Black Duck Cafe

Great little Diners Drive-ins and Dives restaurant. One of the first season restaurants still putting out the favorites. A must stop if you are anywhere near, Trust me I also have a DDD restaurant, The Pastrami Project. We had the Lobster Reuben sandwich, a classic lobster roll and the Black Duck Burger, curly and regular fries and Onion rings.

I had a delightful experience at the Black Duck Pub. The black duck cheeseburger with fries was exceptional—juicy, flavorful meat cooked to perfection. The atmosphere was inviting and casual, with a cozy pub vibe that felt warm and welcoming. The staff were incredibly friendly and accommodating, enhancing the overall dining experience. Sitting on the deck overlooking the tranquil Saugatuck River was a highlight, offering a picturesque backdrop that added to the charm of the meal. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and would highly recommend it for a relaxed yet memorable dining outing. 5 stars!

I love this place! I and everyone I know have been coming here and enjoying for decades. It’s a classic famous Fairfield county establishment. Legendary! Unfortunately, I had the worst customer service experience I have ever had in my entire life. This is the first time I have ever been compelled to leave a negative review. I have been in the hospitality, customer service and retail industry my entire life. The bar tender was so nasty rude and ugly words can’t even describe. She treated me like I was annoying her and had no right to be there. Sick disgusting attitude, rolling her eyes, shaking her head and sighing. I did absolutely nothing to deserve this treatment. I just walk in the door. Very sad sick and disappointing. She hates what she does for a living and it glaringly shows. I’m so sorry you are so compassionate to continue to employ vial things like this. God bless you. She doesn’t appreciate how kind you are to continue to employ something as horrible as it. The worst I have ever encountered I my entire lifetime. I’m thinking about calling channel 12 news and every media and digital media outlet in the area and then some. So sick and embarrassing!

Literally a barge permanently anchored on the Saugatuck River, "The Duck" is Fairfield County's dive bar of over 60 years! Fresh catch of the day seafood and other bar favorites are sure to satisfy anyone's appetite. From 4-630is happy hour where drinks and apps are half off. Always a good time when Craig, Jules, Bobby or Tracy are tending bar. The food is mostly great but some items, such as the Lobster Mac & Cheese and Potato Skins are forgettable, but the homemade soups, crab cakes, po boys, wings and stuffed burgers are excellent!

Totally unique. Not sure what's holding this place above the water below though?

A barge on the river with lots of character. I'm not a New Englander so I'm probably easily impressed but I loved the fried clams and steak fries and the clam chowder warmed my soul. The service was super friendly and attentive...we were there for lunch on a weekday.

This place was better than anticipated. Excellent food. Excellent service. Rena was incredibly attentative. We had a great time. Thank you again.

This place is amazing! The food is fantastic, and they have a great selection of steaks and beers. Even though we were traveling with big suitcases, we found a plant room where we could charge our phones. I highly recommend this place to everyone.

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

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

The ice cream is, indeed, phenomenal at MOMU Ice Cream, and reflecting often en route there when Summer 2024 came, neighboring Black Duck Cafe seemed like a must visit. Black Duck Cafe has great Steak Fries, ordered separately, and Pulled Pork Sliders. Not Fried Shrimp Basket and Cajun Popcorn Shrimp! Fried Shrimp Basket and Cajun Popcorn Shrimp were not freshly made... made with reused cooking oils and unfresh-as-unfresh-can-be shrimp, most untasty that Trader Joe's Gluten Free Breaded Shrimp and Popeyes' Popcorn Shrimp are all-stars with better texture and taste. Fried Shrimp Basket, supposedly "hand-battered and fried," but it wasn't even fully fried, just the head parts, and never crispy but extra rubbery. $26 rip-off for 5 tiny, "fried" shrimp, and with a hungry-woman ton of reheated regular, side fries- sad-looking, greasily limp. Fries should never be reheated! Cajun Popcorn Shrimp, poorly-seasoned, no tastiness in old flour batter and medium fried, was slightly better than the significantly- tasting badly, really UNFried Shrimp Basket. Packed with huge flavor, the three Pulled Pork Sliders, more Texas-style BBQ than Latinx Pernil, were piled high with meat and doused in tangy-sweet sauce and gooey cheese inside pillowy, soft buns.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What a cool little place! My husband and I stopped by here on our way to Massachusetts, desperate for some food and to escape traffic. The atmosphere is nice and they had really really good live music. They had great drinks and the food was amazing and hot! The service was also pretty great! They have a nice little outside seating area on the water. Definitely can't wait to stop back in!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beware of the new drink policy and price. No more pint size mix drinks. Small mix drink higher price than the old pint size drink. Now have to wait for the waitress to come around again to get another if she is not busy

What are you doing. You have lost your charm. New Menu is Awful. New staff is HORRIBLE...young kids no spirit, went to see our favorite waitress she's gone. She has the Biggest friendliest smile and personality ever, now woke drone children with no personality why don't you just sink yourself. Food was always mediocre but atmosphere was fun. Not anymore...Keep it.

Historic local icon with killer wings, chill old school yankee ambiance and the kind of service that makes you feel like family. This would be an unequivocal five-star review but the new management doesn't seem to understand what makes this place so special. Here's hoping they see the light!

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

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

My wife and I have been going to The Black Duck for 25 years. It used to be amazing for its burgers, steaks, and lobster roll. We went last night and we were so disappointed. The once-great huge, cheese stuffed burgers and steak fries are now small and run-of-the -mill, with the cheese nowhere to be found and the fries mediocre. And what used to be our go-to steak place no longer offers the variety of great steaks that it used to. The last time we had the lobster roll, that was still awesome and I hope it stays that way. The potato skins app was also excellent. And the servers were very nice and on their game. And of course, it's always a great place for a drink or two. I just hope the menu can find some of its former quality.jsfjsf

This place is your classic DDD. We sat at the bar on a Tuesday night. They had a good selection of drafts on tap. We tried the mango habanero wings which were great! They had the Perfect amount of kick to them. We also each had the stuffed cheese burger and split fries. The curly fries are a a must if adding a side of fries. There are a few tables on the deck with the water view. I would note previous customers mentioned the apps and entrees came out together and this did happen but the bartender apologized and the burger was still warm when we were finished with the wings. We didn't try any of the seafood but I would def come back for the burger and most of all the wings if in the area and looking for some solid no frills bar food!

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

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

I have been going to the Duck for decades, its an institution for us locals-new management and getting rid of seasoned staff.... Bad move, I among many will not be back

do not go here. service is awful-in fact non-existent. new owner has ruined this gem.

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

Place was great for a night bar, burgers were good, servers went above and beyond... loved the live music..

Visited on 8/8/22 after boat ride down the Saugatuck River. Sara was our server and was excellent. Not our first visit and great as always. Perfect drinks, excellent service, fair pricing and excellent food. Never a disappointment.

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

Simply the best burgers in Connecticut. Have been going there for years. The drinks are smooth and the food is amazing. I usually get the stuffed butane it's always prepared to perfection. My favorite appetizer is the clam chowder. The atmosphere is very casual and the scenery is superb. It's located on the Sagatuck River. The Black Duck is and always will be my go to place for a nice casual atmosphere with great food

Close your eyes. Picture a dive bar. Open your eyes. You're in The Duck Tavern. How do you know you're in a good dive bar? How do you know this is where the locals go? Well, I arrived at 4PM thinking it would be close to empty only to discover it was as busy as most places would wish to be in "prime time". I found the one and only vacant seat at the bar. Everyone there knew one another and everyone knew I was a newbie. The bar was lined with trophies and plaques for their sponsored teams of patrons. Yes, this was definitely a locals bar. Their beer selection was excellent for such a small place. I was disappointed (yes, I am a beer snob) to see people drinking Millers and Buds when their beer list was exceptional for a place of this caliber. I guess they can argue drinking those beers are cheaper, but I can counter that while you are drinking that water beer at a lower price, you could pay twice as much for a craft beer that tastes delicious and has a higher alcohol content. Therefore, it takes you buying three of your cheaper beers to equal the alcohol level (and none of the taste) of the craft beers. For me, this place is all about the clams. They are the best! They taste of the ocean with hints of sand and saltwater and all in the best ways possible.

Lunch time. $29 1 plain cheese burger 2 miller lites. What a fkn joke! Should have gone to terry lodge next door. These ppl ought to be ashamed of themselves for these prices. First off the place is a dirtbag shit hole Which is great if ur looking for a dive. We go to dives hoping to find unexpected gems for piss poor prices. That's not what this is at all. this is premium prices for mediocre bar food Cheese burger $15 Add $2 for 6 fries to come on the plate. $6 pints of millers.. I spent $29 before tip. On a disgusting burger and 2 shitty millers. Do not come here!!!!!!! Save your time, your money, your dignity. Shitty service, shittier food, shittiest prices! I regret this decision I bet it was good before it was on diners drive ins and dives. Now they've let themselves go and are banking on their fame. But this plave needs to break off its pier and sink with its heavy prices.

went here with a friend for an early dinner- ordered clams casino to start and a lobster roll. My friend ordered fish and chips. Everything was good and my lobster roll was FULL! Worth the price for the amount of lobster. My only complaint was that the service was slow and we had to wait about 20 mins after we finished eating for the check... It got a bit frustrating.

Great place to drink, but the food has gone way downhill. The stuffed clams were overly wet with a mushy pasty consistency. Fresh onion soup had no taste and the cheese was so burnt it was black and inedible. Burgers were blah. The service was lacking, had to stand up from my table and walk to the bar for refills. They didn't bring dressing with the salad. Didn't bring sauce with the wings. I used to love this place but is definitely off the list. They need to take down the diners drive ins and dives sign. Those days are done.