We opted for this place as we were looking for a quick drink and a bite to eat. The server was very nice but she was all by herself as the server/bartender so I can't really hate on her for the slow service/food. We specifically asked what the turnaround time was for food as we were in a pretty tight timeline and said that. She said it was going to be quick. The place was dead so we took her word for it. Should have been a blaring red flag in hindsight as it was a Friday night. There were dirty tables all around us so clearly she was stretched too thin or had poor time management. Your guess is as good as mine. Our food took over 45 minutes so we had to ask them to just pack it to go. The drinks were good but also took forever. I feel bad writing a poor review because the server was very sweet but the poor time management and then discovering that the food was mediocre at best to boot makes this a one star for me. Won't be back. read more

Very nice server. And serviceable atmosphere for a hotel. Food was OK-corned beef hash a little too greasy and eggs a little too overcooked. Was hoping for a little more at what's billed to be an inn... read more

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Lonely Sad and Dated Do not eat or drink here - the place is mostly awkwardly deserted. The few folks staying at the hotel wisely stuck to salads for food. Our 2nd round of tap beer was out. At a cost of $45 for 2 basic beers and a glass of wine which tasted like swill with no ambiance and a bartender who kept disappearing with less than 5 customers! We doubt that a Kitchen Nightmares and Bar Rescue re-do could help them -ultimately, maybe it wouldn't matter due to the neighborhood. We only made the mistake of spending 1 night here and avoided this place like the plague for the rest of our stay. read more

We didn't even get seated because of that bitchy bartender she had us waiting for seats for ever there were only 2 other people in there and she said she was busy and had a full bar read more

I struggled to find some positive things to say about this place. We visited the Tavern at the Armory for breakfast this past weekend and were disappointed. First of all, the place looks nothing like the pictures on the website, and come to think of it was not like a tavern at all--no bar was visible. But it was breakfast on a Sunday and apparently in a different part of the hotel (I'm guessing). We were greeted by a waitress who said it was gonna be a few minutes as she was the only one working there, and she appeared stressed out. There were plenty of open tables, most of them hadn't been cleaned though. There were maybe 4 other families dining at the time. As we looked around and waited, we noticed that every vacant table was full of plates of half-eaten dishes. We looked at each other and thought this wasn't a good sign. The stressed out, overworked waitress sat us. She was very friendly, but her overworked vibe was off-putting and made us feel like we weren't doing her any favors by dining there. She left empty water glasses on the table the whole time, never checked on us mid-meal, and didn't say thank you when she gave me the bill. We listened to her tell every patron that came in after us that she was the only one working that day. I ordered the Irish Breakfast, but was swiftly told they were out of it. So I ordered the traditional eggs benedict. It was ok, not great but not terrible. The potato home fries were not hot either. The coffee was decent and they give you a whole caraffe. We also ordered a waffle with fruit and whipped cream, no meat was emphasized at time of order. We got a waffle with fruit, bacon, and no whipped cream. The waffle was very dense, too. I feel like I am nit-picking now, but the knife I had was unclean and had crusted on food. I didn't complaint though, as I thought it would have set the waitress off the edge. I think Tavern at the Armory is lacking in management, and being locals we were only there for the restaurant. I don't fault the overworked waitress, although she could have still done some of the basic dining practices. I'm sure traveling patrons staying in the hotel would be let down as well. read more

Terrific little Breakfast nook here at the hotel. I was just going up have coffee, and walk to another breakfast spot as the reviews were poor. I stayed. The 2 young ladies working the tables are very good attentive and hard working. I had the shirt stack with bananas, very good. The turkey sausage patty very good. This is restaurant is low key, no frills but a nice breakfast spot. read more

Understaffed. I've been here a few times and both of those times, Darcey was the hostess, bartender and server. All things considered, she is an amazing employee, but the place could be so much better if she had some help. The first visit, we were not on a schedule so the wait was not a concern. This last visit was the night of the tree lighting on the green. We showed up at 4:00 to a couple seated for dinner and a half full bar. It took 30 minutes to get a 6 piece order of wings and probably 20 minutes later our meals arrived. I had the salmon with grilled veggies and mashed potatoes. My son and husband ordered the burger and my mother-in-law had the turkey club. Mine was the best meal, my son was fine with his, my husband said the bread was stale, my MIL said that it was difficult to eat but it was ok. There's so much potential in this place. A hostess that greeted and cleared the tables would speed things up and allow others to handle the bar and waiting on the tables. read more

Tavern At the Armory - Short Ribs were amazing! - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Uninspiring expensive breakfast. They are part of the hotel, which charged me a $20 "resort fee" (I never thought of Middletown as a resort destination.). I asked what the fee covered, and they advised it gave me free WIFi and a $10 restaurant tab. Then when I tried to use the $10 credit at breakfast they advised it could not be used at breakfast. read more

The buffalo chicken flatbread was excellent. But the burger, ordered rare, came out as medium/medium well. The onion rings were not hot, so my meal was a failure. Service was good and the locale is pleasant. read more

I would give it zero stars if it weren't for the staff. I have tried this place three times and each time it is worse than the last. During an extended stay I ordered breakfast, lunch and dinner. The waffle was dense and soft, I waited over an hour for a turkey club wrap with fries, they literally fed the entire restaurant before I got my order. It was rushed and the turkey was a slice of wet cold cuts! Nothing like what my husband had a few hours earlier, He had real turkey. Lastly, I wanted hot wings but they were out. I was told they could toss chicken tenders in buffalo sauce...what I received were oversized chicken nuggets and a bowl of hot sauce. This place is not it. read more

Darcey is a crazy good server. It's def a hotel restaurant/bar, not a destination restaurant, so I think the crowd is really hard to predict and can lead to understaffing. I would say that food is good but not great and that Darcey is great at recommendations. read more

Honestly super bummed out about my experience at this place. Was excited to try it and after a long day of golf me and my brother went to the bar where we sat for 20 minutes with not a single person offering to grab us a drink, water or food. The bartender was non existent. I did read another review stating theirs only one person that works the entire place. The owner should look into hiring some more people. But I won't be back. read more

We came looking for a fireside meal and got so much more! To start, the service was excellent! Our server who's name unfortunately slips my memory was knowledgeable, funny, and personable! He went above and beyond to make our experience a good one! Additionally, the menu is unique and radiates the authenticity of a true New England dining experience! Don't miss the fresh seafood options! Finally, the cozy ambiance of bookshelves and fireside Knick-knacks can't be beat-- this was our first visit but it certainly won't be our last! read more

Tavern At the Armory - Lovely fireside view inside - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

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My boyfriend and I were looking for a new place to eat this Saturday night, instead of resorting to our usual few places. We looked up the menu, and thought everything sounded decent, and we were excited to try the nachos. We walked in and took our seats at the bar, looking at the chalkboard listing of 7 beers on tap, while the bartender (who we found out was apparently the owner) was conversing with the two patrons next to us. I was looking up one of the beers on my phone to see what style it was, when the owner approached us, rudely asking if I was going to order a beer or continue playing games on my phone. Mind you, he hadn't yet greeted us or talked to us at all. I replied that I was actually looking up one of the beers on tap. He said "well, you should have asked me," yet he was busy talking to the folks next to us, and I didn't want to interrupt. After that, he turned his back to us to check on the few other patrons across from us, and my boyfriend and I decided we no longer wanted to order beer or food, and left to go next door to Mondo. Maybe he was having an off day or maybe he was tired, but that's no way to greet new customers, especially ones who would have kept coming back and giving them business. A simple "hello" or "welcome" would have made all the difference. We won't be back. read more

I stopped for a beer at the TAA an it has a really nice bar. The bartender and staff were really outgoing and very friendly. I felt really welcomed. The draft beer selection was great. I'll be back to try the food and beer next time. The Tavern is connected to the hotel so it makes it very convenient. read more

Tavern At the Armory - Hooker Blumpy beer - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Living in Middletown, we have a choice of many fine restaurants. Unfortunately, that means that I have never made time for this little restaurant inside the Inn at Middletown. Taste of Middlesex Country rolled around and we were planning to visit a different restaurant, but found they were closed on Mondays. We decided to try Tavern at the Armory and we were pleasantly surprised. I had previously looked at the menu and thought the prices were a little high. So going during Taste of Middlesex County week gave us the chance to try it out for a little less money. They were busy when we arrived, with a few larger parties waiting for tables, but we got right in as a party of two. I thought the dining room was lovely, dim lighting, fireplace going, perfect for a nice dinner on a cold winter's night. It was so inviting. Our waitress kept apologizing, as she said they were short staffed, but she did such a wonderful job. She was really nice and our dinner had a nice leisurely pace. Sometimes during restaurant weeks you get rushed through dinner, but not here. We had a bottle of wine and relaxed and enjoyed the meal. The food was wonderful as well. I started with the pumpkin and crab bisque and my husband had the pork shank drumettes. I'm a huge soup fan, but actually like his better. The sauce was just so good! A little spicy, a little sweet. For dinner, we both had the filet with mashed potatoes and vegetables. It was perfectly cooked, but did need a little bit of salt. The veggies were good, a good mix of quality vegetables that were cooked perfectly. We were so full by dessert, but ordered it anyway since it came with the Taste of Middlesex county menu. I got the apple tart with caramel sauce and cinnamon whipped cream. It was amazing! I love a good warm apple dessert, and this hit the spot. I only wish I was able to eat more, I was just too stuffed. My husband got cheesecake, which was fine, nothing special. Overall, we had such a nice experience at Tavern at the Armory. Now that we know the quality of the food, we will definitely be back. Their regular menu prices now seem a lot more reasonable. And I could definitely use a few more nights in front of that fireplace before the winter is over! read more

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My family and I were looking for a halfway point for meeting for Thanksgiving. I worked with Nicole who was so very nice and accommodating. We made reservations for 11 and she later changes it to 13 for us for the Thanksgiving Holiday. She took care of everything via phone and e-mail and made me feel very comfortable and taken care of. Our Thanksgiving meal was perfect. Lots of food and lots of leftovers. Shout out to the chef because the chowder was amazing full of clams! read more

Tavern At the Armory - Thanksgiving dinner and leftovers! - New American Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

We went in on a Tuesday night even though online said closed on Tuesdays. Certainly glad we gave it a chance. The potions were generous, the beef dish was tender and juicy, the special salad had many flavors, and the strawberry shortcake was like homemade, and easily enough for two. Service was delightful, both waittress and bartender, and the atmosphere is cozy and romantic. We will definitely go to this restaurant every time we are in Middletown. read more

We went for Easter brunch, everyone had a different dish and they were all very good. Ambiance was very nice, service was good. Menu was great, as were the specials. Definitely put this on your list. read more

Nice ambiance but service was a little upsetting. I am over 60 single woman who went in alone to eat before a movie. The barkeep/waitress began nice but ultimately unattentive even though it was not busy. I felt fairly invisible. Took a long time to even get a beer. In fact I had to pretty much interfere with her waiting on somebody else cuz she kept waiting on the person next to me and she didn't even ask me what kind of beer I wanted. Seemed very disinterested . Didn't offer me bar snacks but I saw people later having them. Asked for some extra ketchup that didn't happen. That sounds like a small thing but when someone looks you in the eye and says sure thing and you don't get it you have to wonder what's this all about. Again not at all busy or hassled. In fact it was pretty dead. I got called Called "dear" now that I'm older I truly hate to that, however she may say that to everybody I think this had more to do with catering to the locals. Then when I finally wrapped it up to go she assured me there was a lot of ketchup to go.For crying out loud I am not retarded or homeless. They sound like small things but cumulatively they make a difference. Especially if you're alone. I travel a great deal most often for business so I know what to to expect on the high and low side of service. Train your staff to treat everyone with respect and to.pay attention! The waitress not a bad person she seemed nice in general. This however could be much better that's all. By the way the food was really good. So that's a big plus read more

Tavern at the Armory was the perfect pre-wedding brunch spot. I am actually shocked at the quality of food, both for brunch and rehearsal dinner buffet. For brunch, we were seated very quickly and our server came over immediately with waters and menus. We debated for a few minutes but had our eye on the clock, so we ordered a variety of items including wraps, eggs Benedict, and stuffed French toast. All of our food came out quickly and piping hot despite the range of orders, and ohmygod the banana chocolate chip stuffed French toast was to die for! It also came with protein, which was a pleasant surprise given the prices were very reasonable. They were also very understanding about bringing in coffee - we had already ordered Starbucks before arriving and they did not mention us bringing our drinks in with us, which was greatly appreciated. read more

This may be my first 1 star review... This place is an abomination. Early on a Saturday evening I was with 2 other friends and we were doing a little bar/restaurant sampling in downtown Middletown. Our biggest mistake? Wasting our time and $18.06 at this place. Despite our fears of this place a judged by the Yelp photos, we walked in... and to our surprise we were quite pleased with the ambience around the bar. They had a decent beer selection, the other (albeit, white haired) folks were seemingly enjoying each others company and their meals/drinks. There was a TV with college basketball on. It couldn't be that bad right? We may have found a hidden gem! Alas, it all went steeply downhill from there... We ordered drinks, my friend ordered a Palm, he received a Magic Hat #9, in a Magic Hat #9 glass. We finished our drinks and were ready for another round. The bartender(s) were nowhere to be found! A carousel of different people appeared, poured drinks, and served other patrons intermittently.... There was no one to even ask if we could have our check and pay... 20 minutes after we finished our beers finally someone appeared who said "I'll get the bartender for you"... Five minutes later the "Bartender" arrived saying "Sorry for the wait." We promptly asked for the check, left no tip and ran as fast as we could from this classless establishment. In my years of attending bars, I have never sat at a bar with an empty beer glass for 30 minutes. Especially a quiet bar with only 8 other people sitting there. None of these amateur "Bartenders" even thought to remove the empty glasses and ask us if we'd like another round... It took us 15 minutes to pay! They obviously didn't want our money, and I promise they will never see a dime of my money again. read more

What a rip-off! From the prices, and the looks of the menu, you'd expect this to be a fancy restaurant. It's not; it's just expensive for expensive's sake. They have a $27 steak entrée described as "New York Sirloin". It sounds great on the menu, but if you ask the waiter, he'll confirm that it's a sirloin steak, not a New York strip steak. Sirloin is a cheap, chewy, mild-flavored steak, best served sliced super thin, or chopped into a burger; New York strip is a classic steakhouse steak -- tender, flavorful, and expensive. My wife ordered a different steak, still pricey at $24. Out came frickin' sirloin tips! Sirloin tips! $6.99 lb. at frackin' Whole Foods! She ordered it medium, and it came out on the raw side of rare -- not even close. Back it went to the kitchen, where they obviously microwaved it. up to well done. Ugh. We also ordered a Moroccan spiced chicken, described as dressed in lemon, olives, honey and spices (cinnamon, cardamom, etc.). Out came a half chicken absolutely blackened with a thick char, leaving all but the thigh inedibly dry. Oh, and I counted one entire olive. I ordered a shrimp and crabmeat provencale dish. Our came a shallow bowl of brothy* but undercooked basmati rice with 8 flaccid medium (I'm guessing 26-30) shrimp and a fair portion of "special" (small flake - the cheap stuff) crabmeat. (*the broth, of course, was bland,) On the bright side, they have a very decent selection of beer on tap, beyond the usual boring Bud-Sam-Bass selection. Service was friendly, if inattentive. Bottom line: I can't think of a reason to ever eat here again. Plenty of other dining choices within walking distance. read more

Nice bar staff, nice big bar to sit at. Good drink menu, the bartender made me a delicious berry bourbon cocktail. I've always had the salads and those are great. The rest of the menu has good options as well. Try the flatbread and ahi tuna tacos. read more

The clam chowder is literally to die for. Service sitting at the bar is always fast and friendly. I LOVE the bartenders. Went in with the hub a month or so ago for lunch and was disappointed with dining room service so I lost a star. The waitress never came to refill drinks. We waited over 15 minutes for her to even come to our table. However, I could see that they were short staffed that day but there was still not too many people in the restaurant. I'm calling it a fluke and moving on. There is never a wait when I have gone for a table or seat at the bar. Their happy hour is great. Their specials are awesome. I highly recommend! read more

I am a fan! In desperate need of a cheeseburger, we first tried to venture to Kay La Mays to discovered they're closed on Sunday. Where else can you get a good burger in Middletown on the south end of Main Street without having to trek up to Eli Cannons? Obviously I'm about to tell you: Tavern at the Armory! We walked in and there was a shower of some sorts happening in the party room next door, a few people in the bar, and one family in the dining room (granted this was 3pm on Sunday). We both ordered their regular cheese burger with fries and water. A few minutes later, the waitress brought out a small plate of hummus and bread. The hummus was bright orange which was very strange to me at first, but it was love at first dip. Seeing that we enjoyed the hummus so much, the waitress brought us more (SO nice but in the future we will wait for the ENORMOUS burger I'm about to tell you about). So our burgers come out. They are HUGE. We could have definitely split one! It was on a wonderful crusty roll with pickles, onions, tomatoes and lettuce. The beef was juicy, and the burger was cooked very well (I ordered it medium and it actually came out medium). The fries - OH the fries. They're served in a cute little dish with a cup of ketchup. Perfect for dipping the moment they are placed in front of you. They were hot, crispy, and a cross between a steak fry and regular hand cut. Not sure if they were frozen (that is a big thing for me) but honestly they were so good I didn't notice/care. Our bill came to $20ish bucks with just the burgers...not bad for what we got. We WILL be back! *Great selection of on-tap beer. *Have heard great things about their happy hour - haven't been yet. *The other family in the dining room got their food right before us and the father had ordered a lobster roll. IT. WAS. HUGE!! I really want to go back and try it because for a lobster roll that big at $14...?! With fries (that's how they'll get me back in the door!). *The waitress mentioned some kind of "Armory" card that would get you discounts. The front desk lady didn't know what I was talking about but she was new, so I'll go back and inquire again some other day. read more

I came here for brunch the day after a wedding (I was a +1). The rest of the wedding party had already arrived when my friend and I got there. Our party was pretty big, so we were separated into several tables of about 8 people or so. There is a breakfast buffet (including standard breakfast items like scrambled eggs, bacon, waffles, etc). I opted to order off the menu because I really wanted eggs Benedict. I ordered the traditional breakfast benedict (it was between the traditional or the lobster benedict, but my cheapness won out). All of the food that came out was generous in portion size. I could only eat half of it. It tasted pretty good as well. I also ordered a black coffee, which was well-brewed. Hmm, other than that, not much to comment on. The service was pretty decent, especially given the fact that we were such a huge party. Our waitress was very nice. If you're staying at the inn, I suggest you come here for some breakfast. read more

Ate here a couple of times for breakfast and once for dinner while staying at the Inn at Middletown. I would definitely recommend the place for breakfast as those two meals were excellent. My dinner, which consisted of pork tenderloin, was also good, but nothing special. Service was always very good and overall, no real complaints. The next time I find myself staying at the Inn, I will definitely be coming back here for breakfast. read more

Apparently things have changed for the most part in the last couple of years. If you go when KELLY is working, you will be pleased. Also if you go when DEE is working, you will be pleased. They have a burger and brew special during the off season (fall/winter) that is great. Sunday-Thursday. We LOVE it. Generally when Kelly is there we like to come by once a week! read more

Eaten here for breakfast and dinner. Food is to die for! However, both times understaffed. Service was slow. Cook was really slow. Happy to have a relaxed mode to chat with friends but it was just ridiculous. read more

Great food and professional and attentive staff!!! A Hidden gem that most people don't know about. Located right on main street at the Inn at Middletown next to Mondo's. read more

Tried to go Tavern for brunch a few weeks ago. Key word- TRIED. Despite having a reservation and being the only group in the entire restaurant, there was no waitress to be had. The host or manager that sat us warned us it would be a few minutes before the waitress would get to us (she was serving a bridal suite upstairs) but that she would be with us. As we sat there, 2 other tables were seated and told the same thing. We waited over 25mins and still had no service- no one so much as offered us drinks, not even a glass of water. Worst of all, we went to the hotel front desk and let the manager know and he didn't do anything or even seem to really care. When we finally gave up and left, he didn't even apologize. Seriously I don't even know how this place is in business. read more

We stopped in last night after a wedding. There were two bartenders who were less than pleased we were there. The service was awful. They weren't asking tab names and were putting things on whoever they wanted. After explaining to one of them what we had multiple times, she still didn't get it right on the 3rd try. I asked for a water at one point and she told me "I have other people to get to" then took someone else's order immediately that asked after me. Not only was she rude and unprofessional, she walked away after getting our tab wrong for the 3rd time. Would not recommend to anyone until they hire better staff read more

If you have 4 hours to take out of your day for a meal, then this is a great place to visit. Come here at least once a year and it has never taken less than an hour and a half to get the food. read more

Ok well to frank. If wanted to ingored I would have stayed home. I was single and bartender told me to sit and someone would be with me in few at 20 min mark no one no menu. No water. I watched others be seated. Wait staff attened to them. I approached bartener who was good at treating me like I was invisible. Finally said he will remind the waiter again. But at 30 min. I walked out. Stopping at front desk I expressed myself to person who said single people often get overlooked. I was insulted. They wont see me again. read more

They put a service charge of $18 on a $80 bill for 3 people. I've never had a forced tip on a party of 3 so didn't realize it so I tipped an additional $11 (the service/food didn't even warrant a tip that large). Waitress never even said anything and when I called to question if there was an error because the bill was $30 more than I could figure I was also told that $2.95 was charged for each cup of coffee out of the pot the left in the table! $30 in tips, $2.95 for each cup of coffee and they don't even pour it for you. First bad review I have ever written read more

I ate here a few times on my trip. While I like the menu I ordered salads both times and they were way over dressed. I also didn't expect the lobster salad to be a lobster and mayo concoction over greens. The clam chowder was excellent and they have great wines. read more

The restaurant is very cozy but very disappointed by the food. Waitress was very nice

After visiting their web site and being given the impression that is a very nice restaurant, my wife and I headed out to the Tavern at the Armory to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. The best things I can say about the Tavern at the Armory are; the waitress was pleasant and the food was good. But a warning to anyone considering the Tavern at the Armory as a restaurant for a pleasant evening meal - This is a bar with a dining room wrapped around it. The bar was so crowded that it spilled over into the dining area. People were standing completely around our table. The crowd was so loud that any attempt at conversation was reduced to shouting "WHAT?" Halfway through our meal, we decided to leave. This is a hotel bar trying at the same time to be a nice restaurant. In my opinion, it fails. Without exaggeration, McDonalds has a more pleasant atmosphere for a meal. read more

Probably my worst ever experience at a bar in my life. I was with a group for a special occasion at this bar for about two hours. The help was unbelievably bad. The bald guy working the bar was walking around all night with a scowl on his face like he was warming up for his next MMA fight or something. We all mentioned it to each other but were not going to let it ruin our night. Getting a beer was very difficult for a bar the size of my closet which was a little disturbing but the real kikcer came at the end of the night. When I got my bill I was shocked. The thing was completely outrageous. I was drinking on my own tab and bought a couple of drinks for a friend and a girl but my tab was so outrageous I could not believe it. If I drank all he said I had I would've been dead from alcohol poisoning. I questioned the brooding MMA fighter / bartender about the tab but he did not even have the decency to discuss it with me. I did not want to take it any further and ruin the special occasion I was having with my friends by getting into a debate with the bartender over the most outrageous tab I have ever gotten in my life so I paid. No tip, and left. I brought it up with the help at the front desk when I checked out the next morning but they were just ushering me out the door. Next step is to call the bar management or owner and then also speak to the hotel management. Letters, phone calls, everything. This is the single worst experience in a bar I have ever had and this bald buy with the sleeve tattoo was the worst bartender / service industry person I have ever met, and I worked in this industry as a kid so I get it. He has no business being associated with this bar or hotel. Do Not Go Here If You See The Bald, Tattooed, wannabe MMA Fighter behind the bar. Take your business somewhere else! I can not stress how awful this made my whole experience for the weekend. I think they are connected to the hotel too and if that is the case I hold them just as responsible. read more