Silo Restaurant

I had family visiting from Chicago and decided to take them to the Silo restaurant for dinner. This was my first visit and I could not have asked for a better experience. We started the evening with cocktails in the lounge. The bartender was great; quite knowledgeable. We were greeted by the owner who made us feel at home and checked up often to ensure our satisfaction. The restaurant is very cozy, warm and rustic. Great place if you are looking for a quiet dinner. Our waiter was impressive, very attentive and friendly. Food was spectacular; portions were large. I do recommend if you visit to save room for the coconut cheesecake. Overall this was the best dining experience I have had since moving to Connecticut. It is obvious that the owner and staff take pride in the work they do, which is rare. I will be back! Pros: Attentive staff, great food more

We had high hopes my girl friend and I went back and were not surprised at the sub par service and cold food. We did have a 10 min wait and were placed a dark area in back corner. It took for ever to be waited on and the food was cold when it came to table. The veggies were over done and also cold. The one good thing was the warm bread and salid was also good. We alwats loved the Silo and hoped the place changed hands and the new owners perked things up. I guess the place is either good or very bad from what have learned. We are not going back unless we see some real changes. Pros: There is hope Cons: Same old Silo needs change more

I guess I am not the only one that likes the salmon. I signed on as ""salmon"" and had to go up to ""salmon5"" to get an ID. It tasted great, with all kinds of spices and fruit on it. Like I said, it tasted great. The bread was soft and warm. I went with the soup. My wife went with the salad and said the dressing was outstanding. We read the mixed reviews and don't understand all the one stars that this place got. It is clean. It is quiet. The service was great. Joanne was very pleasent as well as efficient. We did not go in the bar, but standing at the door, it looked very nice. Our drinks were very reasonable. In the bar, they had a piano. We were told they have entertainment, but we were too early. My wife had chicken. Her favorite and she enjoyed her meal. We skipped desert as we were full. We will go back the next time we are in the area. Pros: Nice drinks. Great food. Nice place to relax. more

Stopped in with my wife and a friend who had just left work. We ordered the lobster special. Also the seafood bisque. Both were excellent. Drinks were priced reasonably. The owner stopped by to ask if everything was acceptable. Our friend forgot his cell phone, the owner loaned his cell phone to our friend so he could make a call to the hospital. Waiter (Gary) was very good at providing drinks and food in a timely manner. We plan to go back there next month. A group of retirees get together once a quarter. I will take them there next quarter. Great food and excellent service. Pros: Nice place to have a quiet dinner in the dinning room. Also has a piano bar if you are so inclined. more

We went there 2 weeks ago with friends. They had been there one time before with us last year. They wanted to go back when they came to town. We were happy with the service. Greeted us on arrival and did not rush us to order. Drinks were good. Waitress was great, and we tipped accordingly. My salmon was excellent--I order salmon 9 times out of 10 when I go out. The other 3 dinners, I was told were great also. We over stayed our welcome, well past the bill being paid and no one pushed us out the door or tried to hard sell desert and coffee. The owner stopped at our table and talked with us, since she recognized my wife and I. We will continue to go back. I highly recommend and do not feel this rating is over blown. Pros: Service, food, drinks and large booths. more

Just a huge let down. Like the others my steak was tuff and hard to cut. Wife and I even live on Yarde Drive and know the family that owns the place. They are nice people. The quality of the food was school lunch line quality at best. This must be the end of the line for the Silo. Advice is please don't waste your gas or your money this place has gone down hill and its time for a make over. The couple we went with told us not to go here but we did out of repect for the family. They were not surprised the food was poor and service was the same. Our advice go to Wood n Tap better food and prices to match. Pros: Its the Silo great History what went wrong Cons: Food is just like the review poor and service the same more

I periodically review restaurants within Hartford and New Haven County. I certainly had higher expectations of the Silo. The meal wasn't properly prepared and although I returned my steak for another cut of beef, the second dish was at best mediocre. My basic pasta dish wasn't properly prepared. There appears to be an ambience of apathy among employees. Pros: During this particular ocassion I can not cite a positive given cost/quality ratio Cons: Meal preparation, cut of steak, pasta dishes, general mood more

What happened? Please its all about the food and service and thats the problem here. Something is wrong here. Need new management is the way I see it. This is a trend with many of the old places. Work on the food. Watch the food network and get some ideas. Wife and I will stick to ChowderPot\r \r The service was bad because the staff was to busy talking to each other. The food was tasteless and lacked flavor. Pros: I like the old place Cons: Food and service poor. The reviews are correct. more

We just moved back to CT and we checked the place out for old times. The food was fair but something was missing in the menu . The chicken dish my wife had was over cooked and my pasta was also over cooked. \r \r I always said the Silo is a family place to eat. Prices are good for the area and the people are always nice to us. We always loved the place and will still go back. The place was about the same as we remember it inside with some minor updates. \r \r I agree with the person that said keep it about the food. \r \r Work on your simple dishes please. We will be back. We do write ups for the local paper in Avon and we try to be honest. Also watch your prices we come from Avon because of the value. \r \r My advice would be to keep it simple. The Silo was always the best place to get a good meal. Don't go after the fancy dishes. Go back to your roots. more

As far as the past reviews, it is obvious that this person, under several names, has a vendetta against one or all of the family members of the Silo Restaurant. To critique of ""spoiled kids get a real job"", this writer obviously knows, not from dining experience, that the family all works there. An average diner would not know this unless you frequent the restaurant often. To speak of ""running numbers"" and ""taking bets""-hello- have you heard of OTB or On Line Betting????? Or were you one to loose a bet to have first hand experience 30 years ago??? Get over it, it's the 21st century.\r You speak nothing of the food or your dining experience because you are nothing but a malicious person who obviously is very inmature, has a grudge and strikes with a pen. \r If I was to make and educated guess or a ""sure bet"" it would be that every bad review on this site was written by the same looser with a grudge! Oh, that would be you!!! Oh, and I would win that bet!!! Pros: excellent food, very consistent, lovely fireplaces in bar and dining room, tableside cooking more

The reviews were right on the money. The place is a run down and needs to be sold. This family has taken every dime out of the place and has put nothing back. Its time to sell and have these spoiled kids get a real job and start earning a honest living. My wife said the place is a meat market and not a place to take a family. The place has been known for years for a place to go if you want to run numbers or make a bet. I don't know about you but I don't want to take my family to a place like this. A place like this doesn't belong in Farmington! Pros: Nice location Cons: Poor food and service more

Table was dirty, food was average at best. Service was subpar, We won't return. Ownership certainly doesn't take pride in this bar/restaurant. This was our second and final trip to the Silo. I don't understand how they can afford to stay in business. Pros: location is convenient Cons: dirty, unsanitary, and poor service more

\r \r In a world of ever changing fads and choices it is always interesting to reflect on how good consistancy and longevity can feel, let alone taste.\r The Silo Resttaurant certainly knows about longevity and consitancy, and it certainly tastes good.\r \r A fixture to weary travelers passing thru the Town of Farmington or simply a place where locals know the food is always delicious, The Silo boasts a wide array of entre classics and very edible family fair served in friendly surroundings and overseen by family and friends.\r The Main Dinning Room is open yet intimate, allowing for business lunch or dinners or Family affairs without feeling either conspicuous or hemmed in.\r The wait staff for the most part seem to have found a home since the times that I have been there the faces don't seem to be different which to me seems to bring a feeling of hominess to the already elegant and personal atmosphere.\r \r It has been sad that ""one should often give more thought to where one eats, than to what ones eats"".\r At the Silo, you can have it all.\r A very broad menu of choices in entre's or deserts provides ample chances to savor world class yet distinctly simple dishes, served with an understated, yet fairly complete choice of wines.\r \r I tend to stick with the world of what I know but the Silo makes that requirement an easy one. The owners are always there and the hours of operation are as reliable as the sun. Best of all, the service and food remains stable and simple.\r \r I had heard that the place was being sold but I was assured that they were open for business and intended to stay that way.\r A good choice for either business or pleasure. \r The Silo seems an easy choice, and one that rewards consistancy with taste and coziness. more

As they say, don't judge a book by its cover, as is so true in these reviews. We recently visited this restaurant and found it to be OUTSTANDING! From the moment we arrived to the time we left the food was excellent, the staff and management were very courteous, what more could you ask for? I must say this restaurant was very clean, I saw no no filth as mentioned in other reviews, why must people be so vindictive? Come and see for yourself and you will be pleasantly surprised by the decor, superb food and the hospitality of the management and staff. more

After having read the reviews of the Silo on this site, I was skeptical about going but some friends talked me into joining them last Friday night. I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised! We ordered a ceasar salad, steak Diane, and bananas foster, all three expertly prepared tableside by the manager and all 3 were wonderful! I ordered the linguini with white clam sauce. It came loaded with clams and was the best I've ever had! I found Gary the manager to be very friendly and professional, not at all what I've read here. My friends, who have dined there on many occasons were shocked when I told them what had been written about him here. They seem to draw a nice after-work crowd on Friday's in the lounge and many of them appeared to be regulars. I will definitely be returning! more

If you like gambling places, bookies, and running numbers this place is for you. A real mans bar. Very Italian more

The man that manages this place has really driven it into the ground over the past 20 years. A little spoiled brat that inherited everything from mommy and daddy however never worked an honest day in his life. This manager is a slovenly creature too. He's rude, sexist, and filthy more

This place is a cheap meat market. Save yourself the headache. Every time we ordered drinks they arbitrarily charged us a different amount. Unprofessional. more

I went to this bar after getting out've work a few years back, with a few other girlfriends. That was a mistake. The pudgy little owner wouldn't leave us alone, he kept hitting on us despite the fact we showed no interest in him. Never again. Sleaze joint. The Silo is truly a slovenly rundown environment. more

Such ludicrous and nonsensical diatribe posted by this owner and her friend here in Citysearch. I see two people both taking part in the denigration and agreement of something indiscernible. That aside, during a recent business gathering at the Silo Restaurant, I found both service, and food at best mediocre, the ambience was uncomfortable for a few of us. more