Wow, I can't believe I never reviewed Lock & Keel. My first time in here was years and years ago; my band Stay Tuned played one of our first shows here. There is a little tiny stage area in the back that a quiet-er band / small group of musicians could do ok on. However, a lound TV Tribute Rock band was a little much for the small confinement of the Lock & Keel. The Lock & Keel has a great locals-only pub feel, with the wood tables and the pool table. If you're not a regular, though, you may wander in here and wander right back out after feeling the looks of "who the @*()$ are you?" read more

This was THE bar for my friends and I when I lived in Ballard...still is when I visit. Strong drinks and friendly bartenders. It gets packed in on a Fri. and Sat. Lots of easy socializing outside as there is another bar right next door!! There's also a patio in the back that is excellent on a hot summer night. The food is fab. BBQ has been mentioned so no need to re-discuss b/c all said is true but I have to say that the Mac N' Cheese is something I have to order every time I go. It's thick, creamy, topped with fried onions and served with chips! Old fashioned, nothing fancy and very traditional but by Gawd it is GOOD! Service is quick, even when swarmed with drunkards and on top of that they will never give you grief for splitting up the tab! *I once was in the bar next door with my friends, stepped out for a minute and walked in here to check the scene and ended up sitting at the bar with the intention of having just a shot. Before I knew it, the bar tenders were using me as their drink making guinea pig and there was no tab for the experiment. Rad. It's chill, fun and accepting. You will have a good time here so if you are walking by, walk right in. No regrets, for sure! read more

The kind of place you can walk into and even when it is crowded be offered a seat at a table with the oh so friendly locals who are there to have a pint and not just look for skirts. Love the food, love the drinks, love the music (most of the time), but most of all love the location and the crowd it attracts. read more

Lock & Keel Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Meh. That about sums up my feelings on this place. Went in here on a Saturday night for a friend's going away party. It was hot, humid, crowded, and nary a place to sit. I'm guessing it's like that at every bar in Ballard on a Saturday, but the other bars have such better ambience. I didn't get the best service here either. I had to attempt to flag down the waitress for about 10-15 minutes to order some mac 'n cheese. It was pretty tasty though, so that's one good thing about my visit here. That, and the company. Won't be coming back here on my own accord, will most likely head over to King's if I'm in the area. read more

NOTE- this review is based entirely on our experience tonight. Keep that in mind. Monday May 10th 2010 I have been to the Lock & Keel many many times and always enjoyed my time. Tonight however, the bartender (who is a really nice guy) is blasting mid 90s gangsta rap all..... NIGHT. I am a fan of rap, but much like pancakes... there is a time and a place. The L&K and rap together do not work. We are not alone in this opinion... as the place is slowly but surely clearing out. Its as dead in here as I have ever scene it. This blows. Sadly, we are heading elsewhere. If this is the new way... I will give it one more shot and be gone! read more

A low-key gem, this establishment has a few delights you might not immediately guess at. Among them: -The staff are a great bunch, among the friendliest and most capable around. They remember you if/when you come back and are consistently attentive. They recently lent me an umbrella when I left during a storm! -They make use of an on-site smokehouse. Sometimes you'll see one of the chefs heading back there with a large tray of seasoned pork. The results are mouth-watering and the place often smells terrific. -The decor is unified in its nautical-ness and perhaps more appropriate to the neighborhood than that of any other bar. Among the many points of interest: a huge rowing shell on the ceiling and vintage outboard motor covers on the pool table lights. I have enjoyed the atmosphere on both quiet afternoons and busy evenings. I get the feeling this place is something of a secret- I bring friends here who live in the neighborhood and they often say it's the first time they've been in. It's usually not the last. read more

Update: This may not have been the fairest review. The problem customers have also been seen trying to start fights in other bars around Ballard. I will try this bar again soon to tryout the food. Drink prices are also very reasonable. Original post: 2 pool tables, good beer selection, amazing staff.. The customers have something to be desired though. It seems that people like to start fights in there.. Oh well, at least the staff is great.. read more

The plus: did have PBR for non-punking prices and twice that for other brews. The minus: $7-9 sandwiches from a divey pub? Pass. Room service priced food should accompany a good reason to not get out of bed. Playing pool with yelpers was fun, but I doubt that I'll be returning. read more

Brews were kind of overpriced the food was ... let me tell you about it. We ordered tots and they were slightly singed and dried out as if they were left in the oven too long. I guess they don't have a fryer? They were cheap and we already had a few drinks so it wasn't enough to make a stink about . We also ordered smokehouse wings which came out blackened and very underseasoned. I told the waitress that the wings were really dried out and burnt and we couldn't eat them. For 8 bucks we were expecting a little more quality than the tots. Keep in mind we were drinking and even so they still were just not good. The waitress pretty much told us to deal with it, explaining "Yeah, that's just how they are." It was kind of funny because it was like a textbook "Kitchen Nightmares" scenario. I have a great respect for servers and always tip 20% no matter the service. I'd just like to give a heads up to people that have a palate even while drinking and care about basic service. read more

Went here on Sunday afternoon after the Ballard Street market and it was FAB! Did you know they have a back sun porch? I didn't either-but it is perfect! So secluded and sunny- I enjoyed a nice Coors Light and a delicious sandwich! You must try their BBQ'd sandwiches-so yummy. We split one called the San Diego (or something like that) sooooo good and it came with some delicious cole slaw! Perfect Sunday afternoon outing. We will defintely be going back- Just a tip-they don't open until 2pm so if you are trying to go before then you will be sad. read more

A Ballard mainstay -- catch the double meaning there? I'm so clever. ;-) A pub. Jukebox. Two pool tables. Sometimes crowded. Nice clientele. The bartender is nice too -- he gave me my jukebox money back because he had to turn it off at closing. That doesn't happen very often... or ever. read more

fun place with pretty good food. The smoked beef brisket is fantastic. The turkey can be pretty dry but everything else is great. Oh and the wings are super good, nice dry rub that is pretty spicey. Good line-up of local beers from breweries like Diamond Knot, Lazy boy, Boundary Bay, Maritime, etc. The place has a boat motif and most of the regulars are nice and make you feel welcome. The staff is nice, but can be really slow if it is busy. Fun place with some above average pub grub. read more

My husband and I love the variety of alcoholic slushies at Lock & Keel, so we have stopped by there to cool off a few times (the Irish coffee flavored is my favorite!) Everyone is pretty nice there, but Tally takes the prize of the most pleasant person (both with other people and with dogs!) read more

Three stars doesn't mean "bad" it just means "expected" .. the beer selection isn't vast, but you'll likely find something you like. My friends and I went in on a weekday evening, but there seemed to be a fair amount of bustle anyway. They were having half price sandwiches and the sandwiches are just "okay" but for the price, definitely won't complain. Nice location in the Ballard hipster quarters, there are so many other places around I can't imagine wanting to come here because of a burning desire but I'd come by again if the consensus of the group jurisdicted as much. read more

What happened here made me laugh so hard, I felt like my sides were going to burst. It was a weekend. It was crowded. We looked half the age of most of the patrons. We still got a table next to a couple that desperately needed to get a room. We waited 30 minutes before someone walked by and acknowledged us. My friend said to the friendly man who greeted us and said "We are hungry." The man looked surprised and embarrassed as he replied, "One minute, let me get a waiter for you ladies - I was just headed over to get someone myself." And voila! We had a server! Happy hour here is awesome. Beer for $2! Food was pretty good for a bar - we ordered mac and cheese and the hot links. Spicy and satisfying. There are pool tables in the back, the restrooms are tiny and hard to find, and everyone is drunk or on their way. read more

Ugh, great local bar when we first moved here. In the last two years it has gotten terrible. The staff are the worst. They spend most of the time talking to their friends and ignoring the rest of the bar. It's really sad when it's four people at the bar, let alone in the whole place, and bartenders can't even check on you or refill your beers. Multiple times we have had to get up, and walk over to get the attention of the bartender to order food and grab a drink. Stupidly we went back two other times and received the same bad service. I will never go back to this place. read more

The jukebox ate $4 of the $5 I put in there, just because I tried to play Tom Jones's "What's New, Pussycat?" ten times in a row, with one "It's Not Unusual" thrown in to mix it up. I was gonna complain to the barkeep but didn't think she'd be very sympathetic. So don't try that joke here, or you'll just waste your money. Other than that it was fine. read more

Avoid this place!! Wish I could give it 0 stars!! Terrible place all around!! Don't know if they clean the draft lines...I had a lot of yeast/gross floaties in my beer. The female waitress/cocktail server really knows how to speak to guests. She has a mouth like a trucker and very rude to paying costumers! Now I know why it was dead when all other bars and restaurants around were busy. read more

We were spending the day in Ballard and saw the back patio of the Lock and Keel lit up by the spring sun; perfect time for a beer. I am not going to say this is the best bar. It needs some sprucing up, but the prices were good for a cold beer. They have a good selection of beverages. The service was good. They were friendly. I am not sure if there is table service, but the bartender came out to make sure our drinks were full. I am not sure this in "the place to be" in Ballard, but it is a great place to meet friends for a beer. read more

Ok so the apparently the BBQ is good. Why did I not know this and why does it take me my first visit to the Lock & Keel to read the reviews? Right. So I left sans ingestion of said BBQ and had the fajitas instead. They were pretty basic but absolutely perfect for what I was looking for. It's weird that I was in a pub without having a drink so I cannot comment on the stiffness or lack there of but everything else was pleasant. Just nothing to write home about. So I'm writing about it on Yelp. I appreciated the ambiance... the tall ceilings, brick walls. I think the place needs more chairs and tables, however. It's a big place with limited seating. I wouldn't mind going back at one point but I think I'd need three pub hops prior to fully enjoy myself. read more

I was here last night with my two friends and the bartender or server Stephanie was out of control. First she comes over to the piano while I was fiddling around with it and almost closed it on my fingers, she said it wasn't for public use but there was no sign saying that so how was I to know. Secondly she was accusing one of us of moving one pool ball, I could understand if she calmly came over to us and asked us politely but no she came over to us screaming and cussing. I was shocked and appalled at Stephanies behavior. She said verbatim "Did you move there fucking ball". That is not how you speak to paying customers and I am very surprised to here that she has done this more than once. Stephanie needs to go. read more

5 min earlier I had stated that I wasn't hungry, but that was before the deeelightful scent of BBQ. Split some pulled pork with my boyfriend. We got the spicy sauce which was not spicy but o so good. The sides (cole slaw and tater salad) were pretty good but sides to me are supposed to be removed from the plate and set to the side so I can focus on what I came for. I'd been to this Ballard staple before but never had food. I'd definitely go back for lunch.. or dinner by myself, get a pile of Q and whiskey and have a grand time. Sometimes the clientele is sketch. Yet another reason to love it and what it does to keep Ballard, Ballard. read more

I have been here two times now, both Friday nights. The decor is reminiscent of the old feel of Ballard (a fishing community- thus somewhat nautical themed.) The drinks are some of the cheapest in Ballard ($2 beers, $3 wells.) What is even better than that? The wells are fairly stiff. :) read more

Pretty cool little place. Good beer selection, friendly bartender, I had already eaten elsewhere by the time we got here so can't speak to the food. Jukebox is decent and as luck would have it apparently they offer free pool Sunday nights since the tables were open when we were there. read more

Great lively bar. The only reason I'm giving it a 4 and not a 5 is because I ordered a drink and the waitress said she'd bring it to me. Turns out she never put in the order and I paid for the drink. Ended up getting it a lot later. read more

L&K Tavern is great for cheap beer and playing pool. Food is okay, great for when you've had a few beers. What I had (French dip) was put in the microwave, and not impressive. I mostly went for a friend's birthday get together and pool. Pros: Pool, Cheap beer Cons: Food read more

Attempted to bring in my 12yo service dog but the staff demonstrated ignorance of both state and federal ADA law by asking extralegal questions, requesting paperwork and requiring a vest. Discriminatory harassment sure made me lose my appetite for their incredible brisket. The barflies and their tender didn't think I "looked" like I have a disability and demanded medical details. It was quite humiliating. read more

Stopped by here with a friend and the bartender working was clearly having a bad day. As we left the bar the bartender proceeded to yell at my friend because she didn't leave a tip. Her words exactly were,"if you can't afford to leave a tip, you're too broke to be going out!" This was not only unacceptable but completely unprofessional. read more

Lock & Keel Tavern - This is what you well get if you don't tip this lady. - Pubs Near Me - Seattle, Washington

One of the things you have to fight as you get older is the way aging asses stick to sofas. It's a real problem. That stuff that dissolves glue doesn't help. It's not stickum, it inertia - the tendency of objects once at rest to remain at rest unless acted upon by a force. The only force that acts upon my ass, for the most part, is the unending quest for food. That'll bring on a gluteal shift in a BIG hurry. On a cold Friday night in January, my SO and I were sitting with friends in the soulless Fox Sports Cafe in Seattle, when one of our tablemates said something about barbecue. My prime motivating food force is barbecue, about which I am incapable of keeping my mouth shut. I inserted myself into the conversation: "I've never found a single good barbecue joint in the entire Northwest!" I growled. As a native North Carolinian, I don't take that fact lightly and I've been sent out on so freakin' many wild goose chases by well-meaning friends who simply don't understand what barbecue is to a Tarheel - a wild-eyed quasi-religion - that I don't even bother to try their suggestions anymore. But this guy went on to tell us about his six-foot barrel smoker and his quest for hickory and his all-night pig roasts and I...sniffed a kindred spirit. He suggested a Ballard dive bar, saying that he had some brisket there that really cranked his propeller. When we got to the car later, Judye suggested we find it. I said okay...leery, firmly convinced we were wasting our time but...intrigued. Friday night in Ballard is the wrong freakin' time to try to park, especially when you need a handicapped space, as we do. I was just about to give up when Judye suggested that I at least go in and check the place out. Two feet in the door, a wave of hickory smoke aroma hit me like a squishy fist. Irish music was on the stereo. The clientele was that wonderful Seattle mix of students, middle-aged barflys, and people who don't know that Grunge is dead. I went back to the car. "We have to go in there," I said. We got a couple of drafts and sat people-watching while the kitchen plated up our brisket. I love bars that have shit hanging from the walls and ceilings; not prissy gallery-style stuff but miscellaneous crap that accretes there over time like a coral reef. Lock & Keel, to extend the analogy, was the Great Barrier Reef. Boat parts, an entire eight-man scull on the ceiling, random stuff that looked as though it was stuck there by a passing hurricane. Quickly - very quickly - our plates came. One bite and I was done. Friends, in a state that really does SUCK as a barbecue destination, this brisket would have been perfectly delicious served in any barbecue joint in West Texas. It was smoky, sweet, tender, PULLED - NOT sliced! - like barbecue should be, and covered with a tad too much of a very good sauce. I ordered potato salad and beans and both of those were excellent. And, even in mid-January, they still had Sierra Nevada "Celebration" ale on tap! It was a lot of food but it was 9:45 and we hadn't eaten at Fox Sports Cafe - because we're not stupid - so we both absolutely and pretty slovenly pigged out. And our total bill, with two beers, was $28. I would have thought it was cheap at twice that. I'm a life-long connoisseur of beer joints. Love the atmosphere, the vibe, the people you meet. Lock & Keel is among the best of its type I've ever seen; a genuine, unslick, ungroovy fisherman's bar that looks, smells, and tastes(!) as God intended. It was the exact antidote to the slick pretension of Fox Sports and we returned to the car full, happy, and eager to go back again. I know, for some of you guys, finding great barbecue isn't that big a deal but for me, seventeen years here without my beloved smoked pig parts, it was like clouds parting and God handing me a freebie. If any of this resonates with you and you haven't been to Lock & Keel...GO. (I only gave it four stars because of the #$@^%#% parking) read more

Strong drinks! We went for happy hour and I was slurring my words by 5 p.m. Okay, okay, I'm about 5'1" & 95 lbs. But I know a strong drink. BBQ grub was pretty tasty (perfect with cole slaw). Recommendations for sitting out on the back patio, especially during hot weather; it was lovely: cool and quiet. Cheers! read more

There is a pool player regular at this bar that is unbelievably rude and would not allow me or my friends from Ohio to play on the table without playing with him. We complained to the bartenders and management about this person and they told us that he is indeed a regular and they would not ask him to allow us to play ONE game of pool. Would never go back to this place. read more

Good selection of beers. Friendly clientele and staff. Everyone in the bar seemed to sing along to every song that came on the jukebox, which I enjoyed. Would go again. read more

The bar tenders are so incredibly rude. Most condescending people I have ever encountered, and shitty drinks on top of that. Do not waste your time here, you'll be seriously disappointed with the service, the drinks, and the ambiance. The female bartender was specifically talking poorly about the "blonde" members in our group. The fact that such people are hired in such a place says more about the company than words can suffice. Do not go here. read more

Great atmosphere, super welcoming. Everyone was super friendly. Good place to watch sports or play some pool. Bartenders are awesome...knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommended. read more

HORRIBLE I have been to this bar once or twice before last night's incident and it was so so - no complaints but no raves. However, last night was ridiculous. The bitchy barback - yes, she wasn't even a bartender - turned away my friend's ID because she said "the numbers didn't add up" and then tried to show her how the numbers are supposed to add up to 100. Then she gave the biggest stink face and said "find a better fake". The funniest part was, she didn't get the numbers right, she thought it was the last 2 numbers in your license number plus the last two of your birth year makes a 100. Jokes on you biotch because it's actually the first 2 numbers you have to add. In which, my friend's numbers did add up (along with all of ours). We had to point this out to the actual bartender who tried to tell us it was the last 2 numbers as well and stated that "they had to take a class and learn it for the State Liquor Board" I told him he should probably retake the class because in all of our IDs its the first 2 numbers you use. We asked for the manager and she went to supposedly talk to him and then said that he "didn't want to talk to us and didn't care if he lost our business." WOW, I have never been so appalled in my life! This is by far the worst service I have ever received (if you can even define this as service). Its one thing to have an attitude for no reason and quite another when you are the one who made the mistake and now lost business for it - she wouldn't even apologize!This girl obviously doesn't care because she doesn't own the place but I'm sure the owner might, especially considering we are sending a facebook message to everyone we know telling them our situation and to never go to this bar ever again. So now you have lost business from at least 1000 young ballard drinkers, congratulations! read more

I went into the Lock & Keel last night while waiting for JD McPherson to go onstage at the Tractor. I am glad I checked it out. NICE bar. Great bartenders. Small town feel. The patrons at the bar were all nice people from every walk of life. Everyone was friendly. I will definitely return. read more

I would like to respond to a review from 12/21/2019. Their story is only one sided and leaves out the faults of the reviewer's group. Please note: I'm not a bartender, staff nor am I direct friends with staff at this establishment. I only know the staff of the establishment from my patronage. A group of three individuals came into the Lock & Keel on Friday night of December 20th. This occurred around and after 12:49 AM of December 21st. (The time stamp on my receipt.) At the time the individuals entered the establishment the bar had become emptier about 25 minutes before due to the phases in which people come and go from an establishment. It was slow enough that I bought a round for the whole bar. (I still have the receipt and I paid for 14 drinks. Three people declined my offer. And other, unknown number of people were filing into the establishment.) There were two people playing pool on the front billiards table, myself and my opponent (another individual that plays pool at the Lock & Keel regularly). (Two or three people were at the back pool table.) The group of three individuals did come over to the piano and pool table area with drinks in their hands. The were laughing and chatting among themselves. They did get spoken to about it not being open for public use. However, before being spoken too, the group was identified as an a potential issue because after they ordered drinks from the bar, one of the individuals walked up and was 'crowding' deliberately behind my opponent as they were trying to make a shot on the pool table. They were asked to move out of the way a couple of times. And they made rude comments to them. This occurred about 30 seconds before the bartender was handing me the tab for the drinks. As I was closing out my tab, I will admit, I was taking a little while. My opponent was also making complaints about the group at the piano because of the aforementioned rude behavior and commentary. I was counting out the drinks and trying to calculate the tip and close out my tab along with my interjections about the complaints from my point of view (My apologizes.) As this was happening, my opponent and I personally witnessed one of the individuals in the group grab two billiards balls and toss them across the table. My opponent and I chimed back abruptly to inquire why they did that. Scattering pool balls across a table because you feel that someone else is "taking too long to shoot" is rude. The Lock & Keel is one of the few pool bars in Ballard with two pool tables that allows for challenge games. There was a short list on the chalk board, you could have politely waited just like the other individual. There are always two sides to every review. I'm sorry that you felt that your groups behavior was warranted and allowed in an establishment. Your group came into the establishment as the aggressor, were already rude to other people and made rude comments to the bar tending staff after you were commented to about the piano. You should know all too well that you cannot come into an establishment be rude to other people and bar tending staff. Especially, seeing as you or one of your friends claimed to be a bartender. read more

I just wanna know how they got the boat in there. What is it about Seattle and boats attached to the ceiling? Anyhow, good drinks, decent jukebox selection, and some pool tables. Can't go too wrong! read more

This was the first venue during a recent Ballard Pub Crawl. Now I'm not all nautical or anything, but this seemed like a decent option for getting your drink on---although I didn't (my group was already bound for the next pub in line). I did get to see the tail-end of the Lakers game though. read more

A great little tavern where you can chill with some local, grab some drinks, and indulge on the food! We were entranced by their $1.50 rib Tuesdays, and headed on in. Even though we missed happy hour a bit, we still had a great time. The mood was relaxing and the place felt so local and at home. Lots of BBQ food options that I will have to check out another time. They have a lot of different brews on tap too. I want to come back and try the 50 cent wing Monday. read more