Great place for lunch or dinner. Started by a local family to showcase scratch-made Japanese specialties, Blue Fin is my favorite stop for a quick lunch or dinner that is healthier than fast food. When I first started coming here, owner Betsy Yee held command of the order desk with efficiency and charm. Always with a sparkle in her eye, she served her guests into her 80s, I think! Tonight I swung through the drive-thru for a spicy teriyaki bowl and Lyn Yee, the owner's daughter hustled my order out to me, even though there was a truck in front of me. What you'll get her is friendly service, a welcome familiarity, reliably good food and a reason to come back again and again. They use good ingredients and definitely don't skimp on serving size. A bowl always gets me two enjoyable meals! I am ashamed I haven't reviewed Blue Fin sooner! It's a legend in Central/Downtown food circles. Amid all the concepts that open with fanfare only to fizzle soon thereafter, Blue Fin stands true to its specialty by serving consistently good food...with a hustle and smile. read more

Blue Fin - Look at all those chicken morsels. Probably a full breast and thigh worth of meat! - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Had to try this long-running Phoenix standout and was not disappointed. The place is tiny, old school, warm and has all the good, authentic feels. Asian food done American style, in big heaping portions, cooked to order and served by a lovely, super friendly lady (that day). My grilled salmon plate was delightful, lots of fish, greens and rice at a very reasonable price. It's a plain interior with a generic seating but it's cozy in a good way. There's a drive thru option too. Very cool. read more

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Blue Fin will make your head spin! Simple place, with simple food. Meat and rice. The service was fast by the time I grabbed my drink and sat down they placed my food at the table. The meat to rice portion was decent! The food came out Hot and was well seasoned. Small place that has a drive through. Good spot for a quick lunch. read more

Blue Fin - Number 4 - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

One of my go-tos for a quick and cheap lunch during the workday! The staff is so friendly and you can tell they have good relationships with their long time regulars. I usually get the teriyaki bowl with sunomono salad. i've tried other things on the menu, but this is my favorite. Really quick and easy option with good quality food and cozy atmosphere. They've been around this long for a reason, so check it out! Definitely recommend. read more

Blue Fin - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The Blue Fin is my place to go for fast health teriyaki chicken and cucumber salad. I only get 30 minutes for lunch. Service is friendly with a variety of quick dishes to choose, ambience is nice and clean with outdoor seating. Stop by try them out for a quickie!The Japanese Blue Fin just south of McDowell on Central ave. read more

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This place has amazing food and service. Used to come here every day in between classes at Phoenix College while the light rail was being built and get a veggie bowl with brown rice. Easy to miss, hard to replace this gem! read more

Blue Fin - Veggie Bowl with Tofu and Inari - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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The Service was Fun Fun Fun The Dish was Love and Made Extra Fast Try the Seaweed Salad read more

Blue Fin - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Every time I'm in the neighborhood I have to drop by this cheery little gem of a place. It's in a great locale being walking distance to the Japanese Gardens and Burton Barr Library. Just order at the counter and have a seat. There's some handy outdoor seating so you can watch the light rail go by which adds to a fun downtown atmosphere. Service is friendly and prompt, and how nice to have affordable prices for the meals that are deliciously prepared. This time I just jumped in for a bite of seaweed salad and a peach mochi. They have a nice assortment of mochi and that always makes a handy pop in your mouth snack. read more

Blue Fin - Seaweed salad is tasty and the peach mochi was delish - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

It has been a family tradition to pick up some Blue Fin's favorite teriyaki chicken plate! It comes with white rice and salad with ginger dressing. I also order a three piece shrimp tempura as my appetizer very good Everything here is always delicious and freshly made to order. Service is always amazing and there is plenty of tables inside and outside to seat and enjoy your food. read more

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Love their chicken teriyaki bowls ! So delicious. They have a variety of other dishes you can choose from. Me & my son love coming over here after hang out at the library to grab a bite. read more

I should have rated this gem a month ago! We stumbled in to Blue Fin after a long day at a stock show. We were greeted with a huge smile and the friendliest service! Our food was super tasty and the prices were very reasonable! We can't wait to go back next time we are in town! read more

What can I say but wow!! Such great food, and great take on Japanese food. Makes an awesome chicken teriyaki dish. Amazing service by the actual owner of the establishment. Seating is plentiful and comfortable. Great experience all round. 5 stars from me. read more

Nice little place next to the public library and in the heart of DTPHX. I usually drop by here a couple times during the semester for a quick grub. Really good food, and seating outside. The two ladies who are always there are so so sweet. They consistently make me feel at home. I really love the Panko Chicken with some of that Japanese pop soda (what is it called?) read more

I've been coming here for 10+years. Even if I don't have time I will never stop. I always get a bowl of Teriyaki chicken with extra chicken and rice. This is a family-owned business and " Lynn" the familiar face if you've already been here will ALWAYS be here unless she specifies. Even if this place is a Mainstay among teriyaki businesses here in Phoenix it's always gonna be known as "the little guy" which is why you should support bluefin. it's always quiet unless it's early lunch time. The building itself is a testament to longevity and endurance and grace read more

Blue Fin - The Tuna on the Wall - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Great Food, Service, Prices & Staff. Love this place. It's so close to all things artsy

The restaurant owner is the nicest lady ever! (Think Aunt Cass from Big Hero 6). She goes out of her way to make you feel like you're a family member eating over at her house. She came back to our table to offer a curry to try with our food that we didn't ask or know about If you're from out of town, this is the perfect local, family-owned spot for you. The food was affordable and high quality. Personally, I would take a spot like this to get a feel for the city and its culture over any other typical restaurant you can find here read more

Dodd is outstanding with the best tasting teriyaki in the valley.... Ask them what their secret is and they will share... super nice people. The curry is good too, and the tea is real and not some watered down version like most places serve. Most iced tea looks like questionable tap water but at the blu fin it's different. As are many things. It's been a landmark go to place for me and it been open for more than 40 some years, that speaks for itself these days. Give it a try, and tell them Rob sent you!!!! Enjoy ! read more

Blue Fin is a Phoenix institution! My family and I have been coming to get our Blue Fin fix for many years. In all these years Lynn has been the friendly face we have always appreciated seeing along with some previous employees who are no longer with us(RIP Olga)! Lynn exudes so much POSITIVITY that is always welcomed. She tells my family and I we're her lucky charm who attracts customers when we visit. Maybe she tells this to all her regulars, either way we are happy to carry the torch if she truly feels we help her! The warm greeting always makes their food so much better! I am in no position to give Blue Fin a grade on its authenticity or it's level of preparing their dishes to the gold standard. I can tell you it always fulfills my palate and based on busyness, many others agree! Not every dish may be in your wheelhouse, but keep going through the menu until you find what satisfies your liking. Not sure if it is really a secret menu item, but you can have the "Ninja Fries". Fries are always a perfect pair with whatever you eat. If you truly want to support a small business. Blue Fin is a must try! read more

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Always delicious and Always lot's of food for the great price. Teriyaki chicken rice bowl is perfect

Amazing! The food so good and they gave me cookie cause I was having a bad day with my order. Will be a regular. Made my night

A phoenix classic, must try! I personally like the chicken katsu with sweet & sour or the beef bowl. The proportions are so good, and the price is on point. Same family has owned it since the 90s , truly a staple. read more

Blue Fin - Panko Chicken - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

So yummy and so affordable- very fast too! My go-to's are the panko chicken with tonkatsu and sweet and sour sauce on the side or the teriyaki beef. The mini spring rolls are great too. The staff is also super sweet. read more

During COVID-19: Unfortunately I never had the chance to enjoy the restaurant as is, but it's my secret go-to (or not so secret) when in the area. Whenever I'm craving homie Japanese food, I go to The Blue Fin. They do drive thru, call, apps, and to-go orders. I am not sure if they do dine-ins, but they have a patio in front as well. This small Japanese shop is a small business owned mom and pop. I love the simplicity of the shop and the owner is super friendly with a cheery disposition everytime we order lunch. They close quite early, however. My go to is the oyakodon: egg and chicken on top of a bed of steamed rice. It's my guilty pleasure and reminds me of my old eats in NYC. I'm definitely in search of any Japanese restaurants that make oyakodon! Blue Fin also serves pork/chicken katsu, sushi, and curries as well. The chicken curry is a must too if you like Japanese curry dishes. I always order through their website but ordering at the shop's drive thru works too. Accepts cash and card. Order online, by phone, or drive thru/in person. Itadakimasu! read more

Blue Fin - Oyako chicken - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Placed an order to go, but was very disappointed in my usual order. I ordered the chicken teriyaki bowl with white rice with a spring roll order on the side. The chicken was lacking flavor and was pretty dry, I guess I should've asked for extra teriyaki sauce cause there was little to none in my bowl. The rice was good, but with the little sauce on sticky rice, it didn't help my experience. This used to be a spot I looked forward to ordering food from. I even recommended it to co workers looking for reasonably priced food and flavor in the past, but sadly, this time it didn't meet the mark. My coworkers were also disappointed with their order just like I was. We might've been better off going to Yoshi's on central. read more

Blue Fin - Dry ass Teriyaki Chicken bowl - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Little clean mom & pop shop. Got the panko chicken, cucumber salad and miso soup. prices our great! All of this only cost me 16 bucks after tip. Miso soup was the most disappointing item but cucumber salad was refreshing. Portion of panko chicken is great even as a lunch, they fill up your container and comes with rice. I love their sweet sour! Was the perfect dipping sauce. Overall experience was great and wish I came to this place sooner, service is polite and neighborhood friendly. Will definitely come back read more

Small business, but food is delicious and fresh. Staff is friendly. Plates come with salad and bowls proteins of choice with rice. Either choice very filling. read more

Teriyaki chicken done RIGHT. Small spot in the heart of Phoenix. Family owned, friendly and quick service! I love that you can order white meat chicken for any of their dishes. My wife absolutely loves the chicken katsu with tonkotsu sauce. It's a shame it's not open on weekends, otherwise this is where you'd find me! read more

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Great meal at an even better price. Can't be the daily special. (Hate that Yelp makes me write 85 characters).

Had lunch there while we were down in Phoenix. Very small place but everyone there was super friendly. Having never been here before I asked for recommendations and she mentioned to try either chicken katsu or the fish katsu so I opted for the chicken katsu and the wife ordered the beef teriyaki plate. The place is very clean with outdoor seating. While we waited we noticed how the people working seemed to know everyone coming in they were all welcomed cheerfully. The meals arrived and the wife thought he beef teriyaki tasted differently than what we normally have so I switched with her. The teriyaki sauce was different but not bad tasting just different. The chicken was good and they provided 3 different dipping sauces for us to try. I liked them all. Portions were good size and the prices were excellent for the amount of food you got. I recommend this place but the wife not so much. I trust my taste buds more than hers. We don't usually like the same food anyway so thumbs up for me. Give the place a try when you are down that way. You won't be disappointed unless you're my wife. lol read more

Blue Fin - Chicken katsu and beef teriyaki. - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Delicious food, great prices, and excellent service. The chicken was great quality and inside as clean!

My work catered Teriyaki bowls, definitely the most bland thing I've ever had. This was the only food option and I ate it and got food poisoning, it's been a rough couple days, beware read more

I hadn't been here in a very long time but I have to tell you the food was more than perfect. And prices won't kill you. Very, very inexpensive, not at all a reflection of the food served. Service is incredibly friendly and the overall feel of the place is just very comfortable. There isn't a lot of seating, but it doesn't really matter. It's also clear that everybody coming into this place has been coming for a long time. They all sound like one big family customers and staff alike. Thanks for a great meal whenever we have to work downtown again my coworkers will definitely be back. read more

Fresh and delicious. The service is friendly and fast. Fair prices for high quality food.

Ozzi is the best worker super duper nice very tasty they are friendly and recognize my gf and i

If you want a quick and affordable meal then this is your place. Parking is slim during lunch but they have a take out pick up window, so definitely call in your order. If you want to sit in for lunch, seating is also slim. Around dinner time it's empty and there's parking available. Service was fast during the lunch rush but very impersonal. During the slow dinner hours they're alot friendlier. Food was fairish, not great but not terrible. I've had the egg rolls, edamame, Vegetable Yakisoba Bowl (wheat noodles) with Chicken Teriyaki, the seaweed salad, and the sunomono (cucumber salad), as well as the mini mochis. The seaweed salad and the mini mochis are my favorite things to get here but I learned that they are not made in-house, they are special ordered from somewhere else. read more

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Since the dawn of time, my husband has been raving to me about Blue Fin - so today I finally tried it. Okay, so he's been going there for 21 years, but he loves the place and I can see why: it's terrific. The lunch special is a great value. For $9.79 you get teriyaki chicken with rice, two mini spring rolls, a salad and a 20 oz. drink. I enjoyed all of it, except for the salad, which I found to be bitter. I could have hit it on a bad lettuce day so I won't deduct stars since the rest of my lunch was great. I only wish Blue Fin wasn't so far from my house so I could visit more often. Unfortunately, they're not open on weekends either. I'll just have to make it back on a weekday! read more

Blue Fin - Daily Teriyaki Chicken Special - fantastic! - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Visiting Phoenix and we found this gem. We ordered the Japanese curry and the chicken teriyaki plate. Curry - very delicious! The chicken was very tender and the curry was authentic Japanese style. Teriyaki - wow! Incredible flavor and plenty of veggies. The plate came with a house style salad. Delicious as well. There isn't a huge amount of seating, but the lunch crowd moves fast and eats quickly. Service - staff is very friendly and helpful. Thank you! read more

I ordered the rice and vegetable bowl with chicken. It was very delicious. The staff was very nice and friendly. The only reason I gave them 4 stars and not 5 is because of the styrofoam. I wish they'd use paper products instead of styrofoam. I would go there more often if they used biodegradable paper products for their food. I really don't like styrofoam. read more

I saw the app that my food was delivered. I work at the post office, whoever brought the food just left it on the counter that is for customers. Did you actually think a customer ordered food? ?!! Didn't even ask any of the clerks working there if anyone ordered food. Very disappointed for my first time ordering. Anyone could've grabbed my food !! read more

My name is Doug and it has been nearly 2 years since my last visit to Blue Fin... so I hit it two days in a row to make up a little for lost time. (I needed to be downtown for two days this week and hit Blue Fin for lunch/early dinner on both days because.. why not??) While waiting in the drive-thru line, I realized that it has been about 20 years since my first visit to Blue Fin. I no longer work downtown, but I have made pilgrimages in the past. With the transition to a work-from-home job and the pandemic, however, it has been a while. You know how some places are better in your memory than they are in reality? Or, you SWEAR they were better "back in the day?" I am happy to say that the food here is just as good as I remember... and it was amazing back then, too. Their teriyaki chicken bowl is simple but one of the best I have had anywhere. I recognized the lady working the drive through window as one who was working there many years ago, and the customer service is also the same as I remember it. Thanks for keeping up the quality, Blue Fin: とてもおいしいですね！ read more