New restaurants: Birria ramen, wood-fired pizza, distillery tasting room and a beer bar

Downtown Tacoma welcomed its first birria-focused restaurant and the salad and soup maestros behind Crisp Greens in recent weeks.

In the South End, a neighborhood dive bar returned with a little facelift, and at Tacoma Central, you can now relish those Crumbl Cookies without driving elsewhere in Pierce County.

Also, Puyallup’s favorite wood-fired pizza company opens its third brick-and-mortar this weekend.

Here’s a look at new restaurants and bars in and around Tacoma.

BIRRIERIA GOURMET

1126 Commerce St., Tacoma, 253-503-0481, facebook.com/birrieriagourmet

What started as a Federal Way food truck has arrived in downtown Tacoma. Tucked onto Commerce Street between 11th and 13th streets, Birrieria Gourmet opened a sit-down restaurant with a full menu featuring the slow-stewed Mexican beef. Enjoy the juicy, cheesy meat in taco form, on a torta or atop a sope. All told, owner Moises Villasenor serves it up in more than a dozen styles, including nontraditional vehicles: a burger, for instance, or in a bowl with ramen noodles. For the most classic rendition, order the birria en caldo — what birria was before we all decided to dip our tacos into the fatty broth that its cooking process creates. Currently open Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; order in-person or online.

CRISP GREENS - DOWNTOWN TACOMA

1916 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-327-1308, crispgreens.co

Almost two years since announcing a second location in downtown Tacoma, Crisp Greens has opened its doors in the former home of Savor Creperie. Salads here can be anything you want them to be, and the addition of roasted veggies is always free. The health-focused menu also features housemade soups and various proteins, from chicken to tofu. Co-owner Corie Cameron also has a baker on staff focused on gluten-free and vegan choices. Located on the University of Washington Tacoma campus and in walking distance from the museums, it’s bright and spacious with plenty of room to sit or simply grab and go. Open weekdays 10 a.m.-7 p.m. and weekends 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

CRUMBL COOKIES - TACOMA

3304 S. 23rd St., Tacoma, 253-366-6424, crumblcookies.com/watacomacentral

The fresh-baked cookie craze that is Crumbl has landed, at last, in Central Tacoma. No longer do gooey iced-cookie fiends have to drive to Puyallup, Bonney Lake, Gig Harbor or Federal Way to fill a pink box. Recent flavors include the classic milk-chocolate chip, coconut with white chocolate, honeycomb and, of course, the iconic pink sugar cookie. The company began as a single shop in Logan, Utah, growing to more than 200 franchised stores in 32 states. This opening marks a dozen for Washington. Catch some behind-the-scenes action from The News Tribune’s visit to the Gig Harbor shop last year. Open 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday.

FAT ZACH’S PIZZA - SOUTH HILL

10219 132nd St. E., Puyallup, 253-904-8610, fatzachspizza.com

In just a few years, Shanna and Zach Johns have grown from a pop-up stand in downtown Puyallup to three brick-and-mortar restaurants. The first opened in Sumner in early 2020, followed by Puyallup (formerly Sparks Deli) last year. On April 1, 2022, Shanna and Zach Johns introduce their wood-fired pizzas — favorites include the #NBD dill pickle pie and the Fatboy with pepperoni — to South Hill. “We’re believing this is going to be our best and busiest location yet!” said Shanna Johns. Families will appreciate their daily two-for-$24 pizza deals, which on select weekdays drops to $22. Enjoy wood-fired wings and salads, too. Open daily at 11 a.m.

PURSUIT DISTILLING CO. - ENUMCLAW

1730 Railroad St., Enumclaw, pursuitdistilling.com

Enumclaw has quietly blossomed into a drinks destination, with several breweries and now a distillery tasting room — essentially a taproom for spirits and cocktails. Pursuit opened this new space March 24. Try cocktails on tap that feature the brand’s recognizable Suspect Whiskey in flavors like strawberry mint, pineapple jalapeno and spiced apple. The Smokey Brew combines mezcal and chocolate bitters with Pursuit’s cold brew whiskey, which has garnered several high-profile spirits awards in recent years. Naturally, guests can request a hand-stirred old fashioned. Sample responsibly with a flight to also try a single-malt. Open Tuesday-Thursday 2-8 p.m, Friday-Saturday noon to 9 p.m. and Sunday noon to 7 p.m. Check Facebook and Instagram for special event updates.

THE BEER VAULT - GIG HARBOR

14004 Purdy Dr., Gig Harbor, 253-514-8426, thebeervault.net

In view of the water and the Purdy Bridge, The Beer Vault opened at the beginning of the year with a dozen taps and surround-sound for watching the big game. With warmer temperatures, owners Hal and Ronda Haase hope to swing open the roll-up garage doors they installed and unveil a beer garden — formerly home to a Key Bank branch’s drive-thru. The old vault is now the beer cooler. As dog owners themselves, the family is also pleased to welcome pups to the bar.

COMING SOON

▪ Buddy’s Chicken and Waffles continues to impress everyone who orders from the South Tacoma location, which is pickup and delivery only. Owner Aaron Brown said the approval process for his sit-down restaurant at 1127 Broadway #101 is moving along, and he anticipates — bless those waffle irons! — opening this spring.

▪ Millhouse & The Blind Pig, the second restaurant from the owners of Gig Harbor’s Millville Pizza Co., also plans a spring opening. Owners John and Alyssa Ross bought Europa Bistro at 2515 N. Proctor St. and have been renovating the double-wide space to house a family friendly pizzeria on one side and a full-service, 21+ bar on the other.

▪ Tacoma Wine Merchants is just about ready to unveil their second location, too. The bigger, swankier wine shop and bar will feature the awesome selection of old and new-world wines from owners Rob and Kelly Richards.

This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 5:00 AM.