The Black Hen & Bar Blue

The food was OK but overpriced. When we asked about the tuna appetizer the waiter completely misrepresented it, saying «it’s good for sharing» and it was maybe 2 bites worth of food for 8 – 10 $.

Very tasty food. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the décor, and every bite was very tasty. It is very expensive for what you are getting. Now that I’ve gone I don’t feel the need to go back, however since I don’t think that the expense and experience match up well.

Had the pleasure of dining here this weekend. Very quaint location and loved the intimate interior. Our food was excellent but given the reviews and the prices, I was a touch disappointed. We ordered the cheese plate, it was very good but we get cheese all the time in Atlanta so I can’t rave about it. The brandied cherry ice cream was excellent. I was a little disappointed in the duck dish I ordered. First, the skin was not crispy which was disappointing. Next I didn’t understand the hard cooked duck egg on top of a potato. It had no flavor. I don’t think potatoes really go with duck anyway. They were tasty. The green bean medley was very tasty. The flavor of the duck was good but the dish was just weird to me. My husband had the beef tips and was also a bit disappointed in that dish as well. Probably wouldn’t pay the prices and hassle to get a reservation to come back with restaurants like 622 North (amazing flavors) already in Blacksburg. Can’t rate this bad but just doesn’t stack up to the hype. Maybe with a better executive chef or better management it could. Sorry.

I had a hard time following the trend and giving this place any more stars than this and here is why:
They are over priced on everything from drinks to dinner. For the quality I can drive up the road and find better food/​drinks for the price. The food is good, but nothing that special. If they would knock the price down by just a small percentage I could have given them an extra star for that.
The drinks… the drinks are the reason my wife and I would frequent that place. One of the only, if not the only place in Blacksburg to get a real cocktail. They had a good selection of drinks and the bartender that had been working would always come up with new and delicious drinks. Not sure if he moved, got fired, or the restaurant went in a different direction, but their drinks have suffered. They only have 3 – 4 selections for their cocktails and the bartenders cannot even make a good Old Fashion. The last one I had was horrible, would have been better just to have whiskey on the rocks. They need to change up and go back to be innovating with their drink selection. I would have previously given them 4 stars on their drinks alone, but sadly they are now mediocre at best and why they only garner 2 stars.

The food and service was absolutely amazing. A must eat. Everyone should try this restaurant.

Amazing food and really great, creative cocktails! One of my favorite spots in Blacksburg.

great restaurant，we came without reservation in a random Wednesday and there are no space! We only got a 2hour table before a reservation. we ordered duck breast，kobe steak，crab cake，all of them are good～and the chocolate bombs is amazing, especially the raspberry sauce chips on the top!

The Black Hen and Bar Blue is a rarity for a town like Blacksburg in terms of both food and service quality. The menu is on the smaller side, but certainly didn’t feel like it, as there were options that appealed to everyone in my party of three. As a self proclaimed cheese addict, I ordered the full ($ 21) cheese platter that contained a delightful variety of sharp, nutty, and mellow cheeses; certainly an excellent way to start the meal. My entrée (the delicious Pork Chop) continued to uphold the high bar set by the appetizer, and was delightfully complemented by sides of redskin mashed potatoes and coleslaw. Our server was personable attentive, without being overbearing. Overall, the Black Hen is an excellent place for that special someone on your anniversary, or just a celebratory treat (just be sure to make reservations for good seating)! I will be returning in the near future!

Perfect in every way! Food is amazing, farm to table, perfect portions and cooking exquisitely! Desserts and cocktails are also hand crafted and great! Be prepared to spend $$$ but completely worth it.

Great bar. Good food, although I wish they would branch out a little. Still, only destination dining in Blacksburg.

Excellent, personal service and a great atmosphere. Very classy décor and while the space is small, it’s cozy without being cramped.
The food was excellent. The portions were perfect and the two dishes we got — prom loin and the salmon — were well-​cooked and were very flavorful. We ordered the chocolate banana dessert and were blown away.

The cheese plate here is worth every penny, and the cocktails are delicious and the bartender is very accommodating to requests. It will continue to be my #1 cocktail spot in town.

We decided to give this place a try after hearing good things and it did not disappoint. I got the pork loin and my wife got the salmon. Everything was excellent, from the food to the service. I recommend making reservations as seating is a bit limited.

Their food is expensive, which means this should be a upscale restaurant with a good environment. But it is not, it is way too loud. Waiters and managers don’t want to do anything to stop some rude and loud customers from ruining everyone else’s dinner. In one word, you spent the money but you can’t get what you deserve.

I would give the food here a solid ⁴⁄₅ stars. I took one star off because the service we experienced left a lot to be desired. We had an early reservation the day before July 4^th and were seated promptly when we arrived. The décor was a bit underwhelming considering the sophistication that has been proliferated about this place for the past few months. It was a very simple bright space, perhaps a bit poorly laid out for tables. The wine glasses were lower quality pressed glassed rather than the nicer, thin glass which was a disappointment.
Our server, who was probably a student, was really slow throughout the entire meal. It took about 5 minutes before he greeted us and, as the meal progressed, disappeared for most of it. We got a bottle of wine for the table and the server was quite messy with the pours, leaving several dribbles of wine on the table as well as the bottle. Bread came out AFTER our appetizers which created a poor pace for the meal. Perhaps most egregious was that he took away our plates without asking if we were done and WHILE I WAS STILL WORKING ON MY APPETIZER. I was too shocked, and he was too quick, for me to say anything. It was just extremely poor dining etiquette.
The meal itself was pretty good though. I got the North Carolina trout with lump crab meat and the cherry tomato sauce. Everything was well cooked and seasoned and tasted fresh. The veggies were a bit al dente but I like mine barely balanced so I’m OK with that. My appetizer was the shrimp cocktail and it was good… if I had been able to finish it undisturbed. The dessert menu left me wanting so I didn’t get anything though someone else at the table got the chocolate bombe which looked fairly good. We did not receive the complementary chocolates with our check that other tables got that night (I noticed after we left as I was recalling the experience). Someone at our table left for the bathroom and reported back that the men’s bathroom that night had been completely trashed with no staff having attended to it.
Overall, I would come back for the food but the service needs to be upped. For what it’s worth, I’ve heard OK things about service on other nights so maybe we just got a new server or it was an off night.

I can’t remember when I stopped in, but I just grabbed a seat in the bar area (these are first come first serve and don’t require a reservation). Food is great for the most part; however, at this price point, I would expect to see more local food. Some things are local within region, but there is definitely opportunity to add more.
I also think this place would work great for half plates. It’s not the kind of food you want to take home and the full plates are a bit large for me.

Wow, the Black Hen has really hit its stride! The chef shows complete mastery of achieving tenderness and crunch in the same item, seasonings strike a perfect balance and have great depth, and ingredients are top notch. The warm, homemade bread was drizzled with olive oil displayed a tender crunch and a perhaps a touch of sourdough starter. The blackened steelhead salmon (trout) had a solid layer of blackened spices that was not too hard and not too soft, not too thick and not too thin, bold but not overpowering the fish, intriguing, and not too peppery. I requested it rare, and a smidge in the center was indeed rare, although if I were a chef of this skill level, I would have gone even rarer.
My only minor quibble was that my partner’s crab cake was too mayonnaise-​y for my taste, but he loved it. Oh, he also had the ahi tuna appetizer, which was beautifully crusted with sesame seeds.
The desserts were amazing, the best I’ve had in a 150-​mile radius. One was a strawberry-​rhubarb shortbread with vanilla ice cream layered between two buttery disks of shortbread replete with crystallized crunchiness, topped with intense raspberry sorbet. The other was a chocolate-​banana pudding cake. The roasted banana ice cream was intensely good, and the chocolate cake was molten in the middle and again had that crystallized crunch on the outside. We will daydream about them and will return to try other desserts. We left thinking we were in a space-​time warp and had somehow been transported to a big city for a meal.

Great place, glad somebody gets it that there are people in Blacksburg who really want a place like this, instead of more pizza and beer. NY strip steak was great with mushrooms on top, lovely cheese plate for starter, and fabulous desserts — lavender crème brûlée and chocolate bombe. Good service. It did take a while for our entrée to arrive after the appetizer, but that was the only negative. Prices are on the high side, but we plan to see how the Blue Bar is, maybe get an appetizer and a drink some nights, and enjoy the relaxing atmosphere. Highly recommend this place. I am a food writer, so I don’t dish out praise easily.

Wonderful food and service, don’t miss it if you are in Blacksburg. We’re visiting VTech and we’re thrilled to find this gem. Ingredients were really fresh, dishes were interesting and overall the food was delicious. I had an asparagus starter that was delicious. For a main course I had the filet mignon that was cooked to perfection. The steamed lemon cake was a wonderful finish to the meal.
Everyone in our party was very happy with their selections. The strawberry salad was a hit (even if dressing was a little heavy) and the strip steak was a rave. The desserts were all fantastic, we sampled the blood orange spent and the chocolate mousse. My husband was so thrilled with the crème brûlée he didn’t share.
They have a good cocktail menu and wine list to round out the meal.
The service was outstanding; attentive yet completely unrushed. We were able to take our time and linger without any pressure to move on.
This restaurant is a must if you are in Blacksburg.

Had a great experience at The Black Hen. Quaint little restaurant, food was outstanding and dessert was amazing. We were a large group so we tried all the appetizers. I felt they were a little on the small side. My only other complaint is that they charged $ 1 for extra bread. It’s not the money .it’s the fact that they charged for bread. Im pretty sure our total bill was $ 600 – 700. 4 stars for bread charging and small appetizers.
However, I will return.