Blackfinn DC — Restaurant in Washington

First and foremost what restaurant recommends a patron visit its competitor? I will never visit this restaurant again!!

Prior to visiting we called the restaurant to inquire about reservation and was told none was needed. Upon entering the restaurant we were not greeted we actually had to get the host attention. We inquired about the wait time of 20/25 minutes however she proceeded to tell us that we should go to a competitor restaurant which was down the block around the corner. My party was a family of 8 including one wheelchair Patron by the way and it was raining so we we really didn't think about leaving. After waiting about 30 minutes we were finally seated. The waiter Ashton came and took our orders for appetizers but didn't not return with them until 40minutes later. We didn't complain. Then we waited another 40 minutes for our food. But this time I was pretty frustrated but I didn't complain. Upon paying, we decided to split the bill and I attempted to pay with a gift card. This server began getting very nasty and rude even telling me that there was no funds on the card rolled his eyes and tossed the card on the table in front of me. How dare he!! I contacted my bank and placed the call on speaker so that the manager could hear that there was over $200 on the card and my bill was only about $120. The manager was not helpful but apologized. I can't believe that I had to go through all of this simply because of a form of payment with a Visa gift card. I personally believed it was race related but I won't even discuss the reasons why. My fiance ended up paying the balance simply because it was supposed to be a celebration dinner and didn't think Ashton or the manager deserved the energy ( thank God for his patience)The service here was horrible and I am from nyc. I would never recommend this restaurant to anybody. I would never return to this restaurant. Maybe unless you're not a minority. I have pictures of the food but I refuse to post them. Shift managers should be more than capable of addressing situations like this. Employees should be reprimanded for this type of behavior as well. I am in the sakes and service industry and I would definitely be reprimanded for such behavior and actions...

My husband and I first sampled BlackFinn at a charity event where we were gifted a buy one get one free entree certificate. We finally made the trip to use our soon to expire offer this past Friday.

This place was surprisingly empty on a Friday evening. Perhaps because there were no sports/tournament in season? The ambiance was your generic American bar/restaurant much like TGI Friday/Ruby Tuesday. The prices of the dishes were comparable to those restaurants too - not quite sure it would be worth $20+ for the quality served but definitely the quantity (ginormous portion).

My husband ordered the bacon wrapped meatloaf while I opted for the shrimp and grits (my new obsession and must get every time I see it on the menu). My husband really enjoyed his dish except for the overly salted collard green. It was so salty that it actually left a bitter aftertaste. My shrimp and grits was overwhelmingly rich. I did not expect the cream sauce to have solidified upon serving. However they were generous in the amount of shrimp given (8-10 medium sized). In addition, the grits were served in a pan fried patty form - interesting texture and presentation. Although the grits patties were tasty, I did not get a single hint of goat cheese in them - I might actually be upset if I'm a goat cheese fanatic.

Overall - a forgettable meal - service was a bit slow but our waitress was extremely sweet and tried her hardest to be attentive/helpful. Food however was...

We came in right before happy hour was ending on a Tues. Local, and it's been on the list of places to visit. Our intent was a quick drink and app before an engagement nearby.

Pros: The hostess - very nice, super sweet, accommodating - definitely was the highlight

Cons: We only had the shrimp and crab dip and calamari ($43). To say dissatisfied is an understatement.

There was no crab in the dip, and it was overseaoned. The calamari was overcooked/fried, and it only had the small rings and peppers. Either one didn't match the $$

We ended up not didn't get drinks because of the service. We sat immediately. However, the waiter/waitress situation was strange and borderline rude. A male waitress walked past us like 6x. He never spoke a word but looked at us and even rolled his eyes. Why? Confused 😕.

We assumed we were in his area because he was literally serving and speaking to every table around us. Now later, we find out he "wasn't," and a female waitress came to greet us. Here's the thing, if that's the case, what's hard about being a good coworker/employee if you notice a delay or you see people looking. Just say -- " we'll be with you in a moment, Let me grab your server, Would you like some water or a drink while you wait?" Etc.

It rubbed me the wrong way, and for numerous reasons, the mark was missed. The previous reviews got us there. Yet the exspierence...