Heaven-Sent Mac-n-Cheese at Luther’s Table

Hear this, you Donald Trump-types of the world... Luther’s Table is staffed 90 percent by volunteers, and the restaurant gives back 30percent of their donations to the Renton Salvation Army Feeding Program, which provides meals to the needy five nights a week. This is food you can feel really good about eating, and oh yes, it’s delicious. When I asked my south-end friend if she’d been, she replied, “Jesus and beer. Excellent.”

But you won’t get preached to by the altruistic staff. People of all faiths are welcome. We happened to be on our way to Whidbey Island so I bought gourmet picnic food for the road. $50 bought a feast for three that didn’t even get finished. Prices are exceedingly reasonable for food this fresh, and the flavor of the service I received was professional, yet welcoming. I wanted to try a variety of sandwiches, so I opted for a mix of half sandwiches for only $5 each. As you can see from the photos, a half at Luther’s would be considered a whole in many an establishment.

Oh yes, when you get your bill, there’s no gratuity line on the receipt. They only accept donations to charity, which are voluntarily-made. Pinch me—is this too good to be true?

The tongue-in-cheekily named sandwiches are all $8 for a whole, and $5 for a half, served on airy focaccia bread escorted by fresh melon slices and grapes. This is lunch that’s good for the body and soul. So I went for The Vicar: sliced turkey with rosy cayenne-kissed mayonnaise, tomato, romaine lettuce, and caramelized onions; The Sinner: roast beef and swiss with seasonal herb mayo, roasted tomatoes, and greens; and The Pope: a delightfully gourmet combination of proscuitto slices, orange fig relish, caramelized onions, goat cheese, and greens. 

The Crudite Panzanella Salad ($5 Half, $8 Whole) was huge, and delicious on a sunny afternoon. (No sun needed to give it a thumbs up.) To translate, Crudites is French for marinated vegetables, and a Panzanella salad is a Florentine dish made with day-old bread softened in an olive oil vinaigrette. This immense salad came with grilled Verdura which included olive oil-tossed asparagus, portabello mushroom slices, red peppers, Foccacia croutons, and crumbled goat cheese over fresh spinach. This is a Mediterranean salad that’s flavorful enough to be an entree on its own.

Since they have five Flat Breads for only $5 a piece, I decided to continue the Mediterranean theme and go for a Greek Veggie. A square of crisped pastry was generously topped with artichokes, feta, roasted red peppers, black olives, and flavored with basil-infused olive oil. At this point we were on overkill, but I hear raves about the Saucy Loaf Entree ($10): Homemade meatloaf with barbecue sauce and sweet onions.

But wait, we haven’t even dished on Luther’s Mac-n-Cheese yet. I ordered plain, but thankfully the chef slipped me the ham and asparagus spring special ($8 lunch, $10 dinner). We are talking ziti noodles baked in a custardy bechamel sauce, kicked up a notch with cayenne, and mingled with chopped ham and asparagus bites. A square of heaven entered my mouth via plastic fork on I-5... BUT, I hear they do a Dungeness Crab Mac-n-Cheese special which I NEED to return for.  Luther’s—Are there Mac-N-Cheese alerts? 

Families are welcome at Luther’s and your budding gourmands can get a Grilled Cheese, PB & J or Buttered Noodles with a side of fruit off the Kid’s Menu for a mere $3. Oh yes, and Luther’s Table has a stage and hosts live music most nights of the week. Check out their website to find out what’s next on the entertainment calendar! 

Staunch atheists might get the jitters, but everyone should feel welcomed by a good-food-for-a-great-cause meal at Luther’s.  Oh yes, the booths are restored pews—very clever.

Luther’s Table
419 S. 2nd St. Suite 1
Renton, WA 98057
425-970-3157