Freighthouse Square: good times and history

There are a lot of things to do and see around downtown Tacoma, such as museums, great restaurants, historical locations and hidden little gems that people either don’t know about or may have forgotten.

One of those spots is Freighthouse Square in the Dome District right across from the South end of the Link light rail and the Sounder Station just off D St.. This 110,000 square foot indoor shopping environment is one of Tacoma’s most historical monuments and is full of locally owned restaurants, knick knack shops, and many other fun attractions. This place is perfect to take your family out to lunch or for a great first part of a date.

One of the most impressive places inside of Freighthouse Square is the food court. Most of the restaurants here are locally owned and use fresh, local, and high quality ingredients to get their food to taste superior.

RJ’s Burger Joint explains, “We use beef that is never frozen for our burgers to maintain quality. It took us eight months to come up with the perfect recipe for our French fries.”
There are many other restaurants such as an authentic Greek Mediterranean cuisine restaurant, the Santa Fe Mexican Grill, Paya Thai, Little India, Wendy’s Vietnamese Restaurant, Boxcar Grill, Mae Sumrun Thai Cuisine and many more. If you want a coffee, the Mocha Stop Espresso and Seasonal Delights are for you. Try the mocha train shake at Mocha Stop if you like frappes.

At the very end of Freighthouse Square, you will find an impressive gallery filled with art that is richly inspired by the Northwest. Just past the gallery, there is a 4800 square foot banquet hall called the Rainier Room that can be rented for special occasions, such as receptions, anniversaries, or birthdays. Just before the art gallery, there are stairs that lead you down to the bottom of Freighthouse Square where you can also find a hair salon called Diva’s Hair Studio and a LEGO building organization.

Toward the end of the merchant hall, you will find Seasonal Delights Café and Espresso. I enjoyed a delicious reuben sandwich on sourdough bread and a lemon raspberry crepe. It was just how a reuben should be: sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, corned beef, and Thousand Island dressing on grilled bread. Their crepe had great flavor, but failed to highlight the true crepe nature. The crepe part was a little leathery and didn’t have that light sweet taste and texture I grew up on as a kid. As you walk into Seasonal Delights, you’re hit with the smell of cinnamon rolls and fresh baked cookies. The cinnamon rolls are gooey and come with ample cream cheese frosting. They also serve paninis and quiches.

Another interesting business in Freighthouse Square is The Giving Place, which donates 50% of its net profits back into the community to assist those living with life altering conditions and those in need. The shop sells glass art, gifts, home accents, convenience items, and souvenirs.

Be sure to check out Freighthouse Square for yourself.