Harrison is the best bartender! Food is great! Bar service is great! 10/10 all around read more

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Ideal Tavern was above average. But the last 2 times I have dined here the quality has diminished greatly. During my past visit the portion was comically small and the cioppino had hardly any seafood in it. Tonight our waitress disappeared once the Greek meatball special app was brought out and the meatballs were barely room temperature. I'm done with trying to have a nice night out here. read more

Ideal Tavern - Cold Greek meatballs - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

A few friends and I went to Ideal Tavern for dinner and drinks. Johnna was a fantastic bartender, she makes delicious drinks! We met the manager, Jen, and she is a FABULOUS person. Both Johnna and Jen have great personalities and take pride in what they do! I ordered they Chicken Sandwich and my mouth is still drooling .To drink, I had the Patent Pending and it was PERFECT! The atmosphere is very pretty, the bathrooms are clean and just the overall experience couldn't be better! read more

Ideal Tavern - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

Let me start off by saying the staff here is very nice. It's a nice quaint relaxing place. Right in the center of Southington and ample parking behind the restaurant. The chicken nachos were delicious let me just warn you if you have a table of 8 get 3, one is no where near enough and it took a while to come out. I had the flatbread and it was good chicken juicy and arugula fresh. Two of our guest orders Cuban sandwiches. Let me just tell you when they came out they looked delicious...well when you took it apart the bottom of the bread was charred black and burnt on both of them. Neither of my people ate them they picked them apart. We didn't send them back because it took so long to get the food they were hungry. They also didn't bring all the plates at the same time so so we had food and others had to wait several min for the next dish to come out. Not sue why it wasn't busy at all. The classic burgers a couple others had were very good. Cooked perfectly and juicy. The girls got the Mac and cheese and they seemed happy with their choices. No left overs! I ordered the polenta as a side and it was creamy yet crispy ..yum. We brought an ice cream cake for the table birthday and just a word of advice, not sure they have a freezer because it was soup and I asked for it to go in the freezer. Would I go back ...ehh maybe. read more

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Good food, great drink selections with some home made choices. Great for drinks after work

Loved it! Got the Grandpa's Porch cocktail that tasted delicious and smelled great due the the orange peel garnish! The cauliflower buffalo wings were hearty and delicious. The perfect appetizer for my vegan guest! I really enjoyed the Bourbon BBQ Burger! The cook was a perfect medium. It was a perfect blend of smokey, sweet, crunchy, and savory! It came with the truffle salt fries which were also bangin! The atmosphere was lovely with the multicolored lighting at the bar and and unfinished wood theme! Based on the great food, great atmosphere, and great vegan options we will definitely be going again in the future! read more

Ideal Tavern - Bourbon BBQ Burger - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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Homemade pretzels, backyard flatbread, gourmet mac & cheese with mushrooms & pan seared cod! Along with a lively libation what a great cozy restaurant! So glad we felt it was time for dinner early due to the sun setting before 5PM because we beat the dinner crowd! We had no complaints about our food - flavorful & delicious! Was hoping for some bread but it was a minor oversight compared to our food! read more

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Solid 4 stars for Ideal Tavern includes service, ambiance and food. I was able to secure a reservation for Mother's Day 2021 and enjoyed my experience here. The restaurant is located in a quaint little area in Southington and there's ample parking around. We were greeted and seated immediately upon arrival and warm and friendly service continued throughout our dine and was consistent in everyone we met. In terms of food, we started with the calamari. Not my favorite calamari but it wasn't terrible. I'm more of a rings person and they provide both. The texture was also a bit rubbery but the flavor and dipping sauces were good. For dinner, I ordered the Ideal Burger which was very good. Other orders included the Fish & Chips and the Steak and Cheese sandwich, all of which got favorable reviews. I would definitely visit again and look forward to trying other things on the menu. read more

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I went in with high expectations during a recent visit and left under whelmed. I get what they are trying to do but for the prices they are charging ($13 for a burger with no sides and $13 for a salad only containing mixed greens, half a pear and some over fried goat cheese) it was not worth it. AND even if the prices were a bit high the food was not really seasoned..at all. I received overfried cauliflower for my appetizer and under seasoned/greasy salmon (on my salad). And the icing on the cake... They forgot to add the fried gost cheese to my salad. I could understand of they were busy but there were like 3 other tables being served. So not sure of I will be back. It's a bit of a drive for me to be underwhelmed. read more

Ideal Tavern - Fried cauliflower - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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I am very remiss in not updating my review. We did go back, without telling the owner, who responded very correctly to the first negative review, and sent the following message to him after our dinner. "Wanted to let you know we returned last Saturday with another couple. We had a wonderful evening, the food was very good and the service - top-notch. Our server was perfect for the busy busy evening." My apologies for the delay in providing this update. read more

Ideal Tavern - Bar seating! - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

The waiter and service was very good, pretty fast. The food was VERY salty: the broth for the mussels, the oso buca gravy, the swordfish. The mashed potatoes were mushy and cooler than the rest of the food. The restaurant was cold too. read more

Prior to Christmas, my friends came in from NY to have dinner with us for the holidays. Unfortunately, everywhere we tried to go had a huge wait which was not okay when we had two hungry adults who just drove 2 hours and three kids. Walking into Ideal Tavern was a shot in the dark, but there was no wait and the hostess was super accommodating! I had a cocktail special the was SO GOOD (and not just because of the fun literary name - Catcher in the Rye), and my husband was happy with their beer selection. Everyone loved their meal too! My kids loved their pasta with butter and mac n cheese, and the pretzel bites were amazing (deep fried maybe? Kinda different but really good!). Due to numerous apps (we also had cauliflower that was pretty tasty and tossed in a glaze), I opted for an app as my meal - it was an octopus dish that had a lot of really good flavors working together. My tres leche dessert and the kid's' chocolate cake were also delish. I can't forget to mention our super nice waitress as well. Overall everyone was very very happy! We will definitely consider coming here again! read more

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The vibe of this place is great. My buddy and I stopped in while we were in the area for work. The people were super friendly and we had a great time. The food was definitely very good. The star of the show was the bartender, Jenny. There's simply one word to describe her - AMAZING! Her personality is second to none and her bartending skills are crazy. Her drinks are as tasty as they are fun to watch her make! We will definitely be back!! read more

Ideal Tavern - Mezcal and St.Germaine with cucumber and lime - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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Came for a going away gathering for a coworker with a crew of great ladies. Great mixed drinks, Lyman orchards cider on tap. Loved the Thai chili cauliflower appetizer. Group ordered and enjoyed burgers, short rib and rigatoni bolognese. We were having too much fun to take pictures of the food. Manager sent out some complimentary desserts on this snowy night. Great experience looking forward to coming back! read more

Ideal Tavern - Complimentary apple crisp, ate befor photo - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

I found the menu and the food boring! They said they had just changed the menu!? Maybe switch it back - I had nothing to go off. The Calamari was Just ok. The few pieces of sausage and artichokes that were in the calamari were delicious! The beer prices and selection were excellent! But that was it I was disappointed The waitress was amazing the place is beautiful. I just didn't like their menu! It was dreadful flipping the menu around a hundred times hoping something worth eating would show up! Sadly it never did! Would I ever go back? No Need to. read more

Ideal Tavern - Poutine sweet gravy lots of brisket not enough cheese. - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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God damn I'm pissed off! I've been here many times. Dining here is always a positive experience. Rarely are they off target with the food. But I was at the bar alone tonight and I was ignored for 10 minutes. What the fuck? I don't care how busy you are, Take my effing drink order and hand me a menu. Emptying the effing dishwasher right in front of me and it appears you are consciously avoiding looking at me is 1st class bullshit. This is not the first time this new post covid bartending crew gas done this to me. Pre COVID-19 bartenders were awesone. I walked out and went to Hop Haus. Seated, order taken, no problem. I'm enjoying bison chili and a stout. Fuck shitty batenders. read more

Legend has it that, many years ago, a unicorn galloped through the Southington town proper and mated with a leprechaun. The baby, a genie named Gerald, offered three wishes to the townsfolk of Southington. They wished for 1) everlasting life 2) a wheel barrel full of Reeces Pieces and 3) a tavern ideal for all the townsfolk to gather, drink, dine, and share stories of both joy and sorrow. Gerald the Genie was turned to stone by the magic spell of an evil clown before the wishes could be granted. However, irregardless of the legend, the Ideal Tavern stands today in that same village of Southington. It checks all the boxes. Good food. A warm and welcoming interior. Good staff. Good beer. ... I don't give five stars easily, and don't let my five stars here fool you. I'm not saying you should drive 50 miles to try out this place. I'm not saying it's elite dining. I'm just saying that, for its genre (a casual but modern bar and tavern), it is up there with the best of them. read more

Ideal Tavern - Ideal Burger - egg and bacon on top. A+ on the presentation. Perfectly cooked as ordered. Tasted good, too. - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

We were disappointed in Ideal Tavern after seeing all the positive reviews. Atmosphere was fine - typical tavern style and bathrooms were clean. We were seated within 10 minutes with no reservation. Service was poor all night. It took over 10 minutes to order drinks. Several people at our table ordered cocktails and they came back 15 minutes later to inform us they couldn't make any of the gin drinks. My cocktail was unbalanced and my girlfriend's was so strong she could barely finish it. First appetizer we had was the escarole and beans. The menu didn't include that it had cheese, so the vegan person at our table who ordered it was out of luck. It didn't matter - overcooked with large hunks of raw garlic. The bread on the bottom was so stale I could barely cut it. My final bite included an entire dried bay leaf. Appetizers took a long time to come and the wait staff seemed confused. Main course was the burrata salad which was underwhelming. The shaved Brussels sprouts and carrot base was soaked in vinegar. The cheese was fine. My girlfriend's falafel wrap was ok - best dish of the evening. Besides the food and drinks coming up short, where we were most disappointed was how expensive it was. Entrees averaged around 25 dollars and drinks were roughly 15. We will not be returning. read more

Just dropping a quick update to mention the chai old-fashioned is out of this world. We will be making a special trip to Southington for just that on a regular basis! I also am a big fan of this place because they do small and large portion salads...and the small is still pretty ample sized. read more

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Not bad food but slow service. They were not busy when we went in but it took them a while to take our drink orders. When we did order to the time we got our food it was much quicker. My burger was pretty good and my wife liked her sandwich. The menu selection was a bit odd. Things like fig and bacon sandwiches, and typical hipster style food. Lettuce wraps, sandwiches that are trying to be very "culinary ". I would not consider their menu a tavern menu. More like a hipster/gastropub/guy experimenting with weird concoctions. read more

I had a very upsetting experience here. My fiancé has been struggling with chronic illness and felt up to getting out of the house, something we haven't done in quite a while. It takes a lot of energy and physical effort for her to even get out of our home. We found Ideal Tavern on Yelp, decided to treat ourselves to a nice night out. We arrived to a half empty dining room and were promptly greeted by a pleasant young woman who grabbed menus and went to turn and seat us, after confirming we were a "walk in" and didn't not have reservations. As she gathered menus she was stopped by the hostess who insisted they didn't have tables available and would put us on a waitlist. The young lady who went to initially seat us seemed a little confused and consulted their seating tablet. At least half of the tables on her system were available. I am hard of hearing so I could not hear the whispered discussion but it was pretty obvious the hostess didn't want to seat us. She stated they were full and had a wait of 30 minutes" for just seating two people". Hinting that we may not be spending as much as other parties. I said that was no problem where we gave our name and number and were told she would call us as soon as there was a table available. We exited the building and sat along the parking area next to our vehicle, after 20 minutes I walked around the front and the dining room still had many tables open. This is also after I watched multiple couples, and groups enter. After 45 minutes of waiting for a call that never came, and now having our "early" dinner date pushed much later than anticipated we needed to find an alternative. Drove by again upon leaving and still open tables throughout the restaurant. I expected better from such a "up scale" establishment, but it was made clear that we were unwelcome. I will be sharing this experience with other chronically ill, and marginalized folks so they do not experience the embarrassment(and hunger) that we had to endure. read more

I hadn't been to the Ideal Tavern in a while, so I was very happy to experience that the service and food were still terrific! Because of its design, it is somewhat noisy, even away from the very energetic bar area. BUT... that does not detract from the overall positive experience. I ordered their Ricotta Meatballs, which were terrific, and I will definitely order again! But my entree choice exceeded even that... their braised short ribs with mashed potatoes and gravy were perfect! I am not a cooked carrots fan, so I ordered extra mashed & gravy, making it a great option. You expect short ribs to be tender - and these certainly were... but there was a "depth of flavor" to them that set them apart from others I have had. The Ideal Tavern is HIGHLY recommended! read more

Meh. I hate when people do this... and I don't like being the one doing it. I come from (BIG CITY) hospitality industry and I know the "ins and outs"... plus the "do's and don'ts" within the industry; from upscale fine dining in NYC working as a captain of 4-star dining... to my BOH experience in SF, I've been around the block and I have a keen sense when food is involved. I came here looking for good brunch. I chose to sit inside, outside "alone" dining is never fun. So I chose a seat near the bar. Thankfully they changed the channel as the SAWX were on, about to ruin my appetite. (But this isn't a sports post). The Brunch menu could include a few more of the "house specialties" but if you come in to eat around 1:30... just think, after 5 or 6 oysters, lunch is easily obtainable! So that's what I did. (I know it's a hiccup for the kitchen, I didn't mean to do this... but upon insistent offering by the Sunday manager, I went along with it! Originally I ordered 5 (but received 6) gulf oysters. I thought there was more to the name. Being that so many varieties grow in each region, I foolishly doubted the manager on duty. I kinda forced his hand by requesting to see the tag. (A-hole moment by me ) but if I'm ingesting something, shouldn't I know what exactly is going inside of my body...? No excuses, I was a fool. (Unfortunately, the bartender wasn't all that familiar with her bar, Mikkeller is a well known Gypsy brewer and a great story... she hadn't the slightest. If they get his dark beers, try them out! Learn about him, brother of Evil Twin) I went with a simple Lager to begin, as the IPA was slightly too powerful, not something that would work in the advantage of a delicate oyster. Her guidance for bubbly was 2 choices: Prosecco & a nice Spanish rośe. It went well with the raw ousters. She done good, but didn't provide all the options. Perhaps I ordered out of order, I shoulda went straight to bubbly, but accidentally stumbled upon beer. So i tried to be respectful in my requests of receiving it bubbly so quickly, yet waited 15+ mins for 5 raw oysters. Being a culinarian; My original inquiry online search; was for Gulf coast oysters, should have been: Gulf oysters. Go ahead and Google them ahead of time. Either or, it's not the best overall review of the oyster, but it states many facts; minimal salinity (which I love saline in my oysters...west coast is the best example) so the accoutrements play a huge roll! Unfortunately the shallot was poorly cut, dull knife and poorly assembled. But it worked. The cocktail seemed like it was store purchased. And the lemons were meh. (Cut yesterday, my assumption..dry and old tasting) In my foolishness, manager arrived with the tag & displays a simplistic tag with minimal info (no name) that only pertained to date and lots, etc. I then showed him what I found online (a lowering of the demand for these oysters in Louisiana due to oil spills)... but I still went on as I sought MORE! I informed him that they would be good in a Rockefeller fashion. He said we have those, on our lunch menu... I looked at phone to see it's 13:57 hours... may I please interject a course of the Rockefeller? (Something along those lines where he was very accommodating) He was very informative (for the 06489) about the French bubbly that would pair nicely... so I took him up on it. (Something the bartender didn't realize was on her menu). Oh well ‍ It was clean, crispy& refreshing and it cleansed my pallet (tag teamed with the arugula bed) I had a great mid coarse! Adding this coarse, perhaps I messed up the flow of the kitchen with the Rockefeller coarse. FYI, when frying a boneless chicken, a "cutlet" it's not going to take a long time. So the black char on my chicken was an indication of a "double drop" in the fryer oil. A BIG "no-no" in the BOH. It was totally noticeable... and perhaps the chef should look into, using chicken tenders in replacement of the current (thin, dry, over cooked... butterflied/sliced breast... c'mon chef, for a $19 platter... tenders all the way! (I think there were about 5 pieces at 2oz each) but using tenders will SCORE every time! The waffle batter is fairly bland! It needs to be spiced up, these are regular/plain ole waffles you could find at Denny's. (With a gastro pub title, you need to be slightly more creative)-sorry The maple syrup and creamy Siracha drizzle looks great, but doesn't fulfill there huge flavor addition to the dish. (Chef, please add a side for each dish) chicken was breaded nicely, and seasoned perfectly ( to the line cook who hit it with BAM!) only the char on frying and the dryness of the bird was a slight turn off... Chef, no pre-fire on the chicken. Ran out of room: hopefully I can finish the Review tomorrow? Who knows yelp...? read more

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My wife and I found this place when the our original choice was too busy on Friday night. Nice find, we stated with a Bavarian pretzel. It came with beer cheese, spicy honey mustard and an herbed hummus. It arrived at the table toasty hot and it was excellent. The beer cheese and mustard were nice additions. For me the hummus was not a favorite, but I am not a big hummus person to begin with. We both ordered the Cuban sandwich which was excellent. I love pork belly and not much better then crispy pork belly! The pickles and aioli added to make the entire things great bite. My only complaint would be the drink prices, a little on the pricey side for "house" wine and a well Bloody Mary. Over all nice find thanks to Yelp on the fly. read more

Ideal Tavern - Bavarian pretzel - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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Sooo on a whim my husband and I went here to celebrate his first Fathers Day. So we had brunch on a Sunday. Soooo let me tell you...*rolling up sleeves, getting in my stance mode with my finger wagging * this place was the absolute buuuuusinesss. This is coming from a couple that ate at every restaurant in blue back square (bc we lived in those overpriced apartments ‍), who enjoy fine dining, to our hole in the wall mom and pop shops, and are originally from Seattle, San Diego, Ca and Jersey shore. So we've been around. This hands down had the best eggs Benedict we've ever had. It tops everything we've tried, even the high end brunches on the Las Vegas strip. Everything was amazing- it was low key, quiet, not busy, clean inside, good ambience, looked brand new, the service was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. From the hostess, to our waitress. I really wish we knew her name. But honestly all the waitresses were super sweet. They were young and no matter if they didn't wait on us, many of them stopped to say hi or smile at our grouchy pants baby who just woke up from his nap. We also ordered their Hawaiian mimosa, their mango cider, double IPA, to their fried pickles and peppers (you legit will regret this if you don't order- pickles sliced suuuper thin, seasoning was delicious and crispy crust!), and angry RI clams. After brunch my husband told me he hadn't had a brunch like that in a while and it was dammmn good. Being Italian he gives his "hand to mouth" kiss of approval. Don't have activities after though, bc YALL gonna wanna sleep it off in a food Coma. Ps only draw back if you if babies is there's no changing table, but we adapted! Thanks again! We'd definitely be back soon! read more

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If you drive by this little place on Center Street in Southington you'll be missing an awesome experience! The service was impeccable (thanks Dani!!) and the restaurant is rustic and cool. We visited mid afternoon for a late lunch so it was pretty quiet but the service didn't suffer as in some restaurants, in fact we couldn't have asked for better. The experience started with our server chilling my glass (with dry ice I believe swirled in a glass and then tossed on the floor!) for my cider, which by the way was fantastic (raspberry mango sparking cider!). We were presented with mini cornbread muffins with butter which were the most delicious I've ever tasted (and I'm not normally a cornbread fan!). Our appetizer wasn't in the menu but suggested by our server - Cauliflower Porcorn; crispy delicately seasoned tempura battered cauliflower with a drizzle of a sweet and slightly spicy chili sauce! The huge, delicious portion would have been enough for a meal in itself and was more than enough for the three of us and leftovers to take home. The entrees were equally generous and we're bringing some of each of them home too! The Ideal Burger was a spot on medium with a perfectly runny egg on top, cheddar cheese with truffle aioli and bacon on a toasted brioche bun. The Summer pasta was a delicious combination of light pappardelle pasta with sausage, goat cheese, grilled squash, caramelized onions, roasted cauliflower and pesto with flavors which were out of this world! Our final meal was the From the Fire blackened Chicken sandwich with crispy bacon, spicy fried cherry peppers, an amazing cool and crispy cucumber salsa and chorizo herb aioli - you have to taste this to begin to imagine the flavor burst!!! I asked to upgrade my fries to a serving of poutine (one of addictions!) which had options of sausage or corned beef on the gravy but our server once again offered an off menu choice of duck confit!!!!) OMGOSH! Absolutely the best! No salt and pepper on the tables but offered and declined - even the fries were seasoned perfectly and I slimiest always add extra salt to mine. Can't wait to share this place with my husband and friends veeeery soon!!! read more

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Ideal's vibe is classy and has a sleek, dark vibe. It was a good spot to meet up with a friend for an early dinner. I see now in other reviews that there is a happy hour, so I wish we had had wind of that upon arrival. It was a little chilly in the front room, but coats draped over our shoulders worked totally fine. The burger was really juicy and one of the best I had had in a while. At the price point, a side of something would have been nice along with the burger. read more

My wife and I had dinner at Ideal Tavern last Saturday night. We were greeted warmly and because we had a reservation we're seated promptly. We both spilt an appetizer called sweet chili popcorn cauliflower, which was delicious. The. My wife had the special branzino puttanesca dish and I had the Tuscan pasta dish. Both were prepared well and we enjoyed them. I recommend Ideal Tavern if your looking for a restaurant thats's casual and serves very good food. read more

The food is very good here. They have excellent burgers and I also enjoyed a chicken wrap.

Unbelievable... I don't often give out 5 stars but Ideal deserves it. Inside is very nicely put together, large tables nice bar. Food is out of this world good. We kept ordering more because of this. Fried green tomatoes, clams, nachos, fried cauliflower... we had it all and it was amazing. The manager was a pleasure to deal with the entire time as well. Dinner i went with fish and chips. They took this dish to a whole new level. The fries were fantastic, with a hint of lemon. We even closed out the meal with dessert (campfire something) that paired with a nice cappuccino made a perfect ending to our visit. Cannot wait to come back! read more

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Great atmosphere, great food, great drinks but, forget all of that; The service blew us away. We had Greg as our waitor and this guy was on point all night. I've never seen anyone roll with my family's strange tastes and confusing questions so well. Not only did he accommodate the table 110%, he gave real recommendations that weren't pre-packaged. He genuinely knew everything on the menu and spoke in detail about the flavors of each drink and dish we asked about. Is it strange to write a restaurant's review focusing on one person? Of course. But, we genuinely had such a great time that the food was just a bonus. Besides, the service is what encouraged this review in the first place. From Greg, to the hostess, to the bartenders and indeed the chefs - All around great place to eat. read more

We came on a Saturday night around 8. The hostess told us a 20 minute wait. No biggie, there were a few big groups and the bar area was full. However, I walked through to use the bathroom and there was at least 5 tables empty. A group of 4 came in about the time our 20 minutes was approaching and they said they were going to go to the bar, then saw an empty table and asked to sit. The hostess brought them menus and didn't say a word. She then sat us, so we didn't say anything. But, uh??? The waiter was great, but also told us he'd had a slow night. Again, why did we have to wait?? We assumed it was maybe the kitchen? Still would've liked to be seated and just told the kitchen was a little backed up or something. They lost a solid 2 stars for this. The food was good, however, they served us the order of fries the table next to us ordered. We ordered a side of fries too, so we didn't realize it right away. They didn't charge us for it, so that was fine. However, the table next to us waited about 15 minutes longer for their fries. Another star lost. I don't know how long this place has been in business, but they need to get their business model and customer service a little more solidified and streamlined. We won't be back. read more

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Been here a number of times and always great for drinks and tasty leveled up bar food. Easy enough to reserve a table and service is good. read more

I can't express how rude the bartender was, he went out of his way to be as rude as possible. From refusing to take our drink order until he waited on the people who just sat down next to us who said " we aren't ready" so he was stuck having to wait on us, finally. When we ordered a bottle of wine he just dropped off 3 glasses and a bottle, he didn't unscrew the cork or bother To pour it, truly a bizarre experience... can get better service at TGI Fridays. read more

Wow.wow.wow. This place was great. This was my first time in Connecticut out for a business trip, and I had heard questionable things about the food on the East Coast. If the ideal tavern is indicative of the restaurant quality,quality then those comments are moot. it had great atmosphere, the music was superb (Leon bridges, Sam Cooke, hozier). I had dinner with my coworker in the front of the restaurant kind of a patio like deal. The food was great, I had the ideal burger and the french fries that came with it were amazing. The service was wonderful l, people were kind and attentive. If this is what Connecticut is like, I need to come back. read more

Ideal Tavern - Dining area - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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Great job. Service was very good and it had good ambiance. It felt like an upscale pub. Will go again.

Not a fan. Slow service and it was not even busy. I ordered the short ribs they were meh..tasted like cheap pot roast. My friend ordered the fixed menu. Caesar salad with no cheese. His dinner was supposed to have shrimp and there were none in the dish. They brought out 2..could you spare it? My cocktail was terrible. Why doesn't anyone mix and shake drinks anymore. read more

Had a great experience at Ideal Tavern on Friday night with some friends. We walked in without a reservation and were initially told we couldn't be seated for quite some time. Luckily, one in our group and the hostess noticed a table of 4 that was about to pay and we were able to shark their table once they left. Both the regular menu and special menu had a number of offerings that I considered. I finally went with fried chicken sliders on a biscuit. They were a little stacked for me but I was able to eat one and then ate the meat off a second. My friend took the third home with her. She had ordered the pork belly but remembered once it showed up that she didn't like pork. Woops. Another friend had a burger and fries, which looked delicious, and another had the shrimp and grits (yum!). Our waitress kept our drinks full, which was helpful. It was a great atmosphere, not too loud, and I love the decor. I will definitely be back for another try. read more

Ideal Tavern - Chicken sliders - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

Date night or family time. First of all, let me tell you that I stumbled upon this place as a result of being ignored at the Groggy Frog for 20 minutes. Thank God their service is horrible, because we walked across the street and found this gem. Service? Impeccable. Meg was an articulate foodie that was actually excited to know that it was our first time visiting. She recommended drinks and specials that were both amazing. Scallops and a Mule. Ambiance. Elegant but casual enough to bring my kids. Beers on tap and cocktails to last me the year. You might think Flair is the finest dining in downtown Southington but it's clearly Ideal Tavern. See you next time! read more

Greg was a great bartender. Super sociable and makes a great drink! Management was awesome as well and checked on us too. Would definitely come back again!!! read more

Ideal Tavern - Specialty drink and a charcuterie board - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut