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It stays true to its Texan roots with sides like mac n’ cheese, sausage links, and even the hard-to-find “Big Red” soda. Not in Tacoma, but just over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in Gig Harbor (about 20 minutes away), is BBQ 2 U, which has freshly smoked brisket, ribs, and chicken every day. You’ll eat good food and feel good doing it. The restaurant is a community staple and is currently donating $1 of every cocktail to the Tacoma Action Collective, Tacoma Urban League, and Black Lives Matter. Wooden City offers an intriguing and delicious mix of options, such as the lamb bolognese, beet ravioli with goat cheese, bacon pesto pizza, and blistered Hungarian peppers.

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Their top chef, Chef Yu, is from Bangkok, Thailand, and taught himself how to cook like the street vendors in his hometown. Try everything from the Korean hot wings, to the Vietnamese banh mi, to the spicy Singapore curry shrimp. Indo Asian Street Eatery is consistently highly recommended by locals for an incredible Southeast Asian street food experience. You can stick to the classics like the Coney dog, or switch things up and try the Hound Dog, which comes with peanut butter and two slices of bacon, or the Mister Mac, which comes with mac n’ cheese, red pepper ketchup, and seasoned breadcrumbs. Even their vegan dogs are raved about by vegans and non-vegans alike. The Red Hot is the location for a damn good hot dog in Tacoma, and it has many local craft beer options (28 on tap currently). If museums aren’t your thing, check out the Tacoma Nature Center, which has hiking trails surrounding Snake Lake, a visitor’s center with interactive displays for the kids, and a natural playground with slides made from logs, boulders for climbing, and a tree house. (You might see the original draft of the Bill of Rights or Einstein’s notes for his famous E=MC2 formula.) Though it has no fixed exhibits, KMLM trades manuscripts with other branches of the museum, so you’ll find new artifacts every time you visit. After you get your art and car fix, head to the Tacoma branch of the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, which is the world’s largest private holding of original manuscript documents. Tacoma is also home to the largest private car collection in the world from the LeMay family, and you can view some of it at America’s Car Museum. TAM features art from the Pacific Northwest, such as contemporary Native American artwork by local indigenous artists, and it also documents and studies the recovered artwork stolen by the Nazi Regime. The Museum of Glass, as befits the birthplace of well-known American glass artist Dale Chihuly, has an array of exhibits that highlight the versatility of glass as an art medium, and hosts live glass-blowing demonstrations. Art lovers will enjoy the Museum of Glass and the Tacoma Art Museum. History buffs and art lovers will fawn over Tacoma's varied museums.

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