Staff is awesome and friendly. Food is rich and fills you up nicely for the price. Cool back deck area during summer.

Bottom line, the best prime rib I have ever had and it didn't break the bank. Also came with a healthy portion of fresh vegetables and a large baked potato. My wife had the pene Ala vodka and ended up taking most of it home as the portion was so large. The wait staff was wonderful and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. Great place for a date and also for the family as there were plenty there enjoying their meals. Hard to beat the meal I had, but I will the next time we visit! read more

The Playwright Irish Pub - Wonder Prime Rib from the Playwright! - Irish Pub Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

As local Whitneyville residents and instructors at the nearby universities, my husband and I frequent The Playwright at least once per week for happy hour and dinner. We love the pub atmosphere and generally feel comfortable and welcomed by everyone on staff. We often bring friends here for drinks, and I even had my bridal shower in the special room they have in the back for private functions. The pub atmosphere is lovely and cozy. It is a great place for drinks and snacks after work. I can't say enough about the waitresses and the hostess; they are always outgoing and patient, never failing to remember the names of the regulars and always happy to engage in friendly conversation. The same can be said of the bartenders and bus boys - delightful, helpful, and always pleasant. My one concern (and reason for this 3 star review) is the head chef. There is an open window from the kitchen looking out to the main dining room and into the pub area. From this window customers are constantly assaulted by this man's abrasive voice shouting impatient, rude orders at his line cooks and workers. At times, if you sit in the pub area near the door, you can hardly hear yourself think as he vehemently barks instructions to his coworkers. I've seen full conversations stop in the dining area as all eyes move toward that kitchen window, and my husband has seen customers waiting for take-out orders raise their eyebrows and exchange disapproving glances. While I understand that a kitchen is a fast-paced environment, it should be noted that many of this man's comments are borderline inappropriate and teeter dangerously close to discriminatory at times - all while paying customers are within earshot. My husband and I were quite embarrassed when we brought coworkers here, several weeks ago, and less than ten minutes after our arrival the kitchen diatribe began. Though we asked our regular waitress to move us to another table, we could still hear the chef in the background throughout our meal. The owner of this wonderful little pub should take notice of this situation - as many patrons already have - and consider the implications of such negative and offensive comments infiltrating the otherwise relaxing and jovial atmosphere. **Update 12/1/17: The chef has been replaced! A new chef is now in the kitchen at Playwright - much to the delight of patrons' tastebuds and eardrums! I've updated my review to the 5 stars this place rightfully deserves! read more

I can't call this place expensive or overpriced because you absolutely get what you pay for at the Playwright. This was my first time here simply because I've never had a reason to go - it's just not in a location that I'm ever in while I'm looking for food, and although it's not geographically far away, Hamden is just a pain in the ass. That said, I'll definitely make it a point to return here in the future! The food, service, and experience was awesome. We stopped in on Wednesday night because I had a LivingSocial voucher to use. We got there around 6:30 and the place was pretty dead, my friend & I were wondering what the hell we got ourselves into - in reality, it was just between the happy hour crowd and the trivia crowd. First up was drinks, Eric the bartender was friendly and quick. The beer was cold and the shots were full. We split a corned beef sandwich and I swear, we got our meal before I even finished ordering it. The service was incredibly fast, I've never seen anything like it! The sandwich was huge and came with a ton of steak fries, so splitting it was definitely a good call because we weren't super hungry. The corned beef was delicious! It was flavorful, moist, but not very fatty at all. We didn't eat the sandwich, just picked at the corned beef and fries while we threw back a few beers. Another friend ending up meeting us out and she got the shrimp & artichoke dip. Holy. crap. It was so flavorful and I was shocked at how much shrimp they actually put in it! We expected them to be the crappy little shrimps that people use in a bad shrimp cocktail, but no, they were huge, meaty, real shrimp. And there were six or seven of them in the little appetizer! We added spinach to the mix too, which was definitely a good addition. This was served with pieces of garlic bread, but we ended up needing more bread. I'm going to make this at home and throw it over some linguini. Trivia started around 8 which was fun, and we won, wooowooowoo! Paid for our tab with the money, so that was a nice surprise as well. We'll definitely be coming back here. Apparently apps are half price during trivia, which is good to know for the future. In a nutshell, I loved their food and can't wait to try more of the menu! The prices may seem a bit steep, but the quality of the food is well worth it. It's not standard, mediocre, "bar fare". I highly recommend it. Great good, drinks, and absolutely awesome staff. read more

The food tasted great. I wish they would smile more I felt like no one was happy to be there it kind of rubbed on me felt like leaving. When I asked what was popular here the answer I got was everything which was hard to believe but everything that I order was great maybe she was telling the truth lol. read more

Food was really good. Had nachos and chicken pot pie. Everything we had was home made and fresh. I only gave 4 stars because i thought prices were a little high and service was average nothing to wow me. I will go back it does have great atmosphere. read more

The only regret I have about coming to playwright 3 times in 2 weeks is that those were my first visits here and I hadn't discovered it sooner. The playwright is a lot like Narnia. Once you step foot in the door you feel like you've left Hamden , Ct and have entered a restaurant in Ireland . They have a beautiful bar and fireplace , Irish food on the menu (lots of American choices as well) , and each time I had a different waitress that was actually from Ireland with an Irish accent . I really enjoyed the food here , and everyone I came with all enjoyed their dishes as well. I had read someone's review on Yelp prior , about the shepards pie not being very good . I went ahead and ordered it anyway and am glad I did because it was delicious . On one of my visits to playwright, My stepmother told our waitress that her fish wasn't hot enough for her(she likes her food super hot) . The waitress was very nice about it , the chef redid the whole dish for her and gave the whole table (3 of us) a free dessert of choice each . Amazing service . On Sunday's anyone can bring an instrument and join in on an Irish music session . They set up in a circle and play for a couple hours . Awesome for those who are just there dining and musically challenged , such as myself , to listen in on . I would definitely recommend a visit here ! read more

Visited The Playwright on Friday night for dinner, on a double date. Honestly, the whole experience was kind of strange. The place was pretty quiet in the dining room, especially for 6:30 on a Friday night. Our waitress was borderline hostile towards us from the beginning, and we were never really sure why. We're very friendly (and excellent tippers, although I suppose she couldn't have known that.) We ordered around 6:40. Starter salads didn't come out until 7:10, and I was given a kind of snotty response when I inquired as to their whereabouts around 7. Half an hour seems a little extreme for a pile of lettuce and 3 croutons, and a near-empty restaurant. Dinners finally came out at 7:30, almost an hour after we ordered them. Again, baffling. But I will say this - we all demolished our food. It was delicious. I had the chicken pot pie, husband had a burger and fries. I don't recall what our friends had, but we all had clean plates. I would have liked to have given a better rating, since the food was tasty, but I can't get over the odd way in which we were treated. We will probably try again eventually, but certainly with a different server. read more

We went to the playwright last night for the first and last time. The food we had seemed like it was frozen and canned. Really not worth the price that we paid. Very disappointed about the food, but the service was good. read more

I used to really like this place but today's experience really put me off. My daughter and I stopped in for lunch after seeing a large sign proclaiming "Kids eat free on Tuesdays" outside. We went in and had the place to ourselves. When the check came I found out we were charged full price for her meal! I pointed out the sign (there was one in the dining room as well) as was told with a shrug "that's only after 4:30". The sign says nothing about a time restriction nor does it say dinner only. We only came in to eat there because of the sign. It was a complete bait and switch. I pointed out the sign had no such restriction and was met with a blank stare. On top of this, the kids meal price did not include her drink, which we were charged for AND for her refill. When I asked I was told the meal doesn't include the drink but includes dessert (which was not mentioned or offered to us until I started questioning the bill). I can't remember a single other restaurant that doesn't include the drink in the kids meal price. A simple lunch of a hamburger and a hot dog ended up costing $30. I don't think I'll be back again soon. read more

The Playwright Irish Pub - This secretly only means kids eat free at DINNER. They will charge you for the kids meal at lunch! - Irish Pub Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

I like it better than its New Haven counterpart, but I still don't really like it all that much. The beer is way too expensive, and there's really nothing special about being here. I mean, it's nice and all, but just kind of boring. I suppose you could do worse, but if I want to pay for expensive beer, I'll go somewhere that has beer worth paying for. read more

Have eaten here a few times and have simple enjoy the authenticity of the whole place. Never once did we have bad service. I will say this a few reviews stated it was overpriced, I have to argue with that because you get what you pay for a HUGE portion. Granted a cheap TGIFridays will cost $8-9 bucks, here you may pay close to $14 buck but once again the portion is incredibly generous. Also I have been to a few hosted events there where we used the larger dining room very comfy and roomy read more

I had decided to try the playwright for the first time tonight....I ordered dinner for pickup and when I got home I was very disappointed in the quality of the food. I ordered the bangers&mash which is a traditional Irish meal of sausage with mashed potatoes. The potatoes were boxed and did not have one speck of seasoning. The baked beans tasted like they came straight out of a can. But sausage wasn't too bad. But all in all that entree was overly priced ($16.00) for the poor quality of food they served. read more

Two stars yes I think I am being very generous. Does it look like an Irish pub?...maybe...... does it feel like a Irish pub? A little.......is the staff Irish.....if they are not they are the best actors and actresses I have ever met. Food..bland, boring but the beer was great. On to my next adventure!!! read more

The wait staff and atmosphere are amazing ! However we sat next to the kitchen. Having spent time in the restaurant industry I've known some odd cooks. We sat next to the door and unfortunately he was a racist douche. His comments to the staff were abusive and ruined a fantastic evening. I'd go back, but maybe only for a drink if he's still there read more

Let me preface this with the fact that I have eaten at the Playwright several times a year for several years. I purchased a $25 dollar gift certificate from Restaurant.com for this Pub. Due to circumstances beyond my control {daughter with the Big C} I was unable to get there I what the manager believed {but never spoke to me personally} a timely fashion. The certificate states clearly that it NEVER expires. The Playwright would not honor the certificate. By way of the waitress who was great, I was told the manager would give me ten not the twenty five off the bill and that they did not accept the certificates anymore. As far as the food is concerned the salads and desserts were good. The soup was great. The pesto ravioli was marginal and I have never had hot black pepper on garlic bread before which made it inedible. My dinner companion and I pondered how intentional that might have been and in the end didn't care as we will not return. The waitress was excellent and we left her extra cash. Although the Playwright did not accept the certificate they made sure to put the 18% tip on the bill which the certificate states the restaurant will do automatically. I do not remember them doing that on other occasions but I may be wrong. The waitress made sure to take my name and phone number stating the owner would be in the next day and perhaps he would call me. He did not. I will not return to the Playwright. It is not about the $25. it is about people skills and how they treated us. No personal contract with any one but a waitress that was in the middle of it all taking messages back and forth. It is a well know and well respected Pub. It is just not for me anymore. There are too many other Irish pubs like Anna Liffey and others.. Today, I heard from some who said they were from the Playwright. He said that they do not and have not accepted Rest. Cert's for a long time. He blamed it on Rest.com with a somewhat confusing story which may have be plausible if it had more detail and he told me how Playwright actually lost money on the deal. He was pleasant but not informative. I did mention it was no way to retain return customers and there was no comment. My original Yelp pretty much stands. read more

Called at 830 to see what time the kitchen was opened til. The girl didn't know so asked a manager who told us 1030. We drove 30 minutes and got there by 9. After looking for any reason not to honor our groupon we bought just before coming down he said they closed the kitchen. read more

Went here for dinner with a friend. I had the fish and chips and she had the vegetable curry. Both were good but not great. We did enjoy the live acoustic guitar music and the ambience. The waiters were friendly, but a little bit slow. read more

Really miss it desperately since i moved from New Haven. The best place for a pint ever. Great food (love the beer-battered shrooms), great for a date or a night out with drinking buddies. Sessions on Sundays too. They had the most spectacularly personable, beautiful Irish waitresses back when they first opened, a wonderful girl named Jen with a beautiful unforgettable smile + Ernie the bartender, I believe they lost him to Liffey's for awhile but heard they got him back. Anyway I'm in Brooklyn now so I can only get there once a year or so but for those who don't know the place it's worth the visit for the simple positive energy that seems to permeate the place. Sadly though, no OTB unlike it's NYC namesake. read more

Great atmosphere at this place. I had the chicken francese lunch special with the Ceasar salad. The salad had the good white caesar dressing, not the clearer version and it was dressed well and tasty. The chicken came worth roasted potatoes and it was all a good time. I would recommend and definitely go back for lunch. This place looks like a good place for drinks at night as well. read more

I've eaten here twice and the food is consistently average. Had the shepard's pie, which was kind of tasteless. The corned beef sandwich was also a little bland. The Irish place further up Whitney is a little better. read more

We were here for restaurant week and had a delightful dinner. My husband had the ribs and chicken combo. It was delicious but kind of cold. My salmon was delicious - the only complaint was our waitress. She was dismal - her regulars were greeted warmly but she just gave us very poor service. But on the whole a surprisingly good experience (at least foodwise). read more

We went with a few friends one Saturday night a couple of weeks ago. The place was kind of dead (which surprised us for a Saturday night), but the service was good and the food was great! So we were happy with the place! read more

So... One of my resolutions is to go to as many "new to me" restaurants as possible in 2016. My husband, of course, agreed.... :) That being said--- where did we go for our first lunch of 2016? The Playwright. I have been going here for the past twelve years- my husband has been going longer.... It was pretty cold and gray - so he decided he'd like some potato leek soup.... We arrived and noticed the dining section was closed....so we sat ourselves in the bar area. My husband immediately noticed that one person seemed to be tending bar, waiting on tables, and serving food... Hmmmm. We weren't in a rush- my husband was a little hungry- but we could survive some slower than usual service. We ordered drinks and they were delivered after about ten minutes. We grabbed our own menus.... No big deal. I used to wait tables- so quickly assessing the situation- managing about two dozen people by yourself was going to be challenging..... My husband's soup arrived after about another ten or so minutes.... That held him over until the entrées arrived. He ordered the fish and chips- sticking to the Irish theme. I went with a special appetizer- shrimp quesadillas.... I know- why order that in an Irish restaurant? Well- the description sold me, and the meal itself did not disappoint. They were delicious- in fact, some of the best I've had in a while. Who knew? I think it was the little bit of truffle oil they used in the dish. I also had the lobster bisque- or intended on eating it- but had a few bites and my husband helped finish it. Delicious. Also ordered a side salad for some greens- it was as expected... I love red onion and there were a bunch of slices in there kicking up the flavor. The fish and chips were tasty as well. The fish was battered just right and was flaky and perfect for what one would expect.... Throughout our meal, we watched more and more people arrive and we wondered how this one guy was going to manage... He actually did a fantastic job. We weren't sure how he was managing- but he did. We found out at the end of the meal that his name was Luke.... Great job. We have also previously been here for many lunches, dinners, and one time for brunch. I have to say the food did not disappoint.... Ever.... The service from time to time can be a bit laid back- when we went for brunch- we waited about a good ten minutes before anyone acknowledged us and waited more and more for drinks- entrées, etc..... My best advice is don't go there if you are in a rush or really starving- it's hit or miss with service.... Go when you have some time- enjoy your beverages and snack on some bread while you chat with your dining companion (s). Also- try some of the non traditional Irish offerings.... You will be pleasantly surprised. read more

A nice selection of beer and drinks and that irish pub feeling I so miss from Ireland. They have has live authentic music which added to the warm and cozy ambiance. The food I had was quite good but they switched to a very limited night menu the second time I went which had few vegetarian options as was expected. read more

All I have to say is meh. The trivia was kinda lame, and the food was bland. The prices were fair. Our waitress was super slow and inattentive. The end. read more

The service and food were outstanding! I ordered food on a Monday for a pickup on Saturday. We ordered Corned Beef and Cabbage and a half tray of Shepherds pie which were ready when I arrived at the restaurant. One of the best parts was I mentioned to the owner Eamon that I was getting Irish soda bread and Rye bread from Milford at the Emerald Bakery. He had a connection there and told me to call the order in and he would pick up the bread when he was going there later in the week. That is what you call Great Service!! Thank you again for everything. read more

Real Irish pub atmosphere. Great burgers and Irish specialties. Super friendly staff.

Our local watering hole. To me this is the best Irish pub in town. Eric and Robbie the bartenders are great guys make you feel like your at home. Sarah the waitress is super friendly and attentive. We come for trivia and half price appetizers every Wednesday!! Best bar ever!! read more

Love, love, love this place. An Irish pub with all the rough edges, yet still accessable enough to bring the family.

I had a great time here. The food was decent pub food and the service was great. The atmosphere was a lot of fun and they had a DJ later in the evening. I think I will definitely be going back. read more

We just held a surprise party here for my mom's birthday and it was PERFECT. We rented the conference room for a party of 50 guests. The food was great, the room was beautiful, and the staff went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. I highly recommend the Playwright in Hamden for a fun and successful private party. read more

Good restaurant with good home cooked food. Warning - Don't purchase a Groupon Coupon for 2 unless you are going with another person. My coupon was for $20 for 2 persons. I am single and eat out a lot by myself and have used these type of coupons at other restaurants without any problem. They accept my coupon because I order a real meal. My meal at Playwright was a small potato leek soup (a little salty), cup of Irish tea and the Irish Stew. Total bill was $28.70 with tax. Minus the $12 for the coupon would be at $16.70. I had to order another meal to use my coupon which I took home. My new bill now with the $20 was $27.85 plus a $4 tip which totaled $31.85. Will not do this again and will be very careful purchasing Groupon's in the future for meal deals. There are a lot of single people out here that like to eat out without having to pay a fortune for a good meal. read more

Good pub food and atmosphere, been going here for a decade. Anytime is good but the live session jams on tues and sunday make this a great place to stop in and have a pint. My father in law from Chicago says the Playwright is more authentic than any pub he knows of in the Windy City. Where else are you going to find chips with curry sauce? read more

We came here two days before St. Patrick's Day, since we were sure it would be mobbed on the actual holiday. It was still super busy, which added to the lively pub atmosphere. There was even some live Irish music playing! I server was very bubbly and nice, it's really just a happy feeling restaurant. We got an appetizer, the veggie potato skins (potato skins topped with cheese, peppers, spinach, and onions, served with sour cream and fresh diced tomatoes). It was so good, it was hard not to just eat them all as a main course! For our dinners, we ordered a chicken pot pie, corned beef and cabbage, fish and chips, and Irish bangers and mash. They were all absolutely amazing! I got the bangers and mash--the sausages were savory, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. Mashed potatoes were very creamy, and I don't know how they cooked the baked beans but whatever they did, they were incredible. I tasted a lot of different herbs in there that worked really well together. Portion sizes for all of the meals were very big. I took my leftovers home and had them for two more meals! Finally, for dessert we ordered cheesecake, a huge slice that even the four of us combined couldn't finish. It was a great dining experience all around, and we will be coming back again and again even when it isn't St. Patrick's Day. read more

loved the california chicken sandwich. delicious and a large portion size. i'll definitely be back!

Can be on the pricey side, but the food tastes amazing and the portions they give you are more than fair for what you pay. It's a great experience to go to this Irish Pub and I enjoy every meal I have. read more

Awesome! Love their Shepard's Pie! Place becomes a night club on Friday and Saturday night!

THEY DO NOT ACCEPT GROUPON VOCHER IF YOU ORDER THE DINNER SPECIAL. We are in New Haven for 8 years and passed by this place all the time on Whitney Ave. My husband finally decide to try the restaurant when he saw a Groupon Offer ($30 value for $17). We went tonight and our group of 4 ordered the fish and chips, a bacon burger, a meatloaf dinner special and a kid's meal (chicken finger and fries). The food was average pub food and the service was ok until dessert. Our scoop of ice-cream and crepe with ice-cream were sitting on the counter for a good 5-10mins before they were brought to us and of course, the ice-cream in the bowl was soft and melted and the crepe was in a puddle of melted ice-cream. When the check came, we were told by the waitress that they cannot take the Groupon voucher as we have a dinner special in the check. They do not do split bills so there is no way around it. Despite the fact that the other 3 items far exceeded the $30 value of the voucher, the inclusion of the dinner special void the use of the voucher. As much as we do not want to go back ever, we would have to do so to use that the Groupon voucher. A very disappointing dining experience. read more

Rather disappointed after giving Playwright a chance during Hamden's restaurant week. Service was what you would expect during this time of Covid - a bit sluggish but not bad service. What was so terrible was the quality of the food. I started with the potato leek soup but the soup should have never made its way out of the kitchen. I've never tasted a soup that had no flavor. This soup tasted literally like nothing. I thought I would at least taste the flour base but honestly it was the most unique experience I've ever had with soup. Just nothing. Our server suggested to bring me a salad instead (which was appreciated) after I mentioned the soup. Salad was a tad wilty but the dressing was nice and the bowl was cold. Our server brought out a coke and told us that if it's not tasting right we should tell her. I still cannot understand why she would say this and serve this knowing full well it was all kinds of nasty. Dishwasher nasty. Not flat, the soda had plenty of bubbles. Perhaps moldy soda lines might be the cause. Skip the soda here for the beer. We said something, yet again, and were very pleased with a bottled Foxon Park soda (ironically the best tasting item of the meal!). I ordered a steak medium rare which came out half well done on one side and medium well done on the other side. I ended up switching meals with another guest as I was not interested in waiting for another steak. Even if cooked correctly, the steak was so chewey and of such inferior quality for a new york strip which clearly means it has sat in a back fridge for close to a week. When our server asked about it we decided it was just easier to switch than to make again. The raviolis I switched for were edible and the lobster was able to be tasted inside. The sauce was heavy and needed so much more flavor. The spinach was surprisingly disgusting and inedible. Too bad, I love spinach. To finish off we had the apple crisp and the tiramisu. The apple crisp was so soft and caustic and really didn't taste good at all. The cream topping of the teramisu was smooth and creamy, and tasted rather well. The bottom layers were soaked in coffee and just a little too much. I ordered local beer (counter weight) which was super delicious and crisp. Think I'll head to the brewery now. Not sure why (after we said something multiple times throughout) the manager never came over. read more