Devil's Reef in Tacoma, WA

, Jason Alexander and Robyn Murphy. Tacoma Cabana was much-celebrated, and Devil's Reef is the next-generation evolution, where Alexander and Murphy are able to lean even deeper into their strengths in creating a great environment for enjoying excellent tropical beverages. An extensive rum list and tropical drink menu is offered. The decor plays with the darker side of tiki, combining the couple's affection for both Polynesian Pop and H.P. Lovecraft. Devil's Reef opened on January 19, 2018. Tacoma Cabana was closed in September of that year, so that Alexander and Murphy could focus their whole efforts on Devil's Reef.

Comments

Tiki_Toad

Tiki_Toad has visited Devil's Reef.

October 6, 2018, 9:15 AM

Excellent

TikiScout

September 28, 2018, 5:00 PM

The theme of the bar was very well done and I enjoyed exploring the vacant bar when I first arrived to check things out. Be sure to stroll back towards the restrooms to appreciate the Dogs Playing Poker Artwork. They had true tiki music going the whole time, and I enjoyed the sounds. It was late September and the Air Conditioning was on full blast, I kept feeling cold and not in a good way for a fall day in Tacoma.

The food was good, though half the menu seemed to lack any tiki vibe. �I had some chips and salsas to start off the evening, it came with a large helping of chips and good salsa, would give the more points had the salsa been something like a mango or jerk salsa that tied in with the theme. The Rum Fire Jerk Chicken Rice Bowl was wonderful, some great spice and other flavors going on that made me want to finish the whole thing. �

For drinks I had the Devi's Reef which was good, but it seemed a bit small. I also had the Gilman House Special which was a bit to sweet for my liking, but still a good combinations of flavors. Watching the bartenders I couldn�t help but feel uninspired by their mixology techniques, honestly they seemed to lack any passion for their drinks. One of the bartenders spent almost the whole time prepping garnish, not interacting with guests. Speaking of, in both my drinks the garnish was severely lacking, this goes back to the lack of passion that I saw.

I guess the biggest thing I'd ding them for is the young bartenders don't seem to engage with non-millennial age customers. If you read Monster A GoGo�s review from March 2018, I felt a similar vibe going on during my visit. �I've been to seven Tiki bars this year, and this had the least amount of interaction I�ve had with the bartenders or servers. �I don't think I'd rush back just because of that, but very happy I experienced the Devil's Reef though.

The other issue is the complete lack of website, phone number, and any social media engagement.