South Coast - Blue Heron Bistro,
Too many large salads are just small salads loaded up with more stuff.  Not so the seafood salad at Blue Heron Bistro in Coos Bay.  It begins with mixed greens topped with cucumbers, Roma tomatoes, red onions, and Greek olives, with a portion of coleslaw on the side.  You have several choices for the seafood, including fried oysters.  The oysters are enough to be an entree and the salad is also a meal in itself.
You may notice a Central European flavor to the coleslaw.  In fact, a German and Austrian theme runs throughout the menu as well as influencing the decor.  As you dine, you may have the unusual experience of listening to "Chattanooga Shoeshine Boy" sung in German.

"30 Great Seafood Restaurants"
Oregon Coast Magazine
February 2008

South Coast - Blue Heron Bistro, Inexpensive-moderate.
On a bustling corner a block from the waterfront, Coos Bay's best restaurant is the Blue Heron Bistro ... An alluring mix of seafood, pasta and ethnic fare is listed on the voluminous menu.    New Orleans-style blackened oysters and grilled salmon garnished with avocado-tomatillo salsa and corn relish are good catches, and the apple pie is definitely a keeper.  For something different, try the Oktoberfest plate of sliced pork and German sausage sided by apple-kraut and hot potato salad. ... what emerges from the kitchen tastes pretty darn good, such as the blackened snapper sandwich packed into an onion roll ... Specials might include Mexican scampi, Wiener Schnitzel or baked fish and chips.  Don't miss the huge and varied microbrew selection.

"Going Coastal"
by Richard Fencsak
THE OREGONIAN "Travel section"
April 9, 2000

Coos Bay ... The Blue Heron Bistro stands out in Coos Bay as an eclectic enclave of flavorful, interesting fare and reasonable pricing.  While there is a bit of the something-for-everyone outlook here rather than a passionate expression of a personal food vision, what emerges from the kitchen tastes pretty darn good.  Lunch shines with the blackened snapper sandwich, packed into an onion roll with mayo, green chilies, red onions ... Dinner choices tend to be grouped by theme (such as) Italian. Sauces include a sun-dried tomato version, pesto, tomato-basil, meatball or sausage.   Sausage is the theme for the German identity, ... with red cabbage, sauerkraut, hot potato salad and two mustards ... (there is) a solid Cajun seafood selection, including intriguing blackened oysters... prices, too, are very friendly...

"How to eat your way down the Oregon coast"
by Lisa Shara Hall
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN
"Oregon Coast 101" April 19, 1999.

COOS BAY - RESTAURANTS  BLUE HERON BISTRO - Viola, a real bistro with European flair in the heart of Coos Bay - airy atmosphere, outdoor sidewalk tables, and a reasonably priced, innovative menu ... For an array of salads and sandwiches (such as blackened snapper on a toasted onion roll with green chiles) or a German sausage plate ... at lunch.  For handcrafted pasta (try the pesto fettuccine or the lasagne) or continent-hopping cuisine for dinner, such as New Orleans blackened oysters... Salmon, no matter how it's prepared... is always a winner here.  So are the more than 40 varieties of ... beer and the desserts that include some fine apple pie, carrot cake, and chocolate tortes.

NORTHWEST BEST PLACES
by Stephanie Irving, Sasquatch Books, Seattle, 1998

Even though the Blue Heron Bistro ... is located in the heart of downtown Coos Bay, it evokes dining experiences in the San Francisco Bay Area or some other place far from this logging port. ...  The restaurant's tile floors, newspapers on library-style posts, and international posters adorning the walls are in keeping with a European-influenced bill of fare.  The extensive menu's eclectic array ranges from Greek salad to Cajun-style blackened fish and emphasizes the freshest ingredients and a creative interpretation whenever possible.  An impressive list of microbrews ... Expensive, I hear the reader thinking, but it's not really.  For not appreciably more money than you'd pay on a high ticket at Denny's, you can enjoy an oasis of refinement in "Timbertown, USA".

Coos Bay - DINING - $$ Blue Heron Bistro.  You'll get subtle preparations of local seafood, chicken, and homemade pasta with an international flair at this busy bistro.  There are no flat spots on the far-ranging menu; even the innovative soups and desserts are excellent.   The skylit, tile-floor dining room seats about 70 ... The seating area outside has blue awnings and colorful Bavarian window boxes that add a festive touch...

FODOR'S PACIFIC NORTH COAST
1996

FOOD - The Blue Heron Bistro ... Almost upscale atmosphere affected by numerous skylights and a shiny tile floor.   A tad more expensive than most, but the food's a tad better, too.   Cajun and Tex-Mex dinners are $10-15, but you can have a "Son of Reuben" for $6.  Reuben himself was killed in the "Green Revolution" ($6).   Extensive beer list...

Let's Go, ALASKA & the PACIFIC NORTHWEST
1999

At the Blue Heron Bistro ... the menu goes continental with pasta dishes and fresh fish for lunch and dinner.  Seafood fettuccine in tomato basil sauce ...

Lonely Planet PACIFIC NORTHWEST
1999

Blue Heron Bistro ... A casual cafe, expresso bar, deli, and international restaurant all rolled up in one - that's what you'll find at the Blue Heron in the heart of downtown Coos Bay and right on US 101.  ... The Blue Heron cruises the world in search of tastebud-tantalizing dishes.  ...

Frommer's WASHINGTON & OREGON
6th ed., 1996

 

If your taste buds cater to more natural foods, try the Blue Heron Bistro,. which is well-known for home-baked breads, tasty soups, delicious entrees, freshly made desserts, and gourmet coffee. 

 

Oregon OFF THE BEATEN PATH
Myrna Oakley, 1997

...this appealing downtown eatery, situated on a bustling corner just a block away from the renovated waterfront pier, offers an alluring mix of cross-cultural cuisine.  An Oktoberfest plate (available all year) of spicy pork and German sausage is sided by red cabbage, applekraut, hot potato salad, and hot mustard for dipping.  From Italy there's sausage lasagna and an exquisitely sauced sun-dried tomato fettuccine.  New Orleans-style blackened oysters and grilled salmon garnished with avocado-tomatillo salsa and corn relish are good catches, while the apple pie is definitely a keeper,.  The desserts, all baked on the premises, are yummy!   The wine and beer choices are extensive and reasonably priced.

"Oregon Coastal Cafes"
by Richard Fencsak, OREGON COAST Mag., March/April 1998.

Best sandwiches and best beer selection in Coos Bay

WHERE THE LOCALS EAT
Magellan Press, 1998.

Your best dining choices are the Brass Rail*, the Portside, and Blue Heron Bistro..

NORTHWEST DISCOVERIES
Marilyn McFarlane, 1993

Hurry Back* (*previous name)... The splendid homemade pies ... cheesecake, and cases (chocolate truffle, carrot, etc.) are worth a long drive by any true believer in decadent desserts.  More wholesome, yet also delicious,. are the homemade breads, soups, fresh garden salads, and local seafood - all skillfully prepared with first-rate fresh ingredients....

Great Towns of the PACIFIC NORTHWEST
David Vokac, 1987

Award of Chocolate Excellence. 

The Chocolate Lover's Guide to the Pacific Northwest,
Bobbie Hasselbring, 1998.

 

The atmosphere at this delightful neighborhood cafe and deli is bright, cheerful, and intelligent.  ... I enjoy a good bowl of chowder, but none has ever come close to the fine flavor and texture of the chowder at the Blue Heron.

 

"Books & Bistro on the Oregon Coast",
Judy Stabler, Travelin' Mag., Dec. 1990.

.. a good place to sample some typical Oregon Coast cooking.  This cafe boasts a menu that is part seafood and all natural."

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BON APPETIT
March 1984, p. 28.