Bramling Cross is the newest edition to Ethan Stowell’s restaurant empire, clocking in at number twelve.

This American gastropub opened in October and is located in the heart of Ballard. Bramling Cross offers over 50 bottled beers and ciders and 8 draught selections that are always local, some from down the street. We came for brunch on a chilly Saturday morning, about 15 minutes after they opened. No reservations were needed at 10:15 am, but by 11:30 am, it had started to fill up.

The atmosphere falls in line with the trend that’s been all the rage for the past few years—industrial, wood, high ceilings, and open kitchen. I still love it, but it’s becoming less novel. We ordered the “Pickle” Fries, with an emphasis on the quotation marks. They taste like pickle seasoning, but no actual pickles were fried. The fries are fresh and crispy, but it’s the pickle aioli that really sets them apart. I’m still disappointed they don’t have actual fried pickles on the menu.

We ordered the Smoked Trout Benedict and the Pork Cheek Hash. The benedict comes with spinach, hollandaise sauce, a grilled baguette, and a fresh salad. They skimped on the hollandaise and the grilled baguette was overly toasted. The hash came with pork cheek, brussels sprout leaves, potatoes, chanterelle mushrooms, and poached eggs. The mushrooms and eggs were perfect, but the potatoes were pretty mediocre—they needed more seasoning and to be cooked longer. The flavorful and oh-so-tender pork cheek was the highlight of the meal.

The serving dishes are cute, the service is friendly, and the pricing is reasonable ($35 including tax for three dishes, no drinks). We’d come back, but not in a hurry.

Open Sunday through Thursday 5:00 pm to 11:00pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 5:00 pm to midnight. Weekend brunch is 10:00 am to 2:30 pm and Happy Hour is Sunday through Thursday 5:00 to 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm to 11:00 pm.

Photos by Jennifer Liu.

Bramling Cross                |              5205 Ballard Ave NW, Seattle            |           (206) 420 – 8192