things i didn't know: 152nd in burien is a dinner destination and parking spots are at a premium. marlaina's is so popular that when we walked in hoping for a table, the restaurant was already full and we were asked if we'd made a reservation. things i now moving forward: marlaina's serves damn good food! hefty portions and tasty combinations and we didn't even order an entree. between the bread, the large mezze platter and the two salads we got, we both went home with leftovers and i was stuffed because i couldn't stop myself from mopping up the plethora of flavors and textures on the plates. the baklava was also good and just the right amount for two people to share. our server was attentive and friendly and did the best he could since we were seated in a rear area past the kitchen and main part of the restaurant (it seems like that is reserved for large groups and maybe overflow patrons on nights when the other tables are occupied?) which doesn't have as nice or colorful an ambiance but it's the food we were after. i feel somewhat remiss to say i hadn't known about marlaina's until my friend suggested we go check it out. i'm in burien a lot and have tried many of the food establishments including the one right next door which i love so i'll own my own ignorance but now i just want to shout from the rooftops that you, too, should give marlaina's a try. i fell like i've been let in on a local secret i should've known about a long time ago.

We always love our experience at Marlaina's and have been many times--both the two of us and with friends visiting from out of town. The food is excellent. Every experience is one with which we received warm, generous service. We were unable to make it down to Burien with our friend visiting from NY, when I discovered we could do Delivery! The food was as delicious as if we were sitting there at one of Marlaina's tables, talking with Musa.

I have been coming to this lovely establishment for a couple years now, and it is one gem of a place! The servers are great! The food is impeccable, plates are very generous, and the owner is one site most nights. Great place to go to and the vibes are wonderful!

The staff is amazing and I love that, over the years, it's the same people working here each time. I love the "family" vibes of this restaurant! It's imperfect and authentic and just the local place I love to support. We get the large mezze platter each time and mix it up between the Chicken Pirzola & Mesopotamian Lamb and Beef. Everything, including their yogurt, hummus, pita bread, and baklava are made in house. HOMEMADE! It's so good! My partner and I came here for our first date night after our baby was born, when we bought our first house together, and when they proposed. Almost every time we come here, the chef will see our son and send an animal of some kind shaped out of oranges or cucumber. They seriously are so wonderful. We like to visit on Tuesdays or throughout the weekdays, unless it's a weekend. Call for reservations for better seats and there's not a waiting area. They do have a bigger space in the back. Can't recommend this place enough!

Great little place with Amazing food! Service was top notch and food tasted like it was all made from scratch with family recipes. Definitely going back.

Wow, what an amazing meal! We started by being welcomed and sat at a nice table shortly after opening. Drink offerings were good but we decided on just water as we wanted to be able to taste the flavors of the food more. For an appetizer, we started with the "MEZZE PLATTER" which was small portions of several appetizers in a sampler form: Piyaz, Hummus, Tzatziki, Baba Ganoush, Dolma and Tabouli. The Hummas, Dolma and Baba Ganoush were amazing and went very well with the homemade bread. Next was our main course. The Lamb & Beef "Stew" for the lady and for myself, the Lamb Kebabs. The stew wasn't what you'd think of as a traditional stew but rather slow-cooked meats along with greens and rice, a little light sauce. Extremely tender and delicious. My kebabs was a typical skewer of lamb (two actually) along with rice and salad, though I opted for double rice and no salad. I've had kebabs many times from different locations around the US as well as in other countries (south of France, Malta etc...) and I think these might have been the BEST kebabs I've never had! They were seasoned perfectly, were just right as far as how cooked they were, and that char on them was incredible! To end the meal, we had baklava which, like the kebab, was probably the best baklava I've ever tasted. This *might* be because I often don't order baklava as I have been disappointed many times, but this was no disappointment, that's for sure! Incredible flavor. Good portion size too I think. A Turkish coffee ended our meal. The service we got was fantastic and we are now relaxing and digesting a big meal. Living right near this restaurant could be dangerous for us in the future! We will be back! :)

3d visit was just as good as the 1st 2. We came in about 5:30PM on a Thursday. It was not crowded and we were seated right away. The small Meza platter was great and we should have taken our conclusions from the 1st 2 visits and just split one dinner but we ordered the gyro platter and the lamb kababs. The pieces of lamb were perfectly cooked rare and very tender. My wife and I each ate one skewer with 3 generous pieces of meat. Then we shared the huge portion of shawarma meat on her plate. Each of us had lots of rice and salad. We took home enough for sandwiches tomorrow. Service was friendly, professional and attentive. 152nd street is fulled with good local restaurants and this is one of the best. We could not finish our $7 beers but we made room for the baclava.

I'm mad my friend didn't show me this spot earlier!!! For starters, we had the mezze platter. It came with dolmas (so good!! Perfect marriage of rice and spices!), tzatziki (so fresh! The mint...yum!!), baba ganoush (with a smokey hint), hummus (so fresh!!), tabouli (best ive had in a long time! It was not overwhelming with parsley... super enjoyable. So good we got orders to go!), and the piyaz (a chilled white bean salad with ginger root, onion, tomato, EVOO, and garlic...so good we got orders to go!). Entrees we had the mesopotamian lamb and beef (the stew was so comforting..like a hug. The lamb was so tender!), and the lamb chops (love the rosemary and garlic!) For dessert...freshhhhh baklava, freshest ive had. It had just been made. It was so perfect! It's not so heavy compared to the normal baklava with honey that Im used too. Looks like I have a new favorite Mediterranean spot to go to!!! The staff was great. The food was amazing.

I had the pleasure of trying this place this evening and I wanted to jump on and add my review to Marlaina's! Ambiance: Marlaina's is located in downtown Burien, where there is limited diagonal street parking. When you walk into Marlaina's you are greeted with Mediterranean decor, as if you are right in someone's kitchen. It is very home-styled and comforting. The kitchen is small and facing outward to the dining area, and you can see the chef working away at orders. Food: Marlaina's has a small menu, with lamb, beef and vegan options. There is also an extensive drink and appetizer menu that has the likes of baba ganoush and hummus with warm pita. Because of the wait, the kind waitress gave us hummus with pita on the house. The texture was thick and creamy, and just the right amount of seasoning to it. It was probably one of my favorite hummus I have had personally! The pita is more thicker than usual, but just as great if not better. I ordered the gyro plate which consisted of the grilled lamb and beef meat, basmati rice, spinach salad, pita bread and tsatziki sauce. I usually don't eat lamb, but there was nothing gamey about the meat! Everything was seasoned well, super fresh and so filling. The portions were huge on this platter! My mom had the vegan stew, which was also very flavorful. The eggplant was soft and tender, and the tomato based sauce complemented the veggies and rice as well. Everything was huge! We were super filled afterwards, but we definitely had room for baklava. They usually are served with two, but the waitress was so kind to let us have one extra since we were a party of three. It was my first time having it, and it was perfectly crispy and had the right amount of sweetness with the glaze. The almond spread was also very wonderful and complemented the delicate crust. Service: It was definitely busy on a Sunday night! There was only one waiter working for the entire dining area, so definitely be mindful of the wait! Everyone in the restaurant was super friendly and welcoming. The chef was also very wonderful and he was laughing when I devoured the bakalava! Overall, definitely will be back with more friends and family to enjoy this little slice of the Mediterranean in Burien. Please give this little family restaurant a try!

Extremely fresh, unpretentious, delicious food that's cooked with love. Honestly, it feels like a hug when you're eating here. I live very close to this place but hadn't tried it until the other day for a Yelp event. We got to meet Chef Musa and his son Ishmael. They were incredibly welcoming and kind. We tried so many wonderful dishes including: hummus, tzatziki, baba Ganoush (my favorite!!), pita, saffron rice, chicken stew, lamb stew, vegetarian stew, Mediterranean salad, and great wine selection. I will definitely be coming back and can't wait to bring and friends and family here too.