The Dutch Tavern is one hell of a watering hole. I'm far from a regular but I try to make it there…read morewhen I'm in New London. It always seems like there's a lot of people there but it never seems crowded. Plus you can't go wrong with the $1.50 Schaefer cans! My only regret is that I haven't made it there to try the lunch yet!

Did not get the bar tenders name or the chef. But it was great! Great chopped cheese and such a…read morefun dive bar. My husband & I loved it. We will be back!

We read the reviews and decided to stop for an early dinner on a Saturday. We just got back from a…read more2 hours cruise and we were hungry. I loved that we got seated right away. Water view, not bad. Birria Tacos? Very tasty, 3, big . Calamari: fresh and not overcooked with a generous garlic sauce. Something different. Hubby devoured the burger. Pineapple mocktail and local beer on draft, nice and cold. The only issue I had was with the trains arriving and stopping at the next door station. A little bit too loud for me. Everything else? Not bad at all.

Really promising in terms of decor, but a big let down for the food…read more The $8 charge in chicken was ridiculously high, moving a platter of nachos from $15 to $23, for chicken that is not particularly flavorful nor plentiful. We got a platter of nachos and the only exciting thing was the sheer size of it: one platter served five people, with some more to spare. The nachos were dry, flavorless, and was almost like dipping chips into a generic grocery store queso. All the vegetables were raw, so it didn't add much to the dish. I'd recommend really seasoning at least one element of the tray, like the vegetables, and it would have been decent. The Nashville fried chicken sandwich was spicy without flavor. Another massive portion size with plenty of fries, but nothing I would order again. Sweet Thai chili sauce that came with the Brussels sprouts had the texture of wet corn starch that had been mixed in with a bottled chili sauce--gloopy and oddly too sweet.

Great home cooking. The staff is always friendly and accommodating. Ambiance is awesome. Great…read morelittle place to hang out

Half Keg Tavern is a historic neighborhood tavern that opened in New London, Connecticut in 1946…read more The tavern is housed inside a converted Quonset hut, which was likely picked up cheaply at the conclusion of World War II. The Half Keg stands out from other Connecticut drinking establishments in that it is technically a tavern as opposed to a bar. What's the difference? Bars can serve just about anything (including hard liquor), whereas taverns (once known as "public houses" back when residents were still British subjects) are places that can serve only beer, wine, cider, and food if they choose. At the time the Half Keg opened, there were maybe 700 taverns in Connecticut. Today, less than 10 Connecticut drinking establishments operate under a tavern license. A number of different owners have come and gone at the Half Keg, including longtime owners Ron & Maryann DiNoto. Since October 2016, the Half Keg has been owned and operated by Teresa Stomberg and her son David Donatello. The tavern serves a variety of domestic and foreign beer as well as a food menu of fresh handcrafted burgers, grinders, and a variety of bar bites. I recently visited the Half Keg for lunch while I was in the New London area. I arrived not long after they opened for the day. I pulled up a seat at the bar and began to peruse the menu. I first ordered a plate of "Fried Pickles", which were on the specials menu that day. Served with a dipping sauce, they were hot, crispy and very flavorful. I washed them down with a draught pour of Samuel Adams' "Summer Ale". Afterwards, I ordered a "Garlic & Onion Burger" (garlic & onion seasoned burger on a a garlic-buttered roll, slice of raw onion, lettuce, tomato) with a side of "Hand Cut Seasoned Fries". Don't expect anything particularly fancy here. It's just good, old-fashioned home cooking. No frills, no fuss; just fresh ingredients and good flavor! I washed my burger and fries down with a draught pour of Two Roads Brewing's "Two Juicy" (Double New England IPA). That lunch really hit the spot. I'd be interested in trying out one of their grinders on a return trip. If you're in the mood for a good sports game paired with a cold beer, good food, and the company of friendly locals, then head to the Half Keg!

Amazing place, the service is good and the owner is awesome. I would highly recommendread more

After a Second Chance, I'm Officially Bowing Out This was my…read moresecond attempt at giving The Social Bar a fair shot, and unfortunately, absolutely nothing has changed. You would think a spot would be packed for Sunday brunch, but we walked in to a completely dead restaurant--just two couples sitting at the bar. We got seated, but it quickly became clear that the bartender (who I assume was also the manager) was the only person working the entire front of the house. The Service & Wait To say the service was slow is an understatement. It took so long just to put in an order that we were highly tempted to walk out. The only reason we stayed was because we had an hour to kill. While the bartender was genuinely friendly--and even nicely gave me the last of the batch he had mixed--the good attitude simply couldn't make up for the agonizingly long wait. The Drinks & Food The Mimosa: It was a premixed blend that was about 90% orange juice and 10% champagne. The Fries: The lone bright spot of the meal. They were nicely seasoned and easily the best part of the experience. The Side Caesar Salad: I really wanted to love the Caesar dressing because it actually tasted homemade. Sadly, it was so incredibly overloaded with salt that I'm genuinely shocked I'm not blind. After two strikes and two back-to-back fails, I'll sadly have to bow out from giving this place a third chance. There are too many other spots to choose from to waste time on slow service and unexecuted food.

Gatehouse Tavern [GT]. (2 stars)…read more "Stuffed clams (or stuffies) are popular in New England and consist of a breadcrumb and minced clam mixture that is baked on the half shell of a quahog hard shell clam.[1][2][3][4] Other ingredients typically found in the basic breadcrumb mixture are: meat such as sausage, bacon or chouriço (Portuguese sausage), chili pepper, lemon juice, bell peppers, celery, onion, garlic, spices and herbs. There are many different recipes for stuffed clams; many restaurants in New England have their own variety, as do many home cooks." - Wikipedia "Stuffies - $2.50" The sign caught my eye. I asked myself, "Self, what the heck are stuffies?!" I walked up to the cashier and asked her. She said it's a stuffed clam. Ahhh... In all the years I have been up to New England I never heard of "stuffies" before. Perhaps it could be in part to the fact that I usually frequent seafood restaurants vice watering holes when I am here... As I perused the menu I also saw a pastrami sandwich so I decided to eat here. I ordered the following: -Stuffies -Pastrami Sandwich Stuffies. (1.5 stars). Somehow I imagined this stuffed clam to have some texture & seasoning but not an overkill of salt & onions??!! The stuffing was extremely mushy & unpleasant to eat. I took one bite & didn't finish the rest of it. There were a few minuscule pieces of clam meat chopped up in the stuffing mixture but it was tough to even discern any real clam flavor. I'm sure the locals probably go crazy over GT's stuffies but I just am not a fan... Pastrami (Reuben) Sandwich. (2.5 stars). GT's pastrami sandwich is different from most places I have eaten at because they cook their pastrami slices on a flat top grill. The pastrami had a nice seasoning but some of the sides were a little too burnt for my liking. Instead of the usual 1000 island (yuck) I requested spicy brown mustard & while it was a bit messy to eat, definitely hit the spot on a cold day. The sauerkraut was nice & crunchy which I appreciated. The "rye" bread was quite soft & fell apart before I could take a bite into the sandwich. The rye bread tasted like sourdough bread... --- All in all, GT is a quaint little water hole that is located right across the street from EB (Electric Boat). In its heyday, GT & Elfie's used to be THE places to go for EB employees during lunch. Most of the other establishments in this area (including Elfie's) is now closed due to the fact that EB now has a "cafeteria" on their premise. The owner/bartender is extremely friendly & social which made me feel at ease. Parking is wherever u find it. Street parking is about 1 block away in the residential area. But the good thing is, if u find a stall, it's free!

Family owned forever. This place is a throwback. Like time standing still. Old timey and dumpy. Try…read moreit you will like it.

In town visiting Of course I looked on yelp for a local…read moreplace to relax. I liked what I read so I decided to stop in. It's not easy being a woman and being by yourself but Erin the bartender made me feel welcome right away. My battery almost died and she went above and beyond by lending me her personal charger. I was grateful due to the fact that my phone was dying. She handled the bar with ease. Most people seemed to know each other and were very pleasant. I saw a couple pool tables to the side. Keno was playing but I'm not sure what else they offered. TV's were on playing sports and the enthusiast were really enjoying the game. I had already eaten so I can't tell you about the food but from what I saw it looked delicious If I'm ever in the area again I will definitely stop in and hopefully it's Erin's shift.

Great Dive Bar - Delicious Food…read more Ryans is old dive bar pub with dated decor (which is a good thing) and plenty of food and drink deals. The food at this pub is spot on. I love their kickin chickin. its a great value and you can choose the sauce and trust me, i've tried all of them and they are all fantastic. also, the lobster roles and fried seafood are of the quality you would see at a seafood restaurant but without the high cost. Definitely check this place out if you are in Groton area. Thanks

Classic and great New England Brewery. They are focused on what's in the can!…read more Industrial location. Cool and welcoming bartender. I had a SUBDuction and some pale ale named after a Navy ship. The Subduction was outstanding and can stand w/ the top tier of NEIPA. They have other alcoholic drinks for non-beer drinkers. I've been reliably informed they were good. No food and nothing delicious close. My guess is they bring in food trucks on busy nights. Will recommend and come back when in the area.

4 - I'd drive 30 minutes out of my way just to come here. Skip to the end to see my rating scale…read more The big three things I look for most in a brewery are dog friendly area, decent food availability, and of course, quality beers. We didn't explore the food options around the area as we were just passing through, but it's in an area with multiple takeout options so you can always bring your own stuff in. I absolutely loved the atmosphere. It's a blue collar brewery - the customers and staff are clearly my kind of people. A couple of shipyard welders stopped by our picnic table outside to visit our dog and chat a minute. So the vibes are great - a place that I'd no doubt be a regular at if I didn't live 9 hours away. Solid beer selection and my flight didn't disappoint. I could have easily spent an entire evening there sipping on any one of them. It's located in a strip mall, so it's not in something like a gorgeous woodland or seaside setting, which is the only real reason I stop short of a five-star rating. But for sure, I'd happily drive a half hour out of my way to have a couple of beers here again. My rating scale: 1 - Just don't 2 - You'll survive, but there are better choices close by 3 - Good choice if you're in the area 4 - I'd drive 30 minutes out of my way just to come here 5 - I'd try to convince my wife to drive an hour just to come here

Great local brewpub. Beautiful murals on wall from local artist, excellent selection of beers and a…read morefriendly staff.

The Niantic Public House is tucked away behind the Black Sheep restaurant off the main road in…read moreNiantic. The interior is very spacious, with plenty of high top tables. It's a bit loud and when we were there there were young children running around inside. There is a limited amount of non-Beer drink selections if you do not like beer. Obviously this place is for beer drinkers, but I was hoping for a few more non-beer options so that my beer loving husband could enjoy the beer. The bartender was very kind and understanding and offered me samples of the 1 hard seltzer and a blueberry cider that were available on tap (they also had sangria). I did have the cider that was decent, I'm not usually a cider fan but this one didn't have that tang most hard ciders have that I don't care for. My husband said the IPA beer that he had was very good. They have an outdoor seating area as well.

Not sure why this place has such low ratings. My friend and I stopped in for lunch today and the…read morefood, drinks and service were excellent! Couldn't have chosen a better restaurant. We just came from a hike so we're famished and a bit dehydrated. The server was so sweet and took our order for drinks immediately. I had a blackberry lime martini and it was perfect. Honestly I only needed one. It was delicious and strong. My friend had a sweeter drink. Can't remember what it was but I tasted it and it was great too. We ordered off the specials menu. Three brisket tacos with a yummy slaw and sriracha sauce. I ate every one, with truffle fries and a clam chowder which was excellent. The view is of a cute downtown Main st with a harbor close by. The weather in early September was perfect for an outdoor seat. I would definitely return. Thanks Black Sheep!

The Black Sheep is an Irish pub in Niantic serving things like Shepherds Pie and Bangers and Mash…read more It's one of the few restaurants in Niantic, so if you've visited more than once, you've probably been to the Black Sheep. I prefer visiting during the warmer months, because it gives you the option of eating outside. I find the interior to be too dark and the tables are often found sticky. The food is decent and the portion sizes are good. The sides are basic. Definitely pick the sweet potato fries if you have any doubts. My son insists that the regular fries need more salt to even taste ok. The service has always been a little slow but when the food comes out, they always have plenty of help getting it to the table. Because it's a fixture to a town I love, I'm sure I'll be back.

Still the best Italian food in the area with a nice atmosphere (especially in the very small bar…read morearea) and a really nice variety of happy hour selections. With new places popping up, I still think the quality of food and service, far outweighs other places around it...ESPECIALLY for the service!

I expected the food to be much more delicious. I had high hopes that it would be very good. The…read morerisotto was clumped together with some kind of cold white sauce. The salmon had very little flavor. I love salmon so I was sad about that. The staff were wonderful and very attentive.