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    Portage Bay Cafe - Ballard

    3.6 (832 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 1:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    PORTAGE BAY CAFE - BALLARD ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Mini Classic Benedict
    Nicole R.

    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.

    Huckleberry cobbler pancakes with whipped mascarpone
    Ami Y.

    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.

    Huevos Rancheros (veg) (gf)
    Logan C.

    Decent eggs Benedict + tried my friend's oat crusted berry French toast and that was just OK

    Migas
    Jessica B.

    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!

    Phil's Breakfast
    Leijie Q.

    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!

    Sharyll H.

    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.

    Pancakes (veg) and berries from the berry bar - sooooo delicious.  Filler up because you can only go to the bar once.
    kimberly C.

    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!!

    Mushroom Benedict is closest  Migas is farthest away.

    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.

    Buddha Bowl (veg) (vegan) (gf)* and berry bar trip
    Sophia Y.

    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!

    Leonard Jack ..

    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!

    Smoked salmon benedict
    Brian H.

    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.

    Pork Belly Benedict -- amazing
    Mar K.

    We made a reservation for brunch on Sunday. Excellent service by maître d' named Jorge handled the long lines and table seatings with very welcoming warmth and hospitality. Tables inside and outside. Blankets available if you want to sit outside, but it can be chilly. Server (Sally?) was outstanding; attentive even when busy. Got everything about our order right and food came timely; not a long wait despite lines. Specials included: Pork Belly Benedict outstanding, and Ricotta Pancakes with Raspberry Lemon Curd was delicious and both were truly noteworthy. If you have the chance, enjoy the Pork Belly. We thought we were content but as Atlanta-born and raised the Biscuits and Gravy called to us from the menu -- topped with Two Eggs and Roasted Potatoes, also the Hearty Greens so we ordered them along the the side of Scrambled Eggs with Chorizo. Highly recommend reservations.

    Taryn B.

    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!

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    Page 1 of 21

    Portage Bay Cafe - Ballard Reviews in Other Languages

    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… Read more

    Is this location dog friendly?

    Nope, no dogs allowed, and there is no outdoor space for them to hang out, either.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Some friends recommended we come here because of how great the steaks are, and I'm so glad we did!…read moreWe were seated almost immediately upon arriving, which was awesome, and ended up enjoying our meal out on the patio area. Our server was friendly, answered all of our questions about the menu, and gave some great recommendations, which made choosing what to order much easier. I ended up getting the Dry Aged Steak Frites from the Happy Hour menu and OMG!! The steak, cooked medium, was incredibly juicy and tender!! I was so sad when I got down to the last bite lol As for the Russet French Fries, they were perfectly seasoned and just the right size. I especially enjoyed dipping them into the Fermented Chili Aioli. To which I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't actually spicy, given that I do have a pretty low spice tolerance lol. Overall, I'd definitely come back again! :)

    We came as a family of six. We were all unimpressed…read more It started with bread. We ordered it, it never came. When we asked, our server blamed a "computer system outage." For bread. I genuinely don't know what to do with that explanation. The food took so long. I ordered my steak medium rare and it arrived overcooked. I thought this was a steakhouse and yall can't even cook a steak medium rare? One person in our party never received their salad despite asking multiple times. Their stupid steak dish is $50 entree with zero sides. I added cauliflower for an extra $17 charge and received something I could have made in five minutes. Finally, we tried to order dessert and were told they were out of the item we all wanted. This place is a ripoff with terrible service.

    Photos
    Main dining area.  There's outdoor seating.
    Main dining area. There's outdoor seating.
    Dry Aged Steak Frites
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    Eldr

    Eldr

    4.5
    (22 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    I've been waiting for a year to see what ELDR was all about. I had moved to Ballard from Snohomish…read morefollowing my heart for love and one of our first long day dreaming walks in the neighborhood we stumbled across a corner restaurant that seemed to have been cherished by the community and had a menu that spoke to my heart, almost as much as my soon to be and now wife. Fast forward to a year later and my bride surprised me on my birthday yesterday with an eagerly awaited indulgence. ELDR did not disappoint! The space was cozy, the staff was exactly what I wanted concerning passion and someone who you could share a drink with and talk industry for hours. I wish we would have done better documenting our selection but that just means we'll have to go back and eat our way through the menu! I wish I would have asked if the bread service had an half order. It's a great value and the charred Onion Compound butter was next level. We shared everything as I imagine the small menu was design to do and the potatoes were heavenly. I loved the grilled cabbage dish (undocumented) and the braised pork short ribs with the Meyer lemon bbq sauce was an amazing find. The seasonality is spot on and I hope the menu follows the weather. I can't wait to see what they do for hearty cold weather at the end of the year if that's how the chef's want to proceed.

    I'm not quite sure how to rate this restaurant. The food was delicious and incredibly flavorful. If…read moreI were reviewing the food alone, it would easily be five stars. That said, I'm rating the overall dining experience. After the remodel, I expected they would have addressed the excessive smoke in the dining room. I understand it's a small space and everything is cooked over a wood-fired grill, but I've dined at other wood-fire restaurants and never experienced anything quite like this. The moment you walk in, it feels like you're standing next to a bonfire. You can actually see the smoke hanging in the air. At times it was so overwhelming that I wondered how I was going to make it through dinner. The smell follows you home and clings to everything--your outerwear, the clothes underneath, and even your hair. Mine still smelled like smoke the next day. Our server was perfectly pleasant, and I have no complaints about her specifically, but the service did not feel worthy of the automatically included 22% gratuity. In addition, she encouraged us to order the market-price steak for two but never mentioned that it was $180. To be clear, the steak was excellent and I don't regret ordering it, but I do think an entrée at that price point deserves at least a brief mention while it's being recommended. The final bill came to around $400 for two people. We ordered four dishes total (a small plate, vegetable, entrée, and dessert) along with three beverages. I have no problem spending that kind of money on a great meal, but in the future I'd rather do so somewhere that doesn't include a mandatory gratuity for average service--and where I don't leave needing a dry-cleaning bill as well.

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    Interior
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    Apple strudel
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    Copine

    Copine

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    A Seattle gem for moments that deserve more -- food made with care, service that goes above and…read morebeyond, and flavors that are always on point. This is the place I choose when I want to make a special day even more special. Copine will be closing this May, and it's hard to believe that a restaurant loved for nearly a decade will soon be gone. I've followed Chef Shaun's food since the Book Bindery days, and the thought of not being able to taste his cooking for a while feels genuinely bittersweet. If you want one of Seattle's most memorable dining experiences -- both in flavor and in heartfelt service-- go before the doors close. Also the vibe is effortlessly chic, warmly inviting, and modern with a quiet sense of character. Our dinner started with an amuse that set the tone for a perfect evening. The mushroom soup was rich, comforting, and exactly what a cold Seattle night calls for. I'm still thinking about it. Every course that followed was crafted with intention and care -- the crab, the pasta, the duck -- each one beautifully prepared and a joy to eat. The wine pairing was spot‑on and elevated the entire meal. Copine may be nearing its final chapter, but it's delivering some of its best work yet. If you've never been, now is the time. And if you have, you already know why this place has meant so much to so many.

    Amazing prefix menu restaurant that was a beautiful balance of flavor and texture. I enjoyed every…read moredish that was put in front of me. I felt so satiated at the end of the meal. Copine also has a fantastic selection of cocktails, spirits, and wine. I haven't been this impressed with cocktails in a minute. Check out the menu and see what you like but if you need a suggestion you cannot go wrong with their cocktails (inferno, martini, etc..) Made reservations in advance and was promptly seated. Half of our party was running late but the staff were so understanding. Huge shoutout to the staff they overhead that we had birthdays in our party and brought out a beautiful presentation. They overheard our table saying happy birthday delivered such a wonderful experience. (Felt like I was in that one episode of the bear LOL). Thank you Copine team! *** Copine reminded me of a Michelin French restaurant in Tokyo called Florilege. If you enjoy Copine and happen to find yourself in Tokyo, I'd look into Florilege!

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    Portage Bay Cafe - Ballard - newamerican - Updated June 2026

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