Cafe Blue - Austin

Delicious, although a bit pricey the food is good I have no problem paying that price knowing I'm going to get good food

Food: the sesame crusted dishes like the ahi tuna, shrimp, and calamari were good! Also like the bread and butter they started us with. However the Cobb salad was just ok, a little drenched with much dressing, the jerk chicken was over cooked. Service: came during a weekday lunch, service was quite slow.

My wife enjoyed the Rosemary Pasta with Shrimp and some Clam Chowder, which she absolutely loved. I started with the Jerk Chicken Quesadilla as an appetizer, followed by a house salad and the Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos. Everything was generous in portion and delicious! Although we didn't order any alcoholic drinks, our total came to around $50 per person, but it was definitely worth it. I’m looking forward to coming back to explore more of their extensive menu options.

We tried the crab cakes, and it took us a while to figure out how much crab was actually in them. They weren't bad, but certainly not great. We also ordered crab-stuffed shrimp, which might have been our oversight for ordering more crab. However, if done well, that shouldn't be a problem. After confirming there was no bell pepper in the crab, we were surprised to find it quite evident in the dish. The sesame-crusted ahi was another letdown. Typically, ahi is served with a nice pan-seared crust, but this came as a soy glaze with sesame seeds—no crust in sight. Usually, the slices are beautifully pink in the middle, but every piece we received was gray, though the edges were still pink. How did they manage to make it look so unappetizing? The flavor was mediocre and quite bland. Then there were the wasabi mashed potatoes. I love wasabi and usually enjoy wasabi-flavored snacks, but these potatoes were overpowering and made my eyes water. It’s no wonder the fish tasted so bland. The crème brûlée was decent; it had a good crust but was served cold. The bread pudding, on the other hand, wasn't enjoyable at all and ended up being left uneaten. While the Amy's ice cream that accompanied it was delicious, the bread pudding didn't impress. Overall, we cannot recommend Café Blue. Too many disappointments in one meal.

Equipped with a $150 gift card (thank you, Mom!), we started our meal with Oysters on the Half Shell, Oysters Rockefeller, and Calamari. The raw oysters were fantastic, especially when paired with Cafe Blue's twist on the traditional mignonette, featuring tangy flavors of green apple and jalapeño vinegar. The cocktail sauce was great as well. The Oysters Rockefeller was also spot on; my girlfriend, who isn’t a fan of raw oysters, really enjoyed this cooked dish. The calamari was above average, with the largest rings I’ve seen in quite some time. The Asian-style dipping sauce was a nice touch, and they also provided marinara sauce for those who prefer it. Yes, we ordered more food — we had to make good use of that gift card! I requested my Mahi dish to be prepared Oscar Style, which means topped with Béarnaise sauce and lump crab meat. It was a solid choice, especially paired with my requested mashed potatoes and spinach. The service was attentive, although there were a few minor hiccups. A table that arrived after us received bread right away, while we had to ask for it. Additionally, it would have been nice if our empty appetizer plates had been cleared a bit more promptly, as we ended up staring at them for quite a while. Overall, the prices here aren't too inflated for the quality of food you get, so I’m giving it four stars.