Kitanda Espresso & Acai - Greenlake

This was my first time in. I was in the area and wanted and coffee and something to eat. The coffee was good, and looks like they had a ton of food - mostly bread and buns with filling. So I decided to try the ham & cheese bun which was okay… kind of like a huge pizza pocket. I wasn’t expecting it to have a filling like that, I thought it would be more like a sandwich inside with more ingredients. However I would like to go back and try their other food options!!

I truly appreciate the concept behind Kitanda and what the space could represent for the Brazilian community in Seattle. Unfortunately, my experiences at some of their locations have been quite disappointing — and I can confidently say they do not reflect what authentic Brazilian service is about: warmth, attention to detail, friendliness, and genuine care for every customer, regardless of who they are. As a Brazilian, I honestly feel embarrassed by this representation of our culture here. Disappointment after disappointment. This past Saturday, while my husband and I were having coffee at the Green Lake location, his chair suddenly broke — and, to be honest, it was already extremely uncomfortable for a café setting. Luckily, he managed to hold onto a nearby table and avoid a more serious

I specifically asked for the cream cheese on the side today. I come in regularly and always order the cream cheese bread this way without any issues. Today, the employee refused to accommodate the request and instead made excuses rather than simply preparing it correctly. As a result, my toddler was very upset. This could have been easily avoided if the request had been followed.

I ordered a Ziba Acai bowl with no coconut due to a mild allergy and informed the cashier about it. A few minutes later, I heard the person preparing my order start to call it out, and I believe it was the cashier who reminded them that it wasn’t supposed to have coconut. I didn’t look over, assuming they would have the courtesy to make a new one. When I got home, I realized they had simply scooped most of the coconut out instead of remaking the bowl. As I began eating, I noticed traces of coconut still in the bowl. This was disappointing, as allergies, mild or severe should be taken seriously. I called the store and requested a refund since I couldn’t drive back. They did offer to make another bowl, but I wasn’t able to return.

Edit 08/2025: haven't had a bad acai for a while, been icy enough! Adding back stars Edit 03/2025: added photo of the workers here not taking orders until noon when I arrived at 11:30, during lunch time... Edit 09/2024: I've been consistently going here for 2 years. The quality of the food heavily depends on who's making it, as the past 2 times I've been there , the acai was very much in liquid form. Edit 05/2022: Since the review the quality has been superb, it's crazy how they improved their service significantly. I still go on Sundays, and the man who works there always makes quality acai. Changing this back to 5 stars. Old review: The quality of the acai differs by who's working that day, but the people working at Sunday noon keeps on putting peanut butter on the Festa bowl and not