Grand Central Bakery - Wallingford cafe

The ham and Swiss baguette I had was very good and I appreciate that they checked first to see if they had more baguette before ringing it up. The drip coffee was good as well. I was able to find a table to do an hour worth of work before the high school kids arrived on their lunch break at around noon.

Delicious cinnamon rolls and other pastries. Also delicious breads.

Favorite cafe to get work done in the neighborhood. Food is okay, but like many places in Seattle, it depends heavily on what you get.

FOOD - 3.75/5
I enjoyed the frittata sandwich ($10, maybe a dollar or two more than I'd like since it wasn't massive). I loved the fluffiness of the brioche bun and there was the perfect amount of mayo on the bread. Frittata was properly seasoned and they even have salad greens in the sandwich.

Chai tea was too sweet. I could drink it, but it wasn't what I was expecting nor was it what I wanted.

The Earl Grey tea they sell here is good. I forget the brand name they use.

Chicken salad sandwich was very skippable. The filling didn't taste like much, the chicken pieces were cut too large, and the bread wasn't toasted. The whole sandwich kept falling apart and tasted very mediocre. Maybe best to stick to the basic breakfast sandwiches.

The kale salad was surprisingly good though - salad pieces are bite sized and tender, and the parm + bright dressing was delicious.

Ingredients and produce for all dishes were very fresh.

Pastries are 3/5 - I've only tried the chocolate chip cookie, orange muffin donut, and coffee cake. The cookie was akin to something from PCC (ok, but not outstanding), and the donut muffin was too sweet and greasy for me. But the coffee cake was delicious and I would recommend it! Pastry portions are all very generous.

VIBES - 5/5
Love the cafe vibes - it's bright, woodsy, and inviting. Window seats all have charging outlets which is great for working, and wifi worked well (though I didn't try video streaming). Noise level was perfect - music and conversations weren't too loud or echoey. It is the perfect ambient volume, and I was able to get a lot of work done. I also love that I don't walk out smelling like food like the majority of cafes / coffee shops.

Seating is spaced well, and it doesn't feel claustrophobic even when it is busy on weekends. A spot or two usually opens up if you wait 5-10 mins, and there's also outdoor seating.

SUMMARY
Of the dishes I've tried so far, the food here is average to good, but the cafe vibes alone bump up my rating. I much prefer this to Chocolati cafe or Starbucks for working. Just wish this spot was open past 4pm on weekdays. I'll have to try their other sandwiches and salads.

Currently, I like this branch of Grand Central best. The staff is friendly and they usually have the things I'm looking for.. As opposed to being sold out early in the day. I particularly like the pecan sticky buns. The coffee is always good and I know my lunch will leave me satisfied... The sandwiches are yummy and filling.
Even though this is in a busy part of Seattle, the parking isn't too hard to find.

Depressed, discourteous staff and unfortunately bland food. I tried giving them multiple tries because I work local, and wanted to support local. Different prices charged to me each time I ordered a drink, no manners displayed whatsoever. None. The tuna sandwich was so bland, I saved it and took it home with me to season properly. It was mayonnaise mush, with a few capers tossed in for $14. Unbelievable for that price ; I might as well have fed it to my cat it was almost inedible.

Very good grilled cheese and sandwiches. I wanted to hate on this place because it's a chain and it doesn't have the same homey vibe as Grateful Bread, which is kind of the most similar business I can think of. But the quality of the food is consistently tasty and it's a convenient location. Pastry case has lots of choices. Portions are decent too. I wish they had more tea options though.

I’ll preface this by saying that I do love Grand Central’s sourdough and also just generally don’t write reviews, but this was especially terrible. Ordered an Irish soda bread ahead of time for pickup, slightly surprised by the price ($15, plus automatic tip added even just for pickup if you don’t manually change it). On bringing it home, was further surprised by the size (pictured is half the loaf) and even more surprised by the product that was overbaked, very dense, and frankly just not that good. Quite disappointing for essentially a $15 scone

Great oatmilk lattes, biscuits and croissants! When the weather is nice, the patio is a nice option to sip your morning coffee.

I’m a student at UW and I love to come study (free wifi) at this bakery. It’s conveniently located off the 44 (Ballard) bus stop and the prices are super low for the quality. I don’t order drinks but my friends who do said their matcha lattes are good (i think they said they use normal milk and that helps but I don’t recall exactly unfortunately). Okay back to prices: Most pastries are under $4 and you can get a full rustic baguette or sourdough boulle in this price range as well. If you’re like me and want to eat butter with your bread you can just ask the cashier and they got you :). Utensils are self serve at their bus+water station. Staff are also super friendly and they have take-and-bake chocolate chip cookie dough and seasonal pie crusts available!

great place to meet a friend or work on my computer:) amazing breads(the como is a standard in my house), love the egg&cheese biscuit sandwich and the veggie grinder- both are filling and last me the whole day also GET THE FRANGEPANI WHEN IN SEASON!

Wonderful bakery. Delicious pastries and cozy interior. Comfortably busy but good selection, even on a Sunday.

If you’re in Wallingford, one of the best ways to start off your day with, is to pay a visit to the Grand Central Bakery Cafe for a bite to eat and a spot of coffee or espresso.

Had a pie mix up but they were super kind and helpful, made everything super easy for me. Appreciated their customer service! I love all their pastries and breads, and it’s a nice spot to work and study. Thanks GCB! 💙❄️

Great neighborhood gathering place for the community, with a nice selection of pastries and sandwiches.

Good lunch. Great baked goods, coffee and sandwiches. You may have to wait a little while for lunch but it is freshly prepared