Jolly Roger Taproom (Maritime Pacific)

We met up with several friends the other night at this favorite of ours and had a really good time. While it can be hard to get a space to sit for a larger group we did finally get a couple of tables we could put together to handle 9 of us comfortably enough. The staff gets pretty harried because of how busy it is in here so be prepared to be patient or they'll ignore you. The beer brewed by Maritime is some of our favorite stuff - with some of the bigger faves being Jolly Roger (seasonal) and Nightwatch. You do have to be careful of the JR because the alcohol content is much higher than the usual brew so be careful when drinking it and limit yourself. You can get their beer in grocery stores as well - we buy the seasonal Jolly Roger beer every winter. You can frequently find it on sale at the Ballard Market off of 15th Ave NW. The food served here is usually pretty tasty and we were pleased as usual. We do, however, need someone to remind us when we go in how easy it is to over-order. A ton of food was brought to our table, a sampling of the list is below: entrees - shrimp carbonara, habinero pork, mixed green salad, opa samplers/shared foods - jolly's (mini-burgers), mahi mahi burgers (mini), smokers (onion rings), planks (fries), fried pickles, spreaders (hummus and more on bread) We walked out of there with what I usually refer to as a "food baby". You know, enough to stuff you so you can barely move and you don't need to eat for a day. Still, we'll be back. :) more

The Jolly Roger Taproom is located at the north end of the Ballard bridge. It's worth going out of your way to try the mini burgers, or Lil Jollys as they call them. For a little more than $3 you get three miniature burgers along with a choice of several tasty dipping sauces. If you go for the version with cheese and grilled onions they are about $5. I would almost go so far as to say they are the best burger in Seattle. The Jolly Roger also has fantastic onion rings and good beer. more

I'm sure the Jolly Roger's other food is good -- it sure looks that way. But I'm here to tell you that their fries are amazing. I get odd cravings for them on a weekly basis. They come in a giant haystack, cooked deep brown and sprinkled with salt and herbs. You can have them with ketchup, but they're even better with the Jolly Roger's homemade hot sauces, served in 22-oz bomber bottles, of course. One plate of fries will get you through two or even three beers, so bring a friend and don't make any big diner plans afterwards. Mmmmm... fries. The beer is also excellent; I recommend anything on cask and the India pale ale especially. Maritime Pacific really hits their stride with full-bodied, hoppy brews, so aim that way. more

The public face of the Maritime Pacific Brewing Company. Slightly pirate-themed, relatively low-lit, wood-heavy, and very much a neighborhood hangout. They offer what I consider to be the best pub-style food (durn good mini hamburgers and Mahi sandwiches, the best onion rings I’ve ever had, large portions of crisp rosemary-heavy fries) all day long. During lunch you can get wonderful though fancified sandwiches and salads; for dinner, the relatively upscale entrees are executed quite well. Although you need not appreciate the brewer’s art to enjoy the food (and certainly don’t need to drink), the beer is the proper focal point, and please don’t forget it. more