Black Rock Tavern — Restaurant in Thomaston

I’m disappointed to be leaving this review. I used to love going to BRT before and after shows, however after my experience last night, I will not be returning. This bar used to be a great place for cast members from Opera House productions to celebrate. And I want to preface this with I too am a server, and I’m VERY sympathetic to the tribulations of the service industry.

We tried to be as understanding and easy going as possible, and called the bar to see if they would be open for us (considering they closed early last Saturday, meaning cast members were not able to pick up the food they ordered). Michelle the manager said they would stay open for us and as long as we called in our food orders before 9:45 they would be able to accommodate us. We said they could cook it whenever was convenient for them and wrap them up to-go for us as to not be inconvenient to wait staff…we were FULLY accepting to not be waited on…we just wanted to eat food and grab a drink (which the bar was full of people, locals included). Instead the manager started a verbal confrontation with our organizer saying that we arrived too late and they would never host us again and that we needed to go somewhere else from now on, because THEY chose to keep their servers on late.

We were respectful, and grateful for our food, however were met with animosity by the servers. The two servers (I wish I had gotten their names) rushed us, and told us to leave multiple times and made us feel bad for trying to enjoy our time together. They were passive aggressive and downright rude. One server even approached me saying that she wasn’t being THAT rude, just a little rude. I’ve had questionable impoliteness with this particular server in the past but have always let it slide. But this was the final straw for me. I explained to her that again, we didn’t WANT to be waited on. The servers took out their frustrations with their management on us, the customers. I will not be returning to Black Rock and will be advising others to no longer...

After seeing a segment on FOX about this place, I was excited to go. With the menu prices, I expected a mid to upscale restaurant. The inside looked like a pizza house. After we were seated, first it took 15 minutes just to get water poured for the table and that was only because the manager did it. Then it was 20 minutes to get our drinks (2 sodas!). Another table was getting served their meals before we even ordered ours and they were seated after us. We got calimari for an appetizer, which was rubbery and lukewarm. For our meals, i got the steak on a 600 degree granite slab, which is served raw and you cook it yourself at the table. More on that in a second. My girlfriend got the pulled chicken tacos. For the steak, as I had never been there before I asked the waitress for a couple of pointers for cooking the steak on the granite. She told me to just cut it and cook it how I liked. The steak was ok, not a fantastic piece of meat for the money. Prepared at the right temperature because i cooked it! Lol. Served with salt and barbecue sauce?! My girlfriends tacos had chunks of chicken, not pulled chicken, and also used cheese whiz for the cheese as well as being cold. The service continued to be awful until she dropped the check, after that she was friendlier than she had been for the whole meal. She had zero personality and didn't even respond to any pleasantries like please and thank you. We certainly...

I grew up right near Black Rock Tavern and have been coming for years. A classic downtown standby that offered plenty with its warm, rambling space, cozy bar side for late night sneak aways from kids on holiday visits home, large dining room for big family dinners like Light Up The Night Thomaston…even if the food was never quite great.

Last night I immediately noticed something different when we came for dinner. The fries, slender and light, had crisp brown skin along their edges, were clearly hand cut, and finished with the perfect New England dusting of course sea salt (cue Taylor Swift August…)

Then my Thai fried rice arrived …super dubious as a gf vegetarian who has to succumb to sorry excuses for Asian cuisine out in the small towns.

You guys. Fresh local vegetables, a handmade spicy sauce with none of that bottled sauce aftertaste - fresh ginger, garlic, chile, green onions popping…perfectly executed fried egg that burst with a tap?!

When my sister’s classic ceasar arrived dark and leafy and lemony and perfectly dressed, we started cracking up at our own foodie delight - my husband and I live in Brooklyn, my sis from Sevilla Spain - and playing Gordon Ramsey and acting out skits, I kid you not!

And then, the new owners came up and introduced themselves, and asked if we had perhaps noticed anything different about the food!

Go to Blackrock Tavern, incredibly...