Sip & Ship
Categories: Coffee & Tea, Post Offices [Edit]
Neighborhood: Ballard1752 NW Market St
Seattle, WA 98107 (206) 789-4488
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Wi-Fi: Free
29 Reviews for Sip & Ship
stamps are sure expensive here, but the coffee aint bad and for a ballard lifer like me, the ballard shirts are a must have!
Sip n' Ship= Sip (some coffee) n' Ship (some stuff).
Love this place! It's my 'go to' for all things Ballard. I do believe that this is the ONLY place to get your official 'Ballard' T- shirts, hats, hoodies, and onesies, which I have purchased as gifts before. Lemme tell ya, they went over VERY well!
They've got great coffee, a great assortment of gifts, cards, lotions n' potions, knicks, knacks, and loads of other fun Ballard stuff you can't get anywhere else.
The staff is GD friendly and I love that there's always a dog or three out front, jonesin' for a pet.
Oh yeah, you can also mail/ get your mail here as well.. Packages, letters, etc. Oh yeah, I guess that's where the 'ship' part of the equation comes in.. duh.
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I am totally obsessed with the vegan trail cookies. I'm not a vegan but holy crap if this is how the vegans eat, then sign me up. I'm almost afraid to post this review in case there's suddenly a run on these freakin' awesome nuggets of non-dairy goodness and I can't score the one I need tomorrow ...
What's better than buying the best cookie on the planet while surrounded by friendly people, yummy coffee smells and a huge assortment of stationery, gifts and tees that I must take deep breaths to stop myself from sweeping under my coat and running out the door?
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So the shipping is a bit overpriced...the coffee and other doodads for sale make up for it.
I was surprised to find a lot of really cool small gifts (most falling in the "kitchy stationary & office supplies" category); I will revisit this shop next time I need a gift.
I was not surprised to feel the urge to urinate after drinking my soy latte...Unfortunately, I cannot give an official review of the bathroom because I waited about 5 minutes for someone to come out and then I figured that in that amount of time the bathroom was pretty funkified - so I found a place to whiz elsewhere.
I just LOVE this store. They make great coffee. They have charming and fun gifts and housewares. They carry the "Ballard" collection of clothing. They have a frequent shipper's card. The concept is great - Go in, have a coffee, pick out a little gifty, and mail it to your mom in Phoenix. But it's so much more than that. Kudos to them for a great place.
I love this shop...love, love, love. I stop in every couple of weeks to drop off mail and packages. The last two times I was in to mail things, they asked it I was going to order anything to drink, so while my packages were being prepped for shipping, my latte was being frothed and pulled and poured...no waiting in the cafe line! Such great customer service. My favorite is Mimi...she doted on my baby boy and held him while I was dealing with xmas gifts. He loved her so much he cried when she gave him back to me. Mimi is great and brings extra sunshine to this place.
Alright disclaimer time: I might be employed here still. I have worked on and off at this fine establishment for the past 4 years...wow, has it been that long? Answer: Yes. Which I think is a great testament to the owners- who are outstanding people and whom will go out of there way to help you out.
This kinda shop is hard to rate frankly. Do you base your ratings just on the Coffee side? The shipping side? The upstairs loft- that is kid friendly? Hmm- well, I'll base it on the "Sip and Ship Experience".
First off- the owners and crew carry the philosophy- that they want your business- and they will do whatever it takes to EARN that- they will bend over backwards to better serve you. Which is a great way to start off. Plus, they are very good at shooting the sh_t and making you feel like they went in business solely for you. Which makes you feel somewhat special in a not-so-special kinda world. I think they treat their employees with this same manner and that's why you tend to see the same faces behind the counters.
To address some concerns that I have heard: The prices are a bit overpriced...
I think I had a hard time with this even as an employee- it wasn't until actually becoming a customer that I understood why the price shouldn't necessarily matter as much. Fact: the prices are a tidbit higher than going to the Post Office- but what do you get for that? You get someone who will process your shipment ACCURATELY, will treat it with care, make you feel like you actually matter and handle it with a smile. I have written a good review for the Ballard Branch of the PO- but everything is relative- and I'm a glutton for punishment. Prime example: For my current "real" job- I needed to have 400+ envelopes sent immediately. I was using the business credit card- which doesn't always swipe properly. I went to the PO and the lady looked at me and said she couldn't run these uniform letters through a machine- but that I had to buy $400+ stamps and place them on myself. Reluctantly, I said, "fine" and handed her my Credit Card- which wasn't swiping properly. The lady looked at my and said, "I'm sorry- I can't help you. This card doesn't work- bring me a card that works- NEXT". With a red face- I walked out the door and headed to the S&S- to which the clerk, without batting an eye, said, "hey let us meter those for you and we can enter your card in manually- and get these out for you today". THAT MY FRIENDS is why the little extra cost does not matter to me one bit- and why I love coming here.
The coffee side: I got to hand it to them for using Fair Trade coffee- which is expensive stuff for a small company- and yet STARSUCKS doesn't even do this fully- which is a shame. The drinks are great and the pastry selection is a dandy. The baristas are typically easy on the eyes and friendly to boot.
The upstairs: my two year old daughter loves this place. There aren't too many kid friendly places in this town- which is a shame- and once you find one, go out and support it...our kids need to intermingle in society too. Even if you are a kid snob (like I was) it's hard to not smile at a kid who is having a good time.
SO there's my schpiel. I love this shop- that's probably why I still might even be technically employed here. The owner's have a great philosophy and the atmosphere is one that really lends to a community feel- something that is definitely needed (especially in this town.)
another average cup of coffee, friendly staff, but very strange atmosphere being at it is a shipping/coffee shop... only in seattle would we mix any and everything with coffee.
Sip & Ship is the awesome little shop that I didn't realize existed until the neighboring Kinkos refused to notarize my cat's health certificate for travel since they'd never seen one before and couldn't find a manager to approve.
Sip & Ship was happy to notarize for me and overnight my documents. Very friendly and very quick!
Also, they've got a few parking spots in the back. And they've got coffee and all sorts of kitchy cards and small gifts.
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You know I've been working with these guys for a good amount of time now, and they just do good business. The shop reminds of an old general mercantile, a little bit of everything with very personable staff and treatment. kudos for a great "family owned" joint.
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Great place to meet a friend, have a cup of coffee (Happy Hour 2-4) and shop for unique gifts -- especially the cards! Pastries are the best, along with soups, etc. Fun to ID myself with this neighborhood by wearing my Ballard red lettered t-shirt to work in Wallingford -- get many compliments and inquiries about where I bought my gear. I'm a walking advertisement! Convenience is the word when shipping from this site -- parking in the back, efficient service and follow up calls. Dianna the owner is the best!
Cute store full of stationary, shipping supplies and coffee. I got an iced mocha and wandered around for a bit waiting for our meeting to start down the street. This is a place that I'd love to sit and lounge, or to binge on greeting cards to send to friends and family.
Lots of Ballard gear, so if you've got Ballard pride this is a good place to stock up!.
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So cool. I love this concept. Bought a Ballard shirt for Dad, shipped it to Long Beach, drank a Fair Trade Mocha and ate a Mighty-O donut. Perfect!
Staff is great, products are cool, shipping is easy and coffee is fair trade!!
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This is a delightful little place. The staff is lovely and efficient. I've rarely had to wait to get my mailing done. The gifts and cards they carry are really cool. One thing though, and it may have just been a fluke: terrible latte. I mean, terrible. No matter where I go, I always order the same thing: double tall non-fat iced latte. I know exactly how the ratio of milk to espresso should taste and what it should look like in the plastic cup..yeah, I completely own my anal-retentiveness on this matter. The barista made me what was basically a beige cup of milk with ice in it. I figured she'd just forgot a shot, and asked her about it. She looked at me like I was brain damaged and said, "no, that's a double...just what you asked for." So, bad coffee with a side of snooty. Everyone I know loves the coffee here, however, so I'll probably give it another shot.....no pun intended.
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What a joy!
First off: they get at least a star just for a cute tagline. "Sip & Ship".
I needed to ship some returns via UPS and all the other shipping places in my neighborhood closed by 5:00 or weren't open on weekends...which, uh, yeah - not gonna work for most working folk!
So I brought my packages in, with my pre-printed UPS label, and they just took care of it. I also was stessing over where to get a latte (!) and didn't want to re-park on market street. But what a happy suprise - they have pretty great coffee here. Organic and delightful.
It's also the cutest store ever. Good place to get giftey things if you need birthday stuff or anything fun like that.
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Great staff, awesome concept. I drink caffeine and mail things on a daily basis, so this is the place. The post office doesn't have these happy smiling faces (and attractive to boot!), Kinko's FedEx doesn't remember who I am or say "good morning", other local coffee shops don't offer a choice of spicy or sweet chai. AND they're totally stocked with amazing greeting cards, and perfect last-minute gifts (candles, frames, etc) when you're on the run. This is one of those dying breeds-- a locally owned gem with friendly, reliable, efficient service, and a keen eye for cool artsy stuff that isn't junk.
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Maybe I shouldn't give it 5 stars quite yet: I like to ship, but have yet to sip.
I've been in twice in the last couple of months to return packages that were also sent with convenient return labels (you know, the shipping costs will just be deducted from your return total, hum-dee-dum). Fantastically quick & easy-- toss it on the counter, they check just to make sure all your ducks are in a row, then thank you & send you on your way. It doesn't get any easier.
I will kindly take this any day over a hellish wait in the post office, UPS, or Fed Ex/Kinko's store. There isn't much worse than standing for 20 minutes in an excruciatingly slow line while balancing awkward boxes in your arms. When I have gone in, there was no person in line before me. There was also parking right in front on Market St.-- sucky if during the day because in theory you should be paying for a parking sticker, but I say if it's just a quick drop off, run like the wind and keep it under the time it takes for the meter maid to tag yo' ass.
The next time I go, I think I'll actually try out the coffee-- it IS pretty convenient not to have to make an additional stop for your fix. Last time I was there, an elderly couple was sitting at a table by the window, sipping and reading the paper. That means it's better than Denny's, right??
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I've never actually been to Sip & Ship, but I wanted to give this place the "what up" because I went to Ballard to send a fed ex the other day, and --forgetting it existed -- sent it from Kinko's down the block.
After going through 30 minutes of the usual bullshit you have to deal with at Kinko's, I stepped outside and walked right by this place.
[Stands in middle of sidewalk, smacking forehead repeatedly, yelling: "Stupid, stupid, stupid." Passersby avoid eye contact. ]
Kinko's is kind of the epitome of evil, non-independent business, and it's always a suck fest in there. You probably already know to go to Sip & Ship instead, but if one other person can learn from my mistake, well, that's reward enough.
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Why?
I guess it's better than a Kinko's, so there's that. Kudos for existing, but I can't imagine any reason I'd every drink a cup here. I suppose if I was in the mood to buy a gift, mail something, and get some coffee, but that combination of desires only occurs once every five years, and I'm usually in San Jose by then.
But, still. If we had Sip & Ships, rather than Kinkos, or the Post office, I'd be delighted. I just can't find a reason I'd go here. Maybe I'll be inspired to come next time I need to mail something.
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when i worked at Scream i went there everyday!!!
i did the owners hair to for a year...
It's an odd combination, but if you want to ship a package and sip a coffee in Ballard, this is the place to do it. Friendly staff, excellent espresso drinks, standard pastries and a cute loft to look down on people struggling in the door with boxes to ship. Bonuses: it's a local business and if you don't know what to do with those horrid packing peanuts besides polluting landfills, bring 'em here. They LIKE to take them.
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a place to play and one less trip to the post office! C'mon! Go to sip and ship! With or without a package to ship!
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things i like about Sip & Ship:
1. they carry cute gifts: stationery; Ugly Dolls; Ballard hats, tees and mugs; stuff for babies; bath and body stuff.
2. they have a good selection of greeting cards. a bit on the pricey side, but worth the extra money if you're looking for something unique and homemade.
3. the service is excellent. i recently purchased a gift and when i paid for it, the woman said, "Is this a present for someone?" when i said yes, she asked the gender and then went and wrapped it up for me. for free.
4. it's close to my house.
i have yet to try their coffee or pastries.
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Sip and Ship rocks my socks. They have a great selection of cute overpriced gifts, including Ballard merch, to fawn over while you wait for your espresso, but the real treat is the staff, who are way cuter and friendlier than the civil servants down at the PO.
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No one has yet mentioned how this place has a little loft with TOYS in it... not only that, but it's got a baby gate at the top of the stairs so your little one doesn't take a tumble while you're sipping your latte and chatting with your friends. LOTS more fun than lugging your packages AND your kid to the boring old post office. Turn right into the narrow driveway just before Ballard Blossom as you're heading west on Market St.
i heart sip and ship
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In a caffine fueled blaze of glory you can ship a package and buy some Ballard gear. They have an interesting shop filled with some local schwag to go along with the seemingly complimentary businesses of shipping and sipping. Its a somewhat strange cafe atmosphere as people bustle in with large boxes and overnight packages but I guess it works. I think it works better as a utilitarian service store though unless you enjoy the hub-bub.
Great gifts, great chai lattes, and a great option for mailing and receiving packages (especially if you live in an apartment building where they tend not to leave your packages).
They're open late (great for us 9-5ers), are super friendly, and will definitely be a stop on my search for gifts.
The owners and staff are wonderful here. They also make a mean cup of hot chocolate with whip!
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