Stella Blues

Since I don’t plan on going here any time soon I don’t feel comfortable having my previous three star rating stand and it is time for an update.
Things have been odd at Stella Blues for at least six months. First their phone was out. Then they were closed for a bit and had electrical issues and no power. Then they had power, but couldn’t get food. They were opening for drinks only. That went on for a few weeks because they couldn’t get any food. They finally got food in and encouraged everyone to come by to try it out. My husband and I were a bit apprehensive, but thought we would give it a try. Twice we stopped by. All of the doors were open and people were sitting outside on the patio drinking. Both times we walked in the wide open front door to be told that they were closed. Really?
Recently there was another issue where a cooler failed and they lost food again. They have no posted hours on their door and occasionally have a sign up that they are closed due to family issues.
A quick look at their Facebook page will show all of these issues. I just don’t have the warm fuzzies about the place and with so many other options in the area don’t see myself visiting any time soon.

I’m sorry to say this but won’t go back. And I don’t recommend you waste your time. The outside patio looks fantastic. Small (maybe 4 tables) but the type of low key hip atmosphere you’d be looking for in the Bristol area. It was chilly out so we chose to sit inside. All six people in our party were shocked by the inside. Another review says the décor looked like an 80s bowling alley lounge. Dead on. Except it looks like they haven’t really cleaned it since the 80s either. Old wooden chairs. Carpet (!!). Old utensils that you might find in an elementary school. They’re thin, worn and have permanent marks all over them that make them look dingy and dirty– like they’re 40 years old. It would take little to no pressure to bend them in half. Impression #2: you have to walk up to the kitchen door to access the bathroom– which would be fine if you couldn’t see directly in the kitchen which also looks dingy. I have little faith that they clean the kitchen any further than the occasional wiping of the counter tops. Also, the bathroom didn’t have any soap. So do I assume the employees don’t use the bathroom? Or that they use the bathroom then hunt down a sink elsewhere to wash their hands before handling my food & drinks? We were considering leaving when our server came over to ask us if we were ready to order. We asked a few questions about the menu and then he mumbled «well uh actually we don’t really have that much seafood right now…» The menu revolves around seafood so we asked which items they were out of and the response was «well we don’t have any of the seafood items. Someone is picking some up now.» That was the final straw. We kindly excused ourselves (it’s not the servers fault) and ran out of there as quickly as we could.

First time & terrible experience. Definitely will not be returning. We were given menus & weren’t told what they were out of until we started to order. Would have been nice to know before hand. Entrees are suppose to come with soup or salad & the server never asked which we wanted. Also didn’t ask what pasta we wanted with our meal. When the server came back we had to ask what choices they have. The service was terrible & the food was the same. The whole time our party was there, all the servers including the bartender were on their cell phones. If food is going to be in the window to get picked up, it would be nice if a servers head wasn’t bent over it as their hair touched it.

Where to begin…
The price doesn’t come close to the quality of the food. The jambalaya was firstly, not what any recipe book would agree with, and second, the shellfish were surprisingly sandy which is a simple problem to fix if your chef knows how and invests the time. In general, the plate was mediocre. The clam chowder was sour, likely due to the ascorbic acid found in canned clams. No one tasted this food before serving it. I guarantee it.
The server had plenty of raw skill, and if I were given them as a trainee I’d be thrilled to teach them the ropes and from what I saw, they’d catch on quickly. It was clear that either the restaurant hadn’t invested time in training them, or the standards of service were just that low.
Would never recommend.

Well I’ve been to Stella Blues before but only sat outside and ordered a salad which was very good. But I got a gift certificate so had to go all in n try it and wasn’t disappointed one bit! From the appetizer calamari to my fried clams was not heavy and nice and fresh. Decent little beer menu too. Only drawback is the ambiance inside is a little dated.

I’ve driven by Stella Blues for years and always thought it looked like a hip little bistro spot but was taken aback on my first visit recently.
The décor is pretty outdated… heavy dark wood, plaid wall to wall carpet (yuck!!), chunky tables and chairs… it felt worse than it sounds, you’ll just have to take my word I guess. It was sort of like a bowling alley lounge from the 80’s.
Service wasn’t very good. We had to remind our waitress of several requests we made (a forgotten beer, sugar for the coffees, etc.) and one time she even said, «oh shit» as sort of an apology? We paid part cash and part credit card and there was some confusion on her part in which she basically revealed how much she was expecting us to tip her… classy.
Anyway, the menu… Lots of great seafood options. Not much for true vegetarians sadly. Prices are high for the sort of atmosphere and service they are presenting. Anywhere else, the prices wouldn’t sting as much. The swordfish special was huge. Overcooked, but it was local and fresh caught so I was still appreciative. I thought it odd that my entrée included a salad and then when she presented my dinner to me, there was another side salad on the plate with the fish…2 salads? Odd right?
My dinner mates said the seafood jambalaya was very good as well as the fish and chips. However, we weren’t convinced that the lump crab ceviche was really ceviche. Maybe they think ceviche just means cold?
Overall, I’ll probably go back again but I’ll sit outside next time to avoid the 80’s bowling alley vibe.

Had a great selection of appetizers and fantastic sangria with awesome monte Christo sandwich. Service was superb.

I’ve been living in the area for a couple of years and have been wanting to go to this place for some time. The lack of vegetarian options on the menu have deterred me, but we decided to go and give it a shot anyway. I ordered a vegetarian plate that had artichoke hearts, peppers, asparagus, and some other things. It was not good. It seemed like everything came from a can. The artichokes and peppers were pickled for sure. Ugh, as if the taste wasn’t bad enough, the plate was wet. There was like a pool of water under everything make things soggy and gross.
Restaurants like this should really get with the times. Vegetarians are everywhere and the number of us is growing and will continue to grow. By not having a variety of options for us, they are really missing out on a large customer base. How hard would it be to have a roasted vegetable wrap on the menu? Or a veggie burger for crying out loud?
I did like the atmosphere and beer selection. Hopefully they will update their menu to include more options-​then we might consider coming back.

This place has extremely good food, but it is a bit pricey. I had the filet mignon with the lobster a la mama. It was amazing, possibly one of the best meals I’ve ever had.

Tonight I visited Stella Blues with my brother and sister-​in-​law. I began with the clam chowder which was warm and flavorful but heavy on the potatoes and far too thick. Next we all had burgers. The burgers were tasty but too small for the rolls they were served on. From what I have been told, the blue cheese burger used to be super juicy but tonight mine was average. I was also told that the cheese used to be inside a thicker burger.
For a side, I had a nice salad with blue cheese dressing. I have been told that they have great fish and chicken dishes but I can only review what I have tried. 3/3.5.

We always drive past, and say we should stop here. Finally, we did. Drinks were good, yummy appetizer and delicious meal. The servings were pretty big. Cute little place. Street parking was a nuisance but that comes with the area. My only complaint was we had 2 large pieces of our appetizer left, along with some of each of our meals. They packed it all up to take home, but when we went to eat it the next day, we discovered they had only put one piece of the appetizer we had left! Very random, and I’m not sure why they wouldn’t have given us all of our leftovers. Also disappointing because it was a good meal. Sort of sours me on going back.

It’s interesting to me that Unilocalers either love or hate this place. I think the overall rating is about right (3 stars at the present time). My family and I went there for a late Sunday brunch, with out of town guests, because the wait was too long at our other favorites on Warren’s restaurant row. We all thought the food was very solid New American, but not great, and certainly not top shelf among Warren’s other excellent restaurants. I don’t have anything bad to say, but we’d go to any number of other restaurants in Warren and Bristol first…

We recently moved to Warren and this quickly became our favorite local restaurant. The casual atmosphere and welcoming staff made us feel right at home. The menu has a nice variety of foods at different price points. I have had fish several times and have been very impressed. The fish was fresh and cooked perfectly. The chicken Marsala was excellent as are the burgers. The chowder is not exceptional. but I continue to order it. We will continue to frequent this nice restaurant..

I try to give credit where credit is due, and never ever ever ever will I return to Stella Blues. I wanted to take my mom out for her birthday, and was crushed that Sunnyside could not seat us before they closed at 1. The waitress there recommended Stella Blues so we walked a few blocks north on Market HUNGRY. But excited to try a new place. We came to the door and the looked bustling inside. But the door was locked. Feeling like an idiot, I tried again. Knocked. Tried again. It was definitely locked. Found the number quickly using my Unilocal app. Someone came to let us in, and told us to sit anywhere. We chose a cozy corner facing market street — too chilly to eat outside, though the outside tables looked lovely. We waiting 10 minutes. And the waitress FINALLY came to us, rudely dumped the menus, and ran off without saying hello, apologizing for the wait, bringing water or bread, etc. We had a terrible feeling, but everyone around us was dining, seemingly happily, and a local recommended it. So why not? Plus, it really wasn’t that crowded, we we assumed our turn would come if we waited patiently.
Nothing on the menu seemed particularly imaginative. Or even described in an appealing manner. After reading Unilocal reviews we both decided on the seafood jambalaya. But we waited another 15 minutes. 25 minutes total without water, bread, a greeting, someone coming to take our order, an apology… zero interaction other than dumping the menus and running.
We finally walked out. Not surprisingly, no one noticed or seemed to care on staff. I plan to call their management tomorrow to complain, something I very rarely feel moved to do.
I love Warren and will continue to be faithful to the Sunnyside for all my brunching needs. Never again, Stella Blues. Mediocre service is worth it for outstanding food, but no food is worth the lack-​of-​service that my mother and I received today.

Visiting Warren and the mood for a lunch of calamari, we called around Warren to see who had it on the menu. Stella Blues was suggested.
Arriving about one on a Thursday afternoon, there were still a few patrons finishing dessert, with left overs in take away boxes ready to go. A pellet stove whirred away with a cheerful, warm flame.
Beer selection was good, but few were actually available as it was change the keg/​clean the taps day. Our server was attentive and helpful and our two Smithwicks and one glass of champagne arrived quickly.
We only ordered from the appetizer menu: 2 orders of calamari, one of fried oysters, and one of steamed clams. All arrived at once and we decided to hold the clams until finishing the fried items, which was a mistake. By the time we got to the clams, they were just a bit overcooked, but with great, fresh flavor. The buttery liquid was excellent, with all the right flavors.
Fried oysters were excellent. Properly cooked, crispy outside and moist and tasty inside.
Calamari, inexplicably, were not as expertly fried as there was more than a hint of oil remaining from the frying. Yellow peppers were tossed in after frying and added a great spicy kick, but not too much. Portions of calamari were quite generous and three of us could not finish all four dishes.
Tab was about $ 60 or $ 20 per person.

I came here with the GF this past Monday for an early dinner. It was not our first choice. But with Thames Street in Bristol stuck in repair mode in the wake of Irene, we sought other options. Unilocalers are a persistent, if not resilient sort.
There’s a small lot behind the restaurant and there seemed to be a decent amount of street parking. It should be noted that Stella Blues is a stone’s throw from a stone’s throw away from 2^nd Story Theatre on Market Street. Love that place. Anyway, the restaurant is quaint enough — lots of wood paneling on the inside, better seating outside. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of the four (or so) outdoor tables, you’ll enjoy watching a small New England town operating while you dine. Plus you’ll be sitting slightly above the sidewalk and under an awning, so you won’t feel like you’re eating on the street.
We ordered a few martinis and were left to mull over the menu. I ordered a dry martini which tasted like someone passed a bottle of water over a bottle of gin and went to pouring. If I wanted cold water I would have asked for it.
The usual menu offerings didn’t really piqué our fancy. The specials seemed only marginally more interesting. They were anything but special. Service was far below par. We began with a pound and a half of steamers. They arrived in a steaming bucket with small dishes of melted butter and clam broth. Problem: We were given no plates, napkins or utensils with which to eat.
We waited. And waited.
After that, we waited some more. The bucket was no longer steaming so I eventually went inside and told the waitress that we needed plates and hey, maybe even some silverware would be nice too. I had walked past a number of idle and smiling waitresses on my way in, so I even dared to ask for napkins.
I know. I’m bold.
If you’ve ever had the misfortune of eating cold steamers then you know they taste a lot like, well, cold steamers. The butter lent taste, but most of their inherent sea flavor had either faded or they may have been overcooked. The jury’s still out.
Moving to the entrees, she ordered the Guinness Steak medium rare from the specials menu. It arrived status post medium rare. It did not have any discernable taste. It was sitting in a disgusting pool of something that tried to look like Guinness gravy, but wound up coming off as puréed diarrhea. Two bites in and she pushed it aside.
Pity there were no hungry animals around.
I had ordered the Seafood Jambalaya. It arrived in a spicy plum tomato sauce served over rice. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The scallops were large and succulent. The chourico gave the plate a pleasant contrast of flavors. It was dinner’s only saving grace.
The real tragedy about this restaurant is that the location is superb and it commands a fairly happening live music scene — or so I’ve heard. That said, beefing up both menu and service should be a key consideration.
So, for its location and awesome Seafood Jambalaya, I give Stella Blues two stars respectively.

We considered it a great sign to see this place slammin’ at 7 on a Friday night and the wait wasn’t too long.
I liked the funky glass panel design separating the entry from the dining room; otherwise the décor’s pretty standard and comfortable for a small town hangout — much like the menu.
The draft beer list isn’t lengthy but it’s solid — I was excited to get a Dogfish Head 90 minute IPA on draft, and in a proper pint glass, not a downsized goblet.
Onto the grub. My dining companion’s burger was awesome — juicy and perfect bun to burger to cheese ratio going on there. But served with a side of fries that looked just like those frozen Friendly’s fries in that all-​too-​perfect rectangular prism form… and soggier.
I ordered a stuffed portobello and a way-​too-​overdressed caesar salad. I should’ve known this mushroom thing wasn’t going to work out: while individually a giant mushroom, delicate crab meat, lobster, and cream sauce are deliciously sinful, together they were just sinfully mismatched. The shroom released it’s brown/​grey juice and made the cream sauce watery. It was so overpowering that the crab and lobster were just reduced to texture alone.
Our server treated us like a nuisance from the get go — «you know what you want?», «all set?», «desserts on the back of the drink list» — not uncommon phrases but when delivered sans smile with a tone like annoyed resentment, the service went from offensive to a kind of entertainment for us. What will she do next?!
«All set» with Stella Blues — a repeat visit isn’t worth the risk for a tasty burg.

We tend to love trendy places with haute cuisine– this is not that place, HOWEVER it is a ‘like’. A really nice, friendly, neighborhood spot. The décor could use updating, but solid food and a nice alternative to Providence or Newport ‘night life’.
We really enjoyed the live entertainment (Fridays and Saturdays starting at 9pm). Not too overwhelming, but I suppose it would depend on the talent– the night we went it was a solo guitar/​singer.
In the future if we go, we would plan on arriving no earlier than 8:30; that is when the lights dim and the crowd dynamic shifts. Staff was amazing and friendly– although it helped that the bartender recognized us from a chance conversation at a long-​ago charity event!

Went for lunch with friends this past weekend.
The stars of the meal were the steamers, which were steamed perfectly (ie not oversteamed to the point of vulcanization) and also properly spiced. Yes, spiced, I know most restaurants frown on spicing the steamers, but this worked very well.
The adults at the table all had Dogfish 90 Minute IPA — one of my favorite brews, which was the perfect compliment to steamers and sandwich alike.
My daughter ordered the Pork Wings — and requested buffalo style vs. the bbq on the menu. Now where I come from, pigs don’t fly, hence they don’t have wings. These turned out to be neat rib like concoctions, perfect as hand food, and the sauce, rather than the standard butter and hot sauce, was more of a fra diavolo inspired creation which both satisfied the heat she was looking for and provided a much deeper flavor and texture matrix.
My other daughter had a burger with cheddar, mushrooms and caramelized mushrooms that was absolutely cooked to perfection. Top grade meat made all the difference here.
Both my friend Gerhard and I had the Roast Beef sandwich, a great portion of top quality roast beef (wondering if they’d had prime rib on special the night before), with a sharp horseradish sauce and carmelized mushrooms on artisan bread.
The atmosphere is old New England seaside, hence space is at a premium. In keeping with the name, Stella Blue, which is an old Grateful Dead tune, they play the Sirius Grateful Dead channel in the bar, which for me made it a thoroughly pleasant experience.
The short version: we all agreed we’d come back, and for my friends that entails a 1.5 hour car ride… and that pretty much says it all.

Well this was my first visit to Stella Blues, and I like the place. The staff in the front of the house is professional and accommodating. The grounds and interior are great and welcoming, a place you want to be.
They have a good selection of beers, and wines to suit most tastes. The menu is well thought out and will make most happy, with the large range of choices.
This was my first visit, and I was a little disappointed with the first steak the kitchen presented me, but they accepted the miss on temperature.
and the second was perfect. My friend’s shrimp were a little over cooked also but not to the point of rubber, still very good.
I Will be back to give them another chance, because of the staff, and the place in general.
I think it worth a visit.