The Main Course — Restaurant in Manchester

(Last visited June 26, 2023). So, fun fact. We heard of this place opening in place of another restaurant. We paid this place a visit on November 26, 2022 and absolutely LOVED IT. So we came back. Here's why!

Atmosphere/Appearance: Set right in downtown Manchester, CT is this gem. It's near the "beginning" if you're coming from the highway. There's no private parking, but there's plenty of free parking on the street and huge parking lots around the back. That's one reason I love Manchester. If we're coming out here to spend money, don't charge us to park our car so that we CAN go spend money! Lol. Inside is like a bit of a tavern and nothing out of the ordinary. It's a little on the small side so just make sure you get here!

Service: Alexis behind the bar took care of us both times and she was awesome. She no longer works there and has moved on to owning her own business so we wish her the best!

Food: Wings, wings, wings. Every flavor. You need to have them all. Jerk, Parmesan Garlic, Buffalo Rub, Candied Bacon Rub and Everything But The... I'm so serious when I say this. These are probably the best wings in Manchester. Aside from the flavors themselves, the CHICKEN ITSELF has a smokey flavor that also delivers a crispy skin and juicy inside. My goodness they were so incredible, but my favorite was Everything But The... it's basically Everything Bagel seasoning, but you can't go wrong with any of the flavors.

Value: Get here for happy hour! 3:00pm to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. I actually hate those happy hour hours, 'cause like... don't most people get off at like 5:00pm?! Lol. Regardless, 8 BIG JUICY wings will run you $12.00 and that's actually a VERY good deal for what you get.

In conclusion, I loved it here and will come back over and over. Not only is this place awesome, but there is a mission statement created by MACC Charities when they launched their social enterprise, Bistro on Main, their predecessor. They set out to support, train, and provide opportunities for individuals with barriers to stable employment. By offering a jobs training program that would help them develop employable skills. What does this mean to them? While they are not the same organization, they have set out to continue the mission of doing good within the community while also offering an enjoyable dining experience. The goal is to continue to collaborate with those organizations who provide support for individuals in our community with the most need, such as MACC Community Kitchen or similar educational programs. Both on a permanent basis through specific menu items or on a rolling basis. So, ask us what organization we are supporting...

All around lousy. Amazingly poorly designed and run. Tables are tiny and jammed together. Often there's barely room to move your chair back. Harsh lighting, often on the wall next to where people are sitting very uncomfortably glaring in their eyes. Some tables tho are just dark. Not dimly lit, but like they forgot to turn the lights on. Parking is lousy. Service is awful. I ordered a diet coke. I clearly said diet coke. The waitress brought some nasty tasting soda and tried to pass it off as diet coke. I told her she brought the wrong drink. Then she admitted they don't have coke or pepsi. They have some other brand, and she didn't even know what it is that she's trying to pass off as something else! So then I asked her for the bottled water that was on the menu. She said they didn't have any bottled water! So I sent the soda back and just drank the glass of tap water 🤮. There's only one individual rest room for the entire place, so there's always a line for the rest room. I had to ask for napkins about 3 times until the waitress brought them. The waitress brought only one small dressing for a large main course salad. We had to ask for more. The potatoes were drenched in salt. The steak was terrible. About half of it was ridiculously tough. It was a jaw workout to chew it enough to be sure to not choke on it. The only positive note on the food is that the salad (after the dressing finally came) and the chicken tenders were good. The noise level was outrageous. You had to practically scream to be heard. The waitress brought the check to the table while we were still eating dinner! Then the check stlll had the charge on it for the diet coke they didn't even have. So we had to get that corrected and get a new check. The reason I gave two, not one, star to this horror show is that the staff, tho incompetent, was extremely friendly, pleasant, and courteous, and, although the steak and potatoes were awful, the salad and chicken...

So tonight (11/2/24) we decided to try some place we've never ordered from. As a general rule I prefer to give my business to local places instead of chains or big box stores just because in my experience the service is usually better and it supports my community. That being said tonight we decided to give this place a try. Omg the food is AMAZING!! Cooked perfectly, generous portions, priced fairly, and presented beautifully! Because we eat with our eyes too.. our order consisted of the pastrami on wry (not sure if it is the same recipe as the original pastrami on wry restaurant, but I knew the original owner from highschool and always loved his places) but back to the food.. this sandwich was perfect.. beautiful done, nice and flavorful and not dry! I decided to go with the loaded tots with it and oofa DELICIOUS!! fresh ingredients and the wedges were not soggy. They were nice and crispy and just full of yummy flavor! Also grabbed sweet potato fries (because I didn't realize the portions they gave) and again AMAZING!! NOT SOGGY, PERFECTLY COOKED, and the dipping sauces were Amazing!! Nice pair! Also ordered the brisket mac n cheese and it is to die for! Full of flavor and just a heaping serving of heaven! My mom went with the Manchester road race sammich and she could only eat half!! She loves it!! She got the sweet potato fries with it and she is just in love with this place! Needless to say there are plenty of leftovers and now I know not to order so much next time... not because of the quality but because the portions are so big! Lol. So if you like local places, want an absolutely amazing meal, and here's the best part they also donate to the local M.A.C.C. charity which is just amazing.. so do yourself a favor! Support local, support them giving back to the community, and last but certainly not least have an AMAZING meal of good ole comfort food!! Thank you Main Course team for an amazing dinner and for...