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The Pike/Pine/Broadway triangle is too full of stuff. (It’s so dense, I’m working on a longer guide with sections by dessert type.) Even competitive eaters would have a tough time eating at every place in one day.
This is a short highlights reel of some stuff you should totally check out when you have the time. There’s so much there, so go exploring!
Where you’ll go, what you’ll get:
A. General Porpoise: Sugar-crusted brioche doughnuts
B. Slab: Chocolate chip cookies
C. Amandine: Experimental macarons
C. Kurt Farm Shop: Seasonal ice cream
D. Rachel’s Ginger Beer: Ginger beer (and ginger beer floats!)
E. Cafe Presse: Chocolat chaud
Tips:
- Bring $5-$10 per person, per place.
- Total walking: 0.6 miles (15-30 minutes)
- Recommended time: 1-2 hours
- Parking is tough, but doable. Slab often has open paid spots near it.
- Slab is only open 10-3, Monday through Friday.
- General Porpoise is worth visiting early if you want the doughnuts at their peak.
- For some quiet, there’s a courtyard behind Kurt Farm Shop and Amandine.
- If you’re low on time, stops A-C are super close together and will still be a fun trek.
Details:
General Porpoise Doughnuts - 1020 E Union St
This place sells one pastry: filled brioche doughnuts coated in sugar.
- You need to try this: Lemon curd doughnuts
- When to go: Early if you want them at their peak, after the morning crunch if you want time to sit and savor your treats.
- Special notes: I do find the sugar coating to be very sweet. If that’s not your deal and you’re still in need of a doughnut fix, there’s Rodeo Donut inside Cupcake Royale over on 1111 E Pike St.
- Website
Slab Sandwiches & Pie - 1201 10th Ave
Don’t let the name fool you – they make excellent desserts, especially the chocolate chip cookies.
- You need to try this: The chocolate chip cookie. It’s $2, it’s huge, you’ll be sad you didn’t get it sooner. (The s’mores pie is also awesome, just messy.)
- When to go: Early. It’s only open from 10-3, Monday through Friday. Ouch.
- Special notes: They have seating in the back, so don’t feel like you need to rush out if the front is full.
- Website
Amandine Bakeshop - 1424 11th Ave
Home to some of the most experimental macarons in town. We’re talking shiso, plum, matcha, basically whatever sounds good to their baker and/or is seasonal.
- You need to try this: All the macarons. And while their classics are solid, since you’re there you should definitely try something experimental. (I’m still sad that I missed the umeboshi, or Japanese pickled plum, macaron.)
- When to go: Any time after the morning crunch. It’s almost always chill when I go; longest line I’ve seen had three people.
- Special notes: Apparently they have good coffee, so you may want to grab some here if you don’t have time for Stumptown and need your fix.
- Website
Kurt Farm Shop - 1424 11th Ave
Whatever they sell that day is based on whatever they had on the farm. Look for seasonal flavors like tomato jam and salted plum.
- You need to try this: The Jersey Cream with hot fudge if you want the classics done right – or whatever sounds seasonal and awesome, like the lemon verbena.
- When to go: Any time. They rarely have long lines.
- Special notes: Order the small. Unless you have a giant stomach, order the small. It’s way more filling than it looks.
- Website
Rachel's Ginger Beer - 1610 12th Ave
Rachel’s Ginger Beer is a local institution for ginger beer, and the Cap Hill location has way shorter lines than the Pike Place Market spot. And it’s both kid friendly and has alcoholic slushies on tap. Also a decent spot for puppy watching.
- You need to try this: The white peach float, made with Tonnemaker white peaches and soft serve. Easily feeds two.
- Recommended budget: $5-$15
- When to go: Lunch, so you can also get udon at u:don or Sunset Chicken Sandwiches.
- Special notes: They offer samples of all the ginger beers on tap, which is super important if you’ve never had ginger beer before. (White peach and blood orange are both excellent/mellow starter flavors if you need suggestions!)
- Website
Cafe Presse - 1117 12th Ave
The closest thing Cap Hill has to an authentic French sports bar-type place, with epic hot chocolate known as chocolate chaud.
- You need to try this: The chocolat chaud. It’s basically warmed pudding served with a giant quenelle of whipped cream. You’re welcome.
- When to go: Any time. They do get packed around game time (for football, not American football), so keep that in mind.
- Special notes: If you need something savory after all that, they have a really awesome (and not remotely photogenic) french onion soup.
- Website
