Hi Tide Bar and Grill — Restaurant in Port Orchard

I recently had the unique and in many ways indescribable experience of finding myself at the Hi Tide Tavern in Port Orchard, a place that exists not merely as a location but as an idea suspended somewhere between the concrete and the abstract. To say that I was there would be accurate, but to say what exactly “there” is would be to oversimplify, perhaps even diminish, the fullness of the encounter. Because what the Hi Tide Tavern offers is not so much a product, nor exactly a service, but something else altogether—something that cannot be easily captured by conventional metrics such as food, drink, décor, or atmosphere, though all of those elements may or may not be present to one degree or another.

The journey itself was part of the story, though describing it would only raise more questions than it answers. Suffice it to say, I arrived, as one does, with expectations that were neither met nor unmet, but instead rearranged into an entirely new category of outcomes I had never previously considered. The entrance revealed what one might call a door, though whether it was simply a means of passage or a threshold into a broader interpretation of tavernhood remains a point of contemplation.

Inside, things happened. People were there, and in being there, they were both participants and observers in the larger narrative of the Hi Tide Tavern. Time seemed to move, though whether forward, backward, or sideways, I cannot say with certainty. Sounds existed, certainly, though describing them would unfairly privilege some vibrations over others. The lighting was present, but not absent, casting shadows that were as meaningful as the illuminated objects they defined.

At some point, I may or may not have encountered food, and beverages may have been involved. Were they good? Were they bad? To answer would be to miss the point. What matters is not what they were, but that they were. One could argue that they fulfilled their purpose, though to define what that purpose is would require an authority far greater than mine.

The staff, if indeed they were staff and not simply fellow wanderers in the same experiential corridor, played roles that were simultaneously obvious and mysterious. They interacted in ways that could be called service but might equally be interpreted as performance art, ritual, or simply the natural order of things unfolding as they must.

As for the patrons, their presence gave the place a quality of being populated, which I imagine is what taverns are generally known for. They seemed to be engaged in acts of consumption, conversation, or contemplation, though the balance between these activities is difficult to measure with precision.

Leaving was much like arriving, only in reverse and yet not quite the same. The Hi Tide Tavern, having been visited, became less of a destination and more of an imprint—something that lingers, perhaps not in memory, but in some adjacent mental territory where recollection and imagination blur together.

So if you are considering going to the Hi Tide Tavern in Port Orchard, I can say with confidence that you will either find exactly what you are looking for, something entirely different, or possibly nothing at all. And in that ambiguity lies the true essence...

I had high hopes for this place based off the pictures on Google. I was really excited about their 9 dart boards and pool table. However, I quickly learned that those pictures did not tell the whole story.

I asked for darts and the bartender said all that was available was on the ledge off to the side. I looked and there was a single mug with just a handful of darts, pieces of broken darts and no extra tips. I asked the bartender if there were any extra tips. I received a curt whatever's there is all we got response. This current response could easily have been reasonably foreseen if the place was busy. But there were less than 10 people in the bar on this particular weeknight. So it's not like the bartender was overwhelmed with customers.

Moving on to try to figure out the dart board I asked for some assistance on setting up my game. Again the bartender was short in their reply by saying I don't know anything about it you'll have to figure it out on your own. I was taken back by these responses. I felt like I was being a bother to the bartender and two their establishment rather than as a welcome to guest.

After two games of darts 3 of the five originally working darts broke. Which wouldn't have been a big deal if there were replacements. There was a sliding glass display case full of dart tips that could be purchased, but those dart tips didn't fit the darts provided by the bar. What's the point of having a display case where you can purchase dart tips but then can't use them to play darts?

Finally I moved over to the pool table to play around a pool. The fabric on the pool table was in horrible condition. There was a large tear. The fabric was threadbare. One pocket was being held together with duct tape. Any ball shot into that pocket was caught on the duct tape so it would fall down and work its way through the pool table and be collected with the rest of the balls.

All in all the bar atmosphere was okay, the dart boards were okay, but the service from the bartender left a lot to be desired, the bar needs to provide a lot more darts that are in good working condition and they need to reupholster their pool table.

Until they do this I would not...

I took a while to post this, but I’m rooting for this local dive. I had a terrible experience and the actions that rippled out of my visit didn’t sit with me well. No one should refuse service to a sober patron because the bar tender doesn’t like someone. Scouring through social media to see what sentiments other patrons had allowed me to frame a better view of the situation. I will go back and I won’t trash the place verbally or start a campaign to get a reaction. I can. I could. But that’s not what I want my reputation to be and nor do I want others to bully an establishment from one mistake or a bad day. Cheers friends. Hope to try the food next time and avoid any...