I'm not sure why we have never been here! What a perfect place to eat after leaving the zoo, park, etc. I am vegan and the menu how such great options. My boys ate everything on their plate very quickly! lol The meal was so refreshing and light , on a beautiful day it pairs great together. Makes you feel like you are at a family BbQ enjoying a delicious meal. I can't wait to go back and try more of the menu. Highly recommend stopping by here you have to try it! It's hard to describe the meals. Delicious, fresh, and comforting. read more

Tatanka Take-Out - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

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Not a lot of places serve bison so I am glad to find one to try it out! I went here on a Saturday mid afternoon meal and was greeted by a very friendly staff who took our order and cooked the meal. We wanted to share one bison burger and he was willing to serve it up in 2 plates, cut in half, so that we don't need to do all the legwork that usually comes with splitting a dish, and this is with no extra charge. Additionally, we signed up for their email newsletter for a 15% off the order. Cheese comes at an extra 99 cents but it was all good with the discount. The bison burger is pretty good. It definitely tastes a bit different from the usual beef that you are more likely accustomed to, but it was delicious nonetheless. The bison patty was juicy, and the fixings are good though a bit standard for a typical burger. We opted for spuds for the side and he gave a very generous amount of it for each of us. Overall, friendly staff and delicious food, all around a nice restaurant to check out in the Tacoma/Ruston area, pretty close to Point Defiance. Take a look at some of the items around the restaurant while you wait, as it is all bison themed and quite interesting! read more

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Finally got to taste the famous bison burger. It did take a little longer than usual since there's just one cook and I came right after the crowd of family came through which caused the delay. It was worth the wait! The burger was cooked to perfection, the homemade sauce wow! By far my favorite sauce. I told the cook he needs to sell that. I would buy it in a heartbeat. There are $.99 add ons for mushrooms and cheese. I had to get the bison burger with mushrooms and Swiss cheese also comes with shredded lettuce, tomato and onions. The house made fries was hot and fresh. Limited parking available, I believe 4-5 stalls then off street parking available. $22 overall great buy! read more

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If you visit pt defiance without crashing at Tatanka afterwards, then my friend, you are missing out in a major way. The flawless bison burrito I just ate was the most delicious (and healthy!) lunch I've had in recent memory. The thick tomatoes, the dressing but especially the mushrooms!! This is not even addressing the rich filling taste of the bison itself Perfect after a long morning on the shore. Homie who runs the place doesn't seem to ever lose his enthusiasm for his customers and craft. He just loves to laugh and he's there to have a good time. And talk about a theme! The western vibes along with the endless bison art makes everything even more fun. I love sitting at the funky swivel saddle chairs, but even better when you can snag the front porch seating. Been going here for over a decade and hope to be doing it in 2035 too. read more

Took granddaughter for first Bison burger! Loved it. Fresh not frozen, best bison burger I've had yet. Next time I'm trying Bison taco & burrito! read more

Tatanka Take-Out - Burger! - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

Sooooooooooo delicious. This is the ONLY restaurant we eat at on the regular, most places we got to once and never again as I love eating new things each time. This tiny little place is such a gem. The owner is so kind and friendly to everyone who enters, it is always clean, the cans of pop are $1 (what?!?!? unheard of). Everything on the menu is so good, my teenager gets a burger every time and it's one of the only places he will eat his salad. The food is always perfect, the house hot sauce is DELICIOUS, everything is always fresh and hot. If you haven't tried this place... go immediately. read more

Tatanka Take-Out - Bison burrito and bison burger - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

This place is an awesome option for lunch and just goes with the park/zoo/Fort perfectly! As you may have seen from the sign: they do vegetarian and they do bison. The menus keep it simple - bison on the left, veggie on the right, and either one in the middle. Service is super friendly and fast! I like that you can see the cook top area because you know it's clean! I went with a grilled veggie sandwich. Kinda wish I went with a burrito, but it was really good and I'd very happily eat another one and there's always another day. The parental unit went with bison chili and really liked it. This place is definitely simple and very homestyle. Drinks come in bottles/cans and the food is served on paper even if you eat in. The walls have all sorts of funky bison related décor and I'm all for it. I love walking around the park/waterfront, so there's a very good chance I'll be coming here many, many times. read more

Tatanka Take-Out - They've got bison deliciousness and they've got vegetarian deliciousness...take your pick! - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

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Walked in yesterday around 1130am nice man behind the counter greeted us and explained the menu noticing we were out of towners. Placed three orders and we were out in less than 15 minutes. Food was fresh and very good. No ill effects at all. Next time I'll ask for the jojos to be cooked a tad longer. Prices were fair until the crazy 10 percent tax hits. We'll definitely be back next visit to RW, WA. read more

We don't typically see places that specializes in bison so we decided to check it out. It's a small but very home-y restaurant with a few tables inside and a couple outside. We got a Flawless Burrito and Bison Joe. Both were fairly similar, just in a different form. They were tasty, but I think I preferred the traditional burger. The spuds were like a baked potato that were seared so they had crispy edges, which I really enjoyed! The service was very friendly and accommodating. I'd consider coming again if I happened to be in the area. read more

Tatanka Take-Out - Bison Flawless Burrito - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

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Delicious bison burgers and friendly owner. They also have lots of vegetarian options including the flawless burger with tofu which is delicious! This is one of our regular spots for lunch or dinner. read more

I have frequently driven past this place and finally stopped in after a trip to the zoo with the family. We are big bison eaters, and usually use that as our choice of red meat. My daughter had the kids bison burger, she gave it two thumbs up and enjoyed the bottled root beer as well. I tried the bison dip, it was so delicious and filling. The only thing I was missing was maybe a little extra seasoning, like horseradish. Not sure if it was the owner working, but he was super friendly and answered any questions we had. They have a couple tables in there as well, so we enjoyed our meals in the restaurant. I will definitely come back to try more options! read more

Tatanka Take-Out - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

TLDR; Bison burger is a great option for those who haven't tried bison before Decor and service far exceeds. Sides are a healthy alternative to the usual fast food options. Flawless burrito.. I mean grilled onions, crimini mushrooms, bison and garlic hot sauce. Says take out, but there are options to seat in! Awesome decor and Buffalo memorabilia. Unique iron stools up window-side. If you're willing to try bison foods with vegan options as well, provides plenty on the menu! Stopped by for lunch after the many times of driving by here, Im glad I did. First and foremost it doesn't seem that there is chicken or beef on menu, only bison and vegan options. Love that. The menu is simply yet descriptive, even colored coded for "crowd" favorites. I ordered the Bison Burger with Spud, Spuds are these potato slices baked a nice alternative to fries. For anyone whose first time is trying bison, definitely go with the burger route. For one, the bison patty is rich in flavor and maintains its size unlike a burger beef patty. Great sized produce to go in the burger and finished off with almost a house made like bun. A great introduction to bison for anyone. I just had to try more, so I tried the Flawless burrito with in house made potato salad. Flawless burrito was amazing, again nice fresh produce with perfect amount of ground bison along with crimini mushrooms, garlic hot sauce wrapped in a whole wheat tortillas. Potato salad was different than any other potato salad ive tried. Rather before potato salad seemed overwhelming with everything in it, tatanka's potato salad relies on simplicity to deliver a great and fresh taste, bits of pickle and dash of dill in the dish brings that upgraded flavor to a seemingly meh side option. Overall, There is plenty on the menu to try. Tatanka Take-out provides great healthy alternatives all while bison being farm sourced! read more

Tatanka Take-Out - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

It was a rainy afternoon when we pulled into the Tatanka parking lot. I know, rainy, what a surprise. We wanted something warm, sustainable, and pretty quick. So we dropped in to Tatanka to get a to go order. We settled on bison chili and a burrito. The cool was super friendly and took our order pretty quickly. The orders were ready in short order and we grabbed our bag and said thanks to the cook. It was nice to see the signs that indicated that you could just stop in to buy bison for your own kitchen! The chili had great flavor and was a nice consistency-no one wants watery chili. Good ratio of bison to other fixings. The burrito was very good and I enjoyed every bite. Whether you're looking for some great bison-based southwestern food or looking order bison to cook at home, Tatanka is the place to hit up. read more

tl;dr: I'm glad I finally got around to trying Tatanka Takeout. If you're in the mood for a leaner burger than your standard fare, it's a solid place to patronize. That said, I probably won't make a point to return. After driving by Tatanka Take-Out for years, I finally decided to stop in. I always expected it to be a passion project run by an old Native American, so when we were greeted by a young white woman I had minor concerns about cultural appropriation. The inside is covered in buffalo/bison artwork and memorabilia, and the seats at the window counter are crafted metal saddles. Otherwise the seating is pretty standard and stark. Its name includes the phrase "take-out" so you're not expected to hang out. I appreciate that they're branding themselves as a healthy alternative to common fast food. Their "fries" are red-skinned spuds boiled and sliced in shapes resembling fries, and the buffalo meat is leaner and more organic than beef. Eating it didn't feel as gluttonous as, say, McDonald's, but it still gave us a little gastro-intestinal trouble an hour later. I got the Bison Burger and my wife got the Flawless Burrito. Served on paper plates, the presentation of the burger was appealing: tall, well-built, oozing with sauce and steaming potatoes on the side. My wife's burrito was wrapped in tin foil and served by itself. Less appealing. The burger was good, but had a lot of onion. My breath smelled for two days afterward. My wife's burrito was also very onion-heavy. Aside from that, it had the nostalgic taste of a backyard barbecue. The service was courteous, offering to clear our places even though it wasn't a tableside-service restaurant. Conclusion: I'm glad I finally got around to trying Tatanka Takeout. It's worth visiting, but I probably won't make a point to return. read more

Tatanka Take-Out - Bison Burger & Red Skin Spuds - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

Best bison in town!! Wow this place has spectacular quality of bison and at a very reasonable price for a plate. The meat is super lean and not at all greasy which was delightful and impressive. They strictly have bison options or a handful of vegetarian meal options. I'm not a vegetarian but I'd like to visit again to give those items a try. I went for the "BBQ Bison Roast" and I've gotta say it was perfectly made from every aspect. They offer side dishes with your meal but they were out of two of the 5 options. Nevertheless, the "skin spuds" side was well made and seasoned to perfection. Give this place a try, you won't be disappointed. read more

Tatanka Take-Out - Bbq Bison Roast So very delicious!! - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

Customer service was excellent, food came out quick and the Veggie Burger was to LIVE for! Definitely will be back, I love all the healthy options offered as well read more

Tatanka Take-Out - Bison burger and Black Bean Burger - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

We are from Texas and we were passing through on a road trip and stopped here. I had the burrito and my husband had the burger. It was amazing favor!!!!! Get some cookies too! Yummmmmmmmmmmmmo read more

Nice concept restaurant focusing on all things bison. The burgers/sandwiches seem to be the main draw but they do have some other items (tacos, lasagna, etc). If you've never had bison before this is a great low stakes (steaks?) way to try it out. Nothing fancy, but it lives up to what it claims read more

I have been to Tatanka a few times over the last 5 years and have always enjoyed it. The food yesterday was deserving of a 5-star review. It reminded me why I come back when in Tacoma. This is a one man show (soon to be helped by a family member). Buffalo is leaner than beef, hence more healthy. Lean does not mean dry. The Bison Melt was so incredibly juicy, with LOTS of grilled onions and the perfect amount of sauce and cheese. I savored the last bite. As I write this, I pine for one more bite! We also got the Spuds and Veggies. I had expected some fried veggies and french fries. What arrived was grilled FRESH vegetables (broccoli, onion, mushroom, brussel sprouts) and grilled potato wedges, salted and peppered just right. It was served with their slightly spicy garlic sauce. I understand why there was a steady line of folks stopping by for take-out. We ate at a table outside and enjoyed the cool breeze and great food! This place may serve the food on paper plates, and prepare it in a simple manner, but this guy is a Master! read more

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Quiet neighborhood spot we have driven by a million times. Well worth stopping in a getting some good food. We tried the burrito and and burger and enjoyed both. The house fries were great as well. If you are hungry, it's going to fill you up. Good portions and delish. Support a small business. Support healthy food options. Support eating native meats over another over processed cow from a feed lot. read more

Tatanka Take-Out - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

Fantastic quality at a great value. The food is fresh and all the condiments and side are scratch. The burgers are great, as well as, the potato salad and chili! read more

Tatanka Take-Out - Cheeseburger with potato salad. - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

This will be my go-to when visiting the area. The spuds were excellent and so was the bison burger. Can't be beat!! Walked in and placed an order to-go and it was pretty fast considering the place was full and only 2 guys running everything. read more

I'm giving this spot 4 stars because it is unique, fun, healthy, easy, and just a nice local spot to visit. Not far from where I live, about 7 blocks (3 min from me). It's on a busy street but there I parking outside seating. I love their handwritten signs that talk about Bison. It is educational, informative, and well done. Menu has an array of options for bison but also vegetarian which is also nice! I wish they did fries... even if they were air fried, but the potatoes were good, but could be better. We ordered the classic original burger, French dip and melt. The original and French dip were a hit. The melt lacked flavor and the size of bison was small compared to the other two. I then had to request hot sauce which totally helped flavor wise! I would totally opt for them to sell the hot sauce itself which was a garlicky red sauce that was super yummy!!! I would go again to try the bbq burger which sounded intriguing. Overall, good spot to go. I didn't know what the name meant but now I get it - Native American for bison. That's brilliantly beautiful alone. read more

Tatanka Take-Out - Outside sign - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

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The food is really fresh root beers real nice they gave in a separate color to go with ice cream in a cup and root beer to pour in yourself I really like the custom benches on the inside they made out of tractor seats and someone weld them to be swivel-based so this is a really cool swanky café to go dine in or take out! read more

Tatanka Take-Out - Front of Restaurant - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

Finally stopped in for a bison burger and it was delicious. The staff was fast and friendly. I definitely recommend stopping in for an amazing burger or burrito. read more

This is a local eatery located in the historic Rustin area of Tacoma. It's been there a long time and has consistently served great tasting buffalo burgers. There's nothing too fancy about them, but everything from the bun to the meat tastes delicious. I've had the burrito before too, and that is something special that y'all need to try as well as the big bison burger. read more

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Mary, John and I stopped in here for the first time Saturday evening. We each had the Bison burger; quarter pound bison patty, lettuce, tomato, onions, 1000 island dressing on a whole wheat bun, we added cheddar cheese and then a side of spuds. We all felt this was a very tasty sandwich, juicer than expected. The side of spuds are good, but I would prefer something a little more traditional in French fries. You should give this place a try. read more

Tatanka Take-Out - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

You could drive all over America and probably not find a place like this one. It is a little past it's prime... a little grungy and run-down with reviews from some years ago still hanging on the wall. The food is good and the merch is hilarious. The service is excellent and that woman preparing food seems to be making you food from her home kitchen. I had a bison taco. It was good. The garlic hot sauce was pretty hot. read more

Tatanka Take-Out - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

This place came recommended from a friend who rarely eats burgers. I try to keep my burger intake to 1-2 per week. Wasting a burger day on some two bit hole is no good. This place was a little empty when I walked in for a late lunch, ordered their bison burger. It is amazing!! In a true burger purist form, the patty hand made, the bun perfect, the temperature perfect. Sauce, etc. I will be back. read more

I have lived in this area since forever and never knew about this place until my friend told me to check it out. I can't remember the last time I had bison but I know I've only had it once or twice in my life. The gentleman was friendly and offered us some suggestions since it was my first time. I got the Flawless Burrito with Bison. My boyfriend tried the Bison Burger. Our friend tried the Bison melt. In my burrito, I really like the flavors and the vegetables. At first when I saw how big it was, I had a feeling I wasn't going to finish it. But it was mostly vegetables and I like how it wasn't too heavy. The only thing I was a little disappointed about was that there wasn't much Bison in the burrito. From what I remembered I only ate like 4 pieces of Bison. There wasn't much flavor to the Bison. The flavor was mainly coming from the sautéed veggies. I took a couple bites of the burger and it was pretty good! I know I'll definitely be back to try their Bison Melt. It looked delicious and kind of wish I ordered that instead. Either way the food was pretty good. I like how the restaurant is decorated buffalo with a lot of cool facts. The service was great too! read more

Tatanka Take-Out - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington

Food was yummy!!! We each tried something different ( grilled veggies with a bison Patty, bison melt with pot salad, bison sausage with pots, BBQ bison burger, bison burger and veggie nachos). Would recommend coming here not only for the food but the guy who was taking order/ cooking/ running the show was super sweet and friendly... And he even gave me some birthday socks!!! Overall this is a great spot with delicious bison!!! read more

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Great food without the guilt of your typical burger! The buffalo burger has all the same taste of a regular burger but leaves you feeling much better after you're done! read more

Nathan and his staff are awesome, and Tatanka has quickly become my go-to spot to eat in Tacoma. Their bison is top quality and the ingredients they use are healthy and fresh - the flavor of the meats and sauces are amazing. I typically drive down from Seattle weekly to eat here, and often order two full meals. I never feel bloated, just fueled up and ready for a workout or hike because the food is healthy, fresh, and high quality. I give them my highest recommendation. read more

I wouldn't bother to review this place but it annoys me that it's rated so highly. Tatanka has been on my list of places to try for a long time. It doesn't look like anything special but everyone has such high reviews and it's on almost every list of places to try in Tacoma. I got the 1/4 lb bison burger with a side of potatoes. The potatoes were flavorless, the burger was a standard 1/4 on cheeseburger. I didn't hate it, it's on par with a McDonald's Big Mac. There isn't anything wrong with this place, there just isn't any reason to go there in my opinion. read more

Great service! Food was pretty bland, though and pricey for what it is. Probably will check out other places next time.

I've tried about everything on the menu - Delicious..!!.. my go-to is the patty melt, or Nachos - read more

this place is really good. solid buffalo burgers, just the right amount of toppings, very reasonably priced. fries are legit. food is cooked to order but they make it really fast and send you on your way. if you've driven by this place and wondered if it's worth stopping by, wonder no longer, it's excellent. read more

Tatanka has been up and down over the years - it seems to be on an upswing these days. We celebrated a birthday with some take-out for 6 people. Everyone got something different - from burgers to tacos to sandwiches. It was all bison and it was all good. The spuds were ample and as tasty as they were in the old days. It appears that their "experiment" with using frozen pattys is over - thank goodness. It's not cheap, but it's good. read more

A-MA-ZING. Nate was the cashier and cook, and was as friendly as a person could be. At first glance, I thought the signature bison burger with homestyle spuds on the side looked just ok, but as soon as I ate the burger with the potatoes, I couldn't believe how good it was! I'd just ran along the waterfront so I was hungry, but I've never had a burger taste so light and filling! Will definitely be back soon, and I'm still amazed how it tasted lighter than a salmon or turkey burger, even though the portion size was on the bigger side. I'll have my potatoes done a little crispier next time (although it probably isn't healthier and this place emphasizes that), but so glad I found this place near Point Defiance. There's tofu instead of bison options, so bring the whole family; you won't regret it! read more

This is an update to my previous post. I have been going to Tatanka for more years than I can count. I am completely obsessed with their vegetarian dishes and 8 months ago, moved just up the street. It was never really convenient, but now that it is, I have been grabbing a flawless tofu burrito quite often. It has always been so good! I was bummed out last week because they were closed the day after Thanksgiving, but totally understandable. On Sunday, I finally got my delicious burrito (yay!) to go and headed home. Unfortunately, there was something wrong. It tasted really bad. Really, really bad. They close at 7 and weren't open by the time I tasted the burrito, so I wrapped it up and decided to wait it out. They are closed on Monday and Tuesday, so I headed down there today just after noon and they were closed. Their hours posted are 11 to 7, so that was odd. I refrained from writing a post about not being open hoping they would open later in the day. So happy they did, and my partner stopped by there at 6:30 and explained the situation. The guy who is always there was more than happy to remake the burrito. I'm pretty sure he put extra attention into it, just to make sure that it was right. He's a good guy! We did ask if he knew why the burrito tasted so different. He said they recently had a change in the company they purchase their tofu from. Short story long, I got home and it was still really bad. I don't know how else to describe it other than it tasted like feet. Smelly feet. This may sound a bit harsh and this has nothing to do with man who works at Tatanka, but I certainly don't want to go back there now. I have been a loyal customer for many years and I don't understand why they changed something so good. Maybe enough people will have the same response and they will go back to their original deliciousness. Fingers crossed! read more

Tatanka Take-Out - Flawless tofu burrito (missing a bite or 5!). - New American Near Me - Ruston, Washington