Barbarie’s Black Angus Grill—

Restaurateur Promises Perfectly Aged Steaks,

Attentive Service, Affordable Prices

By John Voket

DANBURY — The first thing patrons will likely notice when they come through the door at Barbarie’s Black Angus Grill is one of the owners extending a hand to greet them.

This local and highly welcomed tradition, emulated across town by popular restaurateur Jim Barbarie, has been impressed upon his son Tom, who is taking a highly polished standard of customer care to new heights at his own place, tucked near the corner of Newtown and Eagle Roads, in the heart of the Danbury’s eastern shopping district.

This personalized level of customer care is shared by owners Tom and Karen Barbarie as well as partner Michael McGetrick, who staffs the maître d’ station a couple of nights a week.

“My father was a hands-on guy. He seated every patron,” said Tom Barbarie, who started bussing tables at Jim Barbarie’s as a preteen and worked his way up to management. “But I’m the same way. This is what sets Black Angus apart, an owner is on site all the time.”

And if he detects even a hint of an issue with service or anything amiss on a patron’s dish, it is corrected gladly and immediately.

“I’m never going to argue with you. I’m not going to disagree with you. All I care about is making you happy,” Mr Barbarie said. “That being said, I rarely have a problem.”

Karen Barbarie said for years before she and her husband opened their new restaurant, “I had been hearing that the Danbury region needs a place like this.”

“While it’s comparable to the great New York steakhouses like Ruth’s Chris,” Mr Barbarie said, “this is not a franchise and you’ll find our pricing $15 to $20 less per dish.”

After maintaining a successful law practice in the Danbury area for decades, Mr McGetrick describes his duties at Black Angus as a “dream job.”

“I’d been going to Jim Barbarie’s since childhood, and I’ve been friends with Tom for nearly as long,” Mr McGetrick said, turning his attention to several customers, each of whom he greets by name. Having put himself through college and law school waiting tables and bartending, he knows what it takes to enhance the welcoming aspects of the restaurant.

“And everything I don’t know I’m learning from Tom,” Mr McGetrick said. “He’s the best in the business.”

Diverse ‘Beef-centric’ Menu

When it comes to a robust, beef-centric menu, the Black Angus Grill really shines. “It’s a steakhouse, so you’re gonna come here expecting to strap on the feed bag,” he said with a laugh.

Mr Barbarie only stocks certified black Angus beef, and he ages it 30 days before his chefs personally butcher it to order for their visitors. He also offers premium chicken and the freshest fish, which arrive whole from the New York (Fulton Street) Fish market daily, and are filleted on site.

“We offer the best products, prepared by the best kitchen staff and delivered to your station by the best servers anywhere,” Mr Barbarie said. “Our staff knows what is expected of them, and they pride themselves on getting it right, from the head chefs down to our bartenders to the dishwashers. This is our A-team.”

While the owners know they cannot be all things to all people, it does not stop them from trying, with economically attractive “Prime Time” four-course dinners offered Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 pm, and Sundays noon to 4.

The Prime Time menu includes soup of the day, a classic Caesar salad, a choice of a select steak, seafood, or chicken entrée with veggies and a starch, and the patron’s choice from Black Angus’s scrumptious dessert tray. Coffee or tea is also included — all for just $25 per person.

Burger lovers may never want to leave the place, according to Mr Barbarie, because all their 9-ounce burgers are ground from the sirloin and other choice cuts, straight from the chopping block. The bar menu is diverse and available.

“So you can pop in for a couple of sliders, our French dip or a Reuben after you get out of the movies. Or if you have just a short time for lunch, and you’re on a budget but you want something really special,” Mr Barbarie said. “Anyone can always find a seat and a great meal seven days a week.”

Booking For Holidays

For those looking for a departure from beef, try the Hudson Valley Duck, the grass-fed lamb shank, New England-raised pork porterhouse or grilled veal chop. Seafood lovers can start with a medley of fresh delights in the appetizer platter featuring lobster, lump crab meat, little neck clams and oysters, or go right to a main course of striped or sea bass, yellowfin tuna, Nova Scotia halibut, or seared sea scallops.

Complement a dinner with more than a dozen sides, portioned for two, at just $5 each.

Black Angus is also booking up its private party room for the holidays, but there is still room for a few more holiday luncheons or dinners for up to 70 people. A private luncheon menu offered from December 1 to December 23 starts at just $24.95 per person including a beverage; soup or salad; filet mignon, salmon, or chicken Francaise; veggie and starch; topped off with a homemade cannoli and hot beverage.

Another offering at Black Angus is the selection of at least 40 varieties of wine — each offered at a flat $35 per bottle, although there is also a special reserve list for those looking for that something extra.

On Thanksgiving, Black Angus is offering its standard menu plus traditional turkey and ham dishes. Happy hour is Monday through Friday from 4 to 6 pm and all day Sunday and Monday with 12 varieties of beer by the pint — each for just $3.

The restaurant is open seven days a week at 11:30 am. Lunch runs daily until 4 pm, with dinner served Sundays until 9, Monday through Thursday until 10, and until 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The bar, offering a dozen specialty martini cocktails, is open until 1 am Sunday through Thursday, and until 2 am Fridays and Saturdays

Black Angus Grill will be closed on Christmas Day. For reservations call 203-826-7406 or visit barbariesblackangusgrill.com.