(elysianbrewing.com) – Capital Hill
How I heard of this place: I’ve driven and walked alongside the Eylsian numerous times without ever having had an excuse to enter. This first venture in was thanks to my friend Richard, who recommended a stop for hot tea and nachos after my second ride on his motorcycle.
Type of cuisine: Pub grub! It’s a brewery, so it goes without saying that you will find greasy, salty fat-inducing foods on the menu: nachos, burgers, wings, fries. That being said, the Elysian offers other tasty-sounding dishes including pork chile verde and schnitzel, shepherds pie and mushroom stroganoff, or even sweet potato curry!
Ambiance: A casual bar with bar seating as well as tables and chairs in a large, open space. Floor to ceiling windows line half of the restaurant-brewery for natural lighting in the space of dark decor. This original location is a 220-seat beer hall and full-service bar and restaurant. Constructed in a 1919-era Packard storage building, this location embodies the classic American brewpub feel with large exposed timbers, high ceilings, concrete floor and a full wall of brewery tanks. This location is not only the birthplace of our company, it is where many of our events and festivals began. Each year we host the Great Pumpkin Beer Festival in October where we pour as many as thirty house and guest pumpkin brews and tap the Great Pumpkin, in which some of our beer has undergone a second fermentation. Winter season brings our Christmas or Winter Beer Festival and Belgian Beer Festival and in summer we now plan some creative events during Seattle Beer Week such as Firkin-Firkin – a cask competition – and the Great Elysian Beer Festival, where in 2009 we had 40 Elysian beers pouring at once.
What I ordered: At this pit-stop, I had a lemon-ginger tea to warm me up after the bike ride and my dining companion ordered a beer. We also placed an order for nachos ($8); a large plate of blue tortilla chips, covered in Tillamook pepper jack cheese, and dusted with black olives, chiles, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream and peanut arbol chili sauce.
What I loved: It was mutually agreed that we both loved the fried cheese on the edges of the chips and the plate!
Why I loved it: It’s an easy atmosphere to sit and chat, order a small bite or just have drinks. The space is casual, the servers friendly and offered a very at home feeling.
Cost: Average ($7-$10 for starters)