Alright disclaimer time: I might be employed here still. I have worked on and off at this fine establishment for the past 4 years...wow, has it been that long? Answer: Yes. Which I think is a great testament to the owners- who are outstanding people and whom will go out of there way to help you out. This kinda shop is hard to rate frankly. Do you base your ratings just on the Coffee side? The shipping side? The upstairs loft- that is kid friendly? Hmm- well, I'll base it on the "Sip and Ship Experience". First off- the owners and crew carry the philosophy- that they want your business- and they will do whatever it takes to EARN that- they will bend over backwards to better serve you. Which is a great way to start off. Plus, they are very good at shooting the sh_t and making you feel like they went in business solely for you. Which makes you feel somewhat special in a not-so-special kinda world. I think they treat their employees with this same manner and that's why you tend to see the same faces behind the counters. To address some concerns that I have heard: The prices are a bit overpriced... I think I had a hard time with this even as an employee- it wasn't until actually becoming a customer that I understood why the price shouldn't necessarily matter as much. Fact: the prices are a tidbit higher than going to the Post Office- but what do you get for that? You get someone who will process your shipment ACCURATELY, will treat it with care, make you feel like you actually matter and handle it with a smile. I have written a good review for the Ballard Branch of the PO- but everything is relative- and I'm a glutton for punishment. Prime example: For my current "real" job- I needed to have 400+ envelopes sent immediately. I was using the business credit card- which doesn't always swipe properly. I went to the PO and the lady looked at me and said she couldn't run these uniform letters through a machine- but that I had to buy $400+ stamps and place them on myself. Reluctantly, I said, "fine" and handed her my Credit Card- which wasn't swiping properly. The lady looked at my and said, "I'm sorry- I can't help you. This card doesn't work- bring me a card that works- NEXT". With a red face- I walked out the door and headed to the S&S- to which the clerk, without batting an eye, said, "hey let us meter those for you and we can enter your card in manually- and get these out for you today". THAT MY FRIENDS is why the little extra cost does not matter to me one bit- and why I love coming here. The coffee side: I got to hand it to them for using Fair Trade coffee- which is expensive stuff for a small company- and yet STARSUCKS doesn't even do this fully- which is a shame. The drinks are great and the pastry selection is a dandy. The baristas are typically easy on the eyes and friendly to boot. The upstairs: my two year old daughter loves this place. There aren't too many kid friendly places in this town- which is a shame- and once you find one, go out and support it...our kids need to intermingle in society too. Even if you are a kid snob (like I was) it's hard to not smile at a kid who is having a good time. SO there's my schpiel. I love this shop- that's probably why I still might even be technically employed here. The owner's have a great philosophy and the atmosphere is one that really lends to a community feel- something that is definitely needed (especially in this town.) read more

I've been to the S&S in Greenwood as well and both pretty much rock. I love the handmade cards and local crafts. Their coffee is superb and they have free wi-fi. I tried their chicken pesto sandwich and not only did it taste phenomenal, but it was hand-delivered to me by the nice barista. read more

After coming here the past few months, it quickly became my place to do my shipping, sipping, and evenget tasty food as well. The baristas are awesome and friendly, it is always nice to see a barista who cares about what kind of day you are having and can make small talk while they prepare your drink. The staff at the shipping counter are efficient, helpful, and always friendly, which is what kept me coming back, and the owners are wonderful and caring people who always greet you with a smile. Coming from a small town in TX, this feels like the community closeness I grew up with, where everyone knows each other, and smiles are always displayed. I truly love this place, and just another reason why I love Ballard and why I support local businesses. They have a winning formula for a successful business...caring for their customers. read more

One stop shop for cute gifts, yummy treats and drinks, and good vibes! Lindsey is the best ginger beauty there and has the sweetest disposition to help you with all the things you need! read more

Thanks so much for being the only notary in Seattle who will actually notarize a document without being annoying and asking a bunch of dumb questions!!! read more

Kathleen was amazing, very friendly, efficient and fun to talk to. It is a very cute space- There is a little gift shop and coffee/sitting area. This place is very charming and felt like a positive environment to be in. I will definitely be back. it also felt very neighborhood-y type of place. Look and feel is right, service is great. read more

This is the top place in Ballard for handling your shipping needs! The employees are outgoing, friendly, and always attentive. I am not there for the gifts, etc...........but they are the New Heavyweight Champ of shipping in Ballard!! read more

After spending a draining and fruitless 20 min in the post office, it occurred to me that i should try Sip and Ship . I'd never been in before, but had heard how great it is. I walked in and showed Diana what I wanted to ship. She smiled, was very helpful, and just took care of it- she had suggestions, the right box, pretty tissue paper and a knack for making it all work. When I discovered that I'd left the shipping address at home, she said to just give her a call with it later and they'd take care of it. The place was charming, warm, friendly, and staffed by genuine people who don't mind going the extra mile. I'm never going back to the post office again! read more

I love sip & ship! I use for mailing (no thanks grumpy ass post office) , pre paid drop off package returns, lattes, best cards/perfect thoughtful gifts and above all, friendliest staff. Their baked goods are made in house which I love. They're super good! Fresh pressed, raw juices here as well. Few parking spots in the back which is great for running in with kids while juggling boxes to ship. Basically this is my spot! read more

This place is magical. I had an extremely fragile set of china to send across the country. It belonged to my grandmother and I had waited for years to ship it out of fear of it breaking en route. Not only did they expertly package it, but they talked me through each step incredibly kindly. This is the best customer service I have gotten almost anywhere. Plus my boyfriend got a great cappuccino, to boot! I highly recommend them for shipping or coffee or a reminder of how great people can be. read more

when i worked at Scream i went there everyday!!! i did the owners hair to for a year... read more

You know I've been working with these guys for a good amount of time now, and they just do good business. The shop reminds of an old general mercantile, a little bit of everything with very personable staff and treatment. kudos for a great "family owned" joint. read more

Steven and Diana are great. good coffee (depending on who is the barista) and a nice vibe. It's a bit pricey but you definitely get some great work if you have them pack something. I had a framed picture that i wanted to take on a plane to NYC for Xmas. They turned it into luggage and i checked it. Came out perfect on the other side. read more

Great gifts, great chai lattes, and a great option for mailing and receiving packages (especially if you live in an apartment building where they tend not to leave your packages). They're open late (great for us 9-5ers), are super friendly, and will definitely be a stop on my search for gifts. read more

I have warm memories of having coffee here when my sons were toddlers. They had - and still have - the cutest area with comfy chairs and toys! Great service, good food and fun merchandise. It doesn't get any better! read more

I enjoyed my visit, even tho it happened to be at peak hours. All the shipping stations were staffed and the line was moved along nicely. I enjoyed to opportunity to tie in a mocha and a little shopping - though I am not sure I bought anything - I will stop in again if I am in the area. read more

Very friendly staff. Willing to help us carry our packages inside. Plenty of staff available to help us right away.

One of those places you wish you had found sooner. Efficient, helpful, professional, reasonable cost, convenient. Notaries may be archaic, but these guys are not. read more

In arranging for shipment of a rather expensive piece of art, I was naturally concerned to have it packaged professionally at a reasonable price and shipped efficiently. Diana, the owner of the Ballard Sip&Ship, took extra time to listen to my concerns. She then introduced me to Bree, a very capable member of the staff, who took charge of preparing the shipment, all to my satisfaction - and relief! The packaging/shipping costs were very reasonable and everything came together for shipment that afternoon. This is the best service of its type that I have ever experienced in shipping over the years including artwork. My high rating is well-deserved! And, by the way, the coffee was excellent! Bob G., Ballard read more

My favorite local coffee spot-the quality and atmosphere combined make it the coziest spot to get breakfast in Ballard, in my humble opinion. The staff is wonderful, always so friendly and welcoming, and they have a great attention to detail as baristas. Love sitting upstairs and reading. :) read more

You can sip. You can ship. You can buy the classic *BALLARD* t-shirts. This place does all it promises and more. I HATE waiting at the long lines at the post office or at the coffee shop. Strange people and rude staff. This place is homey, friendly and FAST. The convenience here is top-notch. I'll be back when I want to mail my next package! read more

Love this shop! The people are super friendly and considerate, and they have a lot of beautiful merchandise. They have nicely packaged soaps, candles, letterpress cards and stationery--everything I'm a sucker for! If you're looking for Ballard and Seattle themed merchandise, they have a nice selection as well. Not to mention, you can also ship packages and have a little beverage while you are there! I also appreciate their convenient weekend hours since I really can't get away from work during the week. read more

Great little spot for helping with the annoyance of shipping/receiving mail. They even have a little café in the back for grilled sandwiches. I wish they would allow dogs inside, which is the only reason for the star bump. read more

Stay away!!! Not good space to get any work done and prices suck for beverages on the go. They promote their juices and they cost $10 for the small 12oz bottle. No price tag, surprise at the counter. Stay away!!!! read more

My office is a block away and because I don't like Charbucks and I'm lazy, this is my coffee shop of choice when I'm at work. I appreciate Barista Kristy who is always super friendly and makes my latte just the way I like it. Thanks Ballard Sip & Ship! read more

I send a LOT of packages for work and going to the post office was not a high light of my day, UNTIL I found Sip & Ship! No long lines, plenty of supplies & room to work, happy atmosphere and of course lots of fun shopping. I've purchased a Ballard tee for myself and three other gifts for friends there...I have to admit I haven't had coffee there but only because at 3 p.m. I can't handle any more caffeine. read more

Used S & S a couple of times for shipping packages to Costa Rica and LOVE the service! conveniently located, open early, close late, unique gifts, cards, jewelry, friendly staff, great scones. I stop by often :) read more

One of the girls working towards the end of the night thought charging me $5 for a used small box was acceptable. I don't enjoy getting ripped off, so I'm not going to shop here any more. read more

I used to take my packages to the shipping place across from Larsen's on 24th and 80th but always left wishing I hadn't given business to people who are always and consistently obnoxiously rude. The Sip and Ship is SO WORTH the extra distance from my house. The staff is lovely, polite and helpful - you never feel rushed or like your business is an inconvenience. There is also a terrific selection of gifts and cards as well as the BEST chai in the city (seriously - it's fantastic). Plus there is parking in back so really you have no reason to go anywhere else. Support this local business - you'll be glad you did! read more

Fun shop, friendly and great people, coffee is awesome! Best of all they have really neat stuff to look at:)

Customer service is excellent - much, much better than the Post Office. However I too had a big problem with them not clearly disclosing fees for sending ANY piece of mail. I understand they need to make money however these fees are extremely overpriced and made under the radar - bad business practice guys. For this alone I shall never use your service again. Coffee is average and priced too high. Will you change your ways? read more

Four stars instead of five because, although I've almost always had good experiences with them, there was one time that left a sour taste in my mouth. First, I don't get coffee or food there. My significant other does get the coffee and likes it just fine, no complaints about wait time or quality. The staff is super friendly and they make a point of being pleasant and remembering people. I receive a ton of packages there--our apartment building isn't very package-friendly and I'd rather not have stuff stolen or have to live with UPS and Fedex screwing up deliveries--and although it costs anywhere from four to eight bucks a package, it's worth not driving to shipping companies' warehouses after a long day at work. Mostly, the staff has been great. However, I checked once to find out if my significant other could pick up my package because I was going to be at work--something we'd done multiple times before without any problem and without any hesitation on the part of the staff--and it turned into a huge mess, with the person I talked to freaking out about it and repeatedly insisting that it wasn't store policy. I'm a rule-follower by nature. I wouldn't ask staff to do something if I knew it was against policy, and it was just awful to be treated like I was unreasonable for wanting to do something we'd done at least half a dozen times before, with not event a hint that it was against policy at any other time. I suspect someone's package had been stolen or lost shortly before that, or that this person was new and being trained or possibly an owner filling in for someone. It didn't even make sense to me--they were calling me at my own phone number, which they have a record of, so they know it's me and not some random criminal; in what universe would it be a problem for someone I designated to pick up the package? Whatever happened, it wasn't typical. It was surreal and embarrassing (with the person yelling my name to other people working there and asking if anyone knew me--what if I didn't want people to know I was coming in there? What if I'd had an abusive stalker ex or something?), it flustered me beyond belief, and it almost put me off ever going back. I haven't had another experience like that since, so I'm glad I didn't stop using them. By far the most convenient shipping place around, and the people (whose names I have somehow never learned, although they know mine) I usually deal with have great customer service skills. read more

Like that this is a local company with great stationary and fun products as well as a great coffee bar. However, every time I come here, and there is a line at the mail counter to purchase something, the folks behind the counter ignore you. Because mailing or purchasing sometimes takes a little bit of time, you are left standing there wondering if they even care that you are there. I've had to wait up to five minutes and not a peep. Just a simple 'hello, be with you in a bit' would be nice. Most of the staff seem nice once you get up to the counter, but there have been a few that seem rather bored and inconvenienced. Will continue to pop in now and again, but hope the staff are a little more attentive. read more

Working in Ballard, I always come here when I have a package to ship out. The staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is pleasant. They have great sandwiches and coffee. The owners, Stephen and Diana are especially delightful, and it is a popular favorite among many of the locals in Ballard. read more

a place to play and one less trip to the post office! C'mon! Go to sip and ship! With or without a package to ship!

Yummy. The Ballard Sip and Ship has just hired an amazing health minded chef who makes the most killer, and I mean killer snack bars. They are called the gluten free almond coconut snack bar, it's like one big fat almond joy! I feel so healthy eating it as I indulge. It's worth every penny. Goodbye processed Luna bars or cliff bars, hello the real, home-made thing. Try it, you will become addicted. Oh and the banana bread is also pretty amazing! read more

i totally dig this place! all sorts of interesting knick knacks and super go ballard stuff. its colorful, the staff is very nice and the coffee is grrreat. i am a purist and only get drip or an americano soooo... and really so many cool little things to look at and the crowd is chill. laptops and locals... not a hipster coffee shop by any means :) read more

Love this place! I have been using it for over 2 years to collect my mail and send packages as needed. Everyone is always pleasant and helpful. The banana bread is to die for! read more

I've had a private mailbox at Sip and Ship for the past three years and it has made my life so much easier! I travel 50% of the time, and they're always able to forward mail to wherever I am so I can stay on top of both personal and business bills, paperwork, etc. Having them receive packages (especially while I'm out of town) is also a lifesaver; no more worrying about them being left on the porch or bugging neighbors to check the doorstep every day. And it's always such a pleasure when I'm in town to drop in for my mail/a coffee/to work or chill for a while, and chat with the team. Everyone is friendly and on top of things - can't tell you how much it's appreciated! Thanks, Sip & Shippers...you guys are the best!! read more

stamps are sure expensive here, but the coffee aint bad and for a ballard lifer like me, the ballard shirts are a must have!