Puyallup area’s first U-pour bar opens with 40 taps, food, pup treats and a patio

The self-serve taproom concept takes off in the Puyallup area this weekend with the opening of The Redd Dog, where your pup can accompany you to the sunny sidewalk patio.

Jamie and Lane Scelzi introduced their U-Pour bar to Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue in 2021. The second outpost, located in the Sunrise Village plaza in South Hill, is about twice the size, and the digitally connected tap wall boasts 40 options that range from beer and cider to hard kombucha, nonalcoholic root beer and even a wine-based “margarita.”

It’s the first U-Pour bar in the Puyallup area and the third in Pierce County; Seattle now has four, including two specializing in wine, with dozens more having cropped up across the country in recent years. Makers of the technology say the interaction offers a unique guest experience while also trimming waste. The Redd Dog uses Pour My Beer out of Chicago, which estimates that as much as 20 percent of a keg can be lost to free tastes and system cleaning. Here, you pay by the ounce — but only for what you want.

The setup proffers a laid-back atmosphere whether you’re solo, with your family or a group of friends.

“You get to be your own bartender. It’s just a fun, unique experience that brings people together,” said Jess Kadarmia, director of marketing and events for the Scelzis’ Ministro Management Restaurant Group. Based in Bellevue, the company also operates two Melting Pot restaurants, including the one in downtown Tacoma.

In South Hill, the tap list leans into the state’s more than 400 breweries: “We try to keep it as local — as Washington — as possible,” said Kadarmia.

The Redd Dog, themed after the Scelzis’ adorable amber-hued retriever, age 7, will grow to three by next year with a coming bar on the ground floor of the new Amazon tower in Bellevue.

The vibe: Like the Tacoma bar, rustic wood lines the walls of the L-shaped space, with the tap wall a focal point. Choose from communal high-tops, four-seaters along the wall or long picnic tables near the roll-up garage doors that lead to the patio. From just about everywhere you can glimpse the 11 television sets, or kick back with a board game.

The food: The broad food menu (most dishes under $15) offers shareable pub fare, from nachos, wings and housemade potato chips to the popular onion-ring tower, soft pretzel with beer cheese and chili cheese fries. Hot sandwiches — pulled pork and filet-o-fish among them — join a trio of salads and nine house pizzas (buy one, get one half-off daily 3-6 p.m.). Ordering is all digital; QR codes are affixed to each table. Place your order and pay on your phone. Staff will deliver food to your table, but you take empties to a bus station.

The drink: The opening list features a host of easy-drinking ales and lagers for the summer heat from breweries like Chucknaut, Pfriem and Ninkasi, as well as IPAs and more from Ferment, 7 Seas, Narrows and the Chehalis Tribe’s Talking Cedar, the only brewery in the country on native land, run through a partnership with Heritage Distilling Co.

With 40 taps, the selection adds sours, such as a prickly pear from Everybody’s Brewing, and several ciders — from Tacoma’s Incline, Seattle’s Yonder and Tumalo out of Bend, Oregon. Every palate is likely to find something of note here, even if you’re just looking for a cold Rainier or Bud Light, both of which were sighted just ahead of the July 21 grand opening.

One big change in Puyallup is the addition of spirits. (No, not on tap!) It’s a bit of a build-your-own situation: From a small cabinet behind the check-in counter, you can request a pour of well or premium liquor — just the basics, said Jamie Scelzi — to top off with soda or perhaps the Diamond Knot Root Beer on draft. There’s also a cooler stocked with various mixers — think bloody mary mix or orange juice for a mimosa.

For your furry friend: Dogs are welcome to join you on the patio, but not indoors because there is a working kitchen. Kadarmia highlighted foodstuffs just for them, including a “TV dinner,” frozen pup treats and cookies from “the barkery.” You can also snag a collapsible Redd Dog-branded water bowl, kerchiefs and other pet goodies — or a glass growler to fill for yourself.

How it works: Upon entering, you check-in with a “beerista.” You start a tab, which connects your credit card to an RFID card. That card gives you access to the tap wall. After surveying the options, place the card in the slot above the tap handle and start pouring. You are charged by the ounce, so taste away or settle into a full pint. When you’re ready to leave, check out with the beerista.

THE REDD DOG - PUYALLUP

▪ 10305 156th St. E, Puyallup, theredddog.com

▪ Sunday-Thursday 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.

▪ Details: pour-your-own bar with 40 taps, pub fare and patio; all ages, dogs encouraged on patio