Georgetown is one of my favorite neighborhoods in Seattle. I sometimes think of it as a second home because it is the only place (besides my parents house and the mountains) that Robert and I actually get into the car and drive to on a regular basis. It is a very funky, industrial neighborhood. If Seattle were to hold a contest to see which part of town had the highest concentration of tattoos, bikers, punks and blue-collar workers, Georgetown might very well win. And, as you would expect from a place like this, Georgetown has plenty to offer in the way of dive bars, cheap beer, blaring rock and roll and…vegetarian food?

Yes, that’s right. It may seem incongruous, but this rough and tumble section of town has a pretty significant vegetarian presence. This is most likely due to the fact that Field Roast, a well-known meat substitute, is produced in Georgetown. Many of the sandwiches at Smartypants, our regular Georgetown pub, can be ordered with Field Roast in place of meat. But, just down the street from Smartypants is another pub, Georgetown Liquor Company, where Field Roast is first and foremost on its entirely vegetarian menu.

At first glance, Georgetown Liquor Company seems like an ordinary Georgetown pub: friendly people, casual atmosphere, classic punk rock on the radio competing with loud planes landing at nearby Boeing Field (at one point, I looked out the window and realized we were being buzzed by a huge AWAC – exciting!) But then, as your eyes adjust to the dim lighting inside, you start to notice the very strong sci-fi theme around you. There is a huge mural on one side of the restaurant featuring vaguely familiar-looking aliens (is that Alf on steroids?) The menu offers sandwiches with names such as “Frac,” “Yoda” and “Picard.” During the fall and winter months, Heroes is played at full volume on the TV each Monday night. And, there is some sort of creepy old sci-fi radio program that plays in the bathroom. If you’re a gamer, you will be happy to discover the old arcade machines and vintage game consoles available for playing including an Atari 2600. No, Georgetown Liquor Company is not your average pub. It is a pub for serious geeks (and I mean that in the most loving way since I live with one and occasionally venture into that territory myself!)

The menu at Georgetown Liquor Company consists mainly of sandwiches and salads with a few appetizers and non-sandwich entrees available as well. The wild mushroom tamales and polenta triangles sounded interesting, but sandwiches somehow seemed more appropriate for the surroundings. Robert ordered the “Darth Reuben” which is Roasted-Tomato Field Roast, swiss cheese, sauerkraut and remoulade sauce on marbled rye. He said it had a great balance of flavors. Not too much cheese and not too much Field Roast (let’s face it, if it’s not real meat, you don’t really want it piled up high do you?) His only complaint was that it got a little soggy after a while. A bit more toasting on the bread would have made it perfect. I had the “Picard” which is Lentil-Sage Field Roast, roasted red onions, mozzarella, tofu cream cheese and roasted garlic spread on a toasted ciabatta served with vegan au jus for dipping (vegan au jus…what heresy! I’m pretty sure people have been sent to the guillotine for less.) It was a big, messy, crispy, utterly delicious sandwich. I loved it. We washed everything down with a couple of pints of Manny’s Pale Ale which is also made right here in Georgetown.

Although it is a fairly new place, Georgetown Liquor Company seems to be doing quite well for itself. Every table was full when we were there Friday evening, and everyone appeared to be having a great time. We will certainly be returning; it is going to be a pretty tough choice now between Georgetown Liquor Company and Smartypants. Thanks to Alison for the heads up about this place! Georgetown Liquor Company is located at 5501 – B Airport Way S.