Donovan's — Restaurant in Norwalk

ZERO STAR

Extremely Inappropriate and Unacceptable for Families

We visited this establishment for lunch after a trip to the nearby children’s aquarium, assuming it was family-friendly since they offered a childrens menu and are located within walking distance to the aquarium. Unfortunately, we were shocked and deeply disappointed by what we experienced.

My 6-year-old son went to use the bathroom and came out visibly confused and upset. When I went to check, I found the walls of the men's bathroom covered in graphic, half-naked photos of women—something completely inappropriate and demeaning, especially in a place that clearly markets to families.

I brought this to the bartender's attention, hoping for a prompt and respectful response. Instead, I was met with a smirk and a dismissive “Sure” before he turned his back and returned to his work. I ended up taking the photos down myself, horrified that this was being treated as normal or acceptable.

If you value respect, decency, and a safe environment for your children, this is not the place for you. The lack of accountability and basic awareness is appalling. I sincerely hope management reconsiders what kind of environment they want to create—because right now, it’s one that’s totally unwelcoming to families and sends the wrong message about what’s...

Arrived and got very excited regarding the menu, alot of potential in regards to seafood, outdoor dining and the like. Ordered a "crab cake sammy" which took over half an hour to make in a not very crowded environment. Arrived hot, fresh and over cooked - quite well done. Second bite had a piece of GLASS IN IT. Called manager over who stated "oh my" and quickly took it away without apologizing. Thankfully didn't cut myself on it, came back and attempted to say it was a piece of crabshell, odd as it was jagged and translucent, stated no - that was glass. She put her hand up to stop me from speaking and said "fine, do you want something else?" I stated yes, a crab sandwich not well done. Server never came back to table, next sandwich arrived, much better than the first with no glass additives. Never refilled drink, took beverage off the bill. Paid full price meal, tipped server 20% because wasn't their fault, may or may not go back. Situation not handled well, service below average, no COVID precautions but food/ambiance good. Definitely...

I traveled to Norwalk with friends who were performing at Oyster Fest and collectively, we ended up at Donovan's about five times in the span of a week. The atmosphere was nice, the inside was comfortable, and the staff was running around working HARD, every time we were there. We sat both inside and outside with plenty of room and a comfortable spot each time. The drinks and food were very tasty. Between my group of friends and I, we tried the chowder, shepherds pie, the chili, a burger, a steak and cheese, the chicken parmesan sliders, French fries and buffalo chicken. The crusty bread on the sliders was excellent but I think the buffalo chicken was our favorite part. This restaurant was conveniently located on the corner of a street that had other restaurants too. We had never been to Norwalk but it was a great experience for us! I would recommend it and when we are in the area again, we will be...