Lock & Keel

Every drink I've had here has been excellent, awesome happy hour, and the pizza is good too. Very chill neighborhood feel, super nice bartenders. Get a cucumber cooler and hang on the patio

I recently came in with a group of friends and I was refused entry into the bar for not having a “United States ID”. I’m from the island of Guam. Guam is a territory of the United States. I presented my GOVERNMENT DRIVERS LICENSE which is a REAL GOVERNMENT ID. My brother (who has both a California and Guam license) even tried explaining this to the staff and they were unreasonable and rude. They demanded for my passport which I didn’t have at the time. If you’re visiting Seattle from outside the US and want to feel like a second class citizen, look no further than Lock and Keel.

I was in downtown Ballard and googled "pool tables" and this spot showed up. Loved this place, they have pool tables, arcade games, art on the walls. It is the perfect dive bar. Bartenders are always smiling and the patrons were friendly folk. Definitely coming back again.

What a weird experience. Went in on a Monday afternoon and it was dead - it’s got a moody atmosphere but while I was checking out the area (and frankly, waiting for next door to open), I thought I’d get a beer and chill. She asked for my ID (flattering at the age of 39) and when I gave her my British driving license, she wouldn’t accept it and would only accept a passport - who carries that around? Then she just walked away and that was that 😂

I stopped by Lock & Keel the other night and had one of those small but meaningful experiences that remind you why some bars just get it right. I ordered a Diet Coke, but for some reason, my credit card wouldn’t work in their system. Before I could even start fumbling for cash or awkwardly apologizing, the bartender—this super sweet girl with black hair and a nose ring—just smiled and said, “Don’t worry about it, it’s on me.” It wasn’t about the free drink; it was about the vibe. She was friendly, calm, and made what could’ve been an embarrassing moment feel like nothing at all. You don’t always get that kind of kindness in busy bars, and it stood out. Lock & Keel isn’t just a place to grab a drink—it’s a spot where the staff genuinely seem to care about making people feel welcome. Shoutout to the bartender with the nose ring and black hair—thank you for the Diet Coke and the good energy. This place deserves all five stars. Cheers!

The following is the experience I had earlier tonight, a little over an hour ago: A few friends and I agreed to meet up the street at Lock & Keel for a simple beer. I was sober, having had only one beer, over an hour prior to this incident. As I approached the door, I could see the bar was relatively dead inside, with only a few patrons in the back. At the very moment I took my first single step inside the doorway, the bartender, from about 20 feet away, yelled "sorry guys, I can't serve you." I assumed that it was because it was slow, and about 12:30am, and maybe they were closing early... however, he had already poured one of my other friends a drink, who was sitting at the bar. He then followed his statement with a real shocker: "Sorry, but you're showing multiple signs of intoxication." I laughed. So did my buddy. Surely he was jesting... we had simply strolled in, totally coherent, to meet friends (who were already being served). Nope. He wasn't joking. He said liquor control had been all over him recently, and reiterated that he couldn't serve me or my friend due to "multiple signs of intoxication." I was stunned. Never have I been cut off before... and we were stone sober! Not even like... "I've had a couple beers" sober. I mean, I was dead boring, dull as a funeral sober. I own an alcohol producing business myself, and am well versed in service and the appropriate signs and methods regarding intoxication. This guy was clueless... didn't assess us individually, didn't wait for us to approach, and didn't offer any explanation (of what "signs" he claims saw). He hadn't even SEEN us yet! Perhaps he was just generalizing us with some larger group of others who had been served already, such as the group outside smoking? We attempted to clarify that there might be a misunderstanding... we had simply just walked in and were new patrons, who hadn't been served and weren't already intoxicated. Nope, didn't matter... he just repeated his blanket statement that new, inexperienced, frightened employees do that are completely out of their depth. There was no point in arguing... I wouldn't pressure someone to give me alcohol. It's tacky. And unprofessional. So that was that. This is an extremely weird case of a bartender having zero judgment, and absolutely no instinct for the job. There was no context for his decision, and absolutely no tact on part of his job of discerning individuals and their sobriety. Needless to say, I was pretty offended... but as a person who's licensed myself, I wasn't about to push the issue. We just told him "fine... we're in the area frequently and we were planning to make this our spot to grab a drink, but now we'll never return." He made a terrible, completely uninformed call, and cost his bar 6 patrons permanently (we meet down the street twice a week). The bar is obviously a dive, and was struggling on a slow night... and this is the kind of thing that will kill their business. And it should. No wonder the LCB is all over this guy, issuing fines... he clearly can't do the job. To assess a person's sobriety properly as a bartender, you should engage them first... gauge their cognition, get a sense if they might need help if over-served, etc... At the very least, you should observe them behaving in some way that shows signs. In this case however, simply taking one perfectly normal step into the building was somehow enough to blow the whistle? It seemed like he simply didn't want to work any more. But instead of saying he was closed, he singled us out in a way that was discriminatory and completely false. He rejected two very, very sober and normally behaving customers, based on nothing but a whim. This bar will never get our business again, which we will now take to the neighboring (brand new!) bar down the street, which is far nicer and more professionally run, with better food, alcohol selection and entertainment. Sorry Lock & Keel... you should train your staff better. Your bartender is killing your business, and he has no place in alcohol service.

Went to this bar last night for the first time in a while. The bartender was AMAZING! She handled a huge rush of rowdy customers like the pro she is! I will be returning to this bar just to see her! Great attitude, great drinks and great atmosphere. The frozen Irish coffee is the best but try the hurricane if coffee is not your thing!

Odessa was such a great bartender tonight. Even though it was a busy Wednesday she still took time out of her shift to ask me what I wanted and needed to have a good night. A couple of people were being aggressive but she handled it with grace. I admire her and will be back at lock keel. she is one of my favorite bartenders and she showed it tonight!!!

I've always had good vibes here. Particularly great bar in the winter as it's always warm. Not sure how they do it, as it's high ceilings old brick building like everything on Ballard Ave but they have the heat dialed in! Solid beers on tap, good liquor selection. I love coming here for a few pints with friends. Occasionally will get slammed at night but in general there's always room yet never feels empty. Plus, a big canoe/kayak looking thing hanging from the ceiling. Don't forget to look up)

Great vibes in the Lock and Keel! If you enjoy beer, pool, and nautical décor this place is for you. I have never tried the food, but the beer is good and they usually have a few local options (Fremont Brewing, Georgetown, etc.). The two pool tables get busy but most folks respect the line of quarters if you throw some down, and people are often happy to split the table and play with strangers. The service is GREAT. If you are over playing pool bartenders/servers will come over and ask if you need anything every few minutes, which makes waiting in a big line a thing of the past, at this bar at least. Solid place to head to on any night of the week, busy on weekends of course, but a good spot nonetheless.

The following is the experience I had earlier tonight, a little over an hour ago: A few friends and I agreed to meet up the street at Lock & Keel for a simple beer. I was sober, having had only one beer, over an hour prior to this incident. As I approached the door, I could see the bar was relatively dead inside, with only a few patrons in the back. At the very moment I took my first single step inside the doorway, the bartender, from about 20 feet away, yelled "sorry guys, I can't serve you." I assumed that it was because it was slow, and about 12:30am, and maybe they were closing early... however, he had already poured one of my other friends a drink, who was sitting at the bar. He then followed his statement with a real shocker: "Sorry, but you're showing multiple signs of intoxication." I laughed. So did my buddy. Surely he was jesting... we had simply strolled in, totally coherent, to meet friends (who were already being served). Nope. He wasn't joking. He said liquor control had been all over him recently, and reiterated that he couldn't serve me or my friend due to "multiple signs of intoxication." I was stunned. Never have I been cut off before... and we were stone sober! Not even like... "I've had a couple beers" sober. I mean, I was dead boring, dull as a funeral sober. I own an alcohol producing business myself, and am well versed in service and the appropriate signs and methods regarding intoxication. This guy was clueless... didn't assess us individually, didn't wait for us to approach, and didn't offer any explanation (of what "signs" he claims saw). He hadn't even SEEN us yet! Perhaps he was just generalizing us with some larger group of others who had been served already, such as the group outside smoking? We attempted to clarify that there might be a misunderstanding... we had simply just walked in and were new patrons, who hadn't been served and weren't already intoxicated. Nope, didn't matter... he just repeated his blanket statement that new, inexperienced, frightened employees do that are completely out of their depth. There was no point in arguing... I wouldn't pressure someone to give me alcohol. It's tacky. And unprofessional. So that was that. This is an extremely weird case of a bartender having zero judgment, and absolutely no instinct for the job. There was no context for his decision, and absolutely no tact on part of his job of discerning individuals and their sobriety. Needless to say, I was pretty offended... but as a person who's licensed myself, I wasn't about to push the issue. We just told him "fine... we're in the area frequently and we were planning to make this our spot to grab a drink, but now we'll never return." He made a terrible, completely uninformed call, and cost his bar 6 patrons permanently (we meet down the street twice a week). The bar is obviously a dive, and was struggling on a slow night... and this is the kind of thing that will kill their business. And it should. No wonder the LCB is all over this guy, issuing fines... he clearly can't do the job. To assess a person's sobriety properly as a bartender, you should engage them first... gauge their cognition, get a sense if they might need help if over-served, etc... At the very least, you should observe them behaving in some way that shows signs. In this case however, simply taking one perfectly normal step into the building was somehow enough to blow the whistle? It seemed like he simply didn't want to work any more. But instead of saying he was closed, he singled us out in a way that was discriminatory and completely false. He rejected two very, very sober and normally behaving customers, based on nothing but a whim. This bar will never get our business again, which we will now take to the neighboring (brand new!) bar down the street, which is far nicer and more professionally run, with better food, alcohol selection and entertainment. Sorry Lock & Keel... you should train your staff better. Your bartender is killing your business, and he has no place in alcohol service.

My daughter and I tried Lock & Keel Tavern the other night ago and it was fun. We had a quick drink to start the night here and noticed they have a cool outside back patio seating area as well. There's a couple of pinball machines and pool tables as well. As we left we noticed they have the frozen liquor drinks like you see in Vegas a lot. I would've had one if I noticed it earlier but didn't do too bad with a draft Manny's Pale Ale. My daughter had the hard cider on tap from a Yakima cidery. Looking up from our seats was a very large shell (boat for crew) mounted on the ceiling. There were other unique things there as well. Nice vibe here and an old timey bar atmosphere.

Went to Lock & Keel for the USA v England match in the World Cup. As far as we could tell there was one dude working (owner maybe?), waiting on probably 25 people. Not only was he friendly the entire time, even as people continued to get drunker (not always easy), he was actually prompt and attentive. Far more than anyone has a right to expect in the circumstances. Also - those $9 pizzas are pretty tasty with a beer We'll be back!

Close your tabs. They Lost my debit card gave it to someone else..: poor attitudes about it. Was angry that I was angry about it... please find it: ... May not be a big deal to you but to me it's everything.

My favorite bar in Ballard! Great priced drinks. TRY THE FROZEN IRISH COFFEE! I will be back!

Friendly bartender and chill vibes on a Tuesday afternoon! Surprisingly good Cubano sandwich too.

First time coming in yesterday was a fun experience, I came over right after my job nearby had 2 drinks for close to 10 bucks so definitely not mad about the prices! It was my first time and I'm new to the area so I was jjst checking it out and liked the vibe that everyone kinda knows each other or are friends in some way so I didn't even mind that like since no one knew me I kinda felt a little like I didn't get special treatment or anything and I like that feeling of community that like isn't so fake like you really get to know the people and not everyone is just saying what u want to hear to make a buck like u can decide whether you want to engage with people when u go there if u want to meet people I'm sure u could but it was a nice sanctuary for me for like an hour after my first day at the Hogwarts place in the area.... "The splintered "\/\/@/\/.£];" ---------------- "WAND" --------

This is a great bar, affordable drinks, great indoor and outdoor seating and awesome alcohol slushy options! The bartenders are all great and the ambiance is very chill and relaxed if you're looking for a good place to have a beer and watch some sports! 10/10 recommend!

Close to the Ballard clubs, excellent long time dive.

First time there and what a nice walk through a historical world. Great bartender. Freindly and informative. I will be back George

I love to hang out here on Saturday afternoons. John is 12 feet tall and I love him. Great place!!!

This is my uncles bar, my dad works there. I am a minor so I can't go in but everything I hear about it is great! They have lovely staff and good drinks. If you're looking for a night on the town Lock and Keel is the place to go!

Love this place. A Ballard tradition. Always great service & they've got the best frozen drinks in town. Try the frozen Irish coffee or marg- you won't be disappointed.

I went to this place around 10pm to eat a hot dog . This place has surprisingly pool and some old school Gaming . The food is moderately priced and tasted good . The waiter was really awesome and he offered us pop corn on the house . I would definitely go visit this place again .only downside is that people across the street smoke and since the doors are wide open , it might be little inconvenient if you are a non smoker and seated close to the doors .

Loved Lock & Keel for years...but sadly, this place has become one of the most below average bars in Ballard. Many reasons why - especially the bottle substitution. Order a Tito's and any mixer...and you will have the worst vodka drink ever!

Edit: Was definitely this bar! I'll be straight forward with this review, if you go here make sure to watch the bartender pour your drink, and don't let it out of your sight. Confident that the tall, brunette, glasses wearing, 30's or so, looking male bartender spikes drink. I would avoid this bar.

There seem to be some bad reviews of this place noting food and policy, and silly things like "No pretty people", "The bartender didn't kiss my ass", and "Oh, no, RAP MUSIC!". I suppose if these are things you look for in a bar then this is not going to be a good fit. If you are looking for a neighborhood bar in a neighborhood where the landscape of Ballard is rapidly becoming the "see and be seen" area of Seattle, then you will find it here. Perhaps with a crowd that knows each other, meaning the bartender might help the regulars first. Perhaps with a selection that is two ingredient drinks and a solid but standard tap list, rather than being fancy. Perhaps in an eclectic mix of music at the whim of the people who work here and who want a little variety in what they listen to (New Wave one night and a tribute to Wu Tang the next? Yes please!). Perhaps in the well worn decor that harkens back to many of the bars that are disappearing in this neighborhood. I know this is not for everyone, and frankly I am glad. It keeps this place exactly how I like it.

I love how low key and comfortable this bar/tavern is. I like the laid back vibe. There are two pool tables here and it can be busy in the weekend evenings. They also have live music sometimes which makes it even more fun!

I love this place. I like it because people often are having such a good time in this place they will yell "Freedom." I also like the staff and the atmosphere. People constantly seem as though they are having fun and it is much like Old Ballard. I very much will continue to go back to this establishment.

We came mid-afternoon on the weekend, and sat outside under the tent. The tent is set up in the street, like the other businesses, just on the other side of the sidewalk from door of the bar. They adhere to all COVID requirements and the covered tables were appropriately spaced. The drinks we ordered tasted just right, vodka sodas with lime. They were definitely reasonably priced. While they request that you don't come inside unless it's necessary, like to use the bathroom per se, the bartender didn't disappoint; routinely checking on all the outdoor patrons. Service was fairly prompt, considering this. We would definitely return for a good drink in a safe, clean environment.

Really loved this local bar in the middle of the restaurant scene. Loved it so much, we went two nights in a row - smoked wings night and the ribs night. The employee that smokes the wings needs a promotion! They were insanely good! Prices were low, which was nice considering all the places around them. The service was always great, and their bartenders really take the time to make you feel welcome.

This bar is a staple in our weekly visits on Ballard Ave. The owner is friendly and always remembers us and our drink preferences. I cant wait till covid is done so we can enjoy playing a game of pool and the arcade games. Plus the outside area on the street is well done to reflect a maritime type theme which is really cool and welcoming.

Let me start by saying I am the most polite and service-forward person there could be. Now, I have to say, I've never been kicked out of a bar before... Things started very well with tasty beer then spiraled into a bartender taking her shift duty out on us. She changed the channel (on 8 people, two parties) without asking, then kicked us out for being rude when asking if we could get it back on. Just a football bowl game vs. regular season hockey game. Despite it probably being warranted in my formative years, this is completely ridiculous. Reading reviews now I see this is a trend where bartenders here have also discriminated against the disabled. There are too many surly bartenders in Seattle to waste my time on the discriminatory bartenders here. I've never been asked to leave a bar in my life and am offended it happened here. Too bad as its probably one singular person at this bar. I'll happily take my money elsewhere.

Fab divey bar in Ballard. It's a stone's throw from the Tractor Tavern and the perfect place to hang with a bunch of friends on a hot summer night. The service is good, the drinks are strong, there's a pool table, and everything is just a little dirty. I'm game to go again soon. Ballard doesn't have enough of these types of places.

One of my favorite Ballard bars. I got here like once a week. Their daily specials are great. All about the dollar rib Tuesdays! Sometime they'll run out of the popular dishes. Get it early if you want it bad. Once it gets busy here, service can be slow. I don't mind waiting for the great food though. Two pool tables, a jukebox, and boats hanging from the ceiling. What's not to love? If you want live music, go next door, but eat here first ;)

My husband and I love the variety of alcoholic slushies at Lock & Keel, so we have stopped by there to cool off a few times (the Irish coffee flavored is my favorite!) Everyone is pretty nice there, but Tally takes the prize of the most pleasant person (both with other people and with dogs!)

Ugh, great local bar when we first moved here. In the last two years it has gotten terrible. The staff are the worst. They spend most of the time talking to their friends and ignoring the rest of the bar. It's really sad when it's four people at the bar, let alone in the whole place, and bartenders can't even check on you or refill your beers. Multiple times we have had to get up, and walk over to get the attention of the bartender to order food and grab a drink. Stupidly we went back two other times and received the same bad service. I will never go back to this place.

The jukebox ate $4 of the $5 I put in there, just because I tried to play Tom Jones's "What's New, Pussycat?" ten times in a row, with one "It's Not Unusual" thrown in to mix it up. I was gonna complain to the barkeep but didn't think she'd be very sympathetic. So don't try that joke here, or you'll just waste your money. Other than that it was fine.

Avoid this place!! Wish I could give it 0 stars!! Terrible place all around!! Don't know if they clean the draft lines...I had a lot of yeast/gross floaties in my beer. The female waitress/cocktail server really knows how to speak to guests. She has a mouth like a trucker and very rude to paying costumers! Now I know why it was dead when all other bars and restaurants around were busy.

Every time I walk past Lock & Keel it is crowded and loud as all hell, (which I am sometimes down with if I am in the mood) but that is b/c I am walking past there during prime time bar hours. Stopped in for a drink and a place to chill Friday evening around 7pm and it was exactly what I needed; a gin and tonic with a heavy pour and a place to sit. But it gets even better than that! The place we found to sit was outside...on their back patio!?!! I had no idea they had such a cute, cozy patio with folding chairs, benches, foliage and Old Ballard charm. Our server was fast and attentive; she kept those drinks coming at a rapid fire and made sure we were never dry. We weren't planning to eat, but I smelled the most wonderful smell. My favorite smell on the entire earth. Smoked meat! Oh, who knew that the Lock & Keel had potential heaven-like qualities?!! Their smokehouse is located right off the patio and will make your mouth water. Had the pulled pork, pulled chicken, potato salad, and mashed potatoes. It was all perfect and hit the spot. Go to Lock & Keel during non-peak hours and you will not be disappointed. Go there late at night if you want to be stepped on and spilled on.

I knew I forgot a stop along the pub crawl route. Pretty much all that's worth mentioning is Scott getting hit on, and I mean *really* hit on, by his first cousin while here. She also had a nice chat with me at the door about how adorable her nose is. Says a lot about the bar that that's all that's fit to print, eh?

I was here last night with my two friends and the bartender or server Stephanie was out of control. First she comes over to the piano while I was fiddling around with it and almost closed it on my fingers, she said it wasn't for public use but there was no sign saying that so how was I to know. Secondly she was accusing one of us of moving one pool ball, I could understand if she calmly came over to us and asked us politely but no she came over to us screaming and cussing. I was shocked and appalled at Stephanies behavior. She said verbatim "Did you move there fucking ball". That is not how you speak to paying customers and I am very surprised to here that she has done this more than once. Stephanie needs to go.

Blah. Couldn't find a table. No cute boys (ummmm... or girls) anywhere. Drinks are weak. (Weaker than a woman's arms, according to Dwight Schrute.) My new thing is, I think you can tell how good a bar is by the music it plays. And the music here was horrendous. Sure, they're classics, but who wants to hear throbbing "Bohemian Rhapsody" when you're trying to have a conversation? They need hipper music, stat. And the parking situation was horrible... oh wait, there WAS no parking situation. So I had to walk about 27 blocks to the car in freezing cold weather. It's a cute area, but no thank you. I won't be returning.

Came here after we went to King's Hardware yesterday and they were sold out of wings. *Sob Sob* The waitress there suggested I come to Lock and Keel instead because they were having a Monday deal for wings as well. First things first, if you are not into smoked flavors, you may find that the food here is not for you. Most of the menu consists of some sort of smoked meat. Heck the whole place smells like a smoker (not the cigarette, but the wood chipped ones). I've never had smoked wings before, and if you've read my other reviews the one thing that I require my wings to be are CRISPAYY. Naturally, I'd prefer wings elsewhere. However, if you are not into CRISPAYY wings then the ones here are tender and pretty good with their BBQ sauce. The Vodoo Chili was delicious. It had brisket and a nice spicy kick to it. It was probably my favorite thing I tried. The Nacho Average Nachos were pretty good too. The different colored tortilla chips were festive. The atmosphere and service here is great. It's got this semi-rock, semi-sports bar feel to it while maintaining a very welcoming environment. I also found the service and other customers to be very polite. Like pleasantly polite and not awkwardly polite. I definitely think this is a place I would visit again and recommend people to check out. The daily specials (couldn't get a good photo of menu): Monday Smokehouse Wings 50 cents each Tuesday Smoked St. Louis Ribs 1 dollar each Wednesday 1/2 price Classic BBQ Sandwiches Thursday 3 Mini Tacos for $4, Corona and Pacifico bottles $3

Pretty cool little place. Good beer selection, friendly bartender, I had already eaten elsewhere by the time we got here so can't speak to the food. Jukebox is decent and as luck would have it apparently they offer free pool Sunday nights since the tables were open when we were there.

Brews were kind of overpriced the food was ... let me tell you about it. We ordered tots and they were slightly singed and dried out as if they were left in the oven too long. I guess they don't have a fryer? They were cheap and we already had a few drinks so it wasn't enough to make a stink about . We also ordered smokehouse wings which came out blackened and very underseasoned. I told the waitress that the wings were really dried out and burnt and we couldn't eat them. For 8 bucks we were expecting a little more quality than the tots. Keep in mind we were drinking and even so they still were just not good. The waitress pretty much told us to deal with it, explaining "Yeah, that's just how they are." It was kind of funny because it was like a textbook "Kitchen Nightmares" scenario. I have a great respect for servers and always tip 20% no matter the service. I'd just like to give a heads up to people that have a palate even while drinking and care about basic service.

Great lively bar. The only reason I'm giving it a 4 and not a 5 is because I ordered a drink and the waitress said she'd bring it to me. Turns out she never put in the order and I paid for the drink. Ended up getting it a lot later.

Well worn, comfortable establishment for the drinking for the alcohol. Couple of dudes behind the bar, couple of TV's up high, couple of pool tables. No surprises here. Whether that's good or bad is up to you.

It's been awhile since my last trip to the Lock & Keel, seemed pretty much the same as I remembered it, though, and I'm not quite sure or not, but I think they added the back patio area since my last visit. Nice improvement, especially with global warming rearing it's ugly head lately. Overall, it's a simple bar for simple people, such as I. No frills or fancy ambiance, just good salt of the Earth people coming together to partake in the ceremony of drinking. I give this place extra stars for having two pool tables and being able to accommodate our party of 20+ people quite nicely. Another star for having Ween on the jukebox, though White Pepper wouldn't have been my first choice, it's Ween nonetheless. Bananas and Blow, my friends, Bananas and Blow.

I like this place... but I also went to in on a Wednesday night... revaluation might be needed at a later date! It should be noted that our server was very open to giving hugs when asked and that she didn't seem to think it was creepy- she basically joined in the merriment that was our adventure. We wandered here after tipsy stop offs at the bell for "photos" and other walking adventures. We are lucky that what we stumbled upon was pretty cool and conveniently located. We found that Lock & Keel had a patio, pool tables, a high bar, and tons of seating for groups or small intimate* parties.... variation never hurts. They have regional micro-brews (Boundary Bay, Diamond Knot, Maritime, etc) and good ol' PBR... which was our drink of choice for the night. $2.75 baby! The late night menu was tempting with it's BBQ sandwich, mac and cheese, and CHILI MAC (I heart chili mac)- but in the disorder of being us we never got around to food*

Went here for a party on Saturday night. I was disappointed that we ended up here because we were originally going to King's and I really like King's. Instead we ended up at Lock & Keel, which I didn't find to be that great of a place at all. The layout was okay, if not a bit awkward. There are plenty of bar stools, but there aren't really that many regular tables for a group to sit at considering the large amount of space that the pool tables occupy. It was MAYBE a bit warm inside, but they were blasting this sort of cooling, yet grossly lukewarm and humid air from the vents. As it hit my face, it gave me sort of an overall clammy feeling that I wasn't really pleased about. The bartender was nice enough. My boyfriend bought a beer for himself and a soda for me and he didn't charge for the soda. However, our waitress at the table was not friendly at ALL. My friend kept trying to flag her down so she could order some macaroni and cheese before the kitchen closed, but she continued to ignore our table completely for a VERY long period of time. By the time my friend was able to give her order, the waitress seemed exasperated and had to very visibly check the clock to ensure my friend was within the time limit - which she WAS, thank you very much. Before the food came out, the waitress brought by a metal caddy of items like napkins, mustard, ketchup, etc. She seriously banged it down on the table with such force that it startled us. She also charged my boyfriend $2 bucks for a soda, even after he had bought a few more drinks. I'm sure sodas did cost $2, but if the bartender's going to give them out for free, we're certainly going to gripe if the waitress charges us for them. Overall I just wasn't a fan of this place. The only reason I went here in the first place was for a going-away party and the location was not chosen by me...so I highly doubt I will be back.

The staff here is wonderful. I sadly forgot his name but the bartender here with red hairs is probably one of my favorites in all of Seattle. Super friendly. Also, the tall guy with dark hairs is wonderful as well. Both are always smiling and happy and appear to enjoy what they do, which is refreshing. The drinks are stiff and I always leave feeling taken care of and like I enjoyed myself. This bar is pretty relaxed..a few pool tables and a juke box...the menu has mostly appetizers..good bbq and quesadillas..no fryer. Another bonus is that it is one of the less scenester bars on ballard ave, the corner table in the front with the booth is nice, and I don't think I've seen any douchebags inside. What more can you ask for?

This place isn't glamorous, but who needs glam when they are craving a cheap draft and some of the best pub food around. I was shocked to see the prices on their food menu. Not only is it cheap but there is alot to choose from: salads, sandwiches, BBQ, veggies, onion rings, etc... The BBQ smells amazing and you can get a huge plate of it with 3 sides for $8. Next time I come I am saving my money for the food... but the drinks, staff, and ambiance are great. Don't forget to look up! (sorry for the dark pics)

Wow, I can't believe I never reviewed Lock & Keel. My first time in here was years and years ago; my band Stay Tuned played one of our first shows here. There is a little tiny stage area in the back that a quiet-er band / small group of musicians could do ok on. However, a lound TV Tribute Rock band was a little much for the small confinement of the Lock & Keel. The Lock & Keel has a great locals-only pub feel, with the wood tables and the pool table. If you're not a regular, though, you may wander in here and wander right back out after feeling the looks of "who the @*()$ are you?"

This was THE bar for my friends and I when I lived in Ballard...still is when I visit. Strong drinks and friendly bartenders. It gets packed in on a Fri. and Sat. Lots of easy socializing outside as there is another bar right next door!! There's also a patio in the back that is excellent on a hot summer night. The food is fab. BBQ has been mentioned so no need to re-discuss b/c all said is true but I have to say that the Mac N' Cheese is something I have to order every time I go. It's thick, creamy, topped with fried onions and served with chips! Old fashioned, nothing fancy and very traditional but by Gawd it is GOOD! Service is quick, even when swarmed with drunkards and on top of that they will never give you grief for splitting up the tab! *I once was in the bar next door with my friends, stepped out for a minute and walked in here to check the scene and ended up sitting at the bar with the intention of having just a shot. Before I knew it, the bar tenders were using me as their drink making guinea pig and there was no tab for the experiment. Rad. It's chill, fun and accepting. You will have a good time here so if you are walking by, walk right in. No regrets, for sure!

The kind of place you can walk into and even when it is crowded be offered a seat at a table with the oh so friendly locals who are there to have a pint and not just look for skirts. Love the food, love the drinks, love the music (most of the time), but most of all love the location and the crowd it attracts.

Meh. That about sums up my feelings on this place. Went in here on a Saturday night for a friend's going away party. It was hot, humid, crowded, and nary a place to sit. I'm guessing it's like that at every bar in Ballard on a Saturday, but the other bars have such better ambience. I didn't get the best service here either. I had to attempt to flag down the waitress for about 10-15 minutes to order some mac 'n cheese. It was pretty tasty though, so that's one good thing about my visit here. That, and the company. Won't be coming back here on my own accord, will most likely head over to King's if I'm in the area.