Happy Hour surprise at Seattle’s Blueacre Seafood

Blueacre partners Kevin and Terresa embrace Big Ed, the
marlin that graced the wall at Oceanaire for nine years.
(Kevin was the opening chef at Oceanaire from 2001-2006)

While walking around downtown Seattle yesterday afternoon I decided to check into Blueacre Seafood. It was only three in the afternoon so I figured it would be closed and we could just read the menu. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was Happy Hour on a Saturday afternoon.

Blueacre is at 1700 7th Avenue in Seattle, the former location of the bankrupt upscale chain Oceanaire Seafood Room. This new restaurant still has many of the dark cherry wood features from the previous Oceanaire but they have taken down some of the walls and heavy wooden blinds to really lighten the place up but still leave just a bit of the old school charm and sophistication from the former tenant. Supposedly the former chef of Oceanaire is now the owner of the new Blueacre Seafood Restaurant.

For happy hour we tried out a dozen oysters (they were featuring Calm Cove) for one buck each and they were fairly fat, juicy and fresh tasting. The biggest surprise was the Blackened Catfish Slider. We were expecting your typical couple of nibblers but what we got was an entire sandwich. Nearly half of a large fillet of spicy grilled catfish between two pieces of gourmet bread triangles. This “slider” was a meal and would by itself would easily fill someone up. It would be nice if you could order it with not so much creole spicing but I never asked to see if you could.

Now we decided to pass on their highly promoted cans of Rainier Beer for $1.50 and instead tried a few of their wonderful draughts on tap for 3 bucks. Their Pike Weiss was much to my liking and we also enjoyed their Mendocino White Hawk IPA and Firestone Walker Double Barrel Ale. But the “most awesome” drink of the afternoon was a mixed drink; their “Moscow Mule” with Russian Standard Vodka, mixed with a strong tasting ginger beer and served with a lime in a copper mug. If you love ginger beer like I do you will love this drink – $6. Their “Deminished Capacity” with Finlandia Mango, Pama Pomegranate and lime is just 5 bucks during happy hour.

This was quite surprising. I went in expecting an equally expensive yet unknown sister to the previous Oceanaire but somehow ended up liking the place even better. Along with the one dollar oysters and Catfish “Slider,” we tried the Moules Frites for $7. The mussel broth was so delicious that they really should include a piece of toasted bread so you can savor every drop of it. The Large Manila Clams are also good and juicy and sell for just $1.65 each all day.

I am very familiar with the menu of the former Oceanaire and the Blueacre dinner items appear to be a better value; not cheap but a decent value. At the old Oceanaire the delicious pork chop started out costing in the teens but by the end of their run in Seattle the price had climbed to about $28. Too much in my opinion. Blueacre’s Black & Bleu Carlton Farms Pork Chop with bleu cheese and crispy onion salad is back down to just $17.95. And this is for a good quality steak-like pork chop.

When we were ready to leave, the damage for all the three of us was just $34. The staff kept coming back asking if everything was OK and making sure we were doing well. They had no idea I would be writing this posting and to tell you the truth neither did I. We eat out quite often but typically don’t feel the desire to write anything about the experience (I think I will write about my dining out more often). Still in morning about the sudden departure of Oceanaire Seafood Room, we left extremely happy to have found a new seafood hang out and happy hour in Seattle.

Blueacre Seafood is open daily starting at 11am and now all the way through dinner until 10pm, seven days a week except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Happy Hour is daily only in the lounge from 3pm – 6pm, including Saturday. On Saturday at 3pm it was empty but by 6pm the place was hopping. Go check it out before everyone else discovers this new restaurant.