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Ada's Technical Books and Cafe

4.6 (326 reviews)
Updated over 3 months ago

Ada's Technical Books and Cafe Photos

Business Info

ADA'S TECHNICAL BOOKS AND CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Classy
Casual
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Ada's Technical Books and Cafe

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Christopher T.

Definitely a place to check out or just want to relax, chill. I came here is I'm leaving right behind the bookstore and didn't expected this to be a cool chill place. The smell of new books and the coffee just make you want to relax and grab a book and chill. The do phase a coffee place here so come by check out the book and grab a cook of coffee and enjoy it.

Jessica S.

What a cool spot. They have plenty of seating for socializing or working/studying. But it can get full during popular times. The coffee was delicious and the food was good time. We grabbed some breakfast on a Saturday morning and it was good! Shopped around the books and even ended up buying a cute card game. Not the biggest selection of fiction books but lots of niche technical books that were fun to explore.

Store front
Vanessa L.

Ada's has been on my list for a long time and was happy to finally visit on Independent Bookstore Day. They have a huge selection of technical books, but a small variety of fiction and biography books. The ambiance is so cute. Back area is for those who want to relax and work/study, while the front is for those who want to hang out and eat/drink coffee. Back room is definitely a bit quiet. When youre back there, the sound from the front doesnt seem as distracting. Rating on their coffee, it tasted great. Tried one of their seasonals, Lavendar Haze and it was very light and airy. Bold in lavender flavor. Overall, I will definitely come back if I am in the area and want to just relax and read or find a place to work without any distractions.

Cappucino
Jillian L.

I came here to meet up with friends and it was easy to find a table at 9am on Monday (holiday) but it got pretty busy by 10am. There were a lot of seating options to choose from, and outdoor seating if it wasn't raining. I got a cappuccino and it was pretty good but expensive ($7+).. I guess typical Seattle prices these days. The barista was quick and friendly, and I spent most of my morning there. I liked that they double as a book shop, they stick to the technical theme of their name and have cute bookmarks to pick up! It's got high ceilings and lots of light.

Vivian O.

Ada's is such a hidden gem in north cap hill! I've been several times and have always enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. It's such a good place to go when you want to wind down and take yourself on a solo date. With that said, I have also seen people bring their laptops and study here! I remember liking their sweet cream latte ($7) but I had to continuously mix the foam that kept settling on top! They are also one of the few places I know that are tip-free which is really cool. There is such a good selection of books but every time I come here I have slowly made my way through The Cruel Prince! If you're stuck in a reading rut, definitely pick up this book or browse the rest of the cafe :)

Puzzles
Diana C.

Food - super good! I loved the burrito and the ra-ra-ras poutine! All the food is vegetarian and most can be made vegan. The drinks were also pretty fantastic with a lot of house made syrups and unique flavors. Would definitely come here again just for the drinks and food. Service - they seem a bit understaffed but they were working their bums off. Everything came out in a reasonable time frame. They have buzzers for food but call out drinks at the counter. Ambiance - you probably come for the ambiance here in particular. It's a really cool concept. Not a lot of space to sit but basically like a cafe in the midst of a book store, which is lovely! They do have outside seating when the weather is nice too.

Breakfast burrito
Brooke A.

This is a gorgeous bookstore cafe tucked away in north Capitol Hill. It's spacious and offers great food and drink options. I had a breakfast burrito which was a great size and tasted delicious! It was definitely more substantial than your typical cafe food options. I also loved the decor here. There are of course walls of books but also cool tech-y pieces like glass tables with mini computers inside. There are puzzles for your work breaks, and I even saw signs for weekday events in the space.

Two orange crush lattes, one Malabar tea, and one Elphaba (green)
Utsa S.

Simply amazing. Drinks and ambiance is 10/10. We also sat there a while and there were close outlets which makes it a good working spot

Breakfast burrito and specialty seasonal latte
Mar D.

One of the best pumpkin spice lattes I've had & scratch made (something I value)! The food was good too! I've been here twice.

Cafe
Connie Z.

This is the perfect blend between bookstore and cafe! The food is great and priced fairly. Although the drinks are a bit hit or miss. I don't recommend their matcha...

Awesome
Tiffany T.

We were looking for a quick bite in the neighborhood before starting our day and found Ada's via Yelp. It's a very cute and quaint place that I wanted to love, but it just didn't hit the mark for me. I tried the Hawt Pocket - bonus points for vegan! However it was a bit bland, and the dough was thick. I'm not sure if we went on an off day, but service was extremely slow and not that friendly - the employee seemed miserable and never cracked a smile, and my friend waited a solid 10+ minutes for his iced latte. It's a cute spot, I just wouldn't recommend the hawt pocket!

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11 years ago

40 minutes to get a take-out coffee! C'mon guys! Perhaps your barista shouldn't also be a table service waiter? Perhaps?

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Danielle H.

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Page 6 of 9

Ask the Community - Ada's Technical Books and Cafe

Does this place have air conditioning?

yes, was just there saturday

Does anyone know if Ada uses Square or anything for their point of sale system?

We use Revel, which is a tablet based Point of Sale system very similar to Square :)

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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Ada's Technical Books and Cafe - bookstores - Updated July 2026

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