A hidden Gem We went…read moreto The Store in Torrington, CT and LOVED it! When we pulled up, Roger (the owner) greeted us outside and directed us where to park. For a second, I honestly thought he was just a friendly guy drinking a beer in the lot, being helpful. Nope he's the owner, and yes, he sets the tone immediately. Inside, the bar was big, comfy, and had that "you're one of us now" vibe. The atmosphere? Awesome. The food? Even better. And the people? REAL. Refreshingly real. Amy was our waitress and we absolutely adored her. My husband is a wise-ass (he thinks it's charming), and she gave it right back to him without missing a beat. My kind of woman. We started with the shrimp cocktail--delish. Caesar salad--yummy. But the star of the night? The prime rib, sitting proudly over garlic mashed potatoes. I still think about it. Honestly, I may have dreams about it. We live in Westport where restaurants are gorgeous... and often crazy expensive and just a tad snotty. The Store felt like we were dining with friends we actually liked. We even got to meet Roger's wife, Dena, who is an absolute gem. She told us how the restaurant got its name a regular at her old place would always tell his wife he was "heading to the store" when he was really heading to the bar. Iconic. I love her already. Of course, I bought a sweatshirt. (I'm a dirty martini girl; I needed merch.) We were headed to the Warner to see a comedian, but honestly, dinner was the warm-up act and it hit just as hard. It's about an hour from Westport--but worth every mile. We're already planning our next ride up to Torrington. This place is a blast!

Good food and Cocktails mixed well and worth the cost…read more Excellent Philly Steak sandwich and my wife loved the Shrimp burger. Will be going back for sure

Nice people own and manage the place. They have tasty food and different events throughout the week.read more

Not in anyway impressed. I used to come here often for a quick bite and drink for lunch. I'm…read moreanosmic but the food is basic enough, mostly bar food and bites. I have been told when you eat here you end up smelling a little like the kitchen due to lack of ventilation. What made me stop going? One of their bartenders berated me walking because of my Facebook political opinion, the second time it's happened, and the owners refused to remediate. I did not in anyway initiate and they confirmed they saw it on the camera. In essence, it feels unsafe to be here. Below is a bit of an example of their later night crowd and I'd encourage all to be careful.

Fun local place. Food is great. Better than you'd expect for a small bar. Service is fantastic…read more You'll never have an empty drink. This is one of my favorite places.

Food quality / price (value) rating 9. The atmosphere is "old time" bar with a griddle behind the…read morebar like they had 65 years ago. The menu is a typical pub menu and the prices are very good. The bar seats about 10, and they have about 10 high tops. There are several tv's, and it appears that this place would be great for watching sports. They have 8 beers on tap. It appears to be a local crowd. I had a grilled cheese, bacon and tomato on rye, served with chips and a pickle for $7.99. It was excellent. The wife had the baked potato skins which were true potato skins unlike what most places are passing off as "skins". They were also very good. We'd definitely come again!

It is good to see an establishment doing well , we have seen so many come and go . But Joe's is…read morehere to stay! I love that we now have a location in town . I have heard great things about Ordinary Joe's especially those wings and their multiple flavor options. Our server Lindsay was and is awesome every time we have been there. We were there for the wings of course , decided to go with the smoked butter bbq which is dry rub, man these were so so so good! Tried honey medium , bomb! Of course mild is always a good go to , and the honey bbq. Allllll so very delicious!!!! Now that I know they are so close I am excited to try the other flavors. I also tried a beer called awkward hug out of kent falls , soooo good and cute art on the can ! I appreciate the staff that takes care me while I am there ! Clean facility ! See you soon!

I may be the luckiest O Joe's fan on the planet. I live in Watertown, home of the original…read morelocation, and travel within Torrington multiple times a week for family. First visit to the O Joe's North location - understanding I/we love the original. It exceeded every possible expectation. Food is terrific - has the same standard as Watertown, but our wings were cooked even better. Fresh, hot, crispy, juicy. Definitely the best Ordinary Joe's wings we've had (and we have a lot of them, often). The food options are clearly rooted in the original concept. However, there are some more/different options here. Everything looked and smelled fantastic. I look forward to investigating further. Our server, Vanessa, earned 25 stars on her own. She was attentive, personable, yet worked quickly and accurately - manning a full bar and dining room simultaneously - while making us feel like we were the only ones in the joint. Manager/(Owner?) Paul was terrific as well. Stepped in to ensure all tables had what they needed, were clean, and everyone happy. It was truly noticeable that customer service is a priority for the team. Building is new/redone/beautiful. Similar, iconic O Joe's feel and decorating - yes, the gridiron is painted on the ceiling. Just a great space. Great vibe. Eat-off-the-floor clean. Simply can't wait to go back. And, again, I am so lucky to have proximity to both locations. **Just one note for families who may go with children or teenage boys (like me)... The service is so great, no one at the table will have an empty glass for long... that's a really positive thing. But, fair warning, soft drink refills are NOT free (nor should they be, frankly). However, with an 18 and 16 yr old in my party...those Cokes accumulate quickly.

Excellent food and ambiance. The owner, Julian, takes great pride in his food and does a great…read morejob. I'm anosmic, but the textures of the Risotto and the Jerk Chicken are phenomenal. Will be returning often! I regret not having a better photo but will go out of my way to get one the next time I go!

Sawyers has stayed on a side street of Torrington for years, so they're doing something right to…read moresurvive. They do have a parking lot on the side, and tables/chairs for the warm weather. We were greeted by two lion statues. The interior seating are high tops and booths. There are single restrooms, with the toilet very close to your nose. You should stand straight up. The garlic parm chicken tenders were delicious, and the breading stayed strong even after being coated. The burger was definitely warm and juicy, it went with the overall bar.

"And so please help (To teach your children) Them with your…read moreyouth (What you believe in) They seek the truth Teach your children well" (Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) When was the last time you ate a meal in a high school? Maybe it was at an award dinner for a high school sports team, or at a Boy or Cub Scout dinner? Or maybe it was way back in the day between your history and algebra classes? Well, we had a unique lunch at Oliver's Restaurant. Why unique? It was unique because the restaurant is located within the Oliver Wolcott Technical High School in Torrington, and it is staffed by students. You see, the school's Culinary Arts program trains their students for experience in the food service industry. It's an ambitious program that uses a public restaurant to provide 1,775 hours of learning and training in all phases of restaurant business - from the public facing front of the house to the back-of-house. If the students decide to enter the food service workforce, they leave Oliver's with a fantastic skill set. The teacher is Chef Michael McDowell, and he had a crew of 25 High School Juniors operating in two rooms preparing the salads and sandwiches, grilling the chicken and salmon and steaks, baking the meatballs, preparing the soups, slicing the complimentary bread, waiting the tables, and every possible activity they will see when the food service workforce. Chef Michael was fantastic as he oversaw the operation, offering nonstop commentary and tips to his young staff - "did you offer ketchup with those fries?", "too much oil in that pan", "check on your customers and get off your phones", "where's the dressing on the side?", "put the dressing in a takeout container for the takeout orders, and a ramekin for the diners", etc., etc. Oliver's has a real dining room with an open kitchen, so you can see and hear the entire class. There was a steady stream of takeout orders, and three parents popped in to say hi to their kids. The freshman and sophs in the Culinary Arts program start with the basics -how to sauté things, make salads, and the like. Today's class was all juniors, and that's when they actually start to operate the restaurant under the Chef's guidance. We chatted with Chef Michael, and he said that when they become Seniors, they really run Olivers by themselves. Our lunch was a $3 cup of clam chowder, a $9 turkey BLT, a $14 Salmon Caesar Salad, and a $4 Apple Crostata. The food was very good, check out the generous portion of turkey on the BLT and the half pound slab of perfectly cooked salmon on my salad. And we were amazed when Chef Michael called us at home to get our feedback on the meal and service. What a wonderful experience! We really enjoyed watching the Chef train his staff and watching them execute his instructions. I hope whoever is reading this, goes to the school and supports these young restaurant workers of the future. I know you'll enjoy this unique experience as much as we did. PRO TIP Olivers is open to the public Wednesday to Friday from 10:45 to 12:05, and they ask you to call 860-496-5369 to make a reservation.

Some things get better with age, and Milk & Honey is one of them! Egg sandwiches best around,…read moreomelettes are large and packed with your choice of ingredients. Soups are a treat during the winter (great chowders) and turkey BLT a favorite at lunch. Are always trying new additions to the menu which is a plus. My friend from Fairfield county says best egg, cheese and sausage on a bagel he's ever had.

What a WONDERFUL little throw-back of a diner! The servers are absolutely charming (thank you to…read morethe beautiful, jewelry-making Christina), pricing is circa 1995, there's a great children's menu -- and there is clearly some skill in this kitchen, generally. I love that you get unlimited refills on coffee ($2), which was actually quite decent by diner standards. Where else can you find that nowadays?! Eggs were well prepared and fluffy across the board. I loved that my veggie omelet ($8.75) came generously filled with sauteed mushrooms, sweet peppers, and onions. It came with toast and a side of either fruit or home fries. The multigrain, which our server disclosed was from a bakery in NY, was fresh, well slathered with butter, and far better than it had to be as a non-headline component of the meal. Home fries were beautifully seasoned, though I do prefer mine a little more browned. Fruit salad on our visit included a slice of melon, a few grapes and a slice of orange. Our eight year old got a children's meal with one egg, home fries, toast and juice ($4.50). She enjoyed her fluffy scrambled eggs, which she ate sandwiched between two halves of a generously buttered English muffin. My only nitpick: You could taste a touch of margarine in the eggs, which I personally detest. Still, the food was head and shoulders better than (and half as expensive as) anything you can find at Mohawk Mountain, where we are usually resigned to grub. We are so, so thrilled to find this sweet little place a hop and a skip away from the mountain. It's a perfect place to refuel after early morning ski practice!

Well since I have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease restaurants basically been a no go for me…read more.. BUT here at 99 they have gluten free hamburger buns, I talked to the Waitress about my condition and she was very wonderful. The Bacon Cheeseburger was very juicy and gluten free bread was delicious a little soggy at the bottom but that was okay. French Fries were salted a little too much so next time I am going to order them with no salt, the place was kind of dead though 2 people at the bar and 6 people in total dining in. Now being that dead they could of least got a broom and dust pan and cleaned around the tables food was all on the floor, other than the dirty floor the place was okay.

This experience was an absolute solid two. The service was lacking. The facility was less than…read moreclean and the food was meh. I order the swordfish with lemon caper sauce, which wasn't really great. The sauce was very thick and I couldn't tell what was in it. Broccoli was good cooked perfectly. The asparagus was actually falling over the plate which weirded me out.

Always great food and friendly service - tremendous value too. Had the roast pork with beans and…read morerice - fantastic.

Hidden gem, for real. All dishes are hearty here. Savory Spanish food. So many options to choose…read morefrom. Food choices for this spread were a chicken empanada , rotisserie chicken, white rice , and beans. Chimmichuri and mayo ketchup for dipping purposes. Also let's add the rabo (oxtail) con yucca. Spicy mussels and clams were also on the spread. Oh wait we had shrimp nachos too! So yummy! Full belly full spread ya know?! Lol Everything was so flavorful , they know how to cook here . I enjoy my meal every time I dine here .

The food was excellent. The decor was very nice. Actually this place is a wonderful date night…read moredining. They didn't rush the food out, or make us feel we needed to eat faster, very relaxed. The coconut sauce for the shrimp was absolutely delish. I forgot to ask about the oil dip that was brought to the table with the bread. I loved it, I believe it had fresh garlic in it, and I loved it. We also had the French onion soup, very tasty. The calamari appetizer was spot on, crispy and tender. We will return for sure. Just need not to be in a hurry to eat here.

My husband and I ate here last night to celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary and everything was…read moregreat. They started us off with wonderful crusty bread with an out of this world seasoned olive oil. Although a garden salad comes with the meals, we chose to order a spinach salad to share and forgo the freebie garden salad and we're sure glad we did! The spinach salad with raspberry vinaigrette was soooo good. It had walnuts, dried cranberries, bacon and blue cheese. The drinks were also awesome (Manhattan & French Martini), and our water glasses were kept filled at all times. Service was spot on as well. My husband had the Surf & Turf. He likes his steak medium rare and his was cooked perfectly. I had the Veal Francese, and it melted in my mouth. Delicious! They offer a choice of baked potato, sweet potato, or rice. We each got a baked potato. On to the ambiance: HURRAY-NO TVs!!! Subtle lighting, soft music playing (Frank Sinatra, etc., really nice) and nice linen tablecloths and napkins. Do not let the unassuming exterior of this restaurant fool you--it's lovely inside. And don't worry about the attached bar--you don't hear a thing in the main dining room--it's as if it wasn't even there. In short, this is a little gem off the beaten path well worth a visit.