Cool bar, but a group of 5 uncompetitive women were drawn out of there by 3 terribly rude and competitive female bartendets. It was pathetic. Â I guess they don't like any visitors in their town, but we were patient and polite. Â Very disappointed in how small towny it is that we can't feel comfortable and left alone.
Review Source:Worth a visit if you are in the area simply for the historic charm of the building! The bar is pretty well-stocked with a variety of liquors and a tasty variety of beers on tap (the house margaritas are some of the best ever!). Don't expect anything fancy, but the cozy wood-burning fireplace, large gathering tables and good quality pool tables and shuffle board help make the place welcoming and homey. It is definitely an eclectic crowd as you have everyone from locals to frat boys to snow shoers just coming off the hill, but it is always a friendly atmosphere.
Review Source:Great great great spot! Pool, shuffle board, and jail cell below! Great service, and plenty of room for your party. Get loud, have fun, and see if you can't land a quarter in the spittoon and get yourself a free Koakanee or Bud Light. Great place if you are ever in the area and looking for a place to knock some back.
Review Source:We stop at the Brick any time we are in or near Roslyn or Cle Elum. Roslyn is only 5 minutes off I-90 is it's an easy detour if you in the area. Good bar food, and if you like, you can order pizza from Village Pizza across the street and they will deliver to the Brick for you. We've always had great service, and the Roslyn beer is fantastic.
Review Source:Can't take a trip to the small town of Roslyn and not go to the oldest bar in Washington... so we found ourselves here on a Sunday night to check the place out.
When you walk in you definitely get the feel of being in an old bar in a small town all the way to the squeaky floor. The mix of people at the bar varies and ranges from the young 21 year old taking shots crowd to the old timers sitting at the bar drinking whiskey. The servers and bartenders here are all genuinely small-town-nice. They have a nice variety of beer, wine, and mixed drinks. We didn't get a chance to try out the food because by the time we decided to order something the kitchen had closed; oh well gives us an excuse to come back.
This is a bar with good bar food. Â Think of it as a restaurant, and you'll be disappointed. Â It's been there a good long while -- long enough to remember when this was a mining town, and transportation was via horse.
The bar is huge, and it's the happening place in Roslyn. Â The trough at your feet has sawdust in it to absorb spills -- that tells you a lot about it's history.
Burgers of various kinds, fish & chips, and beer are the staples here - stay away from the salads, at least if you're used to city fare.
Northern Exposure will always live on at The Brick, thank God.
Also, their spittoon stream and really, really good fish and chips make it worth the stop driving back over i-90 to Coeur d'Alene.
Know what, though? A few times ago I was driving through, and this weird little kid was lying on the side of the road, and I pulled over, terrified he was dead. But then he jumped up and ran off, laughing at me. !!!! I forgot all about that time until my friend Casey Jones brought it up on a different ride back recently.
Had a great lunch here! Service was EXCELLENT -- drink refills on our sodas right as we ran out, brought us extra napkins without us even requesting them... So I haven't a clue what the other people on here are referring to, and the house was pretty full when I went. Food was hot, fast, and yummy. 5 stars!
Review Source:Good food and local beer served at this historic and pop-cultural iconic saloon!
The Brick has been around for over 100 years (est. 1889) it's still serving up hot food, cold drinks, and live entertainment to the masses that travel through Roslyn. Â This place has the kind of well-worn and comfortable atmosphere that is really uncommon in these parts-- because there are very few saloons/taverns/pubs in the PNW that can claim to have been in business continuously for over a century. Â I'm sure that the traffic at this establishment has increased considerably since 1990 when the television show 'Northern Exposure' premiered and featured the exterior of this and other Roslyn buildings; the impact of that show can still be seen in the droves of camera-toting tourists (myself included) coming through town every day.
On my most recent trip through Roslyn a group of us stopped at The Brick shortly after they had opened to fuel up before a hike. Â I was a little disappointed that this place doesn't offer a breakfast menu, but everyone else was OK with burgers and such for a late breakfast so I was willing to 'go with the flow'. Â The place was busy but far from crowded; our server was prompt and friendly. Â I ordered the bacon cheddar burger with fries and an iced tea: Juicy burger with crisp bacon and vegetables, fresh and well seasoned waffle fries, and fresh unsweetened iced tea with refills-- yum! Â
The Brick also has beer from the Roslyn Brewing Company (located a block away on the same street), so I had to try one of these as well: Â also quite tasty. Â Looking forward to returning the next time I'm in town, perhaps even to catch a live band in the back room on a weekend night.
I was directed to the Brick after my parents raved about it, we've since made the drive for 2 birthdays and a fathers day. We havent had a bad experience yet, it does get busy and they seem a little short staffed because of it but the ladies are nice and always courteous so to me it makes up for the wait. My hubby gets the chilli burger AMAZINGingly good, I get the turkey melt but I mostly go for the waffle fries and shuffleboard. The old time feeling is awesome so I cant beat it.
Review Source:Stopped here on my "Northern Exposure" tour of the town. Â The Rosalyn Cafe was closed for some reason, so I wandered into the Brick. Â A perfectly ordinary bar, with friendly tank-topped, women tending the bar and the table - all of home look like they weren't born when "Northern Exposure" debuted. Â Not much to see in the bar, other than the stream that runs along the base of the bar and served as a spittoon. Â I ordered a perfectly fine battered cod and waffle fries - no complaints there. Â Aside from the appeal of eating at a place which once served as a fictional setting for a TV series, the Brick doesn't have anything to make it anything other than a friendly, clean place to grab lunch - and presumably to spend some time in the evenings, when I suspect things are livelier.
Review Source:As a bar, excluding food and staff, this place is a perfect "10."
The ambiance is incredible, and as a huge fan of Northern Exposure (quirky 90's TV show), this place is a "MUST SEE!"
However, the service was not good at all. Â The waitress who was a dead ringer for Alanis Morriset wasn't really into waiting on us. Â My mom's onion rings finally came after everyone finished their food. Â I had the shrimp and a salad, and it was just OK, nothing at all to write home about. Â The hamburgers were scant and not very good, and this is coming from a South Dakotan where ranching rules numero uno, and beef is the bomb. Â Not so much here at The Brick--think high school cafeteria style hamburger, 'cause that's what you'll get. Â Their bar t-shirts, which I collect, were spendy. Â I paid $15 for a cool black one at the Crystal Saloon in Montana, but I paid $25 for one at this place, kinda spendy for a simple cotton t-shirt.
Still, it's good to go here for great ambiance and a few cold brews. Â I'd just not eat here again. Â Maybe an appetizer might be OK. Â But save your money and eat elsewhere.
Stopped in here for some lunch. Â We drove out to Roslyn cause my gf's mom was a huge Northern Exposure fan. Â Well I was hungry and in need of a beer after the trek out there. Â The burger was REALLY REALLY GOOD! Â The beer FANTASTIC! Â The place is great and very inviting. Â The stream of water that runs in front of the bar is very cool.
To be honest I was thinking today that I kind of wanted to drive out there just to get another burger and some beers. Â My gf got the fish n chips and said they were some of the best she has ever had. Â
We will be back soon that's a promise! Â I don't care how long the drive is!!!
Cheers keep up the awesome job!
* And good food too? *
If you remember the old TV show Northern Exposure, then this town will seem very familiar. Â If not, you'll have no idea what I'm talking about. Â
This is the Brick from the show.  The show which was supposed to take place in Alaska was actually filmed here.  So how could I avoid humming the Northern Exposure tune while wandering around this town and approaching the Brick?  Photos:  <a href="http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/0WpAzd1uHnwDJUF4pSxjlA?select=b3pHN54HosvOCE8MK3dtpg#5bP_Q9i_cGsCGIqsmgejng">http://www.yelp.ca/biz_p…</a> <a href="http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/Z7B-_E-a3oHmFDZsng3eQg?select=yOaOXoL2tk7pQGUJvW8rUg#phpvKLgyzIHjcfPydTKo6Q">http://www.yelp.ca/biz_p…</a> <a href="http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/-RvmcFaBjipmL6K2KPUbww?select=C7b4bWzwEamFFi09uxCV8g#C7b4bWzwEamFFi09uxCV8g">http://www.yelp.ca/biz_p…</a> <a href="http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/-RvmcFaBjipmL6K2KPUbww?select=JtIRwHBqr_q0dXbKNIGMYg#JtIRwHBqr_q0dXbKNIGMYg">http://www.yelp.ca/biz_p…</a> <a href="http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/-RvmcFaBjipmL6K2KPUbww?select=wZcfHXVvyiXT2mCZMJ61uQ#wZcfHXVvyiXT2mCZMJ61uQ">http://www.yelp.ca/biz_p…</a> <a href="http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/-RvmcFaBjipmL6K2KPUbww?select=C4xeZCD0Z0mlU7t_fzQOag#C4xeZCD0Z0mlU7t_fzQOag">http://www.yelp.ca/biz_p…</a>
But forgetting the television connection (as they seem to like to do at the pub since I didn't see a single hint of Northern Exposure anywhere), this pub is the oldest continuously operating bar in the state of Washington, having opened in 1889. Â It still has a spitoon with running water under the bar! Â
Normally a TV filming location would have really crappy food as it could rely on tourist trade. Â But that wasn't the case here. Â The food was actually really good!
I started off with the green chili beef stew.  This was a thick belly warming bowl of goodness.  It was filled with very tender beef, a good amount of potatoes, and generously flavoured with green chilies.  What a wonderful flavour profile!  Photo:  <a href="http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/-RvmcFaBjipmL6K2KPUbww?select=boiW4npG2Rfk-M5ihl2WqQ#boiW4npG2Rfk-M5ihl2WqQ">http://www.yelp.ca/biz_p…</a>
The buffalo chicken salad had a generous portion of freshly fried chicken which had been diced after frying and tossed with a typical buffalo wing chicken sauce, making for a nice spice hit.  The romaine lettuce was fresh, the avocados were the perfect ripeness, and the blue cheese crumbles mixed with the chicken to really give the flavour of dipping a buffalo chicken wing into blue cheese dressing - delicious!  Photo:  <a href="http://www.yelp.ca/biz_photos/-RvmcFaBjipmL6K2KPUbww?select=oj5qwewkk8w2uK3iuUvbrg#oj5qwewkk8w2uK3iuUvbrg">http://www.yelp.ca/biz_p…</a>
I could have done without the garlic toast that was served with the salad - it was a bit undertoasted and lukewarm. Â But I digress.
Service was very friendly, professional, and really on top of things in a very crowded pub setting. Â
And yes, the TV geek in me was trying to picture all of those episodes of Northern Exposure - the bar looks really different in person of course. Â But looking back at some clips now I can entirely see how they did the angle shots to give it that feel. Â Very cool!
This was a fun, tasty, and TV geek nostalgia kind of visit without being overly touristy as they don't play it up at all!
Okay, before I get into the meat of my review, I want to explain a few things.
Had we gone to the Brick the first night and left and never returned, it would have gotten 5 stars AND we were in town for the nostalgia of Northern Exposure.
My boyfriend was more of a fan than I was, but seeing it was kind of neat. I was more interested in the fact that the town actually had a history than the fact that there was a TV show filmed there.
Night 1, we check into the Bed and Breakfast and the "Inn Keeper" suggested we wind down from our drive at the Brick, so we did just that. We grabbed the further est of the two pool tables and set up camp. My boyfriend had a few beers, he isn't a big drinker and I had a rum and coke... Lots of coke very little rum... We loved the ambiance and the place was almost empty and it was just cool being right there where coal miners and movie stars once stood.
Later, we ordered Nachos. The owner was our bar tender and waitress and was very cordial, knowledgeable and nice. We got the Nachos, pricey at $10.99, but they were good, until they cooled down and the cheese became glue. Cest La Vie.
Two beers, one rum and coke, one nachos $22.00 and change not including tip and the games were .75 cents each.
The owner asked us if we wouldn't mind staying for a few additional minutes to walk her out as it was a bit creepy at night when the lights were out.
Day 2, with our tour around the town complete, we checked back into the Brick for more pool and beer and Nachos and what a difference. It was "Taco Tuesday" and the place was Packed! What was disheartening to me was the staff. The waitress we got stuck with was a real... well if you can't say anything nice... I won't go into details on her attitude, her neglect, her rudeness, her condescension.... etcetra etcetra...
We left.... Went to McDonald's in Cle Elum and came back to the Bed and Breakfast.
Day 3... we returned to the Brick to waste a few hours before another popular eatery would open and were again met with the same rude waitress. We sat in the back, didn't ask for much and eventually got up the nerve to ask her for fries. Really??? She was so put out... I asked for mayonnaise and she said, rudely, It's on the table. um... okay... no it isn't. So I asked her again when she brought the fries out, I wouldn't be surprised if she spit in it. Anyway we got the fries and they were AMAZING!!! So the 2 stars are for lousy service and mediocre nachos. Sorry, but when you have a reputation to uphold, you don't hire snobby help and allow them to make a mockery of your establishment in your absence by sitting at a table drinking while waiting on clients or cooking for your clients is just unprofessional. The pool tables are right next to the men's room and when you are serving that much beer on Taco Tuesday the traffic going to and from can destroy a perfectly good game. I would recommend going for the nostalgia, one beer and no food....
The other reviews are dead on, so I won't duplicate them. What I really liked were the long, wooden, 'camping-style' tables and bar tables (furnishings you rarely see in a well-lit place), working steam radiators and a humongous wood stove give the Brick a unique flair, and then you get the food. Huge portions, a great menu and fantastic drinks make it a great value.
Review Source:Like many first-time Roslyn visitors in the 90s, I knew The Brick as Holling and Shelley's bar from Northern Exposure, and it quickly became my standard dinner stop on the drive home to Seattle after visiting family in Northern Idaho. Â These days my visits are very limited, as my wife usually just wants to finish the drive home by the time we hit the Cle Elum area, but I make a point of hitting it whenever the opportunity presents itself.
As Northern Exposure tourism has given way to affluent Suncadia visitors, the Brick has maintained an authentic patina that can only come with longevity and hard living. Â It's the oldest continuously operating tavern in the state, and it has the scars to prove it. Â Some of the turn of the century (last century, mind you) furniture survives in the back of the bar, although it's largely been replaced with large communal picnic tables in recent years.
The crowd tends to be equal parts locals, touring bikers, and westsiders passing through, either bellied up at the spitoon trough-ified bar, settled in at the aforementioned tables, hanging out on the deck, or playing pool or shuffleboard. Â The beer is cold and reasonably priced, and they have something for any taste, ranging from PBR to Ninkasi. Â The menu is what you'd expect, with burgers, wings, and other bar fare that's all pretty average. Â I almost always go for the jalapeno swiss burger, which comes with a pile of fresh jalapeno slices glued to the burger by a slab of cheese.
Whether you're zipping by on I-90, returning from an excursion in the mountains above Roslyn, or just find yourself in the general vicinity and are at all hungry or thirsty, drop in to The Brick.
I was in Suncadia for a business conference from California...
Our group decided to go to The Brick for dinner... Love the history of the town. Northern Exposure was filmed there...
Dinner and drinks where great local people very friendly...
Service was great our waiter was very attentive and made sure our group was taken care of..
Love the History about The Brick!!!!
The staff was good but thats where it ended.I ordered a Philly cheese steak sandwich and my 1st bite was into a hunk of gristley fat hunk of beef they didnt even slice most of it.Mind you it was 10 bucks for a sandwich that was 1/2 the size of a hoagie roll.Then a couple other people I was with complained that the hambugers were not cooked in the middle..
Visit the Brick and eat at old #3 in Ronald they had great food at old # 3.
10 times in Roslyn and 10 times in the Brick.
Excellent food.
I had grilled chicken burger, and the breast was split in half and seasoned all over. What a great idea! Waffle fries are crisp, well seasoned, and tasty. Burgers equally delicious considering how fast they dispersed into thin air. Â And they have local Roslyn Beer, cold, and delivered fast.
But what elevates this place above many other "younger" bars, it is not the amazing food, great service, and cold beer, but the staff that will drop their work and come out to help you (show you:) how to change a flat tire and as an award accept only a hug.
This is why the Brick is the OLDEST continually running bar in the WA state. And why one should never miss having lunch or beer at the Brick.
Thank you!
They have a spittoon!! For those of you who don't know what that is (I didn't at the time), it's this free flowing mode in front of the bar that you can spit into. I don't chew, but I still found it quite entertaining!! Â
Aside from the easy amusement factor, they have lots of good beer on tap. They also have shuffleboard (super long board!), pool, tv, and live jazz on the weekend. The bar used to be a jail so it's got a bit of a rustic feel to it, but definitely a good atmosphere.
Love love love The Brick! Whenever we go to our Cle Elum cabin we eat there multiple times. I live for their halibut and chips and blue cheese burger. My husband always gets the turkey melt. The best waffle fries! Some drinks and always equals a great time at one of the oldest bars in Wasington. Oh yeah and live music!
Review Source:My friends and I stopped into the Brick for some lunch after a visit to the Roslyn Brewing Company just down the street. It's funny because the streets of Roslyn were not very crowded but as soon as you step into the Brick you realize where everyone is!
Our friends who had stopped in to eat the previous night told us to sit in the front room as the family dining room in the back reminded them of a dungeon. We found the only open seat in the front dining area by the bar and waited for our server and some menus. As we continued to wait (for several minutes) we were presented with some great opportunities for people watching. Once our server finally came and took our drink orders we sat back and continued to people watch.
The beers here on tap were very good and the burgers were very tasty too. If I'm ever passing through the area again, I'd definitely stop in.
Small town bar with a small town feel.
Roslyn dark lager was cold and tasty, and the shrimp basket was hot and delicious.
It would have been nice if they had what dipping sauce I'd prefer, as they give one each of cocktail and tartar, and I could have done with two cocktail and no tartar.
Onion rings are good too, though I didn't order them... once just came with my shrimp.
If arriving later at night, they check IDs at the door and will stamp.
I'm not positive, but I'd assume that the fact that they stamp over 21 means under can come in, they just won't get a stamp.
Kitchen closes before the place, but fried food is available till 11pm.
I'm guessing by a lot of the reviews on here, that some of these snooty yuppies and hipsters simply don't get it when it comes to this place. View it for what it is. Think old timey, pioneer type of place, not the Ritz and you should be ready for your visit.
The Brick is significant enough and worth visiting simply for the historical value. It claims to be Washington State's oldest operating saloon and looks like it, too! Remember people, its over 100 years old, so of course its going to be musty and old. Expect that.
There is much to see inside the Brick, so bring a camera. Ask the servers(when they have a free minute of course) to take you on a tour of the old jail cells in the dark, creepy basement. Definately worth experiencing at least once.
One of the first things I noticed on arrival, which I have never seen anywhere else before, is the little running water stream in front of the bar. Of course, I found out from the "barkeep" that it is an old time running water spittoon, and not what I originally thought it was...a urinal. Actually, I was told that at one time it was used for that as well. I'm sure on some busy nights, with some drunks, it still serves that purpose as well.
There is a lot to see inside. A huge dance floor area that seems like a giant cave fills the back room here and live bands(don't expect anyone big like Aerosmith) play here on a regular basis. I have been here on a busy weekend, and it actually seems like a pretty happening place!
The Brick is a great little side excursion and a great place to just chill out, have a local beer, and check out the history. View it as such as you will not be dissapointed.
Just happened to be out this way and decided to drive thru Roslyn to see the town where Northern Exposure was filmed. Â We decided to eat at the Brick because it was a burger-ish/bar kind of place. Â We tried to eat light and shared the surf and turf (flat iron steak, fried shrimp & salad) and ordered soup and salad for a second entree where we substituted chili for the broccoli cheddar soup. Â Our food was better than expected, but the service was ridiculously slow. Â We waited forever and got one of the two salads and didn't see any other food for another forever. Â The entire meal came at that time and we gobbled down our food. Â The steak was thick, juicy and grilled. Â The shrimp tasted good and the cocktail sauce was also good. Â The salads were greens like romaine lettuce croutons tomato and the blue cheese dressing was good too.
Our daughter got the cheeseburger sliders which were also grilled and tasted good too.
Food 4 stars
Service 2 stars
Good bar food and great beer selection. Â Pool tables, tv's, a great place to chill out. Â Check out the trough with running water along the barstools. Â I guess it's for folks to spit out their chewin' tobacco.
If you're expecting the bartenders / owners to chat about Northern Exposure, you might be dissapointed. Â I guess the new owners don't know much about the show. Â I heard a story that someone walked in and asked if Maurice hung out there and the bartender hadn't a clue.
If you're here because of Northern Exposure, you're going to eat here no matter what the reviews.  Our food was average to good for pub grub, and I really liked the waffle fries. His  draft beer was plenty cold, so the problems mentioned in previous reviews with warm beer may well be fixed.
If you sit in the "family dining room " (aka the part with the stage), look up at the vintage tin ceiling. I don't think I've ever seen such a big one, and it 's fun to guess how old it might be.
Please humor me, I'm going to break down my 3 star review into its more scientific parts.
In my best Ed McMahon on Star Search voice I'm granting 2 3/4 stars for the food and 3 1/4 stars for ambiance.
The Food:
The onion rings were actually really excellent, probably a 4. But the blue cheese burger had some serious problems. The blue cheese was melted rather than crumbly, not a great texture. And the onions were sauteed to mush, *really* not a great texture. Also, the flavor combo of the caramelized onions and blue cheese seemed like it would be delicious, but just wasn't. The burger wasn't a 1.5, it was more of a 2, maybe 2.5, but since it was the majority of my meal and the rings were just a side, I'm weighting each for their presence in relation to the greater meal, this results in an overall food grade of 2.75, or slightly better than average.
The Ambiance:
The service was quite good considering it was busy in the bar (even though it was 2pm on a Sunday) and there were only two people staffing the entire front of the house (bar and beyond), add to that that one of the poor bartenders looked to be about 7 months pregnant and was probably exhausted, I'd say my service expectations were met, maybe even exceeded.
The building's interior is pretty gross. It definitley has a smell and most of the seats are ripped up. The ladies room was one of the poorer ladies rooms I've seen, though surprisingly pretty clean for how tagged up (e.g., "Sedro Woolley represents!" in bold letters on the back wall) and makeshift it is (e.g., no top to the toilet tank and a non-functioning hot water spigot on the sink). Â That said, it's a bar, I get it. I guess I was just wrongly expecting more of a pub than a dive. It was also very chilly inside.
The nostalgia is where The Brick gets most of its ambiance points. Who among us didn't love Northern Exposure? It's still one of my favorite shows of all time, and I always loved that it was shot in the PNW. I visited Roslyn almost two decades ago, during the show's hay day, and it was touristed to the hilt. It's nice to see Roslyn has been able to reclaim itself but also retain some of the remnants of a cult classic. During my first visit to Roslyn I wasn't old enough to enter a bar so I missed out on visiting the iconic Brick. In returning to Roslyn this time, eating at The Brick was a must. I'm glad I did, though if I visit the town again I'll probably go to the pizza place instead. I hear it's good.
There's nothing like a good cold beer and some grub after hiking through the woods and testing the temperature of the lakes you encounter.
On the way back I decided to stop by this little bar in Roslyn, The Brick.
Service was EXCELLENT... literally had 2 waitresses taking care of me and yes, they did have other customers and they share tips at the end of the day. Â Good conversation, personal and nothing but smiles.
Had a bleu cheese and grilled onion burger. Â The burger was mediocre, but the beer hit the spot.
Previously, I've tasted there beer battered halibut and that was pretty good.
Got out of there with a tab of about $15, plus tip... $10 is a little pricey for the burger that was only served with chips (you can get fries or salad for an extra dollar)... but just for the ambiance and service, it was worth it....
The Brick. Â The bar featured prominently on the 90's quarky TV show Northern Exposure. Â Now the inside of the bar looks nothing like on TV (they used a studio set), but this bar has game all its own. Â It's touted as being the oldest saloon in Washington state.
I was surprised to see a little "stream" right there in the bar. Yup, I was surprised to see a tributary of the Cle Elum river running along the base of the bar! :) Actually, my brother told me this little waterway was used for those "chewing". They'd spit their chew into the water and it would drift downstream passing drinker's feet. Ok, I'll stop with the water talk---I was intrigued though.
They have a decent selection of local brews to choose from. Â While ordering my brother said he didn't want any girlie drinks, and the bartender promptly replied, "we don't even have a blender here!" Â So a round of beers and some whiskys all around!
Now this bar has two spaces---the main area (where the bar is), and another large space which has booth seating and a stage. Â This is where we saw The Moondoggies, and The Maldives. Â It was a good show.
All in all, a good experience. Â It was good to relive a part of one of my favorite shows of all time. Â Too bad Holling wasn't the bar keep!
Check out more pics and rambling in my blog:  <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fsiksika-scottish.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F11%2Fcicely-akaka-rosyln-wa.html&s=3a74cb8722b6af3efd7490965b671ad7a67cc1bfb277ea5d449e235d1462034d" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://siksika-scottish.…</a>
I arrived at The Brick fairly early in the evening -- around 5 or 6. It was happy hour. My Roslyn Beer cost $3 bucks. It tasted good, I had two of them. The people watching was interesting. Nice mix of young folk, drunk folk, and even a couple of preppies. The bartenders were very nice, helpful and attentive. One was also very cute. He reminded me a little of Pete Yorn...Yorn's music was also in rotation. Along with Wilco and Earth Wind in Fire .
The actual bar is a wooden beauty. I think it ( or at least the wood) Â was shipped there from somewhere else many moons ago.
Place appeared to get a lot more activity later in the evening. I did not order food because I did not think it was my type of food place.
They offer free wireless. Â
If Yelp offered 1/2 stars I would give The Brick 3.5
I was unemployed once several years ago and for something to do I decided to trek out to see Roslyn and all the sights from one of my favorite shows. Â I stopped in the Brick and walked in and felt if I had stepped in some kind of portal because what I saw was not the interior I was fed for so many years on Northern Exposure. Â The magic of TV. Â Anyway I sat at the bar and had a couple beers...thought the spittoon was actually a urinal for the real professional drinkers. Â Chuckled at the idea then came back to reality and had more beer. Â Not a bad bar that has a great atmosphere.
I make it through Roslyn a few times a year while birdwatching and I haven't been back to the Brick since 2001. Â So don't know how it is changed...and really my lack of repeat visits indicates that it probably just good for one time visits.
Faux Alaska... um... why?
When finding oneself in scenic central Washington, one is often confronted with the dichotomous choice of an imitation of French haut cuisine or an imitation of "The Gem" from Deadwood, complete with whiskey shots and shootings.
For better or worse, tonight we chose to partake of the latter and have "dinner" at The Brick rather than choose the former and indulge in (good-but-not-great) lobster macaroni and cheese at the resort-that-shall-not-be-named (stay tuned for another review!)
The results were a bit like voting democratic in the 2004 presidential election... perhaps the right thing to do, but not satisfying and certainly not with the desired effect.
We ended up at The Brick (which is in the middle of "downtown" (cough) Roslyn, Washington - made famous as the exteriors of "Northern Exposure"... you remember... that quasi-crappy TV show about the ex-astronaut in Alaska or whatever... I didn't watch it then and don't Twitter about it now) by virtue of someone telling us that it was "an experience."
Note to self (and Yelpers)... "an experience" can mean many things. Bistro Jeanty (shameless promotion here... see the review!) is "an experience".... The birth of my son was "an experience"... Being detained by overzealous Homeland Security agents for daring to suggest that lamb boullion cubes are not covered under an embargo of British beef is "an experience"...
In this context, "an experience" means exactly what the words imply. Yes, we passed time there, hence the word "experience" is apt... and yes, it was anti-unique, so the word "an" is more apropos than "the"... but beyond that, I honestly believe that this "restaurant" is the epitome of places for which the word "mweh" was invented.
They have beer. Served warmer than a lager and colder than a stout should be. In fact, they have food. Served at the same temperature as the beer. Hint: nachos should be warmer than beer. Basic rule. Put the little bastards under a heat lamp and toast the hell out of them. I don't care. "Hot food, cold beer" should be the goal... but "Warm food, cool beer" is the minimum standard.
I suppose the fact that I am the first Yelper since September 2007 to review this (cough) bar should be telling, but... let me put it this way, for the ladies in the audience who might read this. The restroom doors don't close or lock, and there are not "stalls" per se... So be prepared for that awkward moment of "um... hi!... yeah... kinda occupied..."
And for nacho-beer thermoequilibrium.
Not cool.
Or hot... or even warm for that matter. "The Brick" should be listed under the word "tepid" in the dictionary.
I have described the soup at Bistro Jeanty as a collaboration of Buddha and Allah... "The Brick" is as if Jerry Falwell and Ramsi Yousef (Google it, kids) collaborated on a menu... mediocre, uninspired, and ultimately explosive in your gastrointestinal system.
I would wholeheartedly recommend a 40 of PBR and an Extra Value Meal as an alternative.
Last night I got talked into going to everybody's favorite Mountain town, made famous by a TV show about Alaska. Â I figured what the hell? Â It's a long weekend and I could stand to get away from the Burg.
When we got to the Brick it wasn't so bad. Â Country music and a few cowboy hats; small town and a little rowdy -good times. Â Little did I know that the second band was a "jam band", and that's when the hippies showed up.
After about twenty minutes of watching their loathsome, cerebral palsy inspired dancing,and trying to make small talk with people who toked away their last brain cells a long time ago, I told my friend that I was tired and should probably get home. Â She was annoyed, but honestly if there had been a flamethrower handy dreadlocks would have burned.
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