Station 18 Drinks & Eats opens today in the former Hi-Life building

There’s new life in the former Hi-Life building: Station 18 Drinks & Eats is opening today at 5425 Russell Avenue NW.

Co-owner Kate Barrett—who also owns Kate’s Pub in Wallingford—says she and her business partner Erik Nilsen had wanted to open a restaurant and bar together for many years, so they jumped on the opportunity earlier this year when the former Hi-Life location came on their radar.

After the Hi-Life closed in 2019, restaurant group Chow Foods pivoted to reopen the space as an Italian restaurant named Valentinetti’s. The pasta and puppet show combo didn’t go over quite as well as Chow had hoped, and the restaurant closed after just one month. The building has been vacant since early 2020.

Station 18 is named for the historic Ballard fire station (the current Station 18 firehouse is just down the street) and will serve sandwiches, tacos, wood-fired pizzas, and several mains including a honey-glazed smoked half chicken, fish and chips, and spaghetti with meatballs. The menu includes some “Treat Yourself” items, including steak frites, grilled halibut, and a crab pretzel.

The bar will have a mixture of beer, wine, and cocktails, with 12 beers on draft and many local offerings.

Currently, their hours are noon to midnight, Monday to Saturday (closed Sundays for now). They’ll eventually add brunch to their offerings—once they have the staff to do so. The restaurant will be family-friendly until 9 p.m., and they’ll allow dogs on their outdoor patio.

“Like every restaurant seattle, we had some bumps along the road hiring enough people, but we’ve been lucky to find some amazing staff to begin our lunch and dinner programs,” Barrett told My Ballard. “Chef Dustin Brians has not disappointed! We’re very proud of our food menu.”

To learn more, visit Station 18’s website and Facebook page.

Photos courtesy Station 18