I consider myself somewhat of a restaurant expert, and until my most recent visit, Black & Blue in…read morePittsford had been one of my favorite restaurants. Unfortunately, this Mother's Day 5/10/26 experience was disappointing enough that I felt compelled to leave a review.
We had reservations for 3:30 PM on Mother's Day, and in the special request section of the reservation, I clearly specified that this was a Mother's Day celebration. I also requested a quiet or private booth and mentioned that my daughter is vegetarian.
Upon arrival, we were seated upstairs directly next to what appeared to be an employee service area. We could constantly hear employees talking, dishes being washed or thrown around, and overall it was easily the loudest table in the restaurant. What made this more frustrating was that another couple seated next to us complained loudly about their table and caused a scene. Although staff initially explained the restaurant was full, they were eventually moved. Meanwhile, we had politely requested a better table in advance through the reservation system, yet because we were patient and understanding, it felt like we were simply ignored.
Service throughout the meal was inconsistent and inattentive. It took quite a while before anyone took our drink order. The wine menu presented to me only included wines by the glass, despite the fact that I later saw servers bringing full bottles of wine and champagne to other tables. I wanted to order a bottle of champagne for the occasion, but by the time our waitress finally arrived, I didn't want to complicate things further.
Another detail that stood out was the complete lack of acknowledgment for Mother's Day. I overheard our waitress enthusiastically wishing other tables a "Happy Mother's Day" and asking if they were celebrating anything special, yet she never once acknowledged me or our celebration.
My husband ordered a piña colada and was told they could not make one, so he settled for a strawberry martini that was overwhelmingly sweet and unenjoyable. We chose not to complain. The food itself, as always, was excellent and truly the highlight of the evening.
However, the service continued to feel rushed and impersonal. I was planning to order my favorite espresso martini after dinner, but instead the bill was simply dropped at the table without anyone asking if we wanted dessert or another drink. One employee who was handling bread and water service also made us feel rushed. While I was literally still chewing my food, she interrupted to ask, "Should I bag that for you?" It made me feel like we were being pushed out.
I was also disappointed that despite specifically mentioning my daughter was vegetarian in the reservation notes, our waitress never offered vegetarian suggestions or asked about dietary restrictions. At most upscale restaurants, this level of attentiveness is expected.
The most upsetting part of the evening, however, was what felt like dismissive and unprofessional behavior toward us as Latinos. My husband has an accent, and our waitress repeatedly pretended not to understand him. At one point, after commenting on his accent, she laughed and said, "Or maybe I'm deaf." We found this rude, uncomfortable, and inappropriate for a restaurant of this caliber.
Ironically, despite the poor experience, I still tipped over 20% -- more than $100 from our table alone -- because I did not want to reinforce unfair stereotypes about Latinos not tipping.
Black & Blue has always justified its upscale pricing through excellent food and outstanding hospitality, which is why this experience was so disappointing. While the food remains exceptional, the atmosphere has become extremely loud and chaotic, to the point where it reminded me more of Red Lobster than the elevated dining experience this restaurant once offered.
I truly hope management takes customer service more seriously moving forward, because this visit was nowhere near the standard Black & Blue used to represent.