Black Duck Cafe To Close After 40 Years In Westport

WESTPORT, CT – Located on the water under Interstate 95, the Black Duck Cafe has long been a go-to location in Westport for burgers, seafood, steak or just a quick beer or two. Now after 40 years of serving its loyal customers, the iconic dive bar has announced it will be closing soon.

According to their Facebook page, Black Duck Cafe will be open this week on Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 30-31). While it will not be open Thursday or Friday, the bar will reopen on Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 3-4) for a final goodbye to its Westport family.

"It is with a heavy heart that we announce our closing," the dive bar's Facebook page reads. "We've had an amazing 40 years here in Saugatuck/Westport, and we are grateful for every friend we've had the pleasure to serve and entertain along the way."

Described on its website as "the friendliest bar in town," Black Duck Cafe is famous for its high-quality menu and bar, as well as atmosphere that hearkens back to a time gone by in Westport. It is also known as a place you could go to hear a local band or even some karaoke while interacting with the regular customers.

In 2011, the bar received a visit from celebrity chef Guy Fieri for his television show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." Chef Tim Miller's recipe for Steak Au Poivre can even be found on the Food Network website.

One menu item customers can't get enough of is the Duck's famous stuffed burgers, filled with either bleu cheese, brie or sharp cheddar. As the description for the BrieBurger puts it, "creamy Brie Cheese oozes out of this burger."

The fact that customers can literally pull their boat right up to this restaurant on the river may also be a reason for its popularity.

"The ambiance is what makes this worth the experience," Yelp reviewer Greg H. writes. "Where else can you eat on a bar barge that is tilted several inches toward the river on which it sits?"

If you somehow have still not been to the Duck, or would simply like to have one last fried clam or cold beer at a local institution, head on down to the river within the next few days and, as the bar's Facebook page urges, help them "go out with a REAL BANG!"

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Photo credit: RJ Scofield