SEAReview
Included In
The space at the bottom of 500 East Pine has gone through some radical transformations over the years. We had fun sampling IPAs at World Of Beers, and we also sang a few too many karaoke ballads in the style of death metal at 500 East: A Social Club. It was a good idea at the time. Now, Tamari Bar is in the picture. It’s the most promising place to grace this location in recent memory, and we hope it sticks around.
When you first enter this Japanese izakaya, the entire staff shouts a warm greeting, which is already better than the,“Uh, how many?” you’d get anywhere else in Capitol Hill. Then, you should fill the table with sushi rolls, spicy dan dan noodles, a tiny wooden staircase topped with sashimi, and a dish of marinated wagyu beef that you cook yourself on a scorching hot stone. This beef alone warrants a visit—it’s as exciting to prepare as it is tasty. The food also comes out pretty quickly here, making it perfect for casual grazing with a few rounds of gingery Toki whiskey highballs or yuzu Old Fashioneds. These cocktails are way better than the pints of Manny’s you might be drinking later at Linda’s or Bill’s.
photo credit: Nate Watters
Depending on what the rest of your night has in store, Tamari Bar works for several different kinds of situations. It’s a good option when you want a calmish evening: for instance, you could show up still-sweaty after a workout class with a friend and order some sashimi and dumplings before going your separate ways. You could also have an early dinner with your book club and discuss the protagonist’s tragic demise over bento boxes - although the operative word here is early, because only 12 of those bento boxes are served per night (they’re so hard to get that we haven’t even been able to try one yet, despite our best efforts).
It’s a good place to kick off a night out, too. You could have a lively birthday dinner here before an inevitable night of dancing on tables at Neumos—but it also has enough linger potential to be the first destination on a classy cocktail crawl. And it’s low-key enough to pop in with an unannounced party of three for a quick pre-concert meal. No matter how you use Tamari Bar, both you and 500 East Pine are in very capable hands. And don’t worry, we already found another bar where we can sing death metal karaoke.