I love a moody vibe and Conspiracy is just the right amount of dark and laid back. The entrance is…read morea bit tricky if you're driving by and expecting a big sign but once you're in the door and up the stairs, you're set. I got the pixie eyes which almost reminded me of an aperol spritz just a bit sweeter. The drink came with a banana bread shot which I thought would be strange but it works so well. We sat in the back and things weren't too busy. The staff is cool! Can't wait to come back.

Went here for a date night with my boyfriend around 6pm. Loved the vibe in the place and would have…read moreloved it more if we went later and it was darker. The drinks were awesome! I don't drink and the mocktail list was great and the non alcoholic prosecco was so good! My boyfriend had the campfire mocktail and he absolutely loved it! The food on the other hand was definitely a let down. Definitely seemed like frozen chicken in the general tsao waffle and it was very spicy and drenched in sauce. We also got the loaded potato waffle which was ok, nothing special! Our waitress was great although she seemed to hover a bit. Overall we had a great time and will definitely be back!

Excellent food and service. I enjoyed the southern blt with fried green tomatoes and hubby had the…read moreHuntsville beef. Awesome

Certainly an interesting restaurant, tucked away in the middle of a less-than-pretty road, which…read moresomehow makes it even more intriguing. I do wish there were more signs, as both the parking lot and the entrance felt a bit vague and easy to miss. Once we finally found our way inside, we were pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere reminded me of another local tavern. Staffed by friendly people. The food was good, and the overall experience was enjoyable. My only disappointment was the lack of information about the history of the establishment. There is a lot of marketing that references its connection to a jailhouse on the menu, but very little information is actually shared within the tavern itself. I found myself wanting to learn more about the story behind the place. I also think it would be fun to add a photo-op area--perhaps even outdoors--with a set of mock jail bars where guests could take pictures. It would fit the theme and add a memorable touch. The tavern itself is fairly small, so I can imagine it gets quite crowded during busy times. Overall, it's definitely worth checking out.

I identified The Hop Knot as one of the CT spots hosting a miracle pop up. I was surprised I had…read morenever heard of it because it's a Craft Pretzel and Beer Bar, and that's a unique concept for CT. They have pretzels with dips, gourmet stuffed pretzels, pretzel sandwiches, wings, tenders and fish and chips. The bar was decorated for Christmas and they were serving special holiday drinks in fun Christmas themed mugs. I had the Christmasaurus in a red ceramic dinosaur and my wife had a Butter Rum Mocktail in a winking Santa mug. My drink was tasty and the mugs were fun. We bought a couple of the fun mugs to go. A person who I believe was the owner and the chef, was wearing a Christmas sweater and obviously loves the Christmas theme. Our server who doubled as the bartender was a bit more stoic about the theme. LOL. The food was generally good. It seemed like the pretzels may have picked up another aroma from the kitchen while the pretzels were cooking, because they had a slight aftertaste. Manageable, but not ideal. The pretzels looked great and had good texture. The beer cheese dip and mustard dip were both good. My pretzel stuffed with Mac and Cheese and short rib was good. We also split some holiday snack mix and Carolina BBQ wings. They were probably my favorite part of the meal. 4 Stars. The Hop Knot is definitely a place to check out. I understand that there used to be one in Middletown, CT and one in New Hampshire, although I'm unclear on the relation to the present owners in Portland.

Boneless wings were very good. I would order again for sure. Nice people work here and the…read moreprices, parking cleanliness, noise level etc were all just fine. Beer selection is decent. I had a nice IPA. It's a bit out of my way so I won't get here often but will stop in any chance I get to return. Highly recommend!

Never in a million years did I think I would find myself sitting at Eli Cannon's in 2026 but here I…read moream, writing this review. I was visiting Connecticut last week for wedding and staying with some friends in Middletown. I arrived on a Tuesday night with a hungry stomach so we figured Eli Cannon's was an easy spot to hit up. I went here many, many, many years ago when I still lived in Connecticut (I live in LA now) but don't remember much of the experience other then what the inside looks like and man, it still looks the exact freaking same. We arrived around 8PM and got seated right away. The staff was super attentive with providing drinks and menus and the kitchen staff had the food out super quick as well. I kept it simple and ordered a Buffalo Chicken Wrap with a side of french fries and really enjoyed it. The Buffalo Chicken Wrap tasted great and the hot sauce wasn't overpowering. The french fries here were crispy and tasted great, the perfect pairing for a late night bite (look, eating out at 8PM is late for me). Overall, Eli Cannon's is mostly a bar, but is also a pretty solid place to grab a bite to eat. The place truly is Middletown and with friends living nearby, I can definitely see myself returning in the future for some night time grub.

Great weather day to sit on the patio at Eli's. Experience was hit or miss this time. Had a…read moreserver we were not familiar with and his attentiveness was a little lacking - would have ordered another beer if he had checked in while we still had food. The spicy caesar salad was fire as usual - the size might be a bit smaller, but it's still great ! Ordered the back bean burger and that wasn't a good experience for a few reasons. The burger was more like a mush pancake and the bun was way too big for the burger as well as not that toasted which might have made it seem not as fresh; i will order it again to see if it was a fluke since I appreciate the effort to make it themselves as opposed to serving a frozen black bean burger . If it is always like that, it's a texture problem for me. Please put some hooks on the outside rail for purses to hang from when sitting at the mini picnic tables since there are no chair backs

Forest City Brewing Company is a craft brewery that opened in Middletown, Connecticut in April…read more2016. It was founded by brewer Chris Coughlin. While a student at Northeastern University in Boston, Coughlin developed an interest in brewing. He took classes at various breweries after graduating and over the years he learned the craft. When Coughlin became serious about opening his own brewery, he decided to name it "Forest City" after Middletown's nickname. Although Middletown isn't exactly 'foresty' today, the areas around Main Street and Wesleyan University were leafy and heavily wooded for centuries before floods took their tolls on the trees in the early 20th century. Coughlin says, "I thought the name for my brewery, Forest City, would reflect an earlier time and a juxtaposition of old and new." The brewery officially opened to the public in 2016 inside Middletown's old Remington Rand building. The historic building complex opened in 1896 as the Keating Bicycle Factory. Throughout the decades, motorcycles, automobiles, typewriters and even military missile parts were manufactured there. The building closed its doors in the early 1970s and fell into disrepair. The city later took it over and by 2009 it had been refurbished with several new tenants renting space inside. I first visited Forest City in August 2019. I was training for the upcoming Closer To Free ride, so I decided to cycle from my home in North Haven all the way to Middletown (21 miles). By the time I made it to the brewery, I was very thirsty. The taproom is inviting and cozy. I decided to order a sampler flight that consisted of Champ Brut IPA, Good Sesh (Session IPA), Double Dry Hopped Hazegiving (IPA), and Brown Cow (Milk Stout). The latter was my favorite; it had nice creamy notes of chocolate milk. I ended up purchasing a growler of it to bring back home. If you plan on visiting the brewery in Middletown, I must recommend making it a craft beer afternoon because the Remington Rand building is also home to Stubborn Beauty Brewing and Spoke + Spy Ciderworks.

Second time coming here. Decent selection of beers/ciders on tap as well as some new slushies…read more I tried the Newfie slushie -Rum and tropical fruit juice frozen, mixed with lemon-lime soda and a cherry. We also got the Fresh Blau; blueberry cider and hard cider. This was a great mix since I'm mostly a sour beer person. We also got some German chocolate to snack on, a meat stick, and a pretzel with sweet and spicy mustard. Dog friendly establishment

I absolutely love the vibe in here! The portraits outside the door are a bit haunting but so…read morebeautiful. I love the hanging lights over the bar, the really add light without making the space too bright. We sat on the couches next to the next place and although it wasn't lit, the vibes were sooo cozy. As a tequila girl I went for the maleficent. It was sweet and the lavender really added to the drink! I typically like to try different drinks but I stuck to this one all night. Our bartender was so friendly and quick! I'll definitely be back soon!

What a fun night! Came here with a couple of girlfriends. Started at the little lounge area, but…read moresoon took the party to the bar when we ran into another yelpie! Don't let the outside of this place fool you because looks are definitely deceiving. We were cautious coming to this place due to the appearance of the outside, but once we were in it was so much fun. Agus, aka rawbartender, was Ah-mazing and truly made the night fun. He was truly such a vibe!! I ordered the SpongeBob, which was Goslings rum, pineapple spice, ginger, lime, angostura bitters. Especially with the show that was put on, my drink tasted even better. It was a Smokey, yet smooth and refreshing drink! We also got the Snow White, on the sweeter side made with Pear vodka, orgeat, pear juice, lemon juice, cinnamon. And of course, we can't forget our schooling in tequila and Mezcal from Agus. He was very informative of what he was serving and we tried a few different shots. He gave us the rundown of how you're actually supposed to taste tequila. And I have to say I've never had an experience like that before. I wish the party didn't stop and I will definitely be coming back specifically for Agus and of course the drinks!

Never had Meade before and I'm kicking myself now. I'm not a fan of "hoppy" drinks, BUT the hoppy…read moreMeade I will drink and actually got me to venture down other "hoppy" lanes, like beer. Especially for someone who likes cider and wine, the Meade has a nice, refreshing flavor. The different flavor nodes of the honey make it sweeter and not bitter (personal preference). Awesome sit in areas with TONS of games for socialization with friends. In this order are my favorites!! Wally, Whip, Lemon, Bouchot, Ginga, Cherry, Hoppy, Pecan

Bergen House is a craft meadery that opened in Middletown, Connecticut in September 2020. It was…read morefounded by army veteran Talon Bergen. He first began experimenting with homebrewing when his brother-in-law gifted him a Mr. Beer kit. The first batch of Bergen's homebrew was awful, but the kit came with an interesting book that he read over and over again. He soon became fascinated with the science behind brewing and fermentation. Later on, a friend gifted him a bottle of homemade mead. Bergen's wife Emilie liked it much more than any beer she ever tried, so he decided to try his hand at crafting mead. Mead is a fermented beverage made from a mixture of honey, water and yeast. It is the oldest fermented beverage known to man (predating beer, wine and cider). Like his first batch of beer, Bergen's first batch of mead was also awful. After several months, Bergen finally began making mead that was drinkable. The Bergens later had an idea to open their own brewery. After seeing how many breweries that Connecticut already had, they instead decided to open a meadery. The Bergens found a space in Middletown's old trolley barn building to house their meadery and taproom. Although not the state's only meadery, Bergen House is the only one to have its own taproom for on-site consumption. I recently visited Bergen House for the first time after going for a long bike ride on the nearby Air Line State Park Trail. I was greeted by Emilie Bergen who was very friendly and talked to me about the different meads. There were eight different meads on tap during my visit. Each one has different spices and fruits added for flavoring. I ordered a sampler flight which featured "Crime Scene" (Rye Bourbon Barrel-Aged Sweet & Sour Cherry Mead), "Local Buzz" (Dry Mead made with local honey from Hilltop Apiaries), "Wally" (Off-Dry Mead made with wildflower honey, green tea and Citra hops), and "Grapefruit Meads Business" (Wildflower Mead flavored with rosemary, grapefruit & ginger). The latter two were my favorites! Emilie also gave me a small sample of "Bochet": a traditional French Mead made with wildflower honey caramelized before fermentation. I ended up taking home a growlito of "Wally", which tasted a lot like a honey-infused New England IPA. I had a great experience at Bergen House and I look forward to returning!

Went here on a Friday night to hear a great local band Back In The Day. We haven't been here…read morebefore but a friend who comes often for the daily specials and takeout suggested we try it. We had a great time. The staff was friendly and as they all go behind the bar to pour beer and drinks service was very fast since there's no waiting for one bartender to serve the whole place. We went early and had food before the band started. Chicken nachos. Very good. Coconut Shrimp. Very good Foot long Hummel hot dog Bacon cheeseburger and fries Cheeseburger snd fries Nothing fancy but the food was solid bar food. They do have specials during the week that are more of a full meal. Ie: pork cutlets, mashed potatoes, veggie, etc. It's an older place. Showing it's age in places just like me....but it's comfortable and friendly and the regulars are too. Give them a try when in the area. We will be back.

Very Rude Staff. I hope they were just having a bad day. But they literally seemed like they don't…read morecare.

Great little local pub!! The staff are all very friendly, the food is good, the beer is cold!!…read morePrices are fair!! I'll be back for sure!!

Great place. Always fun. Clean and huge selection of booze. Lauren is a great owner and Grace is…read moreincredible. Love them

Amazing food! I had the Sicily House Salad, and it was absolutely delicious! The combination of…read morefresh fennel and the white balsamic vinaigrette was incredible--so flavorful and refreshing. I also had the cheese pizza, which was simple, delicious, and perfectly satisfying. Everything was so fresh and flavorful.

Wow !!!! Where to start. The food was great. The service was great. Happy hour portions were large…read more The wine bar had a tasteful ambience. I cannot wait to be back and try their pasta. I visited a week ago for a girls night event for happy and was truly blown away! The patron margarita flight is a great deal. The chocolate cake slice could feed an entire family. My sliders were great and friends food mostly great. (Creme brulee slightly burnt). Anyone looking for a great time, check out Sicily!