Lockspot Cafe

"Ballard is well celebrated for being ground zero for dive bars in Seattle, but few dive tourists will venture down to the tail end of Market Street, whence two chilled-out, picture-perfect watering holes await: The Sloop Tavern (already on Eater Seattle’s dive bar map) and the Lockspot. The ‘Spot wins the distinction as an essential Seattle bar because it’s right next to one of the most gorgeous and iconic parks in the city, because it’s old as hell — an actual historic Seattle place — and also because the food absolutely fucks. Fish and chips here will put any proper British chip shop to shame, and all the sandwiches, e.g., the Philly, are luxurious and huge. They have a fun list of silly cocktails too, with Malibu and grenadine and blue curacao et al. Under new ownership since 2021, it seems like absolutely nothing has changed at the Spot next to the Locks, which has been an operating bar for almost a century." - Meg van Huygen, Mark DeJoy, Eater Staff

"The deal here is, you go to the Ballard Locks and see the boats go through, you see the fish struggling desperately against the current in the salmon ladder, and then, on your way out, someone says, “Oh hey do you want some fish and chips?” You do, yes, now that they mention it. Get the flaky cod and hot fries at the takeaway window, dine in surrounded by dark wood and nautical knickknacks inside, or lounge on their patio with a drink. They serve drinks? Maybe skip the whole salmon thing." - Harry Cheadle, Jade Yamazaki Stewart, Eater Staff

"One longtime Ballard mainstay is officially on the market. The Lockspot Cafe, a divey seafood-focused tavern that dates back almost 100 years, is on the hunt for new ownership. Over its time near the Ballard Locks, the divey destination has been known as a reliable place to get great fish and chips, and gained some acclaim after it appeared on the popular Discovery Channel show the “Deadliest Catch” as a sea captain favorite (it’s also hosted local luminaries, such as Seahawks coach Pete Carroll). After working at the cafe for more than two decades, current owner Pam Hanson is ready to turn over the reins, passing along the lease to new stewards whom she hopes will have a respect for its history." - Gabe Guarente