My partner and I went to Orcas Island for a much-needed weekend. Despite living in Seattle for years, we had yet to explore the San Juan Islands. Good friends recommended Doe Bay Cafe to us. We ordered take out (beet fritters, a yummy salad, scallops, and dessert). We both LOVE to cook and eat out often. We were VERY impressed at the quality of food that we received! We savored every single bite. Needless to say, we will be heading back to Orcas AND to the Doe Bay Cafe sometime in the near future! We can't WAIT! We normally take photos of food that impresses us. We were too busy, reveling in the tastes, textures, and gloriousness of the dinner to remember to take photos. Until it was too late. Next time! read more

Beautiful location and space but we didn't have the best meal. Service was weirdly disorganized (there's only 10 tables with 3 front of house staff and a manager, so it was not lack of staff.) There seemed to be confusion on basic things and we saw our meal sit out for a good while before anyone brought it over. The bartender was trying hard and did recommend a terrific wine. Our meal overall was just ok and for the prices and high end focused menu (all $40-$50 entrees- no sandwiches and few apps to share), it felt like they should decide to either step up to run a high price restaurant or make this place more casual and better priced. Our dinner here fell flat and we will likely go into Eastsound for dinner next time. read more

Do not ever make a reservation for this restaurant. We arrived for our reservation confirmed by Toast for a "Table for 2 in the Dining Room " to be told that there was no table available despite admitting that they had a record of our reservation. Without any apologies they said we could sit outside at on the deck which had been closed due to inclement weather. DO NOT EVER TRUST THIS RESTAURANT! read more

Back again and still 5/5 Evan was great at the cafe and the omelette was my go to. Great potatoes as well. read more

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Delicious food, and very friendly service! Loved how small the menu was, made things easy. The cioippino was very tasty, and perfect on a rainy day. The cocktails hit the spot and are unique. Regrettably didn't grab a photo of the breakfast sandwich - one of the better ones I've had in the Seattle area, and I eat a lot of breakfast sandwiches! Lots of gf and v options too read more

Doe Bay Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Olga, Washington

This is a review where the meal was better than a 3 star rating, but the service and the prices really dragged down our enthusiasm for this restaurant. We had reservations and got a great table at the window, looking out over the water. Problem was, the windows were filthy with sea salt grime which really obscured the view. If waterside dining is your big appeal, clean the windows! Waiter arrived with menus but not a word. Not to be deterred, I asked him how he was doing. "Oh, I'm really tired after a long weekend." and he shuffled off without a smile. Throughout the dinner, I tried to engage with him, and it turns out he is the Front Manager for the resort, and while he brightened up a little when we asked about him, he didn't show any attention or interest in us, which is just careless service. Food was mixed. We had steamed clams & an order of ciabatta for starters. Clams were OK, but the broth lacked any distinctive flavor. It could have been broth out of a can. Bread was just bread, nothing special. We shared the Bucatini with prosciutto in cream sauce for our main, and it was wonderful. But at $38 for a plate of pasta, it better be. Which speaks to the greater menu, where most the mains are from $40-$50. They can charge that because there are no other options in Doe Bay, but this food is not worth that price. Finally, their wine selection is embarrassingly small. 4 whites and 4 reds, no Chardonnay and no Cab. Really disappointing. Considering all the other rave reviews, if you are already in Doe Bay, and since there are no other options, you'll get a decent meal here, but I wouldn't drive to the far end of the island to pay these prices for a limited menu with tired, mediocre service. read more

My husband & I spent 4 nights on Orcas Island. The meal at Doe Bay Cafe was not only delicious, it's one of the best meals I've had in a long time. The setting is gorgeous and the staff was kind & helpful. Thx for a special evening read more

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Doe Bay Cafe is a remarkable place to dine in Olga, WA on Orcas Island. The energy at this place is very inviting, the outdoor atmosphere is beautiful and the people this place brings is a great vibe. The service and staff make this place a comfortable dine in and the food is fresh tasting. I definitely recommend eating here if you're on the island. read more

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I really struggled to write this. We have been going to Orcas yearly for my wife's birthday the last 4 years. Last year we had our last nights dinner at Doe Bay Cafe and it was so great! Delicious food, cool vibe and location with helpful staff. We decided this year to do my wife's birthday dinner there given our last experience. We wound up very disappointed and regretted our decision. I made a reservation in advance letting them know it was a bday dinner. Not that I'm expecting a song and dance and any special treatment. More or less just to let them know it was a special occasion. We show up on time and I see my name on the reservation list along with the words birthday next to it. So far awesome. Then we are told we can sit at the bar or at a table in the middle of the restaurant. No window table available. That was a bummer but we are good sitting at the bar. Usually we get better service at bar seating. This is where the disappointment starts. If I had a bday reservation scheduled I would at least hold a decent table for them. Our server/bartender/hostess gal couldn't have been any less excited to be there. I think she spoke about 7 words to us the whole night. Bread arrives and it was as delicious as we remembered. I ordered the halibut, my wife ordered the peppered pasta. Her pasta was literally so covered in pepper it was comical. I put pepper on everything and it was hard to eat for me. My halibut was dry and overcooked. Super bummed. We asked for a to go box for the pasta hoping I would eat it as leftovers for breakfast. It's my thing. Couldn't finish it then either. Final straw was after we get the box to go, our waitress walks by and slides the dessert menu on our table and doesn't say a word. No "here's our desert special" or "I hear it's a bday, would you like a desert?" or anything remotely close. No words. Just like we are a pain in her ass being there. I tipped well and left. 200$ I would rather have spent elsewhere. We lave it last time, hoping this was just a fluke. I can deal with bad service with good food or vice versa. They failed at both. read more

Ooof, high dollar, three scallops. A curious experience that left something to be desired. I love the resort though! It makes up for it. The staff was friendly and beverages delicious. Staying in a sweet little cabin and using the spa deck makes for an incredible time, especially in Winter months. read more

Service and ambience were excellent. We went for dinner. Bread so very airy, best dish was burrata w berries. Zucchini Tatin didn't have much flavor. Clams in white wine was tasty. read more

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I think this exactly the kind of place that you imagine getting breakfast at when you visit a Washingtonian island. It's a cozy spot with lovely views, and the food has the special housemate touch that you look for in small towns. The staff were very easy-going and friendly. I would definitely go back n3xt time I'm on island. read more

I consider this chef and food among the finest on the island, and most the underrated. Breakfast at Doe Bay Cafe is - by far - the best breakfast food anywhere. When someone can make something so simple, like a fried egg or roasted smashed potato, or scone - taste that good, you know you're in the hands of a pro. Prices are high, but so is food quality and sourcing. Unfortunately, the service is always, consistently, predictably, aggravatingly terrible. Always. We do love to go, and are members, but warn guests we take that "the food is amazing, but service is always terrible". They don't have discernible training of any kind, and instead of saying something like "we'd love to have you but tables are a 30 minutes wait" they say "it's 30 minutes if you want to wait for a table, I don't know". So beautiful there it's great to have a small wait, to go mill around by the shoreline. But yeah, service always sucks; I wait 15 minutes before getting coffees for ourselves from the self service bar; I've yet to see them remember to bring silverware before food arrives, so you're always watching your food cool off waiting for silverware. They never say what's 86d so once your table orders, the sever comes back to report who's not getting what. Service is so comically bad, but masquerading as "relaxed" that I usually need to calm newcomers by making jokes about ketamine usage in the kitchen. But despite all that, and high prices, we come and will continue to, because that food simply could not be better, and the views, table privacy, drinks and more are second to none. read more

I've been coming to this cafe for 8 years and I always leave with complete satisfaction as well as the experience of trying something new. They craft their menu based on seasonal availability of local goods and it really comes through on the plate and palate. Don't sleep on the breakfast sandwich, trust me. read more

Doe Bay Cafe - Breakfast sandwich with house-made sausage and the best chili aioli you'll ever have. - Cafes Near Me - Olga, Washington

Beautiful view. Tip: go before 7 especially on a Sunday as they sell out of a lot of items quickly And change their menu weekly. Great service, everything was flavorful. The menu was all fresh and local and were good but needed just a few small changes to be a five star rating for me. Plating was also beautiful. -Mushroom toast was a little too toasted. Bordering on Cajun style. -shrimp romesco sauce was so delish we skipped the infused oil and put our bread in this. But the shrimp were a bit small. Could have been larger and juicer. -halibut was beautiful fresh and flaky but turmeric was a weird spice for the fish. Kind of overpowered and make it a strange color. Great corn side. -Limited wine by the glass list. My dining parter doesn't drink so no point in a bottle. Pie was perfect texture. So easy to have inside be too gelatinous or too loose this was perfect. The crust could have been flakier but was flavorful. If you're not already, the secret is using ice cold vodka and not water to your crust + only butter, no shortening. It'll make it 10/10. Would return! read more

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Very small menu but everything is fresh and delicious with a view to die for! Will definitely be back. If only the cinnamon rolls were available on more than just Sunday read more

Doe Bay Cafe - View from our table - Cafes Near Me - Olga, Washington

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I can't say I've ever paid $12 for a breakfast sandwich but this one blew me away. The cheddar biscuit was so fantastic I returned for another one. Scrambled egg is perfectly folded, the aioli delicious, and the house made breakfast sausage was delightful. We also tried the latkes which were solid and delicious but nothing too exciting. read more

This was a truly awful experience all around, service and food included. We were told there was going to be a 30-40 minute wait which was fine with us and our name was put on a list. We then watched multiple people come in (parties of the same size or larger) and get sat immediately, despite not being on the waiting list. After a little over an hour we were sat and spent another 25 minutes without silverware or drinks except water. 20 more minutes after we ordered our server came back and told us that they were actually out of a main that we had ordered and we had to choose something else. The food itself once we did get it was exceptionally bad. The spring greens were just large stems with a couple leaves and an egg that was half rock hard and half raw. The potatoes were completely raw despite being tiny, and the tofu scramble had no flavor at all. The cheddar biscuits weren't horrible when they were properly cooked, but one was extremely burnt and dry as sand. None came with butter. All of the other eggs were flat and overcooked. Overall we felt extremely unwelcome from the moment we arrived and should have simply left sooner, but we unfortunately thought our experience would improve. I would recommend staying as far away from here as possible and not wasting your money. read more

One of my best friends married the man of his dreams last month, and they had a beautiful wedding at Doe Bay Resort, with a wonderful reception at Doe Bay Cafe. Mike K. has been my companion in gluttony throughout our over 20-year friendship, and his new husband Gino G. is an actual chef. Their wedding hashtag was #iwastoldtherewouldbefood, and they fed their guests marvelously. Doe Bay Cafe is Doe Bay Resort's restaurant, and while I enjoyed Doe Bay as a whole, the cafe was definitely the most impressive part. It serves both brunch and dinner, and while I'm sorry I missed the brunch service, I did have an astonishingly good ham and cheese croissant when I needed something fast to go. I also loved the hors d'oeuvre and signature drinks they provided for the cocktail hour--there were stuffed dates, marinated olives, and addictive lemongrass prawns; refreshing Palomas and excellent Paper Planes. The reception was fantastic. Mike and Gino rented out the whole restaurant, and it was fun and intimate, one big dinner party with all the guests seated at long tables. The food was all family style, served on big boards and platters. There was plenty of wine, and the staff did a good job facilitating while remaining as unobtrusive as possible. Doe Bay has its own garden and sources its other ingredients from local, organic, etc. purveyors, and everything we ate was fresh and delicious. We sat down to find giant cheese and charcuterie boards laid out on the table, heavy with meat, cheese, fruit, pickles, preserves, and mustard. There was crusty sourdough bread and butter made with herbs from Doe Bay's garden. Next, we had a gorgeous salad of garden greens with stone fruit, feta, almonds, and sherry vinaigrette. For the main course, we had Salish Sea halibut with Doe Bay garden salsa verde and herbs, made pretty and colorful with edible flowers. On the side there was Anson Mills polenta with morel mushrooms and parmesan, as well as cauliflower and romanesco with preserved lemon, pine nuts, and mint. Instead of cake, there was pie, and oh my, was it good. I loved both the rhubarb and the raspberry, served with whipped cultured cream. After dessert, we danced on the patio, and after that, we moved to a campfire, where the cafe provided us with supplies for s'mores. I had an amazing time celebrating Mike and Gino. My heart is full thinking about these guys, and I'm so glad Doe Bay Cafe helped them put on an unforgettable wedding. read more

Perfectly perfect. Even gluten free waffles are on the menu!!! Do you know how rare that is? Coffees are great, eggs, homemade jam even, the setting the ambiance, the service. Nothing can come close. read more

Low key locally sourced dishes prepared with panache and excellence. Although the menu is small, every item is creatively prepared and delicious. Well worth a visit read more

Best meal we had on the island. Fresh ingredients that didn't leave an unpleasant after taste or side effect. Beautiful scenery and friendly service. Worth the drive out to Doe Bay. read more

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It is off the beaten path and may be pricey but I say yes! A wonderful brunch menu late into the afternoon. Fresh ingredients and wonderfully fresh and fragrant herbs. Biscuits and gravy was my choice and very rewarding. In the Doe Bay Resort. The cafe is at the bottom of road in the back. You can sit at the edge and overlook the bay. Worth the trip out to Doe Bay read more

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Taste the freshness. The harmony of flavors is so good we wanted to lick the plate. Restaurant is a bit fancy but service was great. Get a table outside and enjoy the views. Stroll through the gardens where the vegetables and beautiful flowers grow. Kids got buttered pasta with some veggies and Rainier cherries. Little one picked up the pasta bowl and insisted there was "soup". Great overall experience. read more

Doe Bay Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Olga, Washington

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Great view of the bay and good food averaged down due to sub-par service (service with an attitude). I've visited a few times now and every time my experience is about the same. This last time was the worst. It was hardly busy, I was one out of five patrons. Bummed. read more

Doe Bay Cafe - Chai - Cafes Near Me - Olga, Washington

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Excellent food and service at the Doe Bay Cafe. We were delighted with everything about this restaurant. We had two wonderful specialty cocktails. We shared the halibut, zucchini and tomatoes. We also ordered the olives as a appetizer. Everything was phenomenal. The sauces and the herbs made everything delicious. read more

Amazing food, excellent waitstaff, and a superb location. Great for breakfast And dinner.

This place is a gem of a find!! I really don't want to write about it because I selfishly want it to be my own place!!! But, dang it...here I go... First of all, the journey to this lovely house of food and drink is unlike anything else you've driven to and completely worth the trip! If anyone asks you "why did you drive 90 minutes from Seattle, hop on an hour long ferry, and drive another 45 minutes to this restaurant?" Well then, just take a few pictures of your food, your beverage and the view and tell them to figure it out. You/they will freak out!! I love food. I love beverages. I love the San Juan Islands and I love the Puget Sound!! All this, together in one place! My wife and I got the spinach salad. Amazing. We also got the homemade caviatelli pasta as well as the pork chop. Holy smokes. I want it again tonight!! You need to go to this place. The vibe is lovely and the staff is lovelier!! After dinner, if the weather is nice, go outside and sit on the chairs and stare at the sea!! Such a lovely way to finish off the evening...and then, enjoy a lovely drive home!!! Enjoy! Tim read more

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I saw signs all over for this cafe but when we got there we saw signs saying it was a private club. Super disappointed. If this is not the case you need to make the signage say the cafe is open to all. I was too angry to take any pictures. read more

A little out of the way, but the dining experience was well worth the drive. Service was a tad slow, but where else do you need to be on Orcas Island? read more

Doe Bay Cafe - King salmon. - Cafes Near Me - Olga, Washington

Crabcakes Benedict. Amazing. The food here is incredible. View is chill. Nice place. You could easily get lost here for a blissful week. This whole resort is kind of on the old school chill hippie side that's rarely seen anymore. It's awesome. read more

Great spot, great food, great service. Been there two times. Last time had an issue with one of the dishes, they went way way above and beyond to make it right. Rad peeps over there. Also, and this is huge - they don't serve that super fruity, sour third wave coffee! It was strong and actually tasted like coffee! Hope they keep that up as it's critical. I do wish they had a few more egg dishes on the recent visit, but still a great selection. read more

Went to dinner at Doe Bay the night after going to Hogstone and as good as Hogstone was, we thought this was the place that deserved the awards. * Fantastic setting * Great, local ingredients * Creative preparations * Awesome, friendly service Will be back next time we're on Orcas! read more

The food is good - and incredibly pricey- if you can ever get a reservation . What makes this place a challenge is that it is nearly impossible to reach them. Over the last two years I've tried to make a reservation perhaps 5 times. Each time I call when they are open and when they are not (they never answer), leave a voicemail (they don't call back), and email (no reply). I follow all of their instructions on the website. I get that they may be busy, but not even a "sorry we are full?". I also understand that they care more about people who stay at their hotel than folks living in the community, but just some decency to reply would be appreciated. Or even better, having a few tables that one could reserve online so we don't need to call in person would be nice. The good thing is that there are lots of other great places on the island that have good customer service - inn at ship bay, kingfish, all have similar menus and excellent reservation systems. Try those if you strike out here. read more

My husband and I love the cafe, and it is a must do on every trip to Orcas. The food is delicious, creative without being pretentious, and always full of the freshest ingredients including produce from their own garden. The view is magical and the whole restaurant has a warm and inviting feeling. I always let out a big sigh when I arrive. The staff is helpful, knowledgeable and friendly. Honestly, while we frequent most of the island restaurants, this one is probably our consistent favorite for all the reasons stated. I often wonder why Doe Bay often slips under the radar while other Orcas restaurants get more attention, and maybe it's the location which is on the far side of the island. But, the drive is not that far, lovely and worth it. Definitely put it on your next itinerary and definitely make a reservation ahead, they do fill up. read more

WOW, what a setting! Gorgeous location on the water at the far Eastern end of Orcas Island, this restaurant serves tasty veggie-centric food. We had a terrific breakfast on the deck at Doe Bay Cafe. Everything on the menu here is veggie-gourmet, and spendy. After browsing some previous Yelp reviews, I decided to go with the breakfast burrito: two eggs scrambled, cheddar, black beans, garden greens & smoked mushrooms, tomatillo sauce, cilantro-avocado cream, salsa fresca and pickled red onions, rosemary-garlic cottage potatoes ($14). Good stuff! The best part of dining here was spending time in the beautiful island resort location-- I'd come back just for that! read more

Doe Bay Cafe - Breakfast burrito - Cafes Near Me - Olga, Washington

I have not eaten here. That is because, after calling and emailing with no response to ask for a reservation, we stopped by the Cafe on a Saturday morning. We were assured that there was availability for that evening and our reservation was logged into the reservations book. However late that afternoon we received a call that they would not honor the reservation. Super lousy customer service. read more

You can get anything you want at Doe Bay Restaurant Walk right in it's around the back Just a half a mile from the railroad track You can get anything you want at Doe Bay Restaurant --Sing it Arlo!! Doe Bay Café is AWESOME!! Going there was like stepping through time and space to Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant in 1968! The food was all organic, vegetarian and awesome. Folk music played loudly. Hippies were everywhere. The lady in the next booth to us even looked like Arlo Guthrie! I highly recommend you visit Orcas Island. It is peaceful and beautiful. When you do, make sure your visit includes a meal at Alice's Restaurant ...er... I mean Doe Bay Café! read more

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"Let me buy dinner, it'll be great for the food blog." I wasn't sure what to expect when I made the suggestion. Since the last time I'd been to Doe Bay things sure changed a lot. A fancy chef, a bright clean dining space, and a friendly engaged waitstaff greeted us Thankfully we stopped in and made reservations for dinner, they fill up quickly. Seated at 5, we decided to opt for the for the "hands-free" meal. This was 5 courses, plus amuse bouche and dessert. It started with a brief orientation on the restaurant, how they grow much of it on the garden up the road, and how they source as much as they can locally. The cafe is pescitarian (seafood) or vegetarian, So if you can't survive a meal without meat on your plate give it a pass. For us it was a nice break I won't walk you through our meal completely. I will say that it was incredibly well paced, taking a little over 2 hours for the meal. Each dish was tasty and flavorful, well seasoned with ingredients at their peak. We'd finish a dish and think "How can they top this" Yet, each course was better then the last, finishing with a fabulous blood orange chocolate tart. It was so great that we ended up coming back for breakfast in the morning. If you're at the resort, or headed there I say make a little time to stop by the cafe for dinner. read more

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Spot Shrimp and grits! need I say more? We got here at the tail-end of lunch on a Saturday afternoon. They serve until 2. The service was like we were there at noon, not a "we close in 15 minutes so you'd better order" attitude that I have experienced elsewhere, but laid back and not rushed at all. We had Bloody Marys, I had the prawns and he had clams. Both had some kind of sweet, slightly spicy red pepper roasted and incorporated in the dish. i am pretty sure they were grown there. They were delicious. We looked out of the window and there were nude swimmers in the bay. There is a clothing optional spa/soak on the property but it was closed to the public that day due to some kid of festival. or we would have joined them. You could not swing a stick without hitting an intricate tattoo or a man-bun. This is a beautiful place. read more