Ambiance, it counts for a lot and can make or break an establishment. Ambiance, after all, is a vital component of a restaurant's character. Of course, the place doesn't need to be fancy to have an appealing ambiance. There's a time and a place for everything and if it's time for a craft brew or cocktail paired with exceptional gourmet grade grub where you can slide right in wearing a hoodie and jeans the place is Top of Tacoma Bar and Cafe.
With a menu featuring appetizers, salads and sandwiches, Top of Tacoma takes them all to the next level with fresh, compelling ingredients. My "Eat This Now" recommendation of the week is its Beast of Burden sandwich ($9). Sourdough slices grilled to perfection and packed with tender Angus roast beef, flavorful caramelized onions and gooey havarti cheese then topped off with generous amounts of cherry pepper relish and a horseradish herb-mayo. It's a delightful matrimony of flavor. Served with a side of au jus for dipping and your choice of chips, soup or salad this sammie is about as good as it gets.
Honorable mention? Really anything on their menu, though owner Jaime Kay Jones tells me the Adobo Spiced Steak and Cheddar ($9.75) is undergoing a facelift. Trading a French roll for flat bread wrap and adding avocado and corn to the steak, green chilies and spiced crema concoction. They say "don't fix it if it ain't broken," but this is more of an embellishment than a "fix" - and a damn tasty one at that.
BEAST OF BURDEN SANDWICH, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily, Top of Tacoma Bar and Café, 3529 McKinley Ave., Tacoma, 253.272.1502
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