Mike's Chili Parlor Reviews

we heard about mikes on triple D it excellent .the menu is limited but it is a chili parlor they have great fries good drinks cold beer and of course the best chili in town .this is a bar so no kids but they do have take out

Cash only Chili dive that puts out great food. They don’t accept credit cards which was curious. Since they are next to a Trader Joe’s, you can tie a visit in with both. Nice.

Mike's Chili Parlor is a little dive that was featured on Guy Fieri's Triple D show. The Chili is very flavorful and spicy. I ordered the Chili dog and it was unique in a very good way. The fries are awesome too. Prices are really good and they have a good selection of beer. Staff is warm and welcoming.

Like my car, I feel that I need a personal oil change about every six months or 3,000 miles. And when that time rolls around, my favorite quick-lube is Mike's Chili Parlor, in the northeast shadow of the Ballard bridge. Mike's unique chili and old-school decor has remained virtually unchanged since I began going there many, many...many years ago. Their chili is of the meat & bean variety, served with an oil slick that would bring the EPA running with their containment equipment if Mike's was any closer to the ship canal. Back in the day they used to serve their chili with an equal-size bowl of oyster crackers on the side to help soak up the overflow. I believe that the ratio of crackers eaten to chili eaten was so lopsided that they were forced to switch to sanitary little packets of the crackers just to slow consumption. As the neighborhood surrounding Mike's continues to go upscale I fear that this classic institution, a distinctive, phallic, brick-and-mortar paean to Northwest lighthouses--or maybe the Aztec gods, you decide--will fall to the wrecking ball. Before that happens, I urge you to motor on over to Mikes to lubricate both your body and your mind. Unfortunately, places as unique as Mike's are almost bound to become victims to the condominimization of Seattle.

So having seen this local place on television, we had to try it. Time of visit: Saturday early afternoon. Street parking. We were nicely greeted on entering. We ordered a bowl of chili with beans for my partner; a cup of no bean chili for myself. Add onions and cheese. Oh, and a basket of french fries! Drink service was prompt and pleasant - we didn't know what to expect, having seen the other reviews. Chili. Not great, not bad. Mediocre. Yes, there was some grease, but it was tolerable. As for the flavor, nothing special, nor was it horrible. You can taste the spices - for me, adding jalepeno would have made it too hot. But the fries..........oh, boy. I could have eaten the whole basket by myself, and in fact wet the tip of my finger to grasp any stray crisps. One thing I don't think any other reviewers have mentioned - this is a CASH ONLY business. As one who normally does not carry cash, I happened that day to have some in my purse. Be warned. On leaving, we were wished a good day by both our waitress and a fellow behind the counter - nice.

Chili dogs, chili burgers, chili...you get the idea. No pretension.

This place is very very racist. The food was burnt, and the waiter was very rude and racist towards me.( brown. Man) I would not feed a dog with the food I ordered. The owner acknowledged that he over cooked the fries because he claimed I left and returned back for my order a long time so therefore he wanted my fries to be hot but the damn junk was super burnt. The white lady was so rude and racist to me. I would NOT RECOMMEND THIS PLACE. This place NEED TO BE SHUT DOWN ASAP

This was back when my daughter was 3, 2007 and she wasn't allowed in to eat with the family because she was under age. So, my brother in law stayed outside with her while we ate. We stopped there for the chili and I really liked it. It was too hot for a couple family members. My husband and I enjoyed it. We were on this kick where we would go to diners, drive ins, and dives just like Guy Fieri. LMAO. I really enjoyed it and the service was awesome. Thank you for the experience.

We happened to stumble across Mike's and were very happy we did. The chili was flavorful and the burgers were tasty. The service was very friendly. The atmosphere was comfortable. We will try and make it to Mike's when we come to Seattle next visit.

Fun little out-of-the-way place. Had the chili burger and a local tap brew. First time I ever ate a burger with a fork.

My family and I drove down to Seattle for a weekend trip (we are from Vancouver) and had seen Mike's Chili Parlour on the Food Network so we thought we try it out and all I can say is awesome chili fries!! What we didn't realize was that Mike's Chili Parlour is a bar and so they do no allow any minors in. My nephew and nieces were with us so unfortunately we could not go in, so we had to get the fries to go and we ate it in our cars. We met some other out-of-towners who also had minors with them and so they were in the same boat as us. Just something to keep in mind when you go - but the chili fries were amazing. I don't actually even really like chili fries but I really enjoyed the ones from Mike's!

We stopped at Mike's for their famous chili and were not disappointed. I had a bowl of chili and a basket of fries and my wife had the chili cheese fries. You can order chili with or without beans. I had beans with mine - wonderful - and my wife's order was served without them.she said she'd ask for beans next time. The chili had a pleasant kick to it and the fries were fresh cut. They have a good selection of draft beers and mixed drinks too. The interior is just like any local neighborhood bar; comfortable, fairly small, a little worn, but a great place to relax.

When we travel, we like to try out places with good reviews from the Food Network with Guy Fieri, so if a restaurant shows up on his show...you gotta go there! As we entered the restaurant the guy behind the stove was very welcoming. That was great. Our server was ok. We had a group of 5 different people and had asked for separate receipts. She wasn’t happy about it and her response was, “well, we only take cash so it’s the same thing in the end”. The restaurant only takes cash, no credit cards which is fine. One of the grilled cheese sandwiches costs $56...we were told the cook doesn’t like to do those that’s why it priced that way? We ordered chili in a bowl, chili on a hamburger patty and a burger. We love chili so we were expecting something spectacular. A little disappointing it was oily. The consistency was on the watery side. I know everyone likes their chili a certain way but this was not for us. The burger on the other hand was great! At the end the checks were split correctly and we didn’t have to tell her what we had...she knew when we ordered. We probably wouldn’t come here again but maybe others would love it? They have indoor/outdoor dining so a plus for large groups. There are TVs to watch games so another plus for certain individuals. Parking is limited so go early.

The Food Network segment on "Diners, Drive-Thrus and Dives" was wrong ... this is not a "chili parlor" or a "restaurant," it is a BAR. No families allowed. My family went looking for the place when we were visiting from Florida, but they refused to serve us and made our daughter stand outside in the rain just to get a to-go order. The chili was disappointing, certainly not worth the aggravation. And it's expensive, too.

Casual and lively on a Friday night, we had chili with cheese and a basket of fries. Chili was fine and not very flavorful, but the fries were hot, crispy and delicious. Menus has burgers as well and the parking was pretty easy which in Ballard can be tricky. Great place when you want something fast and good served with a beer.

This place went downhill fast in the last 2 years unfortunately. I went with my family and my grandmother and myself ordered burgers. Our rude waitress lied and gaslit us. We only received ice cold chili and cold French fries. They don’t even have the courtesy to microwave their cold chili. This place used to be great for food and a beer but I would steer clear of it nowadays.

The food was exceptional, get atmosphere and very friendly people. This was worth checking out. I thought we would stop by after seeing a short clip on tv about this place just to see the place . But we were really surprised on what we found. Don't be afraid to take a chance on this one.

We visited this restaurant specifically as it was mentioned on the Guy Fieri website and had been featured on Triple D. Unfortunately, Mike's licence does not allow for infants to be on the premises, not even in the outside seating area. I therefore had a quart of chili 'to go'. It was Ok, but quite oily and nothing special. I had expected more from a restaurant with such a tradition and history.

Took my buddy from out of town here for lunch. He divulged on chile friends and cheeseburger while I ate the staple of chile, onions, jalapeños and cheese. Love it and will always support. FYI: no kids allowed since it is a bar.

What a pleasant surprise to find that a great place 6 years ago hasn't changed. The chili hit the spot and the prices are fantastic.

I was recently in Seattle visiting my son. I had him take me to Mikes so I could get some chili to bring back home to my husband, who loves this Chili. I walked in and was ignored for about 10 minutes while I stood at the bar. The guy behind the bar never acknowledged me. He was too busy watching the TV with acouple of guys that were sitting at the bar. When I was approached by the waitress, she was less than friendly! She said "did you need chili to go?" I was also surprised that a quart of this chili is 13.00... I got the Chili and left. They never even said thank you! I won't be going out of my way again to go to Mike's... Too bad because the first time we went it was awesome, good food, friendly people, etc... Not so much now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It had to be the best meal we had in 4 days. We seen it on the Travel Channel and had to go. Sure the building is old, but it adds to the ambiance. Service was exceptional

So, hubby and I like to try Diners Drive ins and Dive places so I had higher expectations. It was truly a dive and the negative reviews weren't lying. Chili had a layer of grease that I could have done without. We watched one guy ladle out frozen chili into a pot with an inch layer of grease on top. I also would have appreciated knowing that this is cash only but there is another clever catch. I watched new comers realize it was cash only to then be forced to use the atm machine owned by the bar owner as we watched him fill it with cash. So they avoid paying charge card fees and make a little on the side from the atm. Smart on their part. You've been warned.

Goodfood. Great ambiance. The fries are fantastic. Old school.

We visited Mike's in the early afternoon. He serves chili in just about any way you want it. His french fry's are also delicious. You can bring your own container and they will fill it! This place has been around for 90 years and many locals go here to get their chili fix!

My kind of place. Great chili -- I like the chiliburger -- and good cold beer. (In order for this review to count, I needed to put in more characters. That sentence now does it.)

Low profile place with great food. We got there for a take away and had a pint of chili, very very good, better than in most of the restaurant. We will return to try other alternatives and eat there. Thank you a lot. By the way: I am neither a staff member, nor a friend or family member of the owner....

Great place for griddle-top cheeseburger with homemade fries. Had a bowl of the chili, the cup would have been enough. A little goes a long way. Things to know: They do not make menu exceptions and their menu reads the cost for “abuse” is free. Saw the restaurant on DDD, gave it a try, one visit is good. Thank you

Good, basic meat and beans chili pretty much says it all. A bowl makes a reasonable meal and the price is right, but if you're eating in Seattle, this shouldn't be on your top ten list of places to frequent.

The place is very dirty and I felt like I was going to barf when I walked in!!!

Look people visiting Seattle: people here, like most cities, like to pretend they have the best of everything. Seattle is sunnier than most would like you to believe and has tons of great food. People of Seattle- just because it's in Seattle- you do not have to pretend something is good just because it's in Seattle. This restaurant was a horrible experience for 3 of my group and the food was just inedible for the rest. Grease soaked Grade D meat with kidney beans isn't chili. I'm not even sure it's human-food. This is what single guys, just out of college make before they get jobs. I love un-healthy food; this is just gross. It's not even a good dive; drinks could use a $1 off the top to be a proper dive. Foodnetwork is obviously just taking cash bribes to put people on their shows at this point. Dumb, sick, gross. Wendy's fast food makes better chili. Maybe if you soak up the chili with an over-rated Top-Pot doughnut and put it with a side of horrifically bad Machiavelli pasta this stuff tastes great. Better idea: go buy seafood almost anywhere, get sushi anywhere (75% chance of it being good), have some MM's ice-cream, go to a real dive for a Rainier.

This place is a Seattle original, from the rusting sign above the buildings' brickwork to the fact it's surrounded by a new commercial building that Mike's refused to sell out to! Great beers such as Manny's are complimented by ... CHILI! You can get the ground beef dish served all ways ... my favorite is Chili Cheese Fries, but be warned, a small plate is more than enough for one! I ordered the large version on my first visit and couldn't move! It's cash only but, helpfully, there's an ATM between the restrooms!

Mike's Chili a guilty pleasure once in a while, as I did when I stopped by recently for a chili burger for take out after work. I love going to Mike's, especially with girlfriends at lunch time. We often are the only ladies in the place! The cook has never been very friendly, but he serves your order up quickly, especially when waiting at the bar for food to go. The waitresses are typically more attentive to the gentlemen customers when I'm having lunch with my girlfriends, but they eventually get around to us. Atmosphere is a bit dicey, and the restrooms are quite old. Parking can be difficult in the early evening, competing with the gym and Trader Joe's, but spaces are usually available in the parking structure next door. But the chili burgers and fries are great, so it's definitely worth a try.

Had seen this place on Triple D long before our trip to Seattle came to be so figured we needed to drop by. Caught a bus down near Pike Place Market (friendly locals got us on the right bus) and about 12 minutes later we stopped right next to Mike's. It is a 'dive' but very neat and clean. Friendly folks inside and the food was very good. Kind of on the greasy side of chili but that is ok with us. Catching the bus back is a walk under the freeway and while it is not a real desirable part of the area, the street folks did not bother any one in the group. We had the Big Meaty and a bowl of chili and a chili dog so can't speak for the other food but what we had was very good.

My wife has lived in Seattle all her life and I moved here 6 years ago from So. Calif, where good chili wasn't high on the list of anyone I know in a warmer climate. This Saturday was REALLY and after hiking the shady trails in Discovery Park we decided to warm up with a bowl of the famous chili icon in Ballard. The place was quaint, clean and had only about 15-20 patrons while we were there and the service was horrid. Whe our beers came (our waitress wouldn't take both a driink order and a food order at the same time?) 15 minutes later, they were so cold we wondered if they'd sludge up when we drnk them. Ok, LOVE the beer! We both ordered chili, my wife, ordered a bowl with beans and cheese and me, a pint of straight chili (no beans) but asked for a spoon to taste some before we left. That really confused our waitress. "You gonna have it here or you want it to go?" "To go" I replied, "But is it okay to taste it before we leave?" She huffed away, returning with our chilis another 15 minutes later. Now I've been to some greasy spoons, but I've never been to a place that literally defined the term. After a couple minutes of contorting my spoonful of chili in every way possible to help the greasy run off, I tasted one of the best meaty chili's ever...but both of our orders sat drowned in a good half inch of obvious grease. We sended the cook made absolutely NO attempt to drain off any that had accumulated in his batch and served it with an extra scoop of the hot orangish liquid. We decided to take our portions home, let them cool enough to lift off the hardened grease layer once it coagulated and try it sans the 1/2 inch of orange 'frosting' and reheated it. Then, Wow! What a great chili!!! Is it worth the work, and getting only 2/3's of a portion one orders once the grease is removed? Never again for us.

Mike's Chili Parlor is about a 5 minute walk from my business in the Ballard community. It is a simple but functional establishment that is both warm and welcoming. If you become a "regular" you see many familiar faces who also enjoy eating here. The chili is prepared in house with just enough seasoning and spices for a nice "after burn!" French fries are a must with a cup (or bowl) of chili. There are also plenty of choices for micro-produced in the local area. Be prepared for a great time!

A tad warm in the bar (it was an unusually hot day in Seattle) but definitely worth it. The chili is second to none...

Nice surprise in Ballard. Yes they have chili

Found Mike's by accident 20 some years ago and it has been on my list to take friends and family to ever since. The beer is cold and the chili is TOPS!! The only change they have made is to put in new windows and an ATM for the yuppies with their credit cards. I go there every chance I can and will till they bury me.

I had heard this place had great chili and was in the area... pretty darn good! Stopped in on a Tuesday afternoon, just a few locals. I had a beer and a bowl of chili with beans. The spice is balanced and slightly sneaky.

Wonderful old school dive bar with personality, history and great chili. The bathrooms are dirty, the chili greasy, the staff helps regulars 1st then you, but that's how it should be. This is not a cookie cutter chain restaurant and if you are looking for a plain boring chain experience do not go to Mikes, but if you want a great bowl of chili in a working mans bar then pull up a stool and dig in.

My Over The Hill Gang -- mostly retired geologists, scientists and engineers, and one retired lawyer (me) ate lunch at Mike's, mostly because one of the guys from Waitsburg, in SE Washington, was coming to town and wanted to eat there had a very good lunch. One ate a hamburger; the rest ate chili. I had a chili burger, which was largely chili heaped on a burger on a bun. Excellent. The decor is old-time, which we all found comfortable. Mike's is unusual, in that it only takes cash, but that did not seem to affect the number of its customers.

Always a sucker for chili joints. This wasn't bad at all. Parking was a trip but the food was good on a chilly day. Just foy d it by accident and went with it. Good chili.

Killer chili in any format you would want it - pasta, fries, burger, or just a plain bowl of red. Git some!

Stumbled on this while shopping in the area and so glad we did! Great spot, friendly staff and excellent Chili! Nothing fancy but well worth a visit. We were in both times around lunch so it may have been quieter than in the evenings, but still a nice crowd about the that chili just flew round the tables. Would definitely go back next time we're in Seattle!

Hole in the wall dive where the chili is OK and the fries are great. Service is so-so; probably better is one is a regular. Thought we were on time for happy hour, but waitress explained later that the joint was on 'bar time' and since their clocks were 15 minutes ahead of time, we had missed happy hour.

Good old fashioned tavern with good cold beer and great chill just of the Ballard Bridge and a short distance to walk and enjoy Seattle marine industry.

It's quite a funky place with funky food options! But we always seem to get good service and the food is pretty darn good. Definitely affordable. Interesting and fun atmosphere.

Chili is good. Beer on tap is good. And a good reminder amidst new Seattle of what old Seattle used to be like.

Everything we ate was good and our server was actually very forthcoming with refills on soda which is nice with such salty foods. However, with her attitude and the bartender’s, we spent the whole meal wondering whether rudeness was part of their “schtick” or if we’d done something egregiously wrong. We didn’t just feel slighted, we felt terribly awkward with every interaction with staff as they grew increasingly more tense. We immediately looked up other reviews after we left to see if other people had had that experience, and it looks like they have. You serve good food and have people who seek you out because of it. Why does it seem rudeness is the goal? After a long flight to Seattle, I just wanted a relaxing dinner with a friend and I thought the chili parlor looked cool. Being treated like you’re not worth the server’s time in a place with only ~6 other customers present was not cool or relaxing. It felt very intentional, because no service staff could have that little awareness of how to treat customers. Anyone who’s ever eaten at a restaurant before could do a better job at customer service than this staff. It felt like we were being punished for not being a regular or a neighborhood local. Why go on a nationally televised show if you don’t want customers?

I moved to Seattle in 1979, and it was there then. Still has the same grease. This is an attraction as well as a place for some great, albeit greasy chili. Stop by next time you are in Ballard and hang with the locals.