03/17/09

Great local pub!

by lisab26

"The frat reference" in the summary is saying it's a nice alternative to another bar down the street that's frat-like.

This is nothing like a frat bar. It's wood tables and stools with unpretentious decor, skylights and fantastic happy hour food (half off the entire menu!) & drinks is a great way to unwind from the week or day. It actually reminds me a little bit of English pubs... just more Americanized.

The bartenders are usually short staffed, especially once the place starts hopping after 5:30ish, but friendly.

Great place for cheap, but decent eats. Not gourmet, but hey, it's a pub! It's my favorite low-key spot to unwind near the U-district.

• Pros: Best Happy Hour
• Cons: Greasy smells

05/29/08

Fun spot to visit

by rstrntmgr

Do not be afraid of the frat references. I am 50+ and went their with my UW graduates. Perhaps late at night it may be very crowded and younger but when I was there between 5-8pm it was great. The age group was mixed with most people in early thirties some older like myself. I personally like to go to bars that have a variety of people / different ages. I thought it had a fun neighborhood atmosphere. Not noisy either just a fun spot. Staff was warm and friendly. Food selections were good and price was great, we ordered during happy hour. We had an assortment of items all were good. Food could have a few upgrades.... but it was very economical. Two surprises, I do not drink beer. The house wine was very nice. I expected something tavern like but was pleasently surpised. They even served the wine in a real glass not the tacky little tavern glass. Finally, one review notes the condition of the bar housekeeping. I went to use the restroom and expected the normal ancient disgusting womens room. Imagine my surprise when it was clean newly tiled and even had a new pedastal sink. You can tell a women own's this place by the small attention to details and cleanliness!! Keep up the good work Kate! Highly recommend as a place to stop off after a long day at the office for a great happy hour!

• Pros: great parkng, easy access off I-5
• Cons: non really fun spot

06/13/07

My favorite place...

by greenlakegirl723

This is my favorite little pub in all of Seattle. Close to the U-district so you'll see some students, but not close enough that it's obnoxiously crowded with them! They offer a happy hour and great music, especially on wednesday nights when there's karaoke from 10 PM - closing. There's a pool table and dart boards in the back, free of charge if you can get to them first. I've never met an unfriendly person here, and it's full of regulars. Kate and her staff are the nicest bartenders, and will frequent your table to make sure you're taken care of. Different drink specials every night.

• Pros: Great service, good deals, nice people
• Cons: Can get really crowded

05/23/07

Used to be cool before Kate!

by tdewoody

I used to come here all the time when it was an "Irish Pub" now it's just another regurgitation of another yuppie wanting to own a condo. They say they are Mariners fans but it's pretty weak when it comes to that, the cheesy lights don't cut it Babe! As well as using Jabba the female Hut to do the dirty work at the door, a real ,triple D of social skills... Drunkard, Dullard Dolt of a person They cry of having worked at this space for six years and still have absolutely no knowledge of how to run a bar!

Too bad this place used to be cool, with cool people and they did not have to overserve the customers to make them happy.

Soon to be yet another vacated space with hopefully a better new owner!

• Pros: So many hacks work here they over pour!
• Cons: No dogs

01/22/07

Great pub!

by noahc

I'm a little biased, since Kate's pub pretty much fits my definition of what a good pub should be. Mellow atmosphere, good selection of taps and whiskey, and they can pour a Guinness. Plus they have pool and real darts. I haven't tried the food yet so I can't speak to that. Their only weakness: not the best mixed drinks, but hey it's a pub, what do you want?

• Pros: Good selection of taps & whiskey, pool, darts
• Cons: Not the best mixed drinks

01/08/07

"Where everybody knows your name....."

by godsadvised

I can't believe some of the other reviews that have been on this site! In fact, they irked me so much that I decided to sign-up on citysearch to set the story straight.

First, In no way is Kate's a "frat" type bar. Yes, young people in there mid twenties do show up there, but only in an attempt to get away from the frat bar scene down the street. I'm not sure what happened to these other's, but Kate's is almost always a good place to go grab a pint, chat with friends, meet some nice people, and generally just have a great time.

The food is good, the staff is great, and if you go there with friends I can almost guarantee that if you went in a week later the bartender would remember your name and drink order...they're great that way.

So, if you're looking for a nice place to grab a bite, a pint, and have a good time then this is the Pub for you.

• Pros: Great staff, stiff drinks, good crowd of people
• Cons: Atmosphere leaves a little to be desired, but hey, no place is perfect

09/20/06

loud, floozies, drunks

by emperor_zing

okay, so first off, i must say, i have only been here once, so perhaps i just happened to wander in during the 'ex sorority girl from 1995 doing shots' reunion, or the 'iq of 100 screaming meathead conference'.

given my only having been there once, take this review as such.

but wow. wow.

terrible time we had at this joint. all we could do to chug our beers and get out of there.

the bad 80's music on the house stereo was neither quirky or ironic, merely loud. there were about 10 girls situated throughout the front portion of the bar, half with dyed hair and struggling to fit into their much too reveling jean miniskirts, the rest chugging shots and babbling loudly/incessantly about whatever.

the funny thing is, the write up for kates says it is distinctly non-frat, but i would cite this as being 180 degrees way way off. it is completely greek, and in the worst way. it is the big neck-head frat type of guys with buzz cuts that scream across 5 tables and give their bros air high fives.

it is the kind of place where a table full of floozy girls that spent a half hour doing their hair and chewing gum and say 'oh my god' every other bloody word meet a table full of bro strangers, get completely sauced off jaeger, and go home and sleep with each other the same night.

if that is your thing, bro, go for it.

be careful if you go out and plan to spend a night here, if your intention was to catch up with your friends or meet some interesting people. have a back up plan. seriously.

again, take this with a grain of salt. maybe it just happened to be the most moronic clientelle the joint had ever endured.

• Pros: the bartender was nice. burger was ok.
• Cons: literally people screaming at the tops of their lungs. many incoherant drunks.

Mellow, friendly spot where the company is as authentic as the Guinness.

by Contributor

The Scene
An unpretentious answer to the frat-like, American-run Murphy's up the street, Kate's caters to a mellower crowd of regulars. Grad students from nearby UW mix amicably with Irish expats and Wallingford folks in this comfortable neighborhood pub. The bar's namesake comes from the amicable owner Kate, who greets most everyone by name. In back, pool, pinball and real darts (none of those plastic sets here) invite lingering.

The Draw
A choice selection of Irish whiskeys, such as Middleton, nicely chilled pints of Guinness, 13 beers on tap, and an unlikely house specialty: the Southern Comfort Kamikaze. Fill up on Guinness beef stew, fish and chips or stuffed cabbage. Tuesday nights (the most crowded night), raise your glass to Irish heritage with bargain Guinness, Harp, Caffrey's and Irish whiskeys.

10/13/02

Best pub I've been to yet

by Raskolnikov

It is impossible for me to say enough of this place. It's small, which some take as a negative aspect. However, it makes the place comfortable and friendly. A rare opportunity to actually get to know your bartenders, and share a joke with Peter. It has been crowded on occation (thank's to its small size), but it all depends on when you get there (what day, and what hour). The live music nights are always interesting, and frequently good. It's not a place to go if you're the type looking to get schnockered and raise hell. It is the place to go if you are looking for a comfortable pint or whiskey after work, or a nice place to meet some friends for drinks.

• Pros: Friendly, Authentic, Inexpensive
• Cons: Occationally Crowded

09/24/02

not a neighborhood bar anymore

by lushiey

This has turned into a HUGE frat bar. I use to go to this place about twice a week. I know most of the staff well and like them all, they are great. But over the last few months it has changed a lot. It totally sucks now. What Happened?!

• Pros: strong drinks, good service, good parking
• Cons: frat bar, small, only one pool table