Garibaldi Portside Bistro — Restaurant in Garibaldi

I recently visited the bistro with my family, a regular stop whenever we're in the area for crabbing. While the food, atmosphere, and our waitress were all fantastic, the lack of transparency on the menu and the poor response from management left me disappointed, resulting in a two-star rating.

Three members of our party ordered sweet potato fries as a side, assuming it would be a $2 upcharge since regular fries were $6 and sweet potato fries were $8. However, when the bill arrived, we were charged an additional $24 for the sweet potato fries instead of the expected $6.

When we inquired about this discrepancy, our waitress acknowledged the confusion but stated that was the correct price. She spoke with the manager, who only reduced the bill by $4 because one person received a half portion. Ultimately, we paid full price for the sweet potato fries without receiving the sides that were supposed to come with our meals, effectively increasing our meals by $8 each and providing less food.

After this interaction, our waitress became noticeably cold, and the management seemed eager to have us leave. This experience felt like a greedy business tactic. If the sweet potato fries come with a significant upcharge, it should be clearly stated, and diners should still receive the sides included with their meals.

Moving forward, the bistro needs to be more transparent about such charges, make sweet potato fries a clear upcharge option, or reconsider offering them as a side if they can't afford it. At the very least, customers should receive all the food...

After hours and hours of being on the road from Spokane we googled the nearest restaurant and picked the Bistro.

It was a long wait to even pull off the highway (and back on after leaving) but we made it to the Bistro where it’s tucked back near the water.

We chose to sit outside, the only seat they had left outside was a big picnic table. The waitress offered us a table under the shade but the kids wanted to remain there. Big mistake, the sun was hot, sit in the shade lol

The food sounded great, tasted even better than great. We ordered the pork tots which sound very popular with everyone and the smoked Turkey Club Bistro sandwich. Delicious! So much flavor, texture etc.

The only downside is the sandwich is SO tall that it’s almost impossible to eat. You have to take 2-3 bites to get one normal bite of sandwich. That meant the bread was breaking as you’re trying to hold on to your meal and avocado and condiments are oozing out and all over. Very messy, I took a few bites and chose to take it to our Airbnb for later where I was able to deconstruct better.

Either way the food was delicious, our waitress was very friendly, forgot/missed a few minor things but it was very busy and nowhere can find adequate staffing so no big deal.

If you’re driving through, stop here. We never have and in the future we will...

Wow! If you judged it from the outside, you'd think you were going to a boat storage facility. Get inside and it's a fun, hip, friendly place. The menu is as interesting as the juxtaposition of the exterior to the interior. The daily special "wet ribs" were outstanding. Spareribs with barbecue sauce were fall-off-the-bone tender from proper smoking rather than thorough boiling. The 911 burger combines several sources of spicy heat for a layered and complex fire in your face that has flavor rather than just raging angry acrid bite. Desserts are pretty good, including a s'more molten lava cake. Beer selections blend regional faves and national standards to suit the adventurous and the traditional equally well. Prices are NOT as high as the quality of the food might lead you to think. There are places that charge 50-100% more for food that is seldom as good, thinking that saying they're hip and fun and interesting justifies higher prices because it might draw in a younger crowd more willing to pay for the trappings of a great place to meet and eat. Portside Bistro lets the food and atmosphere speak for itself and keeps the prices approachable. Don't be put off by its surroundings and what you see when you pull up. Go in and see what all the positive reviews are about. You won't be...