I didn't really like brunch here. Â My corned beef hash cakes and my boyfriend's corned beef benedict were basically the same thing (I don't know why they were listed as separate items) except the hash cakes had the hollandaise served on the side. Â It wasn't tasty either, especially with the dry, floury, English muffins. Â Service, while pleasant, is extremely slow because they only have one waitress serving the entire restaurant (inside and outside) on a Sunday!
Pup-friendly outside seating, but the patio is a little dirty. Â Phinney kept chewing on discarded cigarette butts and dropped crayons.
I just love this place.
I love the food, the genuinely friendly service, the patio, the shuffleboard.
I'm here as often as I'm at any other bar because it can meet so many requirements. Family-friendly in the afternoon,  a great place to  take shots with grown-ups at night. Good for groups, has bar games, has TVs and sports packages. And it bears repeating-- the servers are attentive, friendly, and genuine.
Thanks for being in the neighborhood, Loft!
Went back here thinking the service couldn't get any worse then the first time I was here. Â I was wrong. Â The first server seemed overwhelmed by the amount of people there, and seemingly forgot about our table several times. Â Another server came to our table was downright grumpy and acted as if our presence was an inconvenience to her. Â Save yourself the trouble and find a place with better service and happier servers.
Review Source:*Awesome wings, right up there with some of the best in seattle, could be a fuzz crsipier but the sauce was superb
*Waitress was stellar but overworked, lost her for about 20 minutes at one point.
*Their sliders are good, tasty and unique but the tots!@ Â Man, the tots!
*25 oz Olympia mugs, done and done
Great food, Great vibe, very Ballard. Â We stumbled across this gem while visiting some of my old haunts that my band use to play at. Â Their food was very good, friendly and prompt service and above all not outrageously expensive. Â This place definitely has a very cool industrial feel/look to it that is somewhat masked by the pub additions such as the bar, table, booths and such. Â The waitress spilled water on my wife and was very apologetic and bought her a free drink. Â Very nice little place to take your loved one too or have a couple beers with your buddies. Â The only reason I give them four stars and not five is because the local micro-brews were limited and my wife's grilled cheese lacked cheese, but she said it was good overall. Â I highly recommend this place.
Review Source:I'd heard many great things about this place, but was not prepared for the level of  intimate service, intricate food pairing suggestions, and thoughtfulness.
My date and I were greeted at the door by the ever-charming and gregarious Maloney, who took our coats and whisked us to a secluded table by the window. Â
He asked us what our 3 favorite things in the world were, and before I could ask him why, he put his finger to my lips and pirouetted towards the bar, only to return shortly with two of the most exquisite cocktails we had ever had the pleasure of knowing. Â
In between regaling us with his tales of his adventures far and wide, he would deliver plate after plate of tempting tidbits and unusual flavors. Â
We were taken aback to say the least.
While never seeming to put down his ever-present tallboy can of PBR, he amused and delighted us with (slightly) off-color jokes, only accentuated by his Cheshire grin and the constant stroking of his Greek-God like beard. Â
Seriously, Â this man Maloney has a beard that would make Sam Beam weep with envy. Â Full and manly, yet soft and luscious, it should hang in a museum. Â
Our 4 hour orgy of dining and drinks went by only too quickly and Maloney never seemed to stray  from our side. Â
When I asked him if he had other tables or guests to attend to, he just winked and said, "yes". Â
That was good enough for us. Â
If you ever have the chance to visit The Ballard Loft, I urge you to do so. Â
And be sure to ask for the man they call Maloney by name. Â
You will not be disappointed
I went here after getting a livingsocial deal. They had a great selection of beer and the waitress was very friendly. Their menu is mostly pub fare and I decided to go with their burger, topped with an egg. The french fries were hand cut and delicious. The burger was disappointing though. I asked for my burger to be cooked medium and I got anything but that. The burger was two small frozen patties, so there was no way it could've been cooked medium and they reminded me of the kind of patties you get at McDonald's. There was also way too much thousand island dressing on the burger as well. It could've been a great burger if they just made their own burger patties in house, with fresh ground beef. I would come back for beer and maybe happy hour food but skip the burger at all costs.
Review Source:**3.5 stars**
We found this place while waiting for a table at The Walrus and the Carpenter. We ended up waiting 3 hours for a table next door and enjoyed ourselves here. It was happy hour and beer/cider was $4-$5. The bartenders were very nice and we even munched on clams. They were steamed in a delicious broth and the order was large for $9. This is a great spot if you're looking for cheap drinks/food and a laid back place to watch sports.
Was here on a Friday evening for happy hour only. The seating is a little tight, but were glad we found an open table. Service was great - attentive and friendly. And the happy hour prices are pretty decent. I definitely recommend the fish tacos! You get two decent-sized tacos for $6 (and the fish is not fried - which is nice). The nachos were also really good - it came with sour cream and guacomole (which sometimes is "extra" at other places).
Happy hour drink prices are just ok - nothing spectacular. Would definitely go back especially during the summer where you could sit outside.
I will say - it's kind of hard to find the restaurant - it's tucked next to the pizza restaurant.
Went here with a buddy to watch a game and we were impressed with the chill atmosphere and food. The beers we got from the tap were OFF and tasted well...not good...but they replaced them and it was much better. I've never been here on the weekend so I have no idea what it's like at that time. I say it's a decent little place to hang out or go catch MNF.
Review Source:The Ballard Loft is a fun spot for free Trivia Tuesdays! I've been to a few and they are always a good time. Their happy hour deals are great too but it ends at 7 so get there earlier. Tuesdays also pack up quick because of trivia so I would suggest having someone get there early to grab a table.
I've only ever sat upstairs, but that's where the shuffleboard is anyway! It's great because you get to overlook the whole restaurant and it's closer to the restrooms too.
Their burgers are decent, but their nachos are the bomb! Their drinks are great too, nice and stiff.
Parking outside can be a real problem... because it's Ballard.
This is just your standard bar filled with frat kids and sorority girls. It's a fun bar but gets cramped really quickly and there's not a lot of seating options. All of the tables seemed to be reserved when we got there, yet no one seemed to show up - and we weren't allowed to sit there. Hmmm.
The drinks were okay - a little watery - standardly overpriced for what they were.
Criticism aside, two things stood out this night though. One being the people we were with. They are awesome. Obviously. And two, our server upstairs was seriously impressive. There was a massive group of us. 20? 25? And when we went to pay our tab, without even looking, she knew what drinks we both had. I don't even know how she knew that my husband and I were married since we were both mingling with other people. But somehow she knew and our tab came with the two of our drinks. And she knew exactly what we ordered. This all on a crazy Saturday night around 11 pm. Mind blown.
Ballard Loft happened to be showing my team's game so I got a group of friends together and reserved a space (free of charge, one trade off). I had an OK time, but you get what you pay for. Because we didn't pay for the space, the service was super slow. They didn't show the game from kick-off, we constantly searched for our server and they seemed annoyed when I asked for assistance.
Huge pros with this place is they have a great selection of food-- good fries, great wings and tasty sandwiches. The management was really friendly and responsive when I set up the reservation via email. That day we may have just caught the staff off guard. I'll definitely be back for the wings and fries, but when I think about watching a game with friends, I'll go elsewhere.
I have now been to the Ballard Loft several times and there is no reason why I would go back again.
  The Loft has a great location on Ballard Ave. The space is big and features outdoor seating, a second floor and booth seating. There are billiards, flat screen TVs and a few arcade games. It is 21 and up in the bar, they do have seating for those not of age. After 9 pm it is only 21 and up.As is the norm for bars on Ballard Ave. you must find street parking which can be hard on the weekends. The atmosphere is pretty basic, standard Ballard dive bar. They do have a large food menu. They feature happy hour Tuesday- Friday, Sunday-Monday and they also feature a late night happy hour with just discounts on food. The food is nothing special, everything from spicy hot wings to nachos, they feature hot dogs as their "specialty". Prices for food are pretty average.
  The service is just terrible here. The bartenders are rude and inattentive, especially the male bartenders. The drink pours are pretty bad and they really don't care about the quality of their product.
  There are some really great bars around Ballard so there's really no reason why anyone should waste their time on this mediocre establishment.
This is one of those reviews that will need to be updated down the road as the only two times I have been here have been very late at night at the tail end of bar crawls. What I do know is that this is a really fun place to hang out with good drinks and plenty of space to accommodate the weekend crowds.
From what I understand, their Happy Hour is pretty good so I'll be coming back for that and maybe some more drinking adventures as well. For now, all I can say is that this is a really cool spot with a great staff and overall the place is looked pretty clean considering the times I was there.
Anyone ever heard of a "pickled Pony shot"?? Try a shot of whiskey and a pickle back of pickle juice and a baby pickle. Sounds dreadful but it is amazing - I had it for the first time at this bar. I'm not sure if it's their "thing" but I've never had it else where.
This is a great sports bar, a lot of entertainment. Between shuffle board, pool tables, buck hunter etc. there is something for everyone to do. With two levels it is very spacious, especially in the summer when they open up the front garage door that expands to an outside patio. A lot of seating and plenty of TV's to catch a glimpse of a game or two. I haven't had a chance to eat here yet so that will come later. But if you're ever out with friends needing a chill spot to grab a drink, go here - and try the pickled pony. At your own risk!!
The food: Food is typical bar food. Their nachos are awesome; it is worth it to add chicken or pork. Loft has a great selection of hot dogs. Â Beer selection is decent, although I wish they had stouts and porters instead of the several ales and IPAs.
The service: I have always had wonderful service. Tuesday night is bar trivia night w/ the Geeks who Drink. While the bar trivia is FANTASTIC, you may have to wait a bit for a table and/or food due to the popularity of the quiz master. Servers always do a great job of splitting checks and taking care of you.
The vibe: Â It's great! Cool sports bar with that industrial feel. Great place to watch a game, with the many tvs. They usually have drink specials during football and basketball seasons. Great pool table and shuffleboard!
Went her to watch my alma mater's play football with my fellow alums on a fall Saturday afternoon. It was definitely a popular spot, but it comes with pros and cons...and here they are:
Pros
-They will allow you to reserve spaces in the upper loft.
- They post the games they will be featuring on their website.
- Lots of screens to view your game from anywhere you look.
- Bar food was pretty good. Wings are so so tasty! We went crazy for them. Would also recommend the fries. They are simple, hearty, and addictive.
- There is more to do than just watch sports. They have a pool table and some arcade games too!
Cons
- The bar was totally understaffed.
- The bartender was pretty rude. We asked to get the game they were featuring and that we reserved space to see to come on...with sound...and were met with incredulity for our requests. seriously?!?
- The diet coke does not come with free refills. If it did, you still won't get a refill.
All in all, I'd go back to watch a game here...more for the wings, fries, and sports EVERYWHERE! (not the service).
Awesome place to watch football. Which is why it's hard to get awesome service on game day.
The food is pretty standard. I loved the hummus plate and nachos. I am not a fan of their clams. The beer it's cooked in is just too much. There's a good selection of beer on tap and cocktails.
There are plenty of tvs for game watching and a lot of group tables for crowds.They also have heaters for the outdoor seating.
First of all I have to rave that the Ballard Loft has started serving brunch for football season!
I stopped by last year to watch an early Husky game, loved that they have TV's all over the place. Was a bit bummed they had no brunch items on the menu. I ended up having one of their pizza's, was very yummy and filling. Good bang for your buck.
Then on a whim last Sunday, some friends and I stopped there to eat before going to the Ballard farmers market. I was OVERJOYED to discover that they are serving brunch now. I had the breakfast burrito and it was stellar! My only complaint was I ordered sauce and sour cream with it but they forgot to put it in during the burrito assembly. This normally would cost them a star but I am going to cut them some slack since it is a new menu and because our waitress was absolutely amazing. She had a great attitude and was very helpful.
Another great part is they have a that nice patio area, perfect for a summer morning brunch or summer afternoon happy hour.
I am really looking forward to going back to catch a few games and try out a few other menu items.
Kind of a generic sports bar in Ballard. Seems a little out of place there, but I suppose even in Ballard there must be people who like sports. At the table we had a Reuben, some onion rings, sliders, fries, and beer. They were all fine. Kind of divey atmosphere.
The food was fine - the beer was fine - the waitress looked like a Barbie doll - I see no reason to go back.
I'm pretty sure my wife and I ate rancid clams. The burnt garlic flavored broth wasn't an indicator, but the time we both spent... umm... powdering our nose... the next day was. Well, that and the slimy, foul tasting clam I ate. Too bad for us it was the last one. Other reasons to visit include food that clearly sat under a warming tray for entirely too long (while others than came in after us got their food) and a waitress that, while pleasant, was generally hard to find.
Shame too 'cause their patio and drink specials are pretty awesome.
The Loft is fun. It has lots of bar games and TV's for watching all types of sports. The downfall is the prick Australian Bartender. Â I wanted to close out a tab and he said, "not my department." WTF. Not your department? What is that? Total grumpy DBag. Your job is service. Get over yourself. Aussie's are supposed to be always stoked(I thought). Not this guy.
The waitress was great tho.
So I have to say, I came here the first time and the waitress was AWFUL.
We came back for bloody marys and Sarah helped us. She was AWESOME, a complete difference from the last person, the bloody marys were delicious, and I had the prime rib dip, pretty good! I've always been impressed with their food, would love to see a breakfast menu but other than that, no complaints...
Oh yes! AND they have Buck hunter ;) An added plus!
A great find in Ballard thanks to Yelp and Groupon!
The service is quick, friendly, attentive and personable, always a key factor in a great meal.
The food was fresh, high quality tasting, competitive prices for the market, and of good proportion size.
The atmosphere is upbeat, non corporate and the music is played at a level where you can still hold a conversation with ease.
Beers are served cold and with a great selection of tap beers.
Overall a great place to relax, grab a beer and enjoy some great food!
This place makes for a nice happy hour spot and an even better sports bar. Â There are two levels and a nice outdoor seating area. Â I have yet to check out their happy hour and late night dining. Â I hear it gets "livelier". Â
Anyway, the fare is definitely happy hour type of food. I was able to sample the fried pickle spears and the Purple People Eaters, which are eggplant and roasted peppers sliders. Â Those were crazy delicious. Â
The main dining area when you first walk in looks like it could get a little cramped during busy nights. Â There are a lot of flat screens hanging above and along the walls for your viewing pleasure. Â The service seemed fairly attentive and friendly. Â
The Ballard Loft seems to be another addition to the great HH places in the great land of Ballard.
I have nothing to say about this place's food, because I never even got SERVED.
10 min ago, my bf and I walked into it. Stood at the entrance for 1 min, a waitress walks by, nothing happened. The bar was not full, at all. Maybe 3 or 4 groups of people at most.
Went to the bar to ask if one of the TVs could switch to Fox. Bartender said maybe but he would only show it upstairs. So we just moved upstairs, stood next to the tables, while a waitress stood by watching another waiter clean and arrange tables. The waiter finishes and walks away. Nothing happens. I ask the waitress: is the table reserved? She smiles: NO. And that's it. Nothing happens.
We walk out of the bar, and move to King's hardware, where we sit down, I open my laptop, use their free wi-fi, and write this review.
The two years I lived in Ballard I never knew of Loft's existence. Now I know why. It wasn't worth knowing.
The only reason I went to the Loft in the first place was to redeem an irresponsibly-purchased Groupon. Â This place is worthless for food. Â Granted, I would have had a better time if I was only there to drink beer and watch sports (not uncommon for me and they do have tons of TVs), but my girlfriend and I went specifically for food and were very disappointed.
We had never been here before so we were intrigued by the long list of slider options. Â We each got an order of sliders and the meat patty was delivered to us looking grey as if it had been boiled or even microwaved. Â Disgusting. Â We asked to swap out our beef sliders for the pulled pork and even those were underwhelming. Â I guess the fries were decent, but that's the only concession I'll make. Â When let down by a simple slider and the next best menu options are hot dogs, you know you are not at a place where food should be consumed sober.
I was surrounded by frosted tips, hair jell, and Claire's Boutique. Â Â I came here to watch some football and relax. Â Instead, I had to leave when the beer didn't numb my pain.
The structure is pretty cool. Â I like the high ceilings and brick walls. Â I had a great view of it all standing shoulder to shoulder in the crowd behind the whiff of Axe.
The staff is pretty slow and inattentive. Â I don't even think a couple of my friends paid for their beer. Â "Little Miss Bartender" was too busy flirting with Abercrombie and Fitch to hear my buddy scream, "I need to pay and get out of here." Â Twenty minutes later she was still flirting, pouring shots at 1pm, and flaunting her recent Piercing Pagoda purchase.
Maybe I am being too harsh. Â Maybe I came at a bad time. Â But, there are plenty of bars in Seattle that are great during football games. Â Ballard Loft just isn't one of them.
-what a great idea!
--will be even greater during the summer... patio... HEY!!!
---HH from 4-6... good deals on beer and food
----the wings are something my man swears by!
-----the artichoke dip is more on the creamy side
------stella on tap!
-------games!
--------crowded on friday nights... yikes!
---------apparently a hang out for the bike community?? not bikers... but those that ride bicycles : )
----------shuffleboard... the long table!!!
-----------a must-see/try when you're in ballard and a good alternative to bad albert's which is across the street
Think of this as King's Jr.... but not so douchebagish.
Although it still may be too soon yet to say it.
Friendly and helpful waitstaff, 2 pool tables, shuffleboard, a patio outside, and a dinner menu of Boars Head hot dogs?
Yeah, alright. Â It's good for something different. Â And if I get bored, I can watch one of the 50 gazillion TVs on the wall (Dude, those rugby players are HOT).
Wow..BL is one nice joint with enough wood to keep a beaver happy for years to come!!! With a pool table downstairs and one upstairs plus a shuffle board/dart board this place got's it going on. The service was great and the beer selection even included "Dicks"..and I remember someone asking the bartender "So how does the Dick's taste today?"..too funny!!
Oh BL I can't wait for summer to come because I am bringing my pet beaver to enjoy some wood and dick's on your front porch!! ;)
We stumbled upon the brand new Ballard Loft on Friday night, tucked all the way down Ballard Ave across from Bad Alpert's. When I say brand new, I mean it literally smelled like Home Depot - all woody and gluey. It's a cozy little bar/loft, with booths on the main floor, along with a pool table and the bar - oh, and a bunch of flat screen TVs, all featuring different sporting events. Hm. There was another pool table upstairs, along with shuffle puck (hey-o!). Out front, there's a nice-sized concrete area, which I imagine will make a fine hangout spot come summer time.
Four stars for friendly service, the shuffle puck table, and $4 drinks - but I can't see myself spending a ton of time here, what with all the sports everywhere you look. I'm just not much of a sports bar gal. That said, I'm convinced this bar will do well, with or without me. Enjoy!
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