Hello, thanks for checking out Transiterranean, a Tacoma-centric transit newsletter-blog exploring commuting, food, drink, and destinations across the City of Destiny, Western Washington, and beyond!
I’m Michael Grass, someone who has lived car-free in Western Washington since 2016 in Seattle, Bellingham, and now Tacoma.
In This Edition
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Slices of honeycomb cake and rose milk cake, just off Route 57, at Sana’a Cafe on S. 38th Street in Tacoma. (Transiterranean Photo)
Seeking out Yemeni coffee and treats via Route 57
The last time I had given Yemeni coffee much of any thought was when I lived in Brooklyn, New York more than 15 years ago and delicious smells would waft out from the cluster of Yemeni businesses clustered on Atlantic Avenue. So when Sana’a Cafe, with a handful of locations in Southern California and the Bay Area, started promoting their August soft opening in South Tacoma, near the Islamic Center of Tacoma, with some clever short videos posted to Instagram and TikTok, I knew that I would need to plan a visit via transit.
Sana’a Cafe’s bright space, once home to a Starbucks location on S. 38th Street, features white marble and gold-trimmed accents. Specialty coffee drinks are infused with spices like cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon. There’s a colorful array of breads, pastries, and sweets which are a feast for the eyes. The News Tribune reported recently that they’re “made exclusively for Sana’a by an undisclosed Pierce County bakery.”
What to Enjoy:
Jubani is a medium-roast Yemeni specialty drink made with coffee husks, ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom. Sana’a Cafe advises that their coffee is served at very high temperatures, so let your drink cool a few minutes before enjoying. The Jubani I ordered, despite its bold spices and flavors, reminded me of a smoother, more well-balanced version of chai. If you like cardamom-forward flavors, Mofawar, is a medium-roast coffee with cardamon and cream.
Sana’a Cafe has an assortment of milk cake flavors, including pistachio, saffron, and rose. The cafe’s milk cake reminds me of tres leches cake from many Latin American culinary traditions. I opted for a rose milk cake, which was good, though the rose flavor was very subtle. I look forward to trying other flavors.
Sana’a Cafe’s social media posts have leaned into showcasing the honeycomb bread, where there are tightly-packed knots of bread — hence the honeycomb name — that are filled with cheese. Cafe staff may ask whether you want honey drizzled on top of your honeycomb bread and your answer should be yes. While the honeycomb bread would seemingly be delicious on its own, the drizzle of honey ties the flavors together.
Getting There via Transit: At first glance, the Lincoln Plaza shopping center, where Sana’a Cafe is located, is a suburban strip mall destination that’s somewhat hostile to people walking from the closest bus stop. But walking over from the Pierce Transit Route 57 stop at S. Steele Street & S. 37th Street is fairly simple. Although Sana’a Cafe is at the far end of Lincoln Plaza, there’s a covered walkway along the entire shopping center. Pierce Transit’s Route 3 isn’t too far away at Pine Street & S. 38th Street, though the walk along S. 38th Street requires some on-foot fortitude given the onslaught of motorists heading to and from Interstate 5.

A Route 57 bus en route to Tacoma Mall travels south on S. Steele Street approaching S. 38th Street near Costco and the Lincoln Plaza shopping center. (Transiterranean Photo)
Elsewhere Along Route 57: On paper, the 57 is a somewhat indirect route with many twists and turns along the way. From Downtown Tacoma, Route 57 starts at the Commerce Street Station and proceeds through Hilltop — where the S. J Street & S. 19th Street stop is a short walk from the T Line terminus at St. Joseph Station — and serves a Washington Department of Social and Health Services community services campus, Bates Technical College’s Central Campus, Allenmore Hospital, Walmart and Target on S. Union Avenue, Costco on S. Steele Street, and Tacoma Mall. When the 57 is full of shoppers with carts and wagons full of necessities, boarding can sometimes delay buses at major shopping destinations.
Sana’a Cafe, 2505 S. 38th Street near S. Steele Street, Tacoma. (Take Pierce Transit Route 57 to the S. Steele Street & S. 37th Street stop, or Route 3 to the Pine Street & S. 38th Street stop.)
Sound Transit board OKs Sounder rail fleet rehab

A S Line train prepares to depart Tacoma Dome Station for Seattle. (Transiterranean Photo)
Although my Sounder commute between Tacoma and Seattle on Thursday was unfortunately disrupted in both directions by engine trouble, there’s some good long-term news for the rider experience on the N Line (Everett-Seattle) and S Line (Seattle-Tacoma-Lakewood).
Via The Urbanist:
Last week the Sound Transit board approved a $92.7 million contract to overhaul all 58 Sounder cars, work that will include door systems, HVAC control systems, floors, restrooms, lighting, and new paint jobs. When complete, each car is set to include improvements like USB-equipped power outlets, upgraded lighting, and better bicycle storage areas. The cars set to be overhauled include 40 coach cars and 18 cab cars, which include the driver’s compartment.
Pierce Transit opens Spanaway Transit Center
Route 1, Pierce Transit’s workhorse high-ridership route along the 6th Avenue and Pacific Avenue corridors, has a new southern terminus along with the Stream Community Line. The Spanaway Transit Center on State Route 7, Pierce Transit’s newest transit center since the Tacoma Dome Station opened in 1998, went into service on August 31.
The new transit center includes covered shelters, lighting, benches, dedicated departure and arrival locations for each route, a short-term drop-off/pick-up zone for rideshare vehicles, and parking for 38 vehicles including two charging stations for electric vehicles. (More parking and charging stations are planned for a future phase.)
For bus operators, there’s a new comfort station for use between shifts. (For Route 1 operators, it’s a long trek to the TCC comfort station!)
[Pierce Transit / KIRO7]
New T Line arrival displays introduced to stations

Sound Transit recently upgraded train arrival information displays at stations along the T Line in Tacoma. (Transiterranean Photo)
T Line riders in Tacoma have been getting used to new Passenger Information Management System (PIMS) improvements at station stops installed in August. The real-time arrival information for T Line trains are similar to those at Sound Transit 1 Line and 2 Line Link stations in King and Snohomish counties. From my observations, the new PIMS displays along the T Line are looking sharp and the train arrival information seems to be pretty accurate.
At stations with island-style platforms — where St. Joseph- and Tacoma Dome-bound passengers wait on a shared platform in the middle of the street, e.g., Hilltop District, Old City Hall, Stadium District, and Union Station — the PIMS displays may make it seem that trains only head in one direction. (Information for trains headed in the other direction is on the display’s opposite side, facing the direction of travel.
Federal Way Link extension to open Dec. 6
Sound Transit recently announced that the Link 1 Line extension to Federal Way will be opening on December 6, earlier than anticipated. The 7.8-mile extension includes the new stations at Kent Des Moines, Star Lake, and the terminus at Federal Way Downtown, where new bus bays have replaced the now-demolished Federal Way Transit Center. The new transit center features Leafy Warder, a public art installation by Donald Lipski that takes the form of a giant stained glass lamp, which will shield a seating area from rain.
For Tacomans commuting to and from Seattle, the forthcoming extended 1 Line service further into South King County won’t mean any immediate changes to Sound Transit Express bus service running via Interstate 5.
But that will likely change, including the possibility of Sound Transit terminating some Pierce County express bus services at Federal Way where passengers could transfer to the Link 1 Line to continue north to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Seattle. That will resurface previous concerns that cancelling I-5 express bus service into Downtown Seattle from Pierce County, like Routes 590 and 594 would leave Tacomans with longer travel times into Seattle and King County. Those express bus routes, using I-5’s HOV lanes, can end up being faster than taking the Sounder S Line commuter rail. As Laura Hautala, The News Tribune’s opinion editor, wrote in June: “This shouldn’t happen without a reckoning over the havoc it would create for Tacoma commuters.”
Sound Transit’s gloomy fiscal outlook
Sound Transit is looking at a $20-$30 billion budget shortfall for system expansion projects that voters authorized in 2016 plus other system needs. As the agency faces inflation, higher construction costs, and lower sales tax revenue, leaders have numerous difficult decisions ahead as they grapple with the regional transit system’s long-term fiscal situation. Sound Transit CEO Dow Constantine has previously signaled that “everything is on the table” as the agency realigns priorities for expansion and maintaining existing service. For Tacoma and Pierce County, that could mean potentially eliminating or deferring the Tacoma Dome Link extension, S Line capacity improvements, the S Line’s DuPont extension, and the T Line’s TCC streetcar extension along S. 19th Street.
Olympia-Lakewood express bus service realigned
Route 620, Intercity Transit’s express bus service between the Olympia Transit Center in Downtown Olympia and the State Route 512 Park & Ride in Lakewood, is being retired and replaced with two new bus routes: The weekday-only Route 600, running express between Lakewood and Olympia via Interstate 5 and bypassing the Lacey Transit Center; and Route 610, which runs seven days a week and also connects Lakewood and Lacey, but includes more local stops, including the Lacey Transit Center. For weekday commuters traveling between Pierce and Thurston counties, the 600 will provide faster service compared to the former 620.
Don’t do this sitting at a 4-person S Line table

This solo S Line commuter occupied a 4-person table seating cluster with a musical instrument and a large backpack. (Transiterranean Photo)
Last week, while awaiting the S Line to depart King Street Station in Seattle for Tacoma Dome Station, the upper level of the rail car I was seated in was hot, somewhat stuffy, and crowded with weary commuters heading home. The vast majority of the seats in this car were occupied, except for one of the four-person tables, where there was one person seated on one side. His backpack was occupying the aisle-adjacent seat. And in the two other seats, there was a musical instrument in a soft case lying flat. Initially, I thought this commuter had human traveling companions who were not immediately present but would take their seats soon. The instrument was, essentially, a short-term seat-saver.
But then the S Line train departed. While his theoretical traveling companions didn’t materialize, his backpack and instrument occupied the rest of the table for the entire trip south.
Remember, courtesy is contagious: From this S Line situation, don’t be that guy. Keep adjacent seats open for others, especially on crowded trains.

Pierce Transit riders await a TCC-bound Route 1 bus at the northbound bus stop on Pacific Avenue in Tacoma opposite the Union Station T Line stop. (Transiterranean Photo)
Rebuilt sidewalks at Union Station bus stop
Earlier this summer, the northbound bus stop along Pacific Avenue at S. 19th Street in Downtown Tacoma, outside the Washington State History Museum and opposite the T Line’s Union Station streetcar stop, was closed for many weeks as the adjacent sidewalk and curbs were reconstructed. That work wrapped up in recent weeks and the bus stop, which serves numerous Pierce Transit and Sound Transit Express bus routes, is now back in service.
Although there was once a bus shelter here that provided shade on sunny afternoons, it has not yet reappeared.

It’s hard to miss the Momo King in the Tacoma Mall’s food court, which, like its sibling locations in Olympia and Seattle, is transit accessible. (Transiterranean Photo)
Food court momos at Tacoma Mall
Simon Property Group has been trumpeting some of the forthcoming food and dining additions in store for the VIllage at Tacoma Mall, taking shape adjacent to the existing mall. It is redevelopment work that Simon says “will further elevate Tacoma Mall as the premier must-visit shopping and dining destination for Pierce County.” That includes Happy Lamb Hot Pot, “renowned for its eight-hour bone marrow broth, its premium range of lamb selections, and its unique ‘no dipping’ hot pot experience,” Dave’s Hot Chicken, and Shake Shack. While food and dining options are spread out throughout the mall property, The Village’s collection of food options seems like it could outshine the existing food court.
At first glance, Tacoma Mall’s food court seems fairly typical for an American shopping mall, including the ubiquitous Sbarro’s. But there’s something that is a relatively unusual option for a mall food court: Himalayan-style dumplings called momos.

Coco momos from the Momo King in the Tacoma Mall’s food court. (Transiterranean Photo)
Momo King, a Nepalese chain with locations in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood and at Olympia’s Capital Mall, stands out in Tacoma Mall for many reasons. First, among the various clashing brands across the semi-circular food court, The Momo King’s bright front counter is, compared to its neighbors, relatively free of visual clutter and sits roughly in the center. Its logo, a large dumpling that looks like a crown — this is the Momo King, after all — has a relatively simple menu where you can pair meat or vegetarian momos, steamed or fried, with different sauces. (There’s also chow mein.)
I opted for an order of steamed vegetarian coco momos, which are served in a thick coconut curry made with ginger, garlic, and onions. The curry was nicely spiced and balanced, as was the momo filling. I wished I had something to sop up the rest of the delicious sauce the momos were bathing in. Given the food court location, I was anticipating mediocre momos but I was pleasantly surprised and remembered that momos, like many dumplings, bring happiness to many people, including me, regardless of their setting — even those sitting across a mall food court from a JD Sports and Foot Locker.
Getting There via Transit: Although Simon Property Group’s Tacoma Mall website transit tab only includes Uber as a “transit” option, it should be noted that Pierce Transit’s Tacoma Mall Transit Center, an important South Tacoma bus hub, is just across S. 48th Street from the mall. (Pierce Transit’s Route 3 provides the most direct transit service to the Tacoma Mall TC from Downtown Tacoma compared to Routes 41 and 57.) Adjacent to the transit center, there’s a signalized crosswalk that leads to the walkway leading toward the mall’s courtyard entrance opposite Macy’s. That’s pretty good transit access compared to many U.S. malls I’m familiar with.
Transit-oriented schweinshaxe at Berliner Beerhall
While I assume that most people drive to Berliner Beerhall on Pacific Avenue south of Downtown Tacoma, I’d be remiss if I didn’t immediately point out the plentiful local and regional transit options steps from its front door. Beyond a number of Pierce Transit local bus routes, including Route 1, there’s also Sound Transit Express regional bus service to Seattle and Lakewood plus the T Line’s S. 25th Street Station.
This is a great German restaurant and beer hall and many, for sure, go there specifically for their selection of German beer. As an appetizer, you may enjoy Berliner’s crispy and buttery pretzel with beer cheese. (Just be sure to add mustard, as is an option when ordering the beer cheese.) On the menu, you’ll find bratwurst, schnitzel, spaetzle, and sauerkraut and other familiar items you’d associate with German-style restaurants. But unlike some German restaurants in the U.S., there’s also schweinshaxe as a featured main dish.

Schweinshaxe served atop spaetzle at Berliner Beerha in Tacoma. (Transiterranean Photo)
While schweinshaxe may not be for everyone, for transit lovers who also enjoy crispy roasted pork knuckle, it’s worth the journey to this crossroads in Tacoma that many typically breeze pass. Schweinshaxe takes time to pick apart from the bone, but the roasted pork meat and crispy skin is a great reward. Berliner Beerhall pairs their schweinshaxe with spaetzle, which is also delicious.
Berliner Beerhall, 2401 Pacific Avenue at S. 24th Street, Tacoma. (Take the T Line to S. 25th Street Station or various Pierce Transit and Sound Transit Express bus routes to Pacific Avenue & S. 24th Street.)
Yes, you can ‘Do the Puyallup’ via transit

You don’t necessarily need to drive to Puyallup to take in all the attractions at the Washington State Fair. (Transiterranean Photo)
The 125th Washington State Fair in Puyallup is now underway through September 21 (except Tuesdays). Although fair organizers have plenty of information about parking in official lots ($15 on weekdays and $22 on weekends), premium parking options ($35), VIP parking ($50), and the O’Reilly Auto Parts parking discount ($3 off on general parking), there’s no mention of transit access. (A recent article in The News Tribune about money-saving tips for the fair also makes no mention of using transit to skip parking fees.)
All of my previous visits to the fairgrounds in Puyallup have been done via transit from Seattle by taking Sound Transit Express Route 578 or the Sounder S Line to Puyallup Station, where I’ve walked south from the transit center for 10-15 minutes through Downtown Puyallup to the Gold Gate fairgrounds entrance at Meridian Avenue S & 9th Avenue SW.
Now that I live in Tacoma, there are some other transit variables to consider if you want to “Do the Puyallup” car free.
On weekdays, Pierce Transit’s Route 400 between Downtown Tacoma and Puyallup only runs weekdays, but does stop close to the fairgrounds at Fairview Drive & 9th Avenue SW near the Red Gate entrance. For much of the day, there are two buses per hour on Route 400.
On weekends, Route 409, which connects the 72nd Street Transit Center in Tacoma with Puyallup Station, sees service about once an hour for much of the day. However, the City of Puyallup has made accessing the fair via transit less convenient. According to a Pierce Transit service advisory: “At the request of the City of Puyallup, the following bus stops will be closed for the duration of the Fair: West Pioneer Ave & 3rd St SW (Eastbound), East Stewart Ave & North Meridian (Eastbound), Pioneer Ave W & 3rd St SW (Westbound).”
Weigh in on PSRC’s Regional Transportation Plan
If you care about transportation in the central Puget Sound region and are also interested in checking out a historic former streetcar station, mark your calendars for October 16.
The Puget Sound Regional Council, which will adopt an updated Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) next year, is currently hosting a series of six public events around the region “to connect with residents, local leaders, and elected officials about transportation priorities. Each event will use food, music, and interactive, multi-sensory activities to engage communities around the future of our transportation system.”
For Tacoma-area residents, the PSRC is hosting an event on October 16 at the Pagoda building in Point Defiance Park. The historic structure, inspired by Japanese architecture, was built in 1914 as the park’s streetcar terminus and sits adjacent to the Japanese Garden.
While you can’t take a streetcar to Point Defiance Park these days, Pierce Transit’s Routes 10 and 11 terminate nearby at the Point Defiance Ferry Terminal. Although the walk to the Pagoda and Japanese Garden isn’t necessarily far, it requires walking uphill along the ferry queue and access road to the Loop Trail.