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Special thanks to Shelley, TMR contributing writer, for attending the media tasting at BlackFinn American Grille (Houston location).

I hope you’re sitting down. Not because I have anything bad to say, just because I have a lot to say. Last week, my boyfriend and I attended a semi-soft opening for the BlackFinn American Grille in midtown (on Bagby behind Cyclone Anaya’s and Christian’s Tailgate), and talk about sensory overload! There’s a lot going on here! And that’s a good thing.

For such a new, nice, well-dressed place, I find it odd that it would be situated at the bottom of a new parking garage in midtown. That’s just not something I’m used to seeing outside of downtown, but admittedly downtown is a quarter’s throw away and space in the little area of midtown at Bagby and Gray is at a premium, so I understand the design plan, but just think it might not be doing this new guy on the scene any favors. I daresay it might make it a bit too easy to miss. And that’s a shame because BlackFinn should not be overlooked.

Walking in I wasn’t quite sure what to think. Well, I had some idea because I’d been to a BlackFinn previously in Addison, Texas, but as for this specific site I just couldn’t help but wonder how they were going to overcome the windowless, concrete encasing it occupies. Luckily, they do. When you enter, you do quickly forget you are in a concrete tomb. A clean, neutral foyer sets the stage where you and various hosts/hostesses will determine the type of night you are going to have because there are four, yes four, options for “mood” seating.

You have what is called The Grille Room that is a combination of walled-off bar area and quiet, dimly lit booths—all with power outlets for your technological needs, not to mention the free Wi-Fi available. The Grille Room is clearly meant for working lunches, working dinners, working drinks. Plan your next work planning meeting there over drinks and apps, seriously. I’m not sure how much you’ll get accomplished, but it is way better than being at your office. And don’t forget to look at the Houston-specific sports memorabilia hung throughout, it makes this one-in-a-series restaurant feel hometown.

Fresh-Squeezed Cocktail

Beyond The Grille Room is The Dining Room. No surprise here, it’s a dining room sans bar and soundproof. Would be a great location for a group dinner—the non-working kind. The area is well decorated with large photos of Houston taken by local photographers. Nice touch.

Next, you have The Saloon, which is not as western as it sounds. There are no swinging doors, just several nice TVs and a very well-stocked bar. This would be a great time to plug the tremendous beer and wine selection available at BlackFinn, but what’s more appealing than that is the specialty cocktail menu with cocktails crafted specifically for the Houston crowd, such as the Bagby Sangria.

Immediately off from The Saloon is The Patio, which would be a great place for after work drinks on those rare days of nice weather that we sometimes see. Or, wait for it, BRUNCH! This would also be a fantastic place to chill on the weekends, but don’t forget to bring your dog because BlackFinn is dog friendly. Major points for this, and something the residents of Midtown will no doubt enjoy.

First, I have to give a shout out to our waiter Gabe. I can’t remember the last time I had better service. If you decide to go dine there, you must ask for him. He’s the best!

Before we actually got into the food, we were lucky enough to enjoy a BlackFinn Greyhound. I’m not sure what makes this Greyhound specific to BlackFinn, but I will say it’s probably the best Greyhound I’ve ever had. Fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, with a bit of lemon and lime juice added to top shelf vodka is definitely a good choice.

The folks at BlackFinn can do appetizers. We sampled some of their favorites: Queso Chipotle Dip, the BlackFinn Crab Tower, and Blackened Brie. For me, it was a no-brainer to try the Crab Tower and I would highly recommend it. Quite tasty. The Queso has a fair amount of kick, and while it was good, I don’t think it’s a great dinner starter; it would be far better shared with friends over a few beers on the patio. The next time we go, that’s definitely what we’ll do. But the big surprise was the Blackened Brie; it was fantastic, and we had to stop ourselves from eating all of it. However, like the Queso, I think this would be better shared with a group on the patio while sharing a few bottles of wine. Ultimately, I guess I’m saying don’t fill yourself up on appetizers because the entrees are really great and are served in very large portions. Save room for them!

Speaking of the entrees, I ordered the Hong Kong Style Chilean Sea Bass. The fish was cooked really well and I really enjoyed it. It comes paired with two rice cakes and snow peas. The snow peas were delicious, but the rice cakes…I just think they were unnecessary, or maybe it would’ve been better to have only one instead of two. My boyfriend ordered the Herb-rubbed Campfire Steak. He loved it. I tried it, and thought it was quite tasty, but maybe just a tad too much cumin for my liking. But any misgivings I had about the cumin, were quickly dismissed by a taste of some of the most delicious garlic mashed potatoes I have ever tried. Then you have the maple glazed carrots for a bit of sweet and this makes for a fantastic meal. However, the piece-de-resistance was the surprise arrival of the Bacon-wrapped Meatloaf. To die for. It’s definitely not something to eat everyday if you care about your figure, but it is absolutely delicious. It comes with sweet potato mash that I did not want to go to waste. I think I would come back just to have the sweet potatoes, they are that good. There was also some broccoli thrown on the side, but you can easily move that out of the way. No time for veggies with all that bacon goodness going on!

I’d also add we got some help in the wine pairing department from our most helpful tour guide for the night, BlackFinn’s Sales Manager, Michelle Tarallo. Michelle couldn’t have been more helpful or more proud of BlackFinn and its many, many offerings.

Last, but certainly not least, was dessert. We tried the Pineapple Upside Down Carrot Cake and BlackFinn Hot Chocolate. The Pineapple Upside Down Carrot Cake just didn’t do it for me; it was too cold and I hate to say it but I prefer my carrot cake with a generous helping of cream cheese icing. But in a way I’m glad I didn’t love it because it allowed me to give my undivided attention to the most fantastic dessert I’ve had in quite some time. If you are into desserts you do not want to miss the BlackFinn hot chocolate. Take a warm, fallen chocolate and peanut butter soufflé, top it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and caramel drizzle, serve it an over-sized cappuccino mug, and you literally have heaven in a cup. I can’t wait to have this again.

All in all, BlackFinn is a great new addition to the midtown scene, and it can’t help but do well. If you work downtown, then add it to your lunch and happy hour rotation. If you live a little farther afield, then make it your next date night and you will not be disappointed. I know I’ll be setting up my next outing here for sure.

*Images provided by BlackFinn