3.6/5 stars Just moved into Magno, and this was the first restaurant we tried out. And yeah it was great! Friendly, effective, and quick service. Menu had some good looking goods. Ordered the carne asada nachos and they were The right amount of chunky, crunchy and cheesy. A little more expensive though then I hoped. Apparently they offer a lot of specialty nights (jazz shows, puppet shows, story nights) which I could see being interesting! There's a full in playground area in the back, which I guess would come in handy as a parent. Summary: I had an exceptional experience here, with tasty food and genuine service, though it might be geared towards an older, more mothering crowd. Nothing that detracted from my experience, but nothing that's pulling me back for more. read more

Serendipity Cafe and Lounge - A cool clown watches over you! - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This placed had changed since my last visit and not for the better. The menu has been pared back quite a bit and the service has deteriorated as well. It took just over 5 minutes to get a menu and then another 10 or so to order. If it had been super busy I'd understand but it wasn't. I ordered and waited for some water. And waited. Asked the waitress for water and she said she'd get it. Waited some more. Food arrives. I ask for water again. It finally arrives...well after I've dug into my food. As for the BBQ chicken salad? Well, it was ok but nothing special. The super sweet BBQ sauce was a bit much. Ran out of water and was about to ask for more but had invested enough time here already. Plus, the waitress just kinda threw the bill onto the table with a grunt. I won't be returning. read more

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

Consistently good neighborhood place with delicious sandwiches, salads, and burgers. Sometimes gets busy and a little loud, but there's never a wait. Great family restaurant, perfect for kids, but also a nice place to sit and have a tranquil lunch during the quieter hours. Overall highly recommended. One of my favorite places to eat! read more

I usually love coming to Serendipity. It has always been one of my favorite study spots! This trip was very different. I asked if they were planning on putting the Sounders game on and they said they would but never did. I would have gone elsewhere if I had known. They got my order wrong. And then, although I was clearly studying and still drinking my coffee the waitress rushed me out with my bill. The staff seemed relatively new and I hope this was just an off day and not what is to come. read more

This is one of my regular weekend spots with my husband, and always a favorite place to bring out of town guests for breakfast. The kids play area can be loud at times but the coffee and food are top notch. The service is great too, they remember our drink order every time. read more

Serendipity Cafe and Lounge - The latte! - Bakeries Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Me and my family love coming here. Good atmosphere, good food, and the owner is really nice. There's nothing stellar about the food, which is why it's not five stars. But it's still a great place to go for a bite! read more

All I wanted was some lunch. I walked in, went up to the counter and they had me have a seat. The server brought me the menu and I ordered a drink while looking over my options. The server doubled as the barista so she was busy taking orders at the counter. When she was finally free after 10 minutes she walked right by my table and over to some other patrons who seemed like good friends and was reminiscing and the like. 10 more minutes went by. I will add that she was not alone, there was another server who was walking around stocking the pastry area and not checking to see if anybody needed help ordering food. I had now finished my large drink and still didn't have an order placed. I didn't have any more time to give this restaurant on my one hour break from work. I decided to go up to the counter and just pay for my drink and get out of there to hopefully get a bite elsewhere before my lunch was up. I walked up to the counter and the very same waitress was standing nearby the counter showing a fellow employee her phone and laughing about something meanwhile totally ignoring me. She finally looked up after 2 minutes and saw me standing there. I told her I would like to pay for my coffee and leave. At this point I didn't even bother giving feedback to her, she clearly did not care. She cashed me out handed me my receipt, no apologies, zero awareness of the situation. I went to subway and received great customer service with no delay. My advice to this establishment is to be aware of their customers, they are priority number one. read more

Can I please give this place a 0? I've lived in Magnolia my entire life and I was very happy about Serendipity opening because besides coffee shops there really aren't any place to eat breakfast, but if you even think about going past 11am, prepare yourself for a serious case of being locked in a bathroom later. The morning staff and breakfast burrito are both amazing, but the last 2 times I've gotten food to go I've waited for over 30 minutes (the last time being for fish and chips) and the tarter sauce had gone bad and made both me and my boyfriend horribly ill. We decided to give the breakfast one more time and after getting some coffee and juice and having our order taken, we were informed (about 15 minutes later) that the chef wasn't around and the staff was unaware that their sous chef didn't know how to cook the food! Isn't that their job? They gave us our drinks for free, but never again will we ever give them another chance. Run far far away from here. read more

Germ farm for the kiddos? Check! What is wrong with parents? Seriously. If I wanted to bring home a gastrointestinal illness I would find tastier and more affordable ways to do it. Mediocre food? Check! Oh and at prices that are for actual restaurants with actual good food, too. This is a coffee shop trying to be something it's not. If you enjoy eating marinara sauce from a cup and calling it "tomato bisque soup" while trying to choke down a half-rotten spinach salad this is the place for you. I'm waiting for the food poisoning to set in. This was my second and last attempt at this place. My first visit was three years ago; and I live in the area. So that's saying something. It's saying this place sucks. read more

When the restaurant opened a couple of years ago, we gave it two chances. The food wasn't good, and the service was even poorer. They just opened an addition - a full service bar, sharing the same kitchen. No surprise, the food is still poor. The bar service was very slow, but not because of effort - there simply wasn't enough staff. Verdict - nah! read more

I love the location, the food is good, but please don't order the chocolate croissant! Gross, eggy, no traditional flakiness or buttery taste that a croissant should have. Maybe it is better if you leave it cold? I can't imagine that is true. Order anything else! read more

Service: Rude Vegetarian Eggs Benedict: Taste awful caused food poisoning. read more

I am so hesitant to give Serendipity two stars because it probably only deserves one. Every time we decide to give this restaurant another try, we aren't there ten minutes before the bad memories come rushing back. Sure, it's kid-friendly, with a big play area in the back that usually sports a doll house and a train table, at the least. You can send the kids in there to play (and they are happy to go), but you're going to find yourself getting up and down from the table every 2 minutes to mediate some dispute because "that kid took my train." The menu is generally bland and uninspired. A swing and a miss, as far as getting flavors to blend. The southwest salad was never more than a pile of distinct ingredients that never came together into a cohesive dish. More often than not, my kids don't finish their meals. We have never -- NEVER -- had even acceptable service at Serendipity. We've had a waitress who completely forgot to put in our order and only realized it close to an hour after we walked in the door. We've had the wrong meal come out. We've had half of our meals come out but others not. We've sat without refills and with an absent waitress for long periods of time. However, the absolute WORST experience was when I ordered the gluten free macaroni and cheese (a new menu item -- which is appreciated, because there was precious little a gluten free person could eat on their old menu) and it arrived at the table with BREAD ON TOP OF THE PASTA. Now, you'd think it couldn't get worse, but when it was sent back, it arrived back at the table within three minutes. That's OBVIOUSLY not enough time to re-do the order. The kitchen merely plucked the bread from the top of the entree and sent it back out, which is a HUGE no-no when dealing with allergens that any food handler should know! On the plus (?) side, we've had more comped meals at Serendipity than any other restaurant we've ever eaten at... read more

I came here last year for the first time and had a decent experience. The service was good and the turkey and avocado sandwich was delicious. I decided to go back today with my coworker. When we got there, we weren't greeted for around ten minutes and then were told to wait. We were finally seated and then another ten minutes before the waitress came back to take our order. To be clear, it wasn't busy at all. I ordered a French dip with fries and she ordered a chop salad and we both ordered iced tea. The tea and food came very quickly. Laura, {my coworker) loved her salad. My French dip was disappointing as well as disgusting unfortunately. The bread was hard and the roast beef was barely heated up. Our waitress never came back to check on us or I would have told her as much. I only ate half of it and that was a struggle. We sat there and waited another 15 minutes before I got a box. I only took it home because I don't like wasting food. I'll likely give it to my dog. She didn't offer a container for the au jus. I was done even asking for anything at that point since we were made to wait three different times. Later I found out that our waitress was the owner. So sad because she acted like she didn't care if we dined there and we weren't treated with any warmth or customer service. The only reason I'm giving a two star is because of my first experience and Laura liked her salad. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone and would steer clear if ever in the village again. read more

I'm at Serendipity at least a couple times per month, and my husband goes there even more frequently. We particularly enjoy the lounge for weekend brunches. It's dark and quiet, unlike the cafe side of the restaurant, which is usually packed with loud families. I'm so surprised to read the reviews about poor service; the staff at Serendipity have always been funny and awesome with us. Once or twice they've been behind in the kitchen and our food has come out slower than usual, but the servers have warned us up-front about that before we order. I would rate this place 5 stars, but a couple items on the menu are hit or miss. As much as others are raving about the mac and cheese, I would rate it "meh," especially when it's part of a breakfast dish. Also, the huevos was served with soft corn tortillas, which is basically sacrilege in my book. Favorites include the monte cristo french toast, the salmon scramble, and the panini breakfast sandwich on their 'lighter bites' menu. The bonus of this place is their espresso drinks are better than the other coffee shops in the village. read more

This place has a great location, on a great corner in Magnolia. I visited Serendipity when a Little League parade was going on and people were lining the sidewalks, it made me smile to feel that small town-ness that makes Magnolia so great. The decor is very fitting for what this place is trying to be.. I agree with some other yelpers in that it is more like a coffee house than a restaurant. Maybe I'll try other items on the menu but really this place isn't a "bargain" type spot. I ordered a breakfast burrito and it was decent, but for the money I expected better. For that kind of dough give me a burrito...dare I say it....Chipotle-sized. It was tasty, but really doesn't warrant any superlatives. I could've made the same thing at home. The people working there all seemed fairly young, like high school-aged, but they were all pleasant and looked very nice. It seems that Magnolia has some kids that are raised right, because this isn't the first time I've experienced professional-acting youngsters in this neighborhood. I was so used to the punk ass kids that work in and around the Tukwila area. Since it is only two blocks away from my house I know that I will be visiting Serendipity again, when I do I'll see if my rating will change. read more

We went because of the play area for the kids, which was filthy and the toys were all banged up and flaking paint. Service was slow and the food was terrible, the fries that came with the kids meal was dripping in grease, the pulled pork sandwich was bland and fatty. I will not be back. read more

Decent breakfast spot for Magnolia. Seems like a hangout for a bunch of Moms, they all seem to know each other and it's kinda weird. I kinda felt like I crashed some sort of book club or something. Eggs Benedict was decent with a monster piece of ham on it. But everytime I go in everything seems a little on the cold side, especially the potatoes, I usually never eat them. The coffee is great. read more

Very nice people -- kinda goes downhill from there. Had to ask several times for a menu. Had to ask for salt. Ketchup. Napkins. Yikes. The burger was decent, but unfortunately at the moment I was ready to gobble it up, I didn't have the necessary tools to carry out that plan. Oh by the way, very kid friendly -- there's even a dedicated playpen. read more

Stopped in for lunch with a friend one recent afternoon. We were immediately greeted and seated in a nice comfy booth. Our beverage order (which was just water for both of us) was taken and also brought immediately. So far, so good. We waited a bit to have our order taken. There seemed to be only one server working and she was pretty busy. We were not in a particular hurry, though, so it was no big deal. We both ordered a sandwich from the "specials" menu: Grilled chicken topped with sauteed spinach and mushrooms and served on a brioche. Sounded pretty tasty. And, it was not bad. Unfortunately, when the sandwich was brought out, the "brioche" had somehow turned into an ordinary hamburger bun. And, the problem with that is the thing that distinguished this particular sandwich -- at least on paper -- from any of the other hundreds of chicken sandwiches you can find in Seattle was gone. The other problem is the idea of the sandwich being served on brioche is a big part of why I ordered it to begin with. I really hate when the main thing that drew you to a particular menu item does not actually show up on your plate. The sandwich was served with a nice side salad of mixed greens topped with a light (and not too acidic as so many seem to be) vinaigrette. Brioche disappointment aside, my overall experience here was fine. The food was decent. The service friendly. The atmosphere relaxed. This is not a "destination" restaurant, but, if I happened to live in the neighborhood, I would almost certainly stop in again. read more

Once again, I'm a little surprised by the lower review here... Maybe it's the abundance of screaming children that does it? Hmmm, go to the other side where it's kid-free and the tunes are good. Ok, Serendipity isn't the best place I've ever been, but considering I've been quite a few times, and as a vegetarian, I can always find something that pleases me and my non-veggie friends alike. The food is consistent (great paninis and salads, and the salads are never overdressed), as is the service, there are pretty nice peeps that work here. There are two sides to Serendipity, the side with screaming children that never seems to slow down, and parents *do not* understand the concept of discipline - and the "lounge" side, which is essentially a bar with multiple booths and tables. I took my mom here once for a late lunch, thinking we could sit on the restaurant side (aka screaming kid side) and sure enough, just as our iced teas came to the tables, the kids began. And the parents don't seem to give a sh**. This is officially *the* spot for lazy/ lame parents to drop off their rugrats, drink beer and ignore them entirely. So, we got up, went to the other side, and had a nice lunch. Strangely enough, they must've sound-proofed the joint, I never hear those brats on the other side. The food is pretty darn good, although I do wish they had some more vegetarian options... I've had really tasty veggie paninis with pesto and sun dried tomatoes (yum), strawberry salad in the summer, on a bed of mixed greens, with walnuts and a sprinkling of cheese, my mom had a very interesting "special" here once, it was homemade potato chips Irish style (don't ask, I don't remember) and she really liked it. The husband has had the mac and cheese, which was rich and tasty, and some other sandwiches too. Would love to see a veggie burger and some other tasties. Maybe you guys will read this? All in all, a nice little spot, with consistent food. My biggest pet peeve, I've often got food that's not *super* hot, which drives me nuts. Other than that, no complaints. Oh, other than those bratty god-dang kids. read more

Since McGraw Street Cafe switched to a wine-bar aesthetic, Magnolia has needed a locally owned coffee shop. Serendipity is, for whatever the detractors say: 1. locally owned 2. heavily locally patronized What I liked most about the experience there was just how many people in the neighborhood were accidentally meeting up there and talking. There was an excellent community vibe there that, hopefully, the owners of Serendipity will foster and nurture. It's a very welcome addition to my neighborhood. (About 8 million times more welcome than the $(#*& tanning salon that opened next door). Coffee okay, baked goods okay, service rather good, community vibe excellent! read more

This is the best place to eat for great, tasty, unpretentious food. I actually want to try everything on the menu which is varied and they serve breakfast fairly late, if not all day. The club sandwich, chop salad and Croque Madame come highly recommended. This would be the place you would take friends from out of town to. The proprietress is very kind. She makes an effort to get to know and chat to all the customers. To summarize, Serendipity comes highly recommended!! read more

The coffee was amazing! They do a great coffee there, but... I was there for food, the service was horrible, not just me but other tables were waiting an hour (an hour, for waffles?), the food (when it arrived) was only so-so. Their price is way to high for the crappy service I got, I will not be returning, unless it is for a discounted late. read more

I was surprised at the other reviews for this place because my boyfriend and I had an excellent experience here yesterday. It sounds like they had just changed some things on their menu, so maybe they have made other changes over the last few weeks as well. Anyway, here goes... My boyfriend and I were exploring Magnolia Village yesterday. We decided to have lunch at Serendipity Cafe. The space is charming and inviting and the location is great, right in the heart of Magnolia Village. The service was friendly, quick, and competent. The food was really good! I had the grilled cheese (with sharp white cheddar), which was something amazing, unlike any other grilled cheese I've ever had - in a good way. My boyfriend had the BLT with avocado and really liked it. I got sweet potato fries and he got regular fries. Both were really tasty. The regular fries are the thin kind. They were probably the best fries I've had in a long time. No condiments necessary! Their menu is a little small, but so what? They focus on soup, salad, and sammiches and they have a good variety for that. We didn't have coffee or pastries, but we did get gelato. Mmmmm. Caramel and coconut. Yummy. We peeked into the pastry display on our way out and noticed that they had Mighty-O donuts and some tasty looking Easter cupcakes. If I lived in the area I'd visit regularly! read more

I'm surprised by the multiple poor reviews. My experience was just fine. Nothing spectacular, but both the food and service were good. By looking at the ratings chart, it seems like they are really inconsistent. Maybe they have been trying to work on staffing issues or something. I did notice there was a sign on the table with a number to text the manager with any issues, so maybe the people with bad experiences should take advantage of that. For the record, our server was dealing (very well) with someone behind us who was incredibly combative about the menu and lack of completely vegan options - come on. I know several vegans and it's just a fact of life that you have to be creative and unless you go to a restaurant that specifically advertises veggie/vegan dishes, it's not anything to blame on the management. read more

Stopped in for lunch on a Saturday afternoon and couldn't have had a better experience. Service was great and the grilled cheese and tomato soup was excellent! Thanks! read more

Where to begin.... Walking in, I stood there for a good five minutes before the waitress even acknowledged me, though clearly she had seen me, and there was literally no one else waiting. After finally being seated, it took another 5 minutes to get a menu and another 10 before I was able to flag down the waitress so that I could order. I ordered and it was 15 minutes or so before the food arrived, and to say it was sub or, is to give it a compliment. The sweet potatoes were decent, but the burger was flavourless and there was a barely any cheese. To top that off, there was enough onion for 3 burgers, and it wasn't even fresh. After I finished I attempted to flag down the waitress (she may have been the manager), and it took yet another 10 minutes to get ANYONE's attention. This time it came in the form of a teenage waitress with an attitude problem who was incredibly rude. As I was leaving I decided to get gelato, Nutella flavoured, which was decent, but nothing to write home about. So in summary, the food is bland and poorly cooked, the wait staff is HORRENDOUS, and I would NOT recommend this place to anyone. Save your money and your time, skip this cafe. read more

It's a neighborhood hangout spot with basic lackluster brunch food and okay coffee. I wish both were better because the location and ambience are great. Service is disappointing considering they are never busy but act like filling a water cup is so much effort. As a plus, They do offer comfy booths and free WiFi. read more

Best food I ever have eaten very cozy atmosphere. Also great for sweets too would recommended too all my friends to go there

We LOVE Serendipity. It's fantastic for families with younger kids, as the dedicated children's play area, allows the Mom's (or Dad's) to joyfully sip on your coffee or wine. The food is pretty decent and the owners are always willing to put something together, upon special request. We've been going for years, every Friday night. Saturday is kids eat free, so that's a huge bonus when looking to eat out, but on a budget. read more

This restaurant was really good. There's a bar area inside of the restaurant. Just lounge area could be a little bit noisy because of the kids. The server was really friendly and nice, also good recommendations help me to choose nice menu. This would be my best restaurant in Magnolia :) read more

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I'm surprised to see only three stars! I visit Serendipity weekly and always have a great experience, whether I'm alone using their free wi-fi on my laptop, or taking my young kids out for a meal or a treat. They just got some new toys in the back play area, and new carpet, and it's a fun place for small kids to play and socialize. The coffee and breakfast sandwiches are especially tasty, and kids eat free on Saturday nights. read more

We are regulars here at Serendipity. I really to love this little place, and the women who work there are great. I have NEVER had bad service. They serve Cafe Vita, which i LOVE, and they do a great job with the coffee. My husband and i come frequently with our son, and he loves it as well. There is a kids play area, so we always sit towards the back booths. I must say that it is a life saver, especially when going out with 2 year olds seems quite impossible. I will say it again, the women/servers there are excellent, patient, and very attentive. I've read some reviews about this place stating that the service was bad, and i don't see why. Everyone has off days, just as in any restaurant, but if you're skipping out on a wonderful breakfast because you think the service is bad, think twice. It's wonderful. We always come in for breakfast, so i can only speak about the food from the breakfast menu. It is all quite good. The kids menu is wonderful, and the perfect amount of food, clean, and very good. My favorite breakfast dish there are the huevos rancheros, which are no longer on the menu, but everytime i go in for breakfast, the women always know that it's my favorite, and assure me the cook can still make it for me. Everything i've tried, and everyone i've taken in here has loved it. It is seat yourself, and there is no sign stating that, but it's pretty obvious, as soon as the servers see you, they bring you a menu. It's not that hard people. Don't judge the quality of a restaurant based on that. If you are a parents, and need some sanity on a rainy/wet morning, come on in for breakfast, have your kids play in the kids area, grab a board game, and relax. There is never any rush, so just stop and smell the coffee. It's a wonderful, family friendly place. I will recommend this place to anyone for breakfast. read more

I live in Orange County, CA and when I visit my family in the Magnolia area, about once a year I make it a point to have breakfast here as often as possible. The food is great, the prices are reasonable and the personal was cordial to us every single time we ate here. read more

So I have to start by saying I used to love this place. Sadly there has been a lot of turnover and it seems the quality has been left by the wayside. Tonight was the kicker for me. I ordered the chicken pot pie. Wow. I'm going to describe this in detail for emphasis. Picture a plate. With the pot pie filling served with a biscuit cut in half on top. At room temperature. No pie crust. Just goop. I mentioned this to the bartender/server as I was in the lounge. His response. "Yeah I think it's bad too. If you put hot sauce on it it's ok." I don't get what the deal is here in magnolia. Must remind myself to head over to Ballard for good food and service. What's sad is thing used to be so much better here. read more

I like a couple things when I go dinning, To start I like my glasses to not look like the waiter just sneezed into the glass. Another thing I enjoy is when my nachos are served I'd like one chip to be intact. I seriously think they saved the crumbs from the bottom of four separate chip bags to make my nachos. They received two stars instead of one because of the entertainment provided by the outrageous prices of the art on their walls. read more

My girlfriend and I were headed to Cocoa & Creme a few doors down, but it was closed at 8:45, 15 minutes early. So instead, we found Serendipity. It was pretty empty, being right before closing at all, but we got drinks and gelato. My girlfriend, who tends to be picky about her Chai, said that their Chai was excellent, and my dark chocolate/white chocolate/vanilla hot chocolate (Zebra something, minus the coffee) was also delectable. The gelato was also very good, and the atmosphere was very nice - it's very nicely decorated and lit and such. We sat on one of the window benches with pillows, and it was very cozy. Overall, it's a great place to pick up drinks and dessert at least, as I can't testify to the quality of their food. The staff was friendly and helpful, and it was a pleasant experience. And they didn't close early, to boot. P.S. For future reference, and to save you having to ask for "the middle one," their coffee sizes are "Ball Peen", "Hammer" and "Jack", presumably due to serving Thomas Hammer coffee. read more

-1 for not so great service -1 for the mediocre food -1 for high prices for beverages +1 for great coffee The (drip) coffee was excellent. I know, how hard is it to mess this up, right? You'd be surprised. Some of their pricing is pretty good and others I just want to scream WTF? Kid's drinks are literally about 8oz. I was surprised at the size for the price. The food was not inedible, but not great. Pretty much the only reason I would ever go out of my way to come here again would be for the kid's area (which in and of itself isn't SPECTACULAR, but the fact that it even exists is a HUGE plus). read more

Music was so loud you can't even think. This is like a bar for people who hear sound through touch. Everything else is 3 star read more

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