The Triple Door

Basics: $3 draft beers, $4 well drinks and select specialty drinks, $5-7 glasses of wine, $3-5 food. Daily specials run 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.; late-night specials run 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays.


Let’s say you just started to date a new guy. He’s cute. He’s funny. You two have a lot in common. He knows the right point when you want your hand held and knows exactly when to break a kiss. All and all it looks great. On paper. Because deep down you know it’s not going to work: he's just not right for you. But you date him anyway because it’s not like you have a lot of prospects right now and, well, it feels good to curl up on the couch with someone every now and then.

That’s how I’ll quantify The Triple Door: you know you’re not going the distance, but damn if they don’t pour adequate drinks at a decent price in a convenient location.

Well, no, I take that back a bit. The APIC* complained a few hours later that he didn’t feel anything after his three Triple Door beverages. Personally the only thing that had a bit of kick was their Golden Triangle: a tasty concoction of tequila, pineapple juice and muddled Thai basil, the combination of herbs and liquor balancing the other out exceptionally well.

Generally, though, our party found the drinks too damn sweet. With Asian-esque flavors down stage and center, the potency of the liquor easily gets lost in a syrupy mixture which handily gives a boost to the blood-sugar instead of blood-alcohol levels.

There’s a pan-Asian flair that runs through the menu, which makes sense as sister restaurant Wild Ginger is located just upstairs (and I’m told the happy hour that exists only in the new Bellevue Wild Ginger is worth checking out). The food – ranging from chicken or beef satays with peanut sauce to veggie spring rolls with pineapple sauce – was priced right and was pleasant to the tongue.

The bar really started to fill up after the 9-to-5'ers clocked out for the day. The Triple Door’s proximity to both Downtown’s retail core and financial district must make it a regular spot for shoppers and corporate-types alike, so get there early if you can.

And while the ambiance, food, and promise of live shows (The Triple Door also doubles as a concert venue) all try well, the outcome didn’t live up to the hype for most my party. We all walked away feeling a little hungry, a little sober, and poking at the little manta rays in the sizable aquarium by the front entrance.

OK, the aquarium is kind of worth seeing.

* Really? Do I need to assemble a glossary?

The Triple Door. 216 Union St (between Second and Third Aves), Seattle’s Downtown. Daily 4:00-6:00 p.m., late night 9:00 p.m. to midnight Sundays through Thursdays.