The Ballard Smoke Shop

Service was interesting but I enjoyed it. FOOD was definitely edible after a shot and beer. Large pour on the shot, and good vibes. Thank you for that. Even bought a hoodie! As I would, it’s my namesake. This is where the guys from Deadliest Catch drink beer.

What a gem in the heart of Ballard! A quirky, vintage Seattle outpost that has a modest but excellent array of pinball machines and arcade games, perfectly framed by a few booths and a comfortable bar. Our bartender Farrah (SP?) was great in recommending food and bevs, checking in, keeping an eye on our belongings and also just pleasant to chat with in passing. The food menu is stacked and of a higher quality than most dive bars. Pricing across both food and beverage is by far some of the lowest in central Seattle. I think this is a great bar for small groups, intimate conversations and even solo. I look forward to returning soon.

You walk in and it’s a little Smokey smelling and the service (Sean) is awesome. It’s like walking into your friends house who wants to listen to you and make you feel better. The drinks are good and the smash burgers are INCREDIBLE. Get one. Come b here and make it your home away from home with the food and ambiance and people.

Really cozy in here, plenty of arcade games and pinball machines. It’s never really crowded either and the carpeted floors and hanging string lights give it a nice homey feeling.

Well, we loved it here. We only sat at the bar and had 2-3 drinks. The Buffalo Trace at $8/pour is a steal based on South Carolina standards! Go! They're awesome.

Best bartenders in town. Great dive bar vibe. Cool early regular crowd.

johnathan bartender in the arcade is always the best new to the area helpful hind story’s recommendations. made this place feel like my home town

really great little neighborhood institution bar, cozy atmosphere with delicious pub grub. highly recommend the smash burger with a rainier and tequila :) friendly bartenders as well

Shows! History. Affordable good food (strong flavored popcorn chicken Caesar salad!). Old Seattle- basic and rad.

A great place for food, drinks, and pinball! To start, the staff are very friendly and quick getting your order. The ambiance is retro but has a chill vibe to it. For the food, there is a variety of options and the smash burger was absolutely fantastic packed with flavor. Also had chicken salad and the mozzarella sticks, both fantastic. Lastly, don't forget to play some pinball as they have some awesome machines to play on.

I'll be honest, if there were any other places nearby that would have offered a quick and cheap meal I would have gone there instead, but I was lugging around 2 hungry 8 year olds and needed to get food in them ASAP because we crossed that threshold of hunger. The portions were what you would expect at the price point they were set, and the food was fine. Bartender was helpful and the pinball machines inside the place were awesome (though .75 for pinball is a little higher than I would have expected. Expected since both times we tried playing the ball got stuck).

Best bar in Ballard! This place is a great hangout and has solid food and drinks. Love the whole bunch of bartenders that work here. Special shout out to KT and Lauren!

I am feeling so disgusted by this place; they are dishonest and unethical. I realized today that they added an additional tip to my bill. This is pure robbery and completely unacceptable. Of course, I called my credit card provider to report the fraud, but I will never come here again. My friends were shocked too and will also boycott the place. I understand that it might not be the owner's fault directly, but they still hire a thief. I would be more than happy to provide a copy of my receipt with the waiter's name if it can help them get rid of bad employees.

Originally I heard a nasty rumor that this place was closing, and I felt a sense of urgency to get over there and try it before it was gone. It came through that it was just a rumor and not closing, but am I glad it lit a fire under my ass to get over there and try this place. It's my kind of place. I like the bar side. They never seems to be a shortage of customers there, but I do like it when it's half full. Full. Like to sit at the bar, and feed the jukebox the whole time I'm there. Yes I said jukebox. The bartenders are courteous and do their best to keep up with the crowd. It's a full bar, so you can get about any standard drink. They have a great food menu along with a late night menu so you can almost always get something to eat. The broaster chicken is delicious, and you can get home style sides like mashed potatoes and greens and JoJo's and biscuits. The other side has a small bar in the back and arcade games all over. This is easily that kind of place to spend hours of a day or all night.

The new arcade and bar are amazing. The new food menu - also amazing. Best deal in Ballard: "Buckets and Buckets" (6 piece fried chicken, 4 Ranier tall boys = $18!). But mostly, we'll be back regularly for the pinball, Cloudburst IPAs, & great service. 5 stars.

Solid diner-style brunch in Ballard! THE WAIT: None for three on Memorial Day Monday around 11am. THE SERVICE: There was one woman covering all the tables so she was stretched pretty thin. She generally wasn't very helpful - couldn't give any sort of direct answer when I asked how big the Small Cobb was. Once we ordered, it was hard to get her attention. 3-EGG SCRAMBLES & OMELETS * Corned Beef Scramble ($10.95) - 3.5 stars Not bad, a classic. OFF THE GRIDDLE * 3 Swedish pancakes ($7.95) - 3.5 stars Simple but these were light and moist. SOUPS & SALADS * Cobb Salad (Sm $8.95, Lg $10.95) - 3 stars Chicken was a bit dry. This was a large filling plate.

We came here the morning of Super Bowl Sunday after the wait was too long down the street. Lauren was our server & she did a great job with 7 people & a baby. I had the Chief omelet & it was really good. I chomped it down hardcore! I was on the 28th day of a booze break & was definitely jealous of my friends' drinks. Love the old-school atmosphere. Recommended!

A solid neighborhood breakfast diner spot in Ballard! If you are not wanting to pay $15 for your waffles or pancakes, then you've come to the right place. I came in with some good friends, and I ended up getting the Ballard Smoke House Breakfast, with scrambled eggs, 2 pancakes and bacon. It was a pretty typical and filling breakfast, so nothing to complain about here. They also kept the coffee coming, and service was good. I'd definitely come back. The space is pretty large, and they have a bar next door as well. We had no problem getting a seat. Definitely worth a try if you're in the Ballard area.

I love this place. The food is consistent and delicious to me. I love the variety of breakfast and lunch food here. The eggs Benedict is amazing, so is the cobb salad. The customer service is also really great and thoughtful. I really enjoy the dining manager's presence and personality and customer service. She made my fiancé and I feel at home rather than just taken care of. It was a personable experience and I love this place for that. I recommend coming here if you don't mind a low key atmosphere.

This review is long overdue! Fantastic low-cost cozy diner that serves consistently good food. A favorite between my fiancée and I, we usually go for their breakfast foods like the Eggs Benedict and the classic pancakes which are always served in portion sizes that leave us full and satisfied. The service always feels friendly and attentive, and while it can sometimes take a while for the food to hit our table, the servers always make things right and ensure our comfort. One waitress in particular, a lovely woman who I believe may have been the manager, has incredible customer service. A few months ago I decided to kickstart my birthday by getting breakfast here with my fiancée. When the food didn't hit our table in a timely manner, the waitress offered us complimentary and absolutely incredible coffee/hot chocolate beverages (her personal concoction) even though we never even complained! Service like this shouldn't go unnoticed. If you're in the area and craving some inexpensive and rich food, be sure to stop by!

Deserves 5 stars but only giving 4 bec of all the tech wanna be hipsters that overwhelm this place on weekends. Stiff drinks , lots of regulars who will tell you AA is for quitters and a gin and tonic is gin with a splash of tonic.... oh and ring the bell see what happens :) Smoke shop !!!

Set your expectations before coming here and you'll have a fantastic time. Diner food. Diner attitudes. Very, very stiff and cheap drinks. What's not to like? Obviously it's not Canlis but I love this place.

The Smoke Shop is the absolute best. I spent part of my New Year's Eve here, and it was my favorite part of the night. Just super chill, sipping a drink, watching some American Ninja Warrior with some strangers. Kinda want to do it again this year. The best thing about the Smoke Shop is that it is my two favorite things in one... a dive bar on one side, and a diner on the other! I came here with a friend a few weeks ago when we were craving hash browns, and we had a delicious diner breakfast at a reasonable price. We decided to walk over to the bar side after our meal for one drink. There were a few people there (it was like...Saturday at 1pm) that were having a great time at the bar. One of the patrons decided to ring "THE BELL!" If you aren't familiar with it - if you ring the bell, you are saying that you will buy a shot for everyone in the bar. Our quick Saturday afternoon beer turned into a beer and a shot, and we made some new friends! All in all, Smoke Shop is a solid place to go get some great drinks, great service, and cheap food. Great for people watching. 10/10 would go any day.

Great place in Ballard for comfort food and brunch! Portion sizes are worth it for the price. Most dishes come with toast and a side of your choice. Service was prompt.

Pretty cool old school dive. Food is great and reasonably priced. Service has been flat out bad every time I've been there, but maybe that's supposed to be part of its charm? Last time I was there, the bartender never bothered to see if we needed anything else after dropping our food and 1 drink each. We were there for at least an hour and a half. We would have ordered more drinks if he'd wanted the money, but we went somewhere else instead. Rounding up from 3.5 stars because the food really is good.

The Ballard Smoke Shop is in the heart of Ballard and amongst many businesses, making it a great place to get a drink, meet friends or have a casual meal. Whether it's your first visit or you're 100th, this establishment will treat you like family and the food is heaven. There's no sign on the building so look for the sidewalk sandwich sign. They are a bit north on Ballard from the bell tower at the corner of Ballard & 22nd. I was on foot and got lost. When I called the restaurant, the bartender handed the phone to a regular who walked down to meet me in the rain and walked with me to the bar. Thank you Beth!!! They have the place split in two, the bar on the right and the restaurant on the left. You can order a meal in the bar if you wish. The bar has a jukebox that takes dollar bills and has hits from the 70's to now. They also have the only cigarette machine I've seen in 25 years. The 4 of us came in last night and had dinner in the bar. My friends had some cocktails that the bartender kept coming. Two ordered the prime rib sandwich with fries that they both reported was delicious. Another friend got spaghetti with meatballs and garlic toast, and he said the sauce was great. I ordered a Belgium waffle with bananas. They heated up the real maple syrup and had a heaping serving of whipped cream. It was perfect. I downed oj and milk with it like there was no tomorrow. At one point, one friend said, "You know the food is good because no one is talking." We were all consumed with stuffing our faces. The prices here are cheap. You can order yourself an entree starting at $7. Clearly, breakfast is served all day. I want to come back and eat more. My waffle was perfect, and my friends' sandwiches looked amazing. When "Sweet Caroline" started playing on the jukebox and a guy at the bar started singing the chorus and yelled at the rest of us to join in, it was natural to do so. The waiter, bartender and another gal (another bartender?) all came to our table several times to refill glasses and take care of us. They were all friendly and didn't mind I had taken off my soaked tennis shoes. Freaking rain was pouring. Love the orange lights wrapped around the bar, the pictures of boats and the sea, the darkened room, and the jovial regulars. Parking is a pain in this neighborhood. There's paid parking right in front and all around, it just fills up fast and stays that way on the weekends. You might have to hoof it from parking down on Shilshoe. Or take the bus or a taxi and save yourself from getting soaked like me. I will be back!

This review is of the lounge specifically, as I've never dined in the restaurant. Where does one even begin? I could rhapsodize about this place all day. It is the perfect dive bar, and quite possibly Seattle's finest drinking establishment. The room itself is fantastic. Rope lights cast a soft, golden glow over the horseshoe bar - lighting perfection. As one famous Seattleite put it - "not so bright as to show the wrinkles, not so dark as to make her think you're hiding something." You can post up at the bar for a conversation with a stranger, or stake your claim to one of the perimeter tables along the walls - there's not a bad seat in the house. Nautical regalia adorn the walls for some truly unique decor. The place is damn clean - but not so fussy as to stifle the beautifully casual vibe. The jukebox keeps things interesting, yet at a thoughtful volume as to ensure conversations can flourish. The crowd is, in a word, fantastic. A truly special buzz in this place. The times I've come here alone I've been content to people watch while nursing a boilermaker. Blue collar and white, cowboys and sailors - all mingling together over this shared, boozy bond. The common denominator seems to be joviality itself. People are simply happy to be here, as they should be. People here drink like they mean it - beers and shots, more beers and shots, and a few well made cocktails for good measure. The clientele, mercifully, skews a bit older than some of the other options in the neighborhood - ranging from late 20's to 60's beyond on the weekends. An honest to god melting pot, this place. The sound of spirited conversation bouncing off the walls is truly beautiful. The delightful bartenders will soon know you by name and make sure you always feel welcome. So keep fighting the good fight, Ballard Smoke Shop, and don't change for anybody. We love you just the way you are.

Food: Yes! Gotta love that great diner food! Your cooks are getting it all right. Service: What?! This tall brunette woman was trying to hide the fact she was very bored but doing a bad job of it. Was there earlier and she was very slow to serve me, sitting at the counter, being lazy. As a fellow server, I gotta say, I wish people could work harder for the great tips and pat they get in this city. Dissapointed because it just makes a place look bad.

Quaint old school diner feel. Family owned and operated. Don't be scared away by the dive bar appearance of the exterior. I have only been here for breakfast. I LOVE the scrambles. I am making my way through the list and loving each and every one. The hashbrowns are crispy and probably the best that I've had in town. Tasty per value is pretty high overall. Would give 4.5 stars if I could and if they speed up the kitchen a little bit when I am starving in the AM.

So glad I had my first Seattle breakfast in this quaint, retro-style diner! The moment I walked in the Smoke Shop, the staff has been super friendly and responsive to our needs. The food is also satisfyingly big-portioned and delicious. If you want a breakfast recommendation, try my order! My order of crab cake Benedict (~$13.99) was unique: instead of a biscuit, the poached egg rested on a steamed crab cake. The crab cake, which was the first one I had that wasn't fried, was a tasty component alone, and augmented with the perfectly poached egg and well-made hollandaise sauce! The accompanying hash brown was also nicely done and was perfect for cleaning up the plate of any leftover sauce from the Benedict. Even though I am not a morning person, I had a great morning experience because of this great breakfast diner that kickstarted it! If you are around the Ballard neighborhood or planning to visit the nearby lock, drop by here for a nice friendly breakfast!

This place is probably past it's prime. It's a bizarre combo of half bar half restaurant, primarily catering to an older crowd. I had the chicken fried steak. While the service was great, the food wasnt a deal, wasn't the best, and the atmosphere is dated. I won't be back. I only walked through the bar section, but is very dark and a bit unusual. Wouldn't go there with friends either.

I really hate to give this place a mediocre score, and furthermore am surprised that so many people have given good reviews. Who doesn't love breakfast? I sure don't want to know them. I was excited about finally trying this place as the kitschy look and feel of it would imply that it is a great breakfast spot. Feels like a blue collar side of the road diner type of place you'd find in South Dakota somewhere. The interior is minimal and a sure throwback; I admire the fact that it is on the Ballard strip but they stray away from trendifying it up. Though the service was great and friendly, this place unfortunately did not hit the mark for me or my friend at all. The eggs Benedict and hash browns were both equally bland. The hollandaise sauce was lackluster. The coffee, terrible. My friend was equally unimpressed. If you're looking for satisfying no thrills diner food, you won't really get it here.

I agree with the reviewer who said to check your expectations and you'd have a different experience. Plentiful, decent food, cranky service. Had the Eggs Benedict. The egg was poached to perfection and the hollandaise sauce was good. The hash browns were a little greasy but what can you expect for diner food? Orange juice was good.

One of my favorite bars in Ballard to enjoy strong affordable drinks and lots of people watching at the cozy horseshoe bar. Not the fastest service but good pours & occasional fun, interesting conversation. They have takeout orders as well. The jukebox has a ubiquitously compelling selection- especially on a mellow, rainy Sunday morning. The connected cafe next door is not bad either. Their breakfasts are thankfully solid but most menu items are okay/average. Not any sports TV's- it is not a sports bar. There two TV's with an occasional soccer game on or even the morning game shows & soap operas. Highly recommend the curiously welcoming fisherman/maritime themed Smoke Shop. I believe it is a family owned bar/cafe and has been for many years. It is close to many pubs, dive bars, restaurant/cafes & various shops & entertainment scenes, & the Ballard Farmers Market on Sunday's year around. Might have to keep an eye on your wait person as they are usually polite, and sometimes personable but they can forget abt your last drink order. You then will have to remind them. Thanks.

Notice the only ones leaving a bad rating don't live in neighborhood. Self-entitled foodies who have never worked a blue collared job or have no sympathies for others that do. This place is for people that appreciate an old school diner without the frills of the 'new Seattle' springing up all around with normal folks getting so priced out you can't afford a plate of pancakes and a simple coffee. We have 3 kids and live within walking distance. This is our spot when we want to dine out on weekend morning. Nice servers and coffee is always refilled promptly. It would be a sad day if it ever disappears.

I brought a group of friends here one early evening, not having read the fine (or any, for that matter) print on Yelp reviews prior to this. I realized my mistake in doing so the moment we walked into a bar where every other patron is old enough to be our grandparents (too early for all the other young whippersnappers to have wandered in, apparently). We sit down anyway, each order a drink, then make a quick and quiet exit, all the while under the lazing gaze of our elders. I see a number of reasons why people come here - when you want to hang out with old people, when you want to make fun of old people with your group of younguns, when you want to get incredibly drunk for dirt cheap, or some combination of the aforementioned. They're a no-nonsense place with no fancy or frilly drinks, and for about $5 you can get something like a cranberry vodka that's three parts vodka to one of cranberry (hey that's like 3x the drinks for half the price!).

Ballard Smoke Shop is a Ballard institution. It's still the best diner food I've ever had, and I've traveled cross-country four times in the last two years so I've had my fair share of diners, trucker stops, and perfectly wonderful dives. The staff is great, some of them have been there for years, some decades. And if you aren't feeling pancakes, just go order a gin 'n' tonic. It's gin, ice, love, and a splash of tonic.

Oh man...this place is AMAZING! I mean that half sincerely and half sarcastically. Okay, so I ended up coming here on Thanksgiving with my friend for "brunch" before we went to our real dinner. (What can I say? I always have room for pancakes.) I would have never known that this establishment was half bar (on the left) and half restaurant/diner (on the right) if I hadn't read the reviews on Yelp. Interesting. When I saw that it was located in downtown Ballard, I figured it was probably decent, seeing as most of the restaurants there seem fairly popular and respected. When we arrived, there were a bunch of drunk people smoking outside. Like the kind of people you imagine probably never left from the night before. You get my idea. We headed inside to the right (only just peeking in the bar to the left - I quickly shut the door when I saw a large man in overalls at the counter) and were immediately seated in a booth. The décor...was like something out of the "Jaws" movie. Think sad, alcoholic Fisherman themes. I mean, my friend was really amused by it because we are both from a "fisherman town" in CA (San Pedro), but this was something else. I'd compare it to the R&R in Twin Peaks, but I think the R&R was 100% cleaner and less depressing than this place. Regardless, it was open on Thanksgiving, and I wanted coffee and pancakes. My friend ordered an open-faced hot turkey sandwich, and I went with a short stack of buttermilk pancakes with a side of bacon. We split a butter horn (that we never actually touched). Believe it or not, this place's food is actually REALLY good considering what it looks like (and the clientele who frequent it). I think that turkey sandwich was probably just as tasty as any turkey we could have been having for Thanksgiving (we were heading to a vegetarian Thanksgiving meal). The sandwich was served with delicious mashed potatoes with gravy and really tasty green bean casserole. And I have to admit...the pancakes were fluffy and delicious. Tons of butter and syrup, bacon, what more could I ask for? The coffee was pretty terrible, but I really wasn't expecting all that much considering it's a diner. Our server was super friendly...and I don't know why this surprised me. Maybe it was because she was working on Thanksgiving? In any case, I was pleased with her attitude and level of attention. The clientele were just SAD. I mean, I had to laugh even at myself for being there on Thanksgiving. But some (older) people were actually there eating their Thanksgiving dinner (complete with pumpkin pie for dessert), and it was pretty depressing. Like you want to slit-your-wrists you feel so bad for them. I dunno, maybe they were perfectly happy being there...but I think I'd rather stay at home and drink a bunch of battery acid before end up at a place like this for my holiday meal. *sad* I'm not sure I'll ever frequent the bar (scary people inside)...but if I do, at least I'll take comfort in knowing that I can get a hearty meal at the diner afterwards! LOL.

My friends who live in the area brought me to this place, cause it's their go to for a drink after work. They know the bartender and have a sense of nostalgia about the place, that I just didn't have. (we actually came here for breakfast the next day as well.) I can appreciate the fact its a low key, cheap drink local joint but it just wasn't my jam. I feel like if I am going to go out and actually pay for drinks, as oppose to buy a bottle my self, I want the ambiance, I want a cocktail I couldn't or wouldn't take the time to make at home. And this just wasn't that. Additionally, breakfast was just not great. While the portions were good, and the server was friendly the food was seriously lacking in flavor and quality. And I get it's your run of the mill diner vibe, but when in Seattle, where there is SO much good food and drink to be had, I would rather be someone with better ambiance, eating something that will blow my mind, but that's just me. if your looking for a nice neighborhood bar with friendly servers, no lines and cheap drinks, this has your name on it.

Walked into this place 3 years ago and fell in love with the staff, ambiance, and food. Plus look at the fun things they do like travel back in time and honor customers with 1971 prices for their anniversary. This is a place that will be special to my heart and is the true essence of old Ballard! Going to bring my kiddos here one day:)

The bacon here is perfect!! Oh my God so good! And the pancakes! The prices are reasonable. The waitstaff is friendly and attentive. But the best part is that it isn't crowded like every other breakfast place in Seattle on the weekends!!! No wait for a table or your food, and no screaming kids running around! What a find!!!

The Ballard Smoke Shop is in my opinion, the most classic dive bar breakfast diner, in all of Seattle. I used to come here with family every Sunday before going to the market. An excellent Bloody Mary. Sweet service. And interesting crowd. This is where I learned to do the nyt crossword puzzle. Menu is very classic. And there's a bar connected to the other side with one of my parents' favorite bartenders. Xoxo Ballard Smoke Shop!!

I have been here before for a quick breakfast since I was hungry but never really review how it was but if I have recalled it was the most greatest vibe overall in the restaurant side, the customer service was really nice and outgoing to where they check up on you often to make sure you are satisfied. Well today went back there to have some drink with some friend at the lounge section, well I have to say they have really make me want to keep coming back. The bartender was really nice and keep the mood going. The food was great we ordered some appetizer to par with out drink and they have add on the appetizers plater to their menu that day so it was delicious and a pretty big portion enough to share with 2-3 people. I would say it is a nice bar to go to if you are ever in the area.

It's been a few hours since we are here and I'm STILL upset about our experience today. It was New Years and we had a group of 4. It was packed and we were greeted 5 minutes after we stood at the door staring at them. ..when we finally got a table it took quite awhile to even get water on our tables. After 45 minutes of waiting for soggy French toast and easy egg scrambles they forgot my husbands order!!! The waitress then apologized quickly and said she won't be able to expedite it. No way we were going to sit there for another 30 minutes for scrambled eggs. It was so bad that the table across from us just got up to leave because they couldn't stand how horrible the service was. In the end they brought my husbands dish out 10 mins after they forgot and the same waitress literally threw down his plate & toast and walked away. We only paid for part of our meal since we were compensated for the bad experience and hiccups in service. I also couldn't bear to tip such service. We also saw the waitress chase down an elderly group of people and asked if she did something wrong to not deserve a tip. They said they thought the service took way too long. She further said "well. Thats the kitchens fault, not mine." And walked away from them. Like serious!?!?

Totally dive-y Ballard joint, we went for breakfast. Jeez where can you get a breakfast for $5-$6 bucks anymore? Nothing exotic, but good ole American diner-type breakfast for cheap. Can't go wrong with this place, especially with the great service we had!

An off day or a bait and switch? I've been coming here for ages, and it's always a great American style breakfast. Then I brought a group of friends with me a few weeks ago, and the food was GOD-AWFUL-TERRIBLE! The service was horrendous. The food came out cold. Ballard Smoke Shop, what happened to you? If this was the first time I'd been there, I know I'd never come back. However, I still have those memories of before. What happened: just an off-day, or has it changed for the worse forever?????

Really enjoy Sunday's here with Karri, free parking and happy hour makes it sweeet! Had Biscuits & gravy w/hash browns half order for dinner with a beverage.., Yum!!

Best breakfast in Ballard! Great selection of food and specials. You get a lot of food for the price. With all the other foodie spots in Ballard, this is my go-to for brunch. Drinks are stiff, if you're looking for a boozy brunch. The staff is friendly and quick to recognize their regulars. I haven't been disappointed. They also offer a free breakfast for your birthday (any dish less than 11 bucks!).

There are two sides: bar and restaurant. This review is for the restaurant. The service is polite, courteous, and fast. You get the feel that the staff wants to be here. The atmosphere is diner. A welcome change from the faux-contemporary, $15 cocktail feel that has taken over this quaint town that is formerly known as a fishing village. Do you want good diner food, great service, and a relaxing atmosphere? This is your spot.

Love it here. Old place & culture and it is oddly welcoming. Food average at best, drinks are strong & very well priced. Service not A-1 Plus (not quick or fast) but wait people are quite nicely satisfactory. (I believe that a slower-hustle attitude behind the bar seems to be the norm here.) The Smoke Shop is a a personal favorite. Stiff drinks, okay food (they've been going "through cooks" - be cautious ordering prime), and interesting wait people & patrons. Great old-fashioned jukebox, comfortable horse-shoe bar but not much (minimum at most) for sports viewing re their smallish, limited TV's that are clearly not a priority - likely for years now. Breakfast available all day. Give the Smoke Shop a try?!

Very average mediocre diner food. We went for brunch around noon on a Sunday, I had eggs/sausage/hash browns and my husband had a Denver omelette, both of which were thankfully reasonably priced for Ballard. Coffee was quite bad and the toast was cold (the butter didn't even melt) which was surprising considering how quickly the food arrived. Service was good but with all the other food options in the area we definitely won't be back.

I love to come in here for breakfast after working the night shift. I sit at the counter and Dugan is so nice all the time. I like the vibe. I will come back in the evening sometime and hang out at the bar. It's a beautiful bar in a rustic way. Very nice place in Ballard that is open early and late.

By far my favorite dive bar that's still in business in the heart of Ballard. Generous pours :) No college kids :) Old Ballard nostalgia (experience it before it's too late!)

1 pancake: 1 altered state of consciousness. It was the size and fluffiness of a friendly-looking cloud, kind of like how I imagine the threshold to Heaven appearing, which was fitting for an Easter Sunday morning repast. Given its status as a gateway to afterlife type things, I recommend not driving or operating heavy machinery immediately after consuming it.

So I'm standing there in the bathroom peeing and singing the theme song of the Jeffersons when one of the regulars busts in. Whoops, does that door really lock? Anyway, I'm not one to allow company to stop me from relieving myself, because sometimes when Nature calls, she dials 9-1-1. And this fucker criticizes my singing. "You really shouldn't be singing. Your voice sucks," he says. "Oooh I love a man who talks dirty to me while he watches me urinate!" I respond. "I'm not watching," he says. "Would you like to?" I reply. *pause* *I begin singing again* "You really shouldn't sing. Your voice sucks," he tells me. Apparently this guy used to sing backups for the band Survivor. Well, at least I had a qualified music critic. Oh, and if you steal chocolate mints from the restaurant next door, they WILL catch you and make you pay for them.

Dear Ballard Smoke Shop, You Complete Me. Captain Sig from Deadliest Catch sat 2 stools down the bar from me. One of the bartenders, when asked what kind of beer they had, replied, "Just order a cocktail. We make 'em strong". Someone asked me, "Hey do you wanna be in my movie?". I politely declined. Darlene behind the bar makes a mean vodka soda and doesn't put up with any crap. Someone rang the bell. I think I bought some earrings. No, wait, that was my friend. I can't wait to go back. Maybe next time I'll remember leaving.

Old school diner look and feel, totally delivers on brunch/diner ambience. Be prepared for a wait, got a table easy but the wait for and omelette , eggs and bacon was an eternity. Nearly an hour. People in table next to us gave in and asked for "to go" after the long wait. Once it arrived it deliver, great omelette and perfect crispy hash. Expect $30 for 2 breakfasts though, not traditional diner prices.