Food First

Dry Dock doesn't shortchange the menu

Stacee Sledge

Aug 14, 2003 — When I think back to some of the frightful food we consumed in college while bellied up to a bar, simply because we didn't want to head home to a package of instant noodles, it sends shudders up my spine.

But The Dry Dock Pub & Eatery succeeds where so many other bars that serve food fail: It doesn't primarily serve drinks and leave food as an afterthought.

Sure, a large L-shape bar takes up one of four rooms, but it's soon obvious that food is equally important at this casual waterside watering hole.

The Dry Dock Pub & Eatery

Location:  7848 Birch Bay Drive, Phone: 371-3464 Hours: 9 a.m. to 2 a.m., daily Serving: Breakfast, lunch and dinner in a casual waterfront pub. Menu items sampled:  Hot artichoke dip $5.95  Dry Dock burger $6.95  Triple decker club $6.95  Bread pudding $2.95

The Dry Dock Web site touts a "friendly, fun atmosphere" and assures that families are welcome. During the sunny Saturday afternoon of our visit, that description was apt.

Two patio seating areas are available: one out front that overlooks an expansive view of Birch Bay and another charming area tucked behind the building. We decided to eat inside, as it was early enough in the day to still be chilly.

Our server wiped our table as we sat down, laughing that breakfast had been crazy. The table seemed clean already, but I appreciated the extra care.

From our vantage point in one of two nonsmoking dining rooms, I could see the corner of a big-screen television and an array of charming seaside-themed decorating touches. A rustic mural mapping out the San Juan Islands loomed above our table.

We started with an appetizer of hot artichoke dip, a blend of marinated artichoke hearts, cream cheese and Parmesan cheese served with triangles of soft white bread. The artichoke taste of the dip was strong and pleasant, the only shortcoming to the dish being the slight oil slick that skimmed the top.

The bread ran out well before the dip, but our food arrived quickly, and my husband simply finished up the flavorful concoction with his fries. Excess oil or no, he enjoyed the taste and didn't let it go to waste.

Since The Dry Dock's menu screams simple, plentiful, comfort food, he ordered The Dry Dock burger. A sizeable grilled patty was topped with enormous sauteed mushrooms, crisped salty bacon and melted Swiss cheese, along with the regular fixings of lettuce, tomato and the eatery's own special sauce.

The heap of french fries that accompanied the savory burger were crisp, hot and far better than anything you'd find at a chain restaurant — just one of dozens of reasons to support your local eateries over the big guys any day.

I ordered the triple decker club, a gargantuan sandwich cut into four tall triangles layered with thinly sliced turkey, bacon, lettuce, mayonnaise and tomato on thin slices of toasted sourdough bread. The menu had promised roast beef as well, but I didn't realize until we'd left the restaurant that it was missing. It didn't matter a wit to me, as I enjoyed the sandwich exactly as it was.

The potato salad I'd chosen as a side was clearly homemade, with chunks of red onion and scallion mashed in alongside the other ingredients. It was a bit on the mushy side for my taste, but the flavor was still pleasing and complemented the sandwich nicely.

I'm already sold on lunch at The Dry Dock, and as our server pointed out, breakfast is also a popular repast at the casual eatery. But if the tantalizing menu is any indication, the evening meal might be a great time to stop in as well.

Steaks, seafood and pasta make a showing on the lengthier dinner menu, but my eye was drawn to the heartier, down-home meals of old-fashioned meatloaf, liver and onions, chicken-fried steak or hamburger steak. Choose any one, accompanied by a potato side dish and soup of the day, garden salad, or coleslaw, for a reasonable $8.95.

For dessert after a satisfying lunch or dinner, choose one of several delicious homemade goodies, from crème brûlée to grasshopper pie, chocolate cheesecake to bread pudding.

At The Dry Dock, rough-looking bikers mingle comfortably amid families with young children, grandparents and tourists. I just bet that everyone leaves feeling as welcomed and well-taken-care-of as we did.

Visit the Dry Dock Web site at www.drydockrestaurant.com to view its entire menu. Pull tabs, karaoke and other nightly entertainment are also offered.