Cast Iron Chef Chop House & Oyster Bar

The staff was nothing short of amazing—attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely welcoming. Now, let’s talk about the food—simply outstanding. Every dish was thoughtfully prepared and bursting with flavor. From the perfectly seasoned entrées

I have now dined here many times and have always had delicious appetizers, meals, wine, desserts and cocktails.. Service has always been top notch. The menu is versatile though steaks and chateaubriand are highly recommended as are all the appetizers, I have tried most of them. If after dinner you can still .make room for dessert, you won't be disappointed. In my opinion, this may be the best restaurant in New Haven County. If you go and enjoy your meal, ask about their gift certificates. Reservations are highly recommended.

Enjoyed our meal here. We had seared tuna for appetizer, filet and rib eye for dinner which was cooked perfectly. They serve it on a cast iron pan so if you want some pieces a tiny bit more cooked after it was served, just put the meat on directly on the cast iron that’s hot. My steak was served on top of the broccoli. They have casual seating and bar in the front part of the restaurant and a spacious more formal sit down area towards the back of the restaurant. Our server, Shawn, was very attentive. Wine list good, tried a Pinot and red blend wine. They also make their dirty martini good.

Excellent happy hour! Food is fresh and fantastic. Ambiance is lovely. Highly recommend

9/21/24.. Team Brian!!!!! The unrecognized meaning of what he did was outstanding. I literally planned my entire 21st birthday celebration for my daughter around this resturant (never have patroned before) we went for brunch AND dinner. Although the day I chose for brunch was wrong Brian and the awesome Chef made it happen anyway!!!! While blaring tasteful music to set the tone in the background, every dish was absolutely amazing and deserved a standing ovation!!! And again Brian and the chef rock!! I'm a firm believer that opinions start at entry! And this establishment surpassed with flying colors! We returned for dinner and were just as pleased with every choice. I had the boneless beef short rib and I'm at loss with words at how amazing this dish is (and me being lost for words is hard) it was beyond delicious. My daughter more than enjoyed the bone-in prime rib. There was nothing we didn't enjoy. Our waitress was also outstanding!!! I will attach photos of all the dishes we ordered!!! I can't wait to get back here!!! And without hesitation her graduation celebration will most definately be here!!! Highly recommended ❤️

I've been a loyal customer since my first meal there in 2020. I catered my annual BBQ for 40 of my dearest friends and family. From my first discussion with Jeanette Marini through to the final bite, things exceeded my very high standards. Everything was thought of and executed to perfection . We had a rain scare and a Plan B days before the event. They cooked in the food truck and in my driveway--affording brisk movement into the house where they set up both the raw bar and the hot food stations. I can't speak in greater superlatives about everything from the burgers and dogs to the raw bar to the 6 entrees and as many sides including chateaubriand and salmon. And the value FAR exceeded the costs. Blew me and my guests away and the food quality, taste, and amounts were at LEAST as good as they are in the restaurant. There was no reason for me to fear. I've already booked for next year.

Cast Iron Kitchen does a fantastic dining experience with the nonstick coated cookware (just kidding). The food here was good, definitely worth checking out when in New Haven. I got the New York Syrup and while it was a little over done, it was filling, and tasted great.

Delicious! Make reservations! Not as crowded during the week but reservations are definitely recommended. All portions were large as you can tell by my photos, food was so yummy and we definitely had leftovers! Service was great! Street meter parking available. No complaints at all! If you found my review and pictures helpful please give me a like. Thank you for reading!

We called ahead and they said come on in. Very nice atmosphere. The staff took great care of us . Food was amazing we had 3 dozen oysters to start, they were presented beautifully. Main courses prepared perfectly

What an experience. Awesome food, amazing staff, beautiful decor and atmosphere! Happy hour: - Empanadas — excellent - Meatballs — excellent - Shrimp — nothing special Entrees: - Duck Breast — excellent - Chicken Parm — good - Rigatoni w Vodka sauce (side) — good Would definitely recommend coming here. The happy hour is a must so you can try the different appetizers.

Omg delicious!!! Our waitress was absolutely great too! I asked her to bring out some desserts at the end of our dinner to surprise my husband for his birthday, they even put candles in it! They came out and sang happy birthday! Definitely above and beyond. It was worth the money. Lovely people and such a beautiful decor inside and out. Thank you to all of cast iron chefs and staff, for providing such a wonderful experience.

I rarely leave reviews but the food here was so good that I had to. Every single thing we ordered was just perfection. We got the steak tartare , lobster arancini and the petite filet and I’m going back today to get some more. My mouth is watering thinking about the food, it’s that amazing!

Best business dinner I've ever attended. Well organized staff. Food was amazing. Portions were huge. First time trying lamb and sashimi, very good. Steak was perfectly cooked and so tender. Shout out to Jared our server...handled himself in a calm and friendly manner. Attended our group very well. Everyone left stuffed and happy. Oh and that popcorn...wish I had checked if they sold it to go lol

I was pleasantly surprised at this location. The restaurant looks good, a true steak house look. great bar area and dining room. Service was good, not great…. Server could have been a little more attentive and accommodating like on the fancy steak houses, but it wasn’t a deal breaker at all. Me being a regular at the best steak houses out there like capital grill and prime I was a little skeptical but I was surprised at the quality of the meats. My 12oz fillet was perfectly cooked, my girlfriend lobster Milanese was amazing! The side of pasta a lá vodca was great! The wedge salad was great and the lobster arancini was to die for. Overall the food was amazing and the portions are really big! I’m definitely coming back to try other stuff. The cast iron way of serving the food just adds up to the experience. I did give 5 stars because of the price on the food and wines is a really good value for the money. I think tables should have white table cloth instead of the black cloth with the white paper on top, it looks cheap.

Spectacular experience. The selection is impressive, and well executed regardless of what you choose. Chef Atilio has really put something special together. The appetizers were unique (octopus gnocchi, lobster arancini, stuffed clams and steamed oysters). The steak is out of this world, done perfect in a cast iron skillet. And if you leave room for desert it is wonderful too. Our visit made for a special celebration. Definitely going back and will recommend to all our friends.

Incredible dining experience! We went for lunch on a Monday with our 5 year old son. The service was top notch….. I can’t remember the last time I had impeccably perfect service as we did today. Marie was our server and went above and beyond for us. Marie gave us recommendations of the menu which did not disappoint. She was amazing with my son as well…. Very kind and attentive. Our meal was divine! We cannot wait to go back! We own a very busy popular restaurant and to go out and to actually have a fantastic meal with fantastic service is important to us because we have such high standards( which were met 10 fold). The steak was absolutely delicious as were the rigatoni with vodka sauce and the lobster arancini. The beef braciole was so tender and melted in your mouth. Thank you for such a wonderful dining experience! We can’t wait to come back! Our short trip from Southbury was worth the trip!

In town for the holidays and this place was recommended...it did not disappoint. Man the beef ribs were sooo tender and flavorful. The calamari app and mac and cheese apps were delicious and full of seasoning...melted in my mouth, yummmy ... the drinks were excellent, just the right amount of mixtures....( The only thing I wish was different was the mashed potatoes got a little to wet due to them being placed under the ribs in the 🍳 skillet)... I will ask for them separate next time or at least pushed a way from the beef more on the side of the skillet and I upgraded to the garlic mash but didn't get those.. broccoli was seasoned and softly sautéed, yummy. I was way into the food to complain about anything.... It still was wonderful. I had great service, I want to say his name was Luigi not sure that's how you spell it.... it was an amazing dinner and i love having left overs!!! I will definitely return and highly recommend!! 5 stars 🌟 🤩 ✨️ 😍 💛

Cozy and relaxing atmosphere. Our server, Stacy, and assisting staff were awesome. The food is amazing. We had the house foccacia bread with garlic butter and the brussel sprouts with onion and bacon in a spicy honey glaze for appetizers. Both were awesome!! My main dish was the petite filet tips with roasted potatoes, broccoli, and peppercorn sauce. The meat was tender and flavorful. The peppercorn sauce was great but not a necessity since the meat was prepared perfectly. The roasted potatoes had the right amount of seasoning, a nice crunchy texture while still moist. The broccoli was like a blanche style, which is my preference. My bro had the NY strip with garlic butter, sweet potato, and broccoli. His steak was tender, juicy, and seasoned perfectly. He loved it. For the quality of meat and the size of the portions, it's worth it. I'm totally looking forward to going back

Third time eating here and I love it every time! The service is outstanding! This time we were in a room in the back which was quiet, soft music and easy to have a conversation among all of us.

Drove down to New Haven after a friend dined here for the first time and recommended it for dinner. We had a great time, seated all the way at the back in the Red Room, which was quiet and cozy (the front dining rooms were much louder and when we were seated away from them, we were relieved). Brett was our server and he was attentive and warm. The menu is expansive enough that you can visit several times and try something different each time. We had the lamb lollipops, the mussels (which my husband said was an incredible amount for the price and the sauce was to die for), the short rib, the NY strip, the mushrooms, and the bread pudding with ice cream and caramel sauce. If you’re full just reading it, we were happily full eating it all. 😋. The cocktails were also quite good (I’m a bourbon and gin girl and they delivered!) Will certainly be back!

Very awesome atmosphere, service was nice. The beef we ordered was nice, but too salty. And the salmon was very sweet, I don’t think it should be such sweet.

Stopped in for lunch while working in the area. Food was excellent. Sat at the bar and ate while enjoying a few cocktails. Friendly service. I’m sure the dinner entrees are great as well. Give it a try.

My fiance bought me here for my birthday on a Tuesday night. We sat where we could directly look into them preparing the food which was nice. Our waiter was so friendly and had a great personality. We ordered the the lamb chops for an appetizer and the shareable T-Bone steak. We ordered the steak medium however it was more close to medium well and in certain areas it was medium rare. It was still enjoyable and the quality of the steak was perfect. The only thing I would say is it just needed salt. If salt was added it would have made everything taste better. there was salt on the table and we added it and it helps but for a place such as cast iron chef, I felt it should have already been seasoned. They sang happy birthday to me with such gusto that it touched my heart. That everyone in the restaurant began singing. It was very nice and they gave me a delicious cake at the end. I definitely recommend and I would be returning to try more items on the venue.

We tried this place after having an appointment downtown. Living in Naugatuck, we don't always come this way anymore, and when we do, we like to try someplace new & fun. We set a reservation & parked nearby. When we came in, we were greeted & immediately brought to a table in the corner by the kitchen. It was nice to see some of our food being made. We ordered drinks, I had the pomegranate pisco sour, and my husband got a scotch. They were delicious. Then we each got an appetizer - spicy meatballs & the scallops over cauliflower mash. Both were well executed. For our main, we shared the wagyu for two with gorgonzola mashed potato, roasted garlic, & broccoli. Of course, we had it rare, which is how it should be. It was great. I always favor a filet, but the strip side was also really good. Finally, we closed by sharing the tres leches cake which came with seared banana & topped with a strawberry rose filled with mint, and a small glass of limoncello. It was a good night & we were there roughly 2 hours. We just finished the food for lunch, which we lightly reheated in our air fryer. We will definitely consider coming back next time we're in the area!

I been here a few times and first time having bad service. The food is always amazing, but the service is such hit or miss. The food is delicious. Appetizers of lamb lollipops, escargot, burrata salad, and sashimi tuna were all amazing. Lamb was juicy. There were way more escargot than other restaurants I've had it. The burrata salad is classic. And the sashimi tuna was surprisingly good. Entrees had a NY strip with roasted potatoes and broccoli. I like how the veggies are overcooked. The steak was cooked to perfection and a beautiful hefty size for the price. Great value. However... service was awful. Got seated and took 15 mins to get menu. I already knew what to order but the waitress didn't ask and walked off after giving menus. Never came once during meal. Came after meal was over and provided check. Took 15 mins to come back and get our card. It was all fine up until now. It was holidays so we were understanding. BUT after our credit card was taken, it took 30 mins for us to get it back. Another lady brought it back to us and said our waitress got caught up at the bar. We said we've been waiting and ready to leave for over half an hour already. Finally we're leaving..... then the original waitress stopped my bf and I, which then she made a comment sarcastically saying she's sorry but she had other tables she's in charge of and we're not the only people dining. Seriously 🙄 it was so unnecessary. Her stopping us to not even apologize but make a stupid comment was what made the service bad. **came over half a year later and the food is still amazing. Service was a bit better but not very attentive. We've come to know that service is always hit or miss but the food is always good.

I really liked this place, besides the prices being extremely high. The appetizers at this restaurant were so amazing, we had gotten the Korean Ribs and the Onion soup. And it was delicious so we had high hopes for the entrees. However, we were disappointed when we order the duck, and steak dish and the duck and sides were cold. And the steak and sides lacked in flavor. The Manager made it right by comping the meal which we appreciated since we didn't eat. However, they made up for it with the delicious Cinnamon roll pudding dessert. It was soo good, it would've been 5 stars if it weren’t for the entrees. But I highly recommend the desserts and apps here!! The service is pretty good too!

First time trying this restaurant. We ordered the beef braciole as our appetizer and it was sinfully delicious. The meat was tender, savory, and textural exquisite. The sauce and the ricotta complemented it perfectly. You know a dish is good when it is salted and seasoned perfectly! The entrees were a little less exciting. I ordered the NY Strip steak and the sticky ribs. The NY Strip was pretty good - cooked well, nice and hot, but my only complaint was the flavor. While the crust on the outside of the steak created an excellent textural experience, I was surprised to find it lacking flavor. This was supplemented once I smeared the garlic out on top. The sticky ribs had great flavor, but I wasn't as moved by them as I was by the braciola. For dessert we had the pumpkin cake and gelato - now that was to DIE for. I would have back just for that dessert alone. The service was second to none. The server was very attentive, predicting our every need. She offered excellent suggestions and feedback as we were placing our orders. Overall one of the best service experiences I had at any restaurant. I would come back and eat here again.

If the prices were better, I’d come here more often. We got the hot honey Brie focaccia thingy as an appetizer. It had no flavor really except for the honey and the apples. My gf got the chicken parm which was good but I find it very weird that they pair it with a vodka sauce. It was $80 for the “bone-in” ribeye with roasted potatoes and sautéed broccoli. Then it was an EXTRA $8 to switch out the roasted potatoes for their truffle, Parmesan, garlic mashed potatoes but let me tell you this: these are quite possibly the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. The sautéed broccoli was ok, the creamed spinach was one of the worst I’ve ever ever had. It looked good and the taste wasn’t bad, it just didn’t have any flavor really. The steak looked good, was cooked the way I like it in a cast iron pan but was also severely lacking in flavor. I’d have given the ribeye a 5 until I grabbed the waitress and asked to try the sauces and the Gorgonzola cream sauce is a home run. It brings the steak from a 5 to an 8, EASILY. So, if you are to come here and get a steak, just remember to get the truffle, Parmesan, garlic mashed potatoes and the Gorgonzola cream sauce and you’ll have a good experience.

I could only give the food 4 stars along with service. It took 25 minutes from the time we were seated to get our drinks. We know what we wanted ahead of time so we were ready to order right away. It took longer for apps to come. The fra diavolo calamari ,order of the brussel sprouts . Both were better than expected. Split a garden salad so we'll presented and placed on top of a hole plate of sliced beets. Entrees Chix Parm too thin over cooked not much flavor. The pork chop that was supposed to be enormous by weight . I don't think so yes the bone is included but I do all the shopping so I know what it should look like. It was delicious and cooked to perfection. . Desert was the bread pudding out of this world served with caramel sauce and ice cream. They make in house out of their homemade cinnamon buns I am told. I have some pictures of the food forgot the dessert.i also have to comment on wesite rules. Kids were there alot of people don't follow dress code. They also state on website a table of 2 has a time slot of 1.5 hour. I said in begging of this post it took almost 39 minutes to get drink another 25 to get apps . We ended up being there 2 plus hours.

The crabcake was full of crabmeat- no breadcumbs. The Bacon wrapped dates were delicious -a nice combination of flavors. The Cinnamon roll bread pudding was absolutely to die for. I did not like the summer rum cocktail- too sweet. Overall, I enjoyed my dining experience. P.S. The server could have split our check.🤷🏽‍♀️ I recommend this place. A regular diner🙂 I went back today, August 7, 2022. I ordered the same appetizers and dessert. I took my mom out for lunch. We both enjoyed, however, unlike last Sunday, the server added an 18% gratuity to my bill. I explain to the server wow she gave me great service and I’m a tipper I don’t understand why gratuity was not added to my bill the week before. She Explained that they have discretion and it is posted on their front door and that she always charges. Nonetheless, she received the 18% she added ,however had she not added it to my bill I would have given her 20%. I am at a consistent tipper however to me this is akin to someone going in my purse while I’m not looking. I had plans to return here next Sunday but I think I’m going to cancel them.

Had two oysters as an appetizer, and they were good. Fresh and clean. My wife had the chicken parm, with a side of linguine. The chicken parm was excellent, and the linguine was good as well, and much larger than a "side" - but I had no complaints having it for dinner the next day! I had the ribeye, and this is where it all went wrong. Well, not wrong, but at the price paid it was just mid. And when I pay that much for a piece of meat, I expect better. The steak is supposed to be aged, but there were no funky notes that would indicate that. Regarding taste, the steak barely had any. It was poorly seasoned. There was little beefyness to it, and while the crust wasn't bad, the interior was bland. Again, I would expect a prime ribeye that's aged to be much more flavorful. Finally, the thing was pretty tough as well. Being prime, being aged, and being a ribeye are all things that would make me expect a pretty tender steak. But it was actually kinda chewy. Finally, the garlic butter. There was a lot of garlic, but not much butter. I think that would have provided a sort of sauce to bring flavor if there was more there. Also, to me, the garlic was very pale. It had no roasted notes that I'd expect from roasted garlic. No carmelization on the garlic to give it more depth. It was soft, and it wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as it could have been, inmho. So yeah, our experience was good pasta, good chicken parm, good oysters, and a good steak if it was half the cost they charged for it. But at that price, the steak was disappointing.

Food was ok nothing stood out to me Korean short ribs was more like half a short rib cut so thin I berly got 4 bites and it was soooo salty Steak was ok I got the bone in ribs eye medium rare. It came out rare berly cooked I like my steak rare but not talking. Dessert was a disaster just a cheap cookie with a small scoop of average ice cream Again nothing at this meal was memorable Spent $260 and left feeling like nauseas from the oily food.

Although their food and service are good, having a group party there is something I don’t recommend. . I spent days and multiple emails with their event coordinator getting the menu, location and beverages correct. We were not given the location I was promised in the restaurant, the event coordinator was not there the evening of the dinner and the beverages were not served as promised. Cocktails were offered but not the wine with dinner and we had 12 guest to one server. We had previously used this restaurant twice before for our holiday event and never had an issue.

I’m a food influencer/blogger, and I had the worst experience that I’ve had in the longest time. It was a Sunday, around 4, decided to sit at the bar in very casual clothing to test it out as if I was just a random guest.It wasn’t busy at all. The bartender was personable, menus were dirty with the paper crinkled, I ordered a crab cake and it was cold,totally defeats the name of the restaurant, it should have come out sizzling hot in the cast iron.I told the bartender and still paid full price. We had one drink each, two bags of popcorn to go and one cold crab cake to spend 80$ with tip. We were planning on doing a tower, the appetizer that I mentioned, and entrees, but after the crab cake situation I decided to walk next door to Encore, where it is always an exceptional experience and atmosphere. I will never plan on going back. The owner who I believed to be sitting at the end of the bar didn’t feel warm and welcoming to guests, yet sitting watching sports.The staff was a bit too comfortable joking around at the service bar. I felt for the price point it was a bit unprofessional,even with one employee with sunglasses on top of her head.Sad to say after hearing such great things about this establishment, what an awful experience I had. The complimentary popcorn was delicious.

Honestly I really wanted to like this place, but it just wasn’t great. The quality of the food was never really worth the price. Service was never great, never felt like a real steakhouse vibe or service mentality. Lighting is too bright in the dining rooms and everything just feels cheap and lackluster, missing that edge of elegance you’d be expecting at a place where you are spending like this. Ive gotten dirty glassware and utensils on more than one occasion. Cocktails were just okay, nothing interesting. If it weren’t for the deeply-discounted gift cards, I wouldn’t have tried them again but I tried them like 3 times because of this promotion and each time was just like the last.

THE GOOD: Overall, the food was excellent. Steak was very well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The truffle, garlic, parm mash and chop house mac and cheese was great! When it came to dessert, the affogato left a lot to be desired, and the cast iron cookie dessert was “meh.” THE BAD: The service was SLOW. We were placed at a table with only one water glass, and we had to flag down a busser for a second one. I want to be clear in that the food didn’t take long to get out - it was really just our waitress took a very long time to come around. She also only asked if I wanted a second glass of wine…meanwhile my wife sat with an empty glass of soda the rest of the dinner. The website’s dining guidelines suggest a party of two should be there for no longer than 1.5hrs. We spent 2.5hrs there tonight. This was definitely unexpected and disappointing. THE UGLY: The vibe here was really confusing. At first glance of the website, there is a link to attire and dining guidelines right at the top of the page. They make it clear that attire such as hats and athletic attire are too casual…yet we saw many guests with hats, hoodies, sneakers, torn baggy jeans, and athletic pants. The dining guidelines also suggest that the restaurants may not be the best environment for kids, and that parents should “calm their vocal children outside of the dining room.” We noticed multiple families with very young children, several of which were very loud and at their tables in the dining room. $300.00 later…very disappointed I spent this much money for poor service and a very strange dining experience. Felt like I was a Chili’s most of the time…although I didn’t get any free chips.

I took my husband to his birthday after hearing so many great things and reading positive reviews. Unfortunately, our experience was far from what we expected. To start, our waiter was wonderful—attentive, friendly, and patient. However, the food itself was just okay. I ordered the salmon, and the plating was very sloppy. It looked like it had been rushed and thrown on the plate without care, but honestly that wasn’t even the main issue of the night. While my husband was enjoying his drink, the entire bottom of his glass suddenly broke off, spilling everywhere. It was extremely strange, and both our waiter and another customer witnessed it. Instead of handling the situation with concern or professionalism, the manager came over very aggressive and accusatory. She immediately questioned my husband, asking if he had hit the glass with the skillet, and even said she would be checking the cameras—as if the glass breaking clean off was somehow our fault. When she returned from reviewing the footage, her attitude completely changed. She became apologetic once she realized the damage was not caused by us. But by then, the entire night was already ruined. I was upset and embarrassed that we even had to defend ourselves for something that was clearly out of our control. As a Hispanic woman, I could not help but feel singled out and unfairly treated by this manager. Instead of addressing a safety issue, she treated us like we were doing something wrong. And the saddest part? I still paid the entire bill. For the emotional distress, the ruined birthday, and the disrespect we endured, our meal should have been fully comped. This experience made it clear to me that not all customers are treated equally here. I will never return to this restaurant, and I hope management seriously reevaluates how they handle situations—and how they treat their guests.

We came to the Chop House for steak. I always have the expectation that a “chop house” would be able to cook my steak my way and deliver! Unfortunately that was not the case. I know many chefs cringe at the idea of cooking steak well done with “no pink” but that is how I like my steak. I have been fortunate enough to get a steak the way I want it at certain steak houses, but this one did not execute. I did enjoy the wedge salad and the bacon was warm and flavorful! I have stated this before and I will state it again. YOU HAVE ONE JOB PLEASE TRY AND DO IT RIGHT! Any other time I would have sent it back and started over but it was late. My steak was like a charcoal briquette despite my request for well done and moist. A chef should never have let it get plated, I honestly don’t know who cooked it because they just destroyed it!

Ive never felt so ripped off in my life . Convenient places to park . Parking garage near by. Atmosphere comparable to an Applebee's . Awful location of restrooms. Have to dodge the staff and kitchen to get to it .Completely over priced and no value for the money. Food was lack luster in flavor . Broccoli was hard as a rock ( no care or attention to detail)cold . Mash potatoes were a variation of cream of wheat consistency and paste flavorless. Worse duck dish I ever had. Local Chinese restaurants are better . They want to charge New York City prices and deliver Albuquerque quality. Waitress was rude when I explained it was terrible. One member of our party fell ill and was treated with great disdain by the manager. The bus boy was awesome ! Honestly should of gone to Mez Cal down the street . Half the price twice the nice fun and flavor full. You guys blow .

Served me a ribeye with no rib cap. Bold choice. The steak was about as tender as this review and came with a complimentary gristle-flavored piece of bubble gum after every bite. Served with flavorless mush disguised as steamed broccoli and a baked potato stabbed with half a stick of butter. I’d rather fast and Venmo a random $90.