So sad, third time we've been disappointed. Ordered appetizers, then chowder and salad, then our entree. We even added king crab. Chowder came with dinner, salad came after dinner was served. Our 'Loaded baked potato's' weren't loaded, as plain as an Ohio field. Asked 3 times for non creamy horseradish. Then for desert - again had to ask for it after 20 minutes. read more

Great Atmosphere and even better food! Amazing attention to detail. Good pricing for a place with such a nice view! Will return again

I have been going to Bud Bay Cafe since 1997. I was shocked when the male manager working Tuesday 9/28/2021 told me to stop complaining when food was brought to my table cold. This was the second time (8/3/2021 new server) that food was brought cold. There was not temperature to the vegetables. It was the third time, the prime rib was brought to the table not cooked medium well as specified. Ironically two of those times was 9/28/2021. Half the prime rib was rose red which is not cooked medium well. I ate the end which was cooked and took the rest home to finish cooking it at a later date (as was done with the prime rib on 9/13/2021). The restaurant used to have good service and especially better manners from the manager. I will always complain about improperly cooked food; and it is my right to expect food to be cooked as requested and arrive hot. Especially for meals over $40 per person. The incident of 8/3/2021 was when I ordered the crab cakes and they came cold with cold vegetables. The staff was under manned and I had a new server who either did not coordinate with the kitchen and left the meal cooling or the kitchen is just pushing orders through and letting them cool. Either way, this is not acceptable. I waited 2 weeks before writing this review to ensure an non emotional perspective. The kitchen is not either getting the orders clearly understood, or they don't care and just push things out wither the table customer is ready for it after having the salad course, or they have cooked all the vegetables and just let them sit cooling and thus open for bacteria infection. I have no idea how a steak comes out of a kitchen and has no heat to the touch. Further how a redo of the order produces another steak which is only cooked per order on 1/3 of the meat. The last time 9/28 was to be a mentally relaxing day to celebrate my birthday. The meal was ruined. Further to have the manager who tracks when a complaint is made tell me I should stop is totally wrong in customer service and health department regulations. I strongly suggest this restaurant be avoided till they are properly staffed, had a customer service adjustment to actually caring about the well being of their customers. Personally, I expect an apology and hope to see improvements. Nathan read more

We stopped in here for lunch this Sunday and were drawn by the restaurant's proximity to the water and review photos featuring beautiful bay windows. It has a great location with most booths boasting a lovely view of the boats outside and even on a rainy day it is still pleasant scenery. When we first came in, we asked about gluten free options. The hostess gave us the deer in headlights look I'm so fond of from my Nebraska time. She wasn't necessarily unpleasant, but also wasn't welcoming. She told us our server would help us with that. So we settled in and admired the water as we waited for our server. The menu has a good variation to it with plenty of options and we were excited to indulge in some delicious seafood. Our server was similar to the hostess in demeanor. She wasn't unpleasant, but we also felt that the gluten allergy wasn't being taken seriously. She had minimal knowledge of it and dismissively referred to gluten as rice and told us to just basically stay away from all of that type of stuff and then waited for us to put in our order. I had to prompt further and explain it can be in sauces and dressings and could she please ask the chef what would be safe for us to have. We really aren't picky, we like anything that we can safely eat! After she left to go speak with the kitchen, my little sister who has an even stronger allergic reaction than I do said she didn't feel comfortable eating here and so we left. I unfortunately cannot comment on the food, only the beautiful view and great menu options and our experience with the customer service. Wish we could have tried some of the delicious sounding menu items. It would be great if management could offer more information for their staff on gf allergies as it is becoming a more common issue in the restaurant industry. Additionally, training on the difference between someone who eats gf because they feel better or for dieting purposes and someone who has an actual allergic response I think would help improve the customer service for those of us who are forced to take gf eating very seriously. read more

We stumbled upon this lovely restaurant in Olympia. We didn't have to wait long for a table outside that looked over the Marina boats. Our server was friendly, honest, and let us taste lots of beers before deciding on our favorite. The steamed clams were yummy. Would definitely go again. read more

Gee you would think at over $20 a plate they would have AC in summer. Let's see a roll consistency of a rock. The chowder was boiling hot. Never filled our waters once through the whole meal while the manager paraded around making jokes only joke is this restaurant. Three course dinner no first course brought no dessert brought the fish and chips served with no lemon and cocktail sauce. Said they would take the dinner off the bill and then brought the bill back incorrect waited longer to resolve that. First and last time ever going here the back up wait staff was absolutely useless!!!!! Avoid this place prices don't warrant and having to hear that the kitchen is hotter than hell from the wait staff wow that's some real ambiance going fix your Air Conditioning how unacceptable absolutely a horrific experience start to finish!!!! Wish I could give zero stars! read more

I know the location is great but both times I've been here I've been highly disappointed with the high cost of mediocre food. My halibut was mushy...green beans soggy and my MILs salad looked like it had a pre frozen piece of chicken w fake grill marks. The place was packed. I don't get it. read more

We have been going to this restaurant for a while, but we no longer live in Olympia so only visit occasionally these days. My daughter and I went here for lunch today and were surprised to see that they are charging a surcharge for using your debit/credit cards now. As if the prices are not high enough, they want to gouge you by adding a surcharge. Not sure if it is because they are struggling or if it is just taking advantage of the opportunity.. To add to the annoyance of this small detail I ordered a wedge salad with a side of grilled shrimp....6 shrimp...got 5. When I mentioned it the waitress look perplexed and said she would get me another shrimp. Just ridiculous and laughable, but more laughable....never got my lonely shrimp. read more

The service us always great here 5/5. Nice clean restaurant with good service. Food 4/5 menu is a little to large. Food is very traditional seafood with no outlandish seasonings combos. Solid choice for a casual dining option. read more

We were lucky enough to eat outside on one of the last days of the year that it's warm enough to do so. Our server was lovely and responsive. The food was delicious. for an appetizer we ordered the sesame yellowfin tuna and the sauce was a creamy wasabi and delish. I ordered the Mahi Mahi special with a delicious strawberry glaze that was perfectly paired with the fish. My husband ordered the 14oz Prime Rib that looked more like 28oz. It was perfectly cooked and super tasty. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their meals. We will definitely be back!!! read more

My husband and I decided to give Budd Bay Cafe another chance,as we had a bad experience awhile ago. We both had the Sunset Dinner. I will start with the best. The rolls were warm, the wine very good and the dessert great. I had the crab cakes, the shrimp cocktail and Creme Brulee, no crab in the cakes, the shrimp had so much cocktail sauce it ruined it. The green beans were almost not cooked. My husband had the Prime Rib, clam chowder and the cheesecake. The Prime Rib was tough and almost unedible. No clams in the chowder and the mashed potatoes very strange and not edible. To make matters worse when we received the bill there was a charge of 3% if you paid with a credit card. Not only that the tax was on the balance plus the fee charge. Then when you look down at the calculation for the tip it also included the tax and the fee. Wow. Watch your bill we will never go back, what a disappointment and as far as I am concerned bad business. read more

Ordered the Salmon, prawns and blackened Cod with Jasmine rice and green beans. So good... Also crab cheese dip and for dessert choc tarte. read more

Budd Bay Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Olympia, Washington

I have only ate here once but so far I really love this place. The view is beautiful as well as the ambiance. We ordered crab cakes, coconut prawns, clam chowder, and their chicken sandwich with blue cheese. Let me tell ya I have had good crab cakes from Ricardo's BUT I really love these crab cakes they had! No sauce required which is how you really no they are fresh tasting and delicious! Oh man the prawns didn't disappoint, super fresh and the prawns had nice big shards of coconut- YUM! Since we went a little crazy with apps we got simple entree but it ended up being a perfect meal! We both extremely satisfied. We saw they have a sunset dinner menus for two that I will forsure be taking advantage of soon! read more

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Awesome flank steak salad. Amazing steak properly cooked and seasoned. Great service and atmosphere.

Wonderful service and a very nice staff. Food was very good. Wonderful selection on the menu.

Came with my family and everything was great! Service was amazing 10/10 recommend. My kid got Mac & cheese and it was bomb. I got halibut and worth the price ! read more

Budd Bay Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Great night at Budd Bay Cafe! Our server Denise was so nice to all of us. She always made sure we had just what we needed. Dinner was perfect. Great clam chowder and my prime rib was cooked perfectly. All of the food was great, but those stood out! Oh, and the hot rolls were such a nice touch. Can't beat the view either! read more

The best prime rib I have had in Olyimpia you get to seat and enjoy the views and enjoy there food I have been there many times Also I have ordered there halibut dinner very good as well it's a must try for Olyimpia food ..................................................................................does anyone know where to get good smoked beef ribs ? Around the Olympia area read more

Had dinner here tonight with a friend and we each ordered the crab/shrimp Louie salad. When the salads arrived it was quite noticeable that my dinner companion's salad had the prawns, listed on the menu and my salad had bay shrimp. I brought it up to the waitress and she left to check with the kitchen. When she returned, she stated that they had run out of prawns so used bay shrimp on my salad. She had brought a little container of extra shrimp and said that's all they have left. I responded that I felt it would have been appropriate to check with me about the substitution to let me decide whether I would still want to order the item. We were both charged full price for our salads. Pretty disappointed in the way this was handled. read more

Staff was great! Great suggestions and very helpful when you're overwhelmed by great looking options. Food was great and the view was beautiful! read more

Our favorite meal of the weekend. Starting with warm delicious rolls and nice cocktails. Flank steak in a tangy marinade with DREAMY mashed potatoes and perfectly cooked veggies. Fish n chips also great. No room for dessert but they had dinner specials for 3 courses which were a good value. The water view made it perfect. read more

Budd Bay is excellent. You can taste the freshness and the quality in the food, and feel the genuine character of the servers. I recommend the filet mignon. I ordered it rare and it was cooked (or not so much) perfectly. Paired with a demi glaze, rice pilaf, and fresh zucchini it was a small portion but it was filling enough to take home leftovers. Every customer looked and felt (to me) to be happy and that they were enjoying their time. Dinner on South Sound couldn't have been better! read more

Budd Bay Cafe - Filet Mignon rare, rice pilaf, zucchini DELISH - Seafood Near Me - Olympia, Washington

Outstanding dinner experience last night on all levels. Host kindly welcomed our party of four and sat us immediately. Quickly greeted by our server for beverages as he checked on us frequently and appropriately throughout the evening. We all enjoyed entrees of salads, pastas and steak (temperature prepared as ordered) and desserts - everything was on point. read more

Great food, great service and awesome views. Never disappointed with this gem. The salmon is amazing!

4:30 pm at Memorial Day weekend on Saturday still we were able to get a table outside. Front staff was jovial and relaxing. Service staff efficient and polite. Food was excellent. Menu is improved and more modern from earlier days of this restaurant. Nice location downtown Olympia with marina views. read more

Two years ago I would have given this restaurant 5 stars. The staff was friendly. The halibut and steak were extremely over cooked. My fish was virtually inedible and the vegetables were so al dente I couldn't eat those either. Maybe new/inexperienced kitchen staff? However, the goat cheese appetizer was delicious. read more

First time visiting Olympia, Washington and needed a quick beverage and snack, and were hoping for a nice view. Budd Bay does not disappoint! The view of the water and boats is beautiful and you'd have a view from pretty much any table. All I had time for was a Bloody Mary which was very good and they garnished with asparagus which I love! I also had the sourdough toast with jam. The bread was thick and tasted fresh. Service was friendly and efficient - what else can you ask for when time is limited? Will update the review when I'm back in the area and have time to try their Northwest Bouillabaisse - hope to add another star! read more

Top to bottom a disaster. No longer care about your experience. Long wait times on off hours. But at the end of dinning they Tow your car from there lot. Great business. The owners have lost there way. Danielle and Pam are the worst and they are coasting along on location rather than business ethics. They don't care about you or your experience. Thanks for reading and go try a place like row, nicholes bar, Anthony's, anthonys hearthfire 212 market, cynara Olympia taproom or taco bell because all are better than what Pam and Danielle offer. read more

Hey Bud Bay Cafe - maybe have the signage in your parking lot more visible and clear instead of driving patrons away by having cars towed. We will NEVER visit your business again. SHAME ON YOU. And that $450 towing bill could have gone to patronizing your establishment again but nope. Never again. It's because of these types of antics that downtown Olympia is dying among other things. You have lost a customer forever but I doubt that you really care. And to top it all off, the food wasn't even that good. read more

Part of our family (6 of us) met here for the Fathers Day Brunch buffet. We were very disappointed. There were many dishes to choose from IF they were there. Some of the fruit wasn't ripe, the prawns had not been shelled, there were biscuits and gravy but no biscuits. There was an empty container of scrambled eggs, there were cracker spreads/dips, but no crackers. Then came the bill . . . . $49.95 per person. Yikes! read more

Found this place thanks to search on Yelp. We er there for breakfast and it was amazing. I had a pancake. Yes A pancake. They are huge! They are also very yummy. Nice and fluffy, just how I like them. I added eggs and a side of bacon. Total was under $10. My husband had the biscuits and gravy. The gravy was very good. It had a very nice peppercorn flavor. Total for breakfast, 2 bloody marys, and 2 coffees was around $40-45. Service was great. The view is beautiful. We were lucky to get a window seat with a wonderful view of the boats. If we ever find ourselves in Olympia again we'll have to stop in again. read more

Budd Bay Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Olympia, Washington

We went here for dinner tonight! I've always enjoyed going here! I love sitting outside and checking out the boats! But tonight I had the NY strip steak. OMG, I've had steaks from some of the best chefs is Seattle and I ha e to say this was one of the best I've ever had! It was so perfect! I'll definitely go back and get that! Absolute perfection! Get it medium, just a suggestion! Lol read more

Beautiful view great for lunch and dinner had the blue cheese salad and clams with warm bread very tasty nice place to have s drink and a bite to eat read more

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How can a restaurant mess up on the simplistic things like salad dressings? Well Budd Bay does. Dear Chef, use a traditional recipe for your thousand island dressing and please upgrade your blu cheese. It was either way too old and rancid or it's just not a high quality blu cheese. Presentation of the Shrimp Cobb Salad was very nice and the service was outstanding but your salad dressings are atrocious. Ruins the meal. read more

Budd Bay Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Olympia, Washington

This place is great!! The place doesn't have one bad view. The food was pretty great as well! Kiddos had the fish and chips. They enjoyed that very much. I had the curry shell fish linguine... AMAZINGGGGG!!!! Also the clam chowder was very delish as well. My family enjoyed our overall experience. Everyone from the hostess to our waitress and waiting staff were truly welcoming. I will come back!!!! read more

Very cozy place, great salad. Great service. Do not miss their mashed potatoes and gravy! read more

Budd Bay Cafe - Mixed grill platter - Seafood Near Me - Olympia, Washington

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I had the ciopinno today and it was delicous. Full of fresh and intriguing flavors. Finished off with the house margarita that also did not miss! Will definitely be bringing my family back here! The service was prompt and attentive, and our family finished off our meal by walking the pier and enjoying the views. Will be back! read more

I've been stopping here for years and always enjoy this place. The very is nice and you can sit in or outside. They have a Sunday brunch and even a small bar. I usually get the crab louie salad as it's so tasty and always served with more dressing than you need but I like that because then you don't have to bother the wait staff for more. On this particular day I got iced tea and the waitress kept it coming which I appreciated. I hate ordering something with free refills and then receive none. The service was friendly and quick and I enjoyed looking out into the harbor area watching the boats and the people walking by. This was our first hot day in the Washington/Oregon area for almost the entire summer so we elected to sit inside because everyone wanted a table out and we thought why wait there's plenty inside. Free parking on Sunday and plenty of it. I'll be back once again. read more

Came here for a family lunch after a wedding while visiting Olympia. So glad we did! We were a party of 5 and requested a seat on the patio which was just a small wait(on Labor Day) so no big deal. The service was friendly and the food was good. I especially loved their chowder and bread! Nothing too fancy but a fine experience with good food, a great view and fairly priced. read more

Budd Bay Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Olympia, Washington

This was my first taste of Olympia on a beautiful sunny afternoon. We sat outside and enjoyed the view of the water. The outside seating area is a bit small, however it is worth the ten minute wait. The service was great and we ordered our drinks and food pretty quickly. We had the crab sandwich and the seafood paella. The crab sandwich was very disappointing. It was super salty and I couldn't even finish half of it. On the bright side, the french fries were great. The seafood paella was awesome! This is the only redeeming thing about this place. Based upon the other reviews, I would try this place again for their Sunday brunch. read more

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