Katsu Burger, a local Japanese fusion chain, finally has eyes on Tacoma
The Seattle-based Katsu Burger will open its first Pierce County restaurant on Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue this year, the Japanese fusion chain announced Feb. 12 on Instagram.
Owners Stephanie Kang and Yousok Jung did not immediately respond to requests for more details, but state business documents filed last October confirm the location. Katsu Burger will take over 2805 6th Ave., the space just vacated by The Redd Dog, which is moving to the old Black Fleet Brewery near downtown Tacoma.
“It’s official… Katsu Burger Tacoma is coming! See you guys soon!” read the caption on Thursday with a photo of the former U-Pour pub mostly free of furniture, a few paint rollers strewn on the floor.
In response to comments on the matching Facebook post, the company said it hoped to open in Tacoma “ASAP,” adding it still needed to “hire, get the kitchen gear and permits but hoping to open as fast as possible!”
A Seattle sushi chef and longtime owner of Mashiko, a West Seattle restaurant credited with pushing the city’s sustainable seafood movement, Hajime Soto, opened the original Katsu Burger in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood in 2011. At the time, the comfort-food fusion notion that now drives so much of modern American food culture was still nascent — even sacrilege, in certain circles. The signature item snuck traditional tonkatsu onto a bun with crunchy cabbage ribbons and sauces like teriyaki or wasabi mayo. Paired with a black sesame milkshake and nori-dusted fries, the small restaurant was a huge hit, but it closed abruptly three years later.
In 2014, Kang, who had been running a Bellevue restaurant called Kimchi Amigos, bought the business, retaining the menu and recipes, according to Eater Seattle. She planned to expand the concept from the get-go; some are franchised. By 2016, Katsu Burger had a presence also in Lynnwood, Bellevue and Capitol Hill. Restaurants in Lake Stevens, Kent and Federal Way followed.
It felt like Tacoma could be on the horizon, but in 2024, the brand drove straight through Pierce County to open a restaurant in Lacey. It also recently landed in Santa Clara, California, according to the company’s Instagram page. In November, Kang and Yousok registered a Katsu Burger Global with the Washington Secretary of State, perhaps indicating future growth.
For their Tacoma prospects, maybe they were waiting for Uwajimaya, the Japanese supermarket led by a family that got their start in Tacoma generations ago, to return. (The store will open in the old Hobby Lobby next year, The News Tribune reported in January.) Or they were just waiting for the right opportunity — The Redd Dog space already has a commercial kitchen with a hood and frying capabilities, and Sixth Avenue remains one of the city’s most vibrant business districts.
Katsu Burger heads to Tacoma
While one could argue whether Tacoma needs another burger joint— Seattle’s Lil Woody’s should open in the Stadium District later this year — “burger” in this restaurant’s name is more of a descriptor than a definition.
The flagship Tokyo Classic features a beef katsu patty blended with miso and covered in panko, fried then layered with cabbage, tonkatsu sauce, Japanese mayo, red onion, tomato and pickles. The Katsu Curry subs a curry-dusted pork loin, adds American cheese and a curried mayo. Loyal fans will have attempted to wrangle the Godzilla Attack, a spicy beef katsu with jalapenos, pepperjack cheese and spicy mayo, or the reportedly 8-inch-tall Mt. Fuji with a trio of beef, pork and chicken patties. (The latter was described by Casey Webb as “just a monster of a meat sandwich” on a 2017 episode of “Man v. Food” on the Travel Channel.) Most sandwiches are around $12-$15.
Meals are incomplete without a side of preferably nori-sprinkled fries ($4.50). Dipping them into one of the hand-dipped sesame milkshakes ($6.50) is likewise a rite of passage. Shake flavors also include green tea, chai and seasonal variations.
The Capitol Hill outpost was open late in its early days, but now most locations serve from 11 a.m. to 9 or 10 p.m., every day of the week.
Katsu Burger Tacoma
- 2805 6th Ave., Tacoma, katsuburger.com
- Details: Japanese fusion brand known for katsu sandwiches coming to Tacoma; ETA Spring 2026