Lengedary Dive Bar the Waterwheel Lounge Is Still Here, for Now | Eater Seattle

"Sitting in a one-story building at 7034 15th Avenue Northwest, the Waterwheel Lounge—constructed in 1970 and housed here since 1974—feels like one of the last crunchy 1970s Seattle roadhouses on 15th Avenue. I watched rumors about its closure swirl since 2019, and now the bar is officially slated to close on January 10, 2026 after plans by developer Magedai Apartments (filed April 2023 and approved following administrative design review and public comment) to replace it with a five-story building with a ground-floor restaurant, 16 residential units, and parking for six vehicles were accepted. It's known for cheerful service, a powerful aroma of historic spilled beer, a grotty wood-paneled, 1970s rumpus-room aesthetic, seven nights a week of entertainment (karaoke, bingo, trivia, live music), one of the biggest, best patios in town, bells hung by early regulars, sketchy restrooms, and the rarity of an on-site parking lot in Ballard; although it hasn't served hot food in years, longtime patrons still rave about its killer fried chicken. Manager Natalie Wentworth keeps a Y2K-style countdown clock on the wall and says the bar will keep operating and booking events months in advance until the lease ends; she also laughs that moving into the new building's retail space isn't financially realistic and that they wouldn't trade the gritty, familiar space for a modern one—"Wayne's World" style—even if they could." - Meg van Huygen