Connie's Kitchen — Restaurant in Wallingford

This is a simple hole in the wall kind of place. Nothing fancy, but everything seemed clean. The seats were comfortable. It wasn’t chic or cool or anything, but for what it was, the atmosphere was perfect. No frills decor but that’s fine.

Being our first time at this place, my husband asked the waitress what was good at the restaurant. She suggested the homemade corned beef hash so we both ended up getting it. It was so good!! Omg!!! I also opted for grits instead of home fries because you don’t often see grits on menus in ct. They must have been made with milk (or maybe cream). I’ve only made them with water. They were unlike any grits I’ve ever had - so rich. It was delicious but it was a lot. (I’ll order more wisely next time.)

Speaking of ordering, I knocked off a star on service because the menu listed a side of home fries as $4 and a cup of grits as $4 so I asked if I could substitute the home fries that came with my meal for the grits. The server said of course, but then I was surprised to see that I was charged $3 extra for the grits. She should have mentioned that it wasn’t an even substitution when I ordered, especially since the sides were priced the same so it seemed like it should be an even swap.

Everything else (toast and eggs), while not complicated, was prepared perfectly. They had rye bread, which I asked for, and it was toasted and buttered perfectly. The eggs over easy were prepared just right. It’s easy to take these things for granted, but so many places screw it up - your toast will only get a blob of butter in one spot, your eggs will be overdone, etc. But not here.

They also had a couple specials that sounded very tempting too - an omelette with homemade meatloaf (I’ve never heard of such a thing, but it sounds amazing!) and French toast made with banana bread.

It’s been several hours since we ate there and I still I can’t stop thinking about that corned beef hash. Even though we usually go to New Haven for brunch, I need to figure out how to work a breakfast in Wallingford into my rotation now and then. It’s a good thing I don’t live in Wallingford. I’d probably be eating...

On a suggestion from a friend, my son and I decided to try a different restaurant for breakfast, rather than the usual place across town. Connie's Kitchen is a bit smaller than my usual breakfast joint, but there was plenty of seating available when we arrived. The gal who was serving us was bright & cheerful on this cold morning after Thanksgiving. Upon being seated she asked if we wanted coffee and/or juice for starters. Coffee was a definite! It was really good coffee. We both requested grapefruit juice and she said they don't carry it. I had a glass of orange juice instead. A half star off for no grapefruit juice. The menu is not a stretch. It offers nothing out of the ordinary, covering basic breakfast items. Not a bad thing, but it does not make a standout dining experience. I opted for a ham, cheddar, mushroom omelette that was very well prepared, light and fluffy, with plenty of the filling items. Instead of potatoes, I chose the fresh fruit cup. A nice alternative that they offer! The wheat toast was......well......wheat toast. Nothing special. My son had two eggs, over easy, with home fries and breakfast sausages that were pretty much what you'd expect. The choice was links or patty. No optional Vermont sausage was available like my usual breakfast restaurant offers. Another half star knocked off. Overall, it was an average diner, serving an average breakfast. Nothing bad, except for the lack of the two noted items. Service was very good. Despite the fact that this place is a tad closer, and easier to get to for me, I think I'll remain a customer of my usual little restaurant...

Every review made me want to come and have breakfast. There are good and bad points. Let's start on a positive note. Very easy to find and ample parking. Handicapped parking is there, in the unoccupied corner by the liquor store. Right by the only ramp. The two spots are parallel parking against the curb. The sign on the door says bottomless coffee. The staff seemed friendly. Big plus? Very clean. The bad. No one helped with the door. My 80 year old mother pushing me in a wheelchair while trying to navigate the door. The two waitresses were at the counter and yelled out a greeting so I know they saw us. The breakfast was inedible. Burned dry toast. Institutional looking scrambled eggs. Homesfries burned to a crisp bacon on the edges and soggy in the middle. That bottomless coffee? She came by once when my coffee was 1/4 of the way down, never saw the pot again. The dishes were brought out separately, not forever between, but 4 minutes is too long. No one asked how are breakfast was. Even when they took away the plates and saw both were not even half way finished I will end this on a positive note, she did wish us a good day after we paid. We struggled out the door and she stood there, next to the door and watched. Maybe this was just a bad day for them. I wont be going back....