So we went for a friends birthday gathering - about 10 of us. The staff was friendly and wore masks, menus were available online. It was COLD in the restaurant. We were seated towards the back, and I think there may have been a bridal shower or something so there were girls coming in and out all evening to use the restroom and it was constant cold gusts of air all evening. It took about an hour to receive our entrees- so by the time it came, it was on the cooler side. I got baked Mac n cheese with spare ribs and a side of garlic Parmesan fries. It was relatively inexpensive and the portions are great, but the taste was... not what I expected based on the hype of what I've heard. The Mac n cheese was super oily and both it and the spare rib was bland. The garlic Parmesan fries were a waste of money honestly - just fries with garlic powder and little to no Parmesan. Honestly, I probably won't return. It's great for cheap bar food, but I don't drink beer, so I'd rather spend a little more for a better experience. read more

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I've had many items on the menu and have never been disappointed. Wonderfully eclectic decor! read more

Eli Cannon's - The back Patio! - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

So my friend and i decided to try out this place for the first time today. when we walked in we were greeted by our waiter who sat us down in a booth. we ordered our drinks (i got a peach mule which was alright i guess - super strong though) and we chilled for a bit. the waiter comes back and asks us what we wanted to eat, we said we weren't sure if we wanted food quite yet. the waiter snaps at us and tells us we will probably have to move then because it's getting busy - which all in all is fine but he could've talked to us with a little more respect considering we are taking the time out of our day to spend our hard earned money at their establishment. But we politely said "okay" and he goes to grab our menus. my friend asks him if we can keep one just in case and out of anger he throws the menu at us. right then & there we should have gotten up and left but we've been drinking so we had to hang for a little while longer. so because he made such a stink over us sitting there we moved to the bar. he then comes storming over to us and demands we pay for our drinks right then and there and refuses to let us pay for them separately. he did end up splitting the bill in half but that's still not what we wanted. when we both selected no tip because of the way he treated us, instead of handing us our cards he threw them on the bar and stormed away. I've worked in customer service for 7 years now and i've never treated a customer like this - even when i wanted to ! i bet you he wouldn't have acted this way if a man was present. truly disgusting behavior. the literal definition of a man baby. the pumpkin cider was sexy asl though so there's that. don't come here unless you're into being abused by restaurant staff. read more

Covid 19: You can call ahead and order growlers to go! We were able to get Fox Farm without the drive to Salem, and lucky enough to snag some Alvarium King Cluster. Woot! Thanks again Rocko. read more

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The food is very good and the atmosphere is really fun. I would recommend this place to anyone Looking for a fun place to grab something to eat read more

Small bar area but it really opens up when you walk out to the rear outside area. Fun place, good service.

Love the outdoor seating area, great beach-themed atmosphere. I enjoyed the sours and a few beers on their tap list. My friends and I got a lot of appetizers to share and overall it was a great place to catch up and have a few drinks with friends. read more

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Eli Cannon's isn't what it used to be. It used to be a relaxed place where you could go and get delicious nachos, fried pickles, burgers, and quesadillas. It was also fun to just go for drinks. Since Eli's has been under new ownership, the portion sizes have shrunken and the menu has changed many times. However, the reason I'm writing this review isn't because of the food or drinks. It's because they have the most uptight policies for where customers can sit. They insist that small parties squeeze themselves into small tables, even through the place is half empty. My husband and I wanted to eat outside yesterday evening. Our only option was to sit in the direct sun - in the sand where children play. Ummm, no thanks. When we asked to move to a table in the shade, they said the table was too big for us. There were plenty of open tables outside. So we went inside, and found that we weren't allowed to sit at a booth either (apparently they are also too large). Are you kidding me? Eli Cannon's is a dive bar! Space is not really at a premium. There aren't any lines out the door. People are not begging to get in there, and Eli's acts like at any moment, droves of large parties will be coming in and requiring tables. We decided to leave, and I have no desire to go back. read more

This place is trendy and has a city like atmosphere! There is a bar and seating arrangements inside but the best is the outside seating area. The wings are amazing. The sauce is the boss here. Salads already come with dressing on it so if that's something that bothers you ask for it on the side. The sweet potato fries are yummmmy especially if you ask for Cajun seasoning on it. The drinks are the perfect strength lol! Prices are definitely fair and quality is great. If you are going with a crew of people my suggestion is to bring cash because they only do 1 check per table which is a little con to me but it's doable. I am counting the days to have the wings again! read more

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I've been dying to try this place because it's not that far away and it seemed to have something for everyone. We went for a Father's Day lunch since he's a craft beer guy. We arrived at 1:00 and were sat inside pretty quickly. We were greeted by a waiter with waters and immediately took our drink order. We looked over the menus-food specials, cocktail specials, regular menu, and drink (alcohol only) menu. While we waited for the waiter to come back, we took in all the eclectic decor. Pretty fun and funky. I asked about their grilled cheese and tomato soup dish-the waiter said "we don't have that anymore-not today and never again." We did place our food order at 1:10 and enjoyed the time for conversation and people watching. The place wasn't packed but seemed to only have one waiter scheduled. There was a hostess, a bus boy and that's about it. So now it's 2:00 and our drinks are empty (as are our tummies). I want to know where the appetizer is?! So I flag down the bus boy to have him find out where our food is?! He does not find out nor return. I flag down our waiter and ask (at 2:10) when we might get our food... he replies "you and everyone on the patio asking the same question. I'll go yell at them in the kitchen AGAIN". Whatever man. So our food FINALLY comes out, then a few minutes later the appetizer. My dish was a shaved beef wrap with tomatoes cilantro and cheddar cheese. Can I say how dry and bland it was. I finally found a few tiny tomato chunks and red onion in the base of the wrap-only after I dumped out the dry shaved beef. This was so disappointing. Maybe I wouldn't be so disgusted if they guy came back to acknowledge us once or twice. We did not have time for dessert and asked for the check. WOW! So expensive. At least now I know but a disaster for the Father's Day experience. read more

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I do NOT recommend eating here. They give you a carafe of WARM water and don't pour it either. Service is less than adequate. You have to wave down the waiter to order food. Food was not edible. Menu is short. They don't offer much. Spend your hard earned $$$ somewhere where it's more deserving. The place wasn't even that busy. The best I can say is the ambiance left you something to read. The place and surroundings were the best part. Sad really. I actually think I got norovirus when I ate there. If I could give less than 1 star I would! read more

Ok. Food great, beer selection outstanding. Outdoor atmosphere fantastic. BUT, why can't you hire servers who know how to split a check, and be accurate with charging the customers? I'm not sure your "internal" study could answer if this is a "benefit" to the customer. If this is such a benefit why are you the ONLY restaurant to have this policy? It's stupid. I feel sad for the people who thought this was a good idea! read more

Eli Cannon's - The stupidest policy ever. - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Great service, amazing atmosphere, the outdoors resembles a beach, which was so nice, food was great, drinks even better!

This place is always fun. I love the back yard, out door seating area. One of the best veggie burgers I had in a while. I added cheese. read more

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Had a great time at Eli Cannon's and really enjoyed their food. There wasn't a huge selection of food, but the choices we picked were so good. Would definitely come back again soon read more

Eli Cannon's - Blue Hawaii - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Normally I don't post negative reviews, but this is an exception. Tyler, our waiter was incredibly rude. We asked to have a separate check and he replied - absolutely not. We never do that, ever. I started to laugh because I thought he was joking, he was so dry and serious. Welp, no he wasn't joking. My daughter wanted a Dr. Pepper, his response .... We have coke products. Ummmm ok ... Any root beer, my 10 year daughter asked .... Coke products. Ok, what sodas do you have? Coke, diet coke, sprite & ginger ale. Ordered a side salad .... No cukes, tomato .... Nothing. Just greens - Oh and dressing (see picture for reference). Salmon sandwich with side salad (aka lettuce with gooey dressing) - ok, under seasoned. Served luke warm. Short Rib Bao Buns - Underwhelming, served barely warm. Short ribs are dry, pickled veggies taste sour and unidentifiable. Overall, skip Eli's - save your time, money and taste buds. Unless you're a drunken Wesleyan College student .... John Taffer, Bar Rescue - next episode? read more

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I saw a lot of reviews that said this place was loud. Wanna know the only thing I found loud? The wailing infants that have no place being in a bar. There are Chuck E. Cheese's and a million other places for people like you that insist on carting your offspring everywhere. Bars, breweries, and even restaurants like this with an amazing craft beer list, are for adults only. Let those of us who hate children have this simple pleasure. Just had to get that out into the wide open. Regarding Eli's, the place is awesome. Great decor, great food, MARVELOUS beer list. And they have flights, so you can try all the deliciousness. ;) read more

Went back, still feel the same, but tried the pulled pork nachos... out of this world 110% Nacho redemption. They were good before, but with the pork instead of the chicken... wow. We also tried sweet potato fries which were heavenly: hot crispy but soft inside. A nice addition to the night Okay so we went back, because we have had such great experiences, bbt this time was a little disappointing. Our waiter was not the kindest... honestly it get like it was an inconvenience for him to serve us? And he didn't even do it all... we had different staff members run food, ask for drinks and bring us drinks. And if you've been to Eli's you probably know their nachos are basically a cookie sheet FULL of chips. This time ours were a little burnt, skimped toppings and to finish it off, we got charge for extra salsa? When they give you a minuscule amount compared to the number of chips you get. Fine I if you want to charge, but that should either be on the menu and told to the customer. Overall, I am sure we will return because we love to food and the atmosphere, just maybe not on a Friday night when it seems the priority isn't on tables, but making sure the bar is happy. read more

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I've always driven by wanting to stop and glad I did. They had a decent selection of beer and have a full bar. The selection of food was excellent too. I ordered some wings and a beer to start it off and the wings arrived right before I finished my first beer. Wings were crispy and flavorful. Beer was ice cold. I forgot to take a picture of the shirt rib sliders but they were excellent. I would definitely stop in again when I go back to Middletown. Good service too! read more

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By now you already know that they're a brewpub with both indoor and outdoor seating, an extensive beer list, and a predictable brewpub food menu. So in order to better serve you, let me tell you what you might not already know. They'd be better off with no dessert menu rather than the one they have. The "fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich with vanilla ice cream" is a fried Smuckers Uncrustable with a less than kid-size scoop of vanilla ice cream. A total joke! The other item (yes, there are exactly two items on this dessert menu) involves duck fat, which is a) completely gross, and b) behind on food trends by at least 10 years. Their food generally went downhill when the menu changed under new management a couple of years ago. But one thing that they mercifully retained is the pickles and peppers appetizer, which I recommend very highly, provided you are accepting of the gastrointestinal consequences the day after. The decor is somewhat fun and interesting -- though the new management seems to have done away with some of it too. The TV showing '80's movies is no longer around, nor is the popcorn machine with free popcorn (though perhaps this was a casualty of the pandemic). What I can say with no mixed sentiments is that the staff here are consistently friendly, or at the least, neutral. I've not experienced rudeness from any employee in the several years I've gone here. Overall, this is a solid place to keep in your brewpub rotation if you are based in or around Middletown. read more

Great outdoor space. Really good beer menu. I got the smoked chicken wrap which was delicious!

Food was warm to cold. Atmosphere was decent. They didn't let my dog in the outdoor patio. Steak tacos had a lot of fat in it. Portions were small. read more

Don't hesitate entering this old, funky, funny and warm pub! The eclectic tunes match the varied CT and nationwide brews, which in turn complements the hearty meals. If you haven't stopped in since you were dating, you'll probably find your initials still in the table or wall. The friendly bar and the creative kitchen will make you punch in your next visit date into your phone before you leave! read more

The men that work here are all hot af, the beers are cold, the food is bangin, and the price is right. 10/10 would recommend read more

Eli Cannon's - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Cool place with a big selection of beers. A lot of cool seating outside if it's warm out.

My wife and 3 friends went Saturday at 4:00pm. Only a few other tables had customers. They ordered 4 apps, after their waiter rudely telling them that there were too many beers to give recommendations. 3 of the apps had to be sent back. They were told that the wings are no longer fried, they are baked. Well, they sucked. Rubbery and inedible. Sent back. New order, same. Yuck! Pulled pork nachos, sent back because pulled pork was still freezing cold. Came back, all chips were burned. So, they just put it under hear lamps. Not charged for 3 of the 4 and will NOT be going back. A staple of Main St. Middletown is now a horrible dining experience. read more

This place is a craft beer drinkers dream. Check out the blackboards which list whats on tap and the date when it was tapped. The food is great but watch out for anything labeled as spicy because, good lord! They aren't kidding. They serve their entrees on small metal trays which are functional and simple. I've been to Eli's probably more than twenty times and I've never gotten any food that I didn't like. Even though it's a craft beer place they have decent house white wine. ( I forgot the brand name) They have a stein club for long time patrons. If you put your name on the list plan on waiting 15 years to get one. The list is on paper and it's checked easily. The back out door eating area is unique for a Connecticut dinning because it's set up as a beach complete with sand and patio furniture. It reminds me a place straight from California. I also love to see what classic movies they have playing on TVs stashed in amongst the wall accoutrement. Die Hard, Sixteen Candles, Jaws etc.. read more

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Been here a few times & every visit us a new experience, good experience, if not excellent. The bar & wait staff a great, full of energy, spirit & vitality. Tonight, a brief stop for a couple of Tulips, Wings with dry Caribbean Rub & Pretzels with 3 dips. Great Pub Grub, but it doesn't just stop there. Fantastic tap list and many more delicacies on the menu. Atmosphere - not from this planet and way cooler! Great, great locale anytime of the year. read more

Eli Cannon's - Serious tap list - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

I really enjoyed myself here and thus, give it high marks in all the main categories of food, atmosphere, service, etc. A few words of advice to prospective visitors: 1. It had a beach / tiki theme with country music out back - which I thoroughly enjoy. But if it's not your style, just be advised. 2. It's focus is beer and you're hard-pressed to find better beer selections anywhere. I love beer! But if beer and alcohol isn't what you're looking for, this probably isn't the place for you. 3. It's a wings and burgers and wraps kind of menu and vibe. Everything I had I enjoyed. But if you're looking for fine dining or an expansive menu, the options here probably won't suit you. Anyway, when I'm feeling the vibe for all of the above, this is a top spot. read more

I've been coming to Eli Cannons since the 90s and it's only gotten better with time. This original craft beer bar has kept up with the times and the craft beer trends to ensure some of the best beers available in CT are poured there. The food has always been great bar food, new owners seem to have skimmed down the menu a little but the food is still as delicious as ever and they kept all of the best options. With Covid they are outside seating only and their back patio area is awesome, a perfect escape from from everything going on around us. They have a great system in place and they make sure things are safe and clean. Everyone had masks on except when seated at the table and we felt safe the entire time we were there. If you like beer, wings, nachos and an eclectic spot to enjoy them in the Eli Cannons is for you. read more

Small loud divey bar. Low food expectations. I met a friend for a beer. We grabbed a table and started reviewing the beer menu. Still SO MANY IPAs. Come on people, let's move on. There is more to beer than hops. The waitress recommended a couple non-IPA beers. I went with a witbier. We ordered nachos and loaded potato chips. The potato chips were delicious. Blue cheese and honey sciracha sauce. Chips tasted fresh. Serving was a normal human appetizer size. And then there were the nachos. Loaded with cheese and chili and jalapeños. So good. Big enough to feed 5, the two of us ate the entire thing. Served with tiny cups of sour cream and salsa, we needed to double down on the sour cream and salsa. Our server was friendly and attentive bringing us beer samples and more salsa. Prices were right. Beers were inexpensive for a pint of local draft beer, most around $6. Eli Cannons is a great place to meet some friends, have some tasty apps and drink some beers. My son and his friends are there pretty regularly. I'd like to go back and try some of their other food. If it is as good as the apps were, Eli Cannons will become a go to place for beers and bar food. read more

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Really depends on why you are going...... ive had soso food, and ive had amazing food. What brings me back is the beer. If you are a beer lover, they have all sorts of great things on tap and amazing selection to sift through! (at a variety of price/sizes, so that you can try a few) Recently went, my friend had the chicken wrap- good, not great and a side salad. I had the blackened salmon sandwich.....I was super surprised the blackened salmon was delightful! Tossed out most of the bread, didn't need it , but the bun it came with was also nice. I generally like coming to this place to eat, or just grab a few beer's at the bar. There are some days its a bit noisy or later at night... will start to get crowded. Unless you are sitting at a table, its sometimes hard to go with a big group, standing and chatting near the bar. It would be a 5 , but not being by able to hear gets old fast ! Small parking lot behind the establishment, ive lucked out a few times, otherwise generally street parking isn't so bad either. Anyway, go, you'll feel the vibe...and if you like beer, I'm sure you'll go back. read more

Been coming here for 23 years. Was my favorite place! Was apart of the mug club for 10. I moved out of the area and haven't been in 5 years. Went yesterday and it's totally different. The food isn't what I remembered, cajun spice, hot sauce, menus that a local artist made W duck tape. Unique Things that hung off the ceiling that made you feel like you were in a collection of someone's garage, Palm readings. Now the food is bland like Apple B's or TGI Fridays. I ordered Russian roulette pepper bombs and I don't think it had any Hot sauce in any of them. The mild wings were hotter. Had a cajun wrap and the wrap was Like eating a wet sock and had little chicken stuff inside. This place sucks now! What happened?!?!? New owners? New chef?! read more

Had beer and appetizer at the patio. Was not cold at all in mid October, 2013. Loved sitting inside , though patio was fun. Server was funny and friendly. Great beers, decos, people, everything you can't find in LA. Definitely to check out Eli, if you are in Middletown, CT by any chance. read more

Eli Cannon's - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Bruh they prices be out the wazoo here! The best part is the suggested 40% tip on the receipt lol. Why not just make it 100%? Owners here are really trying to take advantage of their patrons. The bar itself is kind of cool and the outdoors in the back is not bad to post up but the stupid suggested tip amounts are just disgraceful particularly to the poor people of this downtown community, this is not Greenwich. read more

Going to make this one short and sweet. I usually love going here, but like many restaurants, I feel everyone is using Covid as an excuse to provide either bad service or bad food. Went here last night about dinner time for some wings. We all know Eli is known for their wings, so I was excited to get some take out. Put my order in and was notified it would be about a 45min wait so to arrive at a particular time. I arrived about 5min late of that. Food: 3 orders of different flavor wings. Terrible. They were lacking sauce, over fried even before that and were for sure sitting around. They were cold even before I was able to eat them which was not more than 10min. I guess I could have checked them when I received them, but they were just wings, it's difficult to mess up your bread and butter, right? wrong... I understand it's difficult to time some food items for temp esp with take out, but you can tell when wings have been sitting and almost become hard to bite through as they are not just overcooked, but dry and stale. Service: Good as usual. The server/bartender that picked up my call was nice and accommodating for bringing out my food to me. Just wish take out/Covid wouldn't make it so every restaurant/food destination excuses themselves with it. Let's hold establishments to higher standards even through these trying times as we are spending hard earned time and money to keep their doors open also. read more

It's gone way downhill since the change in ownership. If you aren't a regular or "cool" in the beer scene the vibe at the bar isn't welcoming. It's a shame, because that's how you get new regulars. For my money, I'd prefer to go to the Celtic Cavern up the street. The comparison in customer service is night and day. read more

It's a Middletown institution. If you want a fine selection of craft beers this is the place for you. It's a beer forward place where those who are privileged enough have their own mug to drink from. They redid the interior dining area and it is much improved. The food is just okay in my opinion. It's pub fare and it will fill your stomach while you are trying a variety of beers. The wait staff is a generally cheery group. During the warmer months they have a back area which also was recently redone and is a lot of fun. Parking can be a bit tricky here but if you don't mind walking it's not a major issue. They keep their rotating beer list up to date which I really like. If you want a good beer and decent pub food this is the place. read more

Not sure what happened. New bar tender short pours the beers and wine. I'm not paying $8 for 3/4 of a glass of beer. Shame, this place used to be awesome.. read more

last year i got really good mac and cheese here, it was the best thing i had ever had. so when i drove 5 hours back from school i was hoping to get some really good quality mac and cheese. when they brought it out to me it didn't have any bacon like it was supposed to. when i bit into my mac and cheese some of it was cold, like it had been sitting out of about 30 minutes. it was almost like there was no cheese in this because it just tasted like straight up buttered noodles with no seasoning. i think that this would be good for a younger kid that's a picky eater but i was really looking for some food mac and cheese. read more

Eli Cannon's - bad mac and cheese - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut