Volunteer Park Cafe (Capitol Hill)
1501 17th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 328-3155
Website
Volunteer Park Cafe's focus: simple food, local ingredients. Its motto: "Always fresh goodness." Where an old-timey corner store used to be (then a couple other cafes that didn't stick), the V.P.C. serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner: fresh baked goods, brioche French toast, panini, pot pies, artisan pizzas, seasonal entrees (and also wine, beer, and meals to go). Events include three-course family-style Sunday suppers and multi-course dinners featuring Washington wineries. The interior is rustic-cute—window seats with striped pillows, pea-green walls with framed photographs of spoons and eggs, galvanized buckets full of branches—and while prices can seem steep for a casual place, the quality's high.
Hours: Tue-Fri 7 am-9 pm, Sat 8 am-9 pm, Sun 8 am-4:30 pmCategories: Cafe, Restaurant
Restaurant Details
The Stranger's Reviews of Volunteer Park Cafe
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Heaven on the Hill Mar 22, 2007
Breakfast, Brunch, and Lunch at Volunteer Park Cafe & Marketplace
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Reviews/Comments (29)
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29
Please be better...
I would like this place to be great and fun to be around. But it just isn't.
Too many problems with food, service, staff result in wanting to avoid this place or at least limit exposure. The menu is great, but preparation is too often slack. You just seem to get a negative vibe from the staff too often to make it worth it.
Too many problems with food, service, staff result in wanting to avoid this place or at least limit exposure. The menu is great, but preparation is too often slack. You just seem to get a negative vibe from the staff too often to make it worth it.
28
Pricey, but smells like heaven
Hands down, VPC is the best smelling brunch place in capitol hill. I love that the large communal table is right in the middle of the room. The food is delicious (their dinner menu sounds delectable!). I love the veggie quiche, their french toast is also quite lovely. On weekends, it gets densely packed so either go really early when it opens or late in the afternoon after 2pm. Recommended.
26
We have lived near VPC for 16 years and both my husband and I heartily agree that it is the best place that has been here! The owners of Cafe Europa were down right rude and obnoxious and I know all of the close neighbors refused to go there because of this- I stayed out for 1 1/2 years.
We couldn't be more thrilled with what Heather and Ericka have done with the restaurant. The food is great, the atmosphere homey and the servers all very friendly. I love Scott, the manager and Annie- morning espresso. If anyone thinks that Heather is snobby, they obviously don't know her at all- she is lovely.
We hope they are there as long as we are!
We couldn't be more thrilled with what Heather and Ericka have done with the restaurant. The food is great, the atmosphere homey and the servers all very friendly. I love Scott, the manager and Annie- morning espresso. If anyone thinks that Heather is snobby, they obviously don't know her at all- she is lovely.
We hope they are there as long as we are!
25
Favorite Cafe in Seattle
I am very surprised by the comments here. I've been going almost every weekend for brunch for a year now. The owners and the people who work there are delightful and I love everything on the breakfast and lunch menus. I've eaten at a lot of places and this food just tastes better to me and at the same price as all of the other brunch options available. A special shoutout to the charmers behind the cash register and the sandwich makers!
24
never again . . .
I don't like this place at all. I went once because I was on the way to work and had heard it was decent, and the storefront looked nice. The coffee was expensive and bad, and they forgot to give me my food - left it warming in the oven for 10-20 minutes. When I asked about it, the person behind the counter was sort of rude and then forgot again. I had to go to work without eating because the whole process took too long. Meanwhile, lots of chatting behind the counter, etc. They did give me my food to take with me, but it was burned and greasy. I don't see how places like this survive.
21
a couple of thoughts
I've lived near the Grocery space for 14 years now. I've seen it go through many iterations. I have the following thoughts.
1. Anyone who thinks Cafe Europa was better should be ignored. This place is easily the best business to occupy this space since I've lived in the neighborhood.
But it's not perfect. All the sweets are disappointing. They look great. But they are consistently under salted by say 10%. Good sweets balance sweet and salty effectively. The savory food is typically very good and solid here. So I don't know why the sweets would be so consistently off.
2. I have to agree a bit with comments about attitude and service. It's stunning how many people work there for such a small space. Yet one or two espresso orders bog down the line to order. I have walked out of there before, because I didn't have time to wait.
I've always found Erika to be very friendly. Heather, not so much. She puts off a debutante vibe. You feel she'd be most happy if only other high bred ladies and their families patronized the place.
3. Ultimately, the Grocery feels more like an art project than a business. And that's cool. Some the best places are more art project than business. They just don't last very long. Let's hope it's been successful enough so far to overcome its inefficient staffing. Criticism aside, it's a great addition to the neighborhood.
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14
Hurt and Angry
Wow. Is the blonde woman the owner? Someone should tell her that when she stands behind that little counter at the back and says mean things about her customers, WE CAN HEAR HER.
At least, I could. And she was talking about me. And what she was saying was personal, and had nothing to do with my (pleasant) interactions with her (pleasant) counter staff.
I'm not saying I'm the snazziest dresser or the hippest hipster but I'm polite enough and I always tip and bus as appropriate. If Victrola, Canlis, and The Globe can all somehow manage to be nice to my face, why can't the bloody VPC?
13
Cafe Europa was better!
I live in this beautiful neighborhood and LOVED this place when it was Cafe Europa. I was excited about new ownership to see how they could manage to make it even better. However, I am so disappointed with what they have done to this wonderful hideout. It used to be a lovely neighborhood spot where you could enjoy exceptional coffee and homemade pastries at a reasonable cost. Now the new owners have turned this place into an unfriendly, anti-neighborly, high-priced, overly bright and commercial spot. I used to look forward to Sunday mornings there to enjoy my pastry cooked with love. But now I don't even bother stopping. I have given this place MANY chances over the past months and it is always the same. The service sucks, the coffee bitter, the food disappointing AND small servings with a huge price tag. And on top of ALL of that - just about the slowest and most unfriendly service I have encountered in Seattle - and I have lived here for 35 years. I am a huge advocate of small businesses and always support my local proprieterships. However I would rather see a Starbucks be put there. At least the service would be with a smile.
12
Not going back
We've given it three tries and that's it. First, it is over priced given the food quality, quantity and the ambience.
Second - the staff. I counted eight people working this past Thursday - cut just two and maybe the food prices could be a little more reasonable. But with 8 people, they jostled amongst themselves for room and something to do (what are there, maybe a dozen tables?) and even with 8 staff the service was lousy. The bread finally got delivered with a classy "here, you guys." The salad had no offer of pepper (and none on the table.) My partner's entre arrived 15 minutes after mine, with no comment or explanation.
And then there's the food. The chicken pot pie crust was delicious - the filling was bland and mostly potatoes. I literally found one piece of not very tender chicken. And my partner's late gumbo was delivered barely lukewarm - with the shrimp underdone. (The menu is also extremely limited.)
And, maybe because nothing was charming me about the place, it just irks me to be staring all evening at a big plastic tub with a big sign on it telling me to bus my own dishes.
And, to me, $52 with tax and tip, does not qualify as a cheap eat for a meal for two that included only one glass of wine (not each, only one glass) one shared starter, one chicken pot pie and one bowl of gumbo. No dessert.
11
What's with these people!
I can understand a bumbled order or two on occasion, I can also understand the lengthy amount of time it takes to prepare a meal, but there are something’s that I find too hurtful to fathom.
Not only have we witnessed the owner harshly belittling the staff in front of customers, we have also overheard on more than one occasion, disgusting RACIST derogatory statements directed towards the employee. Do I detect white trash? Also, we have been made aware of the hateful comments made about the neighborhood, including terrible things said about the family in the house directly across the street from the café. These are your neighbors for heavens sake! HELLO! I don’t think they understand that everything said behind the counter carries into the seating area. We have also overheard the owners referring to the two children in the house directly across as being mentally challenged, (and this is the nice version of what was actually said!) My daughter attends the same school and they are the sweetest kids ever! I really do wish I didn’t have to post all these negative things, but a lot of us are starting to think the jokes on us!
10
Good pizza on a summer eve
Just got back from dinner. Three of us shared 2 very nice entree salads and 2 pizzas. The salads were very good. The pizza was frickin fabulous. The ambiance was very relaxed and easy. The service was so-so (it was our waitresses first night so I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt). The bill was expensive ($60 for 3 of us including only one glass of wine) - but I'm accepting of the fact that that's what you pay for high quality food in Seattle these days.
9
Great Neighborhood Restaurant
Maybe it's because I'm a local and a regualr, but the staff and owners of VPC are always friendly and attentive to me and my guests when I'm at VPC.
Sure, VPC had to work out some kinks since they opened very recently. They were and still are sometimes a bit slow to get food out.
I really like their menu - they have a great selection of paninis, salads, etc. I've had the pot pie, the chop salad and the caesar and they were all delicious and well-presented.
Their baked goods case is awesome too and their coffee and espresso drinks are always fresh and flavorful.
Sometimes it can get a little too full of little kids on weekend mornings (I know from too many kids, I have an 18 month old and sometimes VPC has too many kids even for me).
And it's also a touch pricey.
Overall, 4/5 stars.
8
Stuck Up
All I wanted was a cup of coffee. Instead I watch one owner belittle her employee in front of 3 customers for something that could have been handled else where. Then, once it was my turn to order the girl behind the counter looked at me as if I was supposed to serve her something. This place is run by women...bitchy bitchy women. If you like the food, fine, but if you want to be treated by a friendly staff, go elsewhere.
7
french toast heaven
A little on the pricy side, but some of the best baked goods I've had in Seattle. When are baked goods not expensive in Seattle? I just wish the caramelized banana french toast wasn't just a weekend thing.
6
Comfortable/Tasty
Just what the neighborhood needed. No it's not the cheapest food in town, but it is well within reasonable, and quite good at the price. I have been there about 5 times now, and it is delightful as long as you can find a seat.
5
Not all that
I have to agree with most of the other reviewers here... this place is not all it's cracked up to be. The food is not worth the price!
4
Misleading Menu
I went a couple of weeks ago for dinner. The menu clearly said bruchetta was $7 (not market price or variable) when the bill came we were charged $13, when we asked the waitress, she said it was a "special daily selection" Two other tables also complained about their bill and they were essentially told to fuck off as well. I have had some excellent meals there, but the snotty attitudes from the employees and owners are a little hard to take.
3
Got Sick of a Panini There
I had a panini there two weeks ago and a few hours later was throwing up. I think that says it all
2
Charming
Had my first meal here this weekend, and every bite of it was wonderful. I ate vegetarian, my dude ate meat, and we were both thoroughly pleased. Charming space, gracious service, definitely not "cheap eats" (at least at dinner) but still surprisingly thrifty, can't wait to go back.
1
Annoying
Ok, people really need to stop fellating this place because it's really not all that wonderful, ok? I've gone there many times since it has opened and it is a complete mess. The food is overpriced, the staff is completely incompetent, and they seriously are lacking ventilation for their overworked panini grill. To make matters worse, the place is stuffed to the gills with seattle-soccer-moms, 12 year-olds with $5000 laptops, and trust-fund hipsters happy to be at a place that charges $9 for a well-described (serrano) ham and cheese sandwich. The owners seem to know all of the "foodie" types in town, including reviewers (I've been there at least once when there was a newspaper reviewer on hand, and the owners and employees were shitting themselves to fawn over the reviewer while customers were completely ignored).
Seriously, if you want to pay lots of money to be treated like an asshole, you can either mail me a check, or go to the VPC.
Also, STRANGER, take this place out of Cheap Eats! What's cheap about it exactly?
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