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    4.1 (497 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

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    THE FORUM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Forum

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    Reviews With Photos

    Bacon Blue Cheese Burger n tots
    Tracy M.

    Visiting Tacoma around lunchtime, craving burgers & wings. A local friend suggested The Forum and thanks, what a gem! From the outside you can't tell what a quaint cozy historic building this is. Great architectural features, very large restaurant pub. The burgers satisfied our cravings: bacon blue cheese burger, guacamole bacon burger both juicy & tasty. The wings made us happy as well!

    Hair in food

    Absolutely awful experience ordering food here. My wife had hair in her fries and stuck into her grilled cheese. This place should have the health inspector show up.

    Great friend and great service
    Brad L.

    Met a friend I hadn't seen in 40 years. Server was so friendly and made great recommendations. I live in Portland, but will be back. Tacoma has a gem

    Cajun shrimp tacos with caeser salad
    Bernard U.

    Been here several times over the years but today was not the kitchens day.Fairly quiet Saturday afternoon and the food took way longer to get to our table.Certainly didn't see any other plates coming out before ours.Anyway!The meal was very good .Generous caeser side salad with chunks of Parmesan all over it.Four tacos for me is a bit much and I'd prefer sautéed shrimp over breaded,but,still tasty and great value.Servers were polite and observant.Plenty of TV's and a good choice of music in this air conditioned pub.Some outdoor seating.

    Onion Rings
    Angi C.

    Came by for some after dinner drinks. My friend loves this place and told me all about how the old bar was won in a card game. Really old, wood, antique decor from the old Olympus hotel. Some of the ornate carvings are from monasteries from France. Drinks were great- I ordered the infused liquor flight- a few were not very good- hard to stomach actually. I had ordered a chaser but it never arrived. Overall service was pretty bad but it was obvious they were beyond short staffed. We shared the onion rings and they were perfection- beer battered yumminess..

    Old fashioned
    Michael B.

    Pretty average dive bar with good music. Perfect place to people watch on the weekends. Drinks are decently priced and food portions are large. The floor layout is very awkward. I think they should change it for better flow when it's crowded.

    Jemellee S.

    The restaurant we wanted to go to had a long wait (during lunch hour) so we just looked around and we happened to walk-in to this restaurant and turned out to be really good. Since we are in downtown area of course there's no private parking. Just metered parking and if you're lucky may find a street parking. It looks like a bar from classic movie. The antique/tavern decor tells the history of this restaurant. The food was good. From soup to salad to Mac and cheese. It was all delicious. I ordered the Mac and cheese topped off with bacon. My Mac and cheese was on point because it was served hot and the bacon was still crunchy. It was a large serving in my opinion can be for two people. My friend had a beautiful cob salad and fried pickles. Now the fried pickles is recommending! It came with two different house sauce, you can't go wrong with that. We were in a bit of a time crunch so we asked a lot from our server and he honored all of our requests. Our server was so polite! The food came same time as the check as we requested. Also they do not have a problem splitting up the bill which is such a convenience for different parties! FYI: this is also a hotel. I have to say location and vibe is timeless classic.

    Onion Rings

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    7 months ago

    No acknowledgment at the bar after over 20 mins, ruined a bar crawl. Also, the food is mid. Just close.

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    Business owner information

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    Justin T.

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    Greg T.

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    10 months ago

    Love this place! Lyndsie, Kevin, Tiffany, and Bailey are the best! Food is good with large portions, rad old bar from the old hotel.

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    Page 1 of 13

    The Forum Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Forum

    Can people under 21 eat here?

    No I don't think so, seems to be adult only.

    Is this place dog friendly? I saw on bringfido.com that it was ok, cool to have pups not only outside but inside too?

    Yes the are dog friendly. Bring them in!! I've actually seen 3 120lb dogs chillin at the end of a table. They all got treats!

    View All 3 Questions

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    Boom Boom Room - Boom Boom Room Bar

    Boom Boom Room

    4.3(274 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$
    Romantic vibe
    Takes reservations

    The BBM has been on my list for some time & I am so happy I finally got to try it out!…read moreFirst thing's first, it is a small and intimate space with cozy and ambient vibes. Seating is limited, but the bar is fully stocked! We ordered the chicken caesar salad and the Lil Saigon Sliders. The salad was fresh and crunchy, chicken well seasoned and tender, and the caesar dressing was BOMB! But those sliders..... WOW. The sliders bring everything you love about a banh mi to a mini slider that is the perfect snack size (although, they were so good we ended up ordering another) Our waitress was super kind and helpful with ordering, even suggesting a cocktail that was delicious. I can't stop thinking about how surprisingly good everything was and I cannot wait to come back for more!

    Honestly... I'm not sure where to start here we had a reservation, ten of us together. They put us…read morein the Sinatra Room which is *sweaty* hot. The waitress even mentioned it was hot in this room and when we commented on it she just said yeah it sucks. I have Celiac so this is not a dietary choice, it's a medical restriction. I asked about gluten free options and she said nothing is gluten free (even though the website says it gluten free options available). She then said the best option for me would be the mushrooms or the wings because they are lightly breaded and she is gluten free and does well with those. We paid for our drinks and left. I won't be coming back and it's not because of the menu.

    Photos
    Boom Boom Room - Sinatra Room

    Sinatra Room

    Boom Boom Room
    Boom Boom Room

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    Manuscript - Orchard Brassica Salad

    Manuscript

    3.9(134 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    The atmosphere & decor felt great and relaxed, we went early in the evening before it got crowded…read more I hate the QR code for a menu. I understand why restaurants do it, but I hate it. If I hate to scan a QR code for a menu and there aren't even pictures, what's the point? I don't need a fancy menu, but a printed menu is nicer. We got the Skillet Smashed Fingerlings/potatoes appetizer to start, very delicious! My dinner companion got the Classic Smash Burger. She said the burger was great, and she knew there were going to be caramelized onions, but there was a lot packed in the middle of the patty. The novelty wore off quickly. She still said it was good overall. I ordered the Scarlet Rosemary (chicken and homemade pasta), and it was really good. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the sauce was fantastic, but the only problem was; there wasn't enough of it (sauce) and when the dish cooled as we ate, you couldn't taste the sauce much. About 7-10 minutes after getting our food, my friend took a bite of my pasta and said "I don't taste any flavor at all" and I realized I was mostly tasting the chicken at this point and I was sliding the pasta in the very small bit of sauce on the plate. I would suggest don't be stingy with the sauce because it was great. Otherwise the food was wonderful and we'll plan on going back.

    I took my friend here as a birthday treat. He was craving pasta and I thought this might be a good…read moreplace for that. We enjoyed our food! The service was attentive and good. The only disappointment was we really did not like our tiramisu cake. It contained way too much alcohol for either of our liking and we both don't drink alcohol. This was the strongest alcohol I've ever had in a tiramisu cake. The environment has a unique vibe but the seating was not comfortable and the tables were very small.

    Photos
    Manuscript - Dining area

    Dining area

    Manuscript - Eda-bim bap

    Eda-bim bap

    Manuscript - Frosted Manifest Martini Style

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    Frosted Manifest Martini Style

    Devil's Reef - Love the bar

    Devil's Reef

    4.1(191 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Really cozy spot nestled in downtown Tacoma. We came in a little after 5, it took our eyes a bit to…read moreadjust to the darkness but were delighted with the lantern-lit atmosphere and the moody ambient music. To the layman it may seem like just a dark "pirate" or "tiki bar", but the focus is really more centered around Lovecraftian and cosmic horror - not something you see you often but very much appreciated among those who are familiar. The menu is accessed by QR codes on the table. They have an *extremely* long list of cocktails, all named appropriately with the theming, but somewhat lacking in variety. Most of the cocktails are some combination of rum, spices, lime/lemon, and maybe something else fruity or sweet. My wife had a Ships from Far Shores while I enjoyed an Astro Orbiter. Their menu has an indicator of how strong each drink is, and it doesn't lie. The Astro Orbiter tasted great but was indeed quite strong. The staff were extremely polite and a pleasure to talk to. Unfortunately their kitchen was closed the evening we went, so we weren't able to grab any food, but hopefully we'll to try some the next time we stop by.

    Great place! Stopped in to enjoy some tiki drinks. There is…read moreno sign on the outside here do you need to kind of know where it's located. Inside is on the dark side. There are lots of low cool lighting. It's not huge but there are several tables and a bar to sit at. It's decorated in cool Island/tiki style. The drink menus is big. We did not eat but the food coming out looked delicious. We ordered at the bar and sat at a high top. The drinks were very good. Great place for date night or yo meet up with sone friends. If you enjoy a hood tiki drink , this is definitely a place to visit.

    Photos
    Devil's Reef - Signature drink~ Devil Reef was pretty & boozy! *Recommended

    Signature drink~ Devil Reef was pretty & boozy! *Recommended

    Devil's Reef
    Devil's Reef

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    The Powder Room Champagne Bar & Restaurant - Wines, Champagne, Bubbles, Cava, Prosecco

    The Powder Room Champagne Bar & Restaurant

    3.7(120 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    I want you to celebrate my friend's birthday. I've been here twice now for a girls brunch…read more Both times the establishment has been very accommodating wasn't as busy so seating was easy. They are little staffed so service was slow, but it was understandable since she would explain each time and apologize to each time she came to the table for the delay I would definitely recommend four girls brunch. Everything girly they have really great areas to take photos.

    I really wanted to love this place because the atmosphere is nice and it has a lot of potential,…read morebut unfortunately our experience was just okay. The food itself was decent, but definitely overpriced for what you get. We ordered a cheese plate and a salad. It took well over 45 minutes just to receive the cheese plate, and then another 35+ minutes for the salad to come out. That felt excessive, especially considering the restaurant wasn't busy when we first arrived. There was a bridal shower happening, which is totally understandable and of course events can impact service. However, at the time we were seated, it wasn't crowded at all. The service was also disappointing. Our waitress rarely checked in, and we eventually had to go up to the bar ourselves to ask for napkins and water refill. Overall, it wasn't a terrible experience, but for the prices and the wait times, I expected much better service and efficiency. I understand maybe we caught them on a off day, but for being my first experience I'd consider giving it another try, but improvements in attentiveness and timing would make a big difference.

    Photos
    The Powder Room Champagne Bar & Restaurant - Cocktail Menu

    Cocktail Menu

    The Powder Room Champagne Bar & Restaurant - Rosé Menu

    Rosé Menu

    The Powder Room Champagne Bar & Restaurant - Small bites, salads and sides menu

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    Small bites, salads and sides menu

    Busy Body - The cheerful bar

    Busy Body

    3.9(51 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    This place is ADORABLE when it's the holiday season!…read more We came this past Friday and it was starting to get crowded. It's a small place so definitely show up when they're about to open (4pm) bc it'll get crowded by then! Their seating is small so the booths are really for 2 ppl. We were a group of 3 and made it work! Our server was nice and patient with our questions! He said they do this "Christmas pop up bar" during the holidays and fully revamp their menu to be holiday-themed. Everything will be taken down and full menu back in January. I got the Christmapolitan which was lovely! My friend got the cocktail that was named from the Die Hard movie, "Yipee, kai-yay MF" lol. It was pretty good and came in a cute Santa mug with only Santa's bottom half The popcorn chicken was crispy and juicy! Their fries are BOMB, loved the crispiness of it. I got the hot chicken sandwich and it was crispy but kinda got messy and saucey towards the end...overall, pretty good food for what we had and drinks. For the holidays season, they have mugs and shot glasses for purchase to take home.

    I went to this bar to meet friends for a birthday. They informed me there was an open seat next to…read morethem at the bar, while the rest of the group was seated at a table. When I arrived, there was no greeter or host present. I went to the empty seat, briefly set down my coat, and dropped off the birthday gift. When I returned to the seat moments later, a member of the wait staff approached me and said, "What do you think we are doing? We seat people here." I asked whether that was how customers are typically greeted. She then stated that I had "tons of privilege" and directed me to leave the bar, including while I was standing near the door waiting for my friends. I understand that businesses have seating policies, but in this instance there was no clear signage or staff guidance upon entry. The situation was handled in a way that escalated rather than clarified the issue and detracted from what was intended to be a birthday celebration. Added after response from owner: You are certainly free to report your side of the story. I was greeted by your staff with the line, "Who the hell are you!" I asked, "Do you greet all of your customers that way." She then berated me and told me that she does if they just walk in and skip the line. Like most bars, with no one present at the front I assumed bar seating was open. Upon greeting my friends I took the seat. In regards to threatening remarks, the only threat I made was that I would leave a review. I used no harsh language and proceeded to the front of the restaurant to wait for my friends who decided to cash out. Your staff member proceeded to continue to berate me and tell me I would be trespassed if I didn't leave the restaurant and stand in the rain. I did leave while she continued to scream at me. Since I did not have context for what you described a simple, "Hi, we seat at the bar here and this is someone else's seat" would have been a great way to greet me. Don't assume I had bad intent just because I was trying to patronize the establishment. I highly suggest you read your reviews and quit attacking your patrons. Based on what I have read you have a serious problem with staff behavior. You spend all of your time on here defending bad practices instead of improving your service. I am happy to say that I will never patronize your business. In addition you lost 14 other customers due to your actions. I was told I must have privilege just to walk in to meet my friends at a bar. You have a clear over inflated sense of self worth to assume your bar is so great that treating customers this way will keep you in business. Best of luck, and you are correct, a place where staff greet you by yelling at you is not a great fit for me. It likely isn't for others as well.

    Photos
    Busy Body - So pretty!

    So pretty!

    Busy Body - Krampus holiday cocktail  with option to purchase mug

    Krampus holiday cocktail with option to purchase mug

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