The original of a good restaurant idea. I recently moved to Norwalk in Feb but I have know about BJ Ryan's, when as a minister next door to Unity of Norwalk, I would be taken there for Brunch. Always an enjoyable time. When I moved in the area I knew that i would have a staple food place. I was mailed coupons after I became a resident allowing me to dine at the 3 places with very decant discounts to other other locations that I was unaware of. What a blessing and treat! To make a long story short, I never used the discounts until I tried each place, GLADLY going back to East Norwalk and BJ Banc. I have been back a lot, Now to Main street. Yes, a Monday with a Skelton staff tonight on July 27.. meaning they were DEAD on arrival. They was one man at the bar at 6:45 dining when I came in... I was not greeted for a bit and the barkeep, Heather I think, was very less than enthusiastic. I ordered a Pub Burger, always a good start with Onion ring side. The sides are relatively expensive to the entree, this being a burger. $6.00 for Onion Rings? Having lived in Manhattan for my 69 years I said well go for it. 6 quarter size burnt onion left overs from another order were placed in front of me. I said to her, this is $6 Onion Rings? Without a word spoken she was in the kitchen and in NO tome... 6 Onion Sized Rings were produced under cooked. The Burger. I aske for RARE to Medium being pink.... it came out DEAD! No customers, no dialogue as she was on her cell, I spent over $40 including 2 beers . I am saddened as I like this place. Why be open every day of the week, with bad staff, not being engaging and poorly served food. Open 365 may be for those that are desperate.. I am not. But I want the Main St BJ to be what I remembered and the standard of East Norwalk and Banc. I would gladly post my name here because this review is meant to be a retrospect of something that I feel is the poor sister. I wish someone would be in touch with me... you are losing steam on this one. read more

We had a lovely waitress who was very efficient but the food did not come through. It's restaurant week and you got a couple of choices - I figured simpler is better at pubs so I ordered the flank steak with mashed potatoes and vegetables. The chimichurri sauce was terrible- so much acidity to it. Mashed potatoes seemed to be from a package too. Not my thing. read more

Love the vibe love the service but the pizza is awful. The crust is very thin like they made the pizza on a tortilla wrap. Would come back to try something else but definitely not a spot for pizza read more

B.J. Ryan's - American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

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I ordered 2 burgers and both times came uncooked even tho I orders it cooked differently both times read more

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We came in here just because we rather have stopped vs still in traffic on the way to New Haven. We were pleasantly surprised how delicious everything was. This is going to become a normal spot on future trips. read more

B.J. Ryan's - American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

Ordered med well prime rib. It was horrible. Way over cooked and smelled and tasted bad. Disappointed because in the past the food was always great read more

Seems like the kind of place that is more hospitable to locals than visitors. Food was okay but a little overpriced for the area. Service was also... okay. My biggest complaint is that my friend ordered the craft beer dealers's choice and they gave him a Michelob Ultra. Definitely not what the menu said. My expectations were too high based on other reviews. Manage your expectations, and you will probably have an adequate time. read more

I love BJ Ryan's. The food is just so good. Everything here is good. It's your local neighborhood restaurant that serves a little bit of everything. You can't not find something you like here. Everything is affordable. Service is great. Atmosphere is so chill and casual. We come at least twice a week. Can't recommend enough. Caesar and Las Vegas salads are amazing. Salmon BLT is the best thing on the planet. Black bean soup to die for. read more

Just super average bar food. Ordered wings, spinach artichoke dip, French dip and Mac & cheese. All just very average. Wings were too dry tasting, spinach dip was too artichokey and cheesy, French dip au jus was watery. read more

B.J. Ryan's - Buffalo Chicken Pub Wings - American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

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Great Ambience. But This Place Reeks of Entitlement. If you're thinking of stepping into BJ Ryan's for a drink -- sure, the ambience is solid. I've been here several times. But just know what you're stepping into: a place where clique behavior, cold service, and entitlement define the late-night energy. Read the full review if you have time. 1. BACKSTORY: Character concerned: Erin * You walk in expecting, "How are you today, sir? What can I get you?" Instead, you get hit with: "YoU AiGhT, dUdE???" That's the greeting. No smile. No warmth. Just attitude. * Staff here move in cliques with their regulars. After tossing plates, they return to their gossip huddles instead of cleaning the bar. When I cleaned it myself, I got hit with another, "YoU AiGhT, dUdE???" Like I was the issue. It's literally YOUR JOB??? I called out the tone -- I was told to leave. * I even offered to pay for my drink, which was still half-full -- she took it away and refused payment. Total power move -- probably the only place she gets to feel in charge lol. * As I stepped out to book my Uber, the bartender came to the door and mockingly yelled: "It's 57 Main Street!" -- just in case I needed the address to book a cab. That was the energy: passive aggression wrapped in fake smiles. 2. MY MISTAKE: * I reacted. I asked her, "Why are you being a bitch?" I'm not proud of it -- and I apologized immediately. * Not because I wanted to be allowed back -- I don't need BJ Ryan's. Norwalk has 100+ better options. * I apologized because I had the emotional intelligence to recognize my own misstep. * I clearly told her I shouldn't have used that word. But she refused to listen and locked the door in my face. That's how much power they think they hold -- as if they're the only bar in Norwalk. That's the level of grace you can expect. 3. LET'S TALK ABOUT THE OWNER: I sent him a respectful, detailed email. He ignored it for 40+ days. Only after I posted a public review did he reply, with an email simply titled "Response." No apology. No leadership. Just optics management. His reply included this line: * "I'd appreciate if you took down the one-star review. I don't want to respond to that one." * Not "Would you be willing to remove it?" Just an entitled request -- like he runs PR, not people. * And BJ, let's be real -- I've read the articles where you brand yourself as Norwalk's community hero, who worked through appendicitis and does "fact-finding" missions for crab rubs. But when a real customer gave real feedback? You ghosted. That tells me everything. 4. FINAL NOTE I used to come here often despite the cold service -- I genuinely liked the ambience. But that goodwill died that night. I'm not taking this review down. I'll be telling this to everyone I know -- online, in real life, all of them. Not just showing the review, but actually telling people what really goes on behind the image. read more

Good food morning, noon and night (depending on their hours of business of course). Try their corn bread or corn bread french toast if you go for Brunch on Saturday, it's delicious. Staff is great! My go to place whenever I'm not sure what I want to eat, but I know I'll find something worth eating here. It's a relaxing family atmosphere and / or sports restaurant depending on which side you decide to dine. Friendly and enjoyable. I recommend it and will return. read more

We rented the upstairs area for a private event with 55 people. They were phenomenal in helping us set this up within 48 hours. Our lacrosse team had a last minute schedule change that freed us up for a group dinner. We preordered 10 appetizers and did a cash bar. Marissa worked hard to make sure we had fresh apps and tasty drinks! The bam bam shrimp, calamari, spring rolls and wings were favorites. The cocktail hour setting with space to room around and talk was perfect for our event. Highly recommend! read more

we used the private room with a bar for a function and it was terrific! The manager was so helpful in the lead up prep for the party and during. The food was great too. I highly recommend this space for a celebratio. read more

We ate at BJ Ryan's East (where partners used to be). Frank was our waiter and the service was incredible. A+ The spicy chicken sandwich was fantastic. Get an extra side of dressing and enjoy! The thinner spinner was also delish! I'm so impressed with the entire experience. We really enjoyed Frank and the food! Great to have you. We will be back! read more

B.J. Ryan's - a fried chicken sandwich with french fries - American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

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I love this place, the ambiance is amazing, the staff are so nice, and the food is top notch, I would recommend this place to anyone

Let me start by saying that I've never had a bad meal here, but I ordered the wrong item tonight. This was my first time trying the Turkey Burger, and It had a weird (spice or some kind of pepper?) taste, and I couldn't eat more than a couple of bites. It sounded plain on the menu, which is what I wanted. This "flavoring" wasn't mentioned on the menu, and I can't tolerate pepper. What I got was something with an odd spicy flavor that has awoken my reflux with a vengeance. The Turkey Burger really shouldn't be on the menu unless it is adequately described, and the ingredients could definitely be improved upon, regardless. Everything else was great - just a suggestion about this particular item. read more

Had a very good experience here. Staff were friendly and very quick service. The food was really good and reasonably priced. I will definitely come back and would recommend to others. read more

This is the closest thing to a Cheers you will find in the area! Great Pub food and the employees are all attentive, knowledgeable and welcoming! Lots of friendly people for a fun vibe, great drinks and delish food! Recommend 100% read more

Great food and service. Worth checking out. Had the ribs. The bar service is really great.

Just came in for a beer with Nick and it was solid. We sat at one of the high tables, table was a bit sticky but was fine. Didn't try anything else. read more

This place consistently puts out great food, drinks, and atmosphere. The employees are all welcoming and good at what they do. The food is great every time. They have specials that they post on social media which are always awesome. I recently had the chicken pot pie special and it was one of the best I've had in a while. Awesome all around. Great work B.J. Ryan's! read more

B.J. Ryan's - American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

Stopped for lunch. Waitress was very nice and friendly. Party of 7 so I'm glad I caught that they automatically gave themself 20% tip added on each check. But odd to me being from out of state that they charge for each drink. So say you drink soda and the waitress asks if you want a other you say yes not realizing you get charged for the first soda and any refill. I ordered their burger but asked to make it a double. Most restaurants I go to have an up charge for an additional patty. Nope. Paid full price of 2 burgers when all I got was 2 burger Patties. I ordered them medium rare and surprisingly they came out cooked that way. So that's a star. My 2 burger Patties and water cost almost the same as the smoke meat sampler from B.J. Ryans BANC house. Shocking. Not sure I will return. read more

Each time we come to BJ Ryan's it only gets better. Do you feel like you're walking into your best friends house. Dawn our waitress is the best in the business. Don't miss this legendary restaurant. read more

B.J. Ryan's - Grilled Turkey Rubin and Burger Bowl. - American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

In the area for an appointment. Called for take out at 6p on a busy Friday night and was able to pick up around 20 minutes. I got the bang bang shrimp and brussle sprouts which was plenty of food to make a whole meal for me. Got the cheese pizza well done for my kid- nice crispy thin crust. Service was great despite the fact they were packed. Bartender was great. It was noisy when I went in but I was just picking up so didn't bother me but probably good to know if you're going to eat in. read more

Server was fabulous and so very cheery! Burgers were cooked as ordered to perfection, juicy and worth coming back for this succulent delicacy. While my French Fries and my wife's Sweet Potato Fries were served nice & hot they were both just too salty and my wife couldn't appreciate the sweetness of her sweet potato fries because of the heavy salt and seasoning. For this reason, I very much highly recommend that no salt or seasoning be added to any of the fries and allow the customer to simply add their own amount of salt & pepper to their fries to their own discretion on how much because once it's served with the loaded salt and seasoning you can't undo what's been already done. I can't see how people may complain if any the fries are served unsalted and/or unseasoned when people are happily prone to add salt & pepper to their taste. The meal price was very reasonably priced. While it was a pub the music volume wasn't obnoxiously loud so that you can still carry a conversation and even read a book if you wanted to. If it weren't for the overly salted fries I would have rated them a perfect 5 star. read more

This place is a great gathering place for friends. We actually use it for our organization's executive board meetings (a group of 5 of us). We like that we can get appetizers to share, drinks, and it's open late during the week! The service is average (which isn't a bad thing). The atmosphere is great because it's loud enough where we can laugh and talk and not feel like we are disturbing anyone, but also not too loud where we can't hear one another. read more

B.J. Ryan's has been a Norwalk staple for years. The menu is can't miss, a little something for everyone. Their catering services are also excellent. Beer selection is fantastic, and everyone who works behind the bar are on point. If you're looking for a great American bar / kitchen, come here and find what you're looking for read more

What happened to this place? Buffalo chicken salad was god awful even for my son who's favorite food is a jalapeño! Steak sandwich, piece of bark has more flavor. Get your kitchen in shape B.J. ! read more

Let's talk about this abomination of a bar. First off the noise level is out of control. Got there around 11:30 for an after diner drink. There were about 10-15 people in the tiny bar area watching sports. My date and I asked to be seated at a table behind the partition. I order a Moscow Mule. Served in a 16 oz glass cup. I never asked for a double. Took one sip and no alcohol. My date said agreed. Had they used a normal size glass then maybe it wouldn't have been filled with ginger beer. My date said there's no alcohol in here the waiter returned with my original drink a said the bartender put vodka in and if I wasted more I needed to pay for a shot of vodka. My mind was blown. So got the vodka shot and added to my drink. Bill comes and it's $18.75. The drink I ordered was $13 had she made it correctly we may have left them more than $19. Btw well vodka or watered down vodka. No wonder they cater to 20 year olds drinking pitchers of PBR. Also this place was dark and depressing. read more

My girlfriend and I decided to do BJ Ryans for NYE dinner. We were still talking about the food again this morning. Everything was delicious! Our waiter Carlos was awesome and on point with everything! Great place for vibe & food! read more

Homemade Good Food, Good Service and a Place to enjoy a night out . Go early they get busy

Hands down one of the best the establishments in Norwalk, the staff and owners are so accommodating toward any and all dietary restrictions. I alerted the staff to my dietary needs and they easily accommodated me and offered substitutions beyond what I could have asked for. Best thanksgiving dinner in years. Thank you. I wish I could give more than 5 stars read more

Little did I know, when ordering late night take-out from my hotel room that this place would actually give us the food, but nothing (!!) to eat it with and not a single napkin. When I called back to let them know, the condescending lady on the phone says, "Well you didn't ASK for UTENSILS" like she couldn't care any less. Whaattt??!! What kind of establishment sells people take-out dinners with no plastic knives & forks so you could eat!! ...NOObody read more

I came here for the first time. The place was relatively empty so service was fast. Server was great. Food came out quick and was very delicious. I have no complaints and will be a repeat customer. read more

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Bj Ryans owner and staff are always so welcoming. The food is absolutely amazing. The specials are always so creative and amazing. I would highly recommend eating at Bj Ryan's. read more

Grew up not too far from here driving passed it everyday and so this time I decided to stop in. Food was good and so was their dessert. My group, which consisted of myself and two others all said we would return for other items. Check em out! read more

B.J. Ryan's - I was here for happy hour so just thought I'd share their happy hour specials. - American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

The menu seemed pretty decent so I decided to check it out. I regret that decision. The nerve of this place to offer multiple pizzas. It is the absolute worst pizza I have ever had, truly disgusting. The crust is nothing like a pizza crust, there's way too much cheese that's really all I could taste. The Brussels sprouts were supposed to be shredded, but they were halved. The pierogis were also covered in cheese and on the cold side. This was the worst meal I've had in a long time. They should be ashamed of themselves! The waitress, on the other hand, was very nice, attentive and friendly. She should find a place with a much better kitchen staff! read more

Great little place. Has a friendly neighborhood bar vibe, good beer selection and a reasonably-priced menu with LOTS of great choices. We've enjoyed the burgers, salads, appetizers and specials. Check out the Bamm Bamm Shrimp, Korean ribs special, Chop Chop Cobb and many other delicious dishes. Our waitress Dawn was helpful and friendly - great service with a smile. Definitely a can't-miss place for lunch, dinner or a drink. read more

Traveling from Cincinnati / stopped here around 11pm and had some of the best service I've ever experienced. A lively environment and friendly faces - I'd recommend this place to all! Our waitress was wonderful and the food/drinks were exceptional! Thank You so much for a great experience! read more

B.J. Ryan's - Philly Cheesesteak from B.J. Ryan's ! - American Near Me - Norwalk, Connecticut

Based on the reviews I was expecting a small place with some pretty good food. Unfortunately only half of that rang true. This is a corner pub (literally it's on a corner) with about a dozen tables and a bar. Dark wood, very "pubish" which is nice if you want that kind of feel. I can guess they do some good bar business on the weekends or during happy hour. We went to lunch on a Saturday and sadly our experience wasn't that great. I started with a cocktail (Lawless Lemonade) and we ordered some appetizers. Buffalo chicken wings and tuna tartare. The tuna tartare was an odd option for an appetizer especially in a bar but we heard the menu being described as a menu with an "international flair" even though it's pegged as an American restaurant and pub. The tuna appetizer was enjoyed and the wings were on point. Only one choice of sauce, that we knew of, and served piping hot. As other people have mentioned the portions seem a little out of whack. There were roughly 10-12 wings on the plate toted as an "appetizer" and the tartare was enough to feed two people comfortably. Now onto the entrees. I ordered the Pub Burger I'd previously seen people rave about and my date ordered the Chop Chop Cobb Salad. The Pub Burger for $7.95 came with no sides so I ordered the Mac and Cheese for an additional $4.95 (also something I'd seen talked about). The salad was a standard salad portion loaded with goodies and the burger was served on a plate for a dinner roll (??) and the mac and cheese came out bubbling with what looked like cheesy goodness. I hate to do it dear review readers but this is as far as the compliments on the food go for me for this restaurant. What I'm trying to say in the nicest way possible is that either someone forgot to tell the chef he needs to use seasoning or they just don't care. My burger which I'd ordered medium came out well done and the sliced onion was served under the bun (??). No ketchup on the table to help with the blandness and even a few shakes of salt and pepper couldn't help the burger. It was basically a hunk of meat with a piece of cheese on a bun. The macaroni and cheese lacked flavor as well, maybe I expected too much based on the reviews I'd read previously. While my date enjoyed his salad somewhat the chicken in the salad also wasn't seasoned. It was merely grilled and chopped up and put on the plate. Our waitress was lovely and seemed knowledgeable on the menu from the few questions we asked. She was the only one working the dining room which had pretty much filled up by the time we were finished. I don't think that we'll be eating here again, we used our Groupon and have called it a day. There is another BJ Ryan's, the Banc house, right near our home that always seems to be filled with people and music and life. It's supposed to be more of a BBQ joint. Maybe we'll give it a go in hopes that the chef there isn't afraid of a little salt and pepper. I can't give this place more than 2 stars unfortunately, maybe it was just an off day. read more

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