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Categories: Beer, Wine & Spirits, Sandwiches
Neighborhood: BallardMon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
"Over the last 6 months, Michael and I have become tight. I roll in there about once a week, in search of dark cherry cabs or reasonable…" read more »
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We went to the Dray yesterday to fill up the growler and we selected a winter ale, which apparently was the most popular beer of the day. Unfortunately, our growler only got filled halfway before the beer ran out!
Instead of charging us for the beer, or dumping it out (thank God, because it was delicious), the bartender gave it to us for free, and wouldn't take a tip.
I really like the decor in the Dray. The wooden interior is inviting, and it had a cozy atmosphere considering. It wasn't particularly large, and people who were there were obviously familiar and comfortable with the place.
I think my single complaint was that there wasn't enough beer to fill our growler, but it's not the Dray's fault that it's such a popular and delicious beer1
I just moved from Greenlake to Phinney and I know deep down on a subconscious level it's so that I can be closer to The Dray.
Being that I love a good beer, but don't really know what I'm doing when it comes to picking them out, I appreciate the friendly staff that don't make me feel like an idiot because I don't know about beer. This is a great place to go if you're with people that do know about beer but you don't want to hang out someplace as dingy as the Stumbling Monk or as crowded as Brouwer's.
I'm big on atmosphere and the head to toe wood panels and the subtle squirrel theme make me feel like I could hang out there all day. They have great food as well, and the portions aren't too big. I often find myself dreaming about their salami sandwich.
Thank goodness I now live only a 10 minute walk away from this place!
This is a fantastic place for what it is - a small bar with a well curated selection of beer. My husband and I have stopped in a couple times on a weekend afternoon, tempted by the exotic beers on tap. I'm sure the place can get rowdy with a Sounders FC crowd, but our times there were rather quiet and relaxing.
They managed to have New Belgium's Love on tap when we were there, which was exceptionally sour, and a treat! I'm not used to having such sour beers easily available. Highly recommended, this is a great, tiny beer bar.
Cozy little bar with a great beer selection. Always great music and always a friendly bartender. Pretty much the perfect bar to just hang out in.
Good selection of draft beers for people who like the sort of viscous, piss-warm, stew-tastin' pints that pass for beer in Seattle (which is totally not the bar's fault). The sandwich menu looks OK in a pinch, but not something I'd go across the street for. They stock landjaeger, an oddity in Seattle. On the whole a useful neighborhood place. Coffee, drinks, chow, wifi. Dig it. Nice build-out, too.
The Dray has established itself as a very fine 65th Street hangout. The natural wood interior and limited seating makes for a cozy environment while the two large front windows open all the way to the ceiling, letting in fresh air and lots of natural light. The coffee is significantly better than your typical bar brew, and the tap selection is well-rounded to satisfy any taste. To round out the experience, the bartenders typically do a pretty good job of matching the music the collective mood, generally playing entire albums ranging from Radiohead to Billy Bragg.
Depending on the time of day, it can meet very different needs for you:
In the afternoons, the Dray is a great place to relax with a delicious beverage (start with a coffee and migrate to beer as the day progresses). It's the perfect atmosphere to read a book or have a casual conversation, and they have wifi so you can "work from home" if that's your alibi. The music is always at a reasonable volume for these kinds of activities, and the crowd will ebb and flow without ever getting overly busy, with the occasional exception of when they're showing an afternoon soccer match.
In late afternoon/early evening, things pick up as people are either winding down from work or gearing up for the evening. It's still suitable for smaller groups and conversation at reasonable volumes, but you may find seating difficult at times.
When the evening rolls around it becomes a bit of a scene and is frequently SRO if you hadn't staked out a table early on. While it definitely draws a hipster contingent, you won't be shunned if you don't have the right ink, skinny enough jeans, or ironic enough t-shirt.
In all, The Dray has been a very welcome addition to the neighborhood. Even as it increases in popularity, it hasn't seemed to compromise on any of the attributes that made it an easy favorite.
Sweet little bar, great location, awesome selection of beers. Heavy-handed wine pours. Great set-up. It'd be a good place for a date or with a group. I'll definitely be back!
You know what's just downright rude? When your landlord doesn't have the consideration - the basic human decency! - to put laundry facilities in, around, or anywhere remotely close to the building he owns. It's terrible.
So I'm forced to go to the grimy old E-Z-Wash on 65th to do my laundry. The SOLE BRIGHT SPOT of laundry day is getting to spend hours and hours and hours cozied up at the Dray with a lovingly brewed craft beer and a tasty panini sandwich. They have a wide selection of National Geographics, which is nice when you've forgotten to bring a book and if you're not interested in the soccer -- sorry, football (nerds) -- matches they play on the small-ish but perfectly adequate tvs in the corner.
You can also grab a delicious and anal-retentively brewed coffee beverage if you're not in a drinking mood, or if you just now realized that that beer you just drank is, like 11% abv and you need to sober up before you go shove your clothes in the dryer.
Staff is always friendly and, more importantly, always willing to pour you a growler of anything they have on tap, so you can enjoy their beers at home while you organize your socks.
I found The Dray thanks to one of my favorite blogs Orangette and I thought - this sounds too good to be true: incredible beer selection, sandwiches, in my neighborhood and will show the Tour de France. What more do I need? So I took my husband yesterday and because I rocked his world with The Dray he actually went to an antiques store with me after. Need I say more people?
The Dray is a cozy wood bar that is polished and warm in feel - not necessarily rustic. One of the large front windows was open when I was there giving me hope for summer days and knowing this bar would be great then too. Our bar gal was incredibly nice and easily chatt-able and gave us great suggestions and a few samples of beer. Our afternoon passed calmly - sigh.... I love The Dray.
1. Great beer selection - I mean, it's huge!
2. Tasty sandwiches and they serve them late too.
3. You can buy a jug-o-beer (growler) for $20 and give it to your friends as cool birthday presents!
Went here for the first time last weekend. Not sure what took me so long as I have heard great things about this establishment from friends. It is great! The grilled cheese hit the spot too.
The location (for me) makes this place almost perfect. I would say that it's awesome... just not super awesome. It's a bit new feeling for me. Basically, I just want to drink amazing beer in a dark, wood filled, whole in the wall bar, with lots of character and charm. There is wood, only not dark and it's nice inside... not many dust balls blowing around the joint.
Don't get me wrong, the place is great. I just think it will be even greater in a few years.
I love the beer selection. It usually takes me 15 minutes to decide on what to drink. The bartenders are good at helping you out. I've definately come in with very specific request and they have been able to limit the list of over a hundred to about 3 or 4. That's pretty awesome.
For example, you could walk in and say, "I'd like something aged in an oak barrel, something on the strong side (about 8ish), and similar to a belgian sour or bruin" and they'd have more than one option... awesome. I'll take one of each please.
They also have Stumptown espresso drinks and don't serve de-caf... which is pretty amazing.
Writing about beer makes me want one... I gotta go.
I love The Dray. I always feel like an insecure teenager when I walk in because it's such a tiny joint and everyone seems to be BFFs, but my anxiety usually settles down after a drink.
The little rosemary melts are delicious. So simple and delicate; they're the perfect bite. Add a beer for complete happiness.
I spent a fantastic afternoon here drawing and drinking great beer. I'm a freelance designer and am always looking for a place to hang out, get a little wifi, draw in peace and drink some coffee or beer. This place is tops for all of those things. I'd like to see what this place was like on a weekend, but I highly recommend Tuesday afternoons at 4pm.
We had to check the iphone to see what a 'dray" was exactly.
*clears throat*
1dray Listen to the pronunciation of 1dray
Pronunciation:
\dr\
Function:
noun
Etymology:
Middle English draye, a wheelless vehicle; akin to Old English dræge dragnet, dragan to pull -- more at draw
Date:
14th century
: a vehicle used to haul goods ; especially : a strong cart or wagon without sides
OR
Dray of squirrels: the nest of a squirrel, hence, squirrels collectively, 1607.
We were going with the wagon definition since it seems like a good way to cart around beer. Then I went to the bathroom and there was a GIANT squirrel painted on the wall.
Who knows, maybe they are going for all possible definitions.
It's intimate but didn't feel small (even though some say it is). It was pretty full and yet still felt comfortable. Like someone's living room. My favorite part is that they serve coffee. I pretty much have stopped drinking, and so offering espresso drinks is going to make it a go-to bar for me when I want to socialize with drinkers. I have been wishing for a bar like that. The food also smelled DELICIOUS, and the beer menu is extensive. BIG fan.
I would give it 5-stars if they had more food and a little more space. However, this place is great!
As a soccer/football fan, it's nice to have a neighborhood bar with such a great beer selection and an appreciation for the world's game. I see some people complain about the prices, but I find them to be fair. The owners were very nice, the bar staff has always been super friendly, and the patrons were not pretentious.
The latter is hard to find in a soccer bar with such a great beer selection. Every time I have gone to the Dray, I have met someone new, and shared laughs and conversation with complete strangers.
The Tin Hat if I want to get pissed, the Dray if I want to catch a game, and share a pint with friends and strangers alike!
I love that this place feels so much like a friendly neighborhood cafe and yet serves some bitchin beers! Go to watch some soccer, drink a beer you've never had before, and use the wicked fast wifi!
I'm still trying to figure out how they fit all of those beers into such a small place.
It's less of a factor of how small the place is but more of their massive beer selection.
Don't forget to order at the bar, because waiting at your table will be a lesson in futility.
Super cute bar - with a great "northwest" feel. When you enter into Dray it feels as though you have stepped off the streets of Ballard into the great outdoors. There was a decent selection of beers and wines.
The bar itself was a bit on the overly lit end, and reminded me more of a northwest coffee shop, instead of a late night pub. Unfortunately the looks were deceiving, and the coffee was awful...but the glass of wine made up for that.
Overall a cute place to gather with friends and enjoy a few drinks.
It's tiny, parking can be something of an issue, and it's aimed squarely at the beer nerd. But I happily live with all those things. Their beer is well selected and well cared for. The food is really solidly considered and executed. The service is great, and the prices are fair.
I personally tend to do most of my bar choosing based on being able to get a beer I have never tried, which makes me sort of a weirdo about picking bars. And odds are, the Dray rarely has anything I haven't tried (trust me, I'm also weird in the way of having tried way too many beers). But this place is easily cool enough that I keep coming back even if I don't know what's pouring.
We were looking for a place in the neighborhood that was open late. I realize that this place should be judged more for their extensive beer collection than for their food. First, they do have a very good selection of beer - I'm not a beer connoisseur but they have lots of microbrews and selections that change frequently. Second, their food menu is very limited - maybe 10 sandwiches, but what's there is decent. My tuna melt was warm and tasty, though regrettably not overstuffed like tuna melts often are. My companion's salami panini was ok - hot and crispy, though I'm personally not a huge fan of salami because I feel like it often has a strange, foot-like aftertaste when it's warmed up. Both sandwiches were served with thick cut tortilla chips and salsa.
Overall, a great option if you're looking for beer but only a mediocre option if you're looking for food.
"If" I was to die today and "if" I was going to go to heaven. Then The Dray would be my own personal heaven! Because they have an amazing selection on tap and their beer list is too freaking die for!! So I challenge you Yelp to attempt to destroy me because I know where I will end up!!! So if you're a beer connoisseur(aka DRUNK) then I invite you to enjoy my own personal heaven!
Prost! Cheers! Salud! Slainte! Salute!
I don't drink any more, but if I did (and if I liked beer) I would probably call this place my second home.
The menu is actually super delish, and all their sammies are made with excellent bread. Great atmosphere, and you gotta love the football (soccer for you Americans) games on TV 24/7! Pleasant bartender too.
Unassuming bar on 65th. For me it fits that niche that exists somewhere between the Tin Hat and the Gaol (although I am a fan of the Gaol).
Since I am gluten-free, it's hard to go here and stare at the long beer list. I opted for wine on my first visit, since hard alcohol was not available.
It was on my SECOND visit that I noticed, nearly halfway from the top of the beer list, I spied a GLUTEN-FREE beer. A GF beer that I had never heard of! Green's was the name, and I ordered one quickly.
As far as I know, The Dray is the ONLY bar in Seattle that has a gluten-free beer option. This alone will bring me back to The Dray, this curious niche-filling bar just a few blocks stumble from my home.
Why oh why did I avoid the Dray until now? Did I avoid it or did I underestimate it due to it's diminutive size? Either way something came over me the other day when I was driving by the 65th bar corridor and I was inexplicably drawn to stop and check it out, and hooooo mama am I glad I did!
This place is a little vest-pocket beer oasis, with a small but well chosen number of unusual taps and a large bottle selection. There's food too, with toasted sandwiches made fresh on the premises by the friendly staff. And when I say this place is little I mean REALLY little, it's one of the smallest bars I've ever seen, but it's all so shiny and new and everything is so well designed you really feel comfy. I went in for one drink and couldn't tear myself away with less than 2, I didn't want to leave!
I'd say if you don't like being close to other patrons the Dray might not be for you, as the tables and wood stools are a bit tight and maybe a little hard on the keister. This should not be a deterrent, and won't keep me away from this small wonder.
What a lovely place to sit out the rain, enjoy a drink and fill a growler. The small room is cozy and warm. The beers (an Allagash White for me and an Anacortes Double IPA for him) were amazing and the bartender could not have been a nicer guy.
It's a place we will return to soon.
The Dray is among my favorite bars in Seattle! The theme here is a squirrels dray, which is a little nest of twigs, leaves and bark made by two squirrels as a winter den - what a perfect metaphor for a Seattle pub. The cozy interior has a warm glow from the wood lining the walls and the friendly bartenders and neighborhood folks who hang out here. Delicious beer selection including a wide variety of Belgian brews. They always play good music, but never so loud that you have to yell to have a conversation. This is the best place in Seattle for great beer, atmosphere, and no attitude - just friendly folks. This is even a pleasant stop for an afternoon coffee.
Imagine if you will a magical world where you could drink coffee in the morning, amazing beer all day long and pass out in the bathroom under the loving eye of a giant drinking squirrel.
I wish I knew a place like that...
Hops Van Boorian on Tap!
Amazing beer selection with 12 taps and hundreds of bottles! good organic coffee and grilled sandwiches.
The Dray has Lots of Squirrel paraphernalia? Cool wood counters and tables, and flat screens showing soccer mostly. Easy going relaxing neighborhood bar.
Mighty fine lower Phin/east 'Lard drinking roost, featuring...
! * La Chouffe * !
! * Stone IPA * !
! * Grilled Cheese* !
! * WiFi* !
! * More! * !
! * MUCH more * !
Slide your smooth-ish booties onto their smooth pine stools to find out just what. Hint: rotating special-good beers that will please you. (Yes, also you.)
But know this: if you're having grilled cheese, BYO ketchup. Ketchup counts! says me. Grilled cheese without ketchup tastes like despair.
I'll check back and report on any condiment developments. Beer caliber steady.
---------------------------------------------
UPDATE 4/22/08 Sources proclaim they now have ketchup! Rah.
Here is the tale of my foray,
Into a Ballard pub,
Interesting named The Dray.
Ordering one, two, then a round,
Wasn't enough to get over the ski lodge feel,
With the wood that surround.
Their offerings of food was slim,
Unlike their menu of beer,
Surmounted to pieces of bread encapsulating somethin'.
I fail to hold this place dear,
But I doth remember,
The Tin Hat is near.
This place is quite enjoyable. The beer selection is really interesting--it helps that I love my beers, which you could probably tell by my other drink-related reviews... but I digress. They had this delicious stuff called Rejewvenator by Hebrew, a kosher beer made from figs. I approved. I approved of drinking one too many for a school night. Again.
Anyway, the place seemed cool, and I really liked the open front garage-style windows on a hot evening. The Dray gets bonus points for letting the cutest little pug hang out with one of the laptop-wielding patrons.
The bartender was nice and not pretentious; definitely not overly attentive to the non-regulars, though. The bar stools and tall tables weren't very comfy, but the other options looked like a good place to hang out. I'll be back.
Now I can vouch for the beers! We sampled three, and they were all great. Maya, the bartender, knows her stuff and was much fun to chat up about beers and more. I have to say that among the Belgian, a $20 stout and the one with the best name, the Weihenstephan, the latter was the favorite - and only $6.
65th Street in Ballard has some of the coolest little bars in Seattle. Intimate, good tunes, nice… Read more »
Limited food menu is not a joke. It is just three sandwiches (Tuna, Grilled Cheese, and one other I don't remeber). I was scoping this place out as a place to take the wife and kids for dinner sometime. I won't be doing that. But I will be enjoying fine ales. There is a great selection of beers on tap and a better selection of bottled beers.
It has a weird vibe of being a coffee house crossed with a pub. But it works. The small quaint environment is conducive to conversation and with a cool beer in your hand and a nice breeze coming in from the open garage windows you don't want to leave.
Tiny, woodsy, local beer joint with good sandwiches, great music and soccer on the tube.
Like some of the reviews on here, I would give it 5 stars if they had more food and more room. This place is great! And they have soccer on 24/7. The beer choices were great and the vibe was relaxed. My friend and I stopped by and had a couple of beers and Paninis for lunch and were quite impressed. I'll be back for sure.
Woah, woah woah. Have you noticed the custom painted "Drey" ambulance parked outside? Here's the scoop (at least a reputable rumor....): this 'mobile, which has been completely reupholstered inside, has been created to transport Dray patronizers who are also Sounders fans to Sounders games. Show up at the Dray before the game, drink some fine fine brew, drink more fine fine brew on the way to the game, and at the game, then on the way back from the game. Then get a cab ride home from the Dray (lest you wind up with a ride from a real ambulance after riding home in the beer'bulance). Holla!!!! I'm not sure about the details of this marvelous new service invention (such as cost, when it is offered, if you have to be friends with the owner or if you can just go), but I loooove it. I'll be posting again if I have the privilege of riding in it.
Yay, yay, I love the Dray. It is a little slice of Europe. Beer snobs, this bar is for you… Read more »
My BFF introduced me to The Dray about a week ago and I fell in love instantly! They have an amazing selection of brews both bottled and on-tap. If you're overwhelmed by the list, the owner or barkeep on shift will be happy to help you pick something out. I worked in a German bar and have been biased towards german brews since but The Dray has opened my little taste buds' worlds! I like to try new beer so I always order something different and here I'll be able to do this for a loooong time. My BFF LOVES the Big Al Abbey Wheat- it's pretty damn good.
The thing about The Dray that made me really fall in love with it is the personality and love that went into creating this perfect little bar. The attention to detail put into The Dray make it feel unpretentious, not-overly complicated, and super comfortable, from the "simple" tavern-like selection of beverages to the sandwiches with subtle additions such as pickled apples, raisins or carrot-jalapeno chutney. Props to the owners! If you go to their website you can look at pictures of how this little gem was conceived and executed I would recommend anyone who likes good beer and a chill atmosphere to go to The Dray. Support your local tavern!!
Coffee = good
Beer = good
Sandwiches = good
The Dray = great
Some highlights include: football on the telly, a speaker in the bathroom so you can hear what is on the TV when you are in it, intimate setting, magazines to read, and showing of the debates.
My only suggestion is that they add dessert or at least some cookies to the menu!
If you're a beer snob and you haven't been to the Dray yet, shame on you.
Shame on me for waiting this long to hit the Dray.. and shame on you if you haven't been here… Read more »
I work down the street from The Dray, and I can tell you we needed it!
beer and cider, snacks, delicious sandwiches, AND Stumptown Coffee! Thank you! You really ARE a workhorse!
Kids allowed til 9 pm!
10% off 6 bottles of wine!
Neighborhood: Downtown
Family Meal Deal $22.99
Neighborhood: Greenwood
Neighborhood: Ballard
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Ballard
Category: Delis
Neighborhood: Ballard
Category: Pubs
Neighborhood: Ballard
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: Ballard
Category: Pubs
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