Craving quality? Want your parents to take you out to breakfast, lunch or dinner when they visit?
Take a drive down Union Avenue until you see the water and then turn right onto N. 30th St. Continue down the road parallel to the water, down the treacherous hill until you see The Spar on the north side of the street in Old Town.
This lovely saloon offers a wide selection of items that is attractive to a diverse customer base. Pastries, ice cream, burgers, hummus, fish and chips, soups, salads and sandwiches all adorn The Spar’s menu.
I recently dined at The Spar and enjoyed a light late lunch. We ordered a patty melt and Caesar salad to split, served with Spar chips. The accommodating staff split our meal for the table and we were able to enjoy both entrees.
The patty melt is placed upon marbled rye bread with caramelized onions and Swiss cheese. The diner has the option to eat it with original Spar chips or traditional chips. It can be a hearty meal for one or light lunch for two. The Spar serves original Spar chips which are thinly sliced and fried till crispy.
The juicy patty melt and Caesar salad accompanied one another nicely. The salad arrived already dressed with a perfect proportion of dressing to lettuce and left both of us satisfied.
The menu is moderately priced and is well within the budget for college students.
Sandwiches start at $5.00 and the most expensive item is beer battered cod at $10.95, perfectly reasonable for a meal off-campus.
If pastries or coffee are your choice for a light weekday breakfast, skip Starbucks and bring your books for a study session at The Spar. A 12oz latte starts at $2.05 and muffin or scone is a respectable $1.50 or $1.75 or with banana bread at $1.00.
I personally have not had breakfast at The Spar, but on two separate occasions individuals have raved about the breakfast served on weekend mornings.
Rachel Waterman ‘13 recently feasted on The Spar’s breakfast.
“I hate breakfast, but I loved The Spar’s breakfast. Their bacon is so crunchy [this coming from a vegetarian] and their hash browns… are perfect.” Her beverage of choice from her last visit was a Spiced Apple Chai: “It tastes exactly like apple pie,” Waterman said.
The environment is highly enjoyable as well. It’s nautical themed with maps on the table, giving it an authentic waterfront feel.
The Spar has two downfalls: breakfast is served only on weekends and it doesn’t start until 9:00 a.m.
However, Waterman sees herself dining at The Spar again in the near future, as do I.
Additionally, Saturday night music is played in the bar section, but The Spar also offers Sunday Blues, with no cover, featuring local blues artists at 7:00 p.m. each week.
The Spar is located in Old Town, 2121 N. 30th St. Tacoma, WA. 98403. Their kitchen hours are weekday 11:00 a.m.—10:00 p.m. and weekends 9:00 a.m.—12:00 p.m.
