Black Sheep Bistro — Restaurant in Corpus Christi

Black Sheep Bistro 3.23.23

We were excited to reignite our tastebuds from one of our favorite local restaurants. It has been a couple of years. Actually planned some business in the area so we could be there for the 5 pm opening for dining. Ordered the classic Little Joe medium rare; it was more rare than medium, it was inedible in the middle. Served with blood-soaked, cold, garlic mashed potatoes. Had to ask for a new serving of mashed. The veggies were nice; crisp and seasoned well. Ok, dealt with it. Then a patron, apparently a regular, sat down at the bar. He was loud, an over talker, and was dropping f-bombs with every other word. Not one of the 4 front of the house staff said anything. Totally inappropriate behavior; patron and the staff. So I called the patron out. “Excuse me, would you mind…” When I asked him to turn off the f-bombs, he went ballistic. Joyfully, he left the restaurant claiming it was a “bar” and insinuating I was out of line, insulting my dinner choice of steak. I reminded him that this was once considered “fine” dining that “happened” to have a bar. There were three, all 50+ couples trying to enjoy an over $100 meal. We continued on with our meal to the inappropriate pop/dance music obviously chosen by the staff, not by the actual patrons. Did I already say it was a 50+ group? NOBODY wants to hear techno. Two bartenders. Kayleigh was very personable and managed to salvage our over $150+ plus dinner with her personality and responsiveness. Her colleague focused on the other guy drinking at the bar who was a friend of the offensive patron. The employee and the drinker spoke rapid Spanish, very loudly throughout our entire meal. Poor Kayleigh had to repeat the special to us twice due to the volume of the staff/patron conversation. Kayleigh was stocking the bar, cutting garnishes, and of course, periodically checking on us. Disappointed is mild to the way I felt. We had been looking forward to creating a memorable meal at an old favorite. The staff, the atmosphere, misfire on the food was just too much. Black Sheep Bistro is now just a drive-by on our dining experience list. Savor your money, time, and tastebuds and go to Roosevelts or The Phoenix. They both understand the entire dining experience. And they both employ and train staff who also embody that spirit. (I am easy to find online if you would like a copy of my entire Coast Bend dining guide. I am a foodie and just provide for my clients. Not a professional food critic, just a...

We went here for only two reasons: it was close to our hotel and we could take our dogs. This place COMPLETELY exceeded our expectations. I had the linguini ($15) and my wife had the grilled salmon ($23). The pasta was a perfect al dente, and, though it lacked the typical yellow tint of homemade pasta, I asked if it might be; it's not, but it's so good that it could be. The balance of sausage, mushroom, peppers, and asparagus, with the subtle hint of rosemary was absolutely perfect. The serving size was generous without being overwhelming. My wife's salmon was perfectly cooked; pink, moist, and flaky, with a nice sear on the skin and a hard crust of some sort of glaze on top. It was perched atop a sweet potato/green apple hash that had bits of bacon, and sandwiched between the two were four pieces of plump asparagus. Topping all of this was a microgreen salad, with the exact amount of dressing needed. The flavors were a perfect complement for each other. We didn't even notice until we were through with our meal, but neither of us even looked for salt or pepper, the seasonings were that correct. Our server, Ashton, was knowledgeable about the menu, cheerful and pleasant. He was there when he should be and not when he shouldn't. We sat outdoors since we brought our dogs, so there was no wait. But, when we arrived I went inside to get seated and the place was full - not an empty seat in the place. The patio was well kept, although it is outdoors so there were a couple of cobwebs in the corners and the cornerposts could use some paint, but, that's not a knock, just an observation. Ashton interacted with our dogs and brought water for them, as well. We ate at another restaurant nearby last night and were sorely disappointed with the food, so we weren't expecting that much, especially since this place is in a nondescript strip mall with a bank, a title company, and an insurance company. When we were raving to Ashton about the food he told us the Executive Chef and the Sous Chef both came from the Omni, which is a 5 star rated restaurant. It's clear they brought their talents with them when they relocated. The menu is a bit limited, but it's always better to do a few things and do them well (which they definitely do), rather than a lot of things and do them mediocre. I have never given a 5 star rating to any restaurant on Google, but this one deserves it! Highly recommended and if we're ever in the Corpus area again, we'll return. Great job Mario and Ashton...

Diners beware. First visit this evening...will be our last. We drove 2 hours from South Padre to Padre to try a different restaurant scene for dinner. We walked in and the bistro looked small but seemed like a decent place to eat. We weren't greeted or seated by anyone so we found a table. The server who brought us menus didn't greet us but asked if we had reservations. We said no but he said our table selection was fine. He gave us menus and walked away. We sat and looked over the menus as 2 men behind the bar fiddled with remotes picking channels on the TVs. The menu was very small however entree descriptions sounded appetizing. I planned to order the Rib Eye and the rest of my family had made their selections as well but our server had not returned. As we waited, 3 other couples came in and seated themselves. They were immediately taken care of, given menus, promptly served drinks and appetizers were served at one of the tables. None of these parties sat at reserved tables but appeared to be walk ins as well. We still hadn't been asked our drink order at this point, yet these other parties were taken care of. They literally gave us menus and never returned. We sat 15-20 minutes or so before we finally got up and left, completely unacknowledged by staff. We will reciprocate their level of service and will not return...