Blue Rose Cafe

[Conan71]

The wife and I had lunch at the Blue Rose today.

We got there about 12:30 and the place was hopping.   

Service was good. 

I was disappointed right off the bat.   The sign out front said the soup of the day was lentil and ham.  But they were out. 

So I ordered the Chicken Salad with chips.   Jo got a hamburger with fries/onion rings mix.  We then split the sandwiches so she could try the Chicken Salad and I could try the burger.   

The Chicken Salad took us back right off due to it was yellow, they used a spicy mustard in the mix.   I liked it but Jo was not as impressed.   The burger was great, it was cooked perfectly and had a good flavor.   

The chips were home style and good.   The fries were very good, the onion rings not so good.  They tasted stale like they were left over from last night. 

Over all the food was very good.

The building itself is nice but when we first got there it was loud and the sound echoed off the windows, walls and ceiling.  With my mature hearing that makes it difficult for me to carry on a conversation.   By the time our meal arrived and we ate, the place was emptying out and quieted down so I could carry on a conversation. 

Next time, I will sit outside or order carry out. 

My daughter is an interior design major and said acoustics is a terribly ignored part of interior design these days.  There are relatively inexpensive panels which can be installed which would absorb a lot of noise, yet owners and their designers don't insist on them for the comfort of customers.  Lots of concrete, metal, and glass are basically an amplifier and reverb chamber.  The noise level is one reason I will only go to In The Raw when one of the daughter's requests it.  I can't stand the noise and they seem to turn up the music the louder the crowd gets.

Maybe the noise gives the image of being a "happening" place and is a bigger draw.  Not so much for me, but I'm beginning to show my age.  I think open pipes on a Harley sounds like crap now, if that tells you anything  

[carltonplace]

They also did not give much thought to traffic flow. People heading out side are at odds with people at the bar, or with wait staff trying to get from the kitchen to the service well. People seated are constantly jostled by folks moving from place to place or waiting for a table up front.

If the bar was over by the kitchen a lot of the traffic problems would have been resolved.

[cjmcinty]

My fiance & I went on a gorgeous day about a week ago with the hopes of sitting outside & having dinner. We were disappointed to hear that only chips, salsa & drinks would be served on the patio. I worked in restaurants all through college & part-time before going back to graduate school, so I understand that serving such a large patio would be difficult, especially with the traffic flow issues already mentioned. (We had problems with this too--accidentally went out a door with a hand-written sign saying 'servers only' & immediately got the stink-eye from one of the servers trying to use the door. Designating a door for the servers is not issue--the problem was, this appeared to be the main door out to the patio, right next to the bar. A side door away from the main traffic flow would be much more appropriate, & much less frustrating for the servers) Anyway, back to the point; I would think serving food outside would be a priority when you've built a place like that. In my mind, they are losing potential customers. How many other places in Tulsa offer the opportunity to sit outside & eat with a view of the river? We didn't want to sit inside (it was crowded & noisy & way too nice of a day to stay in), so we left. Probably won't be back because the interior of the place did not appeal to me. I'm happier up the river @ Elwoods on a blanket in the grass  

[Townsend]

My fiance & I went on a gorgeous day about a week ago with the hopes of sitting outside & having dinner. We were disappointed to hear that only chips, salsa & drinks would be served on the patio. I worked in restaurants all through college & part-time before going back to graduate school, so I understand that serving such a large patio would be difficult, especially with the traffic flow issues already mentioned. (We had problems with this too--accidentally went out a door with a hand-written sign saying 'servers only' & immediately got the stink-eye from one of the servers trying to use the door. Designating a door for the servers is not issue--the problem was, this appeared to be the main door out to the patio, right next to the bar. A side door away from the main traffic flow would be much more appropriate, & much less frustrating for the servers) Anyway, back to the point; I would think serving food outside would be a priority when you've built a place like that. In my mind, they are losing potential customers. How many other places in Tulsa offer the opportunity to sit outside & eat with a view of the river? We didn't want to sit inside (it was crowded & noisy & way too nice of a day to stay in), so we left. Probably won't be back because the interior of the place did not appeal to me. I'm happier up the river @ Elwoods on a blanket in the grass  

The concerns are with food quality and speed.

The demand was underestimated.

[Conan71]

The concerns are with food quality and speed.

The demand was underestimated.

I don't see how they underestimated the demand by such a large margin.  BRC in it's initial incarnation was incredibly popular.  Move that vibe and food to a mid/downtown location on the river and you've got an instant hit.  You could serve smile on a sandal and still pack the place.

CJ- They are adding additional kitchen capacity which I believe will allow them to serve sandwiches outdoors if I've heard/read correctly.

[cjmcinty]

The concerns are with food quality and speed.

The demand was underestimated.

As I said, with restaurant experience, I understand this. I chose not to dine there because of this & would not have driven from South Tulsa to Blue Rose to sit outside had I known we weren't going to be served dinner. Thought I would try & save someone else the trouble since this is a review thread.

Also, I would hope they consider working out the kinks & figuring out how to get food out there. Maybe a limited menu (apps & simple entrees,  only--10 items maybe) or only serving dinner outside during certain hours & increasing staff during those peak times, then tapering off as the evening goes on...

[Conan71]

As I said, with restaurant experience, I understand this. I chose not to dine there because of this & would not have driven from South Tulsa to Blue Rose to sit outside had I known we weren't going to be served dinner. Thought I would try & save someone else the trouble since this is a review thread.

Also, I would hope they consider working out the kinks & figuring out how to get food out there. Maybe a limited menu (apps & simple entrees,  only--10 items maybe) or only serving dinner outside during certain hours & increasing staff during those peak times, then tapering off as the evening goes on...

See above.  That's in progress as we speak.  I believe Tom said food capacity would increase by 40%

[cjmcinty]

I don't see how they underestimated the demand by such a large margin.  BRC in it's initial incarnation was incredibly popular.  Move that vibe and food to a mid/downtown location on the river and you've got an instant hit.  You could serve smile on a sandal and still pack the place.

CJ- They are adding additional kitchen capacity which I believe will allow them to serve sandwiches outdoors if I've heard/read correctly.

Glad to hear it! Sandwiches would be an easy way to do it. I'd be happy with a sandwich and a beer

[Conan71]

Glad to hear it! Sandwiches would be an easy way to do it. I'd be happy with a sandwich and a beer

He's most definitely aware of the issues and is anxious to solve them.

[Townsend]

I don't see how they underestimated the demand by such a large margin.  

Was the design a stipulation to being approved at that location?  There must be a good reason why kitchen capacity was so low compared to seating.

[Conan71]

Was the design a stipulation to being approved at that location?  There must be a good reason why kitchen capacity was so low compared to seating.

Tom acts a little surprised at the response to the restaurant.  Far as I know, he relied on previous experience and has worked with limited kitchen space (Eskimo Joe's, original Blue Rose, & Elwoods).  Perhaps if they had done a more detailed study they could have gauged response and capacity better working with a restaurant consultant.  To be honest, when I heard it was in the 3000 to 3500 sq. ft. range when it was first announced, it seemed a bit small to me.

He's got a neat deal there, I just hope everyone is patient and will make a return trip down the road after they've had time to iron it all out.  I've got a client in from out of town today and we will be going.  I took this guy last time he was here and he more or less demanded we go again.  

[godboko71]

In a way I guess I am glad I am stuck out of town. Can't wait to get up there and try it when they are serving food on the patio

[Conan71]

Lunch was good today and I noticed on the patio tables near the roll-up doors they had condiments on the tables like they were going to serve food out there.  We got there at 11:30 and left about 12:15, it wasn't overly crowded today.

[tulsa_fan]

You could always order your food to go and eat on the patio . . .

[Townsend]

Blue Rose was mentioned over on the REI thread and it made me think of my last visit there a few weeks ago.

What a disgusting smile hole.  It was nasty.  The bathrooms, patio, main dining room...all gross.

It reminded me of the bathrooms in the old Blue Rose on Brookside.

And I know nasty...I worked for Full Moon in the '90's.

We had one beer and left...and I questioned the cleanliness of that bottle.