Crumble & Flake Café Pâtisserie — Restaurant in Seattle

I've been looking forward to trying this spot since I first heard they were moving from Capitol Hill in Seattle. I wanted to give them some time to get their food and business model evened out, to make sure they would be at their best. Sadly, I was disappointed in the entire experience.

The pastry case was smaller than expected, with fewer classical French offerings than I expected. I saw no croissants (plain or otherwise), no elevated tarts, etc., that would signal (to my untrained eye) a good French patisserie. I did spot a couple of Gateau Basque offerings that looked interesting.

We were there at lunch. There were only two menu items that looked like options for a vegetarian. One was a plain-looking veggie sandwich, the other a "double-decker grilled cheese" with tomato and mustard, which I selected. My dining companion ordered the tuna melt. We sat in the back room because it was a bit quieter than the noisy main dining area.

The food arrived. What had looked like a fun, ample sandwich was unimpressive and small. It was "double decker" because there were three layers of bread, but that bread was very thin. The small sandwich was cut and stacked to add more "decks," I assume, but that made gave it an even smaller footprint. It was accompanied by a tiny ramekin with two tiny cornichons, plus a small bag of Tim's potato chips. In a cafe with french influences, the chips seemed like a throwaway side, something you could get in any ordinary place. The grilled cheese sandwich wasn't warmed throughout; there was no melty, gooey cheese in the middle. The outsides weren't browned, crispy, and buttery as one would expect in a grilled cheese. The taste of the cheese was just okay. My dining companion was likewise unimpressed with the tuna melt.

The back room was quiet, yes, but also had some issues. There were ants marching along the windowsill. The staff obviously knew about them, as there was an ant bait further down the windowsill; none of this was appetizing to view while eating. There were also some gnats/fruit flies flitting around the area.

We saw the chef but didn't get to chat with her, which is a shame. In a new business, I'd hope that the chef/owner would be more interactive and welcoming to customers.

One added note is that four others from my neighborhood ate there the next day. They ordered things more typically french, like a Croque Monsieur. They also tried pastries. I think they ate outside on the deck. This group came away with a very different take, saying they really liked the food. If I return--which I initially told myself I wouldn't--I will try pastries instead, and perhaps will have a more pleasant and positive experience.

EDIT: I went there again with a friend. We sat in the main dining area. The chef was at the register because they were shorthanded; it was good to see her interacting with customers. The veggie sandwich was better than the one I had on my previous visit. But this visit didn't convince me that I'd want to...

Fantastic French bakery! Definitely worth a stop if you're passing through Issaquah.

To start with, the pastry case is loaded with traditional French pastries, but often blended with unique flavors. You absolutely must get a cream puff (the raspberry, or anything fruity, is my favorite). But beware: these aren't your nanas cream puffs. These are hefty, the size of a baseball, with a lovely crunchy topping and plenty of cream. I'd also recommend at least one kind of croissant (I like the savory ham one) and a kouign amann—both super flaky and delicious, especially warmed up. Lastly, the blackberry almond financier is an unexpected favorite. It tastes like the best muffin you've ever had. Definitely grab one of those.

In addition to the pastries, they have a cafe serving hot and cold drinks. I tried the house-made hibiscus lemonade and I'd highly recommend it if you like a sweet drink.

They also offer an extensive menu of entrees. The reuben (supposedly legendary) is indeed delicious—it's not particularly unique, just a classic executed really well. The fried egg sandwich is also really tasty. The quiche is delicious, but I gotta be honest: it's mostly cheese, so it's pretty dense and heavy. If you're into that, it's delicious, but if you're looking for a more traditional, light quiche, you might wanna skip this one. The French toast is fine but nothing special, similar to what you'd find at any diner.

Crumble & Flake is worth going out of your way for! Truly...

• In Short *

Fantastically tasty pastries. Show up early lest you want the dredges.

• In Depth *

Yet another bakery that I've struggled to check out on previous trips to Seattle, just barely succeeding this last trip, showing up about half an hour before they closed. That, of course, meant that they ran out of almost all their popular items: particularly, well, the ones that flake.

So, after a quick, "what do you have left that's still popular and amazing," I ended up leaving the bakery with a blueberry and a lemon cream puff, and a hunk of huckleberry coffee cake. The cake was enjoyable, for sure, but the cream puffs (which I ate immediately), were absolutely DIVINE, with a not-overly-sweet, but still rich and creamy filling.

Let's see if I can show up earlier next time to grab something that'll be terribly difficult to clean out of my clothes.

Accessibility Info

Venue - A small, but accessible shop with low display cases that shouldn't provide any issues. The hills surrounding and leading to the bakery, on the other hand, may prove difficult to traverse for some.

Bathroom - Didn't try them, but also doubt they have any...