I’m not a real big fan of glorified coffee shop restaurants, which I assumed The Mandolin Café was, but I was taken aback by the variety of great food and beverages that they had to offer after a visit last week for lunch.  The place looked a little crowded but after a couple of minutes waiting in line and a short conversation with one of the employees lingering outside cleaning the windows, we decided to stop in to see just how this café had been growing since the last time I had been there.

As I walked in I had expected to hear some local musician or poet doing their best to entertain the café’s patrons with their music and lyrics, but none was present.  I also expected a very small menu with a few easily prepared or easily stored dishes and options, but this expectation too was shattered.  The Mandolin has an actual paper menu and alcoholic beverages (among other options) that served to once again get me excited about this place.  The outdoor seating was nice too, a patio on the side of the building provided many options for those people wishing to eat in full sunlight as well as those wishing to get some fresh air but needing to avoid the sun’s rays while comfortably lurking in the shade of an umbrella-covered table.

I ordered a beer and a meatball sandwich for lunch and took a small plastic number outside with my beer.  Apparently they bring the food out to you in an attempt to qualify as a place that has waiters.  I would be more willing to define them as pseudo-waiters, since all of the table bussing is done by the restaurant’s patrons and the only waiting that is done is more of a bussing activity.  The food comes out to you at your table, but that’s about the extent of the service.  The food was pretty good and ingredients were fresh.  A friend of mine had a salad, which was a creative and delicious blend of many different fruits, nuts, and greens.

The food was par for the course so to speak.  Value for the money was average, but the Mandolin did offer a nice, relaxing atmosphere where I could enjoy my lunch.  Places that offer such things are becoming harder and harder to find, especially at the lower price points.  As far as Tacoma goes, especially this neighborhood, it was a welcome sight to see that the Mandolin is now serving more than just biscotti’s and good coffee.

As we left we noticed that a local musician was gearing up to give a performance.  It reminded me that the Mandolin started out as a small coffee shop and will always exist as such, at least at heart.  I would recommend this place to anyone looking for light fare near 6^th or 12^th Avenues in Tacoma.  There are less and less places in Tacoma that actually have a soul, but I’m happy to report that the Mandolin Café is one of them.