Harmon Restaurant & Brewery

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

A: It is downstairs from the Harmon Lofts, on the corner, down from UW Tacoma and Union Station.In the heart of downtown Tacoma. Great place to start for a Friday/Saturday night. College crowd is there but on the weekdays and weeknights its your typical Tacoma crowd. A few regulars there. Parking is a pain and you will have to pay

Q: The beer ranges from average to very good

S: Usually good but most of them are young and have no idea what beer is about

S: 6 to 8 flagships and two seasonals w/ bottles and growlers to go

11-24-2007 12:05:37 | More by barleywinefiend

Redrover

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -10.8%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 2.5 | $$

You will notice the silo as you walk-up. This is a nice location near Union Station, the University and the museums.

I like the outside community tables near the entrance. Unfortunately, it was only 57 in mid-June...

The bar is on your right as you enter. It seats about 20. they have a good selection of small and large tables in the bar area. The picnic table must seat about 12!

They offer 5 regular beers and 2 specials. The beers ran from ok (the ESB) to very good (the vanilla porter).

The menu is pretty standard with pizzas, burgers, fish and chips and that west coast favorite fish tacos.

The Food came very quickly and was no more than average (and that's generous). I wonder if they prepare a lot in advance as it was out less than 10 minutes after I ordered.

The soundtrack is a nice mix of modern and classic rock.

Bar Service is fine if a bit slow and they will give samples.

I liked the Rock Pizza place up the hill better.

06-20-2008 16:53:24 | More by Redrover

RedDiamond

Oregon

4.4/5  rDev +15.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

The first thing I like about Harmon is the neighborhood. It is centrally located on a main corridor in downtown Tacoma within walking distance to places I like to walk to. It’s surrounded by art and history museums, the old Union Station, hard rock nightclubs like The Rock and The Swiss, and the University of Washington. (No, the previous sentence does not imply that the UW is a hard rock nightclub. Certainly not for underclassmen.) Harmon is also just two blocks from the old Heidelberg brewery. After a nice session here it’s a pleasure to walk across Chihuly’s Bridge of Glass spanning the railroad tracks, peak into the Museum of Glass, then take a stroll by the marina.

Harmon itself resides in a formerly abandoned furniture factory. The massive support posts holding the building together are a reminder of what Pacific Northwest forests were once like when they could so easily yield solid timbers two feet on a side. The décor is ski-themed and the atmosphere is lively. On the night of my first visit a black stretch limo was parked in front and I’ve come to know weekends here as very boisterous. Fortunately, Harmon keeps the place amply staffed and I’ve never known service to stray from anything other than totally professional. They don’t miss a beat.

The bar pours ten house beers – five regular and five seasonal – several of which are among the best in the region. They also serve one ale on cask – frequently their awe-inspiring IPA. Aside from a pear cider, guest taps are not offered and not especially missed. Food is standard bar/bistro and reasonably priced. I’d give it B+.

This is a fun place to hang out. Free, self-serve peanuts are in the bar, and there’s games for the kids though I’ve never seen children in the house. Five-shot sampler trays are made of old K2 skis and one of the tables is a retired ski lift.

House beers are mostly ales of modest potency, Brit-Irish lineage, and excellent quality. Try the seasonals if you can. Several are brewed with heather or fruit puree.

08-20-2006 06:10:47 | More by RedDiamond

86sportster883

New Jersey

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 2.5 | $$

I visited the Harmon Brewery and Restaurant on the evening of the annual "Pray for Snow" party, and the place was mobbed. Harmon's is a big place, but the size of the crowd made it seem smaller than it really is. The ski themed decor, wooden plank floors, and Warren Miller films playing on every TV, reminded me of the more clamorous Après ski bars of Killington, VT.

The bar section was standing room only, and three deep when I walked in, so I wound up sitting at one of the smaller tables in the dining area, and was glad I did. Despite the crowd, my young waitress was right on top of things, keeping my beer full and always wearing a smile. I ordered the halibut fish and chips and a flight of beers. The sampler arrived on the top end of an old K2 ski, and the fish & chips came out lightning fast. The French fries were great, but the halibut was disappointing, at best.

The beer sampler included Harmon’s five standard beers. The Defiant IPA and MT Tacoma Blonde were decent, the pale ale and ESB were very good, and the Puget Sound Porter was excellent. I was there for a while, so I wound up having a few pints and joining in on the party.

Harmon’s is a fun and casual place that caters to a younger crowd, easily accommodates large groups, seemed family friendly and attracted a wide range of ages. I found it to be more of party bar then a true beer enthusiast’s destination, but that wouldn’t prevent me from going back.

11-10-2007 14:33:02 | More by 86sportster883

jdense

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | $$

Located on Pacific Avenue is downtown Tacoma near the historic art-deco train terminal, parking is on-street and a bit hard to access for the impatient. Brick walls, hard wood floors, 12 seat bar with numerous tables, room in back for gatherings, rowing dominated memorabilia, pleasant staff especially the statuesque bartender. The nachos seemed to be the big selling item, big plate, didn't see or try much other food, though the party in the back was having pizza, obviously undercooked. The brewery is visible behind the bar. 6-8 beers on tap, nothing that exceptional. They were having St. Patrick's day inspired trivia when I visited, that dude needed a personality transfusion, reminded me of a mohawked Ben Stein, anyone, anyone. Worth a visit, but I won't be going back, beers slightly above average, out of the Vanilla Porter, bottles to go. OK, but not that great.

03-18-2011 18:10:14 | More by jdense

djbreezy

Washington

3.86/5  rDev +1.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | $$

I visited the Harmon several times when a good friend of mine lived in the building. What a lucky guy to have a brewery in the bottom floor of his building. I'd probably go there every night if it were me.

I really dig the wood all over the bar/restaurant...also the exposed wall. The bar stools are comfy. The lighting is spot on. The building is really awesome overall.

The place gets packed on the weekends, but if you can get a seat there is a good vibe.

The beer is decent. Good selection. Good service.

05-19-2010 23:22:51 | More by djbreezy

udubdawg

Kansas

4.28/5  rDev +12.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Great place I really wish I had the chance to visit more often.

The waterfront neighborhood has been nicely cleaned up and is a decent place to walk around now, with ample shops and some museums.

Service is courteous, generally their (and other) beer, and quick to correct a mistake without any grief or rolling of the eyes. (Sad how I even have to mention this as if it is a high point, but how often has your server acted indignant or been unable to stifle a sigh when you make a simple request?)

Food...let's see, I've had the blue cheese burger, french dip (hold the mound of cheese), fish and chips (with halibut of course!) and the nachos. All good or better.

The beer is as it should be - reason enough to come here. I enjoy their porter a lot, their ESB even more, and their IPA most of all...man, I could use a glass of that IPA right now! (nicely balanced with ample citrusy hop flavors that still allow a lot of pleasantly sweet and biscuity malt flavors to come through) No hophead visiting the area should miss this beer.

08-09-2007 01:56:47 | More by udubdawg

czechsaaz

Washington

3.78/5  rDev -0.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3 | $$

Nice little brewpub downtown across from Union Station which is pretty remarkable to look at sitting outside. Big grain silo forms the facade of the entrance.

House beers are pretty good, some of the specials are really good and some not so much. The Point Defiance IPA is a standout and among my favorite IPAs from the Pacific Northwest.

Service is pretty good. All the servers seem really young.

Beers are house only, 5 standards and 3-4 seasonal specials.

Food is basic brewpub and the burgers and sandwiches I've had were really good. One warning, avoid the calamari appetizer. Bland, pre-breaded and frozen and just not right.

Basically your craft brew choices in Tacoma are slim but have improved over the last few years. This is one of the better spots in the area.

06-04-2007 06:10:26 | More by czechsaaz

snaotheus

Washington

3/5  rDev -21.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 2 | $$

Atmosphere was very similar to mid size chain breweries like the Ram and Rock Bottom. It was fine, but it wasn't special. Relatively large place, which is nice. I imagine it gets pretty busy during happy hour.

Quality wasn't bad, but it wasn't all that great. Most of the beers were mediocre or boring; a couple were pretty (the porter and the IPA in particular).

Service was above average for the Northwest (where typical service is bad). They had a decent selection -- even the beer specialty places I go don't often have three different porters on tap.

Food wasn't great. Fish and chips was all we had -- the fish was dry and bland (although it looked really good), the fries were not bad, but they seemed like they were made from a bag of frozen fries.

Prices are reasonable, or on the high side of reasonable. Growler fill was $12, I think our pints were $4.75 or $5. All you can eat fish & chips at about $10 is a pretty good deal.

05-19-2010 02:39:24 | More by snaotheus

ccrida

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -1.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I've only sat in the bar side, but there's not big difference, and overall, this place has a pretty airy, woody, generic brewpub atmosphere, but with lots of old school skiing memorabilia, including sample flights served on modified old skis. I especially dig the 50s era B&W photo on the ladies room door of the ski chicks in bikini tops. Fair amount of TVs for watching sports, which is a plus in a brewpub for me.

I've only ever had the nacho's, which the menu says were voted Tacoma's best. They're pretty good, and ridiculously huge.

The service has always been just fine. Although, for being right next to the college, they could use a hotter wait staff. Yeah, I'm a pig. Whatever. It's a man's world...

Their selection is not bad beer wise, all the classic brew-pub ales, with the NW seasonal standards. The last time I was there, they didn't have anything on the two cask engines, which was disappointing, and they were out of their most appealing seasonal, a smoked scotch ale.

Food wise, I've only had the nacho's and they're good. But they don't have any mexican hot sauce, just tabasco, which doesn't work as well...

The pints are $3.75, and the nacho's are 8(.99?), a dollar more for beef or chicken. The beer is good, and they have happy hour specials that I've never caught, 1/2 off appetizers I think, not sure about the beer price, but it is discounted...Bottom line is I enjoy hitting this place on my way between Seattle and Portland, or when local, for work.

07-06-2007 06:00:17 | More by ccrida