The service was good once they opened the door to customers. We were driving by and saw their Bud Light sign with OPEN was ON. We tried the door locked and then called and was told they weren't open for another 7 minutes. I asked why their beer sign was lit and said open. Apparently they turn on all the neon regardless of actually being open. Their was another car that pulled in and also tried the locked door and we told him the story. Still...why turn on a sign that says open till the front door is unlocked?? Terrible business practice! read more

YES, this place is a dive. NO, it is not a scary one. The servers are young, attractive females who seem to have all their teeth. The demographic is that of either a dirty manual laborer wearing a safety orange sweatshirt, or a senior citizen. Pull tabs, carpeting, pool tables, darts, mass neon beer signage, and more than 11 televisions had me thinking this place is rockin' come football Sundays. By the look of the menu, I'm pretty sure I'm dead-on correct with that assumption. Where else can you find an egg breakfast for less than $4? Don't say Shari's or I'll hurt you. I'm talking about a good, homemade breakfast. For years I've heard Mr. DeRosa rave about the chicken at 2121 Tavern in the Midland area (off 112th and Portland Avenue). Since fried chicken has never been my first choice when dining out, I never gave it much thought. But when I drove up to finally meet some friends out for a few 2121 Tavern drinks I was immediately impressed by the disheveled exterior and patchwork parking lot. BEST FRIED CHICKEN I'VE EVER HAD. See now? When I use all caps, you know I mean business. read more

I've been in this establishment many times. Up until about the past year I have been more than happy to come here and tell other people about it. The fried chicken is usually the best but waitstaff absolutely is not. Our server this time was attractive, but I'm here to get my drink and chow on, not to care about how good looking our server is. When a waitress takes more than 10 minutes to get to my table (because she's too busy wrapping her arms around men at the bar,) and not taking my order, I start retracting dollars from her tip. Once I run out of dollars to remove from the tip, I start wanting cash taken off my bill. Our drinks went dry, a few times. The chicken was not nearly as great as it has been in the past, and the Joe's were not fully cooked. Exceptionally greasy this time. Last time I was served overcooked chicken, almost burnt, such a dark brown... I mentioned that the fryers needed to be cleaned (as I've worked in restaurants and know when dirty fryers are the issue) and she proceeded to tell me that "this is how the chicken always is..." Needless to say, I walked out that night. I've had chicken here lot's and that is not how it is. That's how it is when the cooks and waitstaff are neglecting their duties. Get on the ball waitstaff. I'm sure the owner doesn't appreciate reviews like this. read more

From the outside, this place looks like the beginning to some horror movie about some college kids walking into a dive bar in the back country about to get kidnapped. But when you go inside, it's actually not that bad. They've got about 15 TV's with various college and nfl games playing. Their beer selection is better than average for a place like this. They've got a few local seasonal beers and some descent IPA's like Diamond Knott. Their food is typical burgers, sandwiches, and these ridiculous potato wedges called Joes. I've never seen a potato so large before even if it was cut in quarters. I'm more of a shoestring fry kind of guy but these were pretty solid. Only problem is they serve them at about the temperature of the sun, so if you don't mind having the roof of your mouth peeled off, dig in. Staff was very nice and attentive. They also had a huge array of lottery tickets and drawings for junk. If you are living near by, this is a good place to walk to. If you've got a car, you might want to consider driving to downtown Tacoma. read more

2121 Pub - a basket of fries and a sandwich - Sports Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

5 of us when for s bite to eat. Fries cold, greasy. They messed up my order of prawns with my friends order, the waitress said sorry and picked up our food and shuffle it at the table. Well I think we will go somewhere where they dont man handle your food at the table. read more

This place is wonderful, great location and the prices is decent. What bothers me is the fact that if you pay on card they pre authorize for almost $25. Wow never in my life I have ever had this done at my favorite bars. read more

Good food: Chicken and Jos Decent Karaoke: Not much talent there tonight, plus they need to turn the mics up. Decent Service: I felt the Waitresses did a good job. read more

My wife and I live in SOCAL, but my wife's mother lived in Puyallup. When one or both of us would fly there to see her, we would take a bus to the Tacoma bus station and she would pick us up. On our way to her home, we never, and I mean never, did not stop at the 2121 Pub for chicken and jo jo's!! Simply, outstanding!! We loved the salads, the jo jo's, and especially the chicken!! We love good tavern food, and 2121 is it!! The food, service, and prices are excellent! The staff learned to know my mother-in-law so well that when we arrived, a Bud Light was on the table before her butt hit the chair...she felt very special...thank you for that! She has since passed, so we don't get up there often, but if we could move 2121 to SOCAL, we would!! read more

*French Dip Hunt* This place is the jam! The crowd is a bit older than Tacoma proper seems to be (when I was there on a busy Saturday night I would say the average age was 40), and the many bikes in the front would make you think it was a bit rough. But nothing could be further! I got together with a group of about 8, and our server was super friendly and on point. She stayed busy with other tables but kept the food and drinks coming. Now they have a French Dip with bacon and jalapeños, but I am a sandwich purist and like my Dip plain. It was EXCELLENT. Probably one of the best I've had in Washington. And the assortment of different kinds of fries (Steak, Shoestring/Jo's/Tots/Chips) is wonderful! My friend got the Fish and Chips which came with what tasted like a beer batter with homemade tartar sauce, and it was just as yummy. The drinks are strong and a great price as well. The karaoke guy that was filling in that night was awesome as well! Will definitely come back. read more

Ok. First things first. Their fries are the best. I got the signature 2121 burger and fries and don't regret it. Not. One. Bit. I just left Saturday night karaoke and it was pretty great. I'm a brand new Washington state transplant and this was the first bar I visited. Hopefully the rest of the bars in Seattle Tacoma are great like this one. THE PEOPLE: the age range here is between early 20s and late fifties. All of them were very nice and energetic. THE STAFF: the staff for the most part were very genuine and nice. Service was fast and convenient. I've actually never been to a bar where the bring your drinks out to you (I'm from a really small town) so that was a welcome change. The karaoke dj was great and he had a huge selection. They played everything from country to classic to 80s and 90s. The dj got everyone laughing and involved, and he would put on these random funny costumes and play his rockband guitar. THE BAR: the only thing I hated about the bar was the bathrooms. They were clean but they only had one stall which was annoying being that there was a line to use it. Other than that, it was pretty epic. There was no cover charge and all of the drinks and food prices were definitely reasonable (we bought alcohol and meals for four people and barely spent $40). Definitely won't be my last visit. read more

2121 Pub - Karaoke dj. - Sports Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Love Evelyn, Krista, and Todd! They make this business what it is! They go out of their way to make their customers happy. Salads and burgers are always good. The chowder is homemade as is all their soups and they are so tasty. They have Golden Tee so we really love that too. They are more like friends that just bartenders and servers. We have made this place our usual weekend spot now. read more

Thought that Chicken and Joe's would be a good Birthday meal. Ordered them for Take-Out. Approximately ten minutes to home and the Chicken was so dried out that it was hard to eat. The Sour Cream and Chive sauce was so watered down that it hardly stuck on the Joe's and was tasteless. Whoever the cook was today needs to pay attention to cooking times and learn the rule's of the Kitchen. The taste's were there on the chicken but the food was ruined. Will not try again. read more

Dont go in if you aren't a REGULAR...service at the pull tab was the worst..girl didn't even say hello!.. never asked me if I needed a drink..sat for 10 min with cash in hand!.. finally walked out read more

The safe is amazing, there very low key and make you feel very welcoming. It's a cheers atmosphere right when you walk in the door. They are famous for there chicken, mainly because it's cooked in a pressure cooker so it's really hard not to like it. The Joe Joes are scary good, they come in a huge pile, not like the ones you get from KFC or others. They make them right then and there. They are huge, like an order would be good for 4. There the ingest I've ever screen. It can get a little busy Wednesday night, as well as the weekend, but to me that's a good sign that there a good place to hang out. read more

Heard good things about the food. Stopped in after 7 pm on a Friday night - not that busy. Waited over an hour and a half for our food. It never came. We left a 8:50 without our food! Excuses from the staff and multiple to-go orders going out. Not happy! read more

2121 is a comfortable pub. It is more local than trendy, which fits well when you just want some decent foog and a cold one. Servicers are friendly and helpful. There is a very good variety of menue choices which is unusual when you think of the typical typical pub grub. I like to think of 2121 is like the English or Irish style Public Houses. read more

The food is awesome, huge huge portions sometimes enough for 3. I would give 5 stars but it took cook and server to finish our order. Waiting along time to eat. Some people are very obnoxious because it is a bar, only downside. But this bar got the food, mostly fried but bomb. read more

Their food was amazing this was the 3rd time I have been just for lunch ordering something new each time and each time very satisfied leaving happy and full! Staff was friendly and helpful and pretty prompt with the service provided. read more

Love the jojo's and the service is excellent. I don't know why yelp wants me to go in depth I need to add words and details yada yada im a dude this is a dude review but they are a great place to grab a beer and some great food. Man food and man beer at this place :) read more

Very good experience, was busy on St. Patrick's Day. Wait staff was attentive and kind. Can't believe how good the chicken and jojos were! I saw reviews, and after trying it I was impressed! Will be back, thank you guys. read more

Good fried chicken. I want to give it 4 Stars, but need to go back. It's pretty good chicken. He worded took forever, but the staff there is pretty friendly. read more

I've been a customer here since Jack owned it. USUALLY good food and service. However when my friend and I went for the steak dinner special, we were in for a surprise. The waitress we got STUCK with was an amateur, with a side of rudeness. My steak was ordered medium WELL. Not rare. When she brought my steak I went to cut it n BLOOD SQUIRTED out n then started to pool.. That's NOT MEDIUM WELL-DONE.. Then this waitress reluctantly took it back, and upon return it was STILL only half done. The waitress then told me "That's the best we can do"... And yes I had to pay for the food. Never did get any butter for baked potato either. Now if I'm paying for my meal, shouldn't I b able to have my steak cooked how I like it? If she wasn't so fuking rude I would've went back again, because I've brought at least 7 or 8 friends there and the food and service was usually awesome.. read more

The waitress was decent at best. Unfortunately she was the only waitress. It took 2 hours for lunch. 1.5 hours before we were served. 30 minutes waiting for coffee after asking for it 3 times. The steak wrap and onion rings were literally cold. I will never return and you should never go in the 1st place. read more

Called in an order and it had just been packaged up as I arrived. Perfect timing. The chicken and jo's were great. The wings were delicious. Thank you for a great meal during COVID times. You made our birthday celebration meal a hit! read more

Really light on vegetarian fare, food is meh, heavy on the oil/grease, and when it gets even moderately busy service becomes almost non-existent. Yet the locals always seem to flock here. read more

5 star chicken, 3 star burger, 1 star for the rest of the food. Great hand-cut fries but they were undercooked this time around. Ordered "taco soup" that was cold and flavorless. Salad-slightly above mediocre. Skip the pizza. Our server- sassy to the point of being obnoxious. Not regulars so we were treated indifferently. Say hi to mullet-man sitting at the pull-tab counter. read more

Used to be an awesome place to go, a hometown bar, "where everybody knows your name", but the changes that are happening are not for the better. The food is not as good as it used to be and the wait staff, to be honest, is rude and self-centered. They act as though they don't wanna be bothered. read more

2121 Pub - Wait staff was wonderful, at one time. - Sports Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Place must have changed hands.... absolutely terrible cod dinner with many wrong items brought to my table....cod was burnt and small portions....will not b returning read more

Found this spot after stopping at another joint that had smoking inside-- seemed like a cool place, we just couldn't handle the smoke. 2121 pub has good bar food, lots of tvs and free pool on Sundays. read more

This place has the Best Fried Chicken and JoJo's Ever!!! The JoJo's are Huge and the Chicken is ridiculously delicious. We make a special trip from Federal Way to come and eat here at least once every month. I have had my Birthday Party and other Group Gatherings here as well. They are very accomodating. This place is a tavern, so it is laid back and extremely casual, that is part of it's charm. You really feel at home here. They have Pool, Darts, Pull Tabs, TV's and all the goodies you'd expect from your local tavern. The food is Rockin' and Highly, Highly, recommended. 5 Stars ALL THE WAY! read more

I couldn't give them a 5 star review. The only reason for this is because they have two pool tables. They also have tournaments. You guessed it. Now you have to watch those guys play. But the food is on point. The people are extremely nice and warm. You can feel comfortable there. Their drinks are STONG. I only need one max two. Then I am good for the night. Charlie is the nicest, sweetest person there. read more

Now prior to last night I would have given this place a solid 4. Good prices, decent pool tables and friendly staff...yet last night the staff was just a tad tooo friendly with my boyfriend. Upon arrival she started in screaming "I love you" when we pulled up to the parking lot...not shortly there after (we were obviously together she saw us arrive together as well as the fact that we are an affectionate couple) she proceded to flirt with him and ask for his number while I was at MAXIMUM 10 feet away at the pool table. Due to the utter stupidity and lack of class of the wait staff my opinion of the bar as a whole goes down to a 1 and no I will never be back there again. I have complained to the management who claims to have a zero tolerance policy and insisted it would be addressed...but am I going to feel comfortable there again? I think not...too bad for them we live maybe a mile away in a home we purchased...they lost business for what could be the rest of our lives. ***against my better judgement I did start going back to 2121 because it's just so darn close to my house, Went tonight To have a miserable experience. Was sitting at my table for 2 hours without the waitress even stopping once, had to go get my own drinks while the people around me got service regularly. This has not been the first problem with the service but previously I chalked it up to her being new. When management was confronted I was offered a "free drink" for the problem which was literally nothing but juice. The bartender offered to waive what I ordered (by getting it myself) but as I actually drank it I am not one to NOT pay for it) but no never again, I would rather drive an hour out of the way than go here again after being so obviously ignored by staff. If I could give this place a negative rating I would*** read more

I took my folks there for the first time, after going there several times prior. I bragged about how good the chicken & joes were. We walked into a fairly quiet bar at 2:30pm, sat down and waited....and waited...and waited. Finally I got up and walked 2 feet to the bar and grabbed 3 menus. We decided what we wanted, and set the menus down. Both female bartenders seemed more interested in talking to friends. At the 12 minute mark, we got up and left. Not ONE person even thought of greeting us. Matter of fact, the one waitress was standing 2 ft from us when we got up and left...she never even turned to look at us. There's no excuse for that lack of service. I wont be back. Not sure why I have to rate this with one star read more

730pm on a Tuesday night, 3 bartender's 1 looked right us as we're sitting down next to pull tabs. Sat there close to 15 minutes and never waited on. Staff to busy talking and eating. They never even went on the floor 1 time. read more

This place sucks. From the outside it looks very scary, especially at night. Don't expect good service from this place - the servers (especially Rachel, tall blonde) are not quick, nor do they treat you with normal human decency. If ya don't like your job, find a new one! Only pay with cash! They pressure you hard to get a credit card to start a tab, only to find out they pre-auth your card for $25 without telling you.... No big deal, but we had a Groupon to use and the only way we could use it was to give them a CC first. What's the point of the groupon at that point? First and LAST time we will be coming here... read more

Just got two matching numbers on pull tabs ( shouldn't happen ) and when I got a winning "red" number ......... oops not a winner. Huh well that was 60$ well spent read more

2121 Pub - Sports Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

21/21 has been a favorite spot of mine even before I was old enough to go in simply because of the chicken my family used to have for parties and what not. So...I decided to visit here yesterday for lunch... Place is clean and well taken care of which gets them 1 star. I ordered drummies and jo-jo's, not bad, but not the norm either....still deserve 1 star. Keep in mind, I hesitated in giving 2121 a star here because my two guest ordered the quarter pound burger and really disliked it. The reason they didn't receive any additional stars is simply because of the service and the staff. Customer service is an extremely important thing in my book and it lacked very badly here. Waitresses could care less about you as a customer and more about texting and socializing with the rest of the staff. Finally, the cooks....you probably could have heard them yelling and laughing from outside. I know this is a tavern and what not but if I were the owner and my cooks acted like they acted yesterday and yelled the kind of language they were yelling over and over they'd be fired in a second. Let's hire adults, not children. The staff could give a hell about this place and it's really starting to wear off on this place that used to be awesome. Side note, I was there at 12:15pm for lunch and I was one table of three total....and it's obvious why. I'm a little irritated that I mentioned this place as a recommendation on a previous review that I wrote for a bar down the street a couple nights back. As of now, I'm still looking for a decent tavern/bar in the 112th/Portland Ave area. read more

Very nice place to eat, and play pull tabs good beer and drinks. The bartender is great and knows great customer service. Thanks

If you ever go to this bar PAY ONLY WITH CASH or better yet, don't go! I was overcharged by $30 by Todd the bartender, who wasn't intelligent enough to check that the names on the cards matched the checks. I politely went back the following week with documents proving the error and was told by the tiny beady-eyed shrew of a man manager (Mike?) to come back later. I followed his instruction and after that visit he began to insult, ignore, and attempt to avoid me over the next several visits I made hoping I would go away; I did not go away. It was only after I threatened legal action the final visit that they refunded my money three weeks after. This establishment is SLEAZY, UNTRUSTWORTHY, and CRIMINAL. There are a ton of good trustworthy bars near Tacoma that deserve your patronage, but NOT THIS ONE! read more

Worst dinner experience ever. Steak was cheap and dry,baked potatoe and roll was cold. Waitress told us she is tired so she wasn't in the mood to play. Took them about 15 minutes to ask what we wanted to drink and there were only 6 other tables. The Valentine meal came with wine and we didn't receive the wine, when we questioned her about it her response was, oh, I didn't know the special, wine is extra. . . . Dissatisfied read more