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Sodo / Georgetown

Home Grilling

These areas are industrial with many blue collar employers. When 5 o’clock rolls around, these places light up. These bars are full of the drinkers that can’t wait to get to their own neighborhood to have a beer, or guys wanting to unwind with their coworkers before parting ways. It’s a fun place to drink, but be polite, lest you get a knuckle sandwich. There also is an artsy, yuppie crowd that hangs out down south, so if you are gonna pick a fight, do it with an artist. Not a whole lot of rules down here, so even if you are going to pick on the weak, make sure he doesn’t have his dog under the table, might it be a pitbull.

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Hooverville

1721 1st Ave S.

Seattle, WA 98134

206-264-2428

Hooverville sits on top of what use to be a shanty town. Click to see photo

It is the furthest north of the SoDo bars. I have been here a handful of times over the past several years. They recently “remodeled” the place which stole some of its original charm. I wasn’t all that impressed; the service was inattentive evidenced when we ran dry of beer several times.  I ordered a pizza that was marginal at best, but was represented to be good. (I don’t expect good dive bar food, but don’t tell me its good when it isn’t.)

They did have a bank of pinball machines to work if that is your thing.

The best thing about this place was when work let out, it filled with real working people from the neighborhood. Go there people watch and meet some interesting people, but don’t expect to be overly impressed with the hospitality.

9lb Hammer

6009 Airport Way S.

Seattle, WA 98108

206-762-3373

The 9lb Hammer is a dive, a very good dive. Last time I was there, it was to watch Greenbay knock the Seahawks out of the playoffs, so its been a while. I stumble into the “Hammer” after leaving Jules Mayes. It was an entirely different customer and different vibe, even though they look alike. Jules Mayes had been filled with a bunch of happy Yuppies eating Tater Tots. The Hammer had nothing but a handful of drunks warming up at the bar. The explanation of why there was such a difference only a few door down can be summed up in one word; Microwave...

The 9lb Hammer is a drinkers bar, they have no food to speak of. Their reason for being is to keep you warm, and dry while they get you drunk. Like most of Georgetown they have junk hanging all over the walls. While you feel history ooze from  all of the bars in Georgetown, there is also a feeling that a junk store owner lost his lease and traded his inventory for beer.

They have a full bar and a dozen beers on tap. No PBR, but Rainier and Oly calmed me down.

They had shuffleboard, Pool, Pinball and a couple of video games for those in need of entertaining. The 9lb hammer is a top 20 bar, at least for now.  TR GC

Pitbull.

Jules Maes Saloon

5919 Airport Way S.

Seattle, WA 98108

206-957-7766

Jules Maes is a dive. The bar is over 100 years old, like much of Georgetown. You can feel the history, feel the ghosts of the hard working bursting through the doors when the whistle blew.

While Jules Maes is a dive, its customers are far different than those at the 9lb Hammer . These people were enjoying their food more than the drinks. I guess I would label Jules Maes a gastro dive.

Its not nice enough to be a gastro-pub, but too nice to be a full on dive.

No Tv’s, but the bar will loan you board games to keep you entertained, that is if you do not find the Air Hockey, Pinball, Ping Pong, Pool, or video games tucked away in the back to be enough.

The food is very good with Tater Tots crowning the menu. Its mainly a burger and sandwich based menu and they do take pride in the service and your satisfaction.

In summation, this a “date night” dive; it’s fun, the food is good and your date won’t think to much less of you at the end of the evening.

Smarty Pants

6017 Airport Way S.

Seattle, WA 98108

206-762-4777

The more I plowed through the Georgetown bars, the more they all seemed the same. The buildings were old, cool and held great history, but the businesses were new and a bit manufactured. Its almost as if they were trying too hard to be a dive bar. Now, with that said, I like Georgetown, and I like Smarty Pants.

A full bar, great service and great food, almost too great. Again this isn’t where I would spend a whole afternoon nursing a PBR, which they do have on tap, but its a great place to grab a bite to eat and wash it down with some beer. It has a similar vibe to the Latona, but better prices and less attitude.

Smarty Pants lacks the customers that perch all day on the bar stool, but rather people come in, eat, drink a couple beers and leave.

Smarty Pants, like Jules Maes, is a safe place to take a date and be assured of good service and good food.

No significant entertainment.