"The Crackling Pork Shank, oh my god. Pork shanks, which come from the front leg of the pig, can be chewy when cooked incorrectly but at Trumbull Kitchen, they become succulent and flavorful masterpieces it's truly a visual and naughty taste tease." This statement from a fellow yelper enticed me to order something completely outside my usual comfort zone. This can only be described as an amazing preparation of what I previously imagined to be a bland tasteless dish. Started out in the deep fryer and finished in the salamander, it was crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside, and overall delicious. I asked for a substitution of Brussel sprouts for the listed potato and was graciously accommodated. Excellent meal. My wife ordered the shrimp lettuce cups. Nice crisp cups of bib lettuce served with an excellent preparation of shrimp, waterchestnuts, and vegetables in a savory mixture served with a trio of sauces...sweet, sweet chili, and peanut. Sadly, no room for dessert...caramelized banana split and mud pie garnered a passing consideration but satiation won out. I will come back for just dessert. Some prior reviewers did not write kindly of the service. Tonight it was game on. Perfect. Like the meal. read more

Max's Trumbull Kitchen - Really nice place with generous pours for their martinis - New American Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

This restaurant is just a short walk from the Marriott by the Connecticut Convention Center. It's in a great location, and I love the ambience. There is outdoor seating, and inside they offer seating on the ground floor and upstairs in a loft. Service here was good. Our waitress offered drink and dinner recommendations that were solid. While my companions enjoyed wine, I was thrilled with my strawberry-jalapeno margarita from their seasonal cocktail menu. It was a perfect blend of flavors. The jalapeno flavor was perfect. The bread basket served at the table can take away the need for appetizers. It is chockfull of homemade goodness. Our basket was served with a flavored, whipped butter. I expect it is different from time to time, but in addition to traditional bread, ours had a lentil based, crunchy flatbread / cracker that was delightful. It had a nutty flavor and the crunch was perfect. The menu you here invites combining a salad or a couple of plates together to form a meal, and the prices aren't too bad for it. One of my companions was thrilled with her grilled filet mignon appetizer and a brussels sprouts salad. The other enjoyed a shrimp cobb salad. I loved the seafood pad thai. It was full of shrimp and scallops, and all of the thai flavors went together beautifully. There are so many other options teasing me on this menu that I'll be sure to stop in again as soon as I am back in Hartford. read more

1/30/2019 So I was working from home today and when I used to work in downtown we used to frequent to Trumbull for lunch so we thought of reliving those lunch dates. We went there around Noon. Wasn't too crowded so we were seated quickly. I ordered the Mahi Mahi sandwich without the bun and he ordered the haddock. Food was awesome. The two stars are just for the food. The staff taking care of us was weird. I felt really uncomfortable. I don't want to use the 'R' word but he never smiled never looked at us. First I thought may be he is shy or that's how he works but then we noticed him being quite jovial with others. I smiled at him so many times and thanked him every time but he never smiled back. Even when I said 'excuse me' 3-4 times when he was standing right there and looked like he didn't want to serve us. Then we got the cheque and gave him two cards to split the bill. When we got the paper to sign there was a note that we had a birthday reward expiring tomorrow since it was his birthday last week. We asked if we can use the reward today and get one entree free. He shook his head and went back. Then he came back and said we cannot get one entree because the bill is already split. Then I asked the manager if they can either extend the reward or give the entree as per the reward. Firstly she didn't even wish him knowing that it was a birthday reward. Don't have reward system if you make the customers feel embarrassed and awkward to use the reward. Not expected at all from Trumbull kitchen. You should learn something from the Salute staff. Secondly don't tell me that it's your system that you cannot give us the reward you designed!!!!! Don't have such a bad system. Make everyone customer comfortable, don't have a reward system which is not a reward actually but an embarrassment. We felt like we were asking for free food. Taking one star out because they are expensive and no food after 11 :( Otherwise nice restaurant in Hartford. You should give discounts to Hartford residents. Their lunch menu is better than dinner Food is expensive but nice Love their sweet pota read more

First time in Connecticut and my husband and I ate dinner here with a friend last night. The food was phenomenal! I ordered the brick pressed chicken and it was one of the best meals I've ever had. The chicken was so juicy, perfectly seasoned, and the whipped potatoes were fantastic! I would drive back to Hartford just to eat this dish again!! My husband ordered one of their burgers and he thought it was tasty as well. Highly recommend this place! read more

Stopped in with daughter for an early Saturday dinner. Regretted it. Terrible service - host in brown cardigan more interested at whatever was on his phone than being welcoming or attentive; took forever for waitress to appear and then every step of the process seemed to take longer than each should have and there was no joy; food was over salted and over loaded with fats (butter, oil and cream). A couple of items were never delivered and because service was inattentive, we could not remedy in a timely way; back ground music was too loud and created no atmosphere. The place is a real puzzler - what is the point of it? Too bad because it could be an inviting, thriving place. Maybe it is better after work during the week? We won't be back. read more

I came here twice while in Hartford for work, and I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food, service, and ambiance, and also by the value of the happy hour offerings. I think it was restaurant week, so when I came for dinner, I chose from a $20.15 prix fixe menu. I had a fried shrimp appetizer, steak & mashed potatoes for the entree, and a pumpkin pot de creme for dessert. The portions were generous, everything was cooked perfectly, flavors were great, and the staff came by frequently to make sure I was satisfied. Their wine list is solid, though I would have appreciated more of a range in pricing, but that's just personal preference. I had no complaints other than that you can't order from the happy hour menu in the restaurant portion, which, though annoying, isn't completely atypical, so I didn't mind too much. Especially given the $20 three-course meal. Winning! But you'd best believe I came back another day to sit in the bar area and try the happy hour menu, which was all kinds of impressive. There was a pork chop dish on the menu for $4. FOUR! If I lived in downtown Hartford, I would never cook if I knew that I could go to Trumbull Kitchen and they would happily cook me up a pork chop and potatoes and serve it up beautifully plated for less than most happy hour drinks in San Francisco. Speaking of drinks, they had extensive wine and beer choices, including a notable pumpkin beer on tap that I sadly can't remember the name of. It had a little pumpkin on the tap and was served in a glass with a sugar rim. I really appreciated the seating in the bar area as well - there was typical seating at the bar, but also a variety of tall tables that would work well to accommodate both large and small groups. Overall, a great place to pass an evening. read more

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Fantastic ambiance, food and service! My wife, daughter and I all visited this great eatery in downtown Hartford last week. The tasty food satisfied my vegetarian daughter, my wife whom is allergic to preservatives and additives in foods; and for myself: one who seeks unique food offerings! read more

Had a wonderful meal! Service was good. Went on a slow day and time so was seated right away for a table for one. Will definitely be back when visiting this area again. read more

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Went back to Trumbull Kitchen for a second time. First time was just ok. So glad we tried it again. The service and the food was over the top amazing. The braised beef was so juicy and just fell apart. It was decadent! My son had the duck and said it was cooked to perfection. read more

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Stumbled upon this restaurant on Yelp while doing a day trip in CT. The unique menu and great reviews caught my eye so I figured my boyfriend and I would give it a try on the way back home! I'm glad we did! We were blown out of the water. As soon as we walked in we fell in love with the atmosphere. It was dark and cozy. Our waitress Melissa was so sweet and informative! She suggested a great bottle of wine that we loved and also a cocktail from their new menu! The best part was the amazing short ribs we had. I am usually not a meat eater but I'm glad I decided to try it. The beef was so tender and flavorful. The sides were just as excellent. Of course we finished off with creme brûlée. There is nothing to complain about besides the fact it is over an hour away from where we live! This was honestly one of the best meals I've ever eaten out. We will definitely be back soon! read more

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Dining with Nicole can sometimes be challenging, as she needs to be gluten free, so we were glad to see they had a menu of options just for her. We sat in the bar area to take advantage of the happy hour specials, and our server was very kind in asking the kitchen which specials could be made gluten free. She brought us a basket of large crackers that have a very unique flavor and were gluten free. Then we spilt a few apps....pork belly, tre formaggio stone pie (the kitchen would not make this gluten free for cost reasons), changmai curried noodles and rice flour calamari (also not exactly gluten free, as it is made in fryers with things that aren't gluten free). Everything we had was delish, my personal fave being the calamari. Would definitely return, love the atmosphere! read more

We used to come here all the time for work sponsored dinners and it was great! We were able to try everything on the menu, and my favorites definitely always default back to the filet blue cheese bites. Honestly I could probably order 2 or three of those and have it for dinner! Crispy, rich, savory and always spot on tender. Nice for happy hour or if you live downtown too, the only tough part is parking is always a hassle and you have to pay a premium if you use their surface lots or garage. read more

I get the impression it's a big happy hour place for young professionals but I thought the food was pretty unexciting. New American with a fancy edge but not in a way that made it exciting. It was fine. A little overpriced in my opinion. read more

Trumbull Kitchen is your most trendy restaurant in downtown hartford. This restaurant offers great happy hour food/drink specials in a stylish setting that is always trying to impress its patrons. When walking in you see a beautiful long bar, an elevated seating area, and pop music blasting. One huge plus is there is a seating area parallel to the bar that is first come first serve with full waiter service which is very unique and quiet appealing if you don't have reservations. Once seated you receive free bread with freshly made spread which is always changing. When ordering for drinks i suggest the moscow mule which is put in a fascinating cooper mug, appetizers the royal thai chicken wings, main dish the herb grilled skirt steak or the grilled angus cheese burger. Pros: Contemporary atmosphere Savory food Thirst quenching drinks Cons: Slow and typically unfriendly waitstaff Not a big enough bar area The music gets obnoxiously loud read more

I came here for dinner on a Saturday night and we were able to find street parking right out front. We did not make a reservation and the place was packed! So I recommend making one before coming in just in case. We were able to get a seat at the bar and ordered some drinks and dinner. I got the duck and my boyfriend got a bacon wrapped beef dish. Both were very good with great sides. If you are big eaters (like we both are) I'd recommend ordering an additional side or appetizer or else you might be a bit hungry when leaving. Overall a great visit. read more

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Second time coming to Trumbull Kitchen after a great experience back in early Spring. I must say.. the quality of the food and service has gone down. Food: Ordered the SEARED SEA SCALLOPS and OMG it is the most flavorless dish I've ever tasted. I had to sparkle extensive amount of salt and pepper in order to get any taste. The scollops were not fresh, tasted like its been frozen for months... it was not cut evenly nor was it grilled evenly. Also, the pasta wasn't cooked very well and i can still taste the raw part. DISGUSTING! Server was attentive; however, he wasn't wearing clean cloths.. there were dirts on his pants. Overall very unpleasant experience, disappointed, and would not go back again. read more

Max's Trumbull Kitchen - Most Disgusting dish Ive ever had. Did not expect that from Trumbull kitchen. - New American Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

A large group of us visited this establishment Friday 9/24/21, the night before Farm Aid 2021. Not only was the wait staff so very kind, they were patient, accommodating AND efficient! The food was SO good! Everyone's plate looked beautiful! I ordered the filet bites and the noodle appetizer! And my food was so nice and hot when it arrived!! That's a huge thing for me!! This restaurant provided in and outside seating and has beautiful ambiance We will definitely return if in Hartford, CT again read more

Nothing stands out about this restaurant. Either the drinks are watered down or the food isn't cooked properly. The type of spot where ambience/scene is the highlight. Food and service should be the priority. Not decor. Another Hartford restaurant that's a toilet bowl. read more

I like this place but I'm also confused by this place. It's eclectic. Asian food, pizza, steaks, burgers, etc. A bunch of the appetizers are Asian themed but the majority of the dinners are "American" food. This place is having a bit of an identity crisis. The food is good overall. I had a "stone pie" the other night that was pretty tasty. Will have to adventure sometime and actually try the Asian food, but if I want good Asian food...I'd probably head to a true Asian restaurant. read more

If not for my good friend's birthday dinner, I would probably never have stepped in this restaurant and I wish I didn't. The restaurant is Asian-fusion American cuisine or so they want to believe. The decor is grand and the restaurant is spacious with a full bar and huge dining area, good for big tables. The food here however disappoints. I got 1/2 Cobb salad since I had a late lunch. The salad came scattered on the plate, looking lonely. There was not much dressing to go with the sad and few ingredients. It tasted nothing like a cobb salad and it was a big surprise that they could screw it up a simple dish like this. My husband had a pulled pork sandwich and it was equally disappointing. The pulled pork was kind of dry and hard. The only good thing is the attentive service staff provided because we were there for a good 3 hours. They never rushed us and provided drinks frequently. The price is more on the upscale side, where the main entree is in the $20s. To be honest, I don't think it is worth the money. read more

I really liked the atmosphere and my server was excellent. I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai, which was seasoned really well, but the chicken was just a tad dry. The bar area is beautiful, the restaurant is casual and has an energetic vibe without being annoyingly loud or overstimulating. Good for a date, good for a casual gathering, good for a solo lunch! read more

Max's Trumbull Kitchen - New American Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Great food and Samantha is a excellent server. Even windy outside our food was hot. Meatloaf and pressed chicken were delish read more

Max's Trumbull Kitchen - Pressed chicken - New American Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Great food and the cauliflower is the best. I would recommend and the price is right. read more

Max's Trumbull Kitchen - Great starters and good food - New American Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Trumbull Kitchen is a quality downtown-Hartford spot. Upbeat, casual vibe and quality food. Like any restaurant in the Max chain, this place is worth your business. My friends and I came to grab a quick bite before heading out for the night. We came fairly early, and sat at the bar tables as there was no wait. They have a fairly large bar, and the area has ample seating. The service overall was great: our waiter was attentive, the staff was accommodating for any requests we had and they were on top of taking our orders and serving us. The food was good, too. The menu is a little strange...Super heavy on the apps, but it did offer a little bit of everything. It'd be hard not to find SOMETHING you'd like. As a Providence native, I have high-standards for food - but this was good! Overall, good place to go for a dinner, but even better for apps and drinks. We'd go back next time we're in downtown Hartford, for sure. read more

Max's Trumbull Kitchen - Heavy on the apps here, but lots of selections. I like a place that puts their drinks right at the top of the menu ;) - New American Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

A simple and good place. Some was a hit or miss but overall good place for a nice group. Menu is a mix of just about everything. Apps were large so shareable. Definitely recommend the lettuce wraps. However, since everything is deconstructed it was annoying to build your own wrap with each individual veggie and sauce out of spoons. Looks cute but not quite practical. The shrimp and sweet potato fritter was amazing. Big shrimp and great taste. Calamari wasn't anything special. The salads weren't great. The shrimp Cobb was also deconstructed and had zero flavor. Feedback from others was the same for other salads. The mashed potatoes are mouth watering good and the risotto. Good service, portions, and price. read more

Food is not up to par, at all. Menu is extremely limited and totally overpriced. The shrimp:sweet potato fritters were barely warm, Flavorless and doughy. Ordered the shrimp salad and I had to dig through it, only to find 2 shrimp. The dressing on the salad was a big fat yuck! Meatloaf was mush, bacon was basically raw. I don't recommend and wont return. These restaurants need to get it together or get out of the game! The waitress was nice. read more

Trumbull Kitchen is always a treat (usually a company-paid treat, luckily). I made my second-ever visit to TK for today's lunch with some coworkers. My last visit was in March 2015 for a team birthday celebration, at which time I had a fruity (pomegranate?) lemonade and the pad thai, which was big enough to last me almost 3 meals. Today I stuck to water and ordered the veggie burger. Our hostess and waitress were both friendly, and the waitress made sure our waters were always full. She brought over a basket of breads and a horseradish cream cheese spread, which was interesting and not at all bad! The food came out pretty quickly and was delicious. Veggie burgers are tricky if they're made on site, since they tend to fall apart easily. This one was edamame-based, I think, and while it did crumble a little, it held up very well altogether, and it was so, so good. There was a grilled (?) tomato on top and some cheese, and some sort of dressing, and you could still taste the burger. The bread was amazing, as well. I should not have eaten the whole thing but it was just too good to go to waste, so I ignored my sweet potato fries. Apparently 11:50 is the time to get there, as we were seated without a problem but saw a number of large groups arrive shortly after us and a few had to wait a little while. I spied their Happy Hour menu and know when I'll be back. read more

Good , there on a late Friday night for dinner . (Busy but not super crowded( Good food , staff , location !

The service was excellent. The atmosphere was so lovely. The food was outstanding. Highly recommend the street corn salad w grilled shrimp. The kids meal was crazy perfect. Pulled pork, yum. And the Ginger carrot spread for the bread was so delish. read more

Great draft menu this week. Celebrating ct boys gymnastics at the xl center. Great lunch, strong kids, great athletes.

I went there for restaurant week and we had a larger group (8) but had a reservation. We ended up having to wait 45 minutes past our reservation time. They finally ended up making accomodations for us in the small upstairs room. I had the shaved brussels sprout salad, steak frites, and trio of minis. It was delicious and I was able to take home leftovers for lunch the next day. However, the waiter mixed up the boxes and gave me my friends by mistake. We got the same meal, so it wasn't a huge deal, but he did mix it up. read more

Place is nice. Came here on a Saturday for lunch. Not too busy. Had many waiters who leisurely walking around but not focusing on the customers. I was given a table and even after 15 min wait nobody came to take the order. I had an appointment after lunch so gently asked if they can honestly tell how long it would take for a sandwich to be prepared considering the time of the day. The service was very slow. And they didn't properly attend to the customers. Food was good though. Not a place u want to go if u r pressed for time. read more

If this was my first time here, I would probably never come back. We had our rehearsal dinner here and our wedding after party as well. We LOVE TK. Always have. Today was such a disappointment. 15-20 min to wait for a table. At 4:00 on a Saturday. So we sat at the bar. It took 20+ min to order drinks and food. And food was mediocre. Noodle bowl was good, but the bowl itself was too hot to touch and the food was just slightly hot. Odd. Hubby's dragon roll was mediocre and the fritters was below average. Honestly, just sad overall. And we miss Josue who was the best GM there ever. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in the area. The atmosphere is super classy and I'm always impressed by their service. Some of the best food around. My top recommendation to anyone who's hungry in the Hartford area. read more

Great appetizers! We had the prosciutto wrapped asparagus, sweet potato and corn fritters, dragon roll and Asian lettuce wraps. The only item that was not amazing was the Asian lettuce wraps, they were a disappointment. Also the cocktail menu had several unique drink options. My friend had the painkiller and said it was very good. A nice touch is the complimentary crisp/bread with house made cream cheese spread. This spread could make a brick taste good. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere and I will definitely go again! read more

Ordered the pork shank and the skirt steak. Both were good, the pork shank was crispy and pretty moist. The sweet potato puree wasn't overly sweet. A friend mentioned that she can taste butter in the puree, but I didn't really notice it. The steak's flavor definitely got a mushroom flavor from the mushrooms that are part of the dish. It was good and definitely helped with its flavor. Overall the place had a very nice ambiance and it's relaxing. Would come again read more

Max's Trumbull Kitchen - Pork shank - New American Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

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I went here on a Wednesday night to try something different. I had heard good things about this place and have passed it several times on my walks downtown. The inside is very dark with a private and romantic atmosphere. However, being by myself for dinner, I didn't feel any of the romance. The waitress was very wonderful, always checking to see if I needed anything. The appetizer menu was a very tough decision, but I ended up getting filet mignon with a blue cheese puree for dipping. It hit the spot for a start. The filet really tasty and not too filling and the blue cheese puree wasn't overpowering. For the meal, I took the waitresses suggestion and ordered one of the specials which was some thinly sliced duck with mashed potatoes. The meal was nice and light and the duck was masterfully cooked. I'm not the biggest fan of duck, but this meal really turned out great. They had some other interesting menu items that I'd love to try. The menu seemed to have some really great fish options and one of the specials was alligator tacos! I'm for sure going to try more of a variety of items next time I head back here. This is a pretty cool place to stop by with some very different menu items. It wasn't too filling and felt like it was a healthier meal. read more

Paid $18 for this salad. Jokes on me. It doesn't help that I ordered for pickup on grub hub and when I went to pick it up, they said they don't have a record of my order. I showed them all my order details and confirmation number and the waiter was less than friendly to me about the mix up between them and grub hub. He said what do you want to do, do you want to order the salad again? I agreed and he said well we have 30 orders ahead of you so you'll have to wait. No apologies for the inconvenience. I will not be returning. read more

Max's Trumbull Kitchen - Tuscan chicken salad - New American Near Me - Hartford, Connecticut

Very busy but I was seated within a couple of minutes. Atmosphere is nice, music a little loud. Server was pleasant. I had the greens salad which was delicious. For the main course I had brick chicken with vegetables and spinach. It's was so good. I did receive my main dish about a minute after getting my salad. The chicken stayed warm so it wasn't much of a big deal. read more

The food was excellent and service was great! I love going to this restaurant when we go to Hartford for UCONN game.