Rough & Tumble Pub

Rough & Tumble is exactly the kind of place Columbia City needed. I first saw this space while it was still under construction and had the chance to meet the owner, Jen. Seeing a woman-owned business come to life on Rainier Ave — especially in a historic building — was genuinely exciting. While it was sad to see a longtime neighborhood staple close, Rough & Tumble deserves a big, warm welcome. The care put into rebuilding and reimagining this space truly shows. They did a fantastic job with the renovation: beautiful new floors, thoughtfully curated sports memorabilia (yes, that’s the term), and TVs everywhere so you can actually see the game from nearly any seat. The vibe manages to be energetic without being overwhelming — a true neighborhood sports bar that still feels intentional and welcoming. The menu is strong, the drinks are well crafted, and the homemade ranch sauce deserves its own shoutout. The owners are present, friendly, and clearly invested in the community. Jen’s husband jokingly refers to his support as “free labor,” which honestly says a lot about the partnership and heart behind this place. Rough & Tumble is family-friendly, wheelchair accessible, and feels inclusive in a real way — not performative. Kids are welcome, the restroom is accessible, and the space is comfortable for groups or solo visits. It already feels like it’s becoming part of the rhythm of Columbia City. Easy to get to, easy to love, and a great place to gather — especially on game days. Highly recommend supporting this woman-owned, community-rooted spot on Rainier Ave.

The predecessor of this location, Columbia City Ale House, was one of my favorite locations in all of Seattle. I note this because I want it known that I probably have some level of bias against new things replacing old things I love lol. I finally gave Rough and Tumble Pub a shot last night and at first I was pleasantly surprised. The menu was looking solid and the drink selection was looking good (although I don't remember seeing any beer on the happy hour menu which I thought was weird but whatever). Our server was super cool - she took our orders and was good on checking on us but then she just kind of disappeared which I though was peculiar. The food we ordered was pretty mid and was really the thing that brought my experience down. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich and idk what they were doing but goodness was the chicken tough and stringy (i feel like they just fried it too long and the chicken got overcooked). My partner got the chicken bahn mi and it was hella bland. like the veggies on it were fine but the chicken felt like it was unseasoned/unmarinated and just grilled and topped with some regular mayo. Overall I would like to go back but purely just for drinks while watching sports. I will probably try the food again at some point but I'm not in a hurry to do so. Ranch slapped tho

So glad to see their second location! The perfect place to come in for some women’s sports and good food and drinks. Love their draft menu and there’s lots of good food options. I really enjoyed thier burger and tots! There’s lots of TVs so they can out on whatever game you’re there to see. The staff were super friendly!

A welcome anomaly: an honest space devoid of pretense. The Rough & Tumble offers the civilized virtues of genuine conversation and a reprieve from the curated mundane. It is a sanctuary for the sensibly unsentimental. Admirable.

I really wanted to like this place more. Fun atmosphere and what looks like a good drink menu but I stopped in just for food. The burger was just average, generally short on flavor. The fries with it were much better. So maybe this would be better for snacks and drinks? I’ll have to try again and see.

I was excited to try this new spot in the neighborhood. However, it was a one and done experience for me. I appreciate them attempting to provide a happy hour menu but the prices are on the level of the regular prices of the nearby restaurants. It would be nice if the HH menu had something more than a pitcher of lager and an Aperol Spritz for $9, not really a cocktail I crave in the winter. It’s a sports bar, why not have draft beer on happy hour? All the draft beers are inconveniently located on a menu in the front entrance, so you have to get up from the table to see what’s on the draft list. How hard is it to just print a draft list and place it on the table, included with the other drinks? A Guinness is $11, whereas around the corner it’s 40% less. I didn’t order any food as the happy hour menu was pretty mid on the offerings. $28 for nachos, not including guacamole Hoping this place figures out its’ footing being the new place in town. For now, it clearly misses the mark.

Polished, slightly too polished spots bar with a pretty ok atmosphere. A little lacking on the happy hour offers, compared to other places in Columbia City. Fair, not great or very memorable but i may try and go back if they have a bit more of an exciting hh menu. The upcharge for GF tortilla chips is a little odd. Just use corn tortillas???

Just what Columbia City needed. The staff was all amazing, and the layout was perfect. Even when full, they take care of you and there's the right spacing. The food is top notch too, you can't go wrong with any of their classed up pub fare.