Blackstone’s Pub & Grill

Decided to check out downtown Flint and this was our first stop! Spacious restaurant was pretty full on a Saturday night but we decided to sit at the bar anyways. (I like to be close to the taps! And they had several local Michigan beers.) the food service at the bar was a little slow, but there was only one bartender and it was a big bar! We got the Brussels sprouts app, which were crispy and savory. My fiancé got the Reuben which was one of the house specialties since it is Irish themed, and it was good and a big size for a sandwich. I got the «inside out» quinoa burger. On paper, it sounded like it would be really good. But in reality, it was impossible to eat. The quinoa buns were just formed rounds of quinoa that crumbled with each bite. The hummus and tzatiki sauce were the only things holding it together at all. I ended up eating it with a fork, and it still tasted good, but I wouldn’t recommend ordering it. There were a quite a few other menu items that sounded yummy (the kale!) so we will be back to try more.

I like the location and atmosphere, they have a decent selection of beers and the food is surprisingly good all though a bit pricey compared to others in walking distance though not enough that I would actually have to take it under consideration when picking a place and you get what you pay for the extra price is worth the extra quality
My biggest problem here is service, just having an attentive host or server is nigh impossible and getting their attention is equally difficult, though in fairness the place is under staffed and always busy, not shoulder to shoulder crowded but you will find yourself yelling a conversation across the table of you can get one
My suggestion is come before or after the standard nightly crowd

Love the Arizona Salad! I get one every time I’m in Flint. Tasty vegan if you substitute balsamic dressing for the spicy ranch.

We visited Blackstones this weekend with our 3 children and it was fabulous! The atmosphere is so cool, it’s dark but not depressing, the décor is very interesting and unique, I love the brick/​mortar showing on the inside. The wait staff was super friendly and very attentive. The food was very good! I loved the potato and leek soup, my children inhaled the mac and cheese, everything was just super! It was trendy yet fun and I though perfect for our young family. People who are critical of Flint need to take a stroll down town, visit the museums and see what a great place it is. I think my daughter put it perfectly when she said it was «so cool, like a Jr. Chicago!» LOL We WILL be back to Blackstone’s in the future and I can’t wait to introduce my friends to it!

Very nice find in Downtown Flint, right on the old brick street. This place was recommended to us by a local during our Longway Planetarium visit. Our party of 5 (3 generations) and found great food here.
We loved the décor, especially the Parking Garage Sign over the pool table. Great environment, great food, and fair prices. So happy to support Flint & it’s comeback.

The new menu is where it’s at! Congratulations on turning the details around and making Blackstone’s what it should be for downtown. I stopped in tonight and had a couple things from the new menu, the jalapeño app was great! The place was very busy and had a great atmosphere for a Saturday afternoon. Now one of the best downtown.

Food is okay. Nothing amazing. There’s much better places in downtown Flint. Can’t comment on it as a bar.

Great bar, but the food is definitely not worth it.
During my first outing, I ordered a Tomato Tower Salad that I sent back, after waiting for what seemed like an eternity (probably 40 minutes) for it to arrive. It was hideous and inedible and didn’t look appetizing at all. At that point, I proceeded to order a specialty pizza that turned out to be both rubbery and cold by the time it arrived, but I stuck with and opted not to send it back, too, because I was starving by then.
Everyone at our table had to send food back. It was ludicrous! Multiple dishes from just our table alone (a party of 10) being sent back to the kitchen throughout the course of the evening really brought down the mood of our party. It was supposed to be a nice birthday celebration, but with practically every dish being sent back, it sullied the vibe a bit.
Suffice it to say, food is not exactly in their wheelhouse. Nonetheless, the garlic cheese bread and cherry tomato caprese skewers were actually pretty decent on a return visit. I had low expectations, but found them good enough for bar food.
Fortunately, the drinks have always been great (good whisky sours, cosmos, martinis), with a nice selection of beers on tap.
The atmosphere is totally chill (the bar is located in the restored Blackstone’s Department building), but the service is hit or miss. The servers are friendly enough, just absent-​minded.
The outdoor seating on the patio is nice, especially if it’s too crowded inside. Service on the patio is a bit slower than inside, so there’s that warning.
Pricing is average for the downtown Flint area.

Went here for a late night meal (10ish) and the food was okay. Though service was seriously lacking though, took waitresses about 10 minutes to even greet me at the bar which was about half full. Not a bad place but wait staff seemed a little too distracted for my liking.

Nice atmosphere but I can’t and won’t recommend the food. If Blackstone’s could fix the food issue this place would be nice. Right now it’s just not a place to dine.

I’m split about this place, as an individial of celtic heritage I really want to like Irish theme bars so I’m admitedly biased. But the ratio of fruit flies to bar flies in this bar leaves much to be desired. The Sheppards pie is delicious. The beers do come available in ridiculously jumbo sized glasses only a redhead or a man with 2 livers could consume, and yet, somehow despite these perks it somehow fails to satisfy my hankering for a good time. More blarney than shenanigans, just lacks that sociable feel a true irish bar offers and instead leaves you feeling like you went to TGIFs.

After coming back to town I met up with friends. The waitress wasn’t particularly attentive and the food that my friend’s ordered was terrible. The Fresh Salmon burger was actually just some processed patty. The spaghetti buffet wasn’t even hot and the bread sticks looked like bread sticks bought from the pizza place down the street.

Ok plain and simple the food sucks… and is over priced. That being said I still like the place. They have good drinks, a nice selection of beer, and an incredible atmosphere. My advice to anyone is eat somewhere else then go to Blackstone’s to drink.

Went downtown Flint last night to celebrate New Years Eve and stopped by Blackstone for a drink. Not only was I told that they would not seat me or put my name on a list, I was also told by the hostess that I likely would not receive service at the bar if I chose to go there. The hostess claimed that they were too busy to seat us, but there were a couple open tables and several stools open at the bar. The hostess was rude, unhospitable, and likely lost money for her employer. As we were leaving we also saw her turn away a large group – we saw at least 20 people refused service last night. Hard to even get to review the food or service if you can’t get in the door…

Stop 1 of 3 on John H.‘s Hometown, Relief from Study + Family, Evening Out Tour. I arrived at the appointed time, but had to wait due to my brother’s U of M class letting out late. The bartender tuned the TV to Cards baseball for me (a very gracious gesture, given World Series outcomes of 2006 and 1934). Bell’s Two-​hearted Ale! Super-​sized Coconut Shrimp, just like a coconut donut (if you like that sort of thing). With marmalade. The dinner for the couple to the left of me looked very good, white plates, grilled tuna and all. The guys to the right of me went out for a while for smokes, and returned to their drinks intact. A group in back had some kind of buffet-​style meal. Great spot on the main strip of Flint’s downtown current renaissance, such as it is.

It’s loud.
50% of the food is good.
The food is fresh.
Expect to wait for a seat if it is prime time.
The drinks are average.
The waitstaff is very Abercrombie meets Hollister. It seems they only employ a certain type.
It’s usually dark and the menu changes every six months.
Try the Irish Onion Soup (as of June 2013, but this, too may change)

In the Flint area around dinner time, we got a recommendation to try Blackstone. While trying to locate the restaurant and parking, we ventured around town a little bit. The Blackstone was the only place with a crowd. Win. This place was boppin’. Many large parties, some dressed up and some casual. All walks of people were mingling. The band was great and the atmosphere was fun.
Service was pleasant. Our drinks took a while to arrive because the bartender is also the manager and had ‘managerial issues’ to take care of during the dinner rush.
The ‘Irish food’ on the menu is fairly expensive. Twice as much as the rest of the menu. It’s not like you import a boxty. I ordered a burger. It was cooked to my liking and the fries on the side were outstanding.
I wouldn’t make a special trip to come here. If I’m in the area, I may be back.

The first time I visited, the service was abismal and the food was cold and mediocre. Fortunately I was convinced to go again and all 4 times I’ve been back, the staff has been friendly and the food tasty.
The décor and vibe is casual and welcoming and the fish & chips is the best thing on the menu. Other than the daily soup, that is.
Great little restaurant and I hope it continues to do well.

I’ve only been here a handful of times since it re-​opened, but all my meals have been enjoyable. A dish that stood out to me on my last visit was the Tomato Bisque, which I think was a special that day. I don’t know if I’d make a special trip downtown just for Blackstone’s, but if I was in the area it’s definitely a good dining option.

Poor service.
Long wait for the drink order.
Water arrived with debris in the glass.
When food arrived it was not as ordered.
After waiting for the server to return I ate it anyways.
After the meal was done and the drinks gone, only then did the server return to check on us.
Left and came back quite some time later with our check.
Grrrrrrr.