Marlaina's is built around founder Musa, who left Kurdistan for the US in 1982, opened his first restaurant in Manhattan, and later ran spots in North Carolina and Georgia before landing in the Seattle area, where he opened Marlaina's in 2013. The menu draws on dishes from across the Eastern Mediterranean, prepared fresh on premises.
The kitchen turns out gyro plates, chicken pirzola, a mezze platter, hummus, beet salad, grilled salmon, lamb shank, and a vegetarian stew, with house-made pita bread and baklava rounding things out. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options run throughout the menu.
Regulars describe the room as homey and welcoming, with generous portions and service that leans warm and attentive — the kind of place that doubles as a cozy date-night spot as easily as a family dinner. Marlaina's also handles catering and private events.
The kitchen turns out gyro plates, chicken pirzola, a mezze platter, hummus, beet salad, grilled salmon, lamb shank, and a vegetarian stew, with house-made pita bread and baklava rounding things out. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options run throughout the menu.
Regulars describe the room as homey and welcoming, with generous portions and service that leans warm and attentive — the kind of place that doubles as a cozy date-night spot as easily as a family dinner. Marlaina's also handles catering and private events.