#1173 #S714 - Highway 99 Blues Club, Seattle - 7/3/2010

Update: I went to many a show here since that original visit, but the club finally shut down on New Year's Eve, 2019.

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Wow, this place has so much more character than I had envisioned.  It feels like suddenly you're in Texas.  Notwithstanding what must be the largest posts to obstruct a stage view in the city (well over 2 feet wide beams), it's a fun place to grab a drink and some grub and watch blues, or, as it was on this particular night, rockabilly.

1414 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 382-2171              
Est. 2004 - Closed Dec 31, 2018 - Building constructed 1909
Previous bars at this location: Captain Cook's Pub
highwayninetynine.com - facebook - myspace - seattle weekly - yelp

#1172 #S713 - Bad Monkey Bistro, Seattle - 7/3/2010

I regard with suspicion anyone who does not love monkeys and monkey things. I'm also wary of sports bars, so who knew what awaited in the new Bad Monkey Bistro in South Lake Union?

The bar choices seemed pretty standard, and my Hendricks & tonic was fairly weak. But their menus have a number of unusually interesting snacks. E.g. their nachos are root chips w/condiments of kidney beans, guac, sour cream and slices of flank steak; and they have a "Seamonkey Burger" a seasoned mixture of rock lobster, shrimp, halibut and salmon formed into a patty, served with lettuce, red onions, tarter sauce and tomatoes on a Kaiser roll. Their brunch menu includes choices of omelette ingredients including lobster and crab; I went with an option with pesto mixed in the eggs and quite liked it.

The decor seems fairly spartan for a monkey theme -- perhaps I associate monkey's too much with jungles, but it would be nice to see them accrue a few more in theme decorative touches. As all right-thinking people know, you can't have too much monkey.

400 Boren Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 467-1111
badmonkeybistro.com - yelp

#1171 #S712 - El Norte, Seattle - 7/2/2010

Update: El Norte closed Dec 31, 2016.

I hadn't heard of the Rose Garden Tavern until the local papers started publishing stories about its imminent loss of its liquor license due to drugs and other problems.  Apparently it was the heart of a part of the Lake City neighborhood that locals and police knew as "Little Beruit."  Owned at the time by a retired drug-enforcement agent, in less than a year there were 10 assaults reported at the Garden, one stabbing of a bouncer, one patron returning to a fight with an axe, and undercover cops were apparently 5 for 5 in attempts to buy crack inside.

The stories warned of the license expiring by the end of the month so I hurriedly added it to my to-do list, but the Rose Garden actually closed just a week later, thus precluding my chances of ever getting it included in this project.

When I visited El Norte in the old Rose Garden space, there was nary a hint of its gangster past.  It's now a club that hosts soft jazz, of all things, with new ownership (of Mr. Villa) serving Latin small plates and drinks.  It later focused on goth/darkwave events. For a while the city fought the new owner's desire to insert another bar in the space, but the new venue has been praised by many of the neighbors for the vast improvements.  The only possible vestige I saw was a boarded window in the men's room, blocked by a 2x4 as if expecting an attack by injuns.  The decor, the bands, and the patrons are all seemed exceedingly genteel during the day.


Update: I'm not sure how or when this happened, but at some point not too long after it opened, El Norte became a hangout for the Seattle goth crowd.

Historical Notes:  The building currently holding El Norte was constructed in 1921 and the first bar I have found at this address in city guides is Rebel's Inn, owned by Fred Amos in 1936.  Since then names of bars in this location include Chuck's Tavern (1948), Margie's Tavern (1960), B&E Tavern (1970), Burd Dawg Tavern (1977), Chuck and Mary's Tavern (1980), Out-Zen Inn (1983), Dorsey's (1985) and by 1990 the Rose Garden.

13717 Lake City Way NE, Seattle, WA 98125 - (206) 954-1349
Est. May 5, 2010 - Closed Dec 31, 2016 - Building constructed 1921

 mapleleaflife - seattle pi - seattlecrime - yelp

#1170 #S711 - Industry Lounge, Seattle - 7/2/2010

Another very pleasant SoDo area dive bar.  The Industry Lounge, as the name implies, is a working man's bar, with a nice mix of African-American, Latino and white patrons, several wearing union logos and factory card keys.

Even the karaoke was fine for a few moments, with a stocky black guy belting out Mustang Sally and a middle-aged blonde woman doing a serviceable impersonation of Peggy Lee through Fever.  It was only when the DJ and a patron decided to do a duet of "Islands in the Stream" that I realized I really wouldn't be able to get nearly drunk enough for this bar unless I was going to be taking a cab home.

6601 E Marginal Way South, Seattle, WA 98108-3239 - (206) 762-3453
facebook - myspace - the stranger - yelp

#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

#1168 #S709 - Denny's Lounge, Seattle (Northgate) - (OOO)

Okay, this was many years ago, but I didn't get it on the list yet and I clearly remember having a drink here just for the absurdity of it. There used to be a Denny's on Northgate Way (current "Saffron") and this Denny's had a lounge.

Just think of that for a bit. Who decides to have a nice night out, considers all the options for having a drink or two, and concludes that the optimal place to go this evening would be Denny's? (Yes, yes -- I did it a couple times. But there aren't that many people like me out there, are there?)

2132 N Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98133

#1167 #S708 - West Seattle Bowl Lounge, Seattle - 6/30/2010

It's a lounge in an old bowling alley.  I think any additional description would be superfluous.

4505 39th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 932-3731
westseattlebowl.com

#1166 #S707 - Christo's on Alki, Seattle - 6/30/2010

The bar here is tiny and utterly typical.  But it did have a full house (that would be about eight people) when I visited on this Wednesday night.

2508 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 923-2200
christosonalki.com - facebook - yelp

#1165 - Roanoke Inn, Mercer Island - 6/30/2010

What a swell place for the inhabitants of Mercer Island (those poor suffering bastards).  Originally built as a "chicken-dinner inn" in 1914 and named the "Grandfather Inn" by 1916, it has apparently served as a hotel, brothel, and speak-easy (with "illegal booze served in coffee mugs") in the interim before becoming a tavern sometime after prohibition.  Nowadays the food and liquor are pretty standard pub fare, but it's the setting that makes the Roanoke a fine place.  In contrast to the dreary, multi-use strip mall abodes of most other island businesses, the Roanoke has a cozy, almost lodge-like interior that makes it a fine place for wet weather, and an expansive set of outdoor patios for sunny days.  (And as if to emphasize the preppy surroundings, they'll loan you a croquet set in the Summer.)


1825 72nd Ave SE, Mercer Island, WA 98040 - (206) 232-0800
facebook - mihistory.org - examiner.com - seattle weekly - yelp

#1164 #S706 - In the Red Wine Bar, Seattle - 6/29/2010

"In The Red" (get it?) was designed as a wine, light plate, and coffee shop with affordable prices to reflect the post-financial collapse times.  One happy side effect of this is that it avoids the formulaic decor of most wine bars -- the modernist furniture and hanging halogen lights are replaced by a hodgepodge of collected chandeliers, a bar designed like a skateboard halfpipe, bar chairs from the Hit It Here Cafe, and a wainscot made of doors.  These all give it a much more comfortable personality.  And while I didn't see any at the relatively late hour that I dropped in, right now the entire place, including the bar, is open to children as well, though they are likely to portion off the bar area when they eventually get liquor.

Neither the food nor the wine selections are particularly interesting -- it appears most of both come directly from Trader Joe's -- but that's not really the point of In The Red.  It's more like a slightly more modern version of good diner, providing decent wine and lattes at a decent price.  I had the cheese plate and the (tomato-based) bruschetta, along with a Sawbuck Malbec and then a Substance Syrah.  Again, none of these were particularly remarkable, but they were agreeable, as was the conversation with co-owners Chad and Brian, though they were slightly exhausted from the recent opening festivities and long days.

6510 Phinney Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 420-8992
intheredwinebar.com - queen anne news - seattlemet - thrillist - yelp

#1163 #S705 - Saffron Grill, Seattle - 6/27/2010

This seems like a nice Indian and Mediterranean restaurant, from the management of the well-regarded Cedars in the U District, and I do plan to come back for dinner.  As a bar it's quite mediocre.  They do have their own cocktail menu, though most the drinks tend to seem like what you'd find at a college bar, rather than balanced and finely crafted mixology we're getting all too used to these days.  If you're happy with beer and a bar setting without any particular character, it might do for you, as they apparently have 100 different imports available.

2132 N Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98133 - (206) 417-0707
saffrongrillseattle.com - urbanspoon - the stranger - yelp

#1162 #S704 - Stanford's, Seattle - 6/27/2010

Stanford's is a fairly typical modern mall steakhouse sort of restaurant and lounge. The "work of art" cocktails are not in a league with this town's better practitioners, but I did quite enjoy the Huckleberry Raindrop (44 Degree North Mountain Huckleberry vodka, lemon sour, and rosemary infused simple syrup), and my belief that there is no bad cocktail with cucumber was ably supported by the Cucumber Mint Cooler (Beefeater, Stoli, cucumber, fresh lemon sour, and mint).

The dinner, too, was quite tasty -- I had the "Bronzed Cajun salmon" with a jalapeno-lime beurre blanc, and would recommend it. I'm not endeared to the chain feel of the place and I'm not going to be a regular, but if you wanted to go someplace that could satisfy some meat-and-potatoes company, you could do a lot worse than Stanford's.

401 Northeast Northgate Way, Seattle, WA 98125-6036 - (206) 834-6277
stanfords.com - urbanspoon -  yelp

#1161 #S703 - 2 Bit Saloon, Seattle - 6/26/2010

Update: The 2 Bit Saloon closed Sep 20, 2014.

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There appears to have been a bar in this location since 1947, and named with some variation of "The Bit" since 1963. It is said to have originally been John's Offshore Tavern, although the listings I have found in the 1948 and 1960 city guides list it simply as John's Tavern.  For at least the last 15 years or so it has had a substantial music focus. It was a blues club under owner Drew Greer in the early to mid 2000s. By the time it came to my attention new ownership was playing a mixture of rockabilly and punk, but this version, owned by Ed Konek, closed down in Nov. 2009. It was acquired shortly thereafter by a woman who had been a bartender at the Funhouse, and resumed business as the "2 Bit Saloon" in May 2010, with a focus on hardcore and punk bands.

In addition to just being a fun place to go, it was nice to have this crammed little hardcore dive continuing to anchor near the south end of the rapidly gentrifying Ballard Avenue, but alas, it has now closed.

I confess to be confused about both the country tax records and my own notes about the age of the building, so I think for a history I shall simply go with this version, which the Gilman Park blog recovered from the web site for the previous Bit Tavern:

Bit Tavern token from tokencatalog.com

"Built in 1907, the 2 Bit Saloon building was originally a General Mercantile or store.  In 1947 it became a bar, called John’s Offshore Tavern.  The bar changed ownership and name in 1963, becoming The Bit Shagatha, which is apparently British slang for a whorehouse.  And news to me.  Bit shagatha?  Never heard of it.  And neither, apparently, has Google.  Perhaps it was a short-lived early 1960s thing or maybe the “two hippies” who renamed the bar were yanking somebody’s chain. 

Either way, apparently the liquor board “caught on” in 1966 and the owners were forced to change the name from The Bit Shagatha to The Bit Tavern.  In 1999, a new owner gained a full liquor license and changed the name to The Bit Saloon.  According to the Ballard News Tribune, the new owners changed the name to The 2 Bit Saloon when they reopened last year “to signify new ownership and because ‘2 Bit’ is a better known phrase.”  Sounds good to me and definitely better than Bit Shagatha."

4818 17th Avenue Northwest, Seattle, WA 98107 - 206-708-6917
Est. 2010 - Closed Sep 20, 2014 - Building constructed: 1907
Previous bars in this location: John's Tavern, The Bit Shagatha, The Bit Tavern
Web site: the2bitsaloon.com - facebook
Reviews: myballard - ballardnewstribune - gilmanpark - gilmanpark - eater - link - link

#1160 #S702 - May, Seattle - 6/26/2010

Update: May Restaurant and Lounge closed in November 2019

The lounge part of May Thai restaurant is not some squeezed in afterthought, but takes up the full ground floor.  May has some of the better Thai food in the city and I think hands down the coolest decor to eat it in.  The bar area downstairs does not quite have the character of the upper floor, where one feels like interrupting some hidden retreat for Buddhist monks, but it's colorful and elaborate.  The bar features some of their own specialty cocktails which are not bad.

1612 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 675-0037
maythaiseattle.com - seattle pi - seattle weekly - seattletimes - seattlemet - the stranger - yelp -

#1159 #S701 - Iron Bull, Seattle - 6/26/2010

Update: Iron Bull closed "for remodeling" in late 2016 and never reopened. It was replaced by the Octopus Bar, which relocated here from a just a few lots west.

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Basically, the old Goldies with a few more TVs and some murals.  A neighborhood bar for watching sports and playing pool.

Historical Notes: This space has hosted a bar since at least 1935 (the building was constructed during prohibition in 1925). City guides list a bar owned by Chas. Wilson in '39, then the Checkerboard Tavern or just The Checkerboard from the 40s to the 60s, the Iron Bull by 1965, Goldies by the 90s until 2010, until the current owners, Gerald Simonsen and Bernie McGuire of the Rat and Raven, returned it to the Iron Bull later in 2010.



2121 45th N., Seattle, WA 98103
Est. 2010 - Building constructed 1925
Previous bars at this location: Checkboard Tavern, The Rat Hole Tavern, The Iron Bull, Goldies
theironbull.com - facebook - seattle weekly - yelp - the stranger

#1158 #S700 - KwaTay Lounge, Seattle - 6/18/2010

They have some interesting beer choices, and I definitely need to come back some time to try the food (from Ghana and Tanzania).  But the bar side is lackluster and the late scene seemed fairly boring -- though not as boring as the previous few businesses in this space.

kwataylounge.com - myspace - foodosophy - seattlemet - seattle pi - yelp
315 1st Ave N., Seattle, WA 98109-4502 - (206) 588-2070

#1157 #S699 - Palace Ballroom, Seattle - 6/25/2010

Despite its affiliation with Tom Douglas and the Palace Kitchen, I have to assume that the quality of this event hall is basically determined on a day-to-day basis by the event itself. On this night I happened to be attending "Wine, Women, and Song," which is probably a bit unfair, because I'm a big fan of all three of those things.  But if Douglas is behind the food, it would be hard to go too wrong here.

2030 5th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121-2505 - (206) 448-2001
tomdouglas.com - yelp

#1156 - Lot No. 3, Bellevue - 6/25/2010

Update: The Heavy Restaurant Group announced the permanent closure of Lot #3 on August 27, 2020, due to ongoing challenge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Update: Since I wrote the notes below on my first visit, I've taken a job in downtown Bellevue, and I've been to Lot #3 probably 60 or 70 times. This has not been merely a matter of convenience or a sort of least of evils. Bellevue is still Bellevue, its downtown still feels like one big mall, and if distance were no matter, no one who cares about a bar environment would choose to drink anywhere in Bellevue over the sort of environments one can find across Lake Washington in places like Bathtub Gin, The Hideout, Tavern Law, Knee High Stocking Co., Canon, etc. etc. etc.

That said, it's not Lot #3's fault that Bellevue is Bellevue, and while they missed various opportunities to carve out a warm, intimate space, you do have to hand it to a place that just keeps delivering excellent food and cocktails, from friendly people day after day. Some day someone is going to establish an intimate space somewhere in some Bellevue basement or old warehouse space, that truly does have a hidden, speakeasy sort of vibe, a character that doesn't look like it was designed by the people who market Louis Vuitton purses, and pulls in a crowd that is more interesting than a random slice of Microsofties. Until that day, one who finds oneself on the east side could do much, much worse than the consistently fine vittles and spirits at Lot #3.

Original review:

From the people behind Barrio(s) and Purple(s), Lot No. 3 has a menu which they describe as simple food and cocktails based on brown liquors.  The cocktail menu also emphasizes pre-prohibition-era drinks, which may be why multiple reviewers refer to it as having a "speakeasy vibe."  Bellevue reviewers also described the place as "intimate," which tells you little of the actual loud, modernist space, but a lot about Bellevue.

Of course the food is not simple, despite starting with a base of some familiar casual standard, and the place has nothing even approaching a "speakeasy vibe."  A speakeasy feel would require not only a bit more genuine intimacy, but at least a nod to some kind of hidden, secret location; Lot 3 has huge windows with the name in 5' high characters and Bellevue shoppers bustling past.  There's also the cold, modernist decor -- about the furthest thing one might imagine from a warm, 1930s, speakeasy vibe.  And finally, there's the irony of the word itself -- far from speaking easily, our party had to shout and shift chairs to hear each other speak from around a coffee table in the giant, metal alloy environs preferred by the Heavy Restaurant Group.

Nevertheless, there are the old cocktails, which are well-chosen and well-made.  I had a Corpse Reviver and the Boulevardier with rye, and very much enjoyed them.  If I could get them in a setting that actually had a speakeasy vibe, I might come back often.

460 106th Ave, Bellevue, WA 98004460 106th Ave NE, Bellevue WA - (425) 440-0025

Est. May 21, 2010 - Closed Aug 27, 2020 - Building constructed 2008
lotno3.com - press release - eatbellevue.com - downtownbellevue.com - seattle pi - seattle times - yelp

#1155 #S698 - Trinity, Seattle - 6/24/2010

My minimum requirement for adding a bar to this list is having one drink at the place, and when I don't trust the bartender, my standard order is a gin & tonic.  It's hard to make a gin & tonic very badly and also -- and this can be important in some places -- the ingredients are right in the name.  After quickly and not so happily doing this minimum at neighboring Aura, I thought I'd drop just as quickly into and out of Trinity, and sacrifice the night to knocking off two places I was bound to dislike.  But a funny thing happened on the second half of that project -- I actually liked Trinity.

It's not my music, it's not my crowd, and it's not where you'd go for a first rate cocktail, but Trinity was happening.  My good impression started with the interesting decor and the way the vibe changes as you move from room to room.  Of course most people are in the main dance area, where a DJ was doing a great job creating interesting mixes of sounds, songs and samples, and where they put in more creativity than just installing the standard bump and grind lighting system.  There's the main bar area with its own DJ playing somewhat more mellow tunes from a loft that looks like an old Chinese temple.  And there is a comfortable, relatively quiet room -- that is, quiet enough that you can talk without pressing your mouth within an inch of the listener's ear.  The crowd, at least on this night, was varied and interesting, with a minimum of the cliques of boring people dressed exactly alike, as you so often see in this part of town.

Historical Notes:  This address has hosted bars since at least 1898.  City guides list various owners from that year through the early 1900s, and by 1909 up until prohibition it was The Bohemian or The Bohemian Liquor house. In or shortly before 1960 it became the Totem Pole Tavern, and by 1965 the One Eleven Yesler Tavern. From the early 70s to 1992 it was the Pioneer Square Tavern, or "The Square." It was the first of four locations for The Fenix (The Fenix Cafe) in 1992, and was hosted the Bohemian and Velvet Elvis before the spaces were connected for Trinity.

111 Yesler Way, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 447-4140
Est. 2006 - Building constructed 1890
Previous bars in this location: Fenix Café, Bohemian Café, Velvet Elvis, One Eleven Yesler Tavern, Totem Pole Tavern, Pioneer Square Tavern, The Bohemian
Web site: trinitynightclub.com - facebook
Articles:  examiner - thrillist - yelp - tripadvisor - the stranger - roadtrippers

#1154 #S697 - Aura, Seattle - 6/24/2010

After my brief visit here it didn't surprise me at all to read that when you ask the bartender for the cocktail he would make for himself, he recommends a Jager and Red Bull.  Well thank God that that's over with.

309 1st Ave S, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 792-0238
Est. 2009
Other bars at this location: Rupert's Pioneer Square, Juan O'Rily's Aqua Lounge, Klub Kastle, El Lobo Loco, Wild Palms, Starbar
auraseattle.com - seattle weekly - yelp