MILL CREEK – Don’t let the strip mall fool you.
Sure, McMenamins Mill Creek is located across a vast asphalt parking lot from Safeway, and from the outside it looks like it could just as easily be a comic books store or a nail salon or a packing supply and shipping store.
But once you’re inside, you’ll enjoy the same classic pub experience we’ve come to expect from the Portland-based operation.
McMenamins operates 53 properties in Oregon and Washington, including seven hotels and eight theaterpubs.
But don’t expect to check in overnight or catch at movie at McMenamins Mill Creek, which opened in July 1995. This is one of the classic pubs that the chain has to offer, and being the farthest north, it’s the only one of the bunch to reach Snohomish County.
There’s a warm, inviting feeling from the moment you walk in. You can pull up a stool at the large, wraparound bar to socialize, or retreat to one of the many high-backed booths that line the large, square room and offer some privacy for couples and small groups of friends. There are also several tables around the floor that can be shuffled to accommodate a group of two or 20.
Amazingly, you still don’t feel like you’re in a strip mall when you head for the patio outside. It’s elevated from the street, so you can’t see the traffic along Bothell-Everett Highway even though you can hear it, and trees and bushes help complete the relatively undisturbed setting.
It’s the kind of place where you can stop after work to wind down, kick off a romantic evening with a drink, or pop in for a nightcap.
But the tasty pub menu could easily keep you there all night. Offerings include sandwiches, salads, macaroni and cheese, classic burgers and a stuffed burger whose ingredients vary daily. The three-piece halibut &chips, at $11.50, is the only food item that tops the $10 mark (and you can get the two-piece for $8.90).
But the draw is the beer, and McMenamins Mill Creek houses one of the 22 breweries the company operates (and one of just eight in Washington). You know all of the microbrews flowing out of its 15 to 18 taps comes from the next room over – the Bud, Coors Light and Widmer Hefeweizen are the only exceptions.
Like most of the McMenamins establishments, the Mill Creek spot focuses on providing a laid-back pub ambiance. Instead of a pool table and darts, there are board games you can play. Instead of a raucous jukebox, there’s a solid mix of music piped in at a reasonable volume. And, for a modern twist on tradition, you can just as easily settle down with a book or pull out your laptop and get online with the free wireless Internet access.
Sneak out of work in time – or stay out late enough – for happy hour, from 4 to 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. to close, and you’ll be treated to some delightful daily specials on drinks and appetizers.
If you look at the strip mall’s silver lining, you can pick up some groceries on the way home.
Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
McMenamins Mill Creek
13300 Bothell-Everett Highway, Mill Creek; 425-316-0520
Specialty: microbrews, pub food favorites
Hours: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to midnight Sunday
Price range: inexpensive to moderate
Liquor: full bar
Smoking: not allowed inside, OK on the patio
Reservations: not available; large parties advised to call ahead
Disabled accessibility: no apparent barriers
Credit cards: all major cards accepted
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