Located on Main Street in Durham in the former Ciao space, The Blue Flame opened in April 2025 offering drinks and a limited food menu and a breakfast buffet (late night and weekends), plus live music and dancing on some nights. The place has ample table seating, booths, and seating at the full service bar. There is also patio sidewalk seating in front of the restaurant. The place still resembles its predecessor with the same colors paint scheme. The bar offers a few draft beers, wine, mixed drinks, and cocktails. The TVs (not on) are still over the bar and there is a digital jukebox too.
The limited dinner menu in July 2025 offers alfredo pasta primavera, roast chicken, baby back ribs, blackened salmon and prime rib and desserts (cheesecake & chocolate cake). While the weekend breakfast buffet is active, the late night breakfast buffet was on pause until the UNH school year resumes. The pricing is moderate.
I stopped by the Blue Flame for dinner recently. The place was not busy on a Wednesday evening during the summer. I was seated at a table near the front window and requested an ice water.
For dinner, I ordered the Blackened Salmon ($24.99 plus tax) served with garlic/basil mashed potatoes, green bean almondine, hot rolls, and a side salad. The side garden salad came out first with dressing on the side, served in a small bowl with a mixed leafy greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrots. The Blackened Salmon entree and hot dinner rolls came out next. The blackened salmon filet was a good size, served hot, tender & texture flaky, slightly spicy. The garlic/basil mashed potatoes were hot, soft and chunky. The fresh green beans with almond slivers and butter were a bit lukewarm though. The 2 dinner rolls were soft and chewy. After I finished and cleaned my plate, I was presented with the check which was $27.11 (cash)/$28.06 (card) with tax and before tip.
Overall, a good filling dinner on a slow evening. I will have to come back for the late night breakfast buffet and hopefully their dinner menu would have more choices. read more