Went with Vinele Grana (please read her review as well) and were told the wait for a party of 9 would be 1/2 hour. Went to the "trendy " back yard to wait and there was no seating. Set our drinks on a railing and prepared to stand for 1/2 hour. Saw two "trendy" picnic tables clear and thought we'll be seated any minute. I say nay nay. Seated another party and so we saw some chairs clear around "trendy" fire pit area and waited and waited. Told my friends that we should order pizza and have it delivered here. Management wouldn't notice, too busy chatting it up with friends. Vinele asked if we could be served right where we were sitting because we'd been there 2 HOURS!!!! Then we got our "trendy" picnic table. I camped myself at a table that cleared next to us while they bussed it because  there was not enough seating at one picnic table and since they couldn't tell time, I figured they couldn't count either. Our waitress came to the rescue by suggesting that we put the two tables together. Genius! Ordered appetizers, food, drinks, etc... Almost got hit with a steak flying off a plate right next to me and they had to remake my friend's dinner.  Asked if the soup came in a cup or bowl and was told a bowl. Well you get a bowl with about a cup of soup in it. Heavy sighhhhhh. Expensive beer, less than cordial hostess, MASSIVE wasted real estate for waiting and dining, I could go on but I'm exhausted. My friend nailed it when she said "they wanted to create a place where they could hang out with their friends". We were an inconvenience. My tasty dinner (brined chicken) was tainted by the lousy experience and the lack of space heaters. Someday we'll look back on this and laugh, I hope. Three hours of my life I can't get back. Next night went to Da Bayou and were treated like queens with beignets to boot and complimentary wine for the bride to be. Go there instead.
Review Source:I ventured here for drinks with a few friends and must say I was impressed. The best part of the place is obviously the atmosphere: trendy wood/metal interior, light fixtures, and a huge open space in the back so you can enjoy the outdoor seating. Great and unique selection of drinks from craft cocktails to beer. The only thing that was not up to par was the service. Not too attentive and my friend and I ordered the same drink and they looked and tasted completely different. I think that they need to get this down in order to be successful but I will give them the benefit of the doubt since they are new and are still working out a few kinks. Other than that, I would say it is a must-go and some of the other places in old town might have a little competition coming their way.
Review Source:So this was the worst experience ever. It started out with the hostess saying it would be a 30 min wait when she knew it would be 2 hours and then she gave me attitude about how long it would take and lied about how long people were sitting at their tables when they had been seated in front of me. When we they sat us they anticipated giving us 2 seats to go with our picnic bench but then only had one of the 2 chairs and suggested giving us a bar stool instead, yeah no. Our waitress jessica was the only saving grace, though she walked into a firing squad. She got us two tables so we had plenty of room but it still took forever to order, and then when the food finally came, only half came. Plus they dropped 2 entrees on the ground so it took even longer to get them. The manager tried to help with a heartfelt apology and free desert but it wasn't so heartfelt when it was delivered - 3 desserts for 12 people? Â Needless to say, we had someone with us from the health department as well as from a publication so karma is a bitch. Everything was a disaster from the tomato sauce served as a soup in a bowl that was 1/4 full, to the pork chop that was 1/2 cooked to the bartender who was a total bitch to the chicken that they were supposedly out of but delivered anyways. We will NEVER EVER go there again and I hope you don't either. STAY AWAY!!!
Review Source:Went back last night, it has been two weeks since they opened and I was so happy to see they are doing well! Â We have been thinking about the burger almost daily since we first tried it!
We started with the Cheese & Crackers, and it did not disappoint. I had the Jidori Chicken...cooked perfectly and delicious. Â My Husband had the steak (Where's the Beef) and it was truly cooked to medium. Â Very savory and juicy! Â My dad had the burger again... of course someone had to get it so we could all have a bite again! Â Everything was as great as the first time, if not better!
I also wanted to touch on the comments about the service and/or servers. Â I personally have not experienced any of this! Â Our servers on both occasions have been personable, attentive, and consistent!. Â Everyone is friendly and I was surprised when my server thank us for returning as he took our drink orders. Â
I have to say, I LOVE the fact that they only have craft beers on tap and the prices are reasonable for what you get. Â In my opinion, if you are looking for something upscale yet casual with a killer menu and atmosphere then this is it. Â If your looking for miller, bud, coors...this place isnt for you.
I sooooo want to give Blackbird Tavern 5 stars. Â So far I've been there twice so this review is written based on both of those experiences. Â
Where Blackbird hits the mark is with their food and ambiance. Â The execution on the food is easily 5 stars. Â Every dish we've had there has been well done. Â
As for the ambiance, they've done a great job with the space. Â I get a really good feeling when I walk in there and it's got a great vibe that is reminiscent of one of the bars that I like to frequent in San Diego. Â It's very modern yet not pretentious. Â
Where Blackbird falls short is on service. No one can seem to execute cocktails or beer. Â No way should I be paying $12 for whiskey neat. Â Furthermore, the server has no idea what beers are available and cannot explain their drink menu. Â Both times now beers that were on the menu were not actually available. Â This most recent time my wife was brought out a beer that was different from what she ordered. Â We could tell it wasn't the right one so when we questioned the server about it she said that they were out of the one we wanted so they just poured her this other one instead. Â No one bothered to check with my wife first to see if she wanted something else since they were out of the other one. Â On her second beer, they delivered another beer that was different from what she ordered. Â At this point it just wasn't worth bringing it up again. Â
Blackbird is so close to nailing it. Â It's got the best potential of any new venue to come into Old Town Temecula. Â Once the staff catches the groove of the menu and finds a flow with their service, I think this will be a 5* place!
We've  been waiting a long time for the opening and are impressed by the attention to detail in the facility. No doubt it is a work I progress and obviously not one of those corporate driven formula restaurants.
There are kinks to be worked out but this is definitely going to be the place to go in Temecula and Old Town.
There is a limited menu but all the basic food groups are covered and with a lot of attention and creativity.
We have been twice and the pork shoulder special on our first visit was incredible. The s'mores desert was heavenly.
The second visit I tried the burger and it was definitely one of the best I have ever eaten. The fries must be shared and are great.The lemon berry cake was absolutely awesome.
Overall I have been very impressd and am looking forward to the Blackbirds continued improvement and long term success.
Heard that they are finally opened, wanted to try it out! Came here around 4:30, was greeted by the hostess. Told her party for two, she asked us what time it was...informed her that it was 4:30. She said they only served drinks at that time and dinner service doesn't start until 5. We  were more than welcome to sit down and grab a drink and wait til dinner service started. Sat down at a table and waited and waited...while other people who sat down 5 minutes after, was acknowledged first, before we did! We made eye contact with the person behind the bar, no hello, no acknowledgement...while we sat there and watched the people next to us get served. We finally decided to get up and leave and decided to go to the public house instead, where I know we'll be acknowledged. This place better get their stuff together. As of right now, I will not set foot in that place again! Hostess is clueless, need to get their customer service some training! You have been warned!!!
Review Source:While in the area I decided to check out the latest dining option in Old Town.  The food was a wonderful mix of flavors and fresh ingredients that was expertly prepared, and served timely.  I had the beet salad and grouper for an entrée.  The meal was as good or better than many expensive 5 star restaurants I've gone to.
The following day I chose to have lunch here as well and was equally impressed with the bauk-bauk sandwich and Brown Bag of fries. Â A local farmer arrived with fresh produce while I was there ... no wonder everything tastes so good!
The atmosphere and décor is a new take on a vintage and industrial retro style that is chic, hip, relaxed and inviting all at the same time.  Great seating options for private dining, dining at the bar, hanging out around a fire pit or gathering as a group on an exposed patio.
People around me raved about the signature cocktails and they reminded me of what the mixologist at the Sanctuary in Scottsdale serves ... F*amazing! Â Between the great food and the fantastic atmosphere there is something to suit everyone and it was nice to see people of all ages enjoying this new place.
Prices? Â I Â found them to be very reasonable based on the quality of the food and attentive service I received. Â I'll be back!
The style and ambiance of the restaurant is trendy with the wood/metal. Layout is open and spacious. I even like the feel of the unfinished construction and soon to be cinema dining in a corner nook. Gas fireplace. Dj. It's all coming together.
Food is pretty good. Jidori chicken had crispy skin and moist breast meat. Perfectly done. My mates like the burger and fries. Salads are big and delicious. Thumbs up on the mussels. Â Pork rillete is my favorite. I like where the chef is going with this menu. Price point is a little high on some items.
But all that won't matter if service is not corrected by properly training their staff. It really took away from the chefs food and dining experience. We practically had to seat ourselves and ask for menus with two hostesses standing at the front door. Our server did not seem to know anything specific about the entrees. Had to request water multiple times. Plates came out in no particular order, some to the wrong table with the servers asking who ordered what, and without place settings. I found a foreign object in my dinner and was given an apology from the manager but no comp for the dish or even an offer to get something else. Drink specials look good on paper but do not execute well for $11. Weak with no seasonal garnish or straw to mix the drink. Beer was served flat so we swapped for another. Service was consistently bad the 2 days we dined there. But we had one great server who stepped in and took care of us towards the end and salvaged our night. Management? Where are you?
We just had lunch at Blackbird Tavern today. The menu seems simple and spare, but don't let it fool you. The choices are inventive and the tastes are enticing. The chef creates one of the tastiest fares in the city. We started with the Lamb Balls Appetizer dish. The sauce the chef created was so unique that we couldn't help but dip everything else we ate in it. My husband had the hamburger, which truly beats any other in town. My pasta and fresh vegetables was delicate and yet packed with flavor. The beer and wine choices are varied and the decor is fun and airy. The service was incredible and there was no wait for the meal. We can't wait to go back.
Review Source:I've been waiting for a place like this in Old Town. It's super cute and kind of reminds me of something you'd see in North Park San Diego. Fries were super yummy! We ordered the olives---those were great, too. The beer pours are large.
My only concerns were not seeing many Temecula wines or beers on the menu. Also, I'm a big fan of Public House and it's giant salads. We ordered the Caesar here and it was good, but for $10, we thought it would be more of an entree salad. It was barely shareable. To compete with Public House, they need more lettuce for their salads.
So like everyone else who is a local, my wife and I have been waiting for this place to open.  This property has really changed over the last 3 to 4 years or so.  A friends daughter went to the soft opening last week and was impressed so when we were in  Old Town today we decided to give it a try.  We wondered in about 5:00 and took a couple of seats at the bar. We asked the guy who was back there what they have for happy hour and he pretty rudely said that they didn't have a happy hour.  We should have known right then but we were there and the place is very trendy and has a very cool atmosphere so we decided to stay for a drink. Strike one was no happy hour, strike 2 was only having craft brews and strike 3 was after looking at the menue and seeing the prices like the $14 burger!  We are out of here.
The other thing is the lack of personality from the people behind the bar. Â The aforementioned guy and the obvious rookie girl bartender. A couple came in and also asked about happy hour, was told there is none. Â The husband asks what beers they have and the bartender told him that they only serve craft brews. Â The customer wasn't really sure what that meant and asked if they had something like a Miller Lite. Â The bartender said no and didn't offer any help on anything. Â They ended up ordering an American Amber at my recommendation and a glass of wine. Â Tab on 3 drinks was $24! Â What a joke! Â The people took their drinks to a table and basically said that they are out after the drink. Â While we were just about to leave just before 6, 2 other couples came in and once again asked about what they had on happy hour, new bartender just came on duty and says, "I don't think we're having any happy hour tonight." Lady says she saw something on line that says they are so the bartender asks the other bartender and a couple of the servers. Â They all had different thoughts on the subject. Â Bartender finally goes to either the Mgr or the Owner and asks him. Â He grumbles a little bit and says well if it is happy hour it's only for the next 5 minutes and walks away. Â Original bartender who helped us looks at the new guy and tells him "tell her no, no happy hour tonight!" Â Customers (remember there are 4 of them) tell him that it says there's one online and if you aren't honoring your online post they are leaving and will not be back. Â Bartender basically walks them out the door. Â I couldn't believe it! A new place that just opened walked 4 people out the door and really didn't even care. Â Wife and I left and I can tell you I will not be rushing back anytime soon. Â I think another problem I kind of had with the place is that they are trying to be a part of the community but don't offer any beers from any of the local micro brewery's or any local wines from the Temecula Valley. Â Shame on you Blackbird tavern, your blowing it every way you can. Â Good luck! I'm thinking we'll see some serious changes over the next few weeks to couple of months or I give them 6 months! I really hope I'm wrong because I want to go back and hang around out around the cool fire pits when they figure it out.
We went to Blackbird Tavern last Saturday night. The ambience was relaxing yet fun and the decor was very appealing to the eye. Our server was really friendly. There were a few things he had to check on because it was their first real weekend of being open, but I'd rather him check for me than tell me the wrong thing. The food was delicious! My husband had the burger & fries...the burger was fresh, tasty & cooked to perfection...the fries (skinny fries) were fabulous! I has the special of braised short ribs  in a spicy sauce with mashed blue potatoes...I wish it wasn't a special and a permanent item on the menu. And last but not least, Bluebird has an extensive craft beer selection which we loved, a decent wine selection, & some yummy looking innovative cocktails on the menu. After dinner, we sat by the firepit for another beer...quite enjoyable! Now that we've been there once, I want to go back but with all the great reviews, I don't know if we'll ever get a table. Not a bad problem to have :)
Review Source:I had dinner here last week. Â Lets get real and forget about what the place looks like, Â It is off the hook for ambiance, But I love food; good food that is a fair price. The BlackBird didn't meet any of my expectations, especially when it came to pricing.
We had to practically beg for a drink and finally got seated at a table. The menu selection is small on a very large paper with very tiny writing. Even with my glasses on I had to have my boyfriend read it to me. I had a $14.00 hamburger with fries. The burger was good, but not fourteen bucks good. The first burger was delivered to our table, the wrong order, and it was raw. as in cold raw. The fries are weird, as they are seasoned with rosemary. I personally did not care for them. The ketchup that is served with them is equally odd with a flavor that I haven't been able to put my finger on. Meanwhile the sweet dill chips are wonderfully amazing.
All the beers are craft beers and one will cost ya, and a margarita made with a brand of tequila I have never heard of is nine bucks and a shot of tequila with the same no name liquor is $9.00 as well and it's horrid. You figure that one out.
There were 5 in our party, some live with in walking distance, and we are close and spend a good deal of time in Old Town. I am unsure what crowd The BlackBird is trying to draw, but it is defiantly not the locals. This place will do great during the summer months with the tourist business. We will see what happens when it is the dead of winter and the tourist have gone home and all that's left are the local residents. I certainly wish them luck, we will not be back. There are too many great places to eat with a fair price. 2 Beers one burger and fries and a Margarita, with tip just under $50.00.. No thanks.
I have spoken to several locals, who have the same complaints, far to pricey for mediocre food, hit and miss service and doubt they will be back. Â Personally, I am not eating the atmosphere, and it falls down the list of importance. I don;t mind paying good money for an exceptional meal, but this ain't it.
Usually in temecula when a new place opens, I find myself saying, "we'll I love what they were TRYING to do." But blackbird is not such a place. It's a unusual combination of good idea AND good execution, and it translates into a great experience and ridiculously good food. My "hey let's drive to San Diego and go to Neighborhood" itch has a new way to get scratched, and for me that's saying something. We got the steak and the burger, and both were absolutely insanely good, and too big to finish (just barely). Good service, great atmosphere, great food. My only complaint is that this place will probably soon be too crowded to get into without an hour wait, and it pains me to write this review knowing it will only speed up the inevitable. But blackbird is just awesome and they deserve it, temecula needs more places like this.
Review Source:We dug this place! Went there tonight for a drink and appetizers. Totally cool vibe and a great crowd. The only downfall was a slightly limited menu, which is normally fine but we were both in the mood for options I guess.
However, we each had a couple of beers and the "Brown Bag" which is basically french fries with homemade sauces. It was good stuff!
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,609 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,970 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,310 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,906 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,986 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
