50 Best Bars near University Place

“Best date night spot. Love the nachos. Wife likes the THD pomegranate tequila drink. Definitely a cozy and warming atmosphere. Will def be here again. Thank you Thirsty Hound!“

“food was good they offer the fights for free although my tab tells another story but over a great fight night experience“

“The bartender Madeline was my server and she was INCREDIBLE! She was very attentive and made sure I was taken care of. I didn’t like my first drink and she gave amazing suggestions for a second one and comped the first. Amazing view all around and the pasta was awesome.“

“A beautiful cider bar with 1000 year old wood from the Hoh rainforest as well as 300 different plant species. The manager was really nice and we talked about how he took care of his plants and the story behind the place. Will definitely be back for the unique space and great ciders“

“West 122 is an absolute gem! The steak and lamb were beyond incredible—perfectly cooked, tender, and truly melted in our mouths. It was such a pleasure meeting Executive Chef Keno and bartender David. Both were exceptionally engaging, offering thoughtful guidance on our food and drink selections. I enjoyed a perfectly paired wine, while my husband savored a fine whiskey—both recommendations were spot on! The entire experience was warm, welcoming, and unforgettable. West 122 has certainly set the bar high, and it’s definitely a place we will revisit!“

“🍕🍺 Hidden Gem Alert! We had a fantastic visit to the Crafty Beaver. The owner himself waited on us—such a genuinely kind and welcoming guy. We ordered pizza and wow… it was FANTASTIC! Crispy, flavorful, and crave-worthy—we're already dreaming about our next slice.
The space was spotless, cozy, and had a great vibe. Prices were very reasonable, making the whole experience even better. If you're looking for great local beer, delicious food, and friendly service, this bar/restaurant is a must-visit.“

“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!“

“The food is just fantastic, thank you.“

“great selection and staff!“

“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!“

“The pizza was decent, but the restaurant was so packed that the waiters were too occupied to pay attention to us. Our check was simply dropped off at our table with no word, and the two servers were frantically rushing around, trying to clear tables quickly to accommodate new customers!“

“Great place! Good beer and music. Cool place. Highly recommend.“

“Nice dive bar, featuring good wings and cold beer. I like good chill dive bars, where there are regulars at one end yet they welcome strangers. We sat at the bar, near the microscopic kitchen, and admired the surroundings. The back bar is art deco, with build in cold boxes featuring names of brewers long lost to history. We had the wings, and they were quite good. Freshly fried, and clearly not Sysco, they were tender and loaded with flavor. Prices were good, and the vibe was just right. A nice place for a dive bar lunch!“

“We always love the Top. Jimmy & Andi are always phenomenal servers and they know what we are after as soon as we walk in. This is our favorite sport for Wing Wednesday but I do wish they had a few more sauce options that aren't so sweet.“

“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.“

“Great Sunday brunch! Breakfast cocktails and food were great today!“

“Thank you for being so friendly and for giving us the free ice ❤️

New information - I just learned that the ice machine is cleaned quite regularly here and I'll tell you folks, this is a clean establishment. Most bars and restaurants don't attend to their ice machines regularly and this is a big deal. Mold grows on unclear surfaces, even in the icy cold! Trust this place with your drink because you won't be disappointed.

Please disregard the negative reviews of The Steilacoom Taproom because I can promise you, after reading them, they are wrong!“

“My favorite bar in Tacoma. I was looking for a place to watch a huskies game last season and no bars were showing it since the game was on the Peacock app. The manager let me cast my phone to the TV and other huskies fans started rolling in to watch not long after. Love this place.“

“Stopped in for their soft opening. Very friendly service from Ellie and really good Burger and fries !! Many more unique items to come back and try which I definitely will do !!“

“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.“

“the service an food {says the cook}“

“Good times Good times good times good times“

“It's a cute little taproom to enjoy both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. And we went during happy hour. I spent $2 on my rootbeer. It was quiet and inviting. If they had food/snacks, it would be a hit. But you can bring outside food in and chill!“

“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.“

“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.“

“Best beer & wine pub in Gig Harbor“

“We’ve been going to this place for years! They have a separate hot sandwich menu. They have vegan tacos every Tuesday and will sometimes have a special of the day that’s vegan. Highly recommend! Updated from previous review on 2025-12-10“

“It’s the Best. Hands down. Best food. I drive out from Tacoma all the time just for this tasty food. Can’t go wrong.“

“Go to watch live shows, drink strong cocktails, and question your life choices all in one place. With a sound system that punches hard and a crowd that actually shows up, it's Tacoma nightlife done right. Parking’s a little sketchy and water costs extra—because of course—but when the band hits, you don’t care. Arrive early for the good vantage and bring earplugs: your ears (and wallet) will thank you.“

“First time here and im already in love with this place amazing drinks I had a old fashioned and a dagons tooth and for food I had the nachos since I wasnt that hungry but when it came out it was huge and I loved that and they where made the proper way not they crappy way someplace like apple bees would make it. I also talked with all the bartender and I asked them all about the menus and the bar itself and they where very accommodating with giving there view on it and it allowed me to have a very good conversation on multiple subjects. All the staff was friendly and very timely with the orders and and honestly amy who served me was amazing and in my book if I could give over 5 stars I would.“

“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“

“Amazing customer service and food. Will be back to try the rest. Fost visit and was Amazing“

“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!“

“What can I say it’s a neighborhood bar“

“Love love LOVE this place on 6th Ave. Chill vibe with good tunes, good drinks, and good people. The owner, Sam, was behind the bar just showing why Tacoma is such an amazing place to live. Had several drinks that were bartender's choice, and each was amazing. If you are looking for a fun spot for date night or just want to hang out with friends, Side Pony is the place to go“

“Very cool, and chill place. I do believe this is one of the longest running establishments in Washington state, and probably the oldest bar still in business. Throw your peanuts shells on the ground. I guess. But i couldn't do it even though by buddy told me this is a thing for this bar. Check it out of your in the area“

“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“

“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 food and Great Service!“

“Food garbage drinks over priced hooker vibe desperate“

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

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

“Great beer with awesome beertenders.“

“lazy j is like home away from home john an tracy are like brother and sister“

“❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🏁 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😤“

“The food was fantastic. Our server Angie was on point, friendly and attentive. Drinks and beer were cold and strong. Loved it!“

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

“We had a date night here and were absolutely impressed. The Beecher’s grilled cheese and butternut squash soup was a stand out. Both of our pasta entrees were phenomenal as well. The star of the show, though, was our dessert, which was a deconstructed PB&J. I don’t think I’ve ever had something that had such a wide variety of complementary textures. It was amazing and flavorful.“

“This was my first time being here. Limited parking, some street parking, mostly residential. The inside is bigger than it seems from the outside. I went around 7pm on a Friday, it wasn't too busy until a couple hours in. They have skeeball, pool, and darts from what I saw. As far as the food, they are known for their pizza which was pretty decent, other than the cheese falling off too easily, nice crust, good flavor, but a bit greasy. The french dip was immaculate, crispy bread on the outside, soft on the inside, not dry or stale at all, loads of meat and cheese, tasted really good. Comes with a pickle spear and a bag of chips. Top 5 on my french dip list. The only downside to this place is that the music was blasting way too loud to the point that I have to increase my volume substantially, almost full on yelling so the other person could hear me, but the food was worth it.“

“What a cool place! This is the somewhat unnatural child of a coffee shop and tiki bar. You enter through an old roadside coffee pot shaped building. But inside are fake stuffed animals on the wall, bamboo screens, and just the wildest collection of stuff.

We had beer and onion rings, and sat at the bar. The day was young, and so we were largely alone. But I can see that this place can get hopping once the sun starts disappearing. The onion rings were good, and the beer cold. Prices are reasonable; they're not out to gouge you.

Come to this place and enjoy a great repurpose of the old coffee shop. Sit at the bar with a close friend in the unique double bar stools. And look around - you'll see something strange and unique everywhere you look.“