My fiance and I came here after visiting the Book Barn, just down the street. It was super hot out and this was a nice little stop off. First off the decor is beautiful. I love the eggplant purple and mustard gold colors mixed with the dark hard wood and brick. It was nice and cool inside and the waitress was quick to get to us. It wasn't very busy for a Monday at lunch.
I had the poutine that came with corned beef. It was pretty darn good. My fiance had The Devils bite. This was a two patty burger with corned beef and the usual veggies and fries on the side.
It really was a charming place and I could see the ocean outside of the window.
Love going here, its a great atmosphere. The last time we went we sat on the patio, it was the perfect night to be out there. I had a glass of chardonnay, and for dinner I had the black sheep salad with salmon. It was delicious, and the perfect size! My husband had the pulled pork meal, and I tasted it so I know first hand it was yummy, plus he is picky and he will be getting that again! Its right in downtown Niantic, so we get to watch all the people walking by and usually after we will walk to the beach since its so close. Cant wait to go back again!
Review Source:Terrible Hostess! We went here with a party of 5 (2 were in the car behind us but not inside yet) on a Wednesday night. We walked in 5 minutes before they stopped serving dinner and the hostess told us the kitchen closed at 9. After she checked with the cook, she came back with a bad attitude and said she could give us a coiuple minutes to order but that was all. We did not stay as we didn't need the attitude. We went across the street to the Main Street Grill where the service was warm and welcoming, their kitchen also closed at 9 but they let us order and never gave any attitude. We spend a couple hundred dollars- apparently the Black Sheep didn't need the money!
Review Source:Awful ! Went for a Burger on late Sunday afternoon at 3:30. There were only a couple of other tables who had already eaten. We both ordered Cheeseburgers with raw onion and pickles. The waitress later came back to tell us they were out of pickles , except for some gherkins. When the Burgers arrived with some old wilted onions on them I asked for fresh onions . The server took our plate of pickles that we had put the old onions on and never brought new pickles back. The rolls were not fresh and only partially toasted! French fries and sweet potato fries were not hot.
Very disappointed and will not be returning!
With no other customers to cook for it should have been perfect!!!
Our waitress could not have been any better, informative and knowledgeable! Â I had the corned beef special on a Tuesday night, and got a plateful of lean, tasty, nicely done corned beef, plus the chef's version of "bubble & squeak", crispy steamed veggies, and a nice carrot cake to finish off dinner. Â The spicy mustard paired perfectly with the corned beef. Â My companion ordered a burger, medium rare, and actually got a beautifully done burger with a nice pink streak in the middle, exactly as ordered (rare for this day and age of over zealous food inspectors). The house whiskey ketchup and nice, fresh tomato were super. Â We could not have been more pleased! The dining room and bar are architecturally beautiful.Amazing woodwork. Very good value for our dollars.
Review Source:Black sheep pros: awesome trivia, good selection of beer, friendly waitresses
cons: food
So far as I can tell, this isn't a place to come eat. I haven't had anything really tasty here, but it's not BAD food- just nothing special.
Come to drink, come for trivia, and if you get hungry then the food is fine. It's a pub. They should drop "& Restaurant"
Great lunch stop! Â The poutine fries were great, Â not the cheese curd kind but just good fries with chicken gravy and white cheddar cheese. Â Yummy. The Big Buddy stuffed burger is in the top 2 burgers my hubby has ever had. Â We are half way home to MD and still talking about how to strategize our next order for maximum enjoyment. Â We make an annual road trip up this way and will be back every year!
Review Source:Horrible food experience! St. Patrick's Day of all days. Ordered a corn beef and mashed potato dinner? What happened to Cabbage? This was simply awful, Â small scoop of potatoes that was supposed to have cabbage mushed in, 5 small mushy carrot sticks, 5 or 6 1.5" pieces of dried out corned beef and no soda bread? $14.95.
Shepards Pie that was beef chunks with potatoes slapped on top and left in a baking dish until somebody ordered it. Yuk! Â $14.95 for a small dish of yesterday's food. Oh yeh where was the corn, peas, onions? No soda bread!
If a so called Irish restaurant can't get a simple corn beef & cabbage dinner right how good can there food be?
Back to the best St Patty's Day food around the shoreline Bill's Seafood
Fresh! Nice Portions, Reasonable, and a much better atmosphere!
Get over there once a year I guess. Love the decor and setting. Easy to get to with plenty of parking. Great for getting together for drinks or sitting down for dinner. The menu is not huge, but the specials always sound good. The prices are average I suppose. Â Beers on draft are good, cant find Boddingtons in too many places. The caramel apple bread pudding is really good.
Review Source:The Black Sheep is the best of its kind in the area. A bit on the pricey, but a place where I would not mind spending a night out.
The food is great. I have been twice, once during the busy summer season and once in the slow winter season. Both times I really enjoyed my meal and our server was attentive, knowledgable, and spot-on with their recommendations.
Fresh, hand cut fries are delicious. Burgers are simple and yummy with a nice whiskey ketchup.
My favorite part about Black Sheep are the beers on tap and the special drinks list. I was happy to see that at least half of their drink specials are made with St. Germaine! A personal favorite of mine. The bar is a gorgeous, Victorian style made with old wood. I don't know much about architecture, but I know that this is well-crafted and designed. Everything about the decor and atmosphere is built around the gorgeous bar.
In busy Summer months, you can count on Karaoke and Trivia Night.
Try it out! There aren't many places this side of the Shoreline that are "chic" and down-to-Earth all at the same time.
Today was our second visit to The Black Sheep, and will most definitely be our last. After the poor food experience we had here last year my wife was shocked that I'd suggest we give this place a second try. It's a cool place and I wanted to like it, so I was hoping that they were just having a bad day on our first visit. No such luck. The food (as other Yelpers have indicated) is, in a word, horrific. So bad that I still feel ill almost 9 hours after eating there.
Since their Sunday brunch offerings didn't look that fresh or appetizing we opted to order off the lunch menu. The chicken wings were fatty and greasy. The hazelnut-encrusted chicken grinder (with cheddar cheese, pear & bacon slaw, lettuce, smoked paprika aioli & skin-on sweet potato fries) looked like the most interesting and tasty plate on the menu. Unfortunately, what I received was a dried-out chicken sandwich with almost no flavor to speak of. I couldn't taste any hazelnut, pear, or bacon, and only the slightest hint of paprika. The sweet potato fries tasted so old and dried out they were inedible. The cod sandwich special was equally disappointing. Absolutely no flavor at all, and a 50/50 mix of breading to fish ratio.
We've had our fair share of mediocre pub grub. Sadly, the fare at The Black Sheep isn't good enough to be called mediocre. The service was very good and the place does have a cool vibe, but those are the only positive points we can note.
I laughed out loud when I read the other reviews raving about the bourbon ketchup. If a ketchup-based condiment was the only part of the meal that made it memorable, then that should give you an idea of just how good the food itself was.
We stumbled upon this place and just had to go in with a name like the "Black Sheep." The decor, atmosphere and general vibe of the place was intoxicating. It had me ready to order a guinness and hang out till the late night. The gastropub fare was well above average with great flavor and solid execution. Great experience and we will be back soon!
Review Source:So I'll start by saying we didn't order food here. Â We were too late...kitchen closes at 9. Â Perhaps they'll switch that b/c we left to go somewhere else after a couple of drinks b/c we were hungry. Â And because we weren't getting food the waitress said we had to get up from our table and go to the bar for our drinks vs. having a server. Â No biggie though. Â We were fine to do that. Â Looks like a cute little pub. Â Cute inside, CLEAN, and nice environment. Â Also have a nicer outdoor patio right on Main Street. Â We opted for inside b/c it was a little cooler and rain was possible when we went. Â They had on "90s at 9" which was up our alley b/c the music was a blast to the past for us. Â We are all in our late 20s/early 30s and had a great time there. Â We were also the youngest people there FYI. Â Most of the bar area had a preppier mid 40s feel to it. Â Overall I had fun there and would be happy to go back again.
Review Source:Regular yummy food for an ok price considering the area.
If you're feeling indecisive or unsure... go with the Burger. It is surprisingly awesome and the spicy whiskey ketchup is AWESOME. Especially if you order with sweet potato fries instead of regular potato. Yum!
Drinks are good. The bar and restaurant can get crowded and noisy especially on weekend evenings.
Check it out on a weekday, an hour before the sun sets and sit out on their patio. Smell the ocean air, people watch, eat delicious food and then check out the local shops or stroll the niantic boardwalk.
I came by the restaurant randomly, in fact I followed my nose in to the restaurant... the scents of food cooking made me want to check it out. I'm glad I did. Their shepherd's pie 's (they add parsnips) has become a fav... a comfort food. Nice diverse menu has offerings you'll want to explore. Â Also, I am a fan of their cocktails. Every time I go back the food and service is always excellent. I haven't caught any of their live entertainment nights...
Review Source:I hope BS stays in business. The bar is nice and it's well decorated. Niantic needs this alternative spot. Â Having said this, I agree with another reviewer who said the food is horrific. Â Stick to drinks and light appetizers. Â I've been quite a few times so I know it's not that BS was having a bad day just once. Â Their kitchen talent is non-existent. Â One day at lunch I ordered the chili, even asking to make sure it was home-made. Â What came out was a dried out scraping from the bottom of yesterday's chili pot. Â The people who were with me are still talking about it to this day. Â Another time the wings were so gelatinous and greasy, they were inedible. Â If you like champagne drinks, try the St. Germaine Sparkler. Â It's yummy.
Review Source:I find their food to be consistently tasty and decent value. The burger and fries with the bourbon ketchup is worth indulging the calories! Their Sunday brunch, which is a well-kept secret is a good value for $15.
It can get noisy when the bar is busy, but it's great to see places busy these days.
I like that the menu changes seasonally.
Its more of a pub then it is a Restaurant. Its relaxing, and a good place to have a brew with a friend, perhaps even watch a game.
Its dark, cool, and comfortable. And the burgers are great.
Not really a place to go and meet new people, so bring a friend. Prices are great, and the service was top notch as well.
I've gone here multiple times and sadly it has gotten worse with each visit. This has truly upset me bc 1. It's a great looking place for the area and 2. (more importantly) is one of the two bars on the shoreline to serve Berkshire on tap.
My last visit in a nutshell: Â seated in diningroom around by the bar. Ten minutes pass not one server greets our table. We order from bar instead and i let hostess know since i figured the waitstaff wouldnt enjoy thr bar taking one of their orders. Hostess does nothing. Beers were warm. Food arrives via server pretending nothing happened. Crabcakes consisted of all cake, no crab. Tarter sauce smelled of the container it came from and husbands burger was overcooked. This is one of the few times i regret not complaining to a manager. I guess i just felt that if it were already that bad there was no turning back.
Black Sheep please go back to how you were when you first opened!
Wikipedia defines "black sheep" as "an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within one's family." Well, in the entire Northeastern United States family of fake British/Irish pubs, there is doubtful a "blacker sheep" than Niantic's Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant.
With the kind of high prices for food and drink that one would typically find at a gastropub, one begins a meal at this restaurant with high expectations. Careful, though, as food at this so-called "pub" is served with a heaping portion of disappointment.
To accompany our overpriced, small, American-sized "pints" of beer, my dining companion and I ordered a caesar salad with grilled chicken and an open-face steak sandwich served on "brown bread." Both were edible, but a horrific value and quality for the price (11 dollars for the salad and 12 dollars for the sandwich).
The salad arrived at our table absent promised "garlic croutons." It also arrived absent the shaved parmesan cheese that is a hallmark of most good caesar salads. When croutons were requested, a heaping portion of low-quality (most definitely from a box) croutons arrived on a tea saucer. These tasteless cubes did little to help a salad made with tough chicken, low-quality romaine and mediocre dressing.
The steak sandwich was similarly horrific. The brown bread on which it sat was burned in places and an odd choice for an open-face steak sandwich. The tiny portion of steak served on top of this poorly chosen bread was tough, fatty and most definitely cooked beyond the requested "medium" temperature. Fries accompanying the sandwich were from a freezer bag.
When one enters the "Black Sheep" to use the bathroom or--if you are a bolder man than I--complain about the food, one is struck by the heroic effort made to transform a former pharmacy into a big-T "Trendy" nightspot with faux brick walls, giant booths and industrial-style ceiling fans. Unfortunately, all the interior design gimmicks in the world can't save this restaurant from itself.
With a pleasant location on Niantic Bay and a large outdoor patio, this restaurant could have a lot to offer were the right amount of care taken with its menu offerings and an honest reassessment of its pricing undertaken. Until those things happen, please do yourself a favor and steer clear.
Visiting family, brother who haunts this place suggested it. Â No reservations on the weekends, so you may have to wait for a table. Â Lots of beer on tap, and a great bottle selection. Â The food was very good. Â I had the Portuguese Clam Stew, lots of clams, potato, sausage and tomato, with great spicing. Â The steak, fish and chips, and pecan chicken were also very tasty. Â Prices were reasonable. Â Street and lot parking, though the lot is for the businesses next door, so parking at lunch may be an issue.
The crowd is on the young side, but us "oldies" felt welcomed. Â
The restrooms, at least the women's is large and bright, with lots of stalls.
Next time we visit, we'll be sure to go back for dinner.
Oh my god this was good!
My fam, boyfriend and I went one night to just hit some local nightlife; get a beer and a light dinner. The crowd was all twenties and thirties (who knew the nightlife was tucked in there?!)
I ordered steak and frites...and it was DELICIOUS!! cooked perfectly.
I don't remember what everyone ordered but no one was dissapointed. Great little Irish joint with your typical irish cuisin.
It's great because there isn't a lot of nightlife for the 21+ on the shoreline without having to travel all the way to the casino.
After 10/11 they have cover bands that weren't half bad. And they've got a good selection of desserts, and dessert coffees.
I was also impressed that they had a good amount of beer on tap, as well as cider for those who prefer or can't drink beer.
The bar is pretty big and has a cool setup the rounds the corner. And the bartenders were friendly and knowledgeble of the beers I hadn't heard of before despite the bar being as busy as it was.
The server was quick, attentive and very friendly.
Oh and the appetizers were fabulous!
I'm not in this area of CT much anymore, but damn I bet this place is making a KILLING! Â Located on the main stretch of quaint downtown Niantic and right on the otherside the river from Waterford , it fills a void for all the 21+ crowd (and maybe some underage by the looks of it) who are tired of going to the casinos for some decent nightlife.
And it's not a bad place. It's big on the inside, enough to accomodate group gatherings. Â Plenty of table and bar space. Â Decent beers on tap. Â I've heard the food is good but haven't tried it so far. Â A bit overpriced for the area, but that won't be a problem when the summer tourists come to their Niantic beach houses starting in May.
Overall not a bad addition to the Niantic strip.