Elliott Bay Brewing Co.

Elliott Bay Brewing Co.Elliott Bay Brewing Co.
Elliott Bay Brewing Co.Elliott Bay Brewing Co.
Brewery, Eatery

4720 California Ave. SW
Seattle, Washington, 98116
United States

(206) 932-8695 | map
elliottbaybrewing.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.71
Beers:
64
Ratings:
267
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.98
Reviews:
24
Ratings:
36
pDev:
10.55%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by italianstallion:
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Rated by italianstallion from Wisconsin

3.74/5  rDev -6%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75

Dec 21, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.51 by psoriasaurus from Thailand

Aug 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.16 by Superheatnsubcool from Washington

Jun 14, 2016
 
Rated: 3.95 by AdamSkylar from Washington

Jun 05, 2016
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Reviewed by brewskifan55 from Mississippi

4/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
We went to Burien location; a huge place with lots of seating, even an area in the basement. Plenty of choices on tap. My flight had some tasty picks including No Doubt Stout and Quasimodo barleywine. The bartender was very helpful in suggesting brews. Our cone of waffle fries was the perfect snack. I wasn't familiar with Elliot Bay, but they make some stellar entries. With 3 locations, you're sure to enjoy.
Apr 20, 2016
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Reviewed by gandres from Philippines

3.21/5  rDev -19.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.25 | service: 3 | selection: 3.25
Parking is difficult and place is pack on a Tuesday.
Not worth the wait, specially no views and not a lot of choices.
Kid friendly, which is good.
Overall, a good place to hang out when you are in West Seattle, but you can always go to SODO for better beer and place to spend the evening
Dec 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3.58 by Aball4620 from Washington

Nov 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.33 by Donkster46 from Washington

Mar 20, 2015
 
Rated: 4.12 by Anaxagoris from Washington

Oct 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by Seattle_Suds from Washington

Dec 18, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by aullrich from Washington

Dec 11, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by trytoketchup from Colorado

Dec 07, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by bulldogg915 from Wyoming

Nov 10, 2013
 
Rated: 4.25 by biggreenchris from New Hampshire

Oct 19, 2013
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Reviewed by Hopmodium from Washington

4.31/5  rDev +8.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.75
Great grub, no doubt. Healthy options available as well. Service is great as well. The only complaint I have ever had here has been the terrible country music that played all morning on the first day of this year, 2013. Really, that is the worst thing I have encountered here, even the customers seem happier than most. Ate here as a tourist, a prospective resident, and as a WS resident...love it and cannot see that changing. Great beer selection that does not rotate all to much despite seasonal favorites but that matters little when the beer is this good. Great prices as well, growlers filled properly and affordably so, bring your family here. Try the Demolition Ale on Beer Engine if that is still available, great way to try a beer if you are a true fan of suds. Last time I was there, Red van Boorian was on cask and it was friggin' great.
Jan 29, 2013
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Reviewed by snaotheus from Washington

3.88/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Happened to be there on the day of a parade, and a large group of people dressed as pirates came in and broke into song from time to time. So that was weird, but whatever. At least I found a parking spot.

This was my first visit. The atmosphere was nice, small, friendly, professional brewpub. The quality of the beer was good, and the selection was fairly standard for a brewpub. They had three guest taps that were clearly geared toward non-beer people (framboise...).

Food was good but not spectacular. Nothing seemed unreasonably priced or anything. Overall, good solid place. I would go back.
Jul 22, 2012
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Reviewed by AdemT from Washington

4.55/5  rDev +14.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 4
Consistently fantastic beer, no matter the style. I've been going here for more than a decade and I never cease to be impressed by the beer. The food is above-average pub fare, but the value here is the incredible beer. Service is generally really good, too. They do well-hopped beers as well as any brewery or brewpub in NW. My favorites are Demolition and their dry-hopped IPA, but I've recently become a fan of their hoppy Belgian-style trippel, Hop Von Boorian. Not sure why I never tried it before. Speaking of trying things, if you're curious about *any* beer on the menu, just ask for a sample and they will kindly oblige.
Mar 15, 2012
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Reviewed by WaBeerBlog from Washington

4.75/5  rDev +19.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
As West Seattle homeowners, Elliott Bay Brewery is our local establishment and we go there at least every week or two. The food is served in generous, affordable, tasty portions (try the Ahi Tacos or something from their fresh sheet).

They usually have 10+ of their own fresh beers on tap (try the dry-hop IPA or Hop von Boorian), plus a couple guest taps from local breweries.

The service is exceptional, especially noticable when they are busy which is most of the time. Servers come around when you need them, food and drinks hit the table quickly, but you never feel rushed to turn the table over. Even if they are busy it's ok to linger over another pint and watch the game.

The only down marks I would give them are for noise, it can get quite loud when it's busy, and for too many kids at the dinner hour. I'm not a kid hater, but it's nice to go out for a quiet dinner sometimes and you aren't going to find it here. If you want quiet, try it at 3 p.m. or after 8 p.m. Any time of day, you will get a good glimpse of who lives in West Seattle, because they all come here. You should too.

(Responding to one of the other reviews, they DO brew onsite at this location, you just can't see it because it's in the basement. This was their only brewhouse until they opened Elliott Bay Burien, which has a larger capacity, but they still brew at both locations.)
Oct 11, 2010
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Reviewed by GJ40 from North Carolina

3.9/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3
I stopped into EBBC based on its BA rating while in Seattle on business.

EBBC is in a fun, artsy area that I would have never happened upon had it not been for my beer quest. The atmosphere is very comfortable with lots of brick, high ceilings and comfortable wood booths. There's a moderate sized bar up front and a larger area of tables to the side and back. There's also a loft like second floor in the back. I really liked the feel of the place.

The beer selection features six regulars on tap and other seasonals including a variety of Belgians. The beer menu lists everything they ever have but doesn't clearly show what they have at the moment. I went with a Dry Hop IPA and a Hop Von Boorian. Both were enjoyable with a definite west coast flair.

The menu looked outstanding but I thought the food was a bit lacking. I went with the Ahi Tacos which are described as "flash seared to medium rare" but there was very little fish and it was cooked throughout. It wasn't quite worth the $10.95 price. The servers were nice and very attentive.

I'm glad I tried EBBC and I would recommend it for the beer, atmosphere and service but don't expect anything special from the food. It's good but no more.
May 22, 2009
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Reviewed by bigkingken from North Carolina

3.98/5  rDev 0%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Elliott Bay is a few minute drive from downtown, but well worth the effort. Walking in, the place has a homey feel that so often eludes brewpubs that try too hard. Real wood booths and tables that are aged for character, a humble bar with regulars enjoying a pint of their favorites, and an upstairs with a view of a plasma tv. I loved the ambiance of this place.

Not an extensive menu, but all the classics done well. Since it's on the bay, I started with crab cakes. They were good, lots of crab and they stuck together well, but I'm not sure they were worth $9 for two.

The fish and chips were expertly done. The fish was moist, fresh and flavorful. The breading was made from their IPA and extremely light and crispy. Almost more of a tempura than a batter.

And a praline fudge brownie with stout ice cream is one of the best desserts I've ever had. The slight bitterness of the stout ice cream was necessary for the unbelievably rich brownie. I have a gigantic sweet tooth, and this brownie was almost too much for me. But I loved every second of it.

They offered six beers in their sampler, each of which was good, but the No Doubt Stout was exceptional. The deep roasted tones just screamed the name coal. It's exactly what I look for in a porter. Medium body, deep flavor... exceptional. Here's my only gripe. They offered a couple of other seasonal beers not on the sampler, as well as a cask conditioned stout, but I wasn't told this! A sampler should include every option available! That's more of a service gripe than a beer gripe, but I wonder what brewed goodness I missed out on.

The service was great except she could have warned me the sampler didn't include all their samples. But the glass never went dry and we were always taken care of despite a busy night.
Apr 01, 2009
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Reviewed by RedDiamond from Oregon

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
The floorplan at Elliott Bay's original West Seattle location puts a premium on street exposure at the expense of elbow room, creating a long, skinny layout that can feel confining and crowded during peak hours. People typically gather near the front door, at the head of the bar, or outside on the sidewalk in wait for a table. And even as your hostess seats you, it feels like you're cramping other diners as you squeeze past them.

Of course, crowds are an indication of a worthy restaurant so it's not surprising to learn that Elliott Bay offers tasty, reasonably priced eats with their dozen or more house beers. They typically serve multiple IPAs including a dry hopped version, and Thursday (not Weds. as their website says) is cask night where one beer is poured from a firkin. House beers cover the standards, but also include Belgian-American hybrids and ales brewed with fruits or chocolate. The small brew house is isolated in a room only visible as you leave the building from the rear exit.

Much of Elliott Bay's agenda is similar at both locations. This includes their identical menu and environmentally sustainable practices. But each brewpub offers beers not served at the other and my explorations yielded greater beercraft at their West Seattle pub. The pub features exposed red brick, oil candles, and stylishly mismatched lighting fixtures including two brass chandeliers. There's also an upstairs loft for overflow seating.

Elliott Bay's location can be easily accessed from the West Seattle Freeway so it's not challenging to find. But to avoid crowds and waiting, consider a visit after the dinner rush. They offer a nice selection of desserts and a number of good ales to pair with them.
Feb 04, 2009
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Reviewed by benito from Oregon

2.98/5  rDev -25.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
Elliot Bay is in the heart of West Seattle and pitches itself as "your neighborhood pub." The outside is a non-descript storefront; once inside, the place is cookie-cutter brewpub from top to bottom: large, spacious dining room with a second floor; long wooden bar with lots of TVs; pub fare on the menu. It's neither offensive nor West Seattle-specific.

They had about ten beers on tap when my friend and I visited, and we sampled a number of them. I struggled to find any that I liked, as the dry-hopped IPA, regular IPA, porter, demolition ale (another pale ale), mild, Belgian IPA, and Irish red all disappointed. In the interest of full disclosure, my friend said that the Red von Boorian--a take on an Irish red, I think (but there was no beer menu anywhere to confirm or deny this)--was the best beer she had tasted from any Seattle brewery. I respectfully disagreed.

We drank, watched the Final Four, and left. Elliot Bay is far enough off the beaten path that it takes an effort for a Seattle beer tourist to get there...I'll make a pitch for not putting in that effort and sticking with some of the other breweries around town.
Apr 11, 2008
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Reviewed by barleywinefiend from Washington

3.25/5  rDev -18.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
Ok. Elliott Bay is nice. I hit this place a few times after visiting the Beveridge Place on California(check it out). I will say that I was never impressed with food, service or beer. It is a great place to have lunch but in my opinion there are many places better in Seattle. The place is nice, bar up front should be expanded, crowded up front and not that spacious. The beer is ok and the food is average. The IPA is good but they really need to expand and explore on the beer menu. Beer was always pretty typical and they never ventured off the beaten path to much. I have heard fro other friends they have really begun to expand the menu but this is based upon my experience there.
Dec 24, 2007
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Reviewed by 86sportster883 from Maryland

3.95/5  rDev -0.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5
After arriving at the SeaTac airport from the east coast, I drove directly to the EBBC in West Seattle for lunch, and to sample some of their beers. I was pleased to see two beer engines behind the bar, but was a little surprised that they didn’t have any of their own beers on hand pump. I started with a Boundary Bay Scottish Ale which was one of two guest beers on cask, the second being the Maritime Imperial IPA listed on the beer menu under "Nitro Cask." The Scottish ale went perfectly with the butternut squash soup that came with the day's sandwich special. The sandwich (spicy chicken) was forgettable, but the soup and the beer were excellent.

The place itself is essentially one long rectangular room with a bar up front on your left, booths on the right, tables in the middle, kitchen in the back, and a small upstairs area that was closed. Two relatively small TVs, tuned to ESPN, sit at either end of the bar with the sound off as some sort of funky (but only minimally irritating) dance mix plays just loud enough to be heard over the chatter of the sizeable lunch hour crowd. Local art pieces (for sale) adorn the oversized brick faced walls and house beer banners are hung from the high ceiling.

My second beer was the dry hopped version of the Elliot Bay IPA. This IPA is aggressively hopped (but not over the top), with the piney bitterness of Chinook hops clearly dominating. Overall, I found this dry hopped IPA to be a nice example of an American-style IPA based primarily on citrusy NW hops. The other house beers included the Pilot Light, Luna Weizen, Alembic Pale, Elliott Bay IPA (the regular, not dry hopped version), No Doubt Stout, Hop von Boorian and Demolition IPA. The available house seasonal beers included the Scottish, Red and Noir “von Boorians,” each being Belgian-yeast-based brews with a unique twist. I finished with a 10 oz schooner of the Red von Boorian, a Belgian Red brewed with 20% honey malt that is mildly sweet but nicely balanced on the finish by the spice of Bavarian hops. This was by far the most interesting beer of the session and one that will ensure that I return again for more.

Guest beers included the two cask beers mentioned above, the Darkstar Porter and Lindermans Framboise. Bottled beer included nothing too interesting, other than La Fin du Monde.

Note that, according to Wikipedia, Von Boorian is the name of the German immigrant credited with founding the town of Burien, where many of the EBBC beers are brewed.
Nov 07, 2007
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Reviewed by beals from Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Stopped in here during a night in West Seattle after sushi and walking around Alki Beach. They have a huge sign out front, which makes the place seem large from the outside. However, the inside is a narrow bar in which the kitchen cuts into the seating space, so they've made a second level/loft in the back. Seating down the middle is at high tables, and seating along the right side consists of high-backed booths.

I expected more of the brewpub atmosphere, but they don't appear to brew on premises, so they aren't playing up that aspect. Instead, it felt just like a regular beer bar.

I had the red and my buddy had a porter; I was highly impressed with mine, but he wasn't as psyched about his. The selection of beer was good for a brewpub, and the food selection was better, though we really didn't have much. We just had the pretzels and mustard, which incidentally were exactly what said I was looking for -- I was just joking at first and then amazingly found some on the menu. A perfect complement to the beer.

The service was so-so... moody waitress stopped by from time to time and seemed heavily distracted.
Sep 03, 2007
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Reviewed by wolffman17 from Texas

4/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Besides having great beer, Elliott Bay in West Seattle was cozy, inviting, and family friendly. It's the perfect place to spend a lazy, rainy afternoon. The quality, freshness, and service was all commendable. I had a pint of the pale ale along with a pint of Hop von Boorian, a Belgian IPA (?!?), and I'd recommend both. My girlfriend ordered one of their several blends: No Doubt Stout with a splash of port. She absolutely adored it. We also ordered the Ahi tacos which were fantastic. Overall, Elliott Bay was an enjoyable experience.
Mar 14, 2007
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Reviewed by DogFood11 from California

3.83/5  rDev -3.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Part of my holiday tour of Seattle beer establishments. Long and slender space w/ no brewing on premises. The atmosphere was mixed in that families were present and there was also a small belly up section up front w/ sports on the flat screen tv's and lots of 20-30 somethings gobbling down some brews. Overall it was a laid back atmosphere and excellent service.

They host some brews that are not made by them but the list was small and uneventfull. The dry hopped IPA was decent, but for the beer "experts" I was with, the overall feeling was the beers were just decent, including my thoughts as well. Food was well prepared and enjoyed by all.

Notes: Of the four stops we made in Seattle I was really surprised this was rated as the best brewpub in town. I guess it could mean that brewpubs aren't that good overall in Seattle or I was the oddball that didn't enjoy it all that much. Either way its not a must stop in my opinion. In a nutshell, great service, pedestrian beers, good food.
Dec 30, 2006
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Reviewed by morebeergood from Massachusetts

4.2/5  rDev +5.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
This was the first stop on my brewpub tour while visiting family for Christmas 2006 in Seattle. The bar is a decent size, not large but cozy enough. The service was really good, both women behind the counter stuck up conversations with us. I had a beer sampler, which was four of their staple beers plus their holiday Noale beer for 5 samples total. All five beers were very good. I ordered a basket of fries, which was a generous portion. The guys next to me ordered burgers, which looked excellent. Overall, the whole experience was really good and I would definitely head back.
Dec 27, 2006
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Reviewed by atomicbwax from Washington

4.4/5  rDev +10.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Atmosphere - This place tends to be pretty lively. A good place for the locals as well as non-locals. The place is warm and inviting with high backed wood booths along the wall and tables. There is a small upsatirs area for larger groups.

Quality - The food and beer are all of high quality. They have their list of 6 or so beers that they have all the time but they also have a few selections that rotate in and out. All the beers I've had are of high qiuality.

Service - In all my experiences there the service has been friendly and top notch. The wait staff seems to be pretty knowledgeable about what they have and are willing to make suggestions if asked.

Selection - As stated above they have 6 or so beers that they seem to always have. They have other beers that they rotate in and out. Not the biggest selection in town but what they have is good.

Food - The food here is good. A good selection of burgers and other sandwiches. The shroomer is great and the california burger is good too. Nothing over-the-top great but it's all pretty good.
Nov 14, 2006
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Reviewed by bultrey from New York

4.4/5  rDev +10.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
It's day 2 of my most recent beer vacatio... ummm, business trip to Seattle. And what I've discovered is that really, the bus system in Seattle couldn't be easier to use. So there is no excuse for me (or you) to not make it out to Elliott Bay. I jumped on a bus in downtown Seattle, and after a quick 10 minute ride, there I was in the middle of West Seattle at the corner of SW Alaska and California Aves.

Very happenin' atmosphere, you can tell lots of locals come here and are passionate about it. It seems very family friendly, too. Long bar on the left as soon as you walk in, maybe 15 seats or so, and lots of tables in the seating area to the right. I didn't go up there, but there is another room up some stairs in the back. It looked like it could accommodate about as many as the downstairs area. A coupls of TVs high above the bar for watching the game, and a big chalkboard with all the beer happenings right above the bar, spelled out plain and simple. They offer aboout 12 of their own brews, plus a couple of local guest brews, as seems to be the norm around these parts. Got the sampler tray, and had a hard time picking which beers I wanted to try. Hop is the king at Elliott Bay, as it is at most Pac NW beer locales. But here, it is all brewed in house and fresh as can be. I'm not going to talk about all the beers here, but suffice to say, they were some of the most drinkable and delicious beers I had in Seattle, and the hoppier styles (including the wet-hop harvest ale), ranged from excellent to mind-blowing. The service was spot on, very friendly, and very knowledgeable. The food seemed like your basic pub grub jazzed up a a bit, but all I can report on are the fish and chips (I always get the fish and chips), which were fantastic. Of note, the coleslaw on the side was excellent, and I am not a big coleslaw fan. Reason: cilantro. Why hadn't I thought of that before?

Another winner in the Seattle area.
Nov 13, 2006
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Reviewed by FightingEntropy from Minnesota

4.13/5  rDev +3.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This was literally a quicky on the way to the airport to fly back to Minnesota. Very cool looking long skinny pub, bar and kitchen on one side and the booths on the other. Old brick building in a nice looking neighborhood though I don't know it's name. Looks like a nice trendy, artsy area. Very busy at lunch, so the locals are going there. Service was fast and attentive in spite of how busy it got, and the bartender even answered a few questions for the obvious note taking tourist. And, the sample are free, which hasn't happened in a while, especially when there's nine on tap. Bartender said there's a new location opening up in Highline which is near the airport, so we'll hit that one next time. Beer was good to very good all around, though not as good as I expected from samples at GABF last year. Worth the stop.
Nov 13, 2006
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Reviewed by TheBungyo from Washington

4.1/5  rDev +3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
The joint was rocking on the early Friday evening I was there. It took about 10 minutes to get a seat. While we waited we were promptly served at the seats right by the bar. The sampler is a great deal, 5 5OZ beers for only $6. The dry hopped IPA was delicious, as was the Pilot Light. The oatmeal stout was tasty as well, though a bit thin. I ordered the IPA Battered Fish and Chips and have to say it was marvelous! There were many other tasty items on the menu, making it very hard to choose. For the money, it was worth every cent. If this were closer to my neighborhood, I'd certainly go back!
Feb 28, 2006
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Reviewed by warmstorage from California

4.6/5  rDev +15.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I'm actually inclined to say that this is my favorite brewpub in Seattle... even if it is in West Seattle.

The atmopshere is pretty standard pub/brewpub. It's narrow and deep, with a nice bar to the left, a longish common table with eight stools in the middle, wood booths all along the right, and tables in the middle of it all. Parking wasn't difficult at all on two recent visits: I parked two spots up once, and the second time, literally right in front.

The service was outstanding: the bartender was friendly, fast, and seemed to acutally care how I was doing. I ordered the sampler (5 five ounce mini steins for $6) and he brought out a sixth (a seasonal Kolsch) without my asking, and later on, was happy to bring out another free sample (dry hopped IPA) when I asked. He heartily greeted everyone who walked in, and his friendliness became my best introduction to the neighborhood feeling of West Seattle (which I am starting to really love.) EBB's motto is legitimate: "West Seattle's Neighborhood Brewpub."

The selection was solid: eight house brews on, and another six or more guest taps, including Lindemans's Framboise on tap ($5 for 8 ounces, I think.) House taps are $3.75 for a pint, $3 at happy hour (3-6 PM, and 10p-close Monday-Saturday, and 9p-close Sunday.) In January, EBB started using only organic pale malt as the base malt for all house beers, though I only know this from their web page, oddly, it wasn't advertised in the pub. I wasn't quite able to figure out the "cask beer on nitro", and forgot to ask both visits. It looks like a standard nitro tap handle and spout, and is not a hand-pump. Apparently a hand pumped beer engine is elsewhere, and I just didn't see it. Their guest taps are explicitly Washington only, which is great.

The food was tasty, and average priced. The menu is a lot longer than I could really explore...

The beer was GREAT. A couple of things didn't shine (the IPA was grassy/earthy hoppy, but not a standard hop forward northwest IPA like I love, and not particularly remarkable.) The Luna Weizen has cute marketing, but is a mediocre interpretation of a German weizen. BUT: every other beer ranged from great to fantastic. The Klondike Gold Kolsch was among the best American interpretations of this style I've had: full bodied, slightly spicy, and very drinkable. The No Doubt Stout was a delicious, thick, sweet export style, which reminded me of the very strong, thick Guinness special export style I had in Belize: excellent.

Finally, the Hop Harvest, a seasonal, was AMAZING. Eleven pounds of Amarillo shine through, and the website indicates they were harvested near Yakima on a Friday, pelletized on a Saturday, shipped to EBB on Monday, and in the brew kettle on Tuesday. The results of this amazingly fresh brewing were apparent, in a huge, delicious hop front and back. YUM! It was so damn good that I got a growler ($13 total, $9 to refill) to fly home with, something I almost never do.

The quality of the beer, overall, blew me away. Taking out a couple of mediocre offerings (IPA and Weizen), the beers were as good as any I've had in Seattle, and compare favorably with the entire Pacific coast. I have to confess that this surprised me: I was expecting a smallish neighborhood brewpub, and certainly not expecting to be thinking, halfway through my beers, that I would be making this drive rather than going to Elysian or Big Time. I'll absolutely keep going back, even if it means a twenty minute drive from central Seattle.
Nov 01, 2005
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Reviewed by henrysunset from Washington

3.93/5  rDev -1.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This is a nice change of pace from the downtown seattle bar/brewpub scene. Elliott bay is a small brick-interiored place on a cute strip that I never knew existed in west seattle. It was packed when we visited on a random tuesday and the only seat we could get right away was at the bar. My buddy ordered a portabello mushroom burger which he assured me was good, and I can confirm that te fries were tasty, ya know a little crispy and plenty greasy.

As for the beers, they have ~8 of their own beers and ~8 guest beers. I enjoyed a sampling of 5 of them and tried the pale ale too. I was impressed by all of them, even the very strange chai noale, a twist to their regular seasonal where they add chai spices during fermentaiton. (The regular seasonal is very good i might add; a sort of fortified brown ale, dryer than most winter seasonals)

I also enjoyed their pilsener, which has been west-coast'ed with a little more hops than normal and their fresh hops dryhopped ipa, which smells very fresh and just liek a specific kind of hops which are escaping me.

In any event, great place, check it out, it's not really that far off the beaten path, either. Just keep your eyes peeled for parking :-)
Dec 22, 2004
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Reviewed by beertaster13 from Washington

4.63/5  rDev +16.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
If ever up in West Seattlle this is the place to go. Elliot Bay is generally pretty small, a brick firehouse type building on a bustling West Seattle street. Always popping during lunch and on the weekends it is hard to find a seat. It is cozy however the small bar leaves much to be desired, there is and up stairs bar but it is never open weekdays during lunch hour. The quality here is great, the wood for the seats is nice and the quality of service, food and beer is excellent. The service is quick especially if you sit at the bar, during luch there are always 5 waitresses that get things done well. The selection of beers is great, they have guest beers, there own beers and cask and nitro as well. The cask was Dick's Pale this time, there beers range from stouts, to pales, IPA's, hefs etc. Also had a nice Alpine lager there as well. Offer bud and bud light for some god for saking reason. The food has a great selection from pastas, to salads, to sandwiches to burgers and other great entrees. The fish and chips in IPA is excellent, the burger with stout BBQ sauce was nice as well. For lunch I usually get the smoked turkey and bacon sandwich and a salad wich is phenomenal. Happy hour has 3.00 pints, growler fills are 9 bucks for house brews 10 for outside brews. 6 bucks for a 5 beer sampler. A great place if a beer lover.
Sep 15, 2004
Photo of jreitman
Reviewed by jreitman from California

4.05/5  rDev +1.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
Elliott Bay Brewing is in a tall brick building in West Seattle. The walls and ceilings are covered in carnival masks and mock carnival monkeys. The brewery part of the pub sits to the side of the building behind a half-height wall. The pub is very much geared towards being a restaurant with only a small bar in the front of the building.

The food selection was the standard pub fare. My party stuck with the vegetarian chili and the fish and chips, both of which were quite good. For dessert, we ordered slice of carrot cake which was also very good.

Overall, Elliot Bay is a great place to go if you are looking for a good meal with some great beer.
Jun 24, 2002
Elliott Bay Brewing Co. in Seattle, WA
Brewery rating: 3.71 out of 5 with 267 ratings