University Village
4601 26th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98105
206.525.4601
http://www.bluecsushi.com/
“Goodness in motion” is the motto of Blue C Sushi, a California and Washington chain of sushi restaurants that feature a conveyer belt of sushi, rolls, spinach, katsu, and other dishes circumnavigating the dining area. When you see something you want, you pull it off its little stand; add the soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger provided in generous quantities at your seat; and enjoy. The little traveling stands that hold the dishes include the ingredients in the item and note whether it is cooked or raw. Gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan items are available.
You can also order off the menu, but that is not nearly as much fun as waiting for the conveyer to bring you new surprises in every circuit. If you are leaning toward the menu because you’re worried about how long that Spicy California Roll has been cruising the dining room, no worries there. An RFID chip is embedded in each plate, so the staff can monitor how long any item has been making the rounds and remove it when it’s time has come.
The plates circling the room with their many temptations are color coded to prices, from green plates at $2 each to purple at $5.50. The story the featured image above tells, with its three red and three yellow plates, is that my sweet pusher and I spent $21.75 on a delightful and accessible late lunch earlier this month, not counting the lemongrass lemonade.
Parking: The newly-built, south end parking garage has wheelchair parking spaces close to elevators. Though spaces are provided and likely the number of them meets ADA requirements, open handicapped parking spaces are scarce at the U Village, often because people without handicapped permits are either parked in them or lurking in them waiting for friends. It would be great if U Village security made monitoring permit-less use of these spaces a priority. Once you’ve found a space in the parking garage, take the elevator to the ground floor and “sidewalk level.” Turn left and head west down the sidewalk to Blue C, which is on the southwest corner of the U Village.
Entrances: The entrance is wide, step-free, and easy to get through. In the summer, the restaurant opens the whole front wall, but in either case, entry is pain-free.
Tables: There are booths at Blue C, but these are not great for wheelchair diners, who would need to sit at the end and ask others to grab that shrimp tempura roll for them. However, the countertop that winds around the restaurant is perfect and easy to access. Wait staff are happy to move chairs for you. A warning though: Blue C in the U Village is often packed, which may complicate getting that spot that is perfect for you. We were there after the lunch crowd had left, and we had no problems finding a space that was roomy and close enough so I could snare a fresh vegetable roll from my chair.
Restrooms: The restrooms are located at the back of the restaurant down a corridor. Without crowds, it is easy to get to, but if the place is full, you may have to ask one or two people to tuck in as you pass behind them. The bathroom is great—a large handicapped stall, good toilet paper placement, and a roll-under sink that works for people at any mobility level.
Photos of interior space online: Yes, on Google images. The restaurant’s website includes a gallery but photos are not necessarily of THIS Blue C and they don’t show much of the interior space.
Photos of entrances online: Yes, on Google images
Reservations taken: I’m not sure, but whether or not they take reservations, I would call ahead to let them know you are coming in a wheelchair and will need a counter space. Tell them Spoken Wheel recommended them!
What the wheelchair pusher has to say: It’s flat, wide enough to navigate around corners. The wait staff is really helpful. I’d give it five wheels! We’ve already been back and will probably be back again.
Photo credits: Picture of veggie roll, www.bluecsushi.com; picture of restaurant, www.walkscore.com
