I've been wanting to try this new black owned established ever since I met the owner Neville at Mad Cow in Laurel who provided me with a VIP card because I was with a large party, and I ensured that everyone paid their bill prior to departing and helped his staff with making collecting their money (over $500) and getting out of the way so other customers could have brunch. So, when two of my friends said Hey, let's Blvck Cow in Bowie, I happily obliged as I raved about the place and the great experience and food I had at Mad Cow in Laurel for brunch. Our reservations were at 6 and we arrived on time the third person arrived shortly after. Well let me tell you that Blvck Cow in Bowie is horrible, and I will NEVER return to that establishment or any establishment affiliated with ED. The other owner/chef Ed is why black people cannot and refuse to support black businesses. One of my friends and I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass and the other ordered the salmon below is a photo of what we received. We took one look at the portion and sent it back to the kicthen. Not because we could not afford the $36 for the Sea Bass and $26 for the salmon, but they failed to include the family size portion. You have 3 people to share one family size portion and we paid $36 for what you see below. They never filled our water glasses or brought us plates to even share the "family size shareables". To add insult to injury, the chef (ED) comes to our table and NEVER asked what the issue was nor if we even tasted his food (again, we did not taste the food). He said, "You guys sent back over $70 worth of food and I will not be cooking you anything else." Apparently, you do not know what fine dining is and you can just go to OUTBACK!! You can pay for your drinks and just leave. Man, let me tell you something, the restaurant is in a strip mall, there are no white linen tablecloths on your tables, your staff looks like they work in a nightclub, you have security at the door and you have the audacity (let me know where I can get that at) to reference fine dining. Where Blvck Cow, yeah okay I will gladly take my money to OUTBACK and any other establishment that knows how to treat their customers. One thing for sure their customer service, owners and staff are far better than any establishment you will ever OWN or WORK. Black business owners like you are the reason why black people do not support each other and other black businesses. Your unprofessional and aggressive behavior displays complete ignorance. What black man approached black women in an aggressive fashion over food. You need to get anger management and deal with your issues because you reflect negatively on black people and businesses everywhere. I'm sure you would not want anyone talking to you or treating you or anyone in your family this way. For sure if there were black men with your disposition would have been totally different. I've read the reviews and the snap backs and comments from this establishment from an owner is just ridiculous. I wish you the best of luck staying in any business you establish because you are the worst. I recommend that you seek therapy and get educated on what it takes to run a business or just stay in the kitchen and be the cook. You did not know us from a can of paint and we could have been food critics, undercover customers there to present you with a massive check. Casto was amazing and Ed is the reason why black people do no support black businesses. We wanted nothing for free only what we paid for. PICS below and if this is how you treat VIP you need to go to business school. Fine dining is more than extravagant prices for food and drinks in a strip mall. If anyone here wants upscale dining, go to Ashling Kitchen and Bar about 5 miles away in Crofton. We wanted a decent black owned restaurant to support and ended up getting McDonald's customer service. Good Luck Ed in your future endeavors, whatever that maybe. As a black business owner, I would never affiliate myself with anything that's attached to your name or brand. Your unprofessionalism, ignorance and immaturity is simply bad for any business. Do all black people and business owners a favor and find another career. read more

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EXCELLENT dining experience, our table was wobbly and the waitress quickly set us up with the next table without hesitant. Live ban was loud so we need to speak up to have a conversation! Good sense of security at the door plus I was asked if I made reversation prior to entering. A very nice combinations of food menu; steaks, seafood, burgers, pasta etc! The island spiced Prawns is a must try if you are dining in Bowie area read more

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went for my moms 60th birthday had a very nice experience the cream spinach was the bomb. The salmon was a little small but overall a good experience and everyone enjoyed themselves. The family style size was a plus and the painkiller was awesome. Will definitely return. read more

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Came here for a happy hour event recently and enjoyed myself! Blvck Cow also has the same owners as Mad Cow Grill in Laurel which is another place I love. They have a DJ in the event (at least Friday nights) and play throwback R&B. The ambiance/atmosphere is great there, can definitely have good vibes all night there with your people and pretty clean restaurant. Service can be a bit slow depending on how crowded it gets as an fyi. Their oxtail flatbread is delicious and seasoned extremely well. I also tried their Lobster Rolls as well which were flavorful as well. I wasn't expecting it to be that good in this area. As an FYI, their happy hour is from 4-7 pm so make sure you get there in time for the food/drinks discount. Go check out when in PG! read more

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Great service and ambiance. Alex was our server and he was so attentive, and made great food recommendations. The food was also delicious (we pretty much tried most of the food on the menu!) and everything was plated nicely. read more

First time here. It was highly recommend. This place was underwhelming! I should have known this was going to be less than appetizing when I saw price / meal was crossed out with a pen on a paper menu opposed to replacing the menu. The lollipop lamb chops weren't available so we ordered the Po'Boy shrimp. This was 3 shrimp in a hotdog bun X's 2 with homemade chips. Entree order was Oxtail flatbread and seafood pasta. The oxtail flatbread was not bad. The seafood pasta was dry with 51/60 size shrimp. Literally was told the pasta had scallops, muscles, salmon and shrimp. There was "1" shrimp and "0" scallops. This is a box of rainbow pasta which was $5 or less to make. The menu doesn't describe the dish contents and it's concerning when the waitress doesn't know the menu either. The menu is WAY OVER PRICED!!! Gratuity is automatically added, even with 2 people seated. So REVIEW YOUR RECEIPT! If you're only looking to pay for service "minus" the meal, this is the spot. I will NOT be recommending this place. I would have done better at Texas Roadhouse right next door. read more

Blvck Cow - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

Came from out of town to celebrate my mother's 85th Birthday. Planned dinner for 12 and wanted to support a black owned business. Made and confirmed reservation arrived to find that the restaurant was booked for a private party and the reservation should have never been accepted. Left my family scrambling to find a place for dinner and exhausted my elderly mother . Shame on you for conducting business this way. read more

First time visiting the restaurant. I had a steak that was slightly over cooked but the red wine reduction more than made up for it. The entres come with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach for the table Friends had a jerk chicken special and salmon both of which were considered pretty good. We all got dessert to go...I ordered the "big" slice of chocolate cake which was not very big at all. Service was great and the ambiance is giving date night or celebratory dinner. All in all I'll probably try it again read more

Blvck Cow - 8oz. Filet with a red wine reduction - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

Food and service was great! Our reservation was for 8:30 but we got there a little early and they sat us right away. read more

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Came here for a birthday dinner. Service was extremely slow and sometimes unprofessional. There was another table that had to keep getting up to find their waiter just to get their check. Food took an hour or ao to come out for 4 ppl at my table. One person ordered the salmon but it came out last wayyy after my porkchop did. Many items were already sold out, and most of the time, we didn't find out until the available food came to the table. Pricing was on par for food, but the drinks were a tad bit extra in costs. For example, we requested patron shots, but they were out. So we were given casamigos for the patron price to compensate. Those shots were $30 each. THIRTY DOLLARS! I would have to see what the casamigos were running. Food didn't taste bad. Ambiance was okay. Slightly loud but not overbearing. The main complaint is service and not having most of the menu available as early as 730 pm on a Friday. I wouldn't return. read more

First time at the Black Cow was a "just okay" experience. The hostess was very welcoming and polite. Our server Jay was awesome and accommodating. The ambiance of the restaurant was surprisingly underwhelming as I know this is to be an elevated, finer dining experience in comparison to the sister property. Drinks came out timely but the appetizer and entrees took long. For context, our reservation was for 7:30pm which we were on time for, appetizer came around 8:20, and entree came at 9pm. The upside is that when it cam it was hot and fresh, but the taste was just okay. Jay checked on us and made sure we were okay which I can appreciate but for those reasons plus an automatic 20% gratuity for a table of 2 ... it just wasnt the best experience. I would probably visit again but definitely wouldn't be in a rush to. read more

Blvck Cow - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

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Enjoyed the presentation and flavor of my New York strip which was paired with the red wine sauce. Also ordered the lamb chops, they weren't as seasoned as I'd prefer. Maybe I'll see if I can give it another try with the rosemary sauce. I love how two sides are served family style for the table. Please keep the red carpet and upbeat but intimate atmosphere. All of the staff members are so attentive. Coats were checked at the door, our waiter Edgar gave the best drink recs and the bartender was kind to tell us some history on how he came up with the drinks. Areas of Improvement: 1. Placing a barrier between the door and the seating area would be great. The heat had to be on blast because you could feel a breeze every-time the door opened. My poor date bald head was glistening with sweat and multiple staff members were complaining about how hot they were. 2. The option to switch out ONE of the complimentary sides. I'm lactose intolerant so I had to wait to enjoy the creamed spinach at home. read more

Blvck Cow - Food: New York strip w/ red wine reduction sauce and lamb chops w/ roasted garlic butter - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

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I wasn't impressed with BLVCK Cow at all. When making the reservation, I didn't like that you have to pay a deposit that goes towards your meal and there are all these rules about attire which are not upheld based off what I observed when we arrived. I'll start with the service which was very lacking. My friend ordered a ginger ale that he never received, but showed up on our bill. We were out of water for a while before our waitress returned and we could finally ask for more. I asked to have the remainder of the family style sides boxed so I could take them home. They were thrown out instead. But they did make me some fresh ones to take home to rectify the error. Now for the food. I just wasn't impressed. The beef empanadas were just OK. It tasted a lot better with the sauce they come with. The creamed spinach was bland but the mashed potatoes were actually pretty decent. We ordered lamb chops and neither of our orders were cooked to the temperature we had requested. You have the option of various accompaniments/sauces for the lamb chops. I assumed that they would literally be cooked in a pan with said requested sauce. Instead, they were regular lamb chops with a saucer of your requested sauce on the side and it's basically a dipping sauce. Of the two we ordered, the rosemary tasted the best. But it just looked like brown gravy and I'm not sure I tasted the rosemary. The server was unsure if they had the peach bread pudding because it wasn't on the menu, but she asked, and they did have it even though it wasn't on the menu. It also just tasted OK nothing to write home about. All in all for the price that we paid, upwards of $174, it was not this amazing dining experience that they promoted it to be. I included in my reservation that we were celebrating a birthday request. I saw them bring out desserts with a candle to other tables, but there was no mention of that for us even though I specifically put it in the reservation. The service was subpar and so was the food. As far as ambiance, the music was nice and I did love the decor. Also their social media marketing is phenomenal, I will give them that! read more

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Wonderful wait staff, great drinks! I think it is too expensive and additional Items like a sauce to pair with steak comes with an up charge. The sides were extremely salty. I had to send my steak back because it was well done, and not medium. They brought a new steak that was very salty, BUT it was also extremely tender! Sadly, we will not be returning. read more

The one star is for the two women host at the door. They were great. Pleasant, cheerful, and engaging. We were seated and told our servers name was Brittany. She was nice enough but I think lacked time and task management skills. This is were it goes downhill fast... First off, the menu is a bit limited and over priced. I ordered an old fashioned and my friend ordered a French 77. I didn't want to pay $25 for a cauliflower "steak", so I inquired about the flatbread w/Parmesan, clams, and bacon. Brittany said she'd go ask if could be made without the cheese/bacon and get back to me. Well, first Brittany didn't immediately return and when she did, she asked if we wanted to order anything else??? I had no idea if she'd put in the app or not. About 10 minutes later the flat bread arrives...covered in cheese. On top of that, it has now been at least 25 minutes and we still don't have our drinks!!! We ask one of the hostesses to check on them which she did, and returned with a sad excuse of an old fashioned and way to light French 77. I asked for fries which were brought out a few minutes later. Brittany stops by the table after having disappeared for over 40 minutes, never apologizing, and casually asking "you guys good"? OMG NOOOO! Finally we decide we'd had enough and wait another ten minutes before we see Brittany to ask for the check. Mind you, the after work/happy hour crowd has long gone. The bill for a burger, two drinks and fries was a whopping $100+ An extra $3 added to each drink which was already $18 a piece. Brittany didn't take the flatbread off when she initially brought the bill, and the kicker...an automatic 20% gratuity added to the bill. Do better people, just freakin do better read more

Service was very slow. Waited about 40 minutes to have waitress come over. Ordered bottomless mimosas and waited about a hour. Still didn't receive the mimosas as had to remind her. Food was okay, as the shrimp and grits was good but the chicken and waffles was bad. Waffles were very hard. Definitely disappointed. read more

Customer service was excellent. The staff was extremely attentive the entire time. Food was good. Definitely would get the chicken & waffles again. Gratuity was included at 20%. Ambiance was nice, music playing set a nice vibe. read more

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The food was extremely good and a great quantity. Would be a 5 star place, if it wasn't for the hostess stand/greetings. Ambiance can be a little better as well. I would return! read more

My dinner experience here wasn't the best due to the food being a bit underwhelming. We were excited to visit Blavk Cow based on the amazing times we have frequenting Mad Cow. We expected meals full of flavor and ultimately we received food that was bland. The service we received was lacking as well as we didn't initially have all of our silverware and the server took long periods of time between checking on us. My friend ordered the red snapper filets and was disappointed at how dry they were. The shrimp skewer addition was the saving grace for the meal that overall left much to be desired. I had the crab cakes and they were bland. The bed of corn that they were plated on was tasty. All entrées come with creamed spinach and mashed potatoes but we weren't aware that we wouldn't each receive a family style side. The creamed spinach was good the mashed potatoes were just ok. It wasn't the plan to share sides even though we both had our own entrees. We asked for separate sides and there seemed to be some confusion about ordering additional sides so we left it alone. We each had a cocktail and both felt like they weren't well balanced so we didn't order another round, plus it took so long for the server to come back that we didn't bother. Just because of the quality experience we have at Mad Cow I may give Blvck Cow another chance because I feel like they can do better. I wish this location much success but there is room for improvement. read more

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Food was mediocre for the price. I ordered the chicken and waffles with the waffles coming out uncooked in the middle; friend ordered steak and eggs with the steak coming out overcooked and dry. The bartender did a terrible job at making our drinks, again, at an absurd price. In addition, there was no toilet paper in the men's restroom, and the paper towel dispenser didn't dispense. Feels more like a shaky club that's trying to pose as a high end restaurant. read more

I was very excited to try Blvck Cow. I've been a Bowie resident for years, and as a millennial, was happy to see a restaurant like this open in my backyard. It definitely gives DC vibes in the county. Father's Day was the perfect time to give this place a visit and take my fiancé for his first Father's Day. The ambiance was nice, kid friendly (we took our 6 month old son), and the DJ was a nice touch. Our server was Edgar. He was very attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. He gave us great recommendations on what to try. We started with the honey biscuits and the mimosas flight. The biscuits were truly underwhelming as they reminded us of Popeyes biscuits drizzled in honey. The mimosa flight was WONDERFUL! Such a creative take on a classic brunch drink. The earl gray was our favorite. My fiancé got the steak and eggs and I got the surf and turf. He requested medium but it came well done. He told Edgar and he promptly returned it to the kitchen for a redo. My filet mignon was ok but the crab cake was terrible. I expected an actual crab cake but it literally looked like a hash brown puck. No crab meat whatsoever but tons of filler. I couldn't even finish it. I think brunch can definitely be improved upon. There doesn't seem to be much effort put into the dishes. We still want to try this place for a dinner date night but if brunch is any indication of the food I fear we'll be disappointed. read more

Well let's start with the ridiculous service charge and additional fees they charge to make a reservation. The reservation hold is $10pp plus an additional $2 service fee. The hold is credited back the fees are not and added to the automatic 20% gratuity. Considering this place wrote the preamble for dress codes and vibes I expected more. I arrived a few minutes early for my reservation. The windows are tinted really dark and there is a red carpet and door service upon entry. Again one would think they're walking into something VIP. I end seated right away along the front windows which immediately was a problem because the wind from the front door and from sitting next to the windows was felt all around me. It was freezing in there. I raised the issue to my waitress who basically said 20 minutes later there is nothing I can do. The hostess said we are aware of the problem. I said we need to be moved (if we had not been moved I would have left). Well we were moved to another table still across from the door my friend and I used her coat to keep warm during the entire meal. At the very end of our meal wewere served spiked hot cocoa in an espresso sized cup, this was a nice touch but needed while I froze for 2 hours. Next it took 30 minutes to get drinks and water for my friends didn't come until after our meals were served. The glass of wine just a little bit more than a tasting pour. The lobster Mac n' cheese had two pieces of lobster and while the serving dish was hot the food itself was just room temperature. The empanadas were served with what I believe to have been aioli (major upset) and honestly tasted like seasoned beef inside of the pastry. We all ordered a burger and honestly for $20 plus all the up charges it was so extremely disappointing. It was served with those terrible shoestring French fries. One of my friends barely touched hers and mine was raw on the inside (I requested it be cooked medium). We were too done with this place and wondered if anything else could actually happen. Well it took over 20 minutes to get the bill and 15 more for the waitress to return to collect our cards. As someone who dines out regularly and loves trying new places/concepts I can confidently say I will never (ever) come back to this establishment and cannot in good conscience recommend it to anyone. read more

Had dinner at Blvack cow for first time. On a Friday night. The food was excellent. So I give the food 5 stars. Steak cooked perfectly. Chicken tender and tasty. Lobster Mac and cheese wonderful. Vegetarian dish excellent. However, the service was not good and the atmosphere was super loud so hard to have a conversation and it was freezing from door. I got the sense our server was new. We waited a full hour to get our drinks and a full hour before order was taken. Never got the second drink we asked for. We were seated near door and every time it opened, which was often, cold air made it very uncomfortable. They can really use a wall by the door. read more

Not impressed. They have a dress code on their website that they don't follow. The place is decent, but loud and hollow. Music is too loud to have any type of conversation (even the staff said something about the music being too loud). Food was overpriced for the quality. The best thing I had on the menu was the empanadas (). Drink were nice, but they came out right before our meal (we ordered them with the appetizers). Server was great, but the food and price....NAH... read more

On their website this establishment is considered "upscale." Overpricing menu items and placing a red carpet and rope in front of your business doesn't make it upscale. Truly UPSCALE restaurants have white table cloths, they don't have music blasting while you're dining, they aren't located in strip malls, and they don't have entrances that open right into the dining area. MORE CONS: - The portions were small. - The pre-selected sides of mashed potatoes and creamed spinach (more like spinach dip) was too rich/carb-heavy. No substitutions allowed. - You don't receive your own portion of sides. One of each for the table. - There's an upcharge to add a seasoning/sauce to your meat entrée, otherwise it's prepared plain. - 20% gratuity added to every bill. - The $10 per person + $4 service fee to make a reservation is absurd. NOW, THE PROS: - Food was tasty. - Our waiter was great. - Food arrived promptly. Would I return? No. Would I recommend? No. There are much better dining experiences at the same price point for me to patronize Blvck Cow again or foolishly refer them to someone else. read more

My girlfriends and I had a horrible experience. Asked for a manager to share concerns about excessive delays in food delivery, multiple missing food items, dairy item included but not disclosed on menu, water served in a cracked and dirty glass and never replaced, soup/stew dish served without a spoon and no spoon provided after requested. As the guest I had to get up and ask the bar for a spoon to eat my meal. Manager initially refused to come and address the issue. After repeated request and almost an hour wait, came and said he wasn't told about the issues, despite our server asking us multiple times if the manager had come yet. The manager threatened to call the police in response to being told we would not pay the full bill which included a 20% gratuity for such poor service. This restaurant was chosen because it was said to be Black owned. The manager was not Black and attempted to exploit his privilege rather than provide customer service, hospitality, kindness and consideration. This is not a business that honors patronage in our community. read more

I visited while in the DMV area for work (with a friend). The restaurant has a great vibe. It's a location for friends catching up, a date, a birthday dinner, and an ugly Christmas sweater party. I know because all of these connections were happening while I was there . Everyone from the door attendants, the hostess team, to our service associate were pleasant, professional, and had a since of humor. The menu has something for everyone. The standard sides are family style. My only recommendation is that both standard sides not be soft in texture. They were delicious. I tried the steak and would definitely return to try a seafood option. Great "get cute" choice in the DMV. read more

The food was good. I had my steak, medium which was perfect. The empanadas were nice. Service was good my waitress was very attentive and helpful. The ambiance was nice they had music playing R&B and hip hop. Gratuity is included in your bill at 20%. Something which was not mentioned in the beginning. read more

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So, so. The DJ was really good. He played some really good music. The food was ok but the prices are too high for the quality of the food. Service is so so. read more

The food was great. We loved the wings and the pizza. The server was not attentive and things that are expected were later "discovered" after the fact. Like my friend added the Mac and cheese to her meal for an up charge. She got a plain Mac and cheese not the one listed on the menu (the plain one isn't listed). We enjoyed everything we order including the butter cake. read more

Absolutely amazing food, service and environment. Worth every penny. Highly recommend.

Great food and service! The cocktail menu is perfect and strong. Named after local pg county cities, so cute. The sides are shared and the entrees are very generously proportioned. Price point is comparable to other area restaurants of scale. I saw they had a vrunch menu and intend to also dine that menu. read more

Food/drinks were great! The staff and management were so thoughtful and accommodating. Definitely coming back and will be hosting an event in the future. read more

the hot honey biscuits should be called biscuits with a side of honey you have to dip your biscuits in the honey to get hot honey biscuits. read more

Blvck Cow - salmon bites and grits lacking flavor.tasted strongly of fish oil, grits, bland sauce leaving the dish underwhelming. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Bowie, Maryland

The service and atmosphere were great. The presentation of the food was great. I ordered a NY Strip with eggs, the steak was tough and not cooked to the desired medium temperature and also lacked flavor (needs more seasoning). read more

I Met Chef Ed!!! It's most definitely RARE for the owner/manager to come out to meet the ppl who patronize so that was definitely a Good Look!! 9-16-22 Soo many things to celebrate today! I got the Other Gov job I wanted & My BFF Biiiirthdaaaay!!...Our Waitress was Myà she was extremely attentive , refilled our cherry cokes from the bar (the best cherry coke to have) her customer service is what EVERY black-owned establishment should come with!! Even Christopher the guy at the door that reminds me of Andre Watkins from P.Valley was pleasant!! All around great job hiring them!!..Annnnd Now to the Feature Presentation!!! The Flavorful, Deliciousness, Tender, Grilled Entreés!!! Even the Crusted Tomato on the side of your Plate was Good!!! & I don't even eat tomatoes Plain like that!! I had the double boned Grilled Pork Chop PERFECTION!!! all the way across the board but my take away was the fact that you can TASTE the grilledness instead of it just being grill marks and it's tasteless aff or not seasoned DEFINITELY won't have that issue with Blvck Cow! The Family-Style Creamed Spinach and Buttery Mashed Potatoes which was a wonderful idea to keep it simple! It was Amaziiiiing!! & you get refills niice concept on that!. My bff got the Lamb Chops same sentiment as the grilled pork chops! NOTHING was sent back! The Pairing sauces were really good we got the Honey Chipotle & Rosemary tho our food didn't need it were Saucy Shawties so we had to see! Lol. The Appetizer Beef Empanadas Looooove as well!! Like I said!! It's a Must it's not as upscale as I thought it was gonna be but Definitely gave me a reason to dress Up! & Be Cute! Definitely will be Returning esp for the black chocolate cake and drinks!! Thanks Chef Ed for making my First Visit a Wonderful One!! See you Soon! read more

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Since reopening, the food is the same with a few minor updates to the menu. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed my happy hour visit yesterday. The mango wings were delicious! The new bartenders are very nice and personable, and I definitely loved the DJ. I will be making this restaurant a regular stop! read more

Another great experience at Black Cow with my waiter Kirk, who was very attentive and helpful. It was Happy Hour, so I started with the Barbecue Mango wings and the Grilled Lamb Lollipops. They were both AMAZING! Perfectly tender and well seasoned lamb followed by a slightly spicy curry infused wing that was perfectly balanced with the sweet mango and red/green pepper sprinkled on top. These could ONLY be outdone by the masterful Reggae Seafood Pasta that was truly superb! Five Stars!!! read more

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So i seen on tik tok about this restaurant and was excited to try. Nonetheless i was so dissatisfied, The drinks were nice looking but didn't have any alcohol in them , i ordered a lobster roll which didn't seem fresh and to find out they didn't have any mayo so in result was very dry! I also ordered the jerk shrimp flatbread which was bland no flavor ! Then when I said didn't eat the extremely small lobster roll they didn't take the lobster roll off the bill instead they took off one out of 2 shots of grenadine/ blue curacao syrup and maybe a lil pinch of tequila, Wanted to like this restaurant but they need to do better !!! On my way to Jaspers read more

Went with three friends(four people total). We made a reservation $10 per person + $2 per person service fee per person. The service fee does not get applied to the check AND you have to make sure they actually apply the deposit to the check because they did not apply it until we asked (luckily we were sober and alert) So an $8 non-refundable fee just to make a reservation ( I had to highlight this AGAIN). The waiter was decent, but we often had to look for him, or ask another waiter a question in order to get him to come back to our table. The restaurant was not busy either so essentially we could have walked in, and it did not look like he was overwhelmed with the amount of tables that he had. One person got a burger, one got a steak, one got lamb chops and one got the sea bass. The waiter asked every person (minus the person with the burger) what sauce they want because the entree "comes with it", so we selected a sauce because it "comes with it", $4 per sauce. No one's food was hot. Sides are mashed potatoes and creamed spinach no substitutions, they were lukewarm, flavorful but salty. The sides come family style and they are all you can eat. All of the food was salty. We also got the macaroni and cheese. Everyone had one spoon full of it and the rest of it sat there and no one took it home. It was very cheesy with no flavor. The empanada appetizer was good. Everyone thought their drinks were decent (definitely not craft cocktails), but a craft price. I had their version of a lemon drop it tasted like simple syrup and alcohol. I had to squeeze lemons into the drink to give it flavor. I think the drink may have upset my stomach, but the food wasn't fresh, so I can't say for sure. There was a DJ until 8:00 so it's very loud and you have to scream over the music. The music selection was good. The decorations are OK and the restroom was clean. Back to the money we paid for the reservation. They applied the money after the taxes fees and automatic 20% gratuity. So we paid additional taxes on the money we already paid a 20% fee on. I didn't want to get into it with the waiter so I asked for management and she is came over with an attitude. She said that she was going to apply the money before the gratuity and fees only to apply it after for a second time, we were not in the mood to argue, so we let it go. I feel like for $400. I could've went somewhere that had better service better quality food and better drinks. I don't mind spending money on an experience, but this felt like price gouging and trickery. The experience made us feel taken advantage of and disappointed. I also feel like I gave them more grace and a lot of areas because it is black owned. With this restaurant being so close to home I really wanted to like it despite all of the bad reviews that I've seen online, but I am never coming back. I'd rather go to DC deal with parking and get what I paid for. read more