The Charles…read more Delicious food and a great atmosphere in beautiful Old Wethersfield We love the vibe here!

Food: 3.8/5 Service: 3.4/5…read moreAmbiance: 3.7/5 Value: 3.6/5 The Charles is a nice upscale restaurant on Main Street in Wethersfield which opened in 2020 and quickly made Connecticut magazine's list of best restaurants. It is inside an old house of some sort, so it has a charming ambiance. They have a small parking lot so the spaces are a bit tight. Then, although we were on time for our 8:15pm reservation, we found out that they didn't have a table for us on the main floor, which is bad because my parents have mobility issues and cannot climb stairs. They asked us if we would be ok waiting five or ten minutes. Sure, that was fine we said. The host was very reassuring and he let us know that the corner table near the fireplace was finishing up and he'd get it bussed promptly. So that was good. But after we sat down we experienced service issues. Many items were unavailable. No orrechiete. No crab cakes. No sirloin special. It was weird. We hadn't arrived that late, on a Saturday night, how could so many dishes be sold out/unavailable? We ended up going with the scotch egg $11 and butternut squash arancini balls $12 for appetizers, which were both great. The scotch egg was a decent size and came with a mini salad. The arancini balls were small, but the truffle gorgonzola fontina cheese filling was really nice. Entrees were not bad. My Berkshire pork chop cooked medium was tender enough and had decent flavor. My Dad's veal ribs over mac and cheese were really good. My Mom's wagyu burger was tasty and my sister's salad was satisfactory. However the cost of the additional protein to the salad seems high (Grilled Chicken +14 / Seared Salmon +16/ Grilled Shrimp +21 / Churrasco Steak +24). The drinks were well made, but took a while to get to us. The "Charles... In Charge!" with old forester bourbon, montenegro, spiced cherry bitters, luxardo $15 was a hit. My Dad enjoyed his $17 Manhattan made with Angel's Envy bourbon. My $11 FreeBird mocktail was refreshing. Yet, throughout the night we found it difficult to get our server's attention. All four dishes did not arrive simultaneously. We had to flag someone down for more silverware after the appetizers were cleared. Right at the end when we were ready to pay, she got tied up listening to a couple at a neighboring table tell her a story or something. This must have been quite a yarn because she was totally enrapt and oblivious to our needs. We started wondering whether our table was actually her responsibility or not. Finally she came by and we let her know we were done, no dessert or after dinner drinks, just the check and a few boxes for takeout please. This was a new restaurant that we hadn't tried before, and maybe I took a risk by booking it for my Dad's 89th birthday, which was supposed to be special. Our experience was okay, and maybe we'd go again in the future, but there were too many more ups and downs this evening than I would have liked for a special occasion. I am rounding up to four stars overall, even though on this particular evening I didn't think each individual component met that mark exactly.

Bear's is always great. I got their 3 meat combo with pulled pork, moink balls, and brisket topped…read morewith Texas Pepper sauce. Their mac n cheese is also very creamy and delicious. The beans have a goot amount of meat with a tangy bbq sauce flavor. Service is friendly and helpful. This is my favorite Bear's location because the ambiance is a fun southern style cafeteria style with a nice bar to the right as you walk in.

I was really looking to trying this spot out for the first time, but it was pretty underwhelming…read more The style of the venue was fitting, but I didn't realize it was cafeteria style. I felt like it took away from what the experience should have been for $50 dollars worth of food. I got the ribs, brisket, mac and cheese, broccoli salad and the smoked wings. Ribs were top tier and I wish I just got a half rack of them as the brisket was dry and flavorless. Had to have it smothered in the BBQ sauce to have it taste like anything. The sauce was amazing but good meat shouldn't need a ton of sauce. Mac and Cheese was so bland we needed to add salt to it. Smoked chicken wings were above average but nothing I would be running back for and didn't have a strong smoky flavor. There are better options out there for a kick as wing. For the price, I was expecting to have my socks blown off and that did not happen. Better smokehouse places in CT that knock it out of the park with flavorful sides and meats.

I'm back! Welcome to Carmine's! The restaurant is located on 389 Main St. in East Hartford. It's…read morecold in here! The temperature has got to be 55 degrees (the way Carmine likes it). I live the nice music in here. It's very livel! It's Happy Hour from 3-7 on weekdays (food) and all day for drinks on Monday! The kitchen here makes everything built fresh, from scratch, and all homemade. The appetizers, pasta, entrees and desserts combine old-world traditional Italian flavor with a modern flair for presentation, and the freshest ingredients around. Menu staples like calamari, chicken milanese, fettucine carbonara and ravioli are paired with unique recipes like pappardelle with sausage and tenderloin steaks. They have staffed their kitchen with a dream team of local chefs that ensure our quality does not waiver and our kitchen is always OPEN! Not every place can say that! For my first drink, I'm having the Manhattan's Creek made with Knob Creek bourbon, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth and Angostura bitters. Wait a minute! These are the same ingredients as a Perfect Manhattan! This is chilled, well balanced and nicely garnished. I like it! For my first food item, I'm having a House Salad (small, off-menu version). This is made with a spring mix including basil, tomatoes, julienned carrots, cucumbers and a red wine vinaigrette dressing. This is nice and fresh! I love the dressing! I like the nice cloth napkin as well as a disposable one. The bartender is the nicest one I've ever met. For my next item, I'm having the Rigatoni Marinara. The is made with rigatoni and house marinara sauce. It's low cholesterol and guilt-free (for me). This is steaming hot and delicious! Nice portion size too! For my next item, I'm having a cup of soup. This is broccoli cheddar with potato. Oh yeah! I love those oyster crackers! This is yummy! For my next drink, I'm having the Pratt n Whiskey made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, sweet vermouth, red wine and sour mix. I love it! It's shaken well and tastes great! For my next food item, I'm having the Carmine's Secret Tenderloins. These are actually pan seared caramelized CHICKEN tenderloins made with wine, olive oil, cracked black pepper, kosher salt, shredded Parmesan and a VERY special secret sauce. I can eat this with little regret. This should be interesting! This is quite good! I do like that creamy sauce! For my dessert, I'm having the Toasted Almond. This is soaked in Amaretto layered with light custard and topped with crushed almond. Oh yeah! Look at the presentation! This is fantastic! What a great meal here!

Random selection in my travels off Rt 84. Food was delicious and I happily stumbled on live music…read more Mixed crowd Cappuccino gelato truffle, JD tips over pasta and 1/2 Caesar salad

Food didn't disappoint!!! Service was good…read more It's a great place I will come back when I'm in town

Finally I got the chance to get brunch at one of the most instagramable restaurants in Hartford !…read more Located right across trinity collage , parking is sparse , however customers are able to park across the street ! The ambiance was amazing I felt transport to the early 2000s with the music playing we got ne-yo , akin , old school Mariah Carey , Nelly ! Fabulous vibe . They have booth and table seating . Staff was very nice and friendly they were so sweet and attentive!! To start off I ordered the caramel cappuccino which was delicious highly recommend and presentation was top tier ! My husband got the hot chocolate which was really good ! And perfect to cozy up to this winter season ! Next I got the banana split French toast ! Yes and it was AMAZING ! If you have a sweet tooth , love French toast and ice cream ! This is the one for you !! I added an extra Nutella drizzle on top of the caramel drizzle ( and it was perfection !) highly recommended! My husband got the western omelette which he enjoyed the home fries were one of our top favourites !! They offer so many options with large portions. from pancakes/ waffles / eggs to lunch options ! Fabulous presentation of food and drinks and delicious too ! Definitely can't wait to be back! And try more food options

All pre-packaged. 3 hard-boiled eggs, an Okio yogurt and a regular coffee = $20…read more Employee was nice and professional.

I should have read the reviews but the weather kept me at this 'restaurant'. The lone server was…read morenot only crass having been bothered with a question, but all around miserable. NOTHING is fresh. The food is frozen and heated in this industrial convection oven. When she "checked" on me about the 3 bites of the omelette I said it was gross - Mamaw wanted to jump over the table in 75 year old attack mode. I was not mentally ready for full on WWE - then when I asked for a refund, one would have thought I kicked her feral cat. WALK TF AWAY

Sunday brunch was great! The DJ (Shawn (sp)) amazing! The vibe was everything! The food delicious!…read moreQiyaa amazing bartender super friendly and made fabulous drinks! The do bottomless mimosas for $25 but they are premade so initially I opted for that but the pitchers can sit around so bubbles get flat. I ended up just purchasing a bottle of the Wycliff and it' has a screw top so you can take it home if you don't finish. Honestly it was only $5 more than bottomless, you can poor it yourself and they can provide a side of juice if needed. I personally think it's better than doing the bottomless. Will come again!

Great food & drinks - best buffalo cauliflower I've tried. We sat and ate lunch at the bar on a…read moreSaturday afternoon. Bar tender was very nice and attentive.

I ordered a fried chicken sandwich with Parmesan fries through DoorDash. The sandwich was pretty…read moregood--the chicken was crispy with a nice hint of spice, and the chipotle aioli had a great kick. But they forgot the avocado, which was a major disappointment since it's listed as one of the main ingredients. The Parmesan fries didn't hold up. They were soggy and lacked that bold Parmesan flavor I was expecting--not nearly enough cheese, and overall just underwhelming. Delivery was on time, so props there, but the accuracy and quality missed the mark. I've been to Wood-N-Tap in person before and really liked the vibe--fun, welcoming, and upbeat. That's why this delivery experience was a bit of a letdown. Three stars for decent flavor and past good experiences, but I expected better consistency--even with takeout.

I love this Hartford location - it has parking! There's a lot across from the building, and…read moreauxiliary parking across the street next to an apartment building. There's also pickup parking next to the restaurant for take out and delivery drivers. You can make reservations online. Inside there are a combination of tables and booths. I went during their St. Patrick's day menu, which was very good! They had house-made Irish cream that I wish they would bottle. The corned beef and cabbage was a little overly cinnamoned, but otherwise very tasty. The baked potato soup was tasty with lots of ingredients inside. The staff were very nice and friendly. If you made a reservation just be clear about the time and number of people it's for, otherwise it may cause confusion and a call during dinner asking where you are! :⁠-⁠)

Like a moth drawn to the light, I was attracted to this restaurant walking by. I love an upscale…read morevibe - and a restaurant that takes care to craft a comfortable atmosphere usually means my patronage will mean an evening spent well, and this place delivered! Most notably, the food was especially delicious and full of flavor and texture, albeit salt being a bit heavy on the pallet, but not overbearing so. Good date night location!

Got a reservation at 5 for Monday night and we're the only customers here for the first 1/2 hour…read moreuntil a group of gal friends met at the bar and livened things up. Beautiful ambience, classy, quiet music in the background. Molly our server was friendly, attentive, and helped us especially with selecting our dessert. We ordered the old fashioned and Negroni from the happy hour menu to start with. They were so delicious that my husband went to talk to the bartender to find out how the particulars of how the Negroni was concocted. We ordered the baby gem Caesar salad and chicken katsu sandwich from the happy hour menu and the steak frites from the dinner menu which comes with skinny fries and arugula salad, Everything was well seasoned and delicious. To top it all off we shared a chocolate chip bread pudding (thanks for the recommendation, Molly!) Super happy with the whole dining experience. 5/5

This spot has five stars so I wanted to join in on singing their praises!…read more I first noticed Alebrijes on a walk around the neighborhood because of their brightly colored sign. Inside follows suit with colorful booths and Mexican ponchos and tapestries on the walls. Service is super friendly and quick! I got the steak tacos, and the meat was very juicy and tender. The onions and cilantro refresh and since I ordered the homemade tortillas, they were amazing. I'll be back!

Alebrijes is a new, Mexican fusion restaurant on Maple Ave in the Hartford South End still in its…read more"Grand Opening" phase. The artistic and colorful sign caught my eye when I recently drove by. Given the attention paid to aesthetics of the sign, I figured they might successfully execute the food on a similar level. They do. The inside of Alebrijes started on the modest side, but was loved into something more special. The accent pieces include Oaxacan animal folk art adorned seat ends, vibrant streamers, wall hangings, traditional sombreros, etc. What could have been a brief stopping off point for quality takeout, is an inviting dining area where multiple tables of people were eating lunch. The menu includes both Mexican and American food, and food inspired to varying degrees by both. They're open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast includes orders such as burritos, French Toast, chorizo hash and breakfast sandwiches. Lunch and dinner offerings include tacos, burritos, fajitas, tortas, more elaborate entrees, and dishes that are outside my vocabulary. I ordered the "Memelas", with pork pastor. New word for me. A memela is a thin cake made of masa and then fried. In Alebrijes's version, it presented as a heartier soft corn tortilla taco. It was topped with the pastor (including pineapple pieces), shredded cabbage, queso fresco, refried beans, "pork spread", cilantro, onions and "guacamole sauce". It's served with your choice of red salsa or green salsa, which of course means I ordered both. The Memelas were very good and I would definitely order them again. The pork was tasty and had good texture. The other toppings were on point. The salsas were terrific. Getting salsa to such a dense rich red, must require knowledge, skill and ingredients beyond me. The salsa verde was very good too. I also ordered a side of chorizo hash. One of the best hash's I've had in a while, although it presented more like seasoned home fries with fresh sautéed green peppers and onions, and delicious chorizo. Alebrijes may be a bit off your normal path, but it's well worth finding. Alebrijes deserves to be found. 4.5 Stars

New spot in Hartford and it's right off the highway with a great little patio. The server was…read moreattentive funny and friendly. The prices are great and the food is authentic Puerto Rican food. Very delicious! They also have great bar food. The wings are my fave. Can't wait to go back.

Delicious food, great hospitality. I had the lunch special with fried pork, plantains, and rice…read moreand beans. You better believe I ate every bean and every grain of rice. And I was treated very well.