I *heart* the Portage Bay Cafe. Their weekend brunch is seriously wonderful. The yogurt pancakes with the awesome "toppings bar" featuring tons of fresh fruit, whipped cream and syrup are to die... More

I *heart* the Portage Bay Cafe. Their weekend brunch is seriously wonderful. The yogurt pancakes with the awesome "toppings bar" featuring tons of fresh fruit, whipped cream and syrup are to die for. They also have really great omlettes and scrambles, made with organic eggs. For lunch, they have great sandwiches (the avocado turkey club is sooooo good) that come with cubed, herbed potatos that are so very tasty. The potatos are also a side for the breakfasts. In the summer, there is a very nice outdoor patio. If you come for breakfast, be prepared to wait -- as with any truly great weekend brunch in Seattle. The sandwiches are a little pricey. But it's worth it.
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Hands down - best brunch I've ever had! Most if not all of their food is organically grown. The pancakes are great and include a breakfast bar - this is the best part - huge bowls of strawberries,... More

Hands down - best brunch I've ever had! Most if not all of their food is organically grown. The pancakes are great and include a breakfast bar - this is the best part - huge bowls of strawberries, raspberries, pears, blueberries, blackberries, and at the end of the bar a HUGE bowl of whipped cream! The crab cakes are also very delicious. The wait on Sunday can be very long but worth the wait!
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There are two main reasons we go to Portage Bay Cafe - the early hours on the weekend (8am) and the pancake bar. Get there early, this place fills up quickly. Order a pancake (buttermilk or rice... More

There are two main reasons we go to Portage Bay Cafe - the early hours on the weekend (8am) and the pancake bar. Get there early, this place fills up quickly. Order a pancake (buttermilk or rice flour) and start glopping on the toppings - you could feed a family with just one trip to the bar! Their other brunch items are usually pretty good, including some pretty inventive omlette specials. We haven't had the courage to try the "Banana's Foster challah french toast with myers rum caramel sauce and sauteed bananas".
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A little on the pricy side but the menu and lots of interesting choices. Food was fresh and had plenty of seafood, veggie and other healthy alternative as well as good old fashion burgers and such.... More

A little on the pricy side but the menu and lots of interesting choices. Food was fresh and had plenty of seafood, veggie and other healthy alternative as well as good old fashion burgers and such. Service was excellent and the outdoor seating was really nice on a sunny day.
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It's a little breakfast and lunch cafe! You sit down....they come around to take your order (they don't smile or say good mornig or anything) and then they bring the food (and the check while you... More

It's a little breakfast and lunch cafe! You sit down....they come around to take your order (they don't smile or say good mornig or anything) and then they bring the food (and the check while you are eating). It's usually pretty good if you don't care about having more personalized service. Well, I don't think that you should ask for much when you are paying below $ 10, good food should be the reason to go....
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I went for weekend brunch. You'll probably have about a 30-45 minute wait on weekends, like many brunch places. Their new menu (spring 03) is enticing, but not very memorably executed. It's good,... More

I went for weekend brunch. You'll probably have about a 30-45 minute wait on weekends, like many brunch places. Their new menu (spring 03) is enticing, but not very memorably executed. It's good, but it's not great. The service, on the other hand, was terrible. The maitre d' runs the front of the house very well, but I dont knwo what it is with the servers. Surly, brusque, forgetful...I had to get up and find a knife and a spoon, and our plates sat under the warmer for 15 minutes...passed by by at least five servers and utterly ignored by our own. She never even came back to check how we were doing after she dropped off the dried-out plates. I looked around, and I didn't see this restricted to just our section. Perhaps it's better on weekdays, but I'll skip it for weekends and go to Maltby instead.
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I had the best breakfast of my life in this place. The new chef is a young genius. The menu includes both simple, familiar dishes and creative innovations. Everything is made with fresh, high... More

I had the best breakfast of my life in this place. The new chef is a young genius. The menu includes both simple, familiar dishes and creative innovations. Everything is made with fresh, high quality ingredients and is delicious! I've been here many times and would happily eat at Portage Bay every day if I could. Pros: Fantastic food, Fair trade coffee, Affordable Cons: Busy on weekends
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A nice place to go if you want to wait for a table for a half-hour before being told the host forgot to write your name down. Not a gracious or organized host to say the least. A waste of... More

A nice place to go if you want to wait for a table for a half-hour before being told the host forgot to write your name down. Not a gracious or organized host to say the least. A waste of time. Pros: good food Cons: crowded, disorganized, wait time too long
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Breakfast here was so yummy! The bananas foster french toast is amazing -- three huge slices of challah with caramelized bananas in a sweet rum sauce with a big dollop of real whipped cream to top... More

Breakfast here was so yummy! The bananas foster french toast is amazing -- three huge slices of challah with caramelized bananas in a sweet rum sauce with a big dollop of real whipped cream to top it all off. My husband's corned beef hash was great, too -- everything was fresh and high quality. Plus, no long wait, efficient service, and a pleasant room. Can't wait to go back next weekend! Pros: Great breakfast, Fast service, Prompt seating
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Portage Bay Cafe serves the biggest, most delicious breakfasts around! We stumbled upon it over a year ago and have been regulars ever since. The bananas foster French toast is to die for!

Portage Bay Cafe serves the biggest, most delicious breakfasts around! We stumbled upon it over a year ago and have been regulars ever since. The bananas foster French toast is to die for!
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