Came in at 2pm and was seated immediately. Great service. Three of us shared the popcorn shrimp; great portion size! Gumbo was good but not enough for me to rate 5 stars, plus it was slightly overpriced. Cajun potatoes were great, collard greens were pretty good. Overall had a good experience. Would recommend this spot. read more

Bayou on Bay - popcorn shrimp - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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That was my first time at the bayou . Serves delicious creole / New Orleans style food with its own twist . Food tasted great , we ordered smoked fish and jambalaya, paired well with their perfectly mixed hurricane . A refreshing corner in Bellingham, with great atmosphere. read more

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After a full day of traveling, my cousins and I were famished. We were looking for a place that was open past 9:30 pm since we had been out all day. Bayou on Bay came to the rescue. They are open until 11:00 pm so we arrived at 10:00 pm hoping to get a good late night dinner. Our waitress was nice and explained everything to us since it was our first time here. This place is a restaurant/bar so it was still pretty lively when we arrived. We were seated at a booth and each of us ordered different dishes so we can try a variety of food. I ordered the shrimp po'boy since I was feeling a sandwich, my cousins ordered the gumbo, chicken Wings, gravy fries and my cousin in law ordered the jambalaya. Everything was delicious. I really liked my po'boy, which came with a side of sweet potatoe fries. My cousins gravy fries were good and the jambalaya was also good. The rice did taste a bit old though, so my cousin in law didn't eat it. Overall, it satisfied us and we were happy at the end. read more

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The food was very good and there were some unique items on the menu. We were seated quickly. Unfortunately our food took forever to come out, around 45 minutes. read more

Been here twice and the food both times was delicious! biscuits and gravy side of bacon Mac n Cheese Fried chicken Po Boy jumbalaya Bread pudding alllllll so good Today we had the most amazing server! Dan. He was the best server I have actually ever had. He had amazing customer service skills and was super personable. Would come back again for him and the food! read more

We have another nice spot to catch a game in Bellingham. Cheers to our server Dan for excellent and personal service. I enjoyed the oyster shooters, especially the HH deal of 4 for $7. My husband enjoyed his steak salad, though they can do a lot better than store bought, generic croutons. We will have to return to try their main dishes with a Cajun flair. Maybe next time we will try out the restaurant side, but the bar experience is certainly pleasant. read more

Bayou on Bay - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

This restaurant does not disappoint. The food is tasty and authentic. The flavors are on point. The portions are huge! The drinks are awesome and have a great variety. The atmosphere is awesome feels like I'm in New Orleans. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Would definitely recommend and will be back! read more

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Great Cajun food! Ate in the bar and had the house salad (Huge!) and the gumbo. Both were very good,although the salad had cranberries in it, not a fan, but not a big deal to pick them out. The cornbread that comes with the gumbo was delish!! Moist and dense. They will bring you butter with honey and I used it as my dessert. Yum! Good service, too. Bartender made a nice suggestion for a drink. read more

Bayou on Bay - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Very good service and great food definitely recommend so go to this place and have a bomb dinner

Seriously so delicious. We did outdoor seating. It was cold but they had heaters. The food warms you up. The jambalaya was so good omg. A bit spicy but wow. Mmm mmm. The portions is huge. I think I only got through like 1/3 lol. And the corn bread!! Wow I don't know what they put in that but it didn't taste like any corn bread I'd ever had. So amazing!! Plus honey and butter. Never had that either lol but wow so good. Love this food!!! read more

Bayou on Bay - Jambalaya - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Shrimp and grits are everything! Very delicious and satisfying. Had fried okra and hush puppies for appetizers. Also deliciously good. read more

Bayou on Bay - Shrimp and grits - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

First things first, you need one of Bayou's pint-sized mimosas in your life this Sunday at brunch. Second, this review is specific to brunch (priorities, fam!). This place can get a little busy on the weekend so I recommend going early. The menu has a ton of great options although I'm partial to the eggs benedict. They do a great hollandaise sauce here and always give you wayyyyyyy too many breakfast potatoes which I'm never mad about. The atmosphere here is funky, laid back, and charmingly historic. Service here is always great - the staff has a ton of personality and it doesn't seem like anybody hates working there which is always a plus! They also do a great Irish coffee! read more

Bayou on Bay - Eggs Benedict and Vegetarian Hash - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Service is pretty relaxed, so I wouldn't recommend it if you're in a rush. However the staff were all very friendly and competent. Food is good, "accessible Cajun" without a massive spice profile. Nice selection of local beers. Our table had: - the gumbo with extra prawns, delicious and hearty. Nice cornbread too. - shrimp and grits, so tasty and VERY rich...plan to share or for leftovers. - some version of an eggs Benedict I think. It was devoured so quickly I didn't get a taste, so I guess an implied endorsement of it's deliciousness. Would definitely return next time I'm in the area, and looking for a hearty, pleasantly paced meal. read more

We came in on a surprisingly busy Thursday and got seated immediately on the patio. Had strawberry Paloma's (bomb) and sweet potato fries (bomb). Service by our sweet attendee Laena was informed & quick. As far as Bellingham restaurants go, this experience was a 10/10!!! read more

My husband and I came in during our anniversary weekend and were blown away. We had the shrimp and grits and the shrimp po boy. Two dishes I've had several times, but every previous plate pales in comparison. Truly phenomenal food. Staff was friendly, accommodating, and welcoming! We are still talking about how much we loved this meal and can't wait to find a time to get back! read more

Bayou on Bay - Shrimp and grits - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Great place to enjoy a dinner with friends. The oyster shots were definitely delicious. Also had the shrimp and grits plate is a must. Only bad things I have to say about restaurant there was no outside lighting, so was hard to see our meal. I wasn't sure if it's a Bellingham thing but the separation of eating area due to alcohol being served was a let down when my friends daughter who was underaged couldn't sit in same area but can sit in non alcoholic area and we can order alcohol and she could sit there. Doesn't make any sense. We had to wait extra for a non alcoholic table. read more

This is a bar and not a restaurant, since they ignore that side of the building. We ordered some lemonade, and it did not come for over 50 minutes. One of the people in our party said she need another minute to decide after asking a question and the server left and did not return for over thirty minutes. (I wanted to leave but other did not) We finally got to order, and the food arrived forty minutes later. (I guess this is normal?) When our food arrived, I asked for a refill on the drink. We soon realized none of our orders were correct. Nothing terribly wrong, just missing coleslaw, no lettuce on one of the sandwiches and waffle fries were under cooked. Overall, the food was good but not any better than any other sandwich place. The drink refill did not come, and our waitress never checked back or even come into the dining area until some new customers arrived. After I was done eating, and she was delivering drinks to her new tables she noticed I did not get a refill and got it. Her new table got their order taken quickly and had food serve in less than 20 minutes and she checked back with them regularly. Maybe they were VIP customers, but we were not. In total we were at Bayou by the bay for three hours and it was not a nice enough dining environment for that amount of time. This was the second and last time visiting Bayou by the bay. If they have a manager that person does not make themselves known in the dining area or check on the customers. Customer service wise this was Zero-star service. read more

I've been treated well here for years until this week. Since I would be 20 minutes late joining a group at 5 p.m., I phoned ahead at 5:07 and told the restaurant I was with the group, who had already started ordering at the table. They took my full name and order and said they'd relay it to the server so I could join my friends and have food at the same time as they did when I arrived. I got there around 5:20 and the waitress had just finished bringing everyone already there their plates. I didn't interrupt her, assuming she would come back soon to speak with me, but she didn't until around 5:28, well after the others had made progress on their meals. She asked if I would like something, and I said yes, my food, and gave her my name. She didn't seem to recognize my name or the situation. I explained that I had ordered ahead over 20 minutes prior. She asked what I'd ordered and told me it was coming in a few minutes. After the waitress left, I learmed that she had already brought my plate to another person at the table who had ordered the same thing, and had asked him if he was me. He told her no, but she gave him the plate anyway, so he had told her that they needed to make another one right away. She had said nothing about that to me. Around 5::36 I asked her again for my meal, being unhappy that everyone else had eaten over half of their meals. She said again that my food was coming in a few minutes. I asked her, how many minutes? She said about five, and asked if I wanted it to go! I told her no, I had come there to eat with my friends. I asked her when my order had actually been given again to the kitchen, and she said about five minutes ago! At about 5:45, still with no food and everyone else finishing up, I told her to cancel the order, which she politely agreed to and apologized. However, while she was giving the others their bills, at around 5:50 she brought my order to me! I refused it and she asked me again if I wanted it to go! Wow! Of course I said no, and I showed her my phone, where I had called them 43 minutes before to place my order, and she apologized again, but at no point did a manager come speak with me. I should have asked to speak with a manager, but instead I told her it will be at least a year before I return. She said she hoped that I'd return sooner, but I won't. read more

Very tasty, food is delicious drinks are yummy. Definitely want to go back and try more of their food. I didn't get a oic of it but the Mac n cheese is to die for! So rich and amazing! read more

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Their food was so good! They were all out of the dish I wanted to try, but what I did order was super good. Loved their drinks, the fried okra was amazing as well. All employees were extremely nice and attentive. Would highly recommend. read more

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The service was great and very tentative and accommodating! We had a last minute adjustment to our party that the staff supported smoothly and without complaint. The food was incredible! The Gumbo was an unexpected delight. The catfish and chips were cooked to perfection, and mac and cheese is always on point! Even though it was busy we were not rushed or ignored. I will definitely return! read more

I've had this restaurant on my list for places to check out while visiting my friend in Bellingham since she moved back to the Westcoast. It had a variety of Cajun style menu items to check out and try. The decor of the restaurant plays well with Cajun theme and offers a variety seating options. It was a fairly busy place for a Saturday night but service was prompt and friendly. We started with drinks while we waited for our party to arrive. The drink menu had a variety of classics and were doubled. A great way to start off our meal. My party ordered a variety of dishes like the Vegan Jambalaya, the blackened tuna salad, blackened Cajun catfish, a cup of gumbo and hush puppies. I ended up ordering the Prawn Étouffée with added gator as I've never tried gator meat before. It was a delicious dish with strong Cajun spices that had a slow burning heat. The level of heat was manageable and helped bring out the flavour of the veggies and prawns in the dish. Gator was surprisingly delicious and tender as I've heard it can be chewy if not done properly. I quite enjoyed the gator as it had a lot of flavour and the kitchen clearly knows what they are doing with it. Overall, I would definitely venture back to Bayou on the Bay for some delicious Cajun eats in the future. I thoroughly enjoyed my dish and highly recommmend it to first time patrons as it has a good sampling of the different dishes available at the restaurant all in one dish. Be sure to check out the happy hour menu as it has a large menu at a very affordable prices. read more

Bayou on Bay - Dinner Menu - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

As a Creole food novice I had trepidation after reading previous Yelp reviews but my curious taste buds won. Omg winner, winner dinner! Comfortable, laid back vibe. We tried the gumbo, hush puppies with remoulade, pulled pork po' boy and shrimp and grits. Everything was excellent, flavorful, hot and well portioned. Staff is attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. And yes, if you elect to be seated inside you will be required to show proof of vaccination status. It's absolutely absurd to choose not to support a restaurant because of the establishment standing firm. Take your business elsewhere. I'll gladly return. My new favorite restaurant in Bellingham. read more

I was pleasantly surprised with the variety of food and drink options. We came here on a Thursday afternoon and happened to be there for happy hour. There was 1-2 other people seated with food before us. The waitress was extremely nice and attentive: she filled out waters whenever they were empty and when we asked for sauce or napkins this was brought pretty quickly. Food did take a while to get to us, and another large group who came later got appetizers before our food came out. When our food did come out, we didn't have utensils and it took a while to get someone's attention and get those to finally eat. Oyster shooters: these were on the HH menu so we ordered it. It was great! perfectly spicy and and savory. Bloody Mary: it was advertised as the best in Bellingham but I didn't enjoy it. It was a pretty average drink and had too much horseradish to be enjoyable. Caesar salad: an average caesar salad. nothing too special, but exactly what I expected Fried Chicken Sandwich: the bread was toasted perfectly. Fried chicken also really crispy. I wish there was more tomato/other toppings inside. Most of the bites were all sauce, bread, and chicken. read more

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Restaurant was busy but the staff was friendly and kept up with the busy crowd. For starters we ordered the fried green tomatoes $10, and the crab cakes $13. The crab cakes were just mediocre, I would not get them again. The fried green tomatoes were great. Perfectly fried and not too thick. The sause they were served with made for a strange combo. Ask for ranch and skip the red sause. Dinner was a burger for the hubby. It looked great but he said he was not impressed. I got the jambalaya. The portions were huge. It had chicken, pork, sausage, crawfish, prawns and shrimp, all in a spice rice mix. I thought it was delicious. Drinks were bloody mary and wine. Both great. Hubby gave it a 2.5 star, I thought it was a 4 star. Give them a try, just skip the burger and crab cakes. ********************************************* If you like this review, please give it a thumbs up. comment and follow me for more epic reviews. Happy Adventuring ; ) read more

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Bayou on the Bay has long been a favorite here in town, but for some reason I had not been in years. After going again last night, I will be back in less time than that! We were sat alone upstairs so it was private and quiet with a good view down on the action below. They have a whole array of tropical plants on the second floor so you feel like you're sitting in a jungle. Our server was great and very attentive even though we were seated upstairs which can sometimes affect this. I got the Strawberry Paloma signature cocktail and my friend had an excellently made Old Fashioned. We split a Caesar salad, the buffalo wings and some sweet potato fries. I must say the fries in the dipping sauce that comes with were amazing. Perfectly crispy but soft in the middle. The wings are spicy but delicious and almost fall off the bone. I am already working out when I will be back for brunch and one of their legendary cajun Bloody Mary's! read more

The crab cakes and the popcorn shrimp were super good. Came in after visiting the Spark museum and we were warmly greeted by the staff. Good ambiance and food did not disappoint one bit. Enjoy :) read more

Bayou on Bay - Popcorn shrimp - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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We got here at 2:30 and it is 5:15. The waitress just now came over to let us know she forgot to ring in the order. I tried this place before awhile back and did not like it but thought I would give it another try ( BIG MISTAKE) the appetizers came out cold and soggy and drinks came out about 30 minutes after we order them. Would not recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy. read more

One of my all time favorite brunch restaurants! The shrimp and grits are without a doubt one of my favorite Bellingham meals brunch or dinner. The bar staff are really fun and always give a fun experience! Don't skip on the bread pudding for dessert. It's delicious! read more

If it's a beautiful spring, summer, or fall day in Bellingham, be sure to grab a table at Bayou on Bay's outside patio to enjoy some people watching. If you aren't fond of the cheap plastic chairs, you can also grab a seat at one of the wooden tables inside the well-weathered bar. This is the best place for southern Louisiana food in Whatcom County. It is also the only place offering this specialty fare (alligator, fried frog legs, beignets, etc.); so with no similar competition in the area, you can only compare it to what you know and love in NOLA...and compared to that, it falls slightly short. I applaud Bayou On Bay (from here on out referred to my friend BOB), for offering such a diverse and challenging menu. They make a great effort at elevating the menu items. The taste is usually quite good, but sometimes their food preparation or service falls short. For instance, my Eggs Benedict with salmon cake and avocado was delightfully creamy, spicy and crunchy, but what a disappointment to find that both of the poached eggs were overcooked so that the traditional yolk river couldn't join my side of potatoes on my plate. Service can sometimes be off. My bill arrived at my table before my bread pudding did. Matter of fact, I had to wait a good 10 minutes for my dessert to come out. I actually wondered if they had forgotten about it or thought they had already given it to me since my bill was presented before it was. The server did apologize about the wait due to the oven being busy. BOB is a nice change of pace, kind of like hanging out with family at Thanksgiving. You know you're going to enjoy it, but it isn't something you want to do every day, week or month. With that in mind, see you next year BOB! read more

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Wow, almost a year since my first Bayou review and I've definitely become a big fan (and, dare I say it, a regular at their epic happy hour)! As downtown Bellingham grows and thrives, so has this popular local spot with its vodka-laced oyster shooters and its (no, seriously) good-as-it-gets burger. Did I cry a little bit when they took the loaded baked potato off the $5 HH menu? Okay, maybe. But only long enough to find a new favorite: their "popcorn shrimp" with a spicy sauce I would gladly purchase by the bottle if I could! The hubs still loves the okra and the hush puppies. And they always have a nice selection of local craft brews on tap. One of my fave times to hit Bayou is on a sunny day when you can sit outside and watch the world go by. It's a great place to people-watch, especially during the summer when Downtown Sounds is in full swing. But get there early 'cuz about a million other folks will have the same idea! read more

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Having eaten here in the past I was very surprised with the poor service this time. My husband enjoyed his catfish dinner but the best thing about my seared blackened tuna was the asparagus No flavor on the tuna and the smashed red potatoes were totally drab/ dry What ticked me off the most was the one time the waitress was attentive was when she abruptly tried to card my daughter who was drinking water Really disappointed... we'll pass on this restaurant for a while read more

Bayou on Bay - Blackened Seared Tuna - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Disclaimer: I'm a transplant from Louisiana so this review may be a little bias. The wait to be seated was quick. The atmosphere incorporates New Orleans culture jus a tad. Jazz musicians on the wall. The wait for food was pretty quick. Since it was happy hour, we ordered popcorn shrimp appetizer. My main entree was red beans and fried fish. My red beans were extremely dry. They didn't have any "juice" on it. Lol the flavor tasted like it was seasoned with jus pepper and cayenne pepper. No flavor. But the fish was good. My friend ordered crab cakes and sweet potato fries. That was decent. Crab cakes were fried not pan seared. Jus FYI! Overall, food was okay. Our waiter sucked! She took our order and we never seen her again. The host brought us 2 glasses of hot water with literally no ice at all. Will I come back?? Possibly for the fried fish and sweet potato fries! See pics. read more

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I've never given Bayou the credit that it deserves. It's likely because I tend to shy away from places that everyone raves about. There's a reason that this place is so popular and often busy. I've been here many times for drinks and appetizers with groups of friends. Great mixed drinks and local brews. Service is very good. The atmosphere is relaxed and perfect for a casual meal or drink. I recently paid a visit with my man friend. I wanted to test his theory that Bayou has some of the best macaroni and cheese. He was right! Large noodles covered in creamy cheese. Add a little hot sauce and you've got something magical! A giant bowl of magical cheesiness can be yours for $8 during Happy Hour. I'm excited to visit Bayou in order to further explore the food menu. Everything sounds delicious! I'm likely to become a regular. Happy Hour runs every day from 3pm-6pm and 10pm-close, and all day long on Tuesdays. Brunch is served Saturday & Sunday from 10am - 3pm. read more

I love spending time at the restaurant. The food is delicious, the drinks are amazing and the staff is awesome. It feels very homey and comfortable. read more

This probably has to be one of my favorite places in Bellingham. The food is always tasty! It's always busy, but well worth the wait! read more

Bayou on Bay - Seafood pasta - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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An absolute must stop by New Orleans vibe restaurant. A friend and I stopped in for brunch and had two oyster shooters which were absolutely fantastic. Fresh and crisp! I ordered one of the rotating scrambles that had blue cheese, park, steak, green pepper, onion, potatoes, and tomato. So good! The best Louisiana soul food ever! This place has an amazing view too, two stories and it has an amazing ambiance that can't be put into words. I will definitely be stopping by the next time I pass through read more

Bayou on Bay - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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So good!!! Great service!! Loved the experience! Hard to find parking but the little walk was worth it. Suggest getting there early

This place is amazing. Everything we have ever had here has been wonderful!!Crab Cakes were great and the gumbo is amazing. If you remember also get some cornbread I haven't had a piece that good since my grandmother made it! read more

I come here quite frequently for brunch more so for the once a month support non profit bingo...i love the bingo it's fun different and I get to enjoy drinks and great food while playing! The staff is always so friendly and helpful about letting u know specials! Popcorn shrimp is amazing appy and I'm always down for some bbq wings yummy! Can't wait for my next experience here. Definitely check out there Facebook for the bingo night once a month, it's always a great time and what better way to support non profits!! Go bayou! read more

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