Delicious food and excellent service! My husband and I ordered the crab Benedict and the french toast with eggs and bacon. There was a perfect serving of crab, and the home fries are delish. The raspberry jam is divine.

Scrambled eggs and hash browns with wheat toast. Restaurant offered in-house dining with social distancing. Service was quick and friendly. Meal was excellent!

Just expensive, I got huevos rancheros and it was store bought tortillas not even warmed up, can black beans, can enchiladas sauce (and way too much), and something like $14+ for a dish I can do better at home for $3 I was not impressedJust bland and expensive for what it is, not a fan

Highly recommend this place. The service was welcoming. The food was 5 stars - get any of the omelets you won’t be disappointed. The physical building is cool it’s near the dock and gas harbor vibes.

We had breakfast here was pretty good would recommend try the queen Anne omelet with home fries

Had very good eggs benedict with crab, nice atmosphere and service.

Fast service, good food, and even better bloody Marys! Second time here after almost a year hiatus, and the experience is still great! If you enjoy unassuming, easygoing brunch, look no further.

Went there for the first time for brunch today. Family friendly place with attentive service. Reasonably priced. Delicious food. My favorite, the eggs Benedict. Loved the presentation of their kids pancake.

From Kansas. The food was exceptional. Are group of five ordered five different items for breakfast, all were wonderful. The young man who served was very pleasant and professional. Thank you.

Clean and super fast. Not greasy, and I appreciated the break from the grease of nearby breakfast places. I had the Eggs Benedict. I think they swapped the sausage in for the Canadian bacon I was expecting but I was okay with that. Main reason for not five stars was that the taste didnt particularly stand out. It was inoffensive and executed well, but didnt take any chances. (I understand that is what many folks may be looking for.)

Good reliable diner food. Doesnt get fancy, but it doesnt need to. This is the best kind of breakfast food.

Good fast service, parking out front, food was about Dennys tier, dont get the Huevos Rancheros, they use some Pace salsa on it.

Limited out on salmon, cleaned up shop, and hit this place for brunch. Mimosas and skillets. I’d recommend this place. It’ll put ya on a high note

Loved our waitress the atmosphere was very relaxed food was excellent we go there for breakfast! I had the huevos rancheros!

Delicious 2 egg breakfasts, Im sure they used a lot more than just two eggs! Very popular spot for 5th July, added our names & mobile # to list strolled around Ballard Avenue and our table was ready. Great service, hard working staff.

Kind of an unsuspecting place along shilshol. Pretty good food and a nice selection of different stuff across breakfast and lunch. Giant portions for the price. Really friendly staff. Full bar is a nice bonus.

Had the Crab Benedict & a Bloody Mary both were delicious!

Classic diner vibes. Not many vegetarian options outside of breakfast, but what they have is solid. Good pancakes!

Great diner. Wide variety of food, clean, but classic diner feel. Good service too!

Ballard’s Secret In-Plain-Sight — Salmon Bay CaféWhy isn’t this place more packed? It serves delicious, hearty, and sometimes innovative diner fare until 2pm (3 on weekends), at great prices, in a neighborhood not known for sit-down cheap eats. The current owners cleaned the place up a few years ago, retaining the nautical theme that has been delighting fisherfolk and dockworkers for ages. They updated the banquettes and added a full bar. These days the servers are less sneery and more cheery (sorry sassy waitress lovers). The café is bright and airy, not dismal like the bars nearby. So why is it still easy to get a seat?The problem has to be Shilshole Ave. That sleepy drag—just two lanes—creates an outsize psychological barrier, making the Salmon Bay side of the street seem “un-Ballard” in its lack of gentrification. Adding a crosswalk would help, as would clean-up of the railroad tracks (they’re rather rutty in places).But hey, Ballard people, cast off your perceptual filters! Take advantage of this light-filled little secret in your backyard—a taste of real, old waterfront Ballard.(Side trip: check out the Salmon Bay pocket park next to the café.)

Awesome bunch spot by the water with a Ocean theme.

Fun diner atmosphere with good breakfast foods!

Amazing food, amazing staff 😁 Try their cinnamon rolls! They will not disappoint.

Great place for breakfast in Ballard (not least because it seems to be one of the only places open before noon!). Friendly and solicitous owner, great selection on the menu, and get reasonable prices (which might explain the proliferation of silver seniors). A great start to the day!

HUGE fluffy pancakes, funny wait staff and great omellets! Whats not to love? Also, nice that there never seems to be a wait because hipsters dont know about it, which is amazing in Seattle!

Cheap diner eats on quality and feel of restaurant at the standard overpriced Seattle cost point. I know restaurants suffer as well here but the equation doesnt add up for me.

Salmon Bay cafe is a great spot for breakfast! Fast service and very delicious!

This place is a Ballard staple, and they rarely disappoint! Love their omelette and scramble options, and the service is always sincere and attentive.

OMG of the years iv bin on this planet this by far the best breakfast iv ever had in my life, the staff here deserve a rase 100%

Great little place on the docks. Great food, kitschy decor (dont change it!) and an authentic Seattle institution.

Solid diner food. Salmon burger was tasty and fries were good. Seattle has a distinct lack of these kind of greasy spoons, so I would recommend if thats what youre in the mood for.

Service a bit slow and they messed up multiple orders but still decent food and friendly servers.

Small portions. Clam chowder was old. Had a film on it. The one waitress was rude and slow. They will Nicole and time you for everything. Very disappointing after I read reviews of it. I guess they were old.

Well, Ive tried to give this place a fair trial by eating here 3 times in as many weeks but its food is lackluster. Service is good but that doesnt make up for the food. This isnt the old Salmon Bay any more.

Great food, great service, and a cool atmosphere. I enjoyed my magnolia omlete, which was gigantic, and my mother quite liked her gluten free toast.

Great service, great menu. Perfect after coming in from a long day on a boat

I love this place nice little diner style restaurant with really good breakfasts and really good portions!

Fresh, tasty, clean -great setvice

My go-to. Great benedicts and chicken fried steak

This is a really nice café a little off the main drag in Ballard. The food was good especially the hashbrowns which very light and crispy - not at all oily. Veggie scramble was _excellent_. Nice easy-going staff, and there was no wait, unlike a well-known, more visible cafe up the road where we would have had to wait 45 minutes for a seat.

Delicious French Toast, perfect Bacon, and good fresh coffee. Did I say wonderful service🙏🤗 See you soon!

Very large turkey and swiss sandwich with 2 scoops of potato salad. I enjoyed it!!

Average food, reasonable price. Nothing extraordinary.

Perfect great service and food definitely go!

Delightful fabulous breakfast! Definitely coming back.

Good old fashion food. Very friendly service.

Do you like an old Seattle Vibe? Do you like a bit edgy location buried among services oriented to the Marine Business? Do you love old Ballard? Do you like a great breakfast? Its a great comfy place on a good rainy dreary Seattle day. Dont just drive by as I did for years, stop and enjoy.

Great selection for Breakfast and lunch, I had the days scrabble, really good, service was great!

Fish is good so is the Turkey Supreme Sandwhich....and they have steak fries!!!

Good diner food at reasonable prices.

They added 3 dollars to my check and when I asked for an explanation for it the lady told me I bought a side dish when I didn’t.

Great food for a reasonable price.

Nummers. Great breakfast burrito.

Love this place great food at affordable prices

Best fish and chips in the neighborhood!

Fast and easy pick up from ordering in person. Super nice staff and the food was superb 👍

Great food, great service, and outdoor seating looking at boats in harbor. I will definitely revisit. Adding to my list of places to frequent.

A good diner - the only negative is if youre vegetarian their hash browns have a very strong taste of bacon which isnt advertised

Very friendly and great Eggs Benedict!

Really good burger

Good prices. Tasty food. Prompt service. A nice little diner that doesnt have much of a wait, if any, even on those busy brunch weekends. Would recommend.

Ive been to Salmon Bay Cafe many times over the years, and keep coming back! At first it was a bit dumpy, today its clean and fresh. Looks like they did a facelift! Since the food has always been tasty, its nice to sit in their new space. The coffee stood out this time, because it was good and tasty plus the service kept my water and coffee cup full. So thanks.

Went for breakfast. They give you a lot of food! Everything was delicious.

Consistently good service and reliably tasty food keeps us coming back to Salmon Bay Cafe. The daily special, chorizo scramble, was abundant and delicious. Modifications were accepted graciously and executed very well. Love this place!

Outstanding, friendly, relaxed cafe/diner-style restaurant/bar! Visited on a chill Friday morning for American-style breakfast with perfect eggs to-order, hash browns, and pancakes. All details attended to including: coffee refills, warm maple syrup, and FAST service!

Its good, not over-priced but the food is generally under seasoned.

Delicious food and friendly staff!

The food quality and portion size has gone down over the last couple years with the new owner. Hes a great guy but the ham and egg breakfast you get very few hash browns and the ham is very small. Same with the burgers, french fries are cheap you should get a fair amount of them but they only serve you literally five or six fries.

Always friendly,good food

Amazing! I have some pretty interesting dietary requirements and they HAPPILY met them all. The food is great. Portions are a bit big but not ginormous. The wait staff is 10 stars. We have driven by but never stopped, that wont happen again. Oh, and the music is good too!

Great food spotlessly clean & even the neighborhood customers chip in to keep it spotlessly & friendly. Ill be back here often 💯🔥

Decent diner fare. Had the seafood Caesar salad. Not a real generous portion of crab and shrimp, fresh romaine, tasty dressing.

Decent portion Nice Waiter

This place is old schools an absolute perfect breakfast spot...it is clean, staff are friendly and efficient, food was delicious and price was great. Dont let the location fool you, it is great!

Its alright

My experience was delightful

Our old haunt for breakfast when we lived in Ballard. Food great for the local Cafe. We its been remodeled and is very pleasant. If you like scrambled dishes they do the best.

Great food good people

So you arent in the mood for a blood orange and rosemary mimosa mixed at your table next to single origin latte with heritage breed eggs. You want a hot, hearty meal that is served quickly? Salmon Bay is your jam. I love this place. I love it so much.

This place has a lot of up-charges and you won’t know about them until you get your bill. If you customize anything, ask if there’s an up-charge. Want your bloody mary spicy, $2.00 extra. Want to split an omelette and you don’t mention splitting it yourself, $2.00 extra. Don’t want hash browns and toast, waiter offers fruit instead, $2.50 extra. Waiter at least adjusted the bloody mary price when I asked why the price was different than posted.Contacted management and heard there was a miscommunication because we’re regulars, the waiter thought we knew...but we’re eating differently now, so ordering differently now. I got an apology and a thank you and a comment they’ll address how they communicate up-charges going forward. Hope so because this experience really left a bad taste in our mouths and we’ll go elsewhere. Tons of other great breakfast places in the area.

Delicious breakfast!

This would have been a pleasant surprise had it not been for the truly unprofessional conduct of the server D**********. No one should have to sit at their table for ten minutes while the server checks her phone. Tables were delayed in getting their drinks, getting orders taken, given checks, and served food on the rail because she was more interested in her entertainment device. The food, once delivered, was quite good, but the server needs to not fill in for her roommate or whomever she dropped in for. That kind of service drops a four star review down to two.

New ownership - they cleaned up the place and the food is decent. It’s been there for decades. I go for breakfast - traditional American, reasonable prices.

Think they almost forgot about me. waited 15 minutes before coming to get my order. then he tried to push the fries as the side even when the menu had 5 different options as a side dish. didnt get my water refilled. club sandwich was standard. bit disappointed. was looking forward because some friends had recommended it. really nothing bad to say, but nothing good either.

I have had breakfast here four times in the past 4 months and am impressed with both the friendly, fast, and very professional service and the quality of the food. Poached eggs and scrambled eggs are one of the more difficult things to get right; here, they have been perfect every time. The poached eggs, which I ordered medium well done, i.e. fully cooked whites and soft yolks came out exactly like that. My husbands scrambled eggs were still hot on the (warm) plate and creamy. My English Muffin which arrives pale and limp in other restaurants, was toasted as I requested: deep brown and crisp. The bacon was of high quality. The coffee is strong and good, and the server brought me milk, as I had asked, instead of cream (I usually have to ask twice at other places).I would recommend this restaurant highly if you are looking for a standard American eggs-and-bacon-with-toast-and-coffee breakfast because they pay attention to requests.

The wife ate all of hers and for her, I cant remember the last decade this happened. Go eat and be merry.

This is a cafe that is a nice reminder of Ballards former character. Its an old school cafe with a gritty charm. The food is basic diner fare, and my omelet was only so so. I will say that many of the dishes I saw crossing the dining room made it clear I chose poorly. The waffles and French toast both looked especially good, an Ill go back to try those.

Edit: I went back shortly after posting this review and the chicken fried steak was actually some of the worst Ive ever had. Depends on the cook you get, good luck.Where to begin... Best chicken fried steak Ive EVER HAD. I come from small town Texas where chicken fried steak is crowned king of breakfast. This place beats the best Ive ever had x2. No knife required, you dont have to wiggle the fork! The gravy is otherworldly. 12 bucks!!! BEST BLOODY MARY EVER! I didnt even know they could taste like this!!! We came here by accident after Veras was closed. So, SO glad. I am seriously never going to eat breakfast anywhere else ever.

I’m here pretty much every other weekend. Love this place. Their waffles are fantastic.

A favorite brunch spot in Ballard. Their veggie scramble is so perfect

Awesome local diner style vibe.

Its an ok place to eat. Parking is available but limited. If you go on a Sunday make sure to go before the Ballard Farmers market starts. First off, the hashbrowns arent very good, if you go for breakfast. They make a good chicken fried steak. Portions are good for the price you pay. Service is usually fast and friendly.

Average as far as cafes go, but its on the water, so it has a view, plus I like the layout. They refill your brew regularly and then leave you alone til you need them again. Portions are average but well-done, and the old school dockside building is a wharf rats dream.

High quality food. Not the typical larger portion diner food but the hash browns were well done. A lot of seats had great views.

Had a great weekday brunch experience. Hearty portions of classic diner fare with a good variety of egg dishes and other breakfast foods. I didnt even make it to the lunch portion of the menu. As opposed to some of the brunch places in Ballard where its yeah were popular, eat your food and get out Salmon Bay Cafe was much more enjoyable.

Its a very hard to find in Seattle a place where old Seattle still survives and especially rare to find a place where the old and new meet in unpretentious comfort. Salmon Bay Cafe hits the spot. This is still a hidden secret where Ballard insiders mingle side-by-side with blue collar fisherman. A place where the staff and owner are going to know you after just a few meals. It is soooo comfortable. I love to sink into a booth, a hot cuppa coffee and and talk for hours over a big, rambling breakfast. The food portions are made for hungry, working people; generous, lots of sides, and delicious. The muffins (raspberry coconut last time I was there) are better than any hip spot in Seattle. The burgers are fantastic and filing. If you like a breakfast lunch place that is all about heart and good food, you will love Salmon Bay.

I love this place. We just discovered this cafe less than two months ago and we have been there about five times already! On the weekend, they have this blueberry muffin with coconut flakes (I do not think they have it on Mon-Fridays). They are so soft and full of flavor. The portion of the food is generous, the food tastes great and the staff is very friendly. You cannot find a place like this easily in Seattle. I usually order fruits with my food - they are fresh.

Im pretty easy to please and I wasnt looking for a 5 star establishment. I was looking for a hardy, local, diner kind of breakfast... The biscuits tasted horrible and were so hard I to saw at them with a knife. The hash browns were the frozen patty kind. I didnt even finish my meal and that is a rare thing... Service was fine.A week later... I gave the cafe another try and wasnt disappointed this time. I ordered something different (no biscuits or hash browns). Changing my rating from one star to three.

I liked this place quite a bit! The gifs was excellent, we had breakfast. They run a small crew and the server today was putting in work! We will be back

I wish that I could leave a favorable review, but when both my guest and i ended up quite ill within an hour of eating breakfast, that is not in order. Food poisoning is a terrible thing. Only today do I feel up to posting my experience this past Saturday morning. Four days down is a long time to be sick.I hope someone at the restaurant reads this and takes better food handling precautions.