Anyone who is expecting anything more from this bar other than the most divey experience ever is an idiot. One look at the outside of the bar and you know what the service will be like, so just keep walking and stop complaining about it. The Zoo is a classic car. Loved for its simple beauty and obvious flaws. For instance, in the summer, the place is unbearably hot, sometimes they even have trouble keeping the beer cold, but they have some sort of frozen drink that is reasonably price to place on your forehead in between pool shots. The place isn't perfect, but they have a way to make it work. It's beautiful. Let's talk about the history of this establishment. It has a lot. You'll often see wanna-be ping pong experts. It's hilarious. These regulars are a joke for reasonable guests to quietly make fun of at there table. Don't put you drink on the pool table, bring cash, and be nice to the bar tenders. read more

If you're into a place that feels like your weird, punk rock uncle's living room--minus the existential dread--then this Eastlake gem might just become your new regular haunt. The interior looks like a mishmash of vintage dive bar meets someone's very questionable thrift store shopping spree. But don't let that fool you; the drinks are solid. The bartenders, clearly too cool for your small talk, will serve up anything you ask with a side of disaffected charm. The crowd? A delightful mix of "I'm here for the long haul" locals and "What even is Eastlake?" tourists. It's gritty, it's cozy, it's exactly the kind of dive we need more of in this city. Bring cash! read more

Eastlake Zoo Tavern - From upper loft - Sports Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Boring, stuffy, no atmosphere The bartender wasn't in the mood, didn't say a word, and wasn't polite. read more

Classic Seattle dive bar that offers great games and seating. My main grievance is that spending less than 1 hour there will result in your hair, clothes, and items smelling like the place. I don't know what the smell is but it is very unpleasant. It would be awesome if they did a deep clean :) read more

This is a fun, classic dive bar atmosphere with plenty of games to play and hang out around. Service was a slow at the bar, but the people were friendly. It's good to note there is also only beer and wine, so don't order any spirits. We went during a heat wave and it was very hot inside also. Overall a fun atmosphere if you're in the mood for a dive bar. read more

A classic dive bar at Eastlake. Visiting on a Monday, it had a few pockets of people hanging out, and service at the bar was prompt and friendly. There are arcade games, some skee ball, and shuffleboard available to play. Had a lovely time stopping by for an hour or two. read more

Dive Bar at it's best. Interesting collection of patrons so be warned but go with it. Cash Only Bar and the beer prices for drafts seemed to be all over the place. The décor is classic dive bar with weird and fun showing it. Skip the shuffleboard as it's at the end of it's life. Biggest surprises were the Dart and a true billiard table. Pool tables and Pinball machines are reasonably priced. read more

Extremely frustrating. Our group came to this bar after a wedding looking for a location to close our night. We were not raucous and provided a surge of business/purchases and tips to end their night. Upon arrival, the bartender was immediately hostile, chastising our group out about close out (constantly interrupting us and giving 10min, 5min, 2min countdowns) as other patrons were not disturbed with such warnings (we arrived 45 min prior to close). I totally understand that the bar closed at 2am - this is normal for Seattle. The constant focus of the bartender specially to our group was targeted. If one is a "first time patron" to the bar, I would advise to never come and search elsewhere at the numerous other bars within Seattle. It's truly unfortunate- as a local to Seattle for the last 6 years, I've never been to the Zoo. They have cool games, an interesting atheistic internally, pool, etc. However, this experience is so negative, I want to share the experience for awareness to others. I will never be back at the Zoo. read more

Decades ago, I used to come here more regularly, and it's still the same ol' Zoo. It warms my heart to see a new generation of young people wasting their time together on a Thursday evening. read more

Saw this place passing by a few times and finally gave it a try. Sure wish I hadn't. The bartender was being overly flirty in a very creepy way where it was clear he was just doing it for tips. Somehow, he also managed to be very rude as well and when I asked him for a shot and responded very shortly and with a lot of attitude "we only have beer and wine" (which by the way, was not posted anywhere!!). We ended up getting a pitcher of beer and he was very weird about giving us our change and snapped at us "well we work for tips you know" (our change was $3 and we were going to give him a $5 bill instead of the 3 ones, but that attitude made us not want to tip at all!!). I'm not quick to write poor reviews of a place, but I left the place feeling gross. The atmosphere and service were terrible and I will not be returning. read more

DO NOT COME HERE!! Came here with a group of my friends last Friday and the bartender Dylan Brown was very racist. Would not serve drinks and kicked my friends (but not me) out of the bar and followed them outside. Had to have been on drugs because I've never seen a switch flipped like that before and definitely not in the restaurant industry. Do not come here if you're looking for an inclusive bar. read more

I'm white, my girlfriend's black, they wouldn't serve her but I got beers right away. Hate to think it's a thing, but fill in the blanks for yourself read more

The vibes here were so strange, I felt completely out of place. My friends and I played a round of pool and then left. We didn't even bother to get drinks or food like we had planned to. The music was strange and they had a modern day juke box system so we played some music and I guess the other guest didn't care for our music choices, ha. This is a cool place if you enjoy darts and playing pool and just standing away being very low key. I would not recommended and will not return. read more

We were here day ago with our friend. We've liked this place. And actually it's hard to find spots with foosball. But this place has it and also has 3 pool tables and 1 table tennis. Lot of fun games with good and cheap beer. They do not accept any cards, only cash. So minus one star from us. read more

Zoo Tavern is like a dive bar meets an old school arcade. All cash. Coin operated pool, ping pong, skeeball, shuffle board, darts, and a couple video games. Grab a Rainier and enjoy the night playing games with friends! Service is more than passable (hey, it's a dive bar after all). read more

Some of the reviews on here- wow. You walk into a notorious and historic dive bar on a weekend night, one called "The Zoo" no less, and are surprised that it's rowdy, messy, "musty" (really?) and, in short, every exact thing a Seattle dive bar is SUPPOSED to be. Holy crap, people! Do you go into Burger King, and get pissed off that there isn't table service and they don't have cloth napkins, steak tartare and French wine? JEEZ-LOUISE. First, have a look around and make sure you are where you want to be. If you went to the wrong joint, get in another Uber and take Muffy and your man-bun to some boots-and-pants dance club and be impressively unimpressed there. Don't spoil it for the connoisseurs of the grungy, funky, old-Seattle goodness that is The Zoo. You kids go have fun- let the adults talk. I've been coming here since 1992. Always fun, always dramatic one way or another. Working class joes come here after work even now. Adventurous techies hit it for the games and for a taste of real Seattle. Old guys stop in to remember and relax. It is exactly where, when, and what it's supposed to be, and I hope it stays as long as it can. Check it out if you like the real deal; it's one of a dying breed of real dive bars in this boom town. read more

A few weeks ago, myself and a group of friends decided to check out the local bar. We were having a good time until one of the bartenders asked us to not set our beers on the table. We respected his wishes and did not set any drinks on the pool table. Moments later, he approached us in a disrespectful and threatening matter and proceeded to make racist comments to my friends, along the lines of "this is a white bar". Appalled by his actions and comments, we tried leaving the bar but the same bartender continued to get in our faces trying to fight us. He was then held back by other customers, continuing to pester us and say "you all better watch your backs". He also seemed to be intoxicated or on some type of drugs while on shift. I do not understand how an establishment can employ someone like that bartender. It is outrageous and I highly recommend that nobody supports or visit this bar until changes are made. After reading other reviews, it appears that there have been multiple instances where the same bartender has harassed customers and made racists comments. Please do not go to this bar!!! read more

(This is a GOOD review lol) I had a horrible experience trying to buy souvenir hoodies for my friends back at home while my time in Seattle. I was with my two friends about 3 months ago and I was furious after walking out of one bar for making me feel stupid with masks... (fun fact: I don't/can't drink) Anyways, the hard-working gentleman behind the bar that night seemed that he was done for the day but was so happy when we told him what we were there for. He showed us a few selections including one design that really stood out to me, (forgive me if I'm wrong) but I believe he said his grandfather drew it. Long story short you literally made our trip, friends love the hoodies and are currently giving me shit for not writing this sooner and I apologize for not remembering your name but if it helps we're Californians. These are the type of establishments you rarely come across now a days. Thanks again, take care read more

This place SUCKS! We have been here a couple of times and weren't really impressed. Our friend (regrettably) hosted his birthday here for the evening. I was reluctant to take cash out and give this place $6 for a Slushy but I needed to be drunk to enjoy this place. We were all playing pool and having a good time when I set my drink down on the pool table to fix my dress. There was another beer there too. When all of a sudden the bouncer comes up and cursing us out because we had our drinks on the table. He took our drinks and poured them out in front of us. It was beyond appalling. Yeah. Sure. There was an 8 year old paper sign on this beat up pool table, my bad. He didn't even give us a warning he just took our drinks and poured them out. I'm so livid. The bartender was super nice and huffed under his breath about the loser bouncer and gave me a new drink. I will never come back here. read more

I noticed that this place is listed as a "Dive Bar". What is it that makes a dive bar? According to Mike Seely, author of "Seattle Best Dive Bars", "no collection of characteristics can be melded to truly define what makes a dive bar". He really goes on the say that you really can define a dive bar, it's more of a state of mind, that you just know when you are in one. I can't agree more! And so that brings me to a tavern that I consider an old friend. A place that I've been many times, but is not familiar. A place that reminds me of what many bars in Seattle used to be like, even in the coolest areas of town. While these places are disappearing, it's good to know that Zoo lives on. I recently stopped in for friend's birthday party, where the upper back window area was reserved. It turned out be a great spot to have such an occasion; the parking, the availability, the options for food and drink and reasonable cost all made it great. As the Friday night continued, many flowed in. They either partook in the shuffle board, fine beverages, billiards or skee ball. One thing was consistent; they were all having a good time. There was no pretense, just people hanging out and having fun. As for the service, whenever you go up to the bar to get a drink, someone actually acknowledges you and serves you very quickly. Funny, now that I think of it, many douchebag bartenders purposefully don't even look at you when it's busy and pretend you don't exist until they grace your presence by taking your order. Not at the Zoo, it's like your buddy is working behind the bar and he'll get to you when he can. They've got food at the Zoo, although I didn't try it. The birthday party had us bring in some pizzas from Pazzo's. They were just okay, but I'll leave that for my Pazzo review. Be well, drink well, but not well alcohol. read more

This is local dive bar that doesn't really look big from outside but there is a huge area in the back of the bar where they have pool tables, shuffle boards and etc. We stop for a beer every once in a while to hang out with friends. The most annoying thing is the antique pool table in the back which takes up a whole lot of space and no one is allowed to use it for anything!!! Seriously, why do they keep it there? This is the most useless piece I've seen in a bar like that. Just remove it and make people happy. read more

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I've come here a few times and had a ton of fun, the bartender or maybe he's the owner always seems very suspicious... always walking around looking for something to stir up trouble. Then this past weekend me and some friends were next in line on the pool table, when a couple women and a guy tried to say they had next. We tried talking and reasoning with them, to which the guy responded by going and telling the same grumpy bartender that we were harassing this women... the bartender proceeded to come over super hot and demand that we leave, he was super physical and shoving us, and didn't give us a chance to explain what was going on. Would not recommend this bar to anyone. And will definitely never be coming back here again. read more

I love dive bars because they usually have really funky stuff on the walls, the Zoo does not disappoint! Several pool tables, even a snooker table, and some pinball machines for entertainment. They don't have a very big tap selection, but that's typical of a dive bar. Be forewarned, this establishment is cash only! read more

Like everyone wrote, the Zoo is pretty divey but it's a huge bar so it's actually pretty cool and there's a lot to do. Pool, shuffleboard, buy candy from those coin slot dispensers, etc. I actually love how there are peanut shells all over the floor and the random crowds that frequent the place. It is cash only so be prepared and they don't serve food either so if you're hungry, be ready to shell out more money for some great pizza two doors down. read more

This sketchy bartender is the definition of "dead but delicious" oh my lord you'll never once ask yourself "will I get stabbed in a good way tonight?" Oh hell yeah you will, with this suspicious stallion of a cigarette smoking bartender read more

I came here last night with my boyfriend looking for a chill place to hang and vibe after work around 11pm. When we entered the place, immediately the vibes felt off. There was a crowd of people hanging at the bar talking to the bar tender who also did not bother to acknowledge us when we came in. We walked around a bit and looked at the pool tables and skeeball they had available. Then when we went to go back up to the bar to see if they had food because their website clearly states that they serve food, we were met with being ignored at first and then talked down very rudely by the kid behind the bar serving drinks. Dude was super rude when we asked if they had food when we only asked twice. To be fair we couldn't hear anything over the loud music playing and people yelling. He also appeared to be on something much harder than alcohol. I'm no drug expert but honestly I've seen a lot in my day and I'm willing to bet he was on meth or speed. He had a crazed look in his eye and seemed pissed off and angry about everything. Needless to say we felt really weird and uncomfortable and left very quickly after that without ordering anything. To be fair, I really think they gotta change the owners, management and staff! They clearly need a lesson in customer service because this was not it!!!!!! read more

Local dive bar and cash ONLY! I don't come to Eastlake area often. I have been to a few restaurants/lounges nearby. I know this place exists but never made it out here. I was here recently and was surprised how big the bar is! From outside, it looks fairly small. Once you go inside, it has pool tables and PLENTY of open space. Staff are nice to me. It is a local dive bar so few college students hang out here. It is nice to go to a bar where customers are not solely college students. Definitely a great spot for groups. Most drinks are under $10. Bring cash! read more

Came here on a Friday night with a large group of people. We were able to find space for everyone to hang out which was nice. It's definitely a dive bar so can't expect anything super fancy. I was disappointed that it's cash only, but they do have an ATM on site. read more

I don't like dive bars so even though I work and used to live near the Zoo, I had never visited until yesterday. I have been missing out!! Pool (tables/cues aren't the best and it's hard to find chalk), shuffle board, skee ball, and pin ball machines - so much to do! The only things that would make this place 5 stars is if they had hard liquor and food and if they took credit cards. But no biggie, I will still be back and bringing my friends with to play and drink. read more

Definitely a "dive bar"/ Tavern. If that's what you're looking for, then it's a great option. We went in because they have shuffleboard. It's a cash only bar, which is fine- just be prepared. My complaint was the rude staff and they charge for shuffleboard. I can see charging if you aren't drinking. However, we were drinking and $3/hr seems a little odd to me. I'll stick w Bravehorse. read more

Eastlake Zoo Tavern - The dragon was pretty cool. - Sports Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

CASH ONLY! Yes they have an ATM but they charge you $3 to get your cash. Hubby used to go here back in the day. (22 years ago) He remembered it being dark & a little sketchy. He was always apprehensive about taking me there thinking I would be put off by the place or clientele. We were both pleasantly surprised to find it quite light on the inside with a very amiable crowd. Mostly 20 somethings playing pool, ping pong & watching the baseball game on tv. We (4 of us) played shuffle board. The shuffle board table had cornmeal on it instead of the preferred wax granules. Pucks do not slide well at all on the cornmeal & it should be replaced with wax. Didn't see anyone eating anything there & we were hungry so we hit up Pazzos next door. Meh. :( Would go back if in the area but wouldn't go out of my way to go there. read more

We stopped by the Zoo bar after a birthday celebration. When you first walk in, the warmth, wide open space and friendly smiles draws you in. The beer selection is great and reasonably priced. The variety of games (pool, ping pong, skeball, darts) is fantastic. However, I am giving the bar only 2 stars due to the incredibly exasperating experience with one of the male bartenders. My moms friend (79 plus year old guy) was innocent looking for a towel to wash off the sticky table with, and when he was peeking around the bar corner, the bartender said he was out of line and kicked him out of the bar!! No warning, no second chance. This bartender obviously has a chip on his shoulder and some authority issues. If we're in the area again we may consider returning but will check if this guy is serving before we go in. read more

I used to love drinking beer and playing pool in this bar and haven't been here for about 15 years. I was looking forward to checking in again while waiting for an appointment one afternoon. I ordered a drink and immediately realized they still only take cash. I love dive bars but FFS, it's the 21st century.... I used the ATM, which charged $2.25, half the cost of my cider. I grumbled about it to the bartender, and in full on "tool mode" he tossed my change at me - "It's not MY fault, I don't own the place." He gave me his back and disappeared for long enough for me to drink the entire cider. The place still smelled of cigarette smoke and great atmosphere and memories and the pool tables looked well taken care of. It's too bad the bartender was an unprofessional di*k. read more

As soon as we walked in, we were told the team lived off tips. 45 mins before last call we were told to leave and not order anymore. Not a great place to go to. read more

Highly recommend folks to avoid this place. It has all the trappings of a great bar: pool tables, ping pong tables, all sorts of fun stuff in the back. They've got cheap beer and great people. Well, except for the cranky old guy bartender who kicked me and my friends out for no good reason. Here's the scoop: we were playing ping pong after drinking a few beers, so we were a bit tipsy already, but we weren't being rowdy and we were incredibly respectful to everyone else around us. There were a ton of beer glasses two feet away from the ping pong table that I mentally kept in my head and was avoiding for the entire game of ping pong that we played, except for the last serve, where I accidentally swiped two beer glasses onto the floor. A friend of mine gets the bartender and asks where the broom and dustpan are, so we can clean it up for them (all the while apologizing for everything.) The old guy calls him an idiot and that if he were any smart, he'd avoid that in the first place, despite the fact that there was *zero* effort to clear out tables right next to the ping pong tables and despite the fact that we were incredibly apologetic and were offering to clean it up so the staff don't have to worry about it. I notice him yelling at my friend, to which I interject and say it was all my fault - he then calls me an idiot and that I should leave and never come back. First of all: you guys run a bar. People are drunk. It happens to the best of us. Second: you guys never cleared tables. Third: you're right, I'm never coming back. Thanks, assholes. read more

Finally, finally, and I mean FINALLY I get a night with Shekinah that isn't at a crowded event where we barely have a chance to say two words to each other. We had so much time we covered pretty much every topic from make up to religion over the course of the night. A tip: on warm summer days as we've had lately, and especially with the thunderstorms/humidity/etc as of late, this bar gets TOASTY and MOIST. The layout pretty much prevents them from having came up with an air flow solution that saved it from the stuffiness, but we snagged a nice table/booth near the door, so we survived. Other Seattle bars, specifically the shiny new ones that are classifying themselves as dives, take note: THIS is a dive bar. In the way that dive bar is a way to say "long term neighborhood watering hole". Your eclectic ways need also be old and a little dusty... Service was OK. It can take a few minutes standing around at the bar to get your order placed, but nothing egregious and we weren't ignored. Thankfully, we arrived early before the door guy started checking ID's as i didn't realize mine wasn't with me until i noticed him there. He recognized me when I came out for a smoke and to go back in, so he didn't bother harassing me over it. (hooray) Tip two: I overheard another party complaining outside, because they 'marked' their turn on a pool table in the back but were not getting a turn. The bar's policy is "If they want to keep it all night, it's fine, we don't settle squabbles like that". Sooo, be warned if you want to play the game offerings, you might not get a turn if the original party has claimed it all night. Cash only, beer and wine only, decent tap selection, a real neighborhood hang-out atmosphere and a nice level of the good kind of "grime" that sets it apart from the shinier, fancier places around the area. read more

Pros: - So many games! Shuffleboard, darts, pool, ping pong and some other random arcade games that are interesting after many beers. - The Zoo is far away enough from the U District that the broey 21 year old crowd is filtered out. So the customers are usually better behaved young professionals. Cons: - Cash only! There is an ATM inside the building but I hate those sketchy little things. read more

The new Zoo is a lot different than the old Zoo. The new young bartenders are 3904 times more friendly than the old ones, but that's part of the reason I used to love the Zoo- it took hours and hours of sitting at the bar for the old grumpy bartenders to warm up to you- and once they did, you felt like you had accomplished something other than finishing 2 pitchers of beer. However, I'm not saying ANYTHING bad about the new ones- they're young and hip and friendly and that's nice too. My Zoo Rule: Never bring the animals you meet at the Zoo home with you. I always make new friends when I go, which is great, but I would suggest keeping your new friendships within the Zoo-walls. I just learned that they have $3 Mimosa Mondays- a new feature now that the staff has completely turned over. Sounds good to me. Add that to a few games of shuffleboard or darts, and you're in for a pretty solid evening of semi-wholesome fun. Cash only (they have an ATM and change machine for quarters), a few new big TVs and more live music than they used to. I love that they serve bags of chips and pickles since they have to have food- so if you get hungry, go to Pazzos and get a pizza and a cocktail and then head back. Oh, also, I like that you could write on the walls with chalk- my name is hidden everywhere. It kind of makes me feel like the Zoo is mine. Lord knows I've spent enough time there. read more

I can see why people wouldn't love this place, it is the definition of a dive bar, but I love it!! They have four pinball machines, ping pong table, pool tables, darts, and a foozball table. They have a decent selection of beer, but I would give this place a 4-star because they're only wine and beer, but I can imagine how crazy it would be there if alcohol was served. It's cash only and they have an ATM on site. read more

If I could give zero stars I absolutely would based off this experience. Came in and got a drink, ended up sitting up above because all the the pool tables were in use so we're waiting turn as soon as we noticed one was opened up for 5+ minutes we went to table set up and everything and immediately was confronted by an employee claiming to be the owner and he flashed his stomach tattoos and said that we couldn't play because he was hosting a tournament and we already paid the $1 fee so we asked for our dollar back and stated that there shouldve been more signage of this tournament. we then went back up to the deck and finished drinks and noticed a unattended table was open and patiently waited for someone in the tournament to come up and no one did so we went down and politely asked if we could play and once again was told that we couldn't have the table. Absolutely unacceptable and ridiculous behavior on an "owner"/employee behalf. They should've left one of three tables open for customers and might I add paying customer. So don't waste time going there unless you want to get treated like scum from the staff. read more