Cowen Park Grocery

If you don’t like the lattes here, you probably also hate puppies and happiness.
This is a really awesome spot to get some homework done and is quickly becoming one of my favorite spots around the area.

This is a really cute neighborhood corner store where you can get the essential groceries. They have a nice selection of wine, beer, cold drinks, pastas, canned goods. It’s not a huge variety but it’s good selection and prices and within walking distance.
It’s the kind of place where the owners man the counter and their little son plays behind the register. The man and woman that own the place are so nice and friendly!
There’s also a little café attached to the store that opens around 6:30 a.m. I stop by nearly every morning while walking my dog. They serve Café Umbria roasts, and it’s quite good! Great cappuccinos, and awesome Chai Tea lattes! They are so friendly, and know the names of lots of their regulars. And regulars are in force. This little café has quite the following, and space for students and professionals to do a little homework over coffee. They also have a nice little sidewalk seating area.
Besides coffee, they have some sandwiches and VERY nice and VERY cute pastries, fresh every morning.
Caveat — they only accept credit/​debit cards for orders over $ 5. So make sure you have a little cash if you’re just getting something for yourself. However, unlike many cafes in the area, the prices are pretty reasonable. It’s $ 2.08 including tax for my 16 ounce drip coffee.
You can even bring your dog into the café on a leash as long as you’re getting a to-​go order! They have treats up-​front to make it even more friendly.

MY FAVORITE! Definitely the best neighborhood coffee shop and tiny store north of lake union. The owner is super friendly and makes amazing kimchi. Kyle is the only barista that works there besides the owner and he’s the friendliest guy in town and somehow remembers every single person’s name. AND next to the register in the store part there’s a cookie jar filled with amazing chocolate chip sea salt cookies made by one of the other owners to send her kid to college. AND you can have a little account going with them in the coffee shop so you don’t even have to bring your wallet everywhere all the time. AND they’re not a giant chain or trying to be über cool but still know how to make good coffee and a nice aesthetic environment (the owner’s husband is a painter) that feels peaceful to be in. AND there’s huge windows on every wall – there’s not really even walls, just giant windows – so you can watch dogs play in the park across the street and bikers whizz up and down Ravenna. This is the place where you want to be.

BEST LATTES EVER. My fiancé and I are regulars, we find ourselves craving their lattes throughout the day. Sunny and Kyle are very easy to talk to and will help you wake up! They are usually slammed on the weekends and during the school semesters. The shop side is a bit pricey but again, very great owners who are helpful and friendly.

2 Dollars = large iced coffee. in the year 2015.
+ on a nice day, cowen park across the street and some nice outdoor tables make this spot a minor (underattended) destination.

I went to the café last night. I ordered a chai tea latte and a quiche. Both were pretty good, but it was clear that the quiche had been sitting around all day — it was the last one.
I went here to study only to find out that the café was closing soon. Fortunately, they have a couple tables on the grocery side, so I was able to stay.
Just be aware: the café part starts closing down between 5:45 and 6pm (or it least it does on Tuesdays). The grocery is open until 9pm if you can snag one of the 2 tables on that side. It was a good place to study — not a lot to distract you and the grocery is right there if you need a snack

my go to study spot, this little café /​grocery has friendly staff and good strong coffee — really convenient when I don’t want to go too far to do work.
the pastries are indulgent but worth it (try the mille‑feuille!) and the park is close by if you want to take your coffee for a walk!

This is my go-​to neighborhood coffee shop. Consistently delicious coffee, consistently friendly baristas (including the owner), and an adorable child wandering around more often than not. What more could you ask for in a coffee shop?

Really good coffee! The barista is the best! Visited by many locals but not crowded. Quiet place for weekend brunch and quiet place to read or talk with a friend.

The Grocery store:
The store is owned by a very sweet couple who manage the store on their own and always have their adorable baby boy with them. This is fairly different from your typical grocery store as they offer quite a variety of produce (organic, gluten free. etc). There isn’t much of a different in prices, but for some items you are better off buying them at a larger store. I usually stop by this place to buy snacks when I am out tanning at the near-​by park. They have ice-​cream, cold drinks, and many yummy treats!
The Coffee shop:
I think I have found a new favorite place to study and read that is not crowded with UW college students. The worker was extremely friendly and seemed to know everyone by name who walked in! Seems like a great neighborhood coffee shop. They also serve pastries, sandwiches, and omelettes that I have yet to try. I look forward to coming back and will recommend this place to others!
*There are quite a few outlets for those who need to work on laptops.

Gotta say, the lattes are the best I have ever had. I usually need to add a sweetener, but they are so smooth, there is no need.

prices. ouch.
shop owners… awesome (one of them is a baby)
no really, they have a baby there at all times while the owner is ringing you up.
kinda distracts you from how much you’re paying for that off-​brand chicken stock and an icecream bar.
Friendly service, and a stoner’s thrown from my house.
plus! there’s a coffee shop connected that serves some beer on tap. Cool!

The Asian lady (owner I believe) will be enough to make you never come back. She sends hate vibes to any college student. Lady, we’re just trying to study!
Cute grocery store attached to the café though. Good range of Kombucha and candy.
Verdict: Do NOT waste your time here unless you’re married.

I absolutely adore the baristas who work here. They are friendly, accommodating, and if you come enough they’ll know your order from what kind of drink you want to its size and any special modifications — things that you just don’t get from larger chains! From the two-​person tables to the art prints on the wall, this place has wonderful atmosphere and has the staff and pastry selection to make you want to stay.
The grocery that is attached to the café carries some unique products — I love the spiced apple cider here that you can’t seem to find anywhere else. They also carry organic products, wine, instant noodles, and a variety of canned foods. Half of it seems to be undeveloped and waiting for shelving, so I’d like to see it expand. It’s small and, in spite of the uncommon products among their selection, it doesn’t have much.
All in all, a nice place to take a walk to for some snacks and a coffee that’s in the neighborhood.

Have only been to the grocery part a few times. It’s your typical corner store. Not a huge selection — when I lived in the neighborhood I would only ever get Neoguri (Korean ramen) here, and pick up a few other things (e.g., milk) while I was there. For real shopping I went to Safeway, QFC, or Whole Foods.
But the café part is different. I don’t know what the other folks have been getting, but I’ve never had a bad cup of coffee here, and I really like the pastry selection. (They now seem to be carrying the pear and peach Danishes that Whole Foods recently stopped selling.) And I’ve found the owners *and* the barista to be very friendly.
It’s a nice place to stop by and get a cup of coffee and a pastry, and it’s a nice place to stop in and sit down for a while, too. It’s not very big, so can get crowded at times, but if I still lived a few blocks away I’d be there every weekend. (As it is I still stop by sometimes on my way to work.)

I can only really comment on the grocery part… Imagine some mixture between a grocery store and a convience store. Lots of beverages, alcoholic or not… Not to mention a few aisles of food staples.
I remember coming to this place when I was younger with a wider selection of foods — produce and what not. They don’t seem to have produce anymore…
However, when you purchase your random organic pasta sauce, you will most likely see a cute couple at the register, with an even cuter baby… yeah? Ohhh yes.

I like the location, the furniture, and the views of Cowen Park. Plus it’s very close to my apartment.
However, the pastries, sandwiches, etc. are mediocre. Music isn’t great.
My main complaint is that I find the woman who works in the café section (possibly the owner) insincere. I agree with the review by Dandelion F., and the mood swing comment.
She doesn’t seem gracious or friendly.
This makes a big impression on me, so I’ll only return here on occasion, plus I’m moving to a new neighborhood, so I’ll look for a new place, where the people working there are more sincerely friendly.
($ 5 minimum on cards).

Great little store hidden on the corner of the U-​district. If every student weren’t on a budget and hitting up the Safeway, I’d say splurge it over to Cowen’s.
Loads of bench seating, free wifi, and expansive window seating make the place perfect for cozying up to laptop and do some work.
There is a certain sense of ease when popping into here, everything is a little slower and more chill than your hyped up Starbucks.
Plus they have killer huge coconut macaroons!

I love the cowen park grocery and the only reason that I don’t go there as much anymore is that I no longer live only a few blocks away. The owner’s are incredibly nice and keep a great stock of simple things as well as a really top notch selection of wine and beer for such a small store. They also have the ice cream, milk or whatever other little thing that you need and don’t want to wander all the way to a real grocery store to get.
The café next door which they also run has good coffee (but not the best) and pastries. They’ve recently started doing weekend brunch too which I haven’t been to yet, but I’ve smelled the bacon they cook for it and even for bacon it was mouth watering.
Also, this place still has a personal feel that nothing else does. You can talk to the owners and they will even take your suggestions for wine or beer selections if you give them some time. The world would be better off if there were more places like this.

No experience with the café side of things, but I liked the grocery/​convenience store. They carry all the normal things that convenience stores have but in more environmentally friendly versions that are not significantly more expensive. (e.g. Dr. Bronner’s soap, Natural Value recycled tissue, etc.) They have a decent wine selection and include wine reviews on notecards for clueless people like myself. They have bread from Essential Bakery, coffee from Café Umbria, etc.
The selection isn’t enormous but they have enough stuff that you could stop by and get basic things for dinner. They also have produce and a variety of plants and seeds for gardening.