Columbia City Ale House

This place turned out to be a great little hole in the wall. The bartender was really nice and helpful with selecting both my drink and meal. I got the chopped cheese sandwich and it was pretty amazing. A big greasy, but very flavorful. The baked goat cheese salad was also super good. I wasn’t crazy about the Mediterranean plate though. Next time I would just get the full baked goat cheese salad instead. Their beer selection was solid but man that espresso martini was perfect. Not the best but still very delicious. If I go back it would be for that salad and a beer. Very chill bar vibe. Not crazy about the limited seated space. Felt a little cramped but I guess that’s expected.

Went to Columbia City Ale House. The Server Jennifer was absolutely stunning and friendly!!! Super delicious! The food is cooked to perfection! Very fresh! I personally love thier NY Chopped Cheese and their fries! Their BBQ sauce is like stellar!! Love to walk here since it’s walking distance from my place. Highly recommended!!! Love love love it 😍!

We enjoyed a low key weekend lunch at this casual spot. We had no wait (11:45am, Saturday in May), nor did anyone who came in after us. We sipped some local brews at the bar while my husband studied for an exam. The staff was incredibly friendly and clearly knew many of the locals. We love this kind of neighborhood brewery where everyone feels welcome. We had a steak sandwich and the special buffalo fried chicken sandwich, both with potato salad. The steak sandwich was huge and delicious. The buffalo chicken sandwich was also a large portion and super tasty. It had a nice balance of spicy and cream from the ranch dressing. The potato salad was awesome.

If I could give this place ten stars, I would! The food and drinks are the best on the block but it’s just a compliment to the great people who work there. No matter how busy it is they never forget you and make you feel right at home.

When adventure means trying a new place to eat in your home city, I ventured to Columbia City Ale House. The service was grand. The atmosphere is, well, like an ale house. The crab and pork cake was excellent. The sambal was very spicy, so go easy. I folded the pita like a soft taco and it worked to contain the fillings. The side salad was delicious; I finished that first. Yum! I'll be back.

The food is always excellent and I love that they have a large selection of beers and ciders. Great local restaurant!

Excellent service and delicious food and beer. We had the curry cashews and the Reuben and everything was excellent. They went to great lengths to provide us guidance on drink selection. The food took about 20 minutes to come out, but it was worth the wait!

I love this place. The specials and soups never disappoint, the staff is always friendly, and Emily is awesome. Get the New York chop, top shelf 👍

This place turned out to be a great little hole in the wall. The bartender was really nice and helpful with selecting both my drink and meal. I got the chopped cheese sandwich and it was pretty amazing. A big greasy, but very flavorful. The baked goat cheese salad was also super good. I wasn't crazy about the Mediterranean plate though. Next time I would just get the full baked goat cheese salad instead. Their beer selection was solid but man that espresso martini was perfect. Not the best but still very delicious. If I go back it would be for that salad and a beer. Very chill bar vibe. Not crazy about the limited seated space. Felt a little cramped but I guess that's expected.

Went here yesterday with a group of four friends wanting to have a drink, a bite and to watch a bit of the Seahawks game because Rookies had no seating available. There was about 10 people inside and as soon as we entered and asked if we could take a table, the man behind the bar without even muttering a hello when we walked in shouts at our direction "I'm not doing this! I'm not doing this. I'm the only one working". Thoroughly confused at what's going on, we kind of stood there frozen for a second and he kept saying "I'm not doing this" and shaking his head. We would have got it if he was feeling overwhelmed being the only server but to just automatically shout that was ghastly. And it wasn't lost on us that we were a group of all poc and everyone in there at that time was white. He was a man of color himself but this interaction it seemed so....befitting of a gentrified neighborhood in Seattle

Our family have been regulars at this little pub for many years now. The female staff and owner have always been amazing to us and the food is really fairly good. Over time I've been noticing a trend with a newer younger male staff, so we avoid the place when he is there. I see some other reviewers here have had the same issues with the same young man. Finding it's not quite the home for us it once was. Try their Reuben if you get a chance. Hopefully staff changes over soon enough and we will start going again.

Good food, good draft beers and good service add up to a great experience. The fries are really good and we loved the mahi fish tacos. But hey, could you guys cut those cherry tomatoes on the salad please? When we try to cut them with the provided butter knife they squirt all over.

This spot has made it into our regular rotation. Good happy hour. Excellent fresh tasty food. Great drink options. I like the Apple salad with a blackened chicken add on with a cool glass of cider.

A comfortable go to place for community and great food. The staff is always friendly and welcoming. Food is always fresh, consistent and good.

A very nonsense neighborhood pub sort of vibe. Lots of locals, watching sports and enjoying themselves. Service here is friendly and make you feel like you're at home. Food is comforting. I think if this looks like your sort of vibe, you'll know what to expect, and you'll enjoy it.

Awesome service and great atmosphere of friendly staff and patrons. The wait staff were attentive to our needs and asked how to help.

During my city outing I took the link down to Columbia City and had lunch here. I drank a winter ale alongside my reuben sandwich and potato salad. YUM! The bartender was friendly and accommodating. I look forward to a return in the future.

Friendly staff, nice assortment of beverages on tap for a smaller place. The gumbo was outstanding, more meat than expected, nice flavor, not too spicy. Great neighborhood spot for sure.

Related to the 74th St. Ale House, the Columbia City Ale House is a smaller venue serving the local Columbia City residents. Very similar in many ways and unique vibe in other ways. Definitely would be a regular here if I lived closer or within Columbia City. What stands out is the original daily soup specials, great tap beers especially the Guinness. Definitely check this place out if your not already a regular.

Always a pleasure to stop in here for food and drinks. Great food great service and a welcoming atmosphere.

We were looking for a place in Columbia City that offered good beer and good food. Great news! There seems to be a lot of options for that in this city. We decided on Columbia City Ale House. We split the Southwest steak sandwich with the gumbo. The sandwich came on a crispy on the outside but soft on the inside baguette. The steak was cooked perfectly- medium- and it was topped with a pico de gallo and fresh cilantro. Very good! It was big enough for my husband to split. We ordered the gumbo for our side and it was thick like gravy and nice an spicy. YUM!

This is a small cozy local bar that had super friendly service. It was by no means crowded, but if you were to go when it is crowded, the tables are very tight together so it could feel too cramped. As soon as we sat down, the bartender came over with menus and greeted us. He did a great job of checking in on us to make sure we were ready to order and that we were able to order again when our drinks were getting low. We were pretty much the last ones there and he even started chatting with us, which shows how friendly the staff was overall. Great place for a chill environment, watch whatever sports were on tv, and have a beer or two.

Always a solid spot to grab a meal and pair it with a drank! Their patty melt is a fav & always hits the spot. Very friendly, warm service - lucky to have them in the 'hood!

A great, cozy neighborhood hangout with respectable bar food. Would recommend. One of several Columbia City places that are great for a beer and a burger. The gumbo is good too.

Best eatery in Columbia City. Great food, great beer, great service, and a great neighborhood vibe. (The 21 and over is a plus!)

I like the grit and vibe of this place. It still feels like a neighborhood spot. They have good food and lots of drink options. I just wish it was a little warmer inside on a cold winter's day. Nothing a little of their soup couldn't warm up, tho :) Thanks for the great service

For locals by locals. Hidden in downtown Columbia City but a staple for us on a Saturday evening.

When adventure means trying a new place to eat in your home city, I ventured to Columbia City Ale House. The service was grand. The atmosphere is, well, like an ale house. The crab and pork cake was excellent. The sambal was very spicy, so go easy. I folded the pita like a soft taco and it worked to contain the fillings. The side salad was delicious; I finished that first. Yum! I'll be back.

A fair locals alehouse. Went here to have a quick beer while waiting for a friend. There are decent beers, ciders and a full bar. Food is served, but I didn't get a chance to sample anything. Service is fairly fast and courteous. Inside it's a little cozy, but not loud, so it's easy to have a conversation without having to scream at each other. Nothing extraordinary going on here that I noticed but it's a cool place to grab a drink qucik cold brewski. I come to Seattle once a year so I'll drop by again and try the food! Cheers!

This is our neighborhood place. Reminiscent of pubs in the UK. Food is good pub fare with some vegetarian choices. Rotating taps highlight local breweries. The staff is friendly, welcoming and quick to serve.

Food amazing! Service is great, bartenders are ALWAYS friendly and attentive. Drinks are good too

We really like the food here and the people are always very nice . Of course the beer is fabulous! Some of my local favorites! I always feel relaxed and at home. 5 stars all the way!!!!!

Consistently some of the best food around. The tuna melt is amazing- I've been getting it for years at this point. Everyone is always super friendly and they've got some delicious beers.

New owner and it's a new day. Things are much better now. Service is good. Beer is fresh. I am so happy that the new owner has brought this place back to its former glory. THANK YOU!!

I've been to this restaurant multiple times and always had a good time. However, the bar lady working today - who I've never seen before - was extremely rude and racist to me. She, for reasons that are unclear to me, snatched my beer from me when she came back from serving customers outside and told me to leave immediately, and then threatened to call the police (I am a black male). I did not do anything wrong, except for having a friendly but pointed conversation with a guy sitting next to me (who was also black). Maybe she found that threatening? Or maybe she is just toxic and takes out the stress of running a restaurant during COVID on random customers? Reading some of the previous reviews, looks like there is a pattern here of a person who appears to be her treating customers with random, intense levels of hostility. A group of retired nurses wrote recently they were berated aggressively in-front of the whole restaurant after requesting change to pay for parking (she also yelled at me in front of the whole restaurant). What's her issue lol? Anyway, I found her Karen-like behavior extremely disappointing. It was so bad that a person who witnessed it took me to a neighboring bar and bought me a drink. Edit: After looking at their website, turns out the lady who treated me so poorly is the OWNER. So beware her character before you spend your money at this restaurant.

Today was my second time visiting the Ale House in Columbia City and both experiences were great. My first visit I had the green chile tuna melt with a side of gumbo and that was special. The sandwich was delicious and flavorful while the gumbo was spicy and meaty. I came to the Ale House the first time because I heard they were known for their sandwiches and it was overwhelming deciding which sandwich to go with. The Green Chile Tuna Melt was amazing and you can't go wrong with it. The Ale House have won awards off the gumbo and I know why, because it's something I have never tasted before. My second visit I didn't want a heavy sandwhich and went with the jerk chicken strips off the appetizer menu and surprisingly I received about 7-8 strips small sized but were hot and delicious. The chicken was good quality chicken, battered and deep fried in a seasoned panko. The ale house always has a great selection of beer, mostly local and if you are a beer lover like myself you came to the right place. I didn't know after checking in to a place twice you become a regular so I guess you can call me a regular at the Columbia City Ale House. Can't wait for my next visit.

I wasn't too hungry when I came here so I only got a bowl of soup and a beer. They had Fuller's ESB on tap, so I got that to drink. For my soup, it was a potato, ham, and bacon soup. It was served with 3 slices of sourdough bread, which I thought made a good addition to the soup. The main reason I am giving this place 3 stars is I thought their food options aren't great. I tend to like places with more variety of food options.

There's a few tables out front for COVID seating. There's a code to look up the menu. Pretty easy and simple! How cute they serve alcohol in mason jars. There selection, with drinks and food, is pretty limited as of now but don't let that keep you from coming and trying what they do have. I got the back bean burger. It's served in a pita which is pretty unique and made it a little messy and complicated to eat but absolutely delicious. You can tell the burger is made in house. It's light and and not compact. I got it with the potato salad which was super good with the red peppers and onion. I'm a little bummed they don't have fries and the only side options are Tim's chips or potato salad. My partner liked the steak sandwich! It was packed full! Portions here are very generous. Our server was so friendly and gave great recommendations.

"Kill the Keg" Tuesdays. $1 off keg of their choice, so the pints were $5 each. That's their Tuesday night special. Came here last night with a group of four. Poor waitress, seemed like she was the only one serving last night. Service was slow, but she warned us in advance so we didn't mind. We had drinks served real quick, but it took a while to get our food order in. Our waitress was the sweetest lady though! I felt bad they were such short handed and busy on a Tuesday night. We ordered: - Monte Cristo - chicken sandwich - tuna melt - lean burger I got the burger with a side salad and both were tasty! They don't serve fries here, their sides are potato salad or chips. I didn't try the salad, but everyone who got it said it was better than the chips, so get the potato salad! Average price of sandwiches were around $14.00. Food was good, and service was friendly!

I love this low-key spot in Colombia City. Beers are a bit overpriced, and minimal taps, but it's just got a nice vibe and a classic wooden bartop that makes you feel at home. The burger is great, the goat cheese salad is really lovely... that's all I've tried but they are both high quality. Pop on in, it's a nice quiet spot for a pint and a bite.

I thought of a 4.5 so round up ensued! Strolled in here last night for late nite chilling with me, myself and I. Took a seat on the north picture wall and waited until Connie came by. I asked her what she would recommend for good starter beers-----"I'll be right back!" was all she said. She brought back samples (shot glasses?) of Alpine Hefeweizen and Panorama Wheat... *sip, taste* Connie comes back---she so good at reading facial expressions and stuff(!) "Didn't like it?" Me: "It was pretty mild, subtle, bland..." Her: "Ok, be right back!" (Note: each time she came by and left, she always donned such a sweet smile! Awesome). She brought back 2 more samples. This time a Hard [Apple] Cider and Mac & Jacks---FOUR total samples, I thought how cool! *sip, taste* The first 2 were tied for 3rd (didn't like those), Mac and Jacks was uniquely different for a 2nd place and farther up 1st place was the Hard Cider---because I liked that cider flavor the most. Mental note: so far I'm not liking beer, yet... So I tell Connie gimme a 10oz Hard Cider and I'll also try the Famous Chicken Breast Sandwich with Tim's chips. Wonderful service by Connie and darn good sandwich. The other server working wasn't personable at all. He came by me once to drop off my order and it was almost like a drop-and-dash how fast he did... but Connie was awesome, the vibe here is pretty wonderful to relax and unwind with a subtle homey feel to it---maybe it's because I live up the street. Definitely want to try that Black Bean Pita Veggie Burger next time.

My boyfriend and I are new to Seattle and were in search of a new hangout for drinks/food. I found this place on Yelp and decided to come here. I had a question before going in so I called and spoke to Jen. She was so sweet and nice over the phone. When we got there, Jen happened to be our server. When I say that we have never met someone so sweet and genuine in our lives, we mean it. She totally made the experience for us. Columbia City Ale House is the kind of place that by appearance looks like you go there for good drinks and the food is an afterthought. That could not be further from the truth. I ordered the steak sandwich and my boyfriend the tuna melt. The food was INCREDIBLE. The steak was tender in a soft roll and the tuna melt so flavorful. Both accompanied with a side of tasty potato salad. If you're looking for a local hangout with great drinks and food, we highly recommend it! I think we found our new Friday night hangout :-)

Columbia City Ale House, are you the house that built me? What sort of treasures do you hold inside? After multiple visits here, I would say it's BEER! Overall, I would give Columbia City Ale House a 3/3.5 star rating. This is a casual, neighborhood bar located in South Seattle on Rainier Ave, close by Tutta Bella and Geraldine's Counter. The ambiance is low-key and relaxed, with friendly customer service. If you're not a fan of beer, this might not be the place for you (since the only type of alcohol they serve is wine and beer). Despite the many beer options, Columbia City Ale House unfortunately lacks in the food department. In terms of quality and choices, it's somewhat limited and not terribly impressive. As an example, they have potato chips, instead of french fries (which I would assume is on any normal bar menu). When I'm craving french fries, it's hard to swerve me from that yearning. Sadly, potato chips that taste like they're from a bag are unfortunately not going to cut it. I've also tried their regular menu eats, including their different sandwiches, gumbo, and salad options, which were okay and ordinary. However, Columbia City Ale House is worth a try if you're in the area due to its wide range of beers and friendly wait staff. For my last visit with friends, we ordered the following: --Backthorn Hard Cidar (~$9): A sweet, refreshing cidar in a huge bottle! --Bayern Bavarian Pilsner (~$7): A light golden colored beer, with a slightly bready and citrus bitter taste. --Pyramid Hefenweser (~$8/$9): An unfiltered wheat ale that is pretty smooth. --Baked Three Cheese Focaccia ($8): Yummy cheese and bread goodness (Small to medium size plate of focaccia with herb & roasted garlic butter topped with fontina, mozzarella, and parmesan. Includes a side of delicious marinara dipping sauce).

Yum, this place was delicious! They have a good selection of beers on tap, I had an English ESB, prices are around $6-6.75, do just a little higher than typical Seattle prices. We tried the gumbo to start. This was so yummy! It was spicy and delicious. I had the fish taco for dinner. It only came with one taco but it was a large piece of fish. The fish was lightly breaded and fried and wasn't too heavy. It had a delicious fruity salsa in a tortilla. It also came with a green salad and the dressing was surprisingly spicy, but good. The food here was excellent, I would recommend a stop by!

Great music friendly staff nice atmosphere We came for happy hour, got the curried cashews hummus plate and a couple of on tap ciders Delicious But the music and atmosphere really made a great quick bite I'll be back

Jen was so nice to me! I asked for a sparkling water with lemon and got a lovely cocktail of lemons around the rim of my glass. Very special. Great aesthetic/ chill fun vibe. Love Columbia City and think this place is fabulous.

Ambience was nice. Boyfriend got a beer- I ordered a soda. The big surprise came when the check arrived. The soda was five dollars! Are you kidding me? It's not like we are at century link! Boyfriend checked with the waiter who smugly responded "it's bottomless refills". Really? Soda costs the same as beer? Way to not support the DD!

Lunchtime! Great Salmon Salad... Great service... I drool to see all the nice cold sudds!! I gotta come in here when I DON'T have to head into work! This spot is a cool chill zone... The curried cashews are simply DELICIOUS!!!

I'm not sure 5 stars is enough. Maybe I'm biased -- I mean, I DO like amazing food, beer, great atmosphere, clean bathrooms, a Seattle team on tv when a game is on, friendly staff, cool art and photos of other alehouses in Great Britain. Yeah, I'm definitely biased. They also are one of the few bars around town to have Choppers Ale on tap (Shorty's does as well). The only reason the Alehouse isn't perfect is because it costs money to eat and drink there. I am drooling on my keyboard thinking about the Spicy Tuna sandwich. Yum....

Rawr! Why haven't we stopped in at the CCAH before? This is great! Reminds me of being back home in laid-back Portland. Our waiter was sweet and patient. CCAH has an extensive list of brews on tap and beer in the bottle. And at a good price. We ordered the reuben and the burger. Reuben was on Wonder style bread (which I like!) and prepared in a typical fashion with 1000 island dressing and a bit of white cheese. What made this reuben especially good was the finely chopped pickled cabbage. The potato salad side is recommended over the house greens. The burger needs to be talked about two ways: the meat and then the bun. The meat is perfect - organic free-range, and griddle-cooked to just the right doneness. Yet, the white French bread roll had a chewy crust that was a bit hard to manuever through.

If you dig the 74th Street, you'll dig this place. Clean lines, plenty of faucets, beers are well chosen and well cared for. You get a tasty, clean, properly handled beer, usually a local one at that. The decor is nice enough, and they have some bottled options. The menu is solid, and they have no fryer in the place, which is a great relief for my willpower. And they still serve tons of dishes with plenty of flavor. Awesome pub.

Uh NO ! I have long wanted to start a restaurant review site that doesn't talk about the service as I just need to know how the food is generally. But I just can't let this one go ! I drove all around Columbia CIty looking for parking and there was none to be had when I then remembered there is an old school parking lot behind the restaurant that is cash only. I ran into the restaurant with a twenty and asked for change in five dollar bills. The employee bartending said she only had four fives in her till for the night. I said if she would just give me one five maybe we could put the other fifteen toward our tab. She said ok politely and I said I would be right back which I was, to the most passive aggressive service I have ever encountered. I couldn't figure out why she was providing such slow and unpersonable service (relative to her tx of other customers there) When she brought the payment machine she said to just take 15 off the top and walked off. My friend was picking up the tab with a credit card so this made no sense to us as we cant adjust the total. When she finally came back around she had assumed we were paying with cash and then fixed the tab herself and then began to berate me loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear. Went back over the scenario of how I came in to request change in a privileged manner. I asked politely and you said yes. So, what ? Had she just said I don't have enough to do so for you and told me where the bank was I would not have argued and would have gone or moved my car. She explained it all after retaliating with resentful service and explained where the bank was after we ate. So you are entitled to berate customers? Awesome. I have been coming here for nearly 17 years as I am a fan of a particular menu item. I was there last week for a large take out order and drove from North Seattle to come to this establishment again I won't go out of my way again or ever ever patronize (yes,now I'm patronizing too lol) this place again. I was not deserving of her berating me. I didn't react to her yelling at me except for to say I was sorry as I thought I was coming up with a creative solution to the problem. More problems than being short of five dollar bills for sure. Dear new ownership, good luck ! Just a couple of registered nurses looking to relax and have a good meal on our off days. I gleefully tipped 6 bucks on a 30 dollar retail trip just after that, explaining to the kid that the 5 was from some of the worst customer service ever ! So, I just paid it forward for you. I'm pretty sure in all my days I have never stiffed any service person, generally tipping 25 percent and rounding up. People have off days, bad days but I'm understanding and flexible, never stiffing and not complaining. I stiff you and I'm complaining !

Gumbo - way too spicy for me to really even taste it. I wish it weren't though because it looked like it was delicious. Apple salad - pretty good. My husband recommended it and it's his favorite. Reuben - There didn't seem to be any sauerkraut on the sandwich, which is key to a good reuben. There was some little pieces of pickled radish or something, but it just wasn't the same. The meat and bread and cheese were good though. If they had just thrown a big glob of sauerkraut on there I would've given it a 4 star. Service and atmosphere were both nice and friendly.

The staff was extremely friendly and had great service! Food was good, typical bar food. Would highly recommend for their service alone.

So yo. Went to the last Saturday Mariners game of the 2010 season and it was lame. Mariners lost, crowd was sparse and those who showed up didn't give a f about the game. Robin and I still had a great time and enjoyed a heap of Ivar's and rounds of brews. Headed out afterward to meet up with mi long time bredren JH. Found the spot, found some parking and settled in at the window seat. Brews flowed quickly and the vibes were nice but we needed some food and got shot down. Boooooooo. It didn't seem that late and there was still food flowing from the kitchen. Good thing there is a Taco Hell in Tukwilla. Just ignore that rubber glove we found in our taco bag... Oh yeah I forgot my debit card at CCAH and they didn't even steal it. Gotta give them some love but wish they would have sold us some grub. sc

Ah-mazing service! Def recommend the rotating IPA if that's your style. Loved the fresh goat cheese salad for something on the lighter side. The burger is served on a soft baguette with pepper for an extra special treat. If we lived here, this would be our go-to spot!!!

Columbia City Ale House is a good place to get a good deal on a pitcher of beer before seeing a show at Columbia City Theater next door. I don't know of many places you can get 60 oz. of Hales Cream Ale (on nitro, no less) for $16, so good on them. Sadly, the food just doesn't provide the same quality experience. The wife had a turkey club and I had the red beans and rice; neither are things that are terribly difficult to make and both were very disappointing. The wife said her club was way too spicy (I like the idea, but not by surprise) and "not good." I was hoping for red beans and rice that had that rich, groovy, cooked for 47 hours taste - they didn't. The beans were firm as if barely cooked and seemed as though they were just plopped on the rice. On the plus side, the andouille was quite delicious. So, yeah. Hang out if you want a nice beverage at a nice price. Otherwise, you might want to pass.