Everett waterfront restaurant and brewer approaches 30

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, June 3, 2026

EVERETT — On the Fourth of July 1996, the Everett waterfront brewery and restaurant, Scuttlebutt Brewing Company, brewed its first beer.

Almost 30 years later, the time has flown by, said the family business’s general manager Phil Bannan Jr. From their first location, a former fish processing plant on West Marine View Drive, to their current home at 1205 Craftsman Way, the Bannans remember when the waterfront was mostly dirt and gravel.

“We’re just really grateful that we’re still going strong after 30 years,” Bannan said. “We love this community.”

Bannan’s parents, Phil and Cynthia “Scuttle” Bannan, started the restaurant after a homebrewing kit Phil Bannan Sr. got as a Father’s Day gift overtook the family kitchen, according to the Scuttlebut website.

“My dad had a real love for beer,” Phil Bannan Jr. told The Daily Herald. “He was home brewing, and he wanted to start a business, and you know, make sure he’d never run out of beer.”

Scuttlebutt remains a family-owned establishment, with multiple generations of Bannans working at the restaurant, including Phil Bannan Jr.’s own son.

“That’s probably the best thing about this company, is getting to work with my family,” Bannan said.

Scuttlebutt’s actual brewing process occurs around 3 miles away at its brewery and taproom on Cedar Street in Everett. While the restaurant offers a variety of beers, including seasonal spins of the classic drink, their brewer’s current specialty is lagers and pilsners.

“All the different subtleties of lagers and pilsners is pretty interesting,” Bannan said. “They’re light, and so they have to be really refined and perfect. He’s a real savant at light beers.”

Lagers are brewed at cool temperatures by slow fermentation with a slow-acting yeast. Pilsners are a type of lager brewed with specific yeast and malted barley.

Last year, the big leagues of beer collaborated with Seattle Mariner Cal Raleigh.

“We’d never done a celebrity endorsement,” Bannan said. “But it just was too fitting, and I wouldn’t be able to sleep if we passed up on it.”

Released in August 2025, the crisp lager shares the catcher’s nickname. Big Dumper Beer is available year-round and brings a mild malty character and light lime notes to the plate.

While celebrity beers are a hit, it’s the clam chowder that keeps people coming back.

Scuttlebutt employee Alex Bergstrom said the chowder and the fish and chips are some of the most popular menu items.

“We’ve had the same guy making our soups for the last 15 years now,” he said. “He’s got it down to a science.”

Whether they live nearby or are traveling from towns like Lake Stevens and Snohomish, Bergstrom said the restaurant has around 100 regulars who pop in.

“I just love interacting with people,” he said. “You can help someone turn their day around, too, just by how you treat them and what kind of experience they have in the restaurant.”

On July 25, Scuttlebutt is commemorating three decades with a celebration at the Cedar Street taproom from 2-9 p.m. The events will feature a food truck, flash tattoos, live music and the special release of their 30th-anniversary beer.

If you go

The family pub is located at 1205 Craftsman Way. The Everett staple is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Their taproom at 3310 Cedar Street is open Monday through Friday from 2-9 p.m., Saturday 2-9 p.m. and Sunday, 1-8:30 p.m.

You can learn more about their beer selection at scuttlebuttbrewing.com.