Walked into Captain Blacks Bar Seattle and was met with silence. No greeting, no welcome—just cold stares. When I asked about bourbon options, the bartender snapped, “I’m not going to recite the entire bar.”
As a BIPOC guest in Seattle, I left feeling excluded and unwelcome. Hospitality should never feel this way.
Seattle deserves better. Captain Blacks owes its BIPOC customers and community an apology and a commitment to change. Until then, I’ll spend my dollars where respect and inclusion are on the menu.
Go to another bar! Before leaving this one, check your bill. I went there 5 times and every time I check my bill, they have charged me extra for no reason. They just add more drinks than I ordered. Also, the manager confirmed that some employees add more tips and charge more just to get more money. This place is a complete scam!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Sergiu Ispas
Got some slushies out on the patio and both were great. However the bartender couldn't have seemed less interested in being there. Had a hard time getting a recommendation from him and overall just was not thrilled with the service. But the view/slushies are solid so would still go back
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 2
Alexandra
First time visiting, yeah the music is a little loud but it’s a bar what do you expect. I’m a sweet drink kinda girl and loved the captains tea! Didn’t get any food so can’t review that but the cook was really nice and the food I saw coming out looked yummy so I look forward to trying it when I go again! Great views can’t ask for much more.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Aiden Mattke
Won’t turn off their loud terrible music. Bothers the neighbors
Atmosphere: 1
Jeremy Yowell
Solid dive bar vibes while also offering a great patio experience. Prices were decent and my smash burger was a nice surprise. Beers were tasty too - I'd come back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Alfredo C
I didn’t even have the food because the service was so terrible! If your customers are hard of seeing don’t ask them to read the menu and just explain the drinks thanks
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
Leo Paggen
Yeah i feel like a captain
Jake Vorono-Siciliano
One time in 2010 a bartender who works here asked for my drink order at a bar he doesn’t work at anymore but he gave me the wrong drink and then just took the wrong drink chugged it and didn’t replace the wrong drink. It was awesome, we’re friends now. 10 starsz
My friend and I were there yesterday, we were talking and having a drink when we got hungry, we ordered using the bar code on the menu and when 15 minutes passed I went to the window and checked in to see if the order was good, then from the bar, the bartender (the one that owes the cat) shouted “if you didn’t get a text your food is not ready “ and I replied, that’s not what I’m doing, I’m checking because I didn’t get a confirmation email/text. A few minutes passed and my friend to check, she came back saying this person, the bartender, with the cat, asked her if she was Hispanic and asked if she spoke English because there is obviously a barrier of communication! My friend is born and raised here in Washington and yes even though she is a woman of color she does NOT speak Spanish. It was a bit demeaning and uncomfortable. Again, the bartender went to check on the food and our order wasn’t there, then he came back, upset, telling us he can communicate with the chef because he doesn’t speak English and I said “well I do” and he laughed and said: I asked your friend if she’d Hispanic and if she speaks Spanish and she said no, which I replied “because she is Hispanic and no, she doesn’t speak Spanish” then he said: you go talk to the chef then!! LOL, I did, the chef didn’t have our order, it felt so uncomfortable that we left. All that being said is: sometimes I go to cap hill specifically because I feel safe as a heterosexual woman and a woman of color, to behave that way towards people because you feel some type of way about them in a place that claims to be safe is crazy work, to behave like that during this awful racist times Latinx communities are going through is crazy as well. Not saying that I won’t comeback, the bar is alright, but maybe some training about how to treat people would be helpful I don’t know. Yall take care.
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 1
Heidi Rettke
Patio is great! Music great. Staff seem disinterested.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 2
Shivanee Patel
A longstanding local staple that has everything you’d need: Views & Booze.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jacob S
Pretty poor experience. Both bartenders had a super negative vibe - one made a joke about “basic people ordering basic drinks” and another just unashamedly rude. We were celebrating a bday party and in high spirits. Luckily the patio made up for their negativity! Won’t be coming back.
Great dive.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Walked into Captain Blacks Bar Seattle and was met with silence. No greeting, no welcome—just cold stares. When I asked about bourbon options, the bartender snapped, “I’m not going to recite the entire bar.”
As a BIPOC guest in Seattle, I left feeling excluded and unwelcome. Hospitality should never feel this way.
Seattle deserves better. Captain Blacks owes its BIPOC customers and community an apology and a commitment to change. Until then, I’ll spend my dollars where respect and inclusion are on the menu.
#SeattleBars #BIPOCVoices #HospitalityMatters #CaptainBlacks #SeattleNightlife #DoBetterSeattle
Service: 1
Go to another bar! Before leaving this one, check your bill. I went there 5 times and every time I check my bill, they have charged me extra for no reason. They just add more drinks than I ordered. Also, the manager confirmed that some employees add more tips and charge more just to get more money. This place is a complete scam!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Got some slushies out on the patio and both were great. However the bartender couldn't have seemed less interested in being there. Had a hard time getting a recommendation from him and overall just was not thrilled with the service. But the view/slushies are solid so would still go back
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 2
First time visiting, yeah the music is a little loud but it’s a bar what do you expect. I’m a sweet drink kinda girl and loved the captains tea! Didn’t get any food so can’t review that but the cook was really nice and the food I saw coming out looked yummy so I look forward to trying it when I go again! Great views can’t ask for much more.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Won’t turn off their loud terrible music. Bothers the neighbors
Atmosphere: 1
Solid dive bar vibes while also offering a great patio experience. Prices were decent and my smash burger was a nice surprise. Beers were tasty too - I'd come back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
I didn’t even have the food because the service was so terrible! If your customers are hard of seeing don’t ask them to read the menu and just explain the drinks thanks
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 2
Yeah i feel like a captain
One time in 2010 a bartender who works here asked for my drink order at a bar he doesn’t work at anymore but he gave me the wrong drink and then just took the wrong drink chugged it and didn’t replace the wrong drink.
It was awesome, we’re friends now. 10 starsz
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great ambience and music they play
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My friend and I were there yesterday, we were talking and having a drink when we got hungry, we ordered using the bar code on the menu and when 15 minutes passed I went to the window and checked in to see if the order was good, then from the bar, the bartender (the one that owes the cat) shouted “if you didn’t get a text your food is not ready “ and I replied, that’s not what I’m doing, I’m checking because I didn’t get a confirmation email/text. A few minutes passed and my friend to check, she came back saying this person, the bartender, with the cat, asked her if she was Hispanic and asked if she spoke English because there is obviously a barrier of communication! My friend is born and raised here in Washington and yes even though she is a woman of color she does NOT speak Spanish. It was a bit demeaning and uncomfortable. Again, the bartender went to check on the food and our order wasn’t there, then he came back, upset, telling us he can communicate with the chef because he doesn’t speak English and I said “well I do” and he laughed and said: I asked your friend if she’d Hispanic and if she speaks Spanish and she said no, which I replied “because she is Hispanic and no, she doesn’t speak Spanish” then he said: you go talk to the chef then!! LOL, I did, the chef didn’t have our order, it felt so uncomfortable that we left. All that being said is: sometimes I go to cap hill specifically because I feel safe as a heterosexual woman and a woman of color, to behave that way towards people because you feel some type of way about them in a place that claims to be safe is crazy work, to behave like that during this awful racist times Latinx communities are going through is crazy as well. Not saying that I won’t comeback, the bar is alright, but maybe some training about how to treat people would be helpful I don’t know. Yall take care.
Atmosphere: 2
Service: 1
Patio is great! Music great. Staff seem disinterested.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 2
A longstanding local staple that has everything you’d need: Views & Booze.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pretty poor experience. Both bartenders had a super negative vibe - one made a joke about “basic people ordering basic drinks” and another just unashamedly rude. We were celebrating a bday party and in high spirits. Luckily the patio made up for their negativity! Won’t be coming back.
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