⭐ ABOUT THE CHEF — SHAWN TIBBITTS

Chef • 30+ Years of Professional Cooking • Owner of Tibbitts@FernHill

Chef Shawn Tibbitts’ culinary journey began long before professional titles or recognition. From a young age, he learned to cook with intention, intuition, and respect for ingredients—values that carried him through every kitchen he stepped into. Cooking became his grounding force, a space where creativity met discipline and where feeding others felt like purpose.

Over the past three decades, Chef Tibbitts worked throughout the Pacific Northwest in hotels, casinos, country clubs, golf courses, fine-dining rooms, and high-volume breakfast kitchens. He mastered every major station—sauté, grill, seafood, pasta, garde manger, banquets—and built a reputation for speed, consistency, and soul-driven cooking. His training came from real life, real pressure, and real kitchens, not culinary school.

Those years eventually led him to open Tibbitts@FernHill, a small neighborhood restaurant built on heart, hospitality, and the belief that great food doesn’t require a large kitchen. With just two burners, he cooks with the same discipline and fire he carried through the biggest operations he’s worked in, proving that intention matters more than equipment.

His cooking today reflects:

A lifetime of hands-on experience
Pacific Northwest culinary roots
Comfort-forward dishes shaped by fine-dining technique
A commitment to community and cultural respect

In November 2025, Chef Tibbitts served as Guest Chef for Seattle Children’s Hospital’s Indigenous Food Program—an experience that strengthened his dedication to creating food with meaning, identity, and connection.

Chef Shawn also embraces his ADHD as part of what makes his cooking style unique. The fast-moving, high-focus energy he brings to the kitchen drives his creativity and his ability to manage multiple elements at once. He believes cooking should be accessible at every level, and he practices waste-controlled, thoughtful food-cost management while feeding people from all backgrounds and cultures.

Today, Chef Shawn is living his biggest dream: cooking every day, sharing food that comes from the heart, honoring where he came from, and still having fun while doing it.

Today, Chef Shawn Tibbitts stands as a rising voice for Indigenous cuisine, community-driven cooking, and the belief that great food starts with great heart.

Mother Touch

A Mother’s Influence

Shawn’s mother, Marcella, didn’t teach him how to cook—she joked she could burn water. They grew up poor, and meals were simple, but her strength, love, and determination gave Shawn everything he needed to fight his way forward. Even though she never taught him recipes, she taught him heart. When Marcella passed unexpectedly, it changed everything. Today, Shawn honors her memory through the warmth, resilience, at Tibbitts@FernHill.

My yearly Mother’s Day tradition was even featured by FOX13 Seattle, sharing how I honor my mom by closing the restaurant to feed our community.
Watch the story here:
https://www.q13fox.com/news/small-tacoma-restaurant-owner-closes-door-on-mothers-day-to-feed-folks-experiencing-hard-times

Brothers Love

A Brother’s Love
In loving memory of my brother, Michael Wayne Tibbitts.
He was more than family – he was my friend, my supporter, I lost him on February 21st 2025 Love you Bro

We grew up with very little, but Michael always found a way to bring laughter, light, and love into the room. Losing him changed me forever, and a piece of everything I do in this restaurant is dedicated to him.

This tribute is for everyone who has lost someone they love and is still finding a way to keep going, keep giving, and keep honoring their memory.

Watch the tribute video for Michael on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/tibbittsfernhill/p/DGWDPmXyhWg/

The Tibbitts@Fernhill Experience

What To Expect

Behind the Scenes!

I believe 100% in creativity. I was born with ADHD and a mild form of autism, and my brain doesn’t cook “normal.”
So I built a brunch restaurant that matches that energy:
Not a normal restaurant — everything is personal, loud with flavor, and cooked to order.

“People ask me how I keep up with food trends, and I smile and tell them,

I believe 100% in creativity. I was born with ADHD and a mild form of autism, and my brain doesn’t cook “normal.”
So I built a brunch restaurant that matches that energy:
Not a normal restaurant — everything is personal, loud with flavor, and cooked to order.

“People ask me how I keep up with food trends, and I smile and tell them, I don’t.
I’m just me. This is what the Creator gave me, and I’m blessed to be here.
They ask if I want a bigger kitchen, but the answer is no — less is more.
Look at what’s been built with so little. I’ve worked in big kitchens.
What I have now is enough. I’m grateful.”

Zero-waste mindset — we respect ingredients and do our best not to waste.
Reservations only — every seat matters in a 25-seat room.

If you love food, stories, and a little chaos-in-a-good-way, you’ll probably feel right at home here.

Show Less

My Kitchen
NO CROSS CONTAMINATION
NO DEEPFRYER
NO GRILL
NO FLAT TOP
NO MICROWAVE
100% CLEAN SOURCE

Behind the Scenes!

Tiny kitchen, huge ideas — I cook on #2burners1oven

welcome to My Happy Place

TribalStorytelling

Tribal Story Telling Dinners

As Children Growing up we Would love to Hear Stories!!! #genetagaban He is an Alaskan Native Like Myself and Gifted Tribal Storyteller with many Wonderful Spiritual Experiences !!!! We are Gonna Host another Story Telling Dinner Yes ill be cooking more of my Cultures Foods Yay... While He Tells you Stories of our Alaskan Heritage I Only Have 22 seats I Thank you For Supporting our Culture and Can't wait to see you Yay we dont stop experience passion tacoma. washington, tacoma restaurants native Proud good energy alaskan natives culture #proud #myroots tribal storytelling spiritua lhealing Haida #Aleut #yupik

Tibbitts@FernHill Menu | Tacoma Brunch and Breakfast

Brunch Favorites

Chef-driven Tacoma brunch favorites crafted by Alaskan Native Chef Shawn Tibbitts, featuring scratch-made dishes with bold Indigenous-inspired flavors.

LOBSTER BOMB

CHAMPAGNE-SOAKED LOBSTER, MIXED GREENS, FENNEL, SHERRY SCRAMBLED CAGE FREE EGGS, ROASTED YUKON GOLD POTATO, LEMONY HOLLANDAISE, CANDIED BACON, AVOCADO, IN A TOASTED SOURDOUGH BREAD BOWL

“CAN BE GLUTEN FREE IF ORDERED AS LOBSTER FRITTATA”

$26

SALTED CARAMEL BANANA PANCAKE

HOUSE MADE PANCAKE BATTER, CHOCOLATE, BANANAS, COCOA POWDER, 100% PURE MAPLE SYRUP, MARSCAPONE CHEESE, WHIPPED CREAM, POWDERED SUGAR

PAN SEARED ADAMS TINY 8 EGG MUSHROOM OMELETTE

PAN SEARED MUSHROOMS, ONIONS, PEPPERS, SQUASH, MIXED GREENS, BRIE CHEESE, TOPPED WITH A LEMON THYME CREAM SERVED WITH HERB ROASTED POTATOES

Seasonal Brunch Menu

Tibbitts@FernHill presents a rotating selection of brunch specials inspired by Indigenous flavors and local Tacoma ingredients. Crafted by Alaskan Native Chef Shawn Tibbitts, these dishes highlight seasonal creativity and scratch-made excellence.

KEY LIME FRENCH TOAST “BREAD PUDDING STYLE” W/ CANDIED BACON

Lemons, limes, cream, eggs, 100% pure maple syrup, whipped cream, powdered sugar, topped with crème anglaise and vanilla bean ice cream.

HERB-ROASTED CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Roasted chicken, mixed greens, carrots, celery, red onions, and peas in an herbed thickened bone broth over dumplings, topped with an egg crepe.

HASH IT OUT

Candied bacon, reindeer sausage, Honey's Hempler ham, peppers, onions, pepper jack cheese, mixed greens, herb-roasted potatoes, thick herbed gluten-free reindeer sausage gravy, scrambled eggs

SMOKED SALMON QUICHE

Smoked salmon, capers, red peppers, onions, pepper jack, cream eggs, baked, topped with a lemon dill Mornay cream, served with herb-roasted potatoes.

Reservations Only

➤ Indigenous-Owned Brunch & Chef-Driven Dining in Tacoma

Video

Fed The Masses

Community Work

Award-Winning Tacoma Brunch