Just came out of the Rickshaw after a meal & cocktail and started to relieve old memory's. Yes, I spent countless nights with friends at the RICKSHAW consuming Chinese food and cheap cocktails well into the night. Wait way to many cocktails from my relocation or what I can recall before I blacked out. MSG , Alcohol & Deep Fried food, what more can you ask for from a Chinese / American restaurant? However add Karaoke and young girls ( of age of coarse ) to the mix and it's the prefect storm for when FRANK was a young man.... The go to meal always for any evening I start with Egg Roll's , BBQ pork then moving onto Almond Fried Chicken. A deep fried boneless chicken topped with gravy and grounded almonds, YUM. Well, any meal isn't complete without pork fried rice to dump that Almond Fried Chicken gravy onto... I mean without the gravy mix this meal is incomplete... That gravy & rice helps later when I've sucked down enough cocktails to blow a 3.0 reading on a breathalyzer machine. Not that it makes the buzz better I had going any better but that layer of grease coats my stomach from that battery acid vodka they serve me. Karaoke is the entertainment aside from the room spinning. Great fun watching young girls and friends who are tone deaf taking turns at ruining a great songs... Yet it's always gives you a reason to start a conversation with a young lady by throwing her a compliment on her way singing of your favorite songs ( WINK WINK ) .. If you're lucky she gives you enough time to buy her a cocktail or two and expand that conversation into a cab ride to someone's house. Well, you get the point so lets just say KARAOKE a good thing! Well, meal is done and I smash my fortune open and I thank the gods. The Rickshaw is a timeless piece of Ballard Old School history and should be preserved for other generations. FRANK LOVES THIS PLACE not only for the KARAOKE & Poon Tang Foo Yang but the place I enjoy gathering with friends. read more

This is definitely a dive bar with dive bar vibes. The Good: - Karaoke! You can do rent the place for private karaoke and I came here for my friend's birthday to do just that and it was a blast. The DJ was great and he had all of the classics we were looking for. Cute stage set up and multiple mics available. It was a great time. - A vfew Pinball machines in the back. Some of them were broken though. - There's pull tabs too for your gambling needs. The Not so good: - The food was kind of mid. Things were cloying sweet and the fried items were very meh. Come here for the vibes and drinks but eat beforehand. They also have Karaoke after 9 PM. The wait time is pretty long on a busy night though. But that's why I loved private karaoke! :) Got to sing my heart out! read more

You're going to have a good time here one way or another. We were first greeted by their bouncer who was super chill. Their staff was overall friendly. I asked for a drink recommendation and was not disappointed. The layout of Rickshaw was tight but made sense depending on whether or not you're coming with a crew or as a couple. I was so upset I didn't have quarters to play their pinball machines. They have a great selection. Rickshaws is a great spot for karaoke, I could have sworn I saw real stars. I wish we got to try the food but we ate in advance. Maybe next time, because there will be a next time. read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Pinball machines - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Came here to spend time with a friend for comedy and karaoke. The service was great! You have to go to the bar to order drinks and food. I had wonton soup in a cup, crab rangoons, and orange chicken. The soup was good, but the wontons had something creamy in it. Still good though, just different. The rangoons were delicious and crunchy. The orange chicken was soooo good!! The orange was there, the chicken was moist. I'm sure if I had it there, it would be crunchy but I took it to go 45 min to home. read more

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Terrific service and drinks at the Rickshaw. They've got a lovely Red Velvet Room featuring a terrific "low velvet" band!!!! Shouldn't be missed. So much fun and laughter. read more

Lime was good. Not bad. Not great. But the lime got the job done and Rickshaw has vibes. read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Vod sod with lime - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The atmosphere at the rickshaw is great. You've got all sorts of different people coming in on the weekends, but it's never so packed that you feel like you can't breathe. The rickshaw has a collection of regulars who I will say are some older folk that hang around there everyday and just do karaoke song after karaoke song. So if you do want a chance to sing make sure you get there before the regulars start signing up lol. There's also a chance they won't have the song you want to sing if it came out after 2010. But singing classics are always fun too. The drinks are affordable and tasty. My biggest recommendation to anyone checking out this place though... is don't order the Chinese food. The rickshaw has some of the best flakiest fries ever, and their club sandwich is good. But I'd stick to their bar food, because their Chinese food is not especially good. Anyways, I love the rickshaw and it is my go to bar to hang out at this summer, but there are definitely some things you might want to know before you go!^ read more

Great Chinese food, Taco Tuesdays, Karaoke 7 nights a week, Libations, pinball, updated in and out and friendly staff read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Sticker - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This is the quintessential dive bar karaoke joint. They serve some form of Chinese/Asian fusion dishes and have a fast bar that serves up quick cocktails. They have really friendly karaoke DJs and an even friendlier crowd of regulars that come out and have the best vocal pipes I've come across in Seattle. The Rickshaw has some notoriety because just about everyone has come to practice their songs or croon with their buddies here. The respect for everybody willing to get up and sing is palpable. The cheering is genuine and sometimes the sing-alongs are the best things ever. You should come try this place. It's a Seattle institution. Parking is somewhat limited but they do have their own parking lot if you get there early enough. read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Fill out your request - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Cool cute place to drink but do yourself a favor and skip the food. The egg roll filling was just shredded almost raw cabbage. Fried rice tasted like it came out a microwaved bag. And the nachos- the sour cream was definitely expired. We paid extra for beef and got literally maybe a tablespoon of "beef crumbles" see picture. Bartenders and servers are super nice would come back for drinks but not the food. read more

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Bre is the best!! Amazing service and great energy. The vibes are vibing pinball is popping and if you want good drinks and fantastic food come here. Also if you like karaoke it always pops off! Shout out to Andy and Sam the door man this is a north end gem !!! 10 starz read more

I'm surprised Rickshaw doesn't have a higher score on here! The restaurant looks very unassuming on the outside, but don't be fooled! The inside is so adorable, very vibey. We have gone twice recently (December 2025) and the place is decked out in Christmas lights and decor. They are also offering holiday themed unique drinks. I live in Belltown where there are several bars doing Christmas "pop ups" and charging an arm and a leg for a drink after you wait in a huge line. Do yourself a favor and skip those places and come here instead for better food and prices in a setting that is just as "instagrammable". They have a bunch of pinball machines and neon signs, really fun vibe! The food is just as good. So far I've tried the veggie chow mein, the Shanghai noodles, the sweet and sour chicken, and the club sandwich. All have been bangers. Both noodle dishes were so flavorful and I love the abundance of veggies. The portions are great for the prices! The sweet and sour chicken was good, I would just order the sauce on the side in the future because I like the breading to stay crispier. The club sandwich is a solid classic club sandwich that comes with very crispy, yummy, seasoned fries. The staff here is also great. The first time we came, a gentleman who seemed to be a manager or owner came out and gave us stickers and told us about all the events they were having, including nightly karaoke which we really want to come back for. The second time we came, my fiancés entree came out a little later than mine. The waitress/bartender was so apologetic, she comped the sandwich AND gave us free drink tickets to use next time we came back. Just really great service, atmosphere, and food. All around 10/10 and a place we will keep coming back to! read more

Wow prices have really gone up in the last eight years. The almond fried chicken is still the best around, so if I'm in the mood for that, Rickshaw is my go-to place. The rice, BBQ pork, egg rolls are also delicious, but you only get two egg roll per order instead of the usually four. But still, very good food and fast delivery with door dash. read more

Terrible terrible food. Can't even make plain white rice taste good. Frozen Chinese food is better then this

Oh Rickshaw it's been a minute! I dropped in on a Thursday afternoon and the bar was hoppin'. Willow was slingin' drinks like she was born to do it. The banter of the crowd was humming and there are some really friendly people that are regulars and locals, happy to share a conversation. Tried the food, shrimps, pork chow mein and half a grilled cheese from my friend's plate all great. This place is also well-known for its Karaoke every night, couldn't stay for it this trip, but as five star general Douglas MacArthur famously said "I shall return" read more

I love coming here for karaoke and drinks. They have a good size menu too and so far everything I've ordered has been great. read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Customer and KJ - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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My biggest mistake was ordering nachos at a Chinese restaurant. Do not order this item. I ordered it with ground beef, and it was almost non-existant. The cheese was not even melted and barely covered the chips. This is my second time to the Rickshaw and I'll never go back. Ther service was good, otherwise it would have been a 1 star. Do better on your food. read more

I came here tonight to get some late night food. Me and my friend walk in and aren't greeted and we're wandering around trying to find a table so we ask an employee who was running food where we can sit and he didn't speak English so we had to go to the bar and we order food. We got two out of three entrées that we ordered and one of the things I ordered never came. After we were done eating our quesadilla, we were dipping into the sour cream and as I tasted it, it tasted foul. I smelled it and it smelt rancid. We told the bartender Laura ( since there was no server) that the sour cream was rancid and she said it smelled normal which it absolutely did not smell normal (I tasted it). She then tells me that she can now order my chow mein 25 minutes after it should have arrived and I said okay if it's free then I'll order it and she said they couldn't do that. Pretty crazy when they served us spoiled sour cream and had me waiting for my food for 25 minutes. read more

Love this place! I come for the delicious food and the awesome karaoke 7 days a week. They have the best sound and Aury and Dyl Pyl are just cool people with good vibes. They are entertaining and have voices of angels. They have great vegetarian options and I really appreciate the NA brews and mocktails. The waitresses who work on Tuesday's and Sunday's are attentive sweet hearts. I love that this place has all walks of life so anyone can come in and feel welcome. I love that they decorate for holiday's and that it's a cute little place to bring a date. read more

This is a place that has been on my radar for a long time and today I decided to brave the traffic to check them out. Sunflower is across the street and although the menu is limited, they serve a respectable meal. When I walked in Rickshaw, it was a sad, depressive state. It was darker than a strip club, I seriously had to use a flashlight to see the menu. Customers spoke with slurred speak and several smelled like they bathed in marijuana. If you look at the limited photos of this place, it all comes down to the dank interior. It's impossible to take a photo here, because it's dull and dark. That said, review pretty much praised potstickers and Mongolian beef. Considering those are generally my go to items, that was the order. Food came in about 10 minutes and the beef was flavorful, but sweet. It was so sweet I couldn't eat it, I don't do sweet and meal and hoped this place served a spicy plate instead of Chinese candy. The potstickers were large, but the sauce was odd. It was like a BBQ sauce. I'm used to a ginger soy sauce or chili oil, but this place served neither. So, in the end, I'd call the food regrettable and as Yelp calls this place, a dive bar. I'd assume at one point it was a reputable Chinese restaurant, but those days are gone. It's a place people appear to come to in order to forget about worries and drown emotions in a drink. I can't recommend and I won't be back. read more

Just got back from a very good meal. My wife's favorite (walnut shrimp) was the best we had ever had. Also had Sweet and Sour Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and the best and freshest BBQ Pork Fried Rice I have ever had in a restaurant. When I told our waitperson, a very friendly young woman, that this was my first time there in about 40 years and it was amazingly delicious, she said she was one of the new owners and they were trying to make the good old-fashioned type Chinese food again - which is exactly what I have been looking for for years. It was so nice to experience that quality again. If you have gone there in the past and been disappointed, it is different now. Quality is back and for those of us over 50, it is finally a chance to experience the Chinese food of your youth. Go back and give it a try. All that is left for me to find is the big fluffy egg rolls that actually have a layer of egg under the wrapping and my pursuit will be fulfilled! read more

I love Rickshaw! It's so fun, always a vibe. The people working and going there are awesome. One of the staples of Seattle.

First time going here and witnessed the owner standing outside aggressively berating a woman. When a group asked if she was okay he got angrier and shouted: "This is what's wrong with society!" 0 stars if possible. When calling to confirm that this aggressive man was, in fact, the owner, we were told "Not to concern yourselves with what was happening." Food is okay? Drinks are overpriced. Wouldn't be hard to find somewhere better. Don't support this atrocious person. Won't be returning. read more

Great food, great service, and now there's pinball! Love having this in my neighborhood

Food was very good, looks like a fun place for locals to hang out n do karaoke! We arrived around 830p on Saturday night, by 930 many groups coming in for food and starting up karaoke. Our server was very kind , food was great prices . We will be back! read more

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Such a fun late night spot! Who doesn't want karaoke and delicious Chinese food. It is definitely our go-to spot for after we hit the bars or go to a party. It's a little bit of a dive, but the drinks are good and cheap. If Karaoke isn't your thing, they have pull tabs and a few other things to entertain. They also have Jello Shots for the avid partier. It's not fancy, and it's not classy but it is FUN! read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Karaoke - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

First and foremost, this is a bar. The mai tais are pretty, pretty, pretty good! We have always had great service sitting at the bar. Secondly, it's kind of a dive bar, and you are going to get some fairly good entertainment whether it's from people watching or karaoke. The other night, the lady starting off the karaoke should think about American Idol or The Voice because I could have sat there all night listening to her sing. It can be a fun crowd. Of all things, I like the building. The place is old and run down with remnants of when Chinese restaurants were a treat. The old sign out front and the lanterns hanging from the ceiling give it a great character. Lastly, the food is a mix of bar food and Chinese dishes. It's good to have something to fall back on if you have pounded back a few too many cocktails, but I wouldn't let it be your first reason for going to Rickshaw. read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - a bright orange drink on a red table - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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An institution. Bartenders are always super nice and nice regulars too. Love going for some late night some greazy american Chinese food.

Went there tonight to have a few drinks and play some pull tabs. Got my first drink and some pull tabs but then when the guys came in I was inorged. I waited for a new drink and wanted to play more but could not wait all night while the bartender flirt with the guys. I am done and will not be back. I am a paying customer. read more

Here's the revised 1-star review for Rick Shaw in Seattle, WA: "I ventured into Rick Shaw with my wife and our 5-year-old son, hoping for a pleasant dining experience. However, our journey began with a rather picturesque scene in the parking lot: homeless individuals were comfortably sleeping or rummaging through the ashtrays, setting the tone for what was to come inside. Once seated, we waited for service which, to put it mildly, was not prompt. When our food finally arrived, it was an unexpected symphony of timing; our soup and appetizers graced our table simultaneously with our entrees. Oddly enough, my son's meal was conspicuously absent. I inquired about this with our server, Willow, who assured me that it was on its way. Five minutes later, seeing no food and Willow over serving her customers at the bar, I approached her again. The scene that unfolded was quite the spectacle. Willow stormed into the kitchen, audibly berating the cooks, calling them 'idiots', and then informed me that she indeed saw them making it. Back at our table, the air was thick with her complaints about me, labeling me with some rather colorful language to her customers. Some of the comments were "That rude prick" and "F***ing asshole customer." Another five minutes ticked by, and still no meal for my son. I returned to her area, only to have Willow angrily void the order, print my bill, and declare her intention to smoke the blunt in her car due to the 'idiot kitchen staff's' incompetence at making a simple quesadilla, which, according to her, is just 'tortilla and cheese'. All this, right within earshot of my impressionable young son. Finally, the kitchen staff, along with the owner, brought out my son's food, but by this time, Willow had vanished, presumably to smoke the blunt in her car. The owner offered an apology and took my son's food off the bill, but the damage was done. Our meals were cold, and any chance of enjoying our evening was long gone. We left Rick Shaw, not with fond memories, but with a lesson learned about expectations and reality." read more

The lady that helped me was very nice. The food was tasty but I'm very disappointed in the price to portion. I paid $6.50 for their medium size or bowl size wonton soup and it had two wontons and some broth. I wonder what the smaller size would have been. I also got eggrolls for $9.50 and received two eggrolls one of which was soggy. It's unfortunate because I just moved in down the street and was hoping this would be a regular stop but I dont plan on going back. read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Bowl sized wonton soup and eggrolls - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Deep-fried salt'n'pepper chicken wings are a treat from the Rickshaw, and they deserve 5 stars, along with the service and friendly demeanor of the employees. Foodwise, expect dive bar food, and you'll come away from the Rickshaw with a smile; if you're expecting Panda Express or Safeway Deli Chinese, prepare to lower your expectations. Nevertheless, the wings are winning and so is the Chow Yuk: what an unfortunate name for an otherwise tasty vegetarian stir-fry coated in brown gravy. A combination of the two would be a perfect hangover remedy. Go for the fun times when the bar is open and you'll be grinning. Keep your fingers crossed for the survival of the Rickshaw! read more

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I have not been here since the 90s and it was just as good as I remembered it then. Tasty Chinese food at competitive prices! The girl working bar who got my to go order was friendly read more

My husband and I just left the Rickshaw one of our favorite places. Until tonight! Don't know what the name of the bartender was but she was BY FAR THE WORST I have ever met! My husband ask for something a bit off the menu granted it did take extra effort. She grabbed the saucer of dip off his plate clearly upset and dumped a considerable amount on the table. Never apologized for the mess, did not return to help clean it up, and although we all would have ordered another round of drinks she NEVER returned to the table. Not even to bring us a check. Side note the cook was AWESOME ! We will be back to the Rickshaw but if i see that she is the bartender we will turn around and drive the 35-40 minute drive back home! She was THE WORST! read more

Best bar in Seattle. Best jukebox in Seattle. Best karaoke in Seattle. Best regulars in Seattle.

If I could leave zero stars that would be my rating. I don't leave a lot of reviews but this food was not good at all! This was delivery service, hopefully at the restaurant it tastes better, but unlikely Steamed rice- was stale and hard like it was yesterdays rice reheated in a microwave. Crab Rangoon- tiny fried squares of sweetened cream cheese and no crab to be found. Not good at all Mongolian Beef- grey beef, undercooked onions and a ton of dry noodles on top to cover up the sight of grey beef. Tried to eat it but it was not good General Tsao chicken- Very breaded, fried in old oil and the chicken was tough. I would not recommend any of this food. Unfortunately, I will be throwing this all away. What a waste of money. Maybe there is a reason they continue to get unsatisfactory on their health score. Maybe the strong drinks and karaoke are where it's at. If you read this review you have been warned. Hopefully others can have a better dining experience than ours. read more

We've been enjoying this restaurant now for a few weeks now, but just decided to share a review our experience. The food is always excellent! It's become our go-to quite often. Our waitress, Alejandra, could not have been any better, as it's been with the entire staff so far. These not a negative word I can even think of using. If you're a Thai food lover, please take a chance on this restaurant! read more

*Delivery Order - Pad Thai and Combo Plate The Rickshaw Restaurant is more than a simple restaurant, which can be plainly seen from the exterior of the restaurant, but it is a character all it's own. By all accounts the owners and staff have kept this place an exciting and enjoyable establishment leaving a lasting experience for all of their patrons. The menu offer a massive array of options ranging from classic American to Thai and everything in between. Now if you know me, you would know my option on restaurants with massive menus. It's bad. There is no way they can possibly make every item on the menu to the same level of quality. I truly believe simplified and well defined menus only make for better quality and easier kitchen prep. Now, due to world events, I had my order delivered and could not take advantage of the indoor dining experience which others have only had positive comments for. The food all came nicely packaged in plastic reusable containers (yes look on the bottom, dishwasher safe microwave safe) and was very hot. They provided lots of sauce and condiments. Nothing was spilled or messy or soggy. They packaged the pad Thai so that the toppings and noodles were separated to keep it from getting soggy. Now the food. My egg flower soup had good flavor. Good amount of vegetables and egg and I think chicken meat. It was definitely a great warm soup I wouldn't mind just ordering a cup of that on a cold day for lunch. The Pad Thai was weak. Noodles were over cooked, sauce didn't have much flavor. Little or no egg. Meat was not seasoned well enough, zero spice, definitely not cooked in a wok. It was like a tan mush. Will not be getting again. For the Combo plate, I got the Sweet and Sour chicken. It came with an egg roll, fried rice, and a vegetable subgum. Really a great value for the amount of food for the price. The Subgum had some good flavor, decent vegetables that seemed fresh and not from frozen. The rice was okay but not that flavorful. The place where this dish shines and I image with the entire menu, it's all about fried stuff. The chicken was battered in a light crispy batter. It was juicy and the flavor wasn't bad, but it did leave a sour after taste. Either they used a beer batter or they haven't changed their oil in the deep frier in a hot minute. The egg roll was large and in charge and stuffed with veggies, just pretty flat on flavor and very greasy. My big take away is that this place has a solid American Chinese menu if that is the thing you crave, and this will mostly satisfy but in a city like Seattle there are so many amazing authentic options I can imagine it is hard to compete. The service and take out quality was great. The food was hot and great bang for buck but lacking in a lot of flavor and could be improved by a few minor changes. I plan to try this again, hopeful for indoor dining and sample some of the more classic American food and drinks on the menu. I'm also intrigued by the Karaoke. I almost gave them a 4 star but the lacking quality in the flavor department really just brought it all down. read more

Rickshaw Restaurant - Pad Phad Thai - Dive Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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For those of us that appreciate the older style of American Chinese food the Rickshaw is a hidden gem. Its become increasingly rare in Seattle to be able to find this type of food that many of us grew up with like chow mein with crispy noodles, good almond fried chicken with gravy and the like; especially in individual combination dinners. The combination dinners for about $13.00 are great and the portions are large. Don't let the fact that its in a sort of funky building fool you, this is a very good restaurant. If one's taste is for more "authentic" Chinese food just go somewhere else or appreciate it for what it is: one of the very few restaurants left in Seattle that still serves the type of Americanized Chinese food that has its own following. read more

I've always wondered about this place since I drive by it so often... and one random night, a group of my friends decided to check it out. We were really surprised by the interior! There were mirrors all around and lots of booths and tables for people to sit at. They have karaoke here everyday which is awesome, but expect a long wait if you want the mic on the weekends. There's a mini dance floor where people can sing and dance on if they wanted to. Their karaoke DJ or whatever they're called was entertaining and lively! There is a $5 drink minimum if you want to sing though. The drinks are AWESOME! They have a bunch of specials and they're cheap and stiff. This place is pretty much a dive bar combined into a Chinese restaurant, it reminded me of Moon Temple in Wallingford, but rowdier! Service was GREAT, our server's name was Thu, and she's adorable and super helpful. She checked in on us several times throughout the night. I can't wait to come back here for more karaoke and stiff drinks. They have a huge variety of songs too, everything from Sweet Home Alabama to Usher's Nice n' Slow. I'll probably stay away from the food unless I'm REALLY hungry though because I know food probably isn't their specialty. read more