The minute we walked in the door, we were treated like royalty. Having been raised in a restaurant owner family and working in hospitality my whole career, I know how important customer service is in a restaurant. Our server was Eileen, and she was not only professional, she made our dining experience personal. It was a hot night, I asked Eileen to start us off with a fruit-forward white wine and her recommendation was spot on. We ordered the large Mezze Platter and the Beet Salad as starters, which was amazingly fresh and very tasty. We then moved on to the main, we ordered two of the Mesopotamian Chicken and a Grilled Salmon. The chicken was tender and cooked perfectly. The Salmon was moist and full of flavor. The basmati rice was fluffy with a flowery aroma that went perfectly with both the salmon and chicken. The portions were huge and we needed a to-go container. Eileen highly recommended the baklava, which normally I do not get because they are always too sweet, however, this baklava was not very sweet at all. The rose water shined through and I was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere of downtown Burien was wonderful, many people were out, filling up all the local restaurants. This by far us the best Greek restaurant we have been to. Nice job Eileen, rest assured, we will be back. read more

Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Burien, Washington

I am fascinated by this gem This place is hands down by far my favorite Mediterranean place here in Burien! It's so authentic and the Food is spiced just right! The owner and entire staff (his son who served me) were amazing and very attentive! He found out I was from Germany and started speaking to me in German about his past life in Vienna and his views on Life in general! I can only recommend this place :) I am fascinated by this gem This place is hands down by far my favorite Mediterranean place here in Burien! It's so authentic and spiced just right! The owner and entire staff (his son who served me) were amazing and very attentive! He found out I was from Germany and started speaking to me in German about his past life in Vienna and his views on Life in general! I can only recommend this place :) read more

Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen - Beef & lamb stew - Mediterranean Near Me - Burien, Washington

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Unreal. So delicious I ate until I was in pain! Not a good plan. I still have leftovers for lunch tomorrow, and they will be awesome. read more

Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen - Lamb and beef morsels in a spiced tomato sauce. Rice & spinach salad with no cheese. - Mediterranean Near Me - Burien, Washington

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This place is very quaint and has a very HOME feel to it. The staff treat you like family and cater to your needs. The food is absolutely amazing! I was very impressed, as a tourist, to find a great restaurant with such great food at reasonable prices. This place is authentic and has a great selection. Next time I'm in town, I will be back! read more

Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen - Chicken, basmati rice and salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Burien, Washington

Come for the delicious mezze platter and lamb shank, stay for the incredible experience with Elaine. She makes you feel right at home and never fails to serve up some laughs along with the delicious bites of hummus, dolmas, baba ghanoush, tzatziki and on and on. Be sure to treat yourself to their tasty wine selection too (the Tempranillo is amazing)! read more

The food was delicious, the wine great, the service warm and inviting. Dim dinner ambiance, not too loud. The BEST baklava.

Food was great Service was fantastic Generous wine pours Let's be real here everything was generous. The home made pita bread yum. We also got the appetizer platter it is fantastic. Highly recommend read more

OMG!! This place is a must! Moses and his son Ishmael so AWESOME! Ishmael is truly AMAZING and whatever you order is phenomenal. Ask the chef what is the best for today and you will not be disappointed!!! They have great wines too! read more

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Great food, great atmosphere, great service, great story behind the restaurant. Highly recommend!

So glad I found this place when I was researching Mediterranean food in Seattle. I was so pleased with the customer service and food. The Mezze plate was one of the best I've ever had. I especially loved the babaganoush. The small portion was very large. For mains we had the kofte and lamb shank. Both portions were huge and incredible. The waitress was really sweet and gave great recommendations. I will definitely be back soon. read more

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AMAZING food and service! This is a favorite place for us. We love everything about this restaurant. It's definitely a must try.

Great food, good music, our server was so sweet. The portions are big, the wine pours are generous. Definitely will come back. read more

Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen - Red blend and the gyro plate. Freshly baked pita underneath the yummy salad and gyro meat. - Mediterranean Near Me - Burien, Washington

The chicken wrap had so many wonderful flavors that melded well with one another! Staff are friendly and price is excellent.

The woman who helped us was an angel from above! The food was immaculate. We felt like family P.S. Ross if you see this... Ross! Ross! Ross! read more

Great food, amazing service and even better decoration. Would definitely go here again

Oh my gosh.... The food here is AMAZING!!!!! My wife and I been wanting to try this place for a while now and I'M SO GLAD WE DID!!! For starters, we ordered hummus and pita bread (delicious), I had the gyro plate and my wife had the chicken with saffron rice. What can I tell you that the other reviewers haven't already said??? Everything we ordered was so flavorful. (and NOT salty) the taziki sauce for my gyro plate tasted so clean and refreshing. The lamb and beef were so delicious and full of flavor. The owner is so friendly and she made us feel like we were guests at her home. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PLACE!!! Stop reading my review and just go eat there already!!!!!! read more

Delicious food served in a warm and hospitable atmosphere, and the staff is very friendly and attentive. We're making this our go-to for Mediterranean food read more

This was my first time trying Mediterranean food. Everything was very flavorful and well-presented

Very cute and authentic - the food was amazing and had lots of great flavor! I believe it is a family owned restaurant and everyone was very nice and welcoming! They make fresh pita everyday before they open, the hummus was great, and the gyro plate and Mesopotamian Lamb & Beef was equally amazing! We will definitely be back! read more

We were staying in an Air BnB nearby and stumbled across this place after spending a long day walking around Seattle. We love Mediterranean and love going to new establishments that serve this type of food l, especially when it's region specific. This place did not disappoint! The atmosphere is slightly casual, slightly intimate, but very welcoming. The owner was very active in making sure customers loved their meals (I watched as he also helped a new customer create a to-go order based on her tastes, and those whom she was serving, going so far as to let her sample a few things to make sure she liked what she was getting). There is a high level of care and attention that goes into each meal. My boyfriend and I used the check-in offer to get free hummus (different than your standard hummus, but super delicious--we cleaned the plate!!), and split a kabob combo between the two of us. Everything was perfectly cooked, and everything we ate was amazing, and authentic, and regional specific. The Tzatziki was super delicious! Overall, I'd recommend this place to anyone in the area. If we lived there, we'd be there weekly! read more

Marlaina's is a small unique restaurant with truly exceptional authentic Mediterranean food. We love Marlaina's and eat there at least once a month. The menu is simple, yet amazing! We always start with their Mezza appetizer sampler plate that includes delightfully presented hummus, tzatziki, baba ganoush, grape leaves, etc. with real fresh pita that they are generous with if you need more. The wine list is short, yet delicious and reasonable. The main dishes include mostly deliciously seasoned meats, kebabs, and stews served with a delicious rice or potatoes, and a salad. I always get the mouth watering tender lamb shank because it is so amazing, but the stews, kebabs, chicken thighs are also exceptional. They also make really nice Turkish coffee and wonderful desserts. On early weeknights you may get seated without a reservation, but Thursday through Weekend we find it is best to get reservations. There is nothing worse than being turned away from a bustling Marlaina's because all the reservations are taken... and you want Marlaina's food... and there is no other restaurant in Burien or Seattle that compares. read more

The food and service were amazing! We ended up getting to go containers after the bizarre owner sat at our table without inviting him and held court. We will get take out next time. read more

Get everything! Not literally. After reading the reviews on Yelp, we deceived make reservations on our way back from Vancouver. Upon arrival hostess advised they accidentally gave away our table. They resolve it by placing us in the back room. ( party room) Musa, the owner, apologize and greeted us immediately. We order what he suggested and was severed a free glass of wine. He was super kind and made us felt at home. Will be back. read more

What great find! Well judging from the other reviews, this spot is no secret to folks, but my family and I were sure glad we found it. The dining room is unassuming and cozy, the wait staff welcoming and attentive. Then the food... the mezze platter was a highlight, a visual cornucopia, an end-to-end bounty of flavors that span the Mediterranean. Armed with fresh pita, our family soon forgot our manners and were banging elbows to get to the last of the Piyaz white bean salad. The entrees are large portioned and thoughtfully presented; the kebab are marinated and grilled with a balance of spices that had me eating well beyond my better judgement. Many thanks to the kitchen and front of house for a great meal. We will be back to try everything we missed on the first go-round. read more

Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen - Adana Kebab - Mediterranean Near Me - Burien, Washington

6 stars if I could. One of the best dining experiences I had ( and I yelp a lot). Came in at just around opening time and I was the only guest for a while. It's a family restaurant so I got the dad being the cook and son was the server. I heard them arguing over the kitchen and thought it was cute. Interior deco was quaint. Great chill music through out. Top notch when it comes to the food. I had the sautéed eggplant and house salad. Both are excellent. Drink-wise had the Turkish coffee and house cab. Both are excellent as well. I was asking if they offer half glass by chance. The owner was really excited to let me try a Spanish variety and put it on the house. I am still in awe with the gesture Then I learned that they are from Kurdistan and was not able to go home for years because of the war. this puts me further in awe. Being from China I know what cooking is just as much as what language barrier is. So in conclusion. If you like non main stream small business who pours the hearts to make good food and make customers leaving smiling you should try this place!!!! read more

Went in for dinner last night. What a cute spot. Staff were so friendly and welcoming. Great service. Enjoyed the gyro platter and grilled salmon. Both were delicious and I enjoyed there rendition on "potatoes" with the plates. Not your typical mashed potatoes, but more of a mashed tomato and onion combination. Also enjoyed a mixed platter appetizer and all the featured tastings were delicious. read more

This place is a great place to eat! My sister and I enjoyed our the appetizers and wine. Our entrees we delicious! I had the lamb shank. The flavors were mouth watering. My sister had the meatball's and she loved them. We will be eating there with our husbands soon. Ps, the baklava was delicious too. read more

Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen - Beet salad - Mediterranean Near Me - Burien, Washington

The ambiance is quaint and the food was amazing. We devoured it all before the photos. Great flavors, generous portions, good service. Very authentic and simply delicious. read more

Great food great service Have eaten there many times Mezza plate wonderful Combo plate beef lamb stew wonderful Salmon very fresh delicious Their special drinking crafts of water Best Only thing over priced is Baklava !! Very nice people read more

Great food and great people. We needed an outdoor restaurant to accommodate us on our way to SeaTac. I called ahead of time and Ishmael made sure everything was prepared for us ahead of time. The food was exceptional. Such a wonderful experience. Also they have special UV lighting to keep the air disinfected. Such an amazing restaurant. read more

Absolutely delicious! The flavors of each dish are perfect. The owner is lovely and took time to explain each dish we were considering. Beautiful indoor or outdoor seating. Cannot wait to go back. read more

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Marlaina's is a Mom and Pop restaurant serving up some fine tasting Mediterranean food- one of the many fine establishments along Downtown Burien's 152nd Street. This stretch is lined with several small businesses that bring about a much more local town feel. Extra virgin olive oil is a key ingredient here. They use it generously in their Mediterranean salad. It makes for a delicious side to your main plate. Kebabs seem to be a main part of the menu here. The beef kebab (which they emphasize to be grass-fed and higher quality) would make for a strong hearty and delicious meal- seasoned with spices and herbs that bring out the best flavors. Also, the lamb shank is done well also- the meat peels right off the bone. If you check in on Yelp, you get a free hummus appetizer. I like that the menu has several options centered on the basic formula of meat and vegetables with carbs (rice or potatoes) on the side. There's a vegan-friendly option available for you soy boys as well. It's places like Marlaina's that keep Burien interesting! read more

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Came in from out of state and wanted a giro. From the moment we walked in, we were treated so nicely. The food was pretty good, although, different style of serving a giro Im used to, the portions were really big. The bread is soooo good too. Definitely will be back the next time I am in town. Also, it was an unusually hot day, and they had the AC on, so that would have been a deal breaker if they didn't have air. It was a wonderful dinner spending time with a special someone. read more

Amazing food - Mezze platter + lamb shank dinner is the real deal. A+ friendly, generous staff. read more

Not only was the food absolutely incredible, and everything we ate was delicious! Musa was absolutely the best and gave us the best customer service. This food was the most traditional Greek food I have had since being in Greece. The atmosphere and family oriented restaurant made it an absolute treat to eat here. We had the Lamb meatballs and hummus and they were to die for. Thanks so much for transporting me back to Greece read more

Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Burien, Washington

OK, I was going to give this place a less than stellar review based on the fact that they have only one beer on tap and they ran out of that before we got ours, but... the server was very attentive and even comp'd our table of 6 a bottle of champagne since we were celebrating a birthday. From what I could see, there was only one server and one person cooking and although the place is small (about 5/6 tables) there were people coming in to pickup their order, so yes, they were busy. Although the food is a little pricey for the area, it was worth it. Very flavorful and enough to satisfy. Nice joint to check out in B Town! read more

Marlaina's Mediterranean Kitchen - Mediterranean Near Me - Burien, Washington

Excellent from start to finish. The food is absolutely amazing. We ordered so many different items and everything was great. The staff treat you like family. They want you to have the best experience. A must try when you are in Burien. read more

Picked up to-go last night... I've lived in Burien for 15 years and for some unknown reason, I had never had Marlaina's. But a friend recommended it. ...it was one of the best meals I've had in years. Flavor. Yes, everything had wonderful complicated flavors. The salad with its fresh spinach, blue cheese bits, fresh cucumbers (I asked them to hold the tomato and onions) and an amazing dressing (you could taste the quality in their choice of olive oil!). The beautiful flavorful pieces of beef and chicken thighs, the freshly made warm pitas with Tzatziki (all obviously home made!), and the perfectly made and seasoned basmati rice with peas. This meal could've have been better. Even the leftovers made today for lunch were still tender and flavorful. I'm hooked and will be back. read more

Marlaina's is an absolute gem. The food was wonderful, colorful and delicious. We enjoyed each dish more than the last. The atmosphere was warm and charming. It was the perfect complement to the authentic Kurdistan menu. The service was outstanding. The chef/owner could teach a class on hospitality. Get the Mezze Plate or the Vegetarian Stew or the Mesopotamian Potatoes. It was all perfectly spiced, prepared and presented. The colorful nature of Mediterranean cuisine along with their particular interpretation and presentation make each dish Instragram worthy. Marlaina's is an instant favorite, but we clearly aren't the only ones who feel that way. By 6:15pm on a random night in the fall the place was packed with locals. We certainly look forward to going back. read more

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE FOOD!!!!!! Flavors, texture, seasoning, creativity; they have it all. And besides possibly overeating, you feel like you're eating a healthy meal. I can't recommend them enough. Eat here!! Reasonably priced. Happy!!!!! read more