The Woods (Seattle)

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The Woods
The Woods logo.png
The Woods (Seattle)
Restaurant information
Owner(s)
  • Joey Burgess
  • Murf Hall
Street address1512 11th Avenue
City Seattle
County King
State Washington
Postal/ZIP Code98122
CountryUnited States
Coordinates 47°36′53″N122°19′04″W / 47.6146°N 122.3178°W / 47.6146; -122.3178
Website woodsseattle.com

The Woods is a bar and event space on Seattle's Capitol Hill, in the U.S. state of Washington. Owned by Joey Burgess and Murf Hall, the business operates in the space previously occupied by Grim's Provisions and Spirits, which had an upstairs dance club called The Woods.

Contents

The current iteration of The Woods has hosted pop-ups, including Christmas Dive Bar and Mystic Motel. The former was deemed one of the best holiday pop-up bars in the country by Tasting Table.

Description and history

The Woods is a bar and event space [1] on 11th Avenue between Pike and Pine Streets, on Seattle's Capitol Hill. It has two levels with dance floors, disco balls, fog machines, and strobe lights. [2]

The Woods is owned by Joey Burgess and Murf Hall, who also own the nearby businesses Cuff Complex, Elliott Bay Book Company, Oddfellows Cafe and Bar, and Queer Bar. [1] It operates in the space previously occupied by the restaurant and bar Grim's Provisions and Spirits, which had an upstairs venue and dance club also called The Woods. [3] [4] [5] [6]

The Woods has hosted pop-ups, starting with Christmas Dive Bar in 2023. In 2024, The Woods hosted Mystic Motel and a second iteration of Christmas Dive Bar.

In mid 2025, the space temporarily housed Post Options after the mail business and neighboring bar Unicorn suffered fire damage. [7]

Christmas Dive Bar

Exterior of Christmas Dive Bar in January 2024 Seattle, January 2024 - 119 (Christmas Dive Bar).jpg
Exterior of Christmas Dive Bar in January 2024

The first iteration of the holiday-themed Christmas Dive Bar was held from November 16 to December 31, 2023. [8] It featured "floor-to-ceiling kitschy" decorations and a special menu, according to KING-TV. [1] In addition to holiday film projections, [8] the interior had Christmas lights, [9] a Christmas tree, a hearth with a fireplace, garland, large Christmas ornaments and snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, [10] and a wall with gift bows. Upstairs, a seating area and bar intended to resemble a ski chalet, called the Chug and Cheers Chalet, [8] was decorated with fake snow, fur throws, and lanterns. [1]

The drink menu had "naughty" and "nice" lists; [11] options included the Eggnog Espresso Martini, the Merry Ube Coco, and Santa's Sangria. [1] The Cider Smash had whisky, lemon, cinnamon simple syrup, and apple cider, [10] and the Fireside Old Fashioned included bourbon, bitters, and marshmallow syrup. [12] The menu also included slow-cooked "lil smokies" (bite-sized smoked sausages), [8] popcorn, cheese balls, Little Debbie snacks, homemade Chex Mix, and hot chocolate with marshmallows. [1] In 2023, Christmas Dive Bar was included in Tasting Table 's list of the 23 best holiday pop-up bars in the U.S., [10] as well as The Infatuation 's list of 12 bars and restaurants with "over-the-top" holiday decorations. [13]

Christmas Dive Bar returned in 2024, with the Sleigh N' Sip Lodge on the third floor. Among holiday-themed drinks is a gingerbread old-fashioned, a Grinch Martini, the Christmas Cactus with tequila, and hot cider. [14]

Mystic Motel

Interior of Mystic Motel in 2024 Seattle in August 2024 - 007.jpg
Interior of Mystic Motel in 2024

In April 2024, The Woods began hosting Mystic Motel, a desert-themed pop-up described in a press release as a "transportive space that takes guests out of the clouds and rain of Seattle and into a Wes Anderson-esque 1970s 'theme park' of a dusty desert roadside motel". [15] Mystic Motel had fake cacti and campfires, an interior Starlight Lounge, and an outside "campfire-esque" seating area. The drink menu had desert-themed cocktails, [15] including the Cactus Cooler, the Cobra Margarita, the Sarsaparilla Old Fashioned, and the Sedona Sunrise. [16]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Christmas Dive Bar in Capitol Hill serves holiday cheer". KING-TV. December 5, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  2. "The Woods Review - Capitol Hill - Seattle". The Infatuation . JPMorgan Chase. November 29, 2023. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  3. Billups, Sara (October 9, 2014). "The Lost Lake and Comet Guys Snatch Up Grim's". Eater Seattle . Vox Media. Archived from the original on September 18, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  4. Clement, Bethany Jean. "The Lost Lake/Comet/5 Point Guys Are Buying Grim's and The Woods (Really)". The Stranger . ISSN   1935-9004. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  5. Galvin, Sarah. "Into the Woods". The Stranger. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  6. "Little Big Rooms". Seattle Weekly . February 28, 2012. ISSN   0898-0845. OCLC   17527271. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  7. "After damaging fire, Post Options has temporary new home in Capitol Hill's 'Christmas Dive Bar'". Capitol Hill Seattle Blog . August 11, 2025. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Holiday Popup Bars and Afternoon Tea in Seattle". Seattle Metropolitan . ISSN   1931-2792. Archived from the original on March 29, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  9. "9 Seattle Bars Where You Can Get Into The Holiday Spirit - Seattle". The Infatuation. December 9, 2022. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 Abrams, Jenessa (December 18, 2023). "23 Best Holiday Pop-Up Bars In The US". Tasting Table . Static Media. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  11. "Holiday events to visit around Seattle". Seattle Gay News . Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  12. Cheadle, Harry (November 28, 2023). "Where to Eat and Drink Yourself Into a Holiday Haze in Seattle". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on December 26, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  13. "12 Restaurants & Bars Across America With Holiday Decorations 2023". The Infatuation. December 12, 2023. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  14. Smith, Rob (November 8, 2024). "The Christmas Dive Bar is Back". Seattle Magazine. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
  15. 1 2 Cheadle, Harry (April 5, 2024). "Seattle's Newest Pop-Up Bar Is Bringing a Bit of Palm Springs to Capitol Hill". Eater Seattle. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  16. Valencia, Destiny (April 5, 2024). "The New Mystic Motel Pop-Up Bar is Ready for You to Check In". South Sound. Tacoma, Washington. Archived from the original on April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.