New Frontier Lounge

We love the NFL and often come here for happy hour. Great drinks and food. The bartender is amazing and friendly.

If you are in need of drinks and food before a concert at the dome, you could find yourself in worse places than this joint.
The pizza was like something you’d get from a freezer like, Digiornos, the drinks were okay. But the staff, wow. The bartenders were great at avoiding eye contact and acting really put off by your drink order. When asked for a suggestion on a good shot that doesn’t include tequila, the bartender responded, I’m sorry, I can’t think of anything, I’ve been doing this all day. What’s that, you’ve been serving drinks all day, as in, doing your job, and you can’t think of a drink to recommend? Roger that.

Admittedly, I did not know what to expect when I went to the New Frontier Lounge (NFL). However, I can honestly say I experienced more than I could hope for from the encounter. The NFL is a small place. As a result, I can see how seating could be difficult. Nonetheless, I went on a night that featured live music and still found a place to sit and eat. That brings me to the food. I am a huge fan of bar food. I am not an accredited bar food Somalia. However, the NFL serves some of the best bar-​pizza I have eaten since coming to Tacoma. Parking, inexpensive drinks, friendly bartenders, and rock, what more could ask for in a bar?

I love this place so much. It’s real, the bartenders kick ass and the food is pretty good! I have seen the Cave Singers here twice!!! Love the intimate feel, the stiff drinks and the old Masonic furniture. Don’t believe me? Behind the bar is. Crabs mason altar of sorts, or so I was told…
Anyway, The New Frontier is the best place to see bands! Great sound, intimate feel and good food and booze. Can’t ask for anything more.
Since this is Tacoma, there is a decent am out of street parking or you can take the light rail too (the one that runs in Tacoma, not the one in Seattle).
They either provide or have ear plugs for sale. Also, water is kept (ice cold if I may add) in a nice silver pitcher with cups next to it if you need to hydrate before heading home. Don’t drink and drive of course!
Always check their site for who is playing their stage, it would be awesome if they had their menu offerings online too but I have taken photos of it (two sides, back to front) of pizzas and toppings if you want your own spin on it or other things like tots with ranch and ketchup or nachos. They of course have a full bar and beers on tap as well as beer or cider in cans or bottles.
Just come down, check out the band playing or enjoy just watching tv and knocking back a few :-) Who knows, you may meet your new bff here at the bar!

We had the most pleasurefool time at the New Frontier when Marion Walker, Criminal Code, and Big Crux played!!! Saw my cousin too! New Frontier/​Tacoma Rules!

I rate this place –1 star! Horrible customer service, and when I say horrible I mean terrible. It’s just absolutely terrible! My first time here and I went to meet a few friends and my girlfriend. Well when I came in my girlfriend was sitting at the bar while my friends were at the pool table, so I greated/​talked to them before sitting down with my girlfriend and her friend. Well the bartender (some younger looking fellow, with medium length blonde hair and a backwards cap) started talking shit about me to my girlfriend when I walked in I guess (Probably trying to seem cool and impress my girlfriend and her friend). I have never seen this little prick before in my life and for him to talk smack about a customer is uncalled for. I also spotted him sneaking shots into the little hallway beside the bar and slamming them. Also the karaōke host who somebody said was the manager was completely obliterated drunk, so customers had to put in their own songs and start them. So if you like bad service, trash talking bartenders, workers that are so drunk you can probably take them home then this place is for you. Or if you are a complete tool or douche bag this place may also be your cup of tea

Good bar service. Bands were at a reasonable volume. Pool tables. Pizza was decent. Beats sitting in a hotel room or having crappy dance/​pop music blaring in your ears! Get an AMF, delicious!

Decent dive bar with live music. The bartenders tend to be a little sloppy and overwhelmed at times. All in all. A-​OK.

I was pleasantly surprised by the New Frontier. It fits right in with the area, kind of grungy in the dark but it’s decently maintained. We were going to a different event but wanted to get some decently priced booze (New Frontier delivered) before getting gouged by the Tacoma Dome. They had a show of their own going on, but the bouncer let us without paying the cover since he knew we weren’t there for it– super rad. The show was actually decent, the sound wasn’t great, but it never is with punk rock in small stone spaces. Super loud.
The layout was well done for the space, I liked the mix of wood and plainish stone floors and walls, it gave the bar a nice divey vibe while still being nice. Perfect for the location.
The drinks were stiff, the bartenders were busy but efficient, and the pizza was good to boot. I’ll definitely be back next time I’m drinking in Tacoma.

Good neighborhood punk rock bar. Came here for the first time on a Sunday for a local show — the sound person was great, not too loud and everything was mixed really well! We had earplugs but probably didn’t need them!
The bartender was really friendly and the beer prices were good. They do have what appears to be a small food menu but we didn’t order anything to eat.
Overall the space is laid out well with good sitting and standing options to watch a band or just hang out!
Will definitely return!

One of the best bars in tacoma hands down! They have a great happy hour 2 – 6 with $ 3 well drinks and drafts beers. Also really good food, I’ve had their pizza, it was delicious and everything is made in house even the pizza sauce. There’s also bands that play here quite often. I love this place and will continue to come here. Great atmosphere and service!

Rum and coke tasted like water.
The theme and scene is corny.
Yea.

The shots were expensive, the beer was flat, it took forever to get our pizza and it was terrible. I’m assuming it was frozen, I don’t know how you could make it taste like that if it were fresh, but $ 16 for a slightly burned, 12″ bad pizza? Awesome. All but one of the staff was unwelcoming, uninterested and rude. I was here a couple of years ago to see a band and I don’t remember it being this bad. Hopefully it gets fixed, because the potential is there, but I won’t be going back to find out.

Bands, beer, cocktails, food, the best White Russian EVER… what’s not to like about this place?
Located right across the street from the T-​Dome, New Frontier is a dark cave of a bar that is somehow reminiscent of an old garage. I’m sure a lot of that has to do with the décor– bare hardwood floors, old beer advertisements, plus the namesake neon sign from a long-​defunct Tacoma bowling alley. There’s a stage at the far end, a bar along the side, TV, projection screen, pool table, and a mishmash of high and low tables, barstools, and padded benches for seating. All in all a pretty cool space, for sure!
So far I haven’t sampled much off of the menu, but they do have some kick ass happy hour specials and the entrees I’ve seen served to others looked and smelled pretty damn good as well. Looking forward to trying some more comestibles here.
For drinks, the New Frontier’s *special* White Russian is reason enough to keep coming back: served in a pounder glass, this $ 8 treat is a potent mix of vodka, Kahlua, cream, and ESPRESSO, served over ice (Best. Energy drink. Ever!). Cheap tall boys of beer are pretty popular here, too.
This place can get packed and very loud when there’s a band playing, making for a long wait for drinks and no available seating. Also, it’s proximity to the Tacoma Dome makes parking a challenge if anything is going on there. Other than that, though, I’d say it’s just swell.

Currently offering Wednesday night $ 1.00 taco and $ 1.00 margaritas! Ay, caramba! Excellent vegan tacos and for those eating meat great options there as well. Always good live music! Tasty pizza! Nice outside seating for Summer should it decide to stay. Good food servers and providers of delicious libations! I encourage you to become a regular :)

Not so sure about this place. The other half and I walked in and the lounge had an old vibe to it. I liked the layout and the bar itself. Happy hour prices were pretty decent… drafts were $ 3.00 a pint. So we had Ninkasi IPA drafts.
I do have a few complaints about this place. The beer selection was meh. They had a few good drafts, but nothing too exciting. The last few minutes of our visit, went downhill real quick. The bartender had a hard time hearing us… we said we wanted to pay our tab… and for some reason she thought we said 2 more new castle… Not sure how that was. Second, she wasn’t too friendly either… She just looked lost.
I’ll try this place again, but hopefully they’ll have better taps and friendlier service.

I have enjoyed seeing many bands, including my friend’s band «Destruction Island,» over the years at the New Frontier Lounge. This bar is a great place to have a drink and enjoy live music. There is a pool table as well. The atmosphere is great with it’s wood floors that really let you feel the music… literally! The drinks are tasty, and the bartenders are friendly. There is street parking, and the location is pretty easy to find. I will definitely go there again soon!

Loved it. My wife and I went for a date night here. Hands down best nachos we have ever had. very generous and light on the wallet. Also, my wife loved the white russians – tasty and potent. They truly are the best around. The atmosphere is trendy, but not pretentious. staff are super friendly and attentive and prices are very reasonable. Wish we could have date nights more often. Will be back again soon…

My band has played here a few times and they treat/​pay us very well. Each band member gets two free drinks and half off the food menu which is great by the way. My favorite thing about this place is that it has a dive vibe without actually being a dumpy dive and you can get Rainier tall boys in a can, they also make a stiff vodka & tonic. The place does get pretty busy on weekend nights so you might have to wait a few for a drink but it is worth it. The service is good, the happy hour is great, the waitstaff is very friendly and the owner is a pretty nice guy too. If you haven’t been there check it out.

empty on week nights
good local music venue
Too loud for old guys