Madison Pub, Seattle

The 25th anniversary celebration at Madison Pub reflected the bar's general attitude: not a lot of frills or fuss, just good drink specials in a comfortable neighborhood joint. The Capitol Hill gay bar prides itself on its regulars, including its staff—the current owner started as a bartender there in 1992. Perhaps [_Seattle Gay News_](http://www.sgn.org/sgnnews38_53/page11.cfm) described it best: "Madison Pub is the kind of place where you'll always see a familiar face." Madison Pub sticks to tried-and-true bar staples: a jukebox, pool and darts tourneys, and Mariners, Seahawks, and Sounders games on its high-def TVs. In the early years, it didn't even serve liquor, sticking to beer and wine. Today, however, bartenders concoct cocktails at the full bar, along with cracking open domestic and imported beers.