The Sun Café

There are a lot of things that make a coffee shop great besides the coffee itself – atmosphere, location, baristas, music – and The Sun Café doesn’t really have any of those things going for it.
I’m surprised by previous reviewers describing this café as cozy and delightful. I really felt it was anything but. There is one rickety chair out front – no table – so there isn’t much of an option to sit outside on a nice day. Inside offers a few tables and a couple of armchairs that aren’t in good condition. The music playing was decent, but I prefer a more mellow soundtrack to my coffee shop experiences.
The single barista was a nice guy and prepared drinks well, but that’s the extent of my praise for The Sun. There is potential, but there was nothing here that would draw me back.

Cute coffee shop. Stumptown beans! You can get bags of beans cheaper here than other places as well. I also love the mighty-​o donuts. You also get a free coffee or americano when you buy a bag of beans!

The Sun Café is just around the corner from my place, so I am somewhat of a regular.
It’s a cute little café that on a sunny day does so delight you, sun streaking in, stumptown coffee, smooth tunes, space to study, striking art on the walls, yellow walls, sunny demeanors.
Staff are super friendly, morning barista’s beats are reggae, afternoon ones depend on the barista’s mood. If I’m sitting there for hours they’ll allow me to pay when I leave so as not to charge my card three times. The mochas are pretty on point, and they offer sandwiches and good pastries (Mighty-O’s — check) so you can satiate yourself after a serious study session.
I’m usually the only one in there in the late afternoon, and I guess people are at work, but I sometimes wonder why no one else visits this hidden gem. Yes, there are a dozen cafes in downtown Ballard. But this one is good too, and it’s quieter, and you’ll get served in a jif, and you’re supporting an awesome little neighborhood café with great service and good offers. And there are just 4 tables and two couches. cozy and never too crowded. granted, when people come in or one person is yapping away, you can hear it all, but, for the most part, I’m really grateful these guys are so close to my apt.
Stop by and start your day off with a little sun.

I love this place, my son and I frequent it a few times a week, only thing I’d add is some savory or egg breakfast sandwiches to choose from

I gave it 5 stars because I love this place– great coffee, seriously friendly staff, and mighty O. Its not perfect though.
The downsides:
1.) it IS small. But very cozy. During busy hours it may feel a lil’ cramped. But im really glad it has enough business to be busy.
2.) Service can be slow when there is a line. But like that old adage goes– good things come to those who wait! Its worth waiting for if you like to support local business, and get great coffee and friendly service– no matter how busy.
3.) Yes, the hours are kind of a bummer. Hopefully it will get busier though and they can stay open a lil’ later.

I love visiting Sun Café — it’s the perfect stop over to calm my nerves before wrangling my two kids for hours at the Woodland zoo. Holding that delicious cup of Americano or Mocha on a chilly damp day defrosts and of course perks me right up! The display of various art work and color scheme at Sun Café is quite pleasing to the eyes. I adore how coffee and art just goes hand in hand. I think the owner (s) have a wonderful business going for them — I envy little jewels like this. Kudos!

I am very happy to say I received a nice message this week from Yong at the Sun Café and she was appreciative of my review. They now have separated recycle bins — woo hoo!
Thanks Yong and staff.

Let me say this first: you’ll get a great cup of coffee here at Sun Café. It’s Stumptown, so you can hardly go wrong. So why the low rating? I’ve been searching for a Seattle coffee shop that wasn’t on a major road or intersection for years. Something a little tucked away and aimed at locals being able to relax away from the heavy flow of caffeine imbibing traffic. I had hoped that Sun Café would full that niche, but it’s just too small. The setting seems inviting, the staff is friendly and the whole place is quite charming. However, it’s got so little seating that it doesn’t feel like the kind of place you can just cozy up in and get some work done. It almost feels like you’re in the way. Why would a place that’s not on a major street feel more like the kind of place you just stop in for a to-​go coffee than the kind of place you can stay with a book?
Maybe I did it wrong. Maybe I was being too self-​conscious in my fear of overstaying my welcome, but based on my first experiences, this place might just be a little too small to be my go-​to neighborhood coffee house. Not to mention it’s not open at nighttime, which is always tough when looking for a place to study.
That all said, I will try it again. For the friendly staff, for the tasty drinks, and for the discounted pastries at the end of the day. I suspect this rating may have to be moved up eventually.

Come here a few times a week. Love the staff and they all pull decent to good shots. Not the fastest place though but they know my drink. I wish they stayed open later though, as they close at 4pm.

How great is it when you arrive before a place is open and they let you in early? What a great way to start the week… I have driven by this place for years, but never stopped.
The Mighty-​O donuts looked pretty darn good (and a nice selection) as well as the pastries (from Ricks Bakery) — we tried an apricot turnover that was buttery and sweet and delicious and sinful all at the same time. As any good treat should be.
Stumptown Americano was good, and like I said, service was great. Some seating, but only a few tables. Good place to stop by on the way to work –especially when you need a little pick me up.

I really wanted to like this place, and perhaps my expectations were too high for a cute little neighborhood coffee shop with Stumptown, but I was disappointed. Not by the service or staff (they’re awesome!) or by the location (convenient!), but by the product they sell. Mighty-​O = yes, thank you, more of it. Stumptown = pretty good, I’ll drink it. Chai = nice story, cool lady that makes it, not impressed. Maybe it would be good iced? It tasted a little watery. Other offerings = what other offerings? They don’t make much else.
I’d like to see them homey up the place a little to make it more inviting and cozy, offer some more non-​sweet baked food items, and get some Morning Glory Chai up in that bizness. I’d like to see them stay around (yay for independent neighborhood business), but up the ante and offer more than just basic coffee stuff. Develop a niche.

Sun Café is one of a handful of cafes in the city that can consistently pull a near-​perfect shot. One would think it would be easy to get a coffee in Seattle, given the city’s reputation for being a Mecca of coffee. The truth is Seattle is a Mecca of Latte – which is to say, warm, sweetened milk, tinted with coffee. Most coffee places survive because enough sugar and milk can conceal most coffee defects.
Sun Café has friendly, well trained baristas who can make a beautiful doppio or doppio ristretto. I also like the way they pull the shot directly into the warmed demitasse, conserving both crema and heat. If what you’re drinking is coffee, and not milk, then Sun is the place for you.

My co worker and I are enjoying meeting at the café… it is warm, good latte’s and we actually get a lot of work done! Thanks!

Stumptown coffee? Yes.
Quality teas? Yes.
Warm, inviting yellow room? Yes.
Plenty of street parking? Yes.
Quiet enough to sit and work? Yes.
Coffee punchcards? Yes.
To add to the goodness, this little shop near the Fremont/​Ballard curve has what must be the friendliest baristas in all of Seattle. Although it’s not right in my neighborhood, I plan to be back. They do close on the early side (4 p.m.), so you can’t quite pull off a Sun Café/​Sambar/​Le Gourmand trifecta unless you break it up with a walk in between the first two.
Wait, now there’s an idea…

I’m going to bump a star with the update. They’ve now added a few comfy chairs (as opposed to the wood chairs) and there’s free wifi. They do sell day old pastries at half price.
Also extra points for teaching me what the phrase «turn out the lights» means in Poland.

STUMPTOWN COFFEE !!!
Great little coffee shop across the street from Veraci Pizza, and across the street from Le Gourmand. I just realized it was there last night as I walked out of Veraci, because they had a string of Christmas lights outlining the building that I hadn’t seen before.
It’s a cozy, sunny little spot. Has probably 4 – 5 small tables. Nice place to have a conversation over coffee or tea, or read the paper. They also serve pastries, and had a good looking selection of tea.
Also serve hemp milk if you’d like for lattes, teas, etc etc. That doesn’t do much for me, but I know it will for a lot of people.
edit ²⁄₁₄: I’m busting this baby up to 5 stars (from 4) because they are consistently awesome and nice, and very caring with the coffee-​making. They put a lot of effort into every cup of coffee they make. The coffee is ALWAYS good, the machines are very well taken care of. I’ve never gotten a cup of coffee that tasted «off» like I do at other coffee shops every now and again. Consistent, consistent.

The Sun Café is a sweet, unassuming café in Ballard just off NW Market. I have found it a perfect spot to quietly study or read while sipping a soy latte (the iced lattes are especially delicious). The serve Mighty-O’s, which are very tempting during my long study days. I do wish they served more healthy foods (they have some sandwiches and other sweet treats). The art on the walls and bright light makes for lovely ambiance. And on sunny days… they have outdoor seating!