Service was great! Our waiter was very fun and personable. I ordered and SHARED the Farmer's Hash w/ corned beef. The portions are ridiculously huge! It was nice of them to already divide the meal onto two plates so that we didn't have to separate it ourselves. All the ingredients used was very fresh. I love the variety of vegetables and the corned beef was so tender. I really want to come back and try the toppings bar and their eggs benedict. Crab eggs benedict sounded so yummy!
(5)
Neha G.
A word of caution to all those who have been there recently: Quoting the manager 'One of our staff members has been misusing the credit card info of the customers'. Anybody who has been there during the past month should check their credit statement for 5$-6$ charges on regular intervals towards the portage bay account. Our account was charged for 36$ as opposed to 28.50$ which was the check amount incl tip. When we observed this, we met up with the manager, who was rather casual about it (as if it was a regular complaint) assured that it would be rectified. But instead of refunding the amount, another 6$ were further deducted. Is this how loosely finances are handled at this enterprise? So far they have charged us 42$ for a 28.50$ meal! 2 Stars because the food was good.
(2)
Natasha F.
My sisters & I took my Mom here for her Birthday. They were pretty busy; and even though we had reservations, we weren't seated for another 30mins. The atmosphere was very loud; we couldn't even hear each other talk. The menu was very limited, but our server was very nice. By this time, my Mom was irritated & hungry; as we all were, so we ordered quickly. The food isn't anything exciting, but the espresso/coffee is great! Not worth trying again.
(1)
Corrie H.
Yum, yum, yum, yum! On our last day in Seattle, we were looking for a place to eat breakfast somewhere within walking distance of the Space Needle. This certainly fit the bill. I had the Chile Verde Pork Omelette (featuring pork shoulder braised in banana leaves, chile verde, Oaxaca queso, cilantro lime crema, and fried plantains). Delicious! One final note: this is a huge restaurant, and is kind-of corporate feeling, so if you're looking for Seattle quirky, this isn't it.
(4)
Zanne R.
I would have given this place 4 stars for the food, but waiting 30 minutes on our reservation (this is the 3rd time it's happened to me), plus the noise level, plus the poor arrangement of tables (it's a maze to get to the breakfast bar because all the tables are too close together and in a jumble) zaps two stars at the least. It's a pity. It's great food, but I'm done with Portage Bay. if they ever get their time management improved, I might come back.
(2)
Jeff D.
Food is good. Great place for weekend brunch. Don't bother with reservations. They are never on time with seating you. They are chronically late even if you book in advance. And they don't seem too apologetic about it either.
(3)
Beth T.
Delish! Totally my kind of place, with sustainable, organic ingredients, excellent coffee and a yummy breakfast menu. I sampled the basic panckes (dolled up at the toppings bar) and the mushroom hash, which was excellent -- though I could have done without celery in the veggie mix. Celery really has no place in breakfast food. Minus one star only because I'm wary of the toppings bar being unrefrigerated and uncovered (a la a traditional salad bar)....my health inspector friend would have a shit fit if he saw that!
(4)
Seiji O.
Great place for breakfast or brunch. Looks like it's always busy here but they do take down your number and shoot you a text if you prefer to wait at a nearby starbucks. But if you know you're coming here for sure they do take reservations. The french toast and pancakes have access to fruit bar where you can add on all kinds of fruits. Plus the portions here are huge. If you're just visiting Seattle it's worth a try. Also if you come here during the weekend there's parking in a garage nearby for $2 all day.
(5)
Greg T.
Has anyone checked out their food inspections on the King County webpage? They consistently fail due to poor food handling practices. I ate there a week ago first thing in the morning when they opened. They served me day old potatoes so hard a fork wouldn't go into them. I also had a bad stomach about an hour later. They never even responded by my concerns when I emailed them. I love their menu and the organic lean but they need to clean up the kitchen if they want me and my family and friends back.
(1)
Madeleine M.
What a great restaurant! Every time I've been here was an extremely delicious experience. I love the berry bar! The staff is always very friendly as well. I definitely recommend this place for breakfast or brunch:)
(5)
Celeste T.
Came here for a light lunch one day. Somehow I avoided the long wait mentioned by several other reviewers, and ordered an iced tea and a vegetarian quesadilla. It's fusion-y, with a very light and crisp flour tortilla, light on the cheese (not greasy at all) and sour cream and pico de gallo, but still having a somehow "Northwest" feel. Maybe it's that there wasn't a corn tortilla, and it was enough for two meals for me regardless of the fact that I was looking for a light lunch? The atmosphere is bright and pleasant, and the service is great. Highly recommend for a quick lunch, if you can time it just right!
(4)
John N.
I don't know what was worse, the food or the service. 17 minutes to get a drink is how it started. We should have left at that point. After our waiter finally took our order we didn't see him again until we were finished. Not one of us got our drinks refilled. The food was lousy. We all got the Reuben sandwich. It used to be good, but they changed it. It had almost no sauerkraut or dressing, the meat was cold, and the bread was super thick. It came with a salad that was swimming in dressing. It used to come with potatoes that I enjoyed. Won't step foot in that place again.
(1)
Lisa E. L.
French toast!! -1 star for the long wait on the weekends. They should consider expanding a second floor.
(4)
Duncan T.
Really mediocre food. The French toast was giant slabs of inch and a half thick bread that was not French toast all the way through. I got a standard eggs and bacon breakfast, the toast was too sweet and the eggs had a rind on them even though I specifically asked for them not to be crispy. My potatoes were not all fully cooked. The coffee was three dollars with no refills. Expensive and bad.
(2)
Emily L.
Great beet frittata, latte and rhubarb/strawberry French toast, which included a trip to the toppings bar where we added blueberries and whip cream, mmmmm. Make sure to make rezzies, this place is busy! Great service too!
(4)
Rich T.
I really want to love this place and it is a wonderful location. The problem is the food and the consistency. It's usually not super busy for lunch. Which might be a sign being next to amazon. One of or buddies had a hamburger. And sadly it came out raw. Then took another 20 minutes to get another one. Sad. I had a cinco de mayo special thing. I can only say I'm not sure what it was. Appeared to be beans. Have mole sauce. And then a pork chop buried underneath. Yuck. The more traditional options look like better choices such as the egg thing.
(3)
Sarah W.
The farmer's hash with sausage was absolute perfection! The pancakes my husband ordered were a bit undercooked (due to a cream filling?) so they took it back and replaced it with French Toast instead. Really delicious food, friendly service, immediate seating, locally sourced food, it was a great experience.
(5)
Julie K.
Amazing selection of food and the daily specials are super creative and each sounded delicious. I ordered eggs benedict and my two girlfriends ordered different french toasts. We each shared and I honestly loved all three. Be sure you make a reservation or be prepared to wait 30-45 minutes. Be sure you come hungry because the portions are very generous! Only complaints... a smidge on the loud side and I wish I could have ordered a sampler as everything looked so good! ;) I would most definitely return!
(5)
John F.
Fun brunch place, had about an hour wait when I went on a Sunday, but was definitely worth the wait. The omelet I ordered was great, but they also had a bunch of fresh fruit set out to add to your waffles, pancakes or other "sweeter" dishes. The portions were quite large, some come with an appetite. I had just finished running the Alki Beach 5k so had built up some hunger. Overall, I'd certainly come back, a no frills type atmosphere and a place that certainly believes in making sure no one goes home hungry or unsatisfied with their meal.
(3)
Allison F.
I don't know how I haven't written a review for this restaurant yet, considering it is by far my favorite place to eat in Seattle!! I've only eaten breakfast here but love it to death. Definitely come early as it gets super busy really fast. Food is brought out quickly but you will still have to wait if you come after 9 on a weekend. I love the Rancher's Breakfast as it includes everything I love about breakfast, AND a trip to the fruit bar. Three eggs are too many for me with this meal but I love the chicken sausage option and the potatoes were cooked perfectly and nicely spiced. I went for the french toast and received two big pieces. The egg batter was just on the surface of the bread and so there were sections that were just plain bread. Enter the fruit bar!! Fruit offerings include berries galore, canned peaches, coconut, whipping cream, nuts, butter, and syrup. Delightful!! They state on the menu that while you can help yourself to as much as you would like, be sure you can eat it all. Do it. We've come here twice with tiny children and they're super helpful with highchairs and small plates of food for the tots. We came this past Sunday and definitely noticed that there were quite a few tinies there, enjoying their breakfasts. Be sure to come here for breakfast and take in the delicious (and local) food they offer! I'm hoping my next trip will allow us to sit out on the patio as it looks like a lovely place to take in our rare West Coast sunny days!
(5)
Krystin T.
I... have mixed feelings on Portage Bay. My boyfriend and I came here on Sunday to have brunch with his family. We'd actually decided on another restaurant, but when we called there, they said it was an hour-long wait. We called Portage Bay and they told us fifteen minutes and took our name over the phone. We got there about fifteen minutes later (maybe a few more) and they were definitely nowhere near ready to seat us. The place was PACKED, which is great for them but not so great for us. We ended up waiting about 45 minutes from the time we arrived, which wasn't great because we were on a bit of a time crunch. The thing is, I GET that there might be a wait... but then don't quote 15 minutes if it's really 60. That's all I ask! When we were led to our seat, it was to a table with three chairs - for five of us. Of course they brought us additional chairs, but it took them awhile and was really awkward as we stood around trying to find chairs. Once we got past that ordeal, it was smooth sailing. Service wasn't great, but it was okay. The coffee, first of all, was delicious. I ordered the Greek omelette (spinach, pepper bacon, mizithra cheese, and usually onions but I had them leave those off). It came with potatoes and a piece of toast, and everything was great. I like the actual space, too. It's spacious and open, and there are a lot of interesting pictures and hanging things to look at. Plus, there are a ton of windows so you get a lot of natural light, which is especially nice on days like Sunday that were actually sunny! My meal was tasty and I'd love to come back, but the long wait time (when we were told it would be short) didn't thrill me. Next time, I'll plan a little better and be more prepared for a wait.
(3)
Erin M.
I was so excited to try this restaurant because I had heard so many good things. A group of us went on a Saturday morning expecting a long wait. The hostess initially told me it would be an hour wait , but after 2+ hours, we were finally seated and famished at that point. The server stopped by our table and my girlfriend asked if they had anything for her baby to munch on like bananas or crackers (after all, the poor baby had been waiting patiently for 2 hours). The server looked perplexed and said "sorry I don't think so"....ummm you are a breakfast spot, I'm pretty sure you have some bananas in the back for your bananas foster pancakes clearly displayed on your menu! Anyways, we ended up ordering the crab cake benedict, the smoked salmon benedict, the cobbler french toast, and the winter hash. The food was OK....and by OK I mean overcooked, cold, but maybe would have been good if it didn't taste like it had been sitting around for 20 minutes. The service was absolutely horrible...our server never came to refill our waters and we had to flag another server down to get our check. To make matter worse, a few days later I looked at my bank statement and they had overcharged me by $50! I called the restaurant and left a message with one of the servers for the manager (she never returned my call). I called back again twice and left two voice mails (again, never returned my call). Called again and left a message with another employee who said he would give my number to the accounting department (again, never returned my call). I emailed the owner (she never responded)....finally, I just filed a fraudelent charge claim with my bank.... Needless to say, I will NEVER go here again...at least this location. The food is OK, but not worth the wait or the crappy service.
(1)
Sam H.
I don't think you can ever go wrong coming here for breakfast. Cons: it's gonna be about an hour wait if you come here. So be prepared for that. Pro: If you smell or see the food... it will be worth it. Pro: they give you coffee to drink whiel you wait for the line Con: The coffee is added to your bill later and it's like 2 dollars. Recommended: The benedict!!! and pretty much any of the scrambles.
(5)
Judy H.
A great spot for breakfast whether you're with a friend or the entire family. I would caution that arriving after 9:30am on weekends will present a considerable wait. The menu provides a wide selection from egg dishes to my favorite, the tapioca swedish pancakes with Lingonberries. Never disappoints! The coffee could peel paint off the walls, so be prepared to leave with a bit of the jitters if you have more than one cup. The service is typically pretty good, although I have had a couple occasions where my meals were delayed longer than usual - again I'm sure due to the large crowd. I should also mention that I have been to the PB in Ballard, and won't go back. The atmosphere isn't nearly as nice and somehow the food doesn't seem consistent with that of its sister locations.
(4)
Jean Y.
A great go-to weekend brunch place. Offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Uses local, organic ingredients. Pancakes are delicious. The only pancakes I haven't liked were.the buckwheat pancakes. I like buckwheat noodles and tea, but the buckwheat pancakes were a bit too gritty and dry for me. Toppings bar has a lot of sweet, fresh fruit. Beware though - only ONE trip to toppings bar allowed, so load up on those blueberries and raspberries!! Omelettes are fluffy. Great combinations of ingredients from which to choose. Wherever Portage sources their eggs is where I want to buy mine too! This is one of those places that leaves me torn between options I've tried and liked and new options that I want to try. The wait varies from zero to thirty minutes, but I haven't been able to spot any correlation between time of day and length of wait. My impression is that the SLU location is less crowded (and obviously larger) than the UW location. I haven't tried the Ballard location.
(4)
Kat K.
I was super hungover when I visited here from Van with friends, but the menu looked amazing, as did all their food! I had an apple juice, and it was tasty...I also love how many vegan/vegetarian options there were, and will definitely be back (not hungover) next time I'm in Seattle :) Huge, open and airy place, and staff was really nice :)
(4)
Griffin E.
Came here around noon on a sunny Saturday and the place was packed. We put our name down for a table and the wait was about 30 minutes -- which gave us some time to scope out the menu and take in the place. I likened it to a busy, slightly more aesthetically pleasing cafeteria. It's inviting but so crowded that you feel like you're a bit scrunched all the time. We ordered the salmon benedict, the french toast and a side of over medium eggs and pepper bacon. The salmon benedict was delicious! Poached eggs were done well and there wasn't too much hollandaise sauce to drown out the flavor from the smoked salmon. Red potatoes were good but not amazing. Bacon in any form is tasty, so thumbs up on that front. Their fruit table setup is cool - you can take your pancakes and french toast up there and load up with fresh strawberries, blueberries, peaches, pears, and other assorted toppings :D Service was quick once we were seated and the staff was friend and professional. We noticed that the expediters sometimes used their bare hands to shift people's food around before they took it to a table, which to me is a big no-no. For two people, our bill before tip was $35, which is a bit more than what I would have liked but nothing to keep me from coming back to try some other dishes.
(4)
Diana G.
The Portage Bay Philosophy: "Eat like you give a damn." is total awesomeness The topping bar with variety of fresh organic fruit and hand whipped cream is the best idea ever. If they ever consider expanding outside of the Seattle area I hope they open up in SF Bay Area first. The challah French toast that is not overwhelmingly sweet goes great with a nice pile of fresh blue berries and strawberries from the toppings bar. Also ordered eggs over easy, and a side of roasted red potato home-fries dusted with spices - very tasty. The menu is very simple but you can really taste the quality and freshness in the ingredients. Despite all the reviews about this place being too busy, we had no trouble getting seated on a sunny a Friday afternoon. Would definitely comeback whenever I'm in Seattle.
(4)
Yuriy Z.
When they get it right, food is great here. Perfect lunch (or late breakfast). However half the time the potato's are dry, and the wait time can be pretty lengthy periodically. Try the migas + chorizo. Good stuff.
(3)
Kimberley T.
I love the idea of "Give a damn" and their sustainability practices; local and organic (thus creating a small carbon footprint). I had the Risotto Cake Benedict, the asiago "cream" sauce was more of an oil than anything else, yet still tasty. My dining companion had Migas and thoroughly enjoyed them. We were seated right away, service was a tad on the slow side and the coffee could have flowed a lot more freely, but I was able to get a cup to go (only had one cup whilst eating). The bill was less than our usual weekend brunch haunt - would definitely return for a repeat visit.
(3)
Amy S.
We waited about an hour to be seated on a Saturday or Sunday morning, which sucked especially hard as there isn't really anywhere to sit or even stand while you're waiting (at least not with that many people). The wait ended up being well worth it- I had the french toast, eggs, and sausage. They have like a topping bar for french toast and pancakes which is glorious! Everything tasted fresh and amazing! Be prepared to eat because the portions are very large (this coming from a born and raised Texan, lol)!
(5)
Jeff M.
Well below average. Over easy was over hard. Hash veggies very under cooked by a mile. I did find humor in the pictures of the live happy animals on the walls as we ate them.
(2)
Tammy Y.
This place is always packed - and for good reason. Delicious combinations of food and locally sourced to boot. The brunch here is always worth the wait.
(5)
Gregory C.
Kick Ass Big Breakfast. Had The Rancher's Breakfast: Three Eggs Sunnyside Up, a Short Stack of Pancakes, House Cured Ham Steak, home fried potatoes and a trip to the breakfast bar for fruit fixings..... The Breakfast So Big You Won't Have Lunch......
(4)
Eli B.
LOVE PBC, love our regular waitress Julia - she rocks! The cheesecake french toast is breakfast desert and should really be split between at least 4 people. It gets really busy, and really loud, so it's more enjoyable with small groups and the service is more relaxed on weekdays and early on weekends, kind of common sense with a line a mile long. The food is very good, great specials and gluten free options. In the summer, the Berry Bar is absolute heaven!
(5)
John H.
Hands down the best brunch in SLU. Be sure not to miss the toppings bar for your pancakes. :)
(5)
David C.
Had breakfast there. Forgot what I had. Just take my word, everything was great!
(4)
Jill T.
Love the new and bigger location! It was waaaay too hard to get in to the "mothership" location. The servers were on the ball...brought drinks in a timely manner, came back to check if our meal was to our liking, and cleared our plates right away. I absolutely love this place for breakfast and the organic menu makes it even better. The pancake topping bar is such a good idea.
(5)
Brian B.
Yummy !! The Greek Omelette with Pepper bacon and Myzythra cheese hit the spot. The wait for our food was a tad long but the company was great, so it was all good. Thanks Heidles for turning us on to this less crazy, less busy, and less snottier location !!
(4)
Chessie S.
Would I invite Grandma here? No. She might pass away waiting in line. It's a reoccurring favorite. Ladies' Brunch, Team Meeting, Oh My Gawd You're Prego type place, Veggies and Carnivores Unite! Yes, of course it's worth the wait and the money if you have time and good company and cash to do so.
(3)
Jeremy A.
Swanky breakfasts are super hip and this place is an excellent representative example. While large, this restaurant is packed at all hours. We only had to wait 10 minutes for a small table, but groups should definitely call ahead. Keep in mind that during the week the breakfast menu ends at 11, we where seated at 11:30 which prevented me from trying the eggs Benedict, however they indulged my partner's wish for their specialty French Toast. I fell back on the Midas, a gargantuan breakfast burrito which could have, and probably should, feed two. The service was good and the fruit bar was novel. Overall it was quite good, if rather pricey.
(4)
Namtran V.
Had to try it out since everyone and their moms go here for brunch. Call ahead and make a reservation because I waited an hour for a table for 3. I can never pick between having a savory breakfast and a sweet breakfast, so I usually don't venture far from the Rancher's breakfast- eggs, a choice of meat, roasted potatoes, and an order of pancakes or French toast with a trip to the breakfast bar. Pile on all the fruits, berries, syrup, and toppings for your Instagram worthy brunch! Minus one star because I found a hair in my food :-/ at least everything on my plate was still organic?
(4)
Robyn B.
Huge plates of food - no wonder my boys like this place. The "breakfast bar" is not impressive as most of the fruit is not fresh but frozen (some was still frozen!), big bowls of whipped cream, butter - the best part was real maple syrup - but that's it. Super noisy atmosphere was also difficult. Nothing relaxing about this restaurant and also very expensive. I would choose another place next time.
(3)
Rufus M.
This is my favorite breakfast/brunch place hands down. I live in California and every time I visit Seattle I eat here two or three times. The gluten-free French Toast with a trip to the fruit bar is my go-to. The owner, managers and staff are always great. One suggestion - make reservations on OpenTable and skip the wait. See you there!
(5)
Dave L.
The food is 3 stars based on past experiences ...but downgraded to two because we got a reservation for noon, got there, and was told there were "several people ahead of us." "What's the point of a reservation then?" "Well we can't possibly anticipate when people are going to finish." [Insert the famous Seinfeld rental car scene here] We went to Brave Horse down the street, and were seated immediately without any stupid excuses.
(2)
Jacob L.
Got the eggs benedict, cost $15. The ham was dry and the bread was dry. Customer service wasn't impressive and altogether not worth the cost.
(1)
Shauna M.
This place is crazy busy for weekend brunch, reservations are highly recommended unless you have the time to kill. The egg dish I had was just fair given the high price tag. Was a bit disappointed given the number of people. Might have just not made the best choice. Their waffles are the big draw, but I wasn't up for jumping up to fix it up given how crowded it was and I wanted to optimize my time with my friend.
(3)
Mammie S.
worst customer service ever!!! I walked in and said my co-worker had made a reservation. The girl at the front desk said "OK! You are welcome to look around." I didn't know the reservation was under my co-worker's friend's name, so I asked if she could please help me check again and the reservation was at 11am. She glanced at the paper for a second and said no and again asked me to go look around by myself.
(1)
Bridgette D.
I've been going to portage bay for years now and this place never disappoints. My dad and I used to frequent here for brunch together so we could make trips to the amazing breakfast bad. After my father passed away this place has since held an extra special place in my heart. Thank you for providing such excellent service and food - portage bay will forever be my favorite breakfast spot.
(5)
Tami H.
Hands down my favorite breakfast in Seattle, but unfortunately wait times on weekends can be interminable. I would go far more often if you didn't routinely have to wait 45 minutes for a table especially with kids. Service can also be shockingly slow for breakfast food. That said, if you have the patience (and preferably no toddlers with you), I highly recommend the food. The pancake toppings bar is famous with copious amounts of fresh fruit and decadent toppings. Menu is really diverse ranging from pancake, crepe, and French toast options to egg/omelet dishes. Hoping they open a few more locations, maybe even Eastside!
(3)
Chris C.
The second star is for hope. After 45 minutes of poor service and shrieking children, my buckwheat pancakes are nowhere in sight. The second star is for hope that they'll a) come and b) taste good. Revised to 1-star. My food to the wrong table. I left. No hope.
(1)
Marie D.
We made a reservation and came ten minutes early. They "checked" us in but we still ended up waiting 10 minutes after our original reservation time. The food came quick and it was good, the plus of having a smaller menu. Love the ambience. Great toppings bar selection. A little overpriced for breakfast but if you take advantage of the toppings bar then it is a deal! A tight squeeze but overall a great place!
(4)
Wendy C.
Go early! Scrumptious breakfast food! I had buckwheat pancakes with a to-die-for organic maple syrup. Hubbie had a eggs Benedict number. Our guest asked for vegan no-oil pancakes and they pulled it off [banana pancakes]. Kept refilling our drinks all the time. It got louder and louder as time went on. Great kid place. Enjoy! We got free street parking and walked over to the South Lake Union Park afterwards.
(5)
Emily L.
The best breakfast you can get in Seattle. I only knock off a star because it's always CRAZY busy no matter what time you go. Great service and the Lake Union location is very cleaned compared to the other ones I've eaten at. Sometimes they do not take to go orders if they are especially busy.
(4)
Patrick S.
Horrible experience!! After waiting 5 minutes in line to get on the waiting list... The rude rude rude hostess states in a very condescending tone, "we're not accepting walk-ins only reservations for Valentine's Day." Like I was supposed to know. If you're only seating people with reservations put on a sign so your prissy rude hostess doesn't get tired of saying it over and over! And so customers don't have to wait in a line to be told go away! Will be a long time before I come back to portage bay just because if this incident!
(1)
Bartja W.
I will NEVER patronize this restaurant EVER again. Put in our name at 9:30 and they told us 25 minutes. 45 minutes nicely asked how long in they said 25 minutes, while seating 2-tops at 4-tops. Just got into an argument with the host about their communication an hour in...now an hour and a half waiting. How long have you been in the restaurant business? If it's an hour and a half wait you should say that. You should know how often your tables turn over. This is irresponisble and you should be run out of business.
(1)
Dec A.
Very Good place, food and staff. I highly recommend it to you. Very friendly staff, specially Jane! She is very nice, proffesional and fast!
(4)
Kate P.
Absolutely delicious food! Everything tastes as amazing as it looks. Must try the real homemade whip cream from the toppings bar! A little loud and busy but completely worth it!!
(5)
Joleen Z.
I love having this gem right around the corner from my apartment - the most delicious brunch in town (try the Migas!), really friendly service, and tons of healthy options with tons of flavor. On the weekends this place is PACKED and they don't take reservations, so plan accordingly. They best time to go is after 1pm when the morning rush calms down. Perfect place to cozy up at the bar for a leisurely brunch, cup of coffee and the Sunday paper. Ahhhh.
(4)
W W.
I've eaten here a half-dozen times, and I really wish I could like it better. The staff is certainly very friendly. I just recently had probably the best worst salad there I have ever eaten,...a glorious grilled copper river salmon filet on top of a horrible mess of soggy burnt kale. The standard breakfast isn't too bad and the falafel sandwich was pretty good until I tried it on another day and found it very dry. The amount of noise is so bad when moderately busy that you cannot have a conversation. On one visit my folded cloth napkin had boot prints inside. Overpriced and inconsistent are the two things I think about Portage at this point.
(2)
Rita R.
Local food. Largely organic. Lots of gluten-free and vegan. Cool space and great history. Reasonably priced. I actually don't have much bad to say about Portage Bay. My waitress looked at me sideways when I got the Rancher's Breakfast, which has eggs, potatoes and a meat selection, and the vegan pancakes. It was definitely worth a chuckle. The vegan pancakes, topped with some of the huge selection from the toppings table, were easily the best part of my meal. (All of it was outstanding, actually.) I've got a barrage of guests coming in to visit all summer long, I think this is going to be the showcase breakfast/brunch stop. Oh, the OJ is spectacular!
(4)
jared b.
I enjoy this cafe. I work next door and it makes for convenient food, but it is a little pricey. The food has always been good. The catering is also very good as they have catered work parties for us in the past.
(4)
Matt G.
Wow, the best breakfast in Seattle. Sure, we had to wait at least thirty minutes and the large wide open interior makes it a bit loud but the food was amazing. We all especially liked the topping bar where you can add all kinds of fruit and sugary stuff to your pancakes or french toast.
(5)
Mo B.
Hostess lied about wait time and/or can't do math ... had to wait for 65 minutes before being seated. Checked with the hostess 3 times and each time we (party of 2) were told it would only be 20 minutes. If we had known from the begining we would have gone somewhere else. An apology would have been nice. Never heading back. Food was decent.
(1)
Amy L.
I'd been to Portage Bay in the U District before and was pretty impressed, but my experience at the South Lake Union one was a little under par. I was there with a party of 8, but the service was still not so great. One of my friends dishes came out wrong and then another person's was just forgotten. The drinks (fun flavored mimosas) and the food that did come out were tasty, but that doesn't make up for the other stuff. I will most likely be back, but will probably not be expecting great service.
(3)
Joy L.
I love taking out of towner's here. It's great because the food is organic and the neighborhood is so cute.
(5)
Dan M.
Food was good. SERVICE WAS HORRIBLE! nothing was bussed or cleaned, the manager on duty was stuffing his face in front of customers, staff members were standing around bullshitting instead of cleaning and serving customers. Very unprofessional very shitty.
(2)
Meagan M.
I love this place!! The quality of the food has maintained it's excellence across the years and doesn't disappoint the hungry breakfast seeker. Still one of my favorites in the city! Ooohh.. And I LOVE the new reservation system! Made a reservation, arrived on time and got seated within 5 minutes.
(5)
Tianchan T.
The location, service , price and food are all perfect! The only thing to concern is the waiting line. It's just too good!!
(4)
Clint M.
Was very disappointed in breakfast this morning! We have been loyal customers for over a decade and with all the success the cafe has been having this is the first time we noticed its negative impact. Coffee wasn't refilled even after asking. The food tasted rushed. I was literally bumped into three times by wait staff while dining due to overcrowding of the tables. Hate to say it but we may not come back. So disappointing
(1)
Chris C.
Ate here for the first time yesterday. We are at the Ballard location awhile back. Someone said the menu is different though. Everything was good. We had the bananas foster French toast, an eggs Benedict dish, the pork verde omelet, and some of the kids "famous mouse" pancakes. Would definitely eat here again.
(4)
Wendy M.
Great place to have breakfast in Seattle first time at this location and its huge! Light airy and plenty of tables. Had the smoked salmon Benedict and banana foster French toast. They were so kind to spilt both for two of us making it easier to ray along with a smaller plate of French toast two instead of four! Server was great! Always come to breakfast At portage bay and this location much nicer than original near uw,
(4)
Kayleen M.
Food was delicious and very beautiful. Appreciated the organic and fresh food offered. Fruit bar for pancakes and French Toast was super cool and yummy. Would absolutely recommend! Yum!!
(4)
JoEllen L.
I love brunch. I'm a traditionalist, never venturing far from egg and meat choices but at Portage Bay I went a little wild and had their Bananas Foster French Toast and it was delicious! Not overly sweet, which is why I don't typically get anything that requires syrup. My brunch-mates had the Sweet Rice Porridge with the toppings bar and the Migas. They both enjoyed their choices as well. I'd definitely go back. We went at noon on a Saturday and there was a 20 min wait but to be expected considering time and day if a place is popular. I was put off by the cacophony of sounds inside and was concerned that having a conversation would be difficult but once we settled in and got use to the noise it was fine.
(4)
Anita M.
I must say that we are more than pleased with our lunch delivery this afternoon. As a frequent orderer of "team lunches" this delivery was, by far, the most well presented I have recieved. The food was delivered promptly, set up and ready to go for us in beautiful wooden trays (that we will be re-ussing at . All of the serveware was of the highest quality and the food was phenomenal. The Turkey/Avocado sandwhich was the first thing to go! The salad was crisp and had plenty of toppings and the cookies were soft and fresh. Very, very pleased with their delivery service and will be using them again soon. Thank you Portage Bay!
(5)
Minnie L.
Portage Bay is really good. I would give it 4 - 4.5, but I really haven't decided yet. The service is not great, but I kinda mentally prepared for that. It was decent - we got our food and drinks in a reasonable amount of time. The waitress forgot to bring a set of settings and a box that my party had asked 10 minutes prior. We ended up asking another waiter for the setting and I ended up walking up to get a box from the counter. But the food - it is really yummy! When you walk in, you are tempted by the berry bar. Even though I'm not one for super sweet breakfasts, I couldn't resist and got the ginger blackberry french toast. The toast had blackberries in them (and the berries were softened by the heat and being in the ginger custard) and had a very strong ginger taste. I love ginger so that was ok, but it could have been less subtle. I skipped the syrup and opted for whipped cream instead. It was super good. Other dishes that were also on the table was the rancher's breakfast, which had good potatoes, but the protein was debatable, and grits. However, I didn't taste any of that because I was busy eating mine, so I can't speak for the savory breakfasts. The portions are huge and so is the crowd. The dining area is rather large, but make a reservation before coming.
(4)
Jeremy H.
Good place to a get an upscale lunch in the restaurant deprived South Lake Union area. Restaurant was open, airy and huge--we were there at an off time, but I bet it gets busy at normal eating hours. Food was pretty good, but a little greasy. The ham and gruyere sandwich had good sharp, mustardy flavor, served with a bland but tasty salad. Dining partner had the migas with chorizo which was excellent, but a few bites went a long way. The food contains mostly organic and sustainable ingredients so you may feel superior to unenlightened earth killers. Portion sizes were huge, so plan on bringing some home. Service was pleasant and detached, which I prefer. Definitely an "occasionally only" kind of place, but I'd go back, probably to try out the brunch.
Ok, I LOVE LOVE LOVE their food. Tasty, hearty, and good for the sould (as well as the body). I was a constant fan of the Portage Bay in the U District. I know the lines are always long, but we always got seated. Oatmeal and French Toast rocks! Good food in is worth the wait... I did, however, have a terrible at their newer location in South Lake Union. I am not going back. We stepped inside on a busy Sunday brunch morning, the waiting area was choc full of people (understandable, there is always a line at the other store) but we looked around, weaved about, and never found a single staff member to take our names or put us on a list. About 5 other patrons around us were just as lost and had not been able to locate a staff member either. I realize it gets packed, but we walked out (along with man others) when we just couldn't find anyone to even talk to about wanting to eat there. There needs to be a better system.
(3)
Ashok S.
Good food, but a little pricy. Be prepared to wait. We went there on Sunday and waited almost hour and half.
(4)
Bob M.
I used to love this place. The food is fantastic and a real treat. The problem is the wait. Until recently you couldn't make reservations here. Apparently they now accept reservations made 24 hours in advance. We did not know that and called to put our names on the list as we used to be able to do. Not allowed anymore, so we asked what the wait was over the phone. 35 minutes the hostess said. When we arrived in person to put our names on the list, the wait became an hour. We waited 40 minutes and checked back in. The wait was another 40 minutes. At this point we bailed and ended up at Biscuit Bitch downtown. My french toast hankering was left unsatisfied.
(2)
Kimber R.
They totally hook it up for brunch! I had the vegetarian risotto cake eggs benedict which was better than I expected. I expected a great breakfast, what I got was nothing less than perfect. Plus the coffee is really really good. Fantastic and very friendly staff as well.
(4)
Laura W.
I was in Seattle for a wedding this past weekend and the lovely ladies at the front desk of my hotel sent me here for breakfast. It was GREAT! I ordered the Rancher's Breakfast. The bacon was thick and perfectly done. The challah french toast was fantastic all on its own but then you get a trip to the toppings bar!!! The toppings bar has fresh fruits, whip creme, vanilla custard, nuts and of course maple syrup...soooo good! I may have gone a bit overboard with the toppings but everything was soo good. Not only was everything is fresh well cooked but the icing on the cake is that most of it is organic and sustainable! Which makes you feel like you did something good for the day. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars (and this goes for every restaurant I went to in Seattle) was that the service was really slow. I guess I am used to the speedy professional actors...uhh I mean waiters here in Los Angeles. Also, the waitress messed up a substitution in my order. But I will most definitely go back the next time I head to Seattle.
(4)
Evan L.
A hot organic mess. No better way to explain the ooey gooey goodness of my Challah french toast topped with fresh berries, whipped cream, and butter from Portage Bay's famous topping bar. This was in addition to the potatoes and sausage that came with my meal. A local friend of mine brought me here and it did not disappoint. The overall modern, laid-back vibe of the restaurant is a perfect day to spend a weekend morning with good company. Thankfully, there was no wait on my visit (mostly helped by the UW vs. Oregon game), but my understanding is that it can get pretty busy over the weekend. The servers were cheerful and unfazed, though the refills on water and coffee could've been a bit quicker. Back to the food - huge portions, and what was served up was absolutely delicious. Plenty of people bringing leftovers out the door. Overall, a great place to start the day.
(5)
Melanie K.
Worth the wait! Actually, we called ahead for a reservation so we didn't have to wait long at all. Out-of-towner friends were impressed, we were impressed. Dungeness crab cake Benedict was delightful. Mimosa was refreshing. Pepper bacon was good, too. Potatoes were boring, but hey, they were just potatoes. My husband's sausage scramble was almost as good as my crab Benedict.
(5)
Gina G.
I tried this place for breakfast for the first time today. We went early (just before 8am) and got a table just fine. The food came really quickly but... right away the food was practically cold! The breakfast (I ordered the lemon curd french toast) was tasty enough, but nothing to write home about. The portions are very filling at least and there were plenty of servers milling about serving refills on water and coffee. We had a ton of coffee refills, except the coffee was sort of bland. It actually reminded me of like a Denny's drip coffee. I did like the fruit bar option and went a few times to put some toppings on my french toast. Although I'm not sure why they need this bar. Just put it on the menu and serve it with the meal. I probably won't go back. I've definitely had way better restaurant breakfasts elsewhere.
(2)
Michele R.
On a recent trip to Seattle my friend took my husband and I out to breakfast to Portage Bay Cafe. It was so delicious on Saturday that we went on Sunday too!!! The Crab Cake Benedict was AMAZING! We also had the Bananas Foster French Toast that was so delicious that I hardly can come up with words to describe it. We also had a pitcher or mimosas with tangerine instead of orange juice which was great! Really delicious food, served in a timely manner. Although get there before 9 if you don't want to wait for a table!
(5)
Jonas C.
I have no idea what it is with these new places and the exposed plumbing and the high concrete ceilings, but this architecture seriously makes it hard to have a civil conversation in these restaurants nowadays. Anyways, food overall was pretty good, seated fairly promptly, and were serviced fairly quickly. But the ambiance, yes, I know, I was here for lunch, but I'd like to be able to hear what the person in front of me is saying without having to strain. Oh, and stick with brunch.
(3)
H D.
OMG. Delicious. The Toppings bar for the pancakes and French toast was even better than I imagined or described to me. The all organic fruit like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries along with fluffy homemade whipped cream, and smooth organic maple syrup, etc were wonderful taste sensations atop airy creations like the french toast and pancakes. For me, I put my toppings on the side and savored each bite. The fruit in WA is amazing! We went on a weekday morning and it was steady but then got really busy in the close to lunch hour. It was raining then stopped. When business people came in droves, I thought where will they go? But without a hitch, patio tables were dumped of water and were hand dried with towels. More dinners were led to a back "executive" room. Thankful we didn't attempt Sat. or Sunday as we couldn't imagine it much busier. The vibe is modern like warehouse meets office building on Terry Street. There is street parking and a parking garage nearby too. Staff is friendly enough. The manager is out roaming and troubleshooting. Prices are high for breakfast and brunch mid-week. Our tab was $97.00 for four. Their signature mugs welcome you and you know they are serious about you eating. (see photos) Coffee is $2.75 for a regular cup not a foo foo drink but regular but the coffee is good and does warm you on a rainy am. The breakfast entrees run $11 to $14 with extras like sausage or bacon sides being $3 and small juices costing $4. The food was delicious though and very filling. Our favorites included the Rancher's breakfast, the Migas and the pancakes. Pepper bacon and chicken sausage yum-o. Oh, and the organic fruit, did I mention it? Divine. You could close your eyes and believe you were eating on a farm in the middle of no where WA instead of downtown Seattle.
(5)
Jody N.
Love the all local - all organic concept of this restaurant! I traveled the full two blocks from my SLU condo to Portage Bay for my first brunch of the New Year. The place was rammed, but I am guessing that was because of the endless groups of hung-over people meeting up to discuss how great 08 was. I got the Phil's Breakfast, but was tempted by so many others (especially the glutten free pancakes! so on my list for the next visit)...and washed it all down with a "juice of your choice" mimosa (which is one of the yummiest/cheapest ones I have encountered in my Seattle brunch tour). So not only did I start off '09 feeling good about my local/organic meal, but I also left full and very satisfied about every last bite. I can't wait to go back!!!
(5)
Michelle Z.
I've been eating at the Portage Bay since the days of college, when I was only a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Roosevelt location. In those 3+ years of eating at this lovely location, I've had very few complaints. The owner-hosts are always cordial and friendly, and without a doubt, everything on the menu is loaded with amazing ingredients and bursting with flavor (evidenced by the fact that I always eat EVERY bite, no matter how full I am). The only thing is - the wait is, and always was, AWFUL! Lines out the door, wrapping the perimeter of the building! No...no...no... UNTIL...this new location! I arrived, put in our name, and imagine my surprise, only a 2 minute wait!! A mere 2 minute wait at Portage Bay-Roosevelt location is simply UNHEARD of! Inside I was jumping for joy - along with my hungry stomach. The decor echoes the original location, crew shells hung from the ceiling, and a tasteful mural montage of local organic growers that explains and justifies the word "organic" used about 5 times in each menu item. My prosciutto omelette was delicious beyond words, and my dining companion's berry and graham-cracker encrusted fresh toast was equally divine. While this new location is bigger, be prepared for the louder crowds, as there are significantly more tables (and higher ceilings) at this location. Ultimately, if you're a fan of Portage Bay, minus the waiting in line, get on down to South Lake Union, for the same (if not improved) brunch awesomeness.
(5)
Alexa H.
A little expensive but they have quite tasty grain salads, sandwiches, etc. very casual, feels a bit like a cafeteria
(4)
M H.
The food was tasty, though the environment was unwelcoming given the intense volume. The acoustics are terrible. The decor is open and welcoming but the volume is overwhelming. The menu is diverse and inspiring with mostly local products and seasonal. We were seated on time for lunch service, I had called with a reservation for 8. This followed attempting to have brunch several weeks before and we were told there was a 1 1/2 hour wait. Yikes! The wait isn't worth the experience. My experience at the University location has been much more positive - acceptable wait (30 min) and it was possible to hear the person sitting next to you during conversation.
(2)
Julie B.
Went to Portage Bay Cafe for brunch this morning and while I love the philosophy, Eat Like you Give a Damn, I'd like the food to taste like they give a damn... I ordered the Apple and Whole Wheat Pancakes, which were described as being infused with sauteed apples, raisins, pecans, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. Yes, the portions were generous, but in two large wheat pancakes I found one fingernail-sized chunk of apple and one raisin. The pancakes were dry and did not remind me of any aforementioned spices. The only saving grace was the topping bar, where I covered the pancakes in apples, raisins, brown sugar and syrup. All of a sudden they didn't seem so healthy... A fellow diner had the special french toast of the day. The toast itself was wonderful - made with delicious, soft challah cooked to perfection. But the special sauce was unremarkable. It was too subtle to really taste like anything. We kept saying, "It's...interesting, what is it supposed to be?" Service was good, the coffee flowed freely, we were seated immediately, and we never felt rushed desipte the incoming flood of post-Jingle-Bell-runners. I like the idea of Portage Bay Cafe, so I'll give it another try and hope for a tastier experience..
(2)
Diana L.
A cacophonous din greets. "Sit anywhere you like.", says the harried server. Sit and be ignored for 10 to 15 minutes. Water comes after a quarter of an hour, no lemon slice. Everyone around you has one. "Are you ready to order?" says the harried server. Uh - yeah. Food comes. Sadness. "How's yours?" "My potatoes are cold, undercooked and over seasoned." replies dining companion #1. "I don't think I'm going to eat my chicken." replies #2. "These crab cakes taste like freezer and I think they just used yellow food coloring to make this Saffron rice." you add. Grumble - eat it anyway, because you are fucking starving. Spit your side salad into your hand because it is SATURATED IN VINEGAR. "How is everything?" asks your harried server. "AWFUL." you reply. Your crab cakes are replaced by a mediocre lamb burger SLATHERED IN MAYO and another side salad with their PUCKER INDUCING DRESSING. But it's edible. Lucky for them, because you're thinking about the possibility of hitting the "breakfast topping station" and scarfing strawberries with one hand while you pelt the incompetents in the kitchen with the other. Fin.
(1)
Stacy V.
Food is amazing here! What I don't like is how dirty and gross the toppings bar get... By 11 on a Saturday, they don't seem to keep it clean which really grosses me out. Best egg whites in town.....My only other complaint is that I went for lunch and it took OVER AN HOUR for 2 plates of eggs and no one ever even apologized or seemed to care, our waiter purposely kept avoiding us and never refilled our waters.....But the good food will keep me coming back....
(3)
Veronica C.
Wanting to try something that I do not have in Vegas, my brother took us to Portage Bay. From what I understand, this place gets packed on the weekends, but because we went on a Wednesday morning, we were seated right away. It definitely took a while to decide on what I wanted since there were so many things I wanted to try. The boyfriend and I shared the Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict and a side of Italian chicken sausage. Wow. The benedict was made up of two decent sized crab cakes topped with spinach, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. It was so delicious! It was fresh and satisfying without being heavy. It also came with a side of breakfast potatoes which were yummy as well. I'm not a big breakfast potatoes person, but I loved these ones! The chicken sausage was good tool. These two items are definitely worth a try. I tried some of my brother's food. He ordered Phil's Breakfast which was just eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast. As simple as that sounds, it was really good! You can taste the quality of the freshness of all the ingredients. I appreciate how they use local, organic products. Our waitress was beyond accommodating! She was helpful with any questions we had and came back several times to check on how we were doing. I don't think our coffee or waters were half full before she came back and gave us refills. I doubt that I will be back in Seattle anytime soon, but when I do go back, I will make it a point to go back to Portage Bay. With delicious, fresh food and excellent service, you just can't go wrong!
(5)
Jessica M.
Great breakfast/brunch menu with many options. They do a good job with seasoning tofu (curry) and I had their tofu hash. Also, they have a toppings bar to add your own fruit, nuts, syrup,etc to all French toast/pancakes items. Servers were attentive and easy to track down which I have found to be difficult to find in Seattle.
(5)
Lindsey R.
This restaurant was highly talked about by friends who used to live in Seattle. To our disappointment it was one of the worst breakfasts we've ever had served by a blonde waitress with a very poor attitude. The time it took to take our order after being seated was over 20 min. on a Friday morning at 7:40. I had to get up to ask to have our order taken. Finally, she returned to take our order. It took quite awhile to receive our food and we asked again about how long it may be. When our food was delivered to our table it was either lukewarm or cold altogether. Our order had been sitting for quite some time to be delivered to the table like this and was not served at food safe temperatures. We had very high hopes and were very disappointed. We ordered a Mexican scramble of sorts and Swedish pancakes with a side of bacon and chicken or turkey sausage (looked raw inside). Our bill totaled $45 for 2 breakfasts that were served lukewarm and with a poor attitude. My boyfriend is in the restaurant business so he's well aware of what it takes to make customers satisfied. It was busy, say about 10-12 tables at most with customers, but not busy enough to be ignored or spoken to with attitude when we kindly asked to have our order taken. I imagine if our food had been served hot and delivered with a smile, we'd have gladly given Portage Bay a 5 star rating. However, we won't be returning anytime soon or recommending to others.
(1)
Kelly V.
Mmmm....my mouth is watering just thinking about the tasty food that is housed and made here (insert Homer in dreamy-land with drool waterfalling out of mouth). I have yet to eat anything here that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. From their pancakes (with pancake toppings bar) to their awesome Pork Sausage Omelette (smoked pork sausage, carmelized apples, shallots, and gouda)! Oh yeah! Awesome portions, and not badly priced (about $13 for breakfast with coffee). I haven't tried their food after breakfast but I can assume that it is just as tasty and filling.
(5)
Dylan P.
Great food. Would be 5 stars if it wasn't so loud at lunch.
(4)
Rebekah F.
If you care about the food you eat and demand the best organic, local and sustainable ingredients but still want fun choices, you will love this place. Its not fancy - a little trendy and hip but overall very casual. Its kind of in between something like Panera Bread and a sit-down restaurant. We went for breakfast and were pleasantly surprised. The food was great and the service was so warm and inviting. If I lived in Seattle, I would be a regular here. A great replacement to the so-called healthy chains that we are so used to seeing.
(5)
Jennifer A.
This place is always busy, but we had to wait when we went there on a Saturday morning. So, if you go on a week day you'll be fine, but on the weekend, get there before 9:00am and you should be fine. The first time I was there I ordered the Spinach and Goat Cheese Omelet and It was a huge portion and came with potatoes and the most delicious toasted bread. My only problem was that there was the tiniest amount of goat cheese. Seriously, if it's named as such, at least make sure there is more than a sprinkle in there. Now I wouldn't be complaining if my companion didn't get the same omelet that was oozing goat cheese. Consistency people, consistency :) So the second time I got the same omelet and wouldn't you know, just a sprinkle of goat cheese! But my daughter had a pancake and I'll have to say that it was the most divine piece if fluffy heaven that I've tasted. Maybe the best pancake I ever ate....
(2)
Greg L.
Not sure quite how to rate this place. The food was good...the service was okay...wish they would let me give 3.5 stars!!!!! Went for breakfast on a Tuesay with my wife and kids...first warning sign...No Kids menu. I realize this a trendy down-town place, but comeone...no Kids menu? I ordered the ham and cheddar scramble, my wife got the crab cakes Benedict, and we split an order of French Toast for our girls. My food was decent...I actually give big props to the potatoes...really good with lots of kick. And the wheat bread was very hearty. My wife said her crab cakes benedict was perfect. The french toast our kids got was pretty A-Ok also. Service was not bad, but for a place that was way closer to empty than full, it was not great. We were at our table for a full 7 minutes before being asked if we wanted coffee. So...if the food was that good, why do I want to give it three stars instead of 4? Maybe it's just a Seattle thing, but this place needs to get over itself. Fine, you are organic and sustainable...I get it. That doesn't mean breakfast for 4 people(two of them kids) should cost me over $55. And maybe that is my complaint...there are places in the burbs that serve Grounds for Change coffee and get local fruits and veggies... And I guess that's my problem...I don't have a problem paying for attmospher and ambiance when it is dinner with my wife....but at breakfast, I could without the pretentious touch.
(4)
V M.
We heard that the restaurant can have quite a line, so we called ahead on Sunday morning and they seated us within 3 minutes of arriving. Quite astounding, I'd say. The food was spectacular! The flavors just jump out at you. The potatoes have just enough of a kick without being spicy, but very flavorful. Eggs are scrumptious. The toppings bar had so many options! I was most impressed with their ability to provide a great, delicious breakfast sourced from local farmers providing organic and sustainably raised food! I found the prices extremely reasonable given how expensive local and organic raw food is at the store. The back of the waitstaff shirts say, "Eat as if you give a damn". What a way to make me feel good about eating breakfast. . Nothing like a little local-organic spin. I will eat here again with pleasure! I hope more restaurants work this hard to provide local and organic food.
(5)
Kim B.
My brunch club and I went here for our monthly outing. The space is really great -- high ceilings and large windows that let in tons of natural light. The seating wasn't too cramped and it wasn't too loud, despite being very full. My party of 12 was seated within 10 minutes on a Sunday morning, even though our entire party wasn't even there yet. In addition, 3 of the people accidentally went to the location in the U District. We told the server and she was super nice about it, took our drink orders and didn't pester us. I think I was more stressed out about our entire party not being there than she was. Once the entire party arrived and we ordered, the service slowed down a bit (it was pretty busy, but it became increasingly difficult to flag down our server to get things like water and the check) and the food was pretty decent. (One of my friends opted for the pancake which she LOVED, and I think I'm going to try the vegan pancake next time instead of the hash -- the hash has celery in it which I just find really odd and reminiscent of stuffing.) Another plus for Portage Bay was that we weren't given any attitude when it came to splitting up the bill into separate checks. (We try to do cash for brunch clubbing as much as possible but that doesn't always work out too well.) Also, the prices were VERY reasonable. Our entire table of 9 ate for about $160 (including tip and tax) and that includes coffee and/or mimosas for most of us. All in all it was pretty good and I want to go back for lunch or dinner, as I saw some menu items online that are vegan. Yay!
(3)
Kyla C.
Yum, super good breakfast! Everything here is fresh, organic and locally grown and you can taste it. I got the swedish pancakes this time with lingonberry butter, which was good, but the french toast with the lemon curd is delish. I don't eat eggs but they sure look good. The place is good sized and always packed, a good sign. If you're in the neighborhood check this place out.
(5)
nicole b.
living in south lake union brings me to Portage Bay from time to time....or, ok, almost every weekend! it's becoming so that i think the staff are starting to recognize my husband and i ... the good stuff: -sustainable, organic, local. who can complain about that?! -damn good coffee and fresh fruit juice mimosas....yum! -fruit topping bar! need i say more? -pretty much everything on their menu is delicious and you get a healthy portion of what you order (sometimes too much...) the bad stuff: -usually a long wait ....go early or be prepared to wait (though you can order coffee while you wait and read the paper...which can make the sight of the delicious topping bar, slightly less torturous). -the staff is laid back....so much so that sometimes you have to wait a while for your check. don't go if you are in a hurry. the upside, is that everyone is really friendly. bottom line: support this local eatery; you won't be disappointed....or don't .... and then i won't have to wait so long next time!
(5)
Rose B.
First, the concept of local / organic / sustainable food is an excellent one, so I give Portage Bay props for this. Second, the food is pretty solid. There are better brunches to be had in Seattle, but everything on the menu here is good (not spectacular). Third, they have big portions and a pretty wide variety of options. If you're in mixed company for brunch (foodies, picky eaters, people who correlate restaurant quality to portion size), Portage Bay is a true crowd-pleaser. Fourth, (speaking of crowds) Portage Bay gets super busy. Call ahead to avoid waiting in line. When you walk in to give your name or let the host know you've arrived, you have to be assertive or you'll never get attention. Here, large crowds equates to less-than-attentive service. Every time we've gone it has taken 20+ minutes after we finish eating to get the bill and pay. This is a problem for me because after I have finished my meal I get antsy like a 4-year-old. If you know what to expect, you'll have an A-OK brunch.
(3)
Vi L.
Good food but not worth a 60 minute wait
(3)
Jane M.
LOVED IT! amazing crab eggs benedict and the pancake toppings bar!! very fresh food. delicious :)
(5)
Michelle M.
My boyfriend and I have had several brunches at Portage Bay Cafe since it is so close to our gym. The food there is great. Today, we were so looking forwarded to having an omelet. However, that was not meant to be. We were seated. Waited five minutes without menus or anyone checking in on us. Our waitress went to the table right next to us (there were seated after us as well), took their order and did not even acknowledge our existence. After another five minutes, my boyfriend went up to the manager to ask for a waitress. The manager approached our waitress immediately. She proceeded to wait on 3 other tables. As we got up to walk out, she scurried over with menus. Too late. If she would have acknowledge our presence just once. We would not have walked out, but waiting over 10 minutes just get menus is abhorrent service. The food is great, but the service is HORRIBLE.
(2)
Connie L.
I've tried both an egg dish and the pancakes with a trip to the toppings bar -- both were delicious! As much I enjoyed my eggs, I think I'll go with pancakes again on my next visit and the berries at the toppings bar are great and make me feel better about eating such a big breakfast :) You can buy a trip to the toppings bar as a side for $6. You get one trip and you can take as much as you can fit on your plate, but the plate they give you is saucer sized so pretty small. It's good to split while you're waiting for your food if you're really hungry, but I think you could get a lot more fruit for $6 at the grocery store.
(5)
Mandy J.
I love this place! The food is always great and I've recently noticed the wait staff has improved, they are much more attentive. I come here every weekend and bring my out of town family and colleagues here all the time!!! Keep up the great worl
(5)
Katherine S.
This was the last straw. I have been going to both of the Portage Bay locations since they opened (one, then years later, the other) and I normally rave about the place and tell everyone I know to go there. In the last year however, I have been more and more disappointed by them every visit. My boyfriend and I went to the South Lake Union this morning and had the complete package experience of why I will no longer be frequenting the establishment. It was crowed, something I expect. We were told we'd have a wait of 20 minutes, which I think is totally reasonable for Saturday morning at 11 am. They said they were calling outside, so we waited outside near a few other groups and waited. For quite a while. "Man, it must be busier then I thought..." I mused. We went in and sat inside where some room had opened up. Now 40 minutes into our wait we notice that the host (John, the main guy) had been seating people that we had seen just walk in. By now I'm blood sugar dangerous and was concerned about screaming, so my boyfriend calmly asked what was up. He said he had called us, and we'd not responded. Um... what? No. My boyfriend (still wayyyy more calm then I) politely said that we had been waiting right outside near other groups and then directly inside, so there must have been a mistake. The host seriously looks at him and goes "Oh I probably just didn't see two people alone outside so didn't call your name out there." Ok. Fine. So he says he'll give us the "next table". No apology, nothing. Fine. He seated 3 more tables in front of us, until my slightly peeved boyfriend said something. He said "oh right, you guys" turned to the two that he'd just called and said "they'll have to go first", to which the two seemed super pissed at us for "stealing" their table... (try waiting 50 minutes, then get pissed guys). We sat down and waited 10 minutes for anyone to stop by. The waiting didn't cease there Yelpers! We ordered right away, took 15 minutes for water and coffee, then another 45 minutes for food. I would have liked my meal a lot more if I had the proper utensils in which to cut with (no knives, no waitress to ask for knives from) or if anyone had ever apologized or acted like they cared about my (or others) patronage AT ALL. I'm just done. I get that they are busy. I get that the food is mostly organic/local/sustainable. That is why I'm ok with paying $15 for a plate of breakfast! But when you are paying more then usual, waiting more then usual, the service better be at least decent! If you also love Portage Bay, please join me in a temporary ban of their restaurant. Please don't go back until they get their shit together. Portage Bay, please get your shit together. I love everything you formed your restaurant on, and I'd love to go back and pay a lot for a wonderful breakfast that doesn't leave me feeling unappreciated and in a generally horrible mood.
(1)
Jack B.
First off, I think the food here is great. I work nearby and come here often. This review is solely based on the terrible service I received when I stopped in last week for lunch. I found our server, Nichole (according to the receipt), to be rude and unhelpful, and I found myself pretty angry about it as I left... hence the 1 star review. I am not likely to be returning anytime soon.
(1)
Christine H.
I have been here 3 times and 2/3 times it was the most amazing food I have ever had with excellent service. I have nothing but compliments for this restaurant and am really quite impressed. However yesterday, the third time I went, was significantly declined from my past experiences. My friend and I sat for around 10 minutes without even being seen by the waitress. I finally caught the manager's eye and he motioned to one of the waitresses and we got our order in. The food came out quickly which was a positive. I ordered just the regular pancakes and was pretty disappointed; the wheat pancakes I'd had in the past were AMAZING, and I didn't feel like their normal pancakes were that great at all - they were pretty dry and just didn't taste that great. The toppings bar was all frozen berries, which I can understand since it is December, but I was still disappointed. All in all, I think it's a great restaurant and I will go back; just be aware that service can be hit or miss, the toppings bar is not that impressive in winter, and the regular pancakes aren't that exciting. Otherwise, there is some fantastic food and a great atmosphere!
(4)
Sarah S.
I would like to give the new Portage Bay four stars, but I'm going to make them earn it. I like going to places and running in to people I know. This happened here, so points for that. Liked the ambiance. Love the photos on The Wall. Like the idea of the toppings bar. And I don't know how they do it, but the seeds in the fresh squeezed berry lemonade don't get stuck in your teeth. Like that everything is 80% organic or whatever, and that I wasn't stuffing myself with greasy hangover breakfast food. I ordered the chorizo scramble with egg whites, and was pleased with my choice except that I always forget that egg whites always make dishes kind of watery. My own fault. There were a few funny bell pepper bites that I could have done without, and I could have done with a lil more spice, since I was ordering from the "Southwestern Flavor" portion of the menu. The potatoes weren't particularly flavorful- but they looked like they SHOULD be. There is something... robotic... about the people who work here. Which is fine, they were all nice robots and did a great job, but fellow yelper Leah J. and I agreed that they emitted strange vibes. To Do Differently Next Time: Order sweet instead of savory, so I can take advantage of the toppings bar- or order the eggs benedict, which is hard to mess up.
(3)
Edward K.
Great food and great atmosphere. Surprisingly great for casual business meetings. You can always depend on quality food & service here.
(5)
Chris C.
AMAZING BREAKFAST. This place has the best breakfast Ive ever had. Local, yummy, and very creative.
(5)
Janna T.
Organic, Local & Fresh!!!! Portage Bay is a favorite for breakfast/brunch. I ALWAYS get the french toast!! They use Blazing Bagels Challah Bread and it is to die for! Combined with their delicious toppings bar (including OMG the best whipped cream ever), it makes for a mouth-watering dining experience. Make sure you get a side of herb-roasted red potatoes to add that little bit of salt to your sweet breakfast! I am always wanting to try new things before I get there, but as soon as I walk in the toppings bar calls to me!
(5)
Sean E.
I visited the Portage Bay Cafe a few weeks back and enjoyed the outside seating and novel cornbread and black bean/pancetta "Benedict" enough to give the place a four-star review. We returned today hoping to win more converts but the experience was so bad I've rescinded my praise and replaced it with a pan. My friend wanted to order pork sausage on a scramble normally served with chicken sausage. Our waitress matter-of-factly told him that all of the sausage on the menu is chicken sausage, despite the fact that there are multiple items that clearly contain pork sausage (e.g. the "pork sausage omelet"). She did allow the substitution when he pointed this out to her, though. Alas, the entrees we received were some of the worst breakfast entrees we've had in a long time. My so-called "corned beef hash" ($12) had about as much to do with real corned beef hash as that stuff in a can, served as tiny slices of deli-style corned beef mixed with some vegetables. The whole point of corned beef hash is to enjoy the delicious texture of chunks of corned beef, so serving it in a way that highlights neither the flavor or texture defeats the entire purpose. The aforementioned pork sausage scramble ($10.50) was genuinely awful. When my friends stopped eating his meal and announced to us that he found the sausage "revolting", we didn't believe him at first. But upon trying a few bites the rest of us agreed that combination of strong smokiness and overwhelming sweetness was truly terrible. The chorizo scramble ($11) went over better, and we all enjoyed the home fries, but like hell I'm letting any restaurant get away with doing these things to corned beef and pork sausage. That these bad entrees were clearly due to the menu planning of a deranged mind rather than mere kitchen errors doesn't make me want to delve deeper into the menu. I don't think they've hired enough servers, let alone servers who actually know what they are doing (I should add that we were chastised for not splitting the check evenly). Last time there was one server for the entire outdoor area, including a table of ten, and this time there seemed to be no more than two people working the floor. Don't go to the superfluous host station - even if they claim to take your name, only the wait list of the guy running around calling out names means anything so you'll need to get his attention to get a table. What a disaster this has turned out to be, and a real shame considering the seeming breadth of the menu and how nice the location and outdoor seating are. There are certainly a few tasty things on the menu, but there are also some landmines and it's obvious that they have absolutely the general service flow is supposed to work. Maybe you should give the Portage Bay Cafe a shot if you feel lucky and/or you are more concerned with whether or not your ketchup is organic than with whether or not the meal will necessarily be any good, but otherwise I'd recommend avoiding the place until they get their act together. I doubt I'll be back.
(2)
Jason S.
At first, I was a little worried that we would have to wait a long time for a table, but my wife and I were seated after only five or ten minutes. Yay! On our way to the table we passed the toppings bar which consists of fresh fruits, nuts, butter, and syrup. It looked so inviting. The seating area is a little crowded and noisy so, if you're looking for an intimate breakfast for two, this is not the place for you. They are able to accommodate pretty large groups which may make breakfast with lots of you friends a nice experience. I watched several of the people nearby enjoying their food. Everyone, adults and children, seemed happy and pleased with their meals. We ordered orange juice and coffee while we looked over the menu. The orange juice tasted fresh and the coffee was nice. I especially liked that their coffee mugs have big handles...I hate those little dainty cups that only allow the tip of your index finger and thumb to be useful. Everything sounded great. It was hard to choose. I had made up my mind before choosing this place that I wanted pancakes, but after seeing the Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict I quickly changed my tune. Thankfully, my wife ordered the Swedish Pancakes and I was able to have both my desires satisfied. The crab cakes were fantastic. The hollandaise sauce was creamy and smooth, and all the flavors complimented each other very well. Having ordered pancakes, my wife was able to select an assortment of berries from the toppings bar. I think every single berry that found it's way into my mouth was perfect. The ligonberry butter for the Swedish Pancakes was extremely tasty. Overall, I thought Portage Bay Cafe was a hit. I definitely recommend it for breakfast and I'll will be making many more trips there in the future.
(4)
Koriann B.
I had such high hopes and they were dashed. Our table wasn't ready until 20 minutes AFTER our reservations. The service was slow and, frankly, left much to be desired. Of a party of seven, four people's dishes were wrong. The never refilled drinks (not even water!) and we had to ask for everything because no one once came by to check on us. The get three instead of two because I am still harboring hope that if I give them a second chance they'll be better. Plus, the food that we ended up with (which wasn't what we wanted) was okay, but not great.
(3)
K F.
Fantastic!
(4)
Alex H.
Good Quality Organic Food. Big portions sizes.
(4)
Neal M.
I have to say that I was disappointed with Portage Bay Cafe. I had heard many good things about the place. My wife and I ordered a sweet dish, bananas foster french toast, and a savory dish, corned beef hash to share. I love the fact that they really strive to use organic and local ingredients and you know where the eggs, meat, milk, etc comes from. The toppings bar is nice but unless you get a pretty plain order of french toast or pancakes I don't really see you making the most of it. The food was pretty good. The french toast was tasty but for all of the awesome ingredients that it had, it didn't blow me away or anything. I also found the corned beef hash to be pretty mediocre and would not order it again.
(3)
Erin G.
The Benedict crab cakes are phenomenal! I had to order them twice in three days. Heaven.
(4)
Doctor D.
Very disappointing. I was really looking forward to trying this place, and it was to be the start of a delightful self- reward day. Unfortunately, even on a not-crowded Friday morning, they failed me. I came in and was "seated" by the manager (the only fella in a tie). He didn't actually take me to my table, just sort of gestured to some open ones and told me to pick. Apparently, he didn't pass that on to any of his staff because I sat there for over 10 minutes. Couldn't wave down anyone for the life of me, till a staff person came over and asked if she could steal the hot sauce off my table for another customer. At that point, no water or napkins on the table, I told her I hadn't been acknowledge and she only could offer up that she wasn't a waiter (it clearly wasn't her fault). On my way out, I tried to get the manager, but he was not around. A wait person (one that had passed my table countless times, not meeting my desperate gaze) also volunteered that it wasn't her fault because I wasn't sitting in her section, and she "didn't even see [me]". No apology. No accepting of responsibility. No seeking out the manager. Very disappointing. I know that stuff like this happens...even the best places are not immune, but it was sad and telling that no one took responsibility and actively looked for a solution.
(1)
Margaret D.
The hostess is incompetent and the manager is condescending. Tried to make a reservation in advance and was told they weren't doing that today. We get there and are told the wait is thirty minutes to an hour. An hour and a half later we were about twenty names from the top, but they were seating people from another reserved list. Inconsistent reservation policies. No apologies. Won't be returning.
(1)
Dennis S.
Amazingly fresh food in a great space. Plenty of seating but can still get busy on the weekends. The topping bar always looks amazing, but I always go for eggs. They're willing to substitute meat with spinach and mushrooms, which made this place a favorite for me.
(5)
David S.
This place is really, really good! We finally decided to try it and we were very impressed. I had the Greek Omelette - which was fantastic! I wasn't sure how it would be, put it really was the perfect omelette - it had the right amount of egg/cheese/stuffing ratio and the wheat bread and potatoes that came with it was very good. My partner had the buckwheat pancakes with the toppings bar, which was also very good. Very happy overall and will definetely go back.
(4)
Becky W.
This is one of my favorite spots for weekday lunch meetings. Great big room, easy to hear and talk, central location. And usually awesome food... I've had several great meals here, and today was good, but - well, average. I (and everyone else at the table!) had the Prawns & Chicken Salad. It sounded so good, with peppers, noodles, mixed greens and a coconut dressing. The dressing was so subtle and the peppers were all very limp. It just didn't have much kick to it. I ate it, of course, and searched for every last little prawn, but I was not overwhelmed, or even whelmed, with the salad. The bread was very good and soft - hints of rosemary baked in too. Again, many times before I've loved the lunches (great soups, fish dishes, and plenty of yummy organic offerings) - and the service is always very good. I also appreciate the fact that they promote all of the theaters in town with a lovely display of promotional posters - support your local arts scene - cool!
(4)
Brendan M.
Talk about dashed expectations! I had wanted to try the Portage Bay Cafe after hearing about their organic, locally sourced ingredients and their new South Lake Union location. And once I actually saw the place in person, I was impressed. Huge windows, high ceilings with exposed ducts, light wood tables, smooth concrete floors -- Portage Bay Cafe looked like the perfect industrial-chic place to go for a nice breakfast or lunch. And with the streetcars going by and the mid-rise construction projects going up across the street, I was feeling especially optimistic. And when I saw the tofu and soba noodle salad on the menu, I had to try it. The description led me to believe that I would be getting a salad composed primarily of cold soba noodles and tofu, with greens and vegetables being secondary or even tertiary ingredients. I was somewhat surprised, therefore, when my meal arrived: The main ingredients appeared to be greens and tomatoes. There was a generous pile of cubed, marinated tofu on top, but the soba noodles were so few in amount as to be little more than a garnish. I ate all the tofu -- which, I have to admit, had a fantastic taste and texture -- and picked at the vegetables and noodles. But after I ate the vegetables, noodles, and tofu, I was staring at a considerable pile of lettuce dressed with a tasty vinaigrette. I'm not much of a salad person because most salads are a chore to eat, so when the waitress offered to box up my leftovers for me, I told her, "No thanks; I'm finished." Also, the bread was pretty dry and crumbly. Could it have been stale? I would gladly come here again to try breakfast (they have blintzes!), but I would never again take a chance on an unusual entree -- no matter how good it sounds, it could easily lead to disappointment.
(2)
Reverie L.
i always write cruddy reviews but this place was DELICIOUS & the service & cleanliness was amazing :) EAT HERE ! & get the potatoes.. thanks PB !
(5)
Eric H.
I liked my food -- migas -- and the service was good. But the room is very noisy, to the point where it's hard to have a conversation.
(3)
Jen F.
Let me get this off my chest: the food was awesome. I had the Migas breakfast and it hit the spot. Eggs wrapped in a tortilla and smothered with cheese and salsa. I split it with a friend who got one of the monthly specials with poached eggs, greens and mushrooms. Both meals were delicious. My one complaint applies to any place this well known: the wait. We waited over an hour for breakfast, and given the time (11:30am on a Sunday) this isn't completely absurd but not completely welcome either. In comparison to a lot of other places you might wait, this feels a little like sitting in a school cafeteria. You don't have the shelter of a booth seat to hide you until you're fully awake. But the food? The food was excellent.
(4)
Yooli H.
While I agree with others that service is just ok, the breakfast at this place gets a top review and is well worth a little long suffering. This S lk union location is also far superior to the others as far as taste and space. Highly recommend the Isineros chicken sausage scramble which has perfectly cooked fennel within adding a surprising and enjoyable texture/flavor combo. The chorizo sausage scramble i also a winner. Oh and the organic berry bar is awesome! Gotta love and support their support of local and organic foods. The skirt steak breakfast is delish and u don't feel so guilty having steal for breakfast when u know it's grass fed and filled with omega 3's. This place is without a doubt one of the best breakfast spots I'm seattle and worth the wait.
(5)
A T.
Seriously yummy brunch. The bf took me here for my birthday brunch and I was a happy camper. The crowd seems to ebb and flow on Saturdays. We got there at 10:30a and there were tons of people waiting. By 11:30, the wait was much shorter. We got the Wild Berry Compote Challah French Toast and Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict. First of all, the portions are huge. The French Toast was sooo good and you also get a trip to the Toppings Bar. I sent the bf who came back with a beautiful array of fruits on top of the French Toast. I thought the blackberries were the best since they were really fresh. The strawberries were fresh but a little tasteless. I was a little put-off by the fact that they used frozen blueberries though (frozen blueberries should never be served because you can taste the freezer in them.) Perhaps in the summer they'll have fresh blueberries? But anyway, this wouldn't stop me from coming back and ordering the French Toast again. It kind of overshadowed the Crab Eggs Benedict which was good in it's own right even though they over poached one of the eggs. When (not if!) we go back, I'd probably want to order them again, but would force myself to branch out and try other things. p.s. We were sitting at the tables behind the bar, and after reading about the bad service reviews on Yelp and not seeing our server come to the area at all for at least 5 minutes (and probably because I was really hungry), I felt I had to be proactive. I went up to the bar and asked another server to tell our server that we were ready to order. Our server came by pretty quickly after that and actually pretty frequently throughout the rest of the meal. I had feared we would be shafted given the poor reviews and the location of our table, but we ended up getting pretty good service!
(4)
Scott H.
I had a great southwest breakfast dish here. I highly recommend this place!
(4)
j b.
Hear is the letter I sent Portage Bay.....neddless to say it will be a long while before I go back! On Sunday the first of August a friend and I ventured to your restaurant for brunch. I have been in many times prior to this experience so I did expect a wait to be seated as usual, however this time around I was met with a new obstacle. While we waited for our bill for thirty minutes after we finished our meals with no refills on water, coffee or juice, it hit me that having the staff be mindful of such things would have freed up our table quicker for someone else waiting for a table, and thus turn over time on your tables would be greater and more customers would have been served. Forgive me but wouldn't that mean more money in your pocket and happier patrons? With waiting and a not so pleasant attitude provided by your staff aside, the actual problem was that we found a worm in our food. Now I am truly understanding of this happening due to the organic nature of your food which is why I do come to your restaurant, my friend however was extremely unhappy by this. But what was more upsetting was that we had to flag someone down, which took at least twenty minutes, and in that time I was over half way done with my brunch. Once we did get someone over to our table there never once was an apology mentioned from the waiter (who was not our waitress as she was missing for 95% of our visit) he simply stated "it's organic fruit I'll get you another one". Is it so hard to say I am sorry there is a worm wiggling around on your blueberry looking up at you? With no apology and another thirty minute wait for a new plate of food topped off with our waitress taking forever to bring us our bill we were charged for the French toast with a visitor, I am truly surprised we stuck around to even pay our bill. Just because you do have amazing food poor service on occasion is okay, but to be consistently sub par makes me think twice about returning to your restaurant.
(1)
Aaron B.
All natural cafe? A few months ago my wife and I visited a cafe in Santa Barbara, California called the All Natural Cafe. We went there for lunch and fell in love with the place. We really wished that Seattle had a place that served all organic foods and drinks. Well, wifey, here it is! You must visit... I tried to get into Portage Bay Cafe a few weeks ago on a late Sunday morning but they had an hour and a half wait so we decided to go elsewhere. Today, for lunch, they were busy, but I got in! I had an Iced Tea (which was refilled 3Xs without me asking - thank you), and an organic burger with cheese and bacon (although it does not sound healthy, I feel better knowing it was organic). Seattle - we need more places like this - all organic! I'll be back, and wifey, I know you'll be back too.
(5)
Parker M.
This is a great place for lunch and breakfast. The food is fresh and there's a toppings bar with quite an assortment to choose from - great for pancakes and french toast. Service is friendly, but sometimes slow depending on how busy it is. Overall, I recommend it, and will be going back. Definitely a good place to take visitors / friends / family.
(4)
Steve H.
Our group of 7 went for brunch on Memorial Day and of course the place was packed with people enjoying the great food and Pearl-District vibe (Is South Lake Union finally getting there?). We had called ahead to get our name on the list and had been given a 60 minute estimated wait time, so we were able to take our time getting there. We were seated right when they said we would, and the friendly waitress took drink orders right away, and then came back to take food orders. Both drinks and food were served by smiling servers in a reasonable amount of time. Everyone enjoyed the food, and the toppings bar for the pancakes and french toast dishes. My Joe's Scramble was very good with the chicken sausage and baby spinach. The "roasted" potatoes could have been crisper and more seasoned. The bread they use for toast is thick and delicious. The only caution I have is to be sure to check your bill. Our server overcharged us by $35, and had it not been for some diligence on one of our friends' part, it would have been easy to miss it in the tab. (The tab had the mandatory gratuity included twice, and overcharged a side of bacon by $10). Just a shrug of apology from the server when she brought the revised check after being questioned.
(3)
Annie J.
It's nice not to have to trek all the way over to Roosevelt to eat at Portage Bay. I love the new location plus the wait is much shorter in South Lake Union. The toppings bar is fantastic and a lovely addition to pancakes, waffles or french toast. Plus you can get challa french toast. Yum. I also love that you can get coffee while you're waiting for your table.
(4)
ed b.
I had a great breakfast experience this morning. The restaurant is clean and the service was fast and friendly. I had the organic pancakes and they were outstanding as was the french toast my son had. The fruit bar was well maintained and had excellent choices. The off street parking was also a plus.
(4)
Hans G.
Wonderful, wonderful food. But the place is a bit sterile and very loud. Some canvas hanging from the ceiling might fit the decor and would do wonders for being able to hear yourself think.
(4)
Dana A.
Best breakfast potatoes ever. The fruit bar is very inviting and everything is fresh. This is one of those places where you want to try stuff just by seeing it on someone else's plate. Prices are reasonable too, I hope they stay that way. The only minus point is that it does get a bit loud at times since it is one big room that sits everybody and lots of families come here for brunch, but I guess you can pick your hours. Best potatoes ever.
(4)
Matt B.
As good as it gets for breakfast in Seattle. The menu is very extensive including, omelettes, scrambles, pancakes and more. The fresh fruit bar for your pancakes and french toast is also a nice touch. Plenty of seating, and room for large groups.
(5)
Amy B.
I love this place mainly because I can get these amazing pancakes /crepes/french toast or whatever carb of my choice ladened with a variety of berries that I love and yummy whipped cream. Their other menu options are fun as well and not your typical, run-of-the-mill Denny's style breakfast. It's right up my palate. :)
(5)
cara l.
Food was great. It's pretty busy. Was not happy with my first visit. The lady who served us gave my 3 yr old daughter a cup of water with a lid and a straw. She started complaining because she couldn't get any water by sucking on it....I opened the lid and looked at the straw thinking it must just be bent or something....IT WAS CHEWED ON! about two inches up with bite marks! SO NASTY. I confronted the server and she had no explanation and was kind of a bitch and got defensive. I know mistakes happen and had she just admitted she wasn't paying attention and grabbed a used straw and or lid I wouldn't be so mad. Instead, she denied it, lied, said it was a fresh straw and sometimes she pinches the straws to get the in the cup. I do that myself and I know what it looks like to pinch a straw.....I don't however do it with my teeth so you cant even suck water through it. Lets just be grateful she didn't give my daughter some nasty communicable disease.
(2)
Tom S.
Food quality was pretty good, I like their corned beef hash, and various omelettes. I've also tried their sweet breakfasts such as french toast, pancakes, etc. I have nothing to complain about the food quality. However, the service was bad. We sat at the bar, and we had to flag one of the servers (many of whom walked back and forth without asking us if we are ready to order). It took a long time to get the beverage and the check. They should assign a server for the bar area.
(3)
Ariel S.
Very happy to have a larger, closer Portage Bay. The food is fabulous as always, and I very much appreciate The Wall that shows where all the organic local food comes from. Service is definitely still ramping up, but I'll give 'em a little time to figure it out ... because seriously: the ability to walk in on a Saturday at 11am and be immediately seated with access to the delicious fruits and whipped cream of the breakfast bar within 10 minutes? HEAVEN. So very very heaven.
(4)
Tammy V.
it was pretty good - not sure what the hype is about. surprisingly we didn't have to wait @ all but we came around noon-ish on a saturday and it was only a table for two. i ordered the seasonal french toast and my bf ordered the benedict. the 'berry' french toast was good and it let me go to the toppings bar (which i read is something you have to try). i can't complain cuz it was good but i don't get how people eat this for breakfast/brunch - it's sooo sweet once you get past the first slice. since they were already berry flavored i didin't add too many toppings but i tried the fruit on the side from the bar - fruit was cool - nothing to shout about - but i did like the whip cream. the eggs benedict okay/good - it takes alot to say eggs bene is bad though for me. :) they come w/ seasoned potatoes which i didn't really like. they almost taste like baked potatoes w/ just some cajunish seasoning on top. the fresh OJ was good :) for two we spent about $35.
(3)
Amanda B.
We drive to Seattle just to eat here! Great food, they use local growers & products. The oatmeal is my fav!
(4)
Will K.
Definitely my favorite breakfast spot in Seattle. I usually stick to the Rancher's Breakfast, which is good if you like tons of food. Make sure you order the chicken basil sausage!
(5)
Joanne J.
Our family went here at 9am on a Sunday morning. It was a family breakfast to celebrate my 2yo niece's birthday. We waited about 45' for a table. In had no problem with this as it is well known fact how busty they are. And I have no complaints about the food. It was good. The atmosphere was extremely crowded at the entrance and at our table-we were a jammed in next to other tables. The following are the reasons I will NOT return here. 1. Service was terrible. I asked for a glass of Coke & was served an unopened can with a straw. Really? Had to request a glass & did finally get one. 2. Asked server if they had something besides wheat bread because I have allergies. Her initial response, with attitude, was "I don't know." Really? She thn said they might have something and she would check & let me know. Never got back to me. Was served toast with my breakfast that was not wheat, at least. 3. Now that gets good. When we were served, my daughter who is 3mos pregnant, was told her meal would be out in a minute. That minute turned into enough time that the rest of us were almost done with our meals. really? 4. She had ordered grits & kale with two over medium eggs. She made a point of telling the server that she did not want them runny. (Uncooked egg yolks are not recommended for pregnant woman.) She all ordered shrimp on the side. When she got her order the eggs were undercooked & there was no shrimp. Of course the server did not stay long enough for anyone to tell her. It was 5mins before we could get get attention. During this time, the shrimp still did not show up. My daughter finally got her new eggs(cooked properly) & after that her shrimp showed up. How warm do you think her grits were by then? Not yummy. 5. Now the icing on the cake. Remember I saify we were here for my niece's 2nd birthday? We were sure to open the presents during the meal so as to not take up extra time at the end of the meal. So we had just finished boxing up food when the anger came over & offered a free lunch if we would vacate the table ASAP as he really needed to seat another party. He then said he would give two free lunches. Really? Really? How rude was this!! But we graciously packed up & left. I would like to add that my niece's grandmother was here from Chicago for two days to be a part of the birthday celebration. Thanks for the nice impression you made, Portage Bay Cafe. Thanks for the bad memory. I will not be returning again. Once was enough.
(2)
Dawn A.
I really don't know what all the hype is about Portage Bay Cafe. The service was okay .. . although they lacked serve from right, pick up from left knowledge and were to identify the cue of knife and fork together on the plate mean I'm done . . . even if there is still 2/3 or my meal on the plate. Was there a reason 2/3 of my meal was still on the plate, actually, yes. The Dirty Saffron rice was completely over cooked and under seasoned. The crab cakes were OK. Nothing to right home about. I did find the ginger interesting, but overwhelming of the delicate crab. There was some unidentifiable sauce, a remoulade maybe? With unidentifiable components on which the cakes were 'artfully' plated. Would I go back . . . only if I had to.
(2)
Jonas K.
If you like pancakes then you'll love Portage Bay. I loved the fresh fruit that covered my flaps.
(4)
Mary G.
I recently went to Portage Bay Cafe/ S. Lake Union for lunch, deciding to give this restaurant one more try after a year of bad /slow service. One time, a burger I ordered arrived nearly raw, and it took the entire meal to order a new one. A few weeks ago, I ordered what I thought would be a fabulous salad - tuna with egg on greens. The tuna arrived with clumps of fat on top of it. I realize this isn't a health hazard, but I didn't have to look far for that. I soon spotted a hair in the salad, and sent it back via the server. The server said that was the last of this salad (lucky me!), and I had lost my appetite and didn't want to order anything else. Soon, my friend who had ordered a burger found a hair in her food. The manager said he'd come over and talk with us about this, and see what he could do. Trouble is, he never came over and we were still charged for a third friend's meal, even though she lost her appetite. Once I started looking online, I noticed health inspection violations at both the Roosevelt location and S. Lake Union. Eaters beware is all I gotta say.
(1)
Marchello G.
This place is great. It is usually pretty busy for breakast so be ready to wait, but the wait is well worth it. The French Toast is awasome and the topping bar is something to experice. There hollidase is deffetaly worth trying as well. They had a duck hash that I tried that was pretty good as well. One thing you can depend on is that you are getting the best and freashest inreadients avalaible. Portage Bay Cafe is deffetaly worth trying for breakfest you wont be disapointed.
(4)
Melissa M.
Found this place while looking for restaurants that had some local, organic food options. We went to the 391 Terry Ave N location on the 22nd and it was wonderful! Our server, Alice, was kind and attentive. We got the Apple French Toast, Orange Juice, Scrambled Eggs, Toast and a "Toppings Bar" side. The Toppings Bar is amazing!!! They have whip cream and brown sugar along with tons of wonderful fresh fruits...blueberries, strawberries, rasberries, blackberries, apples, etc. The French Toast plates were enormous...we could definitely have split it between 2 people (there is a fee for sharing meals but understandable since fruit bar is included with the order). They also provide blankets for people having to wait outside. :)
(5)
Becca S.
come hungry! huge portions, really delicious
(4)
Jeff H.
My friend swears by Portage, but after eating here, I don't really get what the hype is all about. Average all the way around is the best way I can describe it. The french toast was really heavy, and was lacking in flavor. Service was slow, despite the restaurant being almost empty. Parking is also a disaster around this location. The experience wasn't so bad that I'm reconsidering my friendship with the individual that brought me, but I'm fairly confident I won't be returning to Portage Bay anytime in the near future.
(2)
Brandon A.
So excited they now take reservations rather than wasting your beautiful Sunday morning waiting. We went this morning and were seated immediately. The servers are very friendly, though I never did get a water refill. Coffee was always full. I want to like this place SOOO bad but I just don't. The food isn't great.. At all. It's all fresh and high quality but lacks flavor, greatly. The potatoes were way undercooked today. The eggs were somewhat rubbery and weren't seasoned. The bacon was way too crispy but that could be subjective. It's like PCCs food. High quality, organic, healthy, but lack of taste... And expensive. Skip and go to Lolas on 4th instead.
Breakfast indulgence without guilt, because the quality, organic, local ingredients makes it all worth the calories. Been here twice and it consistently pleased me. Also hot spot to take people visiting from out of town or for special events like Mother's Day or family gatherings. Recommend: banana foster French toast, corn beef hash, crab cake eggs Benedict, and green chili omelet. If you order pancakes or French toast dishes you can visit the extravagant fruit toppings bar no charge.
(5)
Jason C.
Two words: toppings bar... Great brunch spot serving traditional American fare, but not too heavy. I highly recommend ordering the French toast or pancakes to take advantage of the fruit toppings bar (because it's the best)
(4)
Megan S.
The food here is solid, the wait can get long and its super busy on the weekends. My favorite is the topping bar that comes with their pancakes!
(3)
Erin D.
I went here once and LOVED the food, which was apparently all of the specials menu. Mostly, I was excited to have inventive gluten free veggie options. I've been twice since, and it's been SO lackluster. I stated at our last visit my intention to never go back, and my partner and her friend breathed huge sighs of relief to never be dragged there again. 1) The atmosphere sucks. Think military base commissary or slightly fancy high school cafeteria. LOUD and crowded. Uncomfortable. Impossible to have meaningful conversations, and difficult to communicate with your server. 2) The service. They're nice and they mean well, but they're perhaps just over burdened? Last time I was there, they got my order wrong twice (including putting English muffins in a specified gluten-free meal... C'mon) and the food was cold. 3) The food. It's actually just mediocre, with the exception of the bread, which is delicious and made in house I think. The gluten free pancakes are a novelty, but no better than what you could make at home. Unless they happen to have a creative special at the time, it's no better than standard diner fare, but WAY more expensive in a less intimate environment. Moral of the story, I'm never going back. And I recommend going elsewhere.
(2)
Taylor B.
This was my first day dining here and it was amazing. Our server was Eric and he was completely delightful as well as meeting the Manager John. Very homey feeling. I ordered the goat cheese crepes and I would have made myself sick because I couldn't stop eating them. I have already looked at getting a group and meeting there again next weekend. Great place. Great location. Great service
(5)
Kat J.
Our reservation was bumped by the owner for a group that made their reservation at the wrong restaurant. We had to wait almost 20 minutes for a table and when we complained he basically told us to be happy we got one. The two stars are for the wait staff for putting up with him on a daily basis. They said he is like that always and they did their absolute best to t try to make up for his sheer lack of professionalism and disregard for his customers. Our group visited this place multiple times a month in the past but will no longer.
(2)
J K.
Great food. You can tell they really take time to think about how to make a good meal. The atmosphere is a little cafeteria-like and the service is a little slow.
(4)
Daniel P.
One of my favorite places. French Toast are bomb. I've had Eggs Benedict with Crab Cakes and that was a 5/5 for sure. Everything taste good.
(4)
Hayley S.
I happen to be a fan favorite of the Roosevelt location and this one exceeded expectations! I ate here for a 10-person brunch, recently. I love how they cater to individual substitutions without a flinch. Every menu item is fool-proof and with the amazing selection of local fair, you really can't go wrong. Anytime out-of-towners make their way to Seattle for a visit, I insist on Portage Bay. Tip: portions are huge! My husband an so typically share an egg entree with a side of bacon with more than full tummies!
(5)
Gina J.
My friends and I stopped by Portage Bay on a Sunday morning. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes before we got seated, but luckily they had some coffee available to keep you warm. They'll just add it to your tab when you get to your table. My friends RAVED about their breakfast bar. It's a buffet of various fruits, butter, whipped cream, for some of their breakfast staples (oatmeal, pancakes, french toast). I ended up ordering the french toast..mostly to get my trip to the breakfast bar. I stacked my plate full of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and whipped cream. I loved the fresh strawberries, but it was soon very clear to me that most of their other fruit options were frozen and thawed or canned. Kind of a let down. Their whipped cream was fresh though...delicious! One of the coolest things about Portage Bay is their commitment to serving local, sustainable food. Gotta love that :)
(4)
Scott S.
I found the place that has convinced the people of Seattle to eat bad food and wait too long to get it. I have unfortunately seen too many of these "trendy" places that people keep going to even though the food is bland. I feel the average customer only goes here because they serve a lot of organic, gluten free, gmo free, blah blah blah food. Eat normal food and go to the gym and stop thinking some mystical "healthy" food is going to make everything ok. Cold bacon, undercooked potatoes, and a "breakfast bar" that reminded me of sizzler were my highlights. I'll go somewhere else and get some gluten added to my food and not eat food that tastes like cold cafeteria food. And for the wait staff And management(or lack there of). My reservation was for 10 am , not 1030 when I got seated, never even got my coffee refilled in the hour I was there, and the ramp that people stand on while being corralled into the restaurant to eat the slop inappropriately places them standing right on top of your table while you trying to eat. Get breakfast somewhere else. I'd go for a egg McMuffin before I went back here.
(1)
Betsy T.
Wait times are SOOOOO long on the weekend. Food is very good with a variety of vegan and gluten free options. The portions are ridiculous. Watch out when you share though. My friend and I got double charged to use the fruit bar when we split a dish. So dumb. The vegan, gluten free pancakes were delicious though.
(4)
Serinda O.
This place is amazing. My friends brought me here when I visited and I'm still salivating thinking about the toppings bar. So what you do is you order a pancakes or French toast . When it comes to you, you get up and head to a table full of wonderful stuff to put atop your gluten creation. The best part, in my opinion is the fresh whipped cream. That stuff is like crack to me. In addition to pancakes, I had the ranchers breakfast with Italian chicken sausage that was amazing. I would definitely go back if I ever find myself in Seattle.
(5)
Tina B.
Consistently amazing food and the menu has several vegan options! But avoid Saturday and Sunday breakfast/brunch unless you are very patient at waiting for a table.
(4)
Andrew S.
Caution: Be prepared for food envy. Every dish here looks so amazing; you'll be second guessing your order before it even comes out. We had Saturday morning brunch here and it was packed. It took around an hour to seat a table of four. This is a huge DOWNSIDE if you're looking for a quick to moderately fast meal. The UPSIDE is there's a decently sized waiting area and large wrap-around bar where you can order coffee, tea, juice or pretty much whatever breakfasty beverage you want while you wait. They'll bill your table too (when/if you finally get one). The wait was long but worth it when you're hanging out with good friends. Drinks: Coffee - good solid choice. Specialty Mimosas (included ginger) - amazing! Must order. Grapefruit juice - the best I've had. Don't eat fruit or sugar in your meal and expect it to taste the same, though. Generic mimosa - go with a specialty one instead! Breakfast: Eggs Benedict - well prepared and flavorful. The ingredients taste so fresh and you can't help but lick the plate clean. We ordered one with Italian Meatballs and one with Crab. Both were excellent choices. Toppings Bar. You have to see it to believe it. Unlimited fresh strawberries, blueberries, pears, nuts, etc. Tons of choices. You get access to this exclusive bar when you order something like pancakes, french toast, waffles or oatmeal. They do have the option to add on VIP access for a different entree in case you feel left out (which you will). Again, if you don't mind the wait, this is a great choice for brunch.
(4)
Katy M.
I always pick this brunch spot over any other. It's worth the wait and it's in a great neighborhood to walk around while waiting for a table. The fact that is is always so busy speaks for itself. I always get a scramble and coffee and have had great service everytime.
(5)
Amy Z.
Eat like you give a damn? Maybe they need to start giving a damn about their lack of customer service. After waiting 2 hours for a table, we finally got seated. At this point we weren't too thrilled and just wanted to eat and leave when Mr. Rude Jerkoff ( a tall, heavyset man) made it a point to come to our table and tell us that we should know that they are busy every Saturday and Sunday, and that if we didn't like the wait we should have made a reservation. Honestly I would have been ok with that comment if it wasn't for his rude and unwanted tone. Luckily everything else here was nice, including our awesome waiter Eric. If you want to be treated like another body at a table then you will totally enjoy this place. I prefer to take my money elsewhere.
(3)
Min K.
UGH. cmon seattle. you really don't' have a clue on what food should taste like. i was incredibly disappointed with this brunch, especially with everyone raving about this place. i guess i'm biased because i'm from NY and our mediocre brunch places were much better than this place. i got the farmer's hash and the vegan option. i thought it would be a side of vegetables but it was a bowl full of veggies and a slice of toast on top. no. nonono. i was told that the breakfast bar is what we should try out and i got to try some of my friend's pancakes who got something with lingonberries. you get to go up and pile on as much fruit as you want. i tried it but wasn't impressed. sorry, i just don't see what others see about this place.
(2)
Jay W.
I would say this is as good as a breakfast place as they come. If I could give 4.5 stars I would. First, they have a lot of options for health conscious but also enough for traditional, I-don't-give-a-damn-what-i-put-in-my-body crowd (I'm both, depending on the day). I've been twice (once with family and once by myself). Breakfast bar has good fruits and toppings. The food is good (not ah-mazing) and let's be honest, how many places pull off ah-mazing? (See what I did there?) Anywho, the only reason this is not 5 star is because of above, and the atmosphere is a little sterile. There is let a whole lot of character to the place. That said, my family seemed to enjoy the food and experience, and we were seated relatively quickly on a busy day. There is limited free parking (or pay parking for that matter) around so you need to be prepared to walk a block or two (that probably would be a good idea for me. Have you seen my profile pic?) Service both times was good and quick. If you are from out of town like me, this is a good breakfast place (likely better than your hotel) and you won't go wrong coming here.
(4)
Juan Carlos L.
Place has good service if you arrive early. Sat down and in about 15 min had my food. Classic pancakes were awesome and portion size is great as well. Breakfast pricing is a bit on higher side so took away one star on that.
(4)
Ruben H.
By far the most consistent breakfast place I have ever been too, not to mention a faithful following from every single person in Downtown Seattle. Thankfully they are now on OpenTable and reserving is so much easier. Yesterday was another flawless breakfast, I also enjoy the staff, regardless of the crowd these people work and don't act like its work, they enjoy it. This is difficult to pull off so consistently. I only wish they had other options than wheat Pancakes...I like buttermilk, I workout to enjoy it :)
(5)
Erin H.
This place is great, I've also been to their restaurant in U District I believe. This one is a little bit bigger but same great food. I had the classic eggs bene (so hard to choose from the other options: smoked salmon, dungeness crab, and vegetarian) but the best part was the White Peach (special) Mimosas...which I ordered in a pitcher $36. ($9 per glass otherwise). Who doesn't want a pitcher of mimosas!?! There was a waffle/pancake bar that had great looking fruit options, whip cream (not the can kind) and syrup options. All the breakfast menu items looked amazing, and what a breakfast menu indeed. If you're craving it, they've got it! If you plan on going in the morning during the weekend. MAKE A RESERVATION! There were so many people standing shoulder to shoulder for what seemed like forever, thank god my party had a reservation. There is outdoor seating for the better weather days. Great, clean, and yummy operation!
(4)
Laura L.
Great place to have breakfast, the thick bacon and ham steak are delicious, and the poached eggs were perfect with their potatoes! No complaints about service, they were great. Make a reservation on yelp, then you won't have to wait.
(4)
Stevi V.
D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. Reasonable pricing. Fresh and local ingredients. No long wait time once you're seated. Friendly staff. Probably best to avoid during lunch (12-2), unless you're able to arrive by 11:45 am. The rush usually shows up at 11:55. I'm looking forward to my next visit.
(5)
zahra b.
Service was average and the french toast itself was good. The breakfast bar however was unique but not worth the hype. While it's one thing to have frozen fruit at the bar, the canned, syrupy stuff just felt like a bad choice. Also, the four bowls of berries were redundant. Instead, we'd have appreciated more nuts, powered sugar, some form of chocolate... you get the picture.
(3)
Dante M.
Very tasty breakfast establishment! One thing that really sets this place apart from other brunch locations is their quality of ingredients. Reading through the menu you get a sense that these people care about each and every ingredient that goes into their food. Bravo. Weekend brunches have been the only time I've come here, and be prepared for a wait! This place can get pretty hectic/chaotic. Although, as stated before it is worth the wait. I personally recommend anything that has their chorizo in it. You will not be disappointed. Until next time!
(4)
Valeria C.
Best breakfast in town... no matter whether you get the buffet, which is fantastic, the amazing french toasts, breakfast sandwiches, skillets, grills, you name it... YOU simply cannot go wrong with this place. THIS IS THE KING OF breakfast, fresh, sustainable, organic food.... The locations are awesome, great ambiance, but they get packed. My favorite location is south lake union because it is much larger and has a nicer waiting area. THIS IS A MUST WHEN VISITING SEATTLE!!!!
(5)
Tien N.
Came here and was served right away! Waited for the food for about 20 min. Pancakes didn't taste too much like grained, it was perfect! French toast was delicious as well and there is fresh fruit bar!
(5)
Amanda M.
Portage Bay Cafe is an excellent place for breakfast. I'm sure their lunch/dinner is wonderful too but I've only been for breakfast. They have this fantastic fruit bar that comes with pancake and French toast orders. I'm completely hooked on the French toast made with challah bread. When your order arrives you make your way to the fruit bar to add: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, etc. plus freshly whipped whip cream. They also have the basics - butter & syrup, but I never use them. What I also like about this place is there slogan "Eat like you give a damn" meaning organic, local, and good for you ingredients. The service is good and the staff is nice. The atmosphere is minimalistic so the place can get pretty loud when it's busy. To avoid a long wait, arrive before 9am on the weekends.
(4)
John K.
I ordered the farmer's hash. It had potential, but it was very poorly executed. For example, the potatoes were not cooked (think crunchy like a raw carrot). The carrots were the same way. The dish was also too oily. The toast was also extremely disappointing. It was not toasty at all and was essentially bread.
(1)
brandi g.
I wish could import this into Los Angeles. Outstanding. There's a wait and delays, but this is to be expected as a high demand breakfast/brunch place. Our waiter was excellent and he handled the long delays very well, and quite gracefully, I may add. I had a good feeling as soon as I got my grapefruit juice. All their juices are fresh pressed and absolutely delicious. I had grapefruit and tasted the apple also. Yum! The food was local, super fresh and expertly prepared. The berry/fruit bar is amazing and I had the farmer's hash with eggs and peppered bacon. Wow. It was likely the best hash /scramble I've ever had. It was roasted snap peas, carrots, celery, radish, onions and topped with local eggs. It's healthy and packed with flavor. I wish there was a place even remotely like this in LA. I'd have trouble not eating there constantly. Constantly.
(5)
Kirsten D.
Woah this place is amazing!!! I am a fruit enthusiast and anywhere that gets fairly fresh berries all year long gets a serious stamp of approval from me... One downside, you always have to wait almost an hour!! But the fruit buffet that you can load your breakfast dish us with makes you forget about it oh so quick! Imagine a buffet table with all fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream....you fill up your place with however much you want (charges for excessive waste) and I hardly ever make it into my actual breakfast!! Another reason I wish I lived closer to Seattle! !
(4)
Nicci C.
Disappointed!! They were the only place in the area for breakfast and they closed early today due to "a sporting conflict". :-( Drove all the way up from Kent. So disappointed!!
(2)
My R.
The most food I've ever eaten at breakfast ever. But so delicious and the add on fruit bar was amazing. Wonderful place.
(5)
Maggie F.
After two visits, I believe it's more of a hype than anything else. I don't think the food is overpriced because they use local and organic ingredients. However, the food was plain and not very impressive. We ordered a good variety, from omelette to toast, pancakes, eggs Benedict, etc. Unfortunately, there was not one single dish that made me think "omg I've never had breakfast this good." Wasn't bad, but nothing I would wait an hour for on a Sunday. The toppings bar is fun for first timers. I have to admit it looks very attractive. Then again, after the first time it becomes just a fruit bar. I appreciate their choice of organic evolution juice for mimosas. But they only serve wine and beer, THAT MEANS NO REAL BLOODY MARYS BEWARE. I would recommend coming on a weekday if you want to try this joint. Is it worth waiting for an hour on Sunday? No, there are more important things to do than wait for some meh breakfast. Sunday brunch should be laid back, not wait in line for an hour and eat while twenty other people are waiting for your table to leave. P.s.: head to Toulouse petit, way better breakfast, both in quality and selection.
(3)
Danielle D.
OM NOM NOM I can't wait to come back here again. The baked french toast is amazing. And the fruit bar is enough to make me fall over and start twitching a bit, just thinking about it now. In fact, hang on, I may need to go and make another brunch reservation (make a reservation)... Ok, I'm back. So, this isn't a perfect review, but I'm so much a fan of the fruit bar and the food that I'm giving them five stars anyway. We dined on a weekend, long wait for the table (even with a reservation) and even longer wait for food once we'd ordered. I'd guess we waited 30+ minutes, possibly longer, for food. Enough to drink 3.5 cups of tea, so quite a while. And, the lattes are small and served in a smallish coffee mug. For some reason lattes in small coffee mugs don't work for me, I like big bowls or curving sides on cups. That about wraps it up - I've got to go, my reservation is in an hour!
(5)
Sean C.
The food here is really fresh and tasty. In some cases, I think they veer a little too organic/raw for my taste, but I'd rather that than unhealthy food. For just the food, I'd give 4 stars. The challenge seems to be service. Almost every time I eat here, I feel like the service is uneven. At times, they're right there, but more likely, you're waiting around for coffee, or the check, or whatever. I've only ever gone for breakfast, but a key requirement of a place serving breakfast is really snappy service. People have places to be, right?
(3)
Scott W.
Love that I can get breakfast at lunchtime here. The hash is wonderfully prepared. Coffee is Fonte, and if you don't know, that's a big plus. The drawbacks are that I don't get cell service there (T-Mobile) and they have no wifi. It's also nearly too noisy to hear the person across from you so this is best for a solo lunch.
(3)
Laura B.
This is a real crowd pleaser. Something for everyone. Local, organic, fresh ingredients. Way too crowded.... so make sure you don't mind waiting for a table. Don't go here when you are hungry.
(4)
J J.
Terrible service and mediocre food for high price. Quality has gone way down since they opened multiple stores....
(2)
Adam A.
My wife and I frequent Portage Bay Cafe because we love the food. We have been to all locations but decided to bring our out of town guests to the South Lake Union one because we called ahead to ask about the wait and it was the shortest of the three. When we arrived they quoted us 45 minutes which seamed reasonable, even though it was about 15 minutes longer than we were quoted over the phone. It was still shorter than making a reservation which requires 1:00 advanced notice. After an 1:30, with no signs of sitting down anytime soon, we started looking for alternatives for breakfast. We'd be o.k. with an 1:30 wait if we were told that's what it would be in advanced. With a 3 week old baby and out of town guests needing to catch a plane, we just wish they were honest with us to begin with so we didn't waste our morning waiting. We finally sat down about an 1:45 after we put our name in. We were sat in the executive dining room with about 40 other people at the same time. This completely slammed our poor server and as you can imagine delayed our order significantly. We love the food at Portage Bay Cafe, we just don't think we can handle the wait/slow service again. 2:30+ is a long time to spend at breakfast.
(2)
Bart T.
Left starving. Why? Because they didn't bring my food out until 40 mins after I ordered and well after everyone else's food was brought out. So I refused it out of principle. Terrible service.
(1)
Diana G.
We went for Sunday brunch, it was packed but we where seated promptly because we had a reservation. So make one if you don't want to wait. The food was great and we enjoyed the fresh fruit bar. Love the "eat like you give a dam" slogan. So if you eat like you give a dam check them out.
(5)
Jennifer M.
1. Mediocre food. 2. Incredibly loud--over 80db according to SoundMeter. 3. Incredibly packed. There's almost no room to maneuver through the restaurant. 4. Enormous portions with enormous prices. This place must waste so much food. 5. You can visit the topping bar once with some of the entrees, but subsequent visits cost $9. The toppings bar consists of butter, whipped cream (which is amazing), and one or two different berries. That's it. $9. 6. If you want to share one of their enormous dishes that comes with a trip to the toppings bar, one of you will have to pay that $9. For berries and whipped cream. Every now and again one of my coworkers leaves and chooses to go to this place for their going-away lunch. I grit my teeth and go, but that's the only time I step foot in here.
(2)
Trang L.
Breakfast is not something I really seek out when it comes to trying a new restaurant, but since I was in Seattle.. my friend recommended this place. I really like the inside- it very open and it just gave you a sense of comfort. I really enjoy the fact that they had a fruit bar for your french toasts and/or pancakes. It's really neat. All that fresh fruity fix-ins! I had ordered an omelet with prosciutto and sun dried tomatoes. The eggs were very fluffy! It was really good! I substituted the potatoes with fruit and got the wheat bread. Oh man- that wheat bread is super dense! But it was good! This is a great place! I would definitely come back here if I were in town again. Everything is so fresh!
(4)
Tom B.
Man, oh, man, this is the spot to come for brunch or lunch in SLU. Dig it. You walk in across a nice little patio, and into a place that's bright and surprisingly cheery for how industrial it is. It's not an old factory or anything, but it's a lot of bare exposed materials and the noise bounces around quite a bit. But it feels almost homey. The people are super nice and they just zoom around the room, always busy. There are big glass-front reach-in fridges behind the bar, with prep cooks jamming through chores while you pull up a stool. Plenty of tables in a more dining-room-like setting as well. The food here is fantastic, as expected. Especially the migas, which is a creamy and cheesy scramble inside a huge fluffy house-made tortilla. The service is great, and the prices aren't awful for the neighborhood, though they're definitely not at the steal level. The weekend buffet brunch sounds pretty over the top. Not sure if I brave the wilds of those crowds, but I am glad these guys are here for sure.
(5)
Dan B.
The food here is absolutely delicious. I recommend the Oven Baked French Toast if you're craving something sweet or Migas if you're into something on the savory side. They give you huge portions so be sure to go hungry and leave with a box. There's usually a pretty decent wait as well. Go early or prepare to wait 30 minutes plus.
(4)
Ceri T.
Good food but not quite what we were looking for. Very loud inside. Good service
(3)
Emma P.
Really great food, but less than mediocre service. It's not that they're lazy or anything; the place is /packed/. The moment a table opens up, someone new is seated. It's no surprise, then, that drink refills are rare and it takes a really long time to get your check. I think that they should hire more staff, but that's just my opinion. I had the classic French toast, which was super yummy, especially after hitting the fruit and toppings bar. The fruit is the star of the show; it's fresh, sweet, and plentiful. There are other toppings, of course, but the fruit was my favorite.
(4)
Charlene I.
Why I have not yet made a review for this place is a mystery! This place is: Clean!!! Organic Local Tasty Delicious Scrumptious a.k.a. HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLA BOMB!!!!! The toppings bar here is no joke...they have the freshest tasting berries in all of the land and their BANANAS FOSTER FRENCH TOAST tastes so damn good that it hurts...litterally, because it's so filling! Ha! The potatoes are top knotch as well! This place is only open from 730-11(m-f), 730-230(sat/sun) so it's basically always packed(Outdoor seating is first come, first served though!). The food is worse the wait, for sure!! P.B.C. = love
(5)
Kayce G.
This place was well worth the walk from downtown. My husband had the original french toast, which was ginormous (in a good way, of course), and I fell in love with the vegan banana pancakes. Now I will be googling to find a similar recipe, it was just that good!
(4)
Jonathan G.
We went here based on a recommendation by our hotel's concierge. Arriving to find it jam packed, we settled in for a long wait. The barista offered us lattes in the meantime, and the caffeine and people watching helped pass the time. The menu was promising, although I must admit I'm probably not as much of an organic fiend as their target demographic. We ordered the Ranchers breakfast with a baked French toast upgrade (additional fees applied on both counts). When it arrived, everything was on the cold side. The ham was tough. The potatoes were seasoned heavily with paprika, which may be a good thing depending on your taste. The eggs were passable. I had one bite of the French toast, and that was enough. There was a party of about 16 seated just before us. By the time we left, they were just getting their food. On the up side, the maitre d' thanked me by name on my way out. Always a nice touch in my opinion, but it didn't make up for the food.
(2)
Julia W.
This location of Portage Bay is built right on top of the Amazon SLU offices. Unfortunately, that means it's super busy all the time. I came for lunch one day and we were seated in the back banquet area and then forgotten about for 25 minutes. Our food was good as always but the lack of service (or attention) was quite bothersome. Nothing like being thirsty and having no one to assist because they're elsewhere and don't return to check on you.
(2)
Jamie S.
The waitress did not care about me. She didn't even give me a glass of water so I had to ask someone to get it. She didn't ask me if I wanted to order another drink. At the end I was charged me wrong amount. This just ruined my day.
(1)
Julia R.
Visited Portage Bay back in April on a weekend afternoon with a large group of family members ages 2-82. I called ahead and they set up a table in the back for us, which I thought was awesome. Family members immediately got cranky because only breakfast items were being served, but I was a super happy camper because I was there for the french toast! The group ordered a variety of items, from vegetarian hashes to pancakes, and overall the verdict was just okay. I ordered the french toast with fruit compote and a mimosa, and I loved both! Highly recommend those things. I loved just about everything about this place and would give it a 5, but the fam would do a 3, so I am averaging with a 4. Final verdict is visit with your hip family members that appreciate local goodness, and maybe go more comfort food-large menu for folks like mine.
(4)
Joe K.
- Best brunch in Seattle area. We've tried 10+ other places based on reviews - Been here 30+ times, in 2 yrs in Seattle. 90% of time, service is good enough or better. Understand that this place has a long line, for a reason. If you have high expectations
(5)
Nguyen N.
Whoever thought of the fruit bar is a genius! I had the Swedish pancakes which is delicious on its own, but I was able to add as much blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.... Definitely worth the wait!
(5)
Justin S.
So, there I was, driving down to Seattle to pick up a few lenses for an impromptu photography gig, when the mood to eat suddenly struck! I always consider my first meal of the day to be breakfast, regardless of time. Besides, who doesn't like breakfast for lunch and not brunch? So, I pull out the ol' iPhone and start searching Yelp! for any suggestions and lead me directly to Portage Bay. At first glance of the name, I'm expecting a quaint, quite place where I can chill and read a book. Was I wrong! This place is freaking huge and it seemed more and more people kept pouring in as the lunch rush pressed on. I asked the waitress to surprise the hell out of me when it came to the food. I'm not sure of the name of the dish that was brought out to me, but it was decent. Before me sat a sizable tortilla folded in half, stuffed with cheese, chorizo, eggs and sour cream. As the 2-star description says, I've experienced better. The potatoes were loaded with flavor, but the majority came with a little char on the skin. Maybe I've accustomed myself to the flavors of DC, where the chorizo is from the local bodega, or where a cafe is really what you think it is. Then again, maybe this is a Seattle flavor that a DC transplant needs time to adjust to.
(2)
Lexie A.
super good food! definitely worth the wait if you have one!
(5)
Annette V.
Portland breakfast joints could take a lesson from Portage Bay Cafe...they take your name down on a list and text you when your table is ready. Seems like a simple thing to do in this day and age, but this is the first time I've encountered this and I was pleasantly surprised when our table for 5 was ready at the time they promised! As for food, it was ok...nothing spectacular that made me say wow. Had the salmon Benedict, which was decent but I've had better. Next time I'll be sure to order something sweet, to take advantage of the toppings bar.
(4)
Laszlo K.
Food may be good, but they're the worst when it comes to managing reservations. We showed up at 9:30 and they said it would be 1/2 an hour... 1.5 hrs later we were told it be another 25 minutes... And their list was total chaos. NOT GOOD IF YOU COME WITH KIDS!!!
(2)
Amanda L.
The best peppered bacon I have ever had. Paired with the excellent coffee and French toast with lemon curd and blueberries, this place offers a great breakfast.
(5)
K A.
Although the food is great and the berry bar is delicious- our experience was less than acceptable. I met up with some girl friends for brunch at 9am on a Sunday. We made a reservation early as we knew we would be spending time catching up and chatting. We ate, chatted, drank coffee and when the bill came, we were in no rush to pay. Then a waiter came over and pushed a 4 person table up next to ours and continued to set that table as we continued chatting. We thought this was a bit odd however didn't let it get to us. When our waitress came back, we paid our bill and still sat there talking after all, not even an hour had gone by at this point. Then the manager came over to our table and told us that there was another party waiting to be seated and that we needed to leave! Can you believe it??? We were asked to leave!! It would be one thing if we didn't have a reservation or if we were there for 2 hrs or if we just ordered coffees and didn't eat breakfast there, but none of these things are true. It was exactly 1 hour from the time we sat down until the manager shoo'd us away. We were appalled and will not be going back. How rude!!! I will tell everyone of this experience. Why would I want to give my business to an establishment that doesn't treat me like a guest??
(1)
Millie F.
A lot of people rave about Portage Bay Cafe, but I was extremely disappointed. I ordered pork ramen off their lunch menu, which actually sounded really delicious from the description. However, I knew I was in for a bad lunch as soon as my ramen arrived: there was no soup. The ramen was sitting on the plate, all soggy and sorry looking. The pork was bland and way overcooked. This mess of a dish clearly indicates that Portage Bay Cafe has no knowledge of how to cook properly. I usually believe in second chances, but I will definitely not be back because I am not hipster enough to pay $12 for crap food.
(1)
Einar J.
Menu has a lot to offer for everyone. Portion size is just right and the ingredients are all top quality. Parking around the area can be a challenge depending in when you go but generally not a major problem. Don't know about brunch time but never had an issue going here around 9am on a weekday. Great place to take clients to for a start to the day. Only issues is the acoustics. High ceilings and hard surfaces can make it seem noisy at times. Still worth it for a quality breakfast.
(4)
Rebecca M.
Even better than my expectations and I went on Mother's Day. Food, service and place were wonderful. I'll definitely be back.
(5)
margaret w.
Ordered the french toast with a visit to the toppings bar - fresh berries; maple syrup; whipped cream; nuts; cranberries. Generous portions. Great coffee.
(4)
Inna B.
I joined the Yelp early-risers breakfast club for a meal here some time ago. There were plenty of tables when we arrived that Sunday morning (because we arrived shortly after they opened), but it filled up very quickly. The regular coffee was good and the people that took care of us were great. I had the salmon benedict for breakfast... and lunch. That was one BIG serving! I was not especially thrilled by the $13 price point, the salmon, or the small amount of hollandaise... but, it was pretty good and the potatoes were delicious. (I really need to learn to skip salmon benedicts! I have yet to try one that doesn't disappoint me.) I believe splitting the bill (even though a few people used cards) was super easy. (Please tell me if you remember otherwise!) I've been to the Ballard and U-District Portage Bays before and so far the SLU location is my favorite of the three.
(4)
RecentSeattlite W.
Horrible service. Mediocre overpriced food. $12 for 1 pancake...come on. The only thing good was the berry lemonade mimosas
(1)
Jennifer L.
Not a great lunch option. I had the Turkey Club sandwich and the only compliment I can really come up with is that it was big. The turkey was what you'd expect from turkey, the bacon was tasty, but whatever horrible tomato sauce they put on the bottom smelled like tomato paste that had been stuck to a skillet simmering on the stove for too long and then left in the sink for 3 days without soaking. It was bad enough I had to ask for another piece of bread; and even then I threw away the second half of my $15 (after tax and mandatory tip) sandwich. Maybe breakfast is better, but lunch? I'll pass.
(1)
Katie H.
Honestly - when we arrived at the Terry st location, I didn't want to like Portage Bay Cafe. I'm not the kind of person who enjoys overly hip atmospheres at restaurants - I feel most comfortable at dive-y bar-y kinds of places, places that at least feel hole in the wall. But oh man, this place was INCREDIBLE. I just have to say it. The food is good, but the whole experience was just great. Super friendly, super fast even though it looks packed, trays of amazing food walking past me diverse menu, and a great meal - especially when I was as hungover as I was - definitely deserves 5 stars in my mind. When we arrived as I said I was quite hungover - we walked from downtown all the way there so I was a bit exhausted as well - and when I saw how packed it was I was worried we would never get in out of the sun. Amazingly we were seated within 15 minutes! The walk past the toppings bar almost had me drooling - bowls and plates and cake trays of every topping you could imagine. Even so - I'm more of a savory food lover so I ordered eggs benedict with salmon - BEST CHOICE EVER. My friend ordered the eggs benedict on the crabcakes - honestly delicious, but at that particular moment in time I really needed actual bread, the crabcakes take the place of the bread in that plate. Her family ordered the plum on french toast, another eggs benedict, and something that I can't recall but involved the largest tortilla known to mankind. Their orange juice was soo fresh. Really just a great experience. I would always recommend to visiting friends and their parents, even if I'm not sure if I will go back with my friends who actually live in Seattle. It's also honestly out of an interns income bracket. But really, I enjoyed my experience!
(5)
Sandeep P.
Love the food, atmosphere and fruit bar, but the wait and prices bring it down from perfection. Was here earlier today with some friends. Now, unlike the U-District location, the SLU one actually has a decent amount of seating. Despite that, the wait on a Sunday at 1pm was still about half an hour for a party of 5, and they weren't answering the phone when we tried to call ahead. Bummer. We also didn't get the supposed free coffee. Double bummer. Once we got seated (at a slightly awkwardly small table for 4 repurposed for 5), the experience improved immensely. We had already figured out what we wanted with our half hour wait, so it was pretty rapidfire; mimosas, juice and coffee abound, and a combination of omelettes, hash, and three 'rancher's breakfast's for our group. The drinks were universally praised- the iced latte came quickly and was creamy, and the mimosas were the perfect balance of juice and sparking wine (with a very fair proportion too). My entree, the rancher's breakfast, featured pepper bacon, potatoes, 3 eggs (scrambled in my case) and 2 pieces of french toast. The toast was a delicious poofy challah with cinnamon in the batter, and the trip to the fruit bar allowed me to deck it out with strawberries and real maple syrup (always a huge plus!). Following my french toast, I discovered the very well spiced potatoes, which were delicious, as well as the pepper bacon which was a nice meaty cut. The scrambled eggs were fine too. The folks with omelettes and the hash weren't quite as impressed with their entrees but said they were fine. I'd probably come back here with friends from out of town or for a nice occasion, but at $25 a head ordering just once drink and entree, it's definitely too pricey to be my regular brunch spot.
(4)
Angie W.
Work moved my into the neighborhood, so stopped in for lunch twice in the last few weeks. Had been the U Village Portage Bay for brunch, but hit this place for lunch. They have a strawberry/walnut salad with chicken that is probably the best salad I have ever had. The chicken was so moist and flavorful. The dressing was light and tangy and just the right balance for the ingredients. Service was great and our water glasses never got empty. They had big groups both times I went there, but they had enough staff to handle the crowd. A must if you are in the area and craving something a little healthier and organic!
(4)
Tonya N.
Pretty poorly run brunch place. I was told 30 min... Then another 20.. An hour and a 1/2 later I check back and they state they don't know how long. I don't mind waiting but felt it was a big waste of my morning being told incorrect wait times while I could have gone somewhere else and came back.
(2)
Adriana K.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this Portage - well, I guess I have reviewed U District and Ballard, and they do tend to have similar menus :) This space is large and airy and works well with the hoards of people it attracts. Outdoor seating (plan to pay for parking) with the standard Portage fare. Most recently I tried their oatmeal which was a giant bowl - and includes a trip to the condiment bar - so it was a delicious wholesome treat to have a whole bunch of berries you most likely wouldn't get with oatmeal anywhere else. Way to go, Portage!
(4)
Leonardo R.
So after my fist encounter with portage bay cafe on a elite Event all I could think was I need to visit them with a little more time and calm :) and i finally did this afternoon,and it was all I was expecting!!! We got there told us it will be around 10 minutes to be seated and yes in bout 10 minutes later we were seating in a lovely table by the window,by that time i knew what i wast ordering,the waiter came in right away,got 'the Risotto cake Benedict" and believe me in less than 10 minutes we goit our food,and BAM my meal came with red roasted potatoes that I love so much from my childhood(5 years ago) they were perfectly seasoned and roasted,crunchy but at the same time soft,the risotto and Benedict were moist and tasty :) fresh tomatoes and some sort of crema that I devoured in about 7 minutes :) After our meal i realized why all the people around had a happy face!! ipb
(4)
Brian P.
Very impressed overall. One of the few restaurants that I know of that do the whole "organic"/"local" thing very well, without sacrificing the overall price and taste. The pancakes are amazing, even without their topping bar. The toast is thicker, grainier and harder than a typical toast, but feels a lot more hearty. Portions are generous. If you're like me and want to get an overall experience of the topping bar in addition to the normal breakfast experience, you can go for the $15 Rancher's Breakfast. I got the chicken sausages-- they were tougher than I expected, but the taste was more subtle and aromatic as well. Overall, a great dish.
(4)
jessica r.
The oven baked french toast is amazing! It's definitely heavy and soft (like a bread pudding), but oh-so-rich and delicious. I don't remember what else I ate there (eggs or something?), but they were pretty good too.
(4)
Pauline T.
I'm not a fan of breakfast foods but this place is amazing! Everything was organic and local. There were a lot of people for brunch and we waited for about 20-25 minutes but it was worth the wait. To help pass the time you can order coffee, too. The menu had many choices and even had vegan and gluten free options (a nice touch for the picky/select palates of Seattle). I ended up choosing the Chicken Basil Sausage Hash which came with eggs and toast. I was very happy with it and still had enough to bring back home for leftovers. For those that ordered an entree giving them a free stop to the toppings bar they were allowed all sorts of fresh fruits, jams, jellies, syrups, and fresh whipped cream. From the looks of other reviews I'll have to go back and try the french toast!
(4)
Daniel B.
Really tasty breakfast! I had a bfast quesadilla with chicken sausage, i dont remember the name. HUGE portion and really tasty
(5)
Damon Z.
A brunch establishment, with something other than EGGS (I loathe eggs!!!) on their menu!!!!!! Sorry egg lovers, I can't speak for omelets, scrambles, or benedicts, but I can speak for pancakes, and the FRUIT TOPPINGS BAR! I never ever get sick of them.....the organic cherry-pecan whole wheat pancakes, that is. Two, Lake Union-sized pancakes, loaded with cherries, pecans, and a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. This, and all other pancakes, along with the french toast offerings, come with a complimentary trip to the fruit toppings bar. At this center-of-the-restaurant, tabletop garden, you can load as many fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and your plate will allow. And if you're a dairy freak, like me, you'll throw on a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream as well! Wash it down with a cup of their fair trade coffee, and your tummy is set for the day. Though busy as heck, the restaurant is kept incredibly clean, and my much-cherished fruit toppings bar, is always well stocked, and never looks picked over. The servers, despite not having a chance to breathe, in between taking orders, and delivering plates, manage to remain friendly, and upbeat. Unless you arrive at 7:30 am, when they open, you're likely to endure a wait. However, they will take your mobile number, and text you, when your table is ready, enabling you to go for a stroll, to pass the time. Once in my seat, and enjoying my fruit-topped pancakes, I find that I've forgotten all about that wait that I endured, and have occupied my mind with tastier thoughts!
(4)
Ian S.
Being my first time visiting, it was disappointing. I ordered one of the daily specials, named "pork & mushroom benedict" or similar. Food arrives in a timely manner, server is good. I get a few bites into the benedict and realize there's no pork shoulder. Thinking I imagined it, I grab a specials sheet. Nope, it's even in the name of the dish. I alert the waiter, he goes and grabs the specials sheet, sees the same thing and says he'll "check on it." WHAT IS THERE TO CHECK ON. Anway, he comes back and says "So, I guess they ran out of pork shoulder, so they changed the recipe. I can discount your bill for you." Okay, let's go over this for a moment. I can see if you were low on thyme or some shit, so you throw in something that would work. But missing an ingredient that's IN THE NAME OF THE DISH? You know what you do? You stop serving that shit and inform the wait staff. I had already eaten a sizable portion, so I accepted the discount. For all the raves this place gets, you think they'd have a handle on something like this. Oh, and would all restaurants PLEASE stop it with this dishtowel-napkin bullshit? I'm tired of getting up from a restaurant and looking like the Snuggle bear went to town on my lap. Buy some real napkins.
(2)
Kyle H.
This is like the Boots and Kimo's of Seattle. It's crazy busy and during prime-time you will wait, when you finally sit down and get your food you wonder what all the freakin fuss is about., I know it was Sunday brunch time but wow, the wait was over an hour. I appreciated being able to get coffee while you wait and... you can ride the S.L.U.T. (South Union Lake Trolley) there! (+1 star) I went for the special, the short rib breakfast sandwich, the egg was completely over done, the yolk was rock hard and the home-made english muffin was totally dry and tasteless. There was no helping this dish. I went for the side of fruit in lieu of the red potatoes which cost an extra $2 and when the dish arrived the lamest little cup of fruit arrived. I sent it back immediately for the potatoes (which were delicious). My sis ordered the banana's foster french toast which allows you to visit their toppings bar. Of all this place offers, this is definitely the one thing that set them one star over a completely dismal rating. This is such a great idea! Any pancake, waffle or french toast order allows you one trip to the bar which had fresh strawberries, other fruit sauces, whipped cream, syrup, nuts, and butter. Our other friend ordered off of the specials menu as well - biscuits and gravy, the gravy was very tasty! Overall, i'm intrigued by the other offerings they have but simply will not ever come here again if it means waiting this long for a table because there are just way to many great places in Seattle to eat than to waste any precious time waiting and getting something that may or may not be good or cooked properly.
(3)
Jason C.
My experience didn't start so well here. We put our name down and had been waiting about 40 minutes and then after a while the hostess wasn't going by the list any more but by people who were in the loby standing closest to the host. People of the same party size (2) had only waited 20 minutes were getting seated before we were. When I pointed this out i was seated immediately. After I sat down it took 15 minutes before our waiter acknowledge us and brought us water. She was supper busy b/c of mothers day so I let it slide but once we got her attention she was devoted to us. However what the hostess did was still unacceptable. We got the crab benedict and that was " Woohoo as good as it gets"!!! Our poached egg was over cooked but the serving of crab was plentiful and flavor was on the spot. The banana fench toast was "A ok". They were too soggy. I wish they were cooked a little more. I suggest getting the regular french toast and just visit the fruit bar. Don't waste the extra two bucks for the banana's b/c it nothing special.
(4)
Andrew S.
If you love breakfast, you'll love Portage Bay. Keep it simple - organic pancakes or waffles and a trip to the toppings bar to load them up with fruit, nuts, and syrup. Add an orange juice and a cup of coffee and you'll be ready to take on the day.
(5)
Wennie H.
Bananas Foster French Toast.....that's pretty much it. Portage Bay get's 5 stars simply because of how amazing the BFFT is. But the wait time combined with the rest of the menu causes them to lose a star...okay maybe half a star, that's how good the BFFT is. If you don't like to wait for your food (or a seat), you'll probably be pretty annoyed and want to leave BUT keep your bottom on that chair because when the Bananas Foster French Toast comes to the table and you're simply hovering over it, letting it's smell waft into your nose, the world starts to get a little better. Then when you slice into it and let the sweet sauce touch your tongue, it's like the gates of heaven just opened. It's that good. I never wanted to come back here, but now I've found my reason. GET THE OATMEAL CRUMBLE FRENCH TOAST.
(4)
Lily S.
Really? I've been coming here for years and I've NEVER written a review? OY VEY. Sorry PB, I've been slacking! Faves: The Migas The Ranchers Anything where you get to visit the toppings bar (!!!) for berries or whipped cream Anything that is topped with 5 year gouda Berry lemonade Good, happy service I could go on and on and on, but I'm not going to. You'll have to visit Portage Bay yourself and bask in the goodness that is their brunch menu.
(4)
Akvile H.
Dear Portage Bay, where have you been all my life? I've heard oh so much about you (all good things!) and finally got around to checking you out just last weekend. Simply..AMAZING! Although the wait was super duper long on Sunday morning, but I must say, wait it out, it's totally worth waiting it out....the food is just THAT good. MmmMmmm breakfast menu! My friend go the lemon curd french toast (I got about 10 bites of it,lol) and it was deeeelish! The portions are plentiful and wow..I may just be salivating right now, reminiscing the breakfast we had a week ago. My husband got the apple cobbler french toast and that was even better! I got the Greek Omelet and that was phenomenal as well. If you get french toast, you can visit their fruit bar and stack up on fruits, sauces, and whipped cream...which we surely did! I can't believe how big the bowls of berries and fruit were..enough to feed a continent, I kid you not! Everything on their menu is organic, delicious, and definitely eclectic, no matter what you are craving! The prices are a bit higher than other breakfast spots in the city, but the quality and quantity make it totally worth it. The staff is friendly, the venue is bright, full of windows, really cool kayaks decorating the ceilings, and it's just a feel good type of place. I HIGHLY recommend eating here!
(5)
Carol W.
A solid brunch spot! The food is really good and the best part was that we were able to make a reservation for our table of six - I am a fan of that! The service was a little spotty, I had to ask a few times for a water refill and our friend had to wait about an extra five minutes for her plate to come. But it was a busy Sunday so I'll forgive them. I will return here for another good breakfast! And street parking was pretty easy (and free!) on the Sunday we went.
We really like Portage Bay for brunch. The oatmeal cobbler french toast is hands down our favorite dish here. Most recently we also tried the salmon eggs benedict. The house smoked salmon was flavorful and moist and the eggs were perfect. I also really love the pancakes, mostly to smother them with the toppings bar goodies. They now take reservations, which we found helpful if you know what time you are planning to be there.
(4)
Jarman H.
Oatmeal cobbler french toast + breakfast bar = food comma! Loved it as usual, and one of my fav brunch spots in/around the town.
(5)
Gouri J.
Really disappointed. This is the first time I am visiting Seattle and was really looking forward to eating at this place. I ordered salmon egg Benedict's. One of the English muffins was way over toasted, like a cracker. The eggs weren't gooey, couldn't taste much of the hollandaise sauce, the salmon was dry and the food wasn't really hot when served. My worst Benedict's experience. Maybe this place is good only for French toast and pancakes.
(1)
Jennifer N.
SO DELICIOUS!!! I came here for the first time yesterday and it was wonderful. Had some mimosas and the bananas foster french toast. Portions were huge, pricing was reasonable, breakfast bar was ridiculous. Highly enjoyed! Will definitely come back.
(5)
Anne H.
Amazing food. A gem in this neighborhood. Need to have the breakfast bar with French toast in the summer! Club sandwich has tender and flavorful meat with incredible bread. Quick friendly service.
(5)
Natalie W.
Why is there a wait for this place?!?! I ordered the French toast and dumped a ton of fresh strawberries and whip cream on top. It was exactly what I would expect French toast to taste like. Nothing impressive. The other people in my party ordered omelets and egg scrambles and they were the worst! The egg looked like yellow construction paper (why don't people use fresh eggs?!) and the meat/veggies inside were bland and tasteless. It was funny watching everyone throw salt and hot sauce on their omelet in a desperate attempt to give their food flavor. Aaaaaaand that's how you know you're never going back to a restaurant.
(2)
Katie H.
Share the bananas foster French toast with someone you love. The crab cake Benedict was good and the coffee and friendly service with a fun flare is what sets them apart from other trendy Seattle breakfasts. Every thing is locally sourced and quality ingredients so your consciences can rest while your belly digests your massive sable meal all day. Best way to cure from fun night before or fuel for a weekend adventure or reward a tough week of constant choices and challenges. The only challenge or choice here is getting a seat on a busy morning or weather to go savory or sweet. Shoot do both and share with someone you love.
(5)
Danielle C.
Place was packed which is always a great sign when trying a new breakfast spot. Rancher's breakfast feeds you for the entire day and you get to enjoy the breakfast bar that is stocked with fresh fruit for your French toast or pancakes that is included in the meal. So many GF options as well.
(5)
Isobel P.
I'm a huge fan of Portage Bay. I've been to the South Lake Union location about four times now, and each time is a great experience. Decided to finally write a review today after I brunched there with a friend earlier. I usually get the Joe's Scramble (SO SO SO SO SO SO GOOD) but this morning I wanted sweet. I ordered the buckwheat pancakes (which includes a trip to the toppings bar), a sunny-side-up egg on the side, and chicken apple sausage on the side. Coffee of course. The food was delicious as usual, and the portions were huge (just had my leftovers for dinner) but the service was extremely slow. I guess I'd be more understanding of this if it were the weekend, but it was a Thursday late morning. There weren't that many people at the restaurant compared to a Saturday morning, and there was definitely a good number of waitstaff. BUT the food was amazing. As it always is. Worth the wait.
(4)
Jennie S.
The Swedish pancakes were delicious! My favorite part was the whipped cream from the fruit bar. Good coffee too. Perhaps they just don't have enough servers for the amount of tables? Would highly recommend this place for a weekday morning.
(4)
Kimberly H.
YUM! The food is exceptional and there are so many delicious gluten free options!!! Plus the "fruit bar" to add tons of fruit to you pancakey fair.... I'm so glad my friend recommended that we come here though reservations (especially on the weekends) are a must. We had them and didn't have to wait but many other people were waiting. The coffee was good. The food was good. The service was good. Overall I was extremely pleased.
(4)
Georgia W.
Marathon or not, this place just rocks. I have eaten here so many times and I am never disappointed. But if you do happen to be carbo loading or refueling after a run- make this your go to! Grapefruit Mimosa is a must.
(5)
Leo H.
The epicness of the thick banana French toast with a small mountain of berries, fruit and whip cream piled on top is almost enough to make up for the feelings of guilt knowing I probably just downed 1500+ calories in one meal. If you are into fitness, make this a once in a while cheat-day treat. The back room where we were seated felt like a hastily converted storefront or office, definitely less atmospheric than the main room. Like others mentioned, the restaurant is pretty much in am Internet deadzone.
(5)
C A.
We eat here all the time and have never been disappointed! A must stop for breakfast or lunch! Chile Verde Omelette for me this trip.
(5)
Jay W.
WOW! Food was amazing! Everything was really, really good. The fruit bar is a must, as is the French toast. We had a pancake Dave's way - . A Phil Breakfadt and a couple orders of French Toast . Large portions, excellent flavor. We waited about 10 min for a table and about 20 min for our food, but it was worth the wait.
(5)
Pat C.
Great food with fresh local ingredients. Always delicious . Place is crowded and a bit noisy, so just be aware if that is the environment you are looking for. I've had several of the egg dishes; all excellent. Reservations a must on weekends to avoid a long wait.
(4)
Keanna H.
We came here before getting on a flight Sunday morning and it was worth the wait. I wish I had a black pit for a stomach so that I could eat all the great food I saw. I ended up getting Phil's and I absolutely loved the fresh baked wheat bread toast that came with it. The potatoes were good and not overly seasoned or salty like most places. I like the concept of their fresh food from local and sustainable places. When I'm in town again, I will be back to try all of the other good dishes of food.
(4)
Diane P.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! Whenever my bf and I have a free morning over the weekend, we have to go to Portage Bay. It's usually about a 15 minute wait, but so worth it.... they have an espresso machine at the front, so we get lattes and sip on those as we wait for our table. Once we are seated, we always order grapefruit mimosas... love it! We usually have 2 each :) I always order the Racher's Breakfeast, which gets me sausage, potatoes & a trip to the toppings bar (superb!) for my french toast. My guy gets the Migos w/chirizo sausage... unbelievably delicous! It's like a Mexican lasanga - crazy good food here! If you love brunch, you must check this place out... my favorite!!
(5)
Yell P.
Definitely doesn't live up to the hype. 1. The food is cold. I've been twice and both times my potatoes were cold. Today my bacon was also cold and my GFs ham was cold as well. 2. Nothing like ordering french toast and getting pancakes instead. 3. The "fresh" fruit bar consisted of frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, and something that resembled frozen raspberries. The first time I went at least the fruit was good, this time it was deplorable. 4. My GFs coffee cup was covered in pink lipstick when it arrived. 5. Inattentive service. We won't be going back for a third time.
(1)
Lynn M.
Just had brunch 2 weekends ago. I thought the food was very good and fresh. We were able to be seated in about 5 minutes bc we were willing to sit at the bar. That said, I am not sure it was good enough to wait 45 minutes (which is what we were told if we wanted a table). I ordered eggs benedict sans the ham but with spinach and it was very tasty. I would prefer if the english muffin was more toasted, but overall I enjoyed it. The coffee was really good - not sure whose they serve. The parking is challenging as is typical in that area of Ballard - so be sure to bring your patience along
(4)
Jiwon K.
My friend brought me here when I visited her from the San Francisco bay area. We got the oven baked french toast and the BBQ chicken omurice and shared. The omurice was divine. The french toast was divine, too, until the fourth bite or so. It was because it was so dense neither me nor my friend could finish more than one piece of it. I can't imagine having the entire plate of french toast to myself, but sharing it along with the omurice struck a nice balance between cloying and savory.
(4)
Angus N.
I love this place and it has become a regular haunt for us after our weekend workouts (need to replace those burnt calories!) The food is consistently excellent, and my favorite feature on the menu is the toppings/fruit bar. Organic fruit in particular really does taste (and makes one feel) all that better than other places, and we have gotten to a point that everytime we eat somewhere else we can taste the difference if the good is not organic. I know it sounds a little snobby but the truth is that there is a huge difference, and this place knows it....
(4)
Nick L.
Great menu with lots of local/sustainable/organic ingredients and a focus on healthy options. Vegetarian/vegan friendly. Very slow service around lunchtime. I had rabbit loin and belly pan-seared, with yukon gold potatoes. It was pretty fantastic.
(4)
Scott B.
I love the fact that I can get breakfast during lunch.Never had a bad meal here. Everything is fresh and delicious. My top two are the rancher's breakfast and the french toast. They consistantly have great servers and meet my expectation of wait time during peak times. Thank you!
(5)
Antesa J.
You only need one reason to go here: GLUTEN FREE FRENCH TOAST. With a FULL BAR of things to put on top of it (nuts, berries, cream, syrup, gold flakes, baby laughter). I know I know, you're thinking *shut the front door* but they also have GF pancakes, sandwiches,, and pretty much the possibility to make anything else on their menu gluten free (except, sadly, the crabcake eggs benny). Yeah buddy.
(5)
Diana N.
We got the mushroom and salmon Benedict with the classic pancakes. The salmon Benedict was not good at all, they made the salmon too salty and I couldn't stand eating it plus the potatoes tasted like it wasn't fully cooked. The mushroom Benedict on the other hand was really good. The pancakes were really good too. It's organic and there's a fruit station were you can put whatever you want on the pancakes or French toast.
(3)
Johnson D.
I went today for the first time since 2004 and noticed a lot of changes. I used to eat here at least two or three times a month when I worked on Roosevelt, and usually ordered the Nicoise salad or one of the many sandwiches. Today I ordered a chicken club sandwich ($13). It was OK, with avocado mayonnaise, tomato and lettuce, and pepper bacon. The meat was a bit thickly cut and fell out of the bread, so I had to use a fork to eat. The bread was good, but fell apart as I ate. Not the end of the world, but I really missed the sandwiches from years before, with a gorgeous aioili. I get it. Menus have to be updated and changes, but I do remember the sandwiches being more affordable. Anyway, the service was good and my water glass kept full. I think it's cool that they use cloth napkins. I went at about 12:30 and was offered a small table or a seat at the counter. Friendly server and hostess. I give it 3.5 stars because the sandwiches are crazy expensive and I miss the ones from before.
(3)
Paris F.
The pancakes and the pancakes dressing bar with fruits.... It is amazing. Big portion so, one pancake was enough for me. I also had the omelet and it was decent. The pancakes was good, and the place is always crowded. Make a reservation before you come.
(3)
Charlene L.
I don't even like french toast, but after having PBC, I CRAVE french toast. Get the classic challah french toast, and dress it up with the fruit bar! This place is always crowded, even on the weekdays, so be prepared to wait. I would love this place even more if they took reservations.. but until then, I will wait for an hour for you, PBC! *sigh...*
(4)
Eileen C.
Woah, I'm really surprised that the SLU Portage has a lower rating than the one in the UD. The one is SLU is a hundred times better! Portage Bay is one of those awesome restaurants whose food quality doesn't decline even with an incline in popularity. Do you get what I'm saying? I've been coming here for years, since they first opened, and I'm NEVER disappointed. They've become more and more popular over the years so now I have to wait but totally worth it. Not only that but their values behind food is also just awesome. I ALWAYS get the Ranchers Breakfast because it's big, filling, and encompasses everything you want in a breakfast. I always opt for their french toast and sausage. They have this dope toppings bar where you can go up once and go crazy with the best of the best toppings--nuts, fruits, butter, whipped cream, etc. They also make awesome chai drinks which I love to go for. For those who are green and ride public transit, you can come into Westlake and then take the SLU Transit. There literally is a stop right in front of Portage. This place is the place for breakfast. It's healthy, it's delicious. I have friends visiting from every corner of the globe and I always bring them to Portage and everyone gushes about the food years later. Weekends are obviously packed, slightly better on the weekdays. Always worth the wait. Come to Portage. You won't be disappointed.
(5)
Del T.
wow, what a waste of time. i don't understand why so many people go there? i suppose because of the fruit bar. The food is lack luster, i've had better at Denny's; the service is terrible. To top it off I even had an under cooked entree.. Boo hoo, this place is a pass for me.
(1)
Eri K.
If in the area and craving pancakes or a salad, this is an excellent place to dine. However, if you are a vegetarian who does not like breakfast very much, this is not the place for you. I have eaten two times and the service seems to be hit or miss. My first experience was absolutely terrible (we were not given water until I got up and looked for a server myself, after waiting 12 minutes to be noticed!). However, it was much better the second chance I gave the restaurant. I'll have to try the pancakes soon...
(3)
Stanley C.
Great place! I was super impressed at the flavor of the pancakes. Normally I am not a pancake person, but their pancakes were super delicious, even by itself without the whip cream and fruit. But that was probably the best part, the buffet of fruits and whip cream and other toppings. Yum Yum. I split this with my girlfriend and we still could not finish the special breakfast. I was sad I had to waste the pancake, but I was already too full to eat anymore. Now, if only they had waffles, I would've given this place 5 stars!
(4)
Margaret M.
Risotto Cake Benedict. Just order it... You can thank me later. "Organic arborio rice risotto cakes with oven-dried roma tomatoes, two poached eggs and a drizzle of 6-year aged balsamic vinegar." I wish the wait wasn't always forever and a day (an hour and a half when I want brunch NOW? sigh) but everything I've ordered here has been good. Not mind-blowing, but consistently good.
(4)
Jay D.
I do love most of the food I've had here but I cannot say the same for the service. I've been here several times and usually get the Migas (generous portion!) or something with a trip to the toppings bar. All delicious. The thing that gets me about this place is the service. Very inconsistent. And usually poor. From the moment you walk in, someone says sit anywhere you'd like, And just points to the tables. For some reason that bothers me. It's like they are too lazy to actually take me and seat me. in all my visits theres been one server that seemed to care. It's so strange. Give the food a try but be prepared for the spotty service and long weekend lines!
(3)
Alyssa H.
Food is good enough but they don't seem to understand the concept of reservations. My party of 8 made an 11:30 reservation and showed up 10 minutes early only to be told to wait. And wait. And wait. Over the next 45 minutes (and still waiting at the time of drafting) we heard SEVERAL other parties of 8 called and seated while our reservation was apparently dismissed. If you guys can't manage reservations DON'T TAKE THEM.
(2)
Misty M.
We visited from Austin Texas and were extremely excited to try some Seattle food. I think that's our favorite thing about traveling!!! Food!! This was the first place we had breakfast before our full day of exploring (full turned into half) as all I really wanted to do after my breakfast was take a food coma nap. Food:I had the dungeons Benedict. (I think that's the name) And I at first glance was so hungry and thought it wouldn't fill me up. WRONG! I was forcing myself through that last Benedict and it was oh so worth it. So savory, fulfilling and honestly a little heavy...but I am 100% okay with that because I loved every bite. Just watch the eggs a little..it was over cooked and I had no runny eggs..it was basically boiled. The four stars is based on my husband's banana foster French toast. My husband probably gets French toast at EVERY new breakfast place we try...unless that is not an option. He wasn't wowed about it simply because the Carmel on it became hard after a few minutes at the table. So sad...because the first few bites were to die for. That killed it though and not all was eaten unfortunately. Atmosphere: loved it. Outside and inside seating. We chose inside but still had a nice little breeze from the outside door being open. Natural lighting for breakfast because of the big windows. I loved it. Service: It was peak breakfast hours so server was pretty busy but we got taken care of so that is all that matters. Next time we are in Seattle we will be back for some new flavors!! P.S. I bought one of your awesome coffee mugs. #eatlikeyougiveadamn
(4)
Zevin S.
Loved this place, the crab cake eggs benedict were amazing. I also got to try some of the French toast and peppered bacon. Everything was really tasty and the presentation was impressive. Definitely going back to explore more of their menu.
(5)
Rachel L.
They will be doing my wedding. Best brunch/breakfast place in Seattle. Always packed but that's the nature of having amazing food.
(5)
James S.
Great food, especially their French toast. Great location, great potential atmosphere. Friendly waitresses, wonderful place to have brunch with family. You feel a bit of pressure to dress well, nothing too crazy though. Only nitpick is, everyone has brunch with their family here. You can't have a conversation without shouting across the table. The food portions should be enough to keep you busy, on the bright side. Super cool place to go with family, expensive but worth it.
(4)
Anastasia C.
OMG, I love this place for breakfast. "Eat like you give a damn"....that I do!! Food is always amazingly consistent, delicious and looks great. The service, while they are ALWAYS busy, is still pretty darn good and the staff is very friendly. They have a wide range of things to choose from and the fruit bar is so fantastic and fun! Give this place a go!!
(5)
Kristin P.
Great little brunch spot! Gets pretty packed on the weekends, it definitely helps to have a reservation. Awesome staff and their toppings bar (for french toast, etc) is the best!!
(4)
Sarah A.
Went here for a late breakfast on Tuesday with a girlfriend. Late initial greet from a very friendly server who looked like he maybe picked up our table out of his section (Jeff). I ordered the pancakes and she had the french toast. Hers was delicious and mine tasted fine but had raw pancake batter throughout---yuck. Definitely killed my appetite and when I pointed it out to the food runner who brought it he apologized and asked if I wanted a box---which I thought was a peculiar response. No comp on raw pancakes? C'mon. The breakfast bar looks delicious but I feel like the toppings should be on ice or refrigerated somehow because it seems like they had just been set out for the whole day. Maybe try this place again later? Great spot for groups!
(2)
Tram L.
We ordered some pick-up for lunch, and we were amazed by how great the food was and how friendly everyone was at this place. The owner/manager made sure to smile and greet all customers, and we hardly had to wait for our orders. 4 stars! P.S. Did I mention they have a pancake/french toast toppings bar? Yummm!
(4)
M M.
I found this place on yelp after craving a good breakfast while on vacation. I had the oatmeal crumb french toast. The server told me they make the challah fresh the night before. After trying it, I believe him! It's made of three thick slices of challah and a whole lot of other goodness! But it really is indulgent and a bit too sweet, even for me (and I have a sweet tooth). I also didn't like that the self serve bar didn't offer any fresh fruit at all. Also couldn't quite tell what drinks they served. Didn't see any listed on the menu. Strange. Anyway, I would go back and try something else.
(3)
Stasj T.
Craving breakfast was the only reason I got out of bed. This place has been in my bookmarks for months so I finally gave it a try. Lucked out by getting there slightly before 10am, since that's when the brunch crowd shows up. Ordered grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed and tasty) and the sweet potato frittata. When it arrived, I honestly had to look for it because it was buried underneath a pile of arugula. Don't get me wrong, arugula and I have been cool for a while now, I just wasn't expecting it to treat my frittata like that. There was a light balsamic vinaigrette on the arugula, which, when mixed with pieces of the frittata, was a good taste and good texture. The side of bacon was the right amount of crispy, and complimented the dish well. Will have to come back and try out their breakfast bar.
(4)
Lauren P.
I visited Portage Bay with a group of my friends a few days ago and to be honest, I'm not sure what the hype is about. I do have to say that I like that all of the food is fairly healthy and that they cater to gluten-free and vegan eaters as well as anybody else. The only thing is that the restaurant itself is very loud. The service was okay, nothing too spectacular. I ended up getting the Rancher's Breakfast which was a HUGE meal. I got potatoes, sausage, eggs, and two pancakes. The potatoes were by far my favorite part of the meal. So good. The eggs were bland and I didn't eat more than two bites. What's cool about getting pancakes is that you get to visit their breakfast bar which is awesome - I loaded up my pancakes with fruit and whipped cream. :) Also, if they ask if you want coffee, know that it's overpriced. I paid $3 for drip coffee!
BEST GLUTEN FREE FRENCH TOAST EVER. And all their pancakes are naturally gluten free AND they had 2 different kind of french toast to choose from w gf bread. They make their gf bread in house, it thick and really soft and amazing. This is soooo rare. Please start selling your bread online, I would love to order it down to Orange County, where we love! Thanks for the bomb breakfast portage!
(5)
L M.
I had the goat cheese omelette with spinach and mushrooms. The dish was not oily and seemed fresh. But, the omelette lacked flavor. The ingredients were not mixed. And what killed the presentation was the the cold sad looking butter on top of the slightly burned toast.
(4)
Steven G.
Massive portions, as in 'you just ordered two meals' massive. Fresh ingredients. Lots of fresh vegetables. Excellent egg plates, like the Farmer's Hash. I was shocked at how rich, delicious and overwhelmingly filling this meal was. I need to sneak down to SLU for brunch next weekend. If I'm going to pay $15 for a brunch meal, this is the kind of meal I want to experience. The worst I can say is that the service was a bit slow due to the crowd, and the coffee was just okay. But after that meal I didn't really care about that.
(5)
Jj J.
Immediately upon arriving we were asked if we had reservations and, when we said we did not, the reaction from the two hostesses was nearly a snort ("as if"). We were then told we were "lucky" because a "large group had cancelled" and that we could be seated immediately...and we were. What followed were empty coffee cups and water glasses, no silverware until we asked (twice), inconsistent arrival of our breakfasts so that two of us were eating over five minutes before the other two, and mediocre and overpriced food. Big drag. Won't be going back when I can throw a rock and hit a great breakfast spot in this town.
(1)
Kirk S.
I'm really torn on how to review this place. If you're looking for a place with great pancakes, fresh fruit, organic and fancy menu items that taste great, this is your place. If you're looking for greasy spoon classics, definitely go somewhere else. I made the mistake of ordering what I thought were classics, but they put such a heavy spin on them that I wish I had gone elsewhere. I wish I had went for the pancakes at the breakfast bar. Portage Bay. Add the greasy spoon classics and i'll give you 5 stars.
(3)
Sheri F.
I had lunch here during the week with two others. The food was OK, nothing to write home about. The fried potatoes were average. Place is only open for breakfast and lunch. Service was almost nonexistent. They took our order then never returned except to drop off the food then the check. Ambiance is also nonexistent, but there wasn't anything awful or garish. The place is just plain and boring with zero color. Even the menus are plain black & white. Parking is only available on the street. I have no plans on returning to this place but might again one day simply because it's close to work and there are very little options for breakfast by work. Food: 2.5 Service: 1 Ambiance: 1 Parking: 1
(3)
Cotica N.
Portage Bay is arguably the top brunch option in South Lake Union and possibly all of the extended downtown area. I loved their fruit bar, tea selection, French toast, and Phil's American breakfast (eggs, bacon, option of toast or pancakes, potatoes). It was a weekend tradition while in Seattle. Tip: make a reservation as wait times can be quite long.
(4)
Vijay R.
Bad food. Poor service. Poached eggs were hard. Bread was burnt. Had to wait for 15+ minutes even with a reservation.
(1)
Megan L.
Once again we tried Portage Bay and once again disappointed. The staff are great and friendly. The atmosphere fun, but the food...not good. I ordered the Migas which had tasteless eggs, a weird cream sauce and very old guac on top. I could only eat a few bites. The toppings bar is pretty, but honestly no amount of canned fruit, whip cream and strawberries coated in sugar is going to make the French toast less dry. On another occasion I had the Swedish pancakes and they were good. I keep getting pulled back in because the weekend lines here are always huge, but every time it disappoints.
(2)
Vanessa H.
Good food, service was okay. I may come back... Had the cinnamon & honey blintz it was good but something was a little off with them though. I could only finish only two because of the taste of the custard in the crepes. The plus side it came with the fruit breakfast bar. They don't ask you if you want another beverage after asking for "water for now"... I did want coffee, oh well. So I tried them cold after putting leftovers in the fridge and it tastes better. Guess they just don't taste as great warm.
(3)
Dave L.
Pros: good management seated my daughter and I faster than we expected although the wait was still long to help make sure she didn't throw a fit - good food (pancakes are great) Cons: Loud, expensive, takes forever to get a table, water is never refilled
(3)
J N.
This place is ridiculously awesome from atmosphere to food to service! It is a great concept and it is clear that there was a lot of thought put into this restaurant. My boyfriend and I love coming here for any occasion. We always request to sit in Kevin's section. The food is terrific but Kevin's great service makes the full experience even more memorable! He is funny and personable. When you come here you should ask to be seated in his section; he will take great care of you. Regarding food, the migas are not to be missed. The french toast is a no-brainer. The huevos rancheros and the scrambles are also terrific choices. Don't forget to order the pepper bacon! For drinks, the coffee is delicious and the mimosas are nice and sweet.
(5)
Charesse H.
Not sure why everyone loves this breakfast spot. I had the Farmer's Hash with smoked salmon which came with a very small portion of salmon that was extremely salty and served with lots of veggies, I probably had four cubes of potatoes. My boyfriend's French Toast was soft and cold. The table with all the toppings is pretty much impossible to get to with a crowd around the entrance - yet everyone seems to love that they have this? He settled with just butter (from my toast) and he asked our awkward waitress for syrup. I think we'll stick to Geraldine's for breakfast. If you do want to try this place though, make sure you rsvp on the weekends.
(2)
Joe R.
The only complaint I have is I couldn't finish the pancakes, they were so large. If you can finish them, you are a better man than I. The Breakfast Fruit Bar is a cool idea. You pick your own toppings. The pancakes were great. I recommend getting here early. There were literally people waiting in their cars outside for the place to open. I got here at 730am, and by 8am they were getting busy.
(5)
Matt S.
Decent food, but nothing memorable or worth returning for. They do offer huge portions but they come with equally inflated prices. It feels like they use high quality ingredients. Really sloooow service - took at least 45 minutes after ordering for items to start arriving during lunch. Half our table was served 20 minutes before the other half received their orders also.
(2)
Marilia B.
We went to this place to eat their brunch and it was amazing. They had a 30 minutes waiting list, but we forgot it completely after we seated. Our waitress was really helpful and just gave us good recommendations. The portions were huge and absolutely amazing!!! We definitely recommend this place.
(5)
Chip D.
My experience was not great. My Farmer's Hash with sausage was burnt. The potatoes tasted like what you would think blackened potatoes would taste like, char. and it wasn't a thin char. the char was probably 2-3 mm in thickness. there was sliced sausage which had good flavor but was bone dry, no juice at all because the slices were burnt 50% through the thickness of the slice. Vegetables were not immune to the cooks lack of skill as the entire hash was burnt. Nutrition in the vegetables were likely all gone from the over-cooking. I'll try them again... maybe, but you'll have to pull my arm and beg me.
(2)
Ritu D.
Okay- after my marathon of writing so many five star reviews of places I went to in Seattle, people are going to think I just willy nilly give out five stars- I promise I don't - I give it to places that deserve it - and Portage Bay DEFINITELY deserves it. My stepbrother and his girlfriend did say that this is the best location in their opinion, so we were lucky it was the closest one to our hotel,too - and also I can't vouch for the other locations, but I def think this one is 5 star quality! Literally don't have a bad thing to say - except maybe that one person in our group got their food much later than the rest of us (kitchen prob forgot?) but we had so much food on the table, it was okay. Anyways- made a reservation for 7 people at about 1145 last Saturday. They didn't end up seating us till closer to 12:10 which was fine because we were kind of late anyways. The employees are so friendly - the servers kept talking to us as they walked by while we were waiting (not long convos obv - we were just salivating over what they were carrying and talking about what it was and how good it was). Once we sat, the service was great! waters were filled and anything extra we asked for came out pretty fast! (only downfall was what happened with the forgotten food, but we got over that pretty quick - and it came out soon after) OMG for brunch - get the Migas! you will not be disappointed - it's their breakfast "burrito" - I put the burrito in quotes because it's actually shaped like a huge quesadilla - but legit- HUGE portions. and DELCIOUS! Most of the people got that and LOVED it! The chicken sausage is pretty delish. We also got a french toast plate for everyone to share and those were really good. Basically, the only reason I suggested we do that was because I really wanted to visit the toppings bar - strawberries, whipped cream, berries, almond slices, peaches, syrup, butter, etc.etc.ETC. SO DELISH! I had a mimosa which was pretty big and tasty! This place was amazing and I can't wait to go back!!
(5)
Ken G.
3 stars for the food; 1 star for the service. Went at 9:15 with a reservation. Seated immediately. Ordered coffee. 20 minutes! Ordered food - arrived a full hour after we got there....a full 40 minutes after we ordered. No word to explain -- even when we asked where our food was. The place was less than 1/2 full. Food was good enough (some loved their meal, others just ok).
(2)
Kimberly B.
The food here was quite good. I had the challah french toast and enjoyed the topping bar for fruits, syrup, butter and other fun items. We had a reservation and there were many people waiting. We got our table right away by the window. My friends from out of town enjoyed brunch immensely. The only negative is the noise level but this is to be expected in a busy restaurant.
(4)
Laura R.
Stopped by here for a late breakfast today and it was just amazing Everything is organic and local !! The portions are perfect size !! The topping bar is fantastic !! Their orange juice is freshly squeezed !! Most importantly though ...LOAD YOUR PLATE WITH WHIPPED CREAM!! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH ! LOAD IT ON YOUR PLATE LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW!
(5)
Aly A.
Their french toast bar is awesome! Good breakfast spot. Cute inside and their portions are big!
(4)
Jennifer M.
Like: BANANAS FOSTER FRENCH TOAST. nuff said.
(5)
Joyce J.
I have heard so many good things about Portage Bay but I was really disappointed when I finally visited on a Saturday morning with several friends. I ordered the tonkasu sandwich special which was served with a side of potatoes. The tonkasu was alright but it was not really flavorful. I took it home and heated up the next morning and it still tasted less than stellar so I just ended up throwing it away. I also ordered the coffee. The waiter came to refill my cup only once. My friends and I were later asked to give up our table as there was a crowd waiting. So I would not recommend this place for breakfast if you want a leisure weekend brunch.
(2)
jo s.
I'll say first that the food was very good and I love their philosophy about food. We were there for breakfast on a Sunday and it was very crowded, but we had a reservation and got seated within 15 minutes of our reservation. The space is nice and open and lively, though a little on the loud side and some difficulty hearing conversation. We walked by the fruit bar and it looked amazing. The food came quickly. We had huevos rancheros with dietary variations and it was fast and fresh and delicious. Everything came out exactly as ordered. The only reason for my low rating is that my experience of the service and attitude of waitstaff was unwelcoming. I felt like we were imposing on them by asking for anything. I asked for coffee twice before getting it with my meal and server responded strangely annoyed. I actually would have liked another drink, but felt like it wasn't worth the work getting the attention of the servers, so didn't bother (They never asked). And I also wasn't offered coffee refills -- can't think of a time when that happened over breakfast at a restaurant. Frankly, I felt that they wanted us to leave as soon as possible, clearing our dishes and dropping of the check as soon (or before) our plates were clear. We were not there very long. I understand they were busy, but being rushed and ignored doesn't make for a pleasant experience, so my question is "why bother?". This was only my first time there and I will probably to back again for the excellent food and to see if my experience was an anomaly. I hope it was.
(2)
Kay K.
I've been to the portage bay in udistrict several times and I've tried the SLU one because it looked like bigger place and newer. I have more to say about their interior setting. I don't have anything to complain about their food and service. - Loud, crowded, sardines - I think this place shows an example of the environment setting overpowering the taste. It was way too crowded. Busy with many people is good for their business. however, I think they tried to fit in as many tables as they can in the space, which ends up being a little chaotic experience rather than relaxing brunch experience. I know their brunch is good according to my previous experience at the U-District one. However, I almost lost the taste because of the loudness. Especially walking to the topping bar is hard. Tables are too close, so many people walking around including workers, and carrying heavy plate can be challenging. Because of the high ceiling, the noise lingers more, makes it hard to have a conversation. Sometimes you have to wait to get more coffee, or take an order, etc. You might have to wave your hand at the waiters. -Service & food- service and food was good. nothing to complain. So losing these aspects because of the setting makes me sad :( Food is traditional. Not something fancy. They just feed you A LOT.
(3)
Nicolas R.
Used to go frequently. Lately food quality has gone down, waitresses are now very slow and recently they stopped honoring reservations. Stopped going.
(1)
Brandi H.
This place was incredibly loud and busy. I would suggest making a reservation at least and hour in advance. I got the classic French toast, and it was the most flavorful french toast I've ever had. The depth of flavor is amazing. It came with their breakfast bar which is full of berries and other toppings. Awesome. The staff here is also very friendly!
(4)
Xuan-Nhi N.
This is my favorite place to go for breakfast! -Service is amazing -They have a breakfast bar filled with fruits, nuts, syrup, & whipped cream for you to top off your plates with -Their French toast is so perfect that my mouth is watering right now as I'm writing this review -AND their food is local & organic. How great is that? Seriously. Not only do they have great food, but they give a damn about where it comes from, where everything is grown. Every time I've been here, it's been crowded but I never minded waiting because their food is worth the wait. I haven't tried any of their lunch items, but I can tell you that I love their fluffy pancakes, their savory farmer's hash, & their French toast is to die for (seriously try the French toast, people.) All around great restaurant with an amazing atmosphere.
(5)
Charlie L.
The whole fresh fruit bar and farm to table idea is hugely appealing to me, so I gave it a high star rating, but yes, the service (though friendly) pretty much blows. I got up to serve myself with menus, silverware, water. Yeah. I'm guessing it being in the middle Amazon.com -ville, that it's going to be mobbed, so shitty service wouldn't necessarily put it out of business, but may be it would get 5 stars if I went to a different location. I would probably still recommend it, just go at off peak hours, and call ahead to make sure there isn't a long wait.
(3)
Eric V.
We love Portgage Bay for breakfast! The breakfast bar is the kids favorite. Lots of great options for everyone!!!
(5)
G T.
Beyond delicious! Organic, local, sustainable. Vegetarian options. Beware of huge portions but buy a plate for each of you to share the delicious bounty! Farmers hash was yummy and we loved the banana foster French toast!
(5)
Emily M.
The food here is locally sourced, sustainable, and one of the most delicious brunches I've ever had! I would highly recommend getting a reservation -- this place was completely packed on a Saturday morning! If there was anything to complain about, it would be the noise. The place was so loud, you couldn't hear when your name was being called when a table was ready. But once we got seated (15 minutes after the reservation time), service was quick, friendly, and great. The serve yourself topping bar had lots of fresh fruit and real whipped cream for pancakes and french toast, which was my whole reason for coming! Overall, an amazing place to have brunch on my birthday.
(4)
Phoenix A.
Being understaffed at breakfast is not a good look. Me waiting 40 minutes for oatmeal is not a good look for me either. I did have really good oatmeal though and appreciated the coconut shavings at the topping bar, however, the serving was enough to feed a third world county for $8. They could easily cut the serving and the price by half. This place is pretty big and on this visit there were only 2 servers and I think 2 owner/manager types expediting and bussing tables. This experience won't prevent me from coming here. I love the food here, but I would think twice about grabbing a timely meal here and getting to work more on time.
(3)
Benjamin W.
From having worked restaurants for over a decade, I rarely will complain to management about a bad experience somewhere but today was a day when I did. We specifically had come to this place from far away because I remember the food being quite good and I wanted to take my girlfriend somewhere nice but today was nothing more then a mediocre breakfast. After waiting about 15 min in the lobby and being seated it took almost 10 min to even be approached by our server after about 4 other servers walked passed our table without acknowledging us. Our server who never introduced herself by name took another 8 min to get us our coffees. The coffee arrived without spoons or creamer and we had to ask again. We placed our food order when seated and when our food finally arrived at the table my order was incorrect and had to be taken back to the kitchen. My girlfriends breakfast potatoes were cold and tasted like they had been sitting in the window for quite some time and her pancake stack never arrived. At this point I asked for the manager and explained our situation. He admitted that apparently our server had put in my order wrong and owned up to the situation. When the server came back she blamed her mistake on the kitchen which I thought was unprofessional. About 15 min later our food finally arrived. Overall an ordeal that lasted for over an hour to get a less the great breakfast! The crab cakes were pretty good but overall I wish I had just made breakfast at home or gone somewhere else...
(1)
Gabe F.
This place already has 900 reviews so why would I add another to their Yelp page? Because we appreciate really good food, a creative menu, and great service. We had the French Toast so we could graze the fruit bar, and we split the crab benedict which was tasty but the potatoes were not warm. The cappuccino was done right which is very critical in my book. Guess we were fortunate to get a table on Sunday morning before the mad crush of people arrived and had to wait for 30-40 minutes. The food is fresh and organic, the Fruit Bar should have a trough attached to it so you can grave on the fresh berries and homemade whipping cream...OMG. Have to make a return visit anytime we are back in Seattle.
(4)
Diana C.
Knocking off a star for terrible expectation management and lack of customer service. I was really upset the last time I came here and it really left a sour taste in my mouth. I really hope they don't continue this kind of customer treatment. It'd be a shame for an otherwise pretty good breakfast place.
(3)
Sherri L.
Decided to Brunch at this place and wished I went elsewhere. We ordered the Apple Strawberry French Toast and the Dungeoness Crab Cake Benedict. First off, The service was mediocre. There was no one at the front desk to seat you and you have to try and catch a waiter to see you. Then, it took awhile to get our menus and then even longer for someone to take our order. Thankfully, the food didn't take long but I could obviously see that it didn't either because there was nothing special about it. The Dungeoness Crab Cake Benedict was such a disappointment, the crab did not taste fresh, I mean it's Seattle, that's one of the few things that should always be fresh! It lacked flavor and the crab cake had too much filling and not enough crab. The Apple Strawberry French Toast was ok. I think that it could've been better had it not been soaked with the sauce.
I go to Portage Bay Cafe at least once a week for lunch. I LOVE the staff there - all of them (servers, cooks, etc.). They are really great and they are the main reason I frequent this spot. The food is good too - SUPER fresh ingredients - and they offer specials from time to time. They also update the main menu seasonally. Beware that if you are driving in, parking is South Lake Union is tough (not the restaurant's fault - all of SLU is like this). Also note that they are crowded during weekday lunch and weekend brunch so you may have to wait for a table. I recommend them for breakfast. The variety of menu items is great, they are less crowded at that time and they have a breakfast bar that is pretty impressive for sweet add-ons. I am definitely a fan.
(4)
Kristin C.
The food is great and the prices are decent. It's a big, open, noisy restaurant but that's ok because it wakes me up in the morning! Only tried their breakfast and it was really yummy. I highly recommend the grapefruit mimosa!
(4)
Phil C.
Not sure what happened, but recently the food has been subpar. The most recent experience I went there with a colleague for an early lunch @ 11am this week. Here is what we encountered. I had the roasted chicken club on GF bread, and he had some bacon, an english muffin, and some herbed potatoes. In general it tasted like they were serving us left-overs. The club sandwich was more bread than other things, and the chicken was super dry, like it was made days prior and put in the fridge for re-use. It was accompanied by a huge green salad that was covered in oil with no taste. The bread fell apart, and I needed to push it to the side. I eat GF bread all the time, and I have never dealt with such a mess. The side of bacon that my colleague ordered crisp, came to the table cold, greasy, and not crisp at all. Obviously not cooked fresh. The english muffin that my colleague ordered had so much flower on it, that he said it tasted like chewy calk, and he needed to scape most the flower on to the plate to make it edible, only eating a few bites. He refused to pay for the roasted potatoes since they were dry, and obviously cooked hours earlier only to be re-heated for our enjoyment. This restaurant had a history in the past of taking too long to get the food out to customers, but the quality was always ok. It seems like they are now rushing too quickly to get the food out, thus a drop in quality as a result. I had an experience two weeks ago where I ordered eggs sunny side up, and I got barely cooked eggs served to me.
(2)
Naomi G.
The food was delicious, ordered the ham scrambler. However the lack of service from our actual sever was lacking. Waited quite a while for our food and the waited again for our bill. Where he didn't ask to have it split so we all had to calculate what we owed. Overall I would probably go back but maybe during the week when it is not so crazy busy and you can actually talk to the person across from you. Cute location and easy access to downtown.
(4)
Rubal K.
Awesome breakfast spot with a variety of craving satisfying menu items! I went there for the pancake bar :)
(5)
My S.
We ate at Portage Bay, South Union, on Black Friday in Seattle. The wait was only 15 minutes and service was awesome. The food is always wonderful. I had the Farmer's Hash with Salmon...loved the seasonings and all the flavors. We eat here whenever we visit family in Seattle. The coffee is the best too.
(5)
David M.
We had friends visiting from out of town this week and we went here twice. I don't get the rave reviews on yelp about this place, we tried eggs benedict, reuben sandwich and several other things. My partner and I found the food very bland and not special at all. The Reuben I ordered had practically no flavor, it was on rye bread and the bread tasted like sourdough, no rye taste. its also extremely expensive, not worth the high prices for bland food.
(2)
Santy T.
The coffee mug was not clean, had lipstick marks :( But was taken care of, as soon as I reported the problem.. food was delicious
(3)
Joni G.
Love the fact that this place offers gluten-free pancake and french toast options. The food is great and healthy but for some reason this place has "not so great" customer service. Last year I booked their private room in the back for a surprise party. It was ok but there were about 20 people and the service was slow... slow... This time, it was just my dad and I as I was taking him out for a late Father's Day celebration and again the service was extremely slow. Besides that, our server only came to check on us about 3 times and seemed very disinterested in her job. I don't believe I saw her smile once. They also had designated bussers who filled water and coffee cups and my water glass remained empty after I finished it. In addition, my dad and I had a reservation, however when we arrived, the manager (I believe he was the manager) and the host informed him that there was a "ten top" and although we had a reservation for outdoors, that they needed to try to move all their guest on the patio (who were already seated and eating) to another area to accommodate this "ten top." After my dad again mentioned we had a reservation, the manager took notice and decided to seat us instead as he called us a "priority." I appreciate that effort. However, the stress and burden of trying to accommodate this "ten top" didn't need to be shared with us and it didn't need to be our burden. At one point, my dad asked me if I was ok waiting so the restaurant could accommodate this party of 10. I was taking my dad out for his special day and he didn't need to be worried about restaurant logistics. Next time... management should learn to handle their internal issues amongst their staff instead of sharing their problems with their customers. For some reason the University location is just as, if not busier but their service is MUCH MUCH better. Next time I want to hit Portage Bay, I'll probably hit the U-district location instead.
(2)
Jenny A.
Don't come here when you are starving, you might have a long wait ahead of you. - We came here and was told it would be a 30-45 min wait for a party of 2. BUT not long after that, the manager (I think) told everyone to follow him and we were all seated at once after a few big groups left. This review is a few weeks old, but I ordered the dungeness crab benedict and BF ordered the chorizo scramble. HUGE portions and decent prices. The only downfall for me was the street parking; we must have went around and around a few times and ended up parking a few blocks away.. did I mention that it was also pouring down rain? Yes, I know, typical Seattle weather.. but it still sucked walking in it =( I'll be back for the french toast!
(4)
Jay R.
Yum yum toasty good! I've been missing out on the deliciousness of the magical and foreign breakfast delight known as french toast for years due to a gluten allergy, but none of that matters anymore. Not only does Portage Bay have french toast, they also have GF pancakes along with GF toast. So basically this place is gluten free heaven for me. The atmosphere here is busy and fun with a huge eating area that can easily accommodate large parties but is still intimate and private enough for cozy time with your sweet person. I really like eating brunch here with my GFGF (that means gluten free girlfriend for you civilians) Oh yeah, they have mimosas in any flavor too! GULP!
(5)
Maggie G.
Here's why you should trust my review: I've gone to Portage Bay dozens of times and I've NEVER GOTTEN THE TOPPING BAR. And I STILL love it. Now read on: Yes, it can be crowded and when it gets crowded, it gets noisy. All that is true. But the food is just...so...good. I tend to go on my own and sit at the counter, just so I can eat without long waits or crying children. Let me restate: I refuse to allow other people to come to brunch with me, JUST SO I CAN EAT HERE. It's that good. Jesus Christ himself couldn't convince me to go to brunch with him instead. It's terrific. I get the Migas every time (just plain, without the chorizo or the mushrooms) and every time, I'm satisfied. I like eating something that I know comes from a healthy farm; I like eating like I give a damn! It's expensive, but what good food isn't? Now I'm not sure I'm even going to publish this review because I want those counter seats. But I usually work weekends and can go any time, so...here you go, Yelpers. Go for the food. Keep coming back for that food.
(5)
Alaina B.
Food was good, service was better thanks to Kevin. He truly made the experience. We went to the South Lake Union location and ordered the vegan banana pancakes and classic eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce was legendary (thanks for the recommendation, Kevin!) A visit to the fruit bar is also a must. Crowded especially for Sunday brunch, so plan ahead with a reservation. 5/5 stars!
(5)
Rohan K.
Pretty good selection of menu items but most are just OK. It's very busy during lunch/brunch but the service is still fantastic. The BBQ Pork sandwich was pretty dry and lacked flavor. It could have been much better. The Migas were fairly good. The potatoes on the side were also very dry and seemed like they were made in a huge batch and then just repeatedly re-heated to serve. Overall I'd say very average food, big portions, good ambiance and service.
(3)
Diane S.
This place is awesome! Huge portions and great food. If though I was to go back though I would go for the pancakes and topping bard instead of the omelets. Don't get me wrong my Salmon omelet was good, but not the best omelet I have ever had. But the Buckwheat pancakes with toppings, much better choice!!!!! All the fresh fruits and whipp cream. Yummmmmm. Bring you stretchy pants for sure. Overall very good, I do recommend expect a line tough on the weekends.
(4)
Enigo M.
Food was pretty good, but I have a major complaint! I went for breakfast today with 4 friends. 3 meals hit the table, the 4th came 5 minutes later and finally my eggs bene a whopping 15 minutes later! Such BS and poorly handled. I don't know if the server just forgot to put it in or if the kitchen messed up, but regardless the server who was amusing at first... cont'd his wise cracks and lame attempts at getting a laugh instead of just being apologetic & accommodating.
(2)
Shane B.
Yum! And fun! Not a place is go to regularly, but for a treat for family or friends, so worth it. Many great options that are positively decadent. Don't go here if you are trying to lose weight ;). The one big downside is they are too popular. I'm not sure if I've every had a wait time less than an hour.
(5)
Jgirl S.
I really really wish I could give this place higher marks. I am a BIG supporter of restaurants that serve organic, locally sourced food. Unfortunately, this place needs major improvement in the service department and this is why hubby and I will not be back. Location and Parking: The South Lake Union location is tough to find parking, be prepared to drive around a bit. Ambiance: Busy, but not overwhelming. It is a large place once you get inside. You would not notice its large space until you walk in. Also, it was obvious that the staff here is very young...teenagers and early 20's. And, what's with the Breakfast Club soundtrack playing?? Not really what I want to be listening to on a lazy Sunday with a mimosa. Food and Drinks: Hubby ordered an apple mimosa and I chose the berry lemonade mimosa. Both were good, but could have used some more Proseco. The bubbles were barely noticeable. For brunch, hubby ordered the smoked wild salmon farmer's hash. He said it tasted good, but ease up on the celery. It looked like a celery scramble there was so much in it. I ordered the smoked salmon benedict. It was delicious, but it could have used more hollandaise sauce and my poached eggs were over cooked, no runny middle. Service: We were lucky to be seated right away, but waited 20 minutes for our server to come greet us. When he did come to our table, we got a "What can I get you?" I hate it when servers come to your table and say this, especially if we are new to a place! We waited 20 minutes for our mimosas to come and another 30 minutes for our entrees. Our server did not deliver our entrees, someone else did and when they were delivered, we were not greeted with "Is there anything else I can get you?" The dishes were just put on the table and she walked away. Our server did not come by to check up on us until ¾ of the way through eating. When he did, we got a "Did everything come out ok?" We kind of chuckled and said yes, and then he quickly scurried off to go be with his younger co-workers and friends to chitchat at the end of the bar. Hubby's mimosa's glass was empty and I saw the server look right at it, but he did not bother to ask if we wanted another round of drinks. Sorry buddy, just because you are our server does NOT guarantee you will be getting 20-25% tip from us. I got super grossed out 1/2 way through the meal when I noticed that 3-4 employees were sitting at the bar folding the cloth napkins. They were eating, the girls were playing with their hair, talking, and laughing all while folding the napkins that WE the customers are going to be putting our mouths on. The girls' long hair were brushing up on them, one girl wiped her nose on her forearm, then laid her forearm on the pile of napkins to continue eating. This young group of employees had no qualms about being unsanitary around these napkins or care in the world that customers were all around them and that the customers still needed to be serviced. They only cared about eating, talking, laughing, and playing on their phones. This is a very strange and unprofessional restaurant environment. Management needs to take a serious look at how their young employees are behaving because from what I saw we will not be back.
(2)
Brad Y.
I can add to the chorus of voices singing Portage Bay's praise. There is a reason they regularly listed in the top 5 breakfast spots in Seattle by several different sources. Their menu is quite extensive and they put out a quality product. If this is your first time, I recommend you order an item that allows you a trip to the breakfast bar. That being said my go to item of late has been the Dungeness Crab Benedict. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Even the simple things like the porridge is good. Highly recommended.
(4)
Franklin H.
A great spot to get breakfast, service is always great, and the atmosphere is lively. Food is tasty as well; I usually order eggs, potatoes, fruit, and toast. The potatoes taste great, even though they are a bit high on the sodium count-perfectly seasoned with a little bit of spice. The fruit itself tastes fresh - and perfectly sweet. The wait staff is happy and lively - even when the entire facility is full of customers. Everyone is having a great time, both the staff and the customers. When a place has such positive energy, it's no wonder that this place is popular for breakfast. I would recommend visiting here if you're in the area. Note that there's not a lot of parking at this place - there are a few parking lots within 10 minutes walking distance though.
(5)
Gissela B.
My girlfriends and I came here after a long race. We had reservations and were late. I called ahead to notify them of our time issues and they were very accommodating. Once we arrived, they seated us within minutes which was awesome. The food was fantastic, with tons of choices for all of us (ie: gluten free, veggie, etc.) We had a great time enjoying our meal. I had the Swedish pancakes with a side of bacon, my friends had the gluten free pancakes, pulled pork benedict and the hash. Everything looked and tasted delicious. I think the only thing we weren't too thrilled on was the noise level. It was extremely loud in there and we pretty much had to shout at each other to have a conversation. To someone who has noise level sensitivity to high levels of noise this place would have been sensory overload. I don't know how lunch or dinner are, but brunch is definitely hopping and loud. If you're looking for a quiet intimate setting, this would not be your place. However, if you want great food and high energy level and no need to worry about your kids being noisy, then no need to keep looking. Definitely would recommend making reservations for at least brunch. They were turning away walk-ins.
(5)
Marshall D.
The pancakes here will blow your damn mind. I had the ranchers breakfast for lunch yesterday and am tempted to go again today. The fresh fruit bar is well worth the wait for a table trust me.
(5)
V S.
just got back from brunch. so, I wanted to give it 5 stars.... the overall experience was good- the food was delicious. A few concerns: 1) they don't warn you that everything is brought at once. 2) and given the huge portions I felt like I was the fat guy in Monty Python's Meaning of Life (the one that explodes). 3) Service was ok... though the chicken sausage was super dry. The waiter (we sat at the counter) who was around us the entire time but never asked how the food was... i could have told him about the dry sausage - but - I purposely waited to see if he would notice- he didn't. I will go back.
(3)
Liza Faye T.
Eggs Benedict w/ House-Smoked Wild Salmon. Rancher's Breakfast w/ Housemade Italian Chicken Sausage. French Toast w/ Breakfast Bar Toppings. I LOVE IT HERE!!
(5)
Lou B.
This place is hit or miss. Came last weekend and had a great server and great food (my friends and I come in religiously every Sunday.) Today was so bad, I may not ever come back again. Waited an hour (standard) before getting seated, which generally doesn't bother me, but the service and food that followed made that hour wait sting. The server forgot my coffee. No biggie. Went to the bar, got my own coffee, go to take a sip and see lipstick on the rim and old crusty food stuck to the inside of the mug. Ask for a new cup. That cup never came. My friend and I ordered French toast and the Migas to share. The Migas was good, the roast potatoes that came with it were burnt and dry. Still, no big deal. Then we cut into the French toast to find that it is wet and mushy and uncooked throughout. We tell the waiter, he takes it back to the kitchen and we get it back 5 minutes later. It's the same toast that's been thrown on the grill and doused in powdered sugar to make it look "fresh." I cut into the top piece, it's fine. I cut into the bottom two pieces.....mush through and through. While this is happening, I look over and see my friend spitting into a napkin. She said she'd found a rock in her food. I look into the napkin thinking she's joking, but she's not. It's an actual rock. STILL, we're ok with this. Lots of vegetables get rocks stuck to them when they're harvested and they probably didn't get washed well enough. It happens. My friend calls the waiter over and tells him about the rock. He looks upset, not with the situation but with her. He doesn't apologize but simply asks if she wants something else instead. He gives her a menu and then pretty much proceeds to ignore us for the rest of our visit. We send back our French toast for the second time with another waitress. She conveys this to our waiter and he does not seem to take it well. We get our French toast back again and it's burnt. Black. To a crisp. The kitchen was obviously trying to make a point. Don't worry, we got it. Of course we can't eat it and the waitress tells us "well, darn, sometimes we just can't get these things right." I was a waitress for many years and I totally get that when you're in the weeds and the kitchen is backed up, these things happen. I'm ok with all of it. My issue is that our waiter never once apologized, acted as if we were the problem, the rest of the staff was passive-aggressive and a manager never once came to the table to talk to us. I think all we really wanted was for our waiter to apologize or act like he understood our frustration. To their credit, we were given a 25% discount on our bill. Tbh, I would have gladly paid for the entire thing if the service had been better. I love portage bay and when they get things right, it's amazing. But today was a bad enough experience that I'm not sure I ever want to go back.
(1)
Carly G.
I'm not even embarrassed to say this: I went to Portage Bay Cafe 3 times in 4 days. I had never been to Seattle before, and going here over and over again was all my friends and I wanted to do. The french toast was out of this world, and the breakfast bar was to die for. The veggies were fresh, eggs were cooked right, and the service was consistently wonderful. Top 3 Pros: 1. Amazing, inventive, fresh food. 2. A variety of menu items that will appeal to everyone, and is sensitive to food allergies/dietary restrictions. 3. The service was friendly, efficient, and courteous. Top 3 Cons: 1. You'll wait a long time on the weekends. 2. Yeah...I can't think of any others. If you haven't been, go now!
(5)
Brittany L.
There's just something about Portage Bay Cafe -- a local, sustainable, and organic restaurant -- that is really cool. But there's also something about having a location in a newly constructed Amazon Land that makes it seem more serious, dark, and a little pretentious. Or at least, out of place. But really, it's no matter because the food is still what it says it will be: local, sustainable and organic and unadvertised but still true - delicious! I've noticed that at all three locations, service can be spotty but I'm sure it has something to do with the amount of people who will show up on a Saturday or Sunday morning. This location seems much bigger than the other two and shortly after we were seated there was no space in the waiting area to be found. We hardly saw our server, so even to ask for my water to be refilled was a task. (Long story short, it wasn't. Luckily my friend didn't drink any of hers and offered it up to me!) I love Portage Bay Cafe for what it is and what they provide, but I think I'd rather stick to the Roosevelt or Market locations.
(3)
Lin T.
We love the ambience and the breakfast bar!!! The food is terrific and the portions more than generous! We are going back today!!! L . Tappin
(5)
Lisa R.
Best place ever. Oh how I wish this existed in D.C. I died and went to heaven with all the gluten free options. I never thought I'd find a breakfast club sandwich I could eat and voila! (It was delicious, btw.) The wait was loooong but I figured it would be at 10am on a Sunday in hipstertown. We hawked the counter (which is first come, first serve) and scored a pair of seats within 30 minutes.
(5)
Debra M.
Extremely frustrated and shocked that after waiting an hour for a table we were told walk in's realistically won't get a table. You have to make a reservation on line. Which if they told us when we arrived we could have done from our phone. BS!
(1)
Stef M.
Braved this place for the first time on Easter Sunday (DON'T ASK) and, though service was a bit slow, that's pretty much my fault for agreeing to go to brunch somewhere that doesn't take reservations on Easter Sunday. Our waitress was awesome - coffees and waters were kept filled, and she stopped by to let us know our food would be coming out soon. Everything was perfect when it showed up, AND our excellent waitress even warned me off something that I probably would not have liked. (The lemon curd and baked French toasts are apparently very poundcake-like, which a lot of people, myself included, are NOT pleasantly surprised by when their food arrives.) So I went with the bananas foster French toast (apparently it's more 'normal' with fluffy custardy insides) and it was AMAZING. So much delicious caramel sauce and bananas all over it. I just wish it came with some protein (sausage, bacon). I tried some of the bacon (you can choose whether you want it crispy or not) which was really good, as were the home fries/potatoes that come with many dishes. Vegan options, too (I was tempted by the Korean tofu/kimchee scramble) which is nice, and lots of gluten-free things as well. So a good spot to bring all your friends who can't agree on someplace that has options to please everyone. The place was obviously at maximum capacity (people were even sitting outside) and it was really loud inside - I had to yell to be heard, which probably didn't help the noise levels either. SORRY.
(4)
Bettina B.
Always, always a treat when I come to Portage Bay. Again I love that everything is organic and Mimosas are a MUST!! If you have a sweet tooth I recommend the bananas foster french toast. Can never go wrong with the Migas with the chicken sausage (Made In house) The service is always pretty excellent and they are more than willing to split orders up, no problem. I cant wait to go back!!
(5)
Peter C.
This place was awesome. My girlfriends friend told us to come here and we did, and saw that there was an hour and a half wait. A little bummed because she's only here for the weekend. That is until the manager came over and saw me in my whites and seated us right away and thanked me for my service. Definitely not used to that. So thank you so much. You guys were all great.
(5)
Brian H.
Get the pancakes. Go to the toppings bar. Go nuts, its unlimited. I don't think I have ever eaten so many strawberries and blueberries in one sitting. Their whip creme is great. If you're not into fruit or pancakes, then I recommend the Migas with Italian sausage.
(5)
May K.
Space is huge, extended into a more private area in the back. Came here for brunch on Saturday at noon, and even though we (2 of us) had made a reservation, we still waited about 10-15 minutes because it was just SO busy. I think the wait was close to an hour if you came without a reservation. Self service fresh fruit buffet to pick up after ordering. AWESOME pancakes and good service.
(5)
Alex S.
I've very surprised by this places low star rating. This place had one of the most spectacular breakfasts I've ever encountered. They turn ordinary breakfast options into amazing creations with local, organic, and sustainable produce and fruits. My girl ordered the Salmon Eggs Benedict and I got the Ranchers Breakfast with a side of french toast. The most amazing part is that they have an unlimited berry bar with huge bowls of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries that you can get access to if you order something that qualifies (i.e. french toast or pancakes). In addition, the portions are huge. The salmon on the Eggs Benedict was fresh and perfectly cooked and the UNLIMITED berries were irresistible. It was physically hard to move after this breakfast. We definitely ate like we gave a damn. Yes, I'm sure there is always a long line for this place but is that really their fault? Check out my blog (complete with pictures and childish humor) for the full review! thesuchef.org/2013/10/20…
(5)
Locyan C.
Visited this place while we had a trip in Seattle, we came here late around 2pm so there was no wait. We ordered the French Toast, Joe's Scramble, and the Italian Omelette. I thought the food was good, but nothing I haven't had before. For the french toast you get a visit to the breakfast bar where you can top it off with whipped cream and a variety of fruits. Make sure you don't share it though...since they charge you $6.00 as a "splitting fee". I thought that was ridiculous since they didn't even give us a warning? The workers just kinda disperse around the restaurant standing around...they do charge you $9.00 for a visit up there without the french toast (says on the menu) but when we got our bill back we saw a $6.00 charge for sharing the fruits you bring back. Uh...lame. Thanks for telling us beforehand.
(2)
Amanda T.
Went here once, and enjoyed the toppings bar after a 45 minute wait. I tried calling ahead the next time, but the Portage Bay policy is to make you show up in person to wait outside for 45min-1.5hrs. Frankly, I'm not going to wait outside for that long for average brunch fare. I would recommend this place to people like to wait in lines for food.
(2)
Sam K.
If you like breakfast items, this is a good one. I generally go for lunch. The dishes are too large to consume. Food is not bad. Nothing great.
(3)
Karen L.
After hearing my friends and boyfriend rave about this place, I finally got to eat brunch here. The french toast is pretty amazing. It's sweet and soft yet crunchy on the outside due to the toasted oats. Yum. We also had the chicken sausage scramble, which was just okay. But my friend Jenny N. and her boyfriend had the crab cakes benedict and it looked pretty amazing. I'm trying that next time. Reservations are definitely recommended. I called in the morning on a Saturday around 9 am to make a reservation at 11, and we only had to wait a few minutes for a table when we arrived. And there were a lot of people waiting. So if you plan ahead, it's definitely worth it.
(4)
Alyona Z.
I am a big fan for years! When I needed to catch a plane, they always have been to make it quick on a busy Saturday/Sunday morning! The all-you-can-eat berry bar I haven't seen anywhere else, it's soo delicious! They have a lot of healthy options and can customize most of them. The only negative is that it's super busy on Saturday and Sunday. If you are unlucky you can end up waiting for over one hour. So, it would be an advantage for you to make a reservation :)
(5)
Shamy J.
Hands down the best American brunch restaurant I've been to, and I often dine in NYC! I got the strawberry and rhubarb French toast with cream cheese drizzle and it was just sweet and tart enough. This place changed my perception of organic food positively because the quality of ingredients makes a huge difference in taste. And the all-you-can-eat fresh bar allows you to customize your meal further! I wish this place existed on the East Coast.
(5)
Philip S.
Great menu, Great service, Great food. Great environment. Less than great parking.
(4)
Stephanie M.
Seattle people seem to love Portage Bay because there is always a line of people waiting to be seated. Whenever I see the line I think to myself, "Is the food/service REALLY worth waiting for?" and I do always end up waiting--I've even waited for up to 45 minutes before! I usually meet my girlfriend here about once or twice a month and we like it enough to keep coming back. My greatest tip: if you're in a small group of 2 or 3, wait around by the bar. The bar is open seating and you can usually get seated pretty quickly. :) Consistency is usually what I look for in a meal and I'm never dissatisfied with my orders here. I usually get the "Pepper Bacon Hash". It's like a scramble with their organic pepper bacon and an array of fresh, in-season organic vegetables with that thick wheat toast that I love. I can never finish, but the leftovers as a mid-day snack is always a win for me. Portage Bay is kind of "known" for their toppings-bar, but I'm not a fan of sweets for breakfast so it's just not my thing. BUT...I always see people enjoying their waffles with a ton of syrups, fruits and whipped cream on top. As far as prices, it's definitely not the cheapest, but I think for organic products, it's not bad. I'm also a big fan of their mimosas--with fresh squeezed juice--and their barista in-house. You can always order that latte that you always drink instead of drip coffee. :) **Eat like you give a Damn!**
(4)
Prashali R.
Went there this Sunday; their Service is non-existent and they messed up the ticketing order; we were made to wait over an hour and I had to go to the kitchen talk to manager and place my order. It took them 90 mins to make and serve omelettes and pancakes. Never go here if you are hungry and want food to be served in 10-15 mins
(1)
Caileigh A.
I haven't even attempted to find another signature brunch spot in Seattle; Portage Bay Cafe is hard to top. The service is impeccable, the menu is extensive, and the flavors and tastes steal the show. I've had the Rancher's breakfast, the buckwheat pancakes and the challah French toast. Without regret, the challah French toast is my regular order. How can you say "no" to three giant, fluffy French toast slices accompanied by unlimited fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream? I can't. My willpower is not soo strong. Make reservations if your party is larger than four, as the morning wait can be a little long. Though, they always overestimate the time we'll be waiting. It's worth a few minutes of suspense and mouth watering. All this review writing is making me hungry for some Portage Bay Cafe...
(5)
Christopher G.
Sorry folks, I just can't jump on this wagon. I trust Yelp, and I follow Yelp like a little lost puppy in a new city. Yelp will show me the way. But this time, I'm afraid Yelp led us astray. This is not a place for brunch on a Saturday - this is a food factory. I'm sure they're a wonderful caterer, but that's not what we were looking for. The frittata special with eggplant had undercooked vegetables and overcooked eggs, and though it was heading in the right direction, it just didn't hit the spot. The classic bacon and eggs breakfast was just fine - but certainly nothing to write home about. The potatoes were clearly roasted in giant batches, row upon row of anonymous potato soldiers heading for the slaughter, and lacked any kind of crispy personality. I like my potatoes to talk back to me. Give me a little attitude, you know? The thing is: we didn't do the fruit topping bar. So maybe I missed the whole point. And we also came in as a quiet couple, so maybe I doubly missed the point. Whatever it was, I clearly missed it. For an outsider passing through Seattle, there absolutely must be a more unique place to grab a good brunch. #30DaysOfYelp (3/30)
(2)
Foodie R.
My favorite meal is brunch. I've been here a few times prior. This time my family of 6 went on a weekday. We had reservations but the place wasn't crowded like the weekends so we got seated right away. The food is always good. My son enjoyed the fruit bar. And I had the salmon benedict which was also delish! The other orders we had was Swedish pancakes, banana fosters, and buckwheat pancakes. I didn't have any but they finished their plates.
(5)
Sarah D.
My last visit I got told a little bit of bugs in my food is just added protein... I have always been caught in the hype in thinking this place is awesome. But I've gone a handful of times and never been impressed other than the first time I went. I've gone maybe half a dozen times and always experienced slow waiting but never cared because I got the fruit bar with my main dish. The main dish has always been meh to me and means to get the fruit bar in my face. I wasn't compelled to write anything negative or neutral about this place after it taking over an hour to get served while sitting at a table or when I've had lukewarm or bland food. I figured I ordered a bad dish and I should try something else.Like I said, my primary goals always the fruit bar. This last time I got the fruit bar and found a little crawly bug in my strawberries. I showed the waiter, who smashed it with his finger and said " yea, its organic, so since we have no pesticides bugs happen. I can get you a new plate but there's no guarantee there won't be bugs on that one either. When you're organic, you get bugs" Now I understand bugs in food happens... But you wanna feel like a place is making a best effort not to have it happen, and they shouldn't be not surprised you found a bug. If they are nonchalant about bugs what else are they nonchalant about....
(1)
Lisa J.
The first day we buzzed by Portage Bay, there must have been 40 people jammed into the lobby waiting. No thanks. The second day we wandered by a little later and were seated within 10 minutes - hooray! Oh my goodness, what an excellent meal. I had the breakfast sandwich and it was monstrously good. My guy had the ranchers breakfast and the amount of food was laughably enormous - I especially was a fan of the 2-inch-thick french toast that he could take up to the breakfast bar to slather with home-whipped cream and amazing, fresh berries. The mimosa pitcher we shared was also yummy! So why 4 stars instead of 5? Just a couple of little gripes. The prices were a little overblown for what they covered - a breakfast sandwich should come with bacon by default, not require $2 for a total of $14 for two pieces of bread, an egg, arugula, and tomato spread... no matter how tasty it is. Honestly I'd prefer to see slightly smaller portions at a much more reasonable price point. Also, the breakfast potatoes, while very flavorful, kinda had a texture like they had been sitting under a heat lamp for an hour. Minor, but notable. Anyway, my gripes here are small, and it seems likely that with a few repeat trips I'll cave and bump this up to 5 stars. The food really is outstanding.
(4)
Zena A.
Wow delicious yum so many gluten-free options yum yum yum. I haven't been able to eat crab cakes anywhere since becoming gluten-free and I could here! And they were delicious!! Boy was in heaven with the fruit and whip cream bar. The berries were SOOOOOOO good. Husband ordered the Farmer's Hash. Only complaint was that the portions were so big (a strange thing to complain about). The food was delicious - the only reason I gave it four stars was because it was a very loud loud loud place. I wish we'd sat outside. The main inside room is huge and echoey and it was a busy weekend morning so maybe better on weekdays but it was the kind of loud where I felt like I couldn't engage in conversation with my family and towards the end just wanted to get out of there...I'd go back but I'd sit outside or figure out when they aren't so busy.
(4)
Barry K.
This place was great - not only is everything sourced locally and responsibly, the food was delicious! Highly recommended
(5)
Khristina M.
BEST breakfast I have ever had and I am a picky New Yorker. Food was amazing and our waiter Eric couldn't have been better.
(5)
Penny B.
This place was better than I anticipated. I got the Pete 's breakfast with extra crispy bacon. Great coffee. And gluten-free toast was only an extra $1! And it's homemade bread! Quick attentive servers. I'll be back.
(5)
Zoe M.
The food is amazing, the staff is usually good but it's the hostesses that pull this down from a 5 star. I've gone to the SLU location a dozen times. They tell me a 30 minute wait, which is no problem because I love the food. I was a hostess for two years in college so I know how their job works. 45 minutes later I ask how much longer. They tell me 5 more minutes, 15 minutes later I get sat. After this happened 2 or 3 times I started making reservations. I make a 1030 reservation, so I'm there at 1025 to check in. They tell me it will be a few minutes. I'm ok with that, I'm a few minutes early. 1045 rolls around and my name is called. What's the point of making a reservation if you have to wait for a table anyways? What bothered me the most though was the lack of care. At the restaurant I worked at if we were more than 15 minutes late on a reservation we did something. Bought them an appetizer, comp'd something on their tab, gave them a $10 gift card, whatever. When we were sat 15 minutes late for our reservation at Portage (for the 2nd time) I told the manager that I had consistently received poor wait estimations and delayed service even with a reservation. I didn't even get an apology. He explained that they were very busy. Well, duh. I can see that. Not worth the wait if you ask me.
(2)
Breezy L.
This place is overrated. My cousins and I came to Seattle for vacations for a few days and we came here because the pictures looked good. When we got here, we were seated by a lady named "Rebecca F" (as stated on our receipt), who was our server. She was short and not nice to us from the second we sat down. When she brought out our waters, she spilled mine on my menu and then walked away WITHOUT apologizing or cleaning it up. That was the first strike. Then the food came out and it was not very good. Completely overrated. Oh- and not to mention that when another server came during our meal to refill our waters, he spilled my cousins water all over the table. Instead of cleaning it up or apologizing, he LAUGHED and then left. Overall, the food was mediocre but the reason for the one star is because of the rudeness from the waitress Rebecca. Very disappointed. If you are going to work at a restaurant in downtown Seattle, it would be appreciated to have servers who are respectful, nice, and actually smile to well paying customers. Very disappointed. PS they charge 6 dollars to split a meal!!. Avoid this place and go to other amazing places in Seattle with amazing customer service.
(1)
Mike L.
Fantastic breakfast menu at South Lake Union. We called ahead for reservations and still waited 10 minutes on a Sunday morning. But it's worth the wait. All French toast and pancakes get the toppings bar with fruit, whipped cream and syrups. All organic and whole grain, but lots of flavor and sweetness. An order of pancakes gets you two plate-sized whole wheat cakes. With toppings plenty for a big guy like me. My wife tried the breakfast sandwich and loved it but couldn't finish it. My son had the French toast which is made with the tastiest bread. He ordered the rhubarb topping and loved it. Service was attentive and casual. Atmosphere is open and informal. There is a small deck outside. Even though the place was packed, the food came fairly quickly and was fresh and hot. We will come back!
(5)
Sue P.
My friend and I are from out of town and had heard nothing but incredible things about Portage Bay, so we made it a point to dine here during our short Seattle trip. When we gave our name to the hostess, we were told it would be a 40-min wait, which seemed to be the typical wait time for a Sunday at 11:30am. 45-min later, when we became suspicious that larger parties who had arrived after us were getting seated before us, we inquired again about the wait time and were told it would be another 20 min. After a 20 min wait, now sure that most parties were getting seated before us, we inquired with the hostess again and were told it would be another 10 min. Since were were then close to 80 min into our "40-min" wait, my friend expressed disappointment that this was well beyond the anticipated wait time. The hostess responded that because it was busy, it was difficult to estimate wait times. And surely, I agree with that to a point, but to erroneously call an 80-min wait a 40-min wait instead, and to honor a 40-min wait time for all other patrons arriving after us, is unacceptable. Finally, after over 80 min of waiting, we were seated, but it took another 10 min for a waitress to come to our table to collect our orders. During this time, after we finally placed our food and drink orders and received our beverages, we noticed a nearby table of 2 seated after us receive their food about 15 min before we received ours. No complaints about the waitress service after this - she was fine. We finally received our checks at 2:05pm - a full 2.5 hours after we originally arrived. As far as the food goes, it was fantastic - no complaints there (we had classic french toast, classic pancakes, a side of ham, coffee and mimosas). BUT, it's due to the disorganization in seating service that resulted in a 2-star rating. Although I would surely eat their food again, I have no further interest in returning due to the clear loss of a "first come, first served" system (that is, after all, how they take your name down when you see the hostess). Maybe calling ahead for take-out would be a better option (if that were possible).
(2)
Will C.
I give this 5 stars for two reasons: 1 - Migas! They aren't very authentic, but they are awesome. 2 - Berry bar. Order pancakes and get a trip to the most awesome berry bar you'll ever see. I've never had a sub-par meal here, service is friendly, and the coffee is always good. Get's super crowded by 10am on weekends. Come early to avoid an hour long wait.
(5)
Rebecca H.
I just wasn't blown away. With the loooong line, one would think the food would be awesome. And parts are. Parts are just mediocre, and other things were bad. The french toast is stellar. Soft, flavorful, perfectly cooked, and the toppings bar is genius. I'd get french toast again. I would not get the corned beef hash. It's big chunks of corned beef that tasted like green peppers. It managed to be acidic and bland at the same time. My husband didn't finish it, which means he really didn't like it, and I tried a bite and didn't want more. Best friend had the hash, she didn't like it either. I had the ham omelet, which was nice but nothing spectacular. The potatoes were tasteless. Service was a bit forgetful but we eventually got everything, albeit at different times, but the kitchen was busy. They were out of a few of the things we wanted, bummer, the latkas looked good. I don't like being preached at while I eat, so the sustainability and eat like you give a damn, and terrible tasting organic ketchup made me not their target demographic. Fair enough. Our 9 year old dining companion was shocked there was a swear word on the back of the servers' tshirts. I wouldn't go back, except for french toast.
(3)
Brian E.
In the words of the young people, FAIL. One of the only times we've ever seriously considered dining and ditching. The service was so bad, my wife said, "I can't even remember what the waitress looks like." Has the ambiance of a crowded college cafeteria at $20/head. Overrated and overpriced. Let it be known that crowd size is not an indication of the cafe's quality. Don't waste your time. Go to The Dish on Leary Ave. between Fremont and Ballard. Order the Eggs Benedict or Florentine and you'll remember it for the rest of your life.
(1)
Deanne R.
This is quite possibly the BEST breakfast I have EVER had! Bananas Foster and Apple Cobbler French Toast are just two of the items available on the menu at Portage Bay. Those are not normal menu items for most restaurants. Portage Bay's creations surpass all breakfasts. Also, they have a toppings bar!!! Fresh whipped cream, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, nuts, brown sugar, syrup, etc. The toppings bar changes the whole concept of delicious breakfast - you can customize it to be exactly what you want it to be! The prices are a tad on the higher side however, the delicious food, great service and flexibility makes up for that. During my first visit I mentioned to the waitress that I wanted to try a couple of the different french toast options. She said he would have the kitchen do a split of what I wanted! The next time I went back I was able to do that again - even though they were packed out for Sunday brunch! Although their menu items are not fat or calorie free, you can be comforted to know that they use only the best organic ingredients from local, clean and sustainable farms and producers. Beware - you have to wait for a while if you go after 10am on a Saturday or Sunday, but what great restaurant doesn't have a wait? Portage Bay Cafe is a must eat!
(5)
Elizabeth T.
I am a big fan of breakfast foods. This place is like breakfast/brunch heaven. It was hard to figure out what to get because there are so many great dishes here. I had the ham and cheese scramble. Very good. Huge chunks of smoked ham, large shreds of cheese, and not too soggy spinach on top. They have amazing orange juice as well - fresh squeezed, not from a can or made from concentrate!!! Great atmosphere, especially for a date. They also compost with Cedar Grove and use their packaging line! I believe most of their ingredients are purchased through certified organic farmers and producers. They have organic ketchup...so yummy, especially on their potatoes! Oh, the best part is it is not your typical breakfast foods where you have that icky feeling after eating greasy foods. It wasn't that greasy at all.
(4)
Eric W.
This place gets super busy and is good. I had the bananas foster french toast and it was good. The staff is helpful and the atmosphere is nice.
(4)
Kamie K.
I had a lovely little lunch with my friend here. The service was great, the food was very good but the portions were okay and the atmosphere was way too noisy. I know it's not considered chic to have fabric of any kind in these cafeteria-like settings but there are many clever ways of concealing noise reduction fabric. I am afraid I probably won't come back here until they do so.
(3)
Guangming W.
Portage bay cheese burger is juicy, tender and tasty.
(4)
Maria S.
A delicious place to go for brunch. We have been here several times on a weekends. They do take reservations! The selection was good and quite extensive there is something for everyone's taste be it homestyle or a bit upscale, sweet or savory. Specialty french toasts are wonderful as are the dungeness crab-cake eggs benedict. GF & V options are a welcome sight on the menu as well. The options on the breakfast bar to compliment your entree are wonderful various fresh fruit toppings and such. Their menu does change seasonally and can be found on their website. Give this place a try! This has become our "go to" when we are out with friends or family regardless if it's a large or small group or just four of us. The food has been great each time as has the service. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have. Now If I can just start remembering to check in... ;)
(5)
Joe C.
Food was good. I had the burger with a side green salad. Other in our party had various breakfasts, everyone was happy with the quality of the food. Got a couple bites of the potatoes and the peppered bacon from someone else, both very good. Went at lunchtime, very crowded and very loud. Agree with previous posters about the time it took to get our meals, it seemed quite awhile (only reason I gave four out of five stars). Despite that, servers came by frequently to re-fill our water glasses.
(4)
Howard C.
Crab cake benedict and the french toast are always delicious. I love their organic ketchup and we always load up on the fruits. Come here; the other locations lack the consistent service and food execution of the SLU one.
(4)
Elizabeth L.
My family and I went to Portage Bay for a reunion with my mother's high school friend-- there were five of us, and we had a reservation and were sat quickly. I love breakfast food, and was very excited for a delicious Seattle take on organic dining. Regrettably, upon sitting, it was apparent this was going to be a misadventure. The coffee cups were filthy and lip-stick stained, the service was abrupt, and the menu was remarkably overpriced for a basic breakfast. I understand organic prices, but three eggs, one piece of toast, tiny piece of ham, and potatoes are not worth $15-- especially when they all come out cold, bland, and overcooked. Everyone else at the table was in agreement that their food was overpriced and truck-stop quality. I have worked in many restaurants in the past, and I understand that "things happen"-- but our meal ended abruptly when the smarmy Bryan Cranston-type manager interrupted the conversation to tell us that he needed our table, and we had to leave. We had been seated for 45 minutes, and hadn't yet finished our coffee. Once again, I have served and supervised before-- but NEVER have I witnessed a manager behave like this. A five top (five diners) should ALWAYS be expected to have a 1.5 hour turn time, at the least. When I approached the manager to say that he had cut an otherwise pleasant reunion short, he shrugged and gestured towards the door. Instead, we stood outside the restaurant and finished our conversation for an additional 30 minutes. I've never seen such terrible service, and next time I'm in Seattle for breakfast-- I'm going to Denny's. At least I'm not paying $90 for terrible service and food.
(1)
Hanna K.
3.5 stars for the freshness of the food. the price is not justified, in my opinion. their waffles and breakfast food are great, salads are okay, and everything else is just meh. the restaurant is always teeming with amazon employees with long waits.
(3)
The Zen Master B.
Rude manager, bad service, dirty tables. Ruined my son's birthday brunch. Huge line 45-50 minutes. Save yourself trouble and go somewhere else.
(1)
Nish N.
If you're lucky enough to find the Bananas Foster French Toast on the menu, get it. It's not as decadent as it sounds, but you'll be a better, fatter person for it. Somehow, despite savory and sweet breakfast items that should alert your cholesterol specialist, the food here feels clean, organic and, well, good for you. Maybe that's why they have Michael Pollan's food manifesto on their wall, but whatever the ingredients, this place is a perfect way to start your day (washed down with some fresh grapefruit juice, of course).
(4)
Henry S.
Fresh fruit, check! Waiting nearly two hours to get brunch with my friends, stupid. A nice, clean space but not sure why its so busy. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me
(2)
Cynthia A.
I came here with an old friend who I hadn't seen in far to long. It was halfway between our respective homes and had gluten free + vegan options, so it was decided. When we got there, it was packed and there was a substantial wait to sit inside. We opted to forego the wait and sit outside. On weekends, I would recommend getting there before 9am. The menu is vast and everything looks delicious, unfortunately my options are limited as a gluten-free vegan but they have a few things that are a. ) Already vegan and gluten free or b.) can easily be modified. I decided to go with the tofu puttanesca which consists of crumbled organic tofu, cherry tomatoes, dry-cured olives, capers, fresh garlic, oregano and basil. I decided to get crazy and ask them to turn it into a hash... While we were waiting for our food, (which actually took a very long time to arrive due to how busy the restaurant was) we enjoyed grapefruit mimosas, they were delicious! When the food arrived, I was surprised by how large the portions are. The tofu puttanesca hash I had created was gigantic, but soooooo tasty! Oh, and did I mention that they have gluten free bread that is amazing!? I actually purchased a loaf to take home which will cost you $7.00, it's worth it. Unfortunately, the service was very slow and our server was not very attentive (I ordered another mimosa when my first one arrived so that I would have a new one when my first one was finished), but the food was delicious, so I will definitely be making this spot a part of my "brunch with friends" circuit:)
(4)
Scott C.
Price: EXPENSIVE. Food: AWESOME. Worth it if you're NOT a gluten-free vegan? NOT REALLY. $12 Pancakes+Unlimited fruit/nut bar $11 French Toast+Bar Coffee $2.75 Pancakes should never cost $12. Unless you're a connoisseur of fine flapjacks, that is.
(3)
Kristina B.
Nice seating,good location,portions are very generous and food is fresh. Got chai spiced soy milk porridge and vegan pancakes! Yum!
(4)
Stefan C.
Unbelievable breakfast- creative, tasty and not expensive! I'm in love
(5)
Leah B.
YUM! Why was i not brought here sooner?! I went here on a weekday morning. It was the morning of the Microsoft Company meeting, and it was PACKED! Our table alone had 16 people, and the staff was more than able to take care of us. We were alittle sad when my hubbies pancakes didn't arrive on time, but when you're that busy, we'll let it slide. I had the Churizo Scramble, he had the short stack. I kept stealing bites of his pancakes because the strawberry stuff he put on it was NUMMY!! Even w/ out huge table they were able to split up the bill w/ as many cards and forms of payment that we could throw at them. I'll definetly go back, but w/ fewer people :)
(4)
josh P.
This place rocks! The owner is so nice and involved! He seats you when you walk in. The server, Eric, was very friendly, helpful and a funny guy too. The atmosphere and ambiance is very organic and bright! The food is AWESOME!!!! the price point is just right and the patio seating is second to none. I highly recommend this place. We're visiting from San Francisco and I can't wait to spread the news about this place and our inevitable return... Sooner hopefully than later!
(5)
Gilad B.
Fresh, organic, and DELICIOUS brunch. Long line is well worth it, or show up early to avoid the lines; weekends are tough. This is the largest location and my favorite. I almost always get the Rancher Breakfast; its the only meal that has eggs, potatoes, and a trip to the toppings bar. For first timers: Do not let yourself leave without a trip to the toppings bar.
(5)
Jenibah W.
The oatmeal cobbler french toast has ruined all other attempts at french toast. I am forever changed. If this meal was a person, it would ruin my life because I'd be so devoted. The fruit bar was crammed full of fresh fruit, buttery goodness, and whipped cream that only my husby could make. This was our first meal in Seattle, and now we're hooked. We'll be back next year for more of your delights. Oh, the husby had an omelet with mushrooms and sausage. Whatever that was made my taste buds weep from happiness. This place's food is amazing to say the least.
(5)
Christopher H.
Portage Bay has decent food. Nothing is amazing, but nothing is bad. It is just consistently decent. Their service is all over the place, though. While everyone is friendly, they can be extremely inattentive. It is common for my water or coffee to by empty for 15 minutes before I have to flag someone down for more, I've received my food multiple times without having flatware, and it can take forever to get the check. If I didn't live so close and work across the street, I wouldn't go out of my way to come here. But it is really convenient for me, so I'll be back.
(3)
Amy J.
Made it to Portage Bay again last weekend (2nd visit)! It was busy as usual, but we had *only* a 45 minute wait this time. Service was wonderful, but it seemed like the portion sizes decreased. I am sure it depends on who is doing the cooking that day, but I was a little bit disappointed since it was quite a noticeable difference. Regardless of portion, the french toast did not disappoint in flavor. My friend and I ordered and shared the Oatmeal Cobbler and Bananas Foster french toast. They were both absolutely yummy, but I am partial to the Cobbler since I ordered it last time. SO good! I definitely need to be in the mood to wait this long to eat breakfast/brunch, but Portage Bay Cafe has proven to be worth the wait.
(4)
Kathy C.
Hmmmm..ive waited to review to this place to decide whether it would be appropriate to give 2 stars. I've decided that it was time to give 2 stars after 3 visits. Honestly, there really isnt anything special about their food. I think the first time I had like corned beef n hash type of dish with kale or somethin. Totally not good. The 2nd time I shared 2 different dishes- prosciutto omelet n pancake n berries...it was nothing special n something I could've made st home. The last time I went I had eggs benedict with Canadian bacon...again nothing special. It's just too plain for me maybe, but I.would expect it to taste better if it's that popular. I would try somewhere else more quaint or more specialized.
(2)
Jim R.
A nice spot for breakfast right in the heart of the new Amazon campus. Large portions sizes served in a bright and airy space riddled with outdoor equipment for that full-on Pacific NW look.
(4)
William T.
This place really has an amazing thing going. Locally sourced, organic and excellent food. The only issue is the seating/serving situation. They have a beautiful waffle and pancake service area where you add your own toppings but don't allow any sharing...and are apparently pretty draconian about this. Nonetheless, this was an amazing place to eat. The food was sooooo good! I recommended this to a friend who was visiting Seattle just a couple of weeks after me. He did not end up going, but said that he mentioned it to some people and he was impressed at their excitement. That is exactly what Portage Bay is though. An exciting place to eat!
(4)
Sharlene G.
Came here for breakfast during a recent weekend trip up to the city. Good was fantastic. Can't go wrong with anything on their menu. We had a brief wait but nothing to complain about. Highly recommended!
(5)
Vanessa B.
Restaurant was good in theory. I would have to go back to confirm based on taste, because this first visit, my food was not that exciting. The menu was definitely enticing. All sorts of goodies to speak of. Not to mention the topping bar. Vegan and vegetarian options, so I give them kudos. However, I got the Migas. Everything southwest thrown into a tortilla with a side of potatoes. Again, the flavor was right, but the execution was poor. As I had sour cream on one side, salsa on the other, and eggs in the middle. So I had to do a bit of stirring within the tortilla to evenly distribute the goodness. The chai is highly recommended though as it was spicy! Next time, I'll have to try their chai oatmeal. As for atmosphere. It is crowded during brunch, but the waitstaff was attentive, and the tables nicely decorated. My friends really enjoyed their crepes and vegan pancakes. The nettles that were featured in one of their savory breakfast specials gave us plenty to talk about. I'd go back here again, and possibly try the curry vegetables and tofu scramble. I wish they offered waffles though, as I'm not a pancake person.
(3)
Meredith U.
Long wait, but do worth it! Amazing hash and amazing French toast! Berry Bar was a great treat in the middle of winter. Next time we are back in Seattle we will make sure to come back.
(5)
Erika D.
We tried to come here for brunch with some relatives from out of town who needed to leave by early afternoon. The reservation was for 10:30 (and we called to confirm that morning), and when we got there they told us we'd be seated "in a few minutes." After 45 minutes, they still said we'd be seated soon, but that the food would probably take at least 45 minutes to come out. At that point it was too close to noon to wait any longer, so we left. The food looked delicious and I do want to try this place, but it's disappointing that they manage reservations so poorly. It would have been nice to have an accurate time estimate so that we could have made other plans right away rather than waiting. As it was, we couldn't get into any other brunch place at that point.
(1)
Vinit J.
A few years ago I would have given PB 5 stars. Now that I have experienced more of Seattle's brunch scene, Portage Bay's hit or miss experience is increasingly more annoying. I enjoy tofu scrambles and Cafe Flora's knocks it out of the park every time. For $12 I expected a kick ass butternut squash scramble today and left dissatisfied and this wasn't a first. The Miga (sub tofu) is usually good but I like to try new things with more confidence. Combine inconsistency with a 60 minute wait (when you're told 30 minutes) and well, no thanks. There's too many other great options around!
(2)
Anna E.
This place is REAL crunchy/granola, but I like it. If Whole Foods had a full-scale restaurant, this is what it would be. Came here for lunch with clients and it was really busy. Love that you can still get breakfast during the week for lunch! But I didn't order that...co-workers got the pancakes/waffles which were huge. I tried the veggie burger, which is definitely out of character for me, but I was caught up in the moment of feeling like a vegetarian hippie. For a veggie burger, I didn't miss the meat at all. I wish they had more of these places in San Diego. I think it's pretty much the norm here. Service was fast and friendly considering how busy it was.
(4)
Jayme L.
I had been here for lunch once, but not breakfast so we trekked from West Seattle to get a bite. We did wait a bit which was expected but were able to drink fresh coffee while we waited and got in no more than 15 or 20 minutes after arriving. I had the goat cheese omelet - it was AMAZING. The roasted potatoes were also amazing, I seriously had not one complaint about my food. We shared a glass of fresh OJ which was also great. I had more than a couple of bites of my boyfriend's french toast and promptly was wishing I had ordered it. Both dishes were great, service was quick and friendly. The place is a bit loud but that was also expected so I was very satisfied. I also enjoyed knowing their ingredients are so fresh, local and organic. This is a plus for restaurants in my book. Will be back again very soon.
(5)
Maribel G.
Great food and mimosa pitchers. My favorite items on the menu are the French toast and the fresh fruit bar. Yes, there is a long wait on weekends, however it is worth the wait. I believe you can call ahead when you leave your place to add your name to the list. Prices are decent and the place is spacious.
(4)
Sherilyn T.
Few things I love more than brunch at Portage Bay Cafe (here or in the U-District)-- have yet to visit the Ballard location). The food never ceases to delight, prices are reasonable and the staff is very friendly. You will NOT regret the Swedish pancakes topped with lingonberries and incredibly tasty LINGONBERRY BUTTER! Can you dig it?! Lingonberry butter?! I'm sometimes tempted not to visit the amazing toppings bar because I want to give my undivided attention to the lingonberry butter... but then I get a look at the fresh berries and homemade whipped cream... Street parking for the Terry street cafe isn't too hard to comeby, and this location is large! That said, expect a wait regardless but know it is worth every minute.
(5)
Jaymi W.
This place takes breakfast to a new level. I was with a large group of people... sitting in the middle of the restaurant, which feels a bit cafeteria to me. Not it's selling point. Focus on the food people. The portions are huge! I tried a lot of the dishes on the table...and they were all good. The waffle bar is genius and allows a completely personal take on your breakfast. Fresh berries, nuts, whipped cream.... yum. I had the chicken sausage scramble, hubby had the classic eggs benedict and both were DELICIOUS! We also had a banana pancake to share with the table, it was also scrumptious! I would highly recommend this place for breakfast... but just know you may have a wait. Be patient, it's good enough to wait for.
(4)
John H.
Food was OK. Service was almost non-existent except when they were hovering over our table and rushing us to leave because of the huge wait. The worst ... make sure you bring your cell phone so you can text the others at your table. Too loud to have a conversation without using bullhorns. The food may be better than I think, but loud atmosphere ruins the entire experience.
(2)
Tim F.
What can I say... It was OK. Maybe my expectations were too high. I've been to the Roosevelt PBC many times, and had great experiences. It felt like the "The Breakfast Factory" (If there was such a place). Pancakes and Swedish pancakes were not delicate and fluffy, but... well cakey and not even hot enough to melt the butter on them. Bacon cooled off and tasted liked it was plucked from a buffet. I've had both of these items at the other location. There they were prepared and served with detail and care. The plus on this trip was no wait for weekend breakfast.
(3)
Suz N.
After waiting for my food for close to an hour I finally gave up and asked for the check. But then the drama really began! Although everyone else in my party had finished eating and wanted to leave, the floor manager hassled me for "sending my food back". I think if you've waited close to an hour (and everyone else around you has eaten) you should be able to gracefully exit the restaurant. But not at Portage Bay Cafe! Apparently you are supposed to sit there and take it. Slowly starving. Incredible... And this was not just a waitperson hassling me, it was the GM, Jeff. Instead of giving me the check (when I asked for it) they finally wanted to deliver my food and would not take "everyone else is finished" for an answer. What am I going to do with this plate of food now? My wife and kids are already half-way to the car. I sent email to the Portage Bay Cafe email address describing my perception of the service and here is the actual mail that the GM, Jeff, sent back "anytime you would like to join us again would be a great opportunity to prove you wrong... Perhaps you will give us another chance.... Maybe not." WTF? This is how Portage Bay Cafe handles customer complaints? You need to show me that my perception of your service is wrong? Because I'm pretty sure I starved this morning in your restaurant. Yep, that was you guys, starving me, and then arguing with me about it AFTER my party had eaten and left the restaurant. There are so many great restaurants in Seattle that there is no excuse for the passive aggressive management you'll encounter at Portage Bay Cafe. They'll make you wait forever for your food and then give you hell if you so much as peep up about the bad service. As the GM's email suggests, at Portage Bay Cafe the customer is always wrong.
(1)
S K.
I used to *love love love this place. Would take every out of town visitor here. It was embarrassing this time though. I found a tiny cockroach-like critter climb out of the berries that I put on my buckwheat pancakes. Called the server. She explained that since things are organic and pesticide free, we should expect insects in the food--and the insect is "sooo cute!" It was adorable how clueless she was. Things got worse, however--- a tiny worm crawled out the berries. That freaked us out and we asked them to take the dish back. They were nice about it. However, they let the other customers take the same berries from the toppings bar. I think I need some time before I consider going back, for now---I gag at the thought of going back to portage bay cafe.
(1)
Eric L.
I thought this place was good but not the best brunch I've had. They have an extensive menu and lots of options. But it can get super crowded on the weekends and really really noisy and loud. Also, the coffee is just OK. But it might be worth it just for the food. If you are planning to come here, they take reservatoins over the phone. I called in a reservation for 6 on a Sunday morning and we got seated about 5 minutes after we arrived. I'm sure everyone else had to wait at least awhile to get a table. There's parking garage right next door that is only $2 per day on the weekends. There's also a lot of street parking but it might be hard to find.
(3)
Marie P.
All I wanted was a drip coffee, which was marked as $2.75 on the menu. When the bill was brought, the coffee price said $3, and when I inquired as to why there was a price discrepancy, the waitress had no idea, and went and talked to her manager. When she came back, instead of giving me the coffee for $2.75, which was the price on the menu that was printed 4 days earlier, she just said she had no idea why the price was different, and wouldn't give me the coffee for $2.75. I don't really understand why a restaurant would do something like that, it makes me not trust them, and honestly makes me feel like they were being petty. I won't be back, I think that's a poor customer service move.
(1)
Alice K.
Went to this place with a band of Jersey-shore watching techy Californians. Since I was dragged here by picky Cali-dwellers who had been here before that is proof it's extremely tasty. Actual Food: If you like gobs of pancakes and not actually eating the pancakes but eating the buffet of toppings (all fresh and amazing) then this is the place for you. If you're on some silly diet don't do it. Everything I've ever eaten here was good. Waffles, eggs, you really can't choose something wrong-- just make sure to get something that needs syrup / fruit for the topping bar. So yes, to wrap it up. You need to go here at least once in your life. Why not 5 stars? A few things to expect: -Huge lines so you may starve for a while. I recommend a big group and don't show up to the group until 30 minutes after or until they call you and say the table is ready. Haha -Closing at 2:30pm (I don't get up until 2 / 3 some weekends), and -Parking.
(4)
Stephen W.
I have a group of friends that I denominate the Grub Club, since we hit a different place each month. Delightful people to eat with. Like me, they love sin. Anyway, the first time I came here, it was with that merry band of hedonists. It was a sunny, cold Sunday morning, and we were served by a woman who looks very much like Nathalie Portman, only with a more charmingly vulnerable face and an incomparably better bottom. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to return. The space is rather confining, and mid-morning Sunday, it's packed more densely than a can of sardines. In fact, you're likely to deem the service worse than it actually is, and the reason is that the servers, like the patrons, are challenged to navigate a physical space where nearly every spare inch is devoted to tables and chairs. Sitting next to us, I remember, was an adult family. The son is a lanky European in a horizontally striped orange sweater. He stretched out, not rudely, but in a way that suggested he's accustomed to the more intimate proximics of European restaurants. Still, I felt a flashing temptation to reach out and rest my elbow on his shoulder. I digress, and I have no idea why. It's just the way my mind works, I guess. Yesterday, I came here with a friend and breakfasted outside, and that was a much better experience. The Americano was perfect. I had the salmon omelet with a side of fruit. The eggs were beaten to a perfect fluff, drizzled with thin yogurt and spiced up with capers. The day was beautiful, and I was very happy with the weather, with the day, with the smell of fresh air outside, and particularly with the company of my friend.
(4)
Wilson U.
Not sure I understand the Portage bay fanfare? First visit was Sunday Brunch with a large group. We had reservations and it did take a while before the table was ready but they were pretty packed. Service was friendly but they were slow and understandable since it was so busy. I had the ranchers with bacon and classic french toast that included a trip to the topping bar for choice of sliced peaches, sliced pears, blueberries, raspberry mix, whipped cream, sliced almond, raisins, syrup and couple other items. The bacon was good but wasn't anything spectacular. The classic french toast was light with cinnamon taste but other than the novelty of putting your own toppings on it, it was just alright. Maybe my ratings will change if I try other dishes there but I'd have to just give it a 3 now. So, if you do try for weekend brunch, reservations are a must or your wait could be 2 hours long or more. Street parking.
(3)
Will K.
Pros: Good brunch Cons: Long wait line
(4)
K S.
Just went with my mom and bro there for lunch today near the end of their lunch service. We were greeted and seated warmly. I like the space and have had good experiences in the past. It has been a few years since I have been so I thought it would be a nice place to take mom in the "big city." We all 3 got the soup/salad combo and all got the shrimp chowder. I never get chowders but the server recommended it over the vegie/bean alternative and chowder seemed like something Portage would make really well... uh.. not so much. Each glue-like bite was flavorful but literally the consistency of Elmer's glue. The salad and bread was good but probably the worst "soup" I've ever had. I really try to take my mom to local places she wouldn't normally choose when she makes the trek to Seattle and I was sooo disappointed.
(2)
Carol P.
This place is amazing!!! Five of us had breakfast and each ordered something different. The fresh fruit is incredible as well as the Traditional Eggs Benedict, French Toast, omelets, potatoes, syrups. I can't say enough. Don't miss out on this experience.
(4)
Katie M.
This is by far my favorite brunch place in town. Despite there always being a wait, the food is great. My go-to when I have visitors in town. It's local, organic and delicious. The toppings bar of fresh fruit is vivid in color and great on almost all of their dishes. I am a big fan of the french toast and a trip to the toppings bar. They warn, take all you want, but eat all that you take. They do only allow one trip up there. I have only been to the SLU location, but I've found if I call ahead when I'm leaving my place, by the time i get there, it's almost time to be seated.
(5)
Jyoti H.
Yes, my french toast was AMAZING! (Bananas Foster French Toast). I still hate the toppings bar b/c the stuff is frozen, and I would expect a place like this to have "fresh, in season fruit, grown less than 100 miles away" in the toppings bar. Not fruit, bagged at costco, from Kirkland. but oh well. i'll still go back for MORE MORE MORE!
(4)
Ce Y.
The break down of the stars - the food was only a 3 star, the wonderful service, their berry bar, and amazing coffee brought it up a notch. Have to say a little disappointed and was hoping for something a bit more from a place which boast about their wonderful organic ingredients. Eggs - run of the mill ok, not overly aromatic, and the yolks are not golden orange like top quality eggs pancakes - again ok, not orgasmically wonderful buttery fluffy cakes I have enjoyed so sinfully in the past at other brunch places (Hershey PA, St Louis, MO) French toast - nice really think brioche type bread - but wheres the custard? their was a tiny little external brush of it and the middle of the humongous slices were dry! with that said, I had the banana foster and the sauce is to die for! we started slathering that on everything. Berry bar - nice touch but I guess when berries are not in season they use frozen or canned stuff, loved the cream- light and milky without too much oiliness, real maple syrup - this was great! The potatoes and meat portion of our meal was just as expected as well and nothing too exciting to write about here. Coffee - finally an awesome cup of joe although paying 2.75 was a little steep. We had our baby with us and was late for our reservation - but they were kind enough to save our table and seated us right away. We were put into a room with other parents and babies, which I actually appreciated so when Edi started singing or throwing her breakfast all over the place our neighbors didn't get angry. We weren't rushed or anything during the meal (despite a huge line outside) and our server was always super nice. Edi's warm milk was steamed to the perfect temp for a baby/tot - not too hot!
(4)
Linda V.
I love this place. First of all, if you go on a Saturday or Sunday morning, expect a very long wait. I've been here quite often, so we knew what to expect. It was raining that day, but they have outdoor seating with umbrellas. A couple of people were seated outside. The hostess asked if we wanted to sit outside and skip the wait, we said yeah sure. We're young and low maintenance, so why not? The neat part about it was that they gave us warm blankets to wrap around, and I got a nice cup of Earl Grey. Their sausages, eggs, omelettes are nothing special to me to be honest. I don't get those. I mostly only come here for their sweet breakfast items. My favorite is their vegan banana pancakes. I'm not vegan--actually I love meat and wouldn't sacrifice that for anything. But these pancakes are SO good, and warrants a good trip to the fruit toppings bar. My sister got some sort of french toast thing, which was really good too. We got a side of eggs and sausage, because we feared we'd have too many sweets. It was a good idea, because it was too much sweet. Like I said, eggs are eggs and sausages are sausages--nothing super amazing. All in all, everything's great and wonderful. Don't come starving, because you'll probably have to wait, and then you'll get cranky and biased by the time the food comes. I see that happening in all the other reviews. Come happy expecting a wait, and you'll love the food.
(4)
Megan S.
When I was 18 and fresh out of my parents' house my dad made me promise that every Sunday we'd have breakfast together. I lived in the U-dist and we visited their location here religiously for quite awhile. But things change and traditions morph. So when for a team outing it was suggested that we do breakfast at the South Lake Union location I was excited to revisit this eatery. I also noticed that they have a new location in Ballard as well, but I haven't had a chance to check this out. So we took the SLUT down to Terry and found we had our choice of table at about 8:45 in the morning. The South Lake Union location did not let me down. The interior was spacious and bright with rows of wooden tables. Immediately inside you could see the famed toppings bar with the glowing yumminess of fresh fruits and real whipped cream. There were 6 of us in the party and one of our brilliant tables mates suggested the Rancher's breakfast since everything looked good. The Rancher's gives you a taste of everything and is quite large like a good breakfast joint should serve. 3 eggs any style, home fries, pepper bacon or insernio's chicken sausage and choice of 2 slices of challah french toast or pancakes. I got the bacon and french toast because, well, that IS the best choice and all. Eggs over easy so I could make sure my potatoes were covered in yolk. Oh yea. While waiting for our food to come to the table my table mates and I remarked on the awesome coffee. Served in real mugs--big boys--and the coffee tasted sublime. I had way too much with real cream and raw sugar. Our triathlete statuesque server quickly brought us our meals and she adeptly corrected my wobbly table with ease. Most servers wouldn't even notice the ever-present wobbly breakfast table, but this Amazonian was on top of her game. We all left full and relaxed and I must say that Portage Bay is still just as good as I remembered. Lots of folks are jumping on the all natural and organic band wagon, but Portage Bay really knows how to do it. I definitely want to come back and try the Southwest Benedict. Its served on jalapeno cornbread--woah!
(5)
Michael D.
Awesome food! I ordered the Wild Salmon Omelet and it was delicious! Very tasty and fruits were really fresh! Would definitely recommend this place for breakfast/brunch!
(5)
D C.
After waiting for an hour and 15 minutes (but being told the wait was 40minutes), we noticed larger groups were being seated before us though they had arrived after us. My friends and I decided to leave but were told we could be seated as we were leaving .....we stayed. The food was timely and tasty. I was a little disturbed by the "toppings bar"....looked like some fresh fruit mixed with previously frozen and defrosted berries.....also several other customerswith cold symptoms oblivious to sneezng away from the food...... All in all, if not for the crazy wait and germ fest, the food is great. perhaps if we had come on a different day.
(3)
Calvin Y.
Their philosophy, "Eat like you give a damn." What does this mean you ask? Well, take this simple test: Question 1: Do you give a damn about fresh and local ingredients? a.) Damn right, I do. b.) *shrugs* Question 2: Do you give a damn about organic and pesticide-free ingredients? a.) Damn it, yes. b.) Meh. Question 3: Do you give a damn about environmentally friendly (self-sustaining) and cruelty-free ingredients? a.) HELL YES. I mean, GOD DAMN IT, HELL YES. b.) NO. Who the hell cares? If you answered "a" to the questions above, then congratulations, you just found your favorite restaurant. Unfortunately for me, I'm not that cautious about where my food comes from, but there are many other aspects about this place that I admire. Today, I came in for lunch and I had the "Rancher's Breakfast." The Rancher's Breakfast comes with 3 eggs (anyway you like them), herb roasted potatoes, choice of black forest ham/pepper bacon/chicken basil sausage, choice of pancakes/French toast and a trip to the toppings bar! For my choices, I had scrambled eggs, black forest ham and the challah French toast. I recommend skipping the ham because it was really dry and tough to chew. However the highlight of every meal at Portage Bay is the trip to the toppings bar. It's like a game of Jenga -- how much fresh fruit can you put on your French toast without having it tip over? I really enjoyed the French toast by itself, but once I added the mountain of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and whipped cream, it became heaven, where the whipped cream are the clouds and the angels are made of berries. I came here over ten hours ago and I'm still stuffed.
(4)
Logan B.
Summary: They're still striving for mediocrity. I think the thing I dislike the most is the strange portions. A single oder of pancakes (which comes with a trip to the fruit bar) comes with no sides and is waaay too much food for a single person, nothing but a gut bomb of starch and sugars. Balancing the meal out with an egg or meat pushes the per-person bill towards $20, too much for a place that, at best, is serving a high end diner meal. Splitting a meal makes this marginally better, but they tack on an extra charge since the fruit bar is all-you-can-eat. I always leave this place feeling ill from eating too much or unsatisfied from eating an unbalanced meal. The restaurant itself is concrete and glass construction and very, very noisy. The atmosphere is sterile and not conductive to conversation. The last time I went (in January), my lady-friend sub'ed the potatoes for a fresh fruit bowl for a couple of dollars. Those fruits were anything but fresh and the grapefruit wasn't even ripe. When I asked to have it taken off the bill on account of being awful, the waitress was like, "Yeah, it's winter, there isn't really any fresh fruit." THEN WHY IS IT ON THE MENU?!
(2)
James V.
Dungeness crab benedict ought better be termed Egg on Crab Paste, really .... Perhaps it is described that way, if so I wish I'd read the menu more closely. We visited on a Saturday at a bit before noon. 1100 Hrs, precisely with previously made reservations. We were seated at 1115 in an obviously popular and noisy dining area. Do make reservations if you intend to visit, those arriving without were told to expect a 35 minute wait .... 20 minutes longer than having a reservation! Service was relaxed, perhaps no coffee refills offered helps keep the tables turning. This is a restaurant with an admirable intent, local food, etc., but the concept is poorly executed within the menu. Our side of bacon was 25% charcoal burnt, for example. We came with great expectations, based on the reviews of others. I doubt we will return.
(2)
Rebecca T.
Yuk. Thought the green lentil curry on rice would be good. After all it was the special. Um, when did you folks make the rice? Last spring? A soggy, heavy mass that could fell a large child if molded into ball form and hurled. Gross and inedible. The green lentil part? Eh. Nothing special (unlike the delish lentils from Tin Table). Here it's a greenish, gray porrige hiding that white, gloppy brick. Hey, if you just got out of prison, you might like. But I don't think even then. So, green lentil glop and iced tea: $17 with tip. Not worth even the 7 part. I don't care how chipper the server is.
(1)
Alexa B.
If it weren't for the insane weekend brunch waits, i'd give PB 5 stars. But i have to say, the host is very kind and you can tell that he feels badly that you are waiting to eat. Like many of the reviews, i just want to reiterate how incredible the Banana Fosters french toast tastes. We all ordered our own entrees and then split the french toast. I also really enjoy Joe's Scramble with egg whites. In fact, i've never had a bad meal here. Also, there is some good Sunday morning people watching.
(4)
Samantha C.
De-Licious!! Fresh, organic, wonderful. The pancakes are amazing, its always really packed so be prepared to wait. Family friendly too.
(5)
Morgan A.
It SADENS me to write this review. I've been going here for over a year now. It was my favorite place to grab brunch in the city, FAVORITE. Unfortunately, they've made some menu changes for the worst. My two favorite dishes: risotto cake benedict and prosciutto and blue cheese omelette have changed for the worst. They removed the gouda hollandaise sauce from the benny and replaced it with a balsamic vinegar drizzle. On what planet would replacing hollandaise sauce from a benny be a good idea?! Similarly with the omelette, it had this amazing blue cheese sauce that MADE the dish. It was rich and savory. One of those sauces you wanted to drink by the vat... no more. Same omelette, no sauce, one sad chunk of blue cheese on top, that was it! I'm not sure if they're trying to save money by cutting back recipes and ingredients but I was very disappointed. Additionally, I used to substitute my potatoes (theirs are mediocre) for 1 slice of french toast. This way I got the best of both worlds... the toppings bar and savory breakfast! They now charge "a slight price increase" to do this, $6!!!! $6?!?!?! SLIGHT increase? that's half the price of an entree there! Very disappointing. I will say if you like sweet breakfast this is probably a great place to go. The toppings bar is phenomenal. One thing that is good is they now take reservations. I highly recommend doing that because there's always a good wait. They used to let you call in and put your name down but not anymore. The last time we went they told us it would be 20-30 minutes and we ended up waiting an hour and 10 minutes... not the best way to start breakfast. At the end of our meal the waiter (who was slow and couldn't manage to keep our coffee and waters full) asked how we liked the menu changes?! I honestly answered that they took away the best parts of the dishes and I was disappointed. I won't be going back any time soon. I hope that they go back to their original menu. Why fix something that isn't broken? This place was such a gem. RIP old Portage Bay.
(2)
Tarah M.
Why didn't I select the breakfast delectables when recently dining with my favorite work folks, you ask? Because I'll let you in on a little secret: brunch food is my favorite, but it AWAYS makes me sleepy. That's right, I get the curse of the "itis" and nothing can snap me out of it when I'm stuffed with foods that are supposed to make you energized to begin or continue your day. Hence why I chose to stick to a lunch salad instead of their mouthwatering banana foster french toast which was just screaming "EAT ME!" If I didn't have to go back to work, best believe that I would have stuffed my cheeks with that goodness. We came during their busy weekday lunch rush and was pleased that we snagged a table before the place got extra crazy. Their topping bar is insane and I'm so glad I steered clear because I would have done what they recommend, which is took all I wanted and ate all I took. Seriously, they provide you with ample toppings to dress your pancakes, french toast, etc. I had their quinoa salad which was delicious! My only distaste was that the dressing was a little too heavy. Service was swift and friendly. I will definitely be back to try their sweet treats and find a place to nap it off later. :-)
(4)
Robert K.
Overall definitely not worth the price, wait, or taste. It tastes just average, price is high, and the wait is long. Why bother. Other restaurants offer topping type bars or you can just ask for more. Again the food is just average and the high pricing makes me kill the rating one notch. Hint: long wait. Disclaimer: been to lots of breakfast joints and gave this place a go several times already.
(2)
Michael H.
The food is tasty (definitely not a place if you're counting calories), but it's super pricey. Lunch is almost guaranteed to set you back $20 per person. The portions are large, so maybe sharing will make it a better value?
(3)
Stacey S.
This is a great place to go for Breakfast/ Brunch. I've never had something that wasn't completely delicious. The Migas is amazing, eggs benedict, and of course the french toast. The french toast is delicious, especially with the toppings bar. Lines are long during the weekend, and most of the time I'm to impatient to wait an hour for seating. That is why Portage Bay gets four stars instead of five. I can never get Banana's Foster french toast, because it's only on the breakfast menu. If you are lucky enough to get there early, or patient enough to wait... get the Banana's Foster french toast, it's amazing.
(4)
Nio S.
I think we just found our favorite Sunday brunch spot. Beautiful location and restaurant set up along with the amazing food we ordered. My wife got the Eggs Benedict and I got Banana French Toast with bacon on the side. My French Toast came with a fruit bar that I could top my plate with strawberries, blueberries, balckberries, rasberries, peaches, pears maple syrup and whip cream. I only topped my French Toast with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and whip cream. My wifes plate was already good on its own but she put some of the organic ketchup on the potatoes and that ketchup was very tasty for only 15 calories :) even the waitress and host were nice and attentive to our needs. We will be definately coming back here on Sundays!
(5)
Eli W.
"Eat like you give a damn." If I did, then I would not be eating at Portage Bay Cafe. I used to have a great experience every time I went to Portage Bay because of the good food, toppings bar, and service. Portage Bay has declined so much in the way of their food since I first started going to their University District location several years ago. This specific visit I had the Crab cake Benedict, which I had before and really liked. However, this visit the person who made the cakes decided to stick in nearly tic tac sized pieces of ginger. This may seem like a small issue, however every bite of my food was overpowered with the taste of ginger; and I went to have the taste of crab cakes in my mouth not ginger. Additionally, I have noticed during the last few visits to Portage Bay that they have not had fresh fruit at their toppings bar. The toppings bar has mainly been comprised of thawed frozen fruit. I understand there are seasons for fruit, but I'm sure there is some fruit in season every season, I mean I can go to my local QFC and find some. Bottom-line is that I have always justified the somewhat higher prices that Portage Bay charges with the fact that they provide higher quality ingredients, well prepared food, and a quality experience. As of late, Portage Bay has not been coming through; and I can say that the combination of mediocre food, high prices, and usually a wait to get seated is not worth it.
(2)
Hannah L.
My appetite for exciting, decadent culinary experiences is bounded by one restraint: my equally strong beliefs about the importance of eating locally and sustainably whenever possible. Fortunately for me, Seattle offers many such restaurants whose menu and philosophy afford me the opportunity to indulge unbounded. Portage Bay Cafe is the newest addition to that list of mine. I took my out-of-town family there for breakfast Easter weekend, and all were impressed! Not only by the food, but by the man, although that's another story.... The shirred duck eggs (a special) were pronounced amazing by my foodie aunt, and I would say the same for the lemon curd French Toast, with a lovely citrus bite from the lemon tempered by sweet blueberries and syrup. A couple of options were slightly less impressive (the migas being one), but overall breakfast was very, very good. And did I mention the extensive, tempting menu? Other nice touches include the ability to make reservations, the fresh fruit bar, the extensive use of chicken (as opposed to pork) sausage, and the huge cups of coffee. Plus, the trolley stops nearby! At least the SLUT's good for something....
(4)
Corbin B.
Probably the best breakfast food I have ever eaten. At the very least in the top three. Organic and local options are all the rage these days, but the quality of the food really shines through. The only two knocks on this place - you need a reservation on any weekend (or you're guaranteed an hour plus wait), and it is quite large, making it loud. If you don't mind the crowds though, the food is unbeatable. The menu changes seasonally, and if you aren't vegetarian, be sure to try some of the local meats. I have had local sausage and also a ground lamb breakfast dish. Both were amazing. Everyone raves about the topping bar, but for brunch, I tend to air on the more savoury side. A can't miss if you are in he Lake Union area.
(4)
Jenny K.
went for a friend's birthday brunch. love the restaurant motto "eat like you give a damn" - complete agree! got the crab cake benedict. the crab cake was meaty, fresh and seasoned well. I would've preferred an English muffin with the crab cake though. the hollandaise sauce was just perfect! the breakfast potatoes were suprisingly soft, not crispy, but seasoned with a kick and delicious dipped in the ketchup-hollandaise-egg yolk sauce on my plate. next time I will be getting pancakes or French toast so I can hit up the toppings bar - a cart full of fruits, syrups and whipped creams so you can customize to your liking! good, fresh, strong black coffee to complement the meal. busy as heck so make sure to make a reservation if you're going for weekend brunch.
(4)
Cathy M.
I got the special for brunch item which was a baked fish with olives and hash. The olives were really strong but I liked the idea. My husband had a classic eggs and bacon and he looooooved the bacon. Thick cut and perfectly crisp. I'll come here for a casual brunching and stick to the normal menu items, although I will probably end up trying new things.
(3)
Tania W.
This place is AMAZING...the wait is long as heck..(TIP: Make a reservation - might help a bit - we waited over an hour for a party of 2 on Sat morning)...but DEF WORTH THE WAIT!! Don't think twice. If you want a satisfying breakfast go here! They even have a fresh fruit topping bar..yum!! P.S I had the Banana Foster French Toast ;-)
(5)
Stacy Y.
This place is B.U.S.Y. - Today is our first time trying this restaurant and little do we know, Sunday brunch is the busiest time... Two of us waited for 1.5 hours to get the food to our table. Other than that, I love this restaurant, especially the fresh fruit topping bar for pancake & french toast. I ordered Rancher's breakfast (3 eggs, a choice of meat, potato, and 2 pancake or french toast) knowing I won't be able to finish everything, Frank ordered Chorizo sausage scramble. Everything was delicious and there's enough food to feed 3... Maybe I'll take mom with us next time :) When the pancake arrived, I was shock there's nothing on it but then I realize that's the fresh fruit topping bar is for..... then I went crazy! Peach, blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, maple syrup, and whipped cream - Delicious!!!! Now I understand why is there a such long wait. Restaurant itself is simply decorated but yet beautiful. Lot of glass window, photos, and floor is completely open. With couple large tables in the middle, it's great for gatherings and kids friendly. If you happened to be here during busy hours, ask them if you can start your coffee first... That's what got us through the long wait.... so ask for coffee, sit tight, enjoy your company, and let your anticipation build up for a great fest.
(4)
K R.
I'm not sure I understand all the fuss. The food is fine. Standard fare. You can pile all the berries on it that you want. It just isn't anything special. I guess I just don't understand why the place is so popular and there is such a long wait. (We've now declared this the Denny's of Seattle)
Portage cafe is a primarily a breakfast / brunch type place. They have lunch items and such, but I think breakfast is the key. If you are a fan of a fresh fruit pancake bar and you can drop $20 per person, then this is your kind of place. Some may say this is over priced, but you get what you pay for. The fruits are fresh, the eggs are super healthy and come from happy chickens and the salmon in the omelet is wild not farmed. I had the salmon omelet. The eggs were fluffy, the salmon delicious and the size perfect. It came with red potatoes that were done very well. I had a sample of the french toast and while I am not a connoisseur by any means, but I thought most people would be quite pleased. The service here is professional, but a little brisk. If you like a place where they know your name and call you honey, you will be disappointed. The staff are young and pretty and they probably are only working here to pay for their iPad 2. I was here for Sunday brunch around 1:30pm, the tail end of the rush. It was about a 20 minute wait. Not too bad. You can go wine shopping within walking distance as Soul Wine if you are so inclined. There is a parking structure in the back accessible from the nearby alleyway for a couple bucks an hour. Or you can snag metered street parking if you are savvy.
(4)
Margaret Y.
Food was good. However, it wasn't worth waiting in 40 min-long line on Saturday morning for me... Why? 1. I tend to be a wild cat when my stomach is empty^^ And, that day, I was tooooo hungry even drinking coffee wasn't helping: By the way, they charged the coffee I drank while waiting for 40 mins. (about $2) 2. Their fruit bar was set from frozen except maybe two items. 3.The wait staff wasn't that all nice, this is understandable under the circumstance where they were too busy!!! Overall: 1. My concern was the wait staff was too busy to pay attention to their designated customers. Result: 1. I wouldn't go back on weekends again there even though their Egg Benedite was almost perfect for me.
(2)
Josh P.
I am writing this review after waking up from a bananas fosters french toast induced food coma of about 2 hrs. I'm a little late to the party but glad I made it here to see why there is always a wait and a huge crowd of devoted breakfast lovers. I called ahead and we were seated about 15 minutes after we got there. While waiting near the entrance and looking over the menu, we saw plates of french toast being ferried from tables to the topping bar. At first I was like wow, the french bread is certainly big, but kinda bare; nothing on. Oh man but when they got done with the topping bar about 2 pounds heavier the french toast was anything but bare. I decided to go with this option, as my fellow yelper Amy N. went for the corned beef hash. I got the bananas foster french toast. As the waitress put it down she mentioned something about tasting it before I went to the topping bar. Needless to say I didn't follow her directions and made a beeline for the bar. They have blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, walnuts, almonds, syrup, butter, and freshly whipped cream. My plate went from about 3 inch high to about 6in(that's what she said) after I was done piling everything on. While this was a lot on quantity, quality was great as well; whipped cream was fresh, the bananas foster in a delicious sauce. Also had a side of pepper bacon which was pretty thick and full of flavor. Only finished 2 out of the 3 slices, then went home to sleep it off. Definitely recommend you call ahead as the wait can be up to 45 min on a crowded day. Oh and make sure you have bed/couch nearby after if its raining out and you can't walk it off.
(4)
Julie A.
I went here hoping to get in and get out last Saturday morning for breakfast. It was fairly early in the brunch hour, around 9:30am, and the restaurant is spacious, yet we waited for 30 mins only to be seated at the crappiest seat in the restaurant, a two seater in the bar area where patrons waiting to be seated were practically leaning on our table. The service and food were, as the waitress herself actually described it, mediocre at best. Here's a list of the mounting annoyances we experienced: 1. Ignored for 10 mins 2. My menu was missing half the list of items offered. 3. We waited another 10 mins for a correct version to be delivered. 4. Water never came and when we asked for it the server brought one glass. When I mentioned we wanted 2 she actually made me defend my decision to order water since I already had a San Pellegrino. Just bring the damn water, lady. 5. When we sat down the bar was completely empty. By the time we needed to order the bar was totally full and the server took all their orders before visiting us who'd sat down 10-15 mins before them. 6. My omelette was oily and way too big. The potatoes were cold. The bread was delicious! (not annoying) 7. We had to ask for the check twice and when the server FINALLY brought it she said, "Sorry for the mediocre service" and walked away. Nice attitude! Not to mention the clientel is a bunch of rich white REI-loving marathon-running organic free range waterproof windbreaker-wearing douchebags. You couldn't pay me to do that again.
(1)
Patty S.
I don't know what all the fuss is about. We went for breakfast and it was really nothing special at all. I mean, if you want all the fresh berries you can eat on an overpriced pancake, then it's probably much better. Let me start with the service. It's lacking. We were told the wait was 20 minutes, it was 40. The server wasn't attentive and never checked to see if everything was good or we had everything after dropping off our food. The atmosphere is bad. It's a giant open room, so it's very loud. It is not private or cozy. It's like eating in a cafeteria. The tables are very close together, and you have a better chance of a conversation at a concert. The food is totally forgettable. It's so bland I didn't want to eat it. I got the grits with kale and eggs, and the whole problem was it tasted like nothing. Like nothing. I love grits too, and these tasted like water. I had to practically grab the the waitress as she ran by, because she was steadily ignoring us, to get some hot sauce. I shouldn't have to put hot sauce on my grits. My husband got an omelette that had sausage of some sort and apples, and honestly it was not very good. The problem with their food is that it's not special in any way. It is totally without character. The big issue I had with the menu is that they charge SIX DOLLARS to share an item, but they also serve normal restaurant sized portions. What am I getting for those six extra dollars? Am I getting more? Or are you just trying to keep people from sharing food? I'm not going to eat all of my food, why should we have to order so much and then throw it out. Because I am NOT bringing that tripe into my home.
(2)
Jackie T.
Two words - toppings bar. A place that serves breakfast at lunch will always go far with me. The pancakes and the french toast are delicious. Pepper bacon is the perfect side. And topping your griddle item with delicious fruits, nuts or sauces from the toppings bar - heaven. This place is a frequent destination for my work team. Service is always quick. Groups of more than 4 might have a wait during lunch. The only downside is the noise level is loud at peak times.
(4)
Kate N.
the BEST brunch spot in the entire city!!! I have dreams of their fresh fruit toppings bar! They serve good coffee and GREAT food! Try a mimosa! Get there early, the line can be out the door but it is worth the wait! They have good service and quality food! Good vegan breakfast options and the most delicious pancake fruit bar I've ever seen. The service can be a tad spotty sometimes since there are SO many people packed in there, but it's worth it!!
(5)
George B.
When my wife first told me about this place I was skeptical. Organic? I'm a manly man! I don't eat no stinkin' bland organic food. Boy was I wrong about this place. The food was delightfully delicious. I ordered the Ranchers breakfast with ham and couldn't believe how good everything tasted. Organic eggs are the sh**! The ham and potatoes were pretty good. I get french toast too? Fresh toppings WHAT! We've been back 3 more times since and not once have I been disappointed. So far I haven't had any problem with the service. My best advice, don't come on a weekend. We tried on a Saturday and it was way too crowded.
(4)
Raven K.
I really wanted to like this place, I really did. I was excited to try them after I checked out the menu online but that was the last of the excitement. Ordered the crab cakes benedict and it was terrible. It came cold, the hollandaise sauce was really bland and the crab cakes tasted super cheap and kinda smelled like diapers. Ugh. Plus the prices are outrageous here! $3 for a cup of regular coffee is a bad start but then to eat a crappy tasting breakfast on top of it and get a breakfast bill for $30 for one person is just insane. I would be pissed if I got a $30 bill at a good restaurant so this really got me steamed. Definitely not worth the money in any way, shape or form.
Crazy busy when we went there - after the 1/2 marathon 1 hr wait - but strong coffee to fuel up But food was worth the wait - amazing omelette, juice, everything... ppl kept ordering pancakes etc so to go to the amazing fresh fruit bar to their plates full w fresh fruits Efficient service... well it has to be efficient... with the crazy crowd..
(4)
Jeff S.
It's constantly crowded for good reason. Generous portions of health-minded organic ingredients make for a breakfast that I'll definitely be coming back for very soon. The coffee was on point too, not sure what it was though.
(4)
Liz M.
This is for the catering service only!! I have never eaten at their restaurant but have only heard rave reviews which is why my fiance and I decided that they would be in our top 4 list of caterers to try and decide between for our wedding. Problem #1 When filling out the quote request online they ask you what your entire event budget it is... sorry but you are not our even planner and really should only be asking what our catering budget is. Problem#2 After telling Tracy twice that we would not be able to attend a tasting event on a Tuesday as my fiance teaches Tuesday nights she suggested I bring someone else. (this may work for other people but I had obviously expressed our need to both be there to be able to make the decision.) Problem #3 The last straw, they refused to do a private tasting knowing that our schedule would not allow both of us to make it to a single one of their events as they are all on Tuesdays. This made my fiance and I feel like they did not care about us because our event wasn't going to be making them enough money to put in any extra effort. As I said to Tracy... Truly Disappointed.
(1)
Sean G.
Great food, terrible service! Do not come here for a business lunch! So, I've been to this Portage Bay about a dozen times, mostly for business lunches. The last two lunches have suffered from The Worst Service Ever. Today's lunch featured two of my clients not getting water. Despite asking the server 3x for water -- and that was the only beverage they requested. There was some confusion as to who was getting what since the server incorrectly specified "french dip" instead of "prime rib," and this led to a bus-boy berating one of my clients. One of our foreigners got an eye-roll when he asked questions. Oh, and 20 minutes to pick up our tab. Really? I've been getting flack about recommending this place for lunch as a result due to incredibly bad service. Frankly, for the price ($12-$15 average), I'd expect service better than a crappy Waffle House. There are better places in the neighborhood (Flying Fish) that get customer service right. Their motto, "Eat like you give a damn" is great, but they certainly don't "give a damn" about their customers.
(1)
Kim P.
We ate here this morning and 4 of us ordered poached eggs and the eggs all came out overcooked, not runny as requested! I had the southwest benedict and the eggs were overdone. The service was extremely slow and most of the orders were messed up. The food was quality and they use good ingredients but they need to work with their chefs as several things came out wrong. I wasn't going to write a complaint until we spoke to the manager Jeff and asked if he wanted to hear some constructive criticism. He abruptly responded in a rude manner, "No thanks!" We let him know that we would post it for someone who does care on Yelp. It's funny in a city like Seattle, where technology exists and people want to read reviews and spend their money in a fabulous spot that a manager could be so rude and so obnoxious! Do you care to hear our issues now?
(2)
Jonathan Y.
For 8 years I have been waiting to try this place, so it may be a product of over-hype or unrealistic expectations. Either way, I left thinking..."really, that's it?" The place was very crowded, you had to squeeze through chairs to get around tables. The area is very bright, lots of big windows and natural light, which is great. I had the eggs benedict here (as I always get Eggs benny when at a breakfast place for the first time), and was actually quite dissapointed. The sauce was bland, the bacon nothing special, the english muffins a bit soggy. The hashbrowns were tasty, they had been rubbed in cajun spice or something similar. They were a bit on the mushy side though, I was hoping for them to be crisper. The pancake bar looked enticing, but I'll have to try it out next time. In the end, I've heard from tons of people that it's well worth the wait to get in to this place, and that the food is spectacular. Perhaps the location near UW will better impress, because this place left me wishing I had chosen Beth's Cafe instead. There are a lot of natural options though, which is a plus for some. Vegan and organic options are a refreshing choice. Let's be honest though, breakfast isn't breakfast without bacon/sausage/eggs/etc. Dissapointed, but cautiously optimisitc they were having an off day.
(2)
N W.
Long wait, would highly recommend calling ahead to make a reservation. The yogurt parfait was delicious, but had an imbalance of components. Would recommend the cafe to add more yogurt to balance out the granola!
(4)
Nerick M.
Wow, this is one great restaurant. I was finally able to try Portage Bay Cafe this past weekend and was pretty satisfied with my experience. I really like the location and the look of the interior/exterior of the place. It's really spacious inside and is really conducive to a nice, relaxing, fun dining experience. The outside patio is a perfect place for a happy hour get-together,especially on a nice day. The menu was packed with mouth-watering descriptions of their dishes. I ended up choosing the Rancher's Breakfast because I'm a big eater. It came with eggs, black forest ham, homestyle potatoes, and two huge pancakes. Since it came with pancakes, I got a trip to the unlimited fruit bar to top off my flapjacks (I think I overdid it a bit too). The food was crazy delicious. The fresh fruit bar was phenomenal and complimented my pancakes very well. Everything on my plate was cooked just the way I had hoped. I guess my only reservation had to do with the service. There were multiple times when I had to try to wave down a server just to get water. It can get busy on a weekend, folks. Maybe they should just put water carafes on tables or something? Anyway, I really enjoyed eating there and will be back to try their lunch. I'm sure I can't go wrong with any of those dishes.
(4)
Jen A.
This is my favorite of the portage bays. Delicious. Never disappointed. So fresh and so delicious. I think we ordered a bread pudding French toast and it was so flavorful. I ordered Dungenes crab Benedict which is never disappointing. I don't love breakfast in general but I'll eat it here for sure.
(5)
Misa C.
I am writing because I can't stop thinking about the hash I had this morning and the take-home portion that I accidentally left on the table, but which I ran back (in the snow, nonetheless!) to retrieve, but which was already long gone, and which I cannot stop being sad about...because it was so damn good. Today, my bf and I braved the snow to have brunch at Portage Bay because I had raved to him about the gluten-free Swedish pancakes I had there a few weeks ago with a friend. We were excited that there wouldn't be a line because of the weather. Ha. We got there to a packed entry and a 30-minute wait. Though, when, after a minute, we asked if we could sit at the bar, the host just sat us at a table anyway. So much for the wait! Yay! I was really excited to order the hash (perfect-sized chunks of root veggies) with salmon (a little salty, but really really tasty). I opted to not get the eggs on top, but I could see that, with some of the meat options for the hash, the eggs could be pretty awesome on top. It was so tasty! And I wanted to save the last half for later in the day. But, alas, read above. I think Portage Bay has great service (I assume that was the manager walking around the entire time I was there making sure everything was running smoothly), fresh-tasting and delicious food, and--especially today--wonderful floor-to-ceiling windows through which to stare outside at the snow whirling down. Lots of gluten-free and some vegan (and even gluten-free vegan) options.
(5)
Beau R.
We'd eaten at their other location and were meeting some friends for brunch, so we this as a good place for a repeat visit. I called and made reservations, but that just got me an advanced place on the list. Which was good, because the Portage Bay Cafe is a popular place. Even being on the list, we waited for almost 50 minutes before we were seated. It didn't matter much because we had plenty of catching up to do and the kids were in a good mood by the time we got to the restaurant. The food is excellent and organic and the menu has lots, and lots of choices. The kind of choice which prompts indecision. Too much of a good thing. Our table had 3 rancher's plate, which was strange considering none of us were ranchers and there were 3 kids and 4 adults. There is a lot of food in the rancher's plates (eggs, cooked to order, homestyle potatoes, bacon or sausage and two pancakes). There were two omlettes consumed, from a list of about a dozen different omlettes. The eggs were light and fluffy and the fillings were inventive and different. I had proscuitto and blue cheese which was really good. The french toast is great here and all of the pancakes can be topped (or slathered) with your choice of fresh berries, whipped cream, syrup and whatnot. The berries were exceptionally good and fresh. You expect that being in the Northwest, but they were "that good." The waits are long, but worth it. Portage Bay Cafe is a the breakfast brunch place to be!
(5)
Joel Y.
Think Whole Foods Restaurant. I loved the concept of everything being organic... but isn't that really just a gimmick? Is there really a difference? Well whatever it is, this place is still a very solid brunch joint. I am in love with the fresh fruit toppings bar. It has apples, strawberries, blueberries, dingle berries, whatever organic berry that can be found is on that damn table. I had the smoked salmon omelet... I was sad that it was actually cooked salmon but it was still very tasty. Comes with the best seasoned home fries I have ever had. Seriously, I usually hate the breakfast potatoes that come with my meal but these were outstanding. The pancakes were large, however very dry and uninspired. I lathered it up with as much fat as possible- whipped cream, butter, fruit, syrup, but it still didn't do it for me. I am sure they are much healthier than normal pancakes, but I still couldn't shove them down my throat. They also can make any fruit juice into a mimosa for you alcoholics. Overall, its a beautiful spot and a great place for yuppies and young professionals to talk about our failing economy sipping mimosas. Recommended!
(4)
J G.
After finding menus at an adjacent table and flagging down a passing waiter, our waitress finally came to our table. However, she subsequently forgot our water, napkins, and utensils. We actually received better service from other servers than our own. (We were there on a Sat AM right after opening which I realize may indicate that they were busy, but they were not until about when we left.) My husband was served the wrong dish. The food was okay; incredibly rich and unbalanced. Lots of fat and sugar... For a restaurant that touts organic food and the nature theme, I'd have hoped for healthier choices. For the price, I would have hoped for better service, food, and atmosphere. We will continue our search for an unpretentious breakfast place in Seattle...
(2)
Matt M.
Let me say the food at Portage is five star. I travel to Seattle every six weeks for work and say for a week or more. During my stays, I'll eat at Portage at least half of my mornings, if not more. I love the food. Anything with either bacon or their chicken italian sausage is wonderful. As many have said, the toppings bar is great, so you can't go wrong with the organic pancakes or french toast. The reason for a 3-star rating is the service. Usually isn't ok, nothing great, but ok. This past Sunday, it was offputting. My wife and I are from the east coast, so we're up early. We were the first people in the door and the only people in the restaurant when it opened at 7:30. When the waitress came, I ordered my usual Ranchers breakfast and I wanted something a little different than my normal pancakes so I asked if they could put a few blueberries in my pancakes. They have a massive bowl of blueberries on the topping bar so I figured it would be easy to grab a handful so I could have hot blueberries. When I asked, I was flatly told "no, we don't do that, you can only have plain pancakes." At first, I thought she was joking because it was such an easy request but as she walked away, I realized she was serious. Next we had to ask for water for the table. I'm watching table after table come in and be set and we felt ignored. Finally, when I take my pancakes to the toppings bar, there is no syrup. No big deal, I head back to the table and ask my waitress if she could bring a little syrup because there is none on the bar. Her reply was "Oh, it should be there now." I'm thinking "I was there 5 seconds ago and it wasn't." So I carry my food back to the bar and of course, no syrup. I then see my waitress in the back, fill the pitcher and bring it to the bar. She thunks it down on the table, no 'sorry it wasn't there', no comment other than "I guess someone didn't do their job." I don't know if she was having a bad day or just didn't want to try and be of service. The food was great but the service was poor and we were met with an "I don't care" attitude all morning. I'll come back but I will make sure I have a different server.
(3)
Aubrey C.
A 3.5 star average for Portage Bay Cafe (even considering the 4-star average for their other location) is way too low. I love breakfast/brunch, and when my friend brought me here during my current visit to Seattle, I was blown away. Everything on the menu looked fantastic, and usually had some sort of twist. Even the vegan pancakes are delicious! I ordered the salmon omelette, which was possibly one of the better ones I've ever had. Usually omelettes are either too eggy/drenched in cheese, or the salmon overpowers everything else with a too-savory taste. This was just the right blend of slightly savory, slightly dairy, slightly cheesy. The capers also didn't interfere with the taste in any way, unlike other places which use cheap-quality (read: SOUR) capers. My friend had the risotto cake eggs benedict. Which is just like it sounds.. it's an eggs benedict dish, except instead of the poached eggs being over English muffins (yawn), Portage Bay Cafe puts the eggs over RISOTTO CAKES. Being a lover of risotto, this pleased me extremely. The risotto cakes wound up being crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Just right. And the poached eggs were quite tasty too. Topped off with a drizzle of olive oil and you have a fantastic dish. Portage Bay Cafe also has a full panoply of pancakes, french toast, etc., which comes with a topping bar. Another unique twist. The best thing I can say about this place is that if I lived in Seattle, I'd probably eat here every weekend.
(5)
Sarah M.
I had a horrible experience at the Portage bay cafe in Ballard and a great experience at the one on Roosevelt so I didn't really know what to expect at the South Lake Union location. I decided to have my birthday brunch at Portage Bay so I called the Roosevelt location first. The boy on the phone took my reservation for a party of 20 and was super nice. Then, the next day I got a call from the manager and she told me that the boy who had taken my reservation was new and they couldn't take a party that large on a sunday. Luckily, because of the mix up, the manager at the South Lake Union reservation agreed to take a 20 top on really short notice. I arrived at the restaurant super early so that I could give them extra time to set the table up. My reservation was at 10:30 and they didn't seat us until 11:30. I couldn't believe that I sat there for an hour waiting to be seated when I had made a reservation. Luckily, even though the whole process of getting seated was a little disappointing, the food made up for it. Everyone in my party loved their food and had a great time. I wish the wait staff was a little more attentive, but what can you do? They were super busy. This place definitely have their food down, but could use a little more help with customer service.
(4)
Liz M.
I'm really, really bummed to be writing this review. Not only have I heard/read fantastic things about Portage Bay, but I also dropped by after hours earlier this summer for a Yelp event & thought the food, service, and space were all pretty neat. So when this got selected as October's Breakfast Club, I was looking forward to it. Everything started off OK. We met up at 8am and they already had a big table set up to handle what might have been a large group (we thought there might be as many as 15, although it ended up being 8). The server was nice and efficient as he came around taking our orders. Unfortunately, while the service was pretty much always friendly, it was very inattentive, and we kept having to flag/chase them down. This would be understandable if the place were slammed, but it didn't really pick up until about 9. I had coffee as usual, but didn't really care for the taste. As a side note, it was slightly annoying to have only one cream pitcher, which had to be passed up and down the table repeatedly, for all 5 or 6 coffee drinkers. To eat, I ordered the Rancher's Breakfast, figuring that this would be enough food to cover all of my meals for the day. I asked for the eggs 'over hard' as I am not a fan of runny yolks. The eggs looked right, but the yolks were still a bit runny. The bacon and potatoes were fine, but nothing special, and the challah french toast was nice and fluffy, but again, didn't leap out and titillate my taste buds. The toppings bar is a neat concept and I did like the assortment of fresh fruit and fresh whipping cream, but for a $20 breakfast, I just wasn't impressed. I left the restaurant with a box of leftovers and feeling solidly 3 stars about the overall experience. Unfortunately, by the time I got home, I started feeling sick and pretty much had an upset stomach for the rest of the day. The leftovers went in the trash, and the review dropped another star. Sorry Portage Bay.
(2)
Vince T.
I used to come here all the time back while I lived up in Seattle, so on my last trip back I decided to swing by with my boss for some grub. As soon as I walked in, my stomach started screaming "Give me some FRENCH TOAST!" The wait was a bit long though, as we waited for about 45 minutes on a Saturday to be seated. So note to anyone who wants to check this place out: call ahead and make reservations if you're in a group and you're trying to get some grub on a weekend. Oh, and parking can be a bit hard as well, but it's all well worth it in the end. I had to heed my stomach's calls and ordered the french toast, while my boss got the corn beef hash, which looked delicious as well. That french toast though was sinfully good. It's also very cool that they have the toppings bar where you can load up on a bunch of fruit/whipped cream/syrup/everything else you can think of that will get you a sugar high. Add to the fact that everything they serve is all local and organic and you have a winner. Oh, and the service is excellent as well. The hostess was even so kind to call and flag down a cab for my boss and I during the middle of their weekend rush. Come here if you are looking for breakfast food up until after lunch time (and let's be serious, who doesn't like eating breakfast food at any time during the day?), or if you really like french toast (!!!!!!), or if you just like eating. Portage Bay will blow your mind.
(5)
Chris W.
Portage Bay is at its best when it is making tasty local food (buckwheat pancakes with a trip to the 'toppings bar' are a sure win) and serving fresh-squeezed orange juice and bottomless cups of coffee. Added bonus when it's rainy and cold outside. It is at its worst when the lines are 1 hour long, the lobby is packed, the wait staff is slow, and the dish you ordered is underwhelming (and what about those weak sauce home fries -- sheesh). Unfortunately It's at its worst more often than it is at its best. I continue to try it (primarily because of the convenient location and because my wife adores it) and hope for the best. If you want the best experience on a weekend try to go early (9am) or later (1pm) to avoid ridiculous lines, a swamped kitchen, and therefore less-than-inspiring food. It's worth a shot, because when it's "on" it's great! (oh and btw the same review can be applied to the UW location)
(3)
Anna W.
It's my boyfriend's birthday, and we decided to go out for brunch. Having been to all of its locations, we knew that you can always count on Portage Bay's food to be delicious as well as local and organic. Unfortunately, today I learned that one thing you can NOT count on here is good service. I called at 11:40am to put my name on the list and was told it would be 1-1.5 hours. Fine, I expected it to be pretty busy, so no big deal. We showed up at about 12:20pm, and the hostess told us it would be another half hour. Again, that's fine, so we smile, get our cup of coffee and wait. By 1:30pm, with several parties who arrived AFTER us having been seated, I decide to check in with the hostess again. After all, it's only an hour until the restaurant closes. I come up ask her how much longer it will be. Her response: "oh, did you just walk in?" I tell her that no, in fact we have been here for over an hour (I should mention we'd been sitting right in front of her the whole time). She incredulously tells us that there are a couple of tables in front of us and scribbles something next to my name on her list. I try my hardest to contain my annoyance and go back to my friends. Another 20 minutes pass and at least 3 four-person and several two-person parties are seated. The hostess spends this time shooting me dirty looks and VERY un-surreptitiously complaining about us to one of the waitresses. This is what I find completely inexcusable. You ignore us for an hour, and YOU complain about US when we dare call you on it? The entire time we were there, this woman exhibited the most deplorably inhospitable attitude I have ever encountered. There was not one smile or apology for her bitchy attitude and disregard. I understand you're having a busy day, but I have worked service jobs, too. I have greeted hundreds of people in a shift, and WOULD have recognized someone who had been sitting in front of me for over an hour. You are here to welcome customers, not act like you are doing them a favour by deigning to acknowledge them. Portage Bay should be ashamed to employ someone who considers this adequate customer service. We were finally seated shortly before 2pm. The manager (I believe) asked us how long we had waited and offers us mimosas to compensate for the wait. Mimosas arrive, and the rest of the dining experience is uneventful, unless you count the glares I received from the hostess when I went to the fruit bar. The last hurrah of this meal is when we get our check and -- what do you know -- we find we were charged $20 for the four mimosas. Luckily, the waitress didn't object to taking them off the bill, so we paid and got the hell out of there as quickly as we could. I think it's safe to say that I will make no effort to return to this location if it means even the remote possibility of dealing with that vile hostess again. Thanks for ruining my boyfriend's birthday brunch, you harpy.
(2)
J K.
Had another fantastic brunch experience at Portage Bay Cafe's South Lake Union location. They dropped the ball on the service today, but the Manager did a great job of handling it and keeping this a 5-star place in my opinion. In a city with lots of terrific brunch/breakfast options, Portage Bay Cafe stands out for consistently delivering great meals across visits and menu items. The South Lake Union location is my favorite because it's large enough to cycle through waiting lists quickly and - especially on weekends - there's plenty of street parking available within a few blocks. If you get there by 9am the wait is usually quite short, although today we learned that does not apply right after daylight savings time begins! It's a consistently reliable choice for taking visitors from out of town or catching up with friends. Their savory dishes are consistently good and filling. The pepper bacon is especially tasty and today they had a great savory special. The curry shrimp omurice was a nicely seasoned mixture of rice, shrimp, and curry sauce wrapped in an omelet flavored with black sesame seeds. The shrimp could've been bigger and/or more plentiful, but overall the dish was delicious. Another person in our party had the winter grits with eggs - a new, tasty addition to the menu. On the sweet side, the toppings bar is the obvious highlight with large bowls filled with fruit (blueberries, strawberries, peaches, etc.), whipped cream, butter, etc. When in-season, there are also bowls of fresh fruit toppings, but today most of the fruit was in syrup, which makes sense since it seems they try to locally source ingredients. The french toast is thickly sliced and quite good but the relatively light Swedish pancakes are fantastic. The Ranchers Breakfast is a lot of food but provides healthy doses of savory (eggs, potatoes and a meat - I opt for the aforementioned pepper bacon) and sweet (pancakes or french toast), including a trip to the toppings bar. Another approach for getting sweet and savory is to team up with someone in your party to share - one orders savory and the other orders sweet and hits the toppings bar. This is allowed as long as each of you orders and entree. Portions are big and prices are reasonable. Today we didn't get our food until 50 minutes after we first sat down - this is unusual because the service here has been consistently efficient and friendly. Apparently our server neglected to enter our order for some time. We asked the Manager about the delay and he did a very good job of handling the situation. I realize that things will always go wrong, especially in the restaurant business, so I will never penalize a business for a mistake. However, I will judge them harshly if they do not resolve the situation well. In this case they made an honest mistake and the Manager did a great job dealing with it. (Contrast this to my prior bad experience and poor handling of the situation by the staff at Thomas Street Bistro) I only wish today's server had been honest about the mistake instead of trying to blame it on a "big table" that got their orders in before us. But kudos to the Manager for keeping me as a loyal fan and patron of the South Lake Union location of Portage Bay Cafe.
(5)
Kristin C.
I was in Seattle last weekend on business. Though it was MLK Day, I had several meetings on Monday and one was scheduled as a breakfast meeting. A colleague (from Seattle) suggested the Terry Avenue location of Portage Bay since it was close to the location of my next meeting. I arrived just before him to a fairly crowded restaurant. I'm guessing that the holiday got people out and enjoying breakfast/brunch. When I said that I was meeting someone who had yet to arrive (The host had me look around first), I was seated next to the window by the bar side. It's significantly more quiet over there than in the bigger dining area. And I was happy to the reduced volume. After my colleague arrived, service was really quite expedient. Coffee came quickly and our orders were taken. Portage Bay has one of those breakfast/brunch menus that really gives me pause (and fosters indecision). Do I want savory...or do I want sweet? I can never get the massive option that involves both (even though I want it) for fear of looking like a massive pig. So, in the end, I settled on the chicken sausage scramble. It's a lot of ingredients scrambled in with the eggs. There's a great quantity of portobello mushrooms that were really yummy. I could have wished for a bit more chicken sausage (since it was really tasty). However, I feel like the amount of fennel and manchego masked the eggs a bit...and was perhaps scambled in too soon (I like a really eggy texture). However, it was nonetheless, still tasty. And the dish came with a massive quantity of roasted potatoes. They were well seasoned and well cooked. However, there was no way that I could eat all of them. I can't recall what my dining companion got (It was savory and not sweet though), but he seemed happy. I don't live nearby (across the country, rather), but on another visit, I'd love to try something sweet (especially the bananas foster french toast). After we'd paid and my colleague had to leave, I still had a good hour to kill. The server was kind enough to agree to let me hang out (There were plenty of seats available). I opened another check and ordered a grapefruit juice. Normally when you order juice at a restaurant, you get an overpriced smallish glass. However, I can say that this glass is indeed large and you get a lot of juice. I actually had some time to spare later in the day too and was going to stop back by. I had assumed that they would be open for lunch since I saw a bar. I was going to have a beer. However, if they do offer lunch, it's not available as late as 3:00 pm on MLK Day. All in all, Portage Bay is a great place for a high quality breakfast or brunch with a good concentration on local ingredients. Great for fun or business.
(4)
Stephanie K.
I've given this place several tries, and while I really want to love it (I love brunch food in general, and appreciate their dedication to local/organic/seasonal ingredients), it's just not all it's cracked up to be. Every time I've been here, at least half of the people in the group (I've been here in groups of 2 to 8 people) have had cold food brought out to them. Part of this has to be because of how ridiculously slow the service is. But things are often brought out incorrectly, too. They once brought a vegan friend a scramble made with eggs. She tried to point this out to the server, but the server had dropped things off & hustled off without a word. After trying for what felt like ages to get our server's attention, or any server's attention, my friend finally went up to the hostess to ask her to get the server to come remedy the situation. No one ever apologized to her for the mistake or the delay. Another time, I had a server who spilled a whole glass of orange juice on me. I get it--accidents happen, clothes are washable, it's not the end of the world. But she didn't apologize, and that's what pissed me off. Making mistakes is excusable, but refusing to apologize is inexcusable. If this place could get its act together in terms of timely, accurate, decent service, I would love it. As it is, someone's going to have to twist my arm--and offer to pay--to get me to come here again. PS: It is LOUD in here.
(2)
Evilyn T.
We were in Seattle for the weekend visiting friends and one of them suggested coming here for breakfast. Most of our crew was pretty hungover, so even though the breakfasts looked amazing - most of them just pushed their eggs around on their plates. Not me! I ordered up the gluten free vegan porridge (since I saw their fruit bar and HAD to try it). Everything here was served up organic and local and so delicious! My porridge was served with jasmine rice, organic coconut milk, bananas, dried cherries and topped with toasted coconut, and then I got up to the fruit bar and dumped fresh pears, peaches, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and sliced almonds. I knew I wasn't going to finish it all, but for $9 it was a steal. I had it wrapped up in a little box so I could eat it for breakfast on Sunday as well. I would have loved to come back here for breaky and try one of their bennys, and hash - I tried one of their potatoes all smothered in spices and it was pretty good too. The only reason I not giving this place five stars is cuz the service was pretty meh. The restaurant itself is a sort of seat yourself wherever you can cafeteria style- go make friends thang. We were lucky enough to get there pretty late so it wasn't oo hard to find somewhere to sit, but I can imagine at 11am on a weekend its probably pretty mental. We sat and waited, and waited and waited until I finally got up and asked somebody for menus, and then we waited more, and more, and its not like there were only two of us and we were hard to see, there were six of us, so we kinda took up a lot of space. When we finally met our server she was apologetic and in the end didn't charge us for the coffees that a few people ordered (maybe two of them?) but honestly it wasn't about saving money, we were starving and just wanted some electrolytes so we could re-enter the world again as sober human beings. I'd still go back and give this place another go, trying to decide what to eat when I get there on the other hand could be a problem - there's just too many yummy choices!
(4)
Sarah Z.
I've been to this place twice. Both times with my husband and friends. We've been very happy both times. I love that they are an ethical restaurant and serve lots of vegetarian food as well as free-range chicken and grass-fed meats. I like having it available. Both times, though, I've gotten their cobbler french toast so I've never actually tried any meats! haha.. the french toast is awesome. I *almost* got the vegan oatmeal this time but the french toast pulled me back in. The trip to the fruit bar that comes with it is fantastic. My husband had the Migas (vegetarian) both times as well so I guess he was happy enough with his original dish that he didn't venture out to try another. (OK, the 2 times we've eaten here were about 5 months apart so it wasn't like we ate the same thing twice in quick succession!) Our friend had the tofu scramble and he also liked it. I also had a soy vanilla latte. It was pretty sweet. Next time I might get it without the vanilla. Great service and excellent food. We each ordered 1 plate and a coffee drink to go with it, and the total was almost exactly $60 with 20% tip, so plan for around $20 per person if you're going for breakfast/brunch.
(4)
Amiee L.
We are currently in Seattle on a girl's weekend right now and asked a girl at our hotel if she were going out for Sunday brunch where would she go...and this is how we got to Portage Bay Cafe! First of all the wait on Sunday was horrible so if there is another day you can go besides Sunday it would make the trip alot shorter! Breakfast after the long wait was amazing....the food is so good and fresh there.....and the OJ was to die for! It was so good we went back on Monday morning for breakfast and the place was empty....and it was nice to have it all to ourselves to have breakfast!
(5)
Nick G.
*Review best read while simultaneously listening to a Babyface and Kenny G rendition* Aghhhh dear Portage Bay, marry me? Honestly if you're looking for a place where people who want to look like they're green and eat organic might go... this is that place. You may come into this establishment looking like you were just pumped full of 2 gallons of McDonalds preservatives but after a trip to the fruit bar at Portage Bay you will leave looking as if you just bathed in a vat of Aloe Vera and Mint and reduced 1/3 of the worlds carbon footprint... it's THAT good! Shramp and Chicken Curry Salad (unofficial name unbeknownst unto me) was as LLCoolJ so eloquently put it... something like a phenomenon. With all of those greens massaging my palate I thought for mere moments that I wasn't a carnivore until the shrimp and chicken delighted me with their very being. Get some :)
(4)
Rachel G.
I figured there was enough variety to warrant coming here 2 days in a row with out of towners, but my order was wrong both days as was the bill on both days. The second day I was there was a Monday and it wasn't particularly busy so I don't understand why our waitress had to be asked multiple times to bring us water...The food is good, but nothing I'd go out of the way for in the future.
(2)
Tracey S.
Oh, the wait. This place has something (usually many things) for everyone. Because of food allergies, I don't often eat breakfasts out. This is one place where not only I can put myself into a food coma, but so can everyone else who can eat everything I can't. They've got gluten-free and vegan options. Pricing is just about what you'd expect in Seattle proper: not cheap, but not outrageous. It's all high quality, fresh stuff. The fruit bar is drool worthy, especially now...when all the berries are coming in fresh and local. Don't go if you're hungry RIGHT THIS INSTANT. And don't take people who get cranky about waiting (like my dad). You are going to wait. But it is actually worth it.
(4)
Jennifer T.
Today we went to Portage Bay for my sister's birthday. She was super excited because she had never been and had heard such great things about it. My older sister and I had been before (she had been to this location, I had only been to the U district and Ballard locations). My mom was visiting from Bellingham and hadn't been to any Portage Bay either, just like my little sister. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. We came in, were seated quickly, no problems. As we glanced over the menus that had been placed as we were seated, we realized there weren't many breakfast options (my older sister had been raving about the crab eggs Benedict, which was missing from our current menu). As the server approached us for the first time asking for our drink orders, I asked about the small breakfast menu (not knowing that the menu changes at 11am to include more lunch options and less breakfast). The server was quite short in her response and didn't really explain anything. I had to ask "oh, does it change at a certain time?" which is when I learned of the 11am menu swap out. She hurried away to get our drink orders. As she left my sister commented on how she must not like her job...honestly you could just tell. She just wasn't friendly. Anyways, moving on. My mother had been in the bathroom and hadn't gotten her drink order in. As the server came back with our drinks she asked if my mother would like anything. My mother hadn't seen the beverage section of the menu and the server seemed rather perturbed when my mother inquired about drink options, responding with "well what do you feel like?", rather than pointing out the beverage section of the menu that my mother had skipped over. She seemed in a hurry and didn't even wait for my mom to pick out a beverage before she scurried off again. She did come back to get my mother's order of tea with cream, and then we all ordered. My mom's drink came out a few minutes later. All was okay, until... No cream was delivered with the tea and as my mom steeped her tea she realized there was no place to put her tea bag afterwards. She flagged down the server who was working behind the counter in the distance. As soon as my mom flagged her down it seemed as if there was gossip going on back there, like the server was like "oh gosh, not them again", even though we had been completely easy, normal patrons. When she got to our table my mom politely asked for cream (which she had originally asked for). The sever seemed a bit annoyed and turned to the table behind us and took their cream. Who knows how long it had been sitting there. The customers at that table were drinking cold beverages...nothing that required cream, obviously, since the server was able to snag that cream. As this was happening my mom asked where she should put her tea bag, as in she probably needed a small dish or something, to which the server replied "anywhere you like" which was in a fake-friendly voice. It was just super rude and not helpful. Anywhere we like? You can't just set a sopping wet tea bag on the table...come on. At least it was a bit entertaining. It just sounded funny. We laughed and thought how we could have responded to that....*think about it* Our food arrived in good time, no complaints there. But, we only had 3 place settings when we needed 4. I would think this would be a basic thing a server would check for, especially when all of our meals required utensils. So yet again, we had to flag someone down and were probably pinned as the annoying diners when really this should have been apparent to any conscientious server. I was just getting bad vibes the whole time. Also, we set out birthday stuff for my sis and the server didn't even take any note to this...as in "Happy Birthday" or "who is having a birthday today?" This would have been friendly conversation, don't ya' think? Not until we had paid and were leaving did the server say happy birthday. The food was fine. I had the club sandwich with turkey. It was sort of dry. I just was very disappointed compared with the experience I have had at the Ballard location (I didn't really like the U district location). I guess I should have stuck with what seems to be their specialty: breakfast. That was probably my bad. I think my sisters food was good. Mom's food was okay...she also went with a lunch option instead of breakfast. Lesson learned. I wrote this review because I was so disappointed. I realize lots of reviews get written when something is bad, instead of good (I loved the Ballard Portage Bay and never wrote them a review). This seems unfair to me and I do understand that this happens a lot and I am aware of it, so I apologize for that. But like they say, no news (reviews), is good news. Anyways, every experience is a learning one. I will be sticking to the Ballard Portage Bay Cafe and the breakfast menu.
(2)
Angelina L.
I can't believe I didn't review this right away, maybe it's because I wasn't that impressed?? I seriously do not know what all the hype is about?? First, the wait for 2 was about 45 minutes and this place has quite a bit of space. Service was fast & friendly after that. So, no ill feelings on that part. They were out of one of the juices (apple-raspberry), so I went with the plain orange juice and champagne mimosa. Definite negative. We both got the eggs benedict with ham & side of potatoes. Neither was that good. The potatoes were really dry and not very flavorful. The hollandaise sauce was pretty bland. Price was pretty pricey, especially for the quality of food. $12 for a classic eggs benedict, really??? For me, the only thing this place has going for them is that they serve brunch until 2:30 on the weekends.
(2)
Crissy K.
My one regret about my recent trip to Seattle is that I only found this on my second-to-last day there. Portage Bay Cafe has a really comprehensive menu full of locally grown and/or organic ingredients, and all I had a chance to try were the fresh berry lemonade and the granola parfait, both of which were fabulous. The waitress let me go to the toppings bar for some fresh blueberries, even though I hadn't ordered a toppings-applicable item! Nice. This particular location is easily accessible via Seattle Streetcar, whose Lake Union line stops right near the restaurant. (Don't trust the location numbered on the map in the streetcar, because that's totally wrong; in actuality, it is near Stop #4, the Terry & Thomas stop, with the Westlake & Mercer stop directly across the street.)
(4)
Chris W.
You have to love a place that has (eat like you give a damn on the coffee cup). The food was amazing. I had the ranchers breakfast and I have no idea what the put in the pancakes but they were fantastic.
(5)
Latifa S.
Meh!! That's all I have to say. I get the fresh organic concept. I just don't get any of their scrambles. They fail me every time. But the space and atmosphere is good. So I often come here for meetings/ quick breakfasts with clients. And without fail, I go for the pancake bar every time and have a bite or two of my pancakes with tons of fruits on the side. Maybe they'll improve their scrambles one day. Maybe they'll add diff ones. Who knows. Till then, I'm sticking with their French toasts, pancakes and fresh squeeze OJ.
(3)
Jena E.
Went here with a large party for a business brunch. We told the waitress we were waiting for someone. After five minutes we got a text that our missing person wasn't going to make it. But we continued to wait there, and wait there ... I thought maybe the waitress would come by to see if we wanted to order anyway, but she felt free to ignore us. We finally flagged her down, which was difficult in such a large and busy restaurant. The menu looked great, but it should have come with a disclaimer: "ingredients are not in the proportion you expect and our portion size is out of control." I ordered a hash, which was almost entirely large firm chunks of flavorless potato. In Portage Bay's defense I am a savant for picking the worst entree on the menu. But going around the table, most of us had lukewarm feelings about our choices. I'm happy to hear they use locally sourced foods, but I can't eat fuzzy feelings.
(2)
Kara M.
Gluten-intolerant people rejoice! When it comes to food I have two problems: 1: An extreme love for pancakes, waffles, crepes, french toast, etc. 2: I can't tolerate the protein in wheat. Yes, I know, it sucks. I was eyeballing all the plates around me filled with crepes and berries and french toast and whipped cream and I wondered if it was worth feeling like crap later for what looked like breakfast nirvana right now. But lo and behold they have buckwheat pancakes (not related to wheat, yay!) and rice flour pancakes for us poor souls who are normally forced to watch others devour their french toast while we cry a little inside. I'm also kind of a hippie-granola type when it comes to food so I was glad that PBC doesn't serve corn-fed anything and is mostly organic and local. I like that their motto is about giving a damn about what you eat. High five! I got the Rancher's Breakfast, asked for the buckwheat pancakes and I was a happy girl. The chicken sausage made it even better. Let me say that my meal could have easily been split between two people. I think any of the items could, really. My BF got the migas and let me have a taste. They were so good we thought we were back in Texas. (I think the migas might actually feed 3 people...) We only waited about 10 minutes (if that). We didn't call ahead and the place was slammed on a Saturday so I can't complain about that part. I can't wait to go back...mmmm, pancakes...
(5)
Sammy B.
Wow, Oatmeal crusted French Toast and huge topping bar? Slice of heaven, Service was awesome, very friendly and fast. Will be back when we are up in the Northwest,
(5)
Pink N.
Great food !! I love this place :) and it's organic !! Yay delicious . French toast are really good plus they have open bar for fruit !! They have really delicious Benedict.
(5)
Chad Y.
two words: FRENCH TOAST The food is always really good (although I am now known to stick to the rancher's breakfast) and there is a great selection. While you tend to feel heavy and tired after a normal breakfast at some places, I have yet to feel that here. I love their french toast over their pancaes and the breakfast potatoes are a bit of heaven. Let's face it, potatoes with just enough spice is just amazing! The toppings bar has a great selection to meet your taste buds and still keep you healthy! There can be a line on weekends so if you have a group, I'd call ahead. Definitely worth the wait though! The host staff have always been awesome and fair. I wish I could say the same for the wait staff, but it has been very hit or miss in that area. Food sometimes comes out a little colder than I'd like, but still yummy! Parking can be sometimes a pain (especially now that there is so much construction going on), but it is on the South Lake Union Trolley (SLUT) route so you can always ride that. Overall has some room for improvement, but nothing that would make me not go! Definitely a place to take anyone!
(4)
Christine Z.
Great food for breakfast and lunch, local and organic ingredients, friendly and helpful staff, all help to make Portage Bay Cafe a great place! It's no secret this place is so good! On any given Sunday you are sure to find the place PACKED with people. There will be crowds of people waiting just inside the doors, and you will also find people spilled out into the sidewalk. Get ready to wait at least an hour for a table (looooonger if you party is larger than 4)... Thankfully, they opened up another location in Ballard, and it's a block and a half away from my house... I no longer have to deal with the craziness at the Westlake location. Get the crab cake Benedict... there's nothing like it!!! It's the only thing I get there!!!
(4)
Jayme T.
This place is a great place if you are mindful of restaurants that serve local and thoughtful foods. I ordered the corn beef hash. I appreciated the various of seasonal veggies in the dish. The beef seemed like good quality deli meat (sort of like in a ruben or pastrami sandwich). It is a solid brunch place and doesn't disappoint. A lot of people seemed to order french toast or any of their sweeter dishes. Because I was trying to avoid sugary foods, I strayed but it might be more worth it to go here if you are the type to order a sweeter dish.
(3)
Mike S.
I like the food. The pancakes and French toast are very good. The savory items are good, but not great. Prices are a bit high and getting close to a tipping point. And yes, the toppings bar is good. As for the service, it is definitely hit or miss. Most of the servers are friendly, but lack any since of urgency, or the ability to figure out the next move. Do you need more coffee? Water? An extra plate? And please, and this is to all restaurants, do not ask your customers, " Who ordered the (fill in the food item you ordered)?" You, the server, who took the order, should know. And if someone other than the original server brings the food, you should tell them, not me.
(3)
Laura L.
Why it took me so long to try this place is a mystery to me. Several vegan options for breakfast- none of which include toast and a fruit plate; that is progress. I'll take it! I have been back twice in the last month. Conscious choices for people looking to feel good about eating flesh based products, too.
(4)
Emily A.
So, my employer recently opened new offices in South Lake Union (and if you're local, you now know where I work :-P). With this came a seismic shift in the available places to have lunch within an easy walk from my office. Goodbye many Asian restaurants of the ID, hello... weird SLU stuff. One place that looked promising was Portage Bay. Their menu online shows a sandwich and a brunch option that are both specifically called out as vegan. And the're in to sustainable/local/organic, which is always nice. So when we planned a group lunch there, I was actually kind of excited. Good stuff: - the sustainable/organic claims seem to be solid - one of the few places in the restaurant desert that is SLU - extra-large portions (but see below) Bad stuff: - extra-large portions - LOUD! Something in the acoustics of the space must be disadvantageous. There were conversations going on not far down the table from me, but I only knew it from watching my teammates' mouths move. - slow service every step of the way, from getting menus to getting the check - menu in restaurant is not the same as online, including the omission of the vegan sandwich; ended up with a salad the waitress seemed sure was vegan but if it is I wonder why it wasn't labeled vegan when other things were... - they apparently make up one giant batch of tofu prepared one specific, heavily seasoned way and use it for everything; some things it may go well with, others it does not; my teammates say the same goes for their potatoes In another location this would be 2 stars, but I'm giving the extra star for: - enthusiastically helping me find something vegan-friendly when I asked, especially since I insisted I didn't want the one thing left on the menu that's truly labeled vegan - braving the SLU wasteland, as few other restaurants have yet done -
(3)
Suzanna F.
Went here for my friend's 25th birthday brunch on Sunday. Impressed with how well they accommodated our group of 16, though my friend said the reservation kept being pushed back. This place is seriously crowded on weekends, but it's for good reason! I ordered the chicken sausage scramble, which I loved. It had a few too many shitake mushrooms in it though, but the flavor was great. The bf ordered strawberry cheesecake french toast and I'd say he had a pretty happy tummy after that. He also had a berry lemonade mimosa which was pretty fabulous :) Though I didn't personally order a dish that required a trip to the toppings bar, I HIGHLY recommend doing so. Why? Fresh whipped cream. (Which I can't eat, but I can at least appreciate!) Yum.
(4)
Nathan R.
We attended a wedding here. They had breakfast for dinner. It was awesome and delicious! The space has great decor. Looking forward to trying again on a regular day.
(5)
Phil A.
First off the food is good. Plentiful portions, homemade hollandaise sauce, quality ingredients. But I have never seen so many employees standing around and the service was poor with all these resources. The place was packed and we sat at the bar. After not being greeted for about 5 min (yet 5-6 employees walked right past us, over and over) I reached over the counter to get our own menus. Some employees are quite young and you can tell there is either a lack of training and urgency or they are overstaffed and employees are getting away with doing nothing and not stepping up. I'll be trying somewhere else next time.
(2)
Noah K.
OK, I'll preface this review by saying that I am one of those people who above all tries to eat as organic and all natural as possible... Please understand that this doesn't mean I eat a raw vegan diet or anything close to it. I'm all about a double bacon cheese burger (but please make it with USDA organic grass fed beef). I prefer my food to be as organic and fresh as possible because I think it tastes better, but also because I feel much healthier by eating so. That said, in Seattle, this can be hard to do. There is only a handful of restaurants that actually come through with GOOD organic/natural food. This is one of them. Let me break down the pro's and con's of this place: Pro's: Both Sweet and Savory breakfast choices are good! I'm a big fan of the omelette's and also the pancakes or french toast.. Usually when me and my girlfriend go here one of us gets something egg inspired and the other gets something that includes a trip to their breakfast bar (they have a table set up by the kitchen with fresh fruit, whip creme, nuts, butter and syrup you can walk up to and pile ontop of your order!) . Complementary coffee or espresso while you wait for a table . Great service and fairly fast to get your order out to you even when they are packed. Con's: Long wait on weekends.... Come prepared to wait 30-45 minutes for a table. Pricey... yup fellas be prepared to drop close to fifty or sixty on you and your girl Large portions, which isn't always a bad thing.. but I'm a big guy and I can't even finish a full order of pancakes here!!! I've been a fan since they only had one location by University of Washington. I have never minded spending the extra $ considering the high quality of the food. Overall this is a great place to go, especially with friends for a big brunch. I appreciate their integrity in choosing to serve organic and natural food and hope more restaurants follow their lead - Just because you push organic ingredients doesn't mean it has to be hippie food!!
(5)
Nina N.
I pretty much love this place. I go here.... uhmm every other day. Why.. well ask my other half. the organic person that makes me eat here. it's a mixture of good and bad. The bad side of me that likes greasy deliciousness, and the other side that likes my ass looking all perky, and my face looking clear as ever. The wait is a bit much on the weekend, but worth the wait when the specials are amazing like our dutch baby with an abundant amount of amazingness in my mouth. The service is cheerful, and the attentive as well as the food. It is delicious, and has made the greasy food eater into a organic convert. Do I like it? yes, but will it make me every transition to a healthy way of eating. uhmmm probably not. I would say go here during the weekdays to enjoy the food here, and the fruit bar. Don't go here on a weekend if you're ready to eat on the whim. If you need any recommendations, please message me. I know too much about this place it's embarrassing.
(5)
Natalie W.
One of my favorite things about this breakfast space is the amount of things that tempt me on the menu and also fit into my eating style... On my last visit I ordered a whole wheat pancake (made with faro whole wheat flower, soy milk, etc) with one organic egg- the order included a trip to the toppings bar (strawberries, pears, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, raspberries, syrups, etc). My food was tasty and fresh. One pancake took up the width of a large plate. I had been tempted by the organic vegetable hash with eggs and the vegan banana pancake- next time! The service was present and kind. We were seated right away in the early morning, but the time we left at 10am there was pools of people waiting in the entry and outside. FYI's~ * Dedicated to local & organic ingredients and offerings * Lots of vegetarian and even vegan options * Great mimosas with fresh juice * Lots of tables with possible patio seating on a sunny day
(4)
Matt V.
their summer/spring hash was one of the best breakfasts I've had in a long time. Our server was great too!
(5)
ramiro t.
It's one of my favorite brunch places. I can recommend the Egg bennedicts. Pancakes are pretty good as well.. The only problem is that there is too many people over the weekends.
(4)
Michael E.
South Lake Union spots always get me, take away the "dressings" on the wall and they have the same interior and duct work. If I look up I could just as easily be at Paddy Coynes. Anyhow, great HUGE breakfast joint that serves good food in a cool setting. So I dig that. Here's my thing, I am in love with Madison Park Cafe, their food is just so far and away better that I would rather just eat a home for breakfast. BUT, a Portage Bay Cafe visit had been on my list, and I got Ranchers so I sort of feel like I tried it all. Great poached eggs, though I would have preferred better draining. Free wi-fi also "poached" from the hospital (health joint) next door. Yeah, topping bars are fun, but they struck me as frozen then thawed, maybe I'm wrong.
(4)
Helen V.
I must say that Portage Bay has some unique twists to their breakfast dishes but they weren't enough to win me over. My friend and I ordered the Chai Oatmeal and the Risotto Eggs Benedict. The oatmeal was very different and good but not very memorable either. The same goes for the benedict...good, but didn't live up to its hype. What was good about it was the trip to the toppings bar where I graciously served myself lots of fresh strawberries and blueberries. Their juices (we had grapefruit and orange) were very yummy. Overall, just another breakfast joint to me. But really appreciated the fresh and organic ingredients. Oh, and at the end of the meal, the hostess called a cab for us! Gold star in my book!
(3)
J. L.
I've eaten here a few times. The breakfast portions are huge so it's tough to get it for lunch without being in a coma. Today I had the Prim Rib dip. The au jus that came with it was extremely fatty. I'm pretty sure it was melted cow fat on the top of the au jus. You couldn't stir it enough to get to the good part of the juice. They did take 2.00 off my order, but the sandwich was dry with the au jus. The chef says it wasn't "ready" whatever that means. Don't serve it if it's not ready... Things were fine otherwise, but I was disappointed in a sandwich that I previously enjoyed.
(3)
Vicki V.
Knowing that this place was organic got me a little hesitant as I am not used to eating organic therefore, assumed it will not beat my usual breakfast in California. However, I was wrong. Eggs and toast were good, service was welcoming, and best of all, the natural apple juice I had was amazing! There was no wait on a Monday morning and prices are decent ($10 to $18).
(3)
Erin K.
I wanted to love Portage Bay...but sadly I didn't. I was really glad to see that Portage Bay took reservations as I'm 9 months pregnant and my guests included a diabetic and 2 toddlers. Little did I know that reservations mean nothing here. Upon checking in we were told it would be 20 minutes. An hour later, we were finally sat. The menu looks delicious, but in reality the food was mediocre. Everything was served cold which wasn't surprising given the ridiculous number of plates sitting in the window waiting to be served. The kid's pancake with a trip to the toppings bar was the best thing we ordered...even though many of the fruit toppings had obviously been previously frozen. Overall, the wait, the service and the food left me embarrassed for bringing my out of town guests here.
(2)
Anne B.
I'm torn here. The service here has been decent, with a willingness to accommodate large groups of coworkers. But, speaking only for the weekday lunch service, I can say that the quality of the food has been uneven. And man, this place needs some sound-muffling, as all the hard, glassy surfaces mean it is LOUD. Certain standbys--the house salad with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette, the soups--have been delectable, if a bit overpriced, in my opinion. But the specials that have looked so appealing on paper have fallen flat numerous times I've eaten at Portage Bay--an overly crunchy, flavorless buttermilk fried chicken breast; a way-too-bready-for-this-Marylander "crab" cake. On one occasion, a dining companion actually sent her order (a special, some sort of croquette) back because it was burned on the underside to the point of being black. I've enjoyed, although not been patient enough to wait for, the brunch food at the University District location, so maybe PB should stick to breakfast and lunch standbys that it does best.
(3)
John P.
Headed over to portage bay for a nice monday brunch. Had the Wildberry French toast and wooo it was the bomb! Before I even tried it I heard that it was really good and with that coming from my sisters I had high expectations. The challah bread is perfect for this french toast because of its chewy and glutenous texture. It even inspired me to bake loaves of my own the next day. The fruit toppings bar wasn't amazing or super fresh but it was still nice. Had in house made whipcream so that was pretty delish. Their wildberry french toast is definitely good eats. Oh yeah, service wasn't even bad, it was actually pretty decent but maybe we got lucky?
(5)
Allison S.
The food here is amazing. I have had Phil's breakfast with the Italian Sausage once and the Rancher's Breakfast the other time. The topping bar is delicious and fresh, it's quite a task to eat the breakfast and a topping bar item too. So good though. The first time I came here the service was great and fast despite the number of people waiting as it was a Saturday for brunch. The people were all really friendly and attentive even with a dining room packed full of people. When I came here yesterday though the service was not so great. There wasn't a wait for a table, there were plenty open, but I waited about ten minutes at the front counter before anyone said anything to me. There were two people standing at the registers doing things, but nobody said anything. I am in the customer service industry and when people come into my store there is always someone who welcomes every customer that walks in the door warmly whether we are busy are not. After that, we were helped by Jean who was alright at first but then didn't get any better. Our water cups were empty most of the time as was my iced tea glass. Our table didn't have salt or pepper or tabasco and she never came over to ask us if we needed anything, we had to flag her down each time and she wasn't very accommodating at all. What made it worse was that she refilled the iced teas of all of the tables around us but it was about 40 minutes that my glass was mostly empty. The food also took a long time, like 30 minutes, to come to our table, which is fine, but not once in that time were we approached and informed that it would be there soon until right when it was coming to our table. I will still come back here because the food is really good and I think it still deserves a good amount of stars, but I would recommend the manager have a little coaching session about basic customer service skills because when you are paying that much for food you expect a higher level of customer service. On the plus side, the bus boy was AWESOME. I'm not sure what his name was but he was a big tall guy with dark brown/black hair and a beard. He refilled my iced tea. He deserves a gold star :o)
(4)
Claire S.
Fantastic food! Everything tasted fresh, the recipes were inventive and well cooked. I also liked the fact that many of the ingredients were organic and locally grown. Another plus is that the breakfast menu is huge so no matter what you might prefer- you can find something on there to suit you. A bit pricey but worth it.
(5)
Brian C.
Tried the Bananas Foster French Toast. Large portions (3 pieces), lots of rum sauce, and sauteed bananas. Yum! And you can add toppings at the toppings bar. My wife tried the Joe's Scramble, which was very good, although I'd suggest the fresh fruit over the potatoes. A little pricey ($12-13 per entree) for breakfast or brunch, but taste and quantity is worth it.
(4)
Joanne H.
Once upon a time I compiled a list of breakfast places Yelpers rated highly and have tried a few. I tried Portage Bay Cafe because it offers me something so few places do... gluten free pancakes. In my ranking system this automatically adds a star because it is so nice to have an option! I got the rice flour pancakes. They were BIG. I also got a side of bacon because I love all things bacon. The bacon was thick and peppery which is awesome. The pancakes were slightly heavy. That's to be expected with gluten free cooking though. I liked the berry puree that came along with them. If I had read the menu more carefully I would have realized I could have hit the toppings bar, but I didn't read so I didn't get any toppings. Sad for me. The only negative for me was the space. Because it is this HUGE open space of a room I felt like it was really loud in there and hard to have a conversation. All in all it was good and I'm planning on going back. :)
(4)
reese h.
It's good. I like the organic ketchup option. Slightly oversized portions, but the price for quality ratio is right. I don't like the vast chasm inside, it's like an amazon/microsoft cafeteria. Maybe since they will be new 2010 neighbors, maybe it was a purposeful off-white/beige non-offensive strategy. Because of it's size and scope, I felt that personal service was impossible....the place is just too big. Good luck on that coffee refill, you'll be waiting a loooong time. When it was time for the bill though, she was right there...why are they never there when you need something? It's solid food, but lacks a soul.
(3)
Jen K.
I was really really excited to learn that PBC had opened a location in South Lake Union, within reasonable walking distance from where I live. I've been to the U District location a few times and while the food is certainly equal, I really like not having to deal with parking. On to the dining experience... We were a group of 6, called ahead, and were seated within 20 minutes of arriving (not too bad for prime Sunday brunch time). It was super packed but our service was very quick and our server was very friendly. I had the migas (deliciously spicy - I love anything with eggs, chipotle, tortillas, and cheese...yum) which were excellent. From around the table, there were no complaints. . .the risotto benedict looked amazing (and Amanda K claimed it was!). This will definitely be added to my list of regular weekend brunch spots!
(5)
p q.
Customer Service means a lot, when you're giving them your money and helping their business out by frequenting their cafe. You'd hope for better customer service. Food was great but since there was a snobby feel to the wait staff even the guy in the khaki's and blue button down wasn't very friendly, this brought down the level of great food in my mind. We waited for 45 minutes for our food to arrive and not once were we asked if we would like more coffee and water. Then our plates went untouched for another 15 mins before our unfriendly waitress came to pick them up and another 10 mins to bring us our checks. Be prepared to spend a good portion of your day here at portage bay
(3)
Anna R.
This was my second time to eat at Portage Bay in Seattle and what a treat it was both times. I love to know that I am eating fresh farm to table, organic... You truly can taste the difference. I will make this a stop every time I come to Seattle! Our server was Angela who answered all of our questions and was attentive to our every need. I had the One Pancake which is $9.00; but don't let the price fool you. The pancake can feed 2-3 people. The reason I ordered this is so that I could partake from the breakfast bar which consists of fabulous choices of fresh local, organic fruit and amazing whipping cream and warm organic maple syrup to accompany your pancake or French Toast. They have one rule for the breakfast bar, "Take all you want, but eat all you take!" My husband got the French Toast and loved, loved, loved it. We also each ordered the Veggie Frittata, I got mine with no onions. This was packed with flavor and had spinach, local asparagus; not so ordinary goat cheese with red chili flakes. Guess what? More fruit accompanied this dish or you could opt for potatoes. Our son and daughter had the Rancher's Breakfast and they shared the pancake and french toast. Lot's of food, next time I will share. I almost thought I was back in TEXAS with the portion sizes. I love the atmosphere here, and the bay windows are floor to ceiling. Both times I went I got that PROUD feeling of supporting local organic, farming. Their menu has a list of the local farmers they receive produce from. I live in San Antonio, Texas and frequent places like this in my hometown.
(5)
Phil L.
This place serves brunch.....all the time? Pretty awesome. I had the eggs benedict and it's everything that you would expect out of a good old fashioned benedict. The problem however is finding someone who perfectly executes a poached egg. I don't understand why this is so difficult but it's apparently hard for some. Portage bay almost had a flawless execution, one of the two eggs was slightly over done and the yolk was half cooked (lame). The hollandaise sauce that accompanied it was just the right amount of salt and overall not bad. If you're looking to stuff your face, I would recommend the french toast. There was so much french toast it was almost comical when it came to our table.
(3)
Brendan c.
The meal was written for those who are self-righteous, into the latest food fad and like to be browbeaten by by the philosophies of others. Guess what, I really don't care where 15 items on the menu come from. You still buy everything else from a food distributor like every other restaurant and I don't think you Alaskan Halibut is really local (close but not local). If a customer really has to know what farm his egg come from let him ask because that's what the waiter is for. Now that I said my piece, the meal has too many good things to try for brunch. Everyone at my table enjoyed everything. The crab egg benedict was great and the french toast was really good. The staff was very nice and helpful. For those hard of hearing don't bother going unless you know sign language. The restaurant design was created by someone that loves noisy everywhere. Everyone conversation and kitchen noisy travels everywhere. Try eating outside if you want to talk with people at your table. Tip is make a reservation because the line is way too long to just walk in and hope for a spot.
(4)
Beth C.
I had a wonderful experience here, though my friends were not as satisfied with their food. We arrived at 7:45am on a Sunday and barely beat the crowd--it filled up and became quite noisy. Our server was very nice, and though she was kept busy, she did check on us often. I was very impressed with the Three Bears Porridge. I think of porridge as something very bland, something to eat when you're sick. This was delicious! The jasmine rice had a fabulous texture. The meal included a trip to the fruit bar, too, which I REALLY enjoyed. I live away from Seattle now and I miss access to fruits like this. I loaded up on fruit, slice almonds, and added a drizzle of maple syrup (from a pitcher, no less). The porridge was huge and I didn't eat everything, but the meal sat in my stomach really well (unusual for something that heavy) and kept me from being hungry for over seven hours as I took an airplane flight out of Seattle. This is a place I'd visit again when I return to Seattle.
(4)
Ute L.
This place is a zoo on weekends, and the Yelp Seat Me reservation didn't do anything. We still waited 20 minutes until we were seated (party of 2), then waited another 30+ minutes to get our food. It is noisy with wait staff rushing around frantically, so if your idea of brunch is more chill and relaxing, don't come here. That said, there is a reason Portgage Bay cafe is wildly popular. The prices are right, portions huge and food delicious. I love the abundance of gluten-free options. My buckwheat pancakes were big, fluffy and moist. Loaded them up with fresh berries, coconut and whipped cream from the topping bar, I was in pancake heaven. The all-you-can-eat topping bar is pure genius. Love it.
(4)
Jenny D.
Hands down, they've made the greatest French toast bar, ever. It's very clever as well. I went here because a coworker recommended and even said he comes here every payday on Sunday's because it's just that great. He was right! It's extremely busy on the weekends though. We went in without reservations but the wait was less than five minutes. Our server was legitimately real with us. "Eat like you give a damn" and "You guys are gonna really love it" He was really nice and chill, nicely answered our questions, and although the eggs Benedict was off the table, we still had really great food! My boyfriend and I shared French toast and got our own fixings, with a savory dish of roasted potatoes, eggs, and sausage. The waiter got us the ketchup and hot sauce like he knew we were going to ask. I definitely want to go back here, it's a little pricey, and the cafe is huge, but it's worth it!
(5)
Hang T.
Huge restaurant, huge portions, and great menu selection, but the food is not as good as it could or should be. My friends and I ordered the Swedish pancakes and the farmer's hash with corned beef. The pancakes (crepes) were delicious. Nothing wrong with them at all. The lingonberry puree was not too sweet and just enough so the pancakes did not become soggy. We loved how the fruit bar and how we could pile on as much as we wanted. The whipped cream was good and the fruit was fresh for the most part except for the canned peaches and pears. The problem we had was with our hash. While the flavors were there, everything was undercooked and there was barely any meat with it. It was like a scavenger hunt trying to find the little chunks of beef. The vegetables were all crunchy which I don't think it should have been. They really need to rethink their meat to vegetable ratio. Service was great, but this place is overpriced to me for the quality that we got.
(3)
Michael B.
I debated between a 2 and 3 star review for this place. A 3 star review is a place I would go back to again, a 2 star more than likely not. That's how I based by rating. I had high hopes - everything looked so good and I wanted to try everything. As stated in other reviews, I love sugary diabetic overloads and french toast so I was more than excited they had this. I ordered the Rancher Breakfast because it comes with a little bit of everything - french toast, pancake, eggs, bacon, and potatoes. I wasn't impressed. The bacon was hard, like crack into pieces hard and I normally enjoy well cooked bacon. The eggs were so so, the potatoes were good if I dipped them in ketchup. The french toast I took to the toppings bar which everything (fruit and whip cream) were all good but the french toast was dry and the pancake tasted very organic-ey. If you're into that thing, then you might like it. We made reservations and they sat us almost right away, very neat atmosphere and friendly staff. Food just wasn't as good as the pictures looked. I'd rather take a stop at Lola's down the street or Americana on Capital Hill.
(2)
Sharon C.
It was my first visit yesterday. My husband made reservations for two. We were running a few minutes late so he dropped me off so that I can get our table. As soon as I walked in, the place was packed (No surprise here though). When I told the nice woman that we had reservations for two, she wasn't able to find us but "No big deal, we can fit you both in right now anyway!" and walked me to our table. Awesome. In the future, do I want to make reservations online? I think for a group of 4 or more. For 2? I don't think we would need to.. unless we just got lucky yesterday! My husband and I were both craving french toast. I had the gluten free french toast and he did the bananas foster. Delicious! I had no idea that there was a toppings bar. Portage Bay may have the best french toast. There was a fairly long wait time for our food to arrive but that won't stop me from coming back. Parking is easy. If you have a lucky day, you can find parking up at the front but there are parking garages. Just use them. We spent like $2.00.
(5)
Kevin C.
So good!! My gf had the ribeye and mushroom pasta. So creamy and delicious. I had the pancake French toast and sausage dish. Sausage was flavorful and the spice in it was on point. The dish that I ordered lets us go to the fruit bar. All organic fruits. Very fresh and I especially loved the jam. The only problem is the pancake and French toast weren't as hot as I would've liked. Place gets super busy and it took them a while serve us and give us our checks.
(3)
Kristopha H.
A friend of mine from high school who's now essentially a Seattle-area native told me about this restaurant with much excitement, extolling the great taste of their food and saying vociferously that I really needed to experience an icon of restaurants, it being my first time ever in Seattle. She did warn that it is so popular that one would need a reservation, lest one have to wait roughly two hours as a walk-in. They use the Yelp reservations system, so one can do that right from the app, and it will give you alternative times if your first choice is not available. We'd elected for the 8:45AM time, but showing up at 8:05AM, they still were able to seat us. The menus were already at the table, and it being a Sunday at 8:00-ish, it was a brunch menu. I'd ordered an egg and vegetable frittata that they put Humboldt fog goat cheese on (serving it with a thickly-cut piece of wheat toast and sweet cream butter, and cuts of miscellaneous fruit), and my friend went with a pretty decadent and sizable pancake duo upon which one can put (local and seasonal, one has to add) fruit from a serve-yourself bar, and two well-scrambled eggs. I'd devoured my food, but had to comment on how good the cheese was. The place did give me the air that it might have been sin to do this, but I did put ketchup on my frittata, not looking up as I'd done so to see whether there were any stares or glares of judgment. The restaurant seemed to attract mostly young couples and families, and while I did get the hipsterish vibe others have commented on, it wasn't overwhelmingly so. As I'd commented on my fear of judgment, though, there is a hint of expectation in the place. I do rate this place excellently, and it is a good, polite, and somewhat quirky addition to a first-time Seattle experience.
(5)
Karen J.
Came for breakfast on Sunday with an author friend who was in town and needed to be at the airport after the meal. This is relevant, because I ordered the Eggs Benedict and there was no mention on the menu of the fact that they dump cayenne pepper on the hollandaise sauce (which is watery and tasteless). So, I did not have time to have them re-make the plate. But pepper is something I think a diner should know about ahead of time, or be able to add on their own. I don't know what the meat is that they use for the regular Eggs Benedict, but that's what I had and it looked like and had the texture of a smoked turkey breast slice. It just wasn't at all what I expected and the egg part was great, the sauce was awful and the general flavor was not at all like any Eggs Benedict I have ever had. So, I would not order that there again. It comes served with a roasted potatoes that had some seasoning, but they were not as good as frozen generic tater tots, but better than an Arby's potato cake. They seemed pre-made and sitting around getting soggy for a long time. Not much flavor. Kinda congealed grease flavor if anything. The really cool thing is that they have a fruit bar, so if you order certain things, you can have that. That is a very nice option. The servers are very nice, the place gets super busy (we got there at 7:45 AM and by 8:15 it was full and very noisy. They do have a separate dining room you can book for a group, which is much quieter.
(2)
Ryann V.
I had the Bananas Foster french toast with a side of eggs and potatoes, and best of all- a pitcher of mimosas. Also, because I ordered the French toast, I was able to visit the fresh fruit bar. Holy crap! Everything was SO yummy. Our server was fun too. They've got almost like a cafeteria sort of seating and it was very packed when we went there. Luckily I'd made a reservation (we still had to wait about 20 minutes, but it was better than if we'd just shown up). If I were ever back in the Seattle area, I'd definitely hit this place up again.
(5)
Lily A.
Best French toast I've ever had, hands down. Mountains of fresh fruit (from fruit bad), homemade whipped cream, crispy granola, light & fluffy bread. It was so good it didn't need maple syrup, would've masked the extraordinary flavors. Service was laid back but attentive. Absolutely recommend.
(5)
Leela S.
If you're a fan of pancakes and/or French toast, this truly is as good as it gets. Long gone are the days when you get a couple of strawberry slices atop your stack. Portage Bay understands that fruit, nuts, and whipped cream are as essential to the pancake-eating experience as syrup, and they pay appropriate homage to this fact of life. I tell you, there's no going back after this "take all you can, but eat all you take" fruit/nut/whipped cream station. I got the bananas foster French toast, and my boyfriend got two pancakes. We made two trips each to the breakfast bar, and had to be rolled out of the restaurant (albeit in a state of absolute bliss). Next time, I'll probably just grab the pancakes as well; as delicious as the bananas and rum caramel sauce were, there is more than enough fruit and sugar to be taken from the breakfast bar. There's always a wait, but you can make a reservation. I highly recommend doing that, unless you decide to go to brunch right when you roll out of bed and are too late to make a reservation. But, you know, that shouldn't stop you from trying your luck. Did I mention that breakfast bar?
A friend introduced me to this place today and the food was absolutely delicious. I had the pancakes, which are wheat, and they were amazing. Who would've thought that wheat pancakes could be that good? I had strawberries on the side and I always put sugar on my strawberries but these were so fresh and sweet that they didn't need them. It's a little on the pricier side, but there's so much food that I took half of my pancakes with me and will have them on the flight going home tonight.
(5)
Sarah H.
Great place to get your full helping of fresh fruit from all you can eat toppings bar. The Oatmeal cobbler French toast was to die for. The crab cake Benedict that my boyfriend got was a little on the dry side. Call ahead for reservations or expect to wait a while to get seated. Overall pleased.
(4)
Denise C.
I was hoping for a better experience here. It's not that it was bad, I guess I was just disappointed. My boyfriend and I came here for brunch on a recommendation from a coworker. First of all, parking is IMPOSSIBLE in this area. The nearby 10 hr max spot NEVER open up, and there are almost no 2 hr spots available. To further complicate matters, there is so much construction in the area. I literally drove around for 45 minutes looking for a spot. The drive here was 10 minutes from our hotel. SO, the lesson here is: please take public transit or walk. The actual restaurant is very nice, with high ceilings and windows aplenty. Service was average here. Nothing outstanding, good or bad. I was slightly disappointed by the food. I like the premise of Portage Bay Cafe: locally sourced, seasonal, sustainable food. However, I think I made the wrong choice of food. I got the wild mushroom Benedict, and I thought the flavors did not go together well. The dish was basically all too rich, and the umami and richness of the mushroom cream sauce did not mesh well with the buttery tanginess of the Hollandaise sauce. My boyfriend however liked his sandwich a lot, which is why I think I made the wrong choice. Portage Bay Cafe is recommended by many guidebooks as well, so I hate to give this only 2 stars. I'm not sure that I would come back here on my own, but if someone I knew wanted to come, I would probably give it another chance.
(2)
R D.
We had been here several times before, once at this location and most of the other times we visited the Roosevelt location - it's always been crowded and noisy, but the food ALWAYS made up for it. This time, however, that was not the case. Honestly, the problem wasn't that it took our waiter 15 minutes to take our coffee order, or that it took him another 10 minutes to bring our coffees back to us, or that it took 40 minutes for our food to arrive.... Or even that when our food finally arrived the cheese hadn't even melted onto our lukewarm eggs. (Although all of those things were pretty irritating.) The main issue was how inconsiderate the service was. Yes, it's Sunday Brunch - it's busy, and being a server is not an easy job at all. Usually I'm really empathetic towards servers in super busy restaurants. This server, however, unapologetically kept running into our table and into the back of my mother's chair. Like, if you need to squeeze by just do so with a pleasant manner! It wouldn't have been a problem if he wasn't treating us like we were in his way and a major annoyance to him - after all, it wasn't our fault that the restaurant chose to pack so many tables in that space. We even scooted our table 6 inches over so that he would have more room to walk by, and STILL he bumped into us, huffing and puffing, EVERY time. The funny part about all of this - the slow service, the chaotic environment, etc. - it seemed like they had a TON of staff working at the restaurant. I get that it's a big place but usually when you have that many people working at one time it's to expedite service and create a slightly less chaotic environment, but that was simply not the case. I sincerely hope management checks social media reviews and reads this because either they're hiring the wrong people or they just have a really awful system in place. We tried to speak to a manager at the restaurant about this but there was no manager to be found anywhere - perhaps another issue contributing to the larger-scale lack of orginazation in the restaurant. Either way, this unfortunate experience definitely tainted my view of Portage Bay.
(1)
Erin B.
I wish I could give this place a higher rating, as I've had several very good meals here, but the inconsistency and price point is holding it back. The SLU location, in particular, struggles to get it right each time. I've had more snafus (order mixups, serious delays in service) than acceptable for an established restaurant. The price is also high; I get that we're paying more for organic (and appreciate the effort to source locally), but it's still a bit steep for what is often just eggs, bread and veggies. That said, the plusses: Their rotating specials are a sure bet. Always good, and I've never seen a mess-up here (prob cause they are just cranking them out). The add-ons to salads (chicken, wild smoked salmon) are very, very good (it's actually "real" chicken, pulled off the bone, not some generic grilled tasteless half-breast, and a very generous portion of salmon). The berry bar used to be more impressive -- I find it's now just a pile of whipped cream and often half frozen berries (c'mon, in the summer, all the berries should be fresh). Not worth the add on. Even the coffee should be better for the price. I hope they step up their game.
(3)
Nat N.
The food here is amazing. I am lactose intolerant & gluten intolerant, and can't really handle eggs, so it can be really difficult to find a place that serves brunch foods I can eat! (Seriously, damn near impossible.) Portage Bay Cafe offers me a wide variety of options to choose from, all of them delicious. My favorite menu item is the Swedish pancakes, with a side of bacon. The bacon is so delicious and hits my craving for savory, while the pancakes come with a trip to the "breakfast bar" where I can load up my plate with delicious fruits! Although the pancakes are more than enough of a meal on their own, adding the side of bacon means having plenty of the pancakes to take home and re-heat the next day. The reason this place gets a 4/5 is because every time I have come here with a reservation (3 times now), I have had to wait at least 20 minutes past my reservation time to be seated. Also, the main dining room is incredibly loud, so loud that you can't hear everyone at your table if there's more than 4 of you (and even that is rough).
(4)
Robert D.
We ate here twice for breakfast while in town. Both times, the food arrived fast, yet still hot, fresh and delicious. My wife raved about her bananas foster French toast, while I recommend the smoked salmon benedict. Excellent breakfast option near the University.
(5)
Malia M.
From now on, when I think brunch I will think of Portage Bay! Our table had the: -Oatmeal Cobbler French Toasts -Crab Cake Eggs Benedict -Farmers Hash All with a side of the flavorful CHORIZO! All of the food had great flavor and texture. The French toast came with the breakfast bar feature! as many of their items do. WHAT IS THE BREAKFAST BAR? Gives you the permission to put as many strawberries, half pears, peaches, blueberries, and An incredibly large bowl of perfect whipped cream! You can go back as many times as your heart desires. TIPS -Make a reservation. Good food equals popularity! It will be a pretty long wait if you don't make a rez. It's easy and you don't even have to call, just do it online! -Remember, BIG PORTIONS. This isn't your typical boutique sized portions. You will be well fed. -3 Locations! ROOSEVELT, SLU, and BALLARD
(4)
Alyana V.
Great place to go if you want to go for delicious brunch/lunch in a busy and happening location! I've been here a few times and can honestly say I've enjoyed each visit. The food is prepared with local and organic ingredients which is something I definitely appreciate. I've had everything from their ranchers breakfast, French toast, pancakes (banana (GF), regular), and quinoa salad and I've recalled enjoying them all! Their bottomless fruit bar is only for French toast, pancakes, and granola orders and it's the perfect accompaniment with each of those entrees. They have so many options to choose from and pretty much every berry you can think of - blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, there's something for everyone! The service is awesome and attentive, especially for how busy the place gets during lunch hour. The place is very clean and lively, and the food is full of amazingness! My only gripe is that sometimes it's just too busy/noisy that you can't really hear the person across for you talk!
(4)
Linnea T.
I looove PBC and was excited to try their newer location in South Lake Union. This place did not disappoint! Yes, the wait can be very long, but I planned ahead and made a reservation on OpenTable... Easy peasy! Even though it was Mom's Day weekend, we were checked in and seated right away. I had the Joe's Scramble and my mom had the Oatmeal, blackberry crisp French toast. Both were incredibly tasty and cooked well. I subbed fruit for potatoes and was impressed with the freshness and variety I received (kiwis, strawberries, pineapple, grapefruit, etc.). The toppings bar looked amazing, as well, but both dishes were so rich on their own that we didn't feel the need to grab extra toppings. I will be back, but always with a reservation or with time to wait. Street parking is impossible, so plan to pay for a nearby garage.
(5)
Tai-Lan H.
Stopped in here for some food before an Amazon interview. It took me a little bit to flag down a server as there wasn't a hostess. She assumed I was ordering food to go as I had picked up a menu. Perhaps this is a locals only kind of place? I explained I just wanted to sit down, and was promptly seated. I ordered the ranchero? or something suggested by the waiter. It was ok. The food is supposedly local and fresh but my issues lay in the fact that 1/2 the potatoes were under cooked. The other 1/2 were fine but consistency is key here. The prices were ok, but in the end it just wasn't anything special.
(3)
Kimia R.
The best whipped cream I have EVER had!! I'm not the biggest fan of whipped cream but this was sooooo good! Very yummy french toast and the fruit and whipped cream bar was a huge hit and plus!!
(5)
Megan J.
Standard brunch fare with a few stand out menu items. The migas is great, unique mimosas and the sweet toppings bar always looks good, but I'm rarely in the mood for sweet. Maybe one day! It's usually crowded, but this place is worth the wait!
(4)
Adam Y.
This is a brunch place I would have to recommend anyone that wants to visit Seattle. The food is locally grown and organic so you don't have to worry about where it comes from, and just having that in mind makes it all taste a little bit better. The benedicts were great! But I do wish I ordered pancakes so I could have gotten a taste of the fruit bar in the middle of the restaurant. There is a section of the menu that allows you to grab as much fruit as you want (I believe), so I would encourage others to try something that will allow you to taste their fruit bar. Either that or be on the look out for some of their specials. Be sure to make a reservation before your meal to ensure that you won't have to wait 30+ minutes on a weekend! Seating is spacious, servers are friendly, a bit on the pricey side, and food does take a while to prepare.
(4)
Lee A.
I ASK YOU - would you say no to a fresh fruit and toppings bar? Would you say no to bananas foster french toast? Would you say no to kitchen and restaurant staff who really care about you eating wholesome, local and organic food? Didn't think so. This is my absolute favorite breakfast spot in the Seattle area. Favorite dishes I enjoyed were the Bananas Foster French Toast and the Migas. I think I'll forever alternate between eating those two. If you order the French Toast, you'll love all the various fruits you can get at the toppings bar, and especially the housemade whipped cream. If you order the Migas, make sure to add Chorizo for a spicy kick. Just can't get enough of this place.
(5)
Joe C.
After reading many positive Yelp reviews for Portage Bay Cafe, we decided we needed to check it out. We went at 11AM'ish on a week day and the place was hopping; however, we were still seated right away. On the way to our table, we viewed the toppings bar, which contained pitchers of maple syrup, and huge bowls of strawberries, blueberries, black berries, and whipped cream - YUM! I ordered the Ranchers Breakfast, eggs, potatoes, and (I chose) bacon PLUS (I chose) two slices of French toast, which got me admission to the toppings bar. Everything, including the coffee, was delicious and although we paid more for breakfast than we are accustomed, we felt we got value....especially considering we didn't eat for the rest of the day! On second visit, I had the Migas with Chorizo. I enjoyed this, but the Chorizo was pretty hot and I did slightly regret not again getting the Ranchers Breakfast.
(5)
Barbara K.
Great food and great service. I had to knock a star because we were seated at the worst table in the whole place. I mean it's so awkward and small it should not even be a seating area. It's in the back room next to their storage and a frosted window you can't even look out. You come for food AND experience so I'm hoping management will take this into consideration. My sister and I got the Rancher's breakfast which is perfect for someone who's indecisive. Our favorite part were the pancakes with fresh fruit! Sooo fluffy and good, I definitely recommend.
(4)
Natasha T.
(insert shrug emoticon here) We had a reso for 10:30 and were not seated until almost 11, which is the first bad sign. The waitstaff seemed overwhelmed and confused - we were promised a table outside, and 15 minutes later still had not been seated. Then, when they had a table inside for us, the manager seemed surprised that we were being seated and we had to go back to the entrance to wait. I was kind of underwhelmed by the menu options - not sure if I was just getting over being sick, or if it just really wasn't all that jazz. I ordered the Joe's Scramble, which ended up being pretty bland and watery (most likely from the spinach that's part of the dish). I'd heard so many good things about this place that it was a real let down. In addition to my blah scramble, my two Celiac friends ordered gluten free french toast and the farmer's market hash with GF bread - really glad the latter didn't eat the toast that came with hers, because about 20 minutes after it was delivered, they brought out the actual gluten free toast (the dish was original served with regular toast) - I'm really glad she didn't eat it, but would have appreciated a heads up about it! Made the other GF gal worried her french toast was made with regular bread too. I will say that our server was really kind and attentive, and our food was served quickly. She also split our check without even batting an eyelash, and that was really awesome! We stuck around about 20 minutes after we'd paid, and the manager actually came up to us and said (albeit very apologetically) that we were holding things up for other diners, which kind of blew my mind because it took them forever to seat us when we had a reservation! Oh well. My other qualm with this place is that it sounds like a high school cafeteria - noise level 11. How people enjoy restaurant environments like this is totally beyond me. I don't think I'll come back here during peak hours, but I'm willing to give it another try (a lot of people have said I really need to try the french toast before I can make a solid judgement)!
(2)
Troy D.
Holy cow. I mean, really. Holy cow. Took a friend here for brunch after reading the rave reviews on the food, and yep, I can totally see why. Ordered the French Toast, and it was enough to keep me fed for the next two weeks. Our service was attentive, and the price was pretty reasonable. (A little pricey, but they know they're worth it.) Only downside? This is totally not a place you'd want to go on Sunday if a) you have no reservation or b) you're claustrophobic. They pack 'em in, and my brunch buddy and I were squeezed in to a tight spot -- although every spot was a tight spot. Don't get me wrong -- it's totally worth it. Just, ya know, plan ahead.
(4)
Omkar G.
One of the best places to get your morning breakfast or brunch! The pancakes, the omelette, herb fried potatoes,the French Toast are all amazing. You can also make your own omelette the way you like it, if the ones on the menu don't interest you. Also, you can top your pancakes with a wide range of toppings of your choice! Love it here!
(5)
Nikhil T.
If you like eating at an overpacked place, with overhyped food and pay $20-25 for a breakfast meal, then you're at the right place. Oh did I mention, we reserved ahead of time and were still made to wait for 45 mins? And that food took another 30 mins? Everything together made for a pretty low experience.
(2)
PatrickJ T.
Our friends took us here on a Sunday, and the place was packed. It is recommended that you make reservations before coming here. We had not made reservations so it took us about an hour before we got seated. I was not crazy about the layout of the indoor dining area. The tables were set so close together that it felt like I was going through an obstacle course the times I needed to leave our table. Place was very loud, but bearable. Now on to the good stuff which is the food that we tried: 1. Mimosas were quite good. I thought there could have less orange juice and more alcohol. My wife thought the exact opposite. Too much alcohol. (4 stars) 2. Kid's Pancake was gobbled up by our little friend. She enjoyed her trip to Portage Bay Cafe's toppings bar where she was able to pile on all the toppings she wanted onto her pancake. (4 stars) 3. PBC (Portage Bay Cafe) Breakfast Sandwich looked great. Unfortunately, it did not taste as good as it looked. Just okay. I did like the potatoes though. (3 stars) 4. Farmer's Hash was a pretty big portion. Our friend enjoyed it. He said it was quite good. I asked, "how many stars?" (4 stars) 5. Cranberry Pecan French Toast was yummy. (4 Stars by itself). Add fresh fruits from the toppings bar, it becomes 5 stars! 6. Cobbler French Toast was okay. (3 stars by itself). Becomes 4 stars after adding fresh fruits from the Toppings bar! 7. Toppings bar is awesome! Many selections of fresh fruit, nuts, and other good choices! It was clean, organized, and they constantly refilled the toppings with fresh fruits. ( 5 stars!!!! ) I would not return here if the wait was that long again. I would only return if there was a short wait! There are many other places in Seattle just waiting for me to try!
(4)
Glen C.
Oh, wow, I'm very impressed. I had the pancakes - these come with a breakfast bar: bowls of fresh fruit, butter, whipped cream, syrup, brown sugar, coconut, and other toppings that you can put on them. Or put them on your enormous slices of french toast. Whatever. It's almost awe-inspiring. My wife had the Rueben sandwich and couldn't stop raving about it (as well as the salad that came with it). We'll definitely try this again.
(4)
Alyssa A.
I was in heaven. Came here during the week for breakfast so we practically had the place to ourselves. Bringing littles along to restaurants can be a bit of an adventure but this was THE perfect place. The boats on the ceiling kept our attention for a full half hour alone. The highlight of my experience was enjoying vegan gluten-free pancakes that I didn't have to make in my own kitchen. The maple pork sausage was amazing too. Yep, vegan pancakes and sausage and decaf coffee to wash it all down. The breakfast bar is very cool. It's nothing overly fancy--peaches and strawberries and blueberries with whipped cream and maple syrup. It's nice to be able to serve yourself some fruit though. I'm guessing this place is a madhouse on the weekends but come for an early AM breakfast treat Monday-Friday and you'll have the best dining experience ever. The people watching from the window seats is hard to beat as well.
(5)
Sean P.
Great French toast. Big serving. Quick service. Little too loud. Nice and clean. Would definitely recommend the Classic French Toast. Will definitely be returning. Prices for breakfast: 10ish-17ish
(4)
Chris H.
My husband and I came here on the recommendation by the hotel staff at hotel max. They said it was the best breakfast in Seattle. They aren't wrong. They had a wide selection of breakfast items. The bowl of whipped cream on the breakfast bar was astounding to see. I am gluten free and there were plenty of choices for me. The waitstaff is very friendly. The food was really great and there was plenty of it. The buckwheat pancakes I ordered were the size of a dinner plate. I also had peppered bacon. My husband got Phil 's breakfast ( 3 eggs any style, choice of meat, potatoes and toast). It looked good ( the potatoes were ok but the sausage was great). It's all organic, so the price tag was surprising but not unreasonable for the amount of food you get. I'd definitely go back when I'm in Seattle again.
(4)
Dan S.
*Cool space, great menu and excellent service *Had the Mushroom Beni, incredibly good. I like the Fix Sriracha Sauce they have, local and good twist on the original *Only knock is SLU is a nightmare parking and driving wise, makes it really hard to pop in
(4)
Anjana A.
Eat like you give a damn! is the motto for this place. This is a perfect place to come for lunch if you love omelets and breakfast food, as they serve some items all day. This used to be my favorite brunch and lunch haunt and I have tried a large portion of the menu here. It's a cosy cafe atmosphere with some simple, fresh and good food. Nothing amazing but very wholesome! Breakfast food for lunch is always a great idea even on a work day. They are usually very busy due to the Amazon and Microsoft crowd so the service can be slow, and there can be a long wait if you go right at lunch time, though the servers are always pleasant. It closes early in the evening so this is not an option for dinner. The Farmer's Hash Breakfast with the sockeye salmon option is huge and full of vegetables, I always have leftovers. The Portage Bay burger and the vegan alternative of Quinoa burger are both decent. In fact, this is a great place for Vegans as there are many options. Some people love the Veggie Shawarma sandwich here, but I always got lured by other options and have not been able to try it yet. They are of course, known for their pancakes if you happen to have a sweet tooth. Tip - Don't go right at lunch time, it can get full, loud and it's difficult to get a table. Also don't go starving as food takes time to come out here. They pride themselves on making everything fresh.
(4)
Jamie O.
I would loved to have tried the food here... But due to exceptionally poor service we never even got to eat here!!! I went in on a busy Sunday morning to get a table for 2, there's a crazy long wait time (45 mins) and a line to put your name is. I'm cool with all of that. My boyfriend put our names in and we begin to wait. After 20 minutes I went to ask how much longer we could expect to wait so that we could go get some fresh air. Somehow, despite all of this, the guy didn't write our name down?!? At this point they called him over, he shrugged and walked off, and they said the wait is an hour so they aren't taking names anymore. They turned us away after erroneously not writing out names down and watching us sit and wait for 20 minutes. Are you kidding me?! Horrible customer service skills, I was so excited to try the food here too!!!
(1)
Bonnie L.
I can't put my finger on it... but there's something off about this place. It could be the random location, or the guilt you feel for not eating organic, or maybe it was simply the shitty attitude our waitress had. But the food is good, I'll give them that much. I just wasn't into the whole organic "holier than thou" vibe I felt here. I'm really not sure what it was! Like, I get it, locally grown produce blah blah blah... but do you have to have a whole pamphlet about how I have to "eat like I mean it"? It just makes you feel guilty or un-American to have lived your life not eating organic. And organic ketchup? Does it have to taste spicy? What was that? So back to the shitty attitude... our server was, as my friend said, "making mountains out of mole hills." We asked for waters and it was like the end of the UNIVERSE for her to bring them... 20 minutes later. We asked to split the bill evenly onto 4 credit cards and she said "OK but it might take a while." (scowl) What does that mean? "I'm a retard and I don't know how to take a number and divide it by 4"? Like why give the attitude, why not just do it and smile, even if it's a fake one? Customer service has really gone to shit these days. Was it because I told you to your face that your organic ketchup tastes like shit? Just kidding, I didn't really do that. OH, and it's kind of expensive. Bill came out to like $16 per person for breakfast. Now that seems pricey for breakfast doesn't it? But.... To be fair, the food was pretty tasty and they give good portions. Just stay away from a scowly organic waitress. Oh, and obviously if you're into the whole organic life thing then you will love this place. Good old home-feeling diner-types will dislike it and its Seattle hipster glasses vibe.
(3)
Teresa C.
The food at Portage Bay is DELICIOUS! We had Joe's Scramble, Rancher's Breakfast and Vegan pancakes. It was all yummy!! The service was very good. Yes, the restaurant was packed and it looked like several parties were waiting, but we were there at 2:00 pm on a Sunday and it was chilly outside, and we sat outside on the deck, because our puppy was with us, so there was no wait! We will definitely go back and I plan to take my family when they visit from So Cal. Oh, and the toppings bar was amazing!
(5)
Crystal B.
I love Portage Bay Cafe in the U district, so for my going away brunch before I moved away from Seattle, I decided to try this location. We had 9 people, and it was a Sunday morning. Knowing that might be a problem, I called to make a reservation almost 2 weeks in advance. The person on the phone sounded distracted (even though I always call at times when restaurants tend to be slower to try to avoid this problem), and he took my reservation and hung up the phone without asking what time we were coming in. Feeling awkward and thinking maybe having it in writing would be better, I email the reservation address listed on their website, and received confirmation that they had my reservation in. Fast forward 2 weeks- we showed up, and surprise! They didn't have our reservation. Really? They managed to fit us in relatively quickly for a Sunday morning, but also seemed to be in a big hurry to get us out. Service in general wasn't the greatest. We got mimosas first and then just asked if we could get a bottle of champagne, and our server seemed so hesitant and perplexed by the idea. It's a huge upsell for her, what's the problem? When she finally brought it, she didn't know how to open it. 8 out of 9 people at the table worked in restaurants, so we just opened it ourselves. Weird. Anyway, it's Portage Bay, the food is always fantastic. It will always be worth going, just for the food. Fresh fruit, local ingredients, lots of choices. The lemon curd french toast is amazing. I would recommend going to the U district location if possible. And triple confirm your reservations, apparently.
(3)
Katie A.
Great new place to get your brunch on in SLU! We were seated right away by a very friendly host, greeted very nicely by our superstar waitress, and were pleasantly surprised with one heck of a varied menu- gluten free and vegan options galore! We had the 'build your own' mimosas- you pick your juice- (big pours for $4.95- totally worth it)- Me: OJ Him: apple/ raspberry They: were delicious! The food- awesome.. It took forever for us to make our minds up. When did: Me: Smoked Salmon Omelette- w/ potates and Great Harvest Toast Him: Dungeness Crab Benedict- w/potatoes They: Were BOMB! I will definitely come here again. Next time, I'm gettin' the pancakes w/ the 'topping bar'.. and probably whatever else I can stuff in my mouth.Their expansive menu will make you want to eat and eat and eat... My advice to you: Wear elastic waisted pants.
(3)
Renee D.
Another below average meal at Portage Bay. This place is noisy and more often than not, the food isn't good. Safest bets are the salads and I used to think their breakfasts, but the meal I just had changed that. The staff have always been great but for the price, I'll go to Cuoco for lunch. Too expensive for the quality of food.
(2)
Ellen B.
Nice, but NOISY! I love the unusual choices on Portage Bay's menu, and I've always been happy with the food. But today, there was a guy behind the counter who was just aggressively noisy, slinging plates, slamming down silverware, etc. It's a noisy place by nature, and that's OK. But this guy seemed to be banging things around on purpose. (What? Is it ego? anger? or just plain thoughtlessness?) Great waitress and excellent food, but the jarring noises kinda put us on edge. Just sayin'.
(3)
Leigh J.
Delish!!! The toppings bar is genius! Unlike other topping bars, this one is clean and regularly switched out with fresh fruits, so it was clean. A great brunch choice.
(3)
Dest S.
My boyfriend will disagree with my two star rating, and for good reason. I mean, the crazy decadent french toasts are great. The first time we went we agreed we'd come back until we'd tried everything on the menu. But! I'd prefer not to go back. At least not for weekend brunch. And that's because of the crowds and the service. Most good brunch places will attract large numbers of people, but Portage Bay seems like a magnet for douches. I can handle waiting for a table, but I'd prefer not to spend 45 minutes of my precious weekend listening to dozens of people talking loudly about their boats and stock portfolios while I'm waiting to be seated. And the service. Ugh. Our waitress seemed to have twelve tables. She was running around like a chicken with her head cut off. If you love french toast with a lot of extra sugaries on it, Portage Bay might be worth the hassle. As for me, I'm trying to talk my boyfriend into going back to Easy Street.
(2)
Jennifer C.
I had brunch at the new Portage Bay location last weekend, and I am sorry to say I was pretty disappointed. First of all, the sky-high ceilings and bare floors are perfect storm for magnifying diner noise to an upleasantly impressive level. With wooden sculls hanging high overhead and a wall of fish and veggie photos in contemporary glass and metal frames, I felt like I was in a leasing office for one of the ubiquitous new SLU condo developments. We found we had to flag down our server multiple times for things like water and the check, and overall my party wasn't too thrilled by the food. Migas scored low, and my Black Bean/Pancetta Cake Benedict just wasn't the right combination of flavors. The cornbread was so dense and sweet it overwhelmed the dish, and the black bean pancetta cake was spicy but not particularly flavorful. No gold stars for the breakfast potatoes, which almost seemed like an afterthought--again, spicy but not flavorful. Portage Bay is hardly an inexpensive brunch spot, and with so many other a.m. options in the city, it's unlikely I'll be back very soon.
(2)
Vicky L.
I still think it's totally worth it to wait in line for the U-district location. This place is still fairly new and still have lots of kinks to work out. The service wasn't up to par with the U-District location and after being neglected for 20 minutes, we got up and walked out... How annoying! We even waved down a couple servers who said that they would tell our server that we were ready. Nope. No one ever came by. I'm a huge fan of the U-District one so I'll give this location a couple of months to get their act together... then drop in on my next Seattle trip...
(1)
Amanda K.
Where is the line out the door? Where is the long wait? This place has the same delicious food as the portage bay in u-district minus the crazy crowds. It was nice walking in here we were able to sit down right away. We had 3 different servers come to help us (I think that they were a bit bored), and the food was delicious. I ordered one of the egg benedicts (vegitarian one), and I loved it! Like all the other reviewers said they have the same toppings bar as the old restaurant, which looked really good. They also have a wall full of pictures of the locals that help make this place organic (i.e. the farmer who gets them their eggs, etc...). I really like the concept of the wall. Definitely check this place out before the word breaks out and it's crazy like the one in the U-district.
(4)
Jonas B.
Caveat: I have only been to this place once. I like their focus on organic and local ingredients and it doesn't suck that they offer Swedish pancakes (though we didn't have them this time)! I had the wild salmon omelet and it was good though I might not have ordered it if I realized it came with fried potatoes, which I don't care for at all. The toast that cam with it was pretty much room temperature, not very impressive. The latte was all right. My wife had better luck though, her hash of parsnips, turnips, artichoke, bacon and potatoes, with two poached eggs on top, was delicious. The kids chose (American) pancakes and liked them. The were huge though; our son could only handle one of his two. I thought it was odd that they were the only two kids in there. Everyone else in there seemed to be between 20 and 30 years old. I'm not entirely sure this place is quite deserving of four stars but I'll be nice.
(4)
Ian M.
Having just days ago started a new job in the very building that houses this Portage Bay Cafe location (a very nice building that's LEED Gold certified and was constructed brick by brick by Paul Allen himself, I hear), I saw the signage for Portage Bay Cafe a number of times, thinking at first, "Wait, isn't that the place up in the U-District that everyone goes on and on about?" Of course, when I first thought that, I was entirely correct, because this location wasn't yet open. Now, though, one would internally interject, "Wait, isn't this the second location of that place up in the U-District that everyone goes on and on about?" And to answer yourself, you would think, "Why yes, yes it is the second location of that place up in the U-District that everyone goes on and on about." I lunched here on the day of their grand opening, pausing not a moment to contemplate what distinguishes a grand opening from what might merely be considered an initial opening. After walking in looking a little lost and being greeted quickly and warmly, I sat at the counter, which facilitated expedient service and allowed me a view into the goings on behind the scenes, although that's actually an overstatement because the kitchen is open to the rest of the restaurant. How gauche to open a restaurant with a concealed kitchen these days! The 6000 sq. ft. space itself is lovely and fresh feeling. The tall ceilings, bamboo, light-colored wood floors, and plentiful, tall windows really open the space up. I missed the rush, which I heard was substantial, when I commented about how well staffed they were to my convivial, freckled server, having noticed a cluster of no fewer than 10 black t-shirted, khaki-pants-clad servers around a service station at the far end of the restaurant. I suppose this would have explained what had become a glut of servers two hours north of high noon. After perusing the menu, I selected the halibut special from three specials that were being offered on opening day. I suspect that the practice of offering specials will persist, and was not only for the GRAND opening. I should mention that it was a difficult decision to make, as there were several sandwiches and salads that tempted my appetite, and breakfast is offered all day, and the house-smoked salmon hash nearly got the nod, as did the rare ahi sandwich. I didn't want to miss the halibut special, though, as it sounded divine, and was certainly a better choice than the gut-bomb black bean burger I'd had at Blue Moon the previous day. Suffice it to say, though, that return visits will satisfy my curiosity about the items mentioned above, and several others. My food arrived quickly, but with enough of a lead time that it was clear it'd been freshly prepared for me. The portion of halibut was a healthy size and professionally presented. It tasted delicious, the fish being cooked perfectly, soft and flaky but still pleasantly warm. The reduction sauce was full of complementary butter and thyme flavor, with a hint of lemon. The bite of the red onions and crispness of the other vegetables on top of which the fish was served provided an excellent counterpoint to the richness and delicacy of the fish and sauce. My server offered pleasant and efficient service, with a side of good humor, perhaps relieved at the passing of the lunch rush. Someone obviously senior in the restaurant emerged from the kitchen at one point to retrieve something that was stored behind the counter, and asked me, "How is everything, sir?" I told him that everything was very good, but was quietly bewildered how someone who is obviously working much harder than I could show deference to me. Perhaps I should have shot back, "Good sir, it is I who should be calling you sir, sir! Keep up whatever good work you're doing back there!" I've had occasion to attend at least one other restaurant close to its opening--though not this close--and I've noticed more substantial hiccups than seemed to be present at the new Portage Bay. Perhaps it would have been a slightly different story had I made my GRAND entrance at the height of the lunch rush, but given the levels of preparedness and the high level of staffing, both in the front line and the back line, I suspect that things went okay even during the rush. I should mention that the entree I selected was $11.95, and probably could have gone for $25 as a dinner portion at some of the more upscale places around town, considering its size and its quality. Portage Bay also offers beer and wine if it suits your fancy for lunch or, um, breakfast. I'm not normally inclined to award five stars to an establishment that I've been to only once, especially a brand new one, but I was pleased enough with my experience there that I'll award this rating on faith and, with repeat visits, allow them to establish firmly that it is well deserved, though if what I experienced today is any indication, I'll be convinced shortly.
(5)
jarod o.
I have no Idea what happened today, but usually this place gets a 4 or 5 star. But today took mom out to breakfast. Her coffee arrived Stone cold! like not even warm. So someone poured it and let it sat out for some time. Both our orders came out eggs over cooked and again luke warm at best . It was inedible. We had three servers that never stopped by to address any of our concerns. When I went to the counter to get the check and complain they offered 50% off. well my dear portage bay let me explain something: 50% percent off crap is still crap! we wont be returning! you get two stars as cold bacon is always good. but you should have comped the food and made effort to get us back. you lost a regular customer.
(2)
Clifton B.
Amazing. Fabulous. Will return next time we are in Seattle. She had the sweet potatoe pancakes with peaches, and nuts. I had the scrambled egg special that had mushroms, green onions, figs all topped with rouge blue cheese. With sweet potatoe homefries. The wait for a seat was long, but we noticed that others had called ahead for reservations. That seemed the way to go. You may not get the same thing that we had due to it being a special, but reading all of the other Yelps, I don't think you can go wrong here. Enjoy.
(5)
Josh F.
What's the fuss about? Kind of medicore in my mind. Seems they pitch and get people to buy into one idea of what it is but in truth this place is just a normal over-priced brunch place. It's good but for sure not worth all the fuss
(3)
Garrett N.
I mean, it's good. It's just not a good value. I like some of the concepts like being organic, local, and having their fruit bar. But the prices, wait time, and slow service don't justify the price. I'll come back here again b/c it's a decent bfast option. But, I certainly don't have them in my top 10.
(2)
Angie K.
I met some friends who work in this building here for lunch one day. I should start by saying, this three-star review is a friendly one, and I wouldn't hesitate to eat here again if my friends invite me, but I would definitely order breakfast. My friend had some kind of egg tortilla dish with sausage, kind of a tex-mex egg quesadilla looking thing, and it was yummy. My other friend and I ordered some special lunches, and they looked a lot prettier than they tasted. They were edible but I wouldn't order them again. Portage Bay Cafe should not try to be a fine dining establishment and should stick to the basics of making yummy food of fresh ingredients.
(3)
Neil S.
Every morsel of food is amazing. I've been going to the various Portage Bay locations for 10 years. "Eat like you give a damn" is their motto, and when you try the food, you'll understand why. I've only ever been for breakfast. I like the U district location the best, but South Lake Union isn't too shabby - just a bit big and a little lacking in intimacy. But PBC makes up for it in quality.
(5)
Elvis R.
The huge cavernous space amplifies every knife click, fork scrape and chair slide. Even only 1/3 full, it was loud. The cacophanousness, the vast, urban-lofty, open room and the generic interior has one imagining, as my company put it, that they're eating in a train station. And so with the food. Only a fancy organic train station constructed entirely of solar panels, where organic trains, made out of recycled cardboard and powered by bio-fuel palm oil sustainably grown on premises and cultivated and made into bio-fuel by well paid immigrant workers, come to take passengers away to Valhalla. (Or, since this is Seattle.... Nirvana? Huh? Yeah? Like that? Yeah you do.) But they must eat here first. Organically. It's just that organic. And the menu sure likes to remind you of this. Though the hollandaise had separated a little and the crab cakes were a bit on the underdone side, the Dungeness Benedict tasted good. The corned beef hash however, even though it contained homemade corned beef was just average -- the corned beef being thinly-sliced and chopped into chipped-beef-on-toasty-like pieces (if you have the luxury of homemade corned beef why not afford yourself the luxury of pulling it into thick, delicious, meaty bits). Also the corned beef wasn't nearly corned enough -- nope not enough corning going on there -- I'd've corned it better, longer; the potatoes were undercooked and it was, overall, very greasy. In fact it all sat in a greasy puddle. And I love greasy and still thought it was worth noting as something rather unappetizing. The poached eggs on both the hash and the Benedict were nicely yolky though. And the host and servers were welcoming and had their act together much more than I expected for a place having been open just a few days. Even though I didn't / couldn't order something -- pancakes, french toast -- necessitating the use of the "toppings [organic!] bar", just being near it, nay the very idea of it, nauseated me Sizzler-salad-bar-without-the-sneeze-guard style. After having just eaten here, I feel gross now; organically gross to be sure, but I'm not convinced there's much of an appreciable difference between regular grossness and the sustainable, earth-friendly kind.
(3)
Carrie H.
Went here yesterday during the lunch rush and had an awesome turkey club. Agreed that this location is very LOUD, and they could definitely use some sound dampening ceiling tiles. Hubby had to repeat what he was saying four times before I could finally make out what he was saying. Do you hear me, Portage Bay?? Love the food, love the people watching, and of course the toppings bar (when getting breakfast food, duh!). I don't see myself going here too often, but it's good for a change of pace. Oh, and they have a patio outside that will accommodate during nice summer mornings and afternoons... as soon as the construction across the street is completed. PS: Over 80% of the food they serve is organic. Even the ketchup!
(4)
Stephanie N.
Breakfast here made my morning! We ordered the Banana Foster French Toast, and Swedish Pancakes. I really like the fruit bar idea. Super clever.
(5)
Tanya J.
I have been delighted by the Portage Bay weekend brunches 20+ times, mostly in the South Lake Union location more recently but also the U-District location for years. Here's what I LOVE: * The menu has options for every preference (super veg-friendly) including my husband who is practically a vegan. * The coffee... don't get me started on the yummy coffee which you can have while you're waiting for your table. * The service is great and the servers are super friendly allowing me to customize my order just how I want. * The quality of the food is always stellar, organic and delicious! * The space itself is modern with great artwork and a nice urban feel. This is clearly one of the best weekend brunch spots you'll find in all of Seattle. There is a reason the place is constantly packed on weekends as Seattle Brunchers migrate to this brunch mecca. So why the 4 stars and not 5? I made a reservation for 6 of us at 12:30 today and when arriving promptly at 12:30 we checked in and were told the table would be ready shortly. At 12:45 the manager informed us that at 12:40 he had to give our table away since a table cannot be held for longer than 10 minutes. I was confused by that comment so I asked what he meant since we were there at 12:30. He pulled out his phone, pointed to the time and told me in a very irritated voice that he too keeps track of time and to just sit tight, a table would be ready shortly... then stormed off. WT holy F and did he think I was making that up? We never once questioned when our table would be ready prior to that, despite having a reservation and still having to wait, and thought he was unnecessarily rude. There was obviously a communication breakdown between him and the host managing the books in the front and we were seated 5 minutes later and the rest of the brunch was fantastic per the usual. Done with the rant and I refuse to hold it against them, today was just a little disappointing but I love this place and will continue to come here. I will say, if you are a vegan, try the Migas substituting the tofu scramble instead of eggs - super fantastic!
(4)
Joel G.
Freakin' awesome brunch! Try the mimosas. so fresh, so local.
(5)
James L.
So I went there for lunch one day because I knew it was an addition to the neighborhood.... Hooray for them taking my TO-GO order 2 minutes after they closed....but thats where the HOORAY stops...... They would have only got 1 star if not for that.... I anxiously anticipated the BBQ pork Sandwich with a salad and a Quesadilla so I could make an objective opinion... The Pork Sandwich tempted me with the Smoked Gruyere cheese(which seemed absent), the Tangy BBQ Sauce which was like sugar water and the pork which seemed dehydrated and VERY tough to chew........ The quesadilla was ok at best, but the sour cream had this green leafy stuff in it...HUH?!?....The salsa was ok.....I found myself going to my fridge for regular sour cream and some hot sauce to add some flavor to the bland flavors I had going with this. I might be willing to try them for breakfast, but I have heard the same type of reviews for B'Fast....Who knows maybe I will still give them a shot.....
(2)
Briana T.
I'm sort of undecided about Portage Bay. The wait is really, really long (upwards of half an hour for two people) and it's definitely a place to visit when you feel like splurging (unless you're a wealthy yuppie, which there seemed to be plenty of) because it's kinda expensive. Over 30 dollars for pancakes and coffee for two people? Ehhhh. However, there are positives. Everything they serve is organic and locally produced, which is cool if you're into that sorta thing. The much talked about all you can eat toppings bar offered beautiful, fresh fruits but I was hoping for more of a variety. The service was really friendly and attentive to anything we needed. I'm sure I'll come back, just as long as it's near a payday.
(3)
Krystal C.
I'd been hearing about Portage Bay for a while before I went for lunch. I have to say that I was underwhelmed. Perhaps Portage Bay is great for breakfast only. I ordered the duck confit sandwich. I'll preface the following with a warning: I firmly believe that no one can prepare duck better than any hole-in-the-wall Chinese place. The duck confit was not an exception to this rule. While the sandwich was good, I was expecting...more. The tomato jam was amazing (and I have been able to replicate it on my own), but other than that the sandwich was lacking duck flavor, and it was dry. I was unsatisfied after leaving. A coworker of mine ordered the farro salad, and she was underwhelmed by it as well. She expected more kale, less farro. In reality, I saw very little kale, and what was there had been cooked to a point of absurdity. I admire what they're trying to do. I'm a big fan of seasonality, but the food has to taste good, especially for a place that has such a great reputation. I suppose next time I'll have to order breakfast and see if that's what all the fuss is about.
(3)
Alex C.
the food was good as usual, but the service was horrible. We asked the waitress if we could have more coffee and her reply was " I don't know where the pot is" what kind of response is that?! its not a legit reason to not give proper service.
(2)
Jeanie K.
Finally feel like I've found a great place for breakfast after many failed attempts....granted, my experience was on a weekday and so I cannot comment on how long it takes to receive food and service during the busy weekend brunch, but I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly our dishes were presented and the food was amazing. I'll definitely go back for a mid week breakfast treat. Oh, and the hazelnut latte was outstanding and soooo big!
(4)
Sorin S.
Really good breakfast place. Love their fresh fruit topping bar with their pancakes. Just get there early on the weekend, because the line will spill out onto the sidewalk.
(4)
Brad W.
I've been wanting to try this place for the longest time bc I heard great things about it, unfortunately the experience was a huge disappointment! This may have been the worst service I have ever had. Terrible. We were seated at the bar bc of the huge wait. I actually enjoy sitting at bars of restaurant so that was fine with me. I ordered a scramble and asked to replace the meat with Italian sausage and the waiter said no problem. When he brought it out, I asked if the meat was what I ordered. He said no and asked if I wanted a side order of the Italian sausage since he didn't want the cooks to have to remake my order. I was fine with that. 15 minutes later I had to ask where my side of Italian sausage was. I was told that there was a miscommunication with the kitchen and it could take awhile. I didn't care and asked for them to bring a side of it. Literally 45 seconds later he brought a side of sausage......however it was the same chicken sausage that was in my order, not the Italian sausage that I had asked for. WTF? Worst service ever. I gave the review two stars bc the food, while not spectacular isn't bad. The menu items that look really compelling are items that allow you to go to the toppings bar. That looks incredible.
(2)
Elle H.
Two words: Toppings Bar!!!!
(4)
Scott E.
First of all, the only bad part of the experience was the poor organization for seating. We expected to wait an hour but actually waited an hour and half due to the fact that the person reading from the list was using the wrong column and skipped over our name multiple times. When we were seated, the experience was incredible. We ordered right away and we had our food with 10 minutes. I had the Rancher's Breakfast with French Toast and my wife had the French Toast. The Toppings Bar was just plain awesome! We loaded up on all sorts of berries my wife loved the cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and the peaches. I enjoyed everything, the whip cream was incredible, and they kept bringing more and more out. The food was perfect, the french toast had a perfect consistency, the flavors were great, they melded with each other in harmony. The bacon, sausage and ham are all organic and nitrate free, which is a plus. We had an incredible time eating, talking and having a load of fun. We will come back, but next time we will have a reservation.
(4)
Nai S.
South Lake Union Pros: Food is better Fresh Coffee Slightly more spacious for waiting UW Pros: Parking Not the most hospitable folks at the South Lake Union location, but the food makes up for it. Waiting sucks, especially on the weekends for brunch. 20 - 45 mins depending on the size of your party. Fave foods: Salmon Eggs Benedict and Banana Foster French Toast. YUM! I pass on the toppings bar; the rum carmel sauce and sauteeed bananas is more enough to please. All plates are very generous. Don't let your eyes fool you. Oh yes, the organic factor makes it even better.
(4)
Tyler J.
I tried this new place because I needed to get off capitol hill but didn't want to travel far. This South Lake Union cafe has a large cafeteria style setup which I normally wouldn't dig but the community dining atmosphere didn't bother me as much as it did back in 5th grade. The food is organic and the green messaging is all over the place without feeling like you're being suffocated with eco friendliness :-) But the food was cold. We sat at a table directly facing the counter where food waits to be delivered. At first I thought the holdup was for the large party adjacent to our table. But when she delivered the food to us after it had been sitting on the "counter" for 7 minutes (not quite ten but more than 5, duh) I knew the meal was heading south. Everything tasted fine but cold food really sours the experience. Props for the "toppings" counter in the middle. Best part of the cafe by far!
(3)
Casey E.
To have a waitress understand that your friends are too hung over to eat their amazing breakfast and offer a to go box without asking is at least deserving of 5 stars. After getting off the night shift and dragging 2 hung over 35 year olds who drank like they were 21 to breakfast is rough. Portage Bay Cafe had awesome service, amazing toppings bar and good wholesome food. I am going back next weekend and this time I will be in need of a to go box!
(5)
Suna G.
Went here on Friday, 9/2/09 for lunch with people from work. We'd made reservations, but the manager had given away our table to another group. No worries they set up another... but not for the correct number. No worries, we put someone at the end. Server arrived with the wrong number of menus, which was never corrected, but no worries we shared. Server brought the requested water to only half the table mid-way through the meal; the other half received their water after the plates were cleared. Those are all small annoyances, but what was really disappointing was that my meal was basically inedible - seriously burned fish croquettes atop a salad of fibrous greens and raspberries. I tried eating the salad but the cutlery was so dull I couldn't cut the greens - just shredded them. The raspberries were fresh. If this were Top Chef, the chef would have been told by Padma to pack their knives and go. The waitress to her credit, once I pointed out the burned food, comped the meal and helped me decide on a quickie replacement (quesadilla, which was perfectly fine.) And she was pleasant and apologetic. oh yes, and the berry lemonade I had was delicious. I've been here a few other times and had similar experiences - they have wonderful ingredients, a beautiful space, but a heavy hand in the kitchen, and a harried/inattentive staff. Needs work.
(2)
J T.
First time visit and my family and I enjoyed all of our dishes (crab benedict, migas, Swedish pancakes, and banana foster French toast). Service was fast. Our server was very attentive. We'll definitely be back.
(4)
Yun C.
How can you not give this place 5 stars? Great quality ingredients, creative dishes and fresh-fruits! Service is good - friendly servers but when it's busy, you may have to wait a bit. The only con I can think of is the cell reception is close to non-existent (AT&T). There is a near-by public Wi-Fi, but without VPN, I wouldn't use it for anything personal. This doesn't merit taking out any stars, so 5 stars it stays (4.5, I would say).
(5)
Elizabeth L.
Bland, tasteless, overpriced. Service not included. Dishes underwhelm despite promising descriptions and quality ingredients. Sat. morning is like a feeding trough, with harried servers wishing you weren't there, pretending they don't see you. Dishes came out cold, which doesn't really work for brunch dishes. Server came by once during entire meal, was otherwise impossible to get coffee or her attention. "Eat like you give a damn"? Portage Bay, I wish you gave a damn.
(2)
Bill K.
Positives: Solid menu and flavorful food. Pricing was reasonable and ample seating. Negatives: Service was a little slow. Overall, it was a pleasant meal.
(4)
Mariam S.
I go back and forth on PBC. On one hand, I love love love their french toasts, on the other hand, everything else on the menu that I've tries is A-OK. Eggs are always bland, same as potatoes. I really dislike their chicken sausages but my fiance liked it so maybe it is a matter of taste. I like the fruit bar but I'd like to see more fresh fruits and less canned stuff. Bottom line: come here for the french toast and the toppings bar, but as far as breakfast food goes, i can think of at least 3 or 4 other places around Seattle that are better as far as quality and quantity..
(3)
KJ S.
During our honeymoon in Seattle, we were mostly disappointed with how few breakfast options there seem to be before 10am. As early risers, we found ourselves having to frequent 24hr spots to find anything to eat during our normal breakfast time, but then we found Portage Bay Cafe. We read all the reviews and feared the place would be packed on a Saturday morning, but thankfully we were ahead of the masses at 8:15am. I had the pancakes, which were 2 huge delightful pancakes, and I took advantage of the breakfast bar. They have all kinds of fresh berries, peaches, syrup, fresh whipped cream, and nuts. It was awesome! My wife had a breakfast sandwich with gluten free bread, and it was so big she struggled to get her mouth around it. It also came with nicely seasoned potatoes. The place was rather loud, as it's one big wide open space almost cafeteria-like. The portions are huge, so the prices aren't so bad considering that. Good thing I'm not a local or I'd get fat off these brunches!
(5)
L H.
Well, I think it's a bit overrated honestly. It's good, but kind of average as far as Seattle restaurants in this category go. We went on a weekday and were served relatively promptly. We had the farmer's hash, the breakfast sandwich, and the french toast at our table. The farmer's hash was good - plenty of veggies and herbs. The scrambled eggs were a bit overcooked, and the vegetables themselves were a bit burnt on one side. It was good, but not great, and I wouldn't come back for it or order it again. The breakfast sandwich was better. The french toast was pretty good - very sweet, though. The waffle bar had plenty of fresh berries, which was great, but the utensils were dirty and sticky, and the whole bar was messier than I'd have imagined. Good, but not great. Wouldn't make a point of revisiting.
(3)
Melanie O.
I am a repeat customer here for sure because the food is freakin awesome. But come on, do something about the noise level! Hang a tapestry, some ceiling tiles, a wall of bread - something! I don't like to complain about things unrelated to food or service, but it is louder than a school cafeteria. I've taken people there twice & both times, my guests complained they couldn't hear anything. Bottom line - go on a Tuesday at 2 if you want to actually talk to the people you're with.
(3)
Sarah O.
We make a point of coming here every time we are in Seattle! I love the SLU location because it's bigger and never seems as crowded as Ballard or U-District. I usually get the smoked salmon omelet (very refreshing- not too heavy) or the gluten-free Swedish pancakes (the lingonberry butter they serve with it is to die for!). Bottom line, the food is really good and they care about where it comes from. Another added bonus about the SLU location is the people watching. You can sit and watch all of the Amazon.com people out and about- it's pretty entertaining!
(5)
Andrew H.
Came here for a late breakfast with a friend who grew up in Seattle and raved about the breakfast bar. The place was surprisingly crowded for 11am on a Monday, and we unfortunately had to wait a bit for our waitress to take our order and for our food to arrive. Between the three of us we ordered the Farmer's Hash with chicken sausage, the strawberry rhubarb French Toast and an order of regular French toast. There is a plentiful breakfast bar that accompanies any pancake or French toast order with overflowing bowls of fresh, organic berries, real maple syrup and homemade whipped cream. The berries were definitely the best part of the dining experience. The farmers hash was a giant plate of roasted veggies and potatoes topped with egg and cheese. The veggies were well roasted and charred to perfection but maybe needed a bit more seasoning. French toast is made with thick challah bread and the strawberry rhubarb compote was delicious. Everything served at the restaurant is sustainably and locally sourced, but prices remain reasonable. This seems like a great family spot, we saw several tables with children enjoying the experience of topping their own breakfasts.
(4)
Laurent L.
Sunday 1pm. We were a party of 8. Kids get their ears covered wih their hands almost the whole time. Adults couldn't have a normal conversation. Extremely noisy (ceiling panels could help reduce noise level). Food is ok. Prices are reasonnable. A 18% tip is by default added to the check...
(3)
Donna L.
My husband and I came here for brunch and we were extremely satisfied with our meal. We ordered the: Migas (Mexican-style scrambled eggs in a tortilla) Prime Rib Dip (Roast beef sandwich with au jus) Classic French Toast The best part was loading up the Fresh toast at the breakfast bar! The toppings bar had fresh fruits, fresh whipped cream, and other toppings for you to go nuts over. I especially loved the kind and courteous service!
(5)
Savannah H.
Awesome breakfast/brunch place. My group ordered the classic french toast, the fancy breakfast sandwich, and the salmon benedict. All three were great and the breakfast toppings bar was great. But, MAKE A RESERVATION! It was extremely crowded with a 40 minute wait for a table for 2, worth it though!
(4)
Heidi B.
In my opinion, when you visit the city of Seattle, you really need to find a great place to enjoy a great brunch. My favorite thing about Portage Bay Cafe is that they serve brunch every day of the week, in addition to the fact that they have a fresh fruit and whipped cream topping bar for pancakes and/or french toast. After getting lost across the city trying to find Portage Bay cafe, we decided to both go with the heaping Rancher's breakfast, which comes with eggs, home fried potatoes, bacon or sausage, and an entire stack of pancakes or french toast. First off--DO NOT order the Rancher's Breakfast if you are on a diet or not very hungry. It really is a rancher's portion of every item included in the meal--three eggs, four sausage patties, a half plate of home fries, and three pancakes. Although I will say as other Yelpers have mentioned, that it took a solid 30-40 minutes for our food to arrive at the table, once it did finally make it in front of us, it didn't last long. And especially if you're visiting, make sure that you order either pancakes, waffles, or french toast just so that you can take advantage of the toppings bar. At the toppings bar, you can put whipped cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, blueberries, balckberries, raspberries, strawberries, marion berries, granola all over your food. Truthfully, I could almost even just eat a plate of all of the toppings mixed together as a fruit salad, that's how amazingly fresh everything was on that topping bar. I may not be a Seattle native, but I can say that Portage Bay would be my vote for best brunch in the city.
(5)
Beth V.
Three of my Seattle friends recommended that I eat breakfast at Portage Bay. I'm so glad they all recommended it! I had the gluten-free Swedish pancakes with berries, a side of extra crispy bacon, and fresh orange juice. The quality of food and ingredients is top notch! I wish there was a place like this in San Diego. I would visit it often!
(5)
Amanda W.
BERRRY GOOD! Visiting Seattle from Boston. Hands down the best brunch I have had. A delicious Bloody Mary. A little atypical with sake instead of vodka but awesome nonetheless. Next up the main course. You must must must get an entree with access to the berry bar. All local fruits cut and made to top your waffles French toast or pancakes. Whipped cream more heavenly than I have ever tasted and delicious maple syrup. The only rule - take as much as you want but eat as much as you take. It was to die for. Open table is the way to go. Lines were very long but definitely worth the wait. Yum!
(5)
Mister S.
This place came recommended, and there was a line out the door. But it was not worth it and over hyped. Food was mediocre. I could make better. And the waiter was slow and incompetent. On the upside, they do give you free coffee while you wait.
(2)
Sam B.
Always great! The buckwheat pancakes with the whipped cream and fruit bar are over the top! Big portions so you can split! Try several item's.
(5)
Rachel P.
I had the seasonal omelette, and it was pretty good. The real reason I gave it 5 stars is the French toast. My boyfriend and I split it along with our main entrees (we were really hungry...), and the French toast + breakfast bar toppings was tear-worthy. So good. So, so good.
(5)
Sunny H.
Heavenly! I have been here many many times and have never left unsatisfied. My hubs and I always pay the extra $1-1.50 for braised greens rather than fries. It's delish. It doesn't look all that pretty but man, it's yum yum. This past visit, I ordered Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict (see my photo) and I loved every bite of it. I had to share with my hubs because he really liked it too. I plan on getting it again during my next visit. I think it was around $15 or so but well worth it, because any other restaurant will charge you something more than that for two crab cakes. Oh that's what I should mention: rather than using the english muffins, they substituted the crab cakes as the base for the poached eggs. Now can you imagine anything tastier than that. Drooool~ as I am writing about it.
(4)
Mark W.
I consider this a Seattle staple, but the dining experience leaves a lot to be desired. I'll separate this out into different parts of the experience: The Wait This is an example of where Portage Bay is a victim of their own success. Don't try coming here on a Sunday at 10AM with no reservation. Me and my girlfriend were quoted a 30-40 minute wait time, and we were seated shortly after an hour. This wasn't in itself surprising, as their wait times tend to be more optimistic. The barista at the bar though, was really friendly (even though she was swamped) and she made me a tasty Americano. Recommendation: If you're set on eating here on the weekend, call ahead of time and make a reservation. You'll likely still have to wait, but 10-15 minutes is a lot more reasonable than an hour plus. I came here once on a Sunday with 6 and had to wait over 90 minutes (again, my fault). Weekdays are a little better, but I still strongly recommend calling ahead of time. The Seats For this particular experience, we were seated next to the door. Probably the worst seats in the house on this day, considering it was ~30 degrees outside and people were shuffling in and out of the lobby, consistently drafting us and our food with cold wind. Suggestion: Don't sit next to the door on a cold day! The Staff From the hostesses, the kind smartly-dressed gentleman (manager or owner?) who seats us every time, to our servers, the staff has generally been nothing but friendly. That didn't change this time. Our server was prompt and funny. Sure, I would've liked one or two coffee refreshes, but I made that sacrifice when I decided to come to Portage at the busiest hour on the busiest day of the week. Suggestion: Tip kindly, these folks look like they're working their butts off. The Food The food, for me, is why I come back. Portage Bay offers a fantastic value - They offer hearty American NW style breakfast in generous portions (I eat a lot, so this is important) at reasonable prices, and the food is tasty (at least a standard deviation away from your typical chain breakfast restaurant). The ingredients taste fresh and well prepared, and what's hot is hot and cold is cold. I'm in love with the migas. Their ubiquitous wedged potatoes that come with everything are pretty average. Suggestion: A trip to the toppings bar is necessary, if not slightly overrated. You won't regret it. I love Presse/Tilikum/Macrina type places, but this is homey. There is zero pretentiousness in the staff and menu, everything is straightforward. The food, for me, redeems the experience. If everything else were as great, I'd be here every weekend instead of ~5x a year.
(3)
Paulo R.
Ok to preface this review, I am on day 2 of a 4 day breakfast adventure in Seattle. Someone recommended Portage at the hotel I am staying at and recommendations mean a lot to me, so this is where I ventured off to. I was in search for huevos rancheros and portage's "migas" were the servers substitute recommendation. I tried it. Ok so I am giving this place 4 stars because of the food. The potatoes were everything I hoped for. Considering my taste buds were destroyed from the previous nights salt dinner, I have to say they were the perfect balance. The migas themselves (with the addition of chorizo) were plentiful and flavorful. Did I mention the potatoes were amazing? I love to feel like I am having breakfast at home and the cafeteria like setting doesn't give me that vibe.
(4)
Ezgi M.
I love food here. I love coffee. I love their attitude, their servers, I absolutely love everything. And it is obvious that I am not the only one because they are always packed. Until recent OpenTable arrangement, they were so bad at handling reservations, I always waited at least 30 minutes even with a reservation. But now, miraculously, they solved the problem with OpenTable. Last three times I was there, I was seated immediately, even 10 mins before my reservation. Nice job, Portage Bay.
(4)
Catherine F.
Definitely one of the best brunch places I've been! They were very busy but the service was impeccable. The food was delicious! All four of us had different things. One in our group has a lot of eating restrictions (no dairy no gluten) and there were many options for her! She had troubles deciding! Will definitely be back :)
(5)
Cody H.
This place was AWESOME! This was my first trip to the area, and I've come to realize that the area is going to be all about locally produced materials and making sure that its featured at the restaurant. The things that I like is the service. The waitress was very kind and very helpful with the menu and the things that she liked or didn't like. She was very friendly with my daughter who is only 2 years old, and that was a good thing also. I love the atmosphere of this restaurant, lots of great window light so you can stare into the busy street ahead, and the pictures that they added to the decor of the local area was great. The food was DELICIOUS! They also give you plenty of food. I order the Banana Fosters French Toast and I fell in love! Overall this place really didn't do any wrong. I enjoyed everything about it, because this is what a place should be like. I will be coming back in the future when I move to Washington State and travel to the city for a weekend getaway.
(4)
Leslie P.
One of my favorite brunch places in Seattle! I like everything I've tried at Portage Bay but my favorites include the breakfast sandwich and the french toast. The fruit bar is always fresh too.
(5)
Leah R.
4 1/2 stars. The wait was the only negative. The Migas is a must! Bring your appetite and wear loose waisted pants ;-)
(4)
Raissa L.
Delicious, wholesome foods that will leave you completely satisfied. Service is awesome and options are available for any kind of eater.
(5)
Rachel H.
Its not an easy feat in Seattle to find a breakfast place that serves the most important meal of the day, seven days a week. Some of the tastiest places in town only do a weekend brunch. Portage Bay is here for the breakfast hungry all week long, and as such its a reliable staple in the Seattle brunch scene. On the plus side, the Ballard Portage Bay is definitely their best location. Of the three locations, it is usually the least crowded during the week its got a nice, simple, modern feel. (Some like their newer, cavernous location by SLC.) This location has ample street parking, and less bustle and pressing crowds. At Portage Bay, they use a lot of fresh vegetables and serve a fresh, solid breakfast. Its always consistent, complete with Portage Bay staples like Banana Foster French Toast, mushroom hash scramble with lots of fresh beans and herbs, Migas (an eggy burrito), and their chorizo scramble. The portions are enormous. You'll have a hard time finishing up a meal here. The food is solid breakfast fare, but it does have steep competition on the weekends with the more serious foodie breakfast spots. Healthy and local meals, here but sometimes lacking flavor. Each time I'm here, in the back of my mind is a nagging realization that Portage Bay is exceeding my quantity expectations by leaps and bounds, but not so much quality. The toppings bar, depending on time of year, utilizes mostly canned and frozen fruits and berries, in favor of fresh berries. The dishes here not as savory or delicious as they might be in the hand of another chef, say at Boat Street, Revel, Lola, etc. But this is a seven day a week operation, a consistent breakfast spot and a very well loved Seattle staple. It certainly won't let you down if you are seeking an enormous, fresh scramble or a giant stack of pancakes, seven days a week. Service tends to be busy, distracted and overstretched however.
(3)
Susan G.
Super crowded, fun, fabulous place to eat. There are a few vegan + gluten free options and the banana pancakes make Portage Bay Cafe worth the trip across the bridge for me. The rest of my family loves everything on the menu. I'm not a fan of waiting in line for long periods of time (even with a reservation) so I choose my visit timing carefully. I love this place and their motto to "eat like you give a damn".
(4)
Mark F.
I eat here probably once a week. I go knowing full well that the service will vary between disinterested and clueless -- asking a question like "is there a special sheet" usually sparks a good five minutes returns stares as if I had asked for the square root of a nine-digit number. Usually the food is good enough to trump the millennial staffed madness. Today was a bad as I've seen. I always sit at the counter, and the young man who waited on me must have been recently added - he was clueless. The mean disappointed as well. What used to be good farro salad has not transformed into a mix of tough pea vines with a mis-matched hunk of cheese on top. Interestingly, the farro salad today was missing, well, farro. It did have under-cooked (even uncooked?) garbanzo beans that put molars at risk. I am amazed this place does such great business.
(2)
Ed P.
I ended up ordering the traditional French toast and it lived up to the hype. Portions are generous and staff is super chill and affable. Didn't experience much of their menu but my experience was enjoyable. Will return when I'm back in town.
(5)
Jon M.
Got here at 1030. We were told an hour and a half wait. It's now 1210 and they say another half hour at least. While the food is pretty good, it's honestly not worth the waste of time. Edit: I'm told you can make a reservation so upgrading to 3 stars.
(3)
Jared R.
Awful service. Unfortunately that sums up my experiences here. I've attempted to eat here twice. First time there was a long wait which is okay... I can dig it. Good food creates demand. But the hosts weren't the slightest bit friendly, and seemed disinterested with their surroundings. The food was OKAY... but just okay and it took forever to be served even after being seated. Sadly, once we did get our orders we saw our server maybe twice during the course of our brunch? Christmas Eve my girlfriend and I decided to give Portage Bay one more go for a lunch after a quick trip to REI. The large sign in their window said they were open until 2:30pm. We found and paid for street parking and walked in. It was 1:05pm and as soon as I stepped through the door the manager unapologetically stated they closed at 1pm. He could have just as easily said that he wasn't interested in our business and his delivery could have gone unaltered. Disappointed with the confirmation of their poor management and a lack of "service with a smile" philosophy I turned around to leave. But not before I heard one of their employees chiming behind me a question to her boss "We're closed?" We spent $4 to park outside, only to be turned away without notice, or empathy. Alas I had high hopes for you Portage Bay Cafe... but I won't be returning. I can take a hint.
(1)
Dan P.
While I appreciate the intent behind their greener-than-thou ultra-local shame-me-into-feeling-good sort of approach, they can back off a bit. Seriously, the best thing about this visit was discovering the variety of pictures of bathrooms in the bathroom. (I really liked it) So what wasn't to like? Well, aside from the attitude that you're there because you NEED to be, they also forgot our order. For 30 minutes. Worse still, the waiter didn't really seem to think we would mind cold eggs, cold potatoes, and poached eggs that had taken on a greasy sheen. To their credit, they quickly remade it, and I thought the flavors were fantastic. Just the same, i like to feel like a place that celebrates themselves so much is helping me indulge in their effort rather than falling prey to it. Would I go back? Maybe, but I'd look to see who else is open first.
(3)
Ane P.
THIS IS THE #1 BREAKFAST SPOT IN OUR BOOK! This establishment has received rave reviews not only from myself personally and the family, but also relatives from out of town. Each time they come into town we HAVE to go here (practically every morning). They call, asking us how Portage Bay is doing. I don't know if I should even go on... EVERYTHING is good. Right down to the wonderful owners, who are always workin the floor and friendly! The breakfast bar is great, offering lots of fresh fruit and tons of whipped cream. However, my all time favorite is the chicken basil sausage. You haven't done your visit justice if you have not ordered this as a side.
(5)
Steph C.
What is so great about this place? I have no idea. The food was ok. The prices were kinda high. That's all I have to say. Nothing memorable, and definitely DON'T go here for lunch because then you'll end up waiting a long time for slightly over priced, mediocre food.
(2)
K A.
I love the food at Portage Bay. I love the breakfast bar, the french toast, the coffee and the commitment to local, sustainable, organic food. Today, I didn't love the fact that after waiting for over an hour for our table, we were shoved in the corner of the back "private" room with little ventilation or clear windows to see out, and then waited another 30+ mins for our food to arrive. Also, in the hour that I was waiting for our table, I also waited for my coffee at the bar because the large coffee pot was brewing. Meanwhile, other patiently waiting customers were being served coffee at their waiting seats by a server walking around with a small coffee pot. When I gave up waiting for the coffee to finish brewing at the bar, I approached the roving server with the coffee pot, and he had already poured the last mug. After we were seated in the back room, we ordered and then I took a trip to the bathroom, which was a complete mess. A huge pile of used, wet paper towels on the ground overflowing on the floor under the sink area from what seemed to be a garbage can that hadn't been emptied in days. Back at our table, when our food finally arrived, 2 of our orders were missing items. I also had to go to the service area myself to get our to go boxes because no servers came to ask if we needed any, even though there was clearly food on our plates. I understand that today was Sunday and it was brunch time. I don't mind waiting for a table, but once I am seated, it sure is nice to have an enjoyable experience. This was disappointing on so many levels. It was busy, but I've been here and other PBC locations in town when it was busy before and never did I experience such on off day. Come on Portage Bay, you do food so well, clean up your service act.
(2)
Julie P.
I used to love this restaurant but the last subsequent times I've gone I've realized there's nothing extremely great about it. The best part of it is the toppings bar (especially during fruit season) if you get an item that grants you a trip there. The rest of the menu is ok, they tend to serve at least half of your food order cold (usually its the potatoes or the cheese is not melted in your omelet or scrambles). The portions are huge, which is good,but I've had better breakfast at other places that have better menu options that serve their food hot from the kitchen, not from the heat lamp. There's always an enormous wait there. Its usually not because diners are lounging at their tables for an extended period of their meal like the hostess says. Most of its because there's not enough staff to do the work or they are taking too long to do it. Its pretty chaotic in there, I never really feel that the servers have time to give you good service. The last three times we've gone with reservations for table of 6, we waited 20-30minutes after our reservation time to get seated. Then we typicially waited 10minutes to get our drink order, 10minutes to get our drinks, 10minutes to get food ordered, 20minutes to get food, ate for 20-25minutes, and then the bill took another 15minutes to process. We barely can hail our server down if we need anything. No wonder a typical meal there on the wkend can last up to 2hrs! I would like to suggest to the owner to please hire more staffing on wkends if you want quicker table turnaround time which would mean more business for them too. I think I'll start visiting my other breakfast joints for a while before I go back to Portage.
(3)
jill g.
i really really want to give PBC more stars since their food can be so good, but the service is just too slow to give a nod of approval. in the past few weeks i've been there twice and each time it's been over 20 minutes between being seated and having our orders taken. this happened once at an early lunch, which we scheduled early just so that we'd get better service, and once at breakfast which was not super busy at all. and once you have to ask 3 times for your drink, it just becomes downright annoying. on top of that, while the food is often good it can be...not so good. the toppings bar was chock full of frozen berries, not fresh. and i had a french dip which was mostly fatty meat. when they get it right - which is usually breakfast - then they really get it right. but i think i've given them enough chances.
(2)
Yuri K.
What can I say? If you're in Seattle, GO TO PORTAGE BAY! They have ridiculously delicious breakfast foods that are organic and not super expensive! When you go, make sure you get a pancake or something that earns you a trip to the toppings bar. They have fresh whipped cream, fruits, and maple syrup. Overall, all their food is very, very good (I recommend the Rancher's Breakfast!). The only downside is that their service is pretty bad. It always is slow and hectic. But really, I like the food so much, I totally overlook it and go back. Unfortunately, I'm no longer in Seattle so it looks like I'll just have to live with the memories of Portage Bay.... Damn, I'm drooling just thinking about their food. How quickly can I get to Seattle from here?
This place is delicious! I've never been with anyone who didn't love what they ate here - from the french toasts to the pancakes (all including trips to the toppings bar) to the omelettes and other savory choices, it's all delicious. The portions are huge, so be ready to use some self restraint or be very full. My favorite thing here is the seasonal hash. It's always tasty and isn't as heavy as some of the other choices. Their chai is also very good. It is a little pricey and you should expect a wait, but it's all totally worth it.
(5)
Elizabeth C.
Had to come here from all the bragging I've heard about this place. Mimosas were yummy! Breakfast and the fresh fruit bar was great, love the all organic and fresh produce from local farmers concept. French toast wasn't that good, bread was too thick for my taste and the coffee was very bitter and stale. All in all everyone was very friendly and the rest of my food was very enjoyable (scrambled egg,bacon, and hash)
(4)
Hayley V.
The first time I went here the swine flu pandemic was surfacing in the states and the news was warning: DO NOT GO OUTSIDE OR YOU WILL EXPOSE YOURSELF and we did anyway because well, we're hustlers. So we get to Portage and the first thing I see is their infamous "toppings bar". Am I the only one who thinks the health department should be confiscating this sucker? The "toppings bar" consists of an unattended table of perishable goody bowls with no lids or sneeze guards. Watch it for 5 minutes and you'll witness your first little kid reaching for whipped cream with chubby dirty fingers. Shyeet. The sad part is everything I wanted to order here included a trip to the toppings bar so I ordered less delectable menu items to avoid an automatic case o swine flu. The one good thing I will say about Portage is that their turnover time was quick! When we got there the whole waiting area was full so we expected 40 minutes of standing but were ultimately seated at our table within 15 minutes. Now if Portage could just legitimize that toppings bar....
(3)
George L.
service was bad and the food is over hyped.
(2)
Marneaux W.
I'm not sure why it took us so long to finally take some time to eat at Portage Bay! Oh, I remember, because normally when we drive passed, the place is packed to the rafters! Today my hubby and I made it in for an early breakfast (before 9 am) on a Saturday - nice!! OMG, I ordered the smoked salmon omelet. Alot of salmon in that puppy! The omelet was garnished with delicately sliced raw red onion (rings) and capers. Capers also join your smoked salmon inside the omelet. The red potatoes served with were tossed or coated in a subtle paprika seasoning blend...a very nice compliment to the saltiness of the omelet. I can't wait to go again! I really want to try the lemon curd french toast!
(5)
Phil S.
We went here for work with a group of 11.... and got right in even though it was busy. We each got different things and everybody's food looked really good. Mine was terrific. I got the prime rib dip which was very tasty. It came with roasted potatoes. I would definitely order that again. However, some others had gotten some breakfast items which REALLY looked good. In particular a sort of breakfast burrito with chorizo... thats what I'll order next time. Everything there is organic and fresh, and the prices are pretty reasonable considering.
(4)
Brad R.
Cool interior and great food menu. I had the lamb burger which was unbelievable. Then I went back the next day and had the turkey club. Excellent portions and real turkey, not that slimy processed stuff. The beer and wine selection is a bit limited but at least they had 2 local microbrews. I suppose since they are only open until 3pm, they don't expect too many folks to be boozin at lunch.
(4)
Jeff C.
I've come here twice in two days - it was well worth it each time. I ordered the salmon omelet and it was literally overflowing with "salmon goodness." The service was really good and unlike many other places that are super busy, the table we were given was _actually_ clean. It seems to get really crowded, but that's just because the food is really good - its definitely worth the wait.
(4)
Jimmy Z.
This place is pretty much the perfect weekend brunch place. The pancakes are great, and there are plenty of awesome egg dishes for people looking for something else. The highlight (of course) is the pancakes topping bar. This thing is the real deal; every topping you could want and then some. All kinds of fruit, brown sugar, whipped cream, etc. it's perfect. And since it's included with the pancakes the meal really turns out to be pretty inexpensive. The service was also great, especially considering how busy it can get. Look out for a long wait though, it gets really packed on weekends. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because they don't have waffles. That toppings bar is just beginning for some beautiful Belgian waffles! If they ever start serving waffles this place will be a dream come true and I'll update this review to 6 stars!
(4)
Sky A.
This place was great! My wife and I were really lucky and arrived in-between rushes; we were sat immediately (although I heard that lines are typically long). I ended up getting the Duck Confit Fritatta, which was absolutely amazing. My wife got the Rancher's Breakfast, which had some highs and lows. The eggs and sausage were pretty standard; not bad but not really that special. The potatoes were great but what really stood out were the pancakes. The pancakes themselves were really, really good (just the perfect balance of sweetness, nice and fluffy) and it included a trip to the best topping bar I've ever seen. It is expensive here but you are supporting local, sustainable, humane farmers; I felt like the trade-off was worth it.
(4)
Jason B.
Huge portions, quality ingredients, great coffee, nice staff. What's not to love?
(4)
Zachary Sam Z.
Have you ever had that embarrassing moment when you realize a friend or co-worker is wearing the same thing you are? That was me at Portage Bay today. When I sat down to eat with my friend, she said, "Your shirt looks like the ones that all the employees are wearing!" Apparently, the lime green color that the designer chose for a work event a few months ago is a popular one. Although, I think my shirt is cooler. However, in a comparison of my Reuben vs. Portage Bay's, they win hands down. They use Gruyere in their Reubens, which really goes well with the other tastes, and they grill it just the right amount for an excellent sandwich. Trust the guy who grew up in the birthplace of the Reuben! A+ for the focus on the local ingredients. B- for the semi-coarse service, but I give some leeway since it was during toward the end of the lunch rush. I'm semi-afraid of this place being around the corner from my Seattle office. I purposefully avoided getting something to try with the Toppings Bar today after reading Calvin Y's ROTD... I'm afraid I'd never eat anything else for breakfast! Nevertheless, I suspect I will be back to try their French Toast someday soon.
(4)
Eugenia P.
Not only is it local, organic, and made with love... It is freaking deeelicious! My favorite place to treat myself for breakfast. Make it there before 11am to catch the Wildberry French Toast which is deeeeelectable & the Joe's Scramble is great if you're feeling savory! And the service is goooooood & love the fruit toppings bar especially when they have fresh blueberries! Yum! :)
(5)
Andy P.
Great food, really! HOWEVER, this place has become a victim of its own popularity. Service has become overwhelmed, taking almost 20m to just get you a coffee, not to mention that we haven't even ordered food yet. Today it's a Saturday morning and not even a sunny one, i.e. it isn't even that crowded. The owners need to ramp up on the kitchen and the staff or deal with downsizing the place. Less is more sometimes... Update: it's been 45m in to our visit here and we still haven't gotten a single dish yet.
(2)
Shu T.
I'm so glad that we got in for sunday brunch. The food here tasted great. Everything tasted better because it was organic. The bacon was so good. If bacon wasn't so fat, I would eat that all the time. The yogurt and granola I ordered was way too big for me to eat. It was still decently good. The strawberries were so fresh and good. I love fresh fruit for breakfast. I would probably go again sometime.
(4)
Dave M.
Dear Portage Bay Cafe, It was fun for a while, but I've got to break up with you. When we first got together your toppings bar was loaded with fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and more. I loved it and came back often. In the winter months I noticed that many of your fresh berries were replaced by previously frozen berries. "Not a big deal," I thought to myself. After all, it's not the season for berries. I still cared for you inspite of the fact that a few of your servers would stop by our table and glance at our empty coffee and water cups and fail to fill them or even ask if we would like more. I did have a favorite server there that always made sure her tables were happy, and I made a point of telling her she was great at her job. But most of the others.... So, I came to see you in July - the PEAK of berry season. Got my rancher's breakfast and excitedly went to the toppings bar with my pancakes with the hope of seeing the fresh bounty of ripe strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and more. WHAT A DISSAPOINTMENT!!! This is July, not February. Yet, other than fresh slices of strawberries, the rest was the frozen junk. So, it's over for us. Others will continue to see you so you won't be alone. But I know what you once were, and you have fallen.
(2)
Julian V.
This location's alright. I prefer the original better, but this place was still pretty good. The salmon hash is THE. JAM. I think that of all the things Seattle should be proud of, it should be Portage Bay. ......and Ken Griffey Jr.
(4)
Vanessa D.
One of my favourite lunch spots when I still worked in Seattle. The staff are super friendly and quick. The soup and salad specials were always yummy and fresh. The prime rib sandwich is one of the best I have ever had, and it was consistently good. I love the super organic and local business model, but the biodegradable spoons they give you to-go have a tendency to melt in the soup. The only reason I don't put 5 stars is that they don't serve lunch items on the weekend. This has prevented me from having the amazing prime rib sandwich several times when revisiting the area. This makes me sad.
(4)
Amber S.
My most favorite breakfast place in Seattle. Organic ingrediants, big portions, not greasy, just delicious! Best banana fosters french toast I've ever had! Thick challah bread and caramel goodness! They give you the option to visit the toppings bar which has fresh fruit, nuts, whipped cream to add to you plate. But, Im pretty satisfied with my french toast as it is! I also love their many egg options. I often opt for the Migas with is like an egg quesadilla..but only better. I really lke that they have Iserno Chicken Sausage option. They serve brunch until 2pm on weekends and it gets pretty busy, but unfortunately they dont take reservations!
(5)
Angela P.
Have the french toast and then thank me! I was in a bind to find a place to host 20+ people for a surprise birthday breakfast and Portage Bay Cafe came to my rescue! Not only did they place a huge long table for 21 people in the middle of their restaurant (there was a ton of room in this place!), they let us bring balloons, a cake and they even let us yell surprise when the birthday lady walked in! (The other diners might have been annoyed but the staff at Portage Bay were not!) The service was excellent. We had one waiter who made sure everyone had something to drink the moment they sat down.Our food came out quickly and it was delicious. The topping's bar is an awesome idea and I was stoked to see it had all my favorite goodies on it. I loved eating here and will come again. This time with a lot less people!
(4)
Evan J.
Asise from the dropped bacon plate that shattered on my feet, this experience was fantastic. The mushroom sammich and the potatoes were amazing. The reuben was kind of lackluster, in my opinion. Could use more flavorful corned beef and stronger sauce. Will try the duck confit sammich next time. Heard favorable noises from my friend on that.
(4)
G L.
Has to be hands down the best breakfast place I've eaten. Fluffy pancakes with very fresh , seems organic, fruits and toppings bar. Crab Eggs Benedict makes you want to give a high five to the crab you just ate. Potatoes were really well seasoned, Mimosa very fresh and refreshing, and eggs cooked real well. The ham slice wasn't as succulent as i hoped, but packed full of flavor. Large crowds and can be pretty packed!
(4)
Dianna S.
This place is fabulous!! The best brunch I've had in Seattle yet! I had the Ranchers Breakfast which includes 3 eggs, your choice of breakfast meat, potatoes (which were perfect), and your choice of pancakes or french toast. The best thing about this place is the toppings bar which includes, BIG bowls of FRESH strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, almonds, walnuts, cinnamon, sugar, syrup and real whipped cream. They also have gluten-free and vegetarian options. I also had a mimosa which was probably the best mimosa I've had...EVER. They must use quality champagne and freshly squeezed OJ. There is also the option of mixing the champagne with other fruit juices. There is plenty of seating and with high ceilings the volume level is manageable. There might be a 20 minute wait on the weekend but its totally worth it!
(5)
Bob S.
I would have liked to contact the restaurant with this feedback prior to placing the review. Unfortunately, their website has no "Contact Us" link or email address. I've lived in Seattle for about 13 years now. For the majority of those years, I'd known PBC to be a breakfast/brunch place, and I had never been very pleased with the experience (previously, this was based entirely on U-District location). I have always felt their food was mediocre and extremely overpriced. Recently, I discovered they had some lunch options that made this a viable consideration, especially given the convenient South Lake Union location. My favorite option was the Pear Salad. Though there is some variability in quality, it has been a pretty reliable (if still expensive, at $15 with chicken) option for lunch. I have been going there regularly for about 6 months; sometimes up to 3 times a week. Much to my dismay, they've removed the Pear Salad from the menu due to "seasonal updates". There were a number of other menu changes. The most similar alternative, which I tried, was a spinach salad, with bacon, pinenuts, and raisins, and a sherry-based dressing. It was very greasy and heavy, and definitely not a substitute for the pear salad. The positives of PBC are (mostly) very friendly waitstaff (in particular, always had great experiences with Nichole), and convenient location. The negatives of PBC are price, sometimes a very long wait, and food quality (particularly breakfast foods) is nothing to write home about, and certainly nothing to warrant the breakfast and lunch prices they charge. Not sure if I will be attending again.
(2)
Nikki C.
Working near this place its hard to resist to try it at least once... but been here many time thereafter. However I do try to go before the breakfast is closed. The pancakes with the unlimited topping is my fave! I'm a big fan of pancakes and theirs don't disappoint. Just the perfect combination for lunch. Their sandwich/salad combos are just what you need for the afternoon. Overrall , it may get crowded during lunch, but my advise is go a bit early to make it just before the breakfast bar closes and savor the pancakes with the unlimited toppings!
(4)
Shirley L.
Really overrated and overpriced. You can easily get cheaper and better tasting French toast at a family restaurant. Was also unimpressed by the migas -- thought there'd be a topping bar for that as well! Would skip this and just grab a pastry from one of the nearby cafes.
Had gone at around 12 and the place was full of people and could hardly hear the person in front of me... The food was really good ..had a Migas.. which comes with a truck load of cheese, enough to fit for people ... Also had fresh orange juice .. as fresh as fresh can get I guess .... The potatoes were good ... but I guess the fresh fruit would have been better .. I would have given an extra star but the noise made it unbearable to hear with shouting all around ..
(3)
Whitney R.
Someone knows how to cook. I am all about food that has interesting combinations that create tasty compliments to one another. Portage Bay had it baby! I ordered the Southwest Benedict which consisted of jalapeno cheddar cornbread base, with a poached egg sauteed spinach and topped with house smoked tomato and roasted red pepper coulis. Can I get an AMEN! My moms Salmon benedict was awesome as well. I saw a girl order a massive thing of pancakes, and they have challah french toast which is no doubt delicious. Service was outstanding, and the place was welcoming and clean. Loved it!
(4)
Dusan S.
Blah. For all the hype and all the wait and the price of food it is just simply not worth it. It was Friday and it was fairly busy. We got seated right away but then waited for the server for a while. He came over, took our drink orders and then it took quite a while to get those. He was very nice and obviously very busy... He made great mimosas and I liked the coffee. His name was Chad, I believe. I got the rancher's breakfast thing and my boyfriend got the Dave's breakfast with a side of bacon. My scrambled eggs were tasteless, my side potatoes were underwhelming, the sausage was ok. I had a bite of the pancake and that was good. So basically, the best part of my meal was the "one trip to the toppings bar". My boyfriend said his food was "alright". The menu is slightly pretentious. The fried rice daily special had the word "organic" before every ingredient. I got tired by the time I was done reading it. I don't get why people wait forever to sit here, why they pay high prices for food that's mediocre at best. I will not be going back. The good server and the toppings bar earned them the 3rd star, my initial rating was 2.
(3)
Tracy T.
If given a choice between eating here and eating a McDonald's Egg McMuffin out of the wrapper (and accidentally biting off and eating a small chunk of said wrapper)while driving my car I would pick the McMuffin. At least I know I would eat that and it's consistent. I've been to this place 4 times (2 for breakfast, 2 for lunch). I've asked the server for her recommendation once for breakfast, once for lunch. All 4 times my meal was disgusting. Eggs were over-cooked and spongy first time (served alongside OVERseasoned potatoes -- worse than Coastal Kitchen), french dip had slimy (as in should have been thrown out a week ago) mushrooms, raw onions and soggy untoasted bread second time, french toast was burnt on edges and raw in the middle 3rd time and I can't even remember what I ordered for breakfast (it was the server's suggestion) last time but it was inedible. How this place has a line outside on weekends I will never understand. I've honestly had better breakfast at IHOP (and friendly service too). While not touched upon in this review, the general attitude of the wait staff at Portage Bay is worthy of it's own entirley separate review...
(1)
Ling B.
After all my time in Seattle, tried Portage Bay Cafe for the first time today. Liked the setup (high ceilings, well lit, open layout) the food was great plus at an awesome price point. Had the patty melt sandwich with potatoes. The melt was juicy and the bread was fresh, but the potatoes stole the show. So good!!! I've never had potatoes so soft & flavorful. Shocking. Pics of our meal: ling.swingvine.com/view?…
(4)
Chris T.
Seattle has wonderful independent restaurants all over the place, even a Tom Douglas eatery would be much more worth the wait than this place. We were told the wait was 25 minutes, we waited 45. Our waiter was lackadaisical at best; we waited 45 minutes to get our food. We had to ask our waiter to please check on our order because he hadn't returned to the kitchen for about 20 minutes. We sat and watched him tend to the counter, more than pay attention to the tables. We also spoke to the owner who seemed peeved that we had the audacity to even ask if this was normal. BTW, the owner said he'd check on our meal and never returned. To be fair, our french toast was comped. Bottom line, if you want over crowded, long waits for good , not great food, then by all means help yourself.
(1)
Ashley P.
I'll start off by saying I love Portage Bay. But this location needs some work. Every time I go here, I have high expectations, I love the UW location and am blown away by everything when I'm there. So, naturally, I have the same expectations when I come here, especially since the menu is identical! I don't know if the people in the kitchen don't care as much as the other locations, but the food here is mediocre at best. I've been here a number of times and have never been too happy with my experience. I ordered a salad at portage bay UW and absolutely loved it! When I met a friend for lunch here last week I got the same salad. It looked like they just threw it on the plate as if we were in a high school cafeteria, it was drenched in dressing that was pretty flavorless, the chicken was overdone and didn't taste fresh at all. Our waitress was very nice but overwhelmed. Her section was huge and she didn't have any help, not even a water boy. Unfortunately the service was slow but it wasn't her fault. I don't plan on being back at this location until something changes. I want to love this location! I really do! Please make some changes!
(2)
Willow W.
It's pretty amazing how big farm-to-table can get when you plop it in the middle of a city like Seattle. And when it's so dang good! The best thing to do here is go with someone and split two dishes; one sweet and one savory. My original plan was to avoid carbs and load up on fruit, but then I ordered the graham cracker crusted challah french toast. I loaded it up with fruit, but it was still mega-carb laden and I felt ultra full. And then I had a bit of scramble, which was also delicious. It was not as amazing though, so I forgot what it even was, after the French toast experience. The space was nice, though a bit loud, lots of light on a sunny day, cool photos and good service. The fruit bar was just mouthwatering, especially for those who were waiting to be seated. My friend does not like this place, so maybe it's just what I ordered, but I'd be back to try more.
(5)
Something Like a Phenomenon S.
UPDATE: In response to the reviewer who may or may not have been referring to me and said, "Some of these reviews.....how about not being an asshole to restaurant employees? Seriously... [I]f you need something, how about simply asking for it without being a snarky Seattle metrosexual bitch?" I take offense at this, sir. I am not a metrosexual. I am a full-on, 100% homosexual. Thank you.
(2)
Pachi C.
Food: Delicious Service: Friendly Price: On the higher end, but almost everything is organic (avg $10) I love this place! I wish I would've known about it in college, although I probably wouldn' t have frequented due to my non-existent college income. Ingredients are fresh and they definitely pay attention to detail when developing the staples. The fresh toppings bar for the pancakes/french toast was spectacular. The fresh homemade cream light, airy, tasty on almost anything! Hubby had the best omelette I've ever tasted in my life - topped with gouda cheese shavings. They make the french toast with THICK slices of toast. If I lived in Seattle I would come here once a week. Until next time, I will continue to have visions of light, airy, cream topped french toasts dancing in my head...
(5)
Philip K.
Went here for breakfast Easter morning and fortunately we were able to reserve a table which I understand is not normally the case. Glad we had reservations as the line when we left at 11:30 was quite long. I'll skip past the design and decor of the restaurant which is of little concern when it comes to how food actually tastes but I would say that it was very clean inside which usually reflects a clean kitchen staff. I ordered the Rancher's Breakfast and selected eggs over medium, peppered bacon, potatoes and french toast. I have to say that the toppings bar was a nice little touch to allow me to put as much or as little whipped cream and fruit as I like. But the french toast was very very good on its own. The bacon and potatoes were good but the eggs seemed more over easy than over medium. For a fully organic menu, the menu was reasonably priced. Our server was good but not stellar. She seemed a bit disinterested but the other servers were very friendly and picked up where she missed. All in all, I will definitely go back again.
(4)
Carol H.
So many options for a healthy eating lifestyle! Service is somewhat slow but worth the wait. The Banana's Foster french toast was amazing if you have a sweet tooth!
(5)
Bre T.
I really wanted to like Portage Bay. I like the atmosphere and the the toppings bar is super pretty. That being said, the food is mediocre at best. Normally I can look past mediocre food if the atmosphere is great and the prices are reasonable, but not this time. If I'm paying $12-15 per plate for lunch I want to actually like my food. My husband ordered the grilled salmon on a bed of veggies and said that the veggies were undercooked and the romaine was bitter. I took a bite and didn't at all care for the spices that were used. I ordered the turkey club with potatoes on the side. The potatoes were dry (barely edible) and had no flavor. The sandwich was bland but the best thing on both of our plates. I suspect that's because it had bacon and everyone knows that bacon can save just about any dish. We won't be going back. If you want a good lunch on the same block head over to Cactus. Better prices and MUCH better food.
(2)
Saleem M.
Fantastic brunch. Make a reservation--it gets busy-- but worth it!
(5)
Andrea N.
I loooove Portage Bay Cafe! I've been to the location on Roosevelt as well as on the South Lake Union and have never been the least bit disappointed. My latest visit was this past Sunday for brunch. The wait wasn't terrible (about 20 minutes, we were there around 12:30pm, party of 4). Everything on the menu sounds amazing. I always try to get french toast or pancakes so I can visit the amazing toppings bar! For my latest visit I got the Lemon Curd French Toast with blueberries. Mmm. I added more blueberries and some strawberries and whipped cream at the toppings bar. Made for a delicious breakfast. You get 3 HUGE pieces of french toast. I ate 2 and felt positively stuffed. I liked the lemon curd sauce, it added a nice tartness, but I think the Bananas Foster French Toast is still my favorite. My husband got the Rancher's Breakfast with bacon, french toast, eggs over easy. It looks fantastic. The bacon came out very crisp and the eggs look perfectly done. He seemed happy. The other two in our party got an omelette with salmon and scramble with ham and corn in it. They both loved theirs. The breakfast potatoes are amazing. The seasonings are delicious (I snuck a few off their plates). All in all no one was disappointed. The atmosphere was alive and bustling (some may find it too loud or busy). Our server was attentive without stopping by too often. I tend to like visiting the South Lake Union location better than Roosevelt. It's more open where the Roosevelt location feels small, cramped, and crowded. I highly recommend Portage Bay Cafe!
(5)
Josh H.
Huh. Well having braved the original place in the U-district, this place is a huge upgrade. There seem to be a ton of gripes about service in the reviews, but we were pretty pleased with the service. We had 3 kids and 4 adults, and we felt they were actually pretty accomodating. Our waitress forgot an order of bacon, but it wasn't on our bill, and when we saw the mounds of yummy food in front of us, we decided we didn't need it anyway. Because of the kids and the picky adults, we asked our waitress for all kinds of stuff, and she was great. All our food was tasty, and came out hot. Their chorizo scramble is freaking awesome. The kids got Mickey Mouse pancakes, and we had fun putting on toppings at the 'breakfast bar'. Some of these reviews.....how about not being an asshole to restaurant employees? Seriously. This place is jammed for breakfast on the weekends, as in total madhouse. If you don't want to wait, then make a reservation. DUH. And if you need something, how about simply asking for it without being a snarky Seattle metrosexual bitch? They're called 'manners'. Do some reseach on the issue. [sassylatina] Oh no you didn't! [/sassylatina] Yes madam, I did.
(5)
Cameron W.
O. M. G. Seriously? Banana's foster french toast? Next thing you're going to say is that someone actually makes icecream with coffee from Vivace. Oh wait...that's a different review. Portage Bay Cafe provides a very good, hearty meal -and it seems like they are striving to do all that all while using "Earth friendly" ingredients. I can't vouch for the validity of that (as I read this on their brochure on the table) but can confirm - whole heartedly - that the food is pretty darn good. I was in there the other day with some friends visiting from out of town and we ordered a meal very non-earth friendly - we had four people at breakfast and ordered 6 meals! It was an insane amount of food and was caused mostly because we were all starving when the waitress took our order. I'd recommend the bananas foster french toast or the Ranchers Breakfast which is 3 eggs, 2 very large pancakes, bacon or sausage , their amazing roasted potatoes, and a trip to their fruit bar. One thing to think about though is the french toast is VERY sweet - almost more a dessert than a breakfast.
(4)
Kjell C.
I'm really annoyed with this place right now, and giving it a 1 star, not because the food is a 1 star, but because the people who work there typically (at least in my last 4 run-ins with them) are braindead yes-men who can't think for themselves, nor respond like a normal human being would to someone who had a concern. Why do they do this? I am guessing because they get so many complaints that they aren't allowed to try to resolve themselves that they just zone out and hear peoples' orders like "bla bla bla bla bla". Here are my previous runins: 1) Probably 4 years ago, when I first go to the one in the U District. Line's long, but that attracts me. Get a spot after like 20 minutes and I'm in the center of a large room with no privacy. This kinda sucks. I don't really want to sit next to two other couples on each side of me. I order the food, and I am interested in the toppings bar. So I go with this one. The waitress is nice, and when I get my food, I run over to the toppings bar. Half of the fruit is fresh, half of it is frozen and defrosted, and it looks like a decent variety. I grab some of everything and it's good. I finish the meal with a bit of a stomach ache, but it was good, so yay. Rating: 3.5/5 I'd go again, but not too often. 2) Go with on a date with a girl this time. 30 minute wait this time. She gets the waffle+fruit, and we have to pay extra to share it (dumb? yes, especially since I ordered my own meal and just wanted to have a few bites of hers). I order the potatoes, ham and eggs probably. Same problem with being seated in the middle again, and today, im in a good mood since I'm on a date with a girl I like. I am friendly to the waitress, but I guess she feels as cramped and annoyed as I am with the seating arrangements made in this place. She's quick and her inability to really focus on conversating for the few seconds we did is rude. Eat, I feel sick again after, but in a different way. Those potatoes, although they're kinda good, they're also kinda sick. 3) Go with a friend to the Terry Ave one. No line, but I get there early and tell one of the hosts that I am waiting for a friend and just want to check if he's there already. He seems annoyed I want to check, and I don't feel welcome in the place. It's fairly empty, so I don't know why he's being rude. Wait for my friend as 3 of their employees stand there just chatting to each other, bragging about this and that as if they're used car dealers. My friend gets there, and I stand up and we talk to the same host we talked to before. Instead of addressing me, he addresses my friend, as if he has never seen me before even though I just talked to him and have been sitting in his line of sight for the last five minutes. We get taken to our seats and our waitress comes to greet us. She gives us some of the most awkward conversation I've had for a waitress in my life. We talk to her a few seconds and maybe ask her about some of the food. She seems annoyed we're asking questions, and when we try to joke, she just gets quiet. It's as if she thinks she's in some upscale dining establishment in New York City, and we're drunk college kids or something, looking down at us for not knowing the menu. Get through this and order. Our food comes and I got the fruit + 1 pancake. I get up and get my fruit, and EVERYTHING is either dried or frozen/thawed fruit, and the selection is small. I am disappointed. I top my pancake and eat it, not even getting half way through it because it's so bad tasting. My friend ordered granola with yogurt, and he gets this plate that looks like it's for pasta in the olive garden with maybe a small yoplait scoop of yogurt and 2x the granola. Now, I don't know about you, but this is NOT how parfaits are made. Granola is dry, and most people don't want to eat 2/3 granola, 1/3 yogurt. My friend gets half way through, and asks the waitress for more yogurt. She seems annoyed again. It comes, and it's still lacking in the amount of yogurt there is, but at least its 50/50 now. The bill comes, and it turns out that my friend was charged $3 extra for a scoop of yogurt. He asks about that, and says how this is not how parfaits are made usually. She says that this is just the way they do it, and doesn't even apologize for the misunderstanding. She doesn't try to comp the yogurt either. And since she didn't even say it would cost extra for extra yogurt, that was more than annoying. And don't get me wrong, it's not as if the money is really the issue. He makes 90k/ year and I make 70k/year, and we can afford an extra $3 for yogurt. It's just the bad service, the poor communication, and the ridiculous prices for underwhelming food with service fairly comparable to Beth's Cafe (except Portage Bay is cleaner). 4) Only got a few more characters, but their catering service communication was just as bad as in restaurant. Clumsy, looking down on me, not talking to me like I am human, addressing all questions, or responding normal.
(1)
Jason R.
I live in Cap Hill, so my usual brunch spots are up on Broadway, but yesterday we hopped on our bikes and coasted down to PBC. It was 11AM on a Friday, so not busy at all. Service was very good. I ordered the Bananas Foster French Toast, which is three ginormous slices of challah. I ate one slice and was stuffed. This morning I ate the second slice, so I actually got three full meals out of the deal. The toppings bar (w/ lots of fresh fruit) is a big plus too. I did think the syrup was a bit too sweet, but I should have known what I was getting myself into. Bananas Foster is a dessert after all. My wife had the Chicken Basil Sausage Hash, and I skimmed a few bites. Very tasty; I especially liked the yams/sweet potatoes, nice upgrade from regular potatoes. Her portion was huge as well, easily three meals' worth of food. I rated this "$$" to reflect the menu price, but it's really a "$" unless you eat too much or can't take your leftovers. And finally, they have outdoor seating so this will be a great summer lunch spot for all of us Amazonians moving to SLU over the next year. Can't wait to come back and try the lunch menu.
(5)
Maya W.
Their French Toast (from challah bread) is amazing. I always opted to get the topping bar... the blackberry compote is so yummy. I went there almost everyweek (for 3 months) during my pregnancy. Healthy , natural and yummy. What else do you want =) I especially love this branch, The chance of you getting a table (without waiting) is bigger in this branch if you do not mind seating in the bar table (small parties only though). Warning: Huge portion =)
(5)
Bob H.
Great place. Love the focus on organic and sustainable. Little loud but it added to the energy of the place. Buckwheat pancakes were great! Especially when topped with fresh strawberrys and blueberries.
(4)
Jennifer K.
After the St. Patty's Day Dash in the snow & rain, we came here to warm up and eat some delicious brunch and warm coffee. Dungeness Crab Cakes Benedict were very tasty - I loved the sauce. I have had this dish before at the U-District location and I liked it better at the U-District location, but it was still pretty tasty. Service was not bad, especially since it was super crowded. In fact, immediately after we paid our bill, a waiter and a manager swooped in to our table to ask how we enjoyed our visit and to remind us that we arrived at the perfect time (read: we were leaving not a moment too soon :). I love that the food is organic, fresh and local. The atmosphere is great and I would definitely return again.
(4)
Joey F.
Amazingly delicious food! Considering the ingredients, it is very reasonably priced. The only issue is the wait but even with tons of people, you get the food at a decent speed.
(4)
Mei C.
I really enjoyed this place. The portions are great - I ordered french toast and country potatoes...big problem - I couldn't eat all the potatoes because my frech toast portions were huge; at least 1.5" thick and 5-7" long - 3 pieces! You get one trip to the "toppings" table where you have array of choices; strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, whipped cream, butter, syrup, and a few other seasonal toppings. When I left there and went back to work...I nearly fell asleep. The food was absolutely delicious - great portions, reasonable price, but the service can improve - slow.
(4)
Mavin C.
They are only open until 2:30pm and you better be in the mood for brunch, because their lunch menu is almost non-existent. I always go somewhere else when I see the giant line, it is just not worth 45 min wait for breakfast. Came back the next day and attempted to order the Spinach Salad. However, they were out of the dressing and the blue cheese. Sadly, this was after waiting for table service for at least 20 minutes. There's some places which just seem to be busy, because they have a line.. it must be good! Well, the service isn't, the hours aren't and the food is mediocre.
(1)
Shin Yi L.
I'm not quite sure what the fuss is over the wait if you don't call ahead and make reservations. Instead of the owner thanking me for making reservations, I should be thanking him for taking reservations!! Our server was friendly, accommodating and knew the menu well. I got the daily special - broccoli summer hash which was yummy and not greasy. My friend's granola challah French toast (with access to the breakfast bar) was delicious too!
(5)
Steve O.
I'm really glad to see that I am not alone in my criticism of this place (I often am). First, the good parts; the food. We had an awesome brunch yesterday! Now the bad part; if, as I see you have been informed quite a few times, your ability to seat people is challenged, then why the f*ck don't you do something about it!? Let me do a quick breakdown for you: - You are serving brunch, which means many of your guests have skipped breakfast. - You have a long wait, which you lie about repeatedly robbing the guest of the opportunity to act on factual information. By this I mean, tell me I have thirty minutes and I can assess my blood sugar. Tell me I have an hour to wait and I can determine that I need to go elsewhere to avoid the crash. - You finally seat the guest after the hour long/reported thirty minute wait and then make them wait THIRTY FIVE MINUTES FOR THEIR FOOD!!! You're not doing anyone any favors and you are wasting a great kitchen staff by alienating visitors before they even get to enjoy the fine food. I will not be back, I would recommend others find a more considerate choice and I am saddened by both of those facts given the amazing food I was finally served.
(1)
Lulu C.
My farmer's scramble was Salt City. You know what happens when you pour salt on a slug? It was like that, except the slug was my tongue. Pity, because it's a great atmosphere with friendly staff and all of my brunch companions' orders looked delicious. I could be persuaded to come back to try the fruit topping bar that other Yelpers have highlighted. But it will be awhile before I stop reaching for water at the mention of Portage Bay.
(2)
Alaina W.
My bf picked this place out (via Yelp) while we were taking our Texan friends out for brunch. What a choice!! Man. This place has delicious choices. And I was stuck between four of them. When I finally chose, it was because I wanted to try something that was on the seasonal menu to at least try it before it vanishes. The shrimp curry omurice was great. However, the star of the show was the bananas foster French toast my bf got. Not overly sweet like I thought it'd be. Bonus? He got a trip to the toppings bar. The only downside? Service was meh. But they were busy. Sooooo I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Also-- get there early or have some activities planned while you wait for your table. It can be over an hour on the weekends.
(5)
John G.
First time in Seattle. Wait was long, but we were seated surprisingly fast. The french toast was tasty, coffee was hot, and service was professional. The reason I give 5 stars is because the waitress was prompt and kept up with how long our food would take. Also, the fruit bar was amazing. Great experience for a first time visitor.
The food was extremely good and the place felt alive. There's a toppings bar for your breakfast foods and the prices are $10-15. Service was quick and friendly. I would recommend it to most everyone :)
(5)
Mary G.
Great food, great atmosphere and great service in a great location. The downside is that it's very noisy and chaotic on a Sunday for breakfast, but that's because it's so good and everyone wants to eat here. We go to Seattle several times a year and always try to go here for breakfast. Food comes out fast, hot, fresh, and tasty!
(4)
Holly C.
Portage Bay is absolutely delicious! I've only gotten breakfast food here because of the breakfast bar that comes with it. The breakfast bar is a huge toppings bar that has seasonal fruit, homemade whipped cream, organic syrup, and a couple of other toppings. The portions are humongous, and the price is really good for the area! I would highly recommend visiting for lunch or brunch!
(5)
K D.
I joined Yelp specifically to post this review after contacting the manager directly and finding them completely, shockingly uncaring in their response. I guess we should have known better when we arrived and were led to the overflow back "private" dining room. While it was quieter than the din in the main room, the ambiance was akin to a storage closet. Water dripped onto our table from a pipe overhead and deliveries were actually made in the room while we were dining. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The waitress was perfectly nice, but it took over 40 minutes for our food to arrive. Our drinks were served in paper cups. We aren't vegetarian -- just were looking for tasty, light options and I wish the waitress had warned my husband off the Jackfruit Torta. It was awful. I ordered the garden burger, which was mushy, lukewarm and an altogether sad patty. While my Mother in Law said she enjoyed the flavor of her Prime Rib sandwich, there was quite a bit of fat and gristle left at the side of her plate, and I think she really just didn't want to complain to us because she knew we were trying to take her out for a nice meal. I'm not the type of person to flame a place on yelp--my brother in law owns two restaurants and I know how tough the business can be without angry patrons attacking you in a public forum. That said, my husband and I both contacted the manager INDEPENDENTLY (without realizing the other had done it), and the manager was so rude and uncaring I feel there's no alternative. His response to us was: I'll try the sandwiches myself today. My only satisfaction is that he'll have to eat them too. If I can save ONE PERSON from wasting their time and money here, my time has been well spent. Honestly, I was SO disappointed with the meal. Not only was the food bad, it was not inexpensive and more importantly we all left feeling like we'd really been cheated out of an experience. While the SLU location seems to serve as a de facto cafeteria for Amazon and UW Medicine, it was pretty obvious that we weren't office workers just looking to fuel up while we discussed business. We had Grandma in tow, for goodness sake. Had anyone given us the option of a better table, or even plastic cups, we would have taken it. Had the waitress comped us with dessert or taken a meal charge off after it took so long for the food to arrive, we might have been mollified slightly. Guiding us to some other dishes on the menu would have been even better. ANY other restaurant, even the hot dog cart on the street would have been a better experience. The fact that the management didn't care enough to even make an effort to restore good will after we exchanged multiple calls and emails just proves that business is too good to worry about keeping customers. Lucky for them, I guess, but oh-so-unlucky for the unsuspecting patron who walks in for lunch on the next busy day.
(1)
J L.
I came to Portage Bay with expectations running high.... Maybe too high... To celebrate my birthday, & to enjoy a part of the city we haven't been to, we came to the South Lake Union store. We got there at lunch... No lines, sat right down... & from there the experience deteriorated... I ordered the Roasted Pork Sandwich, my wife had ordered the Prime Rib Dip Sandwich... I ordered a coffee, my wife sticking to just ice water... We waited while others sat after us and were served (maybe they'd called ahead?)... The Portage Bay has such a hype, the food will just make the waiting worth it... When it arrived it did look inviting... The bun of my sandwich had signs that it was supposed to be warm, but the inside was tepid at best, the bun room temperature, the pork tender and cold leaving a fatty, nearly tasteless taste in my mouth, with an off-taste at the end that was indescribable... I had the accompanying soup... Tomato Beet.... This too arrived just a few degrees above room temperature, but was spiced enough to warm your palette in spite of the soup's chilly arrival... The best part of my lunch was the bun, followed by the soup... Turning to my wife's Prime Rib Dip... She had her first bite and was greeted with a lukewarm sandwich with room-temperature au jus for dunking.... Again leaving a disagreeable coating of one's mouth that one didn't want or expect... Her's came with home-fries that were tasty in spite of being nearly room temperature... There can be any number of contributing factors... *Our waitress was also running food to the private dining room, *Our cooks are preparing all the sandwiches on the grill & not keeping things far enough apart that other flavors are running into where they're not supposed to be, *There's the possibility a cook was sick, a server was sick... And our experience suffered greatly because of it... We were asked the standard "How was everything?", but this came from the waitress that brought us cold, odd tasting food to begin with... We let her box up what we didn't eat (most of both sandwiches)... We left her 17% tip as well... Both of us worked many years in the restaurant biz & will always tip generously... We purposely left our take out on our table, neither of us wanted to experience that again for dinner... Our waitress chased us down at the curb to get it to us, we waited for her to go back inside and I tossed it at the nearest trash can.... I soooo wanted to have a great meal at a seemingly epic establishment, but I really don't think I can come back and give it another try..... Sad....
(2)
Dany M.
If you're about local farming and gluten free pancakes, I recommend this place! The service was great and the menu consists of some recipe creatives! Beyond the gluten sensitive menu and good customer service this is a great place for couples and go ups to enjoy an outstanding breakfast! Hands down healthy and tasty!
(4)
Ryan P.
This place has some awesome breakfast! It was well worth the 35-40 minute wait, but the service wasn't the best. I enjoyed a tasty mocha made by the baristas upfront while waiting for a table. The bananas foster french toast, salmon omelet and the self-serve fruit/toppings bar was tasty. Mojito's were awesome! I can see why there's always a wait. There just aren't enough upper-scale breakfast places around Seattle, so this place does a killer business. I would suggest they open more locations and have adequate wait staff to improve the level of service.
(4)
David J.
I've been coming here since they opened. The food has always been good service has always been poor. Last visit was for gay pride brunch with a group of 8. Coffee was offered to some not others. No cream and sugar, we had to fend for ourselves. Our table was missing cutlery for some people, when we told the server she said she would get it. Never happened, we had to get it ourselves. Breakfast came out late and not all at once. The first three came out then five minutes latter four more came out. The last person got theirs after everyone else had finished. No "I'm sorry". The man in the blue dress shirt who appears to be the manager walks around and looks busy as he has since they opened, but he has no controll over the actual service of the staff. Everyone in our group all mentioned that there are plenty of employees running around but very little getting done. All of us, 8, said that the service has gotten so bad that they have now lost our bussness. .
(1)
Sherry S.
This place was filled up at 9am on a Sunday - dang! Lucky we decided to head over when we did. First thing you see when you walk in is an island full of big containers of yummy colorful strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and whipped cream to top it off! WOW... If you have kids that's a fav I am sure. The menu is full of PC (politically correct) food. And I mean this as in my favorite type of food, food that no matter what you pick on the menu it's not going to hurt you as much as vegetables/fruits that have been sprayed by chemicals, or animals that have been fed antibiotics etc. This food won't encourage bad behavior of your health. This is the real deal. I ordered their special which was white and green asparagus, with crimini mushrooms, tomatoes, potatoes and eggs. I don't always notice the flavor of eggs but I really could taste them as they were fresh. To top it off they have Annie's ketchup at the table.
(4)
Kelly M.
This place was every bit as good as I was expecting. The wait was super long so we ended up sitting outside to avoid the wait, it was really cold that day. I had the oatmeal french toast and it was amazing. The oatmeal crust was the perfect compliment to the soft french toast. I also ordered a peppermint latte which was amazing. I will be going back here for sure!
(5)
Ann L.
Berry bar = awesome. Bananas foster french toast = desert for breakfast. So why only three stars? Because they charged me $3 for a coffee. Not a latte. Not a mocha. A COFFEE. I disagree with that completely. You don't overcharge customers for that. Sorry.
(3)
Rachelle L.
Place was great for breakfast! I had pancakes with addition of fruit and whip cream bar! It was awesome! Server was so kind! People are too critical...it's breakfast not a steakhouse! But food and service were awesome!
(5)
Bernadette C.
Our Seattle buddies took us New York folk here for brunch while visiting, and it made my life. I freaking love this place. Brunch is nothing new to an NYC girl, but it was honestly the best brunch I have had in a long time. Lucky for us my friend had the foresight to get a reservation and we were seated pretty quickly despite the horde of people waiting, and as we passed by the toppings bar, I figured out why the line was out the door. All their food looked and tasted really fresh and really delish. Not too greasy and more inspired than your typical poached eggs over some bed of arugula. I had the duck and goat cheese omelet, and I almost wanted to throw myself into a wall, so that if I died, at least this would be my last meal. My husband went for the toppings for his waffle and was pretty pleased. Of all seven us, we left happy and satisfied with everything we ordered. Did I mention the mimosas with your choice of fresh juice? Ahhhhhh! My only quam with the place is how crowded it is, but I guess that's what happens when you serve up some seriously tasty brunch.
(5)
Sin T.
Came here for brunch with a couple of friends and to my surprise this place reminds me so much of Urth Cafe in LA! The only thing that was missing was espressos and baked goods everything else was pretty similar. Organic fruits and veggies along with local ingredients!! Staff is friendly and space is opened which can get pretty loud depending on the crowd. Parking is available on the street or garage. Must come and try. EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN!!
(4)
Jason B.
After hearing a lot of great things about this place, I ate here and was not disappointed. I ordered the Phil's Breakfast and was very surprised at how delicious the eggs were. It was incredibly fluffy and tasted much better than any other restaurant's eggs I've been to. The bacon was also very delicious and didn't taste as "fatty" as bacon normally tastes like. Though, the toast and potatoes were a little bland, they were still good. The most famous part of what I heard about Portage Bay was the fruit, and it lived up to its hype. The fruit tasted and felt fresh and wished I could have went back for more, but since it was my first time, I wasn't sure if we were technically allowed to :o. All in all, the food and environment was great and at a decent price. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a good breakfast meal.
(4)
Emily M.
I've always heard wonderful things about this place so I decided to check it out with my family. Sadly, I don't think I'll be going back. Initially, I noticed the place was quite loud. I understand that a lot of Seattle restaurants can be that way, and I usually ignore that when the food is good. As you can probably guess, it wasn't. I ordered the classic eggs benedict. When the plate arrived, it had very little hollandaise sauce. That wouldn't have been a problem if the eggs were properly poached, but only one was. The other had a solidified yoke, leading to a dry benedict. I also felt that the english muffin was a let down. While I can appreciate the restaurant's goal of making much of their breads and other foods, I had hoped it would taste better. Instead, I would have preferred a premade, non-organic muffin. As for the potatoes, they were very, very seasoned. I figure that's a preference thing, and while it's not my taste, I know it's others' taste. However, several of the potatoes were also burnt. Not in a good, crispy way, but in a rubbery, difficult to chew way. For the price of this breakfast, I expected a lot more. My boyfriend order Phil's breakfast I believe. He got eggs over easy, and while the yolks were perfectly runny, the whites were unfortunately runny as well. He notified the waitress that the whites were undercooked and she, without apologizing, returned with new eggs that also appeared slightly underdone. My boyfriend also questioned whether the chicken sausage was raw, but decided not to mention it since he had already returned the plate once. Finally, I thought the service was lacking. It took awhile for my boyfriend to get anyone's attention about the undercooked egg whites. As for myself, my water never got refilled despite being empty for half an hour. It's nice that coffee refills are so prompt, though. I should add that my boyfriend's brother got the pancakes and really got them. It seems hit or miss. It was a miss for me, and at that price I would much rather go to many of the other restaurants in Seattle that offer brunch.
(2)
Davd M.
The food is AMAZING! The fruit bar is out of this world. You can taste the freshness in every bite. If you want breakfast food, you will not be disappointed here!
(5)
Michelle H.
This is one of the best places to get breakfast near downtown. The classic pancakes were so delicious plain, add fruit from the fruit bar and they're even yummier! I went there twice on my visit to Seattle and loved it. I got pancakes both times and my husband got a crab Benedict the first time and migas the second. Ridiculous portions!(that's my only complaint ...haha)
(5)
Marla B.
This was awesome! Great service (I think we got the best table in the house) wonderful food and coffee. Make a reservation...save the disappointment!!
(5)
Alison A.
Insanely phenomenal brunch! They offer the biggest/thickest French toast I've ever seen. Full fruit and toppings bar as well. Salads are very fresh and delicious too! Note: get there early for lunch otherwise the wait can be out the door!
(4)
Joy H.
We went at 8am on a Saturday and could not believe how many people there were already! The portion sizes were touted as "huge" and when I got my Rancher's breakfast, I was a little disappointed because it was hyped up SO much as being so big that I was expecting a lot! Don't get me wrong - I still needed a box, but I guess I was thinking that I needed a shopping bag to take home my food! =) The topping bar is a huge draw with fresh berries and canned peaches & cherries along with whipped cream and nuts - the perfect additions to customize any pancake, waffle, or french toast! My breakfast was really good - the French Toast was fluffy (I just came back from a cruise where they served James Beard's French Toast recipe so I've not met a french toast that compares ever since), the chicken sausages looked more like hamburger patties (flavorful but a little dry), and the standard eggs and chili tossed potatoes. I can't complain about anything (though it is a little pricey and I'm not a fan of the sharing fees - $6 to share the Rancher's) and am excited to return soon!
(4)
Kevin J.
The food was great. I had the rancher's breakfast that included an option for a slice of French toast and a pancake which were both great. I do have to pick the huge pancake over the French toast, but I'd have been happy with either one. The toppings bar in the center of the restaurant really did make it for me though, just dumping on loads of fruit and whipped cream all over those really me just about ignore the rest of the breakfast. The strawberries and blueberries were both fresh. Bacon was good, but the potatoes were a bit overcooked. I did just walk in on a Sunday, and they were able to seat me at the bar immediately. The service was a bit lacking as this is the first time I've been in a restaurant where the food took so long the server accidently asked if I'd like my bill just as he realized I hadn't eaten yet. It was Sunday at noon so I can cut them a break for being part of the noon bunch crowd.
(4)
Murray P.
Five stars, and that doesn't happen often. Everyone who knows me knows dinner is my favorite meal to go out, breakfast, not so much. But Im wild about portage bay! My first time in I had an eggs benedict special and it was to die for. Im not a huge connoisseur of eggs benedict, so I cant compare it to much, but this was amazing. It was a Saturday morning, so we did have to wait roughly 15 minutes to be seated, but I would have waited for an hour. Plus, you get to enjoy free coffee while you wait! Second time in I had the "migas" and I added the mushrooms and chorizo, once again, absolutely amazing! Huge portions too. Now, lets talk price and quality. Its slightly more expensive then your usual quick cheap breakfast ($12 - $20), but its worth it. The portions are large, the food is unbeatable and they are truly dedicated to focusing on local, sustainable, healthy ingredients. If you have the money and you want a nice breakfast experience, check it out. I will definitely be coming back. The mimosa is my personal favorite.
(5)
Taylor C.
I love brunch. Places like Portage Bay are the reason. Beside the large crowd and decently large wait for a table (easily shortened with a trip to the nearby Starbucks) everything was wonderful. Brunch decisions usually end with me trying to satisfy both my sweet and savory cravings. This morning was no different. That being said, I think I made great decisions on both ends. I ordered the oven-baked french toast, which is soaked overnight with... french toast stuff and came out hot and gooey. On the side I ordered the ham steak, which was a huge step up from typical breakfast hams, and was similarly delicious. It doesn't hurt to have free access to the fruit.butter/whipped cream/toppings bar as well. Feel free to pile on the berries and butter as high as you need. We also ordered a mimosa pitcher, which comes with your choice of fresh juices. Are they just a tad expensive? Depends on what you are used to. Regardless, don't skimp on your order when it comes time. You'll want to indulge
(5)
David H.
Overrated. The biggest problem is managing expectations at the hostess desk. Our party of 5 was told "35-40 minutes" but after an hour we kept getting "you're next!" or "just a few minutes more!" It was an hour and fifteen by the time we were seated. Service was adequate after that, but my crabcakes benedict was decidedly undercooked, to the point where I had clear egg whites pooling on my plate around tepid, mushy crabcake mix. Gross. The rest of the meals at our table were fine, but nothing to write home about. I didn't want to ruin the mood of the table so I just endured. Overall just disappointing.
(2)
Rebekah Y.
Best breakfast place I have been too!! Loved the vegan banana pancakes with my choice of toppings from the bar! My husband loved the classic French toast with fruit from the bar. We will be heading back!!
(5)
Jeff M.
Eh, I wasn't overly impressed but they seem to lean towards health foods which really isn't in my wheelhouse. This limited my choices, but was able to find eggs and French Toast. Neither was all that good. The eggs were too runny and their French Toast really didn't do it for me. I didn't like how they had a condiment bar, either. For a place that wants to be healthy, this seemed the complete opposite.
(2)
Kristian L.
SO MUCH FOOD!!! I wish it wasn't so busy though. Good thing they have a bar section (first come first served). We ended sitting at the bar so our wait wasn't too long. Loved the pancake and toppings!!! Didn't like the chicken sausage though...it was a bit dry.
(4)
Jqlin X.
Delicious! Fantastic Service- quality of ingredients- excellent!
(5)
Smart Shopper P.
So yummy!!! Only suggestion would be to bring out plates as soon as they are ready and not wait for other orders. We had one breakfast served cold but the server was very nice and had them remake the meal. Great place, can't wait to go back.
(4)
Wan-Lin T.
So disappointing. 1 word: overrated! First, my partner and I went there during their busy Saturday brunch hours. We knew there would be a wait and when I gave my name to the hostess, she said it would be an hour wait. The hostess looked so overwhelmed and wrote my name down on a legal pad with a long list of other names. We were 45 minutes into our wait when another couple came in to get a table too. I left to use the restroom (leaving my partner to wait for our table) and when I got back, I saw the same couple (who just came in) seated at a table all ready. I was livid and told the hostess. I was able to look at her list too and there were several names after mine that were crossed out because they were seated before my party. The hostess said she could seat me now but only outside. I was already annoyed and now I continued to be annoyed sitting outside in the brisk cold weather. After getting our food, we had to wait another 5 minutes for the wait staff to gather our silverware. I had the breakfast hash that was tasty except for the burnt bits. I had a carrot that was burnt black on one side and orange on the other side. For paying over $40 for breakfast for 2, this restaurant should have better organized service and food.
(1)
Malea B.
One of my favorite brunch spots in Seattle. If you come here and don't order breakfast, you're crazy. I usually get the Rancher's Breakfast with a side of challah French toast, or the Migas. Both are exceptionally tasty and grant you a trip to the magical toppings bar. And added bonus, everything is local and/or organic. I've tried a lot on their breakfast menu and nothing has disappointed me yet. However, I'm not particularly taken with their lunch selection. Don't let the long wait on the weekends steer you away. Totally worth it.
(5)
Kristine H.
A rarity for me - a short review. A long while back, I came here for a Yelp Elite event. It was a progressive dinner to showcase several restaurants in the South Lake Union area. The menu items offered to us were flavourful and plentiful. The dining space is spacious and full of natural light. The servers at the event were very friendly and attentive. I've been to the U-District location several times and enjoyed each visit. From my singular experience there, and if I required lunch in South Lake, I'd return here for the Albacore spinach salad or maybe I'd indulge in the duck confit baguette.
(3)
Calah Y.
Before yesterday, I had only been to the location at Roosevelt Way (Portage Bay Cafe and Catering) and loved it so I figured I'd give this place a shot. Service gets 1 star from me. The sides of food on my plate and the fresh bar give it the three stars. This location was larger and it had more of an industrial feel to it than the other "cozy" location. This location offered the worst service I'd had in a very long time. We were seated immediately, but I kid you not, it took 20 minutes for our waitress to take our drink order. Not acceptable, especially when she was skipping around us and taking orders from people who came in after us...like we were invisible. When she finally did show up, there was no friendliness going on. It was a Thurday morning. I'd hate to see this girl on a Monday morning. Terrible service aside, my eggs were poorly executed to the point that I almost sent them back, but I figured it would take another hour to get the attention of our incognito waitress and get another order. I had ordered Phil's breakfast with two over easy eggs. They were an attempt at over easy, but the whites were so runny that they were spreading out over my entire plate and into my other food. Turned my stomach (like a record, baby) for sure. On a positive note, my egg white-coated sides of food still tasted pretty solid. The cracked pepper encrusted bacon was super crisp, yet melt in your mouth good and I loved the hint of pepper. The potatoes were well seasoned but I would have preferred them to be a bit more crisp. The bread of the toast was very fresh. Our daughter had the kids pancake. She enjoyed the fresh bar and as with the other location, the toppings from the bar were fresh and delicious. The pancake was shaped like Mickey Mouse, a nice touch for sure. The pancake was ginormous...much larger than any kid that I know of could polish off. I'd like to see them decrease the size a bit and drop the cost by about $1. Do yourself a favor and go to the other location.
(3)
Brian C.
I wondered why there was always a wait at this place and still and after eating their last weekend, I'm still trying to figure it out. The service was mediocre at best. My bananas foster french toast was drenched in some highly rich, chocolate flavored syrup. I was going to go to the toppings bar but was repulsed by the number of unattended children putting their hands in inappropriate places while at the bar. So, forget that idea. Seattle has so many other choices when it comes to good breakfasts.
(3)
Ryan N.
Trendy weekend breakfast crowd. Food is surprisingly good considering it's suppose to be organic/all-natural. Wait time for weekend brunches are your typical 30+ mins. (sorry no reservations). Seasonal weekday brunch specials e.g. Okonomiyaki Pecan Pie French Toast (say whaaaa?!?!?) QUICK TIP: You can't go wrong with anything on the menu! The toppings bar rule!
(5)
Laura C.
Fantastic service. Something for everyone. Great for groups and kids. I had a less than favorable experience at Portage Bay Cafe location in the U-District and definitely wasn't interested in checking out this location. This morning, my sister and I were craving pancakes and finally decided to give it a chance. We walked in and were greeted with smiles and friendly conversation. We were seated within minutes and our server checked in with us swiftly. She was friendly, reasonable and attentive; not overly in our face, but didn't leave us alone for too long. The place was packed, but I still felt like we were cared for. The toppings bar was really well attended to (I was worried because self-serve stations can get messy and gross) and all the fruit was fresh and beautiful. Our food came quickly and we didn't have to wait long for our check, but didn't feel hurried either, even though the waiting area was packed. I'll definitely be back to this location as I was pleasantly surprised!
(4)
Autumn J.
Portage Bay is one of my favorite breakfast places in Seattle. The food and the service are always good. I get French toast every time I go. I have never tried one I did not like...though the apple one could be the best. The topping bar is sweet and they have mimosas! I love a place that is consistently good. I have been numerous times and have never walked away disappointed.
(5)
John D.
This place used to be good until the decided to switch their waiters/waitresses with sorority girls. They are rude, slow and they just don't care. The food takes a lot to get to your tble, it usually arrives cold and it's not as good as it used to be. Also the reservations are optional... for them, they decide if they want to honor them or not.
(2)
Eve T.
Great place to eat after running a half marathon. What more can you want than stuffing your face with fresh fruits, loads of protein, and more carbs? I ordered a smoked salmon omelette with potatoes and a slice of wheat toast on the side. I gobbled that thing down faster than my first mile running time. (Partly because I was starving but mostly because it was just THAT AMAZING). The fluffy eggs, the perfectly smoked salmon, the fresh roe and capers on top...yum. Portage Bay is unique in that they bake their breads in house, they cure and smoke their own meats and seafood, they're organic, sustainable, fair-trade. Their service is impeccable- our server was friendly and always checking up on us even though there were, what seemed, a million other customers to care for. I will definitely be back for more!
(4)
Sin-Yaw W.
On my way to South Lake Union, we turned from Serious Biscuit (now called Dahlia's Workshop?) and bumped into a group of people waiting for tables. The draw is clearly the "topping bar" where you put whatever you wish, berries, whipped cream, syrup, and cut fruits on your waffle/pancake/french toast. We did not go for that. Instead, we shared a "Phil's Breakfast" and a special of the day: Bioche. It is a fluffy and sweet bread that was warm and tasty, particularly with the hazelnut ice cream on the side. I think I will come back for breakfast if I am in the mood for a largeish one.
(4)
Jolene S.
This is my all-time favorite breakfast joint in Seattle. Yes, it's pricey, but you are getting super quality food. I have never had a bad plate of food. It's worth the wait for a table! The coffee itself (Fonte) is what initially had me going back for more... Parking is sometimes a task, but you can usually get there with a very tiny walk. I would totally give this place 5 stars, except that there have been a few times that our wait staff were either non-attentive, or appeared to have permanent angst at the world.
(4)
Holly N.
On principle alone, I can't give this place more than three stars. It's unfortunate, but true. We arrived about 10 minutes early on a Saturday for our reservation at 11:30am. To our great surprise, our tables were not ready for over an hour. I say "tables" because our reservation was for 30 PEOPLE. Friends of mine were getting married in Seattle and decided to have a Rehearsal Brunch instead of a Rehearsal Dinner. They picked Portage Bay Cafe because they liked their food and it had a great back room that could fit us all. The only problem was they had just seated the entire room with groups who were just sitting down to eat. The Yelper in my head wanted to exasperatingly shout, "Really?!?!" It wasn't like we were a table for 5-10 people... We were 30 people. You don't just forget a reservation for 30 people. My recommendation is that if you choose to use the back room for a big party, call to remind them the day before, again the morning of, maybe an hour before you arrive... heck, even when you're looking for parking around the corner. When we finally were let into the room, it was a bit of a bumblef*ck. They brought us in and told us only a portion of us could sit while two remaining tables finished their meals, only we didn't fit and had to go back outside. Eventually, we did all sit and Portage Bay gave us mimosas on the house as an apology. It was a very nice gesture and did a lot to make up for their mistake. Our waiter was great! He kept our coffee cups full and had great advice about the menu when we asked him questions. I decided to go with the Oven Baked French Toast that was soaked in ginger and blackberry custard, which came with a trip to the Toppings Bar - genius! I loaded that puppy up with mixed berries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, pears, and whipped cream. You could also add nuts and organic maple syrup. To be honest, my french toast alone would have been alright, but my french toast with my toppings was glorious! I was not shy about loading up that puppy with a whole pile of fruit. And, just for good measure and the sake of protein, I added a side of Italian chicken sausage patties to share and they were flavorful with a subtle kick. Without the mishap at the beginning, the restaurant would have been a 4. With the mishap, only a 2. With the staff that bent over backwards to fix their mistake it's definitely a 3.
(3)
Matt N.
I really like it here because of the quality of the food that they have here. I feel like breakfast places are a dime a dozen, so making the food well can make a differenceI found out recently that I am sensitive to gluten so eating it makes me bloated and my eczema break out. I was excited that they had buckwheat pancakes which are gluten free and allows access to the fruit bar in the middle to allow for tons of toppings. The whipped cream is really fresh and heavy. I look forward to when I can come back. Their serving sizes are pretty big and I always leave taking a box to go! Yelp Challenge #5
(5)
Kathleen L.
Girlfriends wedding shower. The buffet part was really just the toppings to the French toast.. but my o my was it yummy! Mos def, filling and worth it! :) 1. Ambiance: Open. Lots of windows. Pretty busy and loud. Nice artwork. Tables were slightly crowded but it was manageable. Lots of deco on the wall that was pretty interesting. 4/5 2. Service: Ugh. We had a reservation for the place, as it was a big group to begin with. Some of the party arrived early as to make sure that we got the table as planned. Nope. The hostess was nice enough to give our tables away without checking to see if it was the right party. So, we were left to stand outside and wait over an hour before they gave us a table. Tsk, Tsk. Also, we all ordered drinks to toast with and they got many of our orders wrong. One girl wanted the same as another and got something completely different. Fail. 2/5 3. Food: Talk about selection! Lots to choose from on their menu and all of it sounds so GOOD! There is great topping bar that you can go to and the food is flavorful and portions are good. The French toast was super good and I wish I could have tried more. 4/5 4. Price: So so. Kinda pricey for breakfast, and even with the topping bar, its slightly high. I was full and content.3/5 Overall Feeling: Nice place to check out.. but not good for big groups. 3/5
(3)
Shy A.
Easily 4 stars but the service is mediocre. We walked in and my dining mate and I looked at each other and immediately we knew that our dining experience would not be overwhlemingly awesome. It wasn't that hostess was rude, she was flippant and totally oblivious to the concept of a warm welcome. It is clear that the same energy vibes through all the employees. The gentleman that took us to our table practically pointed us to our seat with not so much of a smile. Our sever had the same coolness. After taking our order the waiting began. I'm okay with waiting a bit for a stellar meal and I realized they were busy but it would've been nice for our server to check in every so often to update us on our food or even refill our coffee or waters. None of that happened. 30 minutes later our food arrived. We got french toast and I ordered the migas. The french toast was tasty and was the fruit bar was amazingly stocked with fresh fruit and the most delicious whipped cream. The migas with chorizo was huge and perfectly seasoned. The food was really good-no wonder they have great reviews! Unfortunately, the service was sub par and a complete disappointment. I'm glad that I came in to check it out but doubt I will come back. With so many great places for grub in Seattle, this one is one of those places that could easily be a top 10 for breakfast treats but unfortunately due to the lack of customer service will be one of the last places I can't count as one of my fav's.
(2)
Samantha E.
This was possibly my favorite brunch ever. I met out-of-town friends here this morning because it was cheaper than the fancier places (that's you, Tom Douglas and Ivar) but downtown-ish, distinctly Seattle, and had a patio so they could bring their dogs. With a reservation for 10:30, we still waited about fifteen minutes, and overall service was slow,but oh wow, so delicious. I had the Italian omelet and it was amazing (tomatoes, mushrooms, fennel sausage, asiago, tomatoes, oh my). My friend had the special asparagus eggs Benedict. The asparagus was a little bit overdone in parts, but she still liked it and said the eggs, prosciutto, and sauce were all great. Her husband had the farmer's breakfast and liked everything in it, but especially the French toast. We all love the potatoes. Both my mocha and their chais were great. I left almost six hours ago. I'm still stuffed. Eat here. (Call ahead first.) You'll love it.
I think Portage Bay is hands-down my favorite place for breakfast. I've only eaten here once. This is the problem. I came here in October of 2008. I was visiting friends who live in Seattle and they suggested this place for breakfast on a Sunday morning. I was told the coffee was great and the toppings bar was ingenious. The toppings bar is amazing. The toppings bar is basically a way that you can doctor up your sweet breakfast... they have all local and organic fresh fruits, whipped cream, syrups, nuts, granola. They don't care how much you pile on or how often you go back... they just want you to eat what's on your plate so as not to waste. I live in San Diego. I still talk about Portage Bay. My friend and I each got a breakfast-- she got an omelette and I got some type of french toast with the toppings bar. We split our breakfasts to get a bit of the sweet and the savory. I was perfectly satisfied. And my mouth still waters when I speak of my time here. I wish they had one in every city. But maybe that'll be the reason I keep going back to Seattle. Oh, and maybe to visit my friends too.
(5)
Kien V.
I was down here on a business trip last week and decided to stop by. I know their prices are fairly high compared to what I usually pay, but I've eaten at the University District location so I knew what I was getting into. I ordered coffee and some eggs benedict. Unfortunately, the coffee was burnt and the benedict was so cold that the hollandaise sauce was starting to congeal when it was being set down onto my table. The potatoes were cold as well. I cannot blame it on being busy either. There were about 6-8 people running the place with 3 tables, mine included. For 20 dollars including tip, I say you go somewhere else. The University District location deserves 4 stars, this place 2.
Outside of the 45-minute wait ... great food, wonderful waitress and awesome ambience! My daughter, who has the pickiest appetite ever, even loved it! We'll be back for sure!
(4)
Connie C.
Fresh, organic, large portions, group/kid friendly... it's no wonder why Portage Bay is one of the most popular brunch spots in Seattle. Even at 10am, we still had to wait 30 minutes for a table for three. And the place is HUGE too... what is everyone doing up that early on a Sunday morning?! I had a plane to catch, so that was my excuse ;) While the fresh fruit topping station looked very tempting, I decided not to get pancakes or french toast, and ordered the dungeness crab cakes eggs benedict with organic spinach and eggs. While the crab was abundant and fresh, the dish was a bit too salty overall. If it was seasoned a bit differently, it would've been so much more delicious. I think I should have gone for the bananas foster french toast that people raved about. Their freshly squeezed OJ was very refreshing. Love that they use food sourced from local, clean and sustainable farms and producers, and there's a photo tribute to the local farmers on their wall, which adds to the cool factor of the place. I'd definitely come here often if I lived in the area. Come hungry, because their portions are big... Just be prepared for the long wait, which will build up your appetite anyway!
(4)
Wellington C.
During lunch time on a weekday, this place gets packed. Looks like a lot of folks working in the area eat here. One thing i really liked about this place was the toppings bar for our pancakes of french toast. Most places kinda skimp on the fruit toppings but since this place was self serve, you could add as little or as much as you wanted. I tried my friends french toast and it was excellent. Since it was lunch I had the duck confit baguette with the potatoes. I loved the potatoes since they cook them with chorizo. The duck confit was good and fatty. I was on vacation so i didnt care about indulging a little. Overall service was good and the wait staff was very nice. They didnt try to rush our large group. Prices were ok but as others have mentioned its not a cheap eats place. I ended up spending $20 on lunch.
Great place to go to have brunch with friends. A bowl of steel cut oatmeal, covered with sliced almonds, strawberries, and other good stuff = one yummy breakfast. The potatoes I stole from my wife were also quite tasty! Don't expect anything mind blowing though ... its a pretty standard "good brunch place". Then again, you don't always need to get your mind blown.
(4)
Jessica L.
My husband and I LOVE this place! The food is absolutely incredible and the ingredients they use are amazing: so fresh and local. Love it! The ONLY reason for 4 stars: 1) I think they give you WAY to much food. I don't see many people in there that actually eat everything off of their place. Especially the oatmeal...my gosh! 2) its a little spendy. But if you are touring Seattle, this place is a must-eat for breakfast places!
(4)
Opal D.
Great breakfast - I like the variety on their menu. Very busy and crowded for brunch, so expect a wait. They were very accommodating to our large party. Waitress was clearly frazzled but still tried to cash a few of us out early (separate than the rest of our party) because we had to leave. Slow food service, but probably because it was busy!
(4)
Jamie J.
I'm not one for organic food normally, but here taste is not compromised for organic ingredients. It is also pretty cool knowing that what you're eating hasn't been tampered with - something we normally don't think about. PB is always packed for brunch and breakfast... because it is really good. Their portions are large and are great for taking home. Their service is also really great! Now... The food? It meets demands. Favs: Vegan Pancakes: AMAZING. They are so delicious. 2 Big rounds. The texture is great. Taste is great. There are two pancakes with a banana spread between them as an egg substitute. They are phenomenal. French Toast: These are very good. Thick. Well seasoned. Filling. The bread has a nice thick crust and when you pull the bread apart it flakes like a croissant. A must try. Buckwheat Pancakes: Very good. Gritty in texture but the taste is very good! A healthier protein packed pancake. Side of Potatoes: Sides can be really good you know... these are worth the extra bucks. BOMB potatoes. Seasoned well a crispy too. Mhmm good. Not so good... Oatmeal: Some people love it, but some hate it. I'm one of the haters. It's nice that you can put whatever you want in your oatmeal from the bar of toppings that they have. However the texture is like porridge - too soft. It also lacks any flavor. I'm just not diggin it. For the most part, I really like this place. Is it worth waiting for? ... That depends on what you are looking for. This is not your fatty greasy sunday morning brunch that you're looking for after a long night. It's not over done with butter or grease. BUT it is a great option for a healthier delicious breakfast. Taste isn't compromised for these organic EATS! Check it out folks...
(4)
Jean K.
I like this place...youll have to brave all the construction but its big, has a diverse menu with local ingredients, and my meal was tasty: chicken and shrimp salad tossed in a red curry dressing. heard their always on breakfast bar is good too. why 3 stars? im trying this new thing where i reserve the last two for blow you away greatness. we'll see, ive only eaten at this location once, but i liked it enough that the old me most likely would have put them down for a 4 star.
(3)
Raina D.
This place is super packed on weekend mornings! There was a 45 min wait at 9am, but fortunately it was a nice day and we just wandered around outside with our tea/coffee. The toppings bar is pretty delicious, hard to not overdo it though! I like the atmosphere as well.
(4)
Scott A.
I'd heard from several people that they liked the food here, and today my friend was dying to take me to lunch there and I agreed. I ordered the falafel hamburger and my friend ordered something off the daily special menu and a cup of soup. The waitress asked if she'd like her soup before lunch, and my friend said "Yes." Several minutes later, the waitress came to the table and said to me, "I'm sorry, we're out of the falafel burger." I said I needed a couple minutes to look at the menu - she returned and I ordered the grilled portabello sandwich with roasted red pepper. A few minutes later the waitress came to the table and said to my friend, "I'm sorry, but I gave you Friday's daily special menu (it's Monday) and what you ordered is not available." She left the new daily special menu with us, returned a few minutes later and my friend ordered something off of it. Several minutes pass and the waitress returns to the table and says to my friend, "I'm sorry, but we're out of that." At this point, it's been over 10 minutes since we put in our first order and we still don't have anything to eat. My friend says, "I'll have the hamburger." Another few minutes pass and two other servers bring our lunch orders. A couple minutes later our original waitress comes to the table and says to my friend "I'm sorry, but I didn't have time to bring your soup before your lunch was ready." She sets the soup down and walks away. Guess what? The soup my friend ORIGINALLY ordered was a daily special on FRIDAY and this is completely different! And excuse me, we had waited nearly 15 minutes from the FIRST order we placed, and she never had time to bring the soup before that? So I'm thinking, "I've waited tables before. If I'd let my customer order something we were out of, I sure as hell would have asked if we were out of ANYTHING ELSE before I let them order again!" I probably could have forgiven the lousy service if the food was above average, but I was completely underwhelmed. My sandwich was warm, not HOT - it was like the vegetables had been grilled/roasted earlier in the day (or yesterday) and then rewarmed for service. On top of that, the red pepper was a whole pepper, not sliced smaller, so it was impossible to bite into it without the whole thing sliding off the bread. The potatoes served with the sandwich were also just barely warm. I really wanted to like this place, but after bad service and mediocre food at best, I can't see why I'd bother to try it again.
(1)
Candy W.
I came here for breakfast and ordered the standard french toast. The entree comes with a trip to the awesome toppings bar, which has a selection of fresh fruits and berry compotes. I guess it's summer season so the berries were all fresh and tasty! The restaurant is vibrant with great service. I sat at the bar and watched them prepare boxed lunches for a catered order. The care that they put into assembling those meals is awe-inspiring! Overall, the food was decent, nothing to rave about - but the energy and decor of the place definitely gave me a boost to start the day with a big smile =)
(4)
Eric B.
I've been here twice now. The first time was about 3 years ago as my wife and I were scouting places to hold our wedding reception. We were extremely impressed with the food and the atmosphere, though we ended up having our reception elsewhere. We always remembered it and kept meaning to go back. Finally this past week we made it back. Maybe we had it on too high of a pedestal but we were both a little disappointed this time around. No particular reason, the food was decent and the atmosphere good. The service was a little slow but they were quite busy and had a mixup in the kitchen. It just didn't live up to our 5 star experience the first time so I gave it 4. Would still go back though if we're in that area.
(4)
Allison Y.
Perfect spot for a group brunch! We had a large group of 8 but that didn't slow down the service. The berry mimosas and the food was fantastic. No complaints! Highly recommend the eggs benedict.
Great food! Great service. Best French toast in town. Busy at brunch, but worth the wait!!!
(5)
Melissa C.
I can sum up my lousy experiences at Portage Bay in 4 words: NOT WORTH THE WAIT. If this was a place you could walk in and have breakfast right away, or after a 5 minute wait, then it'd be a totally different story. But I've been twice, and had to wait an absurdly long time both times. What made it all the worse was that both times the hostess stated a much shorter time when we put our name in. Last time they said an hour and it was TWO (we had a group of 6). Today, for 3 of us, she said 45 min to an hour and it was actually the total of those - 1 hour 45 minutes! They were not apologetic. The atmosphere is crowded and hectic. They were out of 3 of the 4 specials on the menu. As well as the chai I ordered (how can you be out of tea?). On top of all that, my dish was disgustingly monochromatic - how can you call yourself organic and local but not put an ounce of greenery on the plate of a scramble? I will never, EVER go back.
(1)
Amanda G.
Simply put: Everything is amazing! I highly recommend the crab cakes eggs benedict!!
(5)
Marcy N.
Portage Bay is my favorite breakfast place in South Lake Union. All organic! A trip to the toppings bar is a delight with fresh fruit depending on the season. They have an amazing fresh whipped cream to top it off. My favorite thing to order is the gluten free buckwheat pancakes. My only complaint is the pancakes are so large I can only eat half of one and they come with two. The scrambles are sooo good too. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Last time I was there I ordered Phil's breakfast which comes with eggs, 3 slices of bacon and a side of potatoes which I substituted fresh fruit for an extra $1 and a side of toast. Since I don't eat toast I left that off. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it again. Usually when I eat breakfast here I'm good until dinner. This is another place where you have to come early our you'll be waiting for a while. But the manager is always there with a smile for everyone.
(5)
Nicole F.
This place has amazing food. We went here on a weekday for lunch--holy cow was it busy! You gotta get there early to get a seat! It was loud and boisterous--just like it should be when you're eating lunch on a workday near downtown. I loved it. I love the energy, the food, the people, the service, it was great. High stars.
(5)
Scott B.
My wife has Celiac so we were looking for a gluten free breakffast place while traveling from LA. We went on Friday and went back on Sunday. Friday had a minimal wait, it was a LOT more crowded on Sunday. Just had the standard bacon and eggs the firs time, my wife had the gluten free buckwheat pancakes. Both meals were fine. The second time we both got the bananas Foster french toast, hers with the gluten free french toast. This is an awesome dish, really flavorful caramel sauce. Yes, it's pricy and it was a bit too long of a wait on the Sunday visit, but we'd gladly come back. The food is really good and the gluten free selections are varied and tasty.,
(4)
Victoria A.
We visited Portage Bay based on the Yelp reviews, and I'm so glad we did! The atmosphere was contemporary modern, and I loved how everything was fresh, local, and organic. I had the Portage Bay breakfast sandwich, and my mom had the Rancher's Breakfast. I would definitely go back!
(5)
Kevin D.
Food is great. If you get the pancakes, you get unlimited visits to the fruit bar. They also have house made whip cream! Expect to NOT finish your plate if you get a pancake/French toast by yourself. Gluten free options cost extra, but they are there. Service can be slow and not the best, but the food makes up for it
(4)
Jessica L.
The food is just okay. While the restaurant is very well decorated, the tables are very close together. We went on a Monday morning, and had a short wait-- about ten minutes to be seated. The full restaurant felt vaguely like a cafeteria. The food took a little longer-- unsurprisingly since it was crowded. The breakfast was fairly large, but nothing special. The wait staff was busy and seemed it. Props to the restaurant for having extremely clean water glasses.
(3)
Christopher P.
Incredible food! I always get the ranchers breakfast, but make sure you get the French toast with a pitcher of mimosas! Service can be a little slow, but the place is always packed and lovely, so that is to be expected.
(4)
Ann N.
LOVE this place for breakfast! The fruit bar is delish, the chilaquiles are phenomenal, and everything tastes so fresh and healthy. Great service, a fun somewhat chaotic vibe, fair prices -- one of my favorite spots in Seattle.
(5)
Michael L.
Had breakfast here twice during PAX. Great food, huge portions, decently priced, and in a nice part of town. They push the organic thing a little bit too hard, and that probably adds a few dollars to all the prices, but I'll go with it. The first breakfast I had here, I ordered the Farmer's Hash. This was a great mix of veggies, potatoes, and corned beef (I specified that protein). This really made up for my lack of veggies from the previous days, and the plate was huge! Couldn't finish it, but didn't have enough left on the plate to make it worth taking it to go and carrying it through PAX. I'd give this place five stars if there were more variations to the flavors, or just more flavors to this hash, as it got really repetitive by the time I was a third done with it. But while I ordered the hash, I learned what I should have ordered by seeing what my friends ordered. The french toast. Oh man, 3 gigantic pieces of bread that tower over everything else on the place. With a trip to the fruit bar included, turn your plate into a two-tiered french toast MASTERPIECE. BERRIES. WHIPPED CREAM. BERRIES. PEACHES AND PEARS (both are canned though, I'm pretty sure. I grew up eating the canned stuff and tasted just like it, but I still love that taste so not necessarily a bad thing) AND MORE BERRIES. Get the regular french toast if you're feeling a bit timid about the whole design your own masterpiece part, it gives you a nice clean template to work with. If you're feeling adventurous, get either the banana fosters or the oatmeal cobbler. They have their own toppings, so you'll have to create a designed quarantine zone for some of the fruits so that the sweet doesn't clash with sweet. Keep in mind too, you can share one of these with someone and it'll still be a healthy portion of food. My only complaint here is that the plate that they use to split with someone is TOO DAMN SMALL. I couldn't fit near the amount of fruit I wanted to on that saucer, but it was probably for the better as I wasn't too too hungry that day. If you're in the area, definitely give this place a try. If you're social, you can probably strike up a conversation with Amazon.com peoples. It's a very clean, nice part of town, and you can definitely feel a bit of a cleanliness change as you head downtown from there on foot.
(4)
Bahar A.
I loved their fruit bar and swedish pancakes. It was smushy, sweet, and accompanied by a side of strawberry butter. It isn't a quiet place though. It's in the business area so it gets pretty packed. Everything on the menu looks great. Might try it again if I'm in Seattle.
(4)
Christine F.
Uh, YUM. Make a reservation here if you can because the line for brunch was ridiculous. We only had to wait about 15 minutes with our reservation. I got a savory breakfast sandwich, but they're known for their fruit bar. If you order from a certain section of the menu you get access to their fresh fruit bar that has huge and heaping bowls of all sorts of fresh fruit and whipped cream to top your waffles, pancakes or french toast with. I would definitely recommend this place if you find yourself in Seattle.
(5)
Jeff C.
30 minutes to get in, 8 people seated at a table for 15 so you half the people were cut off from conversation (as no one was to the other side) so loud no one could hear across the table, food took so long that one couple went to their car to get snacks, The food? Fancy names and trendy doesn't equal high quality. Duck eggs on nettles tasted like eggs on old spinach and the french toast was cold for 2 out of 3 people, the fruit bar was over-picked. Manadatoy 18% tip and we had to get up and get our own water galsses? Only one question how our orders were? Had to ask for iced tea refills. $20 for cold french toast and juice? This place wouldn't last a day in San Francisco, New York or any decent restaurant town. Better option. Go two blocks over and get something from whole foods.
(2)
Adam D.
Great food at reasonable prices. A lot of organic things on the menu, most stuff is local. Food tastes good, service is great, what more do you want. Only problem is that you can expect huge lines on the weekend so come prepared for a wait. Eat like you give a D***
(5)
Barb F.
Breakfast here is amazing! Great selection and flavor. Portions are generous. Loved it!
(5)
Alicia S.
Really underwhelmed, burnt awful coffee while we waited, indifferent waitress, "Swedish thin" pancakes were the same as the regular ones just folded. Food was good just not Great and for the price I expected more. Good Hollandaise sauce. But we wont return.
(2)
Dae Y.
went there for a business lunch. after i ordered i noticed the slogan on the back of the servers t-shirt. it said "eat like you give a damm". the place is riding on the current trend of non-hormone, natural, local, healthy, organic food. and they seem to be doing a great job. regardless, it's good stuff. i took a chance on the lamb burger. i had no idea what to expect, but it was very good. i would recommend it if you like lamb at all. i'm not even a lamb fan. when it landed in front of me i didn't know what to make of the square bread bun. it looked hard, like it was going to tear up the roof of my mouth like so many other sandwiches with hard bread seem to do. but it was soft enough. and it complimented the burger well. the cheese and whatever sauce mixture they use in the burger works really well too. and the mixed greens light salad was excellent too. i ordered a coke after the meal came. and oddly it came out in a regular 12oz coke can. after pouring it in the glass full of ice it was another perfect compliment to my lamb burger.
(4)
Kate G.
This place is AMAZING! You must try the curry if you see it on the daily specials, it's not on the regular menu. Great restaurant, great concept, great cause! The only problem is the wait can be long to get a table.
(5)
Aaron F.
I think Portage Bay Cafe is spectacular... surprised to see so many negative reviews here. I think the biggest mistake you can make is ordering what you would order in most restaurants. Portage bay is all about two things: 1) Breakfast, which includes their berry bar. Try the challah french toast ($9) and put as much fruit, berries, and whip cream as you want. 2) The specials, which change every day and are consistently creative and delicious. Portage bay takes pride in using fresh, local ingredients. Their seafood and vegetables are consistently the best I've had in this city. The coconut tofu with rice, pineapple and curry sauce was creatively plated and unlike any tofu dish you've tasted ($10). The crusted halibut was exceptional ($14); it was served with fresh vegetables and sauce, but it was the rice that impressed me most - if I could just make rice like theirs I would be happy. I also had a seafood alfredo pasta once that blew me away (14); the pasta and alfredo sauce were both clearly homeade, and the freshness and variety of fish exceeded my expectations - I'm talking salmon, tuna, and more. Therefore, if you are not eating breakfast, don't order from the regular menu - it will be good, but come on, explore a little. I also love their iced tea. It is clearly homeade and is naturally sweet through a fruit flavor. I always leave Portage Bay feeling good. This is speical in this up-and-coming South Lake Union neighborhood where most of the food is dull and ovepriced. Try it.
(5)
Melanie L.
My husband and I ventured out to the Portage Bay Cafe after getting several good recommendations from friends and colleagues. We live in the South Lake Union area so this new location is perfect. When we got there the wait was about 20 mins. I had heard about the breakfast bar which looked amazing by the way. If I were to have a restaurant/cafe, I would have the same menu. I couldn't believe the different, unique options. I really wanted to try everything.. I had a chicken sausage/prawn benedict while my hubby had a scramble. The coffee was good, juice fresh squeezed, the food was excellent and we will be back. It didn't take too long to get our food and the service was really good. I would love to go back midweek when it is less crowded. But, we will definitely be going back and try other items.
(4)
Lacey M.
I have been here multiple times and even when I make reservations I do have to wait too long. What is the point of making a rsvp in the first place? Breakfast food is very good and original along with lunch entrees, however the service here is nothing to write home about. Their trainees must be horrible because I never feel like I get the service I pay for when I eat out here. That said, I have never had a meal that I wasn't at least soso satisfied with so I will probably go back for breakfast and be there when it opens so I don't have to be late for whatever I have after that.
(3)
Sarah M.
I've only ever been here for breakfast. Unfortunately, they don't put Bailey's in your coffee, but I still find myself here at least once a week. Choose between a sunny window seat, a casual counter, or outdoor seating--they only ever fill up on weekends after 10am (even then, usually outdoor seating is still available). One of the first reasons I came here is the toppings bar-- why thank you, I will take a whole pound of organic raspberries on those Buckwheat pancakes, and their Organic Portage Bay Porridge is perfect with blueberries and walnuts (and whipped cream if you're brave enough) off the toppings bar. Actually, I did discover their vegan scramble is amazing, and will fill you up without a toppings bar visit (only some entrees come with the toppings bar option). And, if you're worried that the high-carb items that come with the toppings bar (mostly pancakes/french toast/waffles) will ruin your diet, order "Dave style" and half your entree will become and egg dish and Dr. Atkins will be proud. However, beyond a great seasonal supply or fresh fruit, all of their menu items are either local, sustainable, organic, or all three. After coming just twice, the red-headed waitress started recognizing me and remembering which tea I preferred, and I never get a sidelong glance if I sit alone and doodle while I munch. Come to mention it, I don't even get a sidelong glance when I get to-go breakfasts and load half the toppings bar into my container, everyone is always friendly and laid back. Daily specials are always on the "pricy" side, but if you're looking to make a thrifty trip, get one of the giant pancake dishes (I prefer buckwheat) and simply load up on toppings and take half of it home in a box-- it will put you back all of $9 for two healthy, nutritious, sustainable meals.
(5)
Jamie H.
unique food, fair value, service ok typically... this is right next to where i work but i typically don't visit often because our ....for lack of a better word..."cafeteria chef"...is so exceptional i don't need to leave the work campus to enjoy an exceptional meal....so Portage Bay is at a disadvantage because of the competition....i'd probably be in here every other day if there were no exceptional chefs sharing the same block...
(4)
Anja O.
To be honest, this is the third time I've been here. It's been consistently mediocre- a bit above bad. We made a reservation, but it was a consistent 45 minute wait for a table for two and we had to wait an additional 10 minutes after our reservation was made. Also, they have a toppings bar, and only the strawberries were fresh. The peaches and pears were canned and the raspberries and blueberries had been frozen and were complete mush. I understand that it isn't the right season for raspberries or blue berries, but I would rather have fresh cut up apples than mushy raspberries. My boyfriend ordered an omelet and the eggs hadn't been spiced at all and was frankly, incredibly bland. He poured on a bunch of salt and pepper and then it was "alright". The atmosphere reminded me of a high school cafeteria, it was loud and chaotic. The only plus was the service, the woman who served us was very nice and attentive. I think the cafe used to be good and now is riding on it's own reputation, relying on the fact that people with 100K paychecks don't mind paying 15 dollars for a Denny's quality meal.
(2)
martin p.
like this place nice and clean good food fast service
(4)
a s.
If you go, be prepared for a hyper-politically correct, trembling with anger manager, and nonchalant waitstaff. Good food if you like your potatoes cold by the time they get ketchup on them and want coffee instead of the cappucino you ordered. We had terrible service this morning -- had to wait for 20 minutes to get a glass of water. When we tried to get our waitresses' attention, we were confronted by a completely misinformed, irate manager who completely humiliated my friend. Terrible handling of the situation. It seems that bad service at this place is a theme if you look at the reviews. Based on that, combined with our experience this morning, the manager should be replaced. Never again.
(1)
Donald B.
Very good brunch. Tasty and huge portions. Great for larger parties.
(4)
Rebecca d.
Our service was great, but the atmosphere a bit sterile. Food was good and arrived quickly. The corned beef hash was a disappointment- too dry- but the other 3 meals were excellent. The pancake and oatmeal bar is a pleasant change.
(4)
Gin T.
This is for their CATERING. My friend used them for her wedding. The serving staff was rude. The food was not bad but the lady in charge cuts you off when you're trying to talk to her. The bartenders tried to cut people off after 3 small glasses of beer. Not to mention he didn't know how to pour it, can you say Head?
(1)
G S.
This new place is nice and spacious and great for kids as they can get out of their seats and not be in anyone's way. Plus everywhere you look is concrete so kids can do any damage dropping food. And ordering a waffle along with the topping bar gives enough little tidbits for our toddlers to munch and fill up on. I didn't think it was loud as others have said. It's just a very big place and probably not well insulated. The food is pretty good. I had a proscuitoo scramble and it was extremely salty, yes proscuitto is salty in itself, but this seemed like it had added salt. Food is certainly not outstanding, but it's good for a breakfast out once in a while.
(4)
e j.
Went to Portage Bay for Sunday breakfast. Kids had pancakes, wife omelet, I had the migas (con chorizo). Portions were huge, which is a bit odd for a place who's motto is 'eat like you give a damn'. It seemed pretty wasteful. There is no way I could eat the spuds that came with the very large migas. The buckwheat pancakes were nice. We asked for small juices for the kids but still got the standard size (12oz?) which were too much for them. As for the migas, the eggs were lost in too much chorizo- It was kind of a mess- sort of like sloppy joe in a tortilla. I would try the place again though, nice space and it seems promising.
(3)
Christopher S.
If you want breakfast served cold and horrible wait times to get in and for service them by all means please patronize.
(1)
Jennifer S.
First, let me say that I like the food here. I especially love the fruit bar in the summer. I have been here 5 times but the last two experiences were terrible, the food is good but the service is terrible. In December, I waited an hour to be seated and when I checked in they had lost my name and I had to wait an additional 15 minutes. This was after the Amica marathon and I didn't have a reservation so I decided to give them another try this weekend. In June, I had a reservation we waited 45 minutes after the reservation time. I watched the manager seat a friend without a reservation. He took a chair from another table and the customer came over to complain. The manager blew the man off with no concern for his feelings. We were finally seated and waited 40 minutes for our food. When 3 tables that were seated after us received their food I tracked down the waitress to share my observation. Our food order had clearly been under a heat lamp because the pancakes were stale and the butter was completely melted on the pancakes. The waitress didn't bother to apologize or acknowledge the error. I then made it to the fruit bar, where said manager was dragging a large carpet runner in front of the buffet. I tripped on this runner and the manager was angry with me. Honestly, this is the worst service I've experienced in Seattle since my move 3 years ago. If you go here, make sure it's on a weekday because they cannot handle a crowd. Service standards do not exist here.
(2)
Sarah R.
The food was good. Not great. The wait was awful as there is very little waiting room. It was so crowded in the main lobby area that it was hard to tell who was waiting to check in for a table and who was simply waiting for their table. They should probably reconsider the lay out. Like I said, the food was good. Nothing special.
(3)
Karma S.
Yum! We had reservations for 9 for a busy Saturday brunch. We were seated promptly even though the restaurant was very crowded and hoppin. Service was great. The food was the big WOW for me and my friends. I had oatmeal crusted challah French toast, which included a gorgeous fresh fruit/whipped butter/syrup bar. So delicious! I also had a mimosa, which is made with your choice of fruit juices (I recommend trying berry lemonade). I'll definitely be back again, very soon!!
(4)
Sanja S.
went for brunch today (labor day), and had smoked salmon benedicts ($16), husband had dungeness crab benedicts ($18). awful. salmon was somewhat edible, crab cakes were completely tasteless, eggs were waaaay overdone. potatoes that accompanied the meals were clearly reheated and were too tough. knives couldn't cut through the muffins. I ended up eating only the eggs, had to pretend I ordered them hard-boiled to get over the texture. all in all: I am never going back. only reason why I gave it 2 stars is because the people working there are sweet.
(2)
Asako N.
I made a reservation but waited for an hour to start eating. I would give 5 stars if they didn't keep me waiting. I had delicious French toasts with berries. I will come back when I'll be able to wait for an hour.
(4)
Anna O.
Amazing customer service! The manager was awesome and super friendly, we came to this location after the Portage Bay off of Roosevelt caught fire in the kitchen after we'd been waiting for our food for about 15 min, and after the fire started we waited about another 10 to find out that they were closing until further notice. Came to this location because it was the closest one, shared my experience at the previous location with the waitress and she told the manager who covered our tab and made it a very pleasant experience. Definitely my go to spot when I'm out in this area..thank you for an awesome experience :)
(5)
Erica T.
A group of nine co-workers and I made reservations on a Saturday morning for brunch. Our table was a little awkward, right next to the "breakfast bar" and made up of a normal table and one of their outdoor tables. The manager was kind enough to bring the group pecan tarts because of the seating arrangement. This place was busy, and I've heard many people talk about how good it is. The line was out the door, so make a reservation if you can! I got a scramble mushrooms and chicken sausage. Yum. I also opted for the side salad instead of the salad. It had a thicker vinaigrette with cucumbers and carrots. My group enjoyed their entrees, with the winter frittata being the group favorite. The breakfast bar is a table with big bowls of fruit, pancake toppings, and whipped cream. A visit to the bar comes with some entrees and you can purchase this individually. Parking is easy to find in the garage right underneath, and the food is return-worthy!
(4)
Kenneth K.
When you "eat like you give a damn", unfortunately the waitstaff doesn't. Food: 5 Stars Waitstaff: 1 Star Not much to say. The food is organic and super tasty, maybe slightly over priced. The quality of service is horrendous and always begs the question of how bad I want a good breakfast. I recommend their food, just know what you're getting yourself into! Cheers!
(3)
Bridgette E.
Amazing French toast. As a French toast connoisseur, I can confidently say that their challah French toast, with the berry and cream bar, is the best in Seattle. Ingredients are always fresh, and the toast is always fluffy.
(5)
Nick H.
Overrated and not worth the wait. A 15 minute wait at 9:30 am? It took over half an hour to get our food. Mine came out cold, our friend's came out five minutes later--luckily his was hot. My scramble was nothing to write home about and their house-made bread is as dense as a brick. The breakfast sandwich is so enormous you need to unhinge your jaw to take a bite. Portage Bay prides themselves on the quality of ingredients--and they deserve high marks there. I just don't think there's anything special about their offerings--I find more inventive and interesting dishes at plenty of other brunch spots. They have a severely limited menu of alcoholic beverages and lack a full bar. They offer four different beers by the bottle. They have mimosas (by the pitcher even)--but that is the most common and uninteresting of brunch cocktail. Why not ditch the O.J. and have a full glass of champagne? Our poor server was obviously overworked, but did right by us. I felt really bad for him, because management obviously screwed up and didn't schedule enough staff. The atmosphere is terrible--the place is a cavern with bad acoustics. It's very loud and so crammed that I kept getting elbowed by servers and patrons alike. Their motto is "Eat like you give a damn," so heed their advice and steer clear of this place. I can think of half a dozen places within walking distance that I'd recommend over PBC.
(2)
Katie K.
Came here last Saturday arrived at 10:20 AM. Was asked by the hostess if I had a reservation, we didn't. She then said that she would put our name on the list and it would only be 20 minutes. At 10:45 I went to check on our name and she said that it would be only 10 minutes. I could see that they were only four names ahead of us. At 11:10 AM I went to check on our name to see how long it would take. I was told that because we did not make a reservation that it would be 20 minutes. I explained to her that I was here at 10:20 and I was told it would only be 20 minutes. Her reply was that they were only working off their reservation list and then they would go off of the walk-ins. I looked at my friend who is currently eight months pregnant and starving at that time and said that we're leaving. We went to a restaurant across the street and we're seated within five minutes and had a delicious breakfast. Don't waste your time here at Portage Bay because they do not care about the customers.
So, I really want to like Portage Bay because they have some good food. I really do. But I really also don't like to have to think about how much I am paying for said food, because their stuff is incredibly overpriced. I really hate when a co-worker recommends we have a business meeting here, because then there goes my lunch budget for the week. Definitely get a reservation because the wait can be long. Their wait staff sometimes takes a little longer than average to get to the table, but they are also incredibly busy with the amount of tables they are serving. The food is super good, that's not the issue here. They have super gourmet, really fresh dishes that are very tasty. I really can't just justify spending that much on food. If you are amongst the 1% or really want to have a "fancy" breakfast, I recommend going here. However, if you are just looking for a run-of-the-mill brunch, I would go somewhere else where you are not spending an arm and a leg.
(3)
Mad M.
Hipster mostly breakfast/brunch place at SLU. Had a reservation yet had to wait another 20 minutes past that for a table. They have a serve yourself bar of toppingsd for your pancakes or french toast comprised of fruits, syrup,whipped cream, whipped butter. They say it is all organic.
(3)
D O.
I got the parfait and it was awful. The granola was probably half sugar, I'm not exaggerating, it had clumps of sugar. The half sugar granola was swimming in honey and the amount of yogurt was so insignificant that there wasn't much edible on the plate. Yuck! For $12 or whatever it was, I would rather go to a 7-11 and get a parfait. Another person got an eggs Benedict and couldn't cut his English muffin with a knife, that's how hard the muffin was. To make matters worse, one of the 4 people in my group didn't get his food until 30 minutes (again, i'm not exaggerating) after everyone else. The waitress's response? Start pretending like he's not at the table. She would look at everyone else at the table and ask us how we're doing except him. Weirdest response I've ever witnessed.
(1)
Rachel P.
Had the classic eggs Benedict.. Have tasted better ones..the migas were good.. A nice spicy tinge to it.. Would come back for the migas.. Bacon was the worst.. My office cafeteria has much better bacon.. Too crowded.. We were famished and had to wait for over 30 mins even with reservations.. A little pricey but if I had the migas they are money spent well..
(3)
Michael S.
Hit and miss- can be the best place in SLU or be n awful experience. With a reservation, my friend and I waited over 30 min, then were seated at a dirty table with 1 chair, no menus, on the sidewalk (street side of the railing) and then it started raining. The staff opposed Our request to move inside (RAINING) and we ordered take out. The food is great, often the service is good, but this experience was like a middle finger to a regular diner and evangelist who lives and works nearby. They need to stop hiring high school students to run the host desk. Maybe "host like you give a damn"?
(2)
Carrie G.
Awesome French toast! Super soft challah bread which reminds me of those Asian sweet breads. Great fruit bar as well.
(5)
April K.
Peter is the best waiter of all time! Prompt, kind, and super helpful! Not bad to look at either ;) The breakfast bar is where it's at. Fresh berries and whipped cream. The patio area is super nice. Everything you could want out of a brunch place. Dope mimosas! Go here and give Peter big tips
(5)
Kaelin N.
The service was wonderful! There were smiles everywhere and everyone was really polite. We were seated right away even though it seemed pretty crowded at 10:30am on a Monday. No complaints there. The food, on the other hand was mediocre. I probably could have found better food for cheaper as well. I had the Mediterranean omelet, which I actually didn't like. The olives completely ruined it. I knew there were olives in it, and I actually love olives, but there were these huge whole olives that were sooo salty! I think if they cut it up and had it evenly dispersed it would have been a lot better. I ended up trading my meal with my boyfriend, who originally had Joe's scramble with chicken. I didn't taste anything but mushrooms, but it definitely beat super salty olives. To be honest the best part of my meal was the potatoes, which I think could have been cooked a little longer. If I were hungry and in the area, I'd come in and order something different, but I doubt that I'd ever go out of my way to eat here.
(2)
Kim D.
FOOD: I got the Vegan Banana Pancakes ($12.50) and I also tired the Farmer's Hash with house-made chicken sausage ($14.50). The dish came with 3 pancakes and the pancakes were more thick and dense compared to the average pancake. Since it is a vegan pancake it was made with rice flour and hemp milk. A little to thick for my taste, I could only finish 1 and a bit of another. If you choose a pancake or french toast dish then you have all access to the fruit bar with consist of fresh berries, canned peaches, whipped cream and syrup. That was a bonus which helped me decided to go for the pancake option. I would try the Banana Foster French Toast next time. There french toast are huge. The farmer's hash was good. Huge chucks of potatoes and vegetables. There isn't much sausage in the whole meal.. Overall the hash was smaller than I expected, although filling. Prices are above average. SERVICE: We had a great server, he was attentive and asked how everything was. We came on a day with no wait, plenty of tables so that was that. PRESENTATION: Nice big plates to fill it up with fruits. High ceilings, creating a open atmosphere. LOCATION: It is by the Amazon building. It's on the corner of the street but there parking in this area can be a pain. Street parking or parking lots that charge by the hour. WOULD I COME BACK: Yes. I appreciate that they focus on organic, sustainable foods. A business that supports local farmers is a business I am willing to support. ADVICE: Hm nothing at the moment.
(4)
Tamiko T.
I can understand why a lot of people love this place. What's not to love about a fresh toppings buffet full of beautiful berries and mountains of whip cream? My experience with this place has been a 3.4 at best for several reasons. 1. It's extremely crowded at any given time that could be considered brunch. One time I had to wait for over 1 hour after being told it would be 10 minutes. 2. It's very loud. So much so that a good percentage of your pancakes will just land on whoever you are talking to because you literally have to yell at them to hold a conversation. The place is just a steel box that amplifies whatever sounds the tightly packed diners make. 3. Expect to shell out $25+ per person for breakfast. Sure, that's true for a lot of brunch places in Seattle but for that price point I would rather have a nice view, atmosphere or service - rather than a toppings bar. That being said their scrambles are absolutely delicious. Just skip the chaos and treat yourself to a middle of the week breakfast on a random day off or go there for lunch instead of subjecting yourself to the frenzied experience of brunch.
(3)
Kirstie B.
Visited Seattle one weekend and found this place which was within walking distance to my hotel. I love that everything is local and organic. I got the oatmeal cobbler french toast which was to die for! When you get any pancakes or french toast, you get to load it up with things from the toppings bar, which includes fresh fruit and berries and home made whipped cream! :) Be warned though, this place gets VERY busy.
(4)
Issac L.
Group of 4, had a reservation for 12:45 and we waited until 1:10 to get seated. Portage Bay is so crowded on Sunday's. It took about an hour for the food to come out. Despite the long lines and extended wait, once the food came out, it was well worth it. Highly recommend the crab cake Benedict and cobbler French toast. Incredible food.
(4)
Jessica R.
My comfort food place. Organic ingredients, Paleo, vegan & vegetarian options, and very accomodating staff AND manager! The south Lake Union location is always busy so make sure to make an appt but this place has never failed me! Organic coffee as I'm waiting to get seated (coffee/mocha/latte). The staff and manager are super friendly, fast and accommodate to all my allergies :) Their menu changes every season so it's nice to have something new but I'll admit, we sometimes get our usual - Ranchers breakfast with fruit bar. Mimosas are a must try! Taking off a star just cuz I wish they had more greens during their lunch hr. But will always recommend this place to anyone and it's a tradition to go here for the Rock and Roll Marathon!
(4)
Sarah S.
Had the Swedish pancakes with a mimosa. 5 stars on the mimosa, they really hook it up!! :) Pancakes were great too and we loved the buffet. The waiter was polite and gave good suggestions. Awesome Sunday brunch!
(4)
Lucy L.
I ordered the rancher's breakfast (eggs over-easy and choice of protein was uli's chicken sausage) 1. I asked for this Over Easy: An egg cooked "over easy" means that it gets fried on both sides, but the yolk stays runny. To make one, you cook the raw egg just until the whites are set on the bottom, then you quickly flip it over to cook the other side. "Over" refers to flipping the egg, and "easy" refers to the doneness of the yolk. You can also cook eggs "over medium" and "over hard," depending on how cooked you prefer the yolk! But got this Sunny Side Up: This means that the egg is fried just on one side. The yolk is still completely liquid and the whites on the surface are barely set. 2. I've bought Uli's sausage at Pike place market on multiple occasions and have even had the chicken sausage... So my expectation was that it was going to be juicy and full of flavor, instead it tasted dry and tough (overcooked, maybe?) 3. Even the potatoes sucked! (Not really great crisp on the outside, nor well cooked on the inside..) I mean, come on, how can you do potatoes wrong?! 4. Lastly, the only thing that was actually enjoyable was the French toast substitute that I had in place of the wheat toast threw some mixed berries, little bit of syrup and some whip on top and hallelujah... At least one thing that went right 1* for food since you guys got 1 thing right The other * was for the customer service which I was happy with (friendly staff, average wait)- but I came for the food and for me.. at $11 for something so simple it just didn't quite deliver
(2)
Karina P.
Recommended by many friends, Portage Bay impressed me right from the start - - with the bold mantra on the back of every short worn by the staff, "eat like you give a damn". Happy to see that there were others who believed in eating good food as much as I did made my morning much brighter. We had to weave our way through the dense crowd to the hostess, where we were handed menus and told, despite our reservation, there would be at least a 15 minute wait. We were not in any rush, so we scanned the menu, and looked around the packed restaurant at the patrons. It was apparent that this was the place to have breakfast, as the masses enjoyed platters of waffles, pancakes, french toast, omlettes, and more. Once we were seated, we were immediately asked if we would like something to drink, and within a few minutes we were enjoying coffee. The menu was filled with delicious entrees, but of course, I went with the French toast. The best part: toppings bar. For any order of waffles, pancakes, or french toast, you were allowed to visit the topping bar, which consisted of fresh berries, whipped cream, maple syrup, various nuts, and other fruits. Their rule, finish everything you bring back from the toppings bar. It was overwhelming and exciting at the same time, and having ordered the lemon blueberry french toast, I was unsure of which toppings I wanted to add to my already decadent meal. The french toast was smothered in a lemon curd sauce and fresh blueberries. I added some strawberries, raspberries, and whipped cream, because it would have been a shame if I did not take advantage of the toppings bar (no self control, so sad!).
(5)
Sareth P.
Easter brunch was packed! Service was decent considering how busy they are. I order the Dungeness crab Benedict. I usually don't like any egg Benedict but for some reason I had to try this one. And it was pretty good. My husband ordered the rancher breakfast and the only thing that was tasty and flavorful was the chicken sausage. The side French toast was okay. I've had better way at Geraldine's. The berry lemonade was too sour for me.
(3)
Alex M.
Portage Bay has gone majorly downhill in the past year or so. Yes, their french toast is amazing. Joe's Scramble is a solid choice (great chicken sausage). But their lunches leave a lot to be desired. Plus, their specials are never all that special... in fact, they tend to be mediore at best. I had some sort of soy sauce inspired noodle dish the last time I was there for lunch. Yeah, soy sauce inspired is not a compliment. It was not good. Their fruit bar is good, but I think they take a little too much pride in it. Their servers sell it hard. I wish they would add seasonal fruit into the mix. Worth noting that they serve great drip coffee. Lattes are OK. I also tend to think that red potatoes are a bit of a breakfast filler, and they don't nail them - I've had cold potatoes on several ocassion. This place is bland. I don't understand why people wait 45 minutes on weekends. It's not like there's a lack of good breakfasts in this town.
(3)
Bridget L.
We arrived about 1:20 pm and had a short wait to sit outside. (Only open until 3 pm, I believe) This is a fantastic breakfast place downtown. My family ordered lunch items, but I ordered the French toast. They enjoyed their food, but when my French toast arrived - they wished they had also ordered it. I foresee another trip to have breakfast in my future when I return to Seattle! :) The toppings bar was great with perfectly ripe strawberries (though they didn't seem to think it important to take all the green off the tops?) and lovely blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Yummy maple syrup, whipped cream, butter, and brown sugar to go on top. Whew! My family helped me finish this large portion. Can't wait to return.
(4)
Libby W.
Service is prompt, ingredients are high quality, and there are lots of gluten free options that are above and beyond better than your standard gluten free fare. The gluten free french toast is so good that I thought they'd made a mistake and served my boyfriend regular french toast. Thankfully(!!), they did not. Their gluten free bread is just so good that you can't tell the difference! We asked what bakery they use for the bread, and it turns out that they make it themselves, in house. They also sell it by the loaf if you're feeling so inclined. I always get the migas with chorizo, and it is extremely flavorful! I get it without the tortilla or potatoes and they have no problem substituting veggies for me instead at no additional charge. I see some reviewers have complained about a lack of flavor in their food, and I have to say that isn't a problem I or my boyfriend have had here. But we always get the exact same things, so I guess it's technically possible that we have chosen the only flavorful things on the menu? If that's the case, we really recommend the migas and gluten free french toast because both of those are so good that we haven't felt the need to branch out. At the toppings bar for the french toast there are a lot of options - some appear to be fresh, while others seem like the canned sort that are soaked in that overly sweet syrup. The fresh stuff is really good. Today he got fresh strawberries and blueberries and they were perfect. They get really crowded on weekends, so we like to go early to avoid the wait and the noise. If you're by yourself or a party of 2, I recommend sitting up at the counter or at one of the handful of 2-tops by the counter. It is way quieter than the main dining room, which, as someone else mentioned, is like a school cafeteria. It's a very large, open room with a warehouse-y vibe (concrete/steel everything, nothing to diffuse noise), so you can imagine how sound carries. We were amazed by the difference sitting up at the counter, which is just off to the side from the main room, near the front door - you can actually hear your server and your dining companion. It's great.
(4)
Sarah M.
Go here. Seriously. You won't regret it. Everything is amazing. I'd recommend making reservations, because it's always so busy. Brunch is really what this place is about, but their lunch salads are also great. I'm always impressed with how fast they get food out with how busy it is. The number of vegan options is pretty good too. If you want the breakfast bar, tho, your only choice is the pancakes. I'm still holding out for vegan french toast on the menu, maybe someday. A girl can dream, right? I have to wonder. Can you really call yourself a sustainable restaurant, when your food relies on animal exploitation? Apparently. As long as they keep sneaking more vegan options into the menu, I'm willing to keep up hope for the future.
(4)
Star L.
This place was simply perfect! We had reservations for 4 on a busy Sunday. It went without a hitch. Our server was Brian C. and he was fantastic. Always came by at just the right times. My mom has never liked eggs benedict, but Brian talked it up so at the last minute she changed her order and LOVED it! As busy as they were, Brian was the prefect server, the food was delicious, and the patio was lovely. It was all of our first visit here and we will absolutely be back.
(5)
Smash S.
Came here and was told the wait would be about 45 minutes, they kept telling is its almost our time and we ended up waiting over an hour. When we FINALLY got sat no server came, we had to flag someone down and they took forever to come back and take our order. We waited at our table for over an hour and never got our food so we walked out. This place is complete BS, don't waste your time because they definitely wasted my time in seattle. Thanks for ruining my day.
(1)
Margaret E.
If you are older or disabled or like to converse with the rest of your party, find another place to dine. The food is good but not that good. I don't know how you would access this place in a wheelchair - and this is a very new building! I was there on a Saturday morning and it was packed by 9:30AM. I had the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict and was pleased with the generous portion of salmon. It was moist and not overwhelmingly smoky. The Hollandaise was very good - not that thick, gloppy, mustard yellow stuff that comes in a can. The problem was that there wasn't enough sauce which left the benedict too dry. The eggs were perfect.
(3)
Tracy P.
Most of the time when people give a one star review they are just being a jerk and often it's because they want a business to be something it isn't. I have dreamt about the rice porridge that was sadly and inexplicably removed from the menu for a seasonal change of millet. So this tale begins with a disappointment. I ordered eggs Benedict medium and the whites were runny which I don't think I could eat if my life depended on it. The English muffin was untoasted and the whole plate was tepid. The waitress noticed and offered to have it remade. My new plate arrives and the only difference was that the eggs were just barely edible. I ate half and decided to just get the check and not come back. But the waitress notices and offers to take it off my bill and I'm still hungry so I decide to have some pancakes because that's simple and besides they have a famous fruit bar. I didn't realize the pancakes were WHOLE WHEAT it was probably in the description but I wasn't using the menu I just order some pancakes. The REAL problem was that they were OVERCOOKED and black around the edge. I looked up the pictures here on yelp and sure enough there is this tiny edge of too dark edge for my taste but mine were firmly OVERCOOKED and blackened ALL the way around. I couldn't stand to send it back so I just went to the fruit bar to gets some butter and syrup and I was frankly underwhelmed by it. It's November so a lot of the different fruit had been frozen and defrosted in giant mushy bowls. There was a HUGE bowl of whip cream ( which is often mentioned in reviews) and a couple little soup bowls with brown sugar or coconut crumbles. I started thinking about the lunch I had with my mom and sister 2 weeks ago and the French dip that was a "gilded lily" if ever there was one. I mean if you can get the meat right (and they had) you are almost THERE but it had mushy onions and some cheese and a cumbersome hard roll and peculiar tasting au jus. The art of the French dip has been lost forever, I think. I've said enough and it's ironic for two reasons; the first is that the beloved rice porridge was one of those whole bunch of fancy ingredient foods that was born out of the same approach to cooking as the disappointing French dip. It's unlikely I will go back unless I hear the rice porridge is back on the menu because I can overlook the careless kitchen, the waitress that refilled my coffee only one time with, and even I can't believe it, old tepid coffee, and the surprising $15 tab. If your meal goes back twice shouldn't they atleast comp you the meal? The second irony is that, I WAS there to eat like I give a damn.
(1)
Shawn B.
We weren't exactly sure how reservations worked, so we decided to go in early (9AM). It was already buzzing when we rolled in. Apparently you can call in ahead of time to put your name on the list to be seated. Thankfully since it was just two of us, we were seated in under 10 minutes (at the bar). I was impressed with the service; we were quickly served with menus and waters considering how busy it was. Also, the waitress didn't bother us too much and quietly refilled our waters without making a fuss. I ordered the Phil's Breakfast and then the Oatmeal Cobler French Toast. On the Phil's Breakfast I got it with bacon, scrambled eggs, and it came with a side of their roasted potatoes and a slice of wheat toast. I wasn't to impressed. The bacon and eggs were pretty standard. Unfortunately, the slice of wheat toast was hard as a rock and the roasted potatoes were a little too seasoned for my liking. The Oatmeal Cobler French Toast was everything. It was perfectly crusted with oatmeal, and then covered in a raspberry compote. I've never really had great french toast at a restaurant because it's usually been too greasy or sweet. This however was savory and just sweet enough from the raspberry compote. It definitely was a lot of food, but I was curious to try their savory and sweet offerings. If I were to go back, I probably would just go back for more french toast and then just a savory side.
(4)
Rebecca B.
Great place! I can't wait to try their brunch. So far I have had their french dip which was wonderful and I love the side salad option. I also had their meatloaf sammy and although I wasn't super in love with it (due to the addition of italian sausage) it was still good. Their home made ranch is tasty too!! This place serves all organic foods and the price really isn't any different then a place that serves regularly grown food and I love that! The topping bar for pancakes and waffles is insane and although I haven't tried it yet, I would bet money it's amazing. I would definitely recommend giving this place a try so far all the food I've had has been delicious!!
(4)
Tim P.
I've been to both this location and the location in the University District, and neither impressed me. I've had Seattle-ite friends rave over Portage Bay, but both times I've tried it I've been sorely disappointed. The portions were a decent size, but they're severely overpriced and never tasted all that great, certainly not worth the amount we've been paying. I gave it a couple tries due to the advice from friends, but after trying it a few times and trying different dishes, I won't be returning.
(2)
Kristine C.
Met here with my Seattle cousins for brunch. Looking at the menu, I realized it was an organic restaurant. But for an organic restaurant, I was very pleased. We ordered a pitcher of mimosa's and let me say, I was buzzin' after 2 glasses. We couldn't even finish the pitcher. I ended up getting pancakes with scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes. Have you ever heard of a pancake bar?! I've never! After getting your plain pancakes, you can go to the toppings bar and pile on your toppings. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, whip topping, different syrups. It was like heaven. Maybe because it was Sunday brunch, but good thing we got there when we did because 20mins later the waiting area was packed with people. It got pretty crackin'! Parking, you can find on the street OR you can park for a couple bucks in the underground parking of the building.
(4)
Jen L.
Yum, fresh, seasonable and sustainable! Here are my faves: - Migas with chorizo - my favorite (and a tiny bit better than the chorizo sausage scramble). I always ask for extra salsa. It's got a great amount of spices to make it homey. - Dungeness (or smoked salmon) Crab Benedict - I love cutting into it with the yolk perfectly runny. - Wild Mushroom Omelette - amazing with multiple types of mushrooms. It's been off the menu for a while. - Lemon curd and Bananas Foster French Toast - yum yum. And come with the fruit bar. Depending on the season, sometimes the fruit is seems previously frozen (blueberries). - side of organic potatoes and kale are amazing. I'd pass next time on the: - Wild Smoked Salmon Omelette and the Proscuitto Omlette - are both ok. Occasionally the egg has been a little overcooked making it a bit rubbery. And their omelettes seem more of a "taco" of egg as the egg is not intertwined with the contents. - Wild salmon hash - large! just ok. Regardless, I still keep going back!! I go there for the food, not the ambiance, as the SLU place is very loud, crowded and the wait is long. I would avoid the weekends.
(4)
Philip M.
This is such a "staple" of Seattle breakfast food due to the "local" and "organic" aspect to their business model, however, due to the service and snobbery I've experienced here on multiple occasions it should not be. This last time, we scheduled a reservation for 11 AM at 7 AM in the morning and still had to wait until 11:30 in order to be seated. When we talked to the host about our wait, he was rude and completely unapologetic. We waited almost an hour for our food and when we complained to the waitress that 4 people in our party had a plane to catch and they needed to eat so that they could leave, she acted as though we were putting her out for our request. Our waters and coffees sat empty and were only refilled once during our 1.5 hours there, our food came out in waves so that the first person who received theirs was already done by the time the last person received theirs and not once did any manager come over to talk to us when we were clearly very frustrated and disgruntled customers. The food was fine, but nothing that I would go out of my way for again. I like supporting local businesses, but I cannot recommend Portage Bay for the way in which they treat customers. They are ALWAYS busy and after the number of years they have been open, you would think that they would be able to figure out how to serve massive numbers of people while still supplying quality customer service. The problem is that this place continues to stay busy due to local support and they can afford to provide sub-par service because they will always have another person in the waiting area willing to take the seat of a disgruntled customer who leaves their restaurant. I will not eat here again and would not recommend Portage Bay to anyone for breakfast. There are plenty of other local businesses to support that will treat you with the service that you deserve.
(1)
Winston M.
Favorite breakfast place in Seattle . All the ingredients are sourced from local organic farms.. The flavor and nutrients just rush your senses. The portions are generous and the service is accurate and quick. The atmosphere is clean and busy but still suitable for kids. We usually bring out of town guests here as a must eat spot. My favorite is the Oatmeal cobbler french toast. I've tried some of the gluten free options and they are pretty good for flour alternatives . Yes, there is plenty of chaos and the wait line can be quite long but that's just a testament to how good the food is. If you want fast cheap food, this isn't Mikey D's. Like Portage Bay says, "Eat like you give a damn" meaning your health.
(5)
Melissa F.
I came here with a companion, but while my food reviews *always* include reviews of dishes all around the table that I've sampled, I cannot for the life of me remember what he ordered much less what it tasted like. Why? I was busy stuffing my face with my own dish. What was this delightfully distracting food? LEMON CURD FRENCH TOAST sprinkled with blueberries and ricotta cheese. Oh holy cherubic infant creatures... You ever just take a bite of a thing and next thing you know, your eyes are half-closed in a kind of trance and you want that one taste to last forever? Gosh, thinking about it now, it's like a first kiss. I mean the really good ones, not the sloppy weird ones that scream you've had too much beer. The flavor was sweet and tart and creamy and soft in all the right ways. Every element complemented the others and I didn't feel understimulated or overpowered or overwhelmed (except by awesomeness!) Nothing is like that first kiss, but the second, third, fourth, and so on were all amazing. Portage Bay Cafe, we are definitely on for a second date! What are your hours next weekend? ;)
(4)
Dwayne J.
I've been here a few times already, but I've never written a review. So I decided to write a review based on my visit today. The good: I usually get the Rancher's Breakfast. The french toast is amazing. It's soft and tender and moist. The herb-roasted potatoes are also pretty good, well-seasoned on the outside, and well-cooked and creamy on the inside. The sausage is also pretty spot on. The not-so-good: The pancakes seem kind of dry and bready, especially when compared side-by-side with the french toast. The scrambled eggs were more like runny half-cooked sheets of egg. Still a decent brunch, but by no means a home run. The bad: The service is really slow and the wait staff is really inattentive. We waited for more than half an hour for our food. I understand that the restaurant business is hectic, and things take longer than expected, but when your customer is aware that the service is too slow, then... well, the service really is too slow. At the very least, the wait staff should check on us and offer me a refill on my obviously empty drink. Overall, a solid brunch place, but not worth fighting the crowd, the wait times, or the slow service.
(3)
Emma K.
Came in on a Thursday for breakfast and there was no wait, hooray! I had the original french toast and liked it fine. I would probably order something different next time because other diners' dishes looked so good :) I liked being able to customize toppings at the breakfast bar, very nice touch. My companion had the Farmer's Hash and had all good things to say. The portions are extremely generous and they use quality ingredients. Looking forward to coming back.
(4)
Josh H.
My partner and I hopped in for a quick breakfast so we slipped by the people waiting at the front and got comfy at the counter. So far so good, but then things quickly fell apart. I am to blame for some of this because I did not choose wisely. The coffee tastes like wet cigarette butts. Don't bother with it because even if you do they're pretty slow to fill it up. We order a vegan sweet bun and requested it came out before our meals. The server was barely paying attention, so it did not surprise us when everything came out at once. I got the eggs benedict with ham which was $13 but I have had way better $7 benedicts. The eggs weren't poached and were mostly hard. The hollandaise was bland. The potatoes were OK, but nothing to write home about. My partner got the vegan hash which was actually quite good. Skip this spot!
(2)
Rick S.
Bottom Line - This is a good breakfast/brunch spot as long as you avoid certain items. Avoid ordering anything with poached eggs (especially eggs benedict) because they can't seem to get it right (see my photos). I love eggs benedict and usually order it on the menu. There's not much more heavenly for breakfast/brunch than the running yolk and hollandaise sauce; however, over-cooked poached eggs is a disappointment, and I wish I could say that it was an anomaly at the Portage Bay Cafe, but I can't count the number of times I've gotten basically hard boiled or soft boiled yolks..... Poaching eggs is purely a timing thing; once you get it right, you always get it right. I don't understand why the Portage Bay Cafe (both the University District and the South Lake Union) locations cannot poach eggs to save their lives. Avoid dishes with poached eggs (ie the eggs benedict). They only get it right 1 out of every 4 times in my many visits here. Not sure why I keep ordering them! So anyways, my meal mate and I visited the South Lake Union location on Friday, 28 May 2010 and we ordered the following items: Wild Salmon Omelette ($13, House smoked wild Northwest salmon, Spanish manchego cheese, organic green onions and tomato, topped with or- ganic avocado salsa) - My friend enjoyed this dish, and didn't really have any complaints. He said he would order it again. Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict ($15, Dungeness crab cakes, sauteed organic spinach, organic poached eggs and homemade hollandaise) - I ordered this dish. Everything was fantastic except BOTH egg yolks were severely overcooked. There was no running yolk at all )= I was SO DISAPPOINTED with this dish. When our waitress came and asked how everything was, I just mentioned to her to tell whoever is poaching the eggs that they're doing it about 60-90 seconds too long. She said ok, but I'm not sure if she told anyone... this isn't the first time I've experienced the same thing. The service on this Friday morning was a bit slow, but I didn't let the service affect my rating on this review. The star rating is solely based on the negative impression of the over-cooked poached eggs, because in all honesty, this is all I can really remember now. Along with a soy latte for $3.50, the total for the two of us came to $31.50 plus 3.15 tax and 6.00 tip = $40.65 total.
(2)
Scott P.
Awesome brunch, I had the goat cheese omelette Fresh - Clean Service was attentive, but busy. There was a wait, but it was the weekend, and pleasant. Decor was nice, but its loud and busy. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town.
(5)
Alice C.
My experiences with any of the Portage Bay locations have been just okay- while their reputation for mostly organic and local is an earned one, I've also repeatedly seen the line out the door at all of their locations, with waits up to an hour. No food, in my opinion, is worth an hour wait for a table, even if it was made with gold flakes. I've been to Portage Bay a couple times for lunch during the week and had luck getting a table with minimal (under 5 minutes) wait. While todays visit wasn't my idea, my group waited the customary 45 minutes for a table, 20 minutes to get water (that we had to ask for) and utensils, and another 15 minutes to have out order taken. The food came out in good time considering how busy it was, but when my side of ordered toast didnt come out with my food, I got some serious attitude when I asked about it. I work a service job, I get it that sometimes things get a little behind when it's busy, but I can tell when something gets forgotten- the toast came out ten minutes after my entree with nary an apology. Portions are generous, but everyone agreed the breakfast potatoes were bland/needed salt and pepper, and the english muffins in two of my parties breakfasts were stale to the point they wouldn't be cut. For $14 an entree, I'd personally would have been disappointed. My migas were okay, but needed a generous sprinkle of salt even though I opted to have chorizo included. The thing people seem to love about Portage Bay is the offering of fruit, whip cream, and syrup they have available for those who choose a french toast or pancake item from the menu. While the thought sounds fun, most of what I've seen isn't fresh, and is swimming in a sugary syrup; added to that is the fact that serving utensils never seem to be swapped out when the fruit is replenished, even when they're used to spread fruit across numerous individual servings of food. I've stuck to egg and salad offerings specifically to avoid the bar. I'd rather the fruit and whipped cream options come already served than have to do it myself- and with the prices PBC charges, I'm a bit iffy that they think they can't do it themselves. I spent two and a half hours at PBC, and honestly, I think this place is extremely overrated.
(2)
Danna L.
Our service was great but the space is loud!! There were constantly dishes being thrown around in the kitchen and it echoed loudly around the restaurant. The food was not amazing. My toasted potatoes had no flavor, well maybe if you count being burnt. Half the bacon I got was black and my scrambled eggs were way overcooked. Wouldn't go back
(3)
Jeff E.
One of the best breakfast/brunch spots in the city. It's usually busy, but that's a good sign. Try any dish and you won't be disappointed; I recommend getting something that comes with the famous topping bar full of fresh berries and fruit, syrups, nuts and other garnishes!
(4)
Jeffrey R.
Am I missing something here? Why do people wait in line for so long just to eat breakfast? This place is TOTALLY overrated (3.5 stars as of this review). When we arrived at the cafe, we were told that we would be waiting one hour, so we expected the wait. No problem. An hour and a half later, we got seated, and as some of the other reviewers have noted, the service was really horrible. Our waitress never greeted us, nor even looked our way. She was, however, running around the restaurant like a chicken with her proverbial head cut off (seriously) doing God knows what. She even started taking the order of a couple who were seated way after us, and didn't even apologize. Fine. As long as the food was worth it, we would be okay. But that was the crux of the problem. The food was VERY mediocre. Dare I say, really quite bland. I ordered one of the specials on their menu - BBQ pork ramen - and I have to honestly say that it was perhaps one of the worst ramen I have tasted in my entire life (no exaggeration). The pork was cold and undercooked, the cabbage was tough and stringy, and broth was absolutely flavorless. Really, quite an insult to call that dish ramen IMHO. We also ordered the Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict, which I believe is one of their specialties. To tell you quite honestly, it was just okay. Not bad, but just alright. Nothing special or memorable about it compared to the dozens of other Eggs Benedicts I've tried in my lifetime. So overall, I'm still not understanding what all the hoopla is about. Why would anyone wait in line for over an hour for mediocre food and horrible service? I'm not sure, but I know that I'll never do that again.
(2)
Greg L.
Had an amazing time last year and was looking forward to eating here again. Unfortunately I was greatly disappointed this time around. Food was mediocre and service horrendous. Ordered the ranchers breakfast and got a plate of oil instead. Just eating one egg felt like I was drinking an instant heart attack. Our server also did a poor job, only coming by once to refill coffee and otherwise was absent. For the price I paid I was hoping for more.
(2)
Sara P.
I've been eating here for years, but likely won't return. Wait time for food after ordering - 45 minutes. Number of times waitress came over to fill water and coffee without being asked (and waiting 10 minutes after asking) - 0. Food - salty and for 2 of 3 dishes underwhelming. Manager's response to complaints - sorry, who was your waitress. Poor response to long wait, poor food, bad waitress. Guess when you have a captive south lake union audience quality and customer service are irrelevant.
(1)
Alyson M.
I love Portage Bay. I only go when I am up for waiting to be seated for an hour though so I don't go as often as I would like. I had the Baked French Toast for the first time this morning. The apples were a great touch. I think the fruit bar (that has strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, whipped cream and syrup) goes better with the Classic French Toast though. I'll definitely be back but only when I have time to wait.
(4)
Katy H.
Bananas foster french toast. Need I say more? Actually, I have tried the Migas as well. I had always heard such great things about Portage Bay and was so thrilled to go there and check it out for myself. The food was amazing, as was the fresh squeezed OJ. I was surprised by how large the SLU location was but after eating their food I understood why. The food is so tasty that people flock here! The high ceilings, the kayaks hanging from them, and the brightly colored photographs lining the walls make this place feel cozy and inspiring. All of the food they cook with and prepare is made with locally grown ingredients with organic farming methods. Even though the food isn't always healthy, it's as fresh as it gets. Portions are also rather large so be prepared to get stuffed!
(5)
Sally C.
Kind, helpful staff that obviously like working together & in this beautiful cafe, fantastic coffee & we loved every bite of breakfast. Hash is really not an easy thing to do without being overcooked or greasy--their fall/winter hash will haunt my dreams. I could eat it every day, no joke.
(5)
Marty F.
Waited 60 minutes to get our food on a Sunday, after we had ordered. The server ignored us during that whole period - no drop ins to say, "sorry the kitchen is slow," "can i refresh your coffee," etc. When asked, she said it can take a half hour for food on Sundays. Problem was, it had been 40min already, and another table that was seated with us had already eaten and left...it was obvious she forgot to put the order in. Food finally arrived 20min after we inquired...probably didn't put in in until then. We've all been servers, I know things get missed...just admit it, apologize, and try to correct it. I had the Swedish pancakes with chicken sausage. Delicious. (No syrup came, and thought better about asking for it, given the previous wait). The girlfriend had the oat crusted French toast...decadent.
(3)
Elle G.
How many times dined here: First time at SLU (3-5 times U-District) Aesthetics/Ambiance: It seems extremely fast-paced and busy upon entering, but once you get a table it's more relaxed and calm. Lighting: Brightly lit, big open windows Colors: Light birch, Earth-toned green, grey, beige Decor/furniture: The SLU location is probably three times the size of U-District with a more industrious feel and extremely high ceilings, yet the light birch dining tables help to maintain Portage's "cafe" vibe. Cool local art is posted on back walls and you'll notice an awesome aircraft model hanging on the ceiling upon entrance. Sounds: Loud. It is a huge space and extremely busy at brunch so you'll hear mixes of people laughing, kids being happy or crying/acting out, and big groups chit-chatting. Music: I couldn't hear any music playing over the people if there was any! Dress code: Casual Cleanliness: Clean Type: American, Breakfast Organic Pancakes (U-District). Of course you have to try the pancakes to experience the essence of Portage Bay. Don't expect your typical fatty, fluffy, pancake-in-a-box texture though because these pancakes lay a little flatter and sturdier. But I am deeply satisfied to know that I can indulge in pancakes made with healthier, local, high quality ingredients when I come to Portage. Take full advantage of the topping bar! It's such a beauty to see all the colors from the blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and other fruits that you can pile onto your pancakes. Don't forget the home-made whip and drip a bit (just a bit!) of the maple syrup to top it all off. Goat Cheese Omelette (U-District). Coming to Portage after a 3 mile run at Greenlake, I was looking for a protein heavy, veggie loaded omelette. The waitress suggested the Goat Cheese had the most greens so I gave it the ok. It was quite tasty, I liked how the goat cheese melted into the greens and gave the omelette a more creamier texture versus omelettes that usually have dryer eggs and taste the eggs and filling separately. The potato wedges were the perfect portion size and the right amount of carbs that I needed without making me feel extremely full. Overall, I was very content with the waitresses recommendation. Wild Lox Scrabble (SLU). Yum, the scrabble includes Alaskan King Salmon Lox over diced tomatoes, caramelized onions, greens, and eggs with a slice of toast on the side. This was a special menu option and the portion size was maybe a third smaller than I anticipated however it was very filling. The caramelized onions added great flavor to the Lox, I didn't even need to add a few dashes of pepper as I usually do with my scrambles. The toast at Portage is always a treat and is great with their thick quality butter and local organic strawberry jam. The Lox was a great filler and the toast & jam was almost like dessert treat, which was made my tummy very happy. DRINK: Earl Grey Tea. Standard. Vegetarian/Vegan/Raw Vegas Friendly: Yes! Greeted by hostess? No. Portage is always packed for weekend brunch/lunch so I've always had to push my way through the standing crowd/lines to get to the hostesses. That's when they'll usually greet you and let you know that it's going to be about 30-45 min wait! Was the waitstaff helpful/knowledgeable/polite? Yes, each time I've dined at Portage the staff has always been very friendly, polite, and upbeat despite the craziness and business every weekend. One time a friend had received her entree and mine was taking a while, come to find the waitress had forgotten to put my order through. She was very apologetic and made a rush order and I had it within less than 10 minutes, which I though was great service. Table maintained at good pace (water refilled, cleared at appropriate moments)? Yes, considering how busy Portage gets I've never had a problem getting refills on drinks and the waitstaff always comes to check up. Did they rush you? No Do I recommend you to try this place? YES! I absolutely love Portage Bay because they truly live and serve food through their simple philosophy, which is also one of my own: EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN. They are conscious about where their food comes from, what goes into our bodies, how the food is raised and handled, how it helps the environment, and most importantly what it tastes like. And it tastes AMAZING!
(5)
Mikiko T.
I have been to Portage Bay quite a few times for work functions. The potatoes are usually overcooked, too crispy and bland. Coffee is weak. And I don't really understand the buzz about this place. The "topping bar" has no sneeze guard... Isn't that against health law?? I don't even want to touch anything in the topping bar! I would only go to this place if I have to, as a part of work functions.
(2)
J R.
Excellent breakfast place. I love the migas and pancakes. If you arrive after 9am on a Saturday or Sunday at any of the locations be prepared to wait for a table for 30-60 minutes. I've even made reservations and had to wait outside in the rain for 20 minutes. Great food but wait time keeps me away unless I'm up early or looking for breakfast on a weekday.
(3)
Irene C.
Long wait time, poor service. Very high noise level with multiple screeching children. Oh, if you need to use the restroom your best bet is to walk down the street to Starbucks.
(1)
Des W.
Nice place, good foods, maybe a bit over-hyped and over-rated. Our waiter was mediocre. Good luck getting water or coffee refilled.
(3)
Melissa N.
Overrated if you ask me. People love this place or so I was told. I have been here a few times and I just find it to be alright. I mean the staff here is rude and unfriendly, definitely not what I want to experience first thing in the morning. The portions are mediocre and the price is a bit high but I guess if it is all organic you get what you pay for. My friends and I went there a few weeks ago and the only cool thing now is they have an app where they can text you if you table is ready. You get a star on that but can you please get your staff to smile? I rather go to IHOP for breakfast....than spend my hard earn money here.
(2)
Andrew L.
A good place; is a place where you don't concentrate on the food, but on the company who is there to enjoy it with. That's what I believe. There is an expectation that, when you go out to eat, it's delicious. This was true today, when I engaged in a reunion of sorts, meeting with someone who I had not spoken to, in over 8 years. It was decided, that this would be a welcome place to catch up, over a yummy brunch. During the week, it's much easier to get a table without a wait; weekends are a likely hour wait. The location is a little bit out of the way, but that is true to their other two locations, at the UW and Ballard. The servers were friendly, and greeted me upfront, with a smile. I was seated, and offered water, as well as other fresh juices. I ordered a Smoked Salmon omelet; hers was a crunchy toasted oats place. After a very short wait, the meals came out, well portioned. The potatoes were cooked with a little bite, it's like home cooking, and the salmon with all the other great ingredients was perfect, inside of the egg which was neatly folded over it. The fresh toppings bar is always a good touch, as we both decided to get up and take a look at what could be topped on her nicely toasted oats. When it was all said and done, the meal seemed to pass too quickly, but it was a delicious complement to a one off meeting with an old friend. Take your friends, hang out and enjoy your conversations, and if you come here, you'll get it over great food. When to go: You either go early, or during the week. If not, be prepared to wait 30-60 minutes. Yes, it's that good. It's street parking, unless you want to find the public pay lot. There is outdoor seating, but it's a summer thing. It's also organic stuff, so you are supporting the local community also.
(5)
Sarah E.
I came here for lunch today during the lunch rush hour, so I wasn't expecting to be seated immediately. Even though the place was packed, we were seated within 5 minutes, which was impressive. The Cafe is spacious and open, so even though there were a ton of people in there, you didn't feel cramped. They serve breakfast all day which is awesome and they have a fruit topping bar, which allows your to pile a mountain of goodies on top of your waffles or pancakes. It would be nice if they had a few After looking at the menu fro a bit I decided on a turkey BLT, and my co-worker picked out the beef dip. The turkey BLT sandwich was OK, nothing mind-blowing. The beef dip was enormous, but the only complaint was that there was a GIANT fat pocket in the middle of the beef so some minor surgery was needed to remove it. Overall this place is OK. It is pricey ($11 for an alright sandwich!?) but that's the norm in SLU. I might come back to have a go at the waffle bar, but I think the best bet for lunch in the area are the food trucks.
(3)
J L.
Huge fan of the selection of fresh fruits and menu options that make you feel less guilty about eating such a glutinous brunch. We went on Mothers Day which of course brought about a wait, however they got a table ready in 45 minutes, about half the time of the 2hr estimate they had given us. They even called on my cell to let us know, as we took a walk during the wait. Fruit was fresh and ripe. Pancakes made well and the bacon was generously thick. TON of food, well priced.
(5)
Federick N.
I had the latkes and 3-egg special. Really really good latkes, not that I know what latkes are supposed to taste like or anything. But root veggies - rutabaga potatoes and turnips etc - made for a delicious latke.
(4)
Adam R.
This place is a solid three. I have been here a couple of times and the selection of food is always good. Usually the special menu is where I stay as something always (except this time) sounds good and it's special, so why not? On this trip, I had the apple and pork omelette which was ok but seemed very dry. When I think apples and pork I think sauce and sweet but not this one. The sausage and was good but the apples seemed far a few between. Would I recommend this place, sure, especially if you have allergies or other issues that make most restaurants out of the question. They are health conscious and certainly have options for everyone. A friend of ours on this trip can't have gluten, tried their gluten free bread and loved it.
(3)
Jen B.
I don't know about you, but L-A-M-E. This was a bland place. From the service, to the decor to the food. My potatoes weren't cooked all the way through (breakfast potatoes should ALWAYS be cooked right!) and the eggs in my mushroom omelette were too soft with sooooo many mushrooms I had to pick them out because they were making me gag- I could barely eat my breakfast! The coffee was decent though. Granted, my company was about as exciting as a paper napkin but I did not judge on this as I am pretty sure the cafeteria atmosphere is what turned me off. I like cozy breakfasts with good company and laughter. Not hype and the inability to deliver. All in all, boring and plain.
(3)
Ashley H.
Sometimes the service is good and sometimes the service kinda sucks. The wait can be ridiculous depending on the time you go...like up to an hour. They don't skimp on the portions though, but I've only had brunch here. I like the French toast, which I get in the Rancher's breakfast and getting to use the fruit bar for toppings is nice. The Rancher's is very filling and the chicken sausage, eggs, and potatoes are good. The Dungeness crab cake benedict is always pretty tasty. Can't go wrong with fresh squeezed orange juice.
(3)
Hanna L.
The wait takes forever and a day even with reservations... The food itself can be better. My friends ordered eggs benedict, and their poached eggs was more of a softly-boiled.... The egg was not runny at all, and there was not enough hollandaise sauce to cover the benedict. By the time I got my breakfast I was famished and devoured everything in sight. I must say, the bacon that they give is delicious.... Other than that, I wasn't overly impressed with what they offer.
(2)
Danielle R.
Yum is right... I ordered the oatmeal cobbler french toast, which included a trip to the fruit topping bar. The french toast itself is challah bread that is coated with a layer of oatmeal cobbler (adds an extra crunch and sweetness) that I love. Piled on top is all the berries and pears and peaches w/ dusting if shaved almonds courtesy of the the fresh fruits toppings bar :) I also ordered a side of organic red herb potatoes & fresh squeezed oj - a lot of delish food (made great left overs too, ha). Everyone else in my party ordered coffee, eggs, toast, bacon & a side (possibly pancakes or french toast) -and they too enjoyed their meals. Service was great, casual, friendly and did not give the feeling of being rushed. Definitely a place any of us would like to eat again!!
(5)
Cindy C.
HEAVENLY breakfast menu, heaping servings of ultra-fresh, ridiculously good food (with an eye toward locally sourced, sustainably farmed ingredients), wide open, bright, cheerful space, outstanding service in the midst of morning rush chaos. (Yes, a bit slow... but go somewhere this popular and it's gonna happen, right?) The cousin and I each had the grits (with shallots and peppers I believe?) & poached eggs with fresh fruit. I ordered a side of pepper bacon (my one meat indulgence I never gave up... but never eat when out due to restaurants' sourcing). Everything was exceptional... flavorful, feel good, stick-to-your-ribs food served with class. Add a couple of grapefruit mimosas and our morning was complete! Have to have the pancakes or french toast one of these days and hit that crazy toppings bar. It runs in my mind the tab came to around $37... $12-ish for breakfast entrees, $3 for (generous) bacon side, $5 each for those sunny, delicious mimosas. Good thing I don't live in SLU... I'd be chubby and broke.
(5)
Lilani E.
i GET it. For almost a year since I moved here I have driven, walked, and ran by the Portage Bay Cafe and thought, "WHY ARE THREE SO MANY PEOPLE?!" i GET it. It's really good. It's totally worth the wait. I love that you can have a latte while you wait. I love the fresh topping bar (disclaimer: not so fresh during the winter but understandably so.) I ordered the Ranchers Breakfast with the Ham Steak and French Toast. I was happy pretty much the rest of the day until 9pm. The ham steak was good - lean protein. Did not make me regret not choosing bacon. That's huge. Also, big fan of the texting when your table is ready. That way you don't have to hound the host/hostess stand waiting for 45 minutes.
(4)
Jo Y.
I like the U- district location. So I was excited to try out this one in my neighborhood. They served me an overcooked (yolk was broken) poached egg with my crab cake egg Benedict... How could the cook not notice & neither could the waiter???!!!
(2)
Kate M.
Considering how much this place was talked up before we arrived, both the boyfriend and I left feeling underwhelmed and that we'd overpaid. Yes, there is quite a focus on organic eating, and the menu did look both interesting and appetizing. Unfortunately, we were disappointed by very lackluster, perfunctory service and bland food that seemed overpriced for what it was. It's obvious that this is a popular destination - the large restaurant was pretty packed at 9:15 on a Friday morning, and it was definitely on the loud, bustling side - but the food was a let-down, and our server couldn't be bothered to give recommendations or even so much as give a smile. I am not sure that it's topping my list of places to return to.
(2)
Rachael R.
This was our first visit, and it was delicious! Will definitely go back. The wait for brunch on a Friday was very minimal. The food was delicious!! The topping bar is great.
(5)
Ursula G.
holy sh*t this place is delicious! Hands down in the top 5 breakfasts I've ever had (well worth the hour wait) they offer an amazing toppings bar with organic, delicious fresh fruit and handmade whipped cream. Can't go wrong with anything that you order. I got a breakfast special that came with 2 perfectly over medium eggs, crispy mouth water delicious bacon (sings best I ever had... best I ever had...by Drake), potatoes that had to be seasoned with crack, perfectly golden brown and magical, and the best 2 slices of french toast that it is possible to make. I really liked that they serve you hot tea or coffee while you are waiting...and even in the chaos every single person working there was happy to help you with a big smile. sooooo epic.
(5)
D P.
They offer a great fruit bar and their food is always delicious! But the last visit kind of left me sour which is why im deducting a star. The wait is long, which is normal, its Portage Bay for crying out loud theres always a line. Anyways after about 45 minutes or we get seated, not a big deal im pretty patient. So our waitress approaches, shes rude right off the beginning. I have no idea what triggered this and she always avoided our table. After about 25 minutes of being at the table she finally takes our order. She comes back in about two minutes and gives us our check.. thats right, we got our bill before we even got a our food. We spoke to the manager, I can't recall her name but she was nice. Then we see the manager speak to the waitress and afterwards the waitress comes over gives some fake apology with an even worse excuse. She said she gave the bill to the wrong table, she took our order 2 minutes prior and our table was clean as a whistle when she dropped off the bill. Other than that one experience everything has been good. Just beware of the waitress that charges you for invisble food. /rant
(3)
Sasha R.
Staff seem like a bunch of college kids with no serving experience. We were seating and no one greeted us after 20 minutes....I got up and walked over to their gossip huddle by the register and asked if anyone would like to take a second to come help us....lol Toppings bar is super awesome and tasty. Love the whole wheat options for the carby stuff. Egg dishes are 'okay' nothing special. Coffee and water refills hard to come by. Certain items are overpriced for what you get. Two hour wait on the weekends seems RIDICULOUS.
(3)
Jessica D.
The food is delicious!! Very fresh! Good selection of healthy choices. The swedish pancakes are a-m-a-z-i-n-g! The fruit bar is delicious! BUT make a reservation! This place is packed on the weekends. They will tell you a wait time and be preapred for it to take MUCH longer than they promise.
(4)
George C.
I've been here 2 times and the food is great. The first time I ordered the egg burrito with a side of potatoes. Both were excellent and the portions were HUGE. The second time I ordered the grits with poached eggs and fresh fruit. The flavors were great but the grits were soupy. I was a little disappointed because I LOVE grits especially when they are made with Beachers cheese. I didn't like the texture of the grits but the eggs and thick sliced toast were yummy. I will be back one of these days to try something different off of the menu.
(4)
Tatjana D.
I've eaten at this establishment twice before my third visit today (6/23/2013) and all three times the food has been good quality and presented artfully. Today was no exception. HOWEVER, it would've been helpful... 1. ..for the hostess to have informed me upon slapping my name down and agreeing to wait for 45 minutes for a table, that the bar area is indeed first come, first serve - would've saved myself 30 minutes of drooling at the plates of food going by as I desperately read my menu and tried doing Jedi mind control on said hostess to put me at the top of the wait list. 2. ...for the random waitress to NOT have stolen the salt and pepper shaker from my table, right in front of my nose as I was about to use it, without so much as a "hey, do you need these?"...Who does that?! 3. ...for my poached eggs gracing the top of my Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict to have actually been poached. If you have to knife your eggs because they're the consistency of steak, something is terribly wrong. 4. ...for the owners to invest in a little sound buffering ceiling action (acoustic tiles). I'm not geriatric but I certainly felt that way trying to hear the waitress above the roar of patron mingling. FINALLY, and this is what really enraged me (as enraged as one can get on a lovely and rainy Sunday morning in Seattle)... 5. It would have been GREAT if the guy placing fresh cookies from the baking sheet into a bag for customers hadn't dropped a cookie on the dirty kitchen floor, and picking up said soiled cookie, placed it into the bag for customer consumption...YUCK! Kitchen floors are dirty when they're in your house, let alone a busy restaurant. Salmonella anyone? I love the concept of local and organic food, the snappy saying on the staff t-shirts, and the mimosas, but after my experience today, it'll be a while before I return.
(2)
Michele J.
Wow!! We both had the stuffed french toast....hallah bread, delicious. But what made it even better was the 'enhancements' bar that came with it. HUGE dishes of fruit toppings AND fresh whipped cream!!!! MMMMMM!!!!
(5)
Jennifer S.
I brought my kids here for brunch on Sunday and arrived at 8:30am. There was already a 20 minute wait! Talk about packed! From what we experienced, I really liked the feel of the place and the "Local, Seasonal, Organic" mission. The food was good and my kids loved the pancake toppings bar. My mocha was not the best I've ever had, but the oven baked french toast was good. The serving sizes were just right but since it was so busy, we didn't see much of our server to ask for the drink they had missed. I would come here again, but maybe not on a Sunday next time.
(4)
Kozby E.
Eventhough I live on the east side, this place is becoming one of my breakfast and brunch place. New location, fast service, friendly employee and great food. Parking around noon might be a problem.
(5)
Tracy H.
Not worth the wait. There were at least 20 people waiting in the crowded entrance, bumping and jostling. The only place to be out of the way is to be one of the lucky few who get a seat on the bench. Order coffee, because you'll be waiting. Though I stood in line for coffee for about 10 minutes before giving up. I arrived at 10:15, and was seated at 11:35. I checked on my name 4 times, and the 3rd time they told me that we were the next table for 2. But 20 minutes later, they were calling another party for 2. I went up and said I had been waiting for an hour, and last time I'd checked, I was up next for a 2-seater. They said they had called my name, but that was BS as I had been standing there just a few feet away, and had heard several people with names that sounded like mine, so I know I would have heard my name called. They said it would be just a few minutes, so I waited, and 15 minutes later, I demanded to know how much longer it would be, because I was starving, and had been waiting for an hour and 15 minutes. I had to ask three times before the hostess reluctantly said 5-10 minutes. Thankfully, and a little bit coincidentally, I was seated momentarily. To be fair, they told me it would be an hour, but I didn't expect it to be *longer*, or for them to handle it with such little grace. The food was delicious, but my food was a bit cold. We had to ask twice for my friend's coffee. The fruit bar was gorgeous, but overpriced so I didn't use it (and the waitress did not point out their side of fruit when we inquired). It would be great for those menu items that come with the bar included. The bathroom has two stalls, which is ridiculous for the size and popularity of the restaurant. When I went, there were four of us waiting in the tiny bathroom before the first stall opened. Given that there is very little ambiance, the meal was also overpriced. If I went again, I'd make damn sure I had a reservation... which they don't take same day (I called that morning at 9:30 to find out. I just wish it had occurred to me the day before).
(3)
Drew W.
Man I love their food here. Talk about a filling meal! Every time I go here I try to find something else to try and only once have I ever found something I was not thrilled about. The staff noticed I was not digging my food and their response was spot on to how it should be handled. The way that they handled the situation made me for ever love these guys. I will continue to keep coming here over and over. only cons I have about the place is that it is very loud and secondly that I get ZERO cell reception but the latter of the two they cant do anything about I am sure. :D
(5)
Mog V.
I always judge a breakfast cafe by their coffee and theirs is perfect. What can you say about eggs, potatoes, and bacon. But their Swedish Pancakes, other than my Aunt's, are the best I have ever had. The wait staff is friendly, attentive, and thorough. Bathrooms are clean another sign of quality management and professional pride. They have an interesting berry bar to compliment your pancakes or french toast. Great atmosphere and energy. Loved the cute little red headed waitress. They do have a private party room for larger groups. I'm going back.
(5)
Melanie F.
Sunday April 14 Brunch, PACKED!! But I had reservations. 10:30 reservation seated at 10:40, we were totally OK with that. Looked over the menu while we waited. I had the Oatmeal cobbler french toast. It was really tasty. The only major downside, we were seated by the bar and to get to the toppings bar I had to squeeze through the PACKED area of people waiting to be seated and hear them make comments about my food. My bf had the Migas with chorizo. It was good, that's it. The Toppings bar was also OK, I get that it's April in Seattle but the only fresh fruit was strawberries. The rest was thawed mushy berries and canned peaches....I passed. The service was nice and help full. It was not overly expensive our tab was $34. Overall, would definitely go back and recommend to Friends.
(4)
Kenny V.
I've heard good things about Portage Bay and it took me forever to try it, but I must say it was enjoyable. It's nice to see a place that caters to the vegan/organic crowd with some interesting items on the menu. I myself ordered the bananas foster french toast - very tasty but as a standalone, it's way too sweet. Definitely something to share with others. I'm not one for vegan food, so it was no surprise I didn't like the vegan banana pancakes - flavorless, even after loading up at the fruit bar. Their more traditional items (eggs, potatoes, etc) are pretty good. If you're lucky enough you can snag a metered parking spot along the street. Otherwise, there's a parking garage adjacent to Portage Bay. The place is sparse weekday mornings, but I've heard horror stories about weekends.
(4)
CHRISTINA S.
Best brunch in town! Friendly staff! Huge portions! Great prices! All organic! Not to put down my fellow Yelpers but if the things I mentioned above don't make you happy then I feel sorry for you. I've never had a bad experience here and I've been coming for years. Yes, the wait is long but it's well worth it. Yes, the prices are higher but they give you enough food to stuff yourself silly and still take home a large doggie bag. What more can you ask for? The fat one has spoken!
(5)
Sean C.
So I have heard from people who work in the area that this is THE place to go out to eat during the week. Well. Unfortunately, we didn't do that. Raven and I went out with our girlfriend Victoria (just as critical as Raven) to Portage Bay in South Lake Union! Victoria, who lived in Bellevue but not Seattle is still excited by the SLUT. More specifically, the UW Husky SLUT (South Lake Union Transit?). So we drove down from the top of Queen Anne Hill and parked along Terry Ave and meandered a block over to Portage Bay and it was like a swarming bee hive in a lonely, desolate tree. It was Sunday morning brunch in South Lake Union, and all of the businesses were dead except for the slews of kids running out of Portage Bay like a Denny's. Then, Raven says "there's a lot of children." I go into the restaurant as a lone soldier and wait behind a woman in a green velvet dress with two children LITERALLY COUGHING INTO THE AIR THE ENTIRE FIFTEEN MINUTES WE WAITED IN LINE. (Okay, felt like fifteen, but I bet it was five.) Anyways, we were put on a waiting list and we walked around South Lake Union for fifty minutes until the restaurant texted me. The waiter was extremely friendly and attentive, which I appreciate. Once we were seated and began looking over the menu (we observed a pitcher of mimosas at the table to the right and promptly followed suit) Victoria shouts from across the table, "they could really focus on noise pollution!" Victoria ordered the salmon eggs benedict, which she liked enough. It really takes a lot to impress Victoria. And she considered herself satisfied after the fourth mimosa. Raven ordered the lemon curd french toast, which I totally should have gotten! But it was really tasty, and I think Raven ordered the best dish out of them all. I ordered off the special menu, I ordered a juniper french toast. It was okay. I really should have gone up to the condiment bar and decked it out, but I didn't. I wish I had ordered something else, but that is neither here or there. I was satisfied after all the mimosas. So all in all, it was good! We ventured down to brunch at Portage Bay from Queen Anne because I was told by multiple sources that this is "THE" place in South Lake Union. But it was really busy. Aaaand really loud. So my thought is if you are driving in South Lake Union and are considering Portage Bay Cafe on the weekend, I would drive up Queen Anne Avenue and go to La Reve or emmer&rye. They are muucchhh more peaceful on the weekend.
(3)
Just N.
Heard about this place so we decided to try it. Got there about 11:30am and this place completely PACKED! Waiting time was 45 mins; ok, we decided to wait and wait...and wait. By the time they sat us down it was 1:45pm so that was more than 45 mins. We wanted to order some stuff from the special menu and most of them were already gone,LOL. SO we order some simple breakfast like their french toast and egg benedict. Overall their foods are OK..; I wont crave for it. Will I come back.....hmmm....maybe; this place is so packed and noisy....we cant even talk.
(3)
Sarah F.
eh. yeah thats how i felt. Waited a long time to be seated and all I can say was that the food was eh... service was eh also. Didn't see much of our waitress. Only cool thing was you can put your own toppings on your pancake or waffle from the toppings bar.----and thats it. I had a crab benedict and it was OKAY. nothing to rant about.
(3)
Pamela H.
I really can't say enough good things about this place. The wait was not bad (10 minutes) considering how popular it is, and that we arrived prime time (10:30 am on a Sunday morning.) This is particularly important for me when dining with my impatient 6 year old. I had Phil's Breakfast, and my son had the Mickey Mouse pancake. He particularly loved the trip around the toppings bar. Both were fantastic. I love being able to eat at a restaurant that "gives a damn" and I'm willing to pay an extra buck or two to feed my family well. Can't wait to go back for the Double Drunk French Toast!
(5)
Jim S.
Waited ten minutes while three wait staff bypassed our table. One retrieved the bill from the next table and didn't even check in with us. Many customers sat waiting for service. We left without being served or noticed and won't be back.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast, Brunch Parking : Garage, Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Tracy N.
Service was great! Our waiter was very fun and personable. I ordered and SHARED the Farmer's Hash w/ corned beef. The portions are ridiculously huge! It was nice of them to already divide the meal onto two plates so that we didn't have to separate it ourselves. All the ingredients used was very fresh. I love the variety of vegetables and the corned beef was so tender. I really want to come back and try the toppings bar and their eggs benedict. Crab eggs benedict sounded so yummy!
(5)Neha G.
A word of caution to all those who have been there recently: Quoting the manager 'One of our staff members has been misusing the credit card info of the customers'. Anybody who has been there during the past month should check their credit statement for 5$-6$ charges on regular intervals towards the portage bay account. Our account was charged for 36$ as opposed to 28.50$ which was the check amount incl tip. When we observed this, we met up with the manager, who was rather casual about it (as if it was a regular complaint) assured that it would be rectified. But instead of refunding the amount, another 6$ were further deducted. Is this how loosely finances are handled at this enterprise? So far they have charged us 42$ for a 28.50$ meal! 2 Stars because the food was good.
(2)Natasha F.
My sisters & I took my Mom here for her Birthday. They were pretty busy; and even though we had reservations, we weren't seated for another 30mins. The atmosphere was very loud; we couldn't even hear each other talk. The menu was very limited, but our server was very nice. By this time, my Mom was irritated & hungry; as we all were, so we ordered quickly. The food isn't anything exciting, but the espresso/coffee is great! Not worth trying again.
(1)Corrie H.
Yum, yum, yum, yum! On our last day in Seattle, we were looking for a place to eat breakfast somewhere within walking distance of the Space Needle. This certainly fit the bill. I had the Chile Verde Pork Omelette (featuring pork shoulder braised in banana leaves, chile verde, Oaxaca queso, cilantro lime crema, and fried plantains). Delicious! One final note: this is a huge restaurant, and is kind-of corporate feeling, so if you're looking for Seattle quirky, this isn't it.
(4)Zanne R.
I would have given this place 4 stars for the food, but waiting 30 minutes on our reservation (this is the 3rd time it's happened to me), plus the noise level, plus the poor arrangement of tables (it's a maze to get to the breakfast bar because all the tables are too close together and in a jumble) zaps two stars at the least. It's a pity. It's great food, but I'm done with Portage Bay. if they ever get their time management improved, I might come back.
(2)Jeff D.
Food is good. Great place for weekend brunch. Don't bother with reservations. They are never on time with seating you. They are chronically late even if you book in advance. And they don't seem too apologetic about it either.
(3)Beth T.
Delish! Totally my kind of place, with sustainable, organic ingredients, excellent coffee and a yummy breakfast menu. I sampled the basic panckes (dolled up at the toppings bar) and the mushroom hash, which was excellent -- though I could have done without celery in the veggie mix. Celery really has no place in breakfast food. Minus one star only because I'm wary of the toppings bar being unrefrigerated and uncovered (a la a traditional salad bar)....my health inspector friend would have a shit fit if he saw that!
(4)Seiji O.
Great place for breakfast or brunch. Looks like it's always busy here but they do take down your number and shoot you a text if you prefer to wait at a nearby starbucks. But if you know you're coming here for sure they do take reservations. The french toast and pancakes have access to fruit bar where you can add on all kinds of fruits. Plus the portions here are huge. If you're just visiting Seattle it's worth a try. Also if you come here during the weekend there's parking in a garage nearby for $2 all day.
(5)Greg T.
Has anyone checked out their food inspections on the King County webpage? They consistently fail due to poor food handling practices. I ate there a week ago first thing in the morning when they opened. They served me day old potatoes so hard a fork wouldn't go into them. I also had a bad stomach about an hour later. They never even responded by my concerns when I emailed them. I love their menu and the organic lean but they need to clean up the kitchen if they want me and my family and friends back.
(1)Madeleine M.
What a great restaurant! Every time I've been here was an extremely delicious experience. I love the berry bar! The staff is always very friendly as well. I definitely recommend this place for breakfast or brunch:)
(5)Celeste T.
Came here for a light lunch one day. Somehow I avoided the long wait mentioned by several other reviewers, and ordered an iced tea and a vegetarian quesadilla. It's fusion-y, with a very light and crisp flour tortilla, light on the cheese (not greasy at all) and sour cream and pico de gallo, but still having a somehow "Northwest" feel. Maybe it's that there wasn't a corn tortilla, and it was enough for two meals for me regardless of the fact that I was looking for a light lunch? The atmosphere is bright and pleasant, and the service is great. Highly recommend for a quick lunch, if you can time it just right!
(4)John N.
I don't know what was worse, the food or the service. 17 minutes to get a drink is how it started. We should have left at that point. After our waiter finally took our order we didn't see him again until we were finished. Not one of us got our drinks refilled. The food was lousy. We all got the Reuben sandwich. It used to be good, but they changed it. It had almost no sauerkraut or dressing, the meat was cold, and the bread was super thick. It came with a salad that was swimming in dressing. It used to come with potatoes that I enjoyed. Won't step foot in that place again.
(1)Lisa E. L.
French toast!! -1 star for the long wait on the weekends. They should consider expanding a second floor.
(4)Duncan T.
Really mediocre food. The French toast was giant slabs of inch and a half thick bread that was not French toast all the way through. I got a standard eggs and bacon breakfast, the toast was too sweet and the eggs had a rind on them even though I specifically asked for them not to be crispy. My potatoes were not all fully cooked. The coffee was three dollars with no refills. Expensive and bad.
(2)Emily L.
Great beet frittata, latte and rhubarb/strawberry French toast, which included a trip to the toppings bar where we added blueberries and whip cream, mmmmm. Make sure to make rezzies, this place is busy! Great service too!
(4)Rich T.
I really want to love this place and it is a wonderful location. The problem is the food and the consistency. It's usually not super busy for lunch. Which might be a sign being next to amazon. One of or buddies had a hamburger. And sadly it came out raw. Then took another 20 minutes to get another one. Sad. I had a cinco de mayo special thing. I can only say I'm not sure what it was. Appeared to be beans. Have mole sauce. And then a pork chop buried underneath. Yuck. The more traditional options look like better choices such as the egg thing.
(3)Sarah W.
The farmer's hash with sausage was absolute perfection! The pancakes my husband ordered were a bit undercooked (due to a cream filling?) so they took it back and replaced it with French Toast instead. Really delicious food, friendly service, immediate seating, locally sourced food, it was a great experience.
(5)Julie K.
Amazing selection of food and the daily specials are super creative and each sounded delicious. I ordered eggs benedict and my two girlfriends ordered different french toasts. We each shared and I honestly loved all three. Be sure you make a reservation or be prepared to wait 30-45 minutes. Be sure you come hungry because the portions are very generous! Only complaints... a smidge on the loud side and I wish I could have ordered a sampler as everything looked so good! ;) I would most definitely return!
(5)John F.
Fun brunch place, had about an hour wait when I went on a Sunday, but was definitely worth the wait. The omelet I ordered was great, but they also had a bunch of fresh fruit set out to add to your waffles, pancakes or other "sweeter" dishes. The portions were quite large, some come with an appetite. I had just finished running the Alki Beach 5k so had built up some hunger. Overall, I'd certainly come back, a no frills type atmosphere and a place that certainly believes in making sure no one goes home hungry or unsatisfied with their meal.
(3)Allison F.
I don't know how I haven't written a review for this restaurant yet, considering it is by far my favorite place to eat in Seattle!! I've only eaten breakfast here but love it to death. Definitely come early as it gets super busy really fast. Food is brought out quickly but you will still have to wait if you come after 9 on a weekend. I love the Rancher's Breakfast as it includes everything I love about breakfast, AND a trip to the fruit bar. Three eggs are too many for me with this meal but I love the chicken sausage option and the potatoes were cooked perfectly and nicely spiced. I went for the french toast and received two big pieces. The egg batter was just on the surface of the bread and so there were sections that were just plain bread. Enter the fruit bar!! Fruit offerings include berries galore, canned peaches, coconut, whipping cream, nuts, butter, and syrup. Delightful!! They state on the menu that while you can help yourself to as much as you would like, be sure you can eat it all. Do it. We've come here twice with tiny children and they're super helpful with highchairs and small plates of food for the tots. We came this past Sunday and definitely noticed that there were quite a few tinies there, enjoying their breakfasts. Be sure to come here for breakfast and take in the delicious (and local) food they offer! I'm hoping my next trip will allow us to sit out on the patio as it looks like a lovely place to take in our rare West Coast sunny days!
(5)Krystin T.
I... have mixed feelings on Portage Bay. My boyfriend and I came here on Sunday to have brunch with his family. We'd actually decided on another restaurant, but when we called there, they said it was an hour-long wait. We called Portage Bay and they told us fifteen minutes and took our name over the phone. We got there about fifteen minutes later (maybe a few more) and they were definitely nowhere near ready to seat us. The place was PACKED, which is great for them but not so great for us. We ended up waiting about 45 minutes from the time we arrived, which wasn't great because we were on a bit of a time crunch. The thing is, I GET that there might be a wait... but then don't quote 15 minutes if it's really 60. That's all I ask! When we were led to our seat, it was to a table with three chairs - for five of us. Of course they brought us additional chairs, but it took them awhile and was really awkward as we stood around trying to find chairs. Once we got past that ordeal, it was smooth sailing. Service wasn't great, but it was okay. The coffee, first of all, was delicious. I ordered the Greek omelette (spinach, pepper bacon, mizithra cheese, and usually onions but I had them leave those off). It came with potatoes and a piece of toast, and everything was great. I like the actual space, too. It's spacious and open, and there are a lot of interesting pictures and hanging things to look at. Plus, there are a ton of windows so you get a lot of natural light, which is especially nice on days like Sunday that were actually sunny! My meal was tasty and I'd love to come back, but the long wait time (when we were told it would be short) didn't thrill me. Next time, I'll plan a little better and be more prepared for a wait.
(3)Erin M.
I was so excited to try this restaurant because I had heard so many good things. A group of us went on a Saturday morning expecting a long wait. The hostess initially told me it would be an hour wait , but after 2+ hours, we were finally seated and famished at that point. The server stopped by our table and my girlfriend asked if they had anything for her baby to munch on like bananas or crackers (after all, the poor baby had been waiting patiently for 2 hours). The server looked perplexed and said "sorry I don't think so"....ummm you are a breakfast spot, I'm pretty sure you have some bananas in the back for your bananas foster pancakes clearly displayed on your menu! Anyways, we ended up ordering the crab cake benedict, the smoked salmon benedict, the cobbler french toast, and the winter hash. The food was OK....and by OK I mean overcooked, cold, but maybe would have been good if it didn't taste like it had been sitting around for 20 minutes. The service was absolutely horrible...our server never came to refill our waters and we had to flag another server down to get our check. To make matter worse, a few days later I looked at my bank statement and they had overcharged me by $50! I called the restaurant and left a message with one of the servers for the manager (she never returned my call). I called back again twice and left two voice mails (again, never returned my call). Called again and left a message with another employee who said he would give my number to the accounting department (again, never returned my call). I emailed the owner (she never responded)....finally, I just filed a fraudelent charge claim with my bank.... Needless to say, I will NEVER go here again...at least this location. The food is OK, but not worth the wait or the crappy service.
(1)Sam H.
I don't think you can ever go wrong coming here for breakfast. Cons: it's gonna be about an hour wait if you come here. So be prepared for that. Pro: If you smell or see the food... it will be worth it. Pro: they give you coffee to drink whiel you wait for the line Con: The coffee is added to your bill later and it's like 2 dollars. Recommended: The benedict!!! and pretty much any of the scrambles.
(5)Judy H.
A great spot for breakfast whether you're with a friend or the entire family. I would caution that arriving after 9:30am on weekends will present a considerable wait. The menu provides a wide selection from egg dishes to my favorite, the tapioca swedish pancakes with Lingonberries. Never disappoints! The coffee could peel paint off the walls, so be prepared to leave with a bit of the jitters if you have more than one cup. The service is typically pretty good, although I have had a couple occasions where my meals were delayed longer than usual - again I'm sure due to the large crowd. I should also mention that I have been to the PB in Ballard, and won't go back. The atmosphere isn't nearly as nice and somehow the food doesn't seem consistent with that of its sister locations.
(4)Jean Y.
A great go-to weekend brunch place. Offers vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Uses local, organic ingredients. Pancakes are delicious. The only pancakes I haven't liked were.the buckwheat pancakes. I like buckwheat noodles and tea, but the buckwheat pancakes were a bit too gritty and dry for me. Toppings bar has a lot of sweet, fresh fruit. Beware though - only ONE trip to toppings bar allowed, so load up on those blueberries and raspberries!! Omelettes are fluffy. Great combinations of ingredients from which to choose. Wherever Portage sources their eggs is where I want to buy mine too! This is one of those places that leaves me torn between options I've tried and liked and new options that I want to try. The wait varies from zero to thirty minutes, but I haven't been able to spot any correlation between time of day and length of wait. My impression is that the SLU location is less crowded (and obviously larger) than the UW location. I haven't tried the Ballard location.
(4)Kat K.
I was super hungover when I visited here from Van with friends, but the menu looked amazing, as did all their food! I had an apple juice, and it was tasty...I also love how many vegan/vegetarian options there were, and will definitely be back (not hungover) next time I'm in Seattle :) Huge, open and airy place, and staff was really nice :)
(4)Griffin E.
Came here around noon on a sunny Saturday and the place was packed. We put our name down for a table and the wait was about 30 minutes -- which gave us some time to scope out the menu and take in the place. I likened it to a busy, slightly more aesthetically pleasing cafeteria. It's inviting but so crowded that you feel like you're a bit scrunched all the time. We ordered the salmon benedict, the french toast and a side of over medium eggs and pepper bacon. The salmon benedict was delicious! Poached eggs were done well and there wasn't too much hollandaise sauce to drown out the flavor from the smoked salmon. Red potatoes were good but not amazing. Bacon in any form is tasty, so thumbs up on that front. Their fruit table setup is cool - you can take your pancakes and french toast up there and load up with fresh strawberries, blueberries, peaches, pears, and other assorted toppings :D Service was quick once we were seated and the staff was friend and professional. We noticed that the expediters sometimes used their bare hands to shift people's food around before they took it to a table, which to me is a big no-no. For two people, our bill before tip was $35, which is a bit more than what I would have liked but nothing to keep me from coming back to try some other dishes.
(4)Diana G.
The Portage Bay Philosophy: "Eat like you give a damn." is total awesomeness The topping bar with variety of fresh organic fruit and hand whipped cream is the best idea ever. If they ever consider expanding outside of the Seattle area I hope they open up in SF Bay Area first. The challah French toast that is not overwhelmingly sweet goes great with a nice pile of fresh blue berries and strawberries from the toppings bar. Also ordered eggs over easy, and a side of roasted red potato home-fries dusted with spices - very tasty. The menu is very simple but you can really taste the quality and freshness in the ingredients. Despite all the reviews about this place being too busy, we had no trouble getting seated on a sunny a Friday afternoon. Would definitely comeback whenever I'm in Seattle.
(4)Yuriy Z.
When they get it right, food is great here. Perfect lunch (or late breakfast). However half the time the potato's are dry, and the wait time can be pretty lengthy periodically. Try the migas + chorizo. Good stuff.
(3)Kimberley T.
I love the idea of "Give a damn" and their sustainability practices; local and organic (thus creating a small carbon footprint). I had the Risotto Cake Benedict, the asiago "cream" sauce was more of an oil than anything else, yet still tasty. My dining companion had Migas and thoroughly enjoyed them. We were seated right away, service was a tad on the slow side and the coffee could have flowed a lot more freely, but I was able to get a cup to go (only had one cup whilst eating). The bill was less than our usual weekend brunch haunt - would definitely return for a repeat visit.
(3)Amy S.
We waited about an hour to be seated on a Saturday or Sunday morning, which sucked especially hard as there isn't really anywhere to sit or even stand while you're waiting (at least not with that many people). The wait ended up being well worth it- I had the french toast, eggs, and sausage. They have like a topping bar for french toast and pancakes which is glorious! Everything tasted fresh and amazing! Be prepared to eat because the portions are very large (this coming from a born and raised Texan, lol)!
(5)Jeff M.
Well below average. Over easy was over hard. Hash veggies very under cooked by a mile. I did find humor in the pictures of the live happy animals on the walls as we ate them.
(2)Tammy Y.
This place is always packed - and for good reason. Delicious combinations of food and locally sourced to boot. The brunch here is always worth the wait.
(5)Gregory C.
Kick Ass Big Breakfast. Had The Rancher's Breakfast: Three Eggs Sunnyside Up, a Short Stack of Pancakes, House Cured Ham Steak, home fried potatoes and a trip to the breakfast bar for fruit fixings..... The Breakfast So Big You Won't Have Lunch......
(4)Eli B.
LOVE PBC, love our regular waitress Julia - she rocks! The cheesecake french toast is breakfast desert and should really be split between at least 4 people. It gets really busy, and really loud, so it's more enjoyable with small groups and the service is more relaxed on weekdays and early on weekends, kind of common sense with a line a mile long. The food is very good, great specials and gluten free options. In the summer, the Berry Bar is absolute heaven!
(5)John H.
Hands down the best brunch in SLU. Be sure not to miss the toppings bar for your pancakes. :)
(5)David C.
Had breakfast there. Forgot what I had. Just take my word, everything was great!
(4)Jill T.
Love the new and bigger location! It was waaaay too hard to get in to the "mothership" location. The servers were on the ball...brought drinks in a timely manner, came back to check if our meal was to our liking, and cleared our plates right away. I absolutely love this place for breakfast and the organic menu makes it even better. The pancake topping bar is such a good idea.
(5)Brian B.
Yummy !! The Greek Omelette with Pepper bacon and Myzythra cheese hit the spot. The wait for our food was a tad long but the company was great, so it was all good. Thanks Heidles for turning us on to this less crazy, less busy, and less snottier location !!
(4)Chessie S.
Would I invite Grandma here? No. She might pass away waiting in line. It's a reoccurring favorite. Ladies' Brunch, Team Meeting, Oh My Gawd You're Prego type place, Veggies and Carnivores Unite! Yes, of course it's worth the wait and the money if you have time and good company and cash to do so.
(3)Jeremy A.
Swanky breakfasts are super hip and this place is an excellent representative example. While large, this restaurant is packed at all hours. We only had to wait 10 minutes for a small table, but groups should definitely call ahead. Keep in mind that during the week the breakfast menu ends at 11, we where seated at 11:30 which prevented me from trying the eggs Benedict, however they indulged my partner's wish for their specialty French Toast. I fell back on the Midas, a gargantuan breakfast burrito which could have, and probably should, feed two. The service was good and the fruit bar was novel. Overall it was quite good, if rather pricey.
(4)Namtran V.
Had to try it out since everyone and their moms go here for brunch. Call ahead and make a reservation because I waited an hour for a table for 3. I can never pick between having a savory breakfast and a sweet breakfast, so I usually don't venture far from the Rancher's breakfast- eggs, a choice of meat, roasted potatoes, and an order of pancakes or French toast with a trip to the breakfast bar. Pile on all the fruits, berries, syrup, and toppings for your Instagram worthy brunch! Minus one star because I found a hair in my food :-/ at least everything on my plate was still organic?
(4)Robyn B.
Huge plates of food - no wonder my boys like this place. The "breakfast bar" is not impressive as most of the fruit is not fresh but frozen (some was still frozen!), big bowls of whipped cream, butter - the best part was real maple syrup - but that's it. Super noisy atmosphere was also difficult. Nothing relaxing about this restaurant and also very expensive. I would choose another place next time.
(3)Rufus M.
This is my favorite breakfast/brunch place hands down. I live in California and every time I visit Seattle I eat here two or three times. The gluten-free French Toast with a trip to the fruit bar is my go-to. The owner, managers and staff are always great. One suggestion - make reservations on OpenTable and skip the wait. See you there!
(5)Dave L.
The food is 3 stars based on past experiences ...but downgraded to two because we got a reservation for noon, got there, and was told there were "several people ahead of us." "What's the point of a reservation then?" "Well we can't possibly anticipate when people are going to finish." [Insert the famous Seinfeld rental car scene here] We went to Brave Horse down the street, and were seated immediately without any stupid excuses.
(2)Jacob L.
Got the eggs benedict, cost $15. The ham was dry and the bread was dry. Customer service wasn't impressive and altogether not worth the cost.
(1)Shauna M.
This place is crazy busy for weekend brunch, reservations are highly recommended unless you have the time to kill. The egg dish I had was just fair given the high price tag. Was a bit disappointed given the number of people. Might have just not made the best choice. Their waffles are the big draw, but I wasn't up for jumping up to fix it up given how crowded it was and I wanted to optimize my time with my friend.
(3)Mammie S.
worst customer service ever!!! I walked in and said my co-worker had made a reservation. The girl at the front desk said "OK! You are welcome to look around." I didn't know the reservation was under my co-worker's friend's name, so I asked if she could please help me check again and the reservation was at 11am. She glanced at the paper for a second and said no and again asked me to go look around by myself.
(1)Bridgette D.
I've been going to portage bay for years now and this place never disappoints. My dad and I used to frequent here for brunch together so we could make trips to the amazing breakfast bad. After my father passed away this place has since held an extra special place in my heart. Thank you for providing such excellent service and food - portage bay will forever be my favorite breakfast spot.
(5)Tami H.
Hands down my favorite breakfast in Seattle, but unfortunately wait times on weekends can be interminable. I would go far more often if you didn't routinely have to wait 45 minutes for a table especially with kids. Service can also be shockingly slow for breakfast food. That said, if you have the patience (and preferably no toddlers with you), I highly recommend the food. The pancake toppings bar is famous with copious amounts of fresh fruit and decadent toppings. Menu is really diverse ranging from pancake, crepe, and French toast options to egg/omelet dishes. Hoping they open a few more locations, maybe even Eastside!
(3)Chris C.
The second star is for hope. After 45 minutes of poor service and shrieking children, my buckwheat pancakes are nowhere in sight. The second star is for hope that they'll a) come and b) taste good. Revised to 1-star. My food to the wrong table. I left. No hope.
(1)Marie D.
We made a reservation and came ten minutes early. They "checked" us in but we still ended up waiting 10 minutes after our original reservation time. The food came quick and it was good, the plus of having a smaller menu. Love the ambience. Great toppings bar selection. A little overpriced for breakfast but if you take advantage of the toppings bar then it is a deal! A tight squeeze but overall a great place!
(4)Wendy C.
Go early! Scrumptious breakfast food! I had buckwheat pancakes with a to-die-for organic maple syrup. Hubbie had a eggs Benedict number. Our guest asked for vegan no-oil pancakes and they pulled it off [banana pancakes]. Kept refilling our drinks all the time. It got louder and louder as time went on. Great kid place. Enjoy! We got free street parking and walked over to the South Lake Union Park afterwards.
(5)Emily L.
The best breakfast you can get in Seattle. I only knock off a star because it's always CRAZY busy no matter what time you go. Great service and the Lake Union location is very cleaned compared to the other ones I've eaten at. Sometimes they do not take to go orders if they are especially busy.
(4)Patrick S.
Horrible experience!! After waiting 5 minutes in line to get on the waiting list... The rude rude rude hostess states in a very condescending tone, "we're not accepting walk-ins only reservations for Valentine's Day." Like I was supposed to know. If you're only seating people with reservations put on a sign so your prissy rude hostess doesn't get tired of saying it over and over! And so customers don't have to wait in a line to be told go away! Will be a long time before I come back to portage bay just because if this incident!
(1)Bartja W.
I will NEVER patronize this restaurant EVER again. Put in our name at 9:30 and they told us 25 minutes. 45 minutes nicely asked how long in they said 25 minutes, while seating 2-tops at 4-tops. Just got into an argument with the host about their communication an hour in...now an hour and a half waiting. How long have you been in the restaurant business? If it's an hour and a half wait you should say that. You should know how often your tables turn over. This is irresponisble and you should be run out of business.
(1)Dec A.
Very Good place, food and staff. I highly recommend it to you. Very friendly staff, specially Jane! She is very nice, proffesional and fast!
(4)Kate P.
Absolutely delicious food! Everything tastes as amazing as it looks. Must try the real homemade whip cream from the toppings bar! A little loud and busy but completely worth it!!
(5)Joleen Z.
I love having this gem right around the corner from my apartment - the most delicious brunch in town (try the Migas!), really friendly service, and tons of healthy options with tons of flavor. On the weekends this place is PACKED and they don't take reservations, so plan accordingly. They best time to go is after 1pm when the morning rush calms down. Perfect place to cozy up at the bar for a leisurely brunch, cup of coffee and the Sunday paper. Ahhhh.
(4)W W.
I've eaten here a half-dozen times, and I really wish I could like it better. The staff is certainly very friendly. I just recently had probably the best worst salad there I have ever eaten,...a glorious grilled copper river salmon filet on top of a horrible mess of soggy burnt kale. The standard breakfast isn't too bad and the falafel sandwich was pretty good until I tried it on another day and found it very dry. The amount of noise is so bad when moderately busy that you cannot have a conversation. On one visit my folded cloth napkin had boot prints inside. Overpriced and inconsistent are the two things I think about Portage at this point.
(2)Rita R.
Local food. Largely organic. Lots of gluten-free and vegan. Cool space and great history. Reasonably priced. I actually don't have much bad to say about Portage Bay. My waitress looked at me sideways when I got the Rancher's Breakfast, which has eggs, potatoes and a meat selection, and the vegan pancakes. It was definitely worth a chuckle. The vegan pancakes, topped with some of the huge selection from the toppings table, were easily the best part of my meal. (All of it was outstanding, actually.) I've got a barrage of guests coming in to visit all summer long, I think this is going to be the showcase breakfast/brunch stop. Oh, the OJ is spectacular!
(4)jared b.
I enjoy this cafe. I work next door and it makes for convenient food, but it is a little pricey. The food has always been good. The catering is also very good as they have catered work parties for us in the past.
(4)Matt G.
Wow, the best breakfast in Seattle. Sure, we had to wait at least thirty minutes and the large wide open interior makes it a bit loud but the food was amazing. We all especially liked the topping bar where you can add all kinds of fruit and sugary stuff to your pancakes or french toast.
(5)Mo B.
Hostess lied about wait time and/or can't do math ... had to wait for 65 minutes before being seated. Checked with the hostess 3 times and each time we (party of 2) were told it would only be 20 minutes. If we had known from the begining we would have gone somewhere else. An apology would have been nice. Never heading back. Food was decent.
(1)Amy L.
I'd been to Portage Bay in the U District before and was pretty impressed, but my experience at the South Lake Union one was a little under par. I was there with a party of 8, but the service was still not so great. One of my friends dishes came out wrong and then another person's was just forgotten. The drinks (fun flavored mimosas) and the food that did come out were tasty, but that doesn't make up for the other stuff. I will most likely be back, but will probably not be expecting great service.
(3)Joy L.
I love taking out of towner's here. It's great because the food is organic and the neighborhood is so cute.
(5)Dan M.
Food was good. SERVICE WAS HORRIBLE! nothing was bussed or cleaned, the manager on duty was stuffing his face in front of customers, staff members were standing around bullshitting instead of cleaning and serving customers. Very unprofessional very shitty.
(2)Meagan M.
I love this place!! The quality of the food has maintained it's excellence across the years and doesn't disappoint the hungry breakfast seeker. Still one of my favorites in the city! Ooohh.. And I LOVE the new reservation system! Made a reservation, arrived on time and got seated within 5 minutes.
(5)Tianchan T.
The location, service , price and food are all perfect! The only thing to concern is the waiting line. It's just too good!!
(4)Clint M.
Was very disappointed in breakfast this morning! We have been loyal customers for over a decade and with all the success the cafe has been having this is the first time we noticed its negative impact. Coffee wasn't refilled even after asking. The food tasted rushed. I was literally bumped into three times by wait staff while dining due to overcrowding of the tables. Hate to say it but we may not come back. So disappointing
(1)Chris C.
Ate here for the first time yesterday. We are at the Ballard location awhile back. Someone said the menu is different though. Everything was good. We had the bananas foster French toast, an eggs Benedict dish, the pork verde omelet, and some of the kids "famous mouse" pancakes. Would definitely eat here again.
(4)Wendy M.
Great place to have breakfast in Seattle first time at this location and its huge! Light airy and plenty of tables. Had the smoked salmon Benedict and banana foster French toast. They were so kind to spilt both for two of us making it easier to ray along with a smaller plate of French toast two instead of four! Server was great! Always come to breakfast At portage bay and this location much nicer than original near uw,
(4)Kayleen M.
Food was delicious and very beautiful. Appreciated the organic and fresh food offered. Fruit bar for pancakes and French Toast was super cool and yummy. Would absolutely recommend! Yum!!
(4)JoEllen L.
I love brunch. I'm a traditionalist, never venturing far from egg and meat choices but at Portage Bay I went a little wild and had their Bananas Foster French Toast and it was delicious! Not overly sweet, which is why I don't typically get anything that requires syrup. My brunch-mates had the Sweet Rice Porridge with the toppings bar and the Migas. They both enjoyed their choices as well. I'd definitely go back. We went at noon on a Saturday and there was a 20 min wait but to be expected considering time and day if a place is popular. I was put off by the cacophony of sounds inside and was concerned that having a conversation would be difficult but once we settled in and got use to the noise it was fine.
(4)Anita M.
I must say that we are more than pleased with our lunch delivery this afternoon. As a frequent orderer of "team lunches" this delivery was, by far, the most well presented I have recieved. The food was delivered promptly, set up and ready to go for us in beautiful wooden trays (that we will be re-ussing at . All of the serveware was of the highest quality and the food was phenomenal. The Turkey/Avocado sandwhich was the first thing to go! The salad was crisp and had plenty of toppings and the cookies were soft and fresh. Very, very pleased with their delivery service and will be using them again soon. Thank you Portage Bay!
(5)Minnie L.
Portage Bay is really good. I would give it 4 - 4.5, but I really haven't decided yet. The service is not great, but I kinda mentally prepared for that. It was decent - we got our food and drinks in a reasonable amount of time. The waitress forgot to bring a set of settings and a box that my party had asked 10 minutes prior. We ended up asking another waiter for the setting and I ended up walking up to get a box from the counter. But the food - it is really yummy! When you walk in, you are tempted by the berry bar. Even though I'm not one for super sweet breakfasts, I couldn't resist and got the ginger blackberry french toast. The toast had blackberries in them (and the berries were softened by the heat and being in the ginger custard) and had a very strong ginger taste. I love ginger so that was ok, but it could have been less subtle. I skipped the syrup and opted for whipped cream instead. It was super good. Other dishes that were also on the table was the rancher's breakfast, which had good potatoes, but the protein was debatable, and grits. However, I didn't taste any of that because I was busy eating mine, so I can't speak for the savory breakfasts. The portions are huge and so is the crowd. The dining area is rather large, but make a reservation before coming.
(4)Jeremy H.
Good place to a get an upscale lunch in the restaurant deprived South Lake Union area. Restaurant was open, airy and huge--we were there at an off time, but I bet it gets busy at normal eating hours. Food was pretty good, but a little greasy. The ham and gruyere sandwich had good sharp, mustardy flavor, served with a bland but tasty salad. Dining partner had the migas with chorizo which was excellent, but a few bites went a long way. The food contains mostly organic and sustainable ingredients so you may feel superior to unenlightened earth killers. Portion sizes were huge, so plan on bringing some home. Service was pleasant and detached, which I prefer. Definitely an "occasionally only" kind of place, but I'd go back, probably to try out the brunch.
(4)Amie S.
As much as I love the original Portage Bay, I think I might love this one just an eensy bit more. You get the same delicious and sustainable eats, but the atmosphere and the elbow room have been kicked up a notch. The SLU location has soaring ceilings and huge windows to let in plenty of light and make the large space feel even bigger. The décor incorporates metal, wood, and concrete for a style that is slick and modern but more earthy than edgy. There's also outdoor seating if you want a side of Vitamin D with your meal. Another bonus of the large space is that it's less crowded, or at least it feels that way, even though there's still definitely a brisk business happening here. We came here with a large party and were able to get seated in just a few minutes, which would be unthinkable at the other location. The shorter the wait, the sooner I get my hands on that toppings bar! That's a very, very good thing in my book. Original Portage Bay review: yelp.com/biz/portage-bay…
(4)M K.
Ok, I LOVE LOVE LOVE their food. Tasty, hearty, and good for the sould (as well as the body). I was a constant fan of the Portage Bay in the U District. I know the lines are always long, but we always got seated. Oatmeal and French Toast rocks! Good food in is worth the wait... I did, however, have a terrible at their newer location in South Lake Union. I am not going back. We stepped inside on a busy Sunday brunch morning, the waiting area was choc full of people (understandable, there is always a line at the other store) but we looked around, weaved about, and never found a single staff member to take our names or put us on a list. About 5 other patrons around us were just as lost and had not been able to locate a staff member either. I realize it gets packed, but we walked out (along with man others) when we just couldn't find anyone to even talk to about wanting to eat there. There needs to be a better system.
(3)Ashok S.
Good food, but a little pricy. Be prepared to wait. We went there on Sunday and waited almost hour and half.
(4)Bob M.
I used to love this place. The food is fantastic and a real treat. The problem is the wait. Until recently you couldn't make reservations here. Apparently they now accept reservations made 24 hours in advance. We did not know that and called to put our names on the list as we used to be able to do. Not allowed anymore, so we asked what the wait was over the phone. 35 minutes the hostess said. When we arrived in person to put our names on the list, the wait became an hour. We waited 40 minutes and checked back in. The wait was another 40 minutes. At this point we bailed and ended up at Biscuit Bitch downtown. My french toast hankering was left unsatisfied.
(2)Kimber R.
They totally hook it up for brunch! I had the vegetarian risotto cake eggs benedict which was better than I expected. I expected a great breakfast, what I got was nothing less than perfect. Plus the coffee is really really good. Fantastic and very friendly staff as well.
(4)Laura W.
I was in Seattle for a wedding this past weekend and the lovely ladies at the front desk of my hotel sent me here for breakfast. It was GREAT! I ordered the Rancher's Breakfast. The bacon was thick and perfectly done. The challah french toast was fantastic all on its own but then you get a trip to the toppings bar!!! The toppings bar has fresh fruits, whip creme, vanilla custard, nuts and of course maple syrup...soooo good! I may have gone a bit overboard with the toppings but everything was soo good. Not only was everything is fresh well cooked but the icing on the cake is that most of it is organic and sustainable! Which makes you feel like you did something good for the day. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars (and this goes for every restaurant I went to in Seattle) was that the service was really slow. I guess I am used to the speedy professional actors...uhh I mean waiters here in Los Angeles. Also, the waitress messed up a substitution in my order. But I will most definitely go back the next time I head to Seattle.
(4)Evan L.
A hot organic mess. No better way to explain the ooey gooey goodness of my Challah french toast topped with fresh berries, whipped cream, and butter from Portage Bay's famous topping bar. This was in addition to the potatoes and sausage that came with my meal. A local friend of mine brought me here and it did not disappoint. The overall modern, laid-back vibe of the restaurant is a perfect day to spend a weekend morning with good company. Thankfully, there was no wait on my visit (mostly helped by the UW vs. Oregon game), but my understanding is that it can get pretty busy over the weekend. The servers were cheerful and unfazed, though the refills on water and coffee could've been a bit quicker. Back to the food - huge portions, and what was served up was absolutely delicious. Plenty of people bringing leftovers out the door. Overall, a great place to start the day.
(5)Melanie K.
Worth the wait! Actually, we called ahead for a reservation so we didn't have to wait long at all. Out-of-towner friends were impressed, we were impressed. Dungeness crab cake Benedict was delightful. Mimosa was refreshing. Pepper bacon was good, too. Potatoes were boring, but hey, they were just potatoes. My husband's sausage scramble was almost as good as my crab Benedict.
(5)Gina G.
I tried this place for breakfast for the first time today. We went early (just before 8am) and got a table just fine. The food came really quickly but... right away the food was practically cold! The breakfast (I ordered the lemon curd french toast) was tasty enough, but nothing to write home about. The portions are very filling at least and there were plenty of servers milling about serving refills on water and coffee. We had a ton of coffee refills, except the coffee was sort of bland. It actually reminded me of like a Denny's drip coffee. I did like the fruit bar option and went a few times to put some toppings on my french toast. Although I'm not sure why they need this bar. Just put it on the menu and serve it with the meal. I probably won't go back. I've definitely had way better restaurant breakfasts elsewhere.
(2)Michele R.
On a recent trip to Seattle my friend took my husband and I out to breakfast to Portage Bay Cafe. It was so delicious on Saturday that we went on Sunday too!!! The Crab Cake Benedict was AMAZING! We also had the Bananas Foster French Toast that was so delicious that I hardly can come up with words to describe it. We also had a pitcher or mimosas with tangerine instead of orange juice which was great! Really delicious food, served in a timely manner. Although get there before 9 if you don't want to wait for a table!
(5)Jonas C.
I have no idea what it is with these new places and the exposed plumbing and the high concrete ceilings, but this architecture seriously makes it hard to have a civil conversation in these restaurants nowadays. Anyways, food overall was pretty good, seated fairly promptly, and were serviced fairly quickly. But the ambiance, yes, I know, I was here for lunch, but I'd like to be able to hear what the person in front of me is saying without having to strain. Oh, and stick with brunch.
(3)H D.
OMG. Delicious. The Toppings bar for the pancakes and French toast was even better than I imagined or described to me. The all organic fruit like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries along with fluffy homemade whipped cream, and smooth organic maple syrup, etc were wonderful taste sensations atop airy creations like the french toast and pancakes. For me, I put my toppings on the side and savored each bite. The fruit in WA is amazing! We went on a weekday morning and it was steady but then got really busy in the close to lunch hour. It was raining then stopped. When business people came in droves, I thought where will they go? But without a hitch, patio tables were dumped of water and were hand dried with towels. More dinners were led to a back "executive" room. Thankful we didn't attempt Sat. or Sunday as we couldn't imagine it much busier. The vibe is modern like warehouse meets office building on Terry Street. There is street parking and a parking garage nearby too. Staff is friendly enough. The manager is out roaming and troubleshooting. Prices are high for breakfast and brunch mid-week. Our tab was $97.00 for four. Their signature mugs welcome you and you know they are serious about you eating. (see photos) Coffee is $2.75 for a regular cup not a foo foo drink but regular but the coffee is good and does warm you on a rainy am. The breakfast entrees run $11 to $14 with extras like sausage or bacon sides being $3 and small juices costing $4. The food was delicious though and very filling. Our favorites included the Rancher's breakfast, the Migas and the pancakes. Pepper bacon and chicken sausage yum-o. Oh, and the organic fruit, did I mention it? Divine. You could close your eyes and believe you were eating on a farm in the middle of no where WA instead of downtown Seattle.
(5)Jody N.
Love the all local - all organic concept of this restaurant! I traveled the full two blocks from my SLU condo to Portage Bay for my first brunch of the New Year. The place was rammed, but I am guessing that was because of the endless groups of hung-over people meeting up to discuss how great 08 was. I got the Phil's Breakfast, but was tempted by so many others (especially the glutten free pancakes! so on my list for the next visit)...and washed it all down with a "juice of your choice" mimosa (which is one of the yummiest/cheapest ones I have encountered in my Seattle brunch tour). So not only did I start off '09 feeling good about my local/organic meal, but I also left full and very satisfied about every last bite. I can't wait to go back!!!
(5)Michelle Z.
I've been eating at the Portage Bay since the days of college, when I was only a hop, skip, and a jump away from the Roosevelt location. In those 3+ years of eating at this lovely location, I've had very few complaints. The owner-hosts are always cordial and friendly, and without a doubt, everything on the menu is loaded with amazing ingredients and bursting with flavor (evidenced by the fact that I always eat EVERY bite, no matter how full I am). The only thing is - the wait is, and always was, AWFUL! Lines out the door, wrapping the perimeter of the building! No...no...no... UNTIL...this new location! I arrived, put in our name, and imagine my surprise, only a 2 minute wait!! A mere 2 minute wait at Portage Bay-Roosevelt location is simply UNHEARD of! Inside I was jumping for joy - along with my hungry stomach. The decor echoes the original location, crew shells hung from the ceiling, and a tasteful mural montage of local organic growers that explains and justifies the word "organic" used about 5 times in each menu item. My prosciutto omelette was delicious beyond words, and my dining companion's berry and graham-cracker encrusted fresh toast was equally divine. While this new location is bigger, be prepared for the louder crowds, as there are significantly more tables (and higher ceilings) at this location. Ultimately, if you're a fan of Portage Bay, minus the waiting in line, get on down to South Lake Union, for the same (if not improved) brunch awesomeness.
(5)Alexa H.
A little expensive but they have quite tasty grain salads, sandwiches, etc. very casual, feels a bit like a cafeteria
(4)M H.
The food was tasty, though the environment was unwelcoming given the intense volume. The acoustics are terrible. The decor is open and welcoming but the volume is overwhelming. The menu is diverse and inspiring with mostly local products and seasonal. We were seated on time for lunch service, I had called with a reservation for 8. This followed attempting to have brunch several weeks before and we were told there was a 1 1/2 hour wait. Yikes! The wait isn't worth the experience. My experience at the University location has been much more positive - acceptable wait (30 min) and it was possible to hear the person sitting next to you during conversation.
(2)Julie B.
Went to Portage Bay Cafe for brunch this morning and while I love the philosophy, Eat Like you Give a Damn, I'd like the food to taste like they give a damn... I ordered the Apple and Whole Wheat Pancakes, which were described as being infused with sauteed apples, raisins, pecans, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. Yes, the portions were generous, but in two large wheat pancakes I found one fingernail-sized chunk of apple and one raisin. The pancakes were dry and did not remind me of any aforementioned spices. The only saving grace was the topping bar, where I covered the pancakes in apples, raisins, brown sugar and syrup. All of a sudden they didn't seem so healthy... A fellow diner had the special french toast of the day. The toast itself was wonderful - made with delicious, soft challah cooked to perfection. But the special sauce was unremarkable. It was too subtle to really taste like anything. We kept saying, "It's...interesting, what is it supposed to be?" Service was good, the coffee flowed freely, we were seated immediately, and we never felt rushed desipte the incoming flood of post-Jingle-Bell-runners. I like the idea of Portage Bay Cafe, so I'll give it another try and hope for a tastier experience..
(2)Diana L.
A cacophonous din greets. "Sit anywhere you like.", says the harried server. Sit and be ignored for 10 to 15 minutes. Water comes after a quarter of an hour, no lemon slice. Everyone around you has one. "Are you ready to order?" says the harried server. Uh - yeah. Food comes. Sadness. "How's yours?" "My potatoes are cold, undercooked and over seasoned." replies dining companion #1. "I don't think I'm going to eat my chicken." replies #2. "These crab cakes taste like freezer and I think they just used yellow food coloring to make this Saffron rice." you add. Grumble - eat it anyway, because you are fucking starving. Spit your side salad into your hand because it is SATURATED IN VINEGAR. "How is everything?" asks your harried server. "AWFUL." you reply. Your crab cakes are replaced by a mediocre lamb burger SLATHERED IN MAYO and another side salad with their PUCKER INDUCING DRESSING. But it's edible. Lucky for them, because you're thinking about the possibility of hitting the "breakfast topping station" and scarfing strawberries with one hand while you pelt the incompetents in the kitchen with the other. Fin.
(1)Stacy V.
Food is amazing here! What I don't like is how dirty and gross the toppings bar get... By 11 on a Saturday, they don't seem to keep it clean which really grosses me out. Best egg whites in town.....My only other complaint is that I went for lunch and it took OVER AN HOUR for 2 plates of eggs and no one ever even apologized or seemed to care, our waiter purposely kept avoiding us and never refilled our waters.....But the good food will keep me coming back....
(3)Veronica C.
Wanting to try something that I do not have in Vegas, my brother took us to Portage Bay. From what I understand, this place gets packed on the weekends, but because we went on a Wednesday morning, we were seated right away. It definitely took a while to decide on what I wanted since there were so many things I wanted to try. The boyfriend and I shared the Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict and a side of Italian chicken sausage. Wow. The benedict was made up of two decent sized crab cakes topped with spinach, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. It was so delicious! It was fresh and satisfying without being heavy. It also came with a side of breakfast potatoes which were yummy as well. I'm not a big breakfast potatoes person, but I loved these ones! The chicken sausage was good tool. These two items are definitely worth a try. I tried some of my brother's food. He ordered Phil's Breakfast which was just eggs, bacon, potatoes, and toast. As simple as that sounds, it was really good! You can taste the quality of the freshness of all the ingredients. I appreciate how they use local, organic products. Our waitress was beyond accommodating! She was helpful with any questions we had and came back several times to check on how we were doing. I don't think our coffee or waters were half full before she came back and gave us refills. I doubt that I will be back in Seattle anytime soon, but when I do go back, I will make it a point to go back to Portage Bay. With delicious, fresh food and excellent service, you just can't go wrong!
(5)Jessica M.
Great breakfast/brunch menu with many options. They do a good job with seasoning tofu (curry) and I had their tofu hash. Also, they have a toppings bar to add your own fruit, nuts, syrup,etc to all French toast/pancakes items. Servers were attentive and easy to track down which I have found to be difficult to find in Seattle.
(5)Lindsey R.
This restaurant was highly talked about by friends who used to live in Seattle. To our disappointment it was one of the worst breakfasts we've ever had served by a blonde waitress with a very poor attitude. The time it took to take our order after being seated was over 20 min. on a Friday morning at 7:40. I had to get up to ask to have our order taken. Finally, she returned to take our order. It took quite awhile to receive our food and we asked again about how long it may be. When our food was delivered to our table it was either lukewarm or cold altogether. Our order had been sitting for quite some time to be delivered to the table like this and was not served at food safe temperatures. We had very high hopes and were very disappointed. We ordered a Mexican scramble of sorts and Swedish pancakes with a side of bacon and chicken or turkey sausage (looked raw inside). Our bill totaled $45 for 2 breakfasts that were served lukewarm and with a poor attitude. My boyfriend is in the restaurant business so he's well aware of what it takes to make customers satisfied. It was busy, say about 10-12 tables at most with customers, but not busy enough to be ignored or spoken to with attitude when we kindly asked to have our order taken. I imagine if our food had been served hot and delivered with a smile, we'd have gladly given Portage Bay a 5 star rating. However, we won't be returning anytime soon or recommending to others.
(1)Kelly V.
Mmmm....my mouth is watering just thinking about the tasty food that is housed and made here (insert Homer in dreamy-land with drool waterfalling out of mouth). I have yet to eat anything here that I haven't thoroughly enjoyed. From their pancakes (with pancake toppings bar) to their awesome Pork Sausage Omelette (smoked pork sausage, carmelized apples, shallots, and gouda)! Oh yeah! Awesome portions, and not badly priced (about $13 for breakfast with coffee). I haven't tried their food after breakfast but I can assume that it is just as tasty and filling.
(5)Dylan P.
Great food. Would be 5 stars if it wasn't so loud at lunch.
(4)Rebekah F.
If you care about the food you eat and demand the best organic, local and sustainable ingredients but still want fun choices, you will love this place. Its not fancy - a little trendy and hip but overall very casual. Its kind of in between something like Panera Bread and a sit-down restaurant. We went for breakfast and were pleasantly surprised. The food was great and the service was so warm and inviting. If I lived in Seattle, I would be a regular here. A great replacement to the so-called healthy chains that we are so used to seeing.
(5)Jennifer A.
This place is always busy, but we had to wait when we went there on a Saturday morning. So, if you go on a week day you'll be fine, but on the weekend, get there before 9:00am and you should be fine. The first time I was there I ordered the Spinach and Goat Cheese Omelet and It was a huge portion and came with potatoes and the most delicious toasted bread. My only problem was that there was the tiniest amount of goat cheese. Seriously, if it's named as such, at least make sure there is more than a sprinkle in there. Now I wouldn't be complaining if my companion didn't get the same omelet that was oozing goat cheese. Consistency people, consistency :) So the second time I got the same omelet and wouldn't you know, just a sprinkle of goat cheese! But my daughter had a pancake and I'll have to say that it was the most divine piece if fluffy heaven that I've tasted. Maybe the best pancake I ever ate....
(2)Greg L.
Not sure quite how to rate this place. The food was good...the service was okay...wish they would let me give 3.5 stars!!!!! Went for breakfast on a Tuesay with my wife and kids...first warning sign...No Kids menu. I realize this a trendy down-town place, but comeone...no Kids menu? I ordered the ham and cheddar scramble, my wife got the crab cakes Benedict, and we split an order of French Toast for our girls. My food was decent...I actually give big props to the potatoes...really good with lots of kick. And the wheat bread was very hearty. My wife said her crab cakes benedict was perfect. The french toast our kids got was pretty A-Ok also. Service was not bad, but for a place that was way closer to empty than full, it was not great. We were at our table for a full 7 minutes before being asked if we wanted coffee. So...if the food was that good, why do I want to give it three stars instead of 4? Maybe it's just a Seattle thing, but this place needs to get over itself. Fine, you are organic and sustainable...I get it. That doesn't mean breakfast for 4 people(two of them kids) should cost me over $55. And maybe that is my complaint...there are places in the burbs that serve Grounds for Change coffee and get local fruits and veggies... And I guess that's my problem...I don't have a problem paying for attmospher and ambiance when it is dinner with my wife....but at breakfast, I could without the pretentious touch.
(4)V M.
We heard that the restaurant can have quite a line, so we called ahead on Sunday morning and they seated us within 3 minutes of arriving. Quite astounding, I'd say. The food was spectacular! The flavors just jump out at you. The potatoes have just enough of a kick without being spicy, but very flavorful. Eggs are scrumptious. The toppings bar had so many options! I was most impressed with their ability to provide a great, delicious breakfast sourced from local farmers providing organic and sustainably raised food! I found the prices extremely reasonable given how expensive local and organic raw food is at the store. The back of the waitstaff shirts say, "Eat as if you give a damn". What a way to make me feel good about eating breakfast. . Nothing like a little local-organic spin. I will eat here again with pleasure! I hope more restaurants work this hard to provide local and organic food.
(5)Kim B.
My brunch club and I went here for our monthly outing. The space is really great -- high ceilings and large windows that let in tons of natural light. The seating wasn't too cramped and it wasn't too loud, despite being very full. My party of 12 was seated within 10 minutes on a Sunday morning, even though our entire party wasn't even there yet. In addition, 3 of the people accidentally went to the location in the U District. We told the server and she was super nice about it, took our drink orders and didn't pester us. I think I was more stressed out about our entire party not being there than she was. Once the entire party arrived and we ordered, the service slowed down a bit (it was pretty busy, but it became increasingly difficult to flag down our server to get things like water and the check) and the food was pretty decent. (One of my friends opted for the pancake which she LOVED, and I think I'm going to try the vegan pancake next time instead of the hash -- the hash has celery in it which I just find really odd and reminiscent of stuffing.) Another plus for Portage Bay was that we weren't given any attitude when it came to splitting up the bill into separate checks. (We try to do cash for brunch clubbing as much as possible but that doesn't always work out too well.) Also, the prices were VERY reasonable. Our entire table of 9 ate for about $160 (including tip and tax) and that includes coffee and/or mimosas for most of us. All in all it was pretty good and I want to go back for lunch or dinner, as I saw some menu items online that are vegan. Yay!
(3)Kyla C.
Yum, super good breakfast! Everything here is fresh, organic and locally grown and you can taste it. I got the swedish pancakes this time with lingonberry butter, which was good, but the french toast with the lemon curd is delish. I don't eat eggs but they sure look good. The place is good sized and always packed, a good sign. If you're in the neighborhood check this place out.
(5)nicole b.
living in south lake union brings me to Portage Bay from time to time....or, ok, almost every weekend! it's becoming so that i think the staff are starting to recognize my husband and i ... the good stuff: -sustainable, organic, local. who can complain about that?! -damn good coffee and fresh fruit juice mimosas....yum! -fruit topping bar! need i say more? -pretty much everything on their menu is delicious and you get a healthy portion of what you order (sometimes too much...) the bad stuff: -usually a long wait ....go early or be prepared to wait (though you can order coffee while you wait and read the paper...which can make the sight of the delicious topping bar, slightly less torturous). -the staff is laid back....so much so that sometimes you have to wait a while for your check. don't go if you are in a hurry. the upside, is that everyone is really friendly. bottom line: support this local eatery; you won't be disappointed....or don't .... and then i won't have to wait so long next time!
(5)Rose B.
First, the concept of local / organic / sustainable food is an excellent one, so I give Portage Bay props for this. Second, the food is pretty solid. There are better brunches to be had in Seattle, but everything on the menu here is good (not spectacular). Third, they have big portions and a pretty wide variety of options. If you're in mixed company for brunch (foodies, picky eaters, people who correlate restaurant quality to portion size), Portage Bay is a true crowd-pleaser. Fourth, (speaking of crowds) Portage Bay gets super busy. Call ahead to avoid waiting in line. When you walk in to give your name or let the host know you've arrived, you have to be assertive or you'll never get attention. Here, large crowds equates to less-than-attentive service. Every time we've gone it has taken 20+ minutes after we finish eating to get the bill and pay. This is a problem for me because after I have finished my meal I get antsy like a 4-year-old. If you know what to expect, you'll have an A-OK brunch.
(3)Vi L.
Good food but not worth a 60 minute wait
(3)Jane M.
LOVED IT! amazing crab eggs benedict and the pancake toppings bar!! very fresh food. delicious :)
(5)Michelle M.
My boyfriend and I have had several brunches at Portage Bay Cafe since it is so close to our gym. The food there is great. Today, we were so looking forwarded to having an omelet. However, that was not meant to be. We were seated. Waited five minutes without menus or anyone checking in on us. Our waitress went to the table right next to us (there were seated after us as well), took their order and did not even acknowledge our existence. After another five minutes, my boyfriend went up to the manager to ask for a waitress. The manager approached our waitress immediately. She proceeded to wait on 3 other tables. As we got up to walk out, she scurried over with menus. Too late. If she would have acknowledge our presence just once. We would not have walked out, but waiting over 10 minutes just get menus is abhorrent service. The food is great, but the service is HORRIBLE.
(2)Connie L.
I've tried both an egg dish and the pancakes with a trip to the toppings bar -- both were delicious! As much I enjoyed my eggs, I think I'll go with pancakes again on my next visit and the berries at the toppings bar are great and make me feel better about eating such a big breakfast :) You can buy a trip to the toppings bar as a side for $6. You get one trip and you can take as much as you can fit on your plate, but the plate they give you is saucer sized so pretty small. It's good to split while you're waiting for your food if you're really hungry, but I think you could get a lot more fruit for $6 at the grocery store.
(5)Mandy J.
I love this place! The food is always great and I've recently noticed the wait staff has improved, they are much more attentive. I come here every weekend and bring my out of town family and colleagues here all the time!!! Keep up the great worl
(5)Katherine S.
This was the last straw. I have been going to both of the Portage Bay locations since they opened (one, then years later, the other) and I normally rave about the place and tell everyone I know to go there. In the last year however, I have been more and more disappointed by them every visit. My boyfriend and I went to the South Lake Union this morning and had the complete package experience of why I will no longer be frequenting the establishment. It was crowed, something I expect. We were told we'd have a wait of 20 minutes, which I think is totally reasonable for Saturday morning at 11 am. They said they were calling outside, so we waited outside near a few other groups and waited. For quite a while. "Man, it must be busier then I thought..." I mused. We went in and sat inside where some room had opened up. Now 40 minutes into our wait we notice that the host (John, the main guy) had been seating people that we had seen just walk in. By now I'm blood sugar dangerous and was concerned about screaming, so my boyfriend calmly asked what was up. He said he had called us, and we'd not responded. Um... what? No. My boyfriend (still wayyyy more calm then I) politely said that we had been waiting right outside near other groups and then directly inside, so there must have been a mistake. The host seriously looks at him and goes "Oh I probably just didn't see two people alone outside so didn't call your name out there." Ok. Fine. So he says he'll give us the "next table". No apology, nothing. Fine. He seated 3 more tables in front of us, until my slightly peeved boyfriend said something. He said "oh right, you guys" turned to the two that he'd just called and said "they'll have to go first", to which the two seemed super pissed at us for "stealing" their table... (try waiting 50 minutes, then get pissed guys). We sat down and waited 10 minutes for anyone to stop by. The waiting didn't cease there Yelpers! We ordered right away, took 15 minutes for water and coffee, then another 45 minutes for food. I would have liked my meal a lot more if I had the proper utensils in which to cut with (no knives, no waitress to ask for knives from) or if anyone had ever apologized or acted like they cared about my (or others) patronage AT ALL. I'm just done. I get that they are busy. I get that the food is mostly organic/local/sustainable. That is why I'm ok with paying $15 for a plate of breakfast! But when you are paying more then usual, waiting more then usual, the service better be at least decent! If you also love Portage Bay, please join me in a temporary ban of their restaurant. Please don't go back until they get their shit together. Portage Bay, please get your shit together. I love everything you formed your restaurant on, and I'd love to go back and pay a lot for a wonderful breakfast that doesn't leave me feeling unappreciated and in a generally horrible mood.
(1)Jack B.
First off, I think the food here is great. I work nearby and come here often. This review is solely based on the terrible service I received when I stopped in last week for lunch. I found our server, Nichole (according to the receipt), to be rude and unhelpful, and I found myself pretty angry about it as I left... hence the 1 star review. I am not likely to be returning anytime soon.
(1)Christine H.
I have been here 3 times and 2/3 times it was the most amazing food I have ever had with excellent service. I have nothing but compliments for this restaurant and am really quite impressed. However yesterday, the third time I went, was significantly declined from my past experiences. My friend and I sat for around 10 minutes without even being seen by the waitress. I finally caught the manager's eye and he motioned to one of the waitresses and we got our order in. The food came out quickly which was a positive. I ordered just the regular pancakes and was pretty disappointed; the wheat pancakes I'd had in the past were AMAZING, and I didn't feel like their normal pancakes were that great at all - they were pretty dry and just didn't taste that great. The toppings bar was all frozen berries, which I can understand since it is December, but I was still disappointed. All in all, I think it's a great restaurant and I will go back; just be aware that service can be hit or miss, the toppings bar is not that impressive in winter, and the regular pancakes aren't that exciting. Otherwise, there is some fantastic food and a great atmosphere!
(4)Sarah S.
I would like to give the new Portage Bay four stars, but I'm going to make them earn it. I like going to places and running in to people I know. This happened here, so points for that. Liked the ambiance. Love the photos on The Wall. Like the idea of the toppings bar. And I don't know how they do it, but the seeds in the fresh squeezed berry lemonade don't get stuck in your teeth. Like that everything is 80% organic or whatever, and that I wasn't stuffing myself with greasy hangover breakfast food. I ordered the chorizo scramble with egg whites, and was pleased with my choice except that I always forget that egg whites always make dishes kind of watery. My own fault. There were a few funny bell pepper bites that I could have done without, and I could have done with a lil more spice, since I was ordering from the "Southwestern Flavor" portion of the menu. The potatoes weren't particularly flavorful- but they looked like they SHOULD be. There is something... robotic... about the people who work here. Which is fine, they were all nice robots and did a great job, but fellow yelper Leah J. and I agreed that they emitted strange vibes. To Do Differently Next Time: Order sweet instead of savory, so I can take advantage of the toppings bar- or order the eggs benedict, which is hard to mess up.
(3)Edward K.
Great food and great atmosphere. Surprisingly great for casual business meetings. You can always depend on quality food & service here.
(5)Chris C.
AMAZING BREAKFAST. This place has the best breakfast Ive ever had. Local, yummy, and very creative.
(5)Janna T.
Organic, Local & Fresh!!!! Portage Bay is a favorite for breakfast/brunch. I ALWAYS get the french toast!! They use Blazing Bagels Challah Bread and it is to die for! Combined with their delicious toppings bar (including OMG the best whipped cream ever), it makes for a mouth-watering dining experience. Make sure you get a side of herb-roasted red potatoes to add that little bit of salt to your sweet breakfast! I am always wanting to try new things before I get there, but as soon as I walk in the toppings bar calls to me!
(5)Sean E.
I visited the Portage Bay Cafe a few weeks back and enjoyed the outside seating and novel cornbread and black bean/pancetta "Benedict" enough to give the place a four-star review. We returned today hoping to win more converts but the experience was so bad I've rescinded my praise and replaced it with a pan. My friend wanted to order pork sausage on a scramble normally served with chicken sausage. Our waitress matter-of-factly told him that all of the sausage on the menu is chicken sausage, despite the fact that there are multiple items that clearly contain pork sausage (e.g. the "pork sausage omelet"). She did allow the substitution when he pointed this out to her, though. Alas, the entrees we received were some of the worst breakfast entrees we've had in a long time. My so-called "corned beef hash" ($12) had about as much to do with real corned beef hash as that stuff in a can, served as tiny slices of deli-style corned beef mixed with some vegetables. The whole point of corned beef hash is to enjoy the delicious texture of chunks of corned beef, so serving it in a way that highlights neither the flavor or texture defeats the entire purpose. The aforementioned pork sausage scramble ($10.50) was genuinely awful. When my friends stopped eating his meal and announced to us that he found the sausage "revolting", we didn't believe him at first. But upon trying a few bites the rest of us agreed that combination of strong smokiness and overwhelming sweetness was truly terrible. The chorizo scramble ($11) went over better, and we all enjoyed the home fries, but like hell I'm letting any restaurant get away with doing these things to corned beef and pork sausage. That these bad entrees were clearly due to the menu planning of a deranged mind rather than mere kitchen errors doesn't make me want to delve deeper into the menu. I don't think they've hired enough servers, let alone servers who actually know what they are doing (I should add that we were chastised for not splitting the check evenly). Last time there was one server for the entire outdoor area, including a table of ten, and this time there seemed to be no more than two people working the floor. Don't go to the superfluous host station - even if they claim to take your name, only the wait list of the guy running around calling out names means anything so you'll need to get his attention to get a table. What a disaster this has turned out to be, and a real shame considering the seeming breadth of the menu and how nice the location and outdoor seating are. There are certainly a few tasty things on the menu, but there are also some landmines and it's obvious that they have absolutely the general service flow is supposed to work. Maybe you should give the Portage Bay Cafe a shot if you feel lucky and/or you are more concerned with whether or not your ketchup is organic than with whether or not the meal will necessarily be any good, but otherwise I'd recommend avoiding the place until they get their act together. I doubt I'll be back.
(2)Jason S.
At first, I was a little worried that we would have to wait a long time for a table, but my wife and I were seated after only five or ten minutes. Yay! On our way to the table we passed the toppings bar which consists of fresh fruits, nuts, butter, and syrup. It looked so inviting. The seating area is a little crowded and noisy so, if you're looking for an intimate breakfast for two, this is not the place for you. They are able to accommodate pretty large groups which may make breakfast with lots of you friends a nice experience. I watched several of the people nearby enjoying their food. Everyone, adults and children, seemed happy and pleased with their meals. We ordered orange juice and coffee while we looked over the menu. The orange juice tasted fresh and the coffee was nice. I especially liked that their coffee mugs have big handles...I hate those little dainty cups that only allow the tip of your index finger and thumb to be useful. Everything sounded great. It was hard to choose. I had made up my mind before choosing this place that I wanted pancakes, but after seeing the Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict I quickly changed my tune. Thankfully, my wife ordered the Swedish Pancakes and I was able to have both my desires satisfied. The crab cakes were fantastic. The hollandaise sauce was creamy and smooth, and all the flavors complimented each other very well. Having ordered pancakes, my wife was able to select an assortment of berries from the toppings bar. I think every single berry that found it's way into my mouth was perfect. The ligonberry butter for the Swedish Pancakes was extremely tasty. Overall, I thought Portage Bay Cafe was a hit. I definitely recommend it for breakfast and I'll will be making many more trips there in the future.
(4)Koriann B.
I had such high hopes and they were dashed. Our table wasn't ready until 20 minutes AFTER our reservations. The service was slow and, frankly, left much to be desired. Of a party of seven, four people's dishes were wrong. The never refilled drinks (not even water!) and we had to ask for everything because no one once came by to check on us. The get three instead of two because I am still harboring hope that if I give them a second chance they'll be better. Plus, the food that we ended up with (which wasn't what we wanted) was okay, but not great.
(3)K F.
Fantastic!
(4)Alex H.
Good Quality Organic Food. Big portions sizes.
(4)Neal M.
I have to say that I was disappointed with Portage Bay Cafe. I had heard many good things about the place. My wife and I ordered a sweet dish, bananas foster french toast, and a savory dish, corned beef hash to share. I love the fact that they really strive to use organic and local ingredients and you know where the eggs, meat, milk, etc comes from. The toppings bar is nice but unless you get a pretty plain order of french toast or pancakes I don't really see you making the most of it. The food was pretty good. The french toast was tasty but for all of the awesome ingredients that it had, it didn't blow me away or anything. I also found the corned beef hash to be pretty mediocre and would not order it again.
(3)Erin G.
The Benedict crab cakes are phenomenal! I had to order them twice in three days. Heaven.
(4)Doctor D.
Very disappointing. I was really looking forward to trying this place, and it was to be the start of a delightful self- reward day. Unfortunately, even on a not-crowded Friday morning, they failed me. I came in and was "seated" by the manager (the only fella in a tie). He didn't actually take me to my table, just sort of gestured to some open ones and told me to pick. Apparently, he didn't pass that on to any of his staff because I sat there for over 10 minutes. Couldn't wave down anyone for the life of me, till a staff person came over and asked if she could steal the hot sauce off my table for another customer. At that point, no water or napkins on the table, I told her I hadn't been acknowledge and she only could offer up that she wasn't a waiter (it clearly wasn't her fault). On my way out, I tried to get the manager, but he was not around. A wait person (one that had passed my table countless times, not meeting my desperate gaze) also volunteered that it wasn't her fault because I wasn't sitting in her section, and she "didn't even see [me]". No apology. No accepting of responsibility. No seeking out the manager. Very disappointing. I know that stuff like this happens...even the best places are not immune, but it was sad and telling that no one took responsibility and actively looked for a solution.
(1)Margaret D.
The hostess is incompetent and the manager is condescending. Tried to make a reservation in advance and was told they weren't doing that today. We get there and are told the wait is thirty minutes to an hour. An hour and a half later we were about twenty names from the top, but they were seating people from another reserved list. Inconsistent reservation policies. No apologies. Won't be returning.
(1)Dennis S.
Amazingly fresh food in a great space. Plenty of seating but can still get busy on the weekends. The topping bar always looks amazing, but I always go for eggs. They're willing to substitute meat with spinach and mushrooms, which made this place a favorite for me.
(5)David S.
This place is really, really good! We finally decided to try it and we were very impressed. I had the Greek Omelette - which was fantastic! I wasn't sure how it would be, put it really was the perfect omelette - it had the right amount of egg/cheese/stuffing ratio and the wheat bread and potatoes that came with it was very good. My partner had the buckwheat pancakes with the toppings bar, which was also very good. Very happy overall and will definetely go back.
(4)Becky W.
This is one of my favorite spots for weekday lunch meetings. Great big room, easy to hear and talk, central location. And usually awesome food... I've had several great meals here, and today was good, but - well, average. I (and everyone else at the table!) had the Prawns & Chicken Salad. It sounded so good, with peppers, noodles, mixed greens and a coconut dressing. The dressing was so subtle and the peppers were all very limp. It just didn't have much kick to it. I ate it, of course, and searched for every last little prawn, but I was not overwhelmed, or even whelmed, with the salad. The bread was very good and soft - hints of rosemary baked in too. Again, many times before I've loved the lunches (great soups, fish dishes, and plenty of yummy organic offerings) - and the service is always very good. I also appreciate the fact that they promote all of the theaters in town with a lovely display of promotional posters - support your local arts scene - cool!
(4)Brendan M.
Talk about dashed expectations! I had wanted to try the Portage Bay Cafe after hearing about their organic, locally sourced ingredients and their new South Lake Union location. And once I actually saw the place in person, I was impressed. Huge windows, high ceilings with exposed ducts, light wood tables, smooth concrete floors -- Portage Bay Cafe looked like the perfect industrial-chic place to go for a nice breakfast or lunch. And with the streetcars going by and the mid-rise construction projects going up across the street, I was feeling especially optimistic. And when I saw the tofu and soba noodle salad on the menu, I had to try it. The description led me to believe that I would be getting a salad composed primarily of cold soba noodles and tofu, with greens and vegetables being secondary or even tertiary ingredients. I was somewhat surprised, therefore, when my meal arrived: The main ingredients appeared to be greens and tomatoes. There was a generous pile of cubed, marinated tofu on top, but the soba noodles were so few in amount as to be little more than a garnish. I ate all the tofu -- which, I have to admit, had a fantastic taste and texture -- and picked at the vegetables and noodles. But after I ate the vegetables, noodles, and tofu, I was staring at a considerable pile of lettuce dressed with a tasty vinaigrette. I'm not much of a salad person because most salads are a chore to eat, so when the waitress offered to box up my leftovers for me, I told her, "No thanks; I'm finished." Also, the bread was pretty dry and crumbly. Could it have been stale? I would gladly come here again to try breakfast (they have blintzes!), but I would never again take a chance on an unusual entree -- no matter how good it sounds, it could easily lead to disappointment.
(2)Reverie L.
i always write cruddy reviews but this place was DELICIOUS & the service & cleanliness was amazing :) EAT HERE ! & get the potatoes.. thanks PB !
(5)Eric H.
I liked my food -- migas -- and the service was good. But the room is very noisy, to the point where it's hard to have a conversation.
(3)Jen F.
Let me get this off my chest: the food was awesome. I had the Migas breakfast and it hit the spot. Eggs wrapped in a tortilla and smothered with cheese and salsa. I split it with a friend who got one of the monthly specials with poached eggs, greens and mushrooms. Both meals were delicious. My one complaint applies to any place this well known: the wait. We waited over an hour for breakfast, and given the time (11:30am on a Sunday) this isn't completely absurd but not completely welcome either. In comparison to a lot of other places you might wait, this feels a little like sitting in a school cafeteria. You don't have the shelter of a booth seat to hide you until you're fully awake. But the food? The food was excellent.
(4)Yooli H.
While I agree with others that service is just ok, the breakfast at this place gets a top review and is well worth a little long suffering. This S lk union location is also far superior to the others as far as taste and space. Highly recommend the Isineros chicken sausage scramble which has perfectly cooked fennel within adding a surprising and enjoyable texture/flavor combo. The chorizo sausage scramble i also a winner. Oh and the organic berry bar is awesome! Gotta love and support their support of local and organic foods. The skirt steak breakfast is delish and u don't feel so guilty having steal for breakfast when u know it's grass fed and filled with omega 3's. This place is without a doubt one of the best breakfast spots I'm seattle and worth the wait.
(5)A T.
Seriously yummy brunch. The bf took me here for my birthday brunch and I was a happy camper. The crowd seems to ebb and flow on Saturdays. We got there at 10:30a and there were tons of people waiting. By 11:30, the wait was much shorter. We got the Wild Berry Compote Challah French Toast and Dungeness Crab Eggs Benedict. First of all, the portions are huge. The French Toast was sooo good and you also get a trip to the Toppings Bar. I sent the bf who came back with a beautiful array of fruits on top of the French Toast. I thought the blackberries were the best since they were really fresh. The strawberries were fresh but a little tasteless. I was a little put-off by the fact that they used frozen blueberries though (frozen blueberries should never be served because you can taste the freezer in them.) Perhaps in the summer they'll have fresh blueberries? But anyway, this wouldn't stop me from coming back and ordering the French Toast again. It kind of overshadowed the Crab Eggs Benedict which was good in it's own right even though they over poached one of the eggs. When (not if!) we go back, I'd probably want to order them again, but would force myself to branch out and try other things. p.s. We were sitting at the tables behind the bar, and after reading about the bad service reviews on Yelp and not seeing our server come to the area at all for at least 5 minutes (and probably because I was really hungry), I felt I had to be proactive. I went up to the bar and asked another server to tell our server that we were ready to order. Our server came by pretty quickly after that and actually pretty frequently throughout the rest of the meal. I had feared we would be shafted given the poor reviews and the location of our table, but we ended up getting pretty good service!
(4)Scott H.
I had a great southwest breakfast dish here. I highly recommend this place!
(4)j b.
Hear is the letter I sent Portage Bay.....neddless to say it will be a long while before I go back! On Sunday the first of August a friend and I ventured to your restaurant for brunch. I have been in many times prior to this experience so I did expect a wait to be seated as usual, however this time around I was met with a new obstacle. While we waited for our bill for thirty minutes after we finished our meals with no refills on water, coffee or juice, it hit me that having the staff be mindful of such things would have freed up our table quicker for someone else waiting for a table, and thus turn over time on your tables would be greater and more customers would have been served. Forgive me but wouldn't that mean more money in your pocket and happier patrons? With waiting and a not so pleasant attitude provided by your staff aside, the actual problem was that we found a worm in our food. Now I am truly understanding of this happening due to the organic nature of your food which is why I do come to your restaurant, my friend however was extremely unhappy by this. But what was more upsetting was that we had to flag someone down, which took at least twenty minutes, and in that time I was over half way done with my brunch. Once we did get someone over to our table there never once was an apology mentioned from the waiter (who was not our waitress as she was missing for 95% of our visit) he simply stated "it's organic fruit I'll get you another one". Is it so hard to say I am sorry there is a worm wiggling around on your blueberry looking up at you? With no apology and another thirty minute wait for a new plate of food topped off with our waitress taking forever to bring us our bill we were charged for the French toast with a visitor, I am truly surprised we stuck around to even pay our bill. Just because you do have amazing food poor service on occasion is okay, but to be consistently sub par makes me think twice about returning to your restaurant.
(1)Aaron B.
All natural cafe? A few months ago my wife and I visited a cafe in Santa Barbara, California called the All Natural Cafe. We went there for lunch and fell in love with the place. We really wished that Seattle had a place that served all organic foods and drinks. Well, wifey, here it is! You must visit... I tried to get into Portage Bay Cafe a few weeks ago on a late Sunday morning but they had an hour and a half wait so we decided to go elsewhere. Today, for lunch, they were busy, but I got in! I had an Iced Tea (which was refilled 3Xs without me asking - thank you), and an organic burger with cheese and bacon (although it does not sound healthy, I feel better knowing it was organic). Seattle - we need more places like this - all organic! I'll be back, and wifey, I know you'll be back too.
(5)Parker M.
This is a great place for lunch and breakfast. The food is fresh and there's a toppings bar with quite an assortment to choose from - great for pancakes and french toast. Service is friendly, but sometimes slow depending on how busy it is. Overall, I recommend it, and will be going back. Definitely a good place to take visitors / friends / family.
(4)Steve H.
Our group of 7 went for brunch on Memorial Day and of course the place was packed with people enjoying the great food and Pearl-District vibe (Is South Lake Union finally getting there?). We had called ahead to get our name on the list and had been given a 60 minute estimated wait time, so we were able to take our time getting there. We were seated right when they said we would, and the friendly waitress took drink orders right away, and then came back to take food orders. Both drinks and food were served by smiling servers in a reasonable amount of time. Everyone enjoyed the food, and the toppings bar for the pancakes and french toast dishes. My Joe's Scramble was very good with the chicken sausage and baby spinach. The "roasted" potatoes could have been crisper and more seasoned. The bread they use for toast is thick and delicious. The only caution I have is to be sure to check your bill. Our server overcharged us by $35, and had it not been for some diligence on one of our friends' part, it would have been easy to miss it in the tab. (The tab had the mandatory gratuity included twice, and overcharged a side of bacon by $10). Just a shrug of apology from the server when she brought the revised check after being questioned.
(3)Annie J.
It's nice not to have to trek all the way over to Roosevelt to eat at Portage Bay. I love the new location plus the wait is much shorter in South Lake Union. The toppings bar is fantastic and a lovely addition to pancakes, waffles or french toast. Plus you can get challa french toast. Yum. I also love that you can get coffee while you're waiting for your table.
(4)ed b.
I had a great breakfast experience this morning. The restaurant is clean and the service was fast and friendly. I had the organic pancakes and they were outstanding as was the french toast my son had. The fruit bar was well maintained and had excellent choices. The off street parking was also a plus.
(4)Hans G.
Wonderful, wonderful food. But the place is a bit sterile and very loud. Some canvas hanging from the ceiling might fit the decor and would do wonders for being able to hear yourself think.
(4)Dana A.
Best breakfast potatoes ever. The fruit bar is very inviting and everything is fresh. This is one of those places where you want to try stuff just by seeing it on someone else's plate. Prices are reasonable too, I hope they stay that way. The only minus point is that it does get a bit loud at times since it is one big room that sits everybody and lots of families come here for brunch, but I guess you can pick your hours. Best potatoes ever.
(4)Matt B.
As good as it gets for breakfast in Seattle. The menu is very extensive including, omelettes, scrambles, pancakes and more. The fresh fruit bar for your pancakes and french toast is also a nice touch. Plenty of seating, and room for large groups.
(5)Amy B.
I love this place mainly because I can get these amazing pancakes /crepes/french toast or whatever carb of my choice ladened with a variety of berries that I love and yummy whipped cream. Their other menu options are fun as well and not your typical, run-of-the-mill Denny's style breakfast. It's right up my palate. :)
(5)cara l.
Food was great. It's pretty busy. Was not happy with my first visit. The lady who served us gave my 3 yr old daughter a cup of water with a lid and a straw. She started complaining because she couldn't get any water by sucking on it....I opened the lid and looked at the straw thinking it must just be bent or something....IT WAS CHEWED ON! about two inches up with bite marks! SO NASTY. I confronted the server and she had no explanation and was kind of a bitch and got defensive. I know mistakes happen and had she just admitted she wasn't paying attention and grabbed a used straw and or lid I wouldn't be so mad. Instead, she denied it, lied, said it was a fresh straw and sometimes she pinches the straws to get the in the cup. I do that myself and I know what it looks like to pinch a straw.....I don't however do it with my teeth so you cant even suck water through it. Lets just be grateful she didn't give my daughter some nasty communicable disease.
(2)Tom S.
Food quality was pretty good, I like their corned beef hash, and various omelettes. I've also tried their sweet breakfasts such as french toast, pancakes, etc. I have nothing to complain about the food quality. However, the service was bad. We sat at the bar, and we had to flag one of the servers (many of whom walked back and forth without asking us if we are ready to order). It took a long time to get the beverage and the check. They should assign a server for the bar area.
(3)Ariel S.
Very happy to have a larger, closer Portage Bay. The food is fabulous as always, and I very much appreciate The Wall that shows where all the organic local food comes from. Service is definitely still ramping up, but I'll give 'em a little time to figure it out ... because seriously: the ability to walk in on a Saturday at 11am and be immediately seated with access to the delicious fruits and whipped cream of the breakfast bar within 10 minutes? HEAVEN. So very very heaven.
(4)Tammy V.
it was pretty good - not sure what the hype is about. surprisingly we didn't have to wait @ all but we came around noon-ish on a saturday and it was only a table for two. i ordered the seasonal french toast and my bf ordered the benedict. the 'berry' french toast was good and it let me go to the toppings bar (which i read is something you have to try). i can't complain cuz it was good but i don't get how people eat this for breakfast/brunch - it's sooo sweet once you get past the first slice. since they were already berry flavored i didin't add too many toppings but i tried the fruit on the side from the bar - fruit was cool - nothing to shout about - but i did like the whip cream. the eggs benedict okay/good - it takes alot to say eggs bene is bad though for me. :) they come w/ seasoned potatoes which i didn't really like. they almost taste like baked potatoes w/ just some cajunish seasoning on top. the fresh OJ was good :) for two we spent about $35.
(3)Amanda B.
We drive to Seattle just to eat here! Great food, they use local growers & products. The oatmeal is my fav!
(4)Will K.
Definitely my favorite breakfast spot in Seattle. I usually stick to the Rancher's Breakfast, which is good if you like tons of food. Make sure you order the chicken basil sausage!
(5)Joanne J.
Our family went here at 9am on a Sunday morning. It was a family breakfast to celebrate my 2yo niece's birthday. We waited about 45' for a table. In had no problem with this as it is well known fact how busty they are. And I have no complaints about the food. It was good. The atmosphere was extremely crowded at the entrance and at our table-we were a jammed in next to other tables. The following are the reasons I will NOT return here. 1. Service was terrible. I asked for a glass of Coke & was served an unopened can with a straw. Really? Had to request a glass & did finally get one. 2. Asked server if they had something besides wheat bread because I have allergies. Her initial response, with attitude, was "I don't know." Really? She thn said they might have something and she would check & let me know. Never got back to me. Was served toast with my breakfast that was not wheat, at least. 3. Now that gets good. When we were served, my daughter who is 3mos pregnant, was told her meal would be out in a minute. That minute turned into enough time that the rest of us were almost done with our meals. really? 4. She had ordered grits & kale with two over medium eggs. She made a point of telling the server that she did not want them runny. (Uncooked egg yolks are not recommended for pregnant woman.) She all ordered shrimp on the side. When she got her order the eggs were undercooked & there was no shrimp. Of course the server did not stay long enough for anyone to tell her. It was 5mins before we could get get attention. During this time, the shrimp still did not show up. My daughter finally got her new eggs(cooked properly) & after that her shrimp showed up. How warm do you think her grits were by then? Not yummy. 5. Now the icing on the cake. Remember I saify we were here for my niece's 2nd birthday? We were sure to open the presents during the meal so as to not take up extra time at the end of the meal. So we had just finished boxing up food when the anger came over & offered a free lunch if we would vacate the table ASAP as he really needed to seat another party. He then said he would give two free lunches. Really? Really? How rude was this!! But we graciously packed up & left. I would like to add that my niece's grandmother was here from Chicago for two days to be a part of the birthday celebration. Thanks for the nice impression you made, Portage Bay Cafe. Thanks for the bad memory. I will not be returning again. Once was enough.
(2)Dawn A.
I really don't know what all the hype is about Portage Bay Cafe. The service was okay .. . although they lacked serve from right, pick up from left knowledge and were to identify the cue of knife and fork together on the plate mean I'm done . . . even if there is still 2/3 or my meal on the plate. Was there a reason 2/3 of my meal was still on the plate, actually, yes. The Dirty Saffron rice was completely over cooked and under seasoned. The crab cakes were OK. Nothing to right home about. I did find the ginger interesting, but overwhelming of the delicate crab. There was some unidentifiable sauce, a remoulade maybe? With unidentifiable components on which the cakes were 'artfully' plated. Would I go back . . . only if I had to.
(2)Jonas K.
If you like pancakes then you'll love Portage Bay. I loved the fresh fruit that covered my flaps.
(4)Mary G.
I recently went to Portage Bay Cafe/ S. Lake Union for lunch, deciding to give this restaurant one more try after a year of bad /slow service. One time, a burger I ordered arrived nearly raw, and it took the entire meal to order a new one. A few weeks ago, I ordered what I thought would be a fabulous salad - tuna with egg on greens. The tuna arrived with clumps of fat on top of it. I realize this isn't a health hazard, but I didn't have to look far for that. I soon spotted a hair in the salad, and sent it back via the server. The server said that was the last of this salad (lucky me!), and I had lost my appetite and didn't want to order anything else. Soon, my friend who had ordered a burger found a hair in her food. The manager said he'd come over and talk with us about this, and see what he could do. Trouble is, he never came over and we were still charged for a third friend's meal, even though she lost her appetite. Once I started looking online, I noticed health inspection violations at both the Roosevelt location and S. Lake Union. Eaters beware is all I gotta say.
(1)Marchello G.
This place is great. It is usually pretty busy for breakast so be ready to wait, but the wait is well worth it. The French Toast is awasome and the topping bar is something to experice. There hollidase is deffetaly worth trying as well. They had a duck hash that I tried that was pretty good as well. One thing you can depend on is that you are getting the best and freashest inreadients avalaible. Portage Bay Cafe is deffetaly worth trying for breakfest you wont be disapointed.
(4)Melissa M.
Found this place while looking for restaurants that had some local, organic food options. We went to the 391 Terry Ave N location on the 22nd and it was wonderful! Our server, Alice, was kind and attentive. We got the Apple French Toast, Orange Juice, Scrambled Eggs, Toast and a "Toppings Bar" side. The Toppings Bar is amazing!!! They have whip cream and brown sugar along with tons of wonderful fresh fruits...blueberries, strawberries, rasberries, blackberries, apples, etc. The French Toast plates were enormous...we could definitely have split it between 2 people (there is a fee for sharing meals but understandable since fruit bar is included with the order). They also provide blankets for people having to wait outside. :)
(5)Becca S.
come hungry! huge portions, really delicious
(4)Jeff H.
My friend swears by Portage, but after eating here, I don't really get what the hype is all about. Average all the way around is the best way I can describe it. The french toast was really heavy, and was lacking in flavor. Service was slow, despite the restaurant being almost empty. Parking is also a disaster around this location. The experience wasn't so bad that I'm reconsidering my friendship with the individual that brought me, but I'm fairly confident I won't be returning to Portage Bay anytime in the near future.
(2)Brandon A.
So excited they now take reservations rather than wasting your beautiful Sunday morning waiting. We went this morning and were seated immediately. The servers are very friendly, though I never did get a water refill. Coffee was always full. I want to like this place SOOO bad but I just don't. The food isn't great.. At all. It's all fresh and high quality but lacks flavor, greatly. The potatoes were way undercooked today. The eggs were somewhat rubbery and weren't seasoned. The bacon was way too crispy but that could be subjective. It's like PCCs food. High quality, organic, healthy, but lack of taste... And expensive. Skip and go to Lolas on 4th instead.
(2)Cheng S.
Checked out Portage Bay Café on our last day in Seattle. I really like this place. The wait staffs were nice and the place was pretty chill. Kinda reminds me of some places back home. Highly recommend this place. Good for brunch. French toast we're delish. 4-star!!!
(4)Kat P.
Breakfast indulgence without guilt, because the quality, organic, local ingredients makes it all worth the calories. Been here twice and it consistently pleased me. Also hot spot to take people visiting from out of town or for special events like Mother's Day or family gatherings. Recommend: banana foster French toast, corn beef hash, crab cake eggs Benedict, and green chili omelet. If you order pancakes or French toast dishes you can visit the extravagant fruit toppings bar no charge.
(5)Jason C.
Two words: toppings bar... Great brunch spot serving traditional American fare, but not too heavy. I highly recommend ordering the French toast or pancakes to take advantage of the fruit toppings bar (because it's the best)
(4)Megan S.
The food here is solid, the wait can get long and its super busy on the weekends. My favorite is the topping bar that comes with their pancakes!
(3)Erin D.
I went here once and LOVED the food, which was apparently all of the specials menu. Mostly, I was excited to have inventive gluten free veggie options. I've been twice since, and it's been SO lackluster. I stated at our last visit my intention to never go back, and my partner and her friend breathed huge sighs of relief to never be dragged there again. 1) The atmosphere sucks. Think military base commissary or slightly fancy high school cafeteria. LOUD and crowded. Uncomfortable. Impossible to have meaningful conversations, and difficult to communicate with your server. 2) The service. They're nice and they mean well, but they're perhaps just over burdened? Last time I was there, they got my order wrong twice (including putting English muffins in a specified gluten-free meal... C'mon) and the food was cold. 3) The food. It's actually just mediocre, with the exception of the bread, which is delicious and made in house I think. The gluten free pancakes are a novelty, but no better than what you could make at home. Unless they happen to have a creative special at the time, it's no better than standard diner fare, but WAY more expensive in a less intimate environment. Moral of the story, I'm never going back. And I recommend going elsewhere.
(2)Taylor B.
This was my first day dining here and it was amazing. Our server was Eric and he was completely delightful as well as meeting the Manager John. Very homey feeling. I ordered the goat cheese crepes and I would have made myself sick because I couldn't stop eating them. I have already looked at getting a group and meeting there again next weekend. Great place. Great location. Great service
(5)Kat J.
Our reservation was bumped by the owner for a group that made their reservation at the wrong restaurant. We had to wait almost 20 minutes for a table and when we complained he basically told us to be happy we got one. The two stars are for the wait staff for putting up with him on a daily basis. They said he is like that always and they did their absolute best to t try to make up for his sheer lack of professionalism and disregard for his customers. Our group visited this place multiple times a month in the past but will no longer.
(2)J K.
Great food. You can tell they really take time to think about how to make a good meal. The atmosphere is a little cafeteria-like and the service is a little slow.
(4)Daniel P.
One of my favorite places. French Toast are bomb. I've had Eggs Benedict with Crab Cakes and that was a 5/5 for sure. Everything taste good.
(4)Hayley S.
I happen to be a fan favorite of the Roosevelt location and this one exceeded expectations! I ate here for a 10-person brunch, recently. I love how they cater to individual substitutions without a flinch. Every menu item is fool-proof and with the amazing selection of local fair, you really can't go wrong. Anytime out-of-towners make their way to Seattle for a visit, I insist on Portage Bay. Tip: portions are huge! My husband an so typically share an egg entree with a side of bacon with more than full tummies!
(5)Gina J.
My friends and I stopped by Portage Bay on a Sunday morning. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes before we got seated, but luckily they had some coffee available to keep you warm. They'll just add it to your tab when you get to your table. My friends RAVED about their breakfast bar. It's a buffet of various fruits, butter, whipped cream, for some of their breakfast staples (oatmeal, pancakes, french toast). I ended up ordering the french toast..mostly to get my trip to the breakfast bar. I stacked my plate full of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and whipped cream. I loved the fresh strawberries, but it was soon very clear to me that most of their other fruit options were frozen and thawed or canned. Kind of a let down. Their whipped cream was fresh though...delicious! One of the coolest things about Portage Bay is their commitment to serving local, sustainable food. Gotta love that :)
(4)Scott S.
I found the place that has convinced the people of Seattle to eat bad food and wait too long to get it. I have unfortunately seen too many of these "trendy" places that people keep going to even though the food is bland. I feel the average customer only goes here because they serve a lot of organic, gluten free, gmo free, blah blah blah food. Eat normal food and go to the gym and stop thinking some mystical "healthy" food is going to make everything ok. Cold bacon, undercooked potatoes, and a "breakfast bar" that reminded me of sizzler were my highlights. I'll go somewhere else and get some gluten added to my food and not eat food that tastes like cold cafeteria food. And for the wait staff And management(or lack there of). My reservation was for 10 am , not 1030 when I got seated, never even got my coffee refilled in the hour I was there, and the ramp that people stand on while being corralled into the restaurant to eat the slop inappropriately places them standing right on top of your table while you trying to eat. Get breakfast somewhere else. I'd go for a egg McMuffin before I went back here.
(1)Betsy T.
Wait times are SOOOOO long on the weekend. Food is very good with a variety of vegan and gluten free options. The portions are ridiculous. Watch out when you share though. My friend and I got double charged to use the fruit bar when we split a dish. So dumb. The vegan, gluten free pancakes were delicious though.
(4)Serinda O.
This place is amazing. My friends brought me here when I visited and I'm still salivating thinking about the toppings bar. So what you do is you order a pancakes or French toast . When it comes to you, you get up and head to a table full of wonderful stuff to put atop your gluten creation. The best part, in my opinion is the fresh whipped cream. That stuff is like crack to me. In addition to pancakes, I had the ranchers breakfast with Italian chicken sausage that was amazing. I would definitely go back if I ever find myself in Seattle.
(5)Tina B.
Consistently amazing food and the menu has several vegan options! But avoid Saturday and Sunday breakfast/brunch unless you are very patient at waiting for a table.
(4)Andrew S.
Caution: Be prepared for food envy. Every dish here looks so amazing; you'll be second guessing your order before it even comes out. We had Saturday morning brunch here and it was packed. It took around an hour to seat a table of four. This is a huge DOWNSIDE if you're looking for a quick to moderately fast meal. The UPSIDE is there's a decently sized waiting area and large wrap-around bar where you can order coffee, tea, juice or pretty much whatever breakfasty beverage you want while you wait. They'll bill your table too (when/if you finally get one). The wait was long but worth it when you're hanging out with good friends. Drinks: Coffee - good solid choice. Specialty Mimosas (included ginger) - amazing! Must order. Grapefruit juice - the best I've had. Don't eat fruit or sugar in your meal and expect it to taste the same, though. Generic mimosa - go with a specialty one instead! Breakfast: Eggs Benedict - well prepared and flavorful. The ingredients taste so fresh and you can't help but lick the plate clean. We ordered one with Italian Meatballs and one with Crab. Both were excellent choices. Toppings Bar. You have to see it to believe it. Unlimited fresh strawberries, blueberries, pears, nuts, etc. Tons of choices. You get access to this exclusive bar when you order something like pancakes, french toast, waffles or oatmeal. They do have the option to add on VIP access for a different entree in case you feel left out (which you will). Again, if you don't mind the wait, this is a great choice for brunch.
(4)Katy M.
I always pick this brunch spot over any other. It's worth the wait and it's in a great neighborhood to walk around while waiting for a table. The fact that is is always so busy speaks for itself. I always get a scramble and coffee and have had great service everytime.
(5)Amy Z.
Eat like you give a damn? Maybe they need to start giving a damn about their lack of customer service. After waiting 2 hours for a table, we finally got seated. At this point we weren't too thrilled and just wanted to eat and leave when Mr. Rude Jerkoff ( a tall, heavyset man) made it a point to come to our table and tell us that we should know that they are busy every Saturday and Sunday, and that if we didn't like the wait we should have made a reservation. Honestly I would have been ok with that comment if it wasn't for his rude and unwanted tone. Luckily everything else here was nice, including our awesome waiter Eric. If you want to be treated like another body at a table then you will totally enjoy this place. I prefer to take my money elsewhere.
(3)Min K.
UGH. cmon seattle. you really don't' have a clue on what food should taste like. i was incredibly disappointed with this brunch, especially with everyone raving about this place. i guess i'm biased because i'm from NY and our mediocre brunch places were much better than this place. i got the farmer's hash and the vegan option. i thought it would be a side of vegetables but it was a bowl full of veggies and a slice of toast on top. no. nonono. i was told that the breakfast bar is what we should try out and i got to try some of my friend's pancakes who got something with lingonberries. you get to go up and pile on as much fruit as you want. i tried it but wasn't impressed. sorry, i just don't see what others see about this place.
(2)Jay W.
I would say this is as good as a breakfast place as they come. If I could give 4.5 stars I would. First, they have a lot of options for health conscious but also enough for traditional, I-don't-give-a-damn-what-i-put-in-my-body crowd (I'm both, depending on the day). I've been twice (once with family and once by myself). Breakfast bar has good fruits and toppings. The food is good (not ah-mazing) and let's be honest, how many places pull off ah-mazing? (See what I did there?) Anywho, the only reason this is not 5 star is because of above, and the atmosphere is a little sterile. There is let a whole lot of character to the place. That said, my family seemed to enjoy the food and experience, and we were seated relatively quickly on a busy day. There is limited free parking (or pay parking for that matter) around so you need to be prepared to walk a block or two (that probably would be a good idea for me. Have you seen my profile pic?) Service both times was good and quick. If you are from out of town like me, this is a good breakfast place (likely better than your hotel) and you won't go wrong coming here.
(4)Juan Carlos L.
Place has good service if you arrive early. Sat down and in about 15 min had my food. Classic pancakes were awesome and portion size is great as well. Breakfast pricing is a bit on higher side so took away one star on that.
(4)Ruben H.
By far the most consistent breakfast place I have ever been too, not to mention a faithful following from every single person in Downtown Seattle. Thankfully they are now on OpenTable and reserving is so much easier. Yesterday was another flawless breakfast, I also enjoy the staff, regardless of the crowd these people work and don't act like its work, they enjoy it. This is difficult to pull off so consistently. I only wish they had other options than wheat Pancakes...I like buttermilk, I workout to enjoy it :)
(5)Erin H.
This place is great, I've also been to their restaurant in U District I believe. This one is a little bit bigger but same great food. I had the classic eggs bene (so hard to choose from the other options: smoked salmon, dungeness crab, and vegetarian) but the best part was the White Peach (special) Mimosas...which I ordered in a pitcher $36. ($9 per glass otherwise). Who doesn't want a pitcher of mimosas!?! There was a waffle/pancake bar that had great looking fruit options, whip cream (not the can kind) and syrup options. All the breakfast menu items looked amazing, and what a breakfast menu indeed. If you're craving it, they've got it! If you plan on going in the morning during the weekend. MAKE A RESERVATION! There were so many people standing shoulder to shoulder for what seemed like forever, thank god my party had a reservation. There is outdoor seating for the better weather days. Great, clean, and yummy operation!
(4)Laura L.
Great place to have breakfast, the thick bacon and ham steak are delicious, and the poached eggs were perfect with their potatoes! No complaints about service, they were great. Make a reservation on yelp, then you won't have to wait.
(4)Stevi V.
D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S. Reasonable pricing. Fresh and local ingredients. No long wait time once you're seated. Friendly staff. Probably best to avoid during lunch (12-2), unless you're able to arrive by 11:45 am. The rush usually shows up at 11:55. I'm looking forward to my next visit.
(5)zahra b.
Service was average and the french toast itself was good. The breakfast bar however was unique but not worth the hype. While it's one thing to have frozen fruit at the bar, the canned, syrupy stuff just felt like a bad choice. Also, the four bowls of berries were redundant. Instead, we'd have appreciated more nuts, powered sugar, some form of chocolate... you get the picture.
(3)Dante M.
Very tasty breakfast establishment! One thing that really sets this place apart from other brunch locations is their quality of ingredients. Reading through the menu you get a sense that these people care about each and every ingredient that goes into their food. Bravo. Weekend brunches have been the only time I've come here, and be prepared for a wait! This place can get pretty hectic/chaotic. Although, as stated before it is worth the wait. I personally recommend anything that has their chorizo in it. You will not be disappointed. Until next time!
(4)Valeria C.
Best breakfast in town... no matter whether you get the buffet, which is fantastic, the amazing french toasts, breakfast sandwiches, skillets, grills, you name it... YOU simply cannot go wrong with this place. THIS IS THE KING OF breakfast, fresh, sustainable, organic food.... The locations are awesome, great ambiance, but they get packed. My favorite location is south lake union because it is much larger and has a nicer waiting area. THIS IS A MUST WHEN VISITING SEATTLE!!!!
(5)Tien N.
Came here and was served right away! Waited for the food for about 20 min. Pancakes didn't taste too much like grained, it was perfect! French toast was delicious as well and there is fresh fruit bar!
(5)Amanda M.
Portage Bay Cafe is an excellent place for breakfast. I'm sure their lunch/dinner is wonderful too but I've only been for breakfast. They have this fantastic fruit bar that comes with pancake and French toast orders. I'm completely hooked on the French toast made with challah bread. When your order arrives you make your way to the fruit bar to add: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, etc. plus freshly whipped whip cream. They also have the basics - butter & syrup, but I never use them. What I also like about this place is there slogan "Eat like you give a damn" meaning organic, local, and good for you ingredients. The service is good and the staff is nice. The atmosphere is minimalistic so the place can get pretty loud when it's busy. To avoid a long wait, arrive before 9am on the weekends.
(4)John K.
I ordered the farmer's hash. It had potential, but it was very poorly executed. For example, the potatoes were not cooked (think crunchy like a raw carrot). The carrots were the same way. The dish was also too oily. The toast was also extremely disappointing. It was not toasty at all and was essentially bread.
(1)brandi g.
I wish could import this into Los Angeles. Outstanding. There's a wait and delays, but this is to be expected as a high demand breakfast/brunch place. Our waiter was excellent and he handled the long delays very well, and quite gracefully, I may add. I had a good feeling as soon as I got my grapefruit juice. All their juices are fresh pressed and absolutely delicious. I had grapefruit and tasted the apple also. Yum! The food was local, super fresh and expertly prepared. The berry/fruit bar is amazing and I had the farmer's hash with eggs and peppered bacon. Wow. It was likely the best hash /scramble I've ever had. It was roasted snap peas, carrots, celery, radish, onions and topped with local eggs. It's healthy and packed with flavor. I wish there was a place even remotely like this in LA. I'd have trouble not eating there constantly. Constantly.
(5)Kirsten D.
Woah this place is amazing!!! I am a fruit enthusiast and anywhere that gets fairly fresh berries all year long gets a serious stamp of approval from me... One downside, you always have to wait almost an hour!! But the fruit buffet that you can load your breakfast dish us with makes you forget about it oh so quick! Imagine a buffet table with all fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream....you fill up your place with however much you want (charges for excessive waste) and I hardly ever make it into my actual breakfast!! Another reason I wish I lived closer to Seattle! !
(4)Nicci C.
Disappointed!! They were the only place in the area for breakfast and they closed early today due to "a sporting conflict". :-( Drove all the way up from Kent. So disappointed!!
(2)My R.
The most food I've ever eaten at breakfast ever. But so delicious and the add on fruit bar was amazing. Wonderful place.
(5)Maggie F.
After two visits, I believe it's more of a hype than anything else. I don't think the food is overpriced because they use local and organic ingredients. However, the food was plain and not very impressive. We ordered a good variety, from omelette to toast, pancakes, eggs Benedict, etc. Unfortunately, there was not one single dish that made me think "omg I've never had breakfast this good." Wasn't bad, but nothing I would wait an hour for on a Sunday. The toppings bar is fun for first timers. I have to admit it looks very attractive. Then again, after the first time it becomes just a fruit bar. I appreciate their choice of organic evolution juice for mimosas. But they only serve wine and beer, THAT MEANS NO REAL BLOODY MARYS BEWARE. I would recommend coming on a weekday if you want to try this joint. Is it worth waiting for an hour on Sunday? No, there are more important things to do than wait for some meh breakfast. Sunday brunch should be laid back, not wait in line for an hour and eat while twenty other people are waiting for your table to leave. P.s.: head to Toulouse petit, way better breakfast, both in quality and selection.
(3)Danielle D.
OM NOM NOM I can't wait to come back here again. The baked french toast is amazing. And the fruit bar is enough to make me fall over and start twitching a bit, just thinking about it now. In fact, hang on, I may need to go and make another brunch reservation (make a reservation)... Ok, I'm back. So, this isn't a perfect review, but I'm so much a fan of the fruit bar and the food that I'm giving them five stars anyway. We dined on a weekend, long wait for the table (even with a reservation) and even longer wait for food once we'd ordered. I'd guess we waited 30+ minutes, possibly longer, for food. Enough to drink 3.5 cups of tea, so quite a while. And, the lattes are small and served in a smallish coffee mug. For some reason lattes in small coffee mugs don't work for me, I like big bowls or curving sides on cups. That about wraps it up - I've got to go, my reservation is in an hour!
(5)Sean C.
The food here is really fresh and tasty. In some cases, I think they veer a little too organic/raw for my taste, but I'd rather that than unhealthy food. For just the food, I'd give 4 stars. The challenge seems to be service. Almost every time I eat here, I feel like the service is uneven. At times, they're right there, but more likely, you're waiting around for coffee, or the check, or whatever. I've only ever gone for breakfast, but a key requirement of a place serving breakfast is really snappy service. People have places to be, right?
(3)Scott W.
Love that I can get breakfast at lunchtime here. The hash is wonderfully prepared. Coffee is Fonte, and if you don't know, that's a big plus. The drawbacks are that I don't get cell service there (T-Mobile) and they have no wifi. It's also nearly too noisy to hear the person across from you so this is best for a solo lunch.
(3)Laura B.
This is a real crowd pleaser. Something for everyone. Local, organic, fresh ingredients. Way too crowded.... so make sure you don't mind waiting for a table. Don't go here when you are hungry.
(4)J J.
Terrible service and mediocre food for high price. Quality has gone way down since they opened multiple stores....
(2)Adam A.
My wife and I frequent Portage Bay Cafe because we love the food. We have been to all locations but decided to bring our out of town guests to the South Lake Union one because we called ahead to ask about the wait and it was the shortest of the three. When we arrived they quoted us 45 minutes which seamed reasonable, even though it was about 15 minutes longer than we were quoted over the phone. It was still shorter than making a reservation which requires 1:00 advanced notice. After an 1:30, with no signs of sitting down anytime soon, we started looking for alternatives for breakfast. We'd be o.k. with an 1:30 wait if we were told that's what it would be in advanced. With a 3 week old baby and out of town guests needing to catch a plane, we just wish they were honest with us to begin with so we didn't waste our morning waiting. We finally sat down about an 1:45 after we put our name in. We were sat in the executive dining room with about 40 other people at the same time. This completely slammed our poor server and as you can imagine delayed our order significantly. We love the food at Portage Bay Cafe, we just don't think we can handle the wait/slow service again. 2:30+ is a long time to spend at breakfast.
(2)Bart T.
Left starving. Why? Because they didn't bring my food out until 40 mins after I ordered and well after everyone else's food was brought out. So I refused it out of principle. Terrible service.
(1)Diana G.
We went for Sunday brunch, it was packed but we where seated promptly because we had a reservation. So make one if you don't want to wait. The food was great and we enjoyed the fresh fruit bar. Love the "eat like you give a dam" slogan. So if you eat like you give a dam check them out.
(5)Jennifer M.
1. Mediocre food. 2. Incredibly loud--over 80db according to SoundMeter. 3. Incredibly packed. There's almost no room to maneuver through the restaurant. 4. Enormous portions with enormous prices. This place must waste so much food. 5. You can visit the topping bar once with some of the entrees, but subsequent visits cost $9. The toppings bar consists of butter, whipped cream (which is amazing), and one or two different berries. That's it. $9. 6. If you want to share one of their enormous dishes that comes with a trip to the toppings bar, one of you will have to pay that $9. For berries and whipped cream. Every now and again one of my coworkers leaves and chooses to go to this place for their going-away lunch. I grit my teeth and go, but that's the only time I step foot in here.
(2)Trang L.
Breakfast is not something I really seek out when it comes to trying a new restaurant, but since I was in Seattle.. my friend recommended this place. I really like the inside- it very open and it just gave you a sense of comfort. I really enjoy the fact that they had a fruit bar for your french toasts and/or pancakes. It's really neat. All that fresh fruity fix-ins! I had ordered an omelet with prosciutto and sun dried tomatoes. The eggs were very fluffy! It was really good! I substituted the potatoes with fruit and got the wheat bread. Oh man- that wheat bread is super dense! But it was good! This is a great place! I would definitely come back here if I were in town again. Everything is so fresh!
(4)Tom B.
Man, oh, man, this is the spot to come for brunch or lunch in SLU. Dig it. You walk in across a nice little patio, and into a place that's bright and surprisingly cheery for how industrial it is. It's not an old factory or anything, but it's a lot of bare exposed materials and the noise bounces around quite a bit. But it feels almost homey. The people are super nice and they just zoom around the room, always busy. There are big glass-front reach-in fridges behind the bar, with prep cooks jamming through chores while you pull up a stool. Plenty of tables in a more dining-room-like setting as well. The food here is fantastic, as expected. Especially the migas, which is a creamy and cheesy scramble inside a huge fluffy house-made tortilla. The service is great, and the prices aren't awful for the neighborhood, though they're definitely not at the steal level. The weekend buffet brunch sounds pretty over the top. Not sure if I brave the wilds of those crowds, but I am glad these guys are here for sure.
(5)Dan B.
The food here is absolutely delicious. I recommend the Oven Baked French Toast if you're craving something sweet or Migas if you're into something on the savory side. They give you huge portions so be sure to go hungry and leave with a box. There's usually a pretty decent wait as well. Go early or prepare to wait 30 minutes plus.
(4)Ceri T.
Good food but not quite what we were looking for. Very loud inside. Good service
(3)Emma P.
Really great food, but less than mediocre service. It's not that they're lazy or anything; the place is /packed/. The moment a table opens up, someone new is seated. It's no surprise, then, that drink refills are rare and it takes a really long time to get your check. I think that they should hire more staff, but that's just my opinion. I had the classic French toast, which was super yummy, especially after hitting the fruit and toppings bar. The fruit is the star of the show; it's fresh, sweet, and plentiful. There are other toppings, of course, but the fruit was my favorite.
(4)Charlene I.
Why I have not yet made a review for this place is a mystery! This place is: Clean!!! Organic Local Tasty Delicious Scrumptious a.k.a. HELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLA BOMB!!!!! The toppings bar here is no joke...they have the freshest tasting berries in all of the land and their BANANAS FOSTER FRENCH TOAST tastes so damn good that it hurts...litterally, because it's so filling! Ha! The potatoes are top knotch as well! This place is only open from 730-11(m-f), 730-230(sat/sun) so it's basically always packed(Outdoor seating is first come, first served though!). The food is worse the wait, for sure!! P.B.C. = love
(5)Kayce G.
This place was well worth the walk from downtown. My husband had the original french toast, which was ginormous (in a good way, of course), and I fell in love with the vegan banana pancakes. Now I will be googling to find a similar recipe, it was just that good!
(4)Jonathan G.
We went here based on a recommendation by our hotel's concierge. Arriving to find it jam packed, we settled in for a long wait. The barista offered us lattes in the meantime, and the caffeine and people watching helped pass the time. The menu was promising, although I must admit I'm probably not as much of an organic fiend as their target demographic. We ordered the Ranchers breakfast with a baked French toast upgrade (additional fees applied on both counts). When it arrived, everything was on the cold side. The ham was tough. The potatoes were seasoned heavily with paprika, which may be a good thing depending on your taste. The eggs were passable. I had one bite of the French toast, and that was enough. There was a party of about 16 seated just before us. By the time we left, they were just getting their food. On the up side, the maitre d' thanked me by name on my way out. Always a nice touch in my opinion, but it didn't make up for the food.
(2)Julia W.
This location of Portage Bay is built right on top of the Amazon SLU offices. Unfortunately, that means it's super busy all the time. I came for lunch one day and we were seated in the back banquet area and then forgotten about for 25 minutes. Our food was good as always but the lack of service (or attention) was quite bothersome. Nothing like being thirsty and having no one to assist because they're elsewhere and don't return to check on you.
(2)Jamie S.
The waitress did not care about me. She didn't even give me a glass of water so I had to ask someone to get it. She didn't ask me if I wanted to order another drink. At the end I was charged me wrong amount. This just ruined my day.
(1)Julia R.
Visited Portage Bay back in April on a weekend afternoon with a large group of family members ages 2-82. I called ahead and they set up a table in the back for us, which I thought was awesome. Family members immediately got cranky because only breakfast items were being served, but I was a super happy camper because I was there for the french toast! The group ordered a variety of items, from vegetarian hashes to pancakes, and overall the verdict was just okay. I ordered the french toast with fruit compote and a mimosa, and I loved both! Highly recommend those things. I loved just about everything about this place and would give it a 5, but the fam would do a 3, so I am averaging with a 4. Final verdict is visit with your hip family members that appreciate local goodness, and maybe go more comfort food-large menu for folks like mine.
(4)Joe K.
- Best brunch in Seattle area. We've tried 10+ other places based on reviews - Been here 30+ times, in 2 yrs in Seattle. 90% of time, service is good enough or better. Understand that this place has a long line, for a reason. If you have high expectations
(5)Nguyen N.
Whoever thought of the fruit bar is a genius! I had the Swedish pancakes which is delicious on its own, but I was able to add as much blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.... Definitely worth the wait!
(5)Justin S.
So, there I was, driving down to Seattle to pick up a few lenses for an impromptu photography gig, when the mood to eat suddenly struck! I always consider my first meal of the day to be breakfast, regardless of time. Besides, who doesn't like breakfast for lunch and not brunch? So, I pull out the ol' iPhone and start searching Yelp! for any suggestions and lead me directly to Portage Bay. At first glance of the name, I'm expecting a quaint, quite place where I can chill and read a book. Was I wrong! This place is freaking huge and it seemed more and more people kept pouring in as the lunch rush pressed on. I asked the waitress to surprise the hell out of me when it came to the food. I'm not sure of the name of the dish that was brought out to me, but it was decent. Before me sat a sizable tortilla folded in half, stuffed with cheese, chorizo, eggs and sour cream. As the 2-star description says, I've experienced better. The potatoes were loaded with flavor, but the majority came with a little char on the skin. Maybe I've accustomed myself to the flavors of DC, where the chorizo is from the local bodega, or where a cafe is really what you think it is. Then again, maybe this is a Seattle flavor that a DC transplant needs time to adjust to.
(2)Lexie A.
super good food! definitely worth the wait if you have one!
(5)Annette V.
Portland breakfast joints could take a lesson from Portage Bay Cafe...they take your name down on a list and text you when your table is ready. Seems like a simple thing to do in this day and age, but this is the first time I've encountered this and I was pleasantly surprised when our table for 5 was ready at the time they promised! As for food, it was ok...nothing spectacular that made me say wow. Had the salmon Benedict, which was decent but I've had better. Next time I'll be sure to order something sweet, to take advantage of the toppings bar.
(4)Laszlo K.
Food may be good, but they're the worst when it comes to managing reservations. We showed up at 9:30 and they said it would be 1/2 an hour... 1.5 hrs later we were told it be another 25 minutes... And their list was total chaos. NOT GOOD IF YOU COME WITH KIDS!!!
(2)Amanda L.
The best peppered bacon I have ever had. Paired with the excellent coffee and French toast with lemon curd and blueberries, this place offers a great breakfast.
(5)K A.
Although the food is great and the berry bar is delicious- our experience was less than acceptable. I met up with some girl friends for brunch at 9am on a Sunday. We made a reservation early as we knew we would be spending time catching up and chatting. We ate, chatted, drank coffee and when the bill came, we were in no rush to pay. Then a waiter came over and pushed a 4 person table up next to ours and continued to set that table as we continued chatting. We thought this was a bit odd however didn't let it get to us. When our waitress came back, we paid our bill and still sat there talking after all, not even an hour had gone by at this point. Then the manager came over to our table and told us that there was another party waiting to be seated and that we needed to leave! Can you believe it??? We were asked to leave!! It would be one thing if we didn't have a reservation or if we were there for 2 hrs or if we just ordered coffees and didn't eat breakfast there, but none of these things are true. It was exactly 1 hour from the time we sat down until the manager shoo'd us away. We were appalled and will not be going back. How rude!!! I will tell everyone of this experience. Why would I want to give my business to an establishment that doesn't treat me like a guest??
(1)Millie F.
A lot of people rave about Portage Bay Cafe, but I was extremely disappointed. I ordered pork ramen off their lunch menu, which actually sounded really delicious from the description. However, I knew I was in for a bad lunch as soon as my ramen arrived: there was no soup. The ramen was sitting on the plate, all soggy and sorry looking. The pork was bland and way overcooked. This mess of a dish clearly indicates that Portage Bay Cafe has no knowledge of how to cook properly. I usually believe in second chances, but I will definitely not be back because I am not hipster enough to pay $12 for crap food.
(1)Einar J.
Menu has a lot to offer for everyone. Portion size is just right and the ingredients are all top quality. Parking around the area can be a challenge depending in when you go but generally not a major problem. Don't know about brunch time but never had an issue going here around 9am on a weekday. Great place to take clients to for a start to the day. Only issues is the acoustics. High ceilings and hard surfaces can make it seem noisy at times. Still worth it for a quality breakfast.
(4)Rebecca M.
Even better than my expectations and I went on Mother's Day. Food, service and place were wonderful. I'll definitely be back.
(5)margaret w.
Ordered the french toast with a visit to the toppings bar - fresh berries; maple syrup; whipped cream; nuts; cranberries. Generous portions. Great coffee.
(4)Inna B.
I joined the Yelp early-risers breakfast club for a meal here some time ago. There were plenty of tables when we arrived that Sunday morning (because we arrived shortly after they opened), but it filled up very quickly. The regular coffee was good and the people that took care of us were great. I had the salmon benedict for breakfast... and lunch. That was one BIG serving! I was not especially thrilled by the $13 price point, the salmon, or the small amount of hollandaise... but, it was pretty good and the potatoes were delicious. (I really need to learn to skip salmon benedicts! I have yet to try one that doesn't disappoint me.) I believe splitting the bill (even though a few people used cards) was super easy. (Please tell me if you remember otherwise!) I've been to the Ballard and U-District Portage Bays before and so far the SLU location is my favorite of the three.
(4)RecentSeattlite W.
Horrible service. Mediocre overpriced food. $12 for 1 pancake...come on. The only thing good was the berry lemonade mimosas
(1)Jennifer L.
Not a great lunch option. I had the Turkey Club sandwich and the only compliment I can really come up with is that it was big. The turkey was what you'd expect from turkey, the bacon was tasty, but whatever horrible tomato sauce they put on the bottom smelled like tomato paste that had been stuck to a skillet simmering on the stove for too long and then left in the sink for 3 days without soaking. It was bad enough I had to ask for another piece of bread; and even then I threw away the second half of my $15 (after tax and mandatory tip) sandwich. Maybe breakfast is better, but lunch? I'll pass.
(1)Katie H.
Honestly - when we arrived at the Terry st location, I didn't want to like Portage Bay Cafe. I'm not the kind of person who enjoys overly hip atmospheres at restaurants - I feel most comfortable at dive-y bar-y kinds of places, places that at least feel hole in the wall. But oh man, this place was INCREDIBLE. I just have to say it. The food is good, but the whole experience was just great. Super friendly, super fast even though it looks packed, trays of amazing food walking past me diverse menu, and a great meal - especially when I was as hungover as I was - definitely deserves 5 stars in my mind. When we arrived as I said I was quite hungover - we walked from downtown all the way there so I was a bit exhausted as well - and when I saw how packed it was I was worried we would never get in out of the sun. Amazingly we were seated within 15 minutes! The walk past the toppings bar almost had me drooling - bowls and plates and cake trays of every topping you could imagine. Even so - I'm more of a savory food lover so I ordered eggs benedict with salmon - BEST CHOICE EVER. My friend ordered the eggs benedict on the crabcakes - honestly delicious, but at that particular moment in time I really needed actual bread, the crabcakes take the place of the bread in that plate. Her family ordered the plum on french toast, another eggs benedict, and something that I can't recall but involved the largest tortilla known to mankind. Their orange juice was soo fresh. Really just a great experience. I would always recommend to visiting friends and their parents, even if I'm not sure if I will go back with my friends who actually live in Seattle. It's also honestly out of an interns income bracket. But really, I enjoyed my experience!
(5)Sandeep P.
Love the food, atmosphere and fruit bar, but the wait and prices bring it down from perfection. Was here earlier today with some friends. Now, unlike the U-District location, the SLU one actually has a decent amount of seating. Despite that, the wait on a Sunday at 1pm was still about half an hour for a party of 5, and they weren't answering the phone when we tried to call ahead. Bummer. We also didn't get the supposed free coffee. Double bummer. Once we got seated (at a slightly awkwardly small table for 4 repurposed for 5), the experience improved immensely. We had already figured out what we wanted with our half hour wait, so it was pretty rapidfire; mimosas, juice and coffee abound, and a combination of omelettes, hash, and three 'rancher's breakfast's for our group. The drinks were universally praised- the iced latte came quickly and was creamy, and the mimosas were the perfect balance of juice and sparking wine (with a very fair proportion too). My entree, the rancher's breakfast, featured pepper bacon, potatoes, 3 eggs (scrambled in my case) and 2 pieces of french toast. The toast was a delicious poofy challah with cinnamon in the batter, and the trip to the fruit bar allowed me to deck it out with strawberries and real maple syrup (always a huge plus!). Following my french toast, I discovered the very well spiced potatoes, which were delicious, as well as the pepper bacon which was a nice meaty cut. The scrambled eggs were fine too. The folks with omelettes and the hash weren't quite as impressed with their entrees but said they were fine. I'd probably come back here with friends from out of town or for a nice occasion, but at $25 a head ordering just once drink and entree, it's definitely too pricey to be my regular brunch spot.
(4)Angie W.
Work moved my into the neighborhood, so stopped in for lunch twice in the last few weeks. Had been the U Village Portage Bay for brunch, but hit this place for lunch. They have a strawberry/walnut salad with chicken that is probably the best salad I have ever had. The chicken was so moist and flavorful. The dressing was light and tangy and just the right balance for the ingredients. Service was great and our water glasses never got empty. They had big groups both times I went there, but they had enough staff to handle the crowd. A must if you are in the area and craving something a little healthier and organic!
(4)Tonya N.
Pretty poorly run brunch place. I was told 30 min... Then another 20.. An hour and a 1/2 later I check back and they state they don't know how long. I don't mind waiting but felt it was a big waste of my morning being told incorrect wait times while I could have gone somewhere else and came back.
(2)Adriana K.
I can't believe I haven't reviewed this Portage - well, I guess I have reviewed U District and Ballard, and they do tend to have similar menus :) This space is large and airy and works well with the hoards of people it attracts. Outdoor seating (plan to pay for parking) with the standard Portage fare. Most recently I tried their oatmeal which was a giant bowl - and includes a trip to the condiment bar - so it was a delicious wholesome treat to have a whole bunch of berries you most likely wouldn't get with oatmeal anywhere else. Way to go, Portage!
(4)Leonardo R.
So after my fist encounter with portage bay cafe on a elite Event all I could think was I need to visit them with a little more time and calm :) and i finally did this afternoon,and it was all I was expecting!!! We got there told us it will be around 10 minutes to be seated and yes in bout 10 minutes later we were seating in a lovely table by the window,by that time i knew what i wast ordering,the waiter came in right away,got 'the Risotto cake Benedict" and believe me in less than 10 minutes we goit our food,and BAM my meal came with red roasted potatoes that I love so much from my childhood(5 years ago) they were perfectly seasoned and roasted,crunchy but at the same time soft,the risotto and Benedict were moist and tasty :) fresh tomatoes and some sort of crema that I devoured in about 7 minutes :) After our meal i realized why all the people around had a happy face!! ipb
(4)Brian P.
Very impressed overall. One of the few restaurants that I know of that do the whole "organic"/"local" thing very well, without sacrificing the overall price and taste. The pancakes are amazing, even without their topping bar. The toast is thicker, grainier and harder than a typical toast, but feels a lot more hearty. Portions are generous. If you're like me and want to get an overall experience of the topping bar in addition to the normal breakfast experience, you can go for the $15 Rancher's Breakfast. I got the chicken sausages-- they were tougher than I expected, but the taste was more subtle and aromatic as well. Overall, a great dish.
(4)jessica r.
The oven baked french toast is amazing! It's definitely heavy and soft (like a bread pudding), but oh-so-rich and delicious. I don't remember what else I ate there (eggs or something?), but they were pretty good too.
(4)Pauline T.
I'm not a fan of breakfast foods but this place is amazing! Everything was organic and local. There were a lot of people for brunch and we waited for about 20-25 minutes but it was worth the wait. To help pass the time you can order coffee, too. The menu had many choices and even had vegan and gluten free options (a nice touch for the picky/select palates of Seattle). I ended up choosing the Chicken Basil Sausage Hash which came with eggs and toast. I was very happy with it and still had enough to bring back home for leftovers. For those that ordered an entree giving them a free stop to the toppings bar they were allowed all sorts of fresh fruits, jams, jellies, syrups, and fresh whipped cream. From the looks of other reviews I'll have to go back and try the french toast!
(4)Daniel B.
Really tasty breakfast! I had a bfast quesadilla with chicken sausage, i dont remember the name. HUGE portion and really tasty
(5)Damon Z.
A brunch establishment, with something other than EGGS (I loathe eggs!!!) on their menu!!!!!! Sorry egg lovers, I can't speak for omelets, scrambles, or benedicts, but I can speak for pancakes, and the FRUIT TOPPINGS BAR! I never ever get sick of them.....the organic cherry-pecan whole wheat pancakes, that is. Two, Lake Union-sized pancakes, loaded with cherries, pecans, and a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon. This, and all other pancakes, along with the french toast offerings, come with a complimentary trip to the fruit toppings bar. At this center-of-the-restaurant, tabletop garden, you can load as many fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, and your plate will allow. And if you're a dairy freak, like me, you'll throw on a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream as well! Wash it down with a cup of their fair trade coffee, and your tummy is set for the day. Though busy as heck, the restaurant is kept incredibly clean, and my much-cherished fruit toppings bar, is always well stocked, and never looks picked over. The servers, despite not having a chance to breathe, in between taking orders, and delivering plates, manage to remain friendly, and upbeat. Unless you arrive at 7:30 am, when they open, you're likely to endure a wait. However, they will take your mobile number, and text you, when your table is ready, enabling you to go for a stroll, to pass the time. Once in my seat, and enjoying my fruit-topped pancakes, I find that I've forgotten all about that wait that I endured, and have occupied my mind with tastier thoughts!
(4)Ian S.
Being my first time visiting, it was disappointing. I ordered one of the daily specials, named "pork & mushroom benedict" or similar. Food arrives in a timely manner, server is good. I get a few bites into the benedict and realize there's no pork shoulder. Thinking I imagined it, I grab a specials sheet. Nope, it's even in the name of the dish. I alert the waiter, he goes and grabs the specials sheet, sees the same thing and says he'll "check on it." WHAT IS THERE TO CHECK ON. Anway, he comes back and says "So, I guess they ran out of pork shoulder, so they changed the recipe. I can discount your bill for you." Okay, let's go over this for a moment. I can see if you were low on thyme or some shit, so you throw in something that would work. But missing an ingredient that's IN THE NAME OF THE DISH? You know what you do? You stop serving that shit and inform the wait staff. I had already eaten a sizable portion, so I accepted the discount. For all the raves this place gets, you think they'd have a handle on something like this. Oh, and would all restaurants PLEASE stop it with this dishtowel-napkin bullshit? I'm tired of getting up from a restaurant and looking like the Snuggle bear went to town on my lap. Buy some real napkins.
(2)Kyle H.
This is like the Boots and Kimo's of Seattle. It's crazy busy and during prime-time you will wait, when you finally sit down and get your food you wonder what all the freakin fuss is about., I know it was Sunday brunch time but wow, the wait was over an hour. I appreciated being able to get coffee while you wait and... you can ride the S.L.U.T. (South Union Lake Trolley) there! (+1 star) I went for the special, the short rib breakfast sandwich, the egg was completely over done, the yolk was rock hard and the home-made english muffin was totally dry and tasteless. There was no helping this dish. I went for the side of fruit in lieu of the red potatoes which cost an extra $2 and when the dish arrived the lamest little cup of fruit arrived. I sent it back immediately for the potatoes (which were delicious). My sis ordered the banana's foster french toast which allows you to visit their toppings bar. Of all this place offers, this is definitely the one thing that set them one star over a completely dismal rating. This is such a great idea! Any pancake, waffle or french toast order allows you one trip to the bar which had fresh strawberries, other fruit sauces, whipped cream, syrup, nuts, and butter. Our other friend ordered off of the specials menu as well - biscuits and gravy, the gravy was very tasty! Overall, i'm intrigued by the other offerings they have but simply will not ever come here again if it means waiting this long for a table because there are just way to many great places in Seattle to eat than to waste any precious time waiting and getting something that may or may not be good or cooked properly.
(3)Jason C.
My experience didn't start so well here. We put our name down and had been waiting about 40 minutes and then after a while the hostess wasn't going by the list any more but by people who were in the loby standing closest to the host. People of the same party size (2) had only waited 20 minutes were getting seated before we were. When I pointed this out i was seated immediately. After I sat down it took 15 minutes before our waiter acknowledge us and brought us water. She was supper busy b/c of mothers day so I let it slide but once we got her attention she was devoted to us. However what the hostess did was still unacceptable. We got the crab benedict and that was " Woohoo as good as it gets"!!! Our poached egg was over cooked but the serving of crab was plentiful and flavor was on the spot. The banana fench toast was "A ok". They were too soggy. I wish they were cooked a little more. I suggest getting the regular french toast and just visit the fruit bar. Don't waste the extra two bucks for the banana's b/c it nothing special.
(4)Andrew S.
If you love breakfast, you'll love Portage Bay. Keep it simple - organic pancakes or waffles and a trip to the toppings bar to load them up with fruit, nuts, and syrup. Add an orange juice and a cup of coffee and you'll be ready to take on the day.
(5)Wennie H.
Bananas Foster French Toast.....that's pretty much it. Portage Bay get's 5 stars simply because of how amazing the BFFT is. But the wait time combined with the rest of the menu causes them to lose a star...okay maybe half a star, that's how good the BFFT is. If you don't like to wait for your food (or a seat), you'll probably be pretty annoyed and want to leave BUT keep your bottom on that chair because when the Bananas Foster French Toast comes to the table and you're simply hovering over it, letting it's smell waft into your nose, the world starts to get a little better. Then when you slice into it and let the sweet sauce touch your tongue, it's like the gates of heaven just opened. It's that good. I never wanted to come back here, but now I've found my reason. GET THE OATMEAL CRUMBLE FRENCH TOAST.
(4)Lily S.
Really? I've been coming here for years and I've NEVER written a review? OY VEY. Sorry PB, I've been slacking! Faves: The Migas The Ranchers Anything where you get to visit the toppings bar (!!!) for berries or whipped cream Anything that is topped with 5 year gouda Berry lemonade Good, happy service I could go on and on and on, but I'm not going to. You'll have to visit Portage Bay yourself and bask in the goodness that is their brunch menu.
(4)Akvile H.
Dear Portage Bay, where have you been all my life? I've heard oh so much about you (all good things!) and finally got around to checking you out just last weekend. Simply..AMAZING! Although the wait was super duper long on Sunday morning, but I must say, wait it out, it's totally worth waiting it out....the food is just THAT good. MmmMmmm breakfast menu! My friend go the lemon curd french toast (I got about 10 bites of it,lol) and it was deeeelish! The portions are plentiful and wow..I may just be salivating right now, reminiscing the breakfast we had a week ago. My husband got the apple cobbler french toast and that was even better! I got the Greek Omelet and that was phenomenal as well. If you get french toast, you can visit their fruit bar and stack up on fruits, sauces, and whipped cream...which we surely did! I can't believe how big the bowls of berries and fruit were..enough to feed a continent, I kid you not! Everything on their menu is organic, delicious, and definitely eclectic, no matter what you are craving! The prices are a bit higher than other breakfast spots in the city, but the quality and quantity make it totally worth it. The staff is friendly, the venue is bright, full of windows, really cool kayaks decorating the ceilings, and it's just a feel good type of place. I HIGHLY recommend eating here!
(5)Carol W.
A solid brunch spot! The food is really good and the best part was that we were able to make a reservation for our table of six - I am a fan of that! The service was a little spotty, I had to ask a few times for a water refill and our friend had to wait about an extra five minutes for her plate to come. But it was a busy Sunday so I'll forgive them. I will return here for another good breakfast! And street parking was pretty easy (and free!) on the Sunday we went.
(4)Tiffany N.
Imagine this review is written while I'm stuffing my mouth with Portage Bay's delicious foods. Because I wish that were the case... Mmm..nom,nom,nom, mmm Holy crow! Who was the genius that made up the Southern Benedict? I mean someone out there thought, "let's take some cornbread and mix it with jalapenos, cheddar cheese, and black beans. This will be the base. Next we'll top it with sautéed spinach, tomatoes, roasted red pepper sauce, and poached eggs." And it was so very delicious so I thank them for thinking it up. I switched out the potatoes for fresh fruit and sipped some of the Portage Bay Blend coffee to complete my meal. Gulp! That was darn tasty. Next time around I'm going to have to order something that allows me to use the toppings bar though...
(4)Jess M.
We really like Portage Bay for brunch. The oatmeal cobbler french toast is hands down our favorite dish here. Most recently we also tried the salmon eggs benedict. The house smoked salmon was flavorful and moist and the eggs were perfect. I also really love the pancakes, mostly to smother them with the toppings bar goodies. They now take reservations, which we found helpful if you know what time you are planning to be there.
(4)Jarman H.
Oatmeal cobbler french toast + breakfast bar = food comma! Loved it as usual, and one of my fav brunch spots in/around the town.
(5)Gouri J.
Really disappointed. This is the first time I am visiting Seattle and was really looking forward to eating at this place. I ordered salmon egg Benedict's. One of the English muffins was way over toasted, like a cracker. The eggs weren't gooey, couldn't taste much of the hollandaise sauce, the salmon was dry and the food wasn't really hot when served. My worst Benedict's experience. Maybe this place is good only for French toast and pancakes.
(1)Jennifer N.
SO DELICIOUS!!! I came here for the first time yesterday and it was wonderful. Had some mimosas and the bananas foster french toast. Portions were huge, pricing was reasonable, breakfast bar was ridiculous. Highly enjoyed! Will definitely come back.
(5)Anne H.
Amazing food. A gem in this neighborhood. Need to have the breakfast bar with French toast in the summer! Club sandwich has tender and flavorful meat with incredible bread. Quick friendly service.
(5)Natalie W.
Why is there a wait for this place?!?! I ordered the French toast and dumped a ton of fresh strawberries and whip cream on top. It was exactly what I would expect French toast to taste like. Nothing impressive. The other people in my party ordered omelets and egg scrambles and they were the worst! The egg looked like yellow construction paper (why don't people use fresh eggs?!) and the meat/veggies inside were bland and tasteless. It was funny watching everyone throw salt and hot sauce on their omelet in a desperate attempt to give their food flavor. Aaaaaaand that's how you know you're never going back to a restaurant.
(2)Katie H.
Share the bananas foster French toast with someone you love. The crab cake Benedict was good and the coffee and friendly service with a fun flare is what sets them apart from other trendy Seattle breakfasts. Every thing is locally sourced and quality ingredients so your consciences can rest while your belly digests your massive sable meal all day. Best way to cure from fun night before or fuel for a weekend adventure or reward a tough week of constant choices and challenges. The only challenge or choice here is getting a seat on a busy morning or weather to go savory or sweet. Shoot do both and share with someone you love.
(5)Danielle C.
Place was packed which is always a great sign when trying a new breakfast spot. Rancher's breakfast feeds you for the entire day and you get to enjoy the breakfast bar that is stocked with fresh fruit for your French toast or pancakes that is included in the meal. So many GF options as well.
(5)Isobel P.
I'm a huge fan of Portage Bay. I've been to the South Lake Union location about four times now, and each time is a great experience. Decided to finally write a review today after I brunched there with a friend earlier. I usually get the Joe's Scramble (SO SO SO SO SO SO GOOD) but this morning I wanted sweet. I ordered the buckwheat pancakes (which includes a trip to the toppings bar), a sunny-side-up egg on the side, and chicken apple sausage on the side. Coffee of course. The food was delicious as usual, and the portions were huge (just had my leftovers for dinner) but the service was extremely slow. I guess I'd be more understanding of this if it were the weekend, but it was a Thursday late morning. There weren't that many people at the restaurant compared to a Saturday morning, and there was definitely a good number of waitstaff. BUT the food was amazing. As it always is. Worth the wait.
(4)Jennie S.
The Swedish pancakes were delicious! My favorite part was the whipped cream from the fruit bar. Good coffee too. Perhaps they just don't have enough servers for the amount of tables? Would highly recommend this place for a weekday morning.
(4)Kimberly H.
YUM! The food is exceptional and there are so many delicious gluten free options!!! Plus the "fruit bar" to add tons of fruit to you pancakey fair.... I'm so glad my friend recommended that we come here though reservations (especially on the weekends) are a must. We had them and didn't have to wait but many other people were waiting. The coffee was good. The food was good. The service was good. Overall I was extremely pleased.
(4)Georgia W.
Marathon or not, this place just rocks. I have eaten here so many times and I am never disappointed. But if you do happen to be carbo loading or refueling after a run- make this your go to! Grapefruit Mimosa is a must.
(5)Leo H.
The epicness of the thick banana French toast with a small mountain of berries, fruit and whip cream piled on top is almost enough to make up for the feelings of guilt knowing I probably just downed 1500+ calories in one meal. If you are into fitness, make this a once in a while cheat-day treat. The back room where we were seated felt like a hastily converted storefront or office, definitely less atmospheric than the main room. Like others mentioned, the restaurant is pretty much in am Internet deadzone.
(5)C A.
We eat here all the time and have never been disappointed! A must stop for breakfast or lunch! Chile Verde Omelette for me this trip.
(5)Jay W.
WOW! Food was amazing! Everything was really, really good. The fruit bar is a must, as is the French toast. We had a pancake Dave's way - . A Phil Breakfadt and a couple orders of French Toast . Large portions, excellent flavor. We waited about 10 min for a table and about 20 min for our food, but it was worth the wait.
(5)Pat C.
Great food with fresh local ingredients. Always delicious . Place is crowded and a bit noisy, so just be aware if that is the environment you are looking for. I've had several of the egg dishes; all excellent. Reservations a must on weekends to avoid a long wait.
(4)Keanna H.
We came here before getting on a flight Sunday morning and it was worth the wait. I wish I had a black pit for a stomach so that I could eat all the great food I saw. I ended up getting Phil's and I absolutely loved the fresh baked wheat bread toast that came with it. The potatoes were good and not overly seasoned or salty like most places. I like the concept of their fresh food from local and sustainable places. When I'm in town again, I will be back to try all of the other good dishes of food.
(4)Diane P.
I LOVE THIS PLACE! Whenever my bf and I have a free morning over the weekend, we have to go to Portage Bay. It's usually about a 15 minute wait, but so worth it.... they have an espresso machine at the front, so we get lattes and sip on those as we wait for our table. Once we are seated, we always order grapefruit mimosas... love it! We usually have 2 each :) I always order the Racher's Breakfeast, which gets me sausage, potatoes & a trip to the toppings bar (superb!) for my french toast. My guy gets the Migos w/chirizo sausage... unbelievably delicous! It's like a Mexican lasanga - crazy good food here! If you love brunch, you must check this place out... my favorite!!
(5)Yell P.
Definitely doesn't live up to the hype. 1. The food is cold. I've been twice and both times my potatoes were cold. Today my bacon was also cold and my GFs ham was cold as well. 2. Nothing like ordering french toast and getting pancakes instead. 3. The "fresh" fruit bar consisted of frozen blueberries, frozen strawberries, and something that resembled frozen raspberries. The first time I went at least the fruit was good, this time it was deplorable. 4. My GFs coffee cup was covered in pink lipstick when it arrived. 5. Inattentive service. We won't be going back for a third time.
(1)Lynn M.
Just had brunch 2 weekends ago. I thought the food was very good and fresh. We were able to be seated in about 5 minutes bc we were willing to sit at the bar. That said, I am not sure it was good enough to wait 45 minutes (which is what we were told if we wanted a table). I ordered eggs benedict sans the ham but with spinach and it was very tasty. I would prefer if the english muffin was more toasted, but overall I enjoyed it. The coffee was really good - not sure whose they serve. The parking is challenging as is typical in that area of Ballard - so be sure to bring your patience along
(4)Jiwon K.
My friend brought me here when I visited her from the San Francisco bay area. We got the oven baked french toast and the BBQ chicken omurice and shared. The omurice was divine. The french toast was divine, too, until the fourth bite or so. It was because it was so dense neither me nor my friend could finish more than one piece of it. I can't imagine having the entire plate of french toast to myself, but sharing it along with the omurice struck a nice balance between cloying and savory.
(4)Angus N.
I love this place and it has become a regular haunt for us after our weekend workouts (need to replace those burnt calories!) The food is consistently excellent, and my favorite feature on the menu is the toppings/fruit bar. Organic fruit in particular really does taste (and makes one feel) all that better than other places, and we have gotten to a point that everytime we eat somewhere else we can taste the difference if the good is not organic. I know it sounds a little snobby but the truth is that there is a huge difference, and this place knows it....
(4)Nick L.
Great menu with lots of local/sustainable/organic ingredients and a focus on healthy options. Vegetarian/vegan friendly. Very slow service around lunchtime. I had rabbit loin and belly pan-seared, with yukon gold potatoes. It was pretty fantastic.
(4)Scott B.
I love the fact that I can get breakfast during lunch.Never had a bad meal here. Everything is fresh and delicious. My top two are the rancher's breakfast and the french toast. They consistantly have great servers and meet my expectation of wait time during peak times. Thank you!
(5)Antesa J.
You only need one reason to go here: GLUTEN FREE FRENCH TOAST. With a FULL BAR of things to put on top of it (nuts, berries, cream, syrup, gold flakes, baby laughter). I know I know, you're thinking *shut the front door* but they also have GF pancakes, sandwiches,, and pretty much the possibility to make anything else on their menu gluten free (except, sadly, the crabcake eggs benny). Yeah buddy.
(5)Diana N.
We got the mushroom and salmon Benedict with the classic pancakes. The salmon Benedict was not good at all, they made the salmon too salty and I couldn't stand eating it plus the potatoes tasted like it wasn't fully cooked. The mushroom Benedict on the other hand was really good. The pancakes were really good too. It's organic and there's a fruit station were you can put whatever you want on the pancakes or French toast.
(3)Johnson D.
I went today for the first time since 2004 and noticed a lot of changes. I used to eat here at least two or three times a month when I worked on Roosevelt, and usually ordered the Nicoise salad or one of the many sandwiches. Today I ordered a chicken club sandwich ($13). It was OK, with avocado mayonnaise, tomato and lettuce, and pepper bacon. The meat was a bit thickly cut and fell out of the bread, so I had to use a fork to eat. The bread was good, but fell apart as I ate. Not the end of the world, but I really missed the sandwiches from years before, with a gorgeous aioili. I get it. Menus have to be updated and changes, but I do remember the sandwiches being more affordable. Anyway, the service was good and my water glass kept full. I think it's cool that they use cloth napkins. I went at about 12:30 and was offered a small table or a seat at the counter. Friendly server and hostess. I give it 3.5 stars because the sandwiches are crazy expensive and I miss the ones from before.
(3)Paris F.
The pancakes and the pancakes dressing bar with fruits.... It is amazing. Big portion so, one pancake was enough for me. I also had the omelet and it was decent. The pancakes was good, and the place is always crowded. Make a reservation before you come.
(3)Charlene L.
I don't even like french toast, but after having PBC, I CRAVE french toast. Get the classic challah french toast, and dress it up with the fruit bar! This place is always crowded, even on the weekdays, so be prepared to wait. I would love this place even more if they took reservations.. but until then, I will wait for an hour for you, PBC! *sigh...*
(4)Eileen C.
Woah, I'm really surprised that the SLU Portage has a lower rating than the one in the UD. The one is SLU is a hundred times better! Portage Bay is one of those awesome restaurants whose food quality doesn't decline even with an incline in popularity. Do you get what I'm saying? I've been coming here for years, since they first opened, and I'm NEVER disappointed. They've become more and more popular over the years so now I have to wait but totally worth it. Not only that but their values behind food is also just awesome. I ALWAYS get the Ranchers Breakfast because it's big, filling, and encompasses everything you want in a breakfast. I always opt for their french toast and sausage. They have this dope toppings bar where you can go up once and go crazy with the best of the best toppings--nuts, fruits, butter, whipped cream, etc. They also make awesome chai drinks which I love to go for. For those who are green and ride public transit, you can come into Westlake and then take the SLU Transit. There literally is a stop right in front of Portage. This place is the place for breakfast. It's healthy, it's delicious. I have friends visiting from every corner of the globe and I always bring them to Portage and everyone gushes about the food years later. Weekends are obviously packed, slightly better on the weekdays. Always worth the wait. Come to Portage. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Del T.
wow, what a waste of time. i don't understand why so many people go there? i suppose because of the fruit bar. The food is lack luster, i've had better at Denny's; the service is terrible. To top it off I even had an under cooked entree.. Boo hoo, this place is a pass for me.
(1)Eri K.
If in the area and craving pancakes or a salad, this is an excellent place to dine. However, if you are a vegetarian who does not like breakfast very much, this is not the place for you. I have eaten two times and the service seems to be hit or miss. My first experience was absolutely terrible (we were not given water until I got up and looked for a server myself, after waiting 12 minutes to be noticed!). However, it was much better the second chance I gave the restaurant. I'll have to try the pancakes soon...
(3)Stanley C.
Great place! I was super impressed at the flavor of the pancakes. Normally I am not a pancake person, but their pancakes were super delicious, even by itself without the whip cream and fruit. But that was probably the best part, the buffet of fruits and whip cream and other toppings. Yum Yum. I split this with my girlfriend and we still could not finish the special breakfast. I was sad I had to waste the pancake, but I was already too full to eat anymore. Now, if only they had waffles, I would've given this place 5 stars!
(4)Margaret M.
Risotto Cake Benedict. Just order it... You can thank me later. "Organic arborio rice risotto cakes with oven-dried roma tomatoes, two poached eggs and a drizzle of 6-year aged balsamic vinegar." I wish the wait wasn't always forever and a day (an hour and a half when I want brunch NOW? sigh) but everything I've ordered here has been good. Not mind-blowing, but consistently good.
(4)Jay D.
I do love most of the food I've had here but I cannot say the same for the service. I've been here several times and usually get the Migas (generous portion!) or something with a trip to the toppings bar. All delicious. The thing that gets me about this place is the service. Very inconsistent. And usually poor. From the moment you walk in, someone says sit anywhere you'd like, And just points to the tables. For some reason that bothers me. It's like they are too lazy to actually take me and seat me. in all my visits theres been one server that seemed to care. It's so strange. Give the food a try but be prepared for the spotty service and long weekend lines!
(3)Alyssa H.
Food is good enough but they don't seem to understand the concept of reservations. My party of 8 made an 11:30 reservation and showed up 10 minutes early only to be told to wait. And wait. And wait. Over the next 45 minutes (and still waiting at the time of drafting) we heard SEVERAL other parties of 8 called and seated while our reservation was apparently dismissed. If you guys can't manage reservations DON'T TAKE THEM.
(2)Misty M.
We visited from Austin Texas and were extremely excited to try some Seattle food. I think that's our favorite thing about traveling!!! Food!! This was the first place we had breakfast before our full day of exploring (full turned into half) as all I really wanted to do after my breakfast was take a food coma nap. Food:I had the dungeons Benedict. (I think that's the name) And I at first glance was so hungry and thought it wouldn't fill me up. WRONG! I was forcing myself through that last Benedict and it was oh so worth it. So savory, fulfilling and honestly a little heavy...but I am 100% okay with that because I loved every bite. Just watch the eggs a little..it was over cooked and I had no runny eggs..it was basically boiled. The four stars is based on my husband's banana foster French toast. My husband probably gets French toast at EVERY new breakfast place we try...unless that is not an option. He wasn't wowed about it simply because the Carmel on it became hard after a few minutes at the table. So sad...because the first few bites were to die for. That killed it though and not all was eaten unfortunately. Atmosphere: loved it. Outside and inside seating. We chose inside but still had a nice little breeze from the outside door being open. Natural lighting for breakfast because of the big windows. I loved it. Service: It was peak breakfast hours so server was pretty busy but we got taken care of so that is all that matters. Next time we are in Seattle we will be back for some new flavors!! P.S. I bought one of your awesome coffee mugs. #eatlikeyougiveadamn
(4)Zevin S.
Loved this place, the crab cake eggs benedict were amazing. I also got to try some of the French toast and peppered bacon. Everything was really tasty and the presentation was impressive. Definitely going back to explore more of their menu.
(5)Rachel L.
They will be doing my wedding. Best brunch/breakfast place in Seattle. Always packed but that's the nature of having amazing food.
(5)James S.
Great food, especially their French toast. Great location, great potential atmosphere. Friendly waitresses, wonderful place to have brunch with family. You feel a bit of pressure to dress well, nothing too crazy though. Only nitpick is, everyone has brunch with their family here. You can't have a conversation without shouting across the table. The food portions should be enough to keep you busy, on the bright side. Super cool place to go with family, expensive but worth it.
(4)Anastasia C.
OMG, I love this place for breakfast. "Eat like you give a damn"....that I do!! Food is always amazingly consistent, delicious and looks great. The service, while they are ALWAYS busy, is still pretty darn good and the staff is very friendly. They have a wide range of things to choose from and the fruit bar is so fantastic and fun! Give this place a go!!
(5)Kristin P.
Great little brunch spot! Gets pretty packed on the weekends, it definitely helps to have a reservation. Awesome staff and their toppings bar (for french toast, etc) is the best!!
(4)Sarah A.
Went here for a late breakfast on Tuesday with a girlfriend. Late initial greet from a very friendly server who looked like he maybe picked up our table out of his section (Jeff). I ordered the pancakes and she had the french toast. Hers was delicious and mine tasted fine but had raw pancake batter throughout---yuck. Definitely killed my appetite and when I pointed it out to the food runner who brought it he apologized and asked if I wanted a box---which I thought was a peculiar response. No comp on raw pancakes? C'mon. The breakfast bar looks delicious but I feel like the toppings should be on ice or refrigerated somehow because it seems like they had just been set out for the whole day. Maybe try this place again later? Great spot for groups!
(2)Tram L.
We ordered some pick-up for lunch, and we were amazed by how great the food was and how friendly everyone was at this place. The owner/manager made sure to smile and greet all customers, and we hardly had to wait for our orders. 4 stars! P.S. Did I mention they have a pancake/french toast toppings bar? Yummm!
(4)M M.
I found this place on yelp after craving a good breakfast while on vacation. I had the oatmeal crumb french toast. The server told me they make the challah fresh the night before. After trying it, I believe him! It's made of three thick slices of challah and a whole lot of other goodness! But it really is indulgent and a bit too sweet, even for me (and I have a sweet tooth). I also didn't like that the self serve bar didn't offer any fresh fruit at all. Also couldn't quite tell what drinks they served. Didn't see any listed on the menu. Strange. Anyway, I would go back and try something else.
(3)Stasj T.
Craving breakfast was the only reason I got out of bed. This place has been in my bookmarks for months so I finally gave it a try. Lucked out by getting there slightly before 10am, since that's when the brunch crowd shows up. Ordered grapefruit juice (freshly squeezed and tasty) and the sweet potato frittata. When it arrived, I honestly had to look for it because it was buried underneath a pile of arugula. Don't get me wrong, arugula and I have been cool for a while now, I just wasn't expecting it to treat my frittata like that. There was a light balsamic vinaigrette on the arugula, which, when mixed with pieces of the frittata, was a good taste and good texture. The side of bacon was the right amount of crispy, and complimented the dish well. Will have to come back and try out their breakfast bar.
(4)Lauren P.
I visited Portage Bay with a group of my friends a few days ago and to be honest, I'm not sure what the hype is about. I do have to say that I like that all of the food is fairly healthy and that they cater to gluten-free and vegan eaters as well as anybody else. The only thing is that the restaurant itself is very loud. The service was okay, nothing too spectacular. I ended up getting the Rancher's Breakfast which was a HUGE meal. I got potatoes, sausage, eggs, and two pancakes. The potatoes were by far my favorite part of the meal. So good. The eggs were bland and I didn't eat more than two bites. What's cool about getting pancakes is that you get to visit their breakfast bar which is awesome - I loaded up my pancakes with fruit and whipped cream. :) Also, if they ask if you want coffee, know that it's overpriced. I paid $3 for drip coffee!
(3)Jannae V.
Delicious food and a menu that has something for everyone. My very favorite meal is the French toast, I recommend splitting, it's a huge portion. For sure order and entrée that comes with a trip to the toppings bar, yummy fruits and homemade whipped cream that I always have to hold myself back from sticking my head into ;) This is my favorite location of the two I have been to. The U District location is super small, like a glorified walk in closet compared to this spacious location Note: be sure to arrive here early, especially for weekends. I got here at 9 once and put my name in, only a few people. Within 15 minutes the place was packed, not uncommon to see people waiting outside on nice summer days.
(4)Jenna C.
BEST GLUTEN FREE FRENCH TOAST EVER. And all their pancakes are naturally gluten free AND they had 2 different kind of french toast to choose from w gf bread. They make their gf bread in house, it thick and really soft and amazing. This is soooo rare. Please start selling your bread online, I would love to order it down to Orange County, where we love! Thanks for the bomb breakfast portage!
(5)L M.
I had the goat cheese omelette with spinach and mushrooms. The dish was not oily and seemed fresh. But, the omelette lacked flavor. The ingredients were not mixed. And what killed the presentation was the the cold sad looking butter on top of the slightly burned toast.
(4)Steven G.
Massive portions, as in 'you just ordered two meals' massive. Fresh ingredients. Lots of fresh vegetables. Excellent egg plates, like the Farmer's Hash. I was shocked at how rich, delicious and overwhelmingly filling this meal was. I need to sneak down to SLU for brunch next weekend. If I'm going to pay $15 for a brunch meal, this is the kind of meal I want to experience. The worst I can say is that the service was a bit slow due to the crowd, and the coffee was just okay. But after that meal I didn't really care about that.
(5)Jj J.
Immediately upon arriving we were asked if we had reservations and, when we said we did not, the reaction from the two hostesses was nearly a snort ("as if"). We were then told we were "lucky" because a "large group had cancelled" and that we could be seated immediately...and we were. What followed were empty coffee cups and water glasses, no silverware until we asked (twice), inconsistent arrival of our breakfasts so that two of us were eating over five minutes before the other two, and mediocre and overpriced food. Big drag. Won't be going back when I can throw a rock and hit a great breakfast spot in this town.
(1)Kirk S.
I'm really torn on how to review this place. If you're looking for a place with great pancakes, fresh fruit, organic and fancy menu items that taste great, this is your place. If you're looking for greasy spoon classics, definitely go somewhere else. I made the mistake of ordering what I thought were classics, but they put such a heavy spin on them that I wish I had gone elsewhere. I wish I had went for the pancakes at the breakfast bar. Portage Bay. Add the greasy spoon classics and i'll give you 5 stars.
(3)Sheri F.
I had lunch here during the week with two others. The food was OK, nothing to write home about. The fried potatoes were average. Place is only open for breakfast and lunch. Service was almost nonexistent. They took our order then never returned except to drop off the food then the check. Ambiance is also nonexistent, but there wasn't anything awful or garish. The place is just plain and boring with zero color. Even the menus are plain black & white. Parking is only available on the street. I have no plans on returning to this place but might again one day simply because it's close to work and there are very little options for breakfast by work. Food: 2.5 Service: 1 Ambiance: 1 Parking: 1
(3)Cotica N.
Portage Bay is arguably the top brunch option in South Lake Union and possibly all of the extended downtown area. I loved their fruit bar, tea selection, French toast, and Phil's American breakfast (eggs, bacon, option of toast or pancakes, potatoes). It was a weekend tradition while in Seattle. Tip: make a reservation as wait times can be quite long.
(4)Vijay R.
Bad food. Poor service. Poached eggs were hard. Bread was burnt. Had to wait for 15+ minutes even with a reservation.
(1)Megan L.
Once again we tried Portage Bay and once again disappointed. The staff are great and friendly. The atmosphere fun, but the food...not good. I ordered the Migas which had tasteless eggs, a weird cream sauce and very old guac on top. I could only eat a few bites. The toppings bar is pretty, but honestly no amount of canned fruit, whip cream and strawberries coated in sugar is going to make the French toast less dry. On another occasion I had the Swedish pancakes and they were good. I keep getting pulled back in because the weekend lines here are always huge, but every time it disappoints.
(2)Vanessa H.
Good food, service was okay. I may come back... Had the cinnamon & honey blintz it was good but something was a little off with them though. I could only finish only two because of the taste of the custard in the crepes. The plus side it came with the fruit breakfast bar. They don't ask you if you want another beverage after asking for "water for now"... I did want coffee, oh well. So I tried them cold after putting leftovers in the fridge and it tastes better. Guess they just don't taste as great warm.
(3)Dave L.
Pros: good management seated my daughter and I faster than we expected although the wait was still long to help make sure she didn't throw a fit - good food (pancakes are great) Cons: Loud, expensive, takes forever to get a table, water is never refilled
(3)J N.
This place is ridiculously awesome from atmosphere to food to service! It is a great concept and it is clear that there was a lot of thought put into this restaurant. My boyfriend and I love coming here for any occasion. We always request to sit in Kevin's section. The food is terrific but Kevin's great service makes the full experience even more memorable! He is funny and personable. When you come here you should ask to be seated in his section; he will take great care of you. Regarding food, the migas are not to be missed. The french toast is a no-brainer. The huevos rancheros and the scrambles are also terrific choices. Don't forget to order the pepper bacon! For drinks, the coffee is delicious and the mimosas are nice and sweet.
(5)Charesse H.
Not sure why everyone loves this breakfast spot. I had the Farmer's Hash with smoked salmon which came with a very small portion of salmon that was extremely salty and served with lots of veggies, I probably had four cubes of potatoes. My boyfriend's French Toast was soft and cold. The table with all the toppings is pretty much impossible to get to with a crowd around the entrance - yet everyone seems to love that they have this? He settled with just butter (from my toast) and he asked our awkward waitress for syrup. I think we'll stick to Geraldine's for breakfast. If you do want to try this place though, make sure you rsvp on the weekends.
(2)Joe R.
The only complaint I have is I couldn't finish the pancakes, they were so large. If you can finish them, you are a better man than I. The Breakfast Fruit Bar is a cool idea. You pick your own toppings. The pancakes were great. I recommend getting here early. There were literally people waiting in their cars outside for the place to open. I got here at 730am, and by 8am they were getting busy.
(5)Matt S.
Decent food, but nothing memorable or worth returning for. They do offer huge portions but they come with equally inflated prices. It feels like they use high quality ingredients. Really sloooow service - took at least 45 minutes after ordering for items to start arriving during lunch. Half our table was served 20 minutes before the other half received their orders also.
(2)Marilia B.
We went to this place to eat their brunch and it was amazing. They had a 30 minutes waiting list, but we forgot it completely after we seated. Our waitress was really helpful and just gave us good recommendations. The portions were huge and absolutely amazing!!! We definitely recommend this place.
(5)Chip D.
My experience was not great. My Farmer's Hash with sausage was burnt. The potatoes tasted like what you would think blackened potatoes would taste like, char. and it wasn't a thin char. the char was probably 2-3 mm in thickness. there was sliced sausage which had good flavor but was bone dry, no juice at all because the slices were burnt 50% through the thickness of the slice. Vegetables were not immune to the cooks lack of skill as the entire hash was burnt. Nutrition in the vegetables were likely all gone from the over-cooking. I'll try them again... maybe, but you'll have to pull my arm and beg me.
(2)Ritu D.
Okay- after my marathon of writing so many five star reviews of places I went to in Seattle, people are going to think I just willy nilly give out five stars- I promise I don't - I give it to places that deserve it - and Portage Bay DEFINITELY deserves it. My stepbrother and his girlfriend did say that this is the best location in their opinion, so we were lucky it was the closest one to our hotel,too - and also I can't vouch for the other locations, but I def think this one is 5 star quality! Literally don't have a bad thing to say - except maybe that one person in our group got their food much later than the rest of us (kitchen prob forgot?) but we had so much food on the table, it was okay. Anyways- made a reservation for 7 people at about 1145 last Saturday. They didn't end up seating us till closer to 12:10 which was fine because we were kind of late anyways. The employees are so friendly - the servers kept talking to us as they walked by while we were waiting (not long convos obv - we were just salivating over what they were carrying and talking about what it was and how good it was). Once we sat, the service was great! waters were filled and anything extra we asked for came out pretty fast! (only downfall was what happened with the forgotten food, but we got over that pretty quick - and it came out soon after) OMG for brunch - get the Migas! you will not be disappointed - it's their breakfast "burrito" - I put the burrito in quotes because it's actually shaped like a huge quesadilla - but legit- HUGE portions. and DELCIOUS! Most of the people got that and LOVED it! The chicken sausage is pretty delish. We also got a french toast plate for everyone to share and those were really good. Basically, the only reason I suggested we do that was because I really wanted to visit the toppings bar - strawberries, whipped cream, berries, almond slices, peaches, syrup, butter, etc.etc.ETC. SO DELISH! I had a mimosa which was pretty big and tasty! This place was amazing and I can't wait to go back!!
(5)Ken G.
3 stars for the food; 1 star for the service. Went at 9:15 with a reservation. Seated immediately. Ordered coffee. 20 minutes! Ordered food - arrived a full hour after we got there....a full 40 minutes after we ordered. No word to explain -- even when we asked where our food was. The place was less than 1/2 full. Food was good enough (some loved their meal, others just ok).
(2)Kimberly B.
The food here was quite good. I had the challah french toast and enjoyed the topping bar for fruits, syrup, butter and other fun items. We had a reservation and there were many people waiting. We got our table right away by the window. My friends from out of town enjoyed brunch immensely. The only negative is the noise level but this is to be expected in a busy restaurant.
(4)Laura R.
Stopped by here for a late breakfast today and it was just amazing Everything is organic and local !! The portions are perfect size !! The topping bar is fantastic !! Their orange juice is freshly squeezed !! Most importantly though ...LOAD YOUR PLATE WITH WHIPPED CREAM!! I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH ! LOAD IT ON YOUR PLATE LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW!
(5)Aly A.
Their french toast bar is awesome! Good breakfast spot. Cute inside and their portions are big!
(4)Jennifer M.
Like: BANANAS FOSTER FRENCH TOAST. nuff said.
(5)Joyce J.
I have heard so many good things about Portage Bay but I was really disappointed when I finally visited on a Saturday morning with several friends. I ordered the tonkasu sandwich special which was served with a side of potatoes. The tonkasu was alright but it was not really flavorful. I took it home and heated up the next morning and it still tasted less than stellar so I just ended up throwing it away. I also ordered the coffee. The waiter came to refill my cup only once. My friends and I were later asked to give up our table as there was a crowd waiting. So I would not recommend this place for breakfast if you want a leisure weekend brunch.
(2)jo s.
I'll say first that the food was very good and I love their philosophy about food. We were there for breakfast on a Sunday and it was very crowded, but we had a reservation and got seated within 15 minutes of our reservation. The space is nice and open and lively, though a little on the loud side and some difficulty hearing conversation. We walked by the fruit bar and it looked amazing. The food came quickly. We had huevos rancheros with dietary variations and it was fast and fresh and delicious. Everything came out exactly as ordered. The only reason for my low rating is that my experience of the service and attitude of waitstaff was unwelcoming. I felt like we were imposing on them by asking for anything. I asked for coffee twice before getting it with my meal and server responded strangely annoyed. I actually would have liked another drink, but felt like it wasn't worth the work getting the attention of the servers, so didn't bother (They never asked). And I also wasn't offered coffee refills -- can't think of a time when that happened over breakfast at a restaurant. Frankly, I felt that they wanted us to leave as soon as possible, clearing our dishes and dropping of the check as soon (or before) our plates were clear. We were not there very long. I understand they were busy, but being rushed and ignored doesn't make for a pleasant experience, so my question is "why bother?". This was only my first time there and I will probably to back again for the excellent food and to see if my experience was an anomaly. I hope it was.
(2)Kay K.
I've been to the portage bay in udistrict several times and I've tried the SLU one because it looked like bigger place and newer. I have more to say about their interior setting. I don't have anything to complain about their food and service. - Loud, crowded, sardines - I think this place shows an example of the environment setting overpowering the taste. It was way too crowded. Busy with many people is good for their business. however, I think they tried to fit in as many tables as they can in the space, which ends up being a little chaotic experience rather than relaxing brunch experience. I know their brunch is good according to my previous experience at the U-District one. However, I almost lost the taste because of the loudness. Especially walking to the topping bar is hard. Tables are too close, so many people walking around including workers, and carrying heavy plate can be challenging. Because of the high ceiling, the noise lingers more, makes it hard to have a conversation. Sometimes you have to wait to get more coffee, or take an order, etc. You might have to wave your hand at the waiters. -Service & food- service and food was good. nothing to complain. So losing these aspects because of the setting makes me sad :( Food is traditional. Not something fancy. They just feed you A LOT.
(3)Nicolas R.
Used to go frequently. Lately food quality has gone down, waitresses are now very slow and recently they stopped honoring reservations. Stopped going.
(1)Brandi H.
This place was incredibly loud and busy. I would suggest making a reservation at least and hour in advance. I got the classic French toast, and it was the most flavorful french toast I've ever had. The depth of flavor is amazing. It came with their breakfast bar which is full of berries and other toppings. Awesome. The staff here is also very friendly!
(4)Xuan-Nhi N.
This is my favorite place to go for breakfast! -Service is amazing -They have a breakfast bar filled with fruits, nuts, syrup, & whipped cream for you to top off your plates with -Their French toast is so perfect that my mouth is watering right now as I'm writing this review -AND their food is local & organic. How great is that? Seriously. Not only do they have great food, but they give a damn about where it comes from, where everything is grown. Every time I've been here, it's been crowded but I never minded waiting because their food is worth the wait. I haven't tried any of their lunch items, but I can tell you that I love their fluffy pancakes, their savory farmer's hash, & their French toast is to die for (seriously try the French toast, people.) All around great restaurant with an amazing atmosphere.
(5)Charlie L.
The whole fresh fruit bar and farm to table idea is hugely appealing to me, so I gave it a high star rating, but yes, the service (though friendly) pretty much blows. I got up to serve myself with menus, silverware, water. Yeah. I'm guessing it being in the middle Amazon.com -ville, that it's going to be mobbed, so shitty service wouldn't necessarily put it out of business, but may be it would get 5 stars if I went to a different location. I would probably still recommend it, just go at off peak hours, and call ahead to make sure there isn't a long wait.
(3)Eric V.
We love Portgage Bay for breakfast! The breakfast bar is the kids favorite. Lots of great options for everyone!!!
(5)G T.
Beyond delicious! Organic, local, sustainable. Vegetarian options. Beware of huge portions but buy a plate for each of you to share the delicious bounty! Farmers hash was yummy and we loved the banana foster French toast!
(5)Emily M.
The food here is locally sourced, sustainable, and one of the most delicious brunches I've ever had! I would highly recommend getting a reservation -- this place was completely packed on a Saturday morning! If there was anything to complain about, it would be the noise. The place was so loud, you couldn't hear when your name was being called when a table was ready. But once we got seated (15 minutes after the reservation time), service was quick, friendly, and great. The serve yourself topping bar had lots of fresh fruit and real whipped cream for pancakes and french toast, which was my whole reason for coming! Overall, an amazing place to have brunch on my birthday.
(4)Phoenix A.
Being understaffed at breakfast is not a good look. Me waiting 40 minutes for oatmeal is not a good look for me either. I did have really good oatmeal though and appreciated the coconut shavings at the topping bar, however, the serving was enough to feed a third world county for $8. They could easily cut the serving and the price by half. This place is pretty big and on this visit there were only 2 servers and I think 2 owner/manager types expediting and bussing tables. This experience won't prevent me from coming here. I love the food here, but I would think twice about grabbing a timely meal here and getting to work more on time.
(3)Benjamin W.
From having worked restaurants for over a decade, I rarely will complain to management about a bad experience somewhere but today was a day when I did. We specifically had come to this place from far away because I remember the food being quite good and I wanted to take my girlfriend somewhere nice but today was nothing more then a mediocre breakfast. After waiting about 15 min in the lobby and being seated it took almost 10 min to even be approached by our server after about 4 other servers walked passed our table without acknowledging us. Our server who never introduced herself by name took another 8 min to get us our coffees. The coffee arrived without spoons or creamer and we had to ask again. We placed our food order when seated and when our food finally arrived at the table my order was incorrect and had to be taken back to the kitchen. My girlfriends breakfast potatoes were cold and tasted like they had been sitting in the window for quite some time and her pancake stack never arrived. At this point I asked for the manager and explained our situation. He admitted that apparently our server had put in my order wrong and owned up to the situation. When the server came back she blamed her mistake on the kitchen which I thought was unprofessional. About 15 min later our food finally arrived. Overall an ordeal that lasted for over an hour to get a less the great breakfast! The crab cakes were pretty good but overall I wish I had just made breakfast at home or gone somewhere else...
(1)Gabe F.
This place already has 900 reviews so why would I add another to their Yelp page? Because we appreciate really good food, a creative menu, and great service. We had the French Toast so we could graze the fruit bar, and we split the crab benedict which was tasty but the potatoes were not warm. The cappuccino was done right which is very critical in my book. Guess we were fortunate to get a table on Sunday morning before the mad crush of people arrived and had to wait for 30-40 minutes. The food is fresh and organic, the Fruit Bar should have a trough attached to it so you can grave on the fresh berries and homemade whipping cream...OMG. Have to make a return visit anytime we are back in Seattle.
(4)Diana C.
Knocking off a star for terrible expectation management and lack of customer service. I was really upset the last time I came here and it really left a sour taste in my mouth. I really hope they don't continue this kind of customer treatment. It'd be a shame for an otherwise pretty good breakfast place.
(3)Sherri L.
Decided to Brunch at this place and wished I went elsewhere. We ordered the Apple Strawberry French Toast and the Dungeoness Crab Cake Benedict. First off, The service was mediocre. There was no one at the front desk to seat you and you have to try and catch a waiter to see you. Then, it took awhile to get our menus and then even longer for someone to take our order. Thankfully, the food didn't take long but I could obviously see that it didn't either because there was nothing special about it. The Dungeoness Crab Cake Benedict was such a disappointment, the crab did not taste fresh, I mean it's Seattle, that's one of the few things that should always be fresh! It lacked flavor and the crab cake had too much filling and not enough crab. The Apple Strawberry French Toast was ok. I think that it could've been better had it not been soaked with the sauce.
(3)Viet N.
Oh the ever so hyped up Portage Bay Café. I came. I pigged out. And...I will not be returning. It is a nice restaurant in a nice part of town. But the good things about it stop there. Just because it is crowded, doesn't necessarily mean the food is good. I mean, I only came there because it was hyped up. It was plastered all over my social media. So I had to check it out for myself and see why people went bananas over this place. It's nothing special. Basic breakfast and brunch type of offerings (French toasts, pancakes, eggs benedicts, etc.). It is SUPER crowded. And don't think that making a reservation will do you any good. We made reservations for a group of 4 and still had to wait about 40 minutes for a table. How ridiculous. I understand much of it is out of the control of the staff.....because they cannot control how long a group of diners decides to sit and pig out. But, a 40 minute wait after we secured our reservations is pretty....unacceptable. The food is pricey. I don't mind paying a premium price for good food, but the food here is just okay. Nothing to write home about. Nothing worthy to post about. Instagram worthy? Nah. Among various things, we ordered the French toast just so we can use the fruit toppings bar. Bleh. The fruit toppings at the bar were delicious. But the French toast was just boring and bland. It looked much better on social media pictures. Though I must admit, that was one of the reasons why I decided to try Portage Bay. The filtered French toast pictures on social media looked soooooooooooooo amazingly delicious. Boooo, I was tricked. Oh wells. Will I return? Nope. Will I recommended this place to people I care about? Definitely not. There are much better breakfast/brunch offerings in town. I mean, it's worth trying Portage Bay Café once so you can form your own opinions about it. But, just know that it's just a basic restaurant with basic food for basic people who basically love hyped up breakfast/brunch foods. Pumpkin spiced lattes, anyone?
(2)Sarah W.
I go to Portage Bay Cafe at least once a week for lunch. I LOVE the staff there - all of them (servers, cooks, etc.). They are really great and they are the main reason I frequent this spot. The food is good too - SUPER fresh ingredients - and they offer specials from time to time. They also update the main menu seasonally. Beware that if you are driving in, parking is South Lake Union is tough (not the restaurant's fault - all of SLU is like this). Also note that they are crowded during weekday lunch and weekend brunch so you may have to wait for a table. I recommend them for breakfast. The variety of menu items is great, they are less crowded at that time and they have a breakfast bar that is pretty impressive for sweet add-ons. I am definitely a fan.
(4)Kristin C.
The food is great and the prices are decent. It's a big, open, noisy restaurant but that's ok because it wakes me up in the morning! Only tried their breakfast and it was really yummy. I highly recommend the grapefruit mimosa!
(4)Phil C.
Not sure what happened, but recently the food has been subpar. The most recent experience I went there with a colleague for an early lunch @ 11am this week. Here is what we encountered. I had the roasted chicken club on GF bread, and he had some bacon, an english muffin, and some herbed potatoes. In general it tasted like they were serving us left-overs. The club sandwich was more bread than other things, and the chicken was super dry, like it was made days prior and put in the fridge for re-use. It was accompanied by a huge green salad that was covered in oil with no taste. The bread fell apart, and I needed to push it to the side. I eat GF bread all the time, and I have never dealt with such a mess. The side of bacon that my colleague ordered crisp, came to the table cold, greasy, and not crisp at all. Obviously not cooked fresh. The english muffin that my colleague ordered had so much flower on it, that he said it tasted like chewy calk, and he needed to scape most the flower on to the plate to make it edible, only eating a few bites. He refused to pay for the roasted potatoes since they were dry, and obviously cooked hours earlier only to be re-heated for our enjoyment. This restaurant had a history in the past of taking too long to get the food out to customers, but the quality was always ok. It seems like they are now rushing too quickly to get the food out, thus a drop in quality as a result. I had an experience two weeks ago where I ordered eggs sunny side up, and I got barely cooked eggs served to me.
(2)Naomi G.
The food was delicious, ordered the ham scrambler. However the lack of service from our actual sever was lacking. Waited quite a while for our food and the waited again for our bill. Where he didn't ask to have it split so we all had to calculate what we owed. Overall I would probably go back but maybe during the week when it is not so crazy busy and you can actually talk to the person across from you. Cute location and easy access to downtown.
(4)Rubal K.
Awesome breakfast spot with a variety of craving satisfying menu items! I went there for the pancake bar :)
(5)My S.
We ate at Portage Bay, South Union, on Black Friday in Seattle. The wait was only 15 minutes and service was awesome. The food is always wonderful. I had the Farmer's Hash with Salmon...loved the seasonings and all the flavors. We eat here whenever we visit family in Seattle. The coffee is the best too.
(5)David M.
We had friends visiting from out of town this week and we went here twice. I don't get the rave reviews on yelp about this place, we tried eggs benedict, reuben sandwich and several other things. My partner and I found the food very bland and not special at all. The Reuben I ordered had practically no flavor, it was on rye bread and the bread tasted like sourdough, no rye taste. its also extremely expensive, not worth the high prices for bland food.
(2)Santy T.
The coffee mug was not clean, had lipstick marks :( But was taken care of, as soon as I reported the problem.. food was delicious
(3)Joni G.
Love the fact that this place offers gluten-free pancake and french toast options. The food is great and healthy but for some reason this place has "not so great" customer service. Last year I booked their private room in the back for a surprise party. It was ok but there were about 20 people and the service was slow... slow... This time, it was just my dad and I as I was taking him out for a late Father's Day celebration and again the service was extremely slow. Besides that, our server only came to check on us about 3 times and seemed very disinterested in her job. I don't believe I saw her smile once. They also had designated bussers who filled water and coffee cups and my water glass remained empty after I finished it. In addition, my dad and I had a reservation, however when we arrived, the manager (I believe he was the manager) and the host informed him that there was a "ten top" and although we had a reservation for outdoors, that they needed to try to move all their guest on the patio (who were already seated and eating) to another area to accommodate this "ten top." After my dad again mentioned we had a reservation, the manager took notice and decided to seat us instead as he called us a "priority." I appreciate that effort. However, the stress and burden of trying to accommodate this "ten top" didn't need to be shared with us and it didn't need to be our burden. At one point, my dad asked me if I was ok waiting so the restaurant could accommodate this party of 10. I was taking my dad out for his special day and he didn't need to be worried about restaurant logistics. Next time... management should learn to handle their internal issues amongst their staff instead of sharing their problems with their customers. For some reason the University location is just as, if not busier but their service is MUCH MUCH better. Next time I want to hit Portage Bay, I'll probably hit the U-district location instead.
(2)Jenny A.
Don't come here when you are starving, you might have a long wait ahead of you. - We came here and was told it would be a 30-45 min wait for a party of 2. BUT not long after that, the manager (I think) told everyone to follow him and we were all seated at once after a few big groups left. This review is a few weeks old, but I ordered the dungeness crab benedict and BF ordered the chorizo scramble. HUGE portions and decent prices. The only downfall for me was the street parking; we must have went around and around a few times and ended up parking a few blocks away.. did I mention that it was also pouring down rain? Yes, I know, typical Seattle weather.. but it still sucked walking in it =( I'll be back for the french toast!
(4)Jay R.
Yum yum toasty good! I've been missing out on the deliciousness of the magical and foreign breakfast delight known as french toast for years due to a gluten allergy, but none of that matters anymore. Not only does Portage Bay have french toast, they also have GF pancakes along with GF toast. So basically this place is gluten free heaven for me. The atmosphere here is busy and fun with a huge eating area that can easily accommodate large parties but is still intimate and private enough for cozy time with your sweet person. I really like eating brunch here with my GFGF (that means gluten free girlfriend for you civilians) Oh yeah, they have mimosas in any flavor too! GULP!
(5)Maggie G.
Here's why you should trust my review: I've gone to Portage Bay dozens of times and I've NEVER GOTTEN THE TOPPING BAR. And I STILL love it. Now read on: Yes, it can be crowded and when it gets crowded, it gets noisy. All that is true. But the food is just...so...good. I tend to go on my own and sit at the counter, just so I can eat without long waits or crying children. Let me restate: I refuse to allow other people to come to brunch with me, JUST SO I CAN EAT HERE. It's that good. Jesus Christ himself couldn't convince me to go to brunch with him instead. It's terrific. I get the Migas every time (just plain, without the chorizo or the mushrooms) and every time, I'm satisfied. I like eating something that I know comes from a healthy farm; I like eating like I give a damn! It's expensive, but what good food isn't? Now I'm not sure I'm even going to publish this review because I want those counter seats. But I usually work weekends and can go any time, so...here you go, Yelpers. Go for the food. Keep coming back for that food.
(5)Alaina B.
Food was good, service was better thanks to Kevin. He truly made the experience. We went to the South Lake Union location and ordered the vegan banana pancakes and classic eggs Benedict. The hollandaise sauce was legendary (thanks for the recommendation, Kevin!) A visit to the fruit bar is also a must. Crowded especially for Sunday brunch, so plan ahead with a reservation. 5/5 stars!
(5)Rohan K.
Pretty good selection of menu items but most are just OK. It's very busy during lunch/brunch but the service is still fantastic. The BBQ Pork sandwich was pretty dry and lacked flavor. It could have been much better. The Migas were fairly good. The potatoes on the side were also very dry and seemed like they were made in a huge batch and then just repeatedly re-heated to serve. Overall I'd say very average food, big portions, good ambiance and service.
(3)Diane S.
This place is awesome! Huge portions and great food. If though I was to go back though I would go for the pancakes and topping bard instead of the omelets. Don't get me wrong my Salmon omelet was good, but not the best omelet I have ever had. But the Buckwheat pancakes with toppings, much better choice!!!!! All the fresh fruits and whipp cream. Yummmmmm. Bring you stretchy pants for sure. Overall very good, I do recommend expect a line tough on the weekends.
(4)Enigo M.
Food was pretty good, but I have a major complaint! I went for breakfast today with 4 friends. 3 meals hit the table, the 4th came 5 minutes later and finally my eggs bene a whopping 15 minutes later! Such BS and poorly handled. I don't know if the server just forgot to put it in or if the kitchen messed up, but regardless the server who was amusing at first... cont'd his wise cracks and lame attempts at getting a laugh instead of just being apologetic & accommodating.
(2)Shane B.
Yum! And fun! Not a place is go to regularly, but for a treat for family or friends, so worth it. Many great options that are positively decadent. Don't go here if you are trying to lose weight ;). The one big downside is they are too popular. I'm not sure if I've every had a wait time less than an hour.
(5)Jgirl S.
I really really wish I could give this place higher marks. I am a BIG supporter of restaurants that serve organic, locally sourced food. Unfortunately, this place needs major improvement in the service department and this is why hubby and I will not be back. Location and Parking: The South Lake Union location is tough to find parking, be prepared to drive around a bit. Ambiance: Busy, but not overwhelming. It is a large place once you get inside. You would not notice its large space until you walk in. Also, it was obvious that the staff here is very young...teenagers and early 20's. And, what's with the Breakfast Club soundtrack playing?? Not really what I want to be listening to on a lazy Sunday with a mimosa. Food and Drinks: Hubby ordered an apple mimosa and I chose the berry lemonade mimosa. Both were good, but could have used some more Proseco. The bubbles were barely noticeable. For brunch, hubby ordered the smoked wild salmon farmer's hash. He said it tasted good, but ease up on the celery. It looked like a celery scramble there was so much in it. I ordered the smoked salmon benedict. It was delicious, but it could have used more hollandaise sauce and my poached eggs were over cooked, no runny middle. Service: We were lucky to be seated right away, but waited 20 minutes for our server to come greet us. When he did come to our table, we got a "What can I get you?" I hate it when servers come to your table and say this, especially if we are new to a place! We waited 20 minutes for our mimosas to come and another 30 minutes for our entrees. Our server did not deliver our entrees, someone else did and when they were delivered, we were not greeted with "Is there anything else I can get you?" The dishes were just put on the table and she walked away. Our server did not come by to check up on us until ¾ of the way through eating. When he did, we got a "Did everything come out ok?" We kind of chuckled and said yes, and then he quickly scurried off to go be with his younger co-workers and friends to chitchat at the end of the bar. Hubby's mimosa's glass was empty and I saw the server look right at it, but he did not bother to ask if we wanted another round of drinks. Sorry buddy, just because you are our server does NOT guarantee you will be getting 20-25% tip from us. I got super grossed out 1/2 way through the meal when I noticed that 3-4 employees were sitting at the bar folding the cloth napkins. They were eating, the girls were playing with their hair, talking, and laughing all while folding the napkins that WE the customers are going to be putting our mouths on. The girls' long hair were brushing up on them, one girl wiped her nose on her forearm, then laid her forearm on the pile of napkins to continue eating. This young group of employees had no qualms about being unsanitary around these napkins or care in the world that customers were all around them and that the customers still needed to be serviced. They only cared about eating, talking, laughing, and playing on their phones. This is a very strange and unprofessional restaurant environment. Management needs to take a serious look at how their young employees are behaving because from what I saw we will not be back.
(2)Brad Y.
I can add to the chorus of voices singing Portage Bay's praise. There is a reason they regularly listed in the top 5 breakfast spots in Seattle by several different sources. Their menu is quite extensive and they put out a quality product. If this is your first time, I recommend you order an item that allows you a trip to the breakfast bar. That being said my go to item of late has been the Dungeness Crab Benedict. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Even the simple things like the porridge is good. Highly recommended.
(4)Franklin H.
A great spot to get breakfast, service is always great, and the atmosphere is lively. Food is tasty as well; I usually order eggs, potatoes, fruit, and toast. The potatoes taste great, even though they are a bit high on the sodium count-perfectly seasoned with a little bit of spice. The fruit itself tastes fresh - and perfectly sweet. The wait staff is happy and lively - even when the entire facility is full of customers. Everyone is having a great time, both the staff and the customers. When a place has such positive energy, it's no wonder that this place is popular for breakfast. I would recommend visiting here if you're in the area. Note that there's not a lot of parking at this place - there are a few parking lots within 10 minutes walking distance though.
(5)Gissela B.
My girlfriends and I came here after a long race. We had reservations and were late. I called ahead to notify them of our time issues and they were very accommodating. Once we arrived, they seated us within minutes which was awesome. The food was fantastic, with tons of choices for all of us (ie: gluten free, veggie, etc.) We had a great time enjoying our meal. I had the Swedish pancakes with a side of bacon, my friends had the gluten free pancakes, pulled pork benedict and the hash. Everything looked and tasted delicious. I think the only thing we weren't too thrilled on was the noise level. It was extremely loud in there and we pretty much had to shout at each other to have a conversation. To someone who has noise level sensitivity to high levels of noise this place would have been sensory overload. I don't know how lunch or dinner are, but brunch is definitely hopping and loud. If you're looking for a quiet intimate setting, this would not be your place. However, if you want great food and high energy level and no need to worry about your kids being noisy, then no need to keep looking. Definitely would recommend making reservations for at least brunch. They were turning away walk-ins.
(5)Marshall D.
The pancakes here will blow your damn mind. I had the ranchers breakfast for lunch yesterday and am tempted to go again today. The fresh fruit bar is well worth the wait for a table trust me.
(5)V S.
just got back from brunch. so, I wanted to give it 5 stars.... the overall experience was good- the food was delicious. A few concerns: 1) they don't warn you that everything is brought at once. 2) and given the huge portions I felt like I was the fat guy in Monty Python's Meaning of Life (the one that explodes). 3) Service was ok... though the chicken sausage was super dry. The waiter (we sat at the counter) who was around us the entire time but never asked how the food was... i could have told him about the dry sausage - but - I purposely waited to see if he would notice- he didn't. I will go back.
(3)Liza Faye T.
Eggs Benedict w/ House-Smoked Wild Salmon. Rancher's Breakfast w/ Housemade Italian Chicken Sausage. French Toast w/ Breakfast Bar Toppings. I LOVE IT HERE!!
(5)Lou B.
This place is hit or miss. Came last weekend and had a great server and great food (my friends and I come in religiously every Sunday.) Today was so bad, I may not ever come back again. Waited an hour (standard) before getting seated, which generally doesn't bother me, but the service and food that followed made that hour wait sting. The server forgot my coffee. No biggie. Went to the bar, got my own coffee, go to take a sip and see lipstick on the rim and old crusty food stuck to the inside of the mug. Ask for a new cup. That cup never came. My friend and I ordered French toast and the Migas to share. The Migas was good, the roast potatoes that came with it were burnt and dry. Still, no big deal. Then we cut into the French toast to find that it is wet and mushy and uncooked throughout. We tell the waiter, he takes it back to the kitchen and we get it back 5 minutes later. It's the same toast that's been thrown on the grill and doused in powdered sugar to make it look "fresh." I cut into the top piece, it's fine. I cut into the bottom two pieces.....mush through and through. While this is happening, I look over and see my friend spitting into a napkin. She said she'd found a rock in her food. I look into the napkin thinking she's joking, but she's not. It's an actual rock. STILL, we're ok with this. Lots of vegetables get rocks stuck to them when they're harvested and they probably didn't get washed well enough. It happens. My friend calls the waiter over and tells him about the rock. He looks upset, not with the situation but with her. He doesn't apologize but simply asks if she wants something else instead. He gives her a menu and then pretty much proceeds to ignore us for the rest of our visit. We send back our French toast for the second time with another waitress. She conveys this to our waiter and he does not seem to take it well. We get our French toast back again and it's burnt. Black. To a crisp. The kitchen was obviously trying to make a point. Don't worry, we got it. Of course we can't eat it and the waitress tells us "well, darn, sometimes we just can't get these things right." I was a waitress for many years and I totally get that when you're in the weeds and the kitchen is backed up, these things happen. I'm ok with all of it. My issue is that our waiter never once apologized, acted as if we were the problem, the rest of the staff was passive-aggressive and a manager never once came to the table to talk to us. I think all we really wanted was for our waiter to apologize or act like he understood our frustration. To their credit, we were given a 25% discount on our bill. Tbh, I would have gladly paid for the entire thing if the service had been better. I love portage bay and when they get things right, it's amazing. But today was a bad enough experience that I'm not sure I ever want to go back.
(1)Carly G.
I'm not even embarrassed to say this: I went to Portage Bay Cafe 3 times in 4 days. I had never been to Seattle before, and going here over and over again was all my friends and I wanted to do. The french toast was out of this world, and the breakfast bar was to die for. The veggies were fresh, eggs were cooked right, and the service was consistently wonderful. Top 3 Pros: 1. Amazing, inventive, fresh food. 2. A variety of menu items that will appeal to everyone, and is sensitive to food allergies/dietary restrictions. 3. The service was friendly, efficient, and courteous. Top 3 Cons: 1. You'll wait a long time on the weekends. 2. Yeah...I can't think of any others. If you haven't been, go now!
(5)Brittany L.
There's just something about Portage Bay Cafe -- a local, sustainable, and organic restaurant -- that is really cool. But there's also something about having a location in a newly constructed Amazon Land that makes it seem more serious, dark, and a little pretentious. Or at least, out of place. But really, it's no matter because the food is still what it says it will be: local, sustainable and organic and unadvertised but still true - delicious! I've noticed that at all three locations, service can be spotty but I'm sure it has something to do with the amount of people who will show up on a Saturday or Sunday morning. This location seems much bigger than the other two and shortly after we were seated there was no space in the waiting area to be found. We hardly saw our server, so even to ask for my water to be refilled was a task. (Long story short, it wasn't. Luckily my friend didn't drink any of hers and offered it up to me!) I love Portage Bay Cafe for what it is and what they provide, but I think I'd rather stick to the Roosevelt or Market locations.
(3)Lin T.
We love the ambience and the breakfast bar!!! The food is terrific and the portions more than generous! We are going back today!!! L . Tappin
(5)Lisa R.
Best place ever. Oh how I wish this existed in D.C. I died and went to heaven with all the gluten free options. I never thought I'd find a breakfast club sandwich I could eat and voila! (It was delicious, btw.) The wait was loooong but I figured it would be at 10am on a Sunday in hipstertown. We hawked the counter (which is first come, first serve) and scored a pair of seats within 30 minutes.
(5)Debra M.
Extremely frustrated and shocked that after waiting an hour for a table we were told walk in's realistically won't get a table. You have to make a reservation on line. Which if they told us when we arrived we could have done from our phone. BS!
(1)Stef M.
Braved this place for the first time on Easter Sunday (DON'T ASK) and, though service was a bit slow, that's pretty much my fault for agreeing to go to brunch somewhere that doesn't take reservations on Easter Sunday. Our waitress was awesome - coffees and waters were kept filled, and she stopped by to let us know our food would be coming out soon. Everything was perfect when it showed up, AND our excellent waitress even warned me off something that I probably would not have liked. (The lemon curd and baked French toasts are apparently very poundcake-like, which a lot of people, myself included, are NOT pleasantly surprised by when their food arrives.) So I went with the bananas foster French toast (apparently it's more 'normal' with fluffy custardy insides) and it was AMAZING. So much delicious caramel sauce and bananas all over it. I just wish it came with some protein (sausage, bacon). I tried some of the bacon (you can choose whether you want it crispy or not) which was really good, as were the home fries/potatoes that come with many dishes. Vegan options, too (I was tempted by the Korean tofu/kimchee scramble) which is nice, and lots of gluten-free things as well. So a good spot to bring all your friends who can't agree on someplace that has options to please everyone. The place was obviously at maximum capacity (people were even sitting outside) and it was really loud inside - I had to yell to be heard, which probably didn't help the noise levels either. SORRY.
(4)Bettina B.
Always, always a treat when I come to Portage Bay. Again I love that everything is organic and Mimosas are a MUST!! If you have a sweet tooth I recommend the bananas foster french toast. Can never go wrong with the Migas with the chicken sausage (Made In house) The service is always pretty excellent and they are more than willing to split orders up, no problem. I cant wait to go back!!
(5)Peter C.
This place was awesome. My girlfriends friend told us to come here and we did, and saw that there was an hour and a half wait. A little bummed because she's only here for the weekend. That is until the manager came over and saw me in my whites and seated us right away and thanked me for my service. Definitely not used to that. So thank you so much. You guys were all great.
(5)Brian H.
Get the pancakes. Go to the toppings bar. Go nuts, its unlimited. I don't think I have ever eaten so many strawberries and blueberries in one sitting. Their whip creme is great. If you're not into fruit or pancakes, then I recommend the Migas with Italian sausage.
(5)May K.
Space is huge, extended into a more private area in the back. Came here for brunch on Saturday at noon, and even though we (2 of us) had made a reservation, we still waited about 10-15 minutes because it was just SO busy. I think the wait was close to an hour if you came without a reservation. Self service fresh fruit buffet to pick up after ordering. AWESOME pancakes and good service.
(5)Alex S.
I've very surprised by this places low star rating. This place had one of the most spectacular breakfasts I've ever encountered. They turn ordinary breakfast options into amazing creations with local, organic, and sustainable produce and fruits. My girl ordered the Salmon Eggs Benedict and I got the Ranchers Breakfast with a side of french toast. The most amazing part is that they have an unlimited berry bar with huge bowls of blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries that you can get access to if you order something that qualifies (i.e. french toast or pancakes). In addition, the portions are huge. The salmon on the Eggs Benedict was fresh and perfectly cooked and the UNLIMITED berries were irresistible. It was physically hard to move after this breakfast. We definitely ate like we gave a damn. Yes, I'm sure there is always a long line for this place but is that really their fault? Check out my blog (complete with pictures and childish humor) for the full review! thesuchef.org/2013/10/20…
(5)Locyan C.
Visited this place while we had a trip in Seattle, we came here late around 2pm so there was no wait. We ordered the French Toast, Joe's Scramble, and the Italian Omelette. I thought the food was good, but nothing I haven't had before. For the french toast you get a visit to the breakfast bar where you can top it off with whipped cream and a variety of fruits. Make sure you don't share it though...since they charge you $6.00 as a "splitting fee". I thought that was ridiculous since they didn't even give us a warning? The workers just kinda disperse around the restaurant standing around...they do charge you $9.00 for a visit up there without the french toast (says on the menu) but when we got our bill back we saw a $6.00 charge for sharing the fruits you bring back. Uh...lame. Thanks for telling us beforehand.
(2)Amanda T.
Went here once, and enjoyed the toppings bar after a 45 minute wait. I tried calling ahead the next time, but the Portage Bay policy is to make you show up in person to wait outside for 45min-1.5hrs. Frankly, I'm not going to wait outside for that long for average brunch fare. I would recommend this place to people like to wait in lines for food.
(2)Sam K.
If you like breakfast items, this is a good one. I generally go for lunch. The dishes are too large to consume. Food is not bad. Nothing great.
(3)Karen L.
After hearing my friends and boyfriend rave about this place, I finally got to eat brunch here. The french toast is pretty amazing. It's sweet and soft yet crunchy on the outside due to the toasted oats. Yum. We also had the chicken sausage scramble, which was just okay. But my friend Jenny N. and her boyfriend had the crab cakes benedict and it looked pretty amazing. I'm trying that next time. Reservations are definitely recommended. I called in the morning on a Saturday around 9 am to make a reservation at 11, and we only had to wait a few minutes for a table when we arrived. And there were a lot of people waiting. So if you plan ahead, it's definitely worth it.
(4)Alyona Z.
I am a big fan for years! When I needed to catch a plane, they always have been to make it quick on a busy Saturday/Sunday morning! The all-you-can-eat berry bar I haven't seen anywhere else, it's soo delicious! They have a lot of healthy options and can customize most of them. The only negative is that it's super busy on Saturday and Sunday. If you are unlucky you can end up waiting for over one hour. So, it would be an advantage for you to make a reservation :)
(5)Shamy J.
Hands down the best American brunch restaurant I've been to, and I often dine in NYC! I got the strawberry and rhubarb French toast with cream cheese drizzle and it was just sweet and tart enough. This place changed my perception of organic food positively because the quality of ingredients makes a huge difference in taste. And the all-you-can-eat fresh bar allows you to customize your meal further! I wish this place existed on the East Coast.
(5)Philip S.
Great menu, Great service, Great food. Great environment. Less than great parking.
(4)Stephanie M.
Seattle people seem to love Portage Bay because there is always a line of people waiting to be seated. Whenever I see the line I think to myself, "Is the food/service REALLY worth waiting for?" and I do always end up waiting--I've even waited for up to 45 minutes before! I usually meet my girlfriend here about once or twice a month and we like it enough to keep coming back. My greatest tip: if you're in a small group of 2 or 3, wait around by the bar. The bar is open seating and you can usually get seated pretty quickly. :) Consistency is usually what I look for in a meal and I'm never dissatisfied with my orders here. I usually get the "Pepper Bacon Hash". It's like a scramble with their organic pepper bacon and an array of fresh, in-season organic vegetables with that thick wheat toast that I love. I can never finish, but the leftovers as a mid-day snack is always a win for me. Portage Bay is kind of "known" for their toppings-bar, but I'm not a fan of sweets for breakfast so it's just not my thing. BUT...I always see people enjoying their waffles with a ton of syrups, fruits and whipped cream on top. As far as prices, it's definitely not the cheapest, but I think for organic products, it's not bad. I'm also a big fan of their mimosas--with fresh squeezed juice--and their barista in-house. You can always order that latte that you always drink instead of drip coffee. :) **Eat like you give a Damn!**
(4)Prashali R.
Went there this Sunday; their Service is non-existent and they messed up the ticketing order; we were made to wait over an hour and I had to go to the kitchen talk to manager and place my order. It took them 90 mins to make and serve omelettes and pancakes. Never go here if you are hungry and want food to be served in 10-15 mins
(1)Caileigh A.
I haven't even attempted to find another signature brunch spot in Seattle; Portage Bay Cafe is hard to top. The service is impeccable, the menu is extensive, and the flavors and tastes steal the show. I've had the Rancher's breakfast, the buckwheat pancakes and the challah French toast. Without regret, the challah French toast is my regular order. How can you say "no" to three giant, fluffy French toast slices accompanied by unlimited fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream? I can't. My willpower is not soo strong. Make reservations if your party is larger than four, as the morning wait can be a little long. Though, they always overestimate the time we'll be waiting. It's worth a few minutes of suspense and mouth watering. All this review writing is making me hungry for some Portage Bay Cafe...
(5)Christopher G.
Sorry folks, I just can't jump on this wagon. I trust Yelp, and I follow Yelp like a little lost puppy in a new city. Yelp will show me the way. But this time, I'm afraid Yelp led us astray. This is not a place for brunch on a Saturday - this is a food factory. I'm sure they're a wonderful caterer, but that's not what we were looking for. The frittata special with eggplant had undercooked vegetables and overcooked eggs, and though it was heading in the right direction, it just didn't hit the spot. The classic bacon and eggs breakfast was just fine - but certainly nothing to write home about. The potatoes were clearly roasted in giant batches, row upon row of anonymous potato soldiers heading for the slaughter, and lacked any kind of crispy personality. I like my potatoes to talk back to me. Give me a little attitude, you know? The thing is: we didn't do the fruit topping bar. So maybe I missed the whole point. And we also came in as a quiet couple, so maybe I doubly missed the point. Whatever it was, I clearly missed it. For an outsider passing through Seattle, there absolutely must be a more unique place to grab a good brunch. #30DaysOfYelp (3/30)
(2)Foodie R.
My favorite meal is brunch. I've been here a few times prior. This time my family of 6 went on a weekday. We had reservations but the place wasn't crowded like the weekends so we got seated right away. The food is always good. My son enjoyed the fruit bar. And I had the salmon benedict which was also delish! The other orders we had was Swedish pancakes, banana fosters, and buckwheat pancakes. I didn't have any but they finished their plates.
(5)Sarah D.
My last visit I got told a little bit of bugs in my food is just added protein... I have always been caught in the hype in thinking this place is awesome. But I've gone a handful of times and never been impressed other than the first time I went. I've gone maybe half a dozen times and always experienced slow waiting but never cared because I got the fruit bar with my main dish. The main dish has always been meh to me and means to get the fruit bar in my face. I wasn't compelled to write anything negative or neutral about this place after it taking over an hour to get served while sitting at a table or when I've had lukewarm or bland food. I figured I ordered a bad dish and I should try something else.Like I said, my primary goals always the fruit bar. This last time I got the fruit bar and found a little crawly bug in my strawberries. I showed the waiter, who smashed it with his finger and said " yea, its organic, so since we have no pesticides bugs happen. I can get you a new plate but there's no guarantee there won't be bugs on that one either. When you're organic, you get bugs" Now I understand bugs in food happens... But you wanna feel like a place is making a best effort not to have it happen, and they shouldn't be not surprised you found a bug. If they are nonchalant about bugs what else are they nonchalant about....
(1)Lisa J.
The first day we buzzed by Portage Bay, there must have been 40 people jammed into the lobby waiting. No thanks. The second day we wandered by a little later and were seated within 10 minutes - hooray! Oh my goodness, what an excellent meal. I had the breakfast sandwich and it was monstrously good. My guy had the ranchers breakfast and the amount of food was laughably enormous - I especially was a fan of the 2-inch-thick french toast that he could take up to the breakfast bar to slather with home-whipped cream and amazing, fresh berries. The mimosa pitcher we shared was also yummy! So why 4 stars instead of 5? Just a couple of little gripes. The prices were a little overblown for what they covered - a breakfast sandwich should come with bacon by default, not require $2 for a total of $14 for two pieces of bread, an egg, arugula, and tomato spread... no matter how tasty it is. Honestly I'd prefer to see slightly smaller portions at a much more reasonable price point. Also, the breakfast potatoes, while very flavorful, kinda had a texture like they had been sitting under a heat lamp for an hour. Minor, but notable. Anyway, my gripes here are small, and it seems likely that with a few repeat trips I'll cave and bump this up to 5 stars. The food really is outstanding.
(4)Zena A.
Wow delicious yum so many gluten-free options yum yum yum. I haven't been able to eat crab cakes anywhere since becoming gluten-free and I could here! And they were delicious!! Boy was in heaven with the fruit and whip cream bar. The berries were SOOOOOOO good. Husband ordered the Farmer's Hash. Only complaint was that the portions were so big (a strange thing to complain about). The food was delicious - the only reason I gave it four stars was because it was a very loud loud loud place. I wish we'd sat outside. The main inside room is huge and echoey and it was a busy weekend morning so maybe better on weekdays but it was the kind of loud where I felt like I couldn't engage in conversation with my family and towards the end just wanted to get out of there...I'd go back but I'd sit outside or figure out when they aren't so busy.
(4)Barry K.
This place was great - not only is everything sourced locally and responsibly, the food was delicious! Highly recommended
(5)Khristina M.
BEST breakfast I have ever had and I am a picky New Yorker. Food was amazing and our waiter Eric couldn't have been better.
(5)Penny B.
This place was better than I anticipated. I got the Pete 's breakfast with extra crispy bacon. Great coffee. And gluten-free toast was only an extra $1! And it's homemade bread! Quick attentive servers. I'll be back.
(5)Zoe M.
The food is amazing, the staff is usually good but it's the hostesses that pull this down from a 5 star. I've gone to the SLU location a dozen times. They tell me a 30 minute wait, which is no problem because I love the food. I was a hostess for two years in college so I know how their job works. 45 minutes later I ask how much longer. They tell me 5 more minutes, 15 minutes later I get sat. After this happened 2 or 3 times I started making reservations. I make a 1030 reservation, so I'm there at 1025 to check in. They tell me it will be a few minutes. I'm ok with that, I'm a few minutes early. 1045 rolls around and my name is called. What's the point of making a reservation if you have to wait for a table anyways? What bothered me the most though was the lack of care. At the restaurant I worked at if we were more than 15 minutes late on a reservation we did something. Bought them an appetizer, comp'd something on their tab, gave them a $10 gift card, whatever. When we were sat 15 minutes late for our reservation at Portage (for the 2nd time) I told the manager that I had consistently received poor wait estimations and delayed service even with a reservation. I didn't even get an apology. He explained that they were very busy. Well, duh. I can see that. Not worth the wait if you ask me.
(2)Breezy L.
This place is overrated. My cousins and I came to Seattle for vacations for a few days and we came here because the pictures looked good. When we got here, we were seated by a lady named "Rebecca F" (as stated on our receipt), who was our server. She was short and not nice to us from the second we sat down. When she brought out our waters, she spilled mine on my menu and then walked away WITHOUT apologizing or cleaning it up. That was the first strike. Then the food came out and it was not very good. Completely overrated. Oh- and not to mention that when another server came during our meal to refill our waters, he spilled my cousins water all over the table. Instead of cleaning it up or apologizing, he LAUGHED and then left. Overall, the food was mediocre but the reason for the one star is because of the rudeness from the waitress Rebecca. Very disappointed. If you are going to work at a restaurant in downtown Seattle, it would be appreciated to have servers who are respectful, nice, and actually smile to well paying customers. Very disappointed. PS they charge 6 dollars to split a meal!!. Avoid this place and go to other amazing places in Seattle with amazing customer service.
(1)Mike L.
Fantastic breakfast menu at South Lake Union. We called ahead for reservations and still waited 10 minutes on a Sunday morning. But it's worth the wait. All French toast and pancakes get the toppings bar with fruit, whipped cream and syrups. All organic and whole grain, but lots of flavor and sweetness. An order of pancakes gets you two plate-sized whole wheat cakes. With toppings plenty for a big guy like me. My wife tried the breakfast sandwich and loved it but couldn't finish it. My son had the French toast which is made with the tastiest bread. He ordered the rhubarb topping and loved it. Service was attentive and casual. Atmosphere is open and informal. There is a small deck outside. Even though the place was packed, the food came fairly quickly and was fresh and hot. We will come back!
(5)Sue P.
My friend and I are from out of town and had heard nothing but incredible things about Portage Bay, so we made it a point to dine here during our short Seattle trip. When we gave our name to the hostess, we were told it would be a 40-min wait, which seemed to be the typical wait time for a Sunday at 11:30am. 45-min later, when we became suspicious that larger parties who had arrived after us were getting seated before us, we inquired again about the wait time and were told it would be another 20 min. After a 20 min wait, now sure that most parties were getting seated before us, we inquired with the hostess again and were told it would be another 10 min. Since were were then close to 80 min into our "40-min" wait, my friend expressed disappointment that this was well beyond the anticipated wait time. The hostess responded that because it was busy, it was difficult to estimate wait times. And surely, I agree with that to a point, but to erroneously call an 80-min wait a 40-min wait instead, and to honor a 40-min wait time for all other patrons arriving after us, is unacceptable. Finally, after over 80 min of waiting, we were seated, but it took another 10 min for a waitress to come to our table to collect our orders. During this time, after we finally placed our food and drink orders and received our beverages, we noticed a nearby table of 2 seated after us receive their food about 15 min before we received ours. No complaints about the waitress service after this - she was fine. We finally received our checks at 2:05pm - a full 2.5 hours after we originally arrived. As far as the food goes, it was fantastic - no complaints there (we had classic french toast, classic pancakes, a side of ham, coffee and mimosas). BUT, it's due to the disorganization in seating service that resulted in a 2-star rating. Although I would surely eat their food again, I have no further interest in returning due to the clear loss of a "first come, first served" system (that is, after all, how they take your name down when you see the hostess). Maybe calling ahead for take-out would be a better option (if that were possible).
(2)Will C.
I give this 5 stars for two reasons: 1 - Migas! They aren't very authentic, but they are awesome. 2 - Berry bar. Order pancakes and get a trip to the most awesome berry bar you'll ever see. I've never had a sub-par meal here, service is friendly, and the coffee is always good. Get's super crowded by 10am on weekends. Come early to avoid an hour long wait.
(5)Rebecca H.
I just wasn't blown away. With the loooong line, one would think the food would be awesome. And parts are. Parts are just mediocre, and other things were bad. The french toast is stellar. Soft, flavorful, perfectly cooked, and the toppings bar is genius. I'd get french toast again. I would not get the corned beef hash. It's big chunks of corned beef that tasted like green peppers. It managed to be acidic and bland at the same time. My husband didn't finish it, which means he really didn't like it, and I tried a bite and didn't want more. Best friend had the hash, she didn't like it either. I had the ham omelet, which was nice but nothing spectacular. The potatoes were tasteless. Service was a bit forgetful but we eventually got everything, albeit at different times, but the kitchen was busy. They were out of a few of the things we wanted, bummer, the latkas looked good. I don't like being preached at while I eat, so the sustainability and eat like you give a damn, and terrible tasting organic ketchup made me not their target demographic. Fair enough. Our 9 year old dining companion was shocked there was a swear word on the back of the servers' tshirts. I wouldn't go back, except for french toast.
(3)Brian E.
In the words of the young people, FAIL. One of the only times we've ever seriously considered dining and ditching. The service was so bad, my wife said, "I can't even remember what the waitress looks like." Has the ambiance of a crowded college cafeteria at $20/head. Overrated and overpriced. Let it be known that crowd size is not an indication of the cafe's quality. Don't waste your time. Go to The Dish on Leary Ave. between Fremont and Ballard. Order the Eggs Benedict or Florentine and you'll remember it for the rest of your life.
(1)Deanne R.
This is quite possibly the BEST breakfast I have EVER had! Bananas Foster and Apple Cobbler French Toast are just two of the items available on the menu at Portage Bay. Those are not normal menu items for most restaurants. Portage Bay's creations surpass all breakfasts. Also, they have a toppings bar!!! Fresh whipped cream, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, nuts, brown sugar, syrup, etc. The toppings bar changes the whole concept of delicious breakfast - you can customize it to be exactly what you want it to be! The prices are a tad on the higher side however, the delicious food, great service and flexibility makes up for that. During my first visit I mentioned to the waitress that I wanted to try a couple of the different french toast options. She said he would have the kitchen do a split of what I wanted! The next time I went back I was able to do that again - even though they were packed out for Sunday brunch! Although their menu items are not fat or calorie free, you can be comforted to know that they use only the best organic ingredients from local, clean and sustainable farms and producers. Beware - you have to wait for a while if you go after 10am on a Saturday or Sunday, but what great restaurant doesn't have a wait? Portage Bay Cafe is a must eat!
(5)Elizabeth T.
I am a big fan of breakfast foods. This place is like breakfast/brunch heaven. It was hard to figure out what to get because there are so many great dishes here. I had the ham and cheese scramble. Very good. Huge chunks of smoked ham, large shreds of cheese, and not too soggy spinach on top. They have amazing orange juice as well - fresh squeezed, not from a can or made from concentrate!!! Great atmosphere, especially for a date. They also compost with Cedar Grove and use their packaging line! I believe most of their ingredients are purchased through certified organic farmers and producers. They have organic ketchup...so yummy, especially on their potatoes! Oh, the best part is it is not your typical breakfast foods where you have that icky feeling after eating greasy foods. It wasn't that greasy at all.
(4)Eric W.
This place gets super busy and is good. I had the bananas foster french toast and it was good. The staff is helpful and the atmosphere is nice.
(4)Kamie K.
I had a lovely little lunch with my friend here. The service was great, the food was very good but the portions were okay and the atmosphere was way too noisy. I know it's not considered chic to have fabric of any kind in these cafeteria-like settings but there are many clever ways of concealing noise reduction fabric. I am afraid I probably won't come back here until they do so.
(3)Guangming W.
Portage bay cheese burger is juicy, tender and tasty.
(4)Maria S.
A delicious place to go for brunch. We have been here several times on a weekends. They do take reservations! The selection was good and quite extensive there is something for everyone's taste be it homestyle or a bit upscale, sweet or savory. Specialty french toasts are wonderful as are the dungeness crab-cake eggs benedict. GF & V options are a welcome sight on the menu as well. The options on the breakfast bar to compliment your entree are wonderful various fresh fruit toppings and such. Their menu does change seasonally and can be found on their website. Give this place a try! This has become our "go to" when we are out with friends or family regardless if it's a large or small group or just four of us. The food has been great each time as has the service. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have. Now If I can just start remembering to check in... ;)
(5)Joe C.
Food was good. I had the burger with a side green salad. Other in our party had various breakfasts, everyone was happy with the quality of the food. Got a couple bites of the potatoes and the peppered bacon from someone else, both very good. Went at lunchtime, very crowded and very loud. Agree with previous posters about the time it took to get our meals, it seemed quite awhile (only reason I gave four out of five stars). Despite that, servers came by frequently to re-fill our water glasses.
(4)Howard C.
Crab cake benedict and the french toast are always delicious. I love their organic ketchup and we always load up on the fruits. Come here; the other locations lack the consistent service and food execution of the SLU one.
(4)Elizabeth L.
My family and I went to Portage Bay for a reunion with my mother's high school friend-- there were five of us, and we had a reservation and were sat quickly. I love breakfast food, and was very excited for a delicious Seattle take on organic dining. Regrettably, upon sitting, it was apparent this was going to be a misadventure. The coffee cups were filthy and lip-stick stained, the service was abrupt, and the menu was remarkably overpriced for a basic breakfast. I understand organic prices, but three eggs, one piece of toast, tiny piece of ham, and potatoes are not worth $15-- especially when they all come out cold, bland, and overcooked. Everyone else at the table was in agreement that their food was overpriced and truck-stop quality. I have worked in many restaurants in the past, and I understand that "things happen"-- but our meal ended abruptly when the smarmy Bryan Cranston-type manager interrupted the conversation to tell us that he needed our table, and we had to leave. We had been seated for 45 minutes, and hadn't yet finished our coffee. Once again, I have served and supervised before-- but NEVER have I witnessed a manager behave like this. A five top (five diners) should ALWAYS be expected to have a 1.5 hour turn time, at the least. When I approached the manager to say that he had cut an otherwise pleasant reunion short, he shrugged and gestured towards the door. Instead, we stood outside the restaurant and finished our conversation for an additional 30 minutes. I've never seen such terrible service, and next time I'm in Seattle for breakfast-- I'm going to Denny's. At least I'm not paying $90 for terrible service and food.
(1)Hanna K.
3.5 stars for the freshness of the food. the price is not justified, in my opinion. their waffles and breakfast food are great, salads are okay, and everything else is just meh. the restaurant is always teeming with amazon employees with long waits.
(3)The Zen Master B.
Rude manager, bad service, dirty tables. Ruined my son's birthday brunch. Huge line 45-50 minutes. Save yourself trouble and go somewhere else.
(1)Nish N.
If you're lucky enough to find the Bananas Foster French Toast on the menu, get it. It's not as decadent as it sounds, but you'll be a better, fatter person for it. Somehow, despite savory and sweet breakfast items that should alert your cholesterol specialist, the food here feels clean, organic and, well, good for you. Maybe that's why they have Michael Pollan's food manifesto on their wall, but whatever the ingredients, this place is a perfect way to start your day (washed down with some fresh grapefruit juice, of course).
(4)Henry S.
Fresh fruit, check! Waiting nearly two hours to get brunch with my friends, stupid. A nice, clean space but not sure why its so busy. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me
(2)Cynthia A.
I came here with an old friend who I hadn't seen in far to long. It was halfway between our respective homes and had gluten free + vegan options, so it was decided. When we got there, it was packed and there was a substantial wait to sit inside. We opted to forego the wait and sit outside. On weekends, I would recommend getting there before 9am. The menu is vast and everything looks delicious, unfortunately my options are limited as a gluten-free vegan but they have a few things that are a. ) Already vegan and gluten free or b.) can easily be modified. I decided to go with the tofu puttanesca which consists of crumbled organic tofu, cherry tomatoes, dry-cured olives, capers, fresh garlic, oregano and basil. I decided to get crazy and ask them to turn it into a hash... While we were waiting for our food, (which actually took a very long time to arrive due to how busy the restaurant was) we enjoyed grapefruit mimosas, they were delicious! When the food arrived, I was surprised by how large the portions are. The tofu puttanesca hash I had created was gigantic, but soooooo tasty! Oh, and did I mention that they have gluten free bread that is amazing!? I actually purchased a loaf to take home which will cost you $7.00, it's worth it. Unfortunately, the service was very slow and our server was not very attentive (I ordered another mimosa when my first one arrived so that I would have a new one when my first one was finished), but the food was delicious, so I will definitely be making this spot a part of my "brunch with friends" circuit:)
(4)Scott C.
Price: EXPENSIVE. Food: AWESOME. Worth it if you're NOT a gluten-free vegan? NOT REALLY. $12 Pancakes+Unlimited fruit/nut bar $11 French Toast+Bar Coffee $2.75 Pancakes should never cost $12. Unless you're a connoisseur of fine flapjacks, that is.
(3)Kristina B.
Nice seating,good location,portions are very generous and food is fresh. Got chai spiced soy milk porridge and vegan pancakes! Yum!
(4)Stefan C.
Unbelievable breakfast- creative, tasty and not expensive! I'm in love
(5)Leah B.
YUM! Why was i not brought here sooner?! I went here on a weekday morning. It was the morning of the Microsoft Company meeting, and it was PACKED! Our table alone had 16 people, and the staff was more than able to take care of us. We were alittle sad when my hubbies pancakes didn't arrive on time, but when you're that busy, we'll let it slide. I had the Churizo Scramble, he had the short stack. I kept stealing bites of his pancakes because the strawberry stuff he put on it was NUMMY!! Even w/ out huge table they were able to split up the bill w/ as many cards and forms of payment that we could throw at them. I'll definetly go back, but w/ fewer people :)
(4)josh P.
This place rocks! The owner is so nice and involved! He seats you when you walk in. The server, Eric, was very friendly, helpful and a funny guy too. The atmosphere and ambiance is very organic and bright! The food is AWESOME!!!! the price point is just right and the patio seating is second to none. I highly recommend this place. We're visiting from San Francisco and I can't wait to spread the news about this place and our inevitable return... Sooner hopefully than later!
(5)Gilad B.
Fresh, organic, and DELICIOUS brunch. Long line is well worth it, or show up early to avoid the lines; weekends are tough. This is the largest location and my favorite. I almost always get the Rancher Breakfast; its the only meal that has eggs, potatoes, and a trip to the toppings bar. For first timers: Do not let yourself leave without a trip to the toppings bar.
(5)Jenibah W.
The oatmeal cobbler french toast has ruined all other attempts at french toast. I am forever changed. If this meal was a person, it would ruin my life because I'd be so devoted. The fruit bar was crammed full of fresh fruit, buttery goodness, and whipped cream that only my husby could make. This was our first meal in Seattle, and now we're hooked. We'll be back next year for more of your delights. Oh, the husby had an omelet with mushrooms and sausage. Whatever that was made my taste buds weep from happiness. This place's food is amazing to say the least.
(5)Christopher H.
Portage Bay has decent food. Nothing is amazing, but nothing is bad. It is just consistently decent. Their service is all over the place, though. While everyone is friendly, they can be extremely inattentive. It is common for my water or coffee to by empty for 15 minutes before I have to flag someone down for more, I've received my food multiple times without having flatware, and it can take forever to get the check. If I didn't live so close and work across the street, I wouldn't go out of my way to come here. But it is really convenient for me, so I'll be back.
(3)Amy J.
Made it to Portage Bay again last weekend (2nd visit)! It was busy as usual, but we had *only* a 45 minute wait this time. Service was wonderful, but it seemed like the portion sizes decreased. I am sure it depends on who is doing the cooking that day, but I was a little bit disappointed since it was quite a noticeable difference. Regardless of portion, the french toast did not disappoint in flavor. My friend and I ordered and shared the Oatmeal Cobbler and Bananas Foster french toast. They were both absolutely yummy, but I am partial to the Cobbler since I ordered it last time. SO good! I definitely need to be in the mood to wait this long to eat breakfast/brunch, but Portage Bay Cafe has proven to be worth the wait.
(4)Kathy C.
Hmmmm..ive waited to review to this place to decide whether it would be appropriate to give 2 stars. I've decided that it was time to give 2 stars after 3 visits. Honestly, there really isnt anything special about their food. I think the first time I had like corned beef n hash type of dish with kale or somethin. Totally not good. The 2nd time I shared 2 different dishes- prosciutto omelet n pancake n berries...it was nothing special n something I could've made st home. The last time I went I had eggs benedict with Canadian bacon...again nothing special. It's just too plain for me maybe, but I.would expect it to taste better if it's that popular. I would try somewhere else more quaint or more specialized.
(2)Jim R.
A nice spot for breakfast right in the heart of the new Amazon campus. Large portions sizes served in a bright and airy space riddled with outdoor equipment for that full-on Pacific NW look.
(4)William T.
This place really has an amazing thing going. Locally sourced, organic and excellent food. The only issue is the seating/serving situation. They have a beautiful waffle and pancake service area where you add your own toppings but don't allow any sharing...and are apparently pretty draconian about this. Nonetheless, this was an amazing place to eat. The food was sooooo good! I recommended this to a friend who was visiting Seattle just a couple of weeks after me. He did not end up going, but said that he mentioned it to some people and he was impressed at their excitement. That is exactly what Portage Bay is though. An exciting place to eat!
(4)Sharlene G.
Came here for breakfast during a recent weekend trip up to the city. Good was fantastic. Can't go wrong with anything on their menu. We had a brief wait but nothing to complain about. Highly recommended!
(5)Vanessa B.
Restaurant was good in theory. I would have to go back to confirm based on taste, because this first visit, my food was not that exciting. The menu was definitely enticing. All sorts of goodies to speak of. Not to mention the topping bar. Vegan and vegetarian options, so I give them kudos. However, I got the Migas. Everything southwest thrown into a tortilla with a side of potatoes. Again, the flavor was right, but the execution was poor. As I had sour cream on one side, salsa on the other, and eggs in the middle. So I had to do a bit of stirring within the tortilla to evenly distribute the goodness. The chai is highly recommended though as it was spicy! Next time, I'll have to try their chai oatmeal. As for atmosphere. It is crowded during brunch, but the waitstaff was attentive, and the tables nicely decorated. My friends really enjoyed their crepes and vegan pancakes. The nettles that were featured in one of their savory breakfast specials gave us plenty to talk about. I'd go back here again, and possibly try the curry vegetables and tofu scramble. I wish they offered waffles though, as I'm not a pancake person.
(3)Meredith U.
Long wait, but do worth it! Amazing hash and amazing French toast! Berry Bar was a great treat in the middle of winter. Next time we are back in Seattle we will make sure to come back.
(5)Erika D.
We tried to come here for brunch with some relatives from out of town who needed to leave by early afternoon. The reservation was for 10:30 (and we called to confirm that morning), and when we got there they told us we'd be seated "in a few minutes." After 45 minutes, they still said we'd be seated soon, but that the food would probably take at least 45 minutes to come out. At that point it was too close to noon to wait any longer, so we left. The food looked delicious and I do want to try this place, but it's disappointing that they manage reservations so poorly. It would have been nice to have an accurate time estimate so that we could have made other plans right away rather than waiting. As it was, we couldn't get into any other brunch place at that point.
(1)Vinit J.
A few years ago I would have given PB 5 stars. Now that I have experienced more of Seattle's brunch scene, Portage Bay's hit or miss experience is increasingly more annoying. I enjoy tofu scrambles and Cafe Flora's knocks it out of the park every time. For $12 I expected a kick ass butternut squash scramble today and left dissatisfied and this wasn't a first. The Miga (sub tofu) is usually good but I like to try new things with more confidence. Combine inconsistency with a 60 minute wait (when you're told 30 minutes) and well, no thanks. There's too many other great options around!
(2)Anna E.
This place is REAL crunchy/granola, but I like it. If Whole Foods had a full-scale restaurant, this is what it would be. Came here for lunch with clients and it was really busy. Love that you can still get breakfast during the week for lunch! But I didn't order that...co-workers got the pancakes/waffles which were huge. I tried the veggie burger, which is definitely out of character for me, but I was caught up in the moment of feeling like a vegetarian hippie. For a veggie burger, I didn't miss the meat at all. I wish they had more of these places in San Diego. I think it's pretty much the norm here. Service was fast and friendly considering how busy it was.
(4)Jayme L.
I had been here for lunch once, but not breakfast so we trekked from West Seattle to get a bite. We did wait a bit which was expected but were able to drink fresh coffee while we waited and got in no more than 15 or 20 minutes after arriving. I had the goat cheese omelet - it was AMAZING. The roasted potatoes were also amazing, I seriously had not one complaint about my food. We shared a glass of fresh OJ which was also great. I had more than a couple of bites of my boyfriend's french toast and promptly was wishing I had ordered it. Both dishes were great, service was quick and friendly. The place is a bit loud but that was also expected so I was very satisfied. I also enjoyed knowing their ingredients are so fresh, local and organic. This is a plus for restaurants in my book. Will be back again very soon.
(5)Maribel G.
Great food and mimosa pitchers. My favorite items on the menu are the French toast and the fresh fruit bar. Yes, there is a long wait on weekends, however it is worth the wait. I believe you can call ahead when you leave your place to add your name to the list. Prices are decent and the place is spacious.
(4)Sherilyn T.
Few things I love more than brunch at Portage Bay Cafe (here or in the U-District)-- have yet to visit the Ballard location). The food never ceases to delight, prices are reasonable and the staff is very friendly. You will NOT regret the Swedish pancakes topped with lingonberries and incredibly tasty LINGONBERRY BUTTER! Can you dig it?! Lingonberry butter?! I'm sometimes tempted not to visit the amazing toppings bar because I want to give my undivided attention to the lingonberry butter... but then I get a look at the fresh berries and homemade whipped cream... Street parking for the Terry street cafe isn't too hard to comeby, and this location is large! That said, expect a wait regardless but know it is worth every minute.
(5)Jaymi W.
This place takes breakfast to a new level. I was with a large group of people... sitting in the middle of the restaurant, which feels a bit cafeteria to me. Not it's selling point. Focus on the food people. The portions are huge! I tried a lot of the dishes on the table...and they were all good. The waffle bar is genius and allows a completely personal take on your breakfast. Fresh berries, nuts, whipped cream.... yum. I had the chicken sausage scramble, hubby had the classic eggs benedict and both were DELICIOUS! We also had a banana pancake to share with the table, it was also scrumptious! I would highly recommend this place for breakfast... but just know you may have a wait. Be patient, it's good enough to wait for.
(4)John H.
Food was OK. Service was almost non-existent except when they were hovering over our table and rushing us to leave because of the huge wait. The worst ... make sure you bring your cell phone so you can text the others at your table. Too loud to have a conversation without using bullhorns. The food may be better than I think, but loud atmosphere ruins the entire experience.
(2)Tim F.
What can I say... It was OK. Maybe my expectations were too high. I've been to the Roosevelt PBC many times, and had great experiences. It felt like the "The Breakfast Factory" (If there was such a place). Pancakes and Swedish pancakes were not delicate and fluffy, but... well cakey and not even hot enough to melt the butter on them. Bacon cooled off and tasted liked it was plucked from a buffet. I've had both of these items at the other location. There they were prepared and served with detail and care. The plus on this trip was no wait for weekend breakfast.
(3)Suz N.
After waiting for my food for close to an hour I finally gave up and asked for the check. But then the drama really began! Although everyone else in my party had finished eating and wanted to leave, the floor manager hassled me for "sending my food back". I think if you've waited close to an hour (and everyone else around you has eaten) you should be able to gracefully exit the restaurant. But not at Portage Bay Cafe! Apparently you are supposed to sit there and take it. Slowly starving. Incredible... And this was not just a waitperson hassling me, it was the GM, Jeff. Instead of giving me the check (when I asked for it) they finally wanted to deliver my food and would not take "everyone else is finished" for an answer. What am I going to do with this plate of food now? My wife and kids are already half-way to the car. I sent email to the Portage Bay Cafe email address describing my perception of the service and here is the actual mail that the GM, Jeff, sent back "anytime you would like to join us again would be a great opportunity to prove you wrong... Perhaps you will give us another chance.... Maybe not." WTF? This is how Portage Bay Cafe handles customer complaints? You need to show me that my perception of your service is wrong? Because I'm pretty sure I starved this morning in your restaurant. Yep, that was you guys, starving me, and then arguing with me about it AFTER my party had eaten and left the restaurant. There are so many great restaurants in Seattle that there is no excuse for the passive aggressive management you'll encounter at Portage Bay Cafe. They'll make you wait forever for your food and then give you hell if you so much as peep up about the bad service. As the GM's email suggests, at Portage Bay Cafe the customer is always wrong.
(1)S K.
I used to *love love love this place. Would take every out of town visitor here. It was embarrassing this time though. I found a tiny cockroach-like critter climb out of the berries that I put on my buckwheat pancakes. Called the server. She explained that since things are organic and pesticide free, we should expect insects in the food--and the insect is "sooo cute!" It was adorable how clueless she was. Things got worse, however--- a tiny worm crawled out the berries. That freaked us out and we asked them to take the dish back. They were nice about it. However, they let the other customers take the same berries from the toppings bar. I think I need some time before I consider going back, for now---I gag at the thought of going back to portage bay cafe.
(1)Eric L.
I thought this place was good but not the best brunch I've had. They have an extensive menu and lots of options. But it can get super crowded on the weekends and really really noisy and loud. Also, the coffee is just OK. But it might be worth it just for the food. If you are planning to come here, they take reservatoins over the phone. I called in a reservation for 6 on a Sunday morning and we got seated about 5 minutes after we arrived. I'm sure everyone else had to wait at least awhile to get a table. There's parking garage right next door that is only $2 per day on the weekends. There's also a lot of street parking but it might be hard to find.
(3)Marie P.
All I wanted was a drip coffee, which was marked as $2.75 on the menu. When the bill was brought, the coffee price said $3, and when I inquired as to why there was a price discrepancy, the waitress had no idea, and went and talked to her manager. When she came back, instead of giving me the coffee for $2.75, which was the price on the menu that was printed 4 days earlier, she just said she had no idea why the price was different, and wouldn't give me the coffee for $2.75. I don't really understand why a restaurant would do something like that, it makes me not trust them, and honestly makes me feel like they were being petty. I won't be back, I think that's a poor customer service move.
(1)Alice K.
Went to this place with a band of Jersey-shore watching techy Californians. Since I was dragged here by picky Cali-dwellers who had been here before that is proof it's extremely tasty. Actual Food: If you like gobs of pancakes and not actually eating the pancakes but eating the buffet of toppings (all fresh and amazing) then this is the place for you. If you're on some silly diet don't do it. Everything I've ever eaten here was good. Waffles, eggs, you really can't choose something wrong-- just make sure to get something that needs syrup / fruit for the topping bar. So yes, to wrap it up. You need to go here at least once in your life. Why not 5 stars? A few things to expect: -Huge lines so you may starve for a while. I recommend a big group and don't show up to the group until 30 minutes after or until they call you and say the table is ready. Haha -Closing at 2:30pm (I don't get up until 2 / 3 some weekends), and -Parking.
(4)Stephen W.
I have a group of friends that I denominate the Grub Club, since we hit a different place each month. Delightful people to eat with. Like me, they love sin. Anyway, the first time I came here, it was with that merry band of hedonists. It was a sunny, cold Sunday morning, and we were served by a woman who looks very much like Nathalie Portman, only with a more charmingly vulnerable face and an incomparably better bottom. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to return. The space is rather confining, and mid-morning Sunday, it's packed more densely than a can of sardines. In fact, you're likely to deem the service worse than it actually is, and the reason is that the servers, like the patrons, are challenged to navigate a physical space where nearly every spare inch is devoted to tables and chairs. Sitting next to us, I remember, was an adult family. The son is a lanky European in a horizontally striped orange sweater. He stretched out, not rudely, but in a way that suggested he's accustomed to the more intimate proximics of European restaurants. Still, I felt a flashing temptation to reach out and rest my elbow on his shoulder. I digress, and I have no idea why. It's just the way my mind works, I guess. Yesterday, I came here with a friend and breakfasted outside, and that was a much better experience. The Americano was perfect. I had the salmon omelet with a side of fruit. The eggs were beaten to a perfect fluff, drizzled with thin yogurt and spiced up with capers. The day was beautiful, and I was very happy with the weather, with the day, with the smell of fresh air outside, and particularly with the company of my friend.
(4)Wilson U.
Not sure I understand the Portage bay fanfare? First visit was Sunday Brunch with a large group. We had reservations and it did take a while before the table was ready but they were pretty packed. Service was friendly but they were slow and understandable since it was so busy. I had the ranchers with bacon and classic french toast that included a trip to the topping bar for choice of sliced peaches, sliced pears, blueberries, raspberry mix, whipped cream, sliced almond, raisins, syrup and couple other items. The bacon was good but wasn't anything spectacular. The classic french toast was light with cinnamon taste but other than the novelty of putting your own toppings on it, it was just alright. Maybe my ratings will change if I try other dishes there but I'd have to just give it a 3 now. So, if you do try for weekend brunch, reservations are a must or your wait could be 2 hours long or more. Street parking.
(3)Will K.
Pros: Good brunch Cons: Long wait line
(4)K S.
Just went with my mom and bro there for lunch today near the end of their lunch service. We were greeted and seated warmly. I like the space and have had good experiences in the past. It has been a few years since I have been so I thought it would be a nice place to take mom in the "big city." We all 3 got the soup/salad combo and all got the shrimp chowder. I never get chowders but the server recommended it over the vegie/bean alternative and chowder seemed like something Portage would make really well... uh.. not so much. Each glue-like bite was flavorful but literally the consistency of Elmer's glue. The salad and bread was good but probably the worst "soup" I've ever had. I really try to take my mom to local places she wouldn't normally choose when she makes the trek to Seattle and I was sooo disappointed.
(2)Carol P.
This place is amazing!!! Five of us had breakfast and each ordered something different. The fresh fruit is incredible as well as the Traditional Eggs Benedict, French Toast, omelets, potatoes, syrups. I can't say enough. Don't miss out on this experience.
(4)Katie M.
This is by far my favorite brunch place in town. Despite there always being a wait, the food is great. My go-to when I have visitors in town. It's local, organic and delicious. The toppings bar of fresh fruit is vivid in color and great on almost all of their dishes. I am a big fan of the french toast and a trip to the toppings bar. They warn, take all you want, but eat all that you take. They do only allow one trip up there. I have only been to the SLU location, but I've found if I call ahead when I'm leaving my place, by the time i get there, it's almost time to be seated.
(5)Jyoti H.
Yes, my french toast was AMAZING! (Bananas Foster French Toast). I still hate the toppings bar b/c the stuff is frozen, and I would expect a place like this to have "fresh, in season fruit, grown less than 100 miles away" in the toppings bar. Not fruit, bagged at costco, from Kirkland. but oh well. i'll still go back for MORE MORE MORE!
(4)Ce Y.
The break down of the stars - the food was only a 3 star, the wonderful service, their berry bar, and amazing coffee brought it up a notch. Have to say a little disappointed and was hoping for something a bit more from a place which boast about their wonderful organic ingredients. Eggs - run of the mill ok, not overly aromatic, and the yolks are not golden orange like top quality eggs pancakes - again ok, not orgasmically wonderful buttery fluffy cakes I have enjoyed so sinfully in the past at other brunch places (Hershey PA, St Louis, MO) French toast - nice really think brioche type bread - but wheres the custard? their was a tiny little external brush of it and the middle of the humongous slices were dry! with that said, I had the banana foster and the sauce is to die for! we started slathering that on everything. Berry bar - nice touch but I guess when berries are not in season they use frozen or canned stuff, loved the cream- light and milky without too much oiliness, real maple syrup - this was great! The potatoes and meat portion of our meal was just as expected as well and nothing too exciting to write about here. Coffee - finally an awesome cup of joe although paying 2.75 was a little steep. We had our baby with us and was late for our reservation - but they were kind enough to save our table and seated us right away. We were put into a room with other parents and babies, which I actually appreciated so when Edi started singing or throwing her breakfast all over the place our neighbors didn't get angry. We weren't rushed or anything during the meal (despite a huge line outside) and our server was always super nice. Edi's warm milk was steamed to the perfect temp for a baby/tot - not too hot!
(4)Linda V.
I love this place. First of all, if you go on a Saturday or Sunday morning, expect a very long wait. I've been here quite often, so we knew what to expect. It was raining that day, but they have outdoor seating with umbrellas. A couple of people were seated outside. The hostess asked if we wanted to sit outside and skip the wait, we said yeah sure. We're young and low maintenance, so why not? The neat part about it was that they gave us warm blankets to wrap around, and I got a nice cup of Earl Grey. Their sausages, eggs, omelettes are nothing special to me to be honest. I don't get those. I mostly only come here for their sweet breakfast items. My favorite is their vegan banana pancakes. I'm not vegan--actually I love meat and wouldn't sacrifice that for anything. But these pancakes are SO good, and warrants a good trip to the fruit toppings bar. My sister got some sort of french toast thing, which was really good too. We got a side of eggs and sausage, because we feared we'd have too many sweets. It was a good idea, because it was too much sweet. Like I said, eggs are eggs and sausages are sausages--nothing super amazing. All in all, everything's great and wonderful. Don't come starving, because you'll probably have to wait, and then you'll get cranky and biased by the time the food comes. I see that happening in all the other reviews. Come happy expecting a wait, and you'll love the food.
(4)Megan S.
When I was 18 and fresh out of my parents' house my dad made me promise that every Sunday we'd have breakfast together. I lived in the U-dist and we visited their location here religiously for quite awhile. But things change and traditions morph. So when for a team outing it was suggested that we do breakfast at the South Lake Union location I was excited to revisit this eatery. I also noticed that they have a new location in Ballard as well, but I haven't had a chance to check this out. So we took the SLUT down to Terry and found we had our choice of table at about 8:45 in the morning. The South Lake Union location did not let me down. The interior was spacious and bright with rows of wooden tables. Immediately inside you could see the famed toppings bar with the glowing yumminess of fresh fruits and real whipped cream. There were 6 of us in the party and one of our brilliant tables mates suggested the Rancher's breakfast since everything looked good. The Rancher's gives you a taste of everything and is quite large like a good breakfast joint should serve. 3 eggs any style, home fries, pepper bacon or insernio's chicken sausage and choice of 2 slices of challah french toast or pancakes. I got the bacon and french toast because, well, that IS the best choice and all. Eggs over easy so I could make sure my potatoes were covered in yolk. Oh yea. While waiting for our food to come to the table my table mates and I remarked on the awesome coffee. Served in real mugs--big boys--and the coffee tasted sublime. I had way too much with real cream and raw sugar. Our triathlete statuesque server quickly brought us our meals and she adeptly corrected my wobbly table with ease. Most servers wouldn't even notice the ever-present wobbly breakfast table, but this Amazonian was on top of her game. We all left full and relaxed and I must say that Portage Bay is still just as good as I remembered. Lots of folks are jumping on the all natural and organic band wagon, but Portage Bay really knows how to do it. I definitely want to come back and try the Southwest Benedict. Its served on jalapeno cornbread--woah!
(5)Michael D.
Awesome food! I ordered the Wild Salmon Omelet and it was delicious! Very tasty and fruits were really fresh! Would definitely recommend this place for breakfast/brunch!
(5)D C.
After waiting for an hour and 15 minutes (but being told the wait was 40minutes), we noticed larger groups were being seated before us though they had arrived after us. My friends and I decided to leave but were told we could be seated as we were leaving .....we stayed. The food was timely and tasty. I was a little disturbed by the "toppings bar"....looked like some fresh fruit mixed with previously frozen and defrosted berries.....also several other customerswith cold symptoms oblivious to sneezng away from the food...... All in all, if not for the crazy wait and germ fest, the food is great. perhaps if we had come on a different day.
(3)Calvin Y.
Their philosophy, "Eat like you give a damn." What does this mean you ask? Well, take this simple test: Question 1: Do you give a damn about fresh and local ingredients? a.) Damn right, I do. b.) *shrugs* Question 2: Do you give a damn about organic and pesticide-free ingredients? a.) Damn it, yes. b.) Meh. Question 3: Do you give a damn about environmentally friendly (self-sustaining) and cruelty-free ingredients? a.) HELL YES. I mean, GOD DAMN IT, HELL YES. b.) NO. Who the hell cares? If you answered "a" to the questions above, then congratulations, you just found your favorite restaurant. Unfortunately for me, I'm not that cautious about where my food comes from, but there are many other aspects about this place that I admire. Today, I came in for lunch and I had the "Rancher's Breakfast." The Rancher's Breakfast comes with 3 eggs (anyway you like them), herb roasted potatoes, choice of black forest ham/pepper bacon/chicken basil sausage, choice of pancakes/French toast and a trip to the toppings bar! For my choices, I had scrambled eggs, black forest ham and the challah French toast. I recommend skipping the ham because it was really dry and tough to chew. However the highlight of every meal at Portage Bay is the trip to the toppings bar. It's like a game of Jenga -- how much fresh fruit can you put on your French toast without having it tip over? I really enjoyed the French toast by itself, but once I added the mountain of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and whipped cream, it became heaven, where the whipped cream are the clouds and the angels are made of berries. I came here over ten hours ago and I'm still stuffed.
(4)Logan B.
Summary: They're still striving for mediocrity. I think the thing I dislike the most is the strange portions. A single oder of pancakes (which comes with a trip to the fruit bar) comes with no sides and is waaay too much food for a single person, nothing but a gut bomb of starch and sugars. Balancing the meal out with an egg or meat pushes the per-person bill towards $20, too much for a place that, at best, is serving a high end diner meal. Splitting a meal makes this marginally better, but they tack on an extra charge since the fruit bar is all-you-can-eat. I always leave this place feeling ill from eating too much or unsatisfied from eating an unbalanced meal. The restaurant itself is concrete and glass construction and very, very noisy. The atmosphere is sterile and not conductive to conversation. The last time I went (in January), my lady-friend sub'ed the potatoes for a fresh fruit bowl for a couple of dollars. Those fruits were anything but fresh and the grapefruit wasn't even ripe. When I asked to have it taken off the bill on account of being awful, the waitress was like, "Yeah, it's winter, there isn't really any fresh fruit." THEN WHY IS IT ON THE MENU?!
(2)James V.
Dungeness crab benedict ought better be termed Egg on Crab Paste, really .... Perhaps it is described that way, if so I wish I'd read the menu more closely. We visited on a Saturday at a bit before noon. 1100 Hrs, precisely with previously made reservations. We were seated at 1115 in an obviously popular and noisy dining area. Do make reservations if you intend to visit, those arriving without were told to expect a 35 minute wait .... 20 minutes longer than having a reservation! Service was relaxed, perhaps no coffee refills offered helps keep the tables turning. This is a restaurant with an admirable intent, local food, etc., but the concept is poorly executed within the menu. Our side of bacon was 25% charcoal burnt, for example. We came with great expectations, based on the reviews of others. I doubt we will return.
(2)Rebecca T.
Yuk. Thought the green lentil curry on rice would be good. After all it was the special. Um, when did you folks make the rice? Last spring? A soggy, heavy mass that could fell a large child if molded into ball form and hurled. Gross and inedible. The green lentil part? Eh. Nothing special (unlike the delish lentils from Tin Table). Here it's a greenish, gray porrige hiding that white, gloppy brick. Hey, if you just got out of prison, you might like. But I don't think even then. So, green lentil glop and iced tea: $17 with tip. Not worth even the 7 part. I don't care how chipper the server is.
(1)Alexa B.
If it weren't for the insane weekend brunch waits, i'd give PB 5 stars. But i have to say, the host is very kind and you can tell that he feels badly that you are waiting to eat. Like many of the reviews, i just want to reiterate how incredible the Banana Fosters french toast tastes. We all ordered our own entrees and then split the french toast. I also really enjoy Joe's Scramble with egg whites. In fact, i've never had a bad meal here. Also, there is some good Sunday morning people watching.
(4)Samantha C.
De-Licious!! Fresh, organic, wonderful. The pancakes are amazing, its always really packed so be prepared to wait. Family friendly too.
(5)Morgan A.
It SADENS me to write this review. I've been going here for over a year now. It was my favorite place to grab brunch in the city, FAVORITE. Unfortunately, they've made some menu changes for the worst. My two favorite dishes: risotto cake benedict and prosciutto and blue cheese omelette have changed for the worst. They removed the gouda hollandaise sauce from the benny and replaced it with a balsamic vinegar drizzle. On what planet would replacing hollandaise sauce from a benny be a good idea?! Similarly with the omelette, it had this amazing blue cheese sauce that MADE the dish. It was rich and savory. One of those sauces you wanted to drink by the vat... no more. Same omelette, no sauce, one sad chunk of blue cheese on top, that was it! I'm not sure if they're trying to save money by cutting back recipes and ingredients but I was very disappointed. Additionally, I used to substitute my potatoes (theirs are mediocre) for 1 slice of french toast. This way I got the best of both worlds... the toppings bar and savory breakfast! They now charge "a slight price increase" to do this, $6!!!! $6?!?!?! SLIGHT increase? that's half the price of an entree there! Very disappointing. I will say if you like sweet breakfast this is probably a great place to go. The toppings bar is phenomenal. One thing that is good is they now take reservations. I highly recommend doing that because there's always a good wait. They used to let you call in and put your name down but not anymore. The last time we went they told us it would be 20-30 minutes and we ended up waiting an hour and 10 minutes... not the best way to start breakfast. At the end of our meal the waiter (who was slow and couldn't manage to keep our coffee and waters full) asked how we liked the menu changes?! I honestly answered that they took away the best parts of the dishes and I was disappointed. I won't be going back any time soon. I hope that they go back to their original menu. Why fix something that isn't broken? This place was such a gem. RIP old Portage Bay.
(2)Tarah M.
Why didn't I select the breakfast delectables when recently dining with my favorite work folks, you ask? Because I'll let you in on a little secret: brunch food is my favorite, but it AWAYS makes me sleepy. That's right, I get the curse of the "itis" and nothing can snap me out of it when I'm stuffed with foods that are supposed to make you energized to begin or continue your day. Hence why I chose to stick to a lunch salad instead of their mouthwatering banana foster french toast which was just screaming "EAT ME!" If I didn't have to go back to work, best believe that I would have stuffed my cheeks with that goodness. We came during their busy weekday lunch rush and was pleased that we snagged a table before the place got extra crazy. Their topping bar is insane and I'm so glad I steered clear because I would have done what they recommend, which is took all I wanted and ate all I took. Seriously, they provide you with ample toppings to dress your pancakes, french toast, etc. I had their quinoa salad which was delicious! My only distaste was that the dressing was a little too heavy. Service was swift and friendly. I will definitely be back to try their sweet treats and find a place to nap it off later. :-)
(4)Robert K.
Overall definitely not worth the price, wait, or taste. It tastes just average, price is high, and the wait is long. Why bother. Other restaurants offer topping type bars or you can just ask for more. Again the food is just average and the high pricing makes me kill the rating one notch. Hint: long wait. Disclaimer: been to lots of breakfast joints and gave this place a go several times already.
(2)Michael H.
The food is tasty (definitely not a place if you're counting calories), but it's super pricey. Lunch is almost guaranteed to set you back $20 per person. The portions are large, so maybe sharing will make it a better value?
(3)Stacey S.
This is a great place to go for Breakfast/ Brunch. I've never had something that wasn't completely delicious. The Migas is amazing, eggs benedict, and of course the french toast. The french toast is delicious, especially with the toppings bar. Lines are long during the weekend, and most of the time I'm to impatient to wait an hour for seating. That is why Portage Bay gets four stars instead of five. I can never get Banana's Foster french toast, because it's only on the breakfast menu. If you are lucky enough to get there early, or patient enough to wait... get the Banana's Foster french toast, it's amazing.
(4)Nio S.
I think we just found our favorite Sunday brunch spot. Beautiful location and restaurant set up along with the amazing food we ordered. My wife got the Eggs Benedict and I got Banana French Toast with bacon on the side. My French Toast came with a fruit bar that I could top my plate with strawberries, blueberries, balckberries, rasberries, peaches, pears maple syrup and whip cream. I only topped my French Toast with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and whip cream. My wifes plate was already good on its own but she put some of the organic ketchup on the potatoes and that ketchup was very tasty for only 15 calories :) even the waitress and host were nice and attentive to our needs. We will be definately coming back here on Sundays!
(5)Eli W.
"Eat like you give a damn." If I did, then I would not be eating at Portage Bay Cafe. I used to have a great experience every time I went to Portage Bay because of the good food, toppings bar, and service. Portage Bay has declined so much in the way of their food since I first started going to their University District location several years ago. This specific visit I had the Crab cake Benedict, which I had before and really liked. However, this visit the person who made the cakes decided to stick in nearly tic tac sized pieces of ginger. This may seem like a small issue, however every bite of my food was overpowered with the taste of ginger; and I went to have the taste of crab cakes in my mouth not ginger. Additionally, I have noticed during the last few visits to Portage Bay that they have not had fresh fruit at their toppings bar. The toppings bar has mainly been comprised of thawed frozen fruit. I understand there are seasons for fruit, but I'm sure there is some fruit in season every season, I mean I can go to my local QFC and find some. Bottom-line is that I have always justified the somewhat higher prices that Portage Bay charges with the fact that they provide higher quality ingredients, well prepared food, and a quality experience. As of late, Portage Bay has not been coming through; and I can say that the combination of mediocre food, high prices, and usually a wait to get seated is not worth it.
(2)Hannah L.
My appetite for exciting, decadent culinary experiences is bounded by one restraint: my equally strong beliefs about the importance of eating locally and sustainably whenever possible. Fortunately for me, Seattle offers many such restaurants whose menu and philosophy afford me the opportunity to indulge unbounded. Portage Bay Cafe is the newest addition to that list of mine. I took my out-of-town family there for breakfast Easter weekend, and all were impressed! Not only by the food, but by the man, although that's another story.... The shirred duck eggs (a special) were pronounced amazing by my foodie aunt, and I would say the same for the lemon curd French Toast, with a lovely citrus bite from the lemon tempered by sweet blueberries and syrup. A couple of options were slightly less impressive (the migas being one), but overall breakfast was very, very good. And did I mention the extensive, tempting menu? Other nice touches include the ability to make reservations, the fresh fruit bar, the extensive use of chicken (as opposed to pork) sausage, and the huge cups of coffee. Plus, the trolley stops nearby! At least the SLUT's good for something....
(4)Corbin B.
Probably the best breakfast food I have ever eaten. At the very least in the top three. Organic and local options are all the rage these days, but the quality of the food really shines through. The only two knocks on this place - you need a reservation on any weekend (or you're guaranteed an hour plus wait), and it is quite large, making it loud. If you don't mind the crowds though, the food is unbeatable. The menu changes seasonally, and if you aren't vegetarian, be sure to try some of the local meats. I have had local sausage and also a ground lamb breakfast dish. Both were amazing. Everyone raves about the topping bar, but for brunch, I tend to air on the more savoury side. A can't miss if you are in he Lake Union area.
(4)Jenny K.
went for a friend's birthday brunch. love the restaurant motto "eat like you give a damn" - complete agree! got the crab cake benedict. the crab cake was meaty, fresh and seasoned well. I would've preferred an English muffin with the crab cake though. the hollandaise sauce was just perfect! the breakfast potatoes were suprisingly soft, not crispy, but seasoned with a kick and delicious dipped in the ketchup-hollandaise-egg yolk sauce on my plate. next time I will be getting pancakes or French toast so I can hit up the toppings bar - a cart full of fruits, syrups and whipped creams so you can customize to your liking! good, fresh, strong black coffee to complement the meal. busy as heck so make sure to make a reservation if you're going for weekend brunch.
(4)Cathy M.
I got the special for brunch item which was a baked fish with olives and hash. The olives were really strong but I liked the idea. My husband had a classic eggs and bacon and he looooooved the bacon. Thick cut and perfectly crisp. I'll come here for a casual brunching and stick to the normal menu items, although I will probably end up trying new things.
(3)Tania W.
This place is AMAZING...the wait is long as heck..(TIP: Make a reservation - might help a bit - we waited over an hour for a party of 2 on Sat morning)...but DEF WORTH THE WAIT!! Don't think twice. If you want a satisfying breakfast go here! They even have a fresh fruit topping bar..yum!! P.S I had the Banana Foster French Toast ;-)
(5)Stacy Y.
This place is B.U.S.Y. - Today is our first time trying this restaurant and little do we know, Sunday brunch is the busiest time... Two of us waited for 1.5 hours to get the food to our table. Other than that, I love this restaurant, especially the fresh fruit topping bar for pancake & french toast. I ordered Rancher's breakfast (3 eggs, a choice of meat, potato, and 2 pancake or french toast) knowing I won't be able to finish everything, Frank ordered Chorizo sausage scramble. Everything was delicious and there's enough food to feed 3... Maybe I'll take mom with us next time :) When the pancake arrived, I was shock there's nothing on it but then I realize that's the fresh fruit topping bar is for..... then I went crazy! Peach, blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, maple syrup, and whipped cream - Delicious!!!! Now I understand why is there a such long wait. Restaurant itself is simply decorated but yet beautiful. Lot of glass window, photos, and floor is completely open. With couple large tables in the middle, it's great for gatherings and kids friendly. If you happened to be here during busy hours, ask them if you can start your coffee first... That's what got us through the long wait.... so ask for coffee, sit tight, enjoy your company, and let your anticipation build up for a great fest.
(4)K R.
I'm not sure I understand all the fuss. The food is fine. Standard fare. You can pile all the berries on it that you want. It just isn't anything special. I guess I just don't understand why the place is so popular and there is such a long wait. (We've now declared this the Denny's of Seattle)
(2)Tara K.
Went here based on the reviews here on yelp. The line up was understandably long on the Saturday of Easter weekend. After pushing my way past waiting customers I was told it would be 45-60mins. We walked around the block with our newborn then noticed the patio had free tables. The hostess said we could sit outside if we wanted. They had heat lamps and blankets which was more than enough for a patio in the shade. I ordered the pancakes with a side of poached eggs. They said they didn't do hard boiled eggs. So much for "eggs any style". The poached eggs were really runny (I orders medium hard) and still had water on them. I didn't complain because it was busy, but I'm sure they would have fixed since they seemed really accommodating. The fruit bar was awesome! Although a lot of the fruit was still frozen. My fiancé got the Ranchers breakfast with the French toast- filled him up nicely and he enjoyed it. The grapefruit juice was really yummy as well. Overall it was a good breakfast and I would return if in Seattle again. Having a healthy organic breakfast was a good preset for the brewpub we planned on visiting later!
(4)Ned M.
Portage cafe is a primarily a breakfast / brunch type place. They have lunch items and such, but I think breakfast is the key. If you are a fan of a fresh fruit pancake bar and you can drop $20 per person, then this is your kind of place. Some may say this is over priced, but you get what you pay for. The fruits are fresh, the eggs are super healthy and come from happy chickens and the salmon in the omelet is wild not farmed. I had the salmon omelet. The eggs were fluffy, the salmon delicious and the size perfect. It came with red potatoes that were done very well. I had a sample of the french toast and while I am not a connoisseur by any means, but I thought most people would be quite pleased. The service here is professional, but a little brisk. If you like a place where they know your name and call you honey, you will be disappointed. The staff are young and pretty and they probably are only working here to pay for their iPad 2. I was here for Sunday brunch around 1:30pm, the tail end of the rush. It was about a 20 minute wait. Not too bad. You can go wine shopping within walking distance as Soul Wine if you are so inclined. There is a parking structure in the back accessible from the nearby alleyway for a couple bucks an hour. Or you can snag metered street parking if you are savvy.
(4)Margaret Y.
Food was good. However, it wasn't worth waiting in 40 min-long line on Saturday morning for me... Why? 1. I tend to be a wild cat when my stomach is empty^^ And, that day, I was tooooo hungry even drinking coffee wasn't helping: By the way, they charged the coffee I drank while waiting for 40 mins. (about $2) 2. Their fruit bar was set from frozen except maybe two items. 3.The wait staff wasn't that all nice, this is understandable under the circumstance where they were too busy!!! Overall: 1. My concern was the wait staff was too busy to pay attention to their designated customers. Result: 1. I wouldn't go back on weekends again there even though their Egg Benedite was almost perfect for me.
(2)Josh P.
I am writing this review after waking up from a bananas fosters french toast induced food coma of about 2 hrs. I'm a little late to the party but glad I made it here to see why there is always a wait and a huge crowd of devoted breakfast lovers. I called ahead and we were seated about 15 minutes after we got there. While waiting near the entrance and looking over the menu, we saw plates of french toast being ferried from tables to the topping bar. At first I was like wow, the french bread is certainly big, but kinda bare; nothing on. Oh man but when they got done with the topping bar about 2 pounds heavier the french toast was anything but bare. I decided to go with this option, as my fellow yelper Amy N. went for the corned beef hash. I got the bananas foster french toast. As the waitress put it down she mentioned something about tasting it before I went to the topping bar. Needless to say I didn't follow her directions and made a beeline for the bar. They have blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, walnuts, almonds, syrup, butter, and freshly whipped cream. My plate went from about 3 inch high to about 6in(that's what she said) after I was done piling everything on. While this was a lot on quantity, quality was great as well; whipped cream was fresh, the bananas foster in a delicious sauce. Also had a side of pepper bacon which was pretty thick and full of flavor. Only finished 2 out of the 3 slices, then went home to sleep it off. Definitely recommend you call ahead as the wait can be up to 45 min on a crowded day. Oh and make sure you have bed/couch nearby after if its raining out and you can't walk it off.
(4)Julie A.
I went here hoping to get in and get out last Saturday morning for breakfast. It was fairly early in the brunch hour, around 9:30am, and the restaurant is spacious, yet we waited for 30 mins only to be seated at the crappiest seat in the restaurant, a two seater in the bar area where patrons waiting to be seated were practically leaning on our table. The service and food were, as the waitress herself actually described it, mediocre at best. Here's a list of the mounting annoyances we experienced: 1. Ignored for 10 mins 2. My menu was missing half the list of items offered. 3. We waited another 10 mins for a correct version to be delivered. 4. Water never came and when we asked for it the server brought one glass. When I mentioned we wanted 2 she actually made me defend my decision to order water since I already had a San Pellegrino. Just bring the damn water, lady. 5. When we sat down the bar was completely empty. By the time we needed to order the bar was totally full and the server took all their orders before visiting us who'd sat down 10-15 mins before them. 6. My omelette was oily and way too big. The potatoes were cold. The bread was delicious! (not annoying) 7. We had to ask for the check twice and when the server FINALLY brought it she said, "Sorry for the mediocre service" and walked away. Nice attitude! Not to mention the clientel is a bunch of rich white REI-loving marathon-running organic free range waterproof windbreaker-wearing douchebags. You couldn't pay me to do that again.
(1)Patty S.
I don't know what all the fuss is about. We went for breakfast and it was really nothing special at all. I mean, if you want all the fresh berries you can eat on an overpriced pancake, then it's probably much better. Let me start with the service. It's lacking. We were told the wait was 20 minutes, it was 40. The server wasn't attentive and never checked to see if everything was good or we had everything after dropping off our food. The atmosphere is bad. It's a giant open room, so it's very loud. It is not private or cozy. It's like eating in a cafeteria. The tables are very close together, and you have a better chance of a conversation at a concert. The food is totally forgettable. It's so bland I didn't want to eat it. I got the grits with kale and eggs, and the whole problem was it tasted like nothing. Like nothing. I love grits too, and these tasted like water. I had to practically grab the the waitress as she ran by, because she was steadily ignoring us, to get some hot sauce. I shouldn't have to put hot sauce on my grits. My husband got an omelette that had sausage of some sort and apples, and honestly it was not very good. The problem with their food is that it's not special in any way. It is totally without character. The big issue I had with the menu is that they charge SIX DOLLARS to share an item, but they also serve normal restaurant sized portions. What am I getting for those six extra dollars? Am I getting more? Or are you just trying to keep people from sharing food? I'm not going to eat all of my food, why should we have to order so much and then throw it out. Because I am NOT bringing that tripe into my home.
(2)Jackie T.
Two words - toppings bar. A place that serves breakfast at lunch will always go far with me. The pancakes and the french toast are delicious. Pepper bacon is the perfect side. And topping your griddle item with delicious fruits, nuts or sauces from the toppings bar - heaven. This place is a frequent destination for my work team. Service is always quick. Groups of more than 4 might have a wait during lunch. The only downside is the noise level is loud at peak times.
(4)Kate N.
the BEST brunch spot in the entire city!!! I have dreams of their fresh fruit toppings bar! They serve good coffee and GREAT food! Try a mimosa! Get there early, the line can be out the door but it is worth the wait! They have good service and quality food! Good vegan breakfast options and the most delicious pancake fruit bar I've ever seen. The service can be a tad spotty sometimes since there are SO many people packed in there, but it's worth it!!
(5)George B.
When my wife first told me about this place I was skeptical. Organic? I'm a manly man! I don't eat no stinkin' bland organic food. Boy was I wrong about this place. The food was delightfully delicious. I ordered the Ranchers breakfast with ham and couldn't believe how good everything tasted. Organic eggs are the sh**! The ham and potatoes were pretty good. I get french toast too? Fresh toppings WHAT! We've been back 3 more times since and not once have I been disappointed. So far I haven't had any problem with the service. My best advice, don't come on a weekend. We tried on a Saturday and it was way too crowded.
(4)Raven K.
I really wanted to like this place, I really did. I was excited to try them after I checked out the menu online but that was the last of the excitement. Ordered the crab cakes benedict and it was terrible. It came cold, the hollandaise sauce was really bland and the crab cakes tasted super cheap and kinda smelled like diapers. Ugh. Plus the prices are outrageous here! $3 for a cup of regular coffee is a bad start but then to eat a crappy tasting breakfast on top of it and get a breakfast bill for $30 for one person is just insane. I would be pissed if I got a $30 bill at a good restaurant so this really got me steamed. Definitely not worth the money in any way, shape or form.
(1)Aubrey A.
huge portions! food was okay - good-ish. had grilled sausage with sautéed root veggie medley on their fresh sheet. it was flavorful, but was somehow put off by the huge plate of food (maybe it's just a personal preference) might be back because of its location...
(3)Stephen Y.
Crazy busy when we went there - after the 1/2 marathon 1 hr wait - but strong coffee to fuel up But food was worth the wait - amazing omelette, juice, everything... ppl kept ordering pancakes etc so to go to the amazing fresh fruit bar to their plates full w fresh fruits Efficient service... well it has to be efficient... with the crazy crowd..
(4)Jeff S.
It's constantly crowded for good reason. Generous portions of health-minded organic ingredients make for a breakfast that I'll definitely be coming back for very soon. The coffee was on point too, not sure what it was though.
(4)Liz M.
This is for the catering service only!! I have never eaten at their restaurant but have only heard rave reviews which is why my fiance and I decided that they would be in our top 4 list of caterers to try and decide between for our wedding. Problem #1 When filling out the quote request online they ask you what your entire event budget it is... sorry but you are not our even planner and really should only be asking what our catering budget is. Problem#2 After telling Tracy twice that we would not be able to attend a tasting event on a Tuesday as my fiance teaches Tuesday nights she suggested I bring someone else. (this may work for other people but I had obviously expressed our need to both be there to be able to make the decision.) Problem #3 The last straw, they refused to do a private tasting knowing that our schedule would not allow both of us to make it to a single one of their events as they are all on Tuesdays. This made my fiance and I feel like they did not care about us because our event wasn't going to be making them enough money to put in any extra effort. As I said to Tracy... Truly Disappointed.
(1)Sean G.
Great food, terrible service! Do not come here for a business lunch! So, I've been to this Portage Bay about a dozen times, mostly for business lunches. The last two lunches have suffered from The Worst Service Ever. Today's lunch featured two of my clients not getting water. Despite asking the server 3x for water -- and that was the only beverage they requested. There was some confusion as to who was getting what since the server incorrectly specified "french dip" instead of "prime rib," and this led to a bus-boy berating one of my clients. One of our foreigners got an eye-roll when he asked questions. Oh, and 20 minutes to pick up our tab. Really? I've been getting flack about recommending this place for lunch as a result due to incredibly bad service. Frankly, for the price ($12-$15 average), I'd expect service better than a crappy Waffle House. There are better places in the neighborhood (Flying Fish) that get customer service right. Their motto, "Eat like you give a damn" is great, but they certainly don't "give a damn" about their customers.
(1)Kim P.
We ate here this morning and 4 of us ordered poached eggs and the eggs all came out overcooked, not runny as requested! I had the southwest benedict and the eggs were overdone. The service was extremely slow and most of the orders were messed up. The food was quality and they use good ingredients but they need to work with their chefs as several things came out wrong. I wasn't going to write a complaint until we spoke to the manager Jeff and asked if he wanted to hear some constructive criticism. He abruptly responded in a rude manner, "No thanks!" We let him know that we would post it for someone who does care on Yelp. It's funny in a city like Seattle, where technology exists and people want to read reviews and spend their money in a fabulous spot that a manager could be so rude and so obnoxious! Do you care to hear our issues now?
(2)Jonathan Y.
For 8 years I have been waiting to try this place, so it may be a product of over-hype or unrealistic expectations. Either way, I left thinking..."really, that's it?" The place was very crowded, you had to squeeze through chairs to get around tables. The area is very bright, lots of big windows and natural light, which is great. I had the eggs benedict here (as I always get Eggs benny when at a breakfast place for the first time), and was actually quite dissapointed. The sauce was bland, the bacon nothing special, the english muffins a bit soggy. The hashbrowns were tasty, they had been rubbed in cajun spice or something similar. They were a bit on the mushy side though, I was hoping for them to be crisper. The pancake bar looked enticing, but I'll have to try it out next time. In the end, I've heard from tons of people that it's well worth the wait to get in to this place, and that the food is spectacular. Perhaps the location near UW will better impress, because this place left me wishing I had chosen Beth's Cafe instead. There are a lot of natural options though, which is a plus for some. Vegan and organic options are a refreshing choice. Let's be honest though, breakfast isn't breakfast without bacon/sausage/eggs/etc. Dissapointed, but cautiously optimisitc they were having an off day.
(2)N W.
Long wait, would highly recommend calling ahead to make a reservation. The yogurt parfait was delicious, but had an imbalance of components. Would recommend the cafe to add more yogurt to balance out the granola!
(4)Nerick M.
Wow, this is one great restaurant. I was finally able to try Portage Bay Cafe this past weekend and was pretty satisfied with my experience. I really like the location and the look of the interior/exterior of the place. It's really spacious inside and is really conducive to a nice, relaxing, fun dining experience. The outside patio is a perfect place for a happy hour get-together,especially on a nice day. The menu was packed with mouth-watering descriptions of their dishes. I ended up choosing the Rancher's Breakfast because I'm a big eater. It came with eggs, black forest ham, homestyle potatoes, and two huge pancakes. Since it came with pancakes, I got a trip to the unlimited fruit bar to top off my flapjacks (I think I overdid it a bit too). The food was crazy delicious. The fresh fruit bar was phenomenal and complimented my pancakes very well. Everything on my plate was cooked just the way I had hoped. I guess my only reservation had to do with the service. There were multiple times when I had to try to wave down a server just to get water. It can get busy on a weekend, folks. Maybe they should just put water carafes on tables or something? Anyway, I really enjoyed eating there and will be back to try their lunch. I'm sure I can't go wrong with any of those dishes.
(4)Jen A.
This is my favorite of the portage bays. Delicious. Never disappointed. So fresh and so delicious. I think we ordered a bread pudding French toast and it was so flavorful. I ordered Dungenes crab Benedict which is never disappointing. I don't love breakfast in general but I'll eat it here for sure.
(5)Misa C.
I am writing because I can't stop thinking about the hash I had this morning and the take-home portion that I accidentally left on the table, but which I ran back (in the snow, nonetheless!) to retrieve, but which was already long gone, and which I cannot stop being sad about...because it was so damn good. Today, my bf and I braved the snow to have brunch at Portage Bay because I had raved to him about the gluten-free Swedish pancakes I had there a few weeks ago with a friend. We were excited that there wouldn't be a line because of the weather. Ha. We got there to a packed entry and a 30-minute wait. Though, when, after a minute, we asked if we could sit at the bar, the host just sat us at a table anyway. So much for the wait! Yay! I was really excited to order the hash (perfect-sized chunks of root veggies) with salmon (a little salty, but really really tasty). I opted to not get the eggs on top, but I could see that, with some of the meat options for the hash, the eggs could be pretty awesome on top. It was so tasty! And I wanted to save the last half for later in the day. But, alas, read above. I think Portage Bay has great service (I assume that was the manager walking around the entire time I was there making sure everything was running smoothly), fresh-tasting and delicious food, and--especially today--wonderful floor-to-ceiling windows through which to stare outside at the snow whirling down. Lots of gluten-free and some vegan (and even gluten-free vegan) options.
(5)Beau R.
We'd eaten at their other location and were meeting some friends for brunch, so we this as a good place for a repeat visit. I called and made reservations, but that just got me an advanced place on the list. Which was good, because the Portage Bay Cafe is a popular place. Even being on the list, we waited for almost 50 minutes before we were seated. It didn't matter much because we had plenty of catching up to do and the kids were in a good mood by the time we got to the restaurant. The food is excellent and organic and the menu has lots, and lots of choices. The kind of choice which prompts indecision. Too much of a good thing. Our table had 3 rancher's plate, which was strange considering none of us were ranchers and there were 3 kids and 4 adults. There is a lot of food in the rancher's plates (eggs, cooked to order, homestyle potatoes, bacon or sausage and two pancakes). There were two omlettes consumed, from a list of about a dozen different omlettes. The eggs were light and fluffy and the fillings were inventive and different. I had proscuitto and blue cheese which was really good. The french toast is great here and all of the pancakes can be topped (or slathered) with your choice of fresh berries, whipped cream, syrup and whatnot. The berries were exceptionally good and fresh. You expect that being in the Northwest, but they were "that good." The waits are long, but worth it. Portage Bay Cafe is a the breakfast brunch place to be!
(5)Joel Y.
Think Whole Foods Restaurant. I loved the concept of everything being organic... but isn't that really just a gimmick? Is there really a difference? Well whatever it is, this place is still a very solid brunch joint. I am in love with the fresh fruit toppings bar. It has apples, strawberries, blueberries, dingle berries, whatever organic berry that can be found is on that damn table. I had the smoked salmon omelet... I was sad that it was actually cooked salmon but it was still very tasty. Comes with the best seasoned home fries I have ever had. Seriously, I usually hate the breakfast potatoes that come with my meal but these were outstanding. The pancakes were large, however very dry and uninspired. I lathered it up with as much fat as possible- whipped cream, butter, fruit, syrup, but it still didn't do it for me. I am sure they are much healthier than normal pancakes, but I still couldn't shove them down my throat. They also can make any fruit juice into a mimosa for you alcoholics. Overall, its a beautiful spot and a great place for yuppies and young professionals to talk about our failing economy sipping mimosas. Recommended!
(4)J G.
After finding menus at an adjacent table and flagging down a passing waiter, our waitress finally came to our table. However, she subsequently forgot our water, napkins, and utensils. We actually received better service from other servers than our own. (We were there on a Sat AM right after opening which I realize may indicate that they were busy, but they were not until about when we left.) My husband was served the wrong dish. The food was okay; incredibly rich and unbalanced. Lots of fat and sugar... For a restaurant that touts organic food and the nature theme, I'd have hoped for healthier choices. For the price, I would have hoped for better service, food, and atmosphere. We will continue our search for an unpretentious breakfast place in Seattle...
(2)Matt M.
Let me say the food at Portage is five star. I travel to Seattle every six weeks for work and say for a week or more. During my stays, I'll eat at Portage at least half of my mornings, if not more. I love the food. Anything with either bacon or their chicken italian sausage is wonderful. As many have said, the toppings bar is great, so you can't go wrong with the organic pancakes or french toast. The reason for a 3-star rating is the service. Usually isn't ok, nothing great, but ok. This past Sunday, it was offputting. My wife and I are from the east coast, so we're up early. We were the first people in the door and the only people in the restaurant when it opened at 7:30. When the waitress came, I ordered my usual Ranchers breakfast and I wanted something a little different than my normal pancakes so I asked if they could put a few blueberries in my pancakes. They have a massive bowl of blueberries on the topping bar so I figured it would be easy to grab a handful so I could have hot blueberries. When I asked, I was flatly told "no, we don't do that, you can only have plain pancakes." At first, I thought she was joking because it was such an easy request but as she walked away, I realized she was serious. Next we had to ask for water for the table. I'm watching table after table come in and be set and we felt ignored. Finally, when I take my pancakes to the toppings bar, there is no syrup. No big deal, I head back to the table and ask my waitress if she could bring a little syrup because there is none on the bar. Her reply was "Oh, it should be there now." I'm thinking "I was there 5 seconds ago and it wasn't." So I carry my food back to the bar and of course, no syrup. I then see my waitress in the back, fill the pitcher and bring it to the bar. She thunks it down on the table, no 'sorry it wasn't there', no comment other than "I guess someone didn't do their job." I don't know if she was having a bad day or just didn't want to try and be of service. The food was great but the service was poor and we were met with an "I don't care" attitude all morning. I'll come back but I will make sure I have a different server.
(3)Aubrey C.
A 3.5 star average for Portage Bay Cafe (even considering the 4-star average for their other location) is way too low. I love breakfast/brunch, and when my friend brought me here during my current visit to Seattle, I was blown away. Everything on the menu looked fantastic, and usually had some sort of twist. Even the vegan pancakes are delicious! I ordered the salmon omelette, which was possibly one of the better ones I've ever had. Usually omelettes are either too eggy/drenched in cheese, or the salmon overpowers everything else with a too-savory taste. This was just the right blend of slightly savory, slightly dairy, slightly cheesy. The capers also didn't interfere with the taste in any way, unlike other places which use cheap-quality (read: SOUR) capers. My friend had the risotto cake eggs benedict. Which is just like it sounds.. it's an eggs benedict dish, except instead of the poached eggs being over English muffins (yawn), Portage Bay Cafe puts the eggs over RISOTTO CAKES. Being a lover of risotto, this pleased me extremely. The risotto cakes wound up being crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. Just right. And the poached eggs were quite tasty too. Topped off with a drizzle of olive oil and you have a fantastic dish. Portage Bay Cafe also has a full panoply of pancakes, french toast, etc., which comes with a topping bar. Another unique twist. The best thing I can say about this place is that if I lived in Seattle, I'd probably eat here every weekend.
(5)Sarah M.
I had a horrible experience at the Portage bay cafe in Ballard and a great experience at the one on Roosevelt so I didn't really know what to expect at the South Lake Union location. I decided to have my birthday brunch at Portage Bay so I called the Roosevelt location first. The boy on the phone took my reservation for a party of 20 and was super nice. Then, the next day I got a call from the manager and she told me that the boy who had taken my reservation was new and they couldn't take a party that large on a sunday. Luckily, because of the mix up, the manager at the South Lake Union reservation agreed to take a 20 top on really short notice. I arrived at the restaurant super early so that I could give them extra time to set the table up. My reservation was at 10:30 and they didn't seat us until 11:30. I couldn't believe that I sat there for an hour waiting to be seated when I had made a reservation. Luckily, even though the whole process of getting seated was a little disappointing, the food made up for it. Everyone in my party loved their food and had a great time. I wish the wait staff was a little more attentive, but what can you do? They were super busy. This place definitely have their food down, but could use a little more help with customer service.
(4)Liz M.
I'm really, really bummed to be writing this review. Not only have I heard/read fantastic things about Portage Bay, but I also dropped by after hours earlier this summer for a Yelp event & thought the food, service, and space were all pretty neat. So when this got selected as October's Breakfast Club, I was looking forward to it. Everything started off OK. We met up at 8am and they already had a big table set up to handle what might have been a large group (we thought there might be as many as 15, although it ended up being 8). The server was nice and efficient as he came around taking our orders. Unfortunately, while the service was pretty much always friendly, it was very inattentive, and we kept having to flag/chase them down. This would be understandable if the place were slammed, but it didn't really pick up until about 9. I had coffee as usual, but didn't really care for the taste. As a side note, it was slightly annoying to have only one cream pitcher, which had to be passed up and down the table repeatedly, for all 5 or 6 coffee drinkers. To eat, I ordered the Rancher's Breakfast, figuring that this would be enough food to cover all of my meals for the day. I asked for the eggs 'over hard' as I am not a fan of runny yolks. The eggs looked right, but the yolks were still a bit runny. The bacon and potatoes were fine, but nothing special, and the challah french toast was nice and fluffy, but again, didn't leap out and titillate my taste buds. The toppings bar is a neat concept and I did like the assortment of fresh fruit and fresh whipping cream, but for a $20 breakfast, I just wasn't impressed. I left the restaurant with a box of leftovers and feeling solidly 3 stars about the overall experience. Unfortunately, by the time I got home, I started feeling sick and pretty much had an upset stomach for the rest of the day. The leftovers went in the trash, and the review dropped another star. Sorry Portage Bay.
(2)Vince T.
I used to come here all the time back while I lived up in Seattle, so on my last trip back I decided to swing by with my boss for some grub. As soon as I walked in, my stomach started screaming "Give me some FRENCH TOAST!" The wait was a bit long though, as we waited for about 45 minutes on a Saturday to be seated. So note to anyone who wants to check this place out: call ahead and make reservations if you're in a group and you're trying to get some grub on a weekend. Oh, and parking can be a bit hard as well, but it's all well worth it in the end. I had to heed my stomach's calls and ordered the french toast, while my boss got the corn beef hash, which looked delicious as well. That french toast though was sinfully good. It's also very cool that they have the toppings bar where you can load up on a bunch of fruit/whipped cream/syrup/everything else you can think of that will get you a sugar high. Add to the fact that everything they serve is all local and organic and you have a winner. Oh, and the service is excellent as well. The hostess was even so kind to call and flag down a cab for my boss and I during the middle of their weekend rush. Come here if you are looking for breakfast food up until after lunch time (and let's be serious, who doesn't like eating breakfast food at any time during the day?), or if you really like french toast (!!!!!!), or if you just like eating. Portage Bay will blow your mind.
(5)Chris W.
Portage Bay is at its best when it is making tasty local food (buckwheat pancakes with a trip to the 'toppings bar' are a sure win) and serving fresh-squeezed orange juice and bottomless cups of coffee. Added bonus when it's rainy and cold outside. It is at its worst when the lines are 1 hour long, the lobby is packed, the wait staff is slow, and the dish you ordered is underwhelming (and what about those weak sauce home fries -- sheesh). Unfortunately It's at its worst more often than it is at its best. I continue to try it (primarily because of the convenient location and because my wife adores it) and hope for the best. If you want the best experience on a weekend try to go early (9am) or later (1pm) to avoid ridiculous lines, a swamped kitchen, and therefore less-than-inspiring food. It's worth a shot, because when it's "on" it's great! (oh and btw the same review can be applied to the UW location)
(3)Anna W.
It's my boyfriend's birthday, and we decided to go out for brunch. Having been to all of its locations, we knew that you can always count on Portage Bay's food to be delicious as well as local and organic. Unfortunately, today I learned that one thing you can NOT count on here is good service. I called at 11:40am to put my name on the list and was told it would be 1-1.5 hours. Fine, I expected it to be pretty busy, so no big deal. We showed up at about 12:20pm, and the hostess told us it would be another half hour. Again, that's fine, so we smile, get our cup of coffee and wait. By 1:30pm, with several parties who arrived AFTER us having been seated, I decide to check in with the hostess again. After all, it's only an hour until the restaurant closes. I come up ask her how much longer it will be. Her response: "oh, did you just walk in?" I tell her that no, in fact we have been here for over an hour (I should mention we'd been sitting right in front of her the whole time). She incredulously tells us that there are a couple of tables in front of us and scribbles something next to my name on her list. I try my hardest to contain my annoyance and go back to my friends. Another 20 minutes pass and at least 3 four-person and several two-person parties are seated. The hostess spends this time shooting me dirty looks and VERY un-surreptitiously complaining about us to one of the waitresses. This is what I find completely inexcusable. You ignore us for an hour, and YOU complain about US when we dare call you on it? The entire time we were there, this woman exhibited the most deplorably inhospitable attitude I have ever encountered. There was not one smile or apology for her bitchy attitude and disregard. I understand you're having a busy day, but I have worked service jobs, too. I have greeted hundreds of people in a shift, and WOULD have recognized someone who had been sitting in front of me for over an hour. You are here to welcome customers, not act like you are doing them a favour by deigning to acknowledge them. Portage Bay should be ashamed to employ someone who considers this adequate customer service. We were finally seated shortly before 2pm. The manager (I believe) asked us how long we had waited and offers us mimosas to compensate for the wait. Mimosas arrive, and the rest of the dining experience is uneventful, unless you count the glares I received from the hostess when I went to the fruit bar. The last hurrah of this meal is when we get our check and -- what do you know -- we find we were charged $20 for the four mimosas. Luckily, the waitress didn't object to taking them off the bill, so we paid and got the hell out of there as quickly as we could. I think it's safe to say that I will make no effort to return to this location if it means even the remote possibility of dealing with that vile hostess again. Thanks for ruining my boyfriend's birthday brunch, you harpy.
(2)J K.
Had another fantastic brunch experience at Portage Bay Cafe's South Lake Union location. They dropped the ball on the service today, but the Manager did a great job of handling it and keeping this a 5-star place in my opinion. In a city with lots of terrific brunch/breakfast options, Portage Bay Cafe stands out for consistently delivering great meals across visits and menu items. The South Lake Union location is my favorite because it's large enough to cycle through waiting lists quickly and - especially on weekends - there's plenty of street parking available within a few blocks. If you get there by 9am the wait is usually quite short, although today we learned that does not apply right after daylight savings time begins! It's a consistently reliable choice for taking visitors from out of town or catching up with friends. Their savory dishes are consistently good and filling. The pepper bacon is especially tasty and today they had a great savory special. The curry shrimp omurice was a nicely seasoned mixture of rice, shrimp, and curry sauce wrapped in an omelet flavored with black sesame seeds. The shrimp could've been bigger and/or more plentiful, but overall the dish was delicious. Another person in our party had the winter grits with eggs - a new, tasty addition to the menu. On the sweet side, the toppings bar is the obvious highlight with large bowls filled with fruit (blueberries, strawberries, peaches, etc.), whipped cream, butter, etc. When in-season, there are also bowls of fresh fruit toppings, but today most of the fruit was in syrup, which makes sense since it seems they try to locally source ingredients. The french toast is thickly sliced and quite good but the relatively light Swedish pancakes are fantastic. The Ranchers Breakfast is a lot of food but provides healthy doses of savory (eggs, potatoes and a meat - I opt for the aforementioned pepper bacon) and sweet (pancakes or french toast), including a trip to the toppings bar. Another approach for getting sweet and savory is to team up with someone in your party to share - one orders savory and the other orders sweet and hits the toppings bar. This is allowed as long as each of you orders and entree. Portions are big and prices are reasonable. Today we didn't get our food until 50 minutes after we first sat down - this is unusual because the service here has been consistently efficient and friendly. Apparently our server neglected to enter our order for some time. We asked the Manager about the delay and he did a very good job of handling the situation. I realize that things will always go wrong, especially in the restaurant business, so I will never penalize a business for a mistake. However, I will judge them harshly if they do not resolve the situation well. In this case they made an honest mistake and the Manager did a great job dealing with it. (Contrast this to my prior bad experience and poor handling of the situation by the staff at Thomas Street Bistro) I only wish today's server had been honest about the mistake instead of trying to blame it on a "big table" that got their orders in before us. But kudos to the Manager for keeping me as a loyal fan and patron of the South Lake Union location of Portage Bay Cafe.
(5)Kristin C.
I was in Seattle last weekend on business. Though it was MLK Day, I had several meetings on Monday and one was scheduled as a breakfast meeting. A colleague (from Seattle) suggested the Terry Avenue location of Portage Bay since it was close to the location of my next meeting. I arrived just before him to a fairly crowded restaurant. I'm guessing that the holiday got people out and enjoying breakfast/brunch. When I said that I was meeting someone who had yet to arrive (The host had me look around first), I was seated next to the window by the bar side. It's significantly more quiet over there than in the bigger dining area. And I was happy to the reduced volume. After my colleague arrived, service was really quite expedient. Coffee came quickly and our orders were taken. Portage Bay has one of those breakfast/brunch menus that really gives me pause (and fosters indecision). Do I want savory...or do I want sweet? I can never get the massive option that involves both (even though I want it) for fear of looking like a massive pig. So, in the end, I settled on the chicken sausage scramble. It's a lot of ingredients scrambled in with the eggs. There's a great quantity of portobello mushrooms that were really yummy. I could have wished for a bit more chicken sausage (since it was really tasty). However, I feel like the amount of fennel and manchego masked the eggs a bit...and was perhaps scambled in too soon (I like a really eggy texture). However, it was nonetheless, still tasty. And the dish came with a massive quantity of roasted potatoes. They were well seasoned and well cooked. However, there was no way that I could eat all of them. I can't recall what my dining companion got (It was savory and not sweet though), but he seemed happy. I don't live nearby (across the country, rather), but on another visit, I'd love to try something sweet (especially the bananas foster french toast). After we'd paid and my colleague had to leave, I still had a good hour to kill. The server was kind enough to agree to let me hang out (There were plenty of seats available). I opened another check and ordered a grapefruit juice. Normally when you order juice at a restaurant, you get an overpriced smallish glass. However, I can say that this glass is indeed large and you get a lot of juice. I actually had some time to spare later in the day too and was going to stop back by. I had assumed that they would be open for lunch since I saw a bar. I was going to have a beer. However, if they do offer lunch, it's not available as late as 3:00 pm on MLK Day. All in all, Portage Bay is a great place for a high quality breakfast or brunch with a good concentration on local ingredients. Great for fun or business.
(4)Stephanie K.
I've given this place several tries, and while I really want to love it (I love brunch food in general, and appreciate their dedication to local/organic/seasonal ingredients), it's just not all it's cracked up to be. Every time I've been here, at least half of the people in the group (I've been here in groups of 2 to 8 people) have had cold food brought out to them. Part of this has to be because of how ridiculously slow the service is. But things are often brought out incorrectly, too. They once brought a vegan friend a scramble made with eggs. She tried to point this out to the server, but the server had dropped things off & hustled off without a word. After trying for what felt like ages to get our server's attention, or any server's attention, my friend finally went up to the hostess to ask her to get the server to come remedy the situation. No one ever apologized to her for the mistake or the delay. Another time, I had a server who spilled a whole glass of orange juice on me. I get it--accidents happen, clothes are washable, it's not the end of the world. But she didn't apologize, and that's what pissed me off. Making mistakes is excusable, but refusing to apologize is inexcusable. If this place could get its act together in terms of timely, accurate, decent service, I would love it. As it is, someone's going to have to twist my arm--and offer to pay--to get me to come here again. PS: It is LOUD in here.
(2)Evilyn T.
We were in Seattle for the weekend visiting friends and one of them suggested coming here for breakfast. Most of our crew was pretty hungover, so even though the breakfasts looked amazing - most of them just pushed their eggs around on their plates. Not me! I ordered up the gluten free vegan porridge (since I saw their fruit bar and HAD to try it). Everything here was served up organic and local and so delicious! My porridge was served with jasmine rice, organic coconut milk, bananas, dried cherries and topped with toasted coconut, and then I got up to the fruit bar and dumped fresh pears, peaches, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, and sliced almonds. I knew I wasn't going to finish it all, but for $9 it was a steal. I had it wrapped up in a little box so I could eat it for breakfast on Sunday as well. I would have loved to come back here for breaky and try one of their bennys, and hash - I tried one of their potatoes all smothered in spices and it was pretty good too. The only reason I not giving this place five stars is cuz the service was pretty meh. The restaurant itself is a sort of seat yourself wherever you can cafeteria style- go make friends thang. We were lucky enough to get there pretty late so it wasn't oo hard to find somewhere to sit, but I can imagine at 11am on a weekend its probably pretty mental. We sat and waited, and waited and waited until I finally got up and asked somebody for menus, and then we waited more, and more, and its not like there were only two of us and we were hard to see, there were six of us, so we kinda took up a lot of space. When we finally met our server she was apologetic and in the end didn't charge us for the coffees that a few people ordered (maybe two of them?) but honestly it wasn't about saving money, we were starving and just wanted some electrolytes so we could re-enter the world again as sober human beings. I'd still go back and give this place another go, trying to decide what to eat when I get there on the other hand could be a problem - there's just too many yummy choices!
(4)Sarah Z.
I've been to this place twice. Both times with my husband and friends. We've been very happy both times. I love that they are an ethical restaurant and serve lots of vegetarian food as well as free-range chicken and grass-fed meats. I like having it available. Both times, though, I've gotten their cobbler french toast so I've never actually tried any meats! haha.. the french toast is awesome. I *almost* got the vegan oatmeal this time but the french toast pulled me back in. The trip to the fruit bar that comes with it is fantastic. My husband had the Migas (vegetarian) both times as well so I guess he was happy enough with his original dish that he didn't venture out to try another. (OK, the 2 times we've eaten here were about 5 months apart so it wasn't like we ate the same thing twice in quick succession!) Our friend had the tofu scramble and he also liked it. I also had a soy vanilla latte. It was pretty sweet. Next time I might get it without the vanilla. Great service and excellent food. We each ordered 1 plate and a coffee drink to go with it, and the total was almost exactly $60 with 20% tip, so plan for around $20 per person if you're going for breakfast/brunch.
(4)Amiee L.
We are currently in Seattle on a girl's weekend right now and asked a girl at our hotel if she were going out for Sunday brunch where would she go...and this is how we got to Portage Bay Cafe! First of all the wait on Sunday was horrible so if there is another day you can go besides Sunday it would make the trip alot shorter! Breakfast after the long wait was amazing....the food is so good and fresh there.....and the OJ was to die for! It was so good we went back on Monday morning for breakfast and the place was empty....and it was nice to have it all to ourselves to have breakfast!
(5)Nick G.
*Review best read while simultaneously listening to a Babyface and Kenny G rendition* Aghhhh dear Portage Bay, marry me? Honestly if you're looking for a place where people who want to look like they're green and eat organic might go... this is that place. You may come into this establishment looking like you were just pumped full of 2 gallons of McDonalds preservatives but after a trip to the fruit bar at Portage Bay you will leave looking as if you just bathed in a vat of Aloe Vera and Mint and reduced 1/3 of the worlds carbon footprint... it's THAT good! Shramp and Chicken Curry Salad (unofficial name unbeknownst unto me) was as LLCoolJ so eloquently put it... something like a phenomenon. With all of those greens massaging my palate I thought for mere moments that I wasn't a carnivore until the shrimp and chicken delighted me with their very being. Get some :)
(4)Rachel G.
I figured there was enough variety to warrant coming here 2 days in a row with out of towners, but my order was wrong both days as was the bill on both days. The second day I was there was a Monday and it wasn't particularly busy so I don't understand why our waitress had to be asked multiple times to bring us water...The food is good, but nothing I'd go out of the way for in the future.
(2)Tracey S.
Oh, the wait. This place has something (usually many things) for everyone. Because of food allergies, I don't often eat breakfasts out. This is one place where not only I can put myself into a food coma, but so can everyone else who can eat everything I can't. They've got gluten-free and vegan options. Pricing is just about what you'd expect in Seattle proper: not cheap, but not outrageous. It's all high quality, fresh stuff. The fruit bar is drool worthy, especially now...when all the berries are coming in fresh and local. Don't go if you're hungry RIGHT THIS INSTANT. And don't take people who get cranky about waiting (like my dad). You are going to wait. But it is actually worth it.
(4)Jennifer T.
Today we went to Portage Bay for my sister's birthday. She was super excited because she had never been and had heard such great things about it. My older sister and I had been before (she had been to this location, I had only been to the U district and Ballard locations). My mom was visiting from Bellingham and hadn't been to any Portage Bay either, just like my little sister. Unfortunately, the experience was disappointing. We came in, were seated quickly, no problems. As we glanced over the menus that had been placed as we were seated, we realized there weren't many breakfast options (my older sister had been raving about the crab eggs Benedict, which was missing from our current menu). As the server approached us for the first time asking for our drink orders, I asked about the small breakfast menu (not knowing that the menu changes at 11am to include more lunch options and less breakfast). The server was quite short in her response and didn't really explain anything. I had to ask "oh, does it change at a certain time?" which is when I learned of the 11am menu swap out. She hurried away to get our drink orders. As she left my sister commented on how she must not like her job...honestly you could just tell. She just wasn't friendly. Anyways, moving on. My mother had been in the bathroom and hadn't gotten her drink order in. As the server came back with our drinks she asked if my mother would like anything. My mother hadn't seen the beverage section of the menu and the server seemed rather perturbed when my mother inquired about drink options, responding with "well what do you feel like?", rather than pointing out the beverage section of the menu that my mother had skipped over. She seemed in a hurry and didn't even wait for my mom to pick out a beverage before she scurried off again. She did come back to get my mother's order of tea with cream, and then we all ordered. My mom's drink came out a few minutes later. All was okay, until... No cream was delivered with the tea and as my mom steeped her tea she realized there was no place to put her tea bag afterwards. She flagged down the server who was working behind the counter in the distance. As soon as my mom flagged her down it seemed as if there was gossip going on back there, like the server was like "oh gosh, not them again", even though we had been completely easy, normal patrons. When she got to our table my mom politely asked for cream (which she had originally asked for). The sever seemed a bit annoyed and turned to the table behind us and took their cream. Who knows how long it had been sitting there. The customers at that table were drinking cold beverages...nothing that required cream, obviously, since the server was able to snag that cream. As this was happening my mom asked where she should put her tea bag, as in she probably needed a small dish or something, to which the server replied "anywhere you like" which was in a fake-friendly voice. It was just super rude and not helpful. Anywhere we like? You can't just set a sopping wet tea bag on the table...come on. At least it was a bit entertaining. It just sounded funny. We laughed and thought how we could have responded to that....*think about it* Our food arrived in good time, no complaints there. But, we only had 3 place settings when we needed 4. I would think this would be a basic thing a server would check for, especially when all of our meals required utensils. So yet again, we had to flag someone down and were probably pinned as the annoying diners when really this should have been apparent to any conscientious server. I was just getting bad vibes the whole time. Also, we set out birthday stuff for my sis and the server didn't even take any note to this...as in "Happy Birthday" or "who is having a birthday today?" This would have been friendly conversation, don't ya' think? Not until we had paid and were leaving did the server say happy birthday. The food was fine. I had the club sandwich with turkey. It was sort of dry. I just was very disappointed compared with the experience I have had at the Ballard location (I didn't really like the U district location). I guess I should have stuck with what seems to be their specialty: breakfast. That was probably my bad. I think my sisters food was good. Mom's food was okay...she also went with a lunch option instead of breakfast. Lesson learned. I wrote this review because I was so disappointed. I realize lots of reviews get written when something is bad, instead of good (I loved the Ballard Portage Bay and never wrote them a review). This seems unfair to me and I do understand that this happens a lot and I am aware of it, so I apologize for that. But like they say, no news (reviews), is good news. Anyways, every experience is a learning one. I will be sticking to the Ballard Portage Bay Cafe and the breakfast menu.
(2)Angelina L.
I can't believe I didn't review this right away, maybe it's because I wasn't that impressed?? I seriously do not know what all the hype is about?? First, the wait for 2 was about 45 minutes and this place has quite a bit of space. Service was fast & friendly after that. So, no ill feelings on that part. They were out of one of the juices (apple-raspberry), so I went with the plain orange juice and champagne mimosa. Definite negative. We both got the eggs benedict with ham & side of potatoes. Neither was that good. The potatoes were really dry and not very flavorful. The hollandaise sauce was pretty bland. Price was pretty pricey, especially for the quality of food. $12 for a classic eggs benedict, really??? For me, the only thing this place has going for them is that they serve brunch until 2:30 on the weekends.
(2)Crissy K.
My one regret about my recent trip to Seattle is that I only found this on my second-to-last day there. Portage Bay Cafe has a really comprehensive menu full of locally grown and/or organic ingredients, and all I had a chance to try were the fresh berry lemonade and the granola parfait, both of which were fabulous. The waitress let me go to the toppings bar for some fresh blueberries, even though I hadn't ordered a toppings-applicable item! Nice. This particular location is easily accessible via Seattle Streetcar, whose Lake Union line stops right near the restaurant. (Don't trust the location numbered on the map in the streetcar, because that's totally wrong; in actuality, it is near Stop #4, the Terry & Thomas stop, with the Westlake & Mercer stop directly across the street.)
(4)Chris W.
You have to love a place that has (eat like you give a damn on the coffee cup). The food was amazing. I had the ranchers breakfast and I have no idea what the put in the pancakes but they were fantastic.
(5)Latifa S.
Meh!! That's all I have to say. I get the fresh organic concept. I just don't get any of their scrambles. They fail me every time. But the space and atmosphere is good. So I often come here for meetings/ quick breakfasts with clients. And without fail, I go for the pancake bar every time and have a bite or two of my pancakes with tons of fruits on the side. Maybe they'll improve their scrambles one day. Maybe they'll add diff ones. Who knows. Till then, I'm sticking with their French toasts, pancakes and fresh squeeze OJ.
(3)Jena E.
Went here with a large party for a business brunch. We told the waitress we were waiting for someone. After five minutes we got a text that our missing person wasn't going to make it. But we continued to wait there, and wait there ... I thought maybe the waitress would come by to see if we wanted to order anyway, but she felt free to ignore us. We finally flagged her down, which was difficult in such a large and busy restaurant. The menu looked great, but it should have come with a disclaimer: "ingredients are not in the proportion you expect and our portion size is out of control." I ordered a hash, which was almost entirely large firm chunks of flavorless potato. In Portage Bay's defense I am a savant for picking the worst entree on the menu. But going around the table, most of us had lukewarm feelings about our choices. I'm happy to hear they use locally sourced foods, but I can't eat fuzzy feelings.
(2)Kara M.
Gluten-intolerant people rejoice! When it comes to food I have two problems: 1: An extreme love for pancakes, waffles, crepes, french toast, etc. 2: I can't tolerate the protein in wheat. Yes, I know, it sucks. I was eyeballing all the plates around me filled with crepes and berries and french toast and whipped cream and I wondered if it was worth feeling like crap later for what looked like breakfast nirvana right now. But lo and behold they have buckwheat pancakes (not related to wheat, yay!) and rice flour pancakes for us poor souls who are normally forced to watch others devour their french toast while we cry a little inside. I'm also kind of a hippie-granola type when it comes to food so I was glad that PBC doesn't serve corn-fed anything and is mostly organic and local. I like that their motto is about giving a damn about what you eat. High five! I got the Rancher's Breakfast, asked for the buckwheat pancakes and I was a happy girl. The chicken sausage made it even better. Let me say that my meal could have easily been split between two people. I think any of the items could, really. My BF got the migas and let me have a taste. They were so good we thought we were back in Texas. (I think the migas might actually feed 3 people...) We only waited about 10 minutes (if that). We didn't call ahead and the place was slammed on a Saturday so I can't complain about that part. I can't wait to go back...mmmm, pancakes...
(5)Sammy B.
Wow, Oatmeal crusted French Toast and huge topping bar? Slice of heaven, Service was awesome, very friendly and fast. Will be back when we are up in the Northwest,
(5)Pink N.
Great food !! I love this place :) and it's organic !! Yay delicious . French toast are really good plus they have open bar for fruit !! They have really delicious Benedict.
(5)Chad Y.
two words: FRENCH TOAST The food is always really good (although I am now known to stick to the rancher's breakfast) and there is a great selection. While you tend to feel heavy and tired after a normal breakfast at some places, I have yet to feel that here. I love their french toast over their pancaes and the breakfast potatoes are a bit of heaven. Let's face it, potatoes with just enough spice is just amazing! The toppings bar has a great selection to meet your taste buds and still keep you healthy! There can be a line on weekends so if you have a group, I'd call ahead. Definitely worth the wait though! The host staff have always been awesome and fair. I wish I could say the same for the wait staff, but it has been very hit or miss in that area. Food sometimes comes out a little colder than I'd like, but still yummy! Parking can be sometimes a pain (especially now that there is so much construction going on), but it is on the South Lake Union Trolley (SLUT) route so you can always ride that. Overall has some room for improvement, but nothing that would make me not go! Definitely a place to take anyone!
(4)Christine Z.
Great food for breakfast and lunch, local and organic ingredients, friendly and helpful staff, all help to make Portage Bay Cafe a great place! It's no secret this place is so good! On any given Sunday you are sure to find the place PACKED with people. There will be crowds of people waiting just inside the doors, and you will also find people spilled out into the sidewalk. Get ready to wait at least an hour for a table (looooonger if you party is larger than 4)... Thankfully, they opened up another location in Ballard, and it's a block and a half away from my house... I no longer have to deal with the craziness at the Westlake location. Get the crab cake Benedict... there's nothing like it!!! It's the only thing I get there!!!
(4)Jayme T.
This place is a great place if you are mindful of restaurants that serve local and thoughtful foods. I ordered the corn beef hash. I appreciated the various of seasonal veggies in the dish. The beef seemed like good quality deli meat (sort of like in a ruben or pastrami sandwich). It is a solid brunch place and doesn't disappoint. A lot of people seemed to order french toast or any of their sweeter dishes. Because I was trying to avoid sugary foods, I strayed but it might be more worth it to go here if you are the type to order a sweeter dish.
(3)Mike S.
I like the food. The pancakes and French toast are very good. The savory items are good, but not great. Prices are a bit high and getting close to a tipping point. And yes, the toppings bar is good. As for the service, it is definitely hit or miss. Most of the servers are friendly, but lack any since of urgency, or the ability to figure out the next move. Do you need more coffee? Water? An extra plate? And please, and this is to all restaurants, do not ask your customers, " Who ordered the (fill in the food item you ordered)?" You, the server, who took the order, should know. And if someone other than the original server brings the food, you should tell them, not me.
(3)Laura L.
Why it took me so long to try this place is a mystery to me. Several vegan options for breakfast- none of which include toast and a fruit plate; that is progress. I'll take it! I have been back twice in the last month. Conscious choices for people looking to feel good about eating flesh based products, too.
(4)Emily A.
So, my employer recently opened new offices in South Lake Union (and if you're local, you now know where I work :-P). With this came a seismic shift in the available places to have lunch within an easy walk from my office. Goodbye many Asian restaurants of the ID, hello... weird SLU stuff. One place that looked promising was Portage Bay. Their menu online shows a sandwich and a brunch option that are both specifically called out as vegan. And the're in to sustainable/local/organic, which is always nice. So when we planned a group lunch there, I was actually kind of excited. Good stuff: - the sustainable/organic claims seem to be solid - one of the few places in the restaurant desert that is SLU - extra-large portions (but see below) Bad stuff: - extra-large portions - LOUD! Something in the acoustics of the space must be disadvantageous. There were conversations going on not far down the table from me, but I only knew it from watching my teammates' mouths move. - slow service every step of the way, from getting menus to getting the check - menu in restaurant is not the same as online, including the omission of the vegan sandwich; ended up with a salad the waitress seemed sure was vegan but if it is I wonder why it wasn't labeled vegan when other things were... - they apparently make up one giant batch of tofu prepared one specific, heavily seasoned way and use it for everything; some things it may go well with, others it does not; my teammates say the same goes for their potatoes In another location this would be 2 stars, but I'm giving the extra star for: - enthusiastically helping me find something vegan-friendly when I asked, especially since I insisted I didn't want the one thing left on the menu that's truly labeled vegan - braving the SLU wasteland, as few other restaurants have yet done -
(3)Suzanna F.
Went here for my friend's 25th birthday brunch on Sunday. Impressed with how well they accommodated our group of 16, though my friend said the reservation kept being pushed back. This place is seriously crowded on weekends, but it's for good reason! I ordered the chicken sausage scramble, which I loved. It had a few too many shitake mushrooms in it though, but the flavor was great. The bf ordered strawberry cheesecake french toast and I'd say he had a pretty happy tummy after that. He also had a berry lemonade mimosa which was pretty fabulous :) Though I didn't personally order a dish that required a trip to the toppings bar, I HIGHLY recommend doing so. Why? Fresh whipped cream. (Which I can't eat, but I can at least appreciate!) Yum.
(4)Nathan R.
We attended a wedding here. They had breakfast for dinner. It was awesome and delicious! The space has great decor. Looking forward to trying again on a regular day.
(5)Phil A.
First off the food is good. Plentiful portions, homemade hollandaise sauce, quality ingredients. But I have never seen so many employees standing around and the service was poor with all these resources. The place was packed and we sat at the bar. After not being greeted for about 5 min (yet 5-6 employees walked right past us, over and over) I reached over the counter to get our own menus. Some employees are quite young and you can tell there is either a lack of training and urgency or they are overstaffed and employees are getting away with doing nothing and not stepping up. I'll be trying somewhere else next time.
(2)Noah K.
OK, I'll preface this review by saying that I am one of those people who above all tries to eat as organic and all natural as possible... Please understand that this doesn't mean I eat a raw vegan diet or anything close to it. I'm all about a double bacon cheese burger (but please make it with USDA organic grass fed beef). I prefer my food to be as organic and fresh as possible because I think it tastes better, but also because I feel much healthier by eating so. That said, in Seattle, this can be hard to do. There is only a handful of restaurants that actually come through with GOOD organic/natural food. This is one of them. Let me break down the pro's and con's of this place: Pro's: Both Sweet and Savory breakfast choices are good! I'm a big fan of the omelette's and also the pancakes or french toast.. Usually when me and my girlfriend go here one of us gets something egg inspired and the other gets something that includes a trip to their breakfast bar (they have a table set up by the kitchen with fresh fruit, whip creme, nuts, butter and syrup you can walk up to and pile ontop of your order!) . Complementary coffee or espresso while you wait for a table . Great service and fairly fast to get your order out to you even when they are packed. Con's: Long wait on weekends.... Come prepared to wait 30-45 minutes for a table. Pricey... yup fellas be prepared to drop close to fifty or sixty on you and your girl Large portions, which isn't always a bad thing.. but I'm a big guy and I can't even finish a full order of pancakes here!!! I've been a fan since they only had one location by University of Washington. I have never minded spending the extra $ considering the high quality of the food. Overall this is a great place to go, especially with friends for a big brunch. I appreciate their integrity in choosing to serve organic and natural food and hope more restaurants follow their lead - Just because you push organic ingredients doesn't mean it has to be hippie food!!
(5)Nina N.
I pretty much love this place. I go here.... uhmm every other day. Why.. well ask my other half. the organic person that makes me eat here. it's a mixture of good and bad. The bad side of me that likes greasy deliciousness, and the other side that likes my ass looking all perky, and my face looking clear as ever. The wait is a bit much on the weekend, but worth the wait when the specials are amazing like our dutch baby with an abundant amount of amazingness in my mouth. The service is cheerful, and the attentive as well as the food. It is delicious, and has made the greasy food eater into a organic convert. Do I like it? yes, but will it make me every transition to a healthy way of eating. uhmmm probably not. I would say go here during the weekdays to enjoy the food here, and the fruit bar. Don't go here on a weekend if you're ready to eat on the whim. If you need any recommendations, please message me. I know too much about this place it's embarrassing.
(5)Natalie W.
One of my favorite things about this breakfast space is the amount of things that tempt me on the menu and also fit into my eating style... On my last visit I ordered a whole wheat pancake (made with faro whole wheat flower, soy milk, etc) with one organic egg- the order included a trip to the toppings bar (strawberries, pears, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, raspberries, syrups, etc). My food was tasty and fresh. One pancake took up the width of a large plate. I had been tempted by the organic vegetable hash with eggs and the vegan banana pancake- next time! The service was present and kind. We were seated right away in the early morning, but the time we left at 10am there was pools of people waiting in the entry and outside. FYI's~ * Dedicated to local & organic ingredients and offerings * Lots of vegetarian and even vegan options * Great mimosas with fresh juice * Lots of tables with possible patio seating on a sunny day
(4)Matt V.
their summer/spring hash was one of the best breakfasts I've had in a long time. Our server was great too!
(5)ramiro t.
It's one of my favorite brunch places. I can recommend the Egg bennedicts. Pancakes are pretty good as well.. The only problem is that there is too many people over the weekends.
(4)Michael E.
South Lake Union spots always get me, take away the "dressings" on the wall and they have the same interior and duct work. If I look up I could just as easily be at Paddy Coynes. Anyhow, great HUGE breakfast joint that serves good food in a cool setting. So I dig that. Here's my thing, I am in love with Madison Park Cafe, their food is just so far and away better that I would rather just eat a home for breakfast. BUT, a Portage Bay Cafe visit had been on my list, and I got Ranchers so I sort of feel like I tried it all. Great poached eggs, though I would have preferred better draining. Free wi-fi also "poached" from the hospital (health joint) next door. Yeah, topping bars are fun, but they struck me as frozen then thawed, maybe I'm wrong.
(4)Helen V.
I must say that Portage Bay has some unique twists to their breakfast dishes but they weren't enough to win me over. My friend and I ordered the Chai Oatmeal and the Risotto Eggs Benedict. The oatmeal was very different and good but not very memorable either. The same goes for the benedict...good, but didn't live up to its hype. What was good about it was the trip to the toppings bar where I graciously served myself lots of fresh strawberries and blueberries. Their juices (we had grapefruit and orange) were very yummy. Overall, just another breakfast joint to me. But really appreciated the fresh and organic ingredients. Oh, and at the end of the meal, the hostess called a cab for us! Gold star in my book!
(3)J. L.
I've eaten here a few times. The breakfast portions are huge so it's tough to get it for lunch without being in a coma. Today I had the Prim Rib dip. The au jus that came with it was extremely fatty. I'm pretty sure it was melted cow fat on the top of the au jus. You couldn't stir it enough to get to the good part of the juice. They did take 2.00 off my order, but the sandwich was dry with the au jus. The chef says it wasn't "ready" whatever that means. Don't serve it if it's not ready... Things were fine otherwise, but I was disappointed in a sandwich that I previously enjoyed.
(3)Vicki V.
Knowing that this place was organic got me a little hesitant as I am not used to eating organic therefore, assumed it will not beat my usual breakfast in California. However, I was wrong. Eggs and toast were good, service was welcoming, and best of all, the natural apple juice I had was amazing! There was no wait on a Monday morning and prices are decent ($10 to $18).
(3)Erin K.
I wanted to love Portage Bay...but sadly I didn't. I was really glad to see that Portage Bay took reservations as I'm 9 months pregnant and my guests included a diabetic and 2 toddlers. Little did I know that reservations mean nothing here. Upon checking in we were told it would be 20 minutes. An hour later, we were finally sat. The menu looks delicious, but in reality the food was mediocre. Everything was served cold which wasn't surprising given the ridiculous number of plates sitting in the window waiting to be served. The kid's pancake with a trip to the toppings bar was the best thing we ordered...even though many of the fruit toppings had obviously been previously frozen. Overall, the wait, the service and the food left me embarrassed for bringing my out of town guests here.
(2)Anne B.
I'm torn here. The service here has been decent, with a willingness to accommodate large groups of coworkers. But, speaking only for the weekday lunch service, I can say that the quality of the food has been uneven. And man, this place needs some sound-muffling, as all the hard, glassy surfaces mean it is LOUD. Certain standbys--the house salad with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette, the soups--have been delectable, if a bit overpriced, in my opinion. But the specials that have looked so appealing on paper have fallen flat numerous times I've eaten at Portage Bay--an overly crunchy, flavorless buttermilk fried chicken breast; a way-too-bready-for-this-Marylander "crab" cake. On one occasion, a dining companion actually sent her order (a special, some sort of croquette) back because it was burned on the underside to the point of being black. I've enjoyed, although not been patient enough to wait for, the brunch food at the University District location, so maybe PB should stick to breakfast and lunch standbys that it does best.
(3)John P.
Headed over to portage bay for a nice monday brunch. Had the Wildberry French toast and wooo it was the bomb! Before I even tried it I heard that it was really good and with that coming from my sisters I had high expectations. The challah bread is perfect for this french toast because of its chewy and glutenous texture. It even inspired me to bake loaves of my own the next day. The fruit toppings bar wasn't amazing or super fresh but it was still nice. Had in house made whipcream so that was pretty delish. Their wildberry french toast is definitely good eats. Oh yeah, service wasn't even bad, it was actually pretty decent but maybe we got lucky?
(5)Allison S.
The food here is amazing. I have had Phil's breakfast with the Italian Sausage once and the Rancher's Breakfast the other time. The topping bar is delicious and fresh, it's quite a task to eat the breakfast and a topping bar item too. So good though. The first time I came here the service was great and fast despite the number of people waiting as it was a Saturday for brunch. The people were all really friendly and attentive even with a dining room packed full of people. When I came here yesterday though the service was not so great. There wasn't a wait for a table, there were plenty open, but I waited about ten minutes at the front counter before anyone said anything to me. There were two people standing at the registers doing things, but nobody said anything. I am in the customer service industry and when people come into my store there is always someone who welcomes every customer that walks in the door warmly whether we are busy are not. After that, we were helped by Jean who was alright at first but then didn't get any better. Our water cups were empty most of the time as was my iced tea glass. Our table didn't have salt or pepper or tabasco and she never came over to ask us if we needed anything, we had to flag her down each time and she wasn't very accommodating at all. What made it worse was that she refilled the iced teas of all of the tables around us but it was about 40 minutes that my glass was mostly empty. The food also took a long time, like 30 minutes, to come to our table, which is fine, but not once in that time were we approached and informed that it would be there soon until right when it was coming to our table. I will still come back here because the food is really good and I think it still deserves a good amount of stars, but I would recommend the manager have a little coaching session about basic customer service skills because when you are paying that much for food you expect a higher level of customer service. On the plus side, the bus boy was AWESOME. I'm not sure what his name was but he was a big tall guy with dark brown/black hair and a beard. He refilled my iced tea. He deserves a gold star :o)
(4)Claire S.
Fantastic food! Everything tasted fresh, the recipes were inventive and well cooked. I also liked the fact that many of the ingredients were organic and locally grown. Another plus is that the breakfast menu is huge so no matter what you might prefer- you can find something on there to suit you. A bit pricey but worth it.
(5)Brian C.
Tried the Bananas Foster French Toast. Large portions (3 pieces), lots of rum sauce, and sauteed bananas. Yum! And you can add toppings at the toppings bar. My wife tried the Joe's Scramble, which was very good, although I'd suggest the fresh fruit over the potatoes. A little pricey ($12-13 per entree) for breakfast or brunch, but taste and quantity is worth it.
(4)Joanne H.
Once upon a time I compiled a list of breakfast places Yelpers rated highly and have tried a few. I tried Portage Bay Cafe because it offers me something so few places do... gluten free pancakes. In my ranking system this automatically adds a star because it is so nice to have an option! I got the rice flour pancakes. They were BIG. I also got a side of bacon because I love all things bacon. The bacon was thick and peppery which is awesome. The pancakes were slightly heavy. That's to be expected with gluten free cooking though. I liked the berry puree that came along with them. If I had read the menu more carefully I would have realized I could have hit the toppings bar, but I didn't read so I didn't get any toppings. Sad for me. The only negative for me was the space. Because it is this HUGE open space of a room I felt like it was really loud in there and hard to have a conversation. All in all it was good and I'm planning on going back. :)
(4)reese h.
It's good. I like the organic ketchup option. Slightly oversized portions, but the price for quality ratio is right. I don't like the vast chasm inside, it's like an amazon/microsoft cafeteria. Maybe since they will be new 2010 neighbors, maybe it was a purposeful off-white/beige non-offensive strategy. Because of it's size and scope, I felt that personal service was impossible....the place is just too big. Good luck on that coffee refill, you'll be waiting a loooong time. When it was time for the bill though, she was right there...why are they never there when you need something? It's solid food, but lacks a soul.
(3)Jen K.
I was really really excited to learn that PBC had opened a location in South Lake Union, within reasonable walking distance from where I live. I've been to the U District location a few times and while the food is certainly equal, I really like not having to deal with parking. On to the dining experience... We were a group of 6, called ahead, and were seated within 20 minutes of arriving (not too bad for prime Sunday brunch time). It was super packed but our service was very quick and our server was very friendly. I had the migas (deliciously spicy - I love anything with eggs, chipotle, tortillas, and cheese...yum) which were excellent. From around the table, there were no complaints. . .the risotto benedict looked amazing (and Amanda K claimed it was!). This will definitely be added to my list of regular weekend brunch spots!
(5)p q.
Customer Service means a lot, when you're giving them your money and helping their business out by frequenting their cafe. You'd hope for better customer service. Food was great but since there was a snobby feel to the wait staff even the guy in the khaki's and blue button down wasn't very friendly, this brought down the level of great food in my mind. We waited for 45 minutes for our food to arrive and not once were we asked if we would like more coffee and water. Then our plates went untouched for another 15 mins before our unfriendly waitress came to pick them up and another 10 mins to bring us our checks. Be prepared to spend a good portion of your day here at portage bay
(3)Anna R.
This was my second time to eat at Portage Bay in Seattle and what a treat it was both times. I love to know that I am eating fresh farm to table, organic... You truly can taste the difference. I will make this a stop every time I come to Seattle! Our server was Angela who answered all of our questions and was attentive to our every need. I had the One Pancake which is $9.00; but don't let the price fool you. The pancake can feed 2-3 people. The reason I ordered this is so that I could partake from the breakfast bar which consists of fabulous choices of fresh local, organic fruit and amazing whipping cream and warm organic maple syrup to accompany your pancake or French Toast. They have one rule for the breakfast bar, "Take all you want, but eat all you take!" My husband got the French Toast and loved, loved, loved it. We also each ordered the Veggie Frittata, I got mine with no onions. This was packed with flavor and had spinach, local asparagus; not so ordinary goat cheese with red chili flakes. Guess what? More fruit accompanied this dish or you could opt for potatoes. Our son and daughter had the Rancher's Breakfast and they shared the pancake and french toast. Lot's of food, next time I will share. I almost thought I was back in TEXAS with the portion sizes. I love the atmosphere here, and the bay windows are floor to ceiling. Both times I went I got that PROUD feeling of supporting local organic, farming. Their menu has a list of the local farmers they receive produce from. I live in San Antonio, Texas and frequent places like this in my hometown.
(5)Phil L.
This place serves brunch.....all the time? Pretty awesome. I had the eggs benedict and it's everything that you would expect out of a good old fashioned benedict. The problem however is finding someone who perfectly executes a poached egg. I don't understand why this is so difficult but it's apparently hard for some. Portage bay almost had a flawless execution, one of the two eggs was slightly over done and the yolk was half cooked (lame). The hollandaise sauce that accompanied it was just the right amount of salt and overall not bad. If you're looking to stuff your face, I would recommend the french toast. There was so much french toast it was almost comical when it came to our table.
(3)Brendan c.
The meal was written for those who are self-righteous, into the latest food fad and like to be browbeaten by by the philosophies of others. Guess what, I really don't care where 15 items on the menu come from. You still buy everything else from a food distributor like every other restaurant and I don't think you Alaskan Halibut is really local (close but not local). If a customer really has to know what farm his egg come from let him ask because that's what the waiter is for. Now that I said my piece, the meal has too many good things to try for brunch. Everyone at my table enjoyed everything. The crab egg benedict was great and the french toast was really good. The staff was very nice and helpful. For those hard of hearing don't bother going unless you know sign language. The restaurant design was created by someone that loves noisy everywhere. Everyone conversation and kitchen noisy travels everywhere. Try eating outside if you want to talk with people at your table. Tip is make a reservation because the line is way too long to just walk in and hope for a spot.
(4)Beth C.
I had a wonderful experience here, though my friends were not as satisfied with their food. We arrived at 7:45am on a Sunday and barely beat the crowd--it filled up and became quite noisy. Our server was very nice, and though she was kept busy, she did check on us often. I was very impressed with the Three Bears Porridge. I think of porridge as something very bland, something to eat when you're sick. This was delicious! The jasmine rice had a fabulous texture. The meal included a trip to the fruit bar, too, which I REALLY enjoyed. I live away from Seattle now and I miss access to fruits like this. I loaded up on fruit, slice almonds, and added a drizzle of maple syrup (from a pitcher, no less). The porridge was huge and I didn't eat everything, but the meal sat in my stomach really well (unusual for something that heavy) and kept me from being hungry for over seven hours as I took an airplane flight out of Seattle. This is a place I'd visit again when I return to Seattle.
(4)Ute L.
This place is a zoo on weekends, and the Yelp Seat Me reservation didn't do anything. We still waited 20 minutes until we were seated (party of 2), then waited another 30+ minutes to get our food. It is noisy with wait staff rushing around frantically, so if your idea of brunch is more chill and relaxing, don't come here. That said, there is a reason Portgage Bay cafe is wildly popular. The prices are right, portions huge and food delicious. I love the abundance of gluten-free options. My buckwheat pancakes were big, fluffy and moist. Loaded them up with fresh berries, coconut and whipped cream from the topping bar, I was in pancake heaven. The all-you-can-eat topping bar is pure genius. Love it.
(4)Jenny D.
Hands down, they've made the greatest French toast bar, ever. It's very clever as well. I went here because a coworker recommended and even said he comes here every payday on Sunday's because it's just that great. He was right! It's extremely busy on the weekends though. We went in without reservations but the wait was less than five minutes. Our server was legitimately real with us. "Eat like you give a damn" and "You guys are gonna really love it" He was really nice and chill, nicely answered our questions, and although the eggs Benedict was off the table, we still had really great food! My boyfriend and I shared French toast and got our own fixings, with a savory dish of roasted potatoes, eggs, and sausage. The waiter got us the ketchup and hot sauce like he knew we were going to ask. I definitely want to go back here, it's a little pricey, and the cafe is huge, but it's worth it!
(5)Hang T.
Huge restaurant, huge portions, and great menu selection, but the food is not as good as it could or should be. My friends and I ordered the Swedish pancakes and the farmer's hash with corned beef. The pancakes (crepes) were delicious. Nothing wrong with them at all. The lingonberry puree was not too sweet and just enough so the pancakes did not become soggy. We loved how the fruit bar and how we could pile on as much as we wanted. The whipped cream was good and the fruit was fresh for the most part except for the canned peaches and pears. The problem we had was with our hash. While the flavors were there, everything was undercooked and there was barely any meat with it. It was like a scavenger hunt trying to find the little chunks of beef. The vegetables were all crunchy which I don't think it should have been. They really need to rethink their meat to vegetable ratio. Service was great, but this place is overpriced to me for the quality that we got.
(3)Michael B.
I debated between a 2 and 3 star review for this place. A 3 star review is a place I would go back to again, a 2 star more than likely not. That's how I based by rating. I had high hopes - everything looked so good and I wanted to try everything. As stated in other reviews, I love sugary diabetic overloads and french toast so I was more than excited they had this. I ordered the Rancher Breakfast because it comes with a little bit of everything - french toast, pancake, eggs, bacon, and potatoes. I wasn't impressed. The bacon was hard, like crack into pieces hard and I normally enjoy well cooked bacon. The eggs were so so, the potatoes were good if I dipped them in ketchup. The french toast I took to the toppings bar which everything (fruit and whip cream) were all good but the french toast was dry and the pancake tasted very organic-ey. If you're into that thing, then you might like it. We made reservations and they sat us almost right away, very neat atmosphere and friendly staff. Food just wasn't as good as the pictures looked. I'd rather take a stop at Lola's down the street or Americana on Capital Hill.
(2)Sharon C.
It was my first visit yesterday. My husband made reservations for two. We were running a few minutes late so he dropped me off so that I can get our table. As soon as I walked in, the place was packed (No surprise here though). When I told the nice woman that we had reservations for two, she wasn't able to find us but "No big deal, we can fit you both in right now anyway!" and walked me to our table. Awesome. In the future, do I want to make reservations online? I think for a group of 4 or more. For 2? I don't think we would need to.. unless we just got lucky yesterday! My husband and I were both craving french toast. I had the gluten free french toast and he did the bananas foster. Delicious! I had no idea that there was a toppings bar. Portage Bay may have the best french toast. There was a fairly long wait time for our food to arrive but that won't stop me from coming back. Parking is easy. If you have a lucky day, you can find parking up at the front but there are parking garages. Just use them. We spent like $2.00.
(5)Kevin C.
So good!! My gf had the ribeye and mushroom pasta. So creamy and delicious. I had the pancake French toast and sausage dish. Sausage was flavorful and the spice in it was on point. The dish that I ordered lets us go to the fruit bar. All organic fruits. Very fresh and I especially loved the jam. The only problem is the pancake and French toast weren't as hot as I would've liked. Place gets super busy and it took them a while serve us and give us our checks.
(3)Kristopha H.
A friend of mine from high school who's now essentially a Seattle-area native told me about this restaurant with much excitement, extolling the great taste of their food and saying vociferously that I really needed to experience an icon of restaurants, it being my first time ever in Seattle. She did warn that it is so popular that one would need a reservation, lest one have to wait roughly two hours as a walk-in. They use the Yelp reservations system, so one can do that right from the app, and it will give you alternative times if your first choice is not available. We'd elected for the 8:45AM time, but showing up at 8:05AM, they still were able to seat us. The menus were already at the table, and it being a Sunday at 8:00-ish, it was a brunch menu. I'd ordered an egg and vegetable frittata that they put Humboldt fog goat cheese on (serving it with a thickly-cut piece of wheat toast and sweet cream butter, and cuts of miscellaneous fruit), and my friend went with a pretty decadent and sizable pancake duo upon which one can put (local and seasonal, one has to add) fruit from a serve-yourself bar, and two well-scrambled eggs. I'd devoured my food, but had to comment on how good the cheese was. The place did give me the air that it might have been sin to do this, but I did put ketchup on my frittata, not looking up as I'd done so to see whether there were any stares or glares of judgment. The restaurant seemed to attract mostly young couples and families, and while I did get the hipsterish vibe others have commented on, it wasn't overwhelmingly so. As I'd commented on my fear of judgment, though, there is a hint of expectation in the place. I do rate this place excellently, and it is a good, polite, and somewhat quirky addition to a first-time Seattle experience.
(5)Karen J.
Came for breakfast on Sunday with an author friend who was in town and needed to be at the airport after the meal. This is relevant, because I ordered the Eggs Benedict and there was no mention on the menu of the fact that they dump cayenne pepper on the hollandaise sauce (which is watery and tasteless). So, I did not have time to have them re-make the plate. But pepper is something I think a diner should know about ahead of time, or be able to add on their own. I don't know what the meat is that they use for the regular Eggs Benedict, but that's what I had and it looked like and had the texture of a smoked turkey breast slice. It just wasn't at all what I expected and the egg part was great, the sauce was awful and the general flavor was not at all like any Eggs Benedict I have ever had. So, I would not order that there again. It comes served with a roasted potatoes that had some seasoning, but they were not as good as frozen generic tater tots, but better than an Arby's potato cake. They seemed pre-made and sitting around getting soggy for a long time. Not much flavor. Kinda congealed grease flavor if anything. The really cool thing is that they have a fruit bar, so if you order certain things, you can have that. That is a very nice option. The servers are very nice, the place gets super busy (we got there at 7:45 AM and by 8:15 it was full and very noisy. They do have a separate dining room you can book for a group, which is much quieter.
(2)Ryann V.
I had the Bananas Foster french toast with a side of eggs and potatoes, and best of all- a pitcher of mimosas. Also, because I ordered the French toast, I was able to visit the fresh fruit bar. Holy crap! Everything was SO yummy. Our server was fun too. They've got almost like a cafeteria sort of seating and it was very packed when we went there. Luckily I'd made a reservation (we still had to wait about 20 minutes, but it was better than if we'd just shown up). If I were ever back in the Seattle area, I'd definitely hit this place up again.
(5)Lily A.
Best French toast I've ever had, hands down. Mountains of fresh fruit (from fruit bad), homemade whipped cream, crispy granola, light & fluffy bread. It was so good it didn't need maple syrup, would've masked the extraordinary flavors. Service was laid back but attentive. Absolutely recommend.
(5)Leela S.
If you're a fan of pancakes and/or French toast, this truly is as good as it gets. Long gone are the days when you get a couple of strawberry slices atop your stack. Portage Bay understands that fruit, nuts, and whipped cream are as essential to the pancake-eating experience as syrup, and they pay appropriate homage to this fact of life. I tell you, there's no going back after this "take all you can, but eat all you take" fruit/nut/whipped cream station. I got the bananas foster French toast, and my boyfriend got two pancakes. We made two trips each to the breakfast bar, and had to be rolled out of the restaurant (albeit in a state of absolute bliss). Next time, I'll probably just grab the pancakes as well; as delicious as the bananas and rum caramel sauce were, there is more than enough fruit and sugar to be taken from the breakfast bar. There's always a wait, but you can make a reservation. I highly recommend doing that, unless you decide to go to brunch right when you roll out of bed and are too late to make a reservation. But, you know, that shouldn't stop you from trying your luck. Did I mention that breakfast bar?
(5)Mojdeh S.
How I heard of this place: Portage Bay Cafe in the University District has been around as long as I can remember; this addition to the cafe empire opened sometime in the past three to five years, and has been racking up customers like it's nobody's business. I guess people in SLU really do Eat Like They Give a Damn. Type of cuisine: Food sourced from local, clean and sustainable farms and producers. Type of cuisine you would choose if you give a damn. Ambiance: A contemporary feel, this space is expansive, open, full of natural light and very modern. The space, with large windows and high ceilings, wooden chairs, booths and tables reminiscent of the older cafe in the U-District, yet full of upgrades and clean lines, including bamboo waves along the open kitchen space. What I ordered: Being Mother's Day weekend, the place was packed, and among the hoards was our party of seven! My husband selected the Migas ($13.50), adding Ulit's Maple Pork Sausage ($3) and sautéed mushrooms ($2) to the three eggs scrambled with chipotle & cumin, Tillamook medium & sharp cheddar, fresh basil, homemade salsa & sour cream, folded into a large flour tortilla, served with an avocado salsa garnish, and roasted organic potatoes. For me, the Specials Menu struck with either the Chocolate and Tart Cherry Oven Baked French Toast ($14): PBC's famous Challah french toast tossed with organic tart cherries, Callebaut dark chocolate and a rich egg cream, oven baked and topped with a Vanilla and Kentucky Bourbon glaze or the Chicken Mole Benedict ($14.50): two poached Stiebrs Farms eggs atop organic braised chicken with roasted chilies and dark Mexican chocolate with house made Yukon Gold Potato English Muffin, with avocado cream and cilantro hollandaise, served with café potatoes. Since they had already sold out of the French Toast, I went with the latter. Others in our party selected the Chicken Mole Benedict, the Swedish Pancakes ($12): rice & tapioca flour cakes, almond extract, lingonberry compote, lingonberry compound butter, Vegan Banana Pancakes ($12.50): rice flour, hemp milk, fair trade bananas, the Classic French Toast ($11.50): house-made challah bread, rich egg batter, cinnamon garnish, and the Wild Mushroom Benedict ($14.50): seasonal mikuni wild harvest mushroom blend, sautéed with dry sherry, cream and fresh organic herbs, two poached eggs, fresh hollandaise. What I loved: The toppings bar! Having the opportunity to share among the group, I made a little trip to the toppings bar for fresh strawberries and blackberries topped with a hint of maple syrup and fresh whipped cream. Glorious. Why I loved it: An ambiance great for people-watching, enjoying everything the establishment has to offer and tasty food to boot! Cost: Average ($11 - $16.50 per breakfast entrée)
(4)Trista A.
A friend introduced me to this place today and the food was absolutely delicious. I had the pancakes, which are wheat, and they were amazing. Who would've thought that wheat pancakes could be that good? I had strawberries on the side and I always put sugar on my strawberries but these were so fresh and sweet that they didn't need them. It's a little on the pricier side, but there's so much food that I took half of my pancakes with me and will have them on the flight going home tonight.
(5)Sarah H.
Great place to get your full helping of fresh fruit from all you can eat toppings bar. The Oatmeal cobbler French toast was to die for. The crab cake Benedict that my boyfriend got was a little on the dry side. Call ahead for reservations or expect to wait a while to get seated. Overall pleased.
(4)Denise C.
I was hoping for a better experience here. It's not that it was bad, I guess I was just disappointed. My boyfriend and I came here for brunch on a recommendation from a coworker. First of all, parking is IMPOSSIBLE in this area. The nearby 10 hr max spot NEVER open up, and there are almost no 2 hr spots available. To further complicate matters, there is so much construction in the area. I literally drove around for 45 minutes looking for a spot. The drive here was 10 minutes from our hotel. SO, the lesson here is: please take public transit or walk. The actual restaurant is very nice, with high ceilings and windows aplenty. Service was average here. Nothing outstanding, good or bad. I was slightly disappointed by the food. I like the premise of Portage Bay Cafe: locally sourced, seasonal, sustainable food. However, I think I made the wrong choice of food. I got the wild mushroom Benedict, and I thought the flavors did not go together well. The dish was basically all too rich, and the umami and richness of the mushroom cream sauce did not mesh well with the buttery tanginess of the Hollandaise sauce. My boyfriend however liked his sandwich a lot, which is why I think I made the wrong choice. Portage Bay Cafe is recommended by many guidebooks as well, so I hate to give this only 2 stars. I'm not sure that I would come back here on my own, but if someone I knew wanted to come, I would probably give it another chance.
(2)R D.
We had been here several times before, once at this location and most of the other times we visited the Roosevelt location - it's always been crowded and noisy, but the food ALWAYS made up for it. This time, however, that was not the case. Honestly, the problem wasn't that it took our waiter 15 minutes to take our coffee order, or that it took him another 10 minutes to bring our coffees back to us, or that it took 40 minutes for our food to arrive.... Or even that when our food finally arrived the cheese hadn't even melted onto our lukewarm eggs. (Although all of those things were pretty irritating.) The main issue was how inconsiderate the service was. Yes, it's Sunday Brunch - it's busy, and being a server is not an easy job at all. Usually I'm really empathetic towards servers in super busy restaurants. This server, however, unapologetically kept running into our table and into the back of my mother's chair. Like, if you need to squeeze by just do so with a pleasant manner! It wouldn't have been a problem if he wasn't treating us like we were in his way and a major annoyance to him - after all, it wasn't our fault that the restaurant chose to pack so many tables in that space. We even scooted our table 6 inches over so that he would have more room to walk by, and STILL he bumped into us, huffing and puffing, EVERY time. The funny part about all of this - the slow service, the chaotic environment, etc. - it seemed like they had a TON of staff working at the restaurant. I get that it's a big place but usually when you have that many people working at one time it's to expedite service and create a slightly less chaotic environment, but that was simply not the case. I sincerely hope management checks social media reviews and reads this because either they're hiring the wrong people or they just have a really awful system in place. We tried to speak to a manager at the restaurant about this but there was no manager to be found anywhere - perhaps another issue contributing to the larger-scale lack of orginazation in the restaurant. Either way, this unfortunate experience definitely tainted my view of Portage Bay.
(1)Erin B.
I wish I could give this place a higher rating, as I've had several very good meals here, but the inconsistency and price point is holding it back. The SLU location, in particular, struggles to get it right each time. I've had more snafus (order mixups, serious delays in service) than acceptable for an established restaurant. The price is also high; I get that we're paying more for organic (and appreciate the effort to source locally), but it's still a bit steep for what is often just eggs, bread and veggies. That said, the plusses: Their rotating specials are a sure bet. Always good, and I've never seen a mess-up here (prob cause they are just cranking them out). The add-ons to salads (chicken, wild smoked salmon) are very, very good (it's actually "real" chicken, pulled off the bone, not some generic grilled tasteless half-breast, and a very generous portion of salmon). The berry bar used to be more impressive -- I find it's now just a pile of whipped cream and often half frozen berries (c'mon, in the summer, all the berries should be fresh). Not worth the add on. Even the coffee should be better for the price. I hope they step up their game.
(3)Nat N.
The food here is amazing. I am lactose intolerant & gluten intolerant, and can't really handle eggs, so it can be really difficult to find a place that serves brunch foods I can eat! (Seriously, damn near impossible.) Portage Bay Cafe offers me a wide variety of options to choose from, all of them delicious. My favorite menu item is the Swedish pancakes, with a side of bacon. The bacon is so delicious and hits my craving for savory, while the pancakes come with a trip to the "breakfast bar" where I can load up my plate with delicious fruits! Although the pancakes are more than enough of a meal on their own, adding the side of bacon means having plenty of the pancakes to take home and re-heat the next day. The reason this place gets a 4/5 is because every time I have come here with a reservation (3 times now), I have had to wait at least 20 minutes past my reservation time to be seated. Also, the main dining room is incredibly loud, so loud that you can't hear everyone at your table if there's more than 4 of you (and even that is rough).
(4)Robert D.
We ate here twice for breakfast while in town. Both times, the food arrived fast, yet still hot, fresh and delicious. My wife raved about her bananas foster French toast, while I recommend the smoked salmon benedict. Excellent breakfast option near the University.
(5)Malia M.
From now on, when I think brunch I will think of Portage Bay! Our table had the: -Oatmeal Cobbler French Toasts -Crab Cake Eggs Benedict -Farmers Hash All with a side of the flavorful CHORIZO! All of the food had great flavor and texture. The French toast came with the breakfast bar feature! as many of their items do. WHAT IS THE BREAKFAST BAR? Gives you the permission to put as many strawberries, half pears, peaches, blueberries, and An incredibly large bowl of perfect whipped cream! You can go back as many times as your heart desires. TIPS -Make a reservation. Good food equals popularity! It will be a pretty long wait if you don't make a rez. It's easy and you don't even have to call, just do it online! -Remember, BIG PORTIONS. This isn't your typical boutique sized portions. You will be well fed. -3 Locations! ROOSEVELT, SLU, and BALLARD
(4)Alyana V.
Great place to go if you want to go for delicious brunch/lunch in a busy and happening location! I've been here a few times and can honestly say I've enjoyed each visit. The food is prepared with local and organic ingredients which is something I definitely appreciate. I've had everything from their ranchers breakfast, French toast, pancakes (banana (GF), regular), and quinoa salad and I've recalled enjoying them all! Their bottomless fruit bar is only for French toast, pancakes, and granola orders and it's the perfect accompaniment with each of those entrees. They have so many options to choose from and pretty much every berry you can think of - blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, there's something for everyone! The service is awesome and attentive, especially for how busy the place gets during lunch hour. The place is very clean and lively, and the food is full of amazingness! My only gripe is that sometimes it's just too busy/noisy that you can't really hear the person across for you talk!
(4)Linnea T.
I looove PBC and was excited to try their newer location in South Lake Union. This place did not disappoint! Yes, the wait can be very long, but I planned ahead and made a reservation on OpenTable... Easy peasy! Even though it was Mom's Day weekend, we were checked in and seated right away. I had the Joe's Scramble and my mom had the Oatmeal, blackberry crisp French toast. Both were incredibly tasty and cooked well. I subbed fruit for potatoes and was impressed with the freshness and variety I received (kiwis, strawberries, pineapple, grapefruit, etc.). The toppings bar looked amazing, as well, but both dishes were so rich on their own that we didn't feel the need to grab extra toppings. I will be back, but always with a reservation or with time to wait. Street parking is impossible, so plan to pay for a nearby garage.
(5)Tai-Lan H.
Stopped in here for some food before an Amazon interview. It took me a little bit to flag down a server as there wasn't a hostess. She assumed I was ordering food to go as I had picked up a menu. Perhaps this is a locals only kind of place? I explained I just wanted to sit down, and was promptly seated. I ordered the ranchero? or something suggested by the waiter. It was ok. The food is supposedly local and fresh but my issues lay in the fact that 1/2 the potatoes were under cooked. The other 1/2 were fine but consistency is key here. The prices were ok, but in the end it just wasn't anything special.
(3)Kimia R.
The best whipped cream I have EVER had!! I'm not the biggest fan of whipped cream but this was sooooo good! Very yummy french toast and the fruit and whipped cream bar was a huge hit and plus!!
(5)Megan J.
Standard brunch fare with a few stand out menu items. The migas is great, unique mimosas and the sweet toppings bar always looks good, but I'm rarely in the mood for sweet. Maybe one day! It's usually crowded, but this place is worth the wait!
(4)Adam Y.
This is a brunch place I would have to recommend anyone that wants to visit Seattle. The food is locally grown and organic so you don't have to worry about where it comes from, and just having that in mind makes it all taste a little bit better. The benedicts were great! But I do wish I ordered pancakes so I could have gotten a taste of the fruit bar in the middle of the restaurant. There is a section of the menu that allows you to grab as much fruit as you want (I believe), so I would encourage others to try something that will allow you to taste their fruit bar. Either that or be on the look out for some of their specials. Be sure to make a reservation before your meal to ensure that you won't have to wait 30+ minutes on a weekend! Seating is spacious, servers are friendly, a bit on the pricey side, and food does take a while to prepare.
(4)Lee A.
I ASK YOU - would you say no to a fresh fruit and toppings bar? Would you say no to bananas foster french toast? Would you say no to kitchen and restaurant staff who really care about you eating wholesome, local and organic food? Didn't think so. This is my absolute favorite breakfast spot in the Seattle area. Favorite dishes I enjoyed were the Bananas Foster French Toast and the Migas. I think I'll forever alternate between eating those two. If you order the French Toast, you'll love all the various fruits you can get at the toppings bar, and especially the housemade whipped cream. If you order the Migas, make sure to add Chorizo for a spicy kick. Just can't get enough of this place.
(5)Joe C.
After reading many positive Yelp reviews for Portage Bay Cafe, we decided we needed to check it out. We went at 11AM'ish on a week day and the place was hopping; however, we were still seated right away. On the way to our table, we viewed the toppings bar, which contained pitchers of maple syrup, and huge bowls of strawberries, blueberries, black berries, and whipped cream - YUM! I ordered the Ranchers Breakfast, eggs, potatoes, and (I chose) bacon PLUS (I chose) two slices of French toast, which got me admission to the toppings bar. Everything, including the coffee, was delicious and although we paid more for breakfast than we are accustomed, we felt we got value....especially considering we didn't eat for the rest of the day! On second visit, I had the Migas with Chorizo. I enjoyed this, but the Chorizo was pretty hot and I did slightly regret not again getting the Ranchers Breakfast.
(5)Barbara K.
Great food and great service. I had to knock a star because we were seated at the worst table in the whole place. I mean it's so awkward and small it should not even be a seating area. It's in the back room next to their storage and a frosted window you can't even look out. You come for food AND experience so I'm hoping management will take this into consideration. My sister and I got the Rancher's breakfast which is perfect for someone who's indecisive. Our favorite part were the pancakes with fresh fruit! Sooo fluffy and good, I definitely recommend.
(4)Natasha T.
(insert shrug emoticon here) We had a reso for 10:30 and were not seated until almost 11, which is the first bad sign. The waitstaff seemed overwhelmed and confused - we were promised a table outside, and 15 minutes later still had not been seated. Then, when they had a table inside for us, the manager seemed surprised that we were being seated and we had to go back to the entrance to wait. I was kind of underwhelmed by the menu options - not sure if I was just getting over being sick, or if it just really wasn't all that jazz. I ordered the Joe's Scramble, which ended up being pretty bland and watery (most likely from the spinach that's part of the dish). I'd heard so many good things about this place that it was a real let down. In addition to my blah scramble, my two Celiac friends ordered gluten free french toast and the farmer's market hash with GF bread - really glad the latter didn't eat the toast that came with hers, because about 20 minutes after it was delivered, they brought out the actual gluten free toast (the dish was original served with regular toast) - I'm really glad she didn't eat it, but would have appreciated a heads up about it! Made the other GF gal worried her french toast was made with regular bread too. I will say that our server was really kind and attentive, and our food was served quickly. She also split our check without even batting an eyelash, and that was really awesome! We stuck around about 20 minutes after we'd paid, and the manager actually came up to us and said (albeit very apologetically) that we were holding things up for other diners, which kind of blew my mind because it took them forever to seat us when we had a reservation! Oh well. My other qualm with this place is that it sounds like a high school cafeteria - noise level 11. How people enjoy restaurant environments like this is totally beyond me. I don't think I'll come back here during peak hours, but I'm willing to give it another try (a lot of people have said I really need to try the french toast before I can make a solid judgement)!
(2)Troy D.
Holy cow. I mean, really. Holy cow. Took a friend here for brunch after reading the rave reviews on the food, and yep, I can totally see why. Ordered the French Toast, and it was enough to keep me fed for the next two weeks. Our service was attentive, and the price was pretty reasonable. (A little pricey, but they know they're worth it.) Only downside? This is totally not a place you'd want to go on Sunday if a) you have no reservation or b) you're claustrophobic. They pack 'em in, and my brunch buddy and I were squeezed in to a tight spot -- although every spot was a tight spot. Don't get me wrong -- it's totally worth it. Just, ya know, plan ahead.
(4)Omkar G.
One of the best places to get your morning breakfast or brunch! The pancakes, the omelette, herb fried potatoes,the French Toast are all amazing. You can also make your own omelette the way you like it, if the ones on the menu don't interest you. Also, you can top your pancakes with a wide range of toppings of your choice! Love it here!
(5)Nikhil T.
If you like eating at an overpacked place, with overhyped food and pay $20-25 for a breakfast meal, then you're at the right place. Oh did I mention, we reserved ahead of time and were still made to wait for 45 mins? And that food took another 30 mins? Everything together made for a pretty low experience.
(2)PatrickJ T.
Our friends took us here on a Sunday, and the place was packed. It is recommended that you make reservations before coming here. We had not made reservations so it took us about an hour before we got seated. I was not crazy about the layout of the indoor dining area. The tables were set so close together that it felt like I was going through an obstacle course the times I needed to leave our table. Place was very loud, but bearable. Now on to the good stuff which is the food that we tried: 1. Mimosas were quite good. I thought there could have less orange juice and more alcohol. My wife thought the exact opposite. Too much alcohol. (4 stars) 2. Kid's Pancake was gobbled up by our little friend. She enjoyed her trip to Portage Bay Cafe's toppings bar where she was able to pile on all the toppings she wanted onto her pancake. (4 stars) 3. PBC (Portage Bay Cafe) Breakfast Sandwich looked great. Unfortunately, it did not taste as good as it looked. Just okay. I did like the potatoes though. (3 stars) 4. Farmer's Hash was a pretty big portion. Our friend enjoyed it. He said it was quite good. I asked, "how many stars?" (4 stars) 5. Cranberry Pecan French Toast was yummy. (4 Stars by itself). Add fresh fruits from the toppings bar, it becomes 5 stars! 6. Cobbler French Toast was okay. (3 stars by itself). Becomes 4 stars after adding fresh fruits from the Toppings bar! 7. Toppings bar is awesome! Many selections of fresh fruit, nuts, and other good choices! It was clean, organized, and they constantly refilled the toppings with fresh fruits. ( 5 stars!!!! ) I would not return here if the wait was that long again. I would only return if there was a short wait! There are many other places in Seattle just waiting for me to try!
(4)Glen C.
Oh, wow, I'm very impressed. I had the pancakes - these come with a breakfast bar: bowls of fresh fruit, butter, whipped cream, syrup, brown sugar, coconut, and other toppings that you can put on them. Or put them on your enormous slices of french toast. Whatever. It's almost awe-inspiring. My wife had the Rueben sandwich and couldn't stop raving about it (as well as the salad that came with it). We'll definitely try this again.
(4)Alyssa A.
I was in heaven. Came here during the week for breakfast so we practically had the place to ourselves. Bringing littles along to restaurants can be a bit of an adventure but this was THE perfect place. The boats on the ceiling kept our attention for a full half hour alone. The highlight of my experience was enjoying vegan gluten-free pancakes that I didn't have to make in my own kitchen. The maple pork sausage was amazing too. Yep, vegan pancakes and sausage and decaf coffee to wash it all down. The breakfast bar is very cool. It's nothing overly fancy--peaches and strawberries and blueberries with whipped cream and maple syrup. It's nice to be able to serve yourself some fruit though. I'm guessing this place is a madhouse on the weekends but come for an early AM breakfast treat Monday-Friday and you'll have the best dining experience ever. The people watching from the window seats is hard to beat as well.
(5)Sean P.
Great French toast. Big serving. Quick service. Little too loud. Nice and clean. Would definitely recommend the Classic French Toast. Will definitely be returning. Prices for breakfast: 10ish-17ish
(4)Chris H.
My husband and I came here on the recommendation by the hotel staff at hotel max. They said it was the best breakfast in Seattle. They aren't wrong. They had a wide selection of breakfast items. The bowl of whipped cream on the breakfast bar was astounding to see. I am gluten free and there were plenty of choices for me. The waitstaff is very friendly. The food was really great and there was plenty of it. The buckwheat pancakes I ordered were the size of a dinner plate. I also had peppered bacon. My husband got Phil 's breakfast ( 3 eggs any style, choice of meat, potatoes and toast). It looked good ( the potatoes were ok but the sausage was great). It's all organic, so the price tag was surprising but not unreasonable for the amount of food you get. I'd definitely go back when I'm in Seattle again.
(4)Dan S.
*Cool space, great menu and excellent service *Had the Mushroom Beni, incredibly good. I like the Fix Sriracha Sauce they have, local and good twist on the original *Only knock is SLU is a nightmare parking and driving wise, makes it really hard to pop in
(4)Anjana A.
Eat like you give a damn! is the motto for this place. This is a perfect place to come for lunch if you love omelets and breakfast food, as they serve some items all day. This used to be my favorite brunch and lunch haunt and I have tried a large portion of the menu here. It's a cosy cafe atmosphere with some simple, fresh and good food. Nothing amazing but very wholesome! Breakfast food for lunch is always a great idea even on a work day. They are usually very busy due to the Amazon and Microsoft crowd so the service can be slow, and there can be a long wait if you go right at lunch time, though the servers are always pleasant. It closes early in the evening so this is not an option for dinner. The Farmer's Hash Breakfast with the sockeye salmon option is huge and full of vegetables, I always have leftovers. The Portage Bay burger and the vegan alternative of Quinoa burger are both decent. In fact, this is a great place for Vegans as there are many options. Some people love the Veggie Shawarma sandwich here, but I always got lured by other options and have not been able to try it yet. They are of course, known for their pancakes if you happen to have a sweet tooth. Tip - Don't go right at lunch time, it can get full, loud and it's difficult to get a table. Also don't go starving as food takes time to come out here. They pride themselves on making everything fresh.
(4)Jamie O.
I would loved to have tried the food here... But due to exceptionally poor service we never even got to eat here!!! I went in on a busy Sunday morning to get a table for 2, there's a crazy long wait time (45 mins) and a line to put your name is. I'm cool with all of that. My boyfriend put our names in and we begin to wait. After 20 minutes I went to ask how much longer we could expect to wait so that we could go get some fresh air. Somehow, despite all of this, the guy didn't write our name down?!? At this point they called him over, he shrugged and walked off, and they said the wait is an hour so they aren't taking names anymore. They turned us away after erroneously not writing out names down and watching us sit and wait for 20 minutes. Are you kidding me?! Horrible customer service skills, I was so excited to try the food here too!!!
(1)Bonnie L.
I can't put my finger on it... but there's something off about this place. It could be the random location, or the guilt you feel for not eating organic, or maybe it was simply the shitty attitude our waitress had. But the food is good, I'll give them that much. I just wasn't into the whole organic "holier than thou" vibe I felt here. I'm really not sure what it was! Like, I get it, locally grown produce blah blah blah... but do you have to have a whole pamphlet about how I have to "eat like I mean it"? It just makes you feel guilty or un-American to have lived your life not eating organic. And organic ketchup? Does it have to taste spicy? What was that? So back to the shitty attitude... our server was, as my friend said, "making mountains out of mole hills." We asked for waters and it was like the end of the UNIVERSE for her to bring them... 20 minutes later. We asked to split the bill evenly onto 4 credit cards and she said "OK but it might take a while." (scowl) What does that mean? "I'm a retard and I don't know how to take a number and divide it by 4"? Like why give the attitude, why not just do it and smile, even if it's a fake one? Customer service has really gone to shit these days. Was it because I told you to your face that your organic ketchup tastes like shit? Just kidding, I didn't really do that. OH, and it's kind of expensive. Bill came out to like $16 per person for breakfast. Now that seems pricey for breakfast doesn't it? But.... To be fair, the food was pretty tasty and they give good portions. Just stay away from a scowly organic waitress. Oh, and obviously if you're into the whole organic life thing then you will love this place. Good old home-feeling diner-types will dislike it and its Seattle hipster glasses vibe.
(3)Teresa C.
The food at Portage Bay is DELICIOUS! We had Joe's Scramble, Rancher's Breakfast and Vegan pancakes. It was all yummy!! The service was very good. Yes, the restaurant was packed and it looked like several parties were waiting, but we were there at 2:00 pm on a Sunday and it was chilly outside, and we sat outside on the deck, because our puppy was with us, so there was no wait! We will definitely go back and I plan to take my family when they visit from So Cal. Oh, and the toppings bar was amazing!
(5)Crystal B.
I love Portage Bay Cafe in the U district, so for my going away brunch before I moved away from Seattle, I decided to try this location. We had 9 people, and it was a Sunday morning. Knowing that might be a problem, I called to make a reservation almost 2 weeks in advance. The person on the phone sounded distracted (even though I always call at times when restaurants tend to be slower to try to avoid this problem), and he took my reservation and hung up the phone without asking what time we were coming in. Feeling awkward and thinking maybe having it in writing would be better, I email the reservation address listed on their website, and received confirmation that they had my reservation in. Fast forward 2 weeks- we showed up, and surprise! They didn't have our reservation. Really? They managed to fit us in relatively quickly for a Sunday morning, but also seemed to be in a big hurry to get us out. Service in general wasn't the greatest. We got mimosas first and then just asked if we could get a bottle of champagne, and our server seemed so hesitant and perplexed by the idea. It's a huge upsell for her, what's the problem? When she finally brought it, she didn't know how to open it. 8 out of 9 people at the table worked in restaurants, so we just opened it ourselves. Weird. Anyway, it's Portage Bay, the food is always fantastic. It will always be worth going, just for the food. Fresh fruit, local ingredients, lots of choices. The lemon curd french toast is amazing. I would recommend going to the U district location if possible. And triple confirm your reservations, apparently.
(3)Katie A.
Great new place to get your brunch on in SLU! We were seated right away by a very friendly host, greeted very nicely by our superstar waitress, and were pleasantly surprised with one heck of a varied menu- gluten free and vegan options galore! We had the 'build your own' mimosas- you pick your juice- (big pours for $4.95- totally worth it)- Me: OJ Him: apple/ raspberry They: were delicious! The food- awesome.. It took forever for us to make our minds up. When did: Me: Smoked Salmon Omelette- w/ potates and Great Harvest Toast Him: Dungeness Crab Benedict- w/potatoes They: Were BOMB! I will definitely come here again. Next time, I'm gettin' the pancakes w/ the 'topping bar'.. and probably whatever else I can stuff in my mouth.Their expansive menu will make you want to eat and eat and eat... My advice to you: Wear elastic waisted pants.
(3)Renee D.
Another below average meal at Portage Bay. This place is noisy and more often than not, the food isn't good. Safest bets are the salads and I used to think their breakfasts, but the meal I just had changed that. The staff have always been great but for the price, I'll go to Cuoco for lunch. Too expensive for the quality of food.
(2)Ellen B.
Nice, but NOISY! I love the unusual choices on Portage Bay's menu, and I've always been happy with the food. But today, there was a guy behind the counter who was just aggressively noisy, slinging plates, slamming down silverware, etc. It's a noisy place by nature, and that's OK. But this guy seemed to be banging things around on purpose. (What? Is it ego? anger? or just plain thoughtlessness?) Great waitress and excellent food, but the jarring noises kinda put us on edge. Just sayin'.
(3)Leigh J.
Delish!!! The toppings bar is genius! Unlike other topping bars, this one is clean and regularly switched out with fresh fruits, so it was clean. A great brunch choice.
(3)Dest S.
My boyfriend will disagree with my two star rating, and for good reason. I mean, the crazy decadent french toasts are great. The first time we went we agreed we'd come back until we'd tried everything on the menu. But! I'd prefer not to go back. At least not for weekend brunch. And that's because of the crowds and the service. Most good brunch places will attract large numbers of people, but Portage Bay seems like a magnet for douches. I can handle waiting for a table, but I'd prefer not to spend 45 minutes of my precious weekend listening to dozens of people talking loudly about their boats and stock portfolios while I'm waiting to be seated. And the service. Ugh. Our waitress seemed to have twelve tables. She was running around like a chicken with her head cut off. If you love french toast with a lot of extra sugaries on it, Portage Bay might be worth the hassle. As for me, I'm trying to talk my boyfriend into going back to Easy Street.
(2)Jennifer C.
I had brunch at the new Portage Bay location last weekend, and I am sorry to say I was pretty disappointed. First of all, the sky-high ceilings and bare floors are perfect storm for magnifying diner noise to an upleasantly impressive level. With wooden sculls hanging high overhead and a wall of fish and veggie photos in contemporary glass and metal frames, I felt like I was in a leasing office for one of the ubiquitous new SLU condo developments. We found we had to flag down our server multiple times for things like water and the check, and overall my party wasn't too thrilled by the food. Migas scored low, and my Black Bean/Pancetta Cake Benedict just wasn't the right combination of flavors. The cornbread was so dense and sweet it overwhelmed the dish, and the black bean pancetta cake was spicy but not particularly flavorful. No gold stars for the breakfast potatoes, which almost seemed like an afterthought--again, spicy but not flavorful. Portage Bay is hardly an inexpensive brunch spot, and with so many other a.m. options in the city, it's unlikely I'll be back very soon.
(2)Vicky L.
I still think it's totally worth it to wait in line for the U-district location. This place is still fairly new and still have lots of kinks to work out. The service wasn't up to par with the U-District location and after being neglected for 20 minutes, we got up and walked out... How annoying! We even waved down a couple servers who said that they would tell our server that we were ready. Nope. No one ever came by. I'm a huge fan of the U-District one so I'll give this location a couple of months to get their act together... then drop in on my next Seattle trip...
(1)Amanda K.
Where is the line out the door? Where is the long wait? This place has the same delicious food as the portage bay in u-district minus the crazy crowds. It was nice walking in here we were able to sit down right away. We had 3 different servers come to help us (I think that they were a bit bored), and the food was delicious. I ordered one of the egg benedicts (vegitarian one), and I loved it! Like all the other reviewers said they have the same toppings bar as the old restaurant, which looked really good. They also have a wall full of pictures of the locals that help make this place organic (i.e. the farmer who gets them their eggs, etc...). I really like the concept of the wall. Definitely check this place out before the word breaks out and it's crazy like the one in the U-district.
(4)Jonas B.
Caveat: I have only been to this place once. I like their focus on organic and local ingredients and it doesn't suck that they offer Swedish pancakes (though we didn't have them this time)! I had the wild salmon omelet and it was good though I might not have ordered it if I realized it came with fried potatoes, which I don't care for at all. The toast that cam with it was pretty much room temperature, not very impressive. The latte was all right. My wife had better luck though, her hash of parsnips, turnips, artichoke, bacon and potatoes, with two poached eggs on top, was delicious. The kids chose (American) pancakes and liked them. The were huge though; our son could only handle one of his two. I thought it was odd that they were the only two kids in there. Everyone else in there seemed to be between 20 and 30 years old. I'm not entirely sure this place is quite deserving of four stars but I'll be nice.
(4)Ian M.
Having just days ago started a new job in the very building that houses this Portage Bay Cafe location (a very nice building that's LEED Gold certified and was constructed brick by brick by Paul Allen himself, I hear), I saw the signage for Portage Bay Cafe a number of times, thinking at first, "Wait, isn't that the place up in the U-District that everyone goes on and on about?" Of course, when I first thought that, I was entirely correct, because this location wasn't yet open. Now, though, one would internally interject, "Wait, isn't this the second location of that place up in the U-District that everyone goes on and on about?" And to answer yourself, you would think, "Why yes, yes it is the second location of that place up in the U-District that everyone goes on and on about." I lunched here on the day of their grand opening, pausing not a moment to contemplate what distinguishes a grand opening from what might merely be considered an initial opening. After walking in looking a little lost and being greeted quickly and warmly, I sat at the counter, which facilitated expedient service and allowed me a view into the goings on behind the scenes, although that's actually an overstatement because the kitchen is open to the rest of the restaurant. How gauche to open a restaurant with a concealed kitchen these days! The 6000 sq. ft. space itself is lovely and fresh feeling. The tall ceilings, bamboo, light-colored wood floors, and plentiful, tall windows really open the space up. I missed the rush, which I heard was substantial, when I commented about how well staffed they were to my convivial, freckled server, having noticed a cluster of no fewer than 10 black t-shirted, khaki-pants-clad servers around a service station at the far end of the restaurant. I suppose this would have explained what had become a glut of servers two hours north of high noon. After perusing the menu, I selected the halibut special from three specials that were being offered on opening day. I suspect that the practice of offering specials will persist, and was not only for the GRAND opening. I should mention that it was a difficult decision to make, as there were several sandwiches and salads that tempted my appetite, and breakfast is offered all day, and the house-smoked salmon hash nearly got the nod, as did the rare ahi sandwich. I didn't want to miss the halibut special, though, as it sounded divine, and was certainly a better choice than the gut-bomb black bean burger I'd had at Blue Moon the previous day. Suffice it to say, though, that return visits will satisfy my curiosity about the items mentioned above, and several others. My food arrived quickly, but with enough of a lead time that it was clear it'd been freshly prepared for me. The portion of halibut was a healthy size and professionally presented. It tasted delicious, the fish being cooked perfectly, soft and flaky but still pleasantly warm. The reduction sauce was full of complementary butter and thyme flavor, with a hint of lemon. The bite of the red onions and crispness of the other vegetables on top of which the fish was served provided an excellent counterpoint to the richness and delicacy of the fish and sauce. My server offered pleasant and efficient service, with a side of good humor, perhaps relieved at the passing of the lunch rush. Someone obviously senior in the restaurant emerged from the kitchen at one point to retrieve something that was stored behind the counter, and asked me, "How is everything, sir?" I told him that everything was very good, but was quietly bewildered how someone who is obviously working much harder than I could show deference to me. Perhaps I should have shot back, "Good sir, it is I who should be calling you sir, sir! Keep up whatever good work you're doing back there!" I've had occasion to attend at least one other restaurant close to its opening--though not this close--and I've noticed more substantial hiccups than seemed to be present at the new Portage Bay. Perhaps it would have been a slightly different story had I made my GRAND entrance at the height of the lunch rush, but given the levels of preparedness and the high level of staffing, both in the front line and the back line, I suspect that things went okay even during the rush. I should mention that the entree I selected was $11.95, and probably could have gone for $25 as a dinner portion at some of the more upscale places around town, considering its size and its quality. Portage Bay also offers beer and wine if it suits your fancy for lunch or, um, breakfast. I'm not normally inclined to award five stars to an establishment that I've been to only once, especially a brand new one, but I was pleased enough with my experience there that I'll award this rating on faith and, with repeat visits, allow them to establish firmly that it is well deserved, though if what I experienced today is any indication, I'll be convinced shortly.
(5)jarod o.
I have no Idea what happened today, but usually this place gets a 4 or 5 star. But today took mom out to breakfast. Her coffee arrived Stone cold! like not even warm. So someone poured it and let it sat out for some time. Both our orders came out eggs over cooked and again luke warm at best . It was inedible. We had three servers that never stopped by to address any of our concerns. When I went to the counter to get the check and complain they offered 50% off. well my dear portage bay let me explain something: 50% percent off crap is still crap! we wont be returning! you get two stars as cold bacon is always good. but you should have comped the food and made effort to get us back. you lost a regular customer.
(2)Clifton B.
Amazing. Fabulous. Will return next time we are in Seattle. She had the sweet potatoe pancakes with peaches, and nuts. I had the scrambled egg special that had mushroms, green onions, figs all topped with rouge blue cheese. With sweet potatoe homefries. The wait for a seat was long, but we noticed that others had called ahead for reservations. That seemed the way to go. You may not get the same thing that we had due to it being a special, but reading all of the other Yelps, I don't think you can go wrong here. Enjoy.
(5)Josh F.
What's the fuss about? Kind of medicore in my mind. Seems they pitch and get people to buy into one idea of what it is but in truth this place is just a normal over-priced brunch place. It's good but for sure not worth all the fuss
(3)Garrett N.
I mean, it's good. It's just not a good value. I like some of the concepts like being organic, local, and having their fruit bar. But the prices, wait time, and slow service don't justify the price. I'll come back here again b/c it's a decent bfast option. But, I certainly don't have them in my top 10.
(2)Angie K.
I met some friends who work in this building here for lunch one day. I should start by saying, this three-star review is a friendly one, and I wouldn't hesitate to eat here again if my friends invite me, but I would definitely order breakfast. My friend had some kind of egg tortilla dish with sausage, kind of a tex-mex egg quesadilla looking thing, and it was yummy. My other friend and I ordered some special lunches, and they looked a lot prettier than they tasted. They were edible but I wouldn't order them again. Portage Bay Cafe should not try to be a fine dining establishment and should stick to the basics of making yummy food of fresh ingredients.
(3)Neil S.
Every morsel of food is amazing. I've been going to the various Portage Bay locations for 10 years. "Eat like you give a damn" is their motto, and when you try the food, you'll understand why. I've only ever been for breakfast. I like the U district location the best, but South Lake Union isn't too shabby - just a bit big and a little lacking in intimacy. But PBC makes up for it in quality.
(5)Elvis R.
The huge cavernous space amplifies every knife click, fork scrape and chair slide. Even only 1/3 full, it was loud. The cacophanousness, the vast, urban-lofty, open room and the generic interior has one imagining, as my company put it, that they're eating in a train station. And so with the food. Only a fancy organic train station constructed entirely of solar panels, where organic trains, made out of recycled cardboard and powered by bio-fuel palm oil sustainably grown on premises and cultivated and made into bio-fuel by well paid immigrant workers, come to take passengers away to Valhalla. (Or, since this is Seattle.... Nirvana? Huh? Yeah? Like that? Yeah you do.) But they must eat here first. Organically. It's just that organic. And the menu sure likes to remind you of this. Though the hollandaise had separated a little and the crab cakes were a bit on the underdone side, the Dungeness Benedict tasted good. The corned beef hash however, even though it contained homemade corned beef was just average -- the corned beef being thinly-sliced and chopped into chipped-beef-on-toasty-like pieces (if you have the luxury of homemade corned beef why not afford yourself the luxury of pulling it into thick, delicious, meaty bits). Also the corned beef wasn't nearly corned enough -- nope not enough corning going on there -- I'd've corned it better, longer; the potatoes were undercooked and it was, overall, very greasy. In fact it all sat in a greasy puddle. And I love greasy and still thought it was worth noting as something rather unappetizing. The poached eggs on both the hash and the Benedict were nicely yolky though. And the host and servers were welcoming and had their act together much more than I expected for a place having been open just a few days. Even though I didn't / couldn't order something -- pancakes, french toast -- necessitating the use of the "toppings [organic!] bar", just being near it, nay the very idea of it, nauseated me Sizzler-salad-bar-without-the-sneeze-guard style. After having just eaten here, I feel gross now; organically gross to be sure, but I'm not convinced there's much of an appreciable difference between regular grossness and the sustainable, earth-friendly kind.
(3)Carrie H.
Went here yesterday during the lunch rush and had an awesome turkey club. Agreed that this location is very LOUD, and they could definitely use some sound dampening ceiling tiles. Hubby had to repeat what he was saying four times before I could finally make out what he was saying. Do you hear me, Portage Bay?? Love the food, love the people watching, and of course the toppings bar (when getting breakfast food, duh!). I don't see myself going here too often, but it's good for a change of pace. Oh, and they have a patio outside that will accommodate during nice summer mornings and afternoons... as soon as the construction across the street is completed. PS: Over 80% of the food they serve is organic. Even the ketchup!
(4)Stephanie N.
Breakfast here made my morning! We ordered the Banana Foster French Toast, and Swedish Pancakes. I really like the fruit bar idea. Super clever.
(5)Tanya J.
I have been delighted by the Portage Bay weekend brunches 20+ times, mostly in the South Lake Union location more recently but also the U-District location for years. Here's what I LOVE: * The menu has options for every preference (super veg-friendly) including my husband who is practically a vegan. * The coffee... don't get me started on the yummy coffee which you can have while you're waiting for your table. * The service is great and the servers are super friendly allowing me to customize my order just how I want. * The quality of the food is always stellar, organic and delicious! * The space itself is modern with great artwork and a nice urban feel. This is clearly one of the best weekend brunch spots you'll find in all of Seattle. There is a reason the place is constantly packed on weekends as Seattle Brunchers migrate to this brunch mecca. So why the 4 stars and not 5? I made a reservation for 6 of us at 12:30 today and when arriving promptly at 12:30 we checked in and were told the table would be ready shortly. At 12:45 the manager informed us that at 12:40 he had to give our table away since a table cannot be held for longer than 10 minutes. I was confused by that comment so I asked what he meant since we were there at 12:30. He pulled out his phone, pointed to the time and told me in a very irritated voice that he too keeps track of time and to just sit tight, a table would be ready shortly... then stormed off. WT holy F and did he think I was making that up? We never once questioned when our table would be ready prior to that, despite having a reservation and still having to wait, and thought he was unnecessarily rude. There was obviously a communication breakdown between him and the host managing the books in the front and we were seated 5 minutes later and the rest of the brunch was fantastic per the usual. Done with the rant and I refuse to hold it against them, today was just a little disappointing but I love this place and will continue to come here. I will say, if you are a vegan, try the Migas substituting the tofu scramble instead of eggs - super fantastic!
(4)Joel G.
Freakin' awesome brunch! Try the mimosas. so fresh, so local.
(5)James L.
So I went there for lunch one day because I knew it was an addition to the neighborhood.... Hooray for them taking my TO-GO order 2 minutes after they closed....but thats where the HOORAY stops...... They would have only got 1 star if not for that.... I anxiously anticipated the BBQ pork Sandwich with a salad and a Quesadilla so I could make an objective opinion... The Pork Sandwich tempted me with the Smoked Gruyere cheese(which seemed absent), the Tangy BBQ Sauce which was like sugar water and the pork which seemed dehydrated and VERY tough to chew........ The quesadilla was ok at best, but the sour cream had this green leafy stuff in it...HUH?!?....The salsa was ok.....I found myself going to my fridge for regular sour cream and some hot sauce to add some flavor to the bland flavors I had going with this. I might be willing to try them for breakfast, but I have heard the same type of reviews for B'Fast....Who knows maybe I will still give them a shot.....
(2)Briana T.
I'm sort of undecided about Portage Bay. The wait is really, really long (upwards of half an hour for two people) and it's definitely a place to visit when you feel like splurging (unless you're a wealthy yuppie, which there seemed to be plenty of) because it's kinda expensive. Over 30 dollars for pancakes and coffee for two people? Ehhhh. However, there are positives. Everything they serve is organic and locally produced, which is cool if you're into that sorta thing. The much talked about all you can eat toppings bar offered beautiful, fresh fruits but I was hoping for more of a variety. The service was really friendly and attentive to anything we needed. I'm sure I'll come back, just as long as it's near a payday.
(3)Krystal C.
I'd been hearing about Portage Bay for a while before I went for lunch. I have to say that I was underwhelmed. Perhaps Portage Bay is great for breakfast only. I ordered the duck confit sandwich. I'll preface the following with a warning: I firmly believe that no one can prepare duck better than any hole-in-the-wall Chinese place. The duck confit was not an exception to this rule. While the sandwich was good, I was expecting...more. The tomato jam was amazing (and I have been able to replicate it on my own), but other than that the sandwich was lacking duck flavor, and it was dry. I was unsatisfied after leaving. A coworker of mine ordered the farro salad, and she was underwhelmed by it as well. She expected more kale, less farro. In reality, I saw very little kale, and what was there had been cooked to a point of absurdity. I admire what they're trying to do. I'm a big fan of seasonality, but the food has to taste good, especially for a place that has such a great reputation. I suppose next time I'll have to order breakfast and see if that's what all the fuss is about.
(3)Alex C.
the food was good as usual, but the service was horrible. We asked the waitress if we could have more coffee and her reply was " I don't know where the pot is" what kind of response is that?! its not a legit reason to not give proper service.
(2)Jeanie K.
Finally feel like I've found a great place for breakfast after many failed attempts....granted, my experience was on a weekday and so I cannot comment on how long it takes to receive food and service during the busy weekend brunch, but I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly our dishes were presented and the food was amazing. I'll definitely go back for a mid week breakfast treat. Oh, and the hazelnut latte was outstanding and soooo big!
(4)Sorin S.
Really good breakfast place. Love their fresh fruit topping bar with their pancakes. Just get there early on the weekend, because the line will spill out onto the sidewalk.
(4)Brad W.
I've been wanting to try this place for the longest time bc I heard great things about it, unfortunately the experience was a huge disappointment! This may have been the worst service I have ever had. Terrible. We were seated at the bar bc of the huge wait. I actually enjoy sitting at bars of restaurant so that was fine with me. I ordered a scramble and asked to replace the meat with Italian sausage and the waiter said no problem. When he brought it out, I asked if the meat was what I ordered. He said no and asked if I wanted a side order of the Italian sausage since he didn't want the cooks to have to remake my order. I was fine with that. 15 minutes later I had to ask where my side of Italian sausage was. I was told that there was a miscommunication with the kitchen and it could take awhile. I didn't care and asked for them to bring a side of it. Literally 45 seconds later he brought a side of sausage......however it was the same chicken sausage that was in my order, not the Italian sausage that I had asked for. WTF? Worst service ever. I gave the review two stars bc the food, while not spectacular isn't bad. The menu items that look really compelling are items that allow you to go to the toppings bar. That looks incredible.
(2)Elle H.
Two words: Toppings Bar!!!!
(4)Scott E.
First of all, the only bad part of the experience was the poor organization for seating. We expected to wait an hour but actually waited an hour and half due to the fact that the person reading from the list was using the wrong column and skipped over our name multiple times. When we were seated, the experience was incredible. We ordered right away and we had our food with 10 minutes. I had the Rancher's Breakfast with French Toast and my wife had the French Toast. The Toppings Bar was just plain awesome! We loaded up on all sorts of berries my wife loved the cranberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and the peaches. I enjoyed everything, the whip cream was incredible, and they kept bringing more and more out. The food was perfect, the french toast had a perfect consistency, the flavors were great, they melded with each other in harmony. The bacon, sausage and ham are all organic and nitrate free, which is a plus. We had an incredible time eating, talking and having a load of fun. We will come back, but next time we will have a reservation.
(4)Nai S.
South Lake Union Pros: Food is better Fresh Coffee Slightly more spacious for waiting UW Pros: Parking Not the most hospitable folks at the South Lake Union location, but the food makes up for it. Waiting sucks, especially on the weekends for brunch. 20 - 45 mins depending on the size of your party. Fave foods: Salmon Eggs Benedict and Banana Foster French Toast. YUM! I pass on the toppings bar; the rum carmel sauce and sauteeed bananas is more enough to please. All plates are very generous. Don't let your eyes fool you. Oh yes, the organic factor makes it even better.
(4)Tyler J.
I tried this new place because I needed to get off capitol hill but didn't want to travel far. This South Lake Union cafe has a large cafeteria style setup which I normally wouldn't dig but the community dining atmosphere didn't bother me as much as it did back in 5th grade. The food is organic and the green messaging is all over the place without feeling like you're being suffocated with eco friendliness :-) But the food was cold. We sat at a table directly facing the counter where food waits to be delivered. At first I thought the holdup was for the large party adjacent to our table. But when she delivered the food to us after it had been sitting on the "counter" for 7 minutes (not quite ten but more than 5, duh) I knew the meal was heading south. Everything tasted fine but cold food really sours the experience. Props for the "toppings" counter in the middle. Best part of the cafe by far!
(3)Casey E.
To have a waitress understand that your friends are too hung over to eat their amazing breakfast and offer a to go box without asking is at least deserving of 5 stars. After getting off the night shift and dragging 2 hung over 35 year olds who drank like they were 21 to breakfast is rough. Portage Bay Cafe had awesome service, amazing toppings bar and good wholesome food. I am going back next weekend and this time I will be in need of a to go box!
(5)Suna G.
Went here on Friday, 9/2/09 for lunch with people from work. We'd made reservations, but the manager had given away our table to another group. No worries they set up another... but not for the correct number. No worries, we put someone at the end. Server arrived with the wrong number of menus, which was never corrected, but no worries we shared. Server brought the requested water to only half the table mid-way through the meal; the other half received their water after the plates were cleared. Those are all small annoyances, but what was really disappointing was that my meal was basically inedible - seriously burned fish croquettes atop a salad of fibrous greens and raspberries. I tried eating the salad but the cutlery was so dull I couldn't cut the greens - just shredded them. The raspberries were fresh. If this were Top Chef, the chef would have been told by Padma to pack their knives and go. The waitress to her credit, once I pointed out the burned food, comped the meal and helped me decide on a quickie replacement (quesadilla, which was perfectly fine.) And she was pleasant and apologetic. oh yes, and the berry lemonade I had was delicious. I've been here a few other times and had similar experiences - they have wonderful ingredients, a beautiful space, but a heavy hand in the kitchen, and a harried/inattentive staff. Needs work.
(2)J T.
First time visit and my family and I enjoyed all of our dishes (crab benedict, migas, Swedish pancakes, and banana foster French toast). Service was fast. Our server was very attentive. We'll definitely be back.
(4)Yun C.
How can you not give this place 5 stars? Great quality ingredients, creative dishes and fresh-fruits! Service is good - friendly servers but when it's busy, you may have to wait a bit. The only con I can think of is the cell reception is close to non-existent (AT&T). There is a near-by public Wi-Fi, but without VPN, I wouldn't use it for anything personal. This doesn't merit taking out any stars, so 5 stars it stays (4.5, I would say).
(5)Elizabeth L.
Bland, tasteless, overpriced. Service not included. Dishes underwhelm despite promising descriptions and quality ingredients. Sat. morning is like a feeding trough, with harried servers wishing you weren't there, pretending they don't see you. Dishes came out cold, which doesn't really work for brunch dishes. Server came by once during entire meal, was otherwise impossible to get coffee or her attention. "Eat like you give a damn"? Portage Bay, I wish you gave a damn.
(2)Bill K.
Positives: Solid menu and flavorful food. Pricing was reasonable and ample seating. Negatives: Service was a little slow. Overall, it was a pleasant meal.
(4)Mariam S.
I go back and forth on PBC. On one hand, I love love love their french toasts, on the other hand, everything else on the menu that I've tries is A-OK. Eggs are always bland, same as potatoes. I really dislike their chicken sausages but my fiance liked it so maybe it is a matter of taste. I like the fruit bar but I'd like to see more fresh fruits and less canned stuff. Bottom line: come here for the french toast and the toppings bar, but as far as breakfast food goes, i can think of at least 3 or 4 other places around Seattle that are better as far as quality and quantity..
(3)KJ S.
During our honeymoon in Seattle, we were mostly disappointed with how few breakfast options there seem to be before 10am. As early risers, we found ourselves having to frequent 24hr spots to find anything to eat during our normal breakfast time, but then we found Portage Bay Cafe. We read all the reviews and feared the place would be packed on a Saturday morning, but thankfully we were ahead of the masses at 8:15am. I had the pancakes, which were 2 huge delightful pancakes, and I took advantage of the breakfast bar. They have all kinds of fresh berries, peaches, syrup, fresh whipped cream, and nuts. It was awesome! My wife had a breakfast sandwich with gluten free bread, and it was so big she struggled to get her mouth around it. It also came with nicely seasoned potatoes. The place was rather loud, as it's one big wide open space almost cafeteria-like. The portions are huge, so the prices aren't so bad considering that. Good thing I'm not a local or I'd get fat off these brunches!
(5)L H.
Well, I think it's a bit overrated honestly. It's good, but kind of average as far as Seattle restaurants in this category go. We went on a weekday and were served relatively promptly. We had the farmer's hash, the breakfast sandwich, and the french toast at our table. The farmer's hash was good - plenty of veggies and herbs. The scrambled eggs were a bit overcooked, and the vegetables themselves were a bit burnt on one side. It was good, but not great, and I wouldn't come back for it or order it again. The breakfast sandwich was better. The french toast was pretty good - very sweet, though. The waffle bar had plenty of fresh berries, which was great, but the utensils were dirty and sticky, and the whole bar was messier than I'd have imagined. Good, but not great. Wouldn't make a point of revisiting.
(3)Melanie O.
I am a repeat customer here for sure because the food is freakin awesome. But come on, do something about the noise level! Hang a tapestry, some ceiling tiles, a wall of bread - something! I don't like to complain about things unrelated to food or service, but it is louder than a school cafeteria. I've taken people there twice & both times, my guests complained they couldn't hear anything. Bottom line - go on a Tuesday at 2 if you want to actually talk to the people you're with.
(3)Sarah O.
We make a point of coming here every time we are in Seattle! I love the SLU location because it's bigger and never seems as crowded as Ballard or U-District. I usually get the smoked salmon omelet (very refreshing- not too heavy) or the gluten-free Swedish pancakes (the lingonberry butter they serve with it is to die for!). Bottom line, the food is really good and they care about where it comes from. Another added bonus about the SLU location is the people watching. You can sit and watch all of the Amazon.com people out and about- it's pretty entertaining!
(5)Andrew H.
Came here for a late breakfast with a friend who grew up in Seattle and raved about the breakfast bar. The place was surprisingly crowded for 11am on a Monday, and we unfortunately had to wait a bit for our waitress to take our order and for our food to arrive. Between the three of us we ordered the Farmer's Hash with chicken sausage, the strawberry rhubarb French Toast and an order of regular French toast. There is a plentiful breakfast bar that accompanies any pancake or French toast order with overflowing bowls of fresh, organic berries, real maple syrup and homemade whipped cream. The berries were definitely the best part of the dining experience. The farmers hash was a giant plate of roasted veggies and potatoes topped with egg and cheese. The veggies were well roasted and charred to perfection but maybe needed a bit more seasoning. French toast is made with thick challah bread and the strawberry rhubarb compote was delicious. Everything served at the restaurant is sustainably and locally sourced, but prices remain reasonable. This seems like a great family spot, we saw several tables with children enjoying the experience of topping their own breakfasts.
(4)Laurent L.
Sunday 1pm. We were a party of 8. Kids get their ears covered wih their hands almost the whole time. Adults couldn't have a normal conversation. Extremely noisy (ceiling panels could help reduce noise level). Food is ok. Prices are reasonnable. A 18% tip is by default added to the check...
(3)Donna L.
My husband and I came here for brunch and we were extremely satisfied with our meal. We ordered the: Migas (Mexican-style scrambled eggs in a tortilla) Prime Rib Dip (Roast beef sandwich with au jus) Classic French Toast The best part was loading up the Fresh toast at the breakfast bar! The toppings bar had fresh fruits, fresh whipped cream, and other toppings for you to go nuts over. I especially loved the kind and courteous service!
(5)Savannah H.
Awesome breakfast/brunch place. My group ordered the classic french toast, the fancy breakfast sandwich, and the salmon benedict. All three were great and the breakfast toppings bar was great. But, MAKE A RESERVATION! It was extremely crowded with a 40 minute wait for a table for 2, worth it though!
(4)Heidi B.
In my opinion, when you visit the city of Seattle, you really need to find a great place to enjoy a great brunch. My favorite thing about Portage Bay Cafe is that they serve brunch every day of the week, in addition to the fact that they have a fresh fruit and whipped cream topping bar for pancakes and/or french toast. After getting lost across the city trying to find Portage Bay cafe, we decided to both go with the heaping Rancher's breakfast, which comes with eggs, home fried potatoes, bacon or sausage, and an entire stack of pancakes or french toast. First off--DO NOT order the Rancher's Breakfast if you are on a diet or not very hungry. It really is a rancher's portion of every item included in the meal--three eggs, four sausage patties, a half plate of home fries, and three pancakes. Although I will say as other Yelpers have mentioned, that it took a solid 30-40 minutes for our food to arrive at the table, once it did finally make it in front of us, it didn't last long. And especially if you're visiting, make sure that you order either pancakes, waffles, or french toast just so that you can take advantage of the toppings bar. At the toppings bar, you can put whipped cream, brown sugar, maple syrup, blueberries, balckberries, raspberries, strawberries, marion berries, granola all over your food. Truthfully, I could almost even just eat a plate of all of the toppings mixed together as a fruit salad, that's how amazingly fresh everything was on that topping bar. I may not be a Seattle native, but I can say that Portage Bay would be my vote for best brunch in the city.
(5)Beth V.
Three of my Seattle friends recommended that I eat breakfast at Portage Bay. I'm so glad they all recommended it! I had the gluten-free Swedish pancakes with berries, a side of extra crispy bacon, and fresh orange juice. The quality of food and ingredients is top notch! I wish there was a place like this in San Diego. I would visit it often!
(5)Amanda W.
BERRRY GOOD! Visiting Seattle from Boston. Hands down the best brunch I have had. A delicious Bloody Mary. A little atypical with sake instead of vodka but awesome nonetheless. Next up the main course. You must must must get an entree with access to the berry bar. All local fruits cut and made to top your waffles French toast or pancakes. Whipped cream more heavenly than I have ever tasted and delicious maple syrup. The only rule - take as much as you want but eat as much as you take. It was to die for. Open table is the way to go. Lines were very long but definitely worth the wait. Yum!
(5)Mister S.
This place came recommended, and there was a line out the door. But it was not worth it and over hyped. Food was mediocre. I could make better. And the waiter was slow and incompetent. On the upside, they do give you free coffee while you wait.
(2)Sam B.
Always great! The buckwheat pancakes with the whipped cream and fruit bar are over the top! Big portions so you can split! Try several item's.
(5)Rachel P.
I had the seasonal omelette, and it was pretty good. The real reason I gave it 5 stars is the French toast. My boyfriend and I split it along with our main entrees (we were really hungry...), and the French toast + breakfast bar toppings was tear-worthy. So good. So, so good.
(5)Sunny H.
Heavenly! I have been here many many times and have never left unsatisfied. My hubs and I always pay the extra $1-1.50 for braised greens rather than fries. It's delish. It doesn't look all that pretty but man, it's yum yum. This past visit, I ordered Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict (see my photo) and I loved every bite of it. I had to share with my hubs because he really liked it too. I plan on getting it again during my next visit. I think it was around $15 or so but well worth it, because any other restaurant will charge you something more than that for two crab cakes. Oh that's what I should mention: rather than using the english muffins, they substituted the crab cakes as the base for the poached eggs. Now can you imagine anything tastier than that. Drooool~ as I am writing about it.
(4)Mark W.
I consider this a Seattle staple, but the dining experience leaves a lot to be desired. I'll separate this out into different parts of the experience: The Wait This is an example of where Portage Bay is a victim of their own success. Don't try coming here on a Sunday at 10AM with no reservation. Me and my girlfriend were quoted a 30-40 minute wait time, and we were seated shortly after an hour. This wasn't in itself surprising, as their wait times tend to be more optimistic. The barista at the bar though, was really friendly (even though she was swamped) and she made me a tasty Americano. Recommendation: If you're set on eating here on the weekend, call ahead of time and make a reservation. You'll likely still have to wait, but 10-15 minutes is a lot more reasonable than an hour plus. I came here once on a Sunday with 6 and had to wait over 90 minutes (again, my fault). Weekdays are a little better, but I still strongly recommend calling ahead of time. The Seats For this particular experience, we were seated next to the door. Probably the worst seats in the house on this day, considering it was ~30 degrees outside and people were shuffling in and out of the lobby, consistently drafting us and our food with cold wind. Suggestion: Don't sit next to the door on a cold day! The Staff From the hostesses, the kind smartly-dressed gentleman (manager or owner?) who seats us every time, to our servers, the staff has generally been nothing but friendly. That didn't change this time. Our server was prompt and funny. Sure, I would've liked one or two coffee refreshes, but I made that sacrifice when I decided to come to Portage at the busiest hour on the busiest day of the week. Suggestion: Tip kindly, these folks look like they're working their butts off. The Food The food, for me, is why I come back. Portage Bay offers a fantastic value - They offer hearty American NW style breakfast in generous portions (I eat a lot, so this is important) at reasonable prices, and the food is tasty (at least a standard deviation away from your typical chain breakfast restaurant). The ingredients taste fresh and well prepared, and what's hot is hot and cold is cold. I'm in love with the migas. Their ubiquitous wedged potatoes that come with everything are pretty average. Suggestion: A trip to the toppings bar is necessary, if not slightly overrated. You won't regret it. I love Presse/Tilikum/Macrina type places, but this is homey. There is zero pretentiousness in the staff and menu, everything is straightforward. The food, for me, redeems the experience. If everything else were as great, I'd be here every weekend instead of ~5x a year.
(3)Paulo R.
Ok to preface this review, I am on day 2 of a 4 day breakfast adventure in Seattle. Someone recommended Portage at the hotel I am staying at and recommendations mean a lot to me, so this is where I ventured off to. I was in search for huevos rancheros and portage's "migas" were the servers substitute recommendation. I tried it. Ok so I am giving this place 4 stars because of the food. The potatoes were everything I hoped for. Considering my taste buds were destroyed from the previous nights salt dinner, I have to say they were the perfect balance. The migas themselves (with the addition of chorizo) were plentiful and flavorful. Did I mention the potatoes were amazing? I love to feel like I am having breakfast at home and the cafeteria like setting doesn't give me that vibe.
(4)Ezgi M.
I love food here. I love coffee. I love their attitude, their servers, I absolutely love everything. And it is obvious that I am not the only one because they are always packed. Until recent OpenTable arrangement, they were so bad at handling reservations, I always waited at least 30 minutes even with a reservation. But now, miraculously, they solved the problem with OpenTable. Last three times I was there, I was seated immediately, even 10 mins before my reservation. Nice job, Portage Bay.
(4)Catherine F.
Definitely one of the best brunch places I've been! They were very busy but the service was impeccable. The food was delicious! All four of us had different things. One in our group has a lot of eating restrictions (no dairy no gluten) and there were many options for her! She had troubles deciding! Will definitely be back :)
(5)Cody H.
This place was AWESOME! This was my first trip to the area, and I've come to realize that the area is going to be all about locally produced materials and making sure that its featured at the restaurant. The things that I like is the service. The waitress was very kind and very helpful with the menu and the things that she liked or didn't like. She was very friendly with my daughter who is only 2 years old, and that was a good thing also. I love the atmosphere of this restaurant, lots of great window light so you can stare into the busy street ahead, and the pictures that they added to the decor of the local area was great. The food was DELICIOUS! They also give you plenty of food. I order the Banana Fosters French Toast and I fell in love! Overall this place really didn't do any wrong. I enjoyed everything about it, because this is what a place should be like. I will be coming back in the future when I move to Washington State and travel to the city for a weekend getaway.
(4)Leslie P.
One of my favorite brunch places in Seattle! I like everything I've tried at Portage Bay but my favorites include the breakfast sandwich and the french toast. The fruit bar is always fresh too.
(5)Leah R.
4 1/2 stars. The wait was the only negative. The Migas is a must! Bring your appetite and wear loose waisted pants ;-)
(4)Raissa L.
Delicious, wholesome foods that will leave you completely satisfied. Service is awesome and options are available for any kind of eater.
(5)Rachel H.
Its not an easy feat in Seattle to find a breakfast place that serves the most important meal of the day, seven days a week. Some of the tastiest places in town only do a weekend brunch. Portage Bay is here for the breakfast hungry all week long, and as such its a reliable staple in the Seattle brunch scene. On the plus side, the Ballard Portage Bay is definitely their best location. Of the three locations, it is usually the least crowded during the week its got a nice, simple, modern feel. (Some like their newer, cavernous location by SLC.) This location has ample street parking, and less bustle and pressing crowds. At Portage Bay, they use a lot of fresh vegetables and serve a fresh, solid breakfast. Its always consistent, complete with Portage Bay staples like Banana Foster French Toast, mushroom hash scramble with lots of fresh beans and herbs, Migas (an eggy burrito), and their chorizo scramble. The portions are enormous. You'll have a hard time finishing up a meal here. The food is solid breakfast fare, but it does have steep competition on the weekends with the more serious foodie breakfast spots. Healthy and local meals, here but sometimes lacking flavor. Each time I'm here, in the back of my mind is a nagging realization that Portage Bay is exceeding my quantity expectations by leaps and bounds, but not so much quality. The toppings bar, depending on time of year, utilizes mostly canned and frozen fruits and berries, in favor of fresh berries. The dishes here not as savory or delicious as they might be in the hand of another chef, say at Boat Street, Revel, Lola, etc. But this is a seven day a week operation, a consistent breakfast spot and a very well loved Seattle staple. It certainly won't let you down if you are seeking an enormous, fresh scramble or a giant stack of pancakes, seven days a week. Service tends to be busy, distracted and overstretched however.
(3)Susan G.
Super crowded, fun, fabulous place to eat. There are a few vegan + gluten free options and the banana pancakes make Portage Bay Cafe worth the trip across the bridge for me. The rest of my family loves everything on the menu. I'm not a fan of waiting in line for long periods of time (even with a reservation) so I choose my visit timing carefully. I love this place and their motto to "eat like you give a damn".
(4)Mark F.
I eat here probably once a week. I go knowing full well that the service will vary between disinterested and clueless -- asking a question like "is there a special sheet" usually sparks a good five minutes returns stares as if I had asked for the square root of a nine-digit number. Usually the food is good enough to trump the millennial staffed madness. Today was a bad as I've seen. I always sit at the counter, and the young man who waited on me must have been recently added - he was clueless. The mean disappointed as well. What used to be good farro salad has not transformed into a mix of tough pea vines with a mis-matched hunk of cheese on top. Interestingly, the farro salad today was missing, well, farro. It did have under-cooked (even uncooked?) garbanzo beans that put molars at risk. I am amazed this place does such great business.
(2)Ed P.
I ended up ordering the traditional French toast and it lived up to the hype. Portions are generous and staff is super chill and affable. Didn't experience much of their menu but my experience was enjoyable. Will return when I'm back in town.
(5)Jon M.
Got here at 1030. We were told an hour and a half wait. It's now 1210 and they say another half hour at least. While the food is pretty good, it's honestly not worth the waste of time. Edit: I'm told you can make a reservation so upgrading to 3 stars.
(3)Jared R.
Awful service. Unfortunately that sums up my experiences here. I've attempted to eat here twice. First time there was a long wait which is okay... I can dig it. Good food creates demand. But the hosts weren't the slightest bit friendly, and seemed disinterested with their surroundings. The food was OKAY... but just okay and it took forever to be served even after being seated. Sadly, once we did get our orders we saw our server maybe twice during the course of our brunch? Christmas Eve my girlfriend and I decided to give Portage Bay one more go for a lunch after a quick trip to REI. The large sign in their window said they were open until 2:30pm. We found and paid for street parking and walked in. It was 1:05pm and as soon as I stepped through the door the manager unapologetically stated they closed at 1pm. He could have just as easily said that he wasn't interested in our business and his delivery could have gone unaltered. Disappointed with the confirmation of their poor management and a lack of "service with a smile" philosophy I turned around to leave. But not before I heard one of their employees chiming behind me a question to her boss "We're closed?" We spent $4 to park outside, only to be turned away without notice, or empathy. Alas I had high hopes for you Portage Bay Cafe... but I won't be returning. I can take a hint.
(1)Dan P.
While I appreciate the intent behind their greener-than-thou ultra-local shame-me-into-feeling-good sort of approach, they can back off a bit. Seriously, the best thing about this visit was discovering the variety of pictures of bathrooms in the bathroom. (I really liked it) So what wasn't to like? Well, aside from the attitude that you're there because you NEED to be, they also forgot our order. For 30 minutes. Worse still, the waiter didn't really seem to think we would mind cold eggs, cold potatoes, and poached eggs that had taken on a greasy sheen. To their credit, they quickly remade it, and I thought the flavors were fantastic. Just the same, i like to feel like a place that celebrates themselves so much is helping me indulge in their effort rather than falling prey to it. Would I go back? Maybe, but I'd look to see who else is open first.
(3)Ane P.
THIS IS THE #1 BREAKFAST SPOT IN OUR BOOK! This establishment has received rave reviews not only from myself personally and the family, but also relatives from out of town. Each time they come into town we HAVE to go here (practically every morning). They call, asking us how Portage Bay is doing. I don't know if I should even go on... EVERYTHING is good. Right down to the wonderful owners, who are always workin the floor and friendly! The breakfast bar is great, offering lots of fresh fruit and tons of whipped cream. However, my all time favorite is the chicken basil sausage. You haven't done your visit justice if you have not ordered this as a side.
(5)Steph C.
What is so great about this place? I have no idea. The food was ok. The prices were kinda high. That's all I have to say. Nothing memorable, and definitely DON'T go here for lunch because then you'll end up waiting a long time for slightly over priced, mediocre food.
(2)K A.
I love the food at Portage Bay. I love the breakfast bar, the french toast, the coffee and the commitment to local, sustainable, organic food. Today, I didn't love the fact that after waiting for over an hour for our table, we were shoved in the corner of the back "private" room with little ventilation or clear windows to see out, and then waited another 30+ mins for our food to arrive. Also, in the hour that I was waiting for our table, I also waited for my coffee at the bar because the large coffee pot was brewing. Meanwhile, other patiently waiting customers were being served coffee at their waiting seats by a server walking around with a small coffee pot. When I gave up waiting for the coffee to finish brewing at the bar, I approached the roving server with the coffee pot, and he had already poured the last mug. After we were seated in the back room, we ordered and then I took a trip to the bathroom, which was a complete mess. A huge pile of used, wet paper towels on the ground overflowing on the floor under the sink area from what seemed to be a garbage can that hadn't been emptied in days. Back at our table, when our food finally arrived, 2 of our orders were missing items. I also had to go to the service area myself to get our to go boxes because no servers came to ask if we needed any, even though there was clearly food on our plates. I understand that today was Sunday and it was brunch time. I don't mind waiting for a table, but once I am seated, it sure is nice to have an enjoyable experience. This was disappointing on so many levels. It was busy, but I've been here and other PBC locations in town when it was busy before and never did I experience such on off day. Come on Portage Bay, you do food so well, clean up your service act.
(2)Julie P.
I used to love this restaurant but the last subsequent times I've gone I've realized there's nothing extremely great about it. The best part of it is the toppings bar (especially during fruit season) if you get an item that grants you a trip there. The rest of the menu is ok, they tend to serve at least half of your food order cold (usually its the potatoes or the cheese is not melted in your omelet or scrambles). The portions are huge, which is good,but I've had better breakfast at other places that have better menu options that serve their food hot from the kitchen, not from the heat lamp. There's always an enormous wait there. Its usually not because diners are lounging at their tables for an extended period of their meal like the hostess says. Most of its because there's not enough staff to do the work or they are taking too long to do it. Its pretty chaotic in there, I never really feel that the servers have time to give you good service. The last three times we've gone with reservations for table of 6, we waited 20-30minutes after our reservation time to get seated. Then we typicially waited 10minutes to get our drink order, 10minutes to get our drinks, 10minutes to get food ordered, 20minutes to get food, ate for 20-25minutes, and then the bill took another 15minutes to process. We barely can hail our server down if we need anything. No wonder a typical meal there on the wkend can last up to 2hrs! I would like to suggest to the owner to please hire more staffing on wkends if you want quicker table turnaround time which would mean more business for them too. I think I'll start visiting my other breakfast joints for a while before I go back to Portage.
(3)jill g.
i really really want to give PBC more stars since their food can be so good, but the service is just too slow to give a nod of approval. in the past few weeks i've been there twice and each time it's been over 20 minutes between being seated and having our orders taken. this happened once at an early lunch, which we scheduled early just so that we'd get better service, and once at breakfast which was not super busy at all. and once you have to ask 3 times for your drink, it just becomes downright annoying. on top of that, while the food is often good it can be...not so good. the toppings bar was chock full of frozen berries, not fresh. and i had a french dip which was mostly fatty meat. when they get it right - which is usually breakfast - then they really get it right. but i think i've given them enough chances.
(2)Yuri K.
What can I say? If you're in Seattle, GO TO PORTAGE BAY! They have ridiculously delicious breakfast foods that are organic and not super expensive! When you go, make sure you get a pancake or something that earns you a trip to the toppings bar. They have fresh whipped cream, fruits, and maple syrup. Overall, all their food is very, very good (I recommend the Rancher's Breakfast!). The only downside is that their service is pretty bad. It always is slow and hectic. But really, I like the food so much, I totally overlook it and go back. Unfortunately, I'm no longer in Seattle so it looks like I'll just have to live with the memories of Portage Bay.... Damn, I'm drooling just thinking about their food. How quickly can I get to Seattle from here?
(5)J H.
The key is arriving before 10am for Sunday brunch. We finished at 11am. There was a big crowd waitng to be seated. The food here is fine as Sunday brunches go. Nothing fancy. They serve large proportions, and I noticed a couple of creative dishes. I had the "migo" which is a Southwest breakfast taco-like dish. The coffee seemed like standard issue and does the job. The South Lake Union location is spacious and open--lots of tables. Lots of windows make for a bright interior during the summer. Ambience is good. I saw a wide variety of patrons (families, couples, college, etc.). Staff was very efficient. Never had to ask once about refilling coffee or water. Overall, I had a good experience. Had the opportunity to enjoy coffee and the paper with fiancé, as well as a decent breakfast. I'd recommend this place
(4)Amy C.
This place is delicious! I've never been with anyone who didn't love what they ate here - from the french toasts to the pancakes (all including trips to the toppings bar) to the omelettes and other savory choices, it's all delicious. The portions are huge, so be ready to use some self restraint or be very full. My favorite thing here is the seasonal hash. It's always tasty and isn't as heavy as some of the other choices. Their chai is also very good. It is a little pricey and you should expect a wait, but it's all totally worth it.
(5)Elizabeth C.
Had to come here from all the bragging I've heard about this place. Mimosas were yummy! Breakfast and the fresh fruit bar was great, love the all organic and fresh produce from local farmers concept. French toast wasn't that good, bread was too thick for my taste and the coffee was very bitter and stale. All in all everyone was very friendly and the rest of my food was very enjoyable (scrambled egg,bacon, and hash)
(4)Hayley V.
The first time I went here the swine flu pandemic was surfacing in the states and the news was warning: DO NOT GO OUTSIDE OR YOU WILL EXPOSE YOURSELF and we did anyway because well, we're hustlers. So we get to Portage and the first thing I see is their infamous "toppings bar". Am I the only one who thinks the health department should be confiscating this sucker? The "toppings bar" consists of an unattended table of perishable goody bowls with no lids or sneeze guards. Watch it for 5 minutes and you'll witness your first little kid reaching for whipped cream with chubby dirty fingers. Shyeet. The sad part is everything I wanted to order here included a trip to the toppings bar so I ordered less delectable menu items to avoid an automatic case o swine flu. The one good thing I will say about Portage is that their turnover time was quick! When we got there the whole waiting area was full so we expected 40 minutes of standing but were ultimately seated at our table within 15 minutes. Now if Portage could just legitimize that toppings bar....
(3)George L.
service was bad and the food is over hyped.
(2)Marneaux W.
I'm not sure why it took us so long to finally take some time to eat at Portage Bay! Oh, I remember, because normally when we drive passed, the place is packed to the rafters! Today my hubby and I made it in for an early breakfast (before 9 am) on a Saturday - nice!! OMG, I ordered the smoked salmon omelet. Alot of salmon in that puppy! The omelet was garnished with delicately sliced raw red onion (rings) and capers. Capers also join your smoked salmon inside the omelet. The red potatoes served with were tossed or coated in a subtle paprika seasoning blend...a very nice compliment to the saltiness of the omelet. I can't wait to go again! I really want to try the lemon curd french toast!
(5)Phil S.
We went here for work with a group of 11.... and got right in even though it was busy. We each got different things and everybody's food looked really good. Mine was terrific. I got the prime rib dip which was very tasty. It came with roasted potatoes. I would definitely order that again. However, some others had gotten some breakfast items which REALLY looked good. In particular a sort of breakfast burrito with chorizo... thats what I'll order next time. Everything there is organic and fresh, and the prices are pretty reasonable considering.
(4)Brad R.
Cool interior and great food menu. I had the lamb burger which was unbelievable. Then I went back the next day and had the turkey club. Excellent portions and real turkey, not that slimy processed stuff. The beer and wine selection is a bit limited but at least they had 2 local microbrews. I suppose since they are only open until 3pm, they don't expect too many folks to be boozin at lunch.
(4)Jeff C.
I've come here twice in two days - it was well worth it each time. I ordered the salmon omelet and it was literally overflowing with "salmon goodness." The service was really good and unlike many other places that are super busy, the table we were given was _actually_ clean. It seems to get really crowded, but that's just because the food is really good - its definitely worth the wait.
(4)Jimmy Z.
This place is pretty much the perfect weekend brunch place. The pancakes are great, and there are plenty of awesome egg dishes for people looking for something else. The highlight (of course) is the pancakes topping bar. This thing is the real deal; every topping you could want and then some. All kinds of fruit, brown sugar, whipped cream, etc. it's perfect. And since it's included with the pancakes the meal really turns out to be pretty inexpensive. The service was also great, especially considering how busy it can get. Look out for a long wait though, it gets really packed on weekends. The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because they don't have waffles. That toppings bar is just beginning for some beautiful Belgian waffles! If they ever start serving waffles this place will be a dream come true and I'll update this review to 6 stars!
(4)Sky A.
This place was great! My wife and I were really lucky and arrived in-between rushes; we were sat immediately (although I heard that lines are typically long). I ended up getting the Duck Confit Fritatta, which was absolutely amazing. My wife got the Rancher's Breakfast, which had some highs and lows. The eggs and sausage were pretty standard; not bad but not really that special. The potatoes were great but what really stood out were the pancakes. The pancakes themselves were really, really good (just the perfect balance of sweetness, nice and fluffy) and it included a trip to the best topping bar I've ever seen. It is expensive here but you are supporting local, sustainable, humane farmers; I felt like the trade-off was worth it.
(4)Jason B.
Huge portions, quality ingredients, great coffee, nice staff. What's not to love?
(4)Zachary Sam Z.
Have you ever had that embarrassing moment when you realize a friend or co-worker is wearing the same thing you are? That was me at Portage Bay today. When I sat down to eat with my friend, she said, "Your shirt looks like the ones that all the employees are wearing!" Apparently, the lime green color that the designer chose for a work event a few months ago is a popular one. Although, I think my shirt is cooler. However, in a comparison of my Reuben vs. Portage Bay's, they win hands down. They use Gruyere in their Reubens, which really goes well with the other tastes, and they grill it just the right amount for an excellent sandwich. Trust the guy who grew up in the birthplace of the Reuben! A+ for the focus on the local ingredients. B- for the semi-coarse service, but I give some leeway since it was during toward the end of the lunch rush. I'm semi-afraid of this place being around the corner from my Seattle office. I purposefully avoided getting something to try with the Toppings Bar today after reading Calvin Y's ROTD... I'm afraid I'd never eat anything else for breakfast! Nevertheless, I suspect I will be back to try their French Toast someday soon.
(4)Eugenia P.
Not only is it local, organic, and made with love... It is freaking deeelicious! My favorite place to treat myself for breakfast. Make it there before 11am to catch the Wildberry French Toast which is deeeeelectable & the Joe's Scramble is great if you're feeling savory! And the service is goooooood & love the fruit toppings bar especially when they have fresh blueberries! Yum! :)
(5)Andy P.
Great food, really! HOWEVER, this place has become a victim of its own popularity. Service has become overwhelmed, taking almost 20m to just get you a coffee, not to mention that we haven't even ordered food yet. Today it's a Saturday morning and not even a sunny one, i.e. it isn't even that crowded. The owners need to ramp up on the kitchen and the staff or deal with downsizing the place. Less is more sometimes... Update: it's been 45m in to our visit here and we still haven't gotten a single dish yet.
(2)Shu T.
I'm so glad that we got in for sunday brunch. The food here tasted great. Everything tasted better because it was organic. The bacon was so good. If bacon wasn't so fat, I would eat that all the time. The yogurt and granola I ordered was way too big for me to eat. It was still decently good. The strawberries were so fresh and good. I love fresh fruit for breakfast. I would probably go again sometime.
(4)Dave M.
Dear Portage Bay Cafe, It was fun for a while, but I've got to break up with you. When we first got together your toppings bar was loaded with fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and more. I loved it and came back often. In the winter months I noticed that many of your fresh berries were replaced by previously frozen berries. "Not a big deal," I thought to myself. After all, it's not the season for berries. I still cared for you inspite of the fact that a few of your servers would stop by our table and glance at our empty coffee and water cups and fail to fill them or even ask if we would like more. I did have a favorite server there that always made sure her tables were happy, and I made a point of telling her she was great at her job. But most of the others.... So, I came to see you in July - the PEAK of berry season. Got my rancher's breakfast and excitedly went to the toppings bar with my pancakes with the hope of seeing the fresh bounty of ripe strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and more. WHAT A DISSAPOINTMENT!!! This is July, not February. Yet, other than fresh slices of strawberries, the rest was the frozen junk. So, it's over for us. Others will continue to see you so you won't be alone. But I know what you once were, and you have fallen.
(2)Julian V.
This location's alright. I prefer the original better, but this place was still pretty good. The salmon hash is THE. JAM. I think that of all the things Seattle should be proud of, it should be Portage Bay. ......and Ken Griffey Jr.
(4)Vanessa D.
One of my favourite lunch spots when I still worked in Seattle. The staff are super friendly and quick. The soup and salad specials were always yummy and fresh. The prime rib sandwich is one of the best I have ever had, and it was consistently good. I love the super organic and local business model, but the biodegradable spoons they give you to-go have a tendency to melt in the soup. The only reason I don't put 5 stars is that they don't serve lunch items on the weekend. This has prevented me from having the amazing prime rib sandwich several times when revisiting the area. This makes me sad.
(4)Amber S.
My most favorite breakfast place in Seattle. Organic ingrediants, big portions, not greasy, just delicious! Best banana fosters french toast I've ever had! Thick challah bread and caramel goodness! They give you the option to visit the toppings bar which has fresh fruit, nuts, whipped cream to add to you plate. But, Im pretty satisfied with my french toast as it is! I also love their many egg options. I often opt for the Migas with is like an egg quesadilla..but only better. I really lke that they have Iserno Chicken Sausage option. They serve brunch until 2pm on weekends and it gets pretty busy, but unfortunately they dont take reservations!
(5)Angela P.
Have the french toast and then thank me! I was in a bind to find a place to host 20+ people for a surprise birthday breakfast and Portage Bay Cafe came to my rescue! Not only did they place a huge long table for 21 people in the middle of their restaurant (there was a ton of room in this place!), they let us bring balloons, a cake and they even let us yell surprise when the birthday lady walked in! (The other diners might have been annoyed but the staff at Portage Bay were not!) The service was excellent. We had one waiter who made sure everyone had something to drink the moment they sat down.Our food came out quickly and it was delicious. The topping's bar is an awesome idea and I was stoked to see it had all my favorite goodies on it. I loved eating here and will come again. This time with a lot less people!
(4)Evan J.
Asise from the dropped bacon plate that shattered on my feet, this experience was fantastic. The mushroom sammich and the potatoes were amazing. The reuben was kind of lackluster, in my opinion. Could use more flavorful corned beef and stronger sauce. Will try the duck confit sammich next time. Heard favorable noises from my friend on that.
(4)G L.
Has to be hands down the best breakfast place I've eaten. Fluffy pancakes with very fresh , seems organic, fruits and toppings bar. Crab Eggs Benedict makes you want to give a high five to the crab you just ate. Potatoes were really well seasoned, Mimosa very fresh and refreshing, and eggs cooked real well. The ham slice wasn't as succulent as i hoped, but packed full of flavor. Large crowds and can be pretty packed!
(4)Dianna S.
This place is fabulous!! The best brunch I've had in Seattle yet! I had the Ranchers Breakfast which includes 3 eggs, your choice of breakfast meat, potatoes (which were perfect), and your choice of pancakes or french toast. The best thing about this place is the toppings bar which includes, BIG bowls of FRESH strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, almonds, walnuts, cinnamon, sugar, syrup and real whipped cream. They also have gluten-free and vegetarian options. I also had a mimosa which was probably the best mimosa I've had...EVER. They must use quality champagne and freshly squeezed OJ. There is also the option of mixing the champagne with other fruit juices. There is plenty of seating and with high ceilings the volume level is manageable. There might be a 20 minute wait on the weekend but its totally worth it!
(5)Bob S.
I would have liked to contact the restaurant with this feedback prior to placing the review. Unfortunately, their website has no "Contact Us" link or email address. I've lived in Seattle for about 13 years now. For the majority of those years, I'd known PBC to be a breakfast/brunch place, and I had never been very pleased with the experience (previously, this was based entirely on U-District location). I have always felt their food was mediocre and extremely overpriced. Recently, I discovered they had some lunch options that made this a viable consideration, especially given the convenient South Lake Union location. My favorite option was the Pear Salad. Though there is some variability in quality, it has been a pretty reliable (if still expensive, at $15 with chicken) option for lunch. I have been going there regularly for about 6 months; sometimes up to 3 times a week. Much to my dismay, they've removed the Pear Salad from the menu due to "seasonal updates". There were a number of other menu changes. The most similar alternative, which I tried, was a spinach salad, with bacon, pinenuts, and raisins, and a sherry-based dressing. It was very greasy and heavy, and definitely not a substitute for the pear salad. The positives of PBC are (mostly) very friendly waitstaff (in particular, always had great experiences with Nichole), and convenient location. The negatives of PBC are price, sometimes a very long wait, and food quality (particularly breakfast foods) is nothing to write home about, and certainly nothing to warrant the breakfast and lunch prices they charge. Not sure if I will be attending again.
(2)Nikki C.
Working near this place its hard to resist to try it at least once... but been here many time thereafter. However I do try to go before the breakfast is closed. The pancakes with the unlimited topping is my fave! I'm a big fan of pancakes and theirs don't disappoint. Just the perfect combination for lunch. Their sandwich/salad combos are just what you need for the afternoon. Overrall , it may get crowded during lunch, but my advise is go a bit early to make it just before the breakfast bar closes and savor the pancakes with the unlimited toppings!
(4)Shirley L.
Really overrated and overpriced. You can easily get cheaper and better tasting French toast at a family restaurant. Was also unimpressed by the migas -- thought there'd be a topping bar for that as well! Would skip this and just grab a pastry from one of the nearby cafes.
(1)Doug C.
Most sequels don't compare well to the original. The plots tend to be repetitive and the jokes are often recycled. It's just difficult to recapture the magic of the original. If you don't believe me, go watch Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach. With that in mind, my enthusiasm was tempered when I ventured into the second Portage Bay Café in South Lake Union. It's located next to some new condos......okay, those directions probably won't help you. Instead let's just say it's on Terry Avenue along the SLUT line. It has a few outdoor seats along the side with an expansive interior. It reminds me of a large high school cafeteria; just with more ornate seats and less cliquish. We were seated quickly and service throughout the meal was fairly prompt. A quick perusal of the menu will inform you that the food is organic and mostly local. A more sustained review will tell you that everything looks delicious. I went for the pepper bacon hash and my friend went for the asian salad. The hash was a glorious mix of potatoes (sweet and red), bell peppers, onion and celery. Top this with three eggs (mine over-easy) and whole wheat toast and you've got a fine meal. As an added bonus, breakfast is served all day. As for the salad, I don't actually know why it's called an asian salad since I'm not a salad expert (Saladologist? Saladeer? Saladin?), but my friend thought it was great. I was told that it contained at least mixed greens, onions, almonds and bell peppers. Most of the breakfast dishes were in the $10-12 dollar range and the sandwiches and salads were $8-12 although the Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict will set you back a little extra. All in all, the SLU version of Portage Bay Café was a pretty good sequel; like a Superman 2 or Aliens. Maybe even Army of Darkness level.
(4)Vaibhav S.
Had gone at around 12 and the place was full of people and could hardly hear the person in front of me... The food was really good ..had a Migas.. which comes with a truck load of cheese, enough to fit for people ... Also had fresh orange juice .. as fresh as fresh can get I guess .... The potatoes were good ... but I guess the fresh fruit would have been better .. I would have given an extra star but the noise made it unbearable to hear with shouting all around ..
(3)Whitney R.
Someone knows how to cook. I am all about food that has interesting combinations that create tasty compliments to one another. Portage Bay had it baby! I ordered the Southwest Benedict which consisted of jalapeno cheddar cornbread base, with a poached egg sauteed spinach and topped with house smoked tomato and roasted red pepper coulis. Can I get an AMEN! My moms Salmon benedict was awesome as well. I saw a girl order a massive thing of pancakes, and they have challah french toast which is no doubt delicious. Service was outstanding, and the place was welcoming and clean. Loved it!
(4)Dusan S.
Blah. For all the hype and all the wait and the price of food it is just simply not worth it. It was Friday and it was fairly busy. We got seated right away but then waited for the server for a while. He came over, took our drink orders and then it took quite a while to get those. He was very nice and obviously very busy... He made great mimosas and I liked the coffee. His name was Chad, I believe. I got the rancher's breakfast thing and my boyfriend got the Dave's breakfast with a side of bacon. My scrambled eggs were tasteless, my side potatoes were underwhelming, the sausage was ok. I had a bite of the pancake and that was good. So basically, the best part of my meal was the "one trip to the toppings bar". My boyfriend said his food was "alright". The menu is slightly pretentious. The fried rice daily special had the word "organic" before every ingredient. I got tired by the time I was done reading it. I don't get why people wait forever to sit here, why they pay high prices for food that's mediocre at best. I will not be going back. The good server and the toppings bar earned them the 3rd star, my initial rating was 2.
(3)Tracy T.
If given a choice between eating here and eating a McDonald's Egg McMuffin out of the wrapper (and accidentally biting off and eating a small chunk of said wrapper)while driving my car I would pick the McMuffin. At least I know I would eat that and it's consistent. I've been to this place 4 times (2 for breakfast, 2 for lunch). I've asked the server for her recommendation once for breakfast, once for lunch. All 4 times my meal was disgusting. Eggs were over-cooked and spongy first time (served alongside OVERseasoned potatoes -- worse than Coastal Kitchen), french dip had slimy (as in should have been thrown out a week ago) mushrooms, raw onions and soggy untoasted bread second time, french toast was burnt on edges and raw in the middle 3rd time and I can't even remember what I ordered for breakfast (it was the server's suggestion) last time but it was inedible. How this place has a line outside on weekends I will never understand. I've honestly had better breakfast at IHOP (and friendly service too). While not touched upon in this review, the general attitude of the wait staff at Portage Bay is worthy of it's own entirley separate review...
(1)Ling B.
After all my time in Seattle, tried Portage Bay Cafe for the first time today. Liked the setup (high ceilings, well lit, open layout) the food was great plus at an awesome price point. Had the patty melt sandwich with potatoes. The melt was juicy and the bread was fresh, but the potatoes stole the show. So good!!! I've never had potatoes so soft & flavorful. Shocking. Pics of our meal: ling.swingvine.com/view?…
(4)Chris T.
Seattle has wonderful independent restaurants all over the place, even a Tom Douglas eatery would be much more worth the wait than this place. We were told the wait was 25 minutes, we waited 45. Our waiter was lackadaisical at best; we waited 45 minutes to get our food. We had to ask our waiter to please check on our order because he hadn't returned to the kitchen for about 20 minutes. We sat and watched him tend to the counter, more than pay attention to the tables. We also spoke to the owner who seemed peeved that we had the audacity to even ask if this was normal. BTW, the owner said he'd check on our meal and never returned. To be fair, our french toast was comped. Bottom line, if you want over crowded, long waits for good , not great food, then by all means help yourself.
(1)Ashley P.
I'll start off by saying I love Portage Bay. But this location needs some work. Every time I go here, I have high expectations, I love the UW location and am blown away by everything when I'm there. So, naturally, I have the same expectations when I come here, especially since the menu is identical! I don't know if the people in the kitchen don't care as much as the other locations, but the food here is mediocre at best. I've been here a number of times and have never been too happy with my experience. I ordered a salad at portage bay UW and absolutely loved it! When I met a friend for lunch here last week I got the same salad. It looked like they just threw it on the plate as if we were in a high school cafeteria, it was drenched in dressing that was pretty flavorless, the chicken was overdone and didn't taste fresh at all. Our waitress was very nice but overwhelmed. Her section was huge and she didn't have any help, not even a water boy. Unfortunately the service was slow but it wasn't her fault. I don't plan on being back at this location until something changes. I want to love this location! I really do! Please make some changes!
(2)Willow W.
It's pretty amazing how big farm-to-table can get when you plop it in the middle of a city like Seattle. And when it's so dang good! The best thing to do here is go with someone and split two dishes; one sweet and one savory. My original plan was to avoid carbs and load up on fruit, but then I ordered the graham cracker crusted challah french toast. I loaded it up with fruit, but it was still mega-carb laden and I felt ultra full. And then I had a bit of scramble, which was also delicious. It was not as amazing though, so I forgot what it even was, after the French toast experience. The space was nice, though a bit loud, lots of light on a sunny day, cool photos and good service. The fruit bar was just mouthwatering, especially for those who were waiting to be seated. My friend does not like this place, so maybe it's just what I ordered, but I'd be back to try more.
(5)Something Like a Phenomenon S.
UPDATE: In response to the reviewer who may or may not have been referring to me and said, "Some of these reviews.....how about not being an asshole to restaurant employees? Seriously... [I]f you need something, how about simply asking for it without being a snarky Seattle metrosexual bitch?" I take offense at this, sir. I am not a metrosexual. I am a full-on, 100% homosexual. Thank you.
(2)Pachi C.
Food: Delicious Service: Friendly Price: On the higher end, but almost everything is organic (avg $10) I love this place! I wish I would've known about it in college, although I probably wouldn' t have frequented due to my non-existent college income. Ingredients are fresh and they definitely pay attention to detail when developing the staples. The fresh toppings bar for the pancakes/french toast was spectacular. The fresh homemade cream light, airy, tasty on almost anything! Hubby had the best omelette I've ever tasted in my life - topped with gouda cheese shavings. They make the french toast with THICK slices of toast. If I lived in Seattle I would come here once a week. Until next time, I will continue to have visions of light, airy, cream topped french toasts dancing in my head...
(5)Philip K.
Went here for breakfast Easter morning and fortunately we were able to reserve a table which I understand is not normally the case. Glad we had reservations as the line when we left at 11:30 was quite long. I'll skip past the design and decor of the restaurant which is of little concern when it comes to how food actually tastes but I would say that it was very clean inside which usually reflects a clean kitchen staff. I ordered the Rancher's Breakfast and selected eggs over medium, peppered bacon, potatoes and french toast. I have to say that the toppings bar was a nice little touch to allow me to put as much or as little whipped cream and fruit as I like. But the french toast was very very good on its own. The bacon and potatoes were good but the eggs seemed more over easy than over medium. For a fully organic menu, the menu was reasonably priced. Our server was good but not stellar. She seemed a bit disinterested but the other servers were very friendly and picked up where she missed. All in all, I will definitely go back again.
(4)Carol H.
So many options for a healthy eating lifestyle! Service is somewhat slow but worth the wait. The Banana's Foster french toast was amazing if you have a sweet tooth!
(5)Bre T.
I really wanted to like Portage Bay. I like the atmosphere and the the toppings bar is super pretty. That being said, the food is mediocre at best. Normally I can look past mediocre food if the atmosphere is great and the prices are reasonable, but not this time. If I'm paying $12-15 per plate for lunch I want to actually like my food. My husband ordered the grilled salmon on a bed of veggies and said that the veggies were undercooked and the romaine was bitter. I took a bite and didn't at all care for the spices that were used. I ordered the turkey club with potatoes on the side. The potatoes were dry (barely edible) and had no flavor. The sandwich was bland but the best thing on both of our plates. I suspect that's because it had bacon and everyone knows that bacon can save just about any dish. We won't be going back. If you want a good lunch on the same block head over to Cactus. Better prices and MUCH better food.
(2)Saleem M.
Fantastic brunch. Make a reservation--it gets busy-- but worth it!
(5)Andrea N.
I loooove Portage Bay Cafe! I've been to the location on Roosevelt as well as on the South Lake Union and have never been the least bit disappointed. My latest visit was this past Sunday for brunch. The wait wasn't terrible (about 20 minutes, we were there around 12:30pm, party of 4). Everything on the menu sounds amazing. I always try to get french toast or pancakes so I can visit the amazing toppings bar! For my latest visit I got the Lemon Curd French Toast with blueberries. Mmm. I added more blueberries and some strawberries and whipped cream at the toppings bar. Made for a delicious breakfast. You get 3 HUGE pieces of french toast. I ate 2 and felt positively stuffed. I liked the lemon curd sauce, it added a nice tartness, but I think the Bananas Foster French Toast is still my favorite. My husband got the Rancher's Breakfast with bacon, french toast, eggs over easy. It looks fantastic. The bacon came out very crisp and the eggs look perfectly done. He seemed happy. The other two in our party got an omelette with salmon and scramble with ham and corn in it. They both loved theirs. The breakfast potatoes are amazing. The seasonings are delicious (I snuck a few off their plates). All in all no one was disappointed. The atmosphere was alive and bustling (some may find it too loud or busy). Our server was attentive without stopping by too often. I tend to like visiting the South Lake Union location better than Roosevelt. It's more open where the Roosevelt location feels small, cramped, and crowded. I highly recommend Portage Bay Cafe!
(5)Josh H.
Huh. Well having braved the original place in the U-district, this place is a huge upgrade. There seem to be a ton of gripes about service in the reviews, but we were pretty pleased with the service. We had 3 kids and 4 adults, and we felt they were actually pretty accomodating. Our waitress forgot an order of bacon, but it wasn't on our bill, and when we saw the mounds of yummy food in front of us, we decided we didn't need it anyway. Because of the kids and the picky adults, we asked our waitress for all kinds of stuff, and she was great. All our food was tasty, and came out hot. Their chorizo scramble is freaking awesome. The kids got Mickey Mouse pancakes, and we had fun putting on toppings at the 'breakfast bar'. Some of these reviews.....how about not being an asshole to restaurant employees? Seriously. This place is jammed for breakfast on the weekends, as in total madhouse. If you don't want to wait, then make a reservation. DUH. And if you need something, how about simply asking for it without being a snarky Seattle metrosexual bitch? They're called 'manners'. Do some reseach on the issue. [sassylatina] Oh no you didn't! [/sassylatina] Yes madam, I did.
(5)Cameron W.
O. M. G. Seriously? Banana's foster french toast? Next thing you're going to say is that someone actually makes icecream with coffee from Vivace. Oh wait...that's a different review. Portage Bay Cafe provides a very good, hearty meal -and it seems like they are striving to do all that all while using "Earth friendly" ingredients. I can't vouch for the validity of that (as I read this on their brochure on the table) but can confirm - whole heartedly - that the food is pretty darn good. I was in there the other day with some friends visiting from out of town and we ordered a meal very non-earth friendly - we had four people at breakfast and ordered 6 meals! It was an insane amount of food and was caused mostly because we were all starving when the waitress took our order. I'd recommend the bananas foster french toast or the Ranchers Breakfast which is 3 eggs, 2 very large pancakes, bacon or sausage , their amazing roasted potatoes, and a trip to their fruit bar. One thing to think about though is the french toast is VERY sweet - almost more a dessert than a breakfast.
(4)Kjell C.
I'm really annoyed with this place right now, and giving it a 1 star, not because the food is a 1 star, but because the people who work there typically (at least in my last 4 run-ins with them) are braindead yes-men who can't think for themselves, nor respond like a normal human being would to someone who had a concern. Why do they do this? I am guessing because they get so many complaints that they aren't allowed to try to resolve themselves that they just zone out and hear peoples' orders like "bla bla bla bla bla". Here are my previous runins: 1) Probably 4 years ago, when I first go to the one in the U District. Line's long, but that attracts me. Get a spot after like 20 minutes and I'm in the center of a large room with no privacy. This kinda sucks. I don't really want to sit next to two other couples on each side of me. I order the food, and I am interested in the toppings bar. So I go with this one. The waitress is nice, and when I get my food, I run over to the toppings bar. Half of the fruit is fresh, half of it is frozen and defrosted, and it looks like a decent variety. I grab some of everything and it's good. I finish the meal with a bit of a stomach ache, but it was good, so yay. Rating: 3.5/5 I'd go again, but not too often. 2) Go with on a date with a girl this time. 30 minute wait this time. She gets the waffle+fruit, and we have to pay extra to share it (dumb? yes, especially since I ordered my own meal and just wanted to have a few bites of hers). I order the potatoes, ham and eggs probably. Same problem with being seated in the middle again, and today, im in a good mood since I'm on a date with a girl I like. I am friendly to the waitress, but I guess she feels as cramped and annoyed as I am with the seating arrangements made in this place. She's quick and her inability to really focus on conversating for the few seconds we did is rude. Eat, I feel sick again after, but in a different way. Those potatoes, although they're kinda good, they're also kinda sick. 3) Go with a friend to the Terry Ave one. No line, but I get there early and tell one of the hosts that I am waiting for a friend and just want to check if he's there already. He seems annoyed I want to check, and I don't feel welcome in the place. It's fairly empty, so I don't know why he's being rude. Wait for my friend as 3 of their employees stand there just chatting to each other, bragging about this and that as if they're used car dealers. My friend gets there, and I stand up and we talk to the same host we talked to before. Instead of addressing me, he addresses my friend, as if he has never seen me before even though I just talked to him and have been sitting in his line of sight for the last five minutes. We get taken to our seats and our waitress comes to greet us. She gives us some of the most awkward conversation I've had for a waitress in my life. We talk to her a few seconds and maybe ask her about some of the food. She seems annoyed we're asking questions, and when we try to joke, she just gets quiet. It's as if she thinks she's in some upscale dining establishment in New York City, and we're drunk college kids or something, looking down at us for not knowing the menu. Get through this and order. Our food comes and I got the fruit + 1 pancake. I get up and get my fruit, and EVERYTHING is either dried or frozen/thawed fruit, and the selection is small. I am disappointed. I top my pancake and eat it, not even getting half way through it because it's so bad tasting. My friend ordered granola with yogurt, and he gets this plate that looks like it's for pasta in the olive garden with maybe a small yoplait scoop of yogurt and 2x the granola. Now, I don't know about you, but this is NOT how parfaits are made. Granola is dry, and most people don't want to eat 2/3 granola, 1/3 yogurt. My friend gets half way through, and asks the waitress for more yogurt. She seems annoyed again. It comes, and it's still lacking in the amount of yogurt there is, but at least its 50/50 now. The bill comes, and it turns out that my friend was charged $3 extra for a scoop of yogurt. He asks about that, and says how this is not how parfaits are made usually. She says that this is just the way they do it, and doesn't even apologize for the misunderstanding. She doesn't try to comp the yogurt either. And since she didn't even say it would cost extra for extra yogurt, that was more than annoying. And don't get me wrong, it's not as if the money is really the issue. He makes 90k/ year and I make 70k/year, and we can afford an extra $3 for yogurt. It's just the bad service, the poor communication, and the ridiculous prices for underwhelming food with service fairly comparable to Beth's Cafe (except Portage Bay is cleaner). 4) Only got a few more characters, but their catering service communication was just as bad as in restaurant. Clumsy, looking down on me, not talking to me like I am human, addressing all questions, or responding normal.
(1)Jason R.
I live in Cap Hill, so my usual brunch spots are up on Broadway, but yesterday we hopped on our bikes and coasted down to PBC. It was 11AM on a Friday, so not busy at all. Service was very good. I ordered the Bananas Foster French Toast, which is three ginormous slices of challah. I ate one slice and was stuffed. This morning I ate the second slice, so I actually got three full meals out of the deal. The toppings bar (w/ lots of fresh fruit) is a big plus too. I did think the syrup was a bit too sweet, but I should have known what I was getting myself into. Bananas Foster is a dessert after all. My wife had the Chicken Basil Sausage Hash, and I skimmed a few bites. Very tasty; I especially liked the yams/sweet potatoes, nice upgrade from regular potatoes. Her portion was huge as well, easily three meals' worth of food. I rated this "$$" to reflect the menu price, but it's really a "$" unless you eat too much or can't take your leftovers. And finally, they have outdoor seating so this will be a great summer lunch spot for all of us Amazonians moving to SLU over the next year. Can't wait to come back and try the lunch menu.
(5)Maya W.
Their French Toast (from challah bread) is amazing. I always opted to get the topping bar... the blackberry compote is so yummy. I went there almost everyweek (for 3 months) during my pregnancy. Healthy , natural and yummy. What else do you want =) I especially love this branch, The chance of you getting a table (without waiting) is bigger in this branch if you do not mind seating in the bar table (small parties only though). Warning: Huge portion =)
(5)Bob H.
Great place. Love the focus on organic and sustainable. Little loud but it added to the energy of the place. Buckwheat pancakes were great! Especially when topped with fresh strawberrys and blueberries.
(4)Jennifer K.
After the St. Patty's Day Dash in the snow & rain, we came here to warm up and eat some delicious brunch and warm coffee. Dungeness Crab Cakes Benedict were very tasty - I loved the sauce. I have had this dish before at the U-District location and I liked it better at the U-District location, but it was still pretty tasty. Service was not bad, especially since it was super crowded. In fact, immediately after we paid our bill, a waiter and a manager swooped in to our table to ask how we enjoyed our visit and to remind us that we arrived at the perfect time (read: we were leaving not a moment too soon :). I love that the food is organic, fresh and local. The atmosphere is great and I would definitely return again.
(4)Joey F.
Amazingly delicious food! Considering the ingredients, it is very reasonably priced. The only issue is the wait but even with tons of people, you get the food at a decent speed.
(4)Mei C.
I really enjoyed this place. The portions are great - I ordered french toast and country potatoes...big problem - I couldn't eat all the potatoes because my frech toast portions were huge; at least 1.5" thick and 5-7" long - 3 pieces! You get one trip to the "toppings" table where you have array of choices; strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peaches, whipped cream, butter, syrup, and a few other seasonal toppings. When I left there and went back to work...I nearly fell asleep. The food was absolutely delicious - great portions, reasonable price, but the service can improve - slow.
(4)Mavin C.
They are only open until 2:30pm and you better be in the mood for brunch, because their lunch menu is almost non-existent. I always go somewhere else when I see the giant line, it is just not worth 45 min wait for breakfast. Came back the next day and attempted to order the Spinach Salad. However, they were out of the dressing and the blue cheese. Sadly, this was after waiting for table service for at least 20 minutes. There's some places which just seem to be busy, because they have a line.. it must be good! Well, the service isn't, the hours aren't and the food is mediocre.
(1)Shin Yi L.
I'm not quite sure what the fuss is over the wait if you don't call ahead and make reservations. Instead of the owner thanking me for making reservations, I should be thanking him for taking reservations!! Our server was friendly, accommodating and knew the menu well. I got the daily special - broccoli summer hash which was yummy and not greasy. My friend's granola challah French toast (with access to the breakfast bar) was delicious too!
(5)Steve O.
I'm really glad to see that I am not alone in my criticism of this place (I often am). First, the good parts; the food. We had an awesome brunch yesterday! Now the bad part; if, as I see you have been informed quite a few times, your ability to seat people is challenged, then why the f*ck don't you do something about it!? Let me do a quick breakdown for you: - You are serving brunch, which means many of your guests have skipped breakfast. - You have a long wait, which you lie about repeatedly robbing the guest of the opportunity to act on factual information. By this I mean, tell me I have thirty minutes and I can assess my blood sugar. Tell me I have an hour to wait and I can determine that I need to go elsewhere to avoid the crash. - You finally seat the guest after the hour long/reported thirty minute wait and then make them wait THIRTY FIVE MINUTES FOR THEIR FOOD!!! You're not doing anyone any favors and you are wasting a great kitchen staff by alienating visitors before they even get to enjoy the fine food. I will not be back, I would recommend others find a more considerate choice and I am saddened by both of those facts given the amazing food I was finally served.
(1)Lulu C.
My farmer's scramble was Salt City. You know what happens when you pour salt on a slug? It was like that, except the slug was my tongue. Pity, because it's a great atmosphere with friendly staff and all of my brunch companions' orders looked delicious. I could be persuaded to come back to try the fruit topping bar that other Yelpers have highlighted. But it will be awhile before I stop reaching for water at the mention of Portage Bay.
(2)Alaina W.
My bf picked this place out (via Yelp) while we were taking our Texan friends out for brunch. What a choice!! Man. This place has delicious choices. And I was stuck between four of them. When I finally chose, it was because I wanted to try something that was on the seasonal menu to at least try it before it vanishes. The shrimp curry omurice was great. However, the star of the show was the bananas foster French toast my bf got. Not overly sweet like I thought it'd be. Bonus? He got a trip to the toppings bar. The only downside? Service was meh. But they were busy. Sooooo I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. Also-- get there early or have some activities planned while you wait for your table. It can be over an hour on the weekends.
(5)John G.
First time in Seattle. Wait was long, but we were seated surprisingly fast. The french toast was tasty, coffee was hot, and service was professional. The reason I give 5 stars is because the waitress was prompt and kept up with how long our food would take. Also, the fruit bar was amazing. Great experience for a first time visitor.
(5)Valerie S.
Whoa, brunch! I missed you in the several weeks my life was in transit. Portage Bay Café is the first of the Seattle Chorizo Brunch Chronicles, and it was a great place to start! I had this amazing chorizo egg fryup that was delectable! There were so many flavors, and the salsa was so fresh. House-made chorizo was flavorful and well-seasoned. Mimosas complimented the meal perfectly, and I split one of the french toast slices that came with a friend's order. That too was amazing. However, we totally payed for it. This was one of the most expensive brunches I've done, including those in London, and I'm a bit bummed about that. Not that the food wasn't totally worth it, but it was just still a hit on the bank account (this was on the cusp between moderate and spendy according to Yelp's criteria). Definitely a repeat, and a great stop for any kind of breakfast you want.
(4)Matt T.
The food was extremely good and the place felt alive. There's a toppings bar for your breakfast foods and the prices are $10-15. Service was quick and friendly. I would recommend it to most everyone :)
(5)Mary G.
Great food, great atmosphere and great service in a great location. The downside is that it's very noisy and chaotic on a Sunday for breakfast, but that's because it's so good and everyone wants to eat here. We go to Seattle several times a year and always try to go here for breakfast. Food comes out fast, hot, fresh, and tasty!
(4)Holly C.
Portage Bay is absolutely delicious! I've only gotten breakfast food here because of the breakfast bar that comes with it. The breakfast bar is a huge toppings bar that has seasonal fruit, homemade whipped cream, organic syrup, and a couple of other toppings. The portions are humongous, and the price is really good for the area! I would highly recommend visiting for lunch or brunch!
(5)K D.
I joined Yelp specifically to post this review after contacting the manager directly and finding them completely, shockingly uncaring in their response. I guess we should have known better when we arrived and were led to the overflow back "private" dining room. While it was quieter than the din in the main room, the ambiance was akin to a storage closet. Water dripped onto our table from a pipe overhead and deliveries were actually made in the room while we were dining. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The waitress was perfectly nice, but it took over 40 minutes for our food to arrive. Our drinks were served in paper cups. We aren't vegetarian -- just were looking for tasty, light options and I wish the waitress had warned my husband off the Jackfruit Torta. It was awful. I ordered the garden burger, which was mushy, lukewarm and an altogether sad patty. While my Mother in Law said she enjoyed the flavor of her Prime Rib sandwich, there was quite a bit of fat and gristle left at the side of her plate, and I think she really just didn't want to complain to us because she knew we were trying to take her out for a nice meal. I'm not the type of person to flame a place on yelp--my brother in law owns two restaurants and I know how tough the business can be without angry patrons attacking you in a public forum. That said, my husband and I both contacted the manager INDEPENDENTLY (without realizing the other had done it), and the manager was so rude and uncaring I feel there's no alternative. His response to us was: I'll try the sandwiches myself today. My only satisfaction is that he'll have to eat them too. If I can save ONE PERSON from wasting their time and money here, my time has been well spent. Honestly, I was SO disappointed with the meal. Not only was the food bad, it was not inexpensive and more importantly we all left feeling like we'd really been cheated out of an experience. While the SLU location seems to serve as a de facto cafeteria for Amazon and UW Medicine, it was pretty obvious that we weren't office workers just looking to fuel up while we discussed business. We had Grandma in tow, for goodness sake. Had anyone given us the option of a better table, or even plastic cups, we would have taken it. Had the waitress comped us with dessert or taken a meal charge off after it took so long for the food to arrive, we might have been mollified slightly. Guiding us to some other dishes on the menu would have been even better. ANY other restaurant, even the hot dog cart on the street would have been a better experience. The fact that the management didn't care enough to even make an effort to restore good will after we exchanged multiple calls and emails just proves that business is too good to worry about keeping customers. Lucky for them, I guess, but oh-so-unlucky for the unsuspecting patron who walks in for lunch on the next busy day.
(1)J L.
I came to Portage Bay with expectations running high.... Maybe too high... To celebrate my birthday, & to enjoy a part of the city we haven't been to, we came to the South Lake Union store. We got there at lunch... No lines, sat right down... & from there the experience deteriorated... I ordered the Roasted Pork Sandwich, my wife had ordered the Prime Rib Dip Sandwich... I ordered a coffee, my wife sticking to just ice water... We waited while others sat after us and were served (maybe they'd called ahead?)... The Portage Bay has such a hype, the food will just make the waiting worth it... When it arrived it did look inviting... The bun of my sandwich had signs that it was supposed to be warm, but the inside was tepid at best, the bun room temperature, the pork tender and cold leaving a fatty, nearly tasteless taste in my mouth, with an off-taste at the end that was indescribable... I had the accompanying soup... Tomato Beet.... This too arrived just a few degrees above room temperature, but was spiced enough to warm your palette in spite of the soup's chilly arrival... The best part of my lunch was the bun, followed by the soup... Turning to my wife's Prime Rib Dip... She had her first bite and was greeted with a lukewarm sandwich with room-temperature au jus for dunking.... Again leaving a disagreeable coating of one's mouth that one didn't want or expect... Her's came with home-fries that were tasty in spite of being nearly room temperature... There can be any number of contributing factors... *Our waitress was also running food to the private dining room, *Our cooks are preparing all the sandwiches on the grill & not keeping things far enough apart that other flavors are running into where they're not supposed to be, *There's the possibility a cook was sick, a server was sick... And our experience suffered greatly because of it... We were asked the standard "How was everything?", but this came from the waitress that brought us cold, odd tasting food to begin with... We let her box up what we didn't eat (most of both sandwiches)... We left her 17% tip as well... Both of us worked many years in the restaurant biz & will always tip generously... We purposely left our take out on our table, neither of us wanted to experience that again for dinner... Our waitress chased us down at the curb to get it to us, we waited for her to go back inside and I tossed it at the nearest trash can.... I soooo wanted to have a great meal at a seemingly epic establishment, but I really don't think I can come back and give it another try..... Sad....
(2)Dany M.
If you're about local farming and gluten free pancakes, I recommend this place! The service was great and the menu consists of some recipe creatives! Beyond the gluten sensitive menu and good customer service this is a great place for couples and go ups to enjoy an outstanding breakfast! Hands down healthy and tasty!
(4)Ryan P.
This place has some awesome breakfast! It was well worth the 35-40 minute wait, but the service wasn't the best. I enjoyed a tasty mocha made by the baristas upfront while waiting for a table. The bananas foster french toast, salmon omelet and the self-serve fruit/toppings bar was tasty. Mojito's were awesome! I can see why there's always a wait. There just aren't enough upper-scale breakfast places around Seattle, so this place does a killer business. I would suggest they open more locations and have adequate wait staff to improve the level of service.
(4)David J.
I've been coming here since they opened. The food has always been good service has always been poor. Last visit was for gay pride brunch with a group of 8. Coffee was offered to some not others. No cream and sugar, we had to fend for ourselves. Our table was missing cutlery for some people, when we told the server she said she would get it. Never happened, we had to get it ourselves. Breakfast came out late and not all at once. The first three came out then five minutes latter four more came out. The last person got theirs after everyone else had finished. No "I'm sorry". The man in the blue dress shirt who appears to be the manager walks around and looks busy as he has since they opened, but he has no controll over the actual service of the staff. Everyone in our group all mentioned that there are plenty of employees running around but very little getting done. All of us, 8, said that the service has gotten so bad that they have now lost our bussness. .
(1)Sherry S.
This place was filled up at 9am on a Sunday - dang! Lucky we decided to head over when we did. First thing you see when you walk in is an island full of big containers of yummy colorful strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and whipped cream to top it off! WOW... If you have kids that's a fav I am sure. The menu is full of PC (politically correct) food. And I mean this as in my favorite type of food, food that no matter what you pick on the menu it's not going to hurt you as much as vegetables/fruits that have been sprayed by chemicals, or animals that have been fed antibiotics etc. This food won't encourage bad behavior of your health. This is the real deal. I ordered their special which was white and green asparagus, with crimini mushrooms, tomatoes, potatoes and eggs. I don't always notice the flavor of eggs but I really could taste them as they were fresh. To top it off they have Annie's ketchup at the table.
(4)Kelly M.
This place was every bit as good as I was expecting. The wait was super long so we ended up sitting outside to avoid the wait, it was really cold that day. I had the oatmeal french toast and it was amazing. The oatmeal crust was the perfect compliment to the soft french toast. I also ordered a peppermint latte which was amazing. I will be going back here for sure!
(5)Ann L.
Berry bar = awesome. Bananas foster french toast = desert for breakfast. So why only three stars? Because they charged me $3 for a coffee. Not a latte. Not a mocha. A COFFEE. I disagree with that completely. You don't overcharge customers for that. Sorry.
(3)Rachelle L.
Place was great for breakfast! I had pancakes with addition of fruit and whip cream bar! It was awesome! Server was so kind! People are too critical...it's breakfast not a steakhouse! But food and service were awesome!
(5)Bernadette C.
Our Seattle buddies took us New York folk here for brunch while visiting, and it made my life. I freaking love this place. Brunch is nothing new to an NYC girl, but it was honestly the best brunch I have had in a long time. Lucky for us my friend had the foresight to get a reservation and we were seated pretty quickly despite the horde of people waiting, and as we passed by the toppings bar, I figured out why the line was out the door. All their food looked and tasted really fresh and really delish. Not too greasy and more inspired than your typical poached eggs over some bed of arugula. I had the duck and goat cheese omelet, and I almost wanted to throw myself into a wall, so that if I died, at least this would be my last meal. My husband went for the toppings for his waffle and was pretty pleased. Of all seven us, we left happy and satisfied with everything we ordered. Did I mention the mimosas with your choice of fresh juice? Ahhhhhh! My only quam with the place is how crowded it is, but I guess that's what happens when you serve up some seriously tasty brunch.
(5)Sin T.
Came here for brunch with a couple of friends and to my surprise this place reminds me so much of Urth Cafe in LA! The only thing that was missing was espressos and baked goods everything else was pretty similar. Organic fruits and veggies along with local ingredients!! Staff is friendly and space is opened which can get pretty loud depending on the crowd. Parking is available on the street or garage. Must come and try. EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN!!
(4)Jason B.
After hearing a lot of great things about this place, I ate here and was not disappointed. I ordered the Phil's Breakfast and was very surprised at how delicious the eggs were. It was incredibly fluffy and tasted much better than any other restaurant's eggs I've been to. The bacon was also very delicious and didn't taste as "fatty" as bacon normally tastes like. Though, the toast and potatoes were a little bland, they were still good. The most famous part of what I heard about Portage Bay was the fruit, and it lived up to its hype. The fruit tasted and felt fresh and wished I could have went back for more, but since it was my first time, I wasn't sure if we were technically allowed to :o. All in all, the food and environment was great and at a decent price. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a good breakfast meal.
(4)Emily M.
I've always heard wonderful things about this place so I decided to check it out with my family. Sadly, I don't think I'll be going back. Initially, I noticed the place was quite loud. I understand that a lot of Seattle restaurants can be that way, and I usually ignore that when the food is good. As you can probably guess, it wasn't. I ordered the classic eggs benedict. When the plate arrived, it had very little hollandaise sauce. That wouldn't have been a problem if the eggs were properly poached, but only one was. The other had a solidified yoke, leading to a dry benedict. I also felt that the english muffin was a let down. While I can appreciate the restaurant's goal of making much of their breads and other foods, I had hoped it would taste better. Instead, I would have preferred a premade, non-organic muffin. As for the potatoes, they were very, very seasoned. I figure that's a preference thing, and while it's not my taste, I know it's others' taste. However, several of the potatoes were also burnt. Not in a good, crispy way, but in a rubbery, difficult to chew way. For the price of this breakfast, I expected a lot more. My boyfriend order Phil's breakfast I believe. He got eggs over easy, and while the yolks were perfectly runny, the whites were unfortunately runny as well. He notified the waitress that the whites were undercooked and she, without apologizing, returned with new eggs that also appeared slightly underdone. My boyfriend also questioned whether the chicken sausage was raw, but decided not to mention it since he had already returned the plate once. Finally, I thought the service was lacking. It took awhile for my boyfriend to get anyone's attention about the undercooked egg whites. As for myself, my water never got refilled despite being empty for half an hour. It's nice that coffee refills are so prompt, though. I should add that my boyfriend's brother got the pancakes and really got them. It seems hit or miss. It was a miss for me, and at that price I would much rather go to many of the other restaurants in Seattle that offer brunch.
(2)Davd M.
The food is AMAZING! The fruit bar is out of this world. You can taste the freshness in every bite. If you want breakfast food, you will not be disappointed here!
(5)Michelle H.
This is one of the best places to get breakfast near downtown. The classic pancakes were so delicious plain, add fruit from the fruit bar and they're even yummier! I went there twice on my visit to Seattle and loved it. I got pancakes both times and my husband got a crab Benedict the first time and migas the second. Ridiculous portions!(that's my only complaint ...haha)
(5)Marla B.
This was awesome! Great service (I think we got the best table in the house) wonderful food and coffee. Make a reservation...save the disappointment!!
(5)Alison A.
Insanely phenomenal brunch! They offer the biggest/thickest French toast I've ever seen. Full fruit and toppings bar as well. Salads are very fresh and delicious too! Note: get there early for lunch otherwise the wait can be out the door!
(4)Joy H.
We went at 8am on a Saturday and could not believe how many people there were already! The portion sizes were touted as "huge" and when I got my Rancher's breakfast, I was a little disappointed because it was hyped up SO much as being so big that I was expecting a lot! Don't get me wrong - I still needed a box, but I guess I was thinking that I needed a shopping bag to take home my food! =) The topping bar is a huge draw with fresh berries and canned peaches & cherries along with whipped cream and nuts - the perfect additions to customize any pancake, waffle, or french toast! My breakfast was really good - the French Toast was fluffy (I just came back from a cruise where they served James Beard's French Toast recipe so I've not met a french toast that compares ever since), the chicken sausages looked more like hamburger patties (flavorful but a little dry), and the standard eggs and chili tossed potatoes. I can't complain about anything (though it is a little pricey and I'm not a fan of the sharing fees - $6 to share the Rancher's) and am excited to return soon!
(4)Kevin J.
The food was great. I had the rancher's breakfast that included an option for a slice of French toast and a pancake which were both great. I do have to pick the huge pancake over the French toast, but I'd have been happy with either one. The toppings bar in the center of the restaurant really did make it for me though, just dumping on loads of fruit and whipped cream all over those really me just about ignore the rest of the breakfast. The strawberries and blueberries were both fresh. Bacon was good, but the potatoes were a bit overcooked. I did just walk in on a Sunday, and they were able to seat me at the bar immediately. The service was a bit lacking as this is the first time I've been in a restaurant where the food took so long the server accidently asked if I'd like my bill just as he realized I hadn't eaten yet. It was Sunday at noon so I can cut them a break for being part of the noon bunch crowd.
(4)Murray P.
Five stars, and that doesn't happen often. Everyone who knows me knows dinner is my favorite meal to go out, breakfast, not so much. But Im wild about portage bay! My first time in I had an eggs benedict special and it was to die for. Im not a huge connoisseur of eggs benedict, so I cant compare it to much, but this was amazing. It was a Saturday morning, so we did have to wait roughly 15 minutes to be seated, but I would have waited for an hour. Plus, you get to enjoy free coffee while you wait! Second time in I had the "migas" and I added the mushrooms and chorizo, once again, absolutely amazing! Huge portions too. Now, lets talk price and quality. Its slightly more expensive then your usual quick cheap breakfast ($12 - $20), but its worth it. The portions are large, the food is unbeatable and they are truly dedicated to focusing on local, sustainable, healthy ingredients. If you have the money and you want a nice breakfast experience, check it out. I will definitely be coming back. The mimosa is my personal favorite.
(5)Taylor C.
I love brunch. Places like Portage Bay are the reason. Beside the large crowd and decently large wait for a table (easily shortened with a trip to the nearby Starbucks) everything was wonderful. Brunch decisions usually end with me trying to satisfy both my sweet and savory cravings. This morning was no different. That being said, I think I made great decisions on both ends. I ordered the oven-baked french toast, which is soaked overnight with... french toast stuff and came out hot and gooey. On the side I ordered the ham steak, which was a huge step up from typical breakfast hams, and was similarly delicious. It doesn't hurt to have free access to the fruit.butter/whipped cream/toppings bar as well. Feel free to pile on the berries and butter as high as you need. We also ordered a mimosa pitcher, which comes with your choice of fresh juices. Are they just a tad expensive? Depends on what you are used to. Regardless, don't skimp on your order when it comes time. You'll want to indulge
(5)David H.
Overrated. The biggest problem is managing expectations at the hostess desk. Our party of 5 was told "35-40 minutes" but after an hour we kept getting "you're next!" or "just a few minutes more!" It was an hour and fifteen by the time we were seated. Service was adequate after that, but my crabcakes benedict was decidedly undercooked, to the point where I had clear egg whites pooling on my plate around tepid, mushy crabcake mix. Gross. The rest of the meals at our table were fine, but nothing to write home about. I didn't want to ruin the mood of the table so I just endured. Overall just disappointing.
(2)Rebekah Y.
Best breakfast place I have been too!! Loved the vegan banana pancakes with my choice of toppings from the bar! My husband loved the classic French toast with fruit from the bar. We will be heading back!!
(5)Jeff M.
Eh, I wasn't overly impressed but they seem to lean towards health foods which really isn't in my wheelhouse. This limited my choices, but was able to find eggs and French Toast. Neither was all that good. The eggs were too runny and their French Toast really didn't do it for me. I didn't like how they had a condiment bar, either. For a place that wants to be healthy, this seemed the complete opposite.
(2)Kristian L.
SO MUCH FOOD!!! I wish it wasn't so busy though. Good thing they have a bar section (first come first served). We ended sitting at the bar so our wait wasn't too long. Loved the pancake and toppings!!! Didn't like the chicken sausage though...it was a bit dry.
(4)Jqlin X.
Delicious! Fantastic Service- quality of ingredients- excellent!
(5)Smart Shopper P.
So yummy!!! Only suggestion would be to bring out plates as soon as they are ready and not wait for other orders. We had one breakfast served cold but the server was very nice and had them remake the meal. Great place, can't wait to go back.
(4)Wan-Lin T.
So disappointing. 1 word: overrated! First, my partner and I went there during their busy Saturday brunch hours. We knew there would be a wait and when I gave my name to the hostess, she said it would be an hour wait. The hostess looked so overwhelmed and wrote my name down on a legal pad with a long list of other names. We were 45 minutes into our wait when another couple came in to get a table too. I left to use the restroom (leaving my partner to wait for our table) and when I got back, I saw the same couple (who just came in) seated at a table all ready. I was livid and told the hostess. I was able to look at her list too and there were several names after mine that were crossed out because they were seated before my party. The hostess said she could seat me now but only outside. I was already annoyed and now I continued to be annoyed sitting outside in the brisk cold weather. After getting our food, we had to wait another 5 minutes for the wait staff to gather our silverware. I had the breakfast hash that was tasty except for the burnt bits. I had a carrot that was burnt black on one side and orange on the other side. For paying over $40 for breakfast for 2, this restaurant should have better organized service and food.
(1)Malea B.
One of my favorite brunch spots in Seattle. If you come here and don't order breakfast, you're crazy. I usually get the Rancher's Breakfast with a side of challah French toast, or the Migas. Both are exceptionally tasty and grant you a trip to the magical toppings bar. And added bonus, everything is local and/or organic. I've tried a lot on their breakfast menu and nothing has disappointed me yet. However, I'm not particularly taken with their lunch selection. Don't let the long wait on the weekends steer you away. Totally worth it.
(5)Kristine H.
A rarity for me - a short review. A long while back, I came here for a Yelp Elite event. It was a progressive dinner to showcase several restaurants in the South Lake Union area. The menu items offered to us were flavourful and plentiful. The dining space is spacious and full of natural light. The servers at the event were very friendly and attentive. I've been to the U-District location several times and enjoyed each visit. From my singular experience there, and if I required lunch in South Lake, I'd return here for the Albacore spinach salad or maybe I'd indulge in the duck confit baguette.
(3)Calah Y.
Before yesterday, I had only been to the location at Roosevelt Way (Portage Bay Cafe and Catering) and loved it so I figured I'd give this place a shot. Service gets 1 star from me. The sides of food on my plate and the fresh bar give it the three stars. This location was larger and it had more of an industrial feel to it than the other "cozy" location. This location offered the worst service I'd had in a very long time. We were seated immediately, but I kid you not, it took 20 minutes for our waitress to take our drink order. Not acceptable, especially when she was skipping around us and taking orders from people who came in after us...like we were invisible. When she finally did show up, there was no friendliness going on. It was a Thurday morning. I'd hate to see this girl on a Monday morning. Terrible service aside, my eggs were poorly executed to the point that I almost sent them back, but I figured it would take another hour to get the attention of our incognito waitress and get another order. I had ordered Phil's breakfast with two over easy eggs. They were an attempt at over easy, but the whites were so runny that they were spreading out over my entire plate and into my other food. Turned my stomach (like a record, baby) for sure. On a positive note, my egg white-coated sides of food still tasted pretty solid. The cracked pepper encrusted bacon was super crisp, yet melt in your mouth good and I loved the hint of pepper. The potatoes were well seasoned but I would have preferred them to be a bit more crisp. The bread of the toast was very fresh. Our daughter had the kids pancake. She enjoyed the fresh bar and as with the other location, the toppings from the bar were fresh and delicious. The pancake was shaped like Mickey Mouse, a nice touch for sure. The pancake was ginormous...much larger than any kid that I know of could polish off. I'd like to see them decrease the size a bit and drop the cost by about $1. Do yourself a favor and go to the other location.
(3)Brian C.
I wondered why there was always a wait at this place and still and after eating their last weekend, I'm still trying to figure it out. The service was mediocre at best. My bananas foster french toast was drenched in some highly rich, chocolate flavored syrup. I was going to go to the toppings bar but was repulsed by the number of unattended children putting their hands in inappropriate places while at the bar. So, forget that idea. Seattle has so many other choices when it comes to good breakfasts.
(3)Ryan N.
Trendy weekend breakfast crowd. Food is surprisingly good considering it's suppose to be organic/all-natural. Wait time for weekend brunches are your typical 30+ mins. (sorry no reservations). Seasonal weekday brunch specials e.g. Okonomiyaki Pecan Pie French Toast (say whaaaa?!?!?) QUICK TIP: You can't go wrong with anything on the menu! The toppings bar rule!
(5)Laura C.
Fantastic service. Something for everyone. Great for groups and kids. I had a less than favorable experience at Portage Bay Cafe location in the U-District and definitely wasn't interested in checking out this location. This morning, my sister and I were craving pancakes and finally decided to give it a chance. We walked in and were greeted with smiles and friendly conversation. We were seated within minutes and our server checked in with us swiftly. She was friendly, reasonable and attentive; not overly in our face, but didn't leave us alone for too long. The place was packed, but I still felt like we were cared for. The toppings bar was really well attended to (I was worried because self-serve stations can get messy and gross) and all the fruit was fresh and beautiful. Our food came quickly and we didn't have to wait long for our check, but didn't feel hurried either, even though the waiting area was packed. I'll definitely be back to this location as I was pleasantly surprised!
(4)Autumn J.
Portage Bay is one of my favorite breakfast places in Seattle. The food and the service are always good. I get French toast every time I go. I have never tried one I did not like...though the apple one could be the best. The topping bar is sweet and they have mimosas! I love a place that is consistently good. I have been numerous times and have never walked away disappointed.
(5)John D.
This place used to be good until the decided to switch their waiters/waitresses with sorority girls. They are rude, slow and they just don't care. The food takes a lot to get to your tble, it usually arrives cold and it's not as good as it used to be. Also the reservations are optional... for them, they decide if they want to honor them or not.
(2)Eve T.
Great place to eat after running a half marathon. What more can you want than stuffing your face with fresh fruits, loads of protein, and more carbs? I ordered a smoked salmon omelette with potatoes and a slice of wheat toast on the side. I gobbled that thing down faster than my first mile running time. (Partly because I was starving but mostly because it was just THAT AMAZING). The fluffy eggs, the perfectly smoked salmon, the fresh roe and capers on top...yum. Portage Bay is unique in that they bake their breads in house, they cure and smoke their own meats and seafood, they're organic, sustainable, fair-trade. Their service is impeccable- our server was friendly and always checking up on us even though there were, what seemed, a million other customers to care for. I will definitely be back for more!
(4)Sin-Yaw W.
On my way to South Lake Union, we turned from Serious Biscuit (now called Dahlia's Workshop?) and bumped into a group of people waiting for tables. The draw is clearly the "topping bar" where you put whatever you wish, berries, whipped cream, syrup, and cut fruits on your waffle/pancake/french toast. We did not go for that. Instead, we shared a "Phil's Breakfast" and a special of the day: Bioche. It is a fluffy and sweet bread that was warm and tasty, particularly with the hazelnut ice cream on the side. I think I will come back for breakfast if I am in the mood for a largeish one.
(4)Jolene S.
This is my all-time favorite breakfast joint in Seattle. Yes, it's pricey, but you are getting super quality food. I have never had a bad plate of food. It's worth the wait for a table! The coffee itself (Fonte) is what initially had me going back for more... Parking is sometimes a task, but you can usually get there with a very tiny walk. I would totally give this place 5 stars, except that there have been a few times that our wait staff were either non-attentive, or appeared to have permanent angst at the world.
(4)Holly N.
On principle alone, I can't give this place more than three stars. It's unfortunate, but true. We arrived about 10 minutes early on a Saturday for our reservation at 11:30am. To our great surprise, our tables were not ready for over an hour. I say "tables" because our reservation was for 30 PEOPLE. Friends of mine were getting married in Seattle and decided to have a Rehearsal Brunch instead of a Rehearsal Dinner. They picked Portage Bay Cafe because they liked their food and it had a great back room that could fit us all. The only problem was they had just seated the entire room with groups who were just sitting down to eat. The Yelper in my head wanted to exasperatingly shout, "Really?!?!" It wasn't like we were a table for 5-10 people... We were 30 people. You don't just forget a reservation for 30 people. My recommendation is that if you choose to use the back room for a big party, call to remind them the day before, again the morning of, maybe an hour before you arrive... heck, even when you're looking for parking around the corner. When we finally were let into the room, it was a bit of a bumblef*ck. They brought us in and told us only a portion of us could sit while two remaining tables finished their meals, only we didn't fit and had to go back outside. Eventually, we did all sit and Portage Bay gave us mimosas on the house as an apology. It was a very nice gesture and did a lot to make up for their mistake. Our waiter was great! He kept our coffee cups full and had great advice about the menu when we asked him questions. I decided to go with the Oven Baked French Toast that was soaked in ginger and blackberry custard, which came with a trip to the Toppings Bar - genius! I loaded that puppy up with mixed berries, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, pears, and whipped cream. You could also add nuts and organic maple syrup. To be honest, my french toast alone would have been alright, but my french toast with my toppings was glorious! I was not shy about loading up that puppy with a whole pile of fruit. And, just for good measure and the sake of protein, I added a side of Italian chicken sausage patties to share and they were flavorful with a subtle kick. Without the mishap at the beginning, the restaurant would have been a 4. With the mishap, only a 2. With the staff that bent over backwards to fix their mistake it's definitely a 3.
(3)Matt N.
I really like it here because of the quality of the food that they have here. I feel like breakfast places are a dime a dozen, so making the food well can make a differenceI found out recently that I am sensitive to gluten so eating it makes me bloated and my eczema break out. I was excited that they had buckwheat pancakes which are gluten free and allows access to the fruit bar in the middle to allow for tons of toppings. The whipped cream is really fresh and heavy. I look forward to when I can come back. Their serving sizes are pretty big and I always leave taking a box to go! Yelp Challenge #5
(5)Kathleen L.
Girlfriends wedding shower. The buffet part was really just the toppings to the French toast.. but my o my was it yummy! Mos def, filling and worth it! :) 1. Ambiance: Open. Lots of windows. Pretty busy and loud. Nice artwork. Tables were slightly crowded but it was manageable. Lots of deco on the wall that was pretty interesting. 4/5 2. Service: Ugh. We had a reservation for the place, as it was a big group to begin with. Some of the party arrived early as to make sure that we got the table as planned. Nope. The hostess was nice enough to give our tables away without checking to see if it was the right party. So, we were left to stand outside and wait over an hour before they gave us a table. Tsk, Tsk. Also, we all ordered drinks to toast with and they got many of our orders wrong. One girl wanted the same as another and got something completely different. Fail. 2/5 3. Food: Talk about selection! Lots to choose from on their menu and all of it sounds so GOOD! There is great topping bar that you can go to and the food is flavorful and portions are good. The French toast was super good and I wish I could have tried more. 4/5 4. Price: So so. Kinda pricey for breakfast, and even with the topping bar, its slightly high. I was full and content.3/5 Overall Feeling: Nice place to check out.. but not good for big groups. 3/5
(3)Shy A.
Easily 4 stars but the service is mediocre. We walked in and my dining mate and I looked at each other and immediately we knew that our dining experience would not be overwhlemingly awesome. It wasn't that hostess was rude, she was flippant and totally oblivious to the concept of a warm welcome. It is clear that the same energy vibes through all the employees. The gentleman that took us to our table practically pointed us to our seat with not so much of a smile. Our sever had the same coolness. After taking our order the waiting began. I'm okay with waiting a bit for a stellar meal and I realized they were busy but it would've been nice for our server to check in every so often to update us on our food or even refill our coffee or waters. None of that happened. 30 minutes later our food arrived. We got french toast and I ordered the migas. The french toast was tasty and was the fruit bar was amazingly stocked with fresh fruit and the most delicious whipped cream. The migas with chorizo was huge and perfectly seasoned. The food was really good-no wonder they have great reviews! Unfortunately, the service was sub par and a complete disappointment. I'm glad that I came in to check it out but doubt I will come back. With so many great places for grub in Seattle, this one is one of those places that could easily be a top 10 for breakfast treats but unfortunately due to the lack of customer service will be one of the last places I can't count as one of my fav's.
(2)Samantha E.
This was possibly my favorite brunch ever. I met out-of-town friends here this morning because it was cheaper than the fancier places (that's you, Tom Douglas and Ivar) but downtown-ish, distinctly Seattle, and had a patio so they could bring their dogs. With a reservation for 10:30, we still waited about fifteen minutes, and overall service was slow,but oh wow, so delicious. I had the Italian omelet and it was amazing (tomatoes, mushrooms, fennel sausage, asiago, tomatoes, oh my). My friend had the special asparagus eggs Benedict. The asparagus was a little bit overdone in parts, but she still liked it and said the eggs, prosciutto, and sauce were all great. Her husband had the farmer's breakfast and liked everything in it, but especially the French toast. We all love the potatoes. Both my mocha and their chais were great. I left almost six hours ago. I'm still stuffed. Eat here. (Call ahead first.) You'll love it.
(4)James E.
The café proudly boasts "Eat like you give a damn," and yet its food is prepared with the assertiveness of a wallflower at a middle-school dance. We ordered the vegan banana pancakes and the tofu scramble. I was genuinely happy to see vegan items on the menu; my weekend breakfasts haven't been the same since Michael and his partner closed The Globe on Capitol Hill. I was initially trepidatious about ordering the banana pancakes since they were topped with a Nutella-like spread, but I figured "How bad can it be?" What I neglected to see on the menu was the mention of rice flour used in the pancakes. The pancakes had the crisp exterior of a dosa and the gravity of a lead balloon in its starch. Syrup barely moved these pancakes off the roof of my mouth, and I was having a hard time tasting any banana in the mix. The tofu scramble came with a slice of thick, toasted wheat bread and a wrapped tab of butter. I'm surprised neither the kitchen nor our server took a moment to consider something other than butter with two vegan plates. My partner was the first to sample the scramble. "The tofu...it's cold." and so it was! And not very well flavored. At best, we figured the kitchen tossed tofu into ready-made items, threw paprika on everything and called it good. Not only was the tofu cold but it tasted almost like cheese. I wonder if the kitchen properly separates its tofu from dairy products? The worst and greatest offense during our meal was the discovery of meat in our tofu scramble. Our server apologized for the meat in our meal, followed with a recited disclaimer of "the kitchen does its best to keep the line clean, but sometimes these things happen." So, neither the kitchen nor its staff possess the integrity that's required of such a bravado café credo. Before our meal, I was suggesting the café as a great way to eat with family or friends without veg*ns or omnivores having to sacrifice their eating habits for the sake of culinary harmony. After our meal, I am quite content to never eat there again. The café's slogan looks great on mugs and tees, so that's worth a star.
(1)Leigh K.
I think Portage Bay is hands-down my favorite place for breakfast. I've only eaten here once. This is the problem. I came here in October of 2008. I was visiting friends who live in Seattle and they suggested this place for breakfast on a Sunday morning. I was told the coffee was great and the toppings bar was ingenious. The toppings bar is amazing. The toppings bar is basically a way that you can doctor up your sweet breakfast... they have all local and organic fresh fruits, whipped cream, syrups, nuts, granola. They don't care how much you pile on or how often you go back... they just want you to eat what's on your plate so as not to waste. I live in San Diego. I still talk about Portage Bay. My friend and I each got a breakfast-- she got an omelette and I got some type of french toast with the toppings bar. We split our breakfasts to get a bit of the sweet and the savory. I was perfectly satisfied. And my mouth still waters when I speak of my time here. I wish they had one in every city. But maybe that'll be the reason I keep going back to Seattle. Oh, and maybe to visit my friends too.
(5)Kien V.
I was down here on a business trip last week and decided to stop by. I know their prices are fairly high compared to what I usually pay, but I've eaten at the University District location so I knew what I was getting into. I ordered coffee and some eggs benedict. Unfortunately, the coffee was burnt and the benedict was so cold that the hollandaise sauce was starting to congeal when it was being set down onto my table. The potatoes were cold as well. I cannot blame it on being busy either. There were about 6-8 people running the place with 3 tables, mine included. For 20 dollars including tip, I say you go somewhere else. The University District location deserves 4 stars, this place 2.
(2)Nicole H.
The wait was so so long. Fortunately it was summer and it was warm, sunny, and beautiful during our wait. Anyway, I ordered one of their few vegan dishes, the Farmer's Hash with sautéed mushrooms and tofu, and the spices and potatoes were incredible. I could have done without the mushrooms and tofu, I think it would have been better that way. REALLY enjoyed it and would go back at some point, though Pettirosso is my fave brunch spot.
(4)Josalyn A.
Outside of the 45-minute wait ... great food, wonderful waitress and awesome ambience! My daughter, who has the pickiest appetite ever, even loved it! We'll be back for sure!
(4)Connie C.
Fresh, organic, large portions, group/kid friendly... it's no wonder why Portage Bay is one of the most popular brunch spots in Seattle. Even at 10am, we still had to wait 30 minutes for a table for three. And the place is HUGE too... what is everyone doing up that early on a Sunday morning?! I had a plane to catch, so that was my excuse ;) While the fresh fruit topping station looked very tempting, I decided not to get pancakes or french toast, and ordered the dungeness crab cakes eggs benedict with organic spinach and eggs. While the crab was abundant and fresh, the dish was a bit too salty overall. If it was seasoned a bit differently, it would've been so much more delicious. I think I should have gone for the bananas foster french toast that people raved about. Their freshly squeezed OJ was very refreshing. Love that they use food sourced from local, clean and sustainable farms and producers, and there's a photo tribute to the local farmers on their wall, which adds to the cool factor of the place. I'd definitely come here often if I lived in the area. Come hungry, because their portions are big... Just be prepared for the long wait, which will build up your appetite anyway!
(4)Wellington C.
During lunch time on a weekday, this place gets packed. Looks like a lot of folks working in the area eat here. One thing i really liked about this place was the toppings bar for our pancakes of french toast. Most places kinda skimp on the fruit toppings but since this place was self serve, you could add as little or as much as you wanted. I tried my friends french toast and it was excellent. Since it was lunch I had the duck confit baguette with the potatoes. I loved the potatoes since they cook them with chorizo. The duck confit was good and fatty. I was on vacation so i didnt care about indulging a little. Overall service was good and the wait staff was very nice. They didnt try to rush our large group. Prices were ok but as others have mentioned its not a cheap eats place. I ended up spending $20 on lunch.
(4)Shashank V.
Having been part of a meetup group which meets occasionally for brunch on the weekends, I have visited this place on a Saturday morning. This is a very popular place for brunch and it is quite heavily crowded with folks from all over the western Washington. I got there from eastside and with a few rounds on the road, I did not find it difficult to find a parking spot along the roadside. However, expect to be surprised as there are a bunch of brunch places nearby. On any weekend, this is very heavily crowded place and the waiting times can peak up to an un-bearable pinnacle of your patience. On the bright side, they serve the waiting customers with free coffee but again, you have to make your way to the coffee table among the rush crowd. Mind you, they do not take reservations on the weekends or at least during the rush hours and that makes sense to me. It is a first-come first-serve basis on the weekends. Also, do not forget to list your name to the waiter when you arrive so that he can call you once they have a table for you. Coming to the food itself, the brunch menu is pretty versatile, feels exquisite. They have very good options for vegetarians like me. Prices seem to be reasonable as well. There is a whole section on the menu with items which when ordered gives you a single trip to the toppings bar, a mélange of nuts, syrups to go well with waffles, french toast and pancakes. Ingredients used seem to be very fresh and if my memory serves me good, they claim to get them from local. The motely at the toppings bar are top quality as well. Food is not greasy and the portions are pretty generous too. On a weekend, go there for quality of the food and not for ambiance as it is very crowded with people twaddling about their Friday night experiences and what not!
(4)Igor V.
Great place to go to have brunch with friends. A bowl of steel cut oatmeal, covered with sliced almonds, strawberries, and other good stuff = one yummy breakfast. The potatoes I stole from my wife were also quite tasty! Don't expect anything mind blowing though ... its a pretty standard "good brunch place". Then again, you don't always need to get your mind blown.
(4)Jessica L.
My husband and I LOVE this place! The food is absolutely incredible and the ingredients they use are amazing: so fresh and local. Love it! The ONLY reason for 4 stars: 1) I think they give you WAY to much food. I don't see many people in there that actually eat everything off of their place. Especially the oatmeal...my gosh! 2) its a little spendy. But if you are touring Seattle, this place is a must-eat for breakfast places!
(4)Opal D.
Great breakfast - I like the variety on their menu. Very busy and crowded for brunch, so expect a wait. They were very accommodating to our large party. Waitress was clearly frazzled but still tried to cash a few of us out early (separate than the rest of our party) because we had to leave. Slow food service, but probably because it was busy!
(4)Jamie J.
I'm not one for organic food normally, but here taste is not compromised for organic ingredients. It is also pretty cool knowing that what you're eating hasn't been tampered with - something we normally don't think about. PB is always packed for brunch and breakfast... because it is really good. Their portions are large and are great for taking home. Their service is also really great! Now... The food? It meets demands. Favs: Vegan Pancakes: AMAZING. They are so delicious. 2 Big rounds. The texture is great. Taste is great. There are two pancakes with a banana spread between them as an egg substitute. They are phenomenal. French Toast: These are very good. Thick. Well seasoned. Filling. The bread has a nice thick crust and when you pull the bread apart it flakes like a croissant. A must try. Buckwheat Pancakes: Very good. Gritty in texture but the taste is very good! A healthier protein packed pancake. Side of Potatoes: Sides can be really good you know... these are worth the extra bucks. BOMB potatoes. Seasoned well a crispy too. Mhmm good. Not so good... Oatmeal: Some people love it, but some hate it. I'm one of the haters. It's nice that you can put whatever you want in your oatmeal from the bar of toppings that they have. However the texture is like porridge - too soft. It also lacks any flavor. I'm just not diggin it. For the most part, I really like this place. Is it worth waiting for? ... That depends on what you are looking for. This is not your fatty greasy sunday morning brunch that you're looking for after a long night. It's not over done with butter or grease. BUT it is a great option for a healthier delicious breakfast. Taste isn't compromised for these organic EATS! Check it out folks...
(4)Jean K.
I like this place...youll have to brave all the construction but its big, has a diverse menu with local ingredients, and my meal was tasty: chicken and shrimp salad tossed in a red curry dressing. heard their always on breakfast bar is good too. why 3 stars? im trying this new thing where i reserve the last two for blow you away greatness. we'll see, ive only eaten at this location once, but i liked it enough that the old me most likely would have put them down for a 4 star.
(3)Raina D.
This place is super packed on weekend mornings! There was a 45 min wait at 9am, but fortunately it was a nice day and we just wandered around outside with our tea/coffee. The toppings bar is pretty delicious, hard to not overdo it though! I like the atmosphere as well.
(4)Scott A.
I'd heard from several people that they liked the food here, and today my friend was dying to take me to lunch there and I agreed. I ordered the falafel hamburger and my friend ordered something off the daily special menu and a cup of soup. The waitress asked if she'd like her soup before lunch, and my friend said "Yes." Several minutes later, the waitress came to the table and said to me, "I'm sorry, we're out of the falafel burger." I said I needed a couple minutes to look at the menu - she returned and I ordered the grilled portabello sandwich with roasted red pepper. A few minutes later the waitress came to the table and said to my friend, "I'm sorry, but I gave you Friday's daily special menu (it's Monday) and what you ordered is not available." She left the new daily special menu with us, returned a few minutes later and my friend ordered something off of it. Several minutes pass and the waitress returns to the table and says to my friend, "I'm sorry, but we're out of that." At this point, it's been over 10 minutes since we put in our first order and we still don't have anything to eat. My friend says, "I'll have the hamburger." Another few minutes pass and two other servers bring our lunch orders. A couple minutes later our original waitress comes to the table and says to my friend "I'm sorry, but I didn't have time to bring your soup before your lunch was ready." She sets the soup down and walks away. Guess what? The soup my friend ORIGINALLY ordered was a daily special on FRIDAY and this is completely different! And excuse me, we had waited nearly 15 minutes from the FIRST order we placed, and she never had time to bring the soup before that? So I'm thinking, "I've waited tables before. If I'd let my customer order something we were out of, I sure as hell would have asked if we were out of ANYTHING ELSE before I let them order again!" I probably could have forgiven the lousy service if the food was above average, but I was completely underwhelmed. My sandwich was warm, not HOT - it was like the vegetables had been grilled/roasted earlier in the day (or yesterday) and then rewarmed for service. On top of that, the red pepper was a whole pepper, not sliced smaller, so it was impossible to bite into it without the whole thing sliding off the bread. The potatoes served with the sandwich were also just barely warm. I really wanted to like this place, but after bad service and mediocre food at best, I can't see why I'd bother to try it again.
(1)Candy W.
I came here for breakfast and ordered the standard french toast. The entree comes with a trip to the awesome toppings bar, which has a selection of fresh fruits and berry compotes. I guess it's summer season so the berries were all fresh and tasty! The restaurant is vibrant with great service. I sat at the bar and watched them prepare boxed lunches for a catered order. The care that they put into assembling those meals is awe-inspiring! Overall, the food was decent, nothing to rave about - but the energy and decor of the place definitely gave me a boost to start the day with a big smile =)
(4)Eric B.
I've been here twice now. The first time was about 3 years ago as my wife and I were scouting places to hold our wedding reception. We were extremely impressed with the food and the atmosphere, though we ended up having our reception elsewhere. We always remembered it and kept meaning to go back. Finally this past week we made it back. Maybe we had it on too high of a pedestal but we were both a little disappointed this time around. No particular reason, the food was decent and the atmosphere good. The service was a little slow but they were quite busy and had a mixup in the kitchen. It just didn't live up to our 5 star experience the first time so I gave it 4. Would still go back though if we're in that area.
(4)Allison Y.
Perfect spot for a group brunch! We had a large group of 8 but that didn't slow down the service. The berry mimosas and the food was fantastic. No complaints! Highly recommend the eggs benedict.
(5)Paul R.
Had breakfast with a business associate, my first meal in the SLU location. Immediate impression was 'very South Lake Union' vibe and décor. Welcoming, open, and lots of daylight to complement the interior. I guess the crew boat hanging from the ceiling is reflecting the name as a water activity - in any case, it adds a nice touch. The staff are quick (maybe even too quick) and they were patient as I focused first on catching up with my companion, whom I hadn't seen in years, and kept asking them for a couple more minutes. I really wanted bacon and eggs and they have nice thick peppered bacon and the three eggs I asked for poached all came delightfully perfect. The wheat bread that came standard was most delicious. Sweet, not grainy, almost like soda bread, and it went the distance with the companion ingredients. I didn't touch the potatoes because it would have been too much food and too many carbs, so cannot comment on them. The coffee, about which I am persnickety, was good enough that I had them refill twice. The bill was reasonable and the noise level was not too high. No complaints - I'd be happy to be return!
(5)Kelly F.
Great food! Great service. Best French toast in town. Busy at brunch, but worth the wait!!!
(5)Melissa C.
I can sum up my lousy experiences at Portage Bay in 4 words: NOT WORTH THE WAIT. If this was a place you could walk in and have breakfast right away, or after a 5 minute wait, then it'd be a totally different story. But I've been twice, and had to wait an absurdly long time both times. What made it all the worse was that both times the hostess stated a much shorter time when we put our name in. Last time they said an hour and it was TWO (we had a group of 6). Today, for 3 of us, she said 45 min to an hour and it was actually the total of those - 1 hour 45 minutes! They were not apologetic. The atmosphere is crowded and hectic. They were out of 3 of the 4 specials on the menu. As well as the chai I ordered (how can you be out of tea?). On top of all that, my dish was disgustingly monochromatic - how can you call yourself organic and local but not put an ounce of greenery on the plate of a scramble? I will never, EVER go back.
(1)Amanda G.
Simply put: Everything is amazing! I highly recommend the crab cakes eggs benedict!!
(5)Marcy N.
Portage Bay is my favorite breakfast place in South Lake Union. All organic! A trip to the toppings bar is a delight with fresh fruit depending on the season. They have an amazing fresh whipped cream to top it off. My favorite thing to order is the gluten free buckwheat pancakes. My only complaint is the pancakes are so large I can only eat half of one and they come with two. The scrambles are sooo good too. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Last time I was there I ordered Phil's breakfast which comes with eggs, 3 slices of bacon and a side of potatoes which I substituted fresh fruit for an extra $1 and a side of toast. Since I don't eat toast I left that off. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it again. Usually when I eat breakfast here I'm good until dinner. This is another place where you have to come early our you'll be waiting for a while. But the manager is always there with a smile for everyone.
(5)Nicole F.
This place has amazing food. We went here on a weekday for lunch--holy cow was it busy! You gotta get there early to get a seat! It was loud and boisterous--just like it should be when you're eating lunch on a workday near downtown. I loved it. I love the energy, the food, the people, the service, it was great. High stars.
(5)Scott B.
My wife has Celiac so we were looking for a gluten free breakffast place while traveling from LA. We went on Friday and went back on Sunday. Friday had a minimal wait, it was a LOT more crowded on Sunday. Just had the standard bacon and eggs the firs time, my wife had the gluten free buckwheat pancakes. Both meals were fine. The second time we both got the bananas Foster french toast, hers with the gluten free french toast. This is an awesome dish, really flavorful caramel sauce. Yes, it's pricy and it was a bit too long of a wait on the Sunday visit, but we'd gladly come back. The food is really good and the gluten free selections are varied and tasty.,
(4)Victoria A.
We visited Portage Bay based on the Yelp reviews, and I'm so glad we did! The atmosphere was contemporary modern, and I loved how everything was fresh, local, and organic. I had the Portage Bay breakfast sandwich, and my mom had the Rancher's Breakfast. I would definitely go back!
(5)Kevin D.
Food is great. If you get the pancakes, you get unlimited visits to the fruit bar. They also have house made whip cream! Expect to NOT finish your plate if you get a pancake/French toast by yourself. Gluten free options cost extra, but they are there. Service can be slow and not the best, but the food makes up for it
(4)Jessica L.
The food is just okay. While the restaurant is very well decorated, the tables are very close together. We went on a Monday morning, and had a short wait-- about ten minutes to be seated. The full restaurant felt vaguely like a cafeteria. The food took a little longer-- unsurprisingly since it was crowded. The breakfast was fairly large, but nothing special. The wait staff was busy and seemed it. Props to the restaurant for having extremely clean water glasses.
(3)Christopher P.
Incredible food! I always get the ranchers breakfast, but make sure you get the French toast with a pitcher of mimosas! Service can be a little slow, but the place is always packed and lovely, so that is to be expected.
(4)Ann N.
LOVE this place for breakfast! The fruit bar is delish, the chilaquiles are phenomenal, and everything tastes so fresh and healthy. Great service, a fun somewhat chaotic vibe, fair prices -- one of my favorite spots in Seattle.
(5)Michael L.
Had breakfast here twice during PAX. Great food, huge portions, decently priced, and in a nice part of town. They push the organic thing a little bit too hard, and that probably adds a few dollars to all the prices, but I'll go with it. The first breakfast I had here, I ordered the Farmer's Hash. This was a great mix of veggies, potatoes, and corned beef (I specified that protein). This really made up for my lack of veggies from the previous days, and the plate was huge! Couldn't finish it, but didn't have enough left on the plate to make it worth taking it to go and carrying it through PAX. I'd give this place five stars if there were more variations to the flavors, or just more flavors to this hash, as it got really repetitive by the time I was a third done with it. But while I ordered the hash, I learned what I should have ordered by seeing what my friends ordered. The french toast. Oh man, 3 gigantic pieces of bread that tower over everything else on the place. With a trip to the fruit bar included, turn your plate into a two-tiered french toast MASTERPIECE. BERRIES. WHIPPED CREAM. BERRIES. PEACHES AND PEARS (both are canned though, I'm pretty sure. I grew up eating the canned stuff and tasted just like it, but I still love that taste so not necessarily a bad thing) AND MORE BERRIES. Get the regular french toast if you're feeling a bit timid about the whole design your own masterpiece part, it gives you a nice clean template to work with. If you're feeling adventurous, get either the banana fosters or the oatmeal cobbler. They have their own toppings, so you'll have to create a designed quarantine zone for some of the fruits so that the sweet doesn't clash with sweet. Keep in mind too, you can share one of these with someone and it'll still be a healthy portion of food. My only complaint here is that the plate that they use to split with someone is TOO DAMN SMALL. I couldn't fit near the amount of fruit I wanted to on that saucer, but it was probably for the better as I wasn't too too hungry that day. If you're in the area, definitely give this place a try. If you're social, you can probably strike up a conversation with Amazon.com peoples. It's a very clean, nice part of town, and you can definitely feel a bit of a cleanliness change as you head downtown from there on foot.
(4)Bahar A.
I loved their fruit bar and swedish pancakes. It was smushy, sweet, and accompanied by a side of strawberry butter. It isn't a quiet place though. It's in the business area so it gets pretty packed. Everything on the menu looks great. Might try it again if I'm in Seattle.
(4)Christine F.
Uh, YUM. Make a reservation here if you can because the line for brunch was ridiculous. We only had to wait about 15 minutes with our reservation. I got a savory breakfast sandwich, but they're known for their fruit bar. If you order from a certain section of the menu you get access to their fresh fruit bar that has huge and heaping bowls of all sorts of fresh fruit and whipped cream to top your waffles, pancakes or french toast with. I would definitely recommend this place if you find yourself in Seattle.
(5)Jeff C.
30 minutes to get in, 8 people seated at a table for 15 so you half the people were cut off from conversation (as no one was to the other side) so loud no one could hear across the table, food took so long that one couple went to their car to get snacks, The food? Fancy names and trendy doesn't equal high quality. Duck eggs on nettles tasted like eggs on old spinach and the french toast was cold for 2 out of 3 people, the fruit bar was over-picked. Manadatoy 18% tip and we had to get up and get our own water galsses? Only one question how our orders were? Had to ask for iced tea refills. $20 for cold french toast and juice? This place wouldn't last a day in San Francisco, New York or any decent restaurant town. Better option. Go two blocks over and get something from whole foods.
(2)Adam D.
Great food at reasonable prices. A lot of organic things on the menu, most stuff is local. Food tastes good, service is great, what more do you want. Only problem is that you can expect huge lines on the weekend so come prepared for a wait. Eat like you give a D***
(5)Barb F.
Breakfast here is amazing! Great selection and flavor. Portions are generous. Loved it!
(5)Alicia S.
Really underwhelmed, burnt awful coffee while we waited, indifferent waitress, "Swedish thin" pancakes were the same as the regular ones just folded. Food was good just not Great and for the price I expected more. Good Hollandaise sauce. But we wont return.
(2)Dae Y.
went there for a business lunch. after i ordered i noticed the slogan on the back of the servers t-shirt. it said "eat like you give a damm". the place is riding on the current trend of non-hormone, natural, local, healthy, organic food. and they seem to be doing a great job. regardless, it's good stuff. i took a chance on the lamb burger. i had no idea what to expect, but it was very good. i would recommend it if you like lamb at all. i'm not even a lamb fan. when it landed in front of me i didn't know what to make of the square bread bun. it looked hard, like it was going to tear up the roof of my mouth like so many other sandwiches with hard bread seem to do. but it was soft enough. and it complimented the burger well. the cheese and whatever sauce mixture they use in the burger works really well too. and the mixed greens light salad was excellent too. i ordered a coke after the meal came. and oddly it came out in a regular 12oz coke can. after pouring it in the glass full of ice it was another perfect compliment to my lamb burger.
(4)Kate G.
This place is AMAZING! You must try the curry if you see it on the daily specials, it's not on the regular menu. Great restaurant, great concept, great cause! The only problem is the wait can be long to get a table.
(5)Aaron F.
I think Portage Bay Cafe is spectacular... surprised to see so many negative reviews here. I think the biggest mistake you can make is ordering what you would order in most restaurants. Portage bay is all about two things: 1) Breakfast, which includes their berry bar. Try the challah french toast ($9) and put as much fruit, berries, and whip cream as you want. 2) The specials, which change every day and are consistently creative and delicious. Portage bay takes pride in using fresh, local ingredients. Their seafood and vegetables are consistently the best I've had in this city. The coconut tofu with rice, pineapple and curry sauce was creatively plated and unlike any tofu dish you've tasted ($10). The crusted halibut was exceptional ($14); it was served with fresh vegetables and sauce, but it was the rice that impressed me most - if I could just make rice like theirs I would be happy. I also had a seafood alfredo pasta once that blew me away (14); the pasta and alfredo sauce were both clearly homeade, and the freshness and variety of fish exceeded my expectations - I'm talking salmon, tuna, and more. Therefore, if you are not eating breakfast, don't order from the regular menu - it will be good, but come on, explore a little. I also love their iced tea. It is clearly homeade and is naturally sweet through a fruit flavor. I always leave Portage Bay feeling good. This is speical in this up-and-coming South Lake Union neighborhood where most of the food is dull and ovepriced. Try it.
(5)Melanie L.
My husband and I ventured out to the Portage Bay Cafe after getting several good recommendations from friends and colleagues. We live in the South Lake Union area so this new location is perfect. When we got there the wait was about 20 mins. I had heard about the breakfast bar which looked amazing by the way. If I were to have a restaurant/cafe, I would have the same menu. I couldn't believe the different, unique options. I really wanted to try everything.. I had a chicken sausage/prawn benedict while my hubby had a scramble. The coffee was good, juice fresh squeezed, the food was excellent and we will be back. It didn't take too long to get our food and the service was really good. I would love to go back midweek when it is less crowded. But, we will definitely be going back and try other items.
(4)Lacey M.
I have been here multiple times and even when I make reservations I do have to wait too long. What is the point of making a rsvp in the first place? Breakfast food is very good and original along with lunch entrees, however the service here is nothing to write home about. Their trainees must be horrible because I never feel like I get the service I pay for when I eat out here. That said, I have never had a meal that I wasn't at least soso satisfied with so I will probably go back for breakfast and be there when it opens so I don't have to be late for whatever I have after that.
(3)Sarah M.
I've only ever been here for breakfast. Unfortunately, they don't put Bailey's in your coffee, but I still find myself here at least once a week. Choose between a sunny window seat, a casual counter, or outdoor seating--they only ever fill up on weekends after 10am (even then, usually outdoor seating is still available). One of the first reasons I came here is the toppings bar-- why thank you, I will take a whole pound of organic raspberries on those Buckwheat pancakes, and their Organic Portage Bay Porridge is perfect with blueberries and walnuts (and whipped cream if you're brave enough) off the toppings bar. Actually, I did discover their vegan scramble is amazing, and will fill you up without a toppings bar visit (only some entrees come with the toppings bar option). And, if you're worried that the high-carb items that come with the toppings bar (mostly pancakes/french toast/waffles) will ruin your diet, order "Dave style" and half your entree will become and egg dish and Dr. Atkins will be proud. However, beyond a great seasonal supply or fresh fruit, all of their menu items are either local, sustainable, organic, or all three. After coming just twice, the red-headed waitress started recognizing me and remembering which tea I preferred, and I never get a sidelong glance if I sit alone and doodle while I munch. Come to mention it, I don't even get a sidelong glance when I get to-go breakfasts and load half the toppings bar into my container, everyone is always friendly and laid back. Daily specials are always on the "pricy" side, but if you're looking to make a thrifty trip, get one of the giant pancake dishes (I prefer buckwheat) and simply load up on toppings and take half of it home in a box-- it will put you back all of $9 for two healthy, nutritious, sustainable meals.
(5)Jamie H.
unique food, fair value, service ok typically... this is right next to where i work but i typically don't visit often because our ....for lack of a better word..."cafeteria chef"...is so exceptional i don't need to leave the work campus to enjoy an exceptional meal....so Portage Bay is at a disadvantage because of the competition....i'd probably be in here every other day if there were no exceptional chefs sharing the same block...
(4)Anja O.
To be honest, this is the third time I've been here. It's been consistently mediocre- a bit above bad. We made a reservation, but it was a consistent 45 minute wait for a table for two and we had to wait an additional 10 minutes after our reservation was made. Also, they have a toppings bar, and only the strawberries were fresh. The peaches and pears were canned and the raspberries and blueberries had been frozen and were complete mush. I understand that it isn't the right season for raspberries or blue berries, but I would rather have fresh cut up apples than mushy raspberries. My boyfriend ordered an omelet and the eggs hadn't been spiced at all and was frankly, incredibly bland. He poured on a bunch of salt and pepper and then it was "alright". The atmosphere reminded me of a high school cafeteria, it was loud and chaotic. The only plus was the service, the woman who served us was very nice and attentive. I think the cafe used to be good and now is riding on it's own reputation, relying on the fact that people with 100K paychecks don't mind paying 15 dollars for a Denny's quality meal.
(2)martin p.
like this place nice and clean good food fast service
(4)a s.
If you go, be prepared for a hyper-politically correct, trembling with anger manager, and nonchalant waitstaff. Good food if you like your potatoes cold by the time they get ketchup on them and want coffee instead of the cappucino you ordered. We had terrible service this morning -- had to wait for 20 minutes to get a glass of water. When we tried to get our waitresses' attention, we were confronted by a completely misinformed, irate manager who completely humiliated my friend. Terrible handling of the situation. It seems that bad service at this place is a theme if you look at the reviews. Based on that, combined with our experience this morning, the manager should be replaced. Never again.
(1)Donald B.
Very good brunch. Tasty and huge portions. Great for larger parties.
(4)Rebecca d.
Our service was great, but the atmosphere a bit sterile. Food was good and arrived quickly. The corned beef hash was a disappointment- too dry- but the other 3 meals were excellent. The pancake and oatmeal bar is a pleasant change.
(4)Gin T.
This is for their CATERING. My friend used them for her wedding. The serving staff was rude. The food was not bad but the lady in charge cuts you off when you're trying to talk to her. The bartenders tried to cut people off after 3 small glasses of beer. Not to mention he didn't know how to pour it, can you say Head?
(1)G S.
This new place is nice and spacious and great for kids as they can get out of their seats and not be in anyone's way. Plus everywhere you look is concrete so kids can do any damage dropping food. And ordering a waffle along with the topping bar gives enough little tidbits for our toddlers to munch and fill up on. I didn't think it was loud as others have said. It's just a very big place and probably not well insulated. The food is pretty good. I had a proscuitoo scramble and it was extremely salty, yes proscuitto is salty in itself, but this seemed like it had added salt. Food is certainly not outstanding, but it's good for a breakfast out once in a while.
(4)e j.
Went to Portage Bay for Sunday breakfast. Kids had pancakes, wife omelet, I had the migas (con chorizo). Portions were huge, which is a bit odd for a place who's motto is 'eat like you give a damn'. It seemed pretty wasteful. There is no way I could eat the spuds that came with the very large migas. The buckwheat pancakes were nice. We asked for small juices for the kids but still got the standard size (12oz?) which were too much for them. As for the migas, the eggs were lost in too much chorizo- It was kind of a mess- sort of like sloppy joe in a tortilla. I would try the place again though, nice space and it seems promising.
(3)Christopher S.
If you want breakfast served cold and horrible wait times to get in and for service them by all means please patronize.
(1)Jennifer S.
First, let me say that I like the food here. I especially love the fruit bar in the summer. I have been here 5 times but the last two experiences were terrible, the food is good but the service is terrible. In December, I waited an hour to be seated and when I checked in they had lost my name and I had to wait an additional 15 minutes. This was after the Amica marathon and I didn't have a reservation so I decided to give them another try this weekend. In June, I had a reservation we waited 45 minutes after the reservation time. I watched the manager seat a friend without a reservation. He took a chair from another table and the customer came over to complain. The manager blew the man off with no concern for his feelings. We were finally seated and waited 40 minutes for our food. When 3 tables that were seated after us received their food I tracked down the waitress to share my observation. Our food order had clearly been under a heat lamp because the pancakes were stale and the butter was completely melted on the pancakes. The waitress didn't bother to apologize or acknowledge the error. I then made it to the fruit bar, where said manager was dragging a large carpet runner in front of the buffet. I tripped on this runner and the manager was angry with me. Honestly, this is the worst service I've experienced in Seattle since my move 3 years ago. If you go here, make sure it's on a weekday because they cannot handle a crowd. Service standards do not exist here.
(2)Sarah R.
The food was good. Not great. The wait was awful as there is very little waiting room. It was so crowded in the main lobby area that it was hard to tell who was waiting to check in for a table and who was simply waiting for their table. They should probably reconsider the lay out. Like I said, the food was good. Nothing special.
(3)Karma S.
Yum! We had reservations for 9 for a busy Saturday brunch. We were seated promptly even though the restaurant was very crowded and hoppin. Service was great. The food was the big WOW for me and my friends. I had oatmeal crusted challah French toast, which included a gorgeous fresh fruit/whipped butter/syrup bar. So delicious! I also had a mimosa, which is made with your choice of fruit juices (I recommend trying berry lemonade). I'll definitely be back again, very soon!!
(4)Sanja S.
went for brunch today (labor day), and had smoked salmon benedicts ($16), husband had dungeness crab benedicts ($18). awful. salmon was somewhat edible, crab cakes were completely tasteless, eggs were waaaay overdone. potatoes that accompanied the meals were clearly reheated and were too tough. knives couldn't cut through the muffins. I ended up eating only the eggs, had to pretend I ordered them hard-boiled to get over the texture. all in all: I am never going back. only reason why I gave it 2 stars is because the people working there are sweet.
(2)Asako N.
I made a reservation but waited for an hour to start eating. I would give 5 stars if they didn't keep me waiting. I had delicious French toasts with berries. I will come back when I'll be able to wait for an hour.
(4)Anna O.
Amazing customer service! The manager was awesome and super friendly, we came to this location after the Portage Bay off of Roosevelt caught fire in the kitchen after we'd been waiting for our food for about 15 min, and after the fire started we waited about another 10 to find out that they were closing until further notice. Came to this location because it was the closest one, shared my experience at the previous location with the waitress and she told the manager who covered our tab and made it a very pleasant experience. Definitely my go to spot when I'm out in this area..thank you for an awesome experience :)
(5)Erica T.
A group of nine co-workers and I made reservations on a Saturday morning for brunch. Our table was a little awkward, right next to the "breakfast bar" and made up of a normal table and one of their outdoor tables. The manager was kind enough to bring the group pecan tarts because of the seating arrangement. This place was busy, and I've heard many people talk about how good it is. The line was out the door, so make a reservation if you can! I got a scramble mushrooms and chicken sausage. Yum. I also opted for the side salad instead of the salad. It had a thicker vinaigrette with cucumbers and carrots. My group enjoyed their entrees, with the winter frittata being the group favorite. The breakfast bar is a table with big bowls of fruit, pancake toppings, and whipped cream. A visit to the bar comes with some entrees and you can purchase this individually. Parking is easy to find in the garage right underneath, and the food is return-worthy!
(4)Kenneth K.
When you "eat like you give a damn", unfortunately the waitstaff doesn't. Food: 5 Stars Waitstaff: 1 Star Not much to say. The food is organic and super tasty, maybe slightly over priced. The quality of service is horrendous and always begs the question of how bad I want a good breakfast. I recommend their food, just know what you're getting yourself into! Cheers!
(3)Bridgette E.
Amazing French toast. As a French toast connoisseur, I can confidently say that their challah French toast, with the berry and cream bar, is the best in Seattle. Ingredients are always fresh, and the toast is always fluffy.
(5)Nick H.
Overrated and not worth the wait. A 15 minute wait at 9:30 am? It took over half an hour to get our food. Mine came out cold, our friend's came out five minutes later--luckily his was hot. My scramble was nothing to write home about and their house-made bread is as dense as a brick. The breakfast sandwich is so enormous you need to unhinge your jaw to take a bite. Portage Bay prides themselves on the quality of ingredients--and they deserve high marks there. I just don't think there's anything special about their offerings--I find more inventive and interesting dishes at plenty of other brunch spots. They have a severely limited menu of alcoholic beverages and lack a full bar. They offer four different beers by the bottle. They have mimosas (by the pitcher even)--but that is the most common and uninteresting of brunch cocktail. Why not ditch the O.J. and have a full glass of champagne? Our poor server was obviously overworked, but did right by us. I felt really bad for him, because management obviously screwed up and didn't schedule enough staff. The atmosphere is terrible--the place is a cavern with bad acoustics. It's very loud and so crammed that I kept getting elbowed by servers and patrons alike. Their motto is "Eat like you give a damn," so heed their advice and steer clear of this place. I can think of half a dozen places within walking distance that I'd recommend over PBC.
(2)Katie K.
Came here last Saturday arrived at 10:20 AM. Was asked by the hostess if I had a reservation, we didn't. She then said that she would put our name on the list and it would only be 20 minutes. At 10:45 I went to check on our name and she said that it would be only 10 minutes. I could see that they were only four names ahead of us. At 11:10 AM I went to check on our name to see how long it would take. I was told that because we did not make a reservation that it would be 20 minutes. I explained to her that I was here at 10:20 and I was told it would only be 20 minutes. Her reply was that they were only working off their reservation list and then they would go off of the walk-ins. I looked at my friend who is currently eight months pregnant and starving at that time and said that we're leaving. We went to a restaurant across the street and we're seated within five minutes and had a delicious breakfast. Don't waste your time here at Portage Bay because they do not care about the customers.
(1)Mayo A.
This café was awesome! My sister like loves this place for brunch and she took me here yesterday morning for breakfast. She always orders the Eggs Benedict when she eats here. I ordered the classic pancakes, with a side of scrambled eggs and freshly squeezed orange juice. What I love about this cafe is not only the service nice but it also has a table inside where you can put toppings on your pancakes or french toast. So you can put toppings like raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, butter, fresh whipped cream (which I believe is hand made) and more. The Pancakes are enormous so I had to take the rest as left overs. Eric was our waiter and he was very polite, attentive and funny. If you want a seat inside, make a reservation. I definitely recommend this place for breakfast/brunch :)
(5)Jennifer P.
So, I really want to like Portage Bay because they have some good food. I really do. But I really also don't like to have to think about how much I am paying for said food, because their stuff is incredibly overpriced. I really hate when a co-worker recommends we have a business meeting here, because then there goes my lunch budget for the week. Definitely get a reservation because the wait can be long. Their wait staff sometimes takes a little longer than average to get to the table, but they are also incredibly busy with the amount of tables they are serving. The food is super good, that's not the issue here. They have super gourmet, really fresh dishes that are very tasty. I really can't just justify spending that much on food. If you are amongst the 1% or really want to have a "fancy" breakfast, I recommend going here. However, if you are just looking for a run-of-the-mill brunch, I would go somewhere else where you are not spending an arm and a leg.
(3)Mad M.
Hipster mostly breakfast/brunch place at SLU. Had a reservation yet had to wait another 20 minutes past that for a table. They have a serve yourself bar of toppingsd for your pancakes or french toast comprised of fruits, syrup,whipped cream, whipped butter. They say it is all organic.
(3)D O.
I got the parfait and it was awful. The granola was probably half sugar, I'm not exaggerating, it had clumps of sugar. The half sugar granola was swimming in honey and the amount of yogurt was so insignificant that there wasn't much edible on the plate. Yuck! For $12 or whatever it was, I would rather go to a 7-11 and get a parfait. Another person got an eggs Benedict and couldn't cut his English muffin with a knife, that's how hard the muffin was. To make matters worse, one of the 4 people in my group didn't get his food until 30 minutes (again, i'm not exaggerating) after everyone else. The waitress's response? Start pretending like he's not at the table. She would look at everyone else at the table and ask us how we're doing except him. Weirdest response I've ever witnessed.
(1)Rachel P.
Had the classic eggs Benedict.. Have tasted better ones..the migas were good.. A nice spicy tinge to it.. Would come back for the migas.. Bacon was the worst.. My office cafeteria has much better bacon.. Too crowded.. We were famished and had to wait for over 30 mins even with reservations.. A little pricey but if I had the migas they are money spent well..
(3)Michael S.
Hit and miss- can be the best place in SLU or be n awful experience. With a reservation, my friend and I waited over 30 min, then were seated at a dirty table with 1 chair, no menus, on the sidewalk (street side of the railing) and then it started raining. The staff opposed Our request to move inside (RAINING) and we ordered take out. The food is great, often the service is good, but this experience was like a middle finger to a regular diner and evangelist who lives and works nearby. They need to stop hiring high school students to run the host desk. Maybe "host like you give a damn"?
(2)Carrie G.
Awesome French toast! Super soft challah bread which reminds me of those Asian sweet breads. Great fruit bar as well.
(5)April K.
Peter is the best waiter of all time! Prompt, kind, and super helpful! Not bad to look at either ;) The breakfast bar is where it's at. Fresh berries and whipped cream. The patio area is super nice. Everything you could want out of a brunch place. Dope mimosas! Go here and give Peter big tips
(5)Kaelin N.
The service was wonderful! There were smiles everywhere and everyone was really polite. We were seated right away even though it seemed pretty crowded at 10:30am on a Monday. No complaints there. The food, on the other hand was mediocre. I probably could have found better food for cheaper as well. I had the Mediterranean omelet, which I actually didn't like. The olives completely ruined it. I knew there were olives in it, and I actually love olives, but there were these huge whole olives that were sooo salty! I think if they cut it up and had it evenly dispersed it would have been a lot better. I ended up trading my meal with my boyfriend, who originally had Joe's scramble with chicken. I didn't taste anything but mushrooms, but it definitely beat super salty olives. To be honest the best part of my meal was the potatoes, which I think could have been cooked a little longer. If I were hungry and in the area, I'd come in and order something different, but I doubt that I'd ever go out of my way to eat here.
(2)Kim D.
FOOD: I got the Vegan Banana Pancakes ($12.50) and I also tired the Farmer's Hash with house-made chicken sausage ($14.50). The dish came with 3 pancakes and the pancakes were more thick and dense compared to the average pancake. Since it is a vegan pancake it was made with rice flour and hemp milk. A little to thick for my taste, I could only finish 1 and a bit of another. If you choose a pancake or french toast dish then you have all access to the fruit bar with consist of fresh berries, canned peaches, whipped cream and syrup. That was a bonus which helped me decided to go for the pancake option. I would try the Banana Foster French Toast next time. There french toast are huge. The farmer's hash was good. Huge chucks of potatoes and vegetables. There isn't much sausage in the whole meal.. Overall the hash was smaller than I expected, although filling. Prices are above average. SERVICE: We had a great server, he was attentive and asked how everything was. We came on a day with no wait, plenty of tables so that was that. PRESENTATION: Nice big plates to fill it up with fruits. High ceilings, creating a open atmosphere. LOCATION: It is by the Amazon building. It's on the corner of the street but there parking in this area can be a pain. Street parking or parking lots that charge by the hour. WOULD I COME BACK: Yes. I appreciate that they focus on organic, sustainable foods. A business that supports local farmers is a business I am willing to support. ADVICE: Hm nothing at the moment.
(4)Tamiko T.
I can understand why a lot of people love this place. What's not to love about a fresh toppings buffet full of beautiful berries and mountains of whip cream? My experience with this place has been a 3.4 at best for several reasons. 1. It's extremely crowded at any given time that could be considered brunch. One time I had to wait for over 1 hour after being told it would be 10 minutes. 2. It's very loud. So much so that a good percentage of your pancakes will just land on whoever you are talking to because you literally have to yell at them to hold a conversation. The place is just a steel box that amplifies whatever sounds the tightly packed diners make. 3. Expect to shell out $25+ per person for breakfast. Sure, that's true for a lot of brunch places in Seattle but for that price point I would rather have a nice view, atmosphere or service - rather than a toppings bar. That being said their scrambles are absolutely delicious. Just skip the chaos and treat yourself to a middle of the week breakfast on a random day off or go there for lunch instead of subjecting yourself to the frenzied experience of brunch.
(3)Kirstie B.
Visited Seattle one weekend and found this place which was within walking distance to my hotel. I love that everything is local and organic. I got the oatmeal cobbler french toast which was to die for! When you get any pancakes or french toast, you get to load it up with things from the toppings bar, which includes fresh fruit and berries and home made whipped cream! :) Be warned though, this place gets VERY busy.
(4)Issac L.
Group of 4, had a reservation for 12:45 and we waited until 1:10 to get seated. Portage Bay is so crowded on Sunday's. It took about an hour for the food to come out. Despite the long lines and extended wait, once the food came out, it was well worth it. Highly recommend the crab cake Benedict and cobbler French toast. Incredible food.
(4)Jessica R.
My comfort food place. Organic ingredients, Paleo, vegan & vegetarian options, and very accomodating staff AND manager! The south Lake Union location is always busy so make sure to make an appt but this place has never failed me! Organic coffee as I'm waiting to get seated (coffee/mocha/latte). The staff and manager are super friendly, fast and accommodate to all my allergies :) Their menu changes every season so it's nice to have something new but I'll admit, we sometimes get our usual - Ranchers breakfast with fruit bar. Mimosas are a must try! Taking off a star just cuz I wish they had more greens during their lunch hr. But will always recommend this place to anyone and it's a tradition to go here for the Rock and Roll Marathon!
(4)Sarah S.
Had the Swedish pancakes with a mimosa. 5 stars on the mimosa, they really hook it up!! :) Pancakes were great too and we loved the buffet. The waiter was polite and gave good suggestions. Awesome Sunday brunch!
(4)Lucy L.
I ordered the rancher's breakfast (eggs over-easy and choice of protein was uli's chicken sausage) 1. I asked for this Over Easy: An egg cooked "over easy" means that it gets fried on both sides, but the yolk stays runny. To make one, you cook the raw egg just until the whites are set on the bottom, then you quickly flip it over to cook the other side. "Over" refers to flipping the egg, and "easy" refers to the doneness of the yolk. You can also cook eggs "over medium" and "over hard," depending on how cooked you prefer the yolk! But got this Sunny Side Up: This means that the egg is fried just on one side. The yolk is still completely liquid and the whites on the surface are barely set. 2. I've bought Uli's sausage at Pike place market on multiple occasions and have even had the chicken sausage... So my expectation was that it was going to be juicy and full of flavor, instead it tasted dry and tough (overcooked, maybe?) 3. Even the potatoes sucked! (Not really great crisp on the outside, nor well cooked on the inside..) I mean, come on, how can you do potatoes wrong?! 4. Lastly, the only thing that was actually enjoyable was the French toast substitute that I had in place of the wheat toast threw some mixed berries, little bit of syrup and some whip on top and hallelujah... At least one thing that went right 1* for food since you guys got 1 thing right The other * was for the customer service which I was happy with (friendly staff, average wait)- but I came for the food and for me.. at $11 for something so simple it just didn't quite deliver
(2)Karina P.
Recommended by many friends, Portage Bay impressed me right from the start - - with the bold mantra on the back of every short worn by the staff, "eat like you give a damn". Happy to see that there were others who believed in eating good food as much as I did made my morning much brighter. We had to weave our way through the dense crowd to the hostess, where we were handed menus and told, despite our reservation, there would be at least a 15 minute wait. We were not in any rush, so we scanned the menu, and looked around the packed restaurant at the patrons. It was apparent that this was the place to have breakfast, as the masses enjoyed platters of waffles, pancakes, french toast, omlettes, and more. Once we were seated, we were immediately asked if we would like something to drink, and within a few minutes we were enjoying coffee. The menu was filled with delicious entrees, but of course, I went with the French toast. The best part: toppings bar. For any order of waffles, pancakes, or french toast, you were allowed to visit the topping bar, which consisted of fresh berries, whipped cream, maple syrup, various nuts, and other fruits. Their rule, finish everything you bring back from the toppings bar. It was overwhelming and exciting at the same time, and having ordered the lemon blueberry french toast, I was unsure of which toppings I wanted to add to my already decadent meal. The french toast was smothered in a lemon curd sauce and fresh blueberries. I added some strawberries, raspberries, and whipped cream, because it would have been a shame if I did not take advantage of the toppings bar (no self control, so sad!).
(5)Sareth P.
Easter brunch was packed! Service was decent considering how busy they are. I order the Dungeness crab Benedict. I usually don't like any egg Benedict but for some reason I had to try this one. And it was pretty good. My husband ordered the rancher breakfast and the only thing that was tasty and flavorful was the chicken sausage. The side French toast was okay. I've had better way at Geraldine's. The berry lemonade was too sour for me.
(3)Alex M.
Portage Bay has gone majorly downhill in the past year or so. Yes, their french toast is amazing. Joe's Scramble is a solid choice (great chicken sausage). But their lunches leave a lot to be desired. Plus, their specials are never all that special... in fact, they tend to be mediore at best. I had some sort of soy sauce inspired noodle dish the last time I was there for lunch. Yeah, soy sauce inspired is not a compliment. It was not good. Their fruit bar is good, but I think they take a little too much pride in it. Their servers sell it hard. I wish they would add seasonal fruit into the mix. Worth noting that they serve great drip coffee. Lattes are OK. I also tend to think that red potatoes are a bit of a breakfast filler, and they don't nail them - I've had cold potatoes on several ocassion. This place is bland. I don't understand why people wait 45 minutes on weekends. It's not like there's a lack of good breakfasts in this town.
(3)Bridget L.
We arrived about 1:20 pm and had a short wait to sit outside. (Only open until 3 pm, I believe) This is a fantastic breakfast place downtown. My family ordered lunch items, but I ordered the French toast. They enjoyed their food, but when my French toast arrived - they wished they had also ordered it. I foresee another trip to have breakfast in my future when I return to Seattle! :) The toppings bar was great with perfectly ripe strawberries (though they didn't seem to think it important to take all the green off the tops?) and lovely blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. Yummy maple syrup, whipped cream, butter, and brown sugar to go on top. Whew! My family helped me finish this large portion. Can't wait to return.
(4)Libby W.
Service is prompt, ingredients are high quality, and there are lots of gluten free options that are above and beyond better than your standard gluten free fare. The gluten free french toast is so good that I thought they'd made a mistake and served my boyfriend regular french toast. Thankfully(!!), they did not. Their gluten free bread is just so good that you can't tell the difference! We asked what bakery they use for the bread, and it turns out that they make it themselves, in house. They also sell it by the loaf if you're feeling so inclined. I always get the migas with chorizo, and it is extremely flavorful! I get it without the tortilla or potatoes and they have no problem substituting veggies for me instead at no additional charge. I see some reviewers have complained about a lack of flavor in their food, and I have to say that isn't a problem I or my boyfriend have had here. But we always get the exact same things, so I guess it's technically possible that we have chosen the only flavorful things on the menu? If that's the case, we really recommend the migas and gluten free french toast because both of those are so good that we haven't felt the need to branch out. At the toppings bar for the french toast there are a lot of options - some appear to be fresh, while others seem like the canned sort that are soaked in that overly sweet syrup. The fresh stuff is really good. Today he got fresh strawberries and blueberries and they were perfect. They get really crowded on weekends, so we like to go early to avoid the wait and the noise. If you're by yourself or a party of 2, I recommend sitting up at the counter or at one of the handful of 2-tops by the counter. It is way quieter than the main dining room, which, as someone else mentioned, is like a school cafeteria. It's a very large, open room with a warehouse-y vibe (concrete/steel everything, nothing to diffuse noise), so you can imagine how sound carries. We were amazed by the difference sitting up at the counter, which is just off to the side from the main room, near the front door - you can actually hear your server and your dining companion. It's great.
(4)Sarah M.
Go here. Seriously. You won't regret it. Everything is amazing. I'd recommend making reservations, because it's always so busy. Brunch is really what this place is about, but their lunch salads are also great. I'm always impressed with how fast they get food out with how busy it is. The number of vegan options is pretty good too. If you want the breakfast bar, tho, your only choice is the pancakes. I'm still holding out for vegan french toast on the menu, maybe someday. A girl can dream, right? I have to wonder. Can you really call yourself a sustainable restaurant, when your food relies on animal exploitation? Apparently. As long as they keep sneaking more vegan options into the menu, I'm willing to keep up hope for the future.
(4)Star L.
This place was simply perfect! We had reservations for 4 on a busy Sunday. It went without a hitch. Our server was Brian C. and he was fantastic. Always came by at just the right times. My mom has never liked eggs benedict, but Brian talked it up so at the last minute she changed her order and LOVED it! As busy as they were, Brian was the prefect server, the food was delicious, and the patio was lovely. It was all of our first visit here and we will absolutely be back.
(5)Smash S.
Came here and was told the wait would be about 45 minutes, they kept telling is its almost our time and we ended up waiting over an hour. When we FINALLY got sat no server came, we had to flag someone down and they took forever to come back and take our order. We waited at our table for over an hour and never got our food so we walked out. This place is complete BS, don't waste your time because they definitely wasted my time in seattle. Thanks for ruining my day.
(1)Margaret E.
If you are older or disabled or like to converse with the rest of your party, find another place to dine. The food is good but not that good. I don't know how you would access this place in a wheelchair - and this is a very new building! I was there on a Saturday morning and it was packed by 9:30AM. I had the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict and was pleased with the generous portion of salmon. It was moist and not overwhelmingly smoky. The Hollandaise was very good - not that thick, gloppy, mustard yellow stuff that comes in a can. The problem was that there wasn't enough sauce which left the benedict too dry. The eggs were perfect.
(3)Tracy P.
Most of the time when people give a one star review they are just being a jerk and often it's because they want a business to be something it isn't. I have dreamt about the rice porridge that was sadly and inexplicably removed from the menu for a seasonal change of millet. So this tale begins with a disappointment. I ordered eggs Benedict medium and the whites were runny which I don't think I could eat if my life depended on it. The English muffin was untoasted and the whole plate was tepid. The waitress noticed and offered to have it remade. My new plate arrives and the only difference was that the eggs were just barely edible. I ate half and decided to just get the check and not come back. But the waitress notices and offers to take it off my bill and I'm still hungry so I decide to have some pancakes because that's simple and besides they have a famous fruit bar. I didn't realize the pancakes were WHOLE WHEAT it was probably in the description but I wasn't using the menu I just order some pancakes. The REAL problem was that they were OVERCOOKED and black around the edge. I looked up the pictures here on yelp and sure enough there is this tiny edge of too dark edge for my taste but mine were firmly OVERCOOKED and blackened ALL the way around. I couldn't stand to send it back so I just went to the fruit bar to gets some butter and syrup and I was frankly underwhelmed by it. It's November so a lot of the different fruit had been frozen and defrosted in giant mushy bowls. There was a HUGE bowl of whip cream ( which is often mentioned in reviews) and a couple little soup bowls with brown sugar or coconut crumbles. I started thinking about the lunch I had with my mom and sister 2 weeks ago and the French dip that was a "gilded lily" if ever there was one. I mean if you can get the meat right (and they had) you are almost THERE but it had mushy onions and some cheese and a cumbersome hard roll and peculiar tasting au jus. The art of the French dip has been lost forever, I think. I've said enough and it's ironic for two reasons; the first is that the beloved rice porridge was one of those whole bunch of fancy ingredient foods that was born out of the same approach to cooking as the disappointing French dip. It's unlikely I will go back unless I hear the rice porridge is back on the menu because I can overlook the careless kitchen, the waitress that refilled my coffee only one time with, and even I can't believe it, old tepid coffee, and the surprising $15 tab. If your meal goes back twice shouldn't they atleast comp you the meal? The second irony is that, I WAS there to eat like I give a damn.
(1)Shawn B.
We weren't exactly sure how reservations worked, so we decided to go in early (9AM). It was already buzzing when we rolled in. Apparently you can call in ahead of time to put your name on the list to be seated. Thankfully since it was just two of us, we were seated in under 10 minutes (at the bar). I was impressed with the service; we were quickly served with menus and waters considering how busy it was. Also, the waitress didn't bother us too much and quietly refilled our waters without making a fuss. I ordered the Phil's Breakfast and then the Oatmeal Cobler French Toast. On the Phil's Breakfast I got it with bacon, scrambled eggs, and it came with a side of their roasted potatoes and a slice of wheat toast. I wasn't to impressed. The bacon and eggs were pretty standard. Unfortunately, the slice of wheat toast was hard as a rock and the roasted potatoes were a little too seasoned for my liking. The Oatmeal Cobler French Toast was everything. It was perfectly crusted with oatmeal, and then covered in a raspberry compote. I've never really had great french toast at a restaurant because it's usually been too greasy or sweet. This however was savory and just sweet enough from the raspberry compote. It definitely was a lot of food, but I was curious to try their savory and sweet offerings. If I were to go back, I probably would just go back for more french toast and then just a savory side.
(4)Rebecca B.
Great place! I can't wait to try their brunch. So far I have had their french dip which was wonderful and I love the side salad option. I also had their meatloaf sammy and although I wasn't super in love with it (due to the addition of italian sausage) it was still good. Their home made ranch is tasty too!! This place serves all organic foods and the price really isn't any different then a place that serves regularly grown food and I love that! The topping bar for pancakes and waffles is insane and although I haven't tried it yet, I would bet money it's amazing. I would definitely recommend giving this place a try so far all the food I've had has been delicious!!
(4)Tim P.
I've been to both this location and the location in the University District, and neither impressed me. I've had Seattle-ite friends rave over Portage Bay, but both times I've tried it I've been sorely disappointed. The portions were a decent size, but they're severely overpriced and never tasted all that great, certainly not worth the amount we've been paying. I gave it a couple tries due to the advice from friends, but after trying it a few times and trying different dishes, I won't be returning.
(2)Kristine C.
Met here with my Seattle cousins for brunch. Looking at the menu, I realized it was an organic restaurant. But for an organic restaurant, I was very pleased. We ordered a pitcher of mimosa's and let me say, I was buzzin' after 2 glasses. We couldn't even finish the pitcher. I ended up getting pancakes with scrambled eggs, bacon and potatoes. Have you ever heard of a pancake bar?! I've never! After getting your plain pancakes, you can go to the toppings bar and pile on your toppings. Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches, whip topping, different syrups. It was like heaven. Maybe because it was Sunday brunch, but good thing we got there when we did because 20mins later the waiting area was packed with people. It got pretty crackin'! Parking, you can find on the street OR you can park for a couple bucks in the underground parking of the building.
(4)Jen L.
Yum, fresh, seasonable and sustainable! Here are my faves: - Migas with chorizo - my favorite (and a tiny bit better than the chorizo sausage scramble). I always ask for extra salsa. It's got a great amount of spices to make it homey. - Dungeness (or smoked salmon) Crab Benedict - I love cutting into it with the yolk perfectly runny. - Wild Mushroom Omelette - amazing with multiple types of mushrooms. It's been off the menu for a while. - Lemon curd and Bananas Foster French Toast - yum yum. And come with the fruit bar. Depending on the season, sometimes the fruit is seems previously frozen (blueberries). - side of organic potatoes and kale are amazing. I'd pass next time on the: - Wild Smoked Salmon Omelette and the Proscuitto Omlette - are both ok. Occasionally the egg has been a little overcooked making it a bit rubbery. And their omelettes seem more of a "taco" of egg as the egg is not intertwined with the contents. - Wild salmon hash - large! just ok. Regardless, I still keep going back!! I go there for the food, not the ambiance, as the SLU place is very loud, crowded and the wait is long. I would avoid the weekends.
(4)Philip M.
This is such a "staple" of Seattle breakfast food due to the "local" and "organic" aspect to their business model, however, due to the service and snobbery I've experienced here on multiple occasions it should not be. This last time, we scheduled a reservation for 11 AM at 7 AM in the morning and still had to wait until 11:30 in order to be seated. When we talked to the host about our wait, he was rude and completely unapologetic. We waited almost an hour for our food and when we complained to the waitress that 4 people in our party had a plane to catch and they needed to eat so that they could leave, she acted as though we were putting her out for our request. Our waters and coffees sat empty and were only refilled once during our 1.5 hours there, our food came out in waves so that the first person who received theirs was already done by the time the last person received theirs and not once did any manager come over to talk to us when we were clearly very frustrated and disgruntled customers. The food was fine, but nothing that I would go out of my way for again. I like supporting local businesses, but I cannot recommend Portage Bay for the way in which they treat customers. They are ALWAYS busy and after the number of years they have been open, you would think that they would be able to figure out how to serve massive numbers of people while still supplying quality customer service. The problem is that this place continues to stay busy due to local support and they can afford to provide sub-par service because they will always have another person in the waiting area willing to take the seat of a disgruntled customer who leaves their restaurant. I will not eat here again and would not recommend Portage Bay to anyone for breakfast. There are plenty of other local businesses to support that will treat you with the service that you deserve.
(1)Winston M.
Favorite breakfast place in Seattle . All the ingredients are sourced from local organic farms.. The flavor and nutrients just rush your senses. The portions are generous and the service is accurate and quick. The atmosphere is clean and busy but still suitable for kids. We usually bring out of town guests here as a must eat spot. My favorite is the Oatmeal cobbler french toast. I've tried some of the gluten free options and they are pretty good for flour alternatives . Yes, there is plenty of chaos and the wait line can be quite long but that's just a testament to how good the food is. If you want fast cheap food, this isn't Mikey D's. Like Portage Bay says, "Eat like you give a damn" meaning your health.
(5)Melissa F.
I came here with a companion, but while my food reviews *always* include reviews of dishes all around the table that I've sampled, I cannot for the life of me remember what he ordered much less what it tasted like. Why? I was busy stuffing my face with my own dish. What was this delightfully distracting food? LEMON CURD FRENCH TOAST sprinkled with blueberries and ricotta cheese. Oh holy cherubic infant creatures... You ever just take a bite of a thing and next thing you know, your eyes are half-closed in a kind of trance and you want that one taste to last forever? Gosh, thinking about it now, it's like a first kiss. I mean the really good ones, not the sloppy weird ones that scream you've had too much beer. The flavor was sweet and tart and creamy and soft in all the right ways. Every element complemented the others and I didn't feel understimulated or overpowered or overwhelmed (except by awesomeness!) Nothing is like that first kiss, but the second, third, fourth, and so on were all amazing. Portage Bay Cafe, we are definitely on for a second date! What are your hours next weekend? ;)
(4)Dwayne J.
I've been here a few times already, but I've never written a review. So I decided to write a review based on my visit today. The good: I usually get the Rancher's Breakfast. The french toast is amazing. It's soft and tender and moist. The herb-roasted potatoes are also pretty good, well-seasoned on the outside, and well-cooked and creamy on the inside. The sausage is also pretty spot on. The not-so-good: The pancakes seem kind of dry and bready, especially when compared side-by-side with the french toast. The scrambled eggs were more like runny half-cooked sheets of egg. Still a decent brunch, but by no means a home run. The bad: The service is really slow and the wait staff is really inattentive. We waited for more than half an hour for our food. I understand that the restaurant business is hectic, and things take longer than expected, but when your customer is aware that the service is too slow, then... well, the service really is too slow. At the very least, the wait staff should check on us and offer me a refill on my obviously empty drink. Overall, a solid brunch place, but not worth fighting the crowd, the wait times, or the slow service.
(3)Emma K.
Came in on a Thursday for breakfast and there was no wait, hooray! I had the original french toast and liked it fine. I would probably order something different next time because other diners' dishes looked so good :) I liked being able to customize toppings at the breakfast bar, very nice touch. My companion had the Farmer's Hash and had all good things to say. The portions are extremely generous and they use quality ingredients. Looking forward to coming back.
(4)Josh H.
My partner and I hopped in for a quick breakfast so we slipped by the people waiting at the front and got comfy at the counter. So far so good, but then things quickly fell apart. I am to blame for some of this because I did not choose wisely. The coffee tastes like wet cigarette butts. Don't bother with it because even if you do they're pretty slow to fill it up. We order a vegan sweet bun and requested it came out before our meals. The server was barely paying attention, so it did not surprise us when everything came out at once. I got the eggs benedict with ham which was $13 but I have had way better $7 benedicts. The eggs weren't poached and were mostly hard. The hollandaise was bland. The potatoes were OK, but nothing to write home about. My partner got the vegan hash which was actually quite good. Skip this spot!
(2)Rick S.
Bottom Line - This is a good breakfast/brunch spot as long as you avoid certain items. Avoid ordering anything with poached eggs (especially eggs benedict) because they can't seem to get it right (see my photos). I love eggs benedict and usually order it on the menu. There's not much more heavenly for breakfast/brunch than the running yolk and hollandaise sauce; however, over-cooked poached eggs is a disappointment, and I wish I could say that it was an anomaly at the Portage Bay Cafe, but I can't count the number of times I've gotten basically hard boiled or soft boiled yolks..... Poaching eggs is purely a timing thing; once you get it right, you always get it right. I don't understand why the Portage Bay Cafe (both the University District and the South Lake Union) locations cannot poach eggs to save their lives. Avoid dishes with poached eggs (ie the eggs benedict). They only get it right 1 out of every 4 times in my many visits here. Not sure why I keep ordering them! So anyways, my meal mate and I visited the South Lake Union location on Friday, 28 May 2010 and we ordered the following items: Wild Salmon Omelette ($13, House smoked wild Northwest salmon, Spanish manchego cheese, organic green onions and tomato, topped with or- ganic avocado salsa) - My friend enjoyed this dish, and didn't really have any complaints. He said he would order it again. Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict ($15, Dungeness crab cakes, sauteed organic spinach, organic poached eggs and homemade hollandaise) - I ordered this dish. Everything was fantastic except BOTH egg yolks were severely overcooked. There was no running yolk at all )= I was SO DISAPPOINTED with this dish. When our waitress came and asked how everything was, I just mentioned to her to tell whoever is poaching the eggs that they're doing it about 60-90 seconds too long. She said ok, but I'm not sure if she told anyone... this isn't the first time I've experienced the same thing. The service on this Friday morning was a bit slow, but I didn't let the service affect my rating on this review. The star rating is solely based on the negative impression of the over-cooked poached eggs, because in all honesty, this is all I can really remember now. Along with a soy latte for $3.50, the total for the two of us came to $31.50 plus 3.15 tax and 6.00 tip = $40.65 total.
(2)Scott P.
Awesome brunch, I had the goat cheese omelette Fresh - Clean Service was attentive, but busy. There was a wait, but it was the weekend, and pleasant. Decor was nice, but its loud and busy. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm in town.
(5)Alice C.
My experiences with any of the Portage Bay locations have been just okay- while their reputation for mostly organic and local is an earned one, I've also repeatedly seen the line out the door at all of their locations, with waits up to an hour. No food, in my opinion, is worth an hour wait for a table, even if it was made with gold flakes. I've been to Portage Bay a couple times for lunch during the week and had luck getting a table with minimal (under 5 minutes) wait. While todays visit wasn't my idea, my group waited the customary 45 minutes for a table, 20 minutes to get water (that we had to ask for) and utensils, and another 15 minutes to have out order taken. The food came out in good time considering how busy it was, but when my side of ordered toast didnt come out with my food, I got some serious attitude when I asked about it. I work a service job, I get it that sometimes things get a little behind when it's busy, but I can tell when something gets forgotten- the toast came out ten minutes after my entree with nary an apology. Portions are generous, but everyone agreed the breakfast potatoes were bland/needed salt and pepper, and the english muffins in two of my parties breakfasts were stale to the point they wouldn't be cut. For $14 an entree, I'd personally would have been disappointed. My migas were okay, but needed a generous sprinkle of salt even though I opted to have chorizo included. The thing people seem to love about Portage Bay is the offering of fruit, whip cream, and syrup they have available for those who choose a french toast or pancake item from the menu. While the thought sounds fun, most of what I've seen isn't fresh, and is swimming in a sugary syrup; added to that is the fact that serving utensils never seem to be swapped out when the fruit is replenished, even when they're used to spread fruit across numerous individual servings of food. I've stuck to egg and salad offerings specifically to avoid the bar. I'd rather the fruit and whipped cream options come already served than have to do it myself- and with the prices PBC charges, I'm a bit iffy that they think they can't do it themselves. I spent two and a half hours at PBC, and honestly, I think this place is extremely overrated.
(2)Danna L.
Our service was great but the space is loud!! There were constantly dishes being thrown around in the kitchen and it echoed loudly around the restaurant. The food was not amazing. My toasted potatoes had no flavor, well maybe if you count being burnt. Half the bacon I got was black and my scrambled eggs were way overcooked. Wouldn't go back
(3)Jeff E.
One of the best breakfast/brunch spots in the city. It's usually busy, but that's a good sign. Try any dish and you won't be disappointed; I recommend getting something that comes with the famous topping bar full of fresh berries and fruit, syrups, nuts and other garnishes!
(4)Jeffrey R.
Am I missing something here? Why do people wait in line for so long just to eat breakfast? This place is TOTALLY overrated (3.5 stars as of this review). When we arrived at the cafe, we were told that we would be waiting one hour, so we expected the wait. No problem. An hour and a half later, we got seated, and as some of the other reviewers have noted, the service was really horrible. Our waitress never greeted us, nor even looked our way. She was, however, running around the restaurant like a chicken with her proverbial head cut off (seriously) doing God knows what. She even started taking the order of a couple who were seated way after us, and didn't even apologize. Fine. As long as the food was worth it, we would be okay. But that was the crux of the problem. The food was VERY mediocre. Dare I say, really quite bland. I ordered one of the specials on their menu - BBQ pork ramen - and I have to honestly say that it was perhaps one of the worst ramen I have tasted in my entire life (no exaggeration). The pork was cold and undercooked, the cabbage was tough and stringy, and broth was absolutely flavorless. Really, quite an insult to call that dish ramen IMHO. We also ordered the Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict, which I believe is one of their specialties. To tell you quite honestly, it was just okay. Not bad, but just alright. Nothing special or memorable about it compared to the dozens of other Eggs Benedicts I've tried in my lifetime. So overall, I'm still not understanding what all the hoopla is about. Why would anyone wait in line for over an hour for mediocre food and horrible service? I'm not sure, but I know that I'll never do that again.
(2)Greg L.
Had an amazing time last year and was looking forward to eating here again. Unfortunately I was greatly disappointed this time around. Food was mediocre and service horrendous. Ordered the ranchers breakfast and got a plate of oil instead. Just eating one egg felt like I was drinking an instant heart attack. Our server also did a poor job, only coming by once to refill coffee and otherwise was absent. For the price I paid I was hoping for more.
(2)Sara P.
I've been eating here for years, but likely won't return. Wait time for food after ordering - 45 minutes. Number of times waitress came over to fill water and coffee without being asked (and waiting 10 minutes after asking) - 0. Food - salty and for 2 of 3 dishes underwhelming. Manager's response to complaints - sorry, who was your waitress. Poor response to long wait, poor food, bad waitress. Guess when you have a captive south lake union audience quality and customer service are irrelevant.
(1)Alyson M.
I love Portage Bay. I only go when I am up for waiting to be seated for an hour though so I don't go as often as I would like. I had the Baked French Toast for the first time this morning. The apples were a great touch. I think the fruit bar (that has strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, whipped cream and syrup) goes better with the Classic French Toast though. I'll definitely be back but only when I have time to wait.
(4)Katy H.
Bananas foster french toast. Need I say more? Actually, I have tried the Migas as well. I had always heard such great things about Portage Bay and was so thrilled to go there and check it out for myself. The food was amazing, as was the fresh squeezed OJ. I was surprised by how large the SLU location was but after eating their food I understood why. The food is so tasty that people flock here! The high ceilings, the kayaks hanging from them, and the brightly colored photographs lining the walls make this place feel cozy and inspiring. All of the food they cook with and prepare is made with locally grown ingredients with organic farming methods. Even though the food isn't always healthy, it's as fresh as it gets. Portions are also rather large so be prepared to get stuffed!
(5)Sally C.
Kind, helpful staff that obviously like working together & in this beautiful cafe, fantastic coffee & we loved every bite of breakfast. Hash is really not an easy thing to do without being overcooked or greasy--their fall/winter hash will haunt my dreams. I could eat it every day, no joke.
(5)Marty F.
Waited 60 minutes to get our food on a Sunday, after we had ordered. The server ignored us during that whole period - no drop ins to say, "sorry the kitchen is slow," "can i refresh your coffee," etc. When asked, she said it can take a half hour for food on Sundays. Problem was, it had been 40min already, and another table that was seated with us had already eaten and left...it was obvious she forgot to put the order in. Food finally arrived 20min after we inquired...probably didn't put in in until then. We've all been servers, I know things get missed...just admit it, apologize, and try to correct it. I had the Swedish pancakes with chicken sausage. Delicious. (No syrup came, and thought better about asking for it, given the previous wait). The girlfriend had the oat crusted French toast...decadent.
(3)Elle G.
How many times dined here: First time at SLU (3-5 times U-District) Aesthetics/Ambiance: It seems extremely fast-paced and busy upon entering, but once you get a table it's more relaxed and calm. Lighting: Brightly lit, big open windows Colors: Light birch, Earth-toned green, grey, beige Decor/furniture: The SLU location is probably three times the size of U-District with a more industrious feel and extremely high ceilings, yet the light birch dining tables help to maintain Portage's "cafe" vibe. Cool local art is posted on back walls and you'll notice an awesome aircraft model hanging on the ceiling upon entrance. Sounds: Loud. It is a huge space and extremely busy at brunch so you'll hear mixes of people laughing, kids being happy or crying/acting out, and big groups chit-chatting. Music: I couldn't hear any music playing over the people if there was any! Dress code: Casual Cleanliness: Clean Type: American, Breakfast Organic Pancakes (U-District). Of course you have to try the pancakes to experience the essence of Portage Bay. Don't expect your typical fatty, fluffy, pancake-in-a-box texture though because these pancakes lay a little flatter and sturdier. But I am deeply satisfied to know that I can indulge in pancakes made with healthier, local, high quality ingredients when I come to Portage. Take full advantage of the topping bar! It's such a beauty to see all the colors from the blueberries, strawberries, peaches, and other fruits that you can pile onto your pancakes. Don't forget the home-made whip and drip a bit (just a bit!) of the maple syrup to top it all off. Goat Cheese Omelette (U-District). Coming to Portage after a 3 mile run at Greenlake, I was looking for a protein heavy, veggie loaded omelette. The waitress suggested the Goat Cheese had the most greens so I gave it the ok. It was quite tasty, I liked how the goat cheese melted into the greens and gave the omelette a more creamier texture versus omelettes that usually have dryer eggs and taste the eggs and filling separately. The potato wedges were the perfect portion size and the right amount of carbs that I needed without making me feel extremely full. Overall, I was very content with the waitresses recommendation. Wild Lox Scrabble (SLU). Yum, the scrabble includes Alaskan King Salmon Lox over diced tomatoes, caramelized onions, greens, and eggs with a slice of toast on the side. This was a special menu option and the portion size was maybe a third smaller than I anticipated however it was very filling. The caramelized onions added great flavor to the Lox, I didn't even need to add a few dashes of pepper as I usually do with my scrambles. The toast at Portage is always a treat and is great with their thick quality butter and local organic strawberry jam. The Lox was a great filler and the toast & jam was almost like dessert treat, which was made my tummy very happy. DRINK: Earl Grey Tea. Standard. Vegetarian/Vegan/Raw Vegas Friendly: Yes! Greeted by hostess? No. Portage is always packed for weekend brunch/lunch so I've always had to push my way through the standing crowd/lines to get to the hostesses. That's when they'll usually greet you and let you know that it's going to be about 30-45 min wait! Was the waitstaff helpful/knowledgeable/polite? Yes, each time I've dined at Portage the staff has always been very friendly, polite, and upbeat despite the craziness and business every weekend. One time a friend had received her entree and mine was taking a while, come to find the waitress had forgotten to put my order through. She was very apologetic and made a rush order and I had it within less than 10 minutes, which I though was great service. Table maintained at good pace (water refilled, cleared at appropriate moments)? Yes, considering how busy Portage gets I've never had a problem getting refills on drinks and the waitstaff always comes to check up. Did they rush you? No Do I recommend you to try this place? YES! I absolutely love Portage Bay because they truly live and serve food through their simple philosophy, which is also one of my own: EAT LIKE YOU GIVE A DAMN. They are conscious about where their food comes from, what goes into our bodies, how the food is raised and handled, how it helps the environment, and most importantly what it tastes like. And it tastes AMAZING!
(5)Mikiko T.
I have been to Portage Bay quite a few times for work functions. The potatoes are usually overcooked, too crispy and bland. Coffee is weak. And I don't really understand the buzz about this place. The "topping bar" has no sneeze guard... Isn't that against health law?? I don't even want to touch anything in the topping bar! I would only go to this place if I have to, as a part of work functions.
(2)J R.
Excellent breakfast place. I love the migas and pancakes. If you arrive after 9am on a Saturday or Sunday at any of the locations be prepared to wait for a table for 30-60 minutes. I've even made reservations and had to wait outside in the rain for 20 minutes. Great food but wait time keeps me away unless I'm up early or looking for breakfast on a weekday.
(3)Irene C.
Long wait time, poor service. Very high noise level with multiple screeching children. Oh, if you need to use the restroom your best bet is to walk down the street to Starbucks.
(1)Des W.
Nice place, good foods, maybe a bit over-hyped and over-rated. Our waiter was mediocre. Good luck getting water or coffee refilled.
(3)Melissa N.
Overrated if you ask me. People love this place or so I was told. I have been here a few times and I just find it to be alright. I mean the staff here is rude and unfriendly, definitely not what I want to experience first thing in the morning. The portions are mediocre and the price is a bit high but I guess if it is all organic you get what you pay for. My friends and I went there a few weeks ago and the only cool thing now is they have an app where they can text you if you table is ready. You get a star on that but can you please get your staff to smile? I rather go to IHOP for breakfast....than spend my hard earn money here.
(2)Andrew L.
A good place; is a place where you don't concentrate on the food, but on the company who is there to enjoy it with. That's what I believe. There is an expectation that, when you go out to eat, it's delicious. This was true today, when I engaged in a reunion of sorts, meeting with someone who I had not spoken to, in over 8 years. It was decided, that this would be a welcome place to catch up, over a yummy brunch. During the week, it's much easier to get a table without a wait; weekends are a likely hour wait. The location is a little bit out of the way, but that is true to their other two locations, at the UW and Ballard. The servers were friendly, and greeted me upfront, with a smile. I was seated, and offered water, as well as other fresh juices. I ordered a Smoked Salmon omelet; hers was a crunchy toasted oats place. After a very short wait, the meals came out, well portioned. The potatoes were cooked with a little bite, it's like home cooking, and the salmon with all the other great ingredients was perfect, inside of the egg which was neatly folded over it. The fresh toppings bar is always a good touch, as we both decided to get up and take a look at what could be topped on her nicely toasted oats. When it was all said and done, the meal seemed to pass too quickly, but it was a delicious complement to a one off meeting with an old friend. Take your friends, hang out and enjoy your conversations, and if you come here, you'll get it over great food. When to go: You either go early, or during the week. If not, be prepared to wait 30-60 minutes. Yes, it's that good. It's street parking, unless you want to find the public pay lot. There is outdoor seating, but it's a summer thing. It's also organic stuff, so you are supporting the local community also.
(5)Sarah E.
I came here for lunch today during the lunch rush hour, so I wasn't expecting to be seated immediately. Even though the place was packed, we were seated within 5 minutes, which was impressive. The Cafe is spacious and open, so even though there were a ton of people in there, you didn't feel cramped. They serve breakfast all day which is awesome and they have a fruit topping bar, which allows your to pile a mountain of goodies on top of your waffles or pancakes. It would be nice if they had a few After looking at the menu fro a bit I decided on a turkey BLT, and my co-worker picked out the beef dip. The turkey BLT sandwich was OK, nothing mind-blowing. The beef dip was enormous, but the only complaint was that there was a GIANT fat pocket in the middle of the beef so some minor surgery was needed to remove it. Overall this place is OK. It is pricey ($11 for an alright sandwich!?) but that's the norm in SLU. I might come back to have a go at the waffle bar, but I think the best bet for lunch in the area are the food trucks.
(3)J L.
Huge fan of the selection of fresh fruits and menu options that make you feel less guilty about eating such a glutinous brunch. We went on Mothers Day which of course brought about a wait, however they got a table ready in 45 minutes, about half the time of the 2hr estimate they had given us. They even called on my cell to let us know, as we took a walk during the wait. Fruit was fresh and ripe. Pancakes made well and the bacon was generously thick. TON of food, well priced.
(5)Federick N.
I had the latkes and 3-egg special. Really really good latkes, not that I know what latkes are supposed to taste like or anything. But root veggies - rutabaga potatoes and turnips etc - made for a delicious latke.
(4)Adam R.
This place is a solid three. I have been here a couple of times and the selection of food is always good. Usually the special menu is where I stay as something always (except this time) sounds good and it's special, so why not? On this trip, I had the apple and pork omelette which was ok but seemed very dry. When I think apples and pork I think sauce and sweet but not this one. The sausage and was good but the apples seemed far a few between. Would I recommend this place, sure, especially if you have allergies or other issues that make most restaurants out of the question. They are health conscious and certainly have options for everyone. A friend of ours on this trip can't have gluten, tried their gluten free bread and loved it.
(3)Jen B.
I don't know about you, but L-A-M-E. This was a bland place. From the service, to the decor to the food. My potatoes weren't cooked all the way through (breakfast potatoes should ALWAYS be cooked right!) and the eggs in my mushroom omelette were too soft with sooooo many mushrooms I had to pick them out because they were making me gag- I could barely eat my breakfast! The coffee was decent though. Granted, my company was about as exciting as a paper napkin but I did not judge on this as I am pretty sure the cafeteria atmosphere is what turned me off. I like cozy breakfasts with good company and laughter. Not hype and the inability to deliver. All in all, boring and plain.
(3)Ashley H.
Sometimes the service is good and sometimes the service kinda sucks. The wait can be ridiculous depending on the time you go...like up to an hour. They don't skimp on the portions though, but I've only had brunch here. I like the French toast, which I get in the Rancher's breakfast and getting to use the fruit bar for toppings is nice. The Rancher's is very filling and the chicken sausage, eggs, and potatoes are good. The Dungeness crab cake benedict is always pretty tasty. Can't go wrong with fresh squeezed orange juice.
(3)Hanna L.
The wait takes forever and a day even with reservations... The food itself can be better. My friends ordered eggs benedict, and their poached eggs was more of a softly-boiled.... The egg was not runny at all, and there was not enough hollandaise sauce to cover the benedict. By the time I got my breakfast I was famished and devoured everything in sight. I must say, the bacon that they give is delicious.... Other than that, I wasn't overly impressed with what they offer.
(2)Danielle R.
Yum is right... I ordered the oatmeal cobbler french toast, which included a trip to the fruit topping bar. The french toast itself is challah bread that is coated with a layer of oatmeal cobbler (adds an extra crunch and sweetness) that I love. Piled on top is all the berries and pears and peaches w/ dusting if shaved almonds courtesy of the the fresh fruits toppings bar :) I also ordered a side of organic red herb potatoes & fresh squeezed oj - a lot of delish food (made great left overs too, ha). Everyone else in my party ordered coffee, eggs, toast, bacon & a side (possibly pancakes or french toast) -and they too enjoyed their meals. Service was great, casual, friendly and did not give the feeling of being rushed. Definitely a place any of us would like to eat again!!
(5)Cindy C.
HEAVENLY breakfast menu, heaping servings of ultra-fresh, ridiculously good food (with an eye toward locally sourced, sustainably farmed ingredients), wide open, bright, cheerful space, outstanding service in the midst of morning rush chaos. (Yes, a bit slow... but go somewhere this popular and it's gonna happen, right?) The cousin and I each had the grits (with shallots and peppers I believe?) & poached eggs with fresh fruit. I ordered a side of pepper bacon (my one meat indulgence I never gave up... but never eat when out due to restaurants' sourcing). Everything was exceptional... flavorful, feel good, stick-to-your-ribs food served with class. Add a couple of grapefruit mimosas and our morning was complete! Have to have the pancakes or french toast one of these days and hit that crazy toppings bar. It runs in my mind the tab came to around $37... $12-ish for breakfast entrees, $3 for (generous) bacon side, $5 each for those sunny, delicious mimosas. Good thing I don't live in SLU... I'd be chubby and broke.
(5)Lilani E.
i GET it. For almost a year since I moved here I have driven, walked, and ran by the Portage Bay Cafe and thought, "WHY ARE THREE SO MANY PEOPLE?!" i GET it. It's really good. It's totally worth the wait. I love that you can have a latte while you wait. I love the fresh topping bar (disclaimer: not so fresh during the winter but understandably so.) I ordered the Ranchers Breakfast with the Ham Steak and French Toast. I was happy pretty much the rest of the day until 9pm. The ham steak was good - lean protein. Did not make me regret not choosing bacon. That's huge. Also, big fan of the texting when your table is ready. That way you don't have to hound the host/hostess stand waiting for 45 minutes.
(4)Jo Y.
I like the U- district location. So I was excited to try out this one in my neighborhood. They served me an overcooked (yolk was broken) poached egg with my crab cake egg Benedict... How could the cook not notice & neither could the waiter???!!!
(2)Kate M.
Considering how much this place was talked up before we arrived, both the boyfriend and I left feeling underwhelmed and that we'd overpaid. Yes, there is quite a focus on organic eating, and the menu did look both interesting and appetizing. Unfortunately, we were disappointed by very lackluster, perfunctory service and bland food that seemed overpriced for what it was. It's obvious that this is a popular destination - the large restaurant was pretty packed at 9:15 on a Friday morning, and it was definitely on the loud, bustling side - but the food was a let-down, and our server couldn't be bothered to give recommendations or even so much as give a smile. I am not sure that it's topping my list of places to return to.
(2)Rachael R.
This was our first visit, and it was delicious! Will definitely go back. The wait for brunch on a Friday was very minimal. The food was delicious!! The topping bar is great.
(5)Ursula G.
holy sh*t this place is delicious! Hands down in the top 5 breakfasts I've ever had (well worth the hour wait) they offer an amazing toppings bar with organic, delicious fresh fruit and handmade whipped cream. Can't go wrong with anything that you order. I got a breakfast special that came with 2 perfectly over medium eggs, crispy mouth water delicious bacon (sings best I ever had... best I ever had...by Drake), potatoes that had to be seasoned with crack, perfectly golden brown and magical, and the best 2 slices of french toast that it is possible to make. I really liked that they serve you hot tea or coffee while you are waiting...and even in the chaos every single person working there was happy to help you with a big smile. sooooo epic.
(5)D P.
They offer a great fruit bar and their food is always delicious! But the last visit kind of left me sour which is why im deducting a star. The wait is long, which is normal, its Portage Bay for crying out loud theres always a line. Anyways after about 45 minutes or we get seated, not a big deal im pretty patient. So our waitress approaches, shes rude right off the beginning. I have no idea what triggered this and she always avoided our table. After about 25 minutes of being at the table she finally takes our order. She comes back in about two minutes and gives us our check.. thats right, we got our bill before we even got a our food. We spoke to the manager, I can't recall her name but she was nice. Then we see the manager speak to the waitress and afterwards the waitress comes over gives some fake apology with an even worse excuse. She said she gave the bill to the wrong table, she took our order 2 minutes prior and our table was clean as a whistle when she dropped off the bill. Other than that one experience everything has been good. Just beware of the waitress that charges you for invisble food. /rant
(3)Sasha R.
Staff seem like a bunch of college kids with no serving experience. We were seating and no one greeted us after 20 minutes....I got up and walked over to their gossip huddle by the register and asked if anyone would like to take a second to come help us....lol Toppings bar is super awesome and tasty. Love the whole wheat options for the carby stuff. Egg dishes are 'okay' nothing special. Coffee and water refills hard to come by. Certain items are overpriced for what you get. Two hour wait on the weekends seems RIDICULOUS.
(3)Jessica D.
The food is delicious!! Very fresh! Good selection of healthy choices. The swedish pancakes are a-m-a-z-i-n-g! The fruit bar is delicious! BUT make a reservation! This place is packed on the weekends. They will tell you a wait time and be preapred for it to take MUCH longer than they promise.
(4)George C.
I've been here 2 times and the food is great. The first time I ordered the egg burrito with a side of potatoes. Both were excellent and the portions were HUGE. The second time I ordered the grits with poached eggs and fresh fruit. The flavors were great but the grits were soupy. I was a little disappointed because I LOVE grits especially when they are made with Beachers cheese. I didn't like the texture of the grits but the eggs and thick sliced toast were yummy. I will be back one of these days to try something different off of the menu.
(4)Tatjana D.
I've eaten at this establishment twice before my third visit today (6/23/2013) and all three times the food has been good quality and presented artfully. Today was no exception. HOWEVER, it would've been helpful... 1. ..for the hostess to have informed me upon slapping my name down and agreeing to wait for 45 minutes for a table, that the bar area is indeed first come, first serve - would've saved myself 30 minutes of drooling at the plates of food going by as I desperately read my menu and tried doing Jedi mind control on said hostess to put me at the top of the wait list. 2. ...for the random waitress to NOT have stolen the salt and pepper shaker from my table, right in front of my nose as I was about to use it, without so much as a "hey, do you need these?"...Who does that?! 3. ...for my poached eggs gracing the top of my Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict to have actually been poached. If you have to knife your eggs because they're the consistency of steak, something is terribly wrong. 4. ...for the owners to invest in a little sound buffering ceiling action (acoustic tiles). I'm not geriatric but I certainly felt that way trying to hear the waitress above the roar of patron mingling. FINALLY, and this is what really enraged me (as enraged as one can get on a lovely and rainy Sunday morning in Seattle)... 5. It would have been GREAT if the guy placing fresh cookies from the baking sheet into a bag for customers hadn't dropped a cookie on the dirty kitchen floor, and picking up said soiled cookie, placed it into the bag for customer consumption...YUCK! Kitchen floors are dirty when they're in your house, let alone a busy restaurant. Salmonella anyone? I love the concept of local and organic food, the snappy saying on the staff t-shirts, and the mimosas, but after my experience today, it'll be a while before I return.
(2)Michele J.
Wow!! We both had the stuffed french toast....hallah bread, delicious. But what made it even better was the 'enhancements' bar that came with it. HUGE dishes of fruit toppings AND fresh whipped cream!!!! MMMMMM!!!!
(5)Jennifer S.
I brought my kids here for brunch on Sunday and arrived at 8:30am. There was already a 20 minute wait! Talk about packed! From what we experienced, I really liked the feel of the place and the "Local, Seasonal, Organic" mission. The food was good and my kids loved the pancake toppings bar. My mocha was not the best I've ever had, but the oven baked french toast was good. The serving sizes were just right but since it was so busy, we didn't see much of our server to ask for the drink they had missed. I would come here again, but maybe not on a Sunday next time.
(4)Kozby E.
Eventhough I live on the east side, this place is becoming one of my breakfast and brunch place. New location, fast service, friendly employee and great food. Parking around noon might be a problem.
(5)Tracy H.
Not worth the wait. There were at least 20 people waiting in the crowded entrance, bumping and jostling. The only place to be out of the way is to be one of the lucky few who get a seat on the bench. Order coffee, because you'll be waiting. Though I stood in line for coffee for about 10 minutes before giving up. I arrived at 10:15, and was seated at 11:35. I checked on my name 4 times, and the 3rd time they told me that we were the next table for 2. But 20 minutes later, they were calling another party for 2. I went up and said I had been waiting for an hour, and last time I'd checked, I was up next for a 2-seater. They said they had called my name, but that was BS as I had been standing there just a few feet away, and had heard several people with names that sounded like mine, so I know I would have heard my name called. They said it would be just a few minutes, so I waited, and 15 minutes later, I demanded to know how much longer it would be, because I was starving, and had been waiting for an hour and 15 minutes. I had to ask three times before the hostess reluctantly said 5-10 minutes. Thankfully, and a little bit coincidentally, I was seated momentarily. To be fair, they told me it would be an hour, but I didn't expect it to be *longer*, or for them to handle it with such little grace. The food was delicious, but my food was a bit cold. We had to ask twice for my friend's coffee. The fruit bar was gorgeous, but overpriced so I didn't use it (and the waitress did not point out their side of fruit when we inquired). It would be great for those menu items that come with the bar included. The bathroom has two stalls, which is ridiculous for the size and popularity of the restaurant. When I went, there were four of us waiting in the tiny bathroom before the first stall opened. Given that there is very little ambiance, the meal was also overpriced. If I went again, I'd make damn sure I had a reservation... which they don't take same day (I called that morning at 9:30 to find out. I just wish it had occurred to me the day before).
(3)Drew W.
Man I love their food here. Talk about a filling meal! Every time I go here I try to find something else to try and only once have I ever found something I was not thrilled about. The staff noticed I was not digging my food and their response was spot on to how it should be handled. The way that they handled the situation made me for ever love these guys. I will continue to keep coming here over and over. only cons I have about the place is that it is very loud and secondly that I get ZERO cell reception but the latter of the two they cant do anything about I am sure. :D
(5)Mog V.
I always judge a breakfast cafe by their coffee and theirs is perfect. What can you say about eggs, potatoes, and bacon. But their Swedish Pancakes, other than my Aunt's, are the best I have ever had. The wait staff is friendly, attentive, and thorough. Bathrooms are clean another sign of quality management and professional pride. They have an interesting berry bar to compliment your pancakes or french toast. Great atmosphere and energy. Loved the cute little red headed waitress. They do have a private party room for larger groups. I'm going back.
(5)Melanie F.
Sunday April 14 Brunch, PACKED!! But I had reservations. 10:30 reservation seated at 10:40, we were totally OK with that. Looked over the menu while we waited. I had the Oatmeal cobbler french toast. It was really tasty. The only major downside, we were seated by the bar and to get to the toppings bar I had to squeeze through the PACKED area of people waiting to be seated and hear them make comments about my food. My bf had the Migas with chorizo. It was good, that's it. The Toppings bar was also OK, I get that it's April in Seattle but the only fresh fruit was strawberries. The rest was thawed mushy berries and canned peaches....I passed. The service was nice and help full. It was not overly expensive our tab was $34. Overall, would definitely go back and recommend to Friends.
(4)Kenny V.
I've heard good things about Portage Bay and it took me forever to try it, but I must say it was enjoyable. It's nice to see a place that caters to the vegan/organic crowd with some interesting items on the menu. I myself ordered the bananas foster french toast - very tasty but as a standalone, it's way too sweet. Definitely something to share with others. I'm not one for vegan food, so it was no surprise I didn't like the vegan banana pancakes - flavorless, even after loading up at the fruit bar. Their more traditional items (eggs, potatoes, etc) are pretty good. If you're lucky enough you can snag a metered parking spot along the street. Otherwise, there's a parking garage adjacent to Portage Bay. The place is sparse weekday mornings, but I've heard horror stories about weekends.
(4)CHRISTINA S.
Best brunch in town! Friendly staff! Huge portions! Great prices! All organic! Not to put down my fellow Yelpers but if the things I mentioned above don't make you happy then I feel sorry for you. I've never had a bad experience here and I've been coming for years. Yes, the wait is long but it's well worth it. Yes, the prices are higher but they give you enough food to stuff yourself silly and still take home a large doggie bag. What more can you ask for? The fat one has spoken!
(5)Sean C.
So I have heard from people who work in the area that this is THE place to go out to eat during the week. Well. Unfortunately, we didn't do that. Raven and I went out with our girlfriend Victoria (just as critical as Raven) to Portage Bay in South Lake Union! Victoria, who lived in Bellevue but not Seattle is still excited by the SLUT. More specifically, the UW Husky SLUT (South Lake Union Transit?). So we drove down from the top of Queen Anne Hill and parked along Terry Ave and meandered a block over to Portage Bay and it was like a swarming bee hive in a lonely, desolate tree. It was Sunday morning brunch in South Lake Union, and all of the businesses were dead except for the slews of kids running out of Portage Bay like a Denny's. Then, Raven says "there's a lot of children." I go into the restaurant as a lone soldier and wait behind a woman in a green velvet dress with two children LITERALLY COUGHING INTO THE AIR THE ENTIRE FIFTEEN MINUTES WE WAITED IN LINE. (Okay, felt like fifteen, but I bet it was five.) Anyways, we were put on a waiting list and we walked around South Lake Union for fifty minutes until the restaurant texted me. The waiter was extremely friendly and attentive, which I appreciate. Once we were seated and began looking over the menu (we observed a pitcher of mimosas at the table to the right and promptly followed suit) Victoria shouts from across the table, "they could really focus on noise pollution!" Victoria ordered the salmon eggs benedict, which she liked enough. It really takes a lot to impress Victoria. And she considered herself satisfied after the fourth mimosa. Raven ordered the lemon curd french toast, which I totally should have gotten! But it was really tasty, and I think Raven ordered the best dish out of them all. I ordered off the special menu, I ordered a juniper french toast. It was okay. I really should have gone up to the condiment bar and decked it out, but I didn't. I wish I had ordered something else, but that is neither here or there. I was satisfied after all the mimosas. So all in all, it was good! We ventured down to brunch at Portage Bay from Queen Anne because I was told by multiple sources that this is "THE" place in South Lake Union. But it was really busy. Aaaand really loud. So my thought is if you are driving in South Lake Union and are considering Portage Bay Cafe on the weekend, I would drive up Queen Anne Avenue and go to La Reve or emmer&rye. They are muucchhh more peaceful on the weekend.
(3)Just N.
Heard about this place so we decided to try it. Got there about 11:30am and this place completely PACKED! Waiting time was 45 mins; ok, we decided to wait and wait...and wait. By the time they sat us down it was 1:45pm so that was more than 45 mins. We wanted to order some stuff from the special menu and most of them were already gone,LOL. SO we order some simple breakfast like their french toast and egg benedict. Overall their foods are OK..; I wont crave for it. Will I come back.....hmmm....maybe; this place is so packed and noisy....we cant even talk.
(3)Sarah F.
eh. yeah thats how i felt. Waited a long time to be seated and all I can say was that the food was eh... service was eh also. Didn't see much of our waitress. Only cool thing was you can put your own toppings on your pancake or waffle from the toppings bar.----and thats it. I had a crab benedict and it was OKAY. nothing to rant about.
(3)Pamela H.
I really can't say enough good things about this place. The wait was not bad (10 minutes) considering how popular it is, and that we arrived prime time (10:30 am on a Sunday morning.) This is particularly important for me when dining with my impatient 6 year old. I had Phil's Breakfast, and my son had the Mickey Mouse pancake. He particularly loved the trip around the toppings bar. Both were fantastic. I love being able to eat at a restaurant that "gives a damn" and I'm willing to pay an extra buck or two to feed my family well. Can't wait to go back for the Double Drunk French Toast!
(5)Jim S.
Waited ten minutes while three wait staff bypassed our table. One retrieved the bill from the next table and didn't even check in with us. Many customers sat waiting for service. We left without being served or noticed and won't be back.
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