****NOTE: This review was done prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Of course, things are much different at the moment, but we hope things will get back to normal soon and hope you will continue to support these local businesses****

Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery

Recommended by: We stopped in for coffee at Caffe Fiore, which only has pastries. We asked if they could recommend a place close by that served heartier breakfasts. There were three people working there and they kinda gawked at each other and had no answer. A customer overhead our conversation and piped up, “There’s a cafe across the street that has really good breakfast sandwiches. I think it’s called Alison’s”.

Description on the Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery’s website: To provide high quality scratch baked goods, coffee and eats for the people of Seattle.  At the same time serving the community of Ballard and mentoring teens as employees and leaders in their schools and communities. We don’t serve seafood…we just LOVE the Coast and it makes us feel at home.  So our space is your space and we want you to feel at home!

Neighborhood/Type:  Ballard 

Address: 5404 Leary Ave NW Seattle WA 98107 

What we ate/drank: Bacon Waffle Sandwich – Buttermilk bacon waffle, stacked with avocado, fried egg, cheddar and spinach, Cinnamon Roll, Famous Sandwich – House biscuit, egg, spinach, cheddar,, sausage, B.E.C.A. – Bacon, Egg, Cheddar, Avocado on house bread.

The owner of  Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery started out as a caterer prior to opening a brick and mortar in the Summer of 2014.  They are open everyday for breakfast, which makes them a rare option in Seattle on weekdays.  They have normal sandwiches that they start serving at 11:00, home made bakery items(scones, cookies, banana bread, cinnamon rolls) and take-home items like quinoa salad, lasagna, fruit salad, burritos. But we believe their real specialty is their breakfast options, specifically their breakfast sandwiches.

Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery is made up of a small outdoor seating area and an assorted mixture of tables and chairs inside. There’s definitely a beach/ocean vibe with octopus and starfish prints with walls painted sea foam blue. A print out on the wall says the Oregon coast is the inspiration.  Pictures and information about the staff is a nice touch, especially if you’re a regular.

The mish mosh of furniture and themed décor definitely creates a very laid back and comfort feel to the café. The kids nook in the corner was definitely an area we appreciated when we brought our 9 month and 2.5 year old with us. There’s also an impressive collection of cake photos which I assume is from the catering side of the owner. If so, it’s quite remarkable.

Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery serve their breakfast dishes all day long and everything is made in house, which is pretty impressive because there’s a wide variety of options-baked goods, prepped to go meals and to order meals. They use Lighthouse Roasters  for their coffee.

We’ve been to Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery a few times and each time it appears there’s been some training going on. I’m not sure if this lead to orders taking a bit longer, but our orders did take a tad longer to make than expected during our multiple visits. This is definitely where the kid’s nook and ordering a cinnamon roll to start definitely helped.

Everything we ordered was delicious including the cinnamon roll, but the best by far was the Bacon Waffle Sandwich. Instead of using regular bread or a biscuit, waffles are used. The buttermilk waffles are fluffy and airy with bits of bacon in it and it’s such a unique presentation that we’ve not seen anywhere else. It includes avocado, fried egg, cheddar and spinach.

The Famous Sandwich, which is a house biscuit with egg, spinach, cheddar and a choice of meat, in this case sausage, is sufficiently good. But when compared to Morsel and Biscuit and Bean, who both have very similar biscuit sandwiches at slightly lower prices, it’s hard to not place this sandwich a distance 3rd.

The B.E.C.A. sandwich is made up of bacon, egg, cheddar and avocado on house bread. How can you go wrong with runny egg yolk mixed with cheese, bacon and avocado in between toasted house made bread? This hit the spot.

Summary: Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery is a nice comfortable café. Due to its size it’s probably not a good option for larger groups, but definitely a good option for take out.  We saw many food delivery drivers come in to pick up meals while we were there. The breakfast options we’ve tried are very good, but a bit on the expensive side for what you get. It’s an ideal spot for early risers in Ballard who want more than just a pastry with their coffee.  A quick search shows that Alison’s Coastal Cafe & Bakery is the only breakfast option at 7:30 on weekdays in downtown Ballard area south of NW Market Street.  We will be back and we’ve got our eye on the Cinnamon Roll French Toast.

Ratings:

Atmosphere: 4.00

Service: 4.25

Food/Drinks: 4.50

Bang for the Buck: 4.25

Overall: 4.25

Locals Only Factor: “Locals Only” grading-We’ll assign a grading as to how “local” a place is.

• • Well known or Touristy. Most locals don’t go there unless they have business dinners or visitors in town.
  • Most locals know about it
  • Locals “in the know” know about it
  • Only those who live close by know about it.
  • You’re in on the secret. Don’t tell anybody!

Related Articles:

• Our Top 15 Best Seattle Dishes of 2018 (Part 1)
• Viretta Park (aka Kurt Cobain Park)
• Part 4 – Best Seattle Coffee Shops to Impress Visitors, Impress Visiting Coffee Snobs, Make Visitors Feel Like Locals.
• Seattle Food Wars