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    Merritt Canteen

    3.6 (296 reviews)
    Open 8:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    Order Merritt Canteen Takeout or Delivery

    Merritt Canteen Photos

    MERRITT CANTEEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Classy
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Merritt Canteen

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    Susan R.

    Simple neighborhood place with delicious burgers that will make you forget about fast food spots.

    Inside Hot Dog
    Jason P.

    I've been frequently talking online about hot dogs this year, and people kept bringing up Bridgeport's Merritt Canteen and their "we don't give refunds for our spicy chili" hot dogs. Curiosity got the better of me and I finally visited, just for a chili cheese dog. They also have breakfast, burgers, wings, sandwiches and fried seafood etc. The first thing you should know is Merritt Canteen is one of the very few CT places to score a Guy Fieri Diners Drive Inns & Dives visit. That clearly means something. The atmosphere was clean and classic. Service was friendly and efficient. I believe MC uses Hummel Hot Dogs, which is a quality dog. It was well cooked. The bun was fresh. The presumably American Cheese slice was melted over the top of my chili cheese dog. This part was way above average. Which brings me to the chili sauce. I don't have the recipe for this sauce. So I'm giving you my impression and not stating facts. The sauce, tastes like a thick meat gravy, with a generous amount of hot pepper sauce such as Tabasco added. There wasn't really a noticeable meat component. Maybe that gets electrically blended into the sauce. I don't know, but I didn't get a classic ground beef vibe here. I understand some people love this sauce. I suspect those same people are big Tabasco fans and liberally add it to most of their meals. Me, I'm one and done with the chili sauce. I like nuanced spice. This was not that. I did finish the dog, but my resolve wavered. It's hard to discount the impact of the chili sauce in scoring this review because it was the dominant force of the chili dog. But the truth is, the dog, melted cheese, bun, service, and atmosphere were all good. So I'll score this a 3.5 and round up to 4 Stars.

    My son's friend was back east last year and had heard Greg rave about the dogs here, and he brought this back for me!!
    David K.

    I moved to Los Angeles in the 70s and still go back to Fairfield as often as I can to visit my friends and relatives. They all know that my first stop is always the canteen for a dog with the works, especially the bacon and kraut! In fact, I have brought back a few frozen dogs for my cousin in Vegas!

    Hotdog with sauerkraut, onions and mustard.

    Great hotdog! The hotdog itself is crispy and has a nice snap to it, very meaty. I liked the warmed sauerkraut on top, onions are finely chopped and the mustard is a really delicious Dijon but not spicy. Pillowy soft bun worked really well with everything.

    Cheeseburger (sorry I was hungry. Lol)
    Vivian H.

    Man do I have memories of this place coming as a kid! I was temporarily staying in the area so was able to hit up the canteen frequently. Staff were soooo friendly and great! I had a few meals from here. Mainly a bunch of BEC on a Portuguese roll (my weakness). I've also tried their mozz sticks and fried shrimp both were good. Had a hot dog with the works as well as we got these all the time as kids. Their cheeseburger was ok. The patty was mega thin but ok for a quick bite. Hoping when I'm in the area again to stop in.

    Kevin B.

    I've been coming to the Merritt Canteen since I was a kid, it's comfort food for me. Can't go wrong with anything they make, I usually come for a burger and a dog. Buns are always fresh and their chili is what I love the most. They forewarn you no refunds on it because of how spicy it is, they were not stingy with the amount they give you. I do miss the days of ordering at the two counters that divide the place, was a covid change. I do feel like the hot dogs got a little smaller, but could be just my opinion. Nonetheless I always feel satisfied when leaving, nothing like the comfort food provided at the Merritt Canteen.

    Vivian V.

    A nice option for late night meals in Bridgeport From breakfast items, to hotdogs, burgers, Fri feed, wings and specialty seafood Great flavor, easy access and ample parking Locally owned and operated You can't go wrong with any food item served here Freshly made to order.

    Cheeseburger
    Katie-Ann F.

    Came here with few friends and was seated immediately. I got their classic Cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, ketchup, mayo. The burger came with soft and nicely toasted buns, layered with fresh lettuce and tomatoes, white cheese, and a juicy smashed patty. It was not heavy or overly greasy. The portion was smaller than I had anticipated, but a solid burger nonetheless. The Curly Fries were okay and could be seasoned more. Overall, it's a very homey and cute restaurant with lots of history. I would definitely recommend trying it out! The quality of the food is good, and I would come back to try the other burgers and hot dogs.

    Raw Dough in Fried Oreo

    I bit into a fried oreo, felt it slimy & raw as I was chewing it so I spit it out & called the waiter over to show them. The manager walked over & said "that's just how the dough is because it's frozen, they just put it to fry". I asked her to come back to show her a perfectly cooked oreo on my plate. She said she's not able to take them back cause we already bit into it. Obviously, I was just looking for a replacement, or something, not for them to refry the oreos. I've never experienced such horrible service at Merritt Canteen before & that lady has been working there longer than I've been alive. She should take customer service classes & learn how to deal with customers correctly. I will not be eating here again.

    Fish and chips platter

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    2 months ago

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    1 month ago

    The food not so good. The floor has no flavor. Overall it just taste awful. I work hard for my paycheck and the food didn't deliver.

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    2 years ago

    First time coming here but had been told about this place many times before. It's for quite a history and the hot dog was good!

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    3 years ago

    Amazing delicious the shakes busss and the burgers too 10/10 recommend to everybody for sure

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    3 years ago

    Merritt canteen is a hometown favorite that has been around for many many years. The food and service is always great!

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    Bryac Black Rock

    Bryac Black Rock

    3.9
    (185 reviews)
    4.4 mi
    $$

    BRYAC is a wonderful spot in Black Rock section of Bridgeport. The atmosphere is warm, the food is…read moreconsistently good , dine inside or outside and the music later is always great! Service is with a smile. Sometimes there is a little wait because most dishes are made fresh. BRYAC has excellent lobster rolls, fresh shucked oysters and clams and shellfish served different ways. If you like steak, beef or chicken you will always find something to your liking. The prices vary which is not unusual with fresh seafood. The ambiance is great and welcoming to people of all ages. There is always a small selection of nice desserts. I look forward to the fried ice cream! Oh l forgot to mention, the beverage menu is complete from beers to cocktails! Soft drinks always. You will not be disappointed

    Whatever reason, I thought I did a review on this place years ago, as I've been coming here for…read moreyears, and I always have given it 4 1/2 five star rating because the food was fantastic and they had by far the best clam chowder ever. It was a type of place that I would say don't judge a book by its cover, it was a sneaky good place with incredible and creative seafood options. The lobster pot pie was delicious, the lobster quesadilla out of this world, the steak tips, very tender, oyster, Rockefeller, sinfully addictive... a lot of great offerings. Came back after a long time of not being here back in the fall and had a wonderful experience with my girlfriends. Came back today, and it was absolutely catastrophic! I don't know if it's under new management, but the whole place was chaotic, the service was awful, and the food was terrible... The clam chowder wasn't clammy in flavor like it used to be, it it was heavily laden with bacon bits, which, if you're a bacon fan is all the way for you, but I'm getting clam chowder, not bacon chowder. I ordered the mac & cheese lobster which was described as a creamy mac & cheese with lobster and truffle oil... There was not one single sign of truffle oil on this dish at all. It actually did have generous amounts of lobster, but it was far from creamy and the pasta itself was dry. My other half had the fried clams, they rate as some of the worst clams we have ever tried, and the portion was extremely skimpy, and the clam composition was mostly that grizzle! ( the attached photo is the dish as it was delivered to us... It had not yet been touched. )The fries were ice cold, and to boot what made it worse, no signs of life from our server...hello, hello...I felt like Adele! The gentleman who took our order was busy going outside, taking care of the tables outside went by us countless times and didn't even pay mind to us-you've thought we were invisible! The other waitresses that walked by, couldn't even understand body language, maybe they did, but didn't care because it wasn't their table, but we sat there for 40 minutes and no one ever came to check on us. Never had this issue with this place before, which makes me think that it's really under new management, given how the food was, and the lack of care of the personnel. I doubt I will be coming back here again given the experience, and I never do this, but for the first time ever I didn't leave a tip because they were not deserving of a tip. We finished our sodas, we were thirsty, and we were never offered anything more to drink. Why - because again no one came to check on us. When I finally called one of the waitresses over, she came and asked if I want to wrap up the food and I told her I needed a container and I pointed to my husband's food and I told her that the clams were god awful and why they were bad and unfortunately, we were neglected by our server and all other staff for that matter. She told me she would take the clams off the bill and she would come back with a container for my dry lobster mac & cheese. Five minutes goes by no sign of the waitress 10 minutes goes by no sign of the waitress or my container, finally I call the person who looked like she was manning the floor and checked on all other tables and how they were doing except for OURS Was there something wrong with us? We weren't dressed like bums, we sat in the corner, we didn't have extra sets of eyes, we didn't have an extra arm attached to our body, we were just regular, typical people, but she ignored us. Bill came out to $33.50 for bacon chowder, dried lobster mac & cheese, and two Ginger ales... Never again! Honestly, the way we were treated was shameful, hopefully they learn from this lesson and they do better... No one deserves this, especially with the cost of food these days. It took us 50 minutes to get here, and we made it a trip because we've had great experiences in the past, but seeing that all three dishes were disappointing makes me believe that this is not the same place that it used to be.

    Photos
    Bryac Black Rock
    Buffet food
    Buffet food
    Bryac Black Rock

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    New China Wok

    New China Wok

    4.3
    (14 reviews)
    3.2 mi

    This is the first Chinese takeout place I've ever eaten at. I was 12 when I first ate here. My…read moreentire family loved their food. When I found out that China Wok was now called New China Wok, I decided to get a meal here for old time's sake. There isn't much to look at inside; there's a few tables, but it's still mainly a hole in the wall takeout spot. The front desk person was kind and diligent and I got my meal quickly. The food was mostly good, but I was a little disappointed. I decided to get the first meal I ever ordered from this place: the General Tso's Chicken combo, which comes with roast pork fried rice and a roast pork egg roll. A couple of broccoli crowns separate the chicken from the rice. The General Tso's sauce was just as delicious as I remember; very savory and a little spicy. Texture of the chicken and breading were very nice as well. Their roast pork fried rice is a customer favorite and it was still delicious. The flavor from the roast pork permeates all of the rice and pairs perfectly with the chicken. The egg roll was crispy and savory and there wasn't any excess grease. It tastes great by itself, with duck sauce or with the General Tso's sauce. Unfortunately, then I tried the vegetable lo mein. They used to make great lo mein, but the sauce wasn't the same this time. The noodles and vegetables were fine, but the more I ate, the less I liked it. This tasted barely average. Since I wasn't enjoying it much, I decided not to finish it, since it wasn't worth the sodium. After I finished eating, I decided to compare the new menu with a copy of the old menu I still had. Some of their best dishes are no longer available. Where's the Chow Sam Din? Where's the Twice Cooked Pork? Others were missing as well. The two dishes I mentioned were among my favorites. I think they should bring them back if they still have the recipes. I would stay away from the lo mein, but I enjoyed everything else. Still very good food overall, especially for the price, however LC Chen's isn't far away and they are more expensive, but superior.

    New China Wok is across the street from my job and I have tried them once before. I didn't really…read morecare for it the first time so I decided to give it another try. I ordered Fried Chicken and Pork Fried Rice. The chicken was okay but it was a little on the dry side and lacking flavor. The Fried Rice was also lacking flavor. This is the problem I had the last time I ordered food from here before. Additionally, I really don't care for eggs in my rice and they were huge pieces of eggs, which I have seen before but not that huge. The problem is it's just missing flavor and seasoning. Both of the times I went to go get my food the staff are always and very pleasant.

    Photos
    Kitchen and menu
    Kitchen and menu
    Small Vegetable Lo Mein (taken out of original container)
    Small Vegetable Lo Mein (taken out of original container)
    Roast pork egg rolls

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    Roast pork egg rolls

    Merritt Canteen - burgers - Updated August 2026

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