The Kite Cafe

Love this spot!!!!! New owners and it's done right 👍🏻👍🏻😍😍 yummy (gigantic) sandwiches, bowl/salads (with vegetarian options), great coffee, and then a big array of ice cream bars for the kids (but really for us too). We will certainly be regulars. Update: amazing milkshakes from the milkshake truck 🍨🥰

First time trying the new Golden Gardens spot, and we were so happy with what we found. Great, real big subs that fondly reminded us of the East Coast. There are also bowls and salads available, and ingredients are mostly local. Service was great, friendly, and efficient. Glad to find out it’s owned by two Ballard locals. Perfect beach food, go check it out.

The iced coffee lattes are good quality. The service is friendly and quick. Beautiful view of the water. What more could you ask for?

This place slaps!! I had the sunset sandwich and a latte. The sandwich was filling and worth the money! A really balanced fillings to bread ratio. Very, very satisfied. The owners were friendly and welcoming! It’s a great addition to the neighborhood.

Kite Cafe is a must-visit in Seattle! Located right on the beach, this deli offers fantastic sandwiches and top-notch coffee. The cozy, laid-back atmosphere and friendly staff make it a perfect spot to relax and enjoy the stunning ocean views. Highly recommended!

Excellent offing of hot and cold drinks as well as primo sandwiches and also icecream. Owner is a fantastic guy with a great attitude WELL worth a visit, you’ll be impressed!!!

Wonderful addition to golden gardens! Good options on menu and tasty sandwich. Love that there's espresso now. Nice people and good selection of kites to buy!

Perfect location on the beach. Cool deli case vibe with delicious sandwiches (veg options and solid GF bread)! Lots of drinks and delicious coffee.

I miss the former spot that used to be here. However, I waited nearly four months to finally stop by The Kite Cafe. It had opened on 5/23/24 right before Memorial Day. I decided to visit for a weekday lunch on this particular warm sunny day (9/16/24). Golden Gardens on a weekend summer day? Uh, no thanks. Sun & sand in Seattle is like shopping after payday at Costco. Still cringing from PTSD getting twacked by a frisbee. Easy peasy getting a nearby parking spot. Approached the entrance to The Kite Cafe, already folks outside sunning themselves before autumn hits and The Big Dark, lol. Yay, no line and beat any potential lunch rush. Welcoming person behind the counter, one of the owners, I presume. I placed an order for The Sunset: Italian meats, provolone (or can select mozzarella), lettuce, tomato, red onion, oregano, evoo & red wine vinegar. It can be prepped cold or warmed up in a panini grill. I opted for the latter. After a brief wait, I wandered off to a more scenic spot with my well wrapped sammie and napkin. No onsite indoor seating, just a few outdoor seating, concrete areas, and of course, Golden Gardens various picnic benches and tables adjacent to the paved sidewalk and beach. Sandwiches, bowls, salads, beverages, chips, and frozen treats are available for purchase. There's also beach gear available like kites, hats, sunglasses, etc. It was a nice sunny day and thankfully no errant frisbees or pesky seagulls to dodge. The plump pigeons also totally ignored me. Fine, that allowed me to fully focus on this sizeable, generous grilled sandwich. Easily shareable (or not, lol). I appreciated the double butcher paper. One encased the sliced sandwich, the other made for a makeshift tablecloth to catch most of the crumbs and shredded lettuce bits. Delicious and not overly salty from start to finish. Got a bit oily towards the end though. Glad to give it a try as my breakfast/lunch meal today. A bit pricey, with tax & tip just under $21. Paying for the overall quality, for sure. But my budget will have to stick to Jersey Mike's Italian #13. It'll be interesting how they keep or adjust their business hours during the upcoming autumn & winter months. And how they compete with Un Bien, Secret Congee, Ray's, and Anthony's also in Ballard/Shilshoe. (Edit - they posted their off season hours on 9/22/24. Closed Mon - Thurs, open only Fri, Sat & Sun) 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for this first visit.

Perfect beach stand. Excellent service in a clean space. The display showcases their homemade salads, sandwiches, and charcuterie snack box! Golden Gardens desperately needed a place like this. It's healthy, wholesome, and has a variety for everyone, including vegan and vegetarian options. There are ice cream bars, pretty much everything sourced locally, and charm. I would drive here in the winter for a Shilshole sandwich. You can't beat it!

Frequently closed when their online hours on Google, Yelp, etc claim they are open. Especially important for places where it is hard to find parking. Also this would help families plan their outings on available amenities.

I've had their sandwiches earlier in the summer and the Sunset is still a stinkin' great sandwich! Consistency is such a treat. Here's hoping the Kite Cafe sticks around.

Great food, great service, fantastic location! If you need some tasty treats for a day with a ground or a solo beach walk, they have it allllll!

This little spot on the beach is fantastic, affordable and convenient, and we got our food quickly. We stopped in here on a tidepools/beach adventure day and got lunch. The sandwiches were so good- I'm not sure what bread they use but it is phenomenal. I really enjoyed the salt & vinegar chips on my turkey sandwich, it was a taste experience I didn't know I needed and now it's a staple for me! They had a great drink selection and we really enjoyed the lemonade. They even have pouches and kids drinks! They have a large selection of ice cream bars & popsicles to cool off on a hot day. Also, they actually do sell kites! Just a great little spot and we're so glad we checked them out.

So good, happy there's a proper vendor back at Golden Gardens. We got the Shilshole and Sunset sandwiches, great flavors and texture, decent size too. Chips and avocado on Shilshole were a great contrast! They really staffed well and crushed through a sizable line with quick, efficient, friendly service. Slight price premium for beach side location, but well worth it in our opinion.

Pretty good but a tad expensive. I got two sandwiches, 3 bottles of water and a popsicle and it ran me around $50 but the sandwiches are large and very tasty so

Super friendly service and amazing drinks! I had the mint tea and I would highly recommend it. Thank you so much for the great service!!

Ordered a vanilla latte and the sunset deli-style sandwich- both were good! The service was great and the staff were very friendly. I enjoyed the ambiance of the cafe with kites on the ceiling, very cute for kiddos and in a great location with great views as well! Lastly, this cafe has gluten free bread which is great since it can be difficult to find sometimes.

People great, food amazing, then the beach all makes it perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!