Friday nights at Owengo are amazing! Live music, food trucks, and lots of people. The water view is beautiful! Sun or moon shining above makes it more beautiful. I love the outdoor patio. The fire pits with a table wrapped around add more flair to this establishment. Owengo is one of the best places for weddings and parties. This is my second time here, and definitely NOT my last.. Owengo, you NEVER disappoint! read more

The staff made sure all the tables we were set up to our specifications. Anything we needed the provided it. This is located on the sound with water views. The downside is, they do not have air-conditioning in the room. We got noisy with acoustics. Plenty of off street parking. read more

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The Owenego Inn has been one of my favorite venues since my Aunt Jen's wedding back when I was a kid. It's historic but not outdated. The event space is large enough for a bigger wedding but probably not more than 175 but idk the official capacity. They have a beautiful piece of property right on the water. There's a deck with a gazebo. The bar area is beautiful and cozy. The staff are professional and friendly. I really enjoyed the food the last couple of events I've been to there. It's clean and well kept. They have numerous events over the summer with food trucks and music as well. I just recently found out that it is open to the public as well. Parking js ample. Don't count this place out for your birthday, wedding or any other kind of event! read more

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My husband and I got married here last September during the craziness of the covid lockdowns finally being somewhat lifted. With All that craziness of ever-changing business regulations on top of our wedding, John the owner was 100% the best wedding venue owner/manager we could have asked for. He was communicative, clear, flexible, and extremely accommodating. For that we are forever grateful! Our wedding was originally inside, but due to covid regulations at the time, we were required to be outdoors. Turned out to be the best idea! We had the open air, ocean breeze, and unobstructed view of the water from our tent. The staff were amazing! They were in a great mood, were so genuinely kind, and followed through every single one of my small requests. We heard nothing but rave reviews of the place from our wedding guests, and a good number of them said it was genuinely the best wedding they've ever been to. This area holds a special place in my husband and my hearts, and to have been married here in such a beautiful way has made our wedding genuinely an absolute dream come true. I could not have wished for anything better. Thank you!!!!! read more

Came yesterday afternoon/evening for a faculty and staff end of the year BBQ. The staff at Owenego were friendly and attentive. The facility it beautiful. Great selection of food, from baked chicken to eggplant parm, green salad with multiple dressings, fruit salad, cole slaw, corn on the cob, hot dogs and hamburgers. I didn't have drinks from the bar, but I did here from colleagues that they kept getting charged different amounts each time they went up for the same drink. Seemed to be inconsistent. Other than that, we had a great time! read more

Summary: Decent food, decent prices, beautiful seaside setting. I came here one afternoon for dinner and drinks at the Hungry Dog Café. The menu is limited to classic american fare such as lobster rolls, burgers, fries, crab cakes, and salads. I had the lobster roll, which was delicious but needed more lobster. The prices are a little higher than they should be for this type of food but they are still affordable (had to pay extra for a side of corn with my lobster). Overall this is one of the few private clubs in Connecticut where you can sit back, relax, and eat with a magnificent view of long island sound. So, if you are thinking about joining a club and love the ocean this is the probably the place to be. Also, although the club is private (members only) the bar and the Hungry Dog are open to the public at no charge. read more

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My now wife and I just got married at the Owenego last Saturday. Our guests could not stop raving about the food and staff. It was absolutely fantastic and it could not have been better. The best part of having our wedding at The O was the staff. They were extremely courteous to all of our guests and especially us. If the staff and food isn't enough, the breathtaking views and ocean breeze will reel you in 6/5 Stars!! read more

2 weeks ago my husband and I got married at the Owenego. We are still blown away by how comfortable they made us from day one. They have been so helpful with answering our questions and accommodating all the guests. We are still hearing our guests rave about the venue, staff, and the food! Although the event was a couple hours long, we were able to get to know the staff which made us feel part of the owenego family. Throughout the wedding they made sure we had a drink in our hand, we were eating, and that we were enjoying ourselves. At one point, one of the staff members brought a tray of hors d'oeuvres out on the rocks as we were taking pictures to make sure we ate something. Of course we can't say enough about the scenery at the Owenego; it was truly unbelievable. All together we couldn't say anything negative about this venue, staff, food, or view! read more

You should totally get married here. I think it allows 175 people. It is really beautiful. Right on the water. Simple and elegant. see for yourself: http://www.owenego.com/ I think this is my favorite wedding venue ever. Well, except for destination weddings that transport me to Cabo or Italy. It was perfect, good drinks, good wine with dinner. Dinner was good. Good band. I think this place is way better than the greater new Haven Beachy wedding offerings...well, except for where I plan to have mine. But thats a secret (for now)! ps. it's not air conditioned but you are on the water so it's not a problem. read more

Location, location, location. The only reason, and I mean only reason to go to Onewego is for the ambiance, not food. Possibly a drink, but nothing other than bottled beer which they can't screw up. Our meal was overpriced fried food with horrendous service. We had to ask for them to clear our table twice before dessert, and they couldn't quite manage to clear the entire table. They also charged us $4.50 each meal to substitute sweet potato fries for regular fries stating it was on the fine print on the BACK of the menu. I finally got it taken it off the bill after a lot of whining. The funniest moment was when we asked if the crab was fresh or frozen and the waiter responded "we cook it". I am very forgiving with wait staff. I spent two years waiting tables and it is hard work when it's busy. Mistakes are made. But we were the first to arrive at 5:30pm and maybe 6 tables at best were being served with plenty of staff. No excuses other than ineptness. I would make this a BYOF - bring your own food. Would get more people and happier guests. read more

I pretty much spent most of my childhood summers here. I have so many great memories. Swimming, walking out to the rocks to fish, the one time someone gave me a sand shark that they found, tennis lessons, searching for horseshoe crabs, going clamming with my great gramma, the time a clam spit in my face, eating grilled cheese from the snack bar, strawberry shortcake ice cream, having a picnic with my grandparents, eating cream cheese and pineapple sandwiches, drinking lots of pink lemonade and birch beer, getting sunburns, stepping on a bee, getting to ride in a golf cart, swimming out to the red and white float and jumping off, winning the costume contest dressed as a sad clown, I could go on and on.... read more

I have always known that the Owenego was a special place and have grown up going there, but even knowing how incredible it was our wedding at the Owenego was more magical than I ever could have dreamed. John, Pat and all of the staff were so helpful and patient (with my millions of questions) throughout the whole process leading up to the wedding and on the day off we could not ask for better hosts. The staff set up the room perfectly and helped everything go off without a hitch. They were on top of every single detail and were so attentive to us and our guests. They were right by our side reminding us to take a moment for ourselves and to eat and made sure we had everything we needed and more! And of course- you cannot beat the property and the view! I cannot recommend the Owenego as a wedding venue enough! read more

Excellent venue for a wedding. Views are amazing and the food is top notch. The staff is really nice and it is the perfect setting for a low key wedding. The only problem is that this place does not have air conditioning so if you are having a summer wedding, be prepared for you and your guests to sweat through dinner if it is an especially hot night. read more

What a hidden gem in Branford! We attended a work event last night at the Owenego Inn and it was truly a lovely evening. The Inn is set along a pristine picturesque span of CT shoreline with stunning views. We all enjoyed cocktails and hor dourves while watching a magnificent September sunset. The appetizers were plentiful and delicious. Highlights included spring rolls, mini pizza bites (pesto and red onion was a standout), potato cheese bites (can't remember the exact name, but we all had seconds or thirds), chicken satay, etc. Our event provided two drink tickets and the bartender was very generous with servings :-). The venue itself is clean and has a quaint seaside feel. I could very much envision a wedding even here. Dinner was a buffet which included chicken Marsala, roasted red potatoes, stuffed filet of sole, penne a la vodka, green beans, salad, and fruit. The penne was particularly delicious. The rest of the food was also very good. My only gripe would have been that the green beans were exceptionally al dente (as in not really cooked at all). Dessert included coffee and a scrumptious chocolate and vanilla mousse cake. I was very impressed with what the Owenego Inn has to offer. The beautiful setting and excellent service as well as the decent-delicious food make for a perfect evening event or potential wedding scene. I hope to be able to return! read more

I had my wedding there almost 2.5 yrs ago and I'm DYING to go back. I want to crash a wedding--that's how much fun it was, and the food was FANTASTIC. My husband can't stop raving about the stuffed clams. Grew up in Branford but had never been there until I was looking for a place to host my wedding. If you want a chill, relaxed, FUN, beachy wedding...GO HERE NOW. You will not be disappointed. We had a blast and so did our guests. In total agreement with Kristen R's post--do not be a Bridezilla at this place. John will do everything to accommodate you and your guests. By the way, he is the most calmest man I have ever met. He loves prepared and organized brides (fill out the seating chart, ladies!!!). I also agree with Kristen R's comment about Dirty Dancing--that's totally what I thought when I entered the place. The only regret--was that we didn't get married there. We only had our reception there...would have been an AWESOME ceremony site! read more

Wonderful facility on the shore. Decent service, lots of parking. Attended a wedding that went really well. read more

I had my wedding here in August 2012, and I would not have wanted it anywhere else. The Owenego is basically a family-run business, and you can feel it in the consideration and respect they give to their customers. The manager/chef John was kind, laid back, and very knowledgeable about weddings. He helped us figure out the flow of the event and suggested good vendors for hiring rentals. What I loved most is that he was willing to give his opinions, but he was very open to having things be a bit different. We wanted board games and an outdoor hora at our wedding, and he didn't bat an eye, just made them happen. The office staff was very sweet and helpful, allowing us to store our wedding supplies in their office (even though it took up most of the space!) and helping to guide our guests. Our day-of manager was top notch, ensuring that everything ran smoothly and on time. She looked out for us in lots of ways, even offering to wrap up my half-eaten entree so I could finish it later! Visiting this venue, especially in the summer, it's clear why their wedding schedule is booked so quickly. They have a waterfront lawn for outdoor ceremonies, and a dramatic rocky outcropping for photographs on the water. The building oozes New England charm, and their food is delicious. We had the filet mignon and sea bass (marinated for 18 hours in an Asian-style sauce) and our guests would not stop raving about how great the food was. Appetizers were abundant and well-received, as well, so there was plenty of great food (something I think is very important!). The building does not have air conditioning, so it got hot on the dance floor even with the fans they brought out, but people were happy to cool off on the two porches facing the ocean. It's not the cheapest wedding venue around, nor is it the fanciest, but for the service and location, I don't think the Owenego can be beat. read more

A close family member's wedding reception was held at Owenego on a very hot and humid day. Beautiful grounds, lovely time munching hors d'oeuvre and sipping a drink, greeting friends and family. Those were the nice parts, very nice, indeed. However, taking into account the expense of the wedding and the knowledge that it is likely a popular place for wedding receptions (in my understanding) couldn't the owners of Owenego put their hands in their pockets and install air conditioning for the place. It is ridiculous to consider that this place that charges a lot of money for a wedding reception and does a good number of them has chosen to not do the right, sensible thing and install a drugging air conditioning system. It was terribly hot inside. I sweated as if I was on the tennis court. Everyone sweated profusely. This was an atrocious condition to behold: Well dressed and groomed people sweating like crazy and remarking about "why is there no air conditioning in here?" So, owners of Owenego Inn in Branford, when will you be installing the long overdue air conditioning? Until air conditioning is installed, those planning summer weddings ought think long and hard about planning to do the reception at Owensboro because, simply put, it was brutally got and sweaty at the tables, on the dance floor, etc. I would not use them without air conditioning in the summer. Make sure you ask if the A.C. has been installed. If not, find another place. Yeah, it was that bad. read more