I had an incredible first lunch at The Charles. I have wanted to go for years, and I have been…read morespecifically eyeing their fish & chips as of late. There wasn't any question going in what I would order. The hostess started things off perfectly and was exceptionally welcoming, setting a relaxing and comfy tone right away. The building has lots of charm. The dining room was beautifully and warmly decorated. They allow the character of the old house to shine. As for the much anticipated fish and chips, they were extremely well executed, and even more delicious. The fries were great, just fairly standard. The other components shined a lot brighter, for example the inclusion of minted peas was extraordinary. The "kitchen sink" remoulade in place of tartar sauce had to be darn good to make up for the omission of the classic, and it was. The coleslaw was also exceptional, creamy but still light. The fish of choice was a cod loin. That was the game changer. I find loin vs filet to make a world of difference. It stays far more moist, has more flavor, and has a much more pleasant texture for me. The breading was light and delicate, too. Every aspect of my experience at The Charles was excellent. I'm extremely anxious to go back. I have heard great things about their salads and appetizers, and they have a beautiful tented front lawn for outdoor dining in the summer I would like to try. Highly, highly recommend a visit. I would say it was one of the busier lunch services I've encountered recently on a weekday, so keep that in mind.

Absolutely divine…read more It has been so long since I've been able to have a crab cake that's gluten free, but at The Charles, their crab cakes are gluten free and lovely. But first, walking into The Charles is a step back into time yet still fresh and intentional. Plenty to look at all around the restaurant. The layout of even the bar is nice with seats by the windows and plenty of TVs playing the games without being disruptive. The building is gorgeous, well kept, and I can see how this restaurant gets packed quickly! But back to the gluten free crab cake. I would have loved some slightly larger chunks of crab, it was the crispy texture on the outside and soft inside that made my heart melt. The cakes sat lightly on an aioli and beside some greens, and each bit was delectable and delicious. Lovely appetizer. I also have the octopus basquaise, and I loved it. The potatoes needed just a smidge more seasoning and were sitting in oil, but I cared not, because it was an oil with Kalamata olives and tart, and how lovely it all was together. The octopus was nicely cooked and tender and not greasy. The potatoes were a lovely vessel, and the aioli was not too overpowering. A delicious fish overall. The service was great, friendly, and you can tell they love their regulars. Everyone was on the move at all times and overall very efficient and kind. Tons of gluten free dishes naturally. I loved coming to The Charles and look forward to coming back later this week to try their actual dishes. But if the entrees are even close to as good as the appetizers, I'm sure it will all be delicious!

Such an incredible barbecue spot! Bear's Smokehouse Barbecue completely won me over with their…read moreamazing smoked meats. The burnt ends were tender, smoky, and full of flavor, and the mac and cheese with baked beans made for the ultimate comfort side dishes. I loved the spacious industrial interior and warm lighting. Sweet service throughout. I will definitely be back!

Bear's is always great. I got their 3 meat combo with pulled pork, moink balls, and brisket topped…read morewith Texas Pepper sauce. Their mac n cheese is also very creamy and delicious. The beans have a goot amount of meat with a tangy bbq sauce flavor. Service is friendly and helpful. This is my favorite Bear's location because the ambiance is a fun southern style cafeteria style with a nice bar to the right as you walk in.

I haven't been here in a couple weeks! I have a rare chance to grab a drink and some food on the…read moreway hone tonight from bowling. The restaurant is located on 389 Main St. in East Hartford. Their kitchen is built fresh, from scratch, and all homemade. Their appetizers, pasta, entrees and desserts combine old-world traditional Italian flavor with a modern flair for presentation, and the freshest ingredients around. Menu staples like calamari, chicken milanese, fettucine carbonara and ravioli are paired with unique recipes like pappardelle with sausage and tenderloin steaks. They have staffed our kitchen with a dream team of local chefs that ensure our quality does not waiver and our kitchen is always OPEN! You just can't go wrong. For my drink, I'm having the Prickly and Sparkly made with Quince Fruit Spirit, fruitful Prickly Pear, lemon juice and Prosecco. This is very original. I have no idea what this will taste like! It's nicely garnished and chilled. I love the unique taste. It's like a sweet Cosmo with Prosecco. It's real good! For my appetizer, I'm having a cup of chili. I can't each much chili so just a little will do me fine! I like the crackers for a little filler. I like the sour cream topping with a little chives garnish. It's nice and hot too. This is good! They have open mike here tonight! This place is famous for live music! These guys are good! I could stay here all night! For my next item, I'm having a Side House Salad made with a spring mix, basil (I love basil), julienned (sliced) carrots, cucumbers with a red wine vinaigrette. This is delicious! These veggies are good! Huge portion size too! I love their dressing! For my last drink of the night, I am having the Hot Pickle-Rita made with Tanteo Jalapeno Tequila, Triple Sec, pickle juice, agave syrup and lime juice. Pickle juice?! Now that's original. I've never had that in a cocktail. Wow! I love the pickle garnish and the Tajin rim. This drink is great! It's not overwhelmed by the pickle taste. I love the taste! The bartender (Liz) is awesome! She certainly knows how to make a drink let me tell you that! For my entree, I'm having the Chicken Aka Vodka made with grilled chicken breast served with traditional vodka sauce, peas, sun-dried potatoes and rigatoni topped with a crispy prosciutto and Parmesan (light for me). You can also get this gluten-free. Carmines tries to accommodate everyone! For me? EXTRA EXTRA spicy! Let's see how this goes. This is a MASSIVE dish! I mean o! It's piping hot too! It's very tasty! The grilled chicken is sliced up into smaller, bite-sized pieces. Very light Parmesan (as requested). It's not "hot" (as in spicy), but they can only work with they have! It's a great dish and worth every dime! What a great meal here!

Random selection in my travels off Rt 84. Food was delicious and I happily stumbled on live music…read more Mixed crowd Cappuccino gelato truffle, JD tips over pasta and 1/2 Caesar salad

This American-Mexican diner was such a great find! We chose to sit in the outdoor seating area, and…read moreit was the perfect day to enjoy a meal outside. The atmosphere was relaxing, clean, and family-friendly. One thing that immediately stood out was the menu. It's about 10 pages long, with an incredible variety of options. Whether you're in the mood for breakfast, lunch, American classics, or Mexican favorites, there's truly something for everyone. The presentation is beautiful. The drinks are garnished with fresh flowers and slices of lemon or cucumber, making them feel extra special. Even the food is served with colorful touches like a slice of orange and a strawberry on a skewer, showing they really pay attention to the details. My kids enjoyed an orange juice and an apple juice. I ordered the mango dragonfruit lemonade, and it was refreshing, flavorful, and the perfect drink for a warm day. For my meal, I had the avocado toast topped with an egg and crispy bacon. It was fresh, filling, and absolutely delicious. The boys loved their meals too. One had the chocolate chip pancakes, which were fluffy and loaded with chocolate chips, while the other had a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich served with crispy home fries. They also offer a great selection of specialty waffles and pancakes, giving us plenty of reasons to come back and try something new. The portions are generous, the prices are fair, and the service was outstanding. Every staff member we interacted with was friendly, welcoming, and attentive throughout our visit. Between the delicious food, beautiful presentation, generous portions, reasonable prices, and excellent service, this is definitely a place we'll be returning to. I highly recommend checking it out!

Family friendly place. Food is always delicious with bilingual staff. There is likely a wait but…read moreit's worth it. I love coming here!

clean and nice people working behind the counter. fast service, good coffee. would return.read more

This is an essentially a grab and go and not what would expect from a Doubletree by Hilton. The…read morebagel sandwich was reheated and greasy. The melon in the fresh fruit cup had a bad taste.

Flat steak salad tasty and you get a large portion. Service was prompt and friendly recommendread more

Sunday brunch was great! The DJ (Shawn (sp)) amazing! The vibe was everything! The food delicious!…read moreQiyaa amazing bartender super friendly and made fabulous drinks! The do bottomless mimosas for $25 but they are premade so initially I opted for that but the pitchers can sit around so bubbles get flat. I ended up just purchasing a bottle of the Wycliff and it' has a screw top so you can take it home if you don't finish. Honestly it was only $5 more than bottomless, you can poor it yourself and they can provide a side of juice if needed. I personally think it's better than doing the bottomless. Will come again!

I like coming out to their late night "tappy hour" if I'm looking for a lowkey vibe. The bartender…read moreLexi is hilarious! She really makes it a good time!! The strawberry coconut martini is typically my go to. It's sweet, refreshing, and easy drinking. The espresso martini wasn't my favorite, but I've had worse. It was just a bit too sweet. I did try they tacos recently and wasn't really a fan. Just about all of them missed for me from taste to texture unfortunately. The fudge nut brownie was okay, mostly dry but the ice cream helped with that.

I ordered a fried chicken sandwich with Parmesan fries through DoorDash. The sandwich was pretty…read moregood--the chicken was crispy with a nice hint of spice, and the chipotle aioli had a great kick. But they forgot the avocado, which was a major disappointment since it's listed as one of the main ingredients. The Parmesan fries didn't hold up. They were soggy and lacked that bold Parmesan flavor I was expecting--not nearly enough cheese, and overall just underwhelming. Delivery was on time, so props there, but the accuracy and quality missed the mark. I've been to Wood-N-Tap in person before and really liked the vibe--fun, welcoming, and upbeat. That's why this delivery experience was a bit of a letdown. Three stars for decent flavor and past good experiences, but I expected better consistency--even with takeout.

Went here for brunch with some friends. Loved the atmosphere of the restaurant! Food was pretty…read moregood - I got the eggs benedict and my friends said the omelets were good too. Nothing blew us away but definitely think a reliable option for classic brunch foods

Got a reservation at 5 for Monday night and we're the only customers here for the first 1/2 hour…read moreuntil a group of gal friends met at the bar and livened things up. Beautiful ambience, classy, quiet music in the background. Molly our server was friendly, attentive, and helped us especially with selecting our dessert. We ordered the old fashioned and Negroni from the happy hour menu to start with. They were so delicious that my husband went to talk to the bartender to find out how the particulars of how the Negroni was concocted. We ordered the baby gem Caesar salad and chicken katsu sandwich from the happy hour menu and the steak frites from the dinner menu which comes with skinny fries and arugula salad, Everything was well seasoned and delicious. To top it all off we shared a chocolate chip bread pudding (thanks for the recommendation, Molly!) Super happy with the whole dining experience. 5/5

This spot has five stars so I wanted to join in on singing their praises!…read more I first noticed Alebrijes on a walk around the neighborhood because of their brightly colored sign. Inside follows suit with colorful booths and Mexican ponchos and tapestries on the walls. Service is super friendly and quick! I got the steak tacos, and the meat was very juicy and tender. The onions and cilantro refresh and since I ordered the homemade tortillas, they were amazing. I'll be back!

Alebrijes is a new, Mexican fusion restaurant on Maple Ave in the Hartford South End still in its…read more"Grand Opening" phase. The artistic and colorful sign caught my eye when I recently drove by. Given the attention paid to aesthetics of the sign, I figured they might successfully execute the food on a similar level. They do. The inside of Alebrijes started on the modest side, but was loved into something more special. The accent pieces include Oaxacan animal folk art adorned seat ends, vibrant streamers, wall hangings, traditional sombreros, etc. What could have been a brief stopping off point for quality takeout, is an inviting dining area where multiple tables of people were eating lunch. The menu includes both Mexican and American food, and food inspired to varying degrees by both. They're open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Breakfast includes orders such as burritos, French Toast, chorizo hash and breakfast sandwiches. Lunch and dinner offerings include tacos, burritos, fajitas, tortas, more elaborate entrees, and dishes that are outside my vocabulary. I ordered the "Memelas", with pork pastor. New word for me. A memela is a thin cake made of masa and then fried. In Alebrijes's version, it presented as a heartier soft corn tortilla taco. It was topped with the pastor (including pineapple pieces), shredded cabbage, queso fresco, refried beans, "pork spread", cilantro, onions and "guacamole sauce". It's served with your choice of red salsa or green salsa, which of course means I ordered both. The Memelas were very good and I would definitely order them again. The pork was tasty and had good texture. The other toppings were on point. The salsas were terrific. Getting salsa to such a dense rich red, must require knowledge, skill and ingredients beyond me. The salsa verde was very good too. I also ordered a side of chorizo hash. One of the best hash's I've had in a while, although it presented more like seasoned home fries with fresh sautéed green peppers and onions, and delicious chorizo. Alebrijes may be a bit off your normal path, but it's well worth finding. Alebrijes deserves to be found. 4.5 Stars

New spot in Hartford and it's right off the highway with a great little patio. The server was…read moreattentive funny and friendly. The prices are great and the food is authentic Puerto Rican food. Very delicious! They also have great bar food. The wings are my fave. Can't wait to go back.

Delicious food, great hospitality. I had the lunch special with fried pork, plantains, and rice…read moreand beans. You better believe I ate every bean and every grain of rice. And I was treated very well.