Est. July 2019, a cozy cafe serving vegan food for breakfast and lunch, desserts, tea, and coffee. The interior is welcoming, and you can walk up to the roof for a good view of the area. Serves hot and cold cafe food; from made-in-house pizza pockets to curry to green tomato pie. Oyster chowder is made from oyster mushrooms. Open for dine in, roof top seating, take out, curbside pick up and delivery. Open Mon-Sun 9:00am-4:00pm, Thu-Sat 5:00pm-9:00pm.
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1909 Harrison Ave NW (at Division), Olympia, Washington, USA, 98502
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- Outdoor seating
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 30 Oct 2024 by TheParkSideCafe
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71 Reviews
First Review by honeyboy13
markmyzen
Points +102
So Good!!! - Edit
Great food, savory and sweet. Cool old building. Friendly staff. Wish they had a vegan place this quaint and cool in Seattle.
Read morePros: Biscuits and Gravy, Bagel with carrot lox, Sweets
Guest
planetceleste
Points +22
Yummy and Inviting - Edit
A cozy space w great food. An array of plant-based foods and desserts.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-12-07
Pros: Food, Drinks, Decor
Guest
genevegan
Points +16
Vegan, organic and local!!! - Edit
Plant based super sweet cafe that uses organic and local produce!! So amazing and we drove from Portland. Very affordable, great friendly staff and super amazing food and desserts!! So happy we came here!!!!
Read moreGuest
KZOOSTAG1
Points +101
Great spot! - Edit
Wonderful place with delicious coffee and food. We enjoyed biscuits and gravy and a bagel with cream cheez and "lox."
Read moreGuest
jenna33
Points +636
Great selection - Edit
So many options! I got the strawberry cheesecake, bbq tofu wrap, and breakfast sandwich
Read moreGuest
caronjuneen
Points +141
Highly recommend! - Edit
Every single thing I’ve tried here is absolutely delicious. It’s so great to be able to eat anything. Everything is labeled well. Friendly staff. The rooftop is awesome in warm weather. Gotta hike up all three flights though, since there’s no elevator. Dumbwaiter brings food up though, which is nice.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2024-01-16
Pros: Great food!, Chill vibe., Local Olympia fave.
Cons: Parking challenging.
Guest
Sye
Points +92
Nice for a light meal - Edit
I will always love this place for a light meal. I appreciate that they have a few gluten-free options, though none for a main dish except the breakfast sandwich. I used to enjoy the gluten-free biscuits, but they changed the recipe, and they are BAD now - gluey in the center but really crumbly with a metallic flavor. They have vegan syrups for coffee drinks.
Read morePros: All vegan
Cons: Limited gluten free
Guest
gderuwe
Points +149
Several clean and novel options - Edit
It was hard to choose! They have lots of appropriately portioned dishes that are simple and satisfying. I enjoyed their Sweet Potato & Spiced Quinoa Salad, German Chocolate Pie, and Brownie Batter Coldbrew.
Read morePros: Clean healthy options, Novel drink ideas, Meal, drink, dessert, and a nice place to enjoy
Guest
d2lo
Points +431
Great place to stop on between Portland and Seattle - Edit
This place has a huge selection, and the interior is incredibly cute. There is rooftop seating and a kitchen store called The Rolling Pin upstairs. I wish I could rate it higher but the food is a little bland. We had vegan breakfast sandwiches with quinoa sausage … the whole this was just a little dry and bland. We also tried the apple rhubarb hand pie and it also fell a little flat with a crust that want quiet flakey and the filling seemed to just need more cinnamon or something.
Read moreStill a great place to stop when traveling to rest a bit. And there is a free EV charger across the street at the bank.
Pros: Selection, Interior, Friendly staff
Cons: A little bland
Guest
isaacezra
Points +20
Biscuits and Gravy! - Edit
That's it. The tempeh sausage gravy on a biscuit. I love it. Other stuff is also good, but I almost never order it. Cos of the biscuit gravy.
Read morePros: Great food, Pastries, Coffee
Cons: Small space (hard to bring a group), Closes at 4
Guest
37PurpleCows
Points +15
Surprise Find! - Edit
Was looking for a kitchen store, found this vegan Cafe below the Rolling Pin store!
Read morePros: Dill Potatoe Salad, Chik’in salad, Mint/almond/choc bar
Cons: Pistachio, coconut cream, coffee too bitter
Guest
anarchavegana
Points +363
Love a good vegan breakfast - Edit
It’s hard to find breakfast places with good vegan options so I was really excited about this place!! I love the breakfast sandwich and the green sauce they have out by the cups and stuff. The biscuit & gravy is also really good and sometime I’ll have to come back to try their dessert options. The interior is so cute and cozy.
Read morePros: Good coffee, Filling
Guest
burnsria
Points +1139
Local and organic but a little bland - Edit
I've been here many times in the past year or so I've noticed that their food is always a little bland I gotta add tons of hot sauce to it. The best items on the menu are their sweet pastries or their house made cream cheeses which they stopped making (rip everything cream chz). Other than that some things have room to be improved on in my opinion, I do enjoy that they are more health conscious than other vegan places in the area
Read moreUpdate 2/24: I have stopped coming here because everytime I do I am disappointed, I miss how their food used to taste because i really did love and had been going since they opened. But in the past year, things have changed. About a month ago I got a breakfast burrito that was not at all worth the money. The tortilla was goopy, the potatoes and tofu were barely seasoned and there were no other veggies in it just some cheese sauce. I am not exaggerating when I say that I had to go home and doctor it up before I could eat it. It felt like a slap in the face to what Parkside used to be. I keep hoping they will change for the better, but I am unsure if they will.
Updated from previous review on 2024-02-20
Pros: Organic, location
Cons: lack of flavor
Guest
PNWBriar
Points +161
Wonderful lunch spot - Edit
Has the only rooftop eating in oly during the spring and summer, the view is great. The hand pies are the best, flaky crust and such good fillings. Their coffee drinks are super flavorful and change often.
Read morePros: Affordable , Rooftop dining, Delightful variety
Guest
ReeceN.
Points +32
Friendly and Delicious - Edit
Really nice staff and great food at a reasonable price. Will definitely be back!
Read moreGuest
ShannonEarlLund
Points +30
Just okay - Edit
Some of the food was great. Some just okay. I can’t believe I paid $12 for a toasted bagel with an extra side of peanut butter. And, it took almost 10 minutes to come out. We called ahead for a party of 6. They said they had room but failed to mention it would be outside where it was cold. The bagel with carrot lox was amazing.
Read moreGuest
devilgetout
Points +76
Edited - food still good, customer service much improved - Edit
I was in Oly and decided to try Park Side again. I’m glad I did. The kale Caesar salad I had was really good, just needed to be twice the size. Or I should have ordered something to accompany the salad besides the golden milk - which was also really good. My friend enjoyed his meal, too. A great improvement on the last visit - the person working the counter was pleasant and helpful. That’s all I ask.
Read morePrevious review:
“Good WFPB food, Poor Customer Service”
I wish that I could give this place five stars because it's not only vegan but Whole Food, Plant Based. I went there for lunch with a friend when visiting Olympia. The Carrot Ginger soup was really good. The Cordon Bleu hand pie was okay but bland and heavy. You could not tell there were mushrooms in the pie. My friend's Pizza hand pie was tastier, but still really heavy.
I also found the person taking our order to be unhelpful when I asked questions. They acted like it was an unpleasant chore. I was nice to them (as I always am, having worked in restaurants) and tipped 20% on a counter order and they still acted like it was a huge effort to point me to the self-serve water station.
If this place wasn't organic, locally sourced and WFPB, then I'd probably give it fewer stars. I'll try Park Side again next time I'm in Olympia and hopefully will have a better experience. If so, I'll update my review.
Updated from previous review on 2022-03-24
Pros: Whole Food, Plant Based, Locally Sourced, Organic
Cons: Poor Customer Service
Guest
godzero
Points +66
Excellent! - Edit
Similarly to yesterday's experience at Midway Cafe & Deli, I had no idea what this place was like but it looked cool, so I stopped for lunch. My question about vegan options was irrelevant as everything is! Very tasty, satisfying food (both the main dish and dessert) and coffee. The staff were so friendly and helpful, gave good advice and ensured I was happy with my order. The next week, I went back for breakfast 2 days running.
Read morePros: Excellent food, Great staff
Cons: None that I can think of
Guest
ryandalsmom
Points +65
Very pleasant place with good food… - Edit
The food is yummy and good portions. The venue is very charming. Parking is a little tough.
Read morePros: Tasty, Plentiful, Ambiance
Cons: Parking
Guest
LimerickGirl
Points +26
Best biscuits & gravy - Edit
This restaurant has an immaculate exterior and interior. Great options and desserts. Also serves beer and wine.
Read morePros: Service, Desserts, Wraps
Guest
Picy
Points +3063
Fresh and delicious - Edit
Had a great time there, waitress very friendly and helpful. The food was fresh, really delicious. We appreciated it so much and recommend it to everyone.
Read morePros: Freshness , Interesting choices
Guest
KorrAsami27
Points +216
A Li'l Country in the City - Edit
Homey cafe in a big house. Order at the counter, and check the display case and window menu. Coffee and tea drinks have comforting flavor injections. Rooftop dining 🌤️ Take a cookie to go! Everything you'd want from a hometown cafe. Get a biscuit! 😋 Keep an eye out for a dinner experience in the coming months (2023)!
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2023-07-25
Pros: BISCUITS so FLUFFY , Welcoming staff , Great stop for locals and travelers alike
Cons: Avoid rooftop if yer body won't do lotsa stairs
Guest
PopeRigby
Points +49
Perfect! - Edit
Great atmosphere, and the creamy veggie hand pie and chocolate chip cookie were excellent.
Read moreGuest
blackfern
Points +37
A true treasure - Edit
So glad we stopped here on the way back from Ocean Shores- this place is amazing and Ivan confirm all their food is delicious. We also stopped by the cookware shop upstairs where they were selling plant-based cookbooks and a tofu press! Parkside is a vegan paradise.
Read morePros: Wide selection, Delicious, fresh food, Amazing building
Guest
Tray-C
Points +539
Excellent home cooked feeling food - Edit
Everything tastes like home cooked love! Not too salty, not too sweet, perfectly balanced with great portion sizes that hit the spot. Staff was friendly and the atmosphere very relaxed and welcoming. Breakfast served all day! We ordered the mushroom stroganoff hand pie and the breakfast sandwich and for dessert the coconut cream pie and the apple vanilla rose hand pie. For drinks we had a London Fog and coffee. A full selection of plant milks to choose from. Everything tasted like grandmas house and was absolutely incredible! Really impressed.
Read morePros: Vegan home-cooked feel , Breakfast all day, Great customer service and prices
Guest
Spoon
Points +418
Best Veg Samon Lox Bagel - Edit
It was soooooo good. It's an amazing substitute for the real deal!!
Read morePros: Full Vegan Menu, Ample Seating, Combo Deals
Guest
XtalF
Points +201
Lovely - Edit
Five stars for the full experience. The Victorian-era styled building in West Olympia, The Park Side Café offers plant-based foods in style. The cafe offers small tapas-like plates of assorted vegan-friendly offerings. I ordered the visually stunning, with loads of texture and taste, Moroccan Roasted Chickpea Kale Salad no dressing. Saving room for dessert, I could not resist sharing one of their giant chocolate chip cookies and a few bites of their German Chocolate cream pie with my kids.
Read moreLike a typical cafe, you order at the register. We were greeted by friendly and attentive servers. My husband ordered the German potato salad, my daughter enjoyed the Seitan & Rice Burrito, and my son was meh on the Seitan Pepperoni Pizza Hand Pie. I myself, am not a huge fan of Seitan, so I wasn't really surprised they didn't like it either.
Once you are finished eating, you can wander upstairs where there is a cute kitchen supply shop and another friendly face to greet you. It was fun checking out the unique building and walking by a gorgeous bed and breakfast owned by the same woman who opened this restaurant. If you have time, I recommend walking around the grounds of the bed and breakfast next door, it is beautiful!
Pros: Nice assortment of cafe items, Beautiful surroundings, Awesome chocolate chip cookies
Cons: Kinda expensive
Guest
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