5 new Seattle-area bars have opened just in time for summer
Our latest roundup of new bars drops just in time for the FIFA Men's World Cup. Or maybe you'd rather chill with your corgi on the patio of a new bar now that the sun sets later at night in Western Washington?
Either way, we've got you covered, from a new German pub in Ballard to an Eastside pub with a pet play area. More info on those two openings below along with other taprooms in Woodinville and Seward Park.
Von's 1000 Spirits
115 Park Lane, Kirkland; 425-403-2330, vons1000spirits.com/locations
This 46-year-old Seattle bar expands near the Kirkland waterfront with a 118-seat bar with an outdoor patio. Aptly named, Von's 1000 Spirits likes to show off its collection of 1,000 booze bottles, but regulars come for the $7.95 martinis and $8.95 Manhattans. Happy hour starts daily at 2 p.m. and stretches to 6 p.m. (with a $15 double cheeseburger and sourdough bar pizzas on the food menu). If you're lucky, maybe you'll walk in when Von's spins its wagering wheel, meaning whichever specials the wheel lands on ($8 tequila shot, $12 Old Fashioned, etc.) gets discounted at that moment. We'll drink to that.
Ruff Draft
5809 238th St. S.E., Suite 3, Woodinville; 425-264-7344, ruffdraft.dog
A haven for dog lovers, this taproom features a spacious play area for Fido to roam. Puppies and "shy" dogs even get their own separate play area, and there's also a dog spa for all your pet's grooming needs. The 75-seat bar (on-leash dogs allowed) offers 20 craft beers, ciders and wines on tap, and management said Ruff Draft will have a giant projector to show World Cup matches.
Pour Decisions
17401 133rd Ave. N.E., Suite 1004, Woodinville; pourdecisionstaps.com
A sports bar with a self-pour tap of 36 beers, the lineup includes dive bar standbys like Rainier and Manny's alongside craft brews from Seattle and Bellingham. The limited hot food menu (pressed panini sandwiches and hot dogs) can keep the munchies at bay, but you can also bring your own food or order takeout pizza to bring to the bar. The taproom has nine TVs and a patio for pet owners and game lovers, with dart boards, a shuffleboard set, board games and old-school arcade classics like Pac-Man."
Kochendorfer's
4910 Leary Ave. N.W., Seattle (Ballard); 206-453-5032, kochendorfers.com
This German pub is tucked away from the barhopping drag in Ballard, meaning it's great for those who want outdoor seating or a bar stool to catch a big game without the crowd.
But you have to find it first.
Kochendorfer's is hemmed in by Leary Avenue Northwest, 17th Avenue Northwest and Northwest Dock Place. The 150-seat bar includes a covered cabanalike area for those who want al fresco without the sun beaming directly down. There's also patio seating along the perimeter of the bar, and management has turned a couple of parking spots into a makeshift beer garden with barrels doubling as tables. The standing-room-only patch will soon include a television for World Cup matches.
Owner John Kochendorfer is also the head brewer at District Brewing in Mount Vernon, so the lagers and IPAs on tap are his brews. Come on Thursday, when a liter of beer goes for $10. The food menu features lamb-and-beef kebabs served and reimagined in various ways, whether topped with shoestring fries or wrapped in a flour tortilla and framed as a "kebaburrito."
Aslan Brewing Seward Park
4920 S. Genesee St., Seattle (Seward Park); 206-639-2692, aslanbrewing.com/seward-park
This Bellingham brewery continues its Seattle expansion with its third branch in the city. This time Aslan is heading south to Seward Park. The picnic table patio at Aslan is often packed with pet lovers and parents, many nursing a pint of Tip Point, which is a green-tea-cream ale that has become Aslan Brewing Seward Park's "it beer at the moment. Note that the food menu here is different from its Tangletown location, featuring mostly New York slices in Seward Park, since Aslan inherited a pizza oven when it took over this old Zeek's space. Come noon-4 p.m. or 8-10 p.m., when a slice and a pint costs $12. Even better is the monster meatball sub, which can feed two for $20. "We don't mess around," one Aslan bartender said.
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