Imagine the biggest mobile home you've ever been in. Fake wood walls and all. Now, put a bar in the middle of it all, a Buck Hunter arcade game in the corner, and the biggest karaoke book you've ever seen - Â TADA! You have the Waterwheel Lounge.
I have never been here earlier than 11PM. It's always been on karaoke nights as well, and I always have a blast. The staff has always been friendly, attentive, and very talented at karaoke. No reason to elaborate any more than this. I've had a blast every time I've met up with my friends here after work. So I'll keep going back.
I LOVE my room mate for introducing me to this spot. Ramone knows how to cook and the drinks are stiff and cheap. Their spicy bloody Mary's come with salami, pickled green beans, spicy salt and juicy olives. Perfect cure for any hangover. The menu changes every so often but I've had everything from the fried chicken breakfast sandwhich to loco moco. Delicious.
There's also trivia nights during the week and karaoke on the weekends. The crowd is friendly and the place is dark -- what more could you ask for?
As the Ballard gentrification continues to creep north, the business turnover along 15th has accelerated a bit. Â Thus far, the Waterwheel remains relatively unscathed, and has even gotten better through changes in ownership/management and shifts in the makeup of their client base.
Inside you'll find your typical dive: dark, well-worn, and a faint whiff of the possibility of a booze-fueled fight breaking out at some point. Â Outside, the beer garden is filled with picnic tables and a variety of backyard games and a ping pong table, all of which are in various states of disrepair. Â The jukebox is filled with the expected mix of classic rock, hard rock, and a smattering of hip hop, pop, and other filler.
The service is generally pretty friendly, even for non-regulars, but can quickly turn surly if you start straying into unwelcome behavior territory, which is exactly what a proper dive bar requires (although the level of service for non-regulars is a bit exceptional).
Apart from that, what else is there to say that hasn't been said? Â Unpretentious karaoke, cheap stiff drinks, pre- during- and post-game drinking and revelry, and decently greasy and affordable pub food, all wrapped up in an old school divey package for your (not too) low brow enjoyment. Â This place is dangerously close to my house, so it's a good thing I have a couple of young kids to keep me honest and at home most evenings.
I don't usually frequent dive bars, but a client of mine encouraged me to give the Waterwheel Lounge a try.
Tucked in off the street on 15th in Ballard, the place is pretty unimposing. Inside is a typical bar setup. I gathered that this is the place regulars go to meet up and catch the football games on the weekend (I was there on a Saturday).
I chose the breakfast burrito with hatch green chili cream that was on the menu, but had the sour cream and cheese held due to my dairy allergy. The chef, Ramon Shiloh, personally came out to see how I wanted it prepared and welcoming me to the lounge.
As I waited for my food to be prepared, I drank my coffee and observed the "regulars", finding it comical that some were so tipsy by noon that a cab had to be called for them. The coffee was quite good for a dive bar, too. There are various TV screens mounted around the bar and many were watching the college football game.
When my burrito was brought out, my eyes got big as I saw the crazy-large size! I didn't think I'd ever be able to eat it all, but it was so darn tasty, I couldn't stop myself. The burrito was filled with eggs, sausage and potatoes and covered with that green chili and herb sauce. All the flavors melded into something that was exceptional to taste. It was spicy hot, but I love it that way!
So, put away your prejudice against dive bars and lushes and head over to the Waterwheel lounge for the weekend brunch....it's so worth it!
Bathrooms. I would totally throw down the 4th star but for the crazy, poo-tinky, curtain-covered-bathroom-door havin' bathrooms there. I am funny about bathrooms; because of my squirrel-sized bladder, I tend to visit them a lot when visiting an establishment, which is why it's muy importante.
The karaoke crowd was fun on the night we went, the service was really stellar considering how busy they were, and even though crazy busy, the bartender was totally cheerful all night.
Before consuming a couple of vodka rocks (karaoke juice, I like to call it), I had to prepare my stomach for the assault with some of their famous (?) fried chicken. It was pretty good, I must say. The vegetables on the side might have actually been my favorite part!
The karaoke selection was pretty decent, although I wished we were able to get into the rotation more than 2x. My homie had...enthusiastic fans dancing...singing...and just generally celebrating his karaoke with their bodies...violently...awkwardly...
Anyhoos, a great dive bar that you should add stop in and visit. They make savory crepes and hear they are pretty good. As of now, 3.5 stars fo' sho. Fix up that bathroom, make a tasty crepe and I would def give up the other stars.
Normally we host a large gathering of family and friends for away games on Seahawks sundays. For a variety of reasons, we took a week off and joined the crowd at the Waterwheel. The Hawks lost, but we consider it win for us!
The food is a standout. While the menu for breakfast isn't extensive, it is abundantly tasty. The pulled pork scramble sent me over the moon: tender, moist meat - and lots of it - hugged by scrambled eggs and perfectly sauteed onions. My entree could have fed the entire table, and if my mouth hadn't been eternally full, I'd have offered to share. Friends shared the green chile and cheese scramble with equal satisfaction. The more traditional bar fare: tots, fries, and wings were also delicious.
Perhaps most impressive was the bartender, Tess. She single handedly managed the entire bar for the duration of the game with speed, skill, and a smile. She made it look easy. It couldn't be easy. She balanced new orders, making beverages, delivering food, and keeping everybody in the lively and enthusiastic crowd content like a masterful conductor.
As newbies to a neighborhood bar, we had a great time, enjoyed being welcomed into the fold of regulars and left happy.
I never knew this place existed until I came here for a birthday party last weekend. Â From outside appearances alone, I wasn't expecting much, but by the end of the night I was hooked and definitely plan on coming back. Â The bar and karaoke staff were AWESOME, they really made everyone in the bar feel at home. Â I also couldn't believe my eyes when I saw our bill and the crazy CHEAP drink prices -- what a deal! Â Waterwheel is definitely a good place to pre-funk or come with a large group for karaoke and dancing. Â It has a kitschy local feel and there's a large (mostly covered) outdoor patio in the back with picnic tables, ladder golf, ping pong, and my favorite accessory.... astro turf! Â Maybe it's actually putting green carpet, either way, it adds character. Â Can't wait to go back :)
Review Source:beware of the dog house.... elders and alkies.
I went here off of a recommendation from the Stranger because it was a staff pick. But just avoid if your young. This isnt even a dive its worse its a dog house.
The crowd there was probably only enjoyable if you were 40+. Its a dark hole in the wall spot and I wouldnt recommend it.
The lady serving at the bar was prompt which was nice and she greeted us which was good also but aside from that and the cost of our two drinks I would say if your in your 20's avoid this hangout and go a little farther south to Ballard. The price of my boyfriend's beer and my vodka cranberry totaled to $5 which is a good deal but the atmosphere and demographic that hangs here is hard to overcome.
First time at the mighty Waterwheel last night. It is, as described, a charming dive. No cider on tap, but they have the Strongbow in the tall cans. Burger was pretty delicious, though dirty fry oil meant the fries were not so good. Seems to be a common problem in places--is fry oil all that expensive? 'cuz dirty fry oil ruins perfectly good food. Everyone is so nice there, and the bartender was nice enough to honor my expired Groupon at face value (I thought they HAD to, but she said otherwise).
We came to check out the Wednesday trivia, and it was not all that impressive. All four rounds were themed, and very much geared to a younger crowd. Very few general knowledge type questions, more along the lines of "Musicians with the first name of Chris" and "sports movies". This was my first time playing at a place that uses a trivia service, and I was not impressed. I'll stick with homegrown trivia elsewhere, and hopefully my next visit to La Waterwheel will be on a clean fry oil day!
The bf bought a Groupon for this place so we decide to come here on a Tuesday night. Little did we know, we walked right in on bingo night and we were late... It was a bit awkward trying to find seats since it was pretty much a packed house but we managed to squeeze with three others close to the bar. Turns out we had unknowingly sat with the owner and her parents!!! It was such a nice surprise because we all started chatting while playing Bingo at the same time... and it's pretty cool because my bf got Bingo on his first try... and then a few rounds later, I won too! We were really lucky!
We got a free drink each for winning. It was definitely a nice introduction to our night. We then proceeded to ordering the pesto sandwich and fried chicken. I was super excited about the food because I heard great things about the chef and the menu. The pesto sandwich was fabulous and the bf really loved it. The fried chicken was HUGE... they really weren't kidding when they said that we'd need a to-go box after eating.
Overall, the night was really fun and spontaneous. We got into a little trouble with parking since we parked behind the Pho Vietnam restaurant and apparently the owner gets really mad when people park in their lot... duly noted. Don't park behind the pho restaurant because they'll take down your plate number and tell on you. But we moved the car onto the street, no biggie.
Karaoke night started at around 8:30 pm and we stuck around for a couple of songs which was very fun and entertaining too.
Food is cheap and drinks are strong, friendly crowd, I'd definitely recommend if you're looking for a casual and drama-free night out!
Tried this place for the first time last night aaaaand... I'm a fan. It was cattle car crowded and was standing room only. The clientele was varied and pretty entertaining in-and-of-themselves. It was karaoke night (maybe that's every night?) which I'm definitely a fan of as well. The wait to sing was very long but the crowd got into most of the songs which always makes things more fun. I had fun singing Creep by Radiohead... a personal fave. It seemed like they had a good selection of songs and the KJ was engaging.
I was enjoying a nice glass of water as I was driving but my friends who ordered drinks said they were strong and the prices seemed reasonable.
I'll definitely be back as it's just down the street from me... but maybe on a night that has a better oxygen to person ratio.
Check out this joint... you'll dig it!
3 liter's of joy!!
Came here with some fellow Yelpers for the beer tower challenge.96 ounces of frost brewed ale.From the outside it looks like a shithole ,but as you walk in.I knew what I was in for being a dive bar aficionado.Went straight to the bar and ordered not ONE but TWO 3 liter beer towers of Fat Tire 2° Below Ale.Our friendly bartender brought them over with good advice on how to conquer the tower.With a nice tap dispenser,we drank every last drop.With a Groupon deal it came out to $20 bucks for both.
Will definitely come back for another round of mayhem and indulgence!!
Holy moley does it take a lot of booze to spend $25 here!!!!
Some of my co-workers and I recently started trying to do a weekly happy hour, and I joined them for a Waterwheel one time.
First impression was... "This feels very back-yard frat party!" We loved the astro turf. Note that none of those are BAD things to us... Just not what we are used to in a venue or something we were expecting to find!
It was happy hour and apparently bingo night. We had lots of fun playing. We started off with one of those super-tall beer tower things... but I didn't have any from that. Not an IPA fan, and that's what the person ended up picking. I ended up having 3 Hoegaardens (and taking one red-headed slut shot with the team- ugh! Never trying that one again!) instead. I also had some tater tots and they were quite tasty. They had some amusing prizes that I never won, probably because I lost the focus to keep playing after about 1.5 beers.
Is this a snazzy bar with fancy cocktails and a great view? Definitely not. Their staff is nice, however, and it's a fun place to kick back and enjoy yourself with a group of friends.
...Imagine you have a soft spot for dingy, merry and colorful holes-in-the-wall with karaoke.
...Imagine then you win some money via inheritance--oh, that sweet, sweet Aunt Margie, rest in peace!
...If you don't have Aunt Margie or your family members tend to live up until they're 100-years old, then you got the extra money because you just asked for a Quick Pick as your change at the gas station's mini-mart.
...Don't dream too big. Â The extra money isn't that much! Well, it's enough to buy a house and make some remodeling. Â Happy now?
...You decide to buy an old but charming house in Ballard.  After paying for it, you still have a bit of the money  left to make your dream of "I want a hole-in-the-wall-in-my-house" a reality.  You have an unfinished basement-dungeon underneath those 90-years old original hardwood floors.  Better place?  Impossible!
...You sit down and visualize how you want it. Â Then, magically, you're transported to the Waterwheel for ideas, beer and karaoke.
That's what the Waterwheel is about. Â I felt like entering into the "bar in the basement" of a good friend's house. Â It's a warm, friendly place where Alex the bartender, sings along some tunes while he's serving you a pint. Â If you ask him, he will be happy to mix a Cosmo for you (he told me he likes to be asked for a specialty drink, 'cause he doesn't have much chance to make those). Â Needless to say, libations here are on the cheap side of the moon!
The karaoke selection is large, large, large. Â From Motown and hairband Rock to Enrique Iglesias and The Hoff, you'll pretty much find the song you have been craving to sing for ages. Â You can even dance when someone else is singing: there's space enough to shake it to the raspy voice of a Michael Hucknall wannabee.
We had a wonderful time during the Pearl Jam Karaoke night our dear M'lady Katie hosted. Â Even thought not everyone sang to the tunes of the legendary band, we had fun listening to a varied selection of musical choices between those. Â Yelpers and non-Yelpers (Garrington, man!) kept returning for 5 more minutes of fame. Â
That night I discovered, after two years dating The Dude, that he LOVES karaoke and that he can do a killer impersonation of Eddie Vedder. Â I wish I could be a bit bolder, so I could have a "Tom Jones fervent female fan" moment...! Second place in the karaoke competition can give you an idea of my man being good (and hilarious). Â Fellow Yelper Heather F. and her pretty voice got the first place. Â Our friend Garrington came up third.
Karaoke is not the only form of entertainment available at the Waterwheel. Â They have a pool table. Â The have TVs with your favorite games on. Â They have plenty of great bar conversation. Â The incredibly sweet karaoke gentleman--very a-la-80s in his gray suit--will sing for you from time to time. Â
Waterwheel feels like home. Â In these times of general tribulations, this is one of those places where you'll successfully wash out any pains and worries.
Just ask for a pint and grab that microphone. Â And make sure you can reach Marvin Gaye's highest pitch! Â And afterward, get your butt back to your basement...good luck trying to recreate such a wonderful place!
So I ventured all the way up here to see Will L.'s band (Stay Tuned) play. Â I arrived and worked my way through the pretty big crowd there on a Saturday night. Â I squeezed in with my group around the back side of the bar.
At first, service was quite slow. Â However, I don't blame the bartender as he was working as fast as he could and there were a *ton* of people in there. Â The atmosphere was great and people seemed to be having a good time all around.
This is really where my review should stop. Â The rest of the night gets a bit hazy. Â However, I can tell you that the following things with some certainty that they are true: Â
* shamelessly flirting with the bartender while drunk will get you service a bit quicker
* the bartenders handle people who get out of hand quickly (I was nearly knocked over by one running to kick someone out)
* chances are you won't leave here sober unless you're a DD or just not interested in having a good time
* there's a diverse crowd here, but people are super friendly
* there are some steps that take you to a back patio that are hard to navigate in heels while drunk
I'd highly suggest you stop in here sometime and have a few drinks (or many) and enjoy! Â I hope to make it back sometime for the infamous karaoke nights!
I finally made it to the Waterwheel for a Yelp event... if you know me, you know I went on a Sunday (KARAOKE!!!) It is true what they say, when Yelp takes over this place becomes a mad house (in the best possible way!)
I can't tell you how nice it was to be at a place where I feel totally comfortable! Bonus was that almost the entire Yelp crew was so fantastic. I was introduced around and forgot most of the names by the time I finished my second Mac & Jack. It's almost the feeling of coming home to a big group of friends...friends I had never met, but friends none the less.
Karaoke was divine! I was able to witness the "Rick Roll" that I had heard so much about...there was some interesting dance moves displayed on the floor, and once again TONS of song choices! I think one of my favorite things about this place is the bartender singing and bartending... that is really downright amazing!
I saw most of the same regulars I had seen the weekend before. Maybe I saw too much of them though, I happened to witness some lovely purging going on in the ladies restroom. This was probably 1 of 2 not so nice things that I witnessed/was part of during the evening but I am not going to put that as a negative on the bar...only the people involved. I did manage to get an apology from the girl who yakked in the bathroom...she said it had been a hard day. :-( I understood...
I officially love Yelp events...especially here. I drive by often, and really like the folks who work there and run the place. Can't wait for Stu's Bday bash... I will be there with bells on!
This is quite a small bar, but it packs a lot of fun!
One of my best friends used to live in a condo right across the street and I can't believe we never ventured here, we sure missed out!
I came here for my first time for the "Singing for (your) Change!" yelp event. I walk in and this place is packed, granted it's a rather small place, but it was like sardines in a can in there and I'm not complaining! I would rather be in a packed bar any night of the week then sit awkwardly an empty bar, the more the merrier I always say! :)
The bar tender was a really cool, friendly and very attentive dude. Granted I was sitting at the bar but he was always there with my next drink when I wanted it, no waiting! He even got into the karaoke and sang a few songs, which weren't too shabby if I remember correctly.
It was nice to see some yelpers I knew and a few new faces too! This is a fun bar with a great atmosphere and I'll be sure to check it out again, definitely if the yelpers host another event here!
I don't recall alot about this place other than it is very far from my house. Â And they made a shot that ended my night.....
Walking 30 blocks while drunk I am surprised I only fell once....my knee is still scabbed up. Â I don't know if I will be back this place it is bad news bears.
It is amazing to me that I haven't written a review of the Wheel yet!
Where to begin? How about Karaoke! Not only do they have Karaoke on both Wednesdays and Sundays but it seems that the Waterwheel has become the new venue for Yelper birthdays. This is in no small part to the Karaoke host who always gets the house pumped up with suicide Karaoke songs and wild introductions to the next singing victim.
Slap into that equation, the owner of the joint (Stu) who ensures the drinks are stiff and that the food is sizzling and good. Tara, one of the bartenders is cool and very friendly. There's never an empty glass in front of me longer than a minute and it's never a task getting efficient and fast service.
Out of the various places close by to stop in and have a good time, I'd put my money on the Wheel as the best of the lot. Ample space on the outside patio for smokers (or those who just smoke when they've been drinking), as well as the opportunity to play Wii...poker....pool..etc. Your wish is the Wheels command.
To all you people who don't like rowdy, sweaty girls with musical instruments gettin' all up in their grill while you're trying to sing karaoke, I have two words:
My bad!
I just can't control it. Like the full moon to the werewolf, something in the music-lyrics-beer combo turns me into another person entirely. Add in Cousin and her bag-o-tricks (i.e. percussion collection) and it's all over.
The greatest thing about karaoke at the Waterwheel was that the karaoke-master didn't get pissed at us and make us put it all away. Dudes at the *other* places in town (cough-Ozzies-cough) apparently don't like their patrons to have a good time. No such snobbery at the Waterwheel.
Let's see, what else was so great about this place? Well, for starters, when I ordered a Mack-n-Jack from Stu (owner), he offered me space to place my face right under the spigot. I declined, but still appreciated the offer. The fries we ordered were super good too! AND, just in case you feel a little hefty after the beer and pub grub, there are two exercise bikes out in the back to burn off some calories! You know, in case you're not comfortable making a spectacle on the dance floor (like yours truly).
What's not to love? Â The 'Wheel sort of feels like drinking in your friend's basement that he or she turned into a kick-ass bar. Â There's karaoke, bingo, poker, Wii, sports on tv, two stationery bikes outside for exercising away your vodka between drinks... and on the slight chance that nothing else fun is going on at the 'Wheel, there's a shelf of books. Â I'm halfway through the Fantasy Football 1989 Guide.
Excellent Sunday morning (okay, excellent ALL day on Sunday) spot for breakfast and a bloody mary. Â $4 two egg breakfast and a $3 bloody mary. Â Done and done. Â And you can feel good about going in your jammies, there's no judging at the Waterwheel. Â I'm so glad to finally have MY neighborhood bar!
Three visits later, and it's time for an update.
My first visit, I had a close encounter with the best smelling yelper I know and a Sharpie.
Second visit is a blur, because it was Party Bus time!
Third visit, was for Don L.'s birthday party! After the fun time at the Rickshaw, karaoke was something that was gonna be for his birthday, and I had just found out they started doing it at the Waterwheel....but...could they do it on a day when we could do the party?!? Oh hellzyeah! Wil was a wonderful middle-man between me and Stu and Stu was more than accomodating and happy to have us crash his place for the party.
Rumor has it the Waterwheel will now be sporting Wii bowling and karaoke every Sunday in honor of the 'late, great', Sunset Bowl, so be sure to check them out!!!! Don't make me cut 'ya, GO!
What a freakin blast Don's birthday was! Just about everybody sang (you songless people know who you are, sit and cry in your cheerios at the shame of it all!), and the songs were just as fun. You never knew what someone would pick next!
My karaoke debut consisted of trying to sound like a 12 year old girl for Don's rendition of "Teenage Dirtbag"...thanks to the free-flowing alcohol I somehow managed to get up there 3 more times.
HUGE props to Sarah for joining me for "Faith" and for gyrating on the floor with me to "I touch myself", I could not have done it w/o ya lady! =)
*Single Tear* for Jesse's "Leavin on a jet plane", and ^5's to all the yelpers I drug up there to sing with her, you and Trev are gonna be sorely missed lady! I mean it, Greyhound, $40, I'll be waiting at the station!!! ;-)
I'll run out of room if I try to highlight the entire night and all the fun that we all had, so I'll leave more up to everyone else's reviews.
Happy Birthday Don L! you really rocked (and rick rolled!) that mic all night mister!
Not a bad place to have a drink.
They seem to have a variety of gimics to get people in to harass and annoy the regulars. Â This includes:
- guitar hero competitions
- karaoke and wii bowling on sundays
- poker nights
The place feels like the basement of a houseparty of someone you don't know very well with new people wandering in every so often. Â If you like that kind of an environment, you'll like this place.
Why is my wallet sticky? This is the question I asked myself this morning. What had the Waterwheel done to me last night that resulted in the inside of my wallet being smeared with shiny goo?
I'm really not sure. I'm assuming somehow I managed to get a small amount of booze in there, perhaps from money that was was once on the bar in dangerous proximity to a drinkpuddle. Yes, it's true - the well drinks here are cheap enough to put down a five, tip your bartender and still have change. They are not fancy. They are not garnished with little umbrellas. They do not taste like a million glittering fireworks cascading off of your tastebuds. They taste like booze. They look like booze. My rum and coke was barely brown. Enough said, at least on this front.
Everything else is exactly what I'd desire and expect out of a dive bar. The decor is totally tacky in that comfortable down-home sort of way that makes it easy to tie one on without worrying about knocking over a really fancy vase. I promise you will never risk setting yourself alight on an ill-placed votive candle at the Waterwheel.
Shower curtains instead of doors on the bathroom stalls? Klassy, but effective. Mostly.
The oft-mentioned stools are also everything somebody with childbearing hips or inner ear problems could ever want out of a drinking establishment seating arrangement. Like sippy cups, these stools offer a true sense of security and balance, even when dancing in your chair to karaoke favorites.
Given the way they pour here... after two or three drinks, you're going to need all the seating stability you can get.
Let's see. Â What did I do here last night?
* Â Drank some very good beer. Â Mac & Jacks on tap!
* Â Helped Don celebrate his B-day and Trevor & Jessie have a killer last Seattle event.
* Â Unsuccessfully attempted 'Street Spirits (Fade Out)' by Radiohead on karaoke.
* Â Pretty successfully tried out 'She Don't Use Jelly' by The Flaming Lips on karaoke.
* Â Kicked 'Punk Rock Girl' by The Dead Milkmen's ass on karaoke.
* Â Watched people play Wii bowling for their first time. Â It's always funny seeing people Wii it up for the first time.
* Â Got licked in the face several times by the most hyperactive dog ever.
* Â Heard good (for the most part) karaoke of songs I've never seen available in karaoke before. Â Very wide range of songs to choose from.
* Â Had a blast with a crowd of happy fun Yelp and non-Yelp folk alike.
Sundays here are going to be fun from here on out. Â Karaoke and Wii. Â Powerful combination. Â Go. Â You'll have a great time.
By the time I got here, I was already very, very drunk, thanks to the combined and coordinated efforts of one birthday, my beautiful girlfriend, many awesome Seattle folks, and some very heaving pouring.
So, I don't really remember many things about the Waterwheel. In fact, come to think about it, the ONLY thing I remember is that I was served a rather wicked Gin & Tonic at the (faux?) wood-paneled bar. I know I had a great time...
Clearly, I'm going to have to come back at some point.
the food seem to be merely a means to soak up the booze or in other words, sustenance to filly the belly-not bad, not good, just warm. Decent prices on food and drink though
the short haired bartendress was quick, pleasant and handled Betsy's drunken mob with ease.
To me though, this bar strikes me as a wood paneled double wide that should be smack dab in the middle of a cowboy town...like Norco, Ca:
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.norco.ca.us%2Fabout%2Fphoto_gallery%2Fdefault.asp&s=c8053d6139629cbe5b3ca42d09bf0d7137b16615cdf76df9719dfb1a8bf6435a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.norco.ca.us/a…</a>
We stopped by here to check out Stay Tuned last Saturday night. I always feel comfortable in bars like the Waterwheel. From the hooded sweatshirt clad to the dolled up, all were welcome here. The bartender was very attentive on a busy night, and kept us well lubricated without having to leave our seats to venture to the bar.
And while I'm on the subject of seats. Can I mention: Holy Hell, where did they get the ginormous stools? Finally! A bar stool that can accommodate the circumference of my booty!!!
The selection of beer on tap wasn't extensive (Bud, Bud Light, Mack and Jacks, and Guinness) but I'm always happy with Mack and Jacks, so I wasn't bothered.
My only recommendation to the new owners? The sign outside with the Burger and Martini is strangely disturbing. But it is quirky, and gets your attention while driving down the street, so maybe it should remain unchanged.
Hit the Waterwheel with the soccer team after a game in Loyal Hts. We picked a good night because it was Guitar Hero Competition night!! Sweet entertainment, some serious players - all on the expert level. Yeah, it was fuckin' rad.
First note of importance - they do have offstreet parking but be careful, they're in some kind of feud with the neighbors (either that or the neighbors are just plain jack asses) so if you park in the lot next door you will get towed. Â Luckily the staff at the Waterwheel keep an eye on this and do a standup job of warning people.
It's nothing special inside, just a comfortable dive to drink beer if you are in the neighborhood of 15th. The staff is super friendly (we scored free Jagermeister t-shirts - cool, can't wait to wear mine to church on Sunday) and move fast to keep the beer flowing. Â
Oh, the beer - one drawback in my book, only 4 taps ?WTF!? - Mac n Jacks, Bud, Bud Light and one other that didn't get my attention. Seriously, only 4 taps is OK if you're a dive bar in Peoria but this is Seattle. However, they sell lots of beer by the bottle and can. I was in beer drinking mode so I didn't even notice if they had any hard stuff. They did have food though - typical pub grub; burgers, fries, soups and sandos, some salads, quesadillas and burritos, etc. The special of the night was sloppy joes with a side of cottage cheese and pineapple? Ummm, OK, so they smoked a bowl before they figured out the menu for the day. Whatever, it was a cool place to hang out and drink beer with friends while watching guys with WAY too much time on their hands play fake guitar in front of a big screen. I'll definitely go back for more.
New ownership = good times!
My love affair with the Waterwheel has been rekindled!
Where to start...basically what's not to like about this place. The staff and patrons are super friendly, the chicken is heavenly (hasn't changed a bit), there is free wifi, Tuesday night bingo, and Thursday night Guitar Hero duels. The prices are good and the pours are healthy. I can't say enough good things about the place.
This place is like an oasis in a sea of boring meat-market type joints (so sad Seattle is slowly losing its unique watering holes).
Check it out for yourself!
P.S.
I am almost ready to compete next Thursday, so watch out ;)
Any bar that has free wifi is a good bar in my book.
Any bar that looks imposing and a little rough from the outside, is set back on a road that doesn't have many other bars or restaurants around it, thus making it sort of dark and certainly not somewhere that you would "just pop in" on your way to another bar makes this my kind of bar for sure!
The fact that I can STILL feel like I am super young when I walk in to a place seals the deal for me.
This is not exactly a dive. No bar that has a clean bathroom with a medicine cabinet stocked with FREE tampons, Aqua Net and scented lotion could really be a dive. It does nod heavily in that direction, though, with the older clientele, wood grained toilet seats behind curtains instead of doors, cheap strong drinks and an interior that is dated back to the 70's.
I haven't tried their food but I am guessing if my gramps were still alive he would think it was fantastic, which means I would, too. If only I had a take on whether gramps would like karaoke or guitar hero because, apparently, on set nights, this place also has these modern marvels to go along with the wifi. I personally prefer to go on the other nights and make a toast to gramps.
I'm going to try really really hard to write this review as if I accidentally walked in to the Waterwheel. I didn't, though, and I can't imagine there will be some bias here as the Waterwheel is now owned by my good friend Stu (who also plays drums in my band, Stay Tuned).
Stu is one of those few people who discover an opportunity to pursue a lifelong dream and regardless of the amount of work, loss of sleep[, and lack of time to practice with the band,] he pursues it. He's a killer bartender and a savvy business man, and would love to make his professional life the Waterwheel [and hopefully the band, as he's an amazing drummer as well. Come see us some time, you'll agree.].
So, having never been to the Waterwheel, but hearing often about it during practice, me and a few friends headed down to check things out.
Cue to the theme song from Cheers (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DC8IZfR08S1o&s=f38e0c02c95e4105f134403f6da4e7095bd37a297fe1cae1d1323242ac36fef7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>), seems like a place where the locals know each other's names. Stu has been raving about the Waterwheel's food, so we came hungry. We had the Cheeseburger dip (think like a French Dipped Sandwich, but with a cheeseburger), chicken fried steak, and a regular old burger. We also saw someone having the roasted chicken which looked fricken good. The food was like comfort food, tasty and heart-attack rendering. :) Fries were a bit crispy, but Stu mentioned that was on the list of things to deal with. We had pitchers and/or bottles of beer, and regardless of the place being reasonably full, we still got them pretty quickly. Service was friendly, decor was unique.
And the jukebox... it's been a while since I paid attention to a jukebox. In fact... I don't think I ever have. My friends are music-philes and put $10 in, reserving about $4 for me. Selection was pretty good. Rare you can hear Steve Miller 'take the money and run' back to back with Curtis Mayfield's 'Freddy's Dead.'
I've been going to the waterwheel for years, and, yes, could consider myself a "regular".
The thing about the Waterwheel is...hmm....it's like going to a bar that exists out of time and space.
Let me explain what I mean:
-At 35, I'm usually one of the younger folks there.
-The square footage is just a bit larger than my apartment.
-The bathrooms are sparkly-cleen.
-The booze is cheap.
-The food is cheap.
-The finest cheeseburger in Seattle (no, really). Â Not fancy, just mmmmmm good.
-Tami the weekly bartender will actually give you a hug when you come in, and cut you off when you need it, not when your head hits the bar.
-Did I mention Cheap?
-Weekend bartender Toni laughs at all my stupid jokes.
-I have a drink named after me! Â Tell Tami you want a "Jason" and you'll get a tasty sensation ONLY found at the Waterwheel.
-On your birthday, you get hosed down with water.
-Pool is just fifty cents
-The jukebox contains everything from Johnny Cash to Eminem to Patsy Cline to Sublime to 80's hair-bands to the Star-spangled Banner.
-Hey kids! Do you like violence? Â There is an occasional fight. Â Sometimes between girls!!
Just go. Â You need to experience it. Â Bingo night is Tuesday. Â Monday is Taco night.
Enjoy! (and tell them I sent you!)
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