Five reasons to love "The Hilltop": 1. Perfect place to have a cold pint of beer 2. Addicting gumbo 3. Mouth-watering goat cheese salad 4. Friendly wait-staff 5. Daily specials Three reasons to not love "The Hilltop": 1. It can be loud! (Make sure you're in the mood) 2. Difficult to get a table (channeling Yogi Berra here) 3. Not accommodating for groups of 5 or more read more

This place is a great little bar close to home with attentive staff and pretty good grub. I am English and I have to say it doesn't feel very authentic with it's greek and mexican feel menu but aside from that, it is a really friendly place with a nice buzz about it and a good place to meet locals. I had the chicken sandwich and it was very tasty, however, I did have to ask for no sour cream, cheese or mayo (I mean, is it really necessary to have all these things on a sandwich? No!) It's not the greatest place in the world but for a nice local bar, it's a winner! read more

The Hilltop Ale House is a great place for great beer and great food, much better than pub grub. But you pay for it. Most of the dishes are spiced to the hot side, which is how I like it. The gumbo is always great. The housemade soups of the day are usually really well thought out and executed. The reuben is very good. Although I'm not the beer guy I used to be, they do offer a great selection, but oddly never anything from Redhook. My wife and I try to get there before 6PM to make sure we get a seat. The back room is great in the cold weather when they have the gas fireplace going. Plus (for me), they usually have Euro soccer showing on the screens in back. Service is good, but sometimes could be better. read more

Love this place! Have been many, many times & have never had a bad experience. Great beer selection, and if you're hungry, the reuben is amazing. In response to the person who felt that she & her 2-month-old infant were being discriminated against... as an ale house, they are 21 & over throughout. This is true of the Hill Top, the 74th Street Ale House, and that new one down on Rainier. The 21+ rule is posted in their front windows & on their website. Silly to accuse them of hating kids... hello... kids aren't allowed in bars. It's nothing personal. -a mom read more

Hilltop is one of my favorite places to go in Queen Anne. The atmosphere is casual and the food is much better than your average pub food. Atmosphere: Cramped and causal pretty much sums up Hilltop Alehouse. They do have a good number or monitors for you sports fans. There's also additional seating in the backroom. You have to walk past the kitchen and restrooms to find it, but it does have a fireplace! Price: Yes, it is not the cheapest place in Queen Anne, (if you're looking for that go to Targy's) but the food and atmosphere are worth the price. Drinks: Their tap is not as diverse as some should hope, but what they do have does not leave me wanting. If you're an IPA fan the Boundary Bay IPA is especially hoppy and tasty. They do serve little half pints so take advantage of that if you don't feel like a full brew. Don't miss: The Reuben: Yes, all the reviews you have read about the Reuben are true - it's a rich, crispy, flavorful delight! The toasted rye bread is the perfect foundation to hold the juicy corn beef, topped with pickled cabbage, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing. If you're picky about your bread being too crunchy, then I'd ask for plain break or go with another sandwich. To mix up the side request half pasta salad and half chips. Blackened Salmon Sandwich: This is my 'go-to' choice when a good meal is needed. The salmon is perfectly cooked to Northwest standards and served on a French baguette with your standard mayo, lettuce, and tomato. The salmon is blackened so it is a bit spicy, but nothing the average person couldn't handle. Could go without: Fish tacos: While good intentioned the fish tacos are bland and have a poor follow through. The texture is pretty much all soft and leaves you saying, "meh." Melena's Tacos on McGraw has better fish tacos (cheaper as well). Chicken Pot Pie (specialty item): I wanted to like this because I love chicken pot pie, but the base of the pie was broth not cream or milk. It's hard to get into a soupy thin based chicken pot pie; this was more like a stew with tomato... yes, tomato. Overall, just don't order this meal. If you're in the area you should try this place at least one time. read more

This was my go-to local bar for many years. Outstanding food, great selection of beers, never too crowded. I've introduced 20+ friends to Hilltop over the years. However, I received incredibly disrespectful and biased service from their bartender. This wasn't the first time I received poor service here, but it will certainly be the last time. read more

Unless I lived in this neighborhood and could walk here, it's not worth the drive and work to find parking. The beer selection is just ok and the food is pretty pricey for what you get. For example: $10 for a chicken quesadilla appetizer and $12 for a taco...+$2 for another taco. And what's up with Taco Monday; Margarita Tuesday; Whiskey Wednesday...they got Wednesday right, haha. read more

We have been going to this place and its sister restaurant nearby for years and love it here. They make an excellent gumbo and most of our table of 7 had that with the Flyer Porter. I am not exactly sure what an authentic gumbo should look like as it seems regional but this gumbo is thick and spicy. 5 stars for the gumbo here but it is spicy. Heard they make great chicken sandwiches but never tried it in all the years of coming here. read more

Man oh man. Their fried chicken sandwich with cream cheese on rye ALONE is reason enough to visit the Emerald City again (well, that plus Bumbershoot). Great cozy pub with great beers in the heart of Queen Anne. The eclectic mix of folks at Hilltop exemplifies the Seattle vibe. They have great gumbo, fresh side salads, and nice appetizers with a Medi flare. . Can't wait until August! read more

Huge fan. Huge. This is a local pub but everyone's super friendly. Every time I go here I meet someone new. The staff is great, but the food is amazing. BEST REUBEN ever. Get the 'Tonya' to drink - it's a twist on a snakebite with Hales Cream plus Cider. It's delicious. Only downside is the price -- I don't think I've gotten out of here without paying over $50, but if you can make it during happy hour than use and abuse it. Oh, and check out the website every Wednesday because they'll post they're new weekly specials. yum. read more

Hilltop Ale House - Pubs Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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My wife and I had some time to kill while waiting for a friend. We're out of towners, so we breathed in the sights and sounds of Queen Anne on a fantastic Fall walk. It was beautiful. We asked our baristas for a good spot to chill for a bit, they recommended Hilltop. The service and ambiance were fantastic. The Happy Hour bites were cheap, but delicious. We intended to split a burger. After the first few bites, we ordered another. The atmosphere was chill, a spot to meet friends and catchup. We highly recommend! read more

Great beer, great food, great servers...you need to go here! A classic tavern experience.

The quality of food at Hilltop Ale House is incredible. The food is very clearly freshly made and uses high quality ingredients. The prices are competitive and the portion sizes are generous. The location has friendly service and a caring staff; however, are just a bit to casual and could up their awareness just a little bit to improve. All in all though Hilltop Ale House is a very solid good business and a place I would return to. The decor inside does not scream an ale house like competitors do, but is also not a bad decor. read more

When some of us guys who rehearse nearby as a men's chorus went here around 9pm, we were gold by the bartender that singing has JUST been banned on the premises (we have in recent gatherings there sang our tunes). All of us (me for sure) got the impression that this bar observes the highly jaded rule that "it is rude to sing in public". The barmaid on duty, who admitted this is the first time she laid down this rule, ascribed it to the owner. But some of us thought she was making a personal judgement, that in this day in age people only show up at a bar to cry in their beer, and that people who who show up to sing cheerful songs ruin the mood that is conducive to that." While I know that Queene Ann rolls up its sidwalks early, there are many places walkable distance from here, who welcome singing folks." I want the owner to rethink the "singing in public cheerfully is rude" policy. read more

This place is good but not amazing. Even though they have a page of specials, I always feel like it's the same thing all the time on the menu. I always struggle to find something to eat on the menu and I'm not a terribly picky eater either. On the other hand, they do have good beers on tap and the ambiance is one of a local Seattle alehouse. read more

This place had an interesting, different menu selection, slightly overpriced like Queen Anne is known for. I got an Ahi Tuna sandwich, seared ahi on a white sourdough bread with some accouterments. It came with a pile of Tim's potato chips (yum). It was $12.95. It tasted amazing and I will certainly go back for it. My man and I shared it and had plenty in that alone. Since we'd ordered their lentil soup (a bowl at $8) as well, we had to attempt to eat it. It came with 3 half-slices of bread to dip, and the flavor was bland to both of us. It was thick, though, with plenty of chunky veggies and lentils. A bit of pepper and something else would have made it perfect. The place was quite busy at around 7:15, the food came out quickly. The staff is not in your face nor do they ignore you, your get your needs met. I'd return for the Ahi! read more

This place blew me away with their Reuben sandwich. While I haven't met too many reubens I didn't enjoy, the perfectly buttery, messy, and delectable reubens at Hilltop make them the current champion in my quest for the perfect reuben. I don't like that they do everything with chips instead of fries but its worth a visit. Service can be a bit slow but the folks are really nice. The place can get really packed so try to go earlier in the evening if you plan on having dinner. read more

Wow! Ale house food done right! Far and beyond your average bar food. Came with a group of 5 for lunch. We started with the jerk chicken strips and they were delicious! For entrees people ordered the Rueben, burgers, salmon sandwich, and black bean burger. Portions were very generous! The black bean burger and Reuben were my favorites! We all really enjoyed what we ordered. They had good beer and cider options as well as great music! Both are equally important! Check them out read more

I've eaten here several times over the past couple of years (the last time being this past weekend). I usually get the Reuben, which I do feel is most often among the best I've had. One time, it was less than stellar, so they do have some consistency issues (but, it's a pub for freak's sake). The Reuben comes on delicious and most often perfectly toasted Rye bread and consists of medium slices of Boar's Head corned beef which have been house-braised in hard cider, pickled red cabbage, melted Swiss cheese, a thousand-island-type aioli and something that gives it a little heat (I think it may be in the aioli). It's crunchy, tangy, spicy, and creamy at the same time -- just lovely. It also comes with pepperoncini if you want to make it spicier and tangier. The chips are Tim's and they're fine. My foodie friend from Napa Valley also agreed that this sandwich was fantastic. However, I do tend to agree that the prices here are a bit aggressive, but apparently I don't mind too much. Another friend had the tuna melt -- again very good, with perfectly toasted bread (sourdough) and tuna that wasn't smothered in mayo and spiced-up with roasted green chiles and pepperjack cheese. Flavorful and great texture. My husband had the "fish" tacos -- it was one giant flour tortilla folded over and filled with spiced-up bay shrimp, slaw and cilantro. Just okay according to him. The atmosphere is standard cute pub. It's pretty narrow in the front (there's a back room I've been in) -- so with our party of 6 we were either relegated to the back room or the very back of the front room. For some inexplicable reason there wasn't a way to combine any of the other tables in the front -- the bartender mumbled something unintelligible when I asked about this ... other than that, the service was fine but nothing special. This is by no means a gastropub -- it's a straight up pub with some decent beer selections and good but not outstanding or creative food. Perfect place to ride out a weekend hangover ... read more

I've always come to Hilltop Ale House during the workday, so I can't speak to their drinks or beer selection. The place is usually busy, and with good reason. The food is delicious, though the service could stand to improve a bit (mostly due to a shortage of staff, 1-2 servers, when the place is packed). It's a little slow. I will say, though, that we had a party of 6 come in for lunch on a busy day and the server kindly and promptly split the bill 6 ways without complaint. I tipped extra for that, as it's rare for a server to be so accommodating during the lunch rush and keep a smile on their face. I always get the steak sandwich with a caesar salad as the side. The steak sandwich is delicious - flavorful steak, crunchy bread, spicy pico, gooey cheese, creamy sauce. It's perfection, and it's not available at any other ale houses in the chain. I would drive out of my way just to come to this particular ale house for the steak sandwich. The caesar salad is delicious - perfectly dressed, ample portion, lemon wedge and parmesan cheese sprinkles. read more

Diamond Dave & the boys from Van Halen pretty much sum up my relationship with this place the best: I heard the news baby, all about your disease Yeah you may have all you want, baby, but I got somethin' you need Oh yeah, ain't talkin' 'bout love My love is rotten to the core Ain't talkin' 'bout love Just like I told you before, yeah before You know you're semi-good lookin', and on the streets again Oh yeah you think you're really cookin' baby, you better find yourself a friend My friend, ain't talkin' 'bout love My love is rotten to the core Ain't talkin' 'bout love Just like I told you before, uh before, uh before, before Ain't talkin' 'bout love Babe it's rotten to the core Ain't talkin' 'bout love Just like I told you before, uh before I been to the edge, an' there I stood an' looked down You know I lost a lot of friends there baby, I got no time to mess around Good beer, decent food, crappy TVs, usually crowded and kind of a pain in the ass to navigate through, the parking always sucks 'cause its QA and the service is friendly but not all that kickin. But for some reason I always seem to find myself back there - drawn to something that we both need, but I ain't talkin' bout love. read more

Sat evening and I had no plans on clubbing.. looked up for a new ale house and landed at Hilltop. The place was packed and in 10mins or so i was able to find a table. The masala peanuts, Chile Seared Prawns & Blackened Salmon Filet Sandwich were phenomenal... i loved them. Well I should have rated it earlier since last i visited them was in oct around oct fest. They had a rich taps rolling for beer and I loved there fall ales. Wait for a update on the review as i plan to visit it soon. Conclusion : Highly recommended for food n beer. Loved it read more

Hilltop Ale House which boasts the "Best Ruben in Seattle", I must say, I was damn impressed. Had a not so great Odin Ruby Amber Ale and an OK Diamond Knot Summer Ale which seemed to fluctuate flavors between sips. Waitress tried to pull a fast one on me and served me another Odin after I ordered the Diamond. She didn't believe me it was the same beer, but got me a replacement which definitely tasted different. The other bartender/waitress was much friendlier than the one I had, I had some server envy going on because mine was a bit of a sour-puss. Looking at everyone's food and drink, I'd say it was nice hang out joint, with really good looking food. Everyone's food looked good. The Ruben was fantastic, and the pasta salad it can come (you can choose between pasta salad or chips, anything else costs 3 bucks extra) with was really good too. read more

Descent beer selection, 12 local microbrews on tap and 1 rotating handle. Bayern, Odin, Diamond Knot, Maritime, Alpine, Elysian, Ninkasi, Mac & Jacks, Georgetown, Hales, Boundary Bay, and Lost Abby. Food menu is short 6 sandwiches, couple salads, and three specials. But sandwiches are top notch. Would be a 5 if they had sweet potato fries. read more

Hilltop Ale House - Pubs Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Was finally able to get back to Hilltop Ale House - and remain a fan! This time, we came in for lunch - and I was quite impressed with the delicious sandwiches, great service and of course... yummy brews. I wish they had more cold sandwich options on the menu - but that is a small critique. It's not the most unique place on the planet - but it is good for what it is and I'll always consider it an option in the area for lunch or drinks with friends. read more

I love the Ale House. The staff is fantastic, always cheerful and patient. The food is delicious, especially the blackened salmon sandwich. And I appreciate that they serve their menu all day, which is rare in QA. They do have a nice beer selection but I would really like it more if they rotated their taps more often. The bar feels a bit dated when they are so hesitant to pour variety, while their competitors like the Pine Box and Latona continue to experiment. So, I give them four stars until the Manny's takes a break. read more

Used my groupon while visiting Seattle. Awesome service, great atmosphere, delicious food, yummy beers on tap! If I lived here, I'd probably be a regular at this place. read more

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Tasty, cozy, great service and hospitality. Only two lovely ladies were manning the entire restaurant (bartending, serving, hosting, everything), and they did an excellent job of keeping up with everything. Came here to meet with some friends who live in town while I was visiting Seattle. Decided to sit in the sunny back room, even though it was a little toasty. I got a burger, which was great, but the real star of my plate was the refreshing pasta salad that came on the side. I could have eaten a giant bowl of that stuff, the olives and sauce were so good. My companion ordered the gumbo - which was so good that we're returning tomorrow so he can order another bowl of it. Fair warning: it is HOT. If you like spicy, you must order the gumbo! read more

Really great service and delicious food. Goat cheese salad was the best ever. Fried goat cheese. Beautiful presentation. Affordable drinks.

A nice place to grab a pint of local brew...though I would not consider this a pub. It's more of a sit down and eat type of place...what we might call overpriced pub grub without the pub atmosphere. My suggestion, drop in for a fresh pint of something hardy...and wander elsewhere for your meal. read more

Hilltop Ale House - Pubs Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I agree with the reviews that call this place a sort of half-pub/half-restaurant mix. Its a pub: They serve beer and a lot of it. Their selection of local micro brews and imports is really good. Any place that serves Hale's Cream Ale is an automatic three stars in my book (if only I can find a way to get it in SF). If you don't like beer they usually have a few ciders either on tap or in the bottle. If you don't like cider, you're stuck. They have TVs that are usually tuned into sports, this is a very pub like quality. Its a restaurant: They serve food. They serve dishes like tabbouleh. They make sure that you know exactly what type of meat (ie what farm it came from) and what baker the bread was baked by. This is not very pub-like and generally a quality seen in what would be called a restaurant. They also don't serve fries, distancing themselves from what one would think of as a pub. Don't get me wrong, this hybrid pub/restaurant mix isn't a bad thing. Its very NW in my book, look all over the city for other examples of this. I do think some other places get it better. If you don't sit at the bar its kind of expected that you order some food and the fact that everyone is eating can some times detract from the pub-like atmosphere. Overall a solid three stars, not just for the Hale's. read more

This was a cute pub. The staff was friendly and we got good service! I got the goat cheese salad and the IPA and was very happy! My friends got the fish tacos and they were equally happy. I would go back! read more

I have to walk past other bars to get here from my place, and often do. The nitro-poured Hale's Cream Ale is so impossibly foamy, soft, and delicious... TVs. Decent bar grub. Solid choice. read more

"Meh...I've experienced better" pretty much sums it up. Food is Meh...service is well-intentioned but Meh...beer is beer. I'm still trying to figure out how 74th St Ale House is so much better. It must be a service thing. And maybe that it's within walking distance from my house so I drink more here :o) read more

TUNA MELT!!! I am officially obsessed with the tuna melt here. It has green chile peppers in it that add just the right amount of heat. To be honest, I haven't tried much else by the way of food here, but I've been several times and have enjoyed the atmosphere and drinks and the TUNA MELT!! This past weekend was a beautiful 80 degree day so we sat outside and the sun felt amazing as I sipped my bloody mary and ate my tuna melt. I'm also a pretty big fan of the pasta salad you can get as a side with your sammy. Conclusion...get the tuna melt. read more

Hilltop Ale House - Tuna Melt, my favorite! - Pubs Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a good bar for a couple quick beers. They have a pretty good selection and always have at least one cider on tap which is good. I've had a couple items off their food menu. Fish taco (singular) is huge! The fish changes regularly so my particular one was shrimp which was tasty. I've also had the burger which was really good except I was a little confused why they shaped the burger in a circle but put it on an oblong roll - weird... It's usually pretty busy so the tables/bar are usually full but I'm looking forward to taking advantage of their back patio once the weather turns nicer. read more

Nice neighborhood pub and part of a local chain that has great Ruben sandwiches, but alas no fries (which may have gotten them a 5-star). Had lunch with a friend and would have loved to enjoy some of their English pint selections; but had to make a 6PM flight and take car thru much hour traffic to long term parking. Lamb burger special was unique and tasty, but would have liked a little more mass to it for the price. Staff friendly and laid back, kinda like us. Would have like to chill here longer.... It's always the future you're living into. read more

Hilltop Ale House - Great Ruben! No fries; chips ain't bad - Pubs Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Best food on the hill and wonderful staff. The specials are always good and they have a great selection of local beer that rotates. Wine & a full bar are also avaialable. read more

Meh, I want to love this place, but I just cannot. Being relatively new to town, I figured that I would hit up a neighborhood bar, and from previous reviews, this place looked to be just what I was looking for. First off, they do have a great selection of beers. If I remember correctly, they seem to have at around 20-30 taps running. The majority are regional beers, but they do have a few international selections. Also, the beers seem to be on a rotation depending on what is seasonal and available, which is a big plus. They have two cask-conditioned beers available, as well as a couple of nitro beers. Last time, I believe the cask beers were a couple of local IPAs, and the nitro beers were a local cream ale and, of course, Guinness. The beer prices are not surprising with an imperial pint coming in at anywhere from $4.50 to $5.00. The food has been a mixed blessing for me. I have been here a couple of times now, but I always end up with the hamburger. I cannot argue that it is not a good hamburger with a very large and very juicy patty on a fresh section of baguette piled with sauteed onions and peppers, and the price is not a bad value for the size at about $9.00. What I would argue though, is the rest of the menu. Maybe I expect the wrong thing or maybe I am just cheap, but most of the menu is a little too exotic and a few dollars too expensive to be the pub comfort food I had expected. I love hummus, but just not at an "ale house" and not for $11.00. Now, it seems I am in the minority here, but I found the social atmosphere to be somewhat lacking. Most of the interior is devoted to sit-down table service, which made it feel more restaurant-like than pub-like. The staff was friendly, but not entirely attentive. Though, it did seem that the regulars received much better service than I. Overall, I think Hilltop Ale House is decent, but not great. Yes, I will probably be back because they do have some great beers, and maybe my experience was skewed. A group experience is most likely more social than the quiet, new guy at the bar. Also, make sure you arrive early, as Friday nights seem to get pretty busy after about 7:00pm or so. read more

Excellent beer selection. In the middle of quaint Queen Anne. Climb the hill from the Space Needle, and then reward yourself with a cask conditioned IPA! read more

Hilltop Ale House - Pubs Near Me - Seattle, Washington