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Match: England/Argentina, July 15, noon. I recently came across a World Cup watch party guide from The Stranger that came out a while before the first game, and discovered I’d been to all their mentioned spots except for two bars on Capitol Hill. Today I took the light rail and walked to one of them, Rhein Haus, a large German-themed sports bar across from Seattle U. There was plenty of space to sit on their hard wooden seats, both inside and out. I opted for a spot out of the sun, ordered food from the QR code menu and a German beer from the bar and settled in. The food was ready soon enough (chicken sandwich and fries), and as the game went on, the space started getting more populated, although never crowded – I had a large table to myself, helpful for trying out new postures on their increasingly uncomfortable benches. The food was alright – I think the menu options were limited to the easy to prepare stuff since they don’t normally open until 4 and presumably had a reduced staff. It’s hard to get German beer wrong. The only A/V glitch was the sound went out a few times. The employee tasked with fixing it guessed one of the previous night’s DJs may have blown something in the speakers. Just one of many problems I’ve encountered associated with the extra equipment required to put on Watch Parties for a month, something out of the ordinary for most businesses. Of the previous bars I’ve visited in this series, only Victory Hall seems larger. I’m guessing either will work pretty seamlessly for a final game watch party, but you may want to get to Rhein Haus earlier than VH. I suspect Sunday at noon will be more popular than Wednesday. Final note: I’m out of town for the last two games, so this will be my last report. Since my original goal was 10 watch parties, I guess I overachieved. Some final awards: Best food: Atlantic Crossing (Fish and Chips) Best cocktail: ‘Red Cocktail’ at Maximilien Restaurant Best street food: The Doner cart near Occidental Mall (should have paid more attention to its name) Best bar setup: Kangaroo and Kiwi Most comfortable seats: KEXP Gathering Space, and the living room with the fake fireplace at the Seattle Soccer House Most welcoming: Lake City Library, Magnuson Community Center Worst A/V experience: Occidental Mall Best vibe: Occidental Mall Best swag: King County Metro. I found them again at the Ballard Seafood Fest and got the Boop squishy I had my eye on. The woman in front of me won one of the FIFA Orca cards. submitted by /u/Worldly_General_5672 |
