Shanty Tavern

Went a few hours before Music started so the bar was pretty empty. Had a great conversation with the Owner/Bartender John who’s 93 years old! He’s been running the bar since the 1960s. Good prices during happy hour ~$5-$6 a beer. Small snacks, no food. Only open on Fridays. Lots of parking. No downsides to this prohibition-era roadhouse, a gem in North East Seattle

Came here for the Flaming Pies band and a birthday party. It got packed but it had a decent size dancefloor . It is not a big place but the sound was good, beer was cold but in plastic cups. 1 pool table and a jukebox . $10 cover charge $7 beers on tap

The last of the actual for really REAL old Seattle roadhouses from the prohibition era. Looks like a house. Only open Fridays and live music every night! Giovanni the prop is in his 90s and grew up in "Garlic Gulch" if any old-heads have heard of that. If you don't go -- you'll always wish you had! (ed. And now it's closed. Missed your chance. 12/30/25)

Perfect dive bar in the rainy seattle vibe. People at the bar were great , the cute old man is a heart stealer with his quirky acts. Great live music to dance and people watching . I would have given 6 stars if they have more than beer and wine but worth a visit

A real big slice of the American pie , not many places left like this . The OG who owns the place creates the vibe along with the country music and great beer that comes in an amazing plastic cup

Only open on Fridays! What What What! Go see some live music & give that man behind the bar some much deserved love!

Reminds me of a small town, Midwest beer bar -- hasn't changed since the 60s and that's why people like it. Friendly and quick service. Lively, eclectic crowd but not too crowded. Stop by for beer and a band on a Friday night! They also have a good selection of wine.

Amazing experience! Old timers getting down! Old man behind the bar is a great human! Music always good and cheap pool!!! Friday night stop no mater if your 21 or 91 dance and have fun!!!

A very special place in the hearts of many, and fun Friday nights with live music and great beer!

Look, this bar is open ONE DAY A WEEK. It's a passion project of the owner. He's an older guy who can work a crowd of regulars or new comers with easy. I've passed the place probably thousands of times since living in Seattle. I had a sincerely magical experience going in for the first time. This place is no frills, but all substance. If you want to be known and know others, this is your spot. If you want to experience the authenticity of your local scene, this is THE place.

The Shanty is kind of like the girl you pick up for the first date and she lives in a rusty double wide trailer, but then gets out of the trailer and looks kind of hot. You kiss, and while she's a decent kisser, her breath is terrible. Mr. Shanty, bring me a beer (bung, bung, bung, bung) Make it the coldest that I've ever seen (bung, bung, bung, bung) Give it two twists like noses and bring it over. (bung, bung, bung, bung) Then tell me that my lonesome nights are over. Shanty, I'm on the phone Don't have nobody to call my own Please turn on your magic stream Mr. Shanty, bring me a beer. I drive pass this joint on my way to and from work everyday. It's a block from my house and it has never crossed my mind to even make a U-turn here. The building is old and in need of much TLC. The building at some point must have been a house that due to re-zoning got stuck on the wrong side of Lake City Way. A co-worker's going away party was the excuse to patron this place. As I walked in the first thought was," total dive bar!" The tavern, not a bar as the owner explained he did not serve liquor. Hey, you learn something new everyday. The atmosphere is dim and the lingering aroma is that of your grandma's favorite wool sweater. There are 2 pool tables, about 10 tables and a stage in this cozy little place. I don't know if they have live bands on weekends. We were there on a Friday and it looked pretty lax. Mr Shanty, 'cause I don't remember his name... John, I think, was a nice old man. He even brought us out popcorn and chips on the house. Before the tavern got too crowded he played some Rat-Pack, joked with us and made us feel really good about coming to his establishment. Oh, there's a jukebox, but don't ask him to turn it up; he uses a hearing aid and chances are he won't even hear you asking for that. The place definitely has some character. Don't be turned off by the outside like I was, the inside is kept pretty clean, including the restrooms. Overall, I was pretty happy with the forced choice. Mr. Shanty was pretty effen cool, he even gave me a beer on the house right after he didn't hear me say I was the DD. The place is pretty low key and a great place to enjoy some brewskies and shoot some pool.

I was also there the night waffles were thrown, and it made my evening! I went on a Friday night and there was $5 cover. I think this was because there was a local band playing that evening. I'm not sure if that's a regular thing or not. While waiting for the band to come on we ordered beer (which came in plastic cups), people watched, and played pin ball. The staff was friendly and the beer reasonably priced. The Shanty Tavern is not a classy, gotta-dress-up-for-the-night joint, but it's relaxed and clean. The band that played was ridiculous and totally amusing. As mentioned earlier, they threw waffles into the crowd at the end. Many of the people there were fun to watch also because they were a little cooky. All in all this was a friendly, highly entertaining place to go, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone with a sense of humor, an open mind, and a taste for beer.

It's a little musty smelling but the owner is very sweet and the music was fun. The acoustics are such that if you sit at the bar the music doesn't blast you. Simple chex mix and pretzels is all they have to snack on. Divey but a must stop for a beer or glass of wine. No hard alcohol.

Who knows what will happen to this place in the future, so I would suggest experiencing this piece of NE Seattle history before it's too late. Stripped down, relaxed atmosphere. A diverse crowd, super friendly service, including the owner of over 50 years, who is really fun to talk to. Great place to see some live music. I real gem with great history and character. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Now that I have visited the Shanty Tavern, I finally feel like a resident of Northeast Seattle. As already expressed in other reviews, the Shanty Tavern is a dive bar. What can one find in a dive bar? Cheap beer. Cheap wine. $5 entertainment (local band Soul Proprietors belting out disco, R&B and funk tunes this particular evening). You also get to observe interesting patrons who may have had a little too much to drink--or maybe they are just a little offbeat. The owner is super-nice and very friendly, and the other staff we interacted with were pleasant. Although the Shanty may not be my first choice for a Saturday night hangout, I gotta respect all the employees and patrons who seemed truly happy to be there. I'm sure I'll return.

Wow, this place is awesome. I always thought it was long closed but when the sign says "OPEN FRI", it is telling the truth. Cheap beer, good music, nice smell and less divey than you'd think. plus, the bartenders are great. Clean bathrooms too! They had a $7 cover but I feel like I would pay it any time, they obviously just run the place for fun and it probably goes straight to the band. I'll be back!

This place is a hidden gem! It's only open Friday's and is run by an older gentleman who is so kind! Only beer or wine but decent prices (most about $5). Interesting music and a lot of regulars but still fun!

Great spot for live music. Total honky tonk. It literally is a road house. It's just missing the chicken wire for the band to stand behind.

Awesome atmosphere my new Friday night hang out with quite the eclectic live music selections

Never been inside. But never will try it out anyway. My car broke down outside of this place and the owner was rude and told me to move my car (had only been there less than 10 minutes) I was waiting for a tow truck to come. Keep in mind the place wasn't even open yet. With an unsympathetic inhuman owner like that, I'm surprised this place is still open.

I love good dive bars. While some may say this one is, I didn't experience that. For starters, $10 cover??? WTH? Who's playing, The Rolling Stones? Plus the door guy was rather dickish. The $4.75 PBR was tasty enough (I was warned to go cans only since their lines are never cleaned). Generally didn't enjoy the music or the overall vibe. One and done. Elvis has left the building. I won't be surprised when it's closed to make way for a condo.

Flat beer served out of dirty keg lines poured into big red disposable party cups like the kind you bring to a keg party in a trailer park. The only thing that keeps me from giving it a lower rating is that I love the street sign, and sometimes the music is rocking enough to warrant a visit. If somebody with a brain ran this place, it could be made into a real gem.

Yes...I admit it, I've been there on more than a few nights to listen to Rockabilly and just take in the whole Merle Haggard look-a-like spectacle! The beer and drinks are so-so, and it's got no ambiance but it's a fun place to go if you want to stay very low-maintenance!

OLD SCHOOL ROCKIN BAR! Beer, music and friends who doesn't like that? If you grew up in the 80s this is for you!

Live music can be decent but can also be crappy in my 2 years experience. And way too loud at times (other times just a bit too loud). I live across the street and can hear it clearly with the windows closed at times. I believe it would cause deafness while inside. But I think mostly the old-rocker type hangs at the Shanty so they are already half deaf from the load rocking. Only been inside twice and not for long. Not my scene but I like a place you can actually talk to whoever your with. So it might be good if you can't hear too well, and like the little hole-in-the-wall places. Guy on the phone when I asked to get the music turned down was nice enough though. :) But don't go to the Shanty if you want a quieter place. Loud pool games are more this places MO. Classic cars too apparently.

Fun times to be had at The Shanty Tavern. The owner and his family who run this joint are very friendly folks. Good, cheap beer and local entertainment. There was a huge group of us and there were no complaints. Looking forward to going back.

Let's just say it was my first and last time at "The Shanty" never came in before but I live in Lake City and my my car is being repaired so I stopped in for a beer.... Blues? Great, I can get down on that..... danced enjoyed.... cut off!!!!! after 3 beers!!!! Won;t be going back and good luck! No wonder YOU WERE DEAD!!!!! IDIOTS!!! Signed a local Lake City Bartender.

Not so bad inside, cold beer and the owner is super charming! Tip: bring your own lime, no citrus. Oh and it smells like a thrift store.

Warning: The north driveway entrance to the parking lot may cause damage to low clearance vehicles (such as an Audi A4). That damage may include scrapes to the paint on the sides of the vehicle. If you have a new auto, this is extremely annoying! The manager claims this is due to the way the city constructed the driveway entrances.

like the rest of the lake city residents, i pass by this place EVERY DAY, and there was a time when i actually wondered if this place was even real...i mean...more often than not, the giant lot is empty, and no offense, but the place looks a little shady, i'm still convinced multiple drug deals occur nearby daily. but one day i decided to check it out, why not right? i'm not really part of the lake city club unless i go, and it's a pretty cool place, lots of open space on the inside to wander, very friendly and helpful staff, and a pinball machine :) there's also darts and a pool table too, so hopefully you'll never be bored at this tavern. i didn't see any liquor behind the bar, so i'm pretty sure it's just a beer place, and they had a handful on tap and in bottles, nothing too special, stuff like PBR, bud, manny's, mac n jack. so it's a great place to just kick back and relax after a hellish week at work i went on a friday night and there was a band playing, so there was a minimal cover charge and quite a few people there, totally worth it the $5, the band was awesome, very energetic, and they threw waffles at us, yes, waffles, no syrup unfortunately. i can't guarantee this much excitement there every night, but i think that if you go, you'll be pleasantly surprised

I live a few blocks from the ST, and it's walkable. That in itself merits a few stars. Went in a few weeks after moving to Lake City, early on a Friday (by now you should know it's only open on Fridays and Saturdays). My GF and I were the only ones in the place (we'd just been for Thai across the street). John, the owner welcomed us with smile and some chat. Lovely guy. Left soon after for a prior engagement. Now I popped in again a week or so later to see the bands. The place was jumping. Great atmosphere, reasonable sounds and prices. Bargain night out for some top class local bands, cheap beer and good company. No let's get this doubly clear, it's a DIVE BAR. Plain and simple. Some other reviewer said earlier that someone with half a brain could make some real money running this bar. That's not the point. John runs it as a sort of hobby. No TV's (well he has them, he just doesn't want to pay for cable and only be open 2 days). Franky the guy does it on his terms and that attitude to me is golden. If only we all had this opportunity, no?. It's not all about becoming rich and famous, sometimes it's about being happy. And the ST fit's that bill for me.

Met up here with friends and it was an absolute pleasure! The bar staff was so friendly and sweet, the room is so cool, and the atmosphere is chill and welcoming. We walked in and instantly felt like regulars!