Queen Anne Beerhall — Restaurant in Seattle

How the mighty have fallen! I visited in 2018 and was floored by the amazing menu, focusing on European dishes and imported beer. Queen Anne is a bit of a slog to get to on some public transit options, so I neglected to return for many years (not to mention covid). I visited last month, when I was in the area and had a craving for currywurst, with fond memories of the establishment. I was shocked to see Queen Anne Beerhall is just another sports bar now, rebranded as "The Hall".

Anything that made this place special is gone, except for maybe the building itself. The menu used to be creative and unique- no more spaetzle, schnitzel, beets, or deviled eggs. Now it's burgers, grilled cheese, wings, and Caesar salads. A supreme downgrade. Does Seattle need another restaurant like this? Does Queen Anne? There are local beers everywhere already. I understand Climate Pledge is right there... But there is room for two bars in the area.

And the new menu isn't even great. Very average. The hotdog I has was slathered in so much cream cheese and sauce, it slithered out of the oversized bun, leaving behind slimy bread. The tater tots are most likely frozen. My friend's burger was just OK. The fries are nothing to write home about.

The restaurant changed hands in 2020, apparently. An interview with the new owner in 2022 says they made these changes because they were requested by the community. I would like to see the data on that. I have a hard time believing many people would trade a unique menu and imports over televisions and boring bar food. And if that's the case, then it's a shame. Go to buffalo wild wings, then. Leave unique Seattle places like this alone.

None of the reviews prior to 2020 should be considered in the rating, as they are not the same restaurant. I don't have anything against sports bars- they have a time and a place. But to see such a cool spot become generic and middling quality (with Seattle high prices) is very sad.

If you want the German bar food and beer experience, then go Rhein Haus in capitol...

I really want to give this place a better review but there is one thing stopping me. First comes the positive aspects -- the menu is pretty big and so far everything I've tasted has been excellent. They have some wonderful salads, the soups are always a hit, and their signature burgers are a must. The service is outstanding, somehow even if there are 400 people inside of this establishment, the service is fast and flawless. Waiters and waitresses know the menu well, it is also clear that they are well-trained. It is a fun atmosphere and I am often happy to be there before an event at the CPA.

The bad is one that I am afraid I am unable to ignore. It is their in-house m.c. person, Johnathan. He makes the events at the Queen Anne Beer Hall almost intolerable. For instance, during the Super Bowl he refused to stop SCREAMING into the microphone!!! At least half of our table had to plug their ears every time he was "on". Doesn't he realize that this microphone he is holding does the yelling for him?! He also often talked over the game, and was it truly necessary for him to talk during EVERY commercial break?! We are there to watch a game, not listen to him yelling and promoting his own interests!!! And for me, the biggest issue is that he will STAND ON THE TABLES!!!! It was so disgusting and unhygienic - he was standing where I was trying to eat!!!!! Absolutely repulsive. If he needs to be the literal center of attention that badly, he should ask his co-workers to set up a podium for him or something because if I attend another event and he stands on my table, I am going to leave...

I probably picked the loudest, most crowded day of the year (wildcard playoffs) to check this place out.

Our friend got there just in time to save some seats. By the time we arrived, it was packed. The energy was high (until 2nd house), and the crowd, TV and music were all loud. If you've ever been to a concert without earplugs, you know that sensation of temporary hearing loss and that happened after we left.

If you have sensitivity to sound, this is not the place to be. If you enjoy loud music, crowds and the like, this is definitely where you want to be?

Of course when you have over 100 people and maybe a dozen servers, things take time. The wait time for a full house was maybe 20-40 minutes for beers and food, but in my opinion that was AMAZING. A couple of times servers showed up w food and drinks for other guests, so there was a bit of redirecting but people at each table practiced the honesty policy and helped point the servers in the right direction if they could (I love this city).

Considering how packed it was the food was good. I'll be honest I felt like everything could have been better. For example the buffalo wing sauce was so mild I didn't need any ranch, and the chicken was slightly overcooked. They obviously were under a lot of pressure

That said, I'm still giving this a 4 rating considering it was a full house. Service was friendly and whenever we got their attention, they were patient and attentive.

What I'd really like to do is give this a REAL chance, and return on a slow day because the menu had some other dishes I...