Kitanda Espresso & Açai

I love this cool little Brazilian spot. There are grocery items and fresh baked goods that are specific to Brazil. I will return for some delicious Brazilian coffee with condensed milk and for the delicious cheese bread. I ordered the acai berry bowl and enjoyed it. I was on the run and this quick mini meal gave me energy to sustain me throughout the morning.

This is a super cute place that has lots of potential. Super cheap prices for acai and friendly staff. However, their acai left me disappointed. Simply an acai frozen pack blended with apple juice and topped with 3 slices of banana and a scoop of Trader Joe’s brand granola. It was overly sweet from the apple juice and only tasted like a mouth full of the almond granola I love from Trader Joe’s as that was what they used to top it. More toppings and a better liquid base would definitely be appreciated!

AMAZING!!! Came here while on vacation, I can not get over how phenomenal the cheese roll is, you have to get one! The Brazilian latte is excellent, this is such a great place and my biggest life problem right now is: what am I got to do when I go home and can’t have this every day!!!

So much better in both quantity and presentation of their acai bowls, as compared to their Green Lake counterpart. Worth the drive, or at least a nice spot to walk to when you’re stuck at the Toyota dealer :)

Love the Acai bowls here. Their espressos are quite good as well. Service is always a little bit slow, but they use fresh ingredients and make the Acai bowls right in front of you. Open, ample seating works great for bringing your laptop or smartphone and doing a little work while you’re there.

Ordered Acai Bowl Traditional and it was delicious! Came here as a place to meet and learn Portuguese. Great place to do it! Aside from being a traditional Café they offer small Brazilian packaged and refrigerated groceries. They offer small office services such as wire transfers, calling cards, etc. I’ll be going back!

This location is quite a bit better than the one in Redmond. First of all, it is a Brazilian market with quite a few interesting items. Secondly, the coffee tasted decent to me. Granted I had drip this time and not the Brazilian latte that I had last time, but shouldn’t the latte taste better anyway?
Great open area to sit down and enjoy coffee and Brazilian breakfast items. I was naughty and bought the truffles (coconut and dark chocolate). They were good but way too sweet. I do have a weak spot for sweetened condensed milk based treats though.

I’m a huge fan on Açai and I had yet to find a place here in Seattle. When I came across their website online I was thrilled to learn that there was Acai just down the block from me! This morning I stopped by right before work to grab a festa bowl to go. I walked in and went to the empty counter only to find an employee tossing and throwing things behind the counter. I was asked what I wanted 10 mins later with a ‘mother f*ck* as a reply after asking for a festa bowl. He charged me and tossed my card back at me. Then turned and cussed some more while slamming the freezer door and tossing items behind the counter. After another 10 mins or so I was slid my festa bowl over the counter. This was by far the most unpleasant service I have ever received. Being a business owner myself, you never treat your customers like that! Starving, I started chowing down on my bowl on my way to work. My first bite in, i felt an itchy sensation down my throat. The second bite I looked down at my spoon and found a chunk of plastic. Excusing it as an accident I went in for another bite. I was in disbelief with the amounts of plastic I found in my acai bowl! I could’ve choked!!! This employee was so furious for whatever reason that he blended my entire packet of frozen acai and served it to me!!! I drove back all the way from Bellevue willing to be late to work just to show this outrageousness! I will never be returning!

I love the Brazilian coffee here, it’s very yummy! The atmosphere is more like a grocery store than a hang out spot but the delicious snacks and coffee are worth it. The cheese bread is soooo good, I crave it all the time.
My only complaint is the prices but how often do you get Brazilian food?

Kitanda is hidden in a strip mall with a Harley Davidson store on one side and a gun store down the other end, but it’s a fantastic little spot with delicious food and a good range of Brazilian groceries.
We have been here a few times, and although it’s usually busy, the food is worth the wait. The service is pretty good too. The first so we came here, though, there was some event going on, and as a result how order came out incorrect. The owner was very apologetic, and immediately made efforts to fix the issue. He also gave us a free cheese bread.
Now, speaking of cheese bread, this is something you have to get if you come to this place. It’s light and fluffy and has an amazing cheesy taste. I could probably eat 100 of those little things, although that’s probably not a good idea. They are amazing, though.
The groceries that they sell here are pretty standard, although they do have a really good range of juice (cashew nut nectar?!) and also a really delicious guava paste. And if you can’t get enough of the cheese bread, they have some that you can take and bake at home! (There aren’t any instructions on the packet though, so we had to ask the guy at the counter, but he was happy to oblige.)
Parking can be a bit hard to get in the area but you can probably park next-​door at the car dealership and walk across.

How I heard of this place: A Brazilian friend introduced me to Kitanda one afternoon as we were finishing up some errands in the south end, and on our way back to Seattle.
Type of cuisine: «KITANDA has built a strong reputation for offering a wide variety of quality food products that include delicious Brazilian specialties such as the gluten-​free cheese bread, gourmet coffee drinks, açaí smoothies and bowls, desserts, and pastries. Also, all of our coffee drinks are made with 100% Organic Brazilian beans because we believe that all of our customers should walk out of our stores knowing that they received the best experience they could get from a cup of coffee. The acai, an energy-​packed, all natural, organic and healthy fruit, is used to prepare the finest recipes that were also created by our family with the goal of providing you with healthier alternatives that taste spectacular and are adequate at any time of the day. Our mission, as a family business, is and will always be to serve the American market with quality coffee drinks and food products that combines the best from both Brazil and the U.S.»
Ambiance: Unassuming, set in the midst of a strip-​mall, low signage which is easily obscured by large trucks parked in front, Kitanda opens up into a low-​ceilinged, open space with hardwood floors, limited seating, an extensive bar and minimal Brazilian goods/​specialties market.
What I ordered: On my first trip — just two days prior to my second — my Brazilian friend introduced me to the Cheese Roll ($ 1.90), Coxinha/​Chicken Cone ($ 2.19), and Pão de Queijo/​Cheese Bread ($ 1.85), plain, original and delicious.
On my first visit, I selected the iced Brazilian Mocha ($ 4.59) made with condensed milk and topped with whipped cream. On our second visit, we were most interested in and delighted by the Traditional Açaí Smoothie ($ 5.49) with banana.
What I loved: The Açaí Smoothie’s tart and sweet combination of flavors, icy and smooth on a warm spring day certainly gives reason for a return trip to Kitanda. The Cheese Bread interested me most on my first visit. My husband, of course, loved the Chicken Cone (which was the entire reason for my second trip to Kitanda).
Why I loved it: It’s the only place I can think of that offers an abundance of Açaí products!
Cost: Average to high ($ 5.49 — $ 6.89 per Açaí Smoothie)

Soooo delicious! And I mean everything I’ve tried! My coworkers and I have now deemed it our favorite lunch spot. Their Acai Energy Bowl is our food of choice and the Brazilian Iced Coffees are to die for!
The employee that works in the afternoon is our favorite! Everyone just brings a cozy and inviting family feel to the whole experience.

I checked my car in at omni for an alignment and was just walking around the area lookin for a coffee place and stumbled upon kitanda. First off, did the place just opened recently? The baristas doesnt seemed to know what shes doing. There is no menu out front ! Anyway, asked for her recommendation and they told me brazillian latte. Got that and saw they have some aort of chicken ball. Kinda disappointed that they used microwave to reheat the ball instead of an oven like starbucks. Ended up being aweful cos of the soft instead of crunchy crust. Anyway at least they have good coffee

This is my second visit to Kitanda. The first time was at their other location near Overlake. I’ve enjoyed their coffee both times.
This location is set in a weird place next to lots of car dealerships and small businesses, but it seems to do a thriving business. Customers stream in and out constantly.
What I like about this coffee shop vs. Starbucks, is the diversity of the clientele. Starbucks is so homogeneous, while people of every ethnicity seem to frequent this place.
I would give this place more stars if they served some «sweet» pastries. Their cheese bread seems to be a favorite among the patrons, but I prefer a sweeter offering with my morning coffee. Just my personal preference…

Had the espresso. Not sure what else I can say. It was good. Different from the typical espresso shop in the area.
You can get Brazilian grocery type items in the store as well. The espresso was good. They only serve double shots. The server told me it was their own beans so that’s cool. I’d go back.

Good coffee and tasty Brazilian snacks! If you’re from Brazil, you want to try more imported foods from BR, or you’re simply in the area, this is a good place for a snack, a coffee or even a smoothie.
I came by the other day to put in an application next door for a visa and the smell of pao de queijo was wafting over to where I was standing and begging me to come take a look.
When my appointment ended I immediately popped in here to see what I could find for a lunchtime bite. I don’t recall the names of everything but in the pastry case there were both sweet and savory treats. An item similar to a bagel dog caught my eye and I knew I had to have it. My boyfriend and I also ended up with a beef pocket and a stuffed chicken pastry. Everything was tasty, everything was cheap, and everything was in our tummies in less than 5 mins!
Definitely a neat place to check out.

Nice espresso place with exotic Brazilian products. I usually go for the Vanilla latte, which is consistently good albeit slightly too sweet. Today, however, I found a new favourite in the Cuban. For just $ 1.89, you get two shops of espresso, a dollop of condensed milk and a cinnamon stick! The intense coffee flavour is moderated just right by the sweetness of the condensed milk and the cinnamon-​y flavour tops off the whole thing really well. I think this will be just perfect for morning coffee with a kick.
They also have a slew of Brazilian snacks that I’m very curious to try! Btw this time of year, they have giant chocolate easter eggs all over the store!

I’m still so happy my friend found this gem of a coffee place tucked away among warehouses and car dealerships. Their Brazilian latte is mind-​blowing (seriously, wear a helmet), and you must try one of their cheese breads. I’d recommend the Romeo and Juliet.
Oh, Kitanda. Where have you been all my life?

Seattle’s Coffee Unilocal Recognition Award:
Best Cultural Café
What a nice surprise to find a cultural Brazilian café while exploring the outskirts of Seattle! While seeking out a delicious latte in Kirkland, I came across the stellar Unilocal reviews for Kitanda. After speaking to my friend in Rio de Janeiro, the word «kitanda» is historically an Angolan word used in Portuguese to mean «marketplace.» The name is fitting since it’s not just a café, but also a mini supermarket or grocer. They sell many Brazilian and South American products that are probably difficult to find elsewhere since folks walk out of here with their arms full of items. You can find Brazilian breads, spices, coconut milk, candy, sports gear and more. Becoming more of a regular by the day (since work is just down the street), I have quickly realized that ALL of Seattle’s Brazilian expats come here to chat, gossip, and watch ‘futebol’ together.
Now what you need to know is two things:
1) Amazing Brazilian Latte (also known as Brazilian Mocha): Brazilian Espresso mixed with condensed milk. Trust me on this one, it’s delicious and does not require any sweetener or sugar. The coffee is their own blend and can be purchased at the counter by the bag.
2) Gluten-​free Pao de Queijo (cheese breads made with yuca): They are stuffed with various ingredients, homemade, and still warm and soft to touch. You can also find them in the freezers to purchase and bake at home.
They offer Wi-​Fi with the password kitanda124 (if I remember correctly). The Portuguese-​speaking baristas aren’t the friendliest, unless you’re an attractive girl, but I come here for the goods anyhow!

Humongous homemade Pao de Queijo!!! Round, lightly-​browned cheesebread balls filled with melted, gummy Parmesan!
Don’t get the little ones – unless you can’t eat a whole large one. The little ones are from their freezer section of Brazilian foodstuffs (!) and the large ones are made in their kitchen there (just under $ 2 ea.) The cheese takes on the most unusual gelled texture inside these bread balls. I always go cuckoo for them. I think they use cassava flour, judging from the slight tangy, sour flavor YUM!
Crud. I have two paragraphs about the Queijo only. Well, the place does have the word «espresso» in its name so I also ordered a Brazilian mocha (coffee with condensed milk.) They have regular milk, soy, and almond milk! It was heated perfectly and was pleasantly sweet. Not enough condensed milk to make my stomach go two-​forty-​six ^_​^
They have Brazilian cooking supplies, candies, and bags upon bags of packaged Pao de Quiejo.
I’ll be back for all of the above! I’ll try to leave some Queijo for you!