Blue Island Oyster Bar and Seafood — Restaurant in Denver

Blue Island Oyster Bar in Cherry Creek is a fabulous spot to host a dinner party, and we did just that last week. The theme? Rosé and Fall Fête. The girls and I headed to Blue Island Oyster Bar and got ready to enjoy some fabulous seafood & Hampton Water Rosé.

We arrived at Blue Island Oyster Bar, and we were seated in the main dining room. The aesthetic of the restaurant was reminiscent of a coastal town with blues, neutral tones & cool nautical decor throughout. Service was top notch as Sarah Gore & Grant Dobbie ensured everything for our dinner party was teed up. Servers Ben & Linda were attentive and professional - they handled our large party seamlessly. Nobody’s glass was ever empty, and the food was timely brought out.

We started with Oysters. The Oysters were so fresh - Blue Island Oyster Bar partners with Blue Island Shellfish Farms in Long Island, NY in order to bringing high-quality seafood to Colorado.

Naturally, the Hampton Water Rosé was flowing the entire meal and it paired brilliantly with all the seafood. The rosé's light, refreshing flavor profile complemented the delicate flavors of the oysters, clams, & lobster.

The City's Best Clam Chowder was East Coast chowder topped with a piping hot sea clam fritter. The Clam Chowder was creamy & thick with tender chunks of potatoes that melted in our mouths. The clam fritter was comparable to a clam beignet - it was a crisp, golden brown on the outside, pillowy & light on the inside. Tiny chunks of clam were nestled in the fritter’s warm, fluffy dough.

For mains, we had Blue Island Oyster Bar's gorgeous Signature Lobster Rolls that were stuffed to the brim with lobster. We had our choice of New England (mayo) or Connecticut-Style (butter). I had mine New England style, and the creamy, tangy mayo provided a light and refreshing backdrop for the sweet lobster. We couldn’t get enough of the lobster rolls.

For dessert we had Key Lime Pie. The pie was smooth and creamy with a golden graham cracker crust. The tartness of the key lime pie paired well with the floral notes of the rosé - it created a refreshing and balanced combination...

We unfortunately only make it to Blue Island a handful of times per year whenever we’re in town, but it is always a mandatory visit during our visits. We came in once for happy hour on the way back from the mountains, and had such a great experience that it has become a tradition ever since.

First and foremost, I want to acknowledge George — who has helped us every time we’ve visited, and we continue to look forward to him helping us every time. He is above and beyond any server/bartender who I’ve ever been helped by, and is a huge asset to this restaurant. I believe he’s lead bartender — but whatever role he serves, he deserves a raise!

Onto the food, like I mentioned we intentionally time our visits to make it for happy hour, and it may be the best happy hour value I’ve seen. We always sit at the bar and order whatever sounds good on the menu that day. All the food offerings come with great portions, and very well-prepared. Roasted oysters, crispy fish sliders, shrimp tacos, curry mussels, deviled eggs with roe, and bleu cheese fondue are all plates we order every time — just to name a few.

They have a great variety of oysters, and rotate whichever variety is the shucker’s special of the day. Always have to order a dozen (or more) when we visit. Not to forgot to mention the drinks/shooters. Both of their oyster shooters are great, but the cucumber and lime is one of the best we’ve had. So bright and fresh to help compliment the crisp flavor profile of an oyster. Martinis are always on point, and I think cost $9 on happy hour? Too good. Also be sure to order the Aperol spritz if you want an actual fishbowl of Aperol!

A great restaurant with great food and drink offerings, staff, and ambiance. Will always make a point to come when we’re in town and hopefully be helped by George! Blue Island, keep doing what...

Over priced & underwhelming food with poor service summarizes our experience at Blue Island.

First the positive....when I arrived it turned out I'd made the reservation for the wrong week. The restaurant was fully booked the rest of the night but the hostess went out of her way to shuffle some things around and get us a table. Thank you! In terms of our food, the oysters were fantastic and the gnocchi and butternut squash that came in the scallops were really good.

The average....the rest of the food was just so so. In addition to oysters, we had the king crab legs, the octopus, the scallop entree and a side of brussels sprouts. The portions we large and descriptions sounded fantastic but we would not recommend any of the dishes.

The bad....service was rushed all night. The waitress said she'd pace out the courses for an enjoyable meal but dishes arrived on top of each other and the wait staff stood over us expecting us to make room for the new ones when we weren't done with the previous ones. After settling down the new ones, they took away ones we weren't done with yet. I was also surprised by the poor bar service. I ordered a cocktail and the waitress came back and told me the bar wasn't familiar with it and was too busy to look it up.

That leads to our final disappointment. Some of these complaints are to be expected at an average restaurant, charging average prices. When entrees are $30+, the expectations are much higher. The prices are way too high given the quality of what's delivered.

There are much better restaurants around Denver, we...