Review: Black Finn Restaurant & Saloon

Black Finn Restaurant & Saloon

333 Waterside Dr, Suite 314/169

Norfolk, VA 23510

757-622-1200

Black Finn advertises as an Irish-American saloon, featuring "contemporary American fare." If you're looking for a culinary adventure, you'll be sorely disappointed. If you simply want to enjoy a martini in a friendly, waterfront setting, this is the spot.

I visited Black Finn twice - the first was a busy Saturday evening, and the next, a slow Tuesday afternoon. I waited well over 5 minutes at the hostess stand both times.

On my first trip I chose to sit on the patio, overlooking the harbor. The view was great, as was our waiter. Though my companion and I spent several hours conversing and ordered only drinks and dessert, our waiter remained friendly and attentive. The pleasant atmosphere seemed to encourage conversation among the tables, and I left in a good mood.

I opted to sit indoors on Tuesday. Our waitress apparently had called in sick at the last minute, so the hostess took our order. Our appetizer alone took well over 30 minutes to arrive. My chosen vegetable was mysteriously replaced with limp, overcooked broccoli, and the meal itself was boring. I cut the service some slack - it was terrible, but my poor hostess seemed to be in a bit over her head. The booth was comfortable, though I was annoyed to find that I couldn't change the channel on the personal television mounted next to my booth. The decor is also boring, with dark wood and dark colors dominating the space.


My selections:

Land & Sea Skewers
An assortment of two chicken, two steak, and two shrimp skewers marinated in our signature Guinness® marinade and grilled over an open flame. Served with teriyaki and spicy peanut sauce - 7.99

The steak was tough and chewy, and looked like jerky on a stick. The chicken was somewhat better, though essentially flavorless. One piece of shrimp was so charred that I didn't even bother to eat it.The sauces are good, but definitely come straight from a bottle - no surprise, as this is a chain restaraunt.

Chicken Macadamia
A boneless chicken breast pounded thin and rubbed with a macadamia nut crust. Prepared pan seared and finished with a light citrus sauce and served with grilled pineapple slices - 12.99

The chicken was dry, and the macadamia nut crust only made it worse. The "light citrus sauce" was apparently so light that I couldn't taste it. The pineapples were good, though. It's hard to screw up a pineapple. I chose garlic mashed potatoes as my side order. The potatoes were incredibly bland. I suspect they forgot the garlic, because I certainly couldn't taste it.

Philly Cheesesteak
One half pound of shaved Black Angus rib eye steak sautéed with grilled onions, topped with melted American cheese and served on a hero roll - 8.99

My dining partner seemed pretty pleased with his cheesesteak, though I will say that it did not look anything like half a pound of meat.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
This is a decent quality cheesecake, and just creamy enough to pass muster. It was a big slice, suitable for sharing with a dining partner.

Black Finn is a saloon at heart, which means they have a pretty nice selection of alcohol. I prefer their Appletini, or a glass of Knob Creek bourbon with Pepsi. The only drink I've tried that was a miss was the Tuacatini, which primarily tasted like rubbing alcohol.


Overall Impression: 2 out of 5 stars