Specialty’s Café & Bakery

Specialty’s baked goods are obviously delicious and decadent. Happily, their service tends to be fantastic as well. However, my primary reason for this review is their croissants. NOTHING tastes as good as Specialty’s fresh-​baked croissants, and I seriously keep coming back here just for those croissants. Try one, you won’t be disappointed!

The cashier looked like Quentin Tarantino. There was a toddler sitting next to me screaming while counting to 100. I’m not sure whether this improved my experience or took away from it. Also the food was pretty good.

Awful service! Waited 30 minutes for a sandwich. They asked if I was still waiting because they knew they had screwed up but didn’t even apologize. Then when my sandwich finally arrived– missing the sprouts and not packaged to go like I asked, the gal called my name then dropped my sandwich on a plate in front of me like I had inconvenienced her. Lots of better options in UVillage.

Sometimes inconsistent portions inside sandwiches. Once I got blue cheese instead of goat cheese. Sometimes to go orders are not ready on time. Food is good when portions are served correctly.

Oh, my heaven! I went in for my first time today and I already can’t wait to go back. Great staff, clean facility, and best BLT I’ve ever had in my LIFE! Find me a better one — I dare you.
So good! Can’t wait to go back.

Awesome Thai salad, plus when I explained the soda was missing flavor one of the workers fixed whatever was wrong on the spot.

This is my second time here.
The first time I came, I had a day-​old cookie and a pastry (I forget which) and we were very pleased. We quickly resolved to come here again. Unfortunately, the second visit here was not as good.
We ordered a large salad and one of their popular sandwiches. The sandwich good, although a bit pricey for a typical sandwich between sliced bread. Their salad, however, is what lost them the stars (and their service).
I was shocked when I received a plate of sliced up cabbage, the kind you can buy from the grocery for $ 3 a bag, plus some random add-​ons. I got their Asian salad, and all they did was add crispy flakes on top. There wasn’t a single orange or anything. Super disappointed. Do NOT get the salads, unless you want to McDonalds salads for 3x the price.

I’ve been here at least 4 or 5 times for lattes and they never ever taste like coffee. I’m certain it’s 90% milk and 10% flavoring and that’s it. WhY DONT YOU TASTE LIKE COFFEE??? And it’s consistent too): not good, sorry specialties.

Something has happened to this business, used to be great. Out of coffee one morning, or enough help, food old. Management, management!

Looked inviting. Unfortunately when I ordered I was obviously creating a huge inconvenience to the young woman with short blond hair who was serving. Her expression was «this is the worst day of my life» and it’s was just sooooo annoying that people kept coming in and asking for stuff. I ordered, paid, no thank you from her naturally. Strangely the rest of the staff acted very very friendly. Would have been better to put one of them on the counter. Place was almost empty on a Saturday — shame. I think she should find another job she likes more. Put me off the chain. I won’t be going back if they allow unfriendly disengaged staff.

Best place to meet in U Village. Wheat Germ cookies = yum!

My friend and I were in the area doing some shopping, a little Din Tai Fung-​ing (LOL). She’s originally from OC and was excited when she found out there was a Specialty’s in the area. She dragged me in the café and had me try their cookies (she said these cookies are one of the best she’s had growing up). Unfortunately, they were out of the chocolate chip cookies, so I tried the peanut butter ones. I found it to be ok tasting; I don’t see what the big deal is about.
This place has a lot of cookies to pick from and other things on the menu (sandwiches, salads, etc). I guess this is like Panera but with more cookies.

On one of U-Vill’s busiest shopping days of the year, Dec. 23, Specialty’s ran out of ALL BREAD at 2:30 p.m. How does that happen? We got there before they were out of everything — we had a choice of poppyseed and foccacia. I chose the latter for my sandwich, which was very tasty.
Seriously lacking in overall service. The monitor menus don’t describe what anything is (easy enough for «Hot Pastrami», but what about the «Rebecca»?).
The cherry on the sundae that was our visit today was my noticing the reuben is gone from the menu. I asked the girl at the counter if they didn’t have it anymore. Her response: «Uhhh, yeah I guess we don’t have it. I mean, I’ve never heard of it before.»
Yikes.

I still have trouble reconciling how upscale the entire shopping center where this café lives is based on its proximity to supposedly starving college students. We came here to try Din Tai Fung for the first time and stopped here, stuffed with carbs and drooping visibly, for caffeine one glum gray day.
The interior matches the exterior of the entire mall. Sparkly clean, sleek and chic. Pink-​cheeked and smartly dressed people everywhere. Enchanting for others, but means little to me. The bright eyed staff take your order crisply and deliver some surprisingly good java!
I read good things about the baked goods and salads, but overall it’s a pretty pricey place to sip coffee with a sandwich when parking can be a bear and frankly, in a city like Seattle, good coffee can be found on nearly every block. This gives Specialty an OK mark in my book. We might be back… someday.

Friendly people, and lots of goodies to choose from. I didn’t want to get the last chocolate chip cookie and asked when the next one was coming out. 30 minutes :/​but the guy in the front reccomended their wheat germ chocolate chip cookie and surprisingly it is really good. And he gave it to me for half off :) oh yeah

Really liked everything except the onions on my BLT. While I appreciate they were trying to be original, you don’t really add vegetables to a sandwich recipe that is defined by its name. I HATE ONIONS but everything else was really good

I have come here many times and I ordered only one thing, the egg sandwich with sausage and cheddar. It is really yummy, maybe the best sandwich since I came to Seattle!

I am a fan of Specialty’s and this is one of my favorites because they’re in U Village and right near to Trophy (What a combination!)
We come here a few times a year when shopping at U Village and it’s always been consistent service as well as not too busy that you can’t get a seat (like other locations).
They have free wifi and also outdoor seating for those summer months when you just want a pastry or a light lunch.
Their caesar salad (my go to) has been changed slightly as of late as it doesn’t seem to be as tasty but still a steady establishment.

All of the soup and sandwich options I’ve ordered from Specialty’s have been really solid and when I don’t know where else to eat at UVillage this is my go-​to, because I know I’ll always be satisfied.
Service has been fine but not memorable (nothing bad but nothing outstanding).
And even though I’m giving Specialty’s a four-​star rating, I’d give their freshly-​baked cookies five stars. AMAZINGLY gooey and delicious. LOVE

Ordered spicy Thai peanut salad and added chicken for $ 2.49 plus tax for a total of $ 11.49. Not a good value. I had about six tiny bits of chicken. Not returning.