We were looking for a place to eat after a morning of softball games. Artisanal Burger Company…read morecaught my eye. I was curious about what constitutes "artisanal". Ambience: they have a spacious contemporary dining room and a separate bar section complete with TV screens all over the place. Food: we ordered: Calamari - the portion size was average, but the squid pieces were small in size. 4/5 Pastrami Reuben - this was a bit too salty and oily. 2/5 Dry Age Burger - this was really good. The funkiness of the dry age flavor came through. The burger was moist and hit the spot. 5/5 Onion Rings - 4 jumbo fried rings of oniony goodness. 5/5 Service: super friendly and nice.

Stopped in for lunch and we're seated immediately. Combination of booths and tables for seating…read more Chairs are comfortable but they are low for a tall person (table comes about lower chest height). Server showed up quickly and took our drink orders. Menu is extensive and should provide plenty of options for everyone. (Pictures of menu included here) We ordered the 5 ounce burger with cheese and fries and the Texas hold em burger with bacon minus tomato and lettuce and fries and the French onion soup. There was a short wait till the soup came out. Nicely covered with melted cheese on top. The soup was good but didn't have the depth of beef flavor and spice texture that I was looking for. There plenty of onions, croutons, and cheese and overall it was okay. The burgers were well cooked and flavorful. They offered two sizes of their standard burgers, 5 or 8 ounces. The smaller size was just right for the person I was with. The cheese seemed to melt into the burger so it wasn't really visible. The hold em burger was large and had onion straws and three slices of very crispy bacon on top. There was a dollop of the bbq/house dressing and plenty of onions straws. The straws were nicely fried but not crispy by the time they reached the table but added a good dimension to the burger. It was good to leave the tomato and lettuce off as the height of the burger made it tough to bite into. The fries were disappointing. They had the right color for being fried and crispy but they were limp and soft. They are clearly are fresh cut from large potatoes but really need to be fried longer to get that crispy crunch you'd expect. Told the server that and was told to ask for the fries extra crispy. Overall not a bad first trip. We'll go back and try some other things on the menu and see what extra crispy fries are like.

Love it! great music, lots of space, looks like a great…read moreplace for bands Service was friendly and fun. food filled me up SO fast...I need a bigger tank.

Tried again, not bad but not great…read more It's been a while since I tried this place. Decided to come by during a random weekend lunch to give their food another try. Server was friendly and very casual. I asked for her recommendation and was told their grilled chicken sandwich was pretty good. Strange given they use to be really proud in their bbq, but trusted the server and got the west coast chicken sandwich and swapped the bun for a lettuce wrap. Also got the tumbleweeds with a side of spicy aoli to dip in. The food came out after a little bit of a wait, but not too long. Took pics and dug in. The tumbleweeds were cooked well but really lacked in any flavor beyond crispy breading. It really needed a dipping sauce to give it any real flavor. The spicy aoli had a little zip to it and helped though. The chicken was seasoned well but overcooked. The Swiss cheese didn't really add much so I scraped it off. Bacon wasn't crispy, was welded to the Swiss cheese so I just scraped it off with the cheese. The heirloom tomatoes and pickled red onions were very good. Lightly salted and sweet tomatoes and briny sweet onions really complimented the chicken and were welcome additions. Avocado was okay, fresh and presented well. The food wasn't bad, but it did have some stumbles. It's a great venue space, one of the few country bars in the state and is decked out well to be the primo spot for county. It's not a great restaurant, but it's serviceable food and a nice staff. If it can really sell the events and nail those, then the food can be simpler and still do well. For now though, it's okay.

Going to Shady Glen is a bit like stepping back in time. It's that 'old timey' ice cream parlor,…read morefrom the decor to the servers (outfits), to the food. Nostalgia. Memories. A stop on the way back to UCONN when I was a student there. The "go to" place after our kids' school events. Shortly after we moved to Manchester, over 38 years ago, the restaurant was closed for renovations. We were looking forward to seeing the revamped restaurant. Well, we were even more surprised when we stepped in the door - nothing had changed! Cleaner, perhaps new Naugahyde on the seats, but that mural on the wall was the same - those elves were timeless. When you sit down, you get a small paper cup of water. The menus are on the the wall - soups, sandwiches & ice cream. I'd always heard they had a patent on the way their cheeseburgers were made - a burger topped with crispy cheese. A must have. Prior to Covid, the condiments tray had ketchup, mustard & chopped onions. Now, there are packets of the condiments. No onions though. We shared an order of fries - crispy & good. I was too full to have ice cream after our meal, so we brought a half gallon (yes - a real half gallon) of our favorite flavor home - chocolate almond joy. Yum! Note - you need cash. No cards. There is an ATM in the restaurant.

Every once in a while, I don't connect with a place that many people love. Shady Glen was one of…read morethose spots. But I'm always open to the idea that maybe I didn't get it right, and I eventually return. I recently visited the original Shady Glen, and I'm now a fan. This was my first visit to the original location, and perhaps that makes a difference. My other two or so visits were to the now closed other Manchester location. The atmosphere is a 50's style ice cream restaurant that also serves food. There are some tables. Some counter seats. Workers in old timey outfits. Definitely an old school vibe that they pull off. Service was friendly. I visited with two goals. Try a hot dog. And eat an Original Bernice Winged Cheeseburger. Probably the most famous burger in CT. SG uses CT's Grote & Weigel hot dogs. They split and grill them. They served mine sort of sandwich style on a long bun with a toothpick in the middle. Definitely an original presentation. They have no specialty dogs beyond the crispy cheese they also serve on the burgers. They do give you quality packets of relish, mustard and ketchup and a small container of chopped onions. I added all these ingredients. And it was a tasty dog. The Original Bernice Winged Cheeseburger arrived, looking like a monarch, sitting on a throne of crinkle cut French Fries. The crispy cheese design, with all those angles extending from the bun, is an engineering marvel. There is melty cheese too. The burger looked about like a quarter pound. Tasted good. I added lettuce and tomato. Both fresh. A one of a kind burger that has thrilled people for Decades. The fries were fine. The Cole Slaw, however, was top tier. There was more than just thin chopped cabbage. Kale maybe. Some other stuff. The dressing was tasty, and the slaw wasn't overly dressed. Shady Glen is a CT classic. Indeed, an American Classic according to James Beard. Who can argue with that? 4.25 Stars

J Rego's is an absolute gem to have in the neighborhood! Great food, people, & prices -- this…read morefamily-owned restaurant has been our go-to date night spot since they opened. Where do I start?! One thing I love about J Rego's is the quality of their menu; meals are always unique and truly make J Rego's stand FAR apart from other food spots in this part of CT. Yes, they offer the very best of your favorite restaurant classics, but they also add high-end, high-quality options that you cannot find anywhere else in the area. They do weekly specials (check their Instagram or call!) that always blow my mind. I literally stalk their social media each week waiting for their new options! Having J Rego's so close to home is a hazard for my self control!! And the Espresso Martinis?! Don't get me started! Delicious, high-class, and absolutely addicting. One VERY notable details about J Rego's: -- They have a FANTASTIC outdoor dining area. We enjoy it frequently in the summer, and they also set up a tent & space heaters for the colder months. Check their IG for live music on the weekends! Today, I sent my parents to J Rego's for a lunch date. They were BLOWN AWAY! It was definitely a home run recommendation. J Rego's -- thank you for being here and doing what you do! You make our community a better place & we love you for it.

The service is good, the ambiance is nice, drinks are pretty good, but, lord, the food is…read moredisappointing. We have eaten here twice now, and both times every dish we got was poorly executed. Flatbread could have been from the freezer, burger was a bit dry and unappealing, buffalo shrimp special was overly breaded and soggy, and the shrimp tough and overcooked, definitely overpriced for what it was. We'll stick with just drinks going forward.

I tried the Fried chicken sandwich minus lettuce, was pretty good…read more Hubby had the Bacon cheeseburger minus onions, he like it quite a bit. We shared the bacon & cheese dirty fries= very tasty! Their JFC bottled soda (Vanilla Cream) was pretty good too. We'd go back again.

There was a deal going on where everything was 50% off. This was a perfect opportunity for trying…read moreout their best products! I was surprised by how good the chicken tenders were and they were huge. I would highly recommend the Greek fries. It comes with gyro meat and all the toppings that would come in a traditional gyro. This place was very good and will definitely be trying again!

This place is a great one to go to. Food is very delicious, they made it with love and care, the…read morelady who served us was super nice, and the atmosphere was very calming. Plus, the 80s music on the speakers was a nice touch. What would make this review 5 stars is if more people tried it.

Good burger, nice enough front end, slow service…read more I've been meaning to give this place a try. Mainly because it's close by and I've been intrigued by it. Always would swing by around the time it would be closed, so today I made a special trek to give this place a try. The place was quiet, a few people dining in. Took about a good 5 minutes to be seated, a single waitress manning the entire front of house. I didn't look at the menu beforehand, so I didn't know what to expect. As it turns out, it's a burger joint. Well, more accurately a bar with bar bites that just so happen to be burgers and wraps. I opted to go for their burger flight, but was informed they were out of chicken. so I swapped out the chicken for another burger patty. Also got some sweet potato waffle fries, because why not? Food took about 20 minutes to get, which is a long time to wait for appetizers. but the food came out eventually and I got my pictures and dug in. The negatives first - The waffle fries were cold on delivery. They were made in advance and lost all their heat by the time the burgers finished up. Flavor-wise, not bad. the honey mustard dipping sauce was appreciated. Need a little bit more spicy zip though, was a tad too sweet. I wasn't a fan of the cheese choice, was a little too waxy for my taste, could've not been warmed up enough, hard to tell. also the bottoms of the buns were lightly toasted but the tops were not and they were also cold to the touch. However, the rest of the meal was actually very good. The burgers were seasoned and hand ground beef. they had a lot of maple bacon pieces on them and the pretzel bun was soft and spongy with a little crisp on the inside. the pulled pork slider was pretty good as well. the combo of tender, sauce drenched pork with cool, creamy, and sweet slaw lead to a very solid bite. And that to me is the crux of the matter. They do good food but they cut corners. some corners are fine to cut, and they know how to prioritize what matters most in a dish. The slow service was a bummer, and if they executed just a little better then this would be a nice place to go to watch a game and get some bites. There were other gripes as well. Their happy hour menu doesn't match their main menu, and you can order those items even if it isn't happy hour at a more expensive price. Nowhere is that mentioned, and some of those items would be awesome to have normally. I mean, fresh cut and fried chips with buffalo chicken dip? Yes please! They do fresh chips, they can easily put together a nacho platter. They offer chicken tacos, but they could offer beef tacos. The burger flight should have fries, with the option to upgrade them to other sides or flavors. Fries are cheap, and I don't know many people that would turn down a well done disco fry if given the option. Granted, there's not many real "casual bar" areas in that stretch of town. But there is a brewery across the way, and I suspect that they are actually owned by the same cooks. so it's effectively competing against yourself, and that's not a great idea. For those looking for solid bar bites, this place will do well enough. They can be a tad slow, but the food is pretty good. It's a small casual bar to relax at, and the food's pretty decent

Walked in to meet my son center location. Have never been to downtown Manchester. What a great…read morecommunity. Walked into Urban lodge and there are kids running everywhere - people in running gear stretching for or from a run. I LOVED IT Keep in mind I have not even sat down. I go to get a drink and I LOVE that they have a UCONN pour (delicious beer BTW) but I am an IPA girl super hazy hoppy lover and they did not disappoint- no clue what it was called you will have to find out for yourself Okay so I settle in meet up with my people and we order food (BTW happy hour 4 - 6 daily I think) I had three hungry students with me so they ordered so much I believe there were burgers, chicken sandwiches, pasta, I had a grilled cheese it was amazing! Also then there was trivia night happened and the sweet beautiful person that was doing it was adorable and engaging and so fun. Also I suck at trivia.

Came here after a hike with the dog! Dog friendly indoor and out. Fire pit outside and lounge areas…read moreinside. Multiple TVs, darts and a place to listen to bands when they play Our bar tender was busting her butt ALONE at the bar, but took care of everyone effortlessly. The line never stopped We got a cider and the mixed berry sour beer. Both were delicious. The huskies were playing so he got their game day special smarhburger for $7. Everything is à la carte

This place makes a great grilled 10" chilli dog I get with slice of American cheese, chilli,…read moremustard, onions and sometimes bacon. Really good hot dog! Wanted to post a picture of my dogs but not giving me the option.

Finally got to try Country Snack Bar for breakfast! We had tried to go 2 other times on a…read moreweekend (according to Google, it was supposed to be open), however it was closed. So on a warm October weekday, we drove in to find it open & crowded. It was the day before they closed for the season (October 31st) . They will probably reopen sometime mid- April. Its a stand versus a restaurant. Where you order at the window and either eat it at a picnic table there, sit in your car, or take it to go. My husband & I each got a breakfast sandwich & 2 coffees. $16. Very, very reasonable. It was such a nice day, so we ate at a table under a big tent. The sandwiches were on a good sized hard roll & pretty tasty. Coffees were good too. I'm glad we got to try this place before the season ended and maybe on a nice day next summer, we will be back.

Such a great place. Wonderful And attentive service,…read moreconsistently great food. Love this spot!

Thankful Morán is close by cause it's my one stop for delicious mexican/salvadorian food. The moran…read moretaco platter is great price for the amount if you like a wide variety of proteins. This place has some of the sweetest, juiciest, ripest plantains around. Churros are sweet, crispy, not overly oily, filled with a delicious dulce filling. I've eaten there a long time ago and remember the experience as pleasurable, as I get strictly take out now.

Every time we come here we have a great experience. The bartender Dan always very attentive. And…read moregreat to talk with. Makes a great drink especially Huckleberry jalapeño Margarita. Extra spicy.

We got the nachos as an appetizer and there was not much in them, though they tasted ok for what it…read morewas. I tried the bison meat and it was okay but I wasn't overly impressed. The burger seemed kindve mushy which isn't really my style. Normally I'd take home leftovers but wasn't feeling this one. The house chips were decent but the dip was similar to any of the store bought stuff in my opinion. The sangria also kindve just tasted like red wine and pineapple juice. Server was mostly attentive, though as someone who served prior I would bring out ketchup automatically with burgers and fries, I'd eaten a quarter of my meal by the time it came out after a few minutes. Staff were very accommodating in moving our table so the setting sun was not in our eyes on our reserved one. Booth was nice and comfy and it wasn't too loud. Overall, I found this restaurant to be okay. I had tried another location a few years ago in MA, and have not really been impressed by this chain. There was nothing wrong though at the same time I don't think this food is necessarily worth writing home about .