Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives - in Tacoma (18. November 2008, 11:56 by Derek Young) ~ Opinions Needed
As you might have heard already, the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives is coming to Tacoma. We just spoke with the producers and they’re looking for more input from the Exit133 audience. So, we have some questions for you …
Where in Tacoma can you find great places to eat for cheap? They’re looking for that gem – the diamond in the rough. It should be independently owned and family/individual run. It should be cheap and unfancy. Ethnic food is fine. Bars are okay if the food is great. Most of all, the food should be awesome.
What’s on your list?
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DDD is a treat of a show!
My thoughts:
Old Milwaukee Cafe
Rosewood Cafe
Frugals Burgers
Frisko Freeze
Pao’s Donuts
Seafarers Bar and Grill (HUGE burger, neat owner)
Friesenburgers
And that’s just a start …
1 | Posted by NEAL | Nov 18, 12:13 PM
The mexican gut-truck (I gotta learn their name) at the intersection of 38th & G.
Unfortunately I think Tacoma’s restaurants (while good), usually don’t fall into the awesome category. There are a few, but most are good/ok. It will be fun to watch the list on this thread grow so I can try the awesome places.
2 | Posted by I'm for Change (for tacoma) | Nov 18, 12:21 PM
It’s the best dive in town and my family dines there often: Vuelve a la Vida on 54th and Pacific Avenue. No chips and salsa. Fresh, hand-made corn tortillas, the best pork carnitas and steak ranchero in town, blaring ranchero music, Mexican family owned. It’s the best Mexican food and classic strip mall dive dining.
5 | Posted by Brynn | Nov 18, 12:33 PM
The Red Hot is so Tacoma. It’s the only place I can get my Frito Pie fix at this time, too. Beer + Full Belly = >$10
Paddy Coynes is fun, especially with their $3.99 Monday Night Football steak special. The bartender, Mike?, is sure to keep you laughing with his gruff attitude and cute Irish accent.
The Indian food restaurant on the corner of Pacific & 9th’s lunch buffet is sinfully good and authentic
The Spar has the BEST potato chips, beer, and pool combo
Silk Thai has the best house salad in the world. It’s got Mangos and Pineapple in it for god’s sake.
Breakfast is my FAVORITE meal of the day. The HobNob has a awesome selection and a good view of Wright Park. The Poppyseed Cafe has the best Lemon Poppyseed Waffle in existence.
What else? Oh, you want some authentic Mexican Food? The taqueria on the corner of 38th & Pine even has Barbacoa and Lingua. When my Poppa comes into town to meet me for lunch, that is where we go everytime. His round little face lights up, and he has to metion everytime we go, “they even have lingua!” Lingua is for him, I stick to the typical cuts of pork, beef, and chicken.
8 | Posted by dawntown | Nov 18, 12:51 PM
La Fondita! Proctor District. Awesome, family Mexican and for a decent price!
9 | Posted by SubBro | Nov 18, 01:01 PM
FOR SURE: Old Milwaukee Cafe – it is run but a husband and wife team. The food is great, tasty, and the place is so small and cozy it just screams cute.
Now in the “Why do people think their food is good” category: Hob Nob. Great bar, but everytime I have ate there is has been worse then bad.
11 | Posted by MonkeyBob | Nov 18, 01:12 PM
Carr’s (HUGE, cheap breakfast)
Le-Le’s
Vuelve a la Vida
Southern Kitchen
Little Holland (if it’s still there)
13 | Posted by Lnubav | Nov 18, 02:01 PM
Vien Dong
3801 Yakima Ave
Tacoma, WA 98418
(253) 472-6668
Fresh, delicious, inexpensive, friendly service and always busy.
15 | Posted by johnc | Nov 18, 02:18 PM
Southern Kitchen
Gateway to India
Guadalajara
Corina Cakes
Frisko Freeze
It’s Greek to Me
India Mahal
16 | Posted by Thorax O'Tool | Nov 18, 02:19 PM
#1 – FISH HOUSE CAFE
Runner’s up:
Bob’s BBQ
Philly Joe’s
Carr’s
DelBrocco’s
Frugal’s
If Fish House doesn’t make it I’m moving to Somalia.
19 | Posted by altered chords | Nov 18, 02:27 PM
+1 to Vien Dong
+1 to Southern Kitchen
+1 to Vuelve La Vida
+1 to Manila Center Diner
+5 to Infinite Soups
23 | Posted by P | Nov 18, 03:07 PM
Add Knapp’s, on Proctor. Very old school and family friendly. Southern Kitchen is a definite go. If you’re willing to go outside Tacoma city limits, put The Flotation Device, in Purdy, on the list.
24 | Posted by Mick | Nov 18, 03:14 PM
Great ideas! And “what P said”.
Marcia’s Silver Spoon is still the best breakfast anywhere.
I really like both The Hub and The Harmon as “Tacoma places” although the food is not always transcendent. Same thing with Engine House #9.
It’s hard to beat the atmosphere or the pizza at Katie Downs.
I haven’t been there, but Uncle Thurm’s (recently profiled in TNT) seems like a DDD kind of place.
How about…
Spud’s
The Swiss
Top of Tacoma
The Rock
25 | Posted by tomtuttle | Nov 18, 03:22 PM
Infinite Soups / Corina Bakery. Hands down, no contest. Awesome.
Both family owned awesome places that would look nice on the TV.
My favorite ritual is to go to Infinite soups and get one or 2 small soups, then walking over to Corina and buy a loaf of Rosemary or Sourdough bread and eat them for lunch and dinner.
Both sets of owners remember me (the lady at Corina even knows my name!?) and make me feel like a regular.
And yes… I have put on a little weight on recently. Loaf of bread a day….
26 | Posted by Marguerite | Nov 18, 03:43 PM
Quickie Too
Infinite Soups
Those are places everyone should go!
27 | Posted by Philip | Nov 18, 03:59 PM
+1 Carr’s from me.
Fresh ingredients, huge portions, low prices, and definitely a diner. Super friendly employees too.
29 | Posted by Trestin | Nov 18, 04:10 PM
What, no votes for Little Holland?
And, I have been in year, but if you talking dives, what about Bob’s Java Jive?
Steven
31 | Posted by Steven | Nov 18, 04:51 PM
Wendy’s II Vietnamese is our favorite family dining! (The one on Tacoma Mall Blvd. I haven’t tried the food at Freighthouse Sq.)
32 | Posted by Kari | Nov 18, 05:24 PM
Little Holland
Frisko Freeze
Milwaukie Cafe
Ezell’s Chicken (Does Oprah really have it flown in? I hear it’s one of her favorite things)
The Tides Tavern
NOT the Red Hot. Are you kidding me?
33 | Posted by Jesse | Nov 18, 05:42 PM
I watch the show alot and I think the places that really fit the vibe are Frisko Freeze (classic drive in), Red Hot (comfort food plus drinks) and Infinite Soups (small business making an awesome speciality)
35 | Posted by Karin | Nov 18, 06:09 PM
Wendy’s Vietnamese at the Freighthouse is the best food in Tacoma.
Pao’s Doughnuts on 6th ave is a complete dive. Their cinnamon twists are going to make me fat when my metabolism slows down.
37 | Posted by Erik K | Nov 18, 07:13 PM
The Parkway
Pick Quick
Java Jive
Infinite Soups
Old Milwaukee Cafe
Shakabrah
38 | Posted by Annie J | Nov 18, 07:20 PM
Masa on 6th ave has great food (and nice happy hour). My favorites are any of their tacos and their mushroom/caramelized onion quesadilla.
Rosewood Cafe on 26th and Warner is another favorite.
39 | Posted by EW | Nov 18, 09:28 PM
A&W on Pacific Ave … I believe the old drive-through stands are still there, and you can still get root beer by the gallon for takeout. Total blast from the past. Unless they’ve remodeled. (Doubt it.)
40 | Posted by tacomachickadee | Nov 18, 10:04 PM
Weird choices, no wonder these restaurants continue to survive.
41 | Posted by katie | Nov 18, 10:07 PM
The Harvester with their wrecked eggs is one of my favorite little small-town style diners in T-Town. Love that the waitresses that can be straight out of my Shari’s memories or have tattoos and piercings.
Too bad Mr. Munchies is no longer around …
And Tacomamama is always raving about Marica’s Silver Spoon on South Tacoma Way … that’s GOT to qualify for a diner AND a dive …
42 | Posted by tacomachickadee | Nov 18, 10:08 PM
I love the diner on 12th Street, across from the Mandolin.
43 | Posted by Courtneys | Nov 18, 10:19 PM
I know Puyallup isn’t Tacoma, but what about Don’s Soup and Pie??????
The BEST pie around and a Smitty’s burger is always worth the price.
45 | Posted by puyallupmomma | Nov 19, 10:41 AM
One more vote for Wendy’s II at 54th and Tacoma Mall Boulevard. Always good Vietnamese food at good prices, and it is family-friendly. The Bubble tea shakes are addictive. Wendy’s won the TNT Golden Fork in 1994.
46 | Posted by Ken | Nov 19, 12:04 PM
One time when I was in Carr’s a diner was actually upset and complaining to his wife that the side salad he got before his lunch arrived was too big.
He went on and on about how it was much too big. “you never know what you’re going to get”.
My salad was big too but I could handle it. The 1,000 island dressing was spot on. The reuben was the best I’ve had in Washington.
47 | Posted by altered chords | Nov 19, 12:15 PM
Frisco, Marcia’s and Red Hot all fit the profile that show usually goes for. They have to have some sort of charisma or character. I’d vote for Infinite Soups and Gateway too, but I’m not sure they’d make the cut. I.S. doesn’t have any seating and G.T.I., while by far the best in Tacoma, doesn’t necessarily stand out from a lof other Indian places around the country.
48 | Posted by Justin | Nov 19, 01:56 PM
How’s the food at Alfred’s?? I’ve never been there but they have the greatest diner lunch counter I’ve ever seen…. going by on the bus usually.
49 | Posted by Matt | Nov 19, 04:24 PM
I’m wondering what you all would consider a local Tacoma specialty? Some type of food that you could only get in Tacoma, or maybe the Northwest. Does anyone do anything exotic or different with a hot dog or burger here in Tacoma?
51 | Posted by crenshaw sepulveda | Nov 19, 05:20 PM
Babblin” Babs. It’s got what the show likes – fresh food made uniquely. I don’t think Chef Mueller’s ever bought a can of mayo since he’s opened. Not like Knapp’s, not like the Hob Nob who’s historic pot roast is just that, history, since it went corporate along with Knapps.
I’ve never seen Guy eat a boxed patty on his show, which unfortunately leaves out Bob’s Java Jive which is such a dive you have to crawl down into it from your well-seasoned funk of the week. Too bad about that since Bob’s ranks as an all time dive for the ages. Same with Frisko Freeze, great drive-in, but boxed patties.
Bob’s Bar-b-que has easily the best sauce around.
Marcia’s for breakfast (although I’ve never been to Carr’s, where’s that?)
I hope I can get out to the Fish House before the show hits it, what should I get?
And if Guy goes out for drinks, what better that the Tempest and those incredible cookies?
53 | Posted by jdub | Nov 19, 08:53 PM
for delicious dives:
frisko freeze
shakabrah java
red hot
the parkway tavern
chin’s teriyaki
puget sound pizza
la fondita
little holland
for not-so-divey but still delicious and relatively inexpensive eats:
indochine
doyle’s
gateway to india
54 | Posted by justin camarata | Nov 19, 11:27 PM
For the classic drive-in vote, there is really only one choice!!
FRUGAL’s !!! yummmm….
55 | Posted by boomer | Nov 20, 03:27 AM
I really don’t see them picking someplace like Frisko Freeze. The show tends to pick places that make their own burgers and other food. I doubt they would be interested in going someplace that tosses frozen patties on the grill.
Not a knock on FF. I like the food there. I just don’t think it would be high on their list.
60 | Posted by NorthEndJustin | Nov 21, 02:03 AM
The Southern Kitchen for corn cakes and bacon
The Old Milwaukee for huckleberry cakes and sausage
Frisko Freeze for the cheeseburger and onion rings
Can’t wait to come home for the holidays and get some good grub…
61 | Posted by Kimberly Keith | Nov 21, 05:18 AM
I LOVE Old Milwaukee. The folks who run it are super sweet and they make their own scones and remember how each customer likes their eggs cooked.
62 | Posted by Heather Carawan | Nov 21, 01:04 PM
Breakfast: Marcia’s Silver Spoon – crispy. bacon.
Lunch: Vien Dong – the best pho in town.
Dinner: Drum roll please…
Tee’s Cafe at the Ray Gibson’s Caballero’s Club. 1516 South 28th Street (28th and Cushman on Hilltop).
Call 253-572-9681.
Tacoma best kept soul food secret. Open Thursday-Saturday, 4pm-9pm. And there’s a bar/club downstairs.
63 | Posted by DtownDweller | Nov 21, 07:24 PM
Infinite soups….the spicy potato is delicious.
Red Hot- what a funky place and Guy should totally run the gauntlet!
Old Milwaukee is great home cooked food.
Southern Kitchen- you need a nap after that meal.
MSM is the ultimate dive.
Frugals, Frisko Freeze, and the Fish House are all fantastic as well!
64 | Posted by 9th Ave | Nov 23, 04:15 PM
… has anyone said Clover Leaf Pizza? Great dive, great pizza (unlike any I’ve ever had), and a great story behind it all. Truely all Tacoma.
65 | Posted by Jesse | Nov 23, 07:06 PM
Marcia’s Silver Spoon for great food and gritty location
66 | Posted by stefaniadawn | Nov 24, 10:53 AM
Hmmm… I sure do wish we had more places to eat in Tacoma like the ones on DDD….Owned by local people with honest homemade food. Tired of precooked, prepackaged, processed, overpriced crap! There are some goodies out there though… Marcia’s Silverspoon (AKA Breakfastland), Vuelve A La Vida, Old Milwaukee,Southern Kitchen,Vien Dong, The Rock( even better pie since the amazing remodel), Top of Tacoma, Pick Quick, and since reading other peoples suggestions, I might have a few more to try.
67 | Posted by 253lover | Nov 24, 08:30 PM
STEPHANIE’S Gospel and Jazz Rest.
928 Pacific Ave
Tacoma, Washington 98402
253-722-5000
I went there the other night for dinner and it was exceptionally good. The Atomosphere was to die for and the food was out of this world. The band was superb. This is one of tacoma’s unexplored secrets……CHECK THIS PLACE OUT!!!!!
68 | Posted by Micheal | Nov 25, 08:16 AM
Pick Quick Drive-In
4306 Pacific Hwy E
Fife, WA 98424
(253) 922-5599
classic 1940s drive-in with lawn, picnic tables, bikers and families out back; very fine softserve ice cream, best in the county, I daresay; closed from Thanksgiving till March, alas
69 | Posted by Sharon | Nov 25, 12:41 PM
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