Portage Bay Cafe in Ballard

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.

🥘: 9/10. I came here with a couple friends to catch up after a long time! We ordered a lot of food and they were all very delicious! I ordered the grain oat blueberry toast and it was delightful! I love how everything tastes so refreshing and fulfilling! And yes, I made a big trip to the fruit bar and I am very satisfied with the fruit! Very sweet and just perfect! There are many fruit options and it made my toast taste so much better! 🧑🏻‍🍳: 7/10: The waitress there are all very friendly and kind to us! Willing to give us many time to decide what we want because we are all very indecisive, they are very patient and so nice! I really like their service! Hopefully next time we don’t have to wait that long because this place is always crowded! 📍: 7/10: Great location with many parking spots but we are just very unlucky after waiting for a while and still do not have a parking spot! I am very glad that we came here because it is way more easier than the other locations to find parkings! It will be nice if we have more room between tables so the dining experience will be more comfortable and complete!

I come here once in a blue moon, but this time the food wasn’t so good. Pretty bland. Potatoes were cold, the tomato soup just wasn’t it. I could’ve made it at home myself. The service was great though!

The food is fine, just overpriced. $25 basic breakfast entrees (pancakes and eggs), seems a little outrageous for a diner. They also didn't want to give out the wifi. I understand the reasoning; they need to keep turning tables to make the $$$ and keeo things from turning into a coffee shop situation but I went on a random Monday and there were plenty of empty seats.

Berry bar is such a great idea! Food is tasty and the staff are very attentive. It can get very crowded walking around but be sure to make reservations if you plan on coming here

I ordered food for takeout this morning. 4 meals to go. Everything went well, got my food in 20 minutes, was handed the bag of food, a paper bag, and left. When I unload the bag onto our table I notice a huge oil stain like seeping through the bag. I unload the packages of food out of the bag and find 3 totally melted butter packets on the bottom of the bag. My rental car has butter stains on the seat. The vegan dish was on top of the butter packets and now it’s been contaminated. I tried to call the phone number but the phone number is automated and so the issue isn’t resolved. Thoughtless to whoever prepared our food.

Had to wait for a table even with a reservation. Mimosa served in water glass because they were out of Mimosa glasses. Seated by the door with a frequent draft and people walking by the table. Expected better for the price point.

Friends came from South Carolina. Decided they should enjoy the brunch experience at Portage Bay Café. Across the street from the beloved dive bar The Sloop in Ballard was the closest. First and foremost: at this (and every) Portage Bay location reservations are absolutely necessary. Open Table app is a much easier option than trying to get someone on the phone especially if you're actually doing the same-day reservation. You'll always get voicemail. They're just that busy. Went an hour and a half before our reservation time to request a table for eight at 1:30PM. We arrived 10 minutes before our reservation and checked in to make sure everything was tracking. Fast-forward: it would actually be another 35 minutes before we would get to sit down. I share this because as I was leaving I heard another couple say they were 25 minutes behind their reservation. If you regularly go to Portage Bay Cafés across the city, you know that a longer wait is not unusual (but it's helpful to know if you aren't accustomed). But here's how we managed that time delay in that neighborhood. We had four kids between the ages of four and 11 so we decided to take a walk down the block to visit the Danbo troll in front of the Nordic Heritage museum. A great place to pause for photos. Then, what is not as well known is that there is a cool full-size labyrinth behind back. So we went around back through the parking lot to the back entrance to explore another great PNW tradition: the walking labyrinth. We and the kids walked the labyrinth -- turned out to be a super cool experience that the kids took to right away. They had never done one before. We had a hard time pulling them away and had to suggest we return maybe after our lunch. At 90 minutes on the dot we went back to the restaurant and we were told they were waiting for one table to get up so that we could be seated together. Due to no fault of the staff another 25 minutes passed. At that point a couple in our party indicated they might have to leave... because they were not sure there would be time to for them to sit and eat their meal once they had ordered bc they had to get to their next commitment. I mentioned this to the host/hostess team and they sincerely apologized because they realized it had been quite a while. Luckily with fresh turnover they were able to offered us the option to sit outside. That actually suited us well because it gets pretty loud inside, and when kids are hungry and overstimulated it's nice to be in the open air. We indicated we were happy to sit in the fresh air. We were offered blankets to help with warmth. The outside seats have umbrellas to keep you dry which was helpful since it was drizzling a bit bit today. We had our orders all ready to go and placed them immediately. And they came out with in 10 minutes! The kitchen was very prompt; our server Erin understood our situation and was great about taking our orders immediately and bringing everything out as quickly as possible. What was also great was the kids took to climbing on the squid bike rack that is in front of the restaurant and that kept them occupied for the 25 minute delay. Then they had a field day visiting the breakfast bar with their pancakes. They came back with their plates loaded: fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, fresh raspberries, chocolate chips, fresh whip cream… It was like heaven. The pancakes came out as Mickey Mouse w/ the ears, and the kids appreciated that because they had been to Disney World earlier in the year. That pancake is a great excuse to get kids to eat fresh berries. With the adults the grapefruit and orange mimosas were very popular. Eggs Benedict is my traditional go to for breakfast or brunch but here they have something called the Seattle Benedict. Two of us ordered Seattle Benedict because the base is crab meat. The Huevos Rancheros came out tasting great with chorizo. We ordered some bacon and sausages on the side, maple pork sausages. The bacon had some nice pepper on it which I loved. The kids inhaled the pork sausages.

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!

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!

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!!

This is my favorite Portage Bay Cafe location. Highly recommend having a reservation as they get super busy. There are some outdoor seating and lots of indoor seating. The restaurant is always pretty busy. The kitchen is open layout so you can see while they are cooking your food. Wait staff is usually pretty good, can take a while sometimes due to how busy it gets. My favorite item is the Farmer's Hash Bowl I typically add goat cheese to it. The homemade gluten free bread is very good as well. The only downside is they do not have bloody Mary's.

Portage Bay is a great spot for brunch! The mimosas are delicious--just make sure to pace yourself before you get too litty, haha! My husband swears by the chilaquiles, and I'm all about the Benedicts. Service can be a little slow, but overall, it's a solid place. We've been back a few times!

We walked here after exploring the Ballard locks fish ladder on a Saturday morning. We sat outside because we brought our dog and they were kind enough to give us blankets to wrap ourselves since it was a little windy. We ordered the carnitas Benedict and the smoked salmon Benedict. Both were very delicious, the carnitas had a nice flavor and texture and the pickled onions on top were a nice touch and smoked salmon was flavorful and plenty. The only downside was that the side of potatoes came out a bit cold. But still would order both of the Benedicts again.

9/10. I came here with a couple friends to catch up after a long time! We ordered a lot of food and they were all very delicious! I ordered the grain oat blueberry toast and it was delightful! I love how everything tastes so refreshing and fulfilling! And yes, I made a big trip to the fruit bar and I am very satisfied with the fruit! Very sweet and just perfect! There are many fruit options and it made my toast taste so much better! 7/10: The waitress there are all very friendly and kind to us! Willing to give us many time to decide what we want because we are all very indecisive, they are very patient and so nice! I really like their service! Hopefully next time we don't have to wait that long because this place is always crowded! 7/10: Great location with many parking spots but we are just very unlucky after waiting for a while and still do not have a parking spot! I am very glad that we came here because it is way more easier than the other locations to find parkings! It will be nice if we have more room between tables so the dining experience will be more comfortable and complete!

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.

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.

Everything was ok. I remembered this place being better the first time for sure, but that was years ago. The food was fine, but nothing above average. Would go back if I was wanting brunch and in the area, but wouldn't specifically seek it out.

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.

I've been to this café several times, and overall have had good experiences. It's popular and can be somewhat loud when it's busy. The food is good and filling. If you can choose something that gets you over to their buffet with all the fruit and everything, that's a great option. In the past, I remember that multiple trips to the buffet were allowed, but I believe now their menu states that there is only one visit per customer. (I assume some people were taking advantage of the buffet.) Parking is a little tricky, allow yourself time for that. And if it's a really beautiful sunny day, you may have a wait, and it may be outside, so wear a sun hat. I will mention that I had to have them remake my eggs Benedict one time as the eggs were overcooked. So annoying when that yolk is not runny! So that took a while to get corrected, but in the end it was tasty.

Terrible first time experience...took 45 minutes to get our food. Waiter was snippy and challenging. Waitress poured hot coffee down someone's leg and did not clean the floor up.

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.

Yum!! We were in Seattle as our Alaskan cruise ended & we had some time before our plane is to depart back to Cleveland. Service was great! My meal choice (Mint Blintzes) earned me a trip to the fruit bar - delicious fruit and chocolate chips too! The restaurant was pretty busy - but a neat overall ambiance. Our bill was just over $100 for 3 people, including tip, but it was very delicious!!

My friend and I decided to brunch at this spot, and we were in for a treat. My friend ordered the migas quesadilla, and it was so generous in portion size that we ended up taking some home. As for me, I opted for the oatmeal French toast, which was not only massive but also made from scrumptious challah bread. The highlight was the fruit bar, allowing us to customize our toppings just the way we liked. It's no surprise that this Seattle brunch chain often has a line - the food is that good! A delightful brunch experience that's worth the wait.

Went with friends for brunch after a long walk with our dogs in the Ballard neighborhood. We took our dog along and sat outside. Me and my friend got the pancake, it comes with their breakfast bar - fruits, cream and all the toppings that you can go and pick! Love that and I highly recommend it. My husband ordered the shakshuka, was bad. The dish and the egg smelled weird. We were really put off by that.

It was my first time there and unfortunately, our food took an hour to arrive. We also noticed that the table seated 15 minutes after us got their entrees before we did. Our server told us the orange juice was freshly squeeze, but it just tasted like store bought with pulp added. The Eggs Benedict was just okay, not bad, but nothing special.

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

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.

Big fan of Portage Bay, and often end up eating here when friends/family visit seattle area, specifically the Ballard location. It's not as busy as the SLU location and from what I've seen easier to get a reservation too. Reservations are pretty much a must if you want to avoid a long wait-- I suspect a lot of the lower reviews are due to the wait times. Sometimes with a reservation you might still end up waiting say 15mins. Pretty classic diner/brunch spot vibes inside. I've tried a variety of menu items here (they have part of the brunch menu on some type of seasonal rotation), and my favorites are the breakfast bar items that you actually take to the fruit bar and load up on whatever you can finish! Savory stuff is solid too though, this specific visit I got the mole verde burrito. Felt pretty similarly portioned as a chipotle burrito.

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.

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. :/

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.

I came here for brunch on a Monday morning. I ordered the Seattle Benedict and my brother had the oatmeal French toast (a part of the breakfast bar). Both were very tasty. The crab on the Benny was fresh and buttery. Our food came out really quickly and our server was really excited to talk about the items in the menu. Would recommend checking out.

Portage Bay has great options for food and have been to this restaurant many times. Unfortunately today we had a waiter who was rude, distracted, and gave poor service when I went to the restaurant with my nephew. Our waiter also spilled a drink at our table and had an attitude when I cleaned it up for him. It was a really disappointing experience and honestly shocked that he treated our table so poorly when he treated the table next to us so attentively. The waiter was consistently checking on the guys seated next to us but I would have to waive him down when we needed assistance. He would also avoid giving eye contact and would walk away when I was trying to get his attention. He provided poor service and lacked professionalism. I hope in the future the service improves because otherwise the food is great.

It didn't look like there were many places to eat close to the Nordic Heritage Museum so we ended up here. It was yummmmmmy! Partner had a breakfast sandwich, bacon, eggs, arugula, side of country potatoes... pretty basic but was good. I had one of their July Specials, Lemon Ricotta Pancakes and they had a lovely amount of tartness. Additionally, there was a topping and berry bar with fresh berries and whipped cream. Really hit the spot. Always try the specials!

I just love Portage Bay and was excited to learn that they opened a new location closer to our place. Being Mother's Day and not having a reservation, I knew it would be tricky/impossible to get a table, so I arrived with my family right at 8am and they were able to seat us immediately as long as we left by 9 which was super reasonable! Food and staff were great as usual and the fruit bar is just so good!

Update - after posting this review, Portage Bay reached out and refunded me, actually the entire meal which is more than I asked. I've increased my stars from one to three bc things are resolved. Glad things are resolved! Thank you! Original post - Picked up an online order at the Ballard location. It was "ready" on time. Got home and one of our four meals was missing. Called restaurant to get a refund of the one meal and no one picked up. Left voicemail. No response so emailed. A few days later I emailed again after no response. A few more days I emailed the main office and still no response. So now I'm leaving this review to say that you would think a business would want to keep a customer, esp one who has been supporting this business for years, instead of essentially stealing from them. Will not be returning. Thank you, next!

Pros: good food, friendly service, locally sourced ingredients, monthly specials on top of a pretty awesome regular menu Cons: too popular on weekends, make sure you make an online reservation before you head over to avoid long wait, the breakfast bar is not as impressive as it was before the pandemic from my observation, less fresh fruits and more preserved fruits

We stopped here after visiting the park for some warm breakfast. It's one of my favorite meals of the day because breakfast food is plain good. I was hopeful but I settled on okay. The menu has a lot of choices for veggies and non-veggies and some specials. I ordered the banana fosters french toast which includes the berry bar. I love french toast, I was a little disappointed. It came out and I was so hopeful, it's big and fluffy but when I finally bit into it, it was a bit dry. Even with all the sauce it still felt dry, which seems difficult to accomplish but it happened. The berry bar is cute, it's a nice touch. The service was good, everyone was nice and accommodating for two moms and strollers. I don't think it was the best breakfast I've ever had, especially for the cost. There's other places I would go before going back here a second time.

Oh man this place is great. We had such an amazing time. Might have something to do with the mimosas. Or the dhow we got to watch from the view of the kitchen we had. Or maybe the amazing food we ate. The food was even better than I expected and I came expecting good food. Probably the best breakfast I've had in a long time and I've had some really good food recently. Lots of seating In here. I was seated at on of the bar counters. But I still felt like I had plenty of space. There was a line out the door so I'm just happy they were able to seat us within 10 minutes. Pure magic. I will be back very soon. This one's getting added to my collection. Oh. And they have vegan options. The downside of this place is. Maybe the weird bathroom situation. Only one inside and the other you have to kind of find your way to and from. I got lost on the way back. I also blame that mimos for that.

My husband planned for us to go on the "Heart of Seattle Savory Food Tour", and our guide, Evan, made this our first stop. Since it was late morning, we didn't have any wait time, and were seated immediately. As soon as we walked into this dining hall with high ceilings, lots of natural light, we were overwhelmed by the gorgeous plates of food being served to the tables around us. Our guide asked if we liked eggs Benedict, and he suggested we try the Dungeness Crab Cake Benedict, and what a treat it was. The hollandaise sauce nicely paired with the lump crab cakes, topped with poached eggs. Since we were on a food tour of several local restaurants, we didn't have the option of ordering separate dishes to try, but this is definitely one we'd love to return to when visiting the area again. We noticed there were waffle and pancake options on the menu, and there was a "toppings" table nearby, where we noticed guests adding strawberries and other delectable items to their dishes.

Met here for a group gathering and we accommodated well. Portage appears to get crowded on weekends so this was good to see. It was wet and cool outside yet the outside seating was filled up. They provide heaters and blankets should you choose to sit outside which is pretty novel and haven't seen that. The strongest thing about Portage seems to be their menu. I saw at least 3 things including a special I wanted to try - the Pulled pork Skillet. It seems to be popular as they were out of it for the day. I decided on the Tres Leches Pancakes (I love my pancakes) and a side of bacon. The pancakes were large, and came appropiately with 3. The pancakes themselves were sweet which was great, they sat in another milk which was also sweet but found it to be a bit too much as it made pancakes a bit soggy. The Pancakes were topped with a whipped cream which was good. When you get Pancakes or similar menu items you can load up at the fruit station where they have various berries and more, including more whipped cream which of course I helped myself to. The side of bacon was 4 strips of nice lean bacon. To drink I had hopped cider as it was brunch by this point. I'd love to come back here my only critique is with the amount folks being served and menu choices leads to errors. There were a couple of menu mix ups where bussers would bring meals to our table not ordered and a couple of small orders didn't make it through. Overall it went well here and I'd love to get back for another visit, perhaps early and on a weekday.

The food is always top notch. The berry bar is super yummy. The eggs are tasty. The Benedict's are wonderful. The staff are very accommodating and personable. The place can get jumping so I like to make a reservation through open table. The wait time can be long otherwise.

loved this restaurant right next to the ballard locks! such a cute spot with delicious local food and great service. next time i'm in the area shopping, i'll come back ready to feast :)

Always a long wait, but don't bother making a reservation as it is meaningless. I decided to bring my mom here as she's visiting me and was sure to be early to the reservation. It was just us 2 so I was sure the restaurant could accommodate us, but apparently even suggesting to the host that we be sat before our reserved time deserves a rude response. Regardless, we showed up at our reserved time, were told we were about to be sat, and then rudely told to wait outside (which was extremely confusing). 15 minutes passed, and we decided to eat at Kiss Cafe. TLDR: Don't bother with reservations, go eat at Kiss Cafe.

A great brunch spot with all of the classic fixings for a sweet or savory brunch -- they have multiple locations in the city but I'm a fan of this Ballard one! Wait times can get long on Sundays but the food is super fast once you're seated. You can also make reservations ahead of time, but the wait's always been manageable. They have plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, complete with heat lamps and blankets. The portion sizes are hefty and everything tastes great: Huevos Rancheros -- loved it! the potatoes are crispy, the eggs were perfect, and the pickled onions brought everything together. Farmer's Hash -- really tasty and filling! The wheat toast that it comes with was super unique and I liked it a LOT. Tres Leches Pancakes -- loved that you could add all the fresh fruit and berries from the breakfast bar! They weren't overwhelmingly sweet either, and perfect to share for the table. Guava Citrus Mimosa Pitcher -- THE ELITE MENU ITEM! Grab a friend or two because these are probably my favorite mimosas I've had... ever?

I have only had the biscuits and gravy but would recommend to any who enjoys a plate. Would be better if they offered some hot sauce options.

My wife found this place on yelp one morning as we were looking for a brunch spot. This place did not disappoint. The service was excellent and the food was even better. The Bacon was to die for!! I have since visited this place twice. LOL I would definitely recommend here for a great brunch. The music selection is great too!

The food is amazing, I'll give them that. But the service is beyond disappointing every time we go. Today we waited 40 minutes to be seated, and we made a reservation days prior. I watched six groups get seated before mine, all of which arrived after we did. I asked the hostess how long the wait would be and she acted as though my presence was a nuisance. I'm giving three stars because the food is to die for, but honestly will just be ordering takeout from now on.

Great breakfast spot with plenty of vegetarian and a couple vegan items. We stopped for breakfast on a Thursday morning looking for a vegan breakfast. We both got the "The farmer's daughter", which is a vegan version of the farmer's hash, i.e., which is made vegan by subbing the eggs for tofu and mushrooms ($16.50 plus tax). The dish is fairly bland, but comes with all sorts of nice root veggies (potatoes, parsnips, carrot) and other veggies (red pepper, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, etc.), along with all sorts of different mushrooms, and with a couple of large pieces of firm tofu and a big, hearty piece of bread. Flavour-wise, it's not the most inventive dish, but the array of veggies really sets this apart. Big portion, good value and very good service. Good spot.

Brunch Breakfast place in Ballard neighborhood. Crowded on a Sunday during the farmers market. We had reservations so we were seated in a timely manor. Waitstaff was very attentive, friendly and on top of things. The facility needs to have better airflow ...it was full of patrons and tight dining. They have a nice fresh fruit bar with whip cream for those who choose to order French toast or pancakes. I had the eggs Benedict with mushrooms. The English muffins were burnt...so I couldn't cut through very well with the poached egg etc...it just didn't wow me. I loved the raspberry ice tea. My husband had a scramble and he also felt underwhelmed with the bland flavors. So overall...it's obviously popular...guess we just didn't choose wisely!

Honestly I feel like the food here is 3 stars but the fruit bar brings it up to 4 stars. Portage bay is a pretty typical diner-ish brunch spot! Nothing fancy, big portions, burnt coffee, so nothing to write home about there. The big plus about coming here, though, is the unlimited fruit bar. It's honestly amazing bringing my plate of French toast there and just loading it up with berries and way too many scoops of whipped cream. They also have some other toppings besides fruit like nuts and coconut, but the fruit is where it's at. The whipped cream tbh is probs whipped too much and almost like butter but doesn't matter to me! I love whipped cream. Definitely recommend making a reservation here a few days before you wanna come! Makes no sense to wait in line when it's so easy to make a res.

Happy to find a brunch spot last minute. You can make a reservation via open table I believe. My friend made the reservation. Anyway the food here is decent and consistent. I had the crab cake Benedict and it was good. Three things- the crab cake could be fried a little longer for extra crisp edges but it was still good. The hollandaise sauce was not acidic enough for my taste. Hoped there were more sauces to add to our food. Overall, it was an enjoyable morning with my friends.

Crab cakes were bomb the best dish of three we had. Our server Andrew is an absolute gem! Wonderful brunch.

Fav brunch spot!!!!! Reasonable prices (see pics) two of us ate for under $40!!!!! Will not find better quality food, better taste, or better customer service. The employees actually want to work and be there. Pretty cool to see the biz has weathered COVID while upholding standards!!! Will be back.

Made a reservation for 11:30m but when we went to check-in, they just wrote our names down on the clipboard with everyone else who walked-in. Not sure what the point of a reservation was. We were also told it'll be a few minutes. Judging by the amount of people there were, we knew it would definitely take 30-60 min. We ended up getting seated at 12:10pm. We ordered quickly, but our food didn't arrive till 12:50pm. Ordered the October 2022 weekend specials: raspberry waffles and steak Benedict. The waffles didn't have anything but waffle and syrup. Not sure if I missed the memo on where the raspberry would be. But at least they had a free toppings bar with fresh berries, whipped cream, butter and nuts. Not sure what type of batter this was but I really liked it. It tasted like a sugar cookie. The darker syrup was also really nice! Like a caramel almost but not quite. The eggs in the Benedict were medium boiled eggs... yup both of them were boiled. Luckily, when our waiter came around to ask about our food, he went back to grab us two properly poached eggs. The steak was nothing special either. Overall, the service was good and food was good since it's all local. However, we would not come again due to the wait time and unorganized system. For two dishes and a drink, it cost us $58 (without tips). That's crazy expensive for breakfast food. Overhyped and not worth the wait.

Portage Bay Café is located in Ballard, an industrial suburb located just north of downtown Seattle. In tune with the rest of its surroundings, Portage Bay's soft gray corrugated wall exterior plays into the modern industrial design aspect really well. The inside is airy, lofty, and warm-- and consequently, a great place to meet with extended family I personally had not seen in years. We ordered the Oatmeal Cobbler French Toast and the Pork Belly Eggs Benedict. First off, the oatmeal cobbler french toast was simply stunning!! The oatmeal crumb crust offered a subtle crunch in comparison to the soft, fluffy bread. The blackberry compote and the lemon crème anglaise were surprisingly, not too sweet. I do wish there was a little more acidity/sourness to the compote, and an additional crunch to balance out the fluffiness of the bread would have just been the icing on top! If you get one of the sweet options, you get a trip to the "breakfast bar," where you'll find an array of seasonal fruits, whipped cream, and organic maple syrup! My family went WILD on this. We did end up wishing we just got a more "normal" french toast or something so that way we could take full advantage of the breakfast bar. The pork belly benedict was one of their specials. It was decent, but the pork belly was a little tough, and while it was supposed to be marinated in teriyaki sauce, it didn't really taste like it. The benedict sauce however, was amazing! Additionally, my dad got the pepper bacon benedict and he liked it, so it may have just been our choice in meat! Also, potatoes were the BEST potatoes I've had at a restaurant. Usually, I'm pretty disappointed by restaurant potatoes, but these were really well seasoned!!