Macleod's Fish & Chips and Scottish Pub Reviews

While we did not eat here, they are open late and have a good crowd. Your typical Irish Pub. Lots of suds and music.

This is a gem in the overrun youth rush that is now common place in Ballard after 7 pm. Tucked away in a great triangle building the two stories (balcony) this is the place to get your Scotch/Whiskey/Cocktail on.

It was a bit salty for me - comes to the table doused in salt. The batter coated deep fried offerings include pizza and Mars and Snickers bars (I'd always thought the deep fried Mars bar was a thing of myth!). The mushy peas are really yummy and minty, but not the mushy peas we recognise from the UK. Understand guy is a Scot, but they've put on modern food slant on this revered side dish. We were also recommended the Shepherd's Pie, but I haven't eaten SP anywhere for a very long time, so can't comment. There is the offer of a veggie patty for the burger and a Caesar salad for non fish and meat eaters. Bangers and mash don't have a veggie option. Pint of Georgetown Brewery's Manny's Pal Ale washed it all down.

My wife and I came here for a pre-dinner drink and snack. The scotch eggs and brigadoon cocktail were delicious. The seating was comfortable and relaxing and the service was prompt and friendly.

Never seen Whisky flights before but if you are a Scotch drinker then go for it. People around em were trying them. Busy place, pretty good service. They have Tennants Scottish lager too. So worth a visit when you are on Ballard Avenue

Great Bar with an amazing collection of scotches from different regions of Scotland. Good music and Ambiance must visit in ballad area of Seattle

Came for one of the many scotches. Love single malts and wanted to try new ones. Bartender gave recommendations but didn't really listen to what type I liked. He forgot water as he was more interested in talking to female bartender. Then I waited for bill but couldn't get his attention as he was talking to two female bartenders/waitresses. There was only 2 other people at the bar. I finally had to walk to him to get his attention so I could pay. Loved the fact they have 200+ scotches.

Wife & myself had 20 minutes to kill so we popped into this pub for a pint. Great atmosphere! We ordered the Bellhaven Scottish Ale (Nito?) —— tasted like a lighter Newcastle. We both loved it. Service was fantastic, talked with the owner for a few minutes, very pleasant fellow. Highly recommended if your planning a pub crawl in the area, or just need to quench your thirst. Summary: A+++++

They have a limited draft selection. Huge scotch selection. Service is very spotty and the fish and chips looked large but you only get 1 piece of fish. Happy hour is only 1 dollar off but the beers are cheap anyways.

We visited here one day during happy hour. We sat at the bar and enjoyed the conversation with the bartender and other patrons. We didn't have anything to eat but the fish and chips sure looked good.

Another neighborhood gem with great music, friendly patrons and staff, and fish and chips. Many Scotch choices, of course, and I enjoyed the Inverness mule.

Want to watch the Sounders game with a hundred fellow supporters? This is the place! The brews flow easy and the televisions are well placed. A happy crowd sits inside or out.

Our family of four visited the Fish and Chips shop which is attached to the pub. Great look and feel to the place. Large selection of single malt scotches, and our waitress was knowledgable and helped my wife select one she hadn't tried before, which she liked. Batter on the fish was too thick for me, but it was tasty. Chips were good. 10yo daughter had a cheeseburger which was nothing special. Come for a whiskey or a pint at the Pub, but consider eating elsewhere.

The server was great explaining the Tour of Scotland (flight of five whiskies from five regions of Scotland) which we enjoyed. The cod fish n chips was good, but the batter was a bit overcooked. The handcut fries were great tho'. My first time with the mushy peas and I could take or leave them. The sticky toffee pudding was delish. It was a great environment and we will return for another educational whisky flight!

Dropped in for Happy Hour beers and fish and chips. The $9 Happy Hour offering of fish and chips was disappointing in quantity (just one piece of fish, but lots of chips), but the quality was good. Beer selection and quality was good.

We got here right after opening and sat at the bar. What a fun place full of Scottish nostalgia. Friendly bar staff and we tried a selection of great single malts. We also got an order of chips and the Scotch Egg (good but my husband's is better!). Definitely recommend this place to while away a wet Seattle afternoon/evening! They had covered seating outside like many other restaurants in Ballard.

This is one of the only traditional Scottish Pubs in Seattle and the look and feel are authentic. 150 Scottish to choose from as well as lots of other spirits as well as some great local and national brews on tap. If you walk to the back you enter a Fish & Chips restaurant which is part of the pub and the fare is tasty. A tip is to order your drink and head upstairs to a partial second floor which overlooks the bar and is a nice, cozy space.

One of the most extensive selection of Scotches I have ever seen -- provably a couple of hundred. You can choose from either well thought out flights (like different finishes to same Svotch) or drama of individual Scotches. Also had authentic Chips -- fries with a malt covering. Recommend, particularly if you enjoy Scotch

Went there with a group of 5 friends on a Saturday night and sat upstairs. There was a server up there when we arrived but she never came back to take out order. A couple of us went down to the bar to order and said we were sitting upstairs and they didn't even offer to carry our drinks up for us. The bartenders were very rude and the servers were no where to be found. The drinks were horrible, even one of their "signature" drinks was made wrong. The beer was bad. I ordered a drink with rum and pineapple juice but got some concoction with tequila and sweet and sour that was undrinkable. Only the diet coke was finished at our table. As we were ending our stay there the server came back upstairs and took orders. So, I guess, they only serve the upstairs hourly. Stay Away! There are plenty of other bars in Ballard that want and appreciate your business!

We went to MacLeod's while on a tour of Ballard for a bachelor party. We are a pretty sedate group, most of us over 50, so we were being pretty well-behaved. This was to be our last stop for the night, but as we arrived the bartender was just getting ready to close up shop. We explained that we had hoped to end our evening there, and she allowed us to come in. The bartender, Naomi, proceeded to show us the bar's many wares-- she was knowledgeable, intelligent and funny, and this stop turned out to be the highlight not only of the night, but of our trip to Seattle for the wedding. (OK, maybe the wedding itself was a bigger deal for the groom himself…) Now back in Northern California, we've all told everyone about this great place and the terrific service we received. The place is worth a visit even if you're not a Scotch lover. I don't drink it myself (bad experience many years ago, LOL) but I still had plenty to look at. First there are all the Scotches from many different distilleries. Then there are the pictures of famous Scots on the back wall-- everyone from William Wallace and Sean Connery to Willie the Groundskeeper from The Simpsons. There is a huge map of Scotland on the ceiling. There are maps and flags and associated pictures and memorabilia on the other walls. The building itself is interesting in its own right, as its on a corner that is not a right angle, so the building is sort of pointed at one end, sort of trapezoidal, so it's narrow at the end by the door but widens as you enter and go back into the room. It's brick and feels very historic. Naomi was able to talk with insight about not only the liquor, but about the then-impending Scottish vote for independence, and about Scottish politics in general, and about Scottish tartan plaids, etc. (She's also not difficult to look at, a bonny lass indeed.) MacLeod's is a winner. You should go visit. Taste some Scotch. Soak up some atmosphere. You'll be glad you did.

This place has a really good Scottish pub feel and a comprehensive list of whiskies. The fish and chips were delicious and the service excellent. The house wine left a lot to be desired, the beer is probably a better bet.

We stopped here for a drink while we were hanging out in Ballard. It was one of several stops for food and drinks in the area. Drinks were very good and the service was great. Seems like a really fun place. Tons of wiskeys and scotches on the menu.

Not good at all. Very disappointed. I went here with my wife for dinner. We paid $90 for two serves of halibut, plus one children's meal and two drinks. The fish was old frozen halibut from last year that was mushy, and coated in an inch thick batter on one of the two. The batter was overcooked and the overall appearance was distasteful. We will not eat here again.

What a fun place. Classy more mature crowd. Brick walls and dark wood bar make this place classy yet simple. No "kids" here. Really, really good drinks and good service.

Great scotch flights, fantastic craft cocktails. They also do a good job of creating a Scottish pub atmosphere. Highly recommend

Interesting bar... was looking for fish. Went into their fish house and ordered the fish and chips. It was awful....AWFUL. The fish had a doughy exterior that was super greasy and tasted bad. The "chips"... or WHATEVER they were were burned to a crisp on EVERY plate... there were 4 of us. They were BLACK. Totally inedible. I will not go there again. For the price, I expected MUCH more.

We usually come here before going to a show at the Tractor Tavern. The first time we stopped here it was just to kill some time before the Tractor opened. After that we started coming an hour to an hour and a half early just to spend some time at Macleod's. Every drink we have tried here has been good but the stars are the flights. I really enjoy the tour of Scotland (different selections of Scotch Whisky). We have received great service every time we have been here. If you come here looking for food be warned that the food served here is very limited. This is a place to drink that will offer you a snack as you drink. This is popular place on weekends and finding a seat can be challenging. However, if you are patient seats generally open up fairly routinely.

MacLeod's was recently recommended to me by a friend of mine. I had no idea the place existed, and after recently returning home from Scotland on our honeymoon, my wife and I thought it would be fun to give the place a try. We were not disappointed! The beers they have on tap are delicious. I was overjoyed at seeing they had Tennents Lager on draught, as it was a favorite when we were in Scotland; not to mention the insane amount of Scotch they have to offer, if you happen to be into Scotch. I got the fish n chips. The piece of fish is the size of your forearm; and they definitely don't short you on the chips. Their tartar sauce is on point too! My wife had the fish sandwich, which is essentially a smaller piece of fish served on a potato bun from Macrina Bakery with lettuce, cheddar and tartar sauce, also served with chips. She loved it! The service was good, and what you should expect in a pub. You will not be attended to every 45 seconds. You will not be asked every 3 minutes if everything is still good. However, our glasses were never empty, and we were checked on often enough. The prices are also pretty standard. All in all, a very good experience. Can't wait to come back to try the Shepherd's Pie and the Bangers and Mash!

This pub must have the largest selection of Scotch in the US. Rather than limit ourselves to one single malt, we took a "Tour of Scotland." This is a sampling of five 1/2-ounce single malts from five different regions of Scotland. And this was the small tour. They offer larger selections! Even though they have served food for a mere three weeks now, it was superb. My husband had fresh lightly breaded cod and chips. The cod was thick, the chips homemade. I chose my favorite, shepherd's pie. Although the price wasn't higher than other places I have ordered it, they use real lamb and lots of real mashed potatoes. Perfect serving size and the best ever! The meals were delivered inquick time. There is plenty of room on both floors. The walls are primarily clean old brick while the bar that is old looking was custom made. Pictures of well known Scots line some of the wall space. Adjacent is their more casual and to-go cafe. Naomi bartends and does a spectacular job. If you are in the Ballard neighborhood, which you must try, this is the place for dinner.

This is my favorite pub in Seattle. Scottish paraphernalia on the walls and a map of Scotland painted on the ceiling. I've only ever come for drinks, so I couldn't rate the food. They've got a good selection of unique Scottish-influenced cocktails. They also have a fairly extensive list of whiskeys from all over the world, including India and Japan. They seem to always be playing a good mix of music. They've got booths and an upstairs seating area the overlooks the bar. As a Nicholson, I probably shouldn't like a MacLeod pub as the MacLeod's took the Nicholson's land about 400 years ago. But they make good drinks, so I suppose I can forgive them they're ancient pillaging.

Thank you for introducing me to Belhaven Nitro! I'm addicted. Great pub with a excellent selection of unique drinks.

We popped in for a happy hour drink and to split a flight. We sat at the bar, I had a wine, my husband had a beer and we split the tour of Scotland flight. Our server (Jacob) was knowledgeable and friendly and prices were SUPER reasonable (but their website menu prices need to be updated). We didn't eat, but smelled the fish and chips and wished that we had room! I have noticed from other reviews that they also have SCOTCH EGGS!! We will be back for sure. This may become our new "spot"!

A quick Friday evening chips and fish meal with my wife after work. Scotch Egg was outstanding. The pickles that came as the garnish were great. The Chips and Fish were less than ideal. Soggy, fishy tasting cod, with batter that was soaked in oil, and slid off the fish. Fries were quite good, and the accompanying condiments thoughtful. Candidly, I expected alot more, and was disappointed so much I left the food uneated. Wait staff/bartender was outstanding however, and her attitude made up for less than ideal food experience.

what a great selection of alcohols. The bartender the night I visited was knowledgeable and helpful and spent some time getting to know the customer. This is an easy place to return for a quiet drink. The setting is dark, wood and comfortable. I like it.

We will never go back here to eat again. The fish was so over cooked that our son and my husband barely had any fish left in the batter and what was left was so dry and chewy it was like fish jerky. Our son's girlfriend and I at least had some fish in the batter at one end, but it was also very chewy and it had absorbed so much oil that I still feel nauseous. None of us ate more than half of our meal and when we complained to our wait staff they took a beer off the bill. We were very disappointed with our meals and even more disappointed with the staff's lack of customer service.

Have visited this establishment three times within the last few weeks. My first visit meal was Shepherd's Pie with Belhaven Scottish Ale on nitro tap (Excellent brew!!). The menu says that their Shepherd's Pie has "ground lamb, bacon, peas, pearl onion, carrot, potato crust". The lamb apparently MIA in mine. I could see some (I think), but I could barely taste it. My second visit was to sample a Scotch Flight only, which proved very good. My third visit meal was Bangers and Mash, which tasted OK, but it was no where near the typical classic English/Irish/Scottish version. In all fairness, however, the menu does say they use a Rhein Haus banger, which is atypical to this meal. I also asked two wait staff if the Bangers and Mash came with English Hot Mustard, to which both said absolutely. Wrong; it was only slightly spicy yellow mustard of some brand. All in all the food here tasted OK, but if you're looking for Gaelic authenticity, prepare to be disappointed based on my limited sampling and observations.

When you go to to a fish and chip establishment, you expect the fish to be the one stand out item. Unfortunately, my halibut was mushy and the batter revolting (pictures attached). I have never had such bad battered fish. When we ordered we asked if any of the fish is fresh and were advised it was. When we pushed, the waitress asked the kitchen and were told the fish was fresh frozen. Frozen fish can be perfectly fine, so it shouldn't have been an issue, however the fish must have either been last seasons' and/or treated poorly. The batter was hard and mine was thick and awful. The chips, tartare and mushy peas that came with the fish were good. I really enjoyed my cocktail: Berwick's fizz. It was light and fun. The restaurant itself was pleasant and clean. The service was average. Waitstaff in a fish and chip eatery should know more about their fish.

Stopped in for a birthday cocktail with our kids. First time in a Scottish pub! Tried the nitro and it was velvety smooth. A blackberry rosemary fizz was another favorite!

This could become my favorite pub in Seattle as i love the old building it is located in and it may well be what i have been missing since i left home,and may be picture perfect to my memory of great pubs in England,Scotland & Ireland.The beer was great and the Scotch Eggs are wonderful .

We arrived for happy hour and ordered drinks and asked for a menu - my husband was told by the bartender that they did not serve food. Over the next 30 minutes we saw food delivered out to multiple parties - maybe he just meant they did not have a happy hour menu? Small cocktails, but a great ambience. In a wonderful building in downtown historic Ballard this place has history and a look that makes you want to walk in, sadly it does not live up to its name.

This place had outstanding bangers and mash. The gravy in this dish reminded me of gravy my grandmother made with Swiss steak. It was filling and very tasty. If you miss this place, you have missed one of the highlights of Ballard.

Amazing selection of scotches and a very friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Woman working the bar was very knowledgeable and friendly.

A happening pub with a decent crowd. Perfect Friday night pub. A wide variety of drinks y good vibes. Enjoyed my evening with my family.

While I liked the look of the place when I first walked in (including Messier along the top of the bar), it was all downhill from there. We came in mostly for the fish & chips, and we're very disappointed. First the breading. If you like your the breading on your cod 1/4 inch thick and overcooked and hard on the outside, you'd love this place. The fries were very thickly cut and were sprinkled with a sticky powdered vinegar. The tartar sauce tasted like warm mayo with green flecks. Did I mention the service? The place was nearly empty when we were there (I guess that should have been our first clue), but we still had to wait to order, and had to ask for water refills and silverware. There's also apparently no refills on soft drinks (or maybe we just needed to ask for those too). My advice, don't eat here - try one of the places that were packed with people across the street instead!

Walked here from dinner down the street. We loved the pub atmosphere and if you are a single malt person, they will definitely have your drink. My girlfriend drinks vodka and they made her a very generous cocktail. The crowd ranges from post college to 40s. Not pretentious and not trying to be too trendy. Service was quick and friendly even though it was pretty packed. Well worth a visit.

We met our friends for drinks and late lunch on a Friday evening. My husband and I hadn't eaten since breakfast, so we were ravenous. Our friends had already secured a booth near the back and were giggling like maniacs, so we figured they had already downed at least a couple drinks each. But turned out one of them beamed the poor guy sitting at the end of the bar when swinging a wall game piece that was attached to the end of a long string. It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye, right? As for my part in embarrassing antics, I had to retrieve my foot from my mouth after I blundered and referred to the place as an Irish pub instead of a Scottish pub. On the receiving end of a bunch of stink-eyes for a little bit after that. My only excuse is that I really don't get out much to drink. My drink (or am I supposed to say meal?) was a tall glass of Guinness along with the Scotch eggs and a cup of chowder. The eggs were the standard deep-fried sausage encased fare, served with mustard and made interesting with a variety of sliced items pickled in vinegar. My first pickled carrots. They were tasty. My husband tried the shepherd's pie made with lamb and bacon, and loved it. I got one tiny (delicious!) taste before he licked the ramekin clean.