Last night as we were leaving Pono Ranch, whoever was working the north entrance tried to stop my 9-year-old daughter from leaving the premises with her root beer. This person, a gray-haired man, and the Asian woman and other gray-haired man wearing a hat all cited Washington State liquor laws as the reason why my daughter couldn't leave with her root beer. As I told all of them at the time, these people were wrong. Subsection 2 of Section 314-11-065 of the Washington Administrative Code states: "For on-premises liquor licenses, the licensee or employees may not permit the removal of liquor in an open container from the licensed premises..." https://apps.leg.wa.gov/wac/default.aspx?cite=314-11-065 The section imposes no restrictions on the removal of non-alcoholic beverages as quite obviously, they fall outside the scope of the state's liquor laws. I suggest that Pono Ranch hold a staff meeting to clarify which beverages can and can't be removed from the premises. My daughter was very upset at the suggestion she was trying to break the law and the implication that she should have finished her drink more quickly. These circumstances were also caused entirely by Pono Ranch. Our waitress removed my daughter's first root beer while it was still full from our table without asking. Due to the new "at the bar" ordering (which isn't great, by the way), it took quite some time to stand in line and get her a replacement root beer. Had this not happened, my daughter would have finished her drink well before we left. As I told the gray-haired man before ultimately walking out with the root beer, Pono Ranch should be ashamed of itself for hassling a 9-year-old girl and her family over a root beer. Pono Ranch should also be embarrassed for not knowing the rules that govern its establishment and for misstating them to customers. read more

Tried to go to Pono Ranch on a Friday night. After waiting in line for 30+ minutes and reaching the front of the line, the bouncers let in their friends ahead of us and also let in a 12 person bachelorette party who was behind us in line. After asking the bouncer for a time estimate to get in, he said "I don't give a shit that it's raining" and slammed the door in our faces. We left to spend our money elsewhere. read more

Pono ranch has an awesome atmosphere and great food/drinks. HOWEVER: Pono Ranch Owners- please STOP handing out plastic cups! Besides the fact that you're in Seattle and plastic cups will anger your customers, they are also one of the #1 ocean pollutants. Don't ruin this wonderful place by showing no concern for the environment. Thank you. I want your business to succeed. read more

Nice, big, outdoor space with a lot of seating option. The food was good and the service was fine. Young, rowdy bar, but I had a good time.

Feel bad for the employees. Owner has a terrible reputation. If he is 1/2 as disrespectful to employees as he is to customers that would explain why he can't keep a staff together, but Pono has great potential. What happened to Branden and the tall thin guy? Why were there fewer bars this past summer when it was busier than previous summers?? Why advertise more bathrooms, heaters and live music for Autumn/winter and then not deliver??? This place needs new ownership that has a clue. Menu is pretty good, not great. Drink prices are inconsistent but there are some good deals. Its off the beaten path and a cool place to hang as long as a smug old man (see other reviews) doesn't interact with you in a passive aggressive, dismissive manner. read more

I was here for dinner on a Friday in July 2015. Nothing special, food just okay, but the experience was fine. Two weeks ago, friends wanted to go there after drinks at a Ballard brewery. We sit inside because it's cold and are told the bartender (who was doing shots, by the way) was too busy to bring food, so we'd have to keep an eye out for when it's being delivered to the bar. Weird, but we're hungry. We wait. And wait. These are nachos, it's not exactly a complicated dish. After 30 minutes and a few asks to the bartenders and wait staff, my friend gets the manager, who apologized for losing our order (after trying to bring us some nachos that had long been sitting on a table by the kitchen, with a totally different name on the ticket). He also says "I've had, like, four people quit this week," which doesn't seem like the kind of thing you want to spread around. But he offers to comp our nachos, whenever they arrive. Also, TWICE while this is going on, the hostess comes over to ask for Sabrina, and then David. We aren't those people. We are not waiting on a table, we are AT our table, leave us alone. She could have asked if we were waiting on a table the first time, and she's snotty when we get annoyed the second time. Sorry lady but we're HUNGRY, maybe tell the kitchen to hurry up! Food arrives. They're free, but they're also not what the menu reports them to be - no black beans, barely any cheese. We're so hungry we leave and get dinner elsewhere. There are tons of other restaurants to choose from in Ballard. Avoid at all costs. read more

Pono Ranch - No black beans, barely any cheese. Just some pico on some chips. Also notice the empty drink, since we'd been waiting awhile. - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Food isn't great, almost everything was undercooked. And they are super understaffed. Very slow service. Pass.

Very eclectic venue, a crane, ship anchor,built around trees and 3 bars. The food was amazing and so was the band(MOONDADDY BAND). read more

Woof. Tried to call in a phone order to pick but was told they only do in person ordering so we drove over - no one there was social distancing or wearing masks. Waitstaff/food runners were not wearing gloves and their masks were only partially on. When we ordered at the bar and asked if we could get it to go the bartender responded "I guess" like it was a novel concept. On top of that the food was tragic. My Huli Huli chicken was overcooked and basically just soaked in soy sauce. Mac salad tastes like it's from a tub. My husbands Maui burger was rubbery and cold and didn't actually look like meat. My guess is that this place is great to get drunk in the sunshine when there is not an active pandemic and a bunch of maskless maniacs around. If sunny outdoor space is all you're after then by all means. But do yourself a favor and eat before you go. read more

We came late on a Thursday night for my friends birthday/GNO. We enjoyed it and the setup. We will back again when it starts warming up!

Deserves every bad review for shitty service it has garnered. Surly hostess, wait lists for nonexistent crowds, and lines at the bar. One and done. Also - porta-potties! read more

After staying away for months we went back to Pono Ranch recently on 2 occasions. Met friends for beers after work one evening and on the next visit had brunch on a Saturday. This is a unique outdoor space and a great place to enjoy drinks. I'm giving them 2 stars because the food and service seem to be their Achilles heel. The servers and the kitchen are probably doing the best they can under the circumstances. The end result is average everything. So go for beer, wine and cocktails. Once the place gets a manager in there that knows how to run a restaurant and it'll be like having a license to print money. Until then there's better food at any of the 1,000 other restaurants in Ballard. p.s. Establish a dress code. Spend a few hundred bucks on polo shirts for the staff with the logo on 'em and ban ratty cut-off jeans read more

They have 2 bartenders on their opening night and one of them is actually a chef!!!! Also they have pizzas but closing at 10, absolutely outrages!!!! Can't believe it!!!!! Is this what hell is like? read more

One star for atmosphere only. This place has a great outdoor patio with fire places and a stage. When we got there we walked right in. No one checking ID and couldn't find a single waiter anywhere, however there were hundreds of young drunk kids that were way over served everywhere. I was shocked that there was zero wait staff to order food from or get a glass of water. They had big jugs of water by the bar that you could fill yourself and if you wanted a drink or food from the bar menu you had to order at the one and only open bar where there were three bartenders and at least a 20 min wait in a line of people shoulder to shoulder trying to push their way in for a drink. No one checked Id's and people were ordering pitches and shots by the dozen and the bar tenders had no clue who was going to consume all that. In my 30's maybe I am just over that kind of bar experience however I am shocked the liquor control board hasn't shut them down. Bathrooms were dirty overflowing garbages and there is no way we will be back. read more

I wanted to like this place, I really did. Ballard needs more outdoor spaces, and I was so excited to try Pono Ranch. We came on a sunny Saturday afternoon for some happy hour. The space itself was great. An interesting look with reclaimed wood and metal and a fire pit. Plenty of shade if you didn't want the sun. However, the place seemed very disorganized. It took a while for the one server to acknowledge us and bring menus. The couple next to us had menus, but after a few minutes probably realized what a circus this place was, and promptly left. We were able to snag their menus, but still had to wait to be acknowledged. For the draft beer list, the menu only said 'Seasonal', but when my husband asked our server, he couldn't even tell us what they all were. I was quite hungry, but we decided to skip the happy hour food because 1) prices weren't that great, even on happy hour. 2) slow service 3) several kids were running around. Apparently, it's a great place for parents to bring their kids and let them run wild while they drink. Not really the place we're looking for. Overall, we were pretty disappointed. We might give it a try again, but I'm really hoping they can get their act together first. read more

I have to start off saying this place has a sweet layout and atmosphere. However none of this means anything if you are coming for any service whatsoever. My party and I sat at a table for 50 minutes and had no server stop by. Tables around us were slowly served but we were ignored, there is horrible organization when it came to waiter or waitress performance. Never come here hungry or thirsty read more

Pono Ranch - Waiting and waiting - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Plastic cups really? Poor selection of local beer, as in no local beer (they do have mannys). In the heart of ballard brewing district this place continues to fall short. Food meh. Mostly pub fried stuff. Excellent outdoor area, that's about it. This place could be great, but every time I come I am disappointed. Oh ya, plastic cups for beer.... Really? read more

Pono Ranch - Plastic cups...lame - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Our bartender seemed stressed on a busy night, but she made great drinks. What really made our night, was Maria, who was so attentive and sweet. She was one of the best staff I've ever had the pleasure to converse with at Pono Ranch and all of Ballard!! read more

This place is special and it depends on when you're here. Off-peak come in, sit, get a meal with friends. On a nice day sit on the out door patio for a pretty good happy hour. Have the chili it's great. The bar tenders are friendly and good at what they do. Peak times, when it's nice out, come out for a live show outside. Bring a good sized crew becomes there's plenty of room. The cover is reasonable and the outside atmosphere is great. The problem here is the lines. When it's busy getting anything takes a while. There are two bars, but they are just not fast enough. They could sell a lot more if they would devote some attention to the problem. Increase staffing or something please. read more

Pono Ranch - Outdoor patio at Pono. - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Super fun place with great drinks and decent food. Lots of outdoor seating and very dog friendly. Would highly recommend!

We had great food and great service today I had the tasty American breakfast with delicious biscuits. And my husband had the classic ranch burger with chili. His burger and chili were equally delicious as my meal. Our wait person Holly was efficient and friendly. Gerald the bartender was friendly, attentive and fun to talk to. We had our dog with us and she was very welcomed. We'll be back! read more

Pono Ranch - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Food decent. We had caesar salads which could benefit from homemade croutons or even better purchased ones. And maybe some garlic in the dressing. It claims to be homemade. I hope it is. Bathrooms could use a good cleaning. Staff don't wear masks even though they say here they do. read more

Absolutely love this place ! Great vibe and music was decent as well. Will surely be back here !

Atmosphere is good and it certainly has potential, but it's really nothing special. Tbh the most impressive thing were the super clean bathrooms and descent jello shots! read more

Literally the most overplaced Spot I have ever seen! They charge $25 for two pineapple shots which were not even pure alcohol. The outside patio is cool because you can bring your pet but besides that the drinks are overpriced, the services less than average, and I could sell a kidney for less than what displays charges for an drink. If you have the time and the option, go elsewhere! Or be prepared to drop at least $60 bucks per person for drinks. read more

Fun idea, but was lacking. The service was super slow and the drinks were average. The live music was fun, as is the setting, which are the only two reasons to go here (but, those are two great reasons!). read more

Oh come on people these bad reviews are ridiculous. This is my first time to Pono and I love it! Pono is a unique Seatttle bar overflowing with character. It's a must see junkyard ranch atmosphere with multiple outdoor bars and yummy food. I had the fish and carnitas tacos. Wings looked great too! Don't let the idiot reviews prevent you from experiencing this super secret gem! read more

Pono Ranch - American Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Not sure why it's got such a low rating. I think this place is a cool handout! Outdoor sitting and band which reminded me of Austin.

We had the fish taco. The taco had no flavor. We asked for seared fish but got battered fried fish and thw fish wss mushy the coleslaw didn't have flavor either. Two tortillas would be better than one. Because my taco fell apart as i ate it. The french fries had too much salt. The flavoring on the fries may have been better without all the salt. We also ordered chicken wings. The sauce was good the wings has a lot of meat on them. I do want to try other dishes there to give them a chance to change my opinion. The drinks were make weak. The new bartender was very nice. But didn't know much about the menu. I hope that this place does suceed. That's why I'll try them again. read more

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Love Pono Ranch! My cousin, grandfather and I came here to get a late night plate of 3-Bean Nachos, Buz Light and listen to live music! We got lucky, Third Eye Blind (huge fans call them 3EB) was playing a live show! I was lucky enough to catch a t-shirt from the shirt cannon! Thanks Pono for a crazy night my family will never forget! read more

If you're thinking of going to Pono Ranch, let me suggest this alternative: -- Take 40 dollars out of your wallet -- Douse them with lighter fluid/gasoline -- Ignite -- Be thankful that you didn't have to go all the way to shit hole Pono Ranch to have the same experience. Shit beer selection, garbage "cocktails" (this is the one place in Ballard you DO NOT want to order a mixed drink), and the food... I mean, just because you can chew and swallow it does that make it food? It was our feeling that everyone on staff the night we visited were unwashed, graceless, intoxicated (alcohol, marijuana, meth?), assholes who's attitudes were as unprofessional as their appearances. I wonder when the last time any of them washed their hands was... read more

I'm surprised the reviewers are so rough on this place. I wonder if they are sort of expecting a traditional restaurant. People often come here and spend hours at a time so the servers are not going to give you constant attention like a normal restaurant. We've had part of our crew stick around while the rest of us grab E bikes and cruise around for a little bit, then come back. It's an odd, but really fun place if you know what you're getting into. I agree there are some small adjustments they could make, but then again maybe it's a way of thinning out the crowd. read more

Wow. This was by far the worst dining experience I've ever had in Seattle. After visiting a couple of the neighborhood breweries, we stopped over to the Pono Ranch to get some food and check out the patio. The patio is incredible. It's huge with tons of space. It's also incredibly dirty. I get it, it's supposed to be a junkyard/Burning Man aesthetic, but none of the tables looked wiped down. There was a water "bucket" with flies circling around the open lid. A dripping sink behind the bar that looked like it hadn't received a scrub down in ages. The first indication that this place was bad wasn't the grimy appearance. It was how empty it was. On a beautiful Seattle Summer evening, with a live Jazz band. A patio like this with live music, on a beautiful night should be blowing up in Seattle. There were maybe 8 people there. And I quickly realized why. First, the servers were out of their gourd high on needle drugs or amphetamines. I'm not in the business of judging people's recreational drug use, but there were two servers who were visibly high on Class-A drugs. Scabby faces, pinwheel eyes, rushed/slurred speech. Cocaine, crack, meth, heroin? Maybe all 4? The service was HORRIBLE. Not only were the servers on a different planet, they mixed up our beer order, delivered the saddest serving of cold, soggy fries I had ever seen and rarely visited us again to see if we wanted another beer. It's ok, we didn't. This place needs a change of ownership/management if it ever plans to survive. I just don't understand how such a great patio could be so poorly managed, and left to drug addicts to run. OH! I forgot to mention the rat. Out of the corner of my eye I witnessed a rat the size of a running shoe running in between the tables. Yep, it was time to leave. We didn't bother telling the server because she was likely in a backroom drug den somewhere getting another fix, and it would have been just painful to watch her chase after the rat with a broom. STAY OFF DRUGS KIDS. read more

I wish I could leave a good review because the place is fun, nice for gathering, and a lot of potential. BUT, my experience was tainted by the horrible service we received from a particular female bartender. It just didn't seem like she wanted to be there at all. After the first round of drinks I went to order food. The bartender sighed in disgust to the fact that I even order food. That was followed up with "anything else?" And I said I wanted a couple drinks which was followed with another sigh and "well let's go what do you want" with plenty of attitude. The drinks were terrible...honestly I could've gotten a better drink at a frat party. I'm sure I wasn't the only guest to feel this because when I left I could hear the same piss pore attitude to the person behind me... Additionally, it seemed like the staff didn't do anything about cleaning up from the night before. Straws littered the ground, tables were sticky, broken glass on the ground (had to be cleaned up because a guests dog was walking in it), and even the Jenga blocks were just littered all over the ground. The food was typical for a bar. Anyways, this place has a lot of potential and I'd love to return because of the fun atmosphere but the service has got to be better. That's all. read more

Ba-ad. I've been by twice for a drink, a bite, and a little springtime sunshine. Both times the only thing worse than the apathetic service was the truly vile food they serve. We had: -- jalapeño poppers: five teeny tiny jalapeño halves topped with a sliver of cream cheese and an itsy bitsy slice of bacon wrapped around it. Totally underwhelming and sad looking on the plate... And in the mouth. -- the charcuterie plate: I laugh even as I type this! It's a charcuterie joke. I swear to God that they sourcing their meat from the Grocery Outlet deli case. Seriously, guys?! Deli meat is not charcuterie. -- house made chips: the least offensive thing on the table. -- onion rings: totally disgusting. Others have posted about them. It's all true. After their depressing happy hour, I would never in a million years have them cook me something called "breakfast ravioli". How can you serve food this bad and still call yourself a restaurant? How can you be so disinterested and blithe and still call yourself a server? How could you put all the time/effort/money into a build out like this one, only to *completely shit the bed* on execution? I say, fire everyone (ESPECIALLY the dummy who wrote the menu) and start over. And do it quickly. Oh-- the first time we were there, our server was wearing such threadbare pants that we could see her all her kibbles and bits... and no bra. Sooooo... There's that. read more

Well...you win some, Ballard, and you lose some, right? When we tried Pono Ranch we lost some. This is a rare 1 star review, friends, and I reward it to Pono Ranch easily. 1 Star for the Patio. The patio makes up 75% percent of their space, with ample seating, random industrial machinery making for interesting exterior decor choices. There was a small stage and signs that promote live music supposedly. We were looked for a outdoor patio to enjoy the sun a Friday afternoon, and Pono was a walkable option. After arriving, I walked to the little indoor cabin-like bar area in the center of the strange, misplaced, industrial-park like space to use the restroom and check out the vodka selection. I had nooo idea what kinds of vodka a little cabin built under the Ballard Bridge would hold, so I took a gander. It is here when the waitress whipped around from the bar and addressed me: "IF YOU'RE GOING TO SIT OUTSIDE...." at this point I thought we'd done something wrong. That they were closed, that we sat without the hostess' direction, etc. I opened my mouth to immediately apologize..she sounded so angry! The waitress suddenly smiled largely and then said, "ILL BE WITH YOU IN A SECOND!!" Oh ish. What a way be greeted. A hello and a smile would have been preferable. My heart left my throat and I returned to my table. The rest of the experience was just as poor. The drinks were watered down and the beer selection was extremely poor. We waited and waited for the tab after the sun went down and we were left shivering and annoyed. The waitress ran over, apologized for the wait, promised our bill, yet spoke to two other tables before making her way to the register. Not too much in a hurry for us, I suppose. Seriously, don't go. The patio on a sunny date is nice, but the poor service and drinks make it a purely awful experience. read more

Great concept, occasionally crave the food, but the front bar is so bad, it suuuuucks. Unless you know someone, you will be treated like you are unimportant. My feeling is that owner knows what they are doing, and are happy with steady income from drunk college kids, so don't care if the place is good or not; they don't serve those nights. Tried to make some connections with staff on off nights, but when the kids are drinking, get treated like trash. Again, love the concept. Wish it was better. Tried 5 or 6 times, won't be back. Do better. read more

Super fun place to hang out with friends or watch a game or warm up by the fires. Some great food items as well. The Huli huli chicken is fire! I'll be back. read more

So, riding my bike by Pono Ranch on a sunny Sunday afternoon, I think to myself that this place is gonna get five stars for the great patio and the ability to serve me a cold beer on said patio alone. How quickly I began to realize what a mistake that was. I won't bore you with the details, because enough others seem to have experienced similar situations or worse. But, the summary: 1) No bike rack when you're sitting right on the Burke Gilman?? 2) Out of multiple menu items when I arrive at 1:30pm on a Sunday, when there appears to be no more than a sum total of 8-9 other people on your massive patio? 3) Out of the entire main menu when the rest of my group arrives 30 minutes later? 4) Still haven't brought my hamburger 40 minutes after I ordered it and was told it would be brought right out? 5) Offering to serve food off the happy hour menu and then charging us regular price, and not offering to correct it when we pointed this out? 6) $6.50 for a pint of beer that would be $5 or less anywhere else in the neighborhood (have you guys noticed how many great craft breweries are in the 'hood?)? These guys came up with a great idea of using a cool space for something that could be a stellar hangout all summer long. Sadly, it seems that beyond the initial idea, no one was brought in with any substantive experience in running a restaurant. I can't possibly think of anything that would convince me to go back, other than new ownership. read more

I guess it's tricky when you build a bar emulating the Austin patio experience in the northwest, where sunny days are pretty limited. Sunny days arrive and spots like Pono look ideal. Beer, bar food, sunshine etc. Like most sunny patio spots in Seattle, everyone has the same idea at once on those nice days. Most of the other spots expect to be busy then, Pono does not. During the 2/3 of the year when the weather is grey, Pono is a sleepy spot and can get away with 1-2 people on staff. On those magical sunny Seattle days, Pono ranch does not have enough people on hand to deal with the crowds. Expect long waits, bad service, messed up orders and other issues that come with understaffing. Not the fault of the employees. This place has potential, but management needs to learn how to read a weather forecast and anticipate the busy days. read more