The Spar, By The Bay, Is Beer Parlor With Charm

Restaurant review The Spar, 2121 N. 30th St., Tacoma. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday breakfast from 9 a.m. to noon. Credit cards not accepted. 627-8215.

TACOMA - This city by the bay isn't exactly bursting with restaurants full of character and old-fashioned charm.

But it doesn't come up totally short, thanks to establishments like The Spar. The beer parlor, in Tacoma's Old Town area, is full of character, conversation and, possibly, some of the best fish and chips in the Northwest.

Its original brick walls (uncovered with the removal of plaster walls), its L-shaped bar with brass foot rails and its home in the 1917 building that once was a men's furnishings store, give The Spar its charm.

A few other Tacoma eateries, like Engine House No. 9 and newly opened The Swiss, offer similar character and history. But the lack of dozens of choices, such as Seattle offers, make patrons all the more appreciative of the few Tacoma establishments that provide more than a strip-mall location with vinyl booths.

The Spar, with two dozen choices of beers and ales, two billiard tables and dart board, is a tavern in the best sense of the word - no smoky, dark dive that seems to be frequented only by rough-and-tough types.

And that's the way co-owner Kathy Manke wants it.

"I have a thing about the image of taverns," said Manke, who bought the facility in 1987 with Suzanne Simchuk. "The historical thing of taverns was a gathering place, not just a place to go to get drunk."

Her vision has become reality, with The Spar enjoying a reputation as a comfortable, relaxed place for customers of all ages to find food, friends and fun - not to mention the good view of Commencement Bay. Waiters and waitresses in T-shirts, shorts and other garb confirm its casual atmosphere.

Besides its character and atmosphere, The Spar also serves up some good food.

After 3 1/2 years, prices just went up - from about 25 cents to $1, depending on the items. But the food is still a solid value.

There's "A Tacoma tradition," The Spar's chicken and jo's ($5.95). There's also standard, but tasty, fare such as hamburgers ($3.50), French Dip sandwiches ($4.75), clam strips ($4.95) and grilled ham and cheese ($4.25) - all served with French fries. The usual round of meat sandwiches are available ($3.50, plus 50 cents for cheese.)

A respectable chef salad is offered ($4.95), along with six other salad choices, and there are seven appetizers from which to choose - ranging in price from $1.75 (Spar chips) to $4.25 (drumettes with spicy marinade).

The highlight of the 29-item menu, though, has to be its beer-battered fish and chips ($5.95). Granted, grease from the deep-fried meal is not exactly in short supply. But if cholesterol is not one of your continual worries, the melt-in-the-mouth cod is a must during a visit to The Spar.

Don't miss lathering the fish and chips with The Spar's special sour cream-based sauce served in the squeeze container. Hint: mix the sauce with ketchup and you've got a wonderful, unusual mixture for French fries.

Making all of the food more tasty, at least for nonsmokers, is The Spar's new nonsmoking policy in half of the building. And, unlike many restaurants which seem to assign nonsmokers the most unappealing areas of a restaurant, The Spar has set aside as smoke-free the large area with the big windows looking out over Ruston Way and the Tacoma waterfront.

Restaurant reviews are a regular Thursday feature of the South County Life section. Reviewers visit restaurants unannounced and pay in full for all their meals. When they interview members of the restaurant management and staff, they do so only after the meals and services have been appraised.