Review: Black Hawk Family Restaurant

My family and I just visited this restaurant. The wait staff is young and inexperienced. The food is average. The cleanliness of this brand new restaurant is pathetic!

My daughter's pants were stained by red gum or candy that had been left in the booth by an earlier patron. When my wife pointed out to the manager on duty, she accused us of lying about the substance being in the booth before we sat there. We have light tan seats in our car. If my daughter had that stuff on her pants before we went in the restaurant there would have been a stain on the seat of our car. My daughter would have admitted if she had been the source of the substance. The manager accused my wife and I of lying about the substance and merely wanting a free meal.

I understand that there are people who will pretend to have mishaps in order to get free food. Assuming that everyone is out to cheat your establishment is a sure indication that you are not above cheating your patrons.

The icing on the cake, though, was when the cook came out into the parking lot to accuse my daughter of leaving the candy in the booth. I was flaberghasted by the audacity of this person.

There are a handful of other restaurants here in the Sauk City/Prairie du Sac area that have similar prices and similar quality of food. My family will not be returning to the Black Hawk "Family" Restaurant agan. We normally try to patronize local establishments because I love knowing that local individuals are succeeding.

This restaurant really lacks customer-focus and cleanliness, the wait staff and service team are pathetic, and the management team is woefully inadequate.

Actually I disagree!! THE FOOD WAS EXCELLENT AND THE WAITSTAFF WAS GREAT!!!

RECOMMENED BE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT HAD GREAT EXPERIENCES!!

I thought the food was OK, but the place has no identity. They have a handful of entrees from various different food types (i.e. Stir fry, sandwiches, broasted chicken, pasta) Seems like they are trying to please everybody but they aren't really good at any one thing.

In order to succeed in the resturant industry (as a former chef at a 5 star resort) you have to have an identity. If you want to be a family resturant, offer great family food like really good broasted chicken, specialty burgers, etc. Cut out the pasta and stir fry unless you want to be an italian or chinese resturant.

I agree that the wait staff is really green and inexperienced. I went there the first week they were open and our waitress had torn pants on... doesn't look good for a new establishment. Also little things were off, like pushing a salad bar as a good option when the lettuce on it is wilted and brown???

It is OK, but I'd much rather get culvers, mexican, chinese, pizza hut, green acres or subway in Sauk City. There is lots of competition in town and this place did nothing to set themselves apart.

the food was great ..great expirienced people and a very freindly enviornment i recomend it to evryone it is a great place.especially the staff they are very welcoming ..simply great!

going there for thanksgiving with the fam--hope it's imnproved in a month--the earlier posts are promising i hope...

D--i can't believe the mgmt/chef would do that to you--sorry for the poor exp...

Donovan wrote:

My family and I just visited this restaurant. The wait staff is young and inexperienced. The food is average. The cleanliness of this brand new restaurant is pathetic!
My daughter's pants were stained by red gum or candy that had been left in the booth by an earlier patron. When my wife pointed out to the manager on duty, she accused us of lying about the substance being in the booth before we sat there. We have light tan seats in our car. If my daughter had that stuff on her pants before we went in the restaurant there would have been a stain on the seat of our car. My daughter would have admitted if she had been the source of the substance. The manager accused my wife and I of lying about the substance and merely wanting a free meal.
I understand that there are people who will pretend to have mishaps in order to get free food. Assuming that everyone is out to cheat your establishment is a sure indication that you are not above cheating your patrons.
The icing on the cake, though, was when the cook came out into the parking lot to accuse my daughter of leaving the candy in the booth. I was flaberghasted by the audacity of this person.
There are a handful of other restaurants here in the Sauk City/Prairie du Sac area that have similar prices and similar quality of food. My family will not be returning to the Black Hawk "Family" Restaurant agan. We normally try to patronize local establishments because I love knowing that local individuals are succeeding.
This restaurant really lacks customer-focus and cleanliness, the wait staff and service team are pathetic, and the management team is woefully inadequate.

i like cheese and when you put it on a burger thats just awesome.

dcl wrote:

D--i can't believe the mgmt/chef would do that to you--sorry for the poor exp...<quoted text>

Iam a regular customer at blackhawk restaurant and the managment is great and so is the waitstaff, and i know for a fact that the waitstaff is very experienced. I was actually present when the mishap of the pants incident, the manager was polite but the family complaning was not. when you are seated at a booth or table do ou not look at were you are seating?You would have to look down at at your seat to slide into a booth, so if when you sat down there was nothing on the seat then it is safe to say it came from you.THe restaurnt is very clean and well taken care of,at least its not like leystras with their carpet being so filthy or like eagle inn looking like a dive.

I am a regular at Blackhawk, I have been in and around restaurants for years. This restaurant is exactly what it claims to be-a family restaurant. If you want a 5 star super nice classy place, a family restaurant probably shouldnt be the first place you go. Especially in sauk city. The restuarant is very clean! Admittedly the food is nothing special, but its good. you get large portions for an inexpensive price. Some of the waitstaff may be inexperienced but is anyone at culver's any different? Usually at restaurants the staff is young high school kids. Ive had several waitresses there who were great. Very friendly, willing to make my meal the best possible. And honestly, if your kid getting some stuff on their pants ruined your day so much that you had to throw a fit about it and write a bad review about a good place then you really need to get a life. Everyone has an off day, nothing is perfect. Get over it.

I stopped by in October. I found the restraunt clean, but since they just opened they should have been clean.

The salad bar was a dissapointing, mostly pre-made salads from a jar, mac salads, bean salads etc. When I go to a salad bar I want to make my own garden salad not pile pre-mixed goop on my plate.

My DH ordered the fish special. He was very happy with it, good portion for the price.

I had the burger and was not happy. I was hoping for a "real" burger but got your standard pre-frozen, pre formed hockey puck. It was tough and for the price I could have gotten a much better burger at Culvers.

I will try it again in spring when I start my regular trips back through the area. I will NOT order a burger and will check the salad bar before I order it to see if it has improved.

I hope the next thing I order will give me a feeling of value, or it will be the last trip. And I hate to say that because I will always choose a local establishment over a chain whenever I can.

Is there any connection of this resturant to the former Blackhawk Ridge Campground??

That was the best campground in Wisconsin. Use to go there all the time as a kid. Not sure what happened to it but it seems to be no more.

We have tried several different specials, etc. and each time we spent the night in the bathroom, terribly sick. No other restaurant has this affect on our stomachs. The salad bar one night had bowls of salads that were brown and very dried. Were not going to go back, we've given it to many chances, and it's not a coincidence!

We tried to go to dinner at the resturant, but were greated by a swarm of flys as we walked in. The lobby was full of flys as well. This was a complete turn off and allthough we sat down, I soon realized there were still more flys in the resturant. I became so repulsed that my family and I left after we were served our water and did'nt even try the food. This place is so dirty!! Beware.