$8 martinis, seared ahi tuna, beef tenderloin sliders at Tacoma’s newest happy hour
Though Stanford’s Tacoma opened late last year, downtown has awaited the return of a lounge-only happy hour at 1502 Pacific Ave.
It begins Feb. 2 and will run weekdays 3-6 p.m. and 8 p.m. to close.
The happy hour menu is unique to the Tacoma location, differing from the existing four Stanford’s under the purview of Bellevue-based Ascend Hospitality Group. Whereas the latter leans toward pub-style favorites — cheeseburger and fries, Buffalo wings, mac and cheese — the menu launching today matches modern trends built to share.
The charcuterie platter ($18) features capocollo, soppressata and prosciutto with garlic toasts, gherkins and olives. Pair it with a cheese plate of double-cream brie, manchego, Cambozola, served with figs, Amarena cherries and grilled pita for an ideal accompaniment to your $8 martini or Manhattan.
Meanwhile, a Bombay gin and tonic or Dewar’s and soda will set you back just $7, and draft beer and 6-ounce wine pours are both $1 off.
The beef tenderloin sliders ($13 for a pair), first enjoyed at a media preview late last year, are more like slightly smaller burgers than the mini-buns of yesteryear. Each boasts two generous pieces of meat, butter pickles and garlic aioli, plus fried onions that add welcome texture and crunch.
Wings come five to an order ($10) with celery, carrots and a housemade buttermilk-garlic dressing. They aren’t slathered with sauce but still deliver on flavor, with a late-hit spice and ample crispy corners.
On the lighter side, six to seven slices of seared ahi tuna, wrapped with sesame seeds, showcase the steakhouse’s evolving approach to seafood.
The initial menu also includes a caprese salad with cherry tomatoes ($6), a four-cheese herbed focaccia ($6), and stuffed mushrooms ($8).
Ascend CEO Elaina Morris, who also owns several Famous Dave’s including the South Tacoma location, and her team are viewing the new Tacoma restaurant, announced last summer, as a testing ground for where they hope to take the Stanford’s brand.
“We’ve noticed multi-generational celebrations, but grandpa would come back, but not the granddaughter,” she said in December. “There’s no future in that.”
Following 20-plus years of stagnation and a fall into the casual-dining trap, according to Morris, they bought the last remaining locations in 2019 when its owner, Restaurants Unlimited, declared bankruptcy. The first Stanford’s opened in Portland in 1990.
Visitors of Pacific Grill — and there were many over the course of its 15 years — will recognize the layout. The long, curved bar and high-top tables remain, but they are now lined with green velvet chairs. Ascend also added televisions behind the bar.
In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Pacific Avenue and 15th Street, settle into the lounge, outfitted with couches and low-slung gold and marble tables.
The full menu, of course, is available. Premium cuts of steak range from $36 to $54 — excluding the 30-ounce whopper of a Tomahawk ribeye for $119 — all served with two sides, such as roasted veggies or a classic baked potato. A half-chicken roast, cajun-prawn linguini and an array of sandwiches run $17 to $23.
STANFORD’S TACOMA
▪ 1502 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-352-0030, stanfords.com
▪ Sunday-Thursday 3-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 3-10 p.m.
▪ Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 3-6 p.m. and 8 p.m.-close, available only in the bar and lounge
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 10:00 AM.