Bitterroot BBQ

Since I moved to Seattle, I was trying to find «the perfect BBQ baby back ribs.» But, it turned out that it wasn’t a simple task. After visiting a variety of different BBQ joints, I made a decision that the Bitterroot restaurant is definitely one of the best places to have some good barbecue in Seattle.
The restaurant is located in the heart of Ballard, which is a very lively, modern and interesting neighborhood to visit. But you have to be very careful not to miss the place, because it is a bit inconspicuous. Inside the restaurant, it is small but quite cozy, and it consists of two parts — dining area and bar. The weird thing is that they close the dining area after 8 – 9 pm, but the kitchen is still open, and they make you sit in the bar table, even if you want to order plenty of food. So, it was a really ridiculous situation. We were trying to have our dinner at the crowded bar despite the fact that there was a whole empty dining area.
Anyway, the food totally surpassed all disappointments. The baby back ribs were amazing! The meat was very tender and succulent. I liked the fact that they didn’t put any barbecue sauce on top of the ribs, so you can enjoy the smoky and aromatic taste of the real pork. The ribs were so good by themselves that I didn’t want to interrupt myself from stop eating them. I strongly recommend a visit to Bitterroot restaurant.
Also, the prices are more than reasonable.
Unilocal Tip: Come to the restaurant before they close the dining area.

Words alone cannot explain the divinity that is the rapturous, transcendent flavor-​explosion of fine meats that this glorious establishment has so adeptly bestowed on Ballard. Utterly masterful; sacrosanct; celestial. It brings a tear to my eye, even now.

Emilie is amazing. I came in to Bitterroot a couple minutes before open and was welcomed with open arms. I had some amazing brisket hash, a Paloma just the way I like it, and a couple hours of really great conversations. My favorite thing in the world is to hang out at the bar and have a good conversation and that’s just what I got. Bring your kids, bring your family, bring everyone you know.
I wouldn’t lie to you. You’ll have a good time.
Promise.

Edible but definitely not somewhere I would choose again. There was barely any flavor to the pork, including the pork belly which is just… how do you even achieve that? The cornbread was very dry and again, fairly flavorless. The vegetable sides however, were surprisingly good next to the rest of it. Good choice of beer on tap, and a good choice of American whiskey– would go to this place if it was more of a bar.

They serve food until 1 am! What an awesome spot to grab some late night munchies. Would be perfect after hanging out at the bars in Ballard. They also offer a happy hour menu 11pm-​1am.
I was pretty disappointed initially because I had my heart set on brisket, which they had run out of. They were also out of ribs, which was my second choice. Sad times. I guess for 1am, the fact that I’m able to order bbq at all is pretty great so maybe I should count my blessings. I just wanted that brisket though!
I ended up ordering the pulled pork, which was just okay. It was pretty dry, and I had to cut into it to make some bite-​sized pieces, which was upsetting for bbq. Ended up using tons of the sweet bbq sauce, which was pretty good. But another thing that was ridiculously dry was the corn bread! The honey butter was delicious though, so I ended up problem solving by slathering copious amounts of honey butter on everything. Not bad.
We also ordered the pickled deviled eggs (cool that they were pink), and they were certainly very pickled and vinegary. Could have used something sweet (maybe more maple?) to offset this.
Oddly, the best thing we ordered was the wings from the happy hour menu. Maybe because they were made to order and came out hot.
Overall this place was just okay. I’d like to try it sometime during the day to see if the food is better when it’s fresher, or when they have brisket or ribs available. The search for good Seattle bbq continues…

I LOVE their Bloody Mary!
It was a very well made Bloody Mary. I think the tomato juice was their homemade juice. It had substance to it. The best thing was the candied bacon. I never had a thick slab of candied bacon! It went really well with the salty and spicy Bloody Mary.
I would come back for their BM anytime.

I personally have never eaten at the restaurant but have ordered take out many times.
I love love this food. The bbq is so good. You can tell, it is smoked with love and slow cooked for hours. The chicken is so lovely with a wonderful smokey taste through and through. It is also very moist. The ribs are awesome and all the side dishes are excellent. They offer three or four different types of sauces. All very nice.
They are always very friendly and happy to please. It is a very popular place in Ballard to eat in or to take out.

My husband and I ate here in a date night. Had hush puppies, mac/​cheese, and ribs. Honestly, I’d recommend anywhere to get BBQ but here. Really expensive and not good.
Drunkies in Fremont. Boars Nest in Ballard. Both very tasty.
PS — the ribs are better at Hatties Hat.

Normally, I would not praise nachos that much. However, at this place, I’ll make an exception! 5 $ at Happy Hour for a huge amount of nachos covered in pulled pork, barbecue sauce and a white sauce? YES SIR! That shit was delicious. The drinks were also 5 $, and were very well made. Also, Chris, the bar manager is an incredibly awesome and friendly due. Definitely say hi! I think I had the full dinner a while back, and 2 out of the 3 entrees were delicious. It’s not the best bbq I’ve ever had, but bbq in Seattle is limited.

My husband and I had a fabulous dinner! We started out with the cornbread and honey butter. Comes out looking like a piece of pie! We split the mixed green lantern salad (which was surprisingly underestimated at first. Delicious!) Then we split the mac and cheese with braised pork and greens. I enjoyed the Soccer Mom saison. Highly recommend if you like Belgian beers and saisons.

It’s lucky the food here is pretty decent especially when you compare it to the caliber of service they provide. Long wait for a table and rude wait staff soured my experience.
Also the sweet goopy sauce on the baked beans is quite the shock.

Hey, this place rules. We popped in on Sunday before the Seagull match and sat in the bar. It was the day after Halloween so maybe everyone was too hungover to be there with us but we were the only patrons in the bar area. The service was real swell, nice bartender.
I ordered a bloody Mary that came with pickled cauliflower, pickled pear, and olive, and bacon jerky, all were exceptional. The bloody Mary was spicy at cost $ 10. A little steep but it was good and decked out. I ordered mac & cheese with bacon and peas and it was tasty. I would never balk about extra cheese and pretty much any mac and cheese can always use more in my opinion. this was no exception but the cheese level was adequate enough. The serving is HUGE, I took the leftovers home and it made two more meals.
My date ordered a breffix sandwich that came with bacon AND sausage, as well as egg and cheese. It seemed like a pretty good deal for $ 7! Defs going to come back to try the BBQ and that late night happy hour looks exquisite!

Man, whenever I see chicken livers on a menu I have to try!
I finally made it to Bitterroot and I’m glad I did.
No claims here to be from Texas/​St. Louis/​Kansas City and supposedly know how BBQ is supposed to be. Just give me good food and I’m all yours!
Back to the livers. Fried (and most likely breaded) livers in a very tangy sauce… yep, just how I like them.
Shredded pork was good also… not a big bun (think sliders) but lots of pork.
Cocktails were good. I recommend!

Damn good BBQ. Brisket ($ 17) was the winner. Other must haves:
–Mac and cheese $ 10
–Smoked jalapeño hushpuppies $ 5

Coming from the South, I didn’t realize there was such a thing as Northwest BBQ. Bitterroot BBQ, located in the Ballard neighborhood of northwest Seattle, introduced me to the idea. After dining at Bitterroot, I can’t say the BBQ I’ve tried here is significantly different than the BBQ I’ve had back home. I’m not an expert — ultimately, it’s all smoked meats (pork, beef, chicken) and sauces to me. One of the biggest differences between Bitterroot’s BBQ and other regional BBQ varieties is the use of Washington state applewood to smoke the meats.
Bitterroot is located in a section of Ballard filled with restaurants and bars housed in old warehouses and office buildings just a couple blocks from Salmon Bay. The narrow yet deep restaurant has an appealing modern-​rustic look, one that isn’t uncommon among contemporary BBQ and farmstead fare restaurants. Think reclaimed wood, exposed brick, etc. It’s nicely designed. The bar is in the back and the kitchen is mostly closed off save for a long window to carry out orders.
Bitterroot is named after the Bitteroot River in Montana where the founders used to fly fish. A map of this river is illustrated on the menu cover.
The restaurant serves chicken, sausage, catfish, beef brisket, pork belly, pulled pork, baby back ribs, rib tips, pork shank, and St. Louis style ribs. Each tray, which includes two sides, will set you back about $ 15 – 20. Some of these meats are available in sandwich form. There are salads, soups, and appetizers like hush puppies and fried chicken livers too. In addition, Bitterroot offers large bowls of mac & cheese ($ 12 each) that come with your choice of different meat and veggie ingredients (nearly 10 to choose from).
I visited with a group on a Friday shortly after the business’ 11am opening. Almost empty upon arrival, the place was busy by the time we left (folks were waiting on our table). The restaurant is open late: 11am-​2am, daily, with food served until 1am. Perfect for late night dining.
We ended up ordering two «Cowboy Killer» trays at our table, plus a couple orders of mac and cheese, and an assortment of a la carte meats, starters, and sides. The Cowboy Killer is a $ 48 tray consisting of ½ a smoked chicken, beef brisket, ribs, pulled pork, and three sides. It’s ideal for groups. Thus we got to try a lot of what this place has to offer.
Here’s a rundown of what I tried:
Mac & Cheese:
* Mac & Cheese with bacon lardons and pulled pork
Meats:
* Smoked ½ Chicken
* Sliced Beef Brisket
* Pulled Pork with pickled red onions
* Baby Back Ribs
Sides:
* Braised Greens with bacon
* Spicy Roasted Cauliflower
* Green Beans with garlic and walnuts
* Cast Iron Cornbread with honey butter
* Coleslaw
* Hand-​Cut Fries
Straightforward and attractive plating and presentation all-​around. Like other contemporary BBQ restaurants, Bitterroot serves their meats on metal trays lined with paper.
The mac & cheese was terrific. No wonder why they have a special section for it on the menu. These are full entrée-​sized servings of mac & cheese, not small side servings. The dish I had consisted of elbow macaroni, melted cheese, minced parsley, and grated cheese (Parmesan I think). The optional bacon and pulled pork were cooked into the mac & cheese. This was a very flavorful, rich, and expectedly heavy but satisfying dish.
The meats are dry-​rubbed and served without any sauce. Four sauces are provided at the table: sweet, mustard, spicy, and vinegar. I tried all four and thought they were okay. None particularly stood out, though I preferred the sweet which is made with apples and Coke.
I thought the meats were fine. Generally, they weren’t as tasty as I was expecting, but I didn’t think anything was bad. The meat quality was good. They just seemed to be lacking in flavor and smokiness. Sauce was a must.
The pork was pulled into fine strands and was juicy, tender, and a bit fatty. I liked the pickled red onions. They did a good job offsetting all the meatiness. The slices of brisket were thick and hearty. The smoked chicken and ribs were par for the course. Both were moist and tender, but once again, weren’t terribly flavorful.
The sides fared much better with the cornbread my hands-​down favorite. A triangular slice of scrumptious cornbread was served with a large helping of cooled honey butter. The braised collards and spicy cauliflower were savory. I added vinegar to my greens and I enjoyed the seasoning on the cauliflower. The green beans had an appetizing, somewhat creamy, garlic sauce and a subtle snap to them. The fries were moderately thick with crispy exteriors and little potato skin.
Someone in our group ordered the pink pickled deviled eggs with bacon and greens ($ 5 app) and it looked fantastic. I didn’t try any, but heard they were excellent.
Heather was our server and she did a great job handling our group.
Overall, I give Bitterroot 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 («A-​OK»).

I was informed by a friend who moved to Seattle just over a year ago (fellow Unilocaler Shen G., who is a Texan to boot) that there is no good BBQ to be had in the city. While neither of us has rigorously tested this hypothesis yet, my underwhelming experience at Bitterroot certainly poses no counterexample.
Walking into the restaurant, I noticed two things immediately: 1) the interior of the restaurant is really homey and comfortable, but 2) there is no A/​C. I’ve discovered that (2) is relatively common among stores/​restaurants in Seattle, but in any case, I wouldn’t recommend coming here on a hot day.
We ordered the house cured and smoked pork belly (which comes with two sides — we went with the cast-​iron cornbread and the cheddar grits) along with the burger (which we added pulled pork to). The most successful of these was the burger, and even that was just okay — while it tasted decent, it was too cluttered with the competing flavors of BBQ and blue cheese and caramelized onions. The grits were coagulated into a sad rubbery lump, the cornbread was crumbly and flavorless (despite liberally applying the included honey butter), and the pork belly was tough and almost impossible to cut through (I was literally sawing at it with the knife, to no avail.)
Service was pretty average, nothing particularly positive or negative in this regard.
Perhaps we ordered the wrong dishes — the mac and cheese that a neighboring table ordered looked pretty tasty. But there are so many other good restaurants on this street, and you won’t be losing out by giving this one a miss.

Arrived during the Ballard Farmers Market, so it was a bit crowded. Was promptly greeted and chose to sit at the bar at the back. A word of caution: it was in the 80s and Bitterroot, which doesn’t have A/​C, was uncomfortably warm inside. Can’t imagine it on a 90-​degree day.
Server helped us promptly and was friendly. Decent beer selection was a bit pricey.
Ordered my usual: half rack of ribs with slaw and baked beans. The slaw was missing something; might have been as simple as salt and pepper. Beans were somewhat bland and a disappointment. Ribs were smoked and the meat stuck to the bone as it should. Would have been nice if they were cut. Ribs were OK, but they just weren’t as good as ribs I’ve had in KC. Had the hot sauce, which had plenty of heat at to the detriment of flavor.
May return for happy hour and $ 5 pulled pork sandwiches, but my quest for amazing BBQ in the PNW continues…

Walking in the first feeling is coming home. The aesthetics are lovely. Exposed brick, iron, wood. We luckily got a table right away but everyone after us was waiting (which is the norm). We started with cocktails (loved the Beez knees– delicious and refreshing) and hush puppies.
We ordered mac and cheese which was delicious and a huge portion! Could be split for sure. Half rack of ribs and pork belly which was the most tender and juicy thing!
It was expensive but typical for the area. We will be back! Yum!

I liked everything about this place. Nice servers, good ambience and good food. I was stuffed after my meal.

I don’t know what it is about this place, but the meal I had just hit all the right spots.
Pulled pork– they did not skimp on the amount given
Roasted Brussels sprouts– not too oily
Glazed root vegetables– sugar and butter glaze makes vegetables even more delicious
The wait was a little long for our food once we sat down. But I’m satisfied with the quality of food and the price for what we got.