Seattle Central Culinary Arts Cafe, Bakery and Restaurant

I’ve been wanting to try the Seattle Central culinary arts program’s on-​campus restaurant for a while, but their limited hours made it difficult to go during the work week. I finally got the chance to go, and it was a fun experience.
It’s a little difficult to find the restaurant, since it’s up on the second floor and not very well signed. Both the restaurant (One World) and the cheaper, more casual café are located next to the student cafeteria, while the bakery is inside the coffee shop by the ground-​floor entrance. I made a reservation, but you probably don’t need one for smaller parties — it was only about half full the day I went.
The restaurant is pleasant, light, and tastefully decorated. You can see into the open kitchen and it’s fun to watch the students work. During my visit, the rotating menu was «yin-​yang» themed, i.e., warming and cooling dishes for balance. Appetizers are about $ 4 and lunch entrees are $ 10 – 12, which include an amuse-​bouche and soup/​salad starter. So I wouldn’t say it’s a HUGE bargain, but it’s a good value for what you get.
The complimentary bread was very good, fluffy and fresh with a nice crust. The amuse-​bouche was a cucumber slice with miso butter and crispy salmon skin, very nicely presented. I had an arugula salad with grapefruit and blood orange slices as a starter, and salmon with grapefruit glaze and a quinoa leek bundle. The salad and salmon were great, but the quinoa leek bundle was impossible to cut, thanks to the layers of crosswise leek stems wrapped into a bundle and tied shut. A cute idea, but it didn’t really work in practice. Portions are a bit on the small side, but fine for lunch.
Service was a little disorganized. When I came in, I walked up to the counter and said I had a reservation, was handed off to a server and handed off again to a hostess, who seated me and then returned a little while later to ask if I had a reservation. Likewise, over the course of the meal I had about five different servers dropping off food, refilling water, and checking in. They were all taking it very seriously and clearly wanted me to have a good meal, but the effect was a little chaotic, and things like water refills took a while because there wasn’t one server consistently keeping an eye on the table.
It doesn’t seem like they offer dessert in the restaurant, but I wanted to try the downstairs bakery anyway, so I stopped in on my way out. The bakery/​café is busy and the roped-​off line forms in front of the pastry case, so it’s hard to see what’s available while you’re deciding. They offer a rotating variety of breads, pastries, and sweets for $ 1 – 3, as well as a couple of whole cakes for around $ 13. I got a pain au chocolat and a strawberry rhubarb tart. Everything looked good and the quality was the same you’d see at your local café or patisserie, and the prices are about $ 1 cheaper across the board vs. a bakery.
So it’s not exactly like going to a real restaurant, but it’s fun and different to see what’s on the rotating menu and watch the culinary students developing their skills. And don’t forget to stop at the bakery for some sweet treats!

The Buzz at Seattle Central College is a hidden gem in Seattle. The pastries are made by students of the Culinary Arts program and they are amazing.
The first time I was here, I was a little overwhelmed due to their selection: fresh baked loaves of bread, cookies, tarts, cakes and even crème brulees. Croissants are one of my biggest weaknesses and the students in the Culinary Arts program make some of the best I’ve had. They can give some of the bakeries a run for their money!
For Valentines Day, I treated my bf to their chocolate apricot heart shaped cookie and guava pineapple tart. I really wished I got those for myself because they were so good.
I can see myself coming here on a regular basis if i was a student at SCC. I hear they also serve a sit down lunch, which I can’t wait to get the chance to check out.

These guys do a great job at the bakery. I stop by almost every day for a chocolate chip cookie (or two) and to see what pastries they have on offer. The scones get high marks and I’m a fan of the flavored crème brulees, too. Actually, I’m a fan of everything in that case :)
I haven’t been to the restaurant yet, but I was talking with a gentleman on the bus last week and he told me about fantastic $ 5 pizzas, so I’ll just have to take his word for it (his face told me they were AHHH-​mazing).
So, if you’re in the neighborhood, stop on by and support the program. And get yourself some delicious goodies at the same time!

This place is like a Cap Hill secret. Some people feel unsure about the idea of stepping onto a college campus with the intent of eating in the cafeteria. I say get over it!
Since everything is made to order, you will need about 30 mins to lunch here. Well worth the short wait. The culinary school explores different themes, so one week it may be a French theme, the next Louisiana French Quarter, and then Moroccan… you just never know; unless you call I guess.
Great deal on top prepped food. My personal pizza was just $ 5.00, served to my table. The dining area is not too bad either. If you want some sun, sit close to the staircase under the skylight.

After being completely underwhelmed by Panera, I got on Unilocal to see how i could quickly complete my lunch. This place is a completely different kind of experience and it was absolutely excellent. With so many restaurants in the area, this place can be easily overlooked. I’ve worked next door for months and never knew it existed. They have all kinds of variety and you get plenty to eat for $ 10. The braised pork shoulder sandwich came to about $ 2.50. Every plate is as artistic as it is delicious. Impressive.

I’ll reserve the 5^th star until I have been to The Buzz more often. But I could not resist sending out my kudos to the bakers for the DELICIOUS walnut pecan muffin I just ate for lunch. It was the perfect blend of moist and dense. It wasn’t so squishy that it fell apart and all over me, and it wasn’t dry at all. I was able to walk and snack with little issue. Filled with flavor without being overly sweet.
And I do want to note that I should have listened to other posters… it’s better to get there later than earlier. I got there around 11:45 a.m. and the case was pretty lightly stocked. However, as I was walking out, I spotted a couple of people in chef’s whites approaching with baskets of more fresh-​baked goods. So next time I’ll take a late lunch :)

Pastry at the Buzz, Square One Bistro and One World restaurant are all amazing! I went to the bistro or the Buzz at least once a week in the last two years. After graduating, I miss the foods and desserts there much more than school life. Lol. Everything is fresh and tasty and the quality is way above the price you pay. You can get a slice of cake for $ 2 and pork chop for under $ 10!

What a (hidden) gem. I’ve been working on campus for awhile and have only recently started to partake in the bakery’s delicious offerings. From the cheerful smiles of the students working behind the counter to the addictive focaccia combinations, they never cease to come up with, I find myself returning every lunch break. You cannot beat the prices and we’re not talking fast food garbage here. This is thoughtful, quality food made by aspiring culinary artists– who wouldn’t want to support that? As others mention, items go quickly and they always have a different selection which is both cool and frustrating. Just when you can’t get enough of that mouthwatering salt-​and-​pepper bagel w/​cream cheese for all of $ 1.50, they go and change it on you. I’m learning to go with the flow and experiment with the variety and daily surprises now. Today I had a tangy steak salad served with orange segments, chopped almonds, and a citrus dressing. I also bought a Spanish cod and potato focaccia– their dough here is some of the best I’ve had in Seattle. Might I add that today’s pastry case revealed tiny blood orange macarons, pale yellow lemon tarts by the slice (for a steal!), and savory puff pastry tarts. Just don’t get too attached because come tomorrow, they’ll probably have the case filled with completely different (but just as scrumptious) treats.

The hours are limited, but if you go to the restaurant at the right time (I believe they are open Tuesday-​Friday from 11am-​1pm?), you can get a gourmet meal for cheap!
My wife and I came for lunch once. I ordered a red lentil soup and quail while my wife got the beet salad and trout. Everything we had was tasty, unique, and well-​prepared. The service was good, too.
If you can find the time, the restaurant is worth a visit. The bakery is nice, too — and it has longer hours of operation.

I went to school here soooo many years ago. Top notch.

Host/​ess: 2.5
Waiter: 3.0
Food-​taste, presentation: 4.2
Property-school-3.5
Diamonds in the rough?!

I have only tried the bakery, and the bread is the best I’ve had in Seattle yet, being someone who has a hard time finding good bread here.
And the cakes! Oh, the cakes! 8 out of 10 of them are divine! And then stunningly cheap. A must try!
Hope to try the restaurant soon.

This place is the single best deal in Seattle. The Bakery and restaurant are student run and you get to eat what they make under the leadership of their talented instructors. The Bakery is better than most professional ones in Seattle and the restaurant is solid. And did I mention its cheap. Pastries that normally go for $ 3 – 4 for $ 1. A four-​course meal for under $ 20.
Here are the rules of the game
1. There is no sign just go into the main building and you’ll find it.
2. It is run by students. If you complain about
— Not knowing what a certain item is
— Managing the lines
— Being out of something
— Or basically anything
YOU ARE AN A**HOLE.
2. The bakery won’t have much in it until at least 11:00 cause everything is made that morning. Early in the week they’ll have less stuff, but come Friday the case is packed and at 1:30 or 2 the sales start (they don’t want it to go bad over the weekend)
3. The restaurant stops seating at 1:30… please show up before 1 as a lot of these kids have jobs they need to get to after school.
4. The menu and items at the restaurant and bakery change weekly so you’ll always have something new and exciting to try (Some of the kids make up some really fun stuff)
5. Enjoy.

The bakery counter shares space with the Tulley’s in the main building it’s cash or personal check only and there tends to be along line around noon. Make sure you’re not standing in the line for coffee!
The loaves are bread are on the small side but the price stays under 2 $ a loaf, so I’m not complaining. The types of bread rotate but everything I’ve gotten from them has been great: rye, oatmeal, sourdough, delish!
The rest of the food there isn’t as interesting to me, they usually have a vegetarian option or two, but rarely a vegan one. I had a veggie sandwich there with potatoes in it. I though it was kind of odd, but it was cheap enough I bought another one anyways.
the counter closes at 3 or so, I think they have deals if you get there last minute, but that might just be on Fridays…

The SCCA Bakery is a hidden away in the main Seattle Central CC building in Capitol Hill — I didn’t know it existed until last year, though I have been tromping around this area for years!
The bakery has amazing desserts and breads, though you never know what they will have. I bought a tasty sausage tart with a flaky crust and a veggie and sausage mix — like a pizza sans sauce and cheese, with much better crust and soooo flavorful.
You can buy entire tarts/​cakes etc here, if you hit them at the right time, which are great to bring to parties.
The stuff here is cheap for the quality — tasty truffles for $.85, baguette sandwiches for $ 2.50.
Best time to go is around 11:30 or after 1pm to miss the lunch rush. but you never know what they will have or when they will run out. Go as often as you can, you won’t be disappointed!

The restaurants and bakery run by the Culinary Arts students at Seattle Central are great places to get a superb meal for shockingly little money.
The rotating menu showcases the fine work of the students, check out the site for the current menus. When I still ate meat this was the place I’d come to get as fine a roast duck for only $ 6 that I ever paid triple that for at other, more rarefied environs.
That brings me to my one complaint, and the only reason they don’t get five stars– there is rarely a vegetarian option, and if they’ve ever served vegan entrees, I missed it. If SCCC ever makes a certificate program for vegans, I would come through hell and high water to eat at their bistro.
Hours are very limited and they are not open during the breaks between quarters, so plan before you go. Portions tend to be more ‘European’, i.e., you’ll probably have room for (an excellent) dessert.