Asado — Restaurant in Tacoma

I'll start with the parking, what a joke. 5$ to pay to park in the bank parking lot or sneak and park in the pancake house parking lot. To top that off the lots are all really small. It's a smaller building and I'm on the smaller person side, but man was I shocked to find the tables were small to the point I couldn't find a place to rest my elbows! I would imagine it would be very hard to have multiple plates and drinks on them. Our waitress (i forgot her name) was fantastic, attentive, and was good at her job 👌. The remaining staff in the dining area and cocktail lounge (and or bar) i couldn't figure out for the price the items on the menu cost why most of them were standing around talking to one another or on their phones!? When I'm at work on a jobsite we're working, and for 60$ plates I'd hope as an owner you'd have your staff understand that there isn't anything fancy about your staff standing around. To charge at that price point have them doing productive things, I'd rather be bugged multiple times and asked how everything is than looking up every few seconds to see them not doing anything, and again this place has expensive price points and claim to be a higher class restaurant. To add to that our silverware was on the table RAW, meaning no napkins to seperate them from the table, which was also sticky when i sat down. The decorations and vibe were good. Now the meat of the review......the prices for portions! Holy smokes, what a scam! I told my fiance that had I been there alone I would've asked if the MEAL I was brought was an appetizer and asked to return it to the kitchen for 30$! I ordered the gnocchi with braised chicken thighs and it tasted alright to me no fancy mind blowing taste, but I kid you not I got 5 bite size pieces (about the size of a quarter) of chicken thigh and 9 pieces of gnocchi with a few parsnip florets and some cheese in a type of sauce......9 pieces! For 30$ dollars for that plate I ordered I could've very easily went to the store and made a whole skillet of that with a couple whole chicken thighs. My fiance ordered the burger (as I stated we were both perplexed by the prices of this stuff). The burger itself was good, about 24$ for that and some fries and i instantly regretted what i had ordered when i seen how much food she got for a cheaper meal, she also ordered calamari for a appetizer which was alright. The calamari wasn't served with enough sauce and was 16$ for about 8 or 9 pieces. I wish I would've taken a picture to show yall. The only reason we went there was because we'd gotten a 100$ gift card for Christmas.....was it worth 75$? Absolutely not and again the waitress was awesome but at the end of the day I was there to fill my belly.....not leave hungry and on 75$ that should be able to be done. Would I recommend anyone to go there to spend 60$ on a plate absolutely not. If you do go stick with the burger, I'd be scared to order something more expensive than what I got due to the sheer portion size I was given. If you want to go somewhere you're going to be full and feel like you're in some high class establishment for an expensive price point but definitely worth it, I'd recommend Texas de brazil steak house. I might give asados another shot another day.....maybe? I'd definitely ask how big the portion size of the meal you'd like to order so you're not shocked when it's brought out to you though! 75$ for half a meal and to watch a bunch of waitresses and waiters standing around in the bar and in front of the hot holder for the...

This is a hard one…apologies for length and context.

TL:DR I loved this place, I’m sad to see repeated declines in customer service and dropping of amazing menu items I would’ve gladly paid more for (bring back the stuffed crepes!) People shouldn’t be made to feel bad or like they are unreasonable when they politely push back on excuses from management not running the business properly.

I have loved asado so much. It’s been over 10 years that I’ve frequented here… many birthdays, anniversaries, wedding celebrating, friends from out of town, or just cause… I have dined here.

The last couple years, not sure if due to ownership change, there has been sad changes to the menu and a much lower standard of service.

We ate here 7/20/25 for my wife’s birthday and her parents were visiting from out of town. We arrived just before 5pm with no reservation, there were quite a few open tables and we were told we could sit at a table if we didn’t mind keeping the dinner to an hour (we didn’t) but we ended up at the bar instead for the 4 of us. An hour passed after we’d put in our order and my father in law asked the bartender if they could check on our order. The last time they visited we took them here and unfortunately the same very long wait had occurred.

A few minutes later a manager came out and rather than just apologizing about the wait, we got an explanation about how everyone got seated and ordered at the same time. From our perspective this just wasn’t true and felt like a cop out. We had seen the bar and most tables empty when we arrived and the pleasure to see those folks who arrived after us receiving their food before us which is why my father in law checked with the bartender in the first place.

It still took another twenty minutes before our food arrived, they no longer provide free bread or even the same delicious bread they used to have and nothing was offered to try and address the long wait. The bartender (overall great) when we got our food said that they would try and comp an item for the long wait (yay some level of acknowledgement!) unfortunately my medium rare steak was medium bordering on well done. My father in law’s skewered steak was medium rare when he asked for it to be medium, no sure if they mixed up the orders or what but at this point I’m made to be the bad guy or an unreasonable customer when I bring up that the $65 steak is overcooked. It already took over an hour to get it, the bartender didn’t offer to have it remade correctly… he just reiterated that the item would be comped since we had to wait so long. So now the concession that was made for the wait is being doubled up to also address the expensive steak I don’t want to eat now being overcooked….

All of this was enough that when we were asked about dessert we were just ready to leave. They comped the one item, offered to comp a dessert if we wanted but we left as it had all taken so long that we only had 5 minutes left to try and walk the street for the art event that was going on that my wife wanted to experience for her birthday.

Lots of words, lots of feelings, I’m usually pretty forgiving of stuff like this but when it becomes a common occurrence… I really hope things get sorted out and welcome management reaching out for additional feedback. When you spend an hour driving back and forth, commit the time etc. comping a single menu item that took over an hour to serve and was cooked wrong and didn’t get eaten or taken home is just...

A Must-Visit Culinary Marvel in Tacoma - Asado

From the moment you walk through the doors at Asado in Tacoma, you're not just walking into a restaurant, but stepping into a delightful experience crafted around a menu bursting with unparalleled flavor and exquisite service.

My recent dining experience at Asado was nothing short of phenomenal. The staff greeted us with an effervescent welcome, instantly making us feel at home. But what sets Asado apart is their meticulous attention to detail and their understanding that dining is not a transaction but an experience.

The staff showed an excellent balance of professionalism and affability. Their attentive nature did not go unnoticed, ensuring that our glasses were always filled and our needs swiftly met without any sense of intrusion. They exhibited an intimate knowledge of the menu, offering recommendations that made our decision-making process a delightful anticipation of the meal to come. This made the experience not just about food but about a connection to the culinary journey that Asado offers.

And oh, the food! Each dish is a testament to the culinary prowess that this establishment possesses. The menu, primarily influenced by Argentine cuisine, offers an array of dishes that cater to diverse tastes. The meat, as one would expect from a top-notch Argentine steakhouse, was cooked to perfection - succulent and packed with a fusion of flavors that danced on the palate. Vegetarian options were also robust and equally sumptuous, demonstrating Asado's versatile and inclusive kitchen.

One cannot talk about Asado without mentioning the standout Chimichurri sauce that accompanied our steaks. It was truly an explosion of flavors with the perfect balance of tang, spice, and freshness, enhancing the overall taste and adding a distinct layer of complexity to each bite.

As a local of Tacoma, I've had my share of dining experiences, and I can confidently say that Asado has moved to the top of my list. It's not just the incredibly delicious food that puts them there, but the overall ambiance and the staff's genuine attentiveness that adds a unique layer of enjoyment to the dining experience.

For anyone seeking an unforgettable culinary journey, look no further than Asado. Whether it's a celebration, a casual dinner, or a much-needed break from cooking, Asado delivers a phenomenal experience that extends beyond a simple meal. It's not just the best in Tacoma, it's a prime example of how dining out should be - full of flavor, fun, and...