Best Pub in Seattle. Full of character and characters. Bartenders will look after you, so look after them. Play pool, sing karaoke, listen to the great music selection by the DJ or by the bar staff, watch sports, drink great drinks, what more do you want or need? Not for the faint hearted so come for fun and antics... read more

What to say about the Red Onion... First off it is a Beer/Wine only bar, no hard alcohol. That is my only gripe about this place. It is spacious, has a fire place, 2 pool tables, Terminator pinball, and chips and pizzas to snack on. I arrived here late on a Sunday to celebrate my friend's birthday. It appeared the bartender was ready to close up but stayed open since we brought a decent sized group. He was nice enough to let us play music off of our iPod since there wasn't anyone else in the bar. He also gave us some tips on getting our taxes done, thanks John! read more

Free pool , great karaoke, dive bar at its finest. Linda and Benny are superstars!! I come here regularly its two minute walk from the apartment so if you are trying to get rowdy on a Friday/Saturday night or just want to shoot a couple games of pool with your friends on a weeknight go to the Onion. A true staple of Madison Park. read more

The old bartender told me to fuck off and she threw an ice cube at my cousins boyfriend. They also screamed at me when my group accidentally dropped the pool que. She had no self control, the audacity of this woman to be so aggressive to my family, when all I wanted was a jack n coke. Totally unacceptable I'll never come back here again! Fuck you read more

Karaoke destination when visiting Seattle. Sammy KJ host is the best in PNW. Yes, he is that amazing. Great crowd participation too plus lotza amazing singers. Bennie, Linda and Tim make you feel welcome, good pours and fair prices. Restrooms are seriously gross. Owner should hire a janitor to clean them at minimum once a week. 1 star removed for the restrooms. Just talked to owner about how bathrooms need to be cleaned once in while. He rolled his eyes at me indicating he didn't care at all about the nasty bathrooms. Shame on you! If you didn't have Sammy's karaoke, I would never be back. read more

Let's say I have, like, a week left in Seattle. And for every night of the week I have left, I have to pick one perfect place in town that captures a small slice of my little Seattle life. Well, the Red Onion would be my Thursday pick, and anyone who's anyone knows that Thursday is definitely the third best day of the week. This is my homebase for monthly reunions with two dear friends of mine: one, a Botticelli beauty with a ghetto mouth; another, gorgeous, smart and gay as the night is long. And then there's me, tall and strange, snorting uncontrollably. The Red Onion is our place, and it's your place too -- whoever you might be. There's tons of happy seniors here, getting their 4:30 drink on... but somehow this just makes the bar more hip. It's truly a neighborhood classic for all walks of life. Important to note: You can order a large wine here for sooo cheap (a schooner!!). And they have the best French dip in town for under $7. For real -- I know my French dips. read more

Came here to get a soda pop with two friends to relax because was were just in the area snapping some photos. Being a visitor in Hawaii, I've never been to a place like red onion tavern with such character. The place was old and a little run down but the people in there didn't mind. There was a older lady playing pull tab and me being from hawaii i wanted to see what its all about. I start snapping photos of the pull tab machine and my ticket that i got. Then up comes the bartender asking us if we are doing a documentary on their place. He was really rude and un welcoming and so were the lady playing pull tab. Won't ever go back there again, people were weird, creepy, bartender was rude as hell and unwelcoming and place was run down more worst than a crack whore house that was in operations for 20+ years. read more

I first came here almost 30 years ago. I'm glad to see it hasn't changed much. One of the last of the old school pubs. Friendly staff, pool tables, and a cosy fire place. read more

Tis where I met my husband 31 years ago. It was a super bustling establishment at the time and needs to be again. Who else met at the RO and later married??? Let's all meet up and celebrate this fine establishment! read more

We heard this place a good vibe and decided to try it out. When we first walked in we were a little disappointed with there being almost no one in the bar and the decor clearly has not been updated for at least 20 years. Then we met Benny. This guy is something else. We ordered drinks and Benny introduces himself. He is full of witting banter and really made the whole night. Having a small fire with some love seats around was a big help too I'll be back for suede Thanks Benny!! read more

Here sits a bar, unchanged as far as even my parents can remember. Incredibly great atmosphere, a touch of comfortable, Shakesperean gloom, leather couches surrounding an old fireplace, and somehow the mid-fifties bartender has an ipod full of trendy musica. The beer comes in pitchers, the regulars are, though rather old, a blast to talk to. Games are available for play, and the window booths offer awesome people watching. Overall, one of Seattle's best kept secrets. read more

I was looking for a local bar to do karaoke with my friends, and found Red Onion through Yelp. I called them to ask if Saturday night karaoke was still a thing, and the friendly man on the phone said it started at 9:30 PM and ran until about 1 AM. We visited Red Onion for the first time that very night. It's on the divey side for Madison Park, which I liked. The clientele ran a little older, as you might expect for the area. I didn't have anything to eat or drink, but my friends seemed to enjoy their wells and beers. The KJ was easy-going and would back people up on his microphone if they had trouble finding the right key or tempo. Plenty of song books to go around, and lots of songs to choose from. The backing tracks were a little loud; sometimes they almost sounded like they were blowing out the speakers. The crowd was supportive and engaged. All in all a great place to go for karaoke! read more

Karaoke Saturday night with Baby Van Beezly rocks my world!!!! She is the karaoke champion of the west coast and if you are lucky enough to hear her sing pony by ginuwine or f**k you be cee lo it's going to be an excellent night. There is some serious talent in the singing pool at this place and no judgement if you're not as *well practiced* as some. Benny the bartender is awesome and drinks are cheap, so really you have no excuse for not coming here. In fact, even I you're not in Madison park you should make the trip for Saturday karaoke because it's a full night event that usually culminates in dance party shenanigans. read more

My wife and I are from Seattle and now live in SOCAL. We moved to Seattle in 2017 to deal with some financial issues and discovered the Red Onion. What a find! We love funky old taverns and good tavern food and the Red Onion has both, in spades. We only tried the 10" Hawaiian pizza, 10 bucks at the time, and although it was probably frozen, we enjoyed it about five times while we were in town. The place probably hasn't been updated in 30 years, but it has a big screen TV, an honest "ambiance", good food and good service. Madison Park is an upscale part of Seattle, and the Red Onion defies that moniker....which, is a very good thing!! If we could move it to SOCAL, we would!! read more

Best bar in Madison. Great atmosphere, great service and cool people. Theres some great pool tables and karaoke as well as strong drinks.

One of my fave place to go on the weekends! I know I get that look from everyone when I say that but I truly adore this place. It's always nice to leave the city on the weekends cause that's mainly when all the amateurs head out for a big night on the town. ANNOYING!!! I have only been here on Friday and Saturdays when they have karaoke. Vanessa is a karaoke goddess. She knows how to keep the energy level up with her fantastic MC skillz. She wil do anything from cee-lo F*ck you to Lady Gaga. People do start dancing towards the middle and end of the night. The bartenders are always very attentive and friendly. This is a tavern so yes only beer and wine. There are pool tables in the back and a pinball machine. The crowd ranges from senior citizens to the best looking 20 somethings I have ever seen in Seattle and everything else inbetween. I absolutely love it!! Great place to come in groups or with a few close friends, If you like karaoke and good company you will love this place!! read more

I like the location. We went for Karaoke last night. It's a neighborhood bar and thus the crowd showed it - All ages and a family affair for the most part. Issue is that the music was sooooooo loud and louder than the singing. The same signers sang, so I wonder how he chose them or in what order? I wish the Music was not too loud and people can actually hear the people sing. Please stop singing along with the singers. read more

Tonight at 8:30pm, the owner of Red Onion stopped me, as soon as I walked in, from sitting at the corner booth, with my laptop. It wasn't busy and no special events on Wed. nights. In fact there weren't any people sitting at the booths, by the fireplace or at any of the tables. There were only He said his bartender, a middle aged woman with Blonde hair, wanted me to sit at another table, instead. He pointed at the smaller table by the open door. Well, I smelled the smoke from outside sitting by the door, tonight. I argued with him that it's not busy. He said it's summer and it's going to get busy later. Sitting by the door I said I will get cold and needed a better outlet. That outlet by the door was loose and I showed him when I plugged in the adaptor. His Neon Sign plug was half off and about to fall off too. He told me to I can't plug my laptop, even though they offer free wireless. He told me to go home when I run out of my battery. That comment was uncalled for. Any restaurant that offers Free Wireless as a customer service and doesn't want their customers to be able bring in their laptops have no clue. Plus it's an informal pub and not a fancy restaurant. I've seen other students bring their laptops. The Madison Park Starbucks closes at 9:00pm, so I like to go somewhere close, after 9:00pm and has free parking nearby. I haven't been so insulted from an owner of any bar or restaurant in Seattle. Plus it's Madison Park, where it's upper middle class and wealthy neighborhood. The owner acts like he owns a Biker Bar and the customers are low class the way he treated me. Low Class! I was going to write a good review of the Red Onion since I've been coming here once a week for the past month and half. The other bartenders have been very friendly and they have never hassled me sitting in the corner booth on a weekday night ever! read more

The red onion Tavern is a brash, outspoken, semi washed up punk rocker! It's the type of bar that lowers the property value of the neighborhood in a much needed kind of way. Its Nestled along a trendy Avenue in a neighborhood that caters to the wealthy retired, and the popped collar fraternity trust fund babies of generations next. Yet somehow This Old War Horse Tavern continues to kick up dust, throw elbows, and bite and scratch for its place among the herd! A refreshing watering hole of a dive bar that leaves judgement at the door while serving you the neighborhoods strongest poor. The drinks are almost as cheap as the pool tables and the food is absolutely delicious in a terrible hate yourself the next morning kind of way. I miss the red onion with a passion. Having moved away from Seattle a year ago I often find myself reminiscing of my time spent there. The bartenders, the bar patrons, the cheesy 70's style fireplace and the beer stained carpets will always have a place in my heart. So keep on keeping on red onion! You are the last warrior of blue collar soul in that neighborhood. You must survive so that future generations of "dropouts" and "washed ups" will have a place to make their bad decisions. Thanks for the memories red onion! read more

This place is great for drunken karaoke and making out with strangers.

I have no idea why this place is rated so highly. We walk by on a regular basis and Red Onion always looks empty, dark, and somewhat creepy. We still decided to grab a drink here when my parents were in town because it had such good reviews. There was one bartender who took probably ten minutes to initiate service. We ordered three beers, but we were hungry too. My mom asked about the soup and we were all looking at the scanty menu... to me this would be an obvious signal that we are interested in eating something. When the bartender came with our drinks, he immediately set them down and briskly walked away. We drank all of our beers down and he did not return. My partner had to walk up to the bar to pay for our drinks and then the bartender got it wrong twice and tried to charge him too much. My poor parents probably have a negative view of our neighborhood because of this place. Now, I understand if you're busy, and I am a very empathetic person when it comes to customer service, but geez, this was bad. The bartender was doing a fine job of serving the big table next to us, which we assumed were the ol' regulars (this would explain the high ratings). I can say one good thing about Red Onion - it has an inviting fireplace. Thankfully, we walked down the street and found the Attic, which had great service, great drinks, and a great happy hour menu, not to mention a friendly atmosphere. Most people will like the Attic better. Red Onion will probably continue as a fixture of the Madison Park drag, but man oh man, I won't be coming back. read more

This is a dive bar (well it seems to be trying for that vibe anyway) in an upscale neighborhood, but it has the worst elements of a dive bar without many of the good. Bad music played far too loud, even when the place is nearly empty, making it difficult to converse at all. Didn't try the food. Beer selection on tap was limited but fine. Crowd was almost entirely made up of the baby boomer set that probably lived nearby, except for the motorcycle gang...well, who am I kidding, they were also baby boomers who probably lived nearby. All in all, nothing special about the place. read more

Close to home and oh so cozy...I love Red Onion...its everything I need...beer, roast beef, and great bartenders!!

Poor/slow service and rude bartender. We even left our food behind today after the bartender refused to let us keep our service dog inside with us. He told us that we had to leave her in the car even though we clearly told him that she was a service dog. This establishment clearly doesn't honor federal ADA laws, so if you require a service dog for epilepsy or any other ailment, definitely take your business to the Attic down the street. We gave two stars because the prices appear to be reasonable, but we cannot comment on the food because we weren't able to eat ours. read more

I love how this place is a dive bar in one of the most upscale parts of the city. It is cheap, good (food included) and cozy. Very unpretentious and welcoming. I love it! read more

The only dive bar in Madison Park. Friendly service, stiff drinks. The weekend Karaoke is a hoot. Free pool table.

I'm a huge fan of Sammy and Benny the Bartender. Karaoke here was the best time I've had in years and I'm itching to go back! Although the house was packed, I never had to wait too long for a refill on my beer. Sammy kept the line up of singers moving. It felt like a big party and not a room full of strangers. I haven't tried the food, but I can say (after having worked in a bar) you don't go to bars for the food or the drinks. You can have the same beer at home for a hell of a lot cheaper. You go to bars for the people. read more

This bar was not crowded but really fun and welcoming! Beer was cheap and the atmosphere was great. I also lost my card there and they held it there for me for a couple of days until I could get out there, they were super nice! read more

If I could give this place a zero I would. I was told I couldn't stay bc I didn't have my id when ordering a diet 7up. Pretty standard not upset about that. But then when I said I would grab my id and come back the gentleman said I couldn't. Then when I asked why he simply replied "bye" this happened about 1:30 Friday the second. I've been on the receiving end of not being served based on my race but the fact I couldn't come back felt like I was being turned away based on my race and my race alone. Whoever is working represented this place very poorly. read more

Linda Tart McBint...that's all I have to say. Too much drama caused by her...otherwise a great establishment!!!

This place is a wonderfully divey oasis in Madison Park. Stiff shots, cold beer and hot karaoke! We came in about 60 people deep after a wedding reception, and what should have completely overwhelmed a staff of five+, was easily handled (with smiles!), by Tim and (sorry, I forgot her name). Karaoke was a riot, with a fair and balanced rotation all evening, hosted by "Sammy" (think Sammy Hagar, David Coverdale and Robert Plant had a love child(lol)). Also, this guy does a kick-ass cover of Rush songs!! All in all, it was a terrific spot to hang out.... The only drawback was that I don't think I've ever seen, or smelled, a more horrendous restroom.......the ONLY reason I can't give 5 stars. Check this place out!!! read more

I have been coming here for years. I don't generally go to that area that often now but when I do I beeline it right to the Red Onion. Always had a great time there. So glad to know they are still alive and kicking unlike so many other land marks in Seattle. Have to make it a point to get down there more often. read more

I've never had a bad experience with the bartenders in this place. I go in for a drink, which they are happy to oblige. I can imagine that they wouldn't be excited if you are just there to use the seating (especially by the fireplace). Be prepared to talk (to the bartender and the regulars). If you're a loner, go somewhere else. I have never eaten here so I can't comment on that. This is a spot to visit after dinner. They do have live music sometimes which can be an unexpected bonus. read more

Bennie is great! Good vibe and chill atmosphere. Local as it gets. It's a hideaway tucked away amongst the uber wealthy neighborhood. Nice spot to duck away for a bit, have a pint and a pizza. read more

An authentic dive in the heart of Seattle's aristocracy. This place is what many of the Capitol Hill hipster bars seem to aspire towards, only it is completely absent of hipsters...absent of many people, actually. Always plenty of room for me and any friends willing to venture to "the Park" as I've heard locals call it (no comment)--the exception being around 4:30ish, when the Early Birder Blue Plate/Blue Hair gang rules the streets as well as the tables at the Red Onion. No matter the time, everyone is super friendly, from the bartender to the handfulls of other people's grandparents and the less geriatric but equally convivial 30-something crowd. Plus, they have a fireplace. What else does one need to survive Seattle winter than fire, cheap booze, and a view of the MILF/nanny highway outside? read more

This is my go-to spot in Madison park. Wonderful service, classic dive bar atmosphere, free pool...all around great neighborhood bar. Special shout out to Linda, a queen amongst women, and Benny, my main man read more

This bar has the BEST karaoke I have ever been part of. I used to be one of those people who would spend all night nervous, thinking about signing up for karaoke, but then never do it. Now I perform multiple times a night. Baby van Beezley is such a great host--she is supportive to nervous singers, and if you are not good she will dance around behind you and distract the audience. And she has some of the best Lady Gaga covers out there. And her outfits are amazing. The bar has a pretty decent beer selection and serves wine out of schooner glasses. I might not go there during the day, but it's outstanding for karaoke on a Friday or Saturday night. A good escape from Capitol Hill. read more

Saturday night's are awesome at the Red Onion. Great late night crowd, friendly staff, and pretty serious karaoke!

I'll try again when the Madison Park college kids don't overrun the place on their winter break, but tonight was a nightmare. All I wanted was a legit dive with people over 30 doing karaoke and I walked into a frat party that looked like a J.Crew store had puked all over it. read more

OK so I do like this place but when the bathrooms are out of order I'm pretty sure you need to close the place until fixed. When I asked about the issue the bartender/owner said to go to McGilvra's down the street to use the restroom. Really? Why don't you call a plumber to fix the issue? So off to McGilvra's myself and 6 other peeps went. read more