After a morning touring New Milford and taking in all the amazing history and architecture, Sparrow…read morewas the perfect spot for lunch. It was a hot day, and while they have a really nice outdoor seating area, we were more than happy to head inside and cool off. Sara immediately welcomed us with water and shared a little about the menu. I loved seeing that much of the draft beer selection featured local microbreweries... so naturally, I dove right in! The food was creative, fresh and full of flavor. We shared the mushroom potstickers, broccoli Caesar salad and a fresh local tomato soup that was so good we honestly could have ordered another. The service was spot-on, the modern-kitsch atmosphere was fun and inviting, and Sara really added to the experience. We loved our lunch at Sparrow and enjoyed everything so much that we're already planning to come back and work our way through more of the menu.

Context is important. A decent sushi meal in a rural part of the midwest where no other option for…read moresushi exists might deserve five stars, though in NYC, it might merit one. Mediocre popcorn chicken in Taiwan might earn five twinkles in NYC, where the competition is almost non-existent. Sparrow (unrelated to The Sparrow in Brooklyn) is a clear five stars for the New Milford area, a wonderfully rural-ish part Connecticut that nonetheless supports a fairly vibrant restaurant scene. It's one of our favorite restaurants between Danbury and Kent, and if we were to pluck it up and drop it down somewhere in Manhattan, it would still merit at least four stars, probably five. Chef Mike Sorensen's kitchen plays with, and tweaks, the menu often, though a few mainstays have been a steady presence since the beginning. Both new dishes and old are well designed and consistently well executed, while at the bar, cocktails are similarly well designed and competently mixed. Owner John Bourdeau always seems to be present, working alongside his friendly staff as part of a very well oiled operation. On a recent visit, we tried the KFC BAO ($13; two buns, fried chicken, gochujang bbq, sesame slaw, pickles, scallion), a longtime bastion on the menu. These were made with juicy chicken tenders, coated in a remarkably crisp, but not overly thick, crust and a spicy, sweet, salty sauce. The acidity of pickles and slight crisp of slaw kept the gochujang sauce from being overwhelming. We've had plenty of fusion bao in other places involving similar ingredients, but Sparrow's version was unusually well executed. YELLOWFIN TUNA POKE ($22; cucumber, avocado, sambal aioli, sweet soy, scallion, jasmine rice) was commendably fresh and well-cut, about even in quality to what a good mid-tier sushi establishment might serve. I don't love aioli with fish, but its presence was not excessive. The only weak point of this dish was the rice, which was too hard and dry to work with poke. A short- or at least medium-grain rice performs far better in this context. Perfectly ripe avocado, crisp, sliced radishes, and pickled jalepeno gave the dish a possibly Mexican-esque twist. KALE CHOP ($14; local kale, olive oil vinaigrette, soppressata, mozzarella, pecorino, red onion, olive, tomato) included relatively tender kale and small amounts of each listed ingredient. I would've liked to have had more of the non-kale elements, but the salad was nicely dressed and in balance. There was more of that incredibly crispy chicken in the CHICKEN MILANESE main ($26; salsa verde, tomato, arugula, lemon citronette, pecorino). I can't hold it against any kitchen for having an ingredient do double duty of course (the same way my poached chicken goes into both korma and enchilladas verde). But the primary consumer did note that he would have ordered something a little less samey had he known. I loved the transformative brightness of salsa verde with the chicken. Since I'm horribly predictable, I again ordered the WILD STRIPED BASS ($32; potato + celery root salad, tarragon vinaigrette, pea shoots, lupine). The fish was presented with enough variation to keep things interesting, however. The basic preparation of the striped bass was the same (a thick pavé cut, lightly salted, pan fried), but with a lovely green tarragon vinaigrette instead of dill vinaigrette that absorbed winningly into the diced potato and celery root. The potato and celery root appeared virtually indistinguishable, so it was sort of fun to guess which root vegetable I was spearing with my fork, and the slightly sweeter, firmer flavor of the latter was especially enjoyable alongside the fish. Tender pea shoots replaced the sorrel used in the prior iteration. Two of my convives chose to order pizza, each 12" and just the right size for a hungry adult. Both the SONGBIRD ($20; red sauce, mozz, soppressata, pecorino, crushed red pepper, honey) and the ASPIRATIONAL CLUTTER ($23; red sauce, mozz, pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions, sweet peppers, olives) came on sturdy sourdough crust, generously topped, with cheese and sauce in good balance. The LEXINGTON ($16; Redemption Rye, Amaro Nonino, nutmeg, lemon, club soda, mint) -- likely a reference to the city of that name in KY, not MA -- was served in a mint julep cup and drank a lot like a mojito: light and refreshing. The Pardner had the SAN FRANCISCO ($16; chile infused rum, coconut cream, smoky pineapple, coconut + cinnamon), which was pleasantly smoky, not overly sweet, and charmingly served in a tiki mug. Chef Sorenson does a wonderful job of fine tuning the menu based on what they are able to source locally and serving ingredients at their peak season. Even frequent diners won't be bored by the constantly evolving food. More here: https://eatersdigestnyc8.wordpress.com/2026/07/27/sparrow-bar-and-restaurant-new-milford-connecticut/

Best Mexican in the area HANDS DOWN! We love going to Vegas. Everything is fresh and delicious!read more

Good service. All three of us enjoyed our dinners including street tacos, Alambre, and steak and…read moreshrimp fajitas. The refried beans are addictive. Portions were great. The place is relatively small with a cozy, festive atmosphere. Also liked the Sangria.

I've never had a bad meal here. I've ordered things I don't like and wound up liking them. The…read morewaitstaff is excellent on a bad day and even better on a good day. The kitchen is quicker than you'd expect. Sometimes, we can't even finish the free homemade chips and salsa before two entrees are served. This is the part of the review where I'd try and complain, but my only gripe is that you need to ask for hot sauce. Fortunately, it's free, homemade, and thankfully, it's fairly spicy!

It's hard for me to rate this because I was a regular customer of their other location in Garrison,…read moreNY. I loved that place! I've only been here twice (once take-out, once dine-in). The salsa didn't do anything for me and the beer was somewhat warm, so right off the bat they were behind the 8-ball. I had 3-tacos which had a lot of stuff in them (super messy, which was fine), but not the best. The rice was tasteless and only warm, but the beans were excellent -- 'very' hot and tasty. I have to go back again but knowing how good the other location is and how this is the same restaurant, I'm down to check it out again. Fair and reasonable pricing.

while tasty, there isn't enough steak in the burrito- mostly all beans and rice. cheapened out on…read moremain protein. disappointing. what am I paying for? There's also a bitter after taste.

This genuinely was the best chipotle I've ever been to. The food was so fresh, the space so clean,…read morethe employees friendly. Left with a full belly and full heart

Okay, going 1-more star to 5! Upped their game even more! This place makes the best sandwiches, the…read morelargest panino and ample sized take-out portions! Best of all, very fairly priced! They're making money on volume here as I never go in when there's not people coming or going. Amazing selection to choose from if you're ordering from their hot bar - so much! My 'only' recommendation/comment here would be to have more 'fresh' coffee on-hand. Maybe something a little stronger like Cafe Bustelo, and providing stirrers or spoons wouldn't hurt either. Thank you to the sisters! You two are GREAT!

Narrow interior but goes far back, small space but they made the most of the space. This is…read moreprobably exactly what you expect from the outside. There's a counter you stand at with a hot bar and a cold bar and you order there - then pay at the register where there is an assortment of desserts. Very friendly English speaking service. Meat that's well seasoned and falls off the bone. Flavorful rice and beans. My husband finished his - I'm gonna get two meals out of mine. They have a a couple coolers full of drinks. I want to go back for a chocolate cake slice.

Food is excellent ! Came promptly with no problems with the…read morechoices. A place to definitely keep on your menu :)

Nice roomy bar area, good service, and good food. We ordered a Reuben, a BLT, a burger, and a…read morelobster roll. The burger was cooked as requested, and everything was very tasty. Portions were generous. We will come back.

A little slip from previous experiences??? FOOD: Say hello to the $25 burger!!! Overall, 3 separate…read moremeals were pretty good, but their Beers on tap all tasted (off) or flat? ownership needs to check the cleanliness of lines, and cooling system? SERVICE: Our server (L) could have been a little more attentive, too much time spent talking to full tables of guys. AMBIANCE: Always nice, with a more formal (cloth napkin type) section, good bar section with enough raised tables for two or three, and outdoor seating is always an option, but could be a little dusty being right next to the unpaved parking lot.

This is one of my most favorite places to eat locally. Each meal I have eaten here over the years…read morehas been outstanding. The owner, Henry, really cares about his customers and regularly checks in to see how the meal was. The waitstaff is very attentive and surveys diners regularly. Many times we eat upstairs and there is artwork displayed on the walls and contemporary music playing on the background. Always a pleasant experience! I highly recommend dinner at The Old Oak.

Food is always great Amazing service ask for Elly . Ribeye really great. Thank you Brad jread more

Great food service is good and the overall feel is good like the vibe. They have a variety of…read morereally burgers and the steaks are really tasty.