Hattie's Hat

For a decades-old brunch institution, Hattie's Hat serves a pretty unremarkable brunch—which would be fine if there wasn't any decent breakfast around, but this is Ballard. It's the breakfast capital of Seattle, and you can do better than a hash with undercooked beets that dye the entire plate purple. Instead, prioritize this wood-paneled spot for nighttime use, when Hattie's Hat transforms into a cool cocktail bar that hosts Thursday night karaoke.

Hattie's is a happy medium where you don't have to test out your Johnny Cash repertoire in a room full of onlookers, but you don't have to perform in an empty bar, either. The karaoke scene here is energetic enough for a crowd to cheer you on, but not so packed that it’d be humiliating to croak a note in “Ring Of Fire.” You could also simply sit there to eat a plate of fries with no intention of participating in musical activities at all.