New restaurants: Sushi and KBBQ, rock’n’roll bar with burgers, karaoke diner, U-Pour beer
A few new restaurants swung open the doors before summer’s end around Tacoma, including a Korean barbecue restaurant touting high-quality beef and a fresh choice for sushi off 38th Street.
From Browns Point, a diner is temporarily halted for renovations, but its sister restaurant has found a bigger home near Port of Tacoma. A U-Pour bar has added s location in Puyallup, and Sixth Ave welcomed two new bars that — say what you will — feel right at home.
These newcomers head off our last edition, featuring new bagels, Thai and a downtown destination.
Here’s a look at recently opened restaurants in and around Tacoma, Lakewood and Puyallup.
THE SANDBAR & GRILL
▪ 1941 Marine View Dr., Tacoma, thesandbarandgrill.net
In the space locals might recall as The Shipwreck, The SandBAR & Grill has opened along the port, across from Hylebos Marina. The new digs offer more room to enjoy breakfast daily until 3 p.m., including bennies, scrambles and sandwiches. Lunch starts at 11, from soup and salad to fish and chips, burgers and Reubens. Then at 4 p.m., dinner brings bar fare like hot wings, hummus and onion rings, as well as steaks (most around $30) with sides. From a brick oven, there’s also a dozen house pizzas, or customize to your liking ($15+ medium and $21+ large). Don’t miss the house bloody mary and Köstritzer on tap. The owners have already brought karaoke to life here and plan to add regular live music. Back north, Browns Point Diner is currently being renovated and should reopen by mid-October, according to the restaurant’s voice message. Open weekdays at 9 a.m. and weekends at 8 a.m.
2 MARGARITAS
▪ 1509 Key Peninsula Highway NW, Lakebay, 253-303-4100
After nearly three years of teasers, 2 Margaritas finally opened in Lakebay in July. The building’s prior tenant, Lulu’s Homeport, closed in early 2020 when the owners retired. It was a loss for this quiet nook of Key Peninsula, which doesn’t have many options to dine out. Residents especially anticipated the debut of the Mexican restaurant, whose owners also operate locations in Allyn, Union and Vashon. Expect an extensive menu of favorites: tacos, fajitas, mariscos, steak and pork platters — chile colorado and carnitas among them. House specials include borrego (slow-cooked lamb shank), enchijitas (corn and flour tortillas rolled enchilada-style) and Andy’s Platter (pork with bacon-wrapped shrimp). The margaritas are flowing, and visitors rave about the mushroom salsa. Stop after a daytime visit at nearby Two Fox Winery. Open daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m. (until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday).
BUSY BODY!
▪ 2717 6th Ave., Tacoma, busybodytacoma.com
This hip new Sixth Avenue bar, which replaced El Borracho, brings ‘60s-era Tacoma back to life — in part through music. The name honors The Sonics, who recorded down the street, and regular DJ nights attract a host of talent from the area. Each of the four owners has ties to the local music scene, and two operate popular haunts in Seattle, Screwdriver Bar and Belltown Yacht Club. Visit Busy Body! for excellent draft cocktails ($13), bartender’s choice shots ($7), or a nonalcoholic spritzer. With food by Musangtino’s, a Filipino-inspired burger and wing concept from Musang chef Melissa Miranda, you’ll want to eat. Try the Bomb Burger with house-pickled zucchini and “magic mayo” and spaghetti mang, a spin of Filipino spaghetti but poutine-style. Lumpia also make a great bar snack with your frozen Wildcat (an ube, pineapple and coconut number) or the bitter Witch with gin, Suze and Zucca. Open daily at 4 p.m., with food ‘til midnight and drinks ‘til 2 a.m.
SIDE PONY LOUNGE
▪ 2914 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-247-6314, sideponytacoma.com
The Mule Tavern, one of the city’s best bars, has expanded from its South Tacoma roots. Owner Sam Halhuli has brought a similar throwback ambiance — with eclectic decor that harkens to the ‘80s and ‘90s and dim, pink-tinged lighting — to Sixth Avenue. You might think the neighborhood had enough bars, but it didn’t have the addictive homemade ginger beer and tonic, low-key but well-crafted cocktails and late-night ease that Side Pony now offers. Snack-y food is simple and cheeky, as in Planter’s Cheez Balls and satisfying grilled cheese with the added touch of smoked rosemary tomato soup from Tacoma’s Memoranda Kitchen. Open Tuesday-Sunday at 3 p.m., until 11 p.m. weeknights and later Friday-Saturday.
SUMO SUSHI
▪ 2919 S 38th St., Tacoma, 253-267-0063, sumotacoma.com
In Michaels Plaza, near Guitar Center, Sumo Japanese Restaurant opened this summer. The space was previously another, rather short-lived sushi spot. The long menu checks all the boxes, starting with edamame and gyoza to takoyaki and tuna tataki. Specialty rolls ($13.95) lean decadent, as in the Jazz with “fired” crab meat, eel and avocado or the namesake of white tuna, yellowtail, crab, cucumber and avocado rolled in soy paper with spicy mayo. Order any of them as a meal, which comes with your choice of appetizer and a soda, including Japanese bubbly in flavors like melon and lychee, for $19.95. Also available: yakisoba, several don bowls, bento boxes, and simple hand rolls for more classical consumers. Online ordering available for takeout. Dine-in and perhaps you’ll be enticed by the all-you-can-eat option. Open weekdays at 11 a.m. and weekends at noon, and until midnight every day but Sunday.
THE REDD DOG - PUYALLUP
▪ Sunrise Village, 10305 156th St., Puyallup, 253-268-0517, theredddog.com
After a successful couple of years in Tacoma, The Redd Dog has expanded to Puyallup with an even bigger taproom at Sunrise Village. Outfitted with a massive tap wall of 40 pour-your-own handles, there are high-tops and communal tables a-plenty, plus garage doors that roll up to the patio — where, yes, you can bring the dog. The bar is themed after owner Jamie and Lane Scelzi’s own amber retriever; there’s even custom dog snacks for sale at the counter. With the RFID card system that makes customers their own bartenders, the U-pour setup is ideal for families, groups, catching the game or working on your laptop while sipping a regional brew — or cider, wine and root beer. A full menu of pub fare, including housemade chips, will keep you satiated. Visit 3-6 p.m. for half-off a second 12-inch pizza. Open daily at 11:30 a.m., until 9 p.m. on school days and 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
CROCKETT’S PUBLIC HOUSE - BONNEY LAKE
▪ 20631 Route 410, Bonney Lake, crockettspublichouse.com
Often packed in Puyallup and Maple Valley, Crockett’s Public House expanded to a third location in September. The new Bonney Lake outpost offers much of the same menu that helped make the original a star (the restaurant was featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” in 2013), including the grilled artichoke with chili pepper aioli, three-meat meatballs and Mom’s sloppy joe with fried onions. It’s a rare destination for hand-cut fries and chips, as well as homemade soup, big salads, sandwiches and plates of crab mac and cheese, chicken and waffles, and a few burgers. A full bar has something for everyone, including fresh lemonade. Snag a $2 mini burger and $5 calamari at happy hour (lounge seating only, 3-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday), plus $3 off packaged beer and $1 off other alcohol. Hearty weekend breakfast — chicken fried steak, corned beef hash, cinnamon waffles — will launch soon. Open daily 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
THE GRILL (KOREAN BBQ) - LAKEWOOD
▪ 9312 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood, 253-267-5316, thegrill253.com
In a Lakewood plaza with the underappreciated Variety Donuts, The Grill sneaked into the corner spot previously home to BBQ House, another Korean restaurant, in July. The newcomer emphasizes a selection of high-quality USDA Prime and certified-Angus beef, available in forms of ribeye, short rib, bulgogi-style and belly ($32-$58). Combos add pork, as in the No. 1 with pork belly, pork jowl and marinated beef bulgogi ($79). You can also grill up (or order as such) chicken thighs, sliced or chopped duck, and seafood. The rest of the relatively concise menu hits on hot pots, steamed or braised fish, jjigae (stews), naengmyeon (cold noodles), dumplings, kimchi pancake and tteokbokki. You can go it alone, but it’s better with friends! Sip on beer, wine, sake and whiskey. Open Wednesday-Sunday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (closed Tuesdays).