Just up the road from Point Defiance Park, this little drive-in specializes in fast food made from bison meat. (Tatanka means “bison” in Lakota.) Despite the name, Tatanka Take-Out has dine-in options as well (the decor is classic 1950s and bison-themed). The unmissable classic here is the bison melt, piled with Swiss and caramelized onions on dill rye; the bean and bison burrito with garlicky hot sauce is a solid second place. There are plenty of veggie options on this menu, like a tofu-crimini burrito, and owner Nathan Thomas also sells bison jerky, ground bison, and even take-and-bake bison lasagnas. 

Vathunyu “Yu” Nanakornphanom and Buoy Ngov cover Southeast Asian street food at their Stadium neighborhood destination. Satay, yakitori, Thai sausage, and shrimp-and-chive dumplings are local favorites; and the noodle dishes, rice bowls, and soups travel well. The owners also run Moshi Moshi, the solid ramen restaurant next door.

The Stadium neighborhood’s newest Sunday brunch destination serves buttery biscuits built for slathering with butter and jam on every flaky layer, like a biscuit Hasselback (or topped with a wonderful vegetarian Impossible gravy). The dinner menu focuses on bistro and pub fare, including plant-based proteins, and a drinks menu that lists 25 gin cocktails.

Downtown Tac’s Opera Alley has a rep for funky, artsy shops and restaurants, and theRusty Goat fits in seamlessly. Open since February 2022, this Black-owned bar/cafe has a super-chill third-place vibe, espresso by local roasters, and one of Tacoma’s most diverse tap lists. Another fun bonus is its menu of okazu pan, warm Japanese buns filled with savory meat and veggies, made by Seattle’s Umami Kushi.

It’s the Hawaiian restaurant of your dreams. Inside a former Taco Time on Sixth Avenue, this family restaurant-slash-tiki bar feels like it was preserved in amber in about 1961. (It actually opened in 2014.) The campy rattan hut-booths, all decorated with carved masks and potted palms, are fun for dinner, but the real party is in the secret bar in the back, where cocktails come loaded with tropical fruit, orchids, and tons of rum. Don’t miss the short rib combo, the various mocos and musubis — including a Spam katsu musubi — or anything that comes with mac salad (like the bacon cheeseburger, heh). Top it all off with a Dole whip because you gotta.

Barkeep-owner Chris Keil blurs the lines between kitchen and bar with his expertly composed cocktails, including saffron-cardamom whiskey old fashioneds and margaritas goosed with pear brandy. The food menu features excellent burgers for vegans or omnivores, handmade pastas, an ever-changing menu of house pickles, and the best pimento cheese in Tacoma.

Bob and Elizabeth Littles founded Bob’s downtown in 1948. Their daughter Carolyn Littles moved the restaurant to the Hilltop 30 years ago and now runs it with her sons, who still cook with granddad’s Texas pit recipes. Sloppy sandwiches, tender ribs, supple pulled pork, hot wings, and chopped beef are served with a choice of three sauces carrying varying levels of heat. Diners should save room for Tacoma’s best peach cobbler.

You’d never expect to find this idyllic garden shop and cafe stashed among the warehouses between downtown Tac and the Dome District. Texas-born Blake Mara and her biz partner, Tacoma native Brian Cheeseman, have been serving coffee and tea out of this century-old former construction office since last summer, and they’ve got all the plant milks (in addition to regular). They also sell all manner of houseplants and host a regular stream of community events, open mics, game nights, and lots more. Stop in for a saffron iced tea, a pastry, and a spin on the baby grand piano.

This Thai restaurant in the Oakland neighborhood has Laotian and Cambodian influences as well. The Isaan grilled sour pork is best paired with khai jiao, the sticky rice omelet. There are also excellent curries, phad Thai, larb, and more at affordable prices.

At this Oakland deli, owner Mario Charles boasts a robust sandwich list, which includes a fantastic tuna melt with a three-cheese blend and a slider menu for vegetarians. Diners shouldn’t forget about the frozen yogurt, which is topped with fresh fruit. It’s availalble for takeout, but the deli doesn’t always answer the phone, so it’s best to just stop by.

Tacoma’s Lincoln neighborhood is the city’s epicenter for Vietnamese dining, and this long-tenured spot is a great example why, serving steaming hot bowls of pho that travel well, plus abundant bún noodle bowls, stir fry, and more. Phnom Penh noodles topped with a raft of cilantro are a must.

Some of the city’s best tamales can be found at this East Tacoma spot, from the same family that operates El Jalapeno grocery store next door. In addition to the rotating tamale list (which typically includes chicken and pork), there’s also a long list of antojitos, plus barbacoa tacos with consomme, pizza-coas, and quesabirria. Corn tortillas are made fresh on site.

Diners can find Korean desserts built for sharing at this Lakewood cafe with a handsome dining room. Made-to-order taiyaki waffles brim with Nutella, ube soft serve, and more. Fresh fruit toppings, boba and jiggly rainbow jellies perch atop snowflake (bingsu-style) shaved ice. There’s also a wide range of Korean street snacks, such as bulgogi fries, Korean elote dogs, honey toast, and hotteok.

Pillowy clouds of soft tofu give this spicy Korean soondubu soup its signature silken texture. From the list of 14 soondubu, first timers should order the bacon tofu soup and ask for extra yellow croaker banchan if available. There’s limited dine-in service, but the soups are also packaged to travel well for those who prefer takeout.

The Tacoma News Tribune’s dearly departed food critic Sue Kidd hyped this place long before it was cool. Although it’s actually hard to know if the word’s out on Bar Bistro, because it’s way out in rural Midland. That means the restaurant’s tiny parking lot is rarely full, and prices have stayed super reasonable. (Maybe it’s poppin’ by Midland standards!) With a menu full of well-styled comfort food like paella made with local seafood and elk sliders dressed with lingonberries and pimento cheese, as well as innovative craft cocktails — e.g., the Red Cloud with whiskey, green chartreuse, honey, smoke, and a Native American chokecherry compote called wajopi — it’s worth the drive.