McMenamins Elks Temple

Apr 5th, 2024

Cool place to hang out and enjoy yourself. If your game and had a few drinks, you can totally play hide and seek as there are several floors and hidden rooms. Just don't play on the 6th floor as that's the hotel and would be messed up. Tuck yourself away in the vault and avoid a larger crowd or go ham and mingle with everyone everywhere else! Drinks are always good no matter the bar you go to and be prepared as there's probably something going on at the venue there, so fork over the cover and have a good time!
Mar 26th, 2024

Cool building. Inside it has that great McMenamins vibe. Like usual, the food is mediocre and over-priced, while the service is slow, but acceptable. Dessert was good and I liked the atmosphere. This is a consistent McMenamins experience and as long as you know that going in, dinner is fine.
Mar 20th, 2024

Mar 20th, 2024

Stay away from my favorite place... It's mine. This place has a couple huge problems. 1. It's expensive. For example: The food here is creative, delicious, expertly prepared, just a little quirky, and made with seasonal and locally sourced ingredients--including the use of their own gardens. Their staff is energized, friendly, knowledgeable, flexible, clever, and paid a good living wage for their efforts. Their craft beer is made either by their brewery at Anderson School, or on-site... So a burger and fries is $21.99 and a beer is $8-$9. For those who want the working class to suffer, this is unacceptable. 2. Parking. Try and park here. I dare you. This place became so popular, so quickly, that they inadvertently altered the shape of nearby parking in Tacoma forever. Parking time limits and an overpriced paid parking lot have been installed (McMenamin's has nothing to do with either), and you're looking at a trolly ride if you want to find a free lot. (this is why I only give location 4 stars) 3. It's crowded. If it's Friday or Saturday, go get a beer and pizza somewhere else. The Temple is full. There's probably a concert or some other show happening in their Spanish Ballroom. There are probably several groups of friends doing all kinds of awesome stuff and having an amazing time... Maybe you'd rather go somewhere with a little more elbow room. 4. The secret bar is too easy to find. I mean, come on. You call this "hidden"? 5. It's clearly haunted. You heard me... Haunted. All that said, there are some truly amazing features about this place. They've created a space containing several different kinds of bars in one tight location. In just one building, they offer (in literal descending order--by elevation): A pub Speakeasy Sports bar Tapas bar Venue bar (like at a concert) Bottle shop (where you can order beer, cider, or coffee) And Tiki bar And hey, if you want to take your Tiki drink to the speakeasy? No problem! Walk anywhere you like with whatever beverage you've got. So the thing is, this place is also a hotel, and I'm pretty sure that's what I'm supposed to be reviewing here. The rooms are smallish, but if your spending the whole time there, you're doing it wrong. Each room is an artwork of it's ownwith a unique art piecenamed after a significant local historical figure (living or dead). The entire building is decorated from the crown molding to the pipes by full-time on-staff artists. Rooms are simple, might have a balcony with an incredible view, or might have a view of the hallway (the "Atrium" (you'll know before you book)). These rooms are reasonably priced for what they are. There's no microwave, no refrigerator, or ice machine. These rooms are not made for long-term stays. That's the only reason I give them 3 stars. They may lack amenities, but they're clean, comfortable, and a beautiful place to sleep after a concert and wild party. Did I mention that this building is over 100 years old? Check out all the beautifully framed photos and paintings on the walls. You could explore this building and just look at photos and artwork all day. Compare it to an Air B&B. Invite your friends and family from out of town to get rooms and stay in Tacoma with you. You'll have an amazing, beautiful, delicious, grown-up party night without even leaving this gorgeous historical building. Or leave the building! There's good food, great breweries, and great antique stores nearby. I'd recommend an Uber. Tacoma's hills are ridiculous. Lookobviously the top part of this review is facetious. I loved staying here, and it's important to pay our industry people well and to tip them properly. So yeah, it can be a bit pricy to visit and the parking is a challenge, but the value is there. If the hamburger is too expensive there are a bunch of great restaurants and even a tiki bar nearby who wouldn't mind the business. You've read this far, so I'll tell you the secret to finding the speakeasy... Don't. It's mine... Stay out. Just kidding. It's under the sidewalk. That's your clue. Rooms: The rooms are simple. Bed, bathroom, dresser, alarm clock, earplugs ...I think there may have been a TV? Who cares. I'm not watching TV here. There are few amenities. There might be a chair, and will probably be a handful of odd books. The most interesting part is going to be the full-sized art piece. Each room has an art piece based on the who/what ever the room is named after. My most recent room was named after a drag queen / activist from the Tacoma area. The portrait inside had foil and metallic highlights and a placard nearby telling her real life story in a few paragraphs. The hand-painted headboard was designed to go with the theme. Each room is treated this way. In particular, the famous Graffiti Room, named for and decorated by the local graffiti artists who were invited back to the building to decorate it after having "vandalized" it during the time it was abandoned years ago. Nearby activities: Check out Sandford and Son. I know. The name is weird. It's an antique mall of sorts, barely survived the pandemic. It's the weirdest antique mall I've ever seen. There's also a fantastic skate shop (with a mini indoor park), several breweries (E9, 7 Seas, Black Fleet, Dystopian State, Odd Otter, (don't bother with the one that serves pie right now. They're not good yet)), There are a few decent restaurants. If you want to do some sight seeing, Stadium High School (the castle-shaped school where they filmed 10 Things I Hate About You) is a brisk walk away. Safety: This is an old building with adapted safety standards for historical restoration. Fire exits are marked, but they're not great. There's only one elevator and the narrow stairwells are the only other way to get from floor to floor. If there's an emergency, the elevator situation is going to be bad. That said, day-to-day safety here isn't much of an issue. People here feel safe and kind. Walkability: There is one elevator, and four stair wells. The main entrance is near the top of the Spanish Steps on the fourth floor of a seven-floor building. The other bars, breweries, restaurants, and shops in the nearby neighborhood are most easily accessed from the main entrance level. It's an eclectic and interesting area, but the hills of Tacoma are no joke. Consider taking an Uber back to the hotel after exploring the area. Food & drinks: Expensive. Can't lie about that. But they are doing it right. They have their own brewery, winery, cidery, distillery, and they even make their own mixers, bitters, and shrubs. They even include ingredients from their own gardens. This is about quality for them. If they are saving any money at all, it's not reflected in the price. They pass those saving down to their staff. Noteworthy details: Absolutely festooned with artwork made by Tacoma locals and full-time artists on staff. Visit the front desk to see a clue for an artwork scavenger hunt. While you're at it, look up at the truly impressive collection of light fixtures.
Apr 9th, 2024