Really enjoyed trying out the hard hat cafe a few weeks ago! This place definitely has a lot of regulars and I can tell for how chill and nice the ambiance was! We actually found out while we were there that they were doing music bingo which gave winners free drinks, food, and discounts as well, which was nice a touch! We went for happy hour and scored these impeccable Cosmo's for $7 each and they were delicious! We went for their loaded nachos, fried mozzarella sticks and some of their famous wings! We got the doob style (fried then grilled) along with their garlic parm ones and they were quite amazing! I've never had a Doob style but I absolutely loved it, between the char, the hints of buffalo flavor, I'm dying to see how I can make these wings myself! Would absolutely return here in a heartbeat. read more

Hard Hat Cafe II - cosmo - Bars Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

I've wanted to try Hard Hat's Doob wings since I heard about them. They're seasoned, Buffalo-sauced and fried, and then finished on a grill. One of the more unique and famous wings in CT. I was driving in Wallingford and noticed the Hard Hat sign. I immediately changed my plans and decided to order a small Doob Wings. There are two other Hard Hats btw. Hard Hat has a neighborhood bar and restaurant vibe. Not fancy. But fine. The name is Hard Hat after all. LOL Hard Hat seemed to be running on a small crew around Saturday lunch. One person was working the bar and all the tables. She was hustling and service was reasonable considering. From the time I ordered 6 Doob wings, though, it took me about 25 minutes to get them even though there were only three other small groups there. Whether or not you like the Doob wings, largely will depend on whether you like char-grilled chicken. I didn't love the char flavor or outer texture. The inner texture was very good and tender. Also I could have used more sauce. The sauce more or less became a grilled coating. I was happy to try the Doob wings. I respect that they went for something different. I didn't connect with them like some people do. Four Stars read more

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We enjoy HH in north haven but this one is a bit of a miss. The bar had about 3-4 people at it and we sat at a bar side table also about 3 of these taken on a Sunday afternoon. We ordered the pretzels to share (good) and each a caprese panini - mine w sweet fries for an up charge. The fries are supposed to have some sort of marshmallow dip which was mia. My hubs ordered an iced tea and it was delivered in an opened bottle he had to ask for a glass of ice and for a new bottle, so weird. I had a gin & tonic that was good, second drink was a lemon drop martini that was not so good. The kitchen was out of fries, and out of cheese for the nachos, again super weird as that encompasses a lot of their bar menu. Had to get the attention of the bartender for extra napkins and our check and a new drink. read more

I've been coming to the hard hat for 15 years. Both north haven and Wallingford. I'm no longer going to Wallingford. The food has been going down hill for over a year but my last visit was the LAST visit. The wings were dry. The tots were dripping in oil. The beer cheese was just cheese wiz I think. The Caesar wrap was soaked in dressing and fell apart. We ate 10 percent of our food and our waitress didn't even ask any questions. Very poor service. Don't take this out on the other locations as they have been pretty consistent with good service and food. read more

Can you give a zero review? Absolute worst service I've ever had. I ordered nachos with no onions and no olives. Never came. 45 minutes later asked and was told they'd make it on the fly. 10 minutes later got nachos with no jalapeños and no olives but had onions. Seriously? Returned those too. Worst service ever. Had to go to bar to order refills. At 10 pm Ordered another round and it never came. Went to pay our bill and was told we had a free round coming. When....tomorrow? Never going again. And will use everything i have to tell others too. Servers should stay off phones. Stop flirting with customers and serve patrons. Zero stars read more

Review is based on Hamburger and Panini/ service. I'm giving them a 5 star because they are way better than 3.5 avg. I had the BBQ BURGER and it was top notch amazing... huge patty well seasoned, butter toasted bun, lots of bacon and onion rings and a huge excellent tasting piece of cheddar cheese. Plain fries are pretty good. Sweet potato fries are also good. My wife had the Milanese Panini and it was amazing as well... real yummy sauce that had a little kick to it on the sandwich. Can't wait to come back to try the wings! Service was great! read more

Fantastic buffalo wings. Slightly pricier at $12 for six but they're crispy and worth it. Friendly staff and very clean. I would definitely stop back read more

Hard Hat Cafe II - Buffalo Wings - Bars Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

It was my first time here. My coworkers and I were having a little lunch. Super cute spot. Our server Heather was awesome. Plenty of tv's to watch sports on. I had the hot chicken samich. It was yummy. Not a bad spot at all. I'll be back for sure. Thanks for a great first experience. read more

Great wings but service can be hit or miss. Seem to be understaffed with bartender also needing to be the waitress. Slow start but then she engaged well. Worth stopping by for doob wings. read more

Dry rub wings are amazing. Go for California burger, thick with fresh avocado. Good service, always friendly.

First, I admit to questioning my decision to eat here upon driving up. It's a bar and appears to be like any local corner pub. Do not expect ambience but expect great food. After a strong recommendation for their food, my wife and I decided to take a chance while in the area. I am so glad we did! Best known for their wings, we elected to try their dinner specials, Pepper steak and Chicken saltimbocca. . Wow, Chef Justin killed it with the chicken saltimbocca. Chicken was moist, fresh mozzarella was melted perfectly without drying and the prosciutto gave the perfect level of saltiness. The sautéed spinach was perfectly seasoned. My wife's pepper steak over rice was cooked perfectly, which is difficult with the thin cuts utilized. Her rice was moist, which is rare for many kitchens that precook their rice for service. Thank you Chef Justin for surprising us! I'll be back to try the wings next time! read more

Hard Hat Cafe II - Chicken saltimbocca with sautéed spinach - Bars Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

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Good food, typical bar fare, but they were open later than other places in the area & seating was easy.

Sitting alone at the bar, drowning my sorrows in a glass, I felt a sense of longing wash over me. Memories of sunny afternoons and a father's absence played like a broken record in my mind. But then, out of the blue, a friendly bartender named Tyler approached me, offering a sympathetic ear and a comforting presence. We got to talking about softball, and somehow, I found myself pouring out my deepest desire--to learn how to throw and catch a baseball, something my dad had never taught me. Little did I know that Tyler would become the unexpected hero of my story. He closed up the bar early that night, urging me to follow him to a nearby park. Under the moon's gentle glow, Tyler became my guiding light. Patiently, he taught me the intricacies of throwing and catching a baseball, never once showing impatience or frustration. As the ball sailed through the night air and landed safely in my hands, a sense of fulfillment I had longed for engulfed me. In that moment, I realized that Tyler had become the father figure I had always yearned for. In that moonlit park, a friendship blossomed between us, built upon the shared passion for a game and the mutual understanding of unfulfilled dreams. Tyler's kindness and mentorship mended a piece of my heart that had long been shattered. The lessons he imparted went far beyond baseball--they were lessons of compassion, resilience, and the power of unexpected connections. From that night on, Tyler wasn't just a bartender; he became my guiding star, the one who had taught me how to catch not only a baseball but also the joy and healing that lie within unexpected friendships. Wings are good too. read more

Ordered take out via Uber. Upon getting to the location they said they had never received the order. Then they went over to the tablet that has all of the pending Uber orders and said "oh... there it is" and gave a story about how it "dinged" before but that the order didn't show up. A half-assed apology later they started to make the food. You would think a more sincere apology with "were going to credit you back some money" or "let me get you a drink" or "we'll throw in something extra". Nope. So I got to sit in my car and wait for 20 minutes. Aside from the the fuck up. The place is a dive with some local drunks saddled up to the bar. I would have never ordered from here if I knew where it was. But my first time coming here combined with everything ensures it will be my last. Went back in to get my food and just a hand off with another half-hearted "sorry bout that". Got home to find that one of the items was wrong and the food in general is what you would expect. Poor quality bar food made with poor quality ingredients. And..."World famous wings" my ass. read more

This was my first time visiting this establishment and I was pleasantly surprised! The place was very inviting and relaxed. The service was excellent. My server Candy was the best. Very polite attentive and professional. Food was amazing. I will definitely be returning very soon read more

This place is off the hook. Really. If your looking for a place to relax and have good food. This is it. Thank you Lia for your service. It was on point. . read more

Hard Hat Cafe II - a person holding a sandwich - Bars Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

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Doob style! The wings were pretty darn good only 2x small issues while I was there however it would not be fair to not their review because of it. 1. the ac must have been broken it was cooler outside than inside the restaurant 2. Because there was no a/c the doors were open and there were gnats flying around me in the bar. Price - $$ $15 for 12 wings Value - the wings were medium to large not the skinny meatless kind Ambiance- dive bar atmosphere Service- the bartender was very extrovert and socialized with everyone read more

Hard Hat Cafe II - Doob style! 12x $15 - Bars Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

Went on a Saturday night at 6pm. Not too crowded when we first arrived. Ordered two different types wings and food. Asked for wings first. All came out together. For two orders of wings only got one blue cheese. My burger was cooked perfectly to my specs.. Well done but not burnt. It was so delicious and juicy. Loved the potato chips on the burger. This is my new favorite. Live music started about 8. It was way way toooooo loud for the size of the room. Couldn't no longer have a conversation. The staff was very nice. Our waitress went out of her way to make sure our drinks were good as well as our food. Must admit that the north haven location is my favorite of the two. Like the vibe there better. read more

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I just wanted to speak on a matter that I feel needs to be bought to higher managements attention. The new "manager" Melissa, if you can even call her that, has displayed some of the utmost unprofessional/unsanitary actions that I have ever seen. My husband, my friends and I have all been long time customers of the Hard Hat in Wallingford for quite sometime and have never had any issues there until Melissa started working. There was one night that my friends and I went to trivia and came over and hugged all of us like we were long time friends of hers. I found it to be very awkward and uncomfortable to have a woman I never met before hug me. There was another instance when my friends and I went and we asked for some wet naps. She bought them over and started unwrapping the wet-naps and handing them to us with her bare hands. We went another night and my husband and I arrived before my friends so we ordered drinks for the table. When my husband was reading the drink orders off of his phone she literally grabbed his cell phone and started reading them. She then proceeded to make every single drink wrong and I had to ask another bar tender to remake them. I also asked at that point to switch waitresses because she was making comments and gestures that made everyone at the table uncomfortable. She went as far as talking to us about how she is a salary manager. At that point when she left the table I told my friends, from my experience working in a restaurant, a salary employee cannot take tips. Prior to that she had never had any problems taking tips from us. After I had that conversation with my friends and asked to switch waitresses, she still kept coming over quite persistently to serve us after we requested she didn't and put us in an uncomfortable situation. That brings us to last night episode which was all of our final straws, especially after finding out one of the only competent bartenders (other than Heather and Katie) got fired. Jackie is one of the best bartenders the town of Wallingford has. Last night, Melissa came over and took my friends drink orders before we got there (crown apple and sprite and a club soda with lime) and she bought over two drinks that were red. My friend who had ordered a club soda was nervous to drink hers because she is pregnant and didn't know what was in it. When my husband and I got there she came over and took our food and drink orders. Our friends ordered an app and when it came out one of the waitresses was just walking around trying to find who they belonged to and placed them on the wrong table. My friend asked for a veggie quesadilla and was given the soggiest most oily cheese quesadilla I've ever seen. I had ordered the brunch burger in a wrap and asked for maple syrup on the side instead of inside the burger. She came over and bought a honey vinegar salad dressing acknowledging to us she bought out the wrong thing. She said she would get the maple syrup and be right back. She went back to the kitchen and came out with another container. She processed to ask me if what she bought me was maple syrup. I looked her in the face and I told her I don't know, I don't work here, I don't know what you bought me. Well, turns out she bought me honey. So she said she will be right back and bring me maple syrup. When she brings it back I notice a big hair in the cup and ask her to bring me a fresh one. When I was eating the burger it tasted off (almost like the egg had gone bad) so I didn't finish my meal and only ate my fries. She came over and asked if everything was ok and I just politely smiled and said yes it was okay but continued to push the matter until I told her what was wrong. I am never one to speak on matters like that due to social anxiety, but felt I was being pressured by her to tell her. After that my friend asked for another drink, so she went back and made one for her and just took the straw wrapper completely off the straw and was touching it with her bare hands. That is so disgusting and unsanitary. She ended up using her husband's straw because she was so grossed out. We also all have noticed the many times she will yell or get into arguments with other employees, making everyone else around her uncomfortable. She also went as far as accusing Jackie of drinking on the job. As a long time customer of the Hard Hat, I have never once witnessed Jackie do that, including the times I have asked her to take a shot with us. She always politely declined. Between the incompetent staff and the unlawful and unfair termination of Jackie, myself and several others will not be back to this establishment until both problems have been resolved. You are going to lose a lot of customers due to one careless manager. read more

I wish I could give this place zero stars but unfortunately it won't let me. The business hours say they are open until 1 AM but when I tried to get a drink after work at 12:05 the bartenders have turned me away the three times I went. It wouldn't be an issue to close early I understand that but every time I go in there are still people sitting and drinking at the bar so last call has definitely not occured. Very toxic local type of place I guess. read more

Food was.... ok, I guess. Definitely try the DOOB wings, those were yummy. I also had southwest egg rolls which were good except for the burnt parts, really? Friend got a Mac n cheese stuffed grilled cheese that I tried some of and it was very good. Other friend got steak n cheese egg rolls which I did not try but even though she also had burnt ends, turns out she still really liked them and went on to mention that her buffalo blue cheese wings were on point. Sounds like ya need to work on the egg rolls, guys! Finally, my third friend, she had the southwest salad and her take on it was that it was a basic salad and that the dressing was super hot. I am left feeling curious to try other items on the menu. Now, for the service and ambiance. We were there at 7pm, myself and 3 friends. I understand this is a bar- but come on- I could barely see my food. Bring the lighting up a little bit! It was pretty dark and most of the light for our table came from the neon sign hanging in the window. Oh, and I also bumped my head on the large tv that was hanging behind me (I am 5' 6"). There were not many people dining, maybe one other table with everyone else sitting around the bar. We had to wait for service every time we found we needed something (more napkins, drink refill, etc) because our waitress was too busy chatting with the people at the bar. Looked over one time to see her taking shots with said people at the bar. THAT was annoying!! This was my first time here and I am willing to give this place another shot, I will update review then. read more

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I have been coming to this bar for 4+ years now and I have gained a lot of great friendships through hard hat. I have enjoyed coming here on my Tuesday nights and weekends. The food is fantastic. Unfortunately since who ever decided to add additional new (horrible) management this place has gone down hill.. I personally feel uncomfortable being here past 10 pm as the manager is always pushing people out the door, wants to collect food before it's even finished and talks to the staff disrespectfully. The staff is always stressed out now which causes huge delay in them doing their job getting drinks out and serving food. They have lost a huge following over this - whoever is making these decisions needs to wake up and put it back the way it was. Get rid of these managers that clearly never managed a single thing in their lives. read more

We had such a great time at the Hard Hat. Thank you so much! The food was plentiful and so good, the entertainment was so much fun. Everyone there who helped me to set up a surprise "bingo" Bridal Shower, were so attentive and accommodating. Everyone had a fun, great time. Thanks for helping to make this a wonderful day for my daughter & guests. read more

Now, I've never been to the original Hard Hat location in North Haven, but I had heard enough to look forward to them moving into the old Sabbatical's in Wallingford. They've got a better parking situation than Los Mariachis, the next block over, so I anticipate they'll get a lot of traffic just from people frustrated by trying to find street parking. I went on a Saturday night and was surprised at how dead it was. Granted, it was a beautiful mid-summer night, so people were probably out having bonfires and such. However, this benefited me and my group, since this meant we had fewer people to compete with for service from our bartenders! We were able to chat them up and ask what the crowds are usually like and their opinions on the food and drink specials. Some people in my group had wings, one had a burger and fries, so I got to try both. I'm not really into wings, but my group gave them very positive reviews, and the burger was delicious. Let's hope they can find a way to get more people in to support the business and keep it around for a long time. read more

Hard Hat has the best wings in Wallingford. It's the sister to a smaller restaurant that is based in North Haven. The Wallingford location is newer and brighter, but the cooks in North Haven are better. It's a great place to watch football on Sunday. There are a ton of TVs and its not overly packed with rambunctious fans. When it comes to the wings, they have tons of flavors to choose from but I highly recommend trying the Doob Wings extra crispy. Definitely check this place out! read more

Thank you Jackie for being the best bartender around. You have an incredibly large following and are an amazing asset. Over the years you have drawn quite a crowd just by caring about every one of your customers on a personal level. You are nothing shy of a well skilled and incredibly hard working bartender, but most importantly a close friend to many. We hope to always see you at our favorite spot, we will always follow you anywhere you may end up in your endeavors. Cheers friend read more

Love it here! Me and my boyfriend come here all the time! Jackie is the best! aways makes us feel so welcome!

Typical bar food that's decent, prices are ok. But the "Doob" wings are ridiculously overrated. I don't get what all the fuss is about. They are dry, chewy, and not that flavorful. It's like they're over cooked... yet somehow everyone rants and raves about them. Giving them 3 stars because their sandwiches and salads are good. read more

I went here for the Doob wings (sp) their specialty wings they are sauced and then grilled. I had been craving them for a while since I had the to go version at another establishment. They lived up to my expectations. I normally only eat six, I ordered 12 and ate 9. Service was amazing. The other patrons were awesome. This was my first time here. The bartenders, Steve and Linda were great. I ordered extra celery and blue cheese. Who orders that? Well it came on a platter! Yup. Overkill. Loved it. Awesome customer service. I would definitely not hesitate to give this establishment my patronage and invite others. Great times! read more

Hard Hat Cafe II - These are my 3 leftover wings. Which I'll definitely eat for a snack before I go to bed. - Bars Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

I wanted to like this place more, definitely divey locals mostly hangout. I felt bad for the bartender/server/cashier/bus girl/ bar back. While she took it in strides it was rather busy at the bar with drinkers, to be everything but the cook. And considering the amount of people in there for a late lunch (not many) food coming out of the kitchen was beyond slow, she apologized several times. Which unless she was forgetting to put in food orders, wasn't her fault. The burger was seared on the outside, RAW on the inside. I ate two bites and that was it. The waffle fries were giant chunks of waffle fries and at least hot and crispy. The fried pickles are spears of pickles and came with what I think was ranch or their version of ranch, also hot and crispy! My husbands quesadilla was something an 8 year old would make and tasted about the same. I think this is a place you come to drink and order food cause you're drunk and don't want to drive that way. read more

Delicious food. Been here a bunch of times and the food is always phenomenal. Only knock is the horribly slow service. It seems that they're always very understaffed. Other than that this bar is great. read more

Hard Hat has been a staple of our regular Wallingford cuisine ever since we discovered it in the late spring of this year. We've been here a few times, and consistently had a great experience. The wings are good with a variety of flavors, the appetizer list isn't deep, but they're all pretty solid. Haven't had a burger yet, but I'm looking forward to trying one. Great selection of beer on tap, and cocktails are always a great value. They do do specials on game days, but that's my jam. If it's your jam, go here. The service is great, if not the quickest. The staff cares about their patrons, and it shows. A story I'd lot share: a month ago, we ordered take out. When we got home, we realized they hadn't given us part of the meal. We called, and Jackie was apologetic and promised us an app on the house when we returned. It took us over a month to go back (not for lack of trying), but when we did we were recognized almost immediately, and given the items from our original order that we didn't get the first time around, as well as a dozen wings. I highly recommend Hard Hat, especially if you like watching games in bars with good food and great staff. read more

The best wings are here. We had buffalo and they were perfect, crunchy...not too saucy. Also had a burger with onion rings which was equally as delicious. Go here for lunch, you will not be disappointed. read more

Hard Hat Cafe II - American burger. - Bars Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

Third time there and we have had nothing but a great experience each time. OPENING week was not the smoothest but we had good apps( Doob, buffalo, spring rolls etc and drinks were timely and good size . The second time was a great lunch of salads ( Cobb, and chix ceasar and a Hard hat ) Tonight was two orders if wings one Honey and Doob ...both excellent! A Hard hat burger and a American both cooked the way we wanted and were delush.Friends ordered the special which was filet and stuffed shrimp and looked great and tasted amazing . Great beer selections and guy playing guitar gives it great ambience. Have also ordered wings for take out. Always hot and tasty and plenty of celery and dips. The bartenders should not chew (chomp ) gum. Looks unprofessional behind the bar. And they need to wear clothes that fit them. read more

Great wings ! Good location. There's something on the menu for everyone. Happy hour too

Another nice trip to Hardhat yesterday. We tried the wings and nachos this trip and thought both were very good. (Sliders lost a wing customer) They were GREAT! The nachos weren't all soggy and greasy like they so often can be, also good stuff. The burgers and fries were wonderful as usual and the service was excellent (better than last time). read more

Great place! If you like supporting local spots this is a good one to throw in the mix. I am always surprised at how good it is. Had a couple burger variations which keeps things interesting. You always want to get the DOOBS (their specialty wing) which is a hot wing put back on the grill for a little extra crisping action, fries are done well. It is a sports bar with enough TVs so you wont miss anything but there are enough seats and space so it doest feel cramped. The service has always been quick, the atmosphere is nice; not too loud, and the prices are good. Check it out! read more

Hard Hat Cafe II - a burger and fries - Bars Near Me - Wallingford, Connecticut

I'm so disappointed, I played bar bingo on October 29th and won bingo,the prize was a flat screen TV and Bryan the host refused to give me the prize, mumbled inappropriate comments to me under his breath. Told me to sit down and sure enough he gave the tv to his friends. Unfortunately I won't be back because the treatment I received was unacceptable. I'm a 3rd grade school teacher and was going to sell the tv to buy supplies for my classroom. So many students can't afford supplies of their own. read more

This place is terrible. The service is the worst I've ever seen. Even if you pick up a take out order you get terrible, rude service. Don't wast your time. read more

My family and I came here for the first time today. It was really early in the day, they just opened so we were the only ones there. As we walked in, there was a strong smell of "just washed bleached floors". One side of me thought "wow this smell is strong, how am I going to enjoy eating food"? And another part of me thought "well at least they clean and the place isn't dirty!" We ordered the NY style fried calamari as an appetizer which was pretty good. I had the steak and cheese panini with sweet potato fries which was actually really delicious. My bf had their honey bbq wings which I tried and the sauce was great, along with the crispness as you bite into them too! They also had a good selection of beers on draft! Our bartender was very friendly and so was the cook! Oh and I forgot to mention...my dad has the Ruben sandwich and the bartender brought out his food not knowing it wasn't ready yet, the cook was quick to mention he forgot to put the Swiss cheese on and took it back right away! It took maybe 5 minutes to come back out and he was awesome for giving my dad fresh new hot fries!!! I will definitely be going back!! read more