Fave bars & taverns

[Blue Heron]

OK Seattleites & Portlanders....

What are your favorite places to go out for a drink?  What are your fave dive bars, fave taverns, fave micro-brew places, fave places for happy hours, fave places to sit outside on the deck on a warm summer day and have a drink??  Anyone?   And please specify which city.  

[mamster]

Seattle: Madrona eatery & Ale House is a really nice family restaurant with a very good beer selection.  We had dinner last week at Eggs Cetera Blue Star (we'd been before, but only for brunch) and they were very forthcoming with beer samples and had a pretty interesting array.

[MsRamsey]

SEATTLE:

The Garage:  Really good food, good beer, well-made drinks, warm and friendly staff.

The Elysian:  They make their own excellent beer.  Lousy food, and they sprinkle cayenne pepper on everything they serve.  Nice place, though.

Pioneer Square is a great and friendly place to hang out, but not on weekends of course, when it's overrun with frat rats.

My favorite dive bar is The Blue Moon.  I'm just glad it's not in my neighborhood, because I could get into a lot of trouble there. :wow:

[tighe]

I'm an Irish pub kind of guy myself....

I really like Fado downtown as well as Connor Byrne in Ballard, somehow smoke enhances the flavor of Guiness for me (I'm not a smoker however).

As I mentioned in another post, I've kind of fallen in love with Stella in Georgetown for their pizza, beer and pool tables. Very comfortable atmo, with a quite diverse crowd of folks.

I avoid most Pioneer Square places like the plague, but do like the PS Saloon for its totally non-hip feel and, dare I say it.....yes, I still like the Pyramid Brewery.

[Blue Heron]

Seattle:

A few weeks ago we tried Circa Neighborhood Alehouse, 2605 California Ave. SW, (At Admiral Wy.), in West Seattle. They had a nice selection of beer, and we chose a sampler to go with our lunch (Guinness, Moose Drool Brown Ale, and a bock which was on the rotating tap and was actually our favorite). The food was much better than I expected. I had a juicy Blackened Halibut Sandwich served on a kaiser bun with roasted pepper aioli and lettuce, also grated apple cabbage slaw, with a huge portion of french fries that were excellent as I recall.

With out of towners, we most often seem to end up at Rays Boathouse deck on Shilshole. Last summer I had a really good crab cake sandwich there, and a Fish Tail ale that I liked. Salty's on Alki also has a great deck, and I've heard they have a good happy hour, too.

We most often go to Redhook brewery up in Woodinville, as we have a friend who insists he can only drink their IPA (which I also happen to like). The food is always pretty good there, too. (I like their smoked salmon sampler plate).

For an interesting dive tavern, I have to mention the Alki Tavern. It's on Alki beach across from Salty's. Thursday's are 75 cent Taco night, and the unofficial Harley Davidson biker's night. It's an incredible site to drive by on a warm evening like last night, and see maybe 100-200 motorbikes parked outside, with an array of bikers outside and in. We stopped in once last winter, as it was something on my "must do" list. It was fun, the owners and help were friendly, beer was good (tacos are not the reason one goes, as they are the crispy type), but all in all it was a fun experience. The bikers are a mix of white collar and authentic Easy Rider types. If nothing else, it's worth it just to check out the Harley's outside.

[MsRamsey]

For an interesting dive tavern, I have to mention the Alki Tavern. It's on Alki beach across from Salty's. Thursday's are 75 cent Taco night, and the unofficial Harley Davidson biker's night.

Hmm. Over on this side of the bridge, Thursday is biker night at The Central (Pioneer Square).

Kathy

[Blue Heron]

I can't believe there would be so many bikers in 1 city. Yesterday I drove by the Alki Tavern about 7:30pm on my way home from my beach walk and there had to be almost 200 motorcycles lined up outside, and bikers in an out of the tavern for Taco Thursday. The nicer the weather, the more bikes show up. I slowed down to look, I almost stopped, it was really something to see. Perhaps they stop first for tacos & comraderie, and then later on head over to the Central for some serious drinking? When we went it was a dark cold wintery evening, and there were only maybe 25 bikes. Anyway, next time you come out to W. Seattle for fish n chips at Sunfish, make it a Thursday summery evening and check out the Harley's, too.

[stumptown_chowdown]

Portland!

My favorite 'dive' is the bar at La Cruda on SE Clinton. They even have a slushy machine margarita!!! LOL The bar is very 'seedy' looking (no doubt on purpose) and it can be good people watching. Think young, unwashed hipsters...

The patio (a hidden treasure!) at Wild Abandon is fantastic for a sunny afternoon and a drink. They have a full bar and fairly decent wine list.

If you are into the perfect chocolate martini (may be passe, but I don't care) you've simply got to have the vanil cappucino and chocolate maritinis at the otherwise over-hyped Montage.

[col klink]

In Seattle I'm particularly fond of The Pub in the U District. Lot's of memories, some of which are forgotten. I also like the Pacific Inn in Fremont.

[MsRamsey]

Pacific Inn is terrific. Their jukebox kicks butt. Where in the U District is The Pub?

[col klink]

The College Inn Pub is on 40th and the Ave, under the College Inn. It's the closest to "dank" as I can find and they're usually something great on tap. And to make things better, about a year or two ago they added Woodchuck cider and hard alcohol to the menu.

If you drop by, make sure to order the bagel dog and bowl of chili. Very tasty. The wait staff is very cool there.

[MsRamsey]

Ahh. I've been there (now that you note the whole name of the place). Isn't that where you guys took Tony Bourdain when he was here?

[mamster]

Sure did!

[girl chow]

Down south in Tacoma land....(but not quite as south as Portland)

Harmon Brewery on Pacific Ave. in Tacoma. Great brews, perfect brewpub atmo (distressed hardwood floors and wood booths, along with separate areas for eating and drinking) and really good fish and chips. Just ok pizza. They have great happy hour deals on food. Staff is always kind AND it's kid friendly.

Powerhouse Brewery in Puyallup. Same reasons as above, but even better food. Must try the portabella sandwich.

The Swiss, Tacoma. Great tunes, better than Ok good (although not superb). The best bands in Tacoma (stop laughing) play here.

[Batgrrrl]

Also in Seattle...

I second Klink's endorsement of the College Inn Pub--it's long been the UW English department's traditional Thursday hangout place. Their nachos are also my favorite in town. I can't believe you didn't mention the nachos, Klink.

For combined drinking and eating, I must must must recommend the Hilltop Alehouse at the top of Queen Anne and the 74th Street Alehouse on Greenwood--same owners, same style. Excellent beer on tap, local and British, including some nitro pours, and everything at the right temp, which means not as cool as most places serve beer. Their menus are excellent--their caesar salad was my favorite in town until Klink and I started making our own, and they do a garlic and herb bread appetizer that is incredible. But the best thing is that they make their own soups and they're always changing--wonderful chilled summer soups, great hearty winter soups. I've never been anything less than blown away by their soups.

They also play good music (no jukebox, just cds), and once, while I was grading student papers there over a beer and an order of bread, they put on a Neil Diamond cd and all of us, kitchen, bar, and patrons, were singing along to "Sweel Caroline" at the top of our lungs. My kind of place.

For fancy drinks, that's another issue: I like to get dressed up and have a drink at Oliver's downtown, which is in the Mayflower hotel. They make a variety of great martinis, and it's never crowded. And of course, the Cloud Room at the top of the Camlin Hotel is a great place for that sort of drinking as well.

Oh, I could go on and on with this topic--after all, I've been a grad student in this town for more than half a decade, and few people drink like grad students!

Batgrrl

[mamster]

How do you prepare your caesar, Batgrrrl?

[col klink]

I mainly stuck with the grinders, bagel dogs and chili.

[Batgrrrl]

How do you prepare your caesar, Batgrrrl?

Oh dear, this is really a question for the Klinkmeister. I'm sous chef on our caesar salad endeavors. But we're making one tonight, and I'll take notes this time. I know it involves lots and lots of garlic, both roasted and raw!

[col klink]

No roasted tonight, it's a little too warm in the kitchen already.

However, in lieu of the roasted garlic, I'm trying something new tonight: very thinly sliced garlic (think paper), sauteed in the oil from the anchovies until almost golden brown. The result is almost the same consistancy as roasted garlic and almost the same flavor but with a touch of the sea.

[thelastsupper]

Old thread, but I thought I add my two cents.

THE REEF!!! (In Olympia) The greatest bar of all time. A total dive, complete with speed freaks and an awesome digital jukebox where you can download just about anything as long as it's not too obscure. The best!

Worth a trip. Eat at at Osaka Sushi and then hit up King Solomon's Reef! A great blend of the hi and the lo.