9 great Tacoma-area bars to watch Mariners playoff games
When it’s been 21 years, it’s hard to be alone. Looking for a bar in or around Tacoma to catch the game with friends and strangers, all rooting for the same thing?
For the 2022 season, the Seattle Mariners initiated an official membership program aptly called the Mariners Bar League. Participating venues agree to show home and away games on at least 60 percent of their television screens. When 35 bars latched on right away, the team had to stall new additions until next year.
Pierce County has three on the list. Here’s a look at those plus a handful of other great sports bars to watch the Mariners take on the Houston Astros in their first ALDS playoff series since 2000.
This is the best sports bar in Pierce County, readers say
THE LOOSE WHEEL - PUYALLUP & TACOMA
▪ 715 River Road, Puyallup, 253-848-4444, theloosewheel.com
▪ 6108 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-301-1647
With side-by-side screens on just about every wall, The Loose Wheel is an ideal choice for avid fans of any sport. During the AL Wild Card Series, the sound was on in Puyallup and every television showed the game. Chow down on a hearty taco salad, house-breaded and fried gizzards, a half-pound burger or BBQ chicken-bacon pizza. Wash it down with a Manny’s Pale Ale and keep your eyes on the prize. Both locations of The Loose Wheel are Mariners Bar League members.
STADIUM GOLF TACOMA
▪ 649 Division Ave., Tacoma, 253-733-2113, stadiumgolftacoma.com
Outfitted with TrackMan simulators around the perimeter, Tacoma’s new interactive golf destination is, at its core, a sports bar. Screens abound no matter where you sit, and the space proffers a convivial, communal setting for cheering on the hometown team. The bar has been offering food specials during Mariners playoff games, including the cult-followed garlic fries, ballpark dogs and Seattle brats, and discounted drinks. On the other side of the building, Poquitos Tacoma will show the games if you’re looking for a little less sports-bar and more pozole-carnitas. Both bars are part of the Mariners Bar League.
WEST END PUB
3840 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-759-2896, westendtacoma.com
The champion of TNT Diner’s sports bar bracket, which ran last spring, is by definition and by reputation one of the best places to watch a game in Tacoma. See: 30 screens! In addition to the Mariners, here you can also keep up with the action of all the other games, according to a Tuesday post. Order a Tacoma-local Octo IPA from Narrows Brewing and their self-proclaimed “biggest and best-in-town” quesadilla while you cheer. (Side sports-bar note: West End is one of the few bars in town with NFL Sunday Ticket.)
TERRY’S OFFICE TAVERN
▪ 3410 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, 253-752-6262, terrysofficetavern.com
Terry’s feels a bit like your sort-of-cool uncle’s basement, where he built a bar and installed a few kegerators. Relax at this storied neighborhood dive with a basket of chicken and jos, a cold pint and good conversation. There are only a few televisions, so think of Terry’s as a low-pressure place to watch the Mariners (or Seahawks) among friends. It gave its sister establishment, West End Pub, a big run for its money in the TNT sports bar bracket.
Dumplings, crab sandwiches, Hawaiian pork: What to eat and drink at T-Mobile Park
BEACH TAVERN
▪ 8612 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-564-9984, facebook.com
The Beach has a new owner, but this classic Tacoma tavern near Titlow Park retains its neighborhood charm. Find a seat at the bar or the dining room if you can and pretend like you’ve been here before. In addition to sandwiches and its house-famous hand-pressed hamburger, the kitchen’s proximity to the water adds fried clam strips, oysters, shrimp and cod to the menu — piles of ‘em served with fries.
ALE HOUSE PUB
▪ 2122 Mildred St. W, University Place, 253-565-9637, alehouseup.com
Secret of the West End, this go-to neighborhood pub boasts a familiar setup with ample screens for watching the Mariners take on the Astros. Game-time specials include a pitcher of domestic (macro) beer and a pepperoni pizza for just $20. On Tuesdays, sip on $5 margs and $4 Coronas with three crunchy tacos for $10. Go right ahead and get the bacon-wrapped jalapeno poppers for the table.
HANK’S TAVERN
▪ 524 N. K St., Tacoma, 253-627-3480, hankstacoma.com
Hank’s isn’t that big, and it’s incredibly popular, so get here early to snag a seat in the dining room — or do it up on the covered patio, equipped with several large screens. We’ve been told you can hear the cheers emanating from this bar down K Street and into Commencement Bay. Have a pizza, have some wings, have some beer and cheer.
2121 PUB
▪ 2121 112th St. E, Tacoma, 253-536-2100, 2121pub.com
It’s impossible to feel alone at 2121 Pub in Midland, where chicken and jos fly out of the pressure cooker every second, it seems. The decades-old pull-tab favorite bills itself as a serious football bar, but you can join the Mariners fun here, too. Snuggle into a table or a bar stool because you’re bound to make a new friend today.
THE BEER VAULT - GIG HARBOR
▪ 14004 Purdy Dr. NW, Gig Harbor, 253-514-8426, thebeervault.net
One of the newest additions to the area, The Beer Vault opened almost a year ago on the Gig Harbor side of the Purdy Spit. The Haase family has quickly nurtured it into a Key Peninsula favorite, with a dozen taps (including wine and seltzer), weekly events and plenty of televisions — some you can even see from the right seat on one of two outdoor seating areas. They had good crowds for the Mariners wild-card games.
