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    Great Notion Brewing - Ballard

    4.2 (102 reviews)
    ModerateBrewpubs, Burgers, Salad
    Open 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated a few days 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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    Brianna J.

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

    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.

    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

    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 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

    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 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
    Alicia M.

    Great tap room in Ballard. Really liked their sours. The PB&J sour was SO yummy. I'm coming back just for that. Burb's Burgers is inside, and that was a great addition to our beers. I liked how you can order beers from your phone, and they come out quickly. We were able to bring our pup inside too.

    Blueberry Marshmallow Sour

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    7 months ago

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    6 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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    3 years ago

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    Melissa T.

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

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    3 years ago

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    Melissa T.

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    3 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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    3 years ago

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    Melissa T.

    Glad to have a Great Notion Fan like you Lizzy!

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    11 months ago

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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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    6 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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    1 year ago

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

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    5 years ago

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    Samuel J.

    Glad to hear it. Thank you!

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    Melissa T.

    Glad you could make it in Vanessa! We appreciate your business.

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    Page 1 of 3

    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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    Great Notion Brewing - Ballard - brewpubs - Updated May 2026

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