Lunch at Temple Grill

This week's restaurant review is Temple Grill, located at 152 Temple Street, New Haven, Connecticut. It's just a couple blocks walk from where I work and close to the green, the center of Elm city's downtown. I have been to Temple Grill before, but it's been  a while. Since I was having a lunch with my colleagues, I'd thought I take advantage of the outing and make it my blog post this week.

The Grill has a steady lunch crowd and for me that is a good sign. However, one of the downsides is that their dining area is fairly small and gets packed quickly. Although they have a patio for outside dinning, this is not an option when it rains. Be prepared to wait during the lunch rush if you plan to dine-in. Lucky for us our wait was only five minutes.

They provide American-style entrees with an international flair and a homecooked feel. You can create your own salad or pasta, a popular choice for their lunch crowds. I like that they offer half  portion sizes for some of their entrees and feel like their menu offers something for everyone which is good when you are dining in a group.

During my lunch visit with my colleagues, I started with a Caesar salad and opted to be bad for my entree selection. I ordered the fried clamstrips platter (comes with coleslaw and waffle fries). Other orders for the table included sweet potatoe fries, Gazpacho soup, a chicken wrap, and grilled meatloaf with mashed potatoes. I loved their sweet potatoe fries and highly recommend them. My fried clamstrips platter could have feed two people. The fried clamstrips had a light and crunchy batter that I thoroughly enjoyed. These were some of the best friend clamstrips I've had in a long time.

I was the only person who didn't finish my lunch and had to take a doggybag home, which was fine by me. It saved me from having to cook something when I got home, a win-win in my book.

The Grill also has a full bar and if you're dining solo, it's a great option for a sit-down lunch. Another plus is that they take reservations and their waitstaff can get you in and out within an hour, which is why I think they also have strong lunch crowds.  If you are larger than a party of five you may want to rethink the location for space concerns.

Here are my final ratings based on a scale from one to five:

Food: 4
Price: 3.5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 3
Overall dining experience: 3.5

If you're in downtown New Haven, Temple Grill is worth a visit.