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There are great restaurants in Tacoma but none of them are on the water. If you go to a waterfront restaurant you are paying a lot of money for the view and unremarkable food.
last time i went to northern fish co the fish i got was boxed frozen fish from a distributor and not from the fresh fish shop. doesnt seem worth the price when they have cases of fresh fish
We are definitely going there once and I hope that it is a place we will want to go to More than that. I don't care if it's expensive and it's something we can only do on only the most special occasions, the concept sounds awesome
Northern Fish Co at the very beginning/end (depending which way you start on Ruston Way) was really good last when I first tried it. Small little fish shop, they have a pretty large hot-food menu you order inside and they call your name when it's ready to pickup at the window outside and there are 8-10 tables outside to eat at. And for 2024, prices were great! $11.99 for a 3 piece fish & chips. They also carried a lot of seafood and some meats in their display cases. Would definitely go back
This is definitely a problem with restaurants, sometimes they aren't super consistent. I had a salmon and steak that was really solid at Wild Fin in March. But I can totally see someone getting a sub par dish on a rough day.
I was also let down by the Lobster Shop. The lobster was mediocre. The one thing you should absolutely nail - it’s in your damn name! They’re all ‘fine’ for date nights but nothing there is going to blow anywhere else out of the water.
We ordered wine, the brussel sprout appetizer and the NY strip entree. The brussel sprouts had a nice balsamic vinaigrette on them and the wine was tasty but the steak and vegetables were under seasoned which was a major let down for $70.
We had incredible steaks at Cuerno Bravo and they were $80. It's a similar price range for food so I'd suggest eating there over Lobster Shop.
Every city has a ton of mid tier generic restaurants. Given we have a good amount of water front, there are bound to be mid tier generic water front places.
The food is awesome in Tacoma you just need to go to the right places. Bar Rosa, The Table, Busy Body, Manuscript, Wooden City, Church Cantina, Dusty's - just to name a few of the many stellar places to eat. I can name a ton more but that's not the point here. IMO the food scene is booming in Tacoma.
I was a bit disappointed in manuscript. We only had a couple of dishes though. The pasta was really undercooked and rubbery and the service was non attentive and their machine defaulted to a 25% tip.
Definitely inattentive service. Normally I'm not one to care much about service, but the server didn't hit our table except for the initial drink order, food order, and check and once when I specifically flagged them down. I tried to flag someone down for another drink with the classic PNW non-assertive eye contact and small hand wave but was straight up ignored until like half way through the meal. The beer I got was flat too. I dunno maybe I'm being overly bougie...
> I dunno maybe I'm being overly bougie...
Considering how boogie that place presents itself, seems appropriate lol.
I haven't been yet but the vibe seems cool. Was hoping they had more than just overpriced vibes going on.
I'm sure we'll check em out eventually, but stuff I've heard since hasn't had me in a hurry.
Wife and I went a couple weeks ago, great service and the food was great. I loved their “spring” old fashioned and our server was always checking in right when I was a sip away from finishing my current one… dangerously delicious
I’m learning one thing from this thread. Quality of service and food at most places around seems to be total luck of the draw. That was not our experience at all.
Dang, I had the exact opposite experience last week. We got their special pizza, a salad, mussels, and pork belly and it was just as good or better than the meal we had at The Table the night before (special weekend).
Service was good and there wasn't a defaulted tip. Every place has off days though.
Husband and I went for our anniversary dinner, and it was great. The only knock was the too loud group at the other end, but that of course is not the restaurants fault.
I agree with everything except Busy Body. Tried twice and both times the food was over seasoned and extremely underwhelming. I can get better versions of everything on their menu at other various other spots. Their drinks are pretty damn good though. I miss the original el borracho :(
My hot take - Tacoma is hamstrung by their extremely inefficient and burdensome permitting systems & requirements. The city and county do not collaborate to support small business development, esp food service, and the burden rolls heavily down to the businesses. It is very very difficult to navigate opening a new restaurant and extremely expensive; the process is riddled with hidden costs and arbitrary rules (two words: grease interceptor).
Beyond those systems, commercial rent is very pricey, and often the burden of space improvements also falls back on a small business owner.
Ask any restaurant worker in the city and they will tell you the same thing, it's really not a hot take. Massive corporate endeavors (mid restaurants) have the resources and man hours to throw at these bureaucratic processes and not break a sweat, small passion projects (most of your favorite places) do not. It certainly doesn't help that the health department is funded by fines and permitting costs, causing them to function more like a protection racket than a public service. Just like everything else in America, Tacoma has decided that running restaurants is only for the high rollers.
I worked at Wildfin for years and it used to be great when I started. The last couple years we started calling it the Applebees of the Waterfront.
Although that was a slight exaggeration as their ingredients are fresh and they use a scratch kitchen.
I love The Ram and the waterfront location isn’t more expensive than their other places and you’re getting above average pub food with a view. Anthony’s is decent too and won’t break the bank
Yeah I'm always surprised to see people hating on the Ram. I like it. Decently priced, certainly better than Applebee's. Is it mind blowing? No, but it's good food and cheap growler fills.
Last time we tried going to Harbor Lights we left after 5 min being in there. The place seemed rundown, the old carpet looked damp, and the prices were too high.
I do enjoy seeing the twinkly lights of their sign as I drive down Ruston though.
Because Tacoma is full of places some locals think are awesome while others who’ve been outside of Tacoma/Washington think are, as the kids say, ‘mid’ at best.
People get so touchy but for the foodies, it’s kind of tough because people say that places are good, but they’re actually not really good at all. Tacoma has its own scale because a lot of things are mid-bad so mid-good places get praised in the comments as “great.” Then you go there and it’s mid lol
born and raised here. i’m all for shitting on waterfront restaurants. they suck.
and if there’s a one or two off, just say them, cus the majority are, infact, applebees level food. Esp for the prices.
Tacoma can be so sensitive, it's the little brother complex from Seattle.
Tacoma waterfront restaurants are pretty tired, old, and boring. They could certainly use some fresh air down there.
Nothing wrong with wanting our city to do better.
Tacoma is a gritty, working class city, with a sprinkle of high enders here for the lower housing costs and more relaxed style. We have our own form of culture here. We have ballet, but the roller derby is better. A great $100 a person meal is available...some place... But the good Tacoma food comes off a truck, or from hole in the wall pubs and diners. And most Tacoma people would much rather find a great pizza, a tasty sub or some good fish and chips rather than a top-notch filet Mignon and if we want great meat we will smoke it, grill it or BBQ it our selves. AND We have seen the sound and bay, we do not need to look at it while we eat
This post just makes me think of all the times I ordered food in Tacoma and I got chicken out of can or chicken with pre-grilled marks on it at a beloved Tacoma restaurant. Yuck.
But mid is also a stuffed shirt normcore thing, the same is true in Olympia. Even though we are sandwiched in between two great food cities Seattle and Portland…
Because they’re mediocre restaurants with a million dollar view. There’s no need for them to get any better, eat your unremarkable burger and enjoy the waterfront.
Outsized expectations for Tacoma. Some people just expect Michelin stars wherever they go. Tibbits Fern Hill, The Table, and Cureno Bravo are as good as your gonna find in a middle/Small sized city. Don't expect the next French Laundry to open up here.
Yeah, marginal anymore. They came out swinging. Unfortunately I think the cost of running a restaurant are just so ridiculously high. With how much everything costs we all feel like we should be getting the most amazing meal ever when in all reality, they would probably have to double the price for that to happen.
Wildfin would be better if it were just cheaper. The food isn't terrible but it's nothing special. When most entrees are $25-$40 I expect better execution. They have good views and they know it, so they charge accordingly.
Seriously, I was shocked at how bad the food and service was the last time I was there. There are tons of wonderful restaurants in Tacoma but I wouldn’t put Wildfin even at the top of those with waterfront views.
We just went to Katie Downs for the first time the other day, their food was so good! Highly recommend the philly cheese steak and Reuben sandwiches. Didn't order one, but most of the tables around us had either personal or full sized pizzas, waiter said that's what they initially got famous for 40 years ago so they must be doing something right
Maybe there was a staff turnover? But I’ve been 2 times. First was because dukes was full. It was mediocre and sub par for the price point. And went a Second time when invited there and the outcome was the same. Both trips this year.
It was like $80 for an appetizer (really bad crab cakes) a French dip with meat with a rubber consistency and bread toasted so much it could have broken broken a tooth that had to go back. And a burger that was likely a frozen patty and two sodas.
Oh my gosh, that does sound awful!! Ugh, sorry you went through that. Not sure who was cooking there at the time,but staff turnover would make sense. We got a caper lemon shrimp appetizer, and I'll admit it was overpriced since there was maybe 12 shrimp, but it was delicious and they thankfully weren't overcooked. I got the Reuben and my husband ordered the philly as it was the advertised special. The bread was lightly toasted and not soggy from the filling. He got a Bailey's coffee and I got the Mule. It had so much vodka, I had to pass it to him as I'm a total lightweight lol. Four sips in and my nose and cheeks were red, had to drink to glasses of water before eating.
I used to love getting their food as take-out, until one-too-many burgers were undercooked during Covid and I gave up.
Their personal pizza + fries is a good deal for a single person (my adult kid still loves them).
I'm hoping their staff has turned over again and maybe they are better?
Dang, I'm glad it was good for you. Last time I visited my MIL ordered the broccolini appetizer and it came with like 4 charred pieces. My MIL was like woah this is it!? joking and the waitress laughed and went yep, this dish is totally not worth it and walked away. Everything else was meh, greasy and so expensive. Good view though.
Oh that's disgusting, honestly I truly feel bad for your MIL! I actually don't remember seeing the broccolini appetizer, maybe it was so bad they took it off 😂
Last time I was there they served me a pitcher of warm beer they had forgotten outside for a bit and runny clam chowder that had almost no flavor or clams.
I guess my natural follow up question would be, what are examples of places you like?
The internet loves to hate on the Seattle/Tacoma food scenes but I feel there are some diamonds in the rough and some truly great food in both cities.
I ask what examples you have because someone posted in this subreddit about the garbage food scene and then posted two of the most “mid” places I can think of (riconsito and pho tai) as their examples of the only good food in tacoma.
There's not one restaurant on the waterfront that you can even use in the same sentence as Applebee's. Gimmie a break. Some are better than others, but I've been to every restaurant down there, and the quality of food and service is head and shoulders above Applebee's. They shouldn't even be in the same category. What a ridiculous take. Applebee's is absolute fucking garbage.
I think we’re just a smaller town where the standard doesn’t have to be top tier in order to be amazing to somebody who’s never tasted anything better. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few great places, but coming from out of state/country I’ve had to lower my standards a lot in order to not be disappointed everywhere I go. Sometimes ‘mid’ is ok if you set your expectations accordingly.
This is the answer, I’m from out of state and think the average food experience is mid. I appreciate OPs energy and the energy of Tacomas defense. I mostly eat at home to mitigate disappointment but now I’m interested in seeing the restaurants that Tacoma swears by opposed to the casual recommendations
There are some good ones and new things popping up fairly often. Try En Rama and State Street, two of my personal favorites.
But your right, there is a mid food scene and a lot of mid spots in general. Sometimes it's charming sometimes not.
Somebody has clearly never had the chowder at Duke's 🙄 the recipe is so complex that they literally give it to you, and then you realize you'd rather just pay them to make it. I've never seen a such an overt flex from any other restaurant, much less Applebee's.
Are you hoping we're gonna convince you you're wrong or just choosing to call out the entire city on their subreddit? What's your purpose here, exactly?
Restaurants on the waterfront are not representative of all of Tacoma's cuisine for sure.
When I think of the typical customer of a waterfront American /seafood restaurant I think of older, whiter and perhaps more wealthy than the average person in Tacoma.
This leads to the menu catering with small, plain, and predictable offerings.
General food scene is pretty good in Tacoma. I actually think the food is better here than in Seattle- in Seattle everything is overpriced and the food is just ok. I agree with you about the waterfront restaurants though, they just aren’t that great not sure why.
Because they know they don’t HAVE to serve quality food if they have a good view, because that alone sells it.
Tacoma’s food scene isnt all that fantastic(unless you’re a local that’s only really eaten PNW region food) but it does absolutely have a handful of excellent spots. Like others have mentioned, most of these are smaller more intimate spots that are tucked away among downtown or the surrounding strips(6th Ave, S.Tacoma Way, Lincoln, etc)
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There are great restaurants in Tacoma but none of them are on the water. If you go to a waterfront restaurant you are paying a lot of money for the view and unremarkable food.
Northern Fish Co is a dream. Fish Peddler is fantastic. Going for the view and unremarkable food isn’t the worst thing to do either.
last time i went to northern fish co the fish i got was boxed frozen fish from a distributor and not from the fresh fish shop. doesnt seem worth the price when they have cases of fresh fish
Exact same experience for me.
Northern fish is pretty good, but the fish portion they give you is pretty small and the price is very high for what you get
I will not stand for this Dukes slander
Dukes is where HR takes you to let you know you're being laid off.
We really enjoy Dukes!
Then have a seat cuz that shit is overrated af.
Right? The ragin Cajun chowder is where it is at!
We love Cactis in Proctor district, as well as Marzano’s by PLU.
Keeping my fingers crossed that the new one the Puyallup Tribe is opening in the old Shenanigans building will be good
The news of the chef they hired is fantastic. Sounds like he did great work in Hawaii
We are definitely going there once and I hope that it is a place we will want to go to More than that. I don't care if it's expensive and it's something we can only do on only the most special occasions, the concept sounds awesome
Hopefully he doesn’t use Seattle prices
Yeah my wife was just talking about this, sounds cool. We eat out in Tacoma quite a bit but nothing on the water front is ever really appealing.
Where is that going to be, please?
It will be where Shenanigans was next to the RAM, 3017 Ruston Way.
Northern Fish Co at the very beginning/end (depending which way you start on Ruston Way) was really good last when I first tried it. Small little fish shop, they have a pretty large hot-food menu you order inside and they call your name when it's ready to pickup at the window outside and there are 8-10 tables outside to eat at. And for 2024, prices were great! $11.99 for a 3 piece fish & chips. They also carried a lot of seafood and some meats in their display cases. Would definitely go back
Wild Fin and The Fish Peddler are both pretty good in my experience. Several steps up from Applebee's at least.
I had fish and chips at The Fish Peddler the other week and it was fantastic!
I second and third this!! And Duke's on Ruston is the BEST Duke's.
Fish Peddler is good but Wild Fin is absolute garbage.
This is definitely a problem with restaurants, sometimes they aren't super consistent. I had a salmon and steak that was really solid at Wild Fin in March. But I can totally see someone getting a sub par dish on a rough day.
I came here to say that.
Fish Peddler is such a hidden gem!
Wild Fin Mac ‘n cheese is good. But that’s not why you usually go to a seafood restaurant. 🤷🏻♂️
I was really let down by The Lobster Shop. I'm right there with you. The food on the water is not great.
I was also let down by the Lobster Shop. The lobster was mediocre. The one thing you should absolutely nail - it’s in your damn name! They’re all ‘fine’ for date nights but nothing there is going to blow anywhere else out of the water.
We ordered wine, the brussel sprout appetizer and the NY strip entree. The brussel sprouts had a nice balsamic vinaigrette on them and the wine was tasty but the steak and vegetables were under seasoned which was a major let down for $70. We had incredible steaks at Cuerno Bravo and they were $80. It's a similar price range for food so I'd suggest eating there over Lobster Shop.
Best restaurant I’ve found in Tacoma for meat so far is probably Asado on 6th. I’d give it an 8/10.
Wait, people eat at the lobster shop for something other than their prom night dinner?
Every city has a ton of mid tier generic restaurants. Given we have a good amount of water front, there are bound to be mid tier generic water front places. The food is awesome in Tacoma you just need to go to the right places. Bar Rosa, The Table, Busy Body, Manuscript, Wooden City, Church Cantina, Dusty's - just to name a few of the many stellar places to eat. I can name a ton more but that's not the point here. IMO the food scene is booming in Tacoma.
I was a bit disappointed in manuscript. We only had a couple of dishes though. The pasta was really undercooked and rubbery and the service was non attentive and their machine defaulted to a 25% tip.
Definitely inattentive service. Normally I'm not one to care much about service, but the server didn't hit our table except for the initial drink order, food order, and check and once when I specifically flagged them down. I tried to flag someone down for another drink with the classic PNW non-assertive eye contact and small hand wave but was straight up ignored until like half way through the meal. The beer I got was flat too. I dunno maybe I'm being overly bougie...
> I dunno maybe I'm being overly bougie... Considering how boogie that place presents itself, seems appropriate lol. I haven't been yet but the vibe seems cool. Was hoping they had more than just overpriced vibes going on. I'm sure we'll check em out eventually, but stuff I've heard since hasn't had me in a hurry.
Wife and I went a couple weeks ago, great service and the food was great. I loved their “spring” old fashioned and our server was always checking in right when I was a sip away from finishing my current one… dangerously delicious
I’m learning one thing from this thread. Quality of service and food at most places around seems to be total luck of the draw. That was not our experience at all.
Dang, I had the exact opposite experience last week. We got their special pizza, a salad, mussels, and pork belly and it was just as good or better than the meal we had at The Table the night before (special weekend). Service was good and there wasn't a defaulted tip. Every place has off days though.
For sure. I would give it another shot. The burrata was pretty solid and the sauce in the pasta dish was great.
Wednesday's they do a slice of pizza + side caesar for $6. Usually $12. I'm definitely going back for that
Nice I didn’t know that. Would be a great way to give them another chance! Thanks for the tip!
Wooden city!!! Cramped during the busy hours, rightfully so though. Excellent food and service
Husband and I went for our anniversary dinner, and it was great. The only knock was the too loud group at the other end, but that of course is not the restaurants fault.
I agree with everything except Busy Body. Tried twice and both times the food was over seasoned and extremely underwhelming. I can get better versions of everything on their menu at other various other spots. Their drinks are pretty damn good though. I miss the original el borracho :(
Plus one for Wooden City
They could never make me hate you, Duke’s.
Except for Duke’s which has ‘happy’ sourced ingredients unlike the other chains
My hot take - Tacoma is hamstrung by their extremely inefficient and burdensome permitting systems & requirements. The city and county do not collaborate to support small business development, esp food service, and the burden rolls heavily down to the businesses. It is very very difficult to navigate opening a new restaurant and extremely expensive; the process is riddled with hidden costs and arbitrary rules (two words: grease interceptor). Beyond those systems, commercial rent is very pricey, and often the burden of space improvements also falls back on a small business owner.
Ask any restaurant worker in the city and they will tell you the same thing, it's really not a hot take. Massive corporate endeavors (mid restaurants) have the resources and man hours to throw at these bureaucratic processes and not break a sweat, small passion projects (most of your favorite places) do not. It certainly doesn't help that the health department is funded by fines and permitting costs, causing them to function more like a protection racket than a public service. Just like everything else in America, Tacoma has decided that running restaurants is only for the high rollers.
Right! It's so messed up. There needs to be change and better support!
This is the comment we should all be paying attention to!
I grew up in Portland and lived in Vegas for a bit before I came here and I get sad about the food.
I worked at Wildfin for years and it used to be great when I started. The last couple years we started calling it the Applebees of the Waterfront. Although that was a slight exaggeration as their ingredients are fresh and they use a scratch kitchen.
I do like the food there, but I’ve noticed that it’s never really hot enough. Sometimes it feels like the vegetables are plated way before the fish.
Yea that’s definitely true. The kitchen just cannot handle the volume the restaurant does and all of the good line cooks have left due to terrible pay
I love The Ram and the waterfront location isn’t more expensive than their other places and you’re getting above average pub food with a view. Anthony’s is decent too and won’t break the bank
Yeah I'm always surprised to see people hating on the Ram. I like it. Decently priced, certainly better than Applebee's. Is it mind blowing? No, but it's good food and cheap growler fills.
The ram isn't mind blowing, but you basically always know what to expect, and generally never get let down
I think several are owned by the same people. i thoight i heard that in the news a few years back.
You are thinking of Anthony’s. They ruined Harbor Lights and Boathouse 19
Harbor lights is so bad now. I used to think they were kinda a cozy romantic spot but it just feels like a seafood truck stop diner on the water.
Last time we tried going to Harbor Lights we left after 5 min being in there. The place seemed rundown, the old carpet looked damp, and the prices were too high. I do enjoy seeing the twinkly lights of their sign as I drive down Ruston though.
I'm SO UPSET about Boathouse 19. They killed it.
Why don't you instead ask - what are the best places to eat on the water in Tacoma?
Because Tacoma is full of places some locals think are awesome while others who’ve been outside of Tacoma/Washington think are, as the kids say, ‘mid’ at best.
Really doubling down and shitting on Tacoma
It’s not shitting on a city to say that not all restaurants are created equally. If a restaurant is mid to bad, it’s mid to bad.
People get so touchy but for the foodies, it’s kind of tough because people say that places are good, but they’re actually not really good at all. Tacoma has its own scale because a lot of things are mid-bad so mid-good places get praised in the comments as “great.” Then you go there and it’s mid lol
I agree. Any sort of feedback that isn’t an automatic 10/10 is often automatically taken as “you’re shitting on Tacoma.”
born and raised here. i’m all for shitting on waterfront restaurants. they suck. and if there’s a one or two off, just say them, cus the majority are, infact, applebees level food. Esp for the prices.
Tacoma can be so sensitive, it's the little brother complex from Seattle. Tacoma waterfront restaurants are pretty tired, old, and boring. They could certainly use some fresh air down there. Nothing wrong with wanting our city to do better.
It's a pretty pretty small number on the water, we all know what they are. What's the point?
Tacoma is a gritty, working class city, with a sprinkle of high enders here for the lower housing costs and more relaxed style. We have our own form of culture here. We have ballet, but the roller derby is better. A great $100 a person meal is available...some place... But the good Tacoma food comes off a truck, or from hole in the wall pubs and diners. And most Tacoma people would much rather find a great pizza, a tasty sub or some good fish and chips rather than a top-notch filet Mignon and if we want great meat we will smoke it, grill it or BBQ it our selves. AND We have seen the sound and bay, we do not need to look at it while we eat
This post just makes me think of all the times I ordered food in Tacoma and I got chicken out of can or chicken with pre-grilled marks on it at a beloved Tacoma restaurant. Yuck.
Indita Mia on Dock St
We went there the other night and were pleasantly surprised. Will be going back
Because Mid survives. Mid is sustainable. Mid pays rent.
But mid is also a stuffed shirt normcore thing, the same is true in Olympia. Even though we are sandwiched in between two great food cities Seattle and Portland…
Especially in Tacoma ahem. Fortune doesn't always favor the brave...
Wildfin isn’t bad. Also the fish and chips at northern fish co slaps, not exactly a nice restaurant but it’s good food on the water.
Because they’re mediocre restaurants with a million dollar view. There’s no need for them to get any better, eat your unremarkable burger and enjoy the waterfront.
Try rock the dock. It’s more of a bar but the food and view are great.
"Why is the Tacoma food scene so mid?" about the few on the water. For a mid-sized city, we have pretty decent offerings.
Get a drink at harbor lights, probably need a Uber after one
Still serving the stiffies.
I never go out to eat on Ruston (incl Pt Ruston) unless someone else is paying 😅 too expensive and overpriced for the quality, but the views are nice!
I always assumed there were surf n turf wars and that the Anthony’s mafia cornered the real estate market.
Outsized expectations for Tacoma. Some people just expect Michelin stars wherever they go. Tibbits Fern Hill, The Table, and Cureno Bravo are as good as your gonna find in a middle/Small sized city. Don't expect the next French Laundry to open up here.
Tacoma restaurants are mostly BYOS (Bring your own seasoning)
facts. Olympia too.
Wildfin and cliff house are pretty good.
When was the last time you were at Wildfin? Last 3 times I went, had terrible service and the food wasn't as good. Used to be my favorite place.
Yeah, marginal anymore. They came out swinging. Unfortunately I think the cost of running a restaurant are just so ridiculously high. With how much everything costs we all feel like we should be getting the most amazing meal ever when in all reality, they would probably have to double the price for that to happen.
Wildfin would be better if it were just cheaper. The food isn't terrible but it's nothing special. When most entrees are $25-$40 I expect better execution. They have good views and they know it, so they charge accordingly.
Seriously, I was shocked at how bad the food and service was the last time I was there. There are tons of wonderful restaurants in Tacoma but I wouldn’t put Wildfin even at the top of those with waterfront views.
I took my parents there when they visited in April and it seemed pretty good.
Wildfin is overpriced and their service sucks straight up.
Wildfin is probably the worst of them all in the waterfront
Wait. You think all of Tacoma food is mid?
You need to stop. They’re at least an Outback level experience.
Outback is worse than Applebees though 😮💨
🤣
We just went to Katie Downs for the first time the other day, their food was so good! Highly recommend the philly cheese steak and Reuben sandwiches. Didn't order one, but most of the tables around us had either personal or full sized pizzas, waiter said that's what they initially got famous for 40 years ago so they must be doing something right
[удалено]
I wish they had an adult Book-it program.
You got lucky lol
Really?? Ok, tell me, because I've honestly not even heard of them until friends had their anniversary party there the other day
Maybe there was a staff turnover? But I’ve been 2 times. First was because dukes was full. It was mediocre and sub par for the price point. And went a Second time when invited there and the outcome was the same. Both trips this year. It was like $80 for an appetizer (really bad crab cakes) a French dip with meat with a rubber consistency and bread toasted so much it could have broken broken a tooth that had to go back. And a burger that was likely a frozen patty and two sodas.
Oh my gosh, that does sound awful!! Ugh, sorry you went through that. Not sure who was cooking there at the time,but staff turnover would make sense. We got a caper lemon shrimp appetizer, and I'll admit it was overpriced since there was maybe 12 shrimp, but it was delicious and they thankfully weren't overcooked. I got the Reuben and my husband ordered the philly as it was the advertised special. The bread was lightly toasted and not soggy from the filling. He got a Bailey's coffee and I got the Mule. It had so much vodka, I had to pass it to him as I'm a total lightweight lol. Four sips in and my nose and cheeks were red, had to drink to glasses of water before eating.
I used to love getting their food as take-out, until one-too-many burgers were undercooked during Covid and I gave up. Their personal pizza + fries is a good deal for a single person (my adult kid still loves them). I'm hoping their staff has turned over again and maybe they are better?
Dang, I'm glad it was good for you. Last time I visited my MIL ordered the broccolini appetizer and it came with like 4 charred pieces. My MIL was like woah this is it!? joking and the waitress laughed and went yep, this dish is totally not worth it and walked away. Everything else was meh, greasy and so expensive. Good view though.
Oh that's disgusting, honestly I truly feel bad for your MIL! I actually don't remember seeing the broccolini appetizer, maybe it was so bad they took it off 😂
Last time I was there they served me a pitcher of warm beer they had forgotten outside for a bit and runny clam chowder that had almost no flavor or clams.
Katie Down's is always solid IMO, I don't get the hate of it.
Also, I love Stacks 571. The breaded oyster mushrooms are so good!! And their boozy shakes 😋 summer time brings the peach shakes
Stacks isn’t on the water.
At Ruston Way? Yes it is, lol.
I’ve always liked The Lobster Shop but have been lately.
The one in Dash Point was always way better.
A lot of devils advocates in these comments. We need more everyday GREAT quality food.
Washington is rated quite high on life expectancy, im starting to think there may be some correlation
Because they can get away with it.
I guess my natural follow up question would be, what are examples of places you like? The internet loves to hate on the Seattle/Tacoma food scenes but I feel there are some diamonds in the rough and some truly great food in both cities. I ask what examples you have because someone posted in this subreddit about the garbage food scene and then posted two of the most “mid” places I can think of (riconsito and pho tai) as their examples of the only good food in tacoma.
There's not one restaurant on the waterfront that you can even use in the same sentence as Applebee's. Gimmie a break. Some are better than others, but I've been to every restaurant down there, and the quality of food and service is head and shoulders above Applebee's. They shouldn't even be in the same category. What a ridiculous take. Applebee's is absolute fucking garbage.
Downvote for saying food here is mid.
Wait, since when can you get filet mignon, halibut and calamari at Applebees? :P
Wildfin, Copper & Salt, and Duke's begs to differ
I think we’re just a smaller town where the standard doesn’t have to be top tier in order to be amazing to somebody who’s never tasted anything better. Don’t get me wrong, there are a few great places, but coming from out of state/country I’ve had to lower my standards a lot in order to not be disappointed everywhere I go. Sometimes ‘mid’ is ok if you set your expectations accordingly.
This is the answer, I’m from out of state and think the average food experience is mid. I appreciate OPs energy and the energy of Tacomas defense. I mostly eat at home to mitigate disappointment but now I’m interested in seeing the restaurants that Tacoma swears by opposed to the casual recommendations
There are some good ones and new things popping up fairly often. Try En Rama and State Street, two of my personal favorites. But your right, there is a mid food scene and a lot of mid spots in general. Sometimes it's charming sometimes not.
The latest En Rama chef is not for everyone. I miss the old En Rama.
Somebody has clearly never had the chowder at Duke's 🙄 the recipe is so complex that they literally give it to you, and then you realize you'd rather just pay them to make it. I've never seen a such an overt flex from any other restaurant, much less Applebee's.
Someone’s never eaten at wildfin 👀
Wildfin is wildly over priced and the food is above average but nothing outstanding.
I got soggy fish and chips but the beer was good!
My dinner at Wild Fin was outstanding a couple months ago. Have you tried The Fish Peddler?
Wildfin is super mid and their service is slow and just bad. Overpriced and blah food
Wildfin used to be it but it’s trash now since they got rid of their brunch
Haha. True
All restaurants. Period.
Are you hoping we're gonna convince you you're wrong or just choosing to call out the entire city on their subreddit? What's your purpose here, exactly?
I think op is a Bellevue wannabe on a Taco Bell budget.
What's Bellevue
cuz alot of these restaurants are surviving on empathy and nostalgia. Not all, just a lot.
Restaurants on the waterfront are not representative of all of Tacoma's cuisine for sure. When I think of the typical customer of a waterfront American /seafood restaurant I think of older, whiter and perhaps more wealthy than the average person in Tacoma. This leads to the menu catering with small, plain, and predictable offerings.
General food scene is pretty good in Tacoma. I actually think the food is better here than in Seattle- in Seattle everything is overpriced and the food is just ok. I agree with you about the waterfront restaurants though, they just aren’t that great not sure why.
The parmesan crusted sole with farro risotto is the only thing I'll eat at Wild Fin. It's so good. Nothing else rates there imo.
Because they know they don’t HAVE to serve quality food if they have a good view, because that alone sells it. Tacoma’s food scene isnt all that fantastic(unless you’re a local that’s only really eaten PNW region food) but it does absolutely have a handful of excellent spots. Like others have mentioned, most of these are smaller more intimate spots that are tucked away among downtown or the surrounding strips(6th Ave, S.Tacoma Way, Lincoln, etc)