#930 - Athenian Inn, Seattle - 10/26/2009

Although I've eaten there many times, I've never made it to the bar at the Athenian Inn, probably because it just recently extended its closing time from 6pm to 7:30pm. The restaurant has now been there literally a hundred years, and the bar since 1933. It has a surprisingly large beer selection for a place that seems to cater to blue collar regulars who prefer Miller or Bud Lite, and a nice happy hour menu (try the elk sliders).

Along with the pleasantly inebriated regulars (Hi, Frank), it has a nice cross-section of old and young, tourists and locals, and of course it has that view (best witnessed in the colder months, when the sun sets before closing time). It was pretty foolish of me to live in Seattle for a quarter of its century-old life and not stop in for a drink before now.

1517 Pike Place, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 624-7166
athenianinn.com - seattle dining (history) - seattle weekly - the stranger - yelp

#929 - Ventana, Seattle (Belltown) - 10/23/2009

Update: Ventana closed 7/3/2011

Ventana, named for the large windows looking out on Elliot Bay ("ventana" is Spanish for window), is owned by the same folks who own Twist next door. It has quite good food, quite good cocktails, quite nice service, and quite nice ventanas.

Try the: Cucumber and jalapeno margarita

2323 1st Ave., Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 441-9478
ventanaseattle.com - seattle pi - yelp

#928 - Pike Place Bar & Grill, Seattle - 10/19/2009

A place like this rises or falls as a bar with the characters it brings in, and on what appeared to be a typical weeknight this one had more than it's fair share of color. There were the old codgers describing how they explained to their doctors that they didn't *really* need to stop drinking, the full-on alcoholics all too eager to regale you with how they've screwed up their lives, the man in the cheap Sunday suit who looked like a televangelist intently reading a book in the corner, and a host of other regulars along with the inevitable tourists visiting Pike Place Market.

One of the codgers explained to me that his wife was again on her "apple diet," and observed that "all wives are crazy." "On the other hand," he noted, with a straight face that worked like a wink, "all husbands are the epitome of normalcy."

There was the drunk fellow trying to get the drunk woman to come home with him: "I have cable! Comcast! I got beer. I got chronic." The woman responded that seven men have tried to get her to go home with them tonight. "Well them six are shit outta luck, because I'm fucking classy!"

This was all before 7pm on a Monday, mind you.

I like this place. The employees there were all very nice, including Lee the bartender, who asked me if this was my first time there. "If this was my first time here," Lee pondered, "I don't know what I'd make of it."

90 Pike St Ste 22, Seattle, WA 98101 - (206) 624-1365
yelp - citysearch - the stranger

#927 - Alki Tavern, Seattle - 10/26/2009

Update: The Alki Tavern closed after St. Patrick's Day, 2013

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This is just about the perfect dive bar. Outside, ramshackle patio furniture, hand-painted stylized seagull sign, and the Pacific Ocean lapping up from around the Olympic peninsula across the street. Inside, a woody, flag-draped interior and any number of local characters. On this night the latter included the artist who was having a difficult day due to patrons passing gas in the Starbucks where she does her work, and the hyper-affected English gentlemen manners of a young fellow with a cane (asked by the bartender how his dog was: "Well," eyelids fluttering half closed, "He is well.") And of course the bikers.

An excellent dive to have so close to the middle of the city.
 

1321 Harbor Ave SW., Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 932-9970
Established 1976 - Closed March 18, 2013 - Building constructed: 1915
Previous bars in this location:  Unknown name owned by Thomas & Jensen in the 1930s
thealkitavern.com - myspace - seattle weekly - yelp - seattle.com - the stranger

#926 - Laredo's, Seattle - 10/11/2009

Try the: Tia Cuca's    

555 Aloha St., Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 218-1040
laredosgrill.com - seattle times - http://www.yelp.com/biz/laredos-grill-seattle - seattle weekly - queen anne view

#925 - Mac's Smokehouse, Seattle - 10/10/2009

1760 1st Ave S., Seattle, WA 98134 - (206) 628-0880
yelp - urban spoon

#924 - Casuelita's, Seattle - 10/5/2009

Reviews on various sites have claimed that the quality varies widely here, but the night I went the food was all very good and the drinks fairly good too. I'll definitely be coming back.

81 Vine St., Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 770-0155
<seattle weekly - seattle pi - seattle times - yelp