I like the Duck! Moved to the area about a year ago and came here after it had been recommended by several people. It took a couple of visits for me to 'get it'...1st visit = 'This place is a dump'...2nd visit = 'I kinda get it now...local flavor and has some charm'...3rd visit and thereafter = Great sort of hole in the wall place with really good and homey seafood specialties...Focus on the classics i.e., the fried oyster po' boy (my favorite)...the fried clams, lobster roll, etc. If you want some good comfort food and you like to wash it down with a few good beers you will not be disappointed. In short, if you know what your coming for you'll be happy. read more

Worst place I have ever been to. Overpriced, filthy, and rude staff. I sincerely thought it was one of those places where you go to and the staff is rude to you as a novelty, where it's all in good fun, as it turns out, no, they're really just that rude. read more

Food is good for bar food but for some reason they recently changed their menus and things are now soooo overpriced it is ridiculous. $5.00 clams on Wed- great. $17 for a salad with chicken or $15 for a burger? Nah..not when I can go to Kelly's in Rye and get a huge burger for $5. read more

I went to this place because when I saw the menu online it advertised 8 and 10 oz "big and bigger" burgers. So I ordered the "big" burger and my friend got a Cobb salad I think. When my burger came, it wasn't small, but I was really thinking I was getting like a giant burger and I was disappointed (only by size, I go to a place that's home of the 7 oz burger and that burger is like GIANT). The burger was still really delicious, and I'll go back and have another. My friends salad though was quite impressive in size, a giant bowl of salad, so that's cool. read more

We live in Westport and were driving around that day and decided to give it a shot. We had seen the DDD episode featuring the Black Duck and said what the heck. the service was friendly but a little slow and it was not crowded. I ordered the Po boy and it was very good with fries, which were also pretty good (you can buy frozen fries and it will taste the same. My wife ordered a burger and amazingly it did not come with any topping (lettuce, etc). It was very good.. We paid $33 bucks for this "dive" restaurant, which was overpriced. read more

Great Long Island iced tea! Bocce atmosphere and if you are craving seafood this is the spot

I had a craving for whole belly clams and a few hours to kill so my 11 year old daughter and I stopped in. The place was crowded but we waited about 10 minutes for a table. The service was a little slow (restaurant full at 2pm on a Sunday) but staff was friendly so it wasn't that bad. Draft beer is ice cold. Daughter had clam chowder which was good, I ordered crawfish which also didn't disappoint. My clams came and they were great, except that they may have have sat in the window for a little while which made them a little soggy. My daughter has a shrimp Po-Boy which was delicious, the roll was very good. I would definitely give it another try, maybe not ordering the clams, but it was great overall. read more

This is for sure a 5 star in it's class, just great food all the way around, love the steamers and stuffed clams. Only wish that I was closer, now live in Florida but will be back when in Ct. read more

Great dive bar ambience right on the water. Piles of food. Friendly service.

The bar tender - she's an older woman, was so extremely rude to my friends and me. It was appalling and completely uncalled for. The only tip I have for her is that kindness goes a long way. Don't go here... I'll never be back. read more

Went to the Black Duck last night to see one of my favorite bands play. Found out that they had double booked bands and my friend's band couldn't play because the other band set up first. When we asked the Manager what was going on, he said he didn't know who was scheduled and he didn't care. Even though my friend's band had been booked for months and had called to confirm. This in NOT COOL of an establishment. Needless to say me and my 6 friends left immediately! We were told that 4 other tables left too. I guess they don't care about losing customers. read more

Lots of mediocre reviews on here, but I had a wonderful experience! I got a chili dog and it was AMAZING. I got the one that has chili and coleslaw. It was perfect. The hot dog is delicious, meaty... mmmmm... and the chili is spicy... and the slaw is creamy... soooo good. (and only $5!!) My boyfriend got a burger and enjoyed it but wasn't overly impressed. Definitely a great place, especially if you get the chili dog!!!! read more

This place is (was?) a staple in the area. Pretty sure Hurricane Sandy did her in. But if she happens to float back to shore, its worth a pop by. If for no other reason than to see some westport "norms" staring at their beers. read more

Wow probably the most bland average sad place I've eaten in years. Clearly stays in business because of the price point --pay like 20% more almost anywhere else and get edible food! read more

Ok so the food is good. I had the blue cheese stuffed burger and it was amazing... Warning it did add at least two inches to my waist. BUT... The service is amazingly bad. Expect to wait at least 45 minutes for anything to arrive ... including the beers. Yes it has ambience and a good vibe but the service really let's this place down. They do try but two serving staff for the the whole place is just wrong. read more

So I went last week when in the area on a Friday night. It was crowded took a while to get a table, So I heard about the stuffed burgers but thought since it was on a barge I should get sea food. I got steamers and a cold combo. My friend got wings and fries. She asked the waitress to burn them to a crisp. Any how that did not happen and she was kind enough to adjust the bill. The steamers were ok but a bit over priced, The shrimp on the cold combo was huge and tasty, the clams were not shucked completely and underwhelming. read more

Great seafood, great drinks-awesome prices!! Surprised that the floors are so off level! Thought I was drunk even before we sat down but is definitely a big factor of the ambiance and loved it :-) very unique place! read more

Classic Westport dive, it's an institution. The food is not bad pretty basic tho, nothing really kills it. It's the perfect place for fried food and lots of beer. read more

Came in tonight with a group of about 22 women. My mom called a few days ahead of time to ask if they could accommodate us all and they were very helpful and accommodating. Everything went smoothly with ordering meals. I had the brie stuffed burger and French onion soup. Both were delicious. 2 of my friends has the lobster roll and enjoyed it and my mom had the blue cheese stuffed burger and enjoyed it. Our waitress was great and helpful. I will definitely be back!!! read more

We targeted this diner on a road trip because it was on the Food Network. The location was interesting and cool (hidden behind other buildings) and the description of the blue collar restaurant is true. Just like people said, it took awhile to get the food. The burgers were just ok and really small. I would have enjoyed it as more of a place to drink than a place to eat dinner. read more

Again, went here bc of the food network.... I guess they don't know what kind of standards westport has for decent food. Anyway calm chowder was good, rest was forgettable. Seems like a 'regular crowd' at the bar. Not my style of place. read more

Unfortunate Experience. Staff had a very elitist attitude for a dive bar. Good location, but there are plenty of other places nearby that will be getting my business before these entitled brats see me again. read more

I went for the first time today for lunch. The food was awesome, the clam chowder was delicious. My friend got the french onion soup and while I didnt have any, it looked DELICIOUS. I got the shrimp po boy with curly fries, it was really, really good. I cant wait to go back to try a buger. read more

Black Duck Cafe - Shrimp Po Boy with curly fries. - Bars Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

I love the ambiance....the steamers gave me food poisoning! I went here because it was on Diners, Drive ins and Dives. I should have realized he complimented the garlic bread and broth more that the steamers. Literally....FOOD POISONING. read more

I think people come here for steamers quite a bit and I understand they are wonderful. I visited this restaurant in early May. Took my husband there, our daughter and granddaughter for a birthday lunch. My granddaughter had chicken fingers and they looked fine though I didn't try them. The rest of us had fried seafood. My daughter had fried shrimp and I had fried scallops. Bad. Really bad. Greasy, overcooked. We were very disappointed. I would stay away from the fried seafood choices. read more

My husband and I stop at the Black Duck whenever we travel to NYC from Maine. The Oyster Po Boy can't be beat. The oysters are fresh and juicy with a nice light crumb coating. The sandwich never disappoints. We love to sit at the bar overlooking the river. Great location ang very friendly staff. read more

The kitchen does not disappoint. I do lunch on Mondays and wendesdays. Soups,clams,fried clams for this area have no rivals. Not enough help for lunch crowd so plan if you are in a hurry. If not enjoy the river makes everything better. read more

Went for drinks and to listen to the live band on Saturday night around 10. Great band for classic rock. Fun crowd spanning gen x to boomers and bartenders that were attentive and entertaining (thanks Glen!). Great drinks, great time. read more

Rudest bar tender ever! Table we were supposed to sit at was missing a stool. Table was in the bar. Couldn't find hostess so I went to the bar. BIG MISTAKE! My first time there and I didn't read all of the reviews here or I would have seen that he was already mentioned in other reviews as being rude. I asked him if there was another stool available because there weren't any others I could find. He looked at me with a scowl and said I didn't hear a word you just said. So I repeated it and he said if you want a stool you're going to have to find one. Right there, I should have walked out but I didn't. So I said the stool that goes with that table is being used by a little boy playing video games. Do you have another stool? He said if you want the stool go and tell him to get off. Or I suppose you want me to tell him? I just wanted another stool. Why he chose to go there I don't know. He has the biggest chip on his shoulder and was looking for an argument. At this point I was really getting aggravated so I walked away. While this was going on my friend had managed to find the hostess and asked her to bring us another stool. Then all of a sudden I hear the bartender yelling to the little boy to get off the stool. And he yells out to me so everyone can hear him are you happy vampira? Then he says to the other people near us don't go near those two they'll bite you. I don't know what his problem is or if he thought he was being funny but he wasn't funny. He was insulting and humiliating. We left and will never go back. If that was his goal, he succeeded. I'm sure there are lots of other bartenders who could use a job that have nice personalities. Most bartenders do! One more thing....the floor where the stool was missing was all soft and bumpy and felt as if it was going to fall through at any minute. Not safe. If there was a stool there, and I sat on it, it would have been wobbly, uncomfortable and unsafe to sit there. I don't know about you, but no matter how good the food is or might be, it doesn't matter if you're being bullied by the bartender! I'll spend my money somewhere else where I'm welcomed with a smile and not insulted. They should get rid of that bartender, remodel the place and make it safe! read more

So I love the Black Duck for many years of popping in for a drink at the bar..some wings. But here's the latest experience. Went on a winter weekday for lunch. The place was FREEZING cold. Air was coming in all over. Only warm place was the bathroom and guessing the kitchen, Draught beers are as expensive there as they are in much finer places. Prices raised! Food too. Po boy sandwich had 5 medium to small shrimp. Basket of shrimp would have been way better deal..and ask for a roll to make your own po boy! So $60 not including tip got us two sandwichs (one being just a burge)r and two draft beers. I am not cheap but for the setting and the temp we sat in, I think this was way overboard.(forgive the pun) Ill take my $60 and buy a nice price fixed lunch for 2 somewhere else. Ill come bck for one expensive draft and listne to music...or try mixed drinks..maybe more reasonable. I think the Guy Fieori thing has gone a bit too far with the Black Duck and their prices reflect it. Bet Guy woudlnt have liked just 5 small shrimp on a po boy. read more

The clams casino and curry lamb and rice soup were great. The fried oysters were crunchy and juicy. For dessert, the chocolate truffle cake and the chocolate polenta were awesome and the quality were out of this world. Unfortunately, i was disappointed in 3 areas; the menu description for the real Mccoy said that it was "GIGANTIC". It was pathetic and I posted a picture here. You decide if it is gigantic. The lobster cocktail was rubbery, no idea when this was cooked but it didnt taste like it was cooked today. Lastly the fried shrimp basket was described as a "generous portion". Their idea of generous is 3 fried shrimp. I have been here many times and like to try something other than the burgers, steamers and po boys. Just wish they were more forthright because it ruins my experience. read more

Black Duck Cafe - Real McCoy - Bars Near Me - Westport, Connecticut

First, let me start by telling you that the only reason I paid a visit to the Black Duck Cafe, is that I saw it on an episode of "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" (DDD). Secondly, in sticking with the title of the show, the place is definitely a DIVE. Thirdly, by my experience, I must always take Guy Fieri's opinions with a grain of salt. Which is more flavoring than the meal I had. Lastly, here is my review: Starting out from the Bronx, I used my GPS to get to the restaurant. When I reached my destination, the GPS informed me that "You have arrived". But I did not see the Black Duck Cafe. It is not visible from the road. I thought my GPS had mislead me. Now, I wish it had. It is behind another restaurant, which from the outside, looks much nicer. So, imagine my disappointment when I entered the Black Duck Cafe's driveway and saw how much of a dive it really is. Upon entering, I was greeted by....no one! I stood there for about a minute. Then a guy yelled out from behind the bar "ANYWHERE!" Huh! He agained yelled out "ANYWHERE! SIT ANYWHERE!" I picked a table near the door, opposite the bar. It took about 10 minutes for any of the wait staff to acknowledge my existence. Maybe it would have helped if I had spiked blonde hair; sunglasses on the back of my neck and flip-flop slippers on. Eventually, a gentleman came to my table and more, or less asked me what I wanted. I'm pretty sure that's what he mumbled because he had his writing pad out. I decided on two appetizers and a burger (which I saw on DDD). The appetizers were Popcorn Shrimp and Crab Cakes. The burger was the Marty's Wisconsin Cheddar Burger. I also ordered a Root Beer soda (btw, the beverages are nowhere listed on the menu). First out was the Root Beer soda. It was served in a 12 oz. platic cup and contained about 10 oz. of ice. It didn't taste much like Root Beer (maybe the ice is made with the water from the river outside the window). Next out were the appetizers. The crab cakes were about the size of hockey pucks...and the same color too. As I cut into the crab cake, a little puddle of glistening oil came to the top. The inside looked nothing like crab. It had all the consistency of mashed potatos and all the taste of instant mashed potatos. I'll have to take their word for it that the were "CRAB" cakes. The Popcorn shrimp was, let me find the right words here. Oh, yeah! DISGUSTING! Each piece was about the size of the top of my thumb. However, the shrimp encased inside the badly seasoned breadcrumbs were about the size of my pinky's finger nail. I took the breading off a few pieces to taste the shrimp itself. It had NO taste. LITERALLY! How is that possible? How can food item have NO TASTE? I guess my compliments to the chef are in order for that achievement. Last out was the burger. It was perhaps one of the least appetizing looking plates of food I have seen since, well, grammer school lucnh! The bun was a soft and soggy roll. The burger sat on the bun looking nothing like the one I saw on DDD. Unless Guy Fieri's tastebuds have been destroyed by the same bleach he uses on his spiked hair, I don't know how he could have anything positive to day about them. The cheese was more like Cheez-Wiz and the burger didn't even taste like meat. Again, it had NO taste. My compliments to the chef again. The only taste came from the burnt outside. At least I got to taste GRILL. The french fries were lame and the coleslaw came inside a paper cup. I didn't bother to try it. In hindsight, I'd have to say I would have had a better meal at either of the two McDonald's I passed along the way on I-95 at about a third of the cost. A Filet-o-Fish, a Big Mac and a Large Coke probably would have run me $10 (and no tip is required). My Black Duck Cafe experience cost me $35 (including tax and tip). read more

Not only had the food taken an incredibly long time but when it did arrive I didn't have the sauce I asked for on my chicken but did find a hair in my meal. Yum. Another person I went with ordered a burger but didn't get any toppings on it or the side of mayo he asked for, and it took another 25 minutes for them to bring out lettuce and tomato on a slow Sunday afternoon. I will not be returning read more

I'd like to start by saying that this particular restaraunt is what inspired me to open a Yelp account. I want to make sure I can prevent as many people as possible from wasting their hard earned money at this place. On 08/04/10, my fiance and I drove 2 hours down the shore, to go to The Black Duck Cafe after seeing it on The Food Network. My fiance wanted to bring me there for my birthday. After the long drive, we followed our gps, and could not find the place, so we called. Much to our surprise the young girl who answered the phone had no idea how to tell us, it's behind another building. No problem... yet. So, we enter the tiny, loud, and no need to sugarcoat it, dive bar. And stood waiting to be seated for 45 minutes, without even being acknowledged, granted there were only two waitresses, but they walked by us dozens of times, without so much as a "hi, we're busy, we'll get to you when we can", nothing. So we stepped outside to smoke a cigarette and figure a new plan of attack on how we are going to get service, easy, sit at the bar. So we sit down at the bar and the bartender was easily the rudest service I had ever gotten, ever, EVER. Great birthday so far right? So we sit and after the bartender accuses my fiance of having a fake ID, we are both WELL over 21 (she's from Alabama), he tells us we cannot order our appetizers unless we are ready to order our meal as well. He tells her, her's comes with a salad, and that her meal is market price, as is the disgusting steamers, filled with sand, that he claimed were fresh, oh yeah don't let me forget the smashed pieces of shell we also had to dig out of them. I ordered the bleu cheese stuffed burger, medium rare with fries and she ordered the fisherman's platter, sitting on saltwater, we were surprised it included freshwater bass. After another 45 minute wait for our food, our glasses were empty and no service in sight. To be honest, we were watching this bartender slam glasses, yell at people, tell them they "lost their chance to order cuz they took too long", tell the waitress's who got seated first because "they're regulars". We honestly thought the rudeness may have been part of the novelty. Until the woman next to us told the bartender she was ready to order and he said "too bad, u had ur chance, u weren't ready", and she pleaded, "please, we're really good tippers." and he sneered at her and said "that's what they all say" and then walked away, never taking her order. He also never gave my fiance her salad, and when she reminded him , he rolled his eyes at her and came back with the salad in a TO GO BOX! She then informed this prince among men, that it was my birthday and we wanted to have a desert, and he said, "let me go see what we have available", and came back with our check. $100 for sandy old steamers, a burnt cheeseburger, freshwater bass, to go salad, attitude, a 2hour drive just to be treated like dirt. Save yourself the aggravation, time, and money, NEVER GO HERE! I wouldn't even stop their to use their pornography filled bathrooms. read more

Don't trust your GPS to find this place as you'll drive right by it. It's tucked behind another building. We had belly clams, fish and chips, and lobster roll. Big portions so go for the smaller basket over the platter. Attentive ad friendly service. read more

Visited The Black Duck on a trip to CT from California. My husband grew up in Westport and even worked at the Duck many years ago. He had always wanted to take me to his "dive" hangout. I was eager to go on my first trip to Westport. First impression of the Duck was worried that the building would fall over. Being located on the waters edge, the entire building has a slant to it. Not good for those with balance issues or those not steady on their feet. You need your sea legs to walk. Haha. It appeared a causal local watering hole. Upon entering the building the staff was great! Greeted warmly and the place was packed with locals. The bar has a nice view of the water and the food was really good. Simple burger and fries type food. It had a decent share of seafood too. For an appetizer I ate the popcorn shrimp and they were spicy and very good. I also had calamari. It too was very good. We were at the Duck for nearly 3 hours as more and more friends and family came in to visit with us. We then sat at a table to eat. I will say this. They should get new tables. They were so wobbly I thought it was going to collapse. The BLT I had was awesome and the sweet potato fries were so yummy. My overall expectations were met. It is a divey little local place but the food is really good. They should do some minor upgrades to the tables and chairs but other than that it is a fun place that I hope stays around for a long time. read more

Gave it another chance but still overpriced and over rated. $15 burgers. Fries are extra. Got charged $19 for burgers and fries. I can go to way better places and pay that. The investment bankers that took over have ruined it. Sorry to see it go off our local good places. read more

We dined at the Black Duck Cafe Saturday evening and after reading menu and reviews, were eager to try it. We arrived by 6pm on a Saturday evening. There were many available tables and the hostess was very sweet. It took at least 10 minutes for someone to come to the table to even ask if we wanted a drink/bring water. I was excited to try the lobster roll, however, had a few questions between the lobster salad roll and traditional roll. Our server, an older gentleman, gave us an oddly rude sarcastic answer to my questions. Our beers were finished before our meal even arrived and not one person asked if we would like another - surprising for an establishment like this, who could run high bar bills. It took a long time to get our salads which came out incorrectly. My husband ordered the Rhode Island clam chowder which was delicious, but once our meals came, we were disappointed. The lobster meat was over cooked and doused in butter (even though I had asked without). Items were missing from the order and it took an extended period of time to even get a server to help rectify the situation. Not one person came by to see how our meal was, if we needed anything or if we would like another drink (when we had had empty glasses). Overall, we were very disappointed by the service and would reconsider returning. read more

If you're looking for good quality seafood...this place is a big nope!! I know everyone raves about this place because it was on that show with Guy Fieri...and yes the atmosphere is pretty cool and it's a fun place to get a drink and listen to some music. But the food is not good. I've tried multiple seafood dishes here thinking they will be fresh. And they never are. Chewy, smelly fish. Over cooked, extremely greasy fried food. I would only recommend the black duck as a place to sit for a couple drinks, that's it! read more

Been going to the Black Duck for years. It always hit the right spot for the mood I am in when I go there. Great burgers, seafood, etc. Just really good tavern type food. And you always have the added sense that you may be there when it finally eases into the Saugatuck river! Highly recommended and I will be back many more times. read more