If you’re looking for a restaurant with a cozy, waterfront vibe and good food, then take a trip to Ottoman in upper Lancaster County where you’ll find The Black Duck nestled at the bottom of a hill at Yankee Point Marina.
Overlooking Meyer Creek and the Corrotoman River, the restaurant attracts diners by land or sea, and even by the Merry Point Ferry, which docks 1.3 miles away.
The second story restaurant seats a mere 36 inside with another six seats at the bar and a few tables on the patio. But don’t be fooled by the size. The food is big on flavor and portions.
My husband and I enjoyed a mid-week date night at the restaurant, our first visit to The Black Duck, which was shuttered on and off for several years before reopening in 2024 with new management. There’s been another leadership change of late with Andrea Wiles taking over as general manager in June. She brings 20-plus years of restaurant experience—mostly in Northern Virginia and the Fredericksburg areas.
Although Wiles promises some changes and a new menu coming soon, regulars will be happy to know Chef Caleb Stone is still creating his culinary masterpieces and many of the staples will remain, including the crab cakes, steak and the Duck’s popular tacos. Along with the steakhouse tacos, which include steak, seasoned potatoes, cheddar and bacon, there are grilled shrimp, fish and spicy tuna tacos. The raw sushi-grade ahi tuna tacos have seaweed salad and pickled red onion with a wasabi aioli.
Wiles said the new summer menu will include some “fresh, bright, summer cocktails.” I found a nice bright one on the old menu—Pineapple Upside Down, a sweet, refreshing blend of citrus vodka, pineapple and grenadine with a splash of lemon soda. It hit the spot on a steamy July afternoon.
On the recommendation of our waitress Jasmyn, we started with the crab dip appetizer that, according to the menu, was a third generation recipe. It was yummy, chock full of crab and so much that we asked for extra bread for dipping.
Dinner
My husband was craving a steak and ordered the ribeye, a generous 16-ounce portion cut in-house. For a mere $10 more he upgraded to one of the nightly specials, a surf-n-turf with the ribeye, a skewer of grilled shrimp and two grilled scallops. He assured me the steak was delicious and cooked to his preference of medium rare. I took his word for it but begged for a taste of his shrimp, which honestly were probably the best grilled shrimp I’ve ever eaten. There’s a fine line between shrimp that are done and shrimp that are overdone and that line is usually blurred when I grill shrimp. And honestly, it’s often crossed in restaurants where the shrimp can be dry or chewy. Well these shrimp were melt in your mouth delicious, cooked through but fork tender with just the right amount of seasoning.
I ordered the Duck Lancaster. I mean it is The Black Duck restaurant, so it only seemed fitting. I’ve had duck breast before, wild duck that was sorta gamey, so I ordered it with a little skepticism. This duck, which I’m sure was farm raised, was tender, juicy meat seared to a perfect medium. It sat atop creamy garlic-parmesan mashed potatoes and they were both covered in a wine mushroom sauce. The surprise star of the dish was the side, bacon wrapped asparagus, which combined two of my favorite things.
Dessert
Despite being full, we wanted to try one of the two featured desserts that night, a brie cheese wrapped in wontons and deep fried to a golden crisp then covered with homemade whipped cream and raspberry drizzle. It was an ooey-gooey delicious dish.
Wiles said never fear the new menu will include all the customer favorites but added as a teaser that lamb chops will be an addition. The menu also will change with the seasons.
“We won’t have what I’d call one signature dish anymore because so many things are our signature dishes and they’re all so good,” she said.
Now, during the height of tourist and boating season, the restaurant still accepts walk-ins but Wiles said reservations are recommended and much appreciated.
As we found, Wednesday is usually a slower evening, so I’m looking forward to our next mid-week date night at the Duck.
The Black Duck
1303 Oak Hill Road
Lancaster, VA 22503
804-438-2123
Open
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays 5-9 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Chef’s picks
Tacos
Crab cakes
Ahi tuna
Ribeye
Did you know?
A portion of The Black Duck’s proceeds supports local charities.
“We won’t have what I’d call one signature dish anymore because so many things are our signature dishes and they’re all so good.”
