If you've been down to Tacoma, you've probably visited 6th Ave on the city's North End, an ever-bustling business district with award-winning restaurants, shopping, and nightlife. You may have gone to Dirty Oscar's Annex and Legendary Doughnuts, but have you really seen EVERYTHING this street has to offer? Take a stroll down 6th to discover these 6 awesome small businesses and many more.
The best breakfast in Tacoma. Husband and wife team Pat and Chad serve up piping hot breakfasts in this cozy space on the corner of 6th and Cedar. Standouts include the freshly baked scones with jam and perfectly cooked slices of bacon. Saturday mornings can get pretty packed, so be prepared for a (worthwhile) wait.
Old Milwaukee Cafe is open Tuesday-Saturday, 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.
3102 6th Ave
Tacoma, WA 98406
(253) 761-2602
2. The Red Hot
Laid-back bar with a wide selection of Pacific Northwest craft beers and hot dogs. The Red Hot actually won the 2016 Best of Western Washington competition under the category "Best Hot Dog." Everyone says this, but it's true: you HAVE to try "The Hound Dog," Red Hot's hot dog with bacon and peanut butter. It's a bar, so 21+, no minors allowed.
The Red Hot is open Monday--Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
2914 6th Ave
Tacoma, WA 98406
(253) 779-0229
One of the newer additions to the 6th Ave business district is this little artisan ice cream shop tucked in right next to legendary Tacoma bar, The Red Hot. Enjoy your favorite ice cream, or try out one of the shop's rotating flavors, like Buttered Popcorn, Strawberry Marscapone and Honey, Grilled Peach, Lavender, or Mad Hat Earl Grey.
Ice Cream Social is open Monday--Thursday 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. You can call the shop find out their ever-rotating menu of flavors by calling the store ahead of your visit. Ice Cream Social ice cream is also sold at a variety of Western Washington locations.
2914 6th Ave
Tacoma, WA 98406
(253) 327-1660
Vintage clothes (for men and women) at affordable prices. There's a stunning array of vintage dresses on one side of the store; on the other, we see that Scorpio Rising is definitely in touch with the tastes of their grungy PNW clientele, with a large selection of plaid shirts and Doc Martens. Look around Scorpio Rising's brilliantly curated selection and you might discover some great vintage finds.
Scorpio Rising is open 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday--Thursday, and 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and Sunday.
2709 6th Ave
Tacoma, WA 98406
(253) 209-3134
5. MSM Deli
This no-frills sandwich spot is a Tacoma lunch break favorite. MSM won "Best Sandwich Shop" in 2014's Best of Western Washington. Everything's sure to be good, but the french dip and Mike's Deluxe sandwiches are the most popular.
MSM Deli is open from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday--Thursday and from 8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
2220 S 6th Ave
Tacoma, WA 98403
(253) 272-4814
This coffee spot is always packed on the weekends, with students and Tacoma locals reading books and working at the tables and couches. It's the kind of coffee shop you can spend all day in without being bothered. The coffee is great, so great in fact, that it's also served at the fantastic breakfast place mentioned earlier, Old Milwaukee Cafe. The only drawback is that this place closes at 7 p.m., so if you're hard at work and burning the midnight oil, you might want to head back up 6th to Metronome (at 6th and Union), which closes at 10 p.m.
Bluebeard Coffee is open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday--Friday, and from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
2201 6th Ave
Tacoma, WA 98403
(253) 272-5600
Have a favorite spot that's not on this list? Tweet, Facebook, or email us at eveningtips@king5.com so we can check it out for ourselves.
