Reviews
Recently we won 2nd Place in King5's Best of Western Washington Poll. We are also as of this writing (11/10/10) first place in Yelps ratings for Best Night Life in Everett, and second place for Best Restaurant! Wow. So I thought I would republish some of the reviews that got us here. I'll be the first to admit, we've had some bad reviews, and you know what, we need them. It's how we get better, so I published all of the reviews here, uneditied.
King 5 Best of Western Washington
See the original reviews here.
5 John S.10/12/2010
Excellent selection of both beer and wines on tap; and the events are personable, delicious and deliteful. A very knowledgeable staff makes your visit worth coming back; and you can even have your own personalized beer mug!! A great place to drop in after work, talk and have an excellent beer or wine of your choice. A very nice atmosphere.
5 Norm K. 10/11/2010
it's the Best
5 MelancholyWings 0/11/2010
Great selection of beers.
5 Darwin 9/24/2010
5 Pamkovach 9/24/2010
Great food, drinks, staff, and owner
4 Johnlocker 9/23/2010
Great unusual, interesting and tasty beer and wine selection
5 firehack 9/23/2010
Great place to get the best beer and wine on the market.
4 John Bell 9/23/2010
Jon Tobey is trying to do something great for Everett - provide a cozy relaxing place where folks can enjoy a terrific line-up of artisanal wines and craft beers with small bite accompaniments. His investment in a custom cruvinet to ensure the freshness of his wine line-up is an indication of his passion. It's well worth making a trip to Everett to check out Balefire.
5 Phb0203 9/22/2010
If you're looking for an awesome wine and beer selection... and a fantastic, female friendly atmosphere, this is the place!!!
5 Carbon111 9/16/2010
The best selection of wines and beers in the area with a knowledgeable staff!
4 Thgarton 9/9/2010
Nice place. Great wine selection and a vary knowledgable owner. Good live music and lots of tastings. Try it out.
4 Steve Hynds9/9/2010
Balefire is excellent spot to meet business clients or have a quiet glass of wine with your spouse.
5 flyinmywine>9/8/2010
It's not about quantity, though there is plenty...it's about quality selection, delectable live music (Inde, blues, rock), comfortable & casual atmosphere, friendly patrons, premium staff, delicious small plates & appetizers...yappy hour (yes, I mean Yappy!), wine dinners, scotch and wine tastings! Wow you should just start by getting the address of the website and check it out yourself, I need a glass of wine.
5 Markh 9/8/2010
Balefire is simply the best wine bar in the Northwest. The fact that it's up in Everett makes it even more amazing. One doesn't expect the apex of great decor, atmosphere, wine, beer, food, service, music, and clientele (and clientelle!) in a blue-collar town, but there Balefire is. Treat yourself to an evening there and you'll see what I mean!
5 Vurk 9/8/2010
A s a beer snob in Everett, I really appreciate having a quality bar that pays more attention to the quality of its beer and wine than I do. The staff are the best people, tell them what you want and they will take care of you. Also, Balefire has some of the best bar food in the area.
5 John 9/8/2010
Definitely the best bar in Everett. Great service. Great atmosphere!
5 Pcputah 9/7/2010
Great place, nice unassuming atmosphere. The owner has passion about wines and wines he serves his customers. Large selection
is nitrous gas preserved so you never get a bad pour. ot your typical wine bar. Highly recommended.
Yelp
See the original reviews here.
Christian P. 11/10/10
Everett, WA
This is the best place to have a drink in Everett. An eclectic variety of high quality microbrews on tap and by the bottle. The wine is very well selected and is lovingly preserved via a high-tech argon gas system. One of the largest cruvinet systems in the country. Every glass from the bottle is the same as the first. Instead of greasy "pub grub"the tapas like menu is provided by Kafe Neo which is very good. And if you're not in the mood for that they encourage you to order in pizza or whatever else from the food places nearby. I've never been to bar that will let you brown bag it, pretty cool.Wednesdays is"kill the keg"day where one beer is $2 until it runs out. It turns out that they now sell the replacement keg beer at the sale price as well! This is a great deal for lots of interesting local kegs, usually from smaller or newer breweries. And every Friday there's Blues magician Ryan LaPlante! Awesome music with no cover!This is a great place for before or after an event at Comcast Arena. If you live in Everett, then this should be your neighborhood, hangin'-with-friends go to spot. If not and you're a fan of good local beer, draught and bottled, served in proper glassware or a fan of being able to get a glass of fine wine then get to Balefire in Everett. Bring a date.
Ott p.
Seattle, WA
one of the top place in DT Everett to go for a sexy date and cocktails, definitely the most classy and sophisticate atmosphere in Everett. The only bad thing about this place is that they are closing to early on the week days. clean great ambiance nice staff great beer and wines selection street parking is always free in EverettI'm a FanOTT
Regina F. 9/17/2010
Marysville, WA
4
Great selection of wines and beers. If you ask the owner what he recommends he will bring you exactly what you like. Servers are attentive. The wine tastings are always good. Atmostphere is ok for a small bar. I have been back many times.
Sooz B. 11/10/2010
Everett, WA
5
The Northwest is still the top spot for Microbrews in the Northwest, and Balefire in Everett my favorite little find. With a top notch selection of wines, tasty small plates and appetizers served late, and a comfortable atmosphere for everyone. Of course, I am a bit bias. I am a bartender there, but it was all of the above and more that inspired my desire to become part of the family at Balefire. After all, I was a fan before part of the staff. The sheer number of taps may not compare to that of the "alehouses in Seattle", but each tap is carefully considered when choosing beers that range from 'everyday' drinkers that all taste buds can approve of, to rare, eclectic and up & coming styles to suit the more adventurous connoisseur. Plus there is an ever changing assortment of bottled beers to go! Sometimes I like to get a growler of my favorite tasty beverage to take home for my off hours. The most exciting change for me is in the music. Outstanding blues artists like Ryan LaPlante and Stickshift Annie and the Fugitives are still thrilling the crowds, but the original inde style music scene is growing! We have the sultry and beautiful Kolleen Klan & a few weeks back The Missionary Position! And they were so awesome!!! Check out http://Balefirebar.com. Now I don't have to travel to Seattle to feel like I've gone out. I want to make sure that Yelp readers understand that under most circumstances the Keg Killer beer is $3 per true 16oz pint, all night Wednesdays (so we might kill more than one :)). This is such an amazing price for a great microbrew, and yes...growlers are discounted too, so bring in your empty and leave full at the end of the night!! And to the IPA lover that wished we had Stone...Never worry, Thursday Nov 18th is Stone Brewery night! Just goes to show that variety is exciting...especially when it's all good! Tuesday's we've been trying out "yappy hour" so bring your pooch sometimes to join you for your brew. We are celebrating 2 years on Nov 20th, and boy are we growing. I'm writing this with a bit of a bias, as a bartender at Balefire, only to show that the staff loves it here too. I mean we did win the #2 spot on King 5's best wine bar!! You'll find that all of us choose to hang out at Balefire, even when we are not working, because it's that cool. I look forward to meeting you.
Kim P. Updated - 6/5/2010
Lynnwood, WA
4
Went back to Balefire after high school graduation. Great new bartender who likes IPAs also. No Stone on tap but very tasty Firestone Walker IPA was flowing. Someone was comfortably reading a book with a glass of wine on the couch in the front window.Check this place out if you haven't yet. Listed in: Good Beer on Tap
Everett, WA
3
Kristin B. 6/1/2010
Marysville, WA
3
I've gone by this bar many, many times on my way to other establishments in the area and have always been curious. I have to say that I did enjoy myself when I was there and it's actually a pretty cute little place. We only drank and didn't try any of there food but I was happy to see on the menu that Cafe Neo provides them with all their food and that right there is a HUGE bonus!The biggest downside for me was the white wine selection. For being a beer and wine only bar they didn't have that big of a selection. The glass of wine that I did order came to me in a dirty glass and was awfully murky. When I took it back up to the bartender, he promptly apologized for using the last of the bottle (hence the non-see-through beverage) and gave me a fresh glass on the house. You can't beat customer service like that!!!I liked that the bar seems to be going for the "cozy" feel with the benches and cushions and couch and what not but it was pretty cold in there. (Very minor I know)My friends and I had a good time and will go back for sure.
Tom B. 6/20/2010
Brier, WA
Solid little new addition to the scene. Great setting in a historic building right in downtown Everett, very near the hockey/concert arena. Cool high ceilings and crown molding. Huge windows. Makes for a great urban feel, very sophisticated by Everett standards. There are three coolers, each maybe half full, with a bunch of nice supermarket beer in them. Nothing too rare or hard to get, but all very well chosen, and kept cold. Lots of interesting and offbeat local kegs, usually from smaller or newer brewers. They have a few appetizers from Kafe Neo, and encourage you to order in pizza or whatever else you want if you're so inclined. Tons of good wine picks. Nice relaxed cool setting. I'll be back if nearby.
Evan B.
Redmond, WA
11/25/2009
I think it's safe to say that this place is top tier for beer bars in Everett. I recently went here to meet up with some fellow fly fishermen for a fly tying get-together, and was pleasantly surprised by the solid beer selection. It's not the hundreds of varieties like you're going to find at Seattle's top spots, but they keep their menu trimmed down to all top quality local, regional, and international craft beers. To top it all off, we were there on a wednesday, their "kill the keg" night. $2 beers! As in $2 CRAFT beers! No mega industrial swill here.
Andre B. 6/2/2010
Seattle, WA
This place is 'the scene' in Everett. They have lambic on tap and ALWAYS have excellent suggestions for both beer and wine. They know their product as well as any bar I have ever been too.
heather j. 5/6/2010
Mountlake Terrace, WA
4
This is the best place to go for good quality beer in Everett. They have a variety of microbrews on tap and by the bottle, plus a good selection of wine as well. Food is provided by kafe neo which is pretty good mediterranean as well. They have good promotions like kill the keg wednesdays where one beer is usally priced at around 2$ til it runs out. This is a great deal for beer that can usually be quite expensive. I believe they have live music and other events on a variety of nights as well. I plan to check out a brewery night sometime in the near future. This is a great place for before or after an event at Comcast Arena.
Jen S. 7/15/2009
Las Vegas, NV
2
Balefire is 98% beer and wine bar and 2% snack stand. So if you are looking for a fun place to try different beers and wines with friends then this is a fine place to go.If, on the other hand, you are looking for good happy hour food specials (like me), keep on moving. The food selection is extremely limited, mostly cold appetizers. Limted selection of non-alcoholic drinks. The reason for the two stars is not so much the limited food and non-alcoholic drink selection, but the TERRIBLE service. The "waiter" didn't bother to take my order, I had to go to him and give him my order after waiting 10 minutes in a nearly empty bar. Ordered a ginger beer and took them five minutes to get it to me.
Teaonnie B. 5/18/2010
Everett, WA
Best bar on Hewitt! Superb choice of wines and wonderful atmosphere. I always feel at home here!
Graham C. 8/28/2009
Seattle, WA
I am quite happy that Balefire has been able to stick it out so far... they have a great thing going in a somewhat difficult area. They are certainly a diamond in the rough up there on Hewitt.On my last visit I tried three beers and had two items off the food menu. The beer selection was very good - the beers on tap are mostly local, yet there was a something on the menu for all of our different tastes. The food was much better than I've come to expect from bars - the small plates we tried were all very tasty yet reasonably priced.My bill came to about $25 after tip, which was a bargain as far as I am concerned. I look forward to returning soon.
Jeanne K. 2/19/2010
Marysville, WA
4
After I long, stressful work day, Balefire was just what I needed. This place is pretty nice, especially for an Everett establishment. Balefire was clean, well decorated, and very well stocked with a wide variety of beer. The staff was friendly and attentive, but didn't hover which I HATE. I think the prices were reasonable too; my companion and I ordered a total of 4 drinks, and the total came to $13. This is a great place to unwind, sip on a beer, and hang out. I don't anticipate my stressful days ceasing anytime soon, so I will back here for sure.
Jon W. 2/20/2009
Philadelphia, PA
4
Superb beers with great service...I wrote that line two weeks ago when I came here - since then I have traveled over 3000 miles and stayed in at least a dozen different cities. You'd think I would forget about a little beer joint in Washington.... wrong.This place is great, high-class beers in a high-class joint. Love the service, and better yet the beers....
Kent, WA
Its getting 5 stars because if you judge this place compared to any other place in Everett. Reasons are they offer a clean cozy atmosphere with unique great tasting beers and wines that pretty much puts all other places in Everett to shame. Amazing 1556 porter My only problem is it closes at 11pm : (Drink are great but never tried food yet
anthony c. 9/11/2009
Everett, WA
4
food/apps=4beer selection=5service=4atmosphere=4prices=3Balefire is a jewel in Everetts beer and wine scene. Excellent rotating selection of Beer(Pliny the Elder on Tap currently), good practices on bringing in local breweries to share their product with beer lovers and novices alike, very knowledgeable staff...what more can you ask for?People will walk by this jewel and see a warm atmosphere, killer board of brew selection and want to discover what awaits inside. happy hour is awesome...apps and all their beers drop in price...did i mention they currently have Pliny the Elder on tap?i have been to Balefire a few times and have always left satisfied and looking forward to my next visit. Great Beer, awesome apps, experienced and friendly staff....its worth your time and your dollarsdont forget on wednesdays its kill the keg night....2.25 a pint for killer brew..... cant be beat
Bill G. 8/21/2009
Arlington, WA
James M. 7/20/2009
Mukilteo, WA
Extremely nice atmosphere and *great* selection of beers on tap! Unrivaled in Everett in this respect.Went there for Black Raven's tasting night and had an absolute blast talking with Raven's brewmasters. An OK selection of appetizers but the homeade Guinness beef stew is a must-try!
David E. 3/21/2009
WA
For beer and wine enthusiasts, there can't be a better place in Everett! It's as if every selection was chosen for some kind of unique expressiveness. Also, the tapas-style menu is also listed with beer and wine pairings. A good idea, as bad matches can throw off the taste of both the food and wine. I have to agree with Jennifer M. when she describes Balefire as a bridging "the gap from cozy to eclectic to stylish." For guys looking for a date spot, take her cue on the small plates. Yes, they are great for nibbling and sharing--a "chick thing" I suppose--but dude can always get a head-start on grub before the date. Then again, he'd ruin his palate for the quality of the small plates. Just order more. If you're worried about your budget--a danger if you suddenly feel like you want to try everything--Balefire is still an excellent place to wind-down an evening with your date after a game, show, or movie. There's no better place to end the night on a high note. This place is all about quality over quantity. On that last note, the last time I was there, I had a Black Lager and then followed it with one of the two porters they had on tap. Both were extremely tasty, with the lager being both surprisingly light and robust at the same time and the porter being full-forward sweet-malty in the first half of the swallow with a crispy hop punch at the end. I live north of Seattle in Shoreline, so I didn't want to drink much. Given that, those two beers gave me the maximum beverage experience without getting too stupid for the drive home. So drink smart and drink at Balefire.BTW, I think Ryan LaPlante is still playing his steel-body guitar on Saturday nights. The guy is an amazing talent--both on guitar and as a singer-songwriter. For a white boy with glasses, he can really sing the blues with soul. Make sure he does "I'm A-Gonna Kill You" and/or "Six Pretty Women." You won't be disappointed. The boy has skeewlz!
Sean O. 1/24/2009
Seattle, WA
Balefire signals a change in Everett!If you're a fan of fine (fine) beer (on tap and in the bottle) served in glassware that is specifically chosen to complement the beer contained therein (glasses that in some cases had to be sourced in Britain, the heartland of pub-style); and if you're also a fan of being able to get a glass of fine wine (wine that has been properly preserved via a high-tech argon gas system); and if you're the type of person who likes straightforward, high quality pub food - albeit highly refined pub food - then get your discerning, beer & wine drinking, food loving arse over to Balefire in Everett. If you already live there, then make this your neighborhood, hangin'-with-friends headquarters. And if you're looking for a nice change of pace from the oft over-rated Seattle scene, then make a special trip. Time your visit right and you could catch "cask night" or a wine tasting and/or, on weekends, a bit of acoustic jangling for your listening pleasure. Everett! Who'd a thunk it??
corinna n. 3/15/2009
Everett, WA
An amazing hot spot here in Everett~ With a great selection of beers on tap and a very welcoming crew in front and behind the bar, I plan on going back. The place is set up to chill and enjoy time with your crew, and go to relax. Well worth a visit or two or many.
a b 4/23/2009
Seattle, WA
4
Went here tonight for a Unibroue tasting. The beer was delicious. The owner was knowledgeable and friendly. The staff was welcoming and I could tell there were quite a few regulars that enjoy stopping by often. The beer selection was good and although I didn't have wine tonight they had a good selection of that as well and I overheard the owner speaking knowledgeably about the wines he brought in. Some of the food (the beef pot pie) was delicious, while another item (the salad) was less so. The salad was a strange combo of chicken salad and green salad, but if that's your thing, more power to you. Meals were inexpensive and the beer/wine were reasonably priced. All in all it was a great experience and I will surely make the drive from Seattle to return.
Judy T. 3/16/2009
Snohomish, WA
Really great beers and wines with ambiance and mood - right in little old Everett. The place is warm and inviting, great live music and events. Food is not your standard bar fare - very high quality. And the desserts are amazing.
heather E. 3/21/2009
Snohomish, WA
super nice server. good atmosphere. good beer choices and some decent wines. good for downtown everett.