Ambience-4 Service-4 Food-2 Food is mediocre at best. I would return for drinks at the bar but would not come back for a meal. Portions are on the small side relative to the cost and the menu is mostly basic items. I have no issues with the menu just that if you're going to do basic items, do them well. Unfortunately our meal was not just done well. read more

I have come to find that Yelp is used as a platform to criticize bash and take out peoples personal frustrations on hard working establishments and staff from people who seem to think they are world-renowed chefs and reviewers and know everything it takes behind the scenes to run a restaurant and the 24/7 time it takes to put great food on the table and accomodate all requests that sometimes are unachievable based on customer demands and what is expected vs what is reality. The economy, staffing, and supply chain costs are all aspects of how our government runs our country and all contribute to the prices and availability that we deal with on a daily basis. Other than the chain mentality of the guest is always right to save guests from going to platforms like yelp and giving free meals to the guests that work the system and are always look for something for free. The mom and pop restaurants need to establish pricing and guidelines as to how they operate to stay in business during tough economic times. If you are looking for reputable restaurants that have great food and great hard working staff do your DD and go for yourself and cast your own opinion and not look to others for theirs based on their personal preferences read more

Went for lunch recently. Food was delicious - I had the grilled chicken caprese ciabatta and my friend had the tuna tartare. Inside vibe was modern and relaxed with plenty of tables and booths, plus bar area. Service was quick and attentive throughout. read more

The décor is nice , although the menu is limited, with a lot of beef options. Nevertheless, the burgers are very good, as are the fries. As long as you're not looking for seafood or many chicken options, the place is fine. read more

Always a great experience. Bartender fast and friendly. Menu plenty of options. Food is always yummy and drinks great. The pizza, steak salad, bolognese, wings, sandwiches, tacos - all really good. read more

Been a few times. The bar is usually pretty busy and an interesting crowd. Love how they open the windows. Beer selection is solid enough but prices seem a bit high (post Covid so is what it is). Burger was good. Fish tacos were alright - the portion size was a let down (they might go back to giving 3 tacos). read more

Great new vibe here. I had not been since before the pandemic. Great new offerings on the menu and very friendly staff.

Worst service and and manager is very rude. I would never come here again. Waitress and staff was trying to kick you out because their was another party coming in? When we booked a reservation in advance!!! read more

Last night my wife and I went to Blue for the first time in a while. The space is so wonderful. We had some drinks in the very vibrant bar area before heading to our table Which made helped to extend the time. The sliding windows were all open so it had some great ambience with an outdoor feel. when we sat down, we had great service and the food was excellent. I had the steak frites, and my wife had the salmon. Both meals were wonderful. I'll be adding this to our weekly routine going forward! read more

Before the pandemic I was a regular at blue, since then I've been back twice and both times I didn't have a good experience. First time food came out 30 mins, assumed it was because they just opened. But tonight I also didn't have a good experience. I understand covid has had an impact but I do believe that this is based on new management. First off, the food takes forever to come. Even in slower nights ( Monday) it takes 25 minutes for an appetizer to come out of the kitchen. When we got our calamari the portion size was HALF of what it used to be ( pre management change). On top of that many of the entrees are named the same but are totally different and not for the better! It was really nice to see familiar faces and see the waitresses that we used to have. They explained a lot of the differences in the new dishes and they were super friendly and accommodating like always. There wasn't any management to be found. Normally there is a manger around that asks how we are doing and checks in on us but we didn't see one either time we visited. Pre covid we didn't wait a half hour for an appetizer and then another half hour for our food. You would think if I was sitting there for over an hour and a half I would see some adult in charge. The atmosphere and vibe is different and not in a good way. Hopefully they can add more to the portions and get their old manager back or someone who actually cares. And maybe stop hiring young kids who clearly don't care about hospitality. read more

Needham people are tough! In fairness, I was torn, but went with 5 stars because people who review this place are nuts! Not all of you, but many of you. I don't see how you rave about the food, service, ambience, etc. and drop a four? So here's my admitted bias. I was visiting the area and work and was having dinner with a very good friend so it was great company catching up with and old buddy and we all know the company makes the experience as much as the food. We shared the lamb chops, mussels, sausage and pepperoni pizza, and poke nachos. I admit that lamb is not my favorite, so I can't judge how this lamb compares to other lamb chops, but I took one for the team. Mussels? Umm. Never met a mussel that I didn't love -- unless you count that one time when Price Chopper sold me a bag of dead mussels, but I digress. Solid broth for dunking of bread. Oh. The dipping oil and bread to start. Yummy. Pizza. Good. Poke nachos. Surprisingly good. Generous portion of tuna. Crispy fried wontons and seaweed salad. Very balanced. Simple. Filling and fresh. Beer selection. Excellent. Service. Excellent. Needham people. Relax. Take a deep breath and realize what you have here. There's no way this place should be below 4 stars. read more

I went here on a Tuesday for lunch with my mom & sister. The restaurant is modern inside and upon walking in the atmosphere instantly felt like the perfect place for a casual, weekday lunch. We started with the eggplant napoleon for an appetizer. We all enjoyed the pan fried eggplant cooked just right. For my main meal I ordered ' The Highlander' burger. I was in the mood for a burger, but not a simple, straightforward one. I wanted something more interesting. According to the menu, 'The Highlander' was their Boston Magazine Burger Battle entry. It was good, and definitely not boring! The burger is topped with braised short ribs and onion strings, which I enjoyed a lot. Fries were also good. Though, I didn't eat much of them since the burger was so big and filling! My mom and sister both ordered the 'Harvest Salad'. They were raving about it afterwards. I tried a couple bites and thought the salad with their house made dressing was really good. I want to go back to order the salad for myself! Service was friendly between the hostess when we walked in and our server, Chelsea. Chelsea was attentive and did her job well with a smile. I love how this place participates in the Yelp cash back program. To top off the fantastic lunch, I get 7% back! read more

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Only in a pinch. I live in Needham so I go here occasionally. Good place for a beer and a snack at the bar. Food is just ok. Wine selection is poor. Staff is marginal for the $ you pay. Kids menu stinks. They have a beautiful place - could be a rival to Newbury street with the open windows-but food and prices are out of whack. Fix the average food ...and bring prices into alignment OR have high prices but have outstanding food. Unfortunately this place knows people will come no matter what -- but other choices are starting to pop up! Try the Biltmore or O'hara's read more

I really wanted Blue on Highland to be so much more . . . but it is just . . . underwhelming. The place is in a great location. The general "feel" for the restaurant is quite nice - with an open floor plan and a really well apportioned dinning room. The service is - honestly here - just okay. The really underwhelming part - the food. I took my staff to a lunch meeting. I wanted to bring them someplace that was nice, but not too pretentious. The physical atmosphere of Blue on Highland is great. Nice large plate windows, an open bar feel, a busy (but comfortable) vibe. The food - well, let's just say it lack a certain pizzazz. The service - wow, they need some help. I think there is hope for Blue on highland, I think they just need a bit more quality control and a higher standard for the front-end of the restaurant. Service truly is the key for any restaurant and Blue could take a few plays from other (well established and frequented) places in the Needham/Newton area. read more

I have been waiting to go to the Live Jazz Brunch here for quite some time! Although the breakfast items at the brunch are quite overpriced I figured it would be worth it since my boyfriend loves live jazz music. We could make a morning out of it! I went over to their website clicked on the Live Jazz Brunch banner they had on their homepage and made my reservation. When we got there we def. didn't need a reservation but o well better safe than sorry. I didn't see a place for a band to set up which I thought was odd. My boyfriend asked the waitress when the band would be arriving and she informed us that last week was the band's last week until September. Ugh, are you kidding me?! It is advertised on your homepage and nowhere did I see anything about it not happening in July and August. I heard the three other tables ask the same question! Clearly no one was in the know about this. It was really disappointing because had we known there was no live jazz we would have walked to our usual breakfast place and paid a quarter of the price for a better breakfast. read more

I've been better for lunch and dinner, and I'm always happy with my meals. I recently discovered that they do a prime rib dinner on the weekends, which I highly recommend. read more

The food is always great when I go and everyone is always nice and friendly my wife and I love this place

The best hash I EVAH had. Get the Brunch Bowl. Generous portion of Sunnyside eggs | tater tots | mushrooms | peppers | onions | cheddar jack | short rib hash | bacon. You can't go wrong with those ingredients, unless your trying to lose weight. Delicious! Great atmosphere and service, too. Gonna be a regular place to meet friends. Coffee's good, too --big cups! read more

I really like this place despite what other reviewers rated this place in the last few reviews below. I think it depends on what you order. I've tried numerous things on the menu and its a hit or miss. I would recommend staying AWAY from the salads and soups (overpriced for the taste & what you get overall) and go for the main courses. I came here for brunch and lunch on separate occasions. I would recommend getting the Eggs Benedict from their brunch (They have love jazz music played too during this time)! Its pretty delicious. And from their lunch menu I would recommend their blackened salmon wrap (OMG to die for) Sooooooo yummy. Best I've ever had (in a wrap). And the devilishly scrumptious parmesan chive roasted fries with truffle sauce. Mmmmm. Although it's on the heavy side, it's not a side dish one should pass up. Try the scallops too if you get the chance. They're always cooked to perfection! Just remember to avoid the salad + chicken soup and I'm sure you'll love it here. Ooh! Make SURE to try their cocktails if you get the chance. They're made very well & creatively. Very girly tasting which is exactly what I like. I love getting my morning drinks on! Try this place you won't regret it. read more

Blue On Highland - Omg. So yummy. Blackened salmon wrap with a side of parmesan chive fries & truffle aioli dip - New American Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

Great burgers and beer selection. Very loud when they have bands - too loud to enjoy dinner. We were also asked to leave because they had another reservation booked. I've never had that happen to me before. read more

Excellent service, modern, clean and well laid out. The food is fresh, healthy and presented with pride. Vegan options. Fantastic meal.

Blue is a casual restaurant serving in a classy atmosphere. The lunch clientle is very upscale, Needham-ish and/or business-oriented. The diners enjoy terrific service and reasonable prices. The lunch menu consists of various salads, burgers, and entrees. The restaurant also offers a full bar that apparently has a great happy hour and is a superb place to watch a sporting event. My lunch meal started with a delicious fluffy olive roll. I then enjoyed a large Salmon salad, which consisted of miso-glazed salmon over a bed of mixed greens, mandarian oranges, and edanemme, all with an Asian dressing. The salad had a bit too much dressing, making it rather soggy. The salmon had a salty crisp to it, just how I like it. The flavors all blended well together, however I wish there were more orange slices to add a bit more of kick. All in all, the food is above average and the environment is great. Blue is definitely worth a visit. read more

Great food, good service and very accommodating for large groups. The atmosphere had a great vibe.

We had a great dinner here on Monday night. The atmosphere, service, wine, and food were all on point. Melissa, our server, could not have been more accommodating. She was fantastic. The caesar salad was delicious, as was the salmon and pork chops. The espresso martinis made for a great dessert, too. Finally, the management was very helpful when I stupidly left my credit card on the table and had to return the next day to pick it up! Thank you!! We will return for sure!! read more

I have been going to Blue on Highland and tonight is my last time going. The food is okay and my dinner last time was not eatable but I was giving it a chance again. I have been going when no one else wanted to go. The owner had a reservation for someone at 7:45 for a table that I was interested in and I made reservations for 8:00 he would not give us the table where no one was sitting and it was 8:05. Waited to seat someone that might not show up. The food is just okay but don't bother it's management does not care about the regulars! Don't bother with Blue! read more

We have eaten here several times and the quality and service is always on point. We especially love the risotto dishes and brunch. Cocktails keep us interested. There was a time when we didn't enjoy an entree, and they quickly remedied it. This place serves a need for an upscale casual place in Needham and I am so glad that we have it - especially at lunchtime. We will keep coming here and I highly recommend it,. read more

Food and drink are great! Would have given 5 stars, but both times we sat at a high top in the bar, we were asked to leave after a short time because our waitress needed the table! Were only there a little over an hour both times (same waitress). That being said, eat in the dining room if you don't want the bum's rush out. read more

Awesome! When you walk in the Ambience: transforms you to a New York City restaurant. Family night checked at the side walk. No screaming kids! Great place for a date. Service was right on point! read more

well my friend that lives in the area suggest that this was going to be an incredibly great place I have to say it was good but I would not give it more than three stars a okay for sure but nothing more. I ordered a steak which was pretty good and broccolini which was cold and I didn't send it back because I was on a business dinner and didn't want to embarrass myself by sending stuff back so I just pretty much didn't eat much of it. The salads were okay as well and overall solid place but nothing to write home about. read more

Blue is a nice lunch/dinner spot when you're looking for a fancier, yet reasonably priced place in the suburbs. The decor is inviting (the windows open up in the summer) and presentable enough for corporate meals. It's also frequented by the housewives of Newton. Food is average, selection is limited. The burger is decent, but I'm a fan of their parmesan fries, risotto special (with roasted peppers, shrimp or lobster), and brownie sundae. The brownie is served warm and gooey, it just melts in your mouth. read more

Blue On Highland - Parmesan fries! - New American Near Me - Needham, Massachusetts

Food just isn't worth it for the price. It's mediocre at best. Other places around town do similar dishes better for a better price.

First off, this is an attractive little restaurant. I went on a weekday for lunch, not very busy so we were seated right away. We chose the bar... The lady at the bar was really slow and kind of rude. I didn't get a beer refill till way after my food came out. Aside from that, the burger I got was fantastic! Very delicious along with the fries! The beer I did get was cold and fresh. This would have been 5 stars if it wasn't for the crappy bar service. Next time I'd probably sit down at a table read more

Blue was recently remodeled (summer 2015), so I was excited to see what changes were made. I really like the new set-up and other's must have as well, because it was crowded on a Tuesday Night. There was a wait for a table, but we ended up sitting at the bar and ordering dinner there. The bar area seems like a fun spot for a girls night out, etc.. The new set-up makes me think it would be a great space for a private party. We started with the simple and fresh arugula salad and balanced it out with the delicious parmesan fries. Then we had the sausage & pepperoni pizza. The pizza was SO good. The crust is thin and the sauce is really sweet. Ordering a pizza is a must at blue. I'm looking forward to trying one of the many burgers next time! read more

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They forgot our app entirely. The food was barely edible. "Risotto" tasted like paste and had 3 measly tiny pieces of asparagus. The arugula came out with zero dressing or anything, literally just a small handful of leaves. When we got the bill we also noticed a fun surprise of being charged $4 for extra cherries in an old fashioned- an $18 old fashioned by the way!! No thought of compensation for forgetting our app, no acknowledgement it was our anniversary even though we put it in the reservation, truly an awful experience. We left as quickly as possible and went down the street to salvage our date night at Cookie Monstah for dessert. Will never go again. Only reason for the second star is that parking in Needham can be a challenge and there is a city lot behind the building. read more

The ambiance here is great. Service too - always good at the bar and tables. I was surprised to see tabasco put into my spicy margarita but the bartender gladly made me a new one. The portions here are huge. Which makes the prices pretty decent. Truffle fries came out as an app which was odd... we had ordered them as a side dish. But they were yummy w/ good dips. A little soggy though. Salads were fresh and large. Scallops were good but only came with 4 despite all other meals being oversized. Risotto may have been the yummiest thing. Short ribs had an odd spice (cinnamon?) which overpowered slightly. Delmonico and lamb were good. I would say lamb kebob was the table favorite hands down but again not a massive portion there either which was odd. All in all I would go back for a glass of wine and an app and sit in the bar next time. Parking always a breeze at meters right outside. read more

As a local and erring for a local watering hole with decent food, we were hoping for this to be the place. Unfortunately, each and every time we go back to try something new, we keep having the same opinion - The food here is awful! You would think for the location and wealthy clientele they would serve more decent food. Who puts short rib on top of a hamburger meat? Straight insult to the cow. The menu made it sound like a short rib burger! The most consistent dish is their Beet Salad. Go figure. We only wish for this place to turn it around under the new ownership. The only plus side of this place is that they make good drinks and have a great beer list. Great place for meeting up with friends to throw a few back. read more

This busy restaurant has an interesting menu, and we tried the Harvest Salad, the Caprese salad and the Southwest chicken egg rolls as an app. All decent dishes, but not really stand outs. The egg rolls were not crispy, and over seasoned in a funny way. ( And we are Arizona people, so heat is not a problem for us.) The salads were decent and generous, just nothing special. There is an extensive beer menu. The staff was efficient and the service timely. Our waiter was a bit over friendly and attentive, but I guess that is better than the opposite! read more

Reminds me of a watering hole to sit and fill up on booze. If you want to socialize and drink it's great to sit at the bar, but if you're looking for good food this is not the spot. Kind of noisy, so if you want a quiet dinner don't choose Blue on Highland. It's a terrible value for your dollar. High prices for not a lot of food. What's worse is they serve water and drinks in mason jars which in my opinion are too wide to hold and too wide to drink from. Awkward! Reminiscent of bars I frequented in college, heavy on the booze, and food that's barely adequate. The dining room reminds me of a barn. As we were eating in the very last booth furthest away from the bar we could still hear bar patrons talking and guffawing. read more

My husband and I greatly enjoyed a lunch date here last week. The food and atmosphere were great! The service was also great - friendly and helpful. Will definitely return! read more

A nice place to hang out. The renovated place looks so much nicer, livelier and fun. I have enjoyed the bread they bring out. I typically get a seafood entrée and it has always come out great. Great cocktail menu and the service is fantastic each time we have been here. read more