As we grow older, through circumstance and, sometimes, planning, it is life’s arc to spend more hours at rest and recreation. Born of these lifespan changes — perhaps for the ownership, definitely for the neighborhood — and named for the single most exciting moment in Seattle professional athletics history, new Capitol Hill sports bar 95 Slide debuted Thursday night in what used to be the HG Lodge and before that the War Room. (And long ago Mr. Paddywacks, somebody will assuredly remind you.)
It was not the most exciting night in Seattle sports history. But, at least, King Felix was on the mound. Pictures of the new joint and a few notes on E Pike’s rated rookie, below.
We first heard about the plan to transition from nightclub to sports bar at Harvard and E Pike in March. Pike/Pine entrepreneur Marcus Lalario told us the sports bar was an idea he had been kicking around for years and was finally ready to pull the trigger. We also reported on thousands of dollars of work being required of the club to meet Seattle Fire Department regulations. Neighbours faced similar expenses and decided to soldier forward.
Regardless of the financial decisions behind 95 Slide, the changing opportunities on the Hill and the ability for Lalario and Brian Rauschenbach to build on his growing restaurant expertise put the new player in what seems to be a solid position. There’s competition, of course. CHS advertiser Auto Battery is right up the Hill on E Union. We’ve also heard talk of a sports bar concept or two checking out some of the restaurant spaces in new construction around the Hill.
95 Slide comes to the game with a solid toolset. 20 televisions. A huge bar. A menu filled with sports-lovin chow. And walls covered with Derek Erdman tributes to classic Seattle sports heroes.
One remnant of the past will remain, the Seattle Metropolitan Magazine reports. The classic War Room deck will be open for lunch.
The new joint will be open from 7p-2a for its debut weekend — with a special 11a opening Sunday for the Euro 2012 final — but will shift to 11a-2a hours starting Monday. You can learn more on Facebook — or from the big marquee they’ve put up facing E Pike.
It was The Brass Connection (or the Ass Infection as we affectionately referred to it) a gay bar where they weren’t so hung up with checking ID.
I love the upper deck area. I’ll suggest this place when my parents come to town in August.
Before the War Room.
Yay, CapHill is getting some diversity! Not everyone wants to go to
a) trendy loud music bar focused with just overpriced drinks
b) trendy hipster bar with just overpriced (hipster) drinks
about time the ‘hood had a sports bar. was inside last night and the space looks great. hope they do well.
and no, auto battery ain’t a fucking sports bar. if the bartenders don’t know how to dial a simple nba game up, it’s not.
I hate going to sports bars because most of them carry piss corporate beer! Thank goodness 95 slide will have 10 rotating taps of craft beer to choose from!
looks like a bar for non-jock sports fans – exactly what I’ve been wishing for.
Dude … nothing beats when I went there two years ago during NCAA finals sweet sixteen. All the tvs were on a PRESEASON Sounders game. I was like, wtf is going on here!
Sports Bar on the Hill? I thought that’s what Bellevue was for. As straight as i am, I would rather hang out in a sports bra than in a sports bar.
Don’t forget the shitty hipster bars with underpriced shitty beers! They are a dime a dozen.