Black Duck Spirits & Hearth

We were a walk-in four top on a busy Friday night so I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly we were seated and served. We were in the bar section and we absolutely LOVED our server, Jason. He was super accommodating, had excellent recommendations, and even went to speak with the kitchen about one in our party’s dietary restrictions. We cannot say enough good things about his service! The vegan/gluten free/vegetarian options are plentiful, and complimented by fantastic cocktails and mocktails (those reviewers complaining about drink prices obviously didn’t watch the talented bartenders craft these stunning, balanced drinks!). The non-vegans in the party raved about the flat iron steak, the smash burger, and the duck burger. The place looks Instagrammable and smells incredible. Highly recommend for date nights, client dinners, celebrations, etc. LGBTQ-friendly. We’ll be back!

I want to preface this by saying that I gave this 4 stars for a specific reason I will get to later, related to my sad status as a gluten free diner. Because if I wasn’t required to be gluten free, this would be 5 stars, full stop. The food was outstanding, the service was impeccable (seriously, our server was flawless and delightful), and the ambiance is cozy and thoughtfully designed. I had the duck burger (double, with duck bacon) and my husband had the duck entree, and both were outstanding. We also had the arugula and cabbage salad, and the waffle fries. Also delicious. We will be back, even though we live in the south metro and it takes a solid 45 min to get here. So why 4 stars? Well, despite their clear effort to provide good gluten-free options, for the duck burger - arguably their stand-out offering - they offer an Udi’s bun, which is basically gluten-free sawdust in bun form. It completely ruins anything it touches. However, thanks to a previous reviewer who posted a photo of their gf duck burger, I spotted the telltale top of an Udi’s bun…and brought my own gluten-free alternative (shout-out to Atuvava and their magnificent gf baguette). As tacky as that might sound, it made my dining experience about 100000% better than had I resigned myself to Udi’s sorry excuse for bread. I would encourage Black Duck’s chef to try the burger with the Udi’s bun and decide for himself if this is what his amazing duck burger deserves. And then find something else. Please. Otherwise, I will continue stuffing my own gf alternative in my pocket like a weirdo.