Bantam - Bellingham (WA)

4 /5 Misha Smith: My daughter, who lives in Bellingham and goes to Washington State University, has been raving about Bantam for a while—so we finally had the chance to check it out together. She had especially talked about the beet salad appetizer, and wow, it did not disappoint! The flavors were incredible—the feta cheese took it to the next level. We also had the chicken, and it was delicious. What made the experience even better was the amazing service. Our server was incredibly sweet and made sure we got to try all the sauces. She was attentive without being overbearing, making sure we had everything we needed. The atmosphere is cozy and thoughtfully decorated. I loved that there were books to browse and that the upstairs seating offered a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle. While there is seating downstairs, I’d definitely recommend the second floor for a more relaxed dining experience. We came on a Saturday night and, thankfully, there was no wait. Street parking was easy to find, which made everything even smoother. Thank you for a great meal and a lovely evening with my daughter—this is one spot we’ll definitely be coming back to!

3 /5 Barbara James: IMPORTANT MAKE RESERVATIONS. Ok, I came back to enjoy the beet appetizer. Well, it was Friday night at 5:13 pm . Didnt realize we would need reservations. Well, we asked about sitting at the bar. This time, I had a friend come up from Stanwood. We were offered to sit outside in the patio, which is not a place. I would want to have dinner when this evening it was raining. We were persistent, and we did get allowed to go sit at the bar. We were told that all the empty tables had reservations. Yes, while eating our meal, a few of the tables were filled. However, not all the tables. The food was very tasty. The bartender was very charming. Im just disappointed regarding their table management. Looking for Fried Chicken, located this restaurant. Was amazed by the atmosphere on the main floor. Was very impressed when arriving up on the second floor. The book bar. Loved the different colored stairs and the non-skid flooring. Not to bad of a climb up the stairs for this 63 year old . The most surprising item was the beet appetizer. It was very tasty and also impressed in the amount of beets. Also enjoyed that each table number was stenciled on the table. Then you can get 20 percent off Mallard Ice Cream. What a nice treat for later. Our chicken was moist and tender. Also enjoyed my drink, the test pilot so much that I had two.

3 /5 Abhash Kumar Singh: My wife found this spot for fried chicken on maps and we decided to come here for dinner. The staff were attentive all through out our visit and were very helpful. We got peach sparkling lemonade, special astoria waldorf salad with rotisserie chicken and spicy fried jerk chicken with pineapple habanero sauce. The lemonade was delightful and punchy. The salad was delicious and crunchy. The rotisserie chicken went perfectly with it. The fried chicken with the jerk seasoning was amazing, although the habanero sauce was bone hit-tingly tart which I had trouble finishing. The cole slaw was great too. Contrary to other entrees, I felt the portion size was small for the price as I was still hungry after my meal. A decent place though.

4 /5 Kat: Came here for my birthday dinner and had such a lovely experience. The vibe is cozy, and you can choose to sit upstairs or downstairs (even though the view is just the parking lot, it’s still a nice option to have). The staff was super friendly, and everything we ordered was well-prepared. We got the pulled pork sandwiches and fries—both were delicious. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the hush puppies, but my boyfriend loved them, so that was probably just a taste preference. One thing I didn’t love was that they have a separate menu for weekdays and weekends. There were some items on the weekend menu I was really hoping to try, but since we came on a weekday, they weren’t available. Totally understand the reasoning, but it was a little disappointing! Still, overall it was a great experience, and I’d definitely come back to try the weekend menu next time.

4 /5 Min Sun Kim: Had a lovely dinner to try the fried chicken, but we were actually more impressed with the rotisserie chicken. Split a half fried chicken and a quarter rotisserie chicken, and it was so much food! Their portions are very generous, we probably couldve split just one half chicken dish. The sides were also excellent. Excited to return and try more things on the menu!