#2153 #S1144 - Henry's on First Ave Tavern, Seattle - 5/4/2013

If you would like to know what Henry's on First in Seattle is like, just go to any recently opened large sports bar. They feel nothing like the intimate connotation that the word "tavern" has for me. There are the huge amounts of beer taps, the large range of contemporary sports bar foods (pizzas, burgers, salads, soups, tacos, fish and chips, wok dishes, etc.), plenty of TVs, the vintage photos, etc.  Henry's is run by the Restaurants Unlimited, the Seattle-based corporation that at this point counts 48 restaurants across the company under 21 brands, of varying individuality (e.g. Cutters, Palomino, Palisade, and Stanford's). Henry's, which also has locations in Portland and Plano, Texas, follows a now well-worn path in food, decor, and atmosphere, which basically takes a classic brewpub and expands the number of choices to several page menus and 100-and-some beers on tap e.g. in Seattle see the Yard House, the Tap House, Edge Grill.

Though these never make for particularly interesting bars, it can be quite convenient to have places with reliable food options and interesting beers on tap, and perhaps you can't have too many of these on game day. Henry's is in a fine old 1907 building just south of the ballparks (the original Henry's in Portland is in the old Blitz-Weinhard Brewery), and kudos for RUI for opening and sprucing up these old spaces. The bar features an iced counter for keeping beers cold, and and on days like today, when it was sunny and 75 degrees, the open side opposite First Avenue is a very pleasant setting. The cocktail menu will not be of interest to serious drinkers, and is dominated by the overly sweet options one might see at a college bar, but of course the focus is the beer and here they have any number of excellent options. I had a salad and half sandwich combo, choosing the peach, walnut, and manchego salad, which I enjoyed, and a lackluster Philly cheesesteak. Despite sourcing local beers in the ingredients (Mac and Jack braised onions and peppers, Elysian Immortal cheddar ale sauce), this Philly will not lead Seattlelites to forget Tat's, let alone get east coasters to stop whining. That was probably a poor choice on my part though, as most the food like quite reliably satisfactory.

1518 1st Ave South, Seattle, WA 98134 - (206) 624-0501
Est. 2013 - Building constructed: 1907
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: henrystavern.com
Reviews: washingtonbeerblog - washingtonbeerblog - yelp