Great food, live blues, and the Wildcat O'Halloran Band Black-Eyed Sally's is popular for a reason. We've been here before and they always have a great show. The $5 cover for Wildcat O'Halloran was an easy yes. We had the gumbo, brisket grilled cheese with collards and slaw, and baked mac and cheese with brisket. The cornbread is extra now, but who cares: we should've been paying for it all along. That good. The food, drinks, murals, brick walls, and live music make this a great date-night spot. The band played songs from their new album, Welcome to Sunderland, and had CDs available. If the artists are offering merch or music, get it. It supports them, and it's worth it. This is already longer than I usually write, which says a lot. read more

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It depends on the vibe you are looking for. We went to an after dinner vibe and it was old and slow! I know I'm not the youngest chicken but my girlfriend saw her church deaconess there. Now maybe that was just the night because there was definitely a live show happening. But we went in and came out. I can can't judge the food or drinks but it was definitely an older crowd vibe there. read more

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I recently visited Black-Eyed Sally's for lunch. It's been maybe a Decade since I've been, but I've probably eaten there between 10 and 20 times. The space boasts cool Blues and New Orleans vibes. Only place I know in CT like it. Service was pretty good. There was a bit of a delay getting me started with water and a menu, even though it wasn't busy, but things went smoothly after that. My New Orleans Shrimp Po Boy was good. The shrimp were tender. The batter was a bit denser than I prefer, but good. I liked the shredded lettuce, pickles and zesty, creamy dressing. The bread was fresh. I don't remember any other places in CT presently doing Po Boys. So this is the place to get one. The Gumbo was OK. They got the blackened roux part right, but there really wasn't enough nuanced flavor. It could have used some fresh herbs. More salt. I would try something else next time. 3.5 Stars read more

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Delicious dinner! We haven't been here in years but it was a trip down memory lane. The inside looks basically the same as it did 20 years ago. Not sure why it's taken so long to return. Six of us all thoroughly enjoyed our meals.,The fried green tomatoes had a great crunch and deviled eggs melted in our mouths.My fried chicken dinner will feed me for two more meals. $25.00 seemed expensive , but the portion validated the price. I haven't enjoyed chicken that tasty in years. It came with a large side of Mac and cheese. I asked for green beans instead of collards and was not disappointed . My husband loved his brisket sandwich. Likewise, the jambalaya and grits and shrimp were also winners. Music was just starting when we left for our play. We will not wait so long to return. read more

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Nothing dissatisfying about this spot. Our waitress today was Kay. She was fun, kind, and a perfect hostess Our food was absolutely amazing. Love the Memphis Dry Rub ribs. The cornbread is the best around. Don't pass on it. read more

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Went for brunch on Father's Day. We didn't have reservations so we sat at the bar. The Bartenders were attentive, great attitudes and thorough. The food was an amazing and the drinks were great. The music was great. They started brunch with DJ Craig G and he was amazing. I will be back !!! read more

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Fun vibe with live music on a Thursday night! I ordered a plate with ribs, pulled pork, hot link and cheesy grits and subbed collard greens for the red beans and rice. The food was pretty good! The ribs were tasty with the bbq sauce and the pulled pork was tender and well seasoned. The grits were my favorite! So cheesy with a good bite. The collards were a little on the salty side. Cornbread was dry but nice to have. read more

Black-Eyed Sally's - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Great friendly staff. It was a lot of seating around 3pm on a Sunday. I got the pulled pork sandwich with a side of gumbo. The sandwich was delicious but the gumbo was a disappointment. I was hoping for better. Got a glass of cider beer and everything was good. I recommend their pork for sure. read more

Black-Eyed Sally's - Gumbo with Pulled Pork Sandwich - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Jazz Hands, Happy Tummies, and Slightly Confused Grits Black-Eyed Sally's in Hartford is like stepping into a Louisiana daydream -- all the jazz, warmth, and cornbread your heart could want! The vibe is chef's kiss, the service is super friendly, and even the bathrooms are so clean they could host a second dinner service. I got the shrimp & grits, which were good but felt like they were missing a little "Bayou magic." The shrimp were generous, but the grits had a few rebellious lumps that didn't get the smooth memo. My buddy went for the BBQ chicken and ribs combo, expecting smoky, marinated goodness -- but Sally's version of BBQ was more "sauce it and send it." Still tasty, just not what he had pictured. The cornbread, though... oh my goodness. Sweet, soft, and gone in 60 seconds. The atmosphere is cozy, full of soul, and I definitely need to come back when the live music starts up because I feel like that's when Sally really starts to swing. Final verdict: 3.5 stars for the food, 4.2 for everything else, call it a solid 4 and a guaranteed good time. read more

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I enjoyed the food overall, the cornbread and mac and cheese were incredible! The chicken was decent but I wouldn't order it again. The serving size was too big and I don't like wasting food. I did not like the collard greens...they needed more flavor. If you go, make sure you have a lot of time. The service was sooooo slow. Our waiter was very nice but messed up a few things with our order and bill. It's a cool vibe inside and they have live music which is nice. read more

Black-Eyed Sally's - 4 Piece Southern Fried Chicken Plate - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

This was my first time eating at Black eyed Sally's. I have to say I was so impressed. I loved the theme and the food options were great. We started our meal with friend green tomatoes and deviled eggs. The deviled eggs were not my cup of tea. The texture of the eggs was off and the bacon was too hard for my taste. The yolk filling was good however. The fried green tomatoes were ah-mazing. The tomatoes were thick and juicy, yet the outside was sooo crunchy. And the dip had a nice zing to it. The cornbread was sweet and moist. With very generous portions. I'm not a fan of cornbread but I would order this and take some home. It came with a whipped butter that was sweet as well. We all ordered Shirley temples and the waitress was nice and brought my son extra cherries at his request. I ordered the jambalaya which wowww. It was good. The chicken while not boned was so tender and seasoned throughout. There were chunks of veggies and even some okra yayyyy. I would describe the veggies as 'al dents' they still had a pleasant texture which I loved. The sausage didn't over power and the rice was perfectly tender. It was lunch time and the portion size was enough to take home to enjoy. And enjoy I did, the second day the flavors were even more impressive. My son had the barbecue wings and fries. He said the wings were not tender enough for him. But I can tell you I loved the sauce. My sister ordered the shrimp and catfish poboy. She enjoyed it and again the lunch sized poboy was huge. It came with gumbo which she wasn't a fan of because she doesn't like okra. The desert she wanted was sold out unfortunately - must be good I'm thinking so sorry I don't think I took a pic of that menu. All in all it was a good experience. The youngest part of our party was 10 and he thoroughly enjoyed the cornbread and butter. read more

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Black-Eyed Sally's is a BBQ and southern cooking restaurant that has been operating for two decades in an 100 year old building. The decor was bright and soulful; there were paintings of artists, folk art, and blues memorabilia on the walls. They also have live music; the genre of music they host are jazz, blues, and rock. My family and I actually stumbled upon this after exploring Hartford. We were lured by the music and bright colors. We were seated and a waitress came by to take our orders. The restaurant was packed and spacious. I ordered a Sally's Hurricane drink; it had passion fruit and 4 different rums; this drink was so good! It reminded me of a scorpion bowl. First off, I wanted everything on the menu, it was so hard to decide. For my meal, I got the low country shrimp and grits; it had 7 sauteed jumbo shrimps over cheddar cheese grits with small bits of andouille sausage. One word, AMAZING. The shrimps were fresh and I loved the sausage and green pepper combo in the grits. It also came with corn bread and sweet butter. My child had Mac and cheese, which was delicious. My husband was not hungry so he ordered a dessert, the chocolate brownie mousse cake. Everything was delicious! It would've have been 5 stars but our server was just okay. She was missing for a while when we wanted to ask for the check and to go boxes; she also forgot our child's straw, which I got up to the bar to get myself. Also, when we asked what types of juices they got, she responded with a snarky "everything?". Other than that, the food and ambiance was great. I look forward to going back to try out their other food menu items! read more

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I was surprised this meal was so delicious but also this bbq restaurants actually did so well I am so happy we tried here. The ribs was smoked, with the house made bbq sauce? hello yummy. The fried chicken was juicy and so crispy! The side dishes coleslaw and collard greens was my fav too and i usually do not like coleslawZ at all. The collard green was a bit spicy, delicious. Even the salad was so good bc that dressing was so light and completed the greens together. Friendly servers and free corn bread!! Bathroom is two stall and one sink with a paper towel dispenser. read more

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Stop by Black-Eyes Sally's before going to a show at the Bushnell. It was a 9 min walk away from the theater, not too bad if it is a nice day out. It was around lunch time and we just wanted a quick bite to eat before the show started. Inside was nicely decorated and spacious. I enjoy the New Orleans theme. There wasn't much customers in at the time. It took awhile for the hostess to come from the back to get us seated. We got seated at the booth. We order some burgers as we wanted a quick bite. It took quite a bit for the burgers to come out. The burger was average nothing too special but it was good. The waitress was nice and attentive. Maybe next time I will try some of their bbq. read more

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Love Sally's ! We bring all our out of state visitors here and their eyes shine bright with excitement of the club. Cuisine is almost identical to the of New Orleans. Go ahead, order the fried green tomatoes! They are super busy but I have never had a rude or lazy waiter here. Great band selection too! read more

Good food and live music on Friday night. Quick walk from Goodwin hotel. Will be back.

Who doesn't love jazz music on a Wednesday night? I've been to Black Eyed Sally's for lunch and dinner, but never on jazz night--until now. It's a fun experience, watching others jam along with the talented musicians while enjoying a meal. What a great time! The atmosphere is definitely more laid-back, with dim lighting and candles on the tables, creating a cozy vibe. My longtime friend treated me to dinner, so here we are. I had a big plate filled with brisket, chicken, and BBQ ribs, while my friend enjoyed the brisket platter. For dessert, we went all out with a delicious blueberry peach cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream--no complaints here! Our server, Ava, was incredibly welcoming and sweet. She recommended something new for me to try, and it was spot on, thanks to her knowledgeable suggestion. If you're ever in the Downtown Hartford area, I highly recommend giving Black Eyed Sally's a try. There's also a patio area for outdoor dining if the weather's nice! read more

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I had the blackened catfish on their signature chopped salad- it was so very delicious, perfectly cooked, nice size, very moist! The salad was also delicious- tasty with the cranberries, cheese, pickled onions added in it. The service by Ava was prompt and friendly. It was a busy Saturday lunchtime! I haven't been there in a while but the ambiance was as fun and funky as it always is! read more

These folks were great hosts of my friends birthday party in October. Everyone had such a blast and the food and staff was over the top. Great drinks that came recommended by the wait staff. Knowledge and professionalism were impressive! read more

Black-Eyed Sally's - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

My husband and I have been craving some Southern cooking, but it's difficult to find anything like that up here in Connecticut. However, at the recommendation of a dear friend, we tried Black-Eyed Sally's when we were in Hartford for the day. Wow! This was some of the best Southern and BBQ that we've ever had! Crawfish and Catfish bites that were melt in your mouth delicious, BBQ brisket, Shrimp Po-Boy, Gumbo, Cornbread, Coleslaw, Red Beans and Rice, Bourbon Pecan Tart...all winners!! The Passion Fruit Punch and Hurricanes are amazing drinks that paired well with everything we ate. There are more options on the menu that we can't wait to try the next time we are up that way. Our waitress was also great in helping us decide on a couple of menu items when we were torn between them. I hear they have nights with live entertainment, but we were here for lunch, so sadly, we missed that. Next time, for sure! read more

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I enjoy Black Eyed Sally's for the drink options they have so my review will be of that and the service. The drinks are very boozy! This is a great spot for happy hour, because of the affordable prices and it's never really too packed. I'm a sweet girl when it comes to drinks so I usually stick to a Sally's hurricane with rum floater. The service is okay. It's never been too attentive in my experience but not neglectful. read more

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Food is exceptional when you eventually get it. Service and music were nice, but our food took literally over an hour to come out (and then came out without chips which then took another 45+ minutes to come out) which was incredibly disappointing. Good spot if you've got 4 hours for lunch and the patience of a saint read more

We stopped by on the afternoon of New Year's Eve 2025 for some appetizers and drinks. Sally's was located close to our hotel and right across from Bushnell Park where New Year's Eve festivities and fireworks would be happening in the evening. Very convenient location for us. We were seated and served right away. We had the catfish fingers and the wings; catfish fingers were perfectly crunchy outside and moist and flaky inside. The house made tarter sauce was fantastic. The wings were tasty. Both appetizers reasonably priced and the servings sizes were perfect. The place quickly filled up but we were not made to feel rushed while we enjoyed our drinks and food. We saw couples, families, groups and people of all ages dining here. The quirky and ecclectic art work and memorabilia throughout the entire restaurant creates a fun and laid back feel and cool atmosphere. There are 3 different dining areas all with their own personality, along with the bar. The menu is varied with Southern style offerings that are hard to find elsewhere. The restrooms were clean, great service and friendly staff. On street parking or in nearby pay to park lots. read more

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soul food, live blues, just the right amount of light, beautiful decorations. this place had everything i needed and more. the service was good as well, but i did feel a bit forgotten haha. definitely would go again. read more

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It's probably been 15 years since I've eaten here. My parents go all the time and my wife and I were in Downtown Hartford for a show and decided to go. I'm sure I could have gone in the intervening years, but since then I lived in New Orleans (where I worked in a restaurant) and have gotten heavily into smoking bbq so I have high standards. Meal was fairly good across the board. My wife had the jambalaya and a side of Mac and cheese. Both were good though she found the jambalaya a little spicy. I had the blackened catfish which was cooked perfectly and the sides (garlic green beans and cheesy grits) were both really good. I also had a side of red beans and rice which was fine but I felt the beans were a little over cooked and both the beans (with the onions) and rice (with the seasonings) were more fancy than traditional. Huge bonus for them having Crystal sauce and not Tabasco since that is the most common in New Orleans. Was disappointed to see they no longer had Abita beer on the menu, or really much for beers that would be local to the theme of the menu. We considered coming back after the show for dessert but we're too tired and didn't, but we'll definitely come back in the future. Tons of other good sounding dishes. read more

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I will start by saying I loved the live entertainment. Cute dining room with colorful decorations. This was the best part of dining at Black Eyed Sally's. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with my meal. I really was looking forward to having ribs at an authentic bbq restaurant. I ordered the half rack of ribs and they were underwhelming. After reading other yelp reviews, and viewing other patrons pictures, I was expecting St. louis style ribs but instead got fatty baby back ribs with very little meat. It looked like the end piece of the rack. I thought they made a mistake and gave me a kids meal. The bourbon coco and band were great! This was the only redeeming factor of my lackluster experience. I mentioned to my server that I was disappointed with my meal when she asked. She just ignored me and brushed off my comment. Never asked to get manager which I thought was strange. It could have made the difference in turning an unhappy customer into a happy one. Maybe it was just an off night but those were the worst ribs I've ever had. Especially for the $23 price point. I was expecting a lot more from a place that specializes in BBQ food. I just got back from Memphis a few weeks ago so I guess the bar was set high. Sorry just being honest. :) read more

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A friend and I went to hear live music at a Friday night event organized by Doug Wimbash. (If there were more people like him in the world, what a wonderful world it would be!) The food was excellent, and Trevor, our server, is a Superman! He had so many people to wait on, yet he remembered every order and delivered so quickly! (That also says a lot for the people in the "back of the house," putting it all together.) I think that the nicest thing for me, though, was that people of many different races and ethnic backgrounds were all having a blast together. We are the U.S.A.! read more

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The food was great, friendly service and a free concert. What's not to like The food is super affordable everything is under $20. Love the chicken and waffles. The brisket and pulled pork sandwiches to me are better than bears and again a free concert is nice read more

Overall, this place is a nice taste of Southern food. I dined on the tests side, not the live music side. While the Hurricane tastes like fruit juice, the food was full of flavor. Food was HOT and FRESH! The catfish and chicken were fried and seasoned perfectly. You can taste the brine on the chicken. That Mac N Cheese is reaaaaaallly creamy and cheesy! The garlicky green beans were flavorful and came with a hefty portion! Cornbread was a bit cold and dry. For some reason, the server brought it out 10 minutes before our meal. The manager addressed an issue in the best way! I don't recommend the fried green tomatoes. The cornmeal crust is nice, but it's tooooo thick and left some parts uncooked. I will skip it next time or complain. Would I come back?? YES! read more

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(Last visited 7/29/2021.) As a very popular and local favorite I've been to this place a couple of times, but have never gotten around to doing an actual Yelp review! Shame on me. Well, now it's time! Atmosphere/Appearance: Set right downtown Hartford on Asylum Street is this gem. It's located underneath the awesome Pig's Eye Pub and has a very casual, yet, upscale feel to it. There's red everywhere, dark woods, high ceilings, great music and a lot of room. There's like 3 separate dining areas and even a place for live music. I haven't seen a show here in quite a while, but it's such a good time when they get a good jazz band in here. Service: Daria took good care of us! She was fast and made sure that we had everything that we needed. Food: So on this visit I got to try out their wings and their blackened catfish. Let's discuss the wings! The Buffalo flavor was so Heavenly. They tasted like they were smoked then fried. They were so tender, juicy and with great flavor. I could've totally grabbed some of the other flavors and made a meal out of it. Boom. For my entrée I went for the Blackened Catfish and this is a dish I normally wouldn't go for. I've been trying to expand my horizons and eat OTHER things aside from wings all the time. Lol. This catfish was delicious. It was nicely salted, with incredibly rich, deep flavor that just touched my soul. It was amazing. With the catfish comes cheesy grits & garlicky green beans. Just the best freaking side-dishes to complement the main. Value: So for $12.95 you get 8 wings and I think that's fairly decent. They're of good size, incredibly flavor and the quality is just next level. My catfish dinner was $17.95 and that's very good in my opinion. It's a filling dinner with great flavors and I mean, what more could you want?! In conclusion, this place is awesome and there's a reason it's been around for so many years. Check this place out if you're in the area! There's so much that they have to offer. read more

Wanted to go out to dinner & go somewhere fun & casual. Black Eyed Sally's was a restaurant that I frequented often for lunch when I worked in Hartford. It had been years since I'd been there. Parking on the street nearby was easy. No cost nights & weekends. Inside, there was a lot of fun stuff to look at. There was also music that night, though we didn't sit in that room, we could hear it where we sat. White tablecloths in a southern bbq casual restaurant - so nice. The service was attentive. Very good. And the food was delicious. I had the fried chicken - 4 pieces, 2 sides ( green garlicky beans & Mac and cheese, and cornbread. $19 - not bad! ) I have leftovers for lunch today My husband had the brisket which he said was really good. The Cole slaw had red pepper ( not the spicy kind) in it which gave it a nice flavor. My only regret was that we were too full to have the bourbon pecan pie for dessert. Next time - we will start with dessert. read more

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Great night of Live Music and a Dreamy Cesar Salad tooooo with Blacken Fish cooked perfectly. Great staff, music , vibe, and for a maturing crowd. Upstairs is for the Young or young at heart. read more

Black-Eyed Sally's - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

The food was pretty good for what you got. It was a great vibe and they had a live Jazz Band! The cornbread was really dry. Service, okay. But it a fun vibe. Everything was just mid. read more

Black-Eyed Sally's - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

I gave a 3 for the music which should be a 5. 1 or 0 for the service and management. Bad service every time. This last time, when we moved from a back table to the bar, they wanted us to pay three different erroneous bills before we left. The fake manager said she couldn't fix it so we left $100 poorer for 2 drinks, without ordering a meal, and without seeing our band. If you go order water only. Enjoy the music. read more

I got Jambalaya. Large portion with a ton of meat. Flavor was very good...not amazing. Price was about what you'd expect. I would go again and try any of the pulled meat sandwiches or platters. read more

Cute New Orleans style restaurant with live music. We were sat right in front of the stage so it was quite loud but nothing you can do about that. The deviled eggs and pickles were tasty but the okra was kind of tough and too big to eat in one bite so we were not a fan. The pork was good and the red beans and rice were different kind of a Mexican flavor but worked well together, Cole slaw was just okay. The dessert was so good though. Our server kept our drinks filled and was attentive. read more

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As always they never disappoint food was delicious and the live Jazz was phenomenal. Crowd was light but it's Wednesday, but picked up after the band started at 7pm. My friend had the gumbo and finished it, so either she was hungry or it was just that good read more

Black-Eyed Sally's - Fried green tomatoes - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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Excellent! The food was fresh, hot and delicious. The service was just as good. We lived the ambiance and will definitely return. read more

Black-Eyed Sally's - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Service remains solid and even on busy days. The always seem to up the staff level of the expect a busy period. The ambiance is great and hasn't change these so many years. BBQ remains excellent with pork and seafood edging out the brisket. BBQ sauce is a nice balance between sweet and some vinegar kick. Gumbo maybe better than before and it is excellent . Sadly Sally"s collard greens are now vegetarian . They were not in prior visits . While the vegetarian version is tasty and tender they don't hold a candle to the prior recipe which included smoked ham hock and bacon fat. It was a wonderful stew of greens and pork goodness . read more

The food was very good. I had the Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich with a side of the gumbo and Mac & cheese. The inside feels like you're in New Orleans - they even have a stage for live music. The service was also very good and the food came out quickly. Great prices for the quantity of food we got. read more

Black-Eyed Sally's - Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, Louisiana Gumbo Bowl, Mac and Cheese - Barbeque Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut