I hadn’t had lunch with my buddy Jim Harris for a while. I called him after checking my calendar. He had to be back home at 1:30, so I suggested Duke’s on Ruston Way next to the old fireboat and only a mile or so away from Jim’s home and perhaps only two miles from mine. We both have views of Puget Sound, so the scenery from inside the restaurant offered no allure, but Jim did check the tide as we entered.
I love a good chowder, but had not really enjoyed their chowder before. We asked for a table with a view. There was only one left. Once we sat down I realized why there was one left. The view was limited and we were sitting next to a gas fed fireplace. Our server, Connor, cut the heat for us and made some suggestions for our order.
The sourdough bread ball with a tiny, tiny cube of butter, was excellent. More butter would be better
I had a dinghy of North by Northwest Seafood Chowder. The $4.40 dinghy of chowder means a taste in a fancy, tiny bowl perhaps an inch deep.
For the Ragin’ Cajun Chicken Corn Chowder I asked for he Small Bowl @ $13.40. Although I enjoyed the Ragin’ Cajun, but there was little “Ragin’ Cajun” going on. I was expecting some kind of flavor kick.
With a nice “Sprite”-like Seattle lemony soda, and the tip, I got away from lunch with a good tip for $40.00 Jim had coffee, so he paid about five dollars more.
I would have been deeply disappointed in the lunch, had it not been for the server Connor, and one other item: “Maple Bacon Seafood Bites” with its
Nitrite-free bacon wrapped Wild Mexican Pacific Prawn & Alaska Weathervane Scallop with an herb maple butter sauce. The scallop was not as big around as my thumb, but the taste combination was fantastic. The sourdough dipped into the sauce was excellent, too.
Visit the Dukes Seafood website – dukesseafood.com/
I’m still looking for a GOOD chowder…was very dissatisfied with Dukes,tried it many years ago in Seattle (had heard it was the best)quite disappointing. I do go back occasionally just to see if anything has changed. Nope,it still sucks !! And their portion size is just laughable… don’t think I’ll be back anymore. But I will continue my quest for a good local chowder.
I was at Duke’s at Southcenter on Mother’s Day and had the New England clam chowder and really enjoyed the green herbs in it. I also had the bacon wrapped shrimp and scallop tiny bite. The scallop was perfectly cooked, shrimp a tad overdone.
I’ve tried several highly-touted chowders and been disappointed. Looking forward to trying Duke’s again.
It has been perhaps 20 years ago now, that my wife and I went to Duke‘s for lunch. Time has not healed the memory of that occasion. I have no recall of what we ordered, only that it was the worst service and the worst meal that we had ever had. I pass it now, on Ruston Way and still remember how bad it was and I have not set foot in that place since then. Why would I when Harbor lights is so close by ?
I recently visited Duke’s. The staff was cordial, the food was healthy and appealing, the atmosphere was traditional Tacoma Waterfront, which cannot be replicated anywhere else in the world.
I appreciate the smaller servings, as studies have shown a correlation between larger restaurant portions and American obesity rates.
A suggestion; to prevent being disappointed about portion size at your favorite restaurants, eat before you get there.
Jan,
Thanks for commenting. I have never really considered eating before going out to lunch. It just seems redundant. I don’t have my hair cut before I get my hair cut. I don’t stop in at the filling station for gas on the way to the filling station . . . and I don’t eat kale before I have to eat kale. However, after never, ever receiving bad advice from you before leaves me in a quandary. For my next restaurant review I will dine before dining. Thank you for reading and responding.
Don
We recently tried Dukes in Tacoma for the first time and we’re also lucky enough to have Connor as our server. The costs of the menu items are a bit high but add in the view and the service, and it was worth it for us.