Good food and atmosphere, and above all delicious Herikimer coffee- the best coffee roaster in Seattle by a mile.

We had breakfast at the Serendipity. Very disappointed. I ordered the farmer's breakfast with sausage, two eggs over medium and French toast. Menu states two pieces of Challah bread. It was one small slice of bread cut in half. If they had cut the one slice into four would they say 4 pieces of bread? Very misleading. Sausage was tough because it was overcooked. The eggs came sunny side up. I should have sent it back but I thought I could eat around runny egg whites. I couldn't. And to top it off, the serving was so cool, that it didn't even melt the butter. Magnolia scramble was also ordered with egg whites. The scramble portion on the plate was very small and the fried potatoes were very greasy. The third order included crisp bacon that was enjoyed. Serving staff was friendly. read more

Went in yesterday to grab a cocktail before seeing a band at Summerfest. Sat at the bar and ordered a vodka soda. I watched her pour the vodka, which was well, which is fine because that is what I wanted. But when the bill came, it was $10 and she had charged me for Tito's. Super shady. Check your bill before paying. read more

Not good. The food. The service. The paintings. Just not a place I would go back to. Maybe consider some other place.

The coffee is good, the sweets are definitely a treat, and the breakfast sandwiches are PRETTY savory. But most of all, the staff is so nice! Most people don't venture into magnolia that often. You should though! I got my things to go, and headed over to Discovery Park. It was a great way to escape the city with only a ten minute drive! Seriously, if you need a moment. Take next Sunday (or even tomorrow morning) and grab breakfast from here and head over to Discover Park! read more

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Jaime and Cassidy were absolute joys. They provided great service, poured good drinks and kept the vibes high throughout the bar. Will be back!!! read more

Excellent restaurant. Have been a Magnolia regular for 8 years. The restaurant side is very family oriented. Plenty of room and love for kids. Food is dependable and tasty. Never a line here even on weekend breakfast hours. My favorite breakfast is eggs with chorizo burrito currently. The attached bar is fun. Plenty of TVs for sports. Shuffleboard and darts. Tonight there is a band and I have never seen live music here. Cool ! Bartenders friendly and fun. Overall I highly recommend Serendipity Restaurant or the Bar. I know the owners and they are great people always here. read more

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How have I missed this place!?! We had a lovely lunch with delicious beers today and we'll certainly visit again soon. The menu is great with fresh options for most any tastes; we had salads and a BLT and the beer menu is full of local faves. To top it off, we had wonderful, friendly, and attentive service from Maggie! She made our afternoon. read more

This place is a very family friendly casual place. This is a pretty casual place. I might not go here to study because it is a bit louder than other cafe's around Magnolia but the unique thing is that they have food and drinks. They essentially do it all, It's sorta a hodgepodge of cafe/playground/restaurant.! The food is very typical American cuisine, fish and chips and chicken nuggets. I got the port sliders which was just enough for me for dinner. read more

So I have read a number of reviews about this place and their bar recently, and I have to say, some folks here are just way too aggressively dinging the Cafe and Bar about "service" times and responsiveness. I have been coming here for years as a local Magnolian, and all I can say is, it is one of the best causal places in the hood with locals meeting for conversation and great food and has wonderful amenities for kids. But it is not a fast food type diner - it isn't that sort of place. It's a casual restaurant, and while not couture cuisine, some of the things on the menu take time to make. The staff IS very friendly and the food is not only fresh and delish, but the portions are quite large and well prepared. Moreover, the service is generally both punctual, accommodating and professional. Several people complain about the waiting times for service at the restaurant and bar, and sadly, what they fail to appreciate is that the place can only survive with the most modest of staffing during Covid. If the owner (or a single server) is there, understand that person is under a tremendous amount of stress all the time and is doing all the jobs of a prior staff of 2 - 4 pre Covid. Everyone can have a bad day at work and be a little slow or preoccupied sometimes. Who knows if they have a friend or loved one who is sick? So if you are in a rush, if you can figure out a polite way to let them know you are under a time constraint or your blood sugar is low, I'm sure they'll be pleased to accommodate you. Perhaps we all need to be a little more understanding and compassionate during these unprecedented difficult times. So I invite you Yelp reviewers who love to beat on places with scathing reviews when they don't meet your very high expectations, have a heart and refrain from tearing places down on Yelp for a while. Low reviews do affect businesses! You have no idea how many places have closed under Covid - never to reopen, and how many are now near closing forever. So a little patience and understanding folks!!! Lives and livelihoods depend on it! And if you have a bad experience, consider calling the place and speaking to the owner instead of ranting here. You may be warmly surprised at their good intentions to resolve your complaints and make things right!! read more

Family friendly neighborhood restaurant! We liked their their steak taco and chicken quesadilla. The kids menu were great for the kids.

Just ate here for the second time in a couple of weeks. Both times were awful! Serendipity used to be good- not any more. Not sure if they suffer post Covid from higher costs and staffing issues. I think the owners should eat there once in a while to check quality. So, a couple of weeks ago I had chicken enchiladas. I used to love them. I think this time they nuked my meal at warp 10 because the flour tortillas that the chicken was wrapped in were like rubber. We had chips and guacamole and we got the bottom of the bag broken itty bitty chips-- a little difficult to scoop with. Last night I had fish tacos. GAACK!!!! The worst fish tacos I've EVER had. I think the fish had been recooked a few times. The crust was really dark brown and the fish (?) was grey and tough. Again --- bottom of the chip bag/guacamole & chips. My husband had the Greek sandwich with lamb. The meat was GAACK!!! Also appeared to be reheated a few times and was weird. I will not waste my money there again. Either people are just not very discriminating about taste and quality --- and this restaurant will somehow survive---- but I think if they don't take stock they won't survive. There's a lot of restaurants out there to get a good meal. I would like to rate as a negative star if could. read more

Food was good. Customer service was terrible. From the start, waitress seemed annoyed to be serving us. Didn't want to split check for us. Don't waste your time here. read more

This is my daughter's favorite brunch restaurant in in the Magnolia district of Seattle. (She used to live in Magnolia, so she is an expert!) We have eaten here many times and finally I'm getting around to writing a review. This is a kid friendly restaurant; it has a separated play area in the dining area, complete with toys. On this visit, I wasn't very hungry, so I just had a bowl of Beef Chili ($6.50), which was competent, tasty, but not extraordinary. It had a light covering of cheese and onions. It was just right for me at that time. If you are hungry, I recommend something more substantial from the menu. My daughter had the "New Yorker" ($11.50) which is basically a bagel and cream cheese with some thin pieces of Lox. She found it tasty. (From my view point, I would have preferred a bit more Lox on it). My wife had a Chicken Pot Pie ($12.00) which she said was delicious. (I had a taste and I agree!). The service is prompt, attentive, and friendly. read more

We came here for lunch on a weekday. It was nice and quite in the cafe. Lunch was good, I ordered the quinoa and kale Patty plate with a side salad. They had a few vegetarian options which I appreciate. read more

Serendipity Cafe and Lounge - Quinoa and kale Patty with salad - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Secluded in Magnolia is this little slice of heaven! I came here for a lunch meeting with my boss and I was so impressed. The woman who served us had this cool grey lavender hair and was so friendly. I ordered the fish and chips and my boss had a sandwich of some kind. We are inside and the atmosphere was like the entire busy street of Magnolia disappeared. The breading on the fish was outstanding and by far the most delicious I've had in such a long time. Their fired here are the perfect thin balance of crunch and soft. I would suggest eating the dipping sauce offered, the flavor is amazing paired with the fish! My drink was always refilled and the cost was super decent for lunch! I am so happy we stopped here! Thanks for the warm welcome to neighborhood and I can't wait to be a frequent person here at this awesome restaurant! read more

Meh, meh,meh, mehmehmehMeh, meh. mEH. This place has a bad case of the Meh's The lighting made me feel bad about myself, and as a self proclaimed over eater, even I wasn't diggin the menu. Find a cure Doctor! read more

My wife and I split the Everything Burrito and French Toast. We got so excited II forgot to snag a picture beforehand. Both were super delicious. We are luck we have another day in Seattle. We will be back for breakfast tomorrow. BTW - great coffee. #duKeofeats read more

Serendipity Cafe and Lounge - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I went here on New Year's Day, and had a really great experience. I'm giving this place a five star rating, maybe not because it's the greatest place in the world, but because to me it was a five star moment. First, they were pretty much the only place open on New Year's Day. That alone should give them five stars. But then it goes on from there. The service was excellent, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was really cool. They really cared about my dairy allergy, checking twice with the chef to make sure that the thing I ordered didn't have any dairy it. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich, and it was just about the best tasting chicken salad sandwich I had ever had. It tasted fresh, kind of healthy, but really really good. Then at the end, I ordered some of their gelato (The strawberry gelato is dairy free!). I also really like the vibe of the place. It reminded me of a small diner in my hometown and it felt very comfortable to eat there. They had plenty of room to seat us (group of 7) and it was a good overall experience. Try it, and if your experience is anything like mine, you won't be disappointed. read more

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Local + expensive should = exceptional if you want me to come back to support your friendly neighborhood local business. The bf & I, in our search for our local faves, came here for the "best burgers in the neighborhood". Well, we would have eaten them at a dirty table if I hadn't asked the waitress if she wouldn't mind cleaning our table off first. I mean, the place is cute and quaint with the crazy local art on the wall and the special little play room for the kiddies, but the service wasn't totally welcoming, especially when we mentioned that we were new to the neighborhood. We ordered a couple burgers with fries and a beer for me. Had a bottle of ketchup on the table that was almost empty and a little gross around the edges. I asked the bf to just grab one of off the table behind us. Service was a little slow. Our bill was ridiculous for what we ordered. So far, this has been the worst value, or lack thereof, in a meal that we've experienced. I had suggested to the bf that maybe we could try breakfast here, but even IF that happens, it will probably be just me and probably just coffee. read more

Sweet little "mom & pop" cafe by day, lounge by night. Friendly service, good portion sizes, endless coffee refills and GF toast! My sausage patty was a bit tough, but the bacon was tasty. A nice spot for me to catch up with a friend. Street parking wasn't bad either. read more

Serendipity Cafe and Lounge - A breakfast worth repeating. - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Rude service, small portion for the price My wife and I stopped by for a bite of lunch one recent Sunday afternoon and, because we had our German Shepherd our in tow, we took a seat outside next to the sidewalk. I went inside and ordered a Reuben sandwich with fries and an iced tea, which we intended to split. $18 lighter including tip, I walked outside to wait. And wait. Eventually, the counter person brought the Reuben and fries out to us in a "to go" box, plopped it on the table, and scurried away so quickly I didn't even have time to ask for ketchup. The sandwich was good, but small considering the $12.95 price tag, and the fries were "shoestring" fries, the thinnest I've eaten in a long time. They started out hot but quickly lost their heat and their appeal. Maybe we got the attitude we got because we're not local to Magnolia but, whatever the reason, next time we're in the area, we'll find somewhere else to eat. read more

I didn't see any of the problems mentioned in other reviews even though many are recent. Some things to mention that others have not. They have a full liquor license, so I had a champagne cocktail like the pretty princess I am. I also had some meatloaf, salad, and gelato. It was all splendid and seemed to be priced fairly. They have a playroom for kids while their parents eat things? Sounds perfect for this neighborhood. Seems a nice place run by nice people. These reviews paint a picture of a highly bitchy neighborhood. I don't get it. read more

Overall, unimpressed... The food was decent but super basic, nothing special. The service was super slow. People were left standing by the door waiting for a table for 30 min without any attention paid to them. read more

To say that I came across this place by chance sounds a little too cute, but it happens to be the truth. While looking for a quick meal before work, I wandered past Serendipity. I wouldn't have even noticed it, the sign is fairly small, except that they had a Santa outside and were taking pictures with little children inside. But it seemed like a decent enough place to try. Santa and his helpers were friendly enough (i.e. "go ahead and seat yourself") and there's a fair number of booths at the front of the restaurant. It's actually fairly spacious with the counter situated across from the booths and a wide walking area in-between. I settled on a chili burger and fries (and decided to go with water as the beverage). The chili burger comes with a huge amount of chili topping: I thought that it would be a small amount on top of the burger, but actually it covered most of the plate. This chili comes with loads of chopped tomato (boo to tomato!), but surprisingly also corn (yay for corn!). Presentationwise, the top bun was actually also underneath the burger and was chili-coated. This presented two options: one, since the bun was already coated in chili and was going to make a mess you could just roll with it. Cover yourself in chili and roar with each bite shaking your head wildly and sending sprays of chili right and left. This would probably delight the kids lining up for their Santa pictures (and horrify their parents). Option two was to gather what shreds of culinary dignity were left after ordering a chili burger and eating with a fork and knife. I chose option two. The burger wasn't bad, but about the same taste as if you cooked some ground round from the supermarket. Despite eyeing the tomato chunks, I sort of liked the chili. It's not a Texas-type chili, but more of a sauce and works well with the burger. The fries were a bit of a disappointment: the very thin cut fries without seasoning. The server was reasonable and the prices a little high, but not out of the ordinary for Seattle. I'd say this place is worth a try and the breakfast menu looks interesting. They do stop serving breakfast at 11 am, so you'd have to get up a little early for this. read more

Serendipity Cafe and Lounge - The chili burger - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Came here for breakfast early on a Sunday morning. The place is squeaky clean. Service is cordial and the food was fantastic. Especially great is the lox and eggs. read more

OK for happy hour. Skip the 'sliderrs' which were two small unexpectedly bland pulled pork mini mini burgers. In general, it would not take a whole lot to rework the menu. Bring the standard up. Why do American pubs think the food need only be passable? Ever go to Victoria? Vancouver? C'mon... read more

Great little neighborhood bar restaurant. The wait staff and owner are super nice and always say hi plus the food and drinks are always spot on Thank you read more

Stopped in the Serendipity for the first time last night, after a couple friends had told me I should check it out. Overall I thought it was well put together inside, the menu had a good variety to choose from, with light Mexican cuisine, variety of salads, burgers, sandwiches and wraps. There is a little bit of everything on the menu, so it make a good place to dine, if no one can agree on one type of food. The staff was very friendly and helpful throughout the evening. We needed a quiet place to sit down, get a bite to eat and do some work on the laptops. The WiFi was free and the connection speed was good. Once we started working the server promptly cleared the table, but kept bringing us water and making sure we had everything we needed. For dinner I had the BBQ chicken salad and we started with the Gorgonzola fries, both were solid choices. The food was good, so no complaints here. If you are looking for a casual meal out in Magnolia, I would definitely give Serendipity a shot. read more

Serendipity Cafe and Lounge - BBQ chicken salad, with Avacado, black beans, corn, tomatoes, etc. - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Far drive for me but sooo worth it! This is a great place to bring your kids, and yourself! Great selection of drink, treats, and a full menu with delicious specials. The chicken enchiladas were really good, covered in green chile sauce and pepper jack cheese with beans and rice, it all tasted fresh. I want to go back and try some coffee and gelato! read more

This is a really nice family cafe and coffee shop. We're new to Seattle so it's nice to find someplace kid-friendly to take my three year old on the rainy days. There's a play area in the back with tables and booths next to it as well as family style bathroom with changing table for babies and step stools so little ones can reach the sink to wash hands. This cafe is also only a block from the excellent Magnolia park playground so you can do both on nice days. The food choices are great and again, lots of selections little people will eat. We had a cup of bean soup with ham and it was actually a small portioned cup, exactly the right size for my three year old. The latte was good, not too frothy, and we had a brownie from a local bakery that was also very good. The 'kids' hot chocolate was just warm, not scalding hot which is important, and was in an appropriately sized cup with a lid. All of this was only $12.00 so this is definitely an affordable spot for Moms with tots to get a small light lunch like we did. The Barista and waitstaff were very friendly and helpful, smiling and attentive, coming around the back tables often for refills. It was 'storytime' hour when we arrived so we got in on the tail end of that with lots of toddlers for my son to play with too. The only reason I am not giving this five stars is that I felt the play area was a little dirty. They need to wash the plastic bins of toys and play 'kitchen' and house down with some cleaner wipes, especially as many kids are there on a daily basis. I'm not a super hyper germaphobe by any means but the stuff was really visibly dirty. read more

Serendipity Cafe and Lounge - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I ordered the chopped chicken salad and I found that the chicken was very tough and chewy. Also when I went to go pick up my order I did not feel that the salad was being kept cold and the lettuce had seemed wilted when I had picked the order up. Won't be ordering the salad again. read more

Waffle fries were bomb. Cute neighborhood spot. Nice people. I got the cider and it was really good too.

Had our cousins 40th party here. The bartenders took very good care of everyone and all had a great time. Kennedy Brothers had everyone on the dance floor. Great local stop read more

This place is a neighborhood gem! They've done an amazing job acclimating to pandemic culture with outside tables, bar area with stools, and parking spot covered area seating. Years ago when my kiddos were young, I enjoyed moms groups where kids could hang in the play area. Now that the kiddos are older, I enjoy girls nights in the lounge side and happy hour. The Serendipity salad is fantastic. Today I had the Philly Cheese steak and it did not disappoint! read more

Hummus made there, very delicious. Good ambiance. Bar + cafe separate. Very hard working staff. Yelp reviews do not capture experience or food adequately. read more

Not good for vegetarian food. We order the Vegan Pot Pie and the Spinach-Kale Quinoa Patty. The pot pie had no crust, instead was in tin foil with two pieces of bread on top. Flavor tasted as bad as it looked. The Quinoa Patty was burnt which ironically was what gave it flavor, otherwise it would have been bland. Overall, food was bad. Maybe it's better for non-vegetarians. read more

These guys have incredible service and the food was so, SO good! Super fresh, artistically crafted, and tasted like top dollar quality. 100% would recommend and invite friends ! read more

Expensive and poor customer service. Over the past 5 years, I have never enjoyed my time there. Was there tonight to listen to a local band and waited 5 minutes for a drink at an empty bar because the bartender did not want to walk to my end of the bar because, as she put it, the music was too loud to take my order. Meanwhile, shes hanging out at the far end of the bar flirting with a guy. I only recommend this place if they have a live band. read more

So I'm writing a review after dining here several times both in their restaurant and taking to go orders. In a similar way to another review on here I noticed that the waitress working who I do believe is either the manager or the owner was very standoffish and kind of rude. The first time I wrote it off to perhaps her having a bad day but after going her several times I've realized that it's not that she's having a bad day but rather she is a rude person. The last kind of person you would ever want working with customers. Ive watched her ignore people coming into the restaurant, make someone wait a very long time to sit down even though the place was empty, deny a request to sit in a certain seat than give that seat to the next customer, give very slow service (again in an empty restaurant) and just generally be a terrible host/server. A perfect example is when I was waiting to get a to go order and a elderly couple in their 80s came in wanting to have breakfast. I was waiting to pay while she was talking to someone else and ignored them when they came in. They walked up to the register asking if it was OK to sit down and she wouldn't even look at them or speak to them. The gentleman sat down and the older woman stood there looking confused why she was being ignored. You don't even have respect for elderly? You can't multitask in a nearly empty restaurant and turn around and greet them and let them know they're welcome to sit wherever they like? I have worked for years in restaurants and we would never ever act like that towards a customer. Especially an elderly customer. Rude. Only reason I'm giving two stars is because the food is actually pretty good read more