A smiling hostess opens the door for me as I enter Tacoma’s new Blazing Onion Burger Company. Upbeat music plays in the background, seeming to partner the enticing smells dancing out of the kitchen. I glance up and am met with 36 flat screen televisions playing every sport on the air. All around me people talk and laugh together, appearing to enjoy each other’s company, and the food, and atmosphere of Tacoma’s newest restaurant.
One of the owners, Jeff McVicker, escorts me through the place, stepping to the side as waiters carrying plates piled with huge burgers fly by en route to various tables.
I peer in a window and see directly into the kitchen. The kitchen staff is working with a myriad of ingredients as they busily prepare a variety of entrees.
I was told me that the Blazing Onion uses only ingredients from local sources.
“For instance, we use Tillamook cheese, and our buns are baked daily and delivered fresh from Franz bakery,” said Alison Bumgardner, Blazing Onion’s RND for food, “We still actually hand-press our burger patties in-house, so none of our meat are ever frozen, and most of our sauces and desserts are made in-house as well. We are proud of everything we make here.”
The pride shows on the faces of everyone associated with the restaurant. “We all kind of have each other’s backs, and we all have the same goal; we want this place to be successful,” said Bumgardner.
The restaurant caters to sports fans, bar-goers, and families. The bar seats 106 people, and the rest of the restaurant boasts seating for 96, but no matter where you sit, you are guaranteed a great view of the game. There are even flat screens in the bathrooms, so you won’t miss a minute of the action while you take care of business.
On the way back from the bathroom, I pass the keg room and peer inside Restaurant manager, Tim Larson, tells those 21 and over, “We really make an effort to source local beers from companies like Harmon Brewing and Narrows Brewing. We even have a Seattle cider.”
And speaking of the bar, this one is incredible. The main attractions, besides a menu that boasts more than 35 types of burgers and 14 varieties of beverages on-tap, are three, 80-inch flat screen TVs. There could be no better place to experience sports than here.
But McVicker is quick to point out that the Blazing Onion is more than just a burger joint. “We We don’t just have burgers, we have tons of macaroni and cheese you can add anything to, five different kinds of tacos, great hot dogs, awesome salads, and lots of different flatbread pizzas.”
And not only does the Blazing Onion distinguish itself from the “burger company” stereotype, it also distinguishes itself from the competition by truly putting the customer in charge. McVicker said, “You can customize any item you want. If you want to go lighter, you can make any burger patty a turkey burger or a piece of grilled chicken breast, and you can have any of our burgers in lettuce wraps or low-carb wheat wraps.”
This distinction is important to McVicker because the Blazing Onion’s main competition, BJ’s restaurant, is than 20 feet away. When asked why he chose the location, McVicker said, “I just knew I wanted one in Tacoma because there wasn’t one. There’s the Gig Harbor location, and the rest are north of Seattle. So we wanted to make sure we were down here in Tacoma in a central area with lots of people, and the mall looked like the perfect place. BJ’s does well, and we hope to do well too.”
I head to my table and take in the stone fireplace and sports photography on the walls. As I sit down, I am greeted by a friendly waitress. Unlike other locations, this Blazing Onion offers full table service.
I am pleasantly surprised to learn about the restaurant’s two Freestyle soda machines, which allow for customization of over 120 different sodas. Sipping an ice-cold Dr. Pepper, I decide to start with some gorgonzola chips: homemade potato chips hot out the oven, topped with gorgonzola, bacon, shallots, and drizzled with signature BoB (Blazing Onion Burger) sauce. They are perfectly warm and crispy, and the toppings add a new dimension of flavor, which leaves one’s mouth yearning for more. I move on to the wild boar burger—although it was tough to decide between the restaurant’s over fifty menu items—and bite into a boar patty with coleslaw and barbeque onions on an onion Kaiser bun. The coleslaw and onions provide complimentary contrasting flavors and serve as an ideal accompaniment to the tender meat.
As I savor my burger, I notice the heated, outdoor patio and learn it is the only one in the area. McVicker also tells me that this restaurant values accuracy, so every order is double-checked before it leaves the kitchen. I ponder this while digging into Blazing Onion’s signature onion petals. For dessert, I devour a monstrous, decadent slice of peanut butter pie, which is like biting into a peanut butter cup pie. I sit back in my chair and smile, noticing my belt significantly tighter but my appetite perfectly satisfied. The waitress, Bailee, who has been with the company for five years, comes over to clear my plates and tells me, “I think the most exciting part of the restaurant is hyping it up, and telling everyone who we are and that we are one of a kind.”
Her sincerity is evident, and it shines through in the quality of service she gave me. McVicker said, “I want people to know that there’s a lot of energy here, and there’s a lot of great people serving great food. We are proud of our food, but we are also proud to know that here, you are going to get the best service around.”
So five stars to Tacoma’s Blazing Onion: the food, the service, the atmosphere. This restaurant is off to a blazing start and on its way to becoming a fixture in Tacoma for years to come.