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    Ampersand Cafe

    3.7 (192 reviews)
    InexpensiveCoffee & Tea, Desserts
    Closed 6:00 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Ampersand Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    AMPERSAND CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for working
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Ampersand Cafe

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    Grocery Items
    Foodie M.

    Ampersand Café is just an easy win every time. Great coffee, tasty sandwiches, awesome pastries, and they even have little grocery basics like milk when you need it. Super chill vibe, and the fact that they hand out dog treats makes it even better. Honestly the best neighborhood coffee spot on Alki.

    View from inside
    Mel E.

    Good warm mini donuts and coffee on the beach. Also, open when most places closed in the early morning. I will definitely come back.

    Outside dining area
    Vince L.

    Our family and friends made this the meeting place a day after a wedding. It was a good choice as there was many items to choose from for drink and food. The outdoor seating with the bay and beach right across the street was a bonus. We were all waited on fast and headed out to wander the beach while enjoying the last days of visiting and the event. I even stopped back by to get another cup of coffee on our way out from the area. Great local, friendly spot. Use it a lot if you live nearby!

    Delicious chunky crunchy oatmeal cookie!
    Shay K.

    Lovely coffee cafe beachside. Homemade goodies are delicious. Enjoyed couple mini donuts and a crunchy chunky oatmeal cookie. Both yummy. Had regular drip coffee, was hot and good. A lady w 2 dogs had to show me the door to order is in the back or side area... the first door is just for dropping your dishes off or sitting inside. I took my stuff to go and sat across the street beachside! Happy it was open early, I think I arrived around 7am. Definitely drop in here again !

    Iced mocha
    Jean-Charles N.

    Wasn't impressed with the iced mocha I got It was tasting mostly like a cup of milk with ice Service was fine and the indoor area was messy and seats dirty

    Ham + Cheddar Sandwich
    Ali U.

    Cute place right across from the waterfront. The food tasted pretty good, although it isn't quite worth the long wait we experienced. There was a 10-15 minute wait in line just to order, and then a 25 minute wait for the food (2 pretty basic small breakfast sandwiches like the one pictured). It doesn't seem like they're equipped to handle more than a handful of customers at a time (at least not on the day we went). So I'd recommend this place if there's no line to order or if you don't have anywhere to be/don't mind waiting. If there's a line, I'd recommend trying another nearby cafe.

    20oz earl grey/hot water
    Aubrey E.

    We were charged $8 for two cups of hot tea. The gentleman asked my husband what size he would like, and my husband said a large. They didn't mention that they would only use a larger cup with one tea bag. I guess if you are not a tea drinker, it wouldn't occur to you that essentially that's just hot water at that point. My husband also tipped them $2. So we bought two large cups of hot water for $10. Neato.

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    29 days ago

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    7 months ago

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    11 months ago

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    2 months ago

    I would recommend some sort of system where customers orders aren't lost, forgotten about, skipped or blipped. Any kind of organization.

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    7 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Great Coffee and Great peeps! if you want a great latte served by friendly staff Ampersand is the lace to go!

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Ampersand Cafe

    Does this place close at 5:30 or 7:00? I'm getting 7pm from google.

    They're transitioning to winter hours and close at 6:30.

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    Nana’s Green Tea

    Nana’s Green Tea

    4.3
    (1.7k reviews)
    4.2 mi
    $$

    Love love love!! When we arrived 30 mins before closing and…read morethere's about 40-50 ppl here with a line out the door, you know it's going to be good!!! We got a matcha float with mochi and a hojicha float with mochi. We love the hojicha better. The matcha is prob one of the better I've tasted, but not often you can find hojicha ice cream and milk tea. It was creamy and mildly sweet. So good, refreshing and satisfying! The mochi were ok. It was very bland and not sweet at all. I do prefer my mochi to have a little sweetness to them, like a sweet bite. This was like chewing a bigger non sweet boba ball. So I'd pass on the mochi here and maybe do all ice cream. If ever we're in Seattle would visit again. Update: we came here a few yrs later. The drinks were still good as ever. My husband got a frappe and loved it. We had a salmon bowl which was decent. Not something I would order again here but we were so hungry from traveling and meeting friends, we needed some food. This time no line out the door. We got a seat inside. We came in June this yr, nice weather outside but inside was super hot as they did not run the AC. They had the windows/doors open but no breeze and mosquitos were inside attacking. I can't imagine a good breeze when the cafe is wedged btw two huge buildings. It made our visit this time very stifling.

    I've had the soft serve from here before, which was pretty good, so I got the matcha parfait this…read moretime. It seems to be what they're known for. This comes in a very large cup, with layers of matcha ice cream, cornflakes, vanilla whippedd cream, and mochi at the bottom. I'll be honest that the matcha ice cream wasn't my favorite. I'm not a huge fan of matcha in general, but I have had examples where the sweetness balances with the earthiness better - and this felt like it leaned too much into the earthiness side of it. It just tasted off when mixed with everything else. What was exceptional, though, was the second and third layers. Mixing the cornflakes with the vanilla whipped cream/yogurt layer was awesome. The crunchy texture provided with the creamy vanilla flavor really worked - and it felt like what the essence of a parfait is with the textural and flavor contrast. I think I would've liked this a lot more if the top had been vanilla ice cream instead - submitting a request to have that as an option on the menu. This was pretty expensive. It cost 14 dollars for a single parfait. That's just a crazy amount. I know it's pretty big, but it's simply overpriced. Overall, it's a decent but not very practical dessert. 5.5/10

    Photos
    Bussing Station and Restroom, Complementary Water
    Bussing Station and Restroom, Complementary Water
    Black Sesame Shiratama Parfait
    Black Sesame Shiratama Parfait
    Matcha + Vanilla

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    Matcha + Vanilla
    Milk Drunk

    Milk Drunk

    4.0
    (499 reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$

    Streetfront building. Public street parking only from my understanding. Indoor and outdoor seating…read more Order at the register, they give you a number, and bring it to you when ready if you're dining in. Friendly service in a casual atmosphere! We got two chicken sandwiches - original and southern bird (a bit spicy). Both delicious and generous servings, but also be warned they're messy to eat! They cut them in half for us so they were easy to share. Much appreciated. Also got strips (comes with curly fries and your choice of two sauces). And an extra order of curly fries that def wasn't necessary for our fam of 4 (2 adults, 4 yr old, and 2 yr old). I got a white peach sangria slushie, too. Not the biggest serving, but tasty! All that ran me just over $70 including tax and small tip as of July 2026. Not a bad deal, and we came home with leftovers!

    After hearing about Milk Drunk from several people in the last few weeks, we are so glad we checked…read morethis place out! It 100% lives up to the hype- amazing double fried chicken sandwiches and even more amazing ice cream! I love the different variations of chicken sandwiches they have. We tried the original which had their delicious herbaceous green sauce/aioli and the Homer which tasted so fresh with the veggies and whipped garlic sauce that accompany the fried chicken. The curly fries are a must if you're here & looking for a savory snack. The ice cream is a must, too! We particularly loved the seasonal miso caramel and wish it wasn't only seasonal. There was a line out the door when we went on a weeknight, so I imagine a line is to be expected when you come by, but it moves very quickly as you order at the counter. You'll wait for the ice cream at the counter but if dining in, they'll bring the food when it's ready. I personally didn't mind having dessert first! There's some indoor seating and some outdoor seating. Super casual vibes. Service is pretty quick overall. And we love the convenience that it's right by the light rail station.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Fries are best when theyre curly
    Fries are best when theyre curly
    Kale salad

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    Kale salad

    Ampersand Cafe - coffee - Updated August 2026

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