Tamarack Public House

Where do I begin. Being a restaurant connoisseur, I have Really wanted to try this place, so decided restaurant week was the perfect time (after all, isn’t restaurant week about trying new places?) after reading the reviews on this site and others, my friend and I were leary but decided to give it a go. Worst mistake ever.
Orders were taken, I ordered the salmon and my friend ordered the pork chop. We were told the pork chop takes 40 minutes to cook, we were ok with that, no prob. Our appetizers arrived 30 minutes later. Ok, so the apps were a lot late no prob… Wait another 30 minutes and our food arrives. The waitress placed both of our plates on the table and took off. Didn’t even have the chance to tell her she brought out the wrong dish. She brought 2 salmon plates… No pork chop. My friend is highly allergic to seafood… That wasn’t going to work. The salmon was extremely dry and the noodles it sat on were extremely mushy. Anyway, we Sat there for around 15 minutes to see if our waitress was coming back to tell her she brought the wrong dish out to my friend, but she never did. I had to get up and walk to the kitchen area to get her attention.
2 women (one owner I’m assuming) came back and told us it was written down that we ordered the salmon dishes… After a brief talk it was settled that we did not in fact order 2 salmon dishes and my friend couldn’t even eat hers anyway because of her seafood allergies. We asked if they could make her the pork chop like she ordered (even willing to wait another hour as long as she could eat something) we were told they were sold out of pork chops. It just got progressively worse. After asking for my dessert to go, they brought out a dessert I did not order and it wasn’t to go. Another couple seated behind us had the same issue as well as the table of ladies sitting next to us…
The owner said she would comp my friends meal… (Well thanks since she didn’t get to eat it because it never came) and her drinks. We overheard the couple who came in 15 minutes before we left order a pork chop. We asked the waiter how they just ordered a pork chop because we were told they were sold out… (Which was why my friend didn’t get hers) and they came back saying they just got some in. So, in 15 minutes more pork chops arrived?!
The experience was a total disaster and all I wanted was just to get the heck out of there and never return. I even begged them to «just bring our check» as I was literally done with the whole awful experience. I have read responses from the owner saying «it was a learning experience» or «the waitstaff wasn’t fit for our company» there seemed to be excuse after excuse. This place has been open long enough (over a year and a half at least) to where the kinks should have been worked out. I’ve been to newer restaurants that have their stuff together more than this place. I will never return and will let everyone I come in contact with that are looking for new places to eat (which is multiple times a day) to not go here. Think next time before I try something new I’ll really take the reviews into consideration.

I have been to an event here in the upstairs loft area and it is GREAT! What a great spot for a business lunch or happy hour, the staff is great and the food is great! The restaurant has been very nicely re-​done and is exactly what the downtown scene needs!

Excellent gastro pub fare. I had the Tamarack Burger, my wife had the coconut curry rice plate. Both were excellent and portions were generous but not overly large. We’ll be back.

Cool place, good service, and lots of drink choices. Can’t give it 5 stars because of the food. The portions are small and the quality isn’t any better than anywhere else. We liked the place, but left disappointed. If we come back, it will be to drink only.

Based solely off one visit for a quick beer, we were very impressed. The interior is beautiful. Awesome local beer selection. Good service. We will be back.

I’ve had several business meetings at Tamarack Public House and selfishly take credit for finding a great spot. The space is amazing and service was outstanding. I’ve been served by the owner twice and have enjoyed hearing their story a bit. I’m excited to see the courtyard this Spring!

Really cool place. Great ambience, love the fireplace, and an outstanding selection of local craft beers. Service was on the slow side, but still definitely worth the visit.

We have been to Tamarack a few times now and have loved it every time! The service makes you feel right at home, as the owner is frequently there working to make sure every customer has a good experience.
The menu items are diverse (I personally recommend the curried rice bowl!) and there are great options for vegetarians/​vegans, which is awesome for dining with groups! The beer choices are always stellar, with local craft beer options including taps from Icicle Brewery in Leavenworth. The wine list is up to date with very good prices for good bottles. There is a very nice menu of craft cocktails, as well… something for everyone!
Besides the terrific food and drink options, the space is so cozy, it makes you want to just stay all night! We love this addition to the downtown scene and hope to see Tamarack around for many years to come!

I ordered a beer and one of the steak sandwich deals. the service I must say is awesome, very friendly, welcoming, it makes me want to come back for sure. The selection of spirits isn’t a bunch of low ball stuff which is nice also. The sandwich I got was a decent medium sized portion, it tasted great, and reminded me of like a stew with the thick styled gravy in the sandwich. Very good for a fall dinner, was it worth 16 dollars, that’s where it gets more iffy. All in all this place is awesome!

Updated July 14, 2014: Thank you Teresa for your response. Glad to know you are keeping up on reviews. Yes it’s good to know the full story. My coworkers really like your space. So I will pass the word on. We really do want you in the neighborhood. So will be sure to come back! Just added a star.
ORIGINAL REVIEW: This is my second time I came. I decided to give it a second chance. Service was incredibly slow when I came the first time for lunch on a Friday afternoon. There was about 7 people in the restaurant and it took about 35 minutes to get a pizza and water. Today I came with 6 coworkers for happy hour — there were two other people in the restaurant and a few upstairs. It took about 20 minutes just to get some beers, wine, and one mixed drimk. So i observed the two workers and could see how in crediby unprepared they are in that they just do not have anything organized behind the bar to provide streamlined quick service… i mean it was not even slow service — -it was a snails pace! Upside is they are very pleasant snd the space is just beautiful and very well put together. They just have no idea how to serve!!! i will find it very hard to go back. If they keep up this type of slow inefficient service, I do not expect them to stay in business past the Summer… I hope they improve and do hope they make it but they need a LOT of improvement.

Came back recently and I had the pretzel and summer berry salad. Both delicious and enjoyable! I was there on a Thursday afternoon around 5pm. I did not have any service issues. The staff was friendly and welcoming… I was just thinking, I hope Tamarack is at pig out in the park this year… I hope more people learn about them and their location. If you are visiting Spokane, this is a great casual restaurant for a beer and a bite to eat.

Best old fashion ever, good service, good food. Pete was very helpful and fun! Great atmosphere, we will be back!

I had the BLT with chips and it was great! The owners have done a wonderful job restoring this interesting building. I want to bring my friends and co-​workers to Happy Hour. This restaurant has only been open for 3 months according to the owner, and I really wish them the best of luck! Please change up the menu once in a while. I hope you do really well!

This is a great restaurant the people are nice fast service it’s warm and inviting when you walk in the door you want to be there good beer and great food and the chef is the best in spokane. our food was cooked just like I asked. could not ask for a better place to eat and drink I would recommend it to any one go try it

This place has a really good concept and as long as some slight improvements are made I can see it really taking off. I did not try the food so this review will be based just on the service/​drinks/​drink selection.
The liquor selection is unique in that they are trying to source on local distillers (obviously in some cases like proprietary liquor styles this is not possible). Still though I would really suggest they invest in some basic bar ingredients they are sorely lacking so that they are able to make some necessary classics. Given what he had to work with with, my bartender Garrett did an excellent job. The whiskey I did try was pretty awesome however. The beer selection is also nice in that they have all local taps and seem to be generally knowledgeable about their beer. The space is very nicely designed. I really recommend this space and would say its definitely a place that grows on you. I will definitely be back to try the food!

We came without expectations, with the intent of trying some place new to us.
The space is very well done and inviting. The beer selection covers a wide variety of types. The food seemed priced well and tasted good.
The drawback is the service. The staff did not seem overly experienced nor did they have a strong desire to make it a memorable experience. We had to ask too much. (Silverware included). The owner cleared our space and introduced himself as the owner, but without eye contact. If you need to wear the hat, pull it up so your eye can be seen. It’s your place. Show your pride. Even if you have the best place, food and drinks, without the customer service you have nothing.
Tons of potential, just focus on improving your customer service. We’ll give you another chance.

I visited the loft before the grand opening and had a couple of awesome drinks. The space is unique and showcases the beauty of the old brick buildings in downtown. I really liked the long bar table in the loft that served the social function of a bar but with guests being able to sit on both sides; the drinks were prepared at amuck smaller bar are without seats.
I had already eaten, so did not order any food. However, I saw a wide variety of dishes others were eating and they all looked very delicious.
The prices were in line with other similar places in the area.
I stopped in on another day and checked out the bar downstairs and it was great.
The service is friendly and I look forward to going back and having dinner.

Spokane wants more establishments like Tamarack Public House. The owners are very engaged and eager to please their customers. They’ve done a wonderful job with the interior of this old building, and have provided a great place to gather with friends. They have a full bar, wine and craft beer enthusiasts will be pleased with the selection of brews from Oregon, Washington and surrounding areas. Several Spokane beers were represented on my visit there. The menu has a nice variety between appetizers, salads and entrées. Due to the room layout, the restaurant probably gets quite loud during busy nights, adding to a lively atmosphere. Some nights or more quiet. There is a nice sitting area with comfortable chairs and a gas stove for cool nights.
This place is new and still waiting to hit its stride, but I’m sure it will grow in popularity during the upcoming months.

Sad end to a highly anticipated evening! Was looking forward to trying the new kid on the block with friends on V-​Day. Decided on an early reservation since we had a big group. We were all looking forward to it. The atmosphere was beautiful but the first impressions were not.
My first question to the bartender showed lack of knowledge. I asked about a specific brand of bourbon and he said yes, we have the rye… not what I asked. Our drinks were slow to come out and were delivered one at a time, even though we were the only three people in the place. Drinks were ok… a bit hot.
The rest of our party began to arrive and we were sat. One of our couples was 4 minutes late and before they could arrive the hostess asked if they were still coming and tried to remove the chairs. Half of the table was given water and the other half had to wait. Finally drink orders were taken, which also came out sporadically and were auctioned off. Eventually appetizer orders were taken. Appetizers were ok. I ordered chips and guacamole, all the chips were tiny broken pieces, as if they were the bottom of the bag. The guacamole had good flavor, but the salsa was pureed, bitter and bland, not worth the $ 9 price tag.
Eventually dinners started to arrive, the runners auctioned off food that was not part of our order. The incorrect food was whisked away and replaced with ¹⁄₃ of the table’s food. I received mine but had to request silverware… which took 10 mins, which is also when my originally requested side arrived along with a few other dinners, we were still missing one. The last meal did not arrive until most of us were finished eating. My chicken was seasoned nicely, although the skin was flabby and the rice was crunchy and undercooked. My originally ordered side of mashed potatoes were dry and lacking flavor. Others at the table had complaints as well, yet our server never checked back to know.
Lastly, it took a little over 30 minutes for our server to separate and disperse our checks even though he was aware of the request at the beginning. Once we finally received our bill we had to wait for him to take them away and run the cards, our card was brought back as they do not accept Amex. Sadly, the only time we saw the owner/​manager was when our friend inquired about a comp for the less than stellar service and the tardiness of her meal. That also left a bad taste in our mouth. She shouldn’t have had to ask and her request shouldn’t have been refused.
As I have an extensive background in restaurants I was very disappointed in our experience. The service was poor, the food was hit or miss, and the hospitality was appalling.
I hope they are able to make some necessary changes and learn from their mistakes, but even so it may too little too late.

Best New York steak I’ve ever had! Great food, atmosphere & service!