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Bars where Pete has had a Drink (5,608 bars; 1,754 bars in Seattle) - Click titles below for Lists:


Bars where Pete has had a drink

Sunday, September 06, 2009

#886 - Jersey's, Shoreline, WA - 9/6/2009


In 1980, Dick Oldham bought a sputtering new bar across from the Kingdome parking lot called "Stanley's Ticker Tape," and renamed it "Sneakers." Of course, "sports bars" had existed for many, many decades in various cities, but Oldham did some things that few if any other bars in the country had done at the time. He got the idea to put televisions everywhere -- 10 TVs, so that patrons could follow simultaneous games and see them from anywhere in the joint. When lineman Reggie McKenzie was traded to the Seahawks, he flew in a chef to teach Oldham's crew how to make spicy chicken wings like they did back in Buffalo, NY (hence, "Buffalo Wings"). And he very actively collected an idiosyncratic set of memorabilia and autographs from local players/patrons and players from around the country. Sneakers (sold in 1996 and now "Sluggers") was often listed as one of the best sports bars in the nation.

Little did Oldham suspect, one must assume, that he was helping to invent one of the most ubiquitous and most boring bar themes across America.

Jersey's is one of these -- one of any number in every city and town. It has the TVs, the sports artifacts, and that essential set of old geezers carrying on as if they know much better than those yahoos actually filling the coaching and management jobs. But the space has no personality, let alone the appealing quirkiness of Sneakers' 15-foot-wide confines. And in sharp contrast to the personality of the Sneakers collection, the entire decor looks like it came from one trip to the mall, plus the blow-up props and posters from beer distributors. And they add pretty much every checkbox item for the current cookie-cutter sports bars -- the pulltabs, the plastic, electronic darts games, and the contraption of various disco lights hanging from the rafters for some godforsaken dance night.

I don't mean to single out Jersey's -- the food is fine, the liquor is the liquor, and there is nothing particularly out of sorts about the place. But that's exactly my problem with Jersey's -- exactly my problem with all of these places. A bar needs a personality, and decorating structures that could just as well be an Applebees with framed jerseys from a memorabilia store and football decorations from Budweiser is just no substitute for that.

1306 N 175th St (a block east of Aurora), Shoreline, WA 98133 - (206) 546-4054
jerseysgreatfood.com - yelp

#885 - Ricky's Bar & Grill, Shoreline, WA - 9/6/2009


Update: Ricky's closed in 2011.














632 N Richmond Beach Dr. (Richmond Beach Shopping Center, between N 3rd Ave & N 8th Ave) Shoreline, WA 98177 - (206) 546-4847
Est. 2008? - Closed 2011
yelp

#884 - Richmond Beach Grill House, Shoreline, WA - 9/6/2009


Update: Richmond Beach Grill House closed in 2010


This seems like a pleasant enough little complex for families, but I would not recommend going out of your way for the lounge.

1430 NW Richmond Beach Rd., Shoreline, WA 98177 -  206-533-1500
Previous bars in this location: Arden Inn Tavern (1970s)
Subsequent bars in this location: Swannies on the Alley
mygrillhouse.com - spinalley.com - yelp

Saturday, September 05, 2009

#883 - The War Room, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 9/2/2009


Meh. Even the rooftop deck, which should have been a nice respite from the top 40 style music, was compromised by watching a mouse dart back and forth across the floor. Obviously not my kind of crowd, but the bartenders were cool, and they did have a slideshow showing much more interesting club people than their patrons.

 The War Room is closing Nov. 30, 2009

722 E Pike St. Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 328-7666
thewarroomseattle.com - yelp - citysearch - the stranger - seattle weekly

#882 - Maharaja, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 9/2/2009


Update:  The Maharaja closed Dec 31, 2010

I have it on good authority -- and yelpers confirm -- that it is a fine dive bar in the back of this establishment (the food, the bathrooms -- not so much). It was completely dead on the early Friday evening that I attended, so I obviously haven't seen it in top form. If you're on Capitol Hill and want a bar with stiff, basic drinks without the Capitol Hill prices, it seems like a reasonable choice. And the web site is, um, remarkable.

720 E Pike St, Seattle - (206) 320-0334
Closed Dec 31, 2010
seattlemaharaja.com - yelp - the stranger

Thursday, September 03, 2009

#881 - Captain Black's, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 9/2/2009


If this were any place besides the embarrassment of bar riches area of Capitol Hill, I'd immediately give it my highest rating. The food gets mixed reviews and it's not the place you'd want to go for a really interesting cocktail, but if you're just drinking and it's just the basics, there aren't many better places in town. The small porch in front, the homey remodeled bungalow interior, and especially the large porch in back make this seem like a really nice resort town bar -- but with a more likable crowd.

129 Belmont Ave, Seattle, WA 98102-5602 - (206) 327-9549
captainblacksseattle.com - the stranger - yelp - urbanspoon - seattle weekly

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

#880 - Tavern Law, Seattle (Capitol Hill) - 9/2/2009


My first impression of the much hyped Tavern Law was negative. After all, it was supposed to be a prime example of the new speakeasy trend, so what was it doing with a prominent sign out front identifying the place (even though anyone who even casually follows Seattle foodie and bar news knew exactly where it was)? I later realized that the speakeasy was hidden inside the public bar.

The space is nice, with lots of quirky angles, and the drinks and the food are absolutely lovely.

Thanks to (customer) Naomi for an enjoyable an informative conversation, and thanks to the TL/Spur crew for a great salmon and risotto and cocktails. I will very definitely be back.

Try the: Monkey Gland

1406 12th Ave (between Union St & Pike St), Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 322-9734
tavernlaw.com - blog - facebook - seattle times - yelp - seattlest