College Inn Pub
Pub · University District ·
Local dive bar with draft beers, cocktails & American pub fare
Local dive bar with draft beers, cocktails & American pub fare
"Back from a brief closure, this hallowed off-campus basement hangout is now owned by Jae Chang (who also owns the boba shop upstairs) and is rebooting with a limited food menu." - Harry Cheadle
"After spending several months looking for a buyer with no success, owners Jen Gonyer and Al Donohue opted to close permanently; the last day of service will be June 15 so the long-running bar can host one last season of graduation celebrations." - Harry Cheadle
"I've long thought of the College Inn Pub as a beloved, half-century-old basement watering hole in the University District — literally haunted by a ghost named Howard — that feels like a classic campus dive with dark wood, a vaguely English vibe, and students and professors chopping it up in dim light. After closing during the 2020 pandemic, owners Jen Gonyer and Al Donohue (Gonyer had worked there as a server and even wrote part of her University of Washington dissertation there) stepped in, spent the 2020–21 academic year rehabilitating the 1909 building with updated electrical and plumbing, more modern equipment, fresh paint and wood finishing, and a kitchen sink that holds water, and then reopened while consciously changing very little; aside from being noticeably “brighter” now that 35-plus years of indoor tobacco use have been painted over, the space remains the well-loved pub it always was. They say they accomplished their goal of saving the Pub from permanent pandemic demise, but after four years of running it they are now looking to sell — if no buyer is found, the last day of service will be June 15, 2025 — and as the UW academic year begins they plan a “senior year” of community events (follow the bar on Instagram for details)." - Harry Cheadle
"Reopened in July after more than a year dormant, the College Inn Pub in the U District aims to recapture the well-loved, smoky dive-bar vibe it had in the 1990s—when, as longtime server Jen Gonyer recalls, “heavy, heavy, heavy blankets of smoke in the top probably four feet [of the bar]” filled the room—while now feeling noticeably brighter after 35-plus years of indoor tobacco use were finally painted over. Gonyer, who worked there in the 90s and even wrote part of her UW grad school dissertation in the place, partnered with her husband Al Donohue and friend Seth Howard to take over the lease and keep visible changes minimal, focusing major renovations on unseen systems like safer electrical work, updated plumbing to code, modern kitchen equipment, a new computer system, and better bar gear; the building is over a hundred years old and the bar itself used to be a storage space. The menu remains largely the same—mainstays like nachos and grinders—with a new meatball sandwich proving popular recently; the kitchen is still limited (there’s no fryer or grill and they’ve removed the microwave), so the pub will likely stick to basics. On draft are local beers from Cloudburst, Skookum, and Ravenna along with PBR for older-school patrons, and there’s a full bar serving classic cocktails with freshly made juice. The pub has been open for about a month of indoor service with no vaccine requirement for entry (masks required starting Aug. 23), and the owners are working on an outdoor deck across from the main entrance, all with the stated goal of maintaining the history and community feel that made the place beloved." - Gabe Guarente
"After announcing it would close permanently, longtime U District favorite College Inn Pub was purchased by several restaurant and bar veterans who are aiming for a comeback." - Gabe Guarente