fun place to hang, drink and eat.
i saw families, business men and women and just people drinking and hanging out.
they have one side for quieter dining? weren't seated there so don't know.
the sports bar section has some kiddie basketball type of game machines among others.
waitress was friendly.
wife had 7 layer lasagna (can't remember # of layers): this was good. not gooey nor too dry. it was great. wife loved it. Â
Ultimate bacon cheddar: great! can't go wrong with these type of burgers but it hit the right spot.
Hostess was rude, ignored us! More interested in talking to her friends. Terrible seating! Long row table you sit aside other customers, close enough to share a plate! The chairs stick out into the aisle so staff runs into your chair every time they pass by. Food was average. Nothing you couldn't buy at grocery store an make your self. Extremely expensive, even with no bar bill! Went for a special occasion. Just ended up ruining occasion. Would have been better off staying home an ordering a pizza!!! Pass this place by! Less than no stars!!!
Review Source:Looking at other reviews here, I think this place gets a bad rap. I've been here a few times and I really liked it. I didn't expect fine dining. I wanted a nice little place to get a good meal and drink. And I got it. I've been back a few times since I moved to the area. Service has always been good. Food has always been good. The Tuna Poke was great! Love it. Again, it's not amazing fine dining, but it's good food. Priced reasonable. Atmosphere is fun (I've always sat on the bar side). I would definitely recommend this place.
Review Source:We only came in there for drinks after a so-so experience at E&O. Â The place is very clean well decorated. Â They have a really great drink selection and our waitress (Monica) was very, very good: friendly, warm, helpful, attentive. Â She even gave the girl we were with (celebrating a birthday) a large free dessert on the house despite the fact that we weren't even eating. Â We ended up having a very good time at BlackFinn's.
Review Source:Service was great, my crab cakes were delish. Had the tomatoes "stuffed" with blue cheese but really it was a couple pieces baked on top of them, so those were a little dissapointing which is why I only gave it 4 stars. Also had TV's in the dining room, hate that. Bathroom is awesome. I would recommend it for sure.
Review Source:I have been here many times and every time has been really good. Â They have an amazing burger and beer deal on thursdays and the burger is my favorite in town and it is really simple. I have had the blackened chicken sandwich and the buffalo chicken sandwich and I really liked both they were well cooked not dry and seasoned well. Â They have the beer battered (or fish battered fries per my husband since he is allergic to fish) which I really like but they substitute the side for allergies. Â I had a free appetizer for signing up with their mailing list and we got the shrimp and it was similar to the bang bang shrimp at Bonefish Grill and I liked Bonefish better. Â The mozzerella sticks were interesting a good twist on the traditional. Â Had the tartar once and I don't like it but just because I don't like raw fish. Â Everyone else in the group liked it. Â This is one of my favorite local hang outs now and I am so Happy it is in randhurst and that they built up that area now with such great restaurants we were lacking this for a very long time.
Review Source:Went here tonight with a large group, 9ppl total. There was no hostess when I entered and after waiting a few minutes and still no hostess, i decided to use the restroom. Â When I came out, the hostess had appeared. She was friendly and showed me to my group promptly. Our server was friendly and polite and took our drink order. She also answered all our questions. Â
The food was okay, nothing spectular. Â I had heard all about the fries, so I ordered those. I didn't get what the big deal was, as they were just seasoned fries. They were served nice and hot. The BBQ sauce was good. Â I ordered the ahi tuna salad and that was tasty. Yes, the portion was on the smaller side, but it was probably the amount I should be eating anyhow. Â I was full after eating it. Â One of my coworkers ordered the lemon chicken and he cleaned up his plate, so I'm guessing it was good. Â The Mac and cheese looked good, but I think my other coworker didn't care for it because she barely touched it.
I split the key lime pie with someone and it was slightly warm..weird. The taste was okay, nothing exciting.
I wouldn't go back nor would I recommend it based on the fact that its nt worth the prices.
My co-workers loved the food, I honestly did not. The food was so so okay - there  was nothing that stood out with their food. I ordered cheese burger w/bacon meal for lunch which comes with onion strings. The portions are huge but the food quiet on the average site. Will I go back no. The restaurant is quiet clean.
Review Source:BlackFinn has everything going for it: brand new restaurant in a recently rebuilt and newly thriving outdoor shopping mall. Fantastic location with corner visibility, right across from the new AMC Theaters. You'd think it would be a great place to hit up after some shopping nearby or just letting out of a Friday night movie.
Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed with BlackFinn. All the elements are there for something that would be considered an American fare staple in my book... but it came up way too short. The ambiance is warm, chic and inviting. I like that the sports bar area is completely separate from the dining room, so you can pick and choose where you'd like to go, depending on the evening you'd like to have.
Don't get me wrong, the staff was super nice and knowledgeable about the menu. However, whoever was working that night in the kitchen did not live up to the hype of what BlackFinn was trying to convey. My friend ordered a salad and I ordered a burger -- in my opinion, two very basic entrees that are difficult to "screw up". Both were extremely unflavorful, neither one of us could quite put our finger on it but they were both extremely bland. We felt bad about doing it, but we asked to speak to the manager and he apologized and comped us for our meals, which was incredibly generous. We did however try dessert (key lime pie) which was delicious. Most likely made at a different time or a different day by a different chef. But too little too late in my opinion. No desire to return.
So fun! We went with a few friends to watch the Blackhawks game and ended up staying for the Thursday night trivia game. Unexpected fun! Good beer and great good! Highly recommend the flatbreads and sliders. My husband ordered a steak and it was pretty tasty. Â I hope to go back again soon!
Review Source:We have been to the Black Finn twice. Both times my wives meal was amazing and both times my selection were awful.
Advice; stay away from the fish and chips and the heater burger was very dry and low in quality.
What really grinds my gears is their "Strawberry Shortcake".. ya its just 2 pieces of pound cake with whipped cream and strawberries on-top. 6.99 for that?? It costs maybe 1.69 to make..
The highlights of this place are the fries, beer selection and the servers. However, the way the bar was designed I would never come here to watch a game.
BlackFinn is a good choice if you are shopping in the Randhurst Village area. The food is prepared well and the prices are decent. I went here on a Sunday afternoon when they weren't too busy so I did not experience some of the problems others seem to experience when they are busy.
Finn Fries: These were good, very similar to what you'd find downtown. The normal fries themselves are good as well, this just has additional seasoning and special sauces.
Cuban sandwich: Nice fluffy bread with the right ratio of pickles to cheese to meat. This is probably the best version I've had in the suburbs.
Prime Rib, Hash and Eggs: Hearty and flavorful.
Fried Haddock: Done as well as any other grill restaurant. Fluffy batter, fluffy bread, crispy fries on the side.
BlackFinn Hot Chocolate: This item was the highlight of the trip. The interaction of the warm chocolate, caramel, and peanut butter with the icy cold vanilla ice cream was divine. Don't avoid this dessert because of the simplicity its ingredients, let your taste buds be the judge and I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
Great selection of beers and spirits. Â Super busy place. We ended up eating at the bar. Our server Joe was very helpful and attentive. Did I say that this place was SUPER busy and crowded? The food was good. I had a plain hamburger... Really how could that not be good? Â And yes the fries were good!
My only complaint is that parking is a hassle. I ended up in the nearby parking garage. It is a huge garage and ended up being quite a hike in heels. Â Really no valet parking on a Saturday night?
I went here with a friend on a Wednesday night -- Nice atmosphere and friendly service, but I was disappointed with what I ordered -- the fish tacos. Breaded, deep fried fish with raw cabbage and chipotle mayo?? Strange combination, and not very appetizing. A couple things that made up for that: It was 1/2 price wine night! I got a yummy glass of riesling for $4. Also, I had signed up for the rewards club online, and used my coupon for a free appetizer! We got the blackened brie, which was suprisingly tasty, and went well with the wine! :) I'd give this place a second chance.
Review Source:Yes the portions were small, but everything we had WE LOVED!!! They have a giant selection of beer, I tried 2 but can't remember what they were... Started with the Ying-Yang Shrimp and it was to die for! I ordered the chopped seafood salad and it was really good, but it could have been bigger because it disappeared! My fiance ordered the Bourbon Street burger and while it was a little greasy, it was still great! Since it's not too far from home, we will be going back!
Review Source:Personal Recommendation: Finn fries. Just order however many you need to get full.
Why did I start with the recommendation? Because nothing else is worth getting here. The mac and cheese is too dry, the flatbread tastes like egg roll skin, and the soup tastes like it's from a can. And it's quite a toll on your wallet..
But the fries? Wonderful. Exquisite. Perfection. They taste like they've been breaded or fried twice and seasoned with a cajun-like flavor. And at around 4 dollars for an order, it's the only thing that gives you your bang for the buck.
I don't mind small portions, but your food better make up for the lack of quantity with exceptional quality.
It should tell you something that I can give this place 3 stars just for their fries... Seriously, go get some. If you like Jim's fries, you'll love Finn's fries.
We came here for my fiance's birthday. Â Once there we were seated right away and our waitress came to take our drink order. Â Not long after she took our order we were enjoying our beverages, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic. Â
The food was really good. Â Lots of flavor. Â We ordered the bacon burger, Margherita, and buffalo chicken. Â The burger was definitely worth the price. Â I am a fan of spicy food and love it when buffalo sauce is actually spicy! Â The margherita flat bread tasted really fresh. Â For dessert we had the seasonal fruit crisp. Â I could not believe how delicious it was. Â I never have room for dessert but since it was on the house for my fiance's birthday I gave it a try. Â I wish I had room to eat more. Â The warm crumbs, apples, caramel and ice cream are a great combination.
The food here is a bit pricey but it is worth it when you consider the portion sizes. Â Come hungry!
Stopped in to meet up with friends before seeing a movie at the AMC. I didn't get to try much beyond the pretzel which was pretty good, warm and salt crusted. I had a Vanilla Porter from Colorado's Breckenridge Brewery, and that was deliciously refreshing and fresh. Service was about average. I'm sure I'll be back because of its proximity to the movie theater.
Review Source:Service & food was pretty good.
Atmosphere was good, modern, cozy, clean.
I ordered: Lime Seared Salmon (roasted corn and black bean pico de gallo, rice pilaf, asparagus - 17.99). It was good. Rice was super plain, salmon didn't taste "lime seared" (it was good though, but a small piece) & asparagus was typical. They should have served a larger piece of salmon. I barely notices the pico de gallo.
Dessert was great-the BlackFinn Hot Chocolate! Delish! Great to split with another person!
Things I didn't like: they don't serve bread before dinner & the waitress didn't tell us about any specials that night. We later over heard OUR waitress telling the table next to ours about the 1/2 priced wine that night that I would've ordered if I had known...
I would say to ask about any specials or deals when you go & check their Facebook page because they might have extra specials on there too.
I really enjoyed this BlackFinn, it is much bigger then the Naperville location...or maybe its the same and the layout is different?
Anywho, came here with my mother-in-law and my sis-in-law after a couple hours of Black Friday shopping! Â The place surprisingly was not crowded! We got a table right away...and our waitress was VERY attentive.
We started off with the absolutely delicious pretzels with mustard cheese sauce...I RARELY get appetizers, but OH MY these were goood! I gave my hubby the extra one for lunch the next day and he loved them as well!
We all ordred their lunch special of "Pick 2" (you have a choice between the soup, salad and flatbread). Â I ordered the Black Finn Salad (devine!) and the vegetable flatbread, which was pretty decent. Â The in-laws ordred the house salad and the ceasar salad and both ordred the BBQ Chicken Flatbread which they both enjoyed!
Im not sure how busy it gets, but I would suggest making reservations if you can! Â They also have after work/happy hour specials and appetizers! Â Check out their website to find out more details!
Would definately love to come here again and check out their extensive menu even more!
I've been to the Naperville location before and this one is much larger and more open inside, but not better though. Doesn't seem as cozy and inviting as I would like. Service was friendly and quick.
Prices were much too high for a sports bar, almost somewhat pretentious. Nachos for $11 and they still left you hungry for more, and even a part of the plate was bare as if there should have been more chips there but weren't.
Also got the ying yang shrimp, and again disappointed by the lack of food for the money :(
Drink specials were nice, and they did have crown royal specials for $5
Nine of us went to Black Finn as a group who try different restaurants each month.
This is one we will NEVER go back to. We were greeted pleasantly and seated quickly for our reservation. Our drinks arrived two at a time- weird? No garnishments on a whisky sour,mIniscule slivers of lime on other drinks and refills were one here and one there.Our appetizers were our first hint of what a poor choice this place was for our dinner. "Blackened" brie meant the circle of brie was placed on the grill until it was burnt on one side and then flipped over until it was burnt on the other side. It was plated with three slivers of apple, a tablespoon of chutney and five toast crisps-do not bother with this one! Nachos topped with pulled pork were good except the pork was cool , not warm. The best was spinach and artichoke dip. As for entrees: again:"blackened" shrimp and grits meant two large burnt flavorless shrimp over some decent grits with smaller shrimp.  The 3 jumbo crab cakes were about 2 1/4 inch circles, certainly not JUMBO by any stretch of the imagination. The Parmesan encrusted  swordfish was OK except that the parmesan crust was face down on the cold angel hair pasta, so it was soggy. The fish and chips were rather rubbery, not crispy-perhaps too long under the heat lamp.
Our other diners were OK with meatloaf, mac and cheese topped with pulled pork and pasta with shrimp and spinach. Our meals came our the same as our drinks, two at a time, but about five minutes apart. No, we didn't have coffee or dessert, we were eager to leave. The place was packed and we felt badly for the numerous other great restaurants struggling for business. Â This over priced place with a chef who tonight didn't know that blackened doesn't mean burnt and that all food should come out hot and at the same time for each table really needs Chef Ramsey!
My husband and I thought we would give it a shot, thinking that we had waited long enough for them to work out the "newbie" kinks. Â Well, we didn't wait long enough. Â Being a Friday night, we assumed we would have a wait and were told 1/2 hour -- not bad. Â Hostess employees did a good job.
DRINKS: Â We waited in the bar, which was PACKED and bartenders were seriously overworked. Â I agree with other reviews that the prices in the bar and the dining room need to come down about 20% or so. Â We had mojitos ($10 apiece!) that were just okay. Â The second round made by a different bartender were undrinkable and had to be remade by the general manager who happened by. Â He said he would use this as a "teaching moment". Â He brought back two well-made mojitos and handled the situation very well. Â
FOOD: Â Food also needs to come down in price! Â The soft pretzels with mustard cheese dip are TO DIE FOR! Â We also shared the buffalo chicken flatbread (pretty good), but the fish tacos left much to be desired. Â Too little fish, which was overdone, too little sauce, etc. Â
It seems like they still have a lot of new servers, bartenders (one was brand new), so we will definitely go back for a second try -- will just wait about six more months! Â Would love to see this restaurant find it's place and succeed!
Beware if you have food allergies! Â I tried to put zero stars, but apparently Yelp doesn't allow it. Â
Went here to start the night with four couples. Â My wife has a food allergy and our server seemed like he was attentive to the requests made. Â However, our server never even checked to see if the entree was safe. Â We know this only because after my wife had a reaction she asked the server and he shrugged and said, "I thought it was safe" - in front of his manager. Â And then the guy asked one of our party members to "back him up" by saying they were playing a joke. Â The server still works there! Â If you have a child or someone you care about with allergies, play it safe and stay away from Black Finn.
They can serve a cold Corona and Martini but past that the food was overpriced for what we received. The artichoke dip was okay, kinda greasy and the Calamari was not the best around. What made me write this review was the poor choice we made ordering the Lemon Chicken with capers, The dish arrived with a bag on the wild rice, no capers and a wedge of a lemon. The Chicken was more like buttered chicken with no taste unless I squeezed the wedge over the dish. We asked the waitress about the bag, she said sorry, that's how the kitchen heats it... In a bag. So... Am I lead to believe we paid for a high priced micro-wave meal?
My recommendation is to go for drinks with a full stomach.
It was probably really busy when I went because they had just opened, but we grabbed a spot at the bar while waiting for our buzzer to go off. They have a pretty decent craft beer selection, on TAP. Score! We had a flatbread as an appetizer. Yum! It didn't completely kill our appetite for main course either. I ordered the crab cakes. The apple cole slaw is amazing, which says a lot coming from me, because I usually do not like cole slaw. Delicious crab cakes! You can tell it's the real deal too when you cut open the cake with your fork. Cooked perfectly! The only negative (minus 1 star) is that it was WAY overpriced with no soup or salad, so I ended up eating some of my boyfriend's fries. Please BlackFinn, bring down your prices or offer more bang for your buck. I would go back more often for dinner if this was changed.
Review Source:We went on a Saturday night without reservations. Â We arrived at six and were told we would be seated between seven and seven thirty. Â That was fine as we just wanted a drink at the bar while we waited. We had called early in the day and were told to have a reservation it would be 7:45. Â
So it worked out better going without a reservation. Â The restaurant was extremely crowded. Â We were able to have
A seat at the bar after a while. Â A Stella and a MGD were $11.00. Â When we were seated at a table it was in the bar area (conversing by yelling due to noise). Â No problem. Â Food was great, servers were friendly. Â Three cons: Â no bread with entree, no soup or salad with entree, and the waitress expected me to box my own meal. Â I cook and clean at home and do not expect to have to do this at a restaurant. Â So, only three stars as the food was averagely priced for the area but without bread or salad/soup not worth the price.
Open about 30 days and all wait staff were nice, prompt.   Decor is nice and Chicago wall pictures are eye catching.  Only about 10 tables had patrons when we arrived at around 8 PM. That all I can say positive about  dining here.
The food is just average in taste and the value is very poor, an entree at $15 didn't include bread or a salad, the portion was average also.  I don't think they will be in business  24 months from now, there are too many places near by that have a better value.
I had previously gone to the BlackFinn in Naperville and was excited to go to the newly opened one in Mt. Prospect! Get there, bar was packed but the dinner room didn't seem like it but there was about a 45 mins to an hour wait... ugh fine it's not like I live around the corner. Finally get seated... look around... lots of tables open and I was a little annoyed I had to wait when I see all these tables open. Next time I'll try to make reservations!
Any who! I of course got the Balboa, shaved prime rib, mozz cheese, toasted garlic bread, w/au jus. Very yummy! My boyfriend got the Queen City Chicken, bacon crusted chicken stuffed with sweet sausage, sweet potato mash, asparagus. He said it was good but very small. But the very best part of our meal, dessert! BlackFinn Hot Chocolate fallen chocolate and peanut butter souffle served warm, vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel drizzle. It's to die forrrrrrr! I would go back for that alone!
BlackFinn is a strange one. Like the recent review in Daily Herald, it's like BlackFinn is trying to be a clubby restaurant, a family-friendly restaurant, an "after work" hangout and a Sports bar. The problem is that since it does seem to have a few different personalities, it doesn't seem to know which one to embrace.
When we sat down, I was actually struck by the fact that they use plain white paper placemats. Not a big deal, but maybe a placemat with the "B" logo would be a little something other than staring at white placemats on your table.
I had a crab cake sandwich with fries. It was fine, not bad, not great. Definitely not worth the $15.99 price. My wife had a steakhouse entree salad with skirt steak. She said it was good. Our son had a kids' flatbread pizza. Again, nothing special.
What was good? Key Lime Pie for dessert. Spot on.
I would say that most all of the entrees at BlackFinn are priced about 20% more than what you should pay. So, some items are pretty expensive for a mid-scale shopping center.
Will we go back? Probably...but no great rush to do so.
So, after much thinking, I decided to go with 3 stars because I just didn't have a good experience here. We came here once to watch a Bears game, but it was packed so we left. It looked really cool inside the bar area, so I was excited to come back for a different game. Anyway, we did come back for a game at a later date, but we were highly disappointed. When you walk in, there is a host stand in the middle of the restaurant, and then to your left is a bar and to your right is a dining area. Well, like most places, when you go straight to the bar area, you almost never have to be seated. So that's what we did... we walked in and went straight through. We picked a table, and about 5 minutes later, the host came in telling us that she doesn't want to "scream or yell at us or anything", but we needed to go through her to get a table. Ok, that's fine, but she should have went about it in a much different manner. She was very rude and it was an honest mistake on our part. I could have seen this as a problem if it was full or if these tables required reservations, but it was only half filled when we sat down.
Anyway, we came there for a game, so we ordered just  a few appetizers and beer. The only thing I liked was the Garlic butter and Parmesan brushed soft pretzels. My boyfriend had the quesadillas which he said was good as well. Our waitress came off as fake and overly attentive to the point that it was unbearably annoying. Like I said, we were there for the game, so we didn't need to be asked 10x if were doing okay, or if we need anything else. We took awhile to eat the food, so it  wasn't necessary to keep asking if we are done either. It was one of those times where less service would have been better.
This place gets stars for the pretzel appetizers and for the amazing looking bathrooms. The actual building is very clean and looks spanking new (which it is). Otherwise, the service really turned me off and I don't think I will be back. We had a better time watching the game at Billy Goats a week before. Though it's the burbs, there is def no shortages of bars around the area.
First the positives, cause I'm that kind of a "half glass full" type of gal : )
1. The place is lovely and spotless. Â The bathrooms are so modern, the sink actually freaked me out- at first.
2. Our server, Robert K, was fab. He was professional, attentive and friendly.
3. The Classic Burger was delicious on a soft, shiny roll and the fries were incredible with a crispy coating. Wow- I just salivated a little...
My only complaints are that I felt the menu was a bit pricey for lunch and the parking is tricky. Â There are limited spaces on the "street", but you can sneak around to the back of Costco and park with no problem.
Okay, so I've also been to the one in Naperville, and this one is better. That, though, does not say much. These types of places are a dime a dozen - you know, high-ceilings, full of twenty-somethings, and that eau de stale booze overtaking your olfactory system.
I will say, though, the food here (specifically the fish tacos) is decent.
No need to go out of your way to go here.
I've returned to BlackFinn several times since the mock service, and have never ever been disappointed! Â I'm shocked by the 1 star reviews, and couldn't agree more. Â I was there last Friday for their "martini and a makeover" promotion, both the restaurant and the saloon were PACKED with young and middle aged people. Â I was there (I'm 28) with friends, and my parents (mid 50s) were there with their friends.
Everything I've tasted has been great! Â So far I've had:
steak frites: see previous review.
soft pretzels: see previous review. Â My boyfriend likes them so much, he orders them EVERY TIME we go.
yin yang shrimp: sooooo yummy! Â The perfect blend of spicy and savory. Â I could eat this as a meal
sliders: juicy and delicious
hummus: YUM.
blackened brie w/ cranberry chutney: perfect pairing of flavors.
shrimp & pesto flatbread: I really enjoyed this, and liked the pine nuts on top for extra flavor
wings: on gameday, big juicy wings, not scrawny little things.
gameday nachos: drenched in toppings!
We were also there on Sunday with a large group to watch the Bears game. Â Renata was our server and took exceptional care of us. Â Mark, the manager, introduced himself and sent over a free order of nachos for our group.
Everyone I've brought to BlackFinn has enjoyed it, and has said they'd return, myself included. Â This will definitely be my gameday place, as well as date night!