Freighthouse Square

I have not been back here for years and been hearing about new places to eat and shops so I thought it was a time to revisit and introduce the wife to this place. Still a very unique place with equally unique shops, unfortunately some of them seem to be opened only when the owners are interested in opening them up even if they have posted hours of operations. We stopped in yesterday just to look around and came back today to visit a store that we had talked to the owner about the day prior. Oh well… besides that there are plenty of stores that are opened and have some cool stuff, especially the knife store on the lower level.
Anyhow since it is near a train and bus station you definitely get some interesting folks, maybe a good place to grab lunch from one of the many tasty little restaurants and do some people watching. Although this place is in definite need of an overhaul hopefully with the light rail going in maybe it will generate more money for some upgrades.

Whenever I am indecisive of where to go for lunch downtown, I always end up at the freight house. The food court is amazing. There’s a variety of restaurants to choose from Vietnamese, teriyaki, burgers, Mexican, Indian, ice cream, huge cinnamon rolls, macaroons, Greek just to name a few.
My favorite places are Wendy’s Vietnamese lunch specials or hot garlic chicken. Bubble tea tapioca is usually my go to. My boss loves the mango chicken salad.
The pad Thai at Nana’s is very delicious. So is the green curry!
RJ’s makes buffalo burgers which is an healthier option.
Great little shops inside, there’s a cool Seahawks store that sells cute baby gear! Give it a try you won’t be disappointed.

I am here often, I love this place! The antique rustic setting is a great environment to just sit and read while enjoying a snack from one of the delicious restaurants housed there. This really is a hidden gem for those not familiar with the downtown area worth exploring.

This place has/​had potential. Just need someone with a plan. Apparently they do not have designated parking so when the dome has any activity — people have a choice. Walk 3 blocks or pay. Hummm hard decision. They all take over parking
Seems like all the spaces in front should have 1 HR parking and have it enforced. Planned a business lunch there but only found 1 spot including in garage so left.
Also they use to have businesses other then food. Mostly gone or not open.

I love this place because it reminds me of the Tacoma version of Pike Place Market in Seattle. This was my first time coming here, and I really enjoyed it

The 2 star rating means, «Meh. I’ve experienced better». Well, I have experienced better and it was at the Freighthouse Square.
I’ve never read up on the history of this building. It must have been built near the turn of the century as a freight terminal to for the railroads industry. I’m sure it was once full of wonderful parcels and probably passengers that needed to ride the rails all over our great country but as time went on and freeways were built and tractor trailers became more of a staple to move freight around the country, this building must have attracted vendors. Maybe it was location, maybe it was cheap rental space, maybe it was history and nostalgia. Whatever it was, the Freighthouse Square used to be filled from one end to the other with all sorts of wonderful shops. You could spend a day getting lost between the walls here searching through amazing art galleries and the shops of independent artisans crafting anything from handmade soaps to blown glass statuettes to Northwest Tribal art and artifacts. They had an old time candy store and a food court with many delectable fares to choose from. In short, this place was a bustling attraction.
Skip forward to today and the food court still remains. As far as I can tell, the food court and the mini mart are the only things keeping the doors open at the Freighthouse Square these days. Long gone are the art galleries and the artisan specialty shops. Most of the spaces are either completely empty or the current tenants are in the process of packing up and moving out. Oh, they rent out the basement level once a year to a company that sets up a haunted house attraction and an upper scale Italian restaurant called the Olive Branch has set up shop at the South end of the building but really, this has become just a place to grab a bite or a quick pack of smokes and an energy drink for everyone waiting on public transportation. You see, Seattle Metro and Pierce Transit got together a few years back and formed Sound Transportation. They bought up a huge chunk of land and built a public transportation hub where the Sounder train, Greyhound bus lines and the local busses all converge to pick up and drop off passengers. The Amtrak station is just across the street to the West from this hub so it seems to reason that people only visit the Freighthouse Square for the convenience of the food court and mini mart. Parking has been diminished by over half and now there is a two hour parking limit so even if there were shops to visit, you’d be short on browsing time and the location isn’t very convenient to walk to from most anywhere. I guess that this property is a possible good opportunity for more food vendors to come in and rent space but I’m not sure if that’s possible because of the way the building is set up. The food court may be the only place where small food vendors are allowed to set up and therefore there is no more room for more. Some of the food vendors that are there are located against the wall that faces the street where all of the activity is. I’m actually surprised that they haven’t started using this to their advantage and making walk up windows on this side of the building. They could mount menus on the wall and sell items right onto the street. So far, only the coffee shop and the mini mart are accessible from the street.
I can see Freighthouse Square as a cash cow for the city of Tacoma if someone would just wake up and take notice. I fear that if something doesn’t change drastically in the near future, Tacoma will have this giant building sitting empty and costing money rather than earning it. It could be so much more than it is or ever was for that matter. It could be a major tourist attraction for the city and draw visitors from all over if they would take some time and figure it out.
I personally would like to see them provide more parking first of all to allow visitors a way to get there and stay there for awhile. Then I’d like to see some really nice restaurants take residence inside. Brand named places that people make a point to visit like Red Robin or BJ’s or Joey or California Pizza Kitchen etc… That would set Freighthouse Square as a destination venue again. Then maybe a bar or two with live music or DJ’d music. How about amusements? Maybe Dorky’s Barcade would make a great addition to Freighthouse Square. Second location maybe? It doesn’t have to revert back to the dusty old art galleries and second hand mini stores but those places would still have a space if they wanted. Video games and small quarter operated amusement rides for the kids. How about a carrousel like they have at the pier in Seattle? Puyallup native tribal artifacts and arts could be showcased there maybe even a Tacoma history museum. The space is available. All they need is to fill it up but they have to make it more accessible for the consumer to get to and enjoy and there has to be something there to draw in the crowds.

Old and iconic. Food court is a minagery of food from just about every ethnicity. Bathrooms generally clean. The shops are filled with interesting wares. There is an art gallery and a Lego building shop… along with a midevil helmet making shop! This place has a bit of something for everyone! Not to mention it’s one stop on the route for the Sounder Train!

This place is bare & empty. I’m not sure why it’s still open.
It has a good court with very little variety & a little grocery store at the very end. A lot of the shops were closed down in the middle of the day on Saturday & it has a grungy feeling to it.
The only reason we came here was for a LEGO expo that was going on & I was very disappointed with that as well.
I will be staying away from any events being held here in the future.

Salishan is a rough part of town, always has been. It’s a high crime run down neighborhood with discount gun shops and cigarette and liquor stores. Sound Transit bought some land down here and turned it into Tacoma Dome Station, apparently knowing next to nothing about Tacoma or real estate.
The city’s trying to gentrify the place, and there are little hipster shops here and there. The Glass Museum’s nearby. For the most part, it’s still not a safe place to park your car or walk around at night, unless you’re particularly intimidating.
Freighthouse Square has been here for decades, and is owned by the same mutant who runs the gun shop and firing range. It’s never been very successful, as the shops located inside refuse to purvey anything someone might be inclined to buy. You can find tchotchkes and bric-​à-​brac. If you’re particularly driven to find a «You’ll Like Tacoma» shot glass or ashtrays with images of the Narrows Bridge on them, there’s plenty to be had. That’s about it, though.
There are a few greasy spoons inside, where a hot cup of coffee can chase away the winter chills if you’re waiting for a train. This is probably the only useful thing about Freighthouse Square serves as an anticlimax to Tacoma based adventures, a big «That’s It???» to linger in your mind as the train or bus pulls you back North.
Tacoma is like a cup of strong black coffee, and Freighthouse Square is the bitter aftertaste.

Keep in mind, this is Tacoma. 4 Tacoma stars is not 4 Seattle stars.
Yesterday’s plan was to go to the Children’s Museum in downtown Tacoma. Well, it turns out the museum was closed yesterday, but we were right across the street from Freighthouse Square.
It’s an old building, with a dozen (give or take) unique shops. Unfortunately, the tenants come and go quite often. There’s a food court, an art gallery, a big room for dances and events, a lego artist, and even a knife shop.
My mom found a glass art piece from a local artist that she’ll take home, the girls got a chance to run around in a big open space, we saw some embalmed animals in a Wiccan store, ate lunch, and stayed dry.

I haven’t lived in Washington for that long, and although there are many places to explore, the uniqueness of Freighthouse Square pulls me every time.
There are little quirky shops to peek in or visit, as well as a tattoo shop and a barbershop!
Inside there is also a food court, which is not shy of variety and everything that I have tasted, has always been delicious. Not to mention, the folks here are quite friendly.
Always worth a visit!

This place is cute, but it’s dead as heck (haha get it?)! There’s a couple shops, but it seems like people just come here for the food court.
The shops — like I said before, it’s pretty sparse. A lot of vacant space. My favorite would probably be the lego place. There’s also a pawn shop, a photography studio, and an art exhibit.
The food — mmmm yeah. No shortage of food here! The food court has a variety of food: Mediterranean, Fish and Chips, Asian, Mexican, burgers. I thought the gyro was kinda weak, but the fish and chips were bomb.
Even though I only rate Freighthouse Square 3 stars, I still think it’s a good place to check out if you’re in the area and need to kill some time or hunger. As for parking, there’s street parking surrounding the building and plenty other street parking within walking distance.

A local cool weird haunted historic space that has been around Tacoma forever. Now its home to the best food court in town (really) and a bunch of locally owned little businesses. You can get all kinds of weird stuff in that place. There is a blacksmith downstairs next to the guy that builds huge lego displays. there is a lego store upstairs, as well as a guy that sells 3d art with American eagles and wolves (badass kitsch), a store that does fantasy dress up photography, a collectible coin shop, a seahawks/​antiques store, POISON APPLE (the coolest store in Tacoma. ask your teens), and all KINDS of other stuff. its a nice way to kill an afternoon and you will eat well. The best part of the whole thing is its all small local businesses and the people helping you are the owners.

This is a sad space. With the exception of the International Food Court that features Sasquatch in a 12^th Man shirt, over half of the retail space is for lease or closed. Perhaps business picks up in the summer, but definitely not a must visit attraction for visitors to Tacoma.

History buffs, artists, and shoppers unite!.. Freighthouse Square is a perfect gathering spot for folks with various interests! Upon entrance, it resembles that of Pike Place in a more pleasant way, really: There aren’t too many people in there and aren’t an overwhelming number of products. Don’t get me wrong, I love PP but it can often breed anxiety and a sense of frustration because of lack of mobility and personal space. You won’t find any of the sort of thing from Freight house. In fact, the whole building is lofted and features high ceilings throughout.
Furthermore, and also to add in its appeal in the rainy NW climate, it is in an enclosed building that features an assortment of neat shops/​merchants for customers’ delight! Once you arrive, you are greeted with loads of Free Parking that helps to ensure a good start to your dirty south excursion (although I believe Tacoma to be clean and a really cool place). From the outside the building has visual aesthetic appeal in that it is bright and colorful and is 110,000 square feet of enjoyment. Furthermore, the 100 year+ history behind it is quite fascinating and it’s known as the only «multi modal transit hub in the Northwest.» To add to this interesting fact, it is actually known as the main point of reference for immigrants heading West.
Inside the FH, small merchants comprise an art gallery, coin store, jewelry, various arts and crafts, gun training, etc. The food court is an added perk with delectables for even the pickiest of eaters. The Fish and Chips there are undoubtedly the best I’ve ever had, and it is making me salivate just thinking about it.
Lastly, the spot offers fabulous rooms/​venues for rent in which to have an office or event. I”m considering looking it for an office myself!
Bottom line, what a wonderful gem to add to the list of Washingtonian destinations in which to visit. If any place is going to get folks away from Seattle to Tacoma, in my opinion it is Freight House.

A lot of interesting shops and restaurants here! Pretty much something for everyone and well worth the visit, we mainly went here to eat at RJ’s as I wanted a Buffalo burger.
But have been here before as they have a coin store with decent pries for their stuff including supplies.
It is also the main stop for the Sounder train to Seattle.

I hear this place used to be awesome back in the day. but now it seems to be a little empty.
The food court is the happenin spot here and to me the stores are hit or miss. Some are cool but some don’t really float my boat.
Walking through the halls and seeing the empty store fronts is a reminder of the bad economy but as one reviewer suggested, having a Farmer’s Market here would be an awesome idea!
The food places are worth checking out though, they have a pretty good range of different types of cuisine to choose from. And it is nice to be able to walk around after eating and checking out the stores that are still there.

Probably 3.5 on the stars. Four stars would be too much. Lol! Freighthouse Square is kind of an unusual little place. It is like a mini mall, flea market and a little bit of farmers market all in one. Some stores carry an equally mixed bag of things. Cute little boutiques also carry noodle bowls. It all seems really random but if you sit down and think about it I guess it makes sense. Freighthouse Square is by many connecting routes for buses and the Sounder Train is not far. The place seems to be for people in transit or needing a quick bite to eat and maybe buy a gift for themselves or someone else.
One side of Freighthouse Square is nearly entirely deserted. There are a few shops but it is mostly closed down completely. I am still not good with my directions around town but I would guess that would be the west side of the building… um or maybe south? Just walk from one end to the other and you will get the full idea of the place.
There are boutiques mostly, a bookstore and a fairly large variety food court.
Probably the best store I liked here was a store called A Giving Place. It is a gay owned business and has lots of pride magnets, necklaces and the like. He had a fair share of those Christmas ornaments of Mermen of different styles that seem to be all the rage right now. The owner was very nice and is the one store I would not hesitate to go back to.
We had lunch here at the food court. As I said there are lots of different restaurants to pick from. Mexican, hamburgers, Indian, Chinese and more. We went with Indian. The place is called Little India Express. The owner’s name is Raj. I got my favorite Indian dish, Chicken Vindaloo and got a fairly high number on the spice scale and it sent me into a tailspin at first but the food was good. Really nice, affordable lunches here. Just a note though, despite the menu indicating as such, many of Little India’s desserts are not available in the middle of the week like the custards or puddings for example. Raj makes them fresh on Monday and they last about three days. He makes sure all his food stays fresh and does not sit in a pot all week. Once he explained that to us I really appreciated his viewpoint!
Freighthouse Square is indeed an interesting, quirky place. While I had a good time here I am not so sure this would be one of those ‘critical’ places when your family or friends come to town. For the various commuters though it is perfect and a nice way to kill time for part of the afternoon.

Freighthouse Square is definitely a great spot for a person like me who can’t make up their mind as to what to have for lunch. There are about 10 or so restaurants in the square and a plethora of other little shops that offer lots of unique items. My favorite restaurants would have to be RJ Burgers, the Greek restaurant, Thai and Teriyaki and the Indian restaurant. All others are average.
The vendors undoubtedly compete for your business but are friendly nonetheless. They serve your food to your table and often remember you after visiting.
The location is great for anyone coming from Downtown Tac, the Free :) link rail stops directly in front of the square, there is tons of parking the in garage next door and the Tacoma Dome is right there.

What is this place called Freighthouse Square??? hmmmm, the best description would be a smorgasboard of old, attempting to be new, in a barn type building near the old town of Tacoma??? well okay maybe there is NO real way to describe this place but it’s close to my job and it has a vast variety of eating spots to choose from.
I should update Unilocal and all the individual restaurants available, in due time but overall this review is for the Square. Like I said above it’s in a old barn and not the best area. You can see some seedy folks here and there as it’s location in next to the bus station and Tacoma dome, but it’s your up for it, they have the neatest little stores that unfortunately are dwindling away with the poor economy…