Bleu Bistro’s Grotto

This is a great intimate Capitol Hill café that is usually easy to get into when all other places are too busy to seat you. (It’s slightly off the Broadway strip)
Good healthy food, decent drinks and a unique layout.

I’m their personal PR for the wasabi grilled cheese. DELICIOUS. Also, all the signs promoting the blood orange margarita are legit. Buy it. This place holds a special place in my heart because it’s small, off the beaten path and has a cool crew. Plus, they fulfill all my random cravings like frozen cookie dough and fries. *warning* the sauces have crack and you will be eating a second ass-​worth of food.

I’ve been here several times with my girlfriend and my favorite thing on the menu is the Wasabi Grilled Cheese. I feel like it used to have a stronger Wasabi flavor to it but maybe I’m imagining things. It’s still very good and a filling meal. The three sauces it comes with are all good but my favorite two are the fruit jam and the creamier sauce (not sure what it actually is). I usually go through most of both of those when eating a sandwich.
The chicken tacos are also good and my girl loves the pineapple they add which infuses it’s flavor into the entire taco. She’s not a huge fan of their guacamole describing it as similar to the packaged grocery store Guac.
The nachos are a very large portion but a bit pricey for nachos. They’re good but I would prefer an individual serving size for less money honestly.
All in all I definitely recommend this place as the service is always good and the Wasabi Grilled Cheese is a great twist on an American Classic.

I went here the other night to grab a quick dinner with friends. We got there during happy hour but we found out that none of the food is discounted, just drinks and the prices were not much different from regular. That was fine. The menu was about five pages packed with a lot of different items. When I was hungry it was kind of hard to make a decision so of course I do what I always do and ordered a bunch of stuff! I decided on the ½ grilled cheese sandwich, cup of tomato soup, and the house salad. The sandwich was generous with its cheese, nice and crisp. The salad was interesting. The balsamic dressing had sort of a wasabi taste to it. There were also roasted peppers and pickled onions, sunflower seeds, and hummus. All mixed together it was actually good! Then my favorite part was the soup. It was so rich and creamy. I feel like everywhere does their own version of tomato soup so you never know what to expect. I will say this was my favorite by far, it was more like a bisque because of the creaminess. One of my friends got the boar pizza and she liked it, her only concern were the huge chunks of blue cheese (she’s not a huge blue fan) I would have liked it :). My other friend got the chicken pesto sandwich and Caesar salad to start with, both good, other than than the chicken being a little dry. We also got cocktails which were both on tap and house made. I think that is a great idea and they were yummy! I am not really a fan of mixed drinks but these were up to par. The gin fizz came with rock candy on the rim and the moscow mule was packed with ginger. I plan to come back and try some new items, but I will be having that soup again. Our server was so sweet and very attentive.

Their feta cheese nachos were really good! My girlfriend and I shared one together along with some tomato soup and it was plenty of food for the both of us. The nachos came out to around $ 21 which is kinda pricey but the portions were huge. Definitely enough to feed 2 people. Tortilla chips tasted home made and had this gritty texture to it that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The nachos were great but the tomato soup was what really elevated my dining experience here. The bread that came with it was crunchy yet soft and chewy. It went really well with the tomato soup. The tomato soup was really creamy and savory. There were definitely other homey flavors in there but the tomato flavoring was still the star.
I definitely want to come back for the tomato soup

Awesome food and great employees. I’ve eaten here several times and I’ve never been unhappy with the service or the food. The prices are pricy so it’s not a place for your everyday meals. The infused alcohol is wonderful but a little overpriced for this area.
The seating is limited so call ahead and make a reservation.
If it’s hot outside, it’s usually too hot in the restaurant to relax and enjoy your meal. I love having the big windows open, but it’s noisy and hot while eating.

I’m giving this place a four, not because of the food, which is average at best but because of the atmosphere. I loved being there and checking out their private booths with curtains. The feel is so New Orleans and I wish I had been in the mood enough to try their drinks. The first thing I noticed was their four page drink menu that trumped the food offerings by far. My friend’s pasta was pretty flavorful but small in portion. I definitely would take friends there for a night of drinking in the private booth but not so sure about the food yet.

Tomato soup and crostinis were so good. My boyfriend enjoyed the tamale of the day as well as the pear infused vodka. Loved the music and the ambiance. Great spot for a first date.

Came here for a mid day snack and was pretty disappointed. The bottled beer was expensive, the sliders were small and overpriced. I enjoyed the open air ambiance and the wait staff was really really friendly but I would rather make something from home.

Wow love this place! Can’t believe it took me a year and a half of living down the street to finally drop in.
Came here during happy hour and was blown away by all the options. Blood Orange Margarita on tap… yes please! It was flippin delicious. Not to mention they have a couple other boozy concoctions on tap in addition to some house infused alcohol that came in individual bottles… needless to say I’ll be back just to try those. Their $ 7.77 deal ain’t too shabby!
For food we tried out the fries, which are baked so they aren’t the least bit greasy and ohhhh so good. Per recommendation of our awesome server we had this open faced roast beef sammy that was plenty to share. Topped off with au jus and a creamy horseradish sauce it was tasty. All in all the atmosphere was great and cozy. Windows open during the summer and an old time movie playing. I shall return!

Blue Bistro /​Grotto is a Capitol Hill institution that should not be missed. Amazing service and suggestions from our server Mike, stunning menu with comfort food and a vast variety of choices.
The Wasabi grilled cheese and the roast beef sliders were excellent. As was the various sauces, jams, and aioli that came with. I highly recommend!

The service was fast and friendly! The food, delicious. I enjoyed a sandwich and salad, both portions were generous and delicious. When I asked for coffee it was brewed fresh for me. The interior is strange but the food and people are great. Also nice to find a place that isn’t as stuffy as most Capitol Hill hipster joints.

I’ll make this simple. Get the wasabi grilled cheese with cream of tomato soup. It is plain and simply, amazing. Great, friendly, and fast service too.

Bleu Bistro is one of the most chill and welcoming places on the hill. Whether coming here with a group of friends, to read, or to see who I might meet at the bar I always have a great time. There is a huge food and drink menu with options for everyone. Another thing I appreciate — people causing drama or being disruptive are politely asked to leave — I see a few of their reviews here — but this is a benefit to the rest of us.

Found Bleu Bistro for the first time on Unilocal.I live on the Eastside, and I’m always meeting up with friends on Capitol Hill. It was refreshing to find someplace new and different. We were served by two staffers, who seemed very intent on showing us a good time. Very attentive and very friendly. We got there during a happy hour period, and ordered two well drinks and oven baked fries from the happy hour menu. From the regular menu, we then ordered two large sandwiches. To our surprise, dinner salads arrived (unexpectedly) and they were terrific! Could have made a small meal out of the salad… lots of fresh mixed greens, tomatoes, a tasty balsamic vinaigrette, and a large dollop of fresh hummous in the center with pepita seeds. Yum!
Then…drum roll… we were regaled with a free sampler tray of THREE house cocktails for the two of us. That kept us happy.
In all, we enjoyed the two well drinks, the sampler drinks, the HUGE wooden platter of seasoned fries, the chicken foccacia, the French dip sandwich, and the large dinner salads for only $ 50.00 (w/​o tip).
I also LOVED the lay out. Loved the private feel to the booths, with curtains to draw, and the general fun, funky décor. No question… I will go back again!

We found ourselves in Capitol Hill. The pub we wanted to go to wasn’t open, checked out Unilocal and ended up here. Glad we did. The wasabi grilled cheese was super good, salads were fresh with lots of extras. I wish we lived nearby so we could try more, but we don’t, so we won’t. I read the reviews about incidents, but the bartender, while overly involved in our stay, was truly helpful. The French Dip was really good as well. We both left with lots to go. The place is dark and quirky, tiki meets Margaritaville meets Phantom of the Opera. If that is possible. Doesn’t really matter, beer was cold food was good. Yeah, pricey but everything is here. I am speaking of the nieghborhoos.

Note: this review is exclusively for the quality of their take-​out service. I have dined here several times and have always been amazed by the quality of the food…
Which is why my fiancée and I were absolutely appalled at how terrible the quality of food was for their take-​out service. We have dined here several times and know what their food dishes look like in the restaurant which is why it was so obvious to us that the chef purposely did a terrible job with our food we ordered over the phone simply because we wouldn’t be in the restaurant to complain about the awful job.
We got the French Dip Sandwich, the Blackened Chicken Caesar Salad, and the nachos. These are items that we have eaten before in the restaurant and wanted to order for pick-​up.
The chef did a terrible job with this simple order. The French Dip Sandwich literally had one slice of meat in it, the cheese was burned, and instead of putting a container of horse radish in the sandwich box he put sour cream! $ 14 for a slice of a cold cut and bread with sour cream.
The nachos had around 15 chips in the box with burned cheese and one puny little container of salsa. A whopping $ 12 for nachos that were of worse quality than nachos you’d find at your typical gas station.
The salad had absolutely no leaves – it was all composed of the chopped off romain hearts that chefs are supposed to use with a mix of other greens. You can tell that the chef grabbed the most unappetizing component to compose my sorry salad. $ 12 for a salad that was of worse quality than a salad you would purchase at a public school cafeteria.
Overall, my purchase came out to around $ 40 for horrific-​quality food. I might visit this establishment again for a drink or a dine-​in meal, but certainly never for pick-​up. I strongly discourage anyone from ordering for pick-​up.

NEVER eat here!
If I could leave zero stars I would. I have never had such a bad experience. Seriously.
We sat down and looked at their fairly overpriced menu. They charge extra for all the sides like they do in Italy so it was hard to decide.
They brought use the nastiest tasting coke ever, watered down and tasted mixed with diet. Awful.
Strangely they all of a sudden bring us two new ones exclaiming they were right on top of things.
They tasted just as bad and the waiter kept getting weirder and weirder as he came along.
I asked and we agreed that we should leave before they make the food up.
So I walk over … Now wait this is where it gets really good and fucked up.
I advised them the Cole was terrible and given the menu prices I felt I wanted to ward off a bad experience and said I would like to leave.
The two guys badgered me about how the food was done and would we like it to go (even though it wasn’t ready…)
I really wanted to leave now but be off to cold say anything the guy says they are calling the police for theft of service !!
They guy tried to snap my photo with his smartphone, never did we not say we weren’t going to pay for their less than mediocre coca cola and they didn’t even give us ten seconds to think about it.
Usually when you are unhappy with an experience at an establishment they either credit your bill or let you go gracefully.
The food had never reached our table, what if I was having a medical emergency? They never gave me time to answer before threatening to call the police which they stopped when my date offered to pay ten the entire bill just so we could leave.
I was stunned, appalled, pissed and I felt like the staff could have been more reasonable.
This isn’t their first incident apparently! Read the reviews and you’ll see they had another incident where they wanted to call the police on someone for sitting in the wrong area. I didn’t feel so bad for them after reading that and neither should you.
Do yourself a favor and don’t go here. Patronizing asshole businesses like this is what keeps them in businesses. You can get kale anywhere and much cheaper.
I certainly hope the owner of this establishment steps up to the plate to deal with their lack of customer service skills.
They wanted to accuse us of theft of service when I’m the end they got paid and we didn’t eat. So fuck them forever, I will never ever go back to this place and I will tell every single person in Seattle and that visits Seattle to never go until it withers and does out and something respectable replaces it…

I would have posted a four-​star review based on the food, and particularly the best nachos (specifically the «Bleu’s Feta Nachos») in the history of the world, but now I have to post a five-​star review based on both the food and the stellar customer service my husband and I received — I can’t recall ever getting service this great at any other restaurant.
I had been talking up these nachos, only to be deeply disappointed with them as my husband’s unfortunate introduction to them. They are supposed to come with kalamata olives, hummus, and feta cheese. I don’t care for sour cream and asked for that on the side, which we got; fine. But the nachos had no notable amount of feta on them, and no hummus at all — we had to get a plate of hummus brought out to us. It did have the olives but not a whole lot. It was just patently lackluster compared to my previous experiences, and odd considering ingredients that were outright missing.
My husband told the waitress the tomato soup was stellar — which was true; particularly so with the grilled cheese sandwich dipped in it. I can’t recommend that combination enough. But, he added, the nachos were a disappointment. The waitress apologized and let the manager know, then came back with shot bottles of whiskey as «a gift» for our trouble, by which I was delighted and, honestly, kind of shocked. Even more impressive, the manager *thanked* us for letting him know, and said he would talk to the cook at the end of his shift. And I don’t know if my second cocktail was deliberately omitted from the bill or not, but once we noticed that, after already being impressed by the service, we made sure they knew about the apparent mistake — and they told us not to worry about it.
This resulted in quite the hefty tip. It wasn’t the waitress’s fault the nachos were crappy, after all. And I’ll go back again, still with the expectation that the nachos will be good again. I’ve never been anywhere with both such great food (on average) and such gracious staff.

If you’re thinking of trying Bleu Bistro’s Grotto, well, don’t. The strange and rude service started before my friend and I had even taken our seats. My friend and I entered the restaurant and the hostess informed us to sit where we pleased. So, my friend who was familiar with the bistro took me to the usual section she occupied. Three previous times she had sat in this section without incident.
This time an employee behind the bar quite abruptly inquired about our age and demanded ids. He asked if we were 21. We were honest and told him we were not, confused at why he was asking if we were. He angrily asked «are you trying to break the law right now?» My friend informed him she had sat in that section before, clearly unaware it was apparently 21 and over. Apparently the entire restaurant is 21+. «You’re ignorance to the law is insulting» he said and started to become strangely agitated. My friend told him she didn’t understand his agitation since she had been in before to which he responded by calling her a bitch, twice (I wish I was kidding).
We were speechless at this point because we’ve never experienced this kind of customer service before. We started to feel very uncomfortable as he started to threaten to call the police, even though we were trying to head towards the door. We left, not wanting agitate him further. He then proceeded to call my friends cell phone, which he had from earlier when we called to ask for directions. She finally answered and he was asking if we were the individuals who tried to break the law earlier. The next day the liquor control board called her to further inquire what we were attempting to do.
All we wanted to do was eat. We had no intentions of ordering any alcoholic beverages! It was just a bizarre and incredibly uncomfortable experience for two girls under 21 to go through. His behavior was so extreme, as if he truly wanted us to get in trouble. Then, to continue to hassle us after we left? Definitely, haven’t had an experience that odd at a restaurant, and I hope I never do again.