Old Town Alehouse

Contributor

Citysearch

The Scene
Exposed-brick walls and weathered hardwood floors reveal this space's classic Ballard Avenue pedigree, but the Old Town clearly aims for a newer spin on the hard-drinking thoroughfare. The tidy alehouse features high ceilings and a no-smoking policy, which give it an open and airy feel. The freshest part of the bar, though, is a beer list comprised mostly of Washington state fare (including less obvious breweries like Boundary Bay, La Connor and Flying Pig) and Belgian ales. A genial crowd of beer connoisseurs and clean-cut Ballardites predominates.

The Draw
While beer is the star attraction, the large menu of salads, soups and "wedges"--sandwiches served on Bolo rolls with a house aioli--also entices. Health-conscious eaters will find plenty to choose from, but the Alehouse fries seasoned with Parmesan and secret spices are hard for anyone to resist.