Overall, it was a very good experience. Â
The service was prompt and friendly. The atmosphere was lively. The building itself is situated right on the water, with a magnificent view. The cocktails we had were excellent and inventive.
The quality of the food and the preparation was excellent; nearly all of the produce is homegrown. With that said and as others have alluded to, I think you need to be prepared for a vegetarian, or rather, pescatarian only menu selections. Which tends not to be my style but again, it's hard not to give the overall experience 5 stars.
Long waits but the staff is friendly and funny. The beet soup, was delicious and the prawn pho was the best we have ever had, props to the chef! Breakfast was equally delicious even if we were greeted by someone destroying the in-house bathroom. That restroom should be sealed up or open from the outside ...seriously. #gag
Review Source:The best.  And I don't just mean on Orcas Island.  My husband and I live in Chicago, which we're constantly being told (by Chicagoans anyway) is the foodie capital of the world, but we have never found here anything as good a the Doe Bay Café (yeah ok there was Charlie Trotter's but that closed).  They serve beautifully prepared local veggies -- I mean very local, as in grown on the grounds mostly -- and locally caught seafood, perfectly cooked.  You could eat happily as a vegan here, with all the stunningly creative combinations of vegetables.  But if seafood is your thing as it is mine they do a pretty amazing job with that too.  The setting is breathtaking, practically on top of the bay.  The service is a perfect balance of helpful but not intrusive, and completely unpretentious -- as though they don't have a clue that they're a stunningly good restaurant, and would be the hottest joint in town with a three-month wait for reservations if located in the big city.  Â
I had to laugh at  the reviews below giving the Café mediocre ratings because they did a bad job delivering some sort of pedestrian food you'd expect to get at Denny's -- poached eggs or whatever.  If you don't appreciate inventive and exquisitely prepared food then don't bother with this place -- leave more reservations for the rest of us.
I went to the Doe Bay Cafe for breakfast during my vacation on Orcas Island. I was so excited to eat there because of the rave Yelp reviews, but I'm sad to report that our experience was not what I'd hoped for. The location is absolutely breathtaking and we were seated right away, so the meal was off to a good start, but things kind of went downhill from there. Everything on the menu sounds delicious, so I had trouble deciding what to get, but I chose the Caramelized French Toast ($12) and a side of two eggs ($2.50). The menu claims that you can get the eggs "any way you like". So I asked for poached. The waitress informed me that the kitchen couldn't make poached eggs. So I tried for soft-boiled, but the waitress told me that the kitchen couldn't do that either. So then I ended up just settling on scrambled. I'm assuming the kitchen is just too small or something (I'm hoping all chefs know how to poach and soft boil an egg), so I guess it can be forgiven if they can't do poached and soft-boiled, but I'm mystified as to why they wrote "any way you like", because that clearly isn't the case.
Anyways, after the unfortunate egg situation, I was still very excited for my food. It took a pretty long time to come out, which was too bad because everyone in my party was quite hungry. I think they were just very understaffed because the waitress was very kind and tried to check in, but she seemed to be covering all the tables, with the help of someone from the kitchen. When our food finally did come I was very pleased with my french toast--the amount they give you is very generous and it was quite tasty. I also had a bite of the Olive Oil Poached Duck Egg ($14), which was very yummy and a bit spicy (in a good way, at least for me).
However, my sister ordered a house-made buttermilk biscuit ($2.50) to go along with her meal and it didn't come out with the food. And we asked and asked and asked again and each time the waitress said it was coming. Finally, we had all finished our meals and it still hadn't come. After waiting a little while longer, it did eventually come out. My sister said it was a very good biscuit, but not good enough to want to wait the entire meal and then some for it to come.
All in all, our experience at Doe Bay Cafe was kind of a let down. No doubt the food there is quite good, but I don't think I'd go again, due to the lack of egg variety and the discouraging speed of those working in the kitchen. Definitely go visit the Doe Bay Resort for the beauty of it, but maybe head somewhere else to eat.
In all fairness, if you are into "hippy" food, duck eggs, goat cheese, and that sort of thing, you may love this place.  We had no clue, however, and were greeted with the guy with the nose ring, heavy sun glasses (even though he was inside), and horrible out-of-tune blasting music at breakfast time that made me want to turn around and walk out.  Trouble is we had driven all the way from the other side of the island based on Yelp reviews and were hungry.  So  we stayed.
Fortunately, we found on the back of the menu a traditional menu item of eggs, potatoes and toast. Â So we just ordered that. Â The potatoes were awful. Â They used some herb that was just weird on boring plain potatoes. Â No other spices were used to make them spark. Â The eggs and toast were good. Â I also had an apple spice muffin that was very good.
The "musAc" was the thing that drove us nuts, however. Â It was clearly being played for the staff's enjoyment, not for the customer's. Â It was loud, horrible and out of tune. Â It was just not something you'd want to enjoy your wake up to morning breakfast to. Â We just ate and got out of there as fast as we could.
The physical room and deck are quite nice. Â We couldn't sit on the deck as the sun would have fried us. Â There are no umbrellas for the tables. Â The inside room is nice but noisy. Â The view is very nice. Â So, I guess how you view this place depends on what you want. Â This wasn't what we wanted, however.
I had an amazing brunch here. The duck egg entree was perfect in every way, flavors melding together and leaving me speechless until the last bite. Â The Kathryn Taylor hot chocolate (a specialty from the chocolatier on the island) is among the best I've ever had and phenomenally good. The waitstaff is friendly and there is a lot of "pride of ownership" that can be seen among the staff, with great attention to detail. Both the inside dining room (feels like a cabin in the woods) and the lovely outside deck are laid-back and inviting, with sweeping views of the water. I love this place and look forward eagerly to my next trip.
Review Source:Loved this place ... the food was fresh, delicious and prepared with the freshest ingredients, in many cases from the cafe's own little vegetable garden. Service was prompt, cheerful and attentive and the waterfront views/location made for a pretty amazing brunch experience. While everything we tried was really good, I would personally recommend the breakfast burrito and their lattes if you are going there.
Overall, next time whenever I find myself on Orcas Island, I will be sure to visit this place again for brunch.
"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. Â
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.
We spent a long weekend at the Doe Bay Resort and ate at Doe Bay Cafe both nights and it was A-Mazing. Â The food itself was fresh, very very fresh. Â Ingredients are purchased locally and Doe Bay has its own garden. The menu changes each month according to what is fresh and available. Â
There was not one item we ordered that was 'meh' - each item was delicious. Â In particular, I adored the salmon!! Â The second night we opted for the "Hands Free" menu - 5 courses selected by the chef. Â DELICIOUS!!
In addition to delicious food, the service was incredible. Â Sarah and Kelly served us and were kind and attentive and delightful. Â Everyone made us feel very special and every aspect of dinner was 5 stars! Â I can't remember the last time I had such an awesome dinner
I highly recommend you go out of your way to eat at the Doe Bay Cafe, even if you aren't saying at the resort. Â You will love this special restaurant.
Great nourishment! Excellent hot chocolate and tofu b'ahn mi sandwich. I recommend bringing your own food and cooking it while you stay at the lovely and relaxing Doe Bay Resort just to cut costs. Going to the cafe can be a pricey treat. I was disappointed by the veggie pho soup, but the salmon was amazing.
Review Source:Enjoyed breakfast here. Â Food very good, wait staff friendly and attentive. Â Cappuccino good, to my liking. Â Explored the grounds and took in hot tubs and sauna. Â Great ocean view from tubs. Â Came across yoga studio and boy, needed some work in the cleanliness department. The restaurant does deserve a visit...it is good. Â Enjoyed the food here.
Review Source:This review is based on a brunch we recently had at the Doe Bay Cafe, so not sure at all about dinner (although I've heard good things about that, too). We were staying in a yurt at Doe Bay, and were looking for a good Saturday morning meal (that we didn't need to cook for ourselves). We were at first impressed by the renovations made to to restaurant, since it had been a few years since we had been there--very clean, open, spectacular views of the bay, and local art on the walls. The waiter took his time to explain the menu and the local ingredienats that went into each dish, and we settled on the brunch specials. Both the quiche and the special scramble were spectacular--each ingredient came deliciously through and they all worked together. Expertly-crafted capuccinos completed the meal.Plus, we felt welcome to stay as long as we liked. Well worth a trip to Doe Bay, even if you're not staying there!
Review Source:As fresh as it gets, pulled from the garden out back. Â Gorgeous views and amazing location. Â They list where the foods come from on a chalkboard, and all are pretty local. Â They also have some neat and local cocktail options. Â The restaurant is crowded with campers and other tourists, so I would recommend making reservations in advance. Â The menu is creative. Â When I visited, there were several good vegetarian options and one vegan option. Â The water is local and has a slightly sulfuric odor that I found off-putting. Â Next time I would order a juice or beer. Â There was a complimentary flat bread cracker / roasted red pepper dip appetizer that was delicious.
The servers were really stoked to work there (there was much gushing about the coolness of seed-to-table) but they are not so stoked to serve you. Â When I asked if there was a way to leave the goat cheese off an item, the server replied "Um, NO, actually, these things are made a certain way and you can't change anything." Â Uh huh. Â So I understand that the chefs have a vision for each dish but the appropriate response would have been "the menu items are set but is there a food allergy or dietary need I can ask the chef to help you accommodate?" Â They also discouraged me from ordering an espresso after the meal....? Â I love espresso. Â Theirs was solid. Â This was all one server, so I'm hoping he is not the norm. Â It did sully my experience though and next time I would make sure I got someone else.
I've eaten at the Cafe for both breakfast and dinner, and had great experiences. Breakfast is definitely a better value... the dinner menu is a little pricey, but still worth it considering the setting and attention to detail from the servers. Â But I would like to focus this review on the Cafe as a venue for live music. Â On a recent Thursday night, a large crowd had gathered for an open mic. The acoustics in the room were great, and the kitchen stayed open, serving three different kinds of pizza. Â The bar kept pouring beer until 10:30 or so, when the last of musicians was finishing up their set. Â The next night, I had the pleasure of performing two sets of music after dinner. Â The servers were very accommodating to both the musicians and the guest, achieving a nice balance of music, conversation, and food. Â Although wine and beer are the most obvious beverage choices, they do have a full bar, and I had a great martini after we were done playing. Â I would definitely recommend the Cafe for anyone visiting Doe Bay, especially on a night when live music is happening!
Review Source:Amazing! Fresh, organic, local, AMAZING food! Doe Bay Cafe nourished my soul. Happiness was in every bite.
I ordered the fresh fish, delicious. My vegan/vegetarian friends were equally satisfied with their choices (some kind of bowl dish thing with greens, the veggie lasagna). Big selection of wine with servers who are more than willing to accommodate every need. We asked for hot sauce and our server brought us this amazing locally made stuff. My friends were hooked! Ask for it.
Love everything about Doe Bay. I'm drooling thinking about this place.
This place was amazing! Â We were in Orcas Island thanks to a great Living Social deal at the Deer Harbor Resort, and found out about this restaurant. Â We went there, and while there wasn't a large number of people, that made for a more intimate dining experience.
The restaurant is well designed and decorated, and there's a great view of a cove from many of the tables along the window.
Our servers were exceptional, and the meal was even more so! Â I ordered the vegetable tower, which had 5 or 6 different vegetables (each one cooked in its own way), stacked into a tower. Â I've never had such a savory vegetarian meal before!
We also were given the rest of a bottle of San Juan Vineyard wine which was a beautiful compliment to the meal.
My mom, sister and I tried this place because we heard it was the best on the island, and though the food was good, and the setting itself lends a wonderful ambience, there seemed to be a wrench in the works on the night we dined here.
We had no reservation but got in on the assumption that we'd be in and out in an hour or two so the table could open up for a reservation, fair enough, we were happy to be seated.
I understand a laid back attitude at a resort. But the amount of time it took for every order to be processed, and the food to be brought to us, then the wait for a check that never came though there was a line of people waiting for tables just made things seem a bit disorganized. It ended up being a 2 and a half hour experience. In the end we got our check but the wine was left off the bill, and we could not tell if it was because of the service and wait ...or if it was simply an accident. Thus we left a $40 tip because we did not want to risk taking up our table any longer as we tried to get our server's attention. As a person who works at a restaurant myself I noticed that it seemed they were understaffed and that the division of labor wasn't clear. But that's only my guess.
Though it's easy to focus on the negative, because the experience was kinda bizarre, the food was very good. I thoroughly enjoyed my shrimp and grits( the special that night), and the Curried Eggplant soup was nice. I also noticed the pizza going by, and it, looked, fantastic!
I think based on what others have said I would like to return to give this spot a fair chance. I know that just one experience isn't a fair estimation of an establishment's quality. I hope to be back again to try the pizza sometime soon.
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!! Â
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!
I'm not a free-wheeling 5-Star giver outer, but in this case, dayum! Â There is no better way to start your day than with a hearty breakfast at the Doe Bay Cafe! Â If you're vegetarian even better because they serve an amazing tofu scramble and soy sausage that's to die for, you cannot tell it's not real meat. Â The view, sublime. If you find yourself on Orcas Island, slide into the day at Doe Bay. Â Oh, and the dinners are amazing as well. I don't think this place can turn out a bad plate of food!
Review Source:We decided to make the drive over to Doe Bay after a hike up Mt. Constitution - so we were hungry! What a warm, welcoming setting. The menu had lots of yummy choices. Recommended options are the scallops and the salmon. We also were delighted with the well-chilled bottle of New Mexico (!!) bubbly.
Well worth the drive.
Our family usually makes it to Doe Bay at least once or twice a year. Â We have always enjoyed the Cafe. Â They have a beautiful garden on site that they source most of their veggies from, they also deal with other local farmers for the rest of their stellar ingredients. Â I had the Veggie Pizza and The Duck Egg with Grits. All the flavors were stunning and well put together. Â Love the feel and the open kitchen! Great service,staff and VIEW of the Bay! Â I heard that Thursday night open mic and pizza night is the fun and wild night of the week. Cant wait to go back!! LOVE YOU DOE BAY!!
Review Source:Bottom line: Â amazingly creative, delicious seafood and vegetarian dishes at reasonable prices in a charming setting.
Located in the boonies of Orcas Island in the Doe Bay Resort, this cafe has excellent views of the bay that gives it its name. Â The menu is pescaterian (seafood and vegetarian dishes; no poultry or red meat) and focuses on sustainable, organic, local, etc, etc. Â We went here on a recommendation from our sea kayaking guide, who lives on Orcas and said it was his favorite place to eat on the island. Â
We weren't disappointed. Â
The vegetarian dishes were, unbelievably for the quality, under $20 each, and the seafood dishes hovered just under $30 for an entree. Â Everyone in our 5-person party agreed that we were served just the right amount of food; enough to fill you up without feeling overstuffed or like you should have split a dish. Â And the quality and creativity of the food? Â One indicator is that we all agreed it was the best food we had on our week-long trip to the Pacific Northwest, which included some renowned Seattle restaurants. Â It's hard to describe in words, so I'll just list some of our favorite things we tried:
 -Green garlic pizza with potatoes and morels
 -Alaskan black cod with local greens, wild mushrooms, and nuts
 -Scallops with asparagus mint flan
 -Moroccan-inspired dinner crepe over cauliflower couscous
 -Spiked rosemary lemonade
 -Bourbon root beer float
 -Sticky date cake with pistachios and cardomom ice cream (do not miss)
Our dinner was served at a leisurely pace, which was perfect for our evening. Â Be sure to call for a reservation, as they seem to be closed occasionally for private functions. Â My only complaint about this place is that they have not yet emailed me the sticky date cake recipe as promised, but it has only been a couple of days. Â
I was baffled that this place didn't have more reviews on Yelp. Â However, it looks like several people wrote reviews under Doe Bay Resort, so I'd look there if you want more info. Â Happy eating!
We stayed at Doe Bay Resort for the weekend and loved it. Please see my review under Doe Bay Resort for more information on our experience at the resort/campground.
Our last night here we had dinner at the cafe. The cafe is very cute. I loved the earthy yet elegant feel. They have a nice bar and great seats- many of which overlook the cove.
We had some wine, the salmon entree, and the special scallop appetizer served on green garlic flan. The wine was great and it was nice to have a bottle for $24. The scallops were excellent and the flan was very interesting. I had never had a savory flan before but it was delicious and it was fun to try something so unique.
The salmon dish had complex flavors including a tasty sauce. I can't remember if the fiddle heads were served with the scallops or the salmon but we both enjoyed those as well. I never thought I'd eat a fern!
My only complaint about the meal was that the salmon fillet was overcooked and not very flavorful. A shame at $28 for the plate to have the main attraction be just average. The salmon was on the dry side and definitely overcooked. I could have made the salmon better myself. However, the accompanying sauce and veggies were excellent.
Service was great and the evening was all I could hope for. Great little cafe with a seasonal, all organic menu. Many of the vegetables are grown in their own Doe Bay Garden and most are locally sourced. The menu is all vegetarian except for seafood dishes. Menu changes based on the season.
I would highly recommend Doe Bay Cafe for dinner. Just request medium or medium rare if you order the salmon!
Bill came to $70 for 1 appetizer, 1 entree, and 1 bottle of wine. Not bad for an intimate, special evening!
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