Opal Lounge in Tacoma - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Wow. Just wow. This place is great. Great vibe. Great owners. Delicious food and a great selection of cocktails. Plus, of course, happy hour from 2-5. I had never even heard of this place until some friends introduced me and I was just blown away by the whole chill scene. Will definitely go back. The Happy Hour chicken nachos, sliders and Blackberry Smash cocktail made it a great afternoon.

So my friend and I walked in I said hi to the girl with I think red hair she didn’t say a word. We sat down and she just put menus on our table and walked away. I don’t come here often but when I do I’ll not come here and I’ll let my friends know not to come here either

We love here my hubby devours almost everything on the menu, my problem that it's way to spicy for me so I'm stuck with baked tater, salad whatever. I ordered the wings, soooo good but could eat only one as my mouth was on fire. They need a mild or no spice meat option like the wings. People there are amazing.

Literally the best BBQ ribs and cornbread I’ve had in years! This food is made with love and passion! So dang good 😊

$2 wings on Wednesdays definitely worth the trip

One of my Top 5 places to eat in Tacoma. Really good BBQ food, CenTex-style (with sauces on the side for those who want them). I've had over half the menu and loved everything, but the Opal Burger with egg is my fav. Solid taplist, incredible whisky selection. Kitchen is scrupulously clean, there is outdoor seating at the front and in the back, for when the weather suits. The owners are great folks and work weekdays if you want to meet them - which I recommend!

This is the holy angelic French Dip I've been seeing in my dreams for my entire life. I had the Prime Rib French Dip, and it was absolute perfection. I will be back. Oh, yes, I will. I have more things to try here, too.

It was myself and two friends. We had a good time. However, the service was terrible. There was an entire hour where the bartender didn’t check on us, and we had to wave her down at the bar to get her attention. When my friend said she wanted another drink, the bartender had an attitude and barked at her…”What do you want?” Bartender only checked on us once after we got our food, and we had to flag her down the other times…even for our tab. We were there for 4 hours (mostly because we were enjoying each other’s company). The food was good, and I would do take out from there. But the service was terrible.

Stopped in to give this quaint little bar and restaurant a try. First off... the welcoming was superb. As we looked around we noticed that the place was impeccably clean and orderly. The owners who both serviced us were very friendly and very thankful for our patronage. So with that being said I've finally figured out that BBQ flavor (smoked) is not my thing. I'm quite bummed because this place is so well run and taken care of. Unfortunately we won't be back due to all their meats are slow smoked. The Mac and cheese was so good. The beans were good as well. To the owners... thank you for a great experience. I wish you great continued success in your business. I wish that BBQ was my thing because I would have been a continued customer for your beautiful service and atmosphere.

Great service …..very clean inside ….food was ok…chicken was very dry, but the server did her best to make it right !

Love love love this place their selection of bourbon is amazing and all the food is hot and fresh.

The food was actually really good, it’s a shame the service was so terrible, we sat for a half hour before being talked to. I know the bartender was by herself but it wasn’t crazy busy and it was apparent she didn’t really care. She was on her phone often and moving pretty slow. The cooks were amazing, had out food in the window pretty soon after she put it in, but she didn’t get it to us till long after it came up. Also to put a cherry on top a single well whiskey is ten dollars, and it was normal well whiskey, nothing fancy. Maybe wouldn’t have cared if not for everything else. Won’t be returning, I can spent sixty dollars for two well drinks and a small amount of food elsewhere and have a much better time.

The bartenders tonight were amazing! I've been visiting occasionally for the last year; 3x this month. Fatty brisket, greens, prime rib and old fashioneds are on point. Be kind to your bartenders, y'all! This place will treat you right!

Place has dropped off quite a bit. I hate hate leaving a mediocre review because their food and service used to be so good. Took 20 minutes to order, out of a couple things after a rush. Two females working were constantly on phones texting and we had to go out of our way to order drinks a couple times including refills. Did not feel welcome on a Friday night. Great location and the best bbq this side of El Paso can't override bad service. I don't say bad service lightly. It takes a lot for me to say that. I get that they were slammed before I got there. They were caught up and the place was dead after the rush when I got there. There is nothing more frustrating than when you and your date have empty glasses and want to order another app and both the people working the floor are giggling sitting in a corner hardly in view and not paying attention to their customers. I used to adore this place.

Best smoked prime rib ever, tender and delightful. Service not good.

Wife and I went here on a whim. Great chow, great service, worth a look.

The food was cooked last weekend and the Mac n cheese side was dry. Greens were ok. Beans were trash. The ribs was old, over cooked, soaked in sauce. The chicken was shredded and dry. I couldn’t tell the difference between shredded chicken and shredded pork. Both had no seasoning, and both were dry as ever.. corn bread was made last well and left out to get even more drier then the meat. First time eating at opal lounge and the last time.. 1.5 out of 10…

Treat yourself and visit the Opal Lounge. It’s a cool lounge that serves great BBQ. Their take on jalapeño poppers (snake bites) will change your life. We shared the smoked Reuben which was excellent. Carlo was our server and was very attentive and fun. We don’t live close but we are willing to drive the distance.

The BBQ joint in Tacoma. Brisket, brisket, and brisket… I recommend getting the sliders if you want to sample the meat options, but the brisk is hands down insane ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The wings are prepared exquisitely and are real whole wings smoked and dusted. If you’re also into whiskeys this place is also for you, with one hell of a selection. The staff is super friendly and it’s definitely a favorite for those who venture in. A small slice of the South in South Tacoma Way.

Had the two meat BBQ plate and my wife had the Opal burger. Solid BBQ as always. Meat is a little on the dry side with the fat rendered off - the way I like it. Mac and cheese side was not too saucy with crispy edges, real good. The coleslaw really needs improvement- tasted like plain cabbage. Opal burger was excellent. Solid cocktails and a surprisingly refreshing strawberry cider. Opal is worth our, and your, continued patronage. Recommended.

perfection in every aspect! great food, friendly staff, clean, nice layout.

Mariah, Eric and Sam are fantastic. Great knowledge and super friendly. I've had all of the BBQ, including the meat loaf sandwich and prime rib dip. All of it is amazing. The whiskey selection is unrivaled in Tacoma and the area.

Been here twice and both times we were helped by Mariah. She is super nice and the food was AWESOME! Brisket sandwich and potato salad 🤤🤤 we got the Mac and cheese to share. So good! This little gem is tucked away. The homemade bbq sauce is so yummy.

Have the prime rib French dip. Your mouth will not only thank you, it will throw itself at your feet in praise and supplication. Okay, maybe that's a tiny bit over the top. But that sandwich was an exquisite first experience. The beans on the side were amazing as well. Will definitely be making a return trip.

Cubano & special meatloaf sandwich are sooo good!

Great place with amazing food and staff!

Opal Lounge has become our favorite small bar. Excellent smoked meats and mixed drinks.

Brisket was dry and overcooked but drinks were great!

Chill atmosphere, great drinks and food! Best BBQ in Tacoma IMO.

If you want to try rare whiskey, this is the place. Excellent food and service too

Great classic cocktails. The bartender was actually excited to make me a real whiskey sour with whipped egg whites. I appreciated the attention to detail.

Delicious food and great waitstaff. My food was delicious 😋 it was my 2nd time there and each time the food has been delicious.

Pleasant service, delicious Prime Rib dinner.

This is a tacoma location for south bay bbq out of olympia. Food was awesome. Great patio in the back!

Food was okay but beer and whiskey selection was HOP HEAD APPROVED! Neat area of town on one of our last days in the area

I loved the service and atmosphere. The Meat Salad I ordered was really good!

nice place to kick back a minute. very friendly wait staff one and all. didn't go to eat, so can't say about food. did smell wonderful tho. and they have USB ports just under the main bar, awesome.

Nice little place. Drinks were great, food was awesome. Can't wait to go back. Server/bartender was amazing.

Great vibes, Great food, Great drinks and great service! Highly recommended coming!!

I mean, meh? If you're looking for GOOD bbq, this place isn't it. It's easily better than lots of places but it's nowhere near the best. Service when I went was less than stellar, with long waits to take food and drink orders after seating ourselves. Small portion sizes on the brisket and just, idk, it felt lacking. The greens were a sad shell of what they should've been and although the ribs had a decent texture, they were a little dry and the sauces were definitely kinda wrong imo. Overall, I've tried it, probably won't be returning. Not to say anything negative about the business, it's just not for me.

Great service, food are amazing!!! Definitely coming back again. Highly recommended.

The food, at least what I had the Cubano sandwich was so, so good. From the looks of the menu everything looks like it would be mouth watering. Service was good and the food came fairly quickly. The only thing I would say about the restaraunt is it is much smaller than I thought it would be. It's definitely one of those hole in the wall establishments that you would be crazy to miss.

I personally could use more Flavor on my sides. Meat was tender, but I had to add a lot of sauce to it.

Busy, which is awesome! Sold out of Prime Rib and baked potato, so I tried the ribs and was soooo happy. Damn good food and the NICEST staff.

Tasty food, friendly staff and a good daily Happy Hour. Love the spicy BBQ sauce and make sure to try the wings.

Great food but doesn't have a real dive bar feel and closes early.

Best BBQ in t town. Highly recommend

Our first time in and the food was absolutely fabulous and not too large of portions which was refreshing for bbq. My whole family, including grandparents loves Opal Lounge.

It's really hard to find decent bbq in Tacoma. This is the best I've found in a restaurant type setting.

Great food and nice music with friendly hosts

I was so pleasantly surprised at my experience here-I had hoped for the brisket French dip but they had sold out for the day (we showed up after 7pm) so I tried the Rueben and my bf had the Cubano. Oh. My. God. These sandwiches were the best we’ve had in a while. The cocktails and sides and the one bbq sauce we tried were FIRE. Also received great service from Mariah, who was super friendly and patient with us. This was my first time here and I would absolutely recommend and will definitely return. Btw they have daily specials, which aren’t posted on any menu I was able to find. You’ve gotta try this place!

The service for me was horrible.. me and my girl , dined in .. and immediately I had a feeling that the lil short mixed lady had a stand-off ish vibe .. she seemed to be bothered that we was there !! I don’t really leave bad reviews but that didn’t sit well with me .. usually when paying customers leave people the employee says bye.. we left and it was crickets .. I can tell when people are being sassy or just annoyed she was both .. not coming back simply because of her behavior.. if you made it this far. we had a 4 meat platter .. macaroni was small of course 😒.. there are better places 🤷🏾‍♂️

Amazing! I had the cubano sandwich with the greens and omg so delicious! Staff was friendly and clean area! Drinks were delicious and strong! Great place for a good bite to eat before hitting the town highly recommend!

This establishment is absolutely amazing from the large array of drinks to the pure relaxing vibes. The lighting,music, great food awesome decor are all complimented by amazing service whats not to love Mariah helped us here today and she was awesome drinks were great and so was the food thank you for the great experience Will be back again !!! And again !! :)

The food was great,I recommend the chicken wings 😋

Delicious! Will definitely be back.

Opal Beauty Lounge is an amazing place to go for all of your hair beautifying needs! Great customer service, awesomely skilled in handcrafting the hair of your dreams!

After living in Tacoma for years and years we finally took the recommendation of heading to the Opal for Supper!! Its a small quant lil bar just off 56th and South Tacoma Way it does have limited hours and at times a limited availability of Fresh Smoked Meats. Upon arriving we were greeted by friendly bar staff and offered a drink and a menu. We had a drink and decided on food to go so we ordered a Brisket French Dip, a Cubano Sandwich, and a side of Greens and Mac & Cheese. Our sandwiches were par none excellent loaded 6" high with fresh smoked meats, however the greens were sweet in flavor not the " Ol School" Greens that Nana and Auntie use to make for cookouts. Also the Mac & Cheese had a spicy note and contained bits and pieces of Jalapeño so definitely not suitable for younger children unless they enjoy a bit of spice!! Overall we would order meat again and look forward to trying Happy Hour and the fun menu that has to offer in the future!!!

Such a chill spot, I mean the vibe of this place makes you want to smoke some MJ. 😅 Not to mention the food and was fantastic! Their specialty is BBQ, but they’ve got plenty of other options, very southern. Lemonade is made in house and definitely recommend! Server was really nice too:) overall great place, even in this area, families would feel comfortable dining here :)

Hands down my favorite barbecue restaurant. The meats do not disappoint! Hearty portions, yummy sides, and not insanely expensive. My favorites are the wings and the prime rib dinner they do on Friday night only. The cocktails I've tried have been well-constructed. Good service, good atmosphere. Don't be turned off by the location, this place is awesome.

The Opal is excellent. Great cocktails, amazing BBQ (like, really really good), and a very large bourbon selection. All in a very unpretentious but comfortable setting with a nice patio in the back. Who could ask for more?

Great dive for drinks but not really the food! The urinals in the restroom are extremely ODD because they are filled with ice and wall length. Gross because a child may jump to grab the ice assuming it's edible....YUK!!!!! Please get rid of that disgusting trap & STAT 🤢🤮

Excellent service. Very good meat I had ribs and chicken. They need to work on sides. Coleslaw was not great and potato salad was bland. Overall good clean environment.

Great. Good barbecue. Great service.

I absolutely love everything about the Opal! First, the owners are wonderful people that truly care about not only their business, but the businesses around them and the people that frequent these places. On top of that, everything I've eaten at the Opal has been wonderful, from the homemade pickles and pickled eggs to the brisket, the pulled pork, the smoked meatloaf, and my personal favorite, the Cubano! Amazing selection of whiskeys and beers as well. Such a great place! :) Cheers 🍻

Ordered 2 lbs of brisket. Felt very light once our neighbor droped it off to us. Only weighed in at 15oz. When we called to try to fix the issue we were told we were liars and there was nothing they would do about it. They seem to want to rip people off or not want to take responsibility for their mistakes. Either way treatment we recieved from the owners means we will never return. I would avoid this place if you don't want to be taken advantage of.

Had my first taste of this restaurant's brisket yesterday. Unfortunately, I was only give a shy 1lb for my two lbs order. Do not trust this restaurant, because when I called to try to make it right, they called me a liar, but their staff are the ones who are lying. I can't believe that this amount of food theft is something they are cool with. Completely disrespectful towards me, and solving the issue. Not that I will be returning anyway for this dry and flavorless beef that only tastes ok once sauced. The fat was globby, and had an icky mouth feel because it hadn't rendered properly anyways... Don't eat here unless you feel like getting robbed. Edit: You can spit all the lies you want, I was shorted food, either by y'all, or by Corey... I don't care who did me dirty at this point, I have already apologized to Corey as I have concluded that a friend, even not a close one, wouldn't do this to me.

Very good bbq ribs, that is my benchmark. Will be back to try the bbq pulled pork. Bar needs Campari.

Service is solid. Wings and ribs are on point. Whiskey selection is fairly extensive. The southern greens were under-done, but the flavor was pretty good. The brisket was completely disappointing. For one it was served as a sandwich by default. No BBQ spot sould or would do that with brisket. Chopped up, over sauced, and more importantly more than half fat. I understand how much fat a brisket has on it in certain sections, but you should never give such a fatty portion of the brisket to one customer. The portion size with one side was very small for the $17 resulting in about four bites of actual meat. Bottom line is if you want pretty good service, wings and/or ribs I recomend it. If you want brisket I highly recommend you go elsewhere.

Oh man, walked in hungry, could barely walk out, I was so full. Excellent BBQ, owned by the famous south Bay BBQ in Olympia, this little place is great. A huge selection of brown liquids, they have pappy van winkle, for those who in the know. We will be back, service was great 👍

Best Cubano and Reuben in town if not some of the best I can recall having. Nice atmosphere, clean, staff in kitchen wears uniforms.... None of that matters except the smoke on their food is delicious in that they also know how to prep it. Spicy mac and cheese was spot on. Not the best in the world, but no way I'd complain. Same with the corn bread. It's all very tasty. Also tried the brisket French dip. It's pretty damn good. The south bay bbq hot sauce is a really nice vinegar kick that's really complimented by green habanero peppers? I'm not sure. Not too spicy or too vinegary. It's very balanced. I bought a bottle to go. The place has a kids menu with pbj, grilled cheese or sliders with sausage, shredded pork or shredded beef, but if you're really worried about taking kids here, just get a burger and spilt it between them. They're big I was told. Baked beans are made fresh, no leftover pulled pork added from the night before. I could tell because it wasn't quite done yet since I came in so early. Still tasted great with a little spice in it.

The best experience every time. Food is amazing, drinks and just a great place.

As a BBQ guy myself they are doing great things at the Opel. Lots of Bourbans and Great food. Super friendly staff.

So here is the deal - The food here is spectacular, I admit, though it is overpriced for what it is ...Here is where things went wrong... We were there on a very busy Friday night recently and there were three people working so, not a staffing issue, it seemed to me... Tables (ours included) were totally ignored for 20-ish minutes after arrival even after eye contact was made with the staff. Pro-tip # 1 for the restaurant industry: if super busy, at the bare minimum, PLEASE at least get the drink orders in. There are SO many restaurants in Tacoma, nobody wants to be ignored. So yeah. I would maybe get take-out from there again if I felt like splurging on $, but I am not thinking dine-in there is quite up to par.

Great food here! Gotta try everything!

Great rebrand of this iconic used to be dive bar !! BBQ is done right ✅️ wait staff / bar tenders amazing 👏

Great lil dive with good food. I want to thank the bartender who wore a mask and made our second round of drinks! I realize the owners do not mandate masking but please mandate your new bartender/employee to NOT OPENLY COUGH when serving drinks and food. As a first time customer It was very disturbing to me, as I watched the bartender openly cough 3 times, touching her nose never once washed her hands or used hand gel.

The best wings I've ever had! The wings have a wonderful dry rub, then smoked, then fried. They're juicy, a little sweet, a little spicy and drool worthy. I look forward to trying their BBQ, cause if it stands up to the ribs, I'm going to be extremely happy! The nachos are not bad...but I won't order them again. I prefer regular nachos personally, but you might love them! The snakebites, a bacon wrapped, jalapeno popper, is really tasty, but not everyone's cup of tea. That baked potato is delicious! The drinks are perfect! Good bartending.

Food was great! Drinks were spendy. Will go back for the food. just fewer cocktails. Bartender was awesome.

2$ Chicken Wings on Wednesday. Off the Hook!!!!!

I just love the decco style art of the entry way. Delicious brisket and mezcal cocktail styling makes it more of a gastro pub than a dive bar.

Excellent fresh food. Smoked to perfection. Courtney the bartender was very good

Nice staff, good food, good beer!

So good! Love the bar vibes and the outdoor space!! Food is awesome!!!

Delicious BBQ and good beer selection. We had the ribs and brisket dip and both were delicious!

Fancy divy!! Dive bar.. but done well! Special spot for good times and good eats. It's cold now but they have a cool ducked off patio in back..so legit!! Eat here!! Ps.. wings are exceptional!!

Amazing selection of bourbon, food was good. Very chill atmosphere and would certainly drink there again

So glad I found this place! Drinks are made well and the food is awesome! Their happy hour is very good, and affordable with enough options still to choose from. As a local I will be coming here every chance I get. They're only open from Wednday - Saturday currently.

Fun time, drinks and food are great. Staff seemed overworked but they're doing great still.

Best food on that part of South Tacoma Way hands down

Bartender is great and even remembers what drinks we like. The food here is BOMB

Cozy spot to grab a tasty drink. Hope you like whiskey, that seems to be their thing.

Great BBQ. One of the best in Tacoma.

Great bourbon and whiskey, great vibes, awesome staff very helpful for new whiskey drinkers

This our go to for a quick date night, the food is always reliably good, the drinks are perfection AND the service is ALWAYS top notch. We live close by since 1999 and I have to say I am so thankful that eateries like this are moving into South Tacoma Way.

Food was alright, drinks fantastic...

Great service, Great BBQ. Fully reccomend.

It was soo tasty. I cannot wait to eat there again.

Dope bbq and authentic greens. Granny'd be proud

Delicious food and cool atmosphere. We had the hot link, brisket, pulled pork nachos, baked beans, mac and cheese, and cornbread. Hard to pick a favorite. Their sauces were really tasty too.