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Viking Tavern
Rating Details »
1221 N Stevens St
Spokane, WA 99201
(509) 326-2942
Spokane, WA 99201
(509) 326-2942
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Music:
- Live, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Wed, Thu, Fri
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
10 reviews for Viking Tavern
Upon entering this fine establishment for the first time, I was awe struck by the selection of beers, the smell of popcorn, and the singing of angels coming from the shuffle board along the wall.
In a town that tries valiantly to pry itself from the "old west" stereotype by having excellent bars and restaurants with an upscale feel, it was a revelation to find a place that reminded me of my humble beginnings of rural Montana. All they are missing is the sawdust on the floor.
Seek and ye shall find, knock and the door will be opened, drink and be merry. Hidden in an odd part of town, out of the way, and an uninspiring exterior, I doubt you accidently find your way into the Viking. I missed it the first time I drove by, but I was very happy from the minute I stumbled into the place. The place has the personality you would expect of a solid, well-loved bar - namely, it's cozy, rugged, and has the greatest selection of beer in Spokane.
If you want beer, come here. The tap list is the largest and most diverse I've ever seen - they even had Lambic Framboise on tap. And their bottled beer selection rocks.
Free popcorn? Icing on the cake.
If you're looking for a place to enjoy a brew in Spokane, come here.
Spokane's best non-hipster, non-sports, non-douchebag bar. For the everyman! Best beer selection in Spokane by far...and FREE popcorn!
In these sensitive times we live in, The Viking is the new pirate. A sea-faring scoundrel we can all get behind.
Don't be fooled by the odd exterior, the bar has easily the best selection of beer you will find in the greater Spokanistan area. And, unlike "other" bars, when the Viking says there is no crap on tap, they MEAN it (I'm sorry but you're not allowed to have High LIfe on tap and make this claim). Taps are mostly American Microbrews (which is very much appreciated by me) with a handful of import staples. You will also often find beer here that NO ONE else in town ever gets. They occasionally have some real rarities on tap and the taps are CONSTANTLY rotating. You can sometimes not come here for a week or two and see FIFTEEN new beers. This beer geek really appreciates that.
I don't usually name-drop for a couple reasons:
- Reviews that name drop are often done by fake-ish profiles trying to boost the score of an establishment (read: Catacombs Pub)
- I don't ever remember anyone's name
- People that name drop are often just giving a "shout out" to a friend that works there, which calls the non-biased nature of the review into question.
However, Krystal (not sure if that's how she spells her name) is one of the most intelligent, interesting, attentive, efficient, and just damn nice bartenders I have ever had. She's already incredibly knowledgeable about her beer and isn't afraid to chat it up with the beer geeks.
My only downside is that this place is quite a bit farther of a walk from my normal stomping grounds, so I don't get to go here as often as I'd like.
Protips:
- Monday: $5 pitchers of microbrewed beer, amazing deal
- Wednesday: snag a free collectible beer glass!
- Thursday: wine specials
Forgot to mention: they have free popcorn! This is trixy on their part as it often keeps you drinkin'
I have fond memories of hitting this place up during breaks from college in Seattle. That was over 10 years ago, and from reading the reviews, it's reassuring to know that this place is still going strong.
This is a great place to take old friends and get caught up over a few Bronsons. The beer selection simply can't be beat within the Inland Empire. (as far as I'm aware)
Last time I went I remember there being an old skool cigarette vending machine, how bad-ass is that?! Funny story about that machine: I usually smoke camel lights or marlboro mediums, fuck lights. Didn't see any camel lights so I hit the button that simply said "Camels". Out came the pack and I noticed it was about about an inch shorter than a normal pack. "Ahhh, I got fuggen gypped!" I politically incorrectly swore to myself, "I can't believe it, what kind of rip-off machine is this? Selling short cigarettes...". Then I proceeded to open up the pack, "Damn, I opened up the wrong end..."....flipped it over and opened up the other side.."what the... where's the damn filter?" Then it dawned on me.
I decided to light one up and take a few drags, and holy crap, my head started spinning and I became nauseous in about 2 minutes from the nicotine blast. I might as well have just cooked up the tobacco in a spoon with a little old Crow and then and mainlined it with a hypodermic syringe.
Yes folks, that was my first experience with a camel unfiltered cig. Good times at the Viking....wonder if they still have that cigarette vending machine with the unfiltered Camels.
Great beer selection - 28 taps, many of which rotate regularly, including a seletion of local and not-so-local microbrews, and a number of imports from all over. Tenders are quite knowlegeable about all their beers, and they also have something like 100 different beers in bottle.
Sort of a divey atmosphere, but now that there's no more smoking inside it's a fun place. Reasonably loud jukebox (of the internet variety). Also a pool table and assorted bar games.
But go for the beer.
Lots and lots of beer! When I went to Gonzaga, they also had a pint glass night where you'd get to keep the glasses. It was a pretty sweet thing.
Also, this place has some of the best free popcorn. It will definitely get you thirsty!
Giving Beer the respect it deserves - the Viking Tavern boasts 100 different bottled beers and 35 beers on tap. Bring your passport and tour the world by beer at this traditional pub. The Viking tavern has been offering the best selection of common and uncommon brews along with uncommonly good grub for over 30 years.
I'm not going to speak to the beer selection, since I'm not much of a drinker - but OMG - the sandwiches at this place ROCK! My boyfriend works nearby and will often stop at the Viking to pick up lunch for us both to go. I believe the sandwich I usually get is the "Big Bird" - a grilled turkey, bacon, and swiss masterpiece - and the fries are terrific too! If you are a fan of "skinny" - style fries, (ala McD's...and I am!) - you will love the Viking's shoestring fries - which are served lightly sprinkled with salt and pepper. The Viking offers perfect bar food - seriously yummy!
The place may look extremely shady from the outside even for Spokane standards, but this place is heaven. Plain and simple. If you happen to stop by you'll have no clue how this place remains open. They seemed to stop caring about what the place looked like 20-30 years ago, a least that's when the last update in decor seemed to have happened, but that hardly matters. When you've got a menu consisting solely of the beers in store. Wednesday nights are the best, buy a pitcher of beer (anything but the cheap macrobrews) and you get yourself a pint glass to take home. I feel somewhat ashamed that the only glasses I have in my house consist of beer related ones. There's a huge fire pit in the middle of the bar, and a shuffle board as well. The popcorn they have there is a total necessity to constantly have available (beer and popcorn- nothing better). I absolutely love that this place is hardly ever packed, they have outstanding beers on tap and in the bottle, and everyone from the customers to the bartenders are friendly. This place rocks
