For the last five decades, the Tides Tavern, founded by Logger Peter Stanley ’69, has been a beloved spot to grab a bite on the Gig Harbor waterfront. The historic eatery, which opened in 1973, entered a new era in January 2026 after it was acquired by the Anthony’s Restaurants chain. Amy Burns, president and CEO of Anthony’s Restaurants, said the company would maintain the beloved aspects of the Tides, including the menu, the team, the dockside service, and the award-winning women’s restroom (if you know, you know).
One of the restaurant’s regulars was retired biology professor Eric Lindgren, who taught at Puget Sound from 1971 to 1984. In the early 1970s, Lindgren moved to Gig Harbor. His first small cabin was located about a half mile from the tavern, and he recalled many days when he had a hankering for seafood that he would paddle over to the restaurant in his canoe after a full day of lecturing. It was here where he thumbed through students’ work over 25-cent beers and pub food. An anniversary poster from the Tides hung on his office door at the university, and in large letters at the top it said, “exams composed and graded at Tides Tavern.”
Lindgren wasn’t the only person on campus who loved this place. He recalls students piling into cars and making the journey over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge for a bite. “Since I lived so close and was probably good for a pitcher, they would call and we would sit around and chew the fat.” While the version of Tides Tavern once loved by community members is changing, loyal customers are hopeful that its original charm endures.
