Black Rock Bar & Grill

If I wanted to cook my own steak, I would stay home and grill it. I just don’t get this concept. Although it must be very popular as this is at least the third location. They bring you a raw steak which you proceed to cook yourself on a hot stone. That must be fun for most people.
I have to say that the appetizer menu and the drink selection are great. Beers are also provided from a large selection.
These places are also quite large and the noise level can get quite elevated.

The overall experience is fun, but the food is mediocre. When ordering a steak dinner, you are handed the food to cook for yourself on the rock. Cooking the steak isn’t bad, but you have to season it and do all the work yourself which makes paying $ 20-​$ 35 for it a bit excessive. What really bothered me were the sides. I get the Black Rock steak experience was built around cooking your steak to your liking, but the sides were incredibly disappointing. I received steamed asparagus with no seasoning/​flavor and a baked sweet potato wrapped in foil with the brown sugar and butter on the side as if the chef did the bare minimum. Throughout the meal it’s nice to make everything taste the way you want it, but then what’s the point of paying big money at a restaurant when you can do the exact same thing (excluding the rock) at home. Not a bad meal, just very overpriced.

Delicious food. reserve a large block of time, it’s not a quick meal.

This was a pleasurable first experience for me and my family. Who would have ever thought cooking on a rock would be so fun! There was an average wait time for a popular restaurant. Our hostess was polite and wearing a smile. Service was 5 star our server Maya attended to our every need and made us feel at home. We had plenty of questions saying that this was our first visit and she had answers for every one of them. Every restaurant should have an Maya she never stopped smiling, Black Rock will be an regular stop me and family from now on.

LOVE Black Rock! Great atmosphere and delicious food. My favorite place to go for a steak. Some will argue they don’t want to pay to cook their own food, but I think this guarantees that your steak is cooked to your liking and each bite is warm. Also, Ben is the best server! Will be back soon!

I must say this visit was 500 times better than the last. Our server Catlin knows the menu well and was very attentive to us. She made sure we enjoyed our night. If you make a reservation ask to be seated in her section and you will not be disappointed. We had the the bubbling shrimp on a stone and lobster dip for an appetizer. Both were delicious, I liked the shrimp better though because I like spicy Cajun food. If your not fond of spicy then go for the lobster dip or the pretzels both are great for a starter. I had a Greek salad before my steak and its a true Greek salad without the lettuce it has beets, chickpeas, feta, olives, peppers and onion. For my main dish I got the 6oz filet with casino butter and a lobster tail. Love the lobster cooked on the stone! I could eat this all day! If you get a steak definitely add a lobster tail well worth it. For dessert we got funnel fondue and all I can say is the raspberry sauce is so good on these. This is a must try even if you don’t feel like you can take another bite! I am not always in the area but when I am I will be sure to stop in again.

We were out this way and looking for lunch. Driving by, this place looked interesting– the parking lot was pretty full at an off time, and it looked new and inviting.
We were quickly seated in a quiet room and the server came shortly afterwards. There’s a decent beer selection, with a lot of MI brews.
I had the turkey wrap with fries and my husband had the Philly. There was nothing notable about my sandwich, although the position was good, it was just kind of bland. Nothing to get excited about at all. My husband wasn’t very impressed with his Philly either.
I know we got «odd» items are they are known for steaks, but seeing as we don’t live around here, I don’t think we’d go out of our way to give it another try.

Beckoned by the billboard and searchlights we decided that it would be great to check out on a Monday… My sister and her family had been before and wanted my opinion while I was in town… I will say that brother-​in-​law went off for the first time in 15 years… Not a good experience… Here we go:
We arrived shortly after 5pm without a reservation. Our table (four adults, two children (8&11)) was through the dining room, down the side hall and tucked into a back room; we were the second table seated in that area, the whole area we walked through was empty, including the bar… Soon the whole room was filled (!!!) and we’d not yet met our server… A manager (???) (casually clad) barked orders to a man to whom we’d soon be introduced as our server… Nice guy, just dead sat three six-​tops)
Server started off well but was dealt a serious blow because of the style of service this place dictates (but obviously wasn’t trained well (and the support staff and managers did little (until too late) to help))
Drinks arrive way later than should be expected… Appetizers arrived fairly timely, that’s were we fall apart: soup course came after entrée course was delivered (after being offered to arrive prior (excuses followed…))
Entrées arrive on hot stones (755°)… With steak (the ordered raw garlic rub arrived seven (!!!) minutes after steak hit the stone) at belly level (just imagine the spattering fat landing all over your clothes) and sides for all arrive later with an appetizer…
Support staff (who would wander in and out, gazing around without actually seeing anything) failed to pick up stacked appetizer dishes for quite some time and became a running joke at the table (how high can they go?)
Manager (???) (again, very casually clad) stopped by and was shocked (Really‽‽‽ Since the server told us there were many things delayed in the kitchen (and we have to cook our own food!!!)) that things were not going as expected, kindly removed appetizers and offered dessert.
–Pretzel app was decent
–Tuna app lacks fat and sticks like crazy to the stone (and it’s only yellowfin, don’t waste your time or money) and sauces come in plastic cups (next to a hot stone???)
–Chili very sweet
–Chowder acceptable
–French Onion soup delayed an hour
–Steaks are decent quality but come raw and plain (all seasoning has to be done by you and may not even come when the meat is fresh (or for many minutes later, even when ordered))
–Sides arrived at several times through the entrée course…
Upon departure the whole of the main dining room was sparsely seated (we were there for three hours (!) so things could have changed while we were tucked away in the back room (but no one seemed as busy or as stressed in the front as we experienced in the back room…
Suggestions
Hosts: Wait until servers have a chance to greet and explain your concept (you’re not doing anyone a favor by seating them in an unprepared sever’s section)
Managers: know the capabilities of your staff and jump in; don’t bark orders and walk away (again, no favors)
Servers: NO Excuses; you may not have the training (demand better) or the control, but that’s not your guests’ concerns: you set the pace and have to keep them appeased and comfortable…
Owners: Ensure you’re training your team to be the best (this is a challenging concept and it requires time to explain and guide to be properly enjoyed)
I’d like to check it out when I come back to Michigan later in the year: here’s hoping it’ll be better…

First visit to Black Rock; the service was really VERY good, the food was plentiful and the steak that I had was beautifully cooked because of course I cooked it myself.
I found that actually having to pay attention to the bites that I was cooking meant that I really couldn’t pay attention to any of the side dishes that came with the steak. I got the black rock special 10oz with a side of asparagus and a baked potato. Next time I’ll probably choose the mashed potatoes, much easier to deal with when you’re working on that steak. Great cut of meat I used the casino butter on it and also used a little bit of the Black Rock sauce don’t know what it is but I know it’s amazing!
There are a ton of servers, food runners and additional staff running about, tables cleared quickly, drinks refilled the same.
I had read reviews that the kitchen would forget the sauces and yep. they forgot but it was very quickly handled. Our server James explained how the lava rock cooking worked, he was up beat, friendly and I appreciated the extra time he gave answering our questions.
There is a bit of splatter from the meat as its cooking, I suggest pushing it away from you a bit and not wearing a blouse that a bit of grease might ruin.
Overall the experience was wonderful and I am looking forward to my next meal there.
They would have had five stars from me however the restrooms truly needed some attention.

If you aren’t interested in reading a lengthy review I can summarize quickly, this place smells like roasting corpses, it’s overpriced and they misrepresent their products. I’d rather get a Bourbon Street Steak from Crapplebee’s then come back here.
Listen, I’m a carnivores, carnivore. I purchase, eat, braise, grill, smoke and roast so much meat that dogs and cats head the other way when they see me coming because they just aren’t sure what I might do. That being said, this place grosses me out! And that is coming from a guy who has a 16lb brisket and a 12lb whole Ribeye in his fridge right now.
I mentioned the smell above and right off the bat that is what you get when you open the door, the odor of burning flesh. Not that wonderful aroma of fat dripping off hot coals on your backyard grill or the sweet smell of hickory smoke rolling out of a barbeque but rather something akin to burning your arm hair off with a bic lighter when you found you aunts Virginia Slims when you were 10 years old. I don’t know what a crematorium smells like but, I would have to assume it smells a lot like Black Rock. I know this might be a little over the top but having to marinate in this smell for the roughly two hours it takes to complete your meal is really unappetizing.
I was also disappointed to see a Kobe Filet on their special menu. I don’t want to go all meat snob on you but I’ve been to some of the best restaurants in the US and there is no way some regional chain in Canton, Michigan is going to be able to get me a Kobe Filet for $ 39.99. Is it a huge deal? No, but why lie to your customers?
The price in general is another sore spot, I eat probably 80% or better of my meals out so I am by no means cheap but, $ 25 for a 12oz sirloin that I have to season, prepare and plate myself is ridiculous I’m sorry. You are better off heading two blocks west to Outback, saving $ 10 and getting them to cook it for you.
I will say the bright spot was the service. The kid we had, Kevin I think his name was did a great job. He gave the song and dance about the process wonderfully and even had witty replies to my smart ass comments. Our drinks were always full, he brought new stones quickly when ours fizzled out (which happens pretty quickly which was also annoying) and was just an overall bright spot on a disappointing evening out.
I wish I could say I’m glad I tried it but I’m not and I won’t be back :-(

I went here with my family because my brother heard amazing things are the restaurant. I was craving steak, so I wanted to check it out too. First, let me warn you that this place is extremely busy and huge… so it’s loud because there are so many people! We were sat in the back room, so I thought the noise would be better but it wasn’t.
It took way too long for our waitress to take our drink order and even longer to place a food order. So, the visit did not start out great.
I ordered a caesar salad with my meal. After the appetizers came and everyone else was finished with their soup and salad, I still didn’t have mine. I asked the waitress and she said it would be one minute. Next time she came back (maybe 5 minutes later) I asked about the salad again and explained that if our meal was coming out soon, I didn’t want the salad anymore. I mean, why would I want a salad right before my meal comes? When my family finished theirs 15 minutes ago! She said okay and left. A couple minutes later she asked if I wanted the salad. lol. I was thinking, didn’t we just talk about this? I explained that I did not want it if our food was on the way out. I asked her how long until our food came, she said any minute, so again I told her I did not want it.
After our food arrived, so did my caesar salad. Smh. I don’t understand why she wasn’t listening to me and why she didn’t understand. In addition to the steak, I also ordered sweet potato fries. When I was ordering, I asked the waitress if they came with dipping sauce. She told me it was a maple syrup sauce. I told her no thank you, that I didn’t want sweet sauce. She said «oh its not sweet, it’s good!» So I trusted her opinion and «expertise» and kept my order the way it was. The dipping sauce, was syrup… so of course it was sweet. And gross.
Another missing item and mistake by the waitress was the sauce for the steak. The menu gives you options of toppings/​sauces for your steak. We asked the waitress what should would recommend. She recommend three different items and told us she would explain how to cook with them. Our steaks arrived, without any toppings. We asked our waitress for them… minutes later, nothing. Meanwhile, our steaks our cooking!
I was so disappointed in our experience here.

I’m a fan! I tend to like restaurants that offer unique experiences and I enjoyed getting to cook my steak on a hot, volcanic rock right in front of me. If that isn’t your cup of tea, skip this place altogether. The prices were not that bad for the quality and quantity of food.
The lobster bisque was pretty good and I was surprised to get a lobster claw in my soup. Nice touch! The steak comes out raw and the waitress does a little demo for you. I overheard another waitress that gave a great demo speech before her table ordered and I wish I had her. On the service end, they could probably improve by more thorough, consistent explanations from staff but my waitress was friendly and helpful as well.
I enjoyed cooking and slicing up my steak and was surprised at how yummy it was. The sauces it comes with definitely add to the flavor of the steak.
I hear there is a location coming to Woodhaven and I can’t wait!

This place has a super cool atmosphere, but other then that I wasn’t impressed with the food. We had a party of 8 and it wasn’t very busy, a nice flow. Six of us ordered steak, one order soup and one ordered chicken quesadilla. Everyone that ordered steak, their sides were all cold, witch is hard to believe it would be cold since that’s the only thing the kitchen has to make. The quesadilla was burnt, they happily took that off the bill for her. We had two appetizers; the pretzels and the shrimp. They were both just ok, nothing to write come about. The service was great, that’s where the 3^rd star comes into play. It’s a cool place to try, but pricey. I guess I’m
not a big fan of paying to cook your own food either.

So we went last night on a last minute decision. Ordered crab cakes and crab legs and husband ordered Philly cheese steak sub. My food was cold and his food was bland. Poor choices. I ask our server how long had they been open she stated 2 months or so. This could be the reason for the poor quality. I will return but most likely to the one in Novi. The patrons next to us weren’t satisfied either as they walked out but were offered a gift card to return. We weren’t offered anything as I didn’t complain at the time. As, I understand they just opened and have new cooks, staff, etc…

Brah!!!
You gotta try this place, brah. It’s off da hook! There are huge TVs everywhere — no chance of missing your game or fave show. There are even TVs in the bathroom so you know this is a cool place. There’s a full bar, so whether you want to kick back with an ice cold Bud or go swank with a martini, they literally got your back.
Anyway, the thing about this place is you cook your steak on this raging hot volcanic stone. It keeps the juices in or some shit. They bring you a giant hunk of raw beef and you cut it up and cook right there on your stone like some Food Network chef. I felt like Bobby Flay, man! Plus the salad and baked potato come totally loaded with shredded cheese. Right on!
So what if I left smelling like smoke and greasy beef. My mom totally knows how to get that shit out in the laundry. All I know is that I’m glad they got rid of that janky-​ass Roman Forum atmosphere. The fake stone walls, wavy glass accents, and upholstered booths they put in all say: this is a place for hanging out with your best dudebros, or taking out your newest hottie from Tinder before a big night of mad poontang.

Great place, great food, and great staff. After trying the steak on the stone, I never want to eat a steak from anywhere else. And I can’t leave out the Lobster bisque soup to start my meal. Great job. Very unique concept.

I think of this place as one of the «do-​it-​yourself» restaurants like The Melting Pot. It’s essentially Benihana but you bring your own knives. For those interested, you order your courses and sides and they are brought out to your table with a hot rock in which to cook your food on. Still interested? Read on.
My fiancé wanted to try this place out on reviews of co workers so I tell her to meet me there. It was Wednesday afternoon around 4pm. The perfect time to go because it’s not much of a crowd. For a new build the place looks nice although they have a serious condensation problem with the floors. No signs out, just a couple «Be careful» warnings from the wait staff. It looks more like a sports bar then a pricey restaurant. Yes, it’s pricey if you go the do-​it-​yourself route and have a couple of drinks.
There’s a lot of liability to this place. Table isn’t enough to accompany two «selfers» pretty much anywhere you sit here. Not much explanation as how to do also, but I think that goes by the person assisting. Food was quality for main entrees but the rest is sub par and just forego the ribs altogether. The manager heard our complaints and gave us a few free appetizer coupons but they might go unused.
All in all its a place you can try out, but it might be better to take a cooking class instead.

Its a very unique experience with the highest quality of food! Nothing compares!
Make sure you get the steak on the stone. Even though they offer a little bit of everything, and its all amazing, but nothing, anywhere, compares to the steaks.
Even the seafood on the stone, I tried the scallops, are amazing.

Was thoroughly impressed with this Bar & Grill, made me think of the restaurants I used to visit in Chicago. This is definitely not your family Applebees and would not recommend bringing little kids to this place because they do serve half their menu on ‘black rocks’ that are EXTREMELY HOT — so you can cook your food to perfection. I forgot the temperature of the rocks, our waitress told us, but lets just say it would leave a pretty nasty burn on your young child’s finger if they were to touch it.
I went here for a double date and the waitress was extremely kind to me, my boyfriend, his friend and his friend’s girlfriend. The guys are extreme jokesters and she seemed to handle them with ease, even complimenting us on how we have personalities. Incredibly friendly! Wish I would have gotten her name so I can give a shoutout, but you’re brunette! And you had a hair bun in!!!
Anyways, the ambiance was great, the décor was pretty nice, there is even a outdoor eating area as well as a fire pit right out front. However the waiting area, is three booths and a tiny square of space. That was the least enjoyable experience, was the wait and the cramped space that my party and I had to squeeze ourselves into for 20 minutes. But the food, our waitress and atmosphere really made up for it and I couldn’t give it less than the best.

Any new restaurant is going to have growing pains. This one is no different. I was excited to hear a Black Rock was coming to the old Roman Forum location…
This restaurant sets itself apart from other eateries in Canton. #1 — It’s not a chain, which is really nice. #2 –It’s got a unique feature. You can cook your own steak on a hot rock. As far as I know, and at the time of this review, there aren’t any cook your own meat on a rock places in town… C — The atmosphere/​environment is really nice. Very upscale.
The menu is great. They have a lot of appetizers, salads, soup, chicken, pasta, burgers, steak, fish, even gourmet hot dogs! Then there is the dessert…
I came with my friend and her daughter on a Friday night. It was shortly after the place opened and it was packed! We had a few appetizers. I tried the pretzel and cheese appetizer. It was awesome! There were several pieces of pretzel with warm cheese sauce and a garlic cream cheese spread. I loved it! My friend ordered the lobster spread. I am not much of a lobster fan, so I didn’t care for it, but she loved it.
I was so full that I only ended up ordering a side salad and a cup of their Tuscan soup. Both were delicious!!! Salad had a ton of fresh lettuce, cheese, onions, bacon, etc. The soup was a very nice mix of vegetables and a great savory broth.
My friend ordered the fish and chips. She was also full and only ate a small portion of the fish, but loved it and loved the fact that she didn’t have to cook the next day! My friend’s daughter had the kid’s burger and loved it as well. It was a nice size for a kids burger!
The service was good. We were being rushed to eat our food quickly and get out of there, but that was understandable given there was a line out the door!
I can’t wait to come back and try some of the sandwiches and entrees. So glad that Black Rock is in Canton!