The Bit Saloon

Apparently, when it says **FREE SHOW** on their MySpace page, the two sets of asterisks stand for «just kidding» and «we’re assholes!»
I was pretty annoyed when they decided to charge three of us $ 5 at the door for the show on 10/​26, and downright teed off when I saw that they then mysteriously stopped charging and let everyone in for free. Wait, I mean, **FREE**.
Nice chalkboard tables, I guess, but I don’t go back to terrible venues just because I like their tables.

Had we been informed that a deposit was necessary to hold our band we definitely would have done it then and there. But we were told it wasn’t necessary. So what exactly is the excuse for that?
You can’t tell people they don’t need to leave a deposit and then claim their band was cancelled because they didn’t do it. This actually still makes it your fault. What a savvy business owner who cared about his/​her customers would have done is found a reasonable compromise. We were willing to compromise and we didn’t even do anything wrong!

Asshole «punk rock wannabe» customers, asshole bartenders, and really bad music (and by bad, I mean it sounds like the kind of music you make when you don’t know how to sing/​play instruments/​create songs). Book some good bands, please, and teach your employees about the meaning of customer service.

I never found a reason to go here until a week ago. I don’t think I’ll find a reason to go again.
My roommate and I came to see her friend’s band play on a Thursday night. It was a rockabilly show, so besides the greaser and pin up inspired crowd that gathered to see the band play, the bar was full of rough around the edges regulars. Don’t get me wrong, I can enjoy rough around the edges, but not when I sense I’m unwelcome. That’s when I stop looking for the beauty within.
The drinks were weak. I first ordered a vodka tonic, but after tasting nothing but tonic, I switched to PBR. Sure, it may still taste like water, but at least I know there’s at least some alcohol in that can. The bartenders were surly (read: straight up rude), avoided eye contact (read: paid attention to the regulars and ran right into you if you were near them) and more or less a deterrent.
I’ll pass.

Didn’t love or hate The Bit Saloon. Solidly OK, and I wouldn’t mind coming back. We went one Friday night for our friend’s band’s farewell and final show. I don’t know how much that affected the attendance but there was a little bit of everyone and it was really crowded. The chalkboard tables have to be the highlight of the joint. I didn’t draw anything but watched our striving artist friend turn the tabletop into a masterpiece that attracted the attention of everyone that walked by. Oh, actually the highlight of the night was watching the drama unfold between two young lovebirds in matching North Face fleeces. His ride didn’t have room for her in the car, but he offered to walk just to get some. How romantic! Anyways, service was OK, the bathroom was tiny, I think tall boys of PBR are $ 3 (they should probably be free, but whatever). We couldn’t get into the room where the stage was since it was too crowded, but I suspect the games mentioned in other reviews are back there. Sorta sketchy and empty neighborhood, I wouldn’t get wasted and wander off by yourself.

So this schmuck friend of mine from out of town says he’s coming to Seattle and to get my party hat out. Little does he know, I never take it off.
With a bottle of Pendleton in hand, he shows up on my door step and at 3p on a Wed. I can tell tomorrow is going to be a little harder than previously anticipated. That’s when I call on my other half, Riss J.
Riss:“Halllla“
Me: «Whatdaya doin hooker?»
Riss:“What!?”, «What’s up???»
Me: «We’re going out!».
Riss:grr.uhg.sigh.“hmf. Where and when?“
Me: «We’re going to have a blast. It’ll be legendary. Just get here and we’ll be there.»
Riss: «Give me an hour».
3 or 4 whiskeys on the rocks and an hour later, Riss appears at my casa and the three of us are off to The Bit. We’ve never been.
Not only did I get to witness the artistic stylings of miss Riss J. while she created chalk-​art master pieces, I also got to sway to the music of some great Seattle grunge bands, play a little ping pong and waste my last few bucks on a few tall cans of Rainier beer. I also may have met my future babys mama. But that’s another story.
Good tunes, great oldies (encompassing both the various types of music and the locals) and some awesome service. Not to mention, wait for it… they have a game room! A GAME ROOM. Yea, no I didn’t stutter. You read right. A game room. I know. Will wonders never cease? Ok, so I’ll have to update this bad boy at some future point to concur that the drinks are weakly poured. We will see but until then, you should go and chance it. I think you’ll have a story or two to share and be glad you ventured to my new favorite dive.

Thelma’s an artist.
She makes beautiful things and then gets bashful about showing them to the world.
A few years ago, she experienced some sort of narcissistic epiphany and started showing stuff all over the damned place.
One of those places was The Bit Saloon. Yeah, I know it seems odd.
But it was very cool to walk into this mildly divey bar filled with blue collar folks and see Thelma’s work appreciated.
The drinks were potent and the crowd was cool.

Where else can you draw Donatello, a ball dancing elephant, a vampire war avatar that looks suspiciously like Christy A, a weeping willow, an outhouse, a dragon, and a dagger shattering an 8 ball on your table, in chalk, while drinking?
No, I said IN CHALK.
HERE! Small, regular heavy neighborhood bar, with regular live music, ample booth seating (which so many places seem to lack, IMO) easy parking.
I could dock off a star or two for the weak pours, but if you knew how my night *almost* ended, you know I shouldn’t. Plus, i like to draw with chalk and stuff.
Good times! I’ll be back.

Douchebag-​free. No doubt it will stay this way for a long time. It’s a great place for live music.

Oh … The Bit Saloon! I knew I’d have fun immediately when I looked up and read «Poo Darts»! I usually go here with co-​workers and some friends on weekends. Strong drinks, strong smells … lobster racing! The best dive around!

Dirty, bad service, and lots of loud drunks. All the vital ingredients for a ghetto live music venue. Start a band and head on over.

When I used to hangout in Ballard alot back in the day… I would end up at the Bit at the end of the night, or before the night started. Why? My bf at the time lived two blocks away. The drinks were strong. People had dogs in here. There was definitely an interesting mix of people here. No judging, no douchey von douchertins, and people working there who were really nice. I miss coming here at the end of the night, drinking a PBR, and coming up with a plan of naughtiness for the rest of the night. :)

Oh the Bit! Many nights have been spent here and many more mornings spent trying to recount what all went on at the Bit and why I need to rethink my love for gin. Great bar for stiff drinks, playing whatever music strikes your fancy on the jukebox, and a lot of shenanigans! Always an interesting mix of people as well; this place will always hold a place in my heart as my first real bar bar in Seattle since moving here.

Nice little dive bar.
Good selection of games, love the pingpong. Beer is kinda pricey (4.50/pint), service is good, and the mixed drinks are strong. Good place to drink the day/​night away.

Although the Bit has gotten some fair reviews, I feel the need to prop them up a little bit more.
It may not be fancy, it may not be pretty but the owner of The Bit has gone far above what most neighborhood bar owners would let you do there.
He has let my friends and I throw some great party’s there. He has a BBQ outside that he let us use for parties, he has held the Rooks Car Club Toys for Tots Benefit there several times, AND one night when I was there I saw a dog wearing a Bumble Bee outfit! What’s better than that?
The point is, I love The Bit and so should you!

This has to be one of my all time favorite dive bars.
There is no mistaking it, this place is dirty smelly and divey. Knowing that before you go in is very important.
this is the type of place to end the night. Somehow after a night full of drinking this is where I end up having my last beer. Why do I do that to myself I will never know.
They have some okay beers are tap. Beer is cheap, booze is cheaper.
The patrons are quirky but nice. You got one of everybody here, you have the hipster or two, the local drunk, the punk rock kids, some working class guys, the old yuppie guys.
Nice to people watch and drink cheap beer.

This is a bar, and nothing else. It is not a hip hangout, or a café, or a pickup spot. It’s not a club, a dance hall, a concert venue. It is purely a place to drink, with a few typical things scatered around incase you need something simple to do between gulps. Oddly enough, there’s even a random, ancient-​looking PC here at which you can browse the internet to your heart’s content for 15 minutes at a time.
Unless you already have good company with you, or, if your pint glass is the only company you need, this isn’t your bar.

Stiff drinks, golden tee, juke box, men’s restroom you can see into from the bar… what more do you want?!

My brother took me to the Bit Saloon this past weekend — why? Most likely to present a cultural experience that was the antithesis to the Ruth’s Chris Steak House happy hour I had enjoyed earlier in the evening. Given the kaleidascope that is the Seattle night life scene, this was a 2 star establishment at best, but I gave it 3, for the friendly regulars: especially the Sheryl Crow look-​alike that bought me a shot and then puked in the garbage can. It’s worth 1 star for pure entertainment’s sake.

This place puts the «scurv» in scurvy. Every surface of the joint is sticky and wet from spilled booze. I’d say the jukebox is always blaring punk rock or hip hop, but the last time I was there it was blaring Abba. I scanned the room of tattoos and football jerseys to try and peg who made the selection but came to the conclusion that someone ran in, plugged in 5 dollars worth of Abba, and ran out. It isn’t a dangerous place, it’s just dirty. After a couple drinks at The Bit you’ll want to go home and wash your hands, and your liver.