This page is for archiving older comments from before 2008 from Black and Blue.
2005-11-23 08:07:53 Cool name! —MariahBetz
2006-01-20 23:42:12 Prices are beyond upscale but the food is outstanding. —PeteB
2006-02-03 21:37:31 B&B was a major disappointment on Jan 31'06. Dismal service (took the busperson 3 trips & our help to count to 6 settings); waiter disappeared for extended periods after we waited 15 minutes to place drink orders (but he appeared to have a number of 6-tops, all of which were full). The food? Crab fondue was bland - like thickened she-crab soup. Strip steak was only warm, not MedRare as ordered. Superb rolls, she-crab soup the second-best ever, skinny dessert menu. Overall, there are better steak/seafood houses with lower prices & better quality. But the 30-somethings certainly filled the bar! Give it 2 years, and then see if things have changed. —BenKenobe
2006-04-30 18:51:01 For an upscale restaurant, the prices are in line. Food is decent, this place is about atmosphere and service was good. Expect to pay $25-50 per person depending on what you get. Suggest you dress in "smart casual" —BrentIrvine
2006-05-03 12:44:12 Great food, we got exceptional service, and yes, we paid a relatively high price, but it was worth it. Not something you do every day, but great for special occasions or trying to impress. —WilliamJeffers
2006-05-03 18:03:09 Open on Mother's Day! Woo hoo! —WilliamJeffers
2006-06-10 15:42:22 The night we went, the servers struck us as not being professional - their attitude was too collegial, and kept interrupting our conversations to deliver unimportant items (such as bread), and were generally un-smooth. Good service should be almost invisible. This was clumsy. (Tournedos is better in this dept.) Oh yes, the food. I cannot remember anything about it. My boyfriend reminded me that I got lobster and that I declared I was "tired of it" half way through. Well then. Probably not going back - the clientele was a little too nouveau riche for me. We were seated in the 'quiet' section and yet it was extremely loud and other patrons gave the general impression of being mannerless. —ChristineLeo
2006-09-10 04:39:39 We just got take out from there for a work lunch and we all agreed it was excellent.... Not sure the last time that one happened! Loved the pretzel rolls and the lunch bill was pretty reasonable. —JcPop
2006-10-16 21:44:10 Recently went with my husband and the in-laws... Quite good. The food was quite excellent (I had ribeye drenched in truffle butter while everyone else had filet mignon with gorgonzola sauce); the tuna tartare I had as a starter practically melted in my mouth, it was so good. That and the warm chocolate cake I had for dessert. Service was superb— unlike Ben and Christine's horrible experiences, the staff (although most of them look of college age) was very professional and smooth. It was a bit loud, as we were seated not too far from the bar, but that's what one should usually expect (especially since we went on a Friday night) and should learn to tune it out. I overall had a very good experience and want to go back. —CatherineConnolly
2006-12-20 08:05:02 My general observation is that the dining public in the greater Rochester area has very low standards. Overpriced restaurants in trendy areas with nouveau decor are automatically dubbed "excellent" without having to make an effort. Black and Blue falls into this category. A mediocre product presented in a substandard fashion by an inexperienced staff. Clientele is loud and obnoxious, but I have found that to be the norm in Rochester, especially at mid-priced venues frequented by the 30-something self-important crowd. Food was bland, tasteless, and prepared poorly. If being trendy is your thing, you'll love it. If you are more concerned with quality, professionalism, class, and substance, give this a miss. —JackPorcello
2006-12-20 13:24:26 JackPorcello, I couldn't have said it any better. Thank you! —ZedOmega
2006-12-23 00:14:11 I ate here tonight and was pleased with the experience. Yes, it was loud, but I think that's due more to the acoustics of the place, not to rude diners. The only really loud people I noticed were standing at the bar. My steak was delicious and the service was quick, efficient, and polite. —RachelBlumenthal
2006-12-27 17:05:22 I went there a few days ago with my family, and I agree with Jack. The atmosphere was nice, but the ambiance was almost a dull roar. While I let that slide, I went ahead and ordered my meal - a porterhouse cooked blue (i.e. rare). The first steak they gave me was already cooked to medium, medium-rare and I immediately sent it back. The problem is they serve their steaks on hot skillets, which surprise, suprise, cooks your steak while you eat. So the second steak I was given was cooked blue but given 10 minutes it finally cooked itself to medium rare. Plus the steak was too salty despite having a nice seasoned aroma. It was too trendy with short focus on presentable food and I probably won't ever go there again. —RichardSarkis
2007-01-03 15:05:41 Add me to the list of not very impressed. By the time my blue steak got to me, it was barely pink in the middle. I also had to ask for another one and was told "It doesn't get much less cooked than that." And lets not even discuss what they thought passed as a Mojito. —Roc4Life
2007-03-23 07:51:37 The burger and fries here are very good, but a bit pricey. It has a nice atmosphere, never had problems with service here. —KimBee
2007-04-02 23:12:16 $7.02 for burger and fries (tax included) seems like a really good deal to me, considering the quality. Cheaper then Applebee's, I think. The fries are thin and crispy, while the burger (which comes topped with bacon and blue cheese) is seriously thick. —WegmansFiend
2007-06-04 15:31:29 My husband and I were very disappointed with this restaurant. Both our entrees were salty and tasteless. Even the complimentary truffles were bitter and greasy. However, the server was friendly and efficient and desserts were good. —CarolBender
2007-07-14 08:09:00 Excellent service staff, horrible food. Not just bad, horrible. The steak we ordered was so salty you could taste nothing but salt. The side from another dish tasted like the most bland gumbo one could imagine. And
every single special used Risotto, must have had a Risotto surplus. Not
recommended at all. —CharlieBeltram
2007-08-18 11:03:55 Pleasant place, very good service, nice wine selection, but the food is over-rated, especially for the price. —JudyBolton
2007-08-30 10:52:17 I enjoy Black and Blue. The atmosphere is what a restaurant should be and the food is excellent. This is the trendiest restaurant in the Rochester area right now. —MrRochester
2007-09-07 18:52:19 Had a reservation for 8:45 and was seated at 9:45. No "We are sorry for the delay" or anything. The server was nice enough, but the food was absolutely atrocious. The short ribs left an aspirin aftertaste in my mouth. While they took that off the bill, after waiting for an hour for a table, they have forever lost my business. —MarcVera
2007-09-23 01:03:01 Those of you who said you got "tasteless" food - what on earth DID you order??
We went there Saturday night (last night) and got a variety of items - cowboy ribeye, crab soup, chop salad, etc. - and it was all VERY tasty. The ribeye came exactly the way I ordered it ("Blue") and in my opinion was one of the most amazingly delicious ribeyes I've ever had, without adding seasonings - at any price! The crab soup was lightly spiced - everyone in my party enjoyed it - and the chop salad was absolutely delightful, with crispy chick peas and crunchy greens.
The only drawbacks I can see are that the ONLY soups on the menu were seafood based (and I don't eat seafood) - a beef-based soup would not have been out-of-theme there - and that we were seated way in the back, which for the member of our party who is on oxygen, was almost an impossible walk. (If taking someone with COPD, specify a table up front and on the main level in your reservation - we'll be doing that in the future.)
2007-12-20 00:15:13 I would give this place an "eh, okay." The food was very mediocre. I had crab cakes and a burger, and I don't remember much about them. I've certainly had better crab cakes and better burgers though, let me say that. I wouldn't go back because while the food was alright, it is too pricey for "alright." —RochesterCalifornia
