During the second night of our trip to Seward, we all decided to save a little money and head over to The Marina Restaurant for dinner. This restaurant is actually right across from Ray’s Waterfront on 4th Avenue, so it’s pretty easy to spot even though it is a little on the plain side and is also very small. It is also located on the same side of the street as the Breeze Inn, as well as a few other little stores and boutiques that are wonderful to walk along after dinner.
As we approached the Marina Restaurant, it was apparent at once that this place was really busy and really crowded. One of the few waitresses quickly told us to have a seat anywhere, and they would be right with us. Unfortunately, the only table available was near the front door, where most of the other restaurant patrons were entering and exiting, and it was quite filthy, with dirty glasses, small bits of rubbish, and pieces of food from the last customers. Reluctantly, I sat on a chair that we grabbed from another table and waited for our server to appear with our menus.
I have heard that this is a great place to eat: that the food is delicious, the service is excellent, and the atmosphere is fun and lively; however, to me, it seemed run-down, dirty, crowded, and noisy. When we finally did receive our menus and our table was cleared somewhat of the dirty dishes, we quickly looked over our menus and ordered our food. I ordered a cup of clam chowder that was horribly disappointing, as it tasted as if someone had taken a can of clam chowder and watered it down to make it last longer. There was really no taste at all to it, and I could have easily counted on one hand how many potatoes and clams were floating in it. After the waitress took my clam chowder away and I ensured this would not be on our bill, our meals arrived. Most of my husband’s family ordered halibut fish and chips, which I normally really like, but since being pregnant I have not been able to tolerate grease, so it looked unappealing to me. They did assure me, though, that it was delicious. I ordered the broiled salmon, which tasted as if it wasn’t very fresh, served with steamed vegetables, which had probably been steamed for a few hours too long and had no flavor at all, with the consistency of baby food. There was also a baked potato that was burnt.
As you can probably guess, I was extremely disappointed with my entire meal; however, my in-laws seemed to enjoy theirs immensely. All in all, I would only recommend this restaurant if you are looking to only spend around 7 to 10 dollars per person, you are in the mood for mediocre food at best, or you just really love cheap fish and chips.