10 new patios to eat and drink outside this summer around Tacoma
With false spring technically behind us and Memorial Day around the corner, we’ve been thinking about where to eat and drink outside.
The usual places along the water spring to mind. Since our last long look at patios around Tacoma, we highlighted a few under-the-radar options from past Purdy all the way to Eatonville. Today we’re calling attention to some new patios at places that have opened within the past year or so.
In Puyallup, the city has helped build a series of parklets downtown — streetside patios along Meridian from Pioneer Way to Stewart Avenue. Enjoy a cone at Lick Ice Cream, a beer from Caskcades or steak and eggs at West Pioneer Grill. In downtown Tacoma, one more patio will debut this summer as McMenamins Elks Temple reveals its “goat lot” beer garden on the hillside — stay tuned for details!
In and around Tacoma, here’s a look at new and newish patios to grab a glass of wine, a beer and barbecue, a cocktail and salad.
Stink Cheese & Meat
- 909 A St., Tacoma, 253-327-1937, stinktacoma.com
Jenny Smith and Steve Ramsay rekindled their much-loved wine and sandwich bar inside this big ol’ office building in 2024. The interior is spacious, well-suited to lunch meetings in groups big or small, with views of the port, the Dome and the Murray Morgan bridge. On a sunny day, order at the counter and head down the stairs to “the best-kept patio secret in Tacoma,” mixed with the occasional whir of cars zipping along 705, and probably some seagull caw-caws. With just daytime-to-happy hour service, nibble on soup and salad or one of the cafe’s handhelds, like the Monte-Stinko or prosciutto and brie. Drinks include NA sparklers, cocktails, wines by the glass or bottle, local beer and cider as well as coffee — both drip and espresso.
Not Bad Tacoma
- 1102 A St. (Courthouse Square basement), Tacoma, 253-327-1905, notbadtacoma.com
Since last spring, chef Dave Cooper has been making charcuterie in-house — beef tongue, chicken liver mousse, pork pâté and rillettes — in the basement of Courthouse Square. Let your soul be whisked to France, or at least bristled by a Tacoma breeze, from an outdoor counter seat peering into the kitchen at Not Bad. Other delicacies include a tart, cornichon-laced potato salad, marinated beets with capers and herbs, ham and cheese and butter on a baguette. A short but satisfying packaged beer list offers cheap Tecate, a Basque cider, a pils and English bitter from Olympia’s ilk Brewing. Dabble in the lovely Euro-centric wine pours or bring a friend and get a bottle. It’s open weekdays for lunch with “sad bastard” happy hour 3-6 p.m. with occasional Saturday movie nights.
Evergreen State Brewing / We B Smok’n BBQ
- Taproom: 1901 Dock St., Tacoma, 253-319-8181, es-brewing.com
- Kitchen: Inside ES Brewing, 253-271-8133, webesmokinbbq.com
Thea Foss has a brewery taproom with a barbecue restaurant? But of course! Evergreen State moved into this spacious venue next to Museum of Glass last summer. We Be Smok’n runs the kitchen, serving house-smoked brisket, pulled pork, ribs, chicken and hot links. Get two meats and two sides (beans, slaw, collards, mac) plus cornbread for $27, or up to three proteins for $30. The menu also extends to meaty sandwiches, nachos and the Dock Street Bowl ($19.50): a filling portion of the “dirty” mac and cheese with a bean casserole, stewed greens and pulled pork. Floor-to-ceiling doors open up to the patio overlooking the waterway, so anywhere here kind of feels like the outdoors on a nice day. Dogs are welcome on the patio, too.
The Nosy Nif Wine Bar
- 2325 Tacoma Ave. S., Tacoma, 253-337-8522, thenosynif.com
This wine bar quietly opened on an increasingly intriguing stretch of Tacoma Avenue South, near Sig Brewing, On Blended Knee Winery and Common Ground Coffee. The interior leans into a chic library vibe, with bar, lounge and community seating — great for groups or solo hangs. Head to the back for an unexpected patio experience, though, with views of the port and Tacoma Dome while sipping an eclectic selection of vino from around the world and right in our backyard. If you need a snack, build your own charcuterie board of pre-packaged crackers, meats and cheeses, or nibble on some complimentary popcorn.
Proof Tacoma
- 2312 N. 30th St., Tacoma, instagram.com/proof_tacoma
What this porch lacks in size it makes up for in the excellent cocktails you simply won’t find elsewhere in town. The Anthem Coffee next to Old Town Park quiets down for the night when Chris Keil and team take over the shop, serving sips like the extra-cold 50/50 martini with equal parts gin and vermouth, the apple blossom and beeswax-infused Woman in the Dunes with Japanese whisky, and the sherry-forward old fashioned. The slightly elevated, relatively no-frills outdoor setup overlooks North 30th Street with a whisper of Commencement Bay in the distance, relishing in just the absolute best golden-hour glow — perfect for a patio!
Terry’s Bar & Grill
- 3410 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, 253-752-6262, terrystacoma.com
Following a serious facelift, Terry’s reopened in the North End around the new year. The space feels much bigger on the inside, and it definitely is if you count the new covered, heated beer garden that spans the length of the building (in a similar setup to their sister bar, Hanks). Windows open for plenty of fresh air. Bring your friends. Your coworkers. Your dad. Have a Barnburner chicken sandwich and hand-cut fries in between a round at the pool table, or snag a seat around the fire pit.
La Ca 38th
- 1001 S. 38th St., Tacoma, laca38th.com
The owner of La Ca Bar on Sixth Ave has brought a similar energy and menu of fresh Vietnamese fare to the Lincoln District, including a full bar and open kitchen. Find a seat on the patio (in winter months featuring igloos) to dig into salmon cuon (spring rolls with grilled salmon and chili-garlic fish sauce to dip), goi ga (a refreshing cabbage and chicken salad), and banh xeo (the traditional rice crepe here with pork belly and shrimp). Pho, vermicelli and rice dishes also abound, with a decent amount of vegetarian offerings. Snag a buck off all beer and cider and $3 off appetizers during happy hour — daily 4-6 p.m.
Juniper Botanical Bar
- 5226 South Tacoma Way, 253-212-2358, juniperbotanicalbar.com
The interior of Juniper Botanical Bar, new last fall, blends living-room vibes with weaving philodendrons and string lights. But the cool crowd knows that STW has a few hidden back patios (see also: The Mule Tavern). Juniper’s is partly covered and boasts picnic table seating as well as a lounge area with a couch. From the bar, fun cocktails change periodically, but some have stuck around — like the Green Flag with gin, lemon, lemongrass and wasabi, and the Bear Necessities, a spin on an espresso martini with tequila, Manifesto cold brew, pandan coconut cream, topped with a chocolate-covered gummy bear. Veg-focused snacks feel prime for a laidback evening outside, from delightful grilled tofu with a cashew-based curry sauce to warm beets over silken goat cheese with candied pecans. You can also build your own snack plate with crackers, butters/jams/dips, meats, cheese, veggies and fruit. Kids are welcome, too.
Backyard Pizza / Little India Puyallup
- Pind Kohala Food Pod, 1824 S. Meridian, Puyallup, littleindiaexp.com/littleindia-puyallup
- instagram.com/backyardpizzapuyallup
The owners of Little India and RJ’s Burgers at Freighthouse Square opened a food pod in Puyallup last year with three trucks. Look for the blue house-like structure just south of Good Sam on the west side of Meridiak. Order traditional Indian dishes — chaats, pakora, dosa, curries and more — from the Little India truck. The other big food trailer, Backyard Pizza, serves classic and fusion pies, including with butter chicken and palak paneer, as well as wings and burgers with Indian and American flavors. There’s also a coffee trailer with the usual espresso drinks and signatures inspired by Indian desserts. What you can’t see from the street is the large tent set up in the back of the lot with tables and chairs (plus a bathroom inside the building).
Powerhouse Brewery
- 454 E. Main Ave., Puyallup, 253-845-1370, powerhousebrewpub.com
Powerhouse itself is not new, but the restaurant inside a turn-of-the-century red-brick substation next to the train tracks in Puyallup has upgraded its beer garden for the 2026 season. Shaded by more trees than you might imagine, the fenced and covered patio offers standard table seating plus bar stools outside. The greenhouse is a particularly cool addition with couches and a coffee table — primed for a party! Share some fried pickles and house hot chicken dip (“Breast of Fire”) with parmesan crostini, have a burger or hearty sandwich — Reubens, dips, grinders — and classic, pub-style fish and chips. Pair with beer from the on-site brewery or a seasonal cocktail. Visit on Tuesdays for $3.50 pints and Thursdays for a pint-plus-burger for just $15.