Our tribute to the holiday services provided by Seattle’s Best Dive Bars continues with The Redwood (514 E. Howell St.). A few bars in Seattle give rise to the discussion of whether a dive bar can be created or must be allowed to develop. Was there ever a moment in time that the bathroom floor of the Water Wheel wasn’t… blech, I can’t even finish that sentence. Did the Comet Tavern ever have that new bar smell? Consider it the old nature versus nurture debate, as applies to such hallmarks as Oly on tap and the amount of dead animals on the wall.The Redwood manages to look like a dive bar without also looking art directed. Maybe it’s the greasy, smeared video game table tops or the peanut shells on the floor. Probably it’s the wide array of un-flashy local beer available on tap, along with the cheap whiskey stocked four deep and three wide. Despite the well placed props that give the place a hunting motif, the space is unkempt enough to qualify as a junior dive bar.The crunchy floor is the result of a large bin of free peanuts available in the back, right near one of the town’s most eclectic and impressive jukeboxes. Don’t just geek out on the cheap, order the fried corn nuggets or sweet potato fries to help soak up happy hour, when Micheladas run $5. The Redwood’s version has the delightful addition of fresh muddled lime.
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