• Search our database of restaurants by location, cuisine and more
• Find dining recommendations from The News Tribune
• Add your own reviews and star ratings
• Find dining recommendations from The News Tribune
• Add your own reviews and star ratings
QUICK LINKS
EVENTS
BLOGS
A&E VIDEO
AP VIDEO
Whether visiting the Museum of Glass or another Dock Street destination, two casual drop-in eateries make for a quick meal at an affordable price – happy hour bar eating at Woody’s on the Water, and a quick sandwich and homemade dessert at Dock Street Sandwich Company.
One can be forgiven for strip mall overload. There’s only so many nail salons, tanning joints and Teriyaki #1’s a person can take before the eyes glaze over. And yet to dismiss the ubiquitous Asian restaurant simply because of its location would be a disservice to some potentially good eating.
Grilled sea scallops with a watercress lemon butter sauce, a chevre-stuffed artichoke with sorrel butter, and wild salmon noisettes with a ginger peach glaze. It all sounds super fussy — and that, it is.
Shanghai House
The Ark Smokehouse Restaurant
A surf-and-turf menu, stiff drinks and serious hospitality have kept Harbor Lights an anchor on the Ruston Way waterfront for five decades. It celebrates its 50th year this year.
One of Tacoma’s newest nightclubs, Sax, has generated a buzz on Sixth Avenue since owners Jenny and Andy Yee opened on May 28, next door to their main money maker, North China Garden. So we thought we’d drop in, try the grub, sip some cocktails and soak up the scene.
The sign on the door said it all. Tacoma’s Black Water Cafe closed on Monday. No reasons given, no long sentimental goodbyes offered. Just that: Closed.
Five dollars makes me happy at Merende. It’s all I need – five bucks – to enjoy a plate of hummus with pita, or a helping of mushroom risotto, from the "everything five bucks" happy hour menu at Merende.
The scene: Four dining rooms create intimate spaces in this richly appointed restaurant in downtown Olympia. The front room, combined with the bar, is paneled with dark grained wood, giving it a swanky old club feel. Black leather booths contrast with leopard print chairs. Framed work by talented Olympia paper artist Nikki McClure hangs on the walls. A spacious, plant-filled outdoor dining area at the rear of the establishment makes for a convivial dining experience on nice days.
The locals call it The Goose, but it seems more like the ugly duckling.
I usually know when a Philly cheesesteak sandwich is going to be good even before it gets to my table.
If you blew Mother’s Day last weekend, this report is just for you.
I can honestly say I’ve never been to a barbecue restaurant with tablecloths, pretty centerpieces and dolls on display wearing crocheted dresses – until I visited Papa Eddie’s Corner Café and BBQ in Tacoma, which opened April 24 in the location that housed JT’s Original Louisiana Bar-B-Que until two months ago.
“I love to cook,” says Shirley Amegbey with a big smile. She’s loved it since she was a girl of 7 in her native Ghana, being carried around the family kitchen by her beloved grandmother, carefully watching as pots bubbled and ingredients were chopped.
When the South Hill Greek restaurant changed its name from Mr Greek to My Greek six months ago, the change was so subtle – the flip of a single letter – some Puyallup residents didn’t even notice.
The scene: 1022 South is the thinking person’s watering hole. New Frontier owner Neil Harris opened the hip Hilltop hangout at 1022 S. J St., formerly the Monsoon Room, in late March. General manager Chris Langston gave the cozy lounge a slick makeover, replacing the Monsoon’s tiki accents with new seating, shelving and bar backing, all of them painted black for a reserved aesthetic.
The scene: Water Street Cafe and Bar is a warmly lit and inviting space in the American Legion Building, near Heritage Park and Capitol Lake in downtown Olympia. The dining room is small enough to feel intimate, but three private dining rooms can accommodate groups of up to 60 people.
With dwindling dining dollars and more people searching for value, I took to two new South Sound wine bars in search of affordable splurges. My goal: a few glasses of wine and a few nibbles for around $40 or less.
Blandon Dillon grew up learning how to cook in his mother’s kitchens in Maryland, Germany and Tacoma.
As a vegetarian, I know I can always make special requests when dining out. But I love it when I don’t have to.
Just when you thought Tacoma couldn’t support one more strip mall Thai restaurant ... surprise! And welcome to Oriental Noodle & Grill.
Over the years, we’ve beaten a well-worn path from The News Tribune headquarters to Mexican eateries, such as Vuelve a la Vida on Pacific Avenue, the taco truck on South 38th Street and the old El Compadre on McKinley Avenue.
Jake Hathcock knows that spending $10 or $12 on a single bottle of extreme beer at a bottle shop can give some beer fans pause. Will they like it? Is it worth the price?
The scene: You have to start with the view, looking down Henderson Bay, when you visit Massimo Italian Bar and Grill. The row of red taillights from the steady stream of commuters heading out to the Key Peninsula helped highlight the Purdy Spit. The line of cars made us happy to be seated at our table and not behind the wheel.
Il Lucano in Gig Harbor is just a few months old, but the story of the restaurant started about five years ago when chef-owner Massimo Terracciano hired Michele Simone to help run the kitchen at Terracciano.
Much can be written about the vast sea of sushi. Nigiri, sashimi, maki – all command volumes about individual styles and Japanese regional influences.
The scene: Open since last April, Maxwell’s is a dining destination where both the menu and the setting exude loads of style. A dramatic entrance quickly scales to an intimate, inviting dining area. Completely remodeled from its former self, it’s now tastefully decorated in muted tones and well-directed lighting. A bar and lounge area are slightly separated from the main dining area.
For the first week of the New Year, we thought it appropriate to have a week of First Bites.
When it comes to Asian restaurants, one can get weary of cookie-cutter Chinese, formulaic Thai and the teriyaki joint on every corner. So I often ask servers what sets their restaurant apart from the others. When I broached that question to a Kim Anh server, he told me he didn’t know. “We don’t link to them,” was his response. At first I took his reply for haughtiness but then realized that Kim Anh does things its way and is proud of that, thank you very much.
The scene: Alt Heidelberg German Restaurant is like eating in someone’s home. The restaurant is as big as a living room and looks like one too, with homey knickknacks and photographic nods to Germany. A stray printer sat on a dining room table on one visit (just like home!). A compact kitchen with open pantry shelving, laden with containers of bread crumbs and jars of apple sauce, looks like a kitchen that grandma would putter around in. Alt Heidelberg has four tables and room for about 20 diners. You best call ahead to see if there’s a table. It fills with just a few parties.
The scene: Owner Shaun Brobak said he initially didn’t like the location next to the railroad tracks for his new pizza place. But, after examining it, he decided to embrace the location with a railroad theme. This means railroad signs on the wall, train names like “The B&O” and the “Puffing Billy” for the pizzas and, of course, Trackside Pizza for the name.
The scene: The Bayview is a modern, clean and vibrant neighborhood sandwich shop with a surprising hidden asset: a great deck with a terrific view of the water. It might be on your lunch list now for its reliably meaty sandwiches and comfort classics like mac and cheese, but it should wander up your list of happy-hour joints when deck season returns.
When it comes to Asian food, my preference is Chinese or Japanese.
Iron Chef Japanese Steakhouse
If you’re looking for a port in these stormy, troubled times, comfort food is as good a place to start as any.
If you’re among the politically correct, you’ll want to skip dining at Louie G’s Pizzeria in Fife.
The scene: Occupying the space formerly known as the St. Helens Cafe, The Hub’s bicycle theme is carried through in its display of vintage photography and prominently displayed logo of a Belle Epoque nude woman riding a bike in a reckless manner. Though The Hub sits above Doyle’s Pub, the entrance for this eatery is on Tacoma Avenue South. Two dining areas are separated by an open kitchen and bar. Earth tones and art make the whole room warm, inviting and relaxing. The flames from the pizza oven add to the mood. In good weather, garage-style doors roll up to add an outdoor dining area.
India Mahal
Thai Mekong
The scene: The Poppy Seed Cafe cafe reflects the homey feel of the surrounding Fircrest neighborhood. This is an intimate locale, almost like eating in the sunroom at a friend’s house, thanks to the large windows in the front of the cafe that allow light to brighten the interior.
The Scene: The 100-year-old brick building was gutted for the June 3 opening of The Hometown. The interior walls are a comforting honey-gold, decorated with photos of Buckley from a bygone era. The wood beams and burnished wood floors recall Buckley’s timber-town past.
The Scene: Small, clean, cute and clearly a Salvadoran restaurant – the maps and photos of El Salvador plastered on the walls are a giveaway. A few booths for sit-down service, or take-out at the counter. Not a quiet restaurant – expect to hear Telemundo on the television. We watched a Spanish-speaking version of Judge Judy, “Caso Cerrado,” on our visit.
Pigskin Picks
Win Seahawks Tickets
GET THE E-EDITION
View every news page every day with the digital edition of The News Tribune.
Have The News Tribune delivered to your home daily and save up to 30% off the newsstand price!
Subscribe Today!
Subscribe Today!
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
About Our Ads |
Advertising Partners |
Contact Us |
About Us |
Site Map |
Jobs
|
RSS
1950 South State Street, Tacoma, Washington 98405 253-597-8742
© Copyright 2009 Tacoma News, Inc. A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company
1950 South State Street, Tacoma, Washington 98405 253-597-8742
© Copyright 2009 Tacoma News, Inc. A subsidiary of The McClatchy Company