Salt & Rind — Restaurant in Waterbury

Wow, this is a find! It’s very small with no reservations so arrive early. Open Wed-Sat. Service is great and they really take pride in their food. The oysters are amazing! Fresh and tasty. We got a platter of a dozen oysters for $26 and were treated to 3 different kinds: one from Massachusetts and 2 kinds from Maine. I loved one of the Maine kinds and the other Maine oysters were a favorite as well. Affordable and some of the best oysters I’ve ever had. Tuna sashimi and spicy tuna salad are both well worth it – fresh and amazing flavor. We loved the watercress salad that came with most of our dishes – I’m not sure I even knew I liked watercress before this. The shrimp cocktail was good but small and again fresh. Fingerlings potatoes were great but small and could do with less stuff on it – cheese and bacon are plenty. Chicken tacos had super fresh cilantro and lime. Seafood roll – my other half liked it better than I did as I felt that the squid rings seem to overpower the dish for me – the brioche roll was lightly toasted and buttered to perfection. The presentation of all the dishes is appealing and professional. The menu is hard to describe – super fresh ingredients resulting in a slightly ever evolving menu, almost a dozen different “drinking snacks” including a number of dips – raw oysters, raw clams, raw tuna and a few tacos and sandwiches – bigger portions than a tapas plate but not a full sized dinner plate. Parking can be a bit confusing as it’s on the other side of the Hen of the Woods (we used that parking lot – just make sure you pay because they will ticket) and the place is hard to find as it seems surrounded by the Tropic Brewing. Overall, we can’t wait to go back for more – top picks are oysters and...

OK - Salt & Rind is one of my favorite spots in town 'cause it's small and cozy, the vibe is welcoming and fun, and the food and drinks are all-time. The owners and staff are the types of people who care about hospitality and great service and it shows. They've created something where everyone can feel comfortable and welcomed - this spot deserves your attention. Chicken tacos are a perennial favorite - but all the food is great. It's not a huge menu - it's focused and on point. Plus, they're one of the only spots in town that's open later than 9PM.

ALSO - Salt & Rind does catering for events! We recently hired them for a backyard patio birthday party. They knocked it out of the park! First off, had an awesome sit-down with Britt and Luke to talk menu and vibe. They listened to what we wanted and had great suggestions. We landed on yakitori + raw bar (as well as grilled cioppino oysters which were amazing) and a cheese and charcuterie board. They showed up, set up a tent for use 'cause it was gonna rain, put up a fully mobile yakitori service, cooked delicious chicken, beef, shrimp, and veggie options with great sauces. Service was so friendly and we had a blast with them. They provided everything we needed and it super reasonably priced for how much they did. They even do drop-off service where they'll put together a package of food options and fixings and bring it to you so you can set it up and look like a baller to your friends and family with a fraction of the effort on your part - genius. Hire them - you...

Salt & Rind is a treasure of Waterbury. I've eaten in many times, and the food is always incredible (though literally everything on the menu is delicious, special shout-outs to the charcuterie board, trout dip, shrimp cocktail, and butter roasted oysters) and the vibes are fun and lively (it's the only place in Waterbury that is open past 10pm!). The owners, Britt and Luke, are engaging and personable, and make every guest feel welcome.

I recently reached out to Salt & Rind to help cater a private event I was throwing, and they were responsive, talked with me to gauge what exactly I was looking for, helped me select a menu to appropriate feed my number of guests, and worked with me to make sure I was comfortable with the price/food ratio. On the day of the event, the food was delivered perfectly on time and was truly a work of art to behold. I had ordered a huge spread, and my guests practically licked the serving boards clean.

Would highly recommend stopping in for dinner, drinks, and late-night vibes. So glad that Salt & Rind...