Eli Cannon's

User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Great beer, good food, the best atmosphere of just about any bar in CT.

Eli's is, first and foremost, a beer lover's paradise. Not a single Anheuser-Busch product here--bottles of Sam Adams or cans of PBR are the closest you'll get. About thirty imports (Guinness, Bass) and micro-breweries (Rogue, Brooklyn, Long Trail) are represented on the ever-changing chalk board roster, which also lists the date they were tapped. They take beer *seriously*. Dozens of Belgians available in the bottle.

Nice selection of wines by the glass, sippin' tequilas and single malt scotches.

The menu is overhauled once a year at their Mardi Gras/Birthday party. Standard sturdy pub fare is complemented by some wonderfully non-standard surprises. The Voodoo Tuna roll is a spicy wonder. Adobo Wings are a dry-rub reinterpretation of the classic (also available, and hot as you want). Reubens are delicious - corned beef that is tasty and fresh. Salads are large and fresh. Huge menu takes many, many visits to truly explore.

The atmosphere is total visual stimulation. Yes, you can watch "Blade Runner", skateboarding videos or the Red Sox game, but the TVs compete with an amazing collection of antiques, oddities and souvenirs hanging from the walls, the ceilings, and each other. That offhand casual-cluttered junk-art look that so many places strive for but miss? Eli's comfortable chaos is what they aiming for.
Barber chairs for lounging, cozy booths for a few, huge open tables for many. In the summer, there's a wondrous patio out back that continues the decorating 'theme'; it's spacious and absolutely relaxing. Service out here can be a little slow if they're busy, but the staff is pleasant and very competent.

The crowd is mixed. College kids, blue collars and professionals, post-movie dates.... Eli's draws people from well outside of Middletown. It's the cross-roads of Connecticut, and one of the few places where strangers actually strike up a conversation. On any given night it can be crazy or mellow. Weekends are obviously crowded, although it tends to thin out after midnight. (They don't draw a lot of club-kids doing Jager-bombs until closing.) Like any pub, the bathrooms can get a little scary on a busy night.

Parking on the street or in the lot right next door off (the side street). Stairs lead from the lot right to the front door.

Eli's is the kind of place that doesn't blow you away on the first visit, it just pleases and intrigues you. But it only becomes more intriguing each time you go back.

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User Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

A fun place to go to for a pint with friends. Pub food OK, nothing special. Can get crowded and noisey at times, but that is part of the charm.

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User Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The beer selection is great. Eli's has the best bar menu I've ever seen. For a bar in Connecticut I'd say it's one of the best.

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