East Village Tavern — Restaurant in East Longmeadow

I want to love this place but something is just holding it back, it's okay. You will definitely like it and not regret your visit!

The service: we had the pleasure of meeting a partner of the upcoming East Village Tavern. He was attentive and pleasant. The staff were also helpful but seemed frazzled, perhaps they were down a server that night, the girl in our section seemed super busy. The bartender didn't put garnishes (cherry for a fruit drink and olives for a martini), no biggie. We ordered bone-in wings and got chicken tenders instead. It was the little things...

The food: still remains imaginative, and hip. But other places that serve similar dishes use less fats and oils. The food here remains very heavy. It's very fatty and buttery which makes it taste amazing but really makes you sluggish. I wish they would cut back on the oil and butter a bit. And offer lighter options and dishes.

The Ruben was great. Fries were thin and crispy, with the option of sweet potato and truffle fries.

The highlight of our meal were the fried edamame that come with a spicy aioli sauce. We've never seen this done before, very creative and tasty.

The atmosphere: remains pretty loud, the bar in the center creates a lot of noise that's hard to get away from as the booths are built around it. It's an impressive setup with the long bar but not too practical. Other restaurants sperate the bar and dining for a reason, so the dinners can have intimacy and quiet and the bar can be rowdy and fun.

The place right now is sort of in-between a transition, turning from Craft 32 to East Village Tavern. So it's in a bit of a rough shape, walls are bare and unpainted. I hope to see the final product soon.

They plan on building a big patio...

If you're looking for the perfect spot to relax, enjoy a great meal, and feel like part of a community, look no further! We've gone to EVT about a dozen times now and it's always on point!

From the moment you walk in, you're greeted with a warm, family-friendly atmosphere that always makes us feel at home. The menu is fantastic, always something for everyone, from comfort food classics to delicious, creative specials. If you're a beer lover, they have tons of draft beer options that rotate regularly, so there's always something new to try.

The service is always top-notch. The waitresses are friendly, attentive, and genuinely care about making your experience great. The bartenders are knowledgeable and fun, they know their drinks, and they know how to take care of a crowd.

What really sets this place apart is the management and ownership. The team clearly cares about their staff, their customers, and the community. The owner is always around (very handsome), making sure everything runs smoothly and taking time to chat with guests. You can tell this isn't just a business to them, it's a passion, and it shows in every detail. They frequently host fundraising events as well and are becoming a pillar in the community.

Whether you're coming in with your kids for dinner, meeting friends for drinks, or just grabbing a quick bite, this place delivers every time. Can't...

After a year plus hiatus from going out to eat, my wife and I made the decision to finally put our vaccinations to good use and get some lunch. We used to frequent Bentleys often, and were eager to try the new (to us) Craft 32. They made accommodations for us to sit outside, as we're not on the comfort level of eating inside, and while the new patio was finishing up, they made sure we were accommodated regardless.

The service was excellent and our server was on top of everything. The drink menu has been elevated and brings together extremely interesting and delicious ingredients (get the tequila blueberry cocktail, you'll thank me). We ordered the charred octopus and coconut curry mussels, which were fantastic. The star of that round was certainly the mussels. If you're a fan of Thai food, it is a must have dish (seriously, I can't recommend this enough). As for the octopus, it was perfectly grilled with compliments of Spanish beans and a romesco puree, which is reminiscent to the little tapas bars I would frequent while on deployment in Spain. For the main dishes, we ordered the braised beef tacos, lobster tacos, and the Craft 32 burger. Everything was phenomenal, from the cook on the burger, to the slow and low spice heat on the tacos.

Extremely happy that we decided on Craft 32 on our first restaurant outing since covid began. I highly...