Just for educational purposes, this is what a steak cooked medium rare is supposed to look like. NOTE: This picture was not taken at Harbor Lights, since they couldn't seem to cook a mid-rare steak to save their lives. read more

Harbor Lights - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

We had their Sunset 3 course meal after watching Rocky at the Tacoma Little Theater. They now have a partnership. The meal was perfection, the service divine (especially our server Tracey G), and we were able to get a reservation. It was amazing. read more

Harbor Lights - Outside of Harbor Lights - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Went Saturday of Mom's Day week end with my wife and daughter for lunch. We had super service - apologies were given for seating us a bit late by a complimentary appitizer. The food was well prepared and so tasty! There was little delay between ordering and service - yet we did not feel rushed even though the restaurant was hoppin' . Tip of the hat to our server Troy G. That guy works his tush off! Yet he found time to have a running interaction with us making a festive lunch. Ask for his station by name if you make a reservation there! read more

We came on Sunday, July 7. Hot day. My husband just got out of the hospital on the 4th of July after 3 weeks. He was craving fish and chips. We went in the bar and everything we could ever want was on the happy hour menu. The shrimp and crab dip was delicious and the fish and chips were the perfect portion and at $9 a steal. Service is always wonderful. read more

Food service and Ambiance, this is a prime waterfront location in Tacoma. It is an historic fine seafood restaurant providing consistently Fresh, well prepared food for a bit of a premium price but well worth the cost, the location finishes the excellent meal they provide. read more

Harbor Lights - The view, the sun and the waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Service and portions!! The seafood mac and cheese was brought to me cold! It was $36 a plate. Served in a bowl with no garnish. We eat with our eyes first. We were charged for the table NEXT to us....huge difference! Over $100 dollars over what OUR bill was. No one said anything about the extra charges on my debit card. I only found out because I myself checked my balance. read more

Amazing food, solid drinks - 7 seas amber ale and Moscow mule. We really enjoyed both of our visits so far, although the service was a bit more gruff this time than last time. It did look busier today. Great views, lively space, although clientele skews older on a Friday for lunch read more

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I was surprised that I didn't enjoy this place. The service was great, and everybody was very kind, but I found the food not that great considering how many options you have in the area for seafood. I ordered the seafood mac & cheese and was pretty surprised when it was cold. If there weren't other options, I would probably give this place a second try, but since there is a lineup of seafood restaurants in the area, I probably won't be back to Harbor Lights. read more

Harbor Lights - Seafood Mac and Cheese - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Met up with dear out of town friends for a special seafood dinner with epic waterfront views. Delicious summer berry drinks and friendly service throughout. We all ordered an assortment of delicious dishes but all were eyeing the fish and chips, along with the baked potatoes. read more

We had a late lunch here yesterday 8/24/25 and the food was amazing. The portions were substantial and everything had good flavor. Our waitress Katrina had the answers to our numerous questions. She made sure we had plenty to drink and provided amazing service. I will give this 2 thumbs up! We had a great time thanks! read more

The service wasn't terrible with the food was nothing to own home about. I ordered the surf and turf. My steak was overcooked and my shrimp was overcooked. I also got a Mai tai , which literally was pure alcohol. There was absolutely no juice in it whatsoever. I ordered the crab and artichoke dip, it was swimming in butter, which kind of made it so rich that it was unbearable to eat. My dinner came with the vegetable of the day, which was snap peas still in the shell which, I can understand from trying to be a fine dining experience, but leaving them in the shell and they were unseasoned is insane. The best part was the fries. I'm from the South so it is hard for me to like seafood here but over cooking 3 shrimp that is literally $12 extra is crazy work. read more

We had such a peaceful beautiful dinner here right on the water. Service was excellent. Food was very delicious & cooked to perfection with lots of flavor. The desserts with huckleberry... oh my they were to die for!!! We will be back for all of it Grateful we found this special spot. read more

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Located in a prime spot on the Tacoma harbor, Harbor Lights ought to have been an amazing experience. Unfortunately, for us, the best part was really just the sea breeze and views as the general restaurant, food, and especially service were severely lacking. When you step into the door, the smell of mothballs hits you in the face and the interior of this place feels like you stepped back into 1992. The carpet, the chairs, the general decor are so dated and uncomfortable. The only reason we didn't turn around was because we saw that there was a patio that wrapped around the outside. I have to say the patio was a little bit scary because the wood looked very old and like it could potentially fall from beneath my feet, but I tried to ignore that and hope that everything would be fine. And don't get your hopes up that it is one big grand patio. It is a teeny tiny patio with one tiny path in and out the restaurant. As I'm writing this review, I'm not really sure why we stayed... we just wanted to try something new! Alas we got settled, Ordered some drinks and in general did enjoy the nice sea breeze and views. And luckily it wasn't too smelly of a day (Tacoma harbor...IYKYK). Then came our server, Tony. Tony was grumpy. Tony clearly did not want to be there today. Tony was very short with us and felt like he was rushing us with every interaction. I was not a fan of Tony. But he brought us some very yummy sourdough bread starter, and that was one of the best parts of the meal. My husband and I both got the clam chowder, I wasn't a fan of it because it was nectar based not cream based, but my husband gobbled it up. My husband ordered the captains platter and I ordered one of the salmon specials. This salmon plate was $54 so I was assuming it would be an amazing entrée. Pictured is what was brought to me. I was in disbelief. How the hell is this a $54 plate? And it was mediocre at best. It was lukewarm when it was brought to me, and I was very underwhelmed. My husband's captain's platter he said was pretty good. So the food was average at best and I understand more expensive because of the nature of this restaurant and its location. That's the only reason I'm giving it an extra second star is because the food was OK. But I would never come back and pay this kind of price for such blah service, for such expensive entrées, and for a restaurant that looks like they have not updated in 30 years. I'd rather just go another block down to Dukes! read more

Harbor Lights - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

The food, service, and view were amazing! We got the halibut, scallops and kids got the Mac and cheese. It was delicious and the service was so nice. The manager was wonderful and we even got to see a sea lion outside our window. We don't live around here but if we're ever in the area again it's our go to from now on. read more

We had a lovely meal at Harbor Lights. The food was good and the temperature was perfect on the clam chowder. That's important because so often it's barely lukewarm. Our server was so busy, but she kept our water and tea glasses full and checked on us enough that we knew she was paying attention to us. We really liked her and hope we see her again on future visits. The tone of the restaurant was relaxing and very pleasant. Great place for families and singles. Just our style of place. read more

I want to start this off by saying I am not one to complain, I have maintained an elite status on Yelp and take into consideration all things when writing reviews as I know they can make and break a business. We drove up and down the water front deciding where we wanted to go and if we wanted to go somewhere new or back to some places we've enjoyed in the past. We decided to try somewhere new so we had another place we could come back to anytime we come to the area. We walked in on a Saturday at about 5:45pm and the wait was about 30mins which was understandable but the host mentioned the bar and how there was a few open tables in there. We decided to do that. We go into the bar and was handed the happy hour menu and we sit down and look at that but wanted to see the full menu and figure out what we wanted since we hadn't been there before. We asked for a menu and was brought just the drink menu but before that was told well there's food and drinks on this menu (pointing at the happy hour menu) almost like she didn't want to go get the actual menus. She brings us over the drink menu and we said "can we please have the food menu?" She then brings that to us and then comes back after sometime and says "can I get your drinks?" We said we are ready to order and she seemed irritated that we are going to order. I mean honestly the entire time she seemed so bothered that we were there or anyone there for that matter. Mind you, there was only 5 tables in there for her to work so it was busy but very low key tables, nobody "over asking" for things or anything beyond a normal Saturday night for a restaurant on the waterfront. At one point a group got up after she visited their table one time they got up and left. I overheard another table talking about how they felt they were a bother to her which is the same vibe we got. She seemed like she couldn't believe she was having to work. I have never felt like this at a restaurant before, it was so crazy to just feel like you were bothering her anytime you needed anything to the point I was afraid to ask for the check, ask for sauce that I ordered and didn't come out with my plate, and ask for a box. We tried asked for sauce several times but never could get our attention and the bar area is pretty small but she would ignore tables. There was a table of people celebrating their anniversary and I felt bad for them because the lady said "I don't want to bother the waitress to order a water." It was very noticeable she was annoyed to be working that night, no smile on her face, no feedback when we said it was our first time there. Now with that being said the bread coming out before the meal was nice and the butter looked super neat, bread was amazing, and the food was pretty good. The only complaint about the food was my husband said the oysters, he didn't end up eating them and said they were not made right at all. Other than that no complaints about the food itself. We tried to hurry and get done eating because we were uncomfortable and wanted to leave. We just felt unwanted there and like we just needed to leave so we hurried up and finished up and then waited quite sometime for her to come near our table so we could ask for a box for at least my fries since my husband didn't want to take home the oysters. She came back over eventually and we got a box, paid cash so we could just hand it over and go. I don't think we've ever left a restaurant so quick. I felt bad for the couple near us celebrating their anniversary and the table that sat down before we left expressing she was DEATHLY allergic to something handed the waitress a medical card and her response was the rudest! She didn't seem to care and said over and over "we are short in the back so we will see what we can do." The lady said "I will go into anaphylactic shock so I just want to make sure they change their gloves." The waitress then says "well once again we are short in the back but I'll check." I am hoping that she understands she's the face of that business and being a waterfront restaurant people are expecting more of a top tier service so hopefully she can perform better next time for people that will return there. Unfortunately we will not return. I've included some photos of our nicely played food though. read more

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Had a surprise reservation at this place for my birthday. They seated us right by the window that was perfectly for us. It was a beautiful view, but it was overpriced for being an average restaurant. We started off with some wine as we gazed upon the menu and the view. Most of the wines by glass are only from Italy, Washington, and Oregon. By the bottle, i believe it varies from country and state. They give you bread as your starter. The bread wasnt too dry and was sourdough bread. It was served with an oil dip. Although we got the bread for free as a good start, we decided to order an appetizer. For appetizer, we had the calamari strips. These were crunchy/squishy with a zest of lemon. My fiance isnt a seafood fan but he was able to eat these just fine as the coating helped mask away the squid taste. The appetizer was ok and the starter was fine, nothing too special. However, what really brought it down were the entrees. They were so underwhelming. I ordered the lobster tail while my fiance ordered the tenderloin filet. The lobster was not rubbery and had that seafood crunch that i liked. The problem was the dip. It was just oil and no butter. Felt a bit too greasy for a dish. The tenderloin was cooked to the fiance's liking of well done, but the problem was the taste did not outstand him. It reminded him of getting a steak at a local dinner. For dessert, i sadly dont remember, but it was a strawberry chocolate ice cream. I believe the dessert was only for their Valentine's Day weekend. They added a candle since they remembered we were celebrating my birthday. No matter the occasion, the dessert is not free. The dessert though, was probably the best out of the whole meal. Staff was nice. The receptionist was sweet and greeted us when we arrived. Our waitress was kind and throughout the tables, i could hear her getting along with a lot of the customers. They have their own parking lot available up front and across the street. The lot up front is much smaller, so i would aim trying to find parking across the street. The lot is shared for people who are eating at Harbor Lights and the restaurant next door. The attire is a bit fancy. I dont see many people wearing anything too casual, but i dont see anyone wearing anything over the top. Overall, i dont believe we will be coming back. It was a nice fancy experience, but the food isnt something to beg for. read more

Harbor Lights - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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First of all, what a view. I am totally in love with the Puget Sound and Ruston Way, and any place that lets me sit and admire the view while sipping warm coffee is a winner. Second of all, this ain't no cheap brunch. I paid $125 (including tip) for two, which included coffee, beer, appetizers, main entree, beer, dessert. It definitely broke the brunch budget for the week but it was definitely worth it. PROS: The bread and butter were top notch, that bread was so flaky and soft. The fish and chips were absolutely crunchy and good, and that slaw that came with it was just so tasty. The burnt creme was to die for. Service was amazing as well, our very attentive server made sure we were well taken cared of. Thank you Carolyn for being awesome!! CONS: the chowder was made with a clear broth today, I was not a fan. It smelled and tasted very fishy. While it did not have a bad flavor and I tasted alright, it didn't placate my cravings for a creamy Tacoma chowder. read more

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The food here is fine but nothing extraordinary. I got the fish and chips and mom got the trout and they were solid. I also got the creme brulee and it was also fine, but also forgettable. At least we got to sit next to a window which is right by the water so it added to the experience. What I like is that they have a patio so you can bring a dog, but it's a narrow patio so if you're dog is hyperactive and wants to inspect everyone who goes by, this might not be the place to take them. When it's windy it can get cold so we skipped the patio and left the pups in the car. read more

Harbor Lights - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Clams had no broth , straight bay water steamed and served. No seasoning either 2 LB bucket! Still a beautiful view thou. Drinks are watered down too. read more

Harbor Lights - The Bill - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Great place good prices friendly staff - food is not bad - view is fabulous . This is an iconic Tacoma restaurant. Please bring back a decent steak for happy hour - ground steak has no place on a menu other than for a burger read more

This was our first time here. I wish we had a window seat but the service was still great. We all enjoyed our food. read more

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While visiting Tacoma, my wife and I wanted to enjoy a meal at a seafood restaurant right on the water. We were delighted to see an entire row of restaurants, including Harbor Lights, to choose from. After doing a little research online and finding a place that had an available reservation, we booked dinner here. There is plenty of free parking across the street from the restaurant. For people who don't wish to have the waterfront experience, there is a patio out front that faces the road. We were lucky, however, to be seated right by the window with an unobstructed view of the water. Service is attentive. We were served bread and butter before our meal came out. I'd love to see the butter just a little warmer-it was so cold that it couldn't be spread. Our meals were both nice-everything tasted fresh and those green beans were amazing! The best part of the meal, however, was the peach ice cream. Although we were pretty full, we made room for dessert. And we were glad that we did! read more

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This is a late review. We came here a couple years ago, and it was their Rhubarb Season, so we did get to try some of their rhubarb specials. We started off with the Best of Season Rhuby Drop and Rhubarb-Strawberry Margarita, and both were tasty. We ordered Calamari Strips, Northwest Manila Clams, Northwest Pan Fried Oysters, and Sirloin Steak. For dessert, we all shared a Fresh Rhubarb Slump. Everything was good; we all enjoyed our dinner. But we did feel a bit awkward. The place wasn't too busy, but service was slow. It took longer than it should for someone to greet us and take our order after we were seated. And we heard two waiters telling each other to come take our orders, like neither of them wanted to help us. The waiter seemed friendly, but we couldn't tell if it was a genuine friendly. And once we got our food, the waiter didn't really check on us and it was hard for us to get his attention, even though he was often checking on the other tables around us. We haven't yet decided to come back and give another chance since. read more

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Good food, good service. Clam chowder not a good pick but everything else is bomb . Food came pretty fast too read more

Harbor Lights - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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this is the first time we've been here (on honeymoon)- not super impressed. Our jack and coke was too strong to enjoy with a meal. The seafood tasted fresh & not fishy, but nothing special. There was no wait time, table service was very slow. With 1 drink & 2 meals we spent nearly $100, ordering the least expensive entrees. Edit: husband got food poisoning read more

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Our party of four chose Harbor Lights during Happy Hour. Our server did an excellent job. The wine pour was very generous. We chose the Calamari, the Brie. the Fish and Chip appetizers and a Caesar salad. Everything was excellent! We reordered the Calamari. Our stay in Tacoma is limited, but we will return! read more

My husband and I enjoy the food and drinks here. The seafood and steak are reliably delicious. On our last visit my favorite was the steelhead. We go about 4 times a year and I was so surprised the waitress remembered what my husband's preferences were from our previous visit. Incredible I think! The view here is amazing. Whether you go for a special event or if everyday is special, the Harbor Lights does not dissapoint. read more

Honestly, Would like to start out saying I use to love this place. It holds very important memories for me and my wife. That whole area in a profound way does. Which leads to me the last experience I had with them. I reserved a table outside to sit. When I expressed this over the phone i was met with just about every excuse. The main issue this day was he "told me" it would be bad weather. I REAFFIRMED I would enjoy a table outside and was basically ignored I guess cause came the day and we were not even asked about. Though they had no issue taking people out there. Wasn't even gonna bother with this but... Last and final, the food. "Overpriced and I'm still hungry." A direct quote from my wife while leaving. I couldn't find an excuse to disagree. My fish was ice cold by the time I got it. Summary, I truly doubt I will be back. We go out to enjoy our evening. Not to be ignored and pay for a subpar meal. read more

Service was horrible from a server name Carolyn,she made me feel uncomfortable the minute she walked up to my table,I feel she was racist.Please hire better people at your establishment.Food was ok. read more

I highly recommend this place!!! I brought my service dog here. Believe it or not, we've been refused service because of my service dog. The management here was a bit hesitant at first but they let us dine. THANK YOU! As usual my companion stayed under the table as trained. The food was great!!! Their crab and shrimp dip was ON POINT and their bread was a killer. I had their signature meal and it was so good! Beautiful view, great food, dining w my service dog, what an amazing experience. I will definitely return but I just as that the server pay a bit more attention to us and maybe refill my water. Maybe because of my big dog but the servers were a bit aloof. But I get it. Not everyone loves dogs. But please understand I can't walk straight without my companion. read more

Harbor Lights - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

My husband and I went for the $39 Three Course Halibut dinner special tonight. We started with Nectar Clam Chowder and a Caesar Salad (forgot to take pics). Then we both selected the Panko Crusted Halibut with asparagus and I had the rice, my husband had the baked potatoe. Dessert for both of us was the chocolate mousse. Our server Chris did an excellent job waiting on us. Halibut is my all time favorite fish and I wasn't disappointed, the whole meal was excellent. Thanks Harbor Lights you made my night! read more

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This is the best fish & chips i've ever had!! Has a wonderful view and great service as well. Definitely worth the money! read more

Harbor Lights - tempura fish & chips - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Ambiance is subpar considering the real estate, stuck in the 80s. Should've done better research, lol. The crowd was 90% the generation of people with AARP memberships. The service was mid. The food was extremely overpriced. The fish & chips was one of the more inexpensive dishes. It was $29 but tasted like $12.99. The fish & chips at Dave & Busters was so much better and half the price. Their seafood Mac & cheese was mid, lacked flavor, lacked acidity. The prices were insane and nothing was unique to warrant it. One of my friends ordered steak... and couldn't tell the difference between that and one from Applebees. I was so looking forward to this and it fell short read more

Harbor Lights - Fish & Chips - Seafood Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Been years since we've dined here due to moving away for a while but so glad we did while visiting the new Ruston Point area. Still as good as we remember, such a classic establishment in Tacoma. We went in the bar to try the happy hour menu. It was really busy but it is a small area, so we sat at the bar. We were happily taken care of by a sweet bartender gal, Kara. She was quick to serve and did great job. We had some great HH cocktails and started w/ 3 HH appetizers. Shocked as busy as the bar & restaurant were that a kitchen staff brought all 3 of our plates within 5-8 mins!! Everything looked and tasted awesome, we got the steamed clams, shrimp Caesar and calamari. Kara had brought us bread basket/butter just beforehand which was also great. We'd certainly order all these items again, we were in heaven. Hubby loves his fries so he added an order as we finished the 3 plates. Probably the best Caesar I've had in years, between the excellent dressing and fresh shrimp meat, but again each dish was on point and I'm a pretty good cook with high expectations at nice restaurants. No complaints! Oh actually..., lol, would have really enjoyed some nice music instead of the diners chatting around us and watching football ( thankfully no sound on) . I couldn't help but notice on the regular menu there was no mention of some of our old favorites, Captains platter, Seafood Louie, Raw Oysters, and I wish the early bird dinner had an option to upgrade to a steak instead of ground sirloin. Ok, can't wait to go back!! Please keep up the great work and service. read more

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Wonderful peaceful, beautiful atmosphere by Commencement Bay, but then it goes downhill. So many menu items were made in a factory...French fries were horrid made in a factory 400 miles away. Why? Does Anthony's (the owner) really expect us to shell out good money for tasteless frozen french fries--not fresh cut? No flavor in the fish and chips. The server shrugged when asked why no flavor in the fish and chips. Chefs do not seem to care. Not the place I knew and savored 15 years ago. This is so sad to see a local icon go down the faster and cheaper ingredient route. Not recommended. read more

Do not let the stars on this place fool you! This place is absolutely garbage from the cocktails to the can of bumblebee shrimp that they tried to pass off as shrimp cocktail. Only acceptable thing was them comping our bill but the service was terrible, drinks awful and food inedible read more

Nice date night restaurant. It's one of the old school Tacoma restaurants, that's for sure. I had a cocktail which was a cucumber gin flavored one. It was tasty. I had the scallops for dinner. The scallops were on the smaller side but cooked well and the sauce was tasty. I opted for the mashed potatoes and it came with green beans. It was a decent price for seafood and the view on the water was nice. Overall, a decent stop. read more

Ok, I will summarize this review to make it easy. I read through other reviews and they seem to be mixed, some love it and some dont. I liked my food, my friend did not like his at all. So lets start off saying this is a place for loud and noisy tourists to eat, not a special local high end restaurant. Service -5 Seafood dip/ price - 3 Fish and fries/ price- 5 Scallop meal/ price -1 Drinks/price -3 Cleanliness/ inviting atmosphere -2 View of the water -5 read more

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This was a nearly perfect meal. Troy (G) was impeccable, absolutely top notch service. Clearly he is a professional. The food was unfussy but top quality, designed to highlight the freshest seafood flavors, my daughter ate her whole kids salmon and caesar, my husband got Captain's platter, holy cow amazing. Do the berry desserts if you go in summer, the sorbet was perfect, and the pie in a jar was divine. Just a really impeccable meal, a really nice surprise, thank you for great food and service!!! read more