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Reall no negatives, great saloon vibe bar in Ballard, crispy tater tots, large drink selection, even had Smirnoff Ice's . Throwback. Games in the back, a huge fully encased covered patio, servers were super friendly and gave great Seattle recs and event tips. No complaints
One of my fav places to get burgers and beers !! Love the ambience- they have a ski ball machine and a Photo Booth. Always a good time
Great burgers! Tasty fries! Good beer! And we're set. Wait staff is friendly and prompt. And the decor? Everything you would want in a bar. Lots of animal heads, skee ball, and a tv playing the World Series. Worth going just to read all the graffiti in the bathrooms. Definitely worth a visit!
The tots were really good and on HH special when I went. I also had a pint of the Hefeweizen they had, which I felt meh about as it didn't taste like Hefeweizens usually do, but that's on the beer probably. I mostly sat and read my book at the bar where the lighting was best but the music was also solid with metal and punk rock mostly. The servers were attentive where I sat at the bar and I got speedy service when I needed anything. They have skeeball for 50 cents a play which was awesome! I was a fan and I'd totally come back for another chill beer and snack.
King's is a dive bar of the highest order. Case in point: they have skee-ball, Big Buck Hunter, a very large but dimly lit dining room, Montucky cold snacks, and Twisted Tea in BOTTLES. 'Nuff said. But actually it's not enough, because I need to let you in on a little secret: King's has hands down the best buffalo wings in Seattle. At least I have yet to find better ones, or even any that really come close. They are modest in size, not from some 'roided out mutant bird, perfectly crispy yet tender, and tossed in a superb classic buffalo sauce. If you are a fan of wings, do NOT sleep on these. In fact, all of their bar food is excellent. Their chicken tenders are also some of the best in town, their tavern burgers are basic but wonderful and priced reasonably, and they have curly fries which, in case you didn't know, are an optimal form of potato. I love you King's, please keep on doin' it right.
I come here weekly for a chess club (yeah, I'm a nerd). Each visit is about the same each time which is pretty good. With some variance good and eh along with it. Kings, which I suppose used to be a hardware store in the olden days but now has become a hotspot on the Ballard strip amongst a host of other places. A basic looking bar with divey dimness but kind of outdoorsy style with wood decor and taxidermy. Most of my visits have been just for drinks while playing, but I had the spicy chicken sandwich. Not bad. The cut, slaw and spice were all there. The fries were really good. Just the right amount of crisp and saltiness. This along with burgers and chicken fingers are pretty much the make up in the way of food here. The beer options are alright, kind of the basics for the area which is ok, help it stay different from the breweries around The barstaff/waitstaff seem to be about the same every visit and they're pretty cool. The bouncer dude seems to take his job a little too seriously at times, but the benefit of the doubt comes in since this seems like Kings biggest demographic is 20 somethings so he's extra all over that. Overall King's is pretty decent in my visits.
I like the patio area a lot, burgers and tots are yummy as far as bar food goes (we got the pb burger and wings). And of course lots of drinks to choose from. You don't have to compete to get the staff's attention while still having a fun atmosphere. Perfect sweet spot!
I remember coming to King's Hardware years ago. I love the unique name and the inside connecting doorway to Rudy's Barbershop next door as well as the larger sized outdoor covered seating in back. And of course, who doesn't love skeeball? There's two skeeball machines for use in the back of the bar. Fun game. We had a waitress named "Knives" serving us and she was very nice and knowledgeable. Plus her name was sooo cool. Hard to forget! We had the Bull Rings (Onion Rings) and a couple of drinks. Very good pub style onion rings and a fun atmosphere here. Our bill even came with a free souvenir postcard (pictured in review). Overall, this is a fun place to try in old Ballard and it fits right in among all the other bars nearby. Go see Knives and get some hardware at King's!
One of my favorite hang outs. Always great staff, always good food and drink. Even with COVID this past year they have all the appropriate protocols in place and even some additional "patio" seating out front. Greatest thing about this place...you can bring your pup! Their covered patio in the back is covered, heated, and always has the games on. You can't lose! Sundays = $6 Bloody Marys Their wings = delicious and only $8.95 Their chicken strips & burger...also delicious. I mean, who doesn't love fresh ingredients and waffle fries!? While their menu is a bit more limited than normal due to covid, you really can't go wrong with any of it. It's all good! Full bar, plenty of cocktails, and beers available. Can't wait for some normalcy so I can play ski ball there again!
Went for a dinner date last night and have liked this place. Read about their Fried chicken burger winning the award two years in a row, so I had to try it! Its a decent place to hang out with friends as well and it is dog friendly too! They have dine in and back yard with heating available during the cold months. Ordered the chicken wings, Buffalo chicken burger, Rico Suave burger both came with onion rings and waffle fries- what fun! I like how the food was served hot, needed it as it was so cold with snow and rain.. Drinks were great, we got the Winter break and Fremont Kraken. Over all a good place for a casual dine in and chilling.
Visited on a trip to Seattle during COVID. We were seated outside and were allowed to pick our own table/booth. The waiter was extremely kind and friendly but I don't remember her name. We ordered buffalo wings and an order of waffle fries (which are bomb!) They were perfectly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I'm not a big drinker, but when I do drink I like things that don't taste super strong and these arnold palmers are exactly that. They are the perfect mixture of alcohol and arnold palmer in a slush. They were so delicious, our table ordered six of them. We asked for extra sauce on the side because we were given blue cheese (we don't like blue cheese) and didn't know we were charged for them until we saw the bill. Overall, the workers here are kind and they have great bar food. The arnold palmer slush is a MUST try when coming here!
Kings Hardware is a perfect bar for drinks and classic bar food. I was pretty blown away by their hot wings! Their hot sauce was great, crispy and hot, and there was a fair amount of wings. Kings also has skeeball in the back! They have a large back patio with plenty of seats, but it can get crowded on weekends but not as busy as Kangaroo and Kiwi.
5 years ago
A favorite of my late-20's gal pals. From entry to exit: Bouncer: 5 stars. Always an awesome, sweet guy there. Main room: 4 stars. Dark wood, plenty of tables, nice bar Bartenders: 3 stars. The girl bartenders are awesome, the guys can be total dweebwads Clientele: 2.75 stars. It's a toss-up.. one night it's ridiculously fun meeting random people, and other nights it's the oh-so-diverse crowd of crappy and crappier. Food/drinks: 4 stars. Good drinks menu (ginger beer, yeah) and reliable kitchen. Patio: 4 stars. That's where I be. Bathroom: 1 star. *OH, NO.. OH MY GOODNESS, WHAT IS.. OH NO..* I present: Thoughts that go through a girl's mind in the bathroom at King's: --"Just two stalls. Who is in there who is in there WHO the f-- is in there!!" --(reads scribbles all over every square inch of the stall) "I'm too old for this shit." --"Smallest sink ever...oh great gotta wash my hands before that weirdo gets out of her stall and wants to share this 6 inch space" --(puts on lipstick) "OW!!!" (hit in the elbow by the swinging door) I cannot believe the owners have let these bathrooms remain in this state for as long as they have. The rest of the bar is not indicative of the horror that is the girls' bathroom. If you care about your customers, FIX IT. Average Score: 3.39 Stars read more
Ahhh yea......I like this place! Came by to grab a beer and a snack, we decided to sit in the back patio area. Its mostly covered that will provide shade in the summer, but will be still useful the rest of the year. Staff was quick to spot us and give us some menus and take our drink order. So we just got a few beers and some fries to share. Fries came out in a good sized pile, so you definitely get your money's worth! Delicious ranch dressing for dipping and we were good to go! I noticed a lot of the other tables got the nachos, so that seemed to be a hit. May have to check that out next time. I like the decor, a lot of woods, some mismatched old style school chairs thrown in as well. Inside has a good amount of space, Big Buck shooting video game, 2 skee ball units, good amount of tables and next door to a adjoining barber shop. Located on Ballard Ave, so its a good spot to stop by if you are bar hopping. Not sure what the night time crowd is like, but overall, it was a nice chill spot during a later afternoon visit. read more
If you have a large group for birthday celebrations or something along those lines, I strongly encourage you to make reservations well in advance. This place gets maddddd packed on the weekends, especially after dinner time / beginning of the usual time people go out. Came here a couple of times, and for this particular visit, it was in celebration for my friend's birthday. Overall, props to the wait staff!! They did an excellent job at managing the food/drink orders for the group, especially with people coming and going or just switching spots. Also, our water pitchers were constantly filled and our tables were cleaned on regularly basis. :D So thank you King's staff for your hard work! As for the place itself, the bar out front is dim and noisy and is more ideal for smaller groups. In the back, I find the patio to be more bright, warm and ideal for larger groups. Drinks here are the normal range (like $5 beer / $10+ for cocktails/shots) and are yummy! As for the food, it's ok. A few friends and I ordered: Chicken strips w/ fries, Irish Nachos, and the sliders. For the sliders and chicken strips, I found these to be a bit too salty for my taste. As for the Irish Nachos, these were basically fries drenched in various toppings on top. It was my first time trying food here and after seeing the happy faces of people eating their burgers, I will try the food again on the next visit. Honestly, you can park yourself here for hours and just chill. I always love swinging by King's and will continue to do so whenever I'm in the area. read more
7 years ago
It's a pub with a different kind of feel. For one, you can play Skee-ball in the back. For another, there are real, stuffed animals on the wall... everything from deer to moose to... bobcat? Happy hour was 5-7pm, and that, along with some satisfying burgers, made us pretty happy campers. You can also get sweet potato fries here, which made me excited, but they were on the soggy and salty side. Excitement dissipates. We also wanted to do Irish car bombs, but somehow, King's ran out of Bailey's. How does that happen? Our waiter felt bad and was nice enough to give us a drink on the house though. Solid joint. read more
5 years ago
Took my friend to King's for her birthday yesterday evening. She just recently renewed her ID and there was a punch in the current one. Not expired, no punch through the picture, signature, or date. She went to grab a drink and the bartender was extremely rude and refused to serve her stating that because of the punch she "wasn't legally allowed to order drinks or even be inside the establishment." Skinny guy with long black hair. Two other bartenders were looking it up and stating that he was incorrect, but he said "whatever" and made us leave anyway. I asked for my tab which was for $11. I left a $2 tip despite not even finishing my drink and being kicked out. Checked my card to see they charged me $31 for 5 minutes inside the bar and terrible service. This whole ID thing wouldn't have been a huge deal if he would have just been a decent human about it but instead made a huge thing and treated my friend like crap on her birthday. Also, there was no one checking IDs to come into the bar or anything unless you walked up to the bar to ask for something. My friend is 29. It's not like we were being sneaky. And if the risk of having someone with a punched ID "in the establishment" is such a huge thing, maybe you should be doing your job and checking everyone's ID immediately to avoid this problem. But no. Dude just wanted something to be a dick about. See attached for the actual WA law on punched IDs and alcohol as well as my $31 dollar bar tab because apparently a $20 tip was deserved. What a joke! read more
4 years ago
25 cent skeeball, crispy chicken wings, sides of ranch and spicy sauce, and a couple Seattle Dry ciders make for a fun Friday evening with your honey or friends. The spirit list is great with many options to choose from. There is a full bar if a cocktail suits you better. This is an unpretentious bar that anyone can swing by and feel comfortable. Wanna wear your sweat pants? No worries. Wanna wear a sequin skirt a fancy tank top, leather jacket, and your red high heels? Go for it. No one is going to look at you sideways here. The bar itself features dark lighting. Both the booths and tables throughout the space are wood. There are some taxidermy Elk heads on the wall. There's also a display case of old beer cans. It's a bit quirky. But I like that. The servers are dressed in "regular-ish" clothing. They are normally wearing an apron so you can distinguish who to ask a drink for if you are not seated at the bar. I like the down to earth vibe and the fact that this bar is centrally located in old Ballard so you can walk to everything from the Majestic Movie theatre, to the Tractor to catch a live band, or to The Walrus and the Carpenter for an oyster dinner. That is not to say that the bar food at Kings Hardware is not good. If you are in the mood for good pub food, they got you. My point is there are so many options in this charming area of town you can't go wrong with a visit to the King's Hardware. read more
Amazing burgers, drinks, beer, games etc... I love the decor' too! The service is hit or miss, but I've had excellent service most of the time. Few of my favorite burgers on the Menu: buffalo burger (Frank's red hot sauce really makes the burger), After School Special (PB on a burger sounds gross, but oh so delicious!!!!!!!! you don't (and doesn't come) with cheese). I can't remember the others I've had, but I've never been disappointed! :) I keep coming back and bringing new people to savor the deliciousness! :) read more
King's is a great option in Ballard for a casual happy hour drink with friends -- very laid back, friendly staff, and nice atmosphere. They have great wings and burger options in addition to a variety of other pub food. They have a nice, heated outdoor patio in the back as well as an extended patio along the street for Covid in the front. Plenty of hand sanitizer, temp checks when you arrive, and social distancing is enforced. If you're looking for a nice spot to grab beers with friends, look no further! read more
I have to admit "I'm biased". Yes, this is a slanted review because any restaurant that will donate 100% of a nights earnings (oops, I mean profits) to benefit the Japanese earthquake victims deserves 5 stars. That said, I went there to run up the bill and still got a some great hot wings, cold beer, burger and fries for a reasonable price. I know, it was happy hour and it was great to be at a place that runs happy hour until 7pm so I had plenty of time to get a good deal to boot. Thanks again for helping the victims of the Japanese tsunami and earthquake! read more
Went here on a Monday for $.27 wing night. We got there early enough that it was also HH so we scored a deal on a pitcher. :) Wings were tasty, flavorful & good size. I ordered 8 & hubby ordered 12 & that was plenty for both of us when we ordered a side salad and some sweet potato fries to share. In hindsight just the fries would have been enough as there was enough there for 4 people to share. ( Minor pet peeve. They serve a wedge salad for $2 more than a side salad. A lot of restaurants do that & I think it's ridiculous. Whatev..) Played a few games of skeeball to work off the wings ;) Parking as always in the area is a pain in the b*tt. :( Will be back. :) read more
8 years ago
This is probably my favorite place to grab a beer and look at dead animals on the wall! Also did I mention the outdoor patio, WOW! Please come to this place, please! read more
3 years ago
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8 years ago
Have a #chickenfinger itch? Well, here you go. I rolled in after a day in the yard, thirsty, hungry and craving salt. BAM! Margarita, rocks + requisite salt. Check. Lightly battered flash fried chunky finger. Check (seriously the fingers are full on chicken breasts) Add some well done tots and there's a hungry man meal. My rec. sit at the bar if you're solo. Plan for a nap after. Just do it. PS my experience was made better by the ABBA + Billy Joel serenade and skeeball in the back. Well done Kings. read more
Tots were surprisingly the winner for me! Perfect amount of crunch and soft insides. I got the mezcal mule (which is not on the menu) and wasn't honestly a huge fan of the lime/ginger ale flavor combined with the smokey mezcal. Took a star off for removing happy hour and the burger wasn't that special. read more
It was probably my bad for ordering wine... I figured it was a safe bet, but it came in a drink glass and was not tasty. This bar just feels dirty to me. Like there's an actual layer of dirt over everything. I like that there is ski ball here, and that there is an atm to get money to play ski ball. The French fries were decent, and my friend enjoyed her burger. If I can help it, I won't be back. Too many other nice bars in Ballard. This spot brings me back to bars I went to in college when I had 0 standards. read more
6 years ago
A perfect spot for some wings and beer. Had an order of the wings, stadium nachos, and tots. The tots were phenomenal and extra crunchy which I loved. Wings were tasty and not overly spicy. They have a decent draft beer selection with plenty more local cans and bottles to choose from. Back foot patio and seating out front were nice and inviting too for the pandemic era we live in. read more
5 years ago
Loved the atmosphere on a warm Seattle Saturday! King's was the second stop on our Ballard bar crawl, and we took advantage of the outdoor patio during the end of happy hour (4-7pm, even on weekends). The inside was pretty much empty, as everyone was taking advantage of the early summer sun out back! We shared a pitcher of a delicious sour beer (from some brewery based out of San Diego?) for $4 off and a huge basket of sweet potato fries ($5.95). My only complaint was that the fries were pretty burnt, but there were a few decent pieces in there! Will definitely return in the summer months. :) read more
6 years ago
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Jonah B.
Hi Kyle,…
7 years ago
5 years ago
3 years ago
Hollar 'atcha patio! It was quite a sight, last Saturday afternoon... Tables. Empty tables. During the SeafoodFest. The service remains to be fine. The food is decent enough. The beer- fresh. I've heard rumors that the Wedge salad has returned to the menu. I'll be back for food and more hot patio action soon! read more
13 years ago
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11 years ago
Second visit to this place was kinda a repeat of our first visit. It's a cool dive bar (for young hipsters) but it has lead the employees to think they are king of the world. They are too busy acting cool (talking shit on customers, bragging about how hard they partied, submerged in their phones ignoring the world, - I could go on but you get the point) too provide basic service. Food was ok but the quality didn't match the price or service. I like the atmosphere at this bar; cool music, good bar selection, and a few games.... I'd wouldn't mind visiting here again but I'm not in any hurry. read more
6 years ago
8 years ago
More info about King's Hardware
5225 Ballard Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107
Ballard
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(206) 782-0027
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http://www.kingsballard.com
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