« Ballard Restaurants

good chicken nachos, great carne asada (and short ribs), and absolutely the best tap for dos equis lager or amber

wait staff can be a little hit or miss but mostly friendly and attentive

happy hour nachos and a mojito make late nights glorious. I live in Ballard and I walk (or drive in the rain) over for sangrias at least once a month. During summer, we found ourselves here quite a bit more. Since all the ballard snobs hate the crowd, there is almost always a table when the other places are too packed. lucky for my mojiito and sangria cravings that I'm past caring what people are wearing or drinking or whatever. The crowd doesn't smell or puke on me, so I'm not bothered. The asparagus tips/broccollini special (it switches every now and then) is addictive.

You people who judge a restaurant based on the type of people dining there are morons. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to judge a book by it's cover?

Try judging a restaurant on the service or food, I know, it's an interesting concept for the snotty, inclusive, old-school Ballard types.

You're no better then the people you judge.

Nice location, nice building, ok kitchen, horrible staff.

Went there with a blind friend who had his dog with him. We were told three different times, the dog had to go out side. We told three different people, the dog was a seeing eye dog. You think the hostess would get a clue at some point and spread the word.

Good for cheap, late-night happy hour food. The fire pit is nice in the winter. But it's more geared to the college crowd and tends to be loud and crowded.

Too crowded! Too expensive! Too hoity-toity! The waitresses are dumb as bricks to add to the insanity. It ain't that hard ladies! They do serve a mean quesadilla though!

Too many "beautiful people" in the bar. I'll take The Sloop over the Matador any day. At least the people are real at the Sloop Tavern.
M- I like the Meet-a-Whore -- I'll have to remember that!

I love eating mex, but this place puts a new price tag on okay food.

First, I really find the atmosphere pretty nice, fireplace, lots of metal and cozy. On the down side it is loud, crowded and the awkward to get into. You cannot really go here and have a conversation unless you are outside

The drinks are wells in the worse way- Watery, over priced and nothing special.

The food is fine, but it is not great. Mostly lots of cheese, well I should say lots of food too- for you people who are hungry- but too much for me.

The shrimp skewer thing is way over cooked and well over cooked. The braised carnitas are slow cooked to death and the enchiladas and ho hum.

The other thing I would say about this place, and I think it is because of the crowd or volume they server, but it seems more like a pub and the wait staff act like it is a party place. And if that is what it is suppose to be, that is fine, just not my idea of dinner and fun.

It's so crowded, just not with people who actually live in Ballard.

Wow some people are so bitter....

Ballard's own little frat party!

jong - re: the crowd; its not called The Meet-a-Whore for nothing...

i'm with mr fantastic. the drinks are good, but that crowd in there? not my crowd.

I LOVE the Matador. Just moved to the area and have eaten there at least once a week. Great food & stiff drinks. Makes for an outstanding lunch or dinner.

The Matador is a waste of a perfectly great corner space.

I like the building, I like the decor, I like the location, I like the fireplace, but it's so.... kirkland. Yuck.

I can't have gluten, so eating out can be a bit problematic. I was delighted that the waitress at the Matador not only knew what the heck gluten was but which entrees were safe as well.

great HH menu food wise. HH drinks... not so much...