Went to The Forbidden Llama on May 2nd to celebrate an early Mother's Day brunch with my family. Our server, Jen, was very attentive and friendly, which made the experience more enjoyable. All of our food came out around the same time, which I appreciated. The ceviche was my personal favorite--super fresh and flavorful. The Peruvian street wok was also very well seasoned. The ambiance and scenery of the place are really nice and add to the overall vibe. There were a few downsides. Parking was a bit of a hassle, and for a Saturday, the place was surprisingly empty. Unfortunately, there were some men at the bar being rude to women, and at one point even flicked us off, which was uncomfortable. Jen handled the situation as best as she could and was very apologetic and reassuring. As for drinks, the towers tend to have a lot of ice, so by the time you get to the bottom, they're pretty watered down. The bottomless mimosas were definitely worth the price, but the service could be improved--I wish there was more consistent check-ins rather than having to flag someone down. Overall, I would go back because the food was really good, but I do think having security during brunch and improving drink service would make the experience much better. read more

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I finally got the chance to check out forbidden llama after hearing so much about it ! This Peruvian restaurant located on mains st in Middletown is the perfect spot for a nice lunch or dinner and get in the Christmas spirit ! The restaurant was decorated with fun Christmas decor , grinchmas theme backdrop and drinks , very festive ! We went on a Wednesday . Which is a good time if your looking for low , quiet lunch/dinner . They usually have a DJ on Friday and Saturdays so the music can get loud and more a party vibe . The waitress was absolutely fabulous and got us situated immediately and got our drink orders . She checked in regularly and made sure we e had wverytbi g we needed . we came at the perfect time to take a bunch of photos with all the decor . The food was delicious and cooked perfectly ! To start I ordered the frosty Ferrero . Which was as fabulous if you like a dessert for a drink this is the one and comes with a ferroro on top . For my entree I got the Tallarin A La Peruaníta which was delicious the sauce was tasty and noodles cooked perfectly and I also added the chicken ! Def recommend. My friend got the El Favorito De Todos which she enjoyed ! I ordered the Nutella coquito which was AMAZING ! Very sweet ! I loved it ! Overall great atmosphere , festive , good service and great food ! Highly recommend! Can't wait to be back read more

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Fair warning I am not sure if the are undergoing some type of remodeling but the restaurant looks completely beat up and poorly made compared to the images that have been previously posted by the owners as well has other patrons. There is no longer wood flooring. There are white couches stained brown due to the amount of people who have sat in them and the walls are currently a hot pink with poorly hung LED lights. The restaurant has much more of a night club/party vibe. The music is insanely loud that you could hear it before even arriving to the restaurant in addition to this you and the wait staff have to yell in each other's ear and repeat yourself several times in order to understand what is being said. The food was decent but the portion were small and did not fill for the prices. El parrillero specifically was $22 for rice, cream cheese, and sweet plantains with a sliver of filet mignon that basically dissolved in your mouth due to how thin and over cooked it was. read more

Forbidden Llama - Mango margaritas - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Me and my family stopped at this Peruvian restaurant in Downtown Middletown for lunch and the experience was good overall. We ordered the Lomo saltado and arroz chaufa. The food was solid but nothing that really wowed me. The service was friendly compared to other reviews I did not have any issues with that. The decoration was clean and simple. Prices were a little higher compared to other Peruvian spots in the area. Also they have Mexican food too. read more

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Came here during the week for a birthday dinner with my sister. Food was good ordered the steak skewers. Drinks were on point. Ordered the margarita flight and wasn't disappointed. Only thing I would suggest is for background music to be turned down alittle bit. Couldn't even have a conversation with out trying to yell over the music. read more

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This was a very disappointing experience. We made a reservation with a large group, spent a significant amount on food and drinks, and wanted to stay a little longer to enjoy the atmosphere and music. Instead, they removed us from our table and didn't even offer an option to move to another area. The manager, who seemed very young and inexperienced, showed no concern for guests. Rather than trying to accommodate us, she basically forced us to spend more money if we wanted to stay. It felt like we were being pushed out unless we paid again. Where are the owners? A good manager would recognize the value of a group that came to dine, enjoy, and continue spending. Instead, we were told to either pay more or leave because "there was no space." Very poor management and customer service. I would not recommend this place read more

If your looking for a dark nigtclub with cool cocktails this is the place for you! They have stylish drinks and a cool setup for a club. It has cute areas to take photos and swing chairs by the side door. Parking is on the street, you have to pay a meter or there is also an option to park in the public parking for a fee. If you are there to eat before the club opens up you might be a little disappointed. First thing to take note of is that there is an 18% automatic gratuity even when only paying for one person. Know this in advance because there is an option to pay with your phone and I accidentally tipped 18% on top of an already added 18% gratuity. The service was not very quick, I waited for water and the food came cold. This was around 5pm so the place didn't have but three tables of people. I was highly disappointed. I might give it another try but just for the drinks, I like the ambiance but not the food. Now that I know about the automatic gratuity I won't make that mistake again. read more

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My bestie and I decided to stop in last Saturday around 5ish. It wasn't crowded, but it was early. we were lucky to also get decent parking, but even on a Saturday we had to pay. It's definitely a club vibe there, VIP section next to the DJ, dim lights and quite big inside. I enjoyed the mix of music, R&B and Reggaeton - but it was hard to have a conversation over the loud music. We ordered the chicken empanadas, my bestie took a bite and said what is that sauce inside. We didn't finish them but we also ordered the calamari and it was fried to perfection! The drinks were on point though. I would suggest this as a spot to have drinks not dinner. read more

Forbidden Llama - Empanadas and Chicharron de Calamar - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

If I could leave zero stars I would !! We reserved a table WITH bottle service for our friends birthday. We get to the door and learn that there's a $10 cover. I tell the guys at the door that we have a table reserved with bottle service and were about to spend about $75 a person and we were told that we still needed to pay the cover. I asked to speak to a manager and waited about ten minutes before learning that my friend had already paid the $100 deposit (via Apple Pay mind you) for two tables and that she rather forego the money then fight over the cover. Also it was pretty dead at 11 pm so we left and went to a place next door. read more

Took my father in law out for a birthday dinner. Food was okay. Honestly just turned off because in the middle of dinner the music just came on blasting out of nowhere announcing someone's birthday. Just a lot going on inside the restaurant & hard to identify what the vibe really was supposed to be. Felt like it's just a spot to check in for the 'Gram ‍ read more

Forbidden Llama - Great ambiance - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Waited 45 min for wings and fries. GRANTED the wings came out so good. Only 6 and a side of fries for $18 but the wings aren't small. Also, since we waited so long the bartender did give us a free round. Will Definitely order the Thai chili wings again. read more

This place may be good for drinking/a nightclub but it was not good for dinner. Came here because we love Peruvian food and have been to the Flaming Llama in Hartford (and our favorite Cora Cora in west Hartford) and were hoping it was similar. Walked in around 6 on a Friday evening- only about 3 tables were in use (the swings in the window). The place is very dark- everything is black inside, waiters are all wearing black, etc. and it was HOT, hotter than the 85 degrees it was outside. I felt I unwelcomed- like I walked into an empty nightclub to early. Sat down and our waiter informs us that the menus are online using the code and that there is no kids menu and nothing they can do for kids. The menu is VERY limited- it allows no substitutions in terms of meat (I.e your chaufa can only come with chicken, your lomo can only come with beef .. even though they have obviously other meat options on the menu- I have a theory about this see below). This was very disappointing- my husband always gets the shrimp chaufa at Peruvian restaurants and was told nope no substitutions. They didn't have appetizers we usually get (no choros a la chalaca, no calamari, no shrimp ceviche) so we got none. We reluctantly order ours drinks and food (same time because our waiter never came back for a drink order within a reasonable time- see picture of them all gabbing). Got my "Pinot Grigio " in a plastic wine glass- tasted it and clearly moscato. Like the 2 are not even close. Sent it back to get a HOT pinto grigio. At this point I'm annoyed and hot so I didn't even bother asking for ice. Food comes rather quickly and while presentation is nice we ultimately are disappointed. The chaufa has a very strong burnt taste to it- now we know why no substitutions because it's probably pre-made in large batches and reheated! Not sure how else the entire dish would've had that burnt taste to it. My lomo was tender and ok but also had a hint of burnt to it. The side of rice that came with it was clearly old- it was dry, hard and clumpy. The chicken tenders and fries were good but didn't need a $16 plate for my 2 year old who ate 2 of them. Again the place was dark- had to take my 2 year old to the potty and I was looking for a light switch realizing it was already on. Also not really a nice bathroom. Get the bill- they add automatic 18% gratuity- what?! I mean I always tip at least that (usually more but not in this case) but I'm sure many people don't notice the "service charge" as they put it and tip on top of it. Well maybe not because the prices are steep and for the taste/size not worth it at all. $100 it cost us for 3 meals and 3 drinks (one being an apple juice) and we left knowing we would never return. We will continue to go to Hartford for our Peruvian food. Clearly this is a nightclub- stay away if you are looking for a nice meal on the strip in Middletown- there are many other places to choose from That are bright/welcoming and with plentiful options. read more

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Food bland and service bad. A bunch of employees just stood around talking ignoring us. We were one of only two tables there.

This place fails to communicate with its customers. Reservation was cancelled last minute due to a party they don't advertise with the excuse of saying they had posted one time on an instagram story, no actual post on their instagram, no blocked off time on their website, nothing. read more

Went for Brunch at 2:30 on a Sunday. Fun music and vibe playing but the music was INSANELY too loud LOL Like ALL of the tables that had people at them were not even talking, had to point at your menu on phone to tell server what you wanted for food or drink LOL Wasn't busy at this time and drinks took very long and they wanted us to order drinks and food at same time (probably because they couldn't hear as well LOL), we waited until we received our drinks but very very difficult to talk to waitstaff, though he was nice. I asked how I can celebrate our birthday girl and he said at the end but when the end came, he just gave us the check, though other tables got a fun little happy birthday sign with lights so not sure what happened there. We were a party of 4 and the check came with an automatic 18% gratuity added, fyi. Now on to the food. Was really good! We had the Forbidden Burger, Forbidden Fried Rice with Filet, Toston Sliders, Chicken and waffles and Churrasco and we were all VERY happy with our food :) We still had fun, took some fun pics as place is decorated nice and really enjoyed our food. I'm just a little deaf today LOL read more

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PULL UP NOW!! So cute!! So fun!! Food is excellent!! Energy unmatched!! Mauricio is phenomenal!! DJ was on point!! Very energetic!! Lots of very cute picture spots!! Fancy Drinks Galore!! Do yourself a favor and PULL UP!!! read more

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Sketchy. Had a bad experience here- a lot of the drinks weren't available at night, weird people were let in and tried to fight one of my friends. Would not recommend. Safety issues ... read more

The food was ok, the drinks were more for taking pictures. The staff was not attentive and we had to call several different staff members over to help because our waiter was no where to be found. Also the waiter was not helpful with describing the food and drinks. That would have been helpful to us as we did not know how big or small the portions were and some at my table had to order more food because the portions were so small. read more

This is my first time trying Peruvian food. The staff is very welcoming and attentive. The place has trendy decor and a great ambiance. There was also music playing which elevated the atmosphere. We ordered the Taquito De Lomo, El Favorito De Irina with chicken, a side of fries, and strawberry margaritas. The dishes and drinks were tasty and flavorful. One thing I found odd was that when the waiter brought the bill over he just brought over the handheld device which just had the total. Once the transaction was completed I asked for a paper receipt to review. Upon review I noticed that they have auto gratuity regardless of party size-which is totally fine. Not knowing that they had already included gratuity in my bill, I included additional gratuity. In the future, they should provide an itemized physical copy of the receipts to be reviewed by patrons or simply make the guests aware that they have auto gratuity. read more

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Update: got severe food poisoning, been dying all day..super bummed Tried this place tonight with my girlfriends. I've seen TikTok's and online reviews, so I had to check it out. We ordered a bunch of drinks that were shareable, the aquarium drink was great! The tower drinks were wayyyy too sweet and we did find plastic in one of them. The staff was extremely nice and attentive. Samantha was our waitress and was so nice and personable, she is wonderful. It's definitely great for a younger crowd and people in their young twenties, great instagramable backdrops and decor. The food was okay, it wasn't great. They gave me blue cheese with calamari which I thought was super strange. The ceviche was not great either, just overall not somewhere I would probably eat food from again. The highlights are definitely the drinks and the atmosphere, not sure I would come back though. read more

Forbidden Llama - Aquarium drink - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Fun, eclectic and terrific food & drinks. A friend and I stopped in after finding this place on yelp. Would go back without a doubt! Sat at a "swing" table in the window. Drinks were not cheap, but were generous and delish. The fun of having our server "inject" an ingredient into her drink was cute. We had some terrific, fresh Peruvian food. Will definitely go back. The only reason for 4 vs 5 stars was the volume of the music at lunchtime. I'm sure it's perfect for partying the night away!! read more

Forbidden Llama - Fun beverages at a "swing" table! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Although the restaurant was not full of customers the food service was slow and not hot at all. The music volume was very loud and impossible to carry on a conversation! Our server was very pleasant. read more

I didn't even get to taste the food. Went on a Tuesday night as my sister was in town and we were on the hunt for a place to eat. I had been curious about the Forbidden Llama so we drove over. The place looked dark from the outside but the doors were unlocked so we walked in. *Weird awkward silence*. There was a setup for what seemed like a podcast or video, the three staff stood there looking at us and we stood there looking at them confused, wondering if they were even open. A good 30 seconds went by and no one offered a table or explanation or even a welcome. I've worked in the industry and never would I have just let customers stand there confused. We decided this vibe wasn't it and walked out. I was sad because I truly did want to taste the food but I don't think I'll ever be returning here read more

Place was very fun. I read a lot of the reviews before and I think the biggest thing is that you have to come in with the expectation of a fun atmosphere and bar type vibe. It's not an extensive menu- as someone mentioned- but it has some solid Peruvian dishes and they are delicious. The drinks are fun and delicious, all the staff are friendly. I had the lomo saltado and the steak was super tender and flavor was delicious. I would recommend for a fun night out - especially if you want good drinks and food music. read more

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Love love love this place the vibe is amazing !!! Food is the BEST Empanadas . Tequila Tower read more

Forbidden Llama - Photo area - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Playing loud music is just so unnecessary. Not family friendly, resembles a night club.

Very upset with the service I received here. Let me tell you the story. I was going out with my friends for a night out So we figured to go to the Forbidden Llama. When we got there the restaurant had stipulations on what you could wear. They informed us we were not able to wear hats and hoodies. When we were speaking to security we saw several people with hoodies on. Also, when we were speaking to security they told us it was a ban due to the "fight" they had occur in the restaurant due to hats and hoodies. One individual had one on and the other was upset, as a result they fought. I think after the security told my friends and I that it was an extremely distasteful. Also this restaurant is in MIDDLETOWN and it's 2023 why are we stipulating people on what they wear to a restaurant in MIDDLETOWN read more

Great atmosphere and staff for the birthday dinner reservation. They made it fun, there's walls to take pics on. It was really nice. Later it became a club with a dj so we partied even more! Great place! read more

Forbidden Llama - Havana Nights drink - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Wow what a disappointment. Drove 45 minutes to come to forbidden llama on my bday and the hype was just really a hype. To begin, my reservations were for 8pm and i got there a little bit earlier and we were immediately seated. The place was very esthetically beautiful I would say that is a positive ! We were sat right by the door with the swings which was ok but we didn't get to vibe to the music much. We did not receive water until 8:20(despite others receiving water who arrived after). We finally got to order at 8:25 and we put in all our orders including drinks , apps, & entrees. The Taquitos De Lomo were nasty. I think they poured salt into the wok because it was extremely salty ! The texture of the lomo was off. It tasted like those microwavable meats in gravy. It was bad.This is the taco looking meal in the pictures ). The "El Favorito De Irina" was not good at all. Way too much soy sauce in the rice and the salmon was extremely over cooked. I ate two spoons and could not eat it because of how bad it was. The ceviche was not it. Drinks were extremely sweet and did not taste as if it had any alcohol. Salchipapa was the only think I liked and the desserts were not terrible. I would not recommend at all for dinner. May possibly be different for after hours but I will not give this place a second chance. read more

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Owner too preoccupied with aesthetics, social media, and night life than actual service. Also, as a former restaurant/club waitress I know it's important to have beautiful waitresses that LOOK the part. But don't just have someone who looks the part but doesn't know how to be a waitress. The young platinum blonde girl, white nails, eyelash extensions, I didn't get her name. She obviously looks the part for this type of restaurant. But, that's where it ends. She needs training. Also, if you work at a restaurant that serves Latino food, you should kind of know what a ceviche is and also the word "picante" means. I asked for my ceviche to not be picante. Her face told me she didn't know what that meant. So I said "that means not Spicy". I told my friends "I bet she's going to still bring it spicy bc I don't think she understood". I was right. It was spicy. Mistakes happen I understand. Could've been an easy fix. Called her over told her what the problem was, I know she didn't understand anything I said. She got her manager to come and ask me what the problem was as if I didn't just tell her. When they finally got the ceviche right, it tasted good. She then proceeded to ignore me the rest of the night. When she came to check back only spoke to and looked at the other side of the table not me or my partner. It was not subtle. If a customer orders something, and you are unsure, JUST ASK for clarification. But she seemed clueless and annoyed. Instead of asking she walked away with my food and got the owner/manager to come talk for her - like she was a child. This is what happens when you hire ppl just for looks but have nothing going on upstairs Also, be aware- when they bring the food someone comes with a camera to record with the flash on. It was awkward and the whole table was uncomfortable. We weren't asked or told about this. read more

It's a shame but there isn't a thing I would recommend. The furniture is strange and uncomfortable. There are over a dozen disco lights. It just seems things were thrown together to create the space. They have the smallest menu I've ever seen- even McDonalds has more choices. Maybe a dozen total choices between appetizers, main, desert and salads. We had the empanada that the menu claimed would be a 'creamy chicken' in an empanada. It was dry and needed a dipping sauce through there was a strange purple fruity schmere on the plate. We also ordered a stir fry with salmon. The salmon was cooked nice but the whole dish, like the empanada lacked flavor. The server was nice, friendly. If you go they automatically add an 18% gratuity yet the first option on their electronic payment is for you to select how much tip you want to add. I bet many have fallen victim to this scheme. We had high hopes for this new restaurant. Regrettably we won't be back. read more

Me and my party of eight went there to celebrate my daughters birthday and they gave my table away we drove all the way from Bridgeport to Middletown was 4 minutes late and they gave it away. read more

Forbidden Llama - The chicken wasn't done and it was cold - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Ok I understand the hype. This is a trendy place that likely gets popping on the weekend. I came here mid week and there were many tables open. Our waiter was super sweet and regularly checked in. I had the beef skewers which were really tasty, I only wish I had asked for more chimichurri. Unfortunately, they don't allow for substitutions unless you get an additional side. I had one glass of red wine which was pretty standard house wine. My friend quite enjoyed the margarita. Would I return? Eh. But I can see the appeal. read more

Forbidden Llama - Chicken wings and fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Went out last night for my girl's birthday. She was calling all week to make reservations, but there was no answer. They told her you have to text once we got there. Who would think that to get reservations. But anyways they let us go sit at the bar. I ordered a 2 Shirley Temples, and it's just soda cost me $14 each. It's not something that's on a menu, but I would have never thought it would cost this much. And then charge me an extra $12. This is outrageous.1 it's just soda, no liquor. Waitress gave me $14 back, said sorry. But my issue is it's just soda like how and when did soda cost this much, and then it was in a small cup. We ended up leaving and went next door to eat, and my Shirley Temple there was $3 and in a tall glass. read more

Forbidden Llama - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Decided to come check out one of the hottest, newest spots in downtown Middletown. Tried looking them up before going but no website or phone number available so we just showed up. I did see advertisement on Facebook, and that's how I made the decision to go. Looked super trendy online and was totally impressed in person. Cool vibes and fun photo opportunities here for sure. We were greeted and told we needed reservations but the manager was super accommodating and seated us. We even got to sit on the beautifully decorated swings which was neat! We ordered the "vaccine" drink which was more fruity than alcohol tasting but was super fun. The manager brought over a blue syringe and poured it into our drink and it started smoking which was cool. We ordered fried calamari with yuka fries as an app which was decent. For the main meals we had the chicken skewers, the El favorito de Irna with pork and my absolute favorite was the Lomo saltado which was filet mignon tips tossed with red onion slices, and fresh cilantro and tomatoes served with rice and French fries. So flavorful and the meat was perfectly cooked and tender. The amount of fun we had dancing to the music at our table was epic! Great upbeat vibes and after dinner our night turned into a photoshoot! We took a million pictures of all the cool signs and backdrops. Next time I want to try their happy hour and also it turns into a club at 10pm so ill be back for that too! read more

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Amazing food and drinks! The music is a little too loud and can make it hard to have a conversation but it is a very fun atmosphere.

This location is located in Middletown, approximately 20 minutes from the Hartford area. Coming here was a great experience for me. I got the shrimp skewers (grilled shrimp) along with the shrimp sushi. In addition to these, I got the chance to try the fried calamari along with the yucca fries. The calamari will probably be one of the best I've tasted in a while. The food was mouthwatering to say the very least. The environment was pretty dope, holding very diverse crowd 21 and up. My group got the tequila tower, let's just say we had a good time! read more

Forbidden Llama - Shrimp skewers, shrimp sushi roll, and tequila tower. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Please read till end: Overall, overpriced for food/drinks & experience. So much potential! Food for brunch was a mix. Sancchoco (sp?) broth delicious- however, had a big piece of frozen corn on the cob in it to fill the small rice pot and I do not believe their were 7 meats? The chicken and waffles LOOKED AMAZING when brought to another table! Ordered them- THE CHICKEN WAS SUS...KFC?! All 11 herbs and spices! Also, only 1 Gluten Free option- Strawberry Salad. Drinks- Mixed very well- creative glassware but, OVERPRICED for brunch and the amount of ice. Atmosphere: ATD- attention to detail- lighting poor and the DJ was only in the booth for the last hour at the DJ brunch. Reservations are different- have to text and then call to get a text back for reservations to a private cell number. Venmo a $50 deposit (refunded and does not go towards your bill- has been refunded by Sunday Eve: 7:45pm. For the reservation request- they asked if it was anyone's birthday- I put 2 people. Nothing happened- honestly-I didn't pay for $200 birthday package (does come with 1 bottle, 1 bottle champagne and balloons- worth it- just didn't get that. We gave my 2 friends another party as well.) but, nothing from the staff- they went to another table and sang HB with signs and lights - no bottle or champagne. Maybe I had to state it again? Again, this is for brunch. In Middletown, they have the market on Main for this. Love Middletown and wish the ATD that was spent on the swings, Instagram walls & cutting boards was invested in the food, bar and entertainment. Maybe go for early morning cocktails here and an app- then hit it. read more

Forbidden Llama - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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We ordered wings, empanadas, and steak skewers. The food came out quickly which was a plus. The skewers were good, the empanadas and wings were ok. Cute place. There's a cute grass wall, and swing for photo opps. Customer service was well. read more

Forbidden Llama - Steak skewers - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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Food was god awful! Drinks were decent. Vibe and music was on point. Depends what you are going for. read more

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