City Steam Brewery Café

Food expensive. Not happy with overall menu. Good beer. Like Mac and cheese! more

I am not a complainer...and don't like to write a bad review like this, but this was the worst! Ten of us headed into Hartford on Saturday evening to see the Cirque du Soleil show and have what we'd hope was a fun pub meal. Well, it was anything but fun. The place was practically empty, should have been a sign and we should have left! It was almost an hour before our waitress brought us our drinks...first she insisted that three of us ordered very dirty martini's. Wrong - they ordered very dry martini's. Finally, after a bit she took the martini's back and brought back dry martini's. The tonic was flat for the 2 Bombay and tonics, and the beer was anything but ice cold. We ordered appetizers and our dinners at the same time, as it was now 6:30 and we needed to walk to the tent...and be out of there in an hour. The appetizers came and most were okay. I ordered a small appetizer and a mini mac 'n' cheese for my dinner...well,my cold, almost uneatable tostada was served to me with all the other apps. Besides being cold and dried out it was short of the diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, etc. A wilted, warm ceasear salad was served to another guest. I have to admit the cobb salad actually looked good, but the waitress didn't bring any dressing until all others were finished with our meals and trying to get organized to leave for the show...and it just went on and on. Finally - it was 7:40 and we really needed to get out of there - we got our check and the waitress did not take off the $30+ for the three dirty martini's. And since there were 10 of us they kindly added in an 18% tip We were all disappointed, and I was most embarased as I suggested this place. Never again. We've been to the comedy club in the past, but had never had a meal. Terrible! Of course, I should have read the previous reviews and we'd have gone anywhere else!! It's my own fault. Pros: Nothing! Beer was just above room temp! Cons: slow service, wilted salads, waitress must have been new more

Walked in at 5p on a FRIDAY .No one around, sat down and we were told with-in seconds. "YOU MUST CHECK IN' before sitting down . The HOst desk was towards the back of the place, not something you see walking in. Sat at a table of 10 and had to leave early. I asked for my portion of the the bill. OH I cant do that till everyone leaves. MY guess they were worried about a tip. I eye balled what I felt was my portion and leaving NO TIP, Have had numerous problems in the past and had hope things would get better. NEVER AGAIN. Pros: nothing Cons: poor service more

We had a wonderful meal and service tonight. My wife and I had just experienced a "downer" event and the restaurant was extremely understanding and helpful. We both had salads that were excellent. Anthony, the manager, was excellent in understanding our situation and was extremely helpful. more

This was maybe our sixth or seventh dinner at this restaurant in the last 2-3 years. WE WILL NOT RETURN ANY SOON! First they have to fire the chef for the bland, bordering on tasteless food he sent out to 6 out of 7 diners, then the head waiter should get the boot for his staff delivering tepid warm food after waiting about 45 minutes for the main course (yes, it is difficult to bring out 7 hot dishes at the same time, but somehow good restaurants manage) The Special of the Day main course, Vegetarian Paella - abominable!. That paella did not see a pan, a pinch of saffron and I doubt even the presence of olive oil - it was a tasteless watery stew of rice and vegetables in some even more tasteless broth. It was sent back to be replaced by a substandard Classic Cobb Salad. Why substandard you'd ask? How can you murder a salad? Well, the only cooked ingredient in it, a poor chicken's breast, was cold, rubbery, and bland (a few seconds on a hot grill with some smoke flavor would have saved the day for the poor salad). Luckily, the recepy called for raw vegetables, just cut and place on a plate; oh yes, the chopped hard boiled egg was fine too. The (3 orders of) Beer Braised PotRoast was OK if you IGNORE the blandness of the meat and the cold mashed potatoes; I doubt the meat was marinated with spices before braising it. The carrots and celery were fine, but we wanted the meat and potatoes...... The (2 orders of) Grilled Halibut was graded a solemn & silent "Eeeeh, OK"; its strong fish aroma kept me from tasting it. The only satisfied diner was the (1 order of) Baby Back Rib Platter, lucky b..... Did not dare order deserts. And they had the gall to add 18% to the bill. What happened to the previous elaborate menu? In retrospect, they are better off with the current abbreviated one, less chances of ruining dishes. The 1Star rating is there just because the website forces me to rate at least one; none is too many in this case Pros: Location Cons: Food more

I had the opportunity to vist Hartford Steam in between games at the XL Centr for a meal with friends They were understaffed for some reason and had to turn away dozens of diners but that is not my main gripe. We had reservations and were quickly seated and provided with beverage. We had simple requests, a burger and two chicken sandwiches. We waited for almost a half hour to be served and the food was next to cold and very dry as if the plates were sitting somewhere before the depleted wait staff was able to bring it to our table. We will not be visiting Hartford Steam for our next dining experience and do not recommend this place for a pleasant dining experience. more

This was a place that was recommended by our hotel staff. My husband is a beer drinker, me not so much, but I really enjoyed having lunch here. Being from another state, we had no idea where to eat. After a long plane ride this really place was the perfect spot to unwind. The food was incredible, the service was good and the place was clean! We each had a beer - he had the Naughty Nurse and I had something "Russian"? . . . both were very good. I would recommend this to anyone. Pros: Food, drinks and service - the patio is nice for a late lunch Cons: parking more

I have eaten here twice and the only reason I went back a second time was I thought maybe the first time they were just having a bad night. With the wide variety of restaurants in Hartford there is no reason to put up with a place like City Steam. During the course of our dinner we had three different wait people,when that happens they don't know what you are drinking or any special instructions you may have given.Our wait person was hardly around and when he did show up it was because we had asked for him.We were never offered desert or coffee.Lastly there was standing dirty water in the sink in the mens room which was very dirty. Cons: very bad service,dirty restrooms more

Everyone needs a little variety and whether you are going out for some beers, dinner, comedy show or pool, City Steam is the place for you. I would call it an upscale Chuck E Cheese for adults. The food is good as is the beer. Good location in downtown Hartford and warm, cozy feel although the space is very large. more

I went to City Steam on 1/31 for my 21st birthday. The food was great, and our waitress Amy was the best and she was able to put up with our rowdy crowd. After about 5 beer bongs, and a ton of shots and mixed drinks. We paid our $500 dollar bar, which for the amount we drank seemed to be an excellent value. I live near New Haven, but will have no problem driving up to hartford to go to city steam (as long as I don't have to drive back). Pros: Service, Naught Nurses, Food more

City Steam is a "can't fail". Good pub grub, live music, good atmosphere and a comedy club. Always something to do and a good time. more

I don't like beer, generally, but the stuff here is so fresh and good that I actually do like it. The food's great and the deserts are divine! Incredible atmosphere surrounded by happy people and happy servers. Then there's the entertainment... Live music and the Famous BrewHaHa live comedy every week. Gotta' go people, it's one of the best spots in the city. Pros: Great food, Great drinks, Great Atmosphere more

One of the best places to meet in Hartford. the atmosphere is awesome. First date, business, dinner, and alot of savvy versatile people. If you don't fall into this category you need to get with it! more

With its vaulted ceilings, and numerous staircases even the ambience of City Steam is excellent. My meal was all American--an incredible cheeseburger, perhaps some of the best fries I have ever eaten, and a superb rootbeer (which they make on site) float that topped off a perfect lunch in Hartford! Pros: Incredible Foods, Great Menu Selection, Great Architecture Cons: Parking more