Cypress Restaurant
Middletown's oldest restaurant and a common haunt for some celebrity guests, Cypress serves home-style food in a cozy atmosphere. The restaurant opened in 1936 and boasts that they have served many famous people including Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Scorcese, Lawrence Welk and Alan Alda. With the motto "Faultless Food for Fastidious Folks," Cypress is serving up classic American cuisine like burgers, fried chicken and fish, steak and Yankee pot roast. Appetizers include clams on the half-shell, stuffed mushrooms and antipasto. Cypress offers a wide variety of sandwiches including hot oven grinders, clubs, a reuben and the hot buttered lobster roll, which is lobster meat with butter served on a toasted roll. There are pasta, veal, pork, lamb and poultry dishes, a children's menu and seafood dishes such as baked stuff shrimp and halibut steak. For vegetarians, Cypress has a veggie burger, salads and some appetizers. Daily specials include all-you-can-eat beef BBQ ribs with soup or salad on Tuesdays, and on Fridays, scallops tossed with vegetables and pasta with soup or salad. Cypress restaurant also caters and has live music on select nights. Dress is casual and the prices are reasonable.
Cypress Restaurant
1265 South Main Street
Middletown, CT 06457
(860) 346-3367
www.cypressgrill.com/
O'Rourke's Diner
Featured on the Food Network show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives," O'Rourke's is a legend in Middletown. The town folk love this restaurant so much that when it burned down, they raised more than $300,000 to help the owner rebuild it. This gourmet, retro diner opened in 1941 and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. For breakfast, there are fresh-baked goods, eggs, pancakes, French toast, eggs Benedict and many more specialty dishes. O'Rourke's is known for its interesting food combinations such as hash in varieties like corned beef, veggie, clam and brisket. Dishes include the Creole chicken, fresh fish sandwich or the old-fashioned Hamburg steak. There are appetizers, desserts and a late-night menu with certain breakfast and lunch items. Vegetarian fare includes fresh fruit, grilled turnips, soups and salads. Prices are mid-range and dress is casual.
O'Rourke's Diner
728 Main Street
Middletown, CT 06457
(860) 346-6101
www.orourkesdiner.com/
Illiano's Ristorante & Pizzeria
With two Middletown locations, Illiano's serves New York style pizza and traditional Italian cuisine. Begin your meal with fried calamari or mozzarella sticks. Illiano's serves all kinds of pasta, calzones, grinders, seafood and chicken, veal and baked dishes like manicotti and lasagna. For vegetarians, there is the eggplant parmigiana and Florentine, cheese ravioli, soups and salads. Pizzas come with the usual toppings or more unique ones like clams, pesto and gorgonzola. There is a kid's menu, desserts and a catering menu. Wear shorts if you'd like, and dine in or take out.
Illiano's Ristorante & Pizzeria
404 South Main Street
Middletown, CT 06457
(860) 346-5656
534 Washington Street
Middletown, CT 06457
(860) 343-9244
www.illianospizza.com
