Finally made it in here! Â When I first moved to G-Town I had heard about this awesome dive bar just across the river in South Park and added it to my list, but then the wrecking ball came and tore down the South Park Bridge, virtually cutting it off from the rest of the city. You can still get there, it's just a much more convoluted path versus when it was literally just over the river from G-Town. You can watch the progress of the new bridge being built from right out the front door however. Â Had heard great things about the burgers and I was not dissapointed, I got the Deluxe Cheeseburger with bacon, the bun was soft and fluffy, burger was juicy and good flavor, fries were extra but really good as well. Â They have a pretty good selection of beers, luckily for me the night I was there they still had some Bob's Brown from Georgetown Brewery left (a very limited release every May, all proceeds go to support Ronald McDonald House Charity). Â The bar area in front is still original, great dive bar atmosphere, lots of regulars hanging out, not too dark with nice big windows up front. Â The back area is an indoor outdoor dining area, two story high structure, barn like, but airy and nice. I did not really explore back there this last time, but looks like it is a rather new addition.
Review Source:Loretta's is amazingly perfect and everyone knows it. It's a beacon of hope for all of us that are sick of expensive crowded bars filled with boring people and crave preserved PNW authenticity.
What Loretta's needs less of: regulars who create an uninviting atmosphere when an unknown customer walks in. Anyone that goes into a business in South Park and is not a jerk (which you actually can't know by their clothing, car or where they live) should be welcomed. Prove that South Park is a friendly neighborhood filled with proud working class families and a few weirdos sick of the BS side of Seattle, and not just home to a different kind of elitist anti-elitism.
In other words: be nice. There is room in South Park for diversity, and if you want it to survive, get used to it. It's both untrue and insulting to the locals to imply they don't enjoy or know/care about art. Seriously? Speak for yourself.
GO! Eat the greasy fries and burgers, have a beer and let Loretta's continue to be the greatest bar in town and the crown jewel of the neighborhood. And to all the people that complain about South Park being dirty, unsafe, etc. - shame on you. What hideous unlikeable people you must be to kick a man while he's down.
Girlfriend took me here. She's a local regular. I had a pint and she had a Gin and Tonic. I had a Tavern Burger and fries and she had a baked potato. Jesus those are the best cheap burgers I've ever had. The bun was toasted and the special sauce was tasty.
I can't wait to go back.
When I was there it was mercifully free of hipsters and douchebags. We had great service even though it was somewhat busy.
Extra nice touch: The Kinks were playing on the sound system the whole time we were there.
I love Airstreams and having one inside is a great touch.
I wandered over here with some co-workers after a shift to grab a beer.
Pros:
- Good beer selection for a neighborhood pub
- Decent food options
- Cool trailer in the back
- Interesting decor, feel like I went back in time to some river rafting trip
Cons:
- Food was sub-par, soggy fries. Â Homemade veggie burger was meh. Â And they messed our order up, however they fixed without any trouble (i guess a pro?)
- Second hand smoke exposure is inevitable if you perchance head to the back patio to hang out in the trailer.
- Gets crowded quickly.
If I was working in the area again, I'd be back. Â It was a fun atmosphere and people were nice overall.
A group of friends from work went down today. Parking in the back in a lot as well as on the street, though the street was full. Nice outside area with an old Airstream and some shade. Fish and chips were what all 6 in our party got and it was some good beer battered cod, great taste, definitely not frozen. Natural, mostlikely fresh, fries. Good homemade tarter as well. Since we got so much of the same thing, they brought us out our fish and some chips and said they would bring out more as we were splitting orders of fries. They brought extras and I'd hate to see the portion of normal fries because we got three extra baskets! We will definitely be back to try other things and we know where to go for some good fish and chips during work hours as well!
Review Source:A great Seattle dive, but in the authentic way, without all the hipsters and intentional disorder/uncleanliness found around town. The place is old but not unclean, friendly but rough around the edges, and the food is good and drinks are strong.
- Burger: exactly what you'd expect from a $3 in terms of looks, much much better in terms of taste
- Fries: they looked home-cut and well-fried, but didn't quite have the crispiness I love
- Beer: had about 8 beers on tap, including Oly and some Maritime Pacific's. Not thorough, but a decent mix of types
- Ambiance: awesome. Locals clearly come here, as everyone seems to know everyone. There was Mariners baseball on tv, people at the bar embroiled in random conversations...
All in all a very pleasant experience. If only it were closer to where I lived.
Several weeks ago I was having a few beers afterwork at the 9LB Hammer and started talking to a couple guys; one was this guy with a beard and a really gravelly voice who had a dog with him the other was a blonde guy who seemed to know where and where not to eat in Georgetown. So, they recommended a few places like Katsu Burger, Smarty Pants, Via Tribunali (next to All City Coffee) and Loretta's Northwesterner.
At last an excuse to go to South Park and eat lunch at Loretta's.... I stopped in around noon, I found parking on the street and without hassle. Grabbed a seat at the bar no problem. Skimmed over the menu which had a great selection of (very inexpensive). Most of their burgers are under $10 and much to my surprise they were quite large too. I got the special of the day- burger with ham and swiss. It was tasty and all the trimmings were fresh too. The bartenders seemed to know most of their patrons by first name (this was my first time).
Next time I'm in South Park taking delivery of equipment- you bet I'll be at Loretta's.
Hello This is Loretta's.in  South Park. and I am a roving chef reporting
The kitchen is CLEAN. The bathrooms are CLEAN.
Lunch
The Tavern (cheese) Burger is king. Good cut of chop-meat, cooked right, built properly , eye appealing presentation, and very good taste.
Breakfast.
Slow coffee service, she forgot cream, then the sugar, then the spoon and the  napkin, had to ask for refills)
Bad  Brain.  Must have been an off day. Not the standard performance.
The food took LONGER than usual. My guess, an order error and it was remade.
We did get an extra nice plate and an apology for the tardiness of the meal. It was worth the wait.
The beer selection is wide with an array of PBR and other light lagers with a nice selection of Micro-brew Ales, Lagers (Hard to find), Ciders and the hard stuff.
The patrons of Loretta's are mostly the fine hard working folks of South Park who have come to put the BS burdens of the day into the past and recharge.
It is rumored to be VERY SAFE for the very well to do wealthy class.
Recommend that you bring lots of CA$H, to have on hand so the scary, dim lit, blinking street light where the strange people hide in the long shadows just waiting to jump out and yell  "I am a 99%er Ooga Booga!
Ha,
You are MUCH safer here , but still; keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times!
Prost Enjoy!
Those that crave the local dive will find Loretta's to their liking. Interior is campy 60's outdoor decor. It's a great bit of nostalgia for NW natives right down to the choices on tap. Great outdoor space with a converted airstream trailer, it'll bring back those 60"s camping memories.
Despite the decor the real reason to come to Loretta's is for a cheap, tasty and yes deliciously greasy bite with friends. Never had bad service here, food isn't stellar, but it's consistently good. Not a great neighborhood, but the parking lot is lit (sort of).
(Note: I went out of my way to go to this place per the yelp reviews so feel I needed to put a bit of reality back into all the rave reviews...)
I went to Loretta's on Friday evening around 9pm. Parking was easy and loved walking into a place with blinking neon signs and a dark wood bar immediately as you enter. Â The place was not crowded, but all seating was full post me plopping my bottom down on a stool. Â The crowd was diverse and chatty. I did get hit on immediately so it must be a known spot for this. Â Too bad I had a date ;) . Â The staff was quick and nice. Â I was expecting a better selection of beer on tap (didn't like any of the selection) and ended up with 20oz Strongbows for a cheap price. Â Sadly, the food was nothing good.
All in all - sweet local bar with cheap prices. Â It is not really a dive bar, not really a good bar. Â Just there...
I spent a few days in South Park for training with work and came across this place wondering around on my lunch break. Â I like the atmosphere, very old time logger style tavern, dark worn wood bar and walls with decor. Â The food menu isn't huge, but the quality and price is very good. Â I had a sausage with heaping serving of fries with a drink one day, and a tuna melt with soup on the next for just $10 each.
Next time I find myself in South Park I will definitely be returning to Loretta's.
Sweet dive bar. Burgers all tasted good. Fish and chips were alright. The loaded baked potato is apparently exceptional. Beer selection wide enough if you want tallboys all night or microbrews for a bit. Well drinks were the same price as home, but everything else was super cheap so it was fine.
Back patio and space behind is pretty sweat. The prices are super super good. Staff is what you want from dive bar staff.
Shady neighborhood: Check! I don't even bother locking the car.
Enormous space with thirteen eleven televisions: Check.
Purported decked out airstream trailer in the back bejeweled with yet another television? Check.
Outdoor Patio Smoking if you Smoke: Check
Veggie Burger: Check.
Ice Tea: Check.
Ping Pong: Check!!
Friendly Staff: Check.
Friendly clientele: plenty of white guy sporty-type red-faced drunk-ish douche bag types, but none violent that I've seen. Just loud beating on chest mentality mainly.
I enjoy myself here, and I love ping pong.
I can't believe I have never been to this place! It has everything I've ever wanted: a huge back patio with an airstream trailer filled with funky vintage furniture and a tv; a ping pong table (!!), an outdoor bar that extends from the bar inside and a back wall made to look and feel like you're in a cabin!
The folks who work there are sooo nice and so laid back. We enjoyed every encounter we had with them, not to mention every customer that walked in! We made at least 5 new friends and played ping pong with total strangers. I'll definitely be back!!
P.S. the fish and chips were awesome and their lemonade was home made and was refreshing and not too sweet. It was especially lovely with a few shots of vodka in it : )
Loretta's is the #1 reason to get your butt down to South Park. Â Not only do they make one of the top 5 bacon cheeseburgers in Seattle and cheap but perfect breakfasts (high quality perfectly cooked bacon and they know what a basted egg is), but the bar is stocked with the good stuff AND you just can't find this kind of unpretentious cool anywhere else.
It's my second office where I will bump into a neighbor or a local politico, trying to get his drink on in the airstream.
So there's a part of me that's sad that the South Park bridge being closed kinda fucks Loretta's (and the rest of the South Park) over, but it mostly just makes me happy because the only people who go there are folks who live in the neighborhood--it's never crowded, and not a douche bag to be found!
It's sort of a dive, but in the warm, homey way where the bartender gives you shit and you love it. The food is cheap and wonderful; they only do a few things here (mostly burgers and fries), but they do them right. The beer selection could be a little better, or cheaper, but it's in line with the rest of Seattle I suppose.
There isn't a whole lot of seating, but me and the BF like to sit at the bar anyway. They have decks of cards and cribbage boards galore--awesome!!
If this place were on Capitol Hill, it would be crowded and clique-y and it would suck. But it's not, so it doesn't.
This place is great for beer, wells, and deliciously cheap food. They don't get too fancy on the cocktails. The airstream in the back is really cool. I would suggest going early if you want to save the airstream for a group of friends. The kitchen closes at 11pm, which is cool but I wish they'd stay open a little later. Veg options are also available.
Loretta's is wonderful.
Best bar ever. Â Go there. Â Throw your money around South Park with wild abandon. Â Why? Â Look at what the DOT did to the South Park bridge down the block. Â It's like a giant middle finger sticking in the face of every resident and business of South Park.
The steak salad is crazy good for $9. Â The chili has unicorn meat in it and you fart rainbows after eating it. Â One of those things about the chili isn't true. Â Despite my lies, this is true, it's hella good.
But that brings me to the burger. Â My-can-of-Rainier the burger. Â The burger snobs have passed up rating this place, probably to protect the innocent or something. Â
I didn't sense any attitude, the place had the M's game on all 3 TV's, hep cats out back puffin and the service was prompt and tattoo covered, just the way I like it. Â
They sell T-shirts with an Airstream trailer on it. Â Why? Â Figure it out for yourself by paying them a visit. Â Can't figure out how to get there? Â Just look south for the giant middle fingers with the bridge motif.
Holy smokes Batman... why didn't I come here sooner? After reading about this bar a few times I'd always intended to come. What was I thinking by not coming sooner? This is quite literally the one of the COOLEST bars I've ever been in. In fact, if I lived less than a mile from it - I'd develop serious financial and drinking problems because I'd be here on a daily basis.
Let me try to give you a mental image of this space...
You walk in and the bar looks like it's been there forever. It's cozy that way. As if the dark walls, booths, and patrons welcome you warmly. You can tell everyone in there is a regular too.
At first glance the bar is already perfect. Beers on tap, good selection of liquor, cozy yet spacious... then you notice you can walk towards the back. Pass the bathrooms and there are a few more booths in a wide corridor. Pass through the glass doors and you're in what appears to be someone's backyard.
Then you see the holy grail: AN AIRSTREAM TRAILER!
Not only is there seating available outside for warm weather and fresh air, you can go in the frickin' trailer, play some music on a record player, hang out, and feel even MORE at home. I'm just in awe at how awesome this place is. I feel the need to tell everyone I know about it... yet at the same time I want to keep it a secret. What to do... what to do.
OK, Native Northwesterner here...a lifer whose traveled this entire globe.
This holy place Loretta's reminds me of the Seattle I grew up with...so, all you New Yorkers and fk'n Cali assholes...stay outta Lorettas!
You outta town techies and upworldly mobile assholes that have torn down sweet sweet Seattle and built all this cardboard crap...stay away please.
Let us have just this amazing piece of old Seattle to ourselves.
This is real place for real people.
Former Sous Chef, the menu's food solid.
Had lunch here, the burger was made with chuck (not frozen costco patties). Pretty good. The side salad was fresh, big and full of mixed greens with a nice vinagrette. Surprisingly good food for a bar.
Cool ambiance, dark wood. Glad to visit before the bridge gets shut down and it goes out of business.
I really, really love this place. Â Aesthetically, it is like places from my youth. Â If you grew up in the northwest, you would understand the mid-century hunting lodge, logger bar vibe that is going on here.
The burgers, both meaty and fake-meaty are brilliant. Â Also, the three dollar salad is the biggest, greenest, tastiest side salad ever. Â My only complaint is that the fish and chips are far too greasy. Â I actually bit down and there was a really weird grease explosion in my mouth. Â Oh well, I'm trying to steer clear of the deep fried food group anyway.
Hipster Heaven in a hellish hamlet. This is the quintessential British Gastro Pub.
The menu reads like a normal dive bar but thats where is ends. The food is made from high quality ingredients and fresh from scratch. The burgers are not frozen pre-made patties but fresh ground beef (a nice cut too not junk). The fries start as potatoes! The burger fixins are fresh unwilted and just cut. No brown lettuce of limp onions.
The steak sandwhich is also very good. My wife always gets the fish & chips and devours it. The fry batter is light and the oil is clean and not flavored with a months worth of french fries.
The service is great but know what the service is.... if it's slow they will come to your table. If they are busy you need to order at the bar.
The ambiance is hipster dive sheik. With dark wood floors and walls made of wood strips older then anyone reading this you feel like you're in a logger bar in the 1900's. That is until you go outside to the partially covered patio. The patio is great on sunny days and decent on rainy days. If you want some peace they have an airstream trailer in the back to hang out in.
I try to park in front on the street but it it's full park right behind Lorettas in the off street dirt parking lot. Safer and close to the back door exit (ask nice they will let you leave that way but close the door behind you).
This is a really cool place and you will see some of Seattle's best chefs and other creative types hanging there. The people are cool and I have never seen a fight. Seems to be (outside &discreetly) herb friendly.
Look out for 1 mean drunk though. He has a long red beard, 6'0 tall, about 35yrs old, and a normally ossified drunk @sshole. He threw a full pint of beer on the ground and got my wife all wet and broken glass hit us both. Almost a bad incident.....
I also saw the most beautiful red head alternative lady here. She was breathtaking to say the least. My wife agreed.
To bottom line it for you. I don't drink, yet I'm at Loretta's at least once a week for fun & good healthy bar food.
See ya there!
OK - less than a week later and I took friends for drinks and grub. Â The Deluxe Cheeseburger and Veggie Burger were equally delish. Â Just enough gooeyness from the sauce, a nice char on the patty (burger, not veggie), and a good toasting on the bun. Â My friend devoured her veg burger and said it was the best she's had in a very long time. Â Chili fries were good. Â A bit cold on the outer edges, but the parts covered in chili were decent.
Overall I'd LIKE to give 4.5 stars. Â For now, I'll leave at 4. Â Yee haw!
Please let Loretta's stay a downhome blue-collar bar. Â Do not bring your pretentious conversations about "art" or your annoying quirky eyeglasses here. Â Thank you.
Also, you are not allowed to come to Loretta's if you bought one of those overpriced brand-new loft things on cloverdale. Â
If you fail to heed this yelp, I will cut you, b*tch. Â That's how we do in south park.
Went here for the first time ago and it was love at first sight. Â Great atmosphere. Â An awesome patio that gets plenty of light in the afternoon. Â The Airstream parked in back wasn't open when I went, but a friend who's a regular told me there's seating inside and a record player for people who want to bring their own soundtrack to their drinking.
The food was very good and very cheap. Â A plain hamburger was only $3. Â A beefier burger with some more fixings just $6. Â Drinks are cheap and the service was very amiable.
Hoping to make this a regular happy hour haunt.
OK, stop reading this and go to Loretta's. Seriously you're just wasting time.
This place has it all: ambiance, people, beer, and food.
I highly recommend the burgers. I eat 2 of them every time I go. That's how good they are... and can I just say this...you're still reading and you haven't left yet so go now.
This place is a dream come true!
The decor is just awesome! You feel like you are in a boat or as if the bar was built on a dock.. the back patio is the shizz.. an airstream trailer to chill in & a giant natural wood second bar to lounge at... Â Never thought there could be a perfect bar for me, but it's real! wooooo!
I'm told the owner of the 9lb also owns Loretta's. It's pretty much a similar atmosphere, but Loretta's is a little further out of the way in South Park. Since it's off the Airport Way strip, it seemed a little quieter. It's a dark woody atmosphere indoors with a sort of hobbled together back porch area that's pretty nice. The bar stretches from indoors to out back, and there's an Airstream trailer in the back that's rumored to have some other amenities in it, but it wasn't open on Sunday night.
They were out of baked potato, which was a little dissapointing. Finding good bar potatoes outside of fries (and the Colcannon at the Owl) is hard to do. The garden burger and fries were satisfactory though.
Closes early (Midnight I think) Su-Th, open until 2am otherwise. Grill apparently closes at 10pm.
This is my type of place. Â It's pretty small, only a few tables inside along with the bar itself and it has a great patio for those nice Seattle nights. Â It's owned by the 9 lb hammer guy and has a similar vibe. Â Wood paneled walls, kinda feels like your in a log cabin, along with the ubiquitous Oly and Rainier paraphenalia.
Unlike the 9 lb they have food. Â Inexpensive burgers that are pretty good, excellent fries, well priced quality steaks, and a few other things that go well with lots of beer and whiskey. Â Oh, the sockeye sammich is fantastic too, plus I love saying 'sockeye sammich'.
It's pretty much the only decent bar in the neighborhood, pretty diverse crowd, check it out!
I like Loretta's. Â I don't love it, though. Â It's a wee bit far away for me, but if there's a gathering there, I will make the trek out.
There were a lot of people when I went and only 1 person working behind the bar...which I found odd. Â I felt kind of bad for her, running back and forth and beyond the bar.
However, I especially liked the airstream trailer out back. Â I think that pretty much makes the place.
Loretta's!
Went here yesterday afternoon for some post-work libations. Â It wasn't packed at all, and they supplied me with two of my most favorite things: Â whiskey and cheeseburgers! Â Yay!
The cheeseburger ($3) was dank, as were the greasy, kosher-salted, hand-cut fries.
The whiskey ... let's just say that the whiskey fed my soul. Â
This is the kind of bar you feel like you should be drinking whiskey in ... A working class bar with that beautiful dark, custom-installed woodwork, and the old hi-fi. Â They have an awesome-looking patio out back, too. Â Loretta's is sure to be a classic ... It's kind of like the Blue Moon, but cleaner, not as shady, and without the pee smell. Â I know I'll be back!
I'd say they're playing the long game here in waiting for the neighborhood to grow up around Loretta's, but then again the once I've been it was quite busy. And wait, why should the neighborhood work to meet the beauty standards of this new consumerism?
It is what it is: real place, real people, real good tater tots.
That being said, it's a perfect interior. If this was opening in any other context it would be pretty hard to say that it wasn't too perfect, surreal. But that would just be projecting the ironic. And I think Loretta's stands on its own.
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