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Categories: Restaurants, Pubs [Edit]
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
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I can't believe I've not Yelped this place! I've been here many a time (I'm a McMenamin's Lover---especially their hotels).
So this is an option for drinks and food in Queen Anne. It's sort of set away from the hubbub of alot of the other bars in QA, but this is what makes this a good option. I've had burgers, tots, and other items here and they were decent. The brews are decent as well.
And as always, there's the unique (creepy?) McMenamin's art throughout. If it's too crowded (or you're finding a crowd you're not feelin'), we've generally found this McMenamin's as a salvation.
If there is one thing I can say about McMenanins it is that they sure are consistent.
The service is always around 1 star (let's just say good luck)
The ambiance is a 5. Very cool.
And the food is a solid 3. Nothing here to write home about, but nothing terrible either. Would be a 4, but $10-$12 for fairly simple sandwich or burger is just slightly on the steep side.
Would be a 3 overall if the service wasn't borderline non-existent.
I've frequented McMenamins quite a few times over the past year. They really do have a great selection of their original microbrews, a great happy hour and a decent offering of bar food.
Recommended items include the Terminator Stout, Ruby Ale, stuffed cheeseburger, the hummus and pita and the artichoke dip. They make their food the right way (from scratch and with great flavors), but sometimes the service can be a bit on the slower side and I've had orders misplaced, though I must say the staff are always friendly.
Overall, a decent experience in a decent bar. And hey, if I'm stumbling down Roy St. at midnight, where else can I get a fix? Hmm?
Another McMenamins located in Queen Anne. I think this one is a little smaller than the ones located in Portland, but you still get the same beer and eats and the people who work here are great too. The location for this McMenamins might not be ideal because it's located in lower Queen Anne, but there is street parking and close to other bars as well. Great place to meet up with friends.
I love beer.
I have never been too impressed with the food here, as I find it a bit boring EXCEPT the tots. Any restaurant with tots is good in my book.
This place gets four stars because of their beer and their service. They have a late night happy hour, and our waitress didn't even get annoyed when we got there at 9:55 and asked her to come back in five minutes when HH started. She was sweet and attentive all evening and I have never had a bad service experience here.
Also, did I mention I love beer? The porter is really really good and I like the Ruby as well, although it's kind of a sissy beer (it tastes like juice). I have been to many a McMenamins, and I will keep going for that porter and those tots. God, those tots.
Last time I was here, the service we got was, well... we didn't get any. So, bad I suppose.
Well, I love this place's atmosphere, food, and ales too good for some disappointing CS experiences to keep me away, and guess what else I discovered I love about them, this time?
Their coffee.
My band mates got their usual pints, and I went the caffeine route. My latte was so delicious, I actually ordered another. I guess they roast it themselves, just like they distill their own whiskey, brew their own beer, and stuff their own burgers. So back up to 4 stars they go, for the robust, yet smooth and smokey coffee that they will sell you by the pound for the standard $13-ish dollars.
I don't think I can ever get them back up to five stars without a complete revamp of their customer service policies ("make sure you tend to patrons within five minutes" would be a good start), but for the consumables and aura alone, there's hardly better American-style fare for these prices.
I'm conflicted, a bit. Normally, the band comes here to have band meetings, and the service is… Read more »
Honestly, I cannot believe this place even has a 3 star average. People must be grading on the good company they choose to dine out with, because this restaurant just does NOT have it together.
Things I like:
-Nice servers
-Wood finish on the booths
aaand, that's about it.
Things I don't like:
-The servers tend to forget about you completely and leave you sitting there for a half hour with no check while they're doing some prep work behind the bar or something. Dead restaurant, waiting customers. This must be some sort of alternative universe called hell, like in Beetlejuice or something.
-The menu says their burgers are 1/3 pound--1/3 pound, my ASS. Sorry. But maybe it was so well done the meat shrinked, because the bun was way thicker than the actual meat, which was thin, not juicy whatsoever, etc.
-The mac and cheese could be a kid's plate.
-The cook is in full range view of the place. It's cool if restaurants have it set up where the cook and the line are facing the restaurant directly, or with their backs to the tables, but I don't like to see what he's doing at a 90 degree angle. Awkward... there should be some sort of saloon door in front of his kitchen.
And most importantly, their french fries are thin, taste-less and almost cold. Yuck. Other reviewers exclaim "they have tots!", as if they can't buy a 10-lb bag for 5 bucks at Safeway and microwave them in 2 seconds. Get over it. The mexi fries at Taco Time are 100 times better than these "tots".
When I go out to eat, I want good food. I want to be happy when I'm eating. And I don't want to sit there and stare at our server, mentally calling her over to us like some psycho.
I hate this place.
Like many of the other reviewers, I typically enjoy McMenamins (I ADORE their cider), but this particular location doesn't quite do it for me.
Their kids menu is a joke; my 4-year-old daughter is used to the chicken fingers from the Mill Creek location and was disappointed that there's literally nothing on the kids menu at this location that she can eat. She can't have dairy, so the mac & cheese and the grilled cheese is out, leaving a corndog as the selection. I personally don't consider corndogs to be food, so that's out. Luckily we were able to order just a chicken breast for her to eat and share some of our food with her.
I find their regular menu compared to the other McMenamins to be somewhat lacking as well.
Now, our first visit wasn't too bad. The waiter was friendly and helpful, and it was slow in there during lunch time, so we had good service. However, my SIL was served a salad with pink wilted lettuce, and having had a bad food poisoning experience with pink wilted lettuce in the past (elsewhere), she asked for something else. Luckily they were very accommodating, there.
On our second visit, a friend found a plastic bread bag-style tie at the bottom of his enchilada. Ummm... yuck. I'm pretty sure plastic that's been heated up in a dish is not particularly healthy. That's after we waited a gazillion years for our food to come out in the first place. They made him another one pretty quickly AND took his enchilada off the bill, but I know that *I* was a little squicked after that. My BBQ chicken salad was also decidedly lame. I have had it before at McMenamins Mill Creek so I was expecting something similar, but it was definitely lacking.
The decor is pretty neat in here. They have that going for them at least.
I hate to give a McMenamins joint less than four stars but sheesh...
Didn't read the Yelp entry on the Queen Anne location until I got home, but my experience pretty much jibes with theme of a lot of the comments here: great beer, lousy service. The menu looked promising, but seeing as it took 10 minutes for my Terminator to arrive and the staff was snapping at each other and looking like they'd been beaten, I decided to pass. Maybe I'll wait til I get to Portland again.
Sometimes the urge to let beer sculpt the body beautiful is necessary. And should there be any hesitations, opt for the light stuff. Surreee!
Gotta eat?
Well, McMenamins Queen Anne can fill that need too. No hesitations. But if you must know..... the place gets packed outside of lunch. So be prepared to enjoy the ambiance. But definitely order up some good ole' comfort food. It's worth the wait.
McMenamins Menu offers stuff like artichoke dip with nacho, chicken wings, mac 'n cheese with garlic bread, and cheeseburgers. And don't forget that shot of whiskey with another pint. I hear it's the best freaking replacement for dessert. Not a secret. Triple swear!
Most importantly, don't drive drunk...... get some exercise and walk home.
We were looking for a place to get some drinks in a low-key environment and also... cheap. McMenamins ended up being our choice, after we walked into Jabu's Pub and couldn't find a place to sit that wasn't in the awkward, blazingly lit back bar area. We walked into McMenamins and sat down at a large wooden table (probably big enough for 6 people) where we waited for a bit and were served by our very accommodating, friendly server. The happy hour food prices were ridiculously cheap (from $1 to $5) and the drinks (well drinks) were just $2.75! I am all about cheap drinks. I didn't eat anything, but my friend had the Caesar salad from the happy hour menu and said it was good--I would definitely try that next time. I had a surprisingly good time and I am glad to have found a low-key establishment to grab a drink that isn't Ozzie's or something like it.
Tasty beers and tater tots.
Seriously. These people know the Seattle market. They have a happy hour menu that features local microbrews and a half tots half hotwings for $5 deal.
Oh yes. Don't mind if I do, McMenamins!
Charming service, decent food, and just a stones throw away from SIFF, the ballet, and a couple of theaters. High society pre-funk!
I'm a McMenamins fan, but this location left me a little disappointed. The food was good, but not really that great. It's been better at their other locations.
hmmm...how should I put this? The service was SSSSSLLLLLOOOOOOOOWWWWWW. We waited at least 30 minutes from the time we ordered to when we got our food. I've never waited that long at any McMenamins before, ever.
Parking here also sucks, so be prepared. If you're walking around queen anne, a good option. I'll have to try it again to see if this was just a one-time thing.
I really like McMenamins, so I don't enjoy giving this low of a review :(
I was disappointed.
The thing with McMenamins is that it is hit or miss. Food is hit or miss and so is service. I was just recently here twice within 24 hours b/c it is a great after work hang out. Everyone can find something they want on the menu. Their aioli sauce that they put on their sandwiches is darn good. I had the salmon sandwich on day 1 and the club sandwich on day 2. Sandwiches range in price from $6.00-10.00 and some salads are $12.00. I also had the Nitro Pale Ale, which went down like water...smooth and refreshing.
On both days, my servers were fun, personable, and attentive. In the past, I have had some weak service. Our day 2 server asked our table of 7 for a joke and whoever gave the best joke got their beer first. Same thing with food. A little friendly competition never hurts anyone and I love a server that makes my dining experience a fun and unique one.
OH! Their pickles are possibly the best pickles I have ever had in my life! They are cut thin and full of vinegar. I could feast on the pickles alone!
We come here a lot, but this McMenamins location loses 2 stars because:
1. It's always dark in here. If they could just bring the lights up 1 notch that might even suffice.
2. The service is sometimes very slow, even when it doesn't seem to be very crowded.
The beers here are consistently good though and they usually have a few seasonals on tap as well. The food is mediocre but the tater tots are pretty darn good. You cannot beat the late night happy hour prices...what a deal! If you can afford the travel, go to Six Arms instead in Capitol Hill.
My brother and I visited the Folklife Festival (at Seattle Center) and wanted to eat at a-sit down restaurant away from the crowds. I hadn't been to this particular McMenamin's for a few years, but remembered it to be a decent option. Besides, about half of the restaurants close down on Memorial Day. It seemed like a no-brainer.
As it turned out, I felt like a no-brainer myself when I walked out the door still hungry. After spending close to twenty dollars, all I got was a pop (refillable), a pint of beer, and a 'meal' consisting of about ten tots and a way-too-small burger. C'mon, guys. What happened to the heaping piles of fries and filling burgers of the past?
Although the food tasted OK (nothing special), I just now had to pop a couple of tums to relieve the indigestion. I guess that serves me right. I wasn't expecting health food, after all.
The place isn't all bad, if you don't mind a dark environment. I found the service to be good, as is the beer (although it's a bit pricey at $4.50 per pint). If you can live without the hardwood tables/bar, the brewery/old-timey decor, etc., go elsewhere for burgers.
Kidd Valley, just west of the Center grounds, is a far better choice. At least you'll come out with your stomach feeling full (at half the price).
McMenamin's is a nice place to stop in before or after a show at some location in or around Seattle Centre or Lower Queen Anne. Recently I've been there twice in 24 hours (luck of the draw) for seeing two shows at McCaw.
The beer is good, my favourite, the Ruby. The other brews are pretty good as well. The food on the other hand has been hit or miss. The last two times, it wasn't that great, but I've had food here before and it's been great.
Ambience: It's trying to be casual and comfortable, but as a person who really enjoys my traditional pubs, some reason McMenamin's just isn't hitting the mark for me. I couldn't see soaking up hours at the bottom of my beer glass here. Oh, and the music...I really don't like it when I have to yell over the music to be understood across my own table. Tone it down just a little please? Or maybe I'm just getting old...
That said, I'd still likely go back for a before show or after show drink.
As you walk into the Roy Street McMenamins, you will find yourself gripped by an immediate sense of warmth, as though you've walked into the vanilla candle-lit kitchen of your beloved mom's split level ranch more than into a neighborhood brewpub tucked into a less-than-sightly urban development. Then, as you gaze around at the myriad kitschy murals that tattoo every flat surface in the joint and meet your new best friend/server, you realize that this 'mom' of yours is one damned cool quasi-hipster B-word who can grill up a mean Boca burger, brews a pretty tasty IPA, and has made a strong contribution to the proliferation of the sweet potato fry as a ubiquitous side option (in the northwest, at least.)
Two downers: It's a wee bit pricey, and on the busiest nights service can get mired by all the other theater-goers trying to eat before the newest show at the Rep. Recommended Remedy: Give yourself plenty of time if you're trying to make a show, and drink plenty of beer so that signing your bill at the end of the meal won't be quite so painful an ordeal.
I went back today to this place and got the Maximo Pale Nitro and the portabello mushroom sandwich. Good stuff. I found out some interesting information: this place is an everyday brewery...making beer everyday vs. Six Arms which is once per month.
For me, it's pretty tough for a McMenamins to not get four stars. Yes, there are places like the… Read more »
This was stop two on the Sunday of yelping in store for me ...
After a quick cup of coffee, and finding out Peso's had been 86'd as a destination, Jon, Delilah and I walked our way here.
The tots were smokin', literally, when served up hot. The sweet potato fries were nothing spectatular, but they were good.
The service was spotty. The waitress checked in on a fairly regular basis, but did so so quickly that if you actually TRIED to say something, it was missed as she was already 4 booths away.
X-men, rabbits named dickbob on ferret leashes, elbow-banging .... Seriously, does one need alcohol to laugh herself silly with yelpers? No, but I did succumb and have one beer near the end of this stage of the day. I don't even remember what it was...the IPA maybe?
Nothing special about this location, but lots of choices to entertain you with the company you choose to visit with! I'd go back with the right peeps!
Hooray for drinking your Breakfast with the best of them!
3 Bloody Marys + 1 Terminator + 2 Pitchers of the IPA + 1 Pitcher of the Ruby + Betsey S. the mixologist stirring up some Rubinator madness = the tardiness of our arrival to a Midsummer Nights Dream.
Ahem. There were other results as well with (to name a very few), the conjunction of wine spritzer and wang to create "wang spritzer" and epic tales of an infamous bunny named Richard Robert (aka: Dick Bob).
The service was ok here. Upon ordering our first pitcher, we were told that both the Ruby and IPA were just freshly brewed so we went on that rec. Tots came out piping hot along with some Napoleon Dynamite references, of course. On the afternoon of the past Sunday, I found that the light business McMenamins was entertaining fit the mood of our posse quite nice. Riss J., Jon L., Betsey S., Carly L. and I had good laughs and a great buzz walking out of there and onto the play in the park.
I am doing something unheard of... I am taking a review from five stars down to one.
Note: this does not mean I am blacklisting all the other McMenamin's pubs like the Six Arms on Capitol Hill or any of their awesome possum hotels in Oregon- just this one. And it might be on the dark charcoal list instead of the black one as it IS the closest one to my digs.
Tonight saw me, the rock star and the Alaskan cousin venturing there for a much-needed "eat out". First they sat in their booth and waited for me, they were initally greeted, said they were waiting for the rest of their party, then when I came in after circling the block like a cheap john for parking, we had to ask for a rag to wipe off the sticky table and clear away the used cherry stems still lingering there.
It took another ten minutes to get three drinks, (one of which happened to be the Bock that the rock star had ordered and asked for in a glass, but which came in a pint. He pointed it out to the server and the server rudely and condescendingly implied it was the rock star's mistake and not his for bringing the wrong order) and the rag and then the guy simply disappeared...
20 minutes later we got up, asked for our check and split for greener pastures, which in this case, shamedly, was the Cheesecake Factory. I know, I know, completely untrendy- but hey, the poor cousin is from Fairbanks, cut us a break.
Service was awful and we felt like we were bothering them for being there- other servers were around as well, and we kept gestering and postering that we needed assistance but we were ignored like the know-it-all kid waving his hand in a class full of slackers.
I am addicted to their ruby ale. I love their BBQ chicken salad and stuffed burger. We take friends… Read more »
Wouldn't you think that place that brews its own beer and ferments its own cider and stomps its own grapes would offer up reasonable prices on their beer and cider and wine as they've eliminated the middle man, so to speak?
I would have before tonight.
We met a friend for dinner and a drink here tonight, and, as the kids say, it was pretty "meh."
The bad:
Food=overpriced and mediocre (and small servings)
Wine=overpriced and mediocre. The cheapest glass is nearly $8, and the happy hour price is a whopping FIFTY CENTS off!
Cider=overpriced. I did not taste it, so cannot comment on its mediocrity, but $6+ for a pint of cider?
The good:
Friendly service.
Comfortable atmosphere.
Tator tots (albeit tiny servings of such).
Clearly, not enough to send me rushing back here...
After the clusterf*** of finding an entrance to Bumbershoot, seeing a show for point 5, looking at the redick prices at the beer garden, then trying to find an EXIT to Bumbershoot, the posse and I headed to Mcmenamins for food, and beer. Since last time around I only had tots, I am glad to review the food. My smoked mozzarella sandwich was the BOMB. Good shit I say.
BUT, our service was slower than molasses in Alaska and we were all getting ready to eat the crumbs in the tot basket we devoured until our lunch came. (OK maybe it was just me) The server was a bit douchey too, can't put my finger on it, but something was douchey.
As we left, Mel made a full tummy noise, followed shortly after by a belch from me.
They filled us up, but I was disappointed.
Betsey S after glancing around our first choice: "Cardy, I think that Peso's is too crowded.… Read more »
Mac 'n cheese? Tater tots?? This place makes me happy.
Happy Hour 4-6pm everyday with lots of delicious sounding choices! But I opted for the mac 'n cheese off the regular menu because I realized I'd never had it at a restaurant before. It was insanely amazing. Mega cheesy with awesome breadcrumbs all over the top. The tater tots hit the spot for an appetizer - it'd been ages since I'd had them!
Service was friendly, but, as Riss J. put it, it was spotty. Our food came out really quickly, but after we were served, our waiter disappeared for a while. He reappeared with the bill later on, but we waited probably 15-20 minutes before he came back to run the cards. Luckily we were immersed in fabulous conversation, otherwise it would have really bothered me.
I definitely want to go back to this place and try out some of the other food (and the happy hour choices!).
My friend and I went to McMenamin's because Solo was having repairs done. We ordered the hummus and pita (eh, what I would consider stereotypical "bar" food) and chips with pico de gallo (chips were colorful, but stale).
The servers were really attentive and weren't pushy to make us leave or order more drinks (we nursed one round). It was enjoyable. I can't speak to the quality of the beer because I think all beer tastes like pee.
I always want to like McMenamin's but usually end up disappointed, especially at this location. The beer is great, the place is pretty cool, and it is a comfy spot to meet a group. On the other hand, the service is extremely variable and the food needs a lot of help. The burgers are the best bet, even though they normally are cooked to cardboard dryness.
Yesterday I had a typical visit. I decided to deviate from the usual beer and get a whiskey sour featured on the cocktail menu (our own whiskey! fresh juice!) Big mistake #1. I got a small glass of ice water with a few drops of liquor and juice for the happy hour price of: $7.25! For food, my wife tried the burrito. Not bad for the happy hour price of $5.25, but the normal $10.50 is a complete joke. Chipotle is 5x better for 1/2 the price. My dinner was the pasta special which featured strips of bland poached chicken breast drenched in a mixture of 25% pesto and 75% heavy cream. Ugh. Don't forget the appetizer of stale tortilla chips and watery, flavorless, pico de gallo.
$45 later we headed to the SIFF cinema, feeling burned and lesson learned: stick to beer and burgers.
If McMenamin's could get their food act together and just match the food similar places make for the same money, their pubs would be killer. I guess they get enough business they don't have to care, but we have lots of better options around Seattle.
I love this place. My buddy and I usually hit this bar first when we hang out in lower queen anne. We only ever order drinks (and occassionally the fries/tater tots), so I can't speak to the quality of the hamburgers/salads. The atmosphere is great. Windows everywhere, large booths. It's a great place to just sit, drink and chat for an hour or two. This place is buzzing on event nights, which can range from basketball games to shows at the opera, but usually clears about by 7:30 (so service may be a little spotty until then). They brew their own beer, my favorite being "Hammerhead" (pale ale). They also seem to be more generous with their shots than some of the other bars in the neighborhood. Of course, your mileage may vary.
Have to agree with one of the other reviewers in that I sat down and waited for nearly 15 minutes before the server or host even acknowledged me. Not that I was in a rush, but it would help if I had a menu :)
In any case, this place is probably best described as a nice neighborhood pub. And despite the fact there's NO TV, their prices really aren't that bad. Pints are ~$4 and for happy hour they are a whopping 50 cents cheaper (Happy hour runs from 4-6 and 10 till close for those looking to take advantage of the savings). That said, the food is decent and perhaps I would consider giving this place another try if I happened to be bumbling down that area of queen anne again.... though seeing as there are many drinking establishments much closer to me... very unlikely.
A couple friends and I wandered here after the Seattle International Beer Festival (aka drunk and starving). While it admittedly wasn't our first choice (everything else on the street was closed, oddly), it hit the spot.
Their nitro stout was good, but not as good as the special nitro stout I had earlier this year at their Lincoln City, OR location. (Sigh.) I had a burger that was filling, delicious, and cheap, our waitress was very friendly, and their clean restrooms were a welcome respite from the beer festival Honey Buckets.
A reliably good time.
This was our pre-T-Birds hockey game hangout this past season. We went here about 6 or 7 times and had good service all but one time. That one time was weird because the server was nice, friendly, and attentive, but really slow. We couldn't figure out why our beers were taking so long because it wasn't busy at all. We missed the opening face off and the first goal because the check took so long to get the table.
The food is good, but forgettable. The wings and tots are good and the stuffed burger looks interesting, but I never had it. We liked the happy hour menu as the prices were good.
I'm kind of a sucker for their particular style of decor. I've stayed at a few of their hotes and visited a few of their other pubs. I dig on the kooky art and commitment to making every place different while retaining the feel of a McMenamin's. I've gotten the feeling at every place that they treat their employees well and it's a fun place to work. That goes a long way in my book. (Whatever a "book" is.)
I can never thank my old college buddy enough for introducing me to this place when visiting Portland in the mid-90's. I was so happy when they expanded to Washington and opened this QA location!
The place is very down home and cozy and the people who work there are nice and laid back. Their large booths can accommodate a party of six pretty easily.
The house beers are all pretty tasty and they do have rotating seasonal taps. Their house beers are: Ruby, Wheat Ale, IPA, Hammerhead, Porter and Terminator Stout. I tend to gravitate towards the Terminator Stout or the IPA. If you can't decide what you want, you can order the brewery taster ($6.90) and go from there. A pint of beer will run at $4.10 and a pitcher at $11.00. If you have at least two beers then it would be best to order a pitcher since that is equivalent to three beers. Better beer buy for your dollar! They do have a good liquor selection if beer isn't in the cards.
The food here is pretty tasty. You really can't go wrong with whatever you order. I like to start with the spicy chicken wings, then have favorites like: grilled smoked mozzarella sandwich, halibut fish and chips or one of their many burgers. The Wilber's Jumbo Deluxe burger is pretty killer bee with bacon, Tillamook cheddar and a fried egg. Sometimes I like to substitute their regular fries for sweet potato fries to mixed things up once in a while! For those that do not eat beef, you can substitute a Boca or Gardenburger patty on any burger for $1.00.
This place is also kid friendly and have a limited kid's menu.
UPDATE: 04/20/07
Tried one of their new specials: Marrakech chicken sandwich. This is a very good sandwich which they describe as: Moroccan-spiced chicken breast with apricot chutney and lemon aioli on a tradition bun with lettuce, tomato and red onion. I also liked one of their new seasonal beers: Workman's Red.
I like McMenamins I've been to many in Portland and to Six Arms a few times but rarely do I get to the McMenamins on Roy. I decided to hit it up Saturday night before going to the Thunderbirds game, it seems a lot of people had the same idea the place was packed, standing room only. But with my stealth eyes I saw two seats at the end of the bar, yes there were trays of dishes sitting in front of it but they could be moved, I wanted to sit and have some tots. We sit down the dishes are moved and menus are placed in front of us. We order drinks and review the menu, it's pointed out that they have mac and cheese and I don't even bother to look any more that's what I'm getting.
We start with the Cajun tots which was a good thing because they came quickly and our food took a while. The tots as always were the best, nice and crispy and spicy I could have had the whole basket to myself, OK maybe not. Anyways even with it being super busy sitting at the very end of the bar we still were taken care of, if someone saw our drinks were empty they came and brought us another. After waiting for what seemed like forever our food arrived, my mac and cheese was good very comforting and had a nice cheesiness about it, it was not gourmet by any means nor was it Kraft like but it was good. The boy went with the chicken sandwich and he inhaled it so I think it was good.
I say go when it's not so busy and be sure to get the tots and if you're drinking grab a Hammerhead the two go great together.
I do not know why, but the staff like to lurk by the bar cleaning out each other's ears with napkins (or whatever exactly it was I saw them doing) instead of standing by your table long enough to ascertain whether you are finished ordering.
Well, perhaps I overgeneralize. I have been there on two occasions only. Perhaps it is mere chance that on those two occasions, two different servers rushed to the table quite a while after we first occupied it, gasped out a query about beer, and then rushed away again before we had a chance to ask for our little snack.
Now, usually I don't care much whether I am served well or badly, but for the same reason that in a movie with an idiotic plot and bad acting, my attention drifts away from what the characters are saying to whether that curious object visible in the lower left-hand corner of the screen might or might not plausibly be found there, in McMenamins it is the service on which I start to dwell.
For the beer is adequate but by no means remarkable, and the food menu makes the idea of not ordering anything glow with the light of inspiration. And then, when one oneself has ordered nothing but commences nevertheless to pick at one's companions' food, the quality of said food makes one's eyes start misting over with yearning after the three-day-old odds and ends stored in various small plastic containers in the corners of one's fridge. And then one finishes one's beer and bolts home.
Our local pub hangout. If we can time it right, we go for the happy hour and absolutely on the super-cheap delish appetizers. Their chicken wings and quesadillas are amazing.
I love their terminator stout, but if I have more than two, I'm the one who's TERMINATED.
I can't think of a single reason to ding this place; for what it is it's perfect.
Somehow Portland's food and hotel family doesn't translate to Seattle. I've eaten at over half of the chain's outlets in the greater Portland area and have been disappointed in the food exactly once, and that time the manager admitted they'd totally screwed up and made every gracious effort to make it up to us.
On Roy St though, things were just "as expected". Nothing sang. None of the food was blazing hot, the tater tots seemed bland somehow, and worst of all, the configuration made it impossible to avoid smokers. (I've been back since the law changed and at least that problem is fixed -- HUZZAH!)
On the whole, I say if you need to indulge the pub food urge in Seattle you need to hit either the George and Dragon or you need to drive to Redmond for Celtic Bayou. Save the McMenamin's for Portland, where things are nearly perfect.
McMenamins on Roy has to be one of the best, chill places to grab a beer and some great pub eats. We've been going there for the last 6 years and every visit has been a great experience. The service is also efficient, friendly and fun. I love this place! =)
(Julia Z.'s comment below is completely inaccurate, McMenamins has always been a smoke free establishment.)
Full disclosure - My husband worked here for a while so I would often go sit at the bar while he worked and we sometimes came in for beers on his off days. I always got great service, and I never heard major complaints while I was there.
Even if my husband hadn't worked there, I think I would still enjoy this place. Everything was made fresh that day - soups, the spinach dip (excellent!), all made from scratch each morning. The burgers are handpacked and the fries are fresh cut. The chicken fingers and tator tots are good, as is the fresh made hummus plate.
If you want to sample a beer, just ask and they will bring you a few sips to try for free. The porter is fantastic, the terminator stout and hammerhead are also great. Ask what beers are on nitro - they are generally excellent.
This isn't haute cuisine by any means, but it is good basic pub fare made fresh, and the beers are all great.
Ok, normally I wouldn't give a restaurant 5 stars if I felt the ambiance lacked, but the chicken, oh the chicken dish, it out freaking standing. I have had dreams about it since dining there several months ago.
AND, I might add, I had the cutest waiter who brought me a tablespoonful of the sauce the chicken came in BEFORE I ORDERED, so I could decide if I liked it.
Holy fish sticks, you just don't find that kind of service, well- anywhere! I honestly thought he was going to hand feed it to me! (Ah- I'm getting weak- yummy chicken, cute waiter, hand-fed with a spoon...)
OK- back to the chicken, it's in this creamy, red wine sauce, with red onions and garlic and some other amazingly good stuff in it. Not too heavy, not too light, superbly tender chicken. Heavenly.
I was told they are being sold so get the chicken while you still can.
I came here Friday night after seeing a play for a few beers. I sat for about 45 minutes before the bar tender even acknowledged that we were there. She said something about being busy then walked away. At that point, we did the same.
Now I know that people call in sick and stuff happens, but at least let us know you see us and will get to us as soon as you can. A little polite honesty works much better then in-polite hostility.
I see this place has gotten a lot of good reviews so I'll probably try it again, but this time I was sorely disappointed.
Special Discount For Yelpers!
Neighborhood: Green Lake
Holiday Parties
Seattle, WA
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
Category: Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Fremont
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
Category: Bars
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