Golly whopper!
This is a wonderful dive bar.
If not for the flashy digital jukebox on the wall, you might think you stepped back into the 1960s and to a time when people could enjoy greasy burgers without guilt.
We went to Soundview Bar &Grill on a recent Friday afternoon to grab some grub. It was barely 4 p.m. and already the weekend vibe had kicked into gear. Balls zipped across the pool tables. Friends huddled around tall tables. A row of patrons perched at the long bar.
I was distracted by all the options in this colorful Hewitt Avenue haunt, tempted to perch, huddle or pick up a cue stick.
But my Soundview-savvy colleague, The Herald’s new social media guy, Ben Watanabe, said not so fast. If you want food or drink, you go to them. They don’t come to you.
Ben steered me past the revelers to a window where a sign said “No Sniveling.” It’s one of many slogans and posters plastered over the concrete block walls. There’s also a photo booth, electronic games of chance, an old big-screen TV and warmed nuts.
A friendly lady took orders and handed out glasses of cold beer with seasoned waitress efficiency. Behind her, a busy man flipped sizzling burgers onto golden buns. The aroma of grilled food was intoxicating.
I studied the two-sided plastic-coated menu. The place is famous for sliders but there was so much more. A dozen gizzards ($4.50). Grilled chicken burger ($7.75). Cordon bleu bites (a small taste of heaven for $5).
The line moved fast. In a few minutes, we were under the “No Sniveling” sign.
Ben ordered his usual sliders ($1.50). Not me. I went for the granddaddy burger, the Golly Whopper ($11.75), without pickles. I couldn’t resist the Wings &Dummies (6 for $5).
“Do you want the chicken wings first?” asked the chef.
OK, so maybe he really was a short-order cook. But to me, he was a chef. Such attentive service was like being at a fine diner. Here this guy was, doing 10 things at once, and he still took the time to ask how I wanted the food to arrive.
Now that’s service!
Still, I was worried I might have to snivel. There is nothing I hate more in the world than pickles. I always clearly order“no pickles” yet most of the time my sandwich arrives, you guessed it, with pickles.
Not this time. My Golly Whopper arrived pickle-less. Holy moly, it was huge. A tower with beef, ham, bacon, tomato, lettuce and Thousand Island dressing, served on a French roll, cut in half. It’s a burger for two people, really. You have to open wide to eat this thing, but every bite was delicious. It came with a mound of skinny fries. The wings were robust and crispy.
Ben’s slider was big for a slider. Ben talking about those sliders is what led to this dining review in the first place.
The Soundview draws a mix of patrons in denim and leather: bikers, Boeing workers, college students, locals blonde and gray. Expect to be chatted up by at least one stranger at any given visit. And feel free to chat up one.
There’s a large fenced patio with ashtrays, horseshoe pits and a garden with gnomes and rubber ducks.
The outside oasis is across the alley from the building with the 20-foot muffler man on the roof. You can stare at his buff fiberglass backside and watch the sunset.
The Soundview comes alive after dark. There’s a mix of hair metal and hardcore rap music, a real Jekyll/Hyde dichotomy, said Ben.
For Ben, it’s a place to cap off an evening.
“As a kid in Everett, I remember going to Herfy’s burgers after Little League games and getting a burger with my family from time to time,” he said. “As an adult, instead I go to the Soundview after Mariners games and get a slider.”
More often, it’s after a night of drinking. Nothing hits the spot like a no-frills and fully satisfying cheeseburger. “It’s the best option Everett has in lieu of a Dick’s Drive-in,” Ben said. “The simple bun, a few pickle slices, hamburger and cheese are exactly what you’d expect from a tavern, and they deliver on that expectation.”
Ben’s advice: “Don’t order them one at a time during a busy rush, especially late at night. Order them in bulk, spread them among friends, and be a hero.”
Want more?
“Anyone feeling up for something more substantive should get the bacon cheeseburger. It’s a larger patty and bun, comes with lettuce and tomato, and satisfies that itch in times when two or three sliders won’t do,” Ben said.
Maybe so, but after that Golly Whopper, for me there’s no going back to smaller burgers.
By golly!
Andrea Brown at 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.
Soundview Bar &Grill
1116 Hewitt Ave., Everett; 425-259-3383.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily.
Alcohol: Full bar.
Vegetarian options: Some appetizers.
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