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2410 Beacon Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98144
206-323-0953
Low-key and friendly, with a brightly painted mural on the wall, Beacon Hill's Baja Bistro (also known as Java Love) offers coffee, pastries, and Mexican food. Walk through the hallway to the back room and you'll find a tiny bar fully stocked with the usual suspects of bottled beer (Pacifico, Corona, etc.). We recommend the potent and pint-sized margaritas-both the traditional ones and the house blend of pomegranate and lime. More >>
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2236 NW Market St. Seattle, WA 98107
206-397-4102
The recently opened Ballard Ave Pub has a prime location smack in the middle of the busy Market Street strip. The interior is bright, clean, and airy - there's nothing dingy about it. Once inside, customers can shoot pool in the back, play pulltabs, or pick out tunes on a brand new jukebox. The bar is so new that it doesn't even offer food yet. But it does have beer. And while the extensive tap list is strictly local, it also serves PBR 40s, and a tab that comes scrawled on a post-it note. More >>
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4300 Leary Way N.W. Seattle, WA 98107
206-782-9024
Known as "the 4B's" (that's Ballard Bar, Billiards, and Burgers), this classic dive has some extras tacked on: a roomful of pool tables, skee-ball, pinball, electronic darts, and a jukebox, not to mention cheap pitchers of PBR and Rolling Rock. They used to have a burger that featured an entire sleeve of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, swear to God. Lately, the menu's migrated to more alehouse fare, to mixed ends. But it's still refreshingly un-hip enough to come as you are, and leave after your umpteenth Jager bomb. More >>
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5105 Ballard Ave. N.W. Seattle, WA 98107
206-420-2737
http://www.ballardloft.com Thirteen flat-screen TVs are promised, and if you don't feel like eating and drinking indoors, the patio is pleasant on a sunny day. More >>
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5439 Ballard Ave. N.W. Seattle, WA 98107
206-784-6611
One of the last bastions of old Ballard, the Ballard Smoke Shop's nautical theme, smoke-stained walls and crusty old salts that dominate its barstools--the rest are generally occupied by hipsters looking for an escape from the yuppiedom that now dominates Ballard Avenue--set it apart from the other, more upscale joints nearby. Drinks, followed by a great hangover breakfast. It was once the kind of place people got thrown into. Now you can take the kids to experience the thrill of greasy food at cheap prices, and a rousing bar packed with Ballard Ole's. More >>
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456 N. 36th St. Seattle, WA 98103
206-634-2575
http://www.ballroomfremont.com Equal parts lounge, pool hall, and club-or very unequal parts, depending on when you show up-The Ballroom can be whatever you want it to be. The pizzas are huge, the patio's fireplace will keep you warm when the weather's not, and if you don't mind paying a cover on the weekends, the dance floor-featuring a cage and pole-is well-populated. More >>
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1207 Pine St. Seattle, WA 98112
206-625-4444
http://www.thebalticroom.net The decor of Seattle nightclubs can tread the line between absurd and nonexistent, as anyone can attest who's looked up in the Crocodile or tried not to focus on the clown painting in Neumo's. The Baltic Room-named after a region that includes Russia and Sweden and peppered with paper lanterns and a Buddha statuette or two-is no different. Once a piano bar, the small and idiosyncratic Baltic sits on the slope where Pine meets downtown, an ideal stop during an evening of clubbing, if not the only destination. More >>
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2806 Alki Ave. S.W. Des Moines, WA 98166
206-937-3023
http://www.bamboobarandgrill.com If you want to pretend you're anywhere but Seattle on a cold winter day, The Bamboo Bar and Grill at the end of the Alki strip is a good place to start. Their extensive cocktail menu features all kinds of margaritas and tropical drinks, with either rum or tequila at center stage. It's like a little Margaritaville in Alki, with beach-themed accents, surfboard adorned walls and wistful beach bums dreaming of sipping Mai Tais in Cancun. DJs spin hip-hop and pop music on the weekend. More >>
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204 Belmont Ave. E. Seattle, WA 98102
$6 for a shot and a beer just may attract the wrong crowd for some bars, but B&O Espresso's connecting lounge, Bar 41, with its atmospheric lighting, dark surroundings and plushy red and purple accents always seems to attract the right kind of cheapos - those who are just looking to lounge. During happy hour (5:00-7:00 p.m., again at 11:00 p.m. until close; huzzah!), you'll receive $2 off cocktails and $1 off beers, and the occasional DJ for some sexy mood music. More >>
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8549 Greenwood Ave. N. Seattle, WA 98103
206-782-9260
In Seattle, places like the Baranof tend to be looked upon as a novelty. After all, how many truly working-class (and I don't mean "blue collar," see, there's a difference) bars can you name off the top of your head? Set snugly in the heart of Greenwood, another of Seattle's last great hoods staring gentrification in the face, the Baranof is one of the finest spots in town for low-key drinking. Much like 45th's infamous Moon Temple, the Baranof bar is secluded; folks have to pass through the restaurant in front to reach the debauchery in back. The lighting is dim, and beer company promotional decorations and NASCAR driver photos adorn the walls. The beer and liquor are exactly as they should be in America: watery and strong, respectively. Friday night is karaoke night, and a wilder sight you have never seen. Watching the regulars sing their hearts out to Chris Isaak songs with zero shame makes me yearn for my equally shameless hometown back East. Every now and then, younger folks will make their way in to view the spectacle that is the Baranof. But if you ask me, the bigger freak show can be seen in our trendier nightspots. BRIAN J. BARR More >>
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925 E. Pike St. Seattle, WA 98122
206-709-9951
http://www.thebarboza.com
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1510 11th Ave. Seattle, WA 98122
206-325-8263
http://www.barcaseattle.com Dimly lit Barca shares its name with the Barcelona Football Club, but the only sport you'll witness at this vodka bar-boasting 100 varieties from around the globe-is power drinking. It has deep, dark red walls, high-backed booths, subtle lighting, and a serpentine bar. The expansive upstairs is decorated with real ivy and a DJ perch ringed in white Christmas lights where, on Wednesday-nights, turntablist Leopold Bloom spins a one-off techno set. Vodka samplers of three 3-ounce flavors are available in combinations from the pedestrian "potato" (three made the old way) to the decadent "dessert" (starring banana, chocolate, and "strasberi"). More >>
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705 N.W. 70th St. Seattle, WA 98117
206-782-2974
http://www.thebarkingdogalehouse.com With pints from Mac & Jack's, Hale's, Elysian, Snoqualmie, Diamond Knot, Georgetown, and Maritime breweries on its $3.50 happy-hour draft list, the Barking Dog Alehouse is the perfect place to get intimately acquainted with Seattle's local breweries. The Barking Dog also offers an extensive single-malt Scotch menu and a large selection of hard ciders. And with an outdoor seating area-simple wooden picnic benches and a stand-up bar looking out at its residential neighbors-the Barking Dog serves as an obvious place to tie up Fido, should you find yourself developing a bit of a thirst as you walk by. More >>
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11051 First Ave. S. Des Moines, WA 98168
206-244-7390
http://www.thebarreltavern.com Seeing as how its giant barrel façade dominates the intersection, this White Center dive is impossible to miss. Once the Triple X Root Beer drive-in, this converted bar has been serving the thirsty in its current form for the past eleven years. Pool tables, a pull tab machine, a flat screen TV tuned in to motor sports of every variety: this is a straight-up working class, hot rod and muscle car road house. Their live music jam nights, jukebox, and cheap mixed drinks help keep your mind off of the metal bars on the front door. More >>
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1420 12th Ave. Seattle, WA 98122
206-588-8105
http://www.barriorestaurant.com Located on arguably the classiest stretch of 12th Avenue - with neighbors like Tavern Law, Plum and Lark - Barrio serves re-imagined, "Northwest-inspired" Mexican cuisine. Despite its moniker, meaning "neighborhood," it's hard to picture this upscale establishment as a local watering hole. It has, however garnered quite a reputation with its Latin-inspired craft cocktails and thoughtfully compiled lunch, dinner and brunch menus. If that double dollar sign is giving you sticker shock, never fear: tacos are $3 each during happy hour. More >>
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2205 2nd Ave. Seattle, WA 98121
206-728-6069
Bathtub Gin is Belltown's version of the Seattle speakeasy. And one nice thing about the city's current trend of tucked-away bars is that every speakeasy does things a little differently. At Bathtub, you don't have to ring any doorbells or get on a waiting list, but the bar is hidden in a back alley with only a small sign to indicate its presence. The interior is wooden and classic, barely skirting the edge of old-timey. A short Italian menu is available for the peckish, but the real appeal is its drinks: historical, artful, but comfortingly easy to sip. More >>
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12623 Renton Ave. S. Seattle, WA 98178
206-772-5183
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100-112th Ave. N.E. Bellevue, WA 98004
425-455-1717
http://www.bellevuegrille.biz Don't let the location fool you. This restaurant and bar may be adjacent to the Sheraton Hotel, but it attracts a wide spectrum of customers. Out-of-town guests satisfy their appetites with the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, businessmen meet for power lunches of sirloin steak, and sports fans come during happy hour (weekdays 4:30-6:30 p.m.) to cheer on their teams via several plasma televisions. If you seek comfort and reliability in this über-trendy suburb, this venue is your best bet. More >>
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2407 First Ave. Seattle, WA 98104
206-957-8076
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6413 California Ave. S.W. Seattle, WA 98136
206-932-9906
http://www.beveridgeplacepub.com My pub is better than yours. I can get away with claiming this because my local is a great pub. When I walk in, I know that I'll get a friendly welcome from one of the hardworking staff, probably from mine host and hostess as well. I know that the beers on tap will range from house stalwarts like Manny's Pale Ale and Boundary Bay IPA to something fabulous and unique that wasn't there a couple of days ago, like a wonderfully sweet-and-sour Duchesse de Bourgogne from Belgium or a fat, malty doppelbock from Oroville's Alpine Brewing. The beers will be served by people who care about what they're doing, who will notice the lipstick stain that didn't get washed off the glass before it gets anywhere near the tap. My local's the Beveridge Place Pub -close to home and just far enough away. If your local's even half as good, consider yourself lucky. More >>
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4133 University Way N.E. Seattle, WA 98105
206-545-4509
http://www.bigtimebrewery.com While it might not be the most popular bar among The Ave's student patrons, Big Time has the longevity (22 years and counting) and knowledge to lure in any beer enthusiast. The bar is a turn-of-the-century Brunswick surrounded by a collection of brewery-related memorabilia, jukebox, and shuffleboard table. There's a long array of sandwiches, salads, and other typical bar selections at Big Time, but the pizza-with its gorgeous crust and just-right amount of sauce-stands out. Order a pie with your beer (made on premises), check out the fresh collegiate types, and play some shuffleboard. More >>
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1013 E. Pike St. Seattle, WA 98122-3818
206-322-9950
The San Francisco-style burritos here offer at least half your daily calorie intake. The basic beans-and-rice burrito will do you just fine, but a dollar extra will kick you up to one with herbed chicken, beef, or garlic-roasted potatoes (which, by the way, is as heretical to San Franciscans as asking your barista for a half-caf Americano). The decor is Orgasmic Charo: bamboo, Mexican kitsch, string lights, and velvet paintings. No need to finish your quesadilla pie before heading downstairs to binge drink-you can order Bimbo's food at the Cha Cha Lounge, too. More >>
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1270 Carillon Point Kirkland, WA 98033
425-803-5595
http://www.binonthelake.com Housed in the swanky Woodmark Hotel at Carillon Point, this restaurant and bar features a selection of 80-plus wines, fancy interpretations of comfort food (e.g. foie gras on French toast), and a spectacular view of Lake Washington. Behind the polished servers, muted colors, and classy views of Yarrow Bay are hints of whimsicality, backed by the eclectic "fusion" menu. For entrées, try the magnificent seafood stew or the proscuitto crusted scallops with porccini cream, mache, piquillo peppers, and manchego. The wine list is broad and deep, the dessert selection fine. More >>
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4200 E. Madison St. Seattle, WA 98112
206-323-8623
http://www.bingsbarandgrill.com Bing's is a classy diner - the kind where you can order a Manhattan but still feel okay bringing the kids along. The dining area faces a smaller bar, which is reminiscent of the kind you might find in an old-style hotel. The menu is full of classics, but spruced up with local emphasis - Columbia City Bakery, Mario's Bakery, Zoe's Meats, Kalani Organic Coffee - and even a homemade veggie burger. It's low-key with an amicable waitstaff, and even if you're not hungry, Bing's is one of those bars where you can have a relaxing time just grabbing an after-work drink by yourself. More >>
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11848 98th Ave. NE Kirkland, WA 98034
425-629-3742
http://www.bishopsalehouse.com
