Ampersand Cafe on Alki — Restaurant in Seattle

Review for my Fire Seeking Folks: Long winded version…my attention deficit people can go ahead and skip to the bottom.

I am a seeker of spice in my morning brew. After leaving the islands and coming to Cascadia, I’ve been on the hunt. The only place I found prior to Ampersand was a place called Better Living Through Coffee in Port Townsend. They have a drink called the Caffe Chetzemoka (Cocoa, spices, chipotle peppers) that will lift your inner spirit.

But at Ampersand I met an old soul in a young man’s vessel named Max. He made me the Spicy Mexican Mocha. I asked him if he can make it extra spicy after they took my order. He smiled real big and signaled a yes.

I was born again. Ghirardelli Chocolate Sauce & Homemade Spicy Cinnamon Dolce Syrup (cayenne, ancho chili peppers, cinnamon) are the elements in the Extra Spicy Oat Milk Mexican Mocha.

I wasn’t sure if it was an anomaly so I came back three more times. I tried it extra warm in temperature and then iced. Max never relented. He is a master fire spinner. Thus I have found a local fire pit that will feed my soul. Long live &⏳

Short Version Review for my ADD people: Order an Extra Spicy Oat Milk Mexican Mocha. Tell Max, Chi’Chi sent you....

It's one of my favorite places to visit once a week. The iced vanilla brown sugar is tasty and gives me the caffeine I need for a tough day. My favorite snack is their Macrina bakery cinnamon roll. Since I live nearby, I've seen the bakery deliver early in the morning. It's a popover type of cinnamon roll (not the classic sticky kind), but it's turned into one of my favorites! There's just enough frosting to pair with the yeast, sweet roll. Mmmhhh.

For ordering, you go to the door at the back. For pick up, you go inside the cafe area when you hear your name. I appreciate this separation because their lines can get long, and the dining room would get crowded. They open all the windows on sunny and rainy days (closed when it's cold), so you can enjoy the air and salty breeze. I highly recommend coming early in the morning before the crowd hits to enjoy your coffee...

This place is terrible! I waited 45 minutes for a breakfast sandwich. After 30 I asked how much longer only to find they had given my food to someone else and had me just sitting there. Then they proceeded to take another 15 minutes to make a new one, and told me they were busy and I had to wait. When I complained about how long I had waited they told me to go to Starbucks if I didn’t like it. WHAT?! Does the owner know they speak to customers like that? Finally got my Oder and it was wrong anyway but I left. I also watched them give another man a bag of food that was not his and when he brought it back they blamed another customer. So if you want terrible service, with a rude face, and to be blamed for their mistakes (also the coffee tastes like water) go here. If you want good food and service, take THEIR advice and...