I believe that good bar food should mean good drinks and good service. Well at this place it was all three with a cup of friendliness. I had a wonderful time and my bartender was so attentive. I recommend this place. I will say that the Music (Blues) was good, but Chicago is the home of the Blues and it is hard for me to say or think any differently. read more

Great place, we knew it was the perfect place to throw a party as soon as we walked in! And Bill and the crew were fabulous - great food, great music, great hosts! Thank you, Bill, see you soon! read more

Sat outside on the patio and had great service. Food was good, came out in a decent amount of time. Inside was pretty packed with a band playing. read more

The musical entertainment was awesome. Food was also good, I recommend the smoke wings and the fries. Now that I got the food out of the way, I was disappointed by the unnecessary delay in seating. Was told I'd be waiting 20 minutes yet there were two rows of empty seats. Then was seated in the middle of two couples when there was plenty of open seating available. That soured things for me. I'll be a little hesitant to go back. I'm not a fan of family style seating but if that's your thing, you'll feel right at home here read more

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Had the Gammas deviled eggs, but they had very little flavor. Tried the nachos for the homemade salsa, but it was sweet so a little disappointed. Burgers were good but service was terrible. read more

Blue Note prepared, on time, take home dinner for 22 people. Food was absolutely delicious and impressed our out of town guests. Blue Note Staff were A1. BBQ excellent. Great hush puppies. Plan a revisit soon. JT & MT read more

Great music and great food and great staff. Highly recommend the ribs! Best blues music in the Triangle!

Great food, music and atmosphere. This place makes you feel like you're on Bourbon Street in New Orleans! The fried shrimp basket was delicious and the fried pickles were crispy and not too salty. There is a $5 cover charge, but it's a small price to pay for the experience! There's also room to dance. Check it out for date night! read more

They may be a barbecue joint but they make one of the best burgers in town. Good food, good service, good music, what more can you ask.

I'll keep this simple - Don't go for lunch if you are expected to be back on time. I have come several times for lunch and with each visit the service has diminished. On a previous visit I was overcharged in a bill mix up and on another occasion I had issues with the sides not being properly cooked. I had high hopes for today, but it wasn't meant to be. We (party of 2) arrived literally a couple of minutes after 2pm. Despite only having two other customers in the restaurant we were seated and then later told that we were too late for the lunch menu, which ended at 2pm. Ok, got it. We then put in our order and waited and waited and waited. At 2:40 we got up to leave and try to scramble to find some other lunch. We went to the bar to let him know we were leaving and the waitress saw us and came running out with our food and handed the phone to the bartender. Not sure if she got caught on a customer phone call or what, but we told her we had to leave due to sitting there and waisting most of the hour waiting on the food. There were no apologies about the food being (extra) late or anything else. I have heard that it is a much different vibe in the evenings and hope that is the case, but I was disappointed. I also question immediately shifting people over to dinner pricing (same menu, same portion size) if they are coming in on the tale end of lunch but I think I likely have different customer service expectations/standards. read more

YASSSSS! I'm from N.C., and I can affirmatively say that this is some of the best bbq I've had here. We went for Father's Day because my dad likes music and we were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the acts. For $8 cover, you get 3 hours of live music while you eat! The food was exceptional. I got the full rack of ribs with a side of sweet potato waffle fries and collards. The plates are also served with hush puppies. The ribs stole the show. I literally ate them all with a fork and knife--the meat just fell off the bone. That's when you know it's good. The sweet potato fries were also good, nice and crispy, and the collards were just average. Hush puppies were great as well! Very large round ones! I will definitely be coming back here! read more

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We'd heard so many good things about the Blue Note and were excited to finally try it this past weekend (Saturday, 1/20). Wow. To say it was a disappointment would be a massive understatement. First, it's not really a restaurant on the weekends when they have live music. It's mostly a bar atmosphere once the band starts playing. We got there at 7:30, asked if they were still serving dinner and were told yes, they were, on the heated patio outside. We were ok with that and told them we'd wait the est. 30-minute wait time for a table. That turned into 45, but ok. Not a big deal. Finally got our table on the freezing patio, and that's when the fun started. 10-minute wait to be greeted by the server; 10 more minutes to get our drinks and place our order, and then an entire hour - actually 1:04 - to get our food. And the server only came out one time in that entire hour, mumbling something about how we'd been forgotten because she had to help "feed the Duke basketball team." What?! "Now they're finally making your food," she grumbled.She disappeared again for 16 more minutes before the food finally arrived. And I'd love to tell you it was worth the wait, but it was anything but: dry pulled pork, mediocre slaw, strangely gritty French fries, cold hush puppies. Never again, Blue Note. read more

Although I have to say the staff there are top notch and the vibe is great ( loved our waitress and hosts who went out of their way for my crew of 6 during Covid times) if you want to connect with your friends don't even consider it because its for listening and dancing ( which I couldn't do because some people were taking their masks off) only. You cannot hear a word otherwise. Also the area isn't so safe as my friend hd her window of her car smashed and items stolen from the vehicle. When the cop arrived he was busy telling us that they were "shooting right up the block". Needless to say I won't be returning because safety is a pretty big deal to me read more

I'm reviewing this place as a restaurant since I went there for lunch. Given the care and attention given to the acoustics and sound system, it must be a great place to listen to music. The venue is a cute, small bar/restaurant setup for live music with small crowds (under 100), with a nice outdoor food area as well. The staff was really friendly, and its got a great location across from the old Durham baseball park. The problem was the menu, which was incredibly average: pulled port or chicken, with the normal cole slaw, greens or fries for sides. This would have been OK had the execution been memorable, but it all was just incredibly bland and unremarkable. I couldn't discern any hint of bark, nor a smoke ring to indicate the meat had been actually been barbecued, either by sight or taste. If you're really in the mood for barbecue there are lots of local places with better food, one only a block away. On the plus side its not expensive. All-in-all The Blue Note Grill looks like a fun place to go see music, but I'd eat somewhere else before the show. It gets two stars since the description of a two star review is "Meh. I've experienced better", and just about every other barbecue place in town has better food. That being said, I liked the staff and the facility. read more

The Blue Note Grill - American Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This place never fails to disappoint. We love going to see live performances and dance the night away! They also serve really great ribs and have a great selection of microbrews to choose from. The service is great and the food is always hot. Don't order the mac n cheese. It's not homemade. Choose the slaw and hush puppies instead. You'll burn it all off getting down and groovin to the tunes! What a great venue! read more

The barbecue was simply not good. It was bland, no seasoning. The sides were about the same. The ribs were burnt and tough. The service was inattentive. The music was very good. This is the second time I've been there and it's been the same both times. I will not go back for food again. read more

We were craving nachos since last night. Blue Note Grill have the crunchiest and awesome nachos in Durham area and the best we have eaten so far! The flavor is just the best. We came for the first time 3 days ago, now we are back and this is gonna be our favorite place for nachos and kornhole. They had a good selection of beer and also have a itinerary for music events. Staff is very nice, place is very spacious, clean, and they have a nice outdoor seating, prices are reasonable. read more

The Blue Note Grill - American Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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We went here because we wanted barbecue and read great reviews. They had live music so we ate on the other side as we didn't want to stay for the music. We ordered an appetizer with pickled vegetables that was a combination of sweet & sour and was very good. We ordered combo plates. The waitress kept coming over to our table to say our meal would be coming right out. After telling us this 3 times, she told us they ran out of ribs and were making new ones. After what seemed like 45 minutes, our plates came out. The ribs were baked and not smoked, and they were not pull off the bone as they should be. The manager was going to every table talking with customers. When he asked how things were, we told him. He apologized and said he hoped we'd come back. This was not the first time they had live music & a large crowd; so they shouldn't have run out of ribs. Poor planning on their part! We will not return here, especially with all the other barbecue places in Durham. read more

The Blue Note Grill - Vegetable platter - American Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Came in on a Wednesday night to grab some food on the way to a meeting. The rude hostess said it would be $5 extra to sit in bar area,because it was open mic night,but it didn't start for another hour. I asked for other seating options and was told there wasn't any seating for just one person besides outside and it was starting to rain. The dining room was half empty. I told them I would be out of there in less than 45 minutes Not sure why they expect you to pay $5 to listen to glorified karaoke after charging $25 for mediocre food. I don't care if my dinner is $50, but not paying extra to cover everyone just hanging out not eating. She started backpedaling as other customers walked in. read more

I immensely enjoyed The Blue Note Grill last evening! My fave blue grass band, Doc Branch, was headlining from 5pm-7pm. They never disappoint! My friends and I reveled in the food.... Blue Note's fall-off-the-bone ribs are to due for, trust me! read more

The Blue Note Grill - American Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I was recently visiting a friend in the city of Durham and as we strolled along downtown we stopped in or a cup of coffee. It was clearly a neighborhood spot but with her having recently moved to town, she wanted to try it. Usually I steer clear of small hole-in-the-wall type of places but this one looked a bit larger from the outside and people heading in all seemed to be in good spirits. Once inside, I realized that I was hungry so we sat at the bar and I ordered some food. Phyllis was our server and she was very nice and patient while I asked questions about the bartender's skills and how various foods were prepared. I had the Smoked wings with regular french fries and they were both very good. My friend ordered sweet potato fries and they were equally good. I had a southern peach tea and my friend got her coffee. We tried both the Creme Brulee and the Bread Pudding and I don't think either of us could pick a favorite because they were both very well done and I consider myself a 'top rated dessert judge.' Looking around at the crowd that had assembled I saw a very diverse crowd of people. Everyone seemed to be happy to be in the place and you could see smiling faces all around. It was then that I noticed the live band setting up and before long, they had people not only tapping their feet to the beat but dancing. They played a nice long set and they were very good. The acoustics in the building were just right and Blue Note had invested in some quality equipment so there were no screechy moments. My friend and I met a great guy who talked our ears off between songs and we thoroughly enjoyed his company. This place is magical and should be high on anyone's list who is within 15 miles of the location. I cannot wait to go again and am looking forward to more of the delicious desserts and comraderie. 5-Stars! read more

We have a group of friends (5-30) that go to a restaurant /bar every Wednesday night. We used to go to Tyler's Taproom (for 15 years!) until they closed. We tried several places in the area and after three great experiences at the Blue Note Grill (dedicated server, reserved table, excellent food menu, quiet until the music starts...) we decided we'll make this our new home! Bill changed the wine menu, but still needs further modifications according to our discriminating ladies! read more

Fun place. Walked in here Saturday night. Halloween bash goin on. Good band. A lot of older people wearing costumes. People watching was fun. Bbq was great. Had the ribs, fried pickles, wings and some desserts. Server Sara was good but then disappeared toward the end of the service. Maybe caught up inside. All good. read more

The Blue Note Grill - American Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Not terrible but not spectacular either... 2 stars for "Meh. I've experienced better." I came here with a group of friends on a Saturday night at 6:30pm hoping to enjoy some live music as we ate, but cover was $10 even though we were all going to be ordering dinner, so we decided to spend that extra $10 per person on some Redneck Fries to share instead. The food was average. I ordered the pulled chicken and picked fried okra and collard greens as my two sides; the meal also came with 3 balls (~1.5 inches in diameter) of hushpuppies. The chicken was ok. The fried okra was pretty bland. The collard greens were simple and a bit more bitter than I'm used to. The hushpuppies tasted like eating balls of dough, so I dipped them in ketchup. Honestly, in terms of food, this ranks way below my experiences at City Barbeque, The Pit, and Q-shack. I was pretty disappointed because I was the one who suggested to our group to come here (after having had a great experience with Blue Note Grill catering for a Yelp event at the Durham Distillery next door). I think having the live music in the background would have been a major plus and bumped this up to 3 stars, but I wouldn't know because we couldn't sit near the music without having to pay an additional $10/person cover. Parking was easy, at least; they have a small lot in the back. Service was ok; our waitress seemed very rushed but she was nice and tried to make sure everyone's water was filled. read more

Went here after the museum down the street. Was so happy to see a live music bbq place in the neighborhood. Great place to relax and hang out. read more

So far I'm impressed that Blue Note Grill has pulled it together so quickly after moving to this new location. I've got to say, the new space is AWESOME compared to the last. Close to the DIY district and 100% a better option then the other "BBQ" joint in the area [The Pit]. The space itself is massive compared to the previous location, it still brings in the "older" music loving crowd and they are still charging ridiculously high covers if you're just coming for music, so make sure to stop by for food and let the music be background noise. They've got three seating areas now: the 'music room' where all the bands play, an inside eating area, to the right of the hostess stand, and the large patio. We arrived about 15 minutes before the next band was going to go on and were seated immediately on the patio. Service was good, music was overheard and enjoyable, but honestly it was the food that stole the show. Our table of three ordered: the pulled chicken plate served with hushpuppies and sides of mac & cheese and fries, the pulled pork sandwich with mac & cheese side, and 12 wings in the Sweet Red Chili Sauce [recommended by our waitress]. Food came out fast and nothing was disappointing. The mac and cheese was extra cheesy (even better if you throw on some hot sauce!), fries were super crispy and flavorful and man that pulled pork sandwich was bomb (the homemade buns are awesome!). My least favorite item was the pulled chicken, but it still wasn't bad, just "ok". You have two different sauces on each table to choose from, but I thought their eastern vinegar based sauce was a little lackluster, the sweet sauce stole the show. And don't worry, I didn't forget about the wings! Twelve wings for $9.99 and oh-so-juicy. I'd definitely go back for wings and pulled pork. If you're looking for get your BBQ fix in downtown Durham, this is the best option hands down [there ARE other better straight Southern BBQ options, but none are walkable to downtown]. Put Blue Note Grill on your list and get ready for a tasty-good time. read more

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This place is absolutely amazing! The food is good, the music is good, and the service is good! I ordered chicken wings and they are better than Heavenly Buffaloes. You can taste the freshness of the chicken! My friend ordered the half rack of ribs and it literally fell off the bone. So much better than Q shack and The Pit. Highly recommend. read more

You come to Durham, you gotta have some BBQ. That's just the way things work, I don't make the rules (not all of them anyway). We were told that Blue Note was amazing and had recently reopened in a close location so we made it our spot. I'm really glad we did, I don't eat a lot of BBQ but I'd go back here if I had the chance. The long and short of it: 1. BBQ. It always amazes me how tender some places get their meat, and Blue Note falls in that category. Their ribs were spectacular and literally fell off the bone. The pork was tender, but a bit on the dry side. All in all I was impressed. 2. BBQ Sauce. Got meat? Throw sauce on it. Do it. Now. Blue Notes BBQ sauce was very flavorful, but a little on the watery side (vinegar based I presume). Some people like it that way, I just prefer a thicker, sweeter sauce. Not bad, just an observation. 3. Portions. You won't finish everything on your plate if you don't know what's coming. I got a half rack of ribs, and ended up wishing I'd only gotten the 3 rib plate. The sides are huge, the meat is huge..... I started to notice a pattern. 4. Sides. The macaroni and cheese (my go to side) was ok, nothing special but the green beans cooked in bacon were great. The sweet potato fries were also notable, and tasted fresh out of the fryer. 5. Atmosphere. Live country music, square dancing couples, kids screaming and drawing on the table, the occasional "Roll Tide" that seems to crop up literally everywhere (you're right by Duke and UNC people), it's your standard southern BBQ affair. I enjoyed Blue Note, more that I usually enjoy BBQ joints. I guess I just don't go for the whole country cooking bit but I can't argue with any of the food I was served. Grab some ribs then roll out to a Bulls game to complete the whole experience! Overall Grade: B read more

The Blue Note Grill - Half Rack of Ribs and Sweet Potato Fries - American Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I had never even seen the new location before coming here last weekend. Very area under some old train tracks in Durham. We brought the dog and sat outside at a picnic table. The place is very cool inside and outside, just a great environment all around. I was worried about not receiving good service since we were sitting pretty removed from the restaurant and it was December. Adam was a fantastic server! He was friendly and checked on us often, bringing us everything we needed even offering a bowl of water for the dog. Every single appetizer on the menu looked good so were pretty torn about what to order, but we started with the redneck cheese fries. Fries (possibly fresh cut?) covered in pimento cheese with ranch for dipping. And they are just served on a huge platter. Did not regret that decision at all, they were so good. I ordered the pulled pork platter with collards and mac and cheese. I think its awesome they do lunch specials on the weekends too! Hardly anywhere does not. The BBQ was very good and a huge portion. I wasn't crazy about the collards or mac, but there was nothing bad about them. I added some of the vinegar bbq sauce to the collards to give them the tart taste I like. My boyfriend got the ribs. He claims they are the best ribs ever and comes often with his friends. I am not a huge fan of ribs, but I tried and they are pretty damn good. Just fell off the bone. It was a ton of food for the money, and we even had some to take home. The owner came over and talked to us for a bit, and I saw him talking to some regulars as well. You can tell they put a huge emphasis on customer service here, which is why they have so many regular patrons. I hope to go back for live music sometime soon, it looks like a great venue. There are also many other things I want to try on the menu. read more

The Blue Note Grill - Redneck cheese fries - American Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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We came to meet mom's friends, and it was a good place for that. Live music, but not so loud it drowned out conversation. Good food and good drinks. We shared the special, chicken-fried ribs. They were good, meaty, tasty ribs, no sauce, with breading that made for an interesting combination. Mom didn't like them as much. She had a patty melt, I think- rye oh rye or something like that. I tasted it, and it was pretty good. I got the ribs, with dirty rice and baked beans. Great sauced ribs; meaty, flavorful. That seems to be the style here. The half slab was a ton of food, and I was hungry and love ribs, so that's saying something. The dirty rice and baked beans were great too. I also tried a Blueprint scotch ale, which was very tasty. Service was great, the decor is nice, and there's a railroad spur out back for scenery. read more

Good burger and fries. The bread pudding is a plus. Pre-pandemic they had live music - very sweet and unpretentious vibe.

The best Mac and cheese in the universe! Great vibe and wonderful music and awesome staff.

I love this place! They have totally opened my eyes to two foods I wouldn't have predicted I'd really like, the fried avocado and pickle fries. Both are superb and both on their own are worth going there. They also have great burgers - GREAT! Amazing burgers that will definitely keep me going back. And as a blues lover the music is fantastic. I hope other people keep frequenting this place to keep it open for years to come, its amazing. read more

If you can't legally cook a burger medium rare in NC it means something about the quality of the beef you are using. It usually means the beef was ground on site at a slaughter house and then frozen. If you charge $15 for cheap beef you get 1 star from me. read more

New location but not a new resturaunt for Durham. Will be going back for sure. Seem to have a nice line up of Blues players. The service and food was perfect for lunch. Parking was great!! Not always a comment used for Durham Dining. My lunch was a bit pricey for what was served. Pork tacos. Next time I will be sure to clarify price and items when offered. "Special". My friends bbq plate looked delicious. read more

The Blue Note Grill - Lunch special my friend ordered shown here. Great value and plentiful. I had the taco special. Tasted great but not as ample. - American Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Six of us (and a toddler) went there Sunday afternoon for a birthday lunch. I was surprised to see how empty the place was, but that was completely fine with us, no wait! The food was SOOOO delicous. I had the cow jumped over the moon (I LOVE brie...I was so happy to see it on the menu!) and the pickle fries....I'm a fried pickle connoisseur, and these were AH-MAZING!!!! Everyone but the toddler loved them. I thought the prices were pretty reasonable, maybe slightly high but not too bad, especially since I enjoyed it so thoroughly. My only complaint is our waitress was very obviously new (not just to the restaurant but to the occupation in general), but the host stepped in several times and was awesome. We will definitely be returning. read more

The Blue Note Grill - Over the moon burger and mac and cheese - American Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Wow, what a great time I had with my family here! Great food, great music and the ability to get up and play your own Blues on Tuesday or R&B/Soul on Wednesday! Cover charge ranging from $6-$15 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. No cover on Sunday. We'll be back for sure! read more

The Blue Note Grill - Great blues and great food! - American Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The Blue Note Grill is on its way to getting 5 stars. I've been to this establishment twice. Both times I received hot, tasty, and properly seasoned food. The service was attentive, friendly and quick. I've eaten the ribs which are tender but still have texture The BBQ is hot and simply made. It has enough flavor to where you don't necessarily need a sauce The portions are hearty and the prices are a little less than competitors. Throw in some blues and a nice selection of brews and you have a decent night. read more

The Blue Note Grill - Please and thank you. - American Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great open mic / Jam on Thursday. Blues based and other music. Wide menu with great barbaque.

I had high hopes for my first live music experience in covid. So I knew this would be a place to prioritize good music over service. But this was the worst customer service and management I have seen in the hospitality industry. This place needs to learn to how to adapt to be a restaurant in the year 2020 and an education in respect. read more