Library Cafe / Crown Hill Bistro

Out of Biz.

While I really love the décor here, I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here again. (it’s pretty far from my house).
Good stuff:
the books!
they brought coffee in a press pot. bless your heart for feeding my addiction in such a perfect way.
friendly service
food is tasty and fresh, taste is homemade
the cozy fireplace
Not so good stuff:
servings not very big-​no sides with biscuts and gravy
for the serving size, a little too expensive.
long wait if you come before 12
not good for groups

The old Library Café has now been renamed the Crown Hill Bistro. To help you with the association, I submit my review in the following format:
362.29 — The liquor license is pending, but there is the expectation of later hours once this is approved.
641.5 — Mostly I’ve gone for the basics here and never have been disappointed. You’ve got your standard breakfast fare which is all pretty good. I haven’t hit lunch here that often, but recently I did try the chili burger which was fine. If anything, it was maybe too much chili, but that just turned my French (freedom?) fries into chili fries. I’m going to count that as a plus. In terms of the menu, the Crown Hill Bistro is in a transitional state, sort of like Jules from Pulp Fiction except without the earth wandering. There is the idea of rolling out some new items over the next few months to see what the response is, so there could be new items when you visit. The owner says they’re open to special orders, so don’t be shy about ordering that squid sandwich that you crave.
681.1 — Hours currently are 7am — 3pm, with some Friday light dinners currently (see 784.4). There are plans to serve dinner once the liquor license is approved.
746.92 — The interior is a mix of exposed brick and wood with chandeliers. There still are some bookshelves and books lying around with part of the old Library Café atmosphere. It looks like there has been some remodeling as a bit of debris did fall on the book that I’d brought along, although I was sitting next to the window.
780.973 — It’s mostly your standard Sunday brunch type music that’s playing here. They do seem to have a soft spot for late 50’s/early 60’s music which I suppose fits with the interior design. Just for once, I would like to be surprised and walk into a dining establishment and hear, say, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. That might mean that I’d accidentally walked into a strip club, but there’s upside to that too.
784.4 — On some Friday nights they are open late with a light dinner at 6 pm with Pacific Northwest Folklore Society Coffeehouse Concerts starting at 8 pm. Schedules are available by request.
917.3 — Located in Crown Hill, near the junction of 8^th avenue NW and 55^th street.

My girlfriend decided that we should try this place and it was so great. The walls are decorated with used books and nice art. The menu, which is quite diverse, was tempting in all areas.
The owner, Dwayne, is very adamant that his ingredients are top notch, and it’s pretty easy to taste the difference. He’s also really friendly and helpful to his serving staff. He and our server made us feel very comfortable and I will definitely be back.

The first time I went here, my omelette was good. The second time, less good. After the third time, I never went back. Not because it’s not good. I’m just not motivated to go out to that neighborhood for food like that. Not spectacular. But not bad either.

This used to be the Library Café, and at the time of writing this is still kind of is. They are trying to change their name, which, according to the new owner, involves «lots of money for little bits of paper.»
The food is solidly good, though in the 3 or 4 times I’ve been there I don’t think I’ve ever felt I could rave about it. But it’s good American breakfast food, with some originals like Green Eggs and Ham (a scramble made with pesto). This time I got French toast (it was decent, but try something else), a small grapefruit juice (which was huge, fresh squeezed, and only $ 1.75), and a side of sausage for $ 15 including tip.
Each time my husband and I have eaten there the owner has personally stopped by to make sure everything was okay, even during busy weekend breakfast rushes. This time, he remembered my name.
I would totally treat my mom or grandma to breakfast here, especially in the winter if we could sit by one of the 2 fireplaces.

The Library Café is the sort of place you might stumble into by accident in the middle of nowhere. Expect exposed brick, mismatched silverware, and old-​timey tables As it stands, even for Seattle this is still a welcome experience.
My eggs Benedict ($ 10) was pretty tasty. The yolk wasn’t runny enough, but the ham, English muffin, and hollandaise were all up to spec. Potatoes are tasty, if not outstanding. For the brave, they have Scotch eggs on the menu, but it was a nice day and I wanted to live through it.
Coffee was middling at best, but, hey, the mugs are mismatched as well. Next time I’ll give the French press option a shot, since $ 4 for 32 oz is much cheaper than the $ 6 or $ 7 you might see in a neighborhood where the streets have sidewalks.
We had pretty good service, maybe because it wasn’t very crowded and maybe also because the owner was there and my roommate was a regular. The owner claims that they are now doing an inexpensive pasta night with live music and will soon be serving beer (with a $ 9 burger and pint deal) once a liquor license can be acquired.
I’d go back, but probably not unless I had some good reason to drive all the way out to Crown Hill. It sure beats Patty’s or wherever else in that part of the city your skinflint friends were going to suggest.

Do I have to give it one star? Yuck, Yuck and more yuck. We went to have tea, and it was expensive, terrible, and we were very sorry we didn’t shell out perhaps $ 5 pp more to have high tea at another place we’d like to try near U. Village.
We had little quiches that tasted as though they were made with spoiled milk – UGH.
I don’t understand how this place stays in business… it looked very shabby and IMO if you are going to have books all around that are for purchase only, a better name would be «The bookstore»
I wish I could give it less than a star… ew.

Cute place and tasty food. The book menus are a fun touch, and the tea options are all very tasty. They are so good I wish I could buy them! The food is tasty, and the sausage that comes with breakfast is of ample size!
I recommend this for tasty food and a quaint atmosphere. Especially nice on rainy days!

Love the books lining the walls, but the corned beef bruch was smothered in a sauce that may have been red wine mixed with warm milk. Avoid the corned beef.

Their tea is fused through a filter. There is a fire place for cozy times. Lots of books to read or buy. The servers are always friendly and on it even when the joint is packed. My food wsas hot and fresh and worth every penny. This is a great little nook in the greenwood area.

Great place for breakfast or lunch in a very cozy enviornment. Not really suitable for groups of 6 or more.

One of my favorite breakfast places, lots of books all over that you can read during your meal.