The Blacksmith Restaurant

We made a reservation a month in advance for this new restaurant in Bend, OR called Blacksmith to celebrate our 10th anniversary. We arrived and they did not have our reservation and said on a Saturday that they could not accommodate us. I asked for the Manager. The hostess stepped over to what appeared to be the owner in a Chef outfit, explained the situation and came back and said sorry, there is nothing we can do for you (even after we told the hostess it was our 10th anniversary). The owner did not even have the courtesy to address us directly or offer an apology. So I stepped over to talk to him myself to explain the situation and that we made the reservation over a month ago. He was at best indifferent about it, bordering rude. He asked who my wife had spoken to. She actually had the name and gave it to him. He said ""oh that was my bookkeeper"". Even after providing the name, showing that we had called, he still made no effort to accommodate us and was abrupt like we were inconveniencing him. We left abruptly telling him we would not be back. All he had to do was offer some apologetic explanation and maybe a courtesy $50 gift certificate for our next visit, but instead we got ?attitude?. Not a great way to operate in a competitive and growing market like Bend. We left and had a fantastic experience at the Sunriver lodge, as unusual. Stay away from Blacksmith. They obviously do not appreciate the customer. Pros: attractive Cons: horrible service more

I'm new to the area (moved here from the Bay area) and have been working my way through the many different establishments in town and this is the first one I've been impressed enough with to write a review. I went last night with a friend for a casual night out. We started with a couple of drinks in the bar, which is comfortable and not too loud (or a meet market) like some of the places in town. After drinks we were seated in the main dining room - warm lighting and comfortable seating. Our server was prompt and knowledgeable about the menu as we had a few questions. There are some mouth watering dishes on the menu and it was difficult to pick just one. I was very impressed with the timing as everything seemed to come out as if on queue - this was a first for me in Bend. Pros: Great food and Service; Comfortable bar; Cons: Might be difficult to get into on the weekends - Would recommend a reservation more

We first went to the blacksmith over a year ago and the food was great. The service was pretty good but nothing outstanding. We went back to Bend again recently and decided to try again. WOW! We couldn't believe all of the changes. The food was still great, but the place has almost doubled size and has a full bar now. The hostess was a little spacey but once we got seated the service was outstanding, right down to the Oregon wine recommendations. Don't forget to ask for a side of mac n cheese. It's the most incredible mac you've ever had!!! Enjoy. Pros: Best food in town. Great location down town. Cons: Hard to get reservations on Friday. more

After reading the other reviews around myself and three other gentlemen chose to have a nice dinner here. Everything was great until it took 45 MINUTES for us to recieve our orders!! The restuarant wasnt even that busy. Every table around us was served before us and they were all seated after us. When we asked the waitress what was taking so long she replied ""that all of their food is prepared from scratch by hand"". I am sorry but go tell that to the 13 people around us who are eating already! Even all that we could of over looked but the food was not that impressive! You could get a better steak at the neighborhood butcher! Not to mention when the server asks ""what salad would you like with with your meal"" be sure you realize that they charge extra for that salad, or at least they did us. Overall I would say save your money, you would be better off going anywhere other than there!!!!!! Pros: Nice location Cons: everything else more

We really enjoyed our dinner here. The atmosphere was hip, our food was very good and interesting, and our server was pleasant. We are planning on going again next time we visit Bend. more

We had read Conde Nast's rave review, touting this restaurant as among a number of best new restaurants in the world. The food was good, but not phenomenal, as you would expect from the review. And the otherwise lovely ambience was overshadowed by the waitstaff's constant clattering of dishes. We had to stop all conversation at least four times due to what seemed like dishes breaking just over the barrier. For the money, try somewhere else. You might even have cash left over Pros: Nice decor. Outdoor dining looked pleasant. Cons: Not a great value. Loud. more

We were very disappointed with our trip to the Blacksmith. We were seated for over 20 minutes before our waitress even acknowledged us. After waiting over a half an hour after receiving our drinks for our food to arrive, with no more attention from our waitress, we paid for our drinks and left. The wait might have been bearable had anyone acknowledged us sitting there with out food, but that never happened. The resturant was very busy but if they did not have the staff to wait on all of the customers they should have not seated us--we saw plenty of other tables receiving service, and also at least two other tables giving up and leaving too. The food going by looked nice, but it was not worth the wait or the rude waitstaff. Cons: Bad service more

I am a total food snob, and proud of it, and have lived in many places across the US and in Western and Eastern Europe and have visited many other places and the food at the Blacksmith restaurant is right on top with some of the best places in Europe or the US. I just had the Coq au Vine and it was totally different than the traditional dish I know from France, but exquisite in tast and flavors and presentation. I have had quite a few of the entres and one is better than the other. They also make the best creme brulee. I highly recommend it , the food undoubtedly is the best in Bend and so is the service and ambiance. If you only have one day for a fancy dinner choose this over Medinda's, Blue Fish or Cork !!! Pros: Incredible Food, Great Ambiance, Wonderful Service Cons: Have to plan ahead, Make a reservation more

My wife and I dined at the Blacksmith Restaurant for a special occasion recently, and were extremely impressed and surprised by their amazing cocktails. My wife had a few absolutely beautiful martinis off of their exotic cocktail menu, and I ordered a few classics which came out just perfect. The Blacksmith is well known for their great steaks, but I would also like to suggest that those of you planning a dinner at their establishment, to take advantage of the new bar and cocktail menu. You won't be dissappointed. more

Everything is good at the Blacksmith; just be sure to arrive hungry because the portions are huge, the tastes amazing with a wonderful wine list....It would be difficult to have a bad time there as there is just something in the air that feels great, fun, even nurturing. For instance, a friend forgot her glasses and was having a difficult time reading the menu and suddenly one of the owners casually set a pair of reading glasses on the table in front of her, smiled and went on about greeting his other patrons...That's class!!!!. They needn't bother to serve knives with the steaks; the meat is so tender! Everything is beyond great, including the desserts which are all handmade right there at the restaurant, as is everything they serve. I talked to the chef once and he has a sauce that takes him three days to make...It's awesome! Pros: Great food, fun professional staf, amazing building Cons: a bit loud more

I ordered the ribeye medium rare and recieved it well done. My wife chicken was under cooked. Service wasn't awesome, if you go make sure you leave plenty of time for waiting for food to arrive. more

My girlfriend and I were very disappointed. We were seated right away, placed our order but didn't receive our tiny appetizer for 20 minutes. After that plate was cleared we waited another 30 minutes before somebody (not our waitress) came over to apologize that our salad still didnt come out. He said our ticket was stuck behind a table of 15. Finally after another 10 minutes, we got our ONE salad. After sitting there for another half hour with no acknowledgement by anyone we found our waitress and told her we just wanted to pay and leave. At the same time our food was coming out so she told them we didnt want it, they brought it back to the kitchen and gave us our check! We spent 1 hour and 40 minutes there and never even ate! Cons: Poor Service, Small Portions more

Wonderful place. I highly recommend the Blacksmith. The food is fabulous and the atmosphere is very relaxing. My husband and I recently moved to Bend and the Blacksmith was one of the first restaurants we visited. Bend has many great restaurants, but the Blacksmith remains one of our favorites. Pros: Menu, Atmosphere, Service more

We went based on a recommendation of a friend. Everything was great-appetizers, main, desserts and wines by glass. Not one thing could have been better. Server was very friendly, helpful and not intrusive. Wine list is exceptionally well-crafted. Cute decor. One of the best restaurants in Oregon, in our opinion, and we eat out a lot. Not to be missed when in Bend. Pros: food/wines, decor, service more