Jake A.
Yelp
I live across from this beer bar, and used to be a frequent patron. When they arrived in Maple Leaf, taking over the spot formerly occupied by Ying's Chinese Drive-In, they were a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, the positives are outweighed by the negatives as of this review.
The Growler Guys always has at least 50 beers/ciders/kombuchas/sodas available on tap, and has something to please everyone, as long as you are a drinker of these beverages. I've enjoyed a number of quality beers here, and have no issue with the beers or the selection. However, if you are looking for wine, there are much better selections elsewhere, and if you want liquor, this is not the bar for you.
And there are diminishing returns in almost every other aspect of this business.
Food here is really disappointing. All of it is heated in high-speed convection ovens, whether it be wings, tots, or sandwiches, and the selection is very limited. Wings and sandwiches are soggy, and while flavors are okay, this is not a place that you come to for the food. This is a place where you pad your stomach with mediocrity so that you can drink.
There is parking here but, unfortunately, parking overflow goes to the unzoned residential neighborhood right next door. This creates a headache for actual residents who want to find a parking spot when they come home. Possibly related, we have more and more litter and beer cans/bottles appearing in the neighborhood.
The worst offense by this beer bar is the noise. When they came to the neighborhood, they were a chill place to hang out. Now, they play live music all the time, and the noise level appears to be going up on the regular. This business is bordered by three apartment complexes, and the noise is loud and clear from any of them. I have called and briefly spoken to Kelly, the business owner, and while he has paid lip service to lowering the volume ("I'll see if I can't move the speakers so there's less sound bleed", or some nonsense like that), it's obvious that his priority is his business, and not the neighbors. A prime example: I just called to ask what time the music was stopping, and I was told 9pm. The music then continued until 9:30pm. The noise level is loud, and is a blight on the neighborhood, and it's pretty obvious that Kelly just doesn't care.
There are better beer bars, better bars, and better restaurants out there in Seattle. And there are businesses that are much better to their local neighborhoods than this one is. I hope that you'll patronize one of those businesses instead of this one.