Food trucks have been in an uphill battle with the restaurant community and city of Tacoma for years. It’s a beautiful thing to know that Tacoma’s Health Department is so in-the-know and actively checking their list so thoroughly to ensure all things are up to code. But I have seen it be incredibly frustrating to get great businesses started because it’s the red taped path that leads to a ribbon cutting ceremony. When Burger Seoul was getting started eyes seemed to be on them with a laser focus. Due to the city’s regulations they couldn’t cruise from place to place setting up shop where requested or commissioned by other businesses or organizations. A business model you usually see in other cities that helps build awareness and word of mouth marketing was not allowed here. Since then it seems the city has lightened up a bit but they’re still ready to crack down on inspections at a moment's notice. I’ve seen it happen even at the Tacoma Art Museum.
Burger Seoul is still a food truck today but it’s not mobile. It’s located firmly on 19th & Prospect in the corner of the 19th St Grocery and Deli parking lot. Owner Young was featured on the latest Best of South South Mag issue. His beloved burgers helped Burger Seoul win best food truck. Based off the consistency, quality and uniqueness of their menu it should have been in the feature for most consecutive wins, the food and experience have been high level since its order window opened in 2015. By 2016 it was one of few places on my monthly visits list. The highlights of the menu are the Seoul Burger and the Bulgogiger. Both of which you need to take deep breaths and water breaks to finish in one sitting. It’s a burger fiend’s dream and a pleasant surprise to a KBBQ enthusiast. A specialty not to be overlooked is their FIRE sauce - it’s only added to certain items but the Seoul FIRE fries is where it really shines. It’s like far less messy kimchi fries. Pay for double meat. The menu isn’t long because it doesn’t need to be, Young introduced something into the marketplace that wasn’t there and fulfilled a burger dream while we were sleep.
But like ALL great establishments it isn’t just about the consumption it’s about the experience as well. That’s where adding the right people to your business becomes important and Young has known that from the beginning. He’s an ambitious creative as much as he is an entrepreneur and brings his high energy to the business. You can find him dressing up for most of the holidays, singing karaoke from the food truck, inviting patrons to sing along, full dance breaks from time to time and on a rare occasion he’ll produce apparel for himself and the Seoul squad. Through careful hiring Young has found people who share his passion or have learned to participate from watching his performance. Burger Seoul vet, Jordan is a friendly familiar face to anyone who enjoys the food frequently. He’s there all the time and with a smile and energy that lets you know he enjoys being a part of the Burger Seoul family and potential empire.
Remember your order Seoul Burger + FIRE fries.
More from Almanac
Umi’s Corner Tacoma: Boys and Berries, Fruits and Veggies
When people outside of Washington state picture it in their minds they see forest for miles, pretty lakes, raging rivers, wilderness trails, farms and country. Those ideals are usually followed with images of fresh markets and farm to table meat by the pound from persons who are masters of agriculture and livestock. It’s one of the more romanticized versions of living in the Evergreen state and it’s not completely inaccurate. But it doesn’t encompass the entire picture and that lifestyle is few and far between in the Western half of the state. The glimpses you do get remind you how lucky we are to have such a blended mix of town and country for retailers and markets like the Tacoma Boys.
Meet The Band: Denial Of Life
There hasn't been too many bands in recent memory to burst on to the scene quite like Denial of Life. Composed of Logan Miller on guitar, Brenna Gowin on vocals, Nicky Cody on drums, and Spencer Russo on bass, the band formed in 2019 and hit the ground running quickly releasing a demo and playing shows around Tacoma. I feel lucky to have been able to witness one of the first ones. Since then the band has shown no signs of slowing down even in the face of a global pandemic. I caught a DOL show this summer and the live shows have grown so much since I last saw them. They bring arena rock energy to a hardcore show and nowhere is that more apparent than their debut full length. No Reason was released August 13th and has quickly elevated the profile of the band. Since then the band has completed a full North American tour as well as a killer in studio performance on what most would consider hardcores biggest youtube channel, hate5six. I had the pleasure of speaking with Logan from the band to get a little more insight into how they got started, what they've been up to and where they wanna go next!
Make It To The Show: Jesus On The Moon
Jesus on the Moon | Wednesday, March 29It’s been established, again and again, that the idea of a singular artistic mind and voice being entirely responsible for a band’s sound is bunk – making an album is a collaborative experience, no matter who you are. Still, that notion lingers, which lends a bit of extra juice to one-man bands, where a person locks themself away to create magic on their own. Jake Frye would undoubtedly bristle at this image, but as the operating brain behind Jesus on the Moon, his music project since 2005, Frye has been quietly writing and recording songs in tucked-away spots like basements and bedrooms. Like it or not, his authorial stamp is all over every guitar-spiked, synth-soothed note of his music.
Make It To The Show: THE FREEKS
It’s so important to have a frontman that can carry a band to greatness on the back of his charisma and presence. Led Zeppelin had that in Robert Plant, Black Sabbath had Ozzy Osbourne, and AC/DC were lucky enough to get it twice with Bon Scott and Brian Johnson. The Freeks, fronted by Ruben Romano (Fu Manchu, Nebula), share elements with all of the aforementioned bands, though they tend to incorporate more of the Los Angeles psychedelic fuss. Romano’s scratchy wail is instantly reminiscent of so many bands that dominated the ‘70s, and with the joyous musicianship of his bandmates, the Freeks become absolutely infectious.