Two of Tacoma’s waterfront restaurants announce plans to reopen

More than three months after deciding that takeout just wouldn’t cut it, two of Tacoma’s waterfront restaurants are reopening.

Sister spots The Lobster Shop on Ruston Way and Boathouse 19 at Narrows Marina will welcome diners back to their rooms with a view July 15.

Both remained open briefly after the state-mandated shutdown of in-house dining in March only to close temporarily, as they awaited the go-ahead to allow indoor and outdoor dining.

Boathouse manager John Little confirmed the reopening date in an email to The News Tribune.

Their comeback relieves one sliver of ongoing worries that many restaurants in Washington state and across the country will close permanently as the blows of COVID-19 closures become too much to bear.

Also on Ruston Way, seafood and steakhouse C.I. Shenanigans has closed for good. The building has been available for lease since mid-June. Parent company RAM Restaurant Group did not lay blame entirely at the feet of the pandemic, but the 37-year-old destination had not been offering takeout.

Just north of Boathouse 19 at Titlow Beach, Steamers Seafood Cafe announced it, too, would close at the end of this year. E3 Restaurant Co., which also owns five restaurants in Seattle, said it decided not to renew the lease but again did not pin the reasoning on the effects of COVID-19.

Both restaurants will return to daily dining, with slightly truncated hours and, naturally, Phase 2 COVID-19 restrictions.

The Lobster Shop

▪ 4015 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253-759-2165, wp.lobstershop.com

▪ Hours: Sunday to Thursday, noon to 8 p.m. (lunch until 3 p.m.); Friday to Saturday, noon to 9 p.m.

▪ Details: Reservations encouraged; outdoor seating available

Boathouse 19

▪ 9001 S 19th St., Tacoma, boathouse19restaurant.com

▪ Hours: Sunday to Thursday, noon to 8 p.m.; Friday to Saturday, noon to 9 p.m.

▪ Details: Outdoor seating available

This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 11:36 AM.