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Adriatic Grill Italian Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Italian Restaurants Pizza Italian, Pizza [Edit]
4201 S Steele StTacoma, WA 98409
(253) 475-6000
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
104 reviews for Adriatic Grill Italian Restaurant
Review Highlights
"The happy hour is an absolute bargain."
(in 19 reviews)
"The focaccia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar was..."
(in 4 reviews)
"...surprise me" brought me a shrimp and spaghetti squash dish."
(in 4 reviews)
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104 reviews in English
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Review from Ryan M.
Federal Way, WA
This would actually be 4.5 stars. I've been here over a dozen times since they opened and only once did we have a food turn around of nearly an hour. Most of the time it was around 20-30 minutes even during prime times - evening and weekends.
Anyways, service is always excellent and friendly and not uppity as you would initially assume a place like this would be. The place is clean and fairly well lit. It can get a little loud depending on where you sit. They have great drinks and a ample wine selection.
I've never bothered to write a review until tonight because I didn't think I needed to since they've had great reviews and consistent service. Tonight I tried their Rigatoni with Bolognese Sauce. This was my first time trying this dish and you know what, its now my favorite dish there. God it was delicious. Enough for two good servings but only if you can control yourself and actually stop eating. It was al dente rigatoni with traditional Bolognese meat sauce of beef, Italian sausage, pear tomatoes, garlic, red peppers, crushed chilies and herbs tossed with a little cream. This sauce was excellent. Not overly rich and not overly "red" where its acidic. It was not overly creamy and white either. Just perfect.
In previous visits, I've tried pretty much all their appetizers. All of them were unique and tasted excellent. From the Bruschetta with Tomato and Feta, Calamari, Steamed Clams, Parmigiano Flat Bread, Crab Cakes. All delicious and unique. Good serving size too which makes up for the price.
For Entree's I've had their Garlic Top Sirloin, Kobe Steak with Mushrooms, Chicken Peperonata, Adriatic Cioppino, and Prawns with Spaghetti Squash. Their steaks were good, nice cuts and cooked to the right temp. Flavors were great. Were they blow you mind good, not really but still very satisfying.
Here you really want to stick to their pasta's. They are what stands out. Ive had the Spaghetti with Meatballs, Chicken Alfredo, Linguine, Lasagne and tonight Rigatoni. I love that Rigatoni. There isn't very many food items where I would immediately make this claim.
They also have pizza. I've tried bits and slices from friends and they were good too. Would I order it as a whole individual meal, no - not really my thing.
In the Pierce County area, I prefer this place over Mama's or Joseppi's. This is a gem for the area and I'm glad it's here.
Tips - Open Table reservation - trust me you want a reservation even for a 4 top. Pay attention to Groupon. Also Get your gift cards from Costco (20% off). -
Review from Crysta S.
Tacoma, WA
11/30/2011
Who would've thought? I certainly hadn't. But my friend vouched and said it was worth it, so I gave it a shot.
This is now one of my new favorite spots in Tacoma.
Mostly I eat from the bar menu and I've yet to be disappointed. I cannot recommend the mozzarella marinara more highly! It is absolutely delicious and I get it every time. The pizzas are good and the chef will happily remove meat if you are a vegetarian (like me).
I came for lunch once and was thrilled with the selections. I had the grilled cheese, which was delicious. My partner had mushroom pizza and mushroom soup (!) and he raved about both. I was at a table of eleven people, two of whom are vegetarians, two of whom are pescatarians, and one of whom is gluten free. Everyone was happy with their meals and impressed at the options.
The bar staff are friendly and prompt. When my partner and I came in a second time, the bartender remembered us and treated us like regulars, which felt really great. And now we are regulars!
Beat your way through the mall traffic to try it out. It's worth it. -
Review from Richie A.
Manchester, WA
11/30/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Pasta and Wine Bar
Pasta : nice comfort food when dealing with hectic running about
Wine : never can deny bonus effects of wine on the little woman happiness
Was impressed and will both return & share with others when in the area. Two of us did a full meal casual kick back appetizer to desert with a bottle of wine, a drink or two and good conversation.
Service : I love asking the wait staff suggestions - ie what is good. I always have the idea you own a restaurant your wait staff should know the food they are representing and stand behind it [ they eat it, try it & they like it]. They do stand behind their menu here and know it well - kudos ! They made good suggestions for entrees and knew their wine ( even helped the chocoholic with her desert ). Service was just simply put : very good
Food : everything we tried here was excellent : crap cakes, escargot, rigatoni with bolognese sauce ( must try IMO ), pappardelle with vodka sauce ( I only got a taste, she did NOT share ) and finished with some huge chocolate cake gooey extra chocolate drizzle . . . I tend to drop off prior to desert when given option of pasta. She of course took a box home filled with pasta & chocolate cake stuff.
Wine : yes - they know them fairly well - we let them make selection, very good. We where late / long enough for happy hour ( 9 pm+ ) so additional adult beverages where tested and found to be most excellent.
Note : my son is a root beer guru . . . they have Crater Lake (?) root beer on tap - strongly suggest giving it a try if you like root beer - when I bring my seed here he will be in root beer heaven ( I tried just a sample, not really my thing, but it was distinguishable & noteworthy )
Bottom line : I would venture to try anything the menu had to offer. The portions where filling, flavorful and priced reasonably for pasta tastie heaven. This is a restaurant done right and well done. -
Review from Tom Y.
Carlsbad, CA
1/30/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Ate here twice, and both times the service was good but the food was missing the mark for me, but than again most Italian food in the states do that for me, call me picky that way. Both times I had the pasta, nothing I could put my finger on in terms of taste but missing that something to put it over the top. They got some pretty innovative things on the menu, like polenta sticks but I wish there was more flavor to it.
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Review from Kristi C.
Tacoma, WA
1/17/2012
The only thing wrong with this restaurant is that I would weigh several hundred pounds if I ate there as much as I want to! The food is delicious, and I have always had such pleasant service! I am completely enamored with the Caprese Skewers, and think they should be their own FOOD GROUP! The Sausage Lentil soup is to DIE FOR, and the Creamy Rosemary Polenta is one of the best things I've ever eaten! The main dishes are always phenomenal, and they always cook to order without complaint (for those of us who make special requests!). Great food. Great service. Great people who GIVE BACK to their community. I am so happy I have stumbled upon this GEM in Tacoma - my favorite restaurant! Mmm...now I'm hungry...
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Review from Jew C.
Lakewood, WA
1/12/2012
I've eaten here several times and am NEVER disappointed with the food, this review is based purely on customer service. Normally the servers are friendly and attentive...but my last two experiences here have been undeniably below customer service standards.
About two weeks ago, a friend and I dined here for dinner. Our server (Kyle, I believe) was a very personable and attentive young man, but he was clearly OVER worked! I saw him running between several tables at a time and when I overheard him ask for help from one of the three hostesses that were huddled around the podium (one effortlessly "cleaning" the glass doors), one of them had slowly and reluctantly brought us the tiny dish of parmesan that we had asked for. I understand that dinner gets busy, but it seemed entirely unfair (to both the server AND the customers) that this young man was bustling back and forth from the kitchen and to several different tables, while I counted three bored girls standing around and unwilling to lend a hand.
More recently, I came back for lunch, hoping that there would be less of a crowd this time. It seemed to be a slow afternoon, so I was expecting the service to be much more consistent and observant... Well, my server was an older woman who had not once smiled at our table, forgot to bring us our bread, and when she finally did, we asked for balsamic vinegar (which usually accompanies the bread), and ended up waiting 10 minutes for her to come back with the bottle of vinegar. Another younger girl brought us our meals (once again, no effort to be even somewhat friendly), and before she turned around, we had asked for another plate of bread....we never got it. To top off our poor customer service experience, it took AGES to receive our bill and to get my card back.
Easy to say, I'll be getting my food to go. I'd rather their delicious pizza eat in my car. -
Review from Chris S.
Tacoma, WA
9/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
My girlfriend and I went here because they had a good groupon a little while ago and we finally decided to use it. I have been here a couple of times previously, but only sat in the bar and had appetizers.
On the website the restaurant boasts about its head chef and wine, but I tried not to let myself get too excited because I tend to get let down by restaurants a good amount. We had the portobello mushroom skewers to start and they were awesome. great presentation and good flavors with the dipping sauce. My girlfriend had the fettucini alfredo and I had a five cheese pizza. her dish was excellent, although it was very very rich. My pizza was beyond good. I know that it was just a simple five cheese pizza, but it was cooked to perfection in the big wood fired oven. They didn't skimp on the ince cheeses to save money and the oven put the perfect level of cooked/burnt into the crust. We did share a bottle of wine that was not cheap and it was very lack luster, but I guess the blame for that falls partly on us. Just not a lot of flavor or quality for the price.
The only down side to the whole experience was the price. It wasn't bad with our groupon, but without it, the whole meal would have been pretty expensive. I will definitely continue to come back because of the quality of food, but will most likely sit in the bar for side dishes and only hit the main dining area for bigger occassions.
Overall a very good experience though! -
Review from Cindy H.
Gig Harbor, WA
12/20/2011
We tried this restaurant for the first time December 19th around 6:30. Had just finished up our Christmas shopping and decided to stop for dinner before going home. Had a good dinner, it wasn't busy when we got there. Unfortunately all I can think about now is our car was broken into while we were eating and all the Christmas gifts were stolen. Upon further investigation, and speaking to the manager, it seems this happens frequently at this restaurant. How would you be able to go back?
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Review from N M.
Riverside, CA
12/8/2011
The food here is pretty yummy!! And their happy hour specials are pretty good too. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because the last time I visited there was a waitress that was very snobby and had an obvious attitude. I was eating in the bar area and this is where she was waitressing at. But other than the fact that I hope I never get her as a server again, I will definitely be going back!
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Review from Katie T.
Tacoma, WA
12/9/2011
I don't know why this place is rated so highly. The food was way overpriced for what it was. I got pasta with vodka sauce and it was 17$, I could make a better version at home. Based on what I ate I wouldn't be in a hurry to go back. Not sure about their pizza or happy hour but I would take your money somewhere else!
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Review from kim n.
6/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wow, Tacoma! Wow!
I grew up in Tacoma, would never have thought that there is EXCELLENT food there. Let's be honest here, it's not the city to have exquisite cuisine.
I took my step dad out for a dinner here. I yelped in the Tacoma area for good italian. First thing to pop up was Adriatic Grill.
Being a yelper, I trust my fellow yelpers and their reviews. I also see that this is the only restaurant with SO many reviews (compared to the others)... so you know it's worth reviewing!! What I found out about this restaurant is that it's owned and food fare is all under Chef Bill Trudnowski. For those who don't know who Chef Bill is, he used to work for Consolidated Restaurants as the Executive Chef (I used to work there. They are the parent company that owns Elliotts and The Met. He is also buds with the infamous John Howie). With this background, it peaked my interest and had to try his own creations... in Tacoma.
I made reservations day of (on a Tuesday) and on the phone, the reservationist asked me if we had a special occasion. So I told her that we're doing a late father's day celebration. She said they would decorate the table for the occasion for free- OK! I'll take it!
We rolled up to the restaurant and they had our table ready. Was not a very busy evening so seating was ample. Had 7 in our group. 6 adults and 1 kid. They had a boy AND a girl kids menu- What the #$*&! How cool, they cater to kids very well! They differentiated the menu by photo and activities for the kids. So, my inner child asked for a girls menu to entertain the mood.
Got to our table and as the reservationist said, she'd decorate it. There was a candle with flowers and those art rocks sprinkled across the middle. I know it sounds simple but it was definitely the smallest details that make a difference!
We are a very demanding group, so I tried my best to make it less painful for our server. She brought out dough for my nephew to keep busy. After he played and molded the dough, they baked it up for him! Very kid friendly, I say!
We ordered our meals and our server was always sure to keep water and bread stocked on our table. We were a hungry bunch so the bread that came out, overfed us!
The bread was no typical sourdough. It was an herb crusted focaccia. SO GOOD when you dip it with the olive oil! Screw the entree, I LOVED the bread!! I told myself 1 piece but it grew to 5!! How the heck did I let that happen??
I ordered bruschetta to share with the group. Dang, 5-6 giant slices of crostini bread topped with slight garlicy herb toasted to perfection accompanied the basily-diced tomatoy-pestoy-olive oily-garlicy-feta cheesy tasting mix!! That should just be a meal in itself because the crostini is so filling! And the mix to top it off, it tasted well with the focaccia too!
Jeez, did I even get my entree yet??
I ordered the sausage and prawn pappardelle. When the plate arrived, I first thought, "ooo kind of similar to jambalaya". It had a slight spice due to the andouille sausage and the prawns were decently sized- it's not like those puny sized shrimpies that shrink after cooking. The taste of the entree was perfection! Every bite with the pappardelle pasta was so much! It was a generous portion and I sure did not finish it all. It was all that bread that I somehow ate!
One of my nephews ordered the T-bone Fiorentina... you don't go to an italian restaurant and order steak... it's not what they're specialized in. I had a bite and was quite disappointed, flavorless and blah. But I'm not here to rant about the steak, I'm here to rave about the restaurant and their ITALIAN food!!
After all that face stuffing, I boxed up my entree and our server asked if we wanted dessert. This time, I officially had NO room in the tummy to squeeze in for a palette cleanser.
All in all, I was VERY surprised and impressed that this place was EXCELLENT and IN TACOMA! WHOA!
I would never think to say "There's this BOMB italian restaurant IN TACOMA!".
Would I come back? HECK YAH! SHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. -
Review from Marguerite G.
Tacoma, WA
8/23/2011
I love, love, love Adriatic!
They have a really fantastic lunch special, 9.99 gets you a choice of two items from their lunch menu. My very favorite combo is the Field Greens salad (extra .50 cents totally worth it) and the Rigatoni Bolognese- which will transport you directly to pasta heaven.
Another great thing about Adriatic is that they have free wifi in the bar. I often go in and have lunch by myself and work in the bar- it's really great.
The staff is very attentive and caring and nice. The only thing you can really complain about at Adriatic Grill is the location, which is right in the middle of the Tacoma Mall- so unless you're taking a break from shopping the exterior ambiance sucks a little. That said, the interior (and patio!) ambiance is excellent.
One more thing, I'm not in the military but if I was I'd be ALL OVER THIS PLACE. 25% off food for military and families with ID. That's just awesome. -
Review from Julio C.
Lodi, CA
10/18/2011
I was visiting from California this past week. My Son who is stationed at Ft. Lewis took my wife and his younger brother there for dinner this past Friday night. I noticed that they had a banner posted outside the restaurant abouth chef Bill winning BEST CHEF recognition from a local publication so It really gave me high expectations. (BTW congratulations chef Bill)
When we walked in the restaurant, agaIn there were more recognitions on the wall, so I was excited to try this place.
It was pretty early about 5:30pm and the Bar was already 75% full, and the restaurant and least 60% full and almost completely full by the time we left. I always try a variety of things when I go to a new restaurant and this was no different.
We started with just soft drinks, iced tea and water. They serve warm foccacia bread with bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar on the table.The bread was warm and good. The oil and vinegar was nothing special. I only mention this because there are so many great quality extra virgin olive oils and AGED balsamics on the market that it makes the difference between good and EXCELLENT.
For appetizers I ordered the White Bean Dip $6 and the
Antipasti Adriatic $14. The prosciutto on the antipasti was sliced a little too thick for me, the Pepperoni was of good quality, and the 2 wedges of Parm were good. The rest of the antipasta, (roasted peppers, mozzarella balls, the kalamata olives, artichokes and roasted peppers all seemed to come straight fom a jar. The bean dip had way too much raw garlic flavor that I could hardly eat it. I was never asked if was OK (Katlyn server) and we almost had to guide her as to when to clear the whole time we were there????
For dinner I ordered the Caesar salad $6.5, and my wife ordered the skewered caprese $7.5 The Ceasar was week, it laked the tangy, lemony and garlic flavor of a great Caesar salad, It doesn't help if the lettuce is cut so small either. (good parm on top) The Caprese was just OK (nothing special). more of the same mozzarella balls from the antipasti, cherry tomatoes and basil on a skewer, aged blasamic.
reduction.
For dinner Entrees I ordered the Bone -In Pork Chop $21 which actually is 2 pork chops (not chop) big dissapointment, along with muddy, cementy corn rissoto that covered over half the plate.
My wife had the Adriatic Ciorpino $27 wich was very good. So good I ate it with my wife because I didn't care too much for the pork chops and bbq sauce which could've benn my fault but Katlyn the server never asked or even returned to see If everything was alright. My daughter in law had the Chicken Peperonata $18 which she thoroughly enjoyed. My son ordered the Sirloin Steak $25. He ate every single bite. (great fingerling potatoes!) My younger son ordered a steak and fries from the kids menu and he was happy too.
After we directed our server to clear we ordered dessert as well, the Lemon Panna Cotta $8 which was only just Good, but nothing spectacular, and the Chocolate Volcano Cake which was rich and chocolateeee. My son finished with a glass of wine.
We ordered a Cappucino and my wife ordered an espresso BEFORE the desserts, but they took longer than the desserts.
And again the server never cleared the entire table,as a matter of fact, as she did clear she was placing the to-go boxes back onto the table??
I really could get over the less than excellent ingredients even though there is alot of hype for this place. And when you do that, the expectaion level for the customer is very very high. The service was poor at best, no excuse for that kind of service in place of this calaber. I did notice the staff bussing their own tables?? Which make NO sense when your obvously a very busy place (you guys jam!)
Never saw a manager or Chef bill the entire time I was there.
Our check was just over $200.00 which I woudn't have minded if the service was at least good, and just a little better quality on the ingredients.
3 stars for food but 2 stars for service! -
Review from Charles P.
Puyallup, WA
7/8/2011
I wasn't totally blown away by this place. Everyone kept giving this place awesome reviews.
I went here for a class reunion. They gave us a select menu. The decor was nice. Our host (Brad) was great, and very friendly.
I stood at the desk for 10 mins waiting for the hostess to at least tell me she would be right with me. Nothing. So I engaged her. When I got her attention she was helpful enough to let me know where to go.
I will try here again. With all the great things said I would be foolish not to. -
Review from Melly J.
Tacoma, WA
11/12/2011
I'm not really sure why this place has such high reviews. The interior was uninspiring, but the candles on the table were a nice touch (plus the mood lighting was romantic.)
My lasagna and bread was bland and I didn't feel like this was a place I'd be dying to return to anytime soon. -
Review from Kim P.
6/6/2011 2 Check-ins Here
My girlfriend had her bridal shower here and it was pretty nice!
They sectioned off a portion of the restaurant and used curtains to seclude our party, it was nicely done.
I know she had a hand with the decorating and the menu selection and it was all soooo delicious I didn't know what to get but ended up of course choosing the steak! Unfortunately the first plate was not "medium rare" it was actually quite "done," so I let them know and they replaced the whole plate in a timely matter. The waiter even remarked that he was so sorry and that the steak was uneatable to his standards as well... ( he likes his steaks rare, lol)
The wine selection is quite extensive and the glass of moscato d' asti I had was so good I had to have another:)
Looking forward to trying this place for a future dinner! -
Review from Yvette A.
Tacoma, WA
11/1/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I love this place. Happy hour is great. If you miss the regular dining hours, the wine bar is open til 11:00PM and the items offered are delicious and very reasonably priced.
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Review from Kristina G.
Lakewood, WA
10/18/2011 5 Check-ins Here
I LOVE this place! It's my favorite dinner spot in Tacoma. The food is always great and the service incredible. I had my bridal shower here and they went above and beyond my expectations. I'm actually getting ready to call and booko my office Christmas party!
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Review from Punoyen N.
Puyallup, WA
8/20/2011
Talk about out of nowhere! Never judge a book by its cover.
Atmosphere - fun, open, Mediterranean type vibe.
Staff - Friendly. Been here twice, first time the service was awesome, second time the waiter didn't really check on us enough and we constantly had to flag him down for refills and such.
Price: Average
Food:
Appetizer - STEAMED CLAMS
Yummy! It was steamed in a pesto sauce with butter and I just couldn't get enough!
CALAMARI - we have tried this at a ton of different locations and this place comes in second for us. So very very good. First place is Spiro's in Kent.
Entree - well simply put, delicious. I can't even remember the different dishes we have tried. We love Italian, (my uncle's Italian) so we know our Italian lets say. Worth it in every sense! Sauces are unique and creamy. Pasta is always cooked right. If you order anything with meat or seafood, man! they give you a very generous portion. SMOKED SCALLOP...sooooo good. A little too smokey after a few bites but still very delicious. SPAGHETTI - good, but the sauce was missing something...not sure. the meatball was delicious and moist and pasta was cooked perfect. FETTUCCINE ALFREDO - super creamy and well I am just a fan. you can't go wrong with it.
Dessert: RUM CAKE - OMG!
Make sure you eat some bready food..hahaha.....it gave me a buzz! Its only for adults 21 years or older. I KNOW WHY! It is the Chef's twist on tiramisu and soooooooo worth it. Think decadent chocolate moist cake with marscapone, chocolate shavings...soaked in rum. OH it is PERFECTO! This is one of "our" top 3 desserts. My fiance doesn't love dessert like I do so for him to love it is like pigs flying! The other 2 top tiramisu's are Tutta Bella in Seattle & Marzano in Tacoma!
We give it 4 stars because well service was lacking the second time and the smoke scallop was too smokey. Other then that the atmosphere and food were delicious. One of our going out choices for sure. -
Review from Julia W.
4/27/2011
I came here for happy hour & dinner with some gf's while in the T-Town area.
They offer a great discount for the military folks (not so much for me).
It wasn't too busy although I was a bit distracted as it was Apple Cup and a super close game.
The food was excellent and I'm always looking for alternatives to the typical Olive Garden meals. -
Review from Wina B.
Bremerton, WA
6/6/2011
This is the second time I went to Adriatic Grill and I'm still loving it! First of all they have 25% discount for military family which is a HUGE plus for us. Their food was very good for the price and the drinks are reasonably priced. They even have my favorite sparkling red wine, Rosa Regala! :)
The servers are always very friendly and the speed of the food brought out was pretty good as well. Overall we're very satisfied with the food and the price. -
Review from Gigi F.
Cincinnati, OH
10/14/2011
The front desk at the hotel recommended Adriatic, and I'm really glad she did. Clean, modern upscale dining room; fabulous server named Katie. I started with the mushroom soup, which was warm, rich and filling. Fresh baked bread with a delicious olive oil for dipping. I went with a grilled Opa entree, served with a creamy vegetable risotto, and grilled zucchini. I can't begin to describe how wonderful this meal was. My biggest regret was that I had no room for dessert. If you are in Tacoma, Adriatic Grill is a must!
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Review from Mel O.
3/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
THAT'S A SPICY MARINARA!
Super awesome waiter/bartender jason...soooo courteous...he consoled with the kitchen several times(for my vegan options), got a guide sheet, got us drinks, and took our order....all while being polite as heck.
i ordered the side of spaghetti with marinara add muchrooms and the spring green salad with the italian(the guide sheet said it was vegan friendly). the salad was a bit lame for being a $7 starter salad. it was fancy lettuce and some cranberries tossed in the dressing(which was a bit too much for my taste) and a few croutons. the marinara was spicy.....mmm...good spicy and the mushrooms in it were sparse but tasty.
all in all, the best part of the experience was the waiter/bar tender...*round of applause* thank you jason....you poured a stiff drink and took care of us well. 3* for the food 5* for the service...making it an even 4*. -
Review from Rose B.
Auburn, WA
3/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
I was impressed when I first walked in. Their menu looked great and I was excited. I ordered an ahi tuna pasta dish and my boyfriend ordered the rainbow trout pasta dish thing.
My ahi tuna was cooked all the way through. I've never had it prepared like that. I looked it up online and it's usually just seared.
The rainbow trout was unevenly seasoned.
The worse thing was the pasta. Both our dishes had the same exact pasta and sauce. It was like they had a huge box of pasta-roni and served them up. I really wasn't impressed. -
Review from Mrs M.
Tacoma, WA
8/28/2011
Started out rough they sat me in the middle of a walk way and so close to another table that I couldn't hear my husband over them. The waitress promptly moved us to a booth and it was pure magic after that. I don't think I have had such wonderful service in Tacoma. The food could have been shit I would have came back for a drink at least. Our glasses never empty and came back to offer anything after our food was served. I got the spaghetti with out meat....only $5 dollars and it could easily feed two.
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Review from Tuan N.
Tacoma, WA
6/23/2011
I really enjoyed my experience over at Adriatic Grill. The wait staff was extremely friendly to me and made me feel very comfortable and the decor was simple. Whenever I have a difficult time to decide what to eat, it tends to be a good indication on the quality of a place since everything sounded like it would be great. And it was.
I started with the mushroom soup starter which was delicious with plenty of chunks of mushroom, definitely something to have for mushroom lovers. The entree I ordered was the penne pasta with grilled scallops which was delicious. The portions are quite generous and I couldn't finish the entire meal, but I can definitely see myself coming back here. Weekly if I can really afford it. In addition to a flight of red wines, my bill came up to be $40 not including tip. So it's a bit on the pricier side of restaurants, but it's certainly a place to try in Tacoma.
In addition to the friendly service, they also have a 25% discount for military personnel, one of the highest I've ever seen. Although it is limited to the food rather than the alcohol, which is fine with me. So I definitely recommend this establishment for service members looking for a good Italian restaurant to eat. -
Review from Veronica S.
Tacoma, WA
9/24/2011
I have only been here twice. Both times for Happy Hour in the bar and I was pleased with the specials. A lot of good deals on drinks and food. Cheese balls are fun :). Pizza was good too. Oh & nice atmosphere too.
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Review from Adam R.
Puyallup, WA
3/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
This was a nice surprise. Swung in after visiting the Mall. We were in the mood for Italian and asked Yelp for Help. Adriatic Grill came up high with great reviews.
As often in Washington, the weather was wet and rainy. Actually, even "rainy-er" than normal. Entering the restaurant it was evident that the weather was affecting patronage. We were about the only ones there. With that we were pampered by the waiter.
My typical order of "surprise me" brought me a shrimp and spaghetti squash dish. I cant say that I would have chosen spaghetti squash on my own. But.... It was VERY good. My compliments for a great choice from my waiter. -
Review from Liz D.
Tacoma, WA
1/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I love the happy hour here, but to get happy hour prices you have to sit in the bar....
I always feel like they are way understaffed in the bar, and they're too busy to check in on you.
We had a really bad experience here last weekend, as did a few other tables right around us.
We asked for water when we sat down, at the same time we ordered wine and a bloody Mary. We got our complimentary bread and we NEVER got our water. Our bar drinks came out after we were done with our bread. Weird, but okay..
We ordered grilled caprese skewers, and soup & fettucini combo. Our order went to another table, when they told her it wasn't theirs she walked it all the way back to the kitchen??? They were getting restless as they ordered before we got there, so they asked to talk to a manager. Our food came back out again later.. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE their food and their chef is super talented and gets all the flavors and textures just right.
Their service just sucks sometimes. I'm thinking our server was just having a really rough day and was overwhelmed with all the tables she was covering.
Before we left we had two new servers and a manager all come in to check in us, apologize, and take care of our checks.
(we never got water, btw!) -
Review from Cristina L.
Sierra Vista, AZ
8/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food was very good, but I was with a fairly large party and was not very impressed with the service. Because I was with a group of young people, I felt that we were at times, overlooked. Happy Hour didn't seem like a very good value and we could only have our drinks in the restaurant's bar for the happy hour price. When trying to choose a wine for my friend, a non-wine drinker-I scoffed when our server told us all the rieslings taste the same. Seriously? The restaurant's saving grace was the quality of the food and terrific military discount.
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Review from Abbie H.
Puyallup, WA
12/10/2011
We went here after buying a Groupon for our date night; my unusually *ahem* "frugal" hubby was so impressed he actually said he would have gladly paid full price. Ordinarily, his response is, "how much would that have cost for you to make it?"...a sad consequence of being an adventurous home cook.
Ambience was warm, cozy and romantic. Although they have an open kitchen design, with the wood burning oven visible from the dining area, we didn't here kitchen clatter and chatter.
We had the seafood pasta that they split for us; each bowl was chock full of goodies (I suspect they actually counted the prawns, clams and scallops out to make sure it was exactly even), and yum-yum-YUMMY! After eating the pasta and seafood, my husband asked for more bread and sat, guarding his bowl of juices so he could soak it all up.
For dessert, we had the panna cotta...OH MY WORD!!! It almost seemed a sin to consume it in public!!! Please be sure to get a little panna cotta, blueberry sauce and basil syrup in each bite; the basil is the real clencher and may be easy to miss as it is colorless.
We are planning to try one of the chef's dinner's for our anniversary...I would gladly eat ANYTHING that was a chef's special! -
Review from Lauren S.
Tacoma, WA
This is a nice spot for T-Town.
I highly recommend their Peach Bellinis and Flat Bread with roasted garlic. Oh so good, even if that's all you order. Sigh of happiness. -
Review from CJ K.
Tacoma, WA
9/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Cioppino, cioppino, cioppino!
The seafood cioppino here warms my soul. The big chunks of soft fish and giant scallops make the dish complete. Definitely the best cioppino in town, blows Stanley's and Pacific Grill out of the water.
That being said, the service is hit or miss. Sometimes it feels like the greeters and hostesses are nicer than the servers! The steamed clams appetizer is also hit or miss. I've gone on nights where the clames are fresh, and we've also had them when they tasted (and smelled like) rotting ocean. Not good.
No complaints about the bar or happy hour. Try the mini arugula slider burgers!
Lunch is a great time to go for budget diners since the menu is practically the same as dinner, only cheaper. All of the pasta dishes here are great. We go so much that I've tried practically everything on the menu. Atmosphere is bright and open, can get a bit pricier at dinner, but all-in-all it makes my list of top ten restaurants in Tacoma. -
Review from Sonia G.
Auburn, WA
1/8/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Great service, drinks and food!
I have visited this place on several occasions and have yet to have a bad experience. They really know how to prepare fish. I definitely recommend any fish dish lists on the fresh sheet. -
Review from Micah A.
Despite living in Seattle the vast majority of my life, this was my first trip as an adult to Tacoma. Within minutes of arriving it became apparent that Tacoma sucks.
Anyway, the Adriatic Grill was the first "Italian" place to show up on my Yelp app, so my friend and I decided to drive down there. Instantly we had one of the most unusual service experiences of any restaurant I've been to.
As soon as we enter, this lady that looks like she's about to leave the restaurant opens the front door for us and follows us back in, smiling and saying hello. Then another, younger woman greets us at the front and asks us how many (2). Then another woman asks us if this our first time at the Adriatric Grill, which it was. Then ANOTHER woman (this one particularly cute) compliments my friend on their glasses before telling us to have a nice lunch. Then we're seated by the second woman, only to have a man we hadn't seen as our server. That's a lot of effort for two people that showed up in t-shirts and jeans. Granted they were awesome t-shirts, but whatever.
- Food -
I ordered some odd Caprese skewer as an appetizer, which was both tasty and not tasty. All of the items used to make it were delicious, but the aftertaste of the skewer was sweet, which is not really my style.
Then I got a 5 cheese pizza as the main course, which tasted like a five cheese pizza. Appearance-wise it looked like it arrived in a Microwave box, but it tasted pretty good.
- Setting -
In a way, the Adriatic Grill looks like most restaurants that chill outside of malls. It's very clean, but not fancy, and everything is comfortable but not outstanding. Still, it's a nice place, so I can't really complain.
- Overall -
I have mixed feelings about pretty much everything in the Adriatic Grill, from service to food to setting to the cute waitress whom, by the way, complimented one customer that came in on her purse, and another customer that came in separately on her handbag. So apparently her job is to compliment someone's accessories and look pretty. Still, since nothing was bad and everything could arguably be described as "above average" it gets 4 stars and a thumbs up. -
Review from Natasha B.
Tacoma, WA
4/17/2011
Food was mediocre, service was terrible. I've sat in the bar after dinner hours and service was phenomenal. The restaurant service is terrible. We even made a reservation but were forced to wait over 20 minutes while all the walk-ins were seated before us.
Food and wine are mediocre, but priced appropriately. The food is decent but not Italian and not high-quality cooking. It's obvious the cooks focus more on cutting corners and going for instant flavor instead of putting more work into quality Italian food.
Very cheap decor and bathrooms were cheap. There was even a bottle of $1 soap that was empty. Overwhelming amount of noise, children, and servers dressed inappropriately. I recommend going for lunch only or hitting the bar right as dinner ends so you can still get some food. -
Review from Lance M.
Kirkland, WA
11/10/2010
Ok, this would be a five it were not for the distracted waiter. The food was great, the service after he found us OK. My wife got her food and I could see mine on the shelf for a while before our waiter got his act together.
Lasagna was OK and my wife's cannelloni were great. I love the bread!
I had Ciopino (sp?) another time and really liked it. I will have that again next time.
Good food, not too expensive and nice people. -
Review from James A.
Tacoma, WA
10/18/2010
I made the wise choice of marrying into an Italian family, and since I have seen food scrutinized from top to bottom and everywhere in between. Passion, family, love, and fresh ingredients... These are things that make good Italian food.
Having become quite the regular at Adriatic Grill with my wife (to the point where the wait staff remember when we *haven't * been there in a week) I can honestly say, Adriatic Grill exemplifies those characteristics of Italian Food in spades.
When you enter into Chef Bill and his wife Monique's establishment, you are greeted like family with a warm welcome and typically, can get a seat without too much of a wait (call ahead to be sure during typical busy times like dinner on a friday night).
Every table is greeted by one of their fabulous wait staff and you'll see some great hand-selected olive oil and balsamic on the table, both imported from Italy (and not just the stuff that says, "imported from italy" at your local grocery store). This stuff tastes great. It's not top-shelf balsamic, but it does have an edge above many. After a few minutes, out comes the bread! A delicious wood-fired grill makes sure to cook the bread quick and thoroughly (in addition to their pizzas) and produces fantastic, authentic tasting results. A bite into their fresh bread with some olive oil and balsamic and you'll be closing your eyes and enjoying every savory bite.
Onto the food. You really can't go wrong. I've been working my way through the menu for a couple of years now, and I can't say I've ever had something bad. The "Fresh Sheet" is where you'll find the seasonal favorites of Chef Bill and also some great deals on a good bite.
I won't take the time to review everything I've eaten there, because well, it would take too long :)
But I will say you can't go wrong with the: Creamy Porcini Mushroom Soup (I must have a cup every time I go), Parmigiano-Reggiano Crusted Tilapia with polenta cakes (the best I've ever had), Trout with Pesto, their to-die-for Margherita Pizzas, the crab cakes (I could drink that balsamic reduction sauce blend), and of course my wife's favorite the Linguine with Chicken and fresh chevre cheese (great with a vegetarian substitution as well!).
Which brings me to my next point, substitutions. Chef Bill will accommodate any request within reason at no charge. I've had spaghetti squash instead of pasta, whole wheat pasta instead of semolina, peppers instead of broccoli, vegetarian renditions of normal dishes (I spent a year as a veg head). Just about anything you desire they can fix it up. He even cooked up a batch of Canoli's as a special dessert when we called ahead to arrange a celebratory dinner for my mother in law's birthday. Now that's service!
All in all, you won't find a great Italian restaurant like Adriatic Grill anywhere near Tacoma. Mona is a joke, olive garden is as original as a cow's chaff on it's second go-round, Europa is a nice try but the level of service and quality of food on a busy night is astrocious. Adriatic is all about family. They employ family and family friends, they treat their customer's like family, and they are owned an operated by a family.
Just try it. You'll like it. I sure do. :) -
Review from Ryan D.
Seattle, WA
8/20/2010
Stopped in here for dinner on a whim on the way back to Seattle and was pleasantly surprised. Thursday was happy hour and there were $5 options, I had the salad and the 5 cheese pizza. Both were very fresh and very tasty. Good selection of wines and beers on tap (though limited on my libations since I was driving!)
The bartender was exceptionally friendly and provided top notch service. He didnt look older then 21...but was a pro at handling the busy bar and engaging well with customers. He provided excellent recommednations without the generic upsell that is all too common.
I would come back for dinner to try the pasta dishes. Its a nicer place and not a chain but casual enough to have fun at. -
Review from Otis D.
Issaquah, WA
9/28/2010
Taking advantage of free babysitting at the in-laws we spent a day at the Puyallup Fair and then headed here for our anniversary dinner. Didn't know anything about the place. It's on the edge of the Tacoma mall and walking in it has all of the feel of a corporate establishment. These are things that would give me pause.
We called for a reservation at 7. When we arrived, the hostess was really appologetic that a bunch of tables were lingering and they weren't ready for us. She was really sweet about it and we went to the bar.
When they came to get us after maybe 15 minutes, we were shown to a great table with a view of the kitchen action and they had done rose petals on the table. Looking around the room, that's not normal. She appologised again and introduced the waiter.
During the meal, the chef/owner stopped by TWICE! Turns out the hostess is his wife, a couple of their kids work there too. So not corporate at all. Just a big ambitious family run place.
O.K. the food. Was it the most blow away italian meal I've had in a while, no. But it was really good, especially the Cioppino special of the night. I can't really think of a better meal that wasn't significantly more coin. And the wine list has plenty of reasonable options among some higher end choices too. I was getting over a cold so didn't drink but if it was a splurge bottle or a good cheap food match, I'd have done fine.
The staff and the owners delivered good service and good food for a reasonable price and acted like they care. HUGE PLUS. It's out of the way for us but we'll be back.
