I went with my son, on Sat. about 12pm.. I had not been here in years. The place was not very busy so we had a chance to unwind. Our waitress Erin was great. We both had the Blue burger & onion rings Both were great !! Son & I like hot stuff so we split a Russian Roulette Jalapeno pepper poppers these are a must try.. very good and of course I got the nuclear meltdown one :-0 Great place to go..lots of beers on tap.. read more

Where do I start? We've been going to Eli's for 17 years & counting. Excellent food for a restaurant/bar. Chef Eddie is culinary trained & the quality of the food & how it's prepared is amazing! Never a bad meal-ever! Eli's is considered a gastro pub. They specialize in having many unique beers on draft (usually 35 different ones). As well as a large selection of cans. They will make mixed drinks & serve child friendly beverages as well. We are biased as we are mug members. We try to go once a week. Or do take out. They've expanded the restaurant to outside. They have heated tents for the second year in a row now. Bring the family. We know everyone there on a first name basis as they know us the same. Aubrey & Rocco are the owners. They are a local family run business. Our personal favorites are the beer dinners. You need to prepay for those. They have pairings of beer with food. Just like wine with food. They are very informative. You meet the nicest people at those. read more

It's been over two years since my first Eli Cannon's experience (and my last review), and I still love this place. I wasn't able to stop in for a while because I wasn't in the area as often, but I am now interning in Middletown, and I'm finding myself here more. There's so much to love about Eli Cannon's. The lengthy beer list can't be beat. When it's warm, the back patio is one of the coolest places to hang out. The eclectic menu is fun, and everything I've had has been delicious. That Ranchero burger with blue cheese, chipotle, mushrooms, and cajun onion rings is still one of my favorite burgers ever. (Not just at Eli's. Ever.) I recently had the Texan burger, which is topped with pulled pork and jalapenos and is wonderful. All the sides - the cajun fries, sweet potato fries, etc. - are quality. I also recently had the mac 'n cheese - a giant trough filled macaroni and a perfect gooey blend of smoked gouda, gruyere, cheddar, monterey jack, and parmesan cheeses. It is absolutely heavenly. And I have to note that the mac 'n cheese is $14 for what really is a giant portion. I've gotten a quarter of that amount of lesser quality mac 'n cheese for that same price. The only real downsides are that everyone knows how great this place is, so it can be packed at times, and I can spend so much time here that my tab can really add up. read more

Eli Cannon's - Buffalo chicken wrap with sweet potato fries. - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

See all

Be advised, this place is NOT DOG FRIENDLY. We looked up "dog friendly bars in Middletown" on Yelp before settling on a spot. We walked down the side alley to the back yard with our dog, and my friend went and informed a server that we were back there and asked if there was table service. They said yes and we waited. And waited. After waiting about 20 minutes for a server to come we finally gave up and one of us ordered drinks at the bar. Finally a server came back with menus and told us we had to leave because only medical assistance dogs are allowed (an ESA letter doesn't count either FYI). It was a bummer because we'd been here before and the food is really good, plus we'd been waiting so long we were hangry and now we had to chug our drinks and GTFO. read more

Made a detour into this restaurant due to a highway pileup during Saturday's snowstorm. Nothing we ordered tasted quite right! My chicken pot pie had way too much thyme which made my dish taste like lemon in every bite. The potatoes were not cooked fully. My pot pie did not have a top crust. When asked where was the top part of my pie, my waitress said it has a bottom and side. My date and I got a laugh from that internally... but a pot pie is a pot pie, right? She was nice to give me a credit back for the undercooked-potatoes pot pie. Daniel's blackened burger didn't taste right to him and the cheddar and stout soup was way to beer like. There should have been a better balance of the two ingredients. I hope the kitchen fixes the pot pie after reading this! read more

Eli Cannon's - No top crust on the chicken pot pie - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

How does this place only have 3 1/2 stars?? Every time I walk in the door, it's always a great experience. Friendly staff, GREAT beer selection with grey local presence. Food is great. Pfffttttttt 3 1/2 stars my butt. read more

I had the Cuban Chicken Sandwich which was extremely tasty. Coupled with a Juice Bomb IPA, my taste buds were popping! Despite the name, the IPA wasn't as citrus-y as I feared it might be. The service was amazing. Our server was attentive, fast and extremely accommodating. The place was deservedly busy for a fall afternoon. I wouldn't hesitate to go back! read more

While there were many typical bar food options, the menu also featured specials and non traditional bar items. Excellent service and food.

Eli's... if you're in central CT and you enjoy beer, it's a must hit. The place has great food, awesome hot sauce and an amazing tap list. With more than thirty beers available, you'll be lucky to find such a hoppy collection on tap in CT. Plus, you gotta love the appetizers and the kitsch on the walls. cheers read more

A cool, quirky place with a really great beer selection. The decor is eclectic and fun, but it can get crowded inside. There's a "beach" out back which can also get crowded, but it's such a great spot in the summer - there's actual sand (!!) and beach toys laying around. Tons of outdoor seating (the kitschy decor spills out here as well) to enjoy one of their many beers on tap. This is a college town, so if you can come on a weird day/time it's probably for the best to avoid crowds - unless that's your thing! I've been here a few times and the servers and bartenders are all super friendly and helpful and make great recommendations. I've been told the wings are great but I haven't tried them...maybe next time! This seems to be the most happenin' spot in Middletown, and the beer list alone is probably worth the visit if you're into beer. read more

Consistently one of the best craft beer selections in CT. The food is solid and has improved a lot with new ownership. The space had also improved a lot over this time frame (less junk filled basement vibe, more open room). This has really helped in the colder months, as there is more room inside. In the summer months, their patio/"beach" is the best place to relax with a beer and friends! read more

A few highlights: -They have one of the most impressive beer lists I've ever seen. I'm normally not a beer drinker, but I am when I come here. It would seem sacrilege to turn down the huge variety of delicious local and not-so-local brews on tap. You can also get a flight. -THEY HAVE A BEACH IN THE BACKYARD. Just beyond the patio, there is a large sandy area where you can relax in an adirondack chair and build sand castles with the toys provided. No, there is no water to swim in. But, they have a BEACH! -The inside and outside look like a thrift store exploded. Spray painted bicycles, antique toys, red wagons are strung with Christmas lights and hung from the ceiling, there is an old phone booth and barbers chair, a chalkboard on the ceiling, and funky skeleton art all over the place. -The food. Mainly pub food; wings, nachos, burgers, etc, a variety of salads, a whole menu page of fish entrees and a whole page of vegetarian choices. Last time I was there I had something I've been wanting for years- vegetarian sliders! I've only come across them being offered at one other place (in Florida), and it's always seemed like something that would be easy to make but no one does. I want those cute little burgers too! -Free popcorn. As another reviewer said, it can be crowded and difficult to get a table or barstool, and that is true. Especially during times when the patio is closed and seats are much more limited. That just demonstrates the demand for fun and awesome places like Eli's in Middletown, as all of the other bars on Main St blend into the background and often disappear. And Eli's hasn't become complacent; they continue to improve, keep things fresh, and offer consistently good service and good times. read more

See all

Crowded place. Often. Sometimes real crowded. I prefer hanging out on the patio on a nice day. Seems kinda 'compressed' indoors. Excellent wings of various heats. And those pepper bombs with the orange habanero dipping sauce are yum inducing. They are the sour cream, not the cheese versions. They hand you a chalkboard listing the various brews and when they were tapped. Good selection. read more

The back patio area is literally a beach. It's filled with sand, there are beach chairs, and drinking in a beach legally is pretty awesome. It's relaxing, there's no street to bother you, you're secluded from the rest of the world and it's a whole lot of fun. Brilliant Idea. The inside of the bar is always incredibly busy and they have all sorts of crazy decorations, fun staff members and whatnot. For me, it's a little too busy to be honest. They also always have a really cool movie on one of the TV's, which is a nice touch. One time I saw it was Lost Boys, another time Jaws. Also they have a great system where you can put your name on a list to have your own beer stein, kept behind the bar for you to use and drink from, excellent idea. This bar would literally be one of the greatest ever for me, I'm an oddball, I dig their style, I like beaches and movies in bars...but everything for me came to screeching halt with the drink selection. Lots of hipster beers and IPAs, nothing really beachy and nothing European really at all. Which sucks...a lot. Nothing can be perfect though, this place is pretty awesome overall. read more

As soon as we parked I could smell the food! Hasn't smelled that good in awhile, like for a couple of years. Tonight however was on point! Staff is always wonderful. All of them, but our server tonight, Damon rocks! So personable and professional. Love that customers are always greeted and made to feel welcomed upon entering the restaurant, like they actually want you there. read more

Phenomenal beer selection... similar to some of my choice favs from Chicago (Map Room & Sheffield's). They have tastings every Tuesday with different vendors coming in to allow patrons to sample their beer. This is a must go for any beer lover! The atmosphere is cluttered with various forms of eye candy. Every nook & cranny has something in it to look at... plenty of conversation starters. read more

Holy craft beer heaven! Quite simply, this is the best beer bar around. They have over 40 beers on tap that rotate on a nightly basis. Every craft brewery you could imagine. I've discovered many favorites from a pint glass at Eli's. Their beer tastings, which feature a different brewery each week, are also a great time. Includes free samples, glassware, and awesome beer. The food here is great too. Anything from burgers, to steak sandwiches, to the Mexi-Cali wrap, you honestly can't go wrong. And while your waiting, grab a bag of fresh popcorn from the popcorn maker to enjoy with your first pint, whatever it may be. read more

Stopped here on the way home with friends for a quick bite and was not disappointed. We ordered the nachos to start and they were fantastic. Loaded up and more than enough for a group of 5 to pick at. I had a chicken sandwich with the garlic Parmesan fries and it hit the spot. No complaints for anyone elses meals ranging for mac and cheese to burgers. Definitely affordable and great for a quick bite or just drinks. The outdoor patio has a beach feel and don't be intimated by the motorcycle esq decor, very friendly staff! read more

Eli Cannon's - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Friendly staff, good food and fantastic beer selection. The patio in the back makes it an awesome summertime setting to kick back and crack a cold one with the boys. read more

Have been here about a dozen times over the last 5 years or so and it has become one of my favorites places in CT. Great beer selection, maybe the best on Main St.. I have rarely tried anything off of the menu besides the boneless teriyaki chicken (wonderful!!). Bladerunner plays non-stop in a DVD/TV (inside a hollowed out popcorn machine or fishtank - can't remember). Parking sucks, and the neighborhood is spotty... only two downsides of this place... oh, and I am pretty sure there are prostitutes living/working above the bar. read more

Wings are good but service was terrible. Corned beef was more like jerky , onion rings were soggy shoelaces with no flavor. Plenty of beer choices and very cool atmosphere, but not worth another visit. read more

Eli Cannon's - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

I find Eli's often to be very crowded and anytime after 4:30 PM hard to find a table. The outdoor patio is a great space, but service can be slow out there. There is a good selection of beer and it's updated seasonally. The food is very good but also pricey, and sometimes they nickel and dime you for fries, sauce, etc. When it's all said and done if you are around the area and can find a spot to park then it's worth a stop in. read more

Don't bother being a DD, for the price of soda water you may as well get drinks... Beer list is usually very good. Nachos are great the other food is decent maybe a notch abovexywfy9-deswid-zuBfum that. read more

I went to this establishment with high expectations due to word of mouth, yet was severely disappointed after my experience there. Upon walking in I was assaulted with a hodge podge of decorations that did not match nor make sense. It was extremely narrow and I felt very claustrophobic. The bar looked like a hoarders dream. I was wondering where we would sit to eat and was relieved to learn there was a patio. When we sat down, it was awhile before we saw a waiter. When he came and finally took our drink order it took another 20 minutes just to get those. Which brings me to the service. I would like to say, by far, that this was the worst service I have ever received from any establishment I have been to. Which is disappointing because, for a bar, the food was very good. But the price and taste was not worth the 2 HOUR wait until we received it. During the wait we barely saw our waiter. When we did, I flagged him down. He paused in his rush as if hurried and didn't seem like he could be bothered by me. I politely asked him when our food would arrive because it has been an hour and a half. His reply? "I don't know. Take it up with the chef." And ran off and did not return for another 30 minutes when our food finally arrived. I have never been treated SO POORLY in an establishment before in my life. I wanted to walk out then and there but i was with a group of friends and did not want to deal with it. I will NEVER recommend this place and I will always tell people how horrible the service there is. I will also never be returning. read more

Definitely will not go here again. First we got 12 wings. Half were maple bacon bourbon and they had no flavor.. just tasted like plain wings. The other half we're mild buffalo and the sauce was ok. Overall mediocre wings at best. My dinner companion got the chili cheese dog.. the bun was stale but toasted .. making it extremely hard. The chili was good but a large slab of bacon on top was just strange. I had "the boss" which is a chicken sandwich. The bun and chicken were both burnt but the worst part was the fries. If you stabbed someone with one of these fries they would be seriously injured (ask my dinner companion). They were overcooked to begin with and they must have sat under a heat lamp for an extended period of time. They only got the 2 stars because the bar sprite was good and the decorations are cool. read more

Eli Cannon's - Chili cheese dog - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

See all

Great beer selection! Nice, laid back atmosphere. In the summer the outdoor beach area is great for hanging out. The food is a guilty pleasure of mine! Love all the different burgers and wings. read more

Eli's is...unique. The interior looks like a scene from the television show "Hoarders:buried alive", but if you can clamber over, under, or around all the random junk and find a seat you should be in a good position to enjoy a few drinks and people watch. A lot of strange folk wander through here on any given night. It's a good thing. The beer selection is extensive, and the food is fine, but table service always seems so. very. slow. If you are starving, and looking for a quick meal, eat elsewhere, but if you have time to spend hanging out with friends, or you're just there for the drinks, you will enjoy yourself. If you are bothered by crowded places, come early or sit outside on the patio, otherwise you're going to be in for an uncomfortably...cozy night. The TV's are small, grainy, and oddly placed, so don't come here expecting to watch a game or anything. Dancing also is probably impossible, what with all the "decor" filling up space. There is room for sitting, or standing, and drinking. So sit, or stand, and drink. read more

Very easy to find as the outside is so colorful and vibrant. The sweet potato was a favorite of mine, if you're looking for a wide selection of beers here is the place. My friends had IPAs and they enjoyed it. Music wasn't too loud as we managed to have our conversation. I cannot remember our waitress name but my fake lashes were bothering me and she managed to give me a container for that and she was sympathetic about it. Lots of love to her for that for that. Parking wise: on a weekend i was told it free however there are a few open spots in the front just don't forget it pay the meter. When i went it was full so i parked on the side road. read more

Great beer selection, cool decor and nice atmosphere. Good place to take you out of the cold and great watering hole to kick back and have a few brewskis. Food is good and plentiful. Vintage shows are shown on some of the tellies. Music is fitting. Top notch overall. read more

See all

Back in the mid-90's, Eli's opened up in what was the decrepit and crime-ridden North End of Middletown. There it was, a hip place to drink, right amidst the gang-bangers that lived right outside the front door. I thought it was a joke, and that it wouldn't last more than a couple of years. 15-plus years later, I have been proven very wrong. The owners of this fine establishment must have some sort of crystal ball that they used to see the the North End of Middletown would someday become safe again...it's by no means squeaky-clean 'Leave it to Beaver'-land, but is going in the right direction. My wife, who is from Seattle, even calls Main St 'one of the cutest places she's ever seen'. The one thing that it unique about this place is that it reminds me of 'Chotchkie's Restaurant' from the movie 'Office Space'. I can practically see Jennifer Aniston's Manager critiquing the decor saying...'not enough flair'. This place has flair for days... Food is always excellent here as well. read more

As almost every review of Eli Cannon's mentions: come for the beer! An eclectic selection awaits you and most pints are reasonably priced. I appreciated the fact that they had several interesting brews that were in the $4-5 range. I tried a tasty IPA that paired nicely with the spice of their hot wings, which surprisingly were some of the best I've ever had. We ordered 'Two in the Pool' which is bbq and buffalo sauce combined. Very delicious. My testament to their flavorful nature is the fact that I ate half the order, when I will usually only try one or two...I'm just not a big fan of wings typically. I also ordered a wonderful quesadilla which had chicken, spinach, artichoke, mushrooms, and of course cheese. I found it to be quite filling and it was a good size for either a smaller meal or for sharing. We tried the garlic parmesan fries as well. Those were good too, especially with some hot sauce topping them. Service was fine. It took us a while to decide because the menu has several pages and I wanted to see what I was going to eat before choosing which beer to pair with my meal. One caveat: The food took an exceptionally long time to arrive at the table once we placed the order, which was mostly likely caused by the kitchen not the server. We had our beer so we were happy, but it is probably not a place to visit if you have any time constraints. Three appetizers and three beers was just over $40. I felt like their prices were fairly average for the portion, quality, and atmosphere which is intentionally scruffy. It's funny because Eli's is not that divey, I just think they are trying to portray a little more of a city vibe than they actually embody. Still, it's a cool atmosphere: fun and laid back. I liked the high backed booths, which offered more privacy than a traditional restaurant booth. read more

See all

Awesome atmosphere! Super unique decor inside & out. in the summer they have an awesome chill spot in the back with beach chairs and sand, like an actual beach, except better because you cant drink on real CT beaches, and CT ocean water is basically a giant, foamy cesspool. Bring your selfie stick because there is a buttload of photo opps, god forbid you don't instagram them! from what i have experienced, the food is pretty average. But if you drink enough beers i'm sure it will taste 100x better. the service wasn't too bad either read more

Eli Cannon's - American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Amazing food, beers, and service! I've been coming for lunch and dinner for a year now and I love it!

Very very loud, but sometimes loud is fun,,,, and after a night out with friends great for some beers. Problem is the food is mostly terrible, (bee soup is the only thing I've ever liked here) and in order to have a table you must order food. I wish there was an option like the coperti in Italy... (I'd gladly just pay a fee for the table rather than waste a plate of inedible food just to sit down) read more

Great selection of beers on tap and the food was delicious. Our party shared about 8 different dishes and all were great. Nearly all outdoor seating so avoid this place if the weather is bad. Only complaints are that they ran out of clean glasses at one point and, as a result, a few people couldn't do the beer sampler thing and the waitress or bartender served the wrong beers a few times. Maybe too many beers for the waitress/bartender to keep track of. read more

To spite the fact it wasn't busy and there were lots of employees talking to EACH OTHER, it took forever to just get a drink. "Poor service. " Every employee we interacted with had an attitude problem. The Place is Overall Dirty. Bathroom appalling " use at your own risk" . Drinks served warm. Food either under or over cooked. Nothing redeemable. read more

We went to Eli's on Mother's Day we didn't have a reservation but there was only two of us. There were two spots at the bar and they said we couldn't sit there because of covid. We did get a table by the front window. As we were sitting there waiting a long time for service we noticed a guy with a Eli cannon tshirt that worked there, cuz he had keys and was letting a bum into the apartments upstairs was sitting in the seats at the bar that we requested and helping himself to beer as he sat with the other customers. I think it looks bad that only certain people were allowed those seats at the bar. It was obvious that the wait staff knew who the guys were sitting with the employee because they kept going over to them and flirting. The people that were there before we got there told us they were there for 2 hours. So we could if had their seats if the 90 mins was validated. The food was not good either it was cold and French fries cold and soggy. I'm thinking the food was sitting for a while because it took 37 mins for a Cali sandwich which is only avacado and bacon. I love Eli's and was very disappointed in seeing people reaching over the bar and pouring their own beer employees or not. Get it together Eli's I hate to see this place go down the tubes cuz I love the atmosphere read more

A Middletown staple. Great food and service. Worth the wait. Seasonal beer garden is the best in the area!

I usually swing by when I'm home & I especially love the beer garden area in the summer time. You can always rely on Eli's for a relaxed night out with friends. read more

Been coming here off and on for years. The food is usually great, but seemed to be lacking this time around. Started with the poutine, fries where over cooked and luke warm. He had the Man Cave, as exciting as the description was, it fell flat. Burger was under seasoned and the exciting aspects, pulled pork, chutney, where none existent. Cajun fries had little to no seasoning. I had The Boss. Uneventful. It's a good thing I asked for extra Ranch because none came on the sandwich. Best part for both of us was the Tater Tots. Ended the evening with a Fried PB&J, fail! Soaked in grease. Saving grace was good beer and hard cider. read more