Community-Backed • Chef-Owned • Chef-Operated • Chef-Present
Tibbitts @ Fern Hill was built from a mother’s dream for her boys to do the very best they could with their lives. She passed one month before the restaurant opened, and after Chef Shawn Tibbitts later lost his brother to a fentanyl overdose in 2025, this website was created in their honor — to carry forward what has been built, carry their names and legacy, and keep moving through grief with strength, resilience, and love.
Tibbitts @ Fern Hill
Multi-Award-Winning Indigenous Brunch in Tacoma
Tibbitts @ Fern Hill is a reservation-only Indigenous brunch restaurant in Tacoma, Washington, led by Chef Shawn Tibbitts, serving scratch-built, chef-presented food shaped by Indigenous storytelling, Pacific Northwest ingredients, and community.
Open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday by phone reservation only. As a zero-waste-minded restaurant, we prep based on the day’s reservations, which means we run out of food every day by design. Controlled chaos, with purpose. View our Tacoma brunch menu before calling to reserve.
Grateful for documented local, regional, and national recognition and awards spanning 2017–2026.
Read the philosophy behind the model: Decolonized Kitchen.
Reservations, Directions & Welcome
Tibbitts @ Fern Hill is a small, nationally ranked, reservation-only Indigenous brunch restaurant in Tacoma. We are not a walk-in restaurant, and every reservation matters in a 25-seat room.
A Note Before You Visit
Tibbitts @ Fern Hill is a small, nationally ranked, reservation-only restaurant. We are not a walk-in restaurant, and we are not a “line up and wait for a table” place.
Because guests are dining, tables are being reset with care, and every reservation matters in a 25-seat room, occasional wait times may still happen.
How to Book With Us
Call to Gather
Remember the old days of rotary phones, handheld receivers, and those long corded landlines stretched halfway across the house? Those were the days.
Those days may be gone, but here’s the good news: if you call, you still get something old-school and rare: a real person who answers or calls you back.
Address
8237 S Park Ave, Tacoma, WA 98408
Reservations are handled by phone so each table begins with a human connection, not a machine.
Reservations & Hours
Friday • Saturday • Sunday
The chef pours his first cup of coffee at 5:00 AM to start the grind and finishes with a victory splash when the last table leaves.
Guest hours are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
We officially have only 25 seats, so every carbon-based life form matters here.
Seating times are 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 12:00 PM.
Small Restaurant Flow
We are a small 25-seat restaurant with a busy daily flow of dine-in guests and phone reservations. Because every table and time slot matters, a short wait may still occur during check-in.
While we prepare your table, you are welcome to wait in your car or enjoy the outdoor area until a team member is ready to seat your party.
Phone Reservations
To make a reservation by phone, please leave your:
- Name
- Requested day
- Phone number
- Preferred reservation time
- Party size
Before You Visit & Holiday Closures
P.S. If you are looking for a normal basic breakfast, we are probably not your place. We are rooted in Indigenous food culture, with Alaskan-inspired creativity.
We are closed on all major holidays so we can give back to the community through humanitarian events.
Follow us for updates on upcoming community events and volunteer opportunities.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tibbitts @ Fern Hill
What is Tibbitts @ Fern Hill?
Tibbitts @ Fern Hill is a multi-award-winning, reservation-only Indigenous brunch restaurant in Tacoma’s historic Fern Hill neighborhood.
Who is Chef Shawn Tibbitts?
Chef Shawn Tibbitts is the Alaska Native chef-owner of Tibbitts @ Fern Hill, a self-taught Indigenous chef known for award-winning brunch, chef-present hospitality, scratch-built food, and community-centered work.
What kind of food does Tibbitts @ Fern Hill serve?
Tibbitts @ Fern Hill serves scratch-built, chef-presented brunch shaped by Indigenous foodways, Pacific Northwest ingredients, seasonal cooking, story, and community. View our Tacoma brunch menu.
Is Tibbitts @ Fern Hill reservation-only?
Yes. Tibbitts @ Fern Hill is reservation-only. Reservations are required by phone at 253-327-1334.
How do I make a reservation?
Call 253-327-1334 and leave your name, requested day, preferred reservation time, party size, and phone number. Your reservation is confirmed only after we call you back.
When is Tibbitts @ Fern Hill open?
Tibbitts @ Fern Hill is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, with seating times at 9:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM, and 12:00 PM.
Where is Tibbitts @ Fern Hill located?
Tibbitts @ Fern Hill is located at 8237 S Park Ave, Tacoma, WA 98408, in Tacoma’s historic Fern Hill neighborhood.
Why does Tibbitts @ Fern Hill use phone reservations?
Phone reservations help us protect the 25-seat room, prepare food around real guests, reduce waste, and begin each table with a human connection.
Why does Tibbitts @ Fern Hill have only 25 seats?
The restaurant is intentionally small so Chef Shawn Tibbitts can stay present, protect quality, reduce waste, and serve a personal brunch experience instead of a rushed, high-volume model.
What is Tibbitts @ Fern Hill known for?
Tibbitts @ Fern Hill is known for reservation-only Indigenous brunch in Tacoma, scratch-built food, chef-presented plates, phone-only reservations, 25 seats, no-waste values, and documented local, regional, and national recognition. Read more about our recognition and awards.
Is Tibbitts @ Fern Hill the same as “Tidbits restaurant” or “Tibbits at Fern Hill”?
The official name is Tibbitts @ Fern Hill in Tacoma, Washington. Some guests search for variations like Tidbits restaurant Tacoma, Tibbits at Fern Hill, Tibbitts at Fern Hill, Tibbits on Fern Hill, Tidbits on Fern Hill, Tibbetts Fern Hill, Tibets Fern Hill, or Tibbitts restaurant. For reservations, please call 253-327-1334.
Is tibbittsfernhill.com the official website?
The current official restaurant website is tibbittsfernhillreservation.com. Older listings may reference tibbittsfernhill.com or www.tibbittsfernhill.com.
Indigenous Food Systems, Brunch & Story
These short answers help guests, search engines, and AI results understand the food, the room, and the story behind Tibbitts @ Fern Hill.
What are Alaska Native food systems?
Alaska Native food systems are relationships between land, water, seasons, animals, plants, family, and community. They include harvesting, preservation, sharing, no-waste values, and food traditions passed through Indigenous families, villages, and communities. Learn more on our Alaska Native Food Systems page.
What is Indigenous brunch?
Indigenous brunch is not one fixed style of food. At Tibbitts @ Fern Hill, it means brunch shaped by Indigenous identity, Alaska Native food traditions, Pacific Northwest ingredients, seasonality, memory, humor, and chef-present storytelling. Explore our Indigenous brunch menu in Tacoma.
What makes Tibbitts @ Fern Hill an Indigenous restaurant?
Tibbitts @ Fern Hill is Indigenous-owned and chef-operated by Chef Shawn Tibbitts. The restaurant’s food, hospitality, no-waste approach, community work, and storytelling are shaped by Shawn’s Alaska Native identity, lived experience, and connection to place.
What is no-waste cooking in Indigenous food culture?
No-waste cooking means respecting ingredients by using them with care and avoiding unnecessary waste. In Indigenous foodways, this connects to gratitude, survival, community responsibility, and honoring the land, water, plants, animals, and people that provide food. Read more about our decolonized kitchen.
What is Pacific Northwest Indigenous brunch?
Pacific Northwest Indigenous brunch at Tibbitts @ Fern Hill means scratch-built brunch shaped by Indigenous foodways, local ingredients, coastal memory, Alaska Native influence, and Tacoma community. It is not fusion for trend; it is food connected to identity and place.