Friday evening we were fortunate to check out the newest restaurant coming to Auburn.  Located in the rapidly developing Bent Creek area in Auburn, the Blue Fin will have it’s official opening next week on Monday, May 14th. The Blue Fin will be the newest addition to the new strip mall development in the Sam’s Club/Academy Sports shopping center in Auburn, just down from the newly opened Moe’s BBQ.

The Blue Fin will be a seafood-focused restaurant and bar. Friday evening was their soft opening, which is a tactic that many businesses will use to ensure a more successful business by opening the doors without any advertising or other fanfare normally associated with the grand opening. This allows the business an opportunity to obtain valuable practice and often insight into improvements that can be made prior to the official opening.

We had an early reservation for at 5 PM since we had a concert in Waverly, Alabama later that evening. The dining space is cozy, bright, and clean. It is always nice to enter a seafood restaurant and not be overpowered by an odor of fish. Also, it is swell to have another quality seafood option in our area. There is a beautiful blue mosaic tile bar immediately to the right in the front entrance. There is also a patio seating off to the right of the building. Unfortunately, it’s already 90 degrees in Alabama this May, so the air conditioning was a welcomed option.

We started with cocktails. I had the cucumber mojito and my husband had his usual Maker’s Mark on the rocks. They have ample cocktail and wine selections to choose from. For an appetizer, we ordered the Fin Fin shrimp, which was a flash-fried, light-battered shrimp with a spicy sauce covering them. The shrimp tasted fresh,  the presentation was nice, and the sauce was delicious. Only wish there had been more of it. We also both had small Cesar salad, which was excellent.

For our entrees, I ordered the panéed chicken with a lemon caper sauce, and my husband ordered the blackened snapper. The panéed chicken was yummy. The light batter on the chicken was just right, and I really enjoyed the lemon caper sauce. The mashed potatoes were savory and very tasty. My husband’s snapper was flaky and moist. The grits were flavorful and the spicy sauce was a nice balance to the dish. The ‘Louisiana Popcorn’ were little-fried crawfish tails.

We did not have time for dessert this evening since we only had a little time left to make it our next destination for the night. The restaurant was full and bustling by the time we asked for our check. We had a delightful experience, and I hope to see this place flourish and add value to the emerging restaurant scene in our area.