The Blue Note Grill

If this is a thing, I identify as a Bluesoholic! What a pleasant find. This place is a must, if you love the Blues. I kept it simple and had a patty melt and a coke. They had a full bar for those who enjoy good vibes and spirits. The music was superb. I wandered in on a night of local talent. The energy was high, with dance filled floor and talent that was second to none. I will definitely be back!

For lunch, we went in search of BBQ and found @bluenotedurhsm on @yelp. We were sad we could not go back for live music, but the BBQ was outstanding! Our server was super sweet and chatted with us about the different dishes. We ordered: Pimento Cheese Dip - came out hot and served with tortillas Half Rack BBQ Ribs with Cole Slaw and hush puppies - meat fell off the bone, I would skip the hush puppies next time Rib Sandwich on a brioche bun and Mac & Cheese - all delicious, especially with the vinegar based bbq sauce added!

A Durham treasure! I've been to the Blue Note Grill over the years and the service and food are always excellent. Portions are generous. Live music in the evenings makes for an enjoyable night out. Even if you don't dance, it's fun seeing other people breaking a move and having a good time!

The dining experience is causal, you have indoors and outdoor sitting options. The service was a bit slow and not very attentive in the outdoor area so we made sure to get everything in just one order. The ribs were well seasoned and tender, I would add our batch had a lot of fat but still delicious. Complementing the ribs were the hush puppies, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, providing the perfect textural contrast. The Mac and Cheese is a comforting classic, while the refreshing cold slaw adds a zesty, crunchy element to the meal. We also tried the shredded chicken sandwich which offered a blend of savory and smoky flavors, the sandwich we chose did not come with sauces so you can choose the options available at the table. Whether you're a barbecue enthusiast or a comfort food lover, the menu offers a symphony of tastes that will have you coming back for more.

I never give poor reviews, especially when the food is really good. But just like with any experience poor service can ruin a meal. We arrive on a Saturday evening with music scheduled in the music hall. We opted for we thought would be a quick dinner on the patio sans music and cover charge. We were seated rather quickly in light of the fact that the host was dealing with a large party. We were seated on the patio and there we sat for over 10 min with no server, no water, no nothing. Servers did come and go from the patio but none of them even gave us a second glance. I finally had to go back to the host area and ask to be served and again waited 5 min for someone to take our orders with not even an apology. Once our order was taken drinks were slow to arrive; apps and entrees were faster; hot and tasty. Cocktail (southern peach) was good but they were out of my husband's favorite beer.

The music and the food and the folks were splendid!!! I would like to visit again an again.

We came here since it had a patio and we could bring the dog. I think if we had a different waitress the experience would have been better. It seemed like she just didn't want to be there and really didn't like being a server either. Otherwise I definitely would come back the inside was cozy and they were setting up for what looked like a good blues band. Next time definitely won't bring the pup and will go inside as well. We ordered two appetizers - the brisket street tacos and the Alaskan wild wings which was fried haddock- waitress didn't ask us what sauce we wanted and only brought tartar sauce. The food was actually decent portions for appetizers. We were going to order a entree but the waitress asked if we wanted dessert instead and we definitely were not up for that either. The food was cooked well and tasted good!We ordered the Mexicali drink which was ok I definitely could have used spicier and not tajin sticking to the rim but it was still good. Also next time I'll order a different tequila since the one tasted too much like cucumber. Hubs ordered Hoppium and it was good and in a nice cold glass too which is key!

We enjoyed our time at The Blue Note Grill in downtown Durham. I think the food is three stars (okay), but the live music, laid-back atmosphere, and friendliness of both the staff and the patrons bumps this business up to four stars (good) for me. Barbecue, ribs, and music succinctly sums this place up.We ended up here because we were looking for a barbecue restaurant in Durham that was open for dinner on a Wednesday night after 8:00pm. There weren't many options. We didn't know about the live music aspect of The Blue Note Grill until we arrived. This place is popular.We showed up and checked in around 6:45pm. They don't take reservations. We were told the wait would be about 30 minutes and I was given a pager. The estimated wait time was pretty much spot-on as we were seated around 7:15pm.On a Wednesday night, we were told the main indoor dining room and bar - the one with the stage and live music - was full. If we wanted to sit in there, there would be a $5 cover charge per person. Our other options were the fully-enclosed patio and the open-air patio. I asked if I could see all three options before making a decision and one of the staff obliged.I ended up choosing the open-air patio for our small group of three because: (1) We wanted to catch up and the music was too loud inside. Sitting inside is for those who primarily want to enjoy the music. (2) The enclosed patio was actually warmer and stuffier than the open-air patio. We ended up liking the open-air patio, even though we had to deal with flies and mosquito bites, because we could hear each other easily and still enjoy the live music coming from the inside. The patio was decorated with plants and string lights. It had picnic tables, most of which were covered by umbrellas. We got the only table that was under a canopy.By the way, I also noticed another indoor dining room called the "Rib Room." It's to your right upon entering. There was no one in there and it appeared to be closed. Maybe they didn't have enough staff to open that room.The night of our visit, it was "Brett's Open Mic," 7-10pm. "Brett" being Brett Chambers, who's been doing Open Mics since September 1996. Go to https://www.thebluenotegrill.com/events to see all upcoming events. According to The Blue Note Grill's website, they've been around since 2010 and moved to their current location at 709 Washington St in June 2015. They have live music nightly, Tuesday-Saturday. They're closed Sunday and Monday.The business is located on the northern edges of Durham's Central Park and Warehouse District neighborhoods. The building is old. Free parking is located next to and behind the building by an old wooden train trestle bridge and some defunct oil tanks. I'm not sure what was here before. Be careful pulling into and out of the parking lot because the ramp from the street was very steep. Sitting on the patio, we heard many cars hit and scrape the curb/driveway. The ramp needs to be redone/regraded.Along with barbecue, The Blue Note Grill serves burgers, sandwiches, chili, Brunswick stew, wings, barbecue/Southern sides, appetizers like crispy pickle fries and deviled eggs, and desserts like banana pudding and chocolate lava cake.Here's what we got:* Redneck Cheese Fries ($9.99) with Pickled Jalapenos (+$1.00) - French fries smothered with melted housemade pimento cheese, served with ranch dressing* Alaska Wild Wings ($9.99) - eight fried pollock bites with sweet red chili sauce and tartar sauce* Baby Back Ribs Full Rack ($31.99) with hush puppies, fried okra, and housemade coleslaw* Baby Back Ribs Half Rack ($19.99) with hush puppies, substitute salad (+$2.00), and fried okra* Pulled Pork BBQ Plate ($13.99) with hush puppies, collards, and green beans sauteed in bacon and onionsOverall, I thought the food was fine. Nothing stood out as either great or bad. My wife enjoyed the Redneck Cheese Fries more than I did. The ranch dressing was a nice touch. I liked the Alaska Wild Wings. They were crispy and boneless. They also came with celery and carrot sticks. The Baby Back Ribs were a bit too tough and chewy. However, the portion size was generous. The Pulled Pork was OK. In general, I think it and the sides lacked a bit of seasoning and flavor. The salad was fresh and came with onion, cheese, tomatoes, and carrots. The fried okra was yummy.The condiment basket included two kinds of barbecue sauces, Eastern NC (thinner, more vinegary) and Western NC (thicker, sweeter).Our server Kai S was great. He was funny and did a nice job. The other staff was great as well, including the hostess/manager. Despite a busy night, all of our food came out fast.There was a scan-QR-code-to-pay option on the receipt. I usually prefer this over using my physical card, but The Blue Note Grill uses Heartland Payment Systems who makes you download/install their app, sign up, and then pay. I didn't have time for that and paid with card instead. From a guest experience, Toast is better.

The ribs were top tier. Service top tier. The collard greens were bland and the baked beans tasted like Campbell's baked beans. The live music made the whole experience worth while.

We had a private party here and the food and atmosphere were terrific. Very accommodating and easy to work with. Also a great place to meet up with friends and listen to live music.