We asked for the best places to get classic seafood in Tacoma. Here’s what you said

From Ruston Way to Gig Harbor and Dash Point, we have ample choices for classic seafood in the Tacoma area. Last month, we asked you to vote for the best in town.

More than 950 responses led to the winners listed here. Perhaps not surprisingly, each of the Top 5 also boast waterfront views — and they’re all basically on Ruston Way. Interestingly, all but one of the top vote-getters are part of a larger group, and two are owned by the same company.

For purposes of this battle, we focused on Tacoma and Gig Harbor restaurants serving classic American-style seafood, where steaks mingle with lobster tails, clams find their way to creamy chowder, and crab cakes are a must-have appetizer, entree or add-on. Niche eateries, such as the Italian Crudo & Cotto in Proctor, were excluded from this poll.

Here are the winners, according to readers, starting with No. 1.

DUKE’S SEAFOOD

▪ 3327 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253-752-5444, dukesseafood.com

For 15 years, Duke’s has served Tacomans countless bowls of the chowders that made the Seattle-based restaurant group famous: New England clam, Lobster Mobster with Pernod, and the cioppino-style North by Northwest Seafood Chowder with salmon, halibut and cod. As the name implies, the menu revolves around the sea, with panko-breaded and Mac & Jack’s-battered fish and chips, wild Alaskan rockfish tacos, and heavy-on-the-Dungeness crab cakes. Founder Duke Moscrip opened his first restaurant in Queen Anne Hill in 1977 and currently operates seven stores, all with quintessentially Pacific Northwest views. It’s no wonder it’s No. 1, garnering one-fifth of the vote.

WILDFIN TACOMA

▪ 5115 Grand Loop, Tacoma, 253-267-1772, wildfinamericangrill.com

Pierce County’s Wildfin opened in 2015 at Point Ruston, following the flagship restaurant in Issaquah (open since 2011) and another in Renton. The group, which prides itself in offering a sustainable seafood experience as approachable as your neighborhood pub, has since added locations in Vancouver, Washington, and Beaverton, Oregon. Simple preparations — a lemon, garlic and vermouth butter — highlight British Columbia king salmon and Alaskan halibut, while contemporary dishes include jalapeno calamari and Cajun fish tacos. There’s something for everyone here, including the kids, or snag $5 beers and $8 Moscow Mules during the twice-daily happy hour, 3-6 p.m. and 9 p.m.-close. In the summer, try the fish and chips from What A Catch, the brand’s well-loved walk-up window. Wildfin captured more than 150 votes, or 17 percent of the total.

HARBOR LIGHTS

▪ 2761 Ruston Way, Tacoma, 253-752-8600, anthonys.com/restaurant/harbor-lights

Anton Barcott, a second-generation restaurant owner and son of a Yugoslavian immigrant, introduced his waterfront destination in 1959. Anthony’s Restaurants took over in 2000, remodeling in 2015 — upgrading the kitchen and, notably, bringing the views to what was originally a dimly lit, secluded bar (though the drinks, they say, remain as strong as their mid-century brethren). Aside from four steaks, the menu centers on the Northwest’s bounty: two pounds of steamed Manila clams, blackened rockfish, panko cod and pan-fried oysters. The $35 three-course surf-and-turf menu is still a slamming deal any day of the week. Harbor Lights snagged 12 percent of the vote.

THE LOBSTER SHOP

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

Consistently one of the most Googled restaurants in Tacoma, The Lobster Shop opened in 1981, the second location of a since-shuttered Dash Point outpost. As the name implies, this waterfront favorite stars more of the East Coast crustacean than other local spots — think lobster carbonara, lobster bisque, lobster tail with truffled potatoes. Its ample deck seating, glorious buffets and, naturally, unbeatable views helped it land at No. 4 with more than 100 tallies. Its future is now in the hands of E3 Restaurant Group, which bought the restaurant from founders Katie and Dennis Driscoll in December 2021. (Sister spot Boathouse 19, which just missed the Top 10 in the TNT poll, also has new owners.)

ANTHONY’S AT POINT DEFIANCE & GIG HARBOR

▪ 5910 N. Waterfront Dr., Tacoma, 253-752-9700, anthonys.com

▪ 8827 N. Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor, 253-853-6353, anthonys.com

The Kirkland-based Anthony’s Restaurants opened its Tacoma outfit nearly a quarter-century ago, before the Dune Peninsula expansion of the area around the Point Defiance marina and the Vashon ferry terminal. After acquiring Harbor Lights in 2000, a year later the group joined the Gig Harbor community with a different waterfront perspective but equally awesome view of Mount Rainier. Both serve the company’s famous clam chowder, made fresh daily, as well as classics like crispy calamari and pan-fried oysters, but you’ll find variations on either menu — clam linguine at Point Defiance, for instance, and a Kobe burger in Gig Harbor. Anthony’s garnered just shy of 70 votes, or 7 percent.

THE TOP 10 & HONORABLE MENTIONS

Rounding out the top 10, The Fish Peddler snuck into the sixth spot, followed by two locally owned Gig Harbor restaurants: Gertie & The Giant Octopus and Brix 25, both with more than 35 tallies. Gino’s at the Point, located in Northeast Tacoma, and Stanley & Seafort’s rounded out the Top 10, each with more than 30 votes.

This story was originally published January 19, 2022 at 5:00 AM.