I'm a big fan of the Barking Dog having been coming here semi-frequently since they first opened up. Last weekend I ventured in with one of my real estate clients after a long morning of house,... More

I'm a big fan of the Barking Dog having been coming here semi-frequently since they first opened up. Last weekend I ventured in with one of my real estate clients after a long morning of house, townhome and condo viewings. We both ended up with the Vietnamese sandwich - mine with tofu and hers with the chicken option. Tasty! I recommend it although the bread was a bit different (more chewy) than I anticipated. The sauce was flavorful but not overwhelming and they put the jalapenos on the side (thank goodness!). The waffle fries that come with the sandwiches (you also have a choice of salad or soup) were so good we had to stop ourselves from continuing to eat them so we could focus on our sandwiches. The sandwiches here are big enough of a portion size that we could have shared but since we got different types I took my other half home and enjoyed it later as a lunch the next day. It was all still good to me the second time around.
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I live just a few blocks away from the Barking Dog so it is automatically a good candidate to be my 'local'. A past colleague from my days in the beer industry recommended it because of their great... More

I live just a few blocks away from the Barking Dog so it is automatically a good candidate to be my 'local'. A past colleague from my days in the beer industry recommended it because of their great selection of beers from Belgium - some of them on tap! I wasn't disappointed. They also have a nice selection of Scotch and the food is quite creative; not your typical pub fare. On days when I work from home I often swing by the Barking Dog for lunch and leech off their free wifi. My only knock on them is the fact that they only have one high-chair. It is a good place to bring kids but they are busy in the evenings so if you go with an infant or toddler bring your own booster seat. I talked to the owner about this a week or so ago and the issue has come up before. They are conflicted about encouraging children in the restaurant and the lone high-chair is evidence of this.
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The Barking Dog is the epitome of what a neighborhood restaurant/ale house should be. There is a huge beer selection, including a delicious Lindeman's Frambois float and tons of german beer, and... More

The Barking Dog is the epitome of what a neighborhood restaurant/ale house should be. There is a huge beer selection, including a delicious Lindeman's Frambois float and tons of german beer, and also a large scotch menu. The food is really good as well, all the menu is pretty limited. It can get really crowded and noisy around "prime" dinner hours, so come early or late. Also very family-friendly -- there are always lots of people with children, etc, there.
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I live 3 blocks from the Barking Dog and was very excited when it first opened. They took a nasty dive bar, gutted it and built an interesting space (using some eco-friendly materials). One... More

I live 3 blocks from the Barking Dog and was very excited when it first opened. They took a nasty dive bar, gutted it and built an interesting space (using some eco-friendly materials). One drawback is that the place gets very noisy when it's crowded. Every time I'm in there I tell them they should get some sound panels for the ceiling but they have yet to take my advice. As for the food, I have had mixed experiences. Some of the food is good and some of the food is bad. Stay away for brunch. I went with 6 people and every person's dish was not good. Some of the dishes I've liked are the fish and chips (mmmm good waffle chips!) and they have pretty good salads. The pizzas are kind of blah and uninteresting. They do have an interesting assortment of Belgian ales. With just a few changes (sound panels, improved menu) this place could be a really great pub.
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It's not crowded, the food is great and it's fun.

It's not crowded, the food is great and it's fun.
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This place used to be an old Ballard fishermen hangout where you could expect to see a nightly druken fight, but has seen a total facelift and features some of the best Belgian Ales on tap and in... More

This place used to be an old Ballard fishermen hangout where you could expect to see a nightly druken fight, but has seen a total facelift and features some of the best Belgian Ales on tap and in the bottle. The food is great (order the mussels) and the atmosphere is fun.
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