Trackside Beer Garden is open for summer. What you can get there for $25

In our On a Budget series, a Bellingham reporter visits popular spots around town to tell readers what they can get or do there on a budget of $25.

To say that Bellingham summers have become synonymous with Trackside Beer Garden and the Portal Container Village next door might be an exaggeration, but only a slight one.

The waterfront market opened for the season on May 2, with a handful of new offerings this year.

The variety of food and drink stands at Trackside means there are options for almost any budget. Earlier this week, The Herald went to Trackside with a $25 budget. Here’s what we got.

Food and drink options at Trackside Beer Garden

Trackside has three different sections this year. The beer garden, which is operated by Kulshan Brewing Company, consists of an outdoor bar, dozens of picnic benches, a lawn and a stage. There’s a food truck parked at the back of the beer garden. The food truck, which sells hot dogs and snacks, is operated by Kulshan this year, instead of an outside vendor.

In front of the beer garden is the Portal, a collection of food and drink stalls in converted shipping containers. You can find a reliable slice at Zeeks Pizza, ice cream at The Selkie Scoop, sandwiches and drinks at the Rain or Shine Riviera Club, cafe fare at Our Kitchen and Bin 13 Wine Bar, complete with rooftop seating. There’s also a bike rental stand for anyone wishing to try out the bike pump track that the beer garden takes its name from.

Off to the side and toward the back area, there is a collection of food trucks. When I visited on Thursday, there were three food trucks: Back East BBQ, Indian-fusion food spot Nana J’s and Galley 2 Go, which serves fish and chips. The Port of Bellingham’s website lists a fourth truck as well, 1 D-Na, a Thai street food truck.

What I got for $25 at Trackside Beer Garden

The first choice you have to make on a visit to Trackside (assuming you’re over 21 and aren’t avoiding alcohol) is which Kulshan beer to get. There are around a dozen beers on tap, in addition to a few ciders and non-alcoholic options. I went with the “Especial,” their Mexican-style lager, partially because I’ve had it before and liked it, and partially because it’s one of their cheaper beers at $6 a pint (some of the other options went up to $8.50).

For food, I was most intrigued by the barbecue food truck, which has an entire macaroni and cheese section on its menu, and fried eggplant as a vegan option in addition to its brisket, smoked pork and fried chicken. I opted for the classic mac and cheese, at $9. The noodles, which were topped with a slightly smoky sauce and shredded cheese, barely fit in the red checkered container and it needed a second container to make sure it didn’t overflow. I usually set my expectations unrealistically high for mac and cheese, food trucks and any sort of food that’s marketed as old-school or no-frills. This was the rare place that checked all three boxes and still was as good as I could have hoped for.

With my last few dollars, I was hoping to get ice cream from Selkie Scoop, a Trackside staple, but they were closed that day. Luckily, there were plenty of other options in that price range – a slice or slushie from Zeeks Pizza, fries from Galley 2 Go or a side from Rain or Shine. I went with the veggie samosas from Nana J’s for $6.95. The order came with two samosas and a dipping sauce, plenty of food for the price, but I was probably too full to enjoy them as much as I should have.

The wide range of options means there are plenty of other ways I could have spent a $25 budget. But that’s part of Trackside’s appeal. You can go with a big group and still find something for everyone, or just head over by yourself for your new favorite mac and cheese in town.

How to get to Trackside Beer Garden

Trackside is located at 298 W Laurel Street, near the downtown Bellingham waterfront. It’s off of Granary Avenue and Laurel Street, just by the Granary Building, Waypoint Park and the Acid Ball. The beer garden is open from 3:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekends. Hours vary by food truck and stall. You can find a list of events hosted at the beer garden on Kulshan’s website.

If you were given $25 where would you go? Drop your suggestions in the form below and we’ll put it on our list of affordable Bellingham activities to try.

This story was originally published May 10, 2025 at 5:00 AM.