Elmer’s Great Oak’s Pizza Restaurant

Went to Elmer’s for the first time since graduating in 2014, and I was surprised to see the place had doubled in size since I had last visited. A package store that occupied the building with Elmer’s closed and the bar was able to expand into that space, allowing for a much greater occupancy and less of a claustrophobic feeling on busy nights that hurt the bar pre-​expansion.
I went on a Thursday night, which is the Elmer’s busiest night (I’m assuming since it’s the unofficial start of the weekend for most CCSU students), and what would have been a crowded mess before was a lot more manageable with essentially twice the room as before.
Thursday night specials included $ 3 Fireball shots (again — college bar), and $ 3 mini pitchers, which yielded roughly 4 glasses each. Very cheap and perfect for the cash-​strapped college crowd.
Since it is the only bar within walking distance of the CCSU campus that I know of, and located very close to the school’s highway on/​off ramps, Elmer’s should never be hurting for business, at least while school is in session.
Come winter or summer breaks, however, I could see the Elmer’s being pretty dead, since most of the surrounding area is populated by the CCSU campus and students who live in the cheap apartments across the street.

It’s perfect for what it’s meant to be, a college bar. Not too pricey and classic bar foods. Oh and the staff is awesome !

Don’t go on a Thursday when school is in session .That’s apparently when all the Central Students really party. During the summer you can still find parking. They have karaōke on Friday nights. They do have a few craft beers on tap so they are staying current with the demands of the youth. They also have a side deck that allows smoking. It’s got a roof, tall tables, and stools.
On your way out you can grab pizza by the slice. I can’t really give an accurate review on the pizza, but I remember scarfing down.

A fun dive to hang out at, get a nice cold beer, and if you’re a local, you’re bound to bump into someone that you know. I went to CCSU and hung out here all the time so I guess I’m a bit biased! The food is nothing special but it’s cheap and satisfies. Avoid this place at all costs on Thursday nights during the school semester if you’re like me and don’t really like big crowds.

Great times at this place over the year. Official Dive. A campus legend. Pretty good wings. Decent music. A chill place for friends to hang out with decent menu options. Locals have a cool place right off the highway and accessible by local roads to get to. Gets packed on Thursdays. Has been the case for decades!
Grade: C

I’ve had some good times here, my first experience on campus was going here with my roommate and playing pool, and the food is awesome, great pizza and eggplant grinders woooheeee

This is a great, little spot for cold beer and great wings. The wings were double fried and really very good. The pizza was good but no awesome. This is next to the college and assume it who they cater to. Good people run the restaurant with a separate bar area.

Elmers is well known around New Britain, especially by students at CCSU. As a former student and alumni, I know the place very well. It has a casual bar feel, with a mix of locals, students, and people stopping in for a quick beer after work. If you were of age in the area, you’ve probably been to Elmers at least once, making it a good spot to meet up with friends because everyone knows where it is.
The inside is generally clean, but the booths/​tables are definitely dated. This is evident in the «restaurant» attached to the bar, which houses about 8 booths. I’ve only been a couple of times during the day, and many many times at night, and I’ve never really seen anyone actually dine there. The food consists of pizza, deep fried items (chicken, mozz sticks, fries, etc) and some grill options (burgers mostly). The food is actually good too, and the kitchen is open pretty late. The staff in the kitchen will bring your food to the bar for you so you don’t have to wait around for it to cook. They also have slices for pretty cheap, and they serve them all night.
The bar itself is fun, especially if you are looking to go out and have a wild time. Like I said earlier, Thursday night while CCSU is in session is the busiest night by far. It can get pretty crazy and really crowded, there were even times when I had to wait outside because they were over the building capacity. Weekends and most of the week it is pretty low key if you are just looking to have a couple drinks with friends. Prices are generally on par or sometimes cheaper than the surrounding bars, which also attracts a lot of younger people.
One of the biggest pains there is parking, it is very limited (especially on busy nights) and is very tight. I have personally witnessed close calls of people driving too fast and either almost hitting someone or something, so just be careful. Also, they really need to renovate the interior. They have not really done any interior improvements since I’ve started going there, which is about 6+ years. Like I mentioned earlier, the tables and booths have seen better days, and the general atmosphere of the place is sort of unsettling. If they renovated the place it would be a lot better. They do have a nice back patio area, there’s plenty of room and seating for everyone.
Bottom line: If you want a casual night out, or if you want to rage, Elmers probably has a night for you. It’s worth checking out, but it may not be for everyone.

Great college bar atmosphere, you’ll know someone there every night. Great people, careful of slow staff… Not the brightest bunch of girls. Stay away from most of the food unless your constipated: stick with the curly fries, nachos, and drink/​pitcher specials. Mixed drinks are made poorly unless it’s a jack and coke. Shots get expensive.

Typical College dive. NEVER go on Thursday night unless CCSU is on break.