Went to their new location right next to their old one . I had my parents 50th wedding anniversary there at the old one many years ago . Was a big success ! The new one which I was not aware had been changed over from the old location was absolutely fantastic. We went at 2 pm for an Easter reservation ! The food was absolutely wonderful ! The service was as good as the food ! We are on the second level ! The place is spotless ! Clean and new ! Our waitress was amazing ! She was right there from beginning to end making sure we had enough water and drinks were full etc ! The kitchen helpers who assisted with the food delivery were fantastic ! They helped the waitress out perfectly! It was very busy as it was Easter ! The food was ordered, muscles. Sushi, which is excellent ! And steak tips and apple filled raviolis and a had a Caesar with chicken tips ! Calamari my son had was excellent ! There was not one thing to complain about. All the other guests around us were getting great service and their food was served very quickly I noticed! The Host and Hostess at the front door greeted us promptly and on our leaving were greeted and thanked for coming. Al I will say is , we will be back ! The new roof top deck looks awesome! It overlooks Newburyport while also being private from onlookers walking below. ! The place gets 5 stars hands down ! Great job Black cow and all the workers on a busy Easter holiday ! Thank you !
Kristen J.
We have been to The Black Cow for several family dinners over the years and we decide to go when my son and daughter came home from college. The menu seems more limited and a lot more expensive. For the price I would expect a more creative menu. Even the basic menu didn't arrive right. The chilli had no beans, a simple substitute of mashed potatoes wasn't made for a chicken dish and a burger had no seasoning. It was beef on a bun for $22. It's a good sized restaurant that is clean with a relaxed ambiance and wait staff is pleasant. The food was a disappointment. .
Lee Grande
Amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ian MacKay
Prices are wild.
Food: 2
Donna Boretti
We both got a very good martini. However, we felt the calamari to be a bit underseasoned and the escargot lacking some finishing touches. (And a tad pricey for the portion)
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Pricy but absolutely delicious food. Went for a special occasion and it didn't disappoint. Plan on spending $100 per person including tip. The salmon was cooked perfectly. And the Brussels sprouts were roasted with great flavor.
DanB
Their prices have gone way out of whack and the food has gone in the other direction. My fish was excellent, but the steaks were not very good. Our server was wonderful but unfortunately they have gone too far with their prices. We won't be going back again.
shawn s
Good sushi, juicy burger, decent calamari.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hamburger, Crispy Calamari
Wonderful experience! I live out of town. Had eaten at the old location several years ago, and I loved the new spot. The decor is beautiful and relaxing, and we had a diner with a walker and it was very accessible for her. Our service was perfect. The food was incredible and hot. The manager checked in on us to make sure. Very great experience!
Liketoeat
I had not been to Black Cow in many years because I do not live close by. Well I was treated to what I have been missing! Food could not have been better. Caesar salad which was a work of art and baked haddock which had the thickest piece of fresh haddock I have ever had. Sat in the “boat room” and the lighting and seating was perfect. Liz, our server, could not have been more professional and personable.
My husband and I, along with my sister-in-law and her husban were looking for a venue to have our son's rehearsal dinner at. We have 36 people that will be attending. We had visited a couple of other restaurants in the area with the thought that the Black Cow would be the best fit since we had already knew their food was good. We stopped in to check out the Black Cow's function room, asking the girl at the hostess desk how many people the room held. As we were asking, the restaurant manager came down the stairs, overhearing our inquiry and very rudely stated that the minimum was 50 people. There was no attempt at being pleasant or presenting any possible options and the managers rudeness really turned all 4 of us off.
Service: 1
Stephen Snow
Sat., Feb. 10 and 60 deg. makes for a busy lunch crowd. Nice venue and decor. We enjoyed the Blue and Bacon salads. A cup of clam chowder was good, from a base but with added cream and spice. The sautéed crab cake was exo, lotsa crab. I was hoping for fish and chips which didn’t exist. Waitstaff gal was pleasant. With two wines and two Stella’s, just under a hundred bucks less tip. Bathrooms, clean as a whistle. Will return again and dinner will be more appreciated.Parking: To avoid the meters, drop your guests off and park several blocks away from the river or to the east on the side streets. Enjoy the architecture on your way back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Clam Chowder
Jeffy Kennedy
Sitting at the high table, I ordered the famous cowburger, asked to be medium and it came back medium raw! Bacon wasn’t cooked throughout, and waitress was in a bad mood, so overall it was a huge disappointment!! plus there is a new chef, so good luck everyone!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Joann H.
We used to visit Black Cow at their previous location and really enjoyed it. However, our most recent visit (September 2023) was a good reason not to return. We were seated in the sushi bar area, with my two 7 year old. The booths were elevated like high tops and my tallest son literally had to get a running start to jump into the booth. My smaller son tried to step into it and immediately took a tumble. It wasn't long after that when the poor toddler behind us also fell out of the booth and was crying in pain. Staff was apologetic but the manager should have come over right from the start as two children were down for the count. We figured once we got our food things would improve. My husband selected a cabernet to accompany his anticipated lamb entree. Unfortunately, they were out of the lamb, so he was stuck with a cabernet with his veal milanese. He said the veal was good but the pasta was absolutely terrible as another review mentioned. I ordered tzaziki salmon, and it was quite literally a bland, unseasoned piece of salmon with tzaziki sauce on top. It also had multiple bones in it. I took about 3 bites and gave up. The limp overcooked asparagus and rice pilaf to accompany also went uneaten. I debated on sending it back, and I have only sent something back once as I really hate doing that and worry that the cooks will get mad and do something to my food. I opted to take it home and tried to feed some to my cat, who wanted no part of it. The clam chowder and chili we had before our meals was delicious -- so good, in fact, that I wondered whether they were actually made in house based on our terrible entrees. The kids meals were also great, but how hard is it to ruin a hot dog and chicken fingers with fries? I'd say stick with the fried foods and burgers here and you'll be just fine. Don't bother with the more expensive entrees as they aren't fresh and are uninspired. Note to the hostess: Don't seat children in the high top tables - they're difficult enough for adults to get into and are a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Jayne E.
My 16 yo grandson wanted to go the Black Cow for dinner. My husband and I took him, paid close to $300.00 for the 3 of us, the service was terrible, the waitress had a hair across her ass and was not friendly and had a smug look on her face every time she came to the table. As far as food, IT SUCKED. My grandson's steak was a plate of fat. The lollipop lamb chops were the size of a small marble and were not very good. The ambiance is nice, but when you pay that much for dinner you want it to explode in your mouth. I had the filet and it was worse than an overcooked pork chop smothered in some dark sauce that was gross. Get with it Black Cow.
Went to their new location right next to their old one . I had my parents 50th wedding anniversary there at the old one many years ago . Was a big success ! The new one which I was not aware had been changed over from the old location was absolutely fantastic. We went at 2 pm for an Easter reservation ! The food was absolutely wonderful ! The service was as good as the food ! We are on the second level ! The place is spotless ! Clean and new ! Our waitress was amazing ! She was right there from beginning to end making sure we had enough water and drinks were full etc ! The kitchen helpers who assisted with the food delivery were fantastic ! They helped the waitress out perfectly! It was very busy as it was Easter ! The food was ordered, muscles. Sushi, which is excellent ! And steak tips and apple filled raviolis and a had a Caesar with chicken tips ! Calamari my son had was excellent ! There was not one thing to complain about. All the other guests around us were getting great service and their food was served very quickly I noticed! The Host and Hostess at the front door greeted us promptly and on our leaving were greeted and thanked for coming. Al I will say is , we will be back ! The new roof top deck looks awesome! It overlooks Newburyport while also being private from onlookers walking below. ! The place gets 5 stars hands down ! Great job Black cow and all the workers on a busy Easter holiday ! Thank you !
We have been to The Black Cow for several family dinners over the years and we decide to go when my son and daughter came home from college. The menu seems more limited and a lot more expensive. For the price I would expect a more creative menu. Even the basic menu didn't arrive right. The chilli had no beans, a simple substitute of mashed potatoes wasn't made for a chicken dish and a burger had no seasoning. It was beef on a bun for $22. It's a good sized restaurant that is clean with a relaxed ambiance and wait staff is pleasant. The food was a disappointment. .
Amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Prices are wild.
Food: 2
We both got a very good martini. However, we felt the calamari to be a bit underseasoned and the escargot lacking some finishing touches. (And a tad pricey for the portion)
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Pricy but absolutely delicious food. Went for a special occasion and it didn't disappoint. Plan on spending $100 per person including tip. The salmon was cooked perfectly. And the Brussels sprouts were roasted with great flavor.
Their prices have gone way out of whack and the food has gone in the other direction. My fish was excellent, but the steaks were not very good. Our server was wonderful but unfortunately they have gone too far with their prices. We won't be going back again.
Good sushi, juicy burger, decent calamari.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hamburger, Crispy Calamari
Wonderful experience! I live out of town. Had eaten at the old location several years ago, and I loved the new spot. The decor is beautiful and relaxing, and we had a diner with a walker and it was very accessible for her. Our service was perfect. The food was incredible and hot. The manager checked in on us to make sure. Very great experience!
I had not been to Black Cow in many years because I do not live close by. Well I was treated to what I have been missing! Food could not have been better. Caesar salad which was a work of art and baked haddock which had the thickest piece of fresh haddock I have ever had. Sat in the “boat room” and the lighting and seating was perfect. Liz, our server, could not have been more professional and personable.
Restaurantji Recommends
My husband and I, along with my sister-in-law and her husban were looking for a venue to have our son's rehearsal dinner at. We have 36 people that will be attending. We had visited a couple of other restaurants in the area with the thought that the Black Cow would be the best fit since we had already knew their food was good. We stopped in to check out the Black Cow's function room, asking the girl at the hostess desk how many people the room held. As we were asking, the restaurant manager came down the stairs, overhearing our inquiry and very rudely stated that the minimum was 50 people. There was no attempt at being pleasant or presenting any possible options and the managers rudeness really turned all 4 of us off.
Service: 1
Sat., Feb. 10 and 60 deg. makes for a busy lunch crowd. Nice venue and decor. We enjoyed the Blue and Bacon salads. A cup of clam chowder was good, from a base but with added cream and spice. The sautéed crab cake was exo, lotsa crab. I was hoping for fish and chips which didn’t exist. Waitstaff gal was pleasant. With two wines and two Stella’s, just under a hundred bucks less tip. Bathrooms, clean as a whistle. Will return again and dinner will be more appreciated.Parking: To avoid the meters, drop your guests off and park several blocks away from the river or to the east on the side streets. Enjoy the architecture on your way back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Clam Chowder
Sitting at the high table, I ordered the famous cowburger, asked to be medium and it came back medium raw! Bacon wasn’t cooked throughout, and waitress was in a bad mood, so overall it was a huge disappointment!! plus there is a new chef, so good luck everyone!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
We used to visit Black Cow at their previous location and really enjoyed it. However, our most recent visit (September 2023) was a good reason not to return. We were seated in the sushi bar area, with my two 7 year old. The booths were elevated like high tops and my tallest son literally had to get a running start to jump into the booth. My smaller son tried to step into it and immediately took a tumble. It wasn't long after that when the poor toddler behind us also fell out of the booth and was crying in pain. Staff was apologetic but the manager should have come over right from the start as two children were down for the count. We figured once we got our food things would improve. My husband selected a cabernet to accompany his anticipated lamb entree. Unfortunately, they were out of the lamb, so he was stuck with a cabernet with his veal milanese. He said the veal was good but the pasta was absolutely terrible as another review mentioned. I ordered tzaziki salmon, and it was quite literally a bland, unseasoned piece of salmon with tzaziki sauce on top. It also had multiple bones in it. I took about 3 bites and gave up. The limp overcooked asparagus and rice pilaf to accompany also went uneaten. I debated on sending it back, and I have only sent something back once as I really hate doing that and worry that the cooks will get mad and do something to my food. I opted to take it home and tried to feed some to my cat, who wanted no part of it. The clam chowder and chili we had before our meals was delicious -- so good, in fact, that I wondered whether they were actually made in house based on our terrible entrees. The kids meals were also great, but how hard is it to ruin a hot dog and chicken fingers with fries? I'd say stick with the fried foods and burgers here and you'll be just fine. Don't bother with the more expensive entrees as they aren't fresh and are uninspired. Note to the hostess: Don't seat children in the high top tables - they're difficult enough for adults to get into and are a lawsuit waiting to happen.
My 16 yo grandson wanted to go the Black Cow for dinner. My husband and I took him, paid close to $300.00 for the 3 of us, the service was terrible, the waitress had a hair across her ass and was not friendly and had a smug look on her face every time she came to the table. As far as food, IT SUCKED. My grandson's steak was a plate of fat. The lollipop lamb chops were the size of a small marble and were not very good. The ambiance is nice, but when you pay that much for dinner you want it to explode in your mouth. I had the filet and it was worse than an overcooked pork chop smothered in some dark sauce that was gross. Get with it Black Cow.