It a cool old building with many businesses. I was there to eat and plan to go back and try some Indian and Mexican food. The fish and chips special we had today was excellent. It just seemed like a friendly retro place. It reminded me of a flash from the past when I worked in the industrial area in old Seattle that's boe gone and all high rises. I enjoyed the visit. read more

Look I love it, but I wonder how they stay in business, it seems like half the shops are always closed. I have never seen the silver shop open... Not even once.... They do have a great collectable shop down stairs, and a good fish and chips place to eat. But it confuses me how it stays in business as empty as the place always is. read more

I need to remember to come here more often but I live in Central Tacoma and forgot it existed. Before COVID, my book club went to FHS after our lively book discussions. I can't think of a better place to go with a group of people. I love having choices! My friends and I went for a walk at Titlow and decided to come to FHS for lunch. Parking used to be much harder before the parking garage was built for Sound Transit. Plenty of parking across the street now. There's Vietnamese, Mexican, Greek, Fish and Chips, Burgers, Indian, and others I can't remember. The Mexican was pretty typical but the Indian food was delicious! 5 stars for them. Next time, Greek for me. Please, owner/manager of Freighthouse, please create a marketing plan. Get the word out. There was hardly anyone there at noon on a beautiful Saturday. This could truly be Tacoma's Pike Place Market if you slapped a coat of paint on it and power washed a bunch of stuff. I don't want FHS to close and turn into expensive apartments/condos. We don't need that, we need FHS. read more

Very original clam chowder recipe. With a little hot sauce on top. Fish and chips , (panko Cod) was well seasoned read more

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Good value for the price. Very fresh fish and tasty too! Love the fresh flower touch.

Food court and the tea place are hidden gems. small local businesses should be supported. The outside can be deceiving but explore the shops inside. Friendly people. read more

Little India is our favorite restaurant at Freight house Square. Everything is fresh and packed with flavor! read more

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Been here a few times with family. It's a great spot to help the local businesses in this all-in-one location. We come here from time to time to eat and browse the shops. I am a minimalist that loves to eat out and hardly shop for unnecessary stuff. read more

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I have been here twice and I love the little place. It is something unique to Tacoma and gives that museum/antique feeling. Parking is available out on the street and there is a garage across the street too. It is the Tacoma links last stop, in case you are staying in Downtown, you may ride the link here for free. The food court has about maybe 10 restaurants, all different varieties from Mexican to Asian. The sitting is almost like a mall. There are several restrooms along the house available, they are rather outdated but that just gives that antique feeling more power. The stores are pretty cool looking, so different from anything else I have seen. They all have benches outside of them and some french like decor. It gave me the feeling of being outside inside haha if it makes sense. At the end of the top floor there is a livingroom set up with old antique couches. They also have a table with glass chess and a sasquash (big foot). The bottom floor has an awesome leggo store, you must bring your kids here. We visited this past sunday and the leggo store was closed but there was a cool shopping event with lots of local vendors. I was able to buy some candles. Overall come here to take a stroll, get something to eat and just to cruise during the cold winter. read more

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I love this place. I mainly frequent the food court (the reason for the stars rating) but the shops are also entertaining. I wish the owners of Freighthouse would find the funding to invest in a remodel/update. There is a ton of potential in this historic building and I think that a major clean up would benefit Freighthouse. Free parking across the street, light rail stop out front, great food and the history could really bring in more business to this Done District gem. Just wishing something great could be made better. Attached are photos of the other food kiosks in the court 7/2019. I am sorry to say that La Waffletz is no longer in Freighthouse. I hope he opens in another location or comes back. read more

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The food vendors at Freighthouse Square are amazing. Unfortunately, one thing keeps me from going back. There is no air-conditioning. It is HOT. On a 97 degree summer day, it is cooler outdoors even without any shade. Do better, Freighthouse Square. read more

I have passed this place a lot on the bus but never stopped until recently. I've been there a few times now. It could certainly use some revitalization, but it reminds me of a smaller version of Pike Place Market in Seattle. The food court has great variety and the shop owners are really friendly. There are some fun gems in this place, including the game store. We went to the Night Market for the first time last month and it was great to see local talent. We bought more than we meant to. Free parking at the Tacoma Dome station makes this an easy place to visit. This place has such potential, and I look forward to seeing the next steps. read more

It's getting old and dirty but it has plenty of character and extremely kind shop owners to make it worth your while. I had a wonderful conversation with the PC recycling and parts store owner, Joshua. It's not exactly a place for children entertainment, but there's an art gallery + 2 studio art spaces and great food options, like chicken tenders and hamburgers from RJ's. It's mid range prices but quality product and atmosphere. It's the cheaper little sibling to Pikes Place market, but without any of the giant crowds. It's a valuable 3rd place for commuters coming to the concrete jungle of Tacoma. Easy access to the train station is a great bonus read more

Freighthouse Square - Various shops - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Love the relaxing and friendly atmosphere here! A perfect destination for treats & desserts!

Last time to Freighthouse Square. My husband and I took our 6 year old to a birthday party in a little art studio there just this past Sunday. The little art studio was fine. The rest of Freighthouse was not. First off, no parking and vagrants all around outside. The rest of the building was dark and gloomy, floors were dirty. Most shops were closed down on a Sunday afternoon. Many empty shop spaces and the shops that were there, most looked like junk shops. Crammed full, creepy, owners just sitting around, looking bored. I felt very uneasy having my child there and was worried about having to take her to the restrooms, which are totally dim and gross. This entire place looks like a horror movie set. I used to frequent this place as a kid quite often with my family. It is nothing like it used to be. I hate to say it, but the B&I is much better and I actually feel safer there! That is saying a lot! read more

What a dump! The place is old and decrepit. Not to mention very dirty. The restaurants are way over priced and almost all of the shops had left. Matter of fact, one shop said they were leaving soon. read more

This is a collection of stores and a food court that is totally run down and lacks a lot to see. I've been here a few times as tacoma dome station drops you off toward the entrance and I have yet to find a store I had interest in walking into. The actual building itself is totally run down and in desperate need of a remodel. With so much space and the working class passing through here on a daily basis, it's a shame what they didn't do with the space!!! read more

This is a sad space. With the exception of the International Food Court that features Sasquatch in a 12th Man shirt, over half of the retail space is for lease or closed. Perhaps business picks up in the summer, but definitely not a must visit attraction for visitors to Tacoma. read more

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A lot of interesting shops and restaurants here! Pretty much something for everyone and well worth the visit, we mainly went here to eat at RJ's as I wanted a Buffalo burger. But have been here before as they have a coin store with decent pries for their stuff including supplies. It is also the main stop for the Sounder train to Seattle. read more

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Pathetic. This place reminds me of an attic of forgotten things left by a hoarder. Most shops were closed. One shop owner was so bored he was throwing his glass pot pipe down over n over to see if it could break. There's more action going on in the restroom... and frankly that is disturbing. Drive by...don't bother stopping here. read more

This place is such an amazing hidden gem. Yes, it needs updating, but the shop owners and restaurant owners are legit. They are a group of super sweet, mostly female small business owners. I truly enjoyed my time there today and can't wait to take my family next time. The free parking at the transit garage was also a nice perk. read more

Had a shop there, all the Owners, other shop people where awesome, helpful and friendly. Food court is excellent, best fish and chips around read more

I have not been back here for years and been hearing about new places to eat and shops so I thought it was a time to revisit and introduce the wife to this place. Still a very unique place with equally unique shops, unfortunately some of them seem to be opened only when the owners are interested in opening them up even if they have posted hours of operations. We stopped in yesterday just to look around and came back today to visit a store that we had talked to the owner about the day prior. Oh well... besides that there are plenty of stores that are opened and have some cool stuff, especially the knife store on the lower level. Anyhow since it is near a train and bus station you definitely get some interesting folks, maybe a good place to grab lunch from one of the many tasty little restaurants and do some people watching. Although this place is in definite need of an overhaul hopefully with the light rail going in maybe it will generate more money for some upgrades. read more

Old and iconic. Food court is a minagery of food from just about every ethnicity. Bathrooms generally clean. The shops are filled with interesting wares. There is an art gallery and a Lego building shop...along with a midevil helmet making shop! This place has a bit of something for everyone! Not to mention it's one stop on the route for the Sounder Train! read more

The 2 star rating means, "Meh. I've experienced better". Well, I have experienced better and it was at the Freighthouse Square. I've never read up on the history of this building. It must have been built near the turn of the century as a freight terminal to for the railroads industry. I'm sure it was once full of wonderful parcels and probably passengers that needed to ride the rails all over our great country but as time went on and freeways were built and tractor trailers became more of a staple to move freight around the country, this building must have attracted vendors. Maybe it was location, maybe it was cheap rental space, maybe it was history and nostalgia. Whatever it was, the Freighthouse Square used to be filled from one end to the other with all sorts of wonderful shops. You could spend a day getting lost between the walls here searching through amazing art galleries and the shops of independent artisans crafting anything from handmade soaps to blown glass statuettes to Northwest Tribal art and artifacts. They had an old time candy store and a food court with many delectable fares to choose from. In short, this place was a bustling attraction. Skip forward to today and the food court still remains. As far as I can tell, the food court and the mini mart are the only things keeping the doors open at the Freighthouse Square these days. Long gone are the art galleries and the artisan specialty shops. Most of the spaces are either completely empty or the current tenants are in the process of packing up and moving out. Oh, they rent out the basement level once a year to a company that sets up a haunted house attraction and an upper scale Italian restaurant called the Olive Branch has set up shop at the South end of the building but really, this has become just a place to grab a bite or a quick pack of smokes and an energy drink for everyone waiting on public transportation. You see, Seattle Metro and Pierce Transit got together a few years back and formed Sound Transportation. They bought up a huge chunk of land and built a public transportation hub where the Sounder train, Greyhound bus lines and the local busses all converge to pick up and drop off passengers. The Amtrak station is just across the street to the West from this hub so it seems to reason that people only visit the Freighthouse Square for the convenience of the food court and mini mart. Parking has been diminished by over half and now there is a two hour parking limit so even if there were shops to visit, you'd be short on browsing time and the location isn't very convenient to walk to from most anywhere. I guess that this property is a possible good opportunity for more food vendors to come in and rent space but I'm not sure if that's possible because of the way the building is set up. The food court may be the only place where small food vendors are allowed to set up and therefore there is no more room for more. Some of the food vendors that are there are located against the wall that faces the street where all of the activity is. I'm actually surprised that they haven't started using this to their advantage and making walk up windows on this side of the building. They could mount menus on the wall and sell items right onto the street. So far, only the coffee shop and the mini mart are accessible from the street. I can see Freighthouse Square as a cash cow for the city of Tacoma if someone would just wake up and take notice. I fear that if something doesn't change drastically in the near future, Tacoma will have this giant building sitting empty and costing money rather than earning it. It could be so much more than it is or ever was for that matter. It could be a major tourist attraction for the city and draw visitors from all over if they would take some time and figure it out. I personally would like to see them provide more parking first of all to allow visitors a way to get there and stay there for awhile. Then I'd like to see some really nice restaurants take residence inside. Brand named places that people make a point to visit like Red Robin or BJ's or Joey or California Pizza Kitchen etc... That would set Freighthouse Square as a destination venue again. Then maybe a bar or two with live music or DJ'd music. How about amusements? Maybe Dorky's Barcade would make a great addition to Freighthouse Square. Second location maybe? It doesn't have to revert back to the dusty old art galleries and second hand mini stores but those places would still have a space if they wanted. Video games and small quarter operated amusement rides for the kids. How about a carrousel like they have at the pier in Seattle? Puyallup native tribal artifacts and arts could be showcased there maybe even a Tacoma history museum. The space is available. All they need is to fill it up but they have to make it more accessible for the consumer to get to and enjoy and there has to be something there to draw in the crowds. read more

Freighthouse Square - Big foot - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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This place is great! So many different options in favor of our cravings and definitely all worthy to to be tried. The only thing we hoped is having a bigger free parking lot and longer hours. read more

This place is cute, but it's dead as heck (haha get it?)! There's a couple shops, but it seems like people just come here for the food court. The shops - like I said before, it's pretty sparse. A lot of vacant space. My favorite would probably be the lego place. There's also a pawn shop, a photography studio, and an art exhibit. The food - mmmm yeah. No shortage of food here! The food court has a variety of food: Mediterranean, Fish and Chips, Asian, Mexican, burgers. I thought the gyro was kinda weak, but the fish and chips were bomb. Even though I only rate Freighthouse Square 3 stars, I still think it's a good place to check out if you're in the area and need to kill some time or hunger. As for parking, there's street parking surrounding the building and plenty other street parking within walking distance. read more

History buffs, artists, and shoppers unite!.. Freighthouse Square is a perfect gathering spot for folks with various interests! Upon entrance, it resembles that of Pike Place in a more pleasant way, really: There aren't too many people in there and aren't an overwhelming number of products. Don't get me wrong, I love PP but it can often breed anxiety and a sense of frustration because of lack of mobility and personal space. You won't find any of the sort of thing from Freight house. In fact, the whole building is lofted and features high ceilings throughout. Furthermore, and also to add in its appeal in the rainy NW climate, it is in an enclosed building that features an assortment of neat shops/merchants for customers' delight! Once you arrive, you are greeted with loads of Free Parking that helps to ensure a good start to your dirty south excursion (although I believe Tacoma to be clean and a really cool place). From the outside the building has visual aesthetic appeal in that it is bright and colorful and is 110,000 square feet of enjoyment. Furthermore, the 100 year+ history behind it is quite fascinating and it's known as the only "multi modal transit hub in the Northwest." To add to this interesting fact, it is actually known as the main point of reference for immigrants heading West. Inside the FH, small merchants comprise an art gallery, coin store, jewelry, various arts and crafts, gun training, etc. The food court is an added perk with delectables for even the pickiest of eaters. The Fish and Chips there are undoubtedly the best I've ever had, and it is making me salivate just thinking about it. Lastly, the spot offers fabulous rooms/venues for rent in which to have an office or event. I''m considering looking it for an office myself! Bottom line, what a wonderful gem to add to the list of Washingtonian destinations in which to visit. If any place is going to get folks away from Seattle to Tacoma, in my opinion it is Freight House. read more

Oh, Freighthouse Square. You are creepy and isolated and just plain out of place in the growing modernism of Tacoma. I don't eat fast food, and that is all that is offered here in between commutes. Generally, I come here only from riding the train to go to an appointment or on my way to see friends. This time, I had a dentist appointment and a Rx to fill for some "medical mj" I felt like a criminal. Yes, even in Tacoma. I think it's cool that they have this shop there- it kind of makes it even more quirky. I just wish they'd update their look a bit inside. I feel like a teenager wandering around the fair every time I go here. Just waiting to be approached by some creepy guy asking if I want to try "something" out. read more

This place used to be a bustling, thriving shopping center with an awesome food court and tons of great stores. Fast forward 10 years and it is an empty crypt of a building with a food court that has survived the bombing. I miss Mrs. M's Popcorn and the Cinnamon Roll place. Wendy's Vietnamese and the Mexican place have been there since I can remember. Wendy's especially is worth a try. read more

What is this place called Freighthouse Square??? hmmmm, the best description would be a smorgasboard of old, attempting to be new, in a barn type building near the old town of Tacoma??? well okay maybe there is NO real way to describe this place but it's close to my job and it has a vast variety of eating spots to choose from. I should update Yelp and all the individual restaurants available, in due time but overall this review is for the Square. Like I said above it's in a old barn and not the best area. You can see some seedy folks here and there as it's location in next to the bus station and Tacoma dome, but it's your up for it, they have the neatest little stores that unfortunately are dwindling away with the poor economy..... read more

Randomly found this place and couldn't have been happier. There was street construction (June 2017) so maneuvering and parking was a bit of a hassle. However, once you enter this old revamped train station a whole little world opens up. Tons of authentic restaurants with an open seating area in the center. We had Papa Thai's daily special and grilled fish. HUGE portions, fantastically seasoned with love in every bite. Then we finished off with a speciality coffee from the cute coffee shop inside which had so many options my eyes were spinning to the back of my head. Not complaining! read more

Freighthouse Square - Papa Thai's special of the day jumbo shrimp and grilled fish. YUM! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Probably 3.5 on the stars. Four stars would be too much. Lol! Freighthouse Square is kind of an unusual little place. It is like a mini mall, flea market and a little bit of farmers market all in one. Some stores carry an equally mixed bag of things. Cute little boutiques also carry noodle bowls. It all seems really random but if you sit down and think about it I guess it makes sense. Freighthouse Square is by many connecting routes for buses and the Sounder Train is not far. The place seems to be for people in transit or needing a quick bite to eat and maybe buy a gift for themselves or someone else. One side of Freighthouse Square is nearly entirely deserted. There are a few shops but it is mostly closed down completely. I am still not good with my directions around town but I would guess that would be the west side of the building...um or maybe south?? Just walk from one end to the other and you will get the full idea of the place. There are boutiques mostly, a bookstore and a fairly large variety food court. Probably the best store I liked here was a store called A Giving Place. It is a gay owned business and has lots of pride magnets, necklaces and the like. He had a fair share of those Christmas ornaments of Mermen of different styles that seem to be all the rage right now. The owner was very nice and is the one store I would not hesitate to go back to. We had lunch here at the food court. As I said there are lots of different restaurants to pick from. Mexican, hamburgers, Indian, Chinese and more. We went with Indian. The place is called Little India Express. The owner's name is Raj. I got my favorite Indian dish, Chicken Vindaloo and got a fairly high number on the spice scale and it sent me into a tailspin at first but the food was good. Really nice, affordable lunches here. Just a note though, despite the menu indicating as such, many of Little India's desserts are not available in the middle of the week like the custards or puddings for example. Raj makes them fresh on Monday and they last about three days. He makes sure all his food stays fresh and does not sit in a pot all week. Once he explained that to us I really appreciated his viewpoint! Freighthouse Square is indeed an interesting, quirky place. While I had a good time here I am not so sure this would be one of those 'critical' places when your family or friends come to town. For the various commuters though it is perfect and a nice way to kill time for part of the afternoon. read more

I visited Freighthouse Square for this first time this weekend in order to attend the annual St. Patrick's Day Green & Red Chili Cook-Off. The event was in the Square's Rainier Room, a rather cavernous and non-descript venue more suited for a craft bazaar than a swanky soiree if you know what I mean. The Freighthouse really has some potential but as it stands right now, it's kind of odd and depressing. In some ways, the facility is reminiscent of Pike Place Market, Eugene's Fifth Street Public Market, SFO's Ferry Building or University Heights Center in the U-District. The main corridor is lined with alcoves for individual shops, but unfortunately the majority of these are empty. The spaces that were occupied seemed to be selling jewelry, incense and other odds and ends but nothing was particularly compelling to me. My friend and I marveled at the Freighthouse's food court, its mish-mash of tables and chairs ringed by broad variety of independent food vendors, several of which seemed to offer Asian cuisines. There was a rather forlorn Subway outpost as well. I have to admit, the aromas from the Indian cafe were pretty tempting. It would be nice to see Tacoma put some energy into this venue to really make it a destination for locals and tourists alike. I'd love to see more artisans, local food purveyors, etc. set up shop in here. read more

This place is bare & empty. I'm not sure why it's still open. It has a good court with very little variety & a little grocery store at the very end. A lot of the shops were closed down in the middle of the day on Saturday & it has a grungy feeling to it. The only reason we came here was for a LEGO expo that was going on & I was very disappointed with that as well. I will be staying away from any events being held here in the future. read more

Whenever I am indecisive of where to go for lunch downtown, I always end up at the freight house . The food court is amazing. There's a variety of restaurants to choose from Vietnamese, teriyaki, burgers, Mexican, Indian, ice cream, huge cinnamon rolls, macaroons, Greek just to name a few. My favorite places are Wendy's Vietnamese lunch specials or hot garlic chicken. Bubble tea tapioca is usually my go to. My boss loves the mango chicken salad. The pad Thai at Nana's is very delicious. So is the green curry! RJ's makes buffalo burgers which is an healthier option. Great little shops inside, there's a cool Seahawks store that sells cute baby gear! Give it a try you won't be disappointed. read more

I love this place because it reminds me of the Tacoma version of Pike Place Market in Seattle. This was my first time coming here, and I really enjoyed it read more

I haven't lived in Washington for that long, and although there are many places to explore, the uniqueness of Freighthouse Square pulls me every time. There are little quirky shops to peek in or visit, as well as a tattoo shop and a barbershop! Inside there is also a food court, which is not shy of variety and everything that I have tasted, has always been delicious. Not to mention, the folks here are quite friendly. Always worth a visit! read more

I hear this place used to be awesome back in the day..but now it seems to be a little empty. The food court is the happenin spot here and to me the stores are hit or miss. Some are cool but some don't really float my boat. Walking through the halls and seeing the empty store fronts is a reminder of the bad economy but as one reviewer suggested, having a Farmer's Market here would be an awesome idea! The food places are worth checking out though, they have a pretty good range of different types of cuisine to choose from. And it is nice to be able to walk around after eating and checking out the stores that are still there. read more

Freighthouse Square is pretty cool, especially for a train station. The whole freightouse has food stores and some other nick nack stores. This place is awesome for those daily commuters riding the Sounder in or out of Tacoma, WA. The train literally pulls up parallel out side for easy access, and on the other side of the freighthouse across the street is a giant 1000+ parking garage. Almost every single express bus in the area stops on the other side. So if you're coming in on the train, riding in or out on an express bus, this is a great place to leave an extra half hour to stop into a grab a cup of coffee, some food, or whatever at the beginning or end of your day. read more

Freighthouse Square - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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