Scandinavian Specialities is the mecca of all things wonderfully Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. I've driven past it tons of times and always told myself that I'd stop and go in, and I finally did. It's so much fun! A huge Swedish tomte (gnome) is painted on the outside to greet you. Once you step inside, it's like being in a little half grocery, half knick knack shop of Scandinavian treats. Everything from Design Home Stockholm items, coffee mugs, Scandinavian books (children, modern, cookbooks, maps, etc.), clothing, Christmas (jule) goodies, candies, food, and even a little cafe inside where you can get your fika (Swedish for snack) on with some almond or apple torte, salmon sandwich, waffles, or just a cup of coffee. This is a great place to go if you are looking to get a gift for someone who is Scandinavian. Beyond the knick knacks, there are some really authentic items shipped directly from the Nordic countries. Because of that, the prices tend to be a little high. You can still get a mug for about $10, but if you want a bag of mixed Swedish candies, you're looking at paying around $20. It looks like they have sales constantly, though, so stop in and see what they've got! I took some almond and apple tortes home with me for dessert, and I have to say...very tasty! I'm looking forward to returning for some coffee and waffles. :) read more

A mecca for all things Scandinavian. Go here for grocery items (Scandinavian candies, meats, cheeses, etc.), knick knacks (lots of items with the Norwegian/Swedish/Finnish flags on them), books (including cook books and travel books), and Christmas stuff (ornaments, candles, other decorations). And for all you bakers out there: Scandinavian Specialties sells ammonium carbonate, an old-timey leavener used in Swedish baked goods that's tough to find these days. They also have a cafe where they serve open faced sandwiches, soup, and pastries. I tried the yellow pea soup with lamb and it was delicious. Perfect winter comfort food. Because it's the holiday season, be aware that this filled-to-the-brim shop will probably be packed with Seattle's Scandinavian population. And oh my gosh, the parking lot is a scene right out of Almost Live's Ballard Driving Academy skit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBgIvH0tu6Y). Still, this is such a unique place. Once upon a time, Ballard was a sleepy fishing community and the center for Scandinavian life in Seattle. That's of course no longer the case, but this cute little store is small reminder of Ballard's fascinating history. read more

Scandinavian Specialties - Menu for the cafe! - Scandinavian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a great store - and café! We went on the 17th of May, Norwegian Independence Day, which meant a full/packed house. BUT, it was friendly, with the staff helping folks as quickly as they could. Plus seeing that many Norwegians in traditional dress, soccer jerseys, and Tees was a great way to celebrate the day. Food was great. The lox and egg salad sandwich was a combination I would have wondered about, but it tasted great together. Probably explains my dad's like of egg salad now that I think about it. My girlfriend had the beef sandwich which reminded us of Salisbury steak. The almond torte is flipping divine with the kremkake filled with berries and cream is wonderful. I had never had a Solo and that was a neat treat that I will share with my kids. So for this part Scandi - Norwegian and Swedish immigrants in the 1890s - I have to say this is on the "return once or twice a year" and enjoy the experience. read more

What a great find! We stopped in for an early afternoon weekday lunch. They offer limited parking right next to the cafe. Decent amount of seating. You order and pay at the front register, the food is bright out to you, and you bus your own table. My husband ordered the yellow pea soup with lamb and I had the open-faced salmon sandwich. The sandwich came out about five minutes before the soup, for some reason. Both were really good. Smallish portion sizes but filling. The place is also a Nordic grocery/gift shop. Adder eating, we walked around the store for a bit and ended up buying salted black licorice, speculaas cookies, and an orange marzipan bar. The cookies are great with a cup of coffee! Cute place, can't wait to come back. read more

Scandinavian Specialties - Open-faced salmon sandwich. - Scandinavian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is a fantastic store for all things Scandinavian. Being half Swedish I love everything Swedish - but I think anyone would enjoy this store. Growing up in the area there used to be quite a few Scandinavian and European stores and delis. Sadly there are very few that remain. It has an amazing selection of items. Cook books, history and travel books, clothing, gifts, jewelry, decorations, home decor, candy, food, beverages, etc. And it has a little cafe that has open face sandwiches, coffee, sweets. The hubby and I spent an hour browsing around and left with several items. They have their own parking lot - so no problem parking. We will be back! read more

Delivery of my Viking bread (lefsa) was fast and can't wait to make it! First time I've had to have them send through mail.

I am not Swedish, at all... but I do appreciate of many cultures, and walking into this place, I immediately felt welcomed, and I was. The worker there immediately finds me, and we start a talking... I needed something to help celebrate a co-worker's impending departure from our team.. and he was Swedish, so why not explore this place that I have drive by without second thought of entering. So I'm here and I get a run down of Swedish treats and the yummy goods that they have... I'm loving all the great cultural stuffs they have here. with the help of the staff there, I was able find a few great things to make the world just a little better, and with all the candy, chocolate, random goodies, I was out with Swedish stuffed into my shopping bag. I'm not going to lie, the place isn't cheap, but once you get over there, they have a cultural experience, that I might need to explore in the near term. read more

I was excited to find a store to ship out a few things for the Holiday. I placed my order online and received a call the next day to confirm and also clarify my order, which was nice. I paid and waited for the selection to arrive. Which did arrive quickly. So they know how to process an order. The packaging on the meats was surprizing to me. They just threw the lamb ribs in a large white grocery bag, no other wrapping. Also the Leg of lamb was wrapped in a large white grocery bag. Everything was packed in a box and had those annoying peanut puffs of styrofom as packing material. Who uses those anymore? LOL The quality of the meat seems fine and is acceptable so far. It was a waste and not conducive to quality using Large handled grocery bags for meat wrap though. Also the added shipping weight and waste of materials was not appreciated. The lamb ribs were the last of the supply, the fat on them was enormus and extensive. Paid a lot of $ for the added fat. The pictures show nicely trimmed ribs, it is not what I received. I contacted the store and expressed my concern and also the use of the grocery bags verse regular butcher paper and meat wrap. No response from them on the issue or in response. Which is very weak customer service. One other interesting point, was that the person who called me about the order, knew nothing of the meats and how many in a lb or taste info. They admitted they did not eat any of it and did not care for it. They work in a scandanavian specialties shop and do not enjoy the food? Or know about the meats? He must of been the person to wrap my order also. LOL read more

Love this shop, like a trip to Stockholm. Found everything we were looking for, and the staff was very friendly and helpful, worth the commute! Thank you read more

Hands down the best fish cakes ever....the verdensbesta cake is the most light, amazing, only slightly sweet, cake. Please eat here...

I had a great experience with this store. I had bought a shirt that was damaged before being worn and when I emailed the store owner about it, he shipped a new shirt across the country for me free of charge! Wonderful atmosphere and nice people to work with. read more

Fantastic cute little Scandinavian store. We arrived too late to try anything from the kitchen but we bought some candies and looked around a lot. We got some free snacks since they were closing soon and had leftovers. My husband is Danish and this was fun for him! The woman at the counter (I assume the owner) was incredibly welcoming and nice. We would like to come back when we are in the area to try some smorebrod read more

Such a cute store with adorable Scandinavian swag. Wish we could've stayed to try the deli!

I dropped in here for a quick bite while I was waiting for an appointment at lolo spa across the street. It was 2pm and I was amazed how much they still had out. I got salmon quiche for 7$. It was a large serving and very good. The cheese they used was much creamier than I'm used to in quiche. It was warmed and brought over to me within 2 minutes of ordering. I didn't look around the shop at all but this must be such a delight for Scandinavian expats. I won't come back here just to eat but would definitely pop in again between appointments. read more

You can sure find a lot of fish-in-a-tube here. Ditto fish in a jar. What you cannot find here are employees. Right after I was skunked at Cafe Keffa, I swung in here. Absolutely no one was here...I wandered the shop, looked in all the cases, examined the herring, sighed a few times, spun a couple racks with sweaters on them, and then left. I was hoping for perhaps some nice Scandinavian biscuits or something. I was definitely in the wrong place. I give these guys three stars because they seem well stocked, but apparently they were out back smoking something, because after at least a good 5 minutes, no one appeared to help me. Skunked again!!! read more

Delicious! Very fresh food. Loved the shrimp sandwich! The store is very nice too they have a great selection! The staff is extremely friendly! There's parking so that's a big plus. read more

Scandinavian Specialties - Scandinavian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I stopped into this store recently and everyone was super friendly and nice. There is lots of Norwegian and Scandinavian sweaters, foods and heritage galore in here. They even make Swedish Potato Sausage in their groceries section.... which seriously is the best sausage I have ever had. I have only found it in one or two places in the country ... and it is a "must try" experience if you have never had it before! The people at Scandinavian Specialties were very warm, nice and took the time to answer my questions even though they were about to close up shop. They had a cafe, which served also Scandinavian specialty food. ... but I didn't get a chance to try it... yet. Places like this are important for the awesome cultural diversity in Seattle, I think. The fact that there is an amazing Irish/Scottish store just up the road, really allows one to bring a taste of Europe home right into their own backyard. And the quality & authentic products they carry make this far more than a trinkets and souvenirs type of place. For me this is a "must stop" every time I make the trip to Ballard. read more

Me and my family come here every year to pick up the fresh cured ham and other little items for our scandinavian Christmas. I find everything to be really over priced, and I actually never buy much more than the ham but I guess people pay the price because they can't find it anywhere else. The only thing I think it's well priced is the actual ham. You have to call ahead of time, at least 2 weeks, but they cure and brine it for you and it's ready to go in the oven after you pick it up. read more

This is one of the few really authentic Scandinavian markets I've been to and it's really awesome! The café has delicious Norwegian food. The lefse tasted really fresh as well as the smoked salmon sandwich. My only suggestion is maybe better coffee, but it's not really a big deal. I plan on coming back for the fresh lingonberry spread and meatballs (made there, it looks like!) Tusen takk!! read more

LOVE THIS PLACE!!! Great food and gifts, cookbooks and atmosphere. Feels just like Poulsbo but without the long freckles to get there! Highly recommend!! read more

Scandinavian Specialties is the last store in Ballard that sells Scandinavian stuff- and it's great! They carry everything from holiday decorations to sweaters, clogs, hats, china, glassware and cutlery, to jewelry, books, CDs and food. There is nowhere else east of Poulsbo to buy rollepolse, fish cakes, fish pudding, or Norwegian cheeses. It's a great place to drop in for a cup of coffee and some pastry, or a bowl of soup and an open-faced sandwich, and maybe a piece of cake or krumkake. Great place, with freindly service! read more

Amazing pasties and friendly staff. Highly recommended for Christmas novelties, many imported from Europe. Checkout logistics could be faster so just don't be in a hurry. read more

I wish I could give this more stars, but... first of all, it's pretty overpriced for the few things that they have and really, i wish they had more. Having spent several years in Roskilde, Denmark there are things I'd kill (ok, not really) to get my hands on. Most of this stuff is the kind of stuff you can find at Ikea. Sadly, there aren't any other options for Scandinavian goods. read more

Helt Fantastik! It's the best store for true Norwegian food, kitchen supplies, music, cookbooks, clothing and catering.

IKEA no longer carries the big Swedish foods and has switched to strictly their own brands so I was forced to find another outlet for my speciality groceries. In comes Scandinavian Specialties. I checked out their website and saw that they carry both my favorite brand of knackebrot and my favorite cheese (Bond Ost with caraway). Awesome! I didn't really look at the prices online, I was just stoked to find a place locally that has Scandinavian groceries. With that said I had some serious sticker shock when I went to pick up my noms. Some items were more than twice what I paid at IKEA. I know they do more volume, but it was still hard to swallow. However, I am excited I can get these items at all, especially with how few Scandinavian businesses there still are in Ballard. I will agree with other reviewers that a lot of the space is wasted with goofy themed housewares. The space they do have for groceries is good sized and there is quite a bit of variety. read more

I've gotta give these folks five stars as well, but it's based on what they do beyond the store. First off, any time you wander into their store, it's a treat. It's also very hard not to break down and order something to eat right then and there. We go to Scandinavian Specialties at least once a month, either for a wedding present, a special gift, or just something for us. The people couldn't be nicer, the selection is amazing and there isn't anything they can't get for you. Prices are what you'd expect for importing these goods, but they have some pretty good sales. You don't need a special occasion to go there, but they will make any occasion special. read more

Swedish and Norwegian flavors! I am so grateful this place exists! They have everything from husholds ost and pear ciders! I honestly love it. I wish their Fika selection was bigger, maybe some princess cakes or little cakes or something. But I'm too grateful that this place exists at all to not give it 5 stars also Swedish waffle batter, I could go on and on! read more

Had a great outing at Scandinavian Specialities on Friday. Christmas stock is starting to appear! Bought a stash of Ski Queen Gjetost Cheese, Svea Limpa Bread (best limpa I have ever tasted), a NordiskaDesign Many Moose apron, beautiful dangling earrings from Denmark! The shop looks great and so inviting! Glad I beat the Christmas rush! read more

Looking for a variety of prepared herrings, including but not limited to pickled and creamed? What about one that is pink and fluffy? Need a wide selection of Swedish cheese and an even wider selection of sausages and pâtés? Craving giant round rye crackers? Low on Haribo? Gotta get that gjetost? This is your place. While you're there, pick up a gorgeous sweater and some unique Christmas decorations. This is a great store; I never fail to leave with some sort of unexpected treasure. Last time it was foil-wrapped chocolate that looked like a Swiss Army knife. Amazing. Can't wait to go back! read more

If you're looking for Scandinavian stuff, you'll love this joint. Pickled herring, good cheeses, etc.

I'm so happy this place exists. I'm first generation Norwegian and miss my mother's cooking. Scandinavian Specialities has all of the great traditional Norwegian food that I love but never learned how to make. Their fish cakes, rulla pulse, sulte, lefse, krum cake, pickled herring, open faced sandwiches, pea soup and all the homemade cakes and cookies are beyond delish. I treasure this restaurant/store and hope they stay in business forever. All of the Norwegian restaurants and gift shops have left Market Street in Ballard which is sad. Scandinavian Speciaties is my little piece of Norwegian paradise. The owner and staff are very friendly and accommodating. Love this place!! Tusen takk! read more

We stumbled on here after eating at Un Bien and so happy we did. It's a interesting variety store selling glassware, home goods, and Scandinavian groceries. I finally found a local brick and mortar store that sells authentic Icelandic chocolate...so creamy and delicious! The best part was their fresh "World's Best Cake", which lives up to its name. It looks heavy and but actually tastes like you're eating creamy clouds. It's also not overly sweet. I'll definitely be coming back for more. read more

This was my first time visiting Scandinavian Specialties. The people were so friendly and helpful. I was so happy they had Lefsa and Krumkake. Both were so good. Reminds me of my grandma . They have a restaurant and a little store with lots of stuff. Clothes, hats, books, candy and a lot of food. I will definitely go back. read more

Until recently, I'd only been here for lunch -which was pretty good. But after Olsen's closed (sniff-sniff), I decided this would be my new home for everything Scandinavian. Potato sausages, Plse, Korv, inlagd sill, lingonberries, lompe, herring, Köttbullar, mustard, chocolate. As it's the only place left standing in the Pacific Northwest to offer Scandinavian goods, if you don't want to see this place shut down as well, I suggest buying stuff. read more

Who's up for some fish pudding? Sounds weird, but oh so good! No fishy taste what so ever. Their lunch time (11:30am-2:30pm, M-Sat) is the only dine-in opportunity at this family owned store. Ranging from sandwiches, soups and desert. I went with a friend and was their a bit too early. We strolled around in the store and found lots of Scandinavian goods. Jars of pickled herring, smoked fish, can goods, licorice galore, cheese, crackers.. etc. all imported goods or made locally.They also have gift selection as well. For lunch, we ordered a little of everything. They gave us flat bread to munch on before our food came out. We tried their combo appetizer platter- shrimp salad, pickled herring, combo 3 sandwich platter-egg and smoked salmon (forgot the other 2), fish soup, and desert. Total cost was $32 +tip. A bit on the pricey side for me, but worth every bite! Service: The family and staff were so friendly and approachable. Great recommendations as well. Out of everything I LOVE the fish soup! Something I would definitely come back for more. I don't know where I read this, but I know that during the summer season they have a limited specialty item for lunch on Saturdays. Enjoy! read more

I'm giving an in-between grade to this place, although it really deserves a five and a one; what it does (Norwegian foods and candies) well, it does really, really well. But then again, a huge amount of real estate is taken up by idiotic stuff like novelty napkins, flatware and embroidered calendars. First of all, the store skews heavily towards the Norwegian end of the spectrum. This isn't all that surprising considering Seattle's nordic-ancestored population, but nevertheless good to keep in mind. For a Swede or a Finn, there's just plain Less Stuff. One could say that the store is split in five parts; food&candy, household tools, novelties&clothes, design items, and books. In each of them, the Norwegian items are most plentiful. I personally find the novelties section infuriating - there's a single place in Seattle that offers Scandinavian food and candy, it wastes valuable space on towels with "sauna" embroidered across it, or Uff Da-printed mugs and "Danish parking only" stickers. It's ridiculous. There's some space-waste going on in the household items section too; ebelskiver- och plätt pans are understandable, as are other dish-specific tools and cheese slicers, that are hard to get a hold of in the US. But painted butter knives? The practicality of that escapes me. As a final complaint, the design area - filled mainly with glass and crystal items - looks a bit like some retiree's living room. There's been some uplift in that area lately (I grabbed the last retro-print Sagaform teacup, sorry), and I hope it continues, because Swedish design can be really, really good when it's not all seventies' crystal vases. Like I said, the food/candy area is mostly Norwegian, though there are some Swedish specialties that an expat like myself will enjoy too (gelehallon (raspberry jellies), drottningsylt, kardemummaskorpor, knäckebröd, ballerinakex and kalles kaviar most prominantly.) They also stock Scandiavian ingredients you won't find elsewhere, like powdered vanilla sugar, pearl sugar, and hjorthonssalt. But don't buy your saffron here, the brand they buy packages it poorly and it's all dried out. Finally, the book section, which I discovered just a few weeks ago. It's actually very good, split by travel books, adult fiction by Scandinavian authors, and kids' fiction by Scandinavian authors. The intra-genre organization is crap, but the selection is fine; they stock the usual suspect crime novels and basically everything, even the non-crime stuff, by some of the more well-known authors like Henning Mankell. What I miss: Vilhelm Moberg's Emigrant books, which should surely pertain. The kids' books section is probably the most Swedish-heavy part of the store, stocking most of Astrid Lindgren's works, for example. Also: lots of Moomin. Good stuff, there. So, yes, huge plus for food and candy, huge minus for all the fluffy crap. Oh, and they serve food, too, cafe style, but I've never had any, because of the Norwegian tint. read more

You need an Uff Da mug for that White Elephant gift party? Or do you honestly long for the fjords back home? This place is a treat for lovers of scandinavian culture, but also has that weird mix of high-brow tchotckes and low-brow country humor. The book section is impressive, they have plenty of "It's Hard to Be Humble When You're ________" keychains, lots of little flags on a stick, and the scandinavian food and candies are well-represented. I imagine it's an expatriates paradise. For those who aren't, it's an interesting glimpse at nordic culture. read more

A fun marketplace/store/cafe with unique specialties of both food and non-food items. Great place to shop for the unusual special gift. I went there after Christmas. All non-food items were 50% off and food items were 30% off. Very cool stuff! read more

Best pickled herring in town. No corn syrup. Also roe, Norwegian butter, cheeses, caviar paste, great marzipan. Lovely little store. read more

I am Swedish & Norwegian, so this store is awesome for me! I love being able to go in and find good foods all the time, and I love love love going in around Christmas to find all the cute decorations and goodies for the holiday. I am so glad I found this little shop! I wish I could just buy everything :) read more