Ugly Mug Café & Coffee Roasters

I used to love drinking coffee, until I realized the caffeine was causing me shortness of breath. Many decaf coffees taste lackluster so I just have up on drinking coffee altogether. However, Ugly Mug’s decaf regular latte was so good when I tried it. I could taste the hind notes of caramel and spices behind the rich, earthy, and slightly acidic coffee flavor. There was nothing lackluster about it. Go here if you want to taste a good latte.

This is my favorite coffee shop in the general U-​district area. The literal definition of a hole in the wall, The Ugly Mug is one the best places to grab a decently-​priced and delicious cup of coffee. My personal favorites are the Lavender and Jasmine Chai Lattes. Both only price around $ 3.30 for 12 oz, which is a bargain compared to other locations around the Ave, and both taste absolutely astonishing. Not only that, but they roast their own coffee, so their drip coffee is definitely something I would recommend as well.
The lunch food at the Ugly Mug is also very good, albeit it a little pricey. All of the sandwiches taste extremely fresh and their soups taste homemade
The aesthetic of the little café is adorable, with a vintage and rustic feel, tables with little notes scattered beneath the glass top, and even a comfy couch near the entrance that you can rest on while working on homework.
The only downside is the size of the café, with the maximum seating probably being around 15 people, so probably not the best for big groups. However, this doesn’t take away how incredible this place is.

One of the better quality coffee shops in the u-​district area. I usually get a mocha w/​o whip. It had a clean taste, and is flavored to perfection. It has a friendly vibe, and a great place to study!

Roasted Turkey Sandwich was so good! I had never had carrots on a sandwich before but I will make sure I do again!

I LOVE THIS PLACE! The food, the location and the inside atmosphere are all great. I would spend an afternoon here.

Unilocaled near by coffee shops and i stumbled across this coffee shop. Great customer service and super adorable antique design inside. Didn’t know what to order and I just ordered an iced coffee and my bf ordered a mocha latte and both were delicious. Can’t over the décor, totally worth stopping by and trying their coffee! I’ll be coming back.

Love this little hole in the wall place by UW. Their roast of the day was Peruvian Calamarca el palto which was a medium roast and very smooth. They roast the beans on site and you can tell. The coffee is very fresh and flavorful. I also ordered a piece of their banana nut bread, which was moist and delicious. So glad I found this place on Unilocal.When I return to the university district I will definitely stop here again.

The croissant sandwich was delicious and the vanilla latte was made with just the right amount of sweetness that I requested. We also tried their waffle and while it is only one waffle for $ 6, it was worth it. The waffle is not too sweet and the lavender whip cream was nice and fluffy and complimented the waffle perfectly.

Love their coffee, which is really amazing!!! All the waiters and waitress are nice!

For its given name, some of the mugs here are quite appealing to the eye. This hole-​in-​the-​wall coffee shop is located down the street from the flower shop around the corner, close to Brooklyn Ave. Parking will be strictly street and quite a stretch depending on the time of the day, something to keep in mind. Considering the size of the coffee shop, it’s not a surprise that seating is frustratingly limited. Almost half of the times I’ve stumbled in to snag a spot, it is always filled. That aside, Ugly Mug is super cozy, snug and quietly romantic.
One of my favorites to have here is their Lavender Chai Latte. It’s delightfully sweet and not too strong on the Chai, which is perfect because I’m not too high on things Chai. Their Matcha Green Tea Latte (pictured) is also another runner-​up of mine. As a previous barista many years ago myself, I have grown extremely nit-​picky on how milk is steamed and poured. The baristas here are good with their techniques; I was impressed at the soft and creamy but firm foam from the steamed milk. They are incredibly sweet as well! One of the baristas offered to refill some freshly steamed milk into my drastically reduced cup of Matcha Green Tea Latte.
My favorite times to pop in are usually on mesmerizingly drizzy, wet days, consumed with an overwhelming need to read a book elsewhere besides home or to simply let my mind ponder.
Ugly Mug is hands down the coziest coffee shop in all of the Ave! Go on in and enjoy the warm experience!

Love this cute little hipster coffee shop. When walking by the first time to meet my friend for a coffee date, I almost missed it. It’s tucked in the alley next to (at the time) a construction site. It is a pretty well known café shop among my coffee lover friends.
I usually get the matcha green tea latte or earl grey which is refreshing and not too hot. It’s perfect to drink while catching up with someone or just studying by yourself! I’ve also tried their mocha which is good but since I’m not a huge fan of coffee, I only order it of I’m low on sleep and need a caffeine and sugar boost. This place has free wifi and some nice seating for parties of ones or twos. However, because of its size (it’s a pretty small shop) it does get quite loud with people talking when it’s «crowded» (when there’s more than 15 people in there at once).
Would not recommend coming here with multiple people. It is perfect for a hipster coffee date with one other person or just a lone study time. Come check out this quaint little café if you’ve never been before!

I ordered Japanese green tea latte and it’s really lame. You can taste the cheapness in it. It just tasted like what I bought in the circle k. But anyway, the table is pretty and the setting is pretty (as you see in my photo) so you can still decide if you want to order matcha to have a cute pic.
The seats are limited, there are only about 6 –9 tables in here.

A little hole in the wall café! Would not have found without searching on Unilocal.But was pleasantly surprised. It was a very warm and cozy atmosphere; I felt at home and comfortable. Tables are a bit close together so seating is kinda tight.
I ordered the matcha tea latte and it was very smooth, not too much foam, the powder was mixed very well. And not too sweet either!

Anyone would love this place once they step in. Interesting decorations, unique drawing tables, tasty coffee and nice staff.
This place has all you can ask for a place of leisure study or socializing.
Highly recommend!

Yummy food, extremely fine folks, fine java, however a important reason to really go is the GIANT pieces of frozen yogurt. The yogurt is really on the sour side that makes it especially refreshing in summer, and in the event you’ve got it for ‘here’ it comes in a tulip shaped sundae glass which feels old fashioned and somewhat lavish. Décor is sort of unpretentious indiecraftacularesque.

I honestly love this tiny hole in the wall vibing place. Its so unique and homey with good drinks and good food. The staff is always friendly and the temperature and atmosphere in here is great!
Food: ⁴⁄₅ sandwhiches are pretty decent, soups and bread is good. The Drinks here are what brings the money in! I recommend the chais and green tea latte.
Atmosphere:4.5/5 a little too crowded at times but good vibes. Clean and decorated so cutely, a rustic fairy tale vibe haha.
Service: ⁵⁄₅ Overall everyone is friendly and patient. Orders come out pretty fast.

Picked up a couple sandwiches here for some family waiting at the UW medical center. Bulgogi sub and the BLT were both legit, the thin sub bread is unique for the sandwich and the panini for the BLT was great. Also got banana bread which was decent but the chocolate chip cookie stole the show: perfectly crispy at the edge, but gooey and delicious on the inside. Really nice lunch altogether.

Friendly staff? Check. Strong, flavorful espresso, crafted with skill? Check. Fresh, Macrina Bakery treats? Check. Reasonable prices? Check. Chill, unpretentious ambiance?
Chill, unpretentious ambiance? All right already! Check!
This is my new go-​to coffee joint in the U-​district. It doesn’t hurt that it’s 100 yds from my place of business. I haven’t tried the sandwiches or other foodstuffs apart from the Macrina squash bread as of yet, but if it’s good coffee you’re after, this place delivers.

I had an absolutely fantastic time at the Ugly Mug Café. At the time (August 2014), it was hidden behind some construction, which perhaps explained the lack of customers other than myself?
Ugly Mug has this wonderful rustic feel to it: exposed brick, black and red, with cute décor, including a few giant things: a giant whisk and giant buttons. Fantastic jazz playing the background was a perfect backdrop to my CoffeeThesisProposal.
It’s unclear whether they actually serve food here?

I was in a hurry, so popped in to this little shop and asked for a «quick sandwich» (actually asked for that) and a cup of regular drip coffee. The staff was super helpful, fast, and my sandwich was far beyond my expectations. The coffee was flavorful and not-​burnt AND they roast their beans in house.
They earned a regular costumer :)

4 stars for their bulgogi sub.
Peep dat sandwich game here. Dey ain’t playin. you got dat Korean bulgogi beef that’s beggin to be freed and spillin outta dat sandwich. you know it’s real when it starts from the bottom and now it’s here, touching the top bread. when you eatin it, dat sauce comes spillin out with no shame. get high on dis flava-​flav here. Tell you momma bout dis place. She’ll be proud to have raised yr sorry ass. Finish the job with some of dem kettle chips included wif yo meal. SOLID. raps like daffy duck.
Strong 4 outta 5

Early grey milk tea is so good here. Basically like London fog but they make it the best here. Place is very cute and cozy. Too bad it’s very small, because I would love to stay and study here. I bought a groupon to use for this place and they let me also let me get stamps for the drinks too. Wish their friendly and fast service.

Did not disappoint! I loved the food, service, and atmosphere of the Ugly Mug. They seem passionate about their food and their coffee. My best friend and I went here for a late lunch after our midterms and man, it was worth it!
We shared a Bulgogi Sub and we both had the green tea latte Great minds think alike!
The Bulgogi Sub had an exceptional aioli and crispy fresh bread. The Bulgogi was not overwhelming and there was a nice balance of crunch, meaty sweet/​saltiness, and creaminess in the sub. We wish we had ordered another one! It came with your standard Costco kettle chips, which is always one of my favorites. The portion size was about right for a good sandwich in the U-​District — $ 7.50 or $ 8.50. Since we split it, and we weren’t too hungry, it was just right.
The green tea latte uses real matcha — I loved that it was not very sweet, had that right amount of bitterness and caffeine, and the milk was very well frothed. It was a nice creamy treat for a cold, windy day! The 12 oz. cost $ 3.65, which was a bit pricey but worth it. The baristas obviously put in a lot of effort to make quality food and drinks. The only place that I’ve had a better green tea latte was in Ballard, which I don’t go to often.
This is possibly and quite probably the best coffee shop in the U-​District. The atmosphere is very homey with a lot of handmade and antique mismatched furniture. Their WiFi is password protected and everyone seems to be students there. It’s a very warm, inviting place that is easily missed when you walk down the Ave. It’s definitely worth it to try this place out.
Service was quick and kind. Our sub came within 5 minutes of sitting down and the lattes came about two minutes after that.
We plan to go back often. Don’t forget to ask for a stamp card — buy 10 drinks and get the 11^th of any size free! I’m planning to try their Earl grey milk tea next time and their Bulgogi cheesesteak.

Decided to try this quaint little café since it had quite a few positive reviews. It’s very popular. The place was jammed with students mostly studying or having group meetings. The café is pretty tiny inside. The menu is pretty small. I had the steak sandwich which comes with Korean BBQ steak, jalapeños and pepper jack cheese on a small baguette. It was good. I do think it could’ve been better though. It needed a sauce because it was a bit on the dry side and the portion of steak was a little smaller than the price dictated. The mocha was presented well and made well. It was a bit on the sweet side but that’s just personal preference. I don’t plan on going back. Not because anything was wrong but unless you live in the neighborhood and are a student it’s not somewhere I’d go out of my way to eat at.

Ugly Mug Café serves great coffee along with their breakfast and lunch menus.
A lot of UW students would choose Ugly Mug as their favorite coffee shop on the Ave. Wooden furnitures, chalk writings, cute decors, and notes and cards snuck under the tables — cutest hipster vibe you could find in University District!
Customers are usually either studying or hanging out with friends (heh, typical college students at a college town/​district). Ugly Mug has a homey atmosphere that works great for both.
The café itself is very small — maximum seating for about 20 people only and limited outlets.
Solid coffee, solid food, solid atmosphere.

Very cute coffee shop :) It’s smaller and often quieter than other coffee shops on the ave. I think this is a perfect place to get coffee with a friend or a professor. I love that is it quieter than the rest. I wish I found this place earlier because it would have been a great place to study. They also served some food as well which made it an even more convenient study place, so that you don’t need to take full break from your books when you get hungry.
My Personal Restaurant Rating Key
One star: the food was bad and I had a negative experience.
Two star: I had a more negative experience and would not come here again but the food was good so I may.
Three store: Everything is good except one thing. Example-​the food is good, the price is more reasonable but the atmosphere is lacking class. Or the food is good, the atmosphere is good, but they over charged us. These three stars are actually my favorite types of restaurants to go eat at if the reason is due to the atmosphere because they are usually delicious and reasonably priced.
Four stars: Everything is great, food and experience. However the price is definitely on the upper end. I would not recommend this first to Obama unless he didn’t like my five stars. These are restaurants you can take your boss or your mother-​in-​laws to impress them, however they still don’t fit into the five star category. A bit fancier than my three stars, hence I don’t often eat here unless there is an occasion for it or there is a groupon that gives me a bit of a discount!
Five stars: I would recommend this to Obama. The price may be on the upper end but the experience and the taste is so exquisite, it is actually worth every nickel and dime.

My favorite coffee shop near the Ave. Ugly Mug is a super cute café with delicious coffee and yummy breakfast + lunch options! Unfortunately, space is tight & there are few outlets — I wouldn’t come in here with a group larger than 2 – 3 people.
I came in yesterday in the morning to get some studying done and was so delighted to find out they brought back their soups and sandwiches :)! I ordered the pumpkin tomato soup and a vanilla latte. The soup was perfect for a rainy morning and the coffee didn’t disappoint either. I will definitely be coming back more often now that they have more food options!

I was so excited to finally give away my coffee virginity to none other than a super hipster seattle coffee shop. Eager as a beaver, I walked in, ordered a green tea latte, only to learn that day, that not ALL lattes have coffee in them. Yes, I am a total coffee noob. But that iced green tea latte was fantastic. It is one of my new favorite drinks. And I will probably order that everywhere I go now since I am still not a coffee person.
After ordering, I spent an hour or two seated at a table, studying alongside many other 20 something year-​olds. Love the vibe in here, and will definitely come back.

Reasons for 5 stars:
–Excellent Mexican mochas
–Homey atmosphere for hanging out
–Tasty croissant breakfast sandwich
–You can skip notes under the glass tops of a few of the tables.
–Rewards card: buy 10 coffees get one free

What a cute little café tucked into the U-district’s ave!
Let’s start with the benefits:
Free wifi? Check.
Nice customer service? Check.
Friendly environment? Check.
The environment– On first impression, it was a very warm and welcoming feel. They have an adorable antique kind of theme going on, and some of their tables have drawings and little notes that visitors slipped under the glass surface! (Photo below to show ya.)
They sell a variety of artisan ground coffees and teas. Have your pick! They also have savory and sweet treats, as well as salads. Note: they do stop selling menu foods after 4pm and if you would like to try some off of the menu, arrive earlier!
I came in to order the green tea latte. It was a nice pick me up, but note that they use matcha green tea powder. It will have a little powdery taste to it, but that is expected! My cousin got the green tea latte iced, and she added a shot of coffee into it. Not a bad combo for those who want a little edge to their drink!
We also ordered their belgian waffles. Nothing amazing, but it was delicious for whenever you get that waffle craving! The whipped cream also has the perfect hint of lavender. Oh goodness, it adds a wonderful touch to the waffles.
Overall, it’s a cute, nice little café to visit when you’re on the ave. Definitely a place you would come with a friend for a nice chat, or come by yourself for a little peace and «me» time.

One of my favorite places to go for meetings with people or to crank out some work on my own! The atmosphere is pleasant with soft music and the crowd is usually always mellow and concentrating on their own work as well. The baristas are always so kind and pleasant as well.
Décor wise, let’s just say I’ve instagrammed many a time in here because it’s so cute. This is the best hole in the wall to go for the best chai latte in town and to grab some small bites to eat as well. The iced lavender chai is also delicious. My go to is usually the matcha latte. So deliciously creamy and frothy — usually not too powdery, but I’ve had it a few times where the matcha is too much. They now have sandwiches again and I’ve heard they are really good, I still need to try the bulging sub. Make sure you get a punch card to get a free drink!

: FOR THE WORKERBEES :
Free wifi: yes! (password protected)
Work friendly: yes!
Comfy seats: Comfy Cushions stool seats. Wooden chairs at all the main tables and also a couch to hang at.
Noise level: moderate/​loud background music.
Lighting: moderate/​natural lighting
Interior style: small, cozy, vintage, quirky.
Outlet Access: Moderate. You can get access to them along the wall but not at the stool seats.

This place is hidden gem.
They sell a wide assortment of coffee and teas, as well as some baked goods. FYI; the cookies are to die for! The service is fast and friendly and the arrangement inside the shop is warm and welcoming. I purchased a keep cup there and got a free drink. *score*
If you are looking for great coffee (or tea) and a super chill environment, check out Ugly Mug!

My second time here and another good experience! :3 I found out about this place from a groupon deal! I’m glad I got it because I like it here a lot!
The atmosphere and interior is really nice and homely. I feel like I’m just chilling at home. With yummy drinks. The first time I came here, I got the earl grey milk tea which was perfectly sweet and satisfying! This time, I got the lavender chai latte and it’s just as yummy!
The prices are fairly cheap too especially for the biggest size. Definitely worth it!
I want to try their food the next time I come here!