(4) ~ very good overall food & service and yes they take reservations now on Opentable:) DRINKS: ** Cappuccino = (4.25) Very good...my favorite, comes with Rock Candy too;) * Water(tap) = (3.5) good * Coffee = (3.5) good...might try the cappuccino next time APPETIZERS: ** Flat Bread = (4.25) Very good...fresh mozzarella too;) ** Bread & Sage Butter(FREE) = (4) very good * Cream Asparagus Soup = (3.5) good * Beef, Mushroom & Lentil Soup = (3.5) good * Watermelon Gazpacho = (3) ok...needed more watermelon PASTA: ** Butternut Squash Ravioli = (4) very good & big enough for an entree!;) ENTREES: ** Jumbo Lump "Maryland Style" Crab Cakes w. Malt Vinegar French Fries = (4) very good & for PA these are very good crab cakes(having lived in Baltimore for 3 years:) The Fries are very good too...kinda like the French Fries down at the Beach!;) * Rib-eye Steak = (4) very good * Cheeseburger & French Fries = (3.25) pretty good DESSERTS: ** Pumpkin Cheesecake w. Brulee Marshmallow & Ginger Snap Crust = (4.25) Very good & light. ** Cinnamon Roll Ice ream Sandwich = (4) very good NOTE: Two " ** " mean favorites:) read more

Great food, but overpriced. I've been here three times. I've never had a bad dish here, but I do feel that the prices are excessive. If you're looking for a nice evening out in Phoenixville Black Lab is a great place to have dinner, just be prepared to spend more than average on your meal. read more

You customarily expect less when dining outside of a metropolitan area. Black Lab is an excellent outlier to this presumption. The food was phenomenal and priced equal to or less than that of a similar venue located in Philadelphia. I highly recommend the burger with the maytag cheese. I also recommend the duck dish. However, I do believe they rotate dishes so the menu items may inevitably change. read more

Brunch without alcohol is just a sad late breakfast. The food is solid, and reasonably priced - but the absence of music and even a "complementary" brunch cocktail or BYOB make this a somewhat depressing environment. By nature, Labs are happy tail wagers and this place doesn't live up to the expectation. read more

(4) ~ Overall Food (1) ~ Service OUR MENU: * Bread & Sage Butter = (4) very good * Appetizer = (4) very good * Meals = (4) very good * Desserts (5) excellent The server was terrible. It was not very busy for a Thursday night. He (John) was not interested in us at all. He did not want to accomadate our requests and put his hands on his hips when we had questions. At the end of the evening he tried to scam us when paying separately by taking some of the cash but charging more than should have been on the credit card. Seriously...4 professional women would not check this? Too bad. He made the end of the evening finsh poorly. Jerk. read more

If your accustomed to nicer restaurants, you won't find BLB anything out of the ordinary, but nothing about the food or service is the least bit bad. You'll always get a dependably good meal; but never really great. I found the dinner prices a bit high for what they serve, and thus I'd be more apt to hit it for lunch rather than dinner. But the BYOB aspect is a plus! read more

This was a great place to get Sunday brunch. We had the lobster bisque, then jumped into the crab benedict, and I ordered the lump crab, scallion and cheddar omelet. The potatoes are covered in Old Bay, which was a pleasant surprise. Great little place, and BYOB. I'd highly recommend it. read more

I would agree with other reviewers that the service is not great. Our waiter was very slow to take our orders and we went on a Sunday around 4:30 so it was very slow in the restaurant. But the assistant waiter and/or bus boy was very prompt with keeping our drinks filled, which is always appreciated since the waiter was not that attentive. Also the waiter was not personable or helpful, came off very snobby and with attitude like he was just going through the motions. BUT the food was FANTASTIC! My husband had the garden salad, filet minion chop steak, and the dolche de leche cake for desert. The salad was so good, the dressing was a kind of vinaigrette but very light and tasty. The steak came with potatoes, which had some sort of blue cheese or Gorgonzola mixed in, very smooth. Also had broccolini nothing to brag about but good. I had the flat bread pita with hummus, feta, and olives. Great light appetizer would recommend. For dinner I had the bolognese baked penne, very good. I would say it was light for a bolognese which I enjoyed because sometimes the sauce can be too heavy. Also had the peanut butter pie, a little to rich I enjoyed the dolche de leche cake much more. It was also over priced I felt. The option we had was a pre-fixed menu that was in addition to their regular menu and it was $25 for three courses. So I felt that was decent pricing but their normal menu will run you probably $40 or more a person for 3 courses, and while the food was great combined with the service I don't think it warrants almost $50 a plate with everything. I will definitely try again because restaurants are always changing and this one has a lot of potential to be great. read more

This was my second vist to this bistro. The first being with a coworker. The second on a date. Both times I enjoyed the BYOB aspect of the restaurant as should you. I don't remember what I got the first time but my second experience was not so good. I ordered the Bistro Steak and asked for medium well. Instead, I was given an undercooked piece of meat. I had it sent back and they still returned it undercooked. It was purple. Not good. The thing I found especially frustrating was that the meat was cut so it was not difficult to cook it properly. The fries with seasoning were good. Not that impressed with the place overall. read more

I love this place BYOB awesome! The owner is very sweet & very friendly & her daughter is so helpful & adorable! I'm very picky with my food but every time I came here for dinner NEVER disappoint me!! I love there food, everything is delicious!! read more

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I went here for dinner and had the Colossal Lump Crab Cakes....these are not very tasty in my opinion and for the price, I would not go back. The crab did not have a lot of flavor and I was still starving after the meal. The atmosphere was nice and friendly, but it is quite loud and hard to hear people at your table. I'm not really sure why there was a line to eat there considering the quality of the food and ambience were lacking. I think it's mostly locals but not worth the drive. I would not care to return here. read more

My boyfriend and I went here a couple weekends ago on a Saturday night. I'm only giving it four stars because the service wasn't great. Our waitress was inattentive and we had to keep flagging people down for refills on water and bread. We also waited about twenty minutes at our table before anyone came over to greet us. But the food was amazing. I will give it another shot. read more

We did not have a great experience. We made reservations (Friday night) wanting to sit outside. When we got there we were completely unable to sit outside. And it was so loud inside. It's apparently a BYOB. Surprise. The one appetizer we ordered took over 45 mins to get and our dinners took over 1.5 hours to get. The food was pretty good. The service was not great. No one had food around us. Probably would not go back but it is a shame because I think there is a lot of potential there. read more

I had one of the best meals tonight. I had the pan seared scallops with a sweet vermouth crepe that were so delicious I wish there was more. The mashed potatoes tasted like my own made with butter and cream. Sorry everyone else almost licked their plate. Two had the stir fry and my other friend had the spicy crab marinara. No leftovers for them. read more

Came here on Christmas Day for dinner. There isn't much open that day but glad I found this place. I made a reservation a month in advance and double checked that they would be open. We all had a great meal. The service was a bit slow but who wants to rush on Christmas Day. It's also BYOB which is a plus. Would definitely go again. read more

We love the Black Lab! Our most recent visit was a Saturday lunch with a party of seven. Originally, we were a party of five, but two guests asked to join at the last minute, so we contacted the Black Lab regarding the change and they happily accommodated us. I had the white bean chili for starters and it was yummy, and just the right proportion for lunch. I followed up with the turkey BLT wrap. It was bursting with fresh, tasty turkey. The tortilla was fresh as were all the vegetables. I ate half and took the other half home for dinner. We were seated at a prime table in the front, so we could enjoy the view of the passers-by on Bridge Street as well as the warm, ambient light. Our server was pleasant and efficient. Excellent customer service all around. The Black Lab is BYOB, but we're non-drinkers, so we didn't BYO. Everyone was pleased with their meals and service. The price was perfect for our modest budget. The cost of starters, mains, and a 20% tip for our party of seven came to about $125.00. We will definitely be returning! read more

I give Black Lab a lot of credit for being one of the pioneer restaurants in the new Phoenixville. The atmosphere is great, perfect for the area. The menu is a little formulaic--why are all restaurants in this area obsessed with lobster mac and cheese?--but not too expensive for what it is. I had lunch there recently with a fairly large group. My seared tuna was ok--good conception, good ingredients, but overcooked. Others at my table had the burger, which was good. The crab cake sandwich was also well-liked by my companions. My main criticism? The service was very off-puting. We were there towards the end of the lunch hour, and although the hostess was very cheerful and told us we had plenty of time before closing, the waitress was visibly annoyed at our presence, and reminded us at every interval that they were closing soon. If you don't want to be open, don't be open! read more

We picked Black Lab Bistro bc it was a BYOB, and we're so glad we did! The food was amazing, the atmosphere was amazing and our server Kate was awesome! Thank you so much for such a fun, delicious evening! read more

Needed a dinner out and about! Took a chance on the Black Lab. What a great choice. Service was great! They serve inside and out! Inside was very relaxed and charming. The food was even better! The fried calamari with its mango sauce was to die for. The pork schnitzel was delicious!! I'll go back for sure! read more

We are new to the area and were excited to try out the Phoenixville Bridge Street experience. I like the name and the decor looked nice, so we had Sunday brunch here this week. Not a good experience, and I am not a picky person. We were seated fast enough and then ignored for a long time, perhaps five minutes before anyone came back for water or our order. We shared a bowl of French Onion Soup, I ordered the Crabcake Benedict, my friend ordered the Breakfast Ranchero type dish, sorry I can't remember the exact name. After another very long wait we received our soup, you know, I really don't mind a wait if the server is attentive and keeps you supplied with water or whatever you are having. The French Onion Soup was very good, the right amount of bread, onions and cheese. However, my order of Crabcake Benedicts was not good, the potatoes were luke warm at best, the english type muffin that was served with the dish was stale and cold. I expected much better since the restaurant calls itself a Bistro & Bakery, I saw no evidence of any type bakery. My dining partners food was alright he said, I never tried it. He also stated his potatoes were served warm. We wanted to give this place a chance so we ordered a desert to share, the pecan pie, was nothing special and a bit stale. Also, we had a double espresso and a cappucino, which were both very good and a large serving. During brunch we always had to wait and wait for drink refills. Twice had to stare our server down to get her attention and ask for a refill. I am hesitant to try dinner, but may give it a chance and will report back. read more

Phenomenal food all around! Two of us thoroughly enjoyed a full dinner, including three superb appetizers and two incredible entrees. The flavors, preparation, presentation, and portion sizes were equally perfect. Specifically, our appetizers included the chilled beet with fresh cream, the chicken with beans and chili's, and the octopus with broccoli rabe. Very distinctive, each worth having again. Our entrees were the smoked salted salmon which my dinner guest described as "the best prepared salmon ever" and the New Zealand Lamb which was cooked to perfection and almost melted in my mouth. Wish we'd had saved space for dessert! read more

I've been to this place 3 times. The menu was fine. The burgers are large and tasty. They do have a tendency to use a little more grease on their burger but it was not too bad. The salad was great so were the crabmeat and lobster bisque. I took one star away because it gets noisy during busy hours. For a young group of friends, it's not an issue. For a couple looking for a more intimate dinner date, it may be a little distracted. The service was quick and to the point. I'll be back again. read more

Wow! Our server was amazing! She basically ran the show. She had ten 2 to 5 tops and covered them all! Food was outstanding! $$$, however I give it five stars based on service, food presented well and top notch service. No rush to turn tables, relaxed and tasty. read more

My boyfriend took me to Black Lab for my birthday dinner on a weeknight. Fairly quiet--we were one of maybe three couples and a larger group seated. The menu is course style and can be pricey--though they did have a $25 pre-fixe offering that would have been a good deal. First Course: The Arugula Salad had dynamite walnuts in it. They weren't candied, but had something special about them going on (I don't even like walnuts!). Entree: I got the Maryland Crab Cakes which were probably the best I've had: crunchy on the outside, succulent on the inside. The delicate flavors of the crab were well matched by a garlic-y quinoa and a refreshing house-made pico. Had the leftovers for lunch the next day and they were just as delicious. Service was polite and helpful. Nice, quiet place for a special occasion meal. Heard great things about their brunch. The only thing we were a little let down about is not knowing they were BYOB. Will definitely remember for next time! read more

Black Lab Bistro, what can I say? It's all good. I recently met the owner and his family while dining out with friends, at another establishment, so i decided to check them out. I was very impressed with the service and the ambiance. The food was top notch, my companion was gluten intolerant, we told the server this and they made arrangements for him. I have to say that this family works very hard trying to uphold the high standards they set for themselves, and I give them praise for this. I will be back whenever I am in town next. BTW, Phoenixville is a cool place, there is a lot of good competition among eateries, this is one worthy of checking out. Thanks for a great experience, Mr and Mrs.Shi, it was a fun night. read more

You lost us at the front door.... My wife and I where perusing a place to eat last Friday night and strolled into this place. It looked busy until you realized that the bar sitting area was not available and several tables were open but not being seated. The hostess seemed more interested in sitting on her perch than greeting walk ins... We gave it 10 minutes and when another table opened up with no response from her we left. There are way too many other restaurants in this town for a place not to be more accommodating to walk ins.. I was thinking that this was too bad as we left since the food smelled good but based on the other reviews that I have now read it doesn't sound like we missed much. read more

My dad got terrible food poisoning from this location. When he called to inform the that there was an issue, the person on the phone called him a liar. Not. Okay. Be responsible for your actions and live up to the fact that you did this. He wasn't asking for anything form you, but was just telling you so that you can monitor the situation in the future. Jeee. Zuz. read more

We had an enjoyable dinner there last Saturday. The food was good, but not as outstanding as others have suggested. I had mussels with Vodka sauce. The sauce was outstanding, but the mussels were dry as was the pasta. My wife had an excellent shrimp dish. The room was very crowded and noisy. The tin ceilings which are attractive make it a very noisy room. Service was very good, but a bit slow. I think it is very good, but over rated. read more

The price is too expensive for what you will get. The food is mediocre and the service is okay. I do not recommend this place - too expensive and it's not just worth it. read more

By far one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. Brunch, lunch, dinner - I have never had anything I didn't love. My trust in the menu here has caused me to try things I wouldn't normally try and I remain impressed. read more

I went here for lunch and all guests had an excellent meal. The lunch vibe on saturday was a little low key. I have to imagine a dinner here would be just perfect. Service was just right, food was on point and the prices were pretty good. I will definitely be coming back. read more

I've only ever been here for breakfast, but I always thought that it was fantastic. They used to have weekly specials including pumpkin pancakes, and french toast, eggs benedict; in addition to delicious staples like omelets and their bakery. It's been a while since I've been in P-ville but I still often think about my yummy meals there. read more

We were looking for a place to have a nice dinner one night and it came up as a good option. We found this small place cozy and interesting. The menu was diverse and our appetizers and entrees were delicious. For the price range, we thought it was superb. I will be returning to try something else from their great menu. I took away one star because when we called to check for reservations they did not mention that it was BYOB, so my date and I had to settle for diet cokes for dinner. Otherwise, great place with great taste! read more

We ate dessert here twice, once at a table, and once at the bar. DH had the hot chocolate cake and the creme brulee, both very nicely done. A good solid 8 out of 10, great presentation. I had the banana crepes and the cinnamon bun sundae. The crepes were delightful, possibly the best dessert of the entire trip. I was disappointed in the sundae. Not that it wasn't good, presentation was great, ice cream was excellent. But after you've had (and love) Mr. Sticky's sticky buns nothing else ever compares. And don't get me wrong - the bun was moist and had a cinnamon taste, but I'd expected so much more after the banana crepes... read more

Sat down just as they opened at 5 pm on a Saturday. Excellent service, food and the room temperature was perfect. Our table was in a tight-corner: on one side, the 3 chairs were against the wall, on other side, my chair was right up-against a chair behind me. Expensive, $38 per person (water, appetizers and entrees only; no drinks or desserts), but each dish was very good. Note: no reservations on the weekend; don't take Discover Card. read more

We've brought another 6 people here last night and had a fab time. I'm glad they're a neighborhood staple.

Dropped in for Restaurant Week with a friend - it was definitely a great deal. The portions were generous and the selections were great. There was absolutely something for everyone. I have to admit - they knocked it out of the park with the desserts. Delish! read more

If I could give this restaurant less than 1 star, I would. Avoid it. The decor is bland, and the food is not much better, although terribly overpriced. I am a vegetarian and mistakenly missed that the dish I ordered had bacon in it. I returned it to the waitress, with my apologies, and was treated nothing short of disdainfully. My meal was replaced with another that clearly was still cooked in bacon. When I explained I needed to return it, I was told I could not. THE WAITRESS would not allow me to return the meal, nor to speak to a manager. I paid $20 for 5 ravioli that I cannot eat. My companion paid $65 for a very mediocre meal. The service is terrible, the food is so-so, and the decor is boring, at best. I highly suggest dining at ANY of the other wonderful restaurants in Phoenixville and avoiding this place at all costs. read more

My boyfriend and I come here for brunch frequently. The food is always excellent. Brunch menu has a nice variety. Highly recommend

I had another great Sunday brunch at the Black Lab Bistro today. The owners and wait staff are very friendly and welcoming. My favorite is the shrimp and grits with andouille sausages. It's an explosion of flavor in every bite. My only "criticism" is that the chef can mince up the garlic a little more. It is a BYOB restaurant, so feel free to bring a beverage of your choice. I've never been disappointed with my choice if entrees there. I've been there for brunch and dinner. I'm looking forward to my next visit to the Black Lab! Give it a try the next time you are in PXV. read more