Seattle has embraced the gastropub movement with open, albeit pint-holding, arms. No establishment in the genre garners better reception than Quinn’s (1001 E. Pike St., 206/325-7711, www.quinnspubseattle.com, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. Mon.–Sat. and 5 p.m.–midnight Mon.–Thurs., 5 p.m.–1 a.m. Fri.–Sat., 5–10 p.m. Sun., $15), a hideaway on the hill that revels in good beer and the food that makes you thirst for it.

The menu is awash in a sea of tantalizingly exotic choices designed for the most hearty food explorers ready to set sail toward a new horizon of taste. Find beef tongue hash, fried frog legs, and even wild boar sloppy joes.

If you’re looking for a fun saloon serving up the more traditional bar-food standard bearers, opt instead for The Buck (1506 E. Olive Way, 206/329-2493, 5 p.m.–2 a.m. daily, $9). Somewhere halfway between an old hunting lodge and a country honky-tonk, this raucous canteen offers delicious pizzas and tasty nacho skillets on the cheap.