Friends & Company Restaurant — Restaurant in Madison

First, and most importantly, their food is UNREAL! Everything from their appetizers to entrees and desserts are beyond delicious. The reason I had to write this review (5 stars- wish there were more to give) is because of the kindness of Brian, head chef and owner of Friends and Company, who so kindly went out of his way to host my family after my grandfather's burial. This was a very difficult day for my 92 year old grandmother, mother, and the rest of our family, and he kindly took care of everything for us- from creating a menu that was exactly to my grandmother's liking, being flexible with our requested hours, providing a wonderful variety and selection of food choices, being generous with his event space, and even opening his restaurant early to accommodate us. His prices were more than fair, and the food was amazing! The cuscus salad was mouth-watering, chicken Florentine was delicious and flavorful, the bread was fresh, and the desserts were the best I have ever had. I wish I lived in CT because I would visit there every week to make sure I supported this restaurant. There are few people in this world as kind, caring, empathetic, generous, and wonderful as Brian, and we were lucky to have our event at...

The quality of the food here is good, but its menu is very limited; it takes years for them to add new items to it. Also, the interior has a lot of dark wood and it has poor lighting, which give the place a tired, dated feeling. Good luck finding a diner there without white hair or silver hair--the average age of the customer base must be about 78.

This restaurant used to have a delicious twist on a grilled cheese--it was made with goat cheese and pesto, but unfortunately, they have removed it from the menu. They only have one type of burger, which is really basic. Compared to burgers I've had at other restaurants in this area, Friends & Co.'s burger is just OK.

If you are in the mood for a burger, I would suggest instead trying Haywire Burger Bar in Westbrook, or Jack Rabbit's in Old Saybrook. Either place is...

I'll preface this with the fact that the staff is extremely friendly and thoughtful, and the food is good. I'd definitely return when the outside deck is open again. Now to the warning, the crowd of regulars is... older ...much older. To the point that we we're apologized to since it was assumed we must have been uncomfortable and I'm hardly a child at 35. Now don't let that stop you from visiting, the fireplace was cozy, and the food and friendly staff are welcoming. You just want to be warned if you are younger and maybe come at a less busy time so you aren't out numbered so much haha. We we're told the crowd is much different in the warmer months, so we'll certainly have to come find out then. I really do appreciate their consideration. Though to me it was mostly amusing since it was so unexpected it...