The Blue Dog Cookhouse & Bar — Restaurant in New York

My husband and our friend recently celebrated their birthdays, so we decided to have dinner together to celebrate. It has been freezing in NYC lately, and walking into Blue Dog’s cozy environment (not to mention the warm welcome from the staff – shout-out to Travis!) really helped me transition into enjoying the evening.

The menu at Blue Dog is special and unique, offering something for everyone. There are plenty of “elevated comfort food” options, but also healthy, hearty dishes, and a great selection for vegetarians/vegans (like me), meat eaters (like my husband and our friend), and anyone else with particular preferences. Every dish feels thoughtfully constructed – from the dipping sauces to the carefully chosen ingredients and how they're plated.

I had the Goddess Aphrodite vegan burger, and let me tell you, it was incredible. In other restaurants, a veggie burger is often just a little patty of "used to be" vegetables, and if I don’t eat the bun or drown it in sauce, it’s usually not enough to feel like a complete meal. But Blue Dog is the only restaurant where a vegan burger is truly satisfying. I even ate the bun here, which I rarely do! I’m not sure what kind of bread they use, but it’s far from the typical store-bought wonder bread. This one is substantial, almost like a sprouted grain, and perfectly toasted. They also top it with delicious red pepper relish flakes, adding a sweet touch, and a little bit of shiitake “bacon” for extra flavor. The patty itself is huge. It comes with thin shoestring fries, though I could’ve swapped them out for a salad if I wanted.

My husband and our friend shared the Bouillabaisse and several starters that they raved about (the shrimp brioche and crispy salmon roll were standouts). For dessert, they enjoyed carrot cake and chocolate cake, which left them both very happy. I might’ve stolen a strawberry from each of their plates – don’t laugh, it was the best strawberry I’ve ever tasted! It was shaped like a rose, and absolutely beautiful.

Overall, it was a really special evening. One last thing – the service was fantastic. The staff was attentive without being overbearing. They were happy to adjust the level of formality based on what we wanted (they even asked if we’d like to switch utensils between courses). It’s refreshing when servers are receptive to creating the experience you want, whether you’re in the mood for a formal dining experience or just a more casual vibe. Very cool.

I highly recommend Blue Dog for any occasion – or even just to make an ordinary meal feel like a...

This place is a hidden gem tucked in the theater district - great atmosphere, food, drinks and service! All the reviews I had read previously talked about the burgers or brunch so I felt a little uncertain about going here for dinner, but I’m glad I did! We had a fabulous dinner and I can’t wait to go back and try a few more of the cocktails. They all looked so good. We definitely recommend the Very Berry Fields (pictured), Vivid Venice, Venetian Spritz, and the Saint Citron Spritz.

We started with the crispy salmon rice and butternut squash fries as appetizers (see photos). I loved the crispy salmon rice. It’s a fun take on a salmon roll with the salmon diced on a bed of lightly fried rice. The butternut squash fries are different than others I’ve had as the squash is actually mashed or grated on the inside and then fried so they look like mozzarella sticks. They were tasty, especially with the dipping sauce, but a little heavy for me. I didn’t want to spoil my dinner so I only had two!

For dinner I had the Seared Branzino and my friend had the Pan Seared Scallops. We both really liked our meals. The branzino arrived piping hot (a plus in my book) and had a wonderful crispy skin. It was perfectly cooked and delicious. I loved the flavor of the bits of asparagus and capers on top. And the cauliflower purée was so creamy it felt a little decadent. My friend raved about the scallops with a generous portion of barley, saying the citrus gave the dish a lightness.

We didn’t have dessert, instead opting for a second drink, but I am curious about the churros and the gelato. They were recommended and sounded amazing.

It was busy on a Thursday night but the service was quick and very attentive. Thank you to Carlos for making sure we were well taken care of and out in time to get to the show. And the others who kept our water glasses full, plates cleared and food arriving hot!

I love the coziness of this place and look forward to...

Wonderful Restaurant: a one of a kind experience! We were there to celebrate my birthday after a show in the heart of the Theater District. The foods and service were amazing: 100/100!

In details, I started off with the Crispy Salmon Rice, which reminded me of a Japanese Baked Salmon; but unlike the classic baked salmon that is cooked, the salmon was raw and very fresh. I also had the Shrimp Brioche Roll, which I think was a play-on and lighter version of the famous lobster roll; and with a squeeze (hint) of lime, it was like eating fluffy clouds that exploded with full of flavor and taste inside my mouth. We also started with some Roasted Brussel Sprouts, my wife is a vegetarian. In my opinion, not many places can do brussel sprout well without over frying it or making it grease; the Blue Dog sprouts was perfectly cooked with a cruch and still remained healthy.

For our main course, I had the Seafood Bouillabaisse and my wife had the Goddess Veg Burger, French Onion Soup, and Butternut Squash Fries. The Bouillabaisse was full of flavors and its broth is rich in depth; it was like being back in New Orleans eating a bowl of the momma gumbo. The same for the onion soup. The butternut fries were the best I have ever tasted; that is all needed to be said.

We ended our dinner with a slice of carrot cake, which is my favorite dessert. The entire restaurant front service staff came by to sing Happy Birthday, which was a surprise. As a previous restaurant owner, I also have to acknowledge Travis, the manager. Watching him throughout the evening helping and leading the service staff was a delight; not many restaurant managers are as hands on with serving guests unless there is an incident. Travis on the other hand guided the our entire experience making it a very memorable evening.

The next time we are back in Time Square for a show, Blue Dog will be...