I give this place props for being vegetarian with solid vegan options. I also like that they weren't concocting a lot of fake meat/cheese substitutes, but just using more veggies! I came here for brunch with two friends on a busy Sunday. This place is fairly large, so the wait wasn't too long despite three or four parties in front of us. We ordered a breakfast burrito, eggs & salsa, and my vegan friend got the vegan highlander. The food was big! Best of all, the potatoes were so flavorful. The prices were also affordable. I was really blown away by the politeness of the staff. They thanked us for our patience, for the initial wait and again for food being a little slow. It was totally reasonable for how busy it was, but very considerate nonetheless. read more

Sunlight Cafe - Salsa & Eggs, with guacamole and sour cream on the side - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Sunlight Cafe is a mainstay of our community! We LOVE the food, service, and vibe. So much more than a restaurant!

Just go up to pay when you're done with your food. Don't wait for them to come to you. And if you are having trouble ordering go up to the counter and give them your order. Treat it like a diner not a fancy cafe. The food is fine and reasonably priced. I had the mexican breakfast dish... can't remember the name... with tofu instead of eggs. Very good. read more

Sunlight Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Really great vegan options. I always end up sitting at the bar since it's always packed, but I don't ever mind. The tofu scramble is delicious! read more

This was the highlight of our time in Seattle. We originally planned on going to another vegan restaurant nearby but were thrilled we ended up at Sunlight cafe. The food was beyond amazing and we enjoyed the best cooked tempeh we have ever had. Sheryl and her husband were so accommodating and made the experience so much better with their warm hospitality. They double checked ingredients for us and customized our meal to make sure it was just right. We even had the pleasure of enjoying a complimentary salad and lemon tahini dressing. We are already looking forward to our next visit to Seattle so we can visit again. The only thing better than the food was the service. read more

Wow! I am vegan and saw the highlander on the Sunday breakfast menu. I thought based on the description it was going to be a simple tofu sautee but it was not. The tomato sauce the tofu was cooked it was so delicious!!! Also, replace the fries and eng muffin with their home made toast. The bread was SOOO good I ordered two sides of it read more

I've been vegan for about a year. I almost never look for vegan restaurants as I find them overpriced or limited in options. Not sunlight cafe though! I LOVE tempeh tacos and deluxe for breakfast. The flavors are spot on. read more

Soup, salad and bread with their famous Tahini dressing. Can't beat it! Get there early if you need to park anything, large.

I've eaten here for the 30+ years i've been in Seattle but had not tried since they moved to the new space (directly across the street from my demolished first apartment here). A good friend of mine moved to the old neighborhood, which sparked my return. I'm happy to say i'll be a regular again. Their food is definitely what I would call hippie, which is by no means an insult. It's hearty health food, w whole grains and variety. I like that they have the ability to cater to all (meat free) dietary constraints; and as someone older whose food sensitivities are frustratingly increasing, I feel good about their options. I remember that their nutburger was my go to in the past, but also enjoyed the nachos, pasta, soups, salads, and full dinner meals. Frankly, their entire menu is good. Their home made dressings are SO delicious, I always get a few bottles to go. Their baked goods are good as well, and wholesome. I'm also a fan of their breakfasts, and of late the waffles and tofu w veggies fare. My latest food allergy now has branched to eggs (really, my traitorous body?!) so i'm so thankful for the tofu options, and at some point will (grudgingly) re-try tempeh. I'm not sure one can claim their Mexican inspired fare is authentic; but it is filling, healthy in the right way, and delicious! Their ingredients are fresh, local, and flavourful. The space and bathrooms are clean. Keep in mind the new location is smaller, and since they're good/popular you can expect a wait. Their hours are also a bit limiting (closed on Mondays, and morning hours are pretty much on weekends only), As you've already read, the service can be hit or miss (like everywhere). I personally have always had friendly and attentive servers. I feel like this place lives up to everything I am looking for when I come. I haven't been vegetarian for over 20 years, but I do obey when my body craves clean veg protein & heaps of vegetables. I'm not above the bad things we all try to limit (from carbs to fried & junk food) but I always feel well fed and healthy when I leave. read more

The food was absolutely amazing. The wait staff was very accommodating and attentive. Definitely recommend!

So it's been AN HOUR since I ordered and I STILL don't have my food. I was going to wait to write a review until after I eat because maybe the food will be amazing but at this point it's too late. Apparently the waitress told me "she's cooked yours wrong 3x do you want her to do it again correctly or take it incorrectly" and I'm like "hmmm. I would like to eat how I ordered it, so she can fix it." All I didn't want... were red peppers. Confused why this is so hard and how you could mess that up 3x. So the food was pretty good but still wouldn't wait an hour. The waitress was very kind and gave me a free apple pie slice to go for the delay. Good customers service. Still would probably not come back though, for the price and wait time not worth it. read more

Sunlight Cafe is the best brunch spot in Seattle. The McKenna and Euripides are both so incredibly delicious. I've never had better homemade fries. The service and scenery are nice as well. I love going there. read more

This place is worth it for the bread alone, so good! My favorite is the tempeh tacos, and I used to think I hated tempeh. They are amazing! It is also very reasonably priced, and fulling and hearty compared to other organic / veggie places around Seattle. You get what you pay for and more! Vibe is colorful and funky. Love. read more

The Sunlight Cafe has been my favorite eaterie since the early 80's. The best healthy vegetarian comfort food in the world, in my experience-- especially the brunch, which includes real maple syrup for those blueberry pancakes and hearty waffles. The atmosphere is warm and nurturing. I leave with a sense of well-being. read more

Are you craving comfort veggie food? Good! You are in the right place. Scrumptious dishes, cozy space and thoughtful service. Delicious and perfect anytime. Veggies cooked to perfection to give you and your tummy great satisfaction. Simply wonderful. Can't wait to come back! read more

What a cool spot! Very light and open and very homey feeling. I just came in for a coffee, but I was impressed by the ambience being so clean, and the design was modern yet very comfortable. The wait staff was friendly and accomodating, and the coffee was excellent. Will definitely come back to try their menu! read more

We really enjoyed breakfast here. We loved the menu and the food was executed really well. One of my kids ordered the sesame waffle and it was delicious. The other had some amazing blueberry yogurt pancakes. I had a tofu scramble. Very good. The only issue was the service was pretty slow. Fortunately, my kids were in a good mood and we enjoyed a slow paced breakfast for once. read more

Sunlight Cafe - Euripides - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Love this place for breakfast/brunch! To be honest, I've never eaten the lunch or dinner food, as I feel it's a waste of my eating out experiences to miss out on my sesame crunch waffle with blueberries and bananas! They have great other choices as well, but I get the waffle every single time I come. Good food, good coffee, and good customer service. You can't go wrong by coming here! read more

I've been here before for brunch and the food was good. However, today I got here early right before they open at 8:30 am. I came specifically because I wanted waffles, eggs and bacon. You know pretty standard. I was told, once I got in that the kitchen doesn't open until 9am. And that all they have are waffles. Seriously?? I didn't see that anywhere. And eggs and bacon are staples. Get your people in early if you say you're open at 8:30 am. And I know waffles take time to make but these came out really fast, which tells me they are pre-made. Serious disappointment. I get casual but if your staff can't be bothered to get out of bed to come in then why should your customers? read more

Fast and friendly service. It was a great option for a light, healthy meal. I loved the environment and the food! I ordered a half sandwich and salad combo. The lemon tahini dressing is delicious! read more

Sunlight Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is one of my least favorite vegetarian places in the area. My boyfriend likes it over others because it is vegetarian and not vegan. He prefers places where he can get eggs and cheese, while I need tasty vegan options. I find the food here to be pretty dull and unexciting. I struggle to find appropriate vegan brunch items at non veg restaurants and felt the same here. They did have a few options on the menu, but the vegan substitutions appeared to be a lot of holding the dairy which I expect at a regular restaurant but it would be nice if you could replace it with a vegan alternative here. I did eventually settle on the tempeh dish which seems to be a hit with others, according to the reviews, but I was not a fan. We rarely go here even though it is probably one of the easier places to get to and on our way to just about everything. We recently decided to give another try after a few years of not visiting and have again decided to remove it from the rotation. While we were happy to find free street parking on the side streets; that was the highlight of our visit. Service was pretty terrible, which is something I rarely notice. I am sure it was just our server though as the people next to us appeared to be getting great service. I really wanted a refill on my water and some tabasco, but our server never came by and the layout here makes it really hard to flag her down. We decided that in the future we might tip servers that are not ours for providing good service to others. read more

Had the most delicious blueberry pancakes during the Saturday brunch. Later, For dinner, had a great nut burger. We will definitely be back every time we're in Seattle. read more

A small cafe in Seattle that's been around for 40 years. It's a vegetarian joint but the food there is wonderful. The service is great and the chef in the kitchen is hilarious. I got the brown rice salad with sautéed tofu and their homemade lemon tahini dressing. WOW! I would suggest this to everyone who walked into the door. It pops with so much flavor and everything is so fresh! My mouth is watering just thinking about it (and I'm writing this review a few days later after my thanksgiving dinner). My friend got the eggs and home fries. Their home fries were delicious! Cooked to perfection. Everything about this cozy place is great. If you are in the university district area, stop here. Even if you're a meat eater, I'm sure you could find something you like on the menu like I did. They do their own spin on tacos and the variety is amazing. read more

Sunlight Cafe - Brown rice salad with sautéed tofu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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As Seattle goes this place is a landmark. It withstood the test of time and keeps on ticking. In fact 30 years ago my parents tried to take me there kicking and screaming. Today I not only go willingly but really relish the character and soul this place brings to the table. You don't weigh this kind of place with an artisan cafe. It's a completely different critter - cozy, laid back, simple, and comfortable. There's zero pretense here and the food is tasty and affordable. It's not meant to knock your socks off, though the Tempeh Tacos and Nachos are some of the best comfort foods around. read more

This is my favorite go-to vegetarian restaurant! Their new location is a bit tucked away, but it makes parking easier and there's a nice shady patio. I went for lunch on a weekday most recently, and ate outside. I had the polenta with black beans, added guacamole. My companion had the nut burger and the black eyed pea soup. The polenta was soft and creamy inside and just the right amount of crisp on the outside. The beans were flavorful and delicious and the guacamole is so good! Order it any time you can! The nut burger was flavorful and chewy, and held up to the bun (some vegan burgers crumble) The soup was hearty and full of more than just beans, there were lots of veggies inside. I had a delicious iced tea and the lemonade was tart and fresh made. One star off for what seemed like new servers - no refills on water, no split check even though we ordered that way at the the start and were clear about it, no take-away box for leftovers until I flagged down the server after the check had been dropped, and nobody cleared our dishes even after we boxed up the food. Lots of forgiveness for restaurants during covid, so we will be back no matter what. read more

How I heard of this place: Probably the oldest, and undeniably the longest standing vegetarian restaurant in Seattle, the Sunlight has been my go-to ever since moving to Seattle over a decade ago. Type of cuisine: The Sunlight Cafe has been "offering delicious and healthy vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free dishes for over 35 years." "The restaurant is vegetarian, meaning meat free, but we do use dairy products and eggs. We offer vegan dishes and vegan alternatives to many of our non-vegan menu items. We also offer vegan and gluten-free deserts as well as traditional dairy and egg containing selections...The ingredients used at our restaurant are the finest available short of being completely organic. We serve organic coffee and espresso, additive-free beer and wine, fresh fruit smoothies, and a variety of homemade breads, pastries, and desserts. With the exception of a few ingredients, our dishes are prepared almost entirely on the premises." Ambiance: Having been around since 1976, only the layers and layers of paint seem to have changed in the establishment. Set on the corner of Roosevelt Way NE and NE 64th Street, the floor to high-ceiling windows along two sides of the restaurant allow for the streaming in of natural daylight - whether grey or blue skies persist. Upon entry, patrons are offered the option of dining at the space to the right: bar seating immediately adjacent to the grill and chef space, or to the left: in the 70s-era dining room. Either way, diners are in for a gustatory treat. The blue painted walls, red-orange accents, miscellaneous plants, tables and chairs or booth seating at the back wall are only the backdrop to the more important people-watching that one will thoroughly enjoy while dining at the Sunlight. What I ordered: As with every meal at the Sunlight Cafe, no order is complete without the signature Small Tossed Green ($4.95) made up of lettuce, vegetables, seeds, clover sprouts & "choice of dressing". We all know, however, that no one dares go outside of the most amazing Lemon-Tahini dressing, the only reason, really, to order this mountain of fiber. What I loved: Lemon Tahini. Why I loved it: The space is comfortable, unpretentious, cozy and blue. The windows grand and the food so good you'll forget it's vegetarian. Cost: Average ($7 - $12 per entree) read more

Had brunch here this morning and it was solid. The vegan highlander was great, and there are solid veg options as well. There wasn't a wait to be seated despite the restaurant being almost full, which we appreciated. It's a true diner, but it's got a nice feel to it when it's nice outside and the windows are open. Minus one star because our waitress was a bit forgetful (I ordered a side of guac which never came and I omitted the English muffin but got the English muffin) and the service was slow. It took a good 10-15 for the waitress to bring water and offer us something to drink. Another 10-15 minutes after that to get our order in. The kitchen staff is also not willing to accommodate substitutions. I wanted to add some seasonal veggies and ditch the green peppers (which I hate!) but it was a no-go. Kind of a bummer when it prob. takes 2 seconds to toss a handful of veggies into the skillet, so I was a bit disappointed about that. We'll prob. be back because the food was decent and the price was right: $32 for two solid entrees and coffee and tea. I agree with other reviewers that it's nothing special, though. read more

Was feeling like breakfast at 2pm and saw sunlight had breakfast until 3! Winning!! Ordered the vegan lemon poppyseed waffle which came with maple syrup. YUM. I added blueberries and an over easy egg for an up charge. The reason for 4 stars is that the blueberries were frozen...for a vegetarian place, I'd hoped for $1+ up charge the blueberries would be fresh :( overall the prices are decent though... under $15 -$18 a person (if you aren't ordering a bunch of drinks...I stuck with water) The ambiance is chill, and was pretty dead around the time I came in so no waiting. They have two separate areas of the restaurant...one appears to be the cafe and one is the restaurant. In a bit I'm going to get some coffee in the cafe I think...coffee looks great! read more

Sunlight Cafe - Vegan Lemon poppyseed waffle with blueberries and maple syrup. Yum!!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Went here for breakfast and it's a sold three stars. They have a great selection and you can do meat, vegetarian or vegan options. There's scrambles, sweets and even tofu scrambles. I got the huevos picante - a breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese & salsa, baked with enchilada sauce and more cheddar & topped with sour cream. I had the green sauce and guacamole. It was tasty and good portion, but nothing out of the ordinary. Husband ordered the lemon poppy seed waffle, which he enjoyed. Service was a bit slow, prices are moderate. We'd come back, but it's nothing special. read more

I've been to Sunlight Cafe twice now. The first time was probably a year ago, and remembered it as really delicious and fresh tasting! Today I came for lunch and ordered the avocado and cheese sandwich with a side of Thai curry lentil soup, and a cup of the yogi tea (a chai drink). It was good, but not amazing. I felt that both the soup and the sandwich were a bit bland and needed extra salt added. The service was okay, but we waited a long time before getting our check and when we were waiting for our change. But the food did come in a timely fashion. Everything is vegetarian, which is super comforting when looking through the menu as someone who doesn't eat meat. There's definitely a more southwest vibe to the entrees, which I like! read more

Sunlight Cafe - Avocado cheese sandwich with yogi tea - the tea is SO good and warming! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

"Not Technically Vegetarian" One Goddamn Star. So I take this super fly hunny out on a dope date. We check out the baller-ass fish shop around the corner to scope out some siiiiiiiick aquarium bullshits and then hop over for some promised veggie goodness to fill our bellies before hitting the comedy club down the street. Damn this menu looked good. I was so into ordering some veggie grub. My shawty though, she is strict veg and I respect that so I confidently ask the waiter if their cheese is rennet free. That mothafucka tells me "weeeeeeelllll" with that high pitched bitch voice "it's not TECHNICALLY vegetarian". Hold the fuuuuuck up homeboy, your signage says vegetarian in lights! Well fuck it, we opt for the felafel, at least no one can fuck up falafel. Or so I thought. What came to us was some sort of deconstructed fallafel bullshit. A plate with two slices of whole wheat pita (who eats that nasty shit?) a handful of lettuce and tomato, and two soggy ass falafel mix pancakes. That's right. Goddamn pancakes. These lazy fucks couldn't even roll a falafel ball and fry the fucker. They half ass grilled a falafel mix pancake and slipped it on the plate for us to build our own. Get the fuck outta here. One goddamn star and you earned that only because your pumpkin cheesecake was pretty good. read more

Pretty good espresso, laid back atmosphere, super chill barista. If their espresso was slightly better, it would have gotten a 5 from me. read more

Sunlight Cafe - Not sure what this is but it was displayed at the coffee shop - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place is AWESOME. Big windows, hippy art, friendly laid back servers. Been here since the 70's! So Seattle, so lovely, one of my favorite restaurants in the Pacific Northwest :) Go for breakfast and get the Sesame Crunch Waffle with blueberries, yogurt, bananas, and organic maple syrup. Tis a thing of beauty. If you're heading over for lunch or dinner, please get the Nutburger. It tastes like the best veggie burger you've ever had. The burrito is also delicious. All their soups are fabulous. But if your'e in the mood for a salad, get it with the Tahini dressing! OMG AND THEIR CINNAMON ROLLS ARE HEAVENLY. Really do love this place. I eat dinner here two or three times a week whenever I'm in town! read more

Sunlight Cafe - Sesame Crunch Waffle with bananas, blueberries, yogurt, and maple syrup - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I loved this place! It's so rare to find a restaurant with tasty and healthy food that can flexibly accommodate vegan, vegetarian, and other cuisine all at once. The staff were very nice and there's a ton of space indoors and some seating outdoors too. The lemon seed waffles were insanely good, possibly the best waffles I've ever had, the smoothies were both rich in flavor, and the Epicurean breakfast was fulfilling and obviously contained very fresh products. I highly recommend the Sunlight Cafe and look forward to returning soon! read more

Sunlight is one of those places that serves comfort vegetarian food for weekend brunch! The staff is amazing and friendly. My favorite go to items are the tofu and home fries or the sesame Or lemon poppy seed waffle(extra crispy). read more

Classic vegetarian and vegan bakery and cafe. We enjoyed GF cookies and blueberry pie. My favorite was the Banana cake with cc frosting. Sunday Brunch time and the smells were delicious coming from the grill. Ps I saw them refilling the cold items on the line and the produce looked so so fresh. read more

I'm really starting to not like this place too much and am this-close to taking my rating down to two stars. The veggies with tofu on rice (with the ginger sauce? that I couldn't even taste) were rather lacking in flavor.... very filling, but the only thing that had flavor in that dish were the carrots. Eh. The savory tofu was again so-so and this time it didn't come with the usual red lettuce salad. Bummer! We like dipping the tofu into the tahini dressing that's left over from the salad, so it was kind of annoying when three people in a row attempted to take our salad plates away from us. Oh and speaking of the salad.... I don't like celery. I asked if it was possible to get it without celery and they simply said "yes." When the salads arrived I learned that the server failed to mention that I would be getting NO veggies (besides lettuce and sprouts) in my salad. And it still cost $3. WHAT?!? I'm kind of regretting that I didn't think to say anything about it (beyond the bummed out expression and a possible "Wish I knew that's what would happen..." statement when they served the "salad with no veggies")... Otherwise.... they were good at refilling water. The vegan chocolate cupcakes were huge but I was still a little shocked to see that 2 cost us almost $6. Ehhhh. I might have to look for another spot for when we (and our Vegan friend) feel like going out to eat (unless all we want are tempeh burgers- cause those are still awesome). read more

I've eaten in this place off and on for over three decades, and only once, long ago, got a terrible meal, and that was a mushy icky bean burger no longer on the menu. Breakfasts are exciting to me, particularly their waffles and their huevos racheros. Dinners are healthy and flavorful, but are also "substantial grub!" not prissy tiny portions of something that looks fancy on the plate but good thing there's only one bite of it because more would be sickening. These are real meals for hungry vegheads! I marvel that some of the reviews are so critical. I think some people PREFER fancy presentation over substantial grub, and are put off by the slightly arty yet working class "diner" atmosphere and service. Or I just don't know. To me this place has always just been a marvel. read more

Sunlight Cafe definitely deserves more than its current rating! The Vegan Highlander is one of the best healthy vegan breakfasts i've ever had. It's spicy, flavorful, crispy and truly wonderful. read more

I wish there was a 3.5 star for me to rate this place. This restaurant is rather cozy, and the service was good. At first I told my server that I wanted to box my food home, but then another guy bussed my table while I was gone. However, she was kind enough and asked the kitchen to remake everything and box it for me. I ordered the Soup, Salad & Bread Combo with tempeh, and had a cake with tofu based chocolate with coconut in it. The dessert was DELICIOUS and super rich, and I loved the special creamy basil dressing for my salad. The soup was the 3 bean chili, which I thought was just alright. Not my favorite vegetarian restaurant, but it was still pretty good. read more

Sunlight Cafe - some tofu based chocolate cake with coconut - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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