Fawcett Oil

Blue Fin's unagi nigiri: Glistening, wrapped in a belt of seaweed, lying seductively on a snowy white bed of sushi rice. Then pop one in your mouth and ahhhh, heaven! Cherubs! Harajuku girls! So reliable. Blue Fin's unagi come generously portioned and warm, so make sure to eat them quickly for maximum pleasure. (Not like that's a real challenge.) more

Dirty – not a good quality in a sushi place I used to love going to Bluefin, but it's been going steadily downhill, and after this last time, I don't think I'll ever go again. I ordered a beer, and it came with a glass that was filthy. I poured the beer in without inspecting the glass and looked down and there were all kinds of particles floating in the glass and the sides of the glass had caked on stuff. Okay, not appetizing, but anyone can make a mistake in the washing process, so I ask the waitress for a new glass after we confirm the added "ingredients." She then proceeds to come back with another glass, which turns out to also be filthy, and makes no offer to do anything about the half of the bottle of beer that she took away the first time (maybe you could bring a fresh one?). When I point out the caked-on stuff on the second glass, she mumbles something about how where the glasses come from its dark so she couldn't see. At this point I ask her to take it away, and set about the task of eating my raw fish, thinking all the while away about the poorly lit kitchen where the knives that cut said raw fish may or may not have been cleaned. Lovely. At the end of the meal, the waitress tells us how she totally got them to take the beer (of which I drank none) off the check. Thanks! Glad to know you're deeply concerned with doing right by your customers. To top it all off, she stops us as we were leaving to tell us that we underpaid, but upon careful counting, we in fact did pay the correct amount (nice try, though). Not sure I trust this place on basic hygiene any more, and the service was abysmal (surely you can produce ONE actually clean glass, after a customer complains specifically about dirty glasses). Quality of the food is increasingly mediocre, and the prices aren't low enough warrant to potential food-borne illness. Next time, I'll pass. Pros: used to be really great Cons: not confident of cleanliness, bad service more

After a recent renovation, prices have gone up, but you can still get 24 pieces of nigiri for $30. You can also pick all your own pieces with salmo... more

I've been here three times and every time, the food (sushi, sashimi, tempura, rice bowls...) was so yummy and satisfying! And not too expensive eit... more

They have awesome and cheap Japanese food. The sushi is excellent for the price you pay. Some of their other dishes are quite good (seaweed salad... more

I have been going to Blue Fin for several years and have had many lunches and a few dinners there. Dinner is not as good a deal and has typically involved long waits and slow service. Lunch has been unpredictable for getting timely service but the wait was usually worth it. Unfortunately, the quality of sushi and service has declined since their expansion. During my last visit, the unagi (broiled eel, my favorite) was inedible. The quality of the tamago (egg omelet) and mackerel are what I typically use to judge a sushi restaurant and neither was very good. Unfortunately, my complaints fell on deaf ears and I will likely not return. Pros: deal for lunch, sometimes can be pretty good Cons: quality of sushi rice and fish variable more

I've been going there for years and still think it's the best sushi joint in the area. The fish is always super fresh and I almost always end up eating too much. I wouldn't say it's exactly cheap, but decent for good sushi. Love the expansion, I haven't had to wait more than 10 minutes for a table since. Pros: Fresh fish Cons: sometimes the servers aren't as attentive as I'd like more

this is one of those great places to have in the neighborhood and judging by their expansion it looks like other people think so too. Something for everyone from the basic chicken teriyaki to the sushimi and other more authentic japanese dishes. I have mostly stuck with the more americanized palette. I love the sushi, the salmon teriyaki, the beef don (big bowl of spicy beef with rice) is incredible! I even love the miso soup and the side salads. Even my 1-year old loves the food and they are very accomodating to children. Pros: great food. good prices Cons: not really a con... but I don't understand what a lot of things on the menu are more

Good value sushi combos; friendly staff. I go there a few times each month and enjoy the experience. Pros: put together your own sushi combo; try the 100 pieces sushi combo! more

Blue Fin has a pretty standard Japanese restaurant menu--nigiri, sushi, teriyaki, noodles... However, it is definitely the best deal in Boston/Cambridge for sushi. If you order the combinations, you can get nigiri for less than $1 per piece. The sushi is of okay quality--pretty fresh but not spectacular. The restaurant is always crowded on the weekends, so be prepared to wait. Pros: Inexpensive Cons: Long waits more

okay - so there's great sushi, like at Ginza, Fugakyu, Oishii, etc. Blue Fin isn't really in that class. But if you're looking for good sushi, for a reasonable price, Boston can be a tough town. Blue Fin has very solid, good sushi, for among the lowest prices in Boston if you get their sets. someone in another review said the food had changed during the expansion, and that the prices changed. the prices changed something like $2 on the $25 set, which isn't a huge deal. and the food seemed pretty much identical to me, having gone here for years. the service isn't stellar, and it doesn't have the ambiance of the high-end sushi joints. but for good sushi for cheap, I haven't found much to even campare with Blue Fin. Pros: good food, great prices, lots of variety available Cons: ambience isn't their strongpoint, service can be slow more

We live in Porter, and have gone here a few times. The service is mediocre, they don't fill up drinks, don't seem interested in helping us, take a long time to get to your table. The selection of sushi is small, and tends toward the exotic. I'm not as adventurous as my spouse, and they don't have alot of the standards that I'm into. I've gotten the tuna before and it was really fishy tasting, and for $8 not worth it. The portions are fine, and the non-sushi menu is pretty good. We're always surprised at the size of our bill, and would probably go elsewhere if there was another place nearby. Pros: Close to T, near the Japanese market Cons: Overpriced, slow service, limited menu more

I just went to Blue Fin for the last time tonight. It took 45 minutes to be seated. Once we were seated, it took another 20 minutes for a waitress to acknowledge our existence. The quality of the sushi is not as good as it used to be. Worse yet, Blue fin has raised its prices. It's not a good value anymore. I will never be back. Cons: Poor service, below average sushi, they raised prices more

APRIL 2007 UPDATE: It's been hard for me to accept that Blue Fin, which was my absolute favorite sushi place in town, has been steadily going downhill since the renovation. I've been going there regularly since 2000 and was initially delighted at their much-needed expansion. However, the last time I was there I realized that I'd been disappointed the last, like, FOUR times I'd been there, but kept saying "let's give them another chance". This last time I was there, the sushi rice was different - coarse, large-grained. Why would they do that - use another type of rice? The fish itself just didn't seem as expertly cut - I don't know if the entire sushi chef staff changed, but the sushi has lost its delicate, careful touch that I'd loved them for. I have no other complaints about space, service, etc - just the SUSHI itself - it is no longer as high-quality as it used to be. This is very upsetting and I'm still grieving over the loss of my favorite sushi place, but at least I've passed the denial stage and can admit that I will not be back there again... Pros: Faster seating since expansion, Beef Tataki Cons: Sushi quality has declined more

The newly renovated Blue Fin still dishes out some of the town's best sushi and now has all the ambience it used to lack. The sushi is always well-prepared/fresh and prices are unbeatable. It is my favorite Boston restaurant, and I have eaten a LOT of sushi here. The only drawback is that their rolls are simple- you won't get the intricate and innovative pieces of Ma Soba. They don't take reservations on weekends, so I've waited up to 40 minutes before on Saturday nights (but this was before their expansion so seating should be fine now). Usually, you will be seated promptly if you come in for early dinner or lunch. After dinner, walk through the Porter Exchange. At the end of the hall of small restaurants, there's a convenience store that sells $1 mochi ice cream. Pros: Inexpensive, High-Quality Cons: Simple more

The service and food is average while the ambiance is quite lacking. It is much more worth it to go here for lunch than for dinner. Just remember that when you go here: you get what you pay for. Personally I don't find the prices all that cheap. For dinner, I'd rather pay a little bit more and go to some place nicer like Ma Soba. I do agree that it is a good place to stop for a quick bite during lunch. Dinner at Blue Fin, however, is over-rated. Pros: Average Food Cons: Over-rated, Get what you pay for more

The sushi is almost 100% consistently good. The people who complain about the size of the pieces must have very big mouths, because one piece is suppose to fit in your mouth. The prices are amazing and the waitstaff are very friendly. I usually do take out, but if you're going to dine in the restaurant, the ambience is better suited to lunch. The sushi sets can't be beat. Unlike other restaurant's sets, you can pick and choose what you want. 18 pieces for $16, 25 pieces for $21, etc. If you love sushi without the pretension and without emptying your bank account, this is the place to go. Even after moving out of the neighborhood, I always get my sushi from the Blue Fin. more

If you just want to have some sushi, but it doesn't have to be exceptional, go here for a good deal. You can order a ton of different sushi for a fixed price. The fish is not amazing though so don't expect top quality. They also have some good hot dishes. more

Blue Fin use to be my reliable source for Japanese pub grub. I liked that it was different from the regular old Japanese restaurants that serve the same menu. But it's really gone downhill. 1. A lot of neat dishes were off the menu 2. Ordered chicken liver but served chicken hearts 3. Soft shell crab was pathetic 4. Ohitashi not up to snuff 5. Service really needs improvement. Pros: Price OK Cons: Food was poor more

the eel is AMAZING. At first a skeptical sushi eater, Blue Fin has become a tradition. My friends and I go there every tuesday night. Inexpensive, convenient, and if you have to wait, there are stores in the mall where you can hang out while you wait your turn (trust me, it's well worth the wait!) WE LOVE IT. The icing on the cake -- they'll validate your parking. Pros: inexpensive, tasty, authentic more