I think about this place often, I am planning my trip next month around being able to come back here. I have never had a savory waffle before but it changed my life. It was the fluffiest inside with a nice crisp outside. They had a salsa between the waffle and chorizo, amazing. 10/10. My friends also enjoyed their food. They didn't have a caramel iced coffee on their menu but they said they could make it and they sure could. Top 3 coffees of my life. I tried it, finished it, and ordered another one to go. 20/10. The staff was really nice, it wasn't too busy so the vibes were what I was hoping from the pnw. The chef brought out our food, very nice guy. Everything was sooo good. I went in April and will be going back in August. read more

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Yummy waffle, tasty cappuccino, pleasant service, casual atmosphere. What's not to like? read more

Red Elm Cafe - Vegan gluten free waffle with blueberries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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The service VERY friendly is must visit again delicious drink and pastries. The kinda I got vintage and relaxing place to enjoy. read more

Red Elm Cafe - Delicious - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Went today on a rainy Thursday hoping to grab a coffee before a work mtg at 10:30a and it appears to be closed? No sign on the door. Just chairs all up tables and locked doors. Hours say it's open - but definitely not open. read more

A breakfast place featuring BYO (build your own) breakfast sandwiches. I got a turkey sausage, pesto, pepper-jack and egg sandwich - and a hot chocolate. The hot chocolate looked like it might be good, but was disappointing. The sandwich OK, but not great. The food took a little while - the person behind the counter had to do everything one at a time - and the atmosphere was of the industrial repurposed flavor. I like supporting local small businesses (which this clearly is), but I have to say, I'm not a fan. read more

Had time for a leisurely stroll to this lovely cafe before workI had a matcha latte (delicious) and turkey sausage stacks (spinach, tomato, and cheese between sausage patties), which was tasty and satisfying without feeling heavy. Yes there were a few unhoused folks as others have mentioned but they were very quiet and kept to themselves. There is a kid's play area in the back which is a very nice touch. The barista was friendly to everyone. It is clear that Red Elm cares about their community. I would love to give them more of my business. read more

Red Elm Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Cute coffee shop, delicious drip coffee, great gluten free sandwiches and super sweet employees- you can tell they love their community! A few outside tables but a lot of larger ones inside too for group gatherings. Check it out! read more

Red Elm Cafe - Drip Coffee (the fullest cup you've ever seen) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Loved the atmosphere and friendly staff. Drip coffee was unremarkable. Next time I'll try an espresso or chai beverage. Bacon was great but the waffle was dry. I'll try a sandwich or avocado toast next time. read more

Red Elm Cafe - Waffle with feta cheese and excellent pesto. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

We were in the area for a resource fair at the community center, which is down the street and this was in walking distance. They also were open early. The menu gave option for vegan vegetarian, which was great because I don't eat dairy and love the substitutes of cheese is awesome Nice quaint atmosphere. It looks like they appear to have like activities like open mic, etc. there but overall customer service is great nice and roomy insight seating available. read more

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I stopped in this cute cafe early this morning for a quick bite. I ordered the byo breakfast sandwich and an orange juice. The sandwich took about ten minutes to make and was extremely fresh and tasty. I opted for the turkey sausage, cheddar, and avocado on sourdough with a side of hash browns. The baristas were extremely friendly and personable. What made this a five-star experience for me was witnessing one of the baristas offer a coffee to an individual who didn't have the means to pay for it themselves. That moment alone made me decide to begin coming here more frequently. Highly recommend! read more

The Red Elm Cafe has become one of my favorite places to get a quick and delicious breakfast. Their coffee is yummy. This place has pretty good Chai lattes too. Everything I've tried on the menu (waffles, sandwiches, and salads) has been good. Their blueberry chocolate muffin... Is heavenly. Everything in their menu is so reasonable and I'm never left disappointed with my order. My favorite is the chicken pesto salad - their pesto is just divine! Even when it's packed, I never feel like it's too loud like how some coffee shops can be. I also love that they have board games and love their many seating options! read more

Red Elm Cafe - Chicken pesto - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Red Elm is a cute café for all of your breakfast needs. I arrived right after opening, but didn't have the place to myself for long as a homeless person came in to take a nap...and apparently they're okay with that. The café has a good amount of seating, and could be good for small groups. I went with a mocha with oat milk, which was pretty okay. Nothing to write home about and I wouldn't go out of my way to get another one. The waffle I had was quite tasty. Very nice, fluffy texture so no complaints there. Overall pretty average. This is a place I'd come back to if I had something to do in the immediate area. This place keeps it simple - order at the counter. Food will be delivered to the table, drinks are picked up at the counter. While I was eating several people stopped in for coffee, so they definitely have a following. read more

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This is a perfect neighborhood community gathering space. Cozy atmosphere. Mix of several 4 and 2 tops, couches and comfy chairs. Child's play area in the back. All staff were friendly and welcoming. Created my own breakfast sandwich and got some dudes donuts. Sandwich was wonderful and server commented that they wanted to make one for themselves after making mine read more

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Food was over an hour late. Delivery person did not speak English. Spoke multiple times to no avail. Food was not correct, some missing, some just wrong. Want a full refund on this order. This is not the first time I ordered from Red Elm and have never had this type of experience before. I want a full refund for this order. Please call me. Check #36 read more

This is my favorite breakfast spot, staff is lovely, food is delicious. I usually have no problem with finding parking either! read more

Red Elm Cafe - Vegan + GF Waffle - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Cute inside and lots of drink options!! I had a very bland lunch sandwich that definitely used chunk chicken, but it was cheap nonetheless. Would recommend just making a sandwich at home. read more

Red Elm Cafe - Chicken Avocado Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

The service is good the coffee and food are good if you can find a place to sit and enjoy what you bought. It's a small shop with not much seating. read more

Strange combination of order at the counter and self-serve. The breakfast menu is limited, and a little confusing. A bunch of breakfast sandwiches, then some a la carte ordering. Food was nothing special, service was slow and not so good. I'd skip it. read more

I absolutely loved this coffeehouse! They have gluten-free everything and for the first time, I had a gluten-free waffle. But the sandwiches and other items are also available gluten-free. I got a mocha, my husband and son got their lattes so it was all good. The mocha wasn't too sweet. My son got a turkey sando and liked it. But, they also have a cute, fun, and funky vibe. I will definitely be back here. It reminds me of Au Coqulet in Berkeley, when they had the redo and the food got better (not so grimy and gross). This place was nice, clean, and is the type of place I would come to when I need to study something or just want to chill. I look forward to my return visit with my waffle and my proper syrup. Thanks so much, guys!!! read more

Red Elm Cafe - Books and games. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Good service, fantastic ambiance, and of course sensational coffee I Still have so much respect for the valiant efforts to continue to develop this area and leave the negative past right where it belongs...a must try place for your coffee read more

Red Elm Cafe - The newest member in the neighborhood and one of the kindest people who has wondered in this Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

This place gives me chill vibes. It's cute, it's not too big, not too fancy. It's a good place for a quick stop to meet for lunch. They serve soup, sandwiches, and some pastry. The menu is not overwhelming. They don't have a private parking lot however, there's tons of street parking available. The service is quick and the people are friendly. So you order at the counter and then they bring the food to you. I really like that concept because then you do t have to wait for them to come to your table to take your order and can have separate checks if you choose to. The price is just right. I believe I spent less than $20 for myself. read more

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I really liked the feeling of this place when I walked in. The staff was very friendly and it was busy at 11:45am on a Monday. I ordered an iced chai tea latte and their chicken avocado hot sandwich. The chai tea was the worst I've ever had. They make theirs differently than with a powder or syrup so it was very grainy and I was almost choking on the chunky spices that were in there. Other than that, it was just a $5 cup of cold milk. The sandwich was tasty. I didn't realize there would be spinach on it. I ended up picking it off since it was sooooo soggy and cooked that I couldn't chew through it. The potato chips were also yummy. It took about 15minutes to arrive to my table from when I ordered it. I do think that someone could focus a little more on cleaning up. The floor and tables were quite dirty with wrappers and crumbs and so was their kitchen area. read more

Red Elm Cafe - Chicken avocado sandwich and chai tea latte - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Super tasty spot! We went for the gluten free waffles, but we'd return for the friendly staff! We ordered two coffees, a gf waffle, gf breakfast sandwich, and a caprese sandwich. There was tons of seating too. read more

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A nice little quant cafe. My wife and I both had waffles which was very light and tasty. The hash browns could have been more for the price but I will not order them next time. The service was great. I will come back here. I wanna try the soups. read more

Wonderful lil cafe for a nice, basic breakfast or a great Sammie for lunch. Really great staff and a clean place to hang out to study, meet friends for coffee, or just chill for a bit. read more

Perfect place for a quick bite to eat! I mainly come here to study. It's a great study spot. I love how they have a meeting room that you can rent out as well. 10 of us rented it out to do a study group so it was perfect that we were able to study and grab a bite to eat. They have a cute little kid play area in the corner which I love for anyone that wants to have coffee with a friend and you have littles that want to move around. Food is always great and the customer service! read more

Red Elm Cafe - The waffles are delicious! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

This cafe serves plenty of gluten free options. The coffee is good and the people are nice. I would give it 5 stars however, you have to bus your own tables, the bacon is like a piece of bacon split in to two pieces (yeah), which was ridiculous because it's not worth it to even purchase. The sandwiches are about the same, like thinly sliced meat and the smallest portion available. These sandwiches will run you $8-10, so think about that. It's busy in here, not a ton of room but it's a small business. read more

We can for a group meeting and the food was coming the entire meeting by the end of the meeting my food still wasn't ready and they kicked us out the room because they double booked our last hour told us we could sit in the main cafe but it was full so I waited another 15 for my food and drink and then we left. Sandwiches had no flavor even with bacon but the Italian soda was tasty read more

Food portions are tiny. My breakfast sandwich was over $10 and basically just a grilled cheese with eggs. I spent around $50 for two breakfast sandwiches, a waffle, a small coffee, and two lemonades. There's absolutely no value here, and the food isn't anything to write home about. I'd stay away. It feels like minimum effort on their part while expecting maximum return. Save your money and don't come here for anything other than the coffee. read more

Red Elm Cafe is a great locally owned place that serves breakfast and lunch all day. They close early (no dinners). I had a Belgian Waffle served with syrup and strawberry jam. Also had the bacon and egg sandwich on wheat bread, cooked up in a Panini press. You order and pay at the counter and they bring the food to you. I liked their table markers as they were made of chunks of wood. There is a very long seating area with a large brick wall on one side and a bookshelf with games and books. There's pretty couches and soft armchairs spread throughout the seating area. Also a very cute kid's area in back. This place is very nice, locally owned and a wonderful place to visit or meet up with friends. read more

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The coffee is good, but the Chorizo, Salsa Verde, Cojitio waffle? Ehhh... the toppings were good, but there was ZERO Chorizo in my waffle as they claimed. It was just an over-sugared waffle. I was disappointed enough to throw it away and walk out. I was even told that there was chorizo in the waffle, but took pictures to show there was literally none. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Should have probably added some to the toppings to at least give it the effect that there was some. read more

Super great food. I got the tomato mozz sandwich with aioli and tomato soup, and got a chocolate chip cookie. The food is simple and delicious, you can tell it's good quality. Great vibes inside and everyone working there is so lovely! read more

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Very cool and welcoming vibe! I love cozy chairs, artwork, friendly staff! I got a grilled cheese and barley veg soup, which were filling. I tried my kid's chocolate chip waffle, too, and that was solid. Friendly neighborhood vibe. read more

Red Elm Cafe - Beautiful art! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

I haven't been to Red Elm in years, but glad we stopped in yesterday. My daughter was hungry and I just wanted a place to hang out and enjoy a beverage. I ended up getting the Aussie toast with a decaf iced white chocolate soy mocha. She got an iced vanilla latte and a grilled cheese. The woman who works there (possibly the owner?) was super friendly! We enjoyed our afternoon and we will return very soon! read more

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If you want mediocre food this is your spot! Spilled milk and bacon at our table when we sat down and never got cleaned! Do not recommend at all! I think I could've made the food with my eyes closed! We also waited 45 minutes for food. read more

Located in downtown Tacoma this little gem was the perfect family friendly place for Memorial Day breakfast that didn't have a 45min wait. Our favorite were the fresh chocolate chip cookies that were so gooey and rich. *chefs kiss* the waffle dog, chicken pesto sandwich and sausage breakfast sandwich were also great. I was very impressed with the kids play area in the back which has a chalkboard, play kitchen and toys. There's also a private room for parties located in the back. It's very spacious inside with plenty of seating throughout. The only tough part is finding parking nearby as it's located on a busy downtown street. The young woman that helped us at the register was very enthusiastic and welcoming. She explained that we would order and pay at the register and then they would give us a number and bring our food to the table. You buss your own table afterwards. Super cool and trendy spot. read more

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Nice spot for breakfast, lunch, Brunch. I had a turkey sausage, egg, cheese sandwich on whole wheat. Nice lines on the bread don't you think. Fresh lemonade and potato pancake on the side. Thanks for the kickoff to the day. No table service, order at the counter. Everyone was in a great mood on a very sunny day. read more

Red Elm Cafe - Ramping up their day and they have reopened to dine in - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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Elegant, but not expensive!!! Homey, but first class! I was relieved that they have scrambled eggs available all day. I usually have breakfast late. Upon entry I was greeted by a very welcoming server who took my order. I had the veggie breakfast sandwich and a latte. Mine was made fresh to order. It was delicious. The only improvement I can think of might be to add squaw bread as an option. read more

Cute coffee shop with great accessibility to outlets and efficient wifi. I had their pesto and feta waffle recommended by the barista and it was amazing! Hands down one of my favorite waffles ever I will likely tell all my friends about it though they are unfortunately out of state. I also got the white mocha and hash browns which were good as well, the waffle was just such a standout to me. There is a little community room and play area for kids. There was a class in the room around noon on Wednesday that created a pretty loud atmosphere. It was slightly manageable with my noise cancelling headphones, but just something to note if you need a quieter space. read more

Red Elm Cafe - Pesto Pesto and Feta Waffle - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Ordered the black bear latte (monthly special) and turkey sausage with pepper jack cheese sandwich on sourdough The blackbear latte is going to be a secret menu item after this month and it contains blackberry syrup and honey. It's not too sweet and it's a nice smoothness. highly recommend it The breakfast sandwich is grilled on a panini maker so the bread is nice and crunchy but soft on the inside. Sooo delicious Great gluten free options here! read more