Forum and Classifieds

My Ballard Forum » Open Forum

What's your least favorite Ballard business?

(101 posts)

Started 3 years ago by Nazzgul
Latest reply from waughoutwoud

Tags:

Nazzgul

offline
Member

I thought I'd start a *negative* thread about who and what our least favorite Ballard businesses are, in the hopes that we each may air some grievances, hail festivus!...2 months belated.

Sonic Boom records. P**sies wouldn't know rock n' roll if Satan himself rode in on a horse with a flying V guitar and laid waste to the lot of those alt-indie-emo wimps.

Waterwheel Lounge. Charges $8 for a shot of (Sauza) Hornitos tequila! At a sh*t hole of a dump to boot. I'd understand it at an airport or at the space needle...nowhere else. Especially not in a quonset hut with a mine field for a parking lot.

Ballard Oil Co. Pirates. You'll know it if you've used them for oil heating.

Maritime Brewery. I just don't like their beers' collective funk. Like Henry Weinhard's, all of their products have a common stink. I prefer Hale's, Georgetown, or Elysian for local ales.

Posted 3 years ago #
Gackpoid

offline
Member

Jesus, it’s not even worth my time to make a list of all the worthless stores in Ballard. I also second the movement about Sonic Boom, by the way.

Posted 3 years ago #
20feet

offline
Member

Seriously? Wow. Although I hate to say I completely agree about sonic boom, I do have issue with "musicians" who take pride in not being able to read music, and try to put down musicians who do. It's kinda like writers who are proud of not knowing grammar. I don't believe the latter exist, accept for maybe shitty poets. But that is another story.

Posted 3 years ago #
tiny car

offline
Member

definitely cupcake roayle. their cupcakes are terrible, and they seem to do their fair share of contributing to the feeling that ballard is increasingly becoming a destination rather than a neighborhood.

Posted 3 years ago #
BriarRose

offline
Member

oh tiny I love the cupcakes but the price is laughable. Trendy followers will buy ANYTHING.

Posted 3 years ago #
leeanimal

offline
Member

I'm thankful we have Cupcake Royale and not Trophy Cupcakes. I'd been in big trouble if Trophy was within walking distance.

Posted 3 years ago #
wildernessbarbie

offline
Member

If the rumors are true, then Sustainable, because from what I've heard, they stole the private vendor list from Enlighten while in negotiations to buy them, dropped out, and then opened their own store with it forcing Enlighten to change their business model. Pretty crappy if true.

Posted 3 years ago #
ken

offline
Member

its hard enough to keep your head above water in this economy...so lets beat em up a little bit more ...please be aware that whatever you post is now..PUBLIC RECORD..

Posted 3 years ago #
Nora Bell

offline
Member

Glad someone had the ballz to say that, Ken. Times are tough enough for small businesses.

Posted 3 years ago #
sleepynb

offline
Member

About Cupcake Royale. I bought a bunch of cupcakes from them once for my daughter's birthday. The kids didn't even like them.

So I went back and mentioned this to them. They gave me a free dozen, which were fresh. That's the difference.

And see how that paid off? Free good press from me!

BR, I just made about 100 cupcakes for an elementary school function. Buying them looks pretty good, right now, but I agree about the prices.

Posted 3 years ago #
SPG

offline
Member

For the public record, I have no beef with Sonic Boom. Your complaint about music store employee attitude is a universal cliche.

For the public record I would only nominate a business that actually does something counter to the community interest, like filing an obstructionist lawsuit to prevent the completion of a bike trail, rather than just complain about a place I don't like to frequent.

Posted 3 years ago #
angelatini

offline
Member

I think Cupcake Royale cupcakes have improved since their new "more moisty-er" campaign. I can't stand Trophy Cupcakes...way too much sickeningly sweet frosting. Blech. Of course my favorite are homemade. :)

Clarification about Sonic Boom: I don't ask anyone who works there for ADVICE on anything...but I like looking through their records. :)

Posted 3 years ago #
Nazzgul

offline
Member

"Your complaint about music store employee attitude is a universal cliche."

My complaint is strictly with their product, not the employees. Or, more accurately, the owners / buyers. They need to get a clue because they lose a lot of business to superior businesses like Easy Street.

"Clarification about Sonic Boom: I don't ask anyone who works there for ADVICE on anything...but I like looking through their records. :) "

I always know exactly what I'm looking to pick up, but was constantly SOL when I used to frequent SB. Now, I'll drive across the city instead.

Posted 3 years ago #
angelatini

offline
Member

I never know exactly what I am looking for in a music store. I like to wander and spend time in it. That's part of it's charm to me. No doubt Easy Street has more selection, but I like vinyl wherever I find it.

Posted 3 years ago #
ecw

offline
Member

AH ha, the Waterwheel carries Hornitos because of me!!!!

Posted 3 years ago #
pennygirl

online
Member

angelatini...

Thread hijack!

Vinyl. I spent what many considered 'way too much money' getting my vinyl collection over here (back in the day when it was on the road to being redundant).

I am mighty glad that I didn't take people's advice and dump them : )

Posted 3 years ago #
wildernessbarbie

offline
Member

"Times are tough enough for small businesses." I totally agree, which is why I only posted a concern about one small business seemingly stealing the business model from another established small business. Otherwise it's all personal preference unless they're doing something criminal.

I've done some asking around and haven't heard anything to contradict what I've posted so far. If anyone knows any different, please let me know because I think that's really crappy but don't want to smack talk a business if it's not true.

Posted 3 years ago #
Nazzgul

offline
Member

"No doubt Easy Street has more selection, but I like vinyl wherever I find it. "

Next time you're in the West Seattle Junction, check out Easy Street's vinyl selection. Pretty impressive.

"AH ha, the Waterwheel carries Hornitos because of me!!!! "

It's too bad they charge about $3 too much for it. The Don Julio is over $10! Blew my damn mind when I learned that the hard way. After all, look at that place. Live and learn. I probably won't be back.

Posted 3 years ago #
BallardENTP

offline
Member

The cheap/dingy dollar store on Market. Just... yuck. That's not the kind of place I want on my neighborhood main street.

Also: I'm happy Nazzgul has no conception/appreciation of good beer. More Maritime for the rest of us.

Posted 3 years ago #
Nazzgul

offline
Member

"Also: I'm happy Nazzgul has no conception/appreciation of good beer. More Maritime for the rest of us. "

Knock yourself out with that. I appreciate LOTS of good beer. I don't like THEIR beer. Boundary Bay, Diamond Knot, Deschutes, Elysian, Stone, Hale's all kick the hell out of Maritime IMO.

Posted 3 years ago #
Gackpoid

offline
Member

>>>“The cheap/dingy dollar store on Market. Just... yuck. That's not the kind of place I want on my neighborhood main street.
Also: I'm happy Nazzgul has no conception/appreciation of good beer. More Maritime for the rest of us.”

Then I say to you; more good deals on otherwise overpriced stuff for me. That dollar store rocks! The clerks are often very friendly and helpful. I know that’s a big issue in this neighborhood (apparently— I really don’t care unless the clerks are really cool). I also don’t see the problem with “cheap.” I guess that word is often synonymous with folks as “icky,” but really, do you believe that an icky little place could exist on Market the way Ballard is these days? I doubt it.

Posted 3 years ago #
drallab

offline
Member

These places all suck hard

zayda buddy, pasta bella, la isla, palermo, snoose junction, delancey, smokin pete, barking dogfood, via verde, zestos

Posted 3 years ago #
bikerchick

offline
Member

The Safeway on 85th and 15th - terrible selection of soy milk, healthy cereals, wine, beer, etc., etc. It's crazy to have a bad beer selection in a town with so many good beers available! They never have what I am looking for, and the shopping experience is reminiscent of the bad old days growing up in South King County. Ugh. How I miss the QFC on that corner.

Posted 3 years ago #
ballardmike

offline
Member

The Hooker Shop. Their prices have gone through the ROOF!

Posted 3 years ago #
s_coyne13

offline
Member

Buffalo Exchange- I was so excited when I heard one was coming to Ballard because Classic Consignment is sometimes just not what I am looking for. Then I went into Buffalo and was so disappointed in the customer service, girls being catty, not helpful and sometimes downright rude. I went right back around the corner to Classic Consignment and ended up finding what I was looking for.
Double agree with the Cupcake Royale. I have no idea what the ingredient is but their cupcakes actually make me sick. I am really impressed with the owner though, she made it onto CNN I think for her work with trying to get health insurance for small business owners.
Horseshoe- WAY overpriced! I mean I like good quality clothing, but seriously.

Posted 3 years ago #
plasticbags

offline
Member

+1 on the Safeway at 15th and 85th. I forgot to give him my coupon up front and he made a huge deal over it to the point where I was ready to have him void out the $80 of groceries and just leave. Finally a manager yelled over from another lane to just give me the discount and he gave it with no apology, slammed my last item down, and I left.
Should be noted that I've only had good service at the Market and 15th location.

Posted 3 years ago #
Elliott

offline
Member

+2 on the Safeway at 15th and 85th. The produce is overall bad and they're missing so many things that I purchase on a regular basis: hoisun sauce, good salad dressings, Starkist tuna, pork tenderloins that aren't injected with creepy chemicals, natural chicken breasts, low-fat Tillamook cheeses, Nancy's yoghurt, and unfortunately a lot of other items. That said, I think the cashiers are pretty nice there. I just wish they'd stop trying to be so "personal" and cut out the "thank you, Ms. __" (as they butcher reading the surname that shows up my receipt!). Bikerchick, I also really miss the QFC on 15th. . .

Posted 3 years ago #
wildernessbarbie

offline
Member

I third the Safeway, just because as far as I know Safeway is the chain that started the "preferred customer" card scam. Marketing manipulation like that drives me crazy.

Their store is also not laid out like a typical grocery store, with the produce behind the wine section, which makes it hard to find anything if you only go there on occasion.

Their attempts to address me by name is amusing because I always use 867-5309 (as in Jenny, Jenny, who can I turn to?) with a different area code and it's always some weird name it seems like. So the "Thanks, Ms. Spikowskivaliomonovitch for shopping with us!" is just funny.

Posted 3 years ago #
motorrad

offline
Member

Any business in the Ballard Chamber sucks and I spend elsewhere.

Posted 3 years ago #
great idea

online
Member

"Their (safeway) store is also not laid out like a typical grocery store, with the produce behind the wine section"

seriously? I didn't think there was necessarily a 'typical' store layout other than perishables at the perimeter. Some stores violate that rule and still do fine (like central market for instance--a great store with a bizarre layout imho).

I happen to like the 85th safeway. great for staples and bagels anyway.

I second Motorad's disdain for the Ballard Chamber of Commerce. they need to get a clue.

Posted 3 years ago #
wolfden

offline
Member

The safeway on 15th and 85th is about OK in my book. Not great but OK as far the stuff in there goes. If you want good wines or beers, a grocery store might be the wrong place. Meh, they carry Guinness in cans. The people there are very friendly but I have two nitpicks.

1. The last name thanking which kills me because the name on the safeway card is a friend/old roommate's and they butcher his name.

2. I am a big strong guy and I sigh when I am asked if I need help carrying my 2x2litre soda bottles, a loaf of bread and a carton of eggs. JFC...I understand monotony sinking in but...

As far as least favorite businesses go, if I was the owner of a business, I wouldn't want to be badmouthed on a public forum. Go offer your constructive criticism in person imo.

Posted 3 years ago #
phoo

offline
Member

WB: My friend signed up for the safeway discount card and chose "ant syzygy" for the name. Everytime they try to pronounce it I get one heck of a kick out of it! I thought it would get old, but so far it hasn't. For the most part I shop freddy's anyways.

Posted 3 years ago #
wildernessbarbie

offline
Member

great idea-There is a complete branch of science dedicated to retail/supermarkets and how they "should" be set up to maximize profits. This methodology is usually pretty consistent between stores, produce and bread in the front, meat at the side or the back, dairy in the back and so on. I don't find the Safeway on 15th and Market to follow those rules, so I find it frustrating to try to just run in there to grab a couple of things.

phoo- Love it! I'm all for being friendly, but the forced, fake "Have a good day, Ms. Spikowskivaloafjdf..." is just annoying.

Posted 3 years ago #
Anonymous

offline
Unregistered

I actually know how to pronounce syzygy because it is also the name of a wacky website a friend of mine follows that supposedly predicts earthquakes (although if you say there's going to be an earthquake every day eventually you will be right ...).

Which dollar store do you guys not like? There are actually two on Market. I've gotten little silly party favors at the one by Great Harvest (or whatever that bread store is) but there is another one that is dirty and icky and scary looking a block or so away.

I like Cupcake Royale cupcakes just fine but they are over-priced in my opinion. I like Sonic Boom's selection ok, but then I guess I'm one of the uncool indie-emo-old-skool-stuff-your-parents-listen-to kind of folks. The people who work there have always been nice to me. My mom has even gone in there and they've been nice to her. I think I see a trend - they are only nice to totally uncool people without attitude, maybe? Just kidding. I think it probably depends on who is working.

I'm pretty horrified what WB said about Sustainable. Times are tough and all but poor business practice is never acceptable and I certainly wouldn't support anyone who did business like that. I may need to do a little research on that one. I've found that business karma *will* turn around and bite you in the butt so if they really did that they will have it coming sooner or later most likely.

I really can't think of anywhere that I really don't like. I don't like SHARE but I'm not sure they have anything going on in Ballard anymore. I don't like Than Brothers Thai because they use so much MSG that the last time I ate their I got a terrible headache and was dizzy. But it's fine for people who don't have a reaction to MSG like I do. I guess I don't think so much about businesses I don't like, I just don't go to them.

Posted 3 years ago #
great idea

online
Member

wb--you should check out the Safeway at 85th & 15th then, because it's set up exactly as you described.

why does it matter who started the club card phenomena? they all do it (except for wally-world of course)

Posted 3 years ago #
tailwind

offline
Member

My least favorite Ballard business? Mars Hill Church.

Posted 3 years ago #
SPG

offline
Member

I've thought about the Sonic Boom attitude issue a bit more, and I think that ballardmama has almost got it right...it's not that they're nice to the uncool people as much as they're probably easily baited into the "I know what's cool" pissing match.

"I've found that business karma *will* turn around and bite you in the butt..." unfortunately WalMart, KBR, and countless other businesses disprove this theory.

Posted 3 years ago #
Anonymous

offline
Unregistered

Darn ... I wasn't thinking of giant evil corporations proving my theory wrong. I was just thinking of small businesses I know who've suffered from unethical decisions. But if I think about corporations and banks(!!!) it does disprove my theory. Blah.

Posted 3 years ago #
motorrad

offline
Member

If I have a bad experience in a business I used to track down the owner/manager and tell them. I would want to know. I have given up this practice as I am generally looked at like a snitch cry baby. A certain cupcake shop that I used to go to regularly for chai/cofee overcharged me or the person in my party paying for everyone. One time about $7 other times from$.35 to a buck and change. It happened regularly so I called to talk to a manager. It was obvious they handed the phone to the person next to them and said 'you're the manager" . I tried tracking the owner a couple times and was told I was talking to the person that actually managed the stores. Let's just say I didn't like the response and haven't been back. Seems the forums may have better transformative power than a phone call or personal discussion.

Posted 3 years ago #
ballardita

offline
Member

Cupcake royale = crusty, dry, flavorless

Mars Hill Church = pretty scary Ballard business, have to second tailwind's nomination there.

Posted 3 years ago #
wolfden

offline
Member

"I've found that business karma *will* turn around and bite you in the butt..." unfortunately WalMart, KBR, and countless other businesses disprove this theory.

Karma sometimes takes long vacations and the payback is usually proportional to the duration of those vacations.

Posted 3 years ago #
wildernessbarbie

offline
Member

Ballardmama- There was a letter on the front door of Enlighten explaining the situation in December. Perhaps it's still there. You could talk to the owner or someone who works there. Let me know what you find out!

Great idea- Because once they started it, everyone else "had" to in order to compete. Not totally logical, just irritates me. They have also been the last grocery store to be remodeled in several areas I've lived in, so they were always the most run down, poorly lit, cramped isle store in the area it seemed. The one on 15/Market looks beautiful though, I'm still working on liking it more.

Posted 3 years ago #
gurple

offline
Member

Nthing Mars Hill. A lot of other businesses' clients may deserve my scorn, but only Mars Hill really deserves my wrath.

Posted 3 years ago #
wildernessbarbie

offline
Member

I've heard vague creepy things about Mars Hill...namely that they try to come off as a hipster, cool church, but they're really misogynistic and cult like. What's the deal with them?

Posted 3 years ago #
h2o_girl

offline
Member

Some interesting articles:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/magazine/11punk-t.html

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2006/09/13/righteous/

http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/10/mars_hill_bigger_tha

Posted 3 years ago #
Jack Tar

offline
Member

This is a negative post building negative energy. Is this what we really want to do.

Posted 3 years ago #
BriarRose

offline
Member

Do you also find St. Al's creepy? After all we all know about those priests.

Posted 3 years ago #
Mamasings

offline
Member

Beiar Rose, that was completely uncalled for. I've had it up to here with targeting priests for ridicule, most of whom sacrifice more than we could ever think of to serve their communities and God.

Posted 3 years ago #
JenniferR

offline
Member

WB - MH Church is basically a fundamentalist church that believes its okay to wear modern clothes and like good music.

Posted 3 years ago #
pennygirl

online
Member

WB - with a Pastor that believes women are second class citizens.

Posted 3 years ago #
BriarRose

offline
Member

soooooo don't go to that church. It's quite legal to believe whatever you choose. You know...freedom and all that stuff?

Posted 3 years ago #
pennygirl

online
Member

You should start your own church. The Church of Briar Rose. (What with you being pretty good at preaching and all)

Posted 3 years ago #
SunriseSunset

offline
Member

The Church of Perpetual Responsibility

Posted 3 years ago #
Reba

offline
Member

I'm only gonna post restaurant/bars same type of review I would (or have posted in the restaurant review section on this site)

I've had to stop drinking Hales beers, cause i consistently got sick from it. Didnt matter if I had 1 or more.

Barking Dog. Bleh bleh bleh! And this is a place i want to like. Horrible service every time i went (and i gave it multiple tries over the course of months/years taking in for staff changes and so forth) I've had short pours, burnt/undercooked food and just a general bad attitude from the waitstaff.

Bad Alberts, not sure why I dont like this one..just a weird "feeling" but every time I've been in there I just feel uncomfortable. I can't explain it.

Other Coast - Used to have cravings for the Chicken Salad sub. After 3 bad sandwiches with rock hard bread, more gristle than chicken (and hardly any of that either) I gave up on the 12-14$ waste of sandwich. I would do better going to safeway to pick up chicken salad, a tomato, head of lettuce and a sub roll and still have change left over.

Hamburger Harrys (see bad alberts) Just a weird feeling, I cant explain it.. I just get the heebie jeebies in there. Have only had a drink there.

Posted 3 years ago #
wildernessbarbie

offline
Member

h2o_girl- Thanks for the links. Seems in line with what I've heard. Yikes.

Posted 3 years ago #
julesage

offline
Member

Jennifer R: i think mars hill is a bit more than that.

Posted 3 years ago #
Bamber

offline
Member

Reba - I'm just curious about your weird feelings - like the place is haunted? Or they establishments just plain suck?

Posted 3 years ago #
JenniferR

offline
Member

Julesage - what I mean by that is that they have beliefs commenly shared by fundamentalist churches, but they do it in a way that allows for engagement with popular culture. A regular fundy church would tell women, for example, to get married young and have lots of babies because that is their role in life - MH would say the same thing, but they would allow for the women to wear normal clothes, makeup, go to movies, drink alcohol, etc. Whereas a normal fundy church wouldn't allow that kind of participation in the culture.

Posted 3 years ago #
onederfullone

offline
Member

My take from it was 'cult-lite'. Having been deeply involved in a 'church' as a child, (which joined the infamous following eventually creating the pop culture term 'drank the kool-aid'), I can personally attest that the vibe and manner is identical to that.
The ONLY exception that I can find, is that they are QUITE public about their beliefs, which isn't in true cult isolationist form. Maybe the cult movement has evolved, maybe the attitude of fundamentalists have, either way, I can't get through that door again.

Posted 3 years ago #
SunriseSunset

offline
Member

Interesting point about MH, onderfullone. Glad you got free of your childhood 'church'.

Posted 3 years ago #

Daily news for Seattle's Ballard neighborhood

My Ballard Forum » Open Forum

What's your least favorite Ballard business?

Reply »