The folks at Forbes.com came up with their list of the Best Bars in the country to watch the Super Bowl. The only bar they picked in Seattle? Magnolia?s own Village Pub. Forbes had this to say:
At Magnolia, sports fans indulge in good old-fashioned burgers, chicken wings and crab. Known for meaty wings and a manageable beer selection (do hardcore fans want to choose from 100 brands of beer? How about "pour me a Bud and turn on the game"), each table has its own television set, complementing the 10 plasma screens mounted near the ceiling.
With Magnolia Village Pub under new ownership, we sent Sarah Storm, Magnolia Voice intern from the University of Washington to check it out. Here is her story:
Joel Stedman sees Magnolia as a slice of small town life in Seattle.
Stedman, the new owner of the Magnolia Village Pub, had been looking for the best spot to open a restaurant for years. When the pub became available last year, Stedman and his father Larry felt that Magnolia was the right choice.
It?s been a long process for Stedman to get where he is now. While working two jobs and saving every penny, he searched for three years to find a location for his own restaurant before finally discovering the Magnolia Village Pub.
?We chose Magnolia, but Magnolia also chose us,? Stedman said.
The Magnolia Village Pub has had four owners over the past five years, most recently Kevin Chung and Sujin Pang, who sold the pub to Stedman in December. According to Stedman, the trend of turnover has ended. Instead, his dreams for business include continuity and consistency over the long term.
Looking to have the best burgers, atmosphere and staff in the area, Stedman hopes to develop the pub into the ?go-to? neighborhood eatery for Magnolia residents. The pub will also take a stronger family-friendly turn under its new owners.
Other developments in the works for the Magnolia Village Pub include a new and improved happy hour, and the addition of multiple television sports packages like baseball, hockey and basketball.
For Cougar fans, Stedman says he intends to keep the Cougar theme of the bar and he is even planning to expand on it to make the pub a WSU fan stronghold.
After six weeks owning the pub, Stedman feels like Magnolia has already accepted him into the fold. Seeing The Village as a staple in the Magnolia community, Stedman is also working on sponsoring the Magnolia Little League. He hopes to get the pub involved soon in charities and fundraising for local schools.
Forbes Huh !!!
As long as there is Cold Manny’s
I”m there
Cougar stronghold???
Rarrrrrgh!
Big Red ROCKS!
Kinda contradictory . . .
“Stedman hopes to develop the pub into the ?go-to? neighborhood eatery for Magnolia residents.”
But then “he is even planning to make the pub a WSU fan stronghold. ”
I’m not frequenting any dang “WSU fan stronghold!
Very Nice. I know it will be a HUGE success!!! Good luck Joel!!!! Magnolia is lucky to have you!!!!
Very Nice. I know it will be a HUGE success!!! Good luck Joel!!!! Magnolia is lucky to have you!!!!
Magnolia is a great community & they’re lucky to have Stedman there; he & what he brings to the pub will be a great addition to the community! go joel!
Even though I was in purple and gold I still got great service.
The Magnolia Village Pub is the best!! My husband and I drive from Issaquah just to hang there!! Go,you won’t be disappointed!! Joel is a gracious and very friendly host!!
K
By far one of the best pubs around! I wish Joel owned the pub in my neighborhood. Cheers to the Stedman Family!
Wow! What a great article and good picture. So…………..Congratulations on being your own boss. Sounds like its going to be a “Cheers” atmosphere.
Glad Mom sent us this article. Love Linda and Bill from way back East
FAMILY FRIENDLY? IT WAS THE ONLY PLACE IN THIS DAMN NEIGHBORHOOD TO GET AWAY FROM YOUR ANNOYING KIDS!
As long as the food improves, one good red wine shows up on the menu and they clean it….that’s all I’m asking. PLEASE.
Please figure out how to get service in a timely fashion. I cannot wait 45 minutes to an hour to get my food when I order. People are starting to go to other establishments because they can’t wait that long for bar food!!!
Is that description from Forbes accurate?
I would love nothing more than the pub to live up to that description, but it isnt there yet. The need to really focus on the food because that is a big problem. The previous owners were satisfied with mediocre food and charging for little things like extra syrup or ranch dressing. Great food is the key. Take a page from some of the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives places, or from Mulleady’s in our own neighborhood.
As I said in another thread, be sure to use clean fry oil because last weekend the bacon and onion rings all tasted like fish sticks.
Is that description from Forbes accurate?
I would love nothing more than the pub to live up to that description, but it isnt there yet. The need to really focus on the food because that is a big problem. The previous owners were satisfied with mediocre food and charging for little things like extra syrup or ranch dressing. Great food is the key. Take a page from some of the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives places, or from Mulleady’s in our own neighborhood.
As I said in another thread, be sure to use clean fry oil because last weekend the bacon and onion rings all tasted like fish sticks.
Gee, I hope they can get more TVs in there. I’ve lived here 15+ years and all I ever wanted was a real neighborhood bar with decent food and I doubt that will happen in my lifetime. The pub is a faux bar.
You can’t be everything to everybody. Be smart, don’t be a “Cougar Pub” or a “Husky Pub” or a “Family Pub” or a “Seahawks Pub” or any of that. Look……just put out some good food, make a good drink and clean up the place. That will get you more customers than anything. The Village really needs this place.