Have your next coffee date outside at these Pierce County cafes
The sunshine has us wanting to be outside all the time, even while drinking hot coffee. Maybe we’ll make it iced.
We’ve shared our picks for new patios to drink and have a full meal around town, whether you’re looking for barbecue, Vietnamese or wine and charcuterie.
For your next coffee date with a friend or yourself and a good book, head to these cafes around Pierce County to catch some rays, too.
Northwest Coffee Bros
- 3317 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253-533-1836, nwcoffeebros.com
Tucked on the Pacific Avenue hill just south of downtown, this petite cafe packs a punch with Caffe d’Arte coffee, an array of energy drinks and tea. On the non-caffeinated side, sip on Italian sodas, lemonades, milk steamers and smoothies. Snacks include cookies, muffins and fresh breakfast and lunch sandwiches from a wholesale bakery-deli in Tukwila. There are a few tables inside and a sunny patio outside with metal tables and chairs. Park in the back lot. Open weekdays 6 a.m.-2 p.m. and weekends 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
Bluebeard Coffee Roasters
- 5428 South Tacoma Way, Tacoma, bluebeardcoffee.com
Bluebeard has been roasting coffee in Tacoma for 15 years (established 2011) and in 2024 moved production to a fancy new facility on South Tacoma Way. It was big enough to accommodate roasting on site and operate as a second cafe. With high ceilings and big windows, the seating area is breezy and bright and feels like the outdoors when the garage doors are rolled up. You can also rest your elbows on “buddy bars” along the sidewalk. Feels very Euro, non? Open daily 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
The Rusty Goat Beer & Coffee
- 712 Opera Alley, Tacoma, rustygoattacoma.com
The coffee side of this beer and cider bar recently debuted in Opera Alley. Visit six days a week (minus Sundays) for caffeine compliments of Manifesto and Mimi’s Tea, paired with snacks (cookies, muffins, lemon bars, etc.) from Maggie Magee’s, a bakery in Fircrest. With big tables, room to roam and an open-air vibe, this is the kind of cafe where you can comfortably stay a while. Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m.-2 p.m. (bar hours start late-afternoon Thursday-Saturday).
Espresso Yourself
- 1009 Regents Blvd., Fircrest, espressoyourself.com
This Fircrest gem brews reasonably priced espresso and drip coffee, as well as milkshakes and frappes, but the sandwiches have garnered a reputation of their own. Get a half or a whole on your choice of bread, including a croissant, with a side for under $13. Egg or chicken salad, a BLT, various turkey sammies and, of course, breakfast sandwiches served on an English muffin or ciabatta (for the veggie). Enjoy on the covered patio.
Susanne’s Bakery & Deli
- 3411 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor, 253-853-6220, susannesbakery.net
Come for the coffee, stay for the incredible collection of baked goodies: muffins, cinnamon rolls, scones, biscotti, macaroons, cake and pie. On weekends only, snag a cinnamon roll. If you’re feeling lunch-y, have soup, salad or a sandwich on house-baked bread. The sidewalk patio is simple but covered, with a great view of the people strolling through downtown Gig Harbor.
B’s Bagels & Butters
- 3308 Uddenberg Lane, Gig Harbor, 253-358-3257, bsbagelsgigharbor.com
Admittedly less a patio than a grassy knoll, the awesome Gig Harbor bagel shop will give you a mat if you ask nicely (and obviously return it when you’re done) and point you to the lawn outside the modestly sized shop. Indeed, it’s high time for a bagel picnic! Chef Brittany Erwin’s East Coast-inspired bagels are unlike anything else in the area, from the salt to the seasonals like sundried tomato, pretzel and pepita pesto, slathered with house compound butters and schmears in irresistible flavors. Coffee and energy drinks sparkle here, too.
Fika at Farm 12
- 3303 8th Ave. SE C, Puyallup, 253-466-3198, farm12.org/fika
The vast Farm 12 campus, home to a restaurant, venue and nonprofit supporting at-risk women, has quite the spacious cafe. The interior feels breezy as-is, and on warm days big garage doors bring the outside in. The property also offers various pockets of under-the-sun areas to enjoy your latte and housemade baked goods, from cardamom buns to cookies, cake to croissants. It’s also a perfect pit stop before or after hitting the Foothills Trail. Open daily 6 a.m.-3 p.m.
Lux Perpetua Coffee
- 3555 McKinley Ave., Tacoma, instagram.com/luxcoffeetacoma
Lux is like a watering hole for day crawlers. Order a Manifesto Coffee drink from the shop and a pastry from local baker Spilled Butter Desserts — partial to the seasonal scones and flaky Pop-Tarts. There are a couple of simple bistro tables outside on the sidewalk, where you can people-watch or just hang out with the resident pup, Pogie. Open weekdays 7 a.m.-5 p.m. and weekends 8 a.m.-5 p.m.