Apizza Abatè at The Lodge — Restaurant in East Haven

Was so excited to go Reserved a table in the dining room Got there, nice fireplace. Hostess/waitress sits us in a table near the back door I I thought it was because it was only two of us. Then I see another couple come in and sit at a table for four right near the fire. Ask the waitress why we couldn’t have sat there and she said because they chose that table when they made the reservations, OK I didn’t realize you could do that a few minutes later with the wind blowing in I asked the waitress/hostess what f they could please move over to the bar because of the breeze she says in a very matter-of-fact way. It’s probably cold over there too. Such great customer response so we moved to the bar and the bartender was really nice but very overloaded seem very disorganized. We ordered the lobster coquettes for an appetizer. They came out in about three minutes which made me believe they were just defrosted and thrown in the microwave, they were good. There was three of them for $17 not much of a value they were very small dinner was very good then when it came to desserts we ordered the moose chocolate cups nine dollars each they were as big as my thumb I said to the same waitress/host it was a good thing we ordered two and she said YEP! During this entire time, not one person came in to sit at any of those tables near the fire, that we wanted to sit at. We were there between seven and almost 9:30 PM. On our way out I mentioned that to the hostess that not a lot of people came in and she said Yep! Very very sarcastic. I don’t know who she thinks she is but that’s not what you want to do on the opening weekend. Kudos to the bartender trying to keep it together. She made a good...

The Lodge at Silver Sands - a newly opened hidden gem in East Haven with a menu full of delicious comfort food and unique entrees, 10/10 presentation on dishes, and a cozy vibe. We visited last night and started off with appetizers of the maple buffalo and garlic parm wings, as well as their honey bourbon mozzarella sticks. The wings were crispy and a great size, and the homemade pesto sauce with the garlic parm wings was a nice touch. I had never tried a mozzarella stick with a sweet flavor like honey bourbon before, and I was really impressed! My boyfriend took down “The Beast” burger for his meal, which is one pound of pure Omaha beef, topped with applewood smoked bacon, beer cheese sauce, and the Lodge’s homemade maple buffalo sauce. It was cooked perfectly to medium rare as he requested, and he would gladly take down another one! I had their mac and cheese, and I loved that they used shells for pasta and that it was served in a cast iron pot. You could definitely taste the beer used in the cheese, but it was a great flavor that I enjoyed. We ended the night with their homemade tiramisu and left very full and happy. They have a huge fireplace that will be nice to cozy up by in the winter months, TVs for you to watch the game, and a bar with a wide variety to choose from! My boyfriend chose Oban 14 year whisky with his meal. You don’t have to be a member of the Silver Sands club to dine here, so head down to East Haven - The Lodge is...

Abate’s at the Lodge – absolutely unacceptable.

I came in and very clearly explained that I’m vegan. I ordered the gluten-free crust pizza with no cheese and broccoli rabe. After waiting nearly 20 minutes while the rest of my table was served, I was finally told they “don’t have” gluten-free crust—even though it’s on the menu.

I then ordered sautéed broccoli rabe and made it clear multiple times that I did not want sausage. What did I get? Broccoli rabe with sausage. Sent it back. What came out next was so salty I could barely eat it. This didn’t feel like incompetence—it felt like punishment.

Why? Because earlier, a child at a nearby table screamed and spilled a drink. I glanced over—like any normal person would. Turns out it was the hostess’s family. She saw me look, got offended, and spoke with the waitress before my food was completely messed up—not once, but twice.

This wasn’t bad service. This was petty, passive-aggressive retaliation. That kind of behavior is dangerous when people rely on your staff to respect dietary needs. Whether it’s veganism, allergies, or anything else—food should NEVER be used to settle personal grudges.

I will never return. And if you have dietary restrictions or any expectations of professionalism, I strongly suggest you...