My first time on a date at Fenton River Grill. We sat at the bar. The bartenders were both very nice young men the food came out fairly quick and both the Moroccan Chicken and the Hosmer Root Beer Short Ribs were good. They could have used a little garlic but were very tender. The crispy Brussels were really good as an appetizer. It has a nice ambience in there with low lighting. It was a perfect night altogether. read more

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This was a little bit of a mixed bag; we were super happy with the soups, and the Notorious P.I.G. was really good. My husband was super happy with his short ribs, but 2 of us at the table ordered the porterhouse steak and asked for medium rare, and they were both overcooked. The steak was really thin and overdone, so I definitely regretted ordering it. I had made a reservation, but for a Saturday night it was pretty empty. For being there in the Big Y plaza, the ambiance once you're inside was pretty nice, and our waitress did a good job. Sounds like they've definitely got some hit-or-miss items on the menu based on looking quickly at some of the other reviews. read more

Great atmosphere and restaurant for a nice meal near Willimantic! Service is great and quick.

It seems many enjoy this restaurant. I must have chosen the wrong entree. I ordered the special porterhouse steak and asked for it to be very very rare. It came out barely pink. I sent it back. The next steak was also way overcooked for my taste, However, I did not send it back and tried to enjoy it. Overcooked and much grizzle. I have never had such a bad meal in a restaurant. I will never return . read more

Overall okay. The mussels smelled so bad I thought we'd get sick. The Hosmer short ribs were Amazing! My mom loved her food, my father grumbled at the price tag. I think I would have enjoyed it even more if there were three kids running wild all over the place. read more

Amazing food, amazing service, amazing drinks, beautiful decorations, can't recommend enough. And MIA, Mia was a fantastic waitress. We shared so many wonderful conversations. Can't wait to come back read more

The experience that we had was wonderful service was good food was tasty. The atmosphere was wonderful. I would definitely go back and try it again to make sure before I give it all five stars, but I will give it four stars for the experience that I did have. read more

I wanted to get a quiet drink by myself this afternoon. My drink did not disappoint. I got a seasonal special- espresso pumpkin martini. It was pretty and delicious! Service was a little slow but was very friendly I was disappointed in my order of fries I got to snack on. They were over cooked read more

Fenton River Grill - Pumpkin espresso martini - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

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This place, named after the local stream of my youthful watering holes, is still glorious. The beer selection, which you can monitor on Digital Pour the app, has some tasty selections. My wife enjoyed one of my personal favorites, Back East's Ice Cream Man. I savoured the foggy/hazy Abomination Ale's Wandering Into the Fog. Our server was very courteous and checked in; we nodded our approval of all the meals. My wife had the Salmon Burger, which she pronounced "very good." Son, the magician, made his Fenton Burger and Fries disappear (up his sleeve?) and my Pastrami Reuben was delicious. A lovely meal, made extra special by a son turning 32! Time flies, but time here was well spent! read more

Fenton River Grill - Specials (5/13/24) - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

Parking: in a shopping center so they have a huge lot. Decor: very dark inside, even during lunch. The decor is nice, just dated to when everything was dark woods and trim. Very clean though. Staff: very friendly and transparent about the menu. Very attentive to your needs. Food: well prepared and presentation was nice though they use small plates or just fill up the plate so there is no room the maneuver things on your plate. Overall: if in the area, I would go back for a meal. read more

Fenton River Grill - Pesto Flatbread to the edges - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

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Fenton River Grill is one of my go-to restaurants in the area when I'm looking for a nice sit down meal with friends or family. The menu is relatively limited, but everything I have tried has been delicious (and great portions)! Sometimes there can be a wait during busy hours, but a reservation is definitely worth it, especially on weekends or during UConn basketball season. My favorite appetizer is the chips & dip - definitely recommend for sharing. I can always look forward to an evening at Fenton River; great food, reasonable prices, good service. read more

Traveling in CT , we stopped at the Fenton River Grill for lunch on a Sunday This building is located on the corner of a strip mall. When you walk in the interior looks nice. We were seated right away Alison was our server My guest ordered the fish tacos, they look great taste was good. ( I had a shared bite ) $17 I ordered the fried chicken sandwich with House made potato chips ( I love exploring homemade potato chips) $ 16 My chicken sandwich appeared overcooked, and dry. I asked for some additional chipotle mayonnaise or garlic aïoli I did not enjoy the fried chicken sandwich. Chips were ok The chicken itself was dark, which usually indicates the oil is old. I have mixed feelings -tacos were great. Fried Chicken sandwich was not. read more

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Fenton River Grill is a great choice for a nicer meal! It's a spacious restaurant with a nice patio for outdoor seating. We were very happy with the food, service, and ambiance. We even went back the next day! On our first visit, I ordered the superfood salad with salmon, subbing goat cheese instead of feta. It was a delicious salad and a generous portion. The salmon was nicely cooked, although not the most flavorful. There wasn't a lot of dressing on it, but I didn't mind. On the second visit, I again got the delicious superfood salad, this time with blackened tofu and beets instead of cranberries. I appreciated that they were easy-going with my substitutions. The blackened tofu was so flavorful! They can also prepare the tofu grilled or crispy/fried. Highly recommend this restaurant, which is only about 10 minutes from the UCONN campus! It's on the pricier side, but I felt that the price was worth the value. read more

Fenton River Grill - Superfood salad, add blackened tofu and sub beets instead of cranberries and goat cheese instead of feta - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

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We stopped in after a movie at Mansfield Movieplex 8. First time here. We found plenty to tempt us. The daily specials were extensive, too. The food was good. Enjoyed some upgrades like Parmesan fries and the house fried chips with dip. Only drawback was the service. We sat in the bar area. It was quieter than the main part of the restaurant., but still it wasn't overly busy. However, felt forgotten by the waitress. Most good waitstaff will check back periodically to see if you need more drinks and such. Didn't experience that here. We're willing to try it again another time because of the food. I wouldn't count this out as a good place to eat. read more

Fenton River Grill - Front menu - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

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It was a decent experience. Was alone, ate at the bar. Good selection of beers on tap. I just wanted a light appetizer, had the meatballs, served with bread. Acceptable! There is very large menu, lots of options and specials as well. Popular place. read more

Awesome food and service. The food is excellent. The service is, too. They are truly concerned about food quality and the servers continually inquire as to the customer satisfaction with the food. We were full, and still didn't want to stop eating! I would highly recommend a meal here if one is in the Willimantic Connecticut area. read more

Fenton River Grill - This is what we had still at the point I wrote this review. Full, and still wanting to eat. - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

Friendly service from the moment the hostess greeted us and seated us in a spacious comfortable booth. We love the hometown feel to this place every time we head out in the Mansfield area. The homemade chips with the sandwiches make lunch that much more satisfying. Today's choice was a salmon burger with aioli that addes a nice kick and the Fenton burger with candied bacon ham. Need we say more? There is a wide selection of local micro brews, but we skipped them for today and opted for the local fountain soda: love Hosmer cola from the fountain! Sophia our server was funny, attentive and helpful. Her witty service was a hit with all of her tables! And, when we had to kill time waiting for help with keys locked in the car, Sophia and the hostess helped make our wait more comfortable! This was not our first visit and won't be our last! read more

Excellent place to eat and drink, it's in a Big Y strip mall, the food is always great, their bartenders and servers are always a cut above, with an awesome bourbon selection! The bartenders knowledge and ability to make fantastic cocktails is really why I'm giving Fenton 5 starts. read more

We've come to Fenton River Grill on several occasions and have really enjoyed each time. We've sampled several appetizers including the Chicken Thighs, pork and kimchi dumplings and house chips. All are excellent. Their beer menu is constantly changing and always have an interesting offering. Our last dinner, they had Heady Topper which was amazing to try. The highlight of the night for me was the clam chowder. Simply stated on the menu, it is a star. Smokey broth from the bacon, loaded with potato, celery and clams it should be featured much higher on the menu ans bragged about. Of the local offerings it is by far my favorite and worth the trip. For mains we've had the sausage and broccoli rabe oreccheite, shrimp scampi ravioli and fish and chips. All were excellent. The scampi ravioli should have come with bread for sopping up the delicious broth. Highly recommended. Reservations accepted and recommended for quick seating. Good bar and waiting area if you have to wait though. read more

Fenton River Grill - Their borbon, rye, scoth and whiskey offerings. December 2023. Ordered Eagle Rare which was in stock. - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

The food was great. I got the fried calimari and it was good. The drinks were locally sourced. The service was good. The wait was about 20 minutes the ambiance was nice with a little fountain by the door. I will come here again soon read more

This weekend was kind of a hit-and-miss situation. Unfortunately, this location was a miss, by a staggering degree. The location is nice, kind of has an up-beat lounge vibe going. The servers are nice and attentive. If you came here for drinks, I suspect you would have a good time here. For the food though. Wow...it's pretty bad. Initially wanted to order the burger with truffle fries. Server let us know they didn't have bleu cheese. Kind of weird, since there is a grocery store in the same plaza no more than 500 feet away. Switched it up for the quesadilla, but got a side of their truffle mayo to try. Took about 25 minutes to get food to the table. That was fine, since we had a lot to talk about and were able to keep busy. When the food finally came out, it was very underwhelming. The Flatbread was dense and overcooked. The cheese was a cheap shredded mozzarella which leeched oil into the crust. For a shrimp and bacon flatbread, it looks like they cut up two pieces of bacon and a single large shrimp and dotted the pizza with them. For 14 bucks, this was not the quality nor quantity I would expect. The Dang Quesadilla. Lots of cheap cheese caked at the bottom of the tortilla. The bulk of the quesadilla came from wilted spinach and caramelized shallots, which I hope got it's oil from the cheese and wasn't sauteed in oil as well. Given the grease on the plate, hard to say. This, too, was light on the protein. I think I counted 8 pieces of chicken across the two pieces of quesadilla we both ate. Once again, for 14 bucks was not worth it. The highlight of the meal was the truffle mayo. Actually pretty truffle-y and not too heavy. We dipped what was not overcooked crust in the mayo to make it tastier. Managed to salvage a meal out of the scraps we could eat. I usually reserve my 2-star reviews for places that it appears they just don't care. This place not only looks like they don't care, but they overcharge for it as well. The only reason why I didn't go 1 is because although expensive, small portions, and no significant quality control, the food was edible and neither of us got sick by eating it. So they have that going for them, their food is edible. We left half of each meal, didn't take leftovers, tipped the server, and left. We don't plan on coming back and as a food location would not recommend it to others. It's probably fine for drinks, and it's a nice location with nice staff. The kitchen needs a major overhaul though. read more

Fenton River Grill - Shrimp and Bacon Flatbread - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

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Not bad - I've been here twice, the second was a take-out. Their $7 house salad was pretty sad, but the Short Rib sandwich was pretty good. read more

Fenton River Grill - House Salad - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

Great atmosphere food is good no complaints. Prices are reasonable and its very comfortable great place for a date. Staff are nice and pleasant I recommend an espresso martini very good!! read more

Great experience, friendly & attentive staff , good portions, food was very good , a simple menu but still many items to choose from , a nice American style restaurant, there's something for everyone on the menu ..warming and lovely decor , retro style bathrooms, located in a shopping center ..plenty of parking , reservations are Suggested..Mazza was excellent our orders were correctly served ..No complaints, flat bread pizzas were good, the charcuterie board was amazing just the right amount of hot & spice of cured meat & cheeses . I loved the New England clam chowder, the NY strip steak was juicy and tender , so was the Morrocan chicken, The appetizer meatballs were spicy and delicious, so was there a homemade potato chips and onion dip,,, The cappuccino was a size of a small Soup Bowl lol .. They accommodate all parties, all sizes and all groups,, I recommend you give this place a try read more

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I have called before asking if this establishment is gluten-free, and the response was that your team would best ensure the safety of those with celiac disease. Today, my Girlfriend and her father ate at your establishment, resulting in her getting glutened. I understand that in a restaurant, variables may be hard to control, but she and her father made your staff aware of her condition, to which, staff again assured them the food she got (Short Rib Melt) was safe to eat. Despite this, now she is curled up on the floor in pain. Please understand that this is completely unacceptable, and I hope any future customers with celiac disease receive better treatment and food. read more

This is me and my friends' favorite restaurant! As grad students, we come here on nights after classes and the appetizers and drinks are so good that we come here very often! This is definitely one of the best espresso martinis I've ever had, and one of my favorite drinks I've ever had is at this restaurant and I can't find at other restaurants: the gin basil smash. The truffle dip served with the Parmesan fries is also ungodly delicious! Can't recommend enough as a place to grab some drinks and apps! read more

Fenton River Grill - Espresso Martini - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

This is a UConn go-to for any group dinners, celebrations, and events with spacious, plentiful seating and a quick 10 minute drive from the main campus. The menu has something for everyone and the fare itself is very solid. I would recommend getting one of the entrees and a side of the Parmesan truffle fries, which were delish. My salmon came out perfectly rare in a savory and light sauce alongside a light and fluffy polenta cake and sautéed broccoli rabe with capers. The chicken parmigiana was another hit. Our server was very friendly and attentive which definitely added a star. Worth a stop if you are by campus and looking for something other than fast or fast casual fare. read more

Had a business meeting here recently. Service was great as was the seared tuna. Will be back hopefully.

great food and service at this local spot we had fish tacos and a salad and everything was delicious with friendly service read more

Passed by on our way home from leaf peeping and decided to stop for dinner. I ordered French onion soup and fish tacos with house fried chips. The soup was very good, full of onions with a tasty broth, fresh bread and a good amount of cheese. The taco weee excellent, crispy fish, nice aoli and crunchy slaw. The chips were great. He had clam chowder and the Tuscan chicken. He liked the clam chowder, though I did not taste it. I did tasted the pesto, and it was very good, I could even taste the pine nuts. The pasta was perfectly cooked. He said the chicken was a little dry by itself, but didn't notice once he mixed it into the pasta. Our server was great, friendly, quick, and came by twice to check on us. read more

I've been going to Fenton River grill for quite a few years now and it's somewhere that we keep going back to. Our most recent outing was for when we had family visiting in town. It is a little pricey for us to make it a normal date night spot, but great for special occasions or to take visitors. THE FOOD: Nearly every time I'm here the food has been amazing. My favorite is the Brussels app. Perfectly crispy and flavorful, you'll won't regret ordering these! Another favorite is the shrimp and bacon flatbread. My friends and I would come make a meal of sharing the apps! Dang quesadilla is also delish. My favorite meal is definitely the braised short ribs. And one Valentine's Day they had a steak medallion special that was out of this world! (Check it out on their insta). I hope they bring happy hour back (if they haven't already) as my partner and I would frequent that after a long day of work. It was always nice to know we could enjoy good food and drinks here on a weekday. We have had a few misses though, keep reading for those! THE LOCATION: Indoors- nice ambience in the bar area with TVs as well if you opt to sit at the bar. The dining area has a lot of windows and HUGE booths which are great. Our party of 5 recently felt very comfy at the booth. Theres also this water flow thing in the middle seating area of the restaurant. Outdoors- the patio is nice but you have to be prepared for frequent revved up cars as they speed down the street into nearby willimantic. It doesn't bother me but just a warning! THE STAFF: I think there has only been one or two times where the staff was kind of meh. Other than that it's always great! Most recent visit John was our waiter and he was very polite, attentive, and put up with my family (lol). WHY NOT 5 STARS? I give Fenton River grill 4 stars because there have been a few things that warrant it just a notch below. We have had a few visits where the food was just meh or inedible. And another thing I've noticed when dining in there is that there is always a large black fly around. Not enough to be disgusting or make me not want to eat there, but enough for me to notice it's an issue of swatting one away every time we eat there. I hope they can get fly tape or do something else for the issue because I'm sure other customers see it as unappetizing and don't wish to return. Examples of food: -I raved about the Brussels and they came out with some not fully cooked and hard (I will admit we didn't care enough to send them back but it was disappointing and we didn't eat them all..so that's on us too). -Another time I ordered a salad w/ chicken (to go) and the chicken was so dry from being over cooked I couldn't eat it. -One night my partner and I went to celebrate some achievement and we both got specials and did not enjoy our food at all. His fish wasn't great and I got something that didn't fit the description in the menu and wasn't tasty either. We left disappointed that day. -Charcuterie app (pictured) was lackluster. The image I took was only after 2 cubes of cheese, half a cheese triangle, and 1-2 pieces of bread were taken off. I couldn't believe how little cheese it had and how much random garnish there was. Do they expect people to put 8 dollops of mustard on a slice of bread and call it charc? I think not! So overall, I recommend Fenton River Grill but just know if for some reason the food is off, it's not common and you should give it another chance!! read more

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Fenton River is a standout choice, especially given the limited dining options near Storrs and Willimantic. While there can be longer wait times on busier days, the consistently high-quality food and upscale atmosphere make it well worth it. read more

Today was my first Fenton River experience. I ordered the Hosmer Root Beer Braised Short Rib and the Crème brûlée with a side of whipped cream. The Short Ribs were tender and succulent. When diving into these thick cubes of meat, you can go ahead and put down the knife. These soft clouds fall apart to the fork! The gravy perfectly is poured over the mash and covers a thin layer at the bottom of the to-go container; add additional flavor to the mixed vegetables. The zucchini, squash, onion medley mixtures are airy and jammed packed with savory flavor. The vegetables are sauteed to allow the texture and structure evenly to remain sturdy. They are soggy! The Crème brûlée was unimpressive to unpackage but smelled as it tasted- MOUTH WATERING! The crust preserved its crunch through the 15-minute drive. My fork went straight through the creamy dessert. Not too sweet, the best after-dinner treat! 10/10 would recommend. read more

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fine i guess. ive been twice, got the same thing both times, the fish tacos. first time, excellent, 4 stars, went again this week, not good bro. 3 stars, im fine with this middle of the road review. could be worse, could be better as the saying goes. beer list is extensive and viewable on a screen above the bar, ymmv, i dont want to squint to see what i am ordering, but again, everyone is different and this is a better way of a rotation stock. the layout and location are fine, the service was ok too, no complaints, but my fish was hard, the tort was sitting in the window way too long and my side of fries were less than stellar, all in all you can do better. many work functions here, so chances are good ill be back, but then i guess i can revisit this yelp. off line read more

Great service. Good selection of beers. Food was okay. They have good amount of vegan and gluten free options so that's a plus. read more

Fenton River Grill - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

The shrimp scampi ravioli was great! Got the cucumber martini-refreshing and lovely. Cheesecake was also good. read more

Fenton River Grill - Shrimp scampi ravioli - American Near Me - Mansfield, Connecticut

Came here for a nice dinner close to UConn campus. Was very impressed with the food and service and am leaving satisfied! We especially liked the oysters and chicken thighs. read more

Great service! Place has a great vibe! The chicken parm was so good! The expresso martini was perfect! We sat at the bar and it was so fun! read more

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Cozy restaurant. Food is decent here. Sometimes a little too rich. Service is always very nice.

The host who seated our party of 4 for our 4pm reservation had the audacity to tell us that we needed to be aware that our table was reserved for another party at 6pm. So I guess the message was: eat fast What? Who ever says crap like that? Who cares how the service was; who cares how the food was prepared. We kept checking the time with our waitress and informed her at 5:45pm that - sorry, no time for coffees and after dinner drinks We wont be going back real soon And if you do go, bring an alarm clock read more