Blackbirds Tavern – March 2026

#260

After weather caused us to cancel this visit in February, we persevered, with success, this month. At least half of us had visited BT on our own.

            Blackbirds Tavern sits on a busy triangular corner near the Helderberg-Hudson bicycle path. BT’s new construction fits nicely with the surrounding community and is a welcome addition to Voorheesville, usually known for its lack of good eating places (except the pizzeria that is now Anthony’s).

Blackbirds Tavern’s mission is a worthy community venture. It is a joint effort between Ed & Lisa Mitzen, co-founders of Business for Good, and Druthers Brewing Co., based in Saratoga Springs, NY. with the stated mission of “building better businesses, stronger communities, and a more equitable world.”

            Their website states “…They partner with other organizations to fund and fight community emergencies like food insecurity, housing instability and education gaps. They operate businesses with an intention of stabilizing the community by returning profits to local causes.”

On to the important stuff.

            The menu is very Druthersesque, of course, with a variety of sports-brewpub offerings. Lots of cheese and fried but with other worthy alternatives.

Among the choices were: 5 appetizers, 4 burger types, 3 wings, 3 fries (two of which are poutine), 6 sandwiches, 3 tacos, 7 soup & salad (salad-add meat for extra), 5 mac & cheese, and 4 house specialties (more typical but more expensive than the rest of the menu).

Three tacos, one wrap, two salads, and two fish & chips filled our table, and all deemed good, and good enough to return for a pleasant experience.

Our wintertime series has found us enjoying lunch. One side effect is the order of fewer alcoholic drinks. A beer, a wine, coffee (you know who), and waters comprised our order.

Waiter Vivian was an excellent interface for Blackbirds: attentive, talkative but not too much, with a youthful bounce in her step, sharing of restaurant information, adept with the order taking, checked back just the right amount, and had another server’s company in delivering our entrées.

We were struck by how unbusy BT sat this midday. Those who have dined here before with a full house were aware how noisy the dining space is. On this midday, except for us, there was one other table of four and upon their departure, the joint was ours. We enjoyed having the whole table able to share and hear the conversation the length of the table.

Ambiance is somewhat modern, slightly industrial in the main area but it was the light of the half-wall windows, with the light of a sunny day pouring through – a welcome experience this month. Furniture and settings were modern-sparse but quite adequate. Upon entry, a fifteen seat bar beckons.

Vivian tried to coax us into a short list of desserts, and it worked. Ken ordered the apple crisp skillet and Kriss & Don shared the chocolate cookie skillet, both desserts with a generous scoop of ice cream and two big puffs of whipped cream. (Kriss, that was a nice dessert, and thank you for sharing – just the right size!)

The bill per couple, including tax and tip, averaged in the $50-$60 dollar range but without alcohol was $15 dollars less.

After ninety minutes, we parted ways, leaving in the six cars (!) that brought us all together. That is a new record. In the old days, two was the usual. Now that we know where we are going ahead of time, three is more common. But the Karneses each had separate errands, as did the Quinns. Six.

On the way out, suspicious activity broke out. Deb Karnes huddled over the trunk of her car, and all of us followed. If one did not know better, they might have wondered if Deb was dealing. Sure was!  Each couple left with a container of three cupcakes that were left over from an event Deb had baked for. The swirl of the scoop of white sugar icing was a delight! Thank you, Deb!

The catch-up on our personal worlds was as satisfying as usual, and even more so this time since slightly longer than a month fell between the two dates.

            There were no really big stories but the large one for the day was a two-fold Monteverd account. We, of course, are mindful of Ken’s progress in treatment, which seemed to be quite positive as of now. We all hope for a clean bill of health. And this progress has allowed the Ms to plan on a month, slightly more, to travel to Florida. They had endured a Freehold winter and this one was one of the toughest ones in a long time.

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