Columbia City Ale House

The best Reuben in town! I often order a Reuben when I’m dining out and they have one of the best. I don’t know how they pack so much flavor in there but I think it’s the slaw. So good.

Yum, this place was delicious!
They have a good selection of beers on tap, I had an English ESB, prices are around $ 6 – 6.75, do just a little higher than typical Seattle prices.
We tried the gumbo to start. This was so yummy! It was spicy and delicious. I had the fish taco for dinner. It only came with one taco but it was a large piece of fish. The fish was lightly breaded and fried and wasn’t too heavy. It had a delicious fruity salsa in a tortilla. It also came with a green salad and the dressing was surprisingly spicy, but good.
The food here was excellent, I would recommend a stop by!

I visit this place frequently. They follow a sit anywhere you like policy. They have a decent collection of alcohol— duh it’s an ale house. I loved the southern style gumbo the most. I would recommend it if you are having a protein craving but also want some other flavors melting into your mouth.
I have never been unhappy about their service so far.

Great place for happy hour. Food is fresh and they have many great beers to choose from. I will come back again.

My boyfriend and I stopped in here one early afternoon after a yummy brunch for a few beers and we had a great time. The bartender made the whole experience — I don’t remember her name, but she was SO friendly/​funny/​welcoming that it has made me want to go back ever since. They had a good selection of beer, and had the old ‘this place has been here since you’re grandparents were your age’ vibe ;) I loved it. And I’m looking forward to seeing that fabulous bartender again!

«Kill the Keg» Tuesdays. $ 1 off keg of their choice, so the pints were $ 5 each. That’s their Tuesday night special.
Came here last night with a group of four. Poor waitress, seemed like she was the only one serving last night. Service was slow, but she warned us in advance so we didn’t mind. We had drinks served real quick, but it took a while to get our food order in. Our waitress was the sweetest lady though! I felt bad they were such short handed and busy on a Tuesday night.
We ordered:
— Monte Cristo
— chicken sandwich
— tuna melt
— lean burger
I got the burger with a side salad and both were tasty! They don’t serve fries here, their sides are potato salad or chips. I didn’t try the salad, but everyone who got it said it was better than the chips, so get the potato salad! Average price of sandwiches were around $ 14.00. Food was good, and service was friendly!

not sure it’s a 2 star place but I got served a 2 star meal with pretty inattentive service and an incorrect bill on top. I ordered a listed specialty of the place — their Angel Chicken. It had undercooked rice and a unappealing looking anemic chicken breast slathered in a redeeming peanut sauce. Booze prices were fine, but from other reviews I’m have expected a less pedestrian meal.

One of my favorite spots ! As a vegetarian my food options are limited, but the black bean sandwich is the bomb. Good beer with good friends and the best part; no children allowed. I hope it never changes

It is my mission to figure out how they perfected the Reuben sandwich and their potato salad… BEST DARN SANDWICH/​SALAD on this side of the Mississippi!
Virtually anything on the menu will not disappoint. I am not a beer drinker, but the vibe of the place makes you want to try a glass. The Ale house always has GREAT customer service– and they are beyond accommodating with my takeout orders (thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!)

We love the food here! Fish tacos, burgers, specials are delicious. Very generous portions. Great beer — always an interesting featured beer.

When driving out this way to meet some friends, I definitely did not think that we’d find a place this cute in an otherwise semi-​sketchy area. When we came in on a Friday night, the place was packed — both the bar and the restaurant. We got lucky and there was one vacant table so we were able to snag it.
The service was great considering the number of people in there. I had a patty melt which is not something that I’m usually drawn to but I’m SO glad that I picked it because it was seriously awesome. This place has a hipster vibe to it but not in a pretentious way. More like a neighborhood feel.
While it’s a little ways from home, I’d gladly take the trek out here again.

The food was good, atmosphere was great and server was nice. We watched the World Series game. I didn’t love the gumbo but we loved that all our food was spicy! We will go back.

Everything on the menu is fantastic! They have seasonal beers on tap, and pairings with specials.

Beer and food was great, minus the potato salad, it was meh. Parking is a super pain, but such is life in Seattle. The no kid rule, since it’s a pub, was awesome though!

Ordered a tuna sandwich and a burger. Really enjoyed the tuna sandwich.
What was disturbing about this place was the cleanliness.
The floors were unkept, dust on the walls, and flies flying around. What made me want to never come back was when I saw the waitress pet a customers dog, and then went right back to handling food without washing her hands. This is what sealed the deal.
I can only imagine what happens in the back of the house.

Go for beer, not food. Been twice and my salad had that sandy grit it’s not supposed to have after being washed. Just get the beer.

Beer was great, but food on the other hand, was very hit and miss. Twice the Gumbo has been barely even edible. On the other hand the reuben was pretty good, and ends up being what I normally order. Solid 3 stars, but not my first choice in the neighborhood, especially for food.

Want a Rueben sandwich here is to die for, I try it 3 times and quality are the same, the bread perfect crunch, potato salad … And well, enjoy plz Hope your experience as good as mine

Beer selection is pretty good. Food was just ok but a lot to choose from on the menu. Would return since its convenient. Very friendly staff.

Good neighborhood pub. The food is usually really good. We once enjoyed some excellent tortellini in brown butter sauce and last night it was an excellently spicy prawn puttanesca. It is a great place to grab a bite to eat and a beer. The beer selection is excellent and quite local, but not exclusively so. No kiddos as it is licensed as a pub and they don’t have dessert unless you want yours in liquid form. :-)

After a nice weekend getaway to the amazing Seattle, my partner and I decided to drop by Columbia City Ale House for our last drink/​meal in beautiful WA. Three seconds into our visit, I knew we made a great choice. The server (I believe her name was Jen) was so genuinely sweet, the décor was fun and London pub themed, and the veggie black bean pita sandwich was delish! If you’re in the mood for good food at a fair price with some locals, this is the spot to check out!

Columbia City Ale House, are you the house that built me? What sort of treasures do you hold inside? After multiple visits here, I would say it’s BEER!
Overall, I would give Columbia City Ale House a 3/3.5 star rating. This is a casual, neighborhood bar located in South Seattle on Rainier Ave, close by Tutta Bella and Geraldine’s Counter. The ambiance is low-​key and relaxed, with friendly customer service.
If you’re not a fan of beer, this might not be the place for you (since the only type of alcohol they serve is wine and beer).
Despite the many beer options, Columbia City Ale House unfortunately lacks in the food department. In terms of quality and choices, it’s somewhat limited and not terribly impressive. As an example, they have potato chips, instead of french fries (which I would assume is on any normal bar menu). When I’m craving french fries, it’s hard to swerve me from that yearning. Sadly, potato chips that taste like they’re from a bag are unfortunately not going to cut it.
I’ve also tried their regular menu eats, including their different sandwiches, gumbo, and salad options, which were okay and ordinary.
However, Columbia City Ale House is worth a try if you’re in the area due to its wide range of beers and friendly wait staff. For my last visit with friends, we ordered the following:
–Backthorn Hard Cidar (~$ 9): A sweet, refreshing cidar in a huge bottle!
–Bayern Bavarian Pilsner (~$ 7): A light golden colored beer, with a slightly bready and citrus bitter taste.
–Pyramid Hefenweser (~$ 8/​$ 9): An unfiltered wheat ale that is pretty smooth.
–Baked Three Cheese Focaccia ($ 8): Yummy cheese and bread goodness (Small to medium size plate of focaccia with herb & roasted garlic butter topped with fontina, mozzarella, and parmesan. Includes a side of delicious marinara dipping sauce).

I love this neighborhood bar. Definitely a chill, low-​key place so be prepared for that but they have a good beer selection and excellent food. Only reason I rate four stars over five is that they can take a while to come serve you once you sit down but if you’re not in any rush everything else is great.
I really recommend the curry cashews to go with your beer if you aren’t ordering a meal.

Pretty sure I always order the reuben. So tasty.
The vibe is unpretentious, warm, and like others have said, homey. Occasionally there’s someone on the waitstaff who seems to not care at all but generally they’re all pretty friendly.
It feels a bit too expensive sometimes for what it is, though. The menu choices are limited, too. I don’t mind, but I’ve gone with people who end up with a chicken salad by default.
All in all, a nice place to get a good beer and some food in a cool location.

It’s a neighborhood bar. Went there with coworkers for a drink. Casual and homey feel. Didn’t get a chance to try the food, but it look like a decent selection, If you’re looking for something to snack on while drinking this is not the place. It’s a bar without french fries… I was disappointed.
Would I come back? Maybe

This place is pretty mellow, a good spot to grab a beer and read a book. They have decent beer options — this is an ale house after all!
The service is good but the food is definitely not for me. We’ve been here twice and neither time impressed me. The cobb salad tasted oddly like fish. Gross. The soup of the day was good, kind of like an asparagus and bacon chowder but thinner.
I really want to love this place, but I just can’t do it.

I’ve been here twice recently and enjoyed both experiences. People start posting up early at this joint, getting their drink on in the middle of the afternoon.
They definitely have the whole pub vibe down. Wood tables and pub chairs abound in two seating areas. A few seats at the bar, where there are a couple of teevees showing the sports. They play music you can appreciate, but not so loud as to drown out your conversation.
Lots of good & local beers on tap, as well as many bottled beers and wines. They have a rotating IPA and I think a rotating stout.
The food I have had is good. They serve a decent reuben and a good tuna melt. The potato salad you can select as your side is a german style potato salad, so it’s tangy and delicious. The menu has a choice of gluten free options as well. I thought it was a bit spendy, then I remembered that this is Seattle and food is just overpriced here. Why is that?
Bar service is fine, some people are just friendlier and chattier than others.
Columbia City definitely has no shortage of cool bars where you can hang out.

Columbia City Ale House is a good place to get a good deal on a pitcher of beer before seeing a show at Columbia City Theater next door. I don’t know of many places you can get 60 oz. of Hales Cream Ale (on nitro, no less) for $ 16, so good on them. Sadly, the food just doesn’t provide the same quality experience.
The wife had a turkey club and I had the red beans and rice; neither are things that are terribly difficult to make and both were very disappointing. The wife said her club was way too spicy (I like the idea, but not by surprise) and «not good.» I was hoping for red beans and rice that had that rich, groovy, cooked for 47 hours taste — they didn’t. The beans were firm as if barely cooked and seemed as though they were just plopped on the rice. On the plus side, the andouille was quite delicious.
So, yeah. Hang out if you want a nice beverage at a nice price. Otherwise, you might want to pass.