Amazing place, the service is good and the owner is awesome. I would highly recommend

After a Second Chance, I'm Officially Bowing Out This was my second attempt at giving The Social Bar a fair shot, and unfortunately, absolutely nothing has changed. You would think a spot would be packed for Sunday brunch, but we walked in to a completely dead restaurant--just two couples sitting at the bar. We got seated, but it quickly became clear that the bartender (who I assume was also the manager) was the only person working the entire front of the house. The Service & Wait To say the service was slow is an understatement. It took so long just to put in an order that we were highly tempted to walk out. The only reason we stayed was because we had an hour to kill. While the bartender was genuinely friendly--and even nicely gave me the last of the batch he had mixed--the good attitude simply couldn't make up for the agonizingly long wait. The Drinks & Food The Mimosa: It was a premixed blend that was about 90% orange juice and 10% champagne. The Fries: The lone bright spot of the meal. They were nicely seasoned and easily the best part of the experience. The Side Caesar Salad: I really wanted to love the Caesar dressing because it actually tasted homemade. Sadly, it was so incredibly overloaded with salt that I'm genuinely shocked I'm not blind. After two strikes and two back-to-back fails, I'll sadly have to bow out from giving this place a third chance. There are too many other spots to choose from to waste time on slow service and unexecuted food. read more

The Social Bar + Kitchen - Caesar salad - New American Near Me - New London, Connecticut

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Sounds like the time to go and have a reservation is for Brunch. Went for dinner on Monday before a show at the Garde. Made a reservation, just in case but it was not needed. The place is very big, so if you are going with a group or family they have the space. There is a small awkward parking lot in the back, so mostly street parking. Arrived (party of 4) just after 5pm, took a few minutes to be sat, even though the place was empty. One bartender and one waitress. Received two menus and were told to scan the QR code on the table, seemed odd. It took a while to give our order, so we ordered everything at once. Wings, truffle fries to start. Scallop Risotto, Fish& chips, fried shrimp basket and caesar salad with chicken. Drinks arrived minus one because they were out of the whiskey, provided a replacement, but the drink never came to the table. Food was ok. The fried things were very tasty and well made. The wings were nice, tender and good sauce/flavor. Truffle fires were good, little heavy on the truffle oil, but tasty Scallops were prepared well but the "risotto" was more like rice pilaf. The caesar salad was nicely dressed, the added chicken was grill to as close to raw and still be "cooked". It was very soft and chewy - that was pushed to the side. If you go, stick to the bar, brunch, apps, or something fired. I think this place is good if you go when they are fully staffed or something. I would happy choose someplace else if I were in town for a show. read more

Sooooo many crafts beers and ciders on draft. The bartender is happy to let you sample prior to making yoir selection. Can't decide? Get a flight. Extremely reasonable prices and free parking. The area is a little sketchy. I was mean mugged by some lady while walking by her for zero reason. Lock your car and perhaps carry some pepper spray but try it out. Food is good for bar food. Yummy wraps and hand cut fries. read more

Came here for happy hour and it was great! Bartender was super attentive and friendly. They also had a TON of beer options on tap, and a few that were part of happy hour ($2 off). The food we ordered was delicious, I wish we tried more!! I would definitely go back. read more

The Social Bar + Kitchen - Happy hour fried chicken sliders - $5 - YUMMMM - New American Near Me - New London, Connecticut

Decided to stop in after stopping for sushi. Great spot for a quick drink with friends or just to start the night off. In Bloom is perfect for those with a sweet tooth. I asked for a splash of cranberry with mine. She didn't hesitate to accommodate. She Made it more pink colored which meets my visual needs lol. Love pink colored drinks. Staff was helpful, kind and quick. You can hear and see the trains in the background too. Tool boxes at and around the bar is pretty cool for those fellow mechanics out there that need a 2nd home. So much beer on tap. 55 plus... read more

The Social Bar + Kitchen - In Bloom - New American Near Me - New London, Connecticut

A fantastic intimate, yet roomy venue for live music. Service was outstanding, staff was friendly and professional and food was delicious, but be sure to save room for dessert...The Cakes are Out of this World Good! It's on Bank St in New London, so be mindful of your surroundings, otherwise, a great place to unwind and have a good time! read more

Would give 5 stars for the beer and friendly/fun service. The beer selection had a very wide variety with so many options that it made it hard for me to pick which beer went into my flight. Unfortunately, I was not super impressed by the food. The French toast in my brunch sandwich was really mushy, while the sausage patty was overcooked and hard. Would return for the beer for sure, but would consider going elsewhere for food. read more

The Social Bar + Kitchen - Flight - New American Near Me - New London, Connecticut

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I've been to The Social before, but my experience last night really compelled me to write a review for the first time. Pool tables are not plentiful in New London. On a Sunday afternoon, the only spot open with a pool table was the Social. So to the Social we went. The table is fully functioning, even, properly felted, & with decent space all around it. There were quite a few ques to choose from & lots of chalk. It's a dollar per game, quarters only. We played 10 games, totally uninterrupted. The large space can be a bit eerie when it's empty, but we totally didn't mind. It was exactly what we envisioned for our quiet Sunday afternoon. We ordered a few drinks at the bar with a very kind, attentive bartender. He made us an excellent old-fashioned, many soda waters with bitters, & a good pour of Slane, one of my favorite Irish whiskeys. After about 6 games, we were beginning to feel a bit hungry, so I took a look at the menu. Chicken wings were really speaking to me, so once we confirmed that the cajun dry rub was gluten-free, we placed an order for 6 wings. They came out piping hot, well-seasoned, & perfectly cooked. I was pleasantly surprised & will definitely be thinking about those for a while. Around game 8 we noticed that the music had changed from mild alternative rock to very explicit rap. I'm a big rap fan, so it's not that I was being a grumpy curmudgeon for no good reason, but it really didn't fit the vibe. I mused out loud about the jarring change & how it was killing our simple Sunday vibe. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of an employee BOOK it to the other side of the restaurant. The music changed within the minute. I really didn't intend to be a brat about the music, I promise. That being said, that was a very efficient response to a solvable issue. Management is paying attention, clearly, & they're doing a great job. Nicely done, Social Team. We'll definitely be back. read more

I have been to the Social on two occasions and both times have left me underwhelmed. The atmosphere and location are great for the type of restaurant it is, but the food and drinks were unimpressive. As a vegetarian, there were not many options. I chose to get the Thai chili tofu, which was soggy. The drinks were too strong (which I know shouldn't be a complaint, but it is a complaint when the drink is actually undrinkable). The second time I went was for trivia. The event itself was well organized and fun but the food was still underwhelming. I would not return just for food, but maybe for an event (such as a drag brunch or trivia). read more

I come here often due to being within walking distance and the past few times have been very disappointing. My previous two visits my partner and I felt forgotten about, during one of them having to approach the bar to receive silverware and get the check as our server didn't check on us at all during our meal. We returned because we enjoy the street corn dip that came with the somewhat recent menu change. Last night however we unfortunately felt forgotten about again even though the section we were in was not crowded. We waited about 10 minutes after sitting down to be asked about our drink order, and those drinks did not arrive until we had already received our appetizer from a food runner and completed the appetizer. Once our food came out we waited a few minutes approach another staff member for ketchup and a missing side of sauce I had asked for with my meal. We did not see our server until they asked us if we were ready for the check :( Really unfortunate to feel like we no longer want to come due to lack of service, and unfortunately we swore off the to go service due to the food quality not being equivalent to dining in (burnt fries, smaller portions, etc.) It's a nice place to stop quickly drink but I think we will avoid dinner service from now on read more

One of the best happy hour menus around with a warm, cozy vibe and friendly service. This is become my go-to bar when I'm in the area. They also serve brunch on the weekends. My first brunch there a year ago was incredible. They have since simplified the menu and, frankly, our most recent visit for brunch a couple of weekends ago left a lot to be desired. Everything came out looking like it was carelessly thrown together and not at all worth the price of food. The gravy was broken and oily, the berry compote featured still frozen berries and didn't even come with the pancakes as was promised by the menu until we asked for them. Overall, I am giving The Social the benefit of the doubt with and will give their brunch another chance, but only because all of our previous happy hour and brunch experiences there have been lovely. Highly recommend. read more

Wow the Crispy Cauliflower left me in shock at how perfectly crispy and flavorful it was. The chicken bites were great and the salad was big enough to even share. We had a few drinks and all was great. Our server was James and he was on top of everything for us. The ambience is always great here but tonight they had a Trumpet Band and it was the bomb. The place was packed! But enough space between tables. Parking is always easy so never worry in this area. read more

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The food was good across the board. The service was great. Friendly, happily accommodated my 4 year old. Solid cocktail and beer menu as well. I would definitely go back for the fried cauliflower! My daughter loved it and bonus - it reheated perfectly! We arrived for brunch on the earlier side, so it was pretty quiet, but by the time we left it was really filling up. There is definitely an old mill city vibe, especially in the bathroom I would definitely go back! read more

The Social Bar + Kitchen - Beautiful bathroom - selfie worthy! - New American Near Me - New London, Connecticut

Surprisingly excellent pub fair! From the bar - great selection of beer (seriously, so hard to choose just four per flight!) and the Mr. Right Now cocktail was the perfect twist on a Manhattan. Now the food. With two kids (who can be very particular) plus a carnivore and vegetarian in the mix, finding a spot that appeases all can be tough. The Social nailed it. The specifics, you ask? Well, the wings were awesome; juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside just like they should be. The Buffalo sauce was flavorful and not overpoweringly spicy. The fried cauliflower app was light and airy and evoked the same satisfaction of a perfectly cooked calamari for while accommodating the vegetarian of the group. Burgers - perfectly cooked to temp with an artisanal bun. Fries were done "dirty" with some light seasoning and lots of texture. Pair that with the house ranch and everyone was diving in. The Mac and cheese was rich and creamy, served in a crock that kept it piping hot all meal long with a great cheesy crust. The "sweet Thai" chicken sandwich was a little outside the box, brining together Thai spice/pineapple marinade with a peanut sauce and it delivered - perfect execution. We felt safe and comfortable dining inside during COVID. Everything was spacious and all staff followed guidelines to a T. Great service and a great experience for our family. read more

The Social Bar + Kitchen - Sweet Thai & pineapple thigh, beer flight - New American Near Me - New London, Connecticut

I've said it before and I'll say it a dozen more times...I love The Social and the staff there. Recently visited after they reopened in early November and felt very comfortable dining in. They have a large space and the owner and his staff have really spend the time they were shutdown rearranging the tables and even did some renovations to make their space work for the time we are in. Tables are spaced well enough apart and the staff are wearing masks. I felt really safe dining in. The food is still excellent and they have a new menu and they are always adding or refreshing their menu so it's not always the same old stuff. They do offer some bar food staples so they have something for everyone. The staff is friendly and service is good. Go visit The Social if you are comfortable being out or grab some takeout from them if you aren't! read more

Stopped here for lunch with friends on a Monday and we were pleasantly surprised! The place looks very clean with a cool vibe. The service was great! The bartender Austin was so attentive and welcoming! We would come back just for him! But the food was also good! We had several appetizers and the wings were great! Defiantly recommend the place! read more

The Social is the perfect spot for Sunday brunches! The burger special I had was delicious. Juicy and perfectly cooked. I practically inhaled the truffle fries ( I wish there were more fries) There's a TON of beers on tap to choose from. The Social has The New London Big Band play once a month and they are SO worth it! They also host drag brunches which are always fun. read more

#SCENE: A - right at waterfront - good large space for big group get together and casual hanging out / standing room - pool table, pac man arcade machine (out of order meh) - stage for live music #SERVICE: A - Couldnt book size of 15 for Friday night online so called, someone quickly picked up the phone, mentioned that manager would call me back and got phone call within 30min. Awesome - Was told that each person would get a number so we could individually close out by end of night (we ended up just making it easy and putting it on one credit card though, but cool to have as a concept for groups) - More people ended up coming and server was great to help accommodate accordingly. Also checked in on our group multiple times to make sure we were taken care of Shout outs: Manager Jake, Server Danny #SAVOR: C+ Biggest opportunity here - Beer, great. local options - Mixed drinks, eh, a little heavy handed on alcohol so less enjoyable unless you hope to get smashed - Food (fries, nuggz, honey cow, fish & chips), overall OK. but overall not impressed, felt like I could make this food at home kinda thing Overall, service saved the day. This place has major potential to be gained with food quality #COME BACK FOR: Casual brews and maybe check out live music , but would hope the food would improve by then! read more

The Social Bar + Kitchen - fish & chips - New American Near Me - New London, Connecticut

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We came to The Social Bar + Kitchen for a "Pink Eggs and Glam" Drag Brunch and couldn't have asked for a better spot! Right by the water, great staff, a really beautiful and spacious dining area-- we absolutely recommend! read more

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Our Commissioning Committee just held a pull-out-all-the stops Happy Hour for the officers and crew of the USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-795) at The Social Bar + Kitchen, New London. We could NOT have picked a better place! From the very first phone call placed to Daniel three months before the event, to the flawless oversight of the evening by Heather, to the personable and enthusiastic attention everyone received from Social's TERRIFIC staff, to the extensive and DELICIOUS buffet put together by their executive chef and pastry chef, we were blown away. This was just part of the menu the chefs created for us: Appetizers * Salad * Charcuterie platters * Spanakopita * Spring Rolls with Sweet Thai chili sauce * Buffalo Dry Rub chicken bites with ranch/blue cheese Entrees and Sides * Prime rib carving station with au just and horseradish sauce * Pineapple-roasted ham carving station * Roasted chicken with mushrooms in red wine sauce * Pasta with meatballs with marinara and alfredo sauces * Roasted potatoes * Brown sugar-baked carrots Dessert * Chocolate Mousse/Pistachio Cake Every item was prepared with care and presented with attention to detail. As flavorful as the food was, the cake created by their pastry chef was a total showstopper of creativity, frivolity, and flavor! The food was complemented by a great bar serving hand-crafted cocktails and a constantly updated offering of beers, ales, and ciders. I can't recommend The Social Bar + Kitchen too highly. And I've got 120 submarine officers, crew members, and their plus 1s who will back me up. Go and enjoy! read more

The Social Bar + Kitchen - Some cakes are creative. Some cakes are delicious. This cake was both! - New American Near Me - New London, Connecticut

I got there for my birthday dinner with my family on a Sunday at 6:30 (the restaurant closes at 8). The waiter forgot to put in my meal. As everyone else at my table was eating, I had to find the waiter to see what was up with my food. He never wrote my order down. I asked him if I could please get my meal (7:15). He returned to the kitchen and came back and said the cook flipped him off. The kitchen was closed at 7:15 pm, and even though everyone else had food in front of them, I was out of luck. I'm so sorry we inconvenienced this awful restaurant by trying to patronize it for my birthday dinner. read more

My friend and I stopped by for lunch today and had the most wonderful time chatting with the lovely bartender there. The food was great, but our experience was really made so special by the conversation. She's the sort of person that makes people feel welcome and really drives business. The Social Bar is lucky to have this Seattle native!!! read more

This is about my fourth visit to the social , Go for dinner, music and they have a pretty good dance floor . The service , drink mix and food have always been so so . Last night was very disappointing ,the food was terrible, everyone seating at the table was not happy with their meals , not sure if they changed the kitchen staff ? The waiting staff was ok but it did not appear to be a super busy night so service could of been worse . Such a shame , we all love their dance floor and the ambiance . Will be thinking twice about going back for early dinner before music . read more

What more can I say about this place that every other 5 star review hasn't already said. I can co-sign on the previous glorious feedback entries you may have read. I am a tiny bit biased but as we all know, the beer selection cannot be matched. The food has skyrocketed in quality and consistency over the years (Try the Jive Turkey or the Ribeye (you can add sautéed mushrooms, onions, and even blue cheese to make this a Beef Behemoth!) My service has always been great when dining in which might have something to do with the fact I'm intimidating looking until I've been fed. But the servers and bartenders have always been very knowledgeable and friendly when it comes to recommendations. If you are there for one of the phenomenal live bands you can rest assured the kitchen stays open later than most spots in town. Serving the full menu too! If you show up after kitchen hours you can still grab a slice of cake (baked IN HOUSE by Suzy the super baker!!) which changes week by week. There are so many reasons to come back again and again. From brunch on Saturday and Sundays, frequent new specials, and MORE!! read more

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Afternoon dinner. Place was empty. Service was nice at first but sooo slow. Ordered buffalo cauliflower and received 6 small pieces of cauliflower that was all caked with spices and cold. It looked just thrown on a plate. It tasted like old oil too. After ordering dinner it took 35 minutes to come to the table. One person in my party ordered fish and chips. When it came it was completely over cooked and the fish inside looked like it was unfrozen and refrozen and then cooked. It tasted off too. We asked for it to be taken off the bill to which the waitress replied, "we can't do that because you ate more than half."(Which she didn't). When the plate came we asked for more napkins because we had to squeeze the oil off The fish. The manager came over and took the fish off the bill but was not sorry nor did she apologize. Overall, food was awful and overcooked. The waitress and manger did not care we were dissatisfied. read more

If beer is your thing, this is the place for you. The taps run along the longest wall end to end. Not sure then they will give you a taste to make sure you will be happy. I understand they have activities at night but we usually go early. Food is not extensive but interesting and good. The room is spacious and I expect should be comfortable when crowded. Can't swear to it but I think they have music a couple nights and trivia on another. Downtown New London is funky and Bank St. has other options nearby. Should be fun. read more

I stopped on for a snack had wings and they were perfect! Waiter saw our Uss Nautilus hat and told us about his grandfather was the commander of the Uss Scorpion submarine when it sank (HERO) The Nautilus shipmates talked very highly about him! read more

We were there early, before the rush. Staff was accommodating and friendly. Good beer menu. Excellent pub food. I started with the Brussels sprout appetizer, excellent. Wife and I had burgers. Very well prepared. Full schedule of live music. Highly recommend. read more

I wouldn't even rate this place w/1 star! Only way tonleave a review. Very discriminatory practices. The waitress this evening(11/20/23) 7:30 PM very racist. Felt racially profiled in a huge way. As an African American veteran making six figure salary..didn't think I would encounter such a treatment I've received this evening. First time here. Asked for selection of beer..she just threw the bar code at me .. I ordered food and beer . Next customer walks in they get red carpet treatment. Two samples each of beer before deciding? Me on the other hand .. just another black person .. looking for a free be?? It's a shame could've left her a $50.00 tip ..2023?? Still run into these type of people- hope the owner reads this..makes some changes read more

Amazing food and the perfect spot for a Sunday brunch. We came with a large group and everyone got something different so a majority of the menu was enjoyed by us all. I got the Bloody Mary and breakfast flatbread and both was so great. The flatbread was perfectly portioned and had the right amount of each ingredient. read more

The staff were incredibly kind and doing their best despite being seriously short staffed. Lots of beers on tap and a nice selection. But don't eat here. Food was inedible. First time I've ever seen my boyfriend turn away fries. read more

Our waitress was nice but not great at customer service at all. After we were seated it took the waitress that was standing by the bar 10 minutes to approach our table and the place wasn't busy at all. We were not given any information about which virtual menu to use and then informed we could only order from the brunch menu. We placed our order and it was a solid 40 minutes before we got our food and like I said it wasn't busy, just ordered some simple brunch items and burger. Food was okay. The burger and breakfast sandwich were cold, the tots were good and fresh. Drinks sat empty for so long the bartender eventually offered refills. Waitress was nowhere to be found after we finished our meal. When we finally saw our waitress again we couldn't get her attention because she was on her cellphone and had to get up and ask her for the check. Overall the service here was poor, don't waste your time coming here. read more

The Social Bar + Kitchen - Burger with honey infused cheese, onions, and bacon. - New American Near Me - New London, Connecticut

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Great beer, but the customer service after our first waitress left was horrible! the first waitress was nice and attentive, when she left and after trying to order food unsucessfully for over 40 min we left..my husband had to go to the bar to close the bill! read more

Great food, Excellent Service, Great location & always super clean. ... AND about 40 different tasty beats on tap!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I came here on evening after work, but I was pleasantly surprised. This place has an expansive tap beer menu highlighting a lot of local breweries with a fun and casual atmosphere. My group and I came for happy hour and had some beer flights (which were amazing and a great deal) and some tasty bar food (we were not expecting the nachos to be so large so it is a great appetizer for a large group of people)! I definitely hope to come back to check out more of their beers and explore more of their me read more

The Social Bar + Kitchen - Beer flight! - New American Near Me - New London, Connecticut

The food is really good and the drinks are just as good. A pretty good selection of craft beers. The drag shows on certain Sundays is the place to be. read more

Food was bad. Waitress was not very attentive. Granted it was her second day and that's the only reason we tipped at all. Otherwise there would have been no tip. Had puffy tacos which had dried chicken in it and was room temperature at best. The fries were burnt and the manager said they were not burnt but rather twice fried fries. Regardless of what you call them, they were burnt. The additional $2 cost for a raspberry margarita was never disclosed and no reason given. This was a once and never again visit! read more

If you want attitude and delayed food give Social a try. My wife and I waited over 45 min for apps with any update from the bartender who clearly had an attitude. So much for service. The drinks were good but service was poor. read more

Stopped in on the way back to NY from a weekend getaway with the boys. We ordered the brunch with bottomless mimosas. Unfortunately our server was far more attentive to other tables and not the 10 of us. Greg's lack of attention to our party led to the lack in his gratuity at the end of our meal. While we didn't see much of him, we got to watch Jen, another server, hustle for every one of her tables around us. She was pleasant and efficient and if you stop in the week of June 7-13, wish her a Happy Birthday and buy her a drink. We ended up giving her part of Greg's tip because we noticed how hard she was working. I suggest if you opt in for the infinite mimosas, that you make sure the server doesn't get lost and you lose out. The guava mimosa is pictured in the review and I highly recommend it. Their food was really impressive! The biscuits and gravy were really good, and I enjoyed my rare burger. I added on Brussel sprouts in stead of fries and was not disappointed in the least. The hot chips were thick and crunchy, and seasoned well. The red pepper hummus made in the restaurant was also really good and went fast. The flatbread was also delicious! The DJ brunch was great as well. The DJ was playing some great music that really set a party vibe. I would come back (and ask for Jen to be our server) any Sunday. read more

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