4. Restaurants

Art House Cafe

111 N Tacoma Ave, Tacoma, WA, 98403
  • (253) 212-2011
  • Store is closed

Art House Cafe Menu

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Visit below restaurant in Tacoma for healthy meals suggestion.

Arby’s ( 2612 S 38th St )

Visit below restaurant in Tacoma for healthy meals suggestion.

Arby’s ( 2612 S 38th St )
Jamba Juice ( 4502 S. Ste.ele St., Ste. #381 )

  • Anna M.

    I really wanted to like Art House. I really, really did. Unfortunately, I left all three times disappointed. The service has never been great- never horrible- but never great and sometimes just on the cusp of being bad because of the extreme slowness and forgetfulness. I've spent time as a server- I get that these things happen: but in a nearly empty restaurant? I don't understand. The food itself is nothing to write home about and I am a massive purveyor of brunch and breakfast. The items look fantastic on the menu, but once they're in your mouth I'm always wondering what made me want to give it another shot.

    (2)

  • BarbaraJean B.

    C'mon people, let's get it together! My girlfriend and I got to the spot around 10:15 and did not actually eat until 11:30. Seriously. It was a blessing that we had a lot of catching up to do, but imagine if it was a first date! Train wreck. After the fella next to us, came in 20 minutes after, ate and left before we got our breakfast, I flagged the server and inquired. She said "Some things take longer than others to cook." I ordered a salad! But hey, I've spent time as a server and understand how things slip through the cracks sometimes. Then the manager asked how our food was after Tasha and I grew some grey hairs waiting and when we told her it was good, but took a reeeally long time, she said the same thing as the server. No apology, no deduction. Their lack of honesty was unnerving and lame. But despite the wait, our food was awesome.

    (1)

  • Alana F.

    I used to love this place, but then we had several experiences of extremely slow service and worst of all the quality of the food suffered. Our experiences were so bad that after the last time, when the egg of my eggs benedict was solid, and I was told by my waiter that's how the are supposed to be, we vowed never to return. It's too bad. The coffee they serve is really good. Cute decor and an inventive menu. But horrible service more than once makes all the good not worth the bad.

    (1)

  • Jackie G.

    Went here on a whim for breakfast since I've been curious about it for a while. Great little classy yet cozy and casual joint. Greeted with super smiling staff who were all very helpful and informative. Service outstanding! Love the decor casual elegance and yes you can be both. Prices reasonable enough but not cheap. Menu is clear and easy to understand. I recommend the coffee which of course is provided by the local roaster 'Stumptown', and I love the cups the use to serve it in. I asked the waitress where they get their food and had wondered if it was local or not. She confirmed the food served is local/regional as much fresh and organic as possible. Gotta support these folks for that very reason. Reservation wasn't necessary, at least not for me (service for 1). Parking can be a challenge in the Stadium District, but just keep going around and around. Someone will eventually leave. Truly a nice little place. If you are there on a warm weather day, they open the huge wall size glass doors to let the outside in ...or inside out however you want to interpret that. Outdoor seating is available on those days, but that space isn't huge. AHC opened about a year ago, so it still has a new feel about it. Bring your bff/gf/bf/family or whoever. It's good for all! Feel free to see the photos I posted during my visit. :)

    (5)

  • Elizabeth U.

    Art House is lucky to have gotten such a great location, down in the heart of Stadium District. If it's a nice day and you can sit outside, take advantage of that because there's a lovely bistro-esque feel to their outside eating area. There's really not a ton of room inside, so definitely call ahead and make reservations for a party larger than 4, or if you plan on coming during one of their busy times of day. I've been there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and my favorite is definitely breakfast (ricotta pancakes..... who cares if they're horrible for you, just get them). Lunch and dinner have been good too, but I'm a sucker for a good breakfast. I just have to say, and I'm only saying this because this is the reason my husband hates going here with me, the price of the food does not match up to the quantity that you get. I am all for quality over quantity, but if I can finish my entire meal when my husband usually finishes what I didn't eat, it leaves for one of us being very hungry still at the end of the meal. It's a place that I enjoy going with my girlfriends to, and they also have a great drink list.

    (4)

  • Luis Y.

    Such slow service. Typical Tacoma: no other option so you'll put up with the bad service. The sever needs to learn manners and how to speak to people. I had the medallion pancakes and a single egg and it was at least 15 mins. We put our name down at 10:15 and didn't sit until 11am. My gf had the stuffed biscuit which was really good.

    (3)

  • Trifin S.

    The food was good, we were seated and had our order taken very quickly. that was good. but it took 45 minutes for us to get the food after we ordered. terrible. I have no complaints other than that.

    (2)

  • Mad M.

    The numerous complaints about long waits appear to be real. To understand why we watched them cooking. For some reason one of the assistant chefs had difficulty poaching the eggs for the eggs benedict. everything was set, including the dutch pancake ( which technically takes the longest) and they were waiting for the poached eggs. You could see the frustration in the faces of the assy cook.I guess most delays are from the kitchen. might need gordon ramsays help soon.

    (3)

  • Jessica D.

    So you know when you go out to eat with someone and you both have different tastes in bacon? Maybe not but stick with me here. My partner likes his bacon cooked medium. I like mine very, very crispy. Usually if we both get bacon this means that one of us isn't going to get what we want, even if we order what we want. And hey, I get it. It's hard to make two plates of food come out with bacon done differently, especially during a busy breakfast rush. Indeed I don't know that we've ever had it happen before. Until we went to the Art House Cafe. My bacon was perfectly crisp. It was the best I've had in a long time in fact. Perfectly done. And his was done just as he liked it. He ordered the pancakes which were apparently delicious though a bit on the small side. No worries however as my french toast was enough to feed a small army. I ate some, he ate some and we still had a full gigantic piece to take home. It was fluffy and smelled and tasted like heaven. The breakfast potatoes and coffee were also delicious and the service was good as well. I'll admit that we came to breakfast after I went to the establishment for the first time the night before for dinner. It was also amazingly good. The salad was very tasty and the goat cheese spread appetizer was spot on. Service was great. Attentive but not overbearing. As for the complaints about a wait for food I didn't experience it at all. I've had food come to me quicker (like in a few minutes of ordering) but this wasn't slow. More like a normal amount of time to cook what I ordered. Pleasant actually as it gave us time to chat. Honestly the food and service was perfect. This is my new favorite place.

    (5)

  • Carli G.

    First time eating breakfast here on Mother's Day. Waited about 5-10 minutes for sometime to come over and seat us, though they did greet us and say they'd "be right with us" when we entered. Didn't get silverware for a while also. Food overall was very tasty. It was the service that overall disappointed me. On a day like Mother's Day people go out to have great service with families or whatever it may be. It just seemed that the servers were more concerned with getting out of work and gossiping with each other than giving good service. I will say the one girl bussing did a pretty kick ass job! Would go back again for breakfast with low expectations on service..

    (3)

  • Steve Y.

    This has been my favorite breakfast place for a while. I like everything on the menu so it can be a difficult choice plus there is often a temptingly imaginative omelette of the day special that the chefs come up with. I appreciate their commitment to fresh locally sourced ingredients. And the staff is really great. It's a comfortable, fun place with great food.

    (5)

  • Meghan S.

    Wow. We came here on a whim for lunch as we were originally headed towards Shake,Shake,Shake. My husband and I love to try something new, and thought, why not? We were instructed to seat ourselves, so we grabbed two menus and did as told. The menu alone should have scared me away. However, as we were in a bit of a hurry, we ordered a pepperoni and sausage pizza. Once we'd ordered, we were poured two glasses of cucumber water, which, I have nothing to complain about as it was amazing. Here is where things got bad. 40 minutes later, no pizza in sight and no server had checked in. We managed to flag him down, only to be told it was coming right out. Another 5 minutes, we finally have food in front of us.... only with no plates. Another 5 minutes, we're eating! Though the pizza leaves something to be desired. As their pizza menu filled the entire back page of their front/back menu, I expected more. You could not pick up a piece of pizza without the entire thing falling apart into one big soupy mess (as seen in photo). NOTE TO ART HOUSE: This could be easily fixed by perforating the dough before toppings and baking. Because we were in such a hurry, we actually paid before we ate and bolted as soon as we'd finished. Next time I'm hankering for pizza, Ill stick to The Hub across the street. Service is slow, inattentive and lacking.

    (2)

  • Kay C.

    This is still my go to place for breakfast! Food is always tasty and the servers are so friendly. I always get the buttermilk ricotta pancakes or the stuffed biscuit. And my boyfriend always orders the breakfast pizza which never disappoints. The coffee is delicious too!

    (5)

  • Ryan S.

    -Slow service, the server was nice though -We could here the staff discuss how my meal was going to take forever to get done -My dates food arrived at least 15 min before we finally gave up on mine since he was done eating -Didn't offer to comp the food t

    (2)

  • Gus L.

    Their breakfasts are filling. Their pizzas are trendy. Ingredients are all sourced locally. Stumphouse coffee, Mad Hat Tea, local brews and exotic wines & spirits. Plus, cucumber water tastes refreshing! Ambience is mostly quiet with groups easily stirring things up. On warm sunny days, they open the deck for a nice breeze. Come to a new establishment with great service!

    (5)

  • Diana K.

    The food service is incredibly slow, but the waiters are friendly. My husband and I have been here three times for brunch and on average, the food took an hour to prepare. Twice now, Art House was "out" of an entree. Today it was the Beecher's and Bacon. I ordered the classic stuffed biscuit instead. The homemade biscuits are flaky and buttery and pairs well with the gravy sauce. I prefer the Beecher's and Bacon over the classic biscuit since it is a bit lighter but both are good options. Portion sizes are large. Art House would be four stars if not for the slow food time and poor inventory management.

    (3)

  • Ron M.

    My one and only reason for 2 stars is breakfast food is served COLD. The cook cannot get right. When we think the cook has it together, bang, back to cold food Everything else going on is top notch. We love going there, the wait staff is superb but cold food? Not what I come there for.

    (2)

  • Alice Y.

    The place is very cute and well decorated. Staff was great. Food was great. No wait time when we walked in at 8:30am...=) For the sweet ones...(Him) Homemade banana bread French toast served with candied walnuts, caramelized banana, and two strips of bacon cooked perfectly. He said, "tasted better than I imagined" and he's been looking forward to this for a while. NOTE: for fall, they plan to change the menu to pumpkin bread French toast. For the savory ones...(Me) Quinoa cake served over a bed of arugula and balsamic with a poached egg. First bite was amazing. I didn't know what to expect but perfect amount of all flavors. Dress code: you can be as casual or fancy as you want..we went in gym clothes but there were some Sunday dressed ppl too. Groups: I did notice two large rooms upstairs which I'm sure they use for large parties. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

    (5)

  • Aimee K.

    One of those possible 4 star review places that later fade to about 3 - 3.5 once you go home. It's been a few months since we visited this cafe so the menu may vary from what I reviewed here. Parking is pretty easy to find on the wide street it occupies and we managed to find a head-in spot right in front. The staff were nice to us and never left us feeling neglected yet didn't make us nervous by hovering. The space is larger than it looks but for brunch that day, they wanted to allow people to sit either outside on the patio or closer to the natural light flowing in from the windows. It got a little dancey being that close to everyone else while they arranged tables to suit different party sizes, but we eventually settled in. I ordered the breakfast pizza which the waitress warned was more than enough for the two of us, but my partner wanted pancakes so he ordered the buttermilk ricotta pancakes with the berry compote and bacon. I want to provide the disclaimer that I am really really happy that the breakfast pizza is or has caught on. Breaking a yolk over traditional breakfast flavors on the best pizza crust is a one of the perks of tolerating big city traffic and over-crowding. The Art House rendition, however, falls a little short of the mark for someone like me who really feels the sodium punch long after I've finished swallowing. There's a lot of meat on there, which will please others, but generous prosciutto and sausage blended with Parmesan and jack cheese started to overwhelm and I could have really used some kind of green vegetable or more fresh herbs to cut it. For $16 it's a nice size for 2 or 3 people like she said and good quality ingredients and crust. I took a little less than half home with my partner helping himself to a slice or two. Which brings me to his dish which I did not try but looked delicious! They serve 4 medallion pancakes coated with compote and two slices of bacon. It's actually the perfect amount for an average appetite, but I thought $10 was a little on the high side for that amount of food which my partner even with his small appetite finished and still had room to help me with my pizza. Minus a star for that, but otherwise a good experience. We'd try it again if in the area.

    (3)

  • Nick M.

    Came here on a Saturday night for my first time. It was quite busy and the only table open was situated behind a large beam. It kind of obstructed my view of the band but hey they were busy. I had the pulled pork sandwich which was good and washed it down with some cucumber water. The best part was this older women who was totally wasted kept coming up to different tables and starting drunken conversation while dancing.

    (5)

  • Charles J.

    The french toast has the potential to be great but it was simply dry, tough, egg coated bread. French toast is supposed to be fluffy, cake-like with the egg batter soaked into the bread enough to transform it but not soggy. The so-called "stone ground cut" oatmeal was "Quaker Oatmeal" in fancy bowl for $9. The wait staff is friendly, but they are not attentive enough for the $34 2-person simple breakfast of french toast and oatmeal.

    (2)

  • J K.

    My experiences at Art House Cafe have been wildly inconsistent. My first two trips were lovely -- good food, aside from one dessert that was a miss (very blah heavy chocolate cake, served refrigerator cold). The next two trips were a bit ho-hum. The most recent one was very disappointing. My friend and I both received entrees that were wildly overdone. Think well-done instead of medium rare -- that's not a slight error. To their credit, they did give me a discount on the check, since I said something. However, they didn't even notice they'd done the same to my friend. Also, even though the restaurant was almost empty, the actual service was quite slow and inattentive. It took forever to get our server's attention to get a check, as he was having an extended conversation with his co-workers the whole time. I'm pretty sure that was my last trip there.

    (2)

  • Katie H.

    I've been here twice, and the first time I'd have given it 4 stars but after the 2nd visit its a 2. First time I was with a group who had reservations. Food arrived quickly and was delicious, yay! The second time we were seated right away - right next to the door. Which in a tiny place like that means that everyone who walks in and is waiting for a table has their butts in our faces, which is awkward and gross. We ordered right away and waited... and waited... and waited... after about 30 minutes the waitress came over and acknowledged that it had been a long time and promised our food next up. After that, we still waited about 15 minutes before it arrived, and other servers ran food to other tables during that time, too. We both ordered the stuffed biscuits, and both of our biscuits were under-baked and way doughy and gross on one half (unfortunately for both of us it was the opposite side we started on, so we ate 60% of our food before we got to the weird doughy un-edible end). After 45 minutes, I'd expect the biscuits you bring me to be amazing and fresh and hot. My guess is the waitress forgot to put in our order until she promised we were next, then the cook rushed it to get it to us fast and thus barely baked the biscuits. Yucky.

    (2)

  • Stephen M.

    What I liked most about this place is the service and how dog-friendly it is. The lunch menu isn't that expansive--pretty much a pizza place for lunch that does a few other things, too. But they do it well, are open to large groups, and allow dogs to join customers on their 4-5 table patio in front. Wine and beer selection are adequate, but not mind-blowing. Will def return.

    (4)

  • Elizabeth W.

    What a find! Great food, great service. My boyfriend and I came for breakfast. The French toast was amazing and the coffee is good too! The servers were very friendly and on top of their game!

    (5)

  • Bob W.

    We actually intended on having breakfast at another restaurant, but it was closed, so we took a chance and stopped at the Art House Cafe. It was clean, service was good, but we felt, at first, that it was a little bit too "artsy-fartsy" for us. No ice water, mind you, but water with cucumbers in it. However, that all changed once we got our breakfast. We order the breakfast pizza, and it was outstanding. Will definitely be coming back.

    (4)

  • Andrew G.

    Very nice crew, great tasting food and coffee, clean and pleasant atmosphere. I came in looking like hell and dressed in pretty much my grubbiest wear (lower class than most of the other patrons it seems) and though I felt rather out of place, nobody did anything to suggest I was unwelcome. My one gripe is that, for the price, I didn't find the food to be particularly filling. Suggestion to the establishment: Consider fluffing the meat on the Eggs Benedict; I think it would do wonders for the texture/presentation.

    (4)

  • Diana C.

    This place is really cute, and I wanted to like it, but I don't. They must have had a small accident in the kitchen because we smelled something burnt when we walked in. The menu looked promising however when I got my omelette it was a little disappointing. The egg was way overcooked and a bit rubbery but the arugula salad was pretty good so it wasn't a total loss. I'm not super picky about my eggs, so I was surprised that I had a problem with it. Portion sizes are pretty good and my friend enjoyed her food so at least one dish is good. Also, the coffee was way too weak, my friend had to exchange it for a latte instead. Overall, the ambiance is cute, maybe they do sweet breakfasts better than savory, but what I had, I wasn't a fan of.

    (2)

  • Kurt K.

    I've been here a few times for both dinner and breakfast. Dinner service and food seems better. Recently went for breakfast and had the omelet special that included sausage, caramelized onions and cheese. The other entree ordered was a ricotta stuffed pancake with berry compote with bacon. The bacon was over cooked and the pancakes were ok. The omelet was pretty good overall. But they need to out more than 4 tiny little baby potatoes as a side. We sat close to the open kitchen and it was interesting to watch the preparation. Unfortunately it seems like for breakfast they have the majority of items pre prepped like the caramelized onions and they just end up heating it up on the grill. The only skill was cooking the eggs for the omelet. I like the quaint art feel to the place, but wasn't impressed with breakfast overall. It can be better .

    (3)

  • Susan C.

    Inexcusably slow service. Food is great but we wait every time with tables sitting empty. I get short staffed but seat me, get me a drink, and warn me about my wait for food. This is insane

    (2)

  • Irina S.

    Been here 5 times for breakfast and each time has been getting progressively worse. The first time we were really impressed with the food. It was delicious, fresh, innovative, and local. The next couple times were hit and miss. Sometimes the food was great and sometimes just a complete disappointment. Maybe it depends on who is working in the kitchen that day? Despite the inconsistency and long wait times, we kept coming back here, longing for the same food and experience we had the first time we were there. Unfortunately, we never had that experience again and today was the last time we will be visiting this place. We waiting for 40 minutes to get a table, and another 40 minutes before getting up and leaving, without our food. We had 2 very hungry toddlers with us and asked the waiter to please bring us some toast or something for the kids so they can stop whining, but we never got it. Finally, tired and fed up, we left without getting our food to look for breakfast elsewhere. My advice to the owners- hire some more waiters and maybe some more help in the kitchen. Completely disappointed in the overall service and wait times here. If you don't mind waiting 2 hours to get your food that might- or might not- be good, then try this place. Maybe you will get lucky.

    (2)

  • Corinne M.

    I knew there was something special to this place, I gave it another go around, and I'm so glad that I did. I've gone three times just this week. I first ate a stuffed buttermilk biscuit, and it was FANTASTIC, by far my favorite dish here so far... The sausage is soft, and well flavored, everything about this contemporary dish was fresh, and airy, yet very filling at the same time, the flavors all came together very well, just loved it. I then had a Tiramisu dessert, and the presentation was amazing, and fun, the top part was a little hard, I thought it could use a bit more stronger coffee flavor, but the raspberry, and chocolate sauces were fun to add to this dessert, it really was very good. I then came back, and had a salad, and pork slider, both were really good as well. I think that the salad would go from good to amazing with orange flavored cranberries, and maybe candied nuts, just an idea for fall? The pork sliders were yummy, my son devoured it, and can't wait to go back. Staff: Cyndi has been a pleasure to talk to, I was so nervous coming in to talk about our experience that my husband and I had on our anniversary, but she seemed very appreciative of my feedback, and listened in detail to everything I had to say. We ended up talking about our kids, and connected on a personal level, and it really felt good to have a real conversation with her, I enjoy saying hi to her when I come in, she's just great... Rosie girl, I just love your hair, and you're absolutely a doll, what a sweetheart, we've been looking for you when we've came in, can't wait to have you serve us again. There have been a handful of amazing servers here, we love them all. I'm just so glad that I came back, it's been an awesome, fun, and relaxing place to go to, I plan on frequenting this place often...

    (5)

  • Manny M.

    I LOVED this place! When I first arrived the servers were really nice. It was extremely busy, on a Sunday like ANY BREAKFAST PLACE WOULD and there was a wait, but let me tell you, It was WORTH THE WAIT. Seriously some people reviewing here need a chill pill. My server was very sweet, it seemed like she had 5 tables or so, therefore I can't expect a 5 minute introduction. I had the Smoke salmon, It was DELICIOUS, poached eggs JUST right, and the hollandaise was just right. It comes with a nice salad. Drinks are good, but the coffee is GREAT, stump town coffee is bomb. I would recommend anyone who's looking for a nice local restaurant.

    (5)

  • Henry S.

    After hearing months of tantalizing descriptions, we scheduled a birthday dinner for the Art House, and we were not disappointed. A Mecca for locavores, especially animal lovers. Our veggie friends love it because they don't feel like an afterthought. Even my friend the Vegan, who equates eating an egg with ritual murder, finds plenty of art in the Art House. And yes, the restaurant is an art gallery, there is creative space next door, and they have live music on weekends. Arrived at Geezer Dinner Hour to find plenty of space. Within an hour it was full. When the weather is good, they open up the front terrace and serve indoor-outdoor, which is very European. Future Iron Chefs can sit at the counter and watch the chefs perform their magic just a few feet away. Dinner entrees are divided between appetizers, small plates, and large plates. Among the appetizers, the spicy shrimp were the hit. (Avoid the lemon-rosemary chicken skewers). From the small plates, I wanted to bathe in their baked Brie, and the Ahi slider was perfectly done (we like our Ahi on the medium-rare side) and about the size of a Mini Cooper. (I'm not kidding!) Among larger entrees, the pizzas are outstanding, perfect crust and unique combinations. One pizza feeds two. The lemon ricotta ravioli brought back memories of my childhood in Italy, and I never had a childhood in Italy. Service was steady and competent. We were headed home for home-baked goodies, so we didn't try the desserts. There's always next time. THERE WILL BE A NEXT TIME! Some reviewers say it's pricey. Not compared with Seattle or the so-called luxury restaurants of Tacoma's waterfront. For this kind of quality, it's worth the price.

    (5)

  • Antonio D.

    Sooo, The food was okay. Not a taste bud exploding experience, but still good which is why I'll add that coveted second star. The service... not so great. Our waitress seemed to have other things on her mind. She almost spilled coffee on my wife..twice, and most of what she said to us was with her back turned to us. Like she was reciting waitress lines because she had to. It wasn't even busy. It a nice little spot but I don't think I'll make it back to it again. It just would have been too easy to be nice.

    (2)

  • Mog V.

    Don't go with a large group for dinner (more than two) as they will not be able to serve everyone in a timely manner. I ordered the Brie Sandwich....and it was completely unremarkable. The male server was running around the small dining area with such an impending sense of urgency that it created a bit of tension. The vibe is just off. I will likely not return.

    (3)

  • Ryan K.

    The food was decent and portions were perfect. I had the eggs, bacon, toast, and rosemary potatoes. Even though the ingredients were high quality, I would have preferred the bacon to be cooked more evenly and a few more potatoes in the serving. We were greeted by friendly waitstaff, and found the restaurant to be tastefully decorated. The cucumber water was a nice touch that made the place feel very upscale. Overall a solid choice for a morning breakfast in Tacoma, wish I could rate it 3.5 stars.

    (3)

  • James F.

    This review is being written simply for the mere fact that the last two times I have been to art house cafe the "service" has been nothing but comparable to an Outback or some other characterless franchise. I understand the art house is nothing comparable to this in terms of food, because the food is excellent every time I dine here. The service on the other hand is mediocre at best. I am an individual in the service industry and have been for a decade. When the service staff has their personal agendas to fulfill more than the customers experience, you art house have failed your clientele. Examples are as follows. 12/30/14 came in for lunch around 1pm, I was in line waiting behind another couple, the waitress after seating the couple in front of me said it would be a moment. No prob good start, there were about seven tables in the restaurant, two waitresses working, plus a dishwasher whom was helping bus and reset tables. The waitress proceeded to take the drink order from the couple in front of me while I waited for a table, I was sitting next to them in the "waiting area" first booth next to the front door. I waited for about 20 mins until another waitress came up to seat us. During this time they were bussing the dirty tables as guests left and resetting them all. So all in all we waited for the entire dining room to be cleaned and reset before we got a table? I could not relate to this form of efficiency?? This caused the waitresses to rush our experience and caused us to hurry up with our order since it was now 1:25p before we even sat. When we walked in there were five open tables. Once again where is the efficiency and concern for the customer experience?? As soon as our order was placed and the entrees hit the table our check was presented and left off to the side. Food again was fantastic as usual, kudos to the chefs. I hate feeling rushed and un-welcomed this is the experience Arthouse provided me with this occasion. Now the whole reason this is being written, it is Saturday night 1/3/15 came back to the Arthouse to grab some dinner arrived at 10pm. When we pulled up they had the door open and the lights dimmed, before I could get out of my car the waiter walked from behind the bar and closed the door then turned the lights all the way up made it nice and bright instead of the mood lighting which is usually set for dinner service. I did not even bother to bring my party inside it was extremely un-hospitable in every sense. We all knew that the people inside wanted to go home and were ready to fulfill their personal agendas more so than the experience I hoped to share with friends. I am in the industry, my hours make it convenient for me to eat out. Plus I enjoy learning my craft from others who share the same passion I have. I was hoping to make Arthouse my "go to" but unfortunately I will never recommend nor make it my first choice when I want to have a special occasion. I will simply refer to the Arthouse as great food and that's all to my clients and colleagues. Good luck in the future I hope your chefs don't suffer at the hands of your FOH.

    (2)

  • Chrisy D.

    I rate this place specifically for their awesome breakfast menu and their design ascetic! I loved both! I really enjoy being able to go out and have at least 3-4 options on the menu that all look so good it is hard to decide what to order! They have banana bread French toast which is so tasty and yummy bacon!! I would vote this my favorite breakfast restaurant in Tacoma by far. I have not been impressed by many breakfast places down here.

    (4)

  • bebe j.

    I've eaten at Arthouse (breakfast) three times now. The decor is mid century modern with a great twist, I really like it. The menu had a simplicity to it that is inviting, not overwhelming. The staff is friendly and upbeat, but a bit clueless. I've had an omelet each time and it's always cooked perfectly and flavorful. The potatoes are always over cooked and under seasoned, which is sad since they use a lovely variety. Their coffee is delicious as are their mimosas ;) The bacon and sausage patties are flavorful and cooked well. It is in your best interest to make a reservation. Also: the service is very, very slow. Do not plan to be in and out in less than 90 minutes. The staff is SUPER nice, but they don't seem to have a firm grasp on basic customer service, alertness, and the menu.

    (3)

  • Sean W.

    Service is awful the second time I came here. Ask for manager to come to the table twice and then they tell me ten minutes later there out of bread for my sandwich what on earth and I ask just to change the bread and they have to go check if that possible no recommendations whatsoever.

    (3)

  • Derek K.

    BRUNCH! This small-town cafe serves a variety of fresh and eclectic dishes alongside a generous pour of Stumptown Coffee. You can't lose with the Eggs Benedict, or a create-your-own omelet. I recommend splitting a sweet and savory dish with a friend, and enjoy the friendly service and peaceful vibes.

    (4)

  • Emily E.

    I want to give it a 4.5 if I could... it's not quite a all fave 5 star location yet in my book for myself, but that won't mean I won't be back in the neat future either. I love the location because I live right down the block, so winning on that! The menu is short and sweet, with a lot of options for all. It is a little hard to read, but it is part of what makes it "Art House" I guess. Just line, after line with little spacing in between, but thankfully for everyone involved pretty much everything on it is delicious. The service has always been good enough. Sometimes I felt like we were waiting on this or that or the other, which is silly because it is so small that it's not that hard to do a drive by, but sometimes being left alone is nice, so once again I am not really complaining. Once we were in when they were playing some live music, with a man on the guitar who sang as well. He was pretty good and it was a nice surprise. I have only been in a half dozen times for late evening dinners and am looking forward to trying it for breakfast sometime. Who knows maybe it will turn into a five star review. I do think it would have to be pretty bad to knock it down to three. Overall, a solid selection for a nice quiet intimate meal. I would definitely take any friend there.

    (4)

  • Resie R.

    The food was really good and fresh. The service was far below subpar. The Bloody Mary I had was really thick and tasted like V8 with extra spices. My server never once checked on me. The server tried to give me warm water. I thought maybe this was how they operated, but other people sitting around me had ice in their water, was asked how is everything, had their water refilled, while I was literally sitting there being ignored. It took them then half an hour to give me my bill. Again the food was really good and had a nice presentation, but service was grotesquely lacking.

    (2)

  • Olympia W.

    When people say the service here is lacking they are NOT kidding. Our party of four went here on a Friday night to enjoy music, wine, and pizza but found the music similar to shopping in the Forever 21 store....WAY TOO LOUD! In fact we could not hear any of our conversation without shouting. Wine selection is decent and priced well. Menu is intriguing and seasonal. Our party ordered the butternut squash pizza and the "meat" pizza but they did not come out at the same time. We waited over an hour for the second pizza to arrive...well after our bottle of wine was gone. Our waiter never returned to refill our water glasses or to inquire if the food was acceptable. When he finally brought the second pizza there was no apology or offer to discount it even though we had already boxed up the leftovers from pizza #1. We could completely understand the situation if the place was packed but there were only 6 tables occupied. Hmmmm....hard to accept this level of service. Come on Art House Cafe....we think you can do better than this. You have the potential.

    (2)

  • Valerie A.

    Excellent. Huge portions that are basic (just entree and maybe one side) but they don't nickel and dime you for sides ($3 for 2 slices of bacon). We had the pumpkin brioche French toast and it was fabulous. Kid friendly too with lidded cups and a cute drawing pad thing. Lovely atmosphere, definitely will be returning!

    (5)

  • Christopher B.

    I've eaten here twice--once I am pretty sure me and the voracious guest I was with ordered almost one of everything. It was delicious, but I was also hung over so that invalidates my ability to really discern the subtleties of flavor and gastronomy. But then I came back. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator 2. And I ordered the breakfast pizza. That was two hours ago, and suddenly the sky is more blue, the trees are more green, the sun is warmer and more golden than ever before. I just ran up the stairs to my bathroom and back in less than 14 seconds. That's outstanding, to put it in context, as I usually do so in 22 seconds. The spring in my step is remarkable, and I am pretty sure my leprosy has been cured. Let's really dig into this thing though. I'm a two time iron chef champion back in my home town, but that was a stroke of luck---I am not expert on the intricacies of spices and herbs. What I do know is that whatever flavors the chefs/sorcerers in the back kitchen of Art House Cafe were using on this pizza, it was powerful shit. I could only eat half the pizza, but the spices, the eggs, the quality bacon, and the sausage mixed with whatever type of cheese that was were like a flock of women storming the Bastille of my mouth and introducing revolutionary flavor and satisfaction. If you're hungry, and want quality, go get that breakfast pizza. Do it. Please! And please note that the eggs are cage free. I get so emotional when I see eggs in cages, or in labs (like the velociraptor eggs in Jurassic Park, boo) and I am so happy to know that nobody kept these eggs in cage. They belong in cartons, or in the wild! And just like Jurassic Park, the employees at Art House Cafe are clever. They test the customer for weakness, and never strike the same place twice. It's intense. By the time you see the meal coming, it's too late--the amazingness of the food and service is already coming at your from the sides. Clever girl. Enjoy this place, you'll come away with a satisfaction beyond measure and your day will undoubtedly develop into one to remember.

    (4)

  • Jennifer P.

    Well.. As much as I would have liked to love this place, it did not happen. It is a cute little place . The food is "okay" but the worst part of the last experience was the flies everywhere. I get that it gets warm and you need to open the doors but having flies on everything (walls, tables, place settings, around you) was just a turn off, not to mention sickening. Even the waitress was not thrilled. I did email to give feedback but no response. If they remedied the problem, maybe I would go back but right now, I am still queezy from that last experience.

    (1)

  • Joyce W.

    Went here for breakfast. My friend found this beautiful restaurant from Yelp. Food was great. You get big portions and service was fast. The place has an outside open area for seating. Many wonderful art displayed throughout the restaurant. I gave this place a 4 because of limited parking in the street.

    (4)

  • Christina L.

    The only one star is for the server, who after sorting the mess of the dining room was great. I work in restaurants, so I get it- Walking in they seemed short staffed, and busy.. bussing tables, while filing water and coffees.. ect. Totally fine. We sat down, and got our drinks fairly quick. Watching the other tables around us though.. had more than one complaint. A table outside hadn't been greeted in 20 min, the table next to us who had sat down well before we walked in, got their water and coffee after us (same water and drip coffee). The food was TERRIBLE. It was slapped on the plate, and half mine was burnt. Although fairly priced, wasn't the most enjoyable experience ever.

    (1)

  • Chelsea Laine H.

    I really wanted to love this place, but it was a little difficult. The atmosphere was a little strange. They were trying to be hip but couldn't quite get there. I would suggest not sitting at a high top table, every time someone walks by the whole table shakes, our coffee even jumped out of the cup one time! The service was also a little...off. She was nice and everything but seemed confused or distracted. My husband got the stuffed biscuit and he really loved it. The menu said all egg dishes came with potatoes...the biscuit had eggs but no potatoes came :( it will filling so he didn't ask if they were missing or weren't suppose to come. I had the yogurt and granola which was more like a bowl of yogurt with a little granola for garnish. I wanted a chai and a scone but they were out of both (sad face!) so I got an OJ (which came with ice????) and a cinnamon roll to accompany my yogurt. The roll was great and HUGE! The prices were good and reasonable for a breakfast place. As I said above we really wanted to like this place so we will be giving it one more try...wish us luck!

    (2)

  • Vania K.

    Love the deck. Wish there were just one vegan option on the menu. The service is a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it's wonderful and attentive, sometimes not. Every time the food has been very tasty, though. Really good coffee too. It has potential to be great!

    (3)

  • Clementine R.

    First time here! Great experience with exception to the strange cinnamon roll which seemed to lack a rising before being baked, and was waaaay over-baked and was almost as dry and hard as biscotti and strangely not very sweet...it was bad. My husbands was not as dry as mine, but it was still pretty tasteless. Most of the moisture seemed to come only from the frosting, which I believe was cream cheese. They apologized, took it back and said the chef was trying out a "new recipe" hmmm. Basic brewed coffeee was fresh and rich enough for my picky tastes. They use Stumptown. The cups are fun. Large and wide, with a little pitcher of cream instead of the foiled plastic cups. Fun and cute. Water, lovely glasses and cucumber infusion. Nice. Omelet came with 3 fillings of your choice. I went with the chefs special of the day: Sausage, spinach and cheddar. They make the sausage there, according to the menu. It was great! Herbed baby potatoes, lightly fried, and a fun arugula salad topped with nuts, balsamic and gorgonzola was delicious. I loved having some healthy raw greens with breakfast. It was a large amount of food, for the price, and you could taste the quality in all of it. I had to add some salt to it all, but not much. I'd rather they don't oversalt, so no complaints there. My suggestion: rethink your cinnamon roll or take it off the menu. Awesome ones are really quite easily made. If waste is a concern, or there isn't time or space to make them, you'd be better off just offering them on a first come/first serve basis, making a couple dozen the morning of, or whatever the typical amount sold is. Make them really great, and popularity will increase, so you won't have a problem with waste. Hey, I'll give you my cinnamon roll recipe if you'd like. Mine taste better than Cinnabon. I'll give you the recipe....then I'll buy them from you. ha! The waitress was a tad clueless, as other's have said....but no big deal. I could ask her questions and she'd go back to ask. She kept the coffee filled, the water filled, and the food was promptly delivered. I'm going back. I'm going to try either the egg and bacon sandwich with red peppers or the eggs benedict.

    (4)

  • T M.

    Just had breakfast at this awesome spot. Very nice inside with art work painted in the adjoining shop hanging on the walls. Menu was amazing. So many good options it was hard to choose. Service was excellent. Servers are very friendly! And the food was amazing. Go hungry though. Big servings!

    (4)

  • Sara S.

    Very friendly staff. Cindy is an exceptional waitress and the food is incredible. Very unique. A little pricey, but worth it.

    (4)

  • Alec M.

    We stumbled upon this restaurant accidentally. What a pleasant surprise. Wait staff were very attentive and very friendly. Always greeting our table with a smile and appropriate conversation. Breakfast pizza was amazing. The crust was crisp and light. All pizza should be this good. Brioche dipped French toast was like eating custard. Not overly sweet. The vanilla butter was delicious. Omelette of the day was huge, lightly seasoned allowing the ingredients to be shine. Eggs Benedict was light and very citrusy. The best we have had in a long time. Bloody marry was a huge wow. Great for breakfast. Highly recommended. We will likely be back again this trip.

    (5)

  • Steve S.

    Awesome breakfast pizza big enough for 2 with cage free eggs, fennel sausage, prosciutto & caramelized onions. Great coffee too.

    (4)

  • Thida N.

    Food and service were excellent! I got the breakfast and my mom had the stuffed biscuit. Both delicious. FYI the pizza is enough for 2 people and a side of arugula salad is perfect together :) when the waitress found out we were walking back to downtown she offered more water to prehydrate for the trip back. I'm moving here to Tacoma so this is a place that I will be a returning customer. Can't wait to see what's for dinner! A must for breakfast in Tacoma. The dishes are unique :)

    (5)

  • Stephanie T.

    My only wish is that I could give this place more stars!! Amazing!! A little pricey for breakfast but so worth it! My hubby and I were actually just driving around looking for a place to eat when we found this little gem. So glad we did! My first time having cucumber in my water! Very yummy! I had their egg white omelet and a fruit plate and my hubby got French toast. All were just wonderful! I also enjoyed looking at all the art throughout the place. Very modern and classy spot. There's even a bar if you're dining alone. Call or go online and reserve to avoid the wait because this place was packed when we got there! We will most definitely be back soon!

    (5)

  • J D.

    I really like this place but sometimes the service is a bit questionable. Today I waited for 13 minutes without staff acknowledging me waiting to be seated. They were busy but when several wait staff walk by you several times a customer expects a "we will be with you shortly." To be totally ignored is not acceptable. The food finally came after 1 hour and 40 minutes...no exaggeration! Thank goodness I was with a friend and we had a lot to catch up on. The waitress apologized for the slow service and stated they only have one chef. Really!!!is that the customers fault???? The food is good but there are several other T-town restaurants with great food. Unless you have several hours to dine skip this restaurant.

    (1)

  • Amy V.

    Their menu items are about half hit and half miss. The most recent time I was there I ordered their seasonal squash hash. Upon delivery there was only one piece of squash in the plate. They ended up giving me an extra small plate with a few more pieces of squash. Unfortunately had to drown it in ketchup to add flavor. Go for the cute ambiance and nice service but don't expect to get much bang for your buck.

    (3)

  • Catherine B.

    Hubby and I ate here a few nights ago. The food was wonderful and the service was good, but the menu selection was lacking and the food was overpriced for the portions.

    (3)

  • Dee Dee R.

    This place is amazing because of the quality and beautifully prepared food, the excellent service, and the contemporary ambiance. Love that there are vegetarian and gluten free options that are delicious and plated with care. This is a wonderful place for a special evening or a quick lunch. The breakfast plates are unique and delicious as well. Try the breakfast pizza. The ArtHouse uses local, organic sources. The coffee is delicious (local) and well priced. Great place with wonderful food and supurb service!

    (5)

  • Anonymous U.

    Let me start by saying I will NEVER come here again. Not even because of the food! The food was ok--not the greatest, but it's bearable. The service however, was seriously lacking. I wasn't even greeted when I walked through the door. In fact, I had quite the opposite experience-- I was ignored. Not a single person acknowledged my presence as I read the "please wait to be seated" sign. I patiently waited a few minutes before going up to the counter to ask where I could sit. Later, I started looking around at all the staff. They were nice to our face, but as soon as they got to the back where the kitchen is, their attitudes all changed. There were fights in the kitchen, there were people arguing loudly behind the coffee counter. (PS the coffee is TERRIBLE). Not a single person looked happy to be there. And if the staff isn't happy to be there, why should I? At first I thought it was just me, but after reading other yelp reviews on here, I realize others have had a similar experience! I would NOT recommend this place to anyone! This place needs an attitude adjustment.

    (1)

  • Marcella T.

    I will say, for as difficult as our group was, I was impressed. I visited the Art House Café with my church's young adult group on February 15, 2014. We had planned a social in advance, and reserved the Picasso Room on the top floor. For this reason, I will be commenting on several aspects of my experience with this restaurant. The Aesthetics - Parking was a beast, but that's common in the Stadium District. Also, the façade was not exactly obvious, but it wasn't too hard to find. Upon entering, I was greeted by a cozy interior, low lights and a bar/barista command center. It was very clean, well laid out and it was very easy to move about. To our surprise, there was a mini shelf system in the room, which made it possible for us to play music from an iphone (Pandora) without the annoying cell phone speakers. I was expecting to not have music at all! The Picasso Room was up a flight of stairs, restrooms to the left. The L-shaped room was able to accommodate the 15 or so guests who joined in. And as there were plenty of tables and chairs, it was very easy to model the room to how we desired. The Food - Since we wanted to use the Picasso Room, although the rental was free, there was a required $20 per person for food. This may seem steep, but it's actually not. Additionally, we ended up having SO MUCH FOOD. It was amazing. And because our menu was prix fixe, I was able to choose what we were to dine on, and the variety was ah-MAZE-ing. The only item that most did not care for was the sauteed spinach pizza. My favorite was the charcuterie. I don't eat alot of meet, buuuuut... that meat and cheese plate was quite excellent. The Service - Our servers were simply en pointe. I don't know if it was because we had a big group and they wanted to put their best face forward, but they certainly went above and beyond the call of duty, attending to everything we needed. The owner even stopped by for a peek and a wink. If you are looking for a well-executed, moderately-price restaurant, do not hesitate to put the Art House Café on your list.

    (5)

  • Matt B.

    I had a great meal here with some friends from out of town. Our server Steve was funny, personable, and attentive. I would definitely recommend this place!

    (5)

  • Amanda S.

    I had been eyeing Art House Cafe for a month or two before I got the chance to go. The menu looked fabulous, it's located in one of my favorite Tacoma areas and the reviews were pretty great. We made reservations for a party of 6 and headed in. We were seated at a booth right by the door. I don't mean near the door, I mean the door hit one of the chairs each time it was open. Odd choice but I figured it was a small local place so whatever. So there we sat... and sat... and sat. about a half hour after we got there the waiter came by and took our food orders. No drink orders, no suggestions, no appetizers, just food orders. When I asked to see a the drink menu he seemed frustrated and as each person attempted to order it really seemed like more of a hassle than anything else. After accepting that if we were going to get refills of water or wine we would need to flag down the bus boy or hostess we started to do so. We were able to ask for water refills and another glass of wine. I got the Spicy Shrimp to start and it was really good. The cilantro yogurt sauce was fresh and just delicious. For my main course I ordered Roasted Butternut Squash pizza and that was a little heavy handed on the blue cheese but still pretty good. However, as the food arrived it did not arrive together. Four of us got our food and the other two got to watch us eat for about 5-10 minutes. It began to feel awkward so I got up and asked about the remainder of our food. Keep in mind we had not seen our server at our table since taking our food order. I made attempts to get his attention but he just kept diverting eye contact. Again, a bus boy brought the remainder of the food out and was apologetic about it but made an excuse about the other entrees cooking faster. One of the last entrees to arrive was my husbands 10 oz. Local Double R Ranch Angus steak. The flavors were okay but I had to laugh that the steak was overcooked after we had to wait longer for it to "finish" cooking. Our dining experience ended the way it started again we sat... and sat... and waited for the checks so we could leave. When the waiter came back by with the checks he was polite and asked how everything was but at this point there was no redeeming the overall experience. Our check was almost $100 for the two people on it and I have to say I was irritated with it. Not to mention one member of our party had an up charge for gluten free crust he didn't order. I don't mind spending the money when I feel it was worth it. Being ignored for 2 hours is just not worth it. I think on the food I would actually give them 3 stars but the startling lack of service would be half a star at best. So I settle on the single star and the feeling that I will not be returning.

    (1)

  • Ben T.

    Love it. We came here for breakfast and were really impressed. The staff is really personable with their dishes. Lots of unique items that taste really good. I had the breakfast pizza and it was filling without being too heavy. I cant wait to come back for dinner!

    (5)

  • Lauren L.

    We went to Art House Cafe for an early breakfast as the weekend before at around noon, we saw a line out the door and had to go somewhere else. At 9:30 am there were plenty of tables available. I love the ambience of the cafe. They have tables that look out onto Tacoma Ave which is great for people watching. While not a big place, it is comfortable and bright inside. We got the breakfast pizza and the stuffed biscuit along with drip coffee (they use Stumptown). We appreciated the use of higher quality local ingredients and the portions were reasonable. While the meals didn't blow us away, the dough used for the breakfast pizza was excellent. Our server was friendly and for the most part, the service was good. We'll definitely be back.

    (4)

  • Benita K.

    Wow, I was very impressed. First of all, this little gem is tucked away in the Stadium district -- it's worth checking the block out just for this place! Ambience: it feels like you've entered a cool family friend's house with lots of natural lighting and clean furniture. But you can bring your kids, cause it's not too fancy. They serve Stumptown and Mad Hat: both a win. Their ingredients are fresh, well selected and paired, and cooked very well. I hear it's Terra Organics (which, shameless plug, is great!) and you can tell these are goooood ingredients. Their chef's table is pretty sweet cause you can watch them cook your food -- or critique their technique, depending on your style. Service is so friendly and checked on us so frequently that I wondered if they had any other responsibilities other than refilling our fresh cucumber waters from our personal pitcher. Prices are reasonable, given that this is as organic / fresh / farm to table / maybe they have a garden and animals out back ... as it gets. $9-13 average. I highly recommend their molasses rubbed pork shoulder sandwich. Or their omelettes. Or eggs benedict. I cannot WAIT to try all the other menu options.

    (5)

  • Taylor S.

    Breakfast was just ok, they served cucumber water in the morning and some of the breakfasts come with an arugula salad starter, just weird. My scrambled eggs were very bitter and for the price you don't get much.

    (2)

  • Molly B.

    Overall, I love this place. However, there was a particular dish that irritated me. Beware of the "stuffed biscuit" it is actually a breakfast calzone. I highly recommend sticking to the eggs Benedict or pressed egg sandwich. Don't order the biscuit, because it is at best a breakfast empanada.

    (4)

  • Shannon K.

    The lobster bisque! Was to die for! Salmon, perfection as well. Love the ambiance. You must go...but make a reservation, seating is limited! Yum!!!

    (5)

  • Mary T.

    I've been here twice now, hoping my second visit would be better than the first. Love the location and atmosphere but the service is slow and impersonal and the food is just so so; certainly not worth the price!

    (3)

  • Anthony L.

    The food is pretty good, but the prices are really out of touch with the level of service they provide. I know this is a young restaurant, but they need to get this fixed. The ceiling is high for this place if they get the service figured out. I'm hoping for the best, because it is an adorable little spot and a short walk from my house. Good luck Art House - I know you can get this thing right!!

    (3)

  • Ben O.

    I changed my mind about this place the while the lamb burger was really good on my first review this place overall sucks it is never open when I go there they say they're open til 9 during the week but I have seen them closed several times by 7 I went in couple weeks ago to eat lunch at 1:30 and they refuse to even show me a menu because they said they're strictly only serving breakfast who eats breakfast at 1:30, 2 o'clock in the afternoon and who accommodate the customers their service is lackluster and I'm pretty sure the girl that handed me the menus was high on something because her eyes were open so widely i just got up and left. No food is worth the experience I've been handed every time I've eaten there and even if I wanted to have the time when I go to eat there they're closed anyway what a joke I'll pass

    (1)

  • Mac S.

    This place is amazing. The food is delicious and the staff is very friendly. It is conventionally located in tacoma and attached to an art studio. Very fresh tasting food and skillfully prepared! Your taste buds will thank you! Give this place a try of you're in the area.

    (5)

  • Heidi S.

    Best meal we've had in awhile! Loved the risotto, tomato salad (I didn't know basil micro greens existed until today) and dessert. Couldn't have had a more delicious meal. It was also great that they welcomed us warmly - fussy toddler and all. The server and hostess were great. Loved the artsy decor. What a delightful restaurant.

    (5)

  • Denise P.

    So tonight was the first visit for my sister and I to this place which I have been dying to go to, and we met up with my dad, his friend who knows the owner well, and a couple of others and were sat at the bar overlooking the kitchen. Oh my goodness, I had no clue what I was in for and neither did my sister. I had read the menu online a couple weeks prior and a dish stood out to me right away and upon the reading the menu there, my sisters' eye caught the same tem: fried egg with mushrooms and duck fat roasted fingerling potatoes. We both looked at each other and knew we were sharing that. We ordered that, the pomegrante shrimp, the brioche grilled cheese and a glass of CabSav for me. The wait staff were all super friendly, esp. the one who waited on our table I wish I could remember his name. We had him laughing from the moment we sat. We watched the head chef artfully prepare dishes, and when our food was served, it blew our minds. Absolutely everything on the plate worked in harmony, and when we ate all the componets together at once, our taste buds screamed, rendering us speechless for our first few bites. The potatoes were so creamy, the egg perfectly over medium, the quinoa with the shrimp were flavorful, the brioche was sinful, and the mango glace is to die for! After literally singing the praises to the chef, whom which we engaged in some minor conversations with, our friend ordered a cake with a delicious custard on top which we all noshed on, and our waiter offered us the bread pudding which he had made in error for another table and didn't want it to go to waste...bonus!! Sister and I, already full, watched the tri-tip being prepared and already planned our next trip. Whe we met the owner, she asked him for a breakfast menu and decided it will be three our four trips back in the near future. I know this is a bit long, but I am so thrilled with this wonderful place in my hometown for a reasonable price and we will be back for more, much more :)

    (5)

  • Cary C.

    Just had an amazing chicken, blue cheese and butternut squash pizza that was out of this world awesome!! My friends had the breakfast pizza and prosciutto pizza both also amazing. Great food, great company, fantastic atmosphere!

    (5)

  • Tiffany C.

    So the food was great. The servers were polite and very timely. We had great seating overlooking the kitchen. Overall the experience would have been amazing.... except I never saw ANYONE wash their hands; not before donning gloves, not after handling raw meat or switching from cook to prep station, not even after taking a drink from the cup (given it had a lid and straw) sitting next to the plates. When I asked for manager I was greeted by a "supervisor" who listened to me and them asked if I would like to leave my name and number to have the manager to call me. The straw that broke the camels back is when the cook interrupted stating "I wash my hands, there is a sink in the bank that you can't see". I'm not going back there to eat again. EWWW SUPER GROSE

    (1)

  • Lloyd P.

    The Art House Café is exactly the kind of rare establishment that I tend to look for when I visit a new city, neighborhood or community so when I came across this café just a few days ago, I was pleasantly surprised. As a writer, I tend to look for establishments that are going to inspire me through their creative imagination, intelligence while also having a touch of poetic simplicity without being pretentious and importantly, includes a staff that understands how to enhance this entire experience. Moreover, after just a few short minutes, one could also easily tell that the ownership had taken the same thoughtful detailed approach with its menu and wine list. I may have only stopped for a glass of wine for my first visit but I learned a long time ago that if an ownership cares this much about all these details, they are not going to come up short in who they choose to prepare the food that is going to represent who they are. And as someone who dines out frequently and has done so internationally, this rule of thumb has not failed me yet. If you are someone like me who values the entire experience and finds inspiration in the details, you cannot go wrong with the Art House Café. It has become a top favorite in only one visit and I plan to visit often. A truly rewarding experience.

    (5)

  • Sheetal S.

    First breakfast joint in Tacoma to have delicious REAL food, good quality ingredients and actual delicious healthy options. The coffee is very good as well. The decor is a bit weird but Ill take it if it means not having canned and processed foods for breakfast. I had the egg sandwhich and my husband had the eggs Benedict and both came with an incredible arugula salad with balsamic vinegar. The potatoes are well seasoned and yummy!

    (5)

  • Aaron B.

    Delicious food, friendly staff. Our waitress was patient and catered to substitute items for our food allergies. Our breakfast was great; Super tasty and very inexpensive!

    (4)

  • Gretchen F.

    Slow around 5 pm but a friendly staff that turned our long wait around by offering a free meal and drinks. My sister frequents this classy establishment in her new neighborhood. I was pleasantly delighted by both decor and food and the price points of all. The spot to hang out in Tacoma.

    (4)

  • Jenny B.

    We came here for breakfast for the first time recently. The menu choices looked so great, we had trouble making up our minds. So my son and I each ordered an egg dish and shared the brioche french toast. The french toast was amazing. My eggs benedict was good and the bacon it came with was cooked perfectly. My son ordered eggs with a squash hash which he enjoyed. The decor was very nice - bright and part of an art gallery. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. The service was excellent. I noticed other reviews that were not so positive about the service. We had no issues at all on a recent Saturday morning.

    (4)

  • Paul H.

    This seemed to be the best of the breakfast options in this area and didn't disappoint. The food was good, if a bit overpriced, with reasonable sized portions, good coffee, and attentive and friendly service. The place is nice and bright with art for sale on the walls. Parking was not a problem. I would come here again.

    (4)

  • Jackie E.

    Had dinner here for the first time the other night and it was awesome. They don't take reservations for parties for under 6 but they were so accommodating when I called to ask they had a table set aside anyway. We had wine and it was great, our food was really good. I had the tenderloin and everyone else had pizza. Our entrees were all good and our friends from LA were even impressed with the food and decor. I would recommend this place to anyone! The only thing I would say i didn't like was it was very bright in there for dinner at 8pm. Might want to turn down the lights for better ambiance at night

    (5)

  • Karin K.

    I've been wanting to come here for awhile, but haven't had the opportunity. So when I was looking for a place for breakfast this morning it was the first place I thought of. We got there around 10.30 and it was maybe a little more than half full. We got water and coffee in relatively short order, and the server was solicitous when it came to refilling. I got the brioche french toast, which was awesome in all ways, including the maple syrup, which somehow tasted better than all other maple syrup. I love brioche and can't seem to find any here that is decent, even thought they are packaged and sold in manner of wonder bread in France. The coffee was really good too. A lot of reviews mention the time it takes to get the food. I think we may have waited a little longer than typical. I don't personally really notice that much, because I like the experience of eating out and enjoy having conversation prior to getting my food. I would actually much rather prefer a longer wait for food (as long as I get my water and whatever drink I'm having) than feeling like I'm being rushed and pushed on my way. So I have no complaints in that area, but am probably not the best person to judge. I probably wouldn't recommend it if you were in a rush. However, I don't think it took ridiculously long or anything. I doubt the whole experience took more than an hour (though I wasn't really paying attention), which I don't think is too bad. I I will come back to try dinner for sure, but there are a lot of great dinner places in Tacoma. What there aren't as many of, in my opinion, are places to have a great breakfast without an insane wait. So definitely would recommend it if you are looking for a tasty breakfast.

    (5)

  • Melove F.

    Finally. A place to truly be proud of in Tacoma. I often preface to people when going to dinner in TTown, "It's good...for Tacoma." Arthouse Cafe is great, for anywhere you are. I have been a fan of Chef Dustin's for quite some time. I would follow him anywhere. Luckily for me, I have followed him to a trendy new place that feels just right. AHC is located in the Stadium district. BTW, this area is the best place to invest your day. Park your car and stay awhile. Start with an unforgettable fresh baked treat from Marie at AHC and a Stumptown latte to go. Walk to Wright Park down the street. Stop in at Thriftway for a yummy deli lunch picnic (or, order a brie and turkey sandwich to go from AHC), followed by some frozen yogurt at Gibsons or a hand made milkshake at Shake Shake Shake. Walk through the handful of local shops. Grab a drink at Doyles and enjoy a walk along the waterfront. And, when you're famished and ready to be wined and dined in food that rivals Napa's best wine country meals, find a cozy seat at AHC and be prepared to let your troubles slip away and get lost in bliss for several hours. I would begin with yummy red wine, as their menu has many great bottle and by the glass options along with an order of fresh, house made bread and salted butter with a bowl of mason jar olives. Then, if you can, try and order as many appetizers and a big salad (they are all out of control amazing), I can't pick a favorite. If I had to choose two starters, I would say do not miss the fried egg over potatoes and mushrooms. The potatoes are fried in duck fat and taste like creamy happiness in your mouth. And, the brioche bites with pear and cheese are the perfect marriage of sweet and savory. The beet salad is a crowd pleaser, the romaine is crisp and zesty and the portobella mushroom with micro greens is fresh and comforting. As your food comes take you time to enjoy each bite of the flavor combinations that Chef Dustin so uniquely inspires. When you can't hold off any longer, enjoy a handmade wood fired pizza. I am partial to the blue cheese and butternut squash, my girlfriend loves the shrimp and candied bacon and my husband dreams about the in-house made sausage. If you're feeling hungry you could eat about half and take the rest home for a midnight snack (that pizza won't last until breakfast, you won't be able to resist it in your fridge). Once you have quenched your thirst for wine and your appetite, look at the dessert menu. Pastry Chef Marie has thought of magical flavors. The ice cream is even made in house. Order a cup of hot, black Stumptown or Mad Hat tea and wait to be "wowed." If you're anything like me, you are going to need to come back to AHC asap. When you're ready, I would highly recommend breakfast. I had the Eggs Benedict, which is Dustin's specialty. The Hollandaise has citrus undertones that make the creamy sauce seem effervescent and light. My Mom had the blue cheese omelet, with caramelized onions and one bite wouldn't do. I devoured about half of hers. The kids had vanilla bean pancakes. I made sure to try those and it was love at first taste. The potatoes are again, out of this world. **BTW** This place is kid friendly! The kids menus are divine! Personal pizzas, noodles, grilled cheese. Great high chairs with padding. Fun hot chocolate at breakfast! We ordered a cinnamon roll to keep them occupied while we waited for our food. AHC didn't miss a detail. I am hooked, line and sinker.

    (5)

  • Jenni C.

    Service - 2 stars, food 4. Overall a 3. I get why this place has higher ratings, the food is great... if you have the time to wait. I've been here for breakfast and lunch, and both were delicious. The food is a nice mix of cafe fare - artisan pizzas, salads, amazing desserts, etc. The breakfast options are nice twists and traditional fare - a chorizo filled biscuit that is like a breakfast pot pie, buttermilk pancakes, and bacon and eggs. It's a nice change of pace from the Shakabrah breakfast, or DOA. But... we arrived today at 10:30 on a Sunday for a table for 6. Yes, this is a large group. But there was a table free and we were told we would get extra chairs, no problem. 10 minutes later our menus arrive and we are told that a chair, silverware, water is coming. "No rush, we are waiting for the rest of our group" we respond. "Oh, no worries, I'll take care of you" our waitress confidently tells us. 10 minutes later we ask if we can get any number of the chairs upstairs. "Oh, I'll get that for you!" 10 minutes later we get our chairs, right as the rest of our group arrives. Water yet? No. silverware? No. Even mention of coffee or drinks? Yeah right. We grab half finished water carafes off the tables next to us where folks had left. Now I get that it's busy, and that we were waiting on the rest of our group, however waiting over 30 minutes to get a water, let alone an offer for coffee is a bit ridiculous. We were willing to give our waitress the benefit of the doubt though, and figured maybe she was waiting for our entire group to arrive. Once we do, nothing changes. We are offered coffee, and a good 10 minutes later she brings us 4 half-filled cups of coffee. Half filled. "This is all the coffee we have so I split it up" she tells us. At this point I've been sitting at a table for 45 minutes to get a cup of coffee. All the while watching every table around us get coffee and food. Our waitress was obviously flustered by the situation, and knew it wasn't great service. That alone leaves me with hope. The food is good, and I'll probably be back because this is the type of place Tacoma needs more of. Either they need to add an extra waitress or work out the kinks with menus and service blunders. We were also told that the menu was wrong about our breakfast coming with potatoes, and had to wait 10 minutes after she started to take our order to make sure they hadn't run out of biscuits. We wrapped up at 11:45. This experience wasn't much different than my lunch experience, also for 6. So if you have the time, or are a party of 2, give it a shot for a leisurely meal. Otherwise, save your time and pennies for a better value elsewhere.

    (3)

  • Marimo A.

    2.5 stars. Probably I just got a bad luck since many others praise Art House Cafe...but it's good to have various opinions right? Went there for breakfast. Coffee was fresh, servers were nice and friendly. Egg benedict should have had a bit runnier yolk. Hollandaise sauce wasn't as tangy as I like, but oh well. My partner ordered over-easy. Simple. Yet, it came fried. That's OK, mistakes happen. The nice server had no problem with taking it back. In the second time, yolk on one of the eggs was BROKEN. It kills 90% of joy of eating over-easy. The brioche toast was wonderful, but it wasn't warm enough to melt (nice) butter. Since the toast was so flaky, you can't push too hard. The bacon was too dry. The server hooked us up with free coffee because of the egg issues. Again, great service! I think this place can stay for a long time! But the food needs some improvement. Oh and the stairs and bathroom need to be cleaned a bit.

    (3)

  • Wendy B.

    Went here for breakfast and it was amazing! We had the sourdough breakfast sandwich and an omelette. This is the first breakfast I've had that served a house salad with the omelette. It was wonderful...arugula, blue cheese, cashews, with a balsamic reduction dressing. YUM! Everything is local. I cannot wait to try lunch and dinner here. I highly recommend this place!

    (5)

  • C H.

    I so want the Art House to succeed and get it together. I have had good and a few very poor experiences here. My first bad was a breakfast. We had been to breakfast a number of time prior to the date of this incident. This particular morning we had been waiting around 25 min for our breakfast when we were informed the grill was down. They told us it would be ready shortly. About 10 min later our pancakes came. The pancakes were not cooked on the inside. They were liquid still. We didn't eat them. Our waitress didn't ask how our meal was. (uneaten food after that kind of wait should have prompted a ???) She dropped the bill of and left. Paying $9 for uncooked food...is "NO BUENO"!! My second poor experience was two weeks ago. I took my mother to lunch. I don't remember what my mother had, but I ordered a grilled panini. It was very small, soggy and lacked any quality features @ $9. The presentation was horrible. Just a tiny, soggy looking, cut in half panini... alone on a big white plate. No garnish, no style, nothing to excite the eye. It was a culinary flop to say the least! The Art House has potential if not just location. They need to pay more attention to the details, the food and the staff needs to ask more questions and take feedback to the kitchen and owners!

    (2)

  • Chris E.

    My absolute favorite place to go for breakfast. I've had about everything on the menu. great lattes too! Might be a bite of a wait though, especially on a Sunday morning up until brunch and lunch. Love how cute the set up is

    (5)

  • Chloe H.

    This place was great. I had heard really good things so my expectations were high, and this place did not disappoint. I had the pizza with butternut squash and chicken and it was super good. The server told me that they made all of their breads in house every morning. I could tell because the crust was delicious! One of the best pizza's that I have had in Tacoma actually. The service was great. They were really helpful and came to check on us multiple times. Because the kitchen is exposed it was fun to be able to see them cook your food and it also gives you an idea of how long the wait will be. This place is nice, its clean and modern and has a decent amount of seating, definitely a good addition to Tacoma.

    (5)

  • Erin B.

    Great lunch experience here. We were a group of 6, including a toddler. Our server Matt was friendly, accommodating, and made some excellent recommendations. I had the molasses rubbed pork shoulder sandwich on sourdough, which was excellent. My friends also had very good things to say about the roasted beet salad, roasted butternut squash pizza, and macaroni & cheese (from the kids' menu). This place is a great addition to the neighborhood. I'll definitely stop by next time I'm in town.

    (5)

  • Juli Anne C.

    Four of us stopped by for a snack Saturday early afternoon...we were very impressed with the decor and menu. We had a great pizza and the server prepared a special orange fizzy drink for my daughter and her friend. OMGosh...the lemon cheesecake and spice cake were amazing!! We will be back for dinner and live music on a Saturday night. Way to go owners Lucy and John!!

    (4)

  • Alexandra B.

    Art House Cafe makes consistently good food, served without pretension. I especially love their salads and brunches - it is rare that a restaurant in Tacoma serves good food that I don't feel guilty about eating. I came here this morning for Mother's Day Brunch - ambiance was wonderful, with a two-person jazz band providing live music and a nice breeze from the patio. Service is always friendly (and even better efficient), food is always good, and prices exactly what I would expect them to be. Yaayyy Tacoma!

    (5)

  • Jay W.

    Reminds me a lot of HG Bistro in Puyallup. Similar ambiance, food, pricing, portions, live music, etc. We went in for Mother's day, and were seated quickly with no reservation. Food took a while, but that's to be expected on a busy holiday. The pricing is fair, and portions aren't gut-busting by any means, but they are plenty to leave you full. I had the eggs benedict, and they were amazing. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and the sauce was flavorful without being overpowering or generic. I also appreciate that they source ingredients locally. We will definitely be back for more!

    (4)

  • Martina N.

    Honestly, This place is really cute! I was excited to try it out....but when I arrived, the hostess/waitress girl, just didn't seem very friendly...I think she may have been the manager or asst. She seemed to act like it anyway...had blondish hair maybe?...but anyway, She sat me down...handed me the menu, and just walked away! It wasn't even busy at all! I waited for her to come back to help me pick my order...but she took forever...when she finally came, I asked "I haven't been here before, what do you recommend or whats you're favorite?" She seriously just told me "everything on the menu in good, just read it.." ummm okay??? thanks for the help? I finally just waiting until another employee walked by and I got his attention and asked for his help. He was very helpful...but i feel like my experience was just ruined by the waitress in the beginning and food was just, alright....it wasn't anything too crazy. i may try it again, but as of right now i don't feel an urge to come back to that kind of service...

    (2)

  • Lynda G.

    My husband and I come here often, good quality food, especially the pizza and salads! We recently tried bfast, and I really thought the pancakes were awesome! We highly recommend!

    (4)

  • Zap R.

    Took the kids here and had a great breakfast... However, it was 1:45pm in the afternoon. While I love breakfast/brunch, to refuse to serve your lunch menu until 2pm was a bit frustrating. Food was great and I didn't see anything on the menu the kids and I wouldn't have loved. We had the brioche franchise toast, the scrambled egg sandwich, and a fresh fruit plate. Service wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either. Only seven tables occupied and we had to approach the counter to get our coffee warmed up and later for more syrup.

    (3)

  • Lisa A.

    The Art House Cafe is a hidden gem located in the stadium district of Tacoma. Our waiter Steven was amazing, personable and knowledgeable about the menu. We went in on a Saturday morning and a nice lady hosting said it was a fifteen minute wait. Obviously it was really busy which isn't a bad sign. Once we sat down we were delighted to find out that the bloody-Mary's we ordered had a piece of bacon on the skewer as a garnish it was delicious and lovely. We ordered and the food took a little but of time but that was to be expected because it was so busy. That didn't stop the quality of service because I had my coffee refilled several times by different people before I ever ran out. I ordered Pumpkin French Toast which was an amazing find on the menu. I love the seasonal take they added. My husband loved his eggs benedict. It was my first time there and I really enjoyed it. I would love to see this place at dinner. Steven recommended that we come back on the weekend sometime for the live music and entertainment. We will definitely be checking it out soon because this place was fantastic.

    (5)

  • Roy W.

    We came in for their afternoon lunch. Ordered the following: 1) Cold smoked salmon, caper tapenade, arugula, crème fraiche on grilled herb bread. - Salmon tasted balanced, lightly smoked, and was not overwhelming. The caper tapenade was a little too strong, but the crème fraiche which it was mixed in tasted great. Arugula house salad was absolutely delicious with a light dressing. 2)Custom pizza - Red Sauce with dash of pesto, pulled mozzarella, house made sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, caramelized onions, and olives. - The pizza bread was house made and the pesto was definitely a highlight of the pizza. Their mozarella pretty good, but their vegetables were fresh and tasty. 3) Mocha - - Good and $1. - The price included the syrup. Their Mocha is a little light, so request extra chocolate if you want a stronger flavor. Pros: The quality of their organically resourced ingredients is reflected in their food. $1 Mocha. Extremely friendly staff, and fast service. Cucumber water for those that enjoy it. Quality silverware. Clean, contemporary art ambiance to the establishment. Open kitchen, where you can see the cooks make your food. And again......$1 (Good) Mocha. Cons: Order was misplaced which was quickly rectified in less than five minutes. The pizza that I had custom made was fabulous. The pizza that I was accidentally given was meh, which I suspect was custom made by someone else. This is their grand opening, so apparently they are working some kinks out of their computerized (I think by Ipad) order system.

    (5)

  • Justin N.

    Sigh, though the staff was patient and friendly and the decor was modern and fresh, the price to portion ratio was disappointing. My salmon was tasty the "sides" consisted of 3 spears of asparagus and a few teaspoons of puréed veggies... For $22! I appreciate quality though just because it costs more does not mean it's better. Unfortunate, we really wanted to enjoy it, we had a party of 8 and everyone was disappointed. Oh and the tables were smallish, not intended for large groups. Finally one Parton in our party shared after that one of the chefs in the open kitchen was constantly feeding himself while preparing meals, minus the hand washing.

    (2)

  • Syth T.

    The service staff was excellent as well. I was asked where I'd like to sit not ten seconds in the door and was given run of the place. One thing a lot of new establishments screw up is skimping on wait staff in the beginning. I was asked several times during my stay if I needed anything by not only the server that sat me but by the three or four others working the floor as well. The recommended Hibiscus Tea from Mad Hat Tea Company, while a bit on the weak side for my taste, was very refreshing. And they make it by the glass fresh so it doesn't have that prepackaged flavor to it if it sits too long. They were prompt, well dressed, and friendly: I could not ask for a better time service wise. Regrettably, this is where my praise ends. After having met with the owner prior to opening I was quite jazzed about the food, I was familiar with his work out at the University Place Golf Course. But it was the same thing I've seen in bistros and cafes all over Washington. I had the Pesto Tri-Tip Panini, and I was very disappointed. For starters, a Panini is a pressed grilled sandwich. Toasting some focaccia does not a Panini make, though I could understand why. The bland arugala on the sandwich would have turned to flavorless paste instead of just flavorless shrubbery. I can understand wanting to use locally sourced ingredients, but if those "fresh local farm friendly" green bring nothing to the plate flavor wise you've just paid for expensive iceberg. Despite having pesto in the opening title I had very little pesto flavor in the dish. Typically when one orders pesto you get accents of garlic, basil, something other than green goo. The Tri-tip it's self was flavorful but tough as shoe leather. I'm a young guy with a health set of chompers so if you bring Grandpa here you might want to avoid the steak sandwich. Yes, I know tri-tip isn't the tenderest cut of cow, but if you're going to serve it on flimsy focaccia then you might want to slice it a bit thinner. Or at least watch out for those veins of fat and gristle that run through that cut of meat and either cut around them or braise them to get them more tender before making a sandwich out of it. Needless to say, every bite tore out more meat than I wanted making my meal unstable and crumble in my hands, which was half the problem with the sandwiches structure. The cook making the sandwich had a thick piece of bread to start with and for reasons unknown decided to split the sandwich so it had a half inch on the bottom and two inches for the top half. He then placed all the wet ingredients on the bottom leaving the larger top half dry. This made the bottom half fall apart during eating because it was too wet to stand up to multiple bites. When the server asked my opinion I let her know this and she passed it along to the cook. Who apparently didn't care because the next three sandwiches he made were cut the same and just as unstable. The last item on my unusually large yet mostly empty plate was the "side of chips". I knew the moment it came out I should have ordered the side salad. I was "treated" to an ounce, if that, of thinly sliced potato that had been piled high but more than likely contained about ten chips. Now, I know its Lunch, and I know I'm a Glutton, but for 12 bucks I'm expecting more than an ounce of sliced friend potato to accompany my meal. And worse still, the cook perpetrated the unpardonable sin of over salting them I cook for a living, I LOVE salt. But had I not been starving and in a hurry to get to my meeting I would have sent them back for the salad. This brings me to the end of my dinning experience, while finishing my tea and waiting on my check I took a look at the exhibition kitchen behind me. The young cook, more than likely fresh out of culinary school was prepping things up for a table after me and kept touching plated food with his ungloved hand. Now I could care less if my cook bare hands my food, Mom made me meals for 18 years with out gloving up and I'm just fine. But if you're going to trust your cook with your restaurants image you might want to follow health code when he's there out in the open. Wisely, said cook also tasted some of the things he was cooking, the only problem with that is he kept putting the dirty utensils that were just in his mouth down on the table in his workstation with out putting it directly into the dish pit or wiping down the area where his utensil sat. And the most incredible thing of all, the Chef was there. I saw him in the back on his cell phone. And all this happened right under his nose. It's kind of sad when it happens to a new, young, up and coming Chef like that. But I've seen it happen, and I'm sure I'll see it again. All in all I wouldn't recommend this venue, if you're in the area and don't want to go down town or to the Ruston Way waterfront for the real restaurants it'll do. But I wouldn't go out of my way for mediocrity.

    (2)

  • R. W.

    Great breakfasts. Good prices. Sit at the bar for breakfast and watch the people hard at work.

    (5)

  • Shelley B.

    We have only eaten breakfast here (about 8 times!), but I want to try lunch/dinner! It is the BEST food and atmosphere. Staff is awesome and very attentive. Food is interesting, healthy and tasty! Prices are great and portions are huge! Even if you have to wait a bit for a table, it will be well worth it !!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Jeff S.

    The food was great, the ambience unique and the value excellent.

    (5)

  • Mark H.

    Had a horrible dining experience here, the waitress was extremely inattentive and the food was burned and sub-par. Everything we ordered was overpriced for the quality of the food they served (late). My friend and I didn't get menus until we asked for them and it took them fifteen minutes to bring out two glasses of water. The bus boys were the ones who eventually brought our drinks out, and they confused the order. Very unhappy with this experience, and definitely will not be returning.

    (1)

  • Mary H.

    Nice ambiance. FYI...CELIAC? Food is pretty good if you don't have food allergies to gluten even though they offer gluten free pizza they don't guarantee gluten free and say they are too ill equipped to cater to those with TRUE gluten allergies. So if you have celiac or are truly concerned about being gluten free this is probably not the place. If you are lucky and the waiter/waitress on top of their game they may go to bat for you but the cooks are pretty much too busy to get orders correct consistently enough without adding "gluten free" to the equation. Some of the wait staff are great but they don't cook your food and so are also still at the mercy of the cook and prep people to get it right. Too much of a risk factor. When I spoke with the owners I was told it was my responsibility by one and that if i have allergies that bad maybe I should wear a badge on my forehead that says celiac by the other.... mnnnnn......

    (3)

  • Nicole B.

    Incredibly disappointing. We came in for brunch on a Sunday. When we got inside, we waited and waited for someone to notice us. We were finally seated and then did more waiting for a waitress. The table next to us had just been served breakfast and it looked great so I thought the waiting might be worth it. When the waitress arrived with the menu, there were only pizzas and salads on it. We asked for the brunch menu and she informed us that they had stopped serving brunch about five minutes prior. This was really annoying because we had already been there for fifteen minutes and had we been sat in a timely manner, we would have made the brunch time. I was also annoyed that the kitchen couldn't make an exception. It was only five minutes. They weren't terribly busy either. Only two other tables were there besides us. I then asked why the lunch menu was different from the website. On the website they also have sandwiches on the menu. The lunch menu we were given did not and we weren't given an explanation either. My husband went with the breakfast pizza and I ended up ordering the salad nicoise. After we got our food, we didn't see our waitress again until she brought the bill. The pizza was okay. The tuna on my salad was way over cooked. It was so dry and crumbly even though it was slathered in sauce. Between the service and the bad food, we probably won't be giving them another chance.

    (2)

  • Diane W.

    had a wonderful brunch with fresh ingredients and excellent flavors. it is a nouvelle cuisine twist on american food. i had eggs with hash that contained squash, sweet potatoes, turnips and onions......yummy and healthy. eggs benedict were also good. friendly servers and some of them were really kind. prices are reasonable and there's art on the walls. what's not to love? we will be back next time we visit our UPS son!

    (5)

  • Travis F.

    Man, this place is cool. Had breakfast there today with some friends. Brought the kids, even the toddlers. They were champs with the group. We quickly had excellent hot coffee, out of toddler reach, high chairs that were clean and actually had all the buckles intact, and took our orders promptly. The coffee was constantly topped off and we enjoyed the amazing breakfast pizza, buttermilk cloud-light pancakes, stuffed biscuit (empanada) and oatmeal for the kids. Everything was fresh, made to order and delicious. They even had mimosas and bloody mary's on the menu. I will be taking advantage of these next time around. Really cool vibe and exquisitely and thoughtfully designed, it almost feels like Im in Seattle :)

    (4)

  • Emily M.

    Worst Experience EVER! Food took 1 hr and 15 minutes to come out, and it wasn't cooked. Actually is scary that the pancakes and French toast were RAW. Service was not good as they only gave us one caffe of water for 4 people and we waited over an hour. They brought out a free cinnamon bun after a 45 minutes that tasted 4 days old per the other people at our group. Due to my allergy, I couldn't eat it and had to wait the full 1hr 15 min, which was dreadful for a nursing mother!! I'm hoping no one gets food poisoning but that wouldn't surprise us. This place should be shut down. It's horrible!!

    (1)

  • Maryna U.

    The food is amazing. And by amazing I mean - I would come there during a Friday night, wait how much is needed in order to be seated, just so I can order their appetizer salad. But the service is so terrible. They do not follow up with you. The waiters are spaced out and act and look like they don't know what they are doing. We had to wait to get our table cleaned for a long time. They follow up with others and ignored new customers. I can go on. We had terrible service twice. I don't know if I want to come back again, no matter how much I love their food. Unless their customer service gets better. It needs major improvement.

    (1)

  • Brian H.

    I live and work in the area and would like to see Art House make it. However, lately they seem to be loosing their focus on service, food and drink. Staff spends way too much time in back attending to owners other staff and friends. The original what can we do better attitude seems have gone. There has been lots of staff turnover and the quality seems to be falling. I want Art House Cafe to do well but seems that more professional management is needed. Last time I went there was no soap or towels in the restroom and that is just lack of attention to details.

    (3)

  • Jason C.

    This cafe is shaping up to be really great, and I'm looking forward to going back. I stopped in for lunch and talked with the very friendly staff. It wasn't busy, so it was nice to have someone take their time with me. I felt welcomed and at ease. My server was a little on the inexperienced side, but he was still ok. I felt like tea, but he didn't seem to have a tea menu, which to me implied that there would be variety. I asked for rooibos tea, but they either didn't have it, or he didn't know what it was because he suggested a cider spice tea. Not even remotely the same thing, my friend, but that's ok. It was still good. And, you offered me sugar and cream, which most other places wouldn't even bother, so that's cool. The food is AMAZING. I ordered the garlic sriracha prawns. It's a little expensive: $11 for five prawns surrounding a cilantro yogurt dipping sauce. But the flavor is absolutely worth it, and you're supporting sustainable organic eating and local food vendors. Here's a cool thing: the water wasn't freezing cold. You get a pitcher with a slice of cucumber and no ice. Why is this a cool thing? Because ice water is bad for your digestive system. Cool water is much easier on you and doesn't affect the flavor of the food you eat the way ice water does. This is a thoughtful touch. All in all, I want to go back again and try more. I want to bring a date here. I want to bring my friends here. This is going to be one of my favorite places here in the Stadium district, where the vitality is growing every year.

    (4)

  • Drew B.

    Couldn't have asked for a better neighborhood cafe! There is nothing like this place anywhere else in the Stadium District ... Friendly service, great ambiance and fantastic food. We sat at the chef's bar, in front of the chef's stove/oven - you saw the magic happen. It was a great evening, chatting with the chef and learning about why he loves to cook. And the food was awesome. Everything they serve is locally sourced or organic - on top of that, I'm gluten free and they made GF pizza for me! They bake their own bread and are working on GF bread/pizza recipes (and cooked all my food on a separate cook surface). The mozzarella was amazing, try the tri-tip and the pizza. Honestly, we can't wait to go back.

    (5)

  • Gert D.

    Sigh. It used to be great. Nearly perfect. After visiting today and going "Wha???" I found out that the head chef who started the whole show, Dustin Joseph, was fired about three weeks ago. That explains it. Something was definitely off in the kitchen. My sandwich was all focaccia. I needed a microscope to see the actual fillings in it. The bread was admittedly delicious (made in-house. Well, it was under DJ, I hope it still is), but I ordered pork, arugula, blue cheese, port and I would have liked to taste those things. My companion ordered something she'd had before and loved. She balked as soon as she saw it today. It was the roasted beet salad and it had enough beets and lettuce, but barely any dressing, cashews, or blue cheese. She asked for more of these and the server very graciously brought some. She shouldn't have had to do that. If this was my first time here I would never go back. As it is, knowing what is was (4 or 5 star) I might try it again if I see the reviews on here improve. It's a great addition to Tacoma's dining scene and I really want it to be successful. I hope the owners figure it out and maintain high standards. Right now it seems to be shooting itself in the foot.

    (2)

  • Elixabeth M.

    Okay-- So now that I've been here a couple times for different meals I feel like I can give a proper and fair review. First off-- this place has been open for a few months now and I would have hoped that they had a better learning curve for their wait staff. Although the wait staff all seem like fresh young waiters who have never waited a table in life there are some common sense things they could definitely use some improvement with. Maybe bringing more water as needed? Having some hurry in their step with cocktails as their priority before the meal? The food however is AMAZING. You can sit at the bar and watch them make your breakfast or you can sit at one of the comfy booths along the wall. They sometimes even have musicians there on Friday nights that play in the corner and create this great atmosphere for fun and conversation. Its awesome! Everyone there is friendly! The owner is a constant presence always looking over her staff and giving tips. I hope this place is a mainstay for Stadium district. Definitely give this place a try but be patient with the service. They are still working out the kinks!

    (3)

  • Tandi R.

    The vibe is very hip (inclusively --I'm not hip, but felt hip here) and friendly. The Eggs Benedict is sublime with a perfectly dressed side salad. I am determine to become a regular.

    (5)

  • Leslie K.

    Food is great!

    (4)

  • Martin A.

    I want to like this place, I want to like it so bad but today was my 4th and most likely final time going to the Art House Cafe. I've gone for breakfast, lunch, dinner and just coffee to go and I've had generally the same experience every time. The staff are extremely friendly and polite but it does appear that they aren't the most experienced group, and aren't getting any better. My orders have been forgotten, incomplete, and for what seems like a large staff for a small establishment service is generally very slooooow. I have no problem waiting for food (because their food is good) but while waiting I would love to have a drink (coffee, beer, water) within the first couple minutes of arriving and every time I have gone for anything it seems like that's what I wait for the longest. p.s. Coffee has never been very hot.... I really do hope this place gets better, it's in a perfect location with a theme.

    (2)

  • m m.

    Sad: After an hour wait for a salad, I gave up. The server told me to wait while they boxed it up. They wanted me to pay for it; I didn't. The least they could have done was buy my ice tea for wasting my lunch hour. I should have checked the recent review because my experience clearly is not unique. It's a shame a local business with so much promise is missing the mark. If the owner cares, they might want to read the reviews and correct the problems. I won't return and can't recommend Art House Cafe to others.

    (1)

  • Janet A.

    My second time at this cafe. Shared 5 dishes the first time and 3 today. Sadly the dishes that come are no where near as tasty as described in the menu. The smoked wild mushroom pizza was portobello and button mushrooms (no smoke flavor) when I asked about it they said they get a "mix" and never know what it is. The tri tip was so tough and chewy it was sent back. Quinoa under cooked and crunchy. I will not be going back for bad doughy bread & underwhelming food. I will agree they pour a generous glass of wine...in hopes of dulling the senses?

    (1)

  • Sonja S.

    So happy this place opened up in our neighborhood. The hours and format are perfect. I love that I can pop in and get Stumptown Coffee and a pastry on mornings when I'm running late. The pressed egg sandwich is delicious (homemade bread topped with roasted red pepper and some sort of subtle yet tasty sauce). It is served with (subtle) rosemary potatoes browned to have just the right amount of crisp! It's fun to sit at the grill and watch the plates come out. Great presentation. Marie is their pastry chef. It's fun chatting with her. She loves what she does and it comes through in all their baked goods. Next time I will try her homemade English muffins. She was working out some kinks with the cinnamon rolls. First one I tasted reminded me of my moms--something I've been missing for 20 years. We have tried a few things on the menu and all were quite good (beet salad, pesto pizza, and oatmeal). Servers are friendly and efficient. Decor is contemporary--chic. Huge windows open to Tacoma avenue when it's warm. Nice touch. They just opened the upstairs banquet room as well. Perfect neighborood bistro.

    (5)

  • jane w.

    I will try this place again because of all the good reviews, but.......I stopped in on impulse at 4pm for a glass of wine and snack before I went home. The servers were friendly enough, but appear to just have gotten ipads for ordering and were gathered at the coffee bar to discuss them. I was quite ignored as was the lady behind me. It took more than 10 minutes to get my glass of wine. I clearly ordered the brioche bites, and a pizza in a box, to go, as I departed. The pizza came with my "bites" with the server saying, "huh" when I reminded her that it needed a box. I had to ask for that box a second time before I left. The place was not full at all, and I saw at least 4 servers, so what was happening? And just one additional note: bathroom upstairs? Are folks with walkers not allowed?

    (2)

  • John D.

    Had a great breakfast at AHC. Eggs benedict was spot on. Great hollandaise and eggs were perfectly poached.. Quality glassware, china and silverware makes a difference in a dining experience and they did great by not going the cheap way some other restaurants do. My only issue......... no Tabasco sauce? It's not breakfast without tabasco..

    (4)

  • Stephanie A.

    The food here is wonderful but the service is terrible! The Art House Cafe has amazing food. It's fresh, it's local, the dishes are well thought out and put together... It is everything I love in a locally owned restaurant and the prices are great! My issue comes from a particular server that I seem to get every time I visit... Paige. She is absolutely terrible and (seriously) the reason I have joined Yelp. During my last visit, Paige's service was especially slow. I'm not sure how many tables Paige had, but it couldn't be that many. The restaurant was no where near full at that time and there were other servers on the floor. Paige took forever for everything. Forever to greet us, forever to get our wine, forever to get back to the table to take our orders, never asked until we were almost done with our meal if everything tasted fine, forever to get our check, forever to pick up the check to cash it out... forever for everything. And BTW, a tip for Paige should she read this: When a customer has their credit card out when you come to the table with the check, it probably means they are ready to just hand it over to you so they can leave. I mention this because we had the credit/ debit card IN HAND and VISIBLE when you gave us the receipt, but you walked off and didn't come back for 10 minutes. Seriously, by this time, we were timing you. Not to mention, one of your fellow servers saw the credit card out and asked if we'd like our check. We said yes. She then walked to you, told you and you proceeded to take your time getting the check to us. It was absolutely ridiculous. As a 7-year service industry veteran I am very forgiving of wait staff being slammed. I'm very forgiving of kitchens being slammed. But I am not forgiving of laziness, which is the ONLY excuse I can think of to explain Paige. There were 4-6 top tables that came in after us, ordered more food than us and left before us! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Art House Cafe and will continue to visit, but next time I come in there and Paige attempts to serve me, I will ask for a different server.

    (4)

  • Cece T.

    Came here for dinner with friends. We ordered wine, baked brie, a pizza to share and three salads. The service was friendly and prompt. However, the prices for the salads are outrageous. They tasted great, but I paid $9 for four pieces of romaine with some croutons and parmesan. The other salads are equally steep - and definitely too small to be dinner salads. The pizza was pretty good, and the brie was excellent (although it was odd to get only three slices of baguette with a giant piece of cheese - we ended up having to eat most of the cheese plain because we were out of bread). I'd love to come back to check out their breakfast and/or lunch. Or perhaps just for a glass of wine (large pours) and some dessert. Cute space though, and I am curious to see how the menu develops!

    (3)

  • Stephanie C.

    We went on the opening day because we are excited to have a "Cool Cafe" with great food in the Stadium District. We were not disappointed. We had a great lunch and great coffee. It was so good that we went back last night (Friday) for a light dinner and dessert. WOW! Again -- we were amazed! What great food and dessert. Their wine list is also nice!

    (5)

  • Heather M.

    We came on the opening day and really enjoyed the menu, service and atmosphere. We ate dinner there again last night and feel ready to review. Opening day reviews are unfair in my opinion. You really can't go wrong with their pizzas, especially the ones with blue cheese. I enjoyed the butternut squash pizza. It is richly flavored and awesome! My husband liked the beet salad, with added chicken. The pulled pork slider was tasty and seemed hearty for the price. My son is more a meat and potatoes guy and said that he would definitely order the tri tip small plate again. I highly recommend the baguette bread plate, or the cheese, jam, bread plate. Everything is homemade from fresh ingredients and the flavors are memorable. Thumbs up on the chocolate bread pudding with house made banana ice cream as well. One thing that makes this place different than most local options is the ability to mix and match a few menu items to make a meal. Small plates make a good light meal, but it is fun to order a handful of items and share - unless it is too good to want to share! Service is friendly. The employees clearly enjoy their jobs and are excited about the early success of this cafe. Oh, and one more thing.... Stumptown coffee!

    (5)

  • Roland B.

    Wow, Just excellent. My Fiancee and I just got back from a amazing dinner, if you go defiantly sit at the Chef's table if there is a spot. Be sure to drop by for a meal that will keep you coming back for more. Everything is made in house and its a outstanding experience, don't miss this one.

    (5)

  • K. W.

    This was my 3rd visit & it wasn't the charm. I met some friends there who had never visited the restaurant & they were disappointed as was I. For starters I had to order 3 times before I finally hit on something that was available. The witness apologized but I actually expected some sort of "compensation" for this. Finally she brought the item and I was appalled to see white bread..which I never eat. There was no "offer" for the inconvenience. I noted that everyone left food on their plates and the first-timers most certainly left thinking "note to take her recommendations with a grain of salt in the future". The fact that there was no offer of "compensation", e.g. free glass of wine, was a clear indication to me that The Art House" didn't even recognize-acknowledge that they were waaay off point today--the day after Christmas. Previous visits were the reason I felt comfortable coming back (w/friends) for a 3rd visit. Big mistake.

    (2)

  • Jenn A.

    We found ourselves at the Art House Café about 11am on a Saturday. It was pretty packed but we only had to wait a few minutes for a table. To start with they serve Stumptown coffee and it is delicious! I find that coffee is lacking at most breakfast places, so for me we were off to a great start. The menu is a little different then most places which I liked and they focus on organic, local ingredients, which I love! Service was prompt and attentive to start off with. We ordered our food and then we waited.....and we waited....and we waited. My husband finally got the attention of our server who assured us that our food would be right out. Luckily she wasn't fibbing and our food came out within 3-4minutes. Mu husband had the eggs benedict, he thought they were very good but the hollandaise was a bit to custardy for him. The little one and I both had the breakfast sandwich. The eggs were cooked well and the citrus aioli was a nice addition but the bread was a little too much for me and slightly overwhelmed the meal. When our tab cam out we noticed some missing items, when we brought it to the servers attention she stated they were on the house since we waited so long. We thought that was very good service recovery and will definitely give Art House another try.

    (4)

  • JANE P.

    AWEFUL ! Worse place ever. Long wait. I mean really long wait for old bakery goods, undercooked food and poor kitchen management. HELLS KITCHEN. STAY AWAY. REALLY A ZERO!

    (1)

  • Cathie M.

    50 minutes and no salad apparently there was no grilled chicken prepared for the menu item during the lunch rush. "We'll just box it up for you ". Not service oriented or respectful of time. :(

    (1)

  • Jenni J.

    when i call in for a carry out order, one of my biggest pet peeves in life is *a big misestimate in the time given to the caller to come pick up the item* ... peeps, i like to call in breakfast for carryout on weekend days and the general rule of thumb seems to be "come get it in 25 minutes" so when this cafe told me a few weeks ago "20 minutes" on a sunday morning, i was like, ok awesome. i got there precisely 20 minutes later. had to wait another 25 upon my arrival for the item to be ready. really? wtf? :/ i don't care if "well everyone came in at once and we're slammed" - you knew 20 minutes ago when i called to start cooking it then. i think they just started cooking it right when i got there out of fear of no-show possibly? highly annoying and unorganized. the hostess, however, was a+++ nice. the "eggs benedict" was ok. barely any "hollandaise" at all which in itself just basically tasted like egg yolk. under-coked potatoes :/ awesome little blue-cheese side salad though :) i may be back... not sure though after reading all these reviews where people say they have to wait forever for service/food... ?

    (2)

  • Chris G.

    Great food and atmosphere. Excellent service. Food ingredients are very fresh and well prepared. Will be a repeat customer.

    (5)

  • Chris S.

    My new goal in life "To be a regular at the Art House Cafe", after just a single visit. I plan on eating there a minimum of once a week. At a minimum you must stop by and try any one of the desserts. They are to die for! What they call lemon cheese cake is nothing like you would expect, but oh man was it good. Chocolate bread pudding was my next favorite, but not by much and finally the molasses spice cake with orange curd. All three desserts I would get again and again. Everything was homemade from the ice cream to the jelly to candied basil leafs. I had the pork sandwich and my wife had a pizza. Not sure what the previous person's complaint about the pizza was, as we found it to be very good. As far as the portions, again, I did not see an issue. They didn't have a huge selection of beers, but the four they do have are all favorites of mine. Also, I sampled the turkey and brie sandwich which was also very good, so much that I will get that next time.

    (5)

  • Eileen H.

    What a gem! Great decor - friendly owners and staff and most important - great food! Sat at the bar and watched the chef on my first visit - a fun experience. Had the tri-tip - wonderful. Second visit - pizza - impressive. Third visit - brioche grill cheese with tomato soup - the best! Yes - I am quickly becoming a regular. They need to iron out their table service but I'm confident they will. Great addition to the Stadium District!

    (5)

  • I D.

    Amazing. Had breakfast and lunch so far and found both to be high end, creative, delicious for a relatively low price. Also, my squirmy baby was welcome - overall, well decorated, fresh atmosphere and friendly, too.

    (5)

  • Bella D.

    just finished lunch and it was a bit disappointing. the pizza was divine, the panini was such a disappointment for $15.00.. so not worth it.....it was not grilled and the roll somewhat stale. the ice tea was way to strong to drink. the service was excellent and everyone was attentive......watching customers walk in, everyone always had to sit at a dirty table, us included. (at least 5 couples did that i noticed) i would have loved to give it more stars because i love to support local business, but we will give it another try and see how it goes. the best of luck to you....

    (3)

  • christina r.

    Cute little diner in tacoma. I had Saturday morning brunch. It was busy but we were seated right away, you can even sit at the bar and watch the griddle cook. I had a delicious veggie omelet which wasn't on the menu but they accommodated with no problem at all. My friend had the quinoa cake which was a unique offering and very tasty. Satisfactory service speed. I didn't get it but the brioche French toast looked amazing!

    (4)

  • Jackie F.

    I really want to love this place but each visit leaves me disappointed on some level. Great ambiance and the lovely menu are a much needed addition to the growing Stadium district scene. That being said consistency is an issue and service is always friendly but far from efficient. Several visits now have left us with a culmination of silly issues. Grossly undercooked French toast, paired with overcooked biscuits on the other dishes. Forgotten reservation and chilly outdoor seating instead with the nuisance of actually hitting us while opening and closing the sliding door because those inside were cold. When we offered to stand they insisted there was no need but continued to bump us with the door with each check up. Slow service that borders on being clearly overwhelmed. Lots of unrealized potential. May try again eventually.

    (2)

  • Alden C.

    I just discovered this quaint little place recently! The place is kind of not that little either because it houses what looks like a store that sells art and has art classes upstairs as well. The food is pretty good! Extremely fresh and carefully made which I can't usually say that about many places here in town. The dishes are tapas oriented so ordering more than one thing is advisable if you are going in here hungry. We had a brie cheese plate which was awesome! In addition to that I had the Grilled Turkey and Ciabatta sandwich which was also fantastic which was accompanied by a wonderfully fresh and flavorful salad. For dessert we shared a well crafted apple pie which was great! We thought the service was fine but the wait staff felt like the food coming out of the kitchen was too slow so we got a few bucks knocked off our bill. Very nice having staff several steps ahead of you before you are even aware an issue is developing!

    (4)

  • Sandra A.

    Nestled at the edge of the Stadium District you won't want to miss this gem. Retro vibe, well appointed, with a calm, relaxed atmosphere, reminiscent of Portland's foodie residential areas. Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. This diner chose the Eggs Benedict...absolutely amazing dish. The fresh made hollandaise sauce was a perfect blend of richness and citrus. The smoked ham was sliced to perfection with the perfect blend of smoky flavor coupled with the delicate slices that made every bite perfect. Poached eggs - true perfection -yolk vibrant, creamy cooked with a master's hand. Even Chef Ramsey of Masterchef would be left speechless. Rosemary potatoes were the perfect bite...hint of rosemary and nicely crisp, yet fluffy on the inside. Their Stumptown coffee is the absolute best....fresh, perfectly brewed and served at the perfect temperature. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable about their food and are very attentive to a diner. If you haven't been to this place, you cannot afford to miss it. Tacoma has needed a restaurant that can master quality of food, masterfully created and artfully plated with a excellent staff.

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :8:00 am - 2:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Breakfast, Brunch
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : No
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Trendy
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : Free
    Has TV : No
    Dogs Allowed : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Art House Cafe

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