Maybe you really don’t need anything new in your life this month. In that case, save this for later and go find a cozy spot, sit a few minutes, look out the window, have a bite to eat. Sometimes the same old stuff (like us taking Dandie down to Titlow again, again, again) is just right.
How do you feel about change? It’s in the air across Tacoma, the return of things once lost, the reopening of places once closed, the transformation of one restaurant into another, the creation of brand new places to gather. We’ve been hearing about and experiencing this change across the city and wanted to pull some of it together in one place. What follows is a list of 17 new, renewed, and reopened spots plus 3 coming soon. Some showed up in the last month or so, others got started way back in the old days of early 2024. We’re taking a bit of license and using “new” loosely.
Whether it’s a place on this list, or someplace else entirely, see if you can find something new this month. If you do, we’d love to know about it.
We mixed and matched from the bakery counter, breakfast menu, and lunch menu. All delicious.
1. new cafe & Bakery - Three Hearts
Opened October 2024
Hilltop Neighorhood
1116 Martin Luther King Jr Way
We took our two hearts out for an impromptu lunch at Three Hearts and we suggest you do the same. When we read the news that they were extending their soft launch and staying open a few extra days before the Grand Opening we thought, “lucky us!” We tried a flaky, fresh croissant, then shared the savory Dutch baby with pulled pork, fried egg, caramelized onion, and shiitake mushrooms, and a farro salad with butternut squash, greens, blue cheese, and beets. On a second visit I enjoyed a perfect blueberry muffin and a nice, hot Americano. Ferns hang from the ceiling, the bakery counter is full of delights, and terrariums glow from behind the counter. It’s lovely.
Image from Campfire Coffee Co.
2. Renewed Energy at TPU - Campfire Coffee Co.
Opened October 2024
South Tacoma, In the Tacoma Public Utilities Building
3628 S 35th St
Tacoma’s Campfire Coffee Co (est. 2020) is expanding from their downtown cafe, into a 2nd location where they can offer convenient service for folks working at TPU, and for those just dropping in. You might already be pretty familiar with this small, friendly, family-owned business, if not, you should know Campfire isn’t just a cozy name. They really love to camp and they really roast their coffee beans old-school over a fire. A friend of mine worked for TPU and I remember visiting her for lunch in the TPU cafeteria around 2008, or so. Maybe it’s time to get back over there!
Choose a mug from Downing Pottery, a tiny wooden salt spoon, beans from a local roaster, and get your knives sharpened all in one place.
3. New Kitchen Goods - Tacoma Knife Sharpening & mercantile
Opened October 2024
Downtown
502 S 11th St
This stretch of S. 11th is shaping up to be a destination. Tacoma Knife Sharpening & Mercantile occupies the corner of a building that holds McCoy Kids (coming later in the list!) and Lauda (one of my all-time favorite Tacoma shops). Restaurants are filling in some blanks in the neighborhood, and it’s easy to reach a variety of coffee shops too. But let’s be where we are for a moment. An array of carefully selected kitchen goods from cloth napkins to mixing bowls, cutting boards, and even a pantry shelf with beautifully packaged tinned fish accompany the main events. Those main events are expert knife sharpening services alongside ceramic ware by Downing Pottery—this shop is owned by a chef and a potter, after all. The distinctive mugs, bowls, utensil holders, and other ceramic pieces by Downing Pottery pop up all over the room in a pleasant treasure-hunt sort of way. So come to shop, or bring your knives in for renewal—they promise it’s okay if they’re not fancy. They’ll work with other tools like hedge trimmers, razors, or food processor blades as well. You can also shop from a selection of new or restored knives if you’re looking to round out your collection. There’s no other place quite like this in Tacoma!
Image from Holy Moly Bar
4. Turnover into new Vibes - Holy Moly Bar
Opened October 2024
6th Ave District
3013 6th Ave
This spot across the street from The Boom Boom Room and Mary Mart keeps cycling—but we’re hoping this new spot will stick. Holy Moly Bar is doing its own thing, which seems like a good thing. Look for a healthy-leaning menu with Mediterranean and Spanish influences serving items like a veggie tostada, vegan and vegetarian charcuterie boards (get meat if you want), a grain bowl, and guacamole. Craft cocktails, a 70s style interior, and a shelf of board games invite you to stay awhile. Speaking of games, they plan to play Seahawks games, baseball playoffs, and soccer if they can get it. Happy Hour: $8 cocktails, $5 beer.
Image from The Huckleberry Club
5. new Bar, Same Good Team - the Huckleberry club
Opened September 2024
Hilltop Neighborhood
1014 Martin Luther King Jr Way
Maybe you love the Top of Tacoma or you really miss Marrow on 6th. The Huckleberry Club is neither of those, but it’s brought to you by the team that opened them. Curious? Drop in for a bar experience with pinball machines, food specials (could be chicken and andouille gumbo—here today, gone tomorrow), and plenty of non-alcoholic beverages too. Open late.
Image from Atelier Tacoma
6. new Event + Photo venue - Atelier
Opened September 2024
Downtown
711 St Helens Ave, Ste 102
A “micro venue” open for your imagination. Reserve the 900 sq ft space (split in half with a front of house party space and back of house prep space) for a floral workshop, a pop-up sale of your handmade goods, for a reception, elopement, shower, or photo session. Add their French farm tables, flatware, dishes, and glassware to make your party especially pretty.
Lucky us! The stars aligned and we got a seat at the bar on a weekend. Sometimes things just work out.
7. Fresh French date night destination - Corbeau
Opened September 2024
Proctor District
3819 N 26th St
Okay, change is hard. Nobody around town wanted to say goodbye to The Table. Thank goodness two of the people who made The Table what it was partnered up to create and open Corbeau! Yay! Corbeau opens in a spot right in the heart of Proctor that all the locals have known for almost 25 years as Pomodoro. Again, change is hard. Lasting that long as a restaurant is kind of miraculous, so cheers to them. And welcome to this new spot that we experienced as both delicious and special. We showed up last minute on a Saturday evening with no reservations, but fate smiled upon us. The person on the waitlist for a seat at the bar was a no-show, so we stepped right up and got cozy (don’t count on this, the place was packed). From what we tasted, you can’t go wrong. We shared cocktails, a bowl of French onion soup with serious depth of flavor and warming winter spices, scallops with a parsnip puree, and a completely perfect burger with fries. Make a reservation, or try your luck, and join one of their Wine Clubs if you want.
Image from Burger Seoul
8. Back to Business - Burger Seoul
Opened Brand New Brick & Mortar August 2024
North Slope
1701 Division Ave
If you’re a fan of Burger Seoul, you already know the whole story. You know about the Burger Seoul food truck outside the convenience store on S. 19th. You know it was shut down on some technicalities earlier in 2024. You know Tacoma rooted and fundraised for owner Young La and basically just really missed all those Korean inspired burger and fries creations! If you don’t know, then here’s the good news: Burger Seoul reopened at their first brick and mortar spot on Division and now everything’s going to be okay.
High ceilings, big front windows, and plenty of spots to sit.
9. Tried & True roastery with a new view - Bluebeard STW
Opened July 2024
South Tacoma Way District
5428 South Tacoma Way
Tacoma’s been loving Bluebeard since 2011. And now we can love it times two. The original cafe and roastery location on the corner of 6th and State is going nowhere. But the seating there is expanded as all the roasting work moved to Bluebeard STW—a spacious coffee shop with tall east-facing front windows overlooking South Tacoma Way and a big back-of-house where the roasting magic happens. I enjoyed a delicious latte on a quiet Tuesday morning opposite a friend with her own drink and the thickest slice of spiced nut bread I’ve ever seen. Bluebeard STW brings hospitable baristas, plenty of tables, and countertop bar seats where you can watch whatever the sidewalk has to offer.
Showed up a bit early for our reservation, so they hosted us at the bar for a few minutes.
10. Bringing back the bayou - Chez Lafayette
Opened July 2024
Downtown
1101 Tacoma Ave S
If you’ve been around Tacoma a good while you may still be pining for From the Bayou, that comfiest most characterful restaurant a block from PLU in Parkland. My sister was a server there as a student and we celebrated birthdays with crawfish étoufée in the restaurant that felt more like a home than a business. It’s been a long time now, so we’ve been very pleased to see the owners of Bourbon Street in Puyallup bring their new restaurant Chez Lafayette to Tacoma. The’ve taken a seemingly ordinary downtown corner and transformed it into a whole little world. It really feels like you’ve gone somewhere when you step inside. We’ve just had one visit to this spot—part of Michael’s birthday weekend celebrations—but we plan to be back. The menu features gumbo, fried chicken, seafood jambalaya, oysters, catfish, and more. The pace is hospitably unhurried, candles light the dining room, and, oh, the walls are pink.
Reservations encouraged call 253-408-7037.
Come for a visit before the leaves fall. They’re beautiful outside the huge windows these days.
11. New black Brews - Outer Dark Coffee Co.
Opened July 2024
Downtown
750 Market St
Not just a new coffee shop downtown, but a new roaster—so bring your coffee curious tastebuds and see what they’re doing. Outer Dark is another new business that opened in July (it was a big month in Tacoma and so easy to lose track!). And they happen to be neighbors to Cider & Cedar. Pull a bright yellow bar stool up to the countertop any day but Sunday for classic espresso or creative seasonal specials like Dark Star with its star anise topper, or Pecan Pie Dreamz served in orange ceramic cups and saucers—dark name, bright accents. If you’re hungry, order a Memoranda Kitchen sandwich or breakfast sandwich and they’ll toast it up for you; warm is just better.
Image from Sig Brewing Co.
12. Double Vision Brews - Sig South Taproom
Opened July 2024
South Tacoma Way District
5419 South Tacoma Way
Meet Howdy Bagel’s new neighbor. With standbys like The Mule, The Church Cantina, and Howdy already in place, these new spots are filling in the blanks and making the historic business district even more inviting. The new STW taproom is beverages only, but you’re welcome to bring your own food, or start with a beer, then go next door for a a smash burger at Radnor’s (this tip is a bit of a spoiler—scroll down for the details ).
Sig’s original Tacoma location in the brewing district downtown opened back in 2020 and since then we’ve met friends on the patio, and stopped in just the two of us for their pizza and beer. (Toppings include butternut squash puree, braised pork shoulder, crispy fried shallots, chili honey, and lemon. But you could also get a plate of deviled eggs, some gnocchi, or a piece of seasonal cake.) Might as well visit both locations if you haven’t been yet.
Image from Woven
13. new on The Waterfront - Woven Seafood & Chophouse
Opened July 2024
Ruston Way Waterfront
3017 Ruston Way
Chances are very good you know all about this place already. How do you miss a place right on the Ruston Way Waterfront with views over Commencement Bay opening in the heart of summer? Still, we’ll share a little bit and leave you to discover the rest. Where Shenanigans once stood, the Puyallup Tribe brings a one-of-a-kind restaurant where “Pacific Islands Meet the Pacific Northwest.” Woven seeks to “bring the flavors of the Pacific and the culture of the Puyallup Tribe to your plate.” We’re using some of their language because they’ve clearly put time and thought into telling their story. What might you eat there? Chef Founder Roy Yamaguchi and Executive Chef Dexter Mina work with flavors from Hawaii, Asia, and the PNW to offer dishes from sushi to lumpia, from cedar plank salmon to lamb ragu, from paella to a short rib loco moco (if you know you know). Feeling curious? Try brunch, lunch, happy hour, dinner, or dessert. You’re sure to have a good view.
I saw so many books I’ve read and loved over the past couple of years, and then I chose one I’d never heard of and in turn grew to love: Salt Houses by Hala Alyan. Chances are I’d never have taken this journey without dropping in to the bookstore!
14. A new Chapter in Tacoma’s Bookshop Scene - Grit City Books
Opened May 2024
6th Ave District
3116 6th Ave
Over the last few years several Tacoma bookshops closed—Revolving Books in Lincoln, Park Ave Books in Fern Hill, the UW Tacoma Bookstore downtown, Culpepper Books in Proctor—so new ones are very, very welcome. Grit City Books on 6th Ave has a few qualities and features I really appreciate in a book shop; it’s a locally-owned, independent bookshop, it’s a comfortable size, there’s a spot to sit and relax, there’s a “staff picks” section, and descriptive tags share a bit about books here and there along the shelves. And you can order books online. And they create a seasonal window display. And they host author readings! And they’re prepared to spice up your life with a little surprise, should you need it—just visit their Blind Date With a Book shelf. These particular books are wrapped in brown paper and tied with string secured by a wax seal (these are a few of my favorite things). The blind dates are marked with their genre, and offer a few clues or guidelines to help you know if you might be compatible. I’ve shopped from their fiction shelf, and I’ve ordered a coupe of books online for in-store pick-up, but I just know that blind date shelf is calling me next at this “small, LGBTQ+ owned bookstore with a big heart.”
Image from Radnor’s Tacoma
15. New Late Night Grub - Radnor’s Burgers & Beignets
Opened May 2024
South Tacoma Way
5415 South Tacoma Way
Radnor’s opened by Chef Lewis Mageo is the “Home of the South South Smash Burger” and they’ll happily serve you a burger, fries, dog, and doughnuts until 1 am on Friday and Saturday, but don’t despair if the late night life is not for you these days. Show up at 11 am and you’re good to go. Patties are smashed on the grill with a steel patty press to char the edges and keep it tender, American cheese melts in its own special way, and you choose between Rad sauce and STW sauce.
Follow Midsommar Bakery on Instagram to see when and where to find these delightful Swedish-inspired buns and keep up with specials.
16. new Baked Goods more than welcome - midsommar Bakery
Opened March 2024
Proctor District
Proctor Farmers Market - N 27th & N Proctor
It’s not our first time sharing about Midsommar Bakery, but there’s no way we’d leave them out of this list. We like fresh baked goods and we like supporting businesses so local they just show up at the farmers market, so small you can count on your fingers the number of folks involved.
Pastries are an especially beloved food category in my life, and ones like this—braids of pastry sprinkled with spices and studded with seasonal fruit, not too sweet, with simple flavors, and homemade dough that stays tender even as it get that golden-brown glow—are especially welcome in Tacoma, a city that really could benefit from a richer bakery scene. We’ll leave you with this image of Midsommar Bakery’s Swedish style baked goods including the cinnamon bun, cardamom bun, orange almond bun—all staples—and vanilla-strawberry bun. The strawberry bun was a summer special. These days you might find pumpkin and apple buns instead!
These tiny, beautiful, whimsical little figures alone are worth the visit.
17. New Toy Shop - McCoy Kids
Opened January 2024
Downtown
504 S 11th St, Unit A
McCoy Kids—with values of sustainability, supporting small makers, and choosing unique items—is a little shop with a strong presence. They opened officially at the start of this year, though you may have squeaked in a couple of shopping days last December as they were just getting set up. When my friend and I visited recently we both immediately reached for items that resonated with us. I headed for the books and chose a beautiful board book I’ve never seen before to send to a new baby. My friend chose an expressively illustrated set of feelings flashcards to use with her son. One corner is filled with wooden figures—animals, little people, mushrooms, eggs, and various creatures—handmade in Germany and Spain. Various objects like books, prints and pins from Phoebe Wahl, one of my favorite WA artists, dot the shop. McCoy offers in person and online shopping, curated gift boxes, free gift wrap, and free shipping and free local delivery within Tacoma. Shop here for little ones and growing ones and don’t be surprised if you find something you’d like for yourself. Then head next door for stationary, pens, select home goods, and gifts at Lauda. Don’t forget Tacoma Knife Sharpening & Mercantile and Chez Lafayette now round out this growing S. 11th St. neighborhood too.
Coming Soon to Tacoma!
Image from Stink - Cheese & Meat
18. Renewed Energy, new Digs - Stink & El Tofu Wine Bar
Re-opening November 2024
Downtown
909 A St, Ste 110
Remember Stink on St. Helens by Cocobolo and across the street from The Mix? Over a year after leaving that original location (now occupied by a tasting room for Structure Cellars Winery), Stink is re-opening downtown in a spot with floor-to-ceiling windows and a view to the 11th Street Bridge as described in recent Tacoma News Tribune article. Expect sandwiches, wine, cheese, bottled beer, cocktails, and availability for private events.
Image from Fondi Pizzeria
19. Trading One Slice for Another - Fondi Pizzeria
Opening Winter 2025
Proctor District
2515 N Proctor
Once Europa Bistro, more recently Millhouse & The Blind Pig, this spot on the main drag in Proctor will soon by the 2nd location of Fondi Pizzeria whose original home is across the bridge in Gig Harbor. Fondi is a locally-owned restaurant featuring Neapolitan style pizza with a sourdough crust (from their starter named Sophia), housemade mozzarella, a significant salad selection, and a gluten-free crust option. They aim to keep food both delicious and affordable with a kids menu, lunch combos, and both military and first responder discounts. We hope they’ll find a good second home in Proctor.
Image from Jan Parker Cookery
20. From Markets to Cooking Shows A tacoma Favorite Finally gets Her space to Reign - Reyna Filipina Kitchen Tacoma
Opening 2025
Hilltop Neighborhood
1122 S 11th St
You know her as Jan Parker Cookery, but we may as well call her the queen of Filipino cooking in Tacoma, which makes Reyna the perfect name for Chef Jan Parker’s soon-to-be restaurant. If you’ve been following Chef Parker and her food around the city from farmers markets to catering events, street fairs and fundraisers since 2018, you already know the news, and you’re probably feeling a combination of excitement, relief, and eager anticipation knowing that soon you won’t have to wait for the next event; soon you can just walk in the door, find a table, and relax with your favorite dishes. Even if you don’t have funds to share, it’s worth a visit to the Kickstarter Campaign just to read the story of Chef Jan. As told in the Tacoma News Tribune feature, Reyna Filipina Kitchen aims to be a community hub with counter service lunch, brunch, and sit-down dinner. She won’t be limited by what she can cook under a canopy outdoors (though I doubt “limited” would be the word coming to mind for any of us eating her food), but does plan to continue serving some of Tacoma’s favorites. As uncertain as the future is, at least we know we can look forward to this in 2025.
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