Real Coffee Club
Live music venueLive music venue

Blue

★★★★½ 4.5/5 (100 reviews)
Cozy venue for jazz
650 Congress St # A, Portland, ME 04101 (207) 774-4111 Website
Blue Blue Blue Blue Blue

Reviews (100)

Mona The Writer
Mona The Writer
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Best musicians in the region play here. Great atmosphere.

Nicholas Diehl
Nicholas Diehl
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Great live music and friendly staff.

Owen Lynch
Owen Lynch
★★☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Great vibes but annoying bouncer. He talked to my group for a long time. He said many things then proceeded to say “I’m not saying anything”. Funny guy. Hope he finds his way.

Michael Powers
Michael Powers
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Great sound, good, and vibe

colby koelsch
colby koelsch
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Friendly management, good drinks, great music. Happy to see some much needed new energy brought to this wonderful Portland venue. Not typically a food stop but have never been disappointed by a food special there!

who?
who?
★☆☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

used to love it here, don't love the Genos 2.0 vibes. why does the new guy run the instagram account like its his MySpace page?

Johnny Phantos
Johnny Phantos
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Amazing jazz tonight. A secret gem in the city.

Heidi Nottonson
Heidi Nottonson
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

An inviting and casual place to listen to music. If you want to stay for just a short while, ordering tea is a good option. The food is yummy. Dancing is welcome when the music strikes the mood. Cozy lighting and a good vibe. Varied musical selection!

Logan Buesching
Logan Buesching
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Great French 77 and very good, diverse acts.

Tara Langford
Tara Langford
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Great venue and amazing new owners!

Greg
Greg
★★☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

You are expected to be quiet and listen to the music and will be shushed if you talk (which is fine, that's just the type of place it is,but just be aware of that before you go). They don't charge a cover. They have an unadvertised one-drink-minimum. They ask for donations for the performer and they are pushy about it. Blue--if you are going to advertise "no cover" to get people in the door, don't go back on that by trying to nickel and dime people with drinks and asking for donations. If you are trying to support the performer, great! Do that by charging for entry and then paying the performer. Don't try to get people in the door by saying no cover and then abuse the social decorum to pressure people into forking over money for a performance that they thought would be free.

J C
J C
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Usually quite good, especially for the music. People below don't seem to realize its a MUSIC venue, not a bar where you gab. And drink minimums are standard in music clubs. How else would they survive with no cover? Get with it, folks!

Paul Delabruere
Paul Delabruere
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

So much fun! We had a great time listening to the jazz trio that was playing. The drinks were decent. The Red Hot Dog was way better than expected! I like that they don't have a cover charge, and have a subdued l suggested donation instead. It helps create a respectful feel where the music is genuinely appreciated and respected. We wished we lived closer so we could come regularly!

Jerry G
Jerry G
★☆☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Don't speak if you are there. Stopped in for a drink. When talking to the bartender to correct a drink we were shushed. And told this was a quiet bar. Had to talk over the music to be heard. Very strange . We left.

Alfred Beattie
Alfred Beattie
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

Great community vibe for a hole in the wall (the finestkind) jazz club!

Adam Araujo
Adam Araujo
★☆☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Went to see a friend’s band play. Was a suggested donation of $20 - of which I had $5. They were on at 10, place was maybe half-capacity. Bartender after taking 20 minutes to get to me poured me a water and asked what I wanted - I told him water was fine (10 years sober didn’t want to spend $6 on a watered down cranberry juice) and tipped him $2. Fifteen minutes later he told me that they had a one drink-minimum and he was sorry but he’d have to ask me to leave. Been there maybe 20 times since they opened and that was the first I ever heard of that policy. Plus I paid $2 for a water and tossed money for the band - still thrown out of a bar for not drinking. I won’t be back, and I hope the music scene evolves to exclude this hole in the wall.

Austin Foley
Austin Foley
★☆☆☆☆ Jan 20, 1970

Never been shushed at a “music venue” before.

Dustin Bonk
Dustin Bonk
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

A nice spot! A small music venue (lots of folk and Irish performers), good cocktail menu, and good food, but pricey and small servings.

P J
P J
★★★★★ Jan 20, 1970

My daughter and I stopped in for the first time last night for Irish music night and had the best time!! They have a cool selection of drinks and beers and really delicious food! We tried the Mediterranean plate, the butternut squash ravioli in brown butter, and the cheese plate for two. The food was all so fresh and lovingly prepared and absolutely yummy!! Our waiter was super nice, and everybody was so fun and courteous and the place is really cozy, but spacious. Oh, and the music! Of course what's not to like? Live Irish music in Portland Maine! Is there anything more fun than that? Nope! I can see my daughter and I returning often! Such an amazing venue! Thank you, Blue!

Lindsay Spates
Lindsay Spates
★☆☆☆☆ Jan 19, 1970

Was real excited to go here cuz I heard nothing but great things, but was greeted by demands for my private medical records. Now I'll never know. 🤷