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    What's Cookin'

    4.3 (62 reviews)
    ModerateNew American, Delis
    Closed 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

    What's Cookin' Photos

    WHAT'S COOKIN' ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Outside roadside sign
    Dave J.

    Amazing place to grab a bite to eat! The food here was good, and they serve breakfast and lunch options all day! The food is really good, and the salad is made to order. The price is also very reasonable for what you're buying, so it's a great place to stop if you're out for the day and want a quick bite to eat. The service was very nice as well, with the staff friendly and helpful to patrons as well as enjoyed being around one another and working together. Communicated order well and got us our food in a timely manner. Additionally, when I entered, staff was sanitizing countertops and tables, which let me know that the establishment is clean The ambience was nice. Small indoor seating area. They had multiple freezers and refrigerators running, which had a slightly annoying hum when trying to eat or talk, but not deafening; worst case scenario I could eat outside or in my vehicle and doesn't effect the overall atmosphere for the business. Very pleasant venue overall and decorated to fit a beachside aspect! Will come again!

     a grocery store
    Jared M.

    Wow. Delicious. Cute little diner off the side of the road, with the nicest people around. The breakfast sandwiches were fantastic. And the iced coffee has frozen coffee cubes! No watered down coffee for the drive. Definitely worth a visit!

    Iced coffee with coffee ice cubes
    Lindsey S.

    So yummy so glad we found this spot. The cleanest, cutest spot. Staff was super friendly and the food was AMAZING!!! We will be back for sure!!!

    Boss Man
    Matthew C.

    We made a pit stop at What's Cookin' this weekend while traveling through Madison, CT and could not have been more delighted! Nestled away in its private little corner, this small deli is kickin with major flavors on its diverse and full menu including sandwiches, chili's, soups, sweets and more! Not only can you eat at the deli (either inside OR outside) but they also have freshly cooked frozen/refrigerated options for you to pick up and bring home to enjoy with family and friends. Definitely recommend this hidden treasure! Enjoy!

     a display of food

    Exploring Connecticut and came across What's Cookin'. Decided to pop in for a bite. I was impressed with all of the gluten free options they had in their ready-made cases. Several paleo and gluten free dessert options too. Several people came in for to go orders as we ate our breakfast panini and split pea soup. Both items stayed hot throughout, which is unfortunately rare in many dining establishments. All employees were nice and helpful. Would definitely recommend stopping by if you are in the area.

    Chicken cutlet sandwich
    Samantha A.

    Oh my this has got to be sandwich heaven. Ordered a chicken cutlet (pick your own toppings) provolone, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo. Simple but they made it with perfection. Quality meat, and veggies and the hard roll was fresh. Girl behind the counter was polite and explained their vast menu to me. Seems like a mom and pop shop kind of deal which I love. Inside was clean and i like their freezer selections soup, mac and cheese, meatballs, even house made specialty pizzas. Oh and did I mention it's all paleo? Theres also non paleo options too for those who dont have an issue with gluten. Overall great place, will be coming here agaib

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    3 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Great staff. Amazing prepared foods. Sandwiches are all great. Been coming here for years when I'm in the area!

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Great food, service, and pricing! Eclectic ingredient combinations, fresh ingredients. Loved the breakfast bowl! Waffles were yummy!

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

    The food is delicious and there's always a great choice! Gail who owns the business is really friendly. Would definitely recommend it.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    It was absolutely delicious! I ordered the breakfast and it definitely satisfied my hunger!!!

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

    This place makes the best breakfast burrito I've had east of Tucson AZ. Awesome! I'm definitely coming back.

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    8 years ago

    Great food!! Great people. Very reasonable prices. Fantastic for large groups/catering

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    6 years ago

    Great deli that takes Celiac / Gluten Free seriously. Lots of options to choose from and staff is very knowledgeable.

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    8 years ago

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - What's Cookin'

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    This is a near perfect setting, right on Long Island Sound with views to the south and west. We…read moresat on the porch on a sunny November afternoon, waiting for the sunset, and it was perfect, except for the loud, profane, and obnoxious person seated near us. He was a frequent customer, known to management. When the space opened up, our server, Drew, offered to move us further away from him. Kudos to Drew. The food was good. The shrimp were huge and fresh. The stuffed peppers were tasty but were not hot when brought to us. Definitely a place to stop on a sunny afternoon.

    The Wharf is inside the beautiful Madison Beach Hotel, with the perfect setting right by the water…read more I love the atmosphere and we've been here 3 times already this summer. Outside on the covered porch, they have both dining tables and high tops facing the water. The outdoor space is limited and they have tables inside as well, but I'd recommend the outdoor seating on a nice day, if you're dining alone or with up to 2-3 people. My favorites are the New England Clam Chowder and Lobster Roll. Their fries aren't my favorite and even though I'm not a huge fan of truffles, their truffle fries were also quite good. One thing to note is that the service level has varied. Sometimes it's been quite slow and we've also had a mix-up with the order. If they raised the service level, it'd feel even more upscale.

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    Charter Oak Tavern

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    Hands down the new best restaurant on the shoreline. Creative menu that updates seasonally,…read moreabsolutely delicious food, cosy ambiance with great music taste that's not played too loud, and very attentive friendly service. I've been several times since they opened and almost always get the salmon. What I love is that it's not always the same dish, it changes but always heavenly. The last time it had pumpernickel breadcrumbs yum! I had the faux foi gras(yay no tortured ducks) and it was not only beautiful but delicious. Then I recently tried the tofu appetizer which was equally delightful.. hope it stays on the menu a while, I love tofu done well. I've also had glazed carrots with hummus, trout, and brussel sprouts.. all top notch. Great wine selection and well made mixed drinks. Definitely my new favorite spot. You'll need a reservation for a table most days and get there early for bar seating.

    Cozy confines Fun decor…read moreOutstanding food My wife and I came here on a Saturday night for a date and found it a delightful surprise. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly, and prompt without being over-present. The menu was rife with tasty options - we went with a salad special that incorporated grapefruit and a peanut Thai dressing, a Tavern burger, a mushroom bolognese, and the house special Kentucky butter cake - each was phenomenal. Our drinks were also prepared well. The surrealist artwork all around was a subtle touch in what at first appeared to simply be a neat and tidy dining spot, just with a little more imagination than it first appeared to have. A really outstanding spot - over an hour from my home, but we'll certainly be back. Highly recommended.

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    Lobster Landing

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    We ended up coming to Lobster Landing twice during our trip -- once on the way to Mystic and again…read moreon the way back -- which probably says everything you need to know. It's definitely a little more expensive than some of the other lobster spots we tried, but I honestly liked the food here the most. The lobster meat is lightly seasoned with what tasted like butter and lemon, and it all worked perfectly together without overpowering the lobster. The bun was incredibly soft and loaded with so much meat that it was practically falling apart in the middle. We got the half-pound lobster roll both times and would absolutely order it again, but it is $60. The clam chowder was also excellent. It's creamy without being too thick, and you can really taste all the ingredients. The hot dogs seem to be really popular -- almost everyone was ordering a lobster roll and a hot dog combo. My son loved them so much he had two the first visit! The outdoor seating and water views make it such a relaxing place to sit and eat, and there's also a market on-site where you can buy lobster and shellfish. Definitely one of our favorite stops and somewhere we'd happily return to.

    I found my visit to Lobster Landing to be extremely satisfying, even considering all of the acclaim…read moreit receives and the years I have anticipated going. I went early, only about 20 minutes after they opened at 11. I had seen pictures of the building ahead of time, but they had an outdoor setup as well. The setting along the waterfront was gorgeous, a there were lots of tables, but I imagine they fill up quickly. Business was already beginning to pick up a lot in the 20 or so minutes I was there. Service was friendly, and my order was ready extremely quickly. It probably took 3 minutes tops. I ordered the quarter pound lobster roll and a side of coleslaw. Prices were pretty average, the roll was $31. The lobster was chopped a bit more than usual, but also not overly so, and there were still lots of large chunks of claw meat throughout. I appreciated that the buns were simply grill toasted, as the generous butter drizzled over the roll would have been too much for me had the bun been buttered much itself. It was a simple and straightforward CT style lobster roll, executed very well. Such a straightforward approach really requires strong execution, and I was impressed. It was delicious, and the lobster was perfectly cooked. The coleslaw had a great balance of tang and sweetness, and wasn't overly dressed. Solid coleslaw. No complaints. If you're a fan of just a good, classic hot buttered lobster roll, this is a fantastic choice.

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    The Shipwright's Daughter

    The Shipwright's Daughter

    4.4
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    We'd heard from friends that Shipwright's Daughter in Mystic was a must-try. Wow, were they right…read more From the warm greeting at the door to the beautiful decor, the experience started strong. We were seated at a lovely table for two overlooking Main Street - watching people stroll by from that elevated perch behind glass felt almost cinematic. The real star of the show was the food, which is ultimately what you're there for, and it delivered. The menu offers plenty of options without being overwhelming. I started with the Crispy Pig's Head as an appetizer - a bold choice that turned out to be outstanding. For my entrée, the bucatini with seacoast mushrooms, sherry, parmesan, mushroom cream, and fine herbs was perfectly cooked, and carried a subtle but deeply flavorful sauce. And the housemade sourdough with poblano honey butter? Absolutely outstanding. To be fair, our server took a little time to warm up but found their footing and gave us everything we needed. Parking in Mystic on a busy weekend night can also be a challenge and expensive. Neither is reason enough to skip this one. Ship Wright's Daughter is exactly the kind of restaurant Mystic deserves. Don't wait for a special occasion -- just go.

    I really didn't want to write this review, but potential patrons should know what they can expect…read morewhen working with the event staff at Shipwright's Daughter - if they plan to have a private dining experience and event there. My husband and I got married last December. We decided we would hold off on celebrating with our family and invite everyone out from California to join us for a weekend full of activities in Connecticut and a special dinner at Shipwright's Daughter during Memorial Day weekend. We contacted the restaurant's events team to work out high level details starting in late January - to book a private room and hold a date and time. From the get go, the communication we received from the event staff was dismal to say the least. Not only did the events manager misquote the estimate for the room reservation, she came back and asked for a much higher price (up charging by an additional 30% of the original minimum fee) two months after we confirmed and discussed the date. She then explained it was due to the holiday weekend. Our date had never changed from the moment we inquired, so we would have appreciated knowing this upfront. Over the course of several months (and an absurd number of emails and a few calls), we tried to solidify the menu and wine selection and made multiple attempts before hearing back from the team. It was about two weeks before the big event when we were able to confirm a menu. It was about four days before the event that we heard back from the beverage director, but by then, my husband and I had already decided we would bring our own wine bottles, not wanting to leave it to chance with this team. I won't go into further details about the frustration we felt regarding their system for communications (they use an internal system that doesn't make it easy for guests to know who is copied on emails and who sees what). That is something I hope they will work out. When the big day came, I walked into the room and noticed there were a number of chairs missing, so I counted the chairs. They had an incorrect number of chairs for adults and not enough high chairs for the toddlers. We had requested a specific number of these chairs (weeks prior and mentioned it multiple times in writing), and I thought it was safe to assume that this was a basic checklist item for events set up. I was dumbfounded in the moment. I couldn't help but wonder what else they were going to miss or mess up that evening. It was disappointing to have our family members wait while the staff scrambled to pull other chairs into the room. From the time it took to take everyone's order from the set menu, the time between courses being served, and the attentiveness for pouring water and wine - all of it was a miss. The level of hospitality that we expected from a restaurant so recognized for its incredible food and approach to sustainable sourcing was completely overshadowed by the lack of attention and care by its staff - since day one of planning this event. Even a few of our family members commented on this during the dinner. At the end of the day, we felt like an obligation rather than welcomed guests, and that is mainly why I'm leaving this review. We had been patrons of Shipwright's a couple of times prior to this event, which is why we chose this establishment - to represent the best that Connecticut has to offer, when it comes to a dining experience we could vouch for. We no longer feel that we can recommend this restaurant. If you care about hospitality, I would recommend looking elsewhere.

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    Brushmill by the Waterfall

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    Great ambiance as you walk in by the waterfall. Three rooms depending upon the vibe you're looking…read morefor; dressy dining area, casual bar, or cozy informal den. We chose the latter in a corner window right by the falls. The service was outstanding. From the moment we arrived, to helping us find our seat, to our server helping us with the menu, to the manager coming over and talking with us to make sure everything was ok. I liked how the server first checked to see if we had any time restraints along with food allergies, etc. Speaking of the food. We started with the clam chowder and scallops. The chowder was the best I've ever had. Plenty of meat and seasoned perfectly. The scallops were amazing. The manager later told us that the scallops were the only thing that had been on the menu since day one. They tried to rotate them off once and the people went nuts. We moved on to the duck and salmon. Both were delicious. Sides were perfect as well. I'd love to write about dessert, but unfortunately, we were stuffed. They looked good, but that will have to wait until next time.

    I give it one star as we have gone here around a total of four or five times. Each is terrible for…read moreone reason or other. We would not have returned except for a gift certificate. This time, the waiters are very poorly trained not that I need perfect service For instance just when you are almost done with your soup do they come with pepper which I would have wanted from the start. They went to remove my drink when I had 3/4 inch left. My wife's risotto was really dry and overall tasteless. My burger as I was afraid to order seafood as they really messed that up in the past was soggy and really foul tasting. Not sure how you can ever mess up a burger. The location overlooking the river is nice, so many more better places around.

    Photos
    Upstairs in the restaurant
    Upstairs in the restaurant
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    What's Cookin' - newamerican - Updated July 2026

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