Hattie's Hat
5231 Ballard Ave. N.W.
784-0175
Mon - Fri 11 a.m. - 2 a.m.
Sat and Sun 9 a.m. - 2 a.m.

Over the years, we've walked through the door into Ballard Avenue's Hattie's Hat many times, always leaving with a smile and a commitment to return. Time and time again, when we're completely uninspired by the thought of other places, we turn to Hattie's.

Nothing much changes at Hattie's, and although it's under (slightly) new management now, the friendly old dive bar feel remains. The famous back bar, carved in Europe and shipped around the horn at the turn of the century, still looms as magnificently as ever, framing consistently friendly and skilled bartenders who can make a drink, spin a yarn, or just leave you alone if need be.

In the old days, before the mid-1990's ownership change, Hattie's could be a scary place. The kitchen was even more frightening, and we never imagined eating there in our wildest dreams.

Stiff drinks and colorful patrons won us over, and anyone who was a customer back then has at least five unfathomable but true(ish) Hattie's stories. We kept coming, even when the lights were burned out in the bathroom.

When Dan Cowan of the Tractor Tavern bought Hattie's with a group of people who actually cared about Ballard Avenue, we had even more reason to hang out in Ballard, including the chance to get one of those bumper stickers reading "It's OK to drive big cars, drink stiff drinks and enjoy a smoke now and then."

The eight-foot-high wall between the bar and the "restaurant" made the bar feel dark, cave-like, and even dangerous on occasion. With the new owners came a cutting down of the wall to five feet, and oh how the regulars complained.

It had been fun to lurk unseen in that secret nook. But patrons got used to new wall, with the accompanying slight increase in light and openness, also allowing the bar to connect to the rest of the place. Hattie's soon enjoyed a reputation as one of the hippest joints in town.

The back dining room was shined up at one point, and everyone started going to Hattie's for breakfast. The dinner menu started featuring home-cooked favorites like chicken-fried chicken breast. Later a giant and ill-fated fish tank was added to the dining room, but that's thankfully gone now.

And Hattie's is once again experiencing resurgence as a new team takes over. Max Genereaux of the Sunset Tavern, current Hattie's manager Erin West, and local musician Jeff Taylor are the new sheriffs in town at Hattie's, and the new blood has lifted the spirits of the old place once again.

Our favorite hobby use to be to tease one of the Hattie's cooks about the lack of a fruit plate on the menu. "Why no fruit plate, Tommy?" we'd inquire, asked through a mouthful of eggs and potatoes. We'd find a way to work the jab into each visit, prompting his grumbling, "Here we go again, you guys and the fruit plate," and we'd all laugh.

We heard once that while we were out of town for a while, Tommy actually added a fruit plate to the menu, although we also heard that it didn't stay on very long. When we got back, Tommy sadly had moved on, as had the fruit plate.

More and more these days we find ourselves dropping in for dinner. The aforementioned Chicken Fried Chicken ($13.50 with two sides chosen from a long list) and Blackened Catfish ($13.50) are unbeatable. Ruts can be good, and we're definitely in a chicken fried chicken and blackened catfish rut.

And these ruts lead down a road headed straight to freshness and comfort-food satisfaction. The catfish always pleases: smothered in pico de gallo, cushioned by unadorned and natural braised greens on one side, and substantial black beans on the other. The Hat Burger ($8.95) is also a consistent pleaser, and in this time of unseemly burger trendiness in Ballard, this is a burger to turn to when all the other pretenders fail to satisfy.

But almost with clockwork, we'll look at the nicely balanced menu, go up one side, down the other, check out the daily special, hem and haw, and when the bartender comes to take our order, we say, "We'll have the catfish and the chicken fried chicken please!" And the always friendly, fast and sincere service kicks in again, opening up yet another chapter in our thick book called "Hanging Out at Hattie's.”

The Ballard Food Police visit all establishments anonymously and pay for all food and drink in full. Know anything we should know? Tell the Ballard Food Police at ballardfoodpolice@gmail.com.