After being a regular here for years, my visit tonight wasn't the best The waitress seems like she had better things to do and places to be. She bothered my spirit. We were the only ones in the dining room and she acted as if it were filled. Had to repeatedly ask for things and she never came and refilled my water. I asked for a well done, not burnt burger and what did I get, burnt. I cut off the burnt part. When I mentioned it to the waitress, she acted like she didn't care. The onion rings were amazing. Best part if the meal. read more

Side Street Bar & Grill - My burnt burger - Desserts Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

See all

First timer at Side Street. Food was excellent. Service was great! Ask for Katie! Enjoyed playing trivia.

If you're looking for excellent wings, bone-in and boneless, look no further. I don't eat them anymore, but I did for many years, and my friends still do! The pierogi's are delicious and served with sautéed onions. They have a garden burger and a few other things for pescatarians, however, a few more vegetarian items would be a great addition to the menu such as a Margherita flatbread and fried cauliflower (which they could use their great wing sauces on!). The nachos are another solid choice, either a half or full sheet are both a lot of food! Thursday nights D3 karaoke is in the house and always a great time. Solid selection of beers on tap and a few others in a can. read more

Side Street Bar & Grill - Full sheet of nachos, 1/2 no meat, 1/2 pulled pork. - Desserts Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

Been going to this place for years and have always loved it here. The food is great and never disappoints. The service used to be very good, but has been going downhill recently. During my last two visits we waited 20+ minutes for drinks each time. The second time I went up to the bar to start ordering drinks myself as this was way quicker than waiting in our waiter to help us. It gives a feeling of being forgotten about which isn't appreciated when you are dining out. Despite the issues with the service, I'd still highly recommend Side Street and will be back, especially with my knowledge to just go directly to the bar for drink service. read more

Regarding the comment by Asher D. I am a regular at Side Street Grille, because of their food, the atmosphere, the people who work there and the customers who religiously return. I was there THAT NIGHT Asher is referring to. Asher, as perfect as she thinks she is, got into the bar showing her ID. Once inside, she handed HER ID to a friend who was underage. The staff caught that CRIME and wouldn't return Asher's ID to her. They asked her NICELY to leave. She refused. I'm just a customer. I went over to her and spoke calmly and politely. She told me the absolute truth. I said, I know you're only trying to get your underage friend in here to drink but look at it from the owner's side. You can get him fined, closed, or even worse. She agreed but still demanded her ID back. Again, she was asked politely to leave. She wouldn't. The owner called the Police who came and took care of the situation. NOTHING HAPPENED that would suggest the owner or staff at Side Street Grille did ANYTHING inappropriately at all. If this post causes 1 person to drive past and not visit to eat, then it's damaging and for all the wrong reasons. You don't stay open for so long, survive covid, survive other area bars serving underage customers, without being a great place to eat and to relax and enjoy. Not everything you read on social media is truth. I assure you, THIS POST IS. read more

Talk about a diamond in the rough .. I actually ran into the person that I graduated high school with in the town that I grew up in how funny.. I love just hanging out drinking beers maybe a few shots.. how awesome and to See someone I haven't seen in 30+ years. read more

This is my go to hang out and wing place. Always love suiting on the bar side as the service is so much quicker. They are quick to change the channel and get the game you want to watch on. Order the nachos with everything on them and they do it right by piling it up high. read more

Awesome! Definitely got to try their crispy chicken with Demon Sauce, I ordered the sauce as a side and as a lover of spicy food, for the first time ever I needed to order milk with it, really spicy and really delicious. read more

Our server, joe was really friendly and recommended good food for us to order. We got the sampler which came with any appetizer I could've wanted. His personality would make him a great bartender! The menu was funny and you could tell that whoever wrote it put quite a bit of time and effort into it. Also order the milk and cookies. 3 HUGE chocolate chip cookies that are freshly baked! Mmmmmm still dreaming of them. read more

Great place to hangout. Awesome vibe and the food was great. The service was fantastic and the beer selection rocked. I can't wait to come back after work and enjoy the bar area. The menu items were very unique and there is a lot to choose from, including a fluffernutter. read more

Three of us showed up Sunday night for dinner, the restaurant wasn't busy, but we were intrigued by the menu. That's where the intrigue stopped. Two of us ordered lobster rolls, which they came back to tell us were not in season, so we switched to pulled pork sandwiches. The other ordered pastrami on rye. The pastrami was cooked until it was hard, the rye was burnt with butter, and the fries were Oreda or something from a grocery store bag. My friends order the broccoli bites, and the mac and cheese, the mac and cheese were frozen triangles, not fully cooked. The pulled pork sandwich for only one friend came out, and we never got the other, when we asked why we were told she thought they were going to split it, but if that were the case why did they order different sides. The food was below par, and extremely salty. While the menu is hysterical it's not worth the trip, and we won't be back. read more

I prefer going here in the summer and sitting outside on the enclosed patio area. Their menu never ceases to make me laugh - it's huge and all the items are named very cleverly. The food is good and the portions are large - one salad can feed 3 people. Their prices are very reasonable too. Their parking lot is a little odd to maneuver through but you can park in an adjacent lot as well. read more

I'm a fan of side street when I want some wings and a quick meal that I can call in and take out. There have been instances where the wings are amazing, rich and full of buffalo sauce, and other times the wings are just over fried and dry. Not my taste. I've tried a bunch of items on the menu, I really like the French onion soup and the Caesar salad combo, as well as the baby back ribs and the big sampler platter that I can't remember the name of. I love reading the menu, the names are hilarious! I've been in the bar area for a beer or two after work, kudos to the bartenders who are friendly and wait on you relatively quickly. I've eaten in once or twice, and even came to a show once, but that was a while back, say years ago.... On the take out side, I've never had to wait when they tell me 15 minutes, they mean if. Quick and prompt service. Love it. On the dine in side, I've had mostly good waiters/waitresses, with the exception of one, but who am I to let one bad apple spoil my experience. Bathroom.... Surprisingly I've never been in it. Yeah, I know, I judge a place on the way the toilet is kept clean. Besides it gives one a chance to occasionally see a worker thoroughly wash their hands! Kudos! The place is small and can get crowded on the weekends but if that's what you're looking for then this is your place. I'll be back for the wings. read more

My boyfriend and I love this place! He's been living here for about a year now while I just moved in this summer from California and Side Street is probably one of my favorite restaurants so far. It has its downsides, though. The food is great with a wide selection and entertaining titles (the menu is one big joke, a joke I find funny every time) though it's tough to find anything healthy to order. They also have free wing night every Tuesday after like 9 pm which greatly appeals to college students like myself in the area so be ready to brave an onslaught if you go. The only reasons I didn't give it five stars would be the service, the price, and the atmosphere. Each time we've been here, the waitresses have been consistently rude, inattentive, and passive when interacting with our table. Is it so hard to smile when doing your job? It's about customer service, after all. Also, while the food is good and satisfies certain cravings (I can't get enough of their appetizer quesadilla; probably the best quesadilla I've ever had, which is really saying something!) it's kind of over priced. You get bar food and expect a bar food price with it but that's not the case at Side Street. Another negative is the restaurant itself, which I realize isn't the Ritz but it's always really dingy and messy when I stop in. The quesadilla keeps me coming back but we don't frequent Side Street too often since the service and prices keep us away. read more

This was my first time coming here. They give you popcorn before your meal, which is different. Their menu is pretty funny and creative. The food is your typical bar food, but it was good. The service was friendly and nice. I read some of the other reviews on here and people complained about their fries. It's a bar, you're not gonna get fresh cut fries here. They were the frozen kind, but there are also other options you can order if you don't want the fries. I will probably be coming back in the future for their happy hour. read more

Side Street Bar & Grill - Crispy chicken wrap - Desserts Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

Food was tasty in a comfort food -wing-place-type of way. Our server was zipping around so fast we couldn't really tell her what we wanted before she turned away and booked it into the kitchen or to the bar area or to get something for someone. I liked my Philly Cheese Steak and fries. They serve it with roasted- sautéed onions which were plump and sweet ( Vidalia perhaps.) It was 79 degrees in there which is pretty warm for a October. read more

Side Street Bar & Grill - Philly Cheese Steak - Desserts Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

See all

Awesome spot to grab beers with some friends and catch up. Sports games on every TV, cool memorabilia throughout. Great beers on tap too. Get the Wango Tango sauce on your wings. read more

This little hole used to be one of hamden's Hidden Treasures now I'd rather just go ahead to Dixwell Avenue and find the next fast food place aside from being Beyond rude how about let's charge you for extra sauce for your buffalo wings that barely have any sauce on them and when you say we'll keep the blue cheese and celery sticks and just give me enough sauce to cover my wings over ...still going to charge you and did I forget to say the wings are so dry that even a thirteen-year-old doesn't want them and 13 year olds eat everything yeah I think we're done with side street it was a good 10 year run but I'm done Oh how aBout he ordered onion rings but no you gave fries... read more

Horrible do not suggest the reason I believe is it was overly priced and had poor customer service in the first place.

If you like surprises or mysteries this is your place, I have been frequenting Side Street over the past few years the food is good. I have visited them a couple of times since restaurants have been comming back from Covid over the past few months. The surprise and mystery is that there menu does not show any prices for food or beverage, Their menu is your paper placemat and you have no idea what each item cost or the ability to factor that into your selection. I initially thought this was temporary abbreviated menu a couple of months ago as many restaurants have scaled back their menu options but on my last visit on 7/31 at 6:00pm there was still the same menu with no prices. I have heard other patrons complain about the lack of prices on the menu as well. I was surprised on my last visit how empty the seating area was (Saturday night) on what should have been their busiest time frame. Service was excellent which was probably a function of the few patrons vs. number of wait staff. When I received the bill I wouldn't say the prices were unreasonable (although there are now no free soda refills) I just find it uncomfortable not knowing the pricing upfront. I probably won't be visiting Side Street in the future as a result. It will be unfortunate if the decline in business Side Street experiences is attributed to Covid by management when in fact I feel it is the result of their menu decision. People want more transparency not less. read more

When I was 24, Side Street was the place I could go and guarantee myself a wonderful night of cheap beer, free food, and cute college girls. It was fine at the time, since I had just moved back here and my only other options were the few bars in downtown New Haven or, if it was summer, Milford. Now, I just feel old when I go there. Granted, I don't ever go of my own volition. It's always because I happen to know someone who is a few years younger than me who is going and I get dragged there. It's not that Side Street is a bad bar or anything, and my review of it is pretty much predicated on the fact that if you're young and live in the area, you're going to go there no matter what I say in this review (hey, I went there for a couple of years, so I can't really talk too much shit about it). Anyway, Tuesday nights all their drafts are $2, which is pretty cool. Mondays during football season they have drink specials and free food. On Sundays they have stand-up comedy, which makes it one of the few places in CT where you can actually see stand-up. On the weekends the bar is packed to the point where you can't move. If that's the kind of atmosphere you want, well, yippee for you. Side Street is just one of those bars that, once you hit a certain age, you stop going to. I feel like I'm at that age. But, I can't knock it too much, because it serves a particular purpose, and it does it well enough. read more

I'm not a particular fan of Side Street, but I do like it from time-to-time. It's definitely not a bad bar- it's just really crowded and when you're 4'9" and 100lbs that's just not fun. My roommate, a Quinnipiac Alum, absolutely loves it though... to the point that it's one of her regular spots. I do enjoy Side Street when live bands are playing though, which happens often during the school year. At those times the bar is still crowded, but then I have room to dance, and that makes me happy. The beer selection is mighty attractive too, and it's a nice place to go to eat relatively cheap food and try a couple new brews (get the paddle- 3 glasses of 1/3 pint of beer presented on, what else? A paddle). Kids would enjoy the food, but I'd bring them pretty early (they have crayons and such to accommodate them in a separate sitting area) because the college bar scene starts up there earlier than most places (around 8:30/9) Their free wings and $2 beers on Tuesdays are pretty damn good too. And don't forget the popcorn. It just gets so damn crowded! Oh, and outdoor heated seating is a plus in the wintertime. Everyone should go there at least once, I suppose. read more

Not to be a follower, but I also will only give this place three stars. The one and only time I have been here was to grab a couple drinks and relax with some friends. Well we were all charged a ten dollar cover because some crappy band was playing. Ugh, we reluctantly paid it because it was miller time and grabbed a place to sit at the bar. The bar tender was friendly and kept my glass full. The biggest downside was having to pay the cover, that could have been another two beers in my tummy but hey what can you do. Sorry to whoever was playing that night but wow you guys really sucked. I guess this place is just alright. If you live close by, it's nice to just go down the street and have a couple cold ones. P dot S dot: The best place to sit is definitely the bar and make friendly with the bar tender and he will keep your glass full all night. read more

Wings! Wings! Wings! If you go here for the wings, you will not be disappointed! The wings here are the best around! You basically have 2 flavors: regular (mild) and Screamin' Demon. Get the regular with a side of Screamin' Demon. Screamin' Demon is very spicy but it also has a great flavor. Wings come with blue cheese dressing and celery. Now that we have the important stuff out of the way... ;-) It's a college dive bar. This isn't a 5 star restaurant, but the wings are definitely 5 stars! The rest of the food is decent and the portion sizes are HUGE. Are familiar with the round trays that waitresses use to carry drinks to your table? That is basically your PLATE. You order french fries; you get enough to feed a small tribe. Same with onion rings. A chicken breast sandwich actually has TWO chicken breasts on it. You get the idea. The menu itself is quite entertaining and funny. Without giving away the entire menu, they have dishes such as the "Tonya Harding Club" and "Pee Wee Herman's Pulled Pork Sandwich". :-) They also have a beer sampling "paddle" that you can order. Simply select 4 types of beer (on tap) and you get a wooden paddle brought to your table that hold 4 smaller glasses with the 4 beers of your choice. And there is quite a selection. Oh, and there's free popcorn. And they have deep fried twinkies. Enough said! If Side Street is reading this, the only negative I have is the celery that comes with the wings. I have to send it back almost every single time because it is OLD, wilted or browning. But when I do ask for fresh celery, I do get it. People shouldn't have to ASK for FRESH celery; just make it a habit to always provide it. So if you're looking to have the best wings around, or if you're looking to stuff yourself silly, this is the place to go! Keep in mind it is a college bar so it does get busy when college is in session. read more

I was somewhere between 3 and 4 stars for Side Street because I had a great time this past Sunday when my school rented the place out and paid for lots of food the night of our graduation. Then I remembered that I was afterglowing from graduation and surrounded only by people I knew who were especially sociable and happy that night, and it's not nearly that fun during the year when school is in session. I think it's best to stick to 3 stars. There are a lot of things I like about Side Street. The wings are really, really good - and they're free at happy hour at 5 p.m. every weekday (usually just one tray until it runs out), and at 9 p.m. every Tuesday night, where along with refills on the trays of wings, there are some sweet drink specials. I find myself craving these wings on a regular basis - they're fried perfectly crispy, covered in a good amount of fine buffalo sauce, and brought out steaming hot. The popcorn that is there all the time is delicious, too, and I'm not ashamed to say that when there are wings out, I'll dip my popcorn in the blue cheese. The beer selection is fair, and the rest of the food I've tried has been pretty good too. The problem is that it's a small place and can get really crowded at night. Nearly impossible to get to the bar crowded. Long wait for the bathroom while three college girls are consoling a crying friend in a stall for 20 minutes crowded. It can also get really loud, and Side Street sometimes plays host to bands, which is an awful idea because the place is way too small for that. Parking is a pain on busy nights because after the tiny lot next to the place is full, your options are a shady, extremely pot hole-laden area across the street, parking along a side road, or finding parking at nearby businesses that have closed for the night. It's really a balancing test to decide whether or not to go to Side Street. If I have friends going and I want wings, it's worth dealing with the crowd. It's not as busy at happy hour or nights that aren't Tuesday or the weekend, or when school isn't in session, so those are better times to go. Overall, it's a good bar, but you have to be in the right mood for it. read more

Let me preface this one by saying this was a takeout order on Super Bowl Sunday. I've heard nothing but great things about this place and their wings. We ordered sixty wings and some other appetizers. We ordered it hours in advance, and they were happy to oblige. When we got there to pick it up, the staff was drunk (no exaggeration). I saw they wrote the wrong pick-up time on the box and they were cold. They overcharged us by $15, and they were too hammered to figure out the math when we asked. I can handle the drunk staff and overcharge if the food was good, but that wasn't the case. The wings were cold, dry, and not meaty. The other appetizers were small and ice cold. I hear it's a great place for cheap beer and a fun atmosphere, but I won't be giving it a second shot. read more

In the mood for fine dining - and a fine bottle of wine? Side Street is not your place. Look somewhere else. Looking for a big plate of nachos, cheese fries, or a decent sized sandwiches, ribs, burgers, salads, soups, etc - with a Quinnipiac following - then head to Side Street. Nothing elegant about it, so I can't review it in comparison to other fine dining experiences. Each table comes with popcorn and paper/crayons, which come in handy when you are going with two kids. A very creative menu as well - with the strangest named food items. Nothing gourmet about it, but - you'll walk away full with plenty of leftovers as the portions are big. read more

Im bumping up my rating for this place because they were gracious enough to put on the Real Madrid soccer game on a Saturday afternoon. SWEET. The wings are great as always....waitress was really nice as well. read more

This is a total dive bar. I had to look past annoying things like the bumper stickers like "Thank god for red states" and "Socialism works until you run out of other people's money". We were the first people there in the dining room on a Wednesday afternoon. The kitchen couldn't have been overbooked. I Ordered the Black Jack burger cooked "medium" with onion rings. The burger came well-done (no pink at all), and just didn't taste great (seriously, I've had a better burger at Burger King). Luckily the large portion of onion rings were very good. If the burger had tasted as good as the rings this would have been a little diamond in the (very) rough. Unfortunately the plate was overpriced for the quality. If it wasn't for the rings, this would have been a one star review (I'm a sucker for good rings). read more

5 stars for the wings! Yes, if you go here you should know this is a college bar. One I frequented a lot back in my college days at Quinnipiac. Back then, it was a great place to on a weekend night, or happy hour, or Tuesday night for free wings. Now with college a good 10 years behind me, I only get to come here rarely. We usually make it a point to stop whenever we take a trip to NY. They still have good beers on tap, and fantastic wings. Our timing usually puts up there on Sundays for lunch, so the place is usually fairly empty. We're not dealing w/ the young college kids and $10 covers that others are complaining about. Extra points for having free popcorn to snack on. read more

I used to love this place, but the last few times I went I felt like it had really gone down hill......The last time we were there, was a true disappointment. After waiting for more than an hour for our table, The wait staff was unfriendly, the wings came to the table cold, AND they were out of popcorn!!! Please Side Street go back to your old formula. We will be back, but not right away. read more

I had fun when I went with my girlfriend on a Tuesday night. We were told free wings on Tuesday but when we got there at 7pm the happy hour had just ended and didn't start back up till 9pm. That bummed us out a little bit but we still got some wings. They only have 3 flavors available and they weren't bad. I prefer the atmosphere of buffalo wild wings and the difference in the wings from both places isn't drastic enough for me to go back to side street again, just for the wings. The mixed drinks were $9 (a bit pricey) so this may be a one time deal for me, unless with a group. read more

Okay, so I get this place is a bar. What's with the menu and the weird names like "Snoop Doggie Dogs Off The Hizzle Fo Shizzle Hot Dog" or "The Sandwich Formerly Known as Prince" and the "Da Beer" and "Da Lites". Is that supposed to be cool or something? Is that supposed to make me want a beer more because you're talking like Homer Simpson? NO! For that alone, I do not like coming here, I hate actually reading the menu. If and when I can get past that, the bar food is decent pub grub.....WITH STUPID NAMES!!!! (Sorry, I just had too one more time!) The things that have normal names that I will order are decent. The onion rings are perfection! The salads are on the larger side. I also think it's funny how they have 25 wings and a bottle of Moet White Star on the menu for $49. Hooter's does the same but with Dom P for $129. I chuckle to myself everytime I see someone order this combo. WHY?!?!? I don't come here unless everyone wants NH Archie's but that's packed.... then it's onto Side Street.... same type of menu. Stupid names. read more

I love this place, more so now then when I went to Quinnipiac. (I think I appreciate things more now that I am older...but that's another story...) It is a complete college dive bar, but if you're craving tons of fattening food and/or a few beers, this is your spot. I prefer going here for lunch over going here for just drinks, as it a restaurant and a bar, but you could do either. Anyway, it's so unique and fun and I think the food is amazing (and they give you a ton of it). As everyone else has stated, yes, their wings are amazing. They also have a wide variety of beers, both by the bottle and on tap. I also loved their pizza bites, onion rings, BBQ pizza and everything else I've tried. It's so perfect for a hungover Saturday/Sunday or a late night snack. I think the staff is super friendly too. I am a fan! read more

I WISH SIDE STREET DELIVERED! I absolutely love the wings here, best place for wings in Hamden hands down, if they delivered I would get them way too often (which you can judge as a good or bad thing). I love that one side is a cool sit down area, and then the other side is a nice little bar. Very unique spot, has a sort of biker vibe to it, great place for lunch or to stop for a few drinks after work (which is what a good amount of the people there seem to be doing). Food prices are good for the amount of food they give you, my favorites are the buffalo wings, French onion soup, and really any of their burgers. FRIED PICKLES are my favorite, SO DELICIOUS. Only thing is it can get pretty crowded very quickly, as the space is pretty small, and the parking lot is a bit of a hassle, but the food is more than worth it! read more

A fun casual spot with a hilarious menu offering. We ordered the steak and cheese wrap and the pastrami sandwich. We were satisfied with both meals. Has a college feel to it as it gets a lot of its business from QU. Overall, we would recommend it as a fun casual spot. The popcorn maker and popcorn to start is a nice touch as well! read more

Worth the drive! A little bit of a hike from Farmington, but a good time. Met up with some friends for a local band that ended up playing later in the evening. Started with the Screaming Demons and honey BBQ wings well done. Was impressed with the flavor of each. It was a nice combo to switch between the sweet and hot wing. The screaming demon Sauce was not like a traditional buffalo. It was more brown and thin. For some reason the wings did not come out with the sauce poured over them, but was like added to the plate and wings on top. Made them to appear a little dry, but when that sauce did coat the wing....whoe!! Hot, and a good burn! The honey BBQ was really good and tasted just as it should, with the right mixture of flavor of both honey and BBQ. Lauren really liked the French onion soup. I ordered the cajan chicken sandwich on Portuguese roll. Roll was very fresh, chicken moist, but did lack a little flavor. It needs something to push it over the line to be amazing... The side salad that came with the chicken instead of fries was huge!!! Bigger then a salad u would get at most establishments when just ordering that. Fresh romaine, peppers and tomatoes. No complaints. It comes with fries or another side so I ordered a salad. Talk about amazing, was the size! It was as big as a large salad other places. Fresh roman, crappy tomorrow, but did have peppers. Place was clean and could be enjoyed by all in the family. Menu is huge and has everything u could want. Look forward to returning read more

See all

Their wings are top notch. Probably my favorite so far. Their owner is always humble and nice whenever me and the boys arrive. It's usually jammed packed for Monday trivia nights but still a good time! read more

Featuring a pretty unique menu, Side Street definitely qualified as your endearing "dive bar." I mean that respectfully, as the food is good and there's plenty of different beers to choose from. As I said, the menu is pretty unique in that each sandwich or burger is named after a celebrity or something else notable. I had the "Cindy Crawford Burger," which is basically a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger. When asked if I wanted fries or onion rings or half-and-half, I was pleasantly surprised to see the latter was an option. The burger is huge, and "half-and-half" looks pretty much like a full order of fries as well as a full order of onion rings. Hey, I'll take it. The flatbread pizzas are pretty good as well. On the weekends you can catch local coverbands which can be pretty entertaining. read more

Great little dive bar! I loved the Beer selection, specifically the beers on tap. There are a few things on the menu that I've never seen before, but none of them were enticing enough to try. Everyone in town says this is the place for wings. And the wings are pretty good. The hot ones are pretty savory. They are well spiced, deep fried, and then coated in hot sauce & margarine, style buffalo wings. Couples (or pigs like me) should take advantage of The Big Kahuna! appetizer sampler for $20.99. Fried Mozzarella, 2 potato skins (one bacon one broccoli) jalapeno poppers, onion rings, half a rack of bbq ribs, and 6 wings...It's the best deal I've seen in a while and it was delicious! read more