This was my first time here. It is a very eye appealing building. The interior is very well designed. The staff were polite, knowledgeable and on top of things. I had the crab ravioli which was very tasty. A great pasta pouch. My entree was the swordfish which was their "Catch of the Day'. It was cooked perfectly and appropriately seasoned. The bread served was fresh and warm. The olive bread was delicious as was the multigrain bread. My only ding on the place is their selection of beer. For such a great restaurant, the draft and bottle selection was somewhat anemic. Overall, check this place out if you haven't done so.
Review Source:I'm a seasoned diner, and I'm very fair. Â I give credit where credit is due, and offer fair criticisms/suggestions as well. Â This restaurant has a beautiful exterior, and the gas torches really do add a nice touch, but the food really needs to be improved upon. Â Our waitress was friendly, but wasn't really into her job, and almost fell over putting silverware on the table. Â I ordered the Saganaki (fried cheese) appetizer, and the foie gras appetizer as well. Â Both came out within 3 minutes, leading me to believe that they were prepared well in advance (foie gras was not seared; terrine instead). Â I could deal with these. Â They were decent, but probably a 4 out of 10.
When I asked the waitress what the restaurant was known for, the answer was an unequivocal "steaks", and the way she described them, you would anticipate NY style steakhouse.  I ordered the 16 ounce ribeye, medium rare, and we spent some time clarifying the different temperatures to make sure that we were on the same page.  What I WASN'T expecting was a one inch thick steak that looked like something I could have picked up at a discount grocery store, maybe a manager's special!!  The quality of the meat was really atrocious, and a HUGE disappointment, especially when they have the nerve to charge $37 for it!!!  It came with potatoes that just seemed like they were old - I have no other words  to describe them.  The broccolini was in fact the best part of the meal, sautéed nicely with garlic.
Diners close by our table were sending food back for various reasons, fish WAY overcooked, steaks not cooked to the desired temperature.
All-in-all, a nice looking restaurant, but I would not offer more than 2 stars on Yelp, and out of 10, I would offer no more than a 3, at best.
Perhaps my 15th+ visit to Blue, this nite was for Mom's birthday dinner with a party of 6. The place is beautiful, and the service was ok, should have been better for having 2 waiters. I feel there has been a change in food quality here the past 6 months. It is pricy, but was happy with what I recieved in the past. Little things like frozen french fries instead of fresh cut at a restaurant of this caliber are not acceptable to me. Bring back fresh cut french fries! Minor check issue, and all guests agreed it was just o.k.
Review Source:Very impressive exterior. It's got the gas-powered torches all around the front of the property, making it look really classy. The interior was equally impressive as well. Tastefully decorated, evenly spaced out seating, relaxing atmosphere.
The food, however, was not something I would rave about. I had the caesar salad which was okay, and the flatbread crackers with baby spinach and artichoke dip were run of the mill. Now this being a steakhouse, said steak should've been the star of the show. Instead my favorite cut of rib eye was served in an uninspired fashion (see picture below). It was just a slab of meat on a plate with a string of unidentifiable green on the top. No garnish, no presentation, no special plate - what a shame. It didn't have a lot of flavor either.
The highlight of the meal for me was the hula pie. Outstanding dessert! It was a macadamia cookie crust with vanilla ice cream filling. Not a scoop on the top but as a filling. Scrumptious! It made up for a lackluster tasting meal.
So all in all, beautiful restaurant, outstanding service, but so-so food (with the exception of the hula pie). Is it worth going back to? It depends what your reason is for going out in the first place. For me, I'm always all about the overall package, so....
we went on Valentine's day. The place was very crowded as expected. They were still able to move people through without feeling rushed.the menu was um they're normal menu plus a few Valentine's Day specials.
Our server was excellent. She was prompt courteous and entertaining. We ordered 2 appetizers and 1 meal. The kalamari salad was superb. The tuna tar tar was some what bland and mushy. The scallop was delicious. All in all it was a very good meal and a an excellent atmosphere. I would recommend the restaurants and will go back many times in the future.
My wife and I went there for valentines day. Â We had a reservation for 5:45. Â After checking our coats we only waited five minutes and was seated upstairs in their "new section". It seemed more like a mini banquets hall. Â They made it a point to inform us this was the first night this section was open. Â When sitting at our table we could still smell the adhesive they used on the wall covering. Â We order cheese quesadillas for our app which we really enjoyed with the homemade guacamole. For our entrees my wife had the beef steak tomato salad I had the big eye tuna steak and we split tri color potatoes, spinach,and asparagus. For dessert we had a chocolate cake with peanut butter ganache. Â The overall meal and experience was good. Â The dessert we had better honestly iPad better event a diner for dessert. When leaving the lobby was so crowded I thought about coming back tomorrow for our coats due to the fact everyone was packed in like sardines. Just a thought when you expand your dinning room expand your lobby. Â The overall experience was nice my tuna was great and our drinks where made perfectly. Â We would visit again even though when we arrived home we both became a little ill from the dessert. Â I have no idea maybe it was old. Â Like I said we would go back but skip the dessert menu.
Review Source:Like several previous reviewers, I went here with a large group for a celebratory dinner with a pre-set menu. Â From working in restaurants, I know how hard these types of events can be to pull off without severely compromising food quality. Â In a few words, the staff pulled this one off in smashing fashion. Â The most incredibly attentive, yet not overbearing service, and one heck of a job by the kitchen from appetizers to desserts.
Review Source:This place is on top of their game. The dining area (inside and out) is decked out very nicely. They have an outside patio with a bar and big screen TV which is pretty sweet. The inside dining is very modern. The staff were all very professional, pleasant, and knowledgeable . I thought the menu could have been a little larger and I think the prices are just a tad high. My 6oz filet was $44 and all sides are al carte. Everything is of good quality though so maybe I should complain too much. Altogether the bill was $82 and that was for a 6oz filet, caesar salad, asparagus, Â salmon dinner, and 1 glass of wine. I will return again though it's definitely one of the best places in the Lehigh Valley.
Review Source:First of all the decor is amazing, especially the outside. We were there for a group event and didn't chose from their full restaurant menu but from a small custom menu. I had a Caesar salad, mahi mahi, and chocolate genache cake. Everything was awesome and I would definitely return. The service was excellent as well.
Review Source:I'm giving 1 star because it was my BIRTHDAY AND I CAN! Â So, after doing a brief move from Philadelphia back to Allentown and then BACK to Philadelphia, I wanted to take my boyfriend at the time to a nice restaurant in the area. Â I had eaten at Blue years ago (maybe two or three prior to this experience) and enjoyed every minute of it. Â The food, service, atmosphere were just top notch, so we decided to try it out again, on my 21ST BIRTHDAY. That was the biggest mistake of my 21st Birthday! Â
We made reservations WELL in advance (I'm talking at least 5 weeks as my Birthday also falls around the Christmas/Holiday/Company Party season) and the hostess was great. Â Actually, she was the only great thing about the entire experience. Â When we showed up the night of our reservation, we were seated promptly which was a plus and did have GREAT seats (another bonus) so we thought this was going to be the start of a great night. Â It just took a nose dive down hill from that point on.
The waiter (who I still think to this day was on drugs), was absent, cold, rude, distant, for the ENTIRE night. Â And to make matters worse, any time we tried to flag down the manager who was bouncing from one table to another, we couldn't. Â I really truly think he was trying to avoid us at all costs. Â My boyfriend had the crab cake entree and after waiting 1 1/2 hours for our entrees to arrive after I had the lobster bisque soup ( which was mediocre at best), we discovered WHY it took 1 1/2 hours to bring us our entrees. Â The two crab cakes on his plate were BURNT, LITERALLY BURNT AND BLACK to a crisp. Â We couldn't identify any other color of the hockey pucks on his plate except charcoal black. Â Inedible. Â Absolutely unacceptable. Â When the waiter came over 25 minutes after someone else dropped this dish onto our table and realized we aren't eating it and WON'T be eating it, he asked if everything was alright and how the food tasted. Â We told him and he said that they usually "BLACKEN" the crabcakes. Â Excuse me, there is a BIG difference bewtween a light chargrilled blackened crabcake and a HOCKEY PUCK! Â I can't believe this guy's actually arguing with me! You've got to be joking right?
We already waited an hour and a half for our entrees and horrible, HORRIBLE non existent service that we decided to just get the check and leave. Â I wouldn't go back there if you paid me. This restaurant lost my business and any future referrals I would give to my business professionals traveling through the ABE area. Â I will and do continue to recommend any place BUT this.
I've dined here twice and have to say that this place is pretty good.
The ambience and decor are fantastic, the outdoor bar area is really nice. The waitstaff is excellent too.
When paying 35-40 bucks for a steak though you have to cook that thing perfect. Both times I've ordered a steak medium rare and it was medium. The sides are usually quite good and abundant, enough for a table of four to share with plenty to go around.
The oysters are very good and very fresh. The cheese sampler I had one other time was amazingly good.
Overall a pretty good experience and worth the money. Just please get that steak right for the money you're charging.
BRUNCH
So my parents were visiting from out of town and my husband and myself were looking for a nice brunch location, not a diner but an actual restaurant (with a full bar of course). I was hesitant at first because I see that Blue has mixed reviews, but the two other locations that I called first (The Bolete and the restaurant at the Hotel Bethlehem) were all booked. Wow, am I glad that we ended up at Blue!
First off, the place was very empty, I'm assuming because not many people know that they have brunch. Plus, if you're looking for a more upscale dining experience one doesn't tend to look in that neighborhood. Don't let this fool you. The restaurant is beautiful, wonderful atmosphere, great layout, and great seating options. We were very kindly greeted and escorted to a booth immediately, even though we were twenty minutes early. Right away we all noticed that it was very chilly, though we mentioned it to our maitre'd and she adjusted the temperature of the restaurant promptly. Our server was a very nice lady who was sharp, kind, friendly, and professional. The menu had a nice variety that made choosing just one option difficult for us. (The menu is available on their website).
The food:
My mother and myself each had a mimosa. Normally I will easily go through at least two during brunch (because after all, isn't the whole reason for brunch an excuse to drink before noon?). Well these mimosas were a bit larger in size than I'm used to, and also a bit stronger! I worked on it my whole meal and felt no need for more. My father had the house bloody mary and said that it was the best bloody mary he's ever had (and he's had quite a few throughout his travels).
Just as during dinner it is common for a basket of bread to be brought to the table, we were given a plate of a banana coffee cake. What a nice and delicious surprise! It was clear by the lightly sweet and fresh taste that the baker knew what they were doing. For a starter we ordered a spiced donut... wow. Delicious. I know that I'm using that word a lot but hey, when the shoe fits.
For entree's my mother and myself had the classic eggs benedict, my father had a roasted pepper omelet, and my husband had a sausage and bacon omelet (the real name of the dish is escaping me right now). Each dish was served with potatoes that reminded me of home cooked- if you lived with a professional chef. The eggs benedict was wonderful. The hollandaise sauce was light and flavorful, the eggs were poached perfectly (light and fluffy), and the canadian bacon was as delicious as it ever is.
My only complaint was that the english muffin part of my eggs benedict was a bit difficult to cut with my butter knife. I am fairly confident that if I had expressed this concern to my server that I would have been provided with another option for cutlery, though I was too busy deciding which part of my dish I should bite into next.
Everything about this dining experience was supurb. They mentioned that they have a wonderful lunch menu that is surprisingly inexpensive (a burger with a salad for under $7.00), and that on week nights they serve a prix fix three course dinner menu for $29.00 (or $29.99). I am disappointed that I have been in this area for so long and haven't discovered this gem until recently!
After reading all the positive reviews, I made a reservation for my birthday.  When I got there with my partner,  the place was half empty.  We could not decide which room to dine at.  It was lacking atmosphere and felt  generic as a restaurant  in a chain hotel. Outdoor area was nice, but  did not feel to dine with the view of the parking lot. I spent about 10 minutes wondering around the place with no one asking if I needed help.  Final decision we walked out without dining.  If just hungry I could stay at home.  When dinning out ambiance is essential.
Review Source:Had a wonderful experience with a party of 21 for a
graduation/family reunion dinner at Blue GrillHouse on
Sunday May 19, 2012. We reserved the private dining room on the main floor in advance, and worked with Blue staff to set our menu options.
We were very impressed with the setting of our table, and really
appreciated all of the very professional and timely assistance we
received from Blue Staff (Allison in particular) who helped us with making menu
decisions, and organized our dinner for us. We were extremely
impressed with our server Jenn and can confidently say that we have
never experienced such immaculate service (our wedding dinner and our
rehearsal dinner included). She was always present, very responsive,
easy to talk to. Everything came out on time, the courses timed perfect! Thoughout the dinner we were at ease and felt very comfortable with her. Food was spectacular as always!
Overrated.
I think it used to be a lot better a few years ago.
It's still decent, but I've experienced more average food + subpar service during the past couple years to the point where we don't look forward to going anymore like we used to. Previously, it always felt like a special occasion.
Could just be our experience, but it seems like they are now trying a little too hard to be hip & not focusing quite enough on the basics. It's also fairly pricey.
The menu is impressive with a lot of really great selections. We were with a large group, so I was able to sample a few dishes. The calamari appetizer was delicious and perfectly cooked. The crabcake appetizer was like 98% crab with almost no filler and also incredible. I got the ahi tuna for dinner, and, I hate this cliche, but it literally melted like butter in my mouth. The sauce was great, the bok choy was tender and fresh. Everyone was really pleased with their meal.
The staff was friendly and attentive. We did have to wait about 40 minutes between dinner and dessert because they got pretty busy and didn't seem to be very well staffed. There was a big graduation in town, so maybe this was an unusual circumstance, but the wait was a little frustrating.
The cappucino for dessert was lovely, and the creme brule was good but not great. The sugar on top was a bit too burnt for my taste, but the custard was well made.
Definitely a great place for a nice meal.
When with a group for celebratory dinner. Â
Service was excellent, our server made helpful recommendations for wine, promptly filled our glasses when needed, and left us alone when he wasn't need. I wish I could remember his name to give him a shout out here. Â
The food was good, but I was not happy with my entree.  For the first course I had pan seared scallops with lemon grass and coconut sweet rice. This was phenomenal, the scallops were huge, delicious, and cooked perfectly.  For an entree I had a humongous slab of prime rib (I think it was 27 oz).  It was a bit undercooked for my taste, but I think it was my mistake ordering it.  The description  of 'slow cooked with horseradish sauce' had me ordering and forgetting that prime rib is not my favorite cut of meat.  The dessert, creme brulee, was made exactly as it should be, great sugar top that wasn't overly burnt, and light, flavorful custard.
I am not a big fan of having to order everything on your plate separately, but I realize that this is how a true steakhouse operates. Â If I were to go back I would order something else for an entree and make sure to order myself some side dishes.
This place is certainly expensive, I am not sure if it is worth the price, but the food is good. Â While I was disappointed with my entree, it seemed like other cuts of meat on the menu would have been great.
Note: This refers to the bar only. I have never had dinner here.
When Blue first opened, I loved going here with friends. It was always packed. Great drinks, fun, upscale crowd. The only downside at that time was that people could smoke cigars, and you'd smell like nasty cigar smoke even after you'd washed your hair twice trying to get the smell out.
Then all of the sudden they banned smoking (before it became the law, if memory serves), and the place was dead. Dead, dead, dead. I'm not a smoker, but it was weird - it was more fun when the smokers were allowed in, because it was crowded and lively. It was nice to come home not smelling of smoke, though.
After a couple of trips where we got indifferent, lackluster service at the bar, my friend and I decided to go back last night after hearing about the big remodel. Honestly, we couldn't tell any difference in the bar area, because it looked exactly the same. That was fine, because I always thought the bar area was really beautiful. Looks like they're working on a bigger outdoor area, but it isn't completed yet.
The biggest difference from the last few times we'd been there was there was definitely more of a crowd. Still easy to find seating at the bar, but it was the busiest I'd seen it in a long time. The crowd skewed decidedly older (55+), which of course is not a big deal, but certainly a difference from Blue's early days.
We were greeted by several smiling hostesses by the door - they seemed genuinely glad to be there and glad to see us, so it was a nice welcome. Drinks were great. I had a Key Lime Martini, and I really enjoyed it. The Preakness was on, so that was fun to watch, and the crowd around the bar really got into it.
Again we were underwhelmed by the service. The bartender was nice enough, but kind of unsmiling, and we waited quite a bit before he asked us if we wanted more drinks. By that time, we were kind of over it, otherwise we probably would have ordered more drinks. We had been thinking about ordering an appetizer, and even though he brought a menu quickly, he never checked back to see if we wanted to order something. So we paid for the drinks and left and honestly, I'm not sure we'll come back anytime soon. It was just, eh.
Overall, I think a bar where you're going to pay $19 for a round of drinks should work a little harder to provide quicker, friendlier service. If the bartenders had been more fun and engaged with the customers more, rather than appearing to be so absorbed in the computerized system behind the bar (which means they spent most of their time with their backs to the customers), this place might be able to reel in the customers it used to - people who came in for a good time and stayed for the evening, rather than for just one drink. Blue used to be our must-go place. Now it's only selling point is it's really close to my friend's house, so it's convenient. Kind of sad, when one thinks of the Blue of old.
Ok. Here it goes. Blue is all fluff. If you are a person who must do what everyone else is doing. This is Your joint. period. Food was less than average. The bathroom was the most impressive. A romantic dinner and was seated in the middle of... the whole place. Yuck........................Who cares about their wine fridge. I am busy. I want to think about my evening not a bottle wine. Just give the great wine and a great meal. I really do not want to talk about it ALL evening. Life is too short for that. Great place for a really empty feeling. What will we HAVE to drink and smoke next?
Review Source:The ambiance was exceptional making it a special dining experience for my boyfriend and I on his birthday. I ordered the grassfed ribeye w/ mashed yukon potatoes. I always order my steaks well done ... some get it right some don't but boy was this well done steak juicy. mmmhm. I barely needed a knife. I noticed another comment about the 'overpriced' menu. Yeah, umm don't go if you're on a tight budget and don't understand the concept of fine dining. It's not going to be cheap! You'll complain way too much about the price and miss out on the goodness this establishment has to offer! Which is heaven on a plate.
Review Source:My first trip in since the big remodel. Â Looks like a more polished & modern version of the old blue...love the cherry wood trim, the fireplaces and the large bar area.
A quiet Saturday lunch for two was in order. Â Maybe 40 people having lunch inside, but all spread out. Â I didn't realize how many people were inside until we were headed back to the car. Â The music is kind of loud for lunch - but the place is pretty open, so without the loud-ish music, you'd be able to hear every other conversation. Â And I'm sure it's perfect in the evenings when they are packed.
I tried the blue burger...$6.95 for a plain burger (LTO) with fries or salad...$1 extra for each additional topping (cheeses, mushrooms, avocado, etc). Â I topped mine with cheddar and avocado (which was more of a red onion/avocado mash...yum!). Â Served a perfect medium, it was delicious. Â The fries...just okay. Â My companion had the grouper sandwich...a huge 1" thick filet, perfectly breaded...served with a delicious remoulade. Â He chose the salad instead of the fries. Â Just okay (maybe too much dressing?). Â Finished off the meal with the NY Cheesecake - oreo was the day's flavor. Â I was expected a little slice, but it was an entire little round cheesecake. Â Half of it is still in the fridge with the rest of my burger.
Service was fantastic. Â Jenn made sure we had everything we needed without being too clingy - waters stayed full - and she made great recommendations.
Looking forward to heading back for happy hour ($6 drinks & appetizers), dinner ($29 prix fixe during the week) and brunch (yay mimosas!).
After a long anticipated wait, Blue re-opens. I have to say I didn't really notice many interior changes, but I was only in the bar area. I did notice some outside changes-fire pit, patio area etc.
We just wanted something to drink and something small to eat-not a full meal. There were three of us. Wine list extensive. Had Greek fried cheese and lobster ravioli appetizer-tasted good but came out cold. Two of us had burgers-very good-one had crabcake-good as well.
My major disappointment was the menu change. It didn't have my favorites on here anymore (chopped salad for one) and nothng really stood out for me. Even though it is trendy inside and has a nice crowd, I don't think I'd drop a lot of cash to eat dinner here when the menu was so blah
Went here for my friend's bachelorette dinner. We decided to go for a bunch of apps and drinks. The apps were enjoyable.. but not what I'd consider worth the price we paid for them. I can't even remember what I ate, so that has to tell you something. Drinks -- definitely worth the price. My favorite was called the "midnight in paris." I'd go again just for this drink and skip the food next time. However, I've never tried their main courses so I can't comment on that. The atmosphere was trendy and fun. It was definitely a fun excuse to get dolled up and chill out with my ladies :-) Staff were super friendly and offered to take pictures of us as a group. Although what young man wouldn't want to find an excuse to get in with the cute table of young ladies wearing black dresses and penis necklaces (classy I know).
Review Source:I took a ride to meet some friends who live in the Poconos at a conveniently located halfway point in Bethlehem. Â We walked into a very welcoming, well designed, well decorated building, and were greeted professionally and courteously. Â The one bartender was very busy but her pleasantry made up for the wait.
We sat down to dinner and were attended by the most precious server, smart, efficient, professional, the service and ambiance was the best thing about this place, though. Â
The chopped salad had a funky flavor and seemed like day old produce. Â The lobster bisque was very salty, but decadent. The arugula with prosciutto and melon was probably the best app we got. Â Oh, before the apps we had a cheese plate with our wine order. Â There is a decent selection of wines which came from a beautifully inserted glass walled wine room visible to the entire restaurant and bar area. Â But the cheese plate was something grand mom would put out on Christmas. Â The plate included 5 cheeses, horrible presentation with 2 smoky cheeses, 1 horseradish and 2 without flavor. Â Along side were townhouse-type crackers, salty, buttery, not appropriate, and the garnish of grapes were of mixed sizes and ages, yes, some were old, and blueberries, some mushy, some unripe.
The Ono fish special was so dry, it needed the chutney to create moisture in your now dry mouth. Â And the chutney was flavorless. Â The Ahi tuna, although fresh and cooked to a perfect rare, had too many veins running through it to get a clean bite without getting stuck in your teeth. Â Another person had the lamb chop which I was assured was "good".
The company of my good friends made me not dwell on the culinary mediocrity. Â I don't plan on going back...but what did I expect for "up there", I'm a city snob.
Have been here many times for drinks and dinner. Had their bar menu which was great for a late night snack when everything else is closed. Their kitchen is open past 10pm. Tried the rib eye steak sandwich and a chopped salad. Was good. Service is always good, great decor and good time.
Review Source:Ok, for those of you who gave this place a bad review get over yourselves. I just had the two best crab cakes I have ever had, absolutely NO FILLER, all meat. No idea how they even keep the little suckers together. Asparagus was cooked perfect, baked potato unreal. Excellent beers and a fantastic atmosphere. A little pricey for my liking but you get what you pay for. The waiter did an amazing job. The apple upside down dessert with ice cream was fantastic. The ice cream had such a pungeant vanilla scent and flavor. All in all a great meal. Hey food snobs, aka foodies, aka the people on here  shitting on places when they clearly do not know food, shut it.
Review Source:First time I went there I enjoyed my meal. Â The bartender had trouble making their martini's so we had a lot of taste tests.
The food was excellent and the service was phenomenal.
The only issue I had is that there were no less then three people watching us eat. Â If something was dirty, then came and replaced it. Â If there were crumbs from the bread they came and cleaned them up. Â It was too excessive.
The waitress knew exactly what drink went well with each meal we ordered. Â She also took our complete order without even taking out a pen. Â
Fast forward to this year. Â Our steaks were very undercooked. OK, they said they would correct the problem.
This is where the night was a bit interesting. Â My wife cut a few pieces of steak as did I to check how cooked it was. Â When the steaks came back from the kitchen they were the same steaks we sent back, except now overcooked.
The manager came over and asked us if there were any issues with our meal.
I told her flat out that for $42.00, a steak should not be put back on the grille. Â A new piece should have prepared. Â The manager agreed and without any suggestion from us, removed it from the bill.
I still tip based on what the bill would have been and so it was a very expensive evening for excellent soup, bread and desserts.
The restaurant decor is nice. Â It is not overly done and the dim lighting seems to make one assume that it would be a quiet evening. Â
However, they were sitting everyone in one section when we were last there and it was one of the loudest places I have eaten a fancy meal.
If I am spending $$$ (which is rare) I expect a quiet, slow evening. Â After all, this is not a burger joint where they usher you in and usher you out to get another table sat.
The epitome of overpriced "fine" dining.
Let's be clear...the food is good, the wine selection is great, and the service get's no complaints....but if you can explain to me why it deserves the pricing it get's, I am all ears.
The place is very nice, beautiful decor, very trendy setting. I believe they even have or had a cigar bar...cool, if you're into it.
Have been three times, just to make sure I wasn't missing something. Once with another couple, who raved about the place, and we found it to be just alright. Second time was with a buisness function, so the check was picked up by the company...and I still felt like the place was suffering from delusions of grandeur. Last time was a few of us, for a friends birthday...we all had a great time, enjoyed a bit of wine, light fare and some deserts. Now I no wine is not cheap when purchased within an establishment, but 125% mark ups on a same bottle I purchased the day before at the local wine and spirits!?!? Oh well, I suppose some people just enjoy the feeling of dumping tons of money on a dinner/evening at places like this...a false sense of satisfaction, for having indulged in something so pricey in a upscale setting maybe?
I am not speaking from a food point of view, but from a bar/loungie place...this was a great place to go for a few hours with some friends and listen to good music and enjoy a few nice drinks. Â I am usually a beer person, but I decided to try their espresso martinis and they did not disapoint. Â The wine selection also seems pretty decent. Â
All in all I would at least recommend it for that.... in the summer, there is also a small patio where you can enjoy the weather and your drinks outside, it's also not nearly as loud out there.
The food here is better than at sister restaurant Melt, but they both suffer the same problem, the emphasis is on decor/looks. Not that a beautiful restaurant is bad, I think Blue looks great, but don't rest on your visual laurels!
The appetizers are, for the most part, good. Both times I've gotten the cheese plate I've enjoyed it. Most recently it featured not a single blue cheese, major plus.
I've gotten the steak once and fish once, I think they do steak better. However, someone else ordered the ahi tuna and had nice things to say about it.
The biggest disappointment for me was a crab mascarpone and orecchiette side dish. It was far and away the most expensive side at $15 and had about as much flavor as one of the 99 cent Lipton sides you can get at the grocery store. You know the ones, a dab of butter, a 1/4 cup of milk, cover and simmer for 11 minutes.
Naturally a good wine/drink selection and I think if I chose to go there it would probably be for drinks and to enjoy the music. Nice selection of lounge and chill out music earns them a few points, I enjoy a little Nina Simone with my dinner.
There seem to be some wishy-washy reviews here for Blue, and I'm not quite sure why. I have never had a bad meal here, and it makes me wonder why the owners couldn't replicate the Blue quality over at Melt. I've been to other major steakhouses, like Capital Grille in Philly, and Blue remains my benchmark of quality steak joints.
This is, first and foremost, a steakhouse. The cuts are great. The bone-in NY Strip is fantastic (when available on special), as is the prime rib (special), which warranted a photo with my mobile phone it was so huge. Sides are family style, typical for a steakhouse. I've found the fish dishes to also be quite good, from the tuna steak to the scallops.
This is my splurge place in the Valley - I go on New Year's Eve every year and run the full menu: appetizer, salad, entree, dessert. I'm stuffed, but it's oh-so-good.
Table service is always very good, although a few members of the staff are better than others. Shortly after Melt opened, I suspect that some of the long-time staffers made the jump over there. I've found the meals to be very well-timed - everything makes its appearance just as it should, and nothing feels like it's been under a lamp or sitting on a counter. Kudos to the kitchen staff on that.
The bar area is rather nice. Bar service (mixed drinks) are good, and the wine list is nicely appointed. (A good selection of by-the-glass as well.) Draft beer selection is a bit limited, but a nice Sierra Nevada Pale Ale goes quite well with NY Strip.
Lunch is very good...and recommended if you can get over here during the week. Most of the crowd goes for dinner, so lunch is usually quite sparse. But trust me, it's very good, and great for a business lunch if you can swing it.
Attire is technically casual, but I usually avoid jeans for slacks and a Oxford shirt. I've seen guests in flip-flops and shorts, and I just want to punch them in the face. Don't make me do that to you - wear a pair of pants and actual shoes, please.
Blue is great for special occasions, and a good place for a date. Make reservations. (You can do so on OpenTable.)
I had hesitations about eating here, it is afterall, the freaking Candlelight and anyone who grew up here has been forced to eat here for some occasion or another.
I was impressed by the wine selection, I will give them credit for that one. Â The food however, was nothing to write home about. The steaks were pretty good, I had tuna 2 ways...horrible. Terrible cuts of tuna, horrendous sauces.
They do the whole, "sides to share" for the table. I'm not a fan of this...I don't want steak sides with my delicate fish dinner, thanks anyway.
Unimpressed, should have listened to my brother on this one.
This place is great for the Lehigh Valley because it's not a chain, and it's huge. As a former meat eater, I can say this place is pretty good.
Unfortunately, this is where I took my then-boyfriend the first time he met my family. He has been vegan for about 10 years, so I was nervous about going here. But my mom had called ahead and assured me they had options for vegans and vegetarians alike. In reality, the waiter looked like a deer in headlights when we asked for vegan recommendations. On the spot, he thought of a dish called "The Tower of Vegetables," and swore up and down that this was one of the restaurant's best dishes. They must have had a chuckle about it back in the kitchen, because "The Tower of Vegetables" was more like a carrot on top of a piece of lettuce.
It's a funny story that we still laugh about to this day. It was our bad for thinking they really did have vegetarian options here. Why would they?
Upscale restaurant with excellent wine list. The largest wine selection in the Valley. Great for a lunch business meeting. Even has a back board room to close the deal privately.
Menu is american with unique twists including a Shrimp Lobster Reuben for lunch.
Large selection of steaks for dinner. Generally attracts an older crowd, but has a very hip, trendy appearance. Not for the budget-minded.
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