Blue Fin
(617) 497-8022
1815 Massachusetts Ave Ste 1
Cambridge,
MA
02140
42.3846
-71.1195
Neighborhood: Neighborhood Nine
What People Are Saying About Blue Fin
The Editor
Alison Bulman
Citysearch
The Scene
Inside the Porter Exchange mall sits an inconspicuous corridor of Japanese restaurants and Asian supermarkets. Locals vouch that Blue Fin outshines them all, and the line frequently stretching out the door backs up that claim. College kids and under-30 types slurp udon and chopstick vibrant arrays of sushi at the small sushi bar, and at tables inside almost bare walls. Attentive servers see that no need goes unfulfilled.
The Food
A chewy spicy beef tongue salad arrives in a sweet and garlicky, soy-derived yakiniku sauce over seaweed, iceberg lettuce and cabbage. Soft-shell crab begs for less cooking. Sushi slices are on the skimpy side, and the not-so delicate aroma of the Uni raises questions about its freshness. But rich, titillating monkfish liver medallions in lemony soy-based ponzu sauce absolve all sins. Save a little room for dessert: order one scoop each of red bean and green tea ice creams for a fruity finish.
User Reviews
VadeSkoc
June 27, 2009
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.
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wongfei88
June 03, 2008
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.
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DelicateHeidi
May 07, 2008
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.
read full reviewThe Details on Blue Fin
When to Go:
Visit at lunch for the mother of all sushi deals: 15 pieces of your choosing for $6.95.
Save Money:
On a budget? Order a set, a value meal consisting of a main entree and several sides, relatively cheap and large enough to share
Know Before You Go:
The restaurant doesn't accept reservations on weekends. Opt for a seat at the sushi bar to avoid a long wait for a table.
Category:
Payment Methods:
Gift Certificate, American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard, Debit Card
Restaurant Special Features:
Notable Beer List, Local Favorite, Late Night Dining, Group Dining, Cheap Eats
Cuisine:
Smoking Permitted:
No
