Wandered in looking for a quick bite on the way back from a weekend getaway one Sunday afternoon and must say, this establishment was friendly, cheerful, helpful, and the place felt like a great local hangout. Totally charming and low-key, the staff seemed to really enjoy their jobs chatting with regulars, and they checked up on us regularly. The interior has a great vibe, with a lot of charm and personality. Food was simple and satisfying. We both thought the lamb burger was great, and the fries were some of the best we've had in a long time.
Review Source:My husband and I went here for lunch, funky dive bar. Fish tacos where good. I had a huge ale house salad of mix greens , I wish I just ordered a small, the house salad was ok, nothing special for a supposedly "house salad". Service was decently good and friendly. But the one that we think was the best was their calamari, hubby and I always order this everywhere as an appetizer and they have one of the best, with their mango sauce, order it ! And secondly, their chowder with corn was excellent too! Overall experience was great, I guess this joint packs quite a lot on busy weekends and happy hour, we had a good timing coming in on a weekday and lunch hour. Next time, based on other reviews I'll be trying their chicken wings looks like everyone's been raving about it. Oh and the burgers too
Review Source:I just loved this dive bar. Amazing selection of beers and strong mixed drinks. I arrived on open mike night and for once could still have a conversation without being drowned out by the music.
Ordered the wings and they were the real thing. As I am from the Buffalo, NY area I would know these things.
Atmosphere is great, nice to see a place not afraid to keep the lights dim.
Will be back!
This place is very simple, but has anything you could want. Â I got the burger and really enjoyed it. Â Wasn't overly large and cooked well. Â The menu has a lot of variety and everyone in my party liked their food. The huge selection of hot sauce was convenient considering I got their Bloody Mary. Â The beers are priced normally and the shuffle board table is a plus.
Review Source:Making your way in the world today takes everything you've got./Takin' a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot./Wouldn't you like to get away?/Sometimes you want to go/Where everybody knows your name,/and they're always glad you came./You wanna be where you can see,/ troubles are all the same/You wanna be where everybody knows your name./You wanna go where people know, people are all the same,/You wanna go where everybody knows your name.
This is the Brown. It's nothing special, and everything special. :)
This was right across the street from our hotel so we decided to give it a try and it turned out great.
Service was great and the food was really good. Â The onion rings were amazing and we really enjoyed the chili too. Â I think the chili has a pretty cool story too...every year around super bowl time there is a chili cook off, and the winner's recipe is the one that is served at the restaurant for the next year. Â I can't wait to try the chili for next year!
Lastly the desserts were great and we enjoyed the experience from start to finish.
OK let me tell you a little story. My friends and I took the ferry from Guemes Island as walk on passengers to watch a game on tv. We walked from the dock to the Brown Lantern. We get in and take a seat at the table. A bar tender walks up to us and asks for only my ID. I realized at that time that i left my ID in my car on the Island so the woman told me that I had to leave. Keep in mind my previous statement that she only asked for MY id. She asked me to leave when I could not show it, I explained that it was on Guemes and that we walked etc etc. She did not want to listen to that and again told me that i had to leave but my friends did not need to. Again she only asked for my ID. I then left the bar walked to the ferry and waited for the next one... 30min later it came. I took the ferry paid to cross and then took the boat across ran to my car grabbed my ID and got back on the boat and headed back to the pub...
Over an hour later I return to the pub where my friends are all still at watching the game on TV. The woman comes up and asks me what I would like to drink. She did not ask me for my ID so basically she wasted over an hour of my day and paying twice for a ferry ride  that was not necessary being that she did not fallow the law for any of my friends. I understand that its my fault that I forgot my ID and that's my own damn fault but to only choose to follow the law with me is kinda messed up if you asked me.
The cleanliness of a touristy bar without the touristy!
Popped off the boat fiending for a burger and a beer and we wandered into this spot (admittedly, one of a few open) on a Sunday evening. Â Success!
I had a standard burger (good) and some fries (great!) and a beer--they had a surprising selection on tap. Â I was apprehensive going in because it looked like a place that was trying too hard to be cute and folksy, but it turns out they were legit and could make a mean burger. Â I'll be back the next time I'm in town.
We popped in after our stop at Beer on the Pier.
Love this place. I admit I don't know the history of this place, but it feels comfortable and well worn - just a great atmosphere.
We had great service and our server was really great.
Four of us shared a few appetizers and we all enjoyed the beer. Worth stopping in again when we're in the area.
Anacortes is such a great little town.
The fish and chips here is amazing. That is partly because the coleslaw and fries are FREAKIN amazing. I mean seriously, the coleslaw is the best I've ever had. And I've lived in 10+ cities.
The only downside is that the service isn't great. It's not bad, and certainly better then most bars, but it's not great. They also only have the Wyder's selection of ciders. Anything other the Wyders is what I'd like.
Overall, great!
Today was my first experience at The Brown Lantern. Â I have to say I am definitely a fan! Â I absolutely loved the western burger. Â No frozen, bland, awkward tasting patties here. Â The BBQ sauce mixed with the large cuts of grilled onions was a fantastic punch in my mouth. Â As an added bonus the staff was very polite and attentive. Â I will definitely return!
Review Source:The food here is amazing. There are a few reasons why I am rating so low, first, the beer tends to be on the warm side. Secondly, the staff has always had an undeserved heir of entitlement acting as though it is your privilege to be there, customers are habitually treated with little respect or welcome. I would go there more often if the staff could get their act together, but they make the experience somewhat frustrating.
Review Source:Incredible beer selection!!
"Best Burgers in Anacortes" so we had to try them. They were def "fork & knife" burgers but we were warned by the staff. Crunchy, toasted buns were a nice touch. The fries were...nothing special. I was disappointed by that. Expected an incredible burger with some nicely seasoned steak fries. Oh well.
Beer selection was INCREDIBLE.
Playing darts was a lot of fun. Also other bar games like foosball, air hockey...
This was the perfect place to end a quiet, winter night in Anacortes for an out-of-towner.
The staff was really  helpful and super friendly. Made us feel at home right away.
We were there on a live music night and the band seemed to be pretty rude but oh well.
(Also, I think they had a dog friendly beer garden but it was raining and we were w/o dog)
Nice spot to grab a burger and a beer
Bartender was very nice and thoughtful. I ordered the habenero chicken sandwich w/ fries and 2 local beers = 22.75. Definitely spicy, but definitely tasty. The bun was fresh, bacon was crispy  (but not burnt) , and the chicken was well cooked and juicy.
I'd have to say over all this place was worth it. Thanks keep up the good work!
I've crawled through my fair share of pubs in several countries on two continents and the food here is an international best for pub-grub. We asked several random locals where to go for lunch and they all said The Brown Lantern.
First, it's a pub. Don't expect valet parking, a maitre d' and a sommelier. MIBs (Mercer Island Barbies), don't expect a red carpet. People go to pubs to ... drink! They take your drink order and get the booze to you, quickly. That's all I really care about in a pub. If the food takes a while, so be it. I have a  liquid appetizer in front of me so, I'm good for a while. It's popular (for good reason) so it's usually busy and seems to be perpetually short-staffed.
The oysters are perfect. The chowder is delicious. The burgers are juicy without being greasy. A great selection of booze, especially dark beer. I just wish it was closer to home.
BRING BACK THE FRIED OLIVES!!
This is our burger go to spot, not just for the food, but for the experience.
You sit amongst the most diverse crowd ever. Â Old Salts, business people, local 20s and 30 somethings, couples, you name it. Â They've even got sailors and officers.
Get a burger, or get fish and chips! Â Oysters (although I'm not a fan), are said to be delicious. Â The fish and chips are one of my favorite. Â If you're lookin for heat, grab the (what we call) "Habi" chicken. Â It's grilled chicken with habenero ranch sauce. Â Yum! Â The buffalo burger shuts mouths, as well as the timeless BLT. Â
Great servers, they always put up with us even though we're the loudest table in there sometimes. Â
Play some shuffle board, watch a game on the big screen, or just relax with a brew. Â
The Brown Lantern has a special place in my heart. Â Eliott will take care of you and put a smile on your face if you're at the bar.
The Brown Lantern is the best bar food I have ever eaten. Â
I am not a drinker, but their selection of beers and liquor is extensive, with a lot of local choices as well- I've even spied a bottle of "Marionberry Liquer" if anyone is daring enough to try it. Â I've had a virgin Bloody Mary here and it was really great and full of tasty vegetables including asparagus. Yum.
Alcohol aside, the Brown is fantastic. Â The crowd is always pretty chill. Â Their staff is friendly, though a little overworked at times it feels. You're going to have to wait for a table on Friday and Saturday night for sure.
The food is so good. My favorite is the lamb burger. Â I've had the ceviche tostadas and that was delicious. Â Really good, not-joking-around burgers. Â Good wings. Evvvverything here I have tried has been at least good, but in most cases great.
They also do neat things like acoustic nights, bands, Scrabble, shuffleboard, and they recently introduced a "Man vs. Food" type deal where you have a certain amount of time to eat some monstrosity they've created.
Almost always go here if I go to Anacortes. Cool atmosphere as well.
Dark, woody, and hey it's a tavern like they use to have in your neighborhood.
This is the place locals drink. Â The crowd is a mix of working class mariners, yachting snoots, the elderly, and the rest of the mix looking to get their drink on.
Nice tap selection with Northwest craft beers and 3 rotating taps closest to the door sometimes sporting Oregon craft beers as well. Â Oooh Hammy tall boys too.
The food is pub fare and satisfactory. Â
There is an outdoor patio in the back for puffers and pets.
There is a nice little gaming area on the B-side of the joint sporting full length shuffle board, foosball, and darts.
Trivia, gaming, and live music, check the schedule.
Located in the heart of Old town on Commercial, the BL should not be missed.
Quench your thirst my friends. Cheers.
After flaming out horrendously the night before at Rock Fish Grill down the street, decided that the only way to go was up in Anacortes. Â Found ourselves staring into The Brown Lantern on a somewhat slow Wednesday night.
First off, it's a local pub. Â So if you're not in the mood for pub grub, yeah don't go here.
With that out of the way, if you *are* in the mood for pub grub then the Brown Lantern does it up quite well! Â Yeah anybody can cook a burger (what I ordered), but often you wind up with something that's rubber, juice-less, and tastes like shredded pencil eraser. Â Not at the Brown Lantern; they did the burger right! Â Just a bit of char on the outside, but juicy and a ton of bacon that was also cooked just right! Â (In other words, pretty similar to how I'd make a burger at home!) Â The wife ordered their bottomless bowl of Gumbo (the Wednesday special, apparently), and though only eating half a bowl's worth was more than happy to take the rest of the half a bowl home. Â Though spicy, the spices were dead on, so definitely it's one thing to consider if you happen in on a Wednesday.
So if you're looking for pub grub, absolutely yes go to The Brown Lantern. Â It's not haute cuisine, but then again it has no pretentions to be, either.
The Brown has been one of our more frequented stops over the years. It's been awhile since the last time we enjoyed a meal & drinks there. Come Saturday evening, we made a last minute decision to check out the ol' stomping grounds... Â
I wish I had a glowing review like Reagan M. However, we walked out before even being seated let alone having the opportunity to try the bartenders specialties. My husband & I stood at the "Wait to be seated" sign without any acknowledgment from the 3 gentlemen behind the bar ogling what appeared to be an iPhone not 3 feet away from where we stood. Had they been busily serving patrons we would have completely understood but there were maybe 4 tables occupied. Another factor that was a bit telling. Not a good sign on a Saturday evening.
Having waited a bit longer & previewing the "service" or lack there of, we concluded our money was not needed at the Brown. We walked a block down the street to the Rockfish Grill & Anacortes Brewery where the service was top notch (We were greeted immediately), Â the food was excellent & a great band entertained.
It's disappointing not only to me but apparently some fellow Anacortians that have had similar experiences as of late. Â I posted my thoughts about Saturday on my Facebook resulting in comments from others that were at one time regulars and no longer have a desire to patronize the place. So very sad.
I'm hoping by posting here this may be a wake up call. Will the Brown Lantern that so many once enjoyed please stand up because this current one is sitting down on the job.
Wow. Who would have thought... a bar where the drinks are as good as Seattle's best known places like Tavern Law, ZigZag and Liberty?!
You walk through the door thinking you are in a small town tavern. You are right BUT place is fabulous. Â The service is outstanding. Â Food (lamb burger) was delicious. Â Most importantly, the drinks are impeccable. One more time, THE DRINKS are IMPECCABLE. Â
The best part is that the bartender will mix up whatever you are feeling a hankering for, my sister had some drink with egg white and I had a delish Zazarac. I forgot the bartender's name (he has curly brown hair) but pre-prohibition are his forte' and is a very talented. A knowledgeable mix master hidden in Anacortes!
I recommend going on a Tuesday night and when they are not as busy and relish in the opportunity to mix something special rather than throw you attitude about getting to the ferry!
I would give these guys a 4.5!!!
How much can you really expect from a pub in a small town?
Well, regardless of your expectations, what you will get is friendly local service and absolutely exceptional food.
We started our lunch with a round of Bloody Marys which were made from scratch, had just the right amount of spice and horse radish and various pickled yummies...Perfect!
There are plenty of items to choose from on the menu, I had a bison mushroom burger with sweet potato fries. Wow, loved the fries and the burger was perfectly cooked, juicy and not greasy.
My girlfriends ordered other dishes, which I had to sample. Lamb burger was very tasty and not gamey. BBQ pulled pork sandwich literally melted in your mouth.
Everything was suggested by our unpretentious server Mike. Definitely a place to try if you are ever in Anacortes.
I am a little bit in love with the Brown Lantern. Â If I owned a pub, this is pretty much what I would want it to be.
The food is better than it should be. Â I don't recommend the burgers, but everything else is quite good. Â I especially love the sweet potato fries - they are sprinkled w/feta and really crispy (not sure how they do it, but I would guess corn starch is involved.) Â I have tried nearly everything on the menu, but I keep coming back to the fish and chips...better than most in a town that loves its fried fish. Â The coleslaw is a little too complicated for its own good, but I'm a southerner so I'm pretty particular when it comes to slaw.
They have some really good beers on tap, some that are always there, some that rotate in and out. Â The staff isn't quite as knowledgeable about the selection as one would hope, but they'll let you try anything before you buy it.
The staff is probably the best feature--they are invariably friendly and helpful and work together to make sure everyone is taken care of. Â They're pretty great, and the main reason I keep going back. (That and my pesky preoccupation with good beer.)
The first time we went there, we were actually going to "Adrift" for a Sunday breakfast, only to discover they were closed. Luckily we found the Brown Lantern just down the street and have been going there ever since.
Everyone is always nice and very attentive! Burgers and chowder are excellent and so is the beer selection! Great place to enjoy a little local flavor with a colorful cast of characters.
The Brown Lantern is a wonderful pub in downtown Anacortes. Â The waitstaff is excellent and they work as a team to make sure that you always have a ice cold beer or more ranch dressing as you need. Â It seems that you not only have one waiter or waitress, but two or three since someone will always refresh your beer when it is a little less than 1/2 empty.
One night, my husband and I were wondering why the Jagermeister was upside down in a contraption and asked our waiter about it since we were somewhat intrigued by the device. Â He told us it cooled the Jagermeister for shots and a few short minutes later brought over a free shot for us to try it! Â It was my first taste of the fabled Jager, and it was cool and even refreshing.
The food is outstanding, especially when you consider that you are in a pub. Â The muscles on the appetizer list are in a word--amazing. Â The tuna melt is yummy, the burgers are so large and delicious that we split them between the two of us and the beer is of many varieties for your choosing.
All in all, I think that my hubby and I have found our local joint and will go back to the Brown Lantern for years to come.
To me, this is the local fav in Anacortes and being a recent transplant-we agree. It's a perfect pub with affordable and delicious food, fun specials and a great beer selection.
Funny quote after I asked the server what gave the special chili its intense heat: "that's just the okra."
I recommend their bloody mary, (heaps of pickled goodies and lots of seasonings) the beer garden and not going when it's dinner time or Friday/Saturday cocktail hour, (The live music is obnoxious if you're looking for a good pub experience.)
The best food. Â Great beers. Â The food (all of it) is fantastic. Â My current fave are the nachos. Â My parents always split the Philly. Â My husband LOVES their fish and chips (and he's an ex-crabfisherman so he knows his seafood and is super picky). Â
All around great service and great food. Â Love the atmosphere. Â Great place. Â We always eat here when we're in town visiting my folks.
Rode the motorcycle out to meet a old friend and we ended up here, i have since returned about 5 times.
Super good burgers, fries, beer, and all kinds of cool crap on the walls to keep your friend with ADD busy.
Not to mention it's my kind of bar.
Went back there the other day, had the Oysters and Chips. Â Help was on point and super fast, i sat down and had my beer in front of me in under 2 minutes. Â Had the Brown lantern IPA, tasty tasty beer.
Oysters and Chips were also very good, though the slaw was a little dry and bland for me, easily fixed with some salt and pepper.
All in all a great meal and worth the price, it was not cheap, but i felt like it was worth it.
seriously try this place out.
I would love to own a place like this- really simple, delicious food, large but not overwhelming selection of microbrews and popular beers (PBR!), cool, clubhouse/tavern atmosphere, and good mix of locals and visitors. Anacortes is a port town, the gateway to the San Juans and Victoria, BC, so it can come across as kind of rough and tumble, and this bar embraced that frontier vibe without being cheesy or stand-offish.
It was 15 degrees (!!!!) outside in a freak snowblast, but some beer and hot cider took care of that. I sampled off my entire family's plates, and I have to say I got the best thing on the menu, the lamb burger. However, big thumbs up for the oyster burger (an interesting take on the po-boy I'd say) and the reuben as well. Locally brewed IPA was a little much for me, but the old man liked it a lot.
Our team has worked hard this week. And after 3 days on our project and a particularly great meal last night (Kerstins), everyone scattered their own way after the work day was over. I decided to head back into Anacortes and explore. In particular, I checked out the route to the Ferry Terminal, as I'm considering a Saturday boat ride to Friday Harbor.
For dinner, all I really wanted was a beer and a burger in a comfortable neighborhood bar environment. There are actually at least 2 in Old Town Anacortes that fit this description. And by chance, I wandered into the Brown Lantern Ale House instead of the Rock Fish Grill (Anacortes Brewery).
The place was packed and was full of a neat mix of folks including retirees, folks having fun after work, families, etc. The tables were all full, but I was happy to get a seat at the bar. Â I ended up next to 3 fisherman who in a very funny way, were trying to hit on one bar staff person, who was clearly smarter than they were.
The atmosphere was indeed lively and with lots of pennants (including ones from the hated USC and t.u.), jerseys, and other stuff, all within a nice wood and vaulted ceiling interior. Â The TVs were set to the World Series. Â Although I was happy for the Phillies and was maybe routing for the Rays a little more, Â I would have been much more excited if it was the Dodgers playing the Red Sox. Â
I had the cheeseburger which was large, juicy and delicious. The fries were good too and a draft pint of a really yummy holiday ale rounded out my perfect combination.
This is definitely a place I would return to for a nice casual bar meal or drinks with friends..
A very cool place, and conveniently located ("stumbling distance") directly across from where we stayed (The Majestic Inn & Spa).
The atmosphere is great - very lively, kind of a camp feel with lots of vintage pennants and exposed wood in the vaulted ceiling. Â Many kinds of beer on tap and a full bar too. Â The TVs were playing various sports stuff (college football, World Series) and the sound system was playing an eclectic indie mix (Broken Social Scene, Built to Spill, etc).
The hamburgers are huge, messy, and delicious, and the fries and onion rings are great.
Definitely hit this place up for a fun, relaxed and filling night in Anacortes!
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