#2240 - Bull Pen, Seatac, WA - 7/23/2013

Update: After a fire in August 2016, the Bull Pen Facebook page announced that they would be closed for "3 to 8 months" for repairs. However it has remained closed several months longer than that.

The Spanish style building and various references to bulls make this feel like a Mexican restaurant, but inside it is one of those medium-sized, suburban, neighborhood bars that caters to desires to the desires of the locals.  That means American bar food (steaks, burgers, fried food, breakfast), dive bar drinks, a nice selection of beers along with crappy ones, and above all, sports on TVs and karaoke every night.

City guide records of these suburban areas are spotty, but at least briefly a bar called The Camel Rider operated here in the mid 60s.

Don Liberty established the Bull Pen in 1981 and has owned the place ever since. He and wife Margaret previously owned Liberto's restaurant in Tukwila, and briefly expanded into the Bull Pen II in the old Flame Tavern location in Burien (now Fiesta del Mar).

20011 International Blvd SeaTac, WA 98198 - (206) 824-4070
Est. 1981 - Building constructed: 1938
Previous bars in this location: The Camel Rider
Web site: bullpenseattle - facebook
Reviews: seattletimes - yelp - urbanspoon - seattlesouthside

#2239 #1155 - Star Brass Lounge, Seattle - 7/20/2013

Scott Horrell, who already has given the area 9lb Hammer, Loretta's, and Square Knot, has added another classic Georgetown bar.  A great old building across from the old Rainier Brewery, lots of exposed brick, collections of mid-century decor (e.g. lamps, ashtrays), good quality American comfort food, and a relaxed, hip clientele all seem to perfectly reiterate the spirit of the neighborhood.

Some history of the building from the owner:  "From 1904 to 1964 it was the Airport Way Hotel. Downstairs, it housed the Palace Tavern. It was for some time the Volunteers of America Industrial Store and the Wallace Transfer. And of course, it was the home of Star Brass Works, which now lends its name to the lounge downstairs! We have named our main gallery the Palace Gallery in honor of the old tavern."

5813A Airport Way South, Seattle, Washington 98108                
Est. April 2013 - Building constructed: 1905
Previous bars in this location: Palace Tavern
Web site: facebook
Reviews: link - yelp - tripadvisor -  talktothemanager - thestranger

#2238 #1154 - Stoneburner, Seattle - 7/19/2013

Stoneburner is on the ground floor of new, fancy "Hotel Ballard" constructed by the owners of the Ballard Inn and the Olympic Athletic Club. The facade of the new hotel was designed by local architects Gordon Lagerquist and Gene Morris and it is said that they "included a handmade stucco and sandstone and wood panels to ensure that the hotel’s façade featured a similar feel to that of the historic Ballard Avenue buildings surrounding it." (MyBallard)  If this is an accurate and sincere description of their intention, one can hardly imagine a more unmitigated failure. Not that it doesn't look nice or luxurious, but some folks who love both the history and the current revitalization of this great old avenue wish that they had indeed created something that fit in with the surrounding buildings and looked a little less like a French embassy.

The restaurant too, is very non-old-Ballard, but in a much more pleasant way. You seem to be entering through a massive wine barrel, and the art deco bar seems like it's been around for a hundred years. It is the latest, instantly popular restaurant from James Weiman and Deming Maclise, who have already establish large and constantly packed Seattle restaurants with pronounced thematic designs: "Bastille" (French) and "Macleod's (Scottish) in Ballard, and "Poquitos" (Mexican) and Von Trapps / Rhein Haus (Bavarian) on Capitol Hill. The bar includes a pressed tin ceiling reclaimed from an old schoolhouse and wood reclaimed from an Italian Embassy in Buenos Aires. It includes cocktails from the estimable Erik Carlson, and an Italian themed menu from the chef who gives it its name.  I had a couple excellent cocktails improvised by bartender Tyler. It is airy and especially nice during warm days when the large windows are open. It is yet another of an exploding number of great places to eat and drink in what is increasingly difficult to discern as an old Scandinavian shipping town.

5214 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle, Washington 98107 - (206) 695-2051
Est. 2013 - Building constructed: 2012
Previous bars in this location: None known
Web site: stoneburnerseattle.com - facebook
Articles Ranked: seattlemet - eater - seattletimes - seattlemag - seattleweekly - eatinseattle - thrillist - thestranger - yelp

#2237 #1153 - Asgard Tavern, Seattle - 7/18/2013

Update: Odin Brewing closed the Asgard Tavern as of Jan 1, 2015 (a new taproom was opened in Tukwila, WA the previous year).

---

A relaxed little tasting room for the Odin Brewing microbrews, in the Fremont area, just off the Burke-Gilman trail.

1300 N Northlake Way, Seattle, Washington 98103 - (206) 762-3909
Est. June 20, 2013 - Building constructed: 1999
Previous bars in this location: None
Web site: blog - facebook
Reviews: thestranger - yelp - thrillist - washingtonbeerblog - tripadvisor

#2236 - Aloha Tavern, Pacific Beach, WA - 7/15/2013

Aloha Tavern, Pacific Beach, Washington

Fairly often I get tips on good bars to visit from chatting with the locals at other good bars, and when a couple at the Green Lantern at Copalis Beach told us about the Aloha Tavern, it seemed like it would be worth a bit of a detour. And indeed, as you round a bend on North Beach Road, about three miles south of Moclips and a mile east of the ocean, and see the old sign and the weathered beach house decor suddenly pop into view, you instantly know it was well worth it.

Buzz, the Aloha Tavern, Pacific Beach, WA

It's hard to say for sure how old the place is. We were told the building was constructed in 1903, served as a bunk house for workers at the Aloha Shake Mill that used be across the road, and was moved across the street in the 1920s. But an old real estate listing describes it as being built in 1937, and that's what the county tax records say as well. In any case it's plenty old, and it now looks just like you would want a beach house or an ocean coast bar to look, with lots of old wood and years of eccentric objects collected around the place.

When we arrived, we were greeted by Lloyd the owner, and served by Buzz, who was there with his dog Josie. It's the sort of place and time where Lloyd will go to his house to get you a cigarette, and Buzz will inform you that they're all out of Corona "because Jim's sister was here the other night." It's also the sort of area where the local "shake rats" celebrate Kelper's Day each Labor Day weekend, and where everyone seems to have a nickname. Local "Hippie Bruce" once explained to Seattle Times writer that 'Nobody has a last name. There's a guy who just wanted to be Bob, but even he is "Ordinary Bob."'

I happened to be wandering around outside when two dowdy Jehovah's Witnesses had just dropped by Buzz's trailer around back of the bar, but they had no interest in saving him, or any of the rest of us, if it meant stepping inside the bar. I could try to tell you more about the bar, but if the photos alone don't make you want to visit the place yourself, like the Jehovah's Witness ladies, we probably don't have a lot of common interests anyway.

2990 Ocean Beach Rd, Pacific Beach, WA 98571 - (360) 276-4723
Building constructed: 1937
Links: nerdseyeview - sale (cached)

#2235 - Green Lantern Tavern, Copalis Beach, WA - 7/15/2013

Green Lantern Pub, Copalis Beach, WA

The Green Lantern Tavern/Pub lies across the street from the southernmost point of the Copalis River, and about 2,000 feet from the Pacific Ocean, and the southwest coast of the Olympic Peninsula. In 1805, Lewis and Clark estimated the population of Copalis Indians here at 200 in 10 houses. It is now home to about 350 people, but swells to 1,500 during the few days a year when people can legally dig for its famous razor clams.

The Green Lantern is a homey, medium-sized bar filled mostly with locals and long-time regulars, mixed with tourists during the summer months. I haven't much narrowed down how old the bar is -- I've seen a comment that it's been around since the 1930s (the building was constructed during prohibition) -- but one of the locals told me that this was not always the current name, and in fact the building was previously red. It's a nice bar serving diner comfort food, and the feeling that it seems to pop up in the middle of nowhere adds to the attraction.

Green Lantern Pub, Copalis Beach, WA

Green Lantern Pub, Copalis Beach, WA

3119 Washington 109, Copalis Beach, WA 98535 - (360) 289-2297
Est. ? - Building constructed: 1916
Web site: facebook
Reviews: fodors - tripadvisor - walkaboutwithwheels

#2234 - The Pourhouse, Aberdeen, WA - 7/15/2013

The Pourhouse, Aberdeen, WA

The Pourhouse and the building in Aberdeen, Washington that has housed it, have had some remarkable history. It was constructed in 1897, it is believed to be the oldest wood structure in Aberdeen, it is the only public location that Nirvana played in their home town, and at this writing it appears to be going through a wild legal brewhaha with some, well, let's just call them "colorful" characters.

The Pourhouse, Aberdeen, WA

A 2012 Daily World article says of the building: "It is 115 years old, according to country records, and survived “Black Friday,” the citywide Aberdeen fire of 1903 that ignited two blocks south of The Pourhouse but stopped at Wishkah Street. It was believed to have been a house before that time, and later was a beauty salon during Prohibition. When Prohibition ended in 1933, it operated briefly as a restaurant before becoming a “beer parlor” named the Golden West Tavern, the name it kept until the mid-1960s."

Happier days at The Pourhouese, Aberdeen, WA

At the time of this article the Pourhouse had been closed for three years and was being very nicely remodeled by new owner Tyler Tollefson, preserving the long back bar and adding some nice reclaimed wood to the walls. "There’s actually another floor under the one that’s there now, and the old logger pegged boots are all over," Tollefson noted in the article. He also explained that the music in the re-opened bar would be "mostly classic rock, blues, country and jazz."

The place was named "The Pourhouse" in 1980, and has long been a center of live, original music in the small lumber town. It is claimed that Nirvana performed there three times, with the best documented show on Dec 21, 1988, with Kurt Cobain and Kris Novoselic playing Beatles cover songs there after a show in nearby Hoquiam. Novoselic and possibly Cobain also played there with the Melvin's Buzz Osbourne in September 1986 as the "Stiff Woodies."

"Condition 3" "peaceful protest" at the Pourhouse
(Pourhouse Facebook photo)

The current soap opera over the bar began a few months after Tollefson leased the place to Jacob Cuzdey starting Jan 31, 2014. From an article in The Daily World and the bar's Facebook page maintained by Cuzdey, this is my best attempt to piece it together:  Cuzdey's core business practices apparently did not encompass paying his taxes and eventually would unhappily lead to not being able to pay his lease, employees or liquor license. These facts came to the attention of the bar owners when he informed them that the city had directed him to start paying off the four separate tax liens on the business before worrying about their rent. The owners apparently were not pleased, and sued to get control of the business back. This was accompanied by much melodrama, e.g.  "Two women allegedly punched Cuzdey and others in front of witnesses just after midnight on April 26 in a dispute over the bar" and "Cuzdey claims police stood by on April 28 as the couple and others allegedly took items from the bar that Cuzdey says belong to him." (DailyWorld)

Weapon instructions from the manager of the
Pourhouse, Aberdeen, WA (Facebook)

These events appear to have inspired Cuzdey and two of his friends to stage a "peaceful protest" in front of the bar, with semi-automatic weapons slung over their chests, one in head-to-toe camouflage fatigues, and signs featuring a diatribe about the police chief, mayor, and FREEDOM. The Facebook page featuring photos of the protesters clarifies that this is a "Condition 3" (magazine inserted, no round in chamber, bolt/slide forward, weapon on safe, hammer down) and "AC Yellow" ("relaxed alert") exercise in Freedom protecting. A number of Facebook commenters noted that this was not exactly helpful in convincing people you're a rational person, but Cuzdey countered that he can't "hide in the shadows" while he is being "raped" by the Aberdeen government. It would appear that the building owners wrested control of the sandwich boards shortly after that, as the following day the signs read "Saving the Pourhouse" and "We (heart) Our Mayor."


One does hope that just enough sanity is eventually restored that this bar can be preserved and reopened. In addition to the history, it's a nice little joint in the shadow of the Wishkah River Bridge.


506 E Wishkah St Aberdeen, WA 98520 - (360) 533-4461
Est. 1980 - Building constructed: 1897
Previous bars in this location: Golden West Tavern (30s-60s)
Web site: facebook
Reviews: thedailyworld - thedailyworld - yelp - tripadvisor - link

#2233 - Captain's Corner, Aberdeen, WA - 7/15/2013

This building was constructed in 1898 and there have been bars in it for over 100 years.  City guides for this old timber and fishing town, once know as "the port of missing men" and the "hellhole of the Pacific," show a saloon in this locaiton by 1911 owned by Wiest and McCracken, and up to the edge of state-wide prohibition with one owned by Samuel Ross in 1915.  Shortly after prohibition, by at least 1935, it became the Joe & Jack Beer Parlor, and then Joe's Tavern by 1939.

I don't know how long it has been the Captain's Corner (or Captain's Corner II, Captain's Corner III, or Captain's Corner Hi, as I've found in various listings) -- Manta says 1995.  It is a medium large neighborhood joint that covers all the basic small community bar standards: pull tabs, flat screen televisions showing sports, karaoke, pool, darts, etc.

701 W Curtis St Aberdeen, WA 98520 - (360) 533-2908               
Building constructed: 1898
Previous bars in this location: Joe & Jack Beer Parlor / Joe's Tavern (1930s)
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor - insiderpages

#2232 - Charlie's Chowder House Tiki Lounge, Astoria, OR - 7/15/2013

Charlie's Chowder House is a funky little corner spot in Astoria where you can drop in for some ice cream, clam chowder or a drink or two. It has a small tiki bar attached, although it is not the sort of bar that tiki fans like, and rather more resembles decor you might see at a high school prom, with things like African masks and a Jimmy Buffet album passing for "tiki."  It doesn't have great cocktails (I am informed to go around the block to Albatross for that), but the folks there are nice, and it's a perfectly fine joint for a brief lunch or snack.

"Tiki" decor at Charlie's Chowder House, Astoria, OR

1335 Marine Dr, Astoria, OR 97103 - (503) 741-3055               
Web site: facebook
Reviews: roadfood - urbanspoon - tripadvisor - yelp

#2231 - High Climber Room (Logger Restaurant), Astoria, OR - 7/15/2013

I always stop for a "Spar," a "Logger," or a "Pastime,"  including this place, listed as in Astoria but well south of the city on Old Highway 30. The food here is typical diner fare and the bar is typical dive drinking options (although the bar is too light, neat, and new to feel like a dive bar). A few tourists stop to eat, but it's mostly older locals. Our stop was pretty much what you would expect for a roadside joint, with the exception of a cook (not sure if she was the owner or had just been there long enough to feel like she was) being unnecessarily bitchy to the bartender.

Logger Restaurant, High Climber Room, Astoria, OR

42929 Old US Highway 30, Astoria, OR 97103 - (503) 458-6886
Reviews: yelp - tripadvisor - urbanspoon

#2230 - Conestoga, Clatskanie, OR - 7/15/2013

Conestoga Restaurant and Bar, Clatskanie, OR

The Conestoga Restaurant and Bar is located "in downtown Clatskanie, across from Humps at the main stoplight." The iconic wheels were removed for safety, and now the red and white forms of the Conestoga wagon float mysteriously about the restaurant door. Inside is a diner, with a classic neighborhood dive in back. It's been cleaned up recently by some new owners, who improved the food, and will tell you about various types of businesses previously in the space, including, as it so often is in these small towns, the city mortuary.

85 N Nehalem St, Clatskanie, OR 97016 - (503) 728-3702
Web site: facebook
Reviews: yelp

#2229 - Quay Restaurant and Bar, Vancouver, WA - 7/12/2013

Stepping into the Quay Bar in Vancouver Washington's riverside Red Lion can feel a bit like stepping on board the Flying Dutchman. The feeling strikes you initially as you take in the considerable work done to make it appear that you are in an 18th century sailing ship. Slightly less ancient are the pop cover songs coming from the bands there on weekend evenings, as the 50-ish crowd hits the dance floor to early 80s rock. But the sense of doom does not come only from the dance floor -- the building itself is slated to be demolished as efforts move forward to build a new, much wider bridge here where I-5 crosses the Columbia River to Portland. And perhaps partially due to that impending fate, you can sometimes find your party sitting forlorn at a table and starting to wonder if there really were any servers in the place, or if those were just ghosts, now slunk back to their watery graves, the promise of foodstuff now just a haunting memory.

Quay Restaurant and Bar, Red Lion Vancouver, WA

As if to further make you doubt your senses, the Red Lion web site doesn't reveal a hint of the abundant ship decor in any photos or descriptions of the restaurant. Here's their description of the bar:

"Adjacent to the restaurant and overlooking the Columbia River, the bar has a pool table, and offers live entertainment Friday and Saturday evenings."

That's right. A pool table!

Quay Restaurant and Bar, Red Lion Vancouver, WA

The people are fairly nice, and the hotel, restaurant and bar are all adequate, but they feel like a golden opportunity lost. You should go to the Quay Restaurant to check out the sailing ship decor and the fine view of the Columbia River. If the buffet is open, you should definitely choose that option -- not because there is anything particularly great about the buffet, but because it's a bit dicey whether a server will happen by any time soon (a lesson learned on our first visit and reinforced on our second). If you like any music written after 1981, you might want to skip the band. Enjoy the location and trouble not your mind over what could have been.

Quay Restaurant and Bar, Red Lion Vancouver, WA

Red Lion's exciting photo of the Quay Bar's exotic decor.

100 Columbia Street, Vancouver, WA 98660 - 360-694-8341
Est. 1962
Web site: redlion.com
Reviews: tripadvisor - yelp - urbanspoon - examiner - barflymag