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| - 3.5 stars... neighbourhood spot in a fun atmosphere with good service. I just think the food is more towards a 3 star. It's possible we ordered the wrong dishes that would have made this a 4 star experience instead. Looking at everyone else's review, the Mac & Cheese or Short Rib main might be the better options.
Blackjack is a new addition to Leslieville and from my understanding, they completely redid the interior. With a great patio and a great fun Southern and Rock influenced decor, it really gives a fun vibe. Visually, there's a lot of great things to keep you interested on the walls. The thick rope lighting fixtures are unique and it's really creative.
Service here is really friendly and warm. There was never a pushiness and it's just relaxed in a good way. I came for a pre-dinner snack and saw the good reviews coming for this place. With the nice service and inviting patio, I can see why people take to this place quickly.
For me, I think the 2 dishes we ordered may have been wrong choices or weaker ones on the menu but our server did mention the smoked riblets was ordered for every table she served that day. It was one of their more popular items. That and their mac & cheese.
Smoked Riblets - With 5 glazed and gleaming pieces arriving to our table, I could smell the very sweet BBQ sauce before I even dug my teeth into them. The server mention the order is set by weight rather than set pieces. Normally she says 6 or 7. So we got some big boned ones and some nice and juicy pieces. I'm not sure how they were reheated but these were more on the lukewarm side instead of warm. If this was intended, I like the ribs more on the hot side. As for the ribs, some were tender but most of the ones I ate were definitely tougher meat pieces that had some large dense cartilage pieces. I couldnt try to eat those pieces even if I wanted to. I didnt taste any smokeiness but the rib pieces were heavily doused in sauce that it probably covered it. I found the sauce to be on the sweet side and would have loved a bit more spices or tang to it instead. 3/5
Countdown Duck Wings - I love duck and the idea of duck wings really interested me. I think the idea of this is a bit better than the reality of it. When it first arrived at the table, I thought they were ribs. Picking them up, they were more on the lukewarm side and had a bit of a crispy edge to them. I dont think this is an issue with Blackjack but more on the duck, these were definitely not meaty and more like chicken wing tips. I think the 4 wings had less meat than 1 of the riblets. The order gave us 4 slim wings which is a little more than $2 each. I figure it was unique to try. Biting into them was like biting into very dry meat... it almost had a jerky like texture to them. I'm not sure if this was meant to be the case. Flavour wise, they are more richer and gamier in flavour compared to chicken. I tried it and now I know duck wings aren't for me. 2/5
Their menu does have a lot of interesting things on it. If I did have the opportunity to come back, I wouldnt get what we had this time but maybe the other BBQ dishes instead. Service here though is great and a nice spot to relax in the neighbourhood.
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