A few friends were here so I joined them for a cocktail and lunch. We sat at the bar where it was quite enough to get caught up with each other. They have a nice selection of beer on tap. I had a stout brewed locally from a brewery that I haven't been to. I also ordered the pulled pork nachos which were loaded and enough for two with plenty of leftovers for another meal. The bartender was friendly and helpful with the beer and food orders. This is a popular local place. Right across the street from the beach so it is a great place to stop and enjoy the scenery along with a good meal. read more

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First time trying them was yesterday, Sunday 7/26/2026 afternoon for lunch. There were no tables available so sat at the bar. Super cute sports bar across from the water with great views. We ordered the steak tacos and wings with hot sauce. Nice size wings, cooked perfectly and so tasty. Tacos had lots of very tender beef and just amazing flavor. The tacos have pickled carrots onions and radishes on it with peppery lettuce. The restaurant was busy so a bit noisy but able to talk easily. Both Cara and Krista were friendly and professional. We will definitely be back to try more menu items. Parking was a bit tight. read more

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While visiting the New Haven area, we stopped by The Dive Bar & Restaurant looking for a casual atmosphere and a simple meal. Unfortunately, the experience fell short. The food arrived incredibly fast--so fast that our main courses were served before we even finished our appetizers, which is a major pet peeve of ours. To make matters worse, our waitress had a very cold, uninviting attitude that made us feel uncomfortable asking for anything.For appetizers, we ordered the Buffalo wings and the Brussels sprouts. The Brussels sprouts were amazing and full of flavor, though the wings were just okay. For the mains, we ordered the Figtastic burger and the Bourbon & Blue burger. While we asked for them to be cooked with some pink, both came out completely well-done. The flavor profiles were good, but overcooking the meat really ruined it for us. Between the overcooked food, the poor service, and the very loud music, it wasn't a great visit. On the bright side, they have a nice waterfront view and outdoor seating, which we probably should have chosen. If you don't mind a well-done burger, you might like it, but otherwise, I'd suggest looking elsewhere. read more

With today being a very busy day and night, upcoming on this St. Patrick's Day people have a lot of options on where to go and what to eat? Everyone goes Corned Beef Crazy. I decided to stay closer to home and visit my favorite place for a quick lunch. Thanks to Carl for helping me pick out a new beer for me to try? read more

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Almost 4 stars. I've driven by for a year and finally stopped in. Busy and popular neighborhood bar and restaurant. Drink was good and strong. Steak in tacos was cooked perfectly. Chicken tacos were not great. Chicken was over sized and under seasoned. Brussel sprouts are worth visiting for. Fantastic. Our server seemed tired. Anything we asked for came with a little "look". However, I will definitely return. read more

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Since this restaurant was the only one open after the Memorial Day parade, we decided to finally give it a try. Most importantly thank you to all who served in our armed forces both living and deceased! The scenery is lovely across from the ocean, and the service was very good. There is also plenty of parking in the lot next door. The menu is somewhat limited with a big emphasis on a variety of creative alcoholic beverages. We tried an interesting combination of brie cheese, fig jam, and a black bean burger. It was tasty and was a nice size portion. read more

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This is a great spot to watch a sports game or hang outside and have a few drinks with friends. I came by on a Sunday afternoon with my family to grab lunch since we were in the area. It wasn't too busy and there was plenty of seating. We ordered the fried pickles to start and found that they were made with far too much batter. You could barely taste the pickle! The portion size could have been a little bigger too. However the wings were great - very meaty and I enjoyed the mild buffalo sauce. The perfect amount of spicy for me. My parents both ordered sandwiches and said they were ok, nothing noteworthy. I wouldn't recommend the french fries, they weren't crispy and flavorful. I had high hopes for this spot as the interior is so cute, but the food isn't anything to write home about. read more

Dive Bar & Restaurant - Large Fried Pickles - New American Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

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Wide selection of beer on tap. Friendly and quick service. Food is decent. There are 4-5 tvs in with various games. It can get pretty loud. read more

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The best local place!! Staff is friendly and welcoming and treats everyone like a regular. Food is great as well. Can't beat location across from the beach. read more

I used to love coming here, at least for the last 5 years, despite the subpar mid tier food, the atmosphere in the evening & at night used to be great! However, yesterday the bartender (female for reference purposes) had changed my opinion along with my 3 other friends. She has no manners. We did not feel welcome, and got a "what do you want" when taking our drink order. Not even an acknowledgment! Then she turned off touch tunes at 11pm, right as I spent $15 to play music. Closing time is 11:30pm? Or so the website states. I felt bad for the male bartender because they share tips, if it wasn't for that I would have left nothing. Well it was good while it lasted. If you want a better vibe, food & friendlier staff go visit bonfire grille down the road instead. read more

Love the outdoor seating and drink vibe. The servers and bartenders are always nice and great! The food is below average. I've given various menu items a try but unfortunately the quality and preparation always disappoints. Such a prime location. I wish the food would improve because I would definitely be a regular! Side note: the menu says fries everywhere except the sides where it says "house made chips" I thought they were actual chips which garlic parm chips sound amazing. Instead it was soggy garlic sauce, cold fries. read more

My daughter and her husband just went there for food and drinks. She ordered the buffalo spring rolls. After one bite, which she said tasted chemically, she found a MAGGOT inside. Absolutely Gross!! See the attached pic for yourself. She contacted the health department and filed a complaint. I've been there several times before, but now I'll never go there again! ...Hey Yelp, I tried attaching the pic several times. It showed once and disappeared read more

Dive Bar & Restaurant - Disgusting - New American Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

Skirt steak tacos with chips n , food was amazing along with good service. I would highly recommend this dive bar restaurant if you are in the area. Prices are reasonable as well. read more

Dive Bar & Restaurant - Skirt steak Taco and chips with Food was amazing, I would highly recommend it. - New American Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

These pork belly bites are to die for! Melts in your mouth good! Found this on a random maps search just to grab a good night cap and ended up having post dinner "dinner". 10/10 a must stop when coming through CT! read more

Smash burgers are amazing! Food was great overall. Fun atmosphere. You can also sit outside and order drinks with a view of the ocean acroos the street. read more

Dive Bar was one of my favorite local restaurants. I loved their FigTastic Burger and their Chopped Burger Salad. The waitstaff are friendly, and you can't beat their outdoor seating overlooking the water. Unfortunately, they have replaced the deliciously juicy, cooked-to-order burgers with preformed, flavorless patties. Sadly, I no longer have any reason to go there. read more

Great beach atmosphere drinks are solid always a great beer selection too... service is usually always on point

We ordered take-out and I can easily say that it was the worst burger I've had the displeasure of eating in my entire life. I would like to know who developed the concept of serving a burnt, salty meatball as a burger that is raw in the middle. On top of that, the meat was full of gristle which required a box of dental floss to remove from my teeth. We decided to try this place based on positive reviews which are baffling to me. Honestly feel like we were swindled out of our money by paying for this meal. Unfortunately, we would NOT recommend this establishment. read more

Such a great place to relax & take in the scenery, being right across from Long Island Sound. I had the pleasure of dining here on a beautiful sunny day. They open the large front windows so it's completely exposed & you get to feel refreshing breeze as you sip on your cold beverages. The menu is averaged priced, & it's money well spent. My party of 3 ordered calamari, Ahi tacos, Mahi Mahi tacos, pork sliders & fried pickles. We all shared & loved everything except for the Mahi Mahi tacos. Sadly, it was dry. Even with the sauce that comes with it. The Ahi tacos, however, were amazingly good & moist. The bright pink of the tuna definitely catches your eye & makes your mouth water. The calamari & pickles were one of the best apps I've had. Both were meaty & crunchy. I did ask for the dry rub on the calamari, but didn't actually taste it. My partners agreed. Nonetheless, they were still scrumptious. The pork sliders were also moist, tender & very flavorful. I have to also mention on soft those buns were. I may put in 2 orders of those next time. The vibes here are so inviting & casual. I like the convenience of the location, being right across from the water. You could pick up food & go sit on the benches or bring a chair, & just relax. read more

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Upscale dive bar with great water views. We loved our entrees but thought for two burgers and a salad, the wait was excessive. Coconut margarita was disappointing, too heavy on the sour mix. Highly recommend the burrata salad. A great spot to explore a hidden gem of the Long Island sound. read more

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Where to begin? Let's start with service. Try being more of an inviting and welcoming hostess instead of being rude- rushed/ wishy washy inconsistencies. To the owner, remember it's hospitality. A good first impression is a lasting one. Secondly, wait times. Tell the people who are patiently waiting to give you business- how long it will take instead of brushing them off and giving a bogus timespan and leaving them in limbo. Again remember, they are patiently waiting to give you business instead of going somewhere else. I rated this originally 3 now if I could give negative 5 it would be more in line with the experience. read more

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Small place, friendly wait staff. The food was very good, expected it to be like any old bar food but it def surpassed it. Loves all the combos of the cracked pepper tuna salad, the pickled veggies and sauce really made it all tie together and it was huge. I got 2 meals out of it. The nachos were pretty good, I tend to like melted cheese on mine rather than queso style Cheese but had a good amount of toppings and was very tasty. I look forward to when the outside part opens! read more

Dive Bar & Restaurant - Nachos - New American Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

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Always a great atmosphere. We have been here For dinner a couple of times. Service is always good, food is out promptly. The portions are a good size. My burger was cooked perfectly. I was happy. Only critique was we waited for a while to be seated. No one showed up so we found a spot ourselves. read more

Dive Bar & Restaurant - Bourbon & Blue Burger - New American Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

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We were in town on an impromptu vacation and found the dive bar on yelp. We were a little hungry but it was later in the afternoon so we decide decided to split the OG Smash Burger and grabbed some drinks. Or was just what we wanted and the kitchen pre-cut and plated it separately.0 (Attention to a little detail like that goes a long way). They have a full bar and an extensive beer list great views the staff was very attentive and as you can see from the pic the food is great too! read more

Dive Bar & Restaurant - Food - New American Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

Great place. Food tastes fresh and seems like not your run of the mill place with frozen appetizers but makes from scratch

I'd maybe give it more if we ate here but only stopped for a drink. Bartenders were super friendly. Drinks were great though it's hard to mess up Scotch on the rocks and gin and tonic. But I have had gin and tonic messed up before! Hopefully will get back there to try out their lobster roll! read more

Went for lunch on a beautiful spring day. Was surprised it was so quiet on a nice day. But as time went on it began to fill up. Sat at the bar ordered a hoax strawberry sleight of hand on draft, forgot that it has jalapeño. It is one of my favorites but had to switch to a Weld Works bamm bamm rubble rubble fruited sour. Was do good. I ordered the Brussel sprouts app and a side of fries with roasted garlic and shaved parm. The sprouts had a hoisin sauce, bacon and shaved parm. Omg they were amazing. The leaves that fell from the sprouts were nice and crisp, the sprouts themselves were cooked through and still a bit crispy on outside. Very tasty. The fries were okay, don't think I will order them this way again. The roasted garlic was like a paste that came out of a squeeze bottle. My friend ordered the fried Mahi sandwich, this thing was huge. 2 pieces of crispy mahi mahi in the sandwich. It looked amazing. She loved it. Service is very good, great neighborhood bar with really good food. Looking forward to nicer weather so can sit outside and look across the street at the beach. read more

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Fun place friendly staff food was underwhelming but good. Server recommended mahi taco but the fish was overcooked and there was no flavor at all chopped tomato and lettuce Simple taco simply bland. Lobster rolls were great. Ahi poke bowl was delicious! read more

Great view! I can ride my bike to the Dive! BLT on pretzel roll is killer! Good beer selection too. read more

Dive Bar & Restaurant - View of LI Sound - New American Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

We were lucky to find this cute little gem right across from the water. We had a short wait and then got seated. So we got tuna tacos, seared on the outside and nice and rare in the middle, with pickled onion, radishes, seaweed salad, arugula, and a zesty lemon aioli mayo. We got a lobster roll with fries and coleslaw on a brioche roll. There were so many chunks of lobster that a side of butter was served. Nice. And we got a traditional burger with cheddar, and of course tomato, onion, lettuce and a pickle. Service was fast, once we got in, and the place was pretty cute. read more

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I started off having rated them 3 stars/ but as we consistently went numerous things waned. Albeit this is our neighborhood bar- the travesty is unforgivable. 1. Wait times "the server commented that the weekend times are longer' no duh! At least make it known while on the wait. 2. Two similar drinks are served and both are different. Same drink, not the same quantity in the glass? Care to explain instead of standing and mumbling. 3. How can you mess up Calamari twice/ first time it was under cooked and soggy and second time it was overcooked and tough like rubber tires. I think the old adage of customer is always right does not work here- and so is your loss of my business. read more

Walk in. Place was fairly crowded. My friend and I were able to find a table. Had to ask if the could wipe it down because it wasn't cleaned off. Someone then came and took our drink order but we had to wait for someone to take our food order. Feeling more and more invisible it didn't make for a pleasant experience. So we wanted another drink to go with our food. It was very confusing as to who our actual server was or if it was just who ever walked by. We had to ask for everything - napkins, extra plate , water, etc. the food was ok. I can't say it was fantastic but good enough that we didn't send it back. The place was on the loud side so we found ourself talking over the noise and who knows who could hear what we were saying. Overall. I was not impressed and probably won't return. UPDATE: We decided to give it another shot and see what happened. I have to say this time we had the most pleasant waitress and she was very quick with service. I honestly didn't see anyone else working so she handled the place very well. I'm glad we decided to give it another try. I'm raising my stars to 5 read more

Dive Bar & Restaurant - Bbq wings and nachos - New American Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

Wow, dog unfriendly patio. Not because of town restrictions or anything - alleged owner liability. So not cool in this day and age plus they have two patios. There's no reason why pooches can't stay on the lower portion with sand. Oh well, it's their policy and it's the policy of pet parents to not give their discretionary $$$ to discriminatory places like this. Too bad, I've always enjoyed their food and wine selection. And the day I went with my pooch it was cold and blustery with not a soul sitting outside. I gladly planned to eat and drink in the cold as I didn't want to leave the little one in the car in the sketchy parking lot. If I were the hostess, I'd have made a discretionary decision to serve the girl and make $ on a cover. Come Fall 2022 when the food shortages are planned, you'll regret not taking business when you could. read more

Very friendly, good food and drinks, good prices! What more could you ask for?!! Plus a very nice location with a shoreline view just across the road. We will frequent this place! Thanks read more

This was unexpected poorly cooked. My burger was raw and cold uncooked and i felt queasy all afternoon... i was so upset after taking a bite after ordering online i had to return to the bar and return it! I didn't even ask for a refund or a replacement... hopefully the cook just had a bad day...yikes raw cold burger meat! Not even worth 1 Star unacceptable! read more

I had the peppered tuna salad and my husband had the shrimp poboy tacos. Both are amazing and make us want to come back to try out other menu items. At 10pm on a Wednesday, the place was hopping. Includes some nice putdoor seating options. Be warned, the kitchen closes at 10pm and thanks to the awesome servers we got our food order in at 9:55pm. If you want a quiet conversation though, go at lunch! Couldn't have any kind of conversation due to the noise level. read more

Dive Bar & Restaurant - Peppered Tuna Salad - New American Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

Food was good if you want bar food. (No coffee! Wtf?) Our original server was awful. She snapped at us when we asked for things and wasn't very nice to deal with. (Grey hair lady with really thick hair) No matter how nice we tried to be, she was horrific. The lady who finally came to take our order (there were 5 of us) was FANTASTIC. They had 2 types of music playing and it was SO LOUD we couldn't hear ourselves. Guy was working on a door with drills and hammers I won't go back, but a few of the people I was with had been there before. read more

Dive Bar & Restaurant - Blackened chicken taco - New American Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut

Dive Bar & Restaurant is craft beer bar that opened in West Haven, Connecticut in 2010. It was founded by Domenic Giannotti. The establishment specializes in local craft beer on draft and in bottles/cans. In addition to their craft beer selection, they are well-known for their delicious burgers, tacos, lobster rolls, salads and various bar bites. In 2019, Dive Bar was able to double their size when the unit next door became available. That same year, Connecticut Magazine voted Dive Bar the Reader's Choice Award for Best Dive Bar in Connecticut. My most recent visit to Dive Bar was earlier this week. I've been to Dive Bar several times over the years, but this was my first time there since they had expanded their interior. I've always loved the atmosphere there, but my only complaint was that it was a little too small inside and would fill up quickly. I love how they were finally able to open up the interior a little more. Their food is still just as good as always. I ordered one of their specialties: the 'Bourbon & Blue'. This burger is stuffed with blue cheese, topped with lettuce, tomato, pickled onions, candied bacon and a bourbon glaze reduction. I opted to have it served on a pretzel bun with a side of sweet potato fries. The burger was so juicy and flavorful. For drinks, I started off with one of my local favorites: 'Fuzzy Baby Ducks' IPA by New England Brewing. Next I had a 'Biscuits' Double IPA by Tribus Beer Company; it paired well with my burger. I finished the evening with another local favorite: 'Sea Hag' IPA by New England Brewing Company. As always, I enjoyed my visit to Dive Bar and I look forward to stopping in again. read more

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We had a girl's lunch/brunch get together at the Dive Bar and Restaurant last Saturday, August 3rd and it was absolutely FANTASTIC. The location directly across from the beach and ocean are fabulous. Although it is a small place it is very comfortable and a cute family friendly place. I had called a few days before to find out if they made Chocolate Martinis and spoke to Riley who was just wonderful telling me that Alissa would be working, and she makes GREAT Chocolate martinis. When we got there around 12:30 I asked if Riley was there and as Shelly our wonderful waitress took us to our table she let me know that Riley was at the bar so I went over and introduced myself. Riley gave me a big hug and introduced me to Alissa. Two of us ordered Chocolate Martinis and my sister ordered Cosmos. Needless to say they both were absolutely delicious. Not only did Shelly give us the best possible service but Alissa kept the drinks coming and each one was EXCELLENT. As for the food we were EXTREMELY pleased. We ordered the chicken tacos, the shrimp po'boy taco, fries and the ABSOLUTE BEST ITEM recommended by Shelly was the Burbon Pork Belly bites. They were so good that if anyone tried to grab on you would want to slap them and tell them to get their own. We had the BEST TIME because the staff were wonderful, friendly and made us feel like we were family or regulars. I visit Orange and Milford from Harlem, NY often and now I will look forward to getting by The Dive Bar and Restuarant whenever possible. read more

Really cool place with a fun atmosphere. It can get busy there and hard to get the attention of a staff member. The first time there we were able to get a table. The second time it was very busy on a Sunday during football and we ended up leaving because it was busy and there was no where to sit. The first time I was there I ordered the shrimp poke bowl. It was really good and the ingredients were all fresh. Will definitely be back. read more

Dive Bar & Restaurant - Shrimp Poke Bowl - New American Near Me - West Haven, Connecticut