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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

Monday, February 10, 2014

#2134 #S1135 - Runway Cafe, Seattle - 4/16/2013

A homey little tavern on the north end of Boeing Field, the Runway Cafe serves basic bar food and comfort foods, and on clear days offers a nice view of Mount Rainier over the runways.


1128 S. Albro Pl, Seattle, Washington 98108 - (206) 452-7659
Est. Feb 18, 2013 - Building constructed: 1932
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp

Sunday, February 09, 2014

#2133 #S1134 - Rview, Seattle - 4/15/2013

RView appears to be attempting to upgrade their game a bit with barrel-aged Manhattans and a bit of mid-century modern remodel of the tedious trapped crowd hotel bar "Visions." It's still a fairly pedestrian hotel bar, perhaps even a bit more annoying for embracing an "ultra lounge" model. But the reason to go to this bar is not irresistible craft cocktails or the unique personality, but the view. If you like hotel bars or simply would enjoy a fairly good view of the city from the 28th floor, it's worth a visit.

515 Madison St, Seattle, WA 98104 - (206) 583-0300
Est. 2013 - Building constructed: 1983
Previous bars in this location: Visions Lounge
Web site: facebookblog 
Reviews:  yelp - tripadvisor 

#2132 #S1133 - Bada Bistro, Seattle - 4/15/2013

Update: The Bada Bistro closed Aug 5, 2013

When the Alki Bakery moved across the street to 2738 Alki, John and Sharon Bang took over the space, establishing the Alki Cafe. When the popular bakery finally closed after 25 years, the Bangs again took over their old space, establishing the Beachside Cafe in Spring 2011. In March 2013, the Bangs refashioned the cafe into the Bada Bistro, adding a Pacific Rim based menu and made from scratch cocktails emphasizing fresh juices and infusions. It's a sort of odd combination of menu choices, but quite tasty, from start to finish, and somehow the jumble of choices seems appropriate for a place on the beach.




2738 Alki Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116 - (206) 257-5554
Est. March 20, 2013 - Closed Aug 5, 2013 - Building constructed: 1915
Previous bars in this location: None known
Subsequent bars in this location: Fat Burger
Web site: badabistro.com - facebook
Reviews: westseattleblog - yelp - thestranger

#2131 #S1132 - Standard Brewing, Seattle - 4/13/2013

"Standard Brewing" may sound like a faceless, corporate brewery, but at least this version is run mostly by one familiar face and is about as small as a brewery and brew pub get. Justin Gerardy, familiar to craft cocktail fans from the Hideout and Vito's, churns out one-barrel batches of interesting beers and serves them in a cozy tasting room with 8 seats and a landscape painted by his grandmother. I had the tasty rye IPA. Standard is a pleasant, intimate place to relax with a good pint.








Historical notes: While it may not look it from the exterior, at least some basic parts of the underlying building here were constructed back in 1915, and in what one must presume was a very different configuration there was once a neighborhood tavern in this space. The Mount Baker Tavern was at this address from at least the 1950s into the 1980s. If anyone has any photos or information on the tavern, I'd love to see them.)

2504 S Jackson St, Suite C, Seattle, WA 98144 - (206) 535-1584
Est. March 20, 2013 - Building constructed: 1915
Previous bars in this location: Mount Baker Tavern
Web site:  standardbrew.com - facebook
Reviews: seattlemet - seattlebeernews - centraldistrictnewsthrillistyelp - thestranger

#2130 #S1131 - Peddler Brewing, Seattle - 4/12/2013

Another Ballard microbrewery and tasting room (10 breweries within 2 square miles at least count), this one with a range of their brews on 12 taps, and niceties for bikers such as a bike hanger and community bike repair stand.




1514 NW Leary Way, Seattle, WA 98107 - (360) 362-0002
Est. March 8, 2013 - Building constructed: year
Previous bars in this location: None known (former brewing space for Maritime Pacific Brewing)
Web site: peddlerbrewing.com - facebook
Reviews: thestranger - wedrinkyourbeer - thrillist - untappd - beeradvocate - seattlemet - myballard

#2129 - Lake Trail Taproom (192 Brewing), Kenmore, WA - 4/12/2013

Settings for bars do not come much more thoroughly unique than this. The Lake Trail Taproom is a couple small rooms carved out of a large warehouse, serving microbrews from 14 taps including a couple brewed by the owners, who run 192 Brewing. Their beers (first licensed in 2009) are brewed in a 12x16 shed behind the owner's house, its 192 square feet leading to the company name. The taproom location has fashioned a funky beer garden and live music venue from the warehouse and surrounding grounds it shares with a topsoil supplier and koi pond supply company. Their Facebook page includes announcements like "What's new? A mirror in the bathroom!"

The beers are pretty good, the people are friendly, and the setting feels like more of some small town in the Cascade mountains than a suburb of Seattle. I need to go back on a warm day to get some better photos, including the outside grounds.




7324 NE 175th St, Ste F Kenmore, WA 98028 - 425-424-2337
Est. May 22, 2012 - Building constructed: 1956
Previous bars in this location: None
Web site: 192brewing.com - facebook
Reviews: ratebeer - yelp

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

#2128 #S1130 - The Lost Pelican, Seattle - 4/12/2013

Update: The Lost Pelican closed in mid 2016.


In this space that once hosted a fancy pants Lampreia and the slightly less fancy pants Bisato, Michael Forte of The Lookout has now created a Creole themed place that serves some fairly good craft cocktails and pretty good Cajun food.  I liked the Bensonhurst (bourbon, vermouth, Cynar and maraschino liqueur). It's definitely worth a stop, but the building, decor and overall vibe are a little aloof for a bar -- and especially a New Orleans style bar.

2400 1st Avenue, Seattle, WA 98121 - (206) 441-5132 
Est. April 8, 2013 - Building constructed: 1994
Previous bars in this location: Lampreia, Bisato
Web site: thelostpelican.com - facebook
Best articles: cornichonseattletimes - yelp - seattlemag - thestranger - thrillist

Sunday, January 12, 2014

#2127 #S1129 - Bar Cotto, Seattle - 4/9/2013

pork belly bruschetta, Bar Cotto, Seattle
For folks outside of Seattle and celebrity chefdom, Ethan Stowell is a celebrated local chef who has been establishing a mini empire of restaurants across Seattle (e.g. his Anchovies And Olives next door was picked by Bon Apetit as one top ten restaurants in America). So you can count on some interesting food when he opens up a salumeria and cocktail bar. And indeed I had a very nice Salame pizza and pork belly bruschetta, accompanied by a cocktail that I liked pretty much as much as any I've ever had. This was the Old Loathsome Bastard (oak cask aged Old Overholt and Averna, Strega, Pur Blood orange, and each bitters), which some might say seems almost named with me in mind.


The space is narrow and the bar is small, but it's a nicely dark at the bar, and if not entirely unfussy, it's about as homey as one could expect an Ethan Stowell salumeria to be.


1546 15th Ave Seattle, Washington 98122 - (206) 838-8081                  
Est. Feb 15, 2013 - Building constructed: 2008
Previous bars in this location: None
Web site: ethanstowellrestaurants.com - facebook
Reviews: seattlemag - capitolhillseattle - thrillist - thestranger - yelp

Saturday, January 11, 2014

#2126 #S1128 - Wonder Coffee and Sports Bar, Seattle - 4/7/2013

Yes, yet another combination Ethiopian restaurant, coffee shop, sports bar, dessert shop, live jazz venue. The decor is curious, the menu idiosyncratic, the people friendly and the vibe very comfortable.

Huh?  -- Wonder Coffee and Sports Bar, Seattle


1800 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144 - (206) 538-0044
Est. Feb 3, 2013 - Building constructed: 2008
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: wondersportsbar.com
Reviews: thestranger - centraldistrictnews - thrillist - yelp - capitolhillseattle - eater

Friday, January 10, 2014

#2125 #S1127 - Stir, Seattle - 4/6/2013

Simone and Emily at Stir nightclub, Seattle
"Stir" was the last, floundering attempt to make a go at this building across from Key Arena that seemed to change identities every couple years. That will be the final attempt though -- this time they razed the 1970 building. It had a few brief dying moments though -- lingerie parties and ladies nights, drink specials on Jack and Coke and Long Island Ice Teas, appeals to Madonna and Bob Dylan fans on their way to the shows. The one night I went there was a gothy sort of event called Wicked, with people rubbing gun oil on each other's latex outfits. "I realize why they don't put pockets in latex clothing," a friend told me, "It's because they collect sweat and water and destroy electronic devices."




Telesedrin and Pete at Wicked, Stir Nightclub
When this place was Skybox, when it was Kwatay, when it was Chicago's or Nico's or Mr. Lucky -- it was never a place I thought to go to often. Still, it's a pretty damn good bet that whatever condos or retail mix replaces it is going to be considerably less interesting.

315 N 1st Ave N, Seattle, WA 98109 - (425) 266-9396                 
Est. Aug 3, 2012 - Building constructed: 1970 - Building demolished: 2013
Previous bars in this location: Skybox, KwaTay, Chicago's, Mr. Lucky, Nico's, Joy's 21, Mainstage, Popeye's Tavern
Web site: facebook

#2124 #S1126 - Fountain Wine Bar, Seattle - 4/4/2013

So I love hotel bars, but this new version from the Sheraton is pretty underwhelming. It has a few nice pieces of art -- taking it's name from the George Tsutakawa fountain in the middle of the room -- but it is overly bright, lacking in any kind of charm or intimacy, and the cocktail menu is a juvenile mess of flavored vodka drinks. Thankfully for hotel guests, Loulay has recently opened in the same building.


1400 6th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101 (Sheraton Hotel) - (206) 621-9000
Est. Jan 2013 - Building constructed: 1982
Previous bars in this location: Fullers, Sheraton Lobby Lounge
Web site: sheratonseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: bizjournalsseattleweekly - thestranger - yelp

#2123 #S1125 - Sebi's Bistro, Seattle - 4/2/2013

At the south end of the University Bridge, across the street from the long abandoned original Red Robin, there's a funky little castle of a building that has hosted a wide range of businesses and several bars. These include the Llahngaelhyn jazz and coffee house in the 60s, Rapunzel's Tavern in the 70s, and 80s alternative music venue the Scoundrel's Lair (e.g. Soundgarden, The Melvins, Cowboy Junkies, the Dead Milkmen). Today two brothers now run Sebi's in the space, with their Polish-born mother doing the cooking. The menu includes several familiar Polish staples -- schnitzel, kielbasa, pierogies and pyzy -- along with pizzas and sandwiches not that much different from when the place was Romio's. Big Daniel, who once played football for the Huskies just across Portage Bay, works as bartender and amiable host, behind a very modest bar that includes a nice selection of Polish beers.


Schnitzel from Sebi's Bistro, Seattle
3242 Eastlake Ave E, Seattle, WA 98102 - (206) 420-2199

Est. Feb 2013 - Building constructed: 1928
Previous bars in this location: The Town House, Rapunzel's Tavern, Scoundrel's Lair, Borsalino's
Web site: sebisbistro.com - facebook
Reviews: link - thrillist - yelp - eater - thestranger

#2122 #S1124 - Chabela's, Seattle - 3/30/2013

Update: Chabela's closed in June 2013


Well, now I'm so far behind on completing my bar posts that new bars are closing before I get my post up. I can't say I was particularly surprised in this case -- not that there was anything terribly wrong with it, just that it was very slow when I was there and it was difficult to see what would pull people in over the many other choices in Wallingford with its mediocre Mexican food. Oh well, I guess at least that ends the big Chabela's/Cabela's feud.

1715 N 45th St, Seattle, WA 98103
Est. Feb 2013 (Official opening March 3) - Building constructed: 1929 - Closed June 2013
Previous bars in this location: None known (Casa Azul restaurant before this)
Reviews: wallyhood - yelp - urbanspoon

#2121 - All Star Sports Bar, Des Moines, WA - 3/29/2013

This place has slightly more character than most the suburban sports bars. It is very popular, has pretty girl servers, an ethnically diverse crowd, and lots of backwards baseball caps.

22303 Marine View Dr S, Des Moines, WA 98198 - (206) 212-6740
Est. May 26, 2010 - Building constructed: 1945
Previous bars in this location: China Sea Restaurant
Web site: theall-starsportsbar.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp

Wednesday, January 08, 2014

#2120 - Lighthouse Bar, Des Moines, WA - 3/29/2013



22239 Marine View Dr S, Des Moines, WA 98198 - (206) 824-4920
Building constructed: 1931
Previous bars at this location: Dugout Tavern 
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp - catmorley - seattlesouthside

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

#2119 - Unicorn Room, Tacoma, WA - 3/29/2013

At least in the case of this restaurant and lounge, when you hear "Pegasus" and "Unicorn," you should picture sparkly art you might see in your aunt's double-wide. The Unicorn Room in Pegasus Restaurant along what used to be the old highway 99 is a classic behind-the-cafe, formica and cheap paneling dive.

1320 Puyallup Ave, Tacoma,WA 98409-4319 - (253) 572-5300
Reviews:  yelp - waymarking - northwestmilitary