Ballard Smoke Shop

0 stars is not a rating option. Don’t ask someone to ring the bell. You will be expected to buy drinks for the entire bar even though you were not the bell ringer.

The Smoke shop is an exceptional value. The food is always perfectly prepared, and the servers are super nice. It’s alarmingly cheap. So, *twist my arm* I spend as much of my dining out dollar as possible at the Smoke Shop, for fear that it may disappear.

Love it here. Old place and culture and it is oddly welcoming. Food average at best, drinks are very well priced. Service not A-​1 Plus (not quick or fast) but wait people are quite nicely satisfactory.
I believe that a slower-​hustle attitude behind the bar seems to be the norm here.
Ask for Marsha, who is an excellent representative of the place and of Ballard. She has worked there for over 30 years and makes it a point to remember your name.
The Smoke Shop is a a personal favorite. Stiff drinks, decent OK food, and interesting wait people and patrons.

Great little diner in the the heart of Ballard. They have changed up the décor a little, but I love this place. It is connected to the bar and reminds me of those older restaurant/​bar combinations you used to see a lot of. I am glad that they were able to still keep the same set up in place with all of the trendy businesses that are moving in. The prices have went up but still an awesome deal when compared to other places in the area.

I have been here before for a quick breakfast since I was hungry but never really review how it was but if I have recalled it was the most greatest vibe overall in the restaurant side, the customer service was really nice and outgoing to where they check up on you often to make sure you are satisfied.
Well today went back there to have some drink with some friend at the lounge section, well I have to say they have really make me want to keep coming back. The bartender was really nice and keep the mood going. The food was great we ordered some appetizer to par with out drink and they have add on the appetizers plater to their menu that day so it was delicious and a pretty big portion enough to share with 2 – 3 people. I would say it is a nice bar to go to if you are ever in the area.

Great place and wonderful breakfast! Colleen is awesome!

I’ve never had a bad time at the smoke shop! I love the old pictures and paintings is ships on the walls. The jukebox has a great selection of music! The people who go here and the people who work here are some of the friendliest and interesting in town! It’s always a good time at the smoke shop!

Great!!! Pancakes sausage were great also the place is really cool (old school style) I never see places like that anymore.

Good hours, food, and service make this a great low key diner. If you like diners, you will also like the similar restaurant The Baranof in nearby Greenwood.

Great place in Ballard for comfort food and brunch! Portion sizes are worth it for the price. Most dishes come with toast and a side of your choice. Service was prompt.

An off day or a bait and switch?
I’ve been coming here for ages, and it’s always a great American style breakfast. Then I brought a group of friends with me a few weeks ago, and the food was GOD-​AWFUL-​TERRIBLE!
The service was horrendous. The food came out cold. Ballard Smoke Shop, what happened to you?
If this was the first time I’d been there, I know I’d never come back. However, I still have those memories of before. What happened: just an off-​day, or has it changed for the worse forever???

A group of 4 of us came here on New Years, it was packed but there was only one server and apparently one cook. It took 15 minutes for our order to be taken, and another 45 minutes for the food to come out. The server forgot to put in the order for my friend’s meal, and she told us that the cook said he was too busy to rush it for us. The manager somehow was able to rush it, and the server brought it out and threw the toast at my friend. Then we had to ask for napkins and utensils because they had forgotten to give us any.
The food was alright, but definitely not worth the wait. The Italian egg scramble was bland, the french toast was soft, and the Poblano Scramble was average.
They did end up giving us a $ 25 gift card but only after a lot of complaining on our end.
Update: Our server messaged me on Unilocal basically calling me an entitled b*tch after seeing my review of the business. (I’ve included screenshots of the message.) My friends and I literally sat there quietly talking amongst ourselves our entire visit and the few times we interacted with her we were polite and patient. But I guess that makes me a rude, entitled, privileged bully.
Furthermore, we were not the only table to leave without tipping. A table was on their way out the door when she chased them down and very loudly asked why they didnt tip her. When they explained, she cut them off, said «That’s the kitchen, not me» and stomped off. Another group left after 30 minutes after seeing what had happened to us, and told us good luck as they walked out.
Oh well. Bye, Felicia.

It’s been a few hours since we are here and I’m STILL upset about our experience today. It was New Years and we had a group of 4. It was packed and we were greeted 5 minutes after we stood at the door staring at them. .when we finally got a table it took quite awhile to even get water on our tables.
After 45 minutes of waiting for soggy French toast and easy egg scrambles they forgot my husbands order!!! The waitress then apologized quickly and said she won’t be able to expedite it. No way we were going to sit there for another 30 minutes for scrambled eggs.
It was so bad that the table across from us just got up to leave because they couldn’t stand how horrible the service was.
In the end they brought my husbands dish out 10 mins after they forgot and the same waitress literally threw down his plate & toast and walked away.
We only paid for part of our meal since we were compensated for the bad experience and hiccups in service. I also couldn’t bear to tip such service.
We also saw the waitress chase down an elderly group of people and asked if she did something wrong to not deserve a tip. They said they thought the service took way too long. She further said «well. Thats the kitchens fault, not mine.» And walked away from them. Like serious???

The Ballard Smoke Shop is in the heart of Ballard and amongst many businesses, making it a great place to get a drink, meet friends or have a casual meal. Whether it’s your first visit or you’re 100^th, this establishment will treat you like family and the food is heaven.
There’s no sign on the building so look for the sidewalk sandwich sign. They are a bit north on Ballard from the bell tower at the corner of Ballard & 22^nd. I was on foot and got lost. When I called the restaurant, the bartender handed the phone to a regular who walked down to meet me in the rain and walked with me to the bar. Thank you Beth!!!
They have the place split in two, the bar on the right and the restaurant on the left. You can order a meal in the bar if you wish.
The bar has a jukebox that takes dollar bills and has hits from the 70’s to now. They also have the only cigarette machine I’ve seen in 25 years.
The 4 of us came in last night and had dinner in the bar. My friends had some cocktails that the bartender kept coming. Two ordered the prime rib sandwich with fries that they both reported was delicious. Another friend got spaghetti with meatballs and garlic toast, and he said the sauce was great. I ordered a Belgium waffle with bananas. They heated up the real maple syrup and had a heaping serving of whipped cream. It was perfect. I downed oj and milk with it like there was no tomorrow. At one point, one friend said, «You know the food is good because no one is talking.» We were all consumed with stuffing our faces.
The prices here are cheap. You can order yourself an entrée starting at $ 7. Clearly, breakfast is served all day. I want to come back and eat more. My waffle was perfect, and my friends’ sandwiches looked amazing.
When «Sweet Caroline» started playing on the jukebox and a guy at the bar started singing the chorus and yelled at the rest of us to join in, it was natural to do so.
The waiter, bartender and another gal (another bartender?) all came to our table several times to refill glasses and take care of us. They were all friendly and didn’t mind I had taken off my soaked tennis shoes. Freaking rain was pouring.
Love the orange lights wrapped around the bar, the pictures of boats and the sea, the darkened room, and the jovial regulars.
Parking is a pain in this neighborhood. There’s paid parking right in front and all around, it just fills up fast and stays that way on the weekends. You might have to hoof it from parking down on Shilshoe. Or take the bus or a taxi and save yourself from getting soaked like me.
I will be back!

Best breakfast in Ballard! Great selection of food and specials. You get a lot of food for the price. With all the other foodie spots in Ballard, this is my go-​to for brunch.
Drinks are stiff, if you’re looking for a boozy brunch. The staff is friendly and quick to recognize their regulars. I haven’t been disappointed.
They also offer a free breakfast for your birthday (any dish less than 11 bucks!).

By far my favorite dive bar that’s still in business in the heart of Ballard.
Generous pours :)
No college kids :)
Old Ballard nostalgia (experience it before it’s too late!)

I love to come in here for breakfast after working the night shift. I sit at the counter and Dugan is so nice all the time. I like the vibe. I will come back in the evening sometime and hang out at the bar. It’s a beautiful bar in a rustic way. Very nice place in Ballard that is open early and late.

So glad I had my first Seattle breakfast in this quaint, retro-​style diner! The moment I walked in the Smoke Shop, the staff has been super friendly and responsive to our needs. The food is also satisfyingly big-​portioned and delicious.
If you want a breakfast recommendation, try my order! My order of crab cake Benedict (~$ 13.99) was unique: instead of a biscuit, the poached egg rested on a steamed crab cake. The crab cake, which was the first one I had that wasn’t fried, was a tasty component alone, and augmented with the perfectly poached egg and well-​made hollandaise sauce! The accompanying hash brown was also nicely done and was perfect for cleaning up the plate of any leftover sauce from the Benedict.
Even though I am not a morning person, I had a great morning experience because of this great breakfast diner that kickstarted it! If you are around the Ballard neighborhood or planning to visit the nearby lock, drop by here for a nice friendly breakfast!

I really hate to give this place a mediocre score, and furthermore am surprised that so many people have given good reviews.
Who doesn’t love breakfast? I sure don’t want to know them. I was excited about finally trying this place as the kitschy look and feel of it would imply that it is a great breakfast spot. Feels like a blue collar side of the road diner type of place you’d find in South Dakota somewhere.
The interior is minimal and a sure throwback; I admire the fact that it is on the Ballard strip but they stray away from trendifying it up. Though the service was great and friendly, this place unfortunately did not hit the mark for me or my friend at all. The eggs Benedict and hash browns were both equally bland. The hollandaise sauce was lackluster. The coffee, terrible. My friend was equally unimpressed. If you’re looking for satisfying no thrills diner food, you won’t really get it here.

Are you feeling pretty drunk and generous? Are the other ~trendy~ bars on Ballard Ave making your neckbeard itch? Fogging up your specs? Come to the Smoke shop and «ring the bell.» Doing so (says the large bolded printed sign hung behind said bell) enables you to buy a round for the WHOLE BAR. I have only had this happen once when I was visiting, and it was plain awesome (the free drink, not the bell ringing, thankyouverymuch).
Are you feeling pretty drunk and hungry? Late into the night and the Jameson’s getting lonely inside of you? Try Smoke Shops FREE SOUP. It requires enough sobriety to make spoonfuls of hot liquid fall successfully inside your lips, but by gosh it’s free and tasty!
Are you feeling pretty drunk and horny? The untz untz untz of nearby BelMar doesn’t rustle your tailfeathers quite like the classic jukebox in the corner? Have no fear, the Smoke shop most always has ladies of the evening (and sweet female bartenders as well) to chat and reminisce about old times in Ballard when it was just a wee fishing village and yuppies hadnt moved into Amli yet.
And if your primal urges still haven’t been satisfied yet, the Smoke Shop is open the next morning for $ 5 french toast and massive egg scrambles with pre-​buttered toast.