Blue Fins Bistro

I agree with some of the other reviews. Horrible service, attitude, and frankly, the food is very so-so. This was a place that I had wanted to try for a number of months…and sadly was hugely disappointed. more

Horrible. Don't waste your time.\r \r Sunday after church and no wait. Should have been my first sign. \r The waiter ever-so unprofessionally asked us ""what do you want to eat?""\r \r We then noticed the price for crab legs was marked over on the menu, $10 more than on their website. When we asked the waiter - he shrugged his shoulders and offered no solution...""gee, we've not gotten around to changing it on the website"" was the response.\r \r Biscuits were cold, butter for them was frozen. We were given an empty bottle of ketchup for our side of fries. \r \r Eggs were over cooked and dry. The crab cake was overly fishy like it was old- possibly left over from the day before?\r \r If you haven't picked up on it- we'll not be back. Unfortunately we left having wasted our time. \r more

My family and I ate at Blue Fins Bistro for the first time last night and it was disapointing. My husband and I ordered crab cakes and having a good taste they were not hot. I had ordered rice with the meal and they brought me roasted potatoes. There were five in our party and instead of sitting us at a larger table with seven chairs they put us at a table for four and pulled a chair up for the end of the table which my granddaughter was sitting out in the flow of traffic. I believe the prices were way to high for the meal you received. Will never eat there again. Maybe some like it but if I pay those prices I want better service and better quality of food. Lucky for us we had a Groupon and they knocked off 30$. Save your money and go to a better restaurant. more

Have tried Blue Fins 3X now (it is very close to our house); 1 occassion was okay and 2 were horrible. NOT going back as 3X and you are out! This time I ordered shrimp and grits which were to be prepared with creole sauce. This chef obviously has never had creole sauce or seen a recipe for same. I got a bowl of shrimp, sausage and grits drowning in greasy butter! Thought about getting my cardiologist on the line just in case. Seriously unappetizing to look at and tasted gross. Service was so pitiful. Not sure how this place is still in business. more

My husband and I went into Blue Fin's for our first time this past Friday. From drinks to dessert it was an over all great experience! We were seated and were greeted happily by our waitress within 5 minutes. For starters we ordered 2 of their signature martini's, my husband got the dirty brusied, and I got the hawiian. Our martini's were perfect! We then ordered the Oysters Rockfeller appetizer which was OUTSTANDING! We found our waitress (Hannah) to be very helpful, and knowing of the menu, which made it easy for us to make our decsion. My husband got the pork tenderlion and shrimp, and I got the tuna with coconut shrimp. Both of these entrees were absolutely delicious!!! If people werent around we might have licked our plates clean! :) After dinner we were stuffed but the dessert tray they brought out to the table tempted us so much we couldnt refuse. We ordered the cranberry pear cheesecake which might have been the best piece of cheesecake I've ever had. It was so good we ordered one to go! All around an awesome exprience from start to finish! I will definitely be telling my friends about this well kept secret in Wake Forest!! more

I found out about it online (coupon) and we made a special trip, six of us from North Raleigh for their regular All You Can Eat Ribs night. Not a long or hard drive but still 20-25 min to get out there on a work night. They pulled a few tables together and disappeared so we assumed it was safe to seat ourselves (the pictures are deceiving on the size of the place, what you see is what you get). 15 minutes later a waitress came by and got our drink orders. 10 minutes later another waitress brought us water, but not the coffee or the beers-we still had to wait another ten minutes for that. All the while the staff was MIA or otherwise occupied with random nothingness; really, the bathrooms could stand to be cleaned up if you've got that much time on your hands while ignoring paying customers. After much time arranging the creamers in a cute little circle for us the bartender dropped those off and disappeared. The original waitress came back a few more minutes later, took our order, didn't write anything down and of course all the sides were wrong. And that was after she came back to check on some of the sides that she ""forgot"". Between the tag teamed half effort on behalf of the staff...then the nerve to try and say that the regular special (printed in ink on the laminated menu-i.e. doesn't change) was an ""other offer"" and could not be combined with my coupon. They did accommodate my request to split the bill so I could use the coupon on one of them; however that should not have been my idea. And I had asked to see the bill before applying the coupon so I would know what to tip on; I wasn't being cheap either-there were six of us vs. a $20 coupon (still over $100 tab after coupon, before tip). Overall, the poor service really ruined it for me and I'm sorry I didn't read the reviews first! I could have saved time and money, by eating in town or even better at home. more

I went in today for a lunch. When I entered the restaurant, there was no staff in sight, so I seated myself. Exactly 12 minutes later a waitress showed up. She brought me a glass of water, when I told her I was ready to order she said wait a minute while I seat this couple walking through the door. I was appalled. I sat for 12 minutes & waited for her to make an apperance and sat myself and this couple was not even in the door! When I told her it was my first time there and asked what would she recommend she told me that the big sellers were burgers and fish tacos. (I didnt ask what were ""big sellers"") Not wanting a big burger and not being a fish taco person, I asked about the turkey on Ciabatta. I asked if it was processed turkey or real turkey and was very clear that I only wanted real turkey. She assured me it was real and not processed, so I ordered it. Of course when she brought it out it was processed! I was furious to say the least with my entire experience here. Not to mention, the waitresses personal hygeine was disgusting. I would not recommend this plance nor will I ever go back. A big waste of time!! Whover is writing favorable reviews must be friends of the owner or staff.\r \r more

One word, horrible! Me and the hubby always try somewhere new for our anniversary and this year we decided on Blue Fins. We got reservations at 5 on a Thursday evening 07-07. We arrived and ordered our drinks and sampler for appetizers. The appetizers were mediocre, which is fine since they are appetizers. One complaint with the appetizers is the oysters tasted very foul, you would think the waiter would of picked up on it when he noticed all the oysters minus one were left on the plate when we sent it back. No big deal! We ordered our food about 5 minutes after ordering the appetizers. I ordered the Atlantis and my husband ordered the steak with a side of scallops. Approximately 30 minutes after placing our order the waiter came back to tell us the kitchen was out of scallops. (you didnt know this prior to this point?) Again, something we could overlook, no big deal we just ordered shrimp instead!....the dinner came and wow, MAJOR dissapointment! His steak was the worst cut of steak and he had asked for medium and got very rare, my meal, i took the first bite and the crab meat was air temperature cold as well as the shrimp. Again, you would think the waiter would of noticed that i had only eaten one shrimp and no crab meat before boxing it up so I could bring it home and recook it, but there was nothing said as i NEvEr return a meal for fear of someone spitting in it. The menu said bread, I didnt get any bread and didnt see any other tables getting bread either. We spent 83 dollars with tip included and that didnt include any alcoholic drinks. That seems like a lot of money for the 1/2 steak that he ate, the garlic mashed potatoes that i ate and the 2 sodas and appetizers. We will not be returning! more

Week night, out w/ my main squeeze and we decided to finally try the place that several of our friends had recommended. Long story short, WE LOVED IT!! They allowed us to try every soup they had until we both fell in love with their creamy tomato basil. The chef came out to personally share with us how certain entrees were prepared and offered to make any changes we needed. I ordered my favorite dish (shrimp and grits) and the chef's (James) version is a new favorite for me. We enjoyed ourselves very much and appreciated the attention our server (Meredith) and chef gave to us. We'll definitely go back! more

Do I have to give this restaurant even 1 star!!! Since moving to town I was excited about the idea of small family owned restaurants around town. Some do it right, while other restaurants seem tired and pathetic. I don't mind spending money on quality food, but to spend $75 for two on for food I could get a Long John Silvers seems ridiculous. The martini's are also terrible. I will say that our server was sweet, but had no knowledge of the menu. From now on, we are going to Shucker's Oyster Bar down the street. Pros: location Cons: Everything Else more

I have now been here twice and to be honest, that was to generous. Full disclosure: we were headed for Shuckers but the two hour wait was too long so we decided to give this one last shot. Our first clue should have been the fact the place was largely empty during peak time on a Friday night. We chose to ignore the obvious and sat down at a lovely table. It went down from there. Let me start with the fact I love seafood and Blue Fin's does not. How else would you explain mussels in a sauce that was so salty that I, an admitted salt-aholic, found it inedible? My companion's seafood platter was a mass of batter that concealed what was once fish. Dessert was the best part of the meal only because it marked the end of a tortured journey. Suffice it to say we left the cheese cake largely untouched. This is unheard of, trust me. Drinks by the way were skimpy, over priced and underwhelming. To make matters even worse - my companion put the bill on his debit card and when it cleared found they had charged dinged his card for $15.00 more than the bill he signed. Odd indeed and, of questionable honesty. I think the mediocre food, halfhearted service and odd bills probably did not matter as much a year or so ago when they were the only game in town. Their location gave them the edge in a neighborhood of tony houses and the golf course's proximity was and added boost. It was a good place to stop in after a round of golf. But there are more restaurants in the area now and especially with Shuckers near by, Blue Fin's Bistro is either going to have to step up their game or be prepared to step aside. On the strength of my two visits there, I predict they will be forced to step aside. Pros: easy to get a table Cons: food; service more

We were excited about this place until we experienced it. Service was very slow including drinks, appetizers, and food. Not a seafood establishment at all. Steamed oysters came out some dry and some very cold. They were sent back and came out too quickly the same if not worse and the steak speacial not recomended either. The thing that gets me is after sending food back twice NO management approached us. It was like take it off the bill and get them out. Sad because we would have returned and recomened it to others. I heard Shuckers just opened down the street!! Cons: waited to long for everything more

One thing about this site that I cant stand is that it always seems to attract people that feel that their opinions mean to much. I very rarely visit this site because of all the trash talking that goes on. My wife and I frequent this establishment often and I'm hear to say that this is a great little Bistro. We have always been pleased with everything that we have had and still come every week. Their 1/2 price peel and eat shrimp on Tuesdays, and 1/2 price crab legs and 1/2 price oyster pecks on Thursdays are a real treat for us. They always have drink and food specials everyday. We really enjoy their southwestern egg rolls also. We also love their brunch on Sundays. I dont like going to chain restaurants because I feel that they are just cooking with microwaves. I love trying little mom and pop places and this bistro is that. I usually try to keep my mouth quiet but after reading some of the comments above, I felt obligated to make review about Blue Fins Bistro. We know the owners very well and the lady behind the bar is the manager and wife to be of the owner David Berent. ( Im really impressed that real estate agents have the knowledge of how to retrieve info on the owner online, but maybe a little more time selling houses and less time on company time trying to complain about yesterdays lunch might make your boss happy) To sum up everyone has a bad day and fortunately for us we have not been there on a bad day. Keep up the good work guys!!!!! Pros: Great specials, food and drink. Friendly service more

My boyfriend and I have very high standards when it comes to eating out and have been disappointed, more often than not, when we try something new. But, because we had a coupon for a free dessert we thought, why not? We were so pleasantly surprised, we even complimented the chef. We've been back several times now and always enjoy their fresh, flavorful food. We've had the steak and crab legs, the mushroom ravioli w/ shrimp and the fried flounder with onion rings. The dessert, a turtle cheesecake, was great. Also, I always get a martini and they're fabulous! The only criticism we have would be that once you're seated, it takes a while to be greeted. After that, the staff has been attentive and helpful with any questions about the menu. If you don't mind spending a little more for dinner, we highly recommend this little gem. Pros: Fresh, flavorful fare Cons: Small space. more

There is a BLUE Fin's and a BACK Fin's, both in Wake Forest. BLUE Fin's is an upscale bistro, BACK Fin's is a crab shack. I think a few people below have the two confused, like the lady who said the only good thing at Blue Fin's was the calamari and fries. They don't serve calamari or french fries at all. Pros: Food, Drinks more

The only good thing about this place was the calamari and fries. We should have quit right there.\r \r Everything took very long, including the drinks, they made excuses for the service, food, etc. You just cannot make excuses like that. You have to present excellence in everything.\r \r They have issues and they need to address them and not make excuses!!! Pros: There were no highlists Cons: Food and service awful more

Great food, atmosphere and location! Despite a few bad reviews, my husband and I tried this place last night. We were both very pleasantly surprised! We had a coupon for a free appetizer so my hubby and I both got different apps (crap/artichoke dip and raw oysters on the half). We tested each others and raved. My husband said the oysters were some of the best he's had in a long time. The salads were awesome, too. I got the seafood combination plate and hubby got ribs and shrimp. Both were excellent. I was even able to substitute an item with no questions asked! Not made of money, my hubby and I RARELY get a sitter and go out so it is a treat when we do. We were not disappointed and did not feel we had ""watsed"" a night out like he have felt before. Will definitely go back! Pros: Just great food and service Cons: did not have booths more

Horrible experience.\r \r Took some clients here for a nice late afternoon meal. We were seated immediately, and waited on by the bartender (manager? please read on.) She greeted us a bit informally, but not rudely. Our drinks took almost ten minutes to arrive, which was noticeably sad because we were one of two tables in the place. Even worse we were privvy to the reason why our drinks were so long in the making. The bartender and a chef were arguing, and then ""made up"" rather affectionately.\r \r The food came out quickly, but was BAD!!! Felt like I was in a TGI fridays more than a bistro. (Actually would have preferred TGIF over this place. You know its going to be loud at Fridays, and at least the prices are reasonable.) Our ""fresh"" tuna was partially frozen in the middle. The salad had wilted greens, or shall I say browns YUCK!!! The seafood breading was maybe a notch better than something you could buy at the grocery store next door.\r \r The floor was peeling up in over 50% of the place. Many spots along the walls had scuff marks. I dare not mention the odors present in the bathroom.\r \r When I asked to speak to a manager, a young lady told me that she was the owner, although she looked to be more like the bartender. (I work in real estate... the tax docs on the place say the owner is a man named Berent.) If she was lying, that might actually be a plus since it would indicate that the problems here are acute and not systemic.\r \r This is not a bistro. There are no white table cloths. The waitstaff is not knowledgeable. The food is not fresh local fare. (I saw the foodservice truck outside.) \r \r Its a pub at best. And not a real good one at that. If you want to spend 89.00 for 3 very poor lunches and three very slow cocktails, suit yourself. Pros: None. (I feel bad for saying it, but its true) Cons: Food, service more

My husband and I tried this place hoping to find a good seafood spot. We were beyond disappointed. I ordered a dish with shrimp, scallops, and lump crabmeat and it was so terrible that I only ate a couple of bites. I have never left crabmeat on my plate, but the sauce they poured over it was so bad I couldn't finish even half of it. My husband tried to eat his since we were paying $50 for the dinner, but his was poorly cooked and had a terrible taste to it. The only thing we liked from our entire meal was the ranch dressing that came with our salads. Definitely not worth the $50. The only recommendation I have for this restaurant is to stay far far away! Don't waste your date night like we did. Pros: Nicely decorated Cons: Terrible, terrible, terrible food. more

The Blue Fin has become my second kitchen...or rather, second dining room. The service I've experienced has been second to none, and the kitchen is always willing to make adjustments or do what they can to make sure you get exactly what you want, so the food is stellar. Some of my favorites: Parmesan encrusted Tilapia (I get it w/o the crab stuffing), crab dip with pita points, southwest egg rolls, mushroom ravioli in madiera cream redution, garlic mashed potatos, regular house salad (their blue cheese is to die for!) The owners are personable and very hands-on - you know you are being taken care of. David and Jenni are the consummate host and hostess - and Jenni makes a mean drink, served with rapier wit. Roland knows how to satisfy your tummy - he's awesome. Heather, Liz, Karen, 'Delicious,' Tom...they are all wonderful and will take good care of you. \r \r If you find yourself in Wake Forest and in need of a great dinner in a fantastic, relaxed atmosphere, Blue Fin's Bistro is your place. Pros: consistently great food, friendly attentive service Cons: not really geared for very large groups (10+) more