Restaurant Name: Bluefin Bistro
Location: 2 South 4th Street, Lafayette, IN (map it)
Phone: 765-742-6600
Hours: 5pm-10pm Sun-Thur, 5pm-11pm Fri-Sat, and 11am-2pm Mon-Fri
Cuisine: Seafood and Pan Asian
Review: I was intrigued to see the lovely bar from the window on South Street, but disappointed after walking up to the entrance to see that they did not yet have a liquor license. (Note: Since this review originally was published, Bluefin Bistro has obtained a liquor license and now has a fine wine list as well as a full stocked bar.) I figured I would check that out next time, but I don’t think I will be going again. Bluefin Bistro was clean and quiet, and somewhat deserted for a lunch hour downtown. They had clever framed fish tanks on the walls by some of the tables, which could entertain while you wait for your food, or your coffee, or your drink refill, or your appetizer, or anything else you might ask for that takes an eternity to get to your table. The menu had lots of sushi, some typical bistro fare, and a variety of of seafood dishes. Prices are about $6.95 and up for lunch, with dinners going from $8.95 up to the $50 range. I was shocked when I got my bill to find out that the side salad the server had suggested with my sushi roll was a whopping $3.95! It was merely a cup of iceberg with a slice of tomato on it. For a just a bit more change, I could have gotten an entree salad. One of my friends ordered the scallops from the appetizer menu for all of us to share, but there were only two scallops on the plate. Not to mention, the scallops were brought out much later than the Lilliputian salads.
We all ordered sushi, which was tasty; but it was delivered to the table at different times. One friend specified that she wanted a spicy sushi roll, and the server suggested a roll that had the word Spicy in the title (no kidding). I tasted it, and let me say, I have had spicier food at a bake sale. She asked for some spicy sauce to add to it, and after a little begging, was finally given a dish of the sauce they had used on my roll. To wrap up the meal, we ordered the Downtown Cheesecake, which was quite good and had an attractive presentation. Since the restaurant was very chilly, we ordered coffee to warm us up while we chatted, but it took more than five minutes to get to the table. To top off our wait, we had to ask for sweetener, as it was served with no accompaniments. While a sign did boast that they serve Starbucks coffee, it unfortunately tasted like instant. In hind sight, we should have just walked outside to warm up.
Kid friendly: No.
Methods of Payment: Cash or Credit.
Related Sites: Journal & Courier Article
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(4.83 out of 5)
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I went to this restaurant not long ago and my experience was quite the contrary. We went for a late dinner to celebrate my brother’s birthday. We had reservations for 7:30pm, though we did not need the reservation. As we walked in we were instantly taken care of, and the decor was very nice. Our waitress was very knowledgeable about the entire menu answering all of our questions. We ordered three different appetizers to try, all of which came out at the same time and was very good. Then came the salads, everyone loved the house dressing. Not long after salads the entrees came out. Everything that was ordered was delicious. We ordered a lot, but we saved room for the cheese cake. We tried both the marble chocolate and the downtown cheesecake. Though it was a little bit heavy on the wallet, I enjoyed my experience very much and can’t wait to go back to eat there again.
I went to Bluefin Bistro tonight and will not return. When I entered, I noted that 1/2 of the restaurant was literally empty. The host told me that I would be seated shortly. The bar looked closed as there was no one at the bar (no bartender either) and there were trays of clean glasses sitting on several tables. There was a sitting area to the left where a couple were sitting. The host did not invite me to have a seat there or in the bar while I waited. He finally asked for whomever to follow him. He meant the couple sitting to the left but did not indicate that to me. He told me that the table was for them not me. I apologized and was told that I would be seated soon. A couple then came in and went into the bar and was served immediately with mixed drinks by someone, possibly the host. Another couple with a child came in and he asked them to have a seat in the area to the left. I still had not been offered a seat anywhere! A table emptied and the couple with the child were ushered to that table by the host while I still stood there. The entire length of this was about 20-30 minutes. After the table was given to couple who came in after me, I left and went to Toscana and had a COMPLETELY different experience! As a single person who frequently dines out alone, I have felt ignored at other restaurants in the past but NEVER have I been TOTALLY ignored! This was one of the rudest experience I have ever had and will not return and recommend the same to my acquaintances!
P. S. The couple who was seated soon after I arrived entered Toscana about 5 minutes after I arrived. I went to them after my dinner to apologize again and was told that by the time they had left, no one had been to their table except to deliver glasses of water.
Unless you have 3-4 hours to kill, I would not recommend Blue Fin Bistro. My boyfriend was in town tonight and after hearing positive things about the restaurant, I thought it would be a good place to take him. Initially the service was very fast and friendly. We had reservations and were seated immediately. We ordered the owner’s special (snow crab and unlimited sushi) and our soup and salad were brought to the table in a timely manner. We began to worry when our snow crab was brought to the table soaking wet and our first order sushi arrived separately fifteen minutes later. When we finally flagged down our waitress to order our second round of sushi, we proceeded to wait 55 minutes before it was served. A half hour into our wait, my boyfriend spoke to the manager and he assured us our order would be out shortly. He told us some ridiculous story about one of the sushi chefs cutting off his finger the night before and another one being deathly ill in a hospital in Chicago and that they were unaware of how short staffed they would be that night until they opened that night. When I asked why we hadn’t been told about the long wait on sushi before we ordered, he blamed it on our waitress. When our food had still not arrived 20 minutes later we asked the manager to comp our meal and he patronizingly told us he would buy us a free dessert or pay for our soft drinks. He said that he had called the owner and the owner said that since our meal was a special he couldn’t comp it (obviously a lie). I have worked in several restaurants and I have never heard of any such clause (nor of a manager who had to call the owner for such a reason). Our poor waitress was so embarrassed she offered to pay for our meal which the manager eagerly encouraged us to accept (we of course did not allow her to pay for our meal). I would not feel right about ever going back to a restaurant that so unapologetically takes advantage of both its employees and its customers.
hey,does the comedy caravan still run at the knickerbocker? if not this is the perfect alternative destination. the prices are ridiculous and the food is totally hilarious. this is a total insult to the lafayette dining populace.27 dollars for a new york strip-in these economic times…are you kidding me? plus it’s supposed to be a fine dining establishment? the decor is bland. one of the overhead lanterns had a huge gaping hole, the wait staff were clueless and you could hear the loud chatter coming from the kitchen riddled with profanity about how their jobs sucked because the restaurant was virtually empty.the patio looks tacky and lousy. hardly has the New York club atmosphere it advertises to portray. go to Kokoro. at least there is entertainment with Tony and the food is way better!
We (me and my boyfriend) went to BlueFin last night. We called around 7pm and asked what time they closed. We were told 10pm. We showed up at 9:20pm. We were told that the special would have to be made all at once and brought out by 9:30pm. Then we are told that the kitchen staff has now put a limit on the number of sushi rolls for the all you can eat sushi special. The “you came in too late, even though we are open until 10pm all you can eat sushi special” has a limit of three rolls at 9:20pm. I was just over all of the RULES….we left. Why spend $60 to $70 dollars for a rule packed/rushed dinner? If the staff/ownership wants to closed down the kitchen at 9:30pm then don’t be open until 10pm. Luckily, my boyfriends kitchen is open 24/7, we had yummy turkey sandwiches and saved our money for Kokoro. YUM!
This is my favorite restaurant in Lafayette so far. I have almost tried every one, seriously. I have never had bad service and everything has been great.
My husband and I went to Blue Fin for our anniversary in early July, and I give the place a mixed review. Yes, the service, although very friendly, was a bit slow. I don’t remember what our appetizer was, but do remember that it was Delicious! I ordered the pork tenderloin – yum, with enough left over for next day’s lunch. My dh had the crab legs and endless sushi, which for $20 and his stomach was an excellent deal!
a restaurant can do one thing great or ten things terribly. unfortunately the latter applies to this establishment.it truly has an identity problem, it has veered into multiple portals of identity, abrupt menu changes without notification or attempted relaunches.whatever their concept was, it was poorly and unproffessionaly executed. the prices are ehorbitant and is hardly nouveau cuisine. had the ‘priviledge’ of meeting the owner briefly. pompous, pretentious and totally demeaningly stuck up. this place does not even warrant a one star in my book.
I love The Patio, but the service has been consistently awful (5/5 visits). The waitstaff is NOT knowledgeable about their beers, wines and liquors, and is SLOW. Plus, there always seems to be a bit of gossip going on. It’s a shame, because the Lafayette City Grill was my favorite restaurant in town. I hope The Patio can keep this place afloat, but I’d like to see food without the “cheese-whiz” toppings…
I’ve been to blue fin multiple times, both for a leisurely dinner, and a quick lunch and have had slow service only once, and I’ve never seen dishes come at different times.
As someone who has worked in food service, I have to say slow service happens sometimes depending on a wide variety of factors.
The servers I’ve dealt with were always knowledgeable about the food, and have not led me astray; I’ve always had a good experience with the food at Blue Fin. Their sushi is excellent, some of the best I’ve had since I’ve been in the Midwest. Same with their tempura.
I’ve had some of their American dishes, which are good, but nothing to rave about.
The bottom line is: if you like Japanese food, go to Blue Fin. You can’t expect to go to a Mexican restaurant for a good lasagna.
New Year’s Eve was great. Too bad almost everyone I spoke with, as well as me, thought the cost for the evening was $50 per person. That was too expensive for young folks. Many didn’t come for that reason. I found out when I got there that was just one option. One could dine and enjoy the great entertainer for the usual price of a dinner and/or drinks. Jeff Anderson needs to be center-stage again. He’s a terrific musician. It’s hard to get into the music when he’s so far removed from the crowd. We love The Patio. Eddie has done a wonderful job of bringing something new and unique to downtown Lafayette. The servers are so friendly and professional. Sushi is delicious. If you prefer a steak, it’s consistently tender.
I patronized Bluefin twice when it first opened, and the service was okay, the food fine, and ambience was nice. I thought that any things I had quarrel with would get ironed out as the restaurant matured.
Fast forward a few more years and I’ve dined at Bluefin 4 more times. Everything that was a small issue when they first opened has become much, much worse. Particularly if you eat at the Patio, expect to wait for a server to ever notice your table, expect to wait for menus and silverware (a few times now, some members of my party have NEVER gotten their own menu or silverware!?), expect to wait a LONG time for drinks and longer for food. Expect that your waitstaff will know nothing about the menu (drinks or food). A more recent development is that they’ve taken away the late night menu on certain nights, though they still advertise the old days/hours, so if you plan to go their for a nightcap check ahead that they’ll even be open.
I’ve worked in food service, and can say that their are obvious issues in the management of this restaurant, both in the kitchen and front of house, and I wouldn’t recommend it even at half the price.
I forgot to mention that the food itself is still consistently fine. Some of the sushi rolls, particularly the Peacock roll, actually have very pretty presentation. The sushi is certainly not bad, far from the worst in town, but there is better to be found around Lafayette. Considering the price, I would still expect more from the food, and far more from the experience.