Pine Box — Restaurant in Seattle

So there are four things that make this place as good as it is.

1. The atmosphere is undeniably cool. It's loud at times, but the vibe works. The building was originally Seattle's most famous funerary chapel (and it's on Pine Street, get it?) and they like to play with that fact a bit. Notice all the pews and artwork? This place has features some of the best murals in town.

2. The staff is killer. There's a distinct punk/metal look like you'd expect in in Seattle, but my God are they friendly and patient. That said, there are occasional runs on the bar, so as a courtesy, read the beer list before you get to the front and always tip well (round up from 20%). I like these guys and I want the best people to stick around.

3. The beer list. It's not just IPA, but they've got that covered too. They're picky about their beers and they use very short lines to connect their kegs so it's easy to clean and always tastes as intended. They keep at least two ciders (usually a sweet and a dry), and they've got a reasonable bar without any real focus on any specific spirit. They can handle all your standard cocktails and well drinks.

4. The food is a little more exciting than you'd expect. They've got a proper pizza oven here (being a former funeral home, you might wonder what else that oven was for... I'm sure it's fine) and they make some impressively rich pizzas. These are the 14" not-quite-New-York-but-definitely-not-Chicago sort of pizzas you see a lot of in the PNW. They've got some tasty nachos and sandwiches as well. If you bring your pup to their covered porch in the summer, let the kitchen know. They might bring your pupper some bacon.

Now for the cons...

Parking is basically the same thunder dome situation you see everywhere on Cap Hill.

This place is popular and you might see long lines for the bar on weekends. They move quickly so long as everyone follows etiquette.

The music can get loud in the main area. It's a Seattle bar so... At least it's pretty good music.

Food advisory: When they use the word "garlic" on their menu, what they really mean is "GARLIC!". But can you blame them? If there's a bar for vampires, this is it.

Since you've read this far, I can tell you that the "not-so-secret" VIP area is up a crooked set of stairs behind a curtain to the right of the bar. Its pretty...

I will start that this is cool place! You walk into an ex mortuary and hear papa roach - last resort, it’s going to be good! PS if you don’t know who papa roach is no problem, but the music gets better. Don’t be put off if you only like hip hop or kpop 😆. You’ll learn 👍🏼 look Seattle craft beers are not cheap, you pay for the fancy names and the craft. That is why Seattle keeps producing so much great beer and great choice. If you want bubbly bland tasteless mass produced American beer go to somewhere else. Pine box is a taproom, so many choices - Westward and down Idaho CO IPA is 7.2% , citrus and hazy but if it’s Seattle summer 30degC (not sure what that is in degF ) it’s the beer you want. Hefty Alice from Portland is lighter,more a session beer but perfectly likeable.

Seats are comfy at the bar, staff are friendly, yes the beer cost is higher than you’d like to pay (as per most bars in Seattle ) but you could sit at home and drink a supermarket bought craft beer in silence !! Option number 2 is get out, drink a choice of 42 beers on tap plus a vast choice of spirits and wine and listen some good music , have a life and realise there’s more than tv! Obviously the westward down was stronger than I thought, post slightly longer but walk home will be a breeze 😀 pine box is an oddity but that’s why you’ve got visit,...

This is a VERY cool brewpub! They have about 30 craft brews on tap (most of them local), wine, a full bar, and basic pub food such as pizzas, etc. But the food seems to be made in house, and not from a frozen bag like some places do.

The Margherita pizza is $13 and a decent enough size to serve two. The mozzarella cheese was soooo ooey gooey, and the pie had plenty of fresh chopped tomatoes on a light thin crisp crust. The tomato sauce was sweet but not overly so. The only thing I didn’t care for was that there was too much basil topping it.

The crust seemed to be cooked over an open flame because it had just a slight black char to it but not too much - it was perfectly crisped and had a slight smoky taste to it like it was cooked over an open flame.

Now, on to the building and the atmosphere. The Pinebox was a former mortuary and was the place that Bruc Lee’s funeral was held. Steve McQueen, and other celebrities were in attendance. Architecturally speaking, it’s quite striking. The upper balcony can be reserved for private parties.

I sat at the bar on my recent visit and as far as the service goes, I was really taken care of. Beer refills and food orders were handled promptly.

It’s located just far enough away from the downtown area, so they have lower beer prices.

Draft beer is $1.00 off...