Seattle Bars For All Occasions

Seattle Bars For All Occasions

As I said in my previous post-Our Seattle Bar Thoughts, there’s is a time and place for all types of bars, ranging from the high end expensive cocktail bar to the no frills cheap-ass dive bar. The type of bar we go to depends on where we are, who we’re meeting up with and what type of mood we’re in.  

Perhaps we go to a certain bar if we just want a quick drink. We may go to another if we want to comfortably lounge a bit and have few. I think if you look at your own life, you looked for certain types of bars at certain periods of your life.  When you’re young 20-something, you might favor a place like Ozzie’s or College Inn Pub. Maybe when you’re dating, you go to Canon or Knee High Stocking. When you have kids, you may go to Barking Dog Alehouse or The Loft.  Also, the time of year plays a role. In the summer, a patio is a plus, because we Seattlelites have only a certain amount of outdoor drinking days in a year.  Of course, a patio or a nice view makes no difference in the winter if it’s dreary and raining. But rest assured, there is a bar for all occasions and here are our Seattle selections:  

Seattle Bars For All Occasions

• Best Bar to Watch Sports(non soccer)-The Westy.  Runner Up(s): Quality Athletics, Tap House Grill   
• Best Bar to Watch Soccer- Atlantic Crossing.  Runner Up(s): The George and Dragon 
• Best Family Friendly-Barking Dog Alehouse. Runner Up(s):Naked City Brewery & Taphouse, Chuck’s Hop Shop 
• Best Dog Friendly-Beveridge Place Pub.  Runner Up(s): Norm’s Eatery and Alehouse 
• Best Wine Bar-Bottlehouse.  Runner Up(s): Purple Cafe 

• Best Beer Bar-Toronado.  Runner Up(s):  Brouwers, Chuck’s Hop Shop 
• Best Sake Bar-Sake Nomi ( the only Sake bar in Seattle?) 

• Best Speakeasy-Knee High Stocking. Runner Up(s):  Bathtub Gin & Co, E Street Mercantile, The Hideout.

• Best Patio-The Innkeeper(couldn’t tell you what the inside looks like). Runner Up(s): Teddy’s Tavern(ping pong, yo), Kings Hardware, Rooftop Brewing, Naked City Brewery & Taphouse. 
• Best Old Bars: J & M Cafe & Cardroom.  Runner Up(s): Hattie’s Hat , Merchant Cafe

• Best Old to New-The Pinebox (former funeral home). Runner Up(s):  Good Bar(former bank), Kells Irish Pub(former mortuary)  
• Best (actual) Bar– Radiator Whiskey.  Runner Up(s): Stoneburner,  Canon , Unicorn, The Backdoor, Bathtub Gin 
• Best Place to Get Your Video Game On-Add A Ball.  Runner Up(s): Shorty’s, Popluxe Brewing 

• Best Place to Get Your Bowling On– Garage 
• Best Place to Get Your Mini Golf On-The Flatstick Pub 

• Best Place to Get Your Board Game On-Café Mox 
• Best For Big Groups – Unicorn/Narwhal. Runner Up(s): Optimism Brewing, Rhein Haus  
• Best Dive Bar-Leny’s Place. Runner Up(s): Teddy’s Tavern , Bernard’s on Seneca, The 5 Point, Monkey Pub, Eastlake Zoo  
• Best View-The Lookout. Runner Up(s): Mbar, Eastlake Bar & Grill, Westward, Little Water Cantina

Fun Facts/Myths/Folklore Bar 

• Linda’s Tavern-The booth nearest the jukebox is reported to be the last time Kurt Cobain was last seen alive. 
• Kells–This former mortuary is supposedly haunted. The Travel Channel’s show Ghost Adventures visited and took a photo with an image that they believe to be a mangled child. Google it. It’s creepy.
• The Pinebox–This former funeral home was supposedly the site of Bruce Lee’s funeral. Also, for those who don’t know, Bruce Lee and his son, Brandon, are buried a few blocks away at Lake View Cemetary 
• Red Door Ale House-Was originally located one block east on Fremont Ave. They actually picked up the entire building and moved it one block away, so they could build new construction(where Peet’s coffee currently is) on it’s previous site. 
• Merchants Café -has a lower basement that was converted into a bar/gambling parlour during prohibition. The ladies restroom on this floor is supposedly haunted by two kids who died in a fire in this area in the 30’s.  This is believed to be the oldest bar in Seattle.  
• Blue Moon Tavern-The first and oldest tavern in the U District became a gathering place for literary giants such as Tom Robbins, Dylan Thomas, Richard Hugo, Allen Ginsberg in the 50’s and 60’s. Supposedly Tom Robbins tried to make a collect call from the pay phone her to Pablo Picasso in Spain, but he refused the call due to the overseas charges. 

Next: Best Seattle Bars for Out or Towners

Related Articles:

• Our Seattle Bar Thoughts
• Our Seattle Bartender Thoughts 
• How We Treat Bartenders 
• Best Seattle Bars For Each Stage of Dating