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The Bluebird Bar

4.1 (96 reviews)
Closed • 11:30 am - 10:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

The Bluebird Bar Photos

THE BLUEBIRD BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Dogs allowed

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Baba ghanoush
Joy G.

I've been wanting to go to the Bluebird for a while. I love a place that focuses mostly on the sides and appetizers. We ordered a bunch of things to share as a table (which, IMO, is the best way of eating), ranked in order of favorites: 1. Beets with a side of whipped ricotta. A very simple dish but executed beautifully. The beets were perfectly seasoned and paired so well with the cheese. It's something I would try to replicate at home. 2. Chicken thighs and swordfish on skewers. I liked how you can order these as the proteins for a salad. Though they looked a little dry being presented to the table, they were actually very tender. 3. Charred chicken wings. I'm a huge spice wimp so couldn't eat much of it but everyone else loved them. The not so greats: The warm grain bowl is exactly what you can get at Cava: not terrible, just a little boring if all you want are some grains, chickpeas, and tzatziki. Would not recommend either the Brussels sprouts (very generous portion for a size but drowning in grease, needed a massive blot) or the baba ghanoush (needed a lot more salt, which is something I almost never say, and was very watery in texture, like they may have left out the tahini as a binding agent. The bread on the side, again, was very oily). For all of that food, plus one cocktail, it was about $104 for three people, so not terrible for a dinner. Parking: if you come after 6pm, there's a decent amount of free parking spots along the street in front of the restaurant, as well as the lot behind it once you turn a right onto Waltham Street.

Ol' Dude
Dil S.

Great cocktail bar - elevated, tasty, creative drinks. Very chill bartender happy to share tips for home bars. Ol' dude and mango a go go were awesome. Espresso cocktail was a bit creamy, but I like my espresso martinis black vs with baileys. Will be back for the Picasso of loneliness and to try the food.

Lakeside spritz bitters  soda prosecco
Mollie M.

It was a bit more upscale than we had meant to go for the evening...! But we had a fantastic time. The restaurant feels cozy and fancy. it has the tin ceiling effect going on. We both got the burger, and a table side of brussel sprouts with bacon. The burger came with fries and some slices of a excellent pickle. For the first time ever, I had an $18 burger at a restaurant and actually felt like I got what I paid for. The plate was so very good. The brussels were also good. Our waiter was really great. My husband was apparently dehydrated and the waiter was on top of it and refilled his glass like, 5 or 6 times. We didn't wait for any service and he seemed to be the only one?! The cocktail menu was kind of entertaining. A really solid date night - one of the few things open in this neighborhood after the last movie showings at the West Newton Cinema across the street. Loved it. Expensive though.

Tash M.

Blue bird, blue sky, Blue ribbon!!!! You cannot go wrong here, especially for a perfectly crafted cocktail!!! I brought my friend here on a weekday for a birthday lunch, and we were blown away. The cocktails were absolutely top notch. And in case you actually wanted to do more than imbibe, we were also very pleased with our falafel wrap, and fattoush salad! The decor was beautiful with gilded ceilings and a very relaxed vibe, although I can imagine it could be a poppin happy hour scene. Service was very helpful and prompt. Newton locals have a true gem in the neighborhood!!

Jireh H.

$1 fresh local oysters from 3-5 pm *DAILY* is enough reason for anyone nearby to become a regular. Now add a cool calm vibe during those hours, a respectful crowd, great drink selections, decent food options, and really nice bartenders/staff, you really have *every* reason to be a regular. Stay a bit longer on Monday nights for live jazz to soothe the soul. Just saying, I'll definitely see you around sometime!

Lemon ricotta puff dessert- perfection
Caroline F.

In Newton, Mondays got a little more interesting!! I discovered BlueBird a few months ago and was drawn in by the daily oyster deals and surprise Monday night specials + Jazz. The food went on to blow me away with some of the freshest, tastiest oysters ($1 from 3-5pm daily) and some of the best Fish n' chips (Monday blue plate special) and Eggs Benny + Homefries (Sunday brunch) I've had. Great cocktail menu and friendly atmosphere make this a spot to return to with friends, a date, or solo!

Adrienne N.

Came for their $1 happy hour oysters and they were delicious! The catch is they cap you at a dozen per person I believe and it's a minimum $10 purchase not including the oysters. But the service was very speedy and it's pretty cute inside. Would recommend the crispy Brussels sprouts with bacon as well.

Restaurants own Yelp page promoting their one dollar oyster special without limitation from 3 to 5 PM daily.
Boston D.

Very poor experience here...besides the oysters, nothing else is particularly good in my opinion, but it gets worse. Despite the fact that the restaurant's website advertises $1 oysters daily between 3pm to 5pm (see restaurant website and Yelp page screenshots), the restaurant has imposed a RECENT "secret" unannounced new oyster limit -- "sometime in the past couple of weeks" -- of one dozen $1 oysters per person. This is contrary to their longstanding practice of unlimited $1 oysters since inception and the information provided on their website, official Yelp business page, menu, and/or verbally by restaurant employees. You only learn about this new limitation unless and until you try to reorder additional oysters -- well Into your meal. So, how do they inform people about the new rule? It's prettydisingenuous, at best...not through their website, not through the supplemental daily special menu page,, and not from the waitress when ordering...Only after you've consumed your initial one dozen oysters (and whatever else you might have ordered), and attempt to order additional $1 oysters are you informed about the new limit and shut off. Had we know about $1 oyster limit, we would not have come to dine at this establishment at the odd hours of 3-5PM, ediecially given the food quality, having tried numerous items on the menu during this and prior visits. The lack of customers in the establishment after 5PM clearly attests to this lack of interest. Dismayed at having been shut off after having made the treck to this restaurant at 4 PM -- we appealed to the owner and explained that we came for unlimited $1 oysters based the combination of our prior experience here and their own publicly available information. However, the owner's response downright aggressive and rude, alluding to the fact that he can't make money with unlimited $1 oysters, despite the fact that his overhead is paid for at this time and the incremental labor costs are pretty low. Perhaps this is because many others agree that the food just isn't very good and there's nothing there worth eating besides the $1 oysters, albeit they should be able to make it up on alcohol with $9 beers and $15 cocktails, but I'm not trying to tell him how to run his business; I just feel he has an obligation to provide appropriate notice regarding such a meaningful limitation (and change in policy), especially for people who make an effort to come to his restaurant at the odd and otherwise unappealing time of 3pm to 5pm. Very poor taste for food that doesn't taste very good, except for the oysters which are/were excellent.

Burger & falafel pita
Kit D.

Pretty overrated... saw someone say this is the best restaurant in Newton, MA-- I wouldn't count on it. Came here before watching a movie at West Newton cinema as it's right across the street. Consider it a one and done kinda deal. Average service, small venue, limited menu, and mediocre food. My mom and I walked in on a Saturday with a reservation, place was empty. My mom ordered a cappuccino which was more like an espresso, she was shocked at how strong it was but it tasted good nonetheless. I ordered a burger, it was below average. It came with bacon-onion jam, which made it sweet, subjectively speaking it was not my thing. My mom ordered the falafel wrap, which was better than my burger but very dry and didn't have much falafel. Pita was hard and the sandwich lacked sauce. Tasted better though. I would order it to try once but not again. Fries were the star of the show, absolutely delicious. But, when the fries are better than the entree it's not the greatest. Asked for yellow mustard and got Dijon. Burger bun was overly fluffy, fell apart, so I didn't eat it. Host was working three jobs, felt bad. I'd skip this one unless you have no other option.

Sautéed Calamari
LA T.

Great for date night (there is a movie theater across the street too)! This accidental find was amazing! The staff is welcoming and willing to tell you about their favorites. Bar seating is comfortable for one or inviting friends. The sautéed calamari is a flavor marvel, with a surprising kick The mashed potatoes were light and complimented the calamari. Outside seating is available when the weather permits. Street parking is available and free after 6pm. Can't wait to go back and have entrees!!

Mushroom toast

I had always wanted to try to this place and it was easy to get a reservation on a Sunday night. We tried a variety of dishes. For apps, calamari (special) very tender and tasty, black garlic buffalo wings - good flavor but some wings were kind of dry, mushroom toast - really yummy. For entrees, we got the ribeye special - delicious, perfectly cooked, roasted chicken - solid entree, bolognese - good - but not spectacular, and a shrimp and chicken kofta shish kebab. The kebab's were really disappointing - only 3 shrimp - no real seasoning or flavor. The chicken kofta was very dry. Portion very small for $22. I guess I just expected more from the kebabs. Nice atmosphere, service was good in the beginning and as it got busier, we had to ask the hostess to send the waitress to our table. Overall I think the food was fine but prices were slightly high for what you got (mushroom toast, kebabs). I'm glad I tried the restaurant but not sure I will go back.

Local oysters and perfectly done shrimp cocktail
David S.

I've been here approximately 8 times now and the consistency is really impressive. The staff, the food, the value and the vibe are just excellent. Food: Love their Mon night specials but I've been other nights and the specials are great as well. I haven't made it for $1 Oysters, but their raw bar is equivalent to a Row 34 and a much better value. Staff/Service: I always sit at the bar and the bartenders are just pros, all of them. Great drinks, very attentive service, without being too much, and just great all around. Vibe: To me, this is like the ideal neighborhood joint with elevated comfort food and spot on service. Fair amount of parking nearby as well. Wish: This is really a great bar from a drinks/beers/wines selection. My ONLY wish is that they had a few beers on Draft rather than cans only, minor, I know.

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3 months ago

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1 year ago

Relaxed atmosphere with fun cocktails and super friendly staff! I would definitely go back.

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

The food is good, but don't go unless you enjoy shouting to converse. The place is way too loud to have a nice evening out.

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4.3(132 reviews)
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Hidden gem. Excellent food..not a miss on the menu. They change it up often too and each time we…read moreare surprised. Maybe best burger I've eaten in Massachusetts. Live music some night, outdoor heated patio seating, excellent brunch, Sunday roast is a must. Not a bad thing to say other than it can get very loud inside when it's busy.

You know how in some restaurants you see the customers and they put salt on their food before they…read moreeven taste it? I think the chef is one of those people, because I had the muscles today and it was so salt forward. I mean it was dangerously full salt, but I was so hungry that I ate it anyway and then I told the waitress I said I should not even complain because I ate the dish however they should watch out for the salt. She said it's one of the most popular dishes and people like it that way . The restaurant decided to be gracious enough and swap that off of my order and let me get something else instead, but I was already full, so I took home a salad. Hours later, I figured it would be nice to have something refreshing after all that salt. I'm eating the salad and something crunchy and it's not the normal crunch. So I decide to like look into the lettuce and I see dirt. Especially now with everything going on around lettuce I am beyond shocked. I tried to call the restaurant granted it was dinner time but no answer so I called the sister company in another city and they said they would have the manager reach out to me which never happened . What surprised me as well as the manager from the sister location said he finds this surprising because the lettuce comes in triple washed, and they wash it themselves. All I could say to that is maybe open up the lettuce leaves and rinse them or open your eyes. So I'm putting it out there, I would like my money back, but since you can't answer the phone or own up to any responsibility, I'm leaving this message for you because I get a lot of hits on my reviews and I'm gonna tell people do not eat at this place unless your taste buds are completely dead and you just need salt and dirt survive. PS the ambience is so dark. It's decorated nicely, but they definitely need more light can barely read the menu.. Update, Stewart the owner wouldn't take my call, but they did issue a refund .

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Little Big Diner - Take out miso ramen

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AMAZING. First time here and we will be back. Their miso ramen is incredible and staff is…read morepersonable and kind! Didn't even take pictures because we ate all the food so quick. Great ramen, great small bites, great cocktails

Cute spot out in Newton, usually pretty busy and they've been around for quite some time so overall…read morethey are doing something right! We had about a 20-30 min wait for a table and explored the area and shops on the block while we waited. When we got seated we cruised the menu and ordered the following: APPETIZERS - chicken karaage - our order came with crispy chicken however lacked seasoning and was a bit over cooked and dry. - okonomiyaki-styled tater tots - the BEST appetizer we ordered, needed a pinch of salt, but flavor wise with the bonito flakes and sauce it was a hit! - green papaya salad this needed more seasoning, mortared herbs and chilis maybe tomatoes and garlic. Pass next time. RAMEN - miso ramen for the kiddo and she enjoyed it. She can't eat spicy so this was a very mild ramen. Didn't think the miso flavor came thru but she enjoyed it. - spicy miso ramen the lady got this one and i tried a some, the broth was lacking a bit of depth today. It's not spicy so normally I'd say even the non-spicy crowd probably would be able to handle it. The broth just tasted more watery was looking for the punch of flavor. Now the noodles were chewy and had great bounce to them, the char siu pork cuts were tender and melt in your mouth! - chef's ultra ramen - this broth definitely was the better broth out of all the ramens in my opinion with plenty of proteins and more depth of flavor, umami, smokiness, smelled great too. - spicy tan tan the brother got this one, it's typically what i would normally go for, he enjoyed it, not too spicy either, could use some more crunchy garlic with the chili oil. Overall would come back to give it another go, perhaps the heavy dinner rush some things got lost in the cooking on certain dishes.

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The Bluebird Bar - newamerican - Updated November 2026

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