Walrus + Carpenter

Several of the dishes are exceptional and deserve a five-​star rating. However, the portions are very small and a bit pricey. The chef is amazingly inventive, and this is one of the few places in Fairfield County you can take a colleague from Manhattan and not be embarrassed in the least. It is a meat place, so don’t take your vegan or salad friends here. But if you like barbeque, don’t mind small portions, and can’t get to Kansas City or Texas, it’s the best you’ll find, with a unique flair to the presentation. Ambience is excellent, wait staff is very good, and the food will never disappoint. My review is actually 4 ½ stars. It’s one of my go-​to places when I have to impress a date or a business colleague.

The restaurant is clean with nice décor and a good ambiance. The staff was friendly and courteous. However, the food was disappointing hence the two star rating. I really was expecting the food to be better given prior reviews and the prices.
We ordered the burnt ends and they were fatty and undercooked. The ribs were not tender at all. They certainly could have used more time in the smoker. The sides were good (collard greens and Mac and Cheese). I may give them another try to see if this was an off day but it’s hard to give a better review given the quality of the food.

This is my go to recommendation when figuring out dinner with friends. It’s a trendy, fun spot with great barbecue and drinks. The fried chicken is my favorite thing on the menu. I’ve also split the Notorious P.I.G. Platter, which is 3 courses of rotating dishes (apps, entrees/​sides, and dessert) that can feed 4 – 6 people. It’s a great way to try lots of their offerings. Also have had good brunch here and delicious gin Bloody Mary’s, nice and spicy. Will continue to go here!

One of my favorite places!!! I live walking distance, so being able to come here on a Saturday or Sunday for brunch with their awesome Bloody Mary with a rib in it puts a great start to my weekend. Obviously, if you haven’t heard already, their fried chicken is to die for.
Brunch chicken and waffles?! Um YES PLEASE!
Food is excellent, service is on the money, and the varying beer selections make this couple giddy.

Can you say SALT? Good lord I could not believe how salty every dish was, especially the fries. If the oil and grease doesn’t do me in, the salt probably will.

We came here for a few beers and some food. Service was great and so was the atmosphere. Very cool concept. All I remember is the bacon. They have a smoker in the back and they smoke their own bacon!

First time here, went for dinner with my husband. The setting is nice and casual. The food was amazing and steaming hot which I absolutely love! I ordered a cocktail called «Manhattan» and it was a bit too strong for me. The food portions were generous. Only downside, our server wasn’t the greatest. She came around maybe twice and when she gave us the check she never stopped by to take our money. Luckily we had cash. I will give this place another chance and hope that the service is better because the food is yummy.

Charging some ridiculous mark-​ups (even by industry standards) on popular bourbons.
I can’t endorse that.

Caught dinner here last night. Place is dimly lit and rustic but roomy. Great spot for families or date night or drinks at the bar. Ambience is relaxed and very laid back. Food was insane from the apps to the entrées. Strawberry rhubarb goat cheese almond salad was amazing to the burnt ends. The smoked chicken wings were fall of the bone cooked to perfection. Hangar steak was crazy good with creamed kale and roasted taters. Trout was crispy and cucumber salad was addictive! Food came out fast with tons of support staff running with food and water. Chef Andrew came to check on food at our table, which is always a nice touch. Definitely a great experience and we thought it was reasonably priced for quality of food. Definitely a neighborhood staple must stop destination!

Let’s start with the food which is solid but limited menu. Very authentic but not outstanding.
The four times trying the restaurant, the service is poor. Slow service and infrequent checking on us. Zero hospitality. Time to move on to something else.

Walrus + Carpenter is my over-​all second favorite restaurant, and my first favorite restaurant outside of New Haven. Here’s why.
Solid selection of spirits. All the spirits they offer are made in America.
Solid selection of beer on tap.
OUTSTANDING food. They have a sriracha-​honey fried chicken that is simply out of this world. If you’re going with a group of four, you have to get the Notorious P. I. G. It ain’t cheap, but it comes with nachos, maple pork belly, baby backs, andouille sausage, pork shoulder, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, cornbread, walrus pie, and chess pie. You’re pretty much guaranteed to have left-​overs.
OUTSTANDING service. The last time I was there, I got up to get my waiter’s attention to change my order and I was greeted by a different waiter, the bartender, AND the owner just to make sure everything was alright. I really liked how attentive they all were. That one incident aside, though, the wait staff is ALWAYS super-​friendly, attentive, helpful — and, goodness — patient. There have been times when my table (it’s never me!) is less than decisive, and the wait staff always takes it in stride.
The ambience is I guess rustic American, and I wouldn’t recommend the place for young families.

What a disappointment. We came for lunch and the food was mediocre — we had ribs and puller pork and biscuits. The biscuits were delicious but way way overpriced. My husband left over the ribs — unheard of. My pulled pork was okay but nothing special. We won’t be back

A great place for dinner if you have 3 hours to kill…
I have been to Walrus + Carpenter twice now-​once for drinks and once for dinner. When I went for drinks it was great; we sat at the bar, the beer selection was excellent and the staff/​bartenders were very friendly. Sadly, dinner was another story. While the food was great the fact that the service was SO slow really ruined the whole experience. The whole ordeal took nearly three hours (three people, 2 apps and 3 entrees) and our drinks were only refilled once. A table of guests sitting behind us also had the same problem. They seemed a little under staffed but we didn’t even get so much as an apology. Really unfortunate because I really liked everything else about Walrus + Carpenter.

Absolutely amazing! I love, loved the atmosphere.
I wish there were more places like this near me. We came in on a Saturday at 6pm. It was very busy, but the service was really great! I was really impressed.
The food was amazing. I had the brisket sandwich, which was really awesome. The brisket was moist, and the cole slaw was good and did not make it soggy. The fries were perfectly cooked, and the pickles it came with were amazing. We also had the baked mac and cheese which was great. It was a perfect consistency, and not too cheesy. My friends really enjoyed the fried chicken sandwich. It was a good option for them because they aren’t so into barbeque food and I dragged them here.
My only negative comment would be that it was a little pricey. My sandwich was $ 19, but there was a lot of brisket. It was cut thick, and the size of a large burger, so to me it was worth it. But, overall it’s pricey here.
They had an nice, large selection of beers, and a nice bar area. If I was ever in town, I would definitely come back here. I highly recommend it to anyone who lives around here

Food was so good. We stopped here on the way home on a long trip and it was so worth it. The prices are a little steep but the food is amazing. I recommend the sweet and sour ri

I love gastropubs, and try to visit infrequently, because I always eat something fried or unhealthy, and this no exception — and worth every minute.
The service was great, the waitress friendly and funny.
The food was across the board well-​made and delicious. I had the pleasure of enjoying the fried chicken and biscuit. The chicken was fried perfectly, and the inside was juicy. The biscuit was amazing, and the butter and maple syrup glaze brought everything over the top. With Brussel sprout side to round it out, the meal ended up being very pleasant, and at a price that wasn’t excessive as I have come to find with these types of restaurants.
I didn’t give it five stars because despite the excellent food, it is not somewhere I am dying to go back to multiple times. I would eat there again, no doubt, but that inherent desire the go back quickly wasn’t there.
If you find yourself in Bridgeport, this gem is worth a look!

You must read THIS review before coming so I can save you time, money and disappointment.
Food was mediocre at best.
Cocktails are way too expensive.
All portions were small but Shrimp and grits was $ 27 for what honestly should be called a children’s portion
The pecan pie was more like chocolate pudding.
What a disappointment and the good reviews of this place just show how uneducated some people are on food.

We called at 5:20 on our way there to see if we could get in for dinner on a Saturday night. They said they could! When we got there they greeted us kindly and told us they did have reservations for 730 for that table. I was thankful they told us before hand.
The decoration, the food, the wine, the atmosphere was great. Even the tv they had where we sat was appropriate for our 5 year old boy if he happened to look at it. Everything we got was amazing, well seasoned and delicious. I can’t wait to go back again. The only thing I would change is I was asked three times if I wanted my small plates cleared I said no each time because we like to use them to share meals. That was kind of annoying but at same time they were on top of clearing things. Also those benches are a killer on my back. But other then those two things loved it.
Well done. Even close to CASEUS status for me.

I think this pace is great. It’s a good mix of good food, good ambience, and good crowd. The food is pretty good, not the best bbq, but still satisfying. I went on a Saturday night and it was pretty crowded, lots of groups of friends grabbing dinner and drinks which just creates a fun atmosphere. The staff is great and super friendly. I didn’t have and cocktails, but I did have a few that I’m considering for the next time I’m there.
One of my gripes is the small menu. You definitely need to check the menu before coming in to make sure there is something that you want. It’s a mix of small plates and large plates, but I feel like you have to be in a specific mood to have most of the stuff. The bbq menu only has 3 options, and large plate selection is also lacking.

Walrus & Carpenter
I have to eyeing this place for months, and the reviews in Unilocal are great, so, finally I made it this place for an afternoon lunch.
The good — It’s a very clean place, and the people who work there are friendly and provide excellent service.
The bad — Personally, I was very disappointed. The menu selection is limited, and the food was just OK. To compare this place to other BBQ places in the area, I would have to give it a below par rating. The food was average at best, small portions, and simply nothing great.
I can see that others on Unilocal have a different opinion, and I respect that. For me, I think I will be staying away from this place.