Bait Shop

Bait Shop has been at 606 Broadway E since 2012, when Linda Derschang opened it as a port-town-themed bar, and Mike Leifur and Jonah Bergman — who worked for her at the time — bought it from her in 2016. The conceit is committed: nautical and tackle-shop clutter, a sailfish on the wall, frozen cocktails, and a genuine sense of humour about itself. One April Fools' Day the team converted several booths into a jail cell and a false-front western building, a nod to the company town that existed when the building went up in the 1920s. The food is proper bar food at fair prices — deviled eggs at $8, tots or fries at $6 for a small, wings at $17, a burger at $22, fish and chips at $21, tacos from $12, and an It's-It ice cream sandwich for $6. Happy hour runs 4 to 6 every day, and the bar is open from 4pm until 2am.

Because this listing sits on our closure watchlist, the status deserves a plain answer. The one-storey, century-old building is slated for demolition, the owners were told so more than two years ago, and in December 2025 they "technically" lost the lease and have been on borrowed time since. They are actively looking for a new home and want to stay on Capitol Hill; Leifur's hope is that it will be uncanny how familiar the new place looks. But nothing is imminent. No demolition permit has been filed for this address — we checked Seattle's own permit records rather than relying on reporting — and Bergman's understanding is that construction could not begin before the first quarter of 2027, and only then if the numbers work. The bar is open and busy. On the drinks: Athletic Brewing's Run Wild IPA and Upside Dawn are $6, the bottled Phony Negroni and Amaro Falso are $10 each, and a Recess zero-proof margarita is $8. One caution. Under that same "non-alcoholic" heading the menu also lists a Rogue CBD at $6 and a Recess Mood soda at $7 — both CBD-based, neither with any dosage printed. Order by name if you are avoiding cannabinoids.