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405 15th Ave. E. Seattle, WA 98112
206-324-6406
http://www.twentytwodoors.com The "Catch of the Day" at this bar-restaurant is followed on the menu by this advice: "Caleb really does a nice job with fish, you should definitely give this a try." Caleb's catch, which you should try, might be an unadorned, perfectly pan-seared salmon fillet. The house burger (made with Misty Isle organic beef and served with fontina cheese and grilled onions) is moist and flavorful, and the crisp-yet-tender shoestring fries that come with it are excellent, too. The awesomely kitschy blue vinyl barstools and rescued hotel chandelier at the bar complement an atmosphere that's both classy and relaxed, but be warned that drink service can sometimes be slooow. More >>
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418 N.W. 65th St. Seattle, WA 98117
http://www.418publichouse.com 418 NW 65th St. used to house the shadowy British-style pub the Reading Gaol; it's recently been purchased and reopened by the folks behind Capitol Hill's Summit Public House, and rechristened 418 Public House. In its new incarnation, 418 is a simple, open and relaxing spot, in large part thanks to the super-cheerful staff behind the bar. Tasty Mexican food (tostadas, beef barbacoa), a wide variety of beers on tap, and regular rousing rounds of bingo and trivia add to the place's cozy, at-home feel. More >>
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415 Cedar St. Seattle, WA 98121
206-448-9993
http://www.the5pointcafe.com While 5 Point co-owner Dave Meinert professes ignorance to the comparison, something undeniably similar is going on a couple blocks south of the Space Needle. Meinert and his longtime partner (and on-again, off-again 5 Point employee), Mandy Park, took over the iconic 24-hour cafe/bar in November, intent on changing very little.
The new owners have made some minor tweaks, adding a couple of vintage sodas and cheese curds to the menu while instituting a new happy hour. But the clientele still seems plucked straight from grunge-era central casting, the jukebox still rocks, there are still framed photos of Native Americans on the wall, and there're still ice cubes in the men's urinal. The scene is a step or two livelier throughout the day, however, and the food-particularly the pot roast and country skillet (a sizzling platter of chicken-fried steak, eggs, potatoes, and onions)-tastes a little better. More >>
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10146 Main St. Bellevue, WA 98004
425-450-0520
http://www.520barandgrill.com A cozy bistro nestled into a strip on Old Bellevue's Main Street, 520 has a homey sports-bar-meets-Mom's-kitchen décor. Regulars range from businessmen just off of work to conservatively-bobbed moms chatting over cocktails - Ladies Night is Tuesdays and select bottles of wine are just $22. A full bar, extensive menu (upscale pub grub and Asian fusion), weekend brunch, and two happy hours (3-6 p.m. Monday - Friday; 9-close every night) make the 520 a popular spot for casual Eastside get-togethers. More >>
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611 E. Pine St. Seattle, WA 98122
206-328-0292
http://www.611supreme.com 611 Supreme is one of the cozier, classier places to have a cocktail on the Pike/Pine corridor. The bar menu is short on beer (a couple from Maritime), but it does offer exotic liquors like cachaca (Brazilian fermented sugarcane) and pisco (Spanish distilled grapes). Whiskey is king here. A lot of people seem to dig the bar at night--and the dinner menu, which includes roasted pork and hanger steak--but, come on, don't you have to stop in for brunch and one of the crepes? Try something fat and filling (Le Jambon has ham, scallions, and gruyere) or, better, just admit to your sweet tooth and give in to something filled with orange butter and garnished with shaved chocolate. More >>
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2411 Alaskan Way Seattle, WA 98121
206-269-4575
http://www.edgewaterhotel.com This gorgeous bar inside the Edgewater Hotel has mastered the art of ambiance. Looking out over Puget Sound, it's adorned with decorative trees, dim lighting, and walls graced with projected images of burlesque dancers. Guests can nosh on fancy snacks like blackberry hot wings and tandoori lamb sliders. Beer is available, but you're more likely to feel in tune with your surroundings by ordering a glass of wine. More >>
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7401 Greenwood Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98103
206-784-2955
http://www.seattlealehouses.com/74th/index.asp You can be forgiven for calling the 74th Street Ale House a restaurant. But at a watering hole like this, the beverages take top honors. Think your favorite bar, but with a killer kitchen. The roster of brews ranges from predictable locals like Manny's and Mac & Jack's to regional killers like Boundary Bay's Scotch Ale. If you're ambitious enough to make your way this far north for a thirst-quencher, you're treated to several reasons to stay put for a few rounds. There's the Reuben for dinner, the Greek plate for sharing, and the order of cashews to temper the palate, so to speak. More >>
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315 Second Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98104
206-839-1300
http://www.ilove88keys.com This popular dueling piano bar attracts a wide swath of people, owing to its location among several bars, restaurants, and sport arenas. On weekends, talented pianists provide plenty of entertainment and are able to play almost all requests. Midweek, if you drop by longing for a pop song, an electric jukebox provides everything from Britney Spears to Foo Fighters to Luther Vandross. An impressive liquor selection makes the music that much better. More >>
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3507 Fremont Place Seattle, WA 98103
206-632-0880
http://www.9m-unmarked.com Formerly the Triangle Lounge, this Fremont bar has taken on a quasi-Prohibition "gangster" theme. Its eight taps take the backseat to cocktails with names like "Bonnie and Clyde" and "DB Cooper." 9 Mil shoots for an upscale crowd-the menu's white truffle mac 'n' cheese and lamb sliders standing as proof-but the weekend vibe still usually lands on the fratty end of the spectrum. If that's your crowd, this is your place. More >>
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6009 Airport Way S. Seattle, WA 98108
206-762-3373
http://www.ninepoundhammer.com This Georgetown warehouse of a bar has a great industrial vibe, with separate rooms for socializing, shuffleboard and watching sports on TV (the man cave in the back with the kegerator and flat screen is quite comfortable). There's superior hometown brew on tap (Georgetown Brewing's Georgetown Porter is excellent) and even authentic Mexican tamales, sold through a Dutch door across from the bar. Throw in the ever-colorful artists, bikers and eccentrics that frequent the joint, and you've got a scene worth checking out any night of the week. More >>
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5026 University Way N.E. Seattle, WA 98105
206-517-4000
http://www.pizzamartdelivery.com Anything that's got the letter "A" haphazardly slapped in front of it indicates a couple of things. The first is the whole phone-book-placement advantage, and the second is usually a guarantee of subpar quality. A-Pizza Marts are scattered around the city, some just delivery outlets, others cheap eat-in restaurants. My experience with them has usually taken place over the phone in the waning hours of the night, spurred by way too much whiskey and a severe lack of late-night food options in the city. Until now. University Way's A-Pizza Mart has been completely transformed. The decor has gone from low-budget cafeteria to a pizza party in someone's finished basement-almost like a kitschy Capitol Hill theme bar, but without any shred of irony. Bright lights and a lonely counter have been replaced with darkness punctuated by the twinkle of Christmas lights and a bar (!) that serves hard liquor. Random records adorn the wall, plastic vines of artificial flowers up the tackiness factor (in a good way), and a well-worn, overstuffed couch brings it all together. The only thing that's missing is a gaming system. The pizza still rates just higher than a frozen Totino's, but it's cheap. Besides, nothing gourmet belongs in a finished basement anyway. "A" now stands for Awesome. At least in this book. AJA PECKNOLD More >>
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2306 California Ave. S.W. Des Moines, WA 98166
206-933-9500
http://www.admiralpubseattle.com A sprawling neighborhood sports bar, the Admiral Pub serves as a constant reminder that those who live in West Seattle stay in West Seattle. Twenty-something dudes pound beers while watching baseball on one of the Admiral's many TVs and discuss the success, or lack thereof, of picking up chicks at nearby California Avenue hotspots Mission and Matador. Poker night comes every Tuesday, and the back tables are usually packed with players chatting about their latest cruise down Alki Beach or what movies are screening at the Admiral Twin. More >>
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1048 N.E. Park Drive Issaquah, WA 98029
425-369-8900
http://www.agaverest.com Yes, se habla futbol on the Eastside, and World Cup teams from Latin American nations will be featured on the TV screens at Agave. Kids are welcome outside the bar, while parents can enjoy mojitos and something called "the Guavapolitan." More >>
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17158 Redmond Way Redmond, WA 98052
425-881-8252
http://www.agaverest.com
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2303 N. 45th St. Seattle, WA 98103
206-545-9959
Easy to miss if you don't recognize the silver stars painted atop its stretch of NE 45th St. in Wallingford, Al's Tavern is a true old-school dive with character that the Puget Sound mural on its walls echoes. The cash-only watering hole has been open for seven decades, and its prices for food, microbrew pints, or generous pours don't seem to have risen much since its inception. For entertainment, regulars haunt the pool tables and the vinyl-stuffed jukebox. More >>
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85 Pike St. Seattle, WA 98101
206-623-3180
http://www.seattlealibi.com For the only ironclad alibi that actually contains the word alibi, go to the Alibi Room. This is definitely a local bar, mainly because it's so easy to miss. Especially because the yards and yards of ABC gum (that is to say, Already Been Chewed) on the opposite wall is, well, astounding in its ugliness. Fortunately, the bar itself is the picture of taste: its walls are exposed brick, the lighting is dim but for the spotlights highlighting works by local artists that always hang the walls (they switch it up every month or so), and despite it's obscure location, this is a place to see and be seen. Tempting entrées include seared sliced scallops with marsala cream and salmon with black beans and cornbread. The staff is horribly good-looking, the drinks are small masterpieces of mixology, and Long Island iced teas are forbidden. During the summer, happy hour is from 11:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. every day. More >>
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1321 Harbor Ave. S.W. Seattle, WA 98116
206-932-9970
From the way regulars devour the $1 tacos here, you'd think the only time they get a meal is during Taco Thursdays. But the tacos-and all else edible the Alki throws down-isn't what packs the place with bikers (as in Harley) and cyclists (as in Trek). The Alki understands that its people want to drink. And if that means pouring cheap domestics of all stripes alongside the hoptastic suds that the 30-something homeowners up the hill are clamoring for, so be it. More >>
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22303 Marine View Drive S. Des Moines, WA 98198
206-212-6740
http://www.theall-starsportsbar.com South Seattle loves soccer, too! And don't get all snooty about where you watch the World Cup. With 16 ounce tall boys of PBR on the menu, plus $5 fries, North Seattle residents may want to drive down I-5 to watch the game here. More >>
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2130 6th Ave. Seattle, WA 98121-2513
206-448-2829
http://www.kingcattheater.com/aamanilounge.html
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2823 SW Roxbury St. Seattle, WA 98126-4148
206-935-7400
http://www.roxburylanes.com
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4226 E. Madison St. Seattle, WA 98112
206-323-3131
http://www.atticalehouse.com Madison Park's cozy Attic is a family joint - providing everyone in your family is of drinking age. The waitstaff is friendly - the menu even includes a short bio of all of them - and the regulars are welcoming to newcomers. The wooden interior makes the Attic look like a tavern; it also actually does look like an attic in there, exposed rafters and all. There's a full selection of liquor in addition to the myriad of beers on tap, plus a wide selection of sandwiches and rotating daily specials. The Attic caters to the sports crowd, and usually has the game on several TVs. But if that's not your bag you can just hang out and play darts in the back. More >>
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1723 N. 45th St. Seattle, WA 98103
206-547-1515
http://www.babaluseattle.com Amidst family-oriented neighborhood staples like Trophy Cupcakes and Molly Moon's Ice Cream, Babalu's multicolored external lights stand as a reminder of Wallingford's nightlife. Open Wednesday through Sunday, the self-described "Euro-lounge with East Coast savvy" hosts a variety of danceable live music in its luxe, chandelier-adorned interior. Specialty cocktails include fruity concoctions like the "Baba Blue," "Babalu Sunset," "Babalu Breeze"
you get the idea. More >>
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12330 Lake City Way NE Seattle, WA 98125
206-364-2642
A Lake City staple, the Back Door Pub isn't for the faint of heart. But if you can make it past the wary glances of this dive bar's regulars, a land of stiff drinks, pool (free on Sundays) and darts (free on Mondays) awaits. For the gamblers there are pull-tabs by the bar. And for music lovers, there's the occasional rock concert courtesy of the owner's '80s and '90s cover band. More >>
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462 N. 36th St. Seattle, WA 98103
362-7322
Tucked behind Fremont favorite Roxy's Deli where Rain City Video once was, the Backdoor immediately immerses customers into its 1920s theme. It's meant to look swanky, with crystal chandeliers, nude statues, dark wood furniture, giant purple and blue murals of laughing people, and a Big Band Pandora station on the stereo lending to the speakeasy feel. The clandestine lounge is an ideal spot for an ultra-chill hangout. The menu boasts some fabulous cocktails, split into Cocktails of Yesterday and Cocktails of Today, along with an interesting selection of beers on tap. More >>
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5100 Ballard Ave. N.W. Seattle, WA 98107
206-782-9623
http://www.badalberts.com Ballard Avenue's southernmost bar has built a steady customer base through stellar burgers, blues (there's live music about once or twice a week), and brews. Owner Steve Katsandres' effervescent personality has earned him the loyalty of longtime employees and customers, and the venue has proven to be a surprising magnet for cross-dressing blues fans on certain nights, which clearly separates it from the corner bar pack. More >>
