Cooks Tavern Is one of my all-time favorite restaurants. I make a point to visit it every time I am in Tacoma, which is usually twice a year. Although not every dish is a hit, what I love about this restaurant and what makes it special to me is their ever-changing menu that focuses on different regions of the Americas. The menu changes are accompanied with changing out the art on the walls which is achieved by putting a theme specific call out to local artists. Much of the art ends up getting sold, but remains on the wall until the next menu change. Given that two of my favorite things in life are food and art, this is a restaurant that really speaks to me. I also love that they have a happy hour menu available two different times of day which includes some of these items as "small plates", which is my favorite way to dine. In addition to getting to try interesting, new foods, I have always received excellent service. During my first visit in 2017, the menu was Cuban food. I tried the Cuban Beef Picadillo and the Beignets (a house favorite that are always on the menu). Both were the best versions of those dishes that I have ever had. Sadly, I had to cancel my trip to the common area this week due to the historic heat wave, but I look forward to visiting Cook's Tavern sometime in the next 2 to 3 months. I can't wait to see what's on the menu! read more

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Only reason I'm giving this place two stars is due to how amazing the food was. Other than that some of the worst service I've ever experienced. Brandon was supposedly our server but saw everyone else besides him during our meal. I've been in the food industry for quite a few years now being a server myself so i have quite a bit of compassion. But we felt very ignored and looked down to. I understand the busyness causes a server to be stretched but hospitality at the least would have been appreciated. Won't be recommending this place to anyone. read more

Drinks are great. If you only want cocktails and fries then you'll have a nice night. Food was bad. The chicken for our sandwiches was tiny and burnt. My lamb burger had sauce POURING OFF and not in a good way. It was so sloppy you couldn't take a bite without it slipping. My bun was soggy when it got to me. The fries don't come with the sandwiches that are over priced so that was another $2.50 per plate we weren't expecting. The whole experience was disappointing. When we complained they only covered one side. Service wasn't great either. He did not come to check on the food til we had basically picked over everything annoyed. Won't be coming back. read more

So we just left dinner at Cooks checked in at 8:00pm on Friday night, having spent many an evening in the "sister" establishments of Seattle to say that we are disappointed by our evening is an understatement. When we entered and waited to be seated- minding the sign (please wait to be seated) having a conversation amongst ourselves about bar vs restaurant an awkward server interjected with "hold your horses" ummm excuse me we were not talking to you and you actually were not the host/hostess.... Seated our server was fabulous if not clearly managing too many tables while the others.... I am not sure what they all were actually doing. We ordered drinks and then dinner. Food was fine nothing exciting, wanted to order another round of drinks at 8:55ish when the server had to seek out the bartender and he informed her he wasn't making any more drinks, because last call was at 8:45 without informing the restaurant patrons or apparently the server. - would have been nice to know about 15 minutes earlier. Upon leaving there we're still 15-20 people in the restaurant who apparently couldn't get another drink but maybe dessert? Just another amateur hour in Tacoma... read more

Nice ambience on a Thursday morning. The Eggs Benedict was excellent! The sauce had a little heat, but didn't overwhelm the dish. The potatoes were unexpectedly good also. read more

Mom came here poking around and had dinner here yesterday. Guess she was a hit there! She said it's a theme eatery. This time it's Cuban so we decided to go today on Saturday to check it out.. mom in tow! Hehe. Wow it was very busy !! We ordered the Cuban meal for two for $38. Two meats , crispy collards, two skewers of two shrimp, crispy plantains and a sauce, and grilled pineapple wedge. Our first bite after plating it was cold meat. I was so disappointed and so was hubby. The flavors were good tho. Mom had some shrimp salad. She liked it although she kept picking at our plate with the plantains! Lol!! The waitress was very nice and came back to ask us how everything was and we did mention our meat was very Luke warm at best. She did go check with the GM and offered us a free desert. So desert it was. We picked beneits(?). There were 6 sticks that were pretty good. ( we have eaten the real ones in NOLA tho). That was. Wet kind of them to offer. We all have a few and the sauce was good. I think we will be trying the 9 pm-12 snack list next time. It looked and so did the breakfasts!! Dinner was good but a bit spendy. read more

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Super disorganized. Lots of empty tables but still with an hour long wait. Service was poor. Never got refill on drinks. Food was average.

Love the changing menu- the country themes are the best. Service is always excellent. Noise level is fine.we eat there about once a month for dinner! read more

BEST FOOD I'VE HAD IN A WHILE. Yummm I can't wait to see what they do with their next country. Update: We visited again for their Greek menu and WOW! Even better than their Cuban one. Everything is always so tasty at this spot. read more

This is an updated review since we no longer live in the area and can't go as often as we used to. Thankfully Cooks survived the worst o the pandemic and is still serving wonderful food. They have slightly redone their menu, although most of the favorites are still there, the bag of beignets, is still there and a must try. They have a section devoted to a region in Italy, not sure why but they have three great items. Hubs tried the omelette which was a little spicy but he said amazing. I had the foragers omelette which had onion, mushrooms and goat cheese. Mine came with potatoes, one star less because I don't like my potatoes spicy, and choice of a bread. Of course we both got the biscuit which comes with their home made jam which is absolutely to die for. I would have loved to try the lemon ricotta pancakes but will leave those for the next time we are in Tacoma. Always good to have a reason to return. read more

Delicious brunch spot with fresh seasonal veggies and unique plates! I went with my SO and my relatives who are locals and they raved about this place. They weren't wrong! A little busy on the weekend, but that's to be expected from such a happenin joint! I recommend anything with the squash in it, my hash was scrumptious :) read more

Cooks Tavern! I went here with a lovely lady and had a great experience. I ordered the Tutto Calabria Lamb Burger with fries and got some whiskey on the side (Basil Hayden's on the rocks if you were curious). The burger was on a brioche bun and came with arugula and a goat cheese spread that was delicious! The fries here were incredible as well, fried to perfection. The portion was big! I couldn't finish the meal, but I definitely wanted to. Service was friendly and prompt. I loved the decor inside Cooks! They had a huge trumpet and a bunch of photos around on the walls. I heard they change themes here. When we were here it was New Orleans. Definitely a place to check out. Great food, friendly staff, booze - I'm happy. read more

The food here is so good! First off, the vibe is right. Clearly a newly established eatery, the decor and furnishings are trendy and updated. The lighting and layout are paired romantically. It's clean. Our server was noninvasive and appropriately attentive, I felt totally comfortable and our time was well managed by him. My mate ordered a sandwich that he felt was "dry" and I suggested he ask for avocado, our server gladly provided said avocado and saved the sandwich. The menu is solely comfort food. You'd better be ready for a hearty meal. Looked like an extensive libation list as well. (Vegetarian friendly options.) I definitely recommend the macaroni and cheese and/or the tomato soup! High quality dishes served hot and timely. I'll be back for more, maybe I'll try something new, though I know I'll be tempted to stick with the suggested items. read more

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Not what it used to be. Limited breakfast menu, very weak drinks, food average at best. Service was good.

Awesome. Just seriously awesome. All four meals we ordered were super delicious. Lauren, our waitress, was great and very customer service oriented. Nothing but good to say. Food was quickly served and atmosphere of the restaurant is very cozy. read more

Cooks Tavern - Pig in the Orchard - New American Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Fabulous food! I love the changing menu! We've been twice and absolutley loved both visits! Everything we ordered this time was from the New England seasonal menu. I loved my cran stuffed scrod! We'll be back again read more

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Incredible food, friendly staff, prices, and a rotating menu of international dishes!! Highly recommend.

Came here on Saturday around 1245. Place was still pretty crowded but I was seated immediately as it was just me. I grabbed a coffee and the Tavern Stack (2 eggs, bacon and two pancakes). Food was good, hard to mess up bacon and eggs. My big complaint is that I must have waited 30 minutes for my meal to show up. I couldn't believe how long it took considering what I ordered was nothing hard to make at all. Service was good. read more

Cooks Tavern - TAVERN STACK - New American Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

The decor is "Route 66" themed. Water was good and cold on a hot day. My medium-rare burger came out black on the outside and well done on the inside, in a bad way. The BLAT was offered on a ciabatta roll rather than toast, as they had no bread. Not a good match. Slow Tuesday afternoon and it took way too long for food to arrive. read more

Almost always great food. Good quantity & innovative menu themes (which change periodically). The guys in the kitchen though seem to get a little lazy sometimes... especially with take out orders. Due to personal circumstances, we rarely get an opportunity to dine in, so we order take out. Its usually like they toss the order in a box... and send it out. I'm sure they don't 'plate' their food like this for diners. Today's experience was amazing (and not in a good way!)... my wife ordered their Belgian waffle with scrambled eggs & bacon. And yes... once again the order was tossed into a single box with the scrambled eggs ON TOP OF the Belgian waffle. So 3/4's of the waffle was now inedible since it soaked up the egg juices - and the eggs even had a funky flavor. Maybe management is forcing them to only use a single box regardless of the nature of the order... or more likely... they just don't care. Am I being bitchy?? Maybe... but for a $17 breakfast plate... I expect it to at least be edible when I get it home. read more

A great gem!! Lovely ambience, great food, good music. My beloved enjoyed the lamb burger (I couldn't eat it because it has bacon in the actual patty. It's the kind of place where you can trust whatever you order, it's probably going to be good. Mason was a pleasure. They made a couple of simple mistakes like forgetting cheese on my burger, but corrected it immediately. Great place for a date or time with friends. Love the books to read and the art. Check it out! read more

Drove up from Olympia to meet a friend for breakfast. I liked the atmosphere, the customer service was great (sadly, rare these days), and the food was delicious! Best of all was my biscuit - very dense and moist, just the way I like them :-) I had the wild mushroom omelette that came with a simple green salad - both delicious! My friend lives in Seattle, so this was a good halfway meeting point, and we plan to meet up here again soon. Next time, I will get some biscuits to go!!! read more

Cooks Tavern - Wild mushroom omelette and Monte Cristo sandwich. - New American Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

My coworkers and I headed to Cooks Tavern after a long night at work. With large windows and open space, the restaurant is very inviting. They offer breakfast HH from 8-11am with $6 entree options and $4 breakfast cocktails. We ordered a few mimosas and the Manager's special (with gin, grapefruit juice, and St. Germaine...not yet on the menu) and both were refreshing and delicious. The Manager's special was tart and perfect for a morning pick-me-up. I also ordered the Goat cheese and Herb scramble and a side of bacon to eat. The scramble was yummy -- a lighter dish with good flavor. The bacon came out super crispy (which I requested), and added the salty meat I was craving for breakfast. But the potatoes are where it's at! Cooks serves crushed red potatoes and they're everything I needed that morning -- super crispy exterior with a fluffy interior and seasoned with seasoned salt. The service was excellent and the food was delicious. It was a great way to end the night. read more

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Are you kidding me?!? An amazing atmosphere especially on a pretty day with the windows pulled open! The food, really, unbelievable!! The breakfast was incredible! A southern boy from Virginia and experienced probably the best biscuits and gravy ever! The staff is very polite and pleasant. An absolute must destination if in the Tacoma area! read more

Don't let the word tavern fool you.This is a straight up gourmet restaurant that is popular and iconic and sells tap beers. Above average wine list, great artwork to look at and always excellent service. read more

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The staff begrudgingly serves interracial couples. And they do so only after ignoring them for a lengthy period of time. We heard "well be with you in a minute" several times and no one ever came back. Once we got up to leave and were near the door, then the snotty waitress made an effete attempt at showing interest in serving us. read more

French toast can be such a disappointment. Bad bread, fake maple syrup, margarine; there's a myriad of ways that this relatively simple dish can be ruined. This restaurant's French toast was refreshing. Challah bread, fruit compote, goat cheese and a mango drizzle. Subtle, not too sweet, well-prepared. read more

Cooks Tavern - French toast.. - New American Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Food in the Proctor district? You better believe it! I had read about Cooks Tavern on Sue Kidd's fabulous food blog in The Tacoma News Tribune right before Cooks had opened, this weekend was our first visit though. My scores and reviews skew heavy towards the food--I could almost care less about how heavily my ass gets kissed by the service staff. With that said, the food was pretty phenomenal. I got the pig in the orchard, which was essentially scrambled eggs with ham, sharp white cheddar cheese, and roasted apples. The eggs were fresh, and expertly prepared, but the real star of the show was the tang of the sharp cheddar and the roasted apples that complimented each other beautifully. My significantly better half got the waffle stack, and the waffle was crisp on the outside, soft on the inside--just delicious. 14 drink offerings on tap (12 beers, 2 ciders) and they're a great mix of PNW beers and ciders. The coffee snob in me wants to complain that their "latte" had a retarded amount of foamed milk (making it more of a cappuccino than a latte, see my picture for evidence) but the coffee itself tasted above average for what you typically get in a diner. I really want to knock it one star for this, but I just can't bring myself to do it. This might be my new favorite breakfast place in Tacoma. I can easily easily see myself being a regular here to see what else they have on the menu. This place would taste at home with ANY of the trendy foodie places on 6th avenue, but the fact that it's tucked away in up and coming Proctor district gives it an intimate neighborhood feel that you could never get on 6th. Excellent concept, excellent execution. read more

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I have been here several times, and usually get great service, today however, did not go so well. My wife had a procedure today and was hungry coming out of the facility, so she wanted to come here for lunch. We arrived shortly before their 3pm shut down to prep for their dinner service. I ordered their BOH burger which comes with an egg. When I bit into the burger, the egg exploded all over me, my clothes, and the floor. Needless to say I was disappointed. When I asked for some extra napkins due to the egg spilling over, I got 2 paper napkins. Not nearly enough to mop up the mess. I'm not sure if the order was rushed due to their closing at 3, or if I was deliberately plunked by the cooks for arriving so late for their lunch service. Needless to say, I left with egg on my face (figuratively and literally), doubting I will be back. read more

This place is incredible...Exactly what Tacoma needed!!! This place is nestled on quiet 26th Ave and Alder Street, a perfect location for a restaurant since the only other place is the Rosewood Café. This is also a great neighborhood to walk off the calories after eating. Approaching the building on a warm day you cannot miss the large almost garage-like windows that open up with no screens to give a very open-air feel to the place; I loved it!! Inside the place is warm and inviting with a very casual feeling, interesting paintings line the wall most for sale between 300 bucks to way over that. Seating is comfortable with plenty of room to stretch out, the bar is majestic looking which once was located in a brothel somewhere in the Midwest; according to our waitress. They have numerous handles with a bunch, if not all local beers. They also have a full bar including a good wine selection. The menu, which they have three of, breakfast, lunch and dinner is incredible. This is probably not the place to go on a diet. Look at it online if you are not impressed I will be surprised, but these are the same owners of 5 Spot in Seattle which is known for their incredible breakfast. Go anytime on a weekend and expect to wait. We tried the lamb burger, which I was told to be the best by my wife and I had the fried chicken sandwich which was very impressive. What was more impressive was the price, 8 bucks for my sandwich with fries and the lamb burger 10 bucks. "CALLING ON RESTAURANTS IN TACOMA, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED". Wow!! All I can say is I will probably be eating here a lot. I cannot wait to try breakfast, if it is anything like 5 Spot you better show up early. Again according to our waitress they will change the menu every quarter to a different theme. Another trait borrowed from 5 Spot and there they also change the interior to mirror the theme of the food they are serving. Yep there is really nothing like this in Tacoma, great food, friendly service and perfect location. Tacoma is quickly getting on the food scene. Thank you Cooks Tavern. read more

Good morning to me!! A tasty Benny made with a crisp and chewy English muffin, slathered in melted butter, topped with a generous pile of shaved Eaton-Wright ham, and bathed in luxuriously rich and creamy, delightfully tangy, hollandaise sauce with a punch-you-in-the-mouth kick of cayenne. Was that too much for one sentence? Heck no! No regrets! This was a perfect meal through and through. These smashed home fried potatoes were super crispy, well seasoned, golden brown nuggets that'll make you cross your eyes at the first bite. Don't believe me? Head on over to Cooks Tavern and try it for yourself! They have a rotating menu that changes seasonally to keep things rooty tooty fresh and fruity. The current theme is Hawaiian. You'll be sure to find something that suits your palette! read more

Cooks Tavern - New American Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Have been licking the windows of this place for a few weeks now, so it was nice to finally get inside and eat. The service was excellent, the space is lovely, and the food was worth the (long, understandable for a spankin' new restaurant, and graciously apologized-for) wait. My partner's house salad and my own Nicoise salad were both unforgettably tasty, and I say this as someone who orders salads rarely and mostly in order to feel virtuously deprived of pleasure. There were plenty of other desirable items on the menu, including some vegan and GF choices. The house Chardonnay was very tasty. The children who sat at our table and assumed that we would buy them meals were both very satisfied. Officially stoked that this restaurant has opened for me. read more

Cooks Tavern - Nicoise salad: glorious on a hot day - New American Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

We like this place. It's very popular and it was a long wait but the service was good. Belgium waffle was light and crisp. Biscuits were a little on the gummy side and the gravy could use more meat but otherwise and enjoyable experience. read more

Opening night and it was great with no missteps at all. The menu is eclectic and the beer and wine list extensive. I had the lamb burger and my companion had the ling cod. Both were cooked to perfection. We shared an appetizer of tacos that were different and very tasty, but maybe too spicy for kids. We didn't have reservations and I'd probably recommend them between 6-7pm. Our waiter, Antonio was attentive and knew the menu. This is a very nice addition to the Proctor District. read more

Food is good. I like the burgers and fries. The salads are fresh. Wait staff is friendly.

Super good breakfasts here. Great atmosphere and excellent staff. The pig in the orchard is my favorite breakfast item on the menu.

We came here on a Saturday morning and this was the only place around with a decent wait time for 7 people. My soda wasn't that carbonated, kinda flat. My guy ordered the cinnamon panqueques and it came with a chocolate fudge that you pour on the top. I ordered the fried chicken breast sandwich on a brioche bun and it might've been the best chicken sandwich I've ever had. The chimmichurri was such a nice touch on the sandwich and gave it so much flavor! Service was alright, it was a busy Saturday morning but she didn't really check if we needed more things we kinda needed to seek out her attention a bit. We ordered a chicken sandwich to go and it was so yummy! We ordered and paid for fries to go with it but when we were at the hotel room we noticed they did not include the fries. :( read more

My husband, baby, & I stumbled upon this restaurant on a Saturday night. We couldn't get into any restaurant and luckily found this one. The staff were incredibly kind, helpful, and understanding when our 2m baby started acting up. My husband and I ended up eating alone due to taking turns going outside with our baby. Our server and the sweet bartender talked to us and were so nice. The food was excellent, (I got the coho salmon and my husband got the honey fried chicken), drinks were perfect (I got a fab merlot and he got an old fashioned). Everything about our experience was wonderful. Thank you for a great meal and experience in your restaurant! read more

Hello I was at your restaurant this morning at 9:30 for a celebration breakfast with my team. My team consists of me - the senior director (A woman of African descent), another woman of American Samoan descent, a colleague of Puerto Rican descent, and a white woman. Our waitress spent the majority of her time making sure our white colleague was ok with everything - asking her if everything was ok, asking about coffee refills, etc. despite me being responsible for the bill - which she placed in the middle of the table after we finished dining. If she went to great pains to ensure our white colleague was ok she should have handed her the bill. Her attention and bias toward our white colleague did not go unnoticed. These types of encounters are difficult to call out in real time because you don't want to reap the potential consequences - such as someone contaminating your food. Drawing to your attention so that you can raise the awareness and cultural competence of your staff. In the meantime, I won't be returning to your restaurant. You only get one chance to show me who you are and mistreat me. I don't spend my $$$ where I'm not respected. read more

I'm on a sodium restricted diet. The staff at Cooks is exceptionally accommodating. They offer suggestions on the menu, willingly adjust seasoning when possible, and go out of their way to make a meal with them most pleasant. read more