizable stylistic goal.  It's dark and not too overly dominated by big beer corporation paraphenalia.  And most importantly of all, it has a set of earthy, chatty workers and regulars.  During my visit the elderly female bartender was arguing with the elderly female off-duty employee about the exact twist needed to coax one of the beer taps to work.  The conversation was convivial, but animated with many f-bombs and a few threats of imminent violence.

I like this place.

97 S Lander St, Seattle, WA 98134 - (206) 624-9851
seattle weekly -  yelp