Ballard Loft

10/13/10

End of the Street, Top of the List

by RonSchott at Citysearch

I'll admit, I'm definitely biased here. We were at the Ballard Loft when they opened oh those short years back and I've been there at least once a week since (usually more like 3-4 times).

The food, something often overlooked at a bar, is freaking amazing. Try the wings and sliders if you're into something shareable and don't forget an order of nachos for the table.

If you're there for the game, big screens surround the place, but they're not so overpowering that it's weird to be there and not care about the score.

All in all, the Loft is like my Cheers with all my friends being there when I walk in the door... regardless of if it's a Friday, Tuesday or Sunday it's the place to hang out with friends and enjoy the coolest neighborhood in Seattle.

10/13/10

Awesome food and drinks!!!

by fatarnold1985 at Citysearch

One of the best bars around. Great food and drinks at a very reasonable price. Try the Nacho's!!!

10/10/10

Decent Food. Seriously Slow Service.

by switzblitz at Citysearch

I might be getting old, but there was a frat boy vibe here that was unbearable. The service was also extremely slow. Maybe this happens just on Husky game days, but I won't be going back for a while.

01/28/10

Hidden sports haven on Ballard Ave

by Lisa Kennelly , Citysearch Contributor at Citysearch

I am on a perpetual quest to find the sports bar of my dreams, the one that has ample televisions, affordable drinks and food you'd want to eat even if you weren't there just to watch the game.

I still haven't found my dream spot in Seattle, but in the meantime the Ballard Loft is a more than acceptable alternative. There are plenty of TVs on all 4 walls - which satisfies my main requirement for a sports bar (fewer than 3 TVs and you are simply a bar that occasionally plays sports on its TVs).

The menu offers a bit more than the standard bar grub, with salads, pizzas and hot dogs. They also use Essential Bakery bread, which is a nice touch.

Sometimes it can be tough to find seats, because you never know which team's fanbase will randomly descend on the Loft and commandeer half the tables in an outpouring of school spirit. I recently ran up against a Gonzaga young alums gathering and had to throw a few elbows with some rabid Bulldogs. But for local teams like UW and the Seahawks, you can usually find a decent home crowd on hand.

Unfortunately, the Loft is not immune to the overall Ballard trend of an increasing d-bag quotient on weekend evenings. But for week nights and weekend days, this is one of the most reliable sports bar options around.

• Pros: Many TVs, good for fans
• Cons: Can be crowded, especially if you arrive after game time

08/05/09

Awesome place to watch a game - or hang outside

by jooz at Citysearch

Ballard Loft has an awesome outdoor patio in the front, perfect for a sunny day of imbibing. It also has a pretty sweet game night on Tuesdays (Mondays?), all right food, good happy hour, and a bunch of big TV's - not a bad spot to watch a game from...

• Pros: Outdoor Seating, TV's, Game Night
• Cons: none