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    Waterwheel Lounge

    4.0 (166 reviews)
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Waterwheel Lounge Photos

    Business Info

    WATERWHEEL LOUNGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Very loud
    Juke Box
    Karaoke

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    Recommended Reviews - Waterwheel Lounge

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    Reviews With Photos

    My special chicken fried steak with eggs! :-)
    Robb M.

    I love this place! It is not fancy, in fact some may use the term "dive." However, they have good food, , drinks, and a tasty selection of beers. The tater tots are some of the best I have had, and when you pair them with the Waterwheel Burger, you have a killer combo. The chicken fried steak with smashed potatoes is also good, and I usually add a couple of fried eggs on top. (See the photo) Finally, Tess, the bartender is great!

    it's like, the light shining down...
    Daren D.

    It feels like an above-average dive. It's alright. I just hung out briefly with some buddies before leaving for a buddy's dinner. And wow, you want length? Come here. :P

    Rod C.

    If there was a negative star I would rate this karaoke bar a -10 So much potential with an engaging crowd. We are from Portland and was searching for a great karaoke spot in Seattle. This spot disappoints.... Great crowd but the sound system is so terrible. Great karaoke singers shouldn't be subjected to the worst sound system north of Oregon. KJ is checked out. We won't be back. Cheesy speaker system says it all...

    The bar looking to the left... (www.staytunedtheband.com/gallery)
    Will L.

    I'm going to try really really hard to write this review as if I accidentally walked in to the Waterwheel. I didn't, though, and I can't imagine there will be some bias here as the Waterwheel is now owned by my good friend Stu (who also plays drums in my band, Stay Tuned). Stu is one of those few people who discover an opportunity to pursue a lifelong dream and regardless of the amount of work, loss of sleep[, and lack of time to practice with the band,] he pursues it. He's a killer bartender and a savvy business man, and would love to make his professional life the Waterwheel [and hopefully the band, as he's an amazing drummer as well. Come see us some time, you'll agree.]. So, having never been to the Waterwheel, but hearing often about it during practice, me and a few friends headed down to check things out. Cue to the theme song from Cheers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8IZfR08S1o), seems like a place where the locals know each other's names. Stu has been raving about the Waterwheel's food, so we came hungry. We had the Cheeseburger dip (think like a French Dipped Sandwich, but with a cheeseburger), chicken fried steak, and a regular old burger. We also saw someone having the roasted chicken which looked fricken good. The food was like comfort food, tasty and heart-attack rendering. :) Fries were a bit crispy, but Stu mentioned that was on the list of things to deal with. We had pitchers and/or bottles of beer, and regardless of the place being reasonably full, we still got them pretty quickly. Service was friendly, decor was unique. And the jukebox... it's been a while since I paid attention to a jukebox. In fact... I don't think I ever have. My friends are music-philes and put $10 in, reserving about $4 for me. Selection was pretty good. Rare you can hear Steve Miller 'take the money and run' back to back with Curtis Mayfield's 'Freddy's Dead.'

    Waterwheel
    Ian O.

    It's an awesome dive with a country-theme! The drinks are strong and very affordable. A lot of karaoke... a lot... and it's a lot of fun! Parking is off Aurora and super small lot in front of the bar. If you're looking for a fun dive this is your place.

    Sara holding up the menu for me to take a pix.

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    5 years ago

    Special K is filthy. All the staff have super serving/singing abilities. I had a great Saturday night kickin at the waterwheel

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    5 years ago

    Possibly the greatest karaoke spot in Seattle!! Very encouraging host, Special K makes this place my go to karaoke joint.

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Waterwheel Lounge

    Does this place still have a ping pong table?

    Yes. Outdoors

    View All 2 Questions

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    We were looking for somewhere chill to satisfy our BBQ-brewpub food craving, and this place…read morescratched the itch. We ordered some beers and the Pulled Pork Quesadilla, which was surprisingly filling and delicious, the brisket chili was a hit omg would come back just for this, and the Brisket Mac and Cheese, another hit. Overall very satisfying, we were happy with our dinner choices. The vibe was low-key, though they got pretty busy shortly after we were seated, so it seems like they get random rushes here and there. You could tell there are a lot of neighborhood regulars. The service was great, friendly, and fast, which we appreciated. Our server checked on us often, even though they got super busy. There are two rooms, the main entrance area with seating and bar and a second room with a similar setup but bigger tables for larger groups.

    I live two blocks away and really want this place to be successful (especially with old stove next…read moredoor) but the service is just straight up horrible when a certain bartender is there. Multiple times he's been RUDE, but tonight he refused service 20mins before close, stood outside (drink in hand and smoking a cigarette) and said I should go to Percy's instead. As a restaurant owner myself, I wouldn't want my employees redirecting business somewhere else and it makes me upset for whoever employs him. Is someone just subsidizing this for fun bc the workers seem to think so

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    Triangle Spirits - Caesar Salad add Fried Chicken

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    4.4(164 reviews)
    2.4 miFremont
    $$

    The best happy hour in Fremont! This is my husband's and my go-to spot for fried chicken and…read moresports. Their daily 3-5 happy hour makes it particularly fun to watch college football on Saturdays or NFL on Sundays. They have a dark and cozy interior with a lovely shaded patio on hot days. We typically order the same thing each happy hour - I love the fried chicken sliders (Nashville hot) and my husband gets the fried chicken basket. We always pair that with a vieux carre. Total tab is under $35 not including tax and tip. A complete steal in Seattle these days! Service is usually quick and thoughtfully-spaced with enough time to make a dent in the drinks before the food arrives. It's the perfect spot to meet up with friends, host parents, and watch sports of any kind (the mariners game is always on).

    Some friends and I stopped in Saturday afternoon. When we ordered our drinks I asked which Irish…read morewhiskey comes with "The Devil You Know" boilermaker. The bartender, Amber Davis (also co-owner), snapped back at me saying "it's Jameson like it says on the menu!". Making me and the entire table super uncomfortable. Feeling confused I checked the menu to see it making no distinction between which Irish whiskey you'd get with that order. After a while our drinks and apps arrived. This was the last service interaction our table was afforded until we had to request our check. Not a single chance to order additional drinks or meals. The icing on the cake was the sign behind the bar that reads "be excellent to each other"... if only they practiced what they preached!

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    The Barrel Thief - Gin Manhattan type drink

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    4.0(243 reviews)
    2.4 miFremont
    $$

    I came here for dinner after a walk in the neighborhood with my dog--perfect place!…read more They have outdoor dining along the edge of the building and under an awning on the street. Both are dog friendly and our waiter even brought my dog a water bowl! Our servers were attentive and friendly. Food and drink were prepared and served quickly. Thank you Luke and Jeff for the wonderful service! I would recommend the brisket sandwich with a fries upgrade. The brisket is tender and juicy and pairs well with the slaw. The ciabatta bun is the best vehicle for all the deliciousness of the sandwich. But the stand out for me was the fries! Perfectly seasoned and fried to perfection, dipped in the aioli...YUM! To drink, I had the non-alcoholic spicy blueberry mocktail. It's spicy from the Fevertree ginger beer and slightly sweet from the blueberry. The fresh mint was a fragrant and delightful garnish. It comes in the coolest copper mug! If you're in the Ballard/Fremont area looking for outside seating, cocktails/mocktails, and tasty food, make sure to check out The Barrel Thief!

    Everything was great and the owner Jeff was there tending bar when my friend and I went in for…read morehappy hour. We were the only ones in there for a while and so had a chance to talk with Geoff, who made great recommendations for food and was very pleasant and friendly. Everything we tried was delicious. My friend initially ordered a drink that wasn't on happy hour as she had forgotten to ask about it, and at the end, Jeff had changed the price to a happy hour price since he didn't let her know about that in advance. Very class move and going the extra mile in a way that makes a huge difference and leaves along lasting impression on the customer! Happy hour food menu is small, but that seems to be for a reason, because what they do they do well!

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    Waterwheel Lounge - karaoke - Updated September 2026

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