Washougal Times

Roadhouse

I tried Washougal Times once prior to COVID. My impression at that time was that it was a solid neighborhood dive bar that served beer and pedestrian cocktails. The Philly cheesesteak was very good, and the onion rings were great. But it was not my kind of place.

The restaurant has been sold to new owners, and I’ve been hearing good things. The makeover is so significant that I didn’t recognize the place. What was a dive bar is now a roadhouse with a somewhat country-western vibe. They have live music some nights.

Everything is ordered at the bar, so we chose to belly up there. Speaking of the bar, the stock is similar to before, and the bartenders still free-pour. But they do have a bottle of Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth. Unfortunately, it’s not refrigerated, but it must have been purchased recently based on my Maker’s Mark Manhattan tasting decent.

I ordered the ribeye with mashed potatoes. I like jalapeños with my steak, and they accommodated me. My wife went with the fish and chips but opted for tater tots and a cider.

My steak was OK. It lacked seasoning, but I came prepared with my trusty Cajun spice in a little shaker. To my delight, I received ample jalapeños, and also asparagus, to my wife’s delight. The fish was a bit small and the tots had an odd seasoning that neither of us cared for. Fortunately my better half wasn’t that hungry

In my opinion, the food and drinks are fairly priced. I wasn’t wowed by the ribeye, but it was only $45—that’s a bargain in this economy. I’ll have to try some of their other offereings on my next visit. Washougal Times is a good roadhouse with ample parking.✌🏻