State Street Bar

We've been in Bellingham for about 8 hours and this is our favorite bar so far, and we've been to 5…read morebars since leaving the airport. Julia is our bartender here and she's amazing, she's kept our drinks full and has been so accommodating with our ridiculous pull tab orders, oh and did I mention we won $100? Before I even started writing this review, swear. 10/10 would recommend.

In a city that is flooded with hipster bars this place is where you can get a strong drink and be…read moreleft alone.

Pull tabs

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Cap Hansen's

3.3(63 reviews)

Be careful when you pay- make sure you get a receipt We…read morewere given the payment thing and then a few minutes later the bartender said "are you done it shouldn't take this long" and ripped it out of my hand 10 minutes later when I got his attention again and asked for a receipt- he acted like I requested a change in parliament..... It was a while until I got one... but it was incorrect....and a tip was placed on it that I Didn't give It was just and the owner was there (as a patron) Be careful of your $$$$ here We won't be back Notice the 1 stars are very recent.....

I've been coming here for about 3 years now and have literally never had an issue until last week…read more My partner and I went out last Thursday for a low key date night. We don't go out much, but when we do we usually stop here. It was actually a really slow night, which was kind of nice since it's normally packed. I told the bartender I was going to the bathroom and my boyfriend walked in with me. We were in there for maybe a minute or two. Only I used the restroom and nothing weird or inappropriate happened. When I came back out, the bartender gave me the most disgusted look and said something like, "Really? You guys went into a single stall bathroom together? Really?" I was honestly confused and immediately apologized and said I didn't know that wasn't allowed. Instead of just explaining it, she responded with, "How do you not know that? That's common sense?" and then implied it was a drug or sex thing. I genuinely did not know that, and there were no signs posted saying only one person was allowed in the bathroom (that I saw). I've also been coming here for years and have never been talked to about this before. The way she handled it felt super rude and embarrassing. A simple "Hey, just so you know, that's not allowed here" would have been totally fine. She then said she could still serve us, but by that point I felt really uncomfortable. I apologized for the drink she had already made and said we were going to head somewhere else. Her response was a very rude "Okay, bye!" I've worked in food service for 5 years and I would never talk to a customer like that, especially when they clearly didn't know they were doing anything wrong. The whole interaction completely killed the vibe and honestly ruined our night. I even emailed the owner twice over the past week because I didn't want to leave a bad review without giving them a chance to respond, but I never heard back.

Patrons into their own thing.

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Waterfront Tavern Seafood and Bar Bellingham

3.3(75 reviews)

0.4 mi

Came in on a Thursday night. It wasn't busy. Got beers and chowder. Waited a long time for drinks…read moreand even longer for chowder. Had to go to counter for check. Chowder was ok not great. We came based on reviews but would not recommend based on wait and indifference of our server.

Decades ago I came here often. I haven't been back for over 7 years. Yesterday, three of us decided…read moreit was time for some excitement. Upon entering ( at 4:30pm), I was struck by how many people were there; it was almost full. We were quickly greeted by Mikey (aka; "Yonzo"). Very friendly, very helpful. We received our drinks promptly and ordered food. The fish & chips were generous and tasty. The breading was unusual, but was again, tasty. I couldn't determine what it was, but I would order it again. The bowl of clam chowder was very generous and again "unusual". Plenty of clams and thyme. I would order it again. I went to the bar to request another beer and buy some pull tabs. I noticed the wall of pull tabs was entirely covered with Christmas decorations. When asked, Yonzo informed me that the new owner had not yet completed the process to offer pull tabs. Apparently, a new owner arrived in April of this year (2024). It was interesting to note that the entire place looked to be cleaner, with a very upbeat and friendly atmosphere. In all, we enjoyed the food and had a great time in the "new" tavern. We will be back. After all, this tavern is a piece of Bellingham's history.

Interior of bar

Clam strips.

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Bar Area

Black Sheep

4.4(523 reviews)

0.2 mi

Finally! A bar that serves flavorful drinks that aren't too sweet…read more We were quite happy, even delighted I might say, with This Goes to Eleven and the Mezcal Old Fashioned. Thanks for having good drinks!

Stopped by while we were in Bellingham. We were able to get…read morea table quickly. Service was good. I had the Pork Belly Taco and Queso Fundido. The taco was delicious. The meat was very tender and flavorful. The queso was ok. It was a 3 cheese sauce. Overall, nice spot to hangout.

Carne Asada Taco - very tasty and would recommend! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

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House Salad plus Chicken - absolutely delicious and filling! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood

Glynn's Shamrock Pub

3.9(10 reviews)

5.9 mi

Pretty good drinks, amazing nachos, pool, darts, that kiosk where you can que songs. There's…read moreusually only one person working so you need to order food and everything at the bar, but everyone is really friendly

Not your typical Bellingham establishment. That's a compliment!…read more Do people come to Glynn's for food? Highly unlikely. Burger leaves much to be desired with little flavor and poor presentation. Potato wedges don't seem to be seasoned and we're over baked. Nachos are worth your time if you want a snack. The furnishings and carpet show their age. Not appropriate if you're on a date or trying to impress someone. Why 4 stars? The staff and patrons really make Glynn's a special place. People are friendly and social. Within 5 minutes of sitting down, 4 people approached us for service and participation in a Super Bowl activity. This is a contrast to typical service in Bellingham. Starin is an exceptional waitress and bartender. She checks in frequently and gives recommendations. She doesn't appear bothered to be doing the job for which she was hired. If you're Midwestern native like me, you'll feel right at home in Glynn's. I'm looking forward to attending events in the future.

Thanks, Glynn for making us feel so welcome. We'll see you again the next time we're in town.

4 pool tables, darts, everything. Perfect place to stop by!

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Spin it ! ( if Glynn says )

The Cocoanut Grove Sports bar

3.6(33 reviews)

2.3 mi

Love this bar. Foods great and the service was amazing. Bellingham doesn't really have great places…read moreto hangout with great service. Kudos for a great 4th weekend

So you walk up to this place and the first couple things you might think:…read more 1 - it looks like it might smell like cigarettes and stale beer 2 - you might think you are near off airport parking at the Reno airport or something equally depressing in perhaps 1985. BUT!!!! This place is gem. It just looks like something from another time and place, but it is really clean, people are friendly, drinks are affordable and I've watched many a hockey game on the TV's. Honestly, it might be one of the cleanest bars in all of Bellingham.

Cocoanut Grove Sports Bar

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Horseshoe Cafe

3.5(232 reviews)

on many Saturday mornings for a 6 years, we've come in for breakfast and Bloody Mary's. today we…read morewere informed by the bartender that she didn't have time for table service (3 people at the bar.) best bloody's in town till today. tasted like spiked kool-aid laced with extra sugar. the gormless barkeep gave zero attention, looked bored, but hey - the extra star is for the fella who graciously served us our food. I'd like to ask again, as I did on our check, that the tip go to him. thanks!

This was a fun old school diner through and through from the decor and vibes to the menu. So many…read morefun historic pictures on the wall, games to play while you wait, and a fun throwback experience overall

Dining are

Seattle dog

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Out front, Wednesday 20 September 2023.

The Black Cat

4.1(497 reviews)

2.3 mi

Never disappoints! Service was great and prompt, food was delicious as usual. Great spot for…read morebrunch, lunch or dinner!

We were looking forward to trying The Black Cat after reading strong reviews. I had taken the day…read moreoff to have lunch with my wife, and we were excited to visit somewhere new. We were seated promptly by a friendly hostess at a table in DT Fairhaven, and our server was the bartender. After being seated, we waited a long time without anyone taking our order. We eventually asked if we had a server and were told it was him, with no apology or explanation. We ordered drinks and food, but after more than 40 minutes, we noticed two tables seated after us had already been served, finished eating, and were leaving. At that point, we asked for the check and said we would not be staying. About 15 minutes later, the server returned with our food instead of the check. We declined the meal and sent it back. He then asked if we wanted it boxed to go, which we also declined. His reaction suggested frustration rather than understanding. We never got to try the food, so we can't comment on it. The service, however, was well below expectations given the restaurant's reputation. This was lunch on July 15, 2026. We may try The Black Cat again in the future, hoping this was just an off day.

Entrance

Black Cat Breakfast with bacon and a side waffle

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Crab cake Benedict

The Royal

2.3(69 reviews)

I don't know why this bar gets so much hate, but I find this place very relaxing and just a good…read moredrinking spot. Good atmosphere, cool and respectful security and typical prices on drinks. Definitely better than the other bars around. Has a second floor with additional bar area and few pool tables. The business also owns The Underground night club. Go check them out.

Bouncer kicked my out for wearing sweat pants after letting in a guy in a bathing suit and flops,…read moreand my other buddy also in sweat pants and then started to verbally assault me after confronting the security that didn't let me in. Complete snob. Incredibly rude and turned a deaf ear to me. Crappy establishment that treats their customers poorly.

The Royal NightClub

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One of the bouncers

Rumors Cabaret

3.3(90 reviews)

0.2 mi

I literally just had to download Yelp because of Rumors. THE BEST safe space, hands down, no…read morequestion, they are first and foremost about safety! Friendliest staff, and just to boot the best drinks east of the Mississippi! 5+ stars all day long

WOULDNT NOT RECOMMED Wish I could give 0 stars. We just went tonight, so many creepy men, we got…read moreESCORTED out and it was because my friend was "stumbling" around ( she wasn't ) she had one drink, but her heels hurt. So many creepy men there, yet they weren't doing anything about them. Got rid of people that paid to be in there for no reason, way to ruin a night.

Main bar

Rumors

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2 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Dave S.

0

1

0

14 years ago

Talk about another "overrated" bar in a college town...this bar wreaks of a try hard. The old beaver, aka now State Street, is nothing but but stale popcorn, bad service, and dingy bathrooms. Sure, if you like a cheap PBR and some bartenders that are pissed off and angry to serve you a drink...this is definitely your place. If you are looking for some friendly service, cheap drinks, and a great atmosphere...ANYWHERE BUT the State Street Bar in Bellingham is the place to go. What a joke, seriously, there are so many other places that aren't even good, that I would recommend over this place, just on principle. Believe me when I sat, there are SOOOO many other place in town that will provide you with a better experience than State Street Bar. Save your money and time and go some where else...trust me, you'll enjoy the experience of the town, without the headaches!! read more

Lori L.

50

13

0

8 years ago

Customers were asked to leave because they admitted they support free speech. Employees are bigots.

State Street Bar - divebars - Updated September 2026

People who viewed State Street Bar also viewed

Beaver Inn

3.9

(48 reviews)

We've been in Bellingham for about 8 hours and this is our favorite bar so far, and we've been to 5…read morebars since leaving the airport. Julia is our bartender here and she's amazing, she's kept our drinks full and has been so accommodating with our ridiculous pull tab orders, oh and did I mention we won $100? Before I even started writing this review, swear. 10/10 would recommend.

In a city that is flooded with hipster bars this place is where you can get a strong drink and be…read moreleft alone.

Jack's

4.3

(42 reviews)

Love it here! Super cute and cozy. Cosmo is the best I've ever had. 10/10 would recommend - check…read moreit out!

Was so excited to try this place, but with so many good bar options in Bellingham, this one just…read morefell below standard. Super nice bartender... Cool guy. However, the drinks for what I would consider low shelf and just not that great. The environment is prohibition era, and then they have this weird disco ball on the ceiling, which is really confusing. No, we ordered the brie and Apple plate... And the brie was melted down into almost like a beer cheese, but it lost the texture that Bree offers:( Sad to say, this is not a repeat place.

Outlaws Saloon

3.3

(25 reviews)

On a recent Saturday I headed north to Ferndale for a friend's 50th bday soiree at a popular local…read moreMexican restaurant. After sipping on some margaritas and nomming a quesadilla, we all headed to the after-affair at nearby Outlaws. Confession: even though I'm a dive bar fanatic and lived in nearby Bellingham for many years, I had never been to Outlaws before! Well, now I'm kinda regretting that. This place is what you'll find in a lot of dive bars: kinda dark, but with a lot of neon, and a lot of locals hanging out on a weekend night. In other words, it was perfect! Having already enjoyed a couple of margaritas and facing a long drive home later, I settled on a pint of my trusty fave, Mac 'n Jacks, while the bday crowd enjoyed a variety of shots and (apparently very strong) cocktails. We played some pool, sat around their HUGE communal table, and just enjoyed each other's company while the 80s tunes played and the bar filled up. While I didn't get to try any food while I was here, there are rumors going around that their wings are amazing - so next time I'm up that way, I'll have to check 'em out.

Its a dive bar....so it's a fun night. I came for the mechanical bull but was told it was no longer…read morehere. Apparently some liability issue from previous time. No more mechanical bull and shuffle board. The only thing left is a pool table. Came to celebrate a friend's birthday. Bartenders are great there and met some regulars who seem great too. Try one or two shots off their shot menu. Too many and some never heard of. Per the Bartender she only need the shot number not the name. Wish they had some live music or a juke box but maybe they do and we were too busy talking and playing pool to notice or dance. Can't wait to go back for another fun night.

Cap Hansen's

3.3

(63 reviews)

Be careful when you pay- make sure you get a receipt We…read morewere given the payment thing and then a few minutes later the bartender said "are you done it shouldn't take this long" and ripped it out of my hand 10 minutes later when I got his attention again and asked for a receipt- he acted like I requested a change in parliament..... It was a while until I got one... but it was incorrect....and a tip was placed on it that I Didn't give It was just and the owner was there (as a patron) Be careful of your $$$$ here We won't be back Notice the 1 stars are very recent.....

I've been coming here for about 3 years now and have literally never had an issue until last week…read more My partner and I went out last Thursday for a low key date night. We don't go out much, but when we do we usually stop here. It was actually a really slow night, which was kind of nice since it's normally packed. I told the bartender I was going to the bathroom and my boyfriend walked in with me. We were in there for maybe a minute or two. Only I used the restroom and nothing weird or inappropriate happened. When I came back out, the bartender gave me the most disgusted look and said something like, "Really? You guys went into a single stall bathroom together? Really?" I was honestly confused and immediately apologized and said I didn't know that wasn't allowed. Instead of just explaining it, she responded with, "How do you not know that? That's common sense?" and then implied it was a drug or sex thing. I genuinely did not know that, and there were no signs posted saying only one person was allowed in the bathroom (that I saw). I've also been coming here for years and have never been talked to about this before. The way she handled it felt super rude and embarrassing. A simple "Hey, just so you know, that's not allowed here" would have been totally fine. She then said she could still serve us, but by that point I felt really uncomfortable. I apologized for the drink she had already made and said we were going to head somewhere else. Her response was a very rude "Okay, bye!" I've worked in food service for 5 years and I would never talk to a customer like that, especially when they clearly didn't know they were doing anything wrong. The whole interaction completely killed the vibe and honestly ruined our night. I even emailed the owner twice over the past week because I didn't want to leave a bad review without giving them a chance to respond, but I never heard back.

Uisce Irish Pub

4.0

(89 reviews)

A wonderful evening in Bellingham, Washington, USA. Guinness available, along with a small menu. I…read morewill definitely visit again.

Bartender had a very weird power trip that came off as misogynistic. He was outside smoking and…read moreasked to see me and my partners ID before entering which we showed him with no issue. We took a seat at the bar and we ordered our round of drinks. He gave my boyfriend a Guinness (which was not a proper guinness weird to label this place as an irish pub) and gave me a water. He said I had to drink the water before he would serve me. I laughed it off and said I would never deny hydration and he stood in front of me and watched while I drank the entire water. Once finishing, he refilled it and said drink it. I had two drinks over the span of hours this night and was not drunk by any means. My partner asked if it was an Incel bar and the bartender said " I guess it is". Super weird place and the ambiance was non existent. We went to another bar down the street and I had two drinks with no issues.

Matthew’s Honest Cocktails

4.4

(24 reviews)

We were wandering around in the dark and happened upon Matthew's. We loved it! And how lucky for us…read morethat it was Happy Hour! Our wonderful server, Seth, immediately and proudly proclaimed (with smile) that they use premium liquors for all their Happy Hour pours (at a mere $5!) I ordered the Rosemary Gimlet from their Unique Cocktails list: House infused rosemary gin, fresh basil, lime juice, simple syrup--it was total perfection. Nate, our second server, joined in the fun as we toured the photos of young stars. Beautiful atmosphere, wonderful staff, delicious drinks. A fun time was had by all!

Great drinks, well informed bartender, and great windows!…read more Mojito was fresh and minty, I tried the experimental lager/liquor cocktail (crystal mourning) and it was funky but good. I'd go back ‍

The Cabin

3.5

(65 reviews)

First time I came here, I just wanted a burger since I was coming home from a trip to Canada. Got a…read moreburger and a beer. Solid friggin burger, smash burgers, should have made it double, still good though. And the fries were amazing, wildly crispy. Bartender was cool too. The burgers is what made me come back, b/c I am a huge fan of smash burgers. So today I come back, 3 weeks later. The same bartender, and he remembered me which kind of caught me off guard, in a good way, it was cool. And I made sure to get a double patty smash with bacon & cheese. So if you want a easy spot, with a cool/chill bartender (with cool head of hair) solid inexpensive smash burgers.. come here.

Best smash burger, hands down! Perfect dive bar with a friendly bartender. It's a great place to…read moremeet up with friends for a drink and enjoy some delicious burgers. The fries, however, were disappointing. At least on the night I visited, they were burnt and mostly inedible. Even with that I would give it another try and still give this place a 4 stars regardless of how my fries turned out.

The Blue Abode Bar

4.2

(58 reviews)

The blue abode bar went above and beyond hosting me and my friends for my birthday. We took a class…read moreat the local Pilates studio and just wanted some easy bites and cocktails afterwards. I had a few places in mind but they weren't really accommodating. When I stumbled upon the blue abode, I sent them an email. They were so quick to respond and offered to make me a custom drink menu, along with custom food options off the menu. They opened an hour early for us!!! I'm so grateful to them for all of their help in celebrating me and accommodating my friends. Will absolutely be dining here again, already can't wait to go back. Highly highly recommend. The ambience is so cozy and inviting as well!

The owner is a total ingrate to customers. Didn't even send me a thank you (or even SAY IT) when I…read moredonated several hundred dollars to a donation she started for a former employee. Ingrate owner sent me a nasty lecturing email after I called out a waitress for not serving me pretzels after just playing with her phone for a 30 minute interval. Queen of ingrate sanctimony! (I support your employees more then you do, ingrate Kate, judging how much money you donated to your own employee vs how much I did. But if someone is going to watch TikTok for 30 minutes rather than serve me the overpriced $6 bowl of pretzels that cost $5 for an entire pack at Haggen that's a 2 minute walk away -- I have a right to say something!) It goes without saying that the owner sets the minimum tip as 25% on her POS system. What ingrate presumption! (.. and of course I exceeded that, every single time I went in, which also went unacknowledged and unthanked by the ingrate owner) Two diverse friends of mine reported this ingrate was patronizing down to them as well--we feel it's a hostile environment to males of all ethnicities. If you are male, don't support this ingrate establishment!

Wheel House Bar and Grill

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