Oh, Darrell's!
I came back here last night to see my friend's band play. Turns out Darrell's has turned itself into a much more hip, cleaner version of the pissy dive bar we've all come to know and love. It's also more expensive, but it happens.
And, TADA! The drinks did what they were supposed to do! Good lookin' out. This place got way less awful. I will be back for taco metal tuesdays!
I stopped in to take a look around and grab a quick beer on a evening walk and found the excellent Kevin McCarthy jazz combo on stage. They are Sunday regulars at Darrell's and are worth the time to drive north and check out. Bar was clean, no funky odors, clean restrooms, pool, darts, etc., everything you'd want. Friendly guy behind counter - sorry I didn't get your name.
Review Source:This place surprised me. In the good way.
This place does country music. I was invited to join some friends on a night they were doing a tribute to Willie Nelson. Â I'm of Indian heritage, and came in with a hoodie and my round specs. Â When I walked I felt like I walked into a good-ol-boy bar in Texas. A bunch of smile-less faces sized me up as I walked in. Â
To make a long story short, first impressions are often way wrong. Â In the same way the New Yorkers are ultra-friendly, but outsiders read their faces as cold and rude. Â By the end of the night I had great interactions with nearly everyone in there. If it were near where I lived I'd be a regular in an instant, and I don't listen to much country.
Stopped in here last night for a couple of beers, and I think The Cabin has some competition for the Best Local Watering Hole in the Shoreline/Richmond Beach. Â Darrell's may look a bit scary on the outside, but they've cleaned it up inside. Â Downside: Â No food service (One table had a pizza that they brought in from elsewhere). Â Upside: Â Pinball! (An Addam's Family machine that was in great condition). Â And a great jukebox. Â After putting in god knows how many $$$ into the Jukebox at The Cabin, where the music hasn't changed in 10 years, it was nice to have a different selection, complete with old school Seattle Grunge-era stuff (Mudhoney, Old Soundgarden, Pre-Teen Spirit Nirvana) and some Punk. Â
The owner (Dan) was super-friendly, and let me know that they have live music fairly often, including Jazz on Sundays, and an Open-mic on Wednesdays.
Worth checking out if you're in the neighborhood.
I went here last night with some friends. Â We chose Darrell's because it looked divey and hoped that what we found inside would provide cheap drinks and entertainment. Â There were paintings of half naked women all over the walls, pool tables, a big bar complete with some homely looking regulars clustered around it, and plenty of seating throughout the place. Â The bartender was really friendly, but not in a pushy way. Â He let us know that they have live music there Friday through Sunday of almost every genre. Â I would recommend this place for a chill hang out, and I would definitely come back here.
Review Source:SHORELINE'S BEST DIVE BAR.....EVER!!!
Okay, now that you are reading this, my little hood of Shoreline doesn't have much going on after say, 9:30PM during the week. Â While the sidewalks don't roll up, some of the local area restaurants do, well other than Jack in the box....
I have been passing this gem of a bar/tavern for years, never ever thought to even set foot in the place, thankfully, pressing for a place to sit and meet after soccer try outs near by, we opted for Darrell's, and I'm very happy we did. Â
Having had the local pizza joint inform us they were only open for another 30 minutes, we started looking around for a place to meet, and then having the Starbucks shut it's doors on us, the gang saw Darrell's and off we went. Â Business was a bit slow, but we were warmly greeted by the bar-mistress and she promptly carded us....I had to laugh, most of the coaches were well above the minimum WA State drinking age, we all had a great chuckle.
Several taps on hand, from the low brow Rainer/Blue Ribbon and a few others, to a couple of mid-level micros it was all good. Â Didn't see much in the way of "food" we were served up some fine Doritos, Fritos, and potato chips via snack size lunch bags ala Costco.
The place smells of bleach and beer taps, but in a good way, and the place sports some of the finest black-light  "artwork" around. Â
Let's review...Dive bar check list:
Dart board, check. Â
Jukebox, check.
large-ish flat screen tv on wall, check. Â (Note, I didn't say "big" screen.)
1 pinball machine, check.
1 video game machine with 20 or so games, check.
Karaoke stage, check
Large screen behind stage for Karaoke videos, check.
2 pools tables, with "free" pool during certain hours, check.
Bar stools ready for bar-flies, check.
Strange dimly lit corners with tables and chairs, check.
PLENTY OF PARKING!!! Â Ahem...check.
New local watering hole for the next North end YELP par-tay.....check!!
Horrid. Â Horrid. Â Horrid. Â I've been here twice and have not had a good experience yet. Â I've heard that now that they're under new owndership that the place is cleaner and smells less like an old man's derelict apartment. Â Now that they have live music they think they can charge people a cover, however, which is hilarious. Â Anyone who pays to get in the door to this depressing mess deserves what they get.
Review Source:When I first moved to Shoreline, I'd joke about going to Darrell's because it seemed to be a dumpier dive than the Echo Lake Tavern (yeah, that bad). My biggest complaint about Shoreline has been it's lack of good places to hang out at or find entertainment. But, now that it is under new ownership, Darrell's Tavern is awesome.
I went on a quiet Saturday night. Everyone at the bar was super friendly, even (or particularly) the really trashed people. Dan, the owner, was bartending and really friendly. He sat and chatted with us for a while. Great atmosphere, which Dan is continuing to improve. He's really passionate about improving the bar and making it something to be proud of. He described it as a Ballard bar for Shoreline, meaning something young and full of individual identity.
The music in the juke box was a great selection. The drinks were very well priced.
I guess on Wednesday nights and Sunday nights there is live music. One night is more rockabilly and one jazz but I forget which is which. And there is an entrance fee those nights. I might go for the music, but I have to admit I enjoyed the chatty, open character of the dozen or so people who were there on a quiet night. I'll definitely be back; it is my new bar of choice for the area.
This bar was closed for a while due to the death of the previous owner. Â It was a great place even then, but he was very old and not too interested in turning it into anything other than what it was - Â a passable dive bar with a few regulars. Â It used to have stuff filling up half the bar, so it literally had half the space that it has now. Â Ben was a nice old guy and he shall be missed. Â I spent many a rainy Sunday talking to him at the bar when I was the only person in there.
However, on to the new!  Dan, the new owner is really stepping it up!  He cleaned the place out, added a ton more tables and a stage for live shows.  He's been doing a great job bringing new business in.  The jukebox is changed for the better and though I haven't been on a live music night yet, I hear it's awesome.  It's really about time that someone brought a great local hangout to our neck of the woods!  Dan preserved just enough of the flavor of the old place (the bar, the retro light fixtures etc.) and a lot of newer modern features (not to mention it now has a full bar instead of just beer).  As a previous reviewer mentioned the "plasma screen looking thing on the wall" is a piece of art that Dan preserved from the good old days.  It's probably been there at least 20 years.  The collection of old cars is gone from the parking lot too, so plenty of parking.  I was STOKED to find out it had reopened.  If you're looking for  a great place to go in Shoreline, definitely give this place a try!
We've finally found our neighborhood bar in the north end! Thanks to the new owner - the place has good beer, a great jukebox, and a nostalgic interior. Music on Saturday night apparently brings them in but no reason not to fill the place on a Friday.
We will be back as we want this place to be successful!
My husband and I stopped in here the other night after dinner for a night cap...we have been wanting to stop in here for a long time and we  sure are glad we did because it was great!  Dan the new owner was super conversational, witty and nice!  His girlfriend was also. The prices are reasonable and the drinks strong!  I loved the 60's chandeliers all around the bar! Very 60's but Dan also had flat screen tv's mounted so there was a good mix of decor.  We have wanted to find a bar to frequent where everybody knows your name and I think we have finally found it!! We will be regulars from now on!
Review Source:Darrell's celebrated its grand re-opening under new ownership Friday Feb. 13, 2010, and it now is buffed up, has bands on some nights, and a full liquor license. Â Go check it out.
I despaired of ever getting Darrell's on my list of Seattle area bars. Â I made several trips hoping to find it open, to no avail (I could find no phone number and certainly no web site). Â As I did my "research" in various bars around the neighborhood, I began to fill in the back story. Â The owner, now in his 80s, who also had a large collection of Lincoln Continentals and worked as a CPA in an office upstairs (and may or may not have lived up there for a while), had once had the place relatively thriving with the help of his gregarious Korean wife. Â People told me his wife left him and the place started to dwindle, with the old guy not much caring about when he was open or closed, and probably well ready to retire at any rate.
So I was delighted to find it actually open on this night, and even more pleased to talk to Dan Dyckman, the new owner, who is now combining a fine appreciation for the vintage 60s decor (he dropped nine grand into refurbishing and moving the sign out front alone) with some much needed upgrades, including a web site and soon live music. Â "The place your dad used to drink," is how Dan describes it. Â And while it's a little out of the way for most Seattlelites (just south of Aurora Village and Sky Nursery), it is well worth the trip. Â Go out and support people keeping these great old bars alive.
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