Skål Beer Hall — Restaurant in Seattle

My goodness, where do I even start? Just get over here, wow. Basically, this is how the afternoon went: I came here for the members only soft-open with my fiancé, and it was absolutely Jam-packed to capacity. They did a soft open to get a feel for how things might go during the grand opening and beyond, work out any kinks, right? Well let me tell you, they ran the whole place like they've been open for months. We picked up a menu and placed our orders, got a number, found a seat in view of the (GORGEOUS and cozy) fireplace, and had our first serving to us within... Maybe 10 minutes? I was up at the (understandably) busy bar when it arrived. Speaking of the bar, these guys were just taking orders left and right, mixing drinks, pouring Mead, punching in additional food orders, and they were sending them out like a well-oiled machine. Excellent communication skills are apparent among the members of this team. I digress. Our appetizer had arrived before I made it back from the bar, and was delicious. Maybe 5 minutes after that, the rest of our food found us. I went back for drinks a few more times, had another food order, and just partied the whole time.

So, the food. They were sort of demo-ing their menu, showing off primarily small and fast offerings, so depending on what their full menu is, you may have a more realistic wait than the 5-10 minutes we had. There were a variety of meat kabobs, standards like beef and salmon to less common options like lamb and venison. Vegetarians fret not, however, as there were a number of meatless choices too. In addition to kabobs, there were "potted-cheeses", which were basically luxurious spreadable cheeses served with a choice of bread (like potato, or pretzel for example). A charcuterie board was offered as well, I didn't end up choosing that, but others did and it looked dope. At the bottom was an assortment of other tasty treats, but by the time I got there I was a few drinks in, so I only remember what I ordered, a "Nordic egg". It was a Nordic take on a Scotch egg, and came with your choice of mustard (I can tell you the lingonberry mustard just elevates the whole thing to another level).

Drinks... Yes. Too many to count, too many to drink in one night, or even two or three. That is a good thing, in this case. It's not an issue of "what's good to drink," but instead an issue of "which should I have tonight??" And that is an issue I'm quite glad to have at a place like this. There's something for everyone, just about. Beers both light and dark, a few ciders, some wines, and Mead. Hoo boy, the Mead. They also have an abundance of "Aquavit," a Scandinavian liquor which I hadn't had the joy of experiencing before coming here. They have enough spirits to make cocktails as well, and you'd better believe they've got signature cocktails, all centering around the unique and herbaceous aquavit.

The seating is a bit cozy, which means unless you're planning on bringing a party, you might inadvertantly join one. There's quite enough space at the tables (and plenty of bar seating) that you can keep to yourself if you're not feeling a social energy, so don't fret. If you do feel like sharing in the spirit, however, there's plenty to go around. There are board games to borrow, and space to play them, as well as some sort of "shuffle-board" looking table installment adjacent to the fireplace. I wasn't quite brave enough to ask about it, but it seems promising.

Did I mention they had TWO ACCORDIAN PLAYERS?? I don't imagine they'll be a constant fixture (live music doesn't grow on trees), so if you totally despise accordians (monster), don't worry. I quite enjoyed them, and they weren't so loud as to drown out conversation anyways. We sat across from them and were able to talk at a normal (for a busy bar) level.

They've got a membership program that gets you some dope benefits, like a 20 oz pour of some beers for a 16 oz price, poured into specially crafted mugs based on authentic Viking mugs!

Everything here was just so pleasant and inviting, I really can't wait for the...

Skal was.... not exactly what I was expecting, and my disappointment could be my own fault. I went expecting some kind of old world beer hall, akin to those I experienced in Europe, but with a viking theme, drinking ale from cool mugs while tearing in to venison skewers. What I got was a typical Ballard grub spot, decorated with viking stuff and beer in a glass (they did have venison skewers, though). Here are my honest thoughts:

Beverages: Skal has a great selection of drinks available, ranging from beer and mead to wine and cocktails. There's something for everyone here.

Food: The food here was fantastic. We had the fresh hot pretzel with cheese dip and mustards, as well as popcorn cod (quality fish and chips, but bite sized pieces) with crispy thin fries, and the venison skewers. While small, these marked one of the few times I've encountered game meat that was done right in Seattle, and they were delicious.

Service: The service here was friendly and prompt, no complaints whatsoever. They are checking for your vaccination card on the way in, so go in prepared with at least a picture of it.

Ambience: Here is where I struggled a bit. The entrance has a proper large timber door with iron hardware, and a rustic look. I was ready to take my place at the long table and down a mug of ale. Nope. The inside is organized like any other typical pub in Ballard, many small tables arranged as you would expect. The walls are decorated with shields and axes, which was cool, but is completely offset from the music, which could be heard in most any retail establishment (Hollister came to mind). Lastly, neither of our beers came in the expected mugs that they advertised, just typical beer glasses you might see anywhere. My friend and I were both disappointed by this, as we had high hopes for the environment. If you've ever been to a proper European beer hall, you'll understand.

Overall: Excellent food, drink, and service. However, the experience wasn't as initially advertised, and the theme clashed (could be made better just by making the music match the decor). I waited a long time for my buddy to be available to check it out together, and as impartial as I try to be, I can't ignore the fact that I left a little disappointed. Two stars lost for that, but they get one back for those venison skewers....

My friend and I attempted to dine here on 10/22/20, after being rudely turned away from La Carta de Oaxaca, "for not wearing proper masks". We had driven 30min from my home and were very hungry at this point. We had both forgotten our masks at my place. Simple mistake. I had looked around the car and found some thick cloth napkins, we both used multiple layers of these napkins to cover our nose and mouth. They are literally just as efficient as most masks people are wearing these days. Upon entering the restaurant we were greeted by the host who says "Oh no, that's not gonna cut it..." or something to that regard. Note, this is coming from a person who was wearing a simple neck gaiter. Nothing medically approved. A gaiter that could've slipped down easily. A gaiter that was no more a "proper mask" than any bandana or cloth napkin. When we told him we had forgotten our masks, he huffs, "How do you forget your masks?! We've been doing this for a year!" He was very condescending. This restaurant has outdoor seating, and that option wasn't even offered to us. I was intent on covering our faces with our cloth napkins until we were seated. As I pointed out to the host, clearly people are seated and not wearing masks, but there was no attempt to even work with us, and help us. Even if they couldn't stand to let us in with OUR face coverings, Some humanity, common sense, scientific understanding, and respect would've gone a long way. "We would love to have you, Sir, help yourself to our outdoor seating." or, "We would be happy to have you, perhaps we could provide (or sell), a disposable mask to you". This host didn't even give us an option to take out. At least Carta de Oaxaca did that. He was too busy kicking out two potential customers and treating us like leprous dogs. I will never be returning to Skal Beer Hall. My friend will also never be returning to this restaurant. We have told friends about this incident, and they have said they will not be patronizing this establishment. What a way to...