MONROE – Let’s face it, Monroe’s a bit of a sleepy town.
But in the waking hours, up until around 10 p.m., folks still want a place for an excellent beer, a fine martini, some great appetizers or a good meal.
That place is the Sailfish Grill, a cozy little spot just off the intersection of N. Lewis and Main streets in downtown Monroe.
The Sailfish isn’t open very long, from 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. That figures to about 25 hours per week, but makes it all the more special for the lucky ones who settle in for dinner in the restaurant or meet up with friends for an after-work cocktail in the comfy bar, where four high-backed booths in addition to cushiony barstools make friendly conversations pleasant and audible.
Founder, owner, chef and otherwise utility man Timothy Kovach makes sure there’s always a unique experience brewing. Kovach has cooked up virtually every dish that’s landed on a table and crafted nearly every beer that’s been poured into a pint. The place shuts down for a couple of weeks when Kovach gives himself a vacation, usually in the summer.
In addition to the fine menu, homemade desserts and tasty appetizers, Kovach serves up eight one-of-a-kind beers from his Twin Rivers Brewing Co., a tiny storefront space next door. The Sailfish is the only place you can get them, with the occasional exception of when Twin Rivers beers appear at local pubs, including Fred’s Rivertown Alehouse in Snohomish.
A Russian-style imperial stout that is a little sweeter than the typical Irish versions and an Imperial India Pale Ale are mainstays, but the remaining six taps alternate through a variety of brews depending on what Kovach feels like stirring up.
“It just depends on what kind of mood he’s in,” bar manager Scott Olson said. But Kovach typically keeps a light-to-dark spectrum of beers available when he’s cooking up batches of four barrels, or about eight kegs, at a time.
For the underage set, or those not in a drinkin’ mood, Kovach has three house sodas that he makes himself, as well, including vanilla cream, ginger beer and root beer. An extensive wine list and a full bar with Olson ready to whip up a classic martini that is a local favorite round out the plentiful drink options.
OK, OK. There’s also some Bud and Bud Light in a can. But it’s poured into a glass.
“To a certain extent, you’ve got to go with your crowd,” Olson said.
Sailfish has been going with, and growing with, its crowd for 13 years in downtown Monroe, making a home out of a place that was once a video store and a health club, among other things.
It provides quality food and drinks in a mature setting that favors quiet light jazz over pounding dance music through the sound system, and a single TV nestled into a corner behind the bar with the sound off over a wall of flat-screens and sometimes grating play-by-play announcers.
“We’re not a shells on the floor kind of place, but we’re not snooty, either,” Olson said.
| 104 N. Lewis St., Monroe; 360-794-4056
Specialty: microbrews, house sodas, seafood, homemade desserts Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday Price range: moderate to expensive Liquor: full bar Smoking: allowed Reservations: available Disabled accessibility: no apparent barriers Credit cards: all major cards accepted |
And that’s exactly the kind of balance the Sailfish has mastered, making it one of the better-kept secrets in Snohomish County and just about worth an eastbound excursion, especially for beer lovers.
Reporter Victor Balta: 425-339-3455 or vbalta@heraldnet.com.
Michael V. Martina / The Herald
LEFT: The dining area at the Sailfish Bar and Grill in Monroe is ready for the evening’s patrons.
BELOW: Bar manager Scott Olson laughs with patrons at the Sailfish.
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