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    Great Notion Brewing - Ballard

    4.2 (106 reviews)
    ModerateBrewpubs, Burgers, Salad
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Great Notion Brewing - Ballard Photos

    Business Info

    GREAT NOTION BREWING - BALLARD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Great Notion Brewing - Ballard

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    Valerie W.

    Burgers & Beer?! Yes please! Great Notion has it all. The Hall Smashbox recently moved on in to supply delicious eats while GN has you covered on all the IPA and sour beers you can handle. Beers are always on rotation, so there's always something to choose from. Their Thumb Splitter pale ale is cool and crisp. The Easy Lift IPA has just the right amount of hops. And if you like sour beers...their Tigers Blood and Double Pineapple Mango Shake are not to be missed. Both indoor and outdoor seating. Service is always great. Highly recommend stopping in!

    Debbie P.

    We're HUGE Great Notion Brewing fans! The beers are just out of this world crazy good! The brewers just do crazy things and somehow they get away with it! I swear the Blueberry Muffin sour is just a gateway GN brew! It's easy on the palate as the blueberries smooth out the sour. Great Notion has a vast variety of brews, but are mostly known for their sours. Aside from Blueberry Muffin, one of our absolute favorites is Mellifluous - another sour, smoothie brew that has bananas, strawberries, apricot, and a bunch of other fruits. It is deliciously refreshing!!! Whenever it's available, we grab a few 4-packs! Currenly, we love The Smoothie with banana, chocolate and vanilla and somehow it's almost like a lightsaber green color! At this location (Ballard), it is dog friendly, kid friendly and they also have The Hall Smashbox for those wanting to grub. Orders for the beer and food are at the table through the QR code.

    Hucky K.

    Pros: good vibes, ample seating, good tasting hazy IPA (we ordered Ripe and Over Ripe, both are awesome!) Cons: the Hall Smashbox inside of the brewery is bad. Their burger and pull pork sandwich are so greasy and salty. I rarely get so angry about food, but I must say I'm so angry that we order food from them.

    Brianna J.

    Quality service and tasty options. The Poboy and Tings restaurant inside has delish wings and more

    The Ripe IPA $9 16 oz. 7% ABV
    Susan S.

    Came here to watch the Super Bowl and it was not crowded with 2 big TVS. Jet had the sound on which was a plus. Beers were good - usually pricing at about $8+ for beers. We had the double smash burger for about $11 which was ok. Solid 4 for this place

    Menu side 2
    Gina B.

    I try to go to a place twice before reviewing, and my second time happened recently, so here we go! One thing I'm not a fan of is when a business requires you to order via a QR code/link/online while you're at the establishment. I wish it was made more clear, upon entry, that ordering at the bar is an option. Instead, we were promptly seated without any instruction, then realized there was a QR code at the table. During this second visit, we took a risk and went up to the bar and ordered... it worked! Despite that, I really like the look and feel of the place. When it's warmer out, the windows are open to the outdoor seating area and it just gives it a nice, airy vibe. The beer, most importantly, is pretty good. I mostly choose their sour fruited beer. I actually don't often enjoy sour beer, but theirs is not too sour and I am able to taste a lot of the flavors in their menu description. Palm Tree Paradise is very (enjoyably) coconut forward. Orange Screamsicle is pleasantly citrusy and smooth. The fruited sours can be a bit sweet at times, so keep that in mind. As for non-sour beers... I once had an IPA here and I wasn't a fan... but IPA's in general aren't usually my favorite anyway. Oh, but their head cheese stout was good. I wish they offered a bit more of a variety of beers on the menu, though. It was mostly IPAs and sours. I find that common here in Seattle, though. Lastly, gotta mention, the "Burbs" food stand is nice, too. I don't like their chicken nuggets, but their burger (Burbs Special- double patty) is worth the price. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be reviewing Burbs here, too, though... so this is just a quick mention that it's in the same space, and nice to have with the beer. I love Great Notion's creative flavors and the ambiance, so I'll be back!

    Great beers, super friendly staff, and a sleek, modern tasting room. We don't mind driving 45 minutes in traffic just to grab a couple of pints (or a flight)! For a while we were bummed when Burbs Burgers closed, and the Smash Burger replacement just wasn't the same. On our last visit, we were excited to find out they've partnered with a new food vendor, Po'Boy & Tings. Reasonable prices, genuinely delicious and authentic po'boys and tasty tots. Such a satisfying visit to enjoy both great beers and food. Awww... we love Great Notion Ballard!

    Great Notion beer.
    Avery H.

    Always a hit. Huge rotating selection with sour/fruited options and IPAs seeming to be the heaviest hitters. Great on-site kitchen (a regular order of tots is like 5 pounds!) and very chill and friendly staff. Always a go-to b

    Flight  at Great Nation

    Great food! Service was great and will definitely return! Big shout out to Shawn he did his thing with the chicken wings, Parmesan fries and burger! Thanks so much for your service

    Great Notion Brewing
    Jacqui C.

    I've been to Great Notion before but only visited one of their locations in Portland, OR. This was my first time at their Seattle/Ballard location and my dad's first time in general. Originally, we planned to go to Reuben's Brews across the street first, but instead we went to Great Notion first because they close earlier than Reuben's does. We live in Nevada and with us being under ridiculously hot temperatures over the past two-three weeks or so, with some days reaching 110+ degrees, sitting outside on the patio never felt so good. We ended up getting a flight with the following - Bubbs, Pink Lemonade, Triple Strawberry Marshmallow Shake, Tiger's Blood, and ...Is A Virtue. My favorites among these were the Bubbs, the Pink Lemonade, and the Triple Strawberry Marshmallow Shake, which all had lots of fruity flavors to them. My dad enjoyed the Bubbs so much that he decided to take a four-pack to go with him. Food was provided by Burb's Burgers. My dad and I both had the chicken sandwich with fries on the side and my dad added a thing of clam chowder to his order. Burb's had some excellent food, but my dad said that their clam chowder was a little bit on the spicy side. The service was great and our food and flights came out quickly. We really enjoyed the ambiance here!

    Charles C.

    Second stop to a brewery from my old home town. Didn't disappoint with a great fruit tasting flight. I find the ambience better than my first stop, outside. Seating facing the street leaves a lot to be desired.

    Flight time
    Marcus S.

    In both of my visits here, Great Notion was ... well great! Great Notion was started by three friends and neighbors in Portland, OR. They have a lot hazy, fruit-forward IPAs and crafted sours & and some stouts. If you're into Sours for sure check out Great Notion. Great Notion has partnerships with other breweries so other favorites you may be able to find here in addition to their own creations. I also love the art on their cans, coasters and other merch. Doesn't make or break the beer? Of course not, but I just like the aesthetic alongside the beers they serve up. The room shares the same space with Burbs burgers which are quite possibly my favorite burger in the area. So, it's truly winning combo here, a Great Notion if you will. This Great Notion location, 1 of 6 is in an area where there are plenty of other breweries and taprooms, but this definitely one of my favorites. Lots of fruity sour ales, burgers and nice indoor as well as outdoor seating. Check em out if you're in the area.

    Taster flight

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    3 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    Thank you for coming in again Gina. We appreciate your business!

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    9 months ago

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    Ryan O.

    Thanks for being the first to review Ballard. Appreciate the support!

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    Glad you could make it in Marcus!

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    3 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    That's great to hear Alicia, glad you could make it in!

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    4 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    Glad to have a Great Notion Fan like you Lizzy!

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    2 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    Thank you Jessica, we appreciate your business!

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    4 years ago

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    9 months ago

    They have the best wings I have ever had. Hands down. The beer is great and very creative. The staff are super nice.

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    Samuel J.

    Glad to hear it. Thank you!

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    1 year ago

    Great food, lots of tv's, comfortable environment, and good drink. Fast and attentive service. Kind too.

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    Ask the Community - Great Notion Brewing - Ballard

    Is their food at this location?

    Yes, Burb's Burgers is onsite.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    We can't here a long time ago when they were just pretty new on Pikes Place. We enjoyed it and…read morethought we'll come back for some beers and food. Outside seating is first come first serve and inside seating you have to see a hostess. We started outside and saw someone leaving and circle them like vultures. We got lucky, it was 4th of July weekend, so it was busy! We ordered pizza for the table and for my toddler. It was really good! He loves the pepperoni. My order was the salmon burger. They used a good slab of coho, nicely seasoned with a aioli. The fries were crunchy and nice. I shared with my husband and it was just right, since we had a bunch of apps at the market. We also got a round of beers. Or in my case I got their hard seltzer, which wasn't too bad, I would probably just get a light beer next time. Service was great outside! Also you get the nice breeze, they also had heaters on top. Picnic style tables and quick service!

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    Lively Interior at Old Stove
    Poblano Mac n cheese
    Poblano Mac n cheese
    Outside patio

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    Outside patio

    Great Notion Brewing - Ballard - brewpubs - Updated August 2026

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