#2313 - Red Robin, Bellevue, WA - 10/9/2013

408 Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA - (425) 453-9522
Web site: redrobin.com 
Reviews: yelp

#2312 #S1178 - Central Pizza, Seattle - 10/4/2013

Central Pizza was opened by a small group of people with Belltown Pizza connections in the former location of All-Purpose Pizza, on the gentrifying edge of Leschi and the Central District. In addition to some pretty good thin-crust pizza, they've added a bar, and while their comments about "straightforward" and "decent price point" cocktails might lead you to fear dive-bar quality, they in fact have some very nice and well-balanced classics and well as new creations (I enjoyed the "Aperol You've Done").

There seems to be a trend in sports bars and pizza joints in particular using reclaimed wood from old neighborhood gymnasiums and bowling alleys (e.g. Rookies in Columbia City, Bills on Greenwood, and Snoose Junction / The Alibi Room). Here it is the old Lakeside High basketball court that now compose the bar and tables.

Central Pizza, Seattle

2901 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98144 - (206) 602-6333
Est. Aug 26 2016 - Building constructed: 2004
Previous bars in this location: None Known
Web site: centralpizzaseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: seattlemet - komonews - centraldistrictnews - yelp - urbanspoon

#2311 #S1177 - Thurston's Bistro, Seattle - 9/30/2013

Thurston's Bistro and Lounge, Seattle

Thurston's is not an easy place to pin down. The decor is formal, dark and swanky, but the food and drinks are more casual cafe -- chicken and waffles, loco moco, poutine; or what the restaurant themselves describe as Asian fusion, tapas and wine bar. Sometimes it seems to want to be stately, dark and romantic; other times it hosts karaoke nights or Seahawks games. My food was pretty good, my drinks were average, and the service was friendly.

From the outside looking in, at least at this point where they were but a month old, it seems like they need to settle on an identity to pull people in from an area without a lot foot traffic. But who knows, maybe that's really just me trying to make it easier to pigeon hole the place in my own mind, or perhaps a bit too influenced by Mona, which preceded it in this space and was more neatly categorized. I will be interested to see what sorts of crowds it has in the future on both Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons.

6421 Latona Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98115 - (206) 402-3553
Est. Aug/Sep 2013 - Building constructed: 1907
Previous bars in this location: Mona's
Web site: thurstonsbistro.com - facebook
Reviews: yelp - seattleweekly - tripadvisor

#2310 - DK Cafe, White Center, WA - 9/28/2013

DK Cafe, AKA DK's Bar and Grill, is a cacophony of Elvis decorations, Beefeater, Santa figurines, Chinese lions, rope light, and every sort of cheap dance/stage lighting. The bar offerings are basic dive bar along with the sort of overly sweet drinks that cater to people who just turned old enough to drink. They accept no credit cards, but do take EBT cards.

9655 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106
Est. ? - Building constructed: 1981
Reviews: yelp

#2309 - Company, White Center, WA - 9/28/2013

Company Bar, White Center, WA

A gentrification shift for Rat City, Company Bar has neat, nice wood, somewhat fancy food, good spirits, original art for sale on the walls, a hipsterish bartender, wine on tap and some fairly good cocktails.

9608 16th Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98106 - (206) 257-1162
Est. Jan 29, 2013 - Building constructed: 1949
Web site: companybarseattle.com - facebook
Reviews: seattleweekly - seattletimes - whitecenterblog - yelp

#2308 - Crawfish House, White Center, WA - 9/28/2013

From purely a bar perspective there's not a lot to recommend this place; but if you want to have a beer from a pretty decent selection, along with a huge mess of crawfish -- the kind where people wear plastic gloves and lobster bibs -- I don't know of a better place in the city. The place is brightly lit, with cheesy Mardi Gras and seafaring decor, and the chef, who is from Vietnam by way of Louisiana, knows his stuff and is happy to come chat with you to help you figure out your optimal meal. I myself tend to stick with the somewhat introverted Catfish or Soft-shell Crab Po' Boy, but I encourage others to go crazy.

9826 16th Avenue Southwest, Seattle, WA 98106 - (206) 588-1613
Est. Feb 2011 - Building constructed: 1949
Web site: facebook - (crawfishhouse206.com site appears to be hacked at this time)
Reviews: seattletimes - afar - minttytaste - yelp - urbanspoon

#2307 - Marv's Broiler, White Center, WA - 9/28/2013

Update: Marv's Broiler closed in 2015.

---

I tend to look more at the photos than the comments on Yelp, but at certain times the yelper comments can do a pretty good job of summing up a place:

"Don't be intimidated by its shabby interior and exterior."

"I know a jello shots sort of equal a Bartells and James light berry punch, but I don't care I like my booze congealed."

"Meet at nice bar or shit bar?"
"Dive, please."
"Ok. Meet me at Marv's Broiler in White Center."

"And sure, the weird, toothless guy who spends the night undressing you with his eyes and drives that big rape van parked out back; he's there too. Marv's has an endless amount of oddly appealing, and slightly creepy, customers."

"Just try not to get shot."

The place that is now Marv's Broiler was built in 1941 by H. Richard Busey as Busey's XXX Drive-In. It was an old Triple X Root Beer drive-in, not the sort of XXX place like the shops across 16th Avenue. Busey ran it as a drive-in until 1955 and then converted it into a dine-in restaurant with a small bar area, and locals remember it for its marinated steaks. In 1975 Busey sold the place to Marv Mosely, who took control on New Years day, 1976. Marv apparently considered replacing the sign, but eventually decided to simply update it with his name. Marv no longer owns it, but it retains the name. Under Mosely, the lounge side of the business continually expanded until, as is the case today, there is no restaurant left at all. It now has the drinks, the vibe, and the patrons of an old mid-century dive, seeming perpetually locked at a time a couple hours after the kitchen has closed with a last few stragglers remain nursing drinks.

9808 16th Avenue Southwest, White Center, WA 98106 - (206) 767-9102
Est. Jan 1, 1976 - Building constructed: 1941
Previous bars in this location: Busey's Restaurant
Reviews: yelp - whitecenternow - thestranger