McMenamins Elks Temple

I've stayed at McMenamins Elks Temple twice now and have dined and enjoyed drinks there six times, and I can confidently say it’s a gem! Like all McMenamins establishments, this place is bursting with character. The quirky, eclectic artwork and unique decor make every visit a visual adventure. The atmosphere is lively yet cozy, perfect for both relaxing after a long day or kicking back with friends. The food and drinks are consistent and good—classic McMenamins with their creative pub fare. The staff is friendly and adds to the welcoming vibe. My stays in the hotel were comfortable, with rooms that carry the same artistic charm as the rest of the property.

We had a balcony room overlooking the Spanish Steps. There was a concert in the ballroom but our room was quiet. Really enjoyed the old hangout tiki bar and the hidden speakeasy. Staff was friendly and efficient. We felt very welcome. The food was unique to the location and prepared well. Great vintage shopping right down the street. We went to Enigma Escapes room for a close-by activity and I highly recommend them!!! Also enjoyed the LeMay America’s automobile museum.

perfect place to study, catch up with an old friend, or rest before exploring the tacoma waterfront. Fell for the thoughtful art adorning the space, and loved the seating arrangements as well. blown away by the servers attentiveness and polite attitude. look forward to visiting every time i slide through Tacoma

Had a wonderful night in room 705. Great view over the atrium. The decor is eclectic and inviting. We came to see a show down in the Spanish Ballroom so we grabbed some food and headed back up to our room to relax before the show @9pm (PNW BURLESQUE FESTIVAL shout out📣📣📣) headed down around 8, had a few drinks then headed in. After the show we grabbed food and headed back up to our room. Very quiet which is super nice. 7th floor was a good choice. You do have to take the elevator to the 6th floor and then 1 flight of stairs to get to it but I truly enjoyed our stay. Check in was easy. Front desk was so kind and funny. Very welcoming. The lobby area is beautiful. Lots of places to eat and drink throughout the establishment. The tasting room downstairs has a lot of fun and eclectic things as well as where you can get tickets for shows etc. Highly recommend. (Parking is a lil wonky. I would recommend in the future either leaving vehicle in a paid, protected lot or get there earlier than you want and try to find street parking. The city also has parking at the Tacoma dome and a shuttle/bus that takes you to and from)

Very cool place. The ballroom is something to behold. Tiki Bar is my favorite for food/atmosphere. Hotel rooms are very nice and offer a unique experience if you’re looking for a place to stay in Tacoma. Great venue. Lots of stuff to look at inside. Lots of history. Plenty of interesting shows come through here which is great if you live in Tacoma and don’t want to drive up to Seattle for live music. The giant paintings around the room are incredible. They even have a gift shop somewhere. If you don’t know about the speakeasy go check it out! Bartenders will tell you where it is. Gorgeous interior and exterior. Great place to visit for breakfast, lunch and dinner

The Elks Temple was amazing! We visited to see a band we knew that was playing in the Spanish Ballroom, and decided to take a room for the night. The accommodation was breathtaking, we were upgraded too, which was fantastic since we were celebrating a late anniversary that night. The food was beyond tasty and the atmosphere will keep drawing you back. We ended the night singing on the Spanish steps with the bands who had played that night. Definitely a hotel and venue I would recommend!

Such a fun experience! I've always wanted to stay in a McMenamins hotel, and the Temple definitely delivered. Quirky, eclectic, historic, everything that makes MM fun. The staff was very helpful when we realized our TV was missing HDMI ports and quickly got us switched to a new room. Clean, great location, the classic restaurant/bars we all know and love. Fun time!

We always book a balcony room overlooking . The balconies on the south side are a big smaller big wow, the views! This time we had 615 on the Spanish Steps. Beautiful views and city vibes! The room is quiet when the French doors are closed, it has a lofted ceiling, and comfortable bed .

Very fun place to go to for a night out! I was told that I had to go visit McMenamins while in town for the weekend, and it definitely had a cool vibe. I went on a Saturday night and bar hopped around a few of the bars. Quite the variety of crowds here so you can come and enjoy yourself no matter what age or what you're looking to do. My favorite bar was The Hang Out on the bottom floor, a cool tiki bar. I heard there is also a private speak easy but I didn't try hard enough to figure out where it might be. The hotel is very pretty and the elevators are kinda fun with their different UFO themed paintings. There was even a concert going on the night I was there, so it seems like there are a lot of events happening in this one place. Pretty cool spot and I am glad I stopped by for an evening!

Really loved visiting this McMenamins. We took the ghost tour and had some time to kill before. First we stopped at the main entrance restaurant. Their Cajun tots were pretty good, as was their mocktails. Our waitress was wonderful and super friendly. After that we wondered around and searched for the speak easy, it was actually way easy to find. Special shout out to the young man who made our drinks. He was really excited to be creative and make us mocktails. I only wish I had thought to ask him how to make it again, so I could come back and order it... It has egg whites and I think ginger....very yummy! There were two very big downsides, which is why this only got three stars for me, first, we circled for an hour looking for parking, that was not fun. They should have better parking as much as they spent on the building. The second is their prices... Two mocktails and Cajun Tots were as expensive as a full meal and drinks else where. At those prices it should be steak and lobster, not burgers and pizza. That's just my opinion. I would go again for a special occasion, but I would also make sure I could afford to take out a mortgage to do so.

What an awesome experience! We only stayed for one night, but it was absolutely worth it! The hotel is so cool. We explored until we found every bar. The gift shop had everything we needed for the night. The room was spacious and the views were great. The staff was super friendly too. We got some ciders and enjoyed them on the patio as the sun set. Perfect way to round out a day! Great location, great food and drink!

The atmosphere is good. Remove the tvs and it would be better. The food is sub par. Especially for the price. The wife had the blackened ahi. It was over cooked. (See picture) My guess was it was from frozen and the pan was also not hot enough. My $25 cheesesteak was steak-ums quality. The fries were not fresh but probably frozen as well. The service was slow but adequate. I'm glad we stopped but was disappointed in the execution.

Ate here this evening with a party of four and we all had a lovely time and evening! It's cool the different bars that they have on the different levels. We especially enjoyed visiting the tiki bar and getting tiki inspired drinks! The whole tiki bar area is a must see when you visit! Husband had a mai tai and I had a mermaid spot! Both were great! Food was delicious as well! We shared the Cajun tots, wings, pizza, ahi tuna, and salad. Our server was great and checked on us often. Tons of seating!

We came into Doc's Bar at 2:15 on Sunday-it was a quiet afternoon, and we were in and out within 20 minutes. I ordered a ranch water which was tart and refreshing. This is a great cocktail for those who don't prefer sweet drinks. Their Temple dirty fries are underrated-the lil Mama peppers with their sauce + fries makes this a very satisfying appetizer. It was sour, savory, salty and fantastic. We love Elk's Temple and can't wait to return!

Met our friends from Hood Canal at this half way meeting point and enjoyed a lovely dinner. The standouts for me were the Black & Blue steak salad with medium rare flank steak, cooked to perfection. I also liked the Cajun tots with peppered ranch dressing. Had to ask for more dressing to dip! Everyone also enjoyed their meals. However, the Steak Frites appeared to be cooked more medium than medium rare. Some parts of the Brussels Sprouts were mushy and overcooked. Dessert included a peanut butter cheesecake and brownie sundae, which we shared. The plates were licked clean, enough said. We had great service. Once we ordered, our food arrived promptly. It was fun to venture away from Seattle to check out McMenamins Elks Temple and visit with old friends.

Dude. The food. I've tried so many times to like this place. It's an amazingly cool gem for Tacoma and hosts great concerts, but the price for the food and the quality that comes out just doesn't add up. I don't mind paying a premium for gastro burger... but $25 for chuck with pineapple from a can and unripe tomatoes just doesn't jive. I will keep coming here for the support of what the parent company does here, but the kitchen needs help.

We were at the Washington State fair and came here to check this place out and get our book stamps before we headed back down to PDX. As we were here early we had to wait until noon to get the bar stamps. Bring back the QR codes! We don't get up here very often! lol. We loved exploring the different levels and the temple was cool. The bottle store was in the basement. I ended up buying a cement sleeping cat, which is difficult to find in general! We finally did get all of our stamps here, and while we waited walked around the area a bit.

Severely Understaffed Food is mediocre, oftentimes cold, and obscenely overpriced! Ownership needs to get their fing act together!

First I found the hidden door, the door had millions of handles. And the paintings are really cool. One room is huge. The historical pictures were interesting but we just looked at the place we did not stay there.

Had a fabulous experience today-the day after Christmas. They accommodated a group of 14 with no notice. Jason, our server, was kind, funny and a true pro with all our orders and drinks. Food was great, atmosphere was festive. Jason and the friendly crew made our holiday bright!

Excellent search for the vault and the picture to the clue. Definitely got my work out in today searching for them. My sweet partner and I totally could have skipped the gym today. I felt like I was in a video game. The prize was great too! Much better than Lucy's Tacos located in Bend who gave me the prize of food poisoning.

This is one of the most eye popping, original places I have ever been to! Creative, cozy, so awe-inspiring- You will step into a whole other WORLD! Wow! Next time we are FOR SURE staying in this amazing place! I love the ambiance; the eclectic decor; the hospitality; the fun and even the events are so damn cool! I've been to a few McMenamins but this location is one of my favorites! The staff is so friendly & helpful too! I love the history of the Elks Lodge, and the old photos sprinkled about really bring to life older times where people dressed up! Whoever is the GENIUS!, who thought of this place is really quite a remarkable person with a tremendous talent. You will be coming here for a lot of calories! I didn't see very many low calorie options on the menu, so know that this is a bit of a caloric splurge - and I have to give five stars to the cheese sauce that was on our cheesesteak sandwich! The French onion soup had a very original flavor to it, but I did in fact like it; great for dipping your sandwich into it. The flavor had a lot of pop. Can't wait to come back!

We will def stay here again! Love the room, the view, the hotel and our favorite place The Old Hangout!!!

Do you like beautiful buildings but mediocre or poor quality food? Then this is the place for you. If you enjoy over cooked meats this place will knock your socks off. The rooms are beautiful but don't expect to want to come here to enjoy anything memorable about the food.

Kim and I have had the pleasure of witnessing the transformation of the Elks Temple McMenamins from a once-abandoned and dilapidated building into a stunning work of art that now serves as a popular destination for entertainment and leisure. You want to plan a night or two stay at the McMenamins Elks Temple. Cheers Rick

I have a McMenamins passport and I love McMenamins! I also love that the one here in Tacoma is also a hotel, so open on the holidays. We decided instead of making Thanksgiving dinner, we would just make reservations. Glad we did. Super easy and the food is good. I often get the vegan Mystic 18 burger and everything was great, as usual. They have rotating taps of beer and cider and I feel like the staff is always friendly. Unfortunately, they were out of sliders on Thanksgiving, so my significant other was a little bummed. Also, the prices have increased pretty quickly. My burger with a salad was over $20 and now that our daughter is no longer eating off the kids meal, it can get pricey very quickly. All in all, good experience, but not something we can do as often as we'd like.

Season visit away from the house. We took advantage of lodging during our stay. We got an annex room and knowing what we know now I would have preferred a room on a higher level. Wall painting selection is interesting but tells a story. I love the Tacoma Elks photos and information of that history. Guest services were very pleasant and friendly starting from the check in to the check out. We ate at a the main restaurant for breakfast and dinner. The food was delicious as we wasn't expecting it to be so good. The adventure of the story behind the temple was an amazing experience.

This place is awesome ! The atmospheres alone are perfect . If you enter through the front entrance go in the elevator there is an average bar with pool table and very sub par service , it's definitely a "college feel" the bartenders (two females) were insanely hard to get a hold of and their bar is not big at all it felt like they hated being there , I felt like the "punch " one drink I got was all syrup and for a drink and sprite for my friend it cost me 20$ I was very confused . We then headed to the Latin themed bar and now that was awesome!! Great atmosphere! GREAT SERVICE ! Very fun , lost of places to sit , drink menu was posted and they had menus for thier drinks as well , the. Bartenders (two gentlemen) were wonderful and kind . They made my drink look perfect and it was delicious I enjoyed a Bellini . TIKI bar which is at the bottom of the building was very cool , it was like you were transported to Guam or a Caribbean beach bar. The floors tiled and cool lamps hung from the ceiling, there was a huge alligator seat on the left . When we walked in we were instantly greeted by two lovely gals who asked if we had a table and we said no , she informed us it was open bar seating so we enjoyed the bar . If you walk to the back there is a water feature it was a lagoon ! Super cool . I enjoyed a tiki drink and woah it was flavorful strong and worth the money . Bartenders were constantly checking on guests and taking care of everyone . Service was exceptional. Atmosphere was so wonderful . Minus the first horrible bar ... the other two are amazing !!! Themed drinks , poised furniture and wonderful service . I will be back !

It has potential. The food was just sort of like an acceptable level. Cool ambience though.

Love McMenamins! The Vault is a secret-door to get to, and a speak-easy style. Love it!

This was my first stay at a Mcmenamin's. Below is my Findings...... I came alone, with no plans. So I'd say it turned out the best it could.... I wanted to see how much a positive person could influence an evening and a mood. There is no gym, so bring a kettlebell and running shoes! So running we went!!! Runners heaven and H E double hockey sticks! The stairs are an amazing workout. I used the outside north side stairs. "At your own risk". McMenamins is not liable for you if you fall. Ok had to be said moving on....... just blocks away you'll find Stadium High school! "10 things I hate about you"' one of my favorites. Have to see the movie after visiting if you haven't, but this is an absolutely gorgeous school. Didn't take any food pics. Because I didn't eat the food. I live near other McMenamins. So I felt being the first time staying overnight in one. I just wanted an off the wall fun all about the feel and vibe of the place in itself! They had a hip hop concert the night I stayed. It was a vibe Magic the gathering shop just down the road! For you nerds like me... also I found this within 1st 10 min of being here The reason I had an amazing experience! If you're staying the night or stopping by. You have to say hi to Jen! Jen in the Old Hangout! She's the face of this place in my opinion. Fill the room with people and she's going to try and make every single one of them leave feeling like she cared. We started a new thing tonight called the Die roll. Roll the 20 sided die and whoever it lands on buy them a drink to just let them know, You appreciate them! See if it keeps going! Dametris: Sorry I lost my keys 3 times since I was all over the property. You promised to also watch 10 things I hate about you! Had to have in the review to make it a valid promise I'm sorry for the callout! But you are amazing! Overall it was a great stay, interaction and vibe on this night was hit and miss on each floor. Which I won't have in the review about individuals. Feel like it would ruin the vibe. Sad part is I found the secret bar 2 min before open...... and was so distracted with other activities. That I ended up making it 2 min after close also! I also didn't get my stamp for the concert, well I didn't get 3 stamps! I omit the photo as proof to keep it a secret! One of the photos as you can see is of the building! I was able to snag these when I was so graciously offered a private tour of the city hall building. A......Maaaazing! The only reason this didn't get a 5 star is interaction with some of the staff on main floor broken toilet seat so Fix the damn toilet seat. They offered to upgrade me rooms at about 11pm at night. I was already too settled and unpacked. IG:Basicdav3

We were a party of 6. Came in at about 6pm and ordered our drinks and got them fairly quick. We then ordered dinner at about 6:30 and dinner arrived at 7:30. And it didn't seem extremely busy. Other than that the service was very friendly and the food was great! Would recommend and I would come back! I ordered the steamed clams and it was plenty as a meal and was delicious!

A friend had told me about Cajun tater tots at this place, so I had to try them out. I was around this place in Tacoma, so went in. My first impressions about the ambiance is that I felt like I walked into an European bar. It's classy and cozy. The staff are very welcoming. I just got the tots and they are great, I would like some more seasoning though. The menu looked good. I am not a drinker but will definitely be back to try out the food and for the ambiance.

They have a really fun and creative menu! Very surprising, it was hard to settle on a choice. Jamaican rice bowl was full of veggies with a light curry sauce. You wouldn't expect something like this from a pub. It was great and not too heavy but filling.

so disappointing. I've been to a few McMenamins and I've always come away with a good feeling about what was provided both in service and in food. Not so this last time. We were directed to go to a lower floor where reservations weren't required and we could snag a table. We did. this is part of the restaurant, but there is no service at the tables in of their restaurant. If you want drinks, you go get in line and wait your turn. If you want food, you go get in line at the bar and wait your turn. there's no weight staff that will bring or refill a drink or anything. You are the server. And, you have to get in line as it was a Friday night and wait for everything to happen. Food finally comes and I had ordered a $24 fish and chips . The portion size was laughable. tiny pieces of fish that wouldn't have filled a McDonald's fillet of fish sandwich. A meager amount of fries and a tiny amount of coleslaw. They don't do anything at the table so you have to go find your own utensils if you want to use utensils. When your drinks run out and you want refills, you go get back in line. The guy that went back from our table to get drinks ate dinner alone because three of us had finished because he was standing in line all that time. It's ridiculous. The worst part is, when it's over and you have to pay, they still suggest that you tip around 20% or more for the tab. I was very tempted to not tip at all because I got no service. I was the waiter. I was the bus boy. I was everything. And I had to wait line to do all of those tasks instead of sitting sitting drink. The food was mediocre. The service, nonexistent. portions were very small and the prices were in line with what you would get at a good full service restaurant

Excellent overall! Great ambiance! Gorgeous remodeling of this historic building! Amazing views of the Puget Sound! Food is tasty and fresh! Great service!

Went for a date night. The decor is whimsical meets hunting. My food was bland but it's probably what I ordered. I ordered the mahi steak and the crust is filled with flavor and the rest of it was bland. The cheesesteak was decent but I've been to Philly so it's kinda hard to beat when you had the best but the person that order it, said it was good. I would come back and give it another try and maybe order something different. Our waitress was helpful and attentive.

Drank and ate at the Hang Out "Tiki Bar" . The drinks were good, we ordered tropical drinks. Very HEAVY on the ice. Had the Nachos for appetizer, they were good, so our hopes were elevated. Ordered dinner, to be honest worried about getting sick. Salmon Sandwich was a ground fishy smelling patty, we live the NW really?? Also had Bah Mi sandwich was really bad, meat I believe was old heated up in microwave. This was a BAD meal all around. Service was not great either, just do not want to continue this negative train. It is an absolutely beautiful building done with a lot of heart and care. Hire a chef!! I will never eat here again. May have drink as it is sooo lovely.

I have eaten at many McMenamins but this one didn't impress on the food side. The service was excellent and the ambiance is elegant and funky.I brought 6 guests from out of town. Most of burgers were good but the shrimp grits were more like tomato soup with shrimp, little grits and no spice. The Neon burger needed more blue cheese. The soup of the day had little flavor. Stick with the great tator tots.

The food was awesome at the main floor bar! We got the artichoke soup and wings. Both were stellar; high quality food. We had never heard of artichoke soup but it did NOT disappoint at all. I only wish we would have ordered 2 bowls. And the wings looked like they were gonna be spicy but they weren't. They were flavorful, warm, crunchy and fell right off the bone. Not too chewy at all. We loved the speakeasy bar and were greeted with kind and friendly wait staff even though it was a Sunday night. We stayed here for our friends 21st birthday party. We paired this cool hotel with its plethora of bars and many many things to gawk at inside with Dorkys arcade down the street 2 blocks. It was a night to remember! Of course we bought passports to make it to more of the McMenamins because it was such a neat unique experience!

Service was super slow and they forgot about one of our main entrees. The waitress owned up to it and I think overall they are just understaffed. The taste of the food was fine (not necessarily worth the price!!). Beers were really good and the view from our seats looking out the windows was pretty. All that to say, go for the beer & views!

Pink haired server took a womans right stand against me for ordering a strawberry lemonade for my 16yo daughter. She didn't order because she thought it was too expensive but I wanted to treat her. Me: "Oh, and she will have a strawberry lemonade" Server looks at my daughter: Server: "Girl, do you want a strawberry lemonade?" Daughter: "No it's okay" Server: "Got you girl, you could have ordered it yourselt anyway, l'm not gonna listen to this guy anymore" pointing at me. Completely disregarded me and very unprofessional. I informed her of such and later in the service she said Server: "dude I'm sorry I didn't know the dynamic and we were out of strawberry lemonade anyway" Terrible server. Do your job and bring out what's ordered and don't treat customers like chauvinistic assholes.

I had such a great time here w/ my co-workers after a long day for the week that we were in town. We tried out a few different spots to eat, have a drink, play pool. There's a secret door to a speak easy that we had fun looking for and enjoyed the hallways and doorways w/ the door handles to get in. It's definitely a must see! There was even a live cover band in one of the rooms. We went back a few times that week. Don't miss this spot if you're ever in Tacoma! My friend Lucas Noonan is a photographer. I can't take credit for his amazing photos!

My husband and I have stayed here a few times and had a great time. This time was pretty disappointing because there is a loud concert going on and if you're staying on the same side of the hotel, it's incredibly loud. I am writing this after midnight while listening to some band blast through a bunch of mediocre 90s hits from my bed three floors away. The front desk was pretty dismissive about it. Not worth three hundred dollars for a night.

I love this place and been here multiple times. The building is awesome...has multiple floors and different bars. See if you can go get a few drinks in each location. I have ate breakfast here, ate lunch, dinner and been to a concert. Food and drinks are both great. Service has always been great for me. The decor and artwork is cool! The location is in a great part of Tacoma. Highly recommend checking this place out

Food was decent but the experience was excellent! New favorite place in Tacoma! Wait staff was great and enjoyed a fabulous concert

We went here to celebrate my cousins birthday. It was such a cool experience! There's 4 bars and a secret bar. The first one we went to was a tiki bar,the next one was kinda like old school swank bar from the 1920's and the 3rd one we went to was a smaller bar with a few pinball games and two pool tables. The service overall was a 7/10 The tiki bar with a group had a lot of seating but service wise it took a long time to wait. We had a big crowd of 13 people. And we waited for 15 minutes then left to the next bar. Eventually we went back at the end of the night. The drinks were priced well, and it was not to overly sweet. The next bar was like a 1920's diver bar. It was very chic! I like the interior and the oldschool vibes to it. We ordered a lavender lemonade, and it was really light and refreshing. I mixed mine with the lavender stem and the aromatics came out! It was so tasty! The last bar was very fun! We all got oh hang out there at the end of the night, the boys played pool and the gals drank. They had some interesting drinks and shots. They had a combo drink with a shot. Overall I'll definitely come back! On a day like Sunday it was more relaxing. Not too many people out and it was more laid back.

I'm staying at the hotel for the first time. It was a last minute decision on a trip from Spokane to Olympia. We made a mistake on our end when booking, but Elizabeth at the front desk was sooooo kind and helpful it made the experience of fixing it not stressful at all! I can't say how much I appreciated that after a very long day. The hotel is absolutely gorgeous and the rate was great. I work in the field of Historic Preservation and remember years ago when this building was in bad shape. I've eaten here a few times but it's so exciting to get to stay. As always McMEnamins has knocked it out of the park with a gorgeous unique restoration of a beautiful old building. There is nothing quite like a McMEnamins hotel!

Definitely one of my favorite McMenamins that I've been to to date. Love that each floor has a different theme and bar and restaurant. I ate at the Spanish restaurant and had friendly and quick service with great recommendations! Walked around the rest of the building and stopped for a drink on the top floor as well, which is very typical McMillan's pub. Really appreciate that unlike other speakeasies this one is kept very much a secret, though I was able to find it. Wasn't able to have a drink because it was full but still a fun! Highly recommend if you're in the area.

Food is tasty . Wine flight is good and reasonable priced. Go during happy hour if you can and enjoy the great options. Fabulous views to be had. Spend time investing the many bars as they are themed differently.

This was a great experience. Ate dinner at the restaurant upstairs then visited the other bars throughout. It's really unique and I plan on visiting again. The tiki bar on the first floor is a fun experience as well as the speakeasy.

Love McMenamins and wanted to show out-of-state guests how great it is. Incredibly rude hostess acted like we were idiots inconveniencing her by wanting to eat at an open restaurant, so we left. Won't be back to this location.

Excellent service. Lovely server, attentive. Interesting ambiance--lots to look at. Paper napkins diminished the experience a litte. Expensive food and servings are not generous. Burgers are about $20-24. Steak nearly $40, salmon around $38. Sandwiches running around $20. I had the very over-priced reuben and fries- usually a reuben makes two meals for me-- but I had no problem finishing this one. The meat wasn't piled on, seemed a bit too-thinly sliced to be made-in-house corned beef-- to me, it looked like mass produced corned beef, and tasted that way. The fries were shoe-string and flavorless, and a little overly salted. I doubt they were cut in-house-- even if they were, they tasted like Sysco had made them. About the bathrooms: please put those handles that indicate "vacant" or "occupied"-- the doors on the stalls close completely, so one is left bending over to see if there are feet-- it's a rude/pervy thing to do to quickly find out if there's an unoccupied stall.

We've visited this location many times but this visit was our 2nd stay in the hotel. This review is for the hotel only. We've stayed on the same side of the hotel, both time, with partial Puget sound views. Even though the streets with traffic are just below the windows the traffic noise hasn't bothered us at all. Our room was small and a little oddly "L" shaped but it was cozy with MANY awesome windows. We entered into a hallway type entry with a small table and chairs against the wall and where the private bath is located. Down the hallway the room opened to the left where the king bed is placed. I love that this location has the bathrooms in the room! Our one main complaint about this location is that it's poorly cleaned. Especially compared to many of the other McMenamins hotels we've stayed at. The bathroom was very obviously poorly cleaned. The toilet was pretty gross, the shower had hair and other yuck on the floor, and the sink surround was not wiped down. The bar soaps had been replaced but it appeared the small shampoos had been used. The bathroom floor was obviously not recently cleaned either. The towels were new and clean. Our small table, that I refer to as a dining table, was sticky with cup/glass rings, and hadn't been wiped down. When housekeeping is poor like that it makes me wonder if sheets have really been changed... We really love McMenamins hotels, restaurants and bars and we visit all of them through Oregon & Washington regularly. I'm not a really picky person so some dusty decor or a garbage can not being emptied isn't something I'd ever complain about but a dirty bathroom, in a nice location, does bother me a some. Parking can be a challenge at certain hours of the day here. That should be expected in the middle of Tacoma's busy down town area. Be prepared that some areas have a parking time limit. There's a parking garage available and even a shuttle. Read your reservation email for notes about parking and your options. It's a gorgeous building thats filled from top to bottom with things to do, see, and experience. We'll be back soon to visit but we might choose to stay at Anderson School next time we're in the area.

Food is good. I tried eggs benedict. Great ambience--very McMenamins. Service was disappointing. I was one of 2 people in there for 2 servers, who were pretty distracted by socializing with one another and listening to music on headphones.

Atmosphere, service and food was really good. The price was a little high but for somewhere special it was great!! But that's the norm now days! All in all a great place.

Extremely underwhelming restaurant experience. We've visited several other McMenamins restaurants and stayed at two of their hotels and this has been our least favorite. Weekday lunch and place was not busy at all, 2 or 3 other tables were seated. Took out of town guests here to experience a McMenamins that we hadn't visited yet. The host was extremely friendly, but the service at our table was slow--took about 45 min for food to arrive, with two typically well-mannered kids losing their patience because a mini cheeseburger shouldn't take that long. One guest's steak salad entree came out as though the salad had been under a heat lamp awaiting completion of the rest of the party's hot entrees. Their elevator was out of order which made it impossible for us to explore any other parts of the building, as one member of our party needs some mobility assistance. Upon leaving, an incoming party was asked if they'd like to be seated indoors or outdoors, which was not an option offered to us. An outdoor setting might have lightened the mood and made the wait time for food more palatable. Overall the food was not comparable to their other concepts and we wished we had taken our guests to experience local seafood instead.