The first time we ate here, the food was really great. I really appreciate an inspired menu and you can tell that the staff have a passion for what they are doing. We couldn't wait to come back. Several months later on our second visit, we arrived well before their posted closing time - 9pm. It was around 7:45pm, the lights were on, but the door was locked and the staff seemed to be cleaning up. One of them looked up, saw us standing at the door and then went back to doing whatever they were doing without bothering to engage with us. It was incredibly frustrating having driven almost an hour with the expectation of getting some delicious food, only to be ignored by staff at a time when they were supposed to be open. Many months later (giving them the benefit of the doubt that the early closure on our last visit was a fluke) we made the trip up again. We arrived to find the place was locked up and dark - again during a time when they were supposed to be open. Today I was with some friends and we stopped to have lunch at Smokin' With Chris next door. During our meal, I mentioned my past experiences with The Lab, but also said how good the food was. So, we walked over to look at the menu and possibly pick up dinner for later that evening. It was around 1:30pm, the lights were off and the door was locked. I double-checked their website, and they were supposed to be open at 11:30am. While I was on my phone, an employee came up, unlocked the door, turned on the lights and began his shift - two full hours after they were supposed to be open! WTF?! Apparently, the owners of The Lab seem to believe that their food is so epic that they can just operate their business whenever they like regardless of their posted hours. This total lack of consideration for their customers is beyond insulting. It's really too bad because the food is good, but not good enough to offset the unprofessional manner the owners are running (or in this case, not running) this place. There are way too many other great dining options available nearby that actually adhere to their posted hours to put up with this nonsense. read more

We got the Grinder Shaved steak tossed in A-1 steak sauce. It also comes with caramelized onions and cheese with a Smokey garlic Gorgonzola drizzle all of it baked on a ciabatta bread. Also got a plain cheese quesadilla, Mac and cheese and a burger. The grinder was amazing. So flavorful, fresh and bold. The white cheddar Mac and cheese was pretty good. I do wish my fries were a bit crunchier and not as soft but overall everything we ordered was great. The chipotle aioli on my burger was a nice added bonus of flavor. Messy, dripping with flavor just like I like the food haha. The atmosphere is fun and cute, cool inside with art for sale. And outside you can sit and check out other stores around. read more

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The chef made me a wonderful, tasty, fresh quesadilla on Friday. The crunch of his quesadilla was so good compared to just a warmed-up one in a microwave I've had elsewhere. The two cheeses plus a fresh tomato and lime were all that this large lunchtime meal needed to satisfy me. He is the lone staff, so be prepared to wait while you sit outside the restaurant in the open space with tables provided. He serves the meal himself. The vibe is a bit noisy at times as people walk through the dining area on their way to other venues in this old converted factory space. I thought it was a great idea to recycle old factory buildings along the Rails to Trails walkway in Southington. If you want an unconventional meal and like wandering around, popping into stores like the chocolate store or brewery, try it out. read more

We ordered some burgers while we were next door at witch doctor brewing. Some of the best burgers I have had. They were cooked perfectly. The crew that delivers the food to you is also very nice. Great option to have for those of us too lazy to put our beer down and then to walk a couple hundred feet to get dinner. So many great options on the menu. They are a little pricey on some items but the food is definitely worth it. It's fresh and well made. The convenience of having them there makes it worth it. read more

The Lab at Factory Square - Burger and tortilla strips - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

This little takeout restaurant is located in the Factory Square. Based on the name, they are an experimental kitchen. There were tables out in the hall to eat at. They had a menu taped up on the window; it didn't match what they had on their website the day we went. I think they have a ever-changing menu. I really wanted to try out their Nashville hot chicken and fries but they ran out. I opted for the kimchi pork nachos and those were good. They had a wide variety to choose from that day; from hot dogs, cheese steak grinders, burgers, I wanted to try them all, they all sounded good. The service was good, they brought our food to the table for us. They also collaborate with Witch Doctor Brewery across the hall; you can order food and they will bring it to the tap room for you. I look forward to going back. read more

The Lab at Factory Square - Pork kimchi nachos - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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Can't say anything positive. Service was slow, our food was obviously sitting a while before delivery, which was steps from the door! Fries were cold, shrimp were over-battered, greasy and tasteless. There was no hot in the Nashville hot! The hubby's steak Sammie was underwhelming and mostly bread, didn't do a steak and cheese justice! The Lab was less than Fab! read more

Good food. Incredibly slow service. Especially for a quick lunch after a walk on the trail

I got the A-1 steak sandwich, the sandwich was good and the chip strips they give you were tasty as well. The only comment that I really have is that it was a little too expensive for what you get. read more

We were at game craft for trivia night and ordered a few snacks. So awesome they they will run it over. We had a spicy chicken sandwich, hush puppies and blueberry cheesecake wontons. The chicken sandwich was amazing, a little messy but amazing. Chicken still moist, perfect amount of heat. The hush puppies were ok, they were dry and needed a dipping sauce which there wasn't one so we didn't eat them til we got home so I could whip up something. The cheesecake wontons- love the idea but they were very bland. Tasted like cream cheese served with a blueberry glaze. If it's a dessert should be a little sweater, it just needed a little acid/salt something. read more

The Lab re super great about allergens making sure lunch was safe for us. The Burger and salad were excellent. read more

The Lab at Factory Square - Great Salad - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

Awesome menu, awesome food. I ordered the ribs and Nashville hot shrimp box. The ribs were some of the best I've ever had. Fall off the bone meat and the sauce was great. The Nashville hot shrimp were huge and just the right spice. Looking forward to trying more of the menu. Definitely try this place if you're in Southington. read more

I've been here a few times for takeout, but decided to eat in. The good as always was super fresh and interesting in all the best ways. The truffle fries were to die for. We weren't expecting table service in the common area but they were on it. The plating was beautiful and so is the factory building it's self. I even came back a few hours later during dinner to look for my lost wallet and the server came out and went through the chair cushions, above and beyond. I've always recommended this place for my food but after this experience I will recommend this place to lose their belongings! read more

My first time here at dinner with a friend. I wasn't aware that it was "take-out" and not full service dining , but there are tables and chairs inside the corridor of the factory space. ( not necessarily a quiet place to enjoy dinner). I got this burrito which was really delicious! My only issue was that I found French fries inside of it? They really were quite soggy and took away from the burrito.... I don't know if they jumped inside by accident? read more

The Lab at Factory Square - Smothered Baja Pork Burrito - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

Food stand inside of a restored factory in Southington, along with a few others including Perkatory coffee, a candy store, and Hardcore Sweets. None of these places have seats, but there are both tables and couches in the common area between them. The place has a very small, but unique, menu that changes on a frequent basis, that is comprised of ~5 apps and main courses along with 1-2 deserts. When I came with my GF I got their BBQ chicken Mac & Cheese and it was pretty tasty. The people were very friendly as well, and since they didn't have any water glasses they poured some water for me into a disposable Tupperware bowl read more

The Lab at Factory Square - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

very few vegetarian options.... the dish we ordered did not have bacon in the description but i think they put bacon in it. You can't do that!!!! Please don't do that!!!!!! My husband has been sick for 2 days because we didn't realize what was in it until it was too late!!!!!!!! i extremely disappointed and will most likely avoid ordering from here in the future. read more

Randomly took a chance on breakfast at the lab one day while we were grabbing coffee next door and we were not disappointed! My husband said the man working the counter was also preparing our food so a big round of applause to him for handling it all! The food had fantastic flavors all around! The hush puppies had a nice sweetness with the butter and our breakfast wrap had a mellow kick with the roasted jalapeños! Will definitely be going to back to try something new! read more

The Lab at Factory Square - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

An experimental food shop, playing metal and delivering tasty bites for breakfast and lunch. This place makes my hipster heart light, and their execution is stellar. I love my weird locations, and on a whim Carli and I decided to go to this random place to get a bite to eat. It's in the middle of this converted factory, with long hallways leading to small shops. The Lab @kraftwich being one of them, which is nestled into one of these small little nooks. When I go in, there's a blast of metal and a small screen showing the breakfast menu. They don't have many options in this location, but that's the idea. The menu is on a rotation and changes frequently, giving the chefs the ability to create freely and keep the menu fresh. Today, the options were for the creole hush puppies and the NY Cheesecake Wontons. The wontons were creamy, sweet, and with a little bit of a ghram cracker crumb in the middle the cherry sauce that's drizzled on each gives it all the sensation of having a piece of cheesecake in a fried shell. A very tasty little dish. The creole hush puppies have a bit of spice and flavor as well. the caramel apple butter gives a sweet, rich taste to the salty, spicy hush puppy. A little heavy, but a solid bite as well. Despite the fact that everything is always on rotation, the food offered here is executed well and the flavors work. The location is neat, the food is great, and the variance is fun. It's a great little mecca for foodies to give a try to some tasty noms. read more

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I recently had some catering from the Lab for my husbands 40th birthday party at the Den at Hush (upstairs). I ordered food for 30 people and chose the premium charcuterie, crispy bourbon glazed pork belly, and the crispy Swedish meatballs. The Lab exceeded my expectations. In fact, it was the best catering experience I've ever had. The premium charcuterie was unreal! So many unique cheeses, tons of meats, a variety of crackers, olives, veggies and dip, the list goes on and on. They brought everything to us, set it up, even gave take out containers at the end of the party. I would highly recommend them! read more

Staff was super friendly and the vibe inside was cool. Food selection had some staple items but also some unique items to choose from. Overall great experience and would come again! Parking lot is a little further down past the brewery and love the communal style seating with the other eateries read more

Ok, so good I can't tell you, great food, and fun friendly service. I'm definitely going back. read more

The Lab at Factory Square - Duck tacos - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

The Lab at Kraftwich is an experimental comfort food kitchen that opened in Southington, Connecticut in June 2022. It was founded by chefs James Brown and Larry Tapley. Brown had initially founded the Kraftwich Food Truck in February 2021. After buying out his partner, his wife came on board along with Larry Tapley. Brown and Tapley eventually built up such a strong following with their inventive menu items and unique offerings. The next logical step was to open a brick and mortar version of the food truck. Southington's historic Factory Square was chosen as the location of the new venture. Menu items include hush puppies, mashed potato dumplings, cider braised baby back ribs, rice bowls, salads, and crafty sandwiches. Menu items are also often craft beer-inspired. I stopped at The Lab at Kraftwich for the first time this past July. Several businesses located at Factory Square were offering special menu items to celebrate Harry Potter's birthday. Factory Square is located conveniently alongside the popular Farmington Canal Trail, so I cycled there. The Lab's Harry Potter offering that day was "Golden Snitch Hush Puppies" (golden fried hush puppies served with candied walnut and rum honey butter"). These hush puppies were excellent! The team did a great job at making a delicious sweet version of a savory treat. I'll definitely be back to try more of their crafty treats on a future visit to Factory Square! read more

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It took almost an hour for the food after being told 20-30 minutes. I was waiting in the hall for my food when a swath of promiscuously dressed women went in and got food. I went back into the restaurant to figure out if my food was ready and was told that my order "must have gotten mixed up" with someone else's. I was with my boyfriend and can't help but wonder how much faster I'd have received my order if he wasn't there. read more

Very happy with my online order for The Lab. I have been wanting to order for a while and so happy I decided to order today. I order the Honey Chicken Sandwich with tots. The chicken was cooked perfect. Definitely juicy. The flavor combo of the honey infused cheese with cherry and poblano compote a top the chicken was delicious. Each bite my mouth did a happy dance. The Tater tots were also perfect cooked. Crispy but not over cooked. The tot have a sweet and savory seasoning. I would have preferred a non sweet Tater tot with my sweet sandwich but that is just personal preference because they were still delicious. I ordered online and I received a text message when it was ready. Right outside the store is a great casual indoor seating area with cozy couches or table/chairs. Nice place to enjoy your tasty meal! Will be back again for sure. read more

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Nice addition to the area. Innovative and changing menu weekly. Love that they have Avery sodas. read more

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Oh my goodness. I've been eagerly awaiting this opening, and I'm even more excited for this place now that I tasted the food. I can't find good hush puppies, ever. Perfectly moist, just enough crunch on the outside. Honestly, everything was perfect. I'll be back. read more

The Lab at Factory Square - Roasted corn salad, hush puppies, caprese sandwich - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

What a glorious find! First: the food is delicious, like "Ugh, I might have to move to this town" delicious. I had the corned beef Reuben sandwich, and it was unusually tasty, made with tender, thick slices of corned beef (the sign of a really good place, since c.b. takes a long time to make for it to be tender when sliced thick) and home made sauerkraut. Super flavorful. I ordered it with a side salad, and even *that* was unusually good, with an excellent, tangy dressing and crispy bacon lardons giving it a surprising depth of flavor. I'd read in another review that the hush puppies were great, so I got an order of them too; they were excellent as well. Also due to another review I got a bottle of locally made Avery's soda -- sarsaparilla -- and yeah, delicious too. Ok, so great food. The second thing: the space was soooo cool! The place is a storefront inside a converted brick factory building with other cool and interesting businesses, like a craft candy store, an arcade/bar, a brewery, and an axe throwing place! The music playing in the space was eclectic and great, and they allowed dogs in the place so my hound could hang with me and clean up any accidental food drops. This is definitely a destination spot. Go. read more

The Lab at Factory Square - Reuben sandwich with side salad, hush puppies with maple butter, Avery's sarsaparilla - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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We have eaten here on several occasions. The food is always delicious and hot! The hush puppies are amazing! The service is always top notch, everyone is friendly and welcoming. It is located in a factory with a bunch of other cool things to do, so if you are looking for a fun night out start here then explore the rest of the place! read more

The Lab is in an old factory sharing space with other places for dessert, drink and entertainment. But the food at the Lab is the draw for me. Different menu every week. Locally sourced fresh ingredients and prepared exquisitely. I would come the this old factory just for the food at the Lab. VmOr for food before or after Axe Throwing or an Escape! Because the food is that good. read more

The Lab - Kraftwich is such a unique place. It is located in an old factory building in Southington among a few other businesses- a coffee shop, bakery, a brewery, etc. It has a unique atmosphere. The menu features several appetizers/light bites, signature sandwiches, and soups. We chose to share the butternut squash soup and the fall veggie wrap. The soup had nice flavors, buttery, creamy, sage, topped with a large garlic bread crouton. Our wrap had fall vegetables such as squash, parsnip, spinach. It also had a sauce that was delicious. Great flavors of fall and the food is served hot and fresh. Made to order. The owner was very pleasant and accommodating. Since their menu changes often, we would return to sample more of their dishes. read more

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Witch doctor brewery is in collaboration with The Lab for food. Scan the code, and order on your phone. The service staff at the lab will bring it to you after diligently seeking you out. Poor thing had to go to all tables to find us and all other guests who ordered. It was 3:30om and most of the menu was sold out. Wanted nachos, no nachos, went for the mozzarella sticks, nope, gone. We opted for the prime rib sliders. They were very good. Quite tasty with a hot flare- Serrano peppers. No napkins, just one flimsy one in our package of plastic ware. Don't get me wrong. The sandwich was great. I devoured it before taking a picture, just they only had like 4 things to order from and it was only 3pm. Egats!!! read more

The Lab at Factory Square - What is left of the prime rib slider - New American Near Me - Southington, Connecticut

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Awesome food! We were at Witchdoctor Brewing and you're able to order online right from your table or walk across the hall. They'll bring it right to you! We got the Hush Puppies and The Lab Steak Sandwich - both so good. Obsessed with the hush puppies! The steak sandwich was packed to the brim and really flavorful. They change up the menu so I can't wait to see what else they experiment with! read more

I held a birthday party at Witchdoctor Brewing and had The Lab do the catering for the party. They knocked it out of the park with this one from beginning to end. From Kelly getting in contact with me for the menu selection and Larry, JB and staff in the kitchen crushing all the food. All the guests were very happy with the food. All the food was great, wasn't sure what to expect because we had never tried anything from The Lab. The chicken parm sliders were amazing! They even went out of their way to go to the store and grab us plates for cake which wasn't part of the order. I can't say enough for the job they did with everything. Thank you to the entire staff at the Lab for an excellent experience. Looking forward to enjoying more of your creations! List of food included... Maple Bacon Mac and Cheese Bbq wings/Kentucky dry rub wings Soft Pretzel Bites Creole Hush Puppies Swedish Meatballs Sausage and Peppers Chicken Parmesan Sliders read more

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Love The Lab whenever I visit Southington! I've had a few of their items and everything has been tasty. The Jersey parm was one of my favorites and as good as any Italian deli you'd find something like this in. The chicken Mac n cheese wrap was also one of their best items. Be aware, the menu changes every week so you'll have plenty of chances to find something new to enjoy! read more

Food was experimental, for sure. Food wasn't bad, just very expensive for something that I wouldn't order again. We got three different items, all were odd. Service was friendly. The restaurant was just one room with the kitchen right behind the counter, so you eat outside in the hallway. They had local art on the walls for sale, which was interesting. read more

This place really hit the spot today. I was interested in the caprese chicken sliders, but really wish I could have it in a wrap. They accommodated me no problem and even added extra veggies because my wrap would be "too skinny". It was stuffed with chicken, tomato, mozzarella arugula, and added bacon delicious and paired well with a Perkatory Latte read more

Highly highly recommend. I came here because I was interested in seeing what Kraftwhich was all about outside of there truck. I have to say I loved it. I went here with my partner and we ordered enough for us to try and it was so good we went back right after we finished and got some more. Also get the tatter tot upgrade it's worth it. If you come here you won't be disappointed by any means. read more

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Most creative and savory food in Southington! Originality - perfect for any foodie ( ´ ` ).｡ｏ ( ´ ` ).｡ｏ ( ´ ` ).｡ｏ ( ´ ` ).｡ｏ

LOVED this place! The Lab is the newest "Test" Kitchen located in the Factory Square in downtown Southington. Got the short rib tacos and pork belly egg rolls. Both dishes were amazing. The pork belly egg rolls were especially divine with hints of prickled pear. Short rib tacos were great, just wish I had salsa to go over them. But really, they didn't need salsa. Take out only but nice common area outside the restaurant to enjoy your meal. Great food, great guys. Highly recommend! read more

Ordered the blood orange crêpes! They actually looked like pasteles and not a crêpe at all! They were slimy and undercooked! Will not be back! read more

Awesome food, menu changes every week and it's all delicious. Definitely check them out in Factory Square!!