Tacoma's food scene has improved substantially as the arts-driven revitalisation has brought in a younger resident population with money to spend. The Stadium District and 6th Avenue corridor have the best concentration of independent restaurants; Hilltop has a newer wave of options.
The city has a strong Pacific Rim influence reflecting the demographics of the Puget Sound region — Vietnamese pho shops, Japanese ramen, Korean barbecue, and Filipino restaurants are distributed across the city. For a distinctly Tacoma experience, the Dock Street area near the waterfront has seafood restaurants with views over Commencement Bay.
Antique Sandwich Company on North Pearl Street is a Tacoma institution — a cafe and live music venue that has been feeding the North End neighbourhood since the 1970s. The 1022 South J Street neighbourhood in Hilltop is worth exploring for newer restaurants. Tacoma's prices are noticeably lower than Seattle's equivalents, which makes the food scene particularly good value.