"Ballard is well celebrated for being ground zero for dive bars in Seattle, but few dive tourists will venture down to the tail end of Market Street, whence two chilled-out, picture-perfect watering holes await: The Sloop Tavern (already on Eater Seattle’s dive bar map) and the Lockspot. The ‘Spot wins the distinction as an essential Seattle bar because it’s right next to one of the most gorgeous and iconic parks in the city, because it’s old as hell — an actual historic Seattle place — and also because the food absolutely fucks. Fish and chips here will put any proper British chip shop to shame, and all the sandwiches, e.g., the Philly, are luxurious and huge. They have a fun list of silly cocktails too, with Malibu and grenadine and blue curacao et al. Under new ownership since 2021, it seems like absolutely nothing has changed at the Spot next to the Locks, which has been an operating bar for almost a century." - Meg van Huygen, Mark DeJoy, Eater Staff
