Chop Shop

Chop Shop Cafe & Bar is housed in the newest mixed-use project created by Liz Dunn, who also developed Melrose Market. Chop Shop’s main entry faces 11th Avenue, and the original façade has been preserved and updated, with a bank of new windows at street level and the original wooden windows above. The 2,800 square-foot restaurant has 67 seats—a large communal table sits at the center of the dining room, with additional seats at a chef counter, along the front windows, and at the bar, as well as at smaller tables tucked around the space. The highlight of the bar is a re-purposed entryway from the century-old Williamsburg Court building, which adds a feminine touch to the surrounding metal beams and rough woods. Additionally, warm maple wood, swaths of botanical wallpaper, mirrors, and tile all come together to create an intimate experience within the large space.

The space itself is a combination of the original Chophouse Studios, a historic former rehearsal space for musicians, in front and newer construction in back. It’s gorgeous but came with a few logistical challenges, like the walk-in cooler forming a bulky island in the middle of the room. How to camouflage such a thing? Just add the former entryway from a century-old apartment building in Belltown and, voila–it’s the bar. And a massive focal point, one of multiple feminine touches in a fairly industrial room. The wallpaper is festooned with birds and walls are hung with vintage cheese graters and other touches reminiscent of Burke’s other spot.

Located on the ground floor, the lofty cafe retains some of the building’s original facade and wooden windows, along with a sliding glass door on the side that opens into a seasonal patio. A communal table anchors the 67-seat dining room, which also boasts a chef’s counter and bar. Botanical wallpaper, an eclectic mix of framed art, plus pops of color (barstools are teal and the frame of the large table is robin’s-egg blue) softens up industrial accents like exposed wood beams and metal ductwork.