Catering « Deception Cafe & Grill Near Deception Pass, Anacortes, Washington

Deception Cafe Review in Everett Herald

FIDALGO ISLAND — Before the Deception Pass Bridge was built, before Deception Pass State Park opened, someone whose name is lost to history opened a little roadhouse cafe a few miles north of the pass. More than 80 years later, the Deception Cafe & Grill endures. And that's good news for park visitors looking for a satisfying, house-made breakfast, lunch or dinner without having to drive out of their way. Housed in a simple gable-roofed building that the original owner probably would recognize, the cafe puts out a diverse range of food: curries, quiche, pasta, burritos, tamales, steaks, you name it. Owners Richard and Kathy Longstreet say they make everything in-house, including desserts, and use local and organic ingredients when possible. We stopped by for dinner on a recent dark, rainy Saturday evening. People unfamiliar with the area should take care turning left on Highway 20 into the cafe's parking lot, particularly at night. Once safely inside, you'll note the homey, well-worn and funky (in a clean and tidy way) surroundings. Houseplants line the window sills, and a wall furnace like the one in your first rental warms the dining room. Other diners were clearly local regulars. We started with an order of coconut prawns and peanut dipping sauce ($9.95), which arrived clumsily presented on a bed of greens but were quite tasty. The prawns were large, fresh and perfectly cooked and the coconut was fresh and not too sweet. The greens were of good quality, and we felt sad not to eat them. Other starter options include steamed clams and mussels ($11.95) and Dungeness crab cake ($10.95). Dinner comes with a choice of soup or salad. Alas, our server brought our salads before we'd finished the starter, making us feel slightly rushed. We were glad to note that the salad dressing was served on the side. We generally prefer to dress our greens ourselves. Salads and dressings were simple and fine. Apart from the minor salad gaffe, service overall was solid, and we didn't have to wait for water glasses to be refilled or the wine to be brought out. For our entrees, we chose Mediterranean pasta off the standard dinner menu ($16.95; add $3.95 for chicken or $4.95 for four large prawns), and beef goulash off the nightly special sheet. The goulash seemed pricey at $22.95, but it contained chunks of nicely seared, fork-tender steak — a major upgrade over the grayish, chewy, tasteless stuff your mom tossed into her goulash. The steak was bathed in a tangy, slightly acidic tomato-based stew, which I mopped up with a homemade dinner roll. A large dollop of sour cream topped off the dish. Both dishes were prepared with properly cooked homemade pasta, which has such a pleasant texture compared to boxed pasta. The Mediterranean dish contained large, tender artichoke hearts that were nothing like the creepy marinated ones that come in jars (The cafe also serves these deep-fried as a starter). The artichoke hearts were the standout in a familiar dish that was well-made and satisfying — although we thought the chicken addition was unnecessary. Portions were ample. We enjoyed leftovers for lunch the next day. Other options on the daily special sheet included potato-crusted wild salmon or halibut ($24.95), lamb or halibut tacos ($14.95) and homemade tamales. The main menu and the special sheet also included schnitzel parmesan and jaeger schnitzel ($16.95), a nod to the cafe's previous incarnation as a German restaurant. If you're on a budget, the standard menu offers some $11.95 options served Monday through Thursday — and every day for kids and seniors. For dessert, we brought home a lemon tart and a chocolate torte, both made in-house and both delicious. We also decided to return to fuel up with a hearty breakfast before taking a long walk in the park. By Mark Carlson Herald Writer

-- Article in Heraldnet.com EVERETT

Thank you for doing such a great job! Everyone raved that the ribs were the best they ever had! The menu was perfect and we really appreciate how flexible you were with last minute changes. Please put us on the calendar for next year! Thank you! Jean Groesbeck-Windermere Real Estate

-- Jean Groesbeck-Windermere Real Estate

I cannot thank you enough for all your hard work in providing the yummy, delicious food for our 50th birthday event – our guests are still raving and will be for some time to come! Everything was wonderful! Thank you! Ron and Sheila Litzinger

-- Ron & Sheila Litzinger

After reviewing several caterers in the Anacortes area, the Boeing Employees RV Club selected the Deception Cafe and Grill to cater our end-of-year campout at Fidalgo Bay RV Park. Forty three members attended the catered dinner and this year was a first for the club - All forty three attending members said the food was outstanding and recommended using the Deception Cafe and Grill again when we stay in the Anacortes area.The Deception Cafe and Grill provides excellent quality food selections at reasonable prices. It was a real pleasure to work with the Deception Cafe and Grill, Kathy Longstreet, for our 2009 Wagonmaster Event. Rick Olson Boeing Employees RV Club 2008-2009 Wagonmaster

-- Rick Olson-boeing Employees RV Club

Thank you so much for the incredible catering job you did for our wedding reception! You made everything so easy for us, and we really appreciate your willingness to accommodate our financial situation and dietary needs. The food was amazing! All of our guests were raving .... Blessings, Margeurite and Chuck

-- Margeurite & Chuck

Thank you again for the fabulous dinner you prepared for Emmett and Jennifer's rehearsal dinner. The food was wonderful and everybody was so impressed by the variety and especially the taste. Even Emmett commented on how wonderful the presentation was. Cost-wise, it came under what I had budgeted, so that was really nice for me too! I enjoyed working with you through the planning and evening. Thank you so much! (P.S. Your wait staff were excellent too!)

-- Norah and Dave Mc Millan

Thank you so much for the thorough and loving way that you served us during Yohanan and Rachel's reception. Everything was so delicious and pleasingly presented. We had many inquiries as to who had done the wonderful food. Appreciatively,

-- Pam and Ray

We were very pleased with the catering that Deception Café Catering provided for our client appreciation event. We had over 100 guests and every guest was well-fed and satisfied with the good food and its presentation. The event was out of doors which is always a challenge in the Pacific Northwest; and Deception Café Catering staff provided quality service in spite of the windy, cold weather. In fact, the extensive menu was delicious, served beautifully and in a timely manner. Kathy, the owner, was always available, willing and professional while we were planning our event and we would definitely use their services in the future.

-- Carol Miner, Event Planner, Barrett Financial

Kathy's catering was fantastic. Not only was she always positive, friendly and professional, but the food she provided was some of the best we've ever had. She came up with suggestions that were exactly in line with the theme of the dinner and better than we would have imagined. My husband and I weren't the only ones impressed with the food; multiple times during the reception, our guests commented on the fabulous dinner. We highly recommend Kathy and Deception Café Catering.

-- Ingrid and James

Thank you for the wonderful meals you cooked for us on our 40th wedding anniversary. The food was excellent-you are a terrific cook and the dishes were presented so beautifully. I know cooking for such a large group is very difficult but everything you did was so much appreciated. I had so many compliments (but I wasn't surprised). You were wonderful. Many thanks.

-- Karen Faris