The Old Pequliar

We went on a Monday night at 9:30. Not crowded and not too noisy which we like. A very good variety of beers and good food and good service. We had lamb sliders which were delicious.

Great service. The happy hour would be good if the cooks wouldn't consistently over cook everything to the point of not being edible. I really don't get it and it's frustrating. Unfortunately after the food is served, the staff doesn't check back to see how everything is, so you pretty much stuck with what you get. Hopefully your not hungry, because if you are, you'll eat what you can and move on to the next place to the next place to fulfill what you didn't get here.

Rowdy Irish pub. Went here for st Patrick’s day. Drinks were affordable and the ambiance was great. Love music is always a plus.

It was a good time. Needed a beer and some food, delivered. And the atmosphere was good, people vibe was positive, music was a good mix of Irish and bar hits.

Everything was okay. Nothing was great. The food was mediocre. Our server was really nice but not terribly attentive. The prices were good.

I’ve been here a handful of times…..oh my, was this time ugly. The owner thinks it’s ok to skip songs people pay for on his juke box. Repeatedly. Then will laugh in your face if you call him out, then have the bartender refund you. Directly from his mouth - “How many customers have we lost tonight?” Apparently, it’s a laughing matter. Take your business elsewhere. Billy, take your staff into consideration. They have a living to make. I’m sure it’s a different experience when you’re not at the bar. There’s better ways to get attention.

Jessica is a gem. She took great care of us. The wings were terrific, the tots were crispy & the Lamb Sliders were a lovely surprise! Yum! Prices are spot on and the lively clientele make for “interesting” conversations! We’ll return for sure!

Chosen for watching a UFC fight. When our burger and entree salad arrived we both looked at it with a quizzical look as to where the rest of the meal was. The $11 salad looked like it was a side salad. The chicken burger had a breast smaller than the bun. Considering it already had bacon and caramelized onions on it and looked less than ideal... no wonder it was a no cost upgrade from beef to chicken and the onions were free. At least the 2 tomato slices were full size. Ordered tots, received fries. At least the bartender brought us more onions and tots. MMA fights didn't have audio during prelims then we waited 30 min for the main event to come on screen. All for $15 cover!!

I have been to The Old Pequliar a few times over the course of my life. I enjoy the food and the general atmosphere. My first time, my family and I came and the pub was not serving food yet so we had to wait. My sister and I were not old enough to drink, but our other family members were. We got a bit hangry, though the others did just fine. The food did not disappoint even with the wait. All of the items I have had here are tasty, with my favorites being the lamb sliders, fried pickles, and fries. Most recently, I arrived a little after it opened today, Sunday 28 May 2023, at noon and a worker let me know the wait before they would start serving food was about an hour. While I am now old enough to drink, I had been coming for the food today so I decided not to stay and wait. If coming early for food, taking the delay to starting to serve food into account may be useful.

Came here on St. Patrick's Day to what else? Wear green and have beers whilst watching NCAA basketball upsets happen. Really should've known better. Place was jam packed and only grew as the sun set. The experience here started out alright - had a few nice pours of Guiness throughout the visit and an 'Irish car bomb'. I also had some of the beef sliders off of the special's menu for the day. These were good and went well with my beer flow. Not a bad deal for $9 as apparently, it's usual menu price is $8.75 for two along with fries. The hitch here was that their card machines went down. Very unfortunate I know, and some readers are probably saying "Always carry cash", well that's a rarity for me, and if I do it wouldn't have been enough to pay off a big tab. The bigger problem was, now that between the four bartenders, they were clearly overwhelmed with the mounting crowd with most people not even knowing what was going on. The manager (I guess) was on the phone frantically trying to get the the card system back up and running. I'd think that someone would make an announcement that it's cash only at the moment, maybe post a sign or something. No, I only found out after standing in a line for about 20 minutes and even then, getting someone's attention over the massive crowd wasn't easy. Finally, I was able to get someone's attention and pay on one of their machines as it seems one of them came back on. Point is, I think you have to be ready for such an occurrence. Otherwise, it was alright here and may consider another more low-key visit as opposed to probably their best business day of the year.

Night cap. The OP is the place to be touch tunes should I say more. Dart boards and pool table to go along. Never had to order food with Guinness pours like that. Warm cozy fires and places to sit inside and out. The dive bar of the dive bars.

The bald cook rocks. Nice,pretty, and cooks nicely lamb sliders crushed it great service

Your favorite dive bar! Affordable drinks, nice staff, lots of seating, pool tables, and decent drinks! Within walking distance of lots of other places, and perfect food for a late night.

We loved it. Food was great. Great bartender. Served with a smile. Bathrooms were adequate. Not many people there on a Sunday night. We were shocked! Quiet place to ourselves. Still fun though. We will be coming back.

Great little pub which gets extra points from me for being so close to home. Nice atmosphere, good service, good happy hour, and delicious wings. A couple of pluses, TouchTunes jukebox, and they're open on Christmas Day.

Great neighborhood bar! The drinks are great and reasonably priced, darts and pool, friendly staff, what more could you ask for.

We've been coming here for a while now, and I almost don't want to rate it to keep it all for myself. They have happy hour from 4-7pm every day and all day happy hour on Monday. They have the absolute best buffalo wings and during happy hour it's $6.50 for 6 big ones. Their bartenders are all wonderful and it is a great neighborhood joint.

Friendly staff, clean venue and good menu selection. Thanks for supporting the recent beer crawl and for showing you care abut your guests and community. Will return here again

Since Billy has taken over and we have the Old Skool Paddys Crew representing, this is a proper place for a pint and the craíc... Haven't indulged in the food yet. Trivia is on point twice a week. A decent patio and just some amazing banter from the Belfast boy you can't understand behind the bar...

What a great relaxing bar and location! The outdoor area is a great place to stretch out and take in some light. Super friendly and upbeat place! Go there!

We've walked by a million times and today was the first time we stopped in. A group of 6 of us were there today for the University of Maryland Game Watch and we had a lot of fun!! The food was delicious and the beverage list was A+. Our service was great, too! Thank you for being such a welcoming neighborhood bar!

New owner- effective 1/1/2018, Billy!! Yeah! Cleaner: spec & span; positive-friendly, helpful, bartend person, reliable service, and more & more patron populated than in the last 3-yrs. Lots on TV's, good, decent music selection- including various Irish music (on occasion but not as main fare). Looking better & way more of an option than recent years, imho. Recommend, give it a try. :)

Joe , Jessie , Mike are the best! Great drinks solid conversation and normal people ! Wish more bars were like this ! 100 percent recommend

Came here for St. Patty's Day, so not sure if my experience is typical. Booze and a band. The menu that day was limited but enough for the occasion. Let's be honest we've chosen to celebrate this day by quenching our thirst. The pretzel was the perfect consistency of soft with a nice hit to the mustard. The process for food was quick and efficient. Bar staff was fun and on it as it got crazier and crazier into the evening. I appreciated the live music as well. And not just any live music, but straight up Irish folk fiddler and guitarist. A good let loose bar with the essentials.

Grabbed a beer here the other day. Service was good and the beer, though not a favourite, was a decent recommendation. Will come back!

You strange little thing, you. You've been a constant in Seattle's pub culture for many years. I haven't been in a few, and felt the need to visit as the last stop on our self-guided beer tour. Nothing has changed, same stools, fireplace and super-friendly, inviting bartenders and employees, and same kooky mix of patrons. Loud music from the jukebox and hollering from game players at the end of the bar, a wee update might be in order, but only if you can retain the quirkiness that makes the Old P what it is, a respite from the posher, hyper-stylized playground that the rest of Ballard is quickly becoming.

This is a great neighborhood place with reasonable prices and good food (cheese quesadillas = yum!). Joe is the most delightful, humorous and deliciously sarcastic bartender, ha!

A hustling and bustling institution in a neighborhood where the watering holes have changed flavors an awful lot over the last 25 years. The OP has weathered the changes without appearing to have significantly modified its approach during that time. There's a big wide bar, and there lots of casually scattered tables. There's a huge bar back with a diverse array of elixirs. There are a dozen tap handles staring you in the face right across from the stools. There's a big darts and parlor shenanigans lounge a couple steps up in back. There are bathrooms. Your needs have been met. You may doff your coat and stay a while. The beer lines were clean, and there were plenty of solid craft beers on offer--even a couple seasonal delights. The beer glasses were frosted, but they warmed up soon enough, so that's nothing against them. There were a handful of single malt whiskys. The prices were fair. Best of all, there's a fireplace. This is an all-around great little corner place to bend an elbow.

I was dragged here for St. Patty's Day. $10 cover to get in a crappy dive bar? $1 for a bottle of water, and nope - water from the gun/sink wasn't an option. Ridiculous. Someone was eating (WHY?!?!??!) the food there and it smelled absolutely terrible. The doorman was also terribly rude. Only two stalls in the bathrooms, had a huge line, and were incredibly dirty. No amount of liquor could have given me "beer goggles" for The Old Pequliar...

Reading all the salty reviews from people is hilarious. If you're coming to the OP expecting a fine dining experience, you're in the wrong place and frankly you should be made fun or treated with disdain by the staff. The Old Peculiar is a no frills neighborhood bar with a crowd that varies from local long time Ballard natives, to yuppies, to random people just coming in to dodge the rain. Good beer list, good pub food and the service is actually pretty damn good. You just have to ask for what you want. Don't expect to be waited on. It's a flippin' bar and a good one at that. The only thing that gets me is the prices sometimes but that's Seattle. Happy Hour, however, is great for both drinks and food so I don't have too much to complain about.

I met some friends here for drinks one weekday evening. They really like the place because it is one of the few establishments where you can sit on the back patio and smoke while enjoying your food and drinks. Not being a smoker myself, I didn't care one way or the other. We did eventually move inside once the sun went down and the temperature dropped. The bartender was the only one waiting on everyone whether you were inside or out. Fortunately, I asked before meeting my friends outside, so I knew to get my drink from the bar and bring it out with me. The bartender did check on us outside as well as inside. My friends ordered wings while we were outside and nachos later on while we were inside. The bartender was on top of both orders and the food was good. The place has televised games playing inside. There is also a jukebox. We were talking over the music and actually had a patron tell us we were too loud. He and his friend left without finishing their drinks or food. I felt badly for them, but this is a pub. If you can't get rowdy here, where can you? Later in the night we had a few drunk patrons come over to our table with a pitcher of beer. We declined as we were getting ready to leave. They then tried bringing a glass of water, which we also thanked them for, but declined. Based on my experience here, I probably would not come back. Although the food was good and the bartender was attentive, I wasn't too impressed with the other patrons we dealt with throughout the evening.

I have driven by the Old Peculiar for years and never stopped in for a pint. Then recently, a good friend was in the area and relentlessly texted for me to join her for some late night drinks. I left the warm confines of my home and joined her with a few other straggling patrons at the bar. As the night continued, she stuck with her pints and I went with whiskey. We sat tucked into the corner facing Market and tried to have a conversation. Key word there is tried... the music was simply too effing loud. So despite the chill, we moved outside to the patio seating where we could chat easily and enjoy our drinks. The bartender was quite friendly, checking on us a couple of times and his hand was heavy when he poured my drinks. There was a late night HH too and they have a weekly trivia night on Tuesdays. They have a parking lot, a rarity in Ballard. There's also street parking available if the lot is full. There's a LOT of places to drink in Ballard but I think I now have a soft spot for the "Old P" now. I'll keep it in mind if I'm in the mood for a pint with friends.

Great Irish pub! The food is just as you would hope after a few pints of Guinness. Rustic pub grub! No frills no thrills interior. No douchebaggery, few hipsters, seemed like locals. Some TV screens that were playing MLB when I was there but I imagine plays a lot of soccer most of the time. Glad to have this neighborhood jaunt. I'll be back. [UPDATE] Andrew, you are sorely missed! (no, he didn't died)

Fun Irish pub. I went on St. Patrick's day so it was obviously packed but it was fun. They had the typical array of Irish beers. They were in the pricey side around $7ish dollars. They had Irish music and dancers. It was a fun stop.

Guys there's a new bartender! This place is awesome now and they have tons of fun things like karaoke night. Plus everyone is super nice. I'll be coming here a lot more now and would recommend.

Great pub for Ballard locals with friendly staff. Pool table, TouchTunes jukebox, golf game, and darts. Kitchen stays open fairly late most nights and it's also a great space to watch a game if you're into that. Nice patio as well.

The best! Amazing customer service, yummy drinks and a great vibe all around. Love the patio!

Awesome spot with legitimate Irish management. This place feels like a real bar you'd find in Dublin

Ray: Last Thursday, Josh and I were tossing around a few ideas of where to eat our weekly dinner together. He had a few places in mind, so we headed off toward Ballard. As we were traveling, Josh noticed this place called The Old Pequliar, boasting to be an Irish pub. We went around the block and found a nice parking spot just down the street. Inside, it was seat-yourself. We picked out a nice table against one of the walls. The interior of The Old Peculair is quite comfortable, warmly decorated, playing background music that was the perfect volume to enjoy either the music or conversation. I did both... I ordered a Manny's Ale as I carefully looked over the menu. There was really only one entre that I wanted to go with and that was the Sheppard's Pie. Now, this pie had lamb and beef, so technically that would be a Sheppard's/Cottage Pie, but who's really being that technical? Not me... The Pie came with a salad in a very reasonable time. It was nicely plated in a ceramic bowl, fresh from the oven. The flavors were really great. The gaminess of the lamb was the perfect flavor along with the veggies, beef and potatoes. There was a nice crusty cheese layer as well. Being what I classify as comfort food, I really liked it. The pub was quite nice inside and out with very friendly, attentive service and wonderful food. I award The Old Pequliar four stars! Definitely on my list as a do-over down the road. Josh: Last Thursday we ventured back into Ballard, that land fertile with dining options. One could never truly exhaust all the Ballard food options. We found ourselves at The Old Pequliar, highly recognizable from the street with it's dark (black?) front. I think they used to have it painted red, but I don't properly remember... We walked in and found a seat. This place looks pretty cool inside, kinda like a place you might find in some back neighborhood in Ireland, though the comparison is made strictly out of ignorance having never been there myself. They have a cool curved bar, a neat cobble stone fireplace, I found the atmosphere to be pretty warm. After taking a look at the menu, I went with the Shepherds Pie. They didn't seem to have a very large selection if actual Irish fair, the shepherds pie and a reuben sandwich seemed to be the only authentic options. Luckily I am a huge shepherds pie fan, so I went with that. Just a note: When I look up the menu online I'm seeing a few other authentic Irish dishes, perhaps it was on a side of the menu I didn't check? The food arrived and looked pretty good. Not the best shepherds pie I've ever had, but probably in the top 5. I scarfed it down post haste and would happily order it again given another chance. It took a little bit longer then expected to get the empty plates removed, and to get the check. The service was actually kinda slow for the evening, especially considering the place wasn't super busy or anything. Because of this, I can't go with 5 stars, but everything else was pretty much on-point. 4 easy stars for the Old Pequliar.

College bar atmosphere... without all the youthful optimism and learning. I have lived less than three blocks from the OP for almost three years. I wanted it to be my pub around the corner. I really did. But the beer selection sucks, The staff is rude, and the atmosphere screams "come here if you don't care how your night ends!" You could throw a rock in this neighborhood and hit many other places more worthy of your nightlife dollar.

I stopped in the first night of my Seattle vacation and liked it so much I had to come back again before heading back to the Midwest! The bartender, Mark, is super personable and knowledgeable. I don't drink often and so usually get embarrassed about not knowing what kinds of drinks I might like, but Mark asked questions about my tastes and what flavor profile I was going for and made me two tasty and interesting drinks: a salty dog and a kamikaze. They were pretty and delicious! The overall vibe is that of a neighborhood dive bar, with friendly regulars and a Guinness-harp shaped wooden bar shaped well for conversation. Good playlist and volume not too loud. I will definitely be back next time I'm in Seattle!

Only giving two stars because I usually love this bar. But would love for management to contact me about the rude bouncer/manager I encountered tonight. 100% sober and still heard about/dealt with their bouncer being a jerk to not only me but 7 other people. I know it st. Patty's day, but zero reason to treat people like they're nothing. Please reach out for a legitimate explanation.

I want to love you Pequliar, I really do... but It's time for a overhaul! Instead of moving toward "Seattle Institution" the Pequliar is lurching toward a lingering, hacking death! It's not too late though... all you have to do Mr. Pequliar, is care! Bang out some kick ass food! Fix that Jukebox and put your heart into it! People will notice!

I would like less Old, and more Peculiar. Service was slow. I've had (and did later in the night) much faster service in much busier bars. Overall not awful, and the fact that they have a little parking lot right there (and in the ensuing evening of crawling, nothing happened to my car) is cool. Still, I wanted more Pequliar. I'd have even settled for just "slightly left of normal".

Decent pub overall. Kinda surly service at times but the good food makes up for it. Wouldn't be my first place since Market St. Is lined with awesome bars...

Above average beer selections. The patio was okay the tables where dirty cheap patio furniture likely from wal mart... Service was below average at best, and the food was TERRIBLE. I ordered the pretzel with there "special mustard" that was nothing special, the frozen costco pretzel was so salty I could barley choke it down. A friend at my table orderd the Nachos, they where clearly overcooked in the microwave worst looking nachos I have seen in a restaurant. The Burger I ordered was so over cooked and dried out it complimented the sawdust bun nicely. The sweet potato fries where OK. My wife had the fish and chips and they where nothing special either. This was the first and last time I will go to this place.

I was so hungry (and a little hungover) driving through Ballard. I'm not from Seattle, and have only visited a couple times. All I wanted was some greasy food (preferably from the nacho family) and seventeen glasses of diet coke. The online menu said that there were nachos. So I made my husband stop. When we got in, we found out that there were no nachos - it was a brunch only menu, but the waitress promised that I was about to experience the best breakfast sandwich I'd ever eaten. She was very friendly & very attentive. The food took FOREVER to arrive, and I was about to pass out from lack of sustenance + hangover by the time it arrived (I guess we'd gotten in right after a large to go order). It looked so good. And it smelled so good. And it tasted NOT so good. It was actually bad. I nibbled on it (the accompanying potatoes were edible) and then asked for a to-go box, because I didn't want to hurt the (very nice) waitress's feelings. I immediately tossed the boxed sandwich at the next garbage can. It was such a promising place (great name!), but overall a disappointing experience.

The Old Pequliar is a place you'd visit for socializing or other such pub activities, but not for their kitchen. Thus the review is short because the burger didn't leave much to remember it by. The unoriginally named burger came out rather limp and soggy, assisted by extra oiliness from the thick melted cheese. The aioli lent a nice kick to the mix though; the roasted peppers added a complimentary sweetness and was piled on thick. The bun was alright enough: relatively fresh, very lightly toasted, didn't crumble apart or lose much of its innards. Overall though, it was a mediocre burger at best... an establishment worth skipping if a satisfying meal is your goal. Reposted in part from a review on seattleveggieburgers.com

I've been a regular here for several years but I have to leave a one star review based on management's recent decision to take away the late night happy hour from 10-12. My friends and I tried many bars in Ballard before we settled on the Old Pequliar. Their happy hour was perfect. Reasonably priced drinks and a late night food menu kept us coming back week after week. All of a sudden it's gone. Why? We love the relaxed atmosphere and our friendly bartender but we will likely go somewhere else from now on.

Ye Old Pequliar. Nothing peculiar about this, I thought, but I love the peculiar warm feel I got from here. This was our 2nd stop in out quick bar-hop tour of Ballard. My friend and I felt like we were at our old hometown drinking hole. Our first bartender was a bit rude, but our second bartender was aight. We didn't make on time for HH, but the beers were decently priced at 4.25. The place was pretty dead for a Thursday night, but maybe that's not one of their big nights. I did like that the second floor has arcade and billiards. There's also outdoor seating for your smoking delight. Meh, I'll give it another chance sometime soon.

Walked in and immediately felt at home with the crowd as we all cheered some random sportball game. The bartender was a handsome stallion of a man with a rebellious nature and calloused chest from his pen clicking. Andrew is a fox who will let you rip the buttons off his shirt if you're a cute blonde. The cook is an adorable young man no doubt making a lucky young lady very happy when he's not at work making his on point hot wings. Overall this place is aces and I highly recommend you tell the staff how handsome they are. They have amazing smiles. (As a side note: this review was written by a female drinking buddy. Though I still agree with every word of this review).

I am very fond of this place. Back when I lived in Ballard, we used to stagger home from the OP on a regular basis. Ahh, the sweet drunken memories... Like that New Year's when my friend Marcel and I let the guys at the next table buy us shots of tequila all night, and I subsequently felt inspired to dance (I thought I had mad skills that night, but am fairly certain that is false). All sorts of drunken debauchery ensued.. good times! Or the time my generally well behaved sister was visiting from California, and I got her drunk, and she wound up making out with a highly suspect fella with what my friend Sarah describes as "prison tattoos" on his knuckles. Heee heeeee!!! I don't come here as often now that I live in Capitol Hill... but whenever I make it back, something entertaining usually happens. I like coming here when Dorothy is bar tending. She starts pulling a pint as soon as she sees me come in, and always has another at the ready without me having to ask. Yay!

Oh how I love you!!!! The Old P is one of my favs in Ballard. Everyone there is beyond friendly. The drinks are stiff and cheap...Just what us Ballardian's like.

Every time I drive past this delightful dive, I have a Homer-Simpson-esque reaction.... "mmm, Guinnessandfishandchips....." I really enjoy the Old Pequliar. The first time I came here was with my mom when we were worn out from making my brother's wedding invitations and were in sore need of Guinness and fish and chips (my entire family's go-to comfort foods... yes, Guinness can be considered a food. Meal in a cup, hello). Anyway, we consider ourselves connoisseurs of the fish and chip, and the Old Pequliar's meet with our enthusiastic approval! Their Guinness pints hit the spot so soundly that day (perfectly poured) that I have not ever ordered anything different there since. There were a good mix of people on that Sunday, and have continued to be on my return trips. I did once do something dumb here, and as promised, I shall disclose it. We came to see a band one Saturday night, and I (in my Guinness soaked exuberance) might or might not have said the word 'Freebird!' somewhat loudly in between songs. The band was not pleased and proceeded to tell the crowd that the only way to permanently end this audience reflex would be to actually play it every time it was mentioned. Luckily, they didn't, and it all turned out to be pretty funny. And I, to my credit, have not uttered that word since, whether in the presence of a band or not.

Not sure why the negativity lately. I am still a big fan of the Old P. Yes, there's been a lot of staff turnover recently, and yes, they are actually charging for the drinks (staff in the past had been known to COMP a LOT of drinks, and over-pour), but it's still a great local place for a pint. The owner is super cool, but he is also a business man who is trying to provide a great experience to patrons while making a living. We're here just about every weekend for a relaxing adult beverage and pleasant conversation with other locals and the bar staff. It's a very, very nice place. As close to "down the pub" in England as you get here in the U.S. of A.

COME HERE AND WALK INTO YOUR NEW FAVORITE PLACE! Not only do they have amazing bartenders and cheap pool tables-they also have deck seating available and plenty of selections on the juke box! This place is one of my favorites simply because you never know what type of folk are going to be present. Yet EVERYONE has a ball here :)

I have much love for this place. Been in a few times before, but only very briefly...and I never actually ordered anything. However...last night's visit involved good, solid fish & chips, WAFFLE FRIES (!), a super strong rum & coke, and some crazy neck-and-neck games of darts - real darts, thank you. Super fast service, an awesome waiter/bartender, and fairly decent food also helped make this visit pretty much a total success. I will note that food is a little bit pricey, but happy hour deals are awesome. Drinks are decently priced, in my opinion. I wish this place wasn't such a long walk from my apartment. If it were closer to the locks, I'd be here quite often!

What can I say about this place that hasn't already been said by plenty of other people? This is one my favorite pubs to head to after work. The drinks are plenty, the space is vast, there is decent happy hour food for a good price, as well as games and a jukebox that you can listen to some of your favorite songs from(for a price). There is a pool table, three dart boards, as well as a golf video game setup. All of the staff is very nice and friendly. I usually see some of them come into my place of work before they head over to the bar. They try to greet you by name if they remember who you are, which I think is great.. or maybe it just means that I go way too often....(Nah that can't be it..) On tap they have my favorite beers. Gotta love me some Redhook, Mac & Jack, and on occasion Guinness. They have a vast selection of liquor if thats what you enjoy. Food is always delivered rather fast even when the place is rather busy. The prices here are fair, even when its not happy hour. The whole atmosphere I believe is great. There is always good people with good drinks and good food. Some nights its good to sit by the gas fireplace and just take in all the heat.