Great happy hour, tasty cocktails, solid beer selection and a cozy interior make this place a winner. Our server was super friendly and made some great recommendations for food. Really enjoyed snacking on the potato chips with onion dip and their monthly special sandwich. Great spot to pop into for a drink and some food. read more

Russell's - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Came in for some drinks and some food with two close friends and absolutely enjoyed our night! We came on a busy Friday night, but honestly no matter what day of week it is, Russell's is always busy! The ambiance is cozy and the service is always top-notch. The grilled cheese is delicious if you want something to eat while you're there. I will always be coming back to Russell's to hang out. read more

Russell's is an awesome neighborhood bar. Small, cozy, friendly, homey. The Wedge Salad was awesome and the baguette sandwich special was excellent too. I got the Fire Walk With Me and it wasn't my favorite, but also tasted the Lucille Ball which was quite good. So I think they have good drinks, I just think their marg isn't their best. We came in the summer and they had the window doors open. Loves sitting at the bar with fresh air and baseball on the TVs. read more

See all

Cute little spot for brunch! We both really enjoyed our meals and I was very appreciative that they were able to do mine dairy free for my allergy. The mix and match plate on the menu was a great idea! They had a couple brunch cocktails but we opted for tea and coffee respectively. The server was very sweet and attentive and careful with my allergy. The only downside was that the longer we sat, the more we realized that the ventilation in the place isn't great - it seemed like maybe the cooking hood wasn't pulling the smoke out all the way and it got a little hazy. My eyes were burning a bit by the time we left. But the food and service were all great! read more

Russell's - Breakfast sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

This bar is nothing spectacular--just a pretty basic vibe. It's a little small inside, but it's clean. However, there's nothing that really sets it apart from any other spot. Personally it was way too dim for my preference. I was literally sitting in the dark with a little natural light coming in from the windows and the ceiling lights didn't help. My Lucille ball (gin, grapefruit, st Germaine, campari, cucumber) was okay, heavily leaning on the grapefruit. If you're looking for something unique, you might want to keep exploring read more

See all

The owner has been great, but Matt the bartender has been unwelcoming to say the least. For a neighborhood bar that I loved, it's really become a place that I hate in Seattle. It's turned pretentious and I would rather go elsewhere, even if Ive got to Uber around. read more

Neighborhood bar energy is so strong here. I lived above Russell's when they first opened and hadn't been back for probably 7 years. The attention to detail with everything from the decor and appliances to the food menu and beers on tap is just as thoughtful as when they first opened. I was in Ballard and wanted to watch the Kraken game and thought I'd go back to the place where I had multiple existential crises in my mid-20s, and I was not disappointed. How can one go from talking shit about Malort to having two shots with the regulars? Only Joe might know the answer to this one. The food is life changing. I ordered the crab roll and it was everything I could have asked for and somehow more. I found God in that crab. This may just be my favorite bar in Seattle. read more

Tasty morsels, served by attentive and friendly staff. It feels homey, cozy and welcoming.

Best bar. Breakfast sandwiches on the weekend are a must. You can bring a book and hang out.

This bar is quaint and charming and is obviously loved by the locals. The owners and managers chat up the customers and add their own home maid pies--so good. I recommend the craft cocktails over the wine/beer here. read more

Russell's is a Seattle gem! They're selection of Mezcal is probably the most extensive in Seattle and beyond! I lost count after a hundred. Mezcal Monday is a great way to try Mezcals you've never tried. They're cocktails are top notch and they rotate their menu periodically to keep their selections unique and tasty! They have a limited menu that is made with love from the meatballs to the tacos to their House-made mixed nuts! Everything they make is with the highest standards! Many people aren't familiar with this place and some of us regulars are okay with that since it's not a large place, haha! read more

Stopped by on a fall weeknight for a couple drinks and I'm glad I did, I love a great cocktail! The smallish bar was pretty full given that it wasn't a weekend, although I was able to get two spots on the bar top facing out the window. I'm a big fan of gin so choosing the Lucille Ball seemed like a no brainer. The refreshing, citrusy drink is comprised of gin, Campari, Giffard elderflower, grapefruit, and cucumber ($12). Naturally I got a second. I guess they use quite a bit of Mezcal here but personally I'm not a fan of its overpowering smoky nature. But hey, there are other selections! Needless to say I'd come back for another cocktail, although it would be nice if there were comfier seating options. read more

Friendly service, decent chicken pot pie, but the hummus plate was sad. $16 got me a board with about 2 tablespoons of hummus, a few carrot sticks, celery sticks, 3 slices artichoke heart, cucumber slices, marinated olives, and pita. I had to order more hummus coz the amount given was insanely small. So add $3.50. $19.50 total for the saddest hummus plate in Seattle :( read more

This is the kind of place where one could easily become a regular. I've only been here 2 or 3 times but when I walk in I half expect the entire bar to shout "Norm!" like in the t.v show Cheers. ...which would be weird because my name's not Norm... ...but what I'm saying is that Russell's has all the friendliness of a dive bar-- people at the bar chatting it up with strangers, a few tv's to watch "the game", and genuine waitstaff that really seem to like where they work. (Which is why I'm so confused by all the negative reviews about service? Every time I've been here it's been nothing but smiles and 10/10 service.) ...except, it's not a dive. It's kind of trendy. There were fresh flowers tucked into old mezcal bottles, and at around 5pm on a Sunday our server went around putting tea lights on all the tables. The strength & weakness of this place is its size. It's small, or in realtor-speak "cozy". There's only a 2 booths, a small narrow 4 top table, and the rest is bar seating or counter seating. This is why all the dive bar friendliness comes into play naturally, but this isn't the place for a large group. And sometimes I've been here and have taken the last available seat. MENU-- Just enough options to cover all the bases. Gold stars & bonus points for all the house made items! They have small bites (nuts, olives, pickled things), medium bites (hummus, charcuterie, soft pretzel), and large bites (sandwich of the week, meatballs, sliders)...so, all the bites. & A few salads. Not a great place if you're gluten free, or vegan though. HAPPY HOUR-- But I don't come here for dinner. I come because they are in my neighborhood, AND their happy hour is damn good. $6 Old Fashioneds?! $5 wells?! ...IN SEATTLE?! What the what! They also knock a few dollars off draft beers and wine pours too. And for HH food--they have a select number of food items from their menu which are about $1-$2 off of the reg. food prices. Two of us came here during HH and each ordered 2 drinks, and shared the meatballs (which come with 2 hunks of bread, so yeah...in other words, make yourself a lil' meatball sub) and our bill was about $30 +tip. They have about 3 beers on draft, 6 wine options, and about 11 house cocktails. So they have something for everyone but their cocktail/sprits game is strong. I mean, they celebrate "Whiskey Wednesdays" and "Mezcal Mondays" each week, with correlating drink specials. I'm not a succinct writer. But if I were I could've just said "Russell's is a watering hole jackpot. I love this place." read more

See all

Food was sub par and very limited. Overpriced Cozy bar but don't plan on eating there. No bargain on the drinks either read more

Small lively neighborhood spot! Was popping on a Tuesday night. Liked the vibe, was almost fully seated when we got there. Snagged the last two spots. Would def come again read more

If you like nice bars but don't like bars that are pretentious then Russels fits the bill. Nice wine, nice cheese board, friendly staff, decent prices. I came here on a Monday and arrived at about 5:15 but if it had been any later I probably would have struggled to find a seat. Our waitress was really nice and the drinks came out so quick I thought she'd pulled them out of a hat as we turned our backs. All in all, I had a smashing time at Russell's. read more

Russell's - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I just had a breakfast sandwich from these guys (now open yay!) and O M G. It was transformative, without a doubt the best breakfast sandwich in Wallingford. Rooting for them to make it through this. Ps the drinks are good too read more

Cute little bar for happy hour and drinks, unfortunately I did not try any of the drinks but they looked good on other peoples tables! The food here was kind of too fancy and small plate to satisfy me and too overpriced for me to be really happy about it but the food tasted good. But really the meal balls are just meat balls, it's nothing special. That was way too expensive for me. I'm giving it four stars still even though I wasn't impressed because I do not like American food and the pie filling was good. The crust was weird. read more

See all

I was at Russell's with a friend and we were waiting for our food, watching the Superbowl on the TV. One of the staff (I'm assuming manager or owner) turned off the captions on the TV. This person then walked by me and I asked "Why did you turn the captions off?", he replied "Do you want the captions on?" and I said "It's good for accessibility, for Deaf or Hard of Hearing". He then proceeded to shout at everyone in the tavern "Is anybody Deaf in here?!" Which, if they're Deaf, they are not going to hear you say that. I was so embarrassed. My friend and I got our pretzel (which was so delicious), but our eating experience was ruined by this same staff person sitting at the bar with friends while looking/glaring at us every now and then. From my perspective, I was not rude when asking about the captions. I just simply asked "Why?" I was hoping that maybe it would open up space for conversation about why captions and accessibility are important, but instead this person reacted rudely and lost a customer (who would have come back purely for the pretzel). I did email Russell's about this experience, but got no response. read more

I've been here a handful of times now. The Breakfast sandwich during brunch on weekends might be the best in the city! Cocktail specials rotate periodically and I feel like I have a new favorite drink every time they update. read more

Cozy bar with well-made and well-priced cocktails - Russell's has been a great find! Disclaimer: I have not tried the food here, so my review may be skewed. Drinks: My favorite cocktail is what they now call the Rag Top (used to be Garden Party I think): vodka based, citric, sweet-ish and bubbly. My friends with differing taste buds enjoyed the old fashioned (especially for $6 during happy hour, versus $11). The cocktail menu is pretty small, but they can make you any classic (e.g. Manhattan), and at very reasonable prices ($10-$11). Space: The ambience at Russell's is cozy, like your neighborhood bar, but slightly fancier. On Friday's and Saturday's it gets buzzing, but it's still at decibel levels where you can hold a conversation. We always manage to find a spot for groups of 4-6, but the place is pretty tiny, so that may be something to think about if you're a larger group. read more

I've gone back and forth on this review for some time. Frankly, I want to love this place. Unfortunately, its just not quite dialed in across a few fronts: Drinks - happy hour is worth targeting. And the hose Old Fashioned is amazing for $6. Do yourself a favor and get there around 5:30pm, order one of those, and recline/enjoy deciding if you'll have another... Another - a tree/shrub forward cocktail is interesting, however don't be fooled by gimmicks. Their standard offerings are made well and true. The ideal, after a few visits, seems to be reposado or gin based. Trust me on this, you'll be glad. Ambiance - somewhere between an upscale experience (amazing bar presentation, service staff) and dive bar (spent kegs and beer cans stashed in back/restrooms.) This frankly is confusing. I can't tell what to expect from them, which I think plays into my take/leave approach to returning. read more

Friendly bartenders and great cocktails! Cozy space that is small and intimate. Tried the Garden Party with cucumber infused vodka, thyme syrup, lemon and prosecco. On the fizzier side but light and sweet. read more

Russell's - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Came here for happy hour after work. The bar wasn't busy and the bartender was very nice and knowledgeable about the whiskeys and cocktail of the day. The bar did get a little loud as more patrons filled the seats. We shared the olives which were delicious and the pretzel with cheese sauce, which wasn't great. The pretzel itself tasted bland and dry and the cheese sauce was just okay. The mustards that were served with the pretzel were the best part of the dish, but were probably likely store-bought and just spread on the plate. read more

I had a cocktail and a glass of whisky. Amazingly nice , competent and knowledgeable bar staff. Highly recommended!

Came here for brunch and it was so great! The owners served us and were so nice. All the food was delicious. I had the breakfast biscuit and it was really good. The pink mimosa is fantastic. Great vibe and great food will definitely return. read more

I came here for happy hour on the recommendation of a friend. I had absolutely the best experience. First, the happy hour is great.They have a nice selection of craft beers as well as very cheap Hamm's ($2.50 for a 16oz can!). Also, all of their happy hour appetizers sounded amazing. We ordered three and I loved them all. Plus they were all reasonably priced. Of course, one of the best parts of this bar is the atmosphere. It is cozy and has full windows that open up to the outside. This is fantastic, especially on a nice day. Next time I'm in Seattle, I'll be back! read more

Summary: Finally, exactly what Wallingford/Fremont needs, a full bar with beer and wine on tap accompanied by a small menu of filling small plates and friendly, knowlegable owners/staff. Taste: The Specials menu has an old fashoned (heavy pour :), Lucille Ball (my favorite) and Rainier and wiskey shot if you want something simple. We had the toast with salsa verde, manchego cheese and fresh fennel and it was delicious! I also watched the pot pie, and develiled eggs go out and those looked amazing too. Site: Modern meets industrial with lots of light provided by the garage door and cozier dimmer booths for romatic dates Sound: Light music and the sounds laughter shared over good drinks and great food. Smell: Orangey - yes, the bartender/owner makes his own simple syrups and elixurs for the coctails and food. Feel: A Cozy local tavern, a nice place for weekends and weeknights. Definitly my local spot from now on. read more

Russell's - The toast manchego salsa verde dish. Order it! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This cute little spot is snuggled into the new buildings on Stone way. It's a tiny place with a few booths and a good bar. We popped in for a Happy Hour treat and got two amazing sliders. they were incredibly tasty. We also had cocktails that were very very good. What fell flat for me was the service was meh, and the other patrons were terrible. Loud, obnoxious. We ate and drank as fast as we could just to get out of there. I know, I know you are asking yourself, why blame the restaurant for Mr. Loud talker and captain squeaky voice and their merry band of obnoxiousness . Is it fair, maybe not. Why did I do it, because it seems these people are regulars. So it's part of the deal. The sliders were amazing but it's not my gig. read more

If you don't give a damn how a real old fashioned is made, don't bother coming here. You don't even like Manhattan, why bother? This place a lot to offer. It's delightful approachable and Savvy. read more

See all

Its pretty aggravating when you frequent a place that is so slow they have to heat up the stove to make your sandwich, you leave a good tip, and they still manage to leave half the order out of the bag. Fail. Next time I'll just go to pagliacci. read more

Love this little neighborhood bar in Wallingford/Fremont area! I stumbled upon this place with my boyfriend one afternoon, after recently moving into the area. Very nice ambiance and decor, we seated ourselves at the bar top looking out into the street. My boyfriend got the old fashioned, and I got the Lucille Ball - both really well made craft cocktails for being a "hole in the wall"-esqe establishment. We also got the pulled pork sliders to share, which were delicious. Overall, great service, food, and ambiance! I'll definitely be back. read more

Russell's - Old Fashioned, Pork Sliders, and Lucille Ball Cocktail! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

I love Russell's. The drinks are great. The staff is incredible. And the pretzel is my favorite pretzel of all time. I can't recommend this place enough! read more

EMPLOYEES SHOULD WASH THEIR HANDS!!! Got a pretzel and a beer. Paid $15 or so. Got food poisoning. Spent HOURS with urgent room routine. Today is day 3. I feel like I was hit by car so I can't leave my bed and do anything. In 30 min after I visited this place, I got back home, and I was literally dying all night and the next day with all kinds of vomiting and such. But the beer was great! The issue (I think) was a pretzel with blue cheese sauce and mustard (or the way how employees treat their hygiene?). Don't risk eating out during flu seasons. It's been a while, and I'm not feeling well so I don't think I'll be back. read more

"Where everybody knows your name" - sums it up.. My local spot. Joe always make me happy with a little.whiskey taste and fantastic cocktail. Always has the good tunes and if you're lucky you might get to hear some DJ Quik and Joe rapping along as well. The Avocado breakfast sandwich is the best for Sundays and football. read more

See all

Great small cozy bar! Good cold beer and attentative bartenders. Parking can be tough, but if you walk to it, it has easy access. Didn't try the food but it looked good and with great portions. Forgot to add great music selection! read more

Bologna Samie and bloody Mary's are amazing. Awesome neighborhood bar. Support local businesses!!!

Really good comfort food and drinks! And love the window seating! It's also a small sports bar.

First and last time at Russell's. This review is a little overdue. I went into Russell's with my cousin for some drinks and dinner. We sat at the bar and the bartender was great, but the owner and some guy who claimed to be his brother were total jerks. My cousin and I stayed for a couple of hours and spent over $100 and by the end of our night the owner and his brother were trying to engage us in a theological argument (which we weren't about to do) and overall spoke to us very condescending, along with the brother trying to hit on my cousin. Super weird. I've never felt so disrespected by an owner of an establishment. The food was good, the bartender was good, but no thanks! There are too many great bar/restaurant options in Seattle. read more