I finally made it out to Blue Duck Kitchen & Bar and honestly, it exceeded every expectation I had. This isn't just another local restaurant -- it's the kind of place that makes you genuinely look forward to going out to eat. Right from the start, the atmosphere hit the perfect balance: lively and inviting but not overwhelming. Whether you're heading there for a casual dinner, drinks with friends, or a date night, it feels comfortable and relaxed without ever feeling generic. The décor and layout are thoughtful -- not flashy, but definitely memorable. The menu? Outstanding. Every dish I tried was clearly prepared with real skill, not just thrown together. The flavors were bold without being heavy, fresh without being confusing, and absolutely balanced. I started with an appetizer that was creative and flavorful, and each course that followed kept building on that good first impression. Portions were generous, too -- plenty of food without feeling like you're overstuffed. What really sold me was how every plate tasted intentional. You can tell the kitchen cares about the details -- the way flavors layered, the way textures played off each other, and even how each dish looked when it was served. That kind of consistency is rare, even at places that think they're fine dining. Service was equally impressive. Our server wasn't just friendly, they were attentive without hovering, knew the menu well, and offered recommendations that genuinely improved our meal. It's always nice when staff can talk about food like they actually enjoy it themselves -- it makes the whole experience feel a lot more personal. I left feeling completely satisfied -- not just because the food was great, but because the entire evening felt thoughtful from start to finish. If you want a place in Livingston that combines quality food, a great vibe, and service that actually elevates the experience, Blue Duck Kitchen & Bar is absolutely worth your time. Five stars well earned -- I'll definitely be returning. read more

Whether you're planning a Friday night dinner with your companion, a leisurely late lunch, or a Saturday evening accompanied by live music, this restaurant consistently delivers an enjoyable experience. The bar is always lively, creating an energetic atmosphere, while the servers move with impressive efficiency to provide attentive, friendly service--even during the busiest hours. The standout dish is undoubtedly the chicken-fried steak, which offers exceptional flavor, generous portions, and outstanding value. It's easily one of the best in town for both quality and price. The dining room is spacious and comfortable, though its popularity means it fills up quickly. On Friday evenings, a brief 5-10 minute wait is common, but the food, service, and inviting ambiance make it well worth your patience. read more

Food was good and restaurant was repurposed building in downtown area. Had the chicken fried steak which was a big portion. It was a great spot to meet with family along the Hwy 69 corridor. read more

Absolute awesome find!! Decor was great, nice space between tables give some privacy, lunch special was HUGE and delicious! Would definitely recommend and be back!! read more

Blue Duck Kitchen & Bar - Steat fingers(feet)!! - Bars Near Me - Livingston, Texas

We had a decent meal with family. The food was ok and the service was great. The seats were not very comfortable. I may give this one another go to see if I can up my experience. read more

Overall the food was very delicious, we ordered it to go to take back to our Airbnb. My husband had the ribeye with mash and asparagus. I had the blackened catfish with wild rice and a side salad. I would say the steak could have used a little more seasonings and some of the rice was a little overcooked. We would definitely try it again if we are in town! read more

Steak was good and service was good. I would have preferred some bread with the meal and broccoli a little more cooked. Some horseradish sauce would've been awesome too read more

Walked in to live music and a cool vibe! The place is small with a few tables and bar. Craft cocktails were featured on the drink menu but we went with beer and wine. We started with the mussels appetizer, which came in a fragrant and tasty sauce. We eat mussels regularly and have never had them served without bread. When I inquired about bread or rolls, the waitress responded they had garlic knots for a dollar a roll. We normally are not charged for bread, but figured these must be amazing. Unfortunately, they were microwaved and small. Quite a letdown with the delicious mussels. We moved on to sautéed shrimp and sirloin steak. Both were well seasoned and cooked to perfection. The sides of Brussel sprouts and zucchini and yellow squash were fresh and tasty. Service was okay and when we left, there was a wait for tables. Overall, a good experience. I marked down a star due to the lack of some nice bread. read more

Blue Duck Kitchen & Bar - Sautéed Shrimp with wild rice and vegetable du jour - Bars Near Me - Livingston, Texas

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Ordered $22 sirloin steak. Was not edible. So tough I had to spit out each bite. Very disappointing. Let waitress know so that she could notify kitchen. No compensation made. read more

Great place friendly attentive wait and host staff. We enjoyed the spinach and artichoke dip for a starter, I had the NY strip steak (cooked to perfection medium rare) my husband had the chicken fried steak which was huge and oh so good The ambience was a laid back vibe but with busy staff keeping everything moving nicely. Well worth a visit. We will definitely dine there again. read more

I have rarely had a meal that I said "wow" with every bite. An hour later I am still talking about it. I would happily drive the 2 hours back to Livingston just for the redfish. My husband had the pork chop that was amazing as well. Super cute place where the owner himself checked on us. We can't wait to be back. read more

First visit and was in search of a burger or sandwich. Service was good, food was very good and would recommend

We met our son halfway from Deer Park & Nacogdoches, had lunch at the Bue Duck Saturday. Food was excellent, service was great but slow, appears they are shorthanded. Only saw, 2 wait staff, the owner and the cook/cooks. For the amount of employees present it was understandable. I had the steak and pasta with cajun cream sauce, YUM! Hubby had the grilled pork chop, said it was good, but a sauce would make it perfect. Son had the Redfish, said it was great. We will stop by next time we are in the area. read more

A very nice and welcome hidden gem in Livingston Texas. This place does southern comfort food right. The chef has a nice touch on traditional favorites and blends flavors just right. The battered mushrooms are a must as an appetizer. The batter is light and airy and the mushrooms really pop with flavor. Delicious! Grilled pork chop was perfect. Juicy and tender with just the right amount of seasoning. Also kudos on the catfish. Flaky on the inside and a nice cornmeal, crunchy coating on the outside. The tartar sauce was perfect as well. Service was prompt and friendly. Nice selection of beers as well. This place is definitely worth a stop if you are driving through the area. read more

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Out for a Friday afternoon ride we ended up in Livingston Texas at The Blue Duck kitchen and Bar we had the 1/2 pound Burger and Grilled Chicken sandwich with house chips they were awesome the beef patty and grilled chicken were juicy the waiting staff on point, it's a perfect place to stop for a cold drink in the relaxing atmosphere, if your ever in Livingston Texas drop in to The Blue Duck Kitchen and Bar you won't be disappointed read more

Blue Duck Kitchen & Bar - The 1/2 pound Burger and Grilled Chicken sandwich with house chips - Bars Near Me - Livingston, Texas

Quaint little bar with dinning. Bartender friendly and food was good. I would recommend. read more

Blue Duck Kitchen & Bar - Ham&swiss with house chip - Bars Near Me - Livingston, Texas

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We ordered their sandwiches with home made potato chips. The sandwiches were beyond awesome and the bread was outstanding! We will be back!

Amazing way to get introduced to my new town. Food was amazing, service was happy and helpful, ambience was relaxing and accepting!

Stopped by after leaving the casino. My wife and I generally check reviews first before trying a new restaurant, but just stopped. We patron EXPENSIVE restaurants frequently because we like amazing food. We both got their special, which was sirloin steak (we usually have filet or ribeye), shrimp, asparagus, a cheesy tortellini and a salad. I had medium rare and my wife likes medium well (hence we try to stick to well reviewed places because most places get the steak wrong)... Mine was perfect and so was hers! Met the owner even, who was there and is also the executive chef! You could tell in the food! A lot of skill went into preparing and cooking that meal! You've gotta try this place out! Five stars for sure. read more

Staff, food and entertainment are amazing!!! We had a wonderful experience from the moment we arrived until we left!! Homemade food at VERY reasonable prices!!! Definitely recommend! read more

Staff was super attentive. I went with two former culinary students and they definitely approved. The restaurant was super clean and neat. The food was super delicious and pleasantly priced. A definite destination. read more

Blue Duck Kitchen & Bar - Blackened catfish - Bars Near Me - Livingston, Texas

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Camping over at Lake Livingston State Park for the Labor Day weekend- got in Friday night and we don't wanna cook! So, Yelp to the rescue! Cut little local place downtown, we're in! A bit of a miscommunication when we first got here- the hostess had us waiting for a table for about 10 minutes, before another couple came in and she sat them right at the bar. It was fine, though, because the double-whiskey neat I ordered for hubby was perhaps one of the most generous pours we've ever had! Talking about generous- we ordered an appetizer of fried pickles- not only is the serving definitely large enough to share with a table, they brought us a soup bowl's worth of ranch!! Light and crispy (a little bit greasy) and really tasty to start us off. Jackie is serving us from the bar tonight. Doing a great job keeping her eyes on our drinks (why, yes, we _will_ have another heavy pour of yours!) Hubby ordered blacken catfish with veggies; I'm going for a cheeseburger with all the fixings and fries. (This is what happens when I start drinking after fasting all day!) Now, be ready to wait. There's even a sign in the front room saying this is NOT a fast food joint. In FACT, the couple that came in after us and sat at the bar have now finished their meal and are leaving, and we're still waiting for dinner. Truth be told, we're pretty laid back sitting at the bar and enjoying drink (after drink) and watching a bit of TV waiting, though. The chairs _are_ a bit, um, sturdy, so, you've been warned. (Hubby says: maybe they had to catch the catfish? ) Now, wait a minute. The couple beside us, that sat down long after we did (and ordered AFTER we did.) just hit their food. Huh. Well. Food finally arrived. And it's not enough to save the place from the three stars they're sitting at. Burger was _really_ tasty, but I could tell it had been sitting under a heat lamp (or maybe, just sitting) for a while. And as much as I wanted to fall in love love with the hand cut skin on fries- they were limp, soggy, and greasy. Hubby's grilled catfish was heavily spiced with blackened seasoning ('maybe too much' he said) and about half way thru it stopped being flaky and fully cooked- he struggled to cut it with his fork... it's semi raw. His order came out with the wrong sides, though that was quickly remedied. And Jackie, our waitress/bar tender, has disappeared on us: so much so, that when the lady beside me knocked her glass of water over, I surrendered our extra napkins.. several minutes ago. Aaaand, there goes the other couple that sat down after us, now leaving before us. Now- I'd like to say, we were 100% cool and calm about all this. Didn't even send the semi-raw catfish back -- but our ticket just showed up and the last line item is "ASS UPCHARGE" (pic attached, I'm not lying y'all.) Pretty sure that's ASPARAGUS upcharge for hubby's second side, but come on, Blue Duck. Do better. Really. Do better. read more

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I thought the food was good but they do charge a 4% credit card junk fee so be aware. I just deduct that right off the tip so my base tip of 20 % becomes 16%. Credit card fees have always been a cost of doing business now these joints feel they can tack on a 4% junk fee to bills rather than adding this cost to the menu prices. So no sweat off my back. The server can go to the owner to collect that 4% they ripped off from me. read more

Was in the area and found this spot on Yelp with good reviews so tried it out. We were not disappointed! Quiet spacious place with excellent food and service. I got the fried Catfish and it was some of the best I have had anywhere. The breading was so delicious and the Catfish tasted fresh and not fishy. Price is a bit higher than expected but the quality was so good it's probably worth it. read more

Went for a private event and was floored by the service, fresh salad and homemade potato chips and wine selection. The chicken salad sandwich and BLT's were stellar. The roast chicken looked just as delicious but I didn't personally taste one. Fresh and tasty! Would definitely go back. read more

Everything is good here. Chicken Fried Steak, salads, the best filet & asparagus. Mushrooms, chips & salsa, & nachos are all good appetizers. read more

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This place was amazing! So worth stopping to eat here! Everything was made to order and just as we ordered it! The restaurant staff were so friendly and helpful. I ordered the hamburger medium rare and it was perfect! My husband had the chicken salad sandwich and really enjoyed it as well! The fries and sweet potato fries were outstanding! The prices were very reasonable and the service was quick! We will come here again!!! read more

I eat at Blue Duck two reasons. One the food I good and the ambiance is great. The tabes are a bit small but it works. The service is hi and miss but I keep going back so it's not bad, bad either! read more

do not come here!!! poor service very unwelcoming use to be great but now it has come down in quality and service ". we do not recommend !!! do not spend your money here terrible! they make you feel like you are bothering them read more

Honestly I came in and the atmosphere for a Tuesday evening surprised me enough . Nothing but laughs and smiles around . The bar had ice cold beer , and I ordered the Tuesday special ( chopped steak , mashed potatoes and green beans ) and it would put anyone of yalls " mommas " recipes to shame . read more

This place is amazing. I am here with a group from out of town and this place is crazy good. We have tried several places and you can't beat the service, and the food! read more

Small dining area. And more so a bar. I'd rather go in and dine and not deal with people drinking alcohol. The food is really good though

Amazing food and ABSOLUTELY AWESOME STAFF Definitely recommend if you want a nice setting for your family If you haven't been I'd make the trip to check it out read more

Happened to notice this place as we were walking into the Tax Office to register our vehicles. Decided we would try it out when we were done. Great little restaurant with full bar and excellent food. Our waiter that day was not as attentive i we would have liked, but the food more than made of for his lack. The next day we had to go back to the Tax Office and again decided we would try the Blue Duck again. Another excellent meal with a waitress who new her business!! Very attentive and answered all of our questions about the restaurant and the craft beers. Will definitely go back next time we are in Livingston Tx. read more

Oh my goodness!!! Wish I had taken a photo before our food was almost gone. The chicken fried steak and grilled pork chop are both absolutely wonderfully, perfectly prepared. Our server was very attentive. Nice bar, too, but I had iced tea this trip. Very substantial portions, but you can't tell by my "we are cleaning our plates" photo. read more

Blue Duck Kitchen & Bar - What little is left of my CFS - Bars Near Me - Livingston, Texas

Went with a group Friday night and they did a great job taking care of us and making us feel welcome. I had Cajun Pasta as I thought that was a safe bet, and it was good, but if I had seen the Pork Chop or Steak prior to ordering I would have tried on or the other. I was told they were very good by the ones that did order them. Nice atmosphere, friendly people, good food, good drinks and all in Livingston. Give the Blue Duck a try on your way thru. read more

You're up front people need to be more courteous to people that are new to the area or have not been around very much I will not come back there to eat again read more

The tomahawk pork chop was amazing this is a hidden gem in livingston. Trendy decor. Amazing food, nothing compares to it around. A new favorite spot. read more

We had been here for lunch and the food was great so we wanted to go for dinner. We arrived at 7:20 and we were turned away. The hostess said they had been too busy earlier and weren't seating anymore. If you don't want to be open until 8:00 on a Saturday night then don't list your hours as 8:00. read more

Great food and wonderful atmosphere. Love going with friends and family after a long days work and just unwinding at the Blue Duck. Service is so go they keep your drinks topped off and the food coming with a smile. read more