Seattle/Portland/Bend with Kids

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by MCDForm, Jul 23, 2014.

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  1. MCDForm

    MCDForm Initiate (0) Oct 13, 2010 California

    I'm going on a whopper of a trip in two weeks and visiting a ton of places. I'm looking on advice for some can't miss breweries that serve food. We are going to be in Bend, Yakima, Rainier, Olympic NP (all over), Seattle, Bellevue, Winthrop then Portland. Pretty much in that order. I can stop by a place to pick up beer after my kids pass out since they're young and it's usually pretty early

    Right now we have:
    Bend: Crux or Deschutes
    Yakima: Bale Breaker (bringing our lunch)
    Seattle: ??
    Bellevue: Black Raven is near my hotel. So it seems this is the place to go. Unless they have bottles somewhere
    Drive from Winthrop to Portland: Seems like a few options, Pfriem or Solera?
    Portland: Cascade Barrel Room

    Any places that have great food and good tap lists are welcomed too! In Seattle we are near South Lake Union. In Portland we're pretty close to Breakside Brewing but I'm not sure what the neighborhood is called.

    Thanks
     
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  2. sharpski

    sharpski Grand Pooh-Bah (3,100) Oct 11, 2010 Oregon
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

  3. TheBungyo

    TheBungyo Pooh-Bah (2,037) Dec 1, 2004 Washington
    Pooh-Bah

    Black Raven is awesome, but I don't think you'll be able to bring kids. At least, I don't remember ever seeing kids there.

    Are you looking at just one stop per town/city?
     
  4. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Seattle: Fremont Brewing, Reuben's Brews, and Chuck's Hop Shop are all kid-friendly and always have excellent beer. Chuck's usually has a food truck in the parking lot too. Enjoy your trip, sounds like fun!
     
    #4 Orca, Jul 23, 2014
    Last edited: Jul 23, 2014
  5. BuckeyeOne

    BuckeyeOne Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2008 Washington

    Depending upon where you are staying in South Lake Union in Seattle, the Wurst Place should be an easy walk. They specialize in german brats and such (and have tator tots for the tots) plus one of the best taplists in the city IMHO. Also, the Fremont, Ballard, and Greenwood neighborhoods are very close. @draheim has already mentioned Fremont Brewing (Fremont), Reuben's Brews (Ballard), and Chuck's Hop Shop (Greenwood). The Ridge Pizza in Greenwood has good beer and good pizza and is very kid-friendly. Stoup Brewing is also in Ballard and should have a food truck outside. Nickerson St. Saloon is in Fremont (technically, it's in Queen Anne but just across the Fremont Bridge from Fremont) --- you'd have to pass Nickerson St. Saloon to get to Fremont from South Lake Union and it's kid friendly and has a more than decent taplist.
     
  6. HopEnforcer

    HopEnforcer Initiate (0) Jul 13, 2009 Oregon

    Bend:
    Crux is my favorite brewery to stop at in Bend. Great beer and I have always enjoyed their food offerings.
    Check out Boneyard in Bend for a quick stop. They do not have a bar setup, but you can do a quick taster tray for some must-try beers.

    Seattle:
    Chuck's Hop shop is great. Awesome bottle shop and good variety on tap.

    Winthrop to Portland:
    I assume you're going 84 if you mentioned Pfriem brewing. I would recommend Double Mountain first for great beer and pizza. I have not visited Pfriem yet, but I have heard great things about the brewery. Their IPA is great. If you’re looking to fit in another brewery, then check out Walking Man back across the river in Stevenson, WA.

    Portland:
    You won’t be disappointed in the food and beer at Burnside Brewing or Hopworks.
    Upright Brewing and Commons are two worth checking out for beer (not food).
    Beer Mongers is my favorite bar/bottle shop, but you’ll find a larger variety at Belmont Station.
     
  7. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    In Winthrop, Old Schoolhouse is kid friendly, and they make some very nice beer. I'm assuming that you're grabbing the ferry from Port Townsend? I believe that Port Townsend Brewing is OK for kids, but not 100% on that. In Oak Harbor, Flyers is kidly, as is Anacortes Brewing/Rockfish Grill in Anacortes. Skagit River Brewing in Mt. Vernon will make that list (if the whiskey barrel Trumpeter Stout is still on tap, that's a must hit).

    If you want to come a little North from Highway 20, all 5 of Bellingham's breweries are kid approved, as are most of the interesting beer spots. If you decide to come up this way, shoot me a BM and I'll give ya some more detailed intel. Enjoy your trip!
     
  8. Beervana

    Beervana Initiate (0) Apr 15, 2014 Canada (BC)

  9. leedorham

    leedorham Initiate (0) Apr 27, 2006 Washington

    Black Raven usually has some bottles at the brewery of whatever they felt like bottling. The taproom is not kid friendly, even if they are legally allowed there (not sure).
     
  10. MCDForm

    MCDForm Initiate (0) Oct 13, 2010 California

    Thanks for all the information. We'll actually be travelling from Port Angeles area through Tacoma (to visit a friend) then on the Bellevue/Seattle. I usually plan one beer stop per city so my wife doesn't get too pissed. Breweries need to add variety to their menus because pizza and burgers get old after doing it everyday.

    Sharpski: Thanks for the nice link.

    Checked Black Raven and it says 21 and over. From what I've heard it's worth getting to anyways. I'll put the kids to bed early that night.

    It looks like we will be in Fremont/Ballard for one dinner. So I'm going to look into those spots. My wife offers me alternatives like Delancey's and Skillet Diner but I'm not sure about the beer at those places (and wait times). We'll be going to the Locks around lunch then exploring the area until dinner.

    Wurst Place is real close to the hotel as is Serious Pie. Thanks for the recs. Being able to walk back to the hotel always makes dinner more enjoyable.

    Anyone have any input on Mead Market in Portland? We also plan on visiting a cider house between Port Angeles and Tacoma.
     
  11. BuckeyeOne

    BuckeyeOne Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2008 Washington

    If you're going to the Locks around lunch, grab lunch at Ray's Cafe (on the outside patio). It's mostly seafood (including a kids menu) with a more than decent taplist and a spectacular view that both you and your wife will appreciate. After lunch and the Locks, spend some time at Golden Gardens Park with the kids. It's a beach but nothing like Cali beaches. I'll let you decide if that's better or worse.
     
  12. dirtylou

    dirtylou Grand Pooh-Bah (3,352) May 12, 2005 Oklahoma
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Delancey's is outstanding, but don't expect too much in the way of beer (great cocktails, though). If visiting on a weekend, expect at least an hour wait, possibly a bit longer. Skillet is good - only a handful of taps, but plenty of other places within walking distance.

    There are quite a few breweries inbetween Port Townsend and Tacoma - Sound (never been), Silver City and 7 Seas come to mind
     
  13. jarbroen

    jarbroen Initiate (0) Jul 21, 2014 Washington

    Skillet Diner (Capital Hill) is great food. Definitely take your family there. Can get pretty busy, depending on when you go.
    While you're up there on Cap Hill the Elysian Brewery is right around the corner. Kid friendly, good pub atmosphere and good menu.
    While you're in Bellevue you can stop at Total Wine and pick up almost any kind of beer you'd like. I'm sure you have those in California too though.

    In Winthrop definitely go the Old Schoolhouse. Great beer and good food. Cool place to take the family too.

    When you're in Yakima take the kids to the Miner burger. They will probably get a kick. Kind of an old school burger joint with HUGE burgers. Not the greatest food but it's a Yakima experience.

    Definitely check out Deschutes when you're in Bend. I've never been to Crux but Deschutes has a great brew pub. Very kid friendly and they usually have beers on tap that are hard to find. Very good food selection. It's also in a cool, downtown kind of area. Shops for the wife and stuff like ice cream shops for the kids.
     
  14. BuckeyeOne

    BuckeyeOne Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2008 Washington

    I think the OP is looking at possibly going to Skillet in Ballard. With that said, if the OP does go to the Cap Hill Skillet, Elysian is a good call, as would be Chuck's Central District for bottles and such.

    OP - Please do not go to Total Wine for beer. There are a multitude of locally-owned bottle shops in Seattle area that you can hit rather than shopping at a corporate chain. If you're headed to Fremont/Ballard for dinner, you can hit Bottleworks and/or Chuck's Hop Shop. Downtown Spirits is not far from South Lake Union. You can also pick up bottles and/or cans at Fremont Brewing and Reuben's Brews. Malt and Vine is not far from Black Raven Brewing (where you can also pick up bottles).
     
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  15. MCDForm

    MCDForm Initiate (0) Oct 13, 2010 California

    Any special bottles to look out for? It sounded like Ching Ching in Bend. What about Ale Apothecary, do they have any bottles out right now?

    The Miner burger looks ridiculous! Saw a picture where it dwarfed the soda next to it.

    I'll be in Seattle around Aug 9th and Portland the week after.
     
  16. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Some friends were just down in Bend and picked up a bottle of Ale Apothecary La Tache for me; it was phenomenal. They bought it at a store called The Brew Shop. At the time (a week or two ago), I believe that was the only Ale Apothecary beer they had in stock. $24 for a 750, and worth it.

    Otherwise, if you like IPAs pick up a 4-pack of Fort George/Boneyard/Block 15 3-Way IPA collaboration, there's a separate thread about it in the NW forum. Great IPA. I just picked up a Logsdon Straffe Drieling after searching around a bit for it, it's a tripel and I've heard it's good. I'm adding that to the list only because it proved to be pretty elusive, so I hope it was worth hunting down. You can probably find it easier than me when you are in Oregon though.
     
  17. sharpski

    sharpski Grand Pooh-Bah (3,100) Oct 11, 2010 Oregon
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Ching Ching is definitely recommended, and Ale Apothecary just bottled a new beer called Be Still. Haven't seen it at shops yet, but will probably hit soon. Breakside's Passionfruit Sour is another good pick, but you'll see it in Seattle, Portland, etc. too.
     
  18. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Crows Feet Commons in Bend tends to have Ale Apothecary bottles (La Tache and Sahalie are the year round staples) when everyone else in town is sold out.
     
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  19. beefandbean22

    beefandbean22 Pundit (844) Oct 15, 2008 Oregon
    Trader

    I saw Crow's Feet posted about Be Still earlier today, looks like it has shown up.
     
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  20. Mages64

    Mages64 Initiate (0) Sep 7, 2009 Washington

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