Wednesday 23rd of June 2010 07:55:02 PM

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The Sailfish Bar & Grill/Twin Rivers Brewing is in an unlikely location in small town western Washington, but it’s very definitely worth visiting. The Sailfish Bar & Grill is in a one story red brick building right in the center of old town Monroe, and it is really a smartly appointed restaurant, rather than a pub. But, they serve eight different good quality craft beers from Twin Rivers. The Twin Rivers Brewery (very tiny, from what you can see through the front window), is right next door in a flagstone and glass storefront. The beers are traditional both in style and in execution and are expertly made. The British-style IPA and the Russian Imperial Stout were both top-notch. There’s also quite a respectable wine list.

The bar itself is in an arched alcove and has a black painted wood surface and is flanked by tall black chairs with padded seats (black with a line of red piping trim). The bar area also has several booths with similar padded dark blue with red accent decor. And it is OK to come in here just for a beer.

The dining area has black wooden tables and chairs and is separated from the bar area by a low wall and the bar-area booths. The carpet throughout is an attractive dark charcoal grey with colored triangles and an accent stained-glass window style pattern. Walls are dark green and the ceiling is a dark red with ceiling fans, cream-colored beams, and a skylight in the middle. Good-sized windows line the front of the space. The open kitchen at the back has beautiful pots and pans on display. A mounted swordfish also decorates the back wall.

The food is superb. Seafood (calamari, mussels, shrimp, salmon) and steak in innovative and delicious plates dominate. The style covers the map from Italian to Asian. Our tempura prawns and the sauteed calamari with capers, olives, and tomatoes appetizers were wonderful, as was the caesar salad with cold-smoked salmon.

Thursday 11th of October 2007 01:20:49 PM

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Let's talk about atmosphere. The kind of character that presents itself when you step into your favorite pub. You know the bartender, perhaps some of the people, they know you. If you're a "stranger to this here parts" most pub-crawlers will greet you and, for the time you're planted on the stool, make you feel welcome. For the most part, that has been true for wife Persimmon & I in our pub-crawling adventures throughout Washington State.

Then there are those establishments that lay heavy on your shoulders as though you were Atlas and wonders "What do YOU want?" Sadly, Twin Rivers / Sailfish Grill commands that spotlight.

Sitting on a busy side street and more restaurant than pub, this eatery is dark and forboding...in hindsight, a warning of sorts. The menu is slim featuring seafood dinners with little fish and less taste. Wife Persimmon tried Chili Lime Prawns that might have been good had they been hot -- but the cold entree was the perfect companion for the cold veggies & rice. My Thai Stew was also lukewarm, without any Thai "kick" that one would expect. One would also expect some seafood...what I got were mounds of mussels, no tuna or salmon (although advertised in the menu as being present) and (1), count 'em (1) prawn.

The brewery lives next to the Sailfish & (6) beers are available including a Golden Lager, Pale Ale, Vienna Lager (all Bud knock-offs), an IPA, Nut Brown Ale, Imperial Stout & Barley Wine. Of these, the Nut Brown and Stout were quite good, the barley wine unavailable as a sample so I had to purchase a bottle @ $8.00. That's an expensive sip and unworthy of the price-tag. "Aged 12 months" the beverage list claimed, this brew was fruity, syrupy and much too sweet even as after-dinner dessert drink.

This was the 4th attempt to drink & dine @ Sailfish. Their hours seem to shift randomly with the mood of the owners.

Monroe, Washington is a small burg trying to grow at the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. For the most part, people I've met here in the past are ranch-hand, cowboy-smokers who are quick to say "howdy" and offer help when asked.

Those folks don't come to Sailfish / Twin Rivers.