I've played at jazzbones many times, they treat bands very well and have great bookings and is one of the best places for live music in Tacoma. Unfortunately when there is a big act they leave the seats and there is a very small viewing area. Also, I suppose to compete with the other clubs/bars in the area, the live music is always over by 11:30 for a DJ with a laptop (?) read more

Had a great time seeing a local country band play. The drinks were strong and the music was loud. I had a great time!

Jazzbones is a great fun place to be at. The staff is amazing and friendly, food is good and drinks are on point. Me and my friends go on Thursday and always have a great time. If u want to be somewhere chilled and relaxed check it out. read more

This place was horrible! I had the worst experience when me and my family were just trying to have a good time at the Sammy j concert. We were kicked out for a advertisement they promoted and were trying to change things up on us and since we called them out about it then they became all defensive and just simply kicked us out. Food sucks, not a clean place. Worst customer service. The manager is childish and does not know how to handle situations. Worst place ! Shame we spend so much money there ! read more

sucks! everything about this place sucks! run down to rude waitress to bad seating. do i need to say more?

The bartenders are great. They're quick and friendly. Drinks are strong. Security is on point. Every time I've been there, there hasn't been any drama. Just a great place to hangout with friends and if you like the dance, the dj is great. read more

Jazz bones used to be a great club. No longer. (I went to see the band, MacTuff, and they were just fine!) I've been going there for about six years. New ownership just doesn't care or are simply incompetent. First, I was greeted at the door by a big sign entitled "New Dress Code." It was clearly intended to keep out gangbangers and possibly many other African-Americans who might choose to wear a, for instance, do-rag, bandana, or even, god forbid, a large bomber jacket! I, as a throwback hippie (as are most of the males I saw in there) was prohibted from wearing any "sleevless shirt or tank top (males)"!!! Excuse me, would I also be prohibited from wearing pantyhose if I wanted to? Also "no hats or caps"!!!!!! WTF????? Good thing I happened to have a flannel shirt back in the car and managed to take my hat off even though it was pouring rain. The website said the music started at 8. The staff said it started at 8:30. The band thought downbeat was at nine! I twiddled my thumbs for over an hour. Hello, is anyone in charge? OK, time to order. "Coffee, please, black." A simple request. After a long scramble, it emerged that they were "out of coffee, unless you'd like decaf." WTF! OK, how about some tea? "Oh yes, we HAVE tea," said the friendly waitress. "REAL, caffeine tea?" No reply, she was gone. It finally arrived, a hot cup of MINT HERBAL TEA! Ptui! And no friggin' tea bag. If I had wanted to brew it longer, too bad I guess. I'm not expecting a four-star experience, of course, but this was beyond ridiculous. Especially when I ordered a side of onion rings. "Oh, sorry, we are also out of onion rings." My burger was OK but not very good really. It was dry and tasted like those burgers they used to serve at school, with flour in the meat. I dunno. She forgot my glass of water, had to go find her, tho it wasn't very busy. I was also annoyed when my driver's license was confiscated "for security reasons." Maybe I don't get out much, but this has NEVER, EVER happened to me before, in over forty years of clubbing. Jazzbones used to have very tasty food and a good selection. Not any more. If times are tuff, management is hastening the death of this former glorious club by cheapening it. Should be dead soon, too bad. On a final, piss-me-off note, I attempted to email this review to their "contact us" email, as a courtesy before blasting them in public. My mail bounced, "no such user." Jazzbones, go to hell. --Scott the Organfreak read more

Recently ordered uber eats from here. Havent ate food from jazzbones in years because it was never good. Decided to try it out again and were were very suprised. Everything was great. Had the queadilla, wings, and saatay. All were delicious. If you cant make it in for dinner they do uber late as well. Keep up the good work guys read more

Great music venue! We have been here a few times to see bands and have always had a great time. The beer selection isn't anything spectacular so I normally stick to mixed drinks. Last night was the first time I've ever ordered food. I ordered the Tacos and they were amazing! The habanero cream sauce gave just the right amount of heat. They are listed under their small bites section on the menu, so you get 3 tacos for $8. This section seems to be the only reasonably priced on the menu. Most other items do tend to be a bit on the pricey side. As far as the venue aspect, it is hit and miss with good seating and I think a large portion of it depends on if the band has reserved seats for people. The first time we went we had no trouble getting a downstairs seat. The second time all downstairs seats were reserved, so even though we got there an hour before the band started, we still had to find a spot upstairs. They do have a big screen that shows the stage...but it's not the same in my opinion. Last night we got there 2 hours prior to the show starting and they were already letting people in so we snagged a bottom level table and were very happy. Throughout the night however, some idiot above us randomly spilled their beer over the railing, resulting in being dripped with beer periodically. This was due to them pushing the tables right under the rail to allow for a mosh pit directly in front of the stage. Since it was a punk show we were a little worried about safety at first being so close to the pit. For the most part the staff did an excellent job keeping the few problem children at bay. During one portion of the show my table did get pushed and if I weren't a tough cookie I probably could have been seriously injured, so if you go on a punk night, don't sit by the pit unless you have your big girl panties on hahaha. Overall I do really like this place as a music venue, however the food costs prevent me from really diving into their menu offerings. read more

Ordered a wrap at 12:15pm, it is now 1:15am and I still have yet to receive my wrap. Drinks are moderately priced, yet service remains sub-par. Revisions are drastically necessary. After inquiring about the status of our order, blonde "bartender" told us, "it's on its way, it SHOULD be up soon..." Thanks for keeping it real Tacoma, God Bless read more

After reading all the negative reviews I was a little worried about what to expect, but then was pleasantly surprised. We enjoyed the intimate feel of this small venue, can't get any closer to the artist anywhere. Having bought the tickets ahead of time our table was reserved and ready when we got there. The food was good reasonably priced and Steve, our server, gave us top notch service all night long. He couldn't possibly have been more attentive and he had lots of tables to care of. I wouldn't hesitate to see another show there! read more

I have only been here at night on the weekends, a handful of times maybe. It goes from dead to uncomfortably packed pretty quickly. I like the upstairs as it usually stays pretty uncrowded usually. The way the tables are set up downstairs makes it nearly impossible to pass through so you have to pass by the bar to get to the dance floor or bathroom.. and back. The dance floor is very small, and the music has been mediocre every time. The bathroom upstairs is only a single bathroom and has a broken lock on it. Its best to get your drinks at the upstairs bar since its much less crowded.. I'm a beer drinker and the last time I was there, during no particular event, my draft beer was poured in a paper cup, almost half the size of a glass, and charged the same price. First of all, it was inconvenient--the cup was so soft and squishy I had no idea how to hold it without crumpling it and spilling all of my beer and for two, same expensive price for less.. and I'be never gotten this here before but it went on the whole night. Then the place ends up getting so packed on Fridays, its no longer fun because people are constantly pushing against you, causing you to spill your drink either on yourself or some other stranger rubbing up on you trying to get past. This place can be fun and it can be just annoying. For how nice it looks and is set up, being a restaurant during the day and all, you'd think it would be a bit classier. read more

Purchased tickets online but was kicked out by the bouncer because I didn't have ID. My husband had his ID and the tickets were in his name but I, at age 66 had to leave. Two young ladies wanted to get in but there were no seats left so we were "allowed" to give our tickets to the girls without the bouncer even looking at my husband's ID to see if the tickets were actually his to give away! Too bad we missed Curtis Salgado. But we will never set foot in there again. read more

We went to Jazzbones last night for sushi dinner for my husband's birthday with a couple of friends. Shame on us! Apparently it was our waitress's first night in the service industry. She was terrible and had a hard time communicating with the sushi chef, which resulted in two of us getting the wrong sushi items. Her mistake caused us to endure the Comedy Show; comedy being their term, not mine - the bit we had to endure was terrible, with very few laughs....one "comedian" being so bad he had to mock himself for the silence his "jokes" brought. The final insult was that our table, which was far back from the stage and in front of the sushi area, was told to "zip it" (complete zipping gesture) and then again to shush when I asked my husband "are you getting your coat on so we can leave?". We couldn't get out of there fast enough - for the last time ever. Biggest joke of the night? Jazzbones thinking they are more than a second rate club in Tacoma. read more

We will never go to this place again. A friend of ours hid another friend's purse as a joke and then left before she noticed and the bartender with bleach blond hair named Rachel verbally attacked my husband in front of everyone in the bar, accusing him of taking the purse. My husband had nothing to do with this joke, he was just sitting at the bar when it happened and had no idea of what was going on. He tried to explain this to her and she continued to very loudly attack him. This is a place we have gone to for years for many shows and were with friends that also are no strangers to the staff there. To be treated like that in a place where we have spent a lot of money and supported over the past years is very disappointing. It wasn't the first time we have had an unpleasant experience with this same bartender but she really crossed a line this time and we will no longer be supporting or returning here. read more

I've been to Jazzbones on their HAHA Tuesdays multiple times. The host Ralph Porter is always great (sometimes better than the headliner) and the shows are always fun. Food is what you expect for a bar and the service could use some improvements. read more

I loooove going to Jazzbones on a thursday night! Mostly because they have an AMAAAAZING band that plays and sings cover Pop/Rock songs. But it's also ladies night.. so girls don't have to pay a cover.. and 3 dollar drinks until 11pm. It gets pretty crowded around 11-midnight.. so if you don't like crowds.. its not for you! read more

First time at Jazzbones so wasn't sure how things worked. Had purchased "reserved" tickets but no seats are assigned until the night of. It was my husband's birthday so I wanted it to be the best it could be for him. I emailed twice with a list of questions to "Rachael" and she willingly responded to every question. When we got to the door, we were greeted warmly by a gentleman who found our name on the list and asked whose Birthday it was. My husband and I were both surprised (but pleased) because I hadn't asked for any preferential treatment because of his birthday. We were led inside and right up to a front and center table! AND, Happy Birthday was written on a place card at our table! We were impressed and surprised that that info had actually been picked up. Pleased us. Our waiter, Joseph, was great. Always there when we needed him - left alone when we didn't. We ordered appetizers and were pleased at how big and hearty the food was. Drinks were fine. The only disappointment we experienced was when the show started. Many people, (I'm guessing people who had not purchased reserved ticket tables), stood on the dance floor in front of us so we could see nothing of the band. Of course, we expect people to dance-no problem there. However, most just stood in front of us and watched the show. My naivete led me to think our front row seats meant we were going to have the best view of the show. I guess I should have expected that but hadn't. Everyone was very nice, helpful and professional. Overall, it was a positive experience and we would go back. Thank you to Rachael and Joseph for your help in successfully celebrating my husbands birthday! read more

We went to Jazz Bones last night to see Mycle Wastman. After reading the reviews on Yelp we were wondering what our night would be like. Whomever said the service was bad must have been there on an off night. Becky was our server and she was most attentive. She made sure to check on us repeatedly. Thank you, Becky! Considering how busy it was, the food was good. Mycle was awesome and so was Matt Brown. Very enjoyable evening! Thank you to Andrew too!! read more

Best venue for entertainment in the south puget sound, National touring bands, local bands, great dj's and in the summer, they have FOAM PARTIES! read more

I live in the neighborhood and used to be a frequent guest, so sadly, I have to say they suck from 2 directions. Inside, they have lousy staff with snooty attitudes that come out of just nowhere, given that the front-of-house folks are generally spotty undergrads wearing dad's polo knockoffs. I mean c'mon, front-of-house sets the tone and "tone" here was last played by Perry F*cking Como. Just sayin'. The crowd tends heavily to overweight Goth chicks who last got some whenever Comicon came to town, and rednecks who don't get that $3 Walmart flannel shirts - when it's 70 degrees out - are just WAY too de trop if you're going for irony. (I suspect they're not, on the whole). Basically, it's a geek fest. As a neighbor I have to say that when I walk past before opening hours and smell dirty dishwater coming out of the back, I don't really want to eat here. (The drinks have been pretty meh but AFAIK clean-ish). While 6th Ave kicks it, JB is the ONLY club that can't manage their sound so I hear a lot of their wannabee bands...everyone else on the strip has that neat earth thing called insulation. I would understand, if they had really amazing bands and the sound system were good but it's not - lotta reverb and bass but there's no going expecting to hear and understand good lyrics. Not that they cater to the good-lyrics crowd - their bands are pretty lowest-common-denominator - but this place could make John Darnielle sound like Ted "Dead or In Jail" Nugent). So, long story short, the inability to figure out the speaker sitch is just indicative of the whole ramshackle-building-with-no-maintenance vibe. I've personally been comped by "the manager" more than once and it's always a different person. Different groups in Tacoma public service (like police, health etc) more or less equate the place to a Chinese food truck with a stray-cat shelter in the back. Blech. The clincher for me was when I tried to look up their lineup and landed on anoterh ratings site - one that's known for being business-friendly (looking at you, Y3lp). They had a 3 overall but when I looked through the ratings, it was SO inflated - all three 5s were from the same date, one was from a guy who plays there frequently and another reviewer was NAMED Jazzbones, and there were no comments attached. Dudes, anyone can hit the 5-star button. It takes an actual understanding of hospitality, food hygiene and basic music production to merit any stars. These peeps seriously don't. They change managers like a hooker changes johns, but given the crappy building and pedestrian music line-up there's zero chance they'll ever get an actual professional who knows how to run a decent club. These guys are just underpaid wannabees and I'm not spending another nickel there when I can walk 2 blocks to Gruv or drive less than a mile and hit a ton of hotter clubs. Not cool, bromeisters. read more

I hear ya on the bar tending. good crowd but not enough bartenders. I guess you have to be a regular that goes there because people would just walk up and get their drinks right away. but good music and DJ. I do love the music but trying to get a drink and enjoy it is hard to come by. read more

The staff is snobby and uptight, the promoter isn't interested in bringing in better bands because he doesn't book any bands that are better than his crappy one he is always booking. I always like to think of food as being an exception, because even if the staff are jerks, and the wait time is too long, the food can still be good. That was far from the case, however. When I got my food, it felt like it'd been sitting on a counter in the back for 15 minutes. My "melted cheese" was solidified, and cold. The food might have had the potential to be tasty, had it been served to me when I was done. I didn't trust it enough to take a bite. You can't let food sit out like that for that long and then serve it, that's how people get sick. Rule #1 of food handling. I didn't even send it back, I just demanded a refund, and 30 minutes later I got a complimentary drink instead, that was only worth $3, and it wasn't strong at all. Apparently, my wallet full of 20's was only worth a cheap well drink to them. I've been to some crappy bars and had some good times, but I've never been to a supposedly decent bar and had this bad of a time. I'm never going here again. If you're in Tacoma and looking to party, give your money to another establishment who appreciates your business. No point in paying a cover-charge at the door of a place who is just going to treat you like garbage the whole time you're there. I support local businesses, but I don't support the one run by these a**holes. read more

Always have a nice evening with good music and good food and good service. Need to share that last night we had great service, great food and fabulous music! What a way to spend an evening! Steve was our server. "Blues Redemption" is just great! read more

This is a very fun place. It's a little bit of a 'dive bar', but the music is usually pretty good. Seattle is a long way to drive for a fun night out. I recomend this place. read more

We arrived about 2 minutes before opening 6pm, opened door met a large bouncer, he told us were not open yet, I said when do you open he says 6pm, I looked at the time is was 5:58pm, he then proceeded to tell me I can't bring my coffee in. As we entered after 6pm..we were then asked if we had tickets. We said no, we just want to eat not watch the show, that we were unaware of even happening that night. They first allowed us to sit, but came back and said we needed to buy tickets at $25 each, I again, replied we will be gone before the show starts. They let us stay. We ordered our food it came out about 45 minutes later, there were only 2 others in the restaurant at the time. We ordered appetizers and dinner. It all came out at one time. The nachos had old chips, we told our waitress we don't want them. She went to the kitchen came out about 10 minutes later with a plate of plain chips, we paid for nachos, she expected us to dip into the original nacho topping from the first plate. I told her, but we ordered Nachos not chips. She went back again and brought toppings. Our burgers and fries were barely warm. I would not go back, felt unwelcomed before we even stepped in and then we weren't sure if we were getting kicked out because we didn't have tickets. We left well before the band even started. read more

Ok, this is another old business gripe of mine, just so you know I am being up front about that much at least. I'll rely on your judge for the rest. This club does promotions with another 6th Ave biz that gives me pause "Mary Mart" -- recently a take over for a community co -op space -- my yuck, maybe not yours. Really, I don't think these corps have any sense of their own image problem. Now JazzBonz has discovered "Ladies Night". How ironic in the age of irony! I was a female (asap my state ID) and I was shown the door under the most trumped circumstances I wont repeat. I feel it was all designed to upset me as a woman paying my own bill. I like paying my own bill and I like leaving an undeserved tip, but when I get trashed by an entertainment establishment, I am the rat pack from hell. I won't take care of a business that won't take care of me. So that's my take on Ladies' night at Jazzbonz. I don't think it a serious offer for a woman alone paying for herself. Maybe if you had a big male protector, but that would be a couples night. So I don't think it a serious offer. Then there is the Mary Mart Connection. Are these bizes owned by the same corp? I honestly have a hard time finding out as it is multi layered. I like lots of other bars on this strip. Let's focus on a good time rather than a law suit: Red Hot -- no kidding I have watched other chicks come in and get the same great service I always get. Highly recommended. Crown Bar, also a great retreat haven for a good time and a turn around heading elsewhere. With all the great things happening on 6th Ave, I doubt I'll have time to risk Ladies night at Jazzbones. read more

I went to Jazzbones a couple of months ago to watch a live band. I was down in front when the guy next to me started shoving me. Maybe he thought I was trying to shove him out of my way, which I was not, it was just very crowded and we were getting pushed around a lot. Rather than stand there and allow myself to become a punching bag, I gave the guy one shove back. I then was instantly grabbed by one of the bouncers. He wrapped his tree trunk meat hook of an arm around my neck and dragged me backwards out the front door. After we got outside, he then threw me down on the sidewalk, and I suffered a nasty gash on my elbow that took many weeks to heal up. I'm in my forties and have been in many crowds at many clubs and never had anything like this happen before. Next time, Jazzbones, maybe you should train your gorillas to try and find out what actually happened before brutally dragging people out and throwing them on the ground. I will never step foot in this place again as long as I live. read more