Hilltop Ale House Reviews

We sat in the back room for lunch. The food and service were good. The room was uncomfortably hot due to the wood stove.

We stopped by mid afternoon on a rainy day. Had a few glasses of cold beer and bowls of delicious turkey noodle soup and/or gumbo. Pleasant waitstaff in a quaint setting. We enjoyed out visit!

Loved everything about this place. Food was interesting without being "out there". Everything we had was really good. Service was great. Drinks were good. I would definitely recommend it. Sit outside if you can.

great food..gumbo especially...too expensive lousy atmosphere

mmmmm chix sandwich

They have been written about in the paper! Their burger is very unique and very tasty! Check it out! Good atmosphere and good brews for a quick lunch or early dinner!

Even on a busy Friday night the service was super! We had the special Sicilian soup, greek salad and Tuna cake. All items were fresh, tastey and well presented. We'll be back again!

I probably would have enjoyed more if I wasn't expecting "the best reuben in Seattle". Meat was good (Boar's head) although I'm used to fattier, more flavorful. Good sauerkraut, didn't mind that it was red. Liked the looks of the presentation - everything hot and melted together. But the spicing was too much - it drowned out the other flavors. Good beer, good side salad, very good service. Next time I would try something else. Prices high but seemed they used high quality ingredients.

I really liked this place when we came the other day! We had some late Sunday night snacky food and drinks. Our waiter seemed a little off but was fairly good otherwise.

The Ale House is a solidly enjoyable place for lunch. We have eaten there many times over the past five years and have been consistently pleased. The casual atmosphere and friendly service complement the menu, which features good, uncomplicated food with just a touch of something to make it that little bit different and interesting. The warm goat cheese salad is a winner and the cilantro pesto chicken quesadilla, billed as an appetizer, comes with a generous salad that makes it a whole meal. In nice weather, the small patio in the back is a very nice place to be.

a little pricey, but good. excellent beer selection.

delicious sandwiches

Hilltop Ale House is a small local pub located in the Queen Anne Hill neighbourhood, far from the tourist throngs. It has a cozy English pub atmosphere and was quite empty on a Saturday mid-afternoon (3 pm). I had a delicious blackened salmon sandwich cooked rare to order, that came with a handful of kettle fried chips. My friends shared an order of curried cashews which were nicely spiced (not overly salty) that they enjoyed, but felt could have been improved with a few minutes of heating up. The wide choice of brews on tap astounded me even though I knew I was in "Beervana" (Rough Guide). 2 cask brews were also on tap. Both servers were very knowledgeable, and offered generous samples of the various libations on tap. This is one of those conundrums to live for (choosing the brew). Overall, I heartily recommend Hilltop for those that appreciate the products of malts and hops...and the bar food is a cut above many of the so called "gastropubs" that I have experienced.

Great place to stop into up on the top of Queen Anne. Close to downtown for visitors with a nice street to walk down.

Pub food, but really well prepared. Great Ruben sandwich, tons of great beers. Friendly, cool place.

Best Ruebens, hands down.

very typical pub experience and typical pub fair. Got some good beers on tap. parking is not so bad despite it being queen anne.

What a great local tavern. Lots of great draft beer to choose from.. Great food that is always served perfectly. Never a complaint.

We happened upon is pub at happy hour and we felt we had lucked out! The food was delicious, the choice of beer fantastic, and the service was friendly and fast. The atmosphere was one of a charming place where locals gather to enjoy a laugh and friendship.

It's not spectacular, but it's perfect. The draft beer list is well curated, the menu is totally accessible and the dishes well-prepared, the vibe is casual English pub but actually warmer and with better food. Do not be tempted by the other restaurant storefronts nearby - this one delivers the goods, consistently and wonderfully. I may have only been here a few dozen times . . . it's a little bit out of the way for a tourist, but it is totally one hundred percent satisfying.

It feels like a friendly, neighbourhood bar, which it is, with the added attraction of having really good, tasty comfort food like tacos, burgers and sandwiches. Head for the back if you want a cosier area, complete with fireplace.

This is our neighborhood pub, our home base, the place we can walk to, the food that we can count on. They do a few things here that are unusual, such as not deep-frying anything. That eliminates certain foods (think fried onion rings) but puts the focus on cooking in a healthy way, by pan-searing or broiling (think blackened salmon). A couple of their basics, blackened salmon on a caesar salad and chicken quesedilla, are so consistently satisfying that they're hard to pass up. But the menu also includes at least three specials from a changing list that are often tempting. There's almost always a gumbo if you like hearty food with some heat and one or another dish featuring interesting experimental food combinations. And did I mention the beer. Wide selection, though it's hard to pass up the Mac and Jack's !

Walking distance of my house is just one advantage. Really good food and beer on tap.

Atop Queen Anne Hill is this great local pub. Good selection of local microbrews on tap. Small but good menu although no deep fryer so no pub standards like fish and chips. Very good Reuben sandwich though!

We had an early dinner at this pub as I was looking forward to some traditional English pub food. The place was not busy when we arrived and we were seated immediately. We were offered drinks quickly after being seated and not long after that our order was taken. I ordered the Steak & Guinness Pie which was cooked to order. The pie was served hot and fresh. My husband ordered the Caesar Salad & said it was fresh and well seasoned. Oh, the pie was wonderful and did have a faint taste of Guinness which made me very happy! The entire meal including tip was pretty reasonably priced. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a decent pub meal.

Love the berr selection as well as the food. The reuben sandwhich is amazing! They have weekly specials that are always great. The soups are homeade and great too. The servers are always freindly! Tim is espcecially nice.

Great selection of brews. Excellent happy hour fare

And stay for the gumbo. It’s a hot-and-tasty bowl of chicken, shrimp, andouille sausage, onions, tomatoes, peppers and spices served over dirty rice — topped off with a pod of okra. Wash it down with one of Hilltop’s local (mostly) beers on draft. If it’s a sunny day — which occasionally occurs in Seattle — opt for one of the outside, people-and-dog-watching tables.

yesterday a friend & I stopped here for lunch. We each ordered soup & salad. She had good hot chicken noodle soup and I had the gumbo. Both our salads were ideal- a crisp green salad with a ctirus vinegreet, topped by a warm round of goat cheese. Her soup was piping hot and very good. My gumbo was not hot, in part due to the whole, stone cold okra plunged into it. Yes it was interesting looking, but it chilled the gumbo (or the gumbo wasn't very hot). I'm OK with warmish gumbo but this had at least 3 good shakes of red pepper flakes right on top! I tried one bite, was on fire, so methodically tried to pick out the other seeds and flakes. When our waiter thoughtfull asked: how's your food, we said it was all great except my gumbo. I politely said mine would be improved WITHOUT the red pepper flakes (thinking the chef should get his feedback) and rather than saying "thank you", or something like this he seemed to want to argue with me, and said "it's just a garnish". I said "I know, but it should be on the side so a person can add what she wants". Anyway I regretted trying to give this feedback, and left wishing I'd ordered better or kept my mouth shut. A pity as I think this overall is a fun spot, with good food.

We had lunch and a beer(s) at this cool little spot on Queen Anne. We sat in back by the fire place/stove, and had a lovely view of the patio, back yard and enjoyed exceptional service from our server. Can't remember her name, but she's a cute young, just saying.

Great burgers and appetizers. Good selection of beers. All the food seemed decent and it is a friendly warm atmosphere to relax in and have some beers and good bar food.

Great neighborhood bar with good food. Unfortunately terrible service from the bartender on Thursday-Sunday nights. She was rude to my date, service was slow to non existent. Seems like she does not want to be there.

I love the consistency with these three restaurants. The menu is pretty much the same between all of them. We hadn't been to this location in about 10 years. It was as good as always and had an excellent beer selection. We ordered the ARTICHOKE HUMMUS PITA PLATE and RED REUBEN SANDWICH. They were very good. The waitstaff is also very attentive.

Great food, beer and staff - a neighborhood gem! This is my favorite restaurant in Seattle, hands down. The Hilltop offers outstanding food, rotating specials that are always creative, fresh, local ingredients and delicious not to mention the great selection of beers. The Hilltop also has the best of local beers (that also rotate) and some great British standards, as well as some wine. The staff is always friendly and fun, the patrons also are great. A true neighborhood gastro pub with no pretention and great food!

Like the title says, it's the best chicken sandwich in Seattle. Lightly breaded and pan fried, served on rye bread with cream cheese, tomato, lettuce and onion. Comes with chips or pasta salad. You can sub soup of the day, home made and usually really good, or gumbo which is outstanding, for an additional $3. If you get the gumbo ask for pickapepper sauce, adds a jolt. Good selection of beers, wine and somewhat limited selection of the hard stuff. I can't comment on their other offerings, as they have them, somebody must order them, as I always get the chicken sandwich. Service is friendly and professional.

After taking out of town friends to Kerry Park we went in search of lunch. We parked near the Hilltop Ale House and the menu out front was enough to draw us in. I am so this was the place of choice for lunch. The atmosphere was immediately warm and inviting. The selection of beer was great and the menu had options for everybody. I had the lunch special which were three tacos. They did not disappoint. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

Found this place when we found that our original destination was closed on arrival. Not a really large menu, but enough variety to be sure - and our choices were both good. My reuben was large, and very tasty. My wife's chowder was salmon based and she thorooughly enjoyed it and the goat cheese salad she had with it. Decent beer and wine list with a few rotating taps on a monthly basis.

Hilltop is a place I take my foreigner friends to and let them sample a selection of what Hilltop has on tap. They are never disappointed and neither am I.

I have been to Hilltop too many times to count. It's local feel combined with its delicious food and drink makes it a great spot to stop in with a few friends for a beer and tasty food.

Reuben and pasta salad. Excellent! Partner had Southern Gumbo. "Yummy" service was good. Check out the back room. Quiet & private. Lovely garden, too.

We've been going to the hilltop regularly for six years. Staff is normally friendly once they know you. For the last 4 months our yorkie has been going with us. He's under three pounds and sleeps in a purse. Last night, a server we didn't know, was ignoring our table after 15min we called him over to take our order. We finally got our drinks and an appetizer. We call him over again to order dinner. When he comes back with the next round of drinks, he looks down at the purse. "There's a dog in there?" And grabs the purse and tries to find out if there is indeed a dog in there by dumping it upside down. Our pour little yorkie was asleep tucked deep inside. Obviously, we promptly left. But the extremely rude manner of the server was shocking. A simple the "policy has changed about dogs in purses" and we would have left. But violently grabbing the carrier and trying to "dump" the puppy out was extremely out of line. In a dog friendly city, this was very unusual. I can only assume it was because it was late at night and the server was not interested in serving the last table.

What a wonderful neighborhood pub. The food is fresh and usually good (and the servers are pretty honest when something, such as one of the one-of-a-kind soups, doesn't really work), and the salmon sandwich is amazing. A dozen fresh drafts, so come for the beer as well as the grub.

Great staff, really good spinach artichoke dip. Busy little bar with alot to see from the window. Waitress was super cool and helpful ass my daughter just moved to area. It will be a great local hangout for sure.

We have been to this bar/restaurant several times and each time the food has been excellent. Their Rueben sandwich is reported to be the best in the city and after having it this past weekend, I would agree! Others in our group had the black bean burger (with pita bread) and the tuna melt and everyone gave five stars on the food. The service was equally excellent. The waiter was prompt, friendly, relaxed and professional, just perfect. Greeting was immediate, drinks arrived quickly and food arrived shortly after. Everything was just a good time. Great selection of microbrews and northwest wines, plus mixed drinks. This is kind of urban comfort food with lots to choose from. I have had the gumbo earlier and is fantastic. If you are looking for a comfortable and relaxed atmosphere with excellent food and service, stop in, I think you’ll enjoy yourself. Great on a rainy afternoon, stay for a while. Oh yeah, you can also carry on a conversation without shouting.

The food here is always consistent and the ambiance is lively. It is not the place to go if you want a quiet place to chat, but it is a little like "Cheers" as there are always regulars and the wait staff does remember your name and what you like to eat.

Hilltop Ale House is one of three beer and food-inspired Ale Houses that pretty much have defined the Seattle Brew Pub scene since the sister 74th Street Ale House in Greenwood opened about twenty years ago, followed by Hilltop then Columbia City Ale House. By brew pub I mean an authentic pub that really knows its stuff when it comes to beer, and in this case food. While the vibe may feel slightly dated, any of the Ale Houses are solid bets for great food and a beer lineup worthy of the house-made eats. Seattle isn't known for its gumbo, so I always forget about that dish until I settle into a chair at the bar and peruse the diverse menu, which offers a little something for everyone. There is a lunch special daily and it is usually around $10 (the pork taco blue plate special was $9) and is plenty of food for lunch. While the daily special looked enticing I once again went for the gumbo which was thick, loaded with shrimp, pork sausage, rustic cut southern veggies, and a rich gumbo sauce and it is served with two slices of artisan bread. Wash it all down with one of the fabulous and fresh local brews and you'll be ready to rock the rest of the day.

What a great spot to hang out. Really friendly and knowledgeable staff (one of them had a broken leg but that didn't slow him down or dim his friendliness). It was comfortable and lively with what seemed like many regulars dropping in. We were there for a late lunch and found so many tempting choices. I went with the shrimp bisque and a Caesar salad. They added extra anchovies and I was a happy camper. The bread was amazing, altogether too much of a temptation The chicken sandwich is a hit as well. Highly recommended.

the next time you're on the top of Queen Anne & hunger pangs attack, stop in here. I enjoyed a hearty tuna melt on sourdough bread (not big fat pieces, but normal sized) while my husband wolfed a Reuben. Hot sandwiches come with either good quality potato chips OR a pasta salad, flavored with pesto. Both sandwiches very full of protien, accented by swiss cheese, & satsifying. Next time I might pay $3 more for a green salad or small caesar. Sandwiches were $12 & $13.

This is my go to restaurant when a friend comes to visit or when I want a good meal. The menu is constantly changing with specials each day of the week but still keeping menu favorites Yesterday, I had the Cilantro pesto Quesadilla accompanied by a salad with a honey Chipolte dressing. Yum!

Food is always good, great selection of beers but the service can be spotty and sometimes downright snotty

I love this place! I have been going for many years! Always nice friendly staff. Tons of different beers ( but that doesn't trip my trigger) there food is always good and they change it up with homemade soups and fish tacos. I usually get the Chicken sandwich!! Voted best Chicken sandwich by "The Seattle Times" a tender chicken breast seared in garlic olive olive with Mozzarella cheese then baked in the oven on a toasted baguette with cream cheese!!! Sweet Jesus I'm in Heaven!!!!

Tropical bar food menus. Nothing to write home about. Ate here cause else was closed. Would not return.

soups salads sandwiches and great beer

Super neighborhood tavern. Super cajun style food options. Easy place to stop by for dinner or lunch. Try the gumbo.

Great cozy place for an ale or 3. Great food too. Any fellow Australian's travelling through Queen Anne Seattle should pop in. It's like a good mix of English and Australian pubs with a friendly USA welcome and service. Will definitely visit again when we return!

This is a great little pub nestled in the Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle. There are multitudes of interesting beers on tap. The food is great much better than your average pub fare. I had the fish taco and it was delicious (and quite large). My spouse and I shared the hummus plate which was tasty. The open face tuna melt is high end and delicious.The service is very good and very personable. For the sports minded their is a large screen TV but really this place is great for conversation and really good food. My favorite pub so far in Seattle.

Great little pub in Queen Anne with nice variety of IPAs and other draft beers Food selection was good and service excellent Definitely worth a visit if you are in the Queen Anne hill area

With a few minutes before a reservation across the street, we ducked in here to have a whiskey. The selection is small but adequate. Will return to try the more extensive brews on tap.

We had lunch here - I've been before. The food is usually great - fresh and innovative. The beer selection is top notch. This visit did not disappoint. They can get busy, but it's worth waiting.