Korean hot dogs, Thai for breakfast and an Irish pub now serving in the South Sound
As summer nears its end, Tacoma gained another Thai restaurant, while another has changed hands in South Tacoma.
Meanwhile, one of the city’s breweries closed its downtown taproom in exchange for a full-service restaurant in Gig Harbor.
In the southwest corner of Pierce County, a family has resurrected an old bar and grill in Roy, and in Federal Way, you can now relish Korean-style hot dogs.
Here are a few new restaurants to try next time you’re looking for an inexpensive meal or a family friendly dinner.
SEOUL HOT DOG
2016 S. 320th St., Federal Way, instagram.com/seoulhotdog.wa
If you dig corn dogs, you might just fall in love with the Korean street food version now available at this fast-casual in Federal Way. It’s the second location for Seoul Hot Dog, after friends A.J. Han and Sean Lee opened their first shop in Lynwood in February 2020. Try it in standard form, with mozzarella, or covered in crinkle-cut fries — and say yes to the sprinkled sugar for sweet-and-savory harmony. Another street food specialty here is tteok-kkochi, fried rice cakes on a stick. Open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
CHAYA THAI
2901 S. 47th St., Tacoma, 253-328-4247, chayathai.com
Formerly home to a second outpost of Lakewood’s Chang Thai, a new family took over the location at the corner of 47th and Oakes. In addition to Thai staples — from larb and som tum to pad see ew and tom kha — house specialties include fried chicken legs and wings in chili sauce. Choose among eight lunch specials for $8.95 and a singular dessert of black rice pudding. Open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; order takeout online.
JOY TERIYAKI OF TACOMA
3908 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-201-0000, joyteriyakioftacoma.com
Next to the Stop In Grocery on the corner of 6th and Proctor, a new teriyaki restaurant offers the typical dizzying array of combo platters. Lunch specials of meat-plus-meat, gyoza or egg roll are served with steamed rice and salad for $9.95, and bentos — one each of a Chinese-style and teriyaki meat — also get two dumplings and a few tempura bites for $12.95. Soup, fried rice, stir-fry and several vegetarian options, including yakisoba, complete the menu. Bonus: it’s open until midnight every day but Sunday. Order takeout online.
STADIUM THAI
813 Division Ave., Tacoma, 253-381-2229, facebook.com, instagram.com/stadiumthai
Conveniently located across from Wright Park, discover this petite new Thai restaurant in the same lot as the awesome Cosmonaut Coffee. Staple dishes include the usual — phad khee maow and see ew, panang curry, larb and tom kha, most $11.75-$12.95. Portions are generous, with 24 ounces of soup for instance. You can also snag a pound of simply steamed rice noodles and peanut sauce, packaged separately, for quick meals at home. It opens early for breakfast, with banh mi-esque sandwiches and fried rice. Open Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-7:30 p.m.; order in-person or by phone, a few tables inside.
DUNAGAN BREWING CO.
3222 56th St., Gig Harbor, 253-313-0106, dunaganbrewing.com
This father-and-son brewery moved from its downtown Tacoma home of five years across the Narrows, to the former Tanglewood building. It’s one of a few fresh places to drink beer in Pierce County. The perk of this location is a full-service restaurant, where traditional Irish fare stars — from shepherd’s pie to fish and chips, bangers to Scotch eggs. The menu also includes a few burgers, clam chowder and Irish soda bread served with honey butter. Most dishes hit around $20. Open Tuesday-Thursday, 4-10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday until midnight.
THE PLACE IN ROY BAR & GRILL
118 McNaught Road S., Roy, 253-358-5080, facebook.com
A longtime bar and grill in Roy is open after a long remodel. According to the Nisqually Valley News, Beth Stock took over the old Roy Bar & Grill — not to be confused with Roy Tavern a block away — about five years ago, revamping it top to bottom and finally opening for breakfast in August. The family friendly dining room currently serves country favorites like biscuits and gravy and chicken fried steak, and it will soon expand to dinner with sandwiches and a liquor license. Open Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8 a.m.-11 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
This story was originally published September 16, 2021 at 5:00 AM.