The Sexton

We went here on a Sunday evening and thoroughly enjoyed the food. To my surprise there was not a lot of people in place but that was fine by me. The cuisine had a southern flair that I thought was fantastic. The choices on the menu made it hard to choose from. I wanted to try them all. I ended up choosing the fried chicken with the collard greens. The entire meal was cooked perfectly. The décor was comfortable and reminded you of a ranch back home. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting something different. I should mention parking can be a challenge in the Ballard area.

Had been here on a late Friday night. It’s a nice small-​ish date spot in the nightlife district of Ballard.
As we walked in, the place was about half filled. The ambiance is quiet and the lighting is moderate, not too bright or airy, but not too dull like some other places, just perfect. The bar is huge and there are some tables across from it.
Since it’s smaller than many other places, most of the tables are 4-​tops. So it isn’t group friendly. which works well with their ambiance.
Service was very good. Our server immediately served waters and menus. She returned a short while after, to tell us that three of the cocktails were not available that night, one of which I was hoping to order.
We did order some other drinks, and I wasn’t disappointed. The drinks were extremely well made and brought out the flavors nicely. The old fashioned was one of the best I’ve had in Seattle. They also have a limited, but decent draft beer list, but we only tried cocktails.
We ordered the yam fries, but I found them disappointing. They were too thick-​cut, and very oily. Also, they lacked flavor and were totally bland. The dipping sauce made up for the flavor, but I had expected the fries to be better.
The prices are slightly on the more expensive side than the competition around it, but their solid cocktails, on-​point service, and mellow ambiance is well worth it.
I would definitely recommend this for a quiet evening with a small group of friends or a date night. Can’t wait to be back here for Happy Hour!

Yes! Yum!
Killer happy hour.
Food is always good although the ribs aren’t as good as nearby competitors. Get the fried chicken, Mac and cheese and greens.
Service is mellow but prompt. Just like it should be in Ballard.
My only real complaint is they only serve their mouth watering Bloody’s on Sundays. Some of us need to have Bloody’s available during the work week.

we’ve only been once & i think our timing may have a lot to do with our experience: a freezing sunday morning with only one other party there. that said, our experience was pretty excellent.
i had the chicken & waffle which was pretty much perfect. the chicken was very lightly breaded yet super crispy on the outside & moist & on the inside.
our server was a charming young lady who actually seemed to like her job, which makes for the best experience, in my book.
we also liked the boho chic atmosphere.

Foods really good, baked eggs and omelet was different than most standard brunch items. Coffee was good, atmostphere was awesome and service was good. Will be back for sure.

This was a small, extremely charming restaurant and I immediately knew it was legit because of the shelves and shelves of mason jar cups! There were a ton of Mac n cheese options, enough that I didn’t even bother looking at anything else (though I would like to next time). The original cocktails were varied and intriguing, and I would have tried most of them given the time and money. I’ll definitely go again!

Settling in to Seattle to visit my daughter, she and I took to Unilocal to find a restaurant and bar that had good cocktails and tvs to watch the Royals hopefully wrap up the playoffs.
That was a really big request but The Sexton didn’t disappoint on any levels. The have sevel tapas and flatbreads that are great for tasting different things. Cocktails and whiskeys are plentiful and the atmosphere is comfortable.

This palace of awesomeness and it’s queen of Cheese and pasta dishes made me salivate until I poop. My name is Philip and I love my queen of Cheese. She thrusted the chorizo Mac and cheese right down there. I’m not sure what happened next. Another woman showed up with a cup. So there I was two women and one cup of delicious mac. I panicked, took a triple shot of some oaky twelve year scotch and bounced. I called up an über and got Ahmed. Fucking Ahmed. But Ahmed wasn’t alone, by some twist of fate, my estranged mother was sitting shotgun… Her name was Hilary. Oh Hilary… Her face reminded me of my third favorite sexual conquest. And it was weird that I made that connection. Anyways! So the sexton is great! My first time here was with tony. THE PESTO MAC N CHEESE IS SO SCRUMPTIOUS! #youwantmore? Snap: klemerlaura

Absolutely loved this place. Great service. Great vibes. And their ladies bathroom smells awesome (lol). Strongly recommend their MINT JULEP.

An orgasm of the taste buds. Sexton — Mac and cheese = phenomenal. Cocktails = phenomenal. Waitstaff = charming and adorable. Ambience = on point. Check out this place. It’s on the expensive side but they have a happy hour that doesn’t end til 7.

My friend and I stumbled upon this place randomly when we realized we ALWAYS go to the same places in Ballard. I was delighted to find that their menu had some unique and special selections, but it wasn’t too «out there.» I can’t stand when restaurants try too hard. :\ I had the fried chicken and mashed potatoes — SO SO TENDER!!! Gravy could’ve had a little more flavor. Chicken was perfect though. And only $ 9 on happy hour!
We also enjoyed the yam fries — love loved how thick these were. That’s pretty hard to find in a yam fry! Aioli was ok. I have had better though. The drinks we had were yummy. I liked the snap pea one I had — unique and refreshing! My friend was pretty pleased with his ribs. I will definitely be back!

I would give this place three and a half stars for my experience here. The pros: chicken sandwich was awesome and reasonably priced ONLY because it was happy hour, yam fries were good, drinks were well done with quality mixers and a well versed menu, and most of all– super cute space/​décor and great deck to hang on. The cons: way way way too pricey on the drinks and the food for the portions. Even a couple bucks off drinks for happy hour does make it reasonable for small cocktails. Service was only just ok. Waitress didn’t know much about the drinks on the menu.
But overall– I liked it enough to return if someone wanted to, but not enough to recommend it.

Best fried chicken sandwich I’ve had in Seattle was at the Sexton in Ballard. Fried chicken with wasabi-​green Apple slaw and a green chili honey aioli. Perfect balance of flavors definitely has me wanting to go back. Until next time…

This place is really cool this was our second stop on our pub crawl and we hung out on the back deck for quite a while they have happy hour till 7 so very nice. Had a great Vodka Lemonade. They made the lemonade in house so the drink was good (I had 2 just to make sure ;) We also got some food the beef sliders were very tasty and the mac and cheese and ribs were excellent! The service was outstanding as our server was attentive and charming and always there when we needed her! By far this was our favorite place of the 8 places we hit last Fri!

First, the service was inattentive and indifferent. They seemed more focused on being cool and socializing versus paying attention to their customers.
Second, the food here is average at best. I’ve tried a couple different things and always found it unimpressive.
Third, prices are 30% too high for the food and overall experience. This time, I came for happy hour and had one small dish and a draft beer and it cost me just under $ 20 with tip. And I was still hungry so I stopped elsewhere for a slice of pizza afterwards.
As far as southern food goes, I’m so sad Kingfish closed. I was always happy to pay their prices for the amazing southern food.
I had been once before for brunch and remember being underwhelmed then as well. Way too many other great places in the neighborhood.
On a positive note, the back deck is nice on a sunny day.

Had a few fantastic drinks with excellent company, their yam fries were delicious, and the bartenders were knowledgeable and attentive. It was cool to just sit and talk with the bartender about the drinks, and Bet On Your Bartender is the way to go. Mine seriously tasted exactly like a creamsicle. And my friend’s gin & tonic inspired drink was so so good. It’s a bit pricey, but if you want to have thoughtful, tasty drinks go no further.

Cue Radiohead «Everything in its Right Place.»
This song pops into my head when all the elements of a situation align perfectly: atmosphere, mood, staff, taste, smell… even the weather was perfect for my inaugural Sextant experience. The drinks were on point (I trusted Paul with each decision & between me & my friend, every cocktail blew my mind – even better than Percy’s – my previous cocktail of choice in Ballard). The food was comfort-​food done right (they mean it when they say «best buttermilk fried chicken). And the service was above & beyond what’s to be expected.
Will definitely be back to experience each corner of the menu & all the drinks Paul can come up with.

One of the culinary high points of our trip to Seattle.
Located in what I instantly recognized as the Brooklyn of Seattle – Ballard – it’s a reasonably-​priced New American with some of the best Mac ‘n Cheese I have eaten out of New York (Delicatessen/​Cafeteria and the Mac Bar to go at the top of my list).
Our hosts told us Nirvana originated in this area, but Ballard is more Greenpoint/​Williamsburg than [pick a still downtrodden but safe area of Brooklyn you can walk without tripping over a double-​wide stroller as in Park Slope].
Ballard is known as alternative and LGBT-​friendly and the Farmer’s Market a draw for people all over Seattle.
The specialty cocktails are original and delicious. I recommend the Carlita, a spicy and slightly sweet concoction.
If it’s your first time, you MUST get the «Bet on Your Bartender» drink: 12 for house alcohol and 15 for top shelf. Here’s the gimmick: you pick a base booze and guide your server or bartender toward flavors (sweet, spicy, savory). If you like a fruit or vegetable you can tell her. And the bartender creates a special concoction based on your preferences.
I loved my Vespers (a gin/​vodka mix) with cucumber and a few other ingredients I should have written down but didn’t. I would have ordered a Carlita but I am on booze rations (cutting back 50%) for my 20^th college reunion this Memorial Day, so I was good and stopped after one cocktail.
Specialty cocktails in Seattle are on average 15−20% under comparable places in NYC, LA, and SB. Except for Happy Hour, the Sexton has one of the pricier drink menus in town – more than Wild Ginger, which is a fancier and pricier restaurant– but the food prices are so low, you still come out way ahead.
The Sexton has high ceilings, wooden tables, and a cozy sleek feel with a nice tree-​lined patio. The kitchen is on one side of the restaurant’s center so you can see your food being prepared.
N.B.: Beware of parking tickets. Our friends got a ticket on their late model Maserati for parking too close to a hydrant in front of a white curb. Upon further investigation, we saw «red» painted in smallish letters. So I guess in Ballard, an intent to paint a curb red counts as a red curb. William James would have called this «anticipatory intent» (Principles of Psychology, Vol 1). They’re protesting the ticket but at just $ 47, it’s less than a meter violation in LA or Beverly Hills.
Interestingly, the utilitarian Jeep parked behind the Maserati – and even closer to the fire hydrant (which may or may not have been functional) – did not get a ticket. I don’t know if it’s a class warfare thing but it was a chickens*** ticket regardless and I hope it gets tossed.

Best old fashions in town! Try the «Paul’s Crutch»… My o my. Or just ask the mixologist anything and magic happens.
For food, I had the fried chicken sandwich with wasabi coleslaw and my life was changed. Tender friend chicken cutlet on a toasted bun with slightly spicy coleslaw as a topping.
I’d bring a date here anytime too. Great music and a fun staff liven things up a bit too.

We came in here under the recommendation from the bartender at Patxi’s. Luckily we also saw The Sexton’s sign for $ 8 old fashions. We were going to sit in the back of the restaurant but some bar seats opened up. The bartender was on full steam making drinks after drinks. I got some desserts and it tasted fantastic! The menu looked really good and I can’t wait to come back to try some entrees.