Comments on: George & Dragon hoping to expand to Ballard

By: Vonne Carson

Vonne Carson — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:29:50 +0000

My fingers are crossed for you John! Look forward to seeing you there!

By: chopper_74

chopper_74 — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:58:40 +0000

Thanks for one less boarded up store front on Market!
Best wishes.

By: e

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 20:37:16 +0000

Has anyone noticed that alot more people are liking soccer a lot more in the past few years – or maybe more specifically – liking the idea of liking soccer?

What do you think this is connected to? MLS coming to Seattle? College students studying abroad in Europe? Obviously baseball, football, and basketball are still more popular by a long shot in the US (as far as spectator sports are concerned). Just noticed, specifically in Seattle, you see games (international and domestic) on a lot more in pubs, and at least one or two people intently watching.

By: leavinglasballard

leavinglasballard — Mon, 18 May 2009 22:11:37 +0000

this is FANTASTIC news!! almost makes up for losing Ballard Camera.

By: mcburns

mcburns — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:43:37 +0000

I think it would be great if they opened up in Ballard! This is the only pub I've been able to find Boddington's even offered at and I love it!

By: ne1

ne1 — Wed, 13 May 2009 03:35:16 +0000

Clearly none of you have actually been to the George in a long time. There has been no smoking inside forever, and you can no longer smoke on the deck regardless of weather or season, thanks to some tattle tale governement employee who had it out for the place. That has been quite a while now. All smoking is done in the parking lot. And lastly there is no further work to be done on the deck, it has been finished for at least a couple of years.
Get your facts straight folks!

By: Barney Stinson

Barney Stinson — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:40:46 +0000

Um not sure what most of you people think has been going on, but you are not allowed to smoke indoors at the Fremont G&D location. You are allowed to smoke on the deck during the winter only, a time when non smokers have no desire to drink outside.

Hope this helps.

By: cking

cking — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:19:03 +0000

I love the G & D, and can't wait to go here, looks like a great site.

I do hope their mens room has a slightly less pissy smell than the one in Fremont. The odor of the pisser in Fremont is strong 20 feet away.

By: MT Girl

MT Girl — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:49:26 +0000

Jeez louise people, I just meant boutique as in small, fun and not corporate. Not all small shops are $$$ and snooty.

By: buzzy

buzzy — Tue, 12 May 2009 11:49:49 +0000

Do any of you remember the old stores in Ballard during the 70's. Sears, Pennys, Kress 10cent store. Fabric store where the consignment store on 24th is now. The Brick Shirt house, Wigwam Dept Store. Most were here until the mid 80's The good old days when you went to Ballard to shop and pay your bills.

By: SeattleRichardson

SeattleRichardson — Tue, 12 May 2009 10:44:35 +0000

I'm guessing the new location (if it happens) will be smoke free…at least I hope so. I don't think the Ballard crowd would really go for that. In the Fremont location they felt like it should have been grandfathered in or something. I always hated that about the Fremont location though. It will be great to go in, get a pint and a shepard's pie or bangers and mash and watch some football/soccer and not have to worry about feeling like I smoked a pack by just being there.

By: Pioggia

Pioggia — Tue, 12 May 2009 09:14:28 +0000

hopefully the new branch won't have any of the the fracass over smoking that the original location had…

By: Trix

Trix — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:44:00 +0000

Annabelle's wasn't a boutique. Consignment means affordable. Boutique means expensive.

By: fuzzbeans

fuzzbeans — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:32:32 +0000

You mean like pizza or sushi?

By: ABtm

ABtm — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:25:24 +0000

I discovered Smythwick's on a business trip to Ireland in 1980 and for years
it was the Holy Grail to me (on draught only, even then the bottled stuff
was foul). When they finally started importing it to the U.S. I was thrilled
at first then slightly disappointed as it wasn't as delicious as I
remembered, suffering I suspect from the long voyage, but (in my unschooled
opinion) still dang good.

This is one reason I never recommend anything, other than to say I like it.
You never know how someone else is going to react.

For example, I see a lot of Budweiser around, but I'd rather drink from a
mud puddle than swallow that stuff. If sales = quality, one might conclude
that Justin Timberlake is a better musician than Beethoven. :-)

By: Ballard_Rocks_Now

Ballard_Rocks_Now — Tue, 12 May 2009 05:01:43 +0000

Wait, I thought we got tired and ridiculed boutiques now. I get so confused on this blog. One day we want something that fits in with the neighborhood the next we critique something for being bland. Arg who is the purveyor of taste!? They must write a blog so I can keep up with who we're beheading!

By: LisaG

LisaG — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:58:58 +0000

:)
Thank you for answering/clarifying in such a disarming way.

By: margo

margo — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:57:21 +0000

Umm you can still smoke at the current G&D, the laws are exempt for great bars noted for their service and fine interior design as the G&D is.

By: LisaG

LisaG — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:55:54 +0000

OOO! I love that idea.

By: baldrick

baldrick — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:55:25 +0000

Be nice if they finished the deck at the G&D BEFORE building another pub ;-)

By: whamfan

whamfan — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:53:34 +0000

Nice! A bar we can smoke in when the city isn't looking. Hope they recapture the current GD atmosphere with 80's refuse for furniture and a bathroom that floods.

By: Trix

Trix — Tue, 12 May 2009 04:18:01 +0000

That's standard for Fremont bars, isn't it? I get that at both the Triangle and Norms (on weekend evenings, anyway). Though, both are worth the attempt.

By: Edog

Edog — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:57:57 +0000

Glad its working for you!

By: Born right the first time

Born right the first time — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:53:39 +0000

well I certainly hope the service is better in this one! We went to the one in Freemont once and got completely ignored at the bar but if a regular came up, they were served right away. We've never been back.

By: BallardDINK

BallardDINK — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:51:36 +0000

Blasphemy, Edog. Blasphemy. Smythwicks is delicious. I recall when I first moved to Ballard 10 years ago, I went on a campaign to get Smythwick's into Connor's, Murphy's, the Old P, the George & Dragon–pretty much any Irish or English-styled pub. I went so far as an impassioned email campaign with the distributor, Diageo. Good people, there.

Anyway, I'm glad that Smythwick's is here to stay in the U.S. ABtm, they had it on draft at Connor's last time I was there (mid March). They did not have it on draft at the G&D last time I was there (last week), but they did have Boddington's on nitro.

By: Edog

Edog — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:33:06 +0000

Smythwicks! I hope not! Every year I go to Ireland, after about a weeks worth of Guinness, I think ok I'll try it again. So I order a Smythwicks, and after a few sips, I'm thinking to myself why do this every stinking year.

Honestly, I don’t think they brew it in Ireland. They take old, very old, Sam Adams, send it to Ireland, so they can stamp it with a golden harp and ship it back to a happy bunch of Americans!

I almost never see this consumed in Europe. If you close out a pub, and look at all the dirty glasswear, one in 50 pints is a Smythwicks!

By: ABtm

ABtm — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:16:56 +0000

I could just get off my lazy butt and go over there and ask, but the Internet is so much easier! Does anyone know if the G&D serves Smythwick's on draught?

By: Trix

Trix — Tue, 12 May 2009 03:10:51 +0000

Too true, MT Girl.

By: MT Girl

MT Girl — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:51:19 +0000

Buffalo Exchange is moving into the space that Annabelle's was in…As far as too many bars/restaurants…if more people shopped in Ballard then maybe we would be known for our great local indepent boutiques and not so much for our sushi and beer.

By: Roadkill

Roadkill — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:42:00 +0000

This is awesome. John's a great guy and runs a great pub. Quality beers (2o or so on tap) served in imperial pints (proper 20 oz) and pretty decent pub fare. And not pretentious at all. I hope this happens!