Devin Marshall is a poet in the kitchen. Herbs and spices are his meter. Breads, meats and cheeses are his diction. And the results are delicious.

“One bite it’s cheese, and the next bite it’s a juicy, ripe tomato, the next is cilantro and the next bite you know, it’s lime. And it’s all mixing together to create complex flavors,” Marshall says about his culinary creation the “Mac It.”

Marshall and his wife Leslie opened Curbside on 5th in August of 2015 after many years of planning for a food truck or late night eatery for local college students.

When he first started out he made it simple: “Wrap It, Stack It, and Mac It.” He said it was “easy for when you’re cross-eyed and looking up at the menu” during the odd hours of the night after the bars close and before the sun rises.

The small building has a casual beach house vibe with a light blue-gray paint and a large banner that boasts “Curbside on 5th” underneath the order window. The structure was originally a bank kiosk, which explains why the interior is so small.

“There used to be a tube that would take the money and send it into the bank,” Marshall says. “It’s all concrete now, though.”

Marshall voice is measured and soft spoken when he talks about the recipes he makes and the history behind the building. His short stature makes it easy for him to move within Curbside, his hands are calloused and work the frying pans with ease. He wears a short sleeved chef smock with “personal chef” embroidered on the breast.

Professional-grade cooking equipment takes up most of the space; racks of spices and food are prepped and ready for Marshall to use to help create one of his many delicious menu items.

Dishes range from a roasted tri tip sandwich to quarter-pound char-broiled burgers. Additionally, Marshall prepares a special daily, which can be anything from enchiladas to macaroni and cheese.

The couple choose red rounded Chinese take-out boxes with a golden dragon wrapped around it to package their food. They say it can hold up to two pounds of food.

Marshall found the boxes online and says he specifically picked out the circular bottom design because it was so different from regular take out boxes.  

“We’re weird,” they both add with a chuckle.

The presentation of items on the menu is as charming as the take-out boxes. The names of the various offerings coincide with historical events that happened on 5th Avenue.

For example, the first sandwich, the 1890, is hot turkey with swiss, tomato, and roasted poblano pepper on grilled Parmesan sourdough bread. This is the first item ever made on the menu and 1890 was the first time in recorded history the lot of Curbside was photographed.

“I love the 1890 sandwich,” said Jerry Estrada, long time customer of Curbside. “I come here every week. It’s really good and quick. And better than fast food.”

In addition to that, one of the sandwiches is called the N.B.C., is a blackened salmon delight. It includes coho salmon, blackened spices, tomato, lettuce, and mayo on a white cheddar boullo roll. The N.B.C. was a bank that was on the block in 1959.

Catherine Canterbury is a first timer at Curbside but she says in the last 24 hours, three people have told her to try the “Mac It.”

“They seem very friendly and it’s smells so good,” Canterbury says.

She says she decided to try the special of the day, which is written on the board above the order window. In bright colors it reads “Shrimp and avocado tacos.”

The menu is going to have a make over, which will include text explaining the historical importance of each dish name on the back of the menu. Marshall said he worked with the local historical society to gather the information.

Curbside incorporates a little bit of Ellensburg in everything it does, not just the menu.

Marshall boasts about being a supporter of local vendors. The pair uses bread from Vinman’s bakery, vegetables from the local farmer’s market (in season), and are looking to use meat from Windham Ranch.

In addition, he and Leslie used a local graphic design shop to help create their business logo. And used a local person to help design their website.

Both Leslie and Marshall are local as well. They say they intend to keep the restaurant in the family by passing it along to their children and eventually their grandchildren. The restaurant is completely family run.

“My cousin is starting up a delivery service [called] Delivery Dog,” Leslie says. “He has limited hours so he isn’t doing anything at night.”

Leslie says the delivery services will most likely be during the day from Tues. to Sat. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“I’ve always wanted to do something with food service,” Marshall says. He quit his day job, as a chef at the Ellensburg Pasta Company, to work his food business full time.

He says his goal when he started out was to create a menu that wouldn’t compete with local food trucks. In fact, he said he wouldn’t mind developing a food court with the other food vendors in the area. And “maybe get together once a month,” on 5th Avenue so people can enjoy the different kinds of food offered in the area.

“Most people think that if you have too many businesses in one area, you’ll lose money,” Marshall says. “But that isn’t true, if people have a variety of food to choose from, it’ll help business for everyone.”

Marshall says he uses the same ingredients for multiple things because it can help cut down on the time to make the meals.

“I’m prepping the entire day,” Marshall said. He adds that one of the blessings of the small kitchen is the lack of freezer and microwave, which forces Marshall to have fresh ingredients daily.

Just then, a customer calls in an order. By the time the person shows up to pay, the food is ready.

“Did you see that?” Marshall asks. “It only takes five minutes.”

Leslie and Marshall met in the restaurant business and 20 years later they still enjoy cooking together in the kitchen.

“I thought he was crazy when I first met him,” Leslie says with a smile. “We’d come home [from the restaurant] and he’d ask me what I would want for dinner.”

Marshall’s love of cooking can be summed up by the small logo on the bottom of the menu, “Craveable grub cheffed with love.”

Curbside plans to add homemade ice cream to its menu and hopes to set up tables for customers to dine outside the business when the weather gets a little warmer.

Marshall says he could see a more full-service restaurant happening in the future.
But for right now, the two are happy to be cooking in the cozy kitchen on 5th Avenue. Bon Appétit.