Blackbird Tavern

The service is great and the food is even better! My waiter Zack was the best. The Margaritas were undeniably one of the best I’ve ever had! The lobster roll special was amazing! The Tex mex egg rolls are fire! And the burger and the chicken wrap I’ve had it all! I’ve eaten from here 25 times in the last year and I love this restaurant! The owners are a little off but they’re nice, in my opinion and I think they should show their employees a little more appreciation because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be as frequent a customer.

The Blackbird is awesome. It is certainly a local spot for people in the Durham/​Middlefield area, but they cook up some great food and usually have good beers on tap, too.
I recommend ordering the wings. The last time I was there I had the spicy mango wings which were very spicy yet sweet (just how I like them). I also had a margarita that I asked the bartender to make spicy and it was delicious — I could actually taste the jalapeño in it.
For dinner, I had a salad and my boyfriend had the spicy steak sandwich. I would say the salads are fine but the sandwiches or wraps are better. I am probably saying this because the shoe string french fries that come with the sandwiches are amazing and crispy.
There is a river that runs along the back of the restaurant and if it is nice out, there is outdoor seating. The staff is friendly, knowledgable and the bar itself is pretty neat in terms of it’s décor.
If you are ever in the area, make your way to Blackbird.

Two words — fish tacos — the best I’ve tasted since Key west maji mahi sandwich –service was excellent — very homey and comfortable. The experience was like eating at home with loved ones after being away for so long.

Our 2 friends and my husband and I ate here last week and I can’t even tell you how much we loved the food! We ordered the lobster roll, flank steak, scallops and a turkey burger. They all came with their delicious fries. There is really nothing I can say that wasn’t up to our expectations. Oh yeah… my husband and the other husband had carrot cake and you wouldn’t believe the enormous piece you get! And freakin’ delicious!!! I would highly recommend this great little diamond in the rough! Loved it!!!

Amazing everything, very good american food and great atmosphere. Burgers are tasty, loved the fried pickles and jalapenos!

My husband and I had dinner their tonight based on reading the reviews. We arrived @ 5:45 which was actually a perfect time for a Saturday night! We were able to be seated right away at a table but we’re lucky enough that seats had just opened up at the bar. There is no Happy Hour or «bar apps» but at this place that is not an issue! The bar itself only has ¹⁰⁄₁₂ seats at the actual BAR, really Quaint but the actual Bar Room has several tables if that is your comfort zone WE loved it and would NOT have wanted to be seated in any other room but the BAR. So as for the Food/​pub style atmosphere it so much has 5 star atmosphere but REALLY people it’s the kind of place to Chill and Relax‼ if your up tight and in a hurray and want an IN and OUT then go some place else. This is the kind of place YOU get what YOU pay for! It’s not a chain place where «hurry up people» we want and need your table or seat. at the barReally take your time and enjoy your evening because Rob (part owner) who is also the bar tender is great and we also met Dan at the bar were so calm and easy no matter how crazed it was. We took up 2 bar seats for 1. ½ hours by eating drinking and socializing. It was our first time taking the chance from reviews
If you are an uptight person or being on a first date then plan way ahead for time because theirs no need to give this place a poor star rating for waiting because it’s NOT a big seating place for dinner and THEY do not rush anyone to hurry up we need your seat‼‼‼ if you came to experience the place and enjoy Your Food and atmosphere this is the place! We definitely will be back.

This place is our Cheers. Perfect drinks. Perfect food. Perfect people. Can’t go wrong. My favorite cocktail is the Ruby Red Martini. Classic rock music all the time!!! Come and eat and drink. You won’t regret it!

Excellent service from the wait service using a tag team approach. No waiting for YOUR waiter to come by. Excellent food, warm atmosphere and nice selection of beer. Back in town again in a few months and will be back. I would give them 5 stars, but for the cramped tables in the back room. Ask for a booth.

Really neat out of the way pub!
Solid pub food selection, nachos and chicken fingers are good, sandwiches are excellent! They have their version of a steak and cheese which is stellar, and the specials are awesome! I highly recommend the salmon burger or fish taco wrap– both are delicious! Fries are a bit different, something you either love or hate…
Really cool old school design on the inside, definitely a throwback!
Service is friendly, bar pours a strong drink which is just how a pub should do it!

Very cute place. A little out of the way (which some people might like). The ambiance is spectacular. Quaint and romantic, the bar overlooks a brook with a small waterfall. The food is pub style and they have good drinks. Ordered fried asparagus as an appetizer and a Reuben sandwich with sweet potato fries. Not so good for my figure, but very tasty. Good place for a date, though I met with a friend. Met some locals who were super friendly and joked with them for a good 10 minutes as we were packing up. Ended up at the bar for another drink because we didn’t want to leave. Great place!

Blackbird Tavern is within walking distance and worth every step, even in the rain. The wait staff is quick, courteous, and entertaining. The food is top notch. The prices are reasonable. I recommend the scallops and burgers. The french fries are fresh made, never frozen, and perfectly prepared; worth a trip on their own.

Food is delish — try the chipotle dressing. Waitresses are lovely and atmosphere is great when you’re in the mood for classic rock

I come here all the time with my friends and family. Food is consistently fresh and delicious. I always get a couple Blue moons with orange and the «crispy chicken wrap» only with BBQ instead of honey mustard (not really a fan of their homemade honey mustard) The service is always friendly and on point, and the atmosphere is warm & comfy. Really cool vintage pictures of music legends all over the place. Honestly blackbird has quickly become my favorite place to go eat in Durham and Middlefield.

What a strange and wonderful place. Home of the creepy blackbirds peering out of a beamed ceiling. Located in an unassuming residential area, Blackbird Tavern is a pretty awesome neighborhood watering hole with some of the best bar food I’ve had. Surprisingly fantastic pulled pork, cheese smothered nachos (cheese on every chip! Such luxury!) with blackened chicken, and a really solid menu of everything from apps to Cajun specials for Mardi Gras, and a locally inspired draft list (Black Hog, Two Roads, Back East, and some other decent CT breweries). Friendly service and a well stocked bar. What’s not to love? If this was a little bit closer and not so off the beaten path, I’d be a regular indeed.

I love this place. Every now and then I get a craving for a burger, and theirs are great. The french fries are equally memorable, but the portions are huge! Normally I am actually pretty good at leaving food on my plate when the portions are too big, but I can’t seem to stop eating those fries. My wife has tried most of the regular menu items and everything she has had has been very good to excellent, but I just have to order the burger.
This is also a great place for weekend breakfasts. Their omletes are all excellent and the pancakes are first class.
Also, the service is always fantastic. The servers are all very friendly, attentive and extremely competent.

On 4÷19÷14, I was in Connecticut visiting with 2 friends (I’m from the Boston area). While trying to find a restaurant that would please both meat-​eaters and vegetarians, we decided to give the Blackbird a try. I ordered the Black Angus Burger, and my friends both ordered the Portabella Salad. My 2 friends and I are all music buffs, so we found the ‘70s/​psychedelic/​hippie atmosphere fun and interesting.
While we were waiting for our food, something unexpected came up and we had to leave as soon as possible. We flagged down our waitress, explained our situation and asked her if we could get our orders to go. She was very understanding, and put us at ease. If we caused them any inconvenience, you’d never know it. They brought us our check right away so that when our food arrived, we could go right out the door.
I don’t normally like to eat sit-​down restaurant food as take-​out. I usually feel like something is lost in transportation, and after the 10-​minute ride back to my friend’s house, I expected my meal to have suffered from having been trapped inside a Styrofoam steam chamber. Instead, I enjoyed what was one of the best burgers I have had in a very long time. It was as warm as if it had just been delivered to my table. They got my toppings request (no LTO) right, which sounds like a little thing, but you wouldn’t believe how many places can’t get a simple request like that right. The shoestring fries were crispy and delicious. My friends also enjoyed their salads very much. We all agreed that it would be well worth returning there in the future.
If I have one complaint, it’s that their online menu needs to be updated to reflect current prices, as the burger ended up costing a bit more than their website said, and what I was therefore expecting. Having said that, it was still what I would regard as a reasonable price. When I factor in how well they treated us, I can’t even bring myself to subtract a star because of the price discrepancy.
On a final note, the best compliment I can give the Blackbird Tavern is that I was so impressed with them that it led me, a person who is usually extremely resistant to signing up on new sites, to make an account here so that I could give them the good review they deserved.

Woah. I drove like 15 minutes from the dirty ‘den and landed at the Blackbird Tavern. Which appears to be in a bucolic Vermont mill setting, but it’s right in Meriden and Middletown’s back yards, Middlefield. It’s just lovely, inside and out. Rustic, charming, and totally comfortable.
Sometimes (most times) I’m kind of afraid to go to a new place by myself. I don’t fit in at most joints, and I dress like Cam from Modern Family. That’s just who I am. At the Blackbird Tavern, I felt welcome and appreciated. I snagged the last vacant bar seat, around 6:30. On one side of me was a couple who were about ten years older than me, and I think I kind of crowded the guy because there wasn’t a lot of room around that last bar stool. But instead of puffing out his chest, the guy was like, «it’s cool, I can share space with someone who has a game boy phone case!» I know, but my «professional» looking phone case broke, so I have the hipster case on it now. Anyway, I chatted with this couple for a while and they were great. They were clearly regulars, as were many of the patrons, but didn’t make me feel like an outsider in the slightest. Quite the opposite, in fact. The vibe was kind of like a calm, fun, friendliness. I can’t imagine anyone feeling unwelcome here, except assholes.
In addition to the crowd, the food was very good. I went with Dave’s steak and cheese, which has bacon, jalapeños, peppers, and onions in addition to the title characters. It was amazing, and obviously a decadent treat that shouldn’t be consumed more than once a year. But holy shit, it was good. It was huge, came with fries, and was ten bucks. That’s cheap as hell. The drinks were as expected, it was seven bucks for a stoli and soda. They have a ton of nice beers too. So if you’re into micro brews, this is definitely the place to go. They have fancier food on the restaurant menu (I ordered from the tavern menu) and I’m looking forward to coming back to try some of those dishes. Blackbird tavern, I am absolutely thrilled to make your acquaintance.

I was really impressed with this place, the location is great, very pretty and the atmosphere is very fun. The quality of the food is to notch and the service is fast and friendly. I had the Ahi salad, and for the price I was blown away.

Classic small tavern in an old mill house on a brook in Middlefield with a small but comfortable outdoor dining deck, a nice bar and a couple of comfortable indoor seating areas. Beer selection is small but adequate, with Dogfish 60 IPA on draft. Nice tavern menu with a daily rota of specials. The deep fried pickles and jalapenos make for a great starter followed by fish tacos (really a fish wrap) off the special menu, all fresh and delicious. My wife had an order of quesidillas (very substantial portions) and a fresh but somewhat plain salad. They’ll be renovating shortly so we’ll be making a trip down to see what changes are in store.

I really do love this place. atmosphere is great. Menu is creative. Just a neat little local place. I am rating it low because the food is very inconsistent. Sometimes its great, other times its bland and boring.
My wife ordered me a buffalo chicken salad to go. Got home and it was basically a handful of lettuce with a few slices of chicken. Nothing Buffalo about it. Even if it was the right salad (say a house salad with chicken) it would be boring and disappointing.