One of my favorite places in Lafayette--the only thing I routinely dislike is the smoke. I love the food here; my favorites are the BLT&E (BLT with a fried egg and pesto mayonnaise) and the hummus plate, but I've never had a bad dish here. I also generally like their drinks, though last night I wanted a glass of wine and they were out of all but three items on the wine list they showed us when we sat down--why even give us a wine list? They have live music some nights but it's a pretty small venue, so I tend to avoid the place on those nights. I recommend lunch hour if you want to just try it out, as their food is the same. Surprisingly inexpensive: got two drinks and two meals for about $20, and have gone all out for about $30. read more

Mega craft brews and coors light are basically the same to me, though it seems like they take it seriously, which is nice. When I first saw the place I thought, yeah, whatever, I've seen this before, lay off the gourmet schtick, but the people here are so nice that I've ended up feeling like the snob in the whole equation. And the shot + beer drink specials are great. But WOW. For music, every town needs a place like this, and every bar needs DJs they have here. I've been here on some pretty insane funk/disco nights that rivaled anything I've ever seen. And the space is pretty great for bands. I'd like to see more of them here. It hasn't seemed like people here are the dancing type, though. Every time there'd be like three people going nuts and most other people holding drinks with folded arms. Which would be fine if the music wasn't so good. read more

The Black Sparrow is now non-smoking, meaning I can go there in the winter whilst wearing my coat! Woohoo! The food and drink at the Sparrow are still very good. The other day one of their live performers treated us quite rudely (with no provocation). This is not the Sparrow's fault, but perhaps they should communicate how they expect the performing artists should interact with patrons before giving them the stage. read more

Great service!!! Loved the Bahn Mi sandwich!! The cilantro and jalapeños gave the sandwich a wonderful fresh flavor and just enough slice!! The side salad was a good size and the balsamic vinegar was perfect! Highly recommend! Fresh ingredients that are all homemade make this place one of my favorites in downtown Lafayette! read more

The Black Sparrow - Bahn Mi sandwich and side salad. - Bars Near Me - Lafayette, Indiana

I've been to The Black Sparrow many times for work lunches, date nights, drinks with friends, etc. It's one of my favorite spots in town. The ambiance is a little strange and hipstery, but the menu is varied, all the food I've had has been really good and I've never experienced anything but great service. I love the rotating beer selection. Also, the beer + shot for $5 deal is usually awesome. As far as food goes, the Bahn Mi and BLT&E are my go-to entrees, but the best thing in the place is the Bacon Wrapped Dates. Do yourself a favor and get an order of those. read more

Pretty cool bar. Didn't spend much time inside because of a free concert (mosey) outside. They have a wide variety of drinks and pretty good drink specials. I like how they offer some local beers. Looking forward to coming back and trying the food! read more

Final update, I swear! The last three times I've been to the Sparrow the food and drinks were much improved and surprisingly delicious. The servers have been much more attentive and service in general has been faster and friendlier. Overall, this has become a place I recommend and enjoy. Hopefully it stays that way! read more

One of our favorite restaurants downtown Lafayette. Menu is unique and the specials always delicious. Great beer selection and reasonable priced drinks. It is definitely loud, so anticipate that, but the food is worth it. read more

So...... upon advice from friends that love craft beer this place was referred to me by many. Gave it a try, had a beer flight and a pint. Amazed at what they had on tap, really, dragons milk? Yes they did, and it was amazing. If you enjoy craft beer, and a laid back no pressure high class environment this is the place for you. Don't miss out, give it a try..... you won't go away disappointed. Brenda was my bartender and was super attentive and made for sure I never went thirsty. Can't wait to come back and give the food a whirl, don't miss out on one of Lafayette's best kept secrets. read more

Thai pizza is AMAZING! All of the rotating specials on the menu are very exciting. Get the nachos verde if they are available. Carryout dinner is ready in 15 min. The bar/server staff = competent. The kitchen staff = premium. Great beer selection. If your into the Black Sparrow vibe...get weirder and Definitely check out The Black Sparrow's sister/brother bar -- Spot Tavern (just a 6min walk) after or before dinner at this phenomenal establishment. read more

The rotating taps at the Sparrow are fantastic. Staff members know their stuff and can help you make a good choice either from the taps, bottles or cocktails. There are daily shot & beer specials and Thurs/Fri/Sat dinner specials. Their "classic cocktails" menu is seasonal and has some good twists on older drinks. The food at this place is surprising. The chef and kitchen staff really do a great job with preparing and presenting the food. They try to use locally grown ingredients when they can and it really makes their food stand out. The live music is a big mix, too. One night might be electronic/dance, another jazz, another W. African drumming. It's really a lot of fun and draws a diverse crowd in. One of my favorite places to go downtown any night of the week. read more

This is a cool little hipster bar where you'll see anyone from lawyers that work around the corner to college kids. I like the mix. And the food is really good and really reasonably priced. Pizzas and appetizers start at $5 so my girlfriends and I each get one a share. I'm not a beer person, but they always seem to have a great selection on tap. And they make some killer martinis and have a decent wine list. But if you don't like smoke, don't go there because it is one of the few smoking bars in Lafayette. read more

This place gets points for the really unique and delicious food and some interesting cocktails. An extra point for the goat cheese appetizer which is the stuff dreams are made of, for real. Points off for the service. Not necessarily RUDE, but relatively neglectful. I'm not the type of person who wants the waiter all up in my business, but I do want a drink refill in a relatively timely manner. It's hard to get the staff's attention. The prices could also be better and more affordable but it's kind of understandable considering the unique offerings. read more

The Black Sparrow is the best bar, by far in Lafayette/West Lafayette. In fact, we've even gone to other states to bars and felt they lacked the character of the Black Sparrow. They have a great staff, who mix excellent drinks. As their motto says, "no crap on tap"! Their food is amazing and very reasonably priced. Hummus, Thai Pizza, Cuban, and goat cheese at a great price? Sign me up! Everything is clean. The lighting is perfect. They have great bands/DJs. Overall, the Black Sparrow is the hip place to be. read more

Rude bartender, slow service and overall just a bad experience. The bartender didn't like the drink I chose and I overheard him tell another customer that only a douche townie would order such a drink. I was gonna ask to see a manager but honestly I felt like the management wouldn't have done anything. I hope they get another bartender because until then I won't be going there again. read more

Had lunch with my friend and colleague, Eric yesterday at the Black Sparrow. Our burgers were really good! Both were served piping hot with a nice side salad included at no extra charge. They also offered us a nice new bottle of A.I. Steak sauce. Yum! Most of the servers have been there for a while and offer good service. Parking can be a problem, but drive around until you snag a spot nearby. Give them a try, since you won't be disappointed. Enjoy! read more

Absolutely the best Sunday Brunch in all of Northern Indiana. Worth every bit of the hour drive from Indy. Caution for the drive home. This meal will put the nap on you. read more

I have been here a few times and I was always satisfied. Extensive beer list with excellent selections both on tap or in bottles. They made decent classic cocktails (old fashioned, gin & tonic, etc.), and they also had amazing in-house specialties (I like Formula 86 and Lupita's Revenge!). Food was decent but I only had it once. Overall it was always a good experience! read more

I've lost count of the great laughs I have had at this place with friends, the bartenders, or servers. I've been there after late night softball or a more proper weekday work lunch. I enjoy the food and beverages. A neat place that hits the right balance of trendy and dive bar. read more

Ugh. This place is a "hipster dive bar" where everyone chain smokes, it takes forever to get your drink and even longer to get your bill. A lot of the time they have live music and you are forced to pay a cover to "enjoy" it. After 5 minutes in there you will leave smelling TERRIBLE, don't go unless you LOVE cigarette smoke. read more

Best craft beer selection in town. Exquisitely-crafted mixed drinks. The Sparrow Sidecar is a classic. Colorful and dynamic bartenders and servers. Delectable dishes, accommodating myriad palates. Try a bloody-mary with brunch. read more

I've frequented The Black Sparrow for about 5 years now, and have always had a great experience. The wait staff is always top tier and very knowledgeable about the menu. I would highly recommend the steak frites or banh mi. The specials change with relative frequency, and the beer menu is diverse enough to satisfy any taste. read more

So the weirdie drink menu is totally my fav thing about this place. I would like it a lot more if it were a non-smoking place, but oh well. They have music and such, which is cool. It feels like a cozy and welcoming place. I could live without the sorority crowd that I see here from time to time, but live and let live. As those girls say, "like, O..M..G...this place is so cool. I totally love the drinks and some junk." read more

Walk into the bar at the Black Sparrow last night & it's only the bar tender, a guy at the bar & myself. I'm in town, because my son's looking at Purdue, but he's at dinner with the coach. I just wanted to order a steak & a beer, but the guy at the bar won't stop talking & the bar tender won't even acknowledge that I'm there, I'm 10 feet away from him. This went on for several minutes, & I eventually walked out..... It only takes 20 seconds to pop a cap off a beer & toss a menu at someone, I don't think that's asking too much. read more

Frankly speaking, the cocktail is good enough. But the I never met such rude waiter. I think they can be more nice to the guest. Holy shit experience. read more

I hope those that are bringing this up realize that the hipsters are Purdue students. The largest contingency of patrons at the Sparrow are locals. Lafayette rock n rollers. Hardly dependent on this "hipster" Purdue student scene. Go ahead, talk to the locals. You can tell who we are by the fact that we actually listen to the bands (we most likely booked the show), are welcoming in nature, and are pounding PBR's like nobody's business. I considered giving this one star just so the real hipsters, and the ones bitching about the smoke, will stay at home. read more

The service is awful! Really tried to like The Black Sparrow since there are not many chic places to eat/drink in Lafayette - but the service is the worst. The waitress spilled my friend's pizza on the table (thankfully, not on his lap) and was rude - even in her apology. She did not share the dessert menu with the entire menu, instead read her the only available dessert to my friend - almost as a whisper. The waitress did not share that information to the entire table. Lastly, I only ate half of my pizza and intended to take the other half home, placed in a doggie bag. I went to the bathroom and came back to the table to retrieve my doggie bag and the waitress threw it away! When I asked her where my pizza was, she was flippant, rude and hostile - said that she threw it aways and that she wasn't going in the garbage to get it. I enjoyed the food but HATED the service. read more

I like this bar but unfortunately the DJ is really pretentious. As I asked him if he could play more recent music (as he had been playing the same kind for over two hours and there were only 4 people dancing two of them were my friends and wished for a change in the music as well) he replied very rudely 'don't tell me how to do my job'. I was just making a suggestion, the music got better afterwards but I dont see why he waited until 1.30am to start playing better stuff, afterwards more people were dancing of course but he should start playing the good stuff earlier. read more

It's okay to meet friends on the weekend, but sometimes the hipster atmosphere is too much and the servers can be downright rude. A lot of people get the $2 PBR tall boys which I guess is a good deal? but I can't really say the last time I was craving a PBR. Also, the music can be really loud and annoying when they have shows. I usually go across to Vault when that happens. I have yet to try the food, but I might now that it is non-smoking. read more

It was a chill bar but the staff was rude. It is a good bar to go to with small group but I do not recommend it for groups larger than 4 people. read more

Too many hipster emo types. If you like getting glared at by those that obviously think they're better than you, then go to the Black Sparrow. Also, the staff is rude. (Unless you're a hipster) Good food though. read more

I didn't like this place at all.... The bartenders were not friendly at all and the beer on tap selection is pathetic... The smoke was very bad and after being there having just one beer my clothes were stinking to smoke. In my opinion one of the lamest bars I have visit anywhere. read more

Excellent place to hang with a friend or two. Reliable food and good beer selection. Friendly staff (for the most part) and decent music on most occasions at a volume that still accommodates conversation. Can be very smokey once people get started. All in all, a landmark on the Lafayette nightlife landscape. The crowd ranges from college students to graybeards, all of them with just enough pretense to make it fun. read more