50 Best Bars in Tacoma

“Certain things remain the same, but there is a loss of spirit since original owners Jaime and Jason went South. Great staff as ever. The burger was excellent, the tacos were ok.
It was not busy when we went at 830 on a Saturday... But the music was really loud and I wasn't crazy about the album they were playing. The lack of musical variety hastened our departure. Certainly it's the staff choice on music but a whole hour of it wasn't for me.

2017 Review:
While it's become too crowded at night for me to venture in as much due to the college aged scene, I'll brave the neighbourhood crowd during the day for ToT's fantastic menu of sandwiches, salads, nachos and other yummy stuff. Great veggie selections - I order their Buddha Belly wrap most of the time. Delish!
The staff here is amazing. I'm a ToT fan for life!“

“Asado Steakhouse delivers an unforgettable dining experience that feels straight from culinary heaven. The steak is a masterpiece—perfectly cooked, bursting with flavor, and seasoned to perfection. The Caesar salad was a classic done right, with fresh, crisp greens and a rich, tangy dressing that elevated every bite. The honey-butter glazed carrots were a delightful balance of sweetness and warmth, and the Corona beans with sun dried tomatoes offered a new flavor to round out the meal. Even the sourdough bread, roasted on the grill, was a revelation—crusty, smoky, and utterly sublime. Every dish showcased for this January special met with meticulous care and mastery, making it clear the chef and kitchen team are nothing short of extraordinary. This isn’t just a meal—it’s an experience you’ll savor long after the last bite. Highly recommend!“

“Amazing food & service. We will definitely be back soon.“

“Evening out needed to get a drink and waste some time before a concert. Found this place. We were quite surprised it was awesome! Had several ciders on tap, wine selection and food. Place is filled with amazing plants and old live edge wood which adds to its ambience. Staff was great and they were about to have an open mic night. Really neat place to check out.
#4starjesus“

“I wish I had taken a pictures of the AMAZING pizza but I ate to fast that’s how good it was.

Fresh ingredients with fluffy yet crispy crust. The customer service was also great, they truly care about making sure each customer enjoys their meal.“

“Shrimp and grits are amazing! Eggs cooked over medium, no snotty whites. Perfect! Bacon was crisp and biscuits were wonderful! Amber is a great server with a great personality!!!!! Thanks for a terrific Sunday morning breakfast!“

“Best place to have pizza in Tacoma, friendly service wonderful entertainment and great Neapolitan pizza.

Vegetarian options: The spicy green pizza and original Margarita are both filled with flavorful sauces, the pizza dough is full of the sweet almost savory flavor of wheat, mixed with melted mozzarella on top yum.“

“A to Z, this place is nailing it! Fantastic variety of food, 100% recommend their variety platter of sausage and more. The spicy cheese sausage was grand! The staff was so kind and attentive. Made friends around the fire and loved the beer! Will be there again! Prost!“

“Such an amazing and unique atmosphere. The owner is a true mixologist, coming up with delicious drinks off the top of his head. Food is amazing 🤩. Gordon Ramsey would be impressed. The owner also made sure to come to our table to check on us. I will absolutely return 🤩😊“

“After an already long evening we stumbled into this place - as it was right in front of our hotel.

What a great experience. Shill and relaxed atmosphere. Jessi was also nice and attentive and showed us how to use the tap. Tried a good variety of beers there. Nice concept and a nice ending to our evening.“

“great selection and staff!“

“What an awesome revival of an old dive on South Tacoma Way. The drink selection is broad, and the pour is good. The beer selection will fit just about any taste. The food selection is limited and separate from the actual bar, but it is all good food at decent prices. Seating is a bit limited, so if you are planning on having a seat, get there early and bring friends to save some space. People are friendly and will join you, uninvited, at your table. The old video games, and skee ball is fun. The music venue though!!! WOW!!! It is impressive. Festival seating (meaning there are no seats) with a bar at the back of the room. The acoustics are great, there is no bad place to stand to get a full view of the stage and a full experience from the music.“

“the service an food {says the cook}“

“Always have a great time here. Absolutely love what they’ve done with the place. New owners and staff are making this place a favorite of mine.“

“BANGING💥 SANDWICHES! If I'm in the area I usually swing by for lunch and get the Ruben Sandwich. The place has been and for a while, I recommend getting a cold one while enjoying your meal. The place feels very rustic and full of history. The staff are some pretty amazing people. Sometimes it can get pretty packed but, I just wait it out personally.“

“Food isn't bad. Best deep fried mushrooms in town. Beer selection could be better. Daily specials. Nice atmosphere. Friendly staff. Has pull tabs.“

“What a cozy spot with great food and amazing cocktails ~ I love the burrata sandwich.“

“Bought a $100 gift card for my Father for Christmas. Can't wait for him to tell me about his first experience . My wife and I enjoyed individual flights last night, seated on the vintage looking green valour settee. The Bigger Bodies Reds. Each was amazing and it was a tough choice of which to choose for a glass. New World was the flight my wife enjoyed. Next I had a glass of the Blesoe. Two of our friend couples came so we became six. Each of them enjoyed a flight or glass. The staff was informative,super friendly and hospitable. We will certainly return, great meeting spot and The Spar is across the street;). The only suggestion is filtered water please as the water provided tasted to my wife & I like tap water.“

“Came for midget wresting a while back. Waited like an hour for fry’s but the staff was very sanitary and polite I saw the kitchen dude actually wash his hands. Most people don’t go to bars and expect fast food and locals know that kitchen is micro.“

“Good vibes, friendly bartender. Stopped in for a couple beers on a Thursday night and this was exactly what we were looking for.

I do wish they has a better tap list than the handwritten labels on the wall that are difficult to read. Minor inconvenience though.“

“Good times Good times good times good times“

“❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🏁 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😤“

“Ok I am an old school north ender , been driving past this bar most all my life ! Never stopped in till last year ! What I found was my new hang out for happy hour ! These folks r regulars and very chill great sense of humor decent pool players ! Tuesday best tacos period around ! Killer drinks friendly staff out door area ! I come here because of the people they r now friends I can’t seem to be without almost every day men’s room needs work but it has hot water ! A staple for me ❤️ it“

“I had the pleasure of eating here for lunch today. It was recommended by a dear friend that is no longer with us (R.I.P. M.W.). I shared the fried oysters with the hubby. O! M! G! We will be back!“

“Our bartender Ana was talented, friendly, and kind. We watched her make drinks! She is very knowledgeable and professional. She shared her love of Polynesian themed bars with us. Thanks Devil's Reef for the best decor, best staff and best Mai Tai.

Try the nachos or sliders. You won’t be disappointed.“

“Great beer and atmosphere. Amazing!“

“Serves mainly pizza only other thing on the menu are paninis and salads. Growing up Italian I would have liked to see more panini options. Pies were small a bit greasy but overall pretty damn good. I didn’t get drunk there but if I was the pizza would have been the perfect remedy. The lady with the short hair served me I didn’t get her name but she was professional, friendly, fast, attentive and a great overall bartender and server. Drinks wee reasonably priced and specialty mixed drinks displayed on the wall with prices. Gentleman in the kitchen was also fast with orders cooked to perfection. Overall I would recommend coming here for a good buzz and a quick bite.“

“This place is amazing! Had the garlic fries and onion rings plus a couple drinks, was delicious! Also, had my first experience of legally smoking a cigarette inside a public building here, that was neat! Will definitely be coming back. My only complaint is over the trivia. It is fun to watch and guess on, but the trivia app being used was full of AI generated images. Obviously it's not a huge deal, but personally, I don't really like seeing AI pics, as they're usually quite uncanny and give me the creeps lol. Maybe consider a different trivia program that doesn't use AI generated content? Otherwise, absolutely love this place and would recommend!“

“Their modified grilled cheese sandwiches are amazing. Great atmosphere and service.(And if you have a good nose, you can still smell the waffle cones from a previous tenant)Make sure to put their sister bar "the mule" on your list to visit as well. Easily just as good.“

“This place is perfect in many ways ! It is chill atmosphere parking is easy front and rear points of entry , one of the cleanest little watering stops around , bathrooms are extremely clean just a fun place ! My favorite reason Miller high life on tap and the owners are family 5 star“

“We were looking for a spot to eat outdoors with our pups and a couple of friends and happened on this gem. Delicious sandwiches, ginger beer and craft cocktails! We'll be back!“

“We went mid day and ordered a level 4 weird pizza. It was DELICIOUS! The chef came out to tell us about what he put on it and again to see if we liked it. The bartender was great too. It's a perfect neighborhood bar. Anyone that came through the door was happily greeted by other patrons. We quickly got pulled into their comraderie and it was such a fun place. PLUS. Their sign says "People suck. Pizza doesn't, pizza understands" and that's a message I can get behind.“

“I’m recommending it based solely on service and quality of food. I have not been to this establishment. But I love tacos and plan to soon. I look forward to you serving me.“

“great atmosphere. friendly staff and patrons. it's home away from home“

“It's a dive bar with a decent outside setting. Covered car port with fake trees and a nice heater. They're trying to make it nice enough. There's a pool table. It's small inside, but worth going for a couple drinks. Nice staff as well.“

“Thank you JP 😊 I use to come here and feel unwelcomed. Your customer service and welcoming attitude contributes to a different vibe I have not experienced before. It’s a comfortable neighborhood bar that I will continue to visit and tell my friends!!“

“Great music, and fantastic staff.“

“This place is an experience. Very interesting vibe inside, very friendly staff, and inexpensive beer. Would I eat here? No. I would not. Something about the fact that the place used to have monkeys inside really taints things for me. But I would love to return for a can of Rainier and some karaoke.“

“This place is great! The staff was amazing! It felt like we've been going there for years! We will be back!“

“I love the atmosphere and fun decor. I recently went to the drag queen brunch and it was fabulous!“

“El Gaucho Tacoma is our go to for every celebration! They have literally thought of everything when it comes to fine dining and ambiance not to mention the customer service and food is always 5 star! Highly recommended, thanks again guys, we’ll be back!“

“Ordered the Tower Platter and it was excellent - everything was fried so perfectly and was delicious. Was enjoyed by all in our group even the baby. Can't go wrong with ordering food from the restaurant.“

“Great place. Nice security. Fun bartenders. Great DJ’s on Friday and Saturday.“

“Party of 4 for my nephews birthday party. Zach was our server who had amazing presence and really knew what he was up to! Bravo to Zach. The new menu did not disappoint. 10 out of 10 - 100% recommend. We'll be back. Beignets for dessert - cherry on top of a lovely evening.“

“Just went there for the first time and we were super impressed with how fast our food came out! I ordered the breakfast burrito and it was hands down the best breakfast burrito I have ever had, normally places have way too much eggs in them but not here! Perfect! Great coffee too. Our waitress was super kind and cool as well!

We will definitely be coming back.

Edit: I forgot to mention, bring cash to pay and your meal will be cheaper!“

“i felt so welcome and at home and IM a straight married man. Thank you for an amazing night!! we will be back!!“

“Ok I know things change and yes this place has changed for the better Monica always gets my order right and the food is amazing they have a new breakfast menu I had the taco omelette and to be honest it was awesome .
I am very pleased thankyou for all he changes“

“I am obsessed with the nachos, love the happy hour menu, the romaine salad, and the cucumber jalapeño margarita.“

“I had a great night at Hank’s enjoying the tasty French dip and fresh dinner salad. The roast was heated on the grill with very little fat on the slices. The bread was toasted; crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.“

“Was a great birthday dinner with family. My son's choice and was a marvelous experience from beginning to end. We did mussels and brussels - the Brussel sprouts is marvelous. The steamed mussels a solid match for starters. The main meal was brilliant - great steaks and choices for all interests. It was a busy night, and service a bit lagging at times, but always pleasant and trying to keep up. Loved the port wine that was on the menu to pair with dessert - a unique blueberry and peach pie "pocket". Overall, a very good experience.“