One of the better options in Niantic! I've eaten here a few times. It has a classy but dark decor inside, so I try to sit outside when the weather is nice! I've enjoyed all the foods I've tried, and like that there are some unique items on the menu, I particularly liked a mussel dish that I had! I have found the service to be spotty, but not enough to deter me from coming. The wait times are often vastly overquoted though. It's also in a nice location to walk along downtown before or after the meal. read more

Food was horrible. I received a burger with a bun that was hard as a rock, you could have killed someone with it. Unfortunately, I had take out and if you call they only have an answering machine. Visiting the area and won't be back to this restaurant. read more

Our go-to spot whenever we're in Niantic! Last time I went I had a Bloody Mary and the most delicious butternut squash ravioli with this light lemon butter sauce that was out of this world! I didn't even take the time to take a pic, but just dug right in! :) My friends got the crab cakes, clam chowder, seafood risotto, wings and beef brisket chili fries and bangers and mash. They were all very pleased. My friend who got the seafood risotto said the seafood was incredibly fresh but felt the risotto could have used a little more kick. She likes spicy foods. :) A lovely atmosphere. The booths make you feel like royalty! read more

I have been coming to the Black Sheep for a while. The food is delicious, my favorite is the shepherds pie and the whiskey ketchup burger. The waitstaff are very nice, trivia is fun on Tuesday. This place is packed during the summer and town events. My favorite place to sit is at a little corner table by the bar. read more

Bye Bye Black Sheep. I stoped in here with my date on a Friday night. Was immediately impressed with the authentic Irish Pub atmosphere and the great live music that was offered. Walked up to the bar and was pleased that they had Smitwicks on tap. Yes, the true Irish Pub experience at the beach. When I "bellied up" to the bar for round two, I stood beside two young gentlemen who were already waiting for service. The blonde female bartender (Melissa?) noticed me first and being courteous, I told her that the other two gentlemen had been there before me. She took their order and then completely ignored me for the next 5-10 minutes filling at least five other orders. I waved my glass, tried to catch her eye, but nothing was working. Eventually I spoke up with a loud enough "excuse me" to be heard over the music and the din of the pub. She immediately took umbrage and scolded me for speaking up. I placed a $10 on the bar asked her if I could "please have a Smithwicks, please" she started getting surly and belligerent with me and held the full glass of beer over her head asking repeatedly if I wanted it or not. I told her I had apologized five times and said "Please May I please have the beer please" once more. She still held the beer over her head like someone would hold a treat to tease a dog. I finally said "what do you want me to do, beg for i?" And she poured the beer out and told me to leave the bar. All this because I let the two gentleman who were there first order before me. I guess it's true "no good deed goes unpunished". Never again Black Sheep, not as long as (Melissa's) there anyway. How Rude. read more

Had a wonderful lunch the other day. Great food and service. So glad we tried it. Mussels app was fantastic. Salmon specisl and my sandwich were so good. Large add on fresh salad for $2 to my sandwich. No complaints read more

We live close by an have visited the Black Sheep many times but please beware of visiting on Sunday nights. I'm hesitant to ever write a bad review but this is the second time we have had four people sitting at the bar on a Sunday night fir a nice dinner and received absolutely horrible service. The young lady behind the bar both times has spent our entire meal texting on her cell phone and ignoring our empty drinks. Once the food runner dropped off our meals she never checked on us and we ate our entire meals with no beverage, we even had to go get silverware from a side station. All the while she sat five feet away with her back to us texting away. Really Really bad read more

Came here a few weeks ago with my family and had very good food, I can't remember the name of my salad but it is pictured. Everything about it was awesome except for the amount of blue cheese (I'm not a huge fan). Our server was very nice and accommodating. Only giving three stars because of the hostess who was extremely rude and had a lot of attitude. read more

The Black Sheep - Pubs Near Me - Niantic, Connecticut

We crawled into the Black Sheep at 9PM after a busy summer play day in Niantic. We bypassed other establishments doubting their ability or enthusiasm to execute at such a late hour. We both elected their excellent Whiskey Burger with cheese and fries. I had a delicious cucumber martini (first on the cocktail list), and my companion had a Sam '76. Yum! Thank you, Black Sheep! read more

Food was very good, especially the appetizers. The service was on the slow side but I've only been there once so I don't know if I hit it on off day. But everyone was quite nice which goes a long way to offset slower service. The prices might be slightly on the high side of average, but certainly nothing over the top. I'd certainly go there again if I'm back in that area. read more

This is my go to place, the staff is great. The food is on point. The buffalo wings are great, as well as the fish tacos. If you're going to order the kale Cesar salad get extra dressing . read more

Absolutely fantastic! They practiced social distancing extremely well. There is an outdoor dining area, and indoor patrons are more than 10' from one another. I even witnessed a waitress sanitizing the menus. I felt very safe eating here. The atmosphere was wonderful! From the hardwood floors right down to the music playing in the background. I had the 1st hamburger (angus beef), that was listed on the menu... and I cannot wait to go back and have it again! The Burger (with a not too spicy whisky ketchup), fries, and a pickle wedge was only $13, I couldn't believe it! I will not mention names, but I will say that I have had burgers from 2 other restaurants on that same strip, and this Burger from The Black Sheep was By far the best! read more

The Black Sheep - the entrance to a restaurant - Pubs Near Me - Niantic, Connecticut

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Stopped in to burn some time in Niantic and was happy to see they have indoor service as well as patio seating. They also have guidelines to follow which is a must during this Pandemic. Was shocked to see a requirement of ordering food if you want to drink but wasn't opposed to it so I ordered a cup of the New England Clam Chowder and I must say it is the best I have ever had. Definitely will be back in the future. read more

The Black Sheep - New England Clam Chowder Subduction IPA - Pubs Near Me - Niantic, Connecticut

As always an awesome place to meet up with family & friends, although the live music could be turned down a bit, (sure sign I am getting old lol!!) The service was great, the food was wonderful, although they got rid of some our favorite meals, the new meals offers us more opportunity to go there.... Keep up the great work... read more

Awesome restaurant. We found this place after a day at the beach. The food is very good. The vibe inside is a true Irish pub. The drinks were fantastic. The staff is very friendly and the bartender was great. We've been back three times when we are up that way. Highly recommend. read more

All around a very average experience. While offering a decent selection of Irish beers, the menu is rather light in its offerings of Irish dishes and very stereotypical. The service was standard. The soup and salad were what you would expect. The Bangers and Mash was little on sweet side, however the sausages had good flavour. The stuffed chicken breast was good. The desserts were worth ordering. Somewhat disappointing was that the Karaoke had been cancelled, but no mention of this was made on either the website or the Facebook page. The interior of the place is worth taking a look at. Price wise it was just about right. Overall not a top spot, but a very solid average place. read more

Picked up lunch there today. The corned beef sandwich was merely ok and the shepherds pie was tiny little portion. Their food is absolutely not worth the money. read more

I've actually been a patron of this bar for years and they just got a new chief, which prompted this review. The new chief made some changes and the ones I've experienced were not for the best. I ordered a Cesar salad with salmon, but I did not get a Cesar salad. The dressing was more like a fancy ranch dressing and it was covered in chickpeas. Also the lettuce was shredded and it made it hard to eat. Also one of the most popular items on the menu was removed. The veggie dumplings were something I would go out of my way to get, but now they're gone. I'm honestly so sad that this happened to a restaurant I have enjoyed for years. I will consider going back for dinner once the dumplings and Cesar dressing return. read more

Everytime I come to Niantic, my friends always want to go to Black Sheep. Why why why? The food is mediocre at best, the drinks aren't cheap and I just don't like the ambiance. It is a somewhat fancy looking place, but it is always super loud. I don't know why, but I just can't get comfortable here. I've just never really had a "wow that was so fun" night here. I can't put my finger on what it is that I don't love, but it's just a weird vibe. The do have music on the weekends and a patio outdoors, so I can see how it is a thing to do. Other people in town, many in fact, seem to go here so they must like it. Shrug. read more

Wikipedia defines "black sheep" as "an idiom used to describe an odd or disreputable member of a group, especially within one's family." Well, in the entire Northeastern United States family of fake British/Irish pubs, there is doubtful a "blacker sheep" than Niantic's Black Sheep Pub & Restaurant. With the kind of high prices for food and drink that one would typically find at a gastropub, one begins a meal at this restaurant with high expectations. Careful, though, as food at this so-called "pub" is served with a heaping portion of disappointment. To accompany our overpriced, small, American-sized "pints" of beer, my dining companion and I ordered a caesar salad with grilled chicken and an open-face steak sandwich served on "brown bread." Both were edible, but a horrific value and quality for the price (11 dollars for the salad and 12 dollars for the sandwich). The salad arrived at our table absent promised "garlic croutons." It also arrived absent the shaved parmesan cheese that is a hallmark of most good caesar salads. When croutons were requested, a heaping portion of low-quality (most definitely from a box) croutons arrived on a tea saucer. These tasteless cubes did little to help a salad made with tough chicken, low-quality romaine and mediocre dressing. The steak sandwich was similarly horrific. The brown bread on which it sat was burned in places and an odd choice for an open-face steak sandwich. The tiny portion of steak served on top of this poorly chosen bread was tough, fatty and most definitely cooked beyond the requested "medium" temperature. Fries accompanying the sandwich were from a freezer bag. When one enters the "Black Sheep" to use the bathroom or--if you are a bolder man than I--complain about the food, one is struck by the heroic effort made to transform a former pharmacy into a big-T "Trendy" nightspot with faux brick walls, giant booths and industrial-style ceiling fans. Unfortunately, all the interior design gimmicks in the world can't save this restaurant from itself. With a pleasant location on Niantic Bay and a large outdoor patio, this restaurant could have a lot to offer were the right amount of care taken with its menu offerings and an honest reassessment of its pricing undertaken. Until those things happen, please do yourself a favor and steer clear. read more

The Black Sheep Is a restaurant that should be regarded as a disgrace to the restaurant family. A true black sheep! My order was for a Wedge salad with blue cheese dressing and a grilled steak add on. The salad arrived with thin dressing, a ring of anemic looking tomato on the edged of the dish and the blue cheese chunks hiding on the bottom of the bowl. The steak was over cooked into tough over seasoned leather. My companion ordered the black bean burger, which she described as tasting like mushy dirt. The service was good, the chairs were stained, the prices were low. I would not recommend this establishment. read more

The food is great...chefs know how to cook!! Servers and service is below one star!!! Time after time the servers ignore tables, complain about working at the establishment, and are unfriendly! Sad....we are done dining here! read more

Oh my god this was good! My fam, boyfriend and I went one night to just hit some local nightlife; get a beer and a light dinner. The crowd was all twenties and thirties (who knew the nightlife was tucked in there?!) I ordered steak and frites...and it was DELICIOUS!! cooked perfectly. I don't remember what everyone ordered but no one was dissapointed. Great little Irish joint with your typical irish cuisin. It's great because there isn't a lot of nightlife for the 21+ on the shoreline without having to travel all the way to the casino. After 10/11 they have cover bands that weren't half bad. And they've got a good selection of desserts, and dessert coffees. I was also impressed that they had a good amount of beer on tap, as well as cider for those who prefer or can't drink beer. The bar is pretty big and has a cool setup the rounds the corner. And the bartenders were friendly and knowledgeble of the beers I hadn't heard of before despite the bar being as busy as it was. The server was quick, attentive and very friendly. Oh and the appetizers were fabulous! read more

Very cool pub atmosphere. Food menu had solid choices, nothing crazy, but delicious. Super friendly staff, not very crowded and relatively fast service in a great location right across from the beach. Absolutely recommend "the cones" appetizer. it was delicious! read more

I'm not in this area of CT much anymore, but damn I bet this place is making a KILLING! Located on the main stretch of quaint downtown Niantic and right on the otherside the river from Waterford , it fills a void for all the 21+ crowd (and maybe some underage by the looks of it) who are tired of going to the casinos for some decent nightlife. And it's not a bad place. It's big on the inside, enough to accomodate group gatherings. Plenty of table and bar space. Decent beers on tap. I've heard the food is good but haven't tried it so far. A bit overpriced for the area, but that won't be a problem when the summer tourists come to their Niantic beach houses starting in May. Overall not a bad addition to the Niantic strip. read more

We stumbled upon this place and just had to go in with a name like the "Black Sheep." The decor, atmosphere and general vibe of the place was intoxicating. It had me ready to order a guinness and hang out till the late night. The gastropub fare was well above average with great flavor and solid execution. Great experience and we will be back soon! read more

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I find their food to be consistently tasty and decent value. The burger and fries with the bourbon ketchup is worth indulging the calories! Their Sunday brunch, which is a well-kept secret is a good value for $15. It can get noisy when the bar is busy, but it's great to see places busy these days. I like that the menu changes seasonally. read more

The food is good. The drinks are better. Recommendation: Tuesday night Trivia starts at 8pm. Get a group together, order the 1st round, and give it a go. read more

Regular yummy food for an ok price considering the area. If you're feeling indecisive or unsure... go with the Burger. It is surprisingly awesome and the spicy whiskey ketchup is AWESOME. Especially if you order with sweet potato fries instead of regular potato. Yum! Drinks are good. The bar and restaurant can get crowded and noisy especially on weekend evenings. Check it out on a weekday, an hour before the sun sets and sit out on their patio. Smell the ocean air, people watch, eat delicious food and then check out the local shops or stroll the niantic boardwalk. read more

Horrible food experience! St. Patrick's Day of all days. Ordered a corn beef and mashed potato dinner? What happened to Cabbage? This was simply awful, small scoop of potatoes that was supposed to have cabbage mushed in, 5 small mushy carrot sticks, 5 or 6 1.5" pieces of dried out corned beef and no soda bread? $14.95. Shepards Pie that was beef chunks with potatoes slapped on top and left in a baking dish until somebody ordered it. Yuk! $14.95 for a small dish of yesterday's food. Oh yeh where was the corn, peas, onions? No soda bread! If a so called Irish restaurant can't get a simple corn beef & cabbage dinner right how good can there food be? Back to the best St Patty's Day food around the shoreline Bill's Seafood Fresh! Nice Portions, Reasonable, and a much better atmosphere! read more

Other half ordered ahi, server asked how he wanted it cooked...wha???!! Gave me scallops however ordered salmon. Ahi was dry, salmon took to long to make I lost my appetite. Server was apologetic for the mishap. Other half says one thing for sure, Black Sheep's food is consistently off. Kudos, 2 stars! read more

This meal was one of the worst meals I have ever experienced in my adult life. One of the only places open near my hotel at 9pm, everything seems to be closed around here in Niantic. First we Ordered the Homemade Chips with roasted garlic, blue cheese and scallions. Looked like Barf on fried potatoes.Tasted like Barf on Fried Potatos. We didn't take more then a bite, Sent it back and still got charged for it. We wanted the butternut squash risotto but they didn't have any. So we Ordered the Grilled Flat Iron Steak Frites with vegetables and a creamy sauce. Steak was cut up into strips and tasted like I was back in the lunch room at elementary school. French fries didn't come out with my meal, I had to ask for them. My fiance ordered the ceaser salad with grilled chicken. Her lettuce was wilted, soft, soogy, limp and drenched in dressing. The chicken was decently cooked, a little dry. So tonight the only items we actually ate were the French fries and the chicken. The soda I ordered was the only highlight, but how hard is it to mess up ice and soda in a glass? Honestly I was dissatisfied to the bone. Poor waitress that has to serve that sloppy bullshit they try and pass off as edible food. Total joke. Live music was mediocre at best. read more

Great atmosphere always, great selection of beer, friendly customer service! Food is exceptional.

I only stopped in for a drink, so I can't comment on the food. But I give this place low marks for service and decor. When I walked into the joint mid-afternoon on a Friday, there were just 3 other folks at the bar. But no bartender in sight. When she did appear a few minutes later, she was friendly, for sure. But just not very attentive. Too busy chatting up one of the regulars to pay attention to me. Took me over 10 minutes to get and cash out one drink. No exaggeration. I just wanted to take my drink out to the patio, but by the time the transaction was over, my glass was just about empty. Oh, well. I wasn't planning on coming back, anyway. The space is not arranged well. The type of place that could use some professional "Bar Rescue" type help on spacing, decor and service. read more

Today was our second visit to The Black Sheep, and will most definitely be our last. After the poor food experience we had here last year my wife was shocked that I'd suggest we give this place a second try. It's a cool place and I wanted to like it, so I was hoping that they were just having a bad day on our first visit. No such luck. The food (as other Yelpers have indicated) is, in a word, horrific. So bad that I still feel ill almost 9 hours after eating there. Since their Sunday brunch offerings didn't look that fresh or appetizing we opted to order off the lunch menu. The chicken wings were fatty and greasy. The hazelnut-encrusted chicken grinder (with cheddar cheese, pear & bacon slaw, lettuce, smoked paprika aioli & skin-on sweet potato fries) looked like the most interesting and tasty plate on the menu. Unfortunately, what I received was a dried-out chicken sandwich with almost no flavor to speak of. I couldn't taste any hazelnut, pear, or bacon, and only the slightest hint of paprika. The sweet potato fries tasted so old and dried out they were inedible. The cod sandwich special was equally disappointing. Absolutely no flavor at all, and a 50/50 mix of breading to fish ratio. We've had our fair share of mediocre pub grub. Sadly, the fare at The Black Sheep isn't good enough to be called mediocre. The service was very good and the place does have a cool vibe, but those are the only positive points we can note. I laughed out loud when I read the other reviews raving about the bourbon ketchup. If a ketchup-based condiment was the only part of the meal that made it memorable, then that should give you an idea of just how good the food itself was. read more

Wow if I could give less than a 1 star I would. Don't eat here... or drink either... feel bad for the waitresses who are actually nice. The cook needs to do something better better suited to his talents.... like lunch lady. read more

I would give the Black Sheep zero stars if I was able! We have always wanted to try The Black Sheep so this past Saturday while we were in the area we went in. It was 8:15pm and I asked before we sat if they were still serving food. Answer, "Yes, until 9. Sit anywhere, even if it's dirty and we'll clean it." We found a table (it happened to be dirty) and waited for 10 minutes or so. They weren't overly busy (plenty of open tables). Several waitresses and even our hostess walked by without a word many times. Then our hostess cleaned a table someone had just vacated across from us, so we moved. She never came back to wipe the table, instead she then cleaned the table we had moved from. STILL, not one person said a word to us. Not a, 'hello, we'll be right with you', just nothing but outright being ignored. We waited at this table for another 15 minutes. Finally, we left. On the way out, we passed one of the waitresses who had walked past us several times and I asked what time they served dinner until. She said, "9:00 and walked away". Having worked in a restaurant, this was the most horrendous of experiences. I rarely post reviews, but you can be sure, I will tell everyone I know about this one. I happen to live in the area. If you value service and decent human behavior I'd skip it! read more

Visiting family, brother who haunts this place suggested it. No reservations on the weekends, so you may have to wait for a table. Lots of beer on tap, and a great bottle selection. The food was very good. I had the Portuguese Clam Stew, lots of clams, potato, sausage and tomato, with great spicing. The steak, fish and chips, and pecan chicken were also very tasty. Prices were reasonable. Street and lot parking, though the lot is for the businesses next door, so parking at lunch may be an issue. The crowd is on the young side, but us "oldies" felt welcomed. The restrooms, at least the women's is large and bright, with lots of stalls. Next time we visit, we'll be sure to go back for dinner. read more

My fiance and I came here after visiting the Book Barn, just down the street. It was super hot out and this was a nice little stop off. First off the decor is beautiful. I love the eggplant purple and mustard gold colors mixed with the dark hard wood and brick. It was nice and cool inside and the waitress was quick to get to us. It wasn't very busy for a Monday at lunch. I had the poutine that came with corned beef. It was pretty darn good. My fiance had The Devils bite. This was a two patty burger with corned beef and the usual veggies and fries on the side. It really was a charming place and I could see the ocean outside of the window. read more

The worst food I've been served in ages. Everything was tasteless except for the ketchup. Never again.