Though they appear to have been forced out by new building ownership and a prolonged remodeling project, it's easy to see why this space would be more appealing than the previous location for both the Swannies Sports Bar section upstairs and the Comedy Underground below. But I miss the old place. The bar is now significantly larger in size, but seems smaller in personality. It's a perfectly acceptable spot for grabbing a beer, maybe a little tex-mex dinner, and catching a game. But it's hard not to pine for the tiny place around the street that was actually run by Swannie -- that is, Jim Swanson, former catcher for the
legendary Portland Mavericks, who commonly had big leaguers there after their games, with guest bartending stints from Yogi Berra, Don Mattingly, Bob Uecker and part-time part-owner Ron Guidry. (Of course "guest bartender" stints usually meant standing behind the bar observing others pour drinks.) This was the place that set beer prices based on Dave Valle's batting average in 1991 (after hovering around .150 for much of the year, Dave ended his '91 campaign at .194), and was rumored to have cops taking target practice with beer bottles after hours.
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| Swannies Sports Bar, Pioneer Square, Seattle |
Anyway, the old location that packed them in after games is gone and so is Swannie -- he sold the place and briefly ran another version in Shoreline -- and I suppose it's unfair to judge the current place by my memories of the other. But while it is a perfectly fine option for a game, it's difficult for me to see any particular reason to favor it over the many other sports bar choices in the Pioneer Square and SoDo area.
109 S. Washington St, Seattle, Washington 98104 - (206) 628-0303
Est. 2008 (current location, 1980 in previous location) - Building constructed: 1909
Previous bars in this location: The New Fenix
Web site:
swanniesinthepark.com -
facebook
Reviews:
foodosophy -
yelp
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