Marination ma kai – The Best Beer Garden in Seattle?

I don’t usually do this. Typically, I don’t show such obvious favoritism. I do have my reasons for sharing this information beyond the fact that it makes me very happy. And actually, in the end, this story is about beer and a great new place to drink it.

Kim and I discovered Marination Mobile about three years ago. It is one of Seattle’s premier food trucks and was named Best Food Truck in America by Good Morning America back in 2009. Big Blue, as we regulars call it, offers a culinary blending of Hawaiian and Korean cuisines. Kim is bonkers for the Spam Slider and any variation of their taco. As for me, the Kimchi Rice Bowl with Spicy Pork might be the best thing I have ever eaten. They serve it with a sunny side up egg on top!

We were very happy when they opened a permanent location–Marination Station–on Capitol Hill so we didn’t have to chase Big Blue around town to get our fix. We were even happier when we learned that Marination Station had beer on tap.

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Today I have some big news that transcends the Marination food experience. Marination ma kai is staged to open in just a couple of week on the western shores of Elliott Bay at the Westcrest Boathouse near Alki Beach. Not only will Marination ma kai be serving up amazing food, they will have eight beers on tap and a selection of bottles. I should point out that these people are beer geeks. In fact, the taps will be “manned” by Robyn Schumacher, the first certified female Cicerone in the Pacific Northwest.

And I’m still not to the best part yet.


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In addition to a thoughtful beer selection, they have a full bar. As a very special treat, they serve… wait for it… boozy shaved ice. Yep. Shaved ice for the kiddies and boozy shaved ice for the grownups. They flavor the shaved ice with fresh, house-made syrups. They also pour Marination Brown Ale, which was brewed with/by Big Al Brewing specifically to pair with Marination’s pan-Pacific cuisine. I sampled it last night and it is good.

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The best part? Marination ma kai offers one of the best beer gardens in the city. I hate to use the word “best,” but this one is going to be outstanding.  Marination ma kai is on the shores of Elliott Bay right across from downtown. This is where you hop on/off the Elliott Bay Water Taxi. It’s where Seattle scuba divers practice their skills. It’s where you rent kayaks and paddle boards. This is al fresco beer drinking Seattle-style at its very best!

We attended a pre-opening preview party last night. To say I’m jazzed about this place is an understatement. The pictures below should give you an idea. I almost feel bad publishing these photos because the work is not yet complete. By the time they open in a couple weeks, the plywood will be replaced with clear Plexiglas and things will be cleaned up in general. I am convinced that the combination of the food, the beer and the un-fricken-believable patio seating will make Marination ma kai a big hit.

Marination ma kai will not open for a couple more weeks. We’ll let you know when it does.

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