Blue Sushi Sake Grill

To start, this place has fun décor and friendly staff. If you’re with a group and want somewhere with a good vibe, Blue is a good bet. The food is fine given that this is in the middle of the country — far from an ocean — but you won’t get full without spending a lot and many of the sushi selections are far from traditional. However, if you’re looking for something a little different, that might be just the thing for you.

I debated whether to rate it one star or two stars. would prefer 1 ½ stars.
This was my first time at Blue Sushi, and my first time eating sushi — in Lincoln and Nebraska.
Blue Sushi is a great place to hang out, have drinks, snacks, party, etc… it is geared towards the Yuppie and professional crowd. The ambiance is nice, friendly, clean, service is first rate.
Blue Sushi is NOT a place to go for sushi — the sushi menu is VERY limited.
Confession — I have eaten a lot of sushi — in northern California at Japanese sushi restaurants… so am used to good sushi and I know what it is.
I had a bowl of miso soup — way too salty.
I had 3 rolls, all were fresh and clean, but ALL were sweet! The sweetness overrode the flavors…
I was very disappointed and wont go back.
NOT, I repeat NOT recommeded for those looking for good sushi.
I have no idea what the rest of their menu is like…

After poor experience PR reached out to us and gave us excellent customer service, more companies should have this quality of customer care!

Horrible service and staff! HUGE THUMBS DOWN! Reported a service issue to management and received an email back stating that I, the customer, was wrong in the situation as their staff had a different story. Don’t make excuses for your lacking service and compensate the customer when you MESS UP!

A good friend and I had a pretty bizarre experience with our server last night. Jed was incredibly apathetic throughout the meal. Neither of us were particularly impressed with his attitude or demeanor.
The true problem came when, at the end of the night, Jed left the table to get me change and dropped the book off without a second thought. Unbeknownst to him, he had given me his server’s book, in which he was keeping credit card slips, notes, and a ridiculous amount of cash.
I’m a server. I get it. We all have bad nights. We all make mistakes. He’s unspeakably lucky that I was the person who got that book and returned it, contents and all, immediately.
His response to my returning the book? Not gratitude. Not apologetic. «Oh, shit! Oh, SHIT! I’ve never done that before.»
The combination of his, «I’d rather be anywhere else than here» attitude and total inattention to handling his credit card slips and cash not only negatively impacts his income, but is poorly representative of a restaurant that I do believe tries to run a tight ship.
I love my job as a server. I love taking care of others. I’m sure that Jed is a great human. I just hope he can get his act together and continue to represent Blue as it ought to be represented — by someone who cares.

I really have contemplated whether reviewing Blue negatively or not because I actually like their food. I’ve never been disappointed. But tonight I was so sorely disappointed that I couldn’t help it. Not only was our service bad, but the manager was rude. There are other sushi places (within a 2 block radius) that I would rather go to. A large party left with 8 people while the manager screamed she was: CALLING THE COPS. Not only did it cut into our dining experience, but seemed overly dramatic as the people were leaving anyway…
Would prefer Dozo over Blue any day.

This place is very creative. i would definitely recommend this for anyone that loves sushi. I like how the environment reminds me of California. Friendly people as well.

Who would have thought that you could get great sushi in Lincoln Nebraska… I sure didn’t. What a pleasant surprise. Very cool spot in downtown right across from the Hampton Inn. My boss and I were very tired from a long day of traveling and wanted to get something fast and sushi sounded great. When Im in places Ive never been I always use Unilocal and honestly haven’t been disappointed yet. this place was very cool inside and was pretty crowded on a Tuesday night at 7pm. The hotel front desk clerk told us that this place was awesome and he was right. we ordered four rolls between the two of us and we finished everything… The sushi rolls were amazing and the Sapporo was cold… if I ever find myself in Lincoln Né ever again I will be making a bee line to Blue Sushi.

After enjoying fantastic sushi in San Francisco, San Diego, Phoenix, Chicago, and New York, I have really been missing it since living in Nebraska. I had heard so many good things about Blue, I was excited to go indulge. The restaurant was beautiful, the food was fine, the service good, but the overall experience was disappointing.
I visited on a slow Wednesday evening in early December. I was seated immediately, or rather the hipster host told me to «pick one» and gestured at the sushi bar. Not one of the men behind the bar (whom I took to be sushi chefs), greeted or even acknowledged me.
When the server Marco promptly appeared with menus and water, I began to peruse the saki choices to see if there was anything interesting. He swung by to see if I was ready, and I mentioned I was looking at the cold saki choices. He asked if I wanted large or small, and when I said «I think small», he took that for my order and went to get it. The house saki was fine, but nothing special.
I was waiting for some kind of word or acknowledgement from whichever sushi chef was assigned to my seat, but no one even looked up. At every sushi restaurant I have been to, the server brings drinks, and hot items from the kitchen, while the sushi chef takes your order for the sushi itself (either on paper or verbally). You order one or two pieces at a time, and can chat up the chef when it isn’t busy, learning about any specials they have or something fresh that has just arrived. This is not how ordering is handled at Blue. All items, hot or cold, are ordered all at one time from the server. Okay, I can roll with it.
On the food: it is tasty. Often delicious. But I would hesitate to call Blue a sushi restaurant. It is a seafood restaurant with some raw specials and rolls. A GOOD seafood restaurant, but don’t go in expecting to order all your favorites. Perhaps to be successful in Nebraska, they have had to alter their menu to include a lot of cooked and fried items. It just wasn’t what I was in the mood for when jonesing for sushi. To be clear: it tasted good, but only resembled sushi in a few cases. After trying some of the recommended items (all cooked), I ended up ordering some sashimi dishes, which did the trick for me.
Marco was a terrific server, in that he was prompt and attentive, but it seemed to me that all the staff could use more training on what exactly it is they are serving. Only the folks cooking seemed to have any idea how items were prepared.
More on that: I did not get any discounts or coupons for having my supper at Blue on a slow business night; in fact, I spent nearly $ 100 dining alone. Despite this, rather than having a beautiful array of fresh fish in the case in front of me, and talented chefs slicing and rolling their hearts out, I got to watch the staff clean. Buckets of water were poured on the floor for scrubbing, reach-​in fridges were rolled away from the walls so they could be cleaned behind, and every morsel of food was out of sight so that the display cases could be sprayed and wiped down. When I asked if I had come on scrubbing night, the snarky host replied that I was lucky I didn’t come on filthy restaurant night.
Perhaps the atmosphere is better on a busy night. As it was, there were several female servers sitting at the end of the bar being fairly boisterous and attracting other workers away from their jobs. Marco was very pleasant, and after I finished eating and walked down to where there was an English-​speaking chef, he pleasantly discussed some of the preparation with me. Blue has a tuna that they soak in squid ink, resulting in a flavor that is reminiscent of smoked turkey; I had never tasted anything like it. This chef talked while he worked, and was much more like I expected a sushi chef to be. I’m not even sure «chef» is the right term, though…
So I’m not sure if I will ever go back to Blue. If I do, I will have entirely different expectations, and will keep my fingers crossed that I don’t show up on «filthy restaurant night».

It is tough to find good fish in the middle of a continent. Since this is smack in the middle of town in the middle of the continent, it stays pretty busy. Parking, as always, can be a challenge so for that alone bring some walking shoes unless you are forced to dress to impress. The service was nice and the décor was interesting. We sat between the bar and the booths so we got to watch a feature of Godzilla (not on the menu) while we ate. Be prepared to wait for a seat though. It was chilly and the foyer is slightly larger than an atomic particle so you will probably be waiting outside for the text message that your table was ready. The neighboring hotel seemed to not mind people soaking up their fire pit while people waited. By this, I mean, no signs or pesky security prodding us away. Once inside we feasted but dared not get the Titanic sized boats as tempting as they looked. We instead opted for the salmon and a few other dishes to sample along with a few rolls. The fare was good and once we thawed, it was a good time.

Great sushi! Great happy hour, I never leave unsatisfied! So happy Blue came to Lincoln!

Was recommended by the front desk person at our hotel. I would highly recommend it. If they are busy no need to worry because they will text you when your table is ready. Our server Azlin was Awesome! Great recommendations from her with very friendly service. We were lucky enough to be sat at the bar so we could see all the food being prepared. Had a grata conversation with the Executive Chef after dinner. Will be back for sure!

I have been to every Blue in Nebraska and have never been disappointed. This location broke the streak. The food was great, but I knew the food would be great. Our service and experience was not up to par. I’ve had things go wrong at other locations, but they always handle it properly.
Things were going fine until someone else’s waitress dropped an order onto our feet and legs. This by no means is what rubbed me the wrong way, the way it was handled was. We helped clean up and assured her we were okay. We felt terrible and shit happens, no big deal. After things were cleaned up, our waitress came over and instead of finding a reasonable solution, she blamed the one who dropped the food. Told us «she is new and usually is pretty good.» I don’t care about any of that, why don’t you offer us another drink or comp an app?
From a restaurant that does so well, you would think there would be better ways to handle a mess. Instead of blaming coworkers, what can you do for the customer?
Oh… And the décor is really weird. And there is always karate stuff playing on a big screen at the bar? Really weird.
Brat

Let me say first that I have been very impressed with Blue Sushi’s customer service. They reached out to me after my review to further discuss my experience and convince me to give it another try. I’m very glad I did – my second experience was much better.
My server was very attentive, and I had no problems getting my food in a timely manner. The food itself was good – I had a Cali roll to compare to last time, and got a new roll, the Seattle maki. My grad student budget especially liked the Happy Hour deals!
I think my first visit was an unfortunate combination of flukes, and I’m so glad I had the opportunity to try it again. I will be back!

Better-​than-​average fish, inventive rolls and other goodies and top-​notch service makes Blue one of Lincoln’s better sushi bars.
Major downside? No Hawaiian Poke salad! Oh, the humanity!

Loved the Omaha location and besides joe crabs shack and pf changs it was my dream to have one here and it didn’t disappoint. Service wasn’t great but the manager apologized for our server who stood at the next table to us talking to friends for a half hour while we sat and angrily shook our empty glasses. Great food though, highest quality and a great date night location

Blue is impressive! Great food, great customer service, great atmosphere and great happy hour deals! We took advantage of the $ 5 a roll deal (happy hour special on select rolls) and TOTALLY overdid it. But I have a belly full of good sushi and a container full in my fridge and I am overall very pleased with the experience. I often avoid going out for sushi because of the cost but Blue’s Happy Hour special is a way to be treat yourself on a budget. Just don’t get 5 rolls and appetizers!
(HH = Happy Hour)
I was on a mission to celebrate the hard work my brother did for me recently so we may or may not of ordered three appetizers! The first was spicy edamame (garlic, soy, togarashi) I got FOR FREE just for checking in on Unilocal.I also couldn’t say no to the mango crab rangoon and calamari is one of my all-​time favorites!
All three appetizers were delicious. The spicy edamame (free, $ 5.5 originally) had just enough flavor to tickle your tastebuds while you suck the beans out. The calamari (sesame-​crusted squid, vegetable tempura, miso aioli), delicious in it’s own right, but not over the top ($ 5 HH, $ 8 originally). Now, the mango crab rangoon (mango and mirin purée, fresno pepper sauce) ($ 4.75 HH, $ 8 originally)? OUT OF THIS WORLD. I loved it, loved the sauce, sweet and gingery and full of yummy rangoon deliciousness. Highly recommended!
For rolls, we had a feast! I prefer my sushi kind of plain or with just a few ingredients. The crazy exotic ones with all the bells and whistles don’t allow me to really mull around the flavors of the fish, which is totally the point. So I tend to order more of this type and get the fully loaded rolls when I’m treating someone. So, keep that in mind because I’m sure those that loved the overloaded rolls will like them a lot better than I:
The Cabo — spicy tuna, crab, Japanese cucumber ($ 5 HH, $ 7.5 originally)
A nice twist on plain old spicy tuna. Can’t beat crab and crunchy cucumber!
Eden — Vegan tempura sweet potato, grilled asparagus, edamame hummus, sun-​dried tomato, soy paper, olive oil ($ 5 HH, $ 8 originally)
Unique. It was good, one of those ‘loaded’ rolls with lots of flavors going on, sweet, not too sweet, hearty. I’d recommend it!
Snow White — Crispy seabass, avocado, burdock root, bibb lettuce, soy paper, panca mayo ($ 5 HH, $ 10 originally)
I really liked this roll. The crisp freshness of the lettuce was a unique addition. The flavors were very clean, not overdone.
Philadelphia — smoked salmon, cream cheese, scallion, Japanese cucumber ($ 5 HH, $ 8 originally)
I’m a sucker for salmon and cream cheese and this was one of my favorite rolls.
Negi Hama — yellowtail, scallion ($ 5 HH, $ 8 orginally)
Light fishy taste with the smooth texture of yellowtail. I always like to get a least one very basic, fishy roll and if you’ve got white tuna/​yellowtail on the menu, you automatically get a star. Favorite fish!
I washed down all this goodness with some Sake Sangria ($ 6 HH, $ 7 originally). Good choice! You get a cute little sake cup and container to drink it out of and the flavor is not too dry, not too sweet and ice old. Wonderful!
We ordered a LOT of food and our server, Joe, was very attentive, informative, understanding when I wasn’t quite sure how to properly eat the edamame and completely nonjudgmental. The manager also made this way to a few of the tables, including mine, and happily cleared away our plates while I sipped sangria and lounged around (we were seated in the awesome lounge area, not complaints. Tables are shorter to the ground but it was great for relaxing and talking). The music was nice, upbeat, not too loud, energetic, the lighting dim with lit up tables, lots of good looking people, and all the employees were very welcoming! I ended up spending $ 45 (not including the tip) for ALL of this, which would have been closer to $ 70. Again, the happy hour special is AWESOME! Lincoln Happy Hour is offered dine-​in only in the entire restaurant: Monday-​Saturday 3 – 6:30 p.m., Sunday noon-​8 p.m. and Friday+Saturday 10:30 p.m.-midnight.
I WILL BE BACK!

My first time trying the Flagship franchise outside of it’s Omaha origins! Blue remains one of my favorites in Omaha, so I definitely knew I had to try the Lincoln locale sooner than later to compare. On first look– the BLUE side of the restaurant is quite a bit smaller than the 2 locations in Omaha, but the Sake Bombers Lounge is about the same size. The Blue dining room has less general dining tables but also has the sushi bar to dine at. The décor is a little bit more funky and comic-​like than either of the Omaha locations, but I think it matches the younger college town feel that Lincoln and the Haymarket exudes. Service wise-​about the same. Still slow when they are slammed and the hostess are pretty consistent. It can get a little patchy during the happy hour times.
Food wise, I am happy to report they are still doing great in Lincoln! They have a variety of rolls that are both cooked and raw, and I enjoyed everything that we tried. I compared by ordering all the same rolls I typically order in Omaha. Crunchy LA and Crunchy Blue remain 2 of my cooked favorites, and I love the Spicy tekka and sake to keep it simple for the raw rolls. Those are the best ones to get a deal on in lunch or the happy hour menu. There are a few other more expensive fancy rolls I like to order if I am not there on happy hour.
Good job, Flagship!

I’m not typically a sushi guy. As a fisherman, I’ve seen my fair share of raw fish, and usually the texture and the smell are enough for me to batter and fry it, or at least, grill it over and open fire.
However, I really enjoyed the sushi at Blue. I ordered the HAWAIIAN ROLL which is tempura fried, salmon, crab, mango, mirin mango purée. I think the mango was the best part of the dish.
It was so good I wanted to order another round. My wife swiped a piece after I was raving about it, and she’s not a sushi person, usually wants it cooked and in a bowl, but after she tried it, I had to move to a different table just to keep her from stealing more from me.
She ordered the Tempura Shrimp, which she’s dubbed «the best ever,» and I believe her, because she’s a very picky eater. She doesn’t hand out «the best ever» title lightly.
I’m planning on making it back anytime I have a sushi craving or a special occasion, because I was so impressed with it.
Also a side note: I love spicy things, but I don’t think I’ll ever understand wasabi. So my helpful tip, make a happy wasabi snowman to brighten up everyone’s day!

Update: it’s been added to my 5– star review collection, it’s become a local haunt of mine! With all day happy hour on Sunday’s, it’s inspired me to add SSS (solo sushi Sunday’s) to my weekend routine. Original review below:
So I’ve heard the rage about this place and I have to say… I wasn’t disappointed! We were here last weekend for the late night happy hour that starts at 10:30pm on Saturday. I’ve heard there is frequently a wait to get in for dinner, last weekend I don’t know if it was the hour or the blizzard raging outside but we were seated right away at one of the cozy booths in the bar.
The atmosphere is really interesting. There is an outside that was currently covered in snow, the restaurant is split by a double sided bar that reaches the ceiling and has a huge plasma tv. The left is more tables and dining and the right more of a lounge. We were on the right and it was really cozy and a fun place to have drinks and a snack.
We were seated immediately and our server took our order promptly. Food came out really quickly and everything was delicious. We had the edamame and chicken satay for appetizers. Both were good but the best part for me was the rolls. I really enjoyed my avocado roll and negi hama rolls. My friend had the itchy salmon and ahi tuna which he said were both really good.
Not bad prices on their happy hour menu. Many rolls are just 5.00 and many appetizers around 5.00. There gluten free menu has several things to choose from. I’ll definitely be back to devour more noms