The Griswold Inn
Essex, Connecticut
We have been fortunate that vetting places in advance, checking menus, and even checking reviews of restaurants have led us to some fabulous places to eat over the years. Sometimes we get surprised, very rarely do we get disappointed. Our excursion to the Griswold Inn was one of those disappointments.
Lets preface our experience with the fact that the restaurant was at the end of long day-trip to Connecticut following some of Benedict Arnold’s footsteps while he was growing up and then after he had turned traitor. Connecticut is a larger state than it looks on a map – especially of you traverse it west to east, then down its eastern border to Essex. Maybe the day was just tiring. Or maybe we expected more.
The Griswold Inn is one of the longest continuously operated restaurants in America – starting in 1776. It has been used as a backdrop for numerous films and touted as the best restaurant in Connecticut; and coziest. Best bar-room in America, etc. The place is a legend. Make your own history, its website invites. Everything about the place oozed a great dining experience. They were the best at everything in Connecticut, New England and possibly America. Just ask them.
We arrived just before the formal dining areas were open, but there was a family room that did not require reservations. We asked to be seated there. The hostess brought us to another woman at a desk who, apparently, was in charge of the room and other dining areas. They had a conversation (or should I say began bickering?) over seating us. They clearly did not have their act together and professionalism went out the window. It was just us – two people. We were eventually led into the room – not nearly as big as touted on the website. This is where a rough start devolved further.
There was table with one chair that we were seated at. We needed another chair and – god forbid, tried to take one from an empty table of at least six chairs next to us. A rude woman seated at a distant table informed us they were holding the table and chairs for a party expected to join hers. Remember, no reservations for the room, right? We got a chair from another table. Mind you, we had to do this on our own. While we waited for the waitstaff, children were left unattended and buzzing around the room. This was the least annoying part of our dining experience. The table we couldn’t take a chair from remained empty until about 10 minutes before we left. Service was merely adequate, but no one took charge or responsibility for anything going on in the room.
After mulling over just getting up and leaving, we stuck it out. Maybe the food would make up for the lack of professionalism and general caring about maintaining a good atmosphere to eat in. By the way, this was BEFORE general dinner service – the place was not busy.
On to the food. Pretentious. The starter was in one of those ridiculously large, abject art style, bowls that could not distract from the ironically small portion inside. I see its not currently on the menu, so doesn’t warrant repeating what it was. Not that great tasting, either. The main entrees were small portioned and edible – nothing great, not horrible. The bill was not worth what we had to eat. There was a gift shop, but there was no desire to do what we usually do – but a memento of our visit.
Others may find this restaurant the coziest in America, but we didn’t. Perhaps it was a bad day for them. Perhaps another visit, with a different crew in charge, might make a huge difference. Maybe someday. Just not any time soon. Overall impression is that it was just an overhyped, pretentious eatery that should spend more time on the basics – food, atmosphere, professionalism – than counting on its illustrious history to convince people its worth a try.