Great Notion Brewing - Ballard

Discovered Great Notion in Portland traveling from the East Coast. Love their beers! They seem like they experiment with a lot of different beer styles and have refined them to be delicious! This location has some amazing staff that made sitting alone at the bar enjoyable, giving me tons of recommendations for food in the area!

Incredible beers, both of the classic variety and the wildly creative. Always friendly and charismatic service. Handsome dogs abound. Love the food from The Hall, especially the soft pretzel.

I've been a fan of Great Notion since I visited Portland years ago, so I was excited to visit one of their Seattle locations on a recent trip and I was not disappointed. They are great at brewing multiple styles and very creative within those styles. On this visit, the standouts were the Tigers blood tart ale and passionfruit mochi ipa. Looking forward to my next visit!

Great Notion was a solid brewery experience. Didn't necessarily love the pours we tried, but the space was nice (loved the copper bar), spacious, and had food available. Would try another pour here again.

Didn't have the food but hoofed it from the Ballard locks (30 minutes) to check it out. Located in an industrial area with several breweries and distillery nearby. Neighborhood is colorful so recommend driving vs walking.

Met a friend for lunch and enjoyed my first Sour beer. Order your food at a separate kiosk inside...I had a solid veggie smash burger and my friend loved their Reuben. I look forward to visiting here again soon The one rough thing is parking, just like anywhere in this area.

Very speedy service with ordering through QR codes (which I usually hate but was very seamless). Staff was knowledgeable and friendly. Dog friendly patio

I think I've had Great Notion beers a few times before, but this was my first time at one of their brewpubs. I was seated by an employee when I first arrived. I was meeting a bunch of people so they helped me pull some tables together. I ended up having 5 of of their 5 oz pours. Each beer that I had ranged from good to excellent. It would be easy for me to recommend this venue.

Burgers & Beer?! Yes please! Great Notion has it all. The Hall Smashbox recently moved on in to supply delicious eats while GN has you covered on all the IPA and sour beers you can handle. Beers are always on rotation, so there's always something to choose from. Their Thumb Splitter pale ale is cool and crisp. The Easy Lift IPA has just the right amount of hops. And if you like sour beers...their Tigers Blood and Double Pineapple Mango Shake are not to be missed. Both indoor and outdoor seating. Service is always great. Highly recommend stopping in!

We're HUGE Great Notion Brewing fans! The beers are just out of this world crazy good! The brewers just do crazy things and somehow they get away with it! I swear the Blueberry Muffin sour is just a gateway GN brew! It's easy on the palate as the blueberries smooth out the sour. Great Notion has a vast variety of brews, but are mostly known for their sours. Aside from Blueberry Muffin, one of our absolute favorites is Mellifluous - another sour, smoothie brew that has bananas, strawberries, apricot, and a bunch of other fruits. It is deliciously refreshing!!! Whenever it's available, we grab a few 4-packs! Currenly, we love The Smoothie with banana, chocolate and vanilla and somehow it's almost like a lightsaber green color! At this location (Ballard), it is dog friendly, kid friendly and they also have The Hall Smashbox for those wanting to grub. Orders for the beer and food are at the table through the QR code.

Came here to watch the Super Bowl and it was not crowded with 2 big TVS. Jet had the sound on which was a plus. Beers were good - usually pricing at about $8+ for beers. We had the double smash burger for about $11 which was ok. Solid 4 for this place

Pros: good vibes, ample seating, good tasting hazy IPA (we ordered Ripe and Over Ripe, both are awesome!) Cons: the Hall Smashbox inside of the brewery is bad. Their burger and pull pork sandwich are so greasy and salty. I rarely get so angry about food, but I must say I'm so angry that we order food from them.

Consistently outstanding beers across wide spectrum of beer styles. You're forced to either order @ the bar or via app but once your order is placed, you'll promptly get whatever it is you've ordered. I took my aunt & uncle in for a flight on a Friday before 5 pm & even though there weren't a ton of customers, it was very difficult to hold a conversation since some of the customers were feeling no pain and were super loud. BUT...every single one of the brews was outstanding so I'd go back to Great Notion without hesitation.

Double Strawberry Cheesecake beer is life! We bring our French Bulldog here, enjoy burgers and exceptional beer. Love this neighborhood hang!

Always a hit. Huge rotating selection with sour/fruited options and IPAs seeming to be the heaviest hitters. Great on-site kitchen (a regular order of tots is like 5 pounds!) and very chill and friendly staff. Always a go-to b

I try to go to a place twice before reviewing, and my second time happened recently, so here we go! One thing I'm not a fan of is when a business requires you to order via a QR code/link/online while you're at the establishment. I wish it was made more clear, upon entry, that ordering at the bar is an option. Instead, we were promptly seated without any instruction, then realized there was a QR code at the table. During this second visit, we took a risk and went up to the bar and ordered... it worked! Despite that, I really like the look and feel of the place. When it's warmer out, the windows are open to the outdoor seating area and it just gives it a nice, airy vibe. The beer, most importantly, is pretty good. I mostly choose their sour fruited beer. I actually don't often enjoy sour beer, but theirs is not too sour and I am able to taste a lot of the flavors in their menu description. Palm Tree Paradise is very (enjoyably) coconut forward. Orange Screamsicle is pleasantly citrusy and smooth. The fruited sours can be a bit sweet at times, so keep that in mind. As for non-sour beers... I once had an IPA here and I wasn't a fan... but IPA's in general aren't usually my favorite anyway. Oh, but their head cheese stout was good. I wish they offered a bit more of a variety of beers on the menu, though. It was mostly IPAs and sours. I find that common here in Seattle, though. Lastly, gotta mention, the "Burbs" food stand is nice, too. I don't like their chicken nuggets, but their burger (Burbs Special- double patty) is worth the price. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be reviewing Burbs here, too, though... so this is just a quick mention that it's in the same space, and nice to have with the beer. I love Great Notion's creative flavors and the ambiance, so I'll be back!

I've been to Great Notion before but only visited one of their locations in Portland, OR. This was my first time at their Seattle/Ballard location and my dad's first time in general. Originally, we planned to go to Reuben's Brews across the street first, but instead we went to Great Notion first because they close earlier than Reuben's does. We live in Nevada and with us being under ridiculously hot temperatures over the past two-three weeks or so, with some days reaching 110+ degrees, sitting outside on the patio never felt so good. We ended up getting a flight with the following - Bubbs, Pink Lemonade, Triple Strawberry Marshmallow Shake, Tiger's Blood, and ...Is A Virtue. My favorites among these were the Bubbs, the Pink Lemonade, and the Triple Strawberry Marshmallow Shake, which all had lots of fruity flavors to them. My dad enjoyed the Bubbs so much that he decided to take a four-pack to go with him. Food was provided by Burb's Burgers. My dad and I both had the chicken sandwich with fries on the side and my dad added a thing of clam chowder to his order. Burb's had some excellent food, but my dad said that their clam chowder was a little bit on the spicy side. The service was great and our food and flights came out quickly. We really enjoyed the ambiance here!

Great food, lots of tv's, comfortable environment, and good drink. Fast and attentive service. Kind too.

One of my favorite breweries in Seattle and potentially of all time. The beer is excellent and you won't find quicker service anywhere. It's in a great location for brewery hopping and a definite must stop!

Second stop to a brewery from my old home town. Didn't disappoint with a great fruit tasting flight. I find the ambience better than my first stop, outside. Seating facing the street leaves a lot to be desired.

Excellent beer, good vibes, tough to get a seat sometimes. Ideal for parties of 1,2 Love that Burb's burgers is in the same space (pay at their screen) and it comes out fast. Also love the good variety of selection and sizes of beer, even flights I think. Don't like the QR code group check ordering mainly because it feels like a hassle with the particular system they use

Service: terrible. Only way to order a beer is via their web app, which reportedly works great with Applepay, but is a broken train wreck on Android. Ambiance: terrible. The architecture school that thinks that glass and metal are the decor for a bar, ensuring that you cannot hear your friends speak, but you can DEFINITELY hear that screaming baby over there. Beer: terrible. I don't know what they are doing wrong, but their beer TASTES BAD. Not dump-it-out bad, but definitely not-ordering-THAT-again bad.

I absolutely love this place based on two visits over the previous two weeks. I'm currently in Seattle, again, on work. After a long day at work, I needed a beer. No I didn't "need" it, but I needed that beer. I also needed food. Lucky for me, I found a Burb's burger that was inside a freaking brewery. It was love at first sight. The inside of the brewery itself provides a warm and comfortable feeling. Though, it can be cramped when it is busy, and it does make sense for it to be busy due to the fantastic service, great beer, and availability of a burger spot inside. My first time going the place was popping and I squeezed into a seat at the bar. Did not phase me due to, again, the amazing service and fantastic beer. During my second visit, the bar was, almost, empty as it was earlier in the week and day compared to my prior visit. However, I had another amazing experience because, you guessed it, amazing service and fantastic beer. Y'all, I can't brag on the service enough. Both visits provided attentive bartenders who were patient, provided great recommendations, and were just kind overall. If you have heard of the "Seattle Freeze" I can tell you the people working here have not, I question it exists after visiting Great Notion. As far as the beer, I've tried their Ripe IPA, a couple others that don't come to mind, and the Peanut Brother. Y'all, that Peanut Brother gave me an out of body experience. I'm being a bit ridiculous, but also I'm not; that beer is delicious, and I hate stouts. If your a peanut butter lover and/or stout lover, this beer is exactly as described. If you're in the area and not 45 minutes down the road due to the constant traffic, I highly recommend stepping in and having a beer. You won't be disappointed.

In both of my visits here, Great Notion was ... well great! Great Notion was started by three friends and neighbors in Portland, OR. They have a lot hazy, fruit-forward IPAs and crafted sours & and some stouts. If you're into Sours for sure check out Great Notion. Great Notion has partnerships with other breweries so other favorites you may be able to find here in addition to their own creations. I also love the art on their cans, coasters and other merch. Doesn't make or break the beer? Of course not, but I just like the aesthetic alongside the beers they serve up. The room shares the same space with Burbs burgers which are quite possibly my favorite burger in the area. So, it's truly winning combo here, a Great Notion if you will. This Great Notion location, 1 of 6 is in an area where there are plenty of other breweries and taprooms, but this definitely one of my favorites. Lots of fruity sour ales, burgers and nice indoor as well as outdoor seating. Check em out if you're in the area.

I used to live walking distance from here, and I wish I discovered this place much sooner! Food from Burb's is great to allow for more beer tasting, service is quick/friendly, and I enjoyed the casual ambiance of this place. What made Great Notion stand out for me was the variety of sours as well as the variety of sizes! There were descriptions of all the flavors via the mobile menu, and I love that I could order tiny (prob 4 oz?) tastes since I love sampling different things! I have yet to find a go-to brewery in my new neighborhood, but I would definitely love to return here on my next trip back to Ballard.

We always love hanging out at Great Notion! It's a very chill brewery where the staff is friendly and the beers never disappoint. The prices do vary depending on the size of the pour and if it's a flagship brew or not. But, just ask for a splash before committing to a glass. With their plethora of flavors and styles, I'm sure you'll find a winner (or two, or three, or four, or...). They also have a great little food stand inside called, Food By 'Burbs. Everything on the menu is under $5!! We usually grab a cheeseburger, grilled cheese, and fries to share as the serving size is huge. We love having this meal option right in the brewery instead of trying to find out if they'll have a food truck or ordering something from another spot to bring in.

Great tap room in Ballard. Really liked their sours. The PB&J sour was SO yummy. I'm coming back just for that. Burb's Burgers is inside, and that was a great addition to our beers. I liked how you can order beers from your phone, and they come out quickly. We were able to bring our pup inside too.

Had a great time here recently after walking by and not knowing what this place was. It is actually a taproom, not a brewery as most other places in the area are. They have a brewery in portland where they do make their own beer though. I had a flight that I shared and tried a bunch of their sours. I really liked the flavors! I would definitely come back and try new flavors as they seem to rotate them out. The staff was really helpful and friendly too! There is also recently a burger spot that is connected inside so after you get your beer you can get a burger too!

Stop #4 on our "pub crawl" was a MAJOR disappointment. Even though their website indicated they had a porter on tap, they didn't! How hard is it to update the tap list on your website? Zero non-hoppy beers available made our decision to leave without trying anything quick and simple. Onward to stop #5...Urban Family Brewing

We came on a nice Monday night and this place was surprisingly hopping. Turns out it was trivia night. We had a couple of IPAs and the boo berry (blueberry and marshmallow cereal) beers. The boo berry was a standout. We ordered two double smash burgers and a large side of tots to share. I will dream about those burgers. Pillowy buns, crispy edged smash burgers, so good. The tots were perfectly crispy and potatoey. Overall a fun time and a great night.

I always enjoy a visit to Great Notion. The beers are solid, and so is the smash burger pop up there. One of my favorite breweries in the area!

Its great notion. Its Ballard beer block. And its solid beer. I dont have a ton to add. Like the georgetown or portland locations this locations just kills it with beer. Quality tasty beer. I recommend for anyone who enjoys a great brew.

Ok. I am back and changing my review. I gave it another shot because I want them to succeed. Another screw up of the order, but the burger and tots were absolutely delicious. Maybe they are having growing pains with service. People working there seem nice. Just need to be great and not buy into the Seattle bad service scene. I know we can do better. Best of luck. I love the concept and will keep coming.

Absolutely insane selection of sours with really cool atmosphere! I was super jazzed to come here because I am a fruited sour fiend and Great Notion definitely fit the bill for what I love. We sat down at the bar and had a great conversation with the beertender - who also happened to be from Chicagoland - and had two flights of their various sours and IPAs. Everything was fresh, delicious, and creative; I can tell the brewers really care about making new flavors accessible to pretty much everyone. I was really looking forward to trying their key lime pie beer but it wasn't in the cards this time. Still loved everything I tried, though!

My favorite brewery in the PNW. Excited that they opened this location and had to check it out while in Seattle for the weekend. Location has a lot of street parking and is located across from another brewery. Indoor and outdoor seating with dogs allowed. Ordering is all through the QR code as well as closing your tab. If you go with someone, one person can have the tap list up while the other can check off the beers for the flight. It helps if you want to quickly remind yourself what each beer is. We went right when they opened and it filled up within the hour or so. Service is super fast once you place your order. If you need food, they had Chachi's for simple but tasty burgers and loaded fries. Get the loaded fries if you're feeling for something like animal style fries from in-n-out. When you do order food, you place the order with the separate QR code. When it is ready, they'll send you a text to pick it up. They had a huge variety of beers on tap, can pours, and a lot of cans to go. Great chill atmosphere.

I have had Great Notion's cans at other breweries/ bars, but this was my first time here! They did not dissapoint!!! The drinks are super fun and different, while also being tasty! I will be coming back for sure. The best part about this location is that Burbs Burgers is attached to it, and the prices there are reasonable and the food is delicious!!!!

So happy we don't have to drive to Portland anymore to get some of their amazing beers. Ballard location is conveniently located near plenty of other breweries. They have some merch for sale inside, a long bar, plenty of tables inside & outdoor (for when weather permits). It is dog friendly too! Great notion is always a must.

I guess it's true - all good things eventually end, or more aptly in this case, the cheap goodness is no more. Beer options are mostly the same, and it was nice to see many more dark beer options. Unfortunately, the food is 2x+ the cost and not half as good.

As craft beer enthusiasts my husband and I frequented Great Notion and traded for their beers for quite a while now but this location was a first and we had a great experience! The inside is decorated so nicely, is spacious, and has a cozy feeling. I love a dog-friendly brewery with indoor and outdoor seating. Sat at the bar and was immediately served with a smile. We ordered a flight and absolutely loved the double blueberry and marshmallow shake. You can order beer from the tap, a bottle to drink in the brewery, or bottles and cans to go. A huge bonus is the burger place inside with cheap and delicious food. Walk around and you'll find even more breweries (but this one will always be my favorite). SYOY, Jess

I always run by this place and have never stop by, but glad I finally did! They have very interesting seasonal sour ales when I was there and it tasted pretty on the nose of what they described! Unlike other breweries, you order on their QR code menu, and they bring it to your table. They seat you at a table too, so it's more restaurant style as opposed to a bar. There's also a burger place attached so you can some pretty cheap and delicious burgers while you drink! Kids and pets friendly too :)

Fantastic taproom for all you IPA lovers, particularly of the New England variety. Their brewers care deeply for their beers, and they are constantly rotating their draft list with interesting and delicious beers. I love to drink hazys, imperials, double and triple IPAs, so Great Notion is one of my favorites. Make this part of your bar crawl with so many other delicious breweries nearby.

Pretty great vibes and they also have food! Great place to chill inside or out and play some games. Plus they have flights!

Had two imperial stouts on tap. The stouts were decent. The maple syrup stout was best. I ordered a pack of blueberry smoothie sour to go. It was delicious. You can taste the blueberries the consistency was thick. Would definitely recommend the smoothie sour.

I cannot wait for the day to sit down at Great Notion and have a pint, or 4! I'm so thankful they have expanded to the Seattle market! Great Notion is truly one of my favorite breweries in the PNW. Their innovative, and rotating styles are what I live for! Up until about a month ago, IPAs and NEIPAs were my go to style. My tastes are evolving and I'm newly obsessed with Berliner Weisse and Sour styles. GN continues producing different styles and none of them disappoint! I recently drove 30 miles to pick up Blue Raspberry Fluff. I've found that blueberry / raspberry / cotton candy flavors are my jam! I decided to get (2) 4pks and I am so thankful I did, because it is delicious!!!! I love GN and can't wait to hang out at the source and sample - sample - sample! Until that day comes, I'll continue to make my way to Seattle to pick up 4pks and support them the best way I can!

Great Notion is a brewery that originally started in Oregon. I was happy to see a Seattle location open up in the Ballard neighborhood because I enjoy their variety of beer. They tend to have a lot of fruity-type beers and make special savory beers too. Great Notion also has other standard beer such as IPAS, pale ales and such. This location is dog-friendly and also has a burger place inside. I'd recommend coming here as part of your Ballard brewery tour.

So happy to see Great Notions getting a Seattle location! When I went to this taproom I got their Orange Creamsicle IPA. Truth be told it was a bit too sweet for me but there is absolutely no debating that it does taste like a Creamsicle! And that is something that Great Notions does best is getting a precise replica in flavor to the name of their beers. My favorite still is their Blueberry Muffin beer which tastes just like a the muffin itself. It's kind of mind blowing. The Creamsicle would probably be better in a smaller size instead of a pint like when I experienced the Blueberry Muffin beer. But despite my desired portions Great Notions definitely knows what they are doing!

Really cool vibes and the staff was ahhhh-mazing! Devin, Joe, and Ken were all really great!! Asked for some oyster recommendations and Devin had our back. The chicken sandwich smacked and was pretty spicy and I LIKE spicy. Flight was definitely worth it :) Thank you guys!

Adding a second review because I think our first visit might have just been a fluke. The first time we came here, we got a flight with all their funky flavors and sours (carrot cake, horchata, blueberry cheesecake, etc) and did not like them. This time, we came and just ordered a few drinks (what would be considered more "normal" flavors like IPAs, stouts, etc) and they were all delicious. The staff were really kind. We sat at the bar and had a wonderful bartender, and he made sure to check on us frequently. The interior was also very clean! In short, I much prefer their "normal" beers to their funkier flavors - their funky flavors really pack a punch but I think sometimes they are too much and barely resemble beer.

Everything you can want from a brewery . I was so fortunate to come on a sunny day! And got lucky enough to snag an outdoor table in the sun. That's worth 2 stars right there lol. Candidly I didn't try any food... But what I saw looked good. But the brew was amazing. The fav was the pretty green one "bicycle day" and it was amazing! Sweet but not sugary, sour but not tart, light and refreshing but you can still "feel" it. Everything I tried was great but that was my fav. You can bring dogs, and there were so many cute pups! The servers did great at providing recs and they were snappy. Ordering online through a bar code and they'd come deliver whatever you put in.... Great system! 100% recommend

Great Notion is such a 5/5 brewery for me. I'm absolutely obsessed with their beer. They make the haziest, juiciest, most full bodied IPAs and it just can't be beat. I've been to their Alberta Portland, Georgetown, and Ballard tasting rooms. The Ballard one is of course convenient if you plan on hopping around or grabbing a bite to eat after a beer. I love that they're dog friendly too, makes it so much more fun! I will be a loyal Great Notion customer forever!

Fun place with creative beers! I got the carrot cake ale (I think that's what it's called) and loved it. I was worried it would be too sweet but it literally tasted just like carrot cake in a beer, which is what I was hoping for. My fiancé got a hazy IPA and didn't love it because he found it a bit too smoothie-like. I wish the inside was a bit bigger and that there were more seating options. At the back of the place is Burb's Burgers where you can order fries, nuggets, etc. Prices are reasonable; staff is friendly.

Really wanted to like this place, but it was ruined by our rude server. Decent beer but the attitude of our sever really put us off from ever coming back. Plenty of other breweries near by with excellent beer AND excellent service. There's a burger spot in the same establishment, and we were dining in. Wanted to get some beer for the meal and also take it home, so we got a 4 pack. Waiter snags it away without any explanation right after I open a can. Had to ask a manager afterwards exactly why you can't open and drink a can of beer in the place you bought it from. Management was unapologetic. I brought up the fact that there was no signage or rule about this on their menu, and suggested they add some so future patrons won't run into the same experience. Manager claimed they aren't obligated to do anything. Way to treat your customers!

You can watch sports (2 TV's). Snack food is available. Garage doors are open for fresh air. Place is clean.

Love the brews and burbs burgers are the best smash burgers in Seattle. Great ambiance. They always have games playing and the service is fast. Friendly bartenders

We came in on Monday for my 26th birthday and got served though I had my freshly expired ID (expired 7/11 that same day) this day was a nice experience so I'll leave the 2 stars Came back in on Thursday and despite not carding the couple in front of us, the blonde bartender asks my girl and I for our IDs, stares over it real hard and says "yeah this is expired so I can't serve you" though clearly y'all aren't that strict seeing as you accepted it being expired a few days ago and didn't even card the couple prior to us We accept it and walk out, sitting in the car I remember I have my CCW in my wallet and it's valid has my photo bday etc so I figure what the hell let's see if she'll look at it and accept it since clearly they both say I'm 26 have all the matching info and picture I go back in and another bartender greets me, says they'll have to ask the initial bartender who said no, ofc she comes back over and says "she said no she won't accept that" looking sort of confused like myself, maybe she didn't agree either lol All in all, it's your call, but good beer is a dime a dozen and in this economy I wouldn't be eager to turn away business, clearly this girl wasn't willing to work w/ me so I'll be keeping my money elsewhere from now on, definitely didn't leave a Great Notion on me..

Spacious brewery with large selection of sours and some outdoor seating too. Dog friendly! Loved the Orange Creamsicle and XL Jammy sour.

From Yelp to WTHeck?!?! I guess if you put beer goggles on for the decent beer offering, the food for the price would be decent. If American/plastic cheese is your thing, then go and have a $12 burger. If undercooked chicken tenders are your thing, please go. Maybe don't go and skip it all together.