Food Review: Engine House 9

Engine House No. 9 isn’t your ordinary engine house. It was built in 1907 to serve Tacoma’s North End. In 1992, it became Tacoma’s first non-smoking pub. It is also Tacoma’s first micro-brewery, serving pales, porters, stouts, and a large selection of other brews and drinks with a few house-crafted specialties. The firehouse character still looms along with several relics from the building’s history.

E-9 serves American cuisine and their appetizer menu is pretty extensive, including buffalo wings, mac and cheese wedges, crab and artichoke dip, and Texas straws (Julienne jalapeno peppers & onions battered and fried golden brown) and everything comes served on little metal cookie sheet style trays with checked deli paper. The onion rings are amazing—I swear I could taste a hint of beer in their golden exterior, even though the menu doesn’t specifically say, “beer battered.” This extra detail made them delicious.

The burgers are served on either a grilled or toasted bun depending on what kind of sandwich you order, and there are several different kinds of burgers depending on what you’re in the mood for. There are even plenty of vegetarian options on the menu. The E-9 Famous Soft Taco consists of a huge flour tortilla filled with cheddar jack cheese, onions, E-9 sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, guacamole, and is topped with sour cream. You can choose between beef, chicken, or veggie (which adds black beans, peppers, and mushrooms).

E-9 also serves pizza, pastas, soups and chilies, steaks, a small seafood selection, and sandwiches. Happy hour runs from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. everyday for half off select appetizers and $3 off other appetizers. Drinks during happy hour include: $3 off bar items, $2 off specialty cocktails and wine by the glass, as well as $1.50 draft beers and wells, making it rank in as one of the top happy hour spots in Tacoma. There is also an outdoor seating area, as the summer months bring in the nicer weather.

Engine House No. 9 is located near the corner of Pine and 6th Avenue at 611 N. Pine St. E-9 is open Monday – Wednesday 11 a.m. – 1 a.m., Thursday – Saturday 11 a.m. – 2 a.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. – 1 a.m. Free parking is offered in a lot on the side of the building for customers, as well as ample nearby street parking.