My husband and I went to The Forum for the first time last night for drinks and bar food. What we didn't expect was some of the friendliest service we've experienced anywhere in ages. Lynsie greeted us right away with ice cold water and friendly chit chat about our evening. She made an amazing round of drinks and made sure we ordered just the right items off the menu. We never felt ignored, either Lynsie or one of the other bartenders swung by at just the right time to grab us another drink and to exchange some friendly banter. We can't wait to go back for another round of drinks, hilarious stories, and superb service. read more

I had a scheduled interview for a server/bartender position here at 10:00 AM. Despite driving 40 minutes to get here on time, the experience was incredibly disappointing due to a total lack of organization and professional courtesy. When I arrived at 10:00 AM, the manager was not there. I want to specifically thank the kitchen stuff who was there early; he was very kind, tried to help me, and suggested I wait at the bar while he tried to contact the manager. However, when the bartender arrived later, the situation turned unpleasant. Even though I had been waiting since 10:00 AM, he rudely accused me of being late. When I explained the situation, he dismissively said, 'I never seen my manager here on Wednesdays anyway,' and showed zero effort to help. He wouldn't even have bothered to call the manager if I hadn't explicitly insisted and asked him to. After the call, he simply told me the manager 'had something important to do' and wouldn't be coming, suggesting I should just come back later. It is incredibly disrespectful to confirm an appointment and then simply not show up , wasting a candidate's time and gas money. If the management treats potential staff with this much disregard and allows their floor staff to be so rude to applicants, it speaks volumes about the business culture. I hope the owner addresses this internal communication breakdown. read more

Stopped in at Forum and the food did not disappoint. The wings were perfectly cooked; crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside, and packed with flavor (we got the sweet chili). The onion rings were just as impressive: golden, crunchy, and addictive on their own. The batter/ onion ratio was superb, but even better with the variety of dipping sauces they brought out. Between the wings, onion rings, and all the sauces to try, this spot definitely delivered. Solid vibes, good portions, and food that hits the spot. Highly recommend if you're looking for classic bar eats done right. I will be back to try the buffalo wings and French dip. Heard it was fire! read more

The Forum - Sweet chilli wings and onion rings - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

This is a dive bar in a great location with good food. The place is cleaner than you'd expect in tacompton. Please get real red bull though, the knock off stuff is horrible. The drinks are strong and the service even better. They have a large room in back for business meetings also. Keep this one on your list. read more

I had a really concerning experience here and unfortunately couldn't eat the food I ordered. While waiting, I had a clear view of the kitchen and saw the cook handling multiple orders with bare hands that appeared greasy/dirty. At one point, they rolled a burger in their hands and then continued plating other customers' food without washing their hands. I stayed for a bit to see if proper hygiene would be followed, but I didn't observe any handwashing during that time. Because of that, I didn't feel safe eating the food I paid for. I'm not trying to be harsh, but basic food safety practices like handwashing and proper glove use are really important. I hope management takes this seriously and addresses it. read more

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! read more

The Forum - Bacon Blue Cheese Burger n tots - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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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. read more

The Forum - Hair in food - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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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 read more

The Forum - Great friend and great service - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Nice place. Good atmosphere. I ordered the Juicy Lucy burger and I want to say it was delicious. But a Jucy Lucy is supposed to ooze cheese when you cut it in half. I could not find any cheese inside the burger. It had lots melted on top of the burger but none inside. I would have liked to have given 5 stars but just couldn't. The burger was delicious and I loved the caramelized onions on it but it just wasn't a juicy Lucy. Service was great, I could have complained to my server but that's not me. Would I go back? Probably. read more

Yummy food and great service. I love that this place is dog friendly and it's pretty inside. Zekiel was friendly and had great service! Would come back again and again. The cheese sauce with the pretzels was really good lol. read more

My favorite bar in Tacoma. The staff is AMAZING! They are very friendly, take orders quickly. The food is fantastic. Very festive on the holidays. Two thumbs way up. read more

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. read more

The Forum - Cajun shrimp tacos with caeser salad - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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.. read more

The Forum - Onion Rings - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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

Great location, friendly staff, nice selection of specialty infused liquors complimented by a well done cocktail list. The atmosphere is usually chill. I've been multiple times and the only problem here is the major inconsistency in the food service. I'll never forget the first time I went there and tried their Mac and cheese balls(delicious). I'd say if you going for drinks it's a solid every time. I don't go if I'm hungry read more

This is a fun place for happy hour! A lot of times when you show up with a bigger group, the service tends to be a little bit slower, but that's to be expected. At times, it can get very busy and so everything does take a lot longer to get to you. The food is good, the drinks are good, but the atmosphere is what keeps you coming back. They have lots of events like trivia that make going (and going back) a lot of fun. There's both indoor and outdoor seating. Another place that that's good for either a small group or a large one. We've had several work parties there that they've accommodated very well. read more

I have no idea of how good or bad The Forum is, because we were seated at 6:10 for an 8:00 show and come 7:05, we hadn't yet gotten our drink order and we found that our food order hadn't been turned in. Of course this was a bad night for the place, but the staff didn't know enough to tell us that they were short-handed and that there'd be a wait. Although, going almost an hour without getting drinks or being checked in with is A Lot. I'm only posting this because, when we got up to leave because we were hungry and had a show to go to, the staffer argued with me about how long we had been waiting. read more

I absolutely love The Forum! It's dog-friendly, and the whole team, led by the amazing Lynsie, always goes above and beyond. Located on pacific avenue you can't go wrong with food, ambience, and the patrons that love this place read more

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. read more

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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. read more

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Good bar to come grab a bite to eat, watch the game, and have a good drink. The staff are friendly as well. Highly recommend to stop in here read more

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The food was very good. The service however was not. I ordered a tequila cocktail off the menu and something tasted very off about it. It was not drinkable and I let my waiter know politely. Mind you I'm usually not a picky eater or drinker. He had a smug not my problem attitude. He didn't offer to get me anything else and treated us poorly the rest of the time. We paid 12 dollars for a cocktail I wasn't able to drink. This was just not a good experience. I would not come back. read more

Zekiel was so great! And handsome. I had the Cobb and and iced tea. I nice sunny day in downtown Tacoma. read more

This brown-headed waitress with tattoos on both arms was extremely rude for absolutely no reason. I forgot my ID. Keep in mind I didn't even order a drink, and she says "cant have you in here". I was not even sitting at the bar, I was at one of the front tables. Proceeds to snatch the menus away and storm off. If this is how the wait staff acts over something as minuscule as that, I can't imagine how bad the attitudes must get. 0/10, definitely do not recommend. read more

Like many reviews, most restaurants in the area are 1+ hour wait (Saturday evening) so we needed up here. I would say this place has above average bar food and the staff was very friendly. I will warn you the crowd at the time was loud. I would not recommend this place as a date night. We both ordered the French dip and the drinks were delicious!! read more

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In short: A very friendly, welcoming pub by day that evidently fills up with youngsters by night. In long: Going way back on this, I so vividly remember when this corner of downtown was nothing but crime and empty buildings when I was a kid. Seeing people happily pay for parking and pick where they want to hang out for food and drinks along Pac makes me feel so, so good. Happy laughter and fun are what these pretty old buildings have always deserved, and now it's been here for a while. Yes, it certainly is an old building. Long, narrow space, bar on one side, booths on the other, tables up front and outside. More tables in back. Dark wood. Dark green upholstery on the benches and booths. Black and white hex tile from decades ago on the floor. Some of the decor makes you feel like you're in a saloon from the old days. The bar is impressive, with some cool old stained-glass cabinet windows up top, and a solid mix of decent beer, good whiskey, and a few other things. Pass on the wine selections, honestly. I didn't ask for a cocktail but I'm sure they know their way around a mixed drink, at the very least (I just drank whiskey). The kids here are super nice. Most of them are women, and mostly dressed in tight cutoff jeans and skimpy t-shirts. I got here in the afternoon and this seemed a little odd when I noticed it, but it got packed with kids later and it made more sense then. I met a couple old HS buddies for dinner, and we sat in back during the pre-rush lull. Great to catch up over fish and chips...which, oddly enough, we all ordered. Good stuff--great fries with just enough chew to them, nice fresh white fish with just enough batter. The menu is entirely pub grub, lots of fried things. The "Jucy" Lucy burger has quite a following, they say. Bruschetta was maybe kind of okay. The table service was super friendly and nice. She's in her early 20s, I imagine, but knew how to dart in and out while checking on us, keeping us topped up at all times without hovering. Clearly an ace at what she does. Before my buddies got there, I chatted with a variety of colorful characters at the bar, and definitely got the sense that all kinds of people come in here and enjoy themselves. By the time my buddies and I finished catching up, the place was *packed*, with a steady stream of customers pouring in (it was like they all got off the same bus or something), and the staff were setting up the back room for beer pong. Like sands though the hourglass, this place changes throughout the day. I'd come back for more whiskey and colorful characters, but I'll scoot back out again before the beer pong gets too hectic. read more

Great food, great service and get place to go to for spontaneous meetups. We have enjoyed sitting at bar - bartenders were very entertaining. Also met friend for a drink sitting in booths. Will definitely go back! read more

I got the guacamole burger, per the server's recommendation. It was great! Great portion size on the fries too. I had a couple of draft Mac and Jack's, which went with my meal really well. Also, I got the pretzels from the appetizer list, and the leftover cheese went really well with my fries. I can't remember exactly what dessert I got, but it was a sort of cheesecake. Ask Areli about it if she's there, she's great company. Can't recommend this spot enough. I'll be back for sure! read more

I hadn't been here in years so I had to bring my friends in to show them how beautiful this bar is. Sticky, but beautiful. I think it has sort of a gothic look but kept the classiness of the old Olympus hotel that used to house this place. The wood carvings and stained glass of the bar were built in 1897 in France and the floor tiles are the original tiles of the Olympus Cafe. I've been seeing a lot of haunted Tacoma videos and so I thought for sure this place would give off some sort of creepy feeling. There were just good drinks and good vibes, lots of TV's to watch football on, and the happy hour menu is pretty good for cocktails! We weren't really feeling any of the food so we stuck to drinks this time and I went with the French 75 that I loved so much the first time I was here. It easily became my favorite drink after trying it here for the first time so it was only right that I get it again and it was so good. read more

We've been here a couple of times recently and I really like it. Both times we had the pineapple jalapeño margaritas which are fantastic and if you get them during Happy Hour they are only $8.50. Speaking of Happy Hour, it's wonderful here. The quesadilla is huge and delicious. The HH menu has a lot of choices. My boyfriend gets the wings every time. This is his favorite place downtown to get wings. We've always had great service here and the vibe is cool as well. I'd recommend! read more

The Forum - Pineapple, jalapeño margaritas. Delish! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

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The server was so kind and compassionate to our hangry morning. The food is wonderful and filling and their drinks are so delicious! read more

The Forum - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Every time I come to this bar I feel the positive energy flowing from it. It's got a creative vibe and hosts beer pong on the weekends Lynsie & Kevin are the best bartenders hands down! The rest of the FOH is awesome as well. Also, the food is fabulous and I'd definitely recommend the Jucy Lucy if you're a burger lover. Overall, if you're looking for a kick it spot that creates a casual and comfortable vibe, this is your spot ! read more

Located in the heart of downtown Tacoma, the location is convenient and walking distance away from many business centers. There were ample parking on the street during lunch time. The Forum's menu has a wide range of food, from soups to salad and burgers. Service was great and the waiter was attentive to our needs. Not once did we ask for a water refill. The restaurant has tall seating as well as booths available. The relaxed ambiance makes it a great place for a quick bite to eat. read more

The Forum - Chef Salad - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Went to lunch here today during work. Not crowded at all, and that meant super attentive service. My sandwich was a wee bit greasy/oily from being grilled or toasted so that was a little meh. But the tots. Who doesn't love a good tater tot?! Weirdos. That's who. The tots were hot and crispy but still fluffy little potato pillows inside. The sandwich was fine, it's a sandwich after all. But the tots, I'd come back for the tots. read more

The Forum - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Stopped by for drinks for happy hour to kill time while waiting for dinner reservations. Cool looking interior! Super friendly staff. Got a cider and the Bee's Knee's ($9 for HH), both were great. They had a bunch of creative drinks and infusions on the menu and behind the bar. read more

The Forum - Bee's Knee's ($9 for HH) & a Cider - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Great food and atmosphere. My wife wanted to sit outside and have a good salad. I wanted a sandwich and beer. We both definitely got what we wanted. We sat outside and enjoyed happy hour on a Saturday night which is rare in my opinion. Our server was super helpful and attentive. Our waters were always full and everything came out in a very timely manner. My wife had the Cobb with crispy chicken. It was huge with so many toppings and she loved it. So good that I finished it. I had the French dip and it was delicious. The bread was crispy and meet tender. Whenever I want a French dip I'll be back. Can't wait to try everything else on the menu. read more

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

The food was just good. The atmosphere was better, it's a cool old pub that has a lot of character. Everything about this place is just ok. If your looking for a French dip in the area and can't find one like I was, this will satisfy the need however, you won't think about it when you leave. Don't forget to get the plate of dipping sauces though, they are really good for the fries and tots. I'm not sure why it's so hard to find a good French dip in king and pierce counties but apparently it's a thing. read more

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I'm pleased. Despite my numerous years living in Seattle I've never gotten to know Tacoma. Seattle has a weird relationship with Tacoma. It occurs to me this year that I should get to know one of Washington's larger cities better beyond the zoo and I am happy I started with The Forum. I found The Forum on Yelp and like a friend who gives phenomenal recommendations I was pleased from the get-go. I arrived shortly after they opened on a Sunday morning so parking was easy. Entering I found an atmosphere I had almost forgotten existed - the dimly lit, loungey feel where everything is wood tones and warm colors making you feel a bit cut off from the world in the best of ways. Slipping into a high back booth my friend and I were there only seconds before being greeted by Vlad who asked if we wanted paper menus or if the electronic ones would work. The electronic one worked with the exception of needing a menu for the cocktails. Ask for the cocktail menu. You will not regret it. Mike ended up being our server as well as bartender and he was incredible. He helped me make a choice in food, helped identify the meals that would cause my allergy grief, and made delicious cocktails. The chamborita was amazing! Tequila and chambord aren't two alcohols I ever thought of combining but wow it was good - not too sweet, not too grassy it was smooth and very easy to drink. I ordered the French dip with tater tots. I am a sucker for tater tots and found these to be amazing! Crisp, slightly salty with a plethora of dipping sauces these tots were great! The French dip was incredible too. Thinly sliced pieces of meat with just enough cheese and a delicious au jus dipping sauce. It was incredibly filling and left me needing a wheelbarrow to leave the table! Not really, but it felt that way! It was amazing. Just amazing. read more

The Forum - Chamborita! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

we came here after a concert around the corner. it was an interesting experience, to say the least. the food was alright, but the service was definitely off. at least the restaurant was clean. read more

The Forum - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Tacoma, Washington