West Seattle Grounds — Restaurant in Seattle

While the actual location has a lot of promise, everything else about this place was cheap, shabby, and filthy.

From the mediocre-to-poor service to the chewed up, second-hand, dirty leather chairs and poor quality, overpriced food that didn't match the description on the menu, this place left me with a terrible first impression.

My husband and I dropped by this weekend to check it out. The first thing we encountered was a small, loud group of people blocking the two narrow walkways leading to the counter, pastry case, and condiment area (very poorly laid out) talking over us as we tried to place our order. I'm guessing one of them might have been the owner since everyone else kept flocking to them as they stood in our way.

The volume might be why the unfriendly young man that made our food order might have got my Siracha breakfast sandwich wrong and forgot to put actual Siracha on it. He didn't seem to care when I mentioned it nor did he offer to fix it, he just made excuses about how there was allegedly some Siracha on it... somewhere (there wasn't).

My husband noted that his breakfast sandwich had no flavor and he wasn't even sure if they used real cheese. He commented, "A little Trader Joe's onion salt would have gone a long way here." I'd have to agree. These sandwiches were bland. Even the bacon lacked flavor.

When I brought my wooden "plate" (wood is a prime breeding ground for foodbourne illnesses) and mentioned the lack of Siracha again the young lady behind the counter just gave a half-hearted "Oh, I'm sorry" then turned back to making drinks.

When we went to sit down I immediately noticed the white leather chairs were filthy and chewed up along the edges, like they'd been rescued from a cat owner's garage sale. It wasn't the best furnishing choice but I could have forgiven the chewed up look had they not also looked dirty. Not sure who's managing this place, if anyone, but it didn't leave a positive impression.

I can tell that the owners had a vision but the execution missed the mark. Maybe it was the poor quality of the food and service, maybe it was the rude crowd that kept raising their volume and talking over us while treating the place like their personal living space... the coffee didn't wow me either but I definitely didn't get that "community" vibe their sign was boasting unless I was also supposed to stand in the aisle and block people from coming and going.

Save yourself the grief and find a better coffee house. This place literally looks like it's...

The location seemed charming enough from the outside, from a distance, but this place was underwhelming and disappointing on every level once I decided to actually go there.

I tried a savory food item that was served lukewarm at best and lacked flavor. I shared a pastry with my spouse that was definitely stale. I'd say I would avoid the food the next time I'm there but I won't be going back.

The customer service was dismal. Not sure what the hiring manager is looking for in their staff but I'm going to go out on a limb and say "whoever agrees to the lowest wage, no experience necessary".

I'm fine with an independently-owned coffee house being slower if they actually produce a quality product. Unfortunately, this was not the case. I've had far better espresso at other places around West Seattle.

The place felt like it lacked a soul, and it seems poorly managed.

It must be a convenient stop for walking-distance locals, because going by the poor products I tried and the near-absent service I received, I don't understand how this place stays in business.

It's a shame, this experience was a cloud on an otherwise bright and sunny day of exploring local establishments along California Avenue. I wouldn't waste my money...

Mom and pop coffee shops are a gamble. I went to West Seattle Grounds twice. I had a bad experience both times. The owners seem to think one inexperienced teenager can handle it all. The ordering is backed up because the person behind the counter is making prior orders. On both occasions it took longer than 15 minutes to get my order. Both times, my soy latte was luke warm. The pastry I bought looked good in the case, but was stale. The person behind the counter didn't know where the pastry came from or how old it was. All comments listed above are management problems. Each one. The young lady behind the counter was wonderful, but overwhelmed. I'll never darken the door of this place again. Where is the...