Madison Pub

This is by far my favorite spot in Capitol Hill! Very chill, they have something for everyone, and it is a great place to start your night, and or end your night if you feel so inclined!

We’re looking for a new home & Seattle is making the search very easy. This bar is so comfy & casual. You’ll feel right at home in this little sugar shack, so kick up those heels & twirl like a dervish because you’ve earned it, girlfriend!

I come here way too often to play pool with friends. The crowd is fairly nice and pleasant most of the time. It’s tucked away off Madison in a pale tan building, so you wouldn’t really notice it if you were just walking or driving along the street.
The good:
— beer is cheap, mixed drinks are strong
— staff is friendly and awesome
— no cover!
— pool felt & house cues are in decent shape
— the crowd is generally pretty friendly
— usually has football or soccer on the TVs
— lots of stuff to do (pinball, free ms. pacman, golden tee, two pool tables, tv, chatting)
— has a happy hour
The bad:
— gets really crowded on the weekends (like all bars in the area); sometimes has a line
— they don’t take American Express cards
— the bathroom sometimes smells
— apparently the food is bad, although I’ve never eaten it myself

Just wanted to give a thanks and shout-​out to the patrons and bartenders here! I stumbled in last Sunday because I wanted to find a bar where I could watch an early game while my kids were in religion school. No idea this was a gay bar! I was the only female there and totally ignorant of that fact for about an hour. Bartenders were very nice and welcoming and the patrons didn’t look at me like I was out of my god damn mind. Also, it was a really cool space for serious sports fans! Four stars because it would have been nice to have some wings with my cider!

I’ve lived in the neighborhood for 12 years within 10 blocks of this bar, popping by occasionally for a drink or a game of pool. The bartenders have always been really nice and the drinks tasty and strong. However, today, I was really excited to have shown up for the Seahawks game 2 hours early to find a spot for my 5 friends and I. Upon going outside in the first quarter to grab our last 3 friends and give one of them a Seahawks t-​shirt I had in the car, I didn’t think anything of it. But when I came back 2 minutes later (with a tab of 3 hours open and 3 chairs waiting for us inside), the door guy told me I had to wait in a line of about 20 people who weren’t going to be allowed in until other people left. I was now missing the game and my pitcher of beer was getting warm. This is not how you treat a good customer who has been at your bar for 3 hours with an open flowing tab while a game is going on which that customer went specifically to your bar to watch. As a result, I and my 5 friends will never be going back to the Madison Pub to spend our alcohol-​allotted dollars or to watch a football game. And the manager didn’t fix the situation either. In fact he was very rude.

My partner and I went here for the first time the other night to have a beer and get away from the «nitty-​gritty» part of the hill (i.e Pike/​Pine/​Broadway ect…). It was a good alternative to our usual spots. The bar is big enough where we were able to have our own quiet sit down area and not be in the way of other patrons who were playing pool or goofing around. It was fun, had great music and really friendly bar service. Although we were the only women in there, it was still fun and definitely an upgrade from The Wild Rose/​every other gay bar on Capitol Hill. We really liked this spot and will definitely return.

This staple of the gay community is a amazing place to watch any sporting event with enthusiasm and a great crowd of people to support the event. Joey’s who is been here for 20 years as an amazing bartender is one of the best people you could ever meet. whether it’s a Sounders game a Seahawks game a Mariners game there will always be a supportive crowd to cheer on the local Seattle sporting community. during Seahawks season there are raffles free corn dogs and free peanuts to shell on the floor. take a selfie at the box which will be posted online or just play your favorite song. with pool tables and two dart boards this venue offers a wide variety of entertaining opportunities. I highly recommend that you check this location out as a local I’m gay establishment. the staff is friendly welcoming and always able to assist you in discovering new ideas for events that may be happening at the bar. so in conclusion Madison pub you get a 5 star and a high five from this Unilocaler!

The bartenders really make you feel welcome at Mad Pub! This bar is also unique in that there is lots of different types of gay men who come here, from the young, to the old, from the twink, to the bear. The drinks are good, and the specials are pretty decent as well.

Of all the gay sports bars I’ve ever visited, this one’s the best. A nice selection of COLD — there are minute slivers of ice in it as soon as it’s poured — beers on tap, served by friendly barkeeps. A no-​attitude staff, who gladly and quickly accommodated by request to put a game on some of many TVs throughout the bar. Nice spaces for talking, hanging, cruising, whatever! And friendly patrons, too, who made a habit of introducing me around. Highest recommendation!

Love going to gay bars that say «pub» in the title and actually have beer on tap! Madison Pub has many to choose from and that’s always a huge plus for me.
Stopped in several times over the weekend and everyone always seemed super friendly … both staff and crowd. Was easy to find a seat even though it was a busy weekend which made it nice!

Love the bartenders. Great atmosphere. Good prices and a good selection of beer. They sponsor Quake rugby which is also awesome.

If you want a bar that feels like Cheers for Gay Guys this is it. No pretentiousness here. Friendly bar tenders, good strong drinks. Nothing fancy, but its not meant to be. Darts and Pool and unlike some bars you can actually strike up a conversation with people you don’t know. Busy on the weekend, but really low key on the weekdays. I don’t like sports so I avoid it on football game nights but if you are looking for a gay bar that does sports events this is the place to go.

Had my first visit last night. I was invited by a friend celebrating his birthday. I was very impressed in every respect. The reviews I read posted here are true: lots to do, great music, wonderful service and an inviting venue. I want to return SOON with more of my friends because there is so much to do and the place is so inviting. Parking was easy, too.

Mad Pub is a true gay sports bar. The crowd during Seahawks games is there to watch the game. Other gay sports bars are more sports themed bars whose patrons are not interested in watching a game. Mad Pub is the real deal. If I’m not actually going to a Hawks game, this is my go to spot for watching the game. During times between games Mad Pub is a non-​pretentious, low key place to grab a drink where all types are welcomed. They do have dartboards and 2 pool tables. My only suggestion would be for the bar to invest in new dart boards. While the boards they have are electronic, they are a little dated.

So after a day of tourist sights and birthday celebrations for a friend who lives in Seattle we decide to grab a quick drink or two before our dinner reservations at a nearby restaurant. What a surprise to find a gay bar that actually has zero attitude, perfectly made drinks, and one of the friendliest staffs I’ve encountered. Jeff & Jabriel made us feel right at home. Even lending us a blinking Tiara for my friend who was celebrating his Day! On my next visit to Seattle I would definitely return. Thanks guys!

I visited Seattle from Portland for the first time last weekend and I had a list of the usual stuff to do. Pikes Place, library, gum wall, Elysian Brewery, etc
After Elysian we decided to go somewhere cheaper and we googled pub and found the Madison. The outside was very unassuming, I think there was just a leprechaun on the outside. We went inside after having our IDs checked and saw a roomy bar with pool tables, TVs, and some Irish stuff abound. It was Saturday around 8 so it was pretty empty. We got some stools away from the bar area and partook in the amazing deal of the night, imperial pints of Jubilale for $ 5! I was so excited about the deal I knocked back 4 of them in an hour then went to take a leak. When I left the bathroom I looked around, and to my shock, I realized I was at a gay bar. The bar was pretty full at this point with well chiseled men in tight fitting t-​shirts.
Now I’ve been to gay bars before, but none like this. Usually there are giveaways, rainbow flags, terrible dance music, a cover. This place had none of those things. I really thought i was just at an Irish sports bar. Anyway I had two more Jubilale’s then decided it was time to continue the hopping.
Good place, not gay, but would definitely go back.

Pull tabs and peanut shells all over the damn floor! I’m in! Free pool table on Sundays and the game’s on all over the place. This is a fantastic gay bar minus the scene.

I have been coming to Madison Pub for years and love it! The atmosphere is relaxed. Great music on the jukebox.
The staff is friendly, especially Brandon. 5 Stars!

5 stars for the people and the service, 3 stars for the clientele and the atmosphere. I generally love sports bars, but the older, predatory feel of this one was a bit of a drag. Love the general set up, and like I said, the service was great. Jabriel and Aaron were outstanding, and the rest of the staff was really pretty awesome.
As much as I loved the service, I get the sense that they’ve been busted serving past 2:00 in the past and have overreacted in response. They stop serving incredibly early, and yank drinks from you well before bar close. That was pretty annoying.
I’m 29 and professional, but by the way I was treated by many of the customers I felt like I was 18 and fresh college meat. If this bar could do something more to draw a slightly younger crowd (mid 30-​s instead of mid 50-​s), I think it could hit 5 stars

OOOOOOH, this place has good drinks!
–1 star because there was no door on the bathroom stall to the women’s bathroom. Obviously, this would rarely be a problem because this place is a total sausage fest, but still. You never know!
Really nice bartenders. It was moderately busy but he still remembered our names and what our drinks were. I think my friend goes there pretty often, but I still liked that he remembered!
Decent prices, slightly cheaper than average for the area. I think our (heavily poured) doubles were only 8 bucks a pop.

I’m drunk

I do not understand the draw to gay (or str8) bars at all. If given the choice, I’d rather not! Regardless of my personal decision to not frequent gay (or str8) bars (also, I’m in recovery so there’s really no reason I *should* be here). There are nice workers and lots and lots of guys drinking. Still, really not understanding the draw. Nice soda. Mmmmmm. Soda and Pinball. So for me… GameWorks makes much more sense!

The entrance to Madison Pub is pretty unimpressive, and the guy with the headcounter clicker thing at the door made me leery of what kind of chaos might be inside, but I was pleasantly surprised. Apparently the clicker helps them keep it from getting too packed, so we easily found a bar to sidle up to, and the (trendy, goodlooking) bartenders and wait staff were quick to pour drinks and whisk away empty glasses.
Prices were good; a pitcher of Manny’s was cheaper than 3 glasses on their own, and they had plenty of specials listed on the board.
Lots of games to play, from pinball to darts to pool and other random video games.
If you’re a lady, expect to be slightly outnumbered. Case in point: I went in search of the ladies room and found TWO mens rooms before I found the one little closet labeled «ladies.» Inside of which there were two men. And no stall door. So it might be best to bring a buddy if you have one to stand guard.
Glad to know this place exists!