I feel like this is a spot you always know you'll have a good meal and great for either breakfast or lunch. Lots of options and great if people in your party want mix of breakfast and lunch type offerings. They have yummy sides including potatoes or my fave the grits and add cheese. Red beans and rice may be an option as well. For your bread option you can also choose cornbread. Obviously not a lot of Cajun/New Orleans type food in Maine so this is always a nice chsnge. The jambalaya and gumbo are great. There are crawfish options as well. I dont think they have po boys, beignets or oysters though. Blackboard specials are usually great as well. I almost always get one. Usually there's an egg type dish, sweet pancake type option snd sandwich/burger option. No Crystal hot sauce but lots of yummy Maine hot sauces, which are great on the cornbread. Street parking is all around and there is a pay lot behind the restaurant. Big Sky Bread is across the street. We like to walk over after to pick up a yummy treat or breakfast goodies for the next day. read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Omelette special- pastrami with choice of bread (cornbread) and choice of side (grits + added cheddar) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

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New Orleans-style food in Portland?! You bet. The Bayou Kitchen is a slice of the South, right here in Maine. I won't lie, I was a bit skeptical at first, but after a handful of visits, I can confidently say I'm a fan. This no-frills, diner-style restaurant fills my soul -- and my belly -- in all the best ways. The portions are huge (we actually had to take some home once, and we're not usually those people), the Bloody Marys are strong, and the coffee seems to be endless. The service is always great too, in a way that genuinely reminds me of the South -- and I mean that as a compliment. I've had their (humongous) omelets, homemade cornbread (so good), andouille sausage, grits, jambalaya... basically half the menu by now. The portions, as mentioned, are generous, but I think the prices reflect that (most dishes range from $16-$20 before any add-ons; ie replacing sides). The flavors are usually on point, and everything is pretty delicious, though I've had a few semi-misses -- the grits and jambalaya were a little bland on one occasion. Nothing a little hot sauce couldn't fix, and thankfully, they've got plenty of that! As others have mentioned, they don't take reservations and it can get packed on weekends, but it's worth the wait. From the moment you walk in, you're transported to a place like no other in Maine -- and that, plus the food, will keep us coming back. read more

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We live in the neighborhood and love Bayou Kitchen. Great food, great people, great vibe. Super family friendly. I have nothing bad to say!

Stopped in for breakfast on a whim. Parking was wacky, going up some random residential street. But hey... sat down, friendly staff, no AC (Why a point was docked). I got spicy eggs with grits, sausage, and biscuit. My wife got eggs with potatoes (OMG the potatoes). Coffee was great. Everything was great. Local hot sauce is A+ read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Eggs, Grits, Biscuit, Sausage - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

We haven't been here in awhile - since not working in Portland we find some of our old regular faves are now more occasionally faves. Bayou continues to amaze with friendly service, and innovative dishes. Wayne had a caterpillar - which is his favorite homemade hash, eggs, cheese in an omelette; served with cornbread and the best home fries! I opted for a special - french toast stuffed with homemade lemon curd & wild blueberry compote. I almost licked the plate! We really like watching the team in action - that makes it extra awesome. read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Warning: show up hungry! The portions are generous at Bayou Kitchen, and there's a LOT to choose from. My friends and I went for brunch and of course started with spicy Bloody Marys and coffee--not sure what coffee they're serving but it's really good and rich and strong. There are breakfast and brunch standbys like omelettes and pancakes and huevos rancheros, all of which looked great and often feature Cajun twists, and given that I spent several years living in New Orleans and the Deep South, there was no way I was going to pass up the bayou-oriented options. I'm so glad I got the gumbo: it has allllll the good stuff in it, including okra (a must!) and chicken and andouille sausage; you can add crawfish for an extra $5 and I highly recommend doing that. What's great is that there are two size options: a bowl and a cup, and believe me, the cup was good-sized! It comes with cornbread, and I recommend the "upgrade" to the cheddar-jalapeno version: sooooo good. Because I got the small (LOL) size I added sides of bacon (crispy and good) and grits (solid but nothing amazing; very good once dolloped with butter and hot sauce). You can order other sides and fixins' as well (e.g., more sausage). The spice level of the gumbo was perfect (it should be savory but not really spicy), and this means you can explore the various hot sauces they have on hand--an entire wall shelf! Inside I quite honestly felt like I was back in the South: everything a little bit jumbled together, happily chaotic, and good humored. What's not to love about that? Bayou doesn't take reservations and I imagine there can be a wait; we were lucky and snagged a window table right away. For parking there's no lot and not much on the street right outside, but you should be able to find something on one of the side streets (just don't park in the lots of the other businesses in the neighborhood). read more

The Bayou Kitchen - gumbo with crawfish added - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

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The bayou kitchen is something of an enigma in Portland. In the same way that The Great Lost Bear offers something you aren't going to find anywhere else in New England... The Bayou Kitchen offers something you definitely won't find many places outside of an actual bayou. The dining area doesn't offer too much space, it's loud and the wait area is outside... I'd say that's where the negatives about this place end and where the positives start. It's a beautifully simple dining experience -- refillable coffee, cold water in a plastic cup (think cafeteria style), condiments waiting for you on the table, and GOOD food. read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

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I love corned beef hash ... I get it whenever I can ... and 95% of the time it's from a can like I have at home ... so when a place I can walk to while on vacation makes there own, I'm gonna go get me some! Ordered it with 2 eggs cooked over medium ... with grits and blueberry cornbread. I wasn't thrilled ... it was dry and had little flavor and no sign of potatoes or onions. The grits were instant, which is fine ... but cold and flavorless ... I had to add 2 pads of butter and salt and pepper. The cornbread tasted great, but again ... dry and I had to add 2 pads of butter. My coffee was great though! My wife got 2 pancakes - coffee and chocolate chip. She added some fresh strawberry to each ... total was $8.95 each. They were tasty, very large and very dense. Neither of us had room or were inspired enough to finish our meal. The servers were nice enough and the cooks (chefs?) constant chatter about the orders, and singing along to the music was very entertaining. However it was an out 85 degrees in there ... a good 20 degrees warmer than the cool breeze outside ... never wanted patio seating more in my life read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

Did not set out to go here... Was going to go to the Big Sky Bakery, but it caught my eye. Was busy. was homey, smelled good. We got seated at the counter top, which was comfortable enough and proceeded to order two Hurricane Omelets, which we added a pie of white American cheese to. One plate we had a biscuit with, the other had a pair of toast. (Italan bread), the biscuit was a better choice... The omelets were amazing, best we've had out in a long time. They came with a side of home fries, which were perfectly cooked red potatoes pieces. Great food, great staff, we talked to the cooks, they were right there and great. Great food value. read more

Unique and quirky in the best ways. They have a hot sauce wall :) I was looking for a nourishing breakfast and got just that. Scramble with andouille sausage, tomatoes, onions, and roasted red peppers with beans and rice on the side. Phenomenal service. A small space but cozy and you're right up there with the chef who is such a sweet gentleman. I'd definitely come back here and am wanting to try their Cajun lunch items. read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Scramble and rice and beans - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

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I was here once years ago and tried crawfish and loved it. Yesterday I went out for my birthday and came back here - got the cajun scramble (crawfish, jalapeno, andouille) with the beans and rice - and loved it all over again. The service was wonderful and the food was delicious. Parking is a little scarce, though. Very happy about my breakfast choice - and it was so filling I skipped lunch. read more

The Bayou Kitchen - cajun scramble with beans and rice and a biscuit - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

Amazing food! Fun atmosphere! Open kitchen. Staff is fun and efficient. My partner and I had breakfast yesterday. We recommend everyone to visit this place! read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Homemade hash, homies, blueberry cornbread and eggs over easy. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

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I have been coming here for years and this is definitely my go to place for breakfast in Portland. They have doubled the size of the dining room since they opened but, other than that, not much has changed. It was outstanding back then and it's still outstanding today. Always friendly staff, the kitchen is in full view of the dining area and if you have to wait for a seat, (common on a weekend morning) do it. You won't be disappointed. I have never had a bad meal here. Today I ordered off the specials board, an omelet with polish sausage, provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions with a side of home fries and toast. I am stuffed and it was delicious read more

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The food on the menu is reliably delicious; they have 2 or 3 specials everyday, the one that I order almost every time I go, is scrambled eggs with cheese and Polish sausage. Of course you can always ask to omit an ingredient if you wish. I have found that the servers are helpful and sometimes perch on a chair near or at your table to give you the "down low" on the food, as well as the specials that day, which, if they're appealing enough could very well be "86ed" or sold out. The place is full of New Orleans knickknacks; the atmosphere is casual crossed with morning after Mardi Gras. There are 2 rooms on either side of a bathroom that features a shelf with a random selection of books, from pressure cooking (?), popular novels, and a few mysteries; the mere presence of the books was a surprise to me. read more

Great staff - welcoming with warm smiles and a sincere hello. They seemed very appreciative of every customer walking through their door. Breakfast was good. Creative names and nice combinations. I was expecting a bit more heat with the reference to cajun. it was fine and probably good for the masses that want something different but not overpowering. Luckily they had locally made Lost Wood Sauce to add to my "smokin caterpillar" omelette. Everything tasted fresh and homemade. Neatly plated, which is very pleasing. The omelette, had a nice balance of cheese and corned beef hash and was evenly distributed in the egg. The flavors were fine- very mild seasonings, not salty at all, which is always my worry with corned beef hash. The home fries were supposed to have a kick with the cajun seasoning, but again, very mild, more of a hint of seasoning. The biscuit was fine, very crumbly. Parking can be a challenge on a busy day. It's parallel street parking within the neighborhood. If I was in the area and looking for breakfast I would try it again. read more

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Sometimes you want a diner breakfast and sometimes you want great Cajun food...this place has both. Always hits read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

Nah... if I don't have anything excellent to say, well then, I probably shouldn't say it, so I will say this as excellently as I can. Small businesses are the lifeblood of some people's homes, and I feel that a business like this has the potential to be the lifeblood of someone's community, however I just don't quite see the Bayou Kitchen delivering on that promise just yet (or maybe I missed it). Louisiana cooking is one of the highest commitments to southern hospitality cooking standards that there is. that there is. Dare I say, that it is the standard of Southern Hospitality cooking. It can't just be stylized without following through on authenticity. I feel like this place may have a genuine love for Louisiana or Louisiana-styled cooking, but it lacks the understanding of quality care and authenticity in the cooking that one would normally find in a Louisiana kitchen. It's wanting. I think that this establishment could do better...much better, and I would like to see it do much better upon my next visit to it. Sorry, Bayou Kitchen. It just doesn't hit the mark for me... But hey, what do I know? Bright spot: the server was excellent and maintained a positive attitude throughout my entire dining experience, thank you. read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Grits. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

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100% satisfaction as always. The banana pancakes and gumbo are amazing. Jalepeno cornbread is so great with the gumbo. Delicious. The staff are so nice. read more

After eating a lot of delicious but very mildly flavored food, this place hit the spot with their cajun spices. Staff is super friendly, portions are big, and the merch is so good! A gem of a place! read more

One of the most delicious breakfast in Portland Maine and great portions! The jalapeño cornbread is to die for and the service is cheerful. If you are looking for nice meal and chill environment this is rhe please. read more

The Bayou Kitchen - The Meat Homie Plate - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

It sounded so good. We went for breakfast and just sweated the whole time. The food was pretty good, but all I could do was think about getting outside where it was cooler. read more

The Bayou Kitchen - scrambled eggs - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

10 stars! Had a Cajun sausage gravy biscuit egg special that is honestly one of the best things I've ever eaten in the us for breakfast. It was fantastic. Cornbread is good too. Wish I could've tried more things. I also wish they'd open up a beach in Los Angeles! read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Cajun gravy sandwich special - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Great breakfast joint Loved the grits The hash was tasty, spiced different but good Wife Loved the pancakes 1 coffee and 1 pecan The vibe of the place made me wish it was closer Tie-die people would rule if we had the drive read more

Delicious huevos rancheros, cornbread, and gumbo. Friendly staff. Awesome selection of hot sauces.

Had a great little brunch here this past weekend. It's a little off the beaten path of the 'cooler' downtown area, but worth a visit. The staff was very friendly and we were seated immediately. The menu was a nice mix of brunchy items (eggs, french toast, pancakes) and some cajun staples. I was originally thinking about something sweet, but ended up ordering rice and beans which hit the spot. It came with cornbread which was a nice addition. My husband ordered scrambled eggs with a side of grits and jalapeno cheddar cornbread. He enjoyed the eggs but wished he had gotten the regular cornbread (due to the eggs being spicy, too) so we swapped a bit - the jalapeno bread was very good, more moist than the regular cornbread. They also offer a blueberry flavor which we didn't get to try. I also am a fan of any place with a giant cabinet full of hot sauce. I should have taken a picture, but if you need any additional spice to your dish, they had a shelf of about 40 different sauces to choose from. Since we were here during a brunchy time, we both got coffee (only $1.75 with unlimited refills). Can't get a much better deal than that. Overall, very nice experience, small place, but great food. read more

Popped in on our last day of vacay in New England. Gumbo with grilled jalapeño cornbread was bomb! We made our own meaty omelette with grits 'n biscuit. Wish BK was in our neighborhood ~ Loved every bite! Service was friendly & good vibe overall! read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Chicken And Sausage Gumbo - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

The place isn't clean. The French toast made with whole wheat is not good, but the pancake and corn bread were most enjoyable. The service was hit or miss. read more

Great friendly service! Small but quick seating. Coffee was good. Food was excellent. Breakfast sandwich was perfect. Crispy bacon. English was cooked not burnt. Homies were delicious. Seasoning was perfect. A bit of a spice. Ham and cheese omelet had diced ham. Not deli ham which was great. Just enough cheese. Toast was toasted perfect as well. Can't wait to come back and try lunch! read more

This is a very cool place to hang out either at the counter or one of the tables, or outside if weather permits. Eggs, toast and home fries done just right. The homemade hash was good but surprisingly for a restaurant with lots of spices and big flavors a little under seasoned. What pushed this into 5 stars was the incredible service. Three different people making sure I was happy and well taken care of while I was there! Great little spot nestled into Woodford's corner, definitely recommend! read more

My husband and I had breakfast here after church on Sunday! Patrick was our waiter he was so kind, funny, and so personable! I almost felt like I was back home with my family in the South. And also, my dining experience really reminded me of my travels in New Orleans! The staff is so kind and really energetic! The food was delightful and filled with flavor! The grits reminded me of the grits my Grandpa and Grandma would cook for me with cheese! The potatoes and the bacon are out of this world good! Red beans and rice? Savory! All the different hot sauces they have is really neat! The two we tried have a sweet and spicy taste to them. Really good stuff! Go try this place out! Oh yeah and great work on following covid rules! I even heard them tell someone "put your mask on"! Great service, great food, friendly people, and overall just such a great place! read more

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Was visiting Portland for a day and came to Bayou Kitchen for breakfast with my friend and we both loved it! The service went above and beyond. We were greeted and seated immediately and I was recommended the jasmine green tea by the waitress, which I ordered and absolutely loved. They have a surprisingly long tea list which I recommend asking for! My friend and I both ordered the huevos rancheros which was delicious, and we shared banana chocolate chip pancakes. The pancakes were phenomenal! So big and so fluffy. Overall this place was a 10/10, very bright and cozy interior and the staff were so inviting. read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Huevos Rancheros - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

I'm not gonna lie.. I was hangry when I walked in. Everything felt like to took forever. I told the waitress we were ready to order.. she mumbled something about a line and left. After she got done with another customer she came back over and explained that there is a line to order (everyone was sitting at tables) I looked at the line cooks and there were only 2 tickets up however way more tables that need to order. It took me a bit to realize the cooks allow a certain number of tickets to maintain order. Everyone's order gets their FULL attention and made with ALL of the love. Besides the attention to detail with the Cooking... let's talk flavor!! YES YES YES!! It's spicy, flavorful and Authentic. This. Is. The. Place. If you want your snacks done right and drenched in love, flavor and sass come eat here. You won't be disappointed. read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Jambalaya with jalapeño cornbread - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

This place is exactly what I was looking for after a weekend in Portland visiting breweries. The service was fast and friendly and all of our food was delicious. We had the Cajun Scramble and Sausage Scramble along with the cornbread. There were three of us so we each tried a different flavor as they have blueberry, plain, and jalapeño cheddar. You could tell everything was cooked to order and prepared well. The dining room is active with workers and customers and the walls are colorful and decorated with local art. I would definitely return when back in the area. read more

Waitress was amazing. Super friendly and knowledgeable. And the food was actually really good. Problem we had was that it was really...dirty. That was the worst part. The dishes are done old-school, by hand. In the hour we were there, many, many dishes dunked in the same dirty water that didn't appear to even be hot. I'm not a germaphobe by any means, but thought that was kinda gross. Also, the guy cutting fruit periodically popped a few in him mouth. Not to mention, dunked his hand into the tub of blueberries- no glove, no spoon, none of it. The clincher with the fruit man (and overall sanitation of the place), he dropped an apple on the floor while making a fruit plate (same one with hand-blueberries and snacking), tossed it to the dishwasher to 'rinse real quick'. It went into the dish water before going into someone plate. This was a first-and-done for us. Bummer. read more

Maybe the dirty little guy who smokes cigarettes up front could wash his hands before coming inside and losing his patience with me over not hearing me say my phone number. Not worth it. Food was okay last time I came in, three years ago. Won't be back ever read more

Unique menu with daily specials and something for every breakfast/lunch lover. The restaurant is SMALL, with the front door opening directly into the bar/seating area/kitchen (you can see them frying up pancakes from the front door). Still, they're efficient with the service and even when told there would be a 30min wait, we were in our seats in less than 20mins. We had the blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup and the #2 special of the day: sausage and cheese scramble with beans and rice and biscuit. The pancakes were delicious thick, cakey perfection. The scramble, which I topped with some of the pleasantly spicy hot sauce that was on the table (a zillion more hot sauce bottle choices all over the restaurant), went perfectly with the buttery biscuit that literally crumbled at the slightest touch. Low key place with big flavor. Staff was perky, attentive and helpful. We'll definitely be back! read more

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Food and staff have always been good here. Never a bad experience or dull moment. Make sure you arrive early, place gets packed quick.

First time at The Bayou Kitchen... - the food was very good! I got a "Mudbug Omlet" which has crawfish and cheddar cheese. It had a lot of crawfish and just the right amount of cheddar...not too much. It was delicious! My friend got the homemade hash, which of course I tried...it was unusually spiced with nutmeg and maybe even a little cinnamon and was delicious! My only recommendation to the chef is to cut the potatoes smaller for the home fries...they are good, but too big. - the service was great...very friendly and helpful staff. The staff makes you feel right at home. - the place is small, the only seating available for 3 at the moment we arrived was at the bar in the back of the restaurant which overlooks the dish washing station and since we didn't want to wait for a table we sat there. But, really not the best to watch leftover food being scraped off plates and dish washing happening while eating. Try to get a seat at the bar overlooking the kitchen, or a table. read more

My best friends and I took a road trip to Maine and stopped into the Bayou kitchen on our last day headed home. This was one of the best decisions we have made this week. Not only was the place filled with Louisiana culture which is very cool, alligators on the walls, and breathtaking artwork by an employee Dan. Pat greeted us like family and everyone was just hands down nice and welcoming. On top of that, amazing food. I suggest the corn bread. Thank you for letting us be a part of the Bayou family for even an hour The Boys read more

The Bayou Kitchen - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Portland, Maine

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The Bayou Kitchen is the real deal. Thoroughly enjoyed my bowl of gumbo with crawfish (good roux!), cornbread and side of homemade corned beef hash. Our waiter plopped down at our table to take our order, which felt like being back in NOLA. My next visit to Portland will include a visit to The Bayou Kitchen. read more

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