‘Cozy, kitschy, queer’ cocktail bar to replace closed BBQ restaurant in Tacoma

A laidback new cocktail bar in South Tacoma will offer a “cozy, kitschy, queer” space for all, including kids until 9 p.m., in a historic space now outfitted with ample green foliage and local art, ready to share snack-y fare including build-your-own charcuterie boards served on colorful, retro-styled lunch trays.

Owner Al McKee anticipates an early fall opening for their Juniper Cocktail Bar at 5226 South Tacoma Way, which was home to The Opal Lounge for almost seven years.

That barbecue restaurant — one of a limited number in Pierce County but one of the best for smoked meats, according to a 2023 TNT reader survey — closed at the end of July. Eric and Suvantha Dickerson still own the building they bought in 2018 but were looking to focus their energies on their original endeavor in Olympia, South Bay Dickerson’s BBQ.

“We have decided to lease our building to new operators of The Opal. They will have their own expression and menu,” they wrote in a July 30 Facebook post, thanking customers. “We have watched this STW neighborhood drastically change from a bunch of massage parlors to an array of small businesses and a thriving community.”

The Dickersons did not respond to a request for comment from The News Tribune on the decision to close the Tacoma restaurant.

The Opal is considered by some accounts to be the oldest bar in Tacoma and one of the oldest in Pierce County, perhaps established in 1901. The addresses on South Tacoma Way, as in many Tacoma neighborhoods, shifted over the years. The county assessor lists the 1,800-square-foot brick and stone building as constructed in 1935. (Exchange Tavern in Spanaway is believed to have opened in the 1890s.)

That history will live on at Juniper, said McKee. As the Dickersons alluded in their post, the new proprietor hopes to incorporate “the historic Opal Lounge” into the full bar name — and that vintage neon sign is too iconic to relinquish!

Cocktails, snack, kindness on STW

Inside, the warm wooden bar remains, but other cosmetic adjustments have opened up the space. McKee, who uses they/them pronouns, cut out the slightly elevated row of booths. There was also a skylight above the kitchen pass that had been covered up and now provides sunshine to dangling philodendrons and other plants McKee has transported from their home. Taken together, it feels breezy and bright.

McKee, a Tacoma native whose grandparents moved to the area in the 1950s, is a nutrition counselor by day. Their firm Rebel Roots focuses on health through an “anti-diet and body liberation” lens. Juniper Botanical Bar is the result of an idea many years in the making, they said.

“My friend says I have a delulu gene,” said McKee. For them, that means when they have an idea, they get on the path to making it happen.

They saw a need for more queer spaces in Tacoma and envisioned a comfortable lounge that was safe, community-oriented and welcoming to all. There’s a leather couch up front and old oak tables that McKee refinished themselves: “You’re coming into my living room, but it’s a bar!”

That sense of everyday chill is why Juniper will encourage families to hang out with some board games, serve plenty of nonalcoholic drinks and whip up dishes accommodating various allergies or sensory needs.

“It was really important to have something here for everybody,” said McKee.

In addition to the charcuterie boards, the menu will offer “nutrient-dense” shareables, including tabbouleh and cold-bean salad with seasonal herb and veggie options, as well as lumpia. Think of it as a “mix and match” experience.

With lead bartender Jessie Rogers, who brings cocktail experience from local bars, including Side Pony, The Boom Boom Room and Manuscript, drinks will lean into the botanical theme — with lots of gin, of course. McKee learned to love the herbal spirit while studying in Scotland. Each signature cocktail will represent a color of the progressive flag and feature the likes of tea infusions, fresh herbs and floral elements.

McKee looked in other neighborhoods but felt the energy on South Tacoma Way blended kindly with their vision, gleaned in part from having an office above The Fernseed.

Although Sig Brewing closed its satellite taproom across the street last month, several new storefronts have emerged in the past few months, including the nonalcoholic bottle shop and bar Sober AF and Outer Orbit Arcade, which serves pizza and ice cream. They join an already hot stretch of locally owned and operated businesses — among them Howdy Bagel, The Mule Tavern, The Church Cantina, Bluebeard Coffee, People’s Pilates and Organically Grown Muscle.

“It just has a community vibe,” said McKee.

At the queer botanical bar, look for evening hours through midnight and Sunday brunch out of the gate, plus frequent events to include live piano performances and a living art wall on the back patio.

Juniper Botanical Bar

• 5226 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, juniperbotanicalbar.com
• Anticipated starting hours: Thursday-Saturday 4 p.m.-midnight, Sunday daytime TBD
• Details: new cocktail bar with charcuterie and other light bites; all ages until 9 p.m.
• Target opening: October 2025, follow instagram.com/juniperbotanicalbar for updates and event schedule

This story was originally published September 18, 2025 at 9:00 AM.