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On weekends, Ballard rivals Capitol Hill in popularity. There are at least a dozen bars and restaurants on Ballard Avenue alone. The neighborhood has quickly evolved from a few pubs full of old salts to a bustling nightlife district that has equal parts average-Joe bars, trendy haunts, music spots, wine bars, and Belltown-style lounges.
The fruits of Yakima's hops and apple crops come to Seattle at this sprawling joint facility. One of the state's best breweries brings its vertically integrated beers to the space shared with a creative-minded cidery. Together, they offer 32 drinks on tap and a rotating selection of food trucks.
One of the last of the classic Ballard dives still standing: it used to be that fishermen started drinking here before the day dawned, though now it's just as likely to be hipsters drinking cold cans of Rainier beer and asking for pull tabs. While one side has kept the same servers with studied nonchalance bringing the drinks, a snazzy arcade now fills the other room.
Part of the Sea Creatures mini-empire led by chef Renee Erickson, Barnacle is a narrow bar adjacent to the popular restaurant The Walrus and the Carpenter. It invariably collects people waiting for tables there, but with a beautiful copper-topped bar, tiled walls, and plates of oysters, cured meats, and fish to go with the aperitivos, it’s a great place to drink and snack even if you aren’t planning to dine next door.
You might actually hear an Irish accent or two at this laid-back pub, along with live folk, roots, alt-country, bluegrass, and traditional Irish music. There's live music almost every night and great beer (including the obligatory Guinness on tap).
A true neighborhood spot, this small jazz club and restaurant is devoted to music education during the day and performances from local and touring acts in the evenings. Performances are usually on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.
On a quiet street removed from bustling Ballard, Essex boasts craft cocktails, a handful of which are served on tap. The rotating cocktails often include house-made ingredients or are barrel aged, and all have something of a cocktail-nerd bent. A solid wine list and local beer selections are also available, as is a selection of wood-fired dishes that come out of the pizza oven at next-door sibling shop Delancey.
From the owner of Linda's Tavern in Capitol Hill, King's Hardware has the same ironic rustic decor, great patio space, and cachet with hipsters. It also has great burgers. It gets packed on weekends—if you want the same scene with fewer crowds, go two doors down to Hattie's Hat, which was the reigning spot until King's showed up.
Blink and you'll miss it, and that would be a shame, because this tiny corner spot crafts fine cocktails to go with their top-notch Spanish tapas. Dimly lit and loud, Ocho can can be a scene in the evening. In summer, the sidewalk patio is an ideal spot for soaking up the sun and people-watching.
One of the pioneers of the current generation of Ballard breweries, Reuben's Brews' warehouse-like taproom and outdoor patios often burst at the seams with enthusiastic IPA drinkers. The barebones space has 28 taps; close to half the offerings are usually IPAs, like the World Beer Cup Gold Medal-winning Hazelicious IPA and the popular Crikey, but the rest run the gamut from wild farmhouse pale to the aptly named Robust Porter. They also have a taproom downtown on 1st Ave., a few blocks from the waterfront.
A short ride from the heart of Ballard's nightlife, Rupee offers an elegant, upscale experience. Inspired by the owners' travels in Sri Lanka and India, the drinks are spice heavy and employ tropical fruit without cloying sweetness. The food has the same roots and is also excellent. Rich colors and dark wood give the narrow space a transportive feel, but don't take too many people on the journey with you: there's no room for large groups, and waits can get long.
Stoup is a great starting point for exploring Ballard's excellent craft-beer scene. The good-size tap room and patio area are family-friendly, and a rotating roster of food trucks feeds beer enthusiasts as they sip staples like the Citra IPA and Mosaic Pale Ale, as well as new and experimental brews.
