Portage Bay Cafe - Ballard

I’m so glad my friends and I did a reservation on a Saturday because they were crowded. We checked in with them and got our table a few minutes after that. We ordered Seattle Benedict and French Toast. I think their foods are tasty, but they are quite expensive. Customer service is great. I would definitely recommend to people👍

My husband and I stopped here for breakfast on the recommendation of one of his coworkers before a busy day of sightseeing in Seattle. I ordered the Farmer's Hash Bowl, which was full of fresh veggies, eggs, pepper bacon, and mushrooms with whole wheat toast (it's homemade and AMAZING) and my husband had the migas which had very well-seasoned scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, housemade salsa, and cilantro-lime crema in a flour tortilla topped with guac and he ordered a salad as his side. It was all so delicious! We also ordered one of their pancakes to share and I can definitely say it is among the best pancakes I've ever had in my life - fluffy, tender, and it soaked up the butter and syrup beautifully and it was even better topped with whipped cream and berries from the breakfast bar! Our server was very friendly and attentive and we both agreed we'd happily return again in the future.

This was recommended by a friend in the area to visit for breakfast or lunch. In our case we went for brunch, and I have to say the food was AMAZING!!! I can see why you have to wait for this place. Once we got inside, the service was great. We were served by 'Andrew S', and he was awesome!!! Really did a great job in looking after us. (He should get a raise). The only downside was that if you don't pre-book your seat in advance, your gonna wait. We waited for nearly 50 minutes. So call and make a reservation in advance!!!

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.

I’m visiting from Minneapolis, and my dear friend highly recommended this spot! I have high expectations for brunch, and Portage Bay exceeded them. Everything on the menu sounded delectable, and it was hard to land in one entree. I ended up going with the Seattle Benedict, which consisted of avocado, fresh crab, arugula, poached eggs, and hollandaise on an English muffin. The crab was so tasty, and being from the Midwest, I really appreciated how fresh it was. The Benedict was hearty and satisfying, and the potatoes were excellent too. I enjoyed the coffee as well. The service was friendly and attentive, and I loved sitting on their patio. It was a wonderful experience, and I would definitely go back.

Fantastic brunch place in Seattle. The line up wait time was reasonable. 15 mins wait on Saturday 11am Our server, Erin, was super friendly and chill, introducing the dishes she recommends personally and giving detailed explanations on the dishes feature patiently. We ordered the shrimp Benedict and lemon ricotta pancake, waited around 15-20 minutes for the fish to arrive Food was prettttttt good. Shrimp egg Benny: definitely well seasoned, the shirmp is on the spot, tender and bouncy texture. The sauce is at the right thickness too. Though the muffin was not the fluffy one that we were used to, it was pretty interesting too. (Almost tastes like raw sour dough) Pancake was the besttttt, the buttery flavour and the light touch of lemon was purrrrrfect, plus the fruit bar was simply a fantastic idea. 2 people, after tax and tips, around $80. Reasonable pricing. Love this place, and will definitely revisit again when we are coming to Seattle next time.

I was honestly a little disappointed - the place is great, and I enjoyed the staff, but I ordered a mother's day special lemon blueberry french toast and it was much heavier than I expected. And no discernable lemon or blueberry flavor to it, either. But the saving grace is the incredible fruit bar, so pile as much on as you can! I also saw the swedish pancakes (crepes, really) and they were smaller than I expected. But I was sitting at the counter and could see the kitchen guys flipping pancakes, which I think would have much preferred. I'm not local, but I would definitely come back to try different things on the menu, I just think their version of french toast is not my preference.