Bay 13 Restaurant

It was busy on a First Thursday, so my Wife and I were lucky to have reservations. This restaurant was like a giant party. Everyone having a great time. My halibut was very tasty, and my Wifes seared Ahi was great. The food was presented very professionally. Even though some would think that the portions are small, I did not leave hungry. It is nice to finally have an establishment as dedicated to service and seafood as this place in Portland. We will be coming back to enjoy more on the menu. So.....in a nutshell; prompt seating with reservation, prompt wait service, and very tasty food. I am not a food critic, but the food seemed prepared in a french manner. The sauce was very creamy. Try it!!!! Pros: Highly charged atmosphere, great tasting food, very professional Cons: Warm water and cold bread more

I've given this place three shots to win me over, and after three shots Bay 13 is now off the list. Sure, the sushi is good, as is the seafood stew; the rest of the menu, however, does not set Bay 13 apart from any other seafood restaurant between Portland and Omaha. The real killer is the service - the staff have terrible attitudes and seem like they'd rather chat with each other than service their tables. Last visit: 15 minutes before we got water service, another 10 until we were able to order drinks (had to tap another server to hunt down the kid waiting on us), dishes were served as they were put out from the kitchen rather than together so we could all eat at the same time, the waiter rolled his eyes when my friend asked for a taste of a certain wine, and the manager completely blew us off when we complained about the poor service. Pros: Like the open space Cons: Everything else: mediocre food, exorbitant price, TERRIBLE service more

Great bar, good food, especially sushi and oysters, and the best staff in the Pearl. I like the place as a hangout for people watching and light cruising. Light I say because although there is an abundance of attractive people (in from the burbs), most of em are clueless and loco. Yes this place has an outstanding cruising scene, but the pickins tend to be on the psychologically skewed side. Girls tend to be vapid beuties looking for mr goodbar, and the guys often are young MD's who come in in their scrubs. So, it is an easy place to dine, drink, and ""take home"" the leftovers, just beware, the treat you took home for a late night snack might spoil leaving you wishing you weren't such a pathetic loser. All in all, a fun place for the hunger in us all!!! Pros: Food and Drink and Staff Cons: Noisy more

We eat out quite often in the Pearl District, and have eaten at Bay 13 several times in the last 6 months. It appears that the restaurant tried to ""upgrade"" with a new executive chef from NY, but it is apparent that the change has resulted in staff that are in a state of turmoil and unhappy, which shows up in the quality of food and service. Is this the kind of restaurant experience that put Portland in the national eye? We don't think so. We're done with Bay 13. Pros: Good seafood Cons: Constant staff turnover due to new Chef (Ned) - don't expect staff to be happy or well-trained more

Went to Bay 13 for dinner over the weekend and was not blown away by anything. Arrived early enough as a walk-in to get seated outside around 6pm. Greeted promptly by our server. Had a negroni, which is my standard drink to judge any bar/bartender. Surprisingly, it was pretty well done. Had a sushi roll that was impressive. Shrimp tempura and crab with avocado and 4 sauces. The sauces were a little too much under the roll and tough to decipher a couple of them. Ordered salmon and braised lamb shank along with 2 sides, fingerling potatoes and cauliflower. The salmon dish was exceptional with corn and beans. Salmon cooked perfectly medium rare and went will with the sauce. Lamb shank was fall apart tender with good flavor. Didn't really go well with the white beans, which seemed a little under cooked, but the lamb itself was a success. The sides were very average. $5 for a small bowl of potatoes with brussel sprout leaves lackinig in flavor was a little much. The cauliflower au gratin was hot but lacked any flavor. Not enough seasoning and couldn't taste any cheese. Also had the chowda, which was pretty good, but a little over salted. This place is more for the hipster pearl be-seen scene than for a nice dining experience. Many better places to eat in Portland for the price. Pros: Outside seating Cons: Everything else more

Last night, I invited 6 friends over to Bay13 to celebrate the birthday of my friend R. He wanted to try the place out and I did not try to recommend another place, as I wanted to oblige him on his birthday. My previous below-average experiences at Bay13 should have taught me better... Pros: Location, maybe. Cons: Disinterested service, watery drinks, food timing and consistency more

Good service, good atmosphere, but it is all about the food. The sushi was average at best, seemed to be heavily filled with mayonnaise vs pure fish. The biggest disappointment of the night was the opakapaka. All of us have lived in Hawaii for years and have never seen a cut like this one. We actually had to use a knife to cut it and left what almost looked like gristle on the plate. Our waiter was apologetic and told us that we should have told him earlier so he could fix it. However, they did comp the desserts which was appreciated. Pros: Good Service and Atmosphere Cons: Worst Seafood I Have Had in Years more

One of the best meals we've had. We had the crab appitizer , which had some sophisticated flavors. My wife loved the scallops, saying it was the best meal she's had. I had the Flat Iron Steak, which I loved. Each meal came with two sides, including a little greans, which is a welcome change. The atmosphere is great and the service was pretty good. A little spendy; an appetizer, two dinners, and 4 drinks came to $85, but it's worth it. Pros: Taste, Atmosphere, Full set of sides with the main dish Cons: Mixed drink had to go back more

This was the best seafood I've ever had!! We had a table of 10 and passed around the meals and every one was sooooo fabulous!!! Whether it was the sushi, appetizers, or the wonderful sole and crab entree. Loved it. more

I've been going to this restaurant for awhile now and it just keeps getting better. One of the friendliest restaurants in town in my opinion. Last time I visited they had just recieved some incredible oysters in from Canada. They were the freshest and tastiest I've had in some time and the server gave me quite a bit of great info on all the options. I paired this up with the Beet Salad and it was perfect. If you haven't tried the Beet Salad please do so. One of the healthiest and tastiest in Portland. Pros: Service, Ambience, Seafood, Cons: It was parking, but I think they now have valet more

I really enjoyed my experience but that was because i enjoy the newer, trendier spots. The look is neat and unique, a very different restaurant to bar look than i had seen before. The service is really average, typical of newer places. The fish i had for my entree was fantastic and very attractive presentation which i really appreciated. Drinks were good as i recall and it was a nice experience. The tables are very close together and it can get loud but the younger crowds (21-45) should enjoy it! Pros: Food, drinks, look Cons: price, cramped seating more

A friend took me here for a dinner the other night and the space was beautiful. Great room -- very open and modern dining space. The sushi was excellent, but the food was subpar. Pros: great dining and open space Cons: salty food, attitude, and service more

I came in for quick round of sushi and was very pleased. The service was very friendly and the dining room looked interesting. I'm looking forward to going back for dinner! Pros: Sushi! Cons: None so far... more

I do not recommend this spot unless maybe to dine on sushi or other bar fare. The serviced was not innattentive or rude, just sloppy and it did not seem our waitress was actually trained as such. Our bread came out after the appetizer and only minutes prior to the food. And, the appetizer clearly had enough goopiness for bread service. Though a pleasant young woman, our waitress' drink service acumen was below par - our food arrived while still mid glass our first wine order...that was about 15 minutes from seating to food hitting the table. I guess they needed the table or something. However, the food was so fast, we did not have time to even order a second cocktail or glass of wine till our entrees were almost complete. What happened to the pre-dinner cocktail??? We refused desert prior to viewing the menu but I caught a glimpse. Unimpressive and expected compared to other portland area dining sites. Oh...the food. Our Ahi Poke was over-marinated and the fish was hard to find on the palate beneath overpowering onion, soy and ginger. My boyfriend had the pork tenderloin. The server did not ask how he would like it cooked and it came medium well. My crab infused sole was watery. The heat lamps at the server's food pick-up station were not a good sign either..maybe that explains the pork. Atmosphere - chaotic. Pros: water choices - still or bubbles - though she brought us still and we ordered bubbles Cons: most of it more

I really wanted to like is place but it just didn't happen. I guess I'll give them some time and try again. more

We went to Bay 13 on April's 1st Thursday Night. We went around 9pm and the place was pretty packed in the bar area. We wanted to sit for dinner so we asked how long of a wait and since there was just two of us the got us in right away. Their manager was helping host, but was very friendly. We brought a bottle of wine and our waitress knew a bit about wine and became very chatty with us. I have been to El Gaucho and Mortans and had great service, but she did even better then their servers. There menu was large and had way too many great options to choose from. We told her to select her favorite Entree for us to split, she had an excelent choice, it was Sole Infused with Crab Meat. We know how expensive crab is right now, and the cost of the Entree was only $17. I was very empressed. It was the best seafood dish I have ever had from any Portland Restaurant. For Dessert we had her choose her favorite again and she chose a Lite Chocolate Moose dessert, it was outstanding. We went home very, very happy with everything, and a bill that was much less than we would have imagined. Bay 13 has a great atmosphere and a great design to it. Definetely have to try this place out! Pros: Great Food, Great Service, Great Ambience more

It's always a gamble trying new places, and this one did not pay off for us. The restaurant is nicely designed, with a modern but mellow decor and several eating spaces, a sushi bar, raw bar, and inddor and outdoor dining rooms. Our server was pleasant and helpful. more

I'm not sure how the previous reveiws were so negative - but bear in mind, every new restaurant needs a little time to catch their stride. Having read the reviews, I was pleasantly suprised when my boyfriend and I had a very positive experience at Bay 13. You won't have to contend with a smoky bar or insane waits at this new spot on the Portland restaurant scene. The large, bright, airy space and expansive patio offer fresh, simply prepared seafood in a sleek environment. Best of all - for those who care where their food comes from - Bay 13 prides themselves on serving only seafood that is caught in a sustainable manner. Standouts: ceviche, oysters galore, and the seafood risotto. Service was friendly and prompt. As for the scene, perhaps it's a bit trendy on weekends or first thursdays, but I observed all 'types' on my Tuesday evening visit. Bay 13's only downside: exiting with a very full stomach only to see the gym staring you in the face. Pros: Clean, sleek environment, sustainably caught seafood Cons: parking more

Bay 13 serves up a mix of causual elegance and contemporary cuisine in a spacious location. The seafood menu is welcome addition to the area. The feel is vibrant yet urban. A great spot to gather up friends for drinks and delicious food. I especially enjoyed the sushi selection! Definitely a must-see! Pros: Hip; Unique; Delicious Cons: May be crowded more

Again, wow! Pros: entree variety, ambiance & tasty drinks Cons: parking more