Blackie’s Bulldog Tavern

I found this place on my «find me GF» app, which I use religiously to find and rate restaurants that are safe for my food allergies. I was absolutely ahhhhh-​mazed by their food! It is seriously delicious, and we have been addicted ever since. What was once a trial spot, is now a regular and our favorite place to dine for all occasions. We simply LOVE the food, and all of their gluten free options have been delicious.
The only downside is how busy it is– regardless of trying to reserve a spot, or what day of the week– you will have to wait a while before being seated. So plan ahead!

This is one of those places with a huge menu that makes you wonder «how could they possibly do all these dishes well?» — and the answer is that they don’t. It’s not a bad place but I find it incredibly expensive for mediocre food, boilerplate décor, and (usually) an extremely long wait. It is always hopping after work and I can totally see it being a good place to get a drink and appetizer with a coworker, but it’s nothing special beyond that.

This place is awesome! Great food, great vibe and great service! Parking lot is always busy!

This place is always great. I never have one bad thing to say about it but our service tonight was awesome probably the best I have ever had there. Jolene was our server and she was great from start to finish. We came in right before the kitchen closed and she made us feel so comfortable. She never rushed us for a second. She is such a genuine person and made our experience so enjoyable. We will request her next time we come in! Thank you so much!

This place is my absolute fav place to eat lunch or dinner out. Why? Because of the always interesting menu and EXTENSIVE paleo/​gluten free options. Like an entire menu of its own, not just a few meals here or there with an asterisk next to it and an option to replace it with an Udi’s GF bun. Those options get boring fast at other places.
Not only are the options at Blackie’s extensive but they are melt in your mouth unbelievable. It’s a great place to come with friends if you have celiac or gluten sensitivity but your friends want to eat at an amazing, fun restaurant.
Now you know why this parking lot is always jamming. Local corporate types love to come here for lunch and happy hour, so try to call ahead and save yourself some time waiting.
Some of my favorites are the GF apple pie burger and the Cuban sandwich. Yum!!!

I came to Blackie’s with my sister for dinner a few nights ago. The place was packed but we were seated in about 5 min. the menu is pretty extensive. We ordered a nacho app… which was HUGE! at the time we placed the order for our app, we also ordered our dinner. I ordered a kale salad with chicken and my sister got a burger. The portions are the largest I’ve seen. I couldn’t finish half of my salad. While the food was excellent and our waitress was very friendly, I am giving 4 stars because the restaurant was dim, noisy and very crowded. They need to install more lights and space out the tables a bit better.
and while I appreciate a good helping of food, the amount was so overwhelming. We could have fed 4 people easily. Overall I would recommend Blackie’s. Tasty food, nice staff and clean restaurant.

Another Level
Pros:
Great Food
Atmosphere
Service
Menu
Cons:
Too Busy
Of all of the places to eat in the area, this is the best. Top quality new American items prepared well. Our last visit we had:
Grass Fed Bacon Burger — top notch burger
Hurdy Gurty Chicken Sandwich — delicious, oh that garlic spread
Hot Brownie Sunday — great, I don’t even like desserts
My only issue is that the place is always packed, but I can understand why seeing the product that they are putting out for their customers.
Great meal, thanks

Biggest gluten free (and paleo) menu I’ve ever seen. Sweet tater grilled cheese was heaven on earth. I love fluff! GF chicken tenders had some kick, which I loved! Huge portions, btw. Definitely want to go back soon to taste some of their other (GF) food concoctions.
Fun atmosphere. We went on a Sunday afternoon and there was a good crowd. Plenty of parking. Friendly and attentive staff. No Titos vodka (gluten free); their only downfall.

This place has really good versions of bar food, I would almost say it is gourmet bar food. During the school year it’s packed with lots of college kids and the food takes a while but it is worth the wait. Their sandwiches are phenomenal and the entrées and salads are just as outstanding. Definitely worth a shot.

I used to live in Smithfield, and this place always has a full parking lot. Always. All those cars must be a testament to a delicious place to eat right? It’s true. You likely won’t be disappointed.
I came here for lunch with a friend, based on Blackie’s rating as the best burger in the state and the best place for lunch in northern RI in RI Monthly. These are some pretty heavy superlatives, and while I definitely enjoyed my meal, I think those superlatives were undeserved. The meal was good, but not THE BEST good.
For an appetizer, we had the Reuben Quesadillas, which were excellent, much better than I expected them to be. For lunch we both went with the highly-​acclaimed signature burger ($ 13). This burger was massive, and served with two gigantic onion rings on top. The total height of this burger looked like something Dagwood would try to eat! The burger was good. Our server was friendly, even as the lunch rush picked up.
In summary, Blackie’s Bulldog Tavern is good, but not great. I would return, but you won’t catch me rushing back. Prices seem a tad higher than they probably should be for the Route 7 area of Smithfield, and expect a significant wait if you show up during peak times.

Very happy to provide this update! After my first review, I was contacted by this establishment regarding suggestions for their kids menu. At my most recent visit with my kids, my 7 year old was absolutely thrilled with the kids menu! They added so many things! Now, there truly is something here for every palate! Just remember to ask the server for the kids menu. Finally, a place that really listens to their patrons… love it!

Everything, and I mean, everything… Is tasty. I haven’t tried anything that I disliked, and many items are the best versions I’ve ever had. The onion rings, house made chips, sandwiches, flatbreads, entrees… It’s all good. They have some great beers on tap and know how to pour a good drink. They’ve got it together. From the back to the front of house. I love seeing a place that is humming along so well. It’s very rare. It’s quickly become a local favorite!

Awesome neighborhood pub with terrific food! So many delicious options. So many healthy options. So many gluten free options if that is your thing. The service is so nice every time. Expect a wait whenever you go. Monday night. Saturday night. Can’t even tell the difference — it is always lively and busy. I’ve been here for work parties, date with my husband, etc. always great. Nothing fancy — just good!

My co-​workers and I tried to go to Blackie’s after work on a Friday. Understandably we were a large group of 9 and did not call to make a reservation.
When I walked in the door to tell the hostess, she asked if we were drinking or eating. I said all of us were going to drink but not all of us would be eating. I was informed that ALL of us have to eat to sit in the dining room. So out of 9 people if 8 were going to eat, we still cant sit there! That’s ridiculous! I was told we could only go to the bar. When I went to scope out the bar, there were 3 empty tables with a «Reserve» sign.
I then asked a waitress what to do. I can’t sit in the dining room, empty tables at the bar are full… so now what? She said I can go on a waiting list for the bar. So on a Friday night I’m not going to go on a waiting list for 9 people to sit at the bar. I don’t think so. We ended up leaving and going down the street to The Last Resort.
Not only are the waitresses at The Last Resort 100 times nicer than the hostesses at Blackie’s, but they were very accommodating. The 2 hostesses at Blackie’s were very rude and didn’t try to help out the situation we were in. Just one of the many reasons I will never return!

Pros: Service is Excellent! Courteous but on a mission. What a well oiled machine! It was a busy Thursday night, yet we were seated and served in minutes. The Chicken/​Mushroom soup I had and the bowl of Chilli my friend had for appetizers were delicious.
Cons: Food kept falling out of our plates. The plates were too small for the portions. I spent 10 minutes eating my overly salted sweet potato fries just so I could make an opening to grab my super-​sized Ruben. Unfortunately, once I had it up to my mouth, it was so grotesquely large that I couldn’t wrap my mouth around it… My friends Pulled Pork tasted like it had been, «cooked in the exhaust pipe of a diesel truck.» His words. We both also hurried home with upset stomachs.
If we ever go back, we will be ordering soups and salads.

We come here any time we go out after work at Fidelity but it’s only because nothing else is around. It’s hard to go there for just drinks since they don’t let you sit at one of their many empty tables unless you’re ordering dinner. I’ve never understood that since alcohol is a higher margin. The bar is small and only has about 15 seats or so. They almost act like it’s an inconvenience to have you there and I guess in some ways it is since they make you stand in no man’s land starring off at empty tables.
I have had the food before and it’s pretty good. May cause heartburn but it’s the type of place that should. Interesting burger type food.
If you come here you’re likely a victim of circumstance like myself. The staff needs to up their game and be more accommodating.

The burger was over cooked, they forgot my tomato and the bun fell apart half way through. I wouldn’t be so upset about the tomatoes but they charge you for every topping. The lettuce, tomatoes and pickles were .50 cent a piece.
I also hate it when I need to eat my burger with a knife and fork.
The burger itself wasn’t bad but I wanted medium and I got well done

I LOVE me some Blackies. This is my favorite restaurant outside of Providence. The owners really care about making awesome food and are always mixing up the menu. Maple mayo. Get it. On anything. This with the sweet potato fries is awesome. Good onion rings and fried pickles too. Good tavern burger. I super love the buffalo chicken dip with tortilla chips, omg. And the caesar salad. The turkey pub sandwich is awesome. I got it with a lettuce wrap one time. For some reason it came sub shaped. There are burger places that lettuce wrap them so that is how it should be wrapped to keep its form. I still love this place though. $ 2.50 Narragansetts. The carrot cake ice cream sandwich is really good.
Really nice décor, nice staff. They use compostable takeout containers

Let’s start off with the food, all of which was some of the best I’ve had in the area. Junkyard Nachos were amazing. The pulled pork really brought these traditional nachos to another level. The American As Apple Pie Burger was good, a nice combination of sweet and smokey. The meat was over cooked but not dry despite being well done. The Meatloaf with mashed potatoes was one of the most delicious I’ve ever had… and that’s coming from a girl who grew up on meatloaf.
For drinks we shared a bottle of overpriced but delicious Chardonnay. I had a cinnamon apple margarita with my burger, because apples should always be paired together in my world! The margarita was a creative and delicious non-​traditional tequila beverage.
The restaurant itself is on an unsuspecting backroad in Smithfield. Definitely would have passed it if there weren’t cars lined up along the road. We sat on the patio which is meticulously decorated in greens and white. If it’s warm out its worth the wait to be seated outside.
Our waitress is what brought Blackie’s down from a 5-​star review. We had to ask for water at least 10 times, she took forever to come to our table and not until we were almost done, and she was extremely flippant. She made us feel as if asking for water or to place an order for our next course was an inconvenience. She made a rude comment when we decided to order dinner after the nachos. Definitely made a get together with a good friend an amazing uncomfortable evening.
Long story short, I’ll definitely be back for the food but will make sure to request a different waitress.

Talk about a hole in the wall! You’re driving down dark back roads of Smithfield and all of a sudden: LIGHT (and cars… LOTS and lots of cars) between snowbanks! Friends visited this gem for Friday night debauchery and left fully satisfied!
Note one: carpool. The lot is PACKED and in the winter you’ll have to take your chances on the street. Sidenote: if the LOT is packed… the SEATS will be packed. Friday night, 6:30p: 8 people: 1.5hr wait for a table. Good thing we liked the company! We downed a couple cocktails and some finger-​lickin’ good popcorn at the bar while we waited. I mean… it IS a «Tavern», afterall!
Note two: she gets a tequila drink, she gets a vodka drink, she gets a cider drink. Cocktails here a GREAT! Priced like Providence, but absolutely worth it for a quality beverage. Loved the Blackie’s Pair (absolut pears vodka /​st. germaine /​fresh lemon juice /​citrus simple syrup /​twist of lemon) — the prices aren’t listed (…trouble…) but when a glass of wine can run you $ 10+…you know it won’t be cheap.
Note three: pumpkin mac and cheese. It blew my mind. Two meals worth, savory, tastes like the holidays spent next to a cracking good fireplace. And there’s KALE! …that makes it a healthy option. *wink face* I subbed out the candied bacon for MORE kale and was absolutely the envy of the table.
Note four: gluten free AND paleo menus! I mean… I’d just order straight up gluten if I could, and I’m a vegetarian so paleo doesn’t apply to me… but it does apply to my friend and I know that she appreciated the menu modification.
Note five: …not sure why there are decorative glass beads in the bathroom sink, but this made me laugh. ALSO: HEYYY LADIESSS! …there’s only ONE bathroom for ya (…better start training your bladder now).
Note roundup: «Tavern»? …ehh, kinda. It’s more of a lounge, or your typical American restaurant with a bar separated from the dining area by a demi-​wall and some high-​tops. There are TVs hanging in virtually every direction which kinda kills it for me (tvs don’t a tavern make), but we absolutely will return! Delicious menu, delicious drinks, capability to accommodate large (ish) parties– even on a Friday — — - it all adds up to one great night of fun.