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.“

“I saw this first on Instagram and had to check it out. Called a girlfriend and she had not been there before either. As it turned out, another friend of hers invited her to meet at this downtown Tacoma cider bar. So I was the virgin customer because she was able to enjoy this place before our date. (Just friends).

I’ll be returning to try the food and wine selection. 🤗🤗🤗👍👍👍👍👍“

“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!“

“Crafty beaver is a favorite local spot of mine. Whether going for a small catch up with friends, or going for their delicious flatbreads! My favorite is the bbq chicken.

Local selections of wine and craft beer. If you want to local experience of being a local here in Tacoma, this is the place to be.

Christina is so friendly and a joy!“

“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!“

“great selection and staff!“

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

“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.“

“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!“

“I came in here on St. Patrick's Day to check it out for the first time. Chill spot with friendly people. The food was good and I can't wait to come back to try more. I didn't know they did trivia so that was a fun surprise. My friends and I will be back soon!“

“The food is just fantastic, thank you.“

“Staff is super kind, patient and respectful, plenty of seating including outdoor seating. The price of drinks is pretty dope as well. I love the lighting, super comfy and chill. Nice spot on the east side of tacoma to either hang by yourself or a group of friends. Easy to communicate, nothing is too loud, definite recommened 🐝“

“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!“

“Service was great with large portions of food!“

“This is a wonderful place to explore diverse wines from the US and other countries. The atmosphere is homey and relaxed, yet upscale. The staff are welcoming, accommodating and extremely knowledgeable. You can enjoy a delicious flight, or order a glass of one of your favorites. Food items are also available. They also have a vast array of wines for purchase. You're sure to find a special one to take home. Stop by; you won't regret it.“

“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!“

“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 !!“

“Best beer & wine pub in Gig Harbor“

“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.“

“Hands down some of the best sandwiches in town! Peterson Bros. 1111 never disappoints — the food is incredible, the atmosphere is great, and the staff is always awesome. If you haven't been, you're missing out.

And if you love it here, do yourself a favor and check out their sister locations Peaks and Pints and The Valley — equally fantastic. This whole family of spots is doing it right. Highly recommend! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“

“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“

“Great place, no sign on outside but seemed very well known as there were a dozen people waiting at 5pm when it opened. Delicious tacos and the best Cuban sandwich I have had. Drinks were great but good luck trying to pick! Our bartender Anna was top notch.“

“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“

“Stopped into Magoo's after a few days exploring Tacoma after many years, looking for something that felt like home coming from Chicago, and this place nailed it.

Tuesday night $2.50 tacos, $3 PBRs, and a true, unfiltered Tacoma vibe.

Jack behind the bar was outstanding. Professional, dialed-in, and handled everything like a high-end vet while keeping it completely approachable. One solid genuine bartender.

Five stars. Great spot, great energy, great people.“

“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!“

“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“

“Management provided outstanding service: bar stools labeled with our names as the ADA section at the back of the venue, next to the sound desk.
First opener: brief and fun.
Second opener: loud and played far too long; could have been omitted.
Third opener: The Tacoma Fun Police were great! How have we never heard of them before?
Mad Caddies: Even with many new musicians, they played a terrific setlist and entertained as they always do! BTW I'm 72; I wore my Caddies sweatshirt that I bought at their tiny Seattle show in 2002!“

“Good food and Great Service!“

“Food garbage drinks over priced hooker vibe desperate“

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

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

“Great beer with awesome beertenders.“

“The best selection of beers in the state. The rotation is and creation of a solid beer lineup. Incredible. Never the same selection twice the owner in Bartender is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met in my life. What a fabulous experience.!“

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

“❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️🏁 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😤“

“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.“

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

“☺️☺️ Hello yall
I Come into tipsy a few nights a week after I get off of work bartending, just to see Jody…
she makes us feel so welcome, our drinks are always ready, no words needed….
If she’s not here, We have one, then come back and find her later on. Everyone’ that works here is great but she makes us feel so welcome/ just like regulars 👏🏾☺️ 🥂 shout out to the bar“

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

“Hy lu Hee Hee ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hy Lu Hee Hee means “Good Times and Lots of Laughter.” The Hy lu Hee Hee is a Gig Harbor, WA local’s hang-out that got it start as a Tavern in 1935. In 1958, the State condemned the tavern building and asked that the business vacate the premises, so they could build a new highway to Purdy. The business was rebuilt in 1983, in a new location, by new owners, which is where it has remained ever since. I have been visiting Gig Harbor since 1990, but my first visit to the Hy Lu Hee Hee wasnt until 5/19/23, which was a Friday. Although I arrived before 9 PM, the music was LOUD! I’ve decided to do a sound check via the app SoundPrint. It averaged 83 dB and got as high as 88 dB, which is considered Very Loud. That would’ve been acceptable if I had signed up to see a live band, but it wasn’t. It was bad pre-recorded music, being played over blown speakers.  I had to shout out my order. Everyone around me was shouting too. My server told me this is the norm after 9 PM. Unless you’re already deaf, or enjoy the thought of shouting at your dining companions, I recommend you visit the Hy Lu Hee Hee earlier in the day.  I ordered one of the five house favorites on the menu, Fish + Chips ($17) - Breaded and Seasoned Wild Alaskan True Cod with Fries, House Slaw + Tartar Sauce. Compared to all the fish and chips I’ve eaten in Washington state, it was pretty standard fare. It was a generous portion of fries, and I liked the housemade tartar sauce. The coleslaw had decent flavor, but it obviously been made sometime ago and was swimming in liquid. Personally, I prefer Tides Tavern, which is another Gig Harbor local’s hang out, but I’ll be back at some point to visit the Hy lu Hee Hee. Next time, I’ll just make sure to do it earlier in the day. * I would like to share some photos of my dining experience, including a picture of my fish and chips, but that option is disabled on this page. “

“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.“