One of my favorite restaurants in the area. Chef Dan is awesome. Almost everything we've tried here has been awesome. The food and atmosphere are casual, but creative. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu, and it's refreshed often. They also have one of the greatest chicken sandwiches in history. read more

I have been here twice and loooooove it! Food: The food here is out of this world! The first time I came I got maybe 7 or 8 tapas to share with my friend. They were all amazing, especially this steak disk with pesto. My suggestion is to experiment with the many tapas that they have because each has it's own marvelous flavor! Atmosphere: this place has a very "Brooklyn-hipster" kind of vibe. I came at night, so they had the candles on the table with the tea lights overhead, and the live smoothing cover songs that were too good to not dance in my seat to. Very nice vibes here! Service: excellent! Absolutely no complaints. Our waiter was attentive, not too attentive, and got us everything that we asked for. Would I recommend? I always do. Will I be back? Yuuuuuuuup! read more

Have you ever had an appetizer that made you say OMG how has the world not figured out how to do this everywhere. Well that's the way we felt we had the crispy brussels sprouts with honey glaze. The cola braised pork belly you could cut with a fork . it was perfectly paired with pickles cucumber and onions . The combination of acidity and fat were a delightful blend allowing for a perfect punctuation of flavor and texture. We both got burgers and both can be highly recommended. One was the Swiss mushroom and the other was a veggie burger. I was dumbfounded at the flavor profile of the veggie burger. The combination of sauces enhance the flavor of the veggie proteins rather than buried it under sauces. It was so good I'd order three more if I could have . The beef burger was that also delightfully balanced and cooked to perfection. Jake was excellent as a server. The atmosphere was casual but the food was outstanding. The menu changes almost daily so you are experiencing fresh ingredients and creative expressions of the chef. read more

A new location deserves a new yelp review. Just when you think you find your favorites on the menu, more menu items come out and wow you. This place is the best. Looking forward to eating here often. If you haven't already, go eat there! read more

Oar & Oak - three plates of food on a table - New American Near Me - Stratford, Connecticut

Found this little gem on Yelp today. Drove up for dinner tonight & were greeted by their super nice Manager. Our waiter Kyle, was spot on with great service and a great attitude. We tried so many delicious small plates like the Mac n' cheese, roasted scallops with tomatoes & artichokes, cornbread with bacon jam, & crispy potatoes. All were so yummy! For dinner we tried the double patty melt and country fried chicken dinner with sausage gravy & grits. Huge portions, perfectly cooked, reasonably priced and so delicious. We will definitely make the trip back out here again! Thanks guys! read more

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Excellent Lunch experience yesterday at Oar and Oak. The manager is very attentive to his customers and helps discover a menu that is not as simple as it looks. Only good surprises there when you discover that the main plate comes with a choice of creative salads. We tested 2 of them and enjoyed every single bite. The beef empanadas are uncommon and their creative presentation added some fun to the tasting. Reasonably priced for the quality and taste you get, I'll go back to confirm this good first impression. read more

My friends and I went here on a whim and boy oh boy was it worth it! The service was fantastic and the food ranked among the best I've ever had! Highly recommended. read more

Hidden back in a plaza in Stratford, If you are at Sikorsky Aircraft, you are about 1 minute away! The chef has created creative tapas that are great for sharing with a friend. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I tried their , usually I don't go for Sangria an but this drink was made for Instagram..... ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ The biggest issue with the menu at @oarandoak_ct? Deciding what to eat.... it had something for everyone. Creative dishes, that don't shy away from flavor. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ These - have lived their best lives...in a broth with added jalapeño and lime. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ is a new spin on a classic favorite with wide noodles and creamy burrata.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Don't miss the , I'm still craving the maple bacon jam..⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ My favorite dish of the night was this perfectly cooked . The marinated long hits and chorizo sausage really made this dish special. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ Looking forward to visiting this place many more times! Thanks so much to the staff for a great night. Who's coming with me next?! read more

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Gotta say, I was NOT expecting this place to be even HALF as amazing as it was. Really knocked it out of the park. The ambiance was cozy and beachy and very comfortable. Staff was right on the ball and made us feel welcome. The FOOD though, man oh man, sooo good. We didn't have one thing that we didn't love, but whatever you do...GET THE POTATOES. I wanted to eat them until I died. This place is about 2 hours from my house but I'm looking forward to making a trip out soon just to go back for another great culinary adventure. read more

What an amazing new restaurant! The food is literally amazing!! Prices are great. The waitress was phenomenal! The seat are comfortable and the entire space is so welcoming! I had the chicken and waffles and my husband had the chicken parm sandwich and wow! We'll definitely be back! read more

Duck Condit, croquettes and Brussels spouts were delicious, as was the beer from Tribus.

Absolutely amazing. I rarely give 5 stars, quite possibly this is the 3rd one I have ever given. We have been looking to venture out of Westport as my wife and I feel the restaurant scene is lacking compared to other places in Fairfield county and especially other areas across the US. We came across Oar and Oak on Yelp. It's located a little off the beat and path in Stratford in a shopping center. If you didn't know about it on Yelp or social media you would never know it exists. It's consists of a seating area and bar. We have been twice both on Saturday's and it was never packed and let's keep it that way. The menu changes on an ongoing basis consisting of a lot of local ingredients. They have many small tapas and a fee entrees every night. We had the Scallops and the shrimp and grits. Both were exceptional. I always enjoyed the shrimp and grits and Hun and Spoke but these were on a different level. The sausage they use gave it the perfect flavor. For main course the most recent time I had the Southern Fried chicken with sausage gravy. It came boneless which I loved. I have not had this good of fried chicken since my friend Chef Michael Ferraro sold Delicatessen in NYC. My wife had the Salmon this most recent time which she enjoyed although she enjoyed the gnocchi bolognese more which we had the first time. You cannot forget about the desserts which change on a daily basis. I strongly recommend trying whatever they have. You will not be disappointed. The owner was extremely friendly as were all the other employees. If I had one suggestion the wine list is fairly limited. The food is top notch and it needs a few more premium choices to go with this level of food. Can't wait to go back. read more

Worst meal of the year! We came for restaurant week to try the new restaurant. You would think restaurants would lure new diners in with their best dishes but that wasn't our experience last night. I ordered the arugula salad and the pork cutlet, my husband the clam chowder and the shrimp and grits. We each ordered a bottle of beer which came without glasses, subsequently provided. In short order my husband's soup appeared. It was hot but very salty. He started waiting for my salad to arrive but I advised him to have his soup while it was hot. Good thing too since I actually had to flag a server and ask after my salad when he was almost done. I questioned why they had brought out the soup when my salad was not made and I was told they brought it out when it was hot - what? I advised the waiter that two dishes in the same course should be delivered to the table at the same time and he told me he would be sure our entrees came out at the same time - again what? What kind of restaurant needs to be reminded to do this? Well the dishes did come out at the same time but they may as well have left them in the kitchen and tossed them in the garbage. We managed to eat half of the small portions but all I can say is we must have been very hungry. The pork cutlet was overly browned on the outside, but in fairness not burnt. Someone thought it was a good idea to top it with a mayonnaise based coleslaw with pickles(?) and a fried egg on top of that. What a disgusting mess. No side by the way - just the cutlet on a lunch sized plate with the mess on top. The egg was nicely cooked but the coleslaw with pickles I pushed to the side. The "shrimp and grits" was served in a bowl equal to the soup bowl the soup course came in. The grits were appropriately soupy for a soup bowl but not for any shrimp and grits I ever tasted. The worst was the stringy ham in the "sauce". I made the mistake of tasting it thinking it must be a tasty morsel of tasso ham. Honestly, I don't know what it was other than a disgusting fatty mess. Maybe they do a good job with their normal menu but you couldn't ever get me back to this place. Horrible on every level. read more

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I'm a Californian/New Yorker who is always on a hunt for unique dining menu and experience. I dined at Oar & Oak this past Saturday night and completely exceeded my expectations. The Tapas selection is divine and ordered majority of the meal from the selection. The staff, ambiance, and couch seating area made the experience even more enjoyable. It's truly a gem of Stratford and highly recommend it! read more

Great restaurant! Our family stopped here on the way up to MA, and were delighted with the food and the service. My son has a host of allergies that make eating out difficut, but here they were able to modify a dish on the menu so it wouldn't have dairy and to come up with another solution to work around his allergy to red meat and garlic. My husband and I had the tapas, which we loved. Though we were surprised to see American food presented tapas-style, Oar and Oak makes it work. We had the meatball, scallops, tuna and cornbread and every single one was delicious. We'll definitely be back next time we make this trip! read more

We just left from an excellent (and reasonably priced meal) at Oar and Oak. One advantage of their tapas or small plate menu is that you can get a wider range of dishes than you would if your just ordered full-sized entrees. My beautiful wife and I had 5 tapas plates, a salad and drinks and with the tip we didn't spend $100. I wanna say something about the prices here. Thirty years ago we would go dining in Brooklyn and spend $100-$120 for two people in a place of equal (or lesser quality). Given inflation that same meal from 1989 should cost $243, not less than $100 with tip. So there's that. If you want to dine out with a family of four for less than $120 in Fairfield County you're talking fast casual at best. Or the College Football Champions Clemson's dinner at the White House, where paper cups bearing the presidential seal held the fries. If you want to eat out at a place that has a real, engaged chef and-is this pretentious-a vision of what he wants to serve, you'll really enjoy Oar & Oak. The food was uniformly excellent. Lobster mash-where have you been all my life? The duck tapas hit all the right notes, with just the perfect touch of cherry sweetness. My wife had the kale salad because she's trying to be a hipster, but redeemed herself by ordering the yellow tail which was awesomely good. The young woman who was our server was extra helpful and super nice, as we both made up questions about the menu just to make her needlessly run back and forth to the kitchen. She was quick, and soon we ran out of fake questions. Stratford has a reputation of being narrow-minded in the types of restaurants it favors. That's why when a place like Oar and Oak comes along that expands the palate in unexpected ways we should support it. Every meal in town doesn't have to come with fries, does it? read more

Bummed that Parker moved. Their new location sucks and their food has never met the quality. Good news! Oar & Oak moved on and have filled the gap. Simple menu with decent, high quality food. Exactly what Parker had at the same location. Different items than Parker but same concept. Salmon and Brussels sprouts delish. read more

Stopped by late and the service was very good. Ambiance not so different from Parker that was here before, but in a way it felt more open. Good beer selection. Very comfortable. Owner was on site and is a great guy! We'll be back for certain! read more

Truly a gem in stratford. Many well prepared and thought out tapas plates plus great burgers and entrée to choose from. Good cocktails, nice bar, and friendly well trained wait staff. read more

Oar & Oak - New American Near Me - Stratford, Connecticut

Tried this new place for the first time tonight, and likely the last. Oar & Oak occupies the spot recently vacated by Parker, and it shares one major problem with its predecessor- poor acoustics. This is not a quiet spot - normal conversation level is somehow amplified with even 1/3 capacity. The water in glasses and the refill bottle were room temperature, not off to a good start. There is no excuse for room temperature or warm water. The three of us were all underwhelmed byvthe menu choices - there were maybe a dozen "tapas" and 6 entrees to choose from. The "crispy potato" tapas was not bad, basically sectioned potatoes with scallions and bacon. The "roasted scallops" tapas was reported to be very good - I do not eat seafood and did not sample. Both were a bit pricey. Avacado and crab Toast, exactly what it sounds like. Avocado and crab, with a spicy sauce, on toast. Good, but not very exciting. The only burger on the menu was a bacon mushroom and Swiss burger.... I opted to skip the mushrooms and swap Swiss for cheddar. I was not asked how I preferred it, but it arrived perfect with just the right amount of pink center. However, $13.00 for a burger that arrives with no fries, no sides at all, is excessive. All of the food was good to very good, but the high prices and warm water are enough to keep me from coming back. read more

Ambiance is great with live music some evenings. I always tell them to go lite on the maple dressing for my Brussel sprouts, and it comes out perfect every time! I know they're known for their chicken sandwiches, but I'm the burger type. I've never had their chicken sandwiches, but their burgers are great! Cornbread with bacon jam is delicious as well. However, their Mac and cheese needs a bit of revamping. Service from their bartender and servers are always excellent! read more

Great little gem tucked away in Stratford! Went there with my wife and son and had a great meal. Weight staff was very attentive and the place had a great atmosphere. We had the following, Shrooms, Grilled Flank Steak, Roasted Scallops, Duck and the Scallops. Yeah, scallops were so good we went for another order. If we were not on a no carb diet, i would have requested bread to sop of the juices left behind! Our son had their burger with just cheddar (offered substitute thank you) and bacon. Shocked and happy to see a 7 year old devour the whole thing and love the brioche bun. I stole a quick bite when we was not looking and the meat was absolutely delicious. Would love to see the wine menu expanded just a bit to offer a few more high end wines but other than that, can't think of a single issue we had or a reason we will not be back again and again read more

Went for brunch yesterday. The staff seemed disinterested. The booth seating was awful. You could feel the springs in the cushion. What you order on the menu is the only thing you will get. I understand food costs have gone up but to get the eggs Benedict with nothing at all on the plate extra such as some fruit or even hash browns for that price was disappointing at best. My daughter got the chicken sandwich. And that was it on the plate. Nothing to even make it look more appealing. It would be nice to have a little bit more on the plate for the prices that are charged read more

Holy crap! Just ate off the food truck at Tribus brewery, and it is amaaaaaaazing. Had the John Madden, a country fried turkey with bacon jam, cornbread stuffing made with foie gras and duck fat, and what I assume is homemade bacon jam. Ordered one to share, realized our error, and ordered a second. It was a large serving, but just so damn good we wanted more. Highly recommend. read more

Came for lunch today. Both my husband and I had burgers. They were delicious. The crispy potatoes with the bacon and the jam were outstanding. I also had the beet salad with deep fried goat cheese which was also really good. I love having different foods put together in interstellar ways . The inside is really cute and nice and clean. If we're back in the area I would love to come for dinner. read more

Love the small tapas and overall menu! Lots of options for vegetarians. Nice wine selection. Will definitely go back ** they've eliminated some of their vegetarian options off the menu e.g. beets and mushrooms, wish they would add back or add some new vegetarian options read more

I'm hooked o their lamb burger and potatoes with cheese & bacon jam. Have tried their salmon equally great. Their dessert offerings unique and delicious. I highly recommend! read more

We made last minute reservations at Oar and Oak for a Mother's Day celebration and could not have been happier with the decision! All the food was absolutely amazing (and we sampled nearly all of the tapas)! The atmosphere was enjoyable and the service was outstanding. Definitely will be going back! read more

Good food but to expensive and it's all al a carte. There was a good selection of different kinds of drinks and entrees. read more

Amazing food! We got the beef empanada (could have had 3!) potato croquettes, Brussels sprouts, duck confit, and garlic parm wings. The service was excellent and they have the nicest staff. EXTRA bonus was the speak-easy style room that you can rent out for parties! They have a huge projector in there, a bar, acres to its own kitchen, and a great ambiance. It looked like an incredible place to have a group! We can't wait to go back. read more

Oh my. Just on my. I would really love to keep this place a secret. But I can't. I want the world to know how good this place is. New England Clam Chowder. Hands down the best I've ever had. Not even a comparison. Tapas: Asparagus. Just oh my. With the egg on top, and the salty prosciutto.... I'm so full. I couldn't stop eating. My burger was cooked to perfection. The black pepper aioli was soooo good. My husband and I have found our new date night place. We will be back! read more

We had dinner here for my mom's birthday, it was nearby and looked pretty good. And it was. There being six of us we ordered almost everything on the menu and had zero complaints about the food or the cocktails. The place looks nice and is spacious. There were definite cons though. The live music was way too loud. Some things were misheard but I couldn't blame our waitress because we could barely communicate with her (my family members are not exactly soft spoken) and we couldn't hear each other talk. The singer had a great voice, but we all agreed it was obtrusive. The runner and the waitress made comments about being nearly deaf by the end of the night. More of a bar vibe rather than a family dinner. Secondly, every single thing we asked for took forever to come out. I've done the job, I can gauge pretty well how long food should take to come out, it was extraordinarily long. So that was a bummer. Overall it was middle of the road. 2.5 stars. Might come back for a drink if they get rid of the live music.. read more

I went to the Birdhouse, which is the adjacent take-out only spot. Got the '63 Stingray. Incredible. Food was ready on time. Chicken was juicy, but not too big. Sometimes these places make chicken sandwiches with big huge cutlets and its overwhelming. They did it right. Sauce was good but not slathered all over the place. Caramelized onions were good but not overpowering. Even the fries were good; some places struggle with fries. Then to top it off they sell the little glass bottles of Coke. Good stuff. read more

As a chef I am constantly on a look out for a place to enjoy quality food, at an affordable rate, with delicious flavor. Oar & Oak is all that and more! Great atmosphere, phenomenal food, great prices and local Ideals. If this place falls on your radar, go check it out, you will not be disappointed! read more

Stopped in for a quick lunch with a few co-workers and was very happy with the experience! The restaurant is very nicely decorated, very trendy and inviting. The food was extremely fresh and delicious! I had the Grilled Chicken over a Bibb Salad with white balsamic dressing that was very good. Doesn't sound like much but it had a ton of flavor and was prepared with fresh, local ingredients just as the menu states! Will certainly be back! read more

dropping down to 3 stars. our 2nd visit was disappointing. on an early saturday night several items were sold out. service was slow. acoustic band way too loud. we were forced to sit on the side of the restaurant with hi-top seating. i've never sat on seats so uncomfortable before in my life. the seating service rivaled the size of a stamp. my a$$ will not forgive me for this i'll try again, but they ought to consider more comfortable seating.. read more

Wow! Absolutely delicious food! Strawberry & arugula on toast with prosciutto, burrata, pistachios and honey was amazing! Fries with short ribs ragu and burrata was scrumptious. Best chicken sandwich hubby has ever had! Highly recommend read more

Best new restaurant around! Granted we haven't sat inside for our meals, love you Uber Eats, but the quality and taste is amazing. Menu is small but everything is so good!! Short ribs, chicken and grits, bolognese and corn bread are our favorites! Can't wait to eat there. read more

The salmon was amazing Very delicious and great flavors. The potatoes with bacon is a must try, they add maple syrup to it and it just tastes like heaven! read more

The food here is incredible! We came as a group of 5 adults and 2 kids and enjoyed everything. We tried many of the small plates and one entree, the country fried chicken. We tried the crispy brussel sprouts, the short rib, fried chicken sandwich, sweet potatoes and fried cheese as small plates and loved them all. Large serving sizes for entrees made those shareable too. Desserts were all fantastic as well. We will definitely be back. Don't let the strip mall location and exterior fool you--this is one of the best places to eat in the Greater New Haven area! read more