Ampersand Cafe on Alki

A very pleasant little cafe--I ordered chai tea and a bagel sandwich, and I was not disappointed with either. It was not the best food I have had in seattle, and the space inside is rather cramped, but the day was dreary and drenched, and I simply wanted a warm place to go and eat and gather my thoughts. This place absolutely provided that. West Seattle has many cafes situated along the beach catering to tourists, as it seems that West Seattle as a whole has at least as many tourists looking for a calm nautical escape as it does every day residents. If you are here for the day and simply want a space to escape from the rain, I recommend coming here.

All in all unimpressed. I wanted to grab a nice cup of coffee on a cool rainy Seattle afternoon. Did some looking around for a coffee shop that is open later in the day with indoor seating, and real coffee mugs available for dine in customers. Apparently Ampersand is not currently allowing indoor seating (or even anyone entering the building) and it looks like it’s been that way for some time. When I ordered I asked if coffee mugs were available and was told no. I got my coffee and went and sat outside. Less than 5 min later I was told they were closing and needed to lock up the chairs. I asked if they realized that Google shows that they are open until 5 pm and was told they are short staffed. (It was 3pm) Coffee wasn’t bad but definitely not the experience I was looking for. So much for that

Ampersand has one of the worst COVID hangovers in all of Seattle. And that's saying something... I used to come here every day when I lived down the street in 2018. Now I come by occasionally for the nostalgia. Service is weird. They blocked off 1/2 the restaurant during COVID and never reopened it. So it's a really weird experience, ordering at one door and walking in another to sit. Then there's strange stuff like grocery items for sale. Management --- I love this coffee shop. Like 3 hours of cleaning up unk laying around, old signs, etc and a little time spent rearranging the dining space back to the welcoming cozy thing it used to be and I bet you'd do much better business.

I came in today and had an awful experience. I witnessed an older man shouting and even cussing out a young female employee in front of staff and customers with the door open. This was immensely inappropriate, I never want to see conflict handled like that again. How dare you use your power like that to bully and belittle others.

Nice location on Alki. The best thing they have going for them is the view. Coffee wasn't great and it took close to an hour for my sandwich to come out. Staff said that someone else took our order ( it happens, I get it ) but then it took another 40 mins for them to remake the order. All in all, pretty disappointed and probably wouldn't return.

Delicious coffee and the Bacon Biscuit and Hawaiian breakfast sandwich were both SO GOOD. Perfect destination for a morning walk from the water taxi pier.

I have enjoyed every visit! Great coffee, tasty food, and a ton of really good sandwich options. I love that this cafe has small pastries AND actual sandwiches - everything you need! They also have a really large drink menu, with tons of special drinks, syrups, and alternative milks. I enjoyed an Oahu Coconut Cold Brew, and my partner had a Salted Caramel Breve. I love stopping here any time I am at the beach!

It's one of my favorite places to visit once a week. The iced vanilla brown sugar is tasty and gives me the caffeine I need for a tough day. My favorite snack is their Macrina bakery cinnamon roll. Since I live nearby, I've seen the bakery deliver early in the morning. It's a popover type of cinnamon roll (not the classic sticky kind), but it's turned into one of my favorites! There's just enough frosting to pair with the yeast, sweet roll. Mmmhhh. For ordering, you go to the door at the back. For pick up, you go inside the cafe area when you hear your name. I appreciate this separation because their lines can get long, and the dining room would get crowded. They open all the windows on sunny and rainy days (closed when it's cold), so you can enjoy the air and salty breeze. I highly recommend coming early in the morning before the crowd hits to enjoy your coffee with a view.