Changes in Wallingford

I went to this bar a few times about 27 years ago because my friend Troy was a bartender here. I heard that they have changed a lot since I had been there and actually serve food now, so I went with my husband who had never been in a Gay bar before. Unfortunately, we chose a Friday night to go mostly because we wanted to try their Prime
Rib Dinner. By 6pm, it was already crowded so we had to sit at the bar. The bartender and staff were friendly despite the huge crowd and the food was absolutely excellent! We were not in a good position to socialize however, but it was the only place that had seats.
We will have to come back on an off nightsomeday so we can socialize with the patrons more. The biggest drawback to this place, and why I gave it a 4 instead of a 5 rating is that it is kinda small, and since it is on a major street, there is no parking or anything for even cabs to drop us off easily. It certainly was full of hhappy people though enjoying the evening and I am sure it is a fun place for the regulars who come here often. I can see why people refer to it as the gay version of the Cheers bar.

Straight friendly gay bar, that more than one person has referred to as the ‘Cheers’ of Wallingford. Friendly inviting group where after just a few visits most people will know your name.
Generous pours, super affordable drinks ($ 3 doubles during their super happy hours). F*ckin amazing food specials like $ 2 sliders or tacos depending on the day and $ 15 prime rib dinner with all the fixings on Friday.
Great sports bar atmosphere especially for local teams — Hawks, sounders, Mariners, and uw. Speaking of Seahawks game days — I think the owner always does it — but the couple games I’ve watched there they put out a free spread. Buffet style — pasta salads, crock pots of good ness, etc.
And then of course there can be those special events that you might expect of a ‘gay’ bar: underwear contests, debaucherous drag shows, etc.

We call this place the gay Cheers, a great little stop in, or stay awhile neighborhood bar. Certain nights of the week have food which is good and cheap, I love the veggie burgers! The best and longest happy hour prices you are going to find, and the mixed drinks are the bomb! A wide range of friendly types, from young guys on up, to some real oddballs, that being said in a good way! The karaōke can be very good and gets packed out. Different theme nights on and off throughout the month. Just a real cool place that can be low key to unwind after work, to fun and wild into the night. Thank God our friend Tim moved up there and found this place, we look forward to it every time we go to visit. Don’t change a thing!

Tuesday night walking through Wallingford and I come across a sign advertising beer far below the average price in this overpriced town. I skip it as I’m looking for a bar for wizards that ends up not having room for me at the bar. I return to that sign only to find the exterior sporting a rainbow flag. Gay Bars can be lots of fun for a straight man, but you never really know what you’re getting yourself into. I’ve been uncomfortably propositioned a few times and like to avoid such instances when all I want is cheap beer and a light to read my book.
This place has a laid back local vibe, cheap beer, and I read my book in peace with delight. Fuck yeah $ 1.25 PBR!

Little dive like bar for sure. Clearly a neighborhood favorite. Good specials! Thursday night – $ 3 double wells. Small, but fits right in to the neighborhood. Rainbow flag out front, friendly for sure.

First time here today. Food was delicious. Come during happy hour, it is so worth it. Floyd was welcoming and provided great service. They have one pool table and 2 dart boards. I highly recommend this place to come with friends.

I’m surprised I haven’t reviewed this place after the few years I’ve been stopping by here. This review is written from a straight guys stand point.
Changes is THE local gay bar in the North Seattle area. It has been here for over 25 years and has long been established as a Wallingford staple. Privately owned by the same person, you can expect this place to be well taken care of.
Good drink pours and really decent food. Taps have the normal beers (Bud, Bud Light, etc.) and the seasonal gets rotated out with local brews. Everyday has a different special but happy hour stops at 8pm during the week.
It easily accessible by foot or bus from the surrounding areas. There is a lot of seating at tables and at the bar. There are darts and a pool table in the back. They have a smokers patio in the back as well.
When it’s sports season the TV have all sorts of games playing. Wednesdays and Sundays are karaōke nights which turns out a pretty crowd.
The patrons are mostly middle aged to older locals with younger crowds during the weekend at a later hour. The bar staff are all very approachable and will gladly help you out.
This place is not: a traditional dive bar, a hook-​up bar or a Cap Hill styled gay bar (uppity and in your face)
I liked the review saying this is the gay Cheers. I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Loved coming here. It was a very local scene but welcoming to newcomers. Not a very diverse crowd though, mostly older gay white males. As far as potential hookups-​not promising. But that’s not what you’re here for. Bartenders weren’t the most engaging or friendly – maybe because we were new. I didn’t see the fish. Dancing was fun. Go go boys were ok. Patio is really awesome. It’s a great gay dive bar.

If you’re looking for a local university district dive gay bar this is the place to go! with nightly dinner specials ranging from cheeseburgers to prime rib there’s always something special on the menu to eat and satisfy your hunger. the staff is friendly and always willing to come up with a new concoction for a cocktail to satisfy even the most curious of needs. the eclectic atmosphere of locals and university students makes for a fun evening an adventure. if pull tabs are your thing then this is your bar of choice. they also play sporting events even catch the Mariners game, Sounders game, Seahawks or any other sports related things that might be playing to your liking. The back patio offers a smoking area for those of you that would like to indulge in that arena. the fun fish tanks make for conversation pieces for a first date or just whimsical conversation. the only caveat is you probably leave smelling like the food has been cooked that night. the small well appointed in the University District area bar offers a local flair is only experienced by visiting the establishment. great happy hour from 5 to 7 with $ 3 doubles Monday through Saturday.

I love coming here, the drinks are awesome and definitely not watered down. But the fish tanks are dirty and the goldfish have tumors. Someone help these poor fish.

Reading the reviews, first off, I don’t understand anyone who waits at a table expecting table service in a bar like this in Seattle. Do we even live in the same city? There is no table service. If you ever get table service it just means the bartender isn’t currently busy and so goes out of his way to cater to you safariists. If you want table service go to a fancy bar that seats you and then you can expect a server to come by. In most bars, have your friends grab a table, get their drink orders and go up to the well to order them. Other odd thing is people who walk up to the bar but not the well to order a drink. What country are you from? If you want a drink either sit at the bar or walk up to the well. I’ve lived in several big cities and that’s just the way it is and to me is a system that works well. Why anyone is confused by it is a mystery to me.
Getting to my review of the establishment, I find it a typical neighborhood bar other than it happens to be mainly gay, yay! It can be quite dead or quite lively just depending on the night and randomness of such a hole-​in-​the-​wall place. Between the scale of W and the Eastlake Zoo it tends much more towards the Zoo. If you want no essence of «dive» you most probably will scoff at the place. The staff are friendly, but of course when it’s crowded their main goal is to serve as many people as quickly as they can. The patrons are also friendly, but yeah there are some semi-​kooks same as in any bar like this in Seattle.
I do find the music too loud when the DJ is there though. Given it has a tiny little dance floor, and that’s an overestimation, most folks who are going there are going there with their friends or to run into their friends and catch up with them, have conversations with them and most likely gossip a bit. The problem with the noise could easily be fixed by either not turning the music up to 747 take-​off level, or simply turning the speakers by the entrance off so the tables would be relatively quiet so friends could talk to each other without having to repeat the same thing over and over because no one can hear them. The DJ also turns the volume up with each passing half hour it seems. Definitely drives us out of the place, business lost, so that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

The drinks are cheap and the bar staff are great! I got here after midnight and the kitchen was closed but they gave me a menu for the chinese restaurant across the street and allowed me to bring my food here in a to go box. The clientele seem pretty friendly as well.

Changes was a refreshing change from the busy, loud and bustling night life in Capitol Hill. The bar is not too big. There is the counter, chairs, tables and such. It is a much more laid back atmosphere where you can go and just relax and look at the fish they have in the fish tanks and chat it up with friends.
This quaint little neighborhood bar may be off putting because it is relaxed and there is no dance floor and the like for some but I felt it had something some other bars don’t have. Making you feel welcome!
On Tuesday nights they have inexpensive (but good!) hamburgers and fries. Changes always has something going on from karaōke to nice little eating specials throughout the week!
I will be going back!

This is a cool little dive bar. I come here on Tuesday nights to get good, cheap burgers with some friends. The drinks are usually made strong here too! Always an interesting crowd to be found.

Awesome hole-​in-​the-​wall with great Karaōke!

I really enjoyed myself. I came in as a third wheel and we got up to the bar. Even though it was crazy busy we still got served pretty quickly, which is more than I can say for the other bars I went to. Drink was strong, but not TOO strong which was awesome.
I loved all the karaōke that was going on, and my friends led me out into a back door. Creeeeeeepy. But turned out to be an outside lounge area that was lit with christmas-​sort-​of-​lights. There was a guy in the corner looking at us and STARING. Things improved from there and all the people that just finished their karaōke stint spilled into the back area.
And then heres the kicker: how my drunk self came to the FULL realization that I was in a gay bar
My roomie, wearing nice italian shoes, kicked his feet up onto a table. To which one of the karaōke-​dudes was like «OMG. Are those (some random famous brand that are totally chic)? They are so fabulous!» To which my roomie responded «Nooo they are my special italian (brand I can’t even bother to remember)». Then a whole bunch of gushing over his shoes by every male in the room. WHeeeeeew. Lovin it.

I feel bad giving *3* (upped from 2) stars because the owner and staff are beyond great. However, dive-​bar doesn’t begin to describe this place. It’s a friggin’ zoo of neighborhood losers and weirdos (no joke), with a nice dusting of condescending and delusional i’m-too-hot-and-too-cool-for-you younger bitch queens ready to scan, judge then attack you.
If you’re looking for a «different» experience, check it out. However, be warned: I’ve been threatened with violence once (from a guy who couldn’t understand that my friends and I wanted to be left alone in our personal conversation), and accosted a couple of times there over the last couple of years by the god-​awful patrons. No joke. And I’m a guy who pretty much always keeps to himself.
One thing is for sure, it’s never a dull moment at Changes.

I don’t know many bars where the the crowd is so diverse you can sing karaōke, get your spine adjusted, play guess-​that-​gender, lounge in an enclosed patio, get tap dance lessons and just plain have a good time!
I really loved this little hole in the wall gay bar! I went with two friends (both adorable little gay boys) one hooked up the other knew pretty much everybody in the place… We had a blast singing and drinking, we went on a sunday and teh drinks were reasonably priced for what they were and the bartenders and DJ were so freaking nice I know I’ll be back a few more times. The song list is pretty good (same as at Purr) and they are willing to play your personal CD’s so no worries there.
The little hidden back patio is pretty awesome, i kept seeing people go back there all night and wondering what was back there… finally the DJ saw my curiousity grabbed my hand and in a manner resembling Step-​This-​Way-​Sista pushed me through the door. I was thrilled to find an area with tables and benches people happily chatting away with their beers in hand cooling htemselves down from the sweaty interior. Its covered back there so even if its raining you stay dry.
Definitely be back!

Drunken gay-​karaokers live! A frickin neighbourhood bar, I’d be afraid to order the food there. But, you could easily get beer and listen to gay-​lesbians pick songs out of a note-​binder on a pool-​table covered set up with microphones and karaōke.
Scary but true! We had a good time watching Apolo Ohno on the Olympics on one tv screen (the karaōke song on the other screen), variety dressed and variety-​aged-​gay guys singing away some obscure songs.
Okayyyyyyy lol I love my rum and beer pitcher, if I can find a place to sit. A complete night.

I have the Changes itch, and that’s not because I’m affectionate with strangers. In fact, the patrons at Changes are quite possibly some of the nicest people we met on our first trip to Seattle. Affordable drinks are but one of the draws this bar seems to boast – there’s also a decent dinner offered for when one may have imbibed just a tad too much. And any place that will serve me mayo with my fries is A-​okay in my eyes!
Special thanks go out to Justin and Stephan for welcoming us to your lovely city.