Eats wright around the corner

Austin Wright, Reporter

Entertainment & Culture

Photo provided by Tapped Public House.

Local restaurant, Tapped Public House, known as "Tapped" to the Mukilteo public, was subject to my most recent review. This fresh establishment was founded as a second installment of “Tapped Camano” on Camano Island. The restaurant chain has developed into something much bigger than a simple lunch and dinner establishment. The demographic of Tapped is inevitably aimed at Mukilteo’s adult population, and apart from the plethora of craft beer on tap, the clientele categories can be broken down solely from their motto, “Eat-Drink-Gather.” Even the restaurant’s business strategy revolves around this older social hub aspect because splitting the expensive bill among friends and family is far more cordial than a solo trip. Thus, Tapped Public House’s Mukilteo branch has quietly become the king of social dining in which we, the vaccinated public, are all craving.

Tapped is situated in the former Lombardo’s Pizzeria building. Judging by Lombardo’s long-term success in Mukilteo, location is not an issue for the current tenants. In the past months, Tapped has already attracted massive crowds. My first impression of Tapped was its spacious parking lot, which reminded me of the nearby airport and cement lots. Brambles protruded from the chain-link fence onto chipped sidewalks, and the surrounding potholes lowered my aesthetic expectation. But, hey, who judges food based on a parking lot? Mask mandates apply inside, so be courteous to customers and their busy employees. The spacious interior emits the feeling of freedom, especially in such an alcohol-oriented “public house.” Tables of all shapes and sizes are scattered throughout, and metal kegs, situated in front of the double doors, form a natural path to align customers with the cash register. The seats and tables are positioned along the opposite walls, all while accommodating the open floor plan in the right-hand corner. In this corner, Tapped is equipped with an impressive speaker system for their occasional live music. In bold text above the register, there are signs for Starts, Mains, Kids, and Desserts. For those wanting a quick meal or going alone, Mains is the way to go. The ability to add on combos of multiple side dishes like french fries for a small price is well worth it. Though, a larger group might want to kick things off with Starts, their appetizers, or smaller items.

It is impossible for me to name off all the items on the menu and my thoughts on them. There are simply too many things to try at such expensive prices. In fact, the average price of a main dish was around the all-too-ridiculous price of $15.50. While I mostly focused on their main dishes, I diversified my reviews with all categories. Unfortunately, their high prices did hinder my ability to order most of their menu. Tapped's main dishes are the real heavyweights, as they provide the most worthwhile experience with a relatively short preparation period. The quality of every dish was spread across the board, so here are my thoughts on what I was able to order. Admittedly, my method of ordering was more random than strategic. I chose whatever intrigued me, such as a few appetizers and main dishes. My biggest criticisms are against the Mains, with the Starts having a more neutral review. Not a perfect review science, but an earnest one of a true customer.

Starting off with the aptly named Starts on the list, I ordered the soft pretzel. Served on a piping hot pan and slathered with rich oils all around, this salty appetizer comes looking like something off the Mains at Tapped. Share it with friends or hog the goodness all for yourself. This soft pretzel is in that happy medium range, a size where the lines of a solo meal and group sharing are not far apart. The adaptable size rule goes for most of the items here. Napkins are definitely a requirement when eating their pretzels. Upon first glance, or bite, the salt sells every bit of this soft pretzel valued at $8.While Tapped’s pretzels are on the deep end of the Starts price range, special occasions are dying for this light and airy pretzel. The salt was spread out in an even glaze across the pretzel. The pretzel is simultaneously grounded in a smooth trifecta composed of oil, salt, and dough, that sweetly hits the taste buds. Sure, the dish is expensive and messy, but there is no denying that Tapped Mukilteo knows how to make a great pretzel.

There is more than meets the eye with what Tapped serves up on the Bacon “Muk” & Cheese. The official description is “Beecher's Cheddar, Fontina, and Panko Corn Flake Crust.” This play-on-word creation of “mac & cheese” is a bit cheesy. Although the popular combination of bacon strips is not revolutionary, bacon is a simple and effective addition to the dish. On top of the noodles is Panko corn flake crust. The first few bites of this balancing act of Panko crust, noodles and bacon are nothing short of heavenly. These ingredients combined form a superteam of flavor. While the Panko crust hits home with crunchy texture, the Beecher’s cheddar and fontina cheese are true agents of savory gooeyness. Though, I wish the entire “Muk & Cheese” tasted like the dish’s top layer. In a slow and steady change, the cheese shifted and began to morph into a runny and slightly off-putting mixture. The combination of cheeses earlier were great, when given time to marinate with bacon and the crust. But as I delved deeper, the cheese sauce and formerly perfect combination tapers into an oozing and fatty pile up around the sides. Perhaps a testament that the cheese blend goes better together with the other ingredients. The real kick received out of Tapped’s macaroni comes from the smoky aftertaste of bacon. Overall, the fatty separation of cheese managed to barely overpower the delicious smoky and crunchy meal of my first few bites, leaving my last impression as somewhat disappointed.

As for the case of fish and chips at Tapped Mukilteo, the fillet portions are large from a first glance. It goes without question that anyone can see that the fish will be crispy, and crispy they were. Dispersed away from the steaming hot fish in the middle, the outer edge is bumpy and rich with fried oil fats scattered along the flat ends. This creates that “crunch zone,” but not much flavor nor fish. It’s a zone in my opinion that runs for too long, but even this is nitpicking at what I would hardly call a genuine problem. The dry element of this crunch radius worsens the already brittle fish slice. But, apart from this small critique, the fish and chips remain a solid addition to this gargantuan lineup of food. As mentioned before, the wide strips of Alaskan cod are not only brittle from the deep-fried cooking, but dry too. The dryness takes nothing away from the impeccable flavor, but increased seasoning may improve its moisture levels, like the fries underneath the fish. However, the real issue with their fish and chips is the more expensive price. Although, this should not deter anyone from ordering, as Tapped still leaves their fish and chips worthwhile.

A visit to Tapped cannot go without ordering the Tapped Burger, my personal favorite. Priced at $15, their signature burger is on the expensive end of their menu. There were some serious contenders alongside the dish, some that did not make the final print. But this culminating burger is no joke. Served on lettuce, tomato, bacon jam, roasted garlic aioli, or any other combination the customer sees fit, the ingredients gracefully unite in the burger’s texture. Rough, crispy and not at all uniform in shape, this dish’s sizable hamburger bun and taste is incredible. Not undercooked and stiff, not overcooked and tasting like a coal factory plant. The Tapped Burger was perfectly in the middle cooked range. In my mind, this is Tapped’s strongest course. The juices from the chunky patty, the size proportion, the toppings, all in their own individual ways, were nothing short of superb. I loved it! I find it hard to downplay a very good burger, and just the texture is incredible. The patty completes this burger. To break my burger review down, the Tapped Burger is an exemplary product of Tapped Mukilteo's service.

Before ordering, it is beneficial to understand Tapped’s food quality is proportional to what you pay for. Tapped Mukilteo's somewhat overpriced menu has not dissuaded the influx of customers, however as Tapped's popularity as the "new kid" decreases, they might better adjust pricing. Having to pay 23 dollars for dishes like the Camano Roll are wallet pains that could possibly limit customer interest for such lackluster proportions. At the same time, I understand the reasoning for such a heavy price range. Like most countries in the world, the pandemic has brutalized the American restaurant industry. To cope with loss of profit during the beginning of quarantine, Tapped may have raised their initial prices. In the end, their quality pays off, literally. I will be back, though absolutely in lesser increments. The full dine-in experience is not quite back to what we remember, but Tapped is bustling with customers nevertheless, and still offers an enjoyable dining experience.

DISCLAIMER: The opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in this paper do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints of Kamiak High School or The Gauntlet.