A legendary Seattle brewery opens its second location
For the past 33 years, Pike Brewing has entertained locals and tourists at its location near Pike Place Market. For the first time, the brewery has opened a second location.
It immediately felt familiar. Pike Brewing opened its new taproom in Ballard about a week ago and it already feels like it has always been there. The staff told me that over the first few days, as crowds rolled in and out, people seemed to fill the space comfortably like they knew exactly where to go and what to do. Apparently, my feelings of immediate familiarity were not unique.
Of course, the beers are familiar. As I previously reported, Pike Brewing’s current mission is to prepare itself for the long haul — to prove itself relevant today and into the future.
“It’s been a big year of growth for Pike Brewing,” said Drew Gillespie, President of Pike Brewing. “Opening a taproom in Ballard is an exciting way for us to introduce our new and improved beers, new team, and fresh look to a whole new audience.”
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The Beer. Part of that plan involved reworking some of the existing recipes. Leslie Shore, now the head brewer, has introduced some new beers to the lineup and reinvented some of the old standbys with thoughtful reverence as well as an understanding of the contemporary beer drinkers’ palate. If you haven’t done it lately, revisit some of those classic Pike beers, like Space Needle IPA for instance. It’s changed.
The Food. The menu was designed by Chef Ethan Stowell, and offers a handful of burgers, plus wings, salads, and shareables. The menu is refreshing for downtown Ballard. It’s not tediously long or oppressively fancy. The prices, dare I say, are reasonable.
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Don’t expect a $30 truffle burger with a $15 fois gras option. Instead, get the Pike Royale with Cheese ($10), which is reminiscent of a Dick’s Deluxe, made with better ingredients and on a better bun. For me, the star of the show was the Ranch Fries ($10), which is a heaping platter of fries blanketed with some sort of dreamy ranch-salt—–pictured above along with the Loaded Tots ($12) and the Pike Pretzel ($5).
You’ll find the new Pike Taproom in Ballard, on Ballard Avenue. Right in the middle of all that beautiful Ballard nightlife. All-ages. Cocktails and other beverages available along with the beautiful lineup of Pike beers.
Pike Brewing Taproom
5205 Ballard Ave NW,
Seattle, WA 98107
(206) 906-9158
Monday – Thursday: 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Friday: 3:00 pm – 12:00 am
Saturday: 12:00 pm – 12:00 am
Sunday: 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm
