Marina Café — Restaurant in Port Townsend

Short Version: ———————— If you appreciate a heart & TRULY home cooked meal for breakfast/lunch, served with the best smile in town, then you should go to this excellent cafe. ———————— Long Version, Context: ———————— My partner and I had just finished driving/camping all along the Washington coast and parts of the interior. We planned Port Townsend as our last stop —On Valentine’s Day. (Side note Port Townsend is the best for a quiet Valentine’s Day) After looking around town and searching google maps we found this place after passing on some much busier ones. I myself was excited because I love wooden boats and the shipyard is nearby… Out front the door. ——— Our Meal & Experience: ——— Outside we found parking amongst the shipwrights and other trades working in the yard & docks, no issues there. From the outside looking in we saw a small cafe with totally fogged up windows on our rainy day. A poet would have had fun.

Upon entering we saw that the windows were fogged up as a result of the fresh (& fragrant) muffins which are apparently her speciality. Within seconds coffee was offered, and gladly received. An instant wave of “at homeness” was felt by both myself and my partner. The owners smile and kindness permeating easily into us.

Quickly thereafter we looked at the menu on the chalkboard (half dozen items or so) and made our selection of bacon scramble.

Quickly she and her cook began making our meals. Brought to our table with the bacon scrambled eggs accompanied by an enormous fresh blueberry muffin. The latter cut in half despite only just coming out of the oven, filled with delicious butter for further enjoyment.

—I cannot stress enough how the taste, warmth, and contents of the meal felt home cooked in the best imaginable way. Instantly we felt as though we were at home and made the meal ourselves with all our favorite ingredients. Fantastic. ——— Experience Outside of Meal: ——— The room is filled with home style seating, baking materials, and much boat/sea paraphernalia. Clearly a local haunt.

Kids will no doubt be more than welcome, with high chairs leaned up against the walls. We saw a family come in with many kids, quickly greeted with warm familiarity by the owner.

Many shipwrights and other workers briefly entered to get some of her muffins, which are apparently a local legend. ——— I only have two regrets: Not remembering her name Not taking a picture

Regarding the latter, my partner and I are avid film photographers and realized we would have loved to take their portrait. But it didn’t feel right to interrupt the experience we were both lost in the enjoyment...

Don’t waste time reading this review. Just go now and enjoy. This place is foodie heaven. We stumbled across it doing an overnight at the Boat Haven Marina, and while they clearly do a thriving breakfast business, they’ve opened for weekend dinner and it’s PHENOMENAL. Like the morning reviews will show, the menu rotates daily, but it doesn’t matter. Everything is delicious. We were so amazed by everything (the crab cakes, the albacore tacos, the pan fried Lions mane, the patatas bravas were all to die for!) that we went back for a second round the same night. We added the kale Caesar and did follow up rounds of all the things we’d already ordered - and some torte (for a midnight snack).

The bar sits right at the kitchen, there are a handful of tables inside and another handful outside on a super cute patio space (that’s shielded from the wind on 3 sides), and the vibe is awesome.

My husband and I don’t normally love our overnights in Port Townsend (it gets pretty windy and night), but now we’re coming up with reasons we need to come back ASAP, just to have more meals here.

Seriously, this is my new favorite restaurant. How many restaurants would you go back and literally order more of everything 90 minutes after eating it the first time? For us, that list is incredibly small, and this...

A Charming, Delicious Gem at the Boat Haven! During our week long stay at Boat Haven, we absolutely loved the Marina Cafe! It's a charming spot with a wonderful, down-home atmosphere that feels authentically Port Townsend.

The staff are exceptionally friendly and kind, making everyone feel right at home. The delicious food is a testament to the care and passion put into every dish. Our omelets were perfectly cooked and full of fresh ingredients, and the homemade muffins were outstanding—moist, fluffy, and absolutely "to die for".

We also adored the little touches that make this cafe special, like the fresh flowers on the tables. It was a lovely discovery to learn the owner is from Hawaii; it adds a special flavor to the place and explains the delectable Hawaiian-style treats available on certain days.

For a cozy, friendly, and delicious meal by the water, this is the perfect spot. We can't wait...