Dawson's Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Tacoma

Yesterday was pick up horse feed for the ranch and take our rescue dogs out to be groomed. Milo and Koda are not only throwaways but special needs too. With the groomer being in Tacoma it wasn’t worth driving back home to Roy, only to turn around and go back to Tacoma.

I had seen another restaurant not too long ago but with street parking full we passed. This time parking was available so we parked, walked inside and was immediately disappointed. The place was tiny, with only 3 tables, 2 tiny counters with stools, and a brand new counter person who was unable to answer questions of the customer wanting to place an order. Out we went, never to return.

I saw Dawson’s on the corner, so we decided to go there. We walked through the door and immediately spoke with some friendly long time customers. Wendy, the bartender, was friendly, fast and efficient as she raced around taking care of a pretty full establishment.

I ordered a BLT on sourdough with fries. Ray ordered the Reuben with salad and honey mustard dressing. I had water. Ray ordered lemonade, which to me, tasted pretty watered down.

Our meals came out pretty fast. Everything was made to order. The bacon was crispy, not soggy and there were several pieces. The fries were hot and crisp, not soggy. Ray’s Reuben was stuffed with corned beef and sauerkraut. His salad was more than just lettuce.

This is a bar so the music is loud and the bar is dark. The food and service was excellent. They also serve breakfast all day for those who like breakfast at times other than early to late mornings. This is a place worth...

It was my friend's birthday. Wanting to try a place we hadn't been to before, we decided on Dawson's. It was a Monday night that the Seahawks were playing. We arrived to catch the second half of the game.

The place was very busy. The only table available hadn't been cleared from previous people. As we waited to be acknowledged, we enjoyed the atmosphere of the Seahawks game which was available on several monitors and angles.

My friend wanted the roast beef dip, but was informed they were out of roast beef. She settled for the hamburger dip. I ordered the fish and chips. For basic comfort food, both meals were good. Nothing extraordinary, but still satisfying. The 2 meals and 2 drinks from the bar came to $37.

The soulful sound of the band that performed after the game was a pleasant surprise. People were dancing solo or finding partners on the dance floor. No need for introductions or skills needed to enjoy yourself. The ambience was one of enjoying the present moment.

The major drawback was the lack of parking. I did not see any handicap parking at all

This turned out to be a very successful birthday night out.

Recommend for a casual bar...

A working class bar that welcomes everyone. Great food values...see Wednesday steak night for $10. I have anxiety issues and some places make me nervous, but plenty of room here and I can manage. Blues jukebox makes it easy. All that being said, the flag that flies over the bar outside has been fouled for months and on three separate occasions, including Veterans Day, I made mention of the need to correct this and was promised the owner would be contacted. Still it is in need of repair and much as I like this place, I won't return until it is corrected, which is really a shame. Missing a steak deal compared to those who gave it all for a principal the flag used to represent seems a small price to pay in comparison. An update to the review. A few weeks ago it occurred to me to buy a flag and donate it to the bar and within an hour after receiving the flag, the owner responded and the new flag is flying about the bar. I plan on going this week for the steak special and applaud the owner for...