Ballard is located in Seattle, Washington, and is a considerably large neighborhood just across the ship canal from the the Magnolia neighborhood, just west of Queen Anne and downtown. Puget Sound’s Shilshole Bay borders its westernmost side, making a large portion of this neighborhood right on the waterfront. The Washington Ship Canal, it’s southernmost edge, connects Lake Washington, the second largest lake in the state with Lake Union, the small freshwater lake that sits just to the north of downtown Seattle.
Ballard is a hub for artists, jazz lovers, history-buffs, young people, families and professionals. It truly features an eclectic blend of Seattle locals, and for good reason. Ballard is known for being a particularly beautiful area of Washington, with its ocean views and direct water access. Golden Gardens Park borders the westernmost edge of Ballard along the ocean, and is one of the most beautiful parks in all of Washington. It is also one of the most popular. With views of the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains, it is simply one of the best places to have a picnic, go ocean swimming, play volleyball, sunbath, hike along the rugged coastline or go fishing off the pier. There was even an off-leash dog park recently added.
Downtown Ballard is a treat for residents and tourists alike. Featuring some of the most excellent shopping, coffee shops, bars and restaurants in the state, it should not be missed. This neighborhood is known especially for its pan-Asian restaurants and, of course, its Scandinavian inspired cuisine. Restaurant brunch attracts tourists and locals and it is a famous neighbourhood for live music restaurants. The Ballard Seafood Festival draws a great crowd, and the art walk put on every second Saturday of the month is a truly special event. There is a thriving arts community in Ballard, and its comes to life during the art walk. There is an especial love for jazz in the area as well, and the musicians add color and life.

Finding open restaurants that is worth the visit on a special day such as Christmas often prove to be impossible and the following restaurant brunch venues are open for great Christmas day meals.
• Thai Siam at 8305 15th Ave NW, Seattle is a great Ballard restaurant open Christmas day, great for kids, good for groups, medium price range, no delivery, do take-out, and no outdoor seating.
• Plaka Estiatorio is a Greek restaurant also in the Ballard neighborhood at 5407 20th Ave NW, Seattle is good for groups and kids, no delivery, does take-out and good for dinners.
• The Walrus and The Carpenter in the Ballard neighborhood serves American cuisine and Seafood. They re located at 4743 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle.
• Paseo, which serves Caribbean cuisine also opens on Christmas Day located at 6226 Sea, view Ave NW, Seattle. This restaurant is great for kids, has outdoor seating and casual ambience is open normally from 11 am to 8 pm and great for restaurant brunch.
• Vietnam restaurant with Vietnamese cuisine tunes their radio into light Christian music on Christmas Day is located at 7040 15th Ave NW , Seattle
• La Isla serves Latin America cuisine Puerto Rican cuisine located at 2320 NW Market str. Seattle
• The Fat hen serves great restaurant breakfast and brunch and specially opens on Christmas Day. They are located at 1418 NW 70TH St, Seattle
• La Carta de Oaxaca is a Mexican restaurant at 5431 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle and only good for dinners as they open 5pm in the afternoon. Not good for kids or groups, has outdoor seating and loud noise level
• Pho Big Bowl is a Vietnamese restaurant at 2248 NW Market st, Seattle and opens on Christmas days. Good for restaurant brunch with opening hours from 10 am – 10 pm. Good for kids and groups with no outdoor seating

One of the most important day’s of the year is coming up and this article f3eatures some great restaurant brunch spots to treat the special woman. Although they also have full menus and some features live music, we concentrate on brunch for your wife or mother.
Ballard Restaurant Brunch
Bastille Café and Bar is a French restaurant serving delectable food for mothers day. Brunch is served from 10 am until 3 pm on Sunday. In-house granola with honey accompanied with milk straight from Vashon Island Sea Breeze farm. Smoked wild king salmon with tender greens are among the lovely brunch offering.
The Fat Hen has Northwestern cuisine serves their mother’s day restaurant brunch from eight am - 3 pm with an excellent menu. Poached or baked egg on a muffin, with a hollandaise finish. House-made granola and thick toast with handcrafted jam to round of the restaurant brunch.
Bellevue Restaurant Brunch
Trellis with its northwestern cuisine from 10.30 – 2.30 offers a brunch menu to indulge in. Chevre and artichoke Bennie tart with cornmeal custard cakes and kale gratin tart for a lovely brunch for special ladies.
Monsoon East offers Vietnamese cuisine with their brunch from 10 am – 3 pm. Their menus offers duck confit hash; savory crepes, Dungeness crab Bennie and banana bread French toast.
Belltown Restaurant Brunch
Tilikum place café offers northwest cuisine from 8 am – 3 pm. Dutch baby pancake’s, either sweet or savory, and fragrant sardine sandwiches. House-made sausage baked eggs and baked beans on toast to remind of a trip to the English countryside.
Le Pichet offers French cuisine from 11.30 – 5.30 with superb broiled eggs and ham. Veal sweetbread terrine with watercress cream, house made yogurt with honey are some of the delectable brunch offerings.
Capitol Hill Restaurant brunch
Vios with its Greek cuisine opens for brunch at 10 am – 3 pm. Offering Greek style carbonara and lovely benedicts built on latke foundations.

A look at some great Ballard Restaurants featuring live music and great restaurant brunch:

• Conor Byrne Pub in 5140 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle is a great Irish Pub with live music. No restaurant brunch however as doors only open at 3 pm till 2 am. Street parking, happy hour, full bar with live music and good for dancing and large groups. No outdoor seating, but waiter service, no catering or take outs are done.
• Sunset Tavern in 5433 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle with live music falls under categories of Pizza, Music venues and Dive bars. Weekday’s breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinners are served with opening hours 6 pm till 2 am. Sundays 4 pm till 2 am. Casual attire, good for groups, take outs are available, waiter service and street parking. Alcohol is a full bar, no smoking and not good for dancing.
• Tractor Tavern is a music venue and moderately priced with live music every night of the week. Situated at 5213 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle. Restaurant brunch available with opening hours 8 pm till 2 am. No happy hour, full bar, good for dancing and no outdoor seating.
• Sweet Lou’s at 820 NW 85th St, Seattle categorizes as, Beer, wine & spirits, pubs, barbeque with great restaurant brunch and no breakfast. Opening hours 11 pm – 2 am, take-out available, outdoor seating, private parking lot, good for kids, good for groups, happy hour, live music, not good for dancing, full bar and a TV.
• Molly Maguires at 610 NW 65th St, Seattle is an Irish pub, live music, weekend restaurant brunch, week days opening hours 2 pm till 2 am, weekend 11 am till 2 am. Street parking, not good for kids, good for groups, no take-out, free Wi-Fi, happy hour, full bar and outdoor, patio smoking areas, has a TV and no catering.

A look at some great Ballard Restaurants featuring live music and great restaurant brunch:

• Conor Byrne Pub in 5140 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle is a great Irish Pub with live music. No restaurant brunch however as doors only open at 3 pm till 2 am. Street parking, happy hour, full bar with live music and good for dancing and large groups. No outdoor seating, but waiter service, no catering or take outs are done.
• Sunset Tavern in 5433 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle with live music falls under categories of Pizza, Music venues and Dive bars. Weekday’s breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinners are served with opening hours 6 pm till 2 am. Sundays 4 pm till 2 am. Casual attire, good for groups, take outs are available, waiter service and street parking. Alcohol is a full bar, no smoking and not good for dancing.
• Tractor Tavern is a music venue and moderately priced with live music every night of the week. Situated at 5213 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle. Restaurant brunch available with opening hours 8 pm till 2 am. No happy hour, full bar, good for dancing and no outdoor seating.
• Sweet Lou’s at 820 NW 85th St, Seattle categorizes as, Beer, wine & spirits, pubs, barbeque with great restaurant brunch and no breakfast. Opening hours 11 pm – 2 am, take-out available, outdoor seating, private parking lot, good for kids, good for groups, happy hour, live music, not good for dancing, full bar and a TV.
• Molly Maguires at 610 NW 65th St, Seattle is an Irish pub, live music, weekend restaurant brunch, week days opening hours 2 pm till 2 am, weekend 11 am till 2 am. Street parking, not good for kids, good for groups, no take-out, free Wi-Fi, happy hour, full bar and outdoor, patio smoking areas, has a TV and no catering.

• Hazlewood is located at 2311 NW Market St. Seattle with American Cuisine. This restaurant is popular for Happy Hour, Late Night and Live music and alcohol is served.
• Sweet Lou’s is a great Barbeque, Pub food restaurant at 820 NW 85th St. Seattle. They serve alcohol and have a happy hour, great for late night, free Wi-Fi, Live music and kid friendly.
• Smokin’ Pete’s BBQ is another Barbeque restaurant located at 1918 NW 65th St. Seattle and famous for their Subs and sandwiches making for great restaurant brunch menu. They have a happy hour, live music and are kid friendly.
• Enlighten Café and Art Gallery at 5424 Ballard Avenue, NW, Seattle is great for restaurant brunch, coffee, Tapas, Ice cream and Desserts. It is a Gluten-Free restaurant, kid friendly, serve alcohol and have a happy hour, free Wi-Fi and live music.
• Holy Grounds Coffee house at 9000 Holman Road, Seattle is great for restaurant brunch with Subs, Sandwiches, no alcohol is served, but they are kid friendly, have free Wi-Fi and Live Music.
• Tailgaters Sports Bar at 5100 Ballard Ave, NW Seattle serves breakfast, brunch and pub food. They serve alcohol, have a happy hour, are kid friendly, is a Sports Bar, Have free Wi-Fi and Live music and also caters for private functions and parties.
• Salmon Bay Eagles at 5216 20th Ave NW Seattle is an American restaurant with live music.
• Goofy’s at 8519 15th Ave NW Seattle is an American cuisine and restaurant brunch is served in all types of burgers. They serve alcohol; have a happy hour, great for late night, mainly Sports Bar with live music.
• Hatties Hat at 5231 Ballard Ave NW Seattle serves American Cuisine, restaurant brunch, Pub food and Barbeque. It is a Gluten-Free restaurant with happy hour, is kid friendly, romantic atmosphere, great for late night, has live music, free Wi-Fi and caters for private functions and parties.

The old Paratii Craft Bar made space for Billy Beach Sushi & Bar in the beginning of May. Anyone living or visiting Ballard on the 2nd of May might have been or should have been at the grand opening of new restaurant. Billy Beach is known as a chef who had a hand in Japonessa, Kushibar, Umi Sake House, Wasabi Bistro and I Love Sushi. He finally decided for the first time to open his own place and aptly used his own name to add to the attraction. Lunch and dinner are served at this restaurant, but the attraction lies in the happy hour that occurs twice a day. Early afternoon to early evening and again between 10 pm till closing time and Sundays will be packed as he will have happy hour all day long.
Middle of March saw the opening of Ballard Annex Oyster House., located 5410 Ballard Avenue, Seattle, Washington. Kickin Boot Whiskey and Matador combined their efforts to add to the Seafood restaurant business in Ballard. Monday to Thursday they are open between 3:30 pm to Midnight, so breakfast and restaurant brunch is obviously not available. Fridays and Saturday’s Ballard Annex Oyster House will open at 11 am until 1 am. Sundays the restaurant opens again at 11 am, until Midnight.
A daily Happy Hour running daily for two hours, from 3:30 until 5:30 and not only drinks are on special, but also oysters at $1.50. A very unique concept of this seafood restaurant is the steam kettles right in the middle of the bar. Food, seafood such as mussels and other shellfish, as well as soup are prepared right in the middle of the restaurant in front of customer. Live tanks for freshest seafood possible are on display inside the Ballard restaurant. Even though they have a recording studio above the restaurant they do not have any live music yet inside, but instead consider opening a venue that will feature live music.

Hattie’s Hat Restaurant – American, Breakfast & Brunch, Lounges
Great pricing, no delivery, casual attire, not good for kids, take-outs, no outdoor seating, breakfast, brunch, dinner, late night, live music
An old and historic bar, famous for its lovely brunch menu with cream cheese included in all the breakfast sandwiches, scrumptious salads, excellent Tacos, and more.
Dinner menu with soups & salad, Appetizers, dinner including; Guinness meat loaf, Applewood smoked BBQ Ribs, Fish & Chips, and more.

Patty’s Eggnest – American, Breakfast & Brunch
Medium pricing, no delivery, take-out, no outdoor seating, no alcohol, casual ambience, no live music, good for breakfast and brunch, good for kids
Very friendly family atmosphere and all breakfast is prepared from fresh ingredients, from scrumptious scrambles, Swedish pancakes, delicious hot sandwiches, burgers, and more.
Dinners are served every night as well and families are welcome to enjoy freshly-made home-made soups, roast Turkey dinners, and more.

Ballard Smoke Shop – American, Breakfast & Brunch, Dive Bars
Good pricing, no delivery, not good for kids, casual attire, take-out, no outdoor seating, good for late night, full bar, Divey ambience

Four Spoons Café – Breakfast & Brunch, Café’s
Cheap pricing, casual attire, take-out, no delivery, no outdoor seating, good for breakfast, beer and wine only, casual ambience, good for kids
Open from Thursday through Monday from 7:30 am – 3:00 pm. Lunch is served from 11:00 am and breakfast all day. Brunch menu has specialities too much to mention, such as Chilquiles, Green Chile Eggs, Pancakes, Smoky Chicken Tacos, Burgers, Sandwiches and Salads.

Salmon Bay Café - American, Breakfast & Brunch
Good for kids, casual attire, cheap pricing, no delivery, take-out, good for breakfast, beer & wine only, casual ambience
Omelettes are what they are well-known for, with an extremely wide variety of delicious combinations to choose from at great prices. Scramble specials and griddle specials with pancakes, waffles, sausages & eggs, muffins, oatmeal and fresh fruit.
Private dining facilities for office events, business meetings, and special occasions are available as well as a lunch menu. Salads, sandwiches, burgers and specialities like, Quesadilla and Fish & Chips.

Ristorante Picolinos – Italian Restaurant
Serves Italian Food, Pizza and open for Breakfast and Brunch
Attire is casual and kid-friendly, dogs are allowed, wheelchair access, full bar, take-out and outdoor seating.
Fabulous, authentic Italian cuisine and reasonable pricing with excellent wines to compliment the cuisine in a very casual and warm style for a relaxing day of fine dining. Picolinos has an in-house bakery, private dining room, espresso bar and garden courtyard. Ristorante Picolinos has beautiful private salons for private functions and parties and accommodate up to a hundred guests with separate banquet staffing and kitchen. They customize events and menus for specific needs and have a heated and enclosed winter garden for weddings and private gatherings.

The Dish – Traditional American
Voted as the Best Breakfast by the Seattle Weekly, Seattle Magazine rated it the Best Power Breakfast and listed in the top 25 among best breakfast places in the US.
Breakfast is served throughout the day and opens at seven in the morning; closing time is 1:45pm. Breakfast, brunch and lunch consist of wholesome food from fresh ingredients from this family owned business.

Hi-Life – American Cuisine
Exquisite food all round from breakfast, brunch, lunch and scrumptious dinners. Brick oven roasted and grilled dishes with a rotating menu featuring all four of the Pacific Northwest’s seasons. The winter dinner menu offers from Pork Tenderloin, Pappardelle Pasta to Grilled Petite Fillet and loads more succulent dishes. The American Grill menu has their famous Hickory smoked Spareribs, Hamburgers and brick-oven Pizza’s. Lunch menu includes classic Fish & Chips, Chicken Pot Pie and more. Apart from the breakfast menu, which has many delectable options, I have basically only scraped the barrel of their food offered.
Top this off with a warm and inviting interior in a renovated firehouse and casual ambience and it is truly a winner in Ballard.