Old Stove Brewing Co — Gardens

your chef "Ericka" is super creepy and makes strange / inappropriate comments about children online. nothing to do with your establishment. with peace and love

Old Stove- Gardens is located in what seems like an old warehouse or shipping building. They utilize about half of the building. My partner and I walked in. I was a bit confused. There are two separate people working different cash registers.

We showed our IDs and ordered the first round of drinks. And proceeded to a very cute outdoor seating area. There are propane bonfires to sit around. The seats are very low to the ground. Which necessarily is not a negative thing. However, when the food came (will talk more about the food later), the seats are difficult to eat in. Unless you want to eat with your head back while you lean backward in the chair. Had to sit on the front edge of the wooden chair. Partner and I kept sliding back.

Now the food. I was sitting and waiting for a menu. No one helped us or explained how to order. There are no menus! But they do have a menu for their draft beers. Pet peeve of mine. Shows me that you are not confident in the food. Not to mention, half of the menu was "sold out." Bad business for a Friday night. So essentially, my choices were burgers, roasted carrots, or huckleberry bread. I ordered the smoked burger with bacon. Burger was pretty good. NO SIDES. When I pay $20 for a burger, I should get fries or a salad or something.

You have to order on your phone or at the register. Another thing that I hate. Also, sign at the table and ask the customers to bus their own tables. So I paid $20 bucks for a burger and more on drinks, and I do all the work. This morning, I went to a nearby sports bar for brunch. I paid less money for more food and drinks. They had menus and the staff bussed my tables snd asked if we wanted more drinks.

When interacting with staff, they seemed nice and helpful. This is not an attack in them. I see this more as a manager decision to cut costs and give less duties to their team.

I can not recommend this place until they offer fair products for the prices they charge. If you want to charge the amount you do for a basic burger, then I should be taken care of without question or expectation that I will walk to order and bus my own table. It's interesting that the neighboring bars and restaurants offer that and for much cheaper.

Also got a flight if in-house brews. That was actually pretty good. "Ring of Fire" is a great tasting alcoholic beverage!

But yeah, go somewhere else.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 2

Great space for large summer events.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Amazing addition to the neighborhood brewery scene. Amazing food, delicious beers, and huge open, cozy space. 10/10

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Held class reunion here. 80-90 person turn out. Casual outdoor venue,picnic tables,umbrells's,etc. Beer,wine,and easy food. Small band. Went well.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

Great outdoor seating and family/dog friendly. We ordered pork belly and brisket - both were seriously over salted. What a shame….
Pricy but that’s ok if it was great . It wasn’t. .
We need good BBQ in Ballard - this isn’t it.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 5

Great beer and outdoor seating, and outstanding service. Our sever Morgan went way beyond the usual to help us settle in around one of the outdoor fireplaces and get the fire going. Much appreciated!

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Solid four stars. Friendly staff, tasty food, but $22+ (plus asking for an 18%+ tip) for a soft drink and a sandwich is too expensive for a brewery.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

Great place to chill, eat and beverage selection has something for everyone.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Not very family friendly. Maybe that’s a differentiator in Fremont/Ballard. The garden is large but $5 for a kid-size soft drink that was full of ice. Not great. Cost: about 20c in materials. Not much in the way of kid friendly food on the menu either. Shame. Like the other venues.

Kid-friendliness: Large garden, but no games. No chips, no fries, no kid basics, expensive kid drinks. There is a $10 (spicy) Mac & Cheese *side*. Awesome ?

Atmosphere: 3

Service: 3

Nice vibes with the outdoor setup. Loved the beer and food. Staff was amazing. It was a great time.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great place for a group with kids and dogs!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

We hung out for four hours playing cards and watching the Mariners game. It was a beautiful day to be outside in the huge garden patio. The staff is friendly and works hard to keep the order line moving. We had the brisket and chicken salad and both were delicious.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I came here with my family for my birthday. Chef Darrell is a pit master with a background in fine dining, and boy does it show. The food was incredible, staff very kind, management very accommodating. I would recommend this spot to anybody heading to Ballard and I’ll certainly be going again!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I don’t really drink but this place has the best bbq around! (My husband thinks the beer is great too though)

They run out of their top hits fast! Chicken wings, brisket and beans are my favorite but you can’t go wrong. It’s more on the high brow side of bbq and brewery food for sure but the prices are reasonable and portion sizes generous. They have a rotating menu of seasonal items including dessert. I wish they always had the chocolate peanut butter cake. If you see it, order it!

The kitchen is not always fast but service is kind and friendly. It’s a nice place to feel like a regular.

Lots of seating for large groups and dog friendly outdoor area. QR code food ordering so you don’t have to stand in line. Parking is a dream, they have a big lot next to the venue and lots of street parking.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Smoked Wings