The Stand Branford — Restaurant in Branford

WOW.

When Herodotus listed his seven wonders of the world, clearly he has not been to Branford, Connecticut. Specifically, he has not had the pleasure of feasting at The Stand, one of New England's finest sons. As the great ziggurats of Mesopotamia tower over Babylon, so does this restaurant stand as a monument to this most devastatingly beautiful civlisation. When the Founding Fathers did battle to ensure the liberty of this blessed terrain, they did so with taverns like The Stand in mind. Its wooden tables and ambient lighting serve as a subtle nod to the Americana, that white picket fence and smell of apple pie which ties us all together (not me, I'm British).

But one cannot sing the praises of this establishment without also mentioning one woman in particular. She doth bestride the restaurant like a colossus, taking orders faster and more efficiently than the Roman cavalries of Caesar. Her smile, warmer than that of a Florida morning in the height of August, is a testament to the amicable environment of this restaurant, and one cannot help but feel at home. Indeed, Ella, through her abundant service, bringing me american pale ales by the crate, furnishing our table with banquets consisting of fried pickles and other such New England delicacies, earned herself a rather gratuitous tip of 100%, which I nevertheless fear does not amply compensate her for the service she provided. Frankly, there is not enough tea in China, not enough guns in Texas, not enough traffic jams in Connecticut that could equal the service that Ella did provide us that fateful night.

Look upon her works, ye mighty, and despair! The greatest restaurant in all the ends of this earth....

I have been here on two occasions. The decor is unique and is a great atmosphere. The restaurant does not have table service and you order at the counter. There does appear to be a full bar but I have not tried any of their beers or cocktails.

The first time I tried the pulled pork sandwich and Mac and cheese which were pretty good.

The second time I came with a guest for Sunday brunch. My guest had the chicken and waffles which were great. The chicken was extremely moist and seasoned very well with a honey flavor. The maple syrup had a spice to it and the waffles were well done. It was overall a good flavor combo with two large pieces of chicken for $9.

Conversely, I had the BBQ pork belly eggs Benedict which were absolutely terrible. It consisted of two tiny portions which were overpriced at $13. It was served to me and one of the pieces was not even assembled. It looked like someone knocked it over and just served it to me anyway. The biscuits were awful. They looked like two thin smashed English muffins. They were very salty and had no flavor and a very very dense consistency. Each biscuit had a tiny sliver of overly salty and tough pork belly meat. The poached eggs were overcooked and not done properly. The hollandaise sauce had zero flavor and was very runny. I absolutely hated my meal and only ate half of one piece. I brought the meal to the counter and asked them to throw it away. I did not ask for anything or tell the staff I did not like it, but no one seemed to notice I ate nearly none of it. I left hungry and ended up eating elsewhere with $14 missing...

My wife and I recently hosted a wedding rehearsal dinner at The Stand for about 40 people. If you are looking for a venue to host any type of special event in the Branford area, look no further – this is the place!! I initially contacted three venues in the area and Joy (The Stand’s manager) was by far the most responsive and helpful in putting together what was a phenomenal evening – all planned by phone, email, and text message. It was a Connecticut (bride) - Virginia (groom) wedding and Joy suggested a Southern Flair BBQ theme for the rehearsal dinner – pulled pork, smoked chicken, and bbq salmon – along with all the traditional sides – mac n cheese, baked beans, collards, as well as grilled vegetables – all amazing. We added a grazing table for the cocktail hour the week before the event – which included our request for pimento cheese – a hit with our new northern extended family. We had the event on the covered patio – beautifully decorated. The wedding party children enjoyed the outdoor yard games. We finished the evening with a tiered custom cookie bar and fresh fruit. The service was impeccable! Bonus – live old school rock and roll music at the end of dinner!! I really cannot say enough great things about every aspect – planning, communication, pricing, venue, service, food – you name it, Joy and The...