Jolly Roger Tap Room

Jolly Roger Tap Room
1514 NW Leary Way

Research Assistant: Jack

Ballard has been at the center of the American micro-brewery movement. One of the first, Red Hook, started here in an old transmission shop. They’ve since gone big time and now consort with Their Satanic Majesties of St. Louis—Augie Busch IV and Budweiser—but we still have a couple notable craft breweries. Laboring in the shadow of the Ballard Bridge are the hard working brewers of the Maritime Pacific Brewing Company. They operate the Jolly Roger Tap Room on the premises and there we met Research Assistant Jack for dinner. It was a nasty election night and it was looking like all the wrong people and things would win, so we took shelter from the miserable world outside in the warm and comfortable tap room.



Ballard’s bar history is full of ramshackle joints where fishermen and seafarers would cash (and drink away) their checks before going back out to sea. The Jolly Roger evokes that look but thankfully lacks the squalor of those bars. It’s a small but cozy space, perfect on a rainy night.

Maritime Pacific brews a wide range of beers. We each enjoyed Islander Pale Ales, then I made the decision to switch to Portage Bay Pilsener, a favorite around these parts. The friendly bartender poured us samplers of Harvest Pale Ale, a seasonal brew they call an “Extra Pale Ale.” Yowza! It’s a frisky little thing. Lots of hops but without that headache-inducing slap up side the head of other highly-hopped beers. It had a fruity quality that was simply charming. Should have ordered it from the start.

The Jolly Roger posts quite an ambitious menu. No hardtack and salt beef here, matey. We weren’t really up for lamb osso bucco or smoked pork tenderloin, so we enjoyed some sandwiches. Our legions of East Coast readers wouid recognize a JR sandwich as being the stylistic, if not culinary decendent of the old White Tower burger. They’re small and you best order multiples. Mine had lightly grilled oysters—just as we like ‘em—and Jack’s small chunks of mahi mahi. Both were served with shredded cabbage on small white buns. You could also get some excellent sauces, a lime-cilantro and a jalapeno something. We shared an order of planks (french fries) and the house salad. All in all, good eats!

Turns out that for once, the electorate in its wisdom mostly voted the right way. That’s about all you can ask for in an election. Maybe we’ll spend each election night at the Jolly Roger.