Thank you to Catherine Zarrella for submitting this article to Spoon Fairfield!
The Blind Rhino located in Black Rock is a must try! Entering the pub we were immediately greeted with a lively atmosphere accompanied by theming perfectly encapsulating their goal of being an elevated sports bar.
The Difficulty of Choosing:
As someone who looks at a menu before eating at the pub, I knew I had to preview the Blind Rhino before arriving. First impressions were that regardless of what we tried at our meal I was going to be happy. The menu has exactly what you would expect at a sports bar, with even more, all at a reasonable price. Thankfully we decided to try a little of everything, essentially having three courses of pure bliss.
The Appetizers:
We were presented with Cheesesteak Egg Rolls, Bang Bang Cauliflower, Pork Nachos, and The McRhino. The Cheesesteak Egg Rolls were the first to call my name when they were placed on the table. The steak was light and seasoned to perfection working perfectly with the veggies and housemade roasted poblano cheese sauce to create dare I say… a masterpiece. Now when I eat nachos, I expect the toppings to be evenly distributed and these were just that. Every chip had the perfect amount of pork, guac, salsa, and most importantly homemade cheese sauce because you do not want to sacrifice any of these flavors. On the lighter side is the Bang Bang Cauliflower, which is flash fried and doused in their housemade Bang Bang sauce. The Cauliflower was cooked to absolute perfection, they were cooked fully through, but were not too oily which can sometimes happen with flash frying. The Bang Bang sauce was unlike anything I have ever had before and the only thing that would make it better is if they offered it on other menu options. I made sure to save the McRhino for the end because it was hyped so much and for great reason. Their take on a smash burger also included sriracha thousand island dressing to add a little flare, but the two Pat LaFrieda beef patties could win awards on their own. These appetizers were a fantastic introduction and at that point I had already made my decision… I will be coming back with all my friends.
The Wings:
This portion of the meal was the most highly anticipated for me at least because I am a self proclaimed wing connoisseur. I have had some great wings in my day, but these wings have won national awards and for good reason. I am a classic buffalo girl, so I began with their Spicy Buffalo wings. All I have to say is watch out Franks because if they bottled this I’d Put that Sh*t on absolutely Everything, it was the best Buffalo sauce I have ever had. I followed this up with the Garlic Parm wings which is not a style I usually go for, but when I inevitably return these will be something I highly recommend. There is not a part of the wing that did not have Garlic or Parm on it which is impressive to say the least. Continuing I went for the Cacio e Pepe which is their new flavor, and I can see it becoming a hit. There was a great balance between the pepper and the cheese, and with these fall-off-the-bone wings this is a 10/10. The Plum Sriracha wings were a pleasant twist on Siracha wings, the sweetness of the plums perfectly balanced the spicy of the sriracha. I am a big fan of a sweet-spicy flavor combination, and the Blind Rhino perfectly accomplished the ratio which I give them heavy props for because it is not an easy feat. Finally I moved onto the Togarashi Brown Sugar Dry Rub wings which quickly piqued my interest. This wing is another sweet heat combination and again perfection. The sweetness of the brown sugar was quickly followed by some spice but neither was overpowering. I am so glad we tried a dry rub wing because it allowed me to fully appreciate how perfectly cooked these wings were. Despite how fantastic these wings are, there are over 20 different flavors of wings and I plan to try them all because these were the best wings I have ever had. And don’t worry there was not an ounce of meat left on any bone.
The Sandwiches:
We decided to try three of their most popular sandwiches and three side options. The Cubano was absolutely massive, and for such a low price. Following the trend the braised pork was cooked to perfection and the sandwich was absolutely delicious. It was my first time ever trying a Cubano and if they are as good as the one from the Blind Rhino I would order it from every restaurant. Trying the Chicken Avocado wrap you could taste how fresh the vegetables were and the grilled chicken was perfectly seasoned, but also light. The garlic herb wrap was so tight that none of the vegetables or chicken had the ability to fall out, allowing you to get the most of each bite. I ended my night with the Fried Chicken Sandwich, a staple in all pubs. The thin cut chicken was fried lightly which I am a major fan of, this ensured it was not greasy or overpowering. Again delicious sweet heat from the maple chipotle sauce which paired coleslaw of the sandwich making this a standout of the night. But don’t worry, each of these sandwiches come with a side option. The fries were classic and with just enough salt and is a great fry, but the specialty sides are something I would opt for because of how great they are. The Sweet Potato Tots are absolutely fantastic, they are lightly salted and not at all greasy which is what you want in a potato dish. On the more savory side were the onion rings, which had a thick cut of onion in each ring. There is no skimping on the onion which I can appreciate. The onion rings are served with BBQ sauce but do just fine on their own.
Final Thoughts:
I have already told all my friends that we are going to the Blind Rhino for dinner and trivia every Tuesday, and the wings will be ordered for my Superbowl party. The food was so stand out that even if a side sauce like ranch, blue cheese, or ketchup was brought over, they went unused because the main dish was so fantastic they were unnecessary. If you ever need a pub recommendation, I would tell you the Blind Rhino ten times over. Thank you to the Blind Rhino for your hospitality, great food, and fantastic service, you will be seeing me again soon.