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    Cafe on the Ave

    3.0 (554 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

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    CAFE ON THE AVE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for working
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Cafe on the Ave

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    Latte
    Carol L.

    Since 2003, Cafe on the Ave has been a staple to the university district. It's an interesting place that's fit for students looking for a place to study, big groups looking to dine together, have a late brunch, or even happy hour. They quite literally have everything. A full coffee shop and pastries, a full brunch menu (until 3 PM), a sandwich menu, a pasta menu, an Asian fusion menu, a happy hour food menu, a full bar (4 PM onwards), wifi, and is open late at night. Umm, say less? This is a casual joint where you pay first and then pick and bus your own food. There was a lot more seating than I expected and they open the garage door when the weather nice and you can sit in the patio area as well. Service was quick and drinks and food were solid. Not the best I've had, but not terrible either. Their portions are quite large, which is great for students. If you're an early riser, they even have some specials before 10AM. Stationed on a corner near the udistrict light rail station, it's a convenient stop for anyone looking for food, drink, or study.

    Pork Bulgogi Bibimbap
    Louise F.

    Really interesting korean fusion brunch place! Definitely a college vibe, reminded me of places I used to eat back in college. And very college priced too. And college portioned. The plates were like double the size of my head. We got a bibimbap and creamy chicken mara pasta. The bibimbap wasn't really a bibimbap but made a nice bulgogi slop bowl basically. And it was nice that there were so many veggies in it. The pasta was definitely asian fusion pasta. Really has that creamy taste you get from having pasta in korea or japan in the places that have an asian interpretation. We ate until we were stuffed to the brim and still had leftovers. Probably didn't help that I ate the garlic bread too but it was also good. Unfortunately during the meal a crazy person came in and started yelling at people and the restaurant had a difficult time keeping him out but what are you gonna do about that I guess

    We forgot to take pics until deep into Korean chicken. So tasty and crispy.
    Cristin G.

    Ok that was fun! Went with the UW student kiddo who loves this place, I can see why. Order at the counter, friendly and helpful staff. HUGE portions and boxes for take-home meant we have great meals for lunch tomorrow, too. Casual place for students, parents, and anyone in the UW area who's hungry for a big meal (or split one!).

    Korean Fried Chicken
    Natalie N.

    pretty good asian fusion spot in u district. as you can tell by the name, it's on the ave. open til at least midnight every night and open later on friday and saturday. the first time i visited, i only got a decaf latte. i recall the decaf tasting good and my friend and i just kinda parked at the place and yapped for awhile. it seems like a good place to do that at, as it's very very spacious inside. i tried it again during the cherry blossom festival and got an alcoholic drink. the drink, while very pretty in pink, was not good. wayyy too much syrup, it was almost entirely sugar, and, i love sugary drinks, but this was too much. because of that, i've never been back for alcoholic drinks. most recently, i went here with a friend because we wanted chill cafe vibes to work on some projects, but it was a sunday and evening time so most cafes were already closed. we got half a korean fried chicken with the honey garlic and sweet n spicy sauces. it was actually well-made, i was surprised. the portion was generous, which was an added bonus. everyone that works there is very nice. i think if you need a place to study or work or just chill out, this is a good place to go. it may be kind of a mixed bag in terms of quality, but you can at the very least get good coffee here.

    Chicken Pesto
    Mei Jie W.

    Located in a very central area on the ave, this cafe has a nice variety of food, cafe drinks, and lots of seating. I saw many people studying while eating. The portion is very generous. I got the pesto pasta with chicken. It didn't say it would come with garlic bread so that was a nice surprise. The chicken was so soft and tender and well seasoned! They garnished it grated mozzarella and basil. I also got an ice latte and it was really good too. You order at the counter, find a seat, and they'll give you a number plaque. They'll bring you your food, but for drinks you'll have to get yourself at the counter when the buzzer goes off.

    Ginger tangerine
    Oris B.

    The place has a casual dive bar-meets-café atmosphere. The staff were friendly and made me feel welcome. Unfortunately, the food didn't quite hit the mark, though perhaps other menu items are better. It's a bit of a gamble what you'll get.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ On the other hand, it's a great place to study or journal.

    Photograph for my review of Cafe On The Ave.
    Luther N.

    THE END OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AS WE KNOW IT! Last night, I stopped into this restaurant because it was my birthday andI didn't want to go to Wallingford or Capitol Hill for a meal. I told them and asked if I could be offered anything. Sure the guy said only it had to be under $5. He then said, "...we're not giving you a $20 meal free!" I could have enjoyed a plate of bacon, eggs and pancakes since I just turned seventy-five. So I took a coffee and purchased a brownie. The coffee was eventually brought out, but without any napkins or spill protection. At least it was the decaffinated that I ordered, so I said "Cheers!". I did leave with my coffee in a cup like at Starbucks, but if I had thought I could expect this kind of lame customer service, I could have gone there! Seriously, it reminded me of being back in the midwest, int he days when a person of colour could go into a restaurant but had to take the food or drinks outside. Well, so it goes but I will never go back into the Cafe on The Ave. again. Right now, I despise this place as much as Starbucks, and IHOP doesn't look bad at all after this! Luther R. Norman, Former Teacher and World Traveller...

    Green Tea Frappe
    Diana C.

    The menu is customizable for vegetarians but a bit more difficult with dairy free options, especially the drinks. The kimchi fried rice has dairy and it can't be removed unfortunately too. Got a drink and it was fine. The servers were polite and efficient. The ambiance is kinda like having breakfast or lunch in a dive bar with lots of natural lighting, which was fine. Very popular student hangout.

    Menu 1of6 (6/21/24)
    Marie B.

    Clearly I've been under a rock. I've walked by or driven past this corner spot on at 42nd & The Ave in Seattle's University District. It's been around since 2003! We had a brief power outage in North Seattle/Shoreline, so to escape the warm temps, The Homie recommended hanging out at Cafe on the Ave (6/21/24). Great business hours: 7am to 11pm Mondays - Thursdays & Sundays. Fridays and Saturdays 7am to 2am. Nice assortment of seating: two tops along screened open windows which allowed for a nice breeze, covered patio seating, bigger tables to allow for group meet ups, book club, gaming, etc. There's quite the variety of menu items and even a small bar area for 21+, essentially something for everyone. I had an Arnold Palmer and The Homie enjoyed an iced London Fog while onsite. Well worn, comfy college cafe vibe.

    Tomato Basil
    Kacey T.

    I am a regular at cafe on the ave. I love their tomato soup, it was buttery and super thick. It was also a good portion size. Cafe on the ave was super busy that day so I had a hard time studying there. The service was pretty quick. I will always be a supporter of this restaurant and I love all the seating and music Yas .

    Red velvet hot chocolate
    Noopur D.

    I very much appreciated the menu options here! I wanted something a bit lighter to eat and a sweet drink to accompany. I liked that they had "on the go" options so I got the veggie sandwich and the red velvet chocolate. The sandwich was pretty good, nice amount of flavors and vegetables. The hot chocolate was absolutely delicious, I really loved the comforting creaminess and the red velvet flavor was SO well done - still dreaming about it! My friends got the waffle and Benedict. Both were so good too. Service was really good too and all the staff were really sweet. We also enjoyed the big seating area!!

    watery ahh gyudon

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    1 year ago

    Gave me and multiple of my friends food poisoning on several occasions. Do NOT trust the food here.

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    4 years ago

    I love CotA! It's a great place to study or hang out with friends. The food is always good and they have really great portion sizes.

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    Tilikum Place Cafe - Savory Dutch baby

    Tilikum Place Cafe

    4.3(2.5k reviews)
    3.2 miBelltown
    $$

    Finally got to visit this cute little restaurant that my wife has raved about. We were lucky to get…read morereservations day of, at 5:15 pm! The menu changes weekly, they try to use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. We started with cocktails. My wife got a perfect Manhattan and I asked for an east side cocktail. That was new to the bartender but she was willing and it turned out to be delicious! Great mix of mint, cucumber and lime. Then we shared 4 dishes: sardine tartine, dal soup, an heirloom tomato and cucumber salad and the halibut entree. Literally everything was delicious. I lived the flavors of the dal soup--cumin, coriander, mustard seed. The tomatoes were super fresh on top of a creamy marscapone. And the halibut was perfectly cooked, with a crispy top and flaky body. I only wish we lived here and could visit more often!

    I've had this place bookmarked for many years, but was finally able to try it when my family and I…read morevisited Seattle! They do take reservations, and there was a small line of people already waiting outside when the restaurant opened at 10 AM. The interior is cozy and warm..,the servers were all friendly and attentive! We ordered a mini baguette with butter and jam, along with a side of sausage and eggs, and their sweet Dutch baby! Everything was delicious! They did let us know in advance that the Dutch babies would take about 30 minutes, but it is worth the wait! It came out piping hot, oozing with blueberries and lemon ricotta! My only regret was not being able to try other things since we were headed to Pike Place right after, but I definitely do want to try their other Dutch babies / dinner items in the future!

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    Café Hagen - Churro cruffin

    Café Hagen

    4.3(652 reviews)
    2.7 miSouth Lake Union
    $$

    What a delectable meal after a 4 hour bus ride Came here…read moreafter dropping off our bags at the hotel, since it was just a 5 minute walk away. We came in around 1:45pmish and it wasn't crowded. They had an amazing selection of pastries, though I didn't try any. I got their Caramelized Banana Latte to satisfy my sweet tooth, and it wasn't too banana-flavored nor too sweet; the black sesame in it balanced it nicely. I also got the Urban Pesto, which was SO yum. I was little skeptical of the focaccia - sometimes I find it to be too puffy, and thus hard to eat the sandwich - but this had a lovely panini press on it that made it easy to eat. The in-house herby cheese in the sandwich made each bite just that much more delicious. The staff was also super nice and accommodating to my parents' requests and questions. Can't wait to come back to try their other food and bev options!

    After having lunch across the street, I decided to check out Cafe Hagen SLU (7/21/26). I had…read morevisited other Seattle locations on upper and lower Queen Anne. I appreciated that this location has both spacious indoor and outdoor seating. Despite being busy, this was not packed with ample seating still available and not cramped. Nice chill vibe with good music, healthy foliage and pleasant indoor decor, with a reasonable unidirectional service line. Tempting pastry case with savory and sweet choices, the usual bevs, as well as, cocktails. Vibrant place to visit solo or meetups with others. The 16oz iced mokka (mocha) I had was well crafted. Both counter folks were personable and welcoming. I was able to sit at a two top and remain cool during my brief visit on that hot Tuesday early afternoon. They've been an indie (Cafe Hagen/Freya) that has expanded to many locations: here in SLU, two on Queen Anne, downtown on 5th, at Dexter, the Waterfront, Freya in Pike Place Market and Nordic Museum in Ballard, plus sites over in Bellevue and Kirkland. Support local!

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    Café Hagen - Delicious quiche

    Delicious quiche

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    Shaker + Spear - Crispy Mushroom

    Shaker + Spear

    4.4(1.3k reviews)
    3.5 miBelltown
    $$

    While visiting Seattle for a few days, I made reservations at Shaker + Spear and wasn't quite sure…read morewhat I wanted to order. I noticed the salmon on the menu and decided to give it a try since I was looking for something a little lighter. I am so glad I did. Without exaggeration, it was the best salmon I've ever had. The fish was cooked perfectly, and the sauce and accompanying ingredients brought everything together beautifully. Every bite was outstanding. Beyond the food, the atmosphere was fantastic, the service was friendly and attentive, and the bar offered a great selection of cocktails and spirits. If you're visiting Seattle or looking for a great dining experience, I would absolutely recommend Shaker + Spear. The salmon alone is worth coming back for.

    Nice and easy restaurant attached to a hotel. Service was rather slow this evening as there was…read moreonly one cook in the kitchen. It's nice to watch the staff cook because it tells you that the food is fresh. I have high expectations for seafood in Seattle. However, I was disappointed with the scallops as it tasted raw and cool to the touch in the center. I'm not a scallop expert but this one missed the mark - the flavors were off with the sauce (tasted earthy). Presentation and color looked good, but this didn't taste good. Also came here breakfast several times. I don't have pictures, but each time the breakfast was amazing!

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    Shaker + Spear - Welcome note..

    Welcome note..

    Shaker + Spear - Mussels

    Mussels

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    Cafe on the Ave - coffee - Updated September 2026

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