#1607 - Buzz Inn Steak House, Everett, WA - 11/17/2011

A fairly standard 80s roadside diner, with cheap steaks and a small bar in back.

3615 Broadway, Everett - (425) 259-1972
buzzinnsteakhouse.com - tripadvisor - yelp

#1606 - Anchor Pub, Everett, WA - 11/17/2011

Update: The Anchor closed in mid 2013 and opened under new management in August 2014.

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A bar was established here shortly after the building was constructed in 1906, hard by the railroad tracks, just up from Possession Sound, and constructed in the brick "flatiron" (wedge) style ala the Flatiron Building in Seattle which hosts the Triangle Pub.  It was "Mulligan's" when it started in 1907, and some of Larry Mulligan's sign painted on the back north wall is still visible.  Mulligan ran it until Washington state prohibition in 1916, with an interregnum during a local prohibition measure.  As of the repeal of the 18th Amendment, it resumed tavern life as "The Anchor" in 1934.

It was recently a pretty rough place -- like bars named "The Anchor" around the world, one sailor told me, you went there when you wanted to get into a fight.  However the crowd has much mellowed under current ownership, Holly and Jeff Gibson.  They have cleaned up and expanded the place, adding a nice space for a wide range of live music and open mic thursdays.  It maintains many an homage to unions and the working man, including items on the "Everett Massacre" when two deputies and at least five Wobblies were killed on the dock just down Hewitt Avenue.

 The upgrades in decor, beer, food, and range of clientele make it questionable whether it still merits the description of a "dive bar."  But while the brick walls ooze history and hard times, The Anchor is now one of the more relaxing and pleasant places to have a beer in Everett and the greater Seattle area.



Update: After this visit, the Anchor closed in mid 2013 and opened under new management in August 2014. It's much the same, but the new owner has  barrel aged Negroni and Manhattan that are well worth asking for.


I don't know if this fellow was a customer before, but when we asked bartender Mari about some binoculars on the bar, she explained that there is a guy who comes in every day with something to trade for beers. Items included the binoculars, a candle holder, and a toilet plunger.

1001 Hewitt Ave Everett, WA 98201 - (425) 252-2288
Est. 1907 - Building constructed: 1907
anchorpubeverett.com - facebook - urbansketchers - yelp

#1605 - Jodie's Drink, Everett, WA - 11/17/2011

Jodie's Drink, AKA Jodie's Bikini Bar, is a classic dive with the addition of scantily clad bartenders, ala the bikini barrista trend.  With the exception of bartenders showing more skin, it is a very typical dive, and appropriately pours strong, cheap drinks for a friendly group of blue collar patrons.  Owner Jodie claims this is the first bikini bar in Washington state, so here's to the pioneers. 

For details, I quote the Everett News:

Bartenders wear bikini bottoms and they used to wear pasties on top but apparently the liquor board put a stop to that so they have string bikini tops.  She stressed that its not a strip club, there are no table dances just cheap drinks and food. She said her background is in strip clubs and her family had been involved with several in the Everett area over the years. She told me things here are going so good that she is scouting for three or four more locations outside of Everett. She said there are lots of rules, no cameras allowed and don’t try and take a picture with your cell phone. They open at 9am for breakfast with food, drink and bikinis all the way until 2am. With the explosion of Bikini Barista stands popping up all over Everett it will be interesting to see if more bars will follow this trend.

1817 Broadway Ave, Everett, WA 98201 - (425) 304-1039
Est. July 2010
everettnews - yelp

#1604 #S960 - Heidelberg Haus, Seattle - 11/16/2011

Update: Heidelberg Haus closed January 31, 2016

At the moment the bar in this new German restaurant is about as about as meager as a bar can get.  There are exactly four wine options and four beers on tap, and a lot of blank, empty space on the walls.  But the plans are to eventually expand to a full bar.

In the meantime, lest you think the Heidelberg Haus to just a kitschy theme for a typical neighborhood pub, here you can have some rarely delicious, made-from-scratch, southern German food, and in a place where most the staff and about half the patrons converse in German.  The bartender told me about his father still bringing him homemade Schnapps from the Black Forest.

I had the Wienerschnitzel mit spatzle and an extra side of the Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), with a pint of Weihenstephaner Premium Lager.  A couple patrons with much more experience than I in German cuisine assured me that this was some of the best schnitzel they'd had.  I am personally not a large fan of lagers, nor most German beers, so I will leave comments here to persons who share those tastes.  But I will say that I would be very surprised if you would find better German food in many places in our area, and while the bar area is a bit overly bright for a bar, the company is interesting and engaging.


2122 NE 65th St, Seattle, WA 98115 - (206) 466-5369
Est. Nov. 10, 2011 - Closed Jan 1, 2016 - Building constructed: 1921 
Previous bars in this location: None known
seattle-eats-german.com - facebook - ravennablog - eater - thestranger - seattleweekly - yelp

#1603 #S959 - Harissa, Seattle - 11/15/2011

"Harissa (Arabic حريصا) is a mountain village in Lebanon. The village, which is located 650 meters above sea level, is home to an important Lebanese pilgrimage site, Our Lady of Lebanon."  Harissa in Ravenna is a pleasant little Lebanese/Mediterranean restaurant run by the amiable Walid Alabtan.

Harissa is not likely to be a very interesting choice when you are looking simply for a bar.  But it does have a small bar and some pleasant wine choices to go with your kabobs and mezzeh.

Historical notes: This was the first location of the Santa Fe Cafe, established here in 1981. Before that it was Bimbo's, a biker bar. It was Earl's Tavern in the 60s and 70s, the Hop In Tavern in the mid 70s, and in the 40s Cliff's Tavern and Frank's Tavern.

2255 NE 65th St, Seattle, WA 98115 - 206 588-0651       
Est. Nov. 2010 - Building constructed: 1915
Previous bars at this location: Cliff's Tavern, Frank's Tavern, Earl's Tavern, Hop In Tavern, Bimbo's, Santa Fe Café
harissaofseattle.com - seattletimes  - ravennablog - thestranger - yelp

#1602 #S958 - Azteca (Ballard), Seattle - 11/12/2011

Update: The Ballard Azteca closed Feb 28, 2014

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Azteca is a local, family-run chain, that sells pretty much the definition of standard American Mexican food.  They were established in the greater Seattle area in 1974 and now have about 35 restaurants across the Pacific Northwest, including four in Seattle.

Adventuresome or remarkable Aztecas are not, and foodies should pass. But for people who like -- or are just in the mood for -- this type of food, they have a wide array of affordable selections, which arrive in large portions. They are good for families, but usually have a cantina area, which again serve relatively bland standards.

Of course if you would like fine Mexican food, La Carta De Oaxaca is pretty much right around the corner, and if you want fine cocktails, the Ballard area has any number of fine options (consider Sambar, The Sexton, Golden Beetle, Hazlewood, Bastille, Moshi Moshi, MacLeod's, Paratii or Staple & Fancy). But on the other hand, while Azteca is not about to win three Michelin stars, you know what you're getting, and it is just fine for what it is and whom it is for.


2319 NW Market St, Seattle, WA 98107-4027 - (206) 782-7079
Est. 1974? - Closed Feb 28, 2014 - Building constructed: 1915
Previous bars at this location: None known
aztecamex.com - happyhoursinseattle - yelp

#1601 #S957 - Jamjuree Thai, Seattle - 11/9/2011

This is a Thai restaurant run by a family that ran it under the same name name in Bangkok. There is not much to the bar here, but they do serve better than average Thai food.



509 15th Avenue East Seattle, WA 98112-4512 - (206) 323-4255
Est. 1995 - Building constructed: 1929
jamjuree.com - whatsthesoup.net - whatscookingoodlookin- seattletimes - citysearch - yelp