Lockspot Cafe – 6/2/11

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Location: 3005 NW 54^th St

Hours:

Mon-Fri: 11am-2am

Sat-Sun: 8am-2am

Happy Hour:

4-7 Daily

You know, the more restaurants we visit in Ballard, the more I realize that Old Ballard is still alive and kicking. This time around we chose another bastion of old school, maritime Ballard, the Lockspot Café.

The Lockspot sits at the far west end of Market street right next to the Ballard Locks. There’s a goofy looking neon sign in front with a fish in a top hat and a colorful mural on the one end. The interior reminded J of old bars he’d gone into in Pennsylvania. Dark wood paneling. Vinyl benches. Lighting so dim that it’s like walking into a cave. A seaside cave, since the décor leans heavily toward sea shanty chic. At the moment their claim to fame is that supposedly the guys from “Deadliest Catch” have been known to hang out there. The clientele usually runs toward the sailors and workers from the docks and tourists visiting the locks.

The Service:

Considering the place wasn’t all that crowded, it took longer than usual for someone to take our order. However, once our order was placed our food arrived surprisingly quick.

The Drinks:

I had a pint of Odin’s Gold, a golden beer with a wheaty aftertaste. Quite good.

J ordered a rum and coke. He made a face when he tasted it, claiming that they used Malibu rum as their well rum. Not exactly the type of rum he would have used since it has a coconut aftertaste.

The Food:

Unbeknownst to me, J considers himself a connoisseur of fried mushrooms, so we ordered the Lockspot’s Beer Battered Mushrooms with spicy ranch dip. Not a fine example at all. The beer batter covering was tough, tasteless and way too thick. Inside the batter were mushy, almost liquid, mushrooms swimming in molten fry grease.

On the other hand the spicy ranch dip was delicious. Peppery and creamy with a sharp, horseradish tang. We didn’t finish the mushrooms but continued to use the dip with our French fries.

For an entrée I chose the Bacon and Cheddar Burger with seasoned waffle fries. Turned out to be a pretty generic burger. Fairly high quality, store bought patty on a soft hamburger bun. The star of the burger was the thick cut, pepper bacon fried to crispy. I’m half tempted to try their weekend brunch just to get a full order of the bacon. The seasoned waffle fries stood out as a salty, crispy companion to the previously mentioned spicy ranch dip.

J tried the Lockspot’s “Famous” Fish and Chips. One of the better fish and chips he’s had lately. They certainly beat out the ones at Ballard Brother’s. He found them to be surprisingly light, especially after the mushrooms, and the cod more flavorful than many he’s tried. He had regular fries, which he declared “good” as well.

The Price:

Rum & Coke: 4.25

Odin’s Gold: 4.50

Beer Battered Mushrooms: 6.75

Bacon and Cheddar Burger with seasoned waffle fries: 9.75

Fish & Chips: 9.95

The Verdict:

The Lockspot wasn’t bad. Just your typical Ballard seafood restaurant with average food. Yes there were a couple of things that stood out but nothing special. I wouldn’t mind trying the fish and chips but I’m not rushing to do so anytime soon.