Reviews

I really like the idea and concept of Downtime Taps. They have variety galore and you get to be your own bartender. It is self serve with two walls of taps. You wave a key in front of the tap and then pour as little or as much as you want. I have tried this place several times. I walk in feeling very excited about all the choices. However, every beer, wine, or cider I taste doesn't seem to taste "right." There is something odd to the flavor. Is it the piping? Is it that it's been on tap too long? Is it residue in the cups? Is it me? No, not me, my table affirms a similar experience. I wish this wasn't so, because the atmosphere is great. Though, if you want a great glass of wine, mug of beer or cup of cider this is not the place.

This place is cozy and fun. Check out their Facebook page for events and specials. Lots of variety in beer, wine and cider. Order food from Coconut Kenny's two doors down and they'll deliver it to you at your table!

The food is so, so bad. To be fair, the menu specifies that these are oven baked fries and chicken wings. But I can make these items far better at home. Why not buy a fryer? Or maybe don't offer food at all. For the fries, they need to be baked until crispy, then tossed in garlic sauce. But since they don't do that, we got fries that were both soggy/underdone and burnt at the same time. The chicken wings were rubbery and the skin was totally raw. Again, good baked wings are possible, but they need to be oven roasted for probably 45 min to get the skin crispy and rendered, then toss them in sauce. Flavors of the aoili and sauce were good. All of this would be solved by buying a fryer.

Other than that, concept is fun, patio had a fun atmosphere, staff is friendly and I appreciate the games.

So many varieties of drinks. It's amazing to be able to self poor - drink what you like of a drink you like with options to try others.

Genius idea of the self-serve style. Tomas, who is one of the owners, gave my sister and I one of the best customer service experiences out there. As someone who currently works at Starbucks and previously at a winery, I know how much of a difference it makes.

10/10,
Recommending to friends, coworkers, and random people I meet.
I will be back.

Thanks Tomas

Great selection of beers, although I would have loved to see more than 1 sour available. Very friendly service, and decent patio space. Would definitely come again.

The beer and cider selection here now is fantastic!! They also have some food offerings now, including a fun make-your-own S'mores platter.

Great spot!!

I love this idea! A great way to try beer you might not want to drink a whole pint of. I tried an absolutely phenomenal caramel porter I would never have thought to try.

Friendly staff. Love the atmosphere and setting (the bench swings are a hit). Delicious food and drinks. Love that there is a variety of ciders. Awesome place to hang out. Definitely recommend.

I've been here a few times, every time it gets even better, the food gets better, the drinks rotate, I believe for the better, with quality constantly increasing when I had thought everything was awesome the first time or two I was there. Everytime I go I want to go again, the garlic fries are to die for.

Take out was awesome. Hot, complex flavors, and generous with condiments. Yum.

WOW! I poured few ounces here and few ounces there. Walked out with only spending $7. Poured 7 different beers and ciders. Amazing!

Very unique and definitely one of a kind tap room
Lots of beer cider choices
The pour your own beer option is very modern and covid friendly
But be prepared to pay by the ounce depending on your beverage and the glass you select the cost can be a bit pricey (which in my humble
Opinion can be a downside, if there's a downside to pouring your own beer)
With that said there's a great selection of brews and has a friendly clean atmosphere
Dog friendly outside in the undercover

Fun place to hang and have a cider!

I love Downtime.. Fun times and great atmosphere.. the food is great and of course the ciders are delicious..???

Great place to enjoy a cold beverage with lots of choices from wine, root beer, cider, ale and lots of different types of beer. Great garlic fries and snacks too!

One of my favorite places. Good beer, good food

Ok, love the concept of pouring my own beer. A large selection makes a perfect match. I have never left this place with out a smile on my face. Go, enjoy with friends and be happy.

Our favorite spot for a drink. We love being able to try lots of different things and pour the amount of each we want. Plus everyone is super friendly!

Very informative, kind and accommodating service! Great selection of beers for everyone and high quality small bites. Definitely the perfect date or social night!

We went there Friday night because a friend wouldn't stop talking about it. We had a great time. There was live music, great selection of drinks on tap and the pretzel was very tasty. We recommend!

There isn't anything i could say that describes this experience. If you haven't, your just going to have to go in and try it out yourself. We played the board games they have and snacked on the giant Pretzel and Fries while we sampled the craft beer and wine. It was great.

Really awesome place! Love going here after work to try new beers! Really fun and unique experience!

I have mixed feelings regarding downtime. I understand the idea of not wanting customers to reuse the same glass for drinks, but they do it at restaurants. As long as you aren’t touching your glass to the spout or re-rinsing your glass it shouldn’t be a problem. The beertender was also a bit rude. The birthday discount was cool. They definitely have a fruit fly problem right now which was the most concerning issue. And they only offer bottled water, no option to use a glass which in my opinion is pretty lame.

This is the type of place Ferndale desperately needed and finally has.

DownTime Taps was the first self serve tap house in Washington state! They have great events like Tuesday trivia, monthly yoga, live music and occasionally visiting food trucks. If there aren't any food trucks you can always get Coconut Kenny's or Asian Bistro delivered directly to you at DownTime!

The staff at DownTime is professional and kind. They make an effort to get to know the regulars. They have a great selection on beers, ciders & wines and do a great job sourcing and rotating options. I love discovered new beers at DownTime!

The host was amazing mr Logan was very nice and nice looking

This is an awesome concept. As someone who doesn't drink immense amount but wants to socialize, this was the perfect avenue to do so. It's similar to a self-serve yogurt place, where you scan your wristband in accordance to how much you want to drink. I particularly enjoyed the blackberry cider and their lemon ginger cider. The porch swings, casual environment, and variety of games make this a win in my book.

What?! How have I not written a review for Downtime yet?!

This place is 1000 pounds of awesome. I love that I can choose my own beer (or wine, or cider, or even a slushie) and get as much (or as little) of it as I want. When you arrive they give you a wristband that you simply tap onto a screen behind each individual tap handle, and it charges you by the ounce. From dark to light to hoppy to malty this place has it all. Bonus that it's literally RIGHT next door to Coconut Kenny's so food is easily available (or, you can even bring your own).

Their outdoor patio is so nice on a warm summer evening, with it's comfy swings and lots of seating. Sometimes they have trivia, yoga, and live music too. This is an amazing addition to Ferndale and it's great to see our local beer scene expanding to the north a bit!

This joint has been on my beerscope for a hot-minute. Finally today was the day. After a full day of biking and geocaching, it was time for beers to celebrate.

Once checked in, your issued wristband unlocks your tap of choice. Thómas thoroughly trained us before letting us loose.

I then tasted every stout, porter or scotch ale they had! This sleepy Tuesday sunny evening was perfect for us.

No food here though, so you've been warned! Nearby eateries (e.g. Kenny's) will deliver to your tipsy a$$ though.

The base price is $7 for your band, then the price per ounce is listed on the beer you pour yourself. Speaking of which, to keep you from over serving yourself the computer tracks the amount of ounces you poured in a 2-hour time frame. Too much? It cuts you off!

Not that I exceeded it, or my sister, but I can envision this going sideways ... fast. At any rate, if you desire an unique experience, or just a break from the normal bar scene in Ferndale, then POST UP!

Great place to spend the afternoon and evening! Plenty of great choices on tap, staff is friendly and great selection of games!

I love this place! Great music, beer, wine and ciders by the oz. gorgeous patio and atmosphere....oh and you can order food from the Thai and pizza places next door. Brilliant!

Awesome place! So unique and presents a new way of enjoying a Friday night beer with friends.

This place is beautiful and fun. Love trying all the varieties of beers. Atmosphere is comfortable. Gets busy and seating is sometimes hard but doesn't take away from the experience.

Had a great time celebrating with our graduate, good selection of beverages ??

Tender was extremely helpful and gladly showed us how everything work for our first visit! He had a hunch we were newbie's!!

Great selection of brews, ciders and wines!

Great idea, somehow I thought there would be more wines and cider offered. Oh, well.
Decent selection, found a few that are very good. I like that you can sample before you try, it makes easier to decide.
Having food options is a plus.

This is so much fun as a concept. Really hoping it expands. Self-serve, perfectly managed and really fun staff to work with.

It feels like more of a novelty than something for a beer enthusiast to enjoy. Over half the menu was IPAs and Pales, I was really looking forward to trying more sours, barrel aged and unique beers that I don't usually experience. Yes self pour is fun, but not if all the beer is the exact same.

Also, the "beer tenders" are dressed more like they work for a golf club than a beer bar. Felt uptight.

I'll be back, but hopeful that the beer list changes.

Updated:
Wow! What a big change in menu! I was so excited to get to try different beers. They scaled the IPAs and Pals way back and had so much more to offer and from some really awesome local and Seattle breweries.

Loved getting to try the Peachrillo from Urban Family and the Dark Lager from Stoup.

Still feel a little weird about the beertenders in polos... but honestly, I'll take great beer over a polo shirt.

Excited to be back for more!

Awesome place in every way!

Great place! Love it. Awesome place to meet with friends

Simply. Awesome. We came here with intentions to sample the darker beers for the cold wet day upon us... then I discovered the devilishly delicious Double Mountain cider! And Coconut Kenny's brings you food from next door?! There is no stress in deciding what to try. A little taste or a full pint? Such a great concept. I can't wait to come back here in the summer after a day of hiking. And we checked! Dogs are allowed on the patio. 🙂

Great selection- get what you want in the size you want!

Great atmosphere. Always clean. Amazing staff.

The place has an awesome feel and very friendly. Lots of different beers,ciders and wine to choose from.

what a great time! tasting and finding the perfect beer was a blast! pizza delivered from coconut Kenny's was delicious and our games of connect 4 and rummy were a ton of fun! We'll be back soon!

Played Cards against Humanity and I won. Lots of fun and a warm friendly environment. A huge variety of beers ciders and wine.

I really enjoyed the Down Time Taps and such a great idea. I love that they have several selections and especially the various cider selections! I'm partial to Ace Pineapple Cider, but there was one from Oregon that was incredible. Too bad I have such a short memory, next time I'll write it down. The pizza from Coconut Kenny's is incredible and so handy that you can order a pizza while you have your beverage and they deliver. What a great setup and what a great idea!

Nice place! love the idea! staff is awesome!

Nice place to try a variety of beers, wines, and ciders. Friendly employees. No food served, but u r allowed to have food delivered. Nice place for some DownTime.

Wow! I had SO much fun here! Just my kind of place and I didn't even know it was there until they hosted our Yelp event! This is unique and a worthy adventure just to check it out. I love that you buy your drinks by the ounce, and then you can try any and all beers, wine, and ciders from the MANY taps. I love to try different drinks, so I was having a ball. My Dad liked that he could have a small glass of beer, and sip slowly, but still have a cold beer because he could go back for another small glass.
The set-up is fun, too--swinging chairs, heated outside, tables, stools, inside fireplace--whatever you want. We both loved our experience there, and my Dad is 84!
I also love that you can bring in your own snacks, or order from nearby delivery-THANK YOU for that!

Loved the atmosphere, very helpful employee, great beer. just loved, loved, loved. Ferndale needed this! Thank you!

A very cool concept in a relaxing atmosphere. You can come here and try up to about 30 beverages including beer, wine, cider, and mead.
The taps work by scanning a bracelet, dispensing your own drink, the system tracks the amount of fluid, and then you pay for what was had. I like the fact that you don't have to wait for a busy bartender for service and can create your own flight.
I'm normally quite intimidated by technology, but this was super easy. Employees are super friendly and walk you through the process.
This establishment does not serve food, but you can order from Coconut Kenny's just a few doors down in the plaza. Indoor/outdoor seating is available. There are a few party games available to play while enjoying drinks.
This is definitely a one of a kind place that I'll definitely be visiting again.

This is a self-serving taphouse. You can pour as much as you want or as little as you want and when you want it. So, everyone can enjoy their drinks at their own pace. What they have is mostly beer, but they do have wine and cider too, a total of 30 different kinds of drinks to choose from. So, there's something for everyone.

They don't serve food, but you can order from next door (Coconut Kenny's). It's on a shopping center, and parking is easy. I recommend everyone to give them a try!

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Visiting Downtime Taps is a unique experience - you pour your own libations from a wide selection of brews, wines, and ciders. Thirty-two taps line two walls, and you may sample as many as you'd like. Feel free to pour small samples here, as you are given a bracelet when you check in that tracks what you pour by the ounce.

The staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is casual and comfortable. There is a covered outdoor space as well as the nicely decorated inside. If you get hungry, Coconut Kenny's is conveniently located a couple of doors down; you can bring the food in to enjoy with your drinks.

The cost can be a bit pricey but the cost per ounce is listed on the display screen for each tap. Overall, Downtime Taps is a great place to relax and enjoy a new or favorite brew, wine, or cider.

Definitely a new favorite spot! DownTime Taps offers DIY samples of beer, wine, cider and even mead, mostly from the Pacific Northwest. Peruse your options, then tap on the screen if you want a description of that beverage. Pouring your own involves prepaying for x amount of ounces, then using a wristband to measure how many you've consumed.

Awesome place!

Awesome atmosphere, super friendly and helpful staff, and FANTASTIC options for beer, wine and cider all on tap. You have to try it!

Friendly staff, inexpensive way to try a bunch of beers/ales/ciders/wine, comfortable un-bar like atmosphere...

I love this idea so much and I'm so happy to have something fun and different in Ferndale. The variety is pretty good, they had five ciders on tap and you don't find that anywhere. It's really nice to poor your own rather than having to order a flight to taste everything you want and it's a great opportunity to taste things you wouldn't usually buy. Good seating, fun patio and cozy fire. Fun vibe with a selection of games to play. The only thing that would improve this place is a menu of high quality snacking food.

Great rotating taps, beautiful interior, games you can play with your friends, and food delivered! Great place to hang out and relax

Great place to come have a great brew n food places that deliver near by

went with some friends had a lot of fun playing cards and other games that they have on hand. wish they had more of a selection of wine. comfortable place they don't have food but you can have stuff delivered from restaurant

The best deal in town. Stop paying for the full glass when you can pay for the ounce. You pour your own beer, wine, cider, mixed drinks. You can pour as little or as much as you like. You only pay for what you pour. They sell crowlers and growlers if you want to take some home. The atmosphere is comfortable, it's clean, the staff is friendly and Tomas the owner was very professional and knowledgeable. Fun place to bring friends and enjoy yourselves.

I love the freedom of pouring my own beer from a wide veriety of great choices. The atmosphere is fun and lighthearted. I'll be back!!

Such a fun place. You can try just a taste or get a full glass. Highly recommend Downtime Taps for your liquid libation cravings.

Cool new place! Lot's of beers, and wine slushy. We ordered Coconut Kenny's...taco pizza!

Love the set up, amazing service and a really fun way to experience a tap house. I recommend this establishment to anyone that wants to have a good time. Such a great time!

This place is great! The people complaining about charging by the ounce or too expensive by the ounce need to relax. This is normal. The other places around the country that serve by the ounce do the same thing. The benefit is that you can try all the beers if you want and only have a taste. If you are going to fill a growler, I think I would go elsewhere for that. There’s plenty of good beer around here so go here to try all the beers and then have one or two of the ones you want. Glad to see this place came to town since Ferndale has fallen behind in pretty much all aspects of food, drink, and entertainment other than a bar or two and I’m not into those.

Staff was super friendly, helpful and social. The ambiance was great. Selection of beverages was good. Definitely will be back!

Great place to hang out. The owner is wonderful. Place is super clean. I would highly recommend it.

Read the review's and was REALLY excited to try! Terrible customer service, didn't fill my growler all the way, it was flat when I got home. They charge for samples and by the oz. I paid more to fill my growler here then anywhere else I have gone and I will absolutely not be returning. Fair warning guys. Don't waste your time or money.

This place is awesome! They just scan your ID, you get a wrist band which activates the taps and you just start pouring what you like! The atmosphere is great, wether you sit inside or choose the outdoor seating! Want food? Just order from Coconut Kenny's and they'll deliver it to you! Oh, and did I mention they have wine slushy's? I ordered a peach slushy and it was fabulous! The staff was nice, the place was clean, we will definitely be back!

Love this taproom! 32 Taps with beer, wine, cider, and WINE SLUSHIES! The outdoor seating is excellent and has swinging benches. The indoor portion also has a great ambiance with a fireplace. This is the perfect place in Ferndale to enjoy a drink or two with friends. Can't wait to return!

This place is a beer lovers dream. You can pour as little or as much as you like and only pay for what you pour. I love beer, but not all beers so when I order a beer I usually stick to something I know. At Downtime Taps, since I can pour just a sample I can easily try new beers without having to buy a whole glass that I may or may not like.

This is a great addition to Ferndale. I can't wait to go back and pair it with dinner from Coconut Kenny's next door.

Ferndale has many places available if you just want to grab a drink and a bite to eat. Few of them have an inviting atmosphere, with a great selection of beer, clean environment, and good food available. DownTime Taps does have this, and with the support they seem to have from the community, should be here to stay. I am glad to have them join our community.