Spanish Ballroom at Elks Temple

I really like this venue!! I think the general vibe would be highly elevated by some large industrial fans. Sold out shows are HOT and it's strange to have people on the brink of passing out/ passing out from heat in a 700ish person crowd in November. Very pretty though, and I love access to the bars and restaurants for a one-stop-shop for a great show.

Fun venue with all k8nds of cool art, antiques, and period pieces at every turn. You can easily get lost in this place. Be sure to search for the "hidden Bar" you must walk through walls to find it.

My husband and I took our son to the Spanish Ballroom for the Haunted Puget Sound, History Pub Night. We had heard great things about the venue from several friends and we were really looking forward to a unique family outing. The venue was beautiful but a little hard to navigate as a first time guest. As we attempted to locate the Spanish Ballroom, we came across several other confused patrons making their way to the same location. We were early and able to get seating at one of the few tables offered, with the bonus of a getting good view of the guest speaker(who we enjoyed). We ordered our food among the group of early guests and sat down wait. As we watched all the other people being served, some who arrived after we had, I started to worry that we had been forgotten. Our wait extended out to an hour and from what I could tell, we were the last to be served. Once our food finally arrived, our sides were cold, the grilled cheese was room temperature and burger was warm but still quite pink. Given that this was our first visit, we were not aware that off menu items were an option, so we asked for the grilled cheese, intending to get the caprese grilled cheese listed on the menu. This would have easily been brushed off as our mistake but instead, further added to our disappointment after the long wait and cold food. As a first time impression, this was quite disappointing.

I loved this spot but some of the events for example this recent 80s night was so packed it was a complete disappointment. Staff was rude, security was rude, bar was rude, if you don't like your job change it. If you don't like being in an entertainment position change it. No room to dance bar lines crazy long. Just not a fun experience. If you want a spot you can truly enjoy without being smashed in this is not the place. I wouldn't go here on these particular event nights. I will find another spot.

Exquisitely gorgeous venue. The artwork and grandiose of this location had us in awe. We were lucky enough to get a tour of the ballroom. If you visit the Bottle Shop, they can tell you when/if the tour is running. We are very much looking forward to enjoying an event here!

Unsafely Overcrowded. NEVER GOING AGAIN. Immediate impression was unorganized chaos for the ticket line. People were scrambling in from different directions and being pushed back downstairs where 3-person-wide lines were barging up. I just spent hundreds of dollars at the restaurant on the venue level but was rudely herded through an ascending mob just to come back up. Got through the security check and couldn't get further because it was completely overcrowded. There was absolutely no walking room and the crowd was backed up all the way to the bar and metal detectors. No one was moving in to the room. No place to push through. I was literally butt to the bar with nowhere to go, fighting for space with folks wanting to get a drink and folks trying to put their jackets and purses back on from the checkpoint. I've been to hundreds of concerts and this isn't my first time attending a sold out show. But I couldn't even get out to the floor or see the band through the blinding overhead bar lights. Walked out and had some manager tell us he was within capacity and was tired of people telling him his shows are "oversold". Sounds like this may be a recurring problem if he keeps hearing that. He refused a refund and insisted that we had to just squish in "like sardines". Never again, Spanish Ballroom. And I'll just keep my patronage away from your entire business now.

This is a fantastic place to see live music! We recently went to the Spanish Ballroom for the first time. I grew up in Tacoma and the building was always abandoned. Cudos to McMenamins for restoring a historic building into. such an amazing venue. The Spanish Ballroom is a great size to see a performance. Not too small and not. too big. JUST. RIGHT... Great sound, nice lighting, fast, friendly bartenders. My new favorite room! The rest of the building will be reviewed in a separate post. Trust me the whole place is worth a long extended visit.

Saw Polyrhythmics at the Spanish Ballroom last night and it was AWESOME! Just a great venue for a show, and an awesome band to groove to. Tacoma got down on the dance floor, and everyone looked like they were really enjoying themselves. Great place for shows!

It's really a stunning thing they've created in Tacoma, capturing the history of the building and surrounding area while bringing in local artists to create a fun place. I've gone to 5-6 events at the ballroom which have all been good experiences. Food can be hit or miss. My last burger was great and some of the other entrees have been great. The tots are often overcooked here tbh. they get 6 stars for the space, creativity and supporting local artists. They get 3.8 on food. 4 on pricing as I'll pay a little extra for the cool environment. Great place

A beautiful venue! Even though we were at a dance party with a live band and the interior was mostly dark concert lighting, one could still see the beautiful columns and light fixtures throughout the ballroom were gorgeous. We were all dressed up for Halloween and the band was playing a wide range of spooky hit music and there were a lot of very cool costumes everywhere. People's creativity really shined at this event. The floor was super sticky which prevented me from doing my version of the Moonwalk dancing but there was plenty of room to move. There were lots of water jugs available for hydration for everyone in their hot costumes and great bar service. We had a good time and I would love to come back for their daily tour of this Spanish Ballroom with the lights on!

This was a beautiful venue, I would have never guessed something this nice would house a ska concert. We arrived early and waited in line staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. We also sat upstairs in the ASA section. Didn't look like there was a bad seat in the house. We ordered pizza from the bar outside the venue, which was nice that we could bring it in and eat while we watched the show: the only negative was that there were speakers up in the ADA section that they had on only part of the time. For some reason they had them off when the headliner came on. The sound did not carry to the back of the venue up top, but I can't give negative feedback for that. I could have went downstairs and dealt with the GA but I decided not to. Overall great experience. There were also multiple places downstairs to buy drinks which were quick and easy as well. Wish more venues looked like this inside!

I like the in and out privileges, but the security every time is a drag. There is no where to sit unless you need Ada accommodations and then it is church pews bordering the walls that give no view. I'm really surprised there isn't bar stools and tables at least by the bar.

I feel lucky to have a location like this where there is something always new happening. I love the events and how intimate it is. The service is great and a small perk is the bathroom location. The only downfall is the placement of tables blocks your view because of the building pillars. However, that is not always something that is controllable. I enjoy the free events and love coming to hear local bands.

Great venue to discover up and coming bands, local favs, dance nights and more. We came in from Oregon to stay a night at the Elks Temple and check out the concert on a Friday night. It wasn't a super crowded night but there were fun people and good music. If you want an inexpensive concert night out, with fun bands, this is the place to check out. The ballroom itself has the unique McMenamin's touches with awesome lighting, paintings/murals, and interesting decor. There's a full bar available with some light food offered. Seating is very limited so if you want a table with chairs you'll need to show up early. We'll be sure to stop in and check out the bands the next time we pass through town.

My leather jacket was stolen at this venue by a woman that became confrontational with me. When I came in to speak to management and security, the manager was dismissive and two of the security guards asked me out while I was trying to ask for footage or any items left behind. DO NOT RECOMMEND coming to this establishment. According to the manager, there are no cameras at all, so enter at your own risk.

What a great place to see a show! It's intimate enough that there's not a bad seat (or standing area) in the room. There's also a bar. Really, the ambiance of this entire hotel/venue is simply stunning! Even more so at night. The restaurant prices are a bit on the high side, but for an occasional visit it's worth it just to experience this amazing building. Just wish they had parking. I'll definitely be back!

Might be ok for regular people, but this place really sucks for ADA accessibility. Because they don't even care to accommodate. You have to pre request a seat on a wooden church pew along the back wall. I really want to like this place but I can't sit down where there's no seats. and standing for more than a couple songs just isn't possible for me. Next time I skip the tickets and hang out in the bar and listen for free from a nice comfy bar seat.

So disappointed in our meal before seeing The Gothard Sisters perform.. Lamb burger dry as a desert and cool to the touch. Cheeseburger ordered came without cheese. Both fries and tots overcooked and cold. The chips and salsa were good and the only redeeming factor. Expensive. Once it got a touch busy the staff couldn't keep up. Not sure what it will take to find a great place to eat!

My son and I attended a Johnny Cash tribute night last evening and I'm sorry to give it mixed reviews. The opening act, a Gordon Lightfoot singer was young and talented. The second act. a Patsy Cline clone was amazing, and the headliner was not as good as the two opening performers. The major downfall of the who production was that the producer (who had his own act squeezed into the show) that was not only up to par with the other talent but had his video photographer constantly walking in front of the stage blocking people's views. It was a major distraction and spoiled peoples view of the performers. Even though several people complained to him, he continued. A very polite gentleman at our table had his view of the stage blocked about 30 per cent of the time. He finally got up and asked the man to move and he did for about twenty seconds before he came back and did it again. The bar manager was very sympathetic to the feedback, but in my opinion the show overall was less than professional because of the distraction. Great venue, just a poor producer decision.

Worst venue ever for music performances. No seats. Flat floor. Guy in front of me kept stomping on my feet and acted like it was my fault.

My rating is primarily for the incredible security and staff who helped me during a medical emergency at a recent show there. Several people assisted with quickly bringing me to a safer location and did everything from expertly handling the urgency of the emergency to telling me jokes to help calm my nerves and following up several times afterward while I rested to make sure I was ok. It all added up to making a tremendous difference in the outcome. I can't thank them enough for being truly kind and attentive to help stabilize me and ease my mind during a scary situation.