Ram

Published 7:00 am Monday, October 9, 2006

With every TV turned to sports and college logos draped from the rafters, the Ram, a chain restaurant, isn’t exactly the kind of place a classy girl like me would be found without good reason. My excuse happens to be the Ram’s tremendously generous happy hour (10 p.m.–1:30 a.m. Sundays; the kitchen closes at midnight), which cuts your tab in half: Gigantic $9.99 burgers suddenly become $5 steals, and so on, with half-priced drinks all around. “Madness,” as it’s commonly referred to at the Ram, has drawn hungry University of Washington students for, well, as long as it’s been around; other Seattleites and tourists are fewer and far between, but not unheard of here. Despite the number of students that have flocked home for the summer, I still had to stake out a table (common practice here, as opposed to politely waiting in line) right as “Madness” began. The menu consists of pretty common pub fare—buffalo wings ($8.99/$4.50 happy hour), deluxe nachos ($9.99/$5), and burgers galore ($8.99–$13.99/$4.50–$7)—but the dishes are always fresh and delicious, especially when paired with selections of the Ram’s just-brewed beers ($4.25 a pint regularly) like the Buttface Amber or Total Disorder Porter. Buyers beware: The Ram is definitely a college hangout, so brace yourself for the youthfully boisterous (and slightly obnoxious) atmosphere once you walk through the doors. 2650 University Village N.E., 206-525-3565, www.theram.com. UNIVERSITY DISTRICT