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Honey Bear Bakery Cafe
Categories: Food Bakeries Restaurants Sandwiches Restaurants Cafes Bakeries, Sandwiches, Cafes [Edit]
17171 Bothell Wy NELake Forest Park, WA 98155
(206) 366-3330
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7 am - 10 pm
Sat 8 am - 10 pm
Sun 8 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
About This Business:
Barriga Llena is committed to delivering the best quality Mexico City style tortas. We were the first and the only ones to introduce this traditional… read more »
62 reviews for Honey Bear Bakery Cafe
Review Highlights
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"...as well, and the german chocolate is warm and soft, just..." In 2 reviews -
"If there's one thing I love, it's a baked good." In 3 reviews
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"...family friendly atmosphere of the commons make the HBB one..." In 6 reviews
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62 reviews in English
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Review from Taralee A.
Seattle, WA
4/23/2012
I ordered the cake for my son's first birthday here. Three actually. They were made to look like a drum set for his music themed party complete with drumsticks. It was perfect and delicious. I'm sure there is a handful of bakeries that could have net the task but their cake maker, Kitty was the part that made our experience perfect. She communicated excellently and was very easy to work with. She went above and beyond to make sure our experience was perfect. I would highly recommend them for an event cake.
Haven't tried anything else though . . . yet. -
Review from Lisa H.
Seattle, WA
Updated - 4/10/2012
I have been contacted 4 times regarding my review of the custom cake, 3 e-mails by a friend of the cake designer and once by the bakery. I was asked to note that the small castle piece was actually made of chocolate, not plastic.
My review still stands that the cake was not what I requested and underwhelming. I asked for a pink cake with a princess theme that would delight my 4 year old, not a cake that would have looked just as appropriate for mother's day, a housewarming party, or any other generic cake event.
The e-mails I received from her friend had comments regarding the pricing of the cake, art fees I could have paid if I wanted something more, the fact that she has many cakes to do and could be fired for spending too much time on my cake, etc.
I personally spoke with the decorator and she gave me the cake price after we finished discussing what I wanted. If she needed to charge me more to design the cake I was asking for, all she had to do was say so, but she didn't. Clearly if I'm driving 20 miles to seek her out for a special custom cake based on the cakes I saw on her website, price isn't a big concern.
It's her responsibility representing her business and skills to set the proper price for the cake I'm requesting, or to tell me that she can only spend X amount of time to decorate and therefore she can't do what I am asking for. It is not acceptable to agree to the design I'm asking for, set the price, and then deliver something different.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/12/2012
I found this bakery on Yelp when searching for a cake shop to make a stand-out custom cake for my… Read more »
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Review from Sonya L.
3/27/2012
YUM! I grew up in Lake Forest Park, but I never ate here until I had lunch with a friend last weekend. A pretty sad fact to admit.
I had the Roasted Turkey sandwich on sourdough, which came with caramelized onions and basil aioli - how could I pass up that combination? It was incredible. Really, really delicious. It also comes with fantastic thick, crunchy potato chips. The portion size is also really impressive - I couldn't even finish it all.
Prices are reasonable and the wait isn't too bad - I think we waited under 10 minutes for our two sandwiches to be ready. The employees were also very friendly.
I am already craving another one of those sandwiches, so I know I will be back!Listed in: Super Sandwiches!
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Review from jake s.
Seattle, WA
5/17/2012
i enjoy the baked goods and coffee here. i like that they make much more food than you'd expect to come out of a kitchen that size and the staff are friendly and thoughtful enough to serve with a smile.
I do not like that a custom cake order requires at least a 2 week advance notice. Unfortunately, with advance notice like that I can learn and create pretty much any cake I would have need of so there's no value add from that standpoint.
However a quick hit of coffee and some quality baked goods have never disappointed when I've been in the area.Comment from Kitty T. of Honey Bear Bakery Cafe 5/20/2012
Custom cakes only require 48 hours notice, which doesn't… More » -
Review from Flora C.
Seattle, WA
4/13/2012
It's a small joint inside an interesting set up. It is a bookstore connected with food court. Not too attractive....
The bakery selection is limited and I did not smell any bakery goods here.Comment from Kitty T. of Honey Bear Bakery Cafe 4/17/2012
Our bakery is about 3x what is visible to our customers, and… More » -
Review from Wendy M.
My fiance' and I are regulars here.
We have seriously tried everything on the menu and are stopping by more frequently just to try their weekly specials...BUT when their weekly special are a repeat item and/or didn't necessarily fall in love with, we find ourselves returning to our favorites:
The "Beary Turkey" ; Roasted Turkey, Lettuce, Cream Cheese and Cranberry Sauce and "The BLTA" ; Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Avocado on Toast with Basil Aioli.
...with a side of coffee, of course!
What set these sandwiches apart from the pack would have the be the cranberry sauce in the "Beary Turkey" and bacon + basil aioli in the "BLTA". YUM!
Honey Bear's Breakfast and Coffee are not on the top of my list but my fiance' often requests a "Cinnamon and Brown Sugar Latte" which is not on their menu but a few baristas are sweet enough to make it for him.
Perks:
- Live Music on the Weekends.
- Third Place Books Inside.
- Spacious and Lot's of Tables Available.
- Other Food Options Available.
- Great for Groups.
- Family Friendly.
Cons:
- Sweet but Slow Service. -
Review from David P.
Seattle, WA
4/12/2012
Ridiculous bad service. One working the counter -slowly- while 6 more diddle in back. Come on people! And the food had gone downhill badly from the good ole days.
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Review from Morgan L.
Go and order the Chiptole chicken sandwich, with onions.
Also, ask for a side mixed green salad with vinaigrette.
This place oddly reminds me of Crossroads in Bellevue growing up, which is why I have never sat down to eat. Always get it to go.
BEWARE: You will get sucked into the book store... There I was... waiting for my sandwich, Sprite in hand buying diet books :/ -
Review from Christin M.
Seattle, WA
4/16/2012
3 stars because it's A-Ok....I'm not a fan...but I will go back. It can get busy and you will wait depending on the line. It's a nice addition to the book store if you want to go in, snack and read! There's also a small food court attached that I didn't notice any additional signs for on the outside of the business. Ordered a Red Velvet cupcake and a Lemon Tart. The cupcake, I've had better. Nothing that has a WOW factor or makes you remember it. The Lemon Tart wasn't lacking for tartness or lemon, but was very good and looked cute. HOWEVER, they have organic or gluten free (whichever you choose) Brownies that are to die for!! Their chocolate chip cookies are also amazing! I definitely remember those! I haven't tried the cakes but they do look delish everytime I go in. I notice there are different selections here and there.
It can get noisy and it reminds me more of a cafeteria than a book store. Rustic kind of place but I recommend you try it once. Hey if you don't care for at least you went.
I plan to try lunch there sometime! Until then my review is based on the sweets!!Comment from Kitty T. of Honey Bear Bakery Cafe 4/17/2012
We are big fans of our brownies, too. The options are… More » -
Review from Grace B.
Seattle, WA
4/9/2012
Honey Bear is AWESOME. They have a great selection of sandwiches, salads, soup, quiche, and pastries and cake. All very natural, yummy, fresh, kind of basic, simple good food. Nothing flowery or fancy. I love the salads and the dressings, as well as the simple soups. I'm glad I live across the street, I can get something easy and homemade over there any time. The cool tables made of big slabs of wood are gorgeous. It feels really homey, lots of people do writing or homework, you can pull up a chair and stay, no one will kick you out. Really friendly, warm atmosphere. Worth the wait in line if there's a line, which sometimes happens.
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Review from Corinne K.
Seattle, WA
3/16/2012
So when I was a kid this place used to be right by my house in green lake. I remember how amazing their MASSIVE cookies were and I loved the hot cocoa. I even remember the wooden statue of the bear that used to sit outside holding a pie I think.. sadly it was stolen.. and then this place moved to LFP. Ever since they moved the vibe and food has never been the same since.
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Review from Robb M.
2/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love the new honey bear location. Well, new to me I guess. Much larger space with the same great food and pastries. It is in a food court, located right next to the Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park. I love their iced tea!
Comment from Kitty T. of Honey Bear Bakery Cafe 4/10/2012
We love our iced tea, too. Along with our classic black… More » -
Review from Katie C.
Kenmore, WA
2/28/2012
the basil chicken sandwich is amazing and so is the blt which is piled high with bacon. I always get a latte and most of the baristas make it with perfectly steamed milk which is hard to find! The line is always long but it is worth the wait. The salads are delish too and everything comes in huge portions! Its a great place to meet up with a friend or take the kids.
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Review from Jennifer R.
Bellevue, WA
1/2/2012
Honey Bear Bakery is a long-time Seattle institution, with one last remaining outpost at Third Place in Lake Forest Park. It's a great place to spend a weekend morning having brunch after browsing Third Place Books and before picking up some veggies at the farmer's market outside in the summer. The pastries and food here - quiche, waffles, egg dishes - are outstanding. And the coffee is good as well. In my experience, the service has been fast enough, but the servers defininitely have an attitude. It's not enough to deter me from going there, but it's a shame that the quality of their service doesn't match the quality of their food.
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Review from Meredith S.
Bellevue, WA
2/10/2011
Ahh.. I love the Honey Bear. My favorites here are the orange pecan twists and the chicken pot pie. The chicken pot pie is made from scratch with the yummiest pie crust and some kind of curry spice in the filling. It also comes with a side salad (more like a full size salad for me), and it's only 5 bucks! If I come here for a meal, I ALWAYS GET THE CHICKEN POT PIE! Sorry for yelling, I got a bit excited.
I also just love the atmosphere here. It's a nice little getaway for me on a weekend morning- swing by and buy a magazine at Third Place Books and have a pastry and some tea at the Honey Bear.
Maybe I have had a better experience that some because I don't come here for coffee drinks or cake. Just not my thing... However, I would not recommend the macaroni and cheese. Just not very flavorful (not even very cheesy). I never was a fan of the macaroni and cheese with breadcrumbs baked on top. It's supposed to be cheesy and creamy!
Take what you like and leave the rest! Oh and I love the giant wooden bear statue with the sign warning that it is not a toy, it is a very heavy bear. -
Review from Ty S.
Seattle, WA
1/13/2012
Love this place. It's a bit on the pricey side, but everything is quite good. Try the smoked salmon on the breakfast sandwich!
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Review from Lindsay P.
Lynnwood, WA
6/5/2011
Hubby and I had lunch here and I had the BLTA and he had the Turkey sandwich.
Every time I go to Honey Bear, I get this blta, with no tomato on Foccacia and grilled. It is AMAZING every time. I'm so stuck on this sandwich that I haven't really tried most other things there.
The line was pretty long seeing as we got there at about 11:50am today, and though lunch isn't started serving until Noon, the gal took our order and let us know it would be ready shortly after Noon. We were given a pager and it was literally a few minutes after Noon that our food was ready.
We both got a pickle and some chips on the side. The servers were nice and not grumpy to us, and seemed to be cheerful with everyone else in the line, despite them being very busy.
I do remember I've tried their chocolate mousse and it was really good, but a lot of their bakery items are focused being natural. I'm not really into having sticks and weeds in my cookies, so I usually stay away from most of their baked goods. -
Review from Kerri B.
Seattle, WA
7/8/2011
Love their side salad with the best ranch dressing that ever lived! Sometimes I pair it with the mac & cheese, sometimes the chicken pot pie - both are delicious.
The cake slices are my favorite because I love dense cake. They keep raising the prices and lowering the portion sizes, though. The chocolate mousse is excellent, but very rich so share with a friend! -
Review from David K.
Bellevue, WA
10/18/2011
This bakery is massively underrated. Their personal website doesn't currently show the full breadth of their menu which changes monthly. The head cake decorator is rather talented and has a personal cake blog called http://www.cakekitty.com that will give you a better idea of what kind of unique creations Honey Bear offers. A few of my favorite cupcake flavors that I've tried lemon ginger, boston cream and pistachio, but you'll want to visit them to see what seasonal flavors and designs they currently have.
I've had custom cakes from them twice. Once was a traditional New York style cheesecake with strawberry topping and custom design. The cheesecake was light, fluffy and absolutely delicious. Honestly was probably the best cheesecake I've had in the Seattle area.
The second cake was a German chocolate birthday cake for a friend (a gamer nerd obsessed with Team Fortress 2 and Chess). The cake decorator designed a TF2 themed chess board set using cookies, fondant figurines and colored white chocolate tiles. The cake was a massive hit. You can see pictures of it on the cake decorator's site: http://cakekitty.com/2... ... Because of the design, the traditional topping was hidden in the middle. Once again it was absolutely delicious. I especially loved the chocolate ganache surrounding the cake (I'm a chocolate fanatic). Awesome.
I highly recommend this place. 5 stars. If you're looking for a custom cake this is the place to go to. -
Review from Peter L.
9/20/2011
Back in grad school, I used to be on a cinnamon roll kick, and the honey bear in green lake (back in the day) had a good version. Fast forward 15 years and the honey bear is long gone from green lake and is now inside an odd food court in Lake Forest Park. Happy to say, their cinnamon roll is still very good, and served with plenty of frosting on the side. Plus, the coffee which used to taste like swill got a nice upgrade to Victrola. Definitely happy to be reacquainted after all these years!
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Review from Connie C.
4/1/2011
The food is alright (only commenting on brunch, since that's what we always come here for on weekends). We have been here numerous times on rainy days as a quick getaway from our house, and also think of it because of the entertainment book discounts.
My husband always gets a scrambler (eggs scrambled with a variety of omelette-type fillings), with potatoes on the side. Always enough food, good value. I usually get something sweet, and have enjoyed most everything. It's just fine, nothing superb.
Note that you're eating in a food-court setting (at 3rd place books). Plenty of tables/chairs there. -
Review from Julienne C.
Arlington, WA
9/28/2011
Don't bother with those lame cupcake stores. The best cupcakes can be found here.
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Review from Julia J.
Edmonds, WA
11/22/2011
The staff is always really friendly and nice. My coffee is tasty and I love to get a pizza bagle with cream cheese.
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Review from Doug M.
9/5/2011
I'm not a huge sweets fan but I tried two items there; a ginger snap and a Russian wedding cookie. The were reasonably good and not overly sweet.
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Review from Jeff G.
5/28/2007
I wake up in cold sweats with my Seventies Nightmare. It involves being trapped in line in a cafe in Marin County(sometimes Berkley) circa 1977. Surrounded by tables made out of polished tree trunks. Endlessly waiting for well meaning, but confused servers to take my order for something to be served on Nine Grain bread with sprouts. Nothing was ever fast or organized back then.
Honey Bear is that nightmare. Okay, it's not that bad and the food and coffee are okay. But EVERY SINGLE TIME I have ever tried to order anything from there I get up to the counter only to have the server look at me nervously, tell me they'll be back in a second and then disappear for 3 minutes while they go add sprouts to someone's salad. This is really annoying if all you want is coffee, which you pour yourself anyway. Maybe they could put the cups out with the coffee and let you use an honor box to pay.
On the plus side, it's in the The Third Place Commons so you can spend all day browsing books or listening to entertainment.
Update - May '08. Against my better judgement I ordered a Latte today just to see if anything's changed and again waited a painfully long time while the one girl at the counter fumbled with my order while she also had to serve food and take other orders. All while 4 other people sat in the kitchen doing absolutely nothing but talking Iron Man.Listed in: The Freshmaker, Fifth Circle Of Hell
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Review from Marysia Y.
Seattle, WA
2/21/2011
Honey Bear Bakery is located in the Third Place Books food court area. I've been here a few times now. The chocolate/cheesecake muffin is yummy. I also enjoyed the BLTA, one of their sandwich specials (it's a BLT + avocado. I'm an avocado fan, so it was a nice addition.) They serve Morning Glory Chai, which I like because it's spicy and not overly sweet.
Negatives: some of their prices are high ($4 for a slice of cake!) and the food court atmosphere doesn't really meld well with the cafe feel. It's better if you can grab one of the giant wood slab tables. -
Review from Suzanne L.
Seattle, WA
1/27/2011
I want to love Honey Bear more than I actually do. It tempts me with the promise of many yummy things - but not everything delivers. So why do I keep coming back? Why do I give it 4 stars? Because it has enough things to satisfy me, even if others fail.
My biggest complaint is the one thing that many others seem to praise: the cake. Do not buy anything with buttercream frosting unless you like to bite into a thick block of butter. I love cake! How can anyone screw up frosting so much? I bought a cupcake today, having not been there in a while (and forgotten about the frosting)...and oh, what a sad way to ruin a cupcake. I scraped off that huge chunk of butter and ate the cake alone. It was fine. I also tried a chocolate croissant. It was a bit too dry around the outside but good towards the middle. If you're craving a chocolate croissant, the ones sold at Central Market are a better bet, based on today's experience.
I enjoy the sandwiches. I've had the salad, which was actually *greens* (appealing to me but not to my romaine-only young son). The mac & cheese is pretty good, though it has a crunchy topping which also didn't appeal to my 6 year old (and he was the target audience for the mac & cheese). The clam chowder is great, albeit a bit thinner and spicier than I'm used to (just pepper? not sure). They also have quiche daily, and breakfast in the AM, but I've not had the pleasure of trying them yet. Soon, Honey Bear, soon...
One thing that keeps me going back is the fact that they sell Hot Lips soda. Not many places do. That stuff is damn expensive for a bottle of soda, but it's so good.
I haven't tried any coffee yet (since I always buy Hot Lips) so I can't comment on that. Overall, I've had good experiences here, but the bakery just doesn't live up to my full expectations. YMMV. -
Review from Mark R.
Seattle, WA
11/14/2006
If there's one thing I love, it's a baked good. Seriously, I have a problem. Nothing stands in the way of me and a pastry, even if said pastry is on the ground and the source of which is completely questionable. That said, I think you should thusly understand that my knowledge of pastries is vast and unchallengeable.
The Honey Bear Bakery in the LFP (not to be confused with the LBC) is a damn fine bakery indeed. Sure, they make a good cookie. And some of your more avid social climbers will proselytize their scones and other more elitist items sure to start a class war at your next luncheon event. But I'm here to tell you that's it all about the cake. Cake, cake, cake - I like cake. They make a white chocolate-coconut cake that is so dense, it wouldn't float in liquid mercury. It's heaven, if it existed. Which it doesn't. Kidding. Maybe. I'm an agnostic cake enthusiast.
The banana cake is pretty outstanding as well, and the german chocolate is warm and soft, just like all things German. There's also something called banana cream pie cheesecake, and while this sounds like a hybrid that directly contradicts the very fabric of nature, it's not. It's the messiah of cheesecakes. All other cheesecakes should be labeled as heretical blasphemers, and therefore destroyed in a firery cheesecake hell.
The only problem with HBB is that a lot of dirty hippies hang out there. That, and it seems like I'm always stuck behind the absolute jackholes who take forever to order their sandwiches because they have like 502 substitutions and special requests. These people wouldn't last two seconds in New York City. If you pause for over two seconds while ordering a sandwich in a deli there, they smash a chair over your head. Honey Bear needs to adopt said policy.
Their sandwiches are good, too, though. But if you're ordering a BLTA or basil chicken, it should only take you 5 seconds to do so. And if you stumblefuck your way through it and delay my lunch, may god help you. I hope your back is impervious to knife wounds. -
Review from Glenn F.
Seattle, WA
11/15/2008
Honey Bear continues a tradition of at least 15 years dating back through at least one other owner and different locations: The customer is a pain, getting things done in a timely fashion is impossible, and attitude is king.
This morning, my wife and I had forgotten our previous too many experiences at Honey Bears hither and yon, and ordered a bagel for our son. We ordered a bagel because, at 11.50 am on a Sunday, they don't serve lunch yet. Even a jelly sandwich. Which is baffling, and bizarre, given that they were making far more complicated stuff for brunch, and most of the stuff they serve is prepared.
Okay, whatever. My wife orders a non-toasted plain bagel with cream cheese on the side. Minutes pass. She asks. With far too much attitude, she's told the bagel is in the line--the what? The line of bagels to be dealt with...all of which need to be toasted instead of ours.
There's simply no process control: they don't understand how to make customers happy while actually getting stuff served. I believe it took nearly 15 minutes to get this bagel with about 8 people working behind the counter. After my wife asked about the bagel, nicely (she's a nice person), they slowed down their efforts on it.
Sigh.
This just reminds me I need to stop going to Honey Bear. Which should be easier: the one in Ravenna has been replaced by Vios (in progress). The one in Green Lake was shut years ago, replaced by a Zoka...which oddly has the same service problems for their very limited food menu. -
Review from Margaux j.
Seattle, WA
1/3/2008
I work up the street from this place and when feeling like splurging...I walk down to the Honey Bear. This says a lot since I have a full kitchen where I work and can pretty much whip up anything I want for lunch.
The location is in a food court, only not a food court...no actually it's a food court with an enormous sized chess set and everything. However unlike food courts in malls where there are a lot of vacant, bored with the world teenagers...this one seems to reach the other end of the spectrum with lots of elderly people, bored with the world.
"For the love of god, just order the effin' pea soup and move the walker aside lady...." That is what mean, intolerant Margaux would say...instead I smile at the old lady with her walker as my lunch hour rapidly evaporates while she tries to figure out if Pea Soup would be easier to digest than the Chicken Noodle. Around lunch time, the line can be quite long.
I found coming here after 1pm is the best, otherwise I spend 10-15 minutes waiting in line and another 15 waiting for a tuna salad sandwich. Which by the way they hand you a beeper thingy that loudly announces that "your table is ready", really nice, as your quietly perusing the bookstore killing time.
For the money, this place has the best sandwich in Ballinger Commons, probably not saying much since there is not that much there, but still it's damn good!
Their coffee beats all other options (there is a Starbucks as well...) unfortunately they don't open until 8am...too late for my morning cup o' joe.
Fresh, healthy food, great people behind the counter, plenty of books to help kill the time while waiting for your order to be up...4 stars! -
Review from Timothy A.
Seattle, WA
10/7/2011
I love the vegan brownie!!
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Review from Kelly H.
7/31/2011
I used to come here all the time while I was in school to do homework. Its located in Third Place Books. I like the coffee which is usually all I get since you can get free refills. The problem with their food is that I have frequently seen bugs in their pastry case. On top of that everything is over priced. Anyways my rating is only of their drip coffee :)
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Review from Aaron M.
Seattle, WA
7/11/2011
I've had mixed experiences with lattés and other drinks here. A couple of times they have been the best (they use Victrola Coffee) and at other times it's been pretty bad. The one thing that's consistent though is the unprofessional customer service. As many others have pointed out, the cashiers seem bored, disinterested and annoyed to be there. They can't seem to wait to close! Just last weekend I was there 20 minutes before closing and was told "sorry I turned off the coffee maker...we close in 20 minutes!" I have worked in the service industry and I'm pretty sure I'd be fired for this kind of behavior. They are actually turning down a sale 20 minutes prior to closing? Insane! When I asked if I could get tea instead, the cashier seemed disappointed that I still wanted to order something. Then she conveniently "forgot" all about the tea I ordered until it was past closing time. After closing, she apologized saying "sorry about that but I've been here almost 8 hours now." What kind of lame excuse is that? Don't the rest of us work 8 hour days?
While their customer service definitely sucks, their cakes are very nice and moist...just the way I like em! I just wish they were not as pricey. I used to go there every week but am going to completely avoid this place because of the ultra rude cashiers. -
Review from Jeanny M.
8/3/2009
I was falling asleep on a Sunday afternoon when we went up here to browse books.
I bought a double-tall non fat iced mocha for about $4. I was informed "Just so you know...our talls have 2 shots." I was kind of eh by that response but the drink itself was tasty.
I've had their lemon chiffon cake before. It was so good I almost questioned whether it was better than my best friend cake (see: Simply Desserts review), it's pretty dang close.
During an author event I had their Roasted Turkey sandwich, which was amazing. I will always buy anything with caramelized onions and basil aioli. A handful of chips came with my to-go container.
I'm sure I'll buy a coffee drink (and sandwich or other baked good) here again and I'll try to remember the "tall is always 2 shots" deal to save on any annoyance. -
Review from Lydia K.
Snohomish, WA
7/17/2007
Honey Bear is the only eatery in the Third Place Books Common that is worth going to. Everything is fresh and tasty, plus they let you split a sandwich or salad if you want a lighter meal.
My work isn't far from here, so the entire office goes from time to time for a "working lunch." My co-worker swears that they have the best snickerdoodles ever, and apparently she knows her snickerdoodles. My other co-worker lusts (yes lusts--she's a Taurus who knows and loves her food) after their tuna melt. My boss is a BLT&A kinda guy--probably cause it has T&A in the name. Me? I like their salads. Spinach mixed with yummy veggies and vinaigrette--sounds perfect. I guess what I'm saying is that there's something for everyone here.
Great place for lunch when you're out shopping at Third Place Books. -
Review from Nicola F.
3/6/2010
Their coffee is a 2. Sure, they can make the drinks look pretty but they don't measure how much syrup they put in and so your'e left with either an over sweet drink or a under flavored drink. I had the worst chai latte there. The mix they use tastes like it has licorice root in it. Indians do not put licorice root in their chai. The milk is NEVER steamed to temp. More times than not, I've had lukewarm steamed milk. I haven't seen any use of a thermometer to see if the milk was steamed at temp. The only reason why I wouldn't give their coffee one star is that, despite the temp, they can actually correctly steam the milk.
Their pastry treats are 3 stars. Certainly tasty but never better than a mom's.
Their sandwiches are 4 stars. They really make delicious sandwiches. I love this one which has turkey, cheese, and sauteed onions. It's garlicky delicious.
So. Go here for sandwiches and dessert. Go to Starbucks for a coffee. -
Review from Sean E.
Seattle, WA
1/6/2008
During the month I was staying up in the far north, working from a laptop rather than an office, I visited the Honey Bear so often that I was once given the Third Place employee discount by mistake. Now that I live back in the city I usually just go to the Ravenna location, but I do make sure to time any trips out that way so that I can get a BLTA out of the deal.
The Honey Bear sells sandwiches for people who like sandwiches. It starts with the bread, which is dense and flavorful without overpowering the filling and then continues on to each individual ingredient. These are sandwiches that feature everything that works and nothing that doesn't. Mostly I order the BLTA, but I'm never disappointed when ordering something else. The chips could be a little better, but I find that if I eat the sandwich first I'm rarely hungry enough to eat more than a few chips.
Coffee is from a different roaster than the Ravenna location and I like these blends a bit better. For-here drip is bottomless. As a non-espresso drinker, my usefulness is limited to the fact that the Americano is not bad.
If there's a wart, it's that service here seems awfully slow considering that most of the ingredients seem to have been prepared ahead of time. Be warned that service can be particularly slow on weekends. They will usually give you a beeper that goes off when your order is ready, which allows for bookstore browsing if need be.
Both Honey Bear locations are about the same in the ways that matter, so just pick whichever Third Place location is more convenient for you and go there. -
Review from Ronnie K.
Seattle, WA
2/23/2007
How can you not like a place called Honey Bear?
Seriously, Honey Bear was a great little find for me. I tried it out for the first time a couple of years ago after spotting it while on my way to a book signing at Third-Place Books.
I've tried several items over the years, including a veggie lasagna of sorts, among others. By far, my favorite selection is the black forest ham sandwich with an Americano to wash it down. For dessert, I always have the biscotti.
The only downer is the cafeteria-style seating. I'm not really into sharing a table with multiple strangers (not that I'm against people, mind you).
Honey Bear is a bit out of the way for me, but worth the drive. I'd encourage you to check it out the next time you're in the vicinity. -
Review from Jen C.
5/4/2011
After salivating over the cakes in the case which I know that I shouldn't order even though they were calling my name I settled on a splitting a cookie with my daughter instead. It was okay but I must say the customer service was lacking a bit; the cashier was a bit rude to me. And for $2 the cookie was definately lacking; if I am going to waste calories and let my blood sugar rise I want something spectacular not just a-ok. This unfortunately didn't deliver for me. With the fact that the cookies was only ok and the rude service; I dont see myself partaking in any of the food offerings in the future here. I will stick to coffee or tea because I can handle a small dose of rudeness on occassion and it is hard to mess up on a tea bag or drip coffee for the most part.
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Review from av f.
Redmond, WA
1/18/2008
How can a bakery/coffee shop score less than five stars when it's located ten steps away from Third Place bookstore's magazine stand AND it has a Zagat restaurant reviewer seal-of-approval sign on the counter?
It's quite easy when the baked goods aren't very good. Last Saturday was my birthday and I thought I'd treat myself to a new book; but then, I was distracted by the display of cakes at the bakery. There were several cakes to choose from and a single slice started at $4.65. I thought it was a splurge (Costco sells an entire three-layer chocolate cake for $16), but since it was my birthday I gave in to my sugar craving and bought a slice to go.
When I got home, I was disappointed to see a one-inch thin slice of cake sitting sadly in the middle of this huge cardboard box. Another reviewer here said the cakes are *dense* in a good way; well...I do I agree the small slice I had was dense, but it was heavy and dry (somewhat like the cardboard box). I thought cakes were supposed to be light and moist. For a German chocolate cake, it wasn't very chocolate-y, it was light brown (somewhat like the cardboard box). Cake = not good. Coconut icing = even Betty Crocker can't get that wrong. Good thing I didn't bother to light a candle on it. It could have fallen over the skinny cake and caught fire, along with the cardboard box.
