"At first I was a little put off by the need to have a reservation at a cafe for breakfast. Then WOW now I understand. The atmosphere is a mix between industrial and boho. The staff is friendly and fast. The food is outstanding."

"Portage Bay is a chain of cafes in Seattle, the one in U District is pretty solid. The quality of the food is clearly very high, there menu ranges from sandwiches to breakfast stables to seasonal dishes like crepes and such. I personally have been here around 3 times, the environment is very very busy on the weekends, however the service is fast and attentive to whatever your needs are. I dont have a photo of it, but they have a toppings bar with some of the best whipped cream I've had - it also has a plethora of fresh berries. Overall great spot for brunch with the parents, I would recommend getting a reservation before you go for sure."

"Was looking to catch up with some of my best girl friends over a girly brunch and stumbled upon Portage Bay in the University District. I seriously did not realize how popular this place was--but wow, I get the hype. First tip: MAKE A RESERVATION ON OPENTABLE. I was lucky enough to snag one (bless), and even with a reservation, we waited around 15 minutes to be seated. It was a Sunday brunch, so we expected a bit of chaos, but it still felt overwhelming. There was a line out the door with people waiting outside, the level of noise in the space is quite loud. While waiting for our table or even seated at our table, it was a bit hard to hear one another. This is not the space for a quiet girly brunch for sure. That said--would say the food is 100% worth it. Don't come hungry or hangry as it did take close to an hour for our food to arrive (yes, we were HANGRY), but when it did, the first ten minutes was silence of devouring our meal. Service was okay, the servers seem uninterested to be there, barely checked in - we had to ask about status of our food and get his attention. We ordered the Smoked Salmon Benedict, Seattle Benedict (with Dungeness crab!), 2 Rancher Breakfasts (3 eggs your way, house potatoes, one with chicken sausage + pancake, the other with bacon + French toast). Honestly such a cute idea to do a berry bar, the menu lists items that gives you access to a literal berry buffet--fresh berries, whipped cream, butter... The benedicts were the best menu choice--rich, flavorful, and perfectly portioned. The Rancher Breakfasts were huge and hearty--perfect for anyone rolling in with major hunger. The chicken sausage was flavorful and the potatoes were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. I am a BIG pancake girly, and their pancakes were giant, fluffy, with the perfect hint of sweetness. I ate my entire meal plus one pancake and still had leftovers for dinner and breakfast the next day. No regrets. The coffee here is just okay. Seattle has no shortage of amazing coffee shops, would recommend saving your caffeine intake for one of those instead--which we did, shoutout Ugly Mug Coffee, which was the move."

"This place is excellent! The atmosphere is chill, but the staff is also really friendly. Alvi was awesome!! You can tell making the customers happy is their main priority. The food is great, kid-friendly, and an excellent bar for mom and dad. Great time; it’s 100% worth it."

"My always-to-go brunch place! I love bringing new friends here, every dish is worth trying."