#1991 #S1092 - Fish Cake Factory, Seattle - 12/15/2012

This is a new Thai restaurant from first time restauranteurs Jo and Arnon Kaseter in a new-ish condo building a bit off the beaten track in Belltown. A big catch here is chef Vimonsri Wongjarean, who is Arnon's cousin and has a high reputation among Seattle's Thai food fans for her work at Bai Tong (which Thai Airlines employees would seek out while in town). There's really no reason to go to the bar here if you are not going for dinner. But the food is good and the bar offers a small selection of wines for before or after.

2510 4th Ave Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 724-0194
Est. year - Building constructed: 2000
Previous bars in this location: Zeitoon Café Bistro
Web site: fishcakefactory.com - facebook
Reviews: seattletimes - eater - thestranger - cornichon - yelp

#1990 #S1091 - Reuben's Brews, Seattle - 12/14/2012

In what is becoming a fairly common site in Seattle, and particularly in Ballard, Reuben's Brews hosts a small tasting room, serving some fine beer choices in a space carved out of their new microbrew facility in an industrial area. This kickstarter-aided effort comes from award-winning home brewer Adam Robbings and his wife Grace (Reuben's is named for their son), and features 6 rotating taps. As usual with smaller tap rooms, hours are limited, so be sure and check before you go (currently Thursday and Friday, 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday noon to 8pm.; Sunday noon to 5 p.m.)

Try the: Roasted Rye IPA

1406 Northwest 53rd Street #1A Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 753-9583
Est. Aug 5, 2012 - Building constructed: 2000
Previous bars in this location: None 
Web site: reubensbrews.com - twitter
Best articles: seattlemet - washingtonbeerblog - washingtonbeer.com - seattleite - thestranger - beeradvocate - yelp

#1989 #S1090 - John John's Gameroom, Seattle - 12/9/2012

John John's closed in late 2017.

This is a second bar and game room from the owners of Add-A-Ball in Fremont. Like Add-A-Ball, John John's serves beer (bottles and cans) for adults playing old classic games. Unlike Add-A-Ball, this space (former home of cafe and jazz club Faire Gallery) is largely a wrap-around second level, with narrow passages holding pinball machines and games here and there. As opposed to feeling like you're in the exposed concrete basement of someone's irresponsible uncle, this feels a bit like you're taking a break at some hip architecture firm, amidst nice woodwork, unusual angles, and exposed brick. And like Add-A-Ball, the owners and other staff are always very cool and make you feel at home -- strange uncle or not.

1351 E Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 696-1613            
Est. Nov 8, 2012 - Closed 2017 - Building constructed: 1925
Previous bars in this location: Faire Gallery Cafe
Web site: johnjohnsgameroom.com - facebook
Best articles: capitolhillseattle - capitolhillseattle - thrillist - thestranger - didwelikeit - knarpsworth - yelp

#1988 #S1089 - Bait Shop, Seattle - 12/9/2012

The Bait Shop is a new Linda Derschang bar in the Capitol Hill area so it is, of course, instantly popular. It shares the woody, vintage elements of several other Derschang projects, but adds a new, maritime theme. The smell of fried fish hits you as you walk in the door, wafting over the bar from the kitchen and around the dark, knotty pine interior. Derschang recruited Forrest Brunton (Golden Beetle, Tilth) to put together a one-page menu of casual food (fish and chips, giant pork rinds, fried chicken sandwich) and Adam Fream (The Sexton) to create a tropical-themed cocktail menu that includes a couple selections on tap (a Dark and Stormy, and a Murray Stenson creation), as well as a couple frozen options. And unlike the vast preponderance of bars that serve tropical drinks, the Bait Shop actually serves a quite drinkable mai tai.

606 Broadway E, Seattle, WA 98102 - (206) 420-8742
Est. Dec 9, 2012 - Building constructed: year
Previous bars in this location: Jade Pagoda, Bako
Web site: baitshopseattle.com - facebook
Best articles: seattletimes - suzi-pratt - thrillist - seattleweekly - eater - eater - capitolhillseattle - seattlemet - thestranger - yelp

#1987 #S1088 - Bombay Bistro, Seattle - 12/4/2012

A fairly good Indian restaurant from Satinder Virk, who owns Maharaja in West Seattle and owned the recently closed Capitol Hill version, with a fairly average bar.

1200 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 708-1678
Est. Nov 1, 2012 - Building constructed: 1900 or earlier
Previous bars in this location:1200 Bistro, Pike's Bar and Grill, Chao Bistro
Web site: bombaybistroseattle.com
Reviews: thrillist - capitolhillseattle - thestranger - yelp

#1986 - Hotel Murano Lobby Bar, Tacoma - 11/30/2012

A fairly average hotel bar in a nice hotel, full of art on every floor, and a sort of mid-century modernist theme.

1320 Broadway Tacoma, WA 98402 - (253) 238-8000
Web site: hotelmuranotacoma.com

#1985 - Maxwell's, Tacoma - 11/30/2012

A romantic setting in an old Tacoma building, Maxwell's now features jazz bands, fine dining, and some nice speakeasy era cocktails. We did not have dinner in our stop, but they have rotated through a number of head chefs in a fairly short time, and recently moved to a somewhat more casual and less pricey menu.

Read more here: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tntdiner/2012/02/10/taking-a-second-bite-zara-mediterranean-cuisine-and-maxwells-speakeasy-lounge/#storylink=cpy

454 Saint Helens Avenue Tacoma, WA 98402 - (253) 683-4115
Est. April 2008 - Building constructed: 1927

Web site: maxwells-tacoma.com - facebook
Reviews: tnt - tnt - tnt - tacomaweekly - weeklyvolcano - expeditionsbytricia - yelp

#1984 - Tacoma Cabana, Tacoma - 11/30/2012

The Tacoma Cabana

The Tacoma Cabana bills itself as "Tacoma's Premier Craft Tiki Bar." This is a bit like the Green Bay Packers calling themselves the premier NFL team of eastern Wisconsin. There are no dedicated tiki theme bars that make craft cocktails anywhere else in Tacoma -- or for that matter in Seattle or the Puget Sound region (although a few differently themed bars such as Rumba include some fine tiki cocktails, and Hula Hula offers an impressive tiki decor). Both the cocktails and the decor at the Tacoma Cabana are serious tiki (and no, that is not an oxymoron).

Owners Robyn Murphy and Jason Alexander used to run the Villa Caffe and Imbibery across town. They did a swell job converting a fine old space on Pacific Ave into a glowing, thatched hut setting where fresh juices and classic ingredients are used to make fine tiki concoctions, and served with "vacation fusion" appetizers and entrees. Tacoma keeps becoming a better and better bar town, and the Cabana is now a nice part of that.

The Tacoma Cabana

Read more here: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tntdiner/2012/11/16/tiki-time-tacoma-cabana-brings-rum-fun-and-a-600-pound-marlin-to-downtown-tacoma/#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tntdiner/2012/11/16/tiki-time-tacoma-cabana-brings-rum-fun-and-a-600-pound-marlin-to-downtown-tacoma/#storylink=cpy

The Tacoma Cabana

728 Pacific Ave Tacoma, Washington 98402 - (253) 222-4184
Est. Oct 17, 2012
Previous bars in this location: On The Rocks, Surreal Ultra Lounge

Read more here: http://blog.thenewstribune.com/tntdiner/tag/tacoma-cabana/#

Web site: tacomacabana.com - facebook  
Reviews: tnt - tiki central - amountainofcrushedice - weeklyvolcano - kevinfreitas - yelp - komonews

#1983 - Indochine, Tacoma - 11/30/2012

The "Indochine Asian Dining Lounge" is a flamboyantly decorated Thai restaurant in a rebuilding part of Tacoma, and featuring large drapes, a tatami room, a Thai house, a reflecting pond, and a bar in front where they serve cocktails very heavy on sweet juices.

1924 Pacific Ave Tacoma, WA 98402 - (253) 272-8200
Est. Aug 2005
Web site: indochinedowntown.com - facebook
Reviews: tnt - chowhound - yelp

#1982 #S1087 - Ayutthaya Thai, Seattle - 11/27/2012

Ayutthaya has served fairly good Thai food here since 1985. In late 2011, early 2012, they remodeled a bit, adding a small bar in back. It's not the sort of bar many people will seek out for a bar -- rather that a pit stop while getting food, but bartender Cameron, who also works at 611 Supreme, was friendly, and accommodating when I requested an Old Pal.

727 East Pike Street Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 324-8833
Bar est. 2012 (restaurant since 1985) - Building constructed: 1910
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: ayutthayathai.com - facebook 
Reviews: seattletimes - gastrolust - yelp - thestranger

#1981 #S1086 - World Sports Grill, Seattle - 11/23/2012

Update: World Sports Grille closed and became Art Marble 21 in early 2015

The former Jillian's, remodeled a bit, with an expanded bar and dining area, and managed by the GameWorks company.

731 Westlake Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 223-0300
Est. 2012 - Closed 2015 - Building constructed: 1921
Previous bars in this location: Jillians
Web site: worldsportsgrille.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp - bellesofthesound
D.W.

#1980 #S1085 - Treehouse Lounge, Seattle - 11/21/2012

Update: The Treehouse Lounge closed in October 2016

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Drinking at the Treehouse Lounge feels like being invited to the home bar in the back shed of a particularly artsy friend.  It is a cabin-like bar in the small upstairs area of the Mind Unwind Gallery, in West Seattle, an "event-driven art studio and gallery" that features "low-key, unwinding classes become a playground for your creative imagination ... from meditation to music to art and everything imaginable." The funky little bar has a small but eclectic selection of bottled beers and wine.

2206A California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 849-7222
Est. Oct 28, 2012 - Building constructed: 2011 - Closed Oct 2016
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: mindunwind.org - facebook
Reviews: westseattleblog - thrillist - yelp 

#1979 #S1084 - Copper Coin, Seattle - 11/21/2012

Update: Copper Coin closed in early 2022

Try the: Whisky Blaxton

There's an emphasis on craft beers at the Copper Coin, but the food and cocktails are by no means simply a mediocre afterthought. There are 20 interesting beers on tap, including a house brew created by Two Beers Brewery. But the owner, who owns Hill's Neighborhood Restaurant in Richmond Beach and is a nephew of the owners of local hamburger mecca Red Mill, has also provided much better than average mixed drinks and food options. I tried the Whisky Blaxton, Justland Sour, and Old Hat, and enjoyed them all. The Vietnamese beef skewers came with a tasty peanut slaw and lemongrass marinade, and the other dishes we saw looked really good.

2329 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 420-3608
Est. Oct 15, 2012 - Closed 2022 - Building constructed: 1941
Previous bars in this location: Blackbird Bistro, Porterhouse
Web site: coppercoinseattle.com - facebook
Best articles: seattletimes - westseattleblog - washingtonbeerblog - thrillist - thestranger - yelp 

#1978 #S1083 - Rose Petals, Seattle - 11/19/2012

Update: This Rose Petals location closed in 2014

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I did not think a bar like this still existed in Seattle. With Seattle's Central District and Rainier Beach neighborhoods becoming increasingly diverse, and the closure of places like Thompson's Point of View, I didn't think there were any bars left in the city where you could count on a lively, and typically 100% African-American crowd. I'm not talking about places that may cater to recent immigrant communities, like some of the area's many Ethiopian restaurants at certain times of the day. I'm talking about an old-school, American black community bar where people are shouting insults at each other, jumping off their chairs in laughter, telling loud stories and arguing about life -- and assuming you must be lost when someone like me walks in.

During the day the crowd is more mixed in the Rose Petals restaurant, which appears to serve some of the best soul food in the city, particularly on days when Cedric or Ms. Helen are working. (Try the oxtail, I have heard.) But I arrived after the dinner hour, when the kitchen was closed and the center of activity is the back bar, lit entirely by one remaining good light bulb. Being in a neighborhood that's had it's troubles over the years, owner Bettye "Mama" Gray has had to deal with a occasional challenges over the years related to gang activity, crime, and fighting: A bouncer was killed trying to protect another man in a fight; The building was burglarized 20 times in 23 years; Some locals refer to it as "Guns and Roses." Sometimes it seems like the well-worn building is being precariously held together with plywood and masking tape.

But the staff are some of the friendliest you'll find anywhere, and most nights everyone in the bar is just looking to socialize and have a good time. And even if you are conspicuously not part of the regular crowd, you won't be allowed not to take a position in the arguments at the bar. That's more than enough to make it fun bar stop for me.



6901 Martin Luther King Jr Way S, Seattle, WA 98118 - (206) 725-7746
Est. ? - Closed 2014 - Building constructed: 1957
Previous bars in this location: None known

Reviews: seattleweekly - urbanspoon - seattletruefoodies - plateofnations - seattlemet - seattleweekly - urbanspoon - king5 - seattletimes - yelp - activediner

#1977 #S1082 - Oak, Seattle - 11/19/2012

Beacon hill has had a nice addition of restaurants and bars over the last year and Oak is a nice part of that. It has a woody, mid-century interior, including a darkened back bar, where they serve some nice beers, reasonable cocktails, and homey sorts of foods made from high quality and local ingredients. It is owned by the folks behind Capitol Hill's Redwood, and while it is definitely similar in several ways, it's a bit more intimate -- perhaps more like Ballard's Hazelwood. It draws a pleasant crowd of locals, young parents and hipsters, and I had a nice chat and friendly service from bartender Don, who says things like "Geez Louise."

3019 Beacon Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144 - (206) 535-7070
Est. Oct 9, 2012 - Building constructed: 1910
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: facebook
Reviews: link - thrillist - fledglingsgourmet - beaconhill - thestranger

#1976 #S1081 - Baja Bistro, Seattle - 11/19/2012

What used to be Java Love expresso expanded next door into the Baja Bistro restaurant, which expanded into a tiny, attached bar. Baja is "officially" gay on Wednesdays, but fairly gay always. The bar opens at 3:00 and the restaurant workers were regularly checking in on RuPaul's All Stars on the bar TV. They serve some fairly good margaritas, fish tacos, and mole. The small bar and workers create a fun, intimate but casual vibe.

2414 Beacon Avenue South Seattle, WA 98144 - (206) 323-0953
Est. 2004 - Building constructed: 1964
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: facebook
Reviews: thestranger - seattletimes

#1975 - China City, Freeland, WA - 11/18/2012

China City is located in a large Victorian building constructed in a small town that was established as a socialist commune in 1900-1901. Believing communism to be unworkable at a small scale, the founders established a store in the "Rochdale" model, where anyone of any race or creed could buy into the central cooperative store and obtain five acres of land with a small down payment, pay the remainder with their share of dividends, and eventually profit with a portion going back to the store. Stock in the store could only be sold to other members and no one member could exceed 20 shares. "More correctly, Freeland was a gathering of like-minded radicals who sought to retain a socialist entity outside the confines of a regimented communal existence." ("Utopias on Puget Sound 1885-1915," Charles Pierce LeWarne)

Freeland lasted longer than most such communal experiments, but eventually improving economic opportunities enticed the most ambitious members away, and it slowly evolved away. Excepting the name, there are few evident signs of this past to the visitor today, and the grand Victorian building that houses China City and various offices upstairs stands in sharp contrast to the modest farms of the community's founding. But despite the ornate surroundings, the restaurant's offerings may live up to the old ideals of parity, serving very average American Chinese food and suburban bar cocktails.

1804 Scott Rd Freeland, WA 98249 - (360) 331-8899
Est. May 2002 - Building constructed: 1992
Previous bars in this location: Teddy's
Web site: chinacityrestaurant.com - facebook  
Reviews: examiner - yelp - tripadvisor - urbanspoon