Wanted some flavorful Cajon food, and knew it had to be the Bayou on Bay to bring it. As normal on a Saturday night, it was packed. 40-minute wait. Grabbed a bar seat and ordered there. it was noisy as you would expect and crowded. The bartender was really moving, and service was better than the normal wait staff. Got the Blacked Chicken Pasta. It looked like a small plate of pasta with green onions on it. Okay, dig in! The noodles tasted like regular pasta with some spicy red sauce and chicken mixed into it. The flavor was not very incorporated into the dish. Even though it was spicy, it had a pretty large flat taste to it. Sadly, I've tasted much better in Bham. This was a more expensive dish on the menu. It just didn't make it to the hype it was sold as. I will be back for that burger. That does look much better for a next try. *!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!*!* Please let me know if you like the review and click "Useful" Let me know what else you would like to see by clicking the "Compliment" button, any thoughts you have are always appreciated. Thank you for reading the review. See you on Yelp! read more

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

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I brought my friend for happy hour, and we ordered and shared a variety of happy hour options, as well as regular menu deliciousness! Fried Green Tomato's, Fried Okra, Popcorn Shrimp, cup of the Gumbo, and a Pepper Oyster shooter. Our eyes may have been bigger than our stomachs and left with leftovers, but was fun to try a variety from the menu. The service was super friendly - loved the staff! Happy Hour is from 3pm-6pm with full sized portions on their happy hour menu at reduced prices! Yes, please! The food was good, atmosphere was fun (we sat in the bar area), and would love to come back to try more on the menu and their drink options! read more

I love Bayou! It is such a unique and fun place in our city. The service is always great and attentive. The food is really great as well. I love the veggie cheesesteak option and that it comes with cole slaw and the most delicious sweet potato fries ever. As someone who loves sweet potato fries and tries them at most places, I really mean it when I saw their sweet potato fries have the best seasoning and when dipped in their remoulade (aioli) sauce, they are one of the best things I've ever eaten. Along with the amazing food, is the super fun atmosphere and decorations. Can't wait to come back! read more

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

Say outside for brunch and it was beautiful. The margarita mimosa was great! We got the pulled pork hash and the bacon and shrimp scramble and both were delicious! read more

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

Went to Bayou on Bay while in town on business. I had the crab cakes and the shrimp and grits. The crab cakes were ok, but fried a little too hard and didn't have a true remoulade that I'm accustomed to in the south. The shrimp and grits however were outstanding and full of flavor! read more

This place has good reviews and I was eager to try, but I was so, so, so disappointed. I'd give it one star, but the service was friendly enough, so it gets one extra star for that. I don't know if it's because it was summer, or a really off night, a new staff or what...but I wanted to like this place so much, and would have been better off just going home. We got the hush puppies appetizer, and since I have nothing to compare it to - they were good. Fine. Nothing special. Dinner was the catfish and chips special for $17, that came with a beer. Beer is beer and it's fine, but there was only one selection that wasn't an IPA/Pale ale. The dinner was the saddest portion of fried fish I'd ever seen - I ended up with 4 pieces that were more breading than fish, and only one that was longer than my pinky. The fries were undercooked and cold - they needed a good 69-90 seconds more in the fryolator. The server also messed up the bill - she was certainly nice about it, and it wasn't a HUGE deal, but it was yet another annoyance on a sub-par meal :( I've heard happy hour is better, but TL; DR, go somewhere else. read more

Fantastic! Everything was delicious,served fast and hot. Soooo good! The shrimp n grits was the best I have ever had! Kudos to the chef! read more

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On a recent trip to Canada, we stopped in Bellingham for a bite to eat. Since it was brunch o'clock, Bayou on Bay seemed on point. There was plenty of space on a Saturday afternoon with tables outside, on the ground floor, and where my group was ultimately seated upstairs. The decor was rather dark and full of quirky objects like a gator with mardi gras beads. To start off, I had a glass of sweet tea. It was brisk, as I like it but I have to say that I'm not accustomed to receiving simple syrup on the side. I like to live in denial about how much sugar I'm drinking. We had a plate of tiny beignets for the group. Pillows of dough dipped in powdered sugar, piping hot (and I mean hot)! The dough was good but the size of beignets make it difficult to get a consistent cook and some of the edges were a bit overdone. I had the bacon-crab scramble with a side of avocado for good measure. Eggs, bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese topped with dungeness crab. Hearty, flavorful, and tasty! The avocado added another layer of richness to the decadent, sweet crab. Overall, a good meal with family. I'm looking forward to trying more dishes in the future! read more

The crab cakes The jambalaya The hush puppies The fried green tomatoes The mac and cheese The mimosas. are all good decisions. They make a pretty great Margarita here too! I also have to praise their Caesar salad-while it wouldn't be my immediate go to considering all the foods I just listed up there, it is very good. read more

I've always had terrific Cajun food here, especially frogs legs, but now in these difficult times, it is wonderful to enjoy nicely spiced jambalaya, gumbo, shrimp and grits, a bloody Mary or oyster shooters outside in the sun with properly distanced tables. Side salads and cornbread are wonderful, too. And there is enough food with a few dishes to take home for another meal or two! The restaurant is lucky to occupy a generous corner of Commercial and Holly Streets so that outdoor dining is comfortable and not too crowded. Before Covid, there used to be live music upstairs, so hopefully it will return when things open up. Service is hectic, but drinks and appetizers arrived quickly and the servers really care. That's saying a lot nowadays. Highly recommend, and particularly on a warm, sunny afternoon. But get there early enough to snag a table. This place is really busy! read more

I've eaten here several times, and the food is ok. Unfortunately, their location is adjacent to a street closed to vehicular traffic, and activists have taken the area over. Not pleasant, and the last time I ate there with my brother, we were accosted and threatened by one of these activists as we were leaving. The most recent issue is the business announced on 8/11 that beginning 8/16 they will require anyone over 12 to show proof of covid vaccination in order to sit inside. They justify this with rhetoric about public health. They are silent when asked why, if it is such an emergency, they are waiting 5 days... My family and I will never spend another penny there. read more

Why oh why did you change the Mac and cheese recipe!!! I came with friends who also loved the Mac and cheese here and we all agreed the change was NOT a good one. Different noodles, different recipe... really bland. I don't understand it and hope if enough people mention it they will go back to the flavorful slight spicy recipe they had before because it WAS the bomb. read more

Bayou on Bay - Fried Chicken Po Boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Our family came here for brunch on a Saturday- parking was hard to find, as always due to the location. Upon entry, we were requested to show our Covid vaccination cards. Restaurant was clean, service was good, but the food was ok. We got shrimp and grits, and rockfish and chips. I was hoping to try their seafood pasta but that is just on the dinner menu! Overall it was an ok experience- we have been coming here for years and felt like quality has gone down a bit (but to be honest, what hasn't?) read more

It's hard to compare Bayou to anything else in Bellingham, because it generally stands alone in cuisine, interior styling and location. Literally. On the corner of Bay St, they have a full bar building, a rentable additional party building and an entire upstairs downstairs restaurant. This isn't including the seasonal patio seating, which is absolutely marvelous in the summer. Perks? Their Cesar's are fantastic, and they have a weekend Bloody Mary bar that kicks it out of the park. Definitely the heavier side of food- cajun all the way. As a lighter eater, I usually start with sweet potato fries, and end with vegan dishes or mix appetizers. Their happy hour is right in the middle of "decent" and "excellent"- depending on the crowd you're with and how flexible you are. read more

Ok. I am not one to give bad reviews. I prefer to lift up the community. However, I just can't with this place anymore. I am from the swamps of the south and before covid I hated their food. It had zero flavor. Not nearly enough seasoning. Now it has been over a year and this place always seems so busy. So I had decided to wash away my biases and try again. Two weeks ago I came as a single person to sit on the patio. It wasn't busy. The server was nice enough, but the hostess made it seem like I was an inconvenience. I brushed it off. Then I tried about a week ago. They were busy. It was about 1 and a half hours before they closed. The host told me that they were not taking anymore people because they closed soon. Soooo I get it. I have worked in restaurants for 20 years. But come on!!! I understand you don't want your wait to go way past closing time. But you also told me you were on an hour wait. So that would be me sitting 30 min before you close. Bad customer service. Also, the hostess told me I could come back at 10 am tomorrow for brunch! No thanks- I am looking for food now. So the person I am I give everyone 3 chances. So it is 1pm. They serve brunch until 3 and open much later. There are people sitting inside and outside but not super busy. I walk in and say "1 can I sit inside?" And the hostess tells me they aren't seating anymore and are stopping service. Yall need to get it together. read more

Everything about this place was amazing except for the customer service & the fact that they were out of beignets which is what I was most excited about. My husband and I ordered the hush puppies to start which we had never had before and we both loved them. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich that came with an extremely small side of coleslaw and sweet potato fries. My husband ordered the pulled pork sandwich and it came with the same sides but he ordered a side of mac and cheese as well that was absolutely fantastic. The pulled pork was good but very basic and you could get it anywhere. It had an extreme amount of sauce on it and was very messily put together. The sweet potato fries are absolutely delicious and my fried chicken sandwich was one of the best I have ever had. We were extremely disappointed that they were out of beignets for the night and hopefully if we return, they will have some. However, the customer service was terrible. The girl in the front who seated us told us she would seat us and grabbed us menus to then turn around and start having a conversation unrelated to the restaurant with her coworkers while we just stood there. It was very odd. We were seated upstairs which was nice because it was not very loud. However, our waitress only came to take our order and hand us the check and disappeared the rest of the time. She made it seem like we had to rush to order. It was a Saturday night but it was not nearly busy enough for her to rush us that much. We will definitely return because most of the food was so good and hopefully the service will be better! read more

Two days ago- shrimp and grits, cup of jambalaya, and crab cakes. First two great- but the crab cakes were two little hockey pucks of over fried, dry, and tough blandness. Been several times in the last three years, and usually good. Chef, if your listening, some qc is needed. read more

A great place to go for homey comfort food that will impress. Bayou on Bay brings the great Cajun and Creole flavors in our city of Bellingham. I always recommend going early on a Friday, otherwise expect a long wait. Once inside, your greeted by awesome staff (the wait is worth it, believe me!). Their specials are always posted on the wall so I always recommend checking them out, because they serve up some local favorites. I recommend trying the fried pickles and Hush puppies for an app. My go-to entree though is their Jambalaya with a side of collard greens. I also gor their signature bloody mary but they have a full bar, beers on tap, so you always have a choice. Their menu easily caters to everyone and Bayou on Bay does an exceptional job at bringing Cajun cuisine into our great city of Bellingham! *Keep up the good work Bayou on Bay! read more

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From the appetizers (we chose crab cakes and hush puppies) to the jambalaya(although a little spicy what's life without a little kick ) and the phenomenal speed and service we received I could not be happier. The hush puppies were fresh, and the SAUCE was amazing. The crab cakes were delicious, you could taste the freshness of the ingredients, the outer layer was crispy and the inside was light yet flavorful. The sauce that is added to the plate and the slaw topped off the appetizer to perfection. The jambalaya although spicy, was well cooked, plated beautifully, the textures and array of tastes were executed just prefectly. Top that off with friendly staff and a great adult beverage selection and we found a restaurant we see ourselves coming to regularly. read more

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

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Cajun Buffalo Wings & Fried Green Tomatoes (in a smokey tomato sauce.. Okay, this place is great! Wonderful atmosphere, delicious soul food, & all @ very nice prices. Give it a whack! read more

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

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Customer Service was awkward, uncoordinated and passive aggressive. The dish I had gave me food poisoning and I threw up for 4 hours straight. The restaurant itself was beautiful, so if you're willing to take the risk of being poisoned for a good date night, go for it. But It was a rough night for me. read more

Food was amazing and my family are from Louisiana. Will go back!!! I had the Cajun chicken pasta, my friends had the oyster po boy and steak diners. We are family style sharing everything with the appetizer dip and hush puppies. Their remoulade (tarter) sauce was great! read more

Bayou on Bay is my favorite place to eat in Bellingham, hands down. I probably eat here several times a month, and I always leave happy. Service is good, not over the top, but they're nice, informed, and do their best to get to you in a timely manner, even when it's poppin. The food is so consistent. 9 times out of 10 I order the chicken strips appetizer when we go, and I can think of only one occasion in the last decade where the chicken wasn't perfectly cooked. The seafood pasta is also a favorite. And I could write an entire review dedicated only to how much I love the weekend brunch menu here (GET THS BISCUITS AND GRAVY). Bayou is also very reasonably priced for such quality fare, especially if you catch them during happy hour. I'll keep coming here for years. read more

This restaurant is super cute! My fiance loves gumbo and jambalaya, so we definitely wanted to try this place! He got jambalaya and he enjoyed it thoroughly. He was also surprised of how amazing and dense the cornbread was! I tried a bite of it and it was the best cornbread ever. I got a veggie po boy, which had mushrooms on it. It was an awesome veggie option, and the mushrooms were flavorful! I was also pleased that it was served with sweet potato fries. The fries were seasoned, although they were too salty for me to truly enjoy them. My only other complaint is that our table was very wobbly. Would definitely like to return and try some other menu options! Overall, and excellent addition to Bellingham's fabulous food selection. read more

Bayou on Bay - Veggie cheese steak po boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

The last visit left a lot to be desired. The food was lackluster to a point of regretting the visit. The Chicken Po Boy does not resemble any Po Boy I recall eating. It's just a fried chicken sandwich on a hamburger bun. It definitely didn't feel like eating New Orleans food, and even a Wendy's Chicken sandwich tastes better at a lower price point. Their fries are way over seasoned which I guess someone may like, but it isn't me. The cole sale really is bland as it doesn't seem to have enough sweetness to it. Beignets are decent but kind of heavy and not the light pillow like version you would find in a better restaurant. They are unwilling to make a shrimp Po Boy at brunch which is what drove me to eat the crap chicken burger like sandwich they market as a Po Boy. Prawn Etoufee was edible, but without a wow factor They serve underwhelming cornbread without offering or bringing any butter. Service is really good except the kitchen not seeming open to accommodate any special request. I just don't see wasting money again anytime soon at this disappointing dive they claim to be award winning, but this is much more what you would think mediocre uninspired NOLA food would look and taste like in a small city in the PNW. Wanted to think it would be so much better than reality but it just isn't. It also is better sitting outside in the summer (besides being harassed by some passing by) than the grungy college bar-like atmosphere inside. Don't even recall any music being played. At least they could make some effort to be festive. Just a. Flat experience like throwing money in a garbage can as I regret polluting my body with such unsatisfying and unworthy food and paying way too much money in the process. read more

We own a popular business next door, so we've come here often and generally enjoy the food. Came here recently and the waitress seemed overwhelmed and of course that affected the service. Food was good as usual but we had to wait a long time to place drink and food orders and ordering the check. read more

This is the spot for amazing Cajun food! I enjoyed the pawn ettouffee, the flavors were amazing! It was rich and creamy, yet not too heavy of a meal. It paired nicely with their house Pinot Grigio, a great suggestion from our waitress. The corn bread that came on the side was great too! Unfortunately I found a short hair in my food half way through my dinner. I removed it and ignored the mistake since I hate complaining and I figured any germs were probably cooked off but as I continued eating I found another hair! That was it for me, I had finished most of my meal by that time. When I brought up the hairs to my waitress, I did acknowledge that the last one may have been my hair since I hadn't noticed the hair until the end of the meal, although I don't think that is possible considering my hair color and length. There was no compensation but I was still very happy with my meal and our waitress was very kind and easy to talk to about the mishap. I tried the side of gator, it tasted tough and very fishy. I have never had gator so I don't know what to compare it to. I can say I won't be ordering gator ever again, not my favorite protein option. Overall I had a good experience, the food was amazing! They serve up some good Cajun food here! read more

Bayou on Bay - The Pawn Ettouffee paired with the house Pinot Grigio! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Fun Fat Tuesday with amazing blackened catfish and jambalaya that was straight out of NOLA. And the oyster shooters were damn tasty too. read more

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

This was my first time eating here and I was pleased with my experience. Everything on the menu sounded good and I wanted to order everything. Instead I ordered the gumbo, which I never had before. It tasted great. The gumbo came with a side of cornbread that I thought tasted weird and didnt taste like any cornbread I've ever eaten before. Besides that everything else was great. I did not have any more room in my stomach for dessert but next time I will come so I can try the beignets. read more

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Nice outdoor seating and good customer service but the food isn't anything special. I ordered gumbo that must have been sitting in a soup pot all day because the chicken was stringy, the sausage was mushy, and I couldn't find any okra. They must add the shrimp right before serving because the shrimp weren't overcooked like the rest of the dish. My wife let me try her shrimp Po boy and it wan't bad but it certainly wasn't great. The service was worth four stars but the food only deserved 2 stars so I give them 3 stars. read more

Absolutely loved checking this place out! I tried the gumbo and fried okra-- both were delicious, comforting, and well-seasoned. I had plenty of leftovers. I went during happy hour and my food came out surprisingly quickly; my server was very sweet too. I will definitely be coming back! read more

Bayou is definitely good. I've been here a handful of times, but it doesn't really stand out to me. Most of my visits, I've sat in the bar. I love their happy hour - great times during the week and all day on Tuesday! The popcorn shrimp is delicious, and my favorite thing to order. The rest of the food is good, too. I have always received really good service though - everyone I've interacted with their has been so friendly and helpful! I have yet to try their brunch, which is at the top of my list. read more

The restaurant is fairly loud. It's always pretty busy but the food is absolutely amazing. My wife got the gumbo and I got jambalaya with gator. The drinks are well made. We had oyster shooters for a starter and the oyster were really fresh. If you like Cajun or southern food, absolutely give Bayou on Bay a try! read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Bellingham. I've never tried something I didn't like. The happy hour menu is priced super well and everything is delicious. Their cheesecakes are always amazing. I love the ambiance as well. It's a fun place to stop for lunch on a whim or a planned dinner. 10/10 recommend. read more

It's on the level of a solid multi-state cajun chain that I used to go to... makes me wonder if the owners/chefs worked there in another life. They have small bench seats in the dining area on the first floor that reminds me of an uncomfortable old church pew. The restaurant is best for serving smaller groups of 4 or less. Six gets kind or crowded and messes up the flow of the space but it looks like they will accommodate bigger groups. I have not been seated in the bar room on any of my visits. I don't normally drink so this is okay. My dinner on a Fri 630pm: Wait was 10-15 minutes. Seated and served promptly. Crab cakes: YUM! Gumbo: Solid but a little too salty for me. The rice was very well cooked Added prawns: overcooked and too salty Cornbread: Underbaked and gummy, inedible Cesar Salad with blackened chicken: REALLY good. Arnold Palmer with Vodka: Strong! Servers were great. Friendly, attentive, without being overbearing... we took a long time to eat and chat but we felt comfortable the entire time. read more

Price isn't what you get. Rubbery gator, cooks who don't know how to provide pleasant spice in food.

Bayou on Bay has, hands-down, the best sweet potato fries I have ever had. Crispy on the outside, squishy on the inside, and covered with salt and black pepper. Oh, and what was in that dipping sauce? Crack? For my entree I had the Bayou Creole with prawns. It was delish, but honestly, I'd assaulted my face with so many sweet potato fries that by the time I got it, I wasn't even really hungry anymore. You know what though? It didn't really matter, because the prices here are completely reasonable. If I find myself back in the Bellingham area, I will most definitely be making a detour to stop by for lunch or dinner again. read more

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

Food is great. Space and ambiance inviting. Outdoor patio is dog friendly. Menu is a little limited. No raw bar was available during our visit other than oysters, which was a little disappointing. We are staying at the hotel. Impressed enough to try again. read more

We always try to make a stop at Bayou for lunch or dinner and have seldom been disappointed. However, I'm so sad to say that our recent trip was less than satisfying. After consulting with our excellent server, I ordered the blackened Rockfish with slaw, rice and beans. The red beans & rice were bland and the fish was dry, chewy and, 'fishy' tasting which put me off. I was eating the over-sauced slaw, when the server came back to ask how it was. Reluctantly I shared my disappointment in the meal and to my surprise she offered with out any disapproval to replace the meal with another! I then ordered the Jambalaya. This had way too much rice and not enough meat. The big guy ordered Lobster Étouffée, which arrived with a total of 3 fair sized shrimp a whole lotta rice, and not a speck of lobster in site. Next time we will try to be there for the brunch instead. read more

Their shrimp and grits are amazing, drinks are solid. Definitely worth a visit, you'll be coming back for sure.