Archer Ale House — Restaurant in Bellingham

What a wonderful surprise! This place has got the whole northern European pub vibe as well as a bit of speakeasy will the whole hidden basement entrance. Really enjoyed the atmosphere, a little dark, cozy and very inviting.

Archer is quite unique in our experience in that the food is many notches above the usual fare we encounter in Washington.

We had several apps including sausage roll, belly bangers, soup of the day and the Shepherd's Pie. My husband, who is a chef, ate his Sausage Roll and Shepherd's Pie with his eyes closed savoring every bite. I think he was moaning a bit with delight too. What stands out here is the development and layers of flavors. Two people can make the same dish, with the same ingredients and one can be just food while the other is sublime. The Shepherd's Pie and Sausage Roll was definitely the latter. Truly, a skillful person is cooking with their soul here. While I am not a fan of Smoked Salmon as it is always too dried out for my taste, the Smoked Salmon soup was extraordinary. I could eat the broth by itself, such amazing depth of flavor.

We are looking forward to enjoying more of their offerings, which are limited compared to most restaurants, but doing a few extraordinary plates is far superior to a vast array of the mediocre.

My husband truly enjoys a good single malt whiskey and they had many, along with bourbons with very reasonable prices based on their top shelf quality. He was like a kid in a candy shop.

And last, but certainly not least, Lyric was wonderful and we appreciated her service very much.

We will be returning as often as our livers and...

Good selection of beers, and the food I got was very good, but not what I ordered. I sat at the bar and ordered a $35 special entree of seafood gumbo. It was described as havi shrimp, clams, mussels, and fish, and at that price I expected a full meal. What arrived was a cup of gumbo, a small salad, and two small pieces of toast. I was shocked, but didn't question it at first. I ate the gumbo, but couldn't find any seafood in it. I looked at the menu, and figured out that she thought that I ordered an item off of the appetizer menu, a $17 cup of soup of the day and salad. The soup of the day happened to be gumbo. I tried to explain the error to the bartender, but she said she didn't understand. The guy sitting next to me tried to explain, but she said that she still didn't understand what she did wrong. I don't know if she was new or what, but even when I showed her what I ordered on the specials menu, she still didn't get it. So I got the bill, made sure I wasn't charged for the entree, and left the bar hungry. I'm still not sure if the bartender was really confused or just trying to get away with something. Other than that, it seems like a great place. I'd recommend it, but be sure you get what you order...

UPDATED 10/17/2022: DISAPPOINTING... As they say “Cleanliness is next to Godliness”. If it’s dirty in the customer portion of the establishment you have to wonder what the kitchen looks like??? The food was good, not great, bland, wings, the sausage role & 1/2 order Irish Nachos. Bathrooms are gross, they obviously do not have a cleaning regime as there was some type of “leftovers” on the floor when we arrived (ten minutes after they opened for the day) & in other areas of the bar! Service was just ok. We wanted, NO expected more, unfortunately Archers fell short. There is no other bar in town that could offer this type of environment (read vibe). @ this rate I don’t see Archers making it! **Original review six months ago. Owners finding their way keeping the feel of the old but updating where it’s needed. Great food, drinks, wine, games and a casual vibe, what else does one need!! No happy hour yet but it sounds like they are working towards it. Support them now so we can reap the rewards later I say!!!!! The wings btw are excellent + the pub made pepper sauce will put hair on your chest!! It’s...