Seattle neighborhood favorite makes Esquire's best bars list

A favorite on Stone Way and with those in the local restaurant-and-bar industry, Russell's has quietly been a great place to be since 2014. Now the Seattle spot finds itself included in Esquire's "Best Bars in America" for 2026 - one of only 14 named nationwide in a list published Tuesday.

"It feels pretty good," owner Joe Russell said Tuesday, low-key.

"We're pretty happy that our little bar made it through some pretty rough patches for bars and restaurants around the country," he continued. "And we're pretty darn proud that our friends and our neighbors like showing up to what we have built."

The Esquire list calls Russell's "chill" and "unassuming," the kind of place "where one might reasonably hope to watch a ball game … or fall into conversation with perfect strangers." For "spirit geeks," the list elaborates, Russell's also offers "one of the best agave-spirit selections" around - close to 250 different bottles of tequila, mezcal, raicilla, sotol and more, Russell told The Seattle Times.

Esquire also notes that Russell's "has a little bit of food," mentioning Monday taco nights. Those in the know also go to Russell's for excellent weekends-only breakfast sandwiches, named to The Seattle Times' own best list in 2023.

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