Gretchen's Place — Restaurant in Seattle

Service was not good. Very cold to me as I entered. Counter person looked absolutely miserable. I still tipped regardless but this is the closest I’ve been to holding a tip out of the transaction (especially with the cost, which is mentioned below), which I hardly ever do no matter how cold they are. Side note: a guy came to grab his food and asked three times “is this everything?” and they literally didn’t answer him. Just really cold. Something must’ve happened to them this morning, lol. Been there.

Coffee is “fair” quality (though FAR too hot and fairly weak), and it is VERY expensive. The base price for a 12oz latte with WHOLE milk (not expensive alternative milks) is 5.25. If you add a flavor, it’s an additional 0.85 cents. My drink with a one dollar tip was $7.83. That’s just wild. When I used to drink oat milk, it would add up because it’s incredibly expensive to have those milks, but this is honestly pretty ridiculous for standard milk. A 12oz vanilla latte shouldn’t cost this much. And their drip coffee is $4.50 for 16oz. The cheapest option for a cup and a half of batched-brewed drip coffee is nearly $5.00? That’s just absolutely wild. I understand businesses having to charge more these days, but this is by far the highest price hike I’ve seen in years of being in various Seattle shops. I would simply go elsewhere next time, but hey, ya gotta give places a shot. You’re certainly not paying crazy prices to feel welcome or drink anything other than lackluster and burnt coffee. They serve Cafe Vita, which is usually solid - must be user error or carelessness.

POSITIVES: music is good in the shop, nice area, seem to have a lot of good...

Want bland overpriced coffee and sandwiches come here! I've worked next door to this place for 3 years and for lunch if rather eat a hot pocket. One experience i had the woman left my sand which on the press gave it to me unwrapped thrown in the bag. It was hot and the cheese was melted to the bag and the two of them fumbled to get me a refund before the lady threw her hands up and the man quickly handed me cash back the sane people now close 30 minutes early everyday they work because I've had customers ask me when they close and they would already be closed before 5pm. Today 2/21 i go over at 4:35 and the man said to me depending on what i get he can help me after telling me he closed the till early and that they turn the grill off at 4pm so I was out of luck. I have never heard in my 3 years of working next door that 4pm they didn't make sandwiches. I would have taken a cold one but it wasn't offered. Most of the people are nice, but they have two specific people who i assume know the owner that are turning...

Good coffee with a limited option of tasty foods. Took one star just because they don’t have fresh made pastries.

The people working and making the coffee are very kind and competent.

Update: Ariel is a horrible human. I ordered a decaf mocha and three breakfast sandwiches. She said they don’t make breakfast sandwiches “this early in the morning”, but she would “try”. When she made regular she then had a temper tantrum about remaking the drink. She gave it to me with chocolate smeared all over the outside of the cup. She then had contempt making the sandwiches. She did not wear gloves and threw the ingredients around. She then made a face at me and told me not to look at her. (There isn’t really another place to look in this small coffee stand.) When she was done, she grabbed a used bag from a bakery with the name “Gretchen” already written on it and shoved the sandwiches in there. The sandwiches were cold.

I wish I hadn’t tipped her when I paid...