Wouldn't recommend the calamari.. Typical bar food in my opinion. Nothing stand out or unique. Fun atmosphere for a late night meal. Good service and reasonable prices. The menu has something for everyone..
(4)
Jamie I.
Blackfinn can be your brunch spot, lunch spot, and party spot all in the same day. I've visited for brunch and didn't remember the food being particularly amazing. We came back for lunch and enjoyed our entrees more. If you're drinking the flatbread is a great app to help soak up some of the alcohol. The dining area is available for rental for private parties. I attended a wedding rehearsal dinner there. The setup worked, the food and drinks were good. I do wish they had better signage or a cord to block off the area. While there some party goers tried to access the private bar in our area because it wasn't clear that area was reserved for a private event. Blackfinn is definitely known as a party/happy hour spot. They have Wine Down Wednesday specials and Friday/Saturday nights the bar and patio tends to be packed especially when they have live music. It's loud, it's boisterous, and you'll likely have a blast and then walk over to Suite to dance your rear end off until the wee hours of the morning.
(3)
Rosanna M.
I was meeting a blind date for lunch here at his suggestion that Blackfinn was affordable. Convenient for me, since I had to go to Town Center anyways to pick up some things for a weekend camping trip. But honestly, I'd probably never would've tried this restaurant if it weren't for his suggestion. So I was interested to see what they had. The menu has a good selection of different apps and entrees to please anyone. There wasn't anything interesting or unique that stood out for me, the menu pretty much reminded me of other chain restaurants, like Applebee's. But still, they have maybe one or two things that Applebee's probably don't have. I decided to just have a glass of water with lemon and the chicken and avocado chopped salad. My blind date had a sweet tea and and a grilled chicken and avocado sandwich. I enjoyed my salad, plenty of chicken and avocado, and nice big pieces of blue cheese in it as well. Service was okay, our waitress was really friendly, but we only saw her when she gave us our drinks, took our order and when we got the check. The decor of the restaurant was eh, but it suites the place well. Plenty of parking, a bit awkward to access it though. I may come back to try other items on the menu, if there isn't anywhere else I can think of to go to. As for the blind date, he bored me to death, and the dark decor of the restaurant did not help one bit.
(3)
Maria W.
We went on a Thursday night. The service was great, and the food was good, but it wasn't anything spectacular. I had one of the flatbreads, and no entree, so I'm sure that also makes a difference.
(3)
Megan P.
The Tuna Poke was tasty. The tuna and avocado were very good. The service was attentive and the place was very clean. It was dead on a Saturday night, and the others in my party said they thought the menu was overpriced and entrees were typical chain quality. Nothing made me consider coming back again. Unfortunate, but there are too many other choices in the area to compete with.
(3)
Samantha K.
I went to blackfinn for the first time this past Saturday night. The vibe I got upon walking in was that of an upgraded chain bar/restaurant. We asked for a table for a two and were told it was a 10 minute wait due to shortage of servers. The dining room was half full, but I was ok with waiting 10 minutes--better service and someone probably called out sick, right? So we went to the bar inside first for a drink while we waited and then walked to the bar on the back patio to check out that scene as well. The back patio was really nice but smoking was allowed in this section fyi. Once we were sat things went ok in terms of service, but every time a server came by they seemed really rushed, as well as kind of confused because two different servers greeted us and tried to take our orders. Regarding the food--we started with calamari which was pretty good and a well sized portion. My partner had the bacon wrapped meatloaf and ate it up quickly. I had the chicken rosa and really liked it. I did feel though that some of the items were overpriced for the atmosphere and quality of service. I wouldn't be in a rush to go back, but would be willing to try them again if the chance arose.
(3)
Marc E.
Good service, food is and they have some nice TV's if you're trying to watch the game. It's loud in here so not the place to bring the wife and kids but perfect for co-workers and groups of friends. They have three bars sh there is plenty of seats. Good choice if your staying around Town Square.
(4)
Sara M.
My husband & I recently attended a happy hour hosted by Blackfinn especially for our young professionals group & we were blown away. Mackenzie was our entire group's server that night & she was top notch. The specials were excellent--on Thursdays, ALL draft beer is 4 bucks. Such a great deal! I ordered a 20 oz Guinness for $4. Wow. They also provided our group with a very generous appetizer spread of hot spinach & artichoke dip, fried pita points, a heathy veggie tray complete with kalamata olives and creamy hummus and numerous flatbread pizzas. Yum! We will be back for sure. Thank you, Blackfinn, for a perfect evening!
(5)
Dl N.
8/29/15: Stopped in for a late lunch, while the service was exceptional, the food was poor. Daughter ordered fish & chips-they were ok. I ordered salad with ahi tuna. So over dressed it could not be eaten. Menu called for several things to be in the salad such as wasabi-non present. Asked waitress to bring it back. Was not offered it to be remade. Asked for bill and they didn't take it off. when I explained that it had not been eaten at all due to soup of dressing, manager came by and was a bit testie because the food was inedible..Ordered humus for appetizer, and despite it being 3pm and not packed it took 25 minutes to get appetizer. Will not go back and will not bring customers there partly because of bad food and partly because manager doesn't know how to speak to customers.
(1)
Shera B.
Horrible generic food Low quality All Four of our entrees were bad The pad Thai was flavorless Crab Cakes were horrible My NY strip was low quality I'm not sure how you mess up mashed potatoes but they did This restaurant shouldn't be at the towne center. I think it is always full simply because they have a full bar I do not recommend
(2)
CatNip R.
The food was amazing, but sadly the service made them lose there 4th star. Our server was amazing, but it took forever for the food to get to us. When our food came out they set it on the wrong table TWICE. The food was reasonably good and the sweet tea was amazing. If you are in for a sweet treat try the Chocolate Chip Cookie. AMAZING!! The server was nice, but in the end it came down to the wait.
(3)
Ian U.
I loved the atmosphere. It reminded me of a place that I love in Norfolk, VA. They got the pub decor down. The food and service were great! I'll definitely be back.
(4)
Savanna M.
I guess this must be one of the more happening spots in the Town Center of JAX as Steven C. were brought here twice during a 12 hour period by our law-school attending friends. BRUNCH Our first visit here was for brunch. We were whisked from the airport straight here so it must be the thing to do. It was pretty dead here when we ate at 12ish on a Saturday, but that only made things that much better for us. My 4 stars is mostly based on brunch, specifically $12 bottomless mimosas which remained topped off for our entire visit. We sat at the outside bar and the bartender made sure our glasses were always filled. I also tried a sriracha bloody mary which was quite good!! The brunch menu it self is actually quite small and is mostly an eggs and meat selection, with one french toast option. They do allow you to order off the regular menu as well though and that is quite comprehensive for lunch options. Steven C. ordered the breakfast balboa sandwich - quite good and HUGE. This was the same thing I was eyeing and rather than us getting the same thing I went with a lunch ahi tuna sandwich with one side. The sides menu was quite inventive and I ordered the goat cheese grit cakes. Absolutely no complaints about the sandwich - cooked perfectly, nice size and good flavor. The grit cakes may have been lacking a little salt but all in all they were quite tasty. LATE NIGHT After the graduation party we were in town for ended we all headed to BlackFinn. Apparently this is one of the popular late night bar spots as it was packed!! People of all age ranges were in here hanging out, dancing and drinking. It was late, probably close to midnight, so I didn't see anyone eating, but everyone sure was drinking! Despite all the people the bartenders seemed to handle it well and getting a drink wasn't an issue. We hung around here for an hour or so before heading out to another spot.
(4)
Keith H.
Met up with a lifelong friend for some beers and lunch at 2pm, a typical dead time in the food service industry. Our food was delivered quickly, our beers were refilled promptly, and all of our needs were attended to. I liked the interior of this Ameripub and both the dining area and the restrooms were kept very clean. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan Sliders which were incredible--highly recommended. Their beer selection was diverse and served some good local brews. The total amount of taps was relatively(around 20) compared to many of the other places in Jax(Kickbacks has 200+).
(4)
Brian S.
This place is hoppin'! I came here with a vendor to talk business and enjoy a nice meal. We opted to sit in the bar area, and am glad we did. Nicolette and Christina took great care of us, which I was not expecting because of where we sat. The food was simply excellent. We had calamari, Ahi tuna, fish tacos, and a few other finger foods, and they were all way above the typical fare you get when you order these same dishes from other joints. I'm also not normally a calamari fan--most places create rubber bands with them--but BlackFinn cooked a textbook calamari. Their beer menu is pretty good, and their wine list surprised me with its offerings--including a Lock & Key Meritage that was really good. It is super loud at the bar--almost too loud--but it was balanced by a surprisingly-quiet dining area, and tame patio crowd. I will definitely be back.
(4)
Rich A.
A very standard, American cuisine restaurant, which is to say the menu is all over the place and the same folks who are making the meatloaf are making the pad thai. Still, it's probably worth a trip: I stopped in with a coworker for a quick dinner, and it worked out just fine. The buffalo chicken sandwich was good, and the french fries were delicious -- my colleague got a tuna dish that he seemed thrilled with, but it didn't look too filling. There were no surprises, the service was good, and the big outdoor seating area was great even though the weather wasn't.
(3)
Deprina G.
I went on a Saturday night. I expected it to be super crowded but it was just a good crowd but not disturbing. I went and had the best meatloaf in life. Guys it was wrapped in Bacon.. like who thought of this. My manager had the 7 layer lasagna and it was good bec i mad sure i got a taste. Our drinks were strong and the desserts were even good. We sate in there for about 2+ hours chilling eating and talking. I need to go back here just for BACON WRAPPED MEATLOAF.... omg
(4)
Natasha D.
I was really hoping this place would be better. I was on town for work and staying near the town center and wanted a solid salad. I searched yelp for good salads close by and Blackfinn came up. The menu sounded awesome and the reviews were pretty good. Plus there was a happy hour special, Yahtzee! I took a seat at the bar. At first the staff was very friendly. I'm giving it 3 stars because the food was pretty bad. The specials advertised on yelp for happy hour were also more expensive. The staff started to get busy and they became less and less friendly as more people started to show. I had the ahi tuna salad. At first it looked great. Even the first bite was delish. But as I got into it, it was more like lettuce soup. There was TONS of dressing on this thing, the taste completely overwhelmed the taste of the tuna. Which didn't have much taste to begin with. Maybe I caught them on a bad night, but I was not impressed. It looks like a decent place for with dinners and the interior is beautiful and clean. The happy hour specials are pretty good. Select $5 apps, $4 wells and I think house wines at $4 or $5. It's not terrible here, but it's not one of favorite places to visit in jax.
(3)
Chris B.
Blackfish salad is delicious. Terrific atmosphere, especially durning big sporting events (tonight...World Cup action)
(5)
Debbi C.
Good but not great. I had the grilled tenders tossed in buffalo but there was not much taste. My husband had a Cuban and said it was good although it was not pressed. He said it had good flavor to it. There's good outside seating for the spring. The bar is always loud and busy. The actual restaurant is more of a nice setting with quiet ambiance. A good casual night place to go.
(3)
Cassie P.
I ate here this past weekend with a friend- and when I came on Yelp to review it, I was shocked to see it only had 3 stars! From the outside it looks very upscale- Capital Grille-ish. But don't be intimidated by that- it's a pretty casual, affordable nice restaurant. It was a beautiful day, so we ate on the outdoor patio- which had a very beachy/cabana/yacht club feel to it. Made me want to be laying by the pool with a boat drink. Now, I am gluten free- and my friend is vegetarian- so our diets can be a little high maintenance. However- BlackFinn indicates each dish that is gluten free or vegetarian or a BlackFinn special by a nice little colored bubble. I was so excited to see this! Takes the guess work out of ordering. Everything looked so delicious- so out of pure confusion- we decided to order a few things to split. We had the Chipotle Queso Dip, Shrimp Spring Rolls, and Goat Cheese Strawberry salad. Everything was delicious- and from the name sounds pretty straight forward- but each dish had a little bit of a twist or a different taste to it. I have had a lot of queso's in my day- and this one had such a unique flavor to it. Alas for dessert- a sunken in chocolate souffle' topped with ice cream, peanut butter and whipped cream. Definitely save room for this. Our whole meal (coffee and soda included) only came to $32. Quite a steal if you ask me! There are a bunch of TV's outside, in the bar area, and in the main dining area- would be a great place to catch a sports game as well. After a long day of shopping and fighting for parking at the Town Center- make sure to stop by here for food and drinks!
(5)
Mr. G.
Good place for drinks but the food leaves a lot to be desired....we started with the tuna poke app which actually pretty good. I had the fish tacos which were lousy (corn tortillas instead of flour and fish was dried out.) My friend had the shrimp and pasta. It came with angel hair pasta when one would've thought linguini. Angel hair??? Who in the heck serves angel hair pasta? Needless to say, not good and much like others have said overpriced, generic bar food....Go for drinks but eat someplace else. You'll thank me for doing so!
(2)
Samantha M.
Spent New Year's at this establishment. The cover fee was $25 a person and included a toast at midnight. The ambiance was pretty cool, and it finally started to get fun on the dance floor right around midnight. They have a great patio that is perfect for cooling off after a dance-your-heart-out moment, and the bartenders stayed on top of drinks the whole night we were there. There were pretty people everywhere and a lot of fun dancers who were letting it all hang out. I had a blast and my friend from out of town had a great time, too. I thought it was fun, and will have to make another trip out there soon.
(4)
Mahalie H.
I came here for lunch because I've heard they have great food and drinks but I was very disappointed. I ordered fish tocas that were terrible. Tasted liked something out of a box. I ordered a cocktail called the "dark and stormy" which consists of rum, pinapple and dirty dish water. I don't think I will be coming back.
(1)
Greg F.
I'm downgrading it from 4 to 3 stars because of the noise level. So far I've had good food here. The Queen City Chicken was very good, probably better than the pulled pork mac and cheese I had here on my previous visit. It was bacon-crusted chicken stuffed with sausage, with sweet potato mash and asparagus. It wasn't too large a dish, which pleased me. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Avalanche dessert was good. It was very large, a bit larger than two people wanted to eat. Just don't order it for yourself alone. I saw a chocolate and peanut butter souffle on the menu, so I'd probably have to try that next time. My bellini was good, but the blood orange cosmo was only pleasant. I also tried my companion's pretzel appetizer. It was pretty tasty, but not good enough that I'd get it again. It was also coated with garlic butter, which makes it messy finger food (or you could eat it with utensils). My problem with the place is that it was far too loud. We were in the outside bar, semi-enclosed this time of year. The inside bar was even louder. I'd say both areas were into the ear-damaging level: my ears felt bad after the meal. If I'd eaten in a quieter area I'd give the place 4 stars. In a noisy area, I'd give it one or two. Frankly, if it was that noisy again I'd leave, or put in earplugs. I know the reviews for this place are mixed, but my experiences have been quite good so far, other than the noise level. I don't doubt the other reviews: I think I've just eaten better than others because I've taken people's advice on what the good dishes are, and they've been right.
(3)
Caitlyn F.
In the chain restaurant-filled Town Center, this spot is usually the one we turn to when we want to grab drinks on a whim. It's not the most memorable of bars when it comes to standout cocktails or even bar food, and service can be hit or miss, but it's one of the best places to watch sports games thanks to dozens of TVs hanging around the bar and tables and a nice sound system. The saloon is a fun place to hangout late night, albeit it does tend to have an older crowd mixed in with the young party people. Watch out for the cougars. Some nights the bar will play throwback music from the 80s and 90s and fill the TVs with the accompanying music videos. Those are always fun nights. If the weather is nice, head out to the back patio for some live music and the less crowded outdoor bar. Drinks can be a bit light, so try asking for yours in a tall glass or with less ice, sometimes that helps. For food, keep it simple with a burger or one of the $6 appetizer choices. If you're feeling more adventurous, try the skillet lobster mac 'n cheese. For drinks, the mojitos don't disappoint, and beer is always a safe bet with several local options to choose from along with the usual suspects of the big breweries.
(3)
Daisy D.
I've been to Black Finn twice now and neither one I would classify as memorable experiences. The Saloon was hopping & for happy hour, I can see how this would be a great place to meet up and hang out, but the food leaves something to be desired. I had heard from several people that it was hit or miss, but I have yet to find a true hit. We've tried the meatloaf, a burger, the pulled pork quesadillas. I enjoyed the food, but I wasn't wowed by what I had. And for the price we paid, I was expecting a little more.
(3)
Robbin W.
Today I decided to check this place out with my husband for some lunch. I'm a big first impression girl...they failed that test. The hostess with more makeup on than Miss America took us to a table. Usually fine had my 1 year old with me so asked for a booth. Now for a visual they have the walls lined full of booths only 2 were seated and this place was not busy at all maybe 10 tables seated max. So when we ask the hostess for a booth she says there's a wait!?? Ummm k! My husband asks how long and she says dunno a few as she turned around she looked at me and my brow went up and she got the don't think so sister look she immediately turned us around we got seated...in a cushy booth. Attention managers this behavior will drive people away if we were put on a wait we were gonna leave. There was even a large party that was waiting for more people and wanted to sit in a particular place and another hostess was almost arguing with them they were seated shortly after they got up and left. So managers thank you girl with too much makeup and blonde hostess they are helping you throw money out the window! You will loose Our waiter came out super sweet he was great. Now food I got the naked turkey burger and husband Mahi Mahi keep in mind 10 tables max exactly 30 min wait. Turkey burger itself amazing! They put cilantro on top it was a bit much and took from the burger cheese great avacodo not ripe and the side of broccoli minds well have been raw. My teeth hurt. $9.99 is the price if they cook the broccoli get ripe avacado and up the turkey patty I would order again. My husbands food I think they prepared perfect and placed under a shrink ray. Good just super tiny should have taken a pic. He asked for house salad got a caesar with his meal. In the end ok food great waiter doofy hostess. Also, 2 lunch "specials" and unsweetened teas $39 if in the area might try again one day nothing really stood out today.
(2)
Annie K.
Decided to try Blackfinn for dinner for the first time other than going to happy hour. Walked in and there was a 20 minute wait so we put our names in and headed to the bar for a drink. Greeted by bartender and ordered drinks always delicious! When we got our table we were greeted by our server Richard who is very personable and very attentive. He offered appetizers which we ordered the spinach artichoke dip which was absolutely delicious with fresh tomatoes on top and it was served with their crispy lavish bread that is amazing in itself. We both ordered salads, my husband ordered the greek and it came with an amazing dressing which they all make in house and I ordered the mixed greens that was also wonderful With a sampling of their Zinfandel vinaigrette and oregano lemon vinaigrette. Our dinners to follow were executed perfectly! My husband got a full rack of ribs that were so tender they fell right off the bone with garlic mashed potatoes perfectly seasoned and their mac & cheese so delicious who doesn't love bacon!?! I got the seared tuna with stirfry vegetables and two mashed rice cakes. I asked for the Thai peanut sauce to dip and it was perfection on the plate! I am a huge tuna fan and the sear was spot on! As we dined other servers would help out and clear plates which is a huge sign of great service! We are part of the perks program so we had a free appetizer which is always a plus! Overall our evening at blackfin was a success! We will definitely be back and I highly recommend giving this wonderful establishment a visit! Thank you Richard for making our dining experience an A+!!!! And kudos to the management who has such an amazing team!
(5)
Misty S.
Every time we have gone back it seems to get worse. We went yesterday for lunch. There were 7 of us. It wasn't busy. I ordered the grilled chicken buffalo sandwich. When it came, it was fried. I let my waiter know and he looked confused and said he would see if they could remake the sandwich. He said he didn't hear me say grilled. A few minutes later he came back and said it would be just a few minutes. 5 minutes later he checked on the table and said it would be ready "soon" and that normally it just comes fried which is why he didn't hear me say grilled. I told him that actually if you look at the menu, it says it comes fried OR grilled, which is why I said grilled. He again said, he didn't hear me, but that normally they are just fried. He was almost argumentative about it. I tried to be polite, but I was thinking "if it comes either way and you didn't hear me say grilled and you didn't hear me say fried, wouldn't you want to ask me how I prefer it rather than staying clear across a table of 7 people to try and get my order"? Also, my husband ordered the light side shrimp pasta which was surrounded in garlic and oil. It as not good at all. How can that be a light dish? Needless to say after another 10-15 minutes, he still hasn't come back and everyone at the table was done eating. I finally found the hostess and asked if she could please tell him to forget about the sandwich and just bring our check. Fancy that, he comes around the corner less than a minute later with my sandwich. By this time I'm just irritated because first order of business should have been getting that sandwich back out. Not putting in other orders or waiting until the kitchen decided to get other orders out. It's just a grilled chicken sandwich. In any case, I told him no thank you and realizing that we were asking for the check, he finally became quite profusely apologetic. Likely because he wanted a nice tip so he kept apologizing. I didn't take the sandwich. We paid the bill and I still left a nice check. But. I will think twice before going back.
(2)
R G.
Good service and good food. The vegetable flatbread was nice and crispy and was very good. The greek salad was OK. The food was a little slow, but the waitress kept checking on me and refilling my tea.
(4)
Sarah M.
I'm new to Jacksonville and live close to the town center... Now, I have been to many restaurants in the town center and black Finn by far is the best!!! I love the atmosphere and the food is amazing!! The first time I went I tried the fish and chips which were amazing!!! I make my own ranch at home and theirs was better than mine and that's tough!!! Lol!! My favorite dish is the shrimp and grits. The grit cakes are amazing! My boyfriend loves the ribs and hot wings. I highly recommend this place because even though it's a very large establishment and can be very busy they are on top of everything!!!! The girls outside were so nice and attentive to me and my boyfriend even though they were slammed!!! I encourage you to go and try it out. Their menu has so much to offer and so many options! I wish I knew the girls names from Last night but they were very friendly.
(5)
Janie C.
Just went to have lunch, sat at the table for 20 minutes and only received our drinks, never came back to take our appetizer order. Very disappointed in the service, will never go back.
(1)
Lee B.
This is our first trip to Jacksonville area and we just wanted something good and reasonable. We decided on this place because of the reputation of Blackfinn. The food was fine, Pad Thai and a buffalo chicken sandwich. But for the appetizer, we got the spinach and artichoke dip. The dip itself was good, but I think someone sat on the bag of chips, then stepped on it, and then emptied it onto our plate. Rediculous! Nothing but a crummy crumbly mess. I decided to wash my hands before the rest of my food came but...and this is no exaggeration...there were (are you ready?) NO SINKS!! I could not believe my eyes. Just two faucets over a slab of wannabe marble. Completely unacceptable. Hopefully they will correct this in the very near future. Aside from these two things, our meal and server were both acceptable. Nothing special, nothing over the top. Just...acceptable.
(2)
Beverly H.
The service was good... Not sure why it's so popular. The atmosphere is nice, but the main reason to eat somewhere is the food. The Food was beyond mediocre. Terrible awful food. I had fish tacos that were so small and awful tasting it was pitiful. The prices were expensive and way too much for what you're getting. Save some money and go to Ruth's Chris. At least you know you will get quality there.
(2)
Brandon L.
The food is GREAT. Nice variety of food. Clean restaurant with a classy feel, but down-to-earth environment. The restaurant is split into three sections: dining section with a small bar (perfect for sit down dining in a quiet area), a separate bar section (with music and about 20 large flat screens with sports), and an outside patio. Whenever I'm in Jacksonville, I go to this place, b/c I know I'll always get great food, with great service, and whatever my mood, I can be comfortable in that environment. Down side: BRING A SWEATER if you dine inside! It is uncomfortably cold!
(5)
Brad S.
Worst rip off New Years! Over charged on rounds of drinks, paid cocktail waitress for cocktails we didn't get . Hourly shots... Lie no shot service. Supposed to have an after mid might app buffet. TOTAL LIES. Told it was out on patio so waited till 12:30 asked a waiter and told is all food is Inside... Lapped inside bar for an hour and nothing. Went to leave and the d bag door man said go back out to patio he took good out himself. Got Pics of whole Patio... Lies rip off d bags
(1)
Tee B.
Don't do it!!!!!!!!
(1)
Ryan H.
Haven't had any food here yet, but hung out at the saloon for happy hour. This place isn't really in the area that I like to visit often because of the traffic, and not really the type of people I like to be around. The bar service was pretty awful. If we could get the lady over to serve us she would take an order from my buddy sitting right next to me, and as I tried to add on my drink to the order she would completely ignore me. Not sure what her deal was, but this is a reason why I never go to this area unless I have to. Was my buddy's idea to meet here not mine. I'll leave this place to other folks to enjoy.
(2)
Marie F.
Finished up a hard work week by checking out the Happy Hour. Because there was a StandUnited event HH was extended til 8! :-) I guess if you're a Jaguar fan right now then you are lead to drink. But the water down drinks were nothing to smile about so we started shots early :-D Bar food was pretty decent. We kept it simple with flatbread and calamari. Both discounted during HH. Flatbread was lacking a little flavor but calamari was on point - but an overwhelming amount of the body with no tentacles. Most entertaining part of the night was seeing Jaxson De Ville twerk and moonwalk on the bar. Decent spot but normally only pop up for Wined Up Wednesday because 1/2 price wines. I understand that the bar was pretty hectic. But customer service was lacking. There were a handful of servers that were turning tricks trying to accomadate people while a greater amount just hung around the bar chatting. Not sure if they were on duty but if they weren't there was no need for them to be behind the bar. Decent bar though...
(3)
Jan C.
I enjoy the patio the most. Fun music. Great flatbread. Prices reasonable. Always fun to go there with friends but also held meetings at the restaurant. Service is really good too. And they will even park your car for you!
(4)
Tyson G.
I'm not a fan of chain restaurants but I have eaten there several times because they always get it right. I usually get fish tacos or a salad and the fish has always been cooked perfect and the salads are delicious. Good spot that seems to seems to have figured out how to execute the food.
(5)
Nicole A.
I lived in Jacksonville & Blackfinn was always one of my favorite spots to go out to eat at... Specifically, I really LOVED their Parmesan Crusted Swordfish!... After moving to south FL, I decided to come by & visit my old stomping grounds & visit Blackfinn to eat my favorite plate... Long story short, after ordering drinks & my appetizer the waiter informed me that it was a Corporate decision to remove their Parmesan Crusted Swordfish plate from the menu. After I told him that that was my primary reason for coming to Blackfinn, he told me that I was the 6th customer who had brought to his attention their dissatisfaction with the decision to remove that specific menu entry. I decided to put my dis-satisfaction aside & eat the reccomended Shrimp & Grits plate. Let me tell you I was not satisfied I will no longer be visiting nor reccommending Blackfinn again. Great job Blackfinn Corporate!... You just lost a great customer!
(1)
Ginger B.
I really like their menu because you can find something for any pallet from chicken parm to burgers and flatbreads. All of which I've had and been satisfied with the flavors. Last night I had the bourbon burger and it was fantastic! There's some herb cheese melted sauce on the burger that is so flavorful and delicious! In dreaming about it this morning! But their other food is consistent as well. Service isn't bad. They have TVs everywhere and it has a good vibe for young professionals. I would recommend it. I took off a star because it can be really busy or at times loud. Parking can be a hassle too.
(4)
Rich T.
After a day of shopping in St. Augustine, we made our return to Jacksonville with the idea of a late lunch, but we found that our favorites were either closed or not serving then. Turning into the Town Center area, we took the first place we saw. The Black Finn was the spot on the map and all we had to do was find the treasure...or in this case, let it find us. Dressed in a very comfortable brown leather and dark paneling, the saloon of the Black Finn was steeped in the flavors of a Saturday afternoon during my childhood in New York: PGA golf and college football on TV, the welcoming aromas of comfort food, high ceilings, and no stress weekends in September. The only thing missing was a golden retriever... Coming back to reality, we sat in one of the booths and there we met our energetic server, Keicia, who would provide superb service throughout our stay. As she laid out the menus for us, we ordered beers from their tap list, which I noted to be a decent list in support of the local breweries in Jacksonville, along with the unremarkable cadre of "the usual suspects". We also ordered our starters and waited for only a moment. When the starters came out, we noticed our instructions for items to be placed on the sides had not been followed, but as my girlfriend told the server (in act of forgiveness) that I would take anything...the server stuck up for her immediately and asked what would she have, so she replaced the platter! That was a surprise! The server was proactively looking out for us and our orders. Launching into the rest of the order, we continually experienced a very attentive server who was not only taking great care of us, but also handling the rest of our Saturday afternoon row. One of the menu selections I liked best was aptly named "The Hangover Burger" and it had almost a full side salad in support of a flavorful ham/egg/ burger with an interesting pile of baked French fries. Being a restaurant design & service technician by training, I love seeing the practice of excellent service workers in their daily ways. I always learn something from the ones who take it to a high art form. They claim it as the sales force of the restaurant and also the rock stars of their kind. Overall, I found food quality to be very good, the comfort level almost surreal (anything that incites colorful memories usually is for me), and the service to be exceptional. If it were my place, I might enhance or alter some elements, but that might be overdoing it on a venue I am looking forward to returning to again and again.
Surprisingly good - not your typical bar food and very reasonable prices for the Town Center. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Many options for dining/drinking - inside, outside, quiet, loud. If you visit regularly make sure to sign up for their rewards.
So I went to Black Finn on a thundery Sunday and there were more waiters than people. Which is fine to me that equals promo service. We look over the menus order our beverages which came out in no time flat. Our waitress was very friendly a little short but friendly. We order iron skillet macaroni with blackened chicken. The grilled haddock with sweet potatoes and broccoli. Chicken quesadilla. And the southern nachos with chicken instead of pork. The food comes out after about 20 to 25 mins give or take. It looks beautiful and fresh. Everything was going well until the bite into the blackened chicken can you say SALTY someone went a little heavy on the blackening season.....we send it back and order crab cake entree instead. Not too bad. Slight seafood smell threw me off but hey at least you knew it was real crab am I right?? My nachos were icy which I blame on them waiting to bring the food out all together buy nonetheless the nachos were very good. Quesadillas were fresh. Fish grilled very nicely. I would return again I'd just steer away from the blackened chicken and if you order nachos tell them to bring it straight out
(4)
Michael Hosto H.
Went to Black Finn tonight as a guest. Normally I would have mentioned my dissatistaction with the quality of the food being as bad as it was but as a guest I thought it was not polite to mention it. I thing this place is just another example of big brand crappy food. I was really disappointed. I was surprised that my swordfish came out deep fried. WTF. Wait staff nor menu mention that it was KFC style swordfish. My daughter sent her Pad Thai dinner back as uneditable (and she is 8 y.o.) She loves good pad thai. I tried it first and had to agree it was crap. menu description - see nothing about deep fried sword fish??? Menu reads: PARMESAN CRUSTED SWORDFISH herb and parmesan-breaded swordfish steak served with a side of angel hair pasta Should read: Frozen swordfish deep fried in oil tons of great fresh seafood places in this town - Good atmosphere - Marginal Food FOOD: FAIL BIT THE SERVICE WAS GOOD (THEY TRIED HARD TO MAKE IT RIGHT SO THEY GOT A GREAT TIP) THANKS FOR TRYING LISA AND MICHAEL HOSTO
(2)
Tyler P.
The atmosphere was very nice. If I didn't have a baby with me I would be boozing with the young bucks. The food took forever to come and the food was average at best. My fish tacos were weak. The fish was a small nugget. The worst part was the server kept apologizing for everything that wasn't wrong.
(3)
V J.
Generic food. Outstanding chocolate peanut butter mug dessert. Stay out of there in the late evenings, it's weird because they try to turn it into a club... and it isn't built like a club... just odd.
(4)
Chelsea N.
Had a great time at Black Finn tonight. We ate in the bar/lounge area and Morgan was our server. She was very sweet and had great recommendations. Our food was on point and my martinis were delicious. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for some good food and drinks.
(5)
Nikki R.
While visiting my cousin in the area, he suggested we try Blackfinn for lunch. Neither of us had been before so we gave it a shot. It was about 2pm when we arrived and were seated as soon as we got in. The waiter was helpful in helping decide between a few dishes. I finally settled on the shrimp and grits. This was the BEST shrimp and grits I've ever had. The shrimp were cooked to perfection. My cousin reallly enjoyed his rib eye. I live in the DC area and quickly searched to see if we had one in my area (we have two). We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and I will return on my next visit to Jacksonville.
(4)
Colby S.
Their food is great and there is a very good variety. The service is good and the environment is nice, but it gets loud as the night goes on. A bit pricey, but it is expected here. Only critique: no bread before the meal! Not a big thing, but most nicer restaurants have something to munch on, so that would be a nice change.
(5)
Michael W.
Horrible service. Couldn't even get us refills on our drinks. Lots of servers standing around not doing anything but talking to each other and not serving customers. Food would have been better at Denny's. And the icing on the cake they doubled charged us. Which you'd have thought would be an easy and quick fix,.. But no not at Black Finn,.. after several calls including to the manager.. Dead silence. I had to dispute with my AMEX card and of course was credited. Do yourself a favor,.. If you feel the need to get crappy food, horrible service, and be over charged, then by all means go to Black Finn and they'll exceed your expectations. If you want good food, great service, almost any of the other restaurants in St. John's Town center will be a significantly better choice including Auntie Anne's Pretzels or the hot dog stand outside of Dick's Sporting Goods. Bon appetit!
(1)
Janet B.
BlackFinn looks pretty manly, like a place you'd go for business lunch or pharmaceutical dinners. I like how spacious the bar area is. It's separate from the dining room (they also have outdoor seating). It'd make for a good after-work drink spot, though my drinks were soo watered down. It didn't bother me too much since I'm not a heavy drinker, but still. We ordered half of the stuff on the appetizer menu, and they came out looking sloppy. The crispy calamari and spinach and artichoke dip were the best, but even they were just ok. Service was barely existent. I wanted desperately to like this place since I'm in Jacksonville a lot and it's located conveniently in Town Center, meh.
(3)
Travis W.
So unlike the BlackFinn in Charlotte, this one is a grille. I had the flatbread pizza and it was pretty good, not great. The toppings didn't make it to the ends of the bread and that makes me sad :(. Interior decor was nice with warm woods and a very manly aesthetic theme. Nice comfy booths to really let you wind down and relax. Service was spot on and couldn't have asked for better.
Really like this place. Always clean and the bartenders are very good at what they do! The balboa sandwich is a little slice of heaven.
(4)
Kathy T.
Ask for Richard what a nice young man. Really nice atmosphere. Don't forget to take the survey. That pan seared chicken was amazing.
(5)
Brad M.
The service was good otherwise I would want to give this place negative stars. Not sure why it's so popular. The atmosphere is nice, but the main reason to eat somewhere is the food. The Food was beyond mediocre. Terrible awful food. I had a Ahi Tuna sandwich that was terrible and my wife had fish tacos that were so small and awful tasting it was pitiful. The prices were expensive and way too much for what you're getting. Save some money and go to Ruth's Chris. At least you know you will get quality there.
(1)
Rick D.
Go Tarheels.....Thank you Black Finn for being the best not at anyone thing except giving us UNC People some place to go and you take care of us...Really miss a special server but Valentina is Awesome!
(3)
Mary H.
Nice decor, and great service by Daniel! Interesting flavors in food prep. We had the meatloaf with collard greens and sweet potato mash and the shrimp and grits. Food could've been served at a warmer temp. Wine selection nice, but on the pricey side. The tuna poke appetizer was attractive, but a bit salty from the sauce. Great potential here, but needs some fine tuning.
(3)
Ruben S.
After reading previous reviews we were not sure about what to expect but this place was awesome! Hand rolled cheese sticks and great steaks. The service was fast abs everyone was really friendly. We will definitely come again.
(4)
Melissa L.
Came here for lunch twice so far, and both times were pretty good. What I like most is their lunch specials- very reasonably priced meal for $7.99! The service is OK, not bad, and attentive enough (although my water cup got empty a few times). The first time I got the crabcake sandwich. Very delicious and filling- not too many fillers, just enough crab! I went back and got their lunch special half flatbread and salad. Just the right amount of food for a light lunch. Not too big portioned so be warned if you are very very hungry. The flatbread was OK and the caesar salad was good. I wouldn't say this place is the best place I've been to, but with the bar/grill atmosphere and the reasonably priced lunch menu, I would say I would frequent this place often on the weekdays!
(4)
Victor G.
This was a very good restaurant though very hard to find based upon our gps. But anyways the food was pretty good and the waitress was pretty nice. The food was pretty good though a little on the pricey side. I will go back again.
(4)
Tyler M.
Meh. Was disappointed tonight. We wanted a drink or two and maybe an app. We called at 10 and were told by the man on the phone that the kitchen would close at 11 and the bar at 11:30. We went in at around 10:15 - no one at the hostess stand and a rowdy crowd in the back. We sat ourselves and waited a good 5 minutes before our waitress appeared and told is the kitchen was closed and asked what we wanted to drink. It took close to 10 minutes for a margarita, shot of Jameson, and two beers. There were four of us plus a group of five or six guys - only folks in the place. The waitress dropped off our drinks and said, "Do you want to order anything else?" We said no so she returned with our checks and told us it was last call...obviously we weren't wanted there anymore. We paid our tab and got ready to leave. There were some new customers hanging out at the bar talking to the staff drinking. I guess they wanted to hang out with their friends.
(1)
J L.
I ordered game day nachos and BF completely blew the order. I am sure I was given another customers order. They took them back and returned with a plate of burned chips and all the toppings on the side. I am not sure how much chips cost them but they could have simply remade the order instead of scraping the toppings off and recycling the chips. Nachos come with a side of sour cream but they gave me ranch instead. This place is nothing more than a watering hole. The kitchen has no idea what is going on.
(2)
Paula S.
Friend said place was good so we were in the area and decided to try it. Menu looked boring but we decided to give place a chance... Sorry we did. We both ordered a hamburger and fries and requested fries NOT have extra spice.. When it finally came the fries were with extra spice. Waiter said that's just the way they come.. I asked for mustard and waiter said don't you want mayo... I said no I want mustard. My boyfriend was almost finished his meal before I got mustard. Then he almost took my boyfriends plate from him before he finished. And after all that... The hamburger was tasteless. We won't be back.
(1)
Staci C.
Food was awesome! Big portions and yummy, comfort food!
(4)
Kate M.
After a very long day of meetings I had a business dinner at BlackFinn. The service was fantastic, our server did a great job. The food was good, I wish my entree was as good as the appetizers and desserts though. I tasted a little bit of the Ying Yang Shrimp and they were fantastic. The BlackFinn Crab Tower was also very good. I had very high hopes for the entrees at this point. I had the catch of the day, it was mahi mahi with a ginger something glaze. It wasn't great. Not bad, but I wouldn't order it again. I had a bite of the grits from the shrimp and grits and they were really good. For dessert I tried a few spoonfuls of someone else's Hot Chocolate. This isn't really just hot chocolate. It's a huge espresso cup filled with peanut butter and chocolate souffle topped with vanilla ice cream and freshly whipped cream. Delicious. Our server was friendly and fun and on top of things all evening long. We lingered long after paying the bill and even though she would stop by to get us more water we never felt rushed. After a while we moved to the bar area, which was equally as nice as the dining room. I was a little surprised how busy the bar was on a Tuesday night. Looks like it might be a happening place to hang out on a week night, when we left around 11 something the bar was fairly busy. I would definitely go back to BlackFinn. The service was great, the food was mostly good, the decor fits the theme of the restaurant, and I don't remember the last time I laughed so much in one night (that might have more to do with the company I ate with than BlackFinn).
(4)
Brad G.
Blackfinn is my "Go To" choice for client lunches and they have never let me down. The food is consistently good, I've never had an issue with service and the multi room set up gives me a little bit more control over my meeting environment depending on the client. I don't get a lot of the negative reviews here. My favorite menu item is their steak salad. You can't go wrong with that.
(5)
Diana M.
I like the outdoor area here, provided you can find a spot away from the smokers. I haven't tried the food yet we have only stopped in for drinks. I think they have a good selection and the atmosphere is cool so we'll definitely be back!
(3)
Pastor-Ken W.
My wife & I went to have have lunch since we were in the area. We've been before to celebrate my birthday last year too. On this visit I had a Caesar salad which was very good, a good mixture of greens & dressing. Our entree was the skillet mac-n-cheese made with several cheeses & bacon in a cast iron skillet topped with blackened chicken, it was great!
(4)
Larry A.
The food was great, the services were priceless and Black Finn gained a regular customer
(5)
Hugo B.
This place caught my eye from the outside. It had a dark, trendy look to it and it was something different to try on a business trip to Jacksonville, other than the typical chains. The inside has dimly lit booths and some tables, but it's not as classy as the outside makes you think it'll be. It actually feels a little bit like a Longhorn's. I ordered the sea bass, which was served with two coconut rice patties and snow peas. The fish was a small portion (felt like I was jibbed for $25) and the plate was taken up by the rice patties (which were tasty) and the snow peas. The server was attentive and efficient. Bottom line, it was an okay place but I have nothing to rave about. Too many other choices in Town Center to come back.
(3)
Monika C.
Overall? Um, it was...Overpriced, for "meh" food, not very good service on a SLOW night. We had a reservation and were seated right away, round table for six, very nice. That's the end of the very nice. The girl couldn't even bring our WATER correctly (much less refill it thru the evening). My overpriced blackened chicken sandwich was SUPER dry and came with fries (when I asked for a substitute). I will say the fries are to DIE for (but I am trying to AVOID them... hello!!) We also ordered the fries and chips/cheese dip for appetizers (chips were too salty)... and our food came out wayyy to quick after that so timing was off. Even my daughter's simple side order of mac n cheese had all kinds of weird stuff mixed into it (she did NOT like). Trying to impress out of town family did not do well at this venue. Was sort of disapppointed with the darkness/hallway effects on the inside as well. Don't think we will be giving it a 2nd chance any time soon.
(2)
Denny S.
DESSERTS STINK!!! The only part of our dinner that was bad. My wife and I went with another couple and it was great. Everyone of us loved their dish. The food was great, the wine was great, and good service. Fix your desserts!
(3)
Tim M.
Great for happy hour
(5)
David F.
We went for NYE dinner with friends. My wife ordered the seared tuna. She took a bite and said it seemed wierd and asked me to take a bite. For the first time in my life i spit it out of my mouth onto the table. The fish was old and had the most horrible taste. The waitress had the manager come over. He told us that he had tasted the fish and it was good and he was sorry that we didn't like it. I couldn't believe my ears. My wife then had to sit and wait for something else to eat while we had to eat our dinners without her. Worst dining experience ever. The manager didn't comp the meal, offer a free dessert, a drink....anything. Not that I was looking for a free meal. Needless to say, we will never come back to this restaurant. The manager needs a course in "the customer is always right".
(1)
Thais A.
I'm not a big fan of the food. But the service is incredible. The waiters are super attentive. I had the fish tacos when I dined here, and it was alright. They were good, just nothing memorable. They have an ok happy our too. I say "ok" because the bartenders seem to forget the liquor when you order a drink during HP.
(3)
Kristen M.
Was so disappointed after a foodie friend raved about this place.Let down by the tuna salad. Just kind of blah. And the waiter wanted to argue with me about how I ordered by Manhattan and brought it back to me sort of "recycled." Not worth it.
(2)
Chris F.
Don't waste your time or money here! We live locally and were very disappointed with the service we received They charged us for too many drinks and didn't do anything about it, and ran my card before I even saw the bill. When we complained, our bartender got very ugly with us. She made fun of my wife loud enough for us to hear, with some giggling - and it was just horribly rude. To top it off it was for a special occasion and the whole experience was awful. We will never return to this restaurant and hope that others will benefit from this review.
(1)
David B.
4 Stars. Ordered the Balboa sandwich - shaved prime rib, mozzarella, toasted garlic bread, au jus. The meat is tender and the au jus sauce is excellent (melt in your mouth good). The fries are crispy with lots of flavor too. No need to order any thing else. The bar area (saloon) is cool too with drink special and they usually play good music.
(4)
Andy L.
I've eaten at Black Finn a couple times, and I finally figure I should write a review. My overall impression is one of mediocrity. Nothing is horrible, but nothing blows you away. And If you get an entree, the prices suggest that you're going to get pretty good food. Last night I went for a going away party for a co-worker. It was just drinks and apps, and we sat outside. Sitting outside was nice and the staff was very accommodating and friendly. The appetizers were not that tasty. We had a hummus dish and the bread almost tasted stale. The ahi was good and the shrimp was ok, but it didn't taste very fresh. The brie was all right, but the bread that came with it was inedible. The beers tasted good, but there was one bad beer. I ordered one from the bar in the restaurant area, and I swear that it tasted funny. I had a friend try it and he agreed. I'm not a brewing expert, but I think the moldy taste came from either something in the keg lines or the keg has gone stale. Would I go back? For drinks - yes. For food - maybe not.
(3)
L P.
Food was good and prices were very reasonable for what was offered. Great atmosphere. Only criticism is the restaurant is called blackfinn but the seafood options mainly fish related are limited the parmesan swordfish was great but I hated seeing halibut multiple times on the menu when you know that fish didn't come from anywhere around florida and they could be using grouper or snapper something better and fresher.
(4)
Bingle W.
When you're paying $30 for a steak, you expect a certain level of awesomeness that BlackFinn just didn't deliver. The first indication that this dinner was going to suck was the uppity attitude of the hostesses. Girls, wearing fashionable black dresses and platform heels does not negate the fact that you work in a restaurant at a mall. We ate in the "Country Club room" which was decorated with various golf paraphernalia. The restaurant also has patio seating and a room called "The Saloon" which glimpses indicated was a bar with people packed in it like sardines. The GF and I both ordered rib-eyes - mine plan and hers "dry rubbed with herbs" (according to the menu description.) What emerged was a steak that was "drowning in chimmichuri sauce" (according to my description.). The GF was not impressed, but did enjoy the mashed potatoes and glazed carrots except that, the following morning, she woke up barfing and with a migraine. The only alcohol consumed was a glass of Yuengling. My steak was plain, perfectly medium on the inside, but char-grilled to hell and back on the outside. It was served with grilled asparagus and sweet potato mash. Dessert was also grilled - this time in the form of strawberry shortcake with grilled pound cake. SRSLY? Who grills pound cake? Okay, so I"m a smoker and the amount of carcinogens I consumed during this dinner rivaled my half-pack a day habit. And my final complaint may have little to do with BlackFinn itself. Parking was shitty, all the women were kinda skanky and dressed alike, and there was what appeared to be some sort of Guido convention going on. I blame these more on the the restaurant's proximity to Whiskey River. Take your $30 and spend it at J. Alexander's.
(2)
Lindsay L.
I went back to BlackFinn. There manager was kind enough to contact me after my last review and encouraged me to come back. I wanted to put some time in between my experience last time and now, so that I would go with a fresh perspective. I walked in with a clean slate. Service was solid. Our server was great. Attentive without being pushy. Our food came out promptly and our water glasses were never empty. The food, unfortunately, still lacked. My friend's shrimp and grits was more of a grit cake, that she reported to be dry. My other friend had the chicken ranch salad. It was buried in tortilla strips and lacking underneath. I tried the veggie flat bread. Dry. Also - the large chunks of garlic overwhelmed the entire dish. All the dishes were served with flare. It seems they concentrate more on presentation than taste. Another weird thing is that my friend tried to pay with coins (not the entire thing, just the change) so that the server would get a bigger tip. But we were told that they don't take coins? Really? Weird. Money is money. Um, maybe they don't know we are in a recession? Do they do this in other places and I just don't know?? I think Black Finn will do fine. It's a good location and (I say this being a person who lives and loves this town) the people here will respond to the atmosphere and menu. I didn't expect to be wowed with the food. I was happy that the service was better. But the meal was disappointing for everyone at the table. Sorry Black Finn. I tried :(
(2)
Kathy C.
We have tried Blackfinn for lunch a couple of times and enjoyed it. Both times were late lunch service so the place was pretty quiet (maybe that's why we enjoyed it). The atmosphere is pretty nice and relaxed and the food was good. I especially loved their ahi tuna sandwich. It was a nice think shashimi grade seared tuna. Nice clean fresh taste. Their crab tower is also really nice. Service both times were friendly and prompt. One of our favorite restaurants to visit when we are in the area.
(4)
Wade T.
I went to BlackFinn for a company outing and had the Honk Kong Style Chilean Sea Bass. The fish was perfectly cooked and coated with a sweet and savory asian style glaze. Was served with some sauteed snow peas that were perfectly crisp. Hightly recommend this dish.
(4)
Laurie D.
I had dinner here again, but this time on the porch. The porch always looks so inviting when I'm driving by that I had to give it a try. Unfortunately for me this was also the same night as Whiskey River's bike night one-year anniversary party, so I got to hear lots of very loud motorcycles rev their engines while they rode past. Very relaxing! I have to say the porch looks nicer from the road than from inside. The furniture is like New England deck furniture. I ordered the catch of the day which was grilled shrimp with asparagus and risotto. It was delicious! It was one of the best dishes I've ever had a local Jacksonville restaurant. I'm not sure if it was a fluke, but next time I go I will definitely try the catch of the day.
(3)
Zaida J.
We ate there this weekend after my niece's graduation. We were a big group and the wait was actually shorter than I expected and there were no mistakes that I was aware of which is always nice, especially when having to deal with large groups and multiple checks. The Ying Yang Shrimp were delicious! I really wanted to order the Mediterranean Platter but was sharing the app with my daughter and it just wasn't going to fly. My recently graduate/niece did order it and then followed up with an order of the Ying Yang shrimp after seeing mine! Since it was a late lunch, we were advised we could also order from the dinner menu. Those around us pretty much stuck to the lunch menu although there was a special of flounder over scampi pasta that my mom and sister-in-law ordered and enjoyed. I chose the Ranch Chicken Salad, which was described as chicken tenders, mixed greens, roasted corn and black bean pico de gallo, crispy tortilla strips, cheddar jack, roasted red peppers, campfire ranch. It was okay. The tortilla strips were out of control and if I had thought about it and realized the chicken tenders were fried, I probably would have gone with something else. Either way, not bad but not fantastic. They really need a lighter hand with those tortilla strips though! My daughter ordered the fish and chips. It was super tasty but nothing super spectacular. Good fish and chips. One of my other nieces ordered the chicken and broccoli tortellini. She said she enjoyed it. I had a bite and wasn't too impressed. Overall, the service was excellent. A very patient and attentive waitstaff. For me, it's all about the food and it was just okay. If we ever go back again, it won't be from my suggestion. **price range for lunch, dinner def $$$
(3)
Blak B.
Went here for lunch on a visit to see my cousin and the food was good. Im not throwing on a cheerleader uniform because its nothing out of the ordinary. But the atmosphere is nice with patio seating, bar seating and an additional room. It would be great for big business lunches and parties. I heard that its gets pretty crazy on wknd nights so be prepared for a bit of wild life. lol. I enjoyed my hummus that was spicy just the way I like it caliente ;-) and finished off with some salmon that was tasty. Next time I will try to come by for dinner to see the raves! the prices are reasonable and coming from miami thats refreshing lol
(4)
Matthew H.
Any restaurant that is embracing the foux vocabulary - Finn? already starts screaming chain restaurant blah. The porch is fantastic, it is the main reason I come for lunch. The food is acceptable, but not great.
(2)
Itcher S.
Well i ordered the fish and chips. It dhould have been fish and fries on the menu.lol. The calamari did not taste that good, the shrimp appetizer was better. Overall , place seems clean, menu was simple, food was median, service was median, cost was high.
(3)
Anony M.
Sloppy staff & low quality food. Today was our first experience at Blackfinn: The waitress did not know about the menu, was not friendly, & forgot part of my order. She skipped us to greet another table although we were seated & waiting for a while. She did not greet us well - just a "what would you like to drink?" The hostess ate food at the stand in plain view of us at our booth. All employees looked really thrown together - sloppy hair, dirty shirts, and the manager wore a low cut black tee-shirt. There was no reason for the staff to look so sloppy at 2pm - there were only 3 couples in the restaurant. The 3 couples in the restaurant were sat right next to each other - so no privacy at all. My rice tasted like instant (microwaved?) rice. Spinach dip came with flatbreat triangles that tasted very stale. My lunch meal came with au jus -which the waitress forgot until I asked about it.
(1)
Miriam D.
I come here to meet family whenever I am in town. I have never actually sat in the restaurant section. I've been here about 5 times and always sit in the bar area. They have a decent selection of beers and the food is very tasty. I've had the cheese burger, pizzas, apps, salads and have yet to have a bad experience. The service at the bar is good, usually your server will be a young girl in shorts, that being said they're very attentive.
(4)
Dave L.
Visited here a few weeks back. The atmosphere was above average but did get a bit noisy. Had the shrimp and grits. Awesome as were the appetizers. Service was good, but nothing to write home about. All in all a winner.
(4)
Samantha A.
Best Happy Hour after a long day of work and the buffalo flat bread is always a must!
(5)
George C.
Service rocks! Happy hour is LOUD! Great covered outside dinning area. Wife loved her margarita. Fish Tacos and Chopped Seafood Salad all good but pricy.
To be fair we just sat in the saloon and had a few drinks but our experience was still a big disappontment. Went tonight to celebrate a friend's birthday, we got there first and ordered a round of drinks, it was early so the bar was pretty dead still. The server was delivering our drinks as our friend showed up, she asked what he wanted and he says a martini. She goes "What kind? We have tons, there's the menu" and runs off. I'm not kidding! Like unless someone orders a choco-tini she's never heard of it? Correct response would have been "what kind of vodka?" I'd even have accepted "vodka or gin?" All of our drinks were god awful. I have never had a whiskey and ginger that was so clear, and it tasted like melted ice cubes and tap water. The martini didn't taste like anything other than olive juice and vermouth, and the margarita seemed like it was all triple sec. We ordered another round thinking it was a fluke and number two was even worse. We didn't even finish them and went elsewhere. Net damage? $40. No thanks. I expect that for a place like this they should have bartenders that know how to make basic drinks, and servers that know how to take a drink order and can communicate politely and exhibit some customer service skills. The design of the bar is very nice and it's close to my place so I'll probably be tempted to give it another chance, but I doubt what we experienced tonight was the result of an off night.
(1)
Liz K.
Ugh vomit. This place was a stop on a night of bar-hopping with a childhood friend. It was just. Wrong. The people here made me want to go home and get married. Immediately. I saw a pathetic possible future of happy hours with my coworkers and bad fashion. Seriously - no. Bartender was nice.
(2)
Matthew L.
Nachos were a poor choice. Drink prices are on par with other places. Atmosphere wasn't overwhelming.
(1)
Andre C.
Mediocre with a few highlights. What they do with sprouts is awesome and new for me, Hmm, I guess that was it. Crabcake (jumbo? joke, right?) was average, small portion for $20, pan fried pork over cooked, salads OK, decent service though. Overall, I guess we would go back if not feeling adventurous that night.
(3)
Courtney A.
First time at BlackFinn. Not a huge fan. Had fish and chips and found two bones in the fish. Had a great waiter and the atmosphere was nice but I expected the food to be better. The rest of my party had prime rib and said it was good.
(2)
Mr T T.
My first time here and I got here early for happy hour. Arrive 530 and the hostess ask if for how many? I said 4 to 5 ppl. She said i have to be sure if 4 or 5 . She said they have plenty of table for 4 but few table for 5. I also have to wait till everybody get there to make sure how many ppl before she can seat me. I suggest that how about table for 5 then if only 4 shows up then she can move us to table for 4. After all that fuss she let me wait like 15 minutes then she gave me table for 5 . We ended 6 in our party but by 8 pm there is still plenty of room in theT patio. Could handle like 30 or more guest . Nor sure wtf was the problem . There were only like 4 p pl in the patio when i gotthere and the hostess is having a difficulty with seating . Food is just okay they have a copy cut version of bang bang shrimp Delma bonefish and taste horrible. It need spice so bland. Calamari so bland.H
(1)
tj F.
I was really surprised by the low reviews on this very nice restaurant- The atmosphere is great- the food is delicious and the service was great everytime that I have been. My first experience w the restaurant was on my birthday- my husband took me over for dessert. The server was wonderful and we had an opportunity to enjoy the dj out on the patio- it wasnt too loud and there was a good mix of music. I then returned on my anniversary and the menu was so tempting- we tried 4 different entrees' and loved them all. Yes the shrimp and grits comes with a grit cake- but the lastthing it is is dry- -it is smothered in a delicious gravy and even on its on is moist and palatable. No it is not like the bowl of grits you get from waffle house or your granny's - so remove that from your expectations- It is a sophisticated rendition of a southern treasure ( for those who like grits) and even if you dont like grits- give it a try. And yes I have been back numerous times and the experience has always been the same. I have eaten at every restaurant at the Town center due to frequent business meetings - and I consider this one to be the best. Definitely better than Capital Grille and Season's 52 which are over rated and over priced. So please dont be swayed by the avg review that has been established- I would encourage you to give this restaurant a try
(5)
Nicole A.
I lived in Jacksonville & Blackfinn was always one of my favorite spots to go out to eat at... Specifically, I really LOVED their Parmesan Crusted Swordfish!... After moving to south FL, I decided to come by & visit my old stomping grounds & visit Blackfinn to eat my favorite plate... Long story short, after ordering drinks & my appetizer the waiter informed me that it was a Corporate decision to remove their Parmesan Crusted Swordfish plate from the menu. After I told him that that was my primary reason for coming to Blackfinn, he told me that I was the 6th customer who had brought to his attention their dissatisfaction with the decision to remove that specific menu entry. I decided to put my dis-satisfaction aside & eat the reccomended Shrimp & Grits plate. Let me tell you I was not satisfied I will no longer be visiting nor reccommending Blackfinn again. Great job Blackfinn Corporate!... You just lost a great customer!
(1)
Ariel M.
So I went to Black Finn on a thundery Sunday and there were more waiters than people. Which is fine to me that equals promo service. We look over the menus order our beverages which came out in no time flat. Our waitress was very friendly a little short but friendly. We order iron skillet macaroni with blackened chicken. The grilled haddock with sweet potatoes and broccoli. Chicken quesadilla. And the southern nachos with chicken instead of pork. The food comes out after about 20 to 25 mins give or take. It looks beautiful and fresh. Everything was going well until the bite into the blackened chicken can you say SALTY someone went a little heavy on the blackening season.....we send it back and order crab cake entree instead. Not too bad. Slight seafood smell threw me off but hey at least you knew it was real crab am I right?? My nachos were icy which I blame on them waiting to bring the food out all together buy nonetheless the nachos were very good. Quesadillas were fresh. Fish grilled very nicely. I would return again I'd just steer away from the blackened chicken and if you order nachos tell them to bring it straight out
(4)
Michael Hosto H.
Went to Black Finn tonight as a guest. Normally I would have mentioned my dissatistaction with the quality of the food being as bad as it was but as a guest I thought it was not polite to mention it. I thing this place is just another example of big brand crappy food. I was really disappointed. I was surprised that my swordfish came out deep fried. WTF. Wait staff nor menu mention that it was KFC style swordfish. My daughter sent her Pad Thai dinner back as uneditable (and she is 8 y.o.) She loves good pad thai. I tried it first and had to agree it was crap. menu description - see nothing about deep fried sword fish??? Menu reads: PARMESAN CRUSTED SWORDFISH herb and parmesan-breaded swordfish steak served with a side of angel hair pasta Should read: Frozen swordfish deep fried in oil tons of great fresh seafood places in this town - Good atmosphere - Marginal Food FOOD: FAIL BIT THE SERVICE WAS GOOD (THEY TRIED HARD TO MAKE IT RIGHT SO THEY GOT A GREAT TIP) THANKS FOR TRYING LISA AND MICHAEL HOSTO
(2)
Tyler P.
The atmosphere was very nice. If I didn't have a baby with me I would be boozing with the young bucks. The food took forever to come and the food was average at best. My fish tacos were weak. The fish was a small nugget. The worst part was the server kept apologizing for everything that wasn't wrong.
(3)
Nikki R.
While visiting my cousin in the area, he suggested we try Blackfinn for lunch. Neither of us had been before so we gave it a shot. It was about 2pm when we arrived and were seated as soon as we got in. The waiter was helpful in helping decide between a few dishes. I finally settled on the shrimp and grits. This was the BEST shrimp and grits I've ever had. The shrimp were cooked to perfection. My cousin reallly enjoyed his rib eye. I live in the DC area and quickly searched to see if we had one in my area (we have two). We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and I will return on my next visit to Jacksonville.
(4)
Colby S.
Their food is great and there is a very good variety. The service is good and the environment is nice, but it gets loud as the night goes on. A bit pricey, but it is expected here. Only critique: no bread before the meal! Not a big thing, but most nicer restaurants have something to munch on, so that would be a nice change.
(5)
Michael W.
Horrible service. Couldn't even get us refills on our drinks. Lots of servers standing around not doing anything but talking to each other and not serving customers. Food would have been better at Denny's. And the icing on the cake they doubled charged us. Which you'd have thought would be an easy and quick fix,.. But no not at Black Finn,.. after several calls including to the manager.. Dead silence. I had to dispute with my AMEX card and of course was credited. Do yourself a favor,.. If you feel the need to get crappy food, horrible service, and be over charged, then by all means go to Black Finn and they'll exceed your expectations. If you want good food, great service, almost any of the other restaurants in St. John's Town center will be a significantly better choice including Auntie Anne's Pretzels or the hot dog stand outside of Dick's Sporting Goods. Bon appetit!
(1)
Janet B.
BlackFinn looks pretty manly, like a place you'd go for business lunch or pharmaceutical dinners. I like how spacious the bar area is. It's separate from the dining room (they also have outdoor seating). It'd make for a good after-work drink spot, though my drinks were soo watered down. It didn't bother me too much since I'm not a heavy drinker, but still. We ordered half of the stuff on the appetizer menu, and they came out looking sloppy. The crispy calamari and spinach and artichoke dip were the best, but even they were just ok. Service was barely existent. I wanted desperately to like this place since I'm in Jacksonville a lot and it's located conveniently in Town Center, meh.
(3)
Travis W.
So unlike the BlackFinn in Charlotte, this one is a grille. I had the flatbread pizza and it was pretty good, not great. The toppings didn't make it to the ends of the bread and that makes me sad :(. Interior decor was nice with warm woods and a very manly aesthetic theme. Nice comfy booths to really let you wind down and relax. Service was spot on and couldn't have asked for better.
Really like this place. Always clean and the bartenders are very good at what they do! The balboa sandwich is a little slice of heaven.
(4)
Kathy T.
Ask for Richard what a nice young man. Really nice atmosphere. Don't forget to take the survey. That pan seared chicken was amazing.
(5)
Brad M.
The service was good otherwise I would want to give this place negative stars. Not sure why it's so popular. The atmosphere is nice, but the main reason to eat somewhere is the food. The Food was beyond mediocre. Terrible awful food. I had a Ahi Tuna sandwich that was terrible and my wife had fish tacos that were so small and awful tasting it was pitiful. The prices were expensive and way too much for what you're getting. Save some money and go to Ruth's Chris. At least you know you will get quality there.
(1)
Rick D.
Go Tarheels.....Thank you Black Finn for being the best not at anyone thing except giving us UNC People some place to go and you take care of us...Really miss a special server but Valentina is Awesome!
(3)
Melissa L.
Came here for lunch twice so far, and both times were pretty good. What I like most is their lunch specials- very reasonably priced meal for $7.99! The service is OK, not bad, and attentive enough (although my water cup got empty a few times). The first time I got the crabcake sandwich. Very delicious and filling- not too many fillers, just enough crab! I went back and got their lunch special half flatbread and salad. Just the right amount of food for a light lunch. Not too big portioned so be warned if you are very very hungry. The flatbread was OK and the caesar salad was good. I wouldn't say this place is the best place I've been to, but with the bar/grill atmosphere and the reasonably priced lunch menu, I would say I would frequent this place often on the weekdays!
(4)
Victor G.
This was a very good restaurant though very hard to find based upon our gps. But anyways the food was pretty good and the waitress was pretty nice. The food was pretty good though a little on the pricey side. I will go back again.
(4)
Tyler M.
Meh. Was disappointed tonight. We wanted a drink or two and maybe an app. We called at 10 and were told by the man on the phone that the kitchen would close at 11 and the bar at 11:30. We went in at around 10:15 - no one at the hostess stand and a rowdy crowd in the back. We sat ourselves and waited a good 5 minutes before our waitress appeared and told is the kitchen was closed and asked what we wanted to drink. It took close to 10 minutes for a margarita, shot of Jameson, and two beers. There were four of us plus a group of five or six guys - only folks in the place. The waitress dropped off our drinks and said, "Do you want to order anything else?" We said no so she returned with our checks and told us it was last call...obviously we weren't wanted there anymore. We paid our tab and got ready to leave. There were some new customers hanging out at the bar talking to the staff drinking. I guess they wanted to hang out with their friends.
(1)
Katelyn B.
S
(5)
J L.
I ordered game day nachos and BF completely blew the order. I am sure I was given another customers order. They took them back and returned with a plate of burned chips and all the toppings on the side. I am not sure how much chips cost them but they could have simply remade the order instead of scraping the toppings off and recycling the chips. Nachos come with a side of sour cream but they gave me ranch instead. This place is nothing more than a watering hole. The kitchen has no idea what is going on.
(2)
Itcher S.
Well i ordered the fish and chips. It dhould have been fish and fries on the menu.lol. The calamari did not taste that good, the shrimp appetizer was better. Overall , place seems clean, menu was simple, food was median, service was median, cost was high.
(3)
Kate M.
After a very long day of meetings I had a business dinner at BlackFinn. The service was fantastic, our server did a great job. The food was good, I wish my entree was as good as the appetizers and desserts though. I tasted a little bit of the Ying Yang Shrimp and they were fantastic. The BlackFinn Crab Tower was also very good. I had very high hopes for the entrees at this point. I had the catch of the day, it was mahi mahi with a ginger something glaze. It wasn't great. Not bad, but I wouldn't order it again. I had a bite of the grits from the shrimp and grits and they were really good. For dessert I tried a few spoonfuls of someone else's Hot Chocolate. This isn't really just hot chocolate. It's a huge espresso cup filled with peanut butter and chocolate souffle topped with vanilla ice cream and freshly whipped cream. Delicious. Our server was friendly and fun and on top of things all evening long. We lingered long after paying the bill and even though she would stop by to get us more water we never felt rushed. After a while we moved to the bar area, which was equally as nice as the dining room. I was a little surprised how busy the bar was on a Tuesday night. Looks like it might be a happening place to hang out on a week night, when we left around 11 something the bar was fairly busy. I would definitely go back to BlackFinn. The service was great, the food was mostly good, the decor fits the theme of the restaurant, and I don't remember the last time I laughed so much in one night (that might have more to do with the company I ate with than BlackFinn).
(4)
Brad G.
Blackfinn is my "Go To" choice for client lunches and they have never let me down. The food is consistently good, I've never had an issue with service and the multi room set up gives me a little bit more control over my meeting environment depending on the client. I don't get a lot of the negative reviews here. My favorite menu item is their steak salad. You can't go wrong with that.
(5)
Diana M.
I like the outdoor area here, provided you can find a spot away from the smokers. I haven't tried the food yet we have only stopped in for drinks. I think they have a good selection and the atmosphere is cool so we'll definitely be back!
(3)
Pastor-Ken W.
My wife & I went to have have lunch since we were in the area. We've been before to celebrate my birthday last year too. On this visit I had a Caesar salad which was very good, a good mixture of greens & dressing. Our entree was the skillet mac-n-cheese made with several cheeses & bacon in a cast iron skillet topped with blackened chicken, it was great!
(4)
Larry A.
The food was great, the services were priceless and Black Finn gained a regular customer
(5)
Hugo B.
This place caught my eye from the outside. It had a dark, trendy look to it and it was something different to try on a business trip to Jacksonville, other than the typical chains. The inside has dimly lit booths and some tables, but it's not as classy as the outside makes you think it'll be. It actually feels a little bit like a Longhorn's. I ordered the sea bass, which was served with two coconut rice patties and snow peas. The fish was a small portion (felt like I was jibbed for $25) and the plate was taken up by the rice patties (which were tasty) and the snow peas. The server was attentive and efficient. Bottom line, it was an okay place but I have nothing to rave about. Too many other choices in Town Center to come back.
(3)
Monika C.
Overall? Um, it was...Overpriced, for "meh" food, not very good service on a SLOW night. We had a reservation and were seated right away, round table for six, very nice. That's the end of the very nice. The girl couldn't even bring our WATER correctly (much less refill it thru the evening). My overpriced blackened chicken sandwich was SUPER dry and came with fries (when I asked for a substitute). I will say the fries are to DIE for (but I am trying to AVOID them... hello!!) We also ordered the fries and chips/cheese dip for appetizers (chips were too salty)... and our food came out wayyy to quick after that so timing was off. Even my daughter's simple side order of mac n cheese had all kinds of weird stuff mixed into it (she did NOT like). Trying to impress out of town family did not do well at this venue. Was sort of disapppointed with the darkness/hallway effects on the inside as well. Don't think we will be giving it a 2nd chance any time soon.
(2)
Denny S.
DESSERTS STINK!!! The only part of our dinner that was bad. My wife and I went with another couple and it was great. Everyone of us loved their dish. The food was great, the wine was great, and good service. Fix your desserts!
(3)
Tim M.
Great for happy hour
(5)
Paula S.
Friend said place was good so we were in the area and decided to try it. Menu looked boring but we decided to give place a chance... Sorry we did. We both ordered a hamburger and fries and requested fries NOT have extra spice.. When it finally came the fries were with extra spice. Waiter said that's just the way they come.. I asked for mustard and waiter said don't you want mayo... I said no I want mustard. My boyfriend was almost finished his meal before I got mustard. Then he almost took my boyfriends plate from him before he finished. And after all that... The hamburger was tasteless. We won't be back.
(1)
David F.
We went for NYE dinner with friends. My wife ordered the seared tuna. She took a bite and said it seemed wierd and asked me to take a bite. For the first time in my life i spit it out of my mouth onto the table. The fish was old and had the most horrible taste. The waitress had the manager come over. He told us that he had tasted the fish and it was good and he was sorry that we didn't like it. I couldn't believe my ears. My wife then had to sit and wait for something else to eat while we had to eat our dinners without her. Worst dining experience ever. The manager didn't comp the meal, offer a free dessert, a drink....anything. Not that I was looking for a free meal. Needless to say, we will never come back to this restaurant. The manager needs a course in "the customer is always right".
(1)
Mary H.
Nice decor, and great service by Daniel! Interesting flavors in food prep. We had the meatloaf with collard greens and sweet potato mash and the shrimp and grits. Food could've been served at a warmer temp. Wine selection nice, but on the pricey side. The tuna poke appetizer was attractive, but a bit salty from the sauce. Great potential here, but needs some fine tuning.
(3)
Ruben S.
After reading previous reviews we were not sure about what to expect but this place was awesome! Hand rolled cheese sticks and great steaks. The service was fast abs everyone was really friendly. We will definitely come again.
(4)
Thais A.
I'm not a big fan of the food. But the service is incredible. The waiters are super attentive. I had the fish tacos when I dined here, and it was alright. They were good, just nothing memorable. They have an ok happy our too. I say "ok" because the bartenders seem to forget the liquor when you order a drink during HP.
(3)
Kristen M.
Was so disappointed after a foodie friend raved about this place.Let down by the tuna salad. Just kind of blah. And the waiter wanted to argue with me about how I ordered by Manhattan and brought it back to me sort of "recycled." Not worth it.
(2)
Chris F.
Don't waste your time or money here! We live locally and were very disappointed with the service we received They charged us for too many drinks and didn't do anything about it, and ran my card before I even saw the bill. When we complained, our bartender got very ugly with us. She made fun of my wife loud enough for us to hear, with some giggling - and it was just horribly rude. To top it off it was for a special occasion and the whole experience was awful. We will never return to this restaurant and hope that others will benefit from this review.
(1)
David B.
4 Stars. Ordered the Balboa sandwich - shaved prime rib, mozzarella, toasted garlic bread, au jus. The meat is tender and the au jus sauce is excellent (melt in your mouth good). The fries are crispy with lots of flavor too. No need to order any thing else. The bar area (saloon) is cool too with drink special and they usually play good music.
(4)
Andy L.
I've eaten at Black Finn a couple times, and I finally figure I should write a review. My overall impression is one of mediocrity. Nothing is horrible, but nothing blows you away. And If you get an entree, the prices suggest that you're going to get pretty good food. Last night I went for a going away party for a co-worker. It was just drinks and apps, and we sat outside. Sitting outside was nice and the staff was very accommodating and friendly. The appetizers were not that tasty. We had a hummus dish and the bread almost tasted stale. The ahi was good and the shrimp was ok, but it didn't taste very fresh. The brie was all right, but the bread that came with it was inedible. The beers tasted good, but there was one bad beer. I ordered one from the bar in the restaurant area, and I swear that it tasted funny. I had a friend try it and he agreed. I'm not a brewing expert, but I think the moldy taste came from either something in the keg lines or the keg has gone stale. Would I go back? For drinks - yes. For food - maybe not.
(3)
Bingle W.
When you're paying $30 for a steak, you expect a certain level of awesomeness that BlackFinn just didn't deliver. The first indication that this dinner was going to suck was the uppity attitude of the hostesses. Girls, wearing fashionable black dresses and platform heels does not negate the fact that you work in a restaurant at a mall. We ate in the "Country Club room" which was decorated with various golf paraphernalia. The restaurant also has patio seating and a room called "The Saloon" which glimpses indicated was a bar with people packed in it like sardines. The GF and I both ordered rib-eyes - mine plan and hers "dry rubbed with herbs" (according to the menu description.) What emerged was a steak that was "drowning in chimmichuri sauce" (according to my description.). The GF was not impressed, but did enjoy the mashed potatoes and glazed carrots except that, the following morning, she woke up barfing and with a migraine. The only alcohol consumed was a glass of Yuengling. My steak was plain, perfectly medium on the inside, but char-grilled to hell and back on the outside. It was served with grilled asparagus and sweet potato mash. Dessert was also grilled - this time in the form of strawberry shortcake with grilled pound cake. SRSLY? Who grills pound cake? Okay, so I"m a smoker and the amount of carcinogens I consumed during this dinner rivaled my half-pack a day habit. And my final complaint may have little to do with BlackFinn itself. Parking was shitty, all the women were kinda skanky and dressed alike, and there was what appeared to be some sort of Guido convention going on. I blame these more on the the restaurant's proximity to Whiskey River. Take your $30 and spend it at J. Alexander's.
(2)
Lindsay L.
I went back to BlackFinn. There manager was kind enough to contact me after my last review and encouraged me to come back. I wanted to put some time in between my experience last time and now, so that I would go with a fresh perspective. I walked in with a clean slate. Service was solid. Our server was great. Attentive without being pushy. Our food came out promptly and our water glasses were never empty. The food, unfortunately, still lacked. My friend's shrimp and grits was more of a grit cake, that she reported to be dry. My other friend had the chicken ranch salad. It was buried in tortilla strips and lacking underneath. I tried the veggie flat bread. Dry. Also - the large chunks of garlic overwhelmed the entire dish. All the dishes were served with flare. It seems they concentrate more on presentation than taste. Another weird thing is that my friend tried to pay with coins (not the entire thing, just the change) so that the server would get a bigger tip. But we were told that they don't take coins? Really? Weird. Money is money. Um, maybe they don't know we are in a recession? Do they do this in other places and I just don't know?? I think Black Finn will do fine. It's a good location and (I say this being a person who lives and loves this town) the people here will respond to the atmosphere and menu. I didn't expect to be wowed with the food. I was happy that the service was better. But the meal was disappointing for everyone at the table. Sorry Black Finn. I tried :(
(2)
L P.
Food was good and prices were very reasonable for what was offered. Great atmosphere. Only criticism is the restaurant is called blackfinn but the seafood options mainly fish related are limited the parmesan swordfish was great but I hated seeing halibut multiple times on the menu when you know that fish didn't come from anywhere around florida and they could be using grouper or snapper something better and fresher.
(4)
Kathy C.
We have tried Blackfinn for lunch a couple of times and enjoyed it. Both times were late lunch service so the place was pretty quiet (maybe that's why we enjoyed it). The atmosphere is pretty nice and relaxed and the food was good. I especially loved their ahi tuna sandwich. It was a nice think shashimi grade seared tuna. Nice clean fresh taste. Their crab tower is also really nice. Service both times were friendly and prompt. One of our favorite restaurants to visit when we are in the area.
(4)
Wade T.
I went to BlackFinn for a company outing and had the Honk Kong Style Chilean Sea Bass. The fish was perfectly cooked and coated with a sweet and savory asian style glaze. Was served with some sauteed snow peas that were perfectly crisp. Hightly recommend this dish.
(4)
Laurie D.
I had dinner here again, but this time on the porch. The porch always looks so inviting when I'm driving by that I had to give it a try. Unfortunately for me this was also the same night as Whiskey River's bike night one-year anniversary party, so I got to hear lots of very loud motorcycles rev their engines while they rode past. Very relaxing! I have to say the porch looks nicer from the road than from inside. The furniture is like New England deck furniture. I ordered the catch of the day which was grilled shrimp with asparagus and risotto. It was delicious! It was one of the best dishes I've ever had a local Jacksonville restaurant. I'm not sure if it was a fluke, but next time I go I will definitely try the catch of the day.
(3)
Zaida J.
We ate there this weekend after my niece's graduation. We were a big group and the wait was actually shorter than I expected and there were no mistakes that I was aware of which is always nice, especially when having to deal with large groups and multiple checks. The Ying Yang Shrimp were delicious! I really wanted to order the Mediterranean Platter but was sharing the app with my daughter and it just wasn't going to fly. My recently graduate/niece did order it and then followed up with an order of the Ying Yang shrimp after seeing mine! Since it was a late lunch, we were advised we could also order from the dinner menu. Those around us pretty much stuck to the lunch menu although there was a special of flounder over scampi pasta that my mom and sister-in-law ordered and enjoyed. I chose the Ranch Chicken Salad, which was described as chicken tenders, mixed greens, roasted corn and black bean pico de gallo, crispy tortilla strips, cheddar jack, roasted red peppers, campfire ranch. It was okay. The tortilla strips were out of control and if I had thought about it and realized the chicken tenders were fried, I probably would have gone with something else. Either way, not bad but not fantastic. They really need a lighter hand with those tortilla strips though! My daughter ordered the fish and chips. It was super tasty but nothing super spectacular. Good fish and chips. One of my other nieces ordered the chicken and broccoli tortellini. She said she enjoyed it. I had a bite and wasn't too impressed. Overall, the service was excellent. A very patient and attentive waitstaff. For me, it's all about the food and it was just okay. If we ever go back again, it won't be from my suggestion. **price range for lunch, dinner def $$$
(3)
Blak B.
Went here for lunch on a visit to see my cousin and the food was good. Im not throwing on a cheerleader uniform because its nothing out of the ordinary. But the atmosphere is nice with patio seating, bar seating and an additional room. It would be great for big business lunches and parties. I heard that its gets pretty crazy on wknd nights so be prepared for a bit of wild life. lol. I enjoyed my hummus that was spicy just the way I like it caliente ;-) and finished off with some salmon that was tasty. Next time I will try to come by for dinner to see the raves! the prices are reasonable and coming from miami thats refreshing lol
(4)
Matthew H.
Any restaurant that is embracing the foux vocabulary - Finn? already starts screaming chain restaurant blah. The porch is fantastic, it is the main reason I come for lunch. The food is acceptable, but not great.
(2)
Anony M.
Sloppy staff & low quality food. Today was our first experience at Blackfinn: The waitress did not know about the menu, was not friendly, & forgot part of my order. She skipped us to greet another table although we were seated & waiting for a while. She did not greet us well - just a "what would you like to drink?" The hostess ate food at the stand in plain view of us at our booth. All employees looked really thrown together - sloppy hair, dirty shirts, and the manager wore a low cut black tee-shirt. There was no reason for the staff to look so sloppy at 2pm - there were only 3 couples in the restaurant. The 3 couples in the restaurant were sat right next to each other - so no privacy at all. My rice tasted like instant (microwaved?) rice. Spinach dip came with flatbreat triangles that tasted very stale. My lunch meal came with au jus -which the waitress forgot until I asked about it.
(1)
Miriam D.
I come here to meet family whenever I am in town. I have never actually sat in the restaurant section. I've been here about 5 times and always sit in the bar area. They have a decent selection of beers and the food is very tasty. I've had the cheese burger, pizzas, apps, salads and have yet to have a bad experience. The service at the bar is good, usually your server will be a young girl in shorts, that being said they're very attentive.
(4)
Dave L.
Visited here a few weeks back. The atmosphere was above average but did get a bit noisy. Had the shrimp and grits. Awesome as were the appetizers. Service was good, but nothing to write home about. All in all a winner.
(4)
Samantha A.
Best Happy Hour after a long day of work and the buffalo flat bread is always a must!
(5)
George C.
Service rocks! Happy hour is LOUD! Great covered outside dinning area. Wife loved her margarita. Fish Tacos and Chopped Seafood Salad all good but pricy.
To be fair we just sat in the saloon and had a few drinks but our experience was still a big disappontment. Went tonight to celebrate a friend's birthday, we got there first and ordered a round of drinks, it was early so the bar was pretty dead still. The server was delivering our drinks as our friend showed up, she asked what he wanted and he says a martini. She goes "What kind? We have tons, there's the menu" and runs off. I'm not kidding! Like unless someone orders a choco-tini she's never heard of it? Correct response would have been "what kind of vodka?" I'd even have accepted "vodka or gin?" All of our drinks were god awful. I have never had a whiskey and ginger that was so clear, and it tasted like melted ice cubes and tap water. The martini didn't taste like anything other than olive juice and vermouth, and the margarita seemed like it was all triple sec. We ordered another round thinking it was a fluke and number two was even worse. We didn't even finish them and went elsewhere. Net damage? $40. No thanks. I expect that for a place like this they should have bartenders that know how to make basic drinks, and servers that know how to take a drink order and can communicate politely and exhibit some customer service skills. The design of the bar is very nice and it's close to my place so I'll probably be tempted to give it another chance, but I doubt what we experienced tonight was the result of an off night.
(1)
Liz K.
Ugh vomit. This place was a stop on a night of bar-hopping with a childhood friend. It was just. Wrong. The people here made me want to go home and get married. Immediately. I saw a pathetic possible future of happy hours with my coworkers and bad fashion. Seriously - no. Bartender was nice.
(2)
Matthew L.
Nachos were a poor choice. Drink prices are on par with other places. Atmosphere wasn't overwhelming.
(1)
Andre C.
Mediocre with a few highlights. What they do with sprouts is awesome and new for me, Hmm, I guess that was it. Crabcake (jumbo? joke, right?) was average, small portion for $20, pan fried pork over cooked, salads OK, decent service though. Overall, I guess we would go back if not feeling adventurous that night.
(3)
Courtney A.
First time at BlackFinn. Not a huge fan. Had fish and chips and found two bones in the fish. Had a great waiter and the atmosphere was nice but I expected the food to be better. The rest of my party had prime rib and said it was good.
(2)
Staci C.
Food was awesome! Big portions and yummy, comfort food!
(4)
Mr T T.
My first time here and I got here early for happy hour. Arrive 530 and the hostess ask if for how many? I said 4 to 5 ppl. She said i have to be sure if 4 or 5 . She said they have plenty of table for 4 but few table for 5. I also have to wait till everybody get there to make sure how many ppl before she can seat me. I suggest that how about table for 5 then if only 4 shows up then she can move us to table for 4. After all that fuss she let me wait like 15 minutes then she gave me table for 5 . We ended 6 in our party but by 8 pm there is still plenty of room in theT patio. Could handle like 30 or more guest . Nor sure wtf was the problem . There were only like 4 p pl in the patio when i gotthere and the hostess is having a difficulty with seating . Food is just okay they have a copy cut version of bang bang shrimp Delma bonefish and taste horrible. It need spice so bland. Calamari so bland.H
(1)
tj F.
I was really surprised by the low reviews on this very nice restaurant- The atmosphere is great- the food is delicious and the service was great everytime that I have been. My first experience w the restaurant was on my birthday- my husband took me over for dessert. The server was wonderful and we had an opportunity to enjoy the dj out on the patio- it wasnt too loud and there was a good mix of music. I then returned on my anniversary and the menu was so tempting- we tried 4 different entrees' and loved them all. Yes the shrimp and grits comes with a grit cake- but the lastthing it is is dry- -it is smothered in a delicious gravy and even on its on is moist and palatable. No it is not like the bowl of grits you get from waffle house or your granny's - so remove that from your expectations- It is a sophisticated rendition of a southern treasure ( for those who like grits) and even if you dont like grits- give it a try. And yes I have been back numerous times and the experience has always been the same. I have eaten at every restaurant at the Town center due to frequent business meetings - and I consider this one to be the best. Definitely better than Capital Grille and Season's 52 which are over rated and over priced. So please dont be swayed by the avg review that has been established- I would encourage you to give this restaurant a try
(5)
Missy J.
Wouldn't recommend the calamari.. Typical bar food in my opinion. Nothing stand out or unique. Fun atmosphere for a late night meal. Good service and reasonable prices. The menu has something for everyone..
(4)
Jamie I.
Blackfinn can be your brunch spot, lunch spot, and party spot all in the same day. I've visited for brunch and didn't remember the food being particularly amazing. We came back for lunch and enjoyed our entrees more. If you're drinking the flatbread is a great app to help soak up some of the alcohol. The dining area is available for rental for private parties. I attended a wedding rehearsal dinner there. The setup worked, the food and drinks were good. I do wish they had better signage or a cord to block off the area. While there some party goers tried to access the private bar in our area because it wasn't clear that area was reserved for a private event. Blackfinn is definitely known as a party/happy hour spot. They have Wine Down Wednesday specials and Friday/Saturday nights the bar and patio tends to be packed especially when they have live music. It's loud, it's boisterous, and you'll likely have a blast and then walk over to Suite to dance your rear end off until the wee hours of the morning.
(3)
Rosanna M.
I was meeting a blind date for lunch here at his suggestion that Blackfinn was affordable. Convenient for me, since I had to go to Town Center anyways to pick up some things for a weekend camping trip. But honestly, I'd probably never would've tried this restaurant if it weren't for his suggestion. So I was interested to see what they had. The menu has a good selection of different apps and entrees to please anyone. There wasn't anything interesting or unique that stood out for me, the menu pretty much reminded me of other chain restaurants, like Applebee's. But still, they have maybe one or two things that Applebee's probably don't have. I decided to just have a glass of water with lemon and the chicken and avocado chopped salad. My blind date had a sweet tea and and a grilled chicken and avocado sandwich. I enjoyed my salad, plenty of chicken and avocado, and nice big pieces of blue cheese in it as well. Service was okay, our waitress was really friendly, but we only saw her when she gave us our drinks, took our order and when we got the check. The decor of the restaurant was eh, but it suites the place well. Plenty of parking, a bit awkward to access it though. I may come back to try other items on the menu, if there isn't anywhere else I can think of to go to. As for the blind date, he bored me to death, and the dark decor of the restaurant did not help one bit.
(3)
Maria W.
We went on a Thursday night. The service was great, and the food was good, but it wasn't anything spectacular. I had one of the flatbreads, and no entree, so I'm sure that also makes a difference.
(3)
Samantha K.
I went to blackfinn for the first time this past Saturday night. The vibe I got upon walking in was that of an upgraded chain bar/restaurant. We asked for a table for a two and were told it was a 10 minute wait due to shortage of servers. The dining room was half full, but I was ok with waiting 10 minutes--better service and someone probably called out sick, right? So we went to the bar inside first for a drink while we waited and then walked to the bar on the back patio to check out that scene as well. The back patio was really nice but smoking was allowed in this section fyi. Once we were sat things went ok in terms of service, but every time a server came by they seemed really rushed, as well as kind of confused because two different servers greeted us and tried to take our orders. Regarding the food--we started with calamari which was pretty good and a well sized portion. My partner had the bacon wrapped meatloaf and ate it up quickly. I had the chicken rosa and really liked it. I did feel though that some of the items were overpriced for the atmosphere and quality of service. I wouldn't be in a rush to go back, but would be willing to try them again if the chance arose.
(3)
Marc E.
Good service, food is and they have some nice TV's if you're trying to watch the game. It's loud in here so not the place to bring the wife and kids but perfect for co-workers and groups of friends. They have three bars sh there is plenty of seats. Good choice if your staying around Town Square.
(4)
Megan P.
The Tuna Poke was tasty. The tuna and avocado were very good. The service was attentive and the place was very clean. It was dead on a Saturday night, and the others in my party said they thought the menu was overpriced and entrees were typical chain quality. Nothing made me consider coming back again. Unfortunate, but there are too many other choices in the area to compete with.
(3)
Sara M.
My husband & I recently attended a happy hour hosted by Blackfinn especially for our young professionals group & we were blown away. Mackenzie was our entire group's server that night & she was top notch. The specials were excellent--on Thursdays, ALL draft beer is 4 bucks. Such a great deal! I ordered a 20 oz Guinness for $4. Wow. They also provided our group with a very generous appetizer spread of hot spinach & artichoke dip, fried pita points, a heathy veggie tray complete with kalamata olives and creamy hummus and numerous flatbread pizzas. Yum! We will be back for sure. Thank you, Blackfinn, for a perfect evening!
(5)
Dl N.
8/29/15: Stopped in for a late lunch, while the service was exceptional, the food was poor. Daughter ordered fish & chips-they were ok. I ordered salad with ahi tuna. So over dressed it could not be eaten. Menu called for several things to be in the salad such as wasabi-non present. Asked waitress to bring it back. Was not offered it to be remade. Asked for bill and they didn't take it off. when I explained that it had not been eaten at all due to soup of dressing, manager came by and was a bit testie because the food was inedible..Ordered humus for appetizer, and despite it being 3pm and not packed it took 25 minutes to get appetizer. Will not go back and will not bring customers there partly because of bad food and partly because manager doesn't know how to speak to customers.
(1)
Shera B.
Horrible generic food Low quality All Four of our entrees were bad The pad Thai was flavorless Crab Cakes were horrible My NY strip was low quality I'm not sure how you mess up mashed potatoes but they did This restaurant shouldn't be at the towne center. I think it is always full simply because they have a full bar I do not recommend
(2)
CatNip R.
The food was amazing, but sadly the service made them lose there 4th star. Our server was amazing, but it took forever for the food to get to us. When our food came out they set it on the wrong table TWICE. The food was reasonably good and the sweet tea was amazing. If you are in for a sweet treat try the Chocolate Chip Cookie. AMAZING!! The server was nice, but in the end it came down to the wait.
(3)
Ian U.
I loved the atmosphere. It reminded me of a place that I love in Norfolk, VA. They got the pub decor down. The food and service were great! I'll definitely be back.
(4)
Savanna M.
I guess this must be one of the more happening spots in the Town Center of JAX as Steven C. were brought here twice during a 12 hour period by our law-school attending friends. BRUNCH Our first visit here was for brunch. We were whisked from the airport straight here so it must be the thing to do. It was pretty dead here when we ate at 12ish on a Saturday, but that only made things that much better for us. My 4 stars is mostly based on brunch, specifically $12 bottomless mimosas which remained topped off for our entire visit. We sat at the outside bar and the bartender made sure our glasses were always filled. I also tried a sriracha bloody mary which was quite good!! The brunch menu it self is actually quite small and is mostly an eggs and meat selection, with one french toast option. They do allow you to order off the regular menu as well though and that is quite comprehensive for lunch options. Steven C. ordered the breakfast balboa sandwich - quite good and HUGE. This was the same thing I was eyeing and rather than us getting the same thing I went with a lunch ahi tuna sandwich with one side. The sides menu was quite inventive and I ordered the goat cheese grit cakes. Absolutely no complaints about the sandwich - cooked perfectly, nice size and good flavor. The grit cakes may have been lacking a little salt but all in all they were quite tasty. LATE NIGHT After the graduation party we were in town for ended we all headed to BlackFinn. Apparently this is one of the popular late night bar spots as it was packed!! People of all age ranges were in here hanging out, dancing and drinking. It was late, probably close to midnight, so I didn't see anyone eating, but everyone sure was drinking! Despite all the people the bartenders seemed to handle it well and getting a drink wasn't an issue. We hung around here for an hour or so before heading out to another spot.
(4)
Brian S.
This place is hoppin'! I came here with a vendor to talk business and enjoy a nice meal. We opted to sit in the bar area, and am glad we did. Nicolette and Christina took great care of us, which I was not expecting because of where we sat. The food was simply excellent. We had calamari, Ahi tuna, fish tacos, and a few other finger foods, and they were all way above the typical fare you get when you order these same dishes from other joints. I'm also not normally a calamari fan--most places create rubber bands with them--but BlackFinn cooked a textbook calamari. Their beer menu is pretty good, and their wine list surprised me with its offerings--including a Lock & Key Meritage that was really good. It is super loud at the bar--almost too loud--but it was balanced by a surprisingly-quiet dining area, and tame patio crowd. I will definitely be back.
(4)
Keith H.
Met up with a lifelong friend for some beers and lunch at 2pm, a typical dead time in the food service industry. Our food was delivered quickly, our beers were refilled promptly, and all of our needs were attended to. I liked the interior of this Ameripub and both the dining area and the restrooms were kept very clean. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan Sliders which were incredible--highly recommended. Their beer selection was diverse and served some good local brews. The total amount of taps was relatively(around 20) compared to many of the other places in Jax(Kickbacks has 200+).
(4)
Deprina G.
I went on a Saturday night. I expected it to be super crowded but it was just a good crowd but not disturbing. I went and had the best meatloaf in life. Guys it was wrapped in Bacon.. like who thought of this. My manager had the 7 layer lasagna and it was good bec i mad sure i got a taste. Our drinks were strong and the desserts were even good. We sate in there for about 2+ hours chilling eating and talking. I need to go back here just for BACON WRAPPED MEATLOAF.... omg
(4)
Rich A.
A very standard, American cuisine restaurant, which is to say the menu is all over the place and the same folks who are making the meatloaf are making the pad thai. Still, it's probably worth a trip: I stopped in with a coworker for a quick dinner, and it worked out just fine. The buffalo chicken sandwich was good, and the french fries were delicious -- my colleague got a tuna dish that he seemed thrilled with, but it didn't look too filling. There were no surprises, the service was good, and the big outdoor seating area was great even though the weather wasn't.
(3)
Natasha D.
I was really hoping this place would be better. I was on town for work and staying near the town center and wanted a solid salad. I searched yelp for good salads close by and Blackfinn came up. The menu sounded awesome and the reviews were pretty good. Plus there was a happy hour special, Yahtzee! I took a seat at the bar. At first the staff was very friendly. I'm giving it 3 stars because the food was pretty bad. The specials advertised on yelp for happy hour were also more expensive. The staff started to get busy and they became less and less friendly as more people started to show. I had the ahi tuna salad. At first it looked great. Even the first bite was delish. But as I got into it, it was more like lettuce soup. There was TONS of dressing on this thing, the taste completely overwhelmed the taste of the tuna. Which didn't have much taste to begin with. Maybe I caught them on a bad night, but I was not impressed. It looks like a decent place for with dinners and the interior is beautiful and clean. The happy hour specials are pretty good. Select $5 apps, $4 wells and I think house wines at $4 or $5. It's not terrible here, but it's not one of favorite places to visit in jax.
(3)
Chris B.
Blackfish salad is delicious. Terrific atmosphere, especially durning big sporting events (tonight...World Cup action)
(5)
Mahalie H.
I came here for lunch because I've heard they have great food and drinks but I was very disappointed. I ordered fish tocas that were terrible. Tasted liked something out of a box. I ordered a cocktail called the "dark and stormy" which consists of rum, pinapple and dirty dish water. I don't think I will be coming back.
(1)
Cassie P.
I ate here this past weekend with a friend- and when I came on Yelp to review it, I was shocked to see it only had 3 stars! From the outside it looks very upscale- Capital Grille-ish. But don't be intimidated by that- it's a pretty casual, affordable nice restaurant. It was a beautiful day, so we ate on the outdoor patio- which had a very beachy/cabana/yacht club feel to it. Made me want to be laying by the pool with a boat drink. Now, I am gluten free- and my friend is vegetarian- so our diets can be a little high maintenance. However- BlackFinn indicates each dish that is gluten free or vegetarian or a BlackFinn special by a nice little colored bubble. I was so excited to see this! Takes the guess work out of ordering. Everything looked so delicious- so out of pure confusion- we decided to order a few things to split. We had the Chipotle Queso Dip, Shrimp Spring Rolls, and Goat Cheese Strawberry salad. Everything was delicious- and from the name sounds pretty straight forward- but each dish had a little bit of a twist or a different taste to it. I have had a lot of queso's in my day- and this one had such a unique flavor to it. Alas for dessert- a sunken in chocolate souffle' topped with ice cream, peanut butter and whipped cream. Definitely save room for this. Our whole meal (coffee and soda included) only came to $32. Quite a steal if you ask me! There are a bunch of TV's outside, in the bar area, and in the main dining area- would be a great place to catch a sports game as well. After a long day of shopping and fighting for parking at the Town Center- make sure to stop by here for food and drinks!
(5)
Mr. G.
Good place for drinks but the food leaves a lot to be desired....we started with the tuna poke app which actually pretty good. I had the fish tacos which were lousy (corn tortillas instead of flour and fish was dried out.) My friend had the shrimp and pasta. It came with angel hair pasta when one would've thought linguini. Angel hair??? Who in the heck serves angel hair pasta? Needless to say, not good and much like others have said overpriced, generic bar food....Go for drinks but eat someplace else. You'll thank me for doing so!
(2)
Samantha M.
Spent New Year's at this establishment. The cover fee was $25 a person and included a toast at midnight. The ambiance was pretty cool, and it finally started to get fun on the dance floor right around midnight. They have a great patio that is perfect for cooling off after a dance-your-heart-out moment, and the bartenders stayed on top of drinks the whole night we were there. There were pretty people everywhere and a lot of fun dancers who were letting it all hang out. I had a blast and my friend from out of town had a great time, too. I thought it was fun, and will have to make another trip out there soon.
(4)
Debbi C.
Good but not great. I had the grilled tenders tossed in buffalo but there was not much taste. My husband had a Cuban and said it was good although it was not pressed. He said it had good flavor to it. There's good outside seating for the spring. The bar is always loud and busy. The actual restaurant is more of a nice setting with quiet ambiance. A good casual night place to go.
(3)
Greg F.
I'm downgrading it from 4 to 3 stars because of the noise level. So far I've had good food here. The Queen City Chicken was very good, probably better than the pulled pork mac and cheese I had here on my previous visit. It was bacon-crusted chicken stuffed with sausage, with sweet potato mash and asparagus. It wasn't too large a dish, which pleased me. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Avalanche dessert was good. It was very large, a bit larger than two people wanted to eat. Just don't order it for yourself alone. I saw a chocolate and peanut butter souffle on the menu, so I'd probably have to try that next time. My bellini was good, but the blood orange cosmo was only pleasant. I also tried my companion's pretzel appetizer. It was pretty tasty, but not good enough that I'd get it again. It was also coated with garlic butter, which makes it messy finger food (or you could eat it with utensils). My problem with the place is that it was far too loud. We were in the outside bar, semi-enclosed this time of year. The inside bar was even louder. I'd say both areas were into the ear-damaging level: my ears felt bad after the meal. If I'd eaten in a quieter area I'd give the place 4 stars. In a noisy area, I'd give it one or two. Frankly, if it was that noisy again I'd leave, or put in earplugs. I know the reviews for this place are mixed, but my experiences have been quite good so far, other than the noise level. I don't doubt the other reviews: I think I've just eaten better than others because I've taken people's advice on what the good dishes are, and they've been right.
(3)
Caitlyn F.
In the chain restaurant-filled Town Center, this spot is usually the one we turn to when we want to grab drinks on a whim. It's not the most memorable of bars when it comes to standout cocktails or even bar food, and service can be hit or miss, but it's one of the best places to watch sports games thanks to dozens of TVs hanging around the bar and tables and a nice sound system. The saloon is a fun place to hangout late night, albeit it does tend to have an older crowd mixed in with the young party people. Watch out for the cougars. Some nights the bar will play throwback music from the 80s and 90s and fill the TVs with the accompanying music videos. Those are always fun nights. If the weather is nice, head out to the back patio for some live music and the less crowded outdoor bar. Drinks can be a bit light, so try asking for yours in a tall glass or with less ice, sometimes that helps. For food, keep it simple with a burger or one of the $6 appetizer choices. If you're feeling more adventurous, try the skillet lobster mac 'n cheese. For drinks, the mojitos don't disappoint, and beer is always a safe bet with several local options to choose from along with the usual suspects of the big breweries.
(3)
Daisy D.
I've been to Black Finn twice now and neither one I would classify as memorable experiences. The Saloon was hopping & for happy hour, I can see how this would be a great place to meet up and hang out, but the food leaves something to be desired. I had heard from several people that it was hit or miss, but I have yet to find a true hit. We've tried the meatloaf, a burger, the pulled pork quesadillas. I enjoyed the food, but I wasn't wowed by what I had. And for the price we paid, I was expecting a little more.
(3)
Robbin W.
Today I decided to check this place out with my husband for some lunch. I'm a big first impression girl...they failed that test. The hostess with more makeup on than Miss America took us to a table. Usually fine had my 1 year old with me so asked for a booth. Now for a visual they have the walls lined full of booths only 2 were seated and this place was not busy at all maybe 10 tables seated max. So when we ask the hostess for a booth she says there's a wait!?? Ummm k! My husband asks how long and she says dunno a few as she turned around she looked at me and my brow went up and she got the don't think so sister look she immediately turned us around we got seated...in a cushy booth. Attention managers this behavior will drive people away if we were put on a wait we were gonna leave. There was even a large party that was waiting for more people and wanted to sit in a particular place and another hostess was almost arguing with them they were seated shortly after they got up and left. So managers thank you girl with too much makeup and blonde hostess they are helping you throw money out the window! You will loose Our waiter came out super sweet he was great. Now food I got the naked turkey burger and husband Mahi Mahi keep in mind 10 tables max exactly 30 min wait. Turkey burger itself amazing! They put cilantro on top it was a bit much and took from the burger cheese great avacodo not ripe and the side of broccoli minds well have been raw. My teeth hurt. $9.99 is the price if they cook the broccoli get ripe avacado and up the turkey patty I would order again. My husbands food I think they prepared perfect and placed under a shrink ray. Good just super tiny should have taken a pic. He asked for house salad got a caesar with his meal. In the end ok food great waiter doofy hostess. Also, 2 lunch "specials" and unsweetened teas $39 if in the area might try again one day nothing really stood out today.
(2)
Annie K.
Decided to try Blackfinn for dinner for the first time other than going to happy hour. Walked in and there was a 20 minute wait so we put our names in and headed to the bar for a drink. Greeted by bartender and ordered drinks always delicious! When we got our table we were greeted by our server Richard who is very personable and very attentive. He offered appetizers which we ordered the spinach artichoke dip which was absolutely delicious with fresh tomatoes on top and it was served with their crispy lavish bread that is amazing in itself. We both ordered salads, my husband ordered the greek and it came with an amazing dressing which they all make in house and I ordered the mixed greens that was also wonderful With a sampling of their Zinfandel vinaigrette and oregano lemon vinaigrette. Our dinners to follow were executed perfectly! My husband got a full rack of ribs that were so tender they fell right off the bone with garlic mashed potatoes perfectly seasoned and their mac & cheese so delicious who doesn't love bacon!?! I got the seared tuna with stirfry vegetables and two mashed rice cakes. I asked for the Thai peanut sauce to dip and it was perfection on the plate! I am a huge tuna fan and the sear was spot on! As we dined other servers would help out and clear plates which is a huge sign of great service! We are part of the perks program so we had a free appetizer which is always a plus! Overall our evening at blackfin was a success! We will definitely be back and I highly recommend giving this wonderful establishment a visit! Thank you Richard for making our dining experience an A+!!!! And kudos to the management who has such an amazing team!
(5)
Misty S.
Every time we have gone back it seems to get worse. We went yesterday for lunch. There were 7 of us. It wasn't busy. I ordered the grilled chicken buffalo sandwich. When it came, it was fried. I let my waiter know and he looked confused and said he would see if they could remake the sandwich. He said he didn't hear me say grilled. A few minutes later he came back and said it would be just a few minutes. 5 minutes later he checked on the table and said it would be ready "soon" and that normally it just comes fried which is why he didn't hear me say grilled. I told him that actually if you look at the menu, it says it comes fried OR grilled, which is why I said grilled. He again said, he didn't hear me, but that normally they are just fried. He was almost argumentative about it. I tried to be polite, but I was thinking "if it comes either way and you didn't hear me say grilled and you didn't hear me say fried, wouldn't you want to ask me how I prefer it rather than staying clear across a table of 7 people to try and get my order"? Also, my husband ordered the light side shrimp pasta which was surrounded in garlic and oil. It as not good at all. How can that be a light dish? Needless to say after another 10-15 minutes, he still hasn't come back and everyone at the table was done eating. I finally found the hostess and asked if she could please tell him to forget about the sandwich and just bring our check. Fancy that, he comes around the corner less than a minute later with my sandwich. By this time I'm just irritated because first order of business should have been getting that sandwich back out. Not putting in other orders or waiting until the kitchen decided to get other orders out. It's just a grilled chicken sandwich. In any case, I told him no thank you and realizing that we were asking for the check, he finally became quite profusely apologetic. Likely because he wanted a nice tip so he kept apologizing. I didn't take the sandwich. We paid the bill and I still left a nice check. But. I will think twice before going back.
(2)
R G.
Good service and good food. The vegetable flatbread was nice and crispy and was very good. The greek salad was OK. The food was a little slow, but the waitress kept checking on me and refilling my tea.
(4)
Janie C.
Just went to have lunch, sat at the table for 20 minutes and only received our drinks, never came back to take our appetizer order. Very disappointed in the service, will never go back.
(1)
Sarah M.
I'm new to Jacksonville and live close to the town center... Now, I have been to many restaurants in the town center and black Finn by far is the best!!! I love the atmosphere and the food is amazing!! The first time I went I tried the fish and chips which were amazing!!! I make my own ranch at home and theirs was better than mine and that's tough!!! Lol!! My favorite dish is the shrimp and grits. The grit cakes are amazing! My boyfriend loves the ribs and hot wings. I highly recommend this place because even though it's a very large establishment and can be very busy they are on top of everything!!!! The girls outside were so nice and attentive to me and my boyfriend even though they were slammed!!! I encourage you to go and try it out. Their menu has so much to offer and so many options! I wish I knew the girls names from Last night but they were very friendly.
(5)
Lee B.
This is our first trip to Jacksonville area and we just wanted something good and reasonable. We decided on this place because of the reputation of Blackfinn. The food was fine, Pad Thai and a buffalo chicken sandwich. But for the appetizer, we got the spinach and artichoke dip. The dip itself was good, but I think someone sat on the bag of chips, then stepped on it, and then emptied it onto our plate. Rediculous! Nothing but a crummy crumbly mess. I decided to wash my hands before the rest of my food came but...and this is no exaggeration...there were (are you ready?) NO SINKS!! I could not believe my eyes. Just two faucets over a slab of wannabe marble. Completely unacceptable. Hopefully they will correct this in the very near future. Aside from these two things, our meal and server were both acceptable. Nothing special, nothing over the top. Just...acceptable.
(2)
Beverly H.
The service was good... Not sure why it's so popular. The atmosphere is nice, but the main reason to eat somewhere is the food. The Food was beyond mediocre. Terrible awful food. I had fish tacos that were so small and awful tasting it was pitiful. The prices were expensive and way too much for what you're getting. Save some money and go to Ruth's Chris. At least you know you will get quality there.
(2)
Brandon L.
The food is GREAT. Nice variety of food. Clean restaurant with a classy feel, but down-to-earth environment. The restaurant is split into three sections: dining section with a small bar (perfect for sit down dining in a quiet area), a separate bar section (with music and about 20 large flat screens with sports), and an outside patio. Whenever I'm in Jacksonville, I go to this place, b/c I know I'll always get great food, with great service, and whatever my mood, I can be comfortable in that environment. Down side: BRING A SWEATER if you dine inside! It is uncomfortably cold!
(5)
Brad S.
Worst rip off New Years! Over charged on rounds of drinks, paid cocktail waitress for cocktails we didn't get . Hourly shots... Lie no shot service. Supposed to have an after mid might app buffet. TOTAL LIES. Told it was out on patio so waited till 12:30 asked a waiter and told is all food is Inside... Lapped inside bar for an hour and nothing. Went to leave and the d bag door man said go back out to patio he took good out himself. Got Pics of whole Patio... Lies rip off d bags
(1)
Tee B.
Don't do it!!!!!!!!
(1)
Ryan H.
Haven't had any food here yet, but hung out at the saloon for happy hour. This place isn't really in the area that I like to visit often because of the traffic, and not really the type of people I like to be around. The bar service was pretty awful. If we could get the lady over to serve us she would take an order from my buddy sitting right next to me, and as I tried to add on my drink to the order she would completely ignore me. Not sure what her deal was, but this is a reason why I never go to this area unless I have to. Was my buddy's idea to meet here not mine. I'll leave this place to other folks to enjoy.
(2)
Marie F.
Finished up a hard work week by checking out the Happy Hour. Because there was a StandUnited event HH was extended til 8! :-) I guess if you're a Jaguar fan right now then you are lead to drink. But the water down drinks were nothing to smile about so we started shots early :-D Bar food was pretty decent. We kept it simple with flatbread and calamari. Both discounted during HH. Flatbread was lacking a little flavor but calamari was on point - but an overwhelming amount of the body with no tentacles. Most entertaining part of the night was seeing Jaxson De Ville twerk and moonwalk on the bar. Decent spot but normally only pop up for Wined Up Wednesday because 1/2 price wines. I understand that the bar was pretty hectic. But customer service was lacking. There were a handful of servers that were turning tricks trying to accomadate people while a greater amount just hung around the bar chatting. Not sure if they were on duty but if they weren't there was no need for them to be behind the bar. Decent bar though...
(3)
Ginger B.
I really like their menu because you can find something for any pallet from chicken parm to burgers and flatbreads. All of which I've had and been satisfied with the flavors. Last night I had the bourbon burger and it was fantastic! There's some herb cheese melted sauce on the burger that is so flavorful and delicious! In dreaming about it this morning! But their other food is consistent as well. Service isn't bad. They have TVs everywhere and it has a good vibe for young professionals. I would recommend it. I took off a star because it can be really busy or at times loud. Parking can be a hassle too.
(4)
Jan C.
I enjoy the patio the most. Fun music. Great flatbread. Prices reasonable. Always fun to go there with friends but also held meetings at the restaurant. Service is really good too. And they will even park your car for you!
(4)
V J.
Generic food. Outstanding chocolate peanut butter mug dessert. Stay out of there in the late evenings, it's weird because they try to turn it into a club... and it isn't built like a club... just odd.
(4)
Chelsea N.
Had a great time at Black Finn tonight. We ate in the bar/lounge area and Morgan was our server. She was very sweet and had great recommendations. Our food was on point and my martinis were delicious. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for some good food and drinks.
(5)
Rich T.
After a day of shopping in St. Augustine, we made our return to Jacksonville with the idea of a late lunch, but we found that our favorites were either closed or not serving then. Turning into the Town Center area, we took the first place we saw. The Black Finn was the spot on the map and all we had to do was find the treasure...or in this case, let it find us. Dressed in a very comfortable brown leather and dark paneling, the saloon of the Black Finn was steeped in the flavors of a Saturday afternoon during my childhood in New York: PGA golf and college football on TV, the welcoming aromas of comfort food, high ceilings, and no stress weekends in September. The only thing missing was a golden retriever... Coming back to reality, we sat in one of the booths and there we met our energetic server, Keicia, who would provide superb service throughout our stay. As she laid out the menus for us, we ordered beers from their tap list, which I noted to be a decent list in support of the local breweries in Jacksonville, along with the unremarkable cadre of "the usual suspects". We also ordered our starters and waited for only a moment. When the starters came out, we noticed our instructions for items to be placed on the sides had not been followed, but as my girlfriend told the server (in act of forgiveness) that I would take anything...the server stuck up for her immediately and asked what would she have, so she replaced the platter! That was a surprise! The server was proactively looking out for us and our orders. Launching into the rest of the order, we continually experienced a very attentive server who was not only taking great care of us, but also handling the rest of our Saturday afternoon row. One of the menu selections I liked best was aptly named "The Hangover Burger" and it had almost a full side salad in support of a flavorful ham/egg/ burger with an interesting pile of baked French fries. Being a restaurant design & service technician by training, I love seeing the practice of excellent service workers in their daily ways. I always learn something from the ones who take it to a high art form. They claim it as the sales force of the restaurant and also the rock stars of their kind. Overall, I found food quality to be very good, the comfort level almost surreal (anything that incites colorful memories usually is for me), and the service to be exceptional. If it were my place, I might enhance or alter some elements, but that might be overdoing it on a venue I am looking forward to returning to again and again.
(4)
Tyson G.
I'm not a fan of chain restaurants but I have eaten there several times because they always get it right. I usually get fish tacos or a salad and the fish has always been cooked perfect and the salads are delicious. Good spot that seems to seems to have figured out how to execute the food.
Surprisingly good - not your typical bar food and very reasonable prices for the Town Center. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Many options for dining/drinking - inside, outside, quiet, loud. If you visit regularly make sure to sign up for their rewards.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner, Late Night Parking : Valet, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Missy J.
Wouldn't recommend the calamari.. Typical bar food in my opinion. Nothing stand out or unique. Fun atmosphere for a late night meal. Good service and reasonable prices. The menu has something for everyone..
(4)Jamie I.
Blackfinn can be your brunch spot, lunch spot, and party spot all in the same day. I've visited for brunch and didn't remember the food being particularly amazing. We came back for lunch and enjoyed our entrees more. If you're drinking the flatbread is a great app to help soak up some of the alcohol. The dining area is available for rental for private parties. I attended a wedding rehearsal dinner there. The setup worked, the food and drinks were good. I do wish they had better signage or a cord to block off the area. While there some party goers tried to access the private bar in our area because it wasn't clear that area was reserved for a private event. Blackfinn is definitely known as a party/happy hour spot. They have Wine Down Wednesday specials and Friday/Saturday nights the bar and patio tends to be packed especially when they have live music. It's loud, it's boisterous, and you'll likely have a blast and then walk over to Suite to dance your rear end off until the wee hours of the morning.
(3)Rosanna M.
I was meeting a blind date for lunch here at his suggestion that Blackfinn was affordable. Convenient for me, since I had to go to Town Center anyways to pick up some things for a weekend camping trip. But honestly, I'd probably never would've tried this restaurant if it weren't for his suggestion. So I was interested to see what they had. The menu has a good selection of different apps and entrees to please anyone. There wasn't anything interesting or unique that stood out for me, the menu pretty much reminded me of other chain restaurants, like Applebee's. But still, they have maybe one or two things that Applebee's probably don't have. I decided to just have a glass of water with lemon and the chicken and avocado chopped salad. My blind date had a sweet tea and and a grilled chicken and avocado sandwich. I enjoyed my salad, plenty of chicken and avocado, and nice big pieces of blue cheese in it as well. Service was okay, our waitress was really friendly, but we only saw her when she gave us our drinks, took our order and when we got the check. The decor of the restaurant was eh, but it suites the place well. Plenty of parking, a bit awkward to access it though. I may come back to try other items on the menu, if there isn't anywhere else I can think of to go to. As for the blind date, he bored me to death, and the dark decor of the restaurant did not help one bit.
(3)Maria W.
We went on a Thursday night. The service was great, and the food was good, but it wasn't anything spectacular. I had one of the flatbreads, and no entree, so I'm sure that also makes a difference.
(3)Megan P.
The Tuna Poke was tasty. The tuna and avocado were very good. The service was attentive and the place was very clean. It was dead on a Saturday night, and the others in my party said they thought the menu was overpriced and entrees were typical chain quality. Nothing made me consider coming back again. Unfortunate, but there are too many other choices in the area to compete with.
(3)Samantha K.
I went to blackfinn for the first time this past Saturday night. The vibe I got upon walking in was that of an upgraded chain bar/restaurant. We asked for a table for a two and were told it was a 10 minute wait due to shortage of servers. The dining room was half full, but I was ok with waiting 10 minutes--better service and someone probably called out sick, right? So we went to the bar inside first for a drink while we waited and then walked to the bar on the back patio to check out that scene as well. The back patio was really nice but smoking was allowed in this section fyi. Once we were sat things went ok in terms of service, but every time a server came by they seemed really rushed, as well as kind of confused because two different servers greeted us and tried to take our orders. Regarding the food--we started with calamari which was pretty good and a well sized portion. My partner had the bacon wrapped meatloaf and ate it up quickly. I had the chicken rosa and really liked it. I did feel though that some of the items were overpriced for the atmosphere and quality of service. I wouldn't be in a rush to go back, but would be willing to try them again if the chance arose.
(3)Marc E.
Good service, food is and they have some nice TV's if you're trying to watch the game. It's loud in here so not the place to bring the wife and kids but perfect for co-workers and groups of friends. They have three bars sh there is plenty of seats. Good choice if your staying around Town Square.
(4)Sara M.
My husband & I recently attended a happy hour hosted by Blackfinn especially for our young professionals group & we were blown away. Mackenzie was our entire group's server that night & she was top notch. The specials were excellent--on Thursdays, ALL draft beer is 4 bucks. Such a great deal! I ordered a 20 oz Guinness for $4. Wow. They also provided our group with a very generous appetizer spread of hot spinach & artichoke dip, fried pita points, a heathy veggie tray complete with kalamata olives and creamy hummus and numerous flatbread pizzas. Yum! We will be back for sure. Thank you, Blackfinn, for a perfect evening!
(5)Dl N.
8/29/15: Stopped in for a late lunch, while the service was exceptional, the food was poor. Daughter ordered fish & chips-they were ok. I ordered salad with ahi tuna. So over dressed it could not be eaten. Menu called for several things to be in the salad such as wasabi-non present. Asked waitress to bring it back. Was not offered it to be remade. Asked for bill and they didn't take it off. when I explained that it had not been eaten at all due to soup of dressing, manager came by and was a bit testie because the food was inedible..Ordered humus for appetizer, and despite it being 3pm and not packed it took 25 minutes to get appetizer. Will not go back and will not bring customers there partly because of bad food and partly because manager doesn't know how to speak to customers.
(1)Shera B.
Horrible generic food Low quality All Four of our entrees were bad The pad Thai was flavorless Crab Cakes were horrible My NY strip was low quality I'm not sure how you mess up mashed potatoes but they did This restaurant shouldn't be at the towne center. I think it is always full simply because they have a full bar I do not recommend
(2)CatNip R.
The food was amazing, but sadly the service made them lose there 4th star. Our server was amazing, but it took forever for the food to get to us. When our food came out they set it on the wrong table TWICE. The food was reasonably good and the sweet tea was amazing. If you are in for a sweet treat try the Chocolate Chip Cookie. AMAZING!! The server was nice, but in the end it came down to the wait.
(3)Ian U.
I loved the atmosphere. It reminded me of a place that I love in Norfolk, VA. They got the pub decor down. The food and service were great! I'll definitely be back.
(4)Savanna M.
I guess this must be one of the more happening spots in the Town Center of JAX as Steven C. were brought here twice during a 12 hour period by our law-school attending friends. BRUNCH Our first visit here was for brunch. We were whisked from the airport straight here so it must be the thing to do. It was pretty dead here when we ate at 12ish on a Saturday, but that only made things that much better for us. My 4 stars is mostly based on brunch, specifically $12 bottomless mimosas which remained topped off for our entire visit. We sat at the outside bar and the bartender made sure our glasses were always filled. I also tried a sriracha bloody mary which was quite good!! The brunch menu it self is actually quite small and is mostly an eggs and meat selection, with one french toast option. They do allow you to order off the regular menu as well though and that is quite comprehensive for lunch options. Steven C. ordered the breakfast balboa sandwich - quite good and HUGE. This was the same thing I was eyeing and rather than us getting the same thing I went with a lunch ahi tuna sandwich with one side. The sides menu was quite inventive and I ordered the goat cheese grit cakes. Absolutely no complaints about the sandwich - cooked perfectly, nice size and good flavor. The grit cakes may have been lacking a little salt but all in all they were quite tasty. LATE NIGHT After the graduation party we were in town for ended we all headed to BlackFinn. Apparently this is one of the popular late night bar spots as it was packed!! People of all age ranges were in here hanging out, dancing and drinking. It was late, probably close to midnight, so I didn't see anyone eating, but everyone sure was drinking! Despite all the people the bartenders seemed to handle it well and getting a drink wasn't an issue. We hung around here for an hour or so before heading out to another spot.
(4)Keith H.
Met up with a lifelong friend for some beers and lunch at 2pm, a typical dead time in the food service industry. Our food was delivered quickly, our beers were refilled promptly, and all of our needs were attended to. I liked the interior of this Ameripub and both the dining area and the restrooms were kept very clean. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan Sliders which were incredible--highly recommended. Their beer selection was diverse and served some good local brews. The total amount of taps was relatively(around 20) compared to many of the other places in Jax(Kickbacks has 200+).
(4)Brian S.
This place is hoppin'! I came here with a vendor to talk business and enjoy a nice meal. We opted to sit in the bar area, and am glad we did. Nicolette and Christina took great care of us, which I was not expecting because of where we sat. The food was simply excellent. We had calamari, Ahi tuna, fish tacos, and a few other finger foods, and they were all way above the typical fare you get when you order these same dishes from other joints. I'm also not normally a calamari fan--most places create rubber bands with them--but BlackFinn cooked a textbook calamari. Their beer menu is pretty good, and their wine list surprised me with its offerings--including a Lock & Key Meritage that was really good. It is super loud at the bar--almost too loud--but it was balanced by a surprisingly-quiet dining area, and tame patio crowd. I will definitely be back.
(4)Rich A.
A very standard, American cuisine restaurant, which is to say the menu is all over the place and the same folks who are making the meatloaf are making the pad thai. Still, it's probably worth a trip: I stopped in with a coworker for a quick dinner, and it worked out just fine. The buffalo chicken sandwich was good, and the french fries were delicious -- my colleague got a tuna dish that he seemed thrilled with, but it didn't look too filling. There were no surprises, the service was good, and the big outdoor seating area was great even though the weather wasn't.
(3)Deprina G.
I went on a Saturday night. I expected it to be super crowded but it was just a good crowd but not disturbing. I went and had the best meatloaf in life. Guys it was wrapped in Bacon.. like who thought of this. My manager had the 7 layer lasagna and it was good bec i mad sure i got a taste. Our drinks were strong and the desserts were even good. We sate in there for about 2+ hours chilling eating and talking. I need to go back here just for BACON WRAPPED MEATLOAF.... omg
(4)Natasha D.
I was really hoping this place would be better. I was on town for work and staying near the town center and wanted a solid salad. I searched yelp for good salads close by and Blackfinn came up. The menu sounded awesome and the reviews were pretty good. Plus there was a happy hour special, Yahtzee! I took a seat at the bar. At first the staff was very friendly. I'm giving it 3 stars because the food was pretty bad. The specials advertised on yelp for happy hour were also more expensive. The staff started to get busy and they became less and less friendly as more people started to show. I had the ahi tuna salad. At first it looked great. Even the first bite was delish. But as I got into it, it was more like lettuce soup. There was TONS of dressing on this thing, the taste completely overwhelmed the taste of the tuna. Which didn't have much taste to begin with. Maybe I caught them on a bad night, but I was not impressed. It looks like a decent place for with dinners and the interior is beautiful and clean. The happy hour specials are pretty good. Select $5 apps, $4 wells and I think house wines at $4 or $5. It's not terrible here, but it's not one of favorite places to visit in jax.
(3)Chris B.
Blackfish salad is delicious. Terrific atmosphere, especially durning big sporting events (tonight...World Cup action)
(5)Debbi C.
Good but not great. I had the grilled tenders tossed in buffalo but there was not much taste. My husband had a Cuban and said it was good although it was not pressed. He said it had good flavor to it. There's good outside seating for the spring. The bar is always loud and busy. The actual restaurant is more of a nice setting with quiet ambiance. A good casual night place to go.
(3)Cassie P.
I ate here this past weekend with a friend- and when I came on Yelp to review it, I was shocked to see it only had 3 stars! From the outside it looks very upscale- Capital Grille-ish. But don't be intimidated by that- it's a pretty casual, affordable nice restaurant. It was a beautiful day, so we ate on the outdoor patio- which had a very beachy/cabana/yacht club feel to it. Made me want to be laying by the pool with a boat drink. Now, I am gluten free- and my friend is vegetarian- so our diets can be a little high maintenance. However- BlackFinn indicates each dish that is gluten free or vegetarian or a BlackFinn special by a nice little colored bubble. I was so excited to see this! Takes the guess work out of ordering. Everything looked so delicious- so out of pure confusion- we decided to order a few things to split. We had the Chipotle Queso Dip, Shrimp Spring Rolls, and Goat Cheese Strawberry salad. Everything was delicious- and from the name sounds pretty straight forward- but each dish had a little bit of a twist or a different taste to it. I have had a lot of queso's in my day- and this one had such a unique flavor to it. Alas for dessert- a sunken in chocolate souffle' topped with ice cream, peanut butter and whipped cream. Definitely save room for this. Our whole meal (coffee and soda included) only came to $32. Quite a steal if you ask me! There are a bunch of TV's outside, in the bar area, and in the main dining area- would be a great place to catch a sports game as well. After a long day of shopping and fighting for parking at the Town Center- make sure to stop by here for food and drinks!
(5)Mr. G.
Good place for drinks but the food leaves a lot to be desired....we started with the tuna poke app which actually pretty good. I had the fish tacos which were lousy (corn tortillas instead of flour and fish was dried out.) My friend had the shrimp and pasta. It came with angel hair pasta when one would've thought linguini. Angel hair??? Who in the heck serves angel hair pasta? Needless to say, not good and much like others have said overpriced, generic bar food....Go for drinks but eat someplace else. You'll thank me for doing so!
(2)Samantha M.
Spent New Year's at this establishment. The cover fee was $25 a person and included a toast at midnight. The ambiance was pretty cool, and it finally started to get fun on the dance floor right around midnight. They have a great patio that is perfect for cooling off after a dance-your-heart-out moment, and the bartenders stayed on top of drinks the whole night we were there. There were pretty people everywhere and a lot of fun dancers who were letting it all hang out. I had a blast and my friend from out of town had a great time, too. I thought it was fun, and will have to make another trip out there soon.
(4)Mahalie H.
I came here for lunch because I've heard they have great food and drinks but I was very disappointed. I ordered fish tocas that were terrible. Tasted liked something out of a box. I ordered a cocktail called the "dark and stormy" which consists of rum, pinapple and dirty dish water. I don't think I will be coming back.
(1)Greg F.
I'm downgrading it from 4 to 3 stars because of the noise level. So far I've had good food here. The Queen City Chicken was very good, probably better than the pulled pork mac and cheese I had here on my previous visit. It was bacon-crusted chicken stuffed with sausage, with sweet potato mash and asparagus. It wasn't too large a dish, which pleased me. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Avalanche dessert was good. It was very large, a bit larger than two people wanted to eat. Just don't order it for yourself alone. I saw a chocolate and peanut butter souffle on the menu, so I'd probably have to try that next time. My bellini was good, but the blood orange cosmo was only pleasant. I also tried my companion's pretzel appetizer. It was pretty tasty, but not good enough that I'd get it again. It was also coated with garlic butter, which makes it messy finger food (or you could eat it with utensils). My problem with the place is that it was far too loud. We were in the outside bar, semi-enclosed this time of year. The inside bar was even louder. I'd say both areas were into the ear-damaging level: my ears felt bad after the meal. If I'd eaten in a quieter area I'd give the place 4 stars. In a noisy area, I'd give it one or two. Frankly, if it was that noisy again I'd leave, or put in earplugs. I know the reviews for this place are mixed, but my experiences have been quite good so far, other than the noise level. I don't doubt the other reviews: I think I've just eaten better than others because I've taken people's advice on what the good dishes are, and they've been right.
(3)Caitlyn F.
In the chain restaurant-filled Town Center, this spot is usually the one we turn to when we want to grab drinks on a whim. It's not the most memorable of bars when it comes to standout cocktails or even bar food, and service can be hit or miss, but it's one of the best places to watch sports games thanks to dozens of TVs hanging around the bar and tables and a nice sound system. The saloon is a fun place to hangout late night, albeit it does tend to have an older crowd mixed in with the young party people. Watch out for the cougars. Some nights the bar will play throwback music from the 80s and 90s and fill the TVs with the accompanying music videos. Those are always fun nights. If the weather is nice, head out to the back patio for some live music and the less crowded outdoor bar. Drinks can be a bit light, so try asking for yours in a tall glass or with less ice, sometimes that helps. For food, keep it simple with a burger or one of the $6 appetizer choices. If you're feeling more adventurous, try the skillet lobster mac 'n cheese. For drinks, the mojitos don't disappoint, and beer is always a safe bet with several local options to choose from along with the usual suspects of the big breweries.
(3)Daisy D.
I've been to Black Finn twice now and neither one I would classify as memorable experiences. The Saloon was hopping & for happy hour, I can see how this would be a great place to meet up and hang out, but the food leaves something to be desired. I had heard from several people that it was hit or miss, but I have yet to find a true hit. We've tried the meatloaf, a burger, the pulled pork quesadillas. I enjoyed the food, but I wasn't wowed by what I had. And for the price we paid, I was expecting a little more.
(3)Robbin W.
Today I decided to check this place out with my husband for some lunch. I'm a big first impression girl...they failed that test. The hostess with more makeup on than Miss America took us to a table. Usually fine had my 1 year old with me so asked for a booth. Now for a visual they have the walls lined full of booths only 2 were seated and this place was not busy at all maybe 10 tables seated max. So when we ask the hostess for a booth she says there's a wait!?? Ummm k! My husband asks how long and she says dunno a few as she turned around she looked at me and my brow went up and she got the don't think so sister look she immediately turned us around we got seated...in a cushy booth. Attention managers this behavior will drive people away if we were put on a wait we were gonna leave. There was even a large party that was waiting for more people and wanted to sit in a particular place and another hostess was almost arguing with them they were seated shortly after they got up and left. So managers thank you girl with too much makeup and blonde hostess they are helping you throw money out the window! You will loose Our waiter came out super sweet he was great. Now food I got the naked turkey burger and husband Mahi Mahi keep in mind 10 tables max exactly 30 min wait. Turkey burger itself amazing! They put cilantro on top it was a bit much and took from the burger cheese great avacodo not ripe and the side of broccoli minds well have been raw. My teeth hurt. $9.99 is the price if they cook the broccoli get ripe avacado and up the turkey patty I would order again. My husbands food I think they prepared perfect and placed under a shrink ray. Good just super tiny should have taken a pic. He asked for house salad got a caesar with his meal. In the end ok food great waiter doofy hostess. Also, 2 lunch "specials" and unsweetened teas $39 if in the area might try again one day nothing really stood out today.
(2)Annie K.
Decided to try Blackfinn for dinner for the first time other than going to happy hour. Walked in and there was a 20 minute wait so we put our names in and headed to the bar for a drink. Greeted by bartender and ordered drinks always delicious! When we got our table we were greeted by our server Richard who is very personable and very attentive. He offered appetizers which we ordered the spinach artichoke dip which was absolutely delicious with fresh tomatoes on top and it was served with their crispy lavish bread that is amazing in itself. We both ordered salads, my husband ordered the greek and it came with an amazing dressing which they all make in house and I ordered the mixed greens that was also wonderful With a sampling of their Zinfandel vinaigrette and oregano lemon vinaigrette. Our dinners to follow were executed perfectly! My husband got a full rack of ribs that were so tender they fell right off the bone with garlic mashed potatoes perfectly seasoned and their mac & cheese so delicious who doesn't love bacon!?! I got the seared tuna with stirfry vegetables and two mashed rice cakes. I asked for the Thai peanut sauce to dip and it was perfection on the plate! I am a huge tuna fan and the sear was spot on! As we dined other servers would help out and clear plates which is a huge sign of great service! We are part of the perks program so we had a free appetizer which is always a plus! Overall our evening at blackfin was a success! We will definitely be back and I highly recommend giving this wonderful establishment a visit! Thank you Richard for making our dining experience an A+!!!! And kudos to the management who has such an amazing team!
(5)Misty S.
Every time we have gone back it seems to get worse. We went yesterday for lunch. There were 7 of us. It wasn't busy. I ordered the grilled chicken buffalo sandwich. When it came, it was fried. I let my waiter know and he looked confused and said he would see if they could remake the sandwich. He said he didn't hear me say grilled. A few minutes later he came back and said it would be just a few minutes. 5 minutes later he checked on the table and said it would be ready "soon" and that normally it just comes fried which is why he didn't hear me say grilled. I told him that actually if you look at the menu, it says it comes fried OR grilled, which is why I said grilled. He again said, he didn't hear me, but that normally they are just fried. He was almost argumentative about it. I tried to be polite, but I was thinking "if it comes either way and you didn't hear me say grilled and you didn't hear me say fried, wouldn't you want to ask me how I prefer it rather than staying clear across a table of 7 people to try and get my order"? Also, my husband ordered the light side shrimp pasta which was surrounded in garlic and oil. It as not good at all. How can that be a light dish? Needless to say after another 10-15 minutes, he still hasn't come back and everyone at the table was done eating. I finally found the hostess and asked if she could please tell him to forget about the sandwich and just bring our check. Fancy that, he comes around the corner less than a minute later with my sandwich. By this time I'm just irritated because first order of business should have been getting that sandwich back out. Not putting in other orders or waiting until the kitchen decided to get other orders out. It's just a grilled chicken sandwich. In any case, I told him no thank you and realizing that we were asking for the check, he finally became quite profusely apologetic. Likely because he wanted a nice tip so he kept apologizing. I didn't take the sandwich. We paid the bill and I still left a nice check. But. I will think twice before going back.
(2)R G.
Good service and good food. The vegetable flatbread was nice and crispy and was very good. The greek salad was OK. The food was a little slow, but the waitress kept checking on me and refilling my tea.
(4)Sarah M.
I'm new to Jacksonville and live close to the town center... Now, I have been to many restaurants in the town center and black Finn by far is the best!!! I love the atmosphere and the food is amazing!! The first time I went I tried the fish and chips which were amazing!!! I make my own ranch at home and theirs was better than mine and that's tough!!! Lol!! My favorite dish is the shrimp and grits. The grit cakes are amazing! My boyfriend loves the ribs and hot wings. I highly recommend this place because even though it's a very large establishment and can be very busy they are on top of everything!!!! The girls outside were so nice and attentive to me and my boyfriend even though they were slammed!!! I encourage you to go and try it out. Their menu has so much to offer and so many options! I wish I knew the girls names from Last night but they were very friendly.
(5)Janie C.
Just went to have lunch, sat at the table for 20 minutes and only received our drinks, never came back to take our appetizer order. Very disappointed in the service, will never go back.
(1)Lee B.
This is our first trip to Jacksonville area and we just wanted something good and reasonable. We decided on this place because of the reputation of Blackfinn. The food was fine, Pad Thai and a buffalo chicken sandwich. But for the appetizer, we got the spinach and artichoke dip. The dip itself was good, but I think someone sat on the bag of chips, then stepped on it, and then emptied it onto our plate. Rediculous! Nothing but a crummy crumbly mess. I decided to wash my hands before the rest of my food came but...and this is no exaggeration...there were (are you ready?) NO SINKS!! I could not believe my eyes. Just two faucets over a slab of wannabe marble. Completely unacceptable. Hopefully they will correct this in the very near future. Aside from these two things, our meal and server were both acceptable. Nothing special, nothing over the top. Just...acceptable.
(2)Beverly H.
The service was good... Not sure why it's so popular. The atmosphere is nice, but the main reason to eat somewhere is the food. The Food was beyond mediocre. Terrible awful food. I had fish tacos that were so small and awful tasting it was pitiful. The prices were expensive and way too much for what you're getting. Save some money and go to Ruth's Chris. At least you know you will get quality there.
(2)Brandon L.
The food is GREAT. Nice variety of food. Clean restaurant with a classy feel, but down-to-earth environment. The restaurant is split into three sections: dining section with a small bar (perfect for sit down dining in a quiet area), a separate bar section (with music and about 20 large flat screens with sports), and an outside patio. Whenever I'm in Jacksonville, I go to this place, b/c I know I'll always get great food, with great service, and whatever my mood, I can be comfortable in that environment. Down side: BRING A SWEATER if you dine inside! It is uncomfortably cold!
(5)Brad S.
Worst rip off New Years! Over charged on rounds of drinks, paid cocktail waitress for cocktails we didn't get . Hourly shots... Lie no shot service. Supposed to have an after mid might app buffet. TOTAL LIES. Told it was out on patio so waited till 12:30 asked a waiter and told is all food is Inside... Lapped inside bar for an hour and nothing. Went to leave and the d bag door man said go back out to patio he took good out himself. Got Pics of whole Patio... Lies rip off d bags
(1)Tee B.
Don't do it!!!!!!!!
(1)Ryan H.
Haven't had any food here yet, but hung out at the saloon for happy hour. This place isn't really in the area that I like to visit often because of the traffic, and not really the type of people I like to be around. The bar service was pretty awful. If we could get the lady over to serve us she would take an order from my buddy sitting right next to me, and as I tried to add on my drink to the order she would completely ignore me. Not sure what her deal was, but this is a reason why I never go to this area unless I have to. Was my buddy's idea to meet here not mine. I'll leave this place to other folks to enjoy.
(2)Marie F.
Finished up a hard work week by checking out the Happy Hour. Because there was a StandUnited event HH was extended til 8! :-) I guess if you're a Jaguar fan right now then you are lead to drink. But the water down drinks were nothing to smile about so we started shots early :-D Bar food was pretty decent. We kept it simple with flatbread and calamari. Both discounted during HH. Flatbread was lacking a little flavor but calamari was on point - but an overwhelming amount of the body with no tentacles. Most entertaining part of the night was seeing Jaxson De Ville twerk and moonwalk on the bar. Decent spot but normally only pop up for Wined Up Wednesday because 1/2 price wines. I understand that the bar was pretty hectic. But customer service was lacking. There were a handful of servers that were turning tricks trying to accomadate people while a greater amount just hung around the bar chatting. Not sure if they were on duty but if they weren't there was no need for them to be behind the bar. Decent bar though...
(3)Jan C.
I enjoy the patio the most. Fun music. Great flatbread. Prices reasonable. Always fun to go there with friends but also held meetings at the restaurant. Service is really good too. And they will even park your car for you!
(4)Tyson G.
I'm not a fan of chain restaurants but I have eaten there several times because they always get it right. I usually get fish tacos or a salad and the fish has always been cooked perfect and the salads are delicious. Good spot that seems to seems to have figured out how to execute the food.
(5)Nicole A.
I lived in Jacksonville & Blackfinn was always one of my favorite spots to go out to eat at... Specifically, I really LOVED their Parmesan Crusted Swordfish!... After moving to south FL, I decided to come by & visit my old stomping grounds & visit Blackfinn to eat my favorite plate... Long story short, after ordering drinks & my appetizer the waiter informed me that it was a Corporate decision to remove their Parmesan Crusted Swordfish plate from the menu. After I told him that that was my primary reason for coming to Blackfinn, he told me that I was the 6th customer who had brought to his attention their dissatisfaction with the decision to remove that specific menu entry. I decided to put my dis-satisfaction aside & eat the reccomended Shrimp & Grits plate. Let me tell you I was not satisfied I will no longer be visiting nor reccommending Blackfinn again. Great job Blackfinn Corporate!... You just lost a great customer!
(1)Ginger B.
I really like their menu because you can find something for any pallet from chicken parm to burgers and flatbreads. All of which I've had and been satisfied with the flavors. Last night I had the bourbon burger and it was fantastic! There's some herb cheese melted sauce on the burger that is so flavorful and delicious! In dreaming about it this morning! But their other food is consistent as well. Service isn't bad. They have TVs everywhere and it has a good vibe for young professionals. I would recommend it. I took off a star because it can be really busy or at times loud. Parking can be a hassle too.
(4)Rich T.
After a day of shopping in St. Augustine, we made our return to Jacksonville with the idea of a late lunch, but we found that our favorites were either closed or not serving then. Turning into the Town Center area, we took the first place we saw. The Black Finn was the spot on the map and all we had to do was find the treasure...or in this case, let it find us. Dressed in a very comfortable brown leather and dark paneling, the saloon of the Black Finn was steeped in the flavors of a Saturday afternoon during my childhood in New York: PGA golf and college football on TV, the welcoming aromas of comfort food, high ceilings, and no stress weekends in September. The only thing missing was a golden retriever... Coming back to reality, we sat in one of the booths and there we met our energetic server, Keicia, who would provide superb service throughout our stay. As she laid out the menus for us, we ordered beers from their tap list, which I noted to be a decent list in support of the local breweries in Jacksonville, along with the unremarkable cadre of "the usual suspects". We also ordered our starters and waited for only a moment. When the starters came out, we noticed our instructions for items to be placed on the sides had not been followed, but as my girlfriend told the server (in act of forgiveness) that I would take anything...the server stuck up for her immediately and asked what would she have, so she replaced the platter! That was a surprise! The server was proactively looking out for us and our orders. Launching into the rest of the order, we continually experienced a very attentive server who was not only taking great care of us, but also handling the rest of our Saturday afternoon row. One of the menu selections I liked best was aptly named "The Hangover Burger" and it had almost a full side salad in support of a flavorful ham/egg/ burger with an interesting pile of baked French fries. Being a restaurant design & service technician by training, I love seeing the practice of excellent service workers in their daily ways. I always learn something from the ones who take it to a high art form. They claim it as the sales force of the restaurant and also the rock stars of their kind. Overall, I found food quality to be very good, the comfort level almost surreal (anything that incites colorful memories usually is for me), and the service to be exceptional. If it were my place, I might enhance or alter some elements, but that might be overdoing it on a venue I am looking forward to returning to again and again.
(4)Nikki C.
Don't waste your time or money here. Although they redesigned their restaurant they decided to go cheap on their menu by eliminating their best entrées. I am extremely disappointed and will be eating elsewhere.
(1)Dave M.
Surprisingly good - not your typical bar food and very reasonable prices for the Town Center. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Many options for dining/drinking - inside, outside, quiet, loud. If you visit regularly make sure to sign up for their rewards.
(4)Stacey S.
I have to admit it's been a while since I've been to BlackFinn especially for dinner. They offer some pretty tempting $6 appetizers and flatbreads as well as $3 domestic drafts, house wines and well drinks from 4-7pm on Wednesdays. Bottles of wine are half price all night as well as glasses of wine PLUS if you stay for dinner, they'll take 15% off your bill. We arrived a little bit late, so we needed to catch up to everyone else. I'd seen a twitpic from Jax Food Critic of a perfect looking Mojito, so I was already thinking of ordering one. We perused the drink menu and saw an entire page dedicated to Mojitos. We ordered a "Coconut Lime" and a "Dragon Berry" (left and right respectively). . These Mojitos weren't syrupy. They were tasty and delicious and definitely gave the bartenders at Cheesecake a "run for the money". Next, we had to try their featured appetizers. First up? The Southern Nachos. These were a generous plate full of crunchy chips topped with the usual cheese, guacamole, sour cream, jalapenos (which I picked off), and tomatoes. What made these remarkable was the addition of Barbecued Pulled Pork and, instead of regular ol' cheese, it was smothered in a chipotle queso. These nachos had a flavorful, smokey flavor. I honestly would head here for happy hour JUST so I could order these. After a long day or week of work, sometimes I just want some queso and chips, THIS is just that and more. Plus for $6 these were a good deal. Usually nachos this big and tasty cost around $8-10. Plus the chips weren't charred, and we weren't left with dried out chips on the bottom. (I hate that...) You really need to come and try it for yourself. If you do, please let me know what you thought. Next up, per Adam's request, we ordered the calamari. The first time I tried this was at a chain Italian restaurant, and they were chewy and unimpressive. I have to say here they were tasty and not 'bouncy bouncy' like my first calamari experience, but still not my personal choice when there are so many other options available. Since I clearly have no knowledge of good calamari, I asked Adam, the calamari "expert," his thoughts. He said they we're tender and lightly fried. Compared to other restaurant calamari, it wasn't as spicy and slightly bland. It could handle some italian seasoning in the breading. The rings were slightly smaller than expected, but the plate was plentiful and more than enough. He'd order these again if we were there & had a taste for calamari. Lastly we sampled their Margherita Flatbread (above) and their Buffalo Chicken Flatbread (below). The Margherita was good, but a little dry. On the other hand, their Buffalo Chicken was good. The chicken tasted like it had been cubed and then spent time marinating in something similar to Franks Hot Sauce. (Franks rocks my socks.) Flatbreads are really popular at restaurants recently, and I'm used to a thin, dry crust. This was flaky and not dried out at all. After trying out their happy hour selections, we decided to stay and headed inside for dinner. We were also celebrating an anniversary, so we decided to indulge just a little bit. Our waiter was really helpful in assisting us to select a Cabernet Sauvignon. Since bottles are half price, why not! Plus, if you purchase the bottle, but would like to enjoy the rest of it at home, BlackFinn will package it up so you can safely bring it home with you. Adam knew exactly what he was ordering before we even sat down. On a previous visit (another anniversary), I'd enjoyed the Iron Skillet Lobster Mac -n- Cheese while Adam drooled from across the table. This time, that's exactly what he was ordering. Nothing could change his mind. My Shrimp and Grits (cakes) were really good and REALLY hot! The Tasso (ham) cream sauce was really flavorful and complimented the blackened shrimp. I also loved how they artfully stacked the grit cakes with two jumbo shrimp for an appetizing design. It wasn't just lumped on the plate. (Seasons 52 also makes sure their entrees are plated artfully). I do wish the dish title had said "cakes," (and not just the description) because I really had my heart on some buttery grits (Palm Valley Fish Camp style). It's ok though, I clearly survived, and honestly needed to save room for dessert!! Oh yes. Chocolaty melty Peanut Butter surprise! Drool. The official (and very deceptive) name is "BlackFinn Hot Chocolate." At first this looks so simple until you dig in to discover cakey brownie moist deliciousness. Then you're hooked on the peanut butter surprise that lines the bottom of the cup. The chocolate and peanut butter soufflé is served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and caramel. It is definitely plenty to share among two or even three people.
(4)Ariel M.
So I went to Black Finn on a thundery Sunday and there were more waiters than people. Which is fine to me that equals promo service. We look over the menus order our beverages which came out in no time flat. Our waitress was very friendly a little short but friendly. We order iron skillet macaroni with blackened chicken. The grilled haddock with sweet potatoes and broccoli. Chicken quesadilla. And the southern nachos with chicken instead of pork. The food comes out after about 20 to 25 mins give or take. It looks beautiful and fresh. Everything was going well until the bite into the blackened chicken can you say SALTY someone went a little heavy on the blackening season.....we send it back and order crab cake entree instead. Not too bad. Slight seafood smell threw me off but hey at least you knew it was real crab am I right?? My nachos were icy which I blame on them waiting to bring the food out all together buy nonetheless the nachos were very good. Quesadillas were fresh. Fish grilled very nicely. I would return again I'd just steer away from the blackened chicken and if you order nachos tell them to bring it straight out
(4)Michael Hosto H.
Went to Black Finn tonight as a guest. Normally I would have mentioned my dissatistaction with the quality of the food being as bad as it was but as a guest I thought it was not polite to mention it. I thing this place is just another example of big brand crappy food. I was really disappointed. I was surprised that my swordfish came out deep fried. WTF. Wait staff nor menu mention that it was KFC style swordfish. My daughter sent her Pad Thai dinner back as uneditable (and she is 8 y.o.) She loves good pad thai. I tried it first and had to agree it was crap. menu description - see nothing about deep fried sword fish??? Menu reads: PARMESAN CRUSTED SWORDFISH herb and parmesan-breaded swordfish steak served with a side of angel hair pasta Should read: Frozen swordfish deep fried in oil tons of great fresh seafood places in this town - Good atmosphere - Marginal Food FOOD: FAIL BIT THE SERVICE WAS GOOD (THEY TRIED HARD TO MAKE IT RIGHT SO THEY GOT A GREAT TIP) THANKS FOR TRYING LISA AND MICHAEL HOSTO
(2)Tyler P.
The atmosphere was very nice. If I didn't have a baby with me I would be boozing with the young bucks. The food took forever to come and the food was average at best. My fish tacos were weak. The fish was a small nugget. The worst part was the server kept apologizing for everything that wasn't wrong.
(3)V J.
Generic food. Outstanding chocolate peanut butter mug dessert. Stay out of there in the late evenings, it's weird because they try to turn it into a club... and it isn't built like a club... just odd.
(4)Chelsea N.
Had a great time at Black Finn tonight. We ate in the bar/lounge area and Morgan was our server. She was very sweet and had great recommendations. Our food was on point and my martinis were delicious. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for some good food and drinks.
(5)Nikki R.
While visiting my cousin in the area, he suggested we try Blackfinn for lunch. Neither of us had been before so we gave it a shot. It was about 2pm when we arrived and were seated as soon as we got in. The waiter was helpful in helping decide between a few dishes. I finally settled on the shrimp and grits. This was the BEST shrimp and grits I've ever had. The shrimp were cooked to perfection. My cousin reallly enjoyed his rib eye. I live in the DC area and quickly searched to see if we had one in my area (we have two). We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and I will return on my next visit to Jacksonville.
(4)Colby S.
Their food is great and there is a very good variety. The service is good and the environment is nice, but it gets loud as the night goes on. A bit pricey, but it is expected here. Only critique: no bread before the meal! Not a big thing, but most nicer restaurants have something to munch on, so that would be a nice change.
(5)Michael W.
Horrible service. Couldn't even get us refills on our drinks. Lots of servers standing around not doing anything but talking to each other and not serving customers. Food would have been better at Denny's. And the icing on the cake they doubled charged us. Which you'd have thought would be an easy and quick fix,.. But no not at Black Finn,.. after several calls including to the manager.. Dead silence. I had to dispute with my AMEX card and of course was credited. Do yourself a favor,.. If you feel the need to get crappy food, horrible service, and be over charged, then by all means go to Black Finn and they'll exceed your expectations. If you want good food, great service, almost any of the other restaurants in St. John's Town center will be a significantly better choice including Auntie Anne's Pretzels or the hot dog stand outside of Dick's Sporting Goods. Bon appetit!
(1)Janet B.
BlackFinn looks pretty manly, like a place you'd go for business lunch or pharmaceutical dinners. I like how spacious the bar area is. It's separate from the dining room (they also have outdoor seating). It'd make for a good after-work drink spot, though my drinks were soo watered down. It didn't bother me too much since I'm not a heavy drinker, but still. We ordered half of the stuff on the appetizer menu, and they came out looking sloppy. The crispy calamari and spinach and artichoke dip were the best, but even they were just ok. Service was barely existent. I wanted desperately to like this place since I'm in Jacksonville a lot and it's located conveniently in Town Center, meh.
(3)Travis W.
So unlike the BlackFinn in Charlotte, this one is a grille. I had the flatbread pizza and it was pretty good, not great. The toppings didn't make it to the ends of the bread and that makes me sad :(. Interior decor was nice with warm woods and a very manly aesthetic theme. Nice comfy booths to really let you wind down and relax. Service was spot on and couldn't have asked for better.
(4)Caron S.
BlackFinn is a nice addition to the St. Johns Town Center with its four distinct dining areas: there's a casual bar - The Saloon, a roomy outdoor patio, a more country-club like bar, and a dining room. I like the Saloon and patio. The Saloon, complete with a long wooden centralized bar area, can be noisy on weekends and it's often hard to nab a seat at the bar or one of the few booths or high-top tables. The patio is spacious and dons a sprawling bar. Beers such as Rogue's Dead Guy Ale are on tap and BlackFinn fresh squeezes all of the juices for mixed drinks. Overall the menu isn't overly exciting but I think BlackFinn does a good job with its triangle-shaped flatbreads. They are way better than nearby Urban Flats' flats. They're crispy and crunchy and topped with goodness. The shrimp and pesto (basil pesto, poached shrimp, caramelized onion, roma tomatoes, provolone, pine nuts) is especially tasty and I've had it on several occasions. It's filling without being heavy. The roasted vegetable flatbread (asparagus, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, balsamic portobello, feta) is also flavorful. BlackFinn's version of Bonefish Grill's Bang Bang Shrimp, similarly named Ying Yang Shrimp, are good...but certainly not Bonefish good. The star of the dessert show is the BlackFinn Hot Chocolate: fallen chocolate and peanut butter soufflé served warm, vanilla ice cream, homemade whipped cream. It's served in an oversized mug and is warm and gooey.
(3)Greg R.
Really like this place. Always clean and the bartenders are very good at what they do! The balboa sandwich is a little slice of heaven.
(4)Kathy T.
Ask for Richard what a nice young man. Really nice atmosphere. Don't forget to take the survey. That pan seared chicken was amazing.
(5)Brad M.
The service was good otherwise I would want to give this place negative stars. Not sure why it's so popular. The atmosphere is nice, but the main reason to eat somewhere is the food. The Food was beyond mediocre. Terrible awful food. I had a Ahi Tuna sandwich that was terrible and my wife had fish tacos that were so small and awful tasting it was pitiful. The prices were expensive and way too much for what you're getting. Save some money and go to Ruth's Chris. At least you know you will get quality there.
(1)Rick D.
Go Tarheels.....Thank you Black Finn for being the best not at anyone thing except giving us UNC People some place to go and you take care of us...Really miss a special server but Valentina is Awesome!
(3)Mary H.
Nice decor, and great service by Daniel! Interesting flavors in food prep. We had the meatloaf with collard greens and sweet potato mash and the shrimp and grits. Food could've been served at a warmer temp. Wine selection nice, but on the pricey side. The tuna poke appetizer was attractive, but a bit salty from the sauce. Great potential here, but needs some fine tuning.
(3)Ruben S.
After reading previous reviews we were not sure about what to expect but this place was awesome! Hand rolled cheese sticks and great steaks. The service was fast abs everyone was really friendly. We will definitely come again.
(4)Melissa L.
Came here for lunch twice so far, and both times were pretty good. What I like most is their lunch specials- very reasonably priced meal for $7.99! The service is OK, not bad, and attentive enough (although my water cup got empty a few times). The first time I got the crabcake sandwich. Very delicious and filling- not too many fillers, just enough crab! I went back and got their lunch special half flatbread and salad. Just the right amount of food for a light lunch. Not too big portioned so be warned if you are very very hungry. The flatbread was OK and the caesar salad was good. I wouldn't say this place is the best place I've been to, but with the bar/grill atmosphere and the reasonably priced lunch menu, I would say I would frequent this place often on the weekdays!
(4)Victor G.
This was a very good restaurant though very hard to find based upon our gps. But anyways the food was pretty good and the waitress was pretty nice. The food was pretty good though a little on the pricey side. I will go back again.
(4)Tyler M.
Meh. Was disappointed tonight. We wanted a drink or two and maybe an app. We called at 10 and were told by the man on the phone that the kitchen would close at 11 and the bar at 11:30. We went in at around 10:15 - no one at the hostess stand and a rowdy crowd in the back. We sat ourselves and waited a good 5 minutes before our waitress appeared and told is the kitchen was closed and asked what we wanted to drink. It took close to 10 minutes for a margarita, shot of Jameson, and two beers. There were four of us plus a group of five or six guys - only folks in the place. The waitress dropped off our drinks and said, "Do you want to order anything else?" We said no so she returned with our checks and told us it was last call...obviously we weren't wanted there anymore. We paid our tab and got ready to leave. There were some new customers hanging out at the bar talking to the staff drinking. I guess they wanted to hang out with their friends.
(1)J L.
I ordered game day nachos and BF completely blew the order. I am sure I was given another customers order. They took them back and returned with a plate of burned chips and all the toppings on the side. I am not sure how much chips cost them but they could have simply remade the order instead of scraping the toppings off and recycling the chips. Nachos come with a side of sour cream but they gave me ranch instead. This place is nothing more than a watering hole. The kitchen has no idea what is going on.
(2)Paula S.
Friend said place was good so we were in the area and decided to try it. Menu looked boring but we decided to give place a chance... Sorry we did. We both ordered a hamburger and fries and requested fries NOT have extra spice.. When it finally came the fries were with extra spice. Waiter said that's just the way they come.. I asked for mustard and waiter said don't you want mayo... I said no I want mustard. My boyfriend was almost finished his meal before I got mustard. Then he almost took my boyfriends plate from him before he finished. And after all that... The hamburger was tasteless. We won't be back.
(1)Staci C.
Food was awesome! Big portions and yummy, comfort food!
(4)Kate M.
After a very long day of meetings I had a business dinner at BlackFinn. The service was fantastic, our server did a great job. The food was good, I wish my entree was as good as the appetizers and desserts though. I tasted a little bit of the Ying Yang Shrimp and they were fantastic. The BlackFinn Crab Tower was also very good. I had very high hopes for the entrees at this point. I had the catch of the day, it was mahi mahi with a ginger something glaze. It wasn't great. Not bad, but I wouldn't order it again. I had a bite of the grits from the shrimp and grits and they were really good. For dessert I tried a few spoonfuls of someone else's Hot Chocolate. This isn't really just hot chocolate. It's a huge espresso cup filled with peanut butter and chocolate souffle topped with vanilla ice cream and freshly whipped cream. Delicious. Our server was friendly and fun and on top of things all evening long. We lingered long after paying the bill and even though she would stop by to get us more water we never felt rushed. After a while we moved to the bar area, which was equally as nice as the dining room. I was a little surprised how busy the bar was on a Tuesday night. Looks like it might be a happening place to hang out on a week night, when we left around 11 something the bar was fairly busy. I would definitely go back to BlackFinn. The service was great, the food was mostly good, the decor fits the theme of the restaurant, and I don't remember the last time I laughed so much in one night (that might have more to do with the company I ate with than BlackFinn).
(4)Brad G.
Blackfinn is my "Go To" choice for client lunches and they have never let me down. The food is consistently good, I've never had an issue with service and the multi room set up gives me a little bit more control over my meeting environment depending on the client. I don't get a lot of the negative reviews here. My favorite menu item is their steak salad. You can't go wrong with that.
(5)Diana M.
I like the outdoor area here, provided you can find a spot away from the smokers. I haven't tried the food yet we have only stopped in for drinks. I think they have a good selection and the atmosphere is cool so we'll definitely be back!
(3)Pastor-Ken W.
My wife & I went to have have lunch since we were in the area. We've been before to celebrate my birthday last year too. On this visit I had a Caesar salad which was very good, a good mixture of greens & dressing. Our entree was the skillet mac-n-cheese made with several cheeses & bacon in a cast iron skillet topped with blackened chicken, it was great!
(4)Larry A.
The food was great, the services were priceless and Black Finn gained a regular customer
(5)Hugo B.
This place caught my eye from the outside. It had a dark, trendy look to it and it was something different to try on a business trip to Jacksonville, other than the typical chains. The inside has dimly lit booths and some tables, but it's not as classy as the outside makes you think it'll be. It actually feels a little bit like a Longhorn's. I ordered the sea bass, which was served with two coconut rice patties and snow peas. The fish was a small portion (felt like I was jibbed for $25) and the plate was taken up by the rice patties (which were tasty) and the snow peas. The server was attentive and efficient. Bottom line, it was an okay place but I have nothing to rave about. Too many other choices in Town Center to come back.
(3)Monika C.
Overall? Um, it was...Overpriced, for "meh" food, not very good service on a SLOW night. We had a reservation and were seated right away, round table for six, very nice. That's the end of the very nice. The girl couldn't even bring our WATER correctly (much less refill it thru the evening). My overpriced blackened chicken sandwich was SUPER dry and came with fries (when I asked for a substitute). I will say the fries are to DIE for (but I am trying to AVOID them... hello!!) We also ordered the fries and chips/cheese dip for appetizers (chips were too salty)... and our food came out wayyy to quick after that so timing was off. Even my daughter's simple side order of mac n cheese had all kinds of weird stuff mixed into it (she did NOT like). Trying to impress out of town family did not do well at this venue. Was sort of disapppointed with the darkness/hallway effects on the inside as well. Don't think we will be giving it a 2nd chance any time soon.
(2)Denny S.
DESSERTS STINK!!! The only part of our dinner that was bad. My wife and I went with another couple and it was great. Everyone of us loved their dish. The food was great, the wine was great, and good service. Fix your desserts!
(3)Tim M.
Great for happy hour
(5)David F.
We went for NYE dinner with friends. My wife ordered the seared tuna. She took a bite and said it seemed wierd and asked me to take a bite. For the first time in my life i spit it out of my mouth onto the table. The fish was old and had the most horrible taste. The waitress had the manager come over. He told us that he had tasted the fish and it was good and he was sorry that we didn't like it. I couldn't believe my ears. My wife then had to sit and wait for something else to eat while we had to eat our dinners without her. Worst dining experience ever. The manager didn't comp the meal, offer a free dessert, a drink....anything. Not that I was looking for a free meal. Needless to say, we will never come back to this restaurant. The manager needs a course in "the customer is always right".
(1)Thais A.
I'm not a big fan of the food. But the service is incredible. The waiters are super attentive. I had the fish tacos when I dined here, and it was alright. They were good, just nothing memorable. They have an ok happy our too. I say "ok" because the bartenders seem to forget the liquor when you order a drink during HP.
(3)Kristen M.
Was so disappointed after a foodie friend raved about this place.Let down by the tuna salad. Just kind of blah. And the waiter wanted to argue with me about how I ordered by Manhattan and brought it back to me sort of "recycled." Not worth it.
(2)Chris F.
Don't waste your time or money here! We live locally and were very disappointed with the service we received They charged us for too many drinks and didn't do anything about it, and ran my card before I even saw the bill. When we complained, our bartender got very ugly with us. She made fun of my wife loud enough for us to hear, with some giggling - and it was just horribly rude. To top it off it was for a special occasion and the whole experience was awful. We will never return to this restaurant and hope that others will benefit from this review.
(1)David B.
4 Stars. Ordered the Balboa sandwich - shaved prime rib, mozzarella, toasted garlic bread, au jus. The meat is tender and the au jus sauce is excellent (melt in your mouth good). The fries are crispy with lots of flavor too. No need to order any thing else. The bar area (saloon) is cool too with drink special and they usually play good music.
(4)Andy L.
I've eaten at Black Finn a couple times, and I finally figure I should write a review. My overall impression is one of mediocrity. Nothing is horrible, but nothing blows you away. And If you get an entree, the prices suggest that you're going to get pretty good food. Last night I went for a going away party for a co-worker. It was just drinks and apps, and we sat outside. Sitting outside was nice and the staff was very accommodating and friendly. The appetizers were not that tasty. We had a hummus dish and the bread almost tasted stale. The ahi was good and the shrimp was ok, but it didn't taste very fresh. The brie was all right, but the bread that came with it was inedible. The beers tasted good, but there was one bad beer. I ordered one from the bar in the restaurant area, and I swear that it tasted funny. I had a friend try it and he agreed. I'm not a brewing expert, but I think the moldy taste came from either something in the keg lines or the keg has gone stale. Would I go back? For drinks - yes. For food - maybe not.
(3)L P.
Food was good and prices were very reasonable for what was offered. Great atmosphere. Only criticism is the restaurant is called blackfinn but the seafood options mainly fish related are limited the parmesan swordfish was great but I hated seeing halibut multiple times on the menu when you know that fish didn't come from anywhere around florida and they could be using grouper or snapper something better and fresher.
(4)Bingle W.
When you're paying $30 for a steak, you expect a certain level of awesomeness that BlackFinn just didn't deliver. The first indication that this dinner was going to suck was the uppity attitude of the hostesses. Girls, wearing fashionable black dresses and platform heels does not negate the fact that you work in a restaurant at a mall. We ate in the "Country Club room" which was decorated with various golf paraphernalia. The restaurant also has patio seating and a room called "The Saloon" which glimpses indicated was a bar with people packed in it like sardines. The GF and I both ordered rib-eyes - mine plan and hers "dry rubbed with herbs" (according to the menu description.) What emerged was a steak that was "drowning in chimmichuri sauce" (according to my description.). The GF was not impressed, but did enjoy the mashed potatoes and glazed carrots except that, the following morning, she woke up barfing and with a migraine. The only alcohol consumed was a glass of Yuengling. My steak was plain, perfectly medium on the inside, but char-grilled to hell and back on the outside. It was served with grilled asparagus and sweet potato mash. Dessert was also grilled - this time in the form of strawberry shortcake with grilled pound cake. SRSLY? Who grills pound cake? Okay, so I"m a smoker and the amount of carcinogens I consumed during this dinner rivaled my half-pack a day habit. And my final complaint may have little to do with BlackFinn itself. Parking was shitty, all the women were kinda skanky and dressed alike, and there was what appeared to be some sort of Guido convention going on. I blame these more on the the restaurant's proximity to Whiskey River. Take your $30 and spend it at J. Alexander's.
(2)Lindsay L.
I went back to BlackFinn. There manager was kind enough to contact me after my last review and encouraged me to come back. I wanted to put some time in between my experience last time and now, so that I would go with a fresh perspective. I walked in with a clean slate. Service was solid. Our server was great. Attentive without being pushy. Our food came out promptly and our water glasses were never empty. The food, unfortunately, still lacked. My friend's shrimp and grits was more of a grit cake, that she reported to be dry. My other friend had the chicken ranch salad. It was buried in tortilla strips and lacking underneath. I tried the veggie flat bread. Dry. Also - the large chunks of garlic overwhelmed the entire dish. All the dishes were served with flare. It seems they concentrate more on presentation than taste. Another weird thing is that my friend tried to pay with coins (not the entire thing, just the change) so that the server would get a bigger tip. But we were told that they don't take coins? Really? Weird. Money is money. Um, maybe they don't know we are in a recession? Do they do this in other places and I just don't know?? I think Black Finn will do fine. It's a good location and (I say this being a person who lives and loves this town) the people here will respond to the atmosphere and menu. I didn't expect to be wowed with the food. I was happy that the service was better. But the meal was disappointing for everyone at the table. Sorry Black Finn. I tried :(
(2)Kathy C.
We have tried Blackfinn for lunch a couple of times and enjoyed it. Both times were late lunch service so the place was pretty quiet (maybe that's why we enjoyed it). The atmosphere is pretty nice and relaxed and the food was good. I especially loved their ahi tuna sandwich. It was a nice think shashimi grade seared tuna. Nice clean fresh taste. Their crab tower is also really nice. Service both times were friendly and prompt. One of our favorite restaurants to visit when we are in the area.
(4)Wade T.
I went to BlackFinn for a company outing and had the Honk Kong Style Chilean Sea Bass. The fish was perfectly cooked and coated with a sweet and savory asian style glaze. Was served with some sauteed snow peas that were perfectly crisp. Hightly recommend this dish.
(4)Laurie D.
I had dinner here again, but this time on the porch. The porch always looks so inviting when I'm driving by that I had to give it a try. Unfortunately for me this was also the same night as Whiskey River's bike night one-year anniversary party, so I got to hear lots of very loud motorcycles rev their engines while they rode past. Very relaxing! I have to say the porch looks nicer from the road than from inside. The furniture is like New England deck furniture. I ordered the catch of the day which was grilled shrimp with asparagus and risotto. It was delicious! It was one of the best dishes I've ever had a local Jacksonville restaurant. I'm not sure if it was a fluke, but next time I go I will definitely try the catch of the day.
(3)Zaida J.
We ate there this weekend after my niece's graduation. We were a big group and the wait was actually shorter than I expected and there were no mistakes that I was aware of which is always nice, especially when having to deal with large groups and multiple checks. The Ying Yang Shrimp were delicious! I really wanted to order the Mediterranean Platter but was sharing the app with my daughter and it just wasn't going to fly. My recently graduate/niece did order it and then followed up with an order of the Ying Yang shrimp after seeing mine! Since it was a late lunch, we were advised we could also order from the dinner menu. Those around us pretty much stuck to the lunch menu although there was a special of flounder over scampi pasta that my mom and sister-in-law ordered and enjoyed. I chose the Ranch Chicken Salad, which was described as chicken tenders, mixed greens, roasted corn and black bean pico de gallo, crispy tortilla strips, cheddar jack, roasted red peppers, campfire ranch. It was okay. The tortilla strips were out of control and if I had thought about it and realized the chicken tenders were fried, I probably would have gone with something else. Either way, not bad but not fantastic. They really need a lighter hand with those tortilla strips though! My daughter ordered the fish and chips. It was super tasty but nothing super spectacular. Good fish and chips. One of my other nieces ordered the chicken and broccoli tortellini. She said she enjoyed it. I had a bite and wasn't too impressed. Overall, the service was excellent. A very patient and attentive waitstaff. For me, it's all about the food and it was just okay. If we ever go back again, it won't be from my suggestion. **price range for lunch, dinner def $$$
(3)Blak B.
Went here for lunch on a visit to see my cousin and the food was good. Im not throwing on a cheerleader uniform because its nothing out of the ordinary. But the atmosphere is nice with patio seating, bar seating and an additional room. It would be great for big business lunches and parties. I heard that its gets pretty crazy on wknd nights so be prepared for a bit of wild life. lol. I enjoyed my hummus that was spicy just the way I like it caliente ;-) and finished off with some salmon that was tasty. Next time I will try to come by for dinner to see the raves! the prices are reasonable and coming from miami thats refreshing lol
(4)Matthew H.
Any restaurant that is embracing the foux vocabulary - Finn? already starts screaming chain restaurant blah. The porch is fantastic, it is the main reason I come for lunch. The food is acceptable, but not great.
(2)Itcher S.
Well i ordered the fish and chips. It dhould have been fish and fries on the menu.lol. The calamari did not taste that good, the shrimp appetizer was better. Overall , place seems clean, menu was simple, food was median, service was median, cost was high.
(3)Anony M.
Sloppy staff & low quality food. Today was our first experience at Blackfinn: The waitress did not know about the menu, was not friendly, & forgot part of my order. She skipped us to greet another table although we were seated & waiting for a while. She did not greet us well - just a "what would you like to drink?" The hostess ate food at the stand in plain view of us at our booth. All employees looked really thrown together - sloppy hair, dirty shirts, and the manager wore a low cut black tee-shirt. There was no reason for the staff to look so sloppy at 2pm - there were only 3 couples in the restaurant. The 3 couples in the restaurant were sat right next to each other - so no privacy at all. My rice tasted like instant (microwaved?) rice. Spinach dip came with flatbreat triangles that tasted very stale. My lunch meal came with au jus -which the waitress forgot until I asked about it.
(1)Miriam D.
I come here to meet family whenever I am in town. I have never actually sat in the restaurant section. I've been here about 5 times and always sit in the bar area. They have a decent selection of beers and the food is very tasty. I've had the cheese burger, pizzas, apps, salads and have yet to have a bad experience. The service at the bar is good, usually your server will be a young girl in shorts, that being said they're very attentive.
(4)Dave L.
Visited here a few weeks back. The atmosphere was above average but did get a bit noisy. Had the shrimp and grits. Awesome as were the appetizers. Service was good, but nothing to write home about. All in all a winner.
(4)Samantha A.
Best Happy Hour after a long day of work and the buffalo flat bread is always a must!
(5)George C.
Service rocks! Happy hour is LOUD! Great covered outside dinning area. Wife loved her margarita. Fish Tacos and Chopped Seafood Salad all good but pricy.
(3)Rob O.
i took my wife here for a date afternoon for happy hour/dinner on a tuesday night. the atmosphere and decor in the restaurant is stupendous. very gorgeous eating areas. as far as the food goes, we ordered the humus appetizer which was very scarce to say the least for $8. pretty steep. i had the ahi tuna salad, and my wife had the yin yang shrimp appetizer as her entrée. the ahi salad was very small for a full salad, and the yin yang shrimp flavor was so so... when compared to J Alexander across the street, for the price, i would much rather have dinner at J Alexander. the service was very good though, which is why i at least gave the restaurant a 2 star instead of just 1. 1 star for the atmosphere, and 1 star for service. food and pricing is not conducive to the surrounding restaurant competition.
(2)Chris M.
To be fair we just sat in the saloon and had a few drinks but our experience was still a big disappontment. Went tonight to celebrate a friend's birthday, we got there first and ordered a round of drinks, it was early so the bar was pretty dead still. The server was delivering our drinks as our friend showed up, she asked what he wanted and he says a martini. She goes "What kind? We have tons, there's the menu" and runs off. I'm not kidding! Like unless someone orders a choco-tini she's never heard of it? Correct response would have been "what kind of vodka?" I'd even have accepted "vodka or gin?" All of our drinks were god awful. I have never had a whiskey and ginger that was so clear, and it tasted like melted ice cubes and tap water. The martini didn't taste like anything other than olive juice and vermouth, and the margarita seemed like it was all triple sec. We ordered another round thinking it was a fluke and number two was even worse. We didn't even finish them and went elsewhere. Net damage? $40. No thanks. I expect that for a place like this they should have bartenders that know how to make basic drinks, and servers that know how to take a drink order and can communicate politely and exhibit some customer service skills. The design of the bar is very nice and it's close to my place so I'll probably be tempted to give it another chance, but I doubt what we experienced tonight was the result of an off night.
(1)Liz K.
Ugh vomit. This place was a stop on a night of bar-hopping with a childhood friend. It was just. Wrong. The people here made me want to go home and get married. Immediately. I saw a pathetic possible future of happy hours with my coworkers and bad fashion. Seriously - no. Bartender was nice.
(2)Matthew L.
Nachos were a poor choice. Drink prices are on par with other places. Atmosphere wasn't overwhelming.
(1)Andre C.
Mediocre with a few highlights. What they do with sprouts is awesome and new for me, Hmm, I guess that was it. Crabcake (jumbo? joke, right?) was average, small portion for $20, pan fried pork over cooked, salads OK, decent service though. Overall, I guess we would go back if not feeling adventurous that night.
(3)Courtney A.
First time at BlackFinn. Not a huge fan. Had fish and chips and found two bones in the fish. Had a great waiter and the atmosphere was nice but I expected the food to be better. The rest of my party had prime rib and said it was good.
(2)Mr T T.
My first time here and I got here early for happy hour. Arrive 530 and the hostess ask if for how many? I said 4 to 5 ppl. She said i have to be sure if 4 or 5 . She said they have plenty of table for 4 but few table for 5. I also have to wait till everybody get there to make sure how many ppl before she can seat me. I suggest that how about table for 5 then if only 4 shows up then she can move us to table for 4. After all that fuss she let me wait like 15 minutes then she gave me table for 5 . We ended 6 in our party but by 8 pm there is still plenty of room in theT patio. Could handle like 30 or more guest . Nor sure wtf was the problem . There were only like 4 p pl in the patio when i gotthere and the hostess is having a difficulty with seating . Food is just okay they have a copy cut version of bang bang shrimp Delma bonefish and taste horrible. It need spice so bland. Calamari so bland.H
(1)tj F.
I was really surprised by the low reviews on this very nice restaurant- The atmosphere is great- the food is delicious and the service was great everytime that I have been. My first experience w the restaurant was on my birthday- my husband took me over for dessert. The server was wonderful and we had an opportunity to enjoy the dj out on the patio- it wasnt too loud and there was a good mix of music. I then returned on my anniversary and the menu was so tempting- we tried 4 different entrees' and loved them all. Yes the shrimp and grits comes with a grit cake- but the lastthing it is is dry- -it is smothered in a delicious gravy and even on its on is moist and palatable. No it is not like the bowl of grits you get from waffle house or your granny's - so remove that from your expectations- It is a sophisticated rendition of a southern treasure ( for those who like grits) and even if you dont like grits- give it a try. And yes I have been back numerous times and the experience has always been the same. I have eaten at every restaurant at the Town center due to frequent business meetings - and I consider this one to be the best. Definitely better than Capital Grille and Season's 52 which are over rated and over priced. So please dont be swayed by the avg review that has been established- I would encourage you to give this restaurant a try
(5)Nicole A.
I lived in Jacksonville & Blackfinn was always one of my favorite spots to go out to eat at... Specifically, I really LOVED their Parmesan Crusted Swordfish!... After moving to south FL, I decided to come by & visit my old stomping grounds & visit Blackfinn to eat my favorite plate... Long story short, after ordering drinks & my appetizer the waiter informed me that it was a Corporate decision to remove their Parmesan Crusted Swordfish plate from the menu. After I told him that that was my primary reason for coming to Blackfinn, he told me that I was the 6th customer who had brought to his attention their dissatisfaction with the decision to remove that specific menu entry. I decided to put my dis-satisfaction aside & eat the reccomended Shrimp & Grits plate. Let me tell you I was not satisfied I will no longer be visiting nor reccommending Blackfinn again. Great job Blackfinn Corporate!... You just lost a great customer!
(1)Ariel M.
So I went to Black Finn on a thundery Sunday and there were more waiters than people. Which is fine to me that equals promo service. We look over the menus order our beverages which came out in no time flat. Our waitress was very friendly a little short but friendly. We order iron skillet macaroni with blackened chicken. The grilled haddock with sweet potatoes and broccoli. Chicken quesadilla. And the southern nachos with chicken instead of pork. The food comes out after about 20 to 25 mins give or take. It looks beautiful and fresh. Everything was going well until the bite into the blackened chicken can you say SALTY someone went a little heavy on the blackening season.....we send it back and order crab cake entree instead. Not too bad. Slight seafood smell threw me off but hey at least you knew it was real crab am I right?? My nachos were icy which I blame on them waiting to bring the food out all together buy nonetheless the nachos were very good. Quesadillas were fresh. Fish grilled very nicely. I would return again I'd just steer away from the blackened chicken and if you order nachos tell them to bring it straight out
(4)Michael Hosto H.
Went to Black Finn tonight as a guest. Normally I would have mentioned my dissatistaction with the quality of the food being as bad as it was but as a guest I thought it was not polite to mention it. I thing this place is just another example of big brand crappy food. I was really disappointed. I was surprised that my swordfish came out deep fried. WTF. Wait staff nor menu mention that it was KFC style swordfish. My daughter sent her Pad Thai dinner back as uneditable (and she is 8 y.o.) She loves good pad thai. I tried it first and had to agree it was crap. menu description - see nothing about deep fried sword fish??? Menu reads: PARMESAN CRUSTED SWORDFISH herb and parmesan-breaded swordfish steak served with a side of angel hair pasta Should read: Frozen swordfish deep fried in oil tons of great fresh seafood places in this town - Good atmosphere - Marginal Food FOOD: FAIL BIT THE SERVICE WAS GOOD (THEY TRIED HARD TO MAKE IT RIGHT SO THEY GOT A GREAT TIP) THANKS FOR TRYING LISA AND MICHAEL HOSTO
(2)Tyler P.
The atmosphere was very nice. If I didn't have a baby with me I would be boozing with the young bucks. The food took forever to come and the food was average at best. My fish tacos were weak. The fish was a small nugget. The worst part was the server kept apologizing for everything that wasn't wrong.
(3)Nikki R.
While visiting my cousin in the area, he suggested we try Blackfinn for lunch. Neither of us had been before so we gave it a shot. It was about 2pm when we arrived and were seated as soon as we got in. The waiter was helpful in helping decide between a few dishes. I finally settled on the shrimp and grits. This was the BEST shrimp and grits I've ever had. The shrimp were cooked to perfection. My cousin reallly enjoyed his rib eye. I live in the DC area and quickly searched to see if we had one in my area (we have two). We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and I will return on my next visit to Jacksonville.
(4)Colby S.
Their food is great and there is a very good variety. The service is good and the environment is nice, but it gets loud as the night goes on. A bit pricey, but it is expected here. Only critique: no bread before the meal! Not a big thing, but most nicer restaurants have something to munch on, so that would be a nice change.
(5)Michael W.
Horrible service. Couldn't even get us refills on our drinks. Lots of servers standing around not doing anything but talking to each other and not serving customers. Food would have been better at Denny's. And the icing on the cake they doubled charged us. Which you'd have thought would be an easy and quick fix,.. But no not at Black Finn,.. after several calls including to the manager.. Dead silence. I had to dispute with my AMEX card and of course was credited. Do yourself a favor,.. If you feel the need to get crappy food, horrible service, and be over charged, then by all means go to Black Finn and they'll exceed your expectations. If you want good food, great service, almost any of the other restaurants in St. John's Town center will be a significantly better choice including Auntie Anne's Pretzels or the hot dog stand outside of Dick's Sporting Goods. Bon appetit!
(1)Janet B.
BlackFinn looks pretty manly, like a place you'd go for business lunch or pharmaceutical dinners. I like how spacious the bar area is. It's separate from the dining room (they also have outdoor seating). It'd make for a good after-work drink spot, though my drinks were soo watered down. It didn't bother me too much since I'm not a heavy drinker, but still. We ordered half of the stuff on the appetizer menu, and they came out looking sloppy. The crispy calamari and spinach and artichoke dip were the best, but even they were just ok. Service was barely existent. I wanted desperately to like this place since I'm in Jacksonville a lot and it's located conveniently in Town Center, meh.
(3)Travis W.
So unlike the BlackFinn in Charlotte, this one is a grille. I had the flatbread pizza and it was pretty good, not great. The toppings didn't make it to the ends of the bread and that makes me sad :(. Interior decor was nice with warm woods and a very manly aesthetic theme. Nice comfy booths to really let you wind down and relax. Service was spot on and couldn't have asked for better.
(4)Caron S.
BlackFinn is a nice addition to the St. Johns Town Center with its four distinct dining areas: there's a casual bar - The Saloon, a roomy outdoor patio, a more country-club like bar, and a dining room. I like the Saloon and patio. The Saloon, complete with a long wooden centralized bar area, can be noisy on weekends and it's often hard to nab a seat at the bar or one of the few booths or high-top tables. The patio is spacious and dons a sprawling bar. Beers such as Rogue's Dead Guy Ale are on tap and BlackFinn fresh squeezes all of the juices for mixed drinks. Overall the menu isn't overly exciting but I think BlackFinn does a good job with its triangle-shaped flatbreads. They are way better than nearby Urban Flats' flats. They're crispy and crunchy and topped with goodness. The shrimp and pesto (basil pesto, poached shrimp, caramelized onion, roma tomatoes, provolone, pine nuts) is especially tasty and I've had it on several occasions. It's filling without being heavy. The roasted vegetable flatbread (asparagus, roasted tomatoes, roasted garlic, balsamic portobello, feta) is also flavorful. BlackFinn's version of Bonefish Grill's Bang Bang Shrimp, similarly named Ying Yang Shrimp, are good...but certainly not Bonefish good. The star of the dessert show is the BlackFinn Hot Chocolate: fallen chocolate and peanut butter soufflé served warm, vanilla ice cream, homemade whipped cream. It's served in an oversized mug and is warm and gooey.
(3)Greg R.
Really like this place. Always clean and the bartenders are very good at what they do! The balboa sandwich is a little slice of heaven.
(4)Kathy T.
Ask for Richard what a nice young man. Really nice atmosphere. Don't forget to take the survey. That pan seared chicken was amazing.
(5)Brad M.
The service was good otherwise I would want to give this place negative stars. Not sure why it's so popular. The atmosphere is nice, but the main reason to eat somewhere is the food. The Food was beyond mediocre. Terrible awful food. I had a Ahi Tuna sandwich that was terrible and my wife had fish tacos that were so small and awful tasting it was pitiful. The prices were expensive and way too much for what you're getting. Save some money and go to Ruth's Chris. At least you know you will get quality there.
(1)Rick D.
Go Tarheels.....Thank you Black Finn for being the best not at anyone thing except giving us UNC People some place to go and you take care of us...Really miss a special server but Valentina is Awesome!
(3)Melissa L.
Came here for lunch twice so far, and both times were pretty good. What I like most is their lunch specials- very reasonably priced meal for $7.99! The service is OK, not bad, and attentive enough (although my water cup got empty a few times). The first time I got the crabcake sandwich. Very delicious and filling- not too many fillers, just enough crab! I went back and got their lunch special half flatbread and salad. Just the right amount of food for a light lunch. Not too big portioned so be warned if you are very very hungry. The flatbread was OK and the caesar salad was good. I wouldn't say this place is the best place I've been to, but with the bar/grill atmosphere and the reasonably priced lunch menu, I would say I would frequent this place often on the weekdays!
(4)Victor G.
This was a very good restaurant though very hard to find based upon our gps. But anyways the food was pretty good and the waitress was pretty nice. The food was pretty good though a little on the pricey side. I will go back again.
(4)Tyler M.
Meh. Was disappointed tonight. We wanted a drink or two and maybe an app. We called at 10 and were told by the man on the phone that the kitchen would close at 11 and the bar at 11:30. We went in at around 10:15 - no one at the hostess stand and a rowdy crowd in the back. We sat ourselves and waited a good 5 minutes before our waitress appeared and told is the kitchen was closed and asked what we wanted to drink. It took close to 10 minutes for a margarita, shot of Jameson, and two beers. There were four of us plus a group of five or six guys - only folks in the place. The waitress dropped off our drinks and said, "Do you want to order anything else?" We said no so she returned with our checks and told us it was last call...obviously we weren't wanted there anymore. We paid our tab and got ready to leave. There were some new customers hanging out at the bar talking to the staff drinking. I guess they wanted to hang out with their friends.
(1)Katelyn B.
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(5)J L.
I ordered game day nachos and BF completely blew the order. I am sure I was given another customers order. They took them back and returned with a plate of burned chips and all the toppings on the side. I am not sure how much chips cost them but they could have simply remade the order instead of scraping the toppings off and recycling the chips. Nachos come with a side of sour cream but they gave me ranch instead. This place is nothing more than a watering hole. The kitchen has no idea what is going on.
(2)Itcher S.
Well i ordered the fish and chips. It dhould have been fish and fries on the menu.lol. The calamari did not taste that good, the shrimp appetizer was better. Overall , place seems clean, menu was simple, food was median, service was median, cost was high.
(3)Kate M.
After a very long day of meetings I had a business dinner at BlackFinn. The service was fantastic, our server did a great job. The food was good, I wish my entree was as good as the appetizers and desserts though. I tasted a little bit of the Ying Yang Shrimp and they were fantastic. The BlackFinn Crab Tower was also very good. I had very high hopes for the entrees at this point. I had the catch of the day, it was mahi mahi with a ginger something glaze. It wasn't great. Not bad, but I wouldn't order it again. I had a bite of the grits from the shrimp and grits and they were really good. For dessert I tried a few spoonfuls of someone else's Hot Chocolate. This isn't really just hot chocolate. It's a huge espresso cup filled with peanut butter and chocolate souffle topped with vanilla ice cream and freshly whipped cream. Delicious. Our server was friendly and fun and on top of things all evening long. We lingered long after paying the bill and even though she would stop by to get us more water we never felt rushed. After a while we moved to the bar area, which was equally as nice as the dining room. I was a little surprised how busy the bar was on a Tuesday night. Looks like it might be a happening place to hang out on a week night, when we left around 11 something the bar was fairly busy. I would definitely go back to BlackFinn. The service was great, the food was mostly good, the decor fits the theme of the restaurant, and I don't remember the last time I laughed so much in one night (that might have more to do with the company I ate with than BlackFinn).
(4)Brad G.
Blackfinn is my "Go To" choice for client lunches and they have never let me down. The food is consistently good, I've never had an issue with service and the multi room set up gives me a little bit more control over my meeting environment depending on the client. I don't get a lot of the negative reviews here. My favorite menu item is their steak salad. You can't go wrong with that.
(5)Diana M.
I like the outdoor area here, provided you can find a spot away from the smokers. I haven't tried the food yet we have only stopped in for drinks. I think they have a good selection and the atmosphere is cool so we'll definitely be back!
(3)Pastor-Ken W.
My wife & I went to have have lunch since we were in the area. We've been before to celebrate my birthday last year too. On this visit I had a Caesar salad which was very good, a good mixture of greens & dressing. Our entree was the skillet mac-n-cheese made with several cheeses & bacon in a cast iron skillet topped with blackened chicken, it was great!
(4)Larry A.
The food was great, the services were priceless and Black Finn gained a regular customer
(5)Hugo B.
This place caught my eye from the outside. It had a dark, trendy look to it and it was something different to try on a business trip to Jacksonville, other than the typical chains. The inside has dimly lit booths and some tables, but it's not as classy as the outside makes you think it'll be. It actually feels a little bit like a Longhorn's. I ordered the sea bass, which was served with two coconut rice patties and snow peas. The fish was a small portion (felt like I was jibbed for $25) and the plate was taken up by the rice patties (which were tasty) and the snow peas. The server was attentive and efficient. Bottom line, it was an okay place but I have nothing to rave about. Too many other choices in Town Center to come back.
(3)Monika C.
Overall? Um, it was...Overpriced, for "meh" food, not very good service on a SLOW night. We had a reservation and were seated right away, round table for six, very nice. That's the end of the very nice. The girl couldn't even bring our WATER correctly (much less refill it thru the evening). My overpriced blackened chicken sandwich was SUPER dry and came with fries (when I asked for a substitute). I will say the fries are to DIE for (but I am trying to AVOID them... hello!!) We also ordered the fries and chips/cheese dip for appetizers (chips were too salty)... and our food came out wayyy to quick after that so timing was off. Even my daughter's simple side order of mac n cheese had all kinds of weird stuff mixed into it (she did NOT like). Trying to impress out of town family did not do well at this venue. Was sort of disapppointed with the darkness/hallway effects on the inside as well. Don't think we will be giving it a 2nd chance any time soon.
(2)Denny S.
DESSERTS STINK!!! The only part of our dinner that was bad. My wife and I went with another couple and it was great. Everyone of us loved their dish. The food was great, the wine was great, and good service. Fix your desserts!
(3)Tim M.
Great for happy hour
(5)Paula S.
Friend said place was good so we were in the area and decided to try it. Menu looked boring but we decided to give place a chance... Sorry we did. We both ordered a hamburger and fries and requested fries NOT have extra spice.. When it finally came the fries were with extra spice. Waiter said that's just the way they come.. I asked for mustard and waiter said don't you want mayo... I said no I want mustard. My boyfriend was almost finished his meal before I got mustard. Then he almost took my boyfriends plate from him before he finished. And after all that... The hamburger was tasteless. We won't be back.
(1)David F.
We went for NYE dinner with friends. My wife ordered the seared tuna. She took a bite and said it seemed wierd and asked me to take a bite. For the first time in my life i spit it out of my mouth onto the table. The fish was old and had the most horrible taste. The waitress had the manager come over. He told us that he had tasted the fish and it was good and he was sorry that we didn't like it. I couldn't believe my ears. My wife then had to sit and wait for something else to eat while we had to eat our dinners without her. Worst dining experience ever. The manager didn't comp the meal, offer a free dessert, a drink....anything. Not that I was looking for a free meal. Needless to say, we will never come back to this restaurant. The manager needs a course in "the customer is always right".
(1)Mary H.
Nice decor, and great service by Daniel! Interesting flavors in food prep. We had the meatloaf with collard greens and sweet potato mash and the shrimp and grits. Food could've been served at a warmer temp. Wine selection nice, but on the pricey side. The tuna poke appetizer was attractive, but a bit salty from the sauce. Great potential here, but needs some fine tuning.
(3)Ruben S.
After reading previous reviews we were not sure about what to expect but this place was awesome! Hand rolled cheese sticks and great steaks. The service was fast abs everyone was really friendly. We will definitely come again.
(4)Thais A.
I'm not a big fan of the food. But the service is incredible. The waiters are super attentive. I had the fish tacos when I dined here, and it was alright. They were good, just nothing memorable. They have an ok happy our too. I say "ok" because the bartenders seem to forget the liquor when you order a drink during HP.
(3)Kristen M.
Was so disappointed after a foodie friend raved about this place.Let down by the tuna salad. Just kind of blah. And the waiter wanted to argue with me about how I ordered by Manhattan and brought it back to me sort of "recycled." Not worth it.
(2)Chris F.
Don't waste your time or money here! We live locally and were very disappointed with the service we received They charged us for too many drinks and didn't do anything about it, and ran my card before I even saw the bill. When we complained, our bartender got very ugly with us. She made fun of my wife loud enough for us to hear, with some giggling - and it was just horribly rude. To top it off it was for a special occasion and the whole experience was awful. We will never return to this restaurant and hope that others will benefit from this review.
(1)David B.
4 Stars. Ordered the Balboa sandwich - shaved prime rib, mozzarella, toasted garlic bread, au jus. The meat is tender and the au jus sauce is excellent (melt in your mouth good). The fries are crispy with lots of flavor too. No need to order any thing else. The bar area (saloon) is cool too with drink special and they usually play good music.
(4)Andy L.
I've eaten at Black Finn a couple times, and I finally figure I should write a review. My overall impression is one of mediocrity. Nothing is horrible, but nothing blows you away. And If you get an entree, the prices suggest that you're going to get pretty good food. Last night I went for a going away party for a co-worker. It was just drinks and apps, and we sat outside. Sitting outside was nice and the staff was very accommodating and friendly. The appetizers were not that tasty. We had a hummus dish and the bread almost tasted stale. The ahi was good and the shrimp was ok, but it didn't taste very fresh. The brie was all right, but the bread that came with it was inedible. The beers tasted good, but there was one bad beer. I ordered one from the bar in the restaurant area, and I swear that it tasted funny. I had a friend try it and he agreed. I'm not a brewing expert, but I think the moldy taste came from either something in the keg lines or the keg has gone stale. Would I go back? For drinks - yes. For food - maybe not.
(3)Bingle W.
When you're paying $30 for a steak, you expect a certain level of awesomeness that BlackFinn just didn't deliver. The first indication that this dinner was going to suck was the uppity attitude of the hostesses. Girls, wearing fashionable black dresses and platform heels does not negate the fact that you work in a restaurant at a mall. We ate in the "Country Club room" which was decorated with various golf paraphernalia. The restaurant also has patio seating and a room called "The Saloon" which glimpses indicated was a bar with people packed in it like sardines. The GF and I both ordered rib-eyes - mine plan and hers "dry rubbed with herbs" (according to the menu description.) What emerged was a steak that was "drowning in chimmichuri sauce" (according to my description.). The GF was not impressed, but did enjoy the mashed potatoes and glazed carrots except that, the following morning, she woke up barfing and with a migraine. The only alcohol consumed was a glass of Yuengling. My steak was plain, perfectly medium on the inside, but char-grilled to hell and back on the outside. It was served with grilled asparagus and sweet potato mash. Dessert was also grilled - this time in the form of strawberry shortcake with grilled pound cake. SRSLY? Who grills pound cake? Okay, so I"m a smoker and the amount of carcinogens I consumed during this dinner rivaled my half-pack a day habit. And my final complaint may have little to do with BlackFinn itself. Parking was shitty, all the women were kinda skanky and dressed alike, and there was what appeared to be some sort of Guido convention going on. I blame these more on the the restaurant's proximity to Whiskey River. Take your $30 and spend it at J. Alexander's.
(2)Lindsay L.
I went back to BlackFinn. There manager was kind enough to contact me after my last review and encouraged me to come back. I wanted to put some time in between my experience last time and now, so that I would go with a fresh perspective. I walked in with a clean slate. Service was solid. Our server was great. Attentive without being pushy. Our food came out promptly and our water glasses were never empty. The food, unfortunately, still lacked. My friend's shrimp and grits was more of a grit cake, that she reported to be dry. My other friend had the chicken ranch salad. It was buried in tortilla strips and lacking underneath. I tried the veggie flat bread. Dry. Also - the large chunks of garlic overwhelmed the entire dish. All the dishes were served with flare. It seems they concentrate more on presentation than taste. Another weird thing is that my friend tried to pay with coins (not the entire thing, just the change) so that the server would get a bigger tip. But we were told that they don't take coins? Really? Weird. Money is money. Um, maybe they don't know we are in a recession? Do they do this in other places and I just don't know?? I think Black Finn will do fine. It's a good location and (I say this being a person who lives and loves this town) the people here will respond to the atmosphere and menu. I didn't expect to be wowed with the food. I was happy that the service was better. But the meal was disappointing for everyone at the table. Sorry Black Finn. I tried :(
(2)L P.
Food was good and prices were very reasonable for what was offered. Great atmosphere. Only criticism is the restaurant is called blackfinn but the seafood options mainly fish related are limited the parmesan swordfish was great but I hated seeing halibut multiple times on the menu when you know that fish didn't come from anywhere around florida and they could be using grouper or snapper something better and fresher.
(4)Kathy C.
We have tried Blackfinn for lunch a couple of times and enjoyed it. Both times were late lunch service so the place was pretty quiet (maybe that's why we enjoyed it). The atmosphere is pretty nice and relaxed and the food was good. I especially loved their ahi tuna sandwich. It was a nice think shashimi grade seared tuna. Nice clean fresh taste. Their crab tower is also really nice. Service both times were friendly and prompt. One of our favorite restaurants to visit when we are in the area.
(4)Wade T.
I went to BlackFinn for a company outing and had the Honk Kong Style Chilean Sea Bass. The fish was perfectly cooked and coated with a sweet and savory asian style glaze. Was served with some sauteed snow peas that were perfectly crisp. Hightly recommend this dish.
(4)Laurie D.
I had dinner here again, but this time on the porch. The porch always looks so inviting when I'm driving by that I had to give it a try. Unfortunately for me this was also the same night as Whiskey River's bike night one-year anniversary party, so I got to hear lots of very loud motorcycles rev their engines while they rode past. Very relaxing! I have to say the porch looks nicer from the road than from inside. The furniture is like New England deck furniture. I ordered the catch of the day which was grilled shrimp with asparagus and risotto. It was delicious! It was one of the best dishes I've ever had a local Jacksonville restaurant. I'm not sure if it was a fluke, but next time I go I will definitely try the catch of the day.
(3)Zaida J.
We ate there this weekend after my niece's graduation. We were a big group and the wait was actually shorter than I expected and there were no mistakes that I was aware of which is always nice, especially when having to deal with large groups and multiple checks. The Ying Yang Shrimp were delicious! I really wanted to order the Mediterranean Platter but was sharing the app with my daughter and it just wasn't going to fly. My recently graduate/niece did order it and then followed up with an order of the Ying Yang shrimp after seeing mine! Since it was a late lunch, we were advised we could also order from the dinner menu. Those around us pretty much stuck to the lunch menu although there was a special of flounder over scampi pasta that my mom and sister-in-law ordered and enjoyed. I chose the Ranch Chicken Salad, which was described as chicken tenders, mixed greens, roasted corn and black bean pico de gallo, crispy tortilla strips, cheddar jack, roasted red peppers, campfire ranch. It was okay. The tortilla strips were out of control and if I had thought about it and realized the chicken tenders were fried, I probably would have gone with something else. Either way, not bad but not fantastic. They really need a lighter hand with those tortilla strips though! My daughter ordered the fish and chips. It was super tasty but nothing super spectacular. Good fish and chips. One of my other nieces ordered the chicken and broccoli tortellini. She said she enjoyed it. I had a bite and wasn't too impressed. Overall, the service was excellent. A very patient and attentive waitstaff. For me, it's all about the food and it was just okay. If we ever go back again, it won't be from my suggestion. **price range for lunch, dinner def $$$
(3)Blak B.
Went here for lunch on a visit to see my cousin and the food was good. Im not throwing on a cheerleader uniform because its nothing out of the ordinary. But the atmosphere is nice with patio seating, bar seating and an additional room. It would be great for big business lunches and parties. I heard that its gets pretty crazy on wknd nights so be prepared for a bit of wild life. lol. I enjoyed my hummus that was spicy just the way I like it caliente ;-) and finished off with some salmon that was tasty. Next time I will try to come by for dinner to see the raves! the prices are reasonable and coming from miami thats refreshing lol
(4)Matthew H.
Any restaurant that is embracing the foux vocabulary - Finn? already starts screaming chain restaurant blah. The porch is fantastic, it is the main reason I come for lunch. The food is acceptable, but not great.
(2)Anony M.
Sloppy staff & low quality food. Today was our first experience at Blackfinn: The waitress did not know about the menu, was not friendly, & forgot part of my order. She skipped us to greet another table although we were seated & waiting for a while. She did not greet us well - just a "what would you like to drink?" The hostess ate food at the stand in plain view of us at our booth. All employees looked really thrown together - sloppy hair, dirty shirts, and the manager wore a low cut black tee-shirt. There was no reason for the staff to look so sloppy at 2pm - there were only 3 couples in the restaurant. The 3 couples in the restaurant were sat right next to each other - so no privacy at all. My rice tasted like instant (microwaved?) rice. Spinach dip came with flatbreat triangles that tasted very stale. My lunch meal came with au jus -which the waitress forgot until I asked about it.
(1)Miriam D.
I come here to meet family whenever I am in town. I have never actually sat in the restaurant section. I've been here about 5 times and always sit in the bar area. They have a decent selection of beers and the food is very tasty. I've had the cheese burger, pizzas, apps, salads and have yet to have a bad experience. The service at the bar is good, usually your server will be a young girl in shorts, that being said they're very attentive.
(4)Dave L.
Visited here a few weeks back. The atmosphere was above average but did get a bit noisy. Had the shrimp and grits. Awesome as were the appetizers. Service was good, but nothing to write home about. All in all a winner.
(4)Samantha A.
Best Happy Hour after a long day of work and the buffalo flat bread is always a must!
(5)George C.
Service rocks! Happy hour is LOUD! Great covered outside dinning area. Wife loved her margarita. Fish Tacos and Chopped Seafood Salad all good but pricy.
(3)Rob O.
i took my wife here for a date afternoon for happy hour/dinner on a tuesday night. the atmosphere and decor in the restaurant is stupendous. very gorgeous eating areas. as far as the food goes, we ordered the humus appetizer which was very scarce to say the least for $8. pretty steep. i had the ahi tuna salad, and my wife had the yin yang shrimp appetizer as her entrée. the ahi salad was very small for a full salad, and the yin yang shrimp flavor was so so... when compared to J Alexander across the street, for the price, i would much rather have dinner at J Alexander. the service was very good though, which is why i at least gave the restaurant a 2 star instead of just 1. 1 star for the atmosphere, and 1 star for service. food and pricing is not conducive to the surrounding restaurant competition.
(2)Chris M.
To be fair we just sat in the saloon and had a few drinks but our experience was still a big disappontment. Went tonight to celebrate a friend's birthday, we got there first and ordered a round of drinks, it was early so the bar was pretty dead still. The server was delivering our drinks as our friend showed up, she asked what he wanted and he says a martini. She goes "What kind? We have tons, there's the menu" and runs off. I'm not kidding! Like unless someone orders a choco-tini she's never heard of it? Correct response would have been "what kind of vodka?" I'd even have accepted "vodka or gin?" All of our drinks were god awful. I have never had a whiskey and ginger that was so clear, and it tasted like melted ice cubes and tap water. The martini didn't taste like anything other than olive juice and vermouth, and the margarita seemed like it was all triple sec. We ordered another round thinking it was a fluke and number two was even worse. We didn't even finish them and went elsewhere. Net damage? $40. No thanks. I expect that for a place like this they should have bartenders that know how to make basic drinks, and servers that know how to take a drink order and can communicate politely and exhibit some customer service skills. The design of the bar is very nice and it's close to my place so I'll probably be tempted to give it another chance, but I doubt what we experienced tonight was the result of an off night.
(1)Liz K.
Ugh vomit. This place was a stop on a night of bar-hopping with a childhood friend. It was just. Wrong. The people here made me want to go home and get married. Immediately. I saw a pathetic possible future of happy hours with my coworkers and bad fashion. Seriously - no. Bartender was nice.
(2)Matthew L.
Nachos were a poor choice. Drink prices are on par with other places. Atmosphere wasn't overwhelming.
(1)Andre C.
Mediocre with a few highlights. What they do with sprouts is awesome and new for me, Hmm, I guess that was it. Crabcake (jumbo? joke, right?) was average, small portion for $20, pan fried pork over cooked, salads OK, decent service though. Overall, I guess we would go back if not feeling adventurous that night.
(3)Courtney A.
First time at BlackFinn. Not a huge fan. Had fish and chips and found two bones in the fish. Had a great waiter and the atmosphere was nice but I expected the food to be better. The rest of my party had prime rib and said it was good.
(2)Staci C.
Food was awesome! Big portions and yummy, comfort food!
(4)Mr T T.
My first time here and I got here early for happy hour. Arrive 530 and the hostess ask if for how many? I said 4 to 5 ppl. She said i have to be sure if 4 or 5 . She said they have plenty of table for 4 but few table for 5. I also have to wait till everybody get there to make sure how many ppl before she can seat me. I suggest that how about table for 5 then if only 4 shows up then she can move us to table for 4. After all that fuss she let me wait like 15 minutes then she gave me table for 5 . We ended 6 in our party but by 8 pm there is still plenty of room in theT patio. Could handle like 30 or more guest . Nor sure wtf was the problem . There were only like 4 p pl in the patio when i gotthere and the hostess is having a difficulty with seating . Food is just okay they have a copy cut version of bang bang shrimp Delma bonefish and taste horrible. It need spice so bland. Calamari so bland.H
(1)tj F.
I was really surprised by the low reviews on this very nice restaurant- The atmosphere is great- the food is delicious and the service was great everytime that I have been. My first experience w the restaurant was on my birthday- my husband took me over for dessert. The server was wonderful and we had an opportunity to enjoy the dj out on the patio- it wasnt too loud and there was a good mix of music. I then returned on my anniversary and the menu was so tempting- we tried 4 different entrees' and loved them all. Yes the shrimp and grits comes with a grit cake- but the lastthing it is is dry- -it is smothered in a delicious gravy and even on its on is moist and palatable. No it is not like the bowl of grits you get from waffle house or your granny's - so remove that from your expectations- It is a sophisticated rendition of a southern treasure ( for those who like grits) and even if you dont like grits- give it a try. And yes I have been back numerous times and the experience has always been the same. I have eaten at every restaurant at the Town center due to frequent business meetings - and I consider this one to be the best. Definitely better than Capital Grille and Season's 52 which are over rated and over priced. So please dont be swayed by the avg review that has been established- I would encourage you to give this restaurant a try
(5)Missy J.
Wouldn't recommend the calamari.. Typical bar food in my opinion. Nothing stand out or unique. Fun atmosphere for a late night meal. Good service and reasonable prices. The menu has something for everyone..
(4)Jamie I.
Blackfinn can be your brunch spot, lunch spot, and party spot all in the same day. I've visited for brunch and didn't remember the food being particularly amazing. We came back for lunch and enjoyed our entrees more. If you're drinking the flatbread is a great app to help soak up some of the alcohol. The dining area is available for rental for private parties. I attended a wedding rehearsal dinner there. The setup worked, the food and drinks were good. I do wish they had better signage or a cord to block off the area. While there some party goers tried to access the private bar in our area because it wasn't clear that area was reserved for a private event. Blackfinn is definitely known as a party/happy hour spot. They have Wine Down Wednesday specials and Friday/Saturday nights the bar and patio tends to be packed especially when they have live music. It's loud, it's boisterous, and you'll likely have a blast and then walk over to Suite to dance your rear end off until the wee hours of the morning.
(3)Rosanna M.
I was meeting a blind date for lunch here at his suggestion that Blackfinn was affordable. Convenient for me, since I had to go to Town Center anyways to pick up some things for a weekend camping trip. But honestly, I'd probably never would've tried this restaurant if it weren't for his suggestion. So I was interested to see what they had. The menu has a good selection of different apps and entrees to please anyone. There wasn't anything interesting or unique that stood out for me, the menu pretty much reminded me of other chain restaurants, like Applebee's. But still, they have maybe one or two things that Applebee's probably don't have. I decided to just have a glass of water with lemon and the chicken and avocado chopped salad. My blind date had a sweet tea and and a grilled chicken and avocado sandwich. I enjoyed my salad, plenty of chicken and avocado, and nice big pieces of blue cheese in it as well. Service was okay, our waitress was really friendly, but we only saw her when she gave us our drinks, took our order and when we got the check. The decor of the restaurant was eh, but it suites the place well. Plenty of parking, a bit awkward to access it though. I may come back to try other items on the menu, if there isn't anywhere else I can think of to go to. As for the blind date, he bored me to death, and the dark decor of the restaurant did not help one bit.
(3)Maria W.
We went on a Thursday night. The service was great, and the food was good, but it wasn't anything spectacular. I had one of the flatbreads, and no entree, so I'm sure that also makes a difference.
(3)Samantha K.
I went to blackfinn for the first time this past Saturday night. The vibe I got upon walking in was that of an upgraded chain bar/restaurant. We asked for a table for a two and were told it was a 10 minute wait due to shortage of servers. The dining room was half full, but I was ok with waiting 10 minutes--better service and someone probably called out sick, right? So we went to the bar inside first for a drink while we waited and then walked to the bar on the back patio to check out that scene as well. The back patio was really nice but smoking was allowed in this section fyi. Once we were sat things went ok in terms of service, but every time a server came by they seemed really rushed, as well as kind of confused because two different servers greeted us and tried to take our orders. Regarding the food--we started with calamari which was pretty good and a well sized portion. My partner had the bacon wrapped meatloaf and ate it up quickly. I had the chicken rosa and really liked it. I did feel though that some of the items were overpriced for the atmosphere and quality of service. I wouldn't be in a rush to go back, but would be willing to try them again if the chance arose.
(3)Marc E.
Good service, food is and they have some nice TV's if you're trying to watch the game. It's loud in here so not the place to bring the wife and kids but perfect for co-workers and groups of friends. They have three bars sh there is plenty of seats. Good choice if your staying around Town Square.
(4)Megan P.
The Tuna Poke was tasty. The tuna and avocado were very good. The service was attentive and the place was very clean. It was dead on a Saturday night, and the others in my party said they thought the menu was overpriced and entrees were typical chain quality. Nothing made me consider coming back again. Unfortunate, but there are too many other choices in the area to compete with.
(3)Sara M.
My husband & I recently attended a happy hour hosted by Blackfinn especially for our young professionals group & we were blown away. Mackenzie was our entire group's server that night & she was top notch. The specials were excellent--on Thursdays, ALL draft beer is 4 bucks. Such a great deal! I ordered a 20 oz Guinness for $4. Wow. They also provided our group with a very generous appetizer spread of hot spinach & artichoke dip, fried pita points, a heathy veggie tray complete with kalamata olives and creamy hummus and numerous flatbread pizzas. Yum! We will be back for sure. Thank you, Blackfinn, for a perfect evening!
(5)Dl N.
8/29/15: Stopped in for a late lunch, while the service was exceptional, the food was poor. Daughter ordered fish & chips-they were ok. I ordered salad with ahi tuna. So over dressed it could not be eaten. Menu called for several things to be in the salad such as wasabi-non present. Asked waitress to bring it back. Was not offered it to be remade. Asked for bill and they didn't take it off. when I explained that it had not been eaten at all due to soup of dressing, manager came by and was a bit testie because the food was inedible..Ordered humus for appetizer, and despite it being 3pm and not packed it took 25 minutes to get appetizer. Will not go back and will not bring customers there partly because of bad food and partly because manager doesn't know how to speak to customers.
(1)Shera B.
Horrible generic food Low quality All Four of our entrees were bad The pad Thai was flavorless Crab Cakes were horrible My NY strip was low quality I'm not sure how you mess up mashed potatoes but they did This restaurant shouldn't be at the towne center. I think it is always full simply because they have a full bar I do not recommend
(2)CatNip R.
The food was amazing, but sadly the service made them lose there 4th star. Our server was amazing, but it took forever for the food to get to us. When our food came out they set it on the wrong table TWICE. The food was reasonably good and the sweet tea was amazing. If you are in for a sweet treat try the Chocolate Chip Cookie. AMAZING!! The server was nice, but in the end it came down to the wait.
(3)Ian U.
I loved the atmosphere. It reminded me of a place that I love in Norfolk, VA. They got the pub decor down. The food and service were great! I'll definitely be back.
(4)Savanna M.
I guess this must be one of the more happening spots in the Town Center of JAX as Steven C. were brought here twice during a 12 hour period by our law-school attending friends. BRUNCH Our first visit here was for brunch. We were whisked from the airport straight here so it must be the thing to do. It was pretty dead here when we ate at 12ish on a Saturday, but that only made things that much better for us. My 4 stars is mostly based on brunch, specifically $12 bottomless mimosas which remained topped off for our entire visit. We sat at the outside bar and the bartender made sure our glasses were always filled. I also tried a sriracha bloody mary which was quite good!! The brunch menu it self is actually quite small and is mostly an eggs and meat selection, with one french toast option. They do allow you to order off the regular menu as well though and that is quite comprehensive for lunch options. Steven C. ordered the breakfast balboa sandwich - quite good and HUGE. This was the same thing I was eyeing and rather than us getting the same thing I went with a lunch ahi tuna sandwich with one side. The sides menu was quite inventive and I ordered the goat cheese grit cakes. Absolutely no complaints about the sandwich - cooked perfectly, nice size and good flavor. The grit cakes may have been lacking a little salt but all in all they were quite tasty. LATE NIGHT After the graduation party we were in town for ended we all headed to BlackFinn. Apparently this is one of the popular late night bar spots as it was packed!! People of all age ranges were in here hanging out, dancing and drinking. It was late, probably close to midnight, so I didn't see anyone eating, but everyone sure was drinking! Despite all the people the bartenders seemed to handle it well and getting a drink wasn't an issue. We hung around here for an hour or so before heading out to another spot.
(4)Brian S.
This place is hoppin'! I came here with a vendor to talk business and enjoy a nice meal. We opted to sit in the bar area, and am glad we did. Nicolette and Christina took great care of us, which I was not expecting because of where we sat. The food was simply excellent. We had calamari, Ahi tuna, fish tacos, and a few other finger foods, and they were all way above the typical fare you get when you order these same dishes from other joints. I'm also not normally a calamari fan--most places create rubber bands with them--but BlackFinn cooked a textbook calamari. Their beer menu is pretty good, and their wine list surprised me with its offerings--including a Lock & Key Meritage that was really good. It is super loud at the bar--almost too loud--but it was balanced by a surprisingly-quiet dining area, and tame patio crowd. I will definitely be back.
(4)Keith H.
Met up with a lifelong friend for some beers and lunch at 2pm, a typical dead time in the food service industry. Our food was delivered quickly, our beers were refilled promptly, and all of our needs were attended to. I liked the interior of this Ameripub and both the dining area and the restrooms were kept very clean. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan Sliders which were incredible--highly recommended. Their beer selection was diverse and served some good local brews. The total amount of taps was relatively(around 20) compared to many of the other places in Jax(Kickbacks has 200+).
(4)Deprina G.
I went on a Saturday night. I expected it to be super crowded but it was just a good crowd but not disturbing. I went and had the best meatloaf in life. Guys it was wrapped in Bacon.. like who thought of this. My manager had the 7 layer lasagna and it was good bec i mad sure i got a taste. Our drinks were strong and the desserts were even good. We sate in there for about 2+ hours chilling eating and talking. I need to go back here just for BACON WRAPPED MEATLOAF.... omg
(4)Rich A.
A very standard, American cuisine restaurant, which is to say the menu is all over the place and the same folks who are making the meatloaf are making the pad thai. Still, it's probably worth a trip: I stopped in with a coworker for a quick dinner, and it worked out just fine. The buffalo chicken sandwich was good, and the french fries were delicious -- my colleague got a tuna dish that he seemed thrilled with, but it didn't look too filling. There were no surprises, the service was good, and the big outdoor seating area was great even though the weather wasn't.
(3)Natasha D.
I was really hoping this place would be better. I was on town for work and staying near the town center and wanted a solid salad. I searched yelp for good salads close by and Blackfinn came up. The menu sounded awesome and the reviews were pretty good. Plus there was a happy hour special, Yahtzee! I took a seat at the bar. At first the staff was very friendly. I'm giving it 3 stars because the food was pretty bad. The specials advertised on yelp for happy hour were also more expensive. The staff started to get busy and they became less and less friendly as more people started to show. I had the ahi tuna salad. At first it looked great. Even the first bite was delish. But as I got into it, it was more like lettuce soup. There was TONS of dressing on this thing, the taste completely overwhelmed the taste of the tuna. Which didn't have much taste to begin with. Maybe I caught them on a bad night, but I was not impressed. It looks like a decent place for with dinners and the interior is beautiful and clean. The happy hour specials are pretty good. Select $5 apps, $4 wells and I think house wines at $4 or $5. It's not terrible here, but it's not one of favorite places to visit in jax.
(3)Chris B.
Blackfish salad is delicious. Terrific atmosphere, especially durning big sporting events (tonight...World Cup action)
(5)Mahalie H.
I came here for lunch because I've heard they have great food and drinks but I was very disappointed. I ordered fish tocas that were terrible. Tasted liked something out of a box. I ordered a cocktail called the "dark and stormy" which consists of rum, pinapple and dirty dish water. I don't think I will be coming back.
(1)Cassie P.
I ate here this past weekend with a friend- and when I came on Yelp to review it, I was shocked to see it only had 3 stars! From the outside it looks very upscale- Capital Grille-ish. But don't be intimidated by that- it's a pretty casual, affordable nice restaurant. It was a beautiful day, so we ate on the outdoor patio- which had a very beachy/cabana/yacht club feel to it. Made me want to be laying by the pool with a boat drink. Now, I am gluten free- and my friend is vegetarian- so our diets can be a little high maintenance. However- BlackFinn indicates each dish that is gluten free or vegetarian or a BlackFinn special by a nice little colored bubble. I was so excited to see this! Takes the guess work out of ordering. Everything looked so delicious- so out of pure confusion- we decided to order a few things to split. We had the Chipotle Queso Dip, Shrimp Spring Rolls, and Goat Cheese Strawberry salad. Everything was delicious- and from the name sounds pretty straight forward- but each dish had a little bit of a twist or a different taste to it. I have had a lot of queso's in my day- and this one had such a unique flavor to it. Alas for dessert- a sunken in chocolate souffle' topped with ice cream, peanut butter and whipped cream. Definitely save room for this. Our whole meal (coffee and soda included) only came to $32. Quite a steal if you ask me! There are a bunch of TV's outside, in the bar area, and in the main dining area- would be a great place to catch a sports game as well. After a long day of shopping and fighting for parking at the Town Center- make sure to stop by here for food and drinks!
(5)Mr. G.
Good place for drinks but the food leaves a lot to be desired....we started with the tuna poke app which actually pretty good. I had the fish tacos which were lousy (corn tortillas instead of flour and fish was dried out.) My friend had the shrimp and pasta. It came with angel hair pasta when one would've thought linguini. Angel hair??? Who in the heck serves angel hair pasta? Needless to say, not good and much like others have said overpriced, generic bar food....Go for drinks but eat someplace else. You'll thank me for doing so!
(2)Samantha M.
Spent New Year's at this establishment. The cover fee was $25 a person and included a toast at midnight. The ambiance was pretty cool, and it finally started to get fun on the dance floor right around midnight. They have a great patio that is perfect for cooling off after a dance-your-heart-out moment, and the bartenders stayed on top of drinks the whole night we were there. There were pretty people everywhere and a lot of fun dancers who were letting it all hang out. I had a blast and my friend from out of town had a great time, too. I thought it was fun, and will have to make another trip out there soon.
(4)Debbi C.
Good but not great. I had the grilled tenders tossed in buffalo but there was not much taste. My husband had a Cuban and said it was good although it was not pressed. He said it had good flavor to it. There's good outside seating for the spring. The bar is always loud and busy. The actual restaurant is more of a nice setting with quiet ambiance. A good casual night place to go.
(3)Greg F.
I'm downgrading it from 4 to 3 stars because of the noise level. So far I've had good food here. The Queen City Chicken was very good, probably better than the pulled pork mac and cheese I had here on my previous visit. It was bacon-crusted chicken stuffed with sausage, with sweet potato mash and asparagus. It wasn't too large a dish, which pleased me. The Chocolate Chip Cookie Avalanche dessert was good. It was very large, a bit larger than two people wanted to eat. Just don't order it for yourself alone. I saw a chocolate and peanut butter souffle on the menu, so I'd probably have to try that next time. My bellini was good, but the blood orange cosmo was only pleasant. I also tried my companion's pretzel appetizer. It was pretty tasty, but not good enough that I'd get it again. It was also coated with garlic butter, which makes it messy finger food (or you could eat it with utensils). My problem with the place is that it was far too loud. We were in the outside bar, semi-enclosed this time of year. The inside bar was even louder. I'd say both areas were into the ear-damaging level: my ears felt bad after the meal. If I'd eaten in a quieter area I'd give the place 4 stars. In a noisy area, I'd give it one or two. Frankly, if it was that noisy again I'd leave, or put in earplugs. I know the reviews for this place are mixed, but my experiences have been quite good so far, other than the noise level. I don't doubt the other reviews: I think I've just eaten better than others because I've taken people's advice on what the good dishes are, and they've been right.
(3)Caitlyn F.
In the chain restaurant-filled Town Center, this spot is usually the one we turn to when we want to grab drinks on a whim. It's not the most memorable of bars when it comes to standout cocktails or even bar food, and service can be hit or miss, but it's one of the best places to watch sports games thanks to dozens of TVs hanging around the bar and tables and a nice sound system. The saloon is a fun place to hangout late night, albeit it does tend to have an older crowd mixed in with the young party people. Watch out for the cougars. Some nights the bar will play throwback music from the 80s and 90s and fill the TVs with the accompanying music videos. Those are always fun nights. If the weather is nice, head out to the back patio for some live music and the less crowded outdoor bar. Drinks can be a bit light, so try asking for yours in a tall glass or with less ice, sometimes that helps. For food, keep it simple with a burger or one of the $6 appetizer choices. If you're feeling more adventurous, try the skillet lobster mac 'n cheese. For drinks, the mojitos don't disappoint, and beer is always a safe bet with several local options to choose from along with the usual suspects of the big breweries.
(3)Daisy D.
I've been to Black Finn twice now and neither one I would classify as memorable experiences. The Saloon was hopping & for happy hour, I can see how this would be a great place to meet up and hang out, but the food leaves something to be desired. I had heard from several people that it was hit or miss, but I have yet to find a true hit. We've tried the meatloaf, a burger, the pulled pork quesadillas. I enjoyed the food, but I wasn't wowed by what I had. And for the price we paid, I was expecting a little more.
(3)Robbin W.
Today I decided to check this place out with my husband for some lunch. I'm a big first impression girl...they failed that test. The hostess with more makeup on than Miss America took us to a table. Usually fine had my 1 year old with me so asked for a booth. Now for a visual they have the walls lined full of booths only 2 were seated and this place was not busy at all maybe 10 tables seated max. So when we ask the hostess for a booth she says there's a wait!?? Ummm k! My husband asks how long and she says dunno a few as she turned around she looked at me and my brow went up and she got the don't think so sister look she immediately turned us around we got seated...in a cushy booth. Attention managers this behavior will drive people away if we were put on a wait we were gonna leave. There was even a large party that was waiting for more people and wanted to sit in a particular place and another hostess was almost arguing with them they were seated shortly after they got up and left. So managers thank you girl with too much makeup and blonde hostess they are helping you throw money out the window! You will loose Our waiter came out super sweet he was great. Now food I got the naked turkey burger and husband Mahi Mahi keep in mind 10 tables max exactly 30 min wait. Turkey burger itself amazing! They put cilantro on top it was a bit much and took from the burger cheese great avacodo not ripe and the side of broccoli minds well have been raw. My teeth hurt. $9.99 is the price if they cook the broccoli get ripe avacado and up the turkey patty I would order again. My husbands food I think they prepared perfect and placed under a shrink ray. Good just super tiny should have taken a pic. He asked for house salad got a caesar with his meal. In the end ok food great waiter doofy hostess. Also, 2 lunch "specials" and unsweetened teas $39 if in the area might try again one day nothing really stood out today.
(2)Annie K.
Decided to try Blackfinn for dinner for the first time other than going to happy hour. Walked in and there was a 20 minute wait so we put our names in and headed to the bar for a drink. Greeted by bartender and ordered drinks always delicious! When we got our table we were greeted by our server Richard who is very personable and very attentive. He offered appetizers which we ordered the spinach artichoke dip which was absolutely delicious with fresh tomatoes on top and it was served with their crispy lavish bread that is amazing in itself. We both ordered salads, my husband ordered the greek and it came with an amazing dressing which they all make in house and I ordered the mixed greens that was also wonderful With a sampling of their Zinfandel vinaigrette and oregano lemon vinaigrette. Our dinners to follow were executed perfectly! My husband got a full rack of ribs that were so tender they fell right off the bone with garlic mashed potatoes perfectly seasoned and their mac & cheese so delicious who doesn't love bacon!?! I got the seared tuna with stirfry vegetables and two mashed rice cakes. I asked for the Thai peanut sauce to dip and it was perfection on the plate! I am a huge tuna fan and the sear was spot on! As we dined other servers would help out and clear plates which is a huge sign of great service! We are part of the perks program so we had a free appetizer which is always a plus! Overall our evening at blackfin was a success! We will definitely be back and I highly recommend giving this wonderful establishment a visit! Thank you Richard for making our dining experience an A+!!!! And kudos to the management who has such an amazing team!
(5)Misty S.
Every time we have gone back it seems to get worse. We went yesterday for lunch. There were 7 of us. It wasn't busy. I ordered the grilled chicken buffalo sandwich. When it came, it was fried. I let my waiter know and he looked confused and said he would see if they could remake the sandwich. He said he didn't hear me say grilled. A few minutes later he came back and said it would be just a few minutes. 5 minutes later he checked on the table and said it would be ready "soon" and that normally it just comes fried which is why he didn't hear me say grilled. I told him that actually if you look at the menu, it says it comes fried OR grilled, which is why I said grilled. He again said, he didn't hear me, but that normally they are just fried. He was almost argumentative about it. I tried to be polite, but I was thinking "if it comes either way and you didn't hear me say grilled and you didn't hear me say fried, wouldn't you want to ask me how I prefer it rather than staying clear across a table of 7 people to try and get my order"? Also, my husband ordered the light side shrimp pasta which was surrounded in garlic and oil. It as not good at all. How can that be a light dish? Needless to say after another 10-15 minutes, he still hasn't come back and everyone at the table was done eating. I finally found the hostess and asked if she could please tell him to forget about the sandwich and just bring our check. Fancy that, he comes around the corner less than a minute later with my sandwich. By this time I'm just irritated because first order of business should have been getting that sandwich back out. Not putting in other orders or waiting until the kitchen decided to get other orders out. It's just a grilled chicken sandwich. In any case, I told him no thank you and realizing that we were asking for the check, he finally became quite profusely apologetic. Likely because he wanted a nice tip so he kept apologizing. I didn't take the sandwich. We paid the bill and I still left a nice check. But. I will think twice before going back.
(2)R G.
Good service and good food. The vegetable flatbread was nice and crispy and was very good. The greek salad was OK. The food was a little slow, but the waitress kept checking on me and refilling my tea.
(4)Janie C.
Just went to have lunch, sat at the table for 20 minutes and only received our drinks, never came back to take our appetizer order. Very disappointed in the service, will never go back.
(1)Sarah M.
I'm new to Jacksonville and live close to the town center... Now, I have been to many restaurants in the town center and black Finn by far is the best!!! I love the atmosphere and the food is amazing!! The first time I went I tried the fish and chips which were amazing!!! I make my own ranch at home and theirs was better than mine and that's tough!!! Lol!! My favorite dish is the shrimp and grits. The grit cakes are amazing! My boyfriend loves the ribs and hot wings. I highly recommend this place because even though it's a very large establishment and can be very busy they are on top of everything!!!! The girls outside were so nice and attentive to me and my boyfriend even though they were slammed!!! I encourage you to go and try it out. Their menu has so much to offer and so many options! I wish I knew the girls names from Last night but they were very friendly.
(5)Lee B.
This is our first trip to Jacksonville area and we just wanted something good and reasonable. We decided on this place because of the reputation of Blackfinn. The food was fine, Pad Thai and a buffalo chicken sandwich. But for the appetizer, we got the spinach and artichoke dip. The dip itself was good, but I think someone sat on the bag of chips, then stepped on it, and then emptied it onto our plate. Rediculous! Nothing but a crummy crumbly mess. I decided to wash my hands before the rest of my food came but...and this is no exaggeration...there were (are you ready?) NO SINKS!! I could not believe my eyes. Just two faucets over a slab of wannabe marble. Completely unacceptable. Hopefully they will correct this in the very near future. Aside from these two things, our meal and server were both acceptable. Nothing special, nothing over the top. Just...acceptable.
(2)Beverly H.
The service was good... Not sure why it's so popular. The atmosphere is nice, but the main reason to eat somewhere is the food. The Food was beyond mediocre. Terrible awful food. I had fish tacos that were so small and awful tasting it was pitiful. The prices were expensive and way too much for what you're getting. Save some money and go to Ruth's Chris. At least you know you will get quality there.
(2)Brandon L.
The food is GREAT. Nice variety of food. Clean restaurant with a classy feel, but down-to-earth environment. The restaurant is split into three sections: dining section with a small bar (perfect for sit down dining in a quiet area), a separate bar section (with music and about 20 large flat screens with sports), and an outside patio. Whenever I'm in Jacksonville, I go to this place, b/c I know I'll always get great food, with great service, and whatever my mood, I can be comfortable in that environment. Down side: BRING A SWEATER if you dine inside! It is uncomfortably cold!
(5)Brad S.
Worst rip off New Years! Over charged on rounds of drinks, paid cocktail waitress for cocktails we didn't get . Hourly shots... Lie no shot service. Supposed to have an after mid might app buffet. TOTAL LIES. Told it was out on patio so waited till 12:30 asked a waiter and told is all food is Inside... Lapped inside bar for an hour and nothing. Went to leave and the d bag door man said go back out to patio he took good out himself. Got Pics of whole Patio... Lies rip off d bags
(1)Tee B.
Don't do it!!!!!!!!
(1)Ryan H.
Haven't had any food here yet, but hung out at the saloon for happy hour. This place isn't really in the area that I like to visit often because of the traffic, and not really the type of people I like to be around. The bar service was pretty awful. If we could get the lady over to serve us she would take an order from my buddy sitting right next to me, and as I tried to add on my drink to the order she would completely ignore me. Not sure what her deal was, but this is a reason why I never go to this area unless I have to. Was my buddy's idea to meet here not mine. I'll leave this place to other folks to enjoy.
(2)Marie F.
Finished up a hard work week by checking out the Happy Hour. Because there was a StandUnited event HH was extended til 8! :-) I guess if you're a Jaguar fan right now then you are lead to drink. But the water down drinks were nothing to smile about so we started shots early :-D Bar food was pretty decent. We kept it simple with flatbread and calamari. Both discounted during HH. Flatbread was lacking a little flavor but calamari was on point - but an overwhelming amount of the body with no tentacles. Most entertaining part of the night was seeing Jaxson De Ville twerk and moonwalk on the bar. Decent spot but normally only pop up for Wined Up Wednesday because 1/2 price wines. I understand that the bar was pretty hectic. But customer service was lacking. There were a handful of servers that were turning tricks trying to accomadate people while a greater amount just hung around the bar chatting. Not sure if they were on duty but if they weren't there was no need for them to be behind the bar. Decent bar though...
(3)Ginger B.
I really like their menu because you can find something for any pallet from chicken parm to burgers and flatbreads. All of which I've had and been satisfied with the flavors. Last night I had the bourbon burger and it was fantastic! There's some herb cheese melted sauce on the burger that is so flavorful and delicious! In dreaming about it this morning! But their other food is consistent as well. Service isn't bad. They have TVs everywhere and it has a good vibe for young professionals. I would recommend it. I took off a star because it can be really busy or at times loud. Parking can be a hassle too.
(4)Jan C.
I enjoy the patio the most. Fun music. Great flatbread. Prices reasonable. Always fun to go there with friends but also held meetings at the restaurant. Service is really good too. And they will even park your car for you!
(4)V J.
Generic food. Outstanding chocolate peanut butter mug dessert. Stay out of there in the late evenings, it's weird because they try to turn it into a club... and it isn't built like a club... just odd.
(4)Chelsea N.
Had a great time at Black Finn tonight. We ate in the bar/lounge area and Morgan was our server. She was very sweet and had great recommendations. Our food was on point and my martinis were delicious. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for some good food and drinks.
(5)Rich T.
After a day of shopping in St. Augustine, we made our return to Jacksonville with the idea of a late lunch, but we found that our favorites were either closed or not serving then. Turning into the Town Center area, we took the first place we saw. The Black Finn was the spot on the map and all we had to do was find the treasure...or in this case, let it find us. Dressed in a very comfortable brown leather and dark paneling, the saloon of the Black Finn was steeped in the flavors of a Saturday afternoon during my childhood in New York: PGA golf and college football on TV, the welcoming aromas of comfort food, high ceilings, and no stress weekends in September. The only thing missing was a golden retriever... Coming back to reality, we sat in one of the booths and there we met our energetic server, Keicia, who would provide superb service throughout our stay. As she laid out the menus for us, we ordered beers from their tap list, which I noted to be a decent list in support of the local breweries in Jacksonville, along with the unremarkable cadre of "the usual suspects". We also ordered our starters and waited for only a moment. When the starters came out, we noticed our instructions for items to be placed on the sides had not been followed, but as my girlfriend told the server (in act of forgiveness) that I would take anything...the server stuck up for her immediately and asked what would she have, so she replaced the platter! That was a surprise! The server was proactively looking out for us and our orders. Launching into the rest of the order, we continually experienced a very attentive server who was not only taking great care of us, but also handling the rest of our Saturday afternoon row. One of the menu selections I liked best was aptly named "The Hangover Burger" and it had almost a full side salad in support of a flavorful ham/egg/ burger with an interesting pile of baked French fries. Being a restaurant design & service technician by training, I love seeing the practice of excellent service workers in their daily ways. I always learn something from the ones who take it to a high art form. They claim it as the sales force of the restaurant and also the rock stars of their kind. Overall, I found food quality to be very good, the comfort level almost surreal (anything that incites colorful memories usually is for me), and the service to be exceptional. If it were my place, I might enhance or alter some elements, but that might be overdoing it on a venue I am looking forward to returning to again and again.
(4)Tyson G.
I'm not a fan of chain restaurants but I have eaten there several times because they always get it right. I usually get fish tacos or a salad and the fish has always been cooked perfect and the salads are delicious. Good spot that seems to seems to have figured out how to execute the food.
(5)Nikki C.
Don't waste your time or money here. Although they redesigned their restaurant they decided to go cheap on their menu by eliminating their best entrées. I am extremely disappointed and will be eating elsewhere.
(1)Dave M.
Surprisingly good - not your typical bar food and very reasonable prices for the Town Center. Staff is always friendly and attentive. Many options for dining/drinking - inside, outside, quiet, loud. If you visit regularly make sure to sign up for their rewards.
(4)Stacey S.
I have to admit it's been a while since I've been to BlackFinn especially for dinner. They offer some pretty tempting $6 appetizers and flatbreads as well as $3 domestic drafts, house wines and well drinks from 4-7pm on Wednesdays. Bottles of wine are half price all night as well as glasses of wine PLUS if you stay for dinner, they'll take 15% off your bill. We arrived a little bit late, so we needed to catch up to everyone else. I'd seen a twitpic from Jax Food Critic of a perfect looking Mojito, so I was already thinking of ordering one. We perused the drink menu and saw an entire page dedicated to Mojitos. We ordered a "Coconut Lime" and a "Dragon Berry" (left and right respectively). . These Mojitos weren't syrupy. They were tasty and delicious and definitely gave the bartenders at Cheesecake a "run for the money". Next, we had to try their featured appetizers. First up? The Southern Nachos. These were a generous plate full of crunchy chips topped with the usual cheese, guacamole, sour cream, jalapenos (which I picked off), and tomatoes. What made these remarkable was the addition of Barbecued Pulled Pork and, instead of regular ol' cheese, it was smothered in a chipotle queso. These nachos had a flavorful, smokey flavor. I honestly would head here for happy hour JUST so I could order these. After a long day or week of work, sometimes I just want some queso and chips, THIS is just that and more. Plus for $6 these were a good deal. Usually nachos this big and tasty cost around $8-10. Plus the chips weren't charred, and we weren't left with dried out chips on the bottom. (I hate that...) You really need to come and try it for yourself. If you do, please let me know what you thought. Next up, per Adam's request, we ordered the calamari. The first time I tried this was at a chain Italian restaurant, and they were chewy and unimpressive. I have to say here they were tasty and not 'bouncy bouncy' like my first calamari experience, but still not my personal choice when there are so many other options available. Since I clearly have no knowledge of good calamari, I asked Adam, the calamari "expert," his thoughts. He said they we're tender and lightly fried. Compared to other restaurant calamari, it wasn't as spicy and slightly bland. It could handle some italian seasoning in the breading. The rings were slightly smaller than expected, but the plate was plentiful and more than enough. He'd order these again if we were there & had a taste for calamari. Lastly we sampled their Margherita Flatbread (above) and their Buffalo Chicken Flatbread (below). The Margherita was good, but a little dry. On the other hand, their Buffalo Chicken was good. The chicken tasted like it had been cubed and then spent time marinating in something similar to Franks Hot Sauce. (Franks rocks my socks.) Flatbreads are really popular at restaurants recently, and I'm used to a thin, dry crust. This was flaky and not dried out at all. After trying out their happy hour selections, we decided to stay and headed inside for dinner. We were also celebrating an anniversary, so we decided to indulge just a little bit. Our waiter was really helpful in assisting us to select a Cabernet Sauvignon. Since bottles are half price, why not! Plus, if you purchase the bottle, but would like to enjoy the rest of it at home, BlackFinn will package it up so you can safely bring it home with you. Adam knew exactly what he was ordering before we even sat down. On a previous visit (another anniversary), I'd enjoyed the Iron Skillet Lobster Mac -n- Cheese while Adam drooled from across the table. This time, that's exactly what he was ordering. Nothing could change his mind. My Shrimp and Grits (cakes) were really good and REALLY hot! The Tasso (ham) cream sauce was really flavorful and complimented the blackened shrimp. I also loved how they artfully stacked the grit cakes with two jumbo shrimp for an appetizing design. It wasn't just lumped on the plate. (Seasons 52 also makes sure their entrees are plated artfully). I do wish the dish title had said "cakes," (and not just the description) because I really had my heart on some buttery grits (Palm Valley Fish Camp style). It's ok though, I clearly survived, and honestly needed to save room for dessert!! Oh yes. Chocolaty melty Peanut Butter surprise! Drool. The official (and very deceptive) name is "BlackFinn Hot Chocolate." At first this looks so simple until you dig in to discover cakey brownie moist deliciousness. Then you're hooked on the peanut butter surprise that lines the bottom of the cup. The chocolate and peanut butter soufflé is served warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and caramel. It is definitely plenty to share among two or even three people.
(4)