Gateway Cottage Restaurant & Lounge

Thought I would give this little place a try for happy hour. It looked very quint. Well I walked in and it took them a while to seat me. I had to have the door chime three different times and still no one came to the front. After the fourth chime oh service. I was seated in the lounge for happy hour ordered the small salad and the waitress offered a suggestion when I mentioned that I was deciding on either the calamari or chicken wings. She suggested the wings. Well the order came out and they were cold in the middle. With the fist bite I could tell these were banquets frozen wings. She kindly took them back and remade the order. I just don’t know if $ 10.00 is worth banquet frozen wings .At fist bite it brought back child hood memories of eating boxed chicken… I expected better from this establishment.

I must have gone into an alternative universe of this restaurant. 4 – 5 stars? Huh? We walked in a waited but no one came to seat us. We started in and were almost scolded to go back to the waiting area. The décor was all over the board odd. Kept waiting for Chef Ramsey to show up. Food was very average. The fish and chips smelled like fish. Ew. And just 2 small pieces. After we got food no one checked on us until we were all done. I was given ¾ of a scotch glass of water for a whole meal. Got a refill when I was finished. Yea. Pepper grinders on table? You dont know the setting before you grind. Made for nice half peppercorns on my food. Good for the teeth and palate. Friendly enough staff I guess.

Ate at Gateway Cottage for the first time last night. Adorable little place! Our waitress was great — knowledgeable, personable, efficient, and super friendly. The food was great with a good selection. I fear that she didn’t get the best tip but that wasn’t entirely her fault; when we got there (quite early for dinner) there wasn’t a lot of patrons yet and my husband and I were enjoying a nice, quiet drink and appetizer. By the time our dinner arrived the place had filled up and the family that has been seated next to us included 5 adults and two small children. One was just a baby of about 8 months and must have been quite hungry because she let out several very hearty screams. None of this was her fault but it definitely put a damper on our evening very quickly. Families should feel free to dine out and not feel ashamed when children who are hungry act up, however a bit more could (and should) have been done to make the other customers’ experience relaxing and enjoyable. For instance: take the child out of the car seat, entertain her, get or bring her something to snack on while waiting for meal to arrive… The wait staff/​owner should have provided just that to ensure everyone’s comfortable dining experience (especially seeing that the young couple was inexperienced and uncomfortable).
We’ll be back to this enjoyable, cozy, little restaurant in hopes that this doesn’t happen then.

This wonderful little cottage host a warm ambient environment, the food is delicious, the weight and management staff were friendly personable and inviting. It’s a little pricey but well worth it. Already making plans to go back.

1^st time er very impressed! A wonderful oasis amongst the lesser desirable «Pacific Ave,».
Well worth the trip to find this quaint refuge,.

Very nice atmosphere and friendly waitress. The food was just ok. Not the quality I expected for the price.

Great food, good prices, nice staff. What more could you ask for.

Went here for dinner with my husband, the food is good the portions are good size. a little expensive the prices of the drinks are high a mi tie $ 8.50 that’s $ 3.50 more then everywhere else, people are nice and friendly

We didn’t eat here, but instead had to duck out after having them wait on us for quite a while. They were extremely gracious and I really wish we could have stayed to try their food. Nice people and cozy atmosphere!

AMAZING smoked salmon salad and chicken tortilla soup for lunch.
Pulling up to the establishment I thought, «oh my… what kind of place is this??» Pull around to the front (which is the back of the building) and my feelings of dread subsided. This was an old house (I suspect) and a very cute place. A little dated on the inside, but cozy. We got to sit right next to the fireplace. Very LOUD once it was filled, would prefer a quieter place, but quiet… what’s that!!!
The service was ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ but was quick!
The menu is very traditional (not meatloaf & mashed potatoes kind of traditional… but, french dips, reubens, cobb salads, shrimp louie salad, etc.) and nothing fancy, but there were a lot of salads and sandwhiches to chose from. I was shocked how much smoked salmon I got with my salad.
I am a fan and cannot wait to go back and try something new.

Went here one day with a friend, it’s so hard to find places other than the local chains. They have the best food, always daily specials with new creations and soups. Super comfy seating and always warm, I never have to keep my coat on! It’s starting to become a favorite for sure!

You know the waitress was decent a bit pushy for ordering and seemed annoyed. The owner made our group feel unwelcome due to our numbers. The price was not what we were expecting or told it was going to be. To top it off they charged our host for extra plates because a few people didn’t show up and a couple didn’t order because they couldn’t afford to. Highly dissatisfied overall I was expecting great things from the reviews.

Oh my gosh. So horrible. A friend and I went on thanksgiving day because we weren’t celebrating thanksgiving till the following day. Read positive reviews on Unilocal so decided to give this place a try since it was close to home. We made reservations yet we still had to wait 30 minutes longer than expected. No one to greet the 10 people in the small entrance. Elderly woman answered the phone even though she was not an employee. The food was a set menu but was awful and cold. It seemed very similar to cafeteria food. It also had a retirement home vibe. When we gave our server the check back we had put a debit card along with cash. After 20 minutes without her returning with the debit card I walked around to look for her only to find her eating at the bar. She hadn’t even run my card yet! Horrible experience. Only thing that made this thanksgiving dinner better was that we had a real thanksgiving meal the next day at home. The experience was laughable but I would still never come here again!

Awesome cozy little place. Took my wife here on our anniversary and the service and good was excellent. Teresa was a great waitress and the owner’s sister was very friendly. Great atmosphere :)

I love this place! The atmosphere is so cozy and beautifully decorated in an old house that has a lot of characters bs gorgeous artchitecture. I love that they didn’t knock out a bunch of walls, which makes separate rooms, making it so homey. Their desserts are out of this world, my favorite being the crème brûlée, perfectly torched. My mom prefers the home made bread pudding.
My only complaint is when they switch up the menu. One of my favorite items that I loved was their crab quesadilla and it had been removed last time I went. It was out of this world and miss that one!

Out and about this day in Pierce County on appointments with a coworker. We’ve got a meeting in Spanaway. I’ve been in this area several times over the years, but I don’t know it very well. It was suggested we have lunch at the Gateway Cottage.
What a delightful surprise. It’s a charming little place and I love the décor, a little eclectic (like me) with some jazz and antique themes. The touch is very personal. We were a little early and first to arrive so it gave me a great opportunity to look around and talk to the staff.
One of the lunch specials was the ultimate omelette with sausage, bacon and ham and a side of fried potatoes. Everything was done just right. As we chatted the place started to fill up. They also have a cute little bar. It’s a cozy place for business meets and a personal get together.
The food was very good and the service was exceptional. I’m looking forward to coming back for dinner. I’m giving it a 4 star only because it was my first time here and I want to try more of the menu. Otherwise, for me, it rates a 5.

My husband and I have gone to Gateway cottage four times now. It is always a pleasant experience. Good food, great atmosphere in an old home decorated very tastefully, very cozy, with a fireplace to boot. The service is good, and personal. Plenty of choices on the menu, and the best clam chowder ANYWHERE.
Avoid the wing chairs, table too high for them, and floor at that spot moves each time a person walks by.
Prices are a bit high, but maybe that keeps the large crowds away, we like it somewhat quiet. It is tucked away, off the main road a block.
They will mix any odd cocktail I request, with a smile.
Try the crab dip, yummy!

The food here was pretty solid, with a couple of hiccups. My friend ordered the new york peppercorn steak, and I ordered the fried chicken platter. We both started with bowls of clam chowder.
The clam chowder was very thick but quite oversalted. Both of us found ourselves rather thirsty for the remainder of the evening and drank a lot of water to compensate. The steak was very good, with a good peppery crust on it, while my fried chicken was crispy (but perhaps a touch too salty).
Service was quite friendly and the cottage itself is very cute. It’s a little hidden away in a random corner of Parkland (at least it seemed to be hidden away at night). We wanted to try the prime rib but alas, it was sold out and my friend and I have since moved out of the area! :(

Having lived in this area for the past 14 years, I was a bit ashamed of myself that this was only my 2^nd visit here. After perusing the menu online, I decided to give their lunch a shot. The dinner menu seemed pretty steep pricewise and some of the reviews on other websites were polarizing to say the least.
The food gets 2 stars. The Cali Chix sandwich was juicy but so much so that it made the bread soggy. The clam chowder had good clam flavor but was so salty, I drank a full glass of water just to get it down. Blue Baron dip had very little meat on it and was kinda BLAH. For the price, you get a better sandwich 2 doors down at Kricketts.
I’m adding a star for proximity, homey atmosphere and good service. Maybe if I win the lottery, I’ll hit up their dinner. Maybe.

The Gateway Cottage provides excellent food at very reasonable prices in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The restaurant is conveniently located right off of Pacific Ave. in Spanaway — just minutes from Sprinker Rec. Center, Lake Spanaway golf course, PLU, and McChord AFB.
We visited for dinner on a Saturday evening and were given a lovely table in front of a warm fireplace. The dining room consists of several smaller rooms linked together, which meant that even though the place was pretty full by 7pm, it was still quiet enough to converse easily. Linda, the owner, made us feel right at home, and our waitress was equally friendly and helpful. In addition to a nice blend of fresh seasonal entrees, featuring several seafood options, the restaurant offers a well-​rounded wine list and a full bar.
Picking a favorite dish of the night would be difficult! The coconut prawns were fresh and delicious, with just the right balance of crispy batter and juicy meat. The clam chowder is some of the best you’ll find anywhere. I ordered a king salmon fillet blackened with a Cajun rub and basted in rosemary honey butter. The Cajun spices and black peppercorns gave it a good kick of flavor, while the rosemary was a thoughtful infusion. We also had a generous portion of steaming bread pudding to celebrate a family birthday, and this may well have been the highlight of this dessert lover’s night! =)
This neighborhood gem is a perfect choice for a special occasion or just a quiet night out.