Great Restaurants near Joint Base Lewis-McChord

There is no shortage of great places to get delicious food around JBLM. Trust me when I say there are tons of restaurants and majority of them are decent. I’m just naming a few, not even a handful of the ones in the area. Obviously the travel times I have listed here are going to be approximate since the base is pretty spread out but I hope you discover some foodie vibes when you check these out.

Gyro Grill – University Place
Approx. 22 mins from JBLM
$-$$
Gyro Grill is one word, delicious. I had only eaten Mediterranean cuisine once or twice and this place blew them out of the water. Some of the best food I’ve ever eaten, I didn’t know I liked Mediterranean cuisine this much. For appetizers we grabbed some Spanakopita. This is a spinach and cheese dip wrapped in phyllo dough and fried. It is heavenly.

For dinner I had the Gyro Rice Plate. This portion lasted me three meals. It came with gyro meat, pita bread, and yellow rice. The tzatziki sauce came on the side for dipping and was also yummy. Don’t ask me what it’s made of because I have no clue. It’s cheaper at lunch but if you go for dinner you could easily split a dinner plate. Gyro Grill offers a military discount.

Steeped In Comfort Tea Room – Lakewood
Approx. 12 mins from JBLM
$$
This one is more listed for the ladies. Which one of us did not play tea party as a little girl?! This is your classic tea room so it’s got the comfort, charm, and the tea of course. They have an extensive tea menu. Mom and I tried the two most popular teas, cream earl grey and white peach. They were both so so good.

We each got the lunch trio at $16.25 per person. Yes, it’s a little more than a regular quick lunch out, but dang is it way better than Panera. You get to pick a sandwich, soup, or salad, pot of tea and a scone. I went for the chicken salad, one of my favorites, and the clam chowder. I can’t get enough seafood up here. The scone of the day was triple berry, this is the best scone I’ve ever tasted in my life. The scone comes with lemon curd, jam, and fresh cream. I’ll be buying these often. They do offer a military discount.

Waffle Stop – Proctor
Approx. 23 mins from JBLM
$$
Holy waffles, this place is amazing. Located in the newer area of Proctor, this restaurant is all about, you guessed it, waffles. They are home made in house, you can’t find these at your hotel free breakfasts. Don’t ask for pancakes because they don’t have them. The servers shirts hilariously say so.

I grabbed the Very Berry Medley and Travis…well he always has to get whatever is most spicy on the menu. Travis got the Nashville Hot Chicken and Waffles. I’m not a fan of spicy but these honey sriracha chicken and waffles were as good as they sound.

Shake Shake Shake- Tacoma
Approx. 20 mins from JBLM
$
I have the delightful opportunity to grab something from here every Monday since Aurora’s art lessons are right across the street. This diner throws you back in time with its retro decor and old milkshake glasses. I feel as though I’m on the set of Grease.

No secret here, you’ve got to try a milkshake. My favorite so far has been the Cream sickle Spinner. It is a Orange cream soda with vanilla ice cream, a take from a root beer float. The burgers and French fries are delicious too, think Steak N Shake. You also can’t beat their cheap prices.

Old Country Buffet – Lakewood
Approx. 13 mins from JBLM
$
Here’s your classic all you can eat buffet but without the big price tag. You’ve got plenty to choose from including chicken, fish, beef, pork, pizza, all the sides you could name, a salad bar, and a full on taco bar. Oh, and don’t forget the desserts. The coconut cream pie is delicious.

They offer a great deal for military, Monday’s are just $6.29 for lunch, $9.29 for dinner, and $1.99 for kids. Any other day you can get 15% off the bill. Thursday nights are Family night and kids eat for just $1.99.

Miso Miso – Lacey
Approx. 18 mins from JBLM
$
Hello Asian goodness. This is like a Subway for Asian bowls. You go down the line and choose your rice, meat, toppings, and sauce. They also have vegan and vegetarian options. I decided on the chicken with white rice, carrots, edamame, corn, and teriyaki sauce. Yummmmmmmmmy. I had plenty leftover for another meal and I will be back here for sure.

Rhein Haus – Tacoma
Approx. 21 mins from JBLM
$$-$$$
It’s not just the beer that make sure you want to visit Rhein Haus, it’s the activities. I’m not personally a beer drinker but they have an extensive menu of beers on tap. Inside you can play Putt Putt Golf and Bocce Ball. Bocce Ball is free but Putt Putt is $5 per person. You do not have to dine here to come in and play. It’s a great indoor option to keep the kids occupied during a rainy day.

I had the Rhein Haus burger, which was great, and Travis decided to try the Jagerschnitzel. He loved it, but it was a little too much for my taste buds. The atmosphere and the mini golf was good enough to keep us coming back!

Finding the fun everywhere life takes us!
Love, Olivia Michelle