Blues Alley

A First rate Jazz Club. One that emphasizes keeping conversation to a minimum during performance. The host even came by to quiet a couple who was conversing rather loudly. The food was good, not spectacular. The only issue I had was the performance cost was added to the food and drink bill, and the waitperson seemed perplexed that I only left a gratuity on the food and drink portion of the bill. (20%). I was there to see the Azar Lawrence Quartet on June 1. I was visiting from out of town and had researched jazz clubs in DC and Blues Alley was by far the most appealing, and it didn’t disappoint. If there isn’t a full house for the second show at 10pm, they allow you to remain as long as you spend the $ 12 minimum. Don’t count on this being the norm, because the upcoming schedule indicates some of the best jazz musicians in the world come here to perform.

Saw Arturo Sandoval recently — always go see him when he’s in town! I love Blues Alley; it’s a classic listening blues club with good food and great talent.

Friends and I arrived early to get an upfront table and enjoy the food. Not disappointed. The entertainment and music was wonderful. I had the rice and beans (maybe a little rich on the oil, but very tasty).

Love the location… The music and the band was on point… Make sure you buy a ticket first because you will be taking a chance on getting in… The food not the best… Just stick to the appetizer… overall nice date night for sure

This review is for the Arturo Sandoval show on Thursday May5th 2016. The music was stellar! However the in house sound guy was horrible, not paying attention to the band at all and the audience wouldn’t stop chatting and laughing. Arturo asked the audience no less than 5 times to be quiet and respect the music and your neighbors — but nope. Management needs to step it up and stop resting on the venues history.

We had a good time here, food was good

I love live Jazz and have been to many places around the world. Went for my first time last night with one of my girlfriends as I heard this place was THE jazz club to go to. We were not disappointed watching the Chemistry Project. They were wonderful! The saxophonist, who also played 3 other instruments was memorizing. My girlfriend and I couldn’t keep our eyes off him.
We went early to eat and was able to get a table close to the stage. The place has good acoustics so it probably doesn’t matter where you sit. We ordered the steak and the Cajun catfish. Both were good but probably over priced for its quality. Next time I’ll probably eat before I go to see a show. Our waitress was super friendly. Only small complaint I have it about the hostess. She was unfriendly and extremely intense — kind of offsetting in a calm relaxed environment like Blues Alley. The entire show she kept b-​lining to various tables policing phone usage. I understand the policy of no phones during the show, but she became way more disruptive trying to regulate vs the people actually using a phone.
Fun fact– if you go to the 8:00 show they won’t charge you extra if you also stay for the 10:00 show.
Overall my first experience here was great. I’ll definitely be back. Word of advise, stay clear of the intense phone nazi hostess.

Blues Alley features an impressive lineup, with some of the best jazz players anywhere. They always remind the audience that «this is a listening club, so please keep your conversations to a minimum during the performance.» Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. The last time I went, the audience was so noisy that I could barely hear the band. When I politely asked people to quite down, they threw ME OUT! I did not use any threat or profanity; I only did what the club management should have already done. I was a regular here for a decade, coming to at least one show per month (very often two or more). But I’m never going back again. I’m not paying big bucks (in this case, $ 75,00 a ticket) to hear a ceaseless cacophony of cell phones and idle chatter throughout the entire show.

The Angela Winbush show last night was absolutely amazing. The room was intimate (charming speakeasy)…and we could almost reach out and touch Ms. Winbush. We had dinner at Clyde’s before the event and felts so good after the show, that we had a night cap at J. Paul’s. We will be back.

I like this place because I only like to see performers in small intimate type venues. I had not heard of this spot before but someone I know of was performing there (Stacy Brooks Band) so I stopped by. I really had no expectations but I didn’t expect to get hit with a $ 20 cover and a $ 12 minimum bill. I could’ve not had anything and walked away spending $ 32 for a performance (which isn’t bad, Stacy Rocks). or I could’ve had some fried shrimp and a soda to cover the $ 12 and left a tip and walked out paying $ 38 for an app and a show (still not bad). They had a drink (based off the person performing) but I forget the name however it wasn’t what I expected. Since Stacy was performing I thought the drink would’ve been a Stacy Brooks Band drink (that I had at Madam’s Organ) but it wasn’t. Almost tasted like a White Russian which was fine by me but it was in a shooter.
The food was ok and the drinks were small but I really like the venue’s atmosphere which is why I wanted to give it 4 stars but realized that the performer shouldn’t add stars to the venue so I dropped it down to 3.

I came here once. Hard to find since I parked 2 blocks away. I truly enjoyed the music here. It was great to see the performances from the different artist. Its really dark in there, which gives full attention to the artist that perform. A couple Of things that I didn’t like, was that its really cramped in there. I Felt like a packed sardine, sitting on the side next to the stage. The other thing was I didn’t have cash so I had to leave out and walk to a AtM to get money since there is no money machine inside. And Once the show was over, they rush you out to get the next group in. I felt like I couldn’t even finish my drink. But overall its nice to go sit down and listen to some nice music.

I came here on nye and had a fantastic night here.
Personally I am not a big fan of jazz and blues but I can certainly appreciate the music and the live performance here. My friend is a big fan of jazz and she absolutely loves blues alley and the artists they bring here. It is top notch. Needless to say, I was very impressed by the music here.
Speaking of the food, even though food is not the highlight here, it is decent enough for a music venue. I had the filet mignon here, medium. It is cooked on point. The salad and bred pudding is slightly under average but I can overlook it anyway.
If you love jazz, definitely check this place out. It will blow you away.

Of course it’s Roy Hargrove.
Walked in about 7:15, was seated immediately. The seating chart was ridiculously cramped & darn near suffocating. I’d rather pay more money for a ticket & have more space oppose to sitting on the lap of the person next to me that is not part of my party. I’m all for an intimate setting, yet this seating didn’t equate to the objective of intimate.
Looking over the menu, it had 3 items labeled as Vegan. & once I placed my order, the server told me on all 3 choices that the menu had errors. Seriously?! As popular as this landmark of a live music is, the menu can’t be updated & correct?
I settled for the Ahmad Jamal’s Vegetarian dish. Sautéed Tofu (could have been cooked longer) & good mix of veggies & Creole Seasoning. Amongst the other couple at our table, we ate in a very tight space, yet the food was ok & made up for slight discomfort.
Right on time, Hargrove came on & went straight to his set. He was in performing mode 100 floating on a special cloud with his red sunglasses. He didn’t interact with his band or the audience. For me the drummer Quentin Phillips was the highlight of the show, his solo was straight percussion beauty. The piano & saxophone players were out of tune & off key on many songs… the piano player performed like he didn’t want to perform.
Good vibe of music especially the last 2 songs & after the last one-​the jam session of the night, Hargrove dropped his trumpet & exit stage left all in 5 seconds.
There are some more shows I’d like to attend & will make sure to arrive early as possible to be able to choose a table of preference. Perhaps I’ll have dinner before hand since the menu is not vegetarian/​vegan friendly & not wanting to sit on someone’s lap to eat.
Maybe next time will be better this time.

Wow!!! Great singer! Rachelle
Ferrell was absolutely fantastic!
Nicely done!
Food was good, service was good, thr show was absolutely fantastic!

When people say you go here for the music, you really do go here for the music, because there’s nothing else to get excited about at Blues Alley. While the performer we saw was fantastic, the entire experience left me unimpressed. I was excited to finally get here, and while I’m sure I’ll need to return, I won’t be looking forward to it.
Our tickets were for the 10 p.m. show. We got in line at 9:20, and the were the third party in line, unless you count the rats that were running across the alley. You definitely want to be in line early, but you will wait. Doors supposedly open at 9:45, but opened 20 minutes late. By the time everyone was seated, it was about 10:30, and the performance started at 10:40. Our drink order was not taken until almost 11, and it took 15 minutes for our wine to be served.
I normally don’t mind per person minimums, but a lackluster and overpriced menu didn’t do it for me, so we just drank. Wine list is unimpressive. The cocktails we saw looked more like juice than anything else.
Service was perfunctory, and I don’t blame the servers, because you are packed into Blues Alley, and it’s difficult to maneuver. The tables are uncomfortably close together, and the chairs are awful. We had to share a table and menus with another party. I wish they would ban large purses, because my friend and I kept getting hit when women were being seated or went to the bathroom. I agree with Victoria about restroom usage – do it before the show.
The lighting, sound, and performance were all fantastic. But the overall experience was awful and I’m not looking forward to returning.

When I want to be a class act (which rarely happens), I go to Blues Alley to listen to music that feeds my heart and soul & drink liquor that feeds my… THIRST. Depending on the musician, you usually have to buy tickets and line up probably 30 min. to an hour before for better seating. Once you enter, you already feel the intimacy and charm from the dim lighting and small tables!
Despite the 12 dollar per person minimum, the atmosphere and music just makes you want to grab a nibble and/​or drink. I usually order myself a Manhattan (their strongest drink) with a dessert (the carrot cake – order this fast as its a hit) and call it a night. Whether you are alone, with a hot date, your parents, Blues Alley is a great place to relax and listen to non main stream music with any crowd. I also love that they don’t allow flash photography, so you really are just LIVING and ENJOYING the moment. Who needs the bars on a Friday night, when you can have a relaxing night out, with yourself and the music. Excuse me for describing the music like a relationship, but the performances really bring you to that level! See you next time Blue’s Alley :)

What a great spot! Our waitstaff was refreshingly honest about the spouse’s choice of entrée. He switched to something better suited to his tastes. The drinks were spot-​on and she caught my stating it was his birthday without my needing to overtly point it out. Our cheesecake arrived with a candle on top. Food, service, beverages and entertainment were nothing short of magical.
The only detractors were the folks who sat in front of me who insisted on talking throughout the set, and the woman next to me who kept checking her phone. Sadly, even the announcement made by staff prior to the set can help that kind of rude.

This is a fantastic place for a first date (or a second, or a third). It’s very intimate and from all indications, they host some pretty phenomenal musicians. It’s a fairly small place, but I think that just adds to the charm — as does its location in an alleyway. It’s the kind of place that you’d have to know of beforehand since it’s pretty hard to just stumble upon it.
I didn’t purchase our tickets, but the person I was with mentioned that we needed to hit a $ 12 minimum order each. (This is after we had already eaten dinner elsewhere). We ended up getting the baked brie. It was served with white French bread and circular crackers. I don’t know what it was exactly (it was quite dark in there), but there was some sort of spicy jam on the brie. Not really my thing, so fair warning. My friend ordered the rye bulleit for his drink of choice. He said it was super good (albeit pretty small for the price).
The checks are brought to the table in a timely fashion right after the show ends. You also have the opportunity to speak with the musicians afterwards. This is a DC institution that I can definitely see myself frequenting in the future. See you there!

Blues Alley bills itself as the nation’s finest jazz and supper club and I concur that it is one of the best places in the District to enjoy a nice evening and catch a great live performance.
We had dinner prior to the show so we only had dessert at Blues Alley. They had apparently ran out of the Carrot Cake so we went with the Triple Chocolate Cake, which was fine but nothing special. Really, the music here takes center stage rather than the food.

Went last Sun for the last Roy Ayers set. The setting lives up to the name as it’s located in an actual alley complete with a cobblestone walkway synonymous with many walk areas in Georgetown. Just like any venue with a «first come, first seated» policy, the line starts to fill up about 20 – 30 minutes before the show time. So if you want to sit closer to the action, go a little early. Closer to the action is relative as the space is not too large — almost any seat will do.
The servers were ready to take orders almost immediately. Ours was friendly, courteous and efficient. No problems there. The food/​drinks orders actually started arriving before the show started. Pricing is also pretty reasonable for drinks/​appetizers. There ended up being 6 of us and a bill of just a few coins over $ 150. Nobody ordered dinner so I can’t help there.
I’ll be back depending on the line-​up. I’ll likely go early and eat a little something beforehand.