45 Best American Restaurants near East Haven

“We love Country Kitchen and are here every weekend! Leo, Jess, and Audrey are the best crew in town. The old school vibe and food are top notch. Highly recommend the croissant French toast, the Wise Guy breakfast sandwich, and of course the poppy seed horn.“

“Fabulous service, wonderful, and fun ambiance, and delicious, authentic food. It’s a gem! Try the cheese, cabbage, and all the desserts! Well worth a drive!“

“Great night at Abate Apizza at the Lodge last night with the cousins.“

“food is awesome staff very courteous and welcoming!!!“

“2025.
MY. ONLY. ISSUES. I. HAVE. WITH
THE. VILLAGE. IN.
SOME. CUSTOMER S. ARE. VERY. RUDE
RUDE. CUSTOMER S. PLEASE
KEEP. YOUR. BAD. COMMENTS
TO. YOUR. SELF.
ONES. SITS. IN. FRONT.
ALL. ENPLOYEE S. ARE. NICE
AWESOME. RESTAURANT“

“I have visited Moxie's for breakfast in East Haven CT. Different days and times of the week and I never leave disappointed. Nor the company I am with. The service is great. The staff is friendly, reasonable prices. A variety in their menu selections. The atmosphere is small but peaceful. It's a lovely atmosphere. I am a satisfied customer.“

“I honestly am ashamed to say that I’ve lived in East Haven for 22 years and have never had Tollis pizza. Some friends and I were getting together and we were talking about restaurants to go to, and I had mentioned that I had never tried Tollis. We decided to give it a go. And I have never been happier with a decision ever! We had the white clam pizza, we had the Amalfi pizza. And I couldn’t decide which was my favorite. My friends had the Bolognese sauce, which the waitress brought a little bowl so they could try it with some bread before they ordered their entrée! Nice touch! It was fantastic! Our waitress was super attentive, very friendly, we were near where they were making the pizzas and it was fun to watch. An all-around great experience highly highly recommend.!!!!!“

“I went in for lunch on a Tuesday of this week and sat down at the bar, she was very intenitive and came right up to me with a warm glow, very upbeat, took my order and made me feel welcome, very great service, will be back to see her again“

“visited Hornets Nest for the first time yesterday , by accident , just driving by . Had a great lunch , very pleasant people . Highly Recommended . Going to make it our stop when in the area .“

“Another fantastic meal! Chef Rick and Chef Lizzy are consistently spot on. My husband says it's the best Zuppa he's ever had! (he gets it every time).The service is impeccable and Karl is an outstanding server. Can't say enough about Nataz!“

“The staff was incredible! The food was amazing and the drinks were very tasty. Most definitely recommend and will be back.“

“Great service and good. Definitely worth the visit. Staff is wonderful and the chefs are phenomenal.“

“I stop by at least once a week“

“This is a wonderful Black owned family restaurant and bar. The food, drinks and service are very good and the atmosphere has a warm and inviting vibe. There is Comedy Night on Thursdays and a DJ and Karaoke on Fridays. The entertainment is top notch in this safe venue where the mature can relax and enjoy themselves comfortably. I love going to this restaurant.“

“I hadn’t been to Nick’s Char Pit in over 25 years, but after seeing one of their specials on Facebook, I decided it was time to give it another shot and I’m so glad I did. From the moment I walked in, it instantly brought me back to my childhood. The atmosphere is exactly how I remembered it classic, welcoming, and full of character. It’s rare to find a place that still holds onto that kind of nostalgia. The food was fantastic, the staff was friendly and welcoming, and the whole experience just felt genuine. You can tell they take pride in what they do. If you’re looking for a fun blast-from-the-past kind of place, Nick’s is absolutely worth a visit. And shoutout to Bobby his daily TikTok jokes are awesome and just add to the whole experience!“

“Very intimate setting. The wait staff were very friendly. My wife and I were celebrating our anniversary and the manager came over to congratulate us as well as give us a complimentary toast.“

“Randomly stopped here for my mom’s birthday dinner and so glad we did! We were seated immediately, got our drinks pronto and the server made sure to make my mom feel special on her birthday! We ordered the mushroom pasta (truffle butter is divine), the roasted duck and bolognese. Yummy all around. Service is amazing and definitely contributes the most to this 5 star rating! We didn’t check out the rooftop but I heard that’s nice too.“

“Beautiful indoors with great staff!“

“It’s the best place around and it’s not even close! Great prices too!“

“I’d give the Colombian empanadas a 3.5/5. The flavor was solid and you can tell they’re made with care, especially the seasoned filling and crispy corn dough. They were satisfying overall, but a little more seasoning and a crispier texture would’ve taken them to the next level. Still a good option if you’re craving something traditional and comforting.“

“It was great and the outside is beautiful the waiters great Kristen and Cody“

“Food is DELCIOUS AND SERVICE IS GREAT!!“

“Good atmosphere ,acceptable service Will be good if could get a liquor license and add lengua guisada in their menu Sure I will comeback .“

“Best bar in West Haven. I mean if you are going to dance and pay for overpriced shots then no. This is not your place. If you are looking for a bar where everyone knows your name and the beer is always cold and served right then this is your place.“

“Very quiet restaurant in hotel lobby. Service was very friendly and attentive. Slightly overpriced for quality of food. Menu was very limited, with really the option for dinner being a burger, taco, or turkey sandwich. Food was very good and not greasy. However, it was expensive for the quality.“

“It always great food at Archie’s“

“Best hot dogs in Ct“

“The best place to eat in Branford for families! Their side entrance is super stroller-friendly and the Mac and cheese made my toddler (literally) dance! I can’t recommend Home enough!!“

“10 out of 10 ! Everything about it was great .“

“They catering from Cafe George by Paula has been phenomenal at each of my events--from the inventiveness of the offerings, the deliciousness of the food, and the affordability of the items, I would highly recommend Cafe George by Paula to anyone needing a creative, flexible, and top-quality catering option!“

“The food is great and the owners and staff are very friendly . The food is always good too .“

“I usually Don’t write food reviews but I’m fat sooooo….Ever have those tacos that claim to be a meal but eat like a snack , making you scramble to hit Dunkin afterwords for a coffee and a donut just because it doesn’t do it for you. So check these out ,Tacos that eat like a meal and it taste like the good lord himself is doing a flavor Harlem shuffle in yo mouth. Teddy B's Restaurant . Always leave room in your heart for these tacos! These would bring our country into Harmony, lowering crime rates, anonymous postings and sign thefts! Even in Lil ole’ Bethany. Noooo Doubt! Awesomeness!“

“best chicken franchise with lemon, spinach and mashed potatoes. compliments to the chef“

“We tried Bella’s Cafe a few weeks ago and had to go back! The food is incredible (the creamiest, most delicious cheese grits I’ve ever had). The strawberry rhubarb French toast special was next level. Staff is so friendly. If you are looking for yummy comfort food in a warm and inviting place, check out this spot!“

“Hands down the best pancakes I have had.“

“Small but well appointed seating area with great views of the city; carefully chosen menu selections – not an overwhelming number of options, but nice variety. Servings were ample and well prepared. We enjoyed soup & salad / braised short ribs. Our waiter was friendly and attentive but not intrusive. Prices - higher than I’d like but not out of line with similar establishments. Background music was appropriate for a relaxed, upscale dining experience – it wasn’t so loud that we had to shout over it to be heard (maybe this was one of the best features of our evening).“

“Top notch food and cocktails in a relaxed environment with reasonable prices.“

“We had a fun time celebrated a friend birthday! We really enjoyed the competition game. Food was delicious! Would definitely recommend it for a group outing“

“The food was amazing, loved every single bite, people were very respectful, I had the western omelet with bacon and sausage links, wheat toast. Me and my boss were looking for a good diner, and this place hit the mark, will be coming back!!“

“Decent drinks and food. Calamari is great for a bar. They haven't had the correct ingredients for drinks all week. Small things like cherries, orange bitters, orange peel, etc. Also run out of normal brands a lot.
Decent enough but a little pricey for not being able to get a correctly made drink.“

“We used Eli's On Whitney to celebrate my dad’s passing instead of doing a traditional funeral, and this was 100% the right choice.

We rented the downstairs space, which comfortably held around 50–80 people and gave us room to make it feel personal... memory tables, photos, all of it. They were very easy to work with from the beginning and let us have a lot of control over how everything looked and felt, which mattered a lot for something like this.

We went over all the food options ahead of time and everything was clearly laid out and communicated (timing, setup, etc.), which made the day itself run smoothly without us having to think about it. The buffet worked well for a gathering like this and everything came out on time.

There is an option for a bar downstairs, but we kept it upstairs..which worked out... It gave people a chance to step away, take a breath, and come back when they were ready.
Only thing to note is the downstairs space isn’t wheelchair accessible, so just something to keep in mind depending on your group.

They made something that could have been overwhelming feel really manageable. It didn’t feel like a “package” event..it felt like we were able to do it our way, and that meant a lot.

Would absolutely recommend if you’re looking for a space that’s flexible, organized, and easy to work with..especially for more personal gatherings like this.“

“Love it !! Unique experience“

“Great food, great drinks, great spot.“

“My fiancé and I have been coming here for the past 7 years. Never had a bad meal and the price is great for the amount you get. The people commenting badly about this place are definitely overreacting and probably live in Greenwich. Sounds like snobby bitter women.“