Canal Market

sadness! Canal Street Market was such a great addition to the neighborhood. Not just because there’s nothing around for miles but because the coffee was great and the food — divine! I went there frequently in the short time it was around and am bummed it’s closed down.

I was so excited for this place. Their baked goods look fantastic and they had juice? I was sold. Unfortunately, the prices are quite steep. Their grocery items are extremely over priced and I could never see myself actually buying any of it. Sometimes after a workout, I will go in and grab a coffee.
I did go for a breakfast sandwich and it was tasty. Although, I felt for $ 9 I should at least get a side salad that came with. I left still hungry and unsatisfied.

Like others, I want this market to succeed. Some wonderful items, but prices are high and a limited selection. A few more practical groceries, sandwiches made to order and a larger selection of beer/​wine would be helpful. That is what seemed to sustain the previous businesses and what keeps people going back to other markets with less charm (e.g., Pete’s).

The neighborhood really wants this place to work but we are expecting a closing sign to go up soon. In fact, I just noticed they are going to closed on Mondays. Something is just off with the vibe, staff, food and grocery selections. The other reviewers give spot on feedback. We are rooting for you, Canal Market. But, do you even care?

Service here is terrible: rude employees, treat you like an inconvenience for bringing in business (even when it’s slow). They yell your coffee order repeated times at the bar… Come on lady– you see me 10feet away– either stop yelling my order, or bring it out to me if you’re so concerned that I didn’t run up immediately to pick up my coffee. Starbucks friendliness is more my style.
The Coffee (however) was great, food was good (although pricey!) but the set up was terrible! Nobody knew where to order, or to pick up their food/​drink.

Overpriced. Sparse selection. But it IS a neighborhood market and does offer some good housemade deli preparations.

I have been frequenting CM since they opened. At first the sandwiches were way over priced but delicious ($ 12 for a tuna salad sandwich). Now they are more moderately priced ($ 9 for same sandwich minus the side pickled salad). The cookies are wonderful and huge and the random selection of market goodies can save you if you’re in a food crisis pinch. The staff has always been friendly so I’m not sure why people complain about the service. Overall the market is trying to adjust to the consumers demands and I hope they keep it up as the neighborhood really needs a store like CM. they just need more time to figure out their groove.

This place seems a little overhyped to me. The scone I got was overdone (although the pumpkin muffin was fantastic). Prices are not cheap so I expected a little better from the scone. I have no complaints about the service, it was prompt and friendly. I feel like I should give it another chance and try the lunch.

I wanted to like it, I really did. I thought a small café with coffee in the mornings on weekends would be a great addition to the neighborhood, but believe me, every other negative review is spot on — the staff are not interested in helping you, are dismissive and the prices are ridiculous. I thought they miskeyed my $ 14 yogurt parfait, so I asked, and was told «Nope, parfaits are $ 14.» Everything else in the store is similarly priced, i.e. too ridiculously high to bother. They get 2 stars since the coffee didn’t suck.
I don’t care how hip it is, I’m not going back.

I live in the neighborhood, so I wish all the other reviews here were wrong. I really want this place to succeed. The food is good. It’s a little spendy but you I think along the lines of what you’d expect of this kind of place. The beer and winds selection is actually nowhere near what the previous hole-​in-​the-​wall market had though. And I can’t even start about the service. They really seem to not care that you’re there. Reminds me of the mean Flower Lady place down the street in Eastlake. I don’t get it. I’d think if you owned a small neighborhood business you actually might like to engage with people…

The other reviews are right, slow, uninterested staff. I was the only person in the café and ordered a juice and coffee. After about 15 mins of waiting for the juice, I realized four people behind the counter doing nothing. When I asked about the juice, I got «oh yeah…». I guess they’re used to seeing one customer standing in the café looking at them for no reason.
When I asked if I should just grab my own cookie (plates on counter) the barista said «no I’ll get it». Then looked at the plate just out of reach, asked me to get it for her. No joke, she asked me to hand it to her, so she could put it on a napkin and hand it back.
Also, prices are not listed for most things, so my juice and cookie came to just under $ 15. I can get a Tom Douglas meal for that price.
The cookie was stale, and my carrot ginger juice was essentially just an orange juice.
Such a cute space, but it’s a terrible terrible experience.

Nice market with a friendly service team. Went there to buy a very specific brand «Big Spoon Roaster Peanut Butter» which is not available in Europe at all.
Athmosphere is nicely designed, having a well sorted pastries menue and lots of breakfeast items. The Canal market is selling some basic grocery stuff as well.
Would have given four stars, but in my eyes the market is «a little bit» overprized and strawberries in the fresh food corner have had seen better times…

Not sure why everyone on Unilocal is a total asshole about this little shop.
They closed the quickiemart that sold old corndogs and ancient boxes of cereal and replaced it with a cute little hipster grocery with neat food items. Random gourmet items, baked goods, a coffee bar and a restaurant counter, a handful of refrigerated meat/​deli products and produce, and a fridge in the back for grass fed milk/​dairy with beer and some expensive gelato.
One stars? Who are you loonies? This place is cute and appropriate to the richies of the neighborhood.
These people are friendly; they are people who want to make and find tasty things for you to come in and buy. I sometimes take a walk down here to buy random things and it’s always a fun time. I bought some locally made fancy mustard this time. Fun.

Are they even reading their reviews?!
Maybe once the owner can devise a complete overhaul or their staff and pricing, this place can be a hit.
There is a girl who is actually the worst service industry employee I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with.
Im not sure if they were hired because they are family or what… but the multitude of awful reviews for Canal Market should speak for themselves. Avoid this trap.
They are going to scrape by on one-​off customers, as myself and many other locals of the neighborhood have already dismissed this establishment.

You’d think it’s the prices that are the problem here, but it’s the people.
C’mon now. While I see what this «fine» establishment is going for, some service to back up the rather silly pricing would be nice. I’ve never witnessed an individual more disinterested in customer service than the girl who took my order for a simple cold press coffee. After waiting awkwardly for at least five minutes, I wandered to the cooler and paid $ 12 for a six pack of beer to take home, thinking she’d remember I just ordered some coffee from her. Nah, dawg. Meanwhile, my friend ordered a tuna sandwich to go and got it within 45 seconds, because someone in the seating area didn’t claim it. They were all about a sneaky re-​wrap in the back. But when the only thing you cant get promptly is a wrong order, one most take heed.
I will say, the food here is pretty damn great. But I can’t afford – it in either time or money – to be treated with such a non-​chalant attitude. My feelings and wallet don’t need Canal Market’s sh*t.
Are they stoned? Snobs? I honestly don’t care anymore.. . But this neighborhood deserves better. Here’s hoping Canal Market shapes up or ships out of the Eastlake/​Portage Bay area stat. Remember, people want to feel good about spending a ludicrous amount of money for a small amount of food – not unimportant and in the way.

My dog is crazy about the dog biscuits, which is the only reasonably priced item and he doesn’t mind when they use their bare hands to get it for us, unlike me with my pastry, egad.
Slow unfriendly service.
Not enough vegetarian choices.

I was feeling a bit out of it being under the weather and dilated eyes from an eye appointment. Figured before heading back north, that I’d try to locate the newly renovated Canal Market in the Eastlake/​Portage Bay neighborhood and maybe grab some lunch during my visit on 5÷11÷15.
I found street parking around the corner at Gwinn and Fuhrman and navigated around folks leaving from a Mom and Baby exercise/​yoga-​type class next door to the market.
I wandered about and looked around this new retail spot. I really liked the display of Columbia City Bakery goods and their pastry case. Fresh produce was being put out in baskets. I looked at the gourmet type items nicely arranged on the store shelves. I thought about buying a jar of a local confection, until I saw it was $ 16, a bit out of my price range.
Definitely it was time for lunch since my tumbly stomach actually growled, but it took awhile to get noticed at the counter. It’s not very clear where one should place a food order, but then I wasn’t in any particular hurry. I ordered the Pork Shoulder Melt to eat there ($ 14) and a large Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie — sprinkled with Hawaiian Pink Salt ($ 3.25) to take home.
I sat at a bright counter spot watching folks and cars whiz by as I thumbed through a cookbook from the public library. The panini-​style sandwich was perfectly grilled and the tender pork shoulder was tasty with the addition of red peppers and melty cheese. The pickled vegies were also a nice accompaniment. I sampled a tiny bite of the cookie, not bad.
With tax and tip, lunch cost a tad under $ 23 for these two items. A bit pricey and for comparison, I’d prefer having the porchetta sammie at Meat and Bread and chocolate chip cookies from either Hello Robin, Irwin’s or my own oven. Or easily could have had enough for lunch at Il Corvo and an espresso at Caffe Umbria.
I primarily wanted to compare this business venture to other similar mercantile/​bodega-​type shops like Tom Douglas’s Home Remedy and the two Cone and Steiner locations (Capitol Hill and SoDo). Thus far this seems to carry a lot of high end items, but not necessarily a variety of items neighborhood folks in the immediate area, including down in the houseboats, could count as a go-​to. But then Canal Market just opened and this could be a work-​in-​progress during my particular visit.

The new place is beautiful, but way different than we had heard it was going to be. Neighbors were very excited to have a place to come and visit over a beer or coffee, but this is more like a take out facility. There is seating by the window but the sun was screaming through so we sat at the counter overlooking the prep area. There are no tables where you can sit and visit over a snack or drink. I’d visited the Volunteer Park Café and had hoped the Canal Market would have a similar layout.
My husband and I had espresso drinks — tasty but tepid. The food looked wonderful, but expensive. $ 9.00 for a juice? Seems pricey even for organic. Nice assortment of gift items in an emergency. Nothing here that a kid (and we have lots in the neighborhood) can afford. Still — they’re new and perhaps they will tweak their seating arrangements and stock.
On a positive note, everyone was very friendly.

This place is curated so amazing well. Spectacular products from all over the Northwest. Not only is this a grocer, but the casual salads and sandwiches match some of the best in the city of any restaurants. Can’t wait to try their breakfast buffet soon. I love that it is nestled in a quiet neighborhood. They are going to do extremely well here. Congratulations on an amazing space and wonderful business.

Really glad to have a market/​café back in Portage Bay.
Pros:
–The space is absolutely beautiful. Very «Pinterest». It feels nice and open.
–Food so far is delicious. I’ve been 3 times and tried the coffee, pastries, and a panini
–It’s definitely become a bit of a social hub for Portage Bay. I’ve met a few neighbors already, which is something I haven’t really done much of in my couple years I’ve lived here.
–Glad that they still have some basic grocery/​household items you might expect to find at a mini-​mart or gas station. Would love to see that expanded.
Cons:
–Almost exclusively high-​end stuff. $ 10 for a basic breakfast sandwich or $ 9 for fresh juice feels pricey.
–Even though it might not fit the vibe of the place, I’d love if they could have a few more basic items like light beer, gatorade, microwave popcorn, etc. The sorts of quick snack/​grocery items I used to pick up at the old Canal Market.
Overall, off to a great start. I’ll be a frequent visitor. Hope they can eventually expand their hours to a bit later than 7pm.