Captain Blacks

The Best Bars On Capitol Hill

"Captain Blacks is pretty plain on the inside, but that doesn’t matter, because you’re coming here when the weather’s warm for draught cocktails and fried pickles on the rooftop patio. In fact, “Captain Blacks later?” is the first thing to fly through cyberspace in our group text whenever fake summer hits on that random 65-degree day in January. It’s the perfect place to day drink on a Sunday afternoon, and to take phone photos of your Manny’s pint held up toward the cerulean sky while all of your friends groan." - aimee rizzo

The 11 Best Rooftop Bars And Restaurants In Seattle

"Captain Blacks is barely two stories tall, but ask any architect and they’ll say that yes, it counts as a roof. The only real difference between a skyscraper and this place is that the people below you look like G.I Joe action figures instead of ants. Even though the view isn’t exactly the most breathtaking, you’ll want to check this Capitol Hill staple off of your warm weather to-do list immediately. The whole space is busier than Rattlesnake Ledge on a Saturday afternoon, and it’s a great choice for double-fisting frozen cocktails and smashburgers." - aimee rizzo

On the Grid : Captain Black's

"Fried chicken and waffles, and one of the best outdoor patios in Seattle. Enjoy a captain’s tea and drink away your worries." - Hum Creative

"Captain Black's, Capitol Hill by Hum Creative. Fried chicken and waffles, and one of the best outdoor patios in Seattle. Enjoy a captain’s tea and drink away your worries."

Seattle

Ethan Martez

Google

Came here for my birthday not too long ago, and everything about this bar was super welcoming and really made it more fun. It was my 21st birthday too. They brought me a cake, and the bar tender was super nice. Will definitely be coming back and taking my friends again. Great place to go for any occasion.

Lily

Google

A dive bar with minimal indoor seating. There is a patio with heated space lamps above but it is still cold since the area is only partially covered by plastic. There will be some wind draft. The indoor seating fits about 10 people ( lowly lit place). Someone checked id's once we walked in. It wasn't that busy on a Friday night so drinks were made fast. The two gender neutral bathrooms were clean.

Hugo Aguas

Google

Only come here to sit on the patio… even then there are better bars. Especially ones without hazard code holes on the ground. My party attempted to order a Pacifico and a frozen strawberry daiquiri at 5pm to be told they didn’t have their advertised Pacifico and daiquiri wouldn’t be ready for another 20. A captains tea and the on draft margarita were ordered instead (I’d recommend skipping the margarita for well liquor instead due to a v syrupy margarita). Upon going to the patio multiple tables were sticky and gangster rap was being played. As the only POC in a bar of white people… it was a strange music choice. If you’re going to drop $12-$14 on a drink at a patio, you can find somewhere better. Oh, and there’s no happy hour. :/

Carrie wink

Google

I was here for Glo pop up brunch. I love how this place looks . I need to come when the bar is open. Glo brunch is amazing. I can’t wait try brunch again when they able to bartender. I was really happy with my experience and service was awesome.

Victor Mendoza Jr

Google

Went here for the first time recently and will never be coming back. Walked in and bartender completely ignored us at the counter for a few min while he was playin on his phone. Then when I inquired about something on tap he treated me like an idiot and didn’t answer my question. Then we paid for the overpriced small drinks and we went out to the patio with this supposed “awesome” view, and meh. Bad experience overall, will never be coming back. Way better bars in the neighborhood to spend my money at!

Robin Curry

Google

Fantastic Seattle spot for drinks and ambience. There is a great patio with views of downtown. It can get pretty crowded, especially in the summer when the patio is in high demand. I love this spot and come here often.

Tom Biro

Google

Some of the best karaoke nights in town. Fun guests, cool bar staff, stiff drinks, and a great spot to hang before or after dinner or another event.

Mariska Calabrese

Google

The cocktails were not only not poured correctly, but they were difficult to drink. The atmosphere was awesome and the bathrooms were clean. The bartender was very nice.

Kevin D.

Yelp

Brian G.

Yelp

I love Captain Blacks. I love their drinks and their space. But their food is sus. Right now, they have a kitchen that *should* be great. Burgers and nachos and chicken and onion rings and crinkle fries. But their dipping sauces are awful. Like they went to Grocery Outlet and got whatever nobody else would EVER want. So bland, I couldn't taste the difference between the "blue cheese" from the "ranch" from the "burger sauce". The burger sauce was slightly less pale than the ranch and blue, but the flavor was no better. Was it stale? Can dipping sauces go stale? I ordered rings (good) with two sauces (bad). So I ordered fries (good) and two *different* sauces. Still bad. Ok, I guess the ketchup was recognizable as ketchup, up the rest... oi. My dudes: spend a half hour on YouTube and learn how to make your own, because that bottom barrel moist paste is not cutting it.

Zachary M.

Yelp

The music here is so disgustingly vulgar. When I asked them if they would mind changing it to something wasn't full of sexualized cursing, the bartender smugly told me, "we're sticking with this." Will never come here again.

Natasha B.

Yelp

Showed up on Memorial Weekend and there was a random DJ event. Fun and great people watching. Nice to have a dive bar with snacks. The back patio is a really nice space.

Lorenzo M.

Yelp

TLDR: I was denied service for no reason based on my ID and when the staff discovered they were wrong they still denied me. I used to enjoy coming to this bar, until today when I went to drink in the sun with my friends. The bartender looked at my Canadian Alberta Drivers license and told me they would need a passport. I explained that I have used my drivers license at all establishments in Seattle for two years and had no issues. I was shocked and did not understand her rationale, stating it was the law. The door man offered to pull up the law, and it was plainly written that valid Canadian drivers licenses are acceptable. On learning this, they still did not want to serve me. The bartender said it was because I "put up a stink", but I was just politely but sternly defending my knowledge and the establishment did not like that they were wrong. That's the only explanation I have. I gave them the opportunity to politely discuss this matter and they avoided me.

Courtney R.

Yelp

Friendly staff! I called in advance about a large party for my birthday. They reserved 3 tables for me and my 30-some guests! The food is pretty great as well, we ordered the chicken sandwich and carne tacos!

Liam C.

Yelp

Modelo's on draft are $8 wtf lol Seattle is an expensive city but to charge $8 for a modelo draft is ridiculous. Never going back this place is a joke anyways

Ally S.

Yelp

I can only speak to the drinks at this place, which were creative and tasty, but the menu wasn't very long. Both of the drinks were more on the bitter side, which I liked, but know that not everyone is into that. What really makes this place is the view from the back patio, which is incredible. The inside was also really cool and nautical themed. Loved the ambiance.

Juan G.

Yelp

TLDR; Argghhh matey *pirate voice* You'll sing yer' hear-t out. But there may (or lowe) be a crowd. Karaoke-spots seem to be all the rage these days (perhaps in my own circle). Captain Blacks does it so well on Wednesday nights! Their bartenders are always super friendly -- offering a quality gin & tonic or recommendation if you seek it. But the ambience is *pirates kiss* -- it's a neat spot which offers plenty of outdoor seating, and a beautiful overlook of West Capitol Hill & Downtown that is of course, pirate-themed. Highly recommend this bar if you're seeking more gold in your life.

Kellen H.

Yelp

Cozy ambiance and delicious fresh food! Love the slushies and the marg on draft. Make sure to check out the back patio at sunset, or ask the staff to take a Polaroid of your dog. The green haired bartender rocks!

Christopher M.

Yelp

Cauliflower bites are to die for. Stay away from the tacos at all costs. Has a nice patio and drinks are well made. The hip hop playlist was straight fire.

Katherine L.

Yelp

I love captain blacks! We just celebrated my twin best friends 29th birthday here and it was a hoot and a holler

Sara C.

Yelp

I love Captain Blacks, along with the sassy staff that works here, except the red head (she's rude AF). My friends and I come for the drinks, and we stay for the view. The patio is stunning, the drinks are yummy, and it's really the place to be on a sunny Seattle day. This is a locals spot, and I'd prefer all the tourists stay away, especially if they lack patience, although I understand, the staff could be better. I'd be open to giving this place 5 stars if they did the following things: added prices to their drink menu, and their staff became more attentive.

Corey E.

Yelp

Bartender claimed they do not accept Canadian license due to it being "the law." Once their employee stated he'd pull up the law to prove it to us, he understood the bartender to be wrong and that we could be served. However, the bartender was seemingly upset at being wrong and denied us service and refused to talk to us after. We haven't had any drinks, weren't belligerent or disrespectful, and were simply looking to have dinner. All in all, don't come here if you don't want egotistical bartenders refusing service when their own employee proved them wrong. After thinking deeper into this, truly go find another bar. Too many good places to deal with such trash service.

Alyx S.

Yelp

Higher quality late night munchies for those participating in libations. Also, really spacious patio with scenic view. Efficient and friendly service as well!

Katie M.

Yelp

I came here with a couple of friends on Tuesday evening because we heard they had trivia. We wanted to make sure they did for sure so we called a few times but no one ever picked up. We ended up going anyway just to hang out and turns out they had trivia just as we were arriving! It's not a huge space inside, but it was pouring outside and fortunately there was just enough space for everyone there. Food: 3/5 Chicken and Waffles. I ordered the chicken and waffles and I'd definitely say it was okay. The chicken was good and crispy, but I wasn't a huge fan of the waffle. I'm not sure I'd order it again. I also got a Pilsner to drink there too and that was good! Trivia ended up being fun and the service was good! I'll probably return again and order different food or just stick with beer!

Lisa A.

Yelp

Bare minimum service and overpriced. The servers are typically absolutely uninterested in your presence and you feel like a burden. Ordered a double margarita and received a glass that couldn't even fit two shots and tasted like a weak mix. I checked with the server to make sure it was a double and she swore it was. I always get doubles when I go here and I know what they look and taste like. I've been coming here for years and I think this will be my last visit sadly.

Kelsey B.

Yelp

Captain Blacks has one of the best outdoor spaces for Seattle bars. Tucked away in Cap Hill when you walk up to this spot you wouldn't even know there is a massive patio in the back with an amazing view. This (dog friendly) bar always has great beer on tap and a good food selection. During COVID they have been great with distancing the tables and keeping this place clean. Thankfully there is so much outdoor space and I hope they can keep serving up good times through these lockdowns. cheers!

Judith S.

Yelp

Bartender went on power trip and would not accept Canadian license. The vibes were bad.

Zach M.

Yelp

I used to go here a lot. Last time I tried to get in we waited for a while By the sign to get seated. Another group came and was waiting behind us. The guy at the door obviously knew the group behind us and were friendly with them. They sat the group behind us and said they were out of space for us and if we wanted we could wait for the next table. They were short with us to the point of being mean. It was the same group size and we were in masks so the only reason was that the guy at the door was friends with the other group and let them skip the line. After that we obviously were not interested in waiting longer for them to arbitrarily decide if we were denied because they liked the next group who came behind us better. I guess it's technically legal for them to seat and deny whoever they want, but it was really rude and I'm never going back. If they want returning business they need to do better than making it a private club for their friends only.

Zoe M.

Yelp

Very happy to have Captain Blacks open again. New chef which unfortunately means no more sweet potato fries :( but, the fried chicken sandwich is still BOMB! And the drinks are cold and delicious per usual. Great adherence to COVID guidelines, physical distancing, and requiring masks. Honestly, it was a nice change to not have to play vulture to get a table on the back patio. Keep it up, Captain! Cheers!

A D.

Yelp

Ordered the chicken sandwich and honestly it was really good, the fries are also well seasoned and the patio is super chill to sit at. Only thing this place is honestly missing that I would've liked is corona bottles for the bar :) I always enjoy my time here would recommend coming again!

Mary S.

Yelp

The server stole money from me. He edited my receipt tip and charged me more than double of what it should have been. I'm never coming back. What a scam. BE AWARE OF SCAMMER.

Clara P.

Yelp

This place is a great neighborhood stop for an afternoon beer, especially if it's a nice day. The outdoor deck has a good amount of seating, with lots of umbrellas if it's sunny. The crowd seems hip, but low key. I'd also be interested in checking this place out on a rainy winter day - the inside space seems like it'd be a fun dark divey (in a good way) place to hang out. Five-ish beers on tap, $5 during happy hour (4p-6p).

John C.

Yelp

No better open deck north of here on the hill, unfortunately. Wish it was bigger! Fortunately Captain Black's comes at you with great mixed drinks and homemade "street" food. Ive has lots of street tacos, but I wanted to try carnitas but they were out. I got the suggested chicken tacos and wished I'd ordered the fried avocado tacos instead. Luckily they have a house made Hot Hot sauce that kicked them up a new level. Get here early on a sunny afternoon for the best seats, it opens at 2pm. Views aren't sweeping, thanks to some pesky taller buildings, but if were being fair that openness can be hard to find outside at a bar patio of the Lookout.

Chanel C.

Yelp

"Had a bar employee follow me into another store and touch me. Really freaked me out being touched and followed. Filed a police report." That's not what happened. I'm not the manager at goodwill so why did he follow me and complain? I was allowed to use your restroom and went next door to shop. Your employee touched me during a covid pandemic after stalking me around the store. This is way out of line. I'm not removing my review. Subject: Captain Blacks review "I just spoke to our bar manager, Rob that let me know that you had entered the bar just to use the bathroom. Our employees are pretty sensitive right now and have a protocol to follow for any guests. We have been having issues with Goodwill sending their customers to our bar lately so he wasn't following you into that shop but went there to talk to their manager to not direct people over to us that needed to use the bathroom. I hope you can understand the situation. Your review could hurt our business right now that is already hanging on by a thread with Covid. Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any concerns and we'd really appreciate if you could remove it. Best, Brian

Sean C.

Yelp

Bartender was super disinterested, prices are not listed for some things. This lead to what I can only assume was a overcharge. Edit: they're pirates

Sloan W.

Yelp

I have been coming to this place forever and never had a bad time. Black is just my kind of bar. Stiff drinks and amazing staff. The girl who always has awesome earrings and the girl with the pink hair are my fav tho. Hot tip: ask them to make you a fun shot, they're so good!

justin l.

Yelp

The vibe of this place was cool and the quesadilla was excellent. The tacos were a good size but really dry so make sure you order a drink.

Crystal H.

Yelp

This bar was kind of "divey" and wasn't super amazing or really bad, I'm pretty neutral about this bar. It's pretty low key. It has a nice porch/patio, with an okay view during the summer. They have a nice selection of drinks and the prices were reasonable. My group went because we read they have trivia nights on Tuesday, but turns out they didn't have it! I don't know if they just didn't have it that Tuesday night or it is permanently over.

Jose A.

Yelp

Well they did apologize for not taking the Puerto Rican ID through an Instagram post however the reasons they used were not accurate. The door man stated he knew it was a territory and that the state of Washington won't let him take the ID as valid. He then asked the bartenders and they told him it's his decision to make. So he kept pushing that the is ID is invalid. Here is a picture of the website for the Washington liquor board where it clearly states Us territory drivers licenses are valid. The man at the door just wanted to be this way and made people feel really bad as if they don't need any other reasons to pile on for feeling like second class citizens. He insisted that the patron go back and get his passport. His IS passport lol. Anyways the apology was more of a give grace to our ignorant worker that was fighting the logic and just exercising his power over the situation. On a side note the tacos are horrible and it's ironic that they serve Latin food too in all of this lol

Chris C.

Yelp

5 star drinks at a 3 star price. A relaxed chill hangout with a great outdoor view of the city on the deck, with friendly service and tasty eats available...A hidden treasure in Capitol Hill!

Ariana K.

Yelp

Cool dive bar located in Capitol Hill. We decided to go bar hoping and this was one of our stops. Bartenders were cool, food was quick, seating was easy. I loved the balcony/patio area in the back. One negative about this spot is there is no table service, you have to order your drinks at the bar.

Daniela E.

Yelp

Came in for the first time always saw it while driving by. The service was meh at best, no one came to check in us the best part was waking by all the dogs. My boyfriend and I got weird vibes off of them, we were the only brown people there and left shortly after. The food was ok I got the tacos and they were dry.

Rpisces G.

Yelp

I had walked by this place many times, but never when it was open. So when I walked by and saw it was opened, I checked it out. From the outside it looks like a dilapidated run down house, the inside is not that much better. They also have outside patio both in the front and in the back. I would have liked to sit in the back but the umbrellas they have for the tables gave NO shade, so we sat out front. I only had a glass of white wine that was on the happy hour list. My friend had the catfish and fries (Fish and chips). He food looked good, and she said it was really good, the portion is quite generous. A total "dive" casual laid back place

Bryan A.

Yelp

They forgot the avocado, I'll recommend to only come for drinks here. Also make sure y'all come in with a bad attitude because they love that! Also order ahead you won't see the server till the next day.

Paul B.

Yelp

Horrible food. Horrible service. Went there to enjoy their deck and sit in the sun. They had just opened and were empty, but they wanted to sit me in the shade by the garbage. Then, I'm the bad guy for pointing out they gave me the wrong food and a bottle of skunky beer with a month old expiration date on it. Horrible!

Scott H.

Yelp

Bad service and worse management. I'm hoping to see a new restaurant/bar that cares about their customers. There are so many better places.

Valerie W.

Yelp

Patio with a view Fun divey bar in Cap Hill Some damn decent eats and happy hour Fair prices Nice staff Plenty of beers on tap and daily drink specials This is the place to be on a sunny day. Otherwise the inside is a bit small but I love hanging on the patio here. Always some interesting music blasting and it's an overall good vibe. Their homemade fries are good and the rest of the menu isn't your typical frozen pub food...it's actually homemade and good! Recommend stopping by for a drink or three!

Ken D.

Yelp

You want the place to go when you visit Seattle? You found it! This place rules. I hadn't had such good times in years. The staff is is fun as fuck and friendly. You can bring your dogs! I BROUGHT MY DOGS! And they are two of the most brutal Shih Tzus that ever walked the face of the earth! They be wolves! The drinks aren't expensive and the patio is open and fun with a great view! I go quite a bit and feel happy and comfortable there. A locals home and a visitors delight!

MJ A.

Yelp

Divey with two decks in the front and back and with decent cocktails during happy hour. I'm a big mule fan and Captain Blacks uses these cool Vodka cans instead of a copper mug-- and it works for me! Casual vibe, friendly bar tender and staff, and a place to frequent especially on a warm Seattle day.

Claire D.

Yelp

This place is really good they give wine in a can and put hand sanitizer on the tables for everyone I had their quesadillas their food look a little long but it was hot when I got it.

Yachtmaster 7.

Yelp

Had a great time on the deck overlooking Seattle and the crowd was fun. The drinks were priced right and tasty. Food looked awesome but we didn't eat so can't really comment other than people seemed to enjoy theirs.

Todd B.

Yelp

I like going to bars. I like to sit at the bar, have some whiskey and a cold beer, maybe some food that is good. I like to have stimulus around me that I can enjoy looking at or watching. I like it when the bartender is pleasant and easy to get along with. I don't mind when, weather permitting, there is the option of sitting outside, maybe even enjoying a smoke. I like when there is good music playing and not too loud. I do not like having to shout over music to be heard. You could get me to do stuff, weird stuff, if you put some fried okra in front of me to enjoy. I like a good pour and reasonable prices. I like bar stools that do not wobble. I like easy navigation to the bathroom. Every damn thing I like about going to a bar can be found at Captain Blacks, which is why, more often than not, you can find me there.

Marci L.

Yelp

Perfect atmosphere if you just want to sit outside on a nice day and enjoy a drink. There's a patio out back which gets more sun and a patio out front which is a little more shaded. This place is pretty small so I wouldn't just assume that there will be many open tables, especially on a nice day. I got the Moscow mule and 2 chicken tacos and it was the perfect amount of food. There were dogs on the patio, so I would assume that you can bring your four legged friend to come hang out with you and your friends. I'll definitely be back!

Rebecca M.

Yelp

Captain Blacks is one of my favorite bars. I love the front and the back decks. I love the city view. I love the food offerings - po boys and fried okra! I love the HH. I love the mojitos. I love the friendly bartenders. The only thing I don't love is the inconsistency in quality of drinks, but it seems only 1/10 is weak, so probability is on your side.

Gary W.

Yelp

I read the reviews on the Oyster Po-Boy and was hoping for an incredible delight that would remind me of New Orleans or back in Little Rock at the Oyster Bar. But Meh, not even close. It took me a few minutes to figure out "Your on your own" and need to be able to take care of yourself. No table service and you go to the bar to get your drinks and make your food order. I'm not shy so that's not a big deal to me. But, if you're looking for to be serviced, you need to plan on taking your order and going to the bar to get your drinks. Of course, I ordered the $11 oyster po-boy and it was 4 oysters on a soft Wonderbread type hoagie roll with some shredded lettuce, tomatoes and chopped pickles + some fried french fries (the frozen / deep fried type). It was basically, just work cafeteria okay. That said, if it's a nice sunny day and you just want to drink, and drink, and drink and lounge outside on the deck. This could be a good place to hang out and after a few pitchers of beer or rum drinks the food might be pretty good. As for ambiance, remember the movie "Animal House"? Well, if it was in Seattle and they built on a deck on back and got some lawn furniture from Home Depot ... that would be Captain Blacks.

Jessica G.

Yelp

Captain Blacks...MEH to you, I say! I came here to meet friends under the guise that I'd be enjoying a nice outdoor patio experience in the middle of summer. In fact, that patio is the only reason I gave this review 2 stars. Everything else sucked. I'm only in my early 30s, but this place made me feel really geriatric. What the hell is wrong with today's youth!? I swear to God, I sat next to a table of total burn-outs here recently. I kept darting evil eyes at them to indicate my severe displeasure at their tasteless and racist jokes (think typical WASPs). But I think I can safely say that if you want to meet the only hetero douchebags in Capitol Hill, you can come here. My friend told me that he experienced the "most disgusting food of his entire life" here, so I'd say stay away from the food. I was especially scared when I saw chicken and waffles on the menu...*speechless for a few moments*...JUST SAY NO. I'm a glutton for punishment, so I'll probably be back. But like I said...it's going to be for the patio.

Conor K.

Yelp

Going to have to update this to reflect the horrible service of one young female member of the staff who is newish to the bar. Literally every time we've been in the past year, she has been rude to us in one way or another. Friends of ours have asked specifically if we've gotten "the bad one." Nobody can figure out how she's employed there. The owner's daughter or something? Truly could not be worse at her job or more unfriendly to everybody she interacts with. Sorry to say I and many people I know go elsewhere these days just to avoid her. What a shame. Blacks used to be great!

The Best Bars On Capitol Hill

The 11 Best Rooftop Bars And Restaurants In Seattle

On the Grid : Captain Black's

"Fried chicken and waffles, and one of the best outdoor patios in Seattle. Enjoy a captain’s tea and drink away your worries." - Hum Creative

"Captain Black's, Capitol Hill by Hum Creative. Fried chicken and waffles, and one of the best outdoor patios in Seattle. Enjoy a captain’s tea and drink away your worries."

Seattle