STINK is located at 628 St. Helens Ave.
“The NEW Aroma of Tacoma”
It takes a lot of confidence to name a food establishment “STINK.” Not typically the sensory experience that keeps people banging down the door for more. But for STINK Cheese and Meat, the confidence is backed up by pretty good food and a philosophy to offer food and drink that goes beyond just satisfying hunger. Offering deli-style sandwiches, salads, soups and a beer and wine selection you might not find elsewhere, STINK is a great addition to downtown choices.
Even though I’ve been to STINK several times for lunch or a quick dinner before going to the Grand Cinema, I haven’t explored the beer/wine end of things. The welcome note on their food menu describes their approach to drink as more bold and different rather than tried and true. For wine and beer lovers willing to explore, it may be worth the time to check it out. For the rest of us looking for good places to eat, this review will focus more on food, which certainly doesn’t stink, in case you’re wondering.
The menu keeps it simple: sandwiches, soup of the day, salads and weekly specials that feature a grilled cheese sandwich, macaroni and cheese dish, cheese plates and desserts. I especially appreciate that they offer combos to fit every appetite---full sandwich, full salad, half a house salad with half a sandwich or the “trifecta” with half a sandwich, half house salad and a cup of soup. The full salads are very large and the half salad that comes with a sandwich is very generous. On our most recent visit with a friend, we each tried a different half sandwich and salad combo. “THE Turkey,” as they call it, was very good and boasted a hefty stack of roasted turkey on a rustic roll, with a mixture of mango chutney, blue cheese, and mayo. It was pretty good but didn’t quite have the big flavor impact I was waiting for. I’m thinking my schmear of the mango mixture may have been a little on the light side and a little thicker layer may have given the full impact of the delicious combination. Another of us had the Prosciutto and Brie with Italian ham and French Brie on a rustic roll with a rosemary-fig confit and mixed greens. The sandwich was served cold and was good. I think it could have been wonderful if it were served warm. Nothing like a little melted Brie over fig jam in my view to make a sandwich sing. Our third choice was the Salami sandwich with salami, fresh mozzarella, tomato, mixed greens, fresh basil with balsamic and olive oil on toasted ciabatta. Again, it was good and the toasting brought it all together, but I thought they could have hit the basil just a little harder to give it the big flavor it deserved. All three of us were disappointed by how much balsamic vinaigrette they used on our side salads. With a delicious medley of mixed greens, seedless red grapes, bleu cheese, and honey roasted nuts, the heavy dressing easily overpowered the salad and I wound up leaving half of it swimming in the dressing on my plate. Service was especially slow on this visit but the owner/manager explained that a server had called in sick at the last minute. We got the last open table when we arrived and every spot filled up as soon as it was emptied, the entire time we were there. There were also several take-out orders at the front counter and our server did her very best to do it all and to be polite and professional about it. I was impressed.
STINK fills a gap in dining options downtown for when you don’t feel like a full dinner but would enjoy a glass of wine or beer with a sandwich or salad or if you’re just looking for a good deli-style lunch place. I love their take on the old jab at the days of yore, when the "aroma of Tacoma" was anything but something you’d want to return to. STINK is good; not great, but at least it doesn’t smell like a paper mill.
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