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    The Russell

    3.1 (170 reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

    The Russell Photos

    THE RUSSELL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    DJ
    Casual
    Trendy

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    Recommended Reviews - The Russell

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    Reviews With Photos

    Happy Hour menu
    Lori D.

    The restaurant has had some updates done. Gives a nice lounge feel. The bars & seating areas are the same places. I came in for the 4-6p happy hour & had the Jubba wings, side of oxtail Mac n Cheese (not HH), Strawberry Margarita, & Red Sangria. I arrived at 5p & it wasn't too busy since they opened at 4p. That soon changed. Thankfully, I put in my order pretty fast, & received the food promptly. As it became busier, I noticed there was a delay in food coming out. Especially if am entrée was ordered. The food itself was delicious. They didn't skimp on the amount of Oxtail & cheeses in my side order. The portion was also filling & I had leftovers (yeah!) It was hot, tender, & it had the cheese pull. The wings were tough, but the sauce was everything. So good, I didn't bother with the dipping sauce, that has a mayo consistency. The strawberry margarita was tasty, a little sweeter than I'm used to. The sangria was ok. It more of red wine, orange juice & maybe pineapple. The service was good until the crowd came in. My bill had an extra drink on it & had to have it corrected twice, with the result being refunded some money in cash. Despite this, I would still frequent the restaurant. The music is always enjoyable & the food is delicious.

    Service was HORRIBLE we made reservations for 9:30 got there at 9:31 got seated right away. Placed our order for our drinks, appetizer and entree all at once. Got our drinks within 15 minutes. As we looked around we noticed people that got seated after us already got their food and we have yet to get our appetizer. Hour and 15 minutes later we get our appetizer. By this time we were already turned off from the first time experience. We didn't get our entree until 10:50 and it didn't even come out hot. We just decided to eat a little because if we send it back who knows how long that's going to take. So overall our first experience was horrible to the point we didn't even leave a tip and they had the nerve to ask us if we want to order desert.

    Penne Pasta
    Michelle I.

    I really wish I could have given this place 5 stars. The food was delicious, the vibes were great (suitable for a date, girls night or family night out) and the drinks were great. Unfortunately the service was SO SLOW. we were left waiting to be greeted by our initial server, waiting long for drinks, and ran out of water that was only replenished when we were ready to pay. It wasn't that busy so they may need to work on staffing and reading the room. Tried the pasta with jerk chicken and it was really good. Also tried the nachos. I'd definitely come back but be aware the service may disappoint.

    Pomegranate rose  Russlletini
    Katie M.

    The vibe and ascetic was amazing. The service was top notch. The oxtail mac and cheese was delicious I would definitely order it again. The salmon looked amazing the glaze was just right. The jerk chicken sandwich was reasonably priced and ok but I wouldn't order it again everything else looked and smelled so much better. The drinks were creative and delicious. I would definitely make a road trip down again for dinner and would love to try the brunch.

    Chicken n' waffles
    Gloria B.

    Sunday brunch with the girls. Great decor, high energy, awesome DJ, friendly staff, good food, definitely a VIBE!

    Jerk Calamari
    Shanice G.

    A staple spot in Hartford to come to. I went to their old location back when I was like 21 but only been to this location twice. I don't ever come to get full - maybe some appetizers or something but it's really the vibe and strong drinks that keep me coming back. We sat at the bar this time and Quasi was super attentive, prompt on the service and very hospitable. I recommend you ask for him if at the bar if you can!

    The Russeltini!
    Jennifer B.

    My first time here and I'm hooked! The martini was the beat I ever had. Seriously....the best! I scarfed down the happy hour specials and a side of Mac n cheese so quickly that I didn't even take a picture. Mac n cheese was a mix of amazing oooey, gooey goodness. They have half priced bottles of wine during happy hour which makes for a great night The bartender was so friendly and courteous. She was attentive and always made sure our drinks weren't empty. Definitely will be going back

    Bottomsless Mimosas
    Eric W.

    If you're in the mood for an incredible brunch, lively music or good ol' Caribbean food, this is your place and I'm going to tell you why! Atmosphere/Appearance: The Russell used to be a small, almost hole-in-the-wall spot on Pratt Street, but Hugh has MOVED ON UP! This place is huge and it used to be the old Black Bear Saloon nightclub. Kinda crazy that I've partied in the exact place that is now a sit-down restaurant. Lol. There's private parking around the side of the restaurant, but you do have to pay for it. See if you can find some parking on the street. It's free after 6:00pm and I believe all day on Sunday. This place has lots of exposed brick, high ceilings, 2 bars on opposite ends of the restaurant, a VIP section and PLENTY of seating all over. The music is lively and the atmosphere is just full of energy. Service: Shacoia is our favorite server there! She's down-to-Earth, sweet, funny and just all-around amazing. Make sure you ask for her! Food: So at the old location I'd go STRAIGHT for the jerk wings because they were INCREDIBLE! They still are, but I've since branched out to try the curried goat, which is fantastic and the yuca fries. OMG the sauce that comes with the yuca fries is making my mouth water and I'm 700 miles away from them right now. Lol. The food is good, period. Now, the bottomless mimosas. THEY ARE THE MOVE. So unlike most places where a pre-made carafe is brought to your table OR EVEN WORSE, a pre-made GLASS is brought to your table... here, you get the entire bottle of Prosecco and 2 carafes of juice! You make your own freaking mimosas and that's PERFECT and the way I'd prefer it! When you run out, just ask for another! It's that easy! You can also switch the juices up too. Value: This place isn't cheap, but it sits comfortably in the middle between dirt cheap and fine dining. The entire experience is absolutely worth it. I believe the bottomless mimosas are $25.00 a person, but if you're a REAL drinker, you'll get your money's worth! In conclusion, I'll always love this place. It's never done me wrong and it's a reliable place for good food, good fun and good drinks! Check it out if you're in the area! Be sure to check out my YouTube channel, "The Hungry Road" for more restaurant and car-related content! You can copy and paste the following link into your browser to be taken directly to the channel! Be sure to subscribe, like, comment and turn on notifications! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEZJPcprSoq00kgDLUb57yA

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    1 year ago

    The the wait staff. Was incredible, the food was even better. The ambiance was amazing

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    1001 Hookah Lounge

    1001 Hookah Lounge

    3.3(46 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    This is to hookah what Taco Bueno is to fine Mexican dining. I visited on a Saturday night and we…read morepromptly decided to go elsewhere. For starters, the two-people-per-hookah policy is obnoxious. I get the trade-offs here and why the business has to do it, and more and more hookah bars are adopting similar policies. But when you're telling me if I've spent $50 on 2 hookahs for 4 people and one more friend shows up, our tab is now $75, I really don't appreciate that. I get that most customers are younger and would smoke 10 people on 1 hookah if given the chance, but you've got to have a middle ground. 5 people wanting to share 2 hookahs is not taking advantage. Then comes price: I'm from Texas where tobacco taxes are sky-high and businesses have about $20,000 of prep work to do for special tobacco-oriented zoning, and you still don't see prices this high. $25 for a bowl is obscene, especially with the aforementioned policy. Then comes the atmosphere. Loud, cramped, poorly ventilated, dark, and uncomfortable. It may seem novel to novice smokers but is less likely to be enjoyed by a regular hookah bar attendee. I also am not a fan of the pay-when-you-walk-in model. The register is up front and you cash out before you sit down. We made sure to walk into the back and have a look around before doing so, thankfully. Again I do get that their clientele may be a little younger and more stealy than other establishments, but it does not make for a friendly or inviting experience. There are myriad websites that will sell you an entire hookah package including pipe, tobacco and coals for the same price as a single 5-person smoke session here. I know he's got some overhead but a single bowl of this stuff pays for a whole box of the stuff you're actually smoking. Save your money.

    This place has the total potential to be a 5 star lounge, but here are the pros, cons and…read moresuggestions to gain the extra 2 stars. Pros: Hookah: -good flavors (al Fakher and starbuzz) - packed well - small hookah with a lot of smoke - coconara charcoals Seating area: - very spacious - can handle large groups - unique floor seats - custom tables hold hookah and garbage - homey set up with actual couches - very laid back (music tempo maintains atmosphere -smoothie was on point Cons: Hookah: - not maintained regularly (they come every 20-30 mins), so it's not good 5 mins after they fix it Seating area: - the music can be updated - no worker is ever present, making it extremely difficult to order anything (waited 20 mins to order smoothie) - prepaying seems very unwelcoming Suggestions: This place mainly lacks in service. The seating area being unattended is a big disadvantage. Regular maintenance of the hookahs served out would make this place go a long way.

    Photos
    1001 Hookah Lounge - There's never too many hookahs

    There's never too many hookahs

    1001 Hookah Lounge
    1001 Hookah Lounge - Hookah & snackage

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    Hookah & snackage

    Barcelona Wine Bar - Whole roasted branzino

    Barcelona Wine Bar

    4.3(834 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$$

    I loved everything about this place - the decor, the ambience, the vibe and of course the food!…read more My friend took me there for the first time on my b'day. I didn't get to try too many tapas as she's vegetarian and a light eater. But I didn't try the wine that they give through a canter. It was a little embarrassing for me but I think it would have been more fun if we were a bigger group and everyone having it. If you are a vegetarian please do not skip Patatas Bravas and the spicy eggplant. I filled myself up with these. Anyway, I went back there with family and got to try more of their delicious tapas and drinks. I would say everyone left happy.

    Tapas !!! Met up with friends and it was perfect because all…read moreOf us had not been in years. We were able to Make Happy Happy Hour so definitely took advantage of apps and drinks before time was up. The manager was very helpful. Menu is not labeled GF however she did take a menu and marked all the options for me which helped a lot. I started off with patata bravas from the happy hour menu and they were pretty tasty . I know my friends ordered other tapas that they were not a big fan of because it was a tad dry. I did order seafood paella and it wasn't bad. I've had better though. My mocktail was delicious. The dessert was also very good! It wasn't busy when we were there , it was slowly picking up when we were leaving . Barcelona always has a nice vibe for any occasion!

    Photos
    Barcelona Wine Bar - Entry

    Entry

    Barcelona Wine Bar
    Barcelona Wine Bar - Happy Hour

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    Happy Hour

    The Russell - caribbean - Updated May 2026

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