What it is: This European-inspired beer hall couldn’t be anywhere but Seattle—the mural outside featuring Bigfoot in a Sonics jersey, attacking a hockey stick–wielding Seattle Kraken with a trident, kind of gives it away. This space is appropriately large, with high ceilings and a clear wall-to-wall view of all the long, shared tables and servers delivering beer and rotisserie chickens. We could do without the big TVs, but we saw the mural, and we get it.
Why it’s great: Twenty-five taps put the spotlight on local breweries such as Chainline, Fremont, Georgetown, Ravenna, Reuben’s Brews, and Varietal. The range of styles is broad and always includes lagers, including a handful from Germany. Yet, somehow, the beer and atmosphere are arguably not the main the attractions. People come here for the food. Start by sharing a giant crusty pretzel piled with charcuterie or a pork-belly poutine; move on to steak-frites. You could finish with apple bread-pudding, but we might opt for a draft weizenbock for dessert instead. —Joe Stange
Details
Hours: 11:30 a.m.–2 a.m., Friday; 10 a.m.–2 a.m., Saturday; 10 a.m.–midnight, Sunday; 11:30 a.m.–midnight, Monday–Thursday
Address: 203 W. Thomas St., Seattle, Washington
Web: queenannebeerhall.com