Raleigh, NC — Sushi Blues Cafe

Sushi Blues Cafe 301 Glenwood Ave Raleigh, NC

919.664.8061 website map

I was in Cary, North Carolina for a week and a colleague recommended Sushi Blues Cafe. I was reluctant to try it because it sounded a bit too trendy for my tastes. By the middle of the week I decided to give it a try, When I googled the restaurant I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were open until 11:30 on Wednesday nights! When I looked them up in the GPS I found that Sushi Blues was only about five miles from my hotel.

Sushi Blues is located in Raleigh's Glenwood Avenue district. In the neighborhood are several upscale restaurants and bars. When I drove through, at 10pm on a weeknight, the place was hopping. There were people sitting at sidewalk tables, you could hear music coming from several bars and there were people walking up and down the street.

When I got to Sushi Blues, the main dining room was closed but they offer full service at the bar (drink bar not sushi bar) and at tables in the bar area. The restaurant has a slightly industrial decor. I found the lighting too dim and had to use the candle on my table to read the menu. Perhaps it is my eyes but the menu font was very difficult to read.

After struggling with the menu I ordered edameme, a Santana Roll and a Coltrane Roll. Of course Santana and Coltrane are not normal sushi names. In keeping with the restaurants Jazz/Blues motif, many menu items were named for famous musicians. The Jazz posters over the doorway was a nice touch.

The Coltrane Roll was a Philladelphia Roll consisting of smoked salmon, cream cheese and lettuce. The Santana Roll was a combination of tuna, salmon, yellowtail, asparagus and scallions. The Coltrane Roll was good but the Santana Roll was awesome. The combination of fish, all fresh and flavorful, along with the slightly crunchy asparagus was perfect. Presentation was only fair, I often comment on whether the  rolls I order are portioned evenly — at Sushi Blues, I cannot believe that the chef even tried.

The sign on the door listed a closing time of 11pm while the web site said 11:30pm. Some customers were turned away at the door because of this and they were not happy. On the topic of the web site, I found the blue on blue text hard  to read

Good sushi in a cool neighborhood — I'l be back.

Sushi Blues Cafe: 4 rice bowls