The Blacksmith Restaurant

Simple - the service was poor and the food wasn't much better more

Seven weeks in advance, I made reservations for a party of ten for my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. I had several significant telephone conversations with the ""manager"" about wine selection, seating, best time to arrive, etc. On the reserved date and time, we arrived to find....no table available. We were told to wait in the bar until a party left to free up a table for us. No table ready...tough luck for us! Not having any real options, we waited for well over an hour and a half waiting for a table, when the ""host"" seated us without apology or explanation. The pompous, pretentious service was notable for its mediocrity. But at least the food was edible! My dad passed away from cancer within a few months of this awful treatment. Thanks for the memories, Blacksmith. more

My wife and I visited the Blacksmith last night for the first time. Other's told us that this was a great place. more

My wife and I ate at the Blacksmith last night for the first (and last) time. After arriving at the suggested reservation time we were made to wait almost a half hour before being seated. After that, we found the staff to be courteous and attentive and the spinach salad, prepared at tableside, to be very good. However, sadly, we were both very disappointed with the Rancher's Ribeye. Although it was touted as 16 oz., after the fat, gristle, and other inedible parts were trimmed away, it was more like half that size. My wife commented that the steak knives were not very sharp but, as it turned out, the resistance was with the beef. The flavor was excellent, to be sure, but after a while, it was just not worth the effort to try to isolate a bite that was not chewy to some degree. After mentioning this in response to the waiter's query about the meal, he passed this information to the chef. The answer he came back with was something about organically raised corn fed beef producing steaks that were 35% fat and to overcome this fact we should have ordered it medium rather than medium rare. While it is understood that ribeyes are fattier than other cuts, we have had a lifetime of ribeye steaks, all medium rare, and none of them required more doneness than that. Even cutting steaks from a ribeye roast from Costco rendered wonderfully tender steaks off the BBQ grill. The waiter went on to recommend that we order New York steak next time. Yeah, OK, but it won't be from The Blacksmith Restaurant. Pros: Ambience, service Cons: Wait, steak quality, expensive more

We asked around town and were told by most everyone that this is the best restaurant in town, and we would have to agree! We had gone with a taste for steak, but the fish dishes looked too good to pass-up... so we ordered the King Salmon and the Trout. Both dishes were exceptional! I had the Salmon, which was a nice portion with scallops and muscles on a potato cake... excellent! My wife had the Trout which was also quite tasty. We sat in a nice cozy booth by the window and had a few glasses of wine from their ample wine list. Our server was quite friendly. Would highly recommend this place! Pros: Great food and service! more

Being a Bend native I often travel to Portland for the culture of a big city. But thankfully one evening I stumbled into The Blacksmith, and within moments I knew I had found a local business that would soothe my thirst for the big-city, right here in my little town filled with flannels and patagonia jackets, I had found a little piece city nestled on the edge of downtown. The Blacksmith does one thing better than any other restaurant here in town, the ambiance. It's unique, cozy and urban with the glowing marble bar that immediately sets the mood when you walk-in. Whether I'm looking for a night out with my ladies, the lounge serves as a great place to catch-up, or if I'm looking to have a great meal with my 8-year-old son. I simply make a reservation in the anvil room, and they are MORE than accommodating to my rugrat, which is not always the case at most ""upscale"" restaurants. Columbine is the best bartender in town, and as far as severs go ask for Amber, she has never disappointed us, and is probably the most attentive server I've ever had. And in case you've never been, happy hour is amazing, gourmet food for only a few bucks!! If you haven't been... you must go! Pros: An amazing cocktail list and equally impressive happy hour. more

This place get's a big fat ""I"" for inconsistent. Last night (Sept 5th, 2009) we had an absolutely fabulous experience at this restaurant. The service was spectacular, the ambiance was great and most importantly the food was just out of this world. It was so good, we went back again tonight (Sept 6th, 2009). Let me start by saying the service was absolutely horrendous! We were seated in the lounge while we waited for a table in the dining room. We ordered two cocktails, which took 20 minutes to come out and also ordered an appetizer, the tuna poke, which took another 20 minutes to come out!! No joke. The tune poke was delicious, which is why we decided to stick it out and hope the service would improve. It didn't. The steak I had last night was so good I could not help myself but order it again. Seriously, it was that good. So, after waiting another 45 minutes for our meal to arrive, the steak was over-cooked, cold, and the scallop sauce was ice cold. No joke. it was horrible. I sent it back immediately and was told ""we could get another one out is much less time than it took to get this one out"". So that begs the question, why wouldn't you bring the first one out quickly instead of letting it overcook on the hot plate? Seriously? After one hour and forty minutes, we had three drink, three appetizers and a $50 bill. Not cool!! Bottom line here is this place is h1t or miss. Last night was a h1t but tonight missed by a mile. A HUGE disappointment! i hope you have a better experience. Pros: food Cons: service more

we love going there. its a more upscale place which is nice because Bend doesnt have too many of those that include dancing at night as well. the food is great.... but spendy, especially if you are getting dinner...but its great! we always go there for nights out with friends. Pros: best drinks in town, and great appitizers! Cons: spendy but worth it more

We went for their cerviche. Two were good the other two barely edible. The waiter had too many tables and the bus people not on top of their game. Waited for water, tables not cleared of used dishes. Drinks were outstanding I can especially recommend the Marteau absinthe. The lighting was inadequate. For the price we will not be returning...what a disappointment. Pros: Drinks were good Cons: Service and food mediocre at best more

My wife and I just had our third dinner at the Blacksmith and every time it has just been amazing. We moved here a couple of months ago and just love this place. The bar is incredible when you walk in, a real showpiece. They have a good alcohol selection and some really interesting cocktails. I've sat at the bar a couple of times by myself and the service has always been very friendly, knowledgeable, and efficient. The bar has a different menu than the main dining room with more of a pub fare such as hamburgers and tacos. I would say they have the best hamburger in town. The dining room is really cozy and the steaks are unbelievable. My filet melted in my mouth. The macaroni and cheese is beyond delicious. You have to get the chocolate cake, it is just decadent and delicious. The wine list is good and not too much to read through. This is my favorite restaurant in Bend, I've loved everything I've ever had there. Pros: ambience, parking, service more

After a very disappointing experience at Cork the previous night, my fiance and I ventured out to Blacksmith. We got there at 4:30pm so only the lounge was open, but the Ambiance was great, if a little pretentious. The server / bartender, however, was super down-to-earth and let us taste a couple of different wines. My fiance was stoked to see that they not only had ceviche, but a ceviche MENU. He ordered three different kinds and LOVED all three. I'm a vegetarian and ordered the roasted pepper pizza ---with the peppers, carmelized onions, smoked cheese, ultra thin crust & I don't know what other magical ingredients it is NOT to be missed. Go during happy hour like we did and try a lot of food without breaking the bank! more

How could you not love this place. The service is excellent because of the caring and knowledgeable people who greet you with genuine and friendly personalities. I feel pampered when I'm at The Blacksmith. The food is to die for good! The new smoker is an excellent addition. I enjoy the consistency that is exercised throughout this establishment and personally rank this as the finest restaurant in Bend. Pros: It's all good. Just get here. Cons: None that I can see. more

So incredibly and sadly disappointed. The waitress was gracious and service was fine, but the food was mediocre to poor. I can?t speak to the full service dinner, but the small inventive happy hour menu certainly raised expectations. We ordered the Sonoma roll, a cured Kobe beef laced California-style roll, mussels in ancho sauce, and oysters on the half shell. The Sonoma roll came first, beautifully plated but lacking any distinct flavor, or subtle complexity. The oysters and mussels came next. I have never had oysters on the half shell served so close to room temperature. I ate only two before abandoning the effort. They didn?t taste off, but the mignonette sauce didn?t compliment the tepid oysters and again, they were not icy cold and thus tasted more of the shoreline than the clean ocean. The mussels, plain and simple, were not debearded. Each overcooked mussel came with a mouthful of tough, fibrous, fishy tasting mussel beard. more

This is yet another in a long line of Bend restaurants that try to come off as ""fine dining"", but miss the mark. Pros: Food is well prepared, it's quiet Cons: Overpriced, doesn't deliver what you pay for. more

Having just recently relocated to Bend we were trying many different restaurants. This one will not be visited again. Service terrible, food less the average and tiny portions ( my main course fish dish was about 1 inch square, dry and frozen). Martini was watered down and coffee was less quality than any fast food establishment. Bar was stylish but that is it. Not impressed and anyone who is does not know ""Good Food or Service. Too many other great experiences in Bend to waste time here. Pros: None really Cons: All more

I've visited The Blacksmith several times over the last few years and I've always been pleased with my experience. So it was a no brainer for my wife and I to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary at The Blacksmith. This time we were pleasantly surprised to see a newly menu! After getting a few drinks at their swank bar my wife and I sat down at a great table overlooking the rest of the main dining room. Our server was prompt in attending to us and very helpful pointing out the new additions and options to the menu. The first thing I noticed was the selection of steaks offered. What really impressed me were the different cattle ranches The Blacksmith partners with to bring high quality cuts of all natural beef to the table. For my wife and I it was an easy choice: The bone-in Porterhouse for two from a local ranch in eastern Oregon. Pros: Tremendous beer selection, great bar, excellent food Cons: It's on the pricy side so bring your cash! more

We were greeted immediately, and we asked if we could sit in the lounge, which has comfortable leather couches, and low lighting. Very nice. We ordered some drinks and small plates. Pros: Beer list, Cocktails, Small Plates, Service, Ambience Cons: None ... great experience more

We went to the Blacksmith last night and I must say I felt like I was transported to New York City or Las Vegas! The ambience is stunning and the food and service was top notch. We were handled with incredible professionalism by an extremely knowledgable staff. The cocktail list is very creative with a wine list to satisfy the most safisticated palate. The in house sommelier paired a Pinot Noir I have never heard of with our Cheesesteak and Cider Brined Pork Chop that was the best food wine pairing I have ever experienced. We are now regulars! more

My favorite place to go for Happy Hour in Bend Oregon is the newly redesigned Blacksmith Restaurant. The bar menu rocks with items like lobster corn dogs, Kobe beef burgers, gourmet hot dogs, ceviche of the day, and so on all for affordable prices. Plus they have 12 beers on tap that only cost $3. It's my new hang out. more

Wow~ This place is excellent! From the ambiance of the old world style to the terrific food, you can't go wrong here. Our steaks were melt in your mouth, cut-with a fork good, the sides all yummy, especially the mac and cheese. The kobe meatloaf was to die-for, and I don't even like meatloaf :-). more