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Old Town Alehouse closing.

(91 posts)

Started 6 months ago by Cougar Bob
Latest reply from allisonw

Cougar Bob

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This is tough news for old Ballard. A longtime stalwart is closing. When I was drinking a lot of beer this was my go to place. They always had EXCEPTIONAL selection, great atmosphere and friendly staff. Best fish and chips ever. Thanks for all the years Old Town!

Posted 6 months ago #
Observant

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+1 Cougar Bob

Posted 6 months ago #
saffythepook

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Bummer. We like this place and it's good for the kids. Seems like they're always busy, I wonder what the story is.

Posted 6 months ago #
great idea

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hopefully another bar will move in, like the Silver Spot Beer Parlor:

The building located at 5233 Ballard Avenue Northwest has been occupied by a licensed bar for nearly its entire 110 year history. Built in 1898 our edifice shares the same vintage as much of our historic strip as the street was virtually rebuilt “overnight” following the great fire in 1895, which consumed most of what was then the Ballard Commercial District. Originally occupied by The Ballard Bar, this local landmark ran continuously up until Prohibition when all the bars on the street either closed their doors, turned to other livelihoods or merely closed their front doors and opened their “backdoors”. Percy’s Men’s Furnishing opened up shop when the venerable Ballard Bar closed its doors. Percy was however the owner of the Ballard Bar so who is to say what went on in the back of the house. After the black curtain of Prohibition was lifted our little building was resurrected as The Silver Spot Beer Parlor. Red shag carpet and windows blacked out with paint brought the debauchery of “The Ave” back with a bang. Following the passing of the much beloved owner of the Silver Spot, Enger’s Fish Knot Inn opened to fill the empty hands and bellies of the thirsty patrons. In 1995 The Old Town Alehouse signed on as the newest occupant of the building at 5233 Ballard Avenue.

Posted 6 months ago #
SEdholm

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Very sad indeed. I hope someone else takes over and keeps it somewhat the same.

Posted 6 months ago #
SeaSpider

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Too bad. Hard to find a place that has a good beer selection, good food and is noisy/casual enough that you can bring the kids. Heard it's being replaced with a place called Percy's Drygoods and the faux nostalgia name along makes me cringe.

Posted 6 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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I have never been there so I might have to pay my respects this weekend. Anyone know the closing date ?

Posted 6 months ago #
Edog

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I had a sandwich there this past spring.

Posted 6 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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E - How was it ? I am curious to know how the food in general is ?

I also saw in the comments that the new place will be a bar / restaurant called Percy's Drygoods. What a strange name and what will it specialize in with that title ?

Posted 6 months ago #
SEdholm

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The food is good. I like their salads. I usually go and get a salad and maybe fries as a good appetizer.

Maybe that place will be another BBQ place or Thai type place. We need another

Posted 6 months ago #
Apple

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This is our go to place since they allow kids and have great beer and good food. This is a sad blow for families and anyone who enjoys drinking a good beer.

Posted 6 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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SE- Is Percy's an Irish name and do they specialize in drygoods in Ireland. We could use a new theme in the neighborhood ;)

Posted 6 months ago #
crownhiller

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Percy's Drygoods was the original occupant of the bldg - hence the name.

Posted 6 months ago #
Edog

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The sandwich was awesome! For the most part, I forget what was on it but it had some really good peppers on it.

As for Percy's Drygoods, I suspect it will be a strip club featuring Old Ballard.

Posted 6 months ago #
SEdholm

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I don't think we need another Irish bar that is next to an established Irish bar. I think Kelly O'Briens learned that.

Posted 6 months ago #
onederfullone

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At least someone cared to acknowledge some history, which certainly evolves.

Posted 6 months ago #
Edog

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If its evolution you are after they should have called it Charles Darwin's Dinosaur Monkey.

Posted 6 months ago #
great idea

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did none of you read the 'about us' blurb I went through the trouble of cutting AND pasting?

the original occupant was the 'Ballard Bar'

'Percy's Men's Furnishings' was the speakeasy name during prohibition.

maybe they will put a little door in the door and you will need a password.

edit: I saw Meghan Walker read my blurb, since she cut & pasted the same thing!

Posted 6 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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Will there be a tunnel out to the Sound in case the vice comes by ?

Posted 6 months ago #
great idea

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there would be a tunnel, but McGinn would fight it tooth & nail.

instead, the idea is to remove prohibition from everything and lay-off the vice squad.

Posted 6 months ago #
onederfullone

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I promise not to tell GI the password.

Next, edog will be talking knitting, or dog pooping...

[edit]

zing.

Posted 6 months ago #
Edog

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No, thats not what your cut and paste job said Great Idea!

"..so who is to say what went on in the back of the house."

It could have been a knitting club for all we know. Or a secret society of teenage vampires who spend the afterlife in some terminal teenage funk wondering why they don't get to go to the prom.

Posted 6 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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I wonder how much the original occupant paid the advertising firm for such a unique name;)

Posted 6 months ago #
onederfullone

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You either.

btw, I'm a bit aghast at the point and click advert stating "I pooped today" t-shirt.

You can clearly take credit.

Posted 6 months ago #
Rudy

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Dang. I liked Old Town Alehouse. I just hope the next place doesn't turn into King's Hardware 2.

Posted 6 months ago #
h2o_girl

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Rudy, alas, someone on the front page article is saying that Linda of Linda's and King's is the person behind Percy's Drygoods. I hope they'll buck their usual setup and still allow kids in.

Posted 6 months ago #
pennygirl

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h20_girl...

That right there means that I won't even bother.

Posted 6 months ago #
Edog

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Is King's really that horrible?

Posted 6 months ago #
onederfullone

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Yes, but, your dog pooped today.

Posted 6 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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Going this weekend kid and all ..

Cheers Mates

Posted 6 months ago #
SeaSpider

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"Is King's really that horrible?"

No. I like King's and they have skeeball which is awesome. That said the place definitely seems to attract the skinny jeans and flannel wearing hipster crowd which can turn a lot of people off. Only downside for many of us is that it's 21+ so we can only go there when we can get a sitter which isn't cheap. There are already plenty of places where kids are not allowed due to licenses or are pretty fancy and thus not really appropriate. Old Town was low-key enough that you could take the family, affordable, had good food, great beer and you never had to wait for a table. Not many places like that in Ballard. Jolly Roger would probably be the next best bet but they only have their beer. I used to joke that one of the great things about Ballard was that the best family restaurant was an Alehouse.

Posted 6 months ago #
PaytonKemp-AlleyOop

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The majority of the folks who frequent Kings tend to suck but the space is cool, good beers on tap and as previously mentioned there's 25 cent skeeball.

As for the topic this is a loss

Posted 6 months ago #
GAM

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Noooooooooo!

Posted 6 months ago #
volvoguy

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Kings blasts cookie-cutter rock crap (those licks are 60 years old, folks), so I won't go in there. Burgers look pretty good, though. If they grow up, I'll give them a try.

Old Town closing is a blow to true Ballard. We spent a lot of happy-hours in there - always loved the old style crinkly windows. Hope the new place keeps them. They have the best fries on the planet. Get in there and have some before they close. Growlers are half-price on sundays.

Posted 6 months ago #
Hello

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: ( Sad news - those fries, yes, they will be missed.

Posted 6 months ago #
SEdholm

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Kings is great before about 7 or 8. After it is a very overcrowded hipster hangout. Very annoying the later it gets, but Skee-ball, great chips and salsa, and great selection of beer means it is worth going for HH.

Posted 6 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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Anthony's & Sweet Lou's also have great food, happy hours 7 days a week and allow kids ..fwiw

Posted 6 months ago #
Apple

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Really, Sweet Lous? Good to know. I will have to give it a try.

Posted 6 months ago #
Nora Bell

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Sweet Lou's allows kids? News to me, BH. Are you sure? They didn't do much to the inside with the name change, except change the location of the pinball machine.

Edited to say: I'll miss The Old Towne, though I wasn't in there very often. And cringe at the use of 'old Ballard' nostalgia used in 'new Ballard' businesses.

Posted 6 months ago #
crownhiller

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Yep - according to the liquor license application - Percy's will indeed be owned by the same people who own King's - maybe they'll get the hint from comments here and elsewhere that a kid friendly place would be a good business move? We only went a few times (I confess, I miss Bad Alberts more, geek that I am) but it was still a nice place for when the kid was around.

Posted 6 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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Nora yes

I have taken my little one there from time to time for a Shirly temple and stadium pretzel. I also know that The Dray (expensive & not a great menu) & Public House 418 are also kid friendly.

Posted 6 months ago #
Nora Bell

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Good to know, BH. How's the pretzel there? Naked City changed their pretzel to this weird whole wheat thing. :-p

Apologies for the hijack.

Posted 6 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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It is decent and not to expensive during Happy Hour which is good since her appetite can change like the weather. Everyone I have taken there raves about the barbecue and they have barbecue sliders with three different meat choices during HH.

Posted 6 months ago #
ks

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There is an article on Percy's in Seattle Metropolitan's Sauced blog. seattlemet.com/bars-and-nightlife/sauced/articles/apothecary-inspired-cocktail-lounge-percys-headed-to-ballard-ave

Kyle Taylor and Joe Petersen will be running Percy's. They currently manage and bartend at Apotheke in New York City's Chinatown. If you want to get a better sense of what Percy's may be like check out the website for Apotheke... apothekenyc.com/

Posted 6 months ago #
great idea

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is that a normal occurrence for a new bar to bring in out-of-towners to run the place?

seems odd to me.

Posted 6 months ago #
onederfullone

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"They currently manage and bartend at Apotheke in New York City's Chinatown."

...crap.

I was enjoying being interested....so much.

Posted 6 months ago #
Apple

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Just read the Met article. Seems like another piece of Ballard goodness slipping into the hipster abyss.

Posted 6 months ago #
GAM

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I'm going for dinner tonight. Any joiners? I'll be there around 6:30 with my Ballard baseball cap.

Posted 6 months ago #
SeaSpider

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"is that a normal occurrence for a new bar to bring in out-of-towners to run the place?"

Trying actually reading the article! It says: "Kyle Taylor and Joe Petersen are cousins and Northwest natives" and "The two are moving BACK from New York later this year"

BACK means they used to live here and are not out of towners.

I'll give them credit for trying to do something new - at least it's not another burger or sushi place! Still, it's too bad Ballard is losing one of the few places where a family can still eat dinner. How many 21+ only places do we really need in one 'hood? I might go there once but when you have to pay a babysitter to go somewhere it has to be really good and most places are simply not that good.

Posted 6 months ago #
great idea

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hah! MAYBE I would've read the article if there was a link I could click instead of cutting-and-pasting. time is money.

anyway, if they lived in NYC they've been tainted.

Posted 6 months ago #
SEdholm

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Based on the bar they come from, I don't want it. Going from a good beer place to a place that belongs to belltown is not an upgrade at all

Posted 6 months ago #
Compass Rose

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NOOOOOO! I am so bummed to hear this. Old Town is our regular place for Sunday afternoon cribbage in the winter. We've spent many an enjoyable afternoon there.

And while we don't have kids, I always appreciated that it was one of the few places on Ballard Ave. where parents could get a beer with the kiddos.

This really sucks.

Posted 6 months ago #
SEdholm

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Anyone know what happened here? I saw a week ago or so they were hiring a new cook and they have a sign up now saying they are looking forward to serving ballard in 2013, no word of shutting down. Their website says the say, Old Town opening Jan 7th from the holiday. The Seattle Met was saying Percy's was to open maybe in March, but seems like they wont be opening at all in that spot since OTA is opening up in 10 days.

Posted 4 months ago #
MrINTJ

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What in the name of King HVIII is wrong with all of you bringing kids with you when you have to drink? You're like the jerks who bring their dogs with them to go out to eat-- oh wait, those jerks tie their dogs to a pole outside. You just let your kids run crazy with a bunch of drunks eyeing them for dessert. The dogs have it better, although they may be out in the heat or pouring rain, or possibly stolen while you feed your fat face.

Kids do not belong in bars. Period. Get some class.

Posted 4 months ago #
onederfullone

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"Bloomers were associated with the suffrage movement and the campaign for women’s voting rights."

You really need to up your game, troll.

Posted 4 months ago #
Apple

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Old Town serves good food as well as good beers. My kid doesn't run crazy. If she is loud or does something wrong, she is corrected and taught what is acceptable behavior in public. It is important to have places like Old Town where kids can go out to dinner with their parents, learn manners and what is acceptable behavior in public. We need more places, like Old Town, that parents actually want to go to where kids can learn. Most of Europe allows kids in bars. Bars can be fine places for kids. Its where "class", which some trolls above may lack, may or may not be learned.

Posted 4 months ago #
marigold

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Old Town lets me bring my 75 lb mutt inside. He snoozes under the bar. The kids like him.

Anyhoodle, are they staying open, or not? My classy dog and his classy kid friends want to know, as do I.

Posted 4 months ago #
Edog

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Where are the good people from elsewhere who come here between 10:00pm and 2:00am going to get their "specialty cocktails with an emphasis on the herbologist and apothecary world" if this new bar does not open?

Won't somebody think of the children?

http://youtu.be/Qh2sWSVRrmo

Posted 4 months ago #
BuffaloHawk

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AllisonNW said she was going to come back with a new username but I never expected her to come back a troll.

Hide the strollers ;)

Posted 4 months ago #
onederfullone

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Kick a stroller +1

...if it's occupied +2

New Ballard is so very proud.

Posted 4 months ago #

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Old Town Alehouse closing.

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