This establishment has received rave reviews not only from myself personally and the family, but also relatives from out of town. Each time they come into town we HAVE to go here (practically every... More

This establishment has received rave reviews not only from myself personally and the family, but also relatives from out of town. Each time they come into town we HAVE to go here (practically every morning). They call, asking us how Portage Bay is doing. I don't know if I should even go on... EVERYTHING is good. The breakfast bar is great, offering lots of fresh fruit and tons of whipped cream. However, my all time favorite is the chicken basil sausage. You haven't done your visit justice if you have not ordered this as a side. Pros: great attention to organic and natural foods, great eats Cons: very busy on the wkends, so get there early or make a res
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My friends and I have never had a bad experience at PBC in the 3 years we've been going there. Service was always prompt and friendly and the food superb. In fact, any time I have out of town... More

My friends and I have never had a bad experience at PBC in the 3 years we've been going there. Service was always prompt and friendly and the food superb. In fact, any time I have out of town visitors, I take them to PBC at least once. The wait can be a little long sometimes, especially on holidays and sunny days, but it's well worth it. Pros: free parking, great food and service Cons: high popularity on weekends leads to long waiting lists
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I'm not sure how this place managed to get its positive reviews - maybe the U. District clientele just doesn't know what good food and service are. Definitely a case of style over substance. Pro: ... More

I'm not sure how this place managed to get its positive reviews - maybe the U. District clientele just doesn't know what good food and service are. Definitely a case of style over substance. Pro: If you want a couple of giant, decent-tasting pancakes with syrup and berries, this is your place. Cons: At 10am on a weekday, the potatoes were overseasoned and dried out, the coffee weak, the poached eggs an unappealing and watery mass, the service slow, and the waitresses abrupt and inattentive. The prices seemed rather high for the usual breakfast kind of thing (eggs, toast, potatoes, etc.) and if you want to split a meal with a friend, that will cost you an extra five bucks. Pros: Is trendy and has a high ceiling Cons: Service, food quality
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The throngs of people waiting outside Portage Bay Cafe should be your first indication of its excellence; although the wait is generally twenty minutes or more, it is well worth it! With deliciously... More

The throngs of people waiting outside Portage Bay Cafe should be your first indication of its excellence; although the wait is generally twenty minutes or more, it is well worth it! With deliciously unique egg scrambles, and a fruit bar for your pancakes that is to die for, this is my first choice for a birthday breakfast, or a place to hang with my friends Sunday morning after a Saturday night out. Weekdays it is quieter, and a perfect place to chat, or take a date.
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Amazing breakfast, huge pancake/waffle bar with fresh fruits and berries. I had the Bananas Foster Pancakes which were to die for (more like dessert than breakfast though) and two others at our... More

Amazing breakfast, huge pancake/waffle bar with fresh fruits and berries. I had the Bananas Foster Pancakes which were to die for (more like dessert than breakfast though) and two others at our table had various scrambles which were really good as well. They use different and really fresh and tasty ingredients. Service was good, I recommend calling ahead for a reservation on the weekends. Pros: Food, service, outdoor patio Cons: crowded, wait time
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I was surprised by the creative menu options, and the food was excellent. Also, BRAVO to the owners and staff for Portage Bay's commitment to organic and sustainable food sources!!! The brunch is... More

I was surprised by the creative menu options, and the food was excellent. Also, BRAVO to the owners and staff for Portage Bay's commitment to organic and sustainable food sources!!! The brunch is excellent, but expect to wait for a table, the place gets pretty packed. The cafe is very bright, with big huge windows and warm wood, a very inviting atmosphere. Don't expect to eat here for dinner though, they close at 3pm. Pros: yummy food options, all the food is organic and from sustainable sources when possible Cons: over-busy staff, crowded, a bit pricey
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These are magical words...although I've had better French toast (see Sunflour Cafe and The Dish), what I like about Portage Bay is that I can have different toppings on challah French toast...which... More

These are magical words...although I've had better French toast (see Sunflour Cafe and The Dish), what I like about Portage Bay is that I can have different toppings on challah French toast...which is worth the trade off. Or chai French toast...my two fav. things. They also have yummy organic, natural ingredients and I like the Northwest feel of the place. Sure, it's a long wait, but you'll find that at most good breakfast/brunch places.
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I finally tried Portage Bay Cafe thanks to numerous positive posts on Judy's Book and I think its my new favorite breakfast place. The menu is fantastic, I truly had a difficult time deciding since... More

I finally tried Portage Bay Cafe thanks to numerous positive posts on Judy's Book and I think its my new favorite breakfast place. The menu is fantastic, I truly had a difficult time deciding since everything sounded delicious. I finally tried a sampler breakfast, which included French toast, which meant a trip to the toppings bar. The French toast was delicious, my only complaint was that I wish there was more fresh fruit (I could tell it was frozen berries), but that may? change when more fresh berries are in season. Other than that and the potatoes being a bit dry, everything was delicious. The sausages were fantastic and my sunny side eggs were perfectly cooked. Good atmosphere, a bit crowded/noisy, but it was Saturday at 11am, so anywhere you go is going to have that problem. I want to go back and try all of the egg dishers and maybe even the pancakes. Portage bay to me is what breakfast should be- healthy and flavorful (plus a bit organic!) Oh and I could get a latte, which makes breakfast perfection. I wish they had a bloody mary though, but thats what chow foods is for.
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Oh yum. I had the best brunch ever on Sunday at the Portage Bay Cafe. Get there early! The lines are wait is long and the space is small. Just wedge your way in to the coffee counter and purchase a... More

Oh yum. I had the best brunch ever on Sunday at the Portage Bay Cafe. Get there early! The lines are wait is long and the space is small. Just wedge your way in to the coffee counter and purchase a cup of coffee to sip on while you wait and puruse the morning paper. Once sat, please please please order the breakfast bar the first time. You have a choice of about 6 types of pancakes (honey and vanilla, whole wheat, crepes) of which you get served two giant ones. Proceed to the breakfast bar and top your pancakes with one of many fresh fruit options, such as marionberries, raspberries, strawberries, peaches, blueberries, as well as fresh whipped butter, fresh whipped cream or warm maple syrup. If you are not in a pancake mood, consider one of their delicious omelettes. Try the smoked salmon! They were very accomidating to our strange requests and refilled the coffee in a timely manner. Just one thing: Please turn off your cell phones! :)
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Although they have good ingredients (lots of organic products), their owner is a rude guy who treats their customers really poorly. As I was finishing my meal, my plate was taken away but I still... More

Although they have good ingredients (lots of organic products), their owner is a rude guy who treats their customers really poorly. As I was finishing my meal, my plate was taken away but I still had a full cup of coffee. My waitress had just refilled my coffee. While I was finishing my coffee, I was putting stamps on some letters I needed to send. He comes up to me and kicks me out, basically. Very rudely, he said I needed to leave or I could use the conference room. Why would I want to use their confereence room??? I was not doing some major project and using their table for hours. I had just finished my meal. Also it was not one of their busy times, which are on weekend mornings. Anyway, because of his jerkiness I will never go back. PROS: Organic ingredients CONS: Rude owner
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