- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
A Renaissance Cafe
Category: Restaurants Breakfast & Brunch Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
1746 Pacific AveTacoma, WA 98402
(253) 572-1029
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
26 reviews for A Renaissance Cafe
Review Highlights
-
"...thought it perfect), and a homemade cookie (chocolate chip." In 2 reviews -
"Toast was excellent, as were the individual servings of..." In 4 reviews -
"The cafe was very cool, with lots of art all over." In 2 reviews
Loading...
26 reviews in English
-
Review from Shana C.
2/20/2012
Wound up here when looking for an inexpensive lunch in the area of the MOG. They purport themselves to be the creators of the Pacific North West scrambled eggs, done with an steam wand a la your average espresso machine. I did not try this, though tempted. I usually want something I can't make at home when I go out so scrambled eggs do not fit the bill.
HOWEVS the sandwich was good and came with chips and a cookie. Yes! Just like Mom used to make, love included. The coffee was also good, and self serve to boot, which I love.
Finally the atmosphere and the 'tude. Loved it. Kitsch everywhere accompanied by an owner who cares and is down to earth, ready to connect with his customers. He's a regular guy, making it in a tough industry, and loving what he does. That is infections and I thoroughly enjoyed my lunch here. -
Review from A K.
Portland, OR
5/21/2012
It makes me feel like shit to have to write this but this was honestly a terrrrrrrrrible breakfast. One of the worst I've ever had. The guy was friendly/talkative but also kinda mean when you say something outside what, maybe, he perceives as being appropriate. My friend didn't see the little note about how they only make the eggs ONE WAY (scrambled using steam) and asked for sunny side up and mean/friendly guy just about had a stroke. The mean/friendly guy says they're the best eggs of all time but they honestly just taste like the microwaved scrambled eggs my mom used to make me when she was in a hurry. She called them "chick chick eggs" and they were disgusting and I would beg her to just let me eat cereal. My friend ended up getting the eggs and toast and got a side of the hashbrown patties - which were just frozen hashbrowns (like from McDonalds) but since they don't have a griddle (AND NEVER WILL so said mean/friendly guy) they were soggy and...so bad - she said the highlight was the toast and jam. I got the sandwich - that was terrible. And I am no snob about breakfast sandwiches. I went to college in Virginia and used to get the most incredible breakfast sandwich of all time at a gas station. The only reason this restaurant gets two stars is because the coffee is great.
Honestly, is there good food in Tacoma? I know it is the armpit of Seattle but holy shit. -
Review from Mike R.
Puyallup, WA
12/22/2011
I've been here twice for breakfast. The "guy in charge" (I couldn't tell if he was the owner, chef, waiter, or all of the above) does not have any time to waste on talking or courtesy or anything like that. When he comes to take your order, you better be ready or face some serious attitude. He doesn't like questions about the food, either. Just order! Now!!
The coffee is self-serve like at work and the tables and dishes were of questionable cleanliness. The food was pretty tasteless, but apparently they make eggs with a coffee machine or something weird like that and two people I was with said they tasted really good/different.
I wouldn't have returned for the second time but for the convenient location. However, I won't be back.
Overall: Umm, no thanks. -
Review from Ted N.
North Hollywood, CA
4/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Excellent, warm & friendly, kitschy vibe; plus the breakfast is fantastically flavorful with a taste of "clean" (not heavy or oily). I noticed some reviews speak down of this place, but people should stop being so negative- this place has personality WITH great food. Just stop the complaining and enjoy the food & atmosphere!
-
Review from Cait S.
8/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm still waiting for a good breakfast place in Tacoma. Was on my way up for business trip and it was the only thing close by that was open. Obviously found it on yelp, and the reviews as usual were accurate.
The menu is very slim (not many options at all). They also don't do egg whites. It "doesn't work for his cooking style" according to the chef. I have been ordering egg whites for the past 10 years and have yet to be to a place in the world where it doesn't work. This is 2011 and people like egg whites (or at least the option).
Also, this is the NW. A breakfast place that doesn't have good coffee can't get more than 3 stars at best. Serving Stumptown would give you at least another star. -
Review from Jeff M.
Portland, OR
5/31/2011
A Haiku Review for A Renaissance Cafe:
Not for everyone.
But we freakin' loved the place.
(Check out the restroom) -
Review from Nancy H.
5/29/2011
Stopped here for lunch after the family and I checked out the Rockwell/Chihuly exhibit at the Tacoma Art Museum. I'm surprised to read all the poor reviews for this restaurant, as we all had a rockin' good meal! Hubby ordered the cordon bleu sandwich, kid #1 had a BLT, kid #2 had a veggie sandwich, and I had "Ye Olde Club" sandwich. We all raved about our meals. Kid #1 usually eats like a bird; today, she devoured her whole sandwich (that literally never happens). Kid #2 swore that hers was the "best sandwich she's ever had in her life!". Mine was perfect, the bread fresh, perfectly toasted, with nacho chips (a tad salty for my taste, but that's just me. I don't like salt) and homemade salse (a little too spicy for me, but hubby thought it perfect), and a homemade cookie (chocolate chip. The best!).
We'll definately dine here again when we're next in Tacoma. -
Review from Brendan J.
Fremont, CA
9/27/2010
On my way to Portland I stopped here for breakfast. Excellent decision!
The cafe was very cool, with lots of art all over. I enjoyed my scrambled eggs with toast and bacon. Sometimes the simplest items can be made well.
You haven't seen the cafe unless you've been to the bathroom (cant believe I'm saying this). I think its the coolest bathroom I've been to.
The art on display is for sale and I purchased a piece. Pretty cool stuff.
Will definitely stop by again when I'm visiting the area.
Parking on the street is not free anymore. -
Review from Nicholas L.
Littleton, CO
11/21/2010
Our apartment in the Stadium District of Tacoma was without power yesterday, from 4am until a little after Noon.
We showered in the dark, walked down stairs with our iPhones as lights, got our car out and hauled ourselves over to the Renaissance Cafe for breakfast.
Keith, the owner, is cheerful, well-humored and attentive. Coffee and water is self-serve. I had a soy latte which was quite good, not as good as Starbucks, but very acceptable. I had Three Little Pigs with sourdough toast, and my wife had the Denver Scramble, again with sourdough toast. Food was good, although the eggs were a little dry.
Keith makes the scrambled eggs with a steam wand in a stainless steel pitcher. They're probably the healthiest scrambled eggs in the world, since there's no butter or oil used in cooking.
Toast was excellent, as were the individual servings of strawberry jam.
Keith offers 50 cents towards the parking cost, which elicited a laugh from everyone.
My only criticism was the heavy smell of bacon in the air. Keith changed his shirt before coming over to ask us about our food.
Cheap and cheerful, this is probably a great breakfast place for a college campus. -
Review from Eli M.
Tacoma, WA
1/26/2011
We stopped in for a lunch one day and really enjoyed ourselves! I had a very large Chicken Ceaser salad that needed just a bit more dressing, but the chicken was perfect and it had homemade croutons. :)
My wife was bouncing with happiness over her soup and sandwich. She even got chips and a cookie with it which just made her day.
My daughter devoured her grilled cheese, which my wife said was very good (quality control taste test? LOL)
We are looking forward to going back. The owner was great. Very friendly and attentive and cooking like crazy! They were very kid friendly, and it's just the kind of place I like eating at. Locally owned, kitchy, friendly, and cozy. -
Review from Kelsey F.
Bothell, WA
2/2/2010
Judging from the reviews, I'm glad we went for breakfast because it was really good.
The place is kitchy without being cluttered and homey. Coffee and tea is a help-yourself ordeal (and I'd like to add the coffee was pretty darn good on this particular day). We ordered eggs and bacon and toast (for me) and Mexican-esque eggs and toast (for him).
The eggs are fluffy and light without being too dense/chewy/crunchy (oh come on, you've had those, too), the bacon was good, and the toast was really nice and hearty. It was a great way to start the morning.
The owner was the one who waited on us and he was warm and pleasant. He had several regulars come in while we were there and he greeted them like old friends.
SO...go for the breakfast and the hot cup of coffee. We'd probably go again, though perhaps not for lunch. -
Review from Jenny H.
Alexandria, VA
2/23/2011
Ohhhh, not good. SO not good.
I was in Tacoma recently for a conference, traveling with a good friend who has some food allergies. We stopped for lunch here on our way back to our hotel for the afternoon session, and she was saddened to find some sort of seeds embedded in her grilled cheese sandwich bread. When she asked the waiter what they were and mentioned that she's allergic to lots of seeds and nuts, he got really pissy and angry, but he did remake the sandwich. Okay, that's solid three star service, right? Wrong. He cut the new sandwich in half with the same knife used on the old sandwich, and there were seeds embedded in it in several places that my friend had to pick out. Who on earth is running this place that they don't know to watch out for cross contamination if someone states a food allergy? Was there seriously only one knife in the kitchen? Fortunately my friend (a) doesn't have a life-threatening allergy and (b) saw the seeds in time, but really, it's not a life goal of mine to use an epi-pen on a buddy, Renaissance Cafe!
My sandwich was not poisonous to me but it tasted like something my extremely lazy and untalented-with-food husband could've knocked together in our kitchen. And the cookie? Well... home baked is a very accurate description, provided your oven heats unevenly and you can't bake.
This is a good place to avoid for lunch or dinner. Perhaps breakfast is better - I wouldn't know. -
Review from Benjamin J.
Tacoma, WA
1/19/2009
ARC has great potential. I know it actually predates the University of Washington renaissance, but something about it is totally emblematic of the changes the Pac Ave corridor have seen. It's young, funky, and hip. It's the perfect UW-T haunt, conceptually.
The trouble is, I don't really like the food that much.
I'll concede two things. First, I went for lunch, not breakfast. The photo Jacob Rose posted looks promising on that front. Second, I've only had sandwiches, and only been once.
That having been said, what I've had was not especially inspiring. I've had some godawful vegetarian sandwiches, and ARC's was not bad. It had avocado, but it seemed to be more spread than fresh. Otherwise, I can't complain. On the other hand, their pulled pork sandwich struck me as dry and flavorless. The sides -- chips and a cookie -- are too caloric and too lunchroom for me, but I guess you can expect that from a take-out place.
This may seem unduly harsh. The price was good and the vegetarian sandwich was above average. A good local stop. -
Review from Sweet P.
Tacoma, WA
7/22/2009
We stopped in here on a whim looking for a low key breakfast to grab before I had to catch my bus. This place did the trick just fine!
Greeted by a very cheerful and friendly man (the guy in the picture). The menu was pretty simple, no frills and inexpensive. We chose to share the denver omelet which includes toast and a coffee for only $8! Without having to ask they divided our order into two plates each with a hearty amount of food--so nice!
The server guy was so pleasant, it was a shame they weren't busy, although it was pretty early in the day.
I would definitely come back to explore their menu and urge the rest of you to! Tacoma doesn't offer a lot of breakfast options and the no frills, old school Renaissance Cafe is a great place to stop by for a quick bite! -
Review from Carson O.
Gig Harbor, WA
6/9/2011
Their breakfast is less than mediocre. Looks like they thawed it from the freezer and tossed it in a (leaky) to go box. Tasteless.They also charged me more than what their menu stated, and didn't give me my coffee to go that was included with the $9.00 breakfast. Maybe they forgot, since they were seemingly more concerned with counting their cash instead of helping me at the counter.
There are tons of other places you can spend $9.00 for a decent, honest, flavorful, and satisfying breakfast in Tacoma! -
Review from Stacy J.
Tacoma, WA
11/29/2009
Keith, the owner, rules
breakfast sandwich with hot sauce
locals will love it -
Review from Gwen N.
Bellevue, WA
1/15/2011
We had a rather unfortunate experience. The friendly man that waited our table (possibly the owner) was a little distracted. Even though he wrote down our order for soup/sandwich and salad/sandwich, he didn't get any of it correct. The wrong soup was delivered, the wrong cheese requested on the sandwich, and after we let that go the food was completely flavorless. It has the energy of a great little shop but from what I can tell it is worth skipping.
-
Review from Misty M.
Tacoma, WA
1/17/2010
So I'm thinking that I need to come back and eat breakfast.
I had the French Dip. I wasn't really impressed with it. The au jus was waaaay too salty and the roast beef was really dry. I really liked that the drinks were self serve and the chips were a nice deviation from gross french fries.
The service was great, the server was really nice and attentive and seemed like he enjoyed what he was doing.
I want to like this place as it stands to me to be exactly what Tacoma needs. I'll give it another shot. -
Review from Dan M.
Tacoma, WA
3/17/2009
I've only been here a few times, and have wondered how this place stays in business. The decor is more dingy than funky, and the food is pretty lackluster. I got pancakes one time that had a big old cheese-crusty embedded in it from whatever had been cooked up on the grill beforehand. The other times? Just not particularly memorable.
Listed in: Eating around UW Tacoma
-
Review from Cookie M.
Seattle, WA
5/12/2009
Breakfast on Saturday was extremely disappointing as I really was hoping to like this place and support a small local business. I ordered the chicken and egg and the chicken was basically a slice of deli meat cut into strips. The eggs were nothing special, flavorless. There were no spices. When I asked for ketchup, it was fermented. I used the hot sauce on the table to add a little spice, it helped somewhat. My friend ordered the waffle and it was stale. The food is horrible, overpriced and the service slow. The coffee was just okay. I would not return for any other meal based on this horrible experience. We were both very disgusted and disappointed with our overall experience here.
-
Review from Cathy P.
Las Vegas, NV
2/13/2011
Food was ok, service wasn't bad. Would get 2 stars except for the unique atmosphere.
-
Review from Kara G.
East Point, GA
12/5/2008
No, the food here just isn't that great and place isn't clean. The creepy guy in the picture, yes him, I saw him do a bunch of stuff with his little dirty hands and then he made my food, never washing them. Now the best thing that I had here was the waffle, but they changed the recipe and that turned to crap as well. The sandwiches aren't great either, overall I don't get how this place is still open, it just isn't very good.
-
Review from Eric s.
Olympia, WA
7/11/2010
I really like this atmosphere. The fact the post all the event posters on the wall was pretty cool. I wrote down some events in the northwest to go see. Things I would have never thought about visiting. The food was great and well priced. The oatmeal was great, according to my wife. I got the egg, bacon, cheese breakfast sandwich. It was very good. Could have used a little mayo spread or butter or something, but was tasty. If you ever visit, go check out the restroom. They have black like posters all over the walls, which made it interesting when you turned off the light. Go try it this place out. Nice relaxing place to chill and drink coffe and breakfast.
-
Review from Bryan D.
Seattle, WA
Fun atmosphere, kind service, and tasty sandwich. What more could you ask for?
-
Review from Jodi J.
Puyallup, WA
12/17/2010
I got out of work early and decided to lunch alone at the Renaissance Cafe...Walked in and they were playing Aretha Franklin on vinyl. I was thinking to myself I can really dig this place. The owner told me to grab a seat since I was dining in and he would come and take my order. He was beyond amazing. I ordered a Grilled cheese and Vegetarian Chili (I was on a vegetarian kick that week)...Sadly I have to report the grilled cheese was the worst of my life.. There was not an ounce of butter in sight and the menu said they combine three cheeses and I was hard pressed to identify anything other than American (which I hate). The Vegetarian chili was ok but not extremely impressive....but my coke was delicious lol....Anyways Im really sad I didn't enjoy my meal. I really wanted to like this joint since the service was amazing... I am giving them 3 stars because the service was that awesome and I am sure if I order a turkey sandwich and stop faking like I am a vegetarian I will dig it... Will update on my next run which I will definitely make!
-
Review from Anne H.
Oakland, CA
10/15/2008
This place is super cute! While wandering the fairly abandoned, but up and coming, streets of Tacoma, I found myself in need of a sandwich. So, I took a chance with the Renaissance Cafe, and I'm glad I did. It was about noon on a Saturday, and they were serving big breakfasts, as well as salads and sandwiches. The guy working there (the owner?) was incredibly friendly and came over to take my order. I opted for the Club Sandwich - which I was glad did not come with that unnecessary third slice of bread, but did come not only with chips, but also with a delicious peanut butter and chocolate chip cookie! Who could ask for anything more? This isn't one of those fancy pesto and arugula type establishments, but for as standard, yet tasty, meal - in a friendly atmosphere, I definitely recommend it. I just wish I'd bought more of those cookies...
