Black Sheep Bistro

Yes indeed the food here is as good as it gets. Do the restaurant a favor and don’t go there if you are carb challenged! This place has many fans who go there from all over the area and even make it a point to stop there for diner from out of state. We have been going there since it opened and made another trip there last night, yes it is 30 miles away, it is January and the traffic is bumper to bumper around dinner time.
One of the pleasures is the great bread, the French fries in a cone with three different kinds of dipping sauces and the lightly garlic flavored creamy mashed potatoes, the secret is cream and butter not milk and butter. So you say who needs a main course? Well I had not seen escargot in this area on a restaurant menu for a long long time. Of course that is what we had for an appetizer and it did not disappoint, the creatures were good and plumb and the garlic butter sauce they swam in was oh so good with the crusty French bread.
My husband, a duck fan enjoyed his duck confit with white beans and the best haricot vert, as only can be accomplished in a restaurant with French style cooking, the green beans tender, not rubbery still had a slight crunch but brilliant green in a light butter sauce.
My steak was tender and done just right cooked on the outside and rare inside, it came with onions and mushrooms. I am not a mashed potato fan but the steak, the sauce on it and the creamy mashed potatoes were a match made in taste bud heaven.
The service was great, even though surprising they had a lot of dinners there for a mid week January night.

I visited BSB last night. The last time I was here was about the same year it opened, so it’s been a while. This particular weeknight seemed rather slow in the dining room. It appeared that there was one other party at the time I was there. This encouraged some phenomenal service. I was greeted and seated promptly. My first impression was that this place was chilly. There were random space heaters placed all around the floor. I went with my server’s suggestion of the having the lamb egg roll appetizer. The flavor of rosemary was a bit over powering and the demi-​glacé sauce seemed to be lacking seasoning so these two factors balanced the overall flavor nicely. My entrée was also a suggestion from the server. The haddock with a mild curry sauce and almonds. The portion of fish was about 6 ounces and was rolled into a perfect package. It was plated over sauteed spinach and the slightly sweet curry coconut sauce was a nice compliment to the perfectly cooked fish and crunchy almonds. Important to note is the over abundance of starch served with each meal. Bread is served with rosemary oil to start. With the meal is a side of garlic mashed and a cone of fries with three dipping sauces. I’m not complaining about these carbs but it’s important to note as you will need to take the chocolate mousse cake with salted caramel sauce home.

Right on the main street — this bistro has so much charm. The waitress was a delight and the food was to die for. Perfectly cooked and seasoned, it had a high-​end flair but the pricing was reasonable (read a tad expensive but for a good reason).
Especially if you are visiting Vermont get the crème brulé. It sums up the state into a very delicious dessert.

Found Black Sheep Bistro on TripAdvisor … Had good reviews but, my husband and I did not care for the food… Limited menu and selections… the one great item was the frites and sauces… We won’t be back! On a funny note… when we arrived on a Saturday night, we were asked not once but, twice if we had reservations… there was no one there… not sure why we were asked?!?

Went there while on vacation. I’m not a big food critic, but. Found the menu lacking in choices, I ordered the Bree and bacon stuffed chicken breast. The portion was a good size but the food wasn’t very good. The chicken was tough and looked to be steamed and flavorless. How ever the garlic mashed were great. The service wasn’t bad either. In my humble opinion
I won’t be going back there again, sorry:(

A superb gastronomic addition to the Champlain Valley dining options with a stand-​out menu with reasonable straightforward pricing with an extensive enough one-​size-​fits-​all prix fix selection of appetizers and entrees. Our party of 9 including children were adroitly managed for an early seating. The throwback Duck L’Orange was perfect as was the traditional escargot. The Haddock was well received and the Bistro Steak was displayed exactly to order with a delightful mushroom cover. The spirits followed suit as did the wine list with a bespoke selection — none more than $ 35. The French bistro-​style setting was a capstone to the evening. In the words of General MacArthur, we «shall return.»

A favorite. Was really bummed for a few days after hearing of the owner passing away. I hope this place and his other spots carry on at the high level they operate at. The food is great, duck cigar app things are great, I’ve had the steak and it was top. All the entrees are the same price. Fries are really good as everyone has said. Service is solid, atmosphere great — this place has the bar set high. Reasonably priced. I want to go here a lot. I love French food but have yet to have the Duck entrée. Next time.

Food was good but nothing exceptional.
The duck cigar rolls were pretty nice, but the main dishes didn’t quite live up to the expectations.
The steak was tough and flavorless despite asking for medium rare. It came with a sauce that didn’t quite fit the steak.
The duck was good, but not something I would go back for.
All the dishes come with fries and mashed potatoes. The fries came with two dipping sauces which I found to be average. The fries were actually quite good. I’ve had steak and fries in France and this wasn’t remotely close.
It wasn’t bad food. You won’t be disappointed but don’t expect to be impressed.

Don’t miss this place! Menu consists of about 10 starters and 8 entrees. Fresh, lovely sauces. What they don’t tell you is that the entrees are served with pomme frites (French fries) with 3 dipping sauces and incredible mashed potatoes– family style. Friendly knowledgeable servers. Quant Franco bistro without pretentiousness. Highly recommend!

A surprising find in this little city. We had the haddock and the duck l’orange. Each was terrific. The sides included french fries like MacDonalds used to serve when we were kids and wonderful creamy garlic mashed potatoes!

I go here any time I’m in Burlington — it’s about a 30 minute drive away. Went on a weeknight so there was no wait for a table for one. By the time I left though, there weren’t many seats left. Great service. Very homey feel. Small menu but I wanted to order everything. I ordered a salmon dish that came on a plate on a bed of greens. I thought that was it and then they came back with a large bowl of mashed potatoes and an awesome side of fries with dips. I forgot how much I loved their fries and the sauces that come with it. The free bread is really good too. It’s always worth it to come here, but it’s not cheap.

Couldn’t bear to drive to Burlington for a dinner reservation so at the last minute we took a left into Vergennes to see if the Black Sheep was open. It was!
Starters were excellent. Waldorf Salad, Tomato Venison Farcie, Winter Salad.
2 of us had the Duck Breast Gastrique, I think it was cranberry, absolutely fantastic. The Pork Medallions while juicy, and tasty were a little tough a little disappointing.
That aside it was a great meal. and will return soon.
The reason for the 4.5 was the service. Can’t put my finger on it but got the feeling we were imposing on our server. Too bad because it definitely was a downer to an otherwise excellent meal.

This was one of the best restaurants I’ve been to in a long time: outstanding food, attentive service and a fun atmosphere.
Black Sheep Bistro is a funky little place right next door to the well known bakery, Vergennes Laundry. The restaurant is warm and intimate (small) so you’d better make a reservation if you want to enjoy the terrific food they serve there. As you’ve read in other reviews, the apps and entres come at a fixed price of $ 7 and $ 20, and even after adding a few drinks to that or a bottle of wine, you’re in for a great value.
Only regret: we ended up ordering the same thing, darn it!
We were travelling, so I don’t know when I’ll eat there again, but if you’re visiting Burlington or Middlebury area, this is a must.

Outstanding food! It’s not a wide selection but what they do here is done very well and with the utmost love and care. It’s the kind of place where even the bread they serve at every table is delicious! I walk away a happy diner every time. Service is also very attentive and friendly. I feel cared for as a customer and never had a blip in service. The dining area is nice but feels a bit cramped. They have gone for the small-​bistro style of dining but tried to squeeze in a bit too many tables and chairs which makes for a bit too small of a space for me. But the atmosphere is nice and I’ve never had an issue getting a reservation. I highly recommend this for a couples night out in Vergennes.

I have not been here in a couple of years. I was not disappointed. The meal was fantastic. Appetizers and sides were all very good. We ordered several to share with the table. I had steak, it was superb. This owner has several restaurants in the surrounding towns. In my opinion this is the best of all of the restaurants that they own. You will not be disappointed here.

It was amazing.
I had a gazpacho and after Haddock with almonds
My husvand duck for entrée and after salmon
Dessert de chocolat cake.
Everythung was delicious, tasty!

This was really terrific. We went with family — three grown boys. Service was great. And for one picky eater the side of fried served family style was perfect. But. we all had apps that were delicious and yes the Haddock was good. AND… they had wonderful desserts… Coconut Brûlée…fourless chocolate cake… all was so so good. Nice people there.

We came here based on a recommendation from a friend in the area. We were not disappointed at all! Every bite of our food was delicious and our waitress could not have been better! I had the lobster salad. I’ve never had anything quite like it! It was full of delicious flavors and plenty of lobster meat! Out waitress was very attentive without being overbearing. She knew that my dad wanted the Sunday but didn’t order it so she brought him a small version of it at no charge. I will definitely recommend this place to other people who visit the area!

I go back to the Black Sheep Bistro about once every year or two, just to check it out. I used to go much more frequently, but the food quality took such a turn for the worse that I stopped.
I love Vergennes. The town is small but has a very quaint and cozy vibe. The first time I went to BSB it had just opened, and the food and service were both very good. They used high-​quality ingredients, the food was served hot, and the special little touches (fresh-​baked bread, frites served in a paper cone with their own house-​made dipping sauces) won me over.
I’m not sure why the food quality has gone downhill so much. I first noticed a deterioration in quality just after the owners opened their second restaurant, The Bearded Frog in Shelburne. I theorized that perhaps they were focusing more on the new restaurant and the people left in charge of overseeing the BSB did not have similarly high standards.
Now a days, more often then not, main dishes come out of the kitchen cold or luke warm. The quality of the food itself (lower grade steak and other ingredients) just isn’t as good as it used to be, and hospitality is lacking. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a pretty good restaurant, especially for Vergennes where there aren’t many options, but many of the things that made it truly special in the first few years have diminished or disappeared.
The owners have gone on to buy out and take over other restaurants in the area (The Bob Cat Café in Bristol and the Lobby down by the river in Middlebury). I haven’t tried the new Bob Cat yet, but the Lobby in Middlebury is just ok. The décor is quite nice. The food is just so so.
In some ways, the owners of BSB are upping the food game in Vermont as they are moving into markets where the food offerings were already quite mediocre and giving people ok places to eat out. But given what the BSB used to be and what it is now, I find myself wishing they’d put the same focus and attention into food quality at all of their other restaurants as they used to at the BSB. When they are really trying and focusing, they can produce very good food. Now a days it seems they are more focused on ambiance and less on food quality.

From the same owner and chef of The Bearded Frog comes Black Sheep Bistro, a more casual French-​style bistro in the heart of Vergennes. The food is very similar in style to the aforementioned restaurant, but done better and at a fraction of the cost. The atmosphere is also more inviting with a very European outdoor patio, which is perfect for dinner on a warm summer night. The menu rotates on a seasonal basis and while some items such as the duck confit are the same as The Bearded Frog, Black Sheep Bistro also features some very original and creative dishes of its own.
Appetizers and entrees and all priced at $ 7 and $ 19, respectively. We started with a grape & almond white gazpacho and the tuna cucumber tartar with wasabi crème fraîche and falsely advertised taro root chips. The chilled gazpacho was a refreshing starter for dinner. The tuna cucumber tartar had a lot of acidity and flavor, but the cucumbers were difficult to eat and there was no real need for the iceberg lettuce. We were also given crostini instead of taro root chips.
For the entrees, we had the coriander crusted bistro steak with sofrito sauce and the applewood smoked bacon and brie stuffed chicken breast with balsamic cream. Both entrees came with a large complimentary side of mashed potatoes and a large cone of french fries. The french fries were perfectly fried and came with the most delicious sweet basil, garlic, and ketchup dipping sauces. The sofrito sauce was very much like a salsa verde, but went well with the steak. The stuffed chicken breast was outstanding and was a wonderful twist on chicken cordon bleu. The balsamic cream was definitely the highlight of the dish. We ended with a delicious housemade chevre cheesecake with black currant sauce.
Black Sheep Bistro is a great example of a restaurant that can translate great food from farm to table. It’s definitely worth the 40 minute drive from Burlington to try.