WASHINGTON | THE WEST
The 15 Best Tacoma Restaurants: Where a New Generation of Chefs Have Redefined the Scene
By Mei Chen | Oct. 27, 2025
En Rama
AUTHOR BIO: Mei Chen has worked for nearly a dozen start-ups in as many years, taking her to several West Coast cities. While she’s sure her current day job is permanent, she also has her eye on Carmel.
To me Tacoma has always felt like the city that wasn’t trying to be one. A port, a rail town, a place where people build and fix things. It’s only recently that you could drive down Sixth Avenue and have your pick of restaurants run by chefs—places that don’t explain themselves, just cook. Seattle can have the skyline; Tacoma’s dining scene has become the one that feels lived in. If you find yourself here, helplessly searching “best restaurants near me in “Tacoma,” here’s where I’d send you.
Asado
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
This Argentine grill knows restraint is its own seasoning. The ribeye arrives with a blackened edge and the kind of char that insists on a second glass of Malbec. The chimichurri is bright, the dining room low-lit, and nobody here is counting protein grams.
Best for: When a well-charred steak is necessary to end the day
Corbeau
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Chef Craig Tronset runs this Proctor bistro with the discipline of someone who knows when to stop talking and reduce the sauce instead. Steak frites comes with beef-fat fries, mussels steam in white wine and shallot, and desserts ignore the modern trend toward minimalism.
Best for: Dinner that’s unabashadly French-inspired
Cuerno Bravo Steakhouse
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Owner-chef David Orozco’s downtown dining room hums with mesquite smoke and the chatter of a place as hot as the sizzling steaks arriving on massive platters. The A5 wagyu on a hot stone is half performance, half indulgence, while the tomahawk ribeye could feed two if you’re the generous type. It’s a place that celebrates big appetites.
Best for: A steakhouse that feels like a celebration
En Rama
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Chef Jesus Garibay runs this downtown restaurant with a small team and a clear point of view. The focus is on handmade pasta, well-balanced cocktails, and seasonal plates that change often enough to stay interesting. The lights are low, the service unhurried, and dinner always seems to last a little longer than planned.
Best for: A date night where the pasta steals the show
Field Bar & Bottle Shop
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Owner Brian Hibbard treats this Sixth Avenue spot like an ongoing experiment in hospitality. The wine list leans natural without preaching, the menu from chef Ike Hippensteel changes weekly, and every seat feels like you’re part of the action. When the spiced duck is on, order it.
Best for: Letting someone else pour and decide
Howdy Bagel
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Reopened by owners Matthew and Sam Brown, this South Tacoma bakery has become something larger than breakfast. The bagels come glossy and dense, the kimchi cream cheese provides an umami kick, and everyone in line knows the sandwiches are worth the wait.
Best for: Mind-blowing bagel sandwiches and coffee drinks
Le Sel Bistro
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Owner Rondee Sands built a French-leaning bistro that doesn’t chase trends. Brunch runs until the crowd thins, French toast arrives dotted with caramelized bananas, and dinner feels like the proper punctuation to a day exploring downtown.
Best for: Turning brunch into your main event
Manuscript & Dialogue
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Owner Eda Johnson’s Stadium District restaurant cooks with ferocity: handmade pasta and housemade biscuits, along with a soundtrack that never repeats itself. It’s small, intentional, and run by a kitchen that scrapped the typical brigade system for a more collaborative approach, meaning your new favorite dish might have been made, like the one above, by a line cook with great ideas.
Best for: Dinner that’s in the hands of a creative kitchen staff
Over the Moon Café
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
Opera Alley’s candle-lit standard is where the short ribs have their own fan base. The new owners, Daniel and Jennifer Espinosa, kept the grace notes—slow pacing, forgiving lighting, and a menu that reads like a love letter to the concept of not chasing trends.
Best for: A quiet table and well executed, familiar dishes
Tacoma Pie
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
There’s lots more on the menu, here like vodka sauce manicotti, chicken pot pie, and brunch on Sundays. But it’s mostly about the pizza, deep dish and tavern-style and absolutely crammed with toppings. Afterward, stay on the pie theme with a slice of berry cobbler.
Best for: A pie, a beer, and what else do you need?
Tho Tuong BBQ
$$$$$ | MAP | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM
In the Lincoln District, a father-and-daughter team turn out the city’s best Cantonese-style barbecue. The roast pork arrives with a stripe of blistered skin, the duck is encased in perfectly crispy skin, and nothing on the menu hits $20. Choose the meat of your choice and have it over rice, in egg-noodle soup, or straight up if you’d rather skip the sides. There are no bad orders here, just different degrees of right.
Best for: Roast meats that need no introduction
