Description: A divey sports bar in Ballard.
Waterwheels, a brief summary: Originally designed to harness
the energy of flowing rivers, today they are the focal element crucial
to Bob Ross–style paintings and jigsaw puzzles collected by
grandmothers everywhere.
Endearing Waterwheel Lounge traits: The folksy wilderness
mural out front; the mini-library, caringly stocked with several
forgotten favorites (including a Fantasy Football Digest from
1989); the warped sense of intimacy gained by exploring the medicine
cabinet in the ladies’ room (it contains actual drugstore
sundries—including a used tube of toothpaste and a
laxatives-package leaflet).
Happy hours: Daily 5–7 pm.
Happy-hour drink specials: $2 well drinks, $3 import/micro
drafts (Stella, Imperial IPA), $2 domestic drafts (Bud Light), $5
calls.
Happy-hour food specials: None, but the beer dogs are always
only $1 and are presumably delightful (add bacon and cheese for 75
cents). 
The Waterwheel also has a pretty excellent weekend breakfast/brunch menu and their bloody marys come with a cornucopia of garnishes.