This mom-and-pop sushi restaurant has operated in Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue neighborhood for more than 20 years. No flaming rolls or splashy sauces here — just sushi with a simple aesthetic that showcases the freshest fish. And the menu features some of the best agedashi tofu in the city.

Tacoma’s beer guru Ron Swarner and sandwich gods Robby and Justin Peterson have paired up in the Proctor neighborhood with this brew emporium. The beer list is a brew geek’s dream, with broad choices in sours and a tap list that looks like the greatest hits of South Sound breweries. Melty sandwiches, like the ham and pesto grinder, are well crafted, but there are also solid vegan options, like the field roast sandwich and Chao cheese.

這個泰國餐館在奧克蘭附近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.

This tiny tabletop Korean barbecue spot comes with a long dine-in wait. A better option may be to purchase the restaurant’s marinated meats by-the-pound for takeout, grill Cham’s signature smoked pork jowl and tender bulgogi at home, and eat it alongside the restaurant’s prepared banchan, japchae or kimchi fried rice. KBBQ bowls are ready to eat right away and可以preordered online.

老板妮可拉巴斯德對她的家人致敬ily’s roots with Cuban and Latin American bar food, including messy Cuban sandwiches, chimichurri churrasco, mojo pork bowls, and a decadent chicken mole boosted with cherries. There’s also an all-day brunch submenu, that includes an ethereal fried egg biscuit sandwich with chorizo gravy, boozy slush cocktails and margaritas.

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.

Super spiced cuisine is the specialty at this Lakewood restaurant. Diners can assemble a full meal just from the appetizer menu, which includes wontons in chile oil, Chongqing slobbering chicken, tofu, and cold noodles. Other standouts are the braised beef noodle soup, and hand shaved dan dan noodles.

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.

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.

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.

出生,Mexico-raised廚師大衛·奧羅斯科grew up in Guadalajara, where everything’s grilled over mesquite, and that’s the name of the game at his trio of Mexican steakhouses, along with just impeccably high-quality beef. The newest branch, Cuerno Bravo, is perhaps the swankiest of the three — less of a tavern feel than his Asadero locations in Seattle and Kent, and more geared toward a big birthday night. Ordering anything but a steak here is advised against. The 8-ounce Japanese wagyu A5 ribeye is a clever balance among size, quality, and price, and it comes with its own screamingly hot stone upon which diners interactively sizzle the wagyu themselves, morsel by morsel.

Monster tortas on big buttery rolls, in myriad styles and flavor profiles, are served at this unassuming storefront in the Lincoln District–and they even come with housemade potato chips. El Zocalo is also a Mexican-style bakery, with a dazzling assortment of pasteles that includes flaky orejas (elephant ears) and conchas. The scene is casual with a doughnut-shop vibe. On the large and diverse torta menu, thesupremo— that’s delicately breaded steak milanesa, pork thigh, slivered hot dogs, a very thin layer of scrambled egg, mozzarella, veggies, mayo, and tons and tons of avocado — is a standout.

Abe Fox and Jon Green have re-imagined American favorites at Wooden City. Elevated pub fare is made in house, such as lamb bolognese with tagliatelle, salmon gravlax and beet ravioli stuffed with goat cheese — right alongside chicken thigh sandwiches and wood-fired pizzas. House specialty cocktails include Watermelon Sundae, with tequila, serrano-elderflower, and watermelon agave.

Set up in an old Craftsman in the up-and-coming McKinley neighborhood, Dusty’s has big Santa Fe energy: all mission-style furniture, pastel desert colors, a fascinating collection of vintage knickknacks, plus a tiny bar in the back (with boozy slushies!). Outside, there’s picnic tables and a big yard for alfresco dining and kids to run around in. The menu is Southwest-tinged brunch, burgers, and sandwiches with a handful of creative items, both food and cocktails. Their hot honey fried chicken sandwich is a serious contender for best fried chicken in the whole Puget Sound area, and the snacky chickaronnes–deep-fried chicken skins, in the style of pork chicharrones–are a rich little treat.

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. And corn tortillas are made fresh on site.