Portage Bay Cafe - Ballard
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This place stays busy so we made a reservation for five for a Saturday brunch. We were 5 minutes late and it took 5 minutes to clear our table. Our server took our drink order pretty quickly and gave us time to look over the menu. We ordered 4 orders of the Swedish pancakes and one double smash burger with fries. Our food came out hot and fresh. A self-serve pancake topping bar with fresh fruit and other goodies was available. The dining room was packed and a little loud, but not so loud we couldn't enjoy conversation at our table. The Swedish pancakes were worth the drive into Ballard from Arlington. Of course, we hung out at Golden Gardens after brunch.
This is a very popular brunch place in Seattle and we decided to try it out! Overall, I thought it was delicious but overhyped. Their service is very quick and I love how they offer half portions during the weekday. It has a very relaxed ambiance but parking is a bit difficult to find.
I can walk here from home so sometimes I go and get some food here when I'm craving sweet breakfast. I always see this place packed on the weekends, so I avoid coming in on the weekends and go there on weekday mornings. I don't understand the hype, it's not worth waiting in line. Seems like the seasonal menu always gets me. This time, I got the huckleberry cobbler pancakes with whipped mascarpone and some lemon curd. I liked how the pancakes were topped with granola pieces and nuts. The whipped mascarpone went well with the pancakes. Huckleberries honestly tasted like blueberries and I wasn't sure what the difference was. I also had a can of cold brew, which was around $4.50 - that was also fine. With the sweet breakfast, it's also fun that the dishes come with a trip to the berry bar - a table that has bowls of different berries, canned peach, nuts, dried fruits, whipped butter/heavy cream where you can top your dish with. But I wish they use bigger spoons/scoopers for the bowls - each bowl had a normal sized spoon stuck in there, which only allowed us to take one piece of fruit at a time. The portion is massive. There were three pancakes in my dish but I got very full after eating just one. Food is overpriced where my total bill was around $32 with tip included. I think that's a bit too much for brunch for one person. On the other hand, waiter was very nice and friendly. Service is fast too.
Portage Bay Café in Ballard is one of those places that earns its reputation every single time. It's been a regular stop for me for over a year and the consistency is what keeps me coming back. The food is always delicious, fresh, and reliable, no matter what you order. There's something comforting about knowing you're going to get a genuinely good meal, every visit. Customer service is consistently excellent. The staff is warm, attentive, and quick, even on those packed weekend mornings when the entire neighborhood seems to show up at once. They handle the rush with ease, and you never feel forgotten or brushed off. It does get busy; this is Ballard brunch, after all, so reservations are the move. Honestly, just hop on the app and book a table on your way over. It saves you from long waits and makes the whole experience smooth. Parking can be a little tricky, but that's pretty much the norm for this part of Ballard. Once you're inside with a drink of your choice in hand, it's worth it. Tons of great options on the menu, from hearty classics to fresh, lighter dishes. And the toppings bar? Always a win. Portage Bay Café is one of those rare spots that nails food, service, and atmosphere with real consistency; a true go-to.
Portage Bay has been a go to for me for years, but I hadn't been back in awhile. It's just as good as it always has been! We got the Migas and the Joe's scramble, which never disappoint! Despite being a busy summer Sunday afternoon, service was timely and our server was attentive!
Decent eggs Benedict + tried my friend's oat crusted berry French toast and that was just OK
The ingredients are fresh and very high quality. We like how they didn't put much salt in the eggs, leave room for people to add salt on their on. They have salt, pepper, red sauce, green sauce and ketchup on each table, which is very convenient! The spices used on the potatoes are tasty. We also brought our dog and they gave us dog a bowl of water. Great service!
Very sub par. Flavorless food, large portions though. Left half the food on our plates... I put salt on the toast to add flavor. The waitress seating us, just handed me the menus and just pointed to a far table . Very poor service. The goat cheese omlette just had a scoop on top. Not melted in like i had imagined. The ambience was ok. Definitely not my vibe. GF does not mean good food, unfortunately. The fruit bar did look appetizing, so i probably should have went for that, except the large bowl of yogurt was just open on the counter with a spoon for all to walk by and admire. The waitress seating us also brought our food and just sat in down and left. Very rude indeed. Fried potatoes were fried to death. The hot sauce lacked hotness as it was made with water.... Try the burger joint across the street.
I'd love to give this place an extra 5 stars for being peanut free. It's always a worry when you have someone in the family with nut allergies. We are back again after eating here 2 days ago. Will update with photos soon. Trying something new. Will def be back for the next 4 years while my dtr is at UW!!
Great, well known cafe, with a few locations. I like this location, being not too far from Golden Gardens, which a great place to meet a friend for a Ballard Walk. The menu consists of your classic cafe items, with some portage bay twists and specialties. The staff is very friendly and wait times are minimal. You really can't go wrong with a stop in here for breakfast!
What's not to love about portage bay as a whole? The food is consistent and I love that since the new year they have a separate trip to the berry bar without getting a pancake/French toast option for $11. The only thing is the service is always extremely slow at this particular location and they get extremely aggressive about wanting you to leave once you're done with eating (I don't blame them but it's always shocking when they clear your waters and even filled drinks from your table). Don't miss out a trip to the berry bar - I would probably say it's what makes portage bay what it is... you really can't go wrong now especially they have a standalone offering without a carby accompaniment. Kudos to you guys for offering that. Do make a reservation especially for the weekend brunch time and enjoy a pitcher of mimosas with your friends!
Sure, Saturday is a busy time to go for brunch, but when it's the only time your hard-working son is available, you make a reservation at Portage Bay Café in Ballard because the service is always outstanding there. Jorge remembered us and we remembered him from our last dining experience there about six months back. We had made a reservation through OpenTable and opted to sit at the bar because two seats had opened up and it meant we could start eating sooner. I ordered the cheesy grits with the wild Patagonia shrimp -- compliments to the kitchen because we both agreed the shrimp was cooked perfectly, not overdone not rubbery just tender and incredibly flavorful. The portion was very satisfying arriving in an iron skillet -- the cheesy grits were smooth and flavorful , also ordered a side of the wheat toast which came with delicious freezer jam. My son ordered the goat cheese and spinach omelette which was large and accompanied by a side of wheat toast. We also ordered a medium serving of the fruit bar which highlighted very fresh raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, canned peaches and pears, and an assortment of condiments like brown sugar and almond slivers. (I keep hoping one day they will introduce fresh pineapple...). My son had the bottomless cup of coffee and a large cup of orange juice while I had a large cup of grapefruit juice to help everything go down. Sitting at the bar was interesting because we could watch the chef's cooking. Grace was also fantastic bringing us the food and everything that we needed when our server was busy, and bussing with attentiveness. We were in and out in less than an hour and happily had leftovers that we could enjoy later. Thank you Jorge, and also Grace, for the exceptional Customer Service. Looking forward to returning. read more
4 months ago
Oof. I really wanted to love Portage Bay Cafe: it's reasonably priced, the menu is extensive and all locally sourced, and they do sooo well by folks with dietary restrictions. All of that is great! However, the quality and experience was lacking :( The portions are huge, I'll give them that. But size and quality are different conversations, and the quality of the food just wasn't there for me. I had the cardamom crepes, which in theory should be a showstopper (some of my faves: cardamom! crepes!) but they were flat, bland, cold on the inside, forgettable, kind of boring. My partner's Dungeness crab eggs benedict had all the components for something special and still somehow underwhelmed. The mimosa was unfortunately very bad. And our server seemed like she really did not want to be there, which girl I completely get, but not the vibe for brunch. I came in excited, which made the letdown hit a little harder. Maybe a fluke, but I won't rush back to find out. read more
Went on a Saturday morning and was quite busy. There's a couple parking lots near. Only 20 minute wait for 2 with no reservation. They do take online waitlist. It was quite warm inside with the open kitchen concept. So we waiting longer to sit outside. Erin was our server, and she was absolutely pleasant. Suggested great options and attentive. I got the Seattle Dungeness crab Benedict and that was 10/10! Cooked perfectly and full of flavor. Perfectly paired with a tajin rim mimosa. read more
This place stays busy so we made a reservation for five for a Saturday brunch. We were 5 minutes late and it took 5 minutes to clear our table. Our server took our drink order pretty quickly and gave us time to look over the menu. We ordered 4 orders of the Swedish pancakes and one double smash burger with fries. Our food came out hot and fresh. A self-serve pancake topping bar with fresh fruit and other goodies was available. The dining room was packed and a little loud, but not so loud we couldn't enjoy conversation at our table. The Swedish pancakes were worth the drive into Ballard from Arlington. Of course, we hung out at Golden Gardens after brunch. read more
22 days ago
This is a very popular brunch place in Seattle and we decided to try it out! Overall, I thought it was delicious but overhyped. Their service is very quick and I love how they offer half portions during the weekday. It has a very relaxed ambiance but parking is a bit difficult to find. read more
21 days ago
I can walk here from home so sometimes I go and get some food here when I'm craving sweet breakfast. I always see this place packed on the weekends, so I avoid coming in on the weekends and go there on weekday mornings. I don't understand the hype, it's not worth waiting in line. Seems like the seasonal menu always gets me. This time, I got the huckleberry cobbler pancakes with whipped mascarpone and some lemon curd. I liked how the pancakes were topped with granola pieces and nuts. The whipped mascarpone went well with the pancakes. Huckleberries honestly tasted like blueberries and I wasn't sure what the difference was. I also had a can of cold brew, which was around $4.50 - that was also fine. With the sweet breakfast, it's also fun that the dishes come with a trip to the berry bar - a table that has bowls of different berries, canned peach, nuts, dried fruits, whipped butter/heavy cream where you can top your dish with. But I wish they use bigger spoons/scoopers for the bowls - each bowl had a normal sized spoon stuck in there, which only allowed us to take one piece of fruit at a time. The portion is massive. There were three pancakes in my dish but I got very full after eating just one. Food is overpriced where my total bill was around $32 with tip included. I think that's a bit too much for brunch for one person. On the other hand, waiter was very nice and friendly. Service is fast too. read more
11 months ago
Portage Bay Café in Ballard is one of those places that earns its reputation every single time. It's been a regular stop for me for over a year and the consistency is what keeps me coming back. The food is always delicious, fresh, and reliable, no matter what you order. There's something comforting about knowing you're going to get a genuinely good meal, every visit. Customer service is consistently excellent. The staff is warm, attentive, and quick, even on those packed weekend mornings when the entire neighborhood seems to show up at once. They handle the rush with ease, and you never feel forgotten or brushed off. It does get busy; this is Ballard brunch, after all, so reservations are the move. Honestly, just hop on the app and book a table on your way over. It saves you from long waits and makes the whole experience smooth. Parking can be a little tricky, but that's pretty much the norm for this part of Ballard. Once you're inside with a drink of your choice in hand, it's worth it. Tons of great options on the menu, from hearty classics to fresh, lighter dishes. And the toppings bar? Always a win. Portage Bay Café is one of those rare spots that nails food, service, and atmosphere with real consistency; a true go-to. read more
1 year ago
Portage Bay has been a go to for me for years, but I hadn't been back in awhile. It's just as good as it always has been! We got the Migas and the Joe's scramble, which never disappoint! Despite being a busy summer Sunday afternoon, service was timely and our server was attentive! read more
4 months ago
7 months ago
Decent eggs Benedict + tried my friend's oat crusted berry French toast and that was just OK read more
1 year ago
The ingredients are fresh and very high quality. We like how they didn't put much salt in the eggs, leave room for people to add salt on their on. They have salt, pepper, red sauce, green sauce and ketchup on each table, which is very convenient! The spices used on the potatoes are tasty. We also brought our dog and they gave us dog a bowl of water. Great service! read more
1 year ago
Very sub par. Flavorless food, large portions though. Left half the food on our plates... I put salt on the toast to add flavor. The waitress seating us, just handed me the menus and just pointed to a far table . Very poor service. The goat cheese omlette just had a scoop on top. Not melted in like i had imagined. The ambience was ok. Definitely not my vibe. GF does not mean good food, unfortunately. The fruit bar did look appetizing, so i probably should have went for that, except the large bowl of yogurt was just open on the counter with a spoon for all to walk by and admire. The waitress seating us also brought our food and just sat in down and left. Very rude indeed. Fried potatoes were fried to death. The hot sauce lacked hotness as it was made with water.... Try the burger joint across the street. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
I'd love to give this place an extra 5 stars for being peanut free. It's always a worry when you have someone in the family with nut allergies. We are back again after eating here 2 days ago. Will update with photos soon. Trying something new. Will def be back for the next 4 years while my dtr is at UW!! read more
11 months ago
2 years ago
Great, well known cafe, with a few locations. I like this location, being not too far from Golden Gardens, which a great place to meet a friend for a Ballard Walk. The menu consists of your classic cafe items, with some portage bay twists and specialties. The staff is very friendly and wait times are minimal. You really can't go wrong with a stop in here for breakfast! read more
10 months ago
Went here on a Monday morning, very slow. Great service! Amazing food, mushroom Benedict was amazing, 10/10. Also got the migas, but boy, the Benedict was so. So. Good. 10/10 recommend trying. Thanks for the amazing breakfast. read more
What's not to love about portage bay as a whole? The food is consistent and I love that since the new year they have a separate trip to the berry bar without getting a pancake/French toast option for $11. The only thing is the service is always extremely slow at this particular location and they get extremely aggressive about wanting you to leave once you're done with eating (I don't blame them but it's always shocking when they clear your waters and even filled drinks from your table). Don't miss out a trip to the berry bar - I would probably say it's what makes portage bay what it is... you really can't go wrong now especially they have a standalone offering without a carby accompaniment. Kudos to you guys for offering that. Do make a reservation especially for the weekend brunch time and enjoy a pitcher of mimosas with your friends! read more
3 months ago
Known for great food that's locally sourced, we hadn't been to Portage Bay in a few years--mainly because of the crowds and wait time. But this time we thought to hop on the website for a reservation and snagged a slot for 2 within 15 minutes. That's the key since the restaurants are so popular due to the food and warm service. Use the website online reservation system to avoid a wait. I ordered a blood orange mimosa which was tasty, and the biscuits and gravy. Hubby opted for the crab cake Benedict. Crab Cake Benedict's are either really good, or really bad; we asked the server if the crab was fresh and she affirmed it was. You could tell. The crab was amazing and the Benedict was lovely. The biscuits and gravy were a different style--a peppery gravy with fresh vegetables and sausage. We stopped in a Saturday at noon and due to making a reservation literally from the car on our way there, we got right in. Service was warm, polite and professional and it's not hard to see why their business is bustling. read more
2 years ago
Ballard brunch spots are a blood sport, but this one plays fair--no gimmicks, just damn good food. The space is that perfect mix of airy and cozy, where natural light floods in just enough to make you forget it's probably raining. Servers glide through the chaos like brunch ninjas, refilling coffee with the kind of efficiency that suggests they've seen some things. I went for the smoked salmon Benedict, because when in Seattle, you lean into the cliché. The lox was buttery, the hollandaise decadent without being a gut punch, and the house-made English muffin? Let's just say I'd betray a few friendships for another slice. The crispy herb potatoes sealed the deal. Is it busy? Of course. But some things are worth the wait--and this is one of them. read more
6 months ago
9 months ago
3.5 stars Came in on a Sunday morning for a rare business breakfast with a client. Service was friendly and efficient and the restaurant has a good sized menu. I ordered the crab cake benedict and added some avocado. In hindsight it didn't really go well with this particular benedict, oh well. My main issue with the benedict was that the eggs were overdone and did not run when cut into. Always a bummer. The restaurant was pretty busy when we arrived and had a line to the door when we headed out. read more
2 years ago
Food is consistently excellent - I'm not vegan or gluten free but I always get the vegan banana pancakes which are DIVINE. Truly I dream about them. The berry bar is the best part and sets Portage Bay apart - fruit is fresh and delicious. My friend also got the omelette with goat cheese, which I had a bite of - definitely a great option if you prefer a savory breakfast. Goat cheese was flavorful and the tomatoes and scallions kept it from feeling too heavy. They are very busy on the weekends, but I was a little disappointed that I had to ask two different people for a refill on our very empty waters - the first person was the one who brought our food; he asked if we needed anything else, and I asked for some more water, which he never brought. We had to ask our main server when he passed by to bring us some more (which luckily he did). The place is cozy and comfortable - feels like a solid breakfast joint without delving into greasy table domain. Totally recommend! read more
1 year ago
The food is great! The friendly helpful service was a little slow! My food was served cold and had to be sent back! They need more help. Nice big room! read more
You want the brunch? They've got the brunch! They seemed popular so I made sure to show up not too long after opening. Even then, most of the tables were occupied! We were greeted at the door and asked if we had a reservation. We did not, but there were 2 spots left at the counter - looks like we showed up just in time! As a bonus sitting at the counter gives you front row seats to see how the kitchen runs. Service was fast and friendly so no complaints there! I went with the farmer's hash bowl with scrambled eggs instead of over-easy. First impression: too much salt!! It basically hit me in the face and I was a bit bummed out. Thankfully it was only the hash portion so making sure I had a bite of egg with the hash helped bring it down to a normal level, and adding a touch of hot sauce helped to even things out even more. The hash came with a honey wheat toast that was made in house and truly fantastic! Overall I enjoyed it and I'd come back as long as I can get my order as low/normal amount of salt. read more
We were lucky to get a table for four for a Sunday brunch! A line was in place by the time we were eating and then even longer when we were leaving. This location is always bumpin' and busy; our server was great at navigating through everyone and was friendly and fun. The space is open vertically but a little packed all around. We had juices, tea, regular eggs Benedict with bacon, dungeness crab eggs Benedict, avocado toast with a side of sausage, and a kids pancake. The bacon was great as was everything generally! The kids pancake was good but could use a side of something (fruit, meat, protein, etc) as kids who consume carbs solo will often burst into flames in a matter of time and no parent needs that when they are trying to explore the Ballard Locks after brunch! Be mindful that the parking lot is kind of rough: most of the spaces are super narrow making it hard to open doors once parked. read more
2 years ago
Came here for brunch and the atmosphere was lively for Sunday afternoon. The waiter had high energy. However the food was meh. I had the Uli's Spicy Scramble and the potatoes were undercooked and bland, and the scramble was okay. And the dish cost $21. Def overpriced plus avocado pricing. I don't mind paying $$ for a good brunch but the food was not worth the money. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Made a reservation on OpenTable and it worked out perfectly. Best thing to do on a Saturday during brunch. We had the best server. Very engaging and attentive. I didn't catch their name, but it was their 3rd day serving at Portage bay and we couldn't tell at all. Great service on top of great food is a great way to kick off the weekend. We got the wild mushrooms eggs benedict, with potatoes (of course) and lemon raspberry ricotta pancakes that included a trip to the fruit bar. We wanted something savory and sweet so we split both dishes and it was the best decision. Their drink special was a peach mimosa. read more
1 year ago
I went on Memorial Day at 8:30am and the restaurant was about half full. I appreciated that we were able to park in the lot next door. We got the classic Benedict and lemon ricotta pancakes. Food took a bit to come out but service was good. We really enjoyed the Benedict and the layers of ham slices; it could have used more of the hollandaise sauce though. The lemon ricotta pancakes were okay. I would get plain pancakes next time or try their French toast instead. The star of the show was the bar. Their whipped cream was so good. The fruit was a bit tart for my liking overall the experience was great. Solid place for breakfast. read more
3 years ago
Came at the recommendation of my foodie crazed son and daughter in law. Had goat cheese omelet and others sampled many of the menu offerings. All the sweet plates come with a trip to the fruit bar with lots of selection. Service for our waitress was great but the next one got a little pissed at my aunts gluttony, silly as she acted like it was her personal fruit or something, but everyone else was great. Food and all the fresh fruit were awesome, I can see why this place is popular!! Highly recommended and worth the wait, maybe not in the infamous NW liquid sunshine, LOL read more
I got the Rancher's Breakfat with 3 sunny side up eggs, maple pork sausage, and potatoes. Got the classic french toast and the berry bar was a nice touch as well. Service was incredibly friendly and nice, although the food definitely took some time before coming out. The vibe is very American diner like and it was busy and bustling with some people waiting outside on a Sunday brunch time. I give three stars because for what I got the price point I deemed ridiculously high. The rancher's breakfast was about $23 without tax and tip. :/ read more
2 years ago
Walking in during October it was a bit chilly, but the atmosphere is warm and welcoming! I ordered a cinnamon coffee cake, a seasonal item. It was a bit dense, light in flavor and sugar, so it's a decent pastry to snack on here and there considering it's a big cut of cake. A server offered to warm it up while I was eating it which I think saved it. I'd recommend to ask for baked goods warmed up! Next the main dishes: I ordered the Farmers Hash with over easy eggs and corned beef. My partner ordered the West Coast Benedict with the organic salad as its side, another seasonal item. Farmers Hash was a little salty for my taste but besides that the flavor was awesome. I was attracted to how colorful it was with veggies. The West Coast Benedict is a good option for high protein for a light meal. I hope to try other things here! read more
Yoooo.... Not gonna lie this meal was SO flame. I got the Migas and let me tell you, the cheese or sauce or whatever they put in that thing is insanely good. I'm a massive fan. I would 10/10 get this again, but I'll definitely add meat to it next time. It's also big enough for multiple meals. The pictures are deceiving, this thing is HUGE. Our server was super nice and the service was great. I love the vibe of the restaurant as well, I would definitely come back here. read more
2 years ago
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More info about Portage Bay Cafe - Ballard
2821 NW Market St
Seattle, WA 98107
Ballard, Sunset Hill
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(206) 783-1547
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http://www.portagebaycafe.com/
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Ask the Community - Portage Bay Cafe - Ballard
Does this location have a view of the water?
It doesn't. But it's right new to the Ballard locks
When is their specials menu out? Is it just weekends or also during the week? I called and left a message but never heard back.
Hello Trisha, I'm very sorry you didn't hear back from us earlier. We appreciate you finding another way to reach us. To answer your question: the Ballard location only…
Is this location dog friendly?
Nope, no dogs allowed, and there is no outdoor space for them to hang out, either.
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