The adventure begins before you’re even inside the restaurant, as guests “walk the plank” that leads frighteningly (but safely) up to the main entrance. Netting on all sides prevents serious peril for anyone who might feel off-balance negotiating the narrow and suspended wooden walkway.
Once aboard the Squall Café, you’re greeted by your Captain/Host who shows you to your ship (table) and introduces you to the “First Mate” who will be taking care of you during your mock journey on the culinary high seas. When seated comfortably and perusing the abundant menu, new guests to the Café often joke and question what “thrill” could be had dining in what appears to be a miniaturized replica of an old Spanish Galleon, complete with mast and “privacy sails” that shield your view of other diners in their respective “ships.”
Orders are taken, just like any other restaurant, but then things start to get interesting.
“Ahoy Mates,” announces the server as he or she brings the first course of appetizers and beverages. “The Captain says we’re going to be encountering some cross-winds, and suggests we have you buckle up…for your own safety.”
Guests find what appear to be seat-belts on either side of them, and the First Mate helps get everyone in the dining party strapped in. Beverage glasses and plates are placed in special form-fitting grooves that hold everything on the table neatly in place, and once all is secured, guests begin to feel a gentle rocking and mild swaying. Soon, the main entrees are brought and similarly secured by the First Mate, who then makes a rather ominous statement.
“The Captain says we’re heading straight ahead into a tropical storm, and suggests you take all necessary precautions.” And this is when the fun really begins.
Built on a series of individualized motion-simulator dining platforms, guests to the Maynard Park Squall Café can enjoy everything from the standard “Gentle Breeze Dining Experience” to the “Andrea Doria Experience” that has rain slicker bedecked guests literally holding onto their food to prevent it from rolling onto the floor. For the less adventurous or those prone to mild or severe motion-sickness, stationary dining areas are also provided.
Whether you want to recreate the romance of dining in the Hawaiian Isles, or if you just want to punk your friends with an extreme dining experience they’ll never forget, the Maynard Park Squall Café is your place for the quintessential Seattle Seafair dining experience.
