I got a chance to do some exploring on 3/7/2010 and came upon the Skagit River Brewery (http://www.skagitbrew.com/). It is located at 404 S. 3rd St Mount Vernon, WA 98273.
We got there in the mid afternoon and the place was still busy, a good sign I think. The place had a nice feel to it, lots of old wood in the floors and supports. The place was well lit, but with the floors and furniture made from dark wood the place felt dark. It was not exactly intimate, but nice. In the back you could see people brewing through glass windows with the big stainless steel vats, tubes, gauges and other equipment.
There were 2 of us in my party. We walked in and was welcomed. We found a place to sit and by the time we were settled a waitress arrived with menus in hand ready to get us started. There were a lot of tasty looking items and it was hard to decide on what to get. While we were deciding a train went by. The tracks run right next to the building so close that you can feel the rumble of the train going by. The noise of the train was not too loud and actually served to enhance the ambiance.
We eventually decided on the Crabcake Sandwich with a side of Red Potato Salad. The sandwich was 2 crab cakes on a hamburger bun with lettuce, onions, and a delicious sauce with a little kick to it. It was moist but not soggy and very good. It is worth a try especially if you like crab. The red onions could have been a little strong, I liked it but the other person I was with took the onions off the sandwich. The potato salad serving was as big if not bigger that the sandwich. It to was pretty good and also had a good amount of onion. Again it was tasty, but not too spectacular.
Being a brewery I HAD to try some of the local brew. I has their Highwater Porter (7.2%A/V). It was dry, a little bitter, with a smoky, smooth, and not too strong flavor. It was perhaps not the best match for crab cakes, probably a better match for something with red meat. But I liked it. I am not a big porter fan, (I do like them, just not my favorites), but I tried this one anyway and enjoyed it.
There was another beer that I had wanted to try, but there was a long drive ahead. I did not want to get a whole glass but I did get a sample of the Dutch Girl Lager. I really liked that one! It came in a cute sample glass. The taste was subtle, well balanced, light, and refreshing. the even flavor would have been a great complement to the crab cakes if I had the for sight to order it with the meal instead. (And perhaps with less onion on the sandwich, so you could actually taste the beer better.)
The place was kid equipped, with the standard fare of a kids menu, crayons, things to color on, etc. There were not any kids there when I was there, but it looked like an O.K. place to take them. The space between tables was wide enough that you can get you, kids, bags, perhaps a stroller through without too much trouble.