Two o’clock on a weekday afternoon and The Haven Tavern will rock you like a hurricane. (Scorpions? Anyone? Anyone? God, I’m old.) I was not expecting such a great time and so much enthusiasm when I pulled into The Haven Pub’s parking lot. It was small and empty, so a quite dive bar is what I figured I’d get. That’s not what happened at all.



Located on Pacific Highway in Parkland, The Haven is your typical college student’s retreat. Done with finals and loaded with time to burn, loads of hot college men and tattooed bikers populated the innards of what I was soon to declare as “The dive that answered all my Christmas prayers.”



Music blared from the jukebox, people chatted away, and not one but two bartenders greeted me with fervor and friendship. Stephanie and Carmen were hurriedly busy slingin’ drinks, but had no problem chatting me up as I sipped a tall, cool one bar side to the college locals and biker-dudes alike.



There was no bad carpet, and The Haven was tastefully tacky with a wonderfully obscene amount of holiday decorations — fake spray snow and all. I could’ve stayed all day, and I almost did. Once I reached a point of hunger, it was the pizza I was told to eat. Rumor has it that even Farelli’s Pizza down the street sends it’s employees down to grub on the pies.



Come Friday and Saturday nights The Haven packs in the party-goers and welcomes its longtime loyal customers. The place gets packed on weekends, from what they tell me. I give The Haven a huge round of applause on this dive bar excursion. For them to easily make me waste away a Wednesday afternoon as I sip cold suds and watch fine young men bend over pool tables? BRILLIANT.

The Haven Tavern

12510 Pacific Ave. S., Parkland/Tacoma, 253.537.5150



Beer – It flowed just right

Service – My new best friends, Stephanie and Carmen

Food – Pizza!



Bar Exam Dive Grade – B-