#943 - The Spectator, Seattle - 11/11/2009

Update: The Spectator closed and the building was demolished in 2015.

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Take the former Sorry Charlie's and Mirabeau Room, add 16 televisions and remove all personality, and you have The Spectator. The people working here were pretty cool, but if you're not one of their friends, it is not apparent to me why you would ever, ever go here.

529 Queen Anne Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109 - (206) 599-4263
Previous bars at this location: Bob Clay's Restaurant, Sorry Charlie's, Mirabeau Room

thespectatorsports.com - yelp - the stranger - bar exam

#942 - Streamline Tavern, Seattle - 11/11/2009

The Streamline is a bare bones dive bar that was recently acquired by ex-Seattle P.I. writer Mike Lewis and some partners:

"Lewis' partners include: Lock & Keel owner John Herrmann, former College Inn owner Gary Kelfner (who, incidentally, is former SW editor/current Crosscut columnist Skip Berger's brother-in-law), and Blue Moon bartender Mary McIntyre, who is also Lewis' longtime girlfriend and whose tastefully nude (no nipples!) likeness adorns the sign of the historic U-District bar which currently employs her." (Seattle Weekly 9/16/09)

It appears that the Streamline is applying for a liquor license in order to extend beyond wine and beer, and at least for now it serves as a sort of slow, grandfatherly alternative to neighbor dives like the Mecca and Ozzies.

121 W Mercer St., Seattle, WA 98119 - (206) 283-2923

Seattle Weekly - yelp - the stranger

#941 - Stumbling Goat Bistro, Seattle - 11/11/2009

Update: Stumbling Goat closed Aug 27, 2016


My K-Bar stop here was a very pleasant surprise. I expected the food to be good of course, but I also expected the bar to be an ancillary bore. However, at least since the new owners took over, this is a swell bar with some very nice cocktails. Included in this was the best gin and tonic I can ever remember having (with home-made tonic). So even if you're not looking for dinner, this is a very nice little stop.


6722 Greenwood Ave N., Seattle, WA 98103 - (206) 784-3535
Est. 2000 - Closed Aug 27, 2016 - Building constructed 1927 (to be demolished)
stumblinggoatbistro.com - tomdouglas.com - seattletimes - yelp - thestranger

#940 - Prost!, Seattle (West Seattle) - 11/9/2009

This is the fourth in Chris Navarra's locations bringing the German tavern to Seattle (he also owns Feierbend, Die Beir Stube, and the Prost! in Greenwood). These are all fine places if you love German beers, and while they are not my favorites, this location is my favorite of the four. I like the intimate size, the photos, and the crowd here.

3407 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116
prosttavern.net - seattle weekly - urban spoon - yelp

#939 - The Bohemian, Seattle - 11/9/2009

Closed 2010

3405 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 938-2646
bohemianseattle.com - yelp - seattlest

#938 - Feedback Lounge, Seattle - 11/8/2009

Update: The Feedback Lounge closed Aug 8, 2015

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I know I'm going to like a place when I sit down to find a bottle of falernum in front of me. In chatting with Matt, the co-owner and concocter of fine cocktails, he mentioned that he wasn't sure that type of bar would be successful in West Seattle, or whether the reaction would be "What's that? Give me a jack and coke." He might just as well have asked if the sophisticated drinks would work with the old school rock theme of the place. But he seems pleased with the support so far and whatever the context, these are some drinks well worth seeking out.

The Feedback just took first place for "Best Cocktails" in King-5's Best of Western Washington, and while I do not consider that a particularly reliable guide, it is definitely a worthy contender. And Sundays are a fine day to go: "Each week co-owner Matt Johnson comes up with a drink whose recipe might go back 100 years — or just a month or two. Starting today, Matt will shop at the West Seattle Farmers Market each Sunday and uses those fresh ingredients in a drink that evening." (West Seattle Blog)

Try the: St. Basil (or the drink of the week if it's Sunday)

6451 California Ave SW., Seattle, WA 98136 - (206) 453-3259
Est. April 25, 2009
Previous bars in this location:  New Deal Tavern, Digby's Tavern, Kilroy's Pub, Full Moon Saloon, Beveridge Place Pub
feedbacklounge.net - myspace - west seattle blog - yelp - the stranger

#937 - The Shipwreck, Seattle (West Seattle) - 11/8/2009

Update: The Shipwreck closed Nov 18, 2012.


The Shipwreck is a nifty neighborhood tavern -- and a true tavern, not just because it is limited to beer and wine, but because it has that old, stolid, tavern feel. The curveball is an open upper level with a ping pong table curiously placed over the main bar, which makes the evening vaguely redolent of "Captain Kangaroo" with cascades of ping pong balls popping into your beer at any moment. Yet another pleasant addition to the California stretch of West Seattle.

Historical Notes:  The "Happy Hour Tavern" is listed at this location from 1948 into at   least 1970.  In 1980 it is "Ye Old Hour, " in 1985 "Luther's Pub," and in 1990 it is "TNT's Place."

4210 SW Admiral Way, Seattle, WA 98116
Est. Oct. 10, 2009 - Closed Nov 18, 2012 - Building constructed: 1926
Previous bars at this location: Happy Hour Tavern, Ye Old Hour, Luther's Pub, TNT's Place
west seattle herald - yelp

#936 - Chao Bistro, Seattle - 11/6/2009

Update: Chao Bistro closed in June 2012.

There's nothing particularly wrong with Chao Bistro, and in some neighborhoods, I'd probably seek it out (the owners are affiliate with soul-less Belltown venues Amber and Venom). But in a neighborhood with as many choices with personality as Capitol Hill, it's not clear to me why anyone would choose this place.

1200 Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122 - 206 324 1010
Est. Sep. 25, 2009 - Closed June 2012
Previous bars at this location: Pike's Bar and Grill,  1200 Bistro
chaobistro.com - facebook - yelp - the stranger - seattle weekly

#935 - Quinn's Gastropub, Seattle - 11/6/2009

Quinn's has excellent food (try the wild boar sloppy joes) and good cocktails (try the Missed Opportunity). It's right in the middle of the Capitol Hill nightlife activity, and I probably avoided it earlier only out of personal, sentimental reasons. The space is a little open and the crowd a bit boring, but from now on out, if I am on Capitol Hill and in the mood for some top rate drinks and/or food rather than decor and people, the choice will be Tavern Law or Quinn's.

1001 E Pike St., Seattle, WA 98122 - (206) 325-7711
quinnspubseattle.com = seattle times - seattle times 2 - yelp - sneaky sunday

#934 - Mr. Z's Lounge (Zaika), Shoreline - 11/2/2009

Zaikia closed (in 2011?)

Zaika site, via the Wayback Machine

14622 15th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155 - (206) 306-0880                     
zaikathetaste.net (defunct) - yelp - waybackmachine

#933 - North City Tavern, Shoreline, WA - 11/2/2009

The stretch of 15th Ave NE north of Northlake Mall has a pretty nice string of neighborhood bars, from Boud's Pinehurst to the Caroline to North City Tavern. North City Tavern/Lounge has been around since at least 1945. It occupies the oldest commercial property in the area (built in 1930 according to tax records, though I've seen 1927, 1928, and 1929 all cited by other sources) when it apparently started as a small store and gas station. Inside it has all the basics of a neighborhood dive -- woody interiors, yellowing old beer promotion lights, and yellowing old regular patrons.

17554 15th Ave NE, Shoreline, WA 98155 - (206) 362-1443
facebook 
eater - ronaldblog - seattle weekly - yelp

#932 - Shelter Lounge, Seattle (Ballard) - 10/29/2009

The old location of the Station Bistro has been re-made into a lovely, half-indoor/half-outdoor, mid-century modern lounge that brings to mind Portland's Doug Fir. (And like several Portland bars, they feature a nice, jalapeno-flavored margarita.) The decor is a swanky dark combination of rock, wood, and flame. The central bar serves both indoor and outdoor patrons, and on summer evenings when the garage doors are fully opened, this is sure to be packed. (Opened 10/23/09, owned by Kevin Carlson)

4910 Leary Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107 - (206) 829-8568
my ballard - yelp - girl in the city

#931 - Andaluca, Seattle (downtown) - 10/28/2009

Good wine, good food, upscale but comfortable.

407 Olive Way, Seattle, Washington 98101 - (206) 382-6999
andaluca.com - yelp - the stranger

#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