Would like to note that the overwhelming majority of all the negative reviews aren't very specific, or outright false since the Black Duck hasn't changed ownership in 15 years. And a lot of them are underage college kids whose fake IDs got called out for what they were. In all? Black Duck is NOT a place you go for a birthday or a "great burger." Never has been, never even pretended to be, and the idiots who wrote that in just tried to use that cinch to justify their negative reviews after being denied underage drinking. Black Duck has always been, is and always will be a train station crowd dive bar. Their burgers were always very "ok." And the fries came in all shapes and crisp levels. But they are and remain the quick and cheap stop on thousand's customers trip back home after work in the city. And the food isn't the "75 hour sweated virgin French onion soup from virginally harvested French onions." But it's good and simple American fare at very reasonable prices. The staff are attentive and friendly. And the beers are cheap for the area. That is what Black Duck has always been. Period. read more

Nationally recognized Dive Bar serving good pub food and great music. A comfortable spot if you can get over the slight tilt of the structure over the Saugatuck River. A survivor of many storms it caused a local furor when it threatened to close after one of the last ones. Good service, eclectic and lively crowd, and always a good time! read more

Black Duck Cafe - Clam chowder - Bars Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

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I went here for my birthday this year and first the location was great and the service was superb. The food was also really good and the ambience was chill vibes. I wish I would have taken more pictures of the food. read more

Black Duck Cafe - Nice outside seating - Bars Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

I've never experienced such unprofessional and disrespectful treatment. A group of four of us--all between the ages of 28 and 30--arrived at the Black Duck Café for a friend's birthday at 9pm. As soon as we walked up, the bouncer came out looked us up and down and aggressively, demanded our IDs. He immediately accused us of having fakes--without any real inspection. When we tried to reason with him, he got even more hostile and said, "I don't like you. I don't want you here," and refused us entry with zero justification. Shortly after, the rest of our group--about 15 people, all in the same age range--arrived and some tried to speak with him calmly, only to be met with more rudeness. He made it clear he wasn't open to discussion and told us he was "in charge" and didn't care what we had to say. It was disappointing, especially on a night that was supposed to be a celebration. In the end, their loss--we were a large group ready to spend money and have a great night, but we took our business elsewhere. I considered calling the police just to verify our IDs and prove a point, but honestly, the place isn't worth the time or energy. If you're looking for a spot that respects its patrons and knows how to treat people with basic decency, I'd suggest going literally anywhere else. read more

The Duck. Legendary dive bar. It's a real floating barge moored in the Saugatuck River. Floors uneven, vibe is perfect. Legend is it never closes...ever. Not for Covid, not blizzards, blackouts, world wars, economic collapse...nothing closes the Duck. A great venue for casual dinner or drinks and dinner at the bar, looking out at the river. But old-time locals complain: "it ain't what it used to be", "the new management just doesn't get it", "it used to be friendly", etc. Excuse me, but I didn't experience any of that. Our bartender was a gem, sweet and friendly as could be. Service was wonderful with friendly happy patrons. Easy to make new friends sitting at the bar. Food, fun, music and booze...what's wrong with that?! read more

So bummed :( I rode my motorcycle to the Black Duck today and the owners as well as food have totally changed. Gone was the greatest hamburger I have ever had, replaced by a smaller mediocre burger with lousy fries. Service was friendly but took forever and they got my order wrong. Sad how sometimes great places have to change. Never going back again sadly. read more

A Westport legend doesn't disappoint! It's rare that everyone leaves a restaurant happy but The Black Duck pulled it off! Burgers were great and kids loved their chicken fingers. Beautiful setting on the Saugatuck River. read more

Grumpy, sarcastic bartender.. check Stale beer smell...check Middle Aged past frat boys... check Families in Patagonia and cute little winter hats...check Bottles almost to the edge of a shelf probably because the floor is so crooked.. check Cold, cheap, standard beer.. check Messy chicken wings ...check Everything you'd want ???? CHECK read more

FYI- don't lets the look and lopsided building fool you. Been here many times from burgers to there heavy meals. Always above average fresh food. Prices are perfect for what they offer. Service has always been a 10/10. read more

Black Duck Cafe - Shrimp PoBoy without tomatoes and a nice cold draft. - Bars Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

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LOVE THE DUCK! Been coming here.....45 years!!!! Was our hangout in our hey day! Now it's still THE BEST FOOD! The staff here is wonderful! We went a few weeks ago with my son and his fiancé' for my bday. I didn't want it brought to attention! My family knows no singing!!Our sweet, beautiful waitress and another beauty brought over a delicious desert and just gave me sweet and kind bday wishes. Best staff! Best food! Great drinks! The floor is not as crooked as it used to be!! read more

This place should be a winner, however it's a complete loser. Start with an arrogant, rude and lazy barman and this then becomes very uncomfortable. Why is this allowed? He should be reminded they are the ones who pay his wages. Two locals actually said to me to me to ignore his bad manners. Then you have this long bar that was practicing COVID restrictions and the people are scattered all over the place. The staff makes no attempt to make room for anyone and sits un the corner with no service for about 15 minutes. The food sucked and the draft beer is severely overpriced. This is sad because I've wanted to come to place for years and we could have really used a nice experience because we had been driving for a while. If your not a regular, seriously, forget it! Thanks read more

I don't know where to start as I was really looking forward to going to the Black Duck. Drinks came quickly and were good. It went south from there. We ordered chowders, a shared appetizer of potato skins and entrees. Entrees came out first by a server (not our waitress) and we sent them back. I thought the NE chowder was good and DH said it was tasteless. Potato skins and entrees came out. Sent entrees back again and fries were left with pototo skins.Fries went back as it was part of my entree. Hubby and I agreed the potato skins had no discernable flavor. The cheese was a cheddar-like Velveeta texture. It was a complete waste. This is the part that makes me so angry, the server brought the same entrees back out 15 minutes later and cold. Waitress said they could "refire" them. What is that?!?! Fresh hot food should have come out. We told our waitress it was cold, not interested in reheated food, just bring the check for what we ate. No apology, no manager came asking what was the matter. If you're interested in food, don't bother going to the Black Duck. We went to Sunny Daes to enjoy excellent ice cream and get the bad experience at the Black Duck out of our minds. read more

Bartender was great. Burgers for a party of 3 all enjoyed. Cool vibe. Will certainly return! read more

Let me start by saying I visited the Black Duck for lunch on President's day. The restaurant was crowded but there was an empty table or two and you could tell people at a couple of other tables were getting ready to leave. Having said that ..... given the lack of attention which seemed to drag on far too long had we not drove 45 minutes we would have left. We clearly saw waiters/waitresses, bus boy and a not very busy bartender during our arrival who ignored us. I got tired of waiting and flagged the bus boy to ask if we could be seated? He quickly cleaned up a table to sit us. From the time we sat the pace was significantly picked up. A waiter took our drink order and delivered them quickly while we waited again to order food. From that point our appetizer came in a timely matter and then our main entrees. Our table was by the door where we had a full view of people entering the restaurant and getting the same treatment we did before someone acknowledged them. Our main meals were very good, hearty portions and reasonably priced. While the Quahogs had diced up clam, the breading was tasteless. Would not order those again. The warm CT lobster roll was delicious, drenched in butter and lots of lobster meat for $22. Can't beat that. I added a salad for I think another $4 instead of fries and it was a nice size salad. My husband had the fish & chips cooked perfectly (2 pieces) with a nice tartar sauce and fries. The fries weren't good, a bit limp and greasy so they went uneaten. Given the food was delivered quickly it seems the issues where with the front of the house and not the back. Guy Fieri from the Food Network visited a long time ago and highlighted this restaurant on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. It certainly is a dive which I'm guessing is part of its charm. The have onsite parking which was packed when we arrived. We parked in an adjacent lot which said it was permit parking but not on weekends. While it wasn't a weekend, it was a holiday, so we hoped it applied and threw caution to the wind and park. Happily, no ticket when we returned to our car. Not sure where you park when their lot is full as I didn't see any street parking in the immediately area? read more

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I brought my 95 year old mom who had a walker. I didn't see any handicap entrance but Mom made it up the steps just fine. The food was great. The calamari was the best I've ever had. Service was very friendly. We sat outside on their deck. Would have liked it better if it wasn't enclosed, but it works well in all seasons. read more

Black Duck Cafe - New England Clam Chowder - Bars Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

Food made me sick. Service is awful. I got a burger and chciken fingers. It cost me 3 days of work. Almost had to go to the hospital. They now charge $11 a pint for a mediocre local craft beer. The servers are gen z with a terrible attitude. Place has so much potential but has fallen off read more

I was there last night for my daughter's birthday. Only 5 of us, but the food was really good and the service was prompt and our server was ever so nice. read more

Love this place! Wonderful and friendly staff, great food, great drinks, and live music!

Unfortunately they didn't have steamers. So I went with a couple of burgers and clam chowder. Clam chowder was excellent. For burgers, we went with black duck burger and brie burger. It was ok. Brie burger was oozing with brie cheese, which was a good twist to a burger. Black duck burger was just ok. read more

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Very nice staff, however not organized. My husband said the turkey club and pickle were good. Onion rings and Buffalo wings were okay - the best part of my meal. Wine good. Would not recommend the French onion soup, Philadelphia cheese steak, coleslaw, or the Black Duck burger. After I finished my meal I thought, why did I eat this. Three out of our party of four were disappointed. Our friends had been at the restaurant in the past and liked it. It looked like the bar had a regular drinking crowd of patrons. The restaurant should obtain a new chef and manager. We won't be back, but we wish them well. read more

It hasn't changed a bit in years and the uneven floor is part of this place's character. Great food and drinks. Eat on the back porch behind the bar for some nice relaxing summer vibes. read more

Come early in the week or the day if you want good seating by the River. While their saying is "ruin your liver down by the river", there are are really good on the bar food. Some faves are Lobster Roll or Clam Jam (a dozen clams PLUS) on Wednesdays are a sure fire way to satisfy your appetite. A "one of a kind" place were the bar on the barge will flood during a hurricane. read more

Great atmosphere. Total hidden gem. Grabbed a few cold ones here on a Saturday night and watched a surprisingly entertaining coverband rock the house. Don't sleep on this dive. read more

Cold beer and good burger. Great bartenders. All on an old Barge on the river. Nachos and other bar food is good. Bring good friends or meet new ones there. read more

I had seen the Black Duck Cafe on the Drive-in's, Diners and Dives show on the Food Network and made a mental note to try it if I was in the area. We were on our way home from New Haven where we spent the day eating New Haven style wood fired pizza and we needed a change from Italian. When I saw that I'd be passing through Westport we decided that seafood was in order and the Black Duck would be the place to get some. The place was just as described on DDD. A dive bar on the river old and rickety. A bunch of memorabilia hangs from the ceiling. My wife and my friend were in the mood for steamers. My friend's wife was in the mood for a CT style lobster roll (no mayo) and I can always eat a bowl of clam chowder and fried clams so that's what we ordered. I had read a bunch of Yelp reviews most were favorable but the biggest compliant was cold french fries. My friend's wife ordered cheese fries, knowing what I had told her, she didn't care and figured the cheese would keep them warm. Nope! The fries with cheese were cold on arrival, well we had been warned. The lobster roll I was told was good and filling as were the steamers my wife and friend were devouring. The New England clam chowder was just OK and really did not taste homemade it was also salty. My basket sized order of fried clams with coleslaw substituting for french fries, you can't fool me, arrived as fried shrimps not clams. The server apologized and came back in less than 10 minutes with a full platter size order of clams with coleslaw at least they made up for the mistake. Overall I've had better seafood on Long Island near my home but after a day consuming pizza, the seafood at the Black Duck was just what we needed. read more

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C'mon, a bar and restaurant with slanted floors that make you feel drunk before you even get to the bar! The "Duck" is a local tradition. It's a Westport Scene that must be experienced. Tell someone you've been to "Westport" and, if they're in the know, they'll ask if you've been to the "Duck." This is a bar and bar-food at its best. Expect nothing more and you'll be delighted. The burgers are great, 'nough said. Show up looking for some fancy entree....you're on your own. One of the best music scenes in Westport. They have open mic nights and other nights bands that simply are so friendly you might just get a turn up there. One thing is for sure, if you live in Westport or the area at large, there's a good chance you'll bump into someone you know there. Go, eat, drink, enjoy and become part of the legend that is "about to plummet into the Saugatuck River" restaurant/bar known as the "Black Duck Cafe." Four Stars because no one would believe me if I gave it five. read more

We went to Sunday brunch, I had the Corn Flake crusted French toast, not very good, and the wife had the crab cake and stated that it was good. The service was terrible. Totally inattentive. We sat for 15 minutes with nobody greeting us. I wanted to have a couple beers, but never saw our wait staff again. We had to get our own menus and I had to chase the waiter for butter. They were not short of staff, either. Disappointing read more

We have been to the Black Duck Cafe may times over the last 20 yrs or so. It had one of the most unique menus. Boy, do times change. This place used to be a great bar with very good food. Now it's a good bar with horrible food and service. We wanted something casual on a Friday night. We hadn't been to The Duck since covid, and have been wanting to go because the food was so good in the past. We ordered two cups of NE chowder, some potato skins and for entrees a shrimp basket and my wife ordered wings and fries. To drink we ordered a Coors Light and a Bay Breeze. Well we were waiting for our soup and they brought out our main dishes so they took them back. They then brought us bowls of soup, not cups. My wife liked it, i thought it wasnt anything special. We were told they would refire our main dishes. Whatever that means. Then they brought out the potato skins and then brought out the main dishes 30 seconds later. Again we told them we weren't ready for them. So they mention the magical refire again. The potato skins were dull and bland. So then they bring us back our main dishes and we are told that they were refired but if they aren't hot they'll refire them again. Well everything was cold. I assume they were just sitting around for 20 minutes.So we said forget it and paid for what we ate and will never go back. Not worth stopping, you can get a cold beer and better food elsewhere read more

Black Duck Cafe - Fried shrimp platter, wings, side of fries - Bars Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

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Don't judge a book, or in this case a duck, by it's cover...this place is great! First time I've ever been here was today. Friendly and casual atmosphere, good food, good service, attentive staff. Fish tacos (special for the day) were delicious! I'll gladly go back. read more

Ahoy Mates! Black Duck is awesome. They offer great food on the water and as others have said it is indeed on a tilt,(fortunately not moving). It is just like eating on a boat. Love this place. I'd recommend the whole belly clams. They are as good as anyplace in Maine or on the Cape and that is no exaggeration. In addition to the Whole Belly Clams, their hamburgers are great. I actually can't even write about their hamburgers without craving one. I think they are some of the best burgers in the state. In terms of consistency they get an A Plus. As some have mentioned, it is a dive. But this place is frequented by all sorts of people. The individual who introduced me to this place is actually my ex boss at an old job. The food here is just so good. The food sometimes takes awhile so know that going in. So why just a 3? Well it could be cleaner and so many people have mentioned seeing rats. (I never have which is why it still gets a three. Understand the food is a 5. But there are so many rat stories and the place does smell a bit.) This is not a fancy place. You can come here in jeans and kick back and relax. The service can sometimes be slow (my only gripe)and they are a bit difficult to find( OK , another gripe.) They are sort of hidden from sight so you have to look for them. But the food and atmosphere make it worth it and they are affordable too unlike many of places in Westport. Also their food has remained consistently good through the years. I have never noticed a decline in quality. It has a very sea town type atmosphere but then again it is on the river. It's one of my favorite places to dine in the area. read more

Cool setting right on the river. Used to be a barge and now is a restaurant. I had clam chowder and clams casino and both were great. Service is very nice. FYI they will he closed for a week starting January 6. read more

Black Duck Cafe - Bars Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

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Foods portion and quality seemed to drop so quickly in least few times our visits. Fish and chips became one size, instead of choice of three pieces, now two pieces but cost the same $18.0. Last night our fish were so small, coming with celery and blue cheese dressing!? It normally came with coleslaw and tarter sauce. Fisherman's platter size shrank too, we used to share the platter between two person or amongst the table. It came as one person portion and didn't taste as good like in the past. We can't help thinking could they change the oil? Or ingredients or seafood sources? The tap beers still fresh and cold. People still friendly and helpful. But the slide in food portion and quality might make us think twice next time. For $18.0, small fried fish ends with few celery sticks and blue cheese dips. Not right. read more

Black Duck Cafe - Guy was here! - Bars Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

Worst service ever. The food was not cooked and the bouncer smelled like old cheese. Really disappointing as I grew up going here and was hoping it would still be fun. Truly an all time disappointment. read more

Worst food I have had in a very long time. This restaurant came recommended on my daughters college page. I was very much looking forward to it. Unfortunately it was a bust. Will not be retuning. read more

We hosted a private party here yesterday and Terry, the manager, was beyond incredible! I work in the restaurant industry, so I truly appreciate when the level of service is exceptional! They closed the restaurant down for us, provided a band that was so good that they should be recording their own albums (Green Eyed Lady), offered top shelf open bar, and a buffet featuring all the fun bar food the Black Duck is known for...all at a reasonable price. The staff was warm, attentive, and professional. You need to be prepared that the ambience is that of a dive bar, which is what I expected and wanted ....not fancy, with crooked floors, and no frills. That being said, I would book another event at the Black Duck in a heartbeat! read more

This is our favorite place to stop while on the boat. They have docks there, but it does get very shallow so watch the tides. The place looks like a dive, but the food is very good. The crawfish is the best I've ever had. Just got back from New Orleans and still like this one better. The margaritas are really good and strong. Highly recommend and looking forward to putting the boat back into the water and making a run to Westport. read more

So sad management decided to downsize alcohol drinks and upsize their prices. It's one thing to raise prices, but I'm not interested in waiting for the wait staff and bar tenders to continually have to re-serve me with puny little drinks. Oh well...so many other choices in Saugatuck. read more

Thought this place looked interesting so we decided to give this place a try - why not since Guy Fieri was here! Based in the reviews we decided to order the clams casino, escargots and cheddar stuffed burger. The clams casino was ok, it has garlic butter and bacon. Really the bacon was what made the dish, The escargots tasted like pesto and butter - nothing special. The burger was juicy but could use a little more seasoning. Very busy bar. Seems to be the place where locals hang out. read more

Black Duck Cafe - Stuffed burger - Bars Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

Absolutely horrible. Pulled pork tasted as if it had been in the refrigerator and microwaved. My server didn't get the order correct and overcharged me. The lobster in the roll was, well, it must have been frozen, defrosted refrozen had freezer burn then was deep fried. I have never had lobster with less flavor. read more

Great old school place for decent food and great drinks. Great ambiance! Perfect clams casino