Beyond Taco Tuesday: 11 ways to save & splurge at Tacoma restaurants
Experience has taught me to avoid visiting buzzy restaurants without a reservation on Friday and Saturday nights. A more fortuitous time to visit is early in the week — for both a seat and a sale.
On Monday, restaurants that are open benefit from the industry crowd: fellow bartenders, servers, cooks and dishwashers who have the day off. On Thursday, the weekend crowd picks up again, but Tuesday and Wednesday are often reported as the lowest revenue generators. At a number of restaurants around Tacoma, that slowdown translates to some unexpected deals on food and drink.
Think beyond $1 tacos and more like discounts on bottles of wine from a top-notch list, a pair of pizzas for a little more than the price of one, and all-day happy hours.
These weekday restaurant deals aren’t time-pegged like your average afternoon happy hour. Find our picks below for where to visit — and save — Monday-Wednesday in Tacoma, Lakewood and Gig Harbor.
MONDAY
Poquitos Tacoma
▪ 649 Division Ave., Tacoma, 253-900-2405, poquitostacoma.com
▪ Best for: finding your favorite mezcal
Anyone interested in this artisanal Mexican agave spirit should beeline to Poquitos on Monday for half-off every available pour. At retail, coveted bottles cost upwards of $80 to nearly $300, so paying $15 for a standard $30 pour is a fine way to justify your subsequent trip to McCallum & Sons. On Tuesdays, snag the same half-off deal for the bar’s wide selection of tequilas. Nibble on spicy fried cauliflower or Baja-style fish tacos while you’re at it.
Bar Bistro
▪ 1718 99th St. E., Tacoma, 253-537-3655, barbistrotacoma.com
▪ Best for: steak meal for under $20
On a quiet corner in Midland, Bar Bistro offers a lounge-like atmosphere with cocktails, crab cakes and on Mondays, an 8-ounce flat-iron steak coupled with mashed potatoes, bacon-laced green beans and caramelized onions. Bonus: available Michter’s whiskies are also 10 percent off.
TUESDAY
en Rama
▪ Courthouse Square, 1102 A St., Tacoma, 253-223-7184, enramatacoma.com
▪ Best for: wine and homemade pasta
In the top-tier of Tacoma’s restaurants, en Rama always delivers — in the form of homemade pasta, braised chickpeas that will knock your pulses off, and specials like the current southern catfish. On Tuesdays, though, you hit the jackpot with half-off any wine bottle from a short but alluring list (~$40-$80 discounted to $20-$40).
Millville Pizza Co.
▪ 3409 Harborview Dr., Gig Harbor, 253-514-8626, millvillepizzaco.com
▪ Best for: wine and wood-fired pizza
Gig Harbor’s coziest pizza place makes a great meal most days, but on Tuesdays indulge in the great 2-for-$25 pie deal. It’s not quite BOGO-level savings (standard price would reach about $30 for two 8-inch pies), but married with half-off bottles of wine? Now that’s a reason to support your local pizzeria on Tuesday.
Moshi Ramen Bar
▪ 110 N. Tacoma Ave., Tacoma, 253-301-4688, moshiramenbar.com
▪ Best for: ramen for less
Bowls of Moshi’s classic tonkotsu ramen, a slick pork broth with straight noodles, are just $10 on Tuesdays. Sharing? Add an order of gyoza and two cocktails for a $50 meal for two. Visit during happy hour 4-6 p.m. for 25 percent off most cocktails, beer, wine and sake, too.
The Red Hot
▪ 2914 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253-779-0229, redhottacoma.com
▪ Best for: Italian beefs and $2 lager
Every Tuesday, The Red Hot goes all-in on “The Bear” with its version of Chicago-style Italian beef, on a Macrina Bakery roll dipped in jus and topped with giardiniera ($12). No Schlitz here, but you can claim a $2 mug of Mount Tahoma Blue Collar lager. At that price, you should probably have another.
Puget Sound Pizza
▪ 317 S. 7th St., Tacoma, 253-383-4777, pugetsoundpizza.com
▪ 124 146th St. S., Tacoma, 253-507-7175
▪ Best for: app and drink deals all day
Get down with a half-dozen food specials every Tuesday at both Puget Sound Pizza locations. That means cheese balls for just $5, cheesy garlic bread for $10, and cheesy pizza (plus two toppings) or a calzone for $11 (standard price starts at $14). If your day allows, domestic beer is just $3 and single well pours $5.
Los Cuervos
▪ 11109 Pacific Highway SW, Lakewood, 253-301-0919
▪ Best for: tacos on homemade tortillas
Right, we said no tacos, but this Taco Tuesday skips the line thanks to splendid homemade tortillas. Select meats only, but you won’t find better tacos for under $2 on this particular day of the week unless you choose this humble outpost in a Lakewood plaza.
WEDNESDAY
Go Philly Cheesesteaks & Wings
▪ 7421 Custer Road W., Lakewood, 253-449-3100, gophillycheesesteaks.com
▪ Coming Soon: 1524 Tacoma Ave. S, Tacoma
▪ Best for: bargain jumbo wings
With your choice of 10 sauces, Go Philly’s jumbo wings are a win any day of the week ($7.50 for six). When they’re 75-cents a pop, or $4.50 for that half-dozen, you can go wild and get 12! Stay tuned for the highly anticipated return of the Tacoma outpost, hopefully this spring.
ALMA Lounge
▪ 1322 Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, 253-368-6509, almatacoma.com/alma-lounge
Best for: wine deals and indigenous-inspired food
Bottles of wine are always half-off on Wednesday at the Lounge — all the more reason to tear into the braised wild boar oozing with white cheddar and bitter greens and the duck mousse toast with pickled Fresnos. Or relax with a charcuterie board and housemade mushroom crackers with caramelized onion dip. Seeing a show? Ticket holders receive 20 percent off regular-priced food items.
The Blind Pig at Millhouse
▪ 2515 N. Proctor St., Tacoma, millhouseproctor.com/blindpig
▪ Best for: pizza, wine and cocktails
For $35, share a bottle of select wines (from a thoughtful list) and any on-menu pizza. The best part? The deal is valid if you choose to stay or take it all home. On Thursdays, return for all-day happy hour, where the bar’s classic-leaning cocktails are all $2 off, plus $4 draft beers and $5 glasses of wine. The restaurant recently installed a wood-fired oven akin to their first restaurant, Millville Pizza Co. in Gig Harbor.
