I absolutely LOVED this place. I had never been before and was expecting it to be your run of the mill teriyaki/Katsu place. How wrong I was. I went in with my roommate and was immediately welcomed by their cashier Angelica. She was very helpful and walked us through the menu letting us know what the favorites were. I ordered the all white meat teriyaki lunch special. Came with salad, rice, chicken and two egg rolls for $9. I sat down and before my meal was brought to me a kind old Asian woman came up to us and started conversation. Turns out she was the owner! Betsy was her name. Betsy was so kind and took care of us like her own children while making jokes and telling us the tale of the restaurant. Her daughter Lynne was working as well and she was just as kind and hospitable as her mother. I didn't feel like I was at a restaurant, I felt as if I were at their home. I've never been treated better. The food was delicious. Chicken was juicy and tender. Everything was amazing. The people were lovely. I loved it. I highly recommend it. read more

I hadn't checked Yelp before going here, but it's on the light rail and I've been wanting to eat here for weeks. It just so happened that I was split between two offices today and Blue Fin was in the middle. So, I exited off McDowell and was treated to the amazing aromas of BF. Upon entering, I'm greeted by the nicest lady I might have ever met. She admires my plaid jacket. (BTW, there's a Yelp sticker on the door!) After reviewing the menu--which has a good selection of choices--I decide on the panko fish over white rice. That wonderfully kind lady was sad to see me leave because she wouldn't get to see if I liked my food. Waiting at the LR station, I was glad I picked up an extra pair of chop sticks because some crazy-eyed man was looking at my bag. Although it had been about 10 minutes from the time I received my food to the time I walked back into my office, the food hadn't really cooled down all that much. Nice! The fish was super crispy on the outside yet marvelously moist inside. And the rice was good too. I'll definitely be back, kind lady. And hopefully I'll be able to eat there with you so you know how much I appreciate great food and expectational service. read more

ok, what is wrong with me? I want to love this place like everyone else does but when it comes to the food I can't quite get behind it. I want to love their slightly smokey tasting chicken teriyaki but I can't help but feel that it is more than a little dry. I want to get behind their oyako bowl but I am just not super fond of the onion crowded omelette. If I were rating it just on service and sweetness of staff it would get 5 stars in my book though! read more

1 Star: Being greeted by the sweetest, wittiest older Japanese woman upon entering 1 Star: Every photo of every menu item on the wall makes you want to order them all 1 Star: Wonderful sticky rice, imported Panko and grain fed Chicken 1 Star: The clientele of firemen, business types and hipsters lets you know this is a local joint 1 Star: The older lady saying, "Excuse my Boarding School reach," when she grabs your tea to refill for the 3rd time. This is delicious, low cost Japanese comfort food. Teriyaki, Panko Fish, Sushi, Japanese Curry. Delicious. read more

The best fast food in downtown Phoenix! This hidden gem is the perfect stop when you only have a short time for lunch. Their bowls are packed with fresh veggies and the teri chicken is so tender. The prices are reasonable and the staff is super friendly. read more

Since I love sushi and have been eating all varieties of Asian food since high school, I tend to avoid ordering teriyaki dishes when I go to Japanese restaurants. Not only do I find the teriyaki sauce that Japanese places typically use to be too sweet, but there is always so much - sushi, edamame, seaweed salads - at good Japanese places that I would rather spend my money on and fill my stomach with. Going forward, Blue Fin will be an exception to this no-teriyaki rule of mine. In fact, I may even go there *because* of the teriyaki. My husband and I stopped in for lunch. We both ordered the teriyaki combos (served with salad and rice) - he got beef and I got the white-meat chicken. Both were priced around $6. The food took a while to come out, and there were no seats left inside, so we had to sit outside, but the owner/manager was super nice, offering to re-seat us inside when tables became available and to bring us our food when it was ready. When she brought our plates, we were shocked at how huge the portions were. Yes, there was tons of salad (with a delicious sesame dressing) and white rice, but there was also a *lot* of meat. My husband and I believe ourselves to have larger-than-average appetites, but we could barely finish one plate and vowed to split one next time. So, the portions were huge, but the teriyaki flavor was also amazing. It was subtle and flavorful but not too sweet, serving to bring out the flavor of the meat and not just provide a sticky and overwhelming glaze. The black sesame seeds and spicy powder they put on the table were nice add-ons but weren't even necessary since the sauce was so flavorful. I am, however, docking The Blue Fin a star because the quality of my husband's beef wasn't as high as that of the chicken; it was fatty and hard to chew. After years of avoiding teriyaki, The Blue Fin makes me actually crave it. Plus, it's affordable and has a super-friendly staff. I will definitely be back. read more

Yelp let me down. Went here based on reviews and it was down the street and this place was gross. We had the katsu pork and panko chicken and yuck. We didn't finish either one and should have given the leftovers to one of the many homeless people hanging around this place. Not knocking anyone, maybe it's just my taste buds but idk what people are talking about. I will never go back here. read more

This downtown staple always hits the spot! Perfectly prepared and executed meals, options for all dietary concerns, friendly family staff, cute interior setup, and reasonable prices for the portions! Super easy to call ahead or take to go~ read more

I bought a Groupon for Blue Fin a couple of years ago and never used it. However on my last trip into the city I decided that I would go and redeem it for the purchased value while I was out that way. Boy am I happy that I did!! Quite frankly, this place impressed my socks right off. I had heard that it had some good items however I must say that is quite an understatement. Best Teriyaki in the city by far; their panko chicken is also to die for! Bottom line: I live in south east Gilbert and have driven to eat here 3 times in the last month. Enough said. read more

When traveling in downtown Phoenix, there is always a lot to choose from during the day for food stops. One of the places that has been here for as long as I can remember, yes seriously that long! Is The Blue Fin. I remeber thinking 30 years ago ,I wonder how long this place will be here. Yet here it stands in 2013 still going strong. Which makes me really happy. I love when local business can do great! They have always been great ,very friendly service and fresh food. The panko breaded items are light and feel healthy. All the vegetables I get here are always crisp and fresh. I guess it is because, they take pride in the place. Something you do not always see. I believe that they have lunch specials every week day. However , they do charge extra for the little things. Like making it extra spicy is like .35 extra and brown rice is a little extra, I mean barley enough to where you would even notice. They have soup, and sushi, salad,etc. Lots of nice cool drinks. If the weather is cooler(below 90) you can sit outside and enjoy the light rail going by. Which also means that you can take the light rail here as well. It is located in the same spot as always, right next to the Phoenix, Public Library. When in downtown Phoenix, give it a try. read more

I have been here 3 times now and just love it. The place is delicious, clean, and cheap. Their specialty is the chicken terryaki. I recommend getting the all white meat version ( just a bit extra ). I have had the beef bowl & the chicken bowl, these are very generous portions and have yet to be able to eat it all in one sitting. Service is super friendly and helpful. I will be back to this place soon ! read more

How have I not written a review for Blue Fin? This isn't going to be the most useful review, because all i can say is that I agree with most of the comments others have written. Just a word of warning. Every single time I've been there I've melted the tastebuds off my tongue. I try to allow my food to cool, but I just can't. I'm impatient, and maybe a little stoopid. read more

The food is always very good. Not incredible but always very good. I've been there 6 times now and have never had anything subpar. I have never seen a spec of dirt. I have never gotten a wrong order. The thing that makes The Blue Fin incredible is the service. I have never seen a group of people who take more pride in serving their customers. They are some of the kindest people you could possible meet. How many times do you hear an owner ask if you want more food on your plate while you are staring at a huge mound of meat and rice? Not said to try and get you to buy more food but because tell she was worried there wasn't enough chicken there. The portions are hefty for the price, the food is always good, It comes out from the kitchen fast, and the service is incredible. Definitely make a stop the next time you are in the area. read more

The Blue Fin is a great little place and it truly needs our love. Due to the light rail biz for them has dropped a bit. I've never been disappointed with anything I have ordered. The gyoza is great, the beef curry and chicken curry bowls are huge, filling and delicious. I'm always looking for good ice tea and Blue Fin has it. The owners and staff are always friendly and very accomodating. This place is small and around lunch time can be packed. They do have a drive thru and if you call ahead all you have to do is pull up to the window and your food is waiting. The drive thru window as far as I know is only for call in orders you can't just pull up and order food. My only complaint is they are not open on weekends. read more

What? Only one review for Blue Fin on Yelp (as of October 2007)? That's crazy! This place is a true gem. Oh wait, maybe that's why there's only one review... Well, not to overcrowd this little spot which is usually busy enough, but I have to sing their praises a little bit. Blue Fin serves very good, healthful Japanese food and is run by some of the sweetest people you'll ever meet (thanks Howard and Betsy!) I've tried many things on the menu and it's all very tasty. However there's one dish that I always go back for and find myself craving - the white meat teriyaki chicken. Yes, I know, teriyaki is the most common Japanese dish in America, but Blue Fin's is simply awesome. Most restaurants serve teriyaki as chicken with commercially-made sauce squeezed on top. But Blue Fin marinates their chicken in a homemade teriyaki that's just incredible. It's a big serving and I rarely leave any on the plate. Order it with the salad and it's even better - the best asian salad dressing beside's flo's asian kitchen. And sprinkle on some of the spicy seasoning that's on the table, too. hard to beat it. Only drawback lately is all the construction around the area, but hey that's downtown these days. And we're lucky Blue Fin is still there - the city had planned to buy and demolish the building, but customers put up such a fuss they decided to let them stay. Hurray for democracy! And hurray for Blue Fin! read more

This place is small but in my opinion has the best teriyake chicken and rice in the valley. I hit the drive thru at least once a week. You get a huge plate of food for only 8 bucks. Great hidden spot.. read more

Probably the nicest restaurant proprietors in The Valley. These people are AWESOME. Blue Fin is a great lunch place...healthy, fast, inexpensive and tasty. The atmosphere is simple and clean. The only bad thing about this restaurant is that they're not open late enough, and they remain closed on the weekends. But again, the number one draw to this place is clearly the people. The owners are wonderful, and so is every other person who works there. I can't say enough! read more

I'm a teriyaki fiend. I buy all the expensive kinds of bottled teriyaki sauce from AJ's I make my own in all different ways I try every place that has teriyaki sauce on stuff I was SUPER pysched to try Blue Fin It was good. Great. Few suggestions though. I like spicy teriyaki sauce. They serve a "spicy" version, but its not a different sauce. It's just the regular chicken teriyaki with some red chile sauce drizzled. I would have preferred just to put the red pepper from the shaker on top.... but alas. Live and learn. The women who work here are the CUTEST THINGS EVER! They're sooooooooo sweet. I loved them. So yeah, this place is pretty darn great. read more

I hang my head in shame that I did not make this my go-to Teriyaki joint sooner. I knew of it, I remember eating it at the Matsuri Festival years ago, but for some reason I just did not bother to stop into the restaurant. I'm so glad I did, I now make the drive down Central ave at least once a week to get my fix. Food is fresh and plentiful. Staff are insanely nice. And they don't mess around. You will literally get a PILE of chicken in your bowl. Delicious, hot, steamy, falling-out-everywhere chicken. A mountain of chicken, if you will. I hate that they're not open on the weekends, but I just couldn't bring myself to dock a star for that. read more

Blue Fin is a family owned business and has that nice vibe. Everyone is very friendly, and if you come often, they get to know you. I came with a friend who frequents this restaurant, and we had a nice lunch with a few other girls. The food was pretty good. I ordered the panko fish plate, which comes with two pieces of fried, breaded fish served over rice with sauce on the side. The fish was a little dry, but the sauce helped with that. They definitely give a lot of rice, which was enough for me to take home for another meal. Overall, I'd say that the food wasn't my favourite, but I really enjoyed the friendly atmosphere. read more

This place is a Phoenix institution and has been in operation for 33 years! The dishes are inexpensive, great sized portions and full of flavour. For around $5 you can get a big bowl of rice and teriyaki chicken, for a dollar more, beef or fish. The panko chicken is excellent and comes with a choice of three sauces. My girlfriend's favourite is the vegetable bowl, which comes in under $5! She loves it. Appetizers are also inexpensive - 4 gyoza with pork or shrimp for under $1.79 and 3 spring rolls for $1.39. The sushi is a bit boring, although again, very inexpensive. The service is amazing - personable, engaging and friendly. Decor is a bit dated, but that doesn't bother me. I'd rather the prices stay low than pay a premium for fancy booths and a mural of Mount Fuji. I only wish they stayed open a little later than 6:30.... read more

While I was in the area I searched for Sushi and Blue Fin came up. However, I didn't see a sushi menu or bar. When I first walked in, I was a little disappointed, but after starring at the menu for a couple of seconds, I actually got excited. When I was in NY a couple of months ago, I went to this great Japanese curry place that was a hole in the wall and had the best Japanese curry I have ever tried. I searched for something similar when I got back to Phoenix without success. So when I was standing there I saw Japanese curry on the menu and got super excited. I ordered a bowl of that- the chicken wasn't the chicken katsu, but regular cooked chicken with carrots. It was pretty good but not what my taste buds searching for. I hate when I eat something great on vacation and cannot find it anywhere back home... Nevertheless, I hope to be back to try the teriyaki and other things on their menu. read more

I wish I knew about this place sooner. Their service is very quick. Food is what you pay for. I like how the server and owner know who their regular customers are. Very friendly costumer service and food is decent. read more

The Teriyaki Beef Bowl & the fried dumplings (Gyoza) are very good and very reasonably priced. The Panko Fish is also quite tasty, but I've had better fish at other nearby places (like Karim's) so I wouldn't bother to go to Blue Fin for fish. I've also had the Chicken Teriyaki Bowl before, but didn't find it too tasty. Coworkers have commented to me that the other chicken dishes are not to their liking, so perhaps this is a weak point for them. Your best bet is to pick the food up to go as the inside is very small (and not aesthetically pleasing) and the place gets quite busy during lunch time. The food here is decent and the food reasonably cheap so we keep going back, but it's not really high on my list of preferred Asian places. P.S. This place seems to attract a lot of Phoenix's redneck population (though I don't know why), so just be prepared if that sort of thing puts you off! read more

The food is tasty and reasonably priced for what you get, but the best part is the service. Incredibly kind people who treat you like a guest in their home. read more

Blue Fin - Panko fish and salad - Japanese Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I love this place. It's affordable, fast, and delicious. I can easily grab a quick lunch and be back at work with time to spare. The sunomono (cucumber salad) teriyaki chicken, panko chicken, and tempura shrimp are all worth trying as you won't be disappointed. The best part is the prices are affordable! read more

First time, found using Yelp, I had the beef teriyaki plate with salad. Also a side of sunomono. The beef had very good flavor. The sunomono was a little sweet but went well with the teriyaki. read more

Inexpensive, good, and great service make this place a must. We decided to try Blue Fin for lunch, and found the place pretty packed. It's small to begin with so its doesn't take much. I ordered sweet and sour chicken, my girlfriend had Panko chicken. Prices can't really be lower without being on the dollar menu. The chicken was decent, not really the best I've had but certainly not the worst. For the price I'm not complaining. 3 maybe 4 stars... but then the service. As we sat outside one of the owners came out to greet us, chatted a bit and took our large cup to refill it for us. Her smile was pleasant enough but her warm inviting attitude and complete joy to hear we tried her restaurant for the first time was wonderful. I'm big on service, so when she thanked us over and over for coming by for lunch and encouraged us to come back, well that just sealed it for me. read more

I can't say much about this place because I do the same damned thing every time. Pull up to the drive through window, smile at the nice lady, order a teriyaki combo or two and some rolls, and peel out with my food in two minutes or less. I can't imagine it's the toughest thing in the world to make consistently good teriyaki, but I'll tell you what, those people are friendly every damned time I roll through. And the food is always still hot and delicious when I plop down on my sofa to dig in. Oh, and the salad dressing for the combo salad is yum. God, I think this place might have been around back when I was in high school. Way to keep it rolling! Five stars, baby! read more

Delicious. That sums it up. Looks like a small, somewhat sketchy little place, but don't be fooled. The Panko chicken meal is awesome, comes with rice and a salad with your hour of sauce for the chicken. Best part is its under $8 for a huge plate of food. One of my downtown favorites when I am starving! read more

I stopped in one day when I first moved here and sampled a couple of things, the chicken teriyaki, the fried gyoza, and some kind of drink. Nothing was fresh, everything tasted like old fryer grease or freezerburn (except my drink). To their credit, the service was immaculate. The women who helped me was super friendly and made suggestions of things I should try on my next visit (when pigs fly). I am really amazed by the positive reviews here. Unfortunately, this place is just a couple blocks from my house so I have to deal with the nasty stench from their deep fryer when I walk to the lightrail on my way to work. read more

Love the owners and workers at The Blue Fin. Very friendly and always happy and smiling. That kind of customer service almost always makes any experience 100% better. Plus, they've got great food too. My usual choice is either the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl or their eight piece California rolls and Miso Soup. All great, affordable and fast. It can get pretty busy there, so it is nice that you can call in your order ahead of time, and pick it up at walk-up/drive-through window. The Blue Fin is a little out of the way from where I work, but it is always a treat when I order out. And of course, being greeted with a warm smile and a friendly "hello" is also a big plus in my book. read more

Clean restaurant! Good food. Reasonably priced. What elese can you ask for. Chicken teriyaki bowl is good value and they have a small assortment of pre-made sushi rolls. Good lunch spot. read more

So nice to have this gen across the street from my office! The good and bad news - the sushi (spicy tuna and Cali rolls.) while they are everything I've come to expect and want from them, they are made in limited quantity. All but once, they are sold out by the time I get there. So, good that I know they're fresh and not sitting for days on end - bad that I don't get them when I want them. Love the iced green tea. The teryaki chicken and veggie bowl is one of my favorites! Everything I have ordered has been very fresh and flavorful. Fair prices, large portions. It's American style Japanese fast food at it's finest - and much better value than most (Yoshi, Tokyo Express, Shogun Express, etc.). Plus - it just feels better to deal with locals than a chain. read more

Quick, easy, cheap, and large portions. I have been here 3 times for lunch and there is never a long wait and they are always quick to bring me my order. I had a teriyaki chicken bowl that came with a large amount of rice. It was just over 5 dollars. So 5 dollars for a very big lunch and it was pretty tasty works for me. I did also have the sweet and sour chicken that I didn't care for because it was breaded and it made it seem like there was no chicken under the breading. read more

I love this place. I'd consider moving back to Arizona just for The Blue Fin (not really but maybe). Really really good food, very decent prices, quite healthy portions... only cons: close early no weekends But great sushi, great Japanese food, etc etc etc read more

Quick, friendly, I mean really friendly, it's a family business and they want their customers to feel like part of their family... Panko fish, delicious not to greasy, sushi fresh and everything is affordable for a quick lunch. I go there once a week. read more

Oh man...if I lived in Phoenix, I would be here all the time. I stayed at a hotel right near here and tried it, not expecting too too much. But then I saw the awesome looking teriyaki bowls on the wall and I grew much more optimistic. I should have been let down...but I most certainly wasn't. The price was fantastic, and the portion size was fantastic. Not only that...but it tasted really really goooooood! I wish I could have had the time to go back to try more stuff as the beef teriyaki that I got was fantastic. read more

Went here with the family on my birthday for dinner. We sat outside and enjoyed a variety of food from the menu. The service was nice. I'm not sure I will venture back... the food didn't stand out in any way and I didn't consider it that cheap. We had- California Roll.... my son ate most of them. Inari... good. just like grandma makes them except I don't have to pay when she make them. :) Vegetable spring rolls... good. Gyoza... my girls wanted these and then didn't care for them. Sunomono... good but a super super small portion size. Teriyaki All White Meat Chicken... husband thought it was fine. Side salad with special house dressing.... was just okay Vegetable Bowl ... YUCK! No flavor at all. Decadent Cheesecake (strawberry)... was brought out free for my birthday. it was just okay I tried to order miso soup but they were sold out. read more

A great meal. Went in at last second. Will go again. Enjoyed visiting with staff. We went right before closing. They were polite and didn't mind us being there. They did not hurry us. Went back 3 times. read more