09/12/09

Too bad

by John Mc C

First thing I want to say is that I enjoying drinking quite a bit :-) ... but I hate to admit the waitresses do get incredibly drunk. Good during the day but catch them at night, they are all lit up. I haven't been in in awhile but hasn't changed in over 5 years....Hey Amy---know when to say when.

• Pros: Good food & liquor
• Cons: Employees

05/17/09

good old fashon fun

by bigskytraveler

i travel through seattle frequently and i 'm a irishman so i have gone there many times, most recently i was with a group of friends and on two diffrent occasions witness adults intoxicated and beligerant beyond resonable levels, one man who claimed to drink there all the time insulted a woman and threatend to beat up another group of people and was welcomed back into the pub....if thats the cleints allowed to frequent that pub we will have to drink somwere else.

• Pros: cold beer, fast service,fun music
• Cons: no bemish or security

04/24/09

Irish Pubs in Seattle

by OutlawPaganIrish

I am an Irishman who frequents many of the 52 Irish Pubs in King County, (Compiling a book eventually) and I simply do not understand the negative reviews that I have read about Owl & Thistle. I've been there atleast 20 times in 3 years and have NEVER witnessed any of the things I read of in these reviews. The Staff have always gotten to me in a timely manner, the food is just as good as name brand restaurants and the music is fun and lively. There is even a Stump The Band Challenge I won and the Band bought a round for the house. (Find that in any other Bar!!!) If you don't like REAL Irish Pubs then I guess it's because you're not Irish or you simply wanna act like you're irish. Whatever, I could name numerous Bars, Pubs, taverns and Lounges that are way worse than Owl & Thistle. I will continue going and enjoying being Irish. thank You very much. Erin go Bragh!!!

• Pros: Music
• Cons: Negative Reviews

02/11/09

The Owl n Thistle

by jimbender

I just read the reviews of the "Owl" here on City Search and I am bewildered at the negative comments. As a professional musician who has spent the last 35 years performing and frequenting Clubs and bars all over America I count the Owl as one of my favorites. I am left to believe that some comments are posted by competition of the bar. The owner in a bad mood all the time???......I have NEVER seen this man have a bad day. The food is good the service is friendly and the atmosphere is camp. I have never posted anything anywhere before but after reading some of these reviews I felt like I should state my opinion.

• Pros: great atmosphere, food, and music
• Cons: none

12/09/08

My Favorite Hang Out Spot

by ladyj82

I personally love the O"n"T. I agree with the review that you have to know what you want to get the full experience of the owl. The music is always good and its so hard to find a good place downtown to shoot some pool while sippin your guinness. And there is free pool on Mondays, an added bonus! The owl is my favorite bar in Seattle and I highly reccommend checking it out.

• Pros: Great bartenders and cold guinness
• Cons: nada :)

12/03/08

Tops for Irish Bars in Seattle

by FreeRangeBeefcake

As far as Irish bars go in Seattle and surrounding areas, the Owl & Thistle is tops. This place is legit. From the exposed brick to the Irishman at the end of the the bar with a Harp talking politics with another customer everything about this place is exactly what an Irish pub should be.

Came in with my Dad, a man born and raised in South London, for the fish & chips(by far my favorite item on the menu). He swears they are the best he's ever had, better even than those served at his friend's bar in Santa Monica. Quite an endorsement!

After dinner the the Dusty 45s played an amazing show. The postage-stamp-sized dance floor was packing people in to within feet of the band. The room pulsed like an ant pile that had just been runover by a lawn mower.

If you're looking for a come as you are place to have a good time, look no further.

-FreeRangeBeefcake

• Pros: The Fish & Chips are the absolute best in the world!
• Cons: Little bit hard to find.

06/24/08

What a joke.

by JmlKel

Staff is a mess. The bartender on friday day shift is more concerned about her friend than the customer's. The owner seems annoyed all the time. The wait staff FORGET IT. I went in ONCE, and will not go back. It took 20 minutes to get a damn beer and I Was sitting at the bar!

• Pros: any?
• Cons: staff.

06/21/08

It is a bar

by BDR3

The Owl has been the place for Irish pub fans for years. It is not as dingy as some have said. I have always had decent service from the bartenders but pathetic service with the servers. Oddly enough, I have less fun the more people show up. There is a weird identity crisis with the random layout that seems to rub off on the patrons that gets worse as it fills up. The best is hanging out with a few random people at the bar after work and the worst is putting up with people who think they are cool for hanging out there all the time.

• Pros: Beer and fun
• Cons: Beer and boredom

03/12/08

Unless you like drinking beer in a toilet, don't go!

by jamesdeanreeves

I'm not sure why some people like this place - it's a cesspool - It reeks of bile & urine, and if that's a signature of and authentic Irish Pub, then NO THANKS. The service is pretty bad in there (wait 10-15 minutes on beer), and the food was far, far less than stellar - McD's has better food. I counted 3 items on the menu that are true Irish dish, the rest was just your normal American Pub Food.

I've been there twice, several months apart and it was the same experience - same stench, same service, same food.

If you want a good, clean Irish Pub with good Irish food, complete with Irish employees, go to Paddy Coynes.

• Pros: Nothing
• Cons: Not enough room to list here

03/10/08

Has anyone else noticed?

by nelsg

Yes, this place has terrible service, but has anyone else noticed that the staff if on their lips halfway through the night? Could this possibly be the reason it takes 20 minutes to get a beer? Or that when your beer does arrive, it's wrong? This past Saturday was a joke, not only were the waitresses just plowed, the bartender in the back was rude and totally not holding the shots they kept trying to "sneak". But I guess that's what you can expect since the owner was clearly intoxicated as well. So sad, this place was great a couple years ago when we all first started going. It's gone down hill and fast. I would also have to agree with the "if you're a regular, you'll get service" quote from an earlier post. I guess that's what the owners and staff want. Just hope they make all their money on St. Patrick's Day. They wont be getting anymore of ours' (money that is).

• Pros: Music
• Cons: Everything else.