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    Fair Isle Brewing

    4.6 (65 reviews)
    Open 3:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Services - Fair Isle Brewing

    Bartending services

    Venue rental

    Fair Isle Brewing Photos

    Business Info

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    Recommended Reviews - Fair Isle Brewing

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    Seasonal menu
    Gillian F.

    Love the saisons and the ambiance (very fun indie music, better decoration inside than most Ballard breweries) but wow the food really leaves a lot to be desired. Despite being an avid reviewer, I'm not a very picky person. I'd eaten here before with the prior chef and had some good food, I got the fries and the Tajin Kale Salad. The salad had no taste of Tajin and the "crispy" chickpeas had the texture of something that had been fried then put into tupperware while hot--they were very mushy and tasteless. The dressing was creamy with next to no other notes. The kale was well-massaged but $14 for a salad that had no flavor other than generic creaminess is a huge miss. The fries were McDonald's fries with less flavor than McD's--they were not seasoned and tasted like old fry oil. The aioli they came with was flavorless and costs extra. Super disappointing for a $30 meal (after tax and tip). The saisons available are amazing--if you're only coming here for beer, I'd definitely give it a go! The service left a lot to be desired. The staff who helped me was very off-put when I asked for a recommendation, so I just asked for the most tart option. She did not ask what size I wanted or tell me the name of the drink I got, just handed it to me and walked away after I paid to go help someone else. Felt very brushed off :( Overall, I would probably buy beers to-go from here but would steer clear of food and don't get too offended if the staff act like you're beneath them for wanting some suggestions.

    The menu
    Blair F.

    Love, love, love this place! Some of the best brewpub food I've ever had anywhere! And the beers were excellent as well. If they were located in my hometown of Syracuse, NY, this would be my regular. Do yourself a favor and plan on having your next beer and meal here!

    Ariel W.

    I recently celebrated my 26th birthday at Fair Isle Brewing, and it was an unforgettable experience. From the moment I started planning, Kerri, the manager, was an absolute joy to work with--responsive, accommodating, and attentive to every detail to ensure the celebration went perfectly. They reserved a beautiful section of the brewery for our group of 25 and graciously allowed us to bring in a cake to complete the celebration. The venue itself is lovely, with a warm, welcoming vibe. The atmosphere was perfect for a celebration, balancing a relaxed feel with just the right amount of energy. The entire staff at Fair Isle went above and beyond, providing friendly, attentive service that truly stood out. Every guest commented on how exceptional the food was and how amazing the drinks were--a testament to Fair Isle's commitment to quality. Everyone had a fantastic time, and I left with the best memories of an incredible night. I can't recommend Fair Isle highly enough for anyone thinking of hosting a large party or event. This place, with its amazing team, has earned a special place in my heart. Thank you to Kerri and all the staff at Fair Isle for making my birthday so wonderful!

    Summer saison
    Jennifer H.

    I have enjoyed visiting this local brewery a few times since moving to Ballard. I am so glad I discovered it as it's quickly become one of my favorites. I am a big fan of saison style beer and this is what Fair Isle specializes in! It is light and carbonated - a Belgian pastoral style of brewing that reminds me of a dry cider or bubbly wine almost. They are constantly releasing new delicious brews, each one seemingly better than the last. The other great thing about Fair Isle is the food truck pop-ups! Each week they have various food pop-ups to enjoy while sipping on your drink. I have tried the Outsider BBQ twice and loved it. The staff are very friendly and helpful here, offering recommendations and giving samples if requested. There is a lot of inside seating as well as plenty of outside seating to go around! Great for all types of weather and preferences.

    Jordan M.

    Fair Isle Brewing Company is a wonderful place to relax with delicious beer, good laughs, and the smell of delicious food! Mondays and Tuesdays they have a pop-up kitchen, Pidgin is the name, producing absolutely fantastic food!! Get the fried chicken sandwich and add a fried egg and chili flakes and you will be in heaven! Decent selection of brews, though a porter would be great to see on the menu... Nice ambience, busy, but not packed (Tuesday), good airflow, good light, inside and outside seating and pet friendly outside Definitely one of our favorite places in Ballard and we are already fantasizing about our next meal from this delicious kitchen!

    Hot mulled cocktail (11/2022)
    Torrie N.

    Fair Isle has quickly become one of my favorite breweries in the Ballard brewery district and in general! First, they feature farmhouse beers, which are quite a bit different than your regular craft beer. It did take me a few visits to get more accustomed to this style of beer (saisons, etc.) but I'm now hooked! I like how these beers are lighter, yet still flavorful and you can order most of them in a smaller size (perfect if you want to taste a few) or the larger size. The staff is very helpful if you describe what type of beer you're looking for (and the descriptions of the beers on the menu board are helpful too). What also makes Fair Isle amazing is the number of pop-ups and events that they host! We've loved getting to try some of these pop-ups (paired with a tasty beer). Some notable pop-ups we've tried recently (and come back a second time for) are: Good Morning Tacos and Outsider BBQ (and Hamdi, before they got their own brick & mortar). Shout out to Kari for organizing these events & pop-ups!

    Roman saison
    Marcus S.

    Fair Isle Brewing is amongst the cluster of breweries in the area, just a bit on the outskirts of the rest. It isn't to be missed though and actually suits it being that there isn't as much foot traffic. It gives Fair Isle a bit more an "exclusivity" to the rest. Fair Isle has a nice setting, the back patio is covered for a nice indoor/outdoor but a fair amount of outdoor counter seating as well as indoor seating. The decor also includes barrels which supports some of the beer's aroma and flavors. On my most visit I had the Syrah and Mataro, two red beers very similar to each other but the Mataro has an oakey taste and smell - I like it. The Syrah is smoother however with slight cherry notes and flavor - definitely my favorite. I had taste of the Mei Zi as well - also good, with a bit of zing in the after taste but not too much. It seems Fair Isle makes tries to distinguish itself from the other breweries as it just looks fancy and sophisticated. The layout, the glass room, the furniture. It looks like you're hanging out in some rich mogul's wine cellar, except it's a beer cellar and its beer you're drinking. Some of it looks like wine though, a lot of Fair Isle's beers even come in bottles. Posh. If you're looking to fancy up your beer experience while brewery hopping, come to Fair Isle.

    Yina and Syrah
    Wendy K.

    I usually come here when my friend is cooking for her pop up. The staff is always friendly. It's a great Ballards spot for dog owners as it's dog friendly outside. They variety offered is great and always something for someone. Outside seating and doors that open up nicely and have a great flow from the interior to exterior.

    Ruby
    Ryan F.

    Saw Fair Isle ranked as a top brewery in Seattle recently and when I was nearby dropped in to check it out. Noticed it was a lager/saison-spon heavy menu and was definitely intrigued. The beer quality is some of the highest I've ever experienced, and so complex... everything. Will definitely be back and can't wait to hang out in their spot again

    Interior Decor
    Pratima M.

    A beautifully-designed taproom tucked into the heart of Ballard brewery district. We stopped by for a friend's birthday on a Saturday night and were able to find a table for all of us to sit around! In comparison to some of the others in the areas, Fair Isle caught my eye as a more sophisticated space with a unique beer and wine list. The interior feels like a wine-cellar aesthetic and the glassware design was so pretty! The bartenders here are very nice and were able to make recommendations for me based on what I usually drink. Their botanical and rose drinks were really fun -- not something that I'd usually try, but I'm glad I did. They had food available on site and my roommate and I shared a shrimp po' boy -- it was a little on the pricier side BUT a delicious meal with a large potion size. If you're looking for a 'fancier' brewery hopping stop, I would totally recommend coming here.

    Sherly H.

    Cozy brewery with nice decor and home like vibes. I went here to finally try the beast and cleaver burger collab. I'm lactose intolerant and no modifications are allowed on the burger so I risked it. The burger was a solid 7.5/10. I got a kombucha that was good as well.

    Menu
    Kevin F.

    The Madrone! With Madrone bark, Salish sea water, and yarrow, unique and well worth trying, among their many great saisons.

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    6 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Recommend La Marea for food on Wednesdays :) Oysters and shrimp flautas were delicious! Service and ambiance are very laid back.

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    3 years ago

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    11 months ago

    A saison forward place that gives winery ambience. Love the outdoor space too! Everyone's friendly and the food (la merea) was soooo good.

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great beer and great service at this cute little brewery in Ballard! Andrew was a great bartender. Will definitely be back!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Fair Isle Brewing

    Review Highlights - Fair Isle Brewing

    I was extremely satisfied with with picks which's were Montgomery (Saison) and Rufus (farmhouse stout).

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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    Cathedral

    Cathedral

    4.9
    (49 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    We had the most wonderful experience having our wedding at Cathedral Ballard! The space was…read moreincredibly bright due to the huge windows, the exposed brick was lovely, and the candles were stunning. This venue is exceptional for so many reasons: not only is it a non-profit venue, but they light over 100 candles for your event and provide so many things that you would typically need to rent at other venues (chairs, tables, glassware, etc.). Also there are so many things for your guests to do in downtown Ballard if your wedding is mainly out-of-town guests like ours was. Nate and the team were so kind and thoughtful throughout the entire process. We are so grateful we had the opportunity to spend our special day at Cathedral Ballard - it was truly so special!!! :)

    Came here for an event being thrown by a local business - Papa Chango for their anniversary…read more Cathedral is an event space so you can have wedding receptions, local art showing, VIP party and more. There is a ground level and an upstairs. Upon coming in staff greeted us and informed us of the going-Ons upstairs. There were 3 bartenders all of whom were very nice. Lots of seating and small music and dancing area. The food was self-serve, buffet style, catered La Cabana. The salsa and guac were good and was nicely laid out. Cathedral donates much of the earnings made from the use of the space and are also known for their candles which I've received as a gift and can say are nicely scented and benefit causes. So, if you see one in a local shop or otherwise it makes a good gift. Not sure they sell them at this actual location of Cathedral though. If you 're looking to host an event or know someone who wants to, Cathedral has a decent space to be rented out with nice staff who will help manage it.

    Photos
    Cathedral
    Cathedral
    Cathedral

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    Reuben's Brews -Ballard Brewery & Taproom

    Reuben's Brews -Ballard Brewery & Taproom

    4.5
    (278 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Reuben's Brews is a brewery in the Ballard brewery district of Seattle. There's a wall featuring…read moremedals, so this place seems to be known for making award-winning beers. I tried the Crikey!, the beer that is the most awarded IPA in Washington. It is $7.50 for 16oz. The staff service is excellent. They proactively asked if I had questions and was quick to explain things. There's indoor and outdoor seating that's perfect for gatherings and hangouts. I had an excellent time here and would definitely come back.

    Have been to Reubens a few times now but haven't reviewed it. Until now…read more Reubens I may go so far enough to say is the most popular and maybe biggest Brewery in the area. My latest visit I was doing a bit of brew hopping and the food truck was still open while others in the area had closed and left the area. So, this is good to know if you're trying to get a few sips still and it's late. The selection here is always pretty balanced including plenty of IPA's - hazy and imperial, Amber's, lagers and more whereas the other spots seem to specialize in a few brews (which is fine). I go back to my observation of Reubens perhaps being the biggest as when you enter the yard there must be about a dozen tables which even on the most packed sunny days should allow you a spot. If you're brew hopping, definitely add Reubens to your rotation.

    Photos
    Sampler pack; i went very stout heavy given the weather and time of year
    Sampler pack; i went very stout heavy given the weather and time of year
    Reuben's Brews -Ballard Brewery & Taproom
    Sandwiches and beer

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    Sandwiches and beer
    Atmosphere Seattle

    Atmosphere Seattle

    5.0
    (3 reviews)
    2.5 mi

    Gorgeous new place on the block!!…read more Stunning new event space right in south lake union/ downtown with sweeping lake union views. Views alone were worth a trip or 4!! Came for the opening of this shiny new spot yesterday. A gorgeous 3,000 square foot event space that was completely remodeled: with in house catering, vendors, event planners, photo booths, musician! And the food. It was like going to a super fun wedding minus the formality of it. The owner was there as well: super passionate and shared the story of how she bought this space sight unseen: took a long process in turning this into a gorgeous space that it is now. It was super cool! And the food!! They allow outside catering too but the in-house catering: Kaspar catering : baos topped with micro greens and mint. Steamed to serve! Poke rolls :delicious! Panna cotta : in a cup! Lisa Dupar catering: this one was fantastic as I've had a chance to taste their food in the past at a wedding. The gorgeous cupcakes, macarons, molasses cookies and stunning cake. All were so pretty! Mark ryan wine! I mean, what's not to love as it's one of the wineries I frequent in Woodinville wine country. My pup baci's favorite too. Luxe Photo Booth: this one was so fun! The 360 Photo Booth!! I've seen them in Time Squares recently as well as at a valentines event. But this one was so much more fun as I didn't have to wait in line or fight the crowd for it. The person that was running it was super friendly and helpful too. The jazz musician was pretty rad too. And they had valet!! Butler Valet: All the friendly guys in uniform waiting for you as you arrived during rush hour in downtown: pretty darn cool. All events should be this cool. I'm only going to events with valet from now on! Ok thanks. Overall, this was such a fun place.I came to check out the space: left with all the food and fun.The space, the team, the design, the music!! And that Photo Booth: all are essential part of throwing an epic event. All events should be this fun!! I guess they will be if you throw them here: weddings, birthdays, corporate events, sweet 16th. I wouldn't mind coming here for a photoshoot: hello contents!!Or just a fun anything event.Did I mention the views?? Ahh the possibilities!!!

    Rented the space for a company offsite for 2 days. Atmosphere has great views, facilities, and…read moremanagement. The team had multiple vendor suggestions that all worked perfectly. The space looks newly renovated and had all of the amenities we needed. Can't wait to book again!

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    Atmosphere Seattle
    Atmosphere Seattle
    The building

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    The building

    Fair Isle Brewing - breweries - Updated June 2026

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