Black Duck Cafe — Restaurant in Westport

Easily the best place to go not only in Westport but the whole of Southwestern Connecticut/Fairfield County & even New Haven County.

Obviously they have the best burgers in the area. But people forget to mention that you can't find better steak fries around here. I recommend Danny's Famous Chili Cheese Fries. Or just get a basket of them plain with salt and pepper and dip them in ranch or ketchup. I used to have that for breakfast everyday thanks to Tim the Cook! At the Duck you're always well fed! You're lucky if you get the chance to work at this place!

And if you want to eat healthy I can't think of a place that makes better salads than this. I told my mom this when she asked where she can get a good salad around here. Panera is notorious for their salads, but the protein on top is always cold and pre-made. There are a bunch of places to eat where eating 'healthy' and salads are their main focus. But the Duck does it better than even them.

Their seafood is awesome! They have the best fried oysters I have ever had. And on Wednesdays and Fridays they have the Clam Jam where they sell out their steamed clams because they're on sale and steamed clams and beer are just a perfect match and a perfect reason to go down to the duck mid-day on a Wednesday or Friday! And on Fridays you can buy a boat full of 30 beers for $30 dollars. They also have a free buffet on Fridays! This place is my paradise, and I used to get to go down here everyday! Being in paradise everyday you can lose sight of what is important, and I took for granted everything that the Black Duck Cafe is. I have passed out on its floors. I still dream of the place on a regular basis. Jumping in the river. Sometimes the place will be flooded because the river is flowing madly and it is a wondrous sight. I really mean it when I say that dreams I have of this place are just filled with sights of awe and wonder. It is like the barge moves to different places in my dreams sometimes there are mountains across the river. Sometimes the current in the river is so strong that enormous waves come at me while I try to clean the place fast. I'll be in a hurry to clean it up with my broom and dustpan with Pete, while Jewels serves us drinks!

Other times it is a beautiful night and there is a full moon across the river and above the railroad bridge. Actually this night wasn't a dream. I was standing on the ledge behind the Duck before they built a deck out there where you can eat now, with the Jewel of the Duck and enjoying the sight and the night. Customers can sit and eat in warmth and protection from the elements where we used to have to stand on the ledge overlooking the river under the bridge. Every time I dream of the duck there are people there that I know from each and every different chapter of my life. Sometimes people from elementary school or family I haven't seen in a while are there enjoying the night with me. Then I wake up and remember to invite them out to go down there. Every time I awake from my dreams of the Duck I feel the desire to rush over there as soon as possible.

Their fried chicken sandwich is the best I have ever had. And I get out a lot and have eaten at a lot of places. Some nights a band will play Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay or Brandy or Under the Bridge and you'll really feel the songs come to life then. Beautiful Women taught me how to dance here. And I still go here to keep learning or to practice singing on Tuesday's Karaoke night. Or if the band isn't playing when you go you can be a jukebox hero. The Black Duck has it all! I am very fortunate to have the Black Duck Cafe to go to. It is just a treasure trove of fortune on the river at the end of the double rainbows that I have seen across the Saugatuck river there. Sorry this review is long overdue and writing it makes me really want to get down there right now. Thanks for the memories and the ability to keep going down there. I'll always remember my time at the Duck as a great chapter in my life filled with...

We were looking for casual pub food and we found it. Afterwards, we wish we hadn't. It should be noted, however, that we were told the regular cook was off that day, so our food experience could be the exception. It should also be noted that we weren't told the cook was off until after our orders were placed, food was served, and we'd had an issue. I'd suggest telling customers sooner...like before they order. Or maybe close the kitchen and just sell beer when the cook calls out.

One of the ordered items was the blackened chicken sandwich. I'd ordered it with bacon on the side. When the food was first delivered it was immediately obvious to me that they'd got the order wrong. No bacon on the side...it was in the sandwich. We don't know if the waitress messed up or the fill in cook.She'd already walked away, so it took a few minutes to get her attention. When we told her, she blamed the cook and that's when she told us he was a fill in because the usual cook had called out. She went to take the plate and I asked her to get another plate to take the sandwich, but leave the side order of fries because I was hungry. She ignored my request, saying it would be quick and removed the whole plate. Her behavior made no sense. I was starving. So I had to wait, hungry, while my girlfriend had her food in front of her.

After she left, my girlfriend who had ordered shrimp cocktail, realized her order was slightly messed up too. She had only been given 4 shrimp, but the menu said 5. She grabbed a menu to double check and then flagged down the waitress. The waitress again blamed the cook.

Now here's the thing, even if the cook got it wrong on both our orders, why didn't the waitress catch it when she picked up the food? I grew up working in restaurants...first as a busboy, then a waiter. I always checked the food the kitchen gave me against the order slip before picking up. She should have seen only 4 shrimp. She should have seen there wasn't bacon on the side.

Those issues weren't major or the worst. The problems didn't stop there. The food didn't taste good. The blackened chicken was so over-seasoned, you couldn't tell what you were eating...all you tasted was the seasoning. Could have been chicken, fish, cardboard...anything. The shrimp was mediocre. Fries didn't come with the sandwich, so I ordered a side of french fries. Now the fries did taste good, but the portion was ridiculously small. The side was smaller than a small McDonald's fries.

Just not a positive food experience. Have a beer, enjoy the atmosphere, but maybe...

1st this restaurant is behind another so follow Waze, it's not lost LOL

2nd the building leans a little, you're not drunk yet LOL. It was actually funny as we thought we were losing it until other people said no worries it's a little tilted and was a funny conversation starter with strangers hehehe

We had the New England Clam Chowder which I found to be too thick to the point where it was like having fondue. But hubby loved it, anything with cream and cheese he loves lol

French Onion Soup would have been good if it wasn't so salty... It made all of our mouths pucker... We told the waitress and she just took it off our check.

Stuffed Clams were good! Usually it's just stuffing over the little clam meat, they took the clam meat and chopped it up and mixed it into the stuffing so each bite had clam yum!

🐟 and Chips, the 🐟 was light and moist, the chips were curly 🍟! Yay hehehe

Davy Jones 🍔 - is it a 🍔 with 🦞 or a 🦞 roll with 🍔 Either way it was delicious!!! Hubby's cuz and I both ordered the 🍔 ;) and both loved it.

They have a stuffed 🍔 which has 🧀 inside the 🍔 , but as I can't have dairy I didn't try it and the guys were on "diets" LOL

There is an enclosed outdoor patio you can eat from with a view of the water but it was just too hot and humid for us to be out there.

There are docks along the back were locals can just drive their boat right up and walk into the restaurant.

It was a fun experience, if ever in the CT area would definitely...