Lox sandwich was delicious. Morning glory muffin was perfectly moist with just the right level of…read morecrunch on the top. Came for our anniversary breakfast. I've never been before. I highly recommend it. The menu is small but food is good and several interesting coffee/latte choices.

Underwhelming brunch. Service was good but food was decidedly 'meh'…read more Had high hopes for a tasty Valentine's Day brunch and left disappointed. As said the service was fine but the food - hearth roasted mushroom frittata and breakfast burrito - was decidedly bland and under seasoned. Frittata was covered with an excessive mound of arugula. While peppery, it's asking a lot of arugula to carry/cover for a bland unseasoned water bath baked egg concoction with minimal caramelized onions and flavorless mushrooms. Desperately needs some herbs, garlic or strong cheese, some crisp edges... something. A side of chicken apple sausage was just okay. Breakfast burrito was disappointing in its own ways. Tortilla was gelatinously clinging together as if it had been prepared in advance, then reheated, and covered in what was called salsa but was more akin to basic excessively mild tomato enchilada sauce. The carnitas pork was unseasoned and dry. Potatoes were soft and lacking a crisp element that would have helped immensely. The only place salt seemed to show up was in the salted maple latte and in that it was a bit heavy. Likely not stopping back anytime soon.

Wow, what an awesome surprise it was to discover this place. I regret not having done so sooner…read more Went on a Sunday evening to meet family friends. Sat outside in a beautiful covered space with plenty of heaters and enjoyed the rain tapping on the roof while dining. The service was amazing, friendly, willing to answer questions, all you could ever want. But, the star of the show was absolutely the food. Starting with the birria tacos that immediately stirred up memories of my times in CanCun when I was younger. I will be going back for lunch this week just to have those tacos again. The rest of our party had ribs, steak, sliders, pasta, and oysters, everything was perfect. High quality ingredients, perfectly cooked, well balanced flavors, some delicious twists.. 10/10 WILL go again.

My compliments to the kitchen. Our Valentines brunch was excellent. Five courses of decadent…read moreCaviar, lobster, and duck was hard to beat. While our server was knowledgeable and attentive, it seemed that management couldn't figure out how to turn down the musak. You'd expect a lower volume for a romantic drawn out lunch.... But noooo. Nearly $1k for a headache.

Previous review was from 2018 and this updated one was for a brunch visit back on 9/8/24…read more Since this remains a popular north end destination, pro tip - best to have reservations. Service was notably much more welcoming, the interior & vibe remained on point. The College Friend and birthday celebrant went all out and had the Fried Chicken Sandwich with fries. Notable was that the sizable chicken filet was both buttermilk and pickle juice brined. I opted for the buttermilk pancakes with a blueberry peach compote and a side of Hempler bacon. The fruit compote was so delicious, the maple syrup was a bit of an afterthought. So contrary to my previous review, I did return albeit 6.5 years later. And props to them, compared to other greater Seattle spots that have shuttered, The Guest House seems to have staying power in Kenmore.

We went during what we thought was brunch time (11am on Sunday) and were surprised that...there…read moreisn't any brunch? Apparently they "stopped doing that" in September, which was unclear from their website or Yelp reviews/pics, and it wasn't just me--the table next to me asked their server the same thing. My friend and I got brunch-y drinks (mimosa, spicy Bloody Mary), and then each got one of the only two items on the menu that had eggs (shakshuka and a breakfast sandwich). While I can't comment on the shakshuka, the breakfast sandwich had thick bread that was toasted a bit too much and wrecked the roof of my mouth. The drinks were good but the sandwich + a mimosa set me back $30 before tip so I don't think I'll be coming back again--certainly not during "brunch" time!

What a find! Everything about our dinner at The Cottage was 5-star. Our server Peter was top-notch,…read moreand the live music by Lyle created the perfect vibe, acoustic songs you can sing along to without being so loud you can't talk. The Food: The broccoli cheddar soup is a must-try (so unique!), and the hazelnut prawns were magnificent. My husband loved his cod - it was incredibly buttery. Don't skip the cheesecake and French press coffee! The Bonus: Even the bathrooms are impressive! Roomy, private single stalls that are clean and stocked with breath mints. It's those little details that make this place a gem. We will definitely be back!

The cottage is one of my favorite brunch spots! I have tried to many dishes and they're all…read moreconsistently great. They also have tons of cocktail options too. This particular day we got to sit next to the fireplace in the big comfy chairs. It has such a warm and cozy atmosphere. They do also have outside covered dining as well with heaters in case it isn't warm outside. My personal fav is the eggs Benedict on a CROISSANT! The quiche is also a favorite go to with a little side salad for balance. BIG Shout out to Michelle! She is 5/5 on service and made our experience so much fun. Perfect spot for weekend brunch when you want to slow down and enjoy your weekend!

I have been eating here for years now, as I'm obsessed with the bookstore. Absolutely love the…read moreplace. This is the most popular food vendor in the store as it is located right in the front of the building. Way better than Starbucks. They serve Victrola coffee here. My favorite is their London Fog latte. They also have some good food options. You can get breakfast of course. Grab one of their many pastries and/or breakfast sandwiches. You can also grab lunch, as they have many sandwich, salad, and soup of the day options. My favorite food items are the deluxe croissant and the meat pie. One the negative, I will say that they have raised the prices on many of their items. The meat pies have gone up to almost 8 bucks for one, so I stopped buying it. As far as their baked goods, there are other better bakeries out here. The team is really good at making the items appealing and pretty, but once you taste it, you might be underwhelmed or even disgusted. My mom and I shared a slice of their black and white cake and we quickly realized that they use shortening for frosting. My mom and I both cook/bake, so we instantly knew once we tasted it. We decided to eat around the shortening and only ingest the cake. After we ate the cake, we were left with solid blocks of shortening, and realized that the cake to shortening ratio was way off. It was actually disgusting. If you like to munch on sweetened saturated fat, then you will like this cake. I would never order one from here knowing what they use to make their frosting. I will stick to my London Fog and other favorites.

I've been getting coffee here daily for years and always loved it. I probably spend $400 a month at…read morethis dang place. My brother, who also lives and works in the area, tells me constantly how awful the customer service is there when you order food- to the point where he refuses to go. I'm celiac and can't eat anything over there so I hadn't ever experienced what I did today. Today we're at the bookstore together and I decided we need to make a coffee stop. My brother, Loren, orders a sandwich. He says he needs it to go. Person at the register is pleasant enough. I order a coffee separately and am quickly served. We wait a bit for the sandwich, and we finally go up to the counter after maybe ten minutes and see the same sandwich he ordered sitting in a basket. It has a ticket on it that says "Owen." Easy mistake, really. He says, "Is this maybe Loren's?" And the person behind the counter immediately snaps "it says Owen." Okay. So we wait a few more minutes. We're now 15 minutes out and several people who ordered after us are served. He steps up and say "hey, I ordered a BLTA on sourdough for Loren, I think it may have been put in under Owen, but-" and before he can finish his thought they snap back at him again "it's probably yours because this one hasn't been picked up." At this point he's like, "okay, I ordered mine to go- could I-" and the girl behind the counter slams a box on the counter and says "here's a box." And turns away. I'm annoyed, because while I understand we have inconvenienced you, who is standing here chatting with an off-duty coworker for 30 minutes, we literally did nothing to deserve the attitude. Loren scoops the sandwich out of the basket and puts it into the box and this girl has the nerve to turn around and say "dirty dishes go behind you at the service bar." Oh, so now we have to bus YOUR hand-off bar, too? No sorry, no thank you, not even the offer to box up his food or put away the freaking basket. Is it because Loren is very clearly not white? Or is it because this lady today had a bad day and took it out on someone for interrupting her mid-shift gossip about how the mall security is full of idiots who don't do their job? Go ahead and take a gamble and let me know, because I won't be back.

Good service, tasty food, good portion size, pleasant atmosphere…read more Had the club sandwich with fries. Delicious!

Kind service. Very busy and packed with families. Service was very fast once seated. Portions felt…read morea bit small, but was enough. Hollandaise for eggs Benedict was a bit sour and English muffin was a bit soggy fast, so didnt love that but overall decent. Lox bagel served with a salad which was a nice touch. Lots of lox given. Love that you can sub potatoes for grilled or sautéed veggies.

The pizza here is delicious. I like the beer selection. The waitress in the bar is very welcoming…read moreand friendly.

So I don't think I've been to a restaurant where there's a 3.5% surcharge because the restaurant…read moredoesn't pay their staff enough? Is that the reason? I honestly don't get it, but I still tipped above 15% for the service regardless. Service was very attentive, so I do feel they deserve a reasonable tip. But if the restaurant needs the customer to help them pay for their staff with this added surcharge to the bill, then maybe it's better for the staff to find a better job. Seems strange to me. But anyways, regardless, I enjoyed the food quite a bit. I'm usually a pretty tough critique on Italian food since it's one of my favorite cuisines. So for me to say the food is good should say a lot. I got their chicken risotto and I was impressed by it. I also got an opportunity to try some of their pizza and the crust was done very well. Not a floppy pizza. They have a proper pizza oven for baking it. Very good! The restaurant atmosphere feels quite high end. Great for date night, business dinners, or a fancy family meal. The restaurant did feel a bit crowded and tight though. Especially with how busy it was. I honestly think this place has great food. I just hope the staff gets paid enough. Like, I'll tip! Just don't have me pay for what the employer should be paying them. Just have me pay them for their great service.

There was a long line when I arrived around 10am on a Thursday. So if you're in a hurry either take…read moreadvantage of their online ordering or plan a head. They do have a restroom, plenty of seating outside, kinda limited seating inside. They do have a wide array of offerings. I got the spinach and feta quiche with a strawberry matcha. The spinach quiche was really good. I thoroughly enjoyed that. My strawberry matcha was not too sweet (I usually ask for everything half sweet and did not this time). The staff were friendly. Prices are reasonable for this day and age. I sat outside and enjoyed the sun! It's a great place to hang out, probably not great for groups unless you sit outside. Dogs are not allowed inside, so tie them up or have a buddy watch them while you go inside. Parking is street or under an apartment complex near by. Not sure if you pay or validate inside those apartment retail parking garages because I parked along the side streets. Park Mobile is the app you use to pay for parking. I paid about $4 ish for an hour. Overall, if I'm in the area and got the time to hangout, it's a cute place to do so.

Minimal seating, and when you finally get a seat all the tables are so wobbly. Pictured is my $9…read morecoffee 10 secs after sitting down, make sure not to touch your table or risk wasting ur drink. Parking in the area is also $4/hr. The Coffee tasted fine but I was still bitter from only having half Also there key system for there bathrooms sucks. There was a wait of 3 ppl for the bathroom when I got there and took about 30min. It was the perfect storm to make me never want to come back

The cafe was bustling with patrons. I was able to get a seat at the counter on a very comfortable…read morestool. The menu was vast, with so many traditional as well as creative options. The plentiful amount of food was perfectly and beautifully prepared and served. The wait staff of only two waitresses managed the never-ending crowd with cheerful grace and impressive skill. It was art in motion. I am glad I stopped in for a late breakfast. If you are craving a traditional cafe experience with delicious food, large portions and friendly, capable staff, this is the spot.

I love Jay's Cafe, it's a cute local spot that's well loved by Kenmore locals. The portions are…read morehuge and there's a nice menu with good breakfast and lunch options. They have nice coffee with quick refills, a good variety of hot sauces, and friendly service. I recommend the omelets! And my boyfriend liked his Philly dip sandwich.

This old, family owned bakery is just across the street and is fantastic. They offer a huge…read moreselection of savory croissants, buttery sweet croissants, many small cakes and petit fors. They usually have both chocolate and cream cannolis as well as various cookies, donuts and sweet rolls. They have a daily bread that changes often as well as some standards. You can also order cakes and pies with normally one to two day notice. They serve coffee and espresso drinks as well. They are very customer friendly.

I bought a birthday cake here last week. This bakery has been a family favorite for years…read moreespecially for the danishes. I didn't have time to do my usual birthday cake option so I went with Hillcrest this time. It's the first cake I've had there. There was a line out the place but they had 3 staff members working and they were cheerful. I scored because I got the last small cake and it was Oreo. I love frosting and it was good but it dried up by the second day. The only other thing I would change would be to have more cake so it evens out the balance of cake to frosting ratio.