Discussing Chili, ‘Come Here Often?’ with Musician Duff McKagan

Duff McKagan is a modern rock-and-renaissance man. While many know the Seattle native as the bassist for Guns N’ Roses and for his musical work with Loaded and a host of other bands, as well as his solo act, he’s also an economist who started the investment firm Meridian Rock, and a writer. He’s penned an autobiography called It’s So Easy (And Other Lies) and has also written for publications such as Playboy and ESPN.

Recently, he had a fantastic essay in the new bar-lover’s book Come Here Often? 53 Writers Raise a Glass to Their Favorite Bar (Black Balloon Publishing). Like a good bar, the book’s clientele of writers (Neal Pollack, Andrew W.K., Elissa Schappell) and the bars, dives, lounges, and hooch parlors they write about are a diverse, talkative, friendly, serious and funny bunch.

In McKagan’s essay, he covered Slim’s Last Chance Chili Shack in Georgetown. So we wanted to know why. Here, McKagan tells us what he likes about Slim’s, and drops a hilarious bar story. But consider this just the opening round: pick up a copy of Come Here Often and keep reading until closing time. Also, the fine folks at Black Balloon have ponied up a 25 percent discount on the list price of Come Here Often? for Seattle magazine readers. Just use the code BARFLY in its online store. Heck, that’s better than a free drink! 

Seattle Magazine (SM): How long have you been going to Slim’s Last Chance Chili Shack?  

 Duff McKagan (DM): Probably since 2008 or 2009. I think one of my Georgetown friends, musician Jeff Angell, first took me there. I’m a big fan of BBQ and I didn’t know of a place in Seattle. So he took me there.   

SM: And what keeps you coming back? 

  DM: Well, I don’t drink. I haven’t had a drink in 20 years, so Slim’s is really the only bar I hang out in. I come for the chili and the music, and because—strangely enough, given how south it is—it’s easy to get to. Slim’s is close to my rehearsal space, a central spot to meet my Georgetown friends and a great meeting point when a game’s on. Also, the people at Slim’s are so friendly. They know me, they know my order, and in that way they’re really old-school in this modern era of Seattle being more and more of a transient city. People come and go from the city, but Slim’s stays the same—the people, the menu, the vibe. They don’t just know my order, they know everyone’s order. I have my loyalty to Slim’s, and it’s clear they have their loyalties to us too.  

SM:  What’s your favorite of their chilis? 

  DM: I always order the turkey chili over the jalapeño mac and cheese, fully loaded with tortilla chips and sour cream. I’ll always get the sweet potato fries, too. I don’t eat that kind of food most of the time, so when I do, I go to Slim’s to eat it. I’ll walk in and they’ll ask “you want the usual?” Oh! Their wedge salad is also ridiculous.  

SM: If someone in the bar wants to buy you a drink, what should they buy you? 

DM: A root beer or a Red Bull, depending on the time of day and what I’ll be up to later.  

SM: Come Here Often? is about writers and bars. Do you ever do any writing in bars? 

DM: Nope, I don’t think so. I do a lot of my writing on airplanes, as well as at home and in the studio.  

SM: What’s your favorite bar memory (that I can publish on this website)? 

DM: When I first moved to LA, it was 1984 and I wasn’t yet 21. I had short blue hair, but everyone else there had long hair. I didn’t know anyone in the city. I really wanted to go to the Rainbow Bar and Grill, but of course I couldn’t get in. So I garnered some liquid courage at home, and then went out to the Rainbow Bar. I pretended that I didn’t speak English, acting like I was Swedish or something. When the guy at the door asked for my ID, I pulled out something ridiculous, I think it was my sunglasses, just to prove that I didn’t understand a word he was saying. And it worked! They let me in!