Sad to see The Stand gone . Good luck to the owners, and all who worked there . I enjoyed the live music The Stand brought to the area.

Went to watch another amazing band. Always great talent at the stand. Had a steak and cheese sandwich which melted in my mouth and sweet potato fries to complement the sandwich. Service is always great. Even when they are so busy it looks like they can't keep up they do and with a smile The venue had a few different spots to enjoy your visit. Either watching the entertainment, just eating in the side and an outside area. Always a pleasant experience read more

The Stand 06405 - Steak sandwich with sweet potato fries yum - Barbeque Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

I met a friend here for lunch and my amazing hair stylist had always told me this place was fun & cool but I had never stopped. It was great our server was super nice, my prosecco limoncello with mint drink was perfection in a glass on a hot summer day so refreshing. The back and front face marshy land in Branford giving a beachy vibe. The inside bar area and some tables are air conditioned and then a covered patio with seating which is where we choose. Then outside a ton of other nooks and tables with some under a cool looking green trellis. There were bands playing (super local) but really talented. I loved the hummus plate app! I had a Caesar salad and added avocado and it was just a perfect summer afternoon spot. read more

First time here for brunch which is served Sundays 10-2. Great spot plenty of parking. There was a man playing Beatles music when we got there great to listen too. Got Right in sat on the heated patio, very comfortable. Staff is great very attentive and pleasant. Ordered our drinks I got a Bloody Mary since I'm on a mission to find the best! They were very tasty and flavorful. If you're a Bloody Mary person there's apparently a Hail Mary which comes with "food" items on top. I'll have to come back to try that.l, didn't know until it was too late. Ordered quickly and the waitress was quick to bring our drinks. Food took a bit but it was busy so not abnormal. Once out it was hot and cooked as we all wanted. Eggs were poached perfectly with a warm liquid center as they should be. The avocado toast was something I'd order again. Two large portions I could only eat one. The breakfast burrito was very good stuffed and not overly heavy. Hubs seems happy with it. The Nutella was the table favorite always delicious! Great place, great atmosphere which you can tell by the packed bar and all the smiling faces. We can't wait to go back! read more

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Live musicAmazing Bartenders and excellent food. The Stand is always over staffed by a very attentive general manager. She has her eyes on everyone and everything. read more

First time visiting. Had an excellent experience. We had nachos, Philly cheesesteak wrap, chicken bowl & ribeye. Veggies were perfect and crisp, meal sizes were large. read more

Excellent meal, great music and our server Tatum was amazing! We will definitely be back soon!

The service was absolutely amazing; food was average but with the staff so great, it's likely we will be back. On the plus side - coconut shrimp were excellent. Definitely bring the bug spray if you sit outside in the evening (typical of the area, not just this place though.) read more

Great casual place for brunch or to have a few drinks. Both indoor and outdoor seating. Music most nights. Country bar ambience. read more

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I just love this place. And the summer they have live music outside. They have karaoke on Wednesday night which was just a blast. The manager is very nice warm and greeting. It's got this great family atmosphere where you could be who you are. I don't write a lot of good reviews unless they're deserved. This is a good place. read more

We were overcharged, told to our face that we were served drinks we never ordered or received, took one drink off the bill and still over payed. I don't know how you could be served 9 drinks (really 12 with 3 upcharged as tall) and still be competent enough to review your check and realize the mistake made to your bill. The manager told us she believed us but the bar tenders "were mad". We were told the investors Teddy and Sandy "meant nothing to the business" by the short bald man when we mentioned that we knew them personally and would never steal from any business nonetheless from people we know. Make sure you're aware of your order when you come here because they will overcharge you then tell you you're making it up either way. This is my first negative review but there are reasons very few people from Branford come here and we learned why tonight. If you're underaged, this is the place for you though, we came here once this summer and quickly left due to the large number of individuals who were clearly too young to be drinking there. They will serve you without checking IDs and when they do have bouncers, if you have a good fake ID you're free to enter. They just want your money regardless of the scummy ways they receive it. Save yourself the headache and go to Lenny's! read more

Some things were Out- "Stand"- ing. The tuna tacos from the appetizer portion of their menu. OMG the best I've ever had. Three of them with lots of diced soy marinated cubes of fresh tuna, mango slaw and wasabi crema. I will go back and get a double order next time. Outstanding Steak sub with fries. The main reason I went was for the ribs. A half a rack served with awesome best potato salad and a few pickle chips. The ribs were pretty with a nice smoke ring. They were not very warm when brought to the table. I wish they had been warmer.and they had far too much dry "rub" on them. The seasoning was very present and a bit too much for me. They are served dry rub style. Another plus -- The atmosphere was great, large outdoor area, pet friendly, lots of social distancing but still enough picnic tables to support a good amount of patrons. Staff was friendly, good drinks, clean bathrooms and indoor dining available. read more

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My husband and I had a delicious late lunch yesterday and our server was so attentive and sweet. We sat outside in the rocking chairs and had a really nice conversation with Rob the owner. Really great place to eat! read more

Didn't come here for the food... came here in the afternoon to do some work while imbibing a mule. Very cool vibe - live music, friendly bartenders, cool picnic tables. Just a great vibe - plenty of outdoor seating. The drinks are great and generous. read more

This place was great. Listened to some live local music. Had delicious food! Our server Leigha was phenomenal. So insightful on what drink I may like when listening to my preferences. Honestly I can't wait to come back. Home town feel, stellar service and highly recommend the peach Spritz! Not too sweet and perfectly balanced and refreshing. Bartender was spot on! I'm secretly hoping they order St Germaine liquor to their options. Hint hint :) Thank you for a great experience!! read more

I though this establishment would be a "hidden gem" I took my family the evening of June 21st, in 2024 to celebrate our youngest daughters college graduation. The ambiance seemed ok, half decent band, unfortunately the outside bouncer was awful to say the least. Young white Caucasian male i suspect put something in my daughters drink! Big Donald trump supporters in let's go Brandon hats dominated the crowd read more

If you want a warm friendly welcome is the place & with community minded management! They kindly hosted a fundraiser last Friday for the Bradford Microfund. We had hoped the band would be outside in their garden but due to The weather being iffy we had to be inside. still the atmosphere was lively and fun. If you like smoked pulled pork or Thai shrimp you must make a stop here. They have a smoker in their garden! Huge thanks to Joy and Ron for their support. And to their staff that was attentive and added to the joy of the evening. Three cheers for the bartenders and the lack of rain which gave people the option to sit outside in the garden. and one more thank you for everyone who bought raffle tickets to support us that night. Happy summer everyone read more

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My husband and I came here for dinner on Thursday night for our 2nd COVID date night out since March. We called on the way to ask if they were busy and we were told that had some tables open in the outdoor area. We were promptly seated when we arrived and it was nice to see that there was a bottle of hand sanitizer on each of the tables for patrons to use before, during and after their meals. There was an acoustic performer outside which typically would have been annoying, but his music was gentile, peaceful, not too loud and actually very enjoyable. Great job sir. We started with a blackberry mojito and a beer. For appetizers, we ordered the Caulibomb (which was fantastic and inspired us to try and recreate it at home later this week) and the fried cheese curds (that were good, but like super, super salty). My husband got a burger that was really big and filling, he enjoyed it. I ordered the chicken salad sandwich. It had a nice flavor to it, but not exactly as I expected. It was made of what appeared to be thigh/dark meat, not white chicken breast. It lacked mayo and upon my 3rd to last bite, I discovered half a sliced grape. Then I remembered that it was supposed to have grapes in it...so either it lacked grapes too or the batch wasn't mixed well. Both of our orders came with french fries, reminiscent of McDonald's, delicious, but definitely like theirs. Our 2nd round of drinks were better than the first. Oh and this is key... They have a swing outside, right next to some of the tables. Any child who apparently has visited this restaurant before knows about it, will leave their families/tables and migrate over to it to play. During our meal, we witnessed 6-7 kids (from 3 different tables/families) use it alone and together, all unsupervised and UNMASKED, coming uncomfortably close by our tables. I wish the servers would have addressed them to put masks on. That or perhaps their parents could have not been as oblivious. So needless to say, if you are looking for a soothing night out at this time (like we were since we have 2 kids under 5 years old at home), don't be seated near that swing!! read more

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I never leave reviews but my time spent at the Stand is always amazing. let's discuss the Ahi Tuna wrap. OMG it was AMAZING. everything is good but man did they kill it with this item... thank you !! read more

Favorite place in Branford for live music, drinks and dinner! Amazing 20$ steak night on Thursdays can't be beat. Delicious. Summers outside listening to bands is my ideal night out. Coolest spot ever. read more

This place is a disgrace!!! I wouldn't call it a restaurant. Their menu is as complex as the local high school cafeteria. So I guess it's a bar?? But there drinks are over priced and served in plastic cups! It's pretty much a college watering hole for older kids. Then when 9pm rolls around and it turns into the fight club. Young adults fighting each other and bouncers fighting young adults. The place is a dump unless your looking for chicken tenders and solo cup well drink. Or if there's nothing on the TV at 9pm stroll over to the stand to catch a good local brawl! read more

I was there right after it opened, so about a month ago. I want to see something make it here. Alas, maybe this joint can come through. I got a pulled chicken sandwich on the perfect roll. The issue... almost everything else about it. A slice of raw granny smith apple, a clump of unmelted cheddar cheese, seemingly unseasoned chicken, bitter, charred Brussels sprout leaves, that all competed without complimenting each other. The hummus plate was huge, with a sea of lumpy, bland, pureed chickpeas as far ar the eye could see. I hope it lasts as it's got a great location, and was a perfect spot to pop into. I hope the little produce stand returns. read more

They had a band "Reckless Sunset" playing and they were great. My drinks were good and the egg rolls were phenomenal. The outdoor area had a good amount of sitting and there were also games. read more

The Stand 06405 - Moscow Mule - Barbeque Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

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Ok ... the stand you can say now has decent food . The new manager now and son with another employee and the 2 in the kitchen have done some good. Here are the concerns and issues still: 1. 11 am on a Sunday means you are open and ready to serve the public . 2. Interact with the customers now to see how all is going 3. Understand the stand has have 4 changes and has no loyal customers yet 3. Stop talking to just your friends at the bar and find out who is at your business. 4. My wife and I live in walking distance and are trying to support the stand . 5. It could be so much more if the group of people now running it are are friendly . 6. You need to cater to the well established locals to get you to the spring and summer time . 7. If you think the "business will just come " you are mistaken. 8. Again "explore the floor" and maybe ... just maybe you can make it. 9. 4 times in 10 days . Impressed with the food but not the service . 10. YOU NEED TO UPDATE YOUR WEBSITE . Don't wait until you figure it out . Menu button doesn't work and there is no good reason it doesn't . read more

The food is terrible. It's sports bar type food like nachos and wings except made horribly. The nachos had old tomatoes on it and the cheese was cheap. Nachos were burnt. The garlic wings taste like they dumped powdered garlic and mixed it with butter and most of the wings were bleeding. This could be a really great place because of the location but instead of hiring a chef I believe they hire anyone in the kitchen to put together low quality food. We left in a hurry . I think there are new owners because the menu is different and sports bar back alley type. read more

Our recent rehearsal dinner and Welcome gathering exceeded all expectations. The set up was beautiful and exclusively ours; delicious doesn't begin to cover the amazing quality of the food (the gourmet flavors of the Mac n cheese, tender moist salmon, melt in your mouth fluffy cornbread muffins and accompanying yummy whipped honey butter ... and on and on!!). From the dedicated servers the night of to the personalized care throughout the planning, I can honestly say the rehearsal dinner was a pleasure to plan and host. Joy was extraordinary to work with, responsive, listening and customizing, reassuring all the way through. Like planning with the good friend you always dreamed of having read more

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The Stand has evolved into an amazing venue for good food and a GREAT music. Tonight was a sterling performance by Fire & Knives a local band. The service is excellent-waitstaff and bartenders rock! I hit this place at least once or more a week-outside dining, a cozy porch and inside dining complete the picture. Some good bands coming up so check out The Stand on South Montowese Street in Branford. read more

I heard mixed reviews about this place and took a ride down for a live music even with 2 friends yesterday. Let me start off by saying our server was wonderful, I wish I remembered her name! The place was packed and standing room only for most of the evening. I had an old fashioned on the menu and it was not as strong as I am used to, not a huge deal. I am such a bbq foodie, upon seeing this two big smokers outside I started to get excited, until I didn't see a brisket sandwich or brisket sold ala carte anywhere on the menu. Disappointed but not crushed, I went with Mac and cheese with pulled pork and so did my 2 friends, let me tell you I was crushed when this food came out and it was all mixed together! It was not topped with the pulled pork! Ugh! At this point how can I judge the smoke flavor, smoke ring or anything? It wasn't horrible, but it would have been so much more flavorful if I could have had bbq sauced pulled pork on top of the Mac & cheese! The potato salad was flavorful Mayo & dill based, but why the huge onion chunks? The burnt end beans were very lack luster as well, cumin or perhaps chili powder was overpowering every bite and they need a little more brown sugar or perhaps molasses to cut that saltiness! Another disappointment was the corn bread, $2.50 for a 2x2 inch square of dry, flavorless concoction. A drunk patron falling into one of my dining companions was also not a good experience but that same friend raved about the lemonade she got at the lemonade hut on the same property! read more

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I came here during the spring time and we were sat outside in what seemed like freezing temperatures. We sat under a tent and there was a tube heater pointed at one table and the rest of the tables were out of luck and shivering! So many people were leaving because of how cold it was, but my family and I decided to stick it out. We waited over an hour for our food which was served to us cold. We paid so much for ribs and they were almost not edible. I was definitely disappointed with this place as I had very high expectations! The server was sweet but the service and quality of food was below average. read more

Fun night! Good service! Lots of dancing! Food was average but we had lots of apps. Table for our party on the side. Wait staff was attentive, read more

Order the Spring Salad, the best salad ever!! Have been coming here since they opened almost 4 years ago and have to say they have found their way again. Great food, great service and great music. read more

The Stand is interesting.... It's a hot mess at night in the summer but what isn't in the drunkuda triangle of Indian Neck. (not my best work shut up) Food is solid from what I've had, drinks are over priced and good but not incredible - not worth NY prices. Brunch is kinda lame and the standwich has changed in some way almost every time I've gotten it. Dogs outside is a major plus, if only my dog would hang out with me. The olives hanging from the wooded seating area are meh at best, kinda flavorless and possibly not olives - we were a little drunk... Look if you go sat night in June you know what you're getting yourself into but I find the stand to be very versatile and it hits a lot of different demographics throughout the day. It gets annoying as the night progresses however, they scan ids but I'd be shocked if some of those kids were 21. I'm getting old I guess. Staff has always been friendly and I enjoy the meals I've gotten, the food trucks are interesting - haven't taken advantage but late night bites are lacking in this area. With the amount of boozing they may be doing a public service with those things. Not sure what the deal is with this place and im not sure they know either. read more

The stand is a great spot to come to for some drinks. Right now the menu is very very limited maybe 15 items total including apps. The food came out and it was alright nothing special though. This place has a great outdoor area though and they are open at night time late weekends so if you like to hang out and drink come here then. But besides that I would not rush here unless it's to hang out with some friends and grab a couple drinks. read more

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Yesterday my wife and I had the pleasure of finding a new, to us, go to place. We were attending a Drag show that a friend of ours was a part of and we didn't know what to expect from a restaurant in and old gas station. Well hang onto your hats folks because you are in for a great experience. Jo, the manager has got to be the sweetest thing on this earth since sugar cane. She kept everything moving smoothly while having a constant smile. Kevin, our server, should give classes in how to be a waiter. Attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, and again, smiling all the time. All that is well and good but how about the food? I ordered the "Hail Mary" bloody mary. On another day this could have served as my lunch. It is topped with the most delicious hamburg slider, with a side of a perfectly cooked bacon slice and two grilled shrimp. The taste of the burger had me looking for the charcoal grille. So, the presentation was great but the taste of the drink surpassed the look. I highly suggest you give it a try. I ordered the Valdese Burger for breakfast, Another perfectly cooked burger, topped with and egg and hollandaise with a side of a ton of tater tots, yes, tater tots. The waffle my wife had was cooked perfectly and she said the taste was outstanding. We live an hour and a half away, it is worth the trip. She also said, the coffee could make or break a good meal, well, this coffee just added to the overall excellence of the meal. The place was noisy which was to be expected due to the show being presented, Noisy, but, oh so much fun. The place is great. Make it a part of your "places to try" this summer. You will thank me. read more

Really comfortable place with cool atmosphere, great drink selection, live music on a regular basis and the staff are all very friendly

Went here for outdoor dining after Connecticut restrictions began to allow this. They have a lot of food options and a great drink menu. Their outdoor seating is spacious and easily accessible from the parking lot. I enjoyed the chicken Parm and one of their cocktails. I hadn't eaten at this restaurant inside for a few years, and not since new management. While I may have been biased since I hadn't eaten out at a restaurant in almost 4 months, it was definitely enjoyable! Looking forward to going back again while I'm still in the area. read more

Very nice BBQ joint near the south central CT coastline. I have been here twice, once with a large group for a party (30+ people) about a year and a half ago, and once for brunch on a recent Sunday morning. The staff worked seamlessly on both occasions. For the large party, the food was flowing and staying warm. Their meats have are tender and have the smokey flavor cooked into them. They have several sides available as well. When we went for brunch last weekend, they have their usual menu as well as some eggs thrown in their. At the brunch, I got the bagel with lox. The salmon is smoked in house per one of the employees. The salmon was very tasty and not too oily. In addition to the food, they have a full bar. At the brunch, they have a Bloody Mary that you can add smoked meats to. This was a delicious start to the day; next time I would add extra spice to mine. With delicious food for a good value, this is a great option for your smoked meats need! read more

The Stand 06405 - Bagel and lox breakfast platter (broccoli and potato gratin side, strawberry shortcake dessert, and coffee included). - Barbeque Near Me - Branford, Connecticut

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The good: Lots of outdoor seating available. The ambiance is good - very chill on a nice breezy day. The bad: Service started good. Was very attentive and food and drinks came fairly quick. But towards the middle of our visit to the end, we just never got asked for a new drink order and would have to flag the staff down. It was not a busy night either. It wasnt until the end of my visit that I actually saw the sign about their covid-rules. Which I hope management does consider moving the sign towards the front for guests to see prior to the entrance. The first sentence said no groups of more than 5. Which then my husband and I remembered a group of young girls behind us that checked in about 10 minutes after we got there for a group of 7. But clearly the rule didnt apply to them because they knew the host, I think her name was Melissa or Alissa. And the host sat them down immediately. Disregarding the several people that were ahead of them in line. Drinks: Prosecco Cobbler drink was very refreshing! We had several of these. Perfect for a summer day. 4 out of 5 stars Food: We started with Tuna tacos and Scallop Ceviche. Both very very bland. There was no flavor on the tuna tacos - I was really looking forward to it and it was a major disappointment. The ceviche felt like I was drinking coconut milk with chunks and eating it with cheap tortilla chips. The cheese curds were good. I dont really know what the difference is between cheese curds and mozzarella sticks other than the size. But whatever. They were good. Corn Cesar salad was good. Dressing was light. The way Iike salads! The ribs were very good, the meat was very tender. Definitely the best thing we had. Overall. I probably wont come here for food but maybe just for drinks. My neighbor had warned us that this place serves mediocre food and it's really just the ambiance you're here for. So I had low expectations for the food. But even with that mindset going in... I was still disappointed! read more

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I loved the band tonight .. what a fun place!! Everyone was so dressed up I felt underdressed. We hung out at the bar and it was a bit crowded and people were bumping into me but it was a great night overall. read more

I love The Stand. The food is delicious. The indoor/outdoor open garage doors is awesome in great weather. we Miss Karaoke on Wednesday nights. I hope they bring it back next spring. read more