Coffee To a Tea With Sugar

Something has happened and it’s not good. I’m guessing new owners. The kid friendly back area is gone. No longer is the place full of a cross section of West Seattle residents. No longer are friendly staffers there waiting to make the perfect coffee based creation with amazing cupcakes. The min-​cupcakes are now up to $ 1.75 each — that in itself is overpriced, by a good 50 cents.
My punch card has disappeared (and I don’t have a common name) and the woman behind the counter came across as militant and unwelcoming. Their steamer was broken and all they had was drip coffee. The whole place smelled of burnt baked goods, and I opted for a lemon bar. A favorite of mine in general. It was OK, the crush was actually excellent but the lemon layer was almost flavorless.
It feels like a place that is on the downhill slide and I will be very reluctant to go back again. I have been a huge fan for years — but this last trip was very disappointing.

NO LONGER KID FRIENDLY. Major disappointment. We *only* came here because of its great, family-​friendly vibe. Their food is totally mediocre and their coffee is nothing special. Service is SLOW a lot of the time, and they’re not super responsive (we asked that the water be refilled a few times and eventually had to just use the bathroom sink). I think their cupcakes are totally inedible, most definitely sub-​par to Cupcake Royale across the street. The only thing that kept us coming back was that the kids could happily play and eat a mini-​cupcake, and mom could get a mocha and relax. Now the only toys left are one train table and the trains.
I’m taking bets on when they’re going out of business. Because who else even patronizes this place other than families, other than the very nice retirees that come in the morning? And I’m guessing the retirees don’t spend enough to keep their doors open. It’s a shame, because we used to be loyal patrons. Now we are hoping they wake up and change back, or else hurry out of business so someone can take over and restore our favorite kid-​friendly destination.

This place is alright. I think that the best part about it is the location (within the Alaska Junction).
I have been twice (with months in between the visits) and it has. definitely transformed! It went from Sugarrush to The Junction Bakery (kinda weird to change names right?) And the cupcakes did get a whole lot better than they were last summer.
I had the red velvet cupcake and the lemon cupcake. The velvet had way too much icing, and the icing didn’t seem to have enough cream cheese in it. The lemon was alright but the lemon curd in the center was way too sweet. Lemons are sour so let your curd be a bit sour. Also, there was so much curd in the center that when I took a bite the whole cupcake was mushy.
I will definitely keep checking this place out, to support local business, but as far aw cupcake shops go I wouldn’t say it is the best in WS.

I’m not a fan of Cupcake Royale, & Sprinkles is ok, but Sugar Rush is memorable to me. I had the opportunity to try most of their cupcakes at an event, and everyone of them were moist with frosting that was perfect-​light, fluffy and not too sweet.
(kid-​friendly) This is a great laid back local neighborhood feel kind of place to go meet up and have a cup of coffee with your mom friends while you let your little ones play in the play area.

I’ve been to the café for coffee and I had their cupcakes (Sugar Rush) on my birthday recently.
The cupcakes were very good! Moist cake and delicious frosting. All my friends really liked the cakes including one friend who makes her own gourmet cupcakes.
I had the chocolate and red velvet (minis, I didn’t have 2 whole cupcakes) and they were good. I have had better red velvet but it was still quite good.
I wouldn’t hesitate to order from them again!

With a card minimum of $ 5 for a coffee and cupcake place you are almost forced into getting more than you want when you walk in for the first time. I wanted to try the coffee, not coffee and a sandwich.
The coffee was weak also. How do you mess up an iced Americano? I am surprised that she didn’t warn me when she saw me standing with my card in hand about the minimum but now I know she just wanted to bump sales. Not going back there, I’m new to the area and will try the many competitors around the block.

At first I was hesitant to come here because the exterior looked kind of dingy. When I finally came in I was reluctant to stay after I spotted the kid’s area. But this seems to be one of those rare kid-​friendly places where children are reasonably disciplined and have fun with the games without screaming their little heads off.
So now I stop by pretty often. It’s a nice place to relax with after visiting one of the bookstores. The drip coffee is a contender for the best on Alaska Junction, and is closest to the main intersection. They have decent lunch options like quiche and quinoa salad. The cupcakes are not as good as Cupcake Royale across the street, but if I remember they are less expensive.

Bought a Groupon — $ 15 for two dozen mini cupcakes. Walked in and placed an order to pick up a week later, then had to call back and reschedule the pickup and then COMPLETELY forgot about it because I was down in Portland. I was willing to just cut my losses — it was just 15 bucks, it wasn’t breaking the bank and it was my own fault for forgetting.
When I made it back home to West Seattle, I went in for coffee and explained to the gentleman behind the counter (did not catch his name) about forgetting to pick up our order. The gentleman was extremely accomodating and put a box together for us anyway. I let him pick whichever ones he wanted to throw in there, so not sure what was what but they were good. Not amazing but I definitely prefer their cupcakes to Cupcake Royal’s down the street.

This is a cute spot in West Seattle. It seems like a great spot for playdates. There is plenty of space to sit, chat and nibble of desserts while your kids hit the toy section. Their cupcakes were dry. They didn’t seem fresh. I had a bar with coconut flakes and chocolate chips. It was pretty tasty. There is plenty of seating if you plan on meeting up with friends. The cashier was very friendly and refilled my pot of tea. They are laid back and nice here. I wouldn’t necessarily come back for the desserts but their space and service were great.

I bought a groupon for two dozen mini cupcakes and decided to redeem it for my baby shower. I called in two weeks early to make the order and picked them up on Saturday, as scheduled. The cupcakes were ready and beautifully decorated and tasted amazing! I was really pleased with my purchase.
There is a big play area in the back that’s great for the little ones, and seems like it would be a fun area to relax with other parents while your kids have some fun. I know that might annoy some customers but I think it’s nice they chose to use the extra space that way.
On the con side, the staff here always seem to be rushed and agitated, even when there are only a few customers in the store. Also, I’ve stopped in a few times thinking I’d grab a quick pastry on the go, and they were out of all types of pastries, both times, so I left empty handed and headed over to Bakery Nouveau. As for the coffee, they brew Vashon Coffee Company coffee, which I like because it’s local and organic and free trade, but I have to agree with other reviews that it just doesn’t taste quite right — one time it was almost burned and another it was just watery and tasteless. I think I’ll stick with the cupcakes and maybe try some tea next time.

I LOVE the mini cupcakes at this place. By far the best frosting that I’ve had on a cupcake in Seattle. The ambiance is pretty plain, but really, what do you expect from a basic Seattle coffee shop.
I do wish that they’d stay open a bit later. If you’re craving a sweet after 6pm, you’re out of luck.

I live right by this coffee shop. I really wanted to love this place but unfortunately, I didn’t. The coffee menu is pretty much limited, it has the usual mocha, drip, and latte. But I was hoping for more — an awesome signature cup of coffee (like velvet coffee from vivace espresso!). Since I live so close this place, I wanted to find an awesome local coffee shop. Other than that, there is a huge selection on teas and bakery. I didn’t try the bakery though but the place is gigantic. It would be an ideal place to meet up with friends for coffee.
FYI — they pull their own shots when making coffee.

Skip the snooty bakery down the street (yeah you know which one I’m talkin’ about) and come here! The employees are super friendly and helpful, knowledgable about their products, and seem to enjoy their job. The space itself is large and relaxing, with a good espresso menu and an amazing display of cupcakes and other baked goodies on both sides of the register.
I was initially attracted to this place because I knew they had a ton of mini cupcake flavours. After hearing the full rundown of offerings I went with an almond and a chocolate ganache. Although they seem teeny and light, I was delighted to bite into a substantial, moist cake with a sweet (but not overly rich) buttercream. Not sure if the other reviewers who had dry cakes were referring to, or maybe we were just lucky and got some fresh ones? The almond had strong almond notes without being artificial or overbearing, and the chocolate ganache was the right balance of dark and creamy without being overly indulgent.
Presentation here is loving without being fussy, and most importantly, doesn’t interfere with taste (which is the most important thing!). Between the two, I was more satisfied with the almond, but the chocolate was definitely noteworthy. Next time I stop by I’m going to make a mental note to grab a few full-​sized cupcakes to go!

Got a deal for two dozen mini cupcakes and redeemed last week.
The first thing I noticed was the cupcakes were so frickin’ adorably cute :-)
I ordered 5 flavors and tried the German choco, red velvet and mocha and they were scrumptious. I didn’t have them until the next day so I can only imagine how much better they would’ve been had I tried it right away.
Excellent, wonderful service — thank you for offering such a great Groupon deal!

Do you remember when Cupcake Royale was «Pre-​Mostier»?
Welcome to Sugar Rush Bakery. Sugar Rush has solid frosting, but their cupcakes are just dry and crumbly. I cannot recommend their cupcakes as they cost more than their competitors for a much less delicious cupcake.
We got the following cupcakes –
Mini pumpkin: It was a regular vanilla cupcake with sugar frosting, but shaped like a pumpkin. It was disappointing as I was expecting nutmeggy and cinnamony goodness.
Vanilla custard filled cupcake: The cake itself was dry and there was very little custard filling inside to make up for that fact.
The Bliss Cupcake: Underwhelming — I thought the Chocolate Ganache would make things more exciting, but the name lies as it was not blissful.
Strawberry lemonade — Not bad, but definitely unmemorable.
German chocolate cake — Best out of the batch. The Coconut frosting saves this cake. This is the only cupcake I recommend from Sugar Rush.

Totally sweet albeit unconventionally dressed /​coiffed employees? Kid-​area near the back where we won’t bother other patrons? Coffee? Cupcakes? Can I live here?
I recently came here with a meetup group, and was so pleasantly surprised. I don’t West Seattle very often, but this place is in a very cute hood, had plenty of street parking, and just a good vibe.
I had forgotten my coupon for a free mini cupcake, so as we left I ordered one for the child. Exactly after I bothered the clerk and was handed the «puunkin» (adorably decorated vanilla cake with pumpkin stem and curly leaf) cupcake, I saw the sign for no debit card transactions under $ 4. Sh*t! Now what to order? I scanned the case for something, anything to bring the 1.50 mini cake to a 5, and ordered a full-​sized lemon… $ 4.50, now what?!
The super nice clerk let me off and won my heart with a $ 4.50 debit card purchase.
The cupcakes here enticed my picky eater (normally just a frosting kinda boy) to eat the entire thing, cake and all.
My lemon had a hard icing, but the lemon flavor was superb. The cake had a better crumb than the «spongier» cupcakes, but was very good. The only thing I can say that isn’t a glowing review is that the cake wasn’t very lemon-​y. Picky eater also nom-​ed half my lemon cake, the little scamp.
We’ll be back!

The cupcakes tough, get 5 plus stars!!! Great great cupcakes!
The atmosphere is good and the baristas are always nice and helpful. The coffee itself isn’t anything to go crazy about, but it is good.
Overall, a great place to hang out if you are craving great cupcakes, good/​ok coffee, and a cozy place to sit and enjoy the Junction.

Cup Cakes !!!
this place has some wonderful flavors of Cup Cakes
we were in West Seattle last week, and I went wondering the Junction, while my partner saw the dentist, and I saw this place and put it in the back of my head, as I had just left Cupcake Royale
so when I picked up my partner I told him about this place, and he was like well no better time than now for sweets so off we went
we each got a cup of coffee and a cupcake, I had the «Pucker Up»
Lemon Cake, Lemon Curd & Lemon Buttercream oh it was Delish
and my Partner had the Lime in the «Coconut»
White Cake, Key Lime & Coconut Cream Cheese
what a combo and they use just enough of the key lime, to go well together and compliment the coconut not over power it in taste
so in short if you love Cup Cakes try this place out you won’t regret it, only reason they did not get 5 stars is the Romper Room they have in the back of the store, I don’t know if it is a day care or what but I don’t like kids, so its not a place I would go to sit and talk with a friend, maybe hang out side if there are not strollers parked there as was the case this time

These cupcakes prompt me to ask: Why in the WORLD would anyone bother with crummy Cupcake Royale when this place is right across the street and has cupcakes that will beat Royale in a cake-​fight any day? I say if you’re going to spend $ 3 on a freaking cupcake, spend it here!
I prefer to purchase my cupcakes and take them home to sample them, as I like to savor each bite with an ice cold glass of milk in hand. This was definitely to my advantage, as the cupcakes here were refrigerated and needed time to thaw. By the time I got home they were ready to bite into. So let’s get down to it: I tried the Coconut, Lemon, and Mocha and they were my favorite flavors in that order.
Coconut wins over any other coconut I’ve had, hands down. Something about the cream cheese in the frosting… never thought it would mesh so well! Lemon was divine, and I usually hate anything lemon flavored. Mocha was a good, rich mocha flavor; nothing to write home about, but then again my boyfriend mashed the whole thing into his mouth in a matter of seconds so I only got a flash flavor test. All of the cake-​to-​frosting ratios were perfect; I like it to be pretty much half and half and I wasn’t disappointed. YUM.
Minus a few stars because the cupcakes aren’t decorated too prettily (and I’m big on presentation when I’m shelling out several dollars for a cupcake) and yes, the cupcakes are refrigerated. In my world it’s an absolute crime to bite into a cupcake with hard frosting. However, if you have time to let one sit around for a bit at room temperature — perhaps while you’re chatting with a friend over a latte? — I assure you it’s worth the wait.
Also not sure about the whole daycare + coffee bar vibe… at night it seems pretty laid back and low-​key before closing, but during the day all I see in my head is screaming, dirty kids running around.
But my final say: Will be returning for more cupcakes.

Funky coffee house vibe with two seating sections and 2 pastry cases.
Piles of mini and full sized cupcakes. Taking our cue from the previews reviews we stayed away from the mini’s and went for a 6 pack of full sized cakes.
Not as moist as those on 4^th avenue, but moister than those from across the street.
The pucker wasn’t very sour and only the frosting was Almond but the two chocolate cakes were distinctive with one being more of a mild milk chocolate taste and the other closer to a devils food (but not that moist).
The coffee was well mixed and VERY strong and the cupcakes traveled home without incident.