The Church Cantina is a goth and horror-themed bar and restaurant in Tacoma, Washington. Located on South Tacoma Way, it opened in 2018 and was founded by chef Nicole De La Paz, her husband Adam Jones and business partner Rusty Fawver.
The name does not come from the building having previously been a church. The premises had most recently housed a pizza restaurant, while the Church name was inspired by large repurposed lantern fixtures that had originally hung inside a Tacoma church. From that starting point, the interior developed into a full goth and horror setting.
The rooms are decorated with blood-red lighting, candelabras, skulls, coffins, cobwebs, skeletons, antique-style furnishings and horror memorabilia. Old horror films are often shown on the televisions, while the bar also has games such as pool, skee-ball and pinball, including machines with horror and macabre themes.
Music is an important part of the atmosphere. The regular soundtrack includes metal, industrial, darkwave, post-punk and related styles, while DJ nights such as Danse Macabre and Revival have made The Church Cantina a gathering place for Tacoma’s goth and dark alternative scene. These nights have featured music ranging from Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Clan of Xymox to newer darkwave, synthpop and industrial acts.
Food is a major part of the place. De La Paz drew on her Cuban family background when developing the menu, although the restaurant has described the food as Cuban- and Latin-inspired rather than strictly traditional Cuban cuisine. Cuban sandwiches, mojo pork, tacos, burritos, rice bowls and plantain dishes have appeared alongside vegetarian and vegan options.
The cocktails follow the same dark visual theme as the bar, with names and presentation connected to horror, death and the occult. The combination of goth décor, horror films, pinball, Cuban- and Latin-inspired food, themed drinks and dark alternative music gives The Church Cantina a distinct identity in Tacoma’s nightlife.
ADDRESS:
5240 S Tacoma Way, Tacoma, WA 98409, USA
Back to Tacoma.