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Category: Breakfast & Brunch
391 Terry Ave NMon-Fri. 7:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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I came here with my fiance and his family today for a group brunch before we all flew home. The place was nicely appointed and had a casual atmosphere. We were seated immediately, though the place was pretty packed. It was a very large space with a lot of tables.
There was a huge selection of juices, omelettes, scrambles, and pancake dishes to choose from, all made from fresh and organic ingredients. I had the goat cheese omelette, which was stuffed with delicious spinach, mushrooms, and goat cheese, and topped with olives. The herb roasted potatoes that came with it were also flavorful. The others in my group tried the migas and chorizo omelette. Next time, I'm definitely going to try some of the pancake dishes - I saw them coming out and they looked amazing.
Our server was very accommodating and the food came out super quick. A great place to visit with a group and satisfy our stomachs before going our separate ways.
We made reservations for a party of 12 and there was zero wait, our table was ready when we arrived.
The Okay:
1) Migas - the burrito dish. I wasn't a huge fan, but it wasn't that bad
The Good:
1) Dungeness Crab Benedict. Classic eggs benedict atop crab cakes instead of bread. The dish was good - but there was no wow factor here...
The Must Order:
1) The Cinnamon Twister French Toast. Now THIS dish had a WOW factor. I bit into the soft sweet goodness and it was DELISH!
Based on just the crab cakes and migas alone, I would give this a three star. The ambience plus the fact that the restaurant focuses on locavore/sustainability is a plus one (4 star)...the cinnamon twister made this a five star.
The coffee was good, I also ordered a capuccino which was fine - nothing special though.
A good place; is a place where you don't concentrate on the food, but on the company who is there to enjoy it with. That's what I believe.
There is an expectation that, when you go out to eat, it's delicious. This was true today, when I engaged in a reunion of sorts, meeting with someone who I had not spoken to, in over 8 years. It was decided, that this would be a welcome place to catch up, over a yummy brunch. During the week, it's much easier to get a table without a wait; weekends are a likely hour wait. The location is a little bit out of the way, but that is true to their other two locations, at the UW and Ballard.
The servers were friendly, and greeted me upfront, with a smile. I was seated, and offered water, as well as other fresh juices. I ordered a Smoked Salmon omelet; hers was a crunchy toasted oats place. After a very short wait, the meals came out, well portioned. The potatoes were cooked with a little bite, it's like home cooking, and the salmon with all the other great ingredients was perfect, inside of the egg which was neatly folded over it. The fresh toppings bar is always a good touch, as we both decided to get up and take a look at what could be topped on her nicely toasted oats.
When it was all said and done, the meal seemed to pass too quickly, but it was a delicious complement to a one off meeting with an old friend.
Take your friends, hang out and enjoy your conversations, and if you come here, you'll get it over great food.
When to go: You either go early, or during the week. If not, be prepared to wait 30-60 minutes. Yes, it's that good. It's street parking, unless you want to find the public pay lot. There is outdoor seating, but it's a summer thing. It's also organic stuff, so you are supporting the local community also.
Fun brunch place, had about an hour wait when I went on a Sunday, but was definitely worth the wait. The omelet I ordered was great, but they also had a bunch of fresh fruit set out to add to your waffles, pancakes or other "sweeter" dishes. The portions were quite large, some come with an appetite. I had just finished running the Alki Beach 5k so had built up some hunger.
Overall, I'd certainly come back, a no frills type atmosphere and a place that certainly believes in making sure no one goes home hungry or unsatisfied with their meal.
A hot organic mess.
No better way to explain the ooey gooey goodness of my Challah french toast topped with fresh berries, whipped cream, and butter from Portage Bay's famous topping bar. This was in addition to the potatoes and sausage that came with my meal.
A local friend of mine brought me here and it did not disappoint. The overall modern, laid-back vibe of the restaurant is a perfect day to spend a weekend morning with good company. Thankfully, there was no wait on my visit (mostly helped by the UW vs. Oregon game), but my understanding is that it can get pretty busy over the weekend. The servers were cheerful and unfazed, though the refills on water and coffee could've been a bit quicker.
Back to the food - huge portions, and what was served up was absolutely delicious. Plenty of people bringing leftovers out the door.
Overall, a great place to start the day.
Let's just rip off the band-aid shall we?
My first time here. It was not busy maybe a few families at the most. I saw this fruit bar everyone raves about, which was for whatever reason a mess...one big dirty table with like 3 bowls of fruit and some other things. I ordered the Rancher's breakfast and asked for my eggs poached. Bacon was yummy and the french toast...drool. What's this? My poached eggs tasted like vinegar and the center was a solid yolk. F***.
"Oh it's because our eggs our soooo fresh that we need to add the vinegar in order to poach it correctly" Listen cow, I've poached many a eggs "soooo fresh" and not but it doesn't taste like salad dressing. I HATE when people lie like customers are that stupid.
I ended up waiting like half an hour to actually eat my meal and most of it went to waste. The server took forever to do everything. And when I mean forever I mean a good 10 minutes between requests. 1 star each for the bacon and french toast.
The first time I went here the swine flu pandemic was surfacing in the states and the news was warning: DO NOT GO OUTSIDE OR YOU WILL EXPOSE YOURSELF and we did anyway because well, we're hustlers. So we get to Portage and the first thing I see is their infamous "toppings bar". Am I the only one who thinks the health department should be confiscating this sucker?
The "toppings bar" consists of an unattended table of perishable goody bowls with no lids or sneeze guards. Watch it for 5 minutes and you'll witness your first little kid reaching for whipped cream with chubby dirty fingers. Yikes. The sad part is everything I wanted to order here included a trip to the toppings bar so I ordered less delectable menu items to avoid an automatic case of swine flu.
The one good thing I will say about Portage is that their turnover time was quick! When we got there the whole waiting area was full so we expected 40 minutes of standing but were ultimately seated at our table within 15 minutes.
Now if Portage could just legitimize that toppings bar....
Have you ever had that embarrassing moment when you realize a friend or co-worker is wearing the same thing you are?
That was me at Portage Bay today. When I sat down to eat with my friend, she said, "Your shirt looks like the ones that all the employees are wearing!" Apparently, the lime green color that the designer chose for a work event a few months ago is a popular one. Although, I think my shirt is cooler.
However, in a comparison of my Reuben vs. Portage Bay's, they win hands down. They use Gruyere in their Reubens, which really goes well with the other tastes, and they grill it just the right amount for an excellent sandwich. Trust the guy who grew up in the birthplace of the Reuben!
A+ for the focus on the local ingredients. B- for the semi-coarse service, but I give some leeway since it was during toward the end of the lunch rush.
I'm semi-afraid of this place being around the corner from my Seattle office. I purposefully avoided getting something to try with the Toppings Bar today after reading Calvin Y's ROTD... I'm afraid I'd never eat anything else for breakfast! Nevertheless, I suspect I will be back to try their French Toast someday soon.
When I was 18 and fresh out of my parents' house my dad made me promise that every Sunday we'd have breakfast together. I lived in the U-dist and we visited their location here religiously for quite awhile. But things change and traditions morph.
So when for a team outing it was suggested that we do breakfast at the South Lake Union location I was excited to revisit this eatery. I also noticed that they have a new location in Ballard as well, but I haven't had a chance to check this out.
So we took the SLUT down to Terry and found we had our choice of table at about 8:45 in the morning.
The South Lake Union location did not let me down. The interior was spacious and bright with rows of wooden tables. Immediately inside you could see the famed toppings bar with the glowing yumminess of fresh fruits and real whipped cream.
There were 6 of us in the party and one of our brilliant tables mates suggested the Rancher's breakfast since everything looked good. The Rancher's gives you a taste of everything and is quite large like a good breakfast joint should serve.
3 eggs any style, home fries, pepper bacon or insernio's chicken sausage and choice of 2 slices of challah french toast or pancakes.
I got the bacon and french toast because, well, that IS the best choice and all. Eggs over easy so I could make sure my potatoes were covered in yolk. Oh yea.
While waiting for our food to come to the table my table mates and I remarked on the awesome coffee. Served in real mugs--big boys--and the coffee tasted sublime. I had way too much with real cream and raw sugar.
Our triathlete statuesque server quickly brought us our meals and she adeptly corrected my wobbly table with ease. Most servers wouldn't even notice the ever-present wobbly breakfast table, but this Amazonian was on top of her game.
We all left full and relaxed and I must say that Portage Bay is still just as good as I remembered. Lots of folks are jumping on the all natural and organic band wagon, but Portage Bay really knows how to do it.
I definitely want to come back and try the Southwest Benedict. Its served on jalapeno cornbread--woah!
Love the new and bigger location! It was waaaay too hard to get in to the "mothership" location. The servers were on the ball...brought drinks in a timely manner, came back to check if our meal was to our liking, and cleared our plates right away. I absolutely love this place for breakfast and the organic menu makes it even better. The pancake topping bar is such a good idea.
This was the last straw.
I have been going to both of the Portage Bay locations since they opened (one, then years later, the other) and I normally rave about the place and tell everyone I know to go there. In the last year however, I have been more and more disappointed by them every visit. My boyfriend and I went to the South Lake Union this morning and had the complete package experience of why I will no longer be frequenting the establishment.
It was crowed, something I expect. We were told we'd have a wait of 20 minutes, which I think is totally reasonable for Saturday morning at 11 am. They said they were calling outside, so we waited outside near a few other groups and waited. For quite a while. "Man, it must be busier then I thought..." I mused. We went in and sat inside where some room had opened up. Now 40 minutes into our wait we notice that the host (John, the main guy) had been seating people that we had seen just walk in. By now I'm blood sugar dangerous and was concerned about screaming, so my boyfriend calmly asked what was up. He said he had called us, and we'd not responded. Um... what? No. My boyfriend (still wayyyy more calm then I) politely said that we had been waiting right outside near other groups and then directly inside, so there must have been a mistake. The host seriously looks at him and goes "Oh I probably just didn't see two people alone outside so didn't call your name out there." Ok. Fine. So he says he'll give us the "next table". No apology, nothing. Fine. He seated 3 more tables in front of us, until my slightly peeved boyfriend said something. He said "oh right, you guys" turned to the two that he'd just called and said "they'll have to go first", to which the two seemed super pissed at us for "stealing" their table... (try waiting 50 minutes, then get pissed guys). We sat down and waited 10 minutes for anyone to stop by. The waiting didn't cease there Yelpers! We ordered right away, took 15 minutes for water and coffee, then another 45 minutes for food. I would have liked my meal a lot more if I had the proper utensils in which to cut with (no knives, no waitress to ask for knives from) or if anyone had ever apologized or acted like they cared about my (or others) patronage AT ALL. I'm just done. I get that they are busy. I get that the food is mostly organic/local/sustainable. That is why I'm ok with paying $15 for a plate of breakfast! But when you are paying more then usual, waiting more then usual, the service better be at least decent!
If you also love Portage Bay, please join me in a temporary ban of their restaurant. Please don't go back until they get their shit together.
Portage Bay, please get your shit together. I love everything you formed your restaurant on, and I'd love to go back and pay a lot for a wonderful breakfast that doesn't leave me feeling unappreciated and in a generally horrible mood.
Dear Portage Bay Cafe,
It was fun for a while, but I've got to break up with you. When we first got together your toppings bar was loaded with fresh strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and more. I loved it and came back often.
In the winter months I noticed that many of your fresh berries were replaced by previously frozen berries. "Not a big deal," I thought to myself. After all, it's not the season for berries.
I still cared for you inspite of the fact that a few of your servers would stop by our table and glance at our empty coffee and water cups and fail to fill them or even ask if we would like more. I did have a favorite server there that always made sure her tables were happy, and I made a point of telling her she was great at her job. But most of the others....
So, I came to see you in July - the PEAK of berry season. Got my rancher's breakfast and excitedly went to the toppings bar with my pancakes with the hope of seeing the fresh bounty of ripe strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and more. WHAT A DISSAPOINTMENT!!! This is July, not February. Yet, other than fresh slices of strawberries, the rest was the frozen junk.
So, it's over for us. Others will continue to see you so you won't be alone. But I know what you once were, and you have fallen.
Went here on Friday, 9/2/09 for lunch with people from work. We'd made reservations, but the manager had given away our table to another group. No worries they set up another... but not for the correct number. No worries, we put someone at the end. Server arrived with the wrong number of menus, which was never corrected, but no worries we shared. Server brought the requested water to only half the table mid-way through the meal; the other half received their water after the plates were cleared.
Those are all small annoyances, but what was really disappointing was that my meal was basically inedible - seriously burned fish croquettes atop a salad of fibrous greens and raspberries. I tried eating the salad but the cutlery was so dull I couldn't cut the greens - just shredded them. The raspberries were fresh.
If this were Top Chef, the chef would have been told by Padma to pack their knives and go.
The waitress to her credit, once I pointed out the burned food, comped the meal and helped me decide on a quickie replacement (quesadilla, which was perfectly fine.) And she was pleasant and apologetic.
oh yes, and the berry lemonade I had was delicious.
I've been here a few other times and had similar experiences - they have wonderful ingredients, a beautiful space, but a heavy hand in the kitchen, and a harried/inattentive staff. Needs work.
UPDATE:
In response to the reviewer who may or may not have been referring to me and said, "Some of these reviews.....how about not being an asshole to restaurant employees? Seriously... [I]f you need something, how about simply asking for it without being a snarky Seattle metrosexual bitch?" I take offense at this, sir. I am not a metrosexual. I am a full-on, 100% homosexual. Thank you.
The service @ Portage Bay is at best, benignly absent-minded. At worst, it's criminally negligent.… Read more »
I had a delicious prawn and chicken salad for lunch at the Terry location today, but the service left much to be desired. It took 40 minutes for my table of four to get our meals, which consisted of two salads, some pancakes, and the sardines. When food for three of us finally arrived, it took an additional five minutes for the last in our party to get her pancakes. The restaurant was busy, but not full.
The South Lake Union kitchen handles all of PBC's catering. Is that the reason for the slow meal service?
Don't be in a hurry if you go there for lunch. Also, be prepared for the cafeteria-caliber noise from other diners; nothing was done to address the acoustics in this cavernous space with a concrete ceiling.
Their philosophy, "Eat like you give a damn." What does this mean you ask? Well, take this simple test:
Question 1: Do you give a damn about fresh and local ingredients?
a.) Damn right, I do.
b.) *shrugs*
Question 2: Do you give a damn about organic and pesticide-free ingredients?
a.) Damn it, yes.
b.) Meh.
Question 3: Do you give a damn about environmentally friendly (self-sustaining) and cruelty-free ingredients?
a.) HELL YES. I mean, GOD DAMN IT, HELL YES.
b.) NO. Who the hell cares?
If you answered "a" to the questions above, then congratulations, you just found your favorite restaurant.
Unfortunately for me, I'm not that cautious about where my food comes from, but there are many other aspects about this place that I admire. Today, I came in for lunch and I had the "Rancher's Breakfast." The Rancher's Breakfast comes with 3 eggs (anyway you like them), herb roasted potatoes, choice of black forest ham/pepper bacon/chicken basil sausage, choice of pancakes/French toast and a trip to the toppings bar!
For my choices, I had scrambled eggs, black forest ham and the challah French toast. I recommend skipping the ham because it was really dry and tough to chew. However the highlight of every meal at Portage Bay is the trip to the toppings bar. It's like a game of Jenga -- how much fresh fruit can you put on your French toast without having it tip over? I really enjoyed the French toast by itself, but once I added the mountain of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and whipped cream, it became heaven, where the whipped cream are the clouds and the angels are made of berries.
I came here over ten hours ago and I'm still stuffed.
I had a great breakfast experience this morning. The restaurant is clean and the service was fast and friendly. I had the organic pancakes and they were outstanding as was the french toast my son had. The fruit bar was well maintained and had excellent choices. The off street parking was also a plus.
Amazing. Fabulous. Will return next time we are in Seattle. She had the sweet potatoe pancakes with peaches, and nuts. I had the scrambled egg special that had mushroms, green onions, figs all topped with rouge blue cheese. With sweet potatoe homefries. The wait for a seat was long, but we noticed that others had called ahead for reservations. That seemed the way to go.
You may not get the same thing that we had due to it being a special, but reading all of the other Yelps, I don't think you can go wrong here.
Enjoy.
First, the concept of local / organic / sustainable food is an excellent one, so I give Portage Bay props for this.
Second, the food is pretty solid. There are better brunches to be had in Seattle, but everything on the menu here is good (not spectacular).
Third, they have big portions and a pretty wide variety of options. If you're in mixed company for brunch (foodies, picky eaters, people who correlate restaurant quality to portion size), Portage Bay is a true crowd-pleaser.
Fourth, (speaking of crowds) Portage Bay gets super busy. Call ahead to avoid waiting in line. When you walk in to give your name or let the host know you've arrived, you have to be assertive or you'll never get attention. Here, large crowds equates to less-than-attentive service. Every time we've gone it has taken 20+ minutes after we finish eating to get the bill and pay. This is a problem for me because after I have finished my meal I get antsy like a 4-year-old.
If you know what to expect, you'll have an A-OK brunch.
Most sequels don't compare well to the original. The plots tend to be repetitive and the jokes are often recycled. It's just difficult to recapture the magic of the original. If you don't believe me, go watch Police Academy 5: Assignment Miami Beach.
With that in mind, my enthusiasm was tempered when I ventured into the second Portage Bay Café in South Lake Union. It's located next to some new condos......okay, those directions probably won't help you. Instead let's just say it's on Terry Avenue along the SLUT line. It has a few outdoor seats along the side with an expansive interior. It reminds me of a large high school cafeteria; just with more ornate seats and less cliquish.
We were seated quickly and service throughout the meal was fairly prompt. A quick perusal of the menu will inform you that the food is organic and mostly local. A more sustained review will tell you that everything looks delicious. I went for the pepper bacon hash and my friend went for the asian salad. The hash was a glorious mix of potatoes (sweet and red), bell peppers, onion and celery. Top this with three eggs (mine over-easy) and whole wheat toast and you've got a fine meal. As an added bonus, breakfast is served all day.
As for the salad, I don't actually know why it's called an asian salad since I'm not a salad expert (Saladologist? Saladeer? Saladin?), but my friend thought it was great. I was told that it contained at least mixed greens, onions, almonds and bell peppers.
Most of the breakfast dishes were in the $10-12 dollar range and the sandwiches and salads were $8-12 although the Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict will set you back a little extra.
All in all, the SLU version of Portage Bay Café was a pretty good sequel; like a Superman 2 or Aliens. Maybe even Army of Darkness level.
It's good. I like the organic ketchup option.
Slightly oversized portions, but the price for quality ratio is right.
I don't like the vast chasm inside, it's like an amazon/microsoft cafeteria.
Maybe since they will be new 2010 neighbors, maybe it was a purposeful off-white/beige non-offensive strategy.
Because of it's size and scope, I felt that personal service was impossible....the place is just too big. Good luck on that coffee refill, you'll be waiting a loooong time. When it was time for the bill though, she was right there...why are they never there when you need something?
It's solid food, but lacks a soul.
Food quality was pretty good, I like their corned beef hash, and various omelettes. I've also tried their sweet breakfasts such as french toast, pancakes, etc. I have nothing to complain about the food quality.
However, the service was bad. We sat at the bar, and we had to flag one of the servers (many of whom walked back and forth without asking us if we are ready to order). It took a long time to get the beverage and the check. They should assign a server for the bar area.
Food: Delicious
Service: Friendly
Price: On the higher end, but almost everything is organic (avg $10)
I love this place! I wish I would've known about it in college, although I probably wouldn' t have frequented due to my non-existent college income.
Ingredients are fresh and they definitely pay attention to detail when developing the staples. The fresh toppings bar for the pancakes/french toast was spectacular. The fresh homemade cream light, airy, tasty on almost anything! Hubby had the best omelette I've ever tasted in my life - topped with gouda cheese shavings. They make the french toast with THICK slices of toast.
If I lived in Seattle I would come here once a week.
Until next time, I will continue to have visions of light, airy, cream topped french toasts dancing in my head...
Huh.
Well having braved the original place in the U-district, this place is a huge upgrade. There seem to be a ton of gripes about service in the reviews, but we were pretty pleased with the service. We had 3 kids and 4 adults, and we felt they were actually pretty accomodating. Our waitress forgot an order of bacon, but it wasn't on our bill, and when we saw the mounds of yummy food in front of us, we decided we didn't need it anyway. Because of the kids and the picky adults, we asked our waitress for all kinds of stuff, and she was great.
All our food was tasty, and came out hot. Their chorizo scramble is freaking awesome. The kids got Mickey Mouse pancakes, and we had fun putting on toppings at the 'breakfast bar'.
Some of these reviews.....how about not being an asshole to restaurant employees? Seriously. This place is jammed for breakfast on the weekends, as in total madhouse. If you don't want to wait, then make a reservation. DUH. And if you need something, how about simply asking for it without being a snarky Seattle metrosexual bitch? They're called 'manners'. Do some reseach on the issue.
[sassylatina]
Oh no you didn't!
[/sassylatina]
Yes madam, I did.
My appetite for exciting, decadent culinary experiences is bounded by one restraint: my equally strong beliefs about the importance of eating locally and sustainably whenever possible. Fortunately for me, Seattle offers many such restaurants whose menu and philosophy afford me the opportunity to indulge unbounded. Portage Bay Cafe is the newest addition to that list of mine. I took my out-of-town family there for breakfast Easter weekend, and all were impressed! Not only by the food, but by the man, although that's another story....
The shirred duck eggs (a special) were pronounced amazing by my foodie aunt, and I would say the same for the lemon curd French Toast, with a lovely citrus bite from the lemon tempered by sweet blueberries and syrup. A couple of options were slightly less impressive (the migas being one), but overall breakfast was very, very good. And did I mention the extensive, tempting menu? Other nice touches include the ability to make reservations, the fresh fruit bar, the extensive use of chicken (as opposed to pork) sausage, and the huge cups of coffee.
Plus, the trolley stops nearby! At least the SLUT's good for something....
Once upon a time I compiled a list of breakfast places Yelpers rated highly and have tried a few. I tried Portage Bay Cafe because it offers me something so few places do... gluten free pancakes. In my ranking system this automatically adds a star because it is so nice to have an option!
I got the rice flour pancakes. They were BIG. I also got a side of bacon because I love all things bacon. The bacon was thick and peppery which is awesome. The pancakes were slightly heavy. That's to be expected with gluten free cooking though. I liked the berry puree that came along with them. If I had read the menu more carefully I would have realized I could have hit the toppings bar, but I didn't read so I didn't get any toppings. Sad for me.
The only negative for me was the space. Because it is this HUGE open space of a room I felt like it was really loud in there and hard to have a conversation.
All in all it was good and I'm planning on going back. :)
Very disappointing. I was really looking forward to trying this place, and it was to be the start of a delightful self- reward day. Unfortunately, even on a not-crowded Friday morning, they failed me. I came in and was "seated" by the manager (the only fella in a tie). He didn't actually take me to my table, just sort of gestured to some open ones and told me to pick. Apparently, he didn't pass that on to any of his staff because I sat there for over 10 minutes. Couldn't wave down anyone for the life of me, till a staff person came over and asked if she could steal the hot sauce off my table for another customer. At that point, no water or napkins on the table, I told her I hadn't been acknowledge and she only could offer up that she wasn't a waiter (it clearly wasn't her fault). On my way out, I tried to get the manager, but he was not around. A wait person (one that had passed my table countless times, not meeting my desperate gaze) also volunteered that it wasn't her fault because I wasn't sitting in her section, and she "didn't even see [me]". No apology. No accepting of responsibility. No seeking out the manager.
Very disappointing. I know that stuff like this happens...even the best places are not immune, but it was sad and telling that no one took responsibility and actively looked for a solution.
My friends have been insisting that i dine here for some time... Ok they support sustainability and grass roots bio-dining (which earned them an extra star) however, so do a lot of other restaurants in Seattle.
Luckily we avoided any wait by being just a "two-top" and yes we were seated in a lovely window seat and yes the service was great. But what really matters in a place with a reputation such as this is the food- and for me that's where the promise wasn't kept.
I was a little dissapointed that for a brunch menu the genre never departed eggs or heavy starches... pancakes potatos hash. No creative vegan options like the Sunlight cafe no "wow" factor for me amongst the two page print.... We decided on the chicken sausage scramble and an order of plain jane pancakes.
The topping bar appeared to have canned peaches- yuck #1 and my boyfriend ordered a glass of milk to go with his breakfast that was served luke warm... yuck #2. My omelet was presented with shredded gouda over the scramble that puzzled my eyes before it displeased my palette... the cheese never melted because the scramble was luke warm. I noticed a pattern when my toast refused to melt the pat of butter I spread over it.
Over all I'm bummed to admit I was dissapointed... perhaps it's the drove of people who pile into this spot and happily wait and hour to two for service that overwhelm the quality of the food... That is so typical and unfortunately the ruin of many a fine restaurant. "turn em and burn em"... Quantity before quality... we won't be back.
O. M. G. Seriously? Banana's foster french toast? Next thing you're going to say is that someone actually makes icecream with coffee from Vivace. Oh wait...that's a different review.
Portage Bay Cafe provides a very good, hearty meal -and it seems like they are striving to do all that all while using "Earth friendly" ingredients. I can't vouch for the validity of that (as I read this on their brochure on the table) but can confirm - whole heartedly - that the food is pretty darn good.
I was in there the other day with some friends visiting from out of town and we ordered a meal very non-earth friendly - we had four people at breakfast and ordered 6 meals! It was an insane amount of food and was caused mostly because we were all starving when the waitress took our order.
I'd recommend the bananas foster french toast or the Ranchers Breakfast which is 3 eggs, 2 very large pancakes, bacon or sausage , their amazing roasted potatoes, and a trip to their fruit bar. One thing to think about though is the french toast is VERY sweet - almost more a dessert than a breakfast.
Fantastic food! Everything tasted fresh, the recipes were inventive and well cooked. I also liked the fact that many of the ingredients were organic and locally grown.
Another plus is that the breakfast menu is huge so no matter what you might prefer- you can find something on there to suit you.
A bit pricey but worth it.
After the St. Patty's Day Dash in the snow & rain, we came here to warm up and eat some delicious brunch and warm coffee.
Dungeness Crab Cakes Benedict were very tasty - I loved the sauce. I have had this dish before at the U-District location and I liked it better at the U-District location, but it was still pretty tasty.
Service was not bad, especially since it was super crowded. In fact, immediately after we paid our bill, a waiter and a manager swooped in to our table to ask how we enjoyed our visit and to remind us that we arrived at the perfect time (read: we were leaving not a moment too soon :).
I love that the food is organic, fresh and local. The atmosphere is great and I would definitely return again.
I was in Seattle for a wedding this past weekend and the lovely ladies at the front desk of my hotel sent me here for breakfast.
It was GREAT! I ordered the Rancher's Breakfast. The bacon was thick and perfectly done. The challah french toast was fantastic all on its own but then you get a trip to the toppings bar!!! The toppings bar has fresh fruits, whip creme, vanilla custard, nuts and of course maple syrup...soooo good! I may have gone a bit overboard with the toppings but everything was soo good.
Not only was everything is fresh well cooked but the icing on the cake is that most of it is organic and sustainable! Which makes you feel like you did something good for the day.
The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars (and this goes for every restaurant I went to in Seattle) was that the service was really slow.
I guess I am used to the speedy professional actors...uhh I mean waiters here in Los Angeles.
Also, the waitress messed up a substitution in my order. But I will most definitely go back the next time I head to Seattle.
After waiting for an hour and 15 minutes (but being told the wait was 40minutes), we noticed larger groups were being seated before us though they had arrived after us. My friends and I decided to leave but were told we could be seated as we were leaving .....we stayed.
The food was timely and tasty. I was a little disturbed by the "toppings bar"....looked like some fresh fruit mixed with previously frozen and defrosted berries.....also several other customerswith cold symptoms oblivious to sneezng away from the food......
All in all, if not for the crazy wait and germ fest, the food is great. perhaps if we had come on a different day.
I was really really excited to learn that PBC had opened a location in South Lake Union, within reasonable walking distance from where I live. I've been to the U District location a few times and while the food is certainly equal, I really like not having to deal with parking.
On to the dining experience...
We were a group of 6, called ahead, and were seated within 20 minutes of arriving (not too bad for prime Sunday brunch time). It was super packed but our service was very quick and our server was very friendly. I had the migas (deliciously spicy - I love anything with eggs, chipotle, tortillas, and cheese...yum) which were excellent. From around the table, there were no complaints. . .the risotto benedict looked amazing (and Amanda K claimed it was!).
This will definitely be added to my list of regular weekend brunch spots!
So many options for a healthy eating lifestyle! Service is somewhat slow but worth the wait. The Banana's Foster french toast was amazing if you have a sweet tooth!
I can't put my finger on it... but there's something off about this place. It could be the random location, or the guilt you feel for not eating organic, or maybe it was simply the shitty attitude our waitress had.
But the food is good, I'll give them that much. I just wasn't into the whole organic "holier than thou" vibe I felt here. I'm really not sure what it was! Like, I get it, locally grown produce blah blah blah... but do you have to have a whole pamphlet about how I have to "eat like I mean it"? It just makes you feel guilty or un-American to have lived your life not eating organic. And organic ketchup? Does it have to taste spicy? What was that?
So back to the shitty attitude... our server was, as my friend said, "making mountains out of mole hills." We asked for waters and it was like the end of the UNIVERSE for her to bring them... 20 minutes later. We asked to split the bill evenly onto 4 credit cards and she said "OK but it might take a while." (scowl) What does that mean? "I'm a retard and I don't know how to take a number and divide it by 4"? Like why give the attitude, why not just do it and smile, even if it's a fake one? Customer service has really gone to shit these days. Was it because I told you to your face that your organic ketchup tastes like shit? Just kidding, I didn't really do that.
OH, and it's kind of expensive. Bill came out to like $16 per person for breakfast. Now that seems pricey for breakfast doesn't it?
But.... To be fair, the food was pretty tasty and they give good portions. Just stay away from a scowly organic waitress. Oh, and obviously if you're into the whole organic life thing then you will love this place. Good old home-feeling diner-types will dislike it and its Seattle hipster glasses vibe.
I met some friends who work in this building here for lunch one day. I should start by saying, this three-star review is a friendly one, and I wouldn't hesitate to eat here again if my friends invite me, but I would definitely order breakfast.
My friend had some kind of egg tortilla dish with sausage, kind of a tex-mex egg quesadilla looking thing, and it was yummy. My other friend and I ordered some special lunches, and they looked a lot prettier than they tasted. They were edible but I wouldn't order them again.
Portage Bay Cafe should not try to be a fine dining establishment and should stick to the basics of making yummy food of fresh ingredients.
As much as I love the original Portage Bay, I think I might love this one just an eensy bit more. You get the same delicious and sustainable eats, but the atmosphere and the elbow room have been kicked up a notch. The SLU location has soaring ceilings and huge windows to let in plenty of light and make the large space feel even bigger. The décor incorporates metal, wood, and concrete for a style that is slick and modern but more earthy than edgy. There's also outdoor seating if you want a side of Vitamin D with your meal.
Another bonus of the large space is that it's less crowded, or at least it feels that way, even though there's still definitely a brisk business happening here. We came here with a large party and were able to get seated in just a few minutes, which would be unthinkable at the other location. The shorter the wait, the sooner I get my hands on that toppings bar! That's a very, very good thing in my book.
Original Portage Bay review: http://www.yelp.com/bi...
What can I say... It was OK. Maybe my expectations were too high. I've been to the Roosevelt PBC many times, and had great experiences.
It felt like the "The Breakfast Factory" (If there was such a place). Pancakes and Swedish pancakes were not delicate and fluffy, but... well cakey and not even hot enough to melt the butter on them. Bacon cooled off and tasted liked it was plucked from a buffet. I've had both of these items at the other location. There they were prepared and served with detail and care.
The plus on this trip was no wait for weekend breakfast.
I'd been to Portage Bay in the U District before and was pretty impressed, but my experience at the South Lake Union one was a little under par. I was there with a party of 8, but the service was still not so great. One of my friends dishes came out wrong and then another person's was just forgotten.
The drinks (fun flavored mimosas) and the food that did come out were tasty, but that doesn't make up for the other stuff. I will most likely be back, but will probably not be expecting great service.
Happy Hour M-F 3-7PM
Neighborhood: Queen Anne
1/2 Price Wine
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Neighborhood: University District
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Magnolia
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Belltown
Category: American (New)
Seattle, WA
Category: Music Venues
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
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