BY AVERY GOODSTINE for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 7/8/2026
Come this fall, the Emerald Queen Casino and Hotel in Fife will have a bit of a facelift.
Since the spring of 2025, the casino has been undergoing a multimillion-dollar refresh, which is expected to be completed this fall. A new HVAC system, flooring, paint, artwork, and lighting are some of the changes that visitors can observe throughout the building. The hotel lobby also has undergone some upgrades, creating a cleaner, more modern look.
Some of the most anticipated changes are on the casino floor. As part of the refresh, current slot machines are being updated and new ones are being added. The EQC website states there are currently more than 2,300 slot machines at the Fife location. Some of the new games added this spring include Magic Treasures Panther, Zhao Cai Zhu Getting Piggy, Wolf Run Eclipse, Samurai Rise Kimiko, Meltdown, and Jackpot Express.
The final phase of the renovations has begun and will continue to focus on bringing exciting updates to the casino floor. For the first time ever, the EQC Fife location will have table games, including roulette, blackjack, and Ultimate Texas Hold ’Em.
The Tatoosh Grill is also getting a refresh as some new menu items have been added. Tatoosh offers an intimate dining experience with tantalizing international dishes and breathtaking views of Mount Tahoma.
The grill is open for breakfast Friday through Sunday from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. with a menu that focuses on the classics. They serve New York steak and eggs, a classic eggs Benedict, brioche French toast, waffles, pancakes, chicken-fried steak, and a simple collection of omelets: the farmer’s choice, made with bacon, sausage, ham, cheese, spinach, tomato, caramelized onions, and scallions; the Denver omelet, made with ham, cheese, sautéed bell peppers, and onions; or the veggie omelet, with cheese, bell peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, sliced black olives, onion, and spinach.
The lunch menu, served daily from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., offers classic Asian dishes like pot stickers, shrimp wontons, and an Asian chicken salad, as well as other salads, burgers, sandwiches, and pastas.
For dinner, served from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 4 p.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, there are more seafood options, including shrimp fra diavolo and a lobster tail.
Both the lunch and dinner menus have a dedicated “Chinese Cuisine” section with comforting flavors of kung pao chicken, sweet and sour pork, garlic fried chicken, General Tso’s chicken, and much more.
Some of the new menu additions include fried chicken, a meatball baguette sandwich, and the double-stack smash burger. The fried chicken and smash burger are available during lunch and dinner. The meatball sandwich is for lunch only.
The casino and hotel will remain open while the refresh finishes up. Changes have been completed in phases so as to minimize any possible guest disruption.
EQC Fife was originally a Best Western Hotel and Conference Center before the Puyallup Tribe transformed it into a casino and hotel in the early 2000s. Since opening, this is the largest round of renovations the hotel and casino have seen.
The building’s history lends itself to a completely different style and feel than what the Tacoma location provides. While these renovations will bring an updated feel and exciting additions to the gambling experience, they will keep the same approachable feel that guests know and love.
About EQC Fife
Located at 5700 Pacific Highway East, EQC Fife has 100 hotel rooms, a 25,000-square-foot event space and ballroom, and two restaurants: Paradise Deli and Tatoosh Grill.
The Fife ballroom offers 5,603 square feet of event space and accommodates up to 550 in theater-style seating, a banquet for 400, or a classroom setting to hold 240. Or, it can be divided into five individual rooms for a more intimate setting.
The 2,236-square-foot Chinook Room is a great choice for gatherings of 80 to 200 guests. It’s a popular spot for events ranging from wedding receptions to corporate parties. The Coho space can act as a classroom space for up to 65 people or can be arranged theater-style for 150 guests. For a conference space ideal for 60 to 140 guests, the Sockeye Room is a good option. The Chinook, Coho, and Sockeye spaces can be combined to fit most needs, with 3,367 to 4,012 square feet of combined space. Lastly, conference rooms A and B provide more than 600 square feet of event space. The space is large enough to accommodate up to 40 seats in theater-style and banquet-style seating, or a classroom setting for 30.
The Paradise Deli at EQC Fife offers a relaxed dining experience with classic favorites. The deli is open from 6 a.m. to 3 a.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday through Sunday. Breakfast is served Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. with breakfast sandwiches and burritos. They also serve pizza, a variety of subs, soups, salads, hot dogs, cakes, pies, pastries, and espresso drinks.
With Fife being the smaller of the two EQC locations, if players are searching for a larger, Vegas-style experience, the Tacoma location is just a few miles down the road.
“This renovation reflects our continued investment in the Fife property while preserving the smaller, familiar feel that regular guests appreciate,” wrote an EQC spokesperson. “EQC Fife continues to serve loyal locals while giving new visitors more reasons to stop in, especially with refreshed amenities, new slots, updated dining, and table games on the way. These updates help position EQC Fife as a refreshed, full-service gaming destination within the EQC brand.”
