Restaurants in Tacoma

Crowned the Weekly Volcano 2010 Tournament of the Tacos champion, the award-winning Moctezuma’s tantalizes taste buds with an extensive menu of bodacious burritos, crisp tacos, and sizzling fajitas. The talented chefs unfurl favorites, such as the pescado al ajo, seasoned mahi-mahi pan-fried in garlic butter ($13.99). The Mexico City tacos, which include the fire-swallowing carne asada ($13.49), star a trio of shrink-zapped corn tacos served on a taco holder and hand fed by the waitstaff. Diners can nosh on meat-free fare in the form of spinach-portobello enchiladas ($11.99), or interview a variety of comestibles to dwell on the same plate, including chile rellenos, enchiladas, tamales, and tostadas ($10.99 for two, $11.99 for three). The tequila flaming fajitas, an agglomeration of sirloin steak, marinated chicken, and tiger shrimp ($16.99), is flamed tableside with gold tequila and an eternal flame. Customers 21 and up will also receive a complimentary margarita shooter.

Situated right in Tacoma’s downtown university-and-museum district, Harmon Brewery and Eatery buzzes with out-of-towners and locals alike, all in search of hearty food and frothy microbrews. With a 15-barrel brewery on site, Harmon maintains a steady flow of signature ales, including seasonal varieties, such as a black IPA brewed from five malted barleys and the One Hop Wonder IPA laced with melted Right Said Fred tapes. To complement the pints and the warm, cozy atmosphere—modeled after a ski lodge—the kitchen churns out belly-warming food, such as burgers topped with blue cheese and bacon, homemade stone-baked pizzas, and panko-crusted fish and chips.

The culinary team at The Office Bar & Grill pairs a stock of well drinks and tap and bottled beers with gourmet American-style pub food. Their eclectic menu includes spinach and artichoke dip with homemade pita chips, a chicken breast and pineapple burger drizzled with homemade teriyaki sauce, and fried-cheesecake bites topped with sweet raspberry sauce. While a jukebox spins customers’ favorite tunes, six high-definition flat-screen televisions keep patrons abreast of the latest sports scores. The Office Bar & Grill also entices clientele with a spacious outdoor courtyard and an arcade with sports-themed games such as Golden Tee, Silver Strike Bowling, and Extreme Referee Coin Toss!.

At Peking Wok, supple meats and veggies sink into Mandarin- and Szechuan-style sauces crafted from scratch each day. Diners populate the dining room for lunch, dinner, or a family-style grazing session, complete with soups and appetizers such as pot stickers, egg rolls, and fried shrimp and lobster chips. Portions of aromatic barbecue pork, sweet and sour chicken, and honey-walnut shrimp arrive at tables weighed down by full wine glasses and manner-less elbows, or tucked inside to-go boxes for carry-out or delivery.

Not much has changed since Lovie Yancey opened the first Fatburger in 1952. Since then, the chain has expanded, but the food has stayed the same: 100% USDA lean beef burgers grilled to order and hand-scooped ice-cream shakes. Each restaurant stays true to Yancey's vision, even down to retro-influenced digs with jukeboxes blasting old school favorites designed to make listeners flash enthusiastic thumbs-up signs. Inside the kitchen, cooks stack burgers from 2.5-ounce burgers to 24-ounce triple burgers on toasted regular or gluten-free buns as fresh onions crisp inside fryers filled with cholesterol-free oil. Diners can also enjoy Fatburger’s signature chili made with a secret blend of herbs and spices or milkshakes topped with dollops of whipped cream that resemble fluffy, white clouds shaped like marshmallows.

Padded black booths surround grills beneath gleaming hoods, which reflect the glow of sunset-orange walls as they sweep away rising warm air and spice-steeped aromas. On Palace Korean Bar & Grill's tabletop skillets, chefs sizzle pearlescent curlicues of kimchi and cuts of seafood as well as bulgogi, spicy slices of brisket also known as Korean barbecue. During the all-you-can-eat special, silverware jangles endlessly like a knight looking for his car keys as diners tuck into bottomless helpings of marinated beef short ribs, tender marble brisket, spicy pork belly, and jumbo shrimp.