13 restaurants that opened around Tacoma this fall offer weekday brunch, cocktails, KBBQ
This year has been a busy one for Tacoma’s bar and restaurant world, and fall did not slow down the pace of fresh faces.
Coming off a late-summer burst of coffee shops, taprooms and the anticipated return of Burger Seoul, we have a host of new options for brunch, sandwiches, wine and cocktails.
Here’s a look at recently opened restaurants in and around Tacoma.
YI’S TRADITIONAL KOREAN BEEF SOUP
8797 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, yistraditional.com
Years into operating a Federal Way restaurant, the owners have begun expanding to other states and recently added a Lakewood location. Tacoma Cheong Guk Jang closed here earlier this year. The menu focuses on seolleongtang, a Korean soup forged from ox marrow bones simmered for hours to conjure a milky, cloudy broth, but you’ll also find spicy beef soup and sundubu jjigae (tofu soup). Otherwise the menu is shorter than most of its peers but no less exciting, with handmade dumplings, pajeon (scallion pancake) and steamed meat platters. Open daily 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m.
BORDEAUX WINE BAR
2208 N. 30th St., Tacoma, bordeauxwinebar.com
The owners of Bordeaux Wine Bar in Enumclaw have opened a second location in Tacoma, taking over the space most recently occupied by Old Town Wine Skins. Taste-test the varied selection in a flight ($13-$21 for three pours) or share a bottle — the list leans into affordable value here, starting at $30 for a French merlot and cab franc to a $52 champagne. It’s also a full bar with lots of local brews and an array of spritzes — elderflower, Aperol, lemon-cucumber among them — and a few classic cocktails and a requisite espresso martini. From the kitchen, nibble through various charcuterie or dip boards, deviled eggs or full-serving paninis, flatbreads, soup and salad. Throwing back to this unit’s past life as a brunch restaurant, head here on Sundays for bloodies, mimosas, crepes and waffles. Open Sunday-Thursday 3-9 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 3-10 p.m.
CORBEAU
3819 N. 26th St., Tacoma, corbeautacoma.com
This contemporary French-by-way-of-Tacoma delight from sommelier Trevor Hamilton and chef Craig Tronset is off to a roaring start in Proctor. Since opening in August, the menu has already changed a few times, but staples include a textural frisee salad, onion soup, a luscious chilled duck breast and beef-fat fries. The wine list is playful and approachable, especially by the glass where a quadrant chart tells you where you’re headed — delicate, powerful, nice or “natty” as in “natural.” Megan Henson has created an equally impressive cocktail program that deserves a trip unto itself. Reservations recommended for peak times. Open Monday-Saturday 4-9 p.m.
THREE HEARTS
1116 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Tacoma, threeheartstacoma.com
The former chef of Wooden City and a coffee pro introduced their daytime-only restaurant in October. Find expertly prepared Bluebeard coffee drinks, a full bar with brunch-friendly cocktails and zero-proof options, and a pleasing menu of breakfast and lunch plates. There are Dutch babies, an impressive quiche and a tofu scramble plus several sandwiches — juicy, shaved pork loin on a baguette, salmon burger with house cucumbers and shitakes. Homemade pastries are a huge draw, from croissants and morning buns to cookies and petite tarts. Order at the counter, find a seat and staff will deliver food to the table, or just pop in for a quick treat or breakfast sammie on-the-go. Open weekdays 6 a.m.-3 p.m. and weekends 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
THE HUCKLEBERRY CLUB
1014 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, instagram.com/the_huckleberry_club
From a team that knows bars, THC opened in late September, replacing Broken Spoke. The dark bar has a little something for everyone, plus pinball. In addition to a full bar with beer and cocktails, the food — from a food-truck-sized kitchen — has been a surprising hit. The specialty is one-pound baked potatoes, split and loaded with meat or beans, house sauces and pickled things. There are also personal-sized nachos, esquites and salads. Open daily at 4 p.m.
FUSION DONUTS & LOUNGE
2102 Commerce St., Tacoma, fusionwa.online
Fusion opened this fall in the former home of Dancing Goats Coffee at the Brewery Blocks downtown, joining Camp Colvos Brewing, The LivingTapRoom and Incline Cider House. In the morning, it’s a coffee and donut shop with an impressive spread including gigantic fritters, bear claws and sticky buns. House specialties include a guava-filled raised, a Tajin-mango round and a strawberry cake with shortcake crumbs. In a shift from most of the city’s beloved doughnut shops, here there is plenty of room to sit and stay a while. At night the lights dim to a pink-and-purple tint for the “PM cocktail lounge” part of the experience, where drinks head south (spiced cucumber margarita, blackberry-coconut mojito) and the food follows. There are shrimp and steak tacos, a trio of guacamole, avocado flatbread and shrimp diablo. Open daily at 6 a.m. to midnight on weeknights and 1 a.m. Friday-Saturday. All ages until 4 p.m.
STINK CHEESE + MEAT
909 A St., Tacoma, stinktacoma.com
Jenny Smith and Steve Ramsay are back in action about a year after closing their St. Helens wine bar and sandwich shop. As of Nov. 25, find them in a spacious new setting inside the office tower at 909 A St., which boasts a grand view of Murray Morgan Bridge and Mt. Rainier. This iteration will focus on breakfast, lunch and happy hour. In addition to an eclectic selection of wines from around the world, the duo also serves coffee here. Expect a similar slate of done-up sandwiches, soup, salad and of course their mac and cheese. Open Monday-Friday 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
TACOMA KNIFE & MERCANTILE
502 S. 11th St., Tacoma, tacomaknife.com
You can’t order food or drink here, but you can gather all the culinary tools your kitchen needs (and maybe your heart desires!) at this new dual-concept boutique on a creative stretch of downtown Tacoma. Not only is it a well-stocked shop for all the cooks in your life — notably featuring co-owner Sarah Woodson’s functional pottery, among other handcrafted ceramics — but it’s also a working knife sharpening studio. Partner and chef Stephen Gangl can fix up even the dullest of blades. He accepts other sharp things, too, like lawn mower blades and paper slicers. Drop off and come back when convenient to pick up. Open Wednesday-Friday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m., with additional holiday hours likely.
SANDWICH STARR
102 N. G St., Tacoma, sandwichstarr.com
After a stint inside the late Edison City Alehouse in South Tacoma, Trey Beattie and Megan Lafler found a new home in the Stadium District for their sandwich shop, where you’ll find creative East Coast-style sandwiches with West Coast flair. Signatures combine spicy capicola and pepperoni with mozz, prosciutto and salami with cucumbers and Dijon, and the house-smoked pastrami with dill havarti. Breakfast sandwiches can be had all day, including the Appa with a fried egg, pepperjack and kimchi. It’s intended to be an all-day hangout, with coffee from local roasters, beer and wine. Open Tuesday-Thursday 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
HOLY MOLY BAR
3013 6th Ave., Tacoma, holymolybar.com
Matt Coppins has breathed new life into this Sixth Ave space, adding a kitchen and designing a suave 70s-style bar that feels primed for everything from date-nights to group hangs and solo outings. Cocktails ($12) lean classic, including a freezer martini, a sazerac and an amaro-laced Manhattan, but the full bar also pours local beer and about a dozen wines. Snack on olives, house-spiced nuts or a charcuterie board. More substantial options include a veggie ciabatta sandwich and an ancient grain bowl with roasted chicken. Open Tuesday-Friday at 3 p.m.
TORERO’S COCINO MEXICANA (FORMERLY AZTECA)
4801 Tacoma Mall Blvd., Tacoma, toreros-mexicanrestaurants.com
What was Azteca near Tacoma Mall is now Torero’s, the second location of a family-owned Mexican restaurant in Renton. The menu features all the hits, from combo platters with chimichanga, chile relleno and tamales; fajitas on a sizzling skillet with corn or their popular homemade flour tortillas; and platters of carne asada, carnitas and enchiladas. Cocktails focus on 20-ounce margaritas and the “go wild” double. Lunch specials (11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays) offer an array of $13-$15 meal deals, while daily happy hour (3-6 p.m. and 8 p.m.-close) serves up $9 snacks and cocktails for $8-$10. Open daily at 11 a.m. through 9 p.m. weeknights and 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
KURA REVOLVING SUSHI
4502 S. Steele St. (Tacoma Mall), kurasushi.com/locations/tacoma-wa
Kura Sushi USA operates a few dozen locations in 22 states. The new Tacoma revolving sushi spot opened this fall, joining one other Washington state outpost in Bellevue. Billed as an “eater-tainment” concept, guests snag sushi from labeled domes conveyor belts rolling through the restaurant and drinks from robot servers named Kur-B the KuraBot. There’s nigiri, maki, handrolls, snacks like crispy-rice bites, ramen and udon noodle soup. Open at 11:30 a.m. on weekdays and 11 a.m. Saturday-Sunday.
THE KNOT KOREAN STEAKHOUSE
4502 S. Steele St. (Tacoma Mall), knotkoreansteakhouse.com
The Knot, across from BJ’s Brewhouse, replaced Blazing Onion this fall. The K-BBQ restaurant at Tacoma Mall serves Black Angus beef for grilling at your table, starting with the 8-ounce order of brisket and flat-iron for $69 and ending with 24 ounces of those two plus galbi and ribeye for $149, plus banchan. The menu also offers a la carte dishes including dumplings, corn cheese and spiced fries.
This story was originally published December 1, 2024 at 5:00 AM.