Blue Dog Kitchen

Interesting experience to say the least. I was perusing their Unilocal profile, and a lot of the reviews are on point.
1) The food takes a long time even when it’s not busy. My friend and I ordered pancakes and it took 35 minutes to get our food. Granted they «make everything from scratch» and the kitchen is only so big, but there was only one other customer who was done with his food and 2 – 3 workers there.
2) The note to their customers on the walls was a little off-​putting at first glance, but
3) Service was interesting. Shorter girl with darker hair seemed aloof but the red-​head was really nice. Only problem is that they were talking smack about a former customer, as mentioned in previous Unilocal reviews. Not professional, guys. Also,
4) Food was okay, not amazing. Not sure if they really do make everything from scratch bc the batter tasted awfully similar to pancake mix from a box, even though one of us got the wheat-​free version. They should have noted on the menus that they come topped with powdered sugar.
Quirky, a little hipster (servers), lost a post because there were unidentifiable specks in our water-​filled mason jars.

Blue Dog Kitchen is on our weekend breakfast rotation with Salmon Bay, Boat Street, Wild Mountain, Fat Hen, and Bryant Street. We eat here regularly because the food is delicious and of high quality. Pancakes are tender, tasty and a little crispy on the edges. The fritattas are great if you’re wanting eggs. They do nice espressos too. They bake cookies and scones on site.
Groups larger than 4 might be tough since the floor plan is a bit narrow. The kitchen is small, so we have noticed food doesn’t come fast — and we’re OK with that. We pass the time by sipping coffee, nibbling a scone and talking to each other.
So, it’s not fast. It’s not fancy. But we regularly have enjoyable breakfasts here.

The ladies who work here have always been friendly to me, so I hate to write a review that’s not more positive. But, the food is basic, uncreative, and the ingredients aren’t up to Ballard standard. Except for a few things, it’s just the typical processed, packaged, and canned everything that anyone can make at home. If you go through the drive through you can see some of the products lining the shelves. The coffee drinks (lattes, cappuccinos, soy lattes) are not good. My milk-​based cappuccinos have been more like lattes, and the soy milk tastes sweetened or flavored. The kitchen looks unorganized and dirty.

Shout-​out to the impeccable Blue Dog! As a frequent Seattle-​breakfaster, I have encountered some notable people that made lasting impressions, but you win!
At Blue Dog you get it all:
— Gorgeous, spotless yellow walls covered with pleasing advice and sweet requests one could only assume are winners on
— A cozy space providing a sensation of community as there is guaranteed touching of elbows and heads with your neighbors
— Clearly explained and efficient process on when and where to order, when and where to pay, and when and where to express your gratitude of the astonishing service
— And finally the amazing ability of the waitress remembering the high percentage of 67% of your order AND remembering to glare at you in complete silence when you request the remaining food — Remarkably impressive for a group of teenagers that just recently graduated from the School of Arrogance & Attitudes. They may be young, but they’re highly skilled.
It’s a relieving feeling to know that if I wake up on Saturday morning after a long week and want to spend my hard-​earned money on a parade of awkward, immature, offensively impolite, and severely entitled behavior aside my eggs, it’s readily available! I want to thank you Blue Dog Girls for reminding me that there are still people who care — Being just one of many that yearns to feel uncomfortable, confused, and above all, like a massive inconvenience at their weekend breakfast from a group of furry-​hat-​wearing hipster babies, congrats; YOU are the archetype of this desirable customer service! I will be sure to pass on this well-​earned praise… Thank you again & can’t wait to visit soon. xoxox

A month ago, this review would’ve easily been 5+ stars. I hate to even have to say anything bad about the tastiest breakfast joint in Seattle, but it’s hard to hold my tongue after a month of awkward «mistreatment»…
I discovered this place in October and immediately was hooked. The fact that I live nearby was a bonus. I proceeded to cruise in just about every day for either coffee or breakfast. I frequently brought groups of friends with me, hoping to show them how amazing this place was. The service and food were unlike anything I had ever experienced. I raved about this place to all who would listen. Every day when I walked in, I was greeted with smiles and questions about my day.
One employee, in particular, seemed to warm up to me more than the rest. She was my buddy! We have similar interests and would enthusiastically discuss them while I waited for my coffee and food. Hell, I even received a Xmas card from these girls when I walked in one morning. What an establishment!
All of this excellent treatment came to an abrupt halt the minute I showed up with my new girlfriend. Now, I can only speculate as to why this happened, but what I am sure of is that the difference in how I’m treated now is night and day. It was like a switch was flipped. I can’t even receive simple eye contact now from the girl who was once so friendly and enthusiastic, and the food and beverages have even started to slip.
I continue to be friendly, I tip generously, yet my morning Blue Dog runs have become, without fail, giant awkward festivals of mediocrity. I’m not sure what to do here… perhaps find another spot?
I will say this: before any of this happened, Blue Dog Kitchen was hands down my favorite breakfast joint in Seattle.

It is an odd place. I was there off peak hours and my wife and I were the only people there.
The good:
* They make their own chai tea and its very good
* The huge peanut butter cookies are also very good
* The staff was cheerful and helpful when I was placing my order
The not-​so-​good:
* The dirty yellow walls are a poor stylistic choice, along with the elementary school chairs.
* The places smells mildly like a garbage fire.
* it is not great form to paste snarky and irritated open letters to your customer base as a whole on the wall.
Why I won’t go back:
* The cheerful and helpful staff shouts everything they say to each other and to customers. Being the only customers in the building and as far away from the staff as possible, and hearing every nuance of their bright vivacious discussion of the finer points of working in a coffee shop – kind of made me want to gift both of them ball-​gags.
They came out front to do some cleaning while continuing their discussion and that was it. We just had to leave.
My only rationalization is that they must work right next to a huge blower and are almost deaf at this point.

Really awesome breakfast and brunch food, and the chais are hard to beat. Love going back here anytime I’m in the Ballard area…

Wow, rude people. Small place. We came in to grab lunch and they were full. No big deal we would have waited patiently, instead the woman working behind the counter in a ridiculous hat threw down menus and said «we have a full house, there’s nowhere to sit» and walked away. She could of said it will be 45 minutes or anything else. We turned around and walked out. Rude people don’t get my money.

Two stars, just because I don’t know what mitigating circumstances may have led to such poor service.
After coming here again and again, I don’t know what this place excels in. I’ve had good sandwiches in the past (but is that because of the bottle of Flavoring (MSG) I’ve spied by the grill?) I’ve popped in for a coffee, to have the whole process take 10 minutes. Sit-​down service for brunch has been excruciatingly slow as well, with the food being ample but underwhelming.
You would have thought I would have learned, but I came in just wanting a drip coffee, and the place was empty. I briefly saw the barista’s head top bob above the espresso machine and heard a «be with you soon» and she disappeared. I stood there and thought about why I was there. Proximity? Ok, it was the closest coffee shop to me. Speed? No. Coffee? Wait, I’ve never really been happy with my coffee here.
The barista was still AWOL, and I turned around and left, heading for Jumpin’ Jimmy’s which til then, was an unknown. Need coffee and pastry? Head there. Skip Blue Dog.

Either all the other reviewers are a bunch of whiny babies, or I went on the only good day… O.0
the waitress was definitely in a hurry, but was not rude by any means. there was a bit of a wait, but there was only one cook and one server and what seemed like a busser.
the girl who eventually took our order seemed to have a hard time speaking english and that made it a littlle confusing, but past that, our food was fantastic.
I think the only thing that was off about this place was what seemed like the lack of serving experience. The girl who greeted us seemed to be in charge of the place and came accross a little overwhelmed. at one point yelling across the restaurant at said busser girl to water tables and help her take orders.
Our food was really good. We both had 3 scrambled eggs with garlic and bell pepper with a side of sausage plus two coffees. It came to $ 17 plus tip.
I think that’s a pretty good deal for a breakfast I don’t have to cook for myself.
It was good and ill go back for sure.

At first the waitress seemed confused that I wanted breakfast. I assured her that I indeed wanted french toast as it is the standard that I judge all breakfast serving establishments. Then she suggested that I get only a single piece of french toast with my quad mocha. Now I was confused about getting breakfast. Why would I want just a single piece of bread? Maybe she knew what she was talking about. Then I sat down at a table, eavesdropping on another customer gossiping to the cook about his recent breakup. The cook seemed genuinly supportive of his situation. Who knew this place aslo served up mild thearapy?
The coffee came around shortly, but then I overheard the cook ask if the french toast order was a real order. Suprised the waitress realized she forgot to hand it off. At this point I noticed the disclaimer that the food sometimes takes longer than expected so they can produce the best quality. Clearly that was the case. 20 minutes later I get my single slice of FT which happens to be gigantic, whole grain and loaded with blueberries. Nothing makes griddle breakfast better than when you don’t have to use syrup. Turns out the waitress did know what she was talking about.

I wanted to show my mother the best of Ballard life– Blue Dog Kitchen was definitely an embarassment. My mom, visiting from Hawaii, wanted a tour of my neighborhood. I suggested we stop at the Blue Dog Kitchen for breakfast. It looked beat from the outside, so I finally have it a try.
We sat down in a suffocatingly small table, touching elbows with our neighbors. When two five foot women say they feel smoothed in, that’s definitely a surprise. We can practically fit anywhere with ease.
My mother is a teacher, and I have seen and worked my fair share of cafeterias. The floor was certainly ignored. Food was left under each table, some pieces even smooshed by a shoe of a previous customer.
Fifteen minutes pass and we have not been greeted by the waitresses zipping by. They did see us, but didn’t have the foresight to give us a menu or glasses of water. We waited five more minutes. My mother went up to the front and asked a woman making coffee, «Excuse me, may I have two menus?»
The woman tilted her head to the side, and with a tone so unbelievably rude, curtly said, «Yeah. Well, I’m making coffee right now, so you’re just going to have to wait.» My mother didn’t know what to say except, «We’ve been waiting.»
I got up from the table, confirming that she wasn’t just hearing things, and took her to a waffle house in Greenlake. I was beyond infuriated.
Blue Dog Restaurant, have some pride and snuff out the attitude.

Leave your boughie hipster-​ness at the door. Blue Dog Kitchen provides numerous, solid breakfast/​brunch options at a fair price. I can’t figure out where all one star reviews are coming from. Probably an unspoken Seattle breakfast/​brunch turf war.
I’m partial to their house special with a side of pancakes. What can I say… I like to eat and this place cuts through the pretentious Seattle brunch scene.
— Want crepes, menus with 5 things to choose from and food descriptions that use a lot accents? Don’t come here.
— Want yummy, consistent breakfast food made by chill, hard working people? The Blue Dog Kitchen crew will be happy to assist.
Look past the much scorned «list», relax and enjoy their omelets, pancakes and other simple breakfast staples.

I do not understand why this place has such bad reviews. We have been to Blue Dog Kitchen four different times now and have had a great experience each time. Here are my thoughts –
1. People on here keep saying the signs are so rude, the signs, etc… The signs are there to make sure dumb people know what to do and are very common sense. For example, saying you need to tell a waitress you are seating yourself so they make sure to serve you. Valid point, doesn’t hurt my feelings at all. A line saying you might wait for your food when they’re busy. Again, calling Captain Obvious, I get it.
2. It’s a very small kitchen and restaurant which means it may take a while for your food. Now, in the four times I’ve been here with my husband we’ve waiting no more than 15 — 20 minutes for our food, even on days when it’s packed. Knowing my food is made fresh is a good thing in my opinion… I again don’t see the issue here and why some people complain about this. IT’S BRUNCH AT A SMALL KITCHEN — YOU ARE NOT GOING TO McDONALDS!
3. The food is really REALLY good. Very much a down home, small diner type place. If you’re looking for a fancy-​smancie brunch, please go do Portage Bay Café or someplace else. I’ve had four different things from their menu now and each time I can tell they’ve used fresh ingredients and made it just to order for me. And the pancakes? YUM. Just ask for no powdered sugar. :)
So, all in all, for all you people who have hated on this restaurant, I have no idea where you’re going. Or maybe you’re just too snobby to enjoy the Blue Dog Kitchen for what it is — a small independent restaurant with limited space, a limited number of staff, and good food.

We recently had our first and last brunch at Blue Dog. Shortly after sitting down, we noticed a bulleted list of warnings to customers which the staff had posted on the wall (Don’t expect your food to come quickly… Don’t stand inside if you’re waiting for a table… Don’t…).
The very presence of that list does well to characterize Blue Dog: this is the kind of place where the staff will go out of their way to ensure that they aren’t mistaken for «service» workers. We waited almost 45 minutes for our food, and it wasn’t busy at all.
That said, the employees were not outright rude to us, and I am willing to wait for great food at a small, independent establishment. Unfortunately, though, there was absolutely nothing special about the food that eventually found its way to our table.
The buttermilk pancakes were dry and not especially flavorful. Presumably, they would have been better with maple syrup… but that would have cost an extra $ 1.75. Another $ 1.75 would have gotten us a single fruit OR nut topping, which also may have helped.
The veggie scramble was fine; but as another reviewer mentioned, it was no better than what you could make at home in 5 – 10 minutes for a third of the cost.

Me likes this coffee! I saw this place randomly while on an errand and decided to go through the convenient drive-​thru.
I HAD TO ORDER the Cinnamon Sticky Bun Latte. It was lunch time but I hadn’t had breakfast so I decided to also try their lemon tea cake.
I found the coffee pretty amazingly strong yet not too sweet as I expected it to be from the name of the flavor. This would be my replacement for the CDL no whip at you-​know-​where that rhymes with Farchux.
The lemon tea cake was really delicious as well.
I had Tango with me and they gave him a bunch of treats as he was creeping all 80 pounds of himself from the passenger’s seat to the driver’s seat… on my lap.
I had great reception at the drive thru. It seems like there are a lot of bogus negative reviews on here from either a jilted lover or disgruntled ex-​employee.
I will come here and try breakfast and see what happens then, but for this experience, I am a fan!

Chai alert!
I would return for the chai but Blue Dog isn’t my first choice for food. I had lunch here this weekend and it was just okay and kind of expensive for what it is in my opinion. However, they offer lots of choices of homemade chai (around a dozen varieties) so I am a fan for that reason.

I came here one morning to study and grab some breakfast. I’d run past this place multiple times and wanted to check it out.
It’s a cool little spot, kinda cramped but cute. The staff was nice but a little aloof, even though i was standing at the counter making eye contact with multiple people they ignored me. grrr.
when i finally put in an order and got my food i was well into my homework and the girl put the plate directly on my lab notebook. leaving a ring of… something… on the page i was working on. the sandwich i had was pretty good. it was diner food. not delicious, but good. the smoothie was HUGE. but it was more like orange juice and milk and blueberries blended, that all separated easily. and for the price, i would not buy one again.
Meh. it was ok. probably wont go back.

After my awful experience at the Blue Dog Kitchen I wrote an email to the owners and received a store credit and response apologizing for my bad experience. Went in today to redeem it and had a decent latte and baked goods.
While I may never be a regular, I really do appreciate the owner’s concern and effort to remedy the bad mojo.

They make good coffee, so that’s almost enough… but there’s more.
The food that I’ve tried has been quite delicious, from the baked goods to the bagel sandwich, they’re consistant in their quality.
Sweet staff, convenient location if you’re around the Ballard neighborhood (drive through and a parking lot) and the vibe is like someone’s kitchen rather than ‘bux in a box.