Republic

Reviews

• Robert S.

  star star star star star 12 June 2026

  We really like Republic - and prefer this location to the Hartford one because it's a bit roomier and easier to park. Burgers are good, and there are other imaginative items on the menu, offering an eclectic mix where everyone can find something. We realized this must be a favorite when we brought our third consecutive out-of-town guest here for dinner. Always one or two decent beer options as well.
  
  I dig the ambiance and the lighting. We always seem to come when it is colder but it looks like sitting outside would be a great summer experience.
  
  Sometimes the air vents upstairs can make it a bit chilly so bring a sweater! Otherwise the food and atmosphere are all very warm and inviting.

• Brian N.

  star star star star star 9 June 2026

  Republic is a great little restaurant in an area where I have struggled to find good restaurants. It is everything that a good gastropub should be. And in a case of epic irony, what impressed me most was how they dealt with a epic fail.
  
  Republic has a wonderful feel. The bar is attractive and well lit. There is an open kitchen where you can watch your flatbread crust turn golden brown in the brick oven. The menu is creative, one of those menus that will tempt you to order too much.
  
  Out waitress, Karah, was excellent. She was honest to a fault and steered us to the high points of the menu. And the food that we ordered (for the most part, but more on that in a second), was delicious.
  
  For starters we had the Hummus and the bacon wrapped dates. Both were excellent. The bacon pesto flatbread was very unique and delicious. It had a complexity of flavors rarely achieved in a pizza. We also had a chocolate bread pudding and a baked Alaska for dessert. Both were excellent but if ordering only one go Alaska. It is as much of an experience as it is a dessert.
  
  Now for my one complaint (and compliment). One of a new menu items was a Beef Wellington. I love Beef Wellington, I have made beef Wellington and will rarely give up the opportunity to eat beef Wellington. So imagine my shock when my entree was placed before me and instead of traditional beef Wellington I had a filet mignon on mushrooms parked I a puff pastry garage (see my photo). I was literally shocked speechless. What sat before me was a deconstructed beef Wellington. Now I am all for create and eclectic food prep and generally love deconstructed versions of classic entrees but you have to let me know that is what I am getting. This was an attractive entree, and quite positively a delicious entree, but it was not beef Wellington, which is what I was expecting and craving. Had I known it was going to be a filet with a puff pastry art installation over it I would not have ordered it. I sent it away and to their credit they did not make me feel bad, they were apologetic and even bought me a beer. That is exactly how the situation should have been handled.
  
  Republic impressed me in every way including their handling of this one hiccup and I will be sure to return when my travels take me back in that direction.

• Sofie K.

  star star star star star 5 June 2026

  Love this place! I've only been once, but had the BEST burger I have ever had....
  Blue cheese, caramelized onions and PEAR! I think it may have had bacon too.... but I don't remember.... it was a few months ago but I'm writing the review now because I desperately need another one!...And plan to go back this weekend. We live about 40 miles away, but I love the atmosphere, and imagine that everything else on the menu is as good as my burger. The service was great, just the right amount of attention.... we wanted for nothing.... I highly recommend Republic for a great meal or casual bar to hang out with friends. Cheers!

• Jason F.

  star star star star star_border 31 May 2026

  I stopped by here this past Thursday evening by myself for dinner.  The Inside of The Republic is interesting and has a rustic feel to it with its wood floors and tin roof.  It has a large bar and then some traditional table seating as well as a limited second story which is where I was seated.  From that vantage point I could see a couple of TVs at the bar as well as the exposed ductwork and then some track lighting and Edison bulbs above every upstairs table.  Finally there was a food bar looking into the open kitchen which had seats to sit at as well.
  
  For dinner on this evening I decided to go big and went with an appetizer, salad and entree.  My appetizer was the Rhode Island Style Calamari which the menu described as calamari with banana peppers, cherry peppers, sun dried tomatoes and garlic butter.  Then for my salad I went with the warm frisée and kale salad which came with bacon, crouton, warm sherry vinaigrette and a poached egg.  Finally for my entree I chose the eggplant "burger" which the menu described as crispy eggplant, mozzarella and sun dried tomato pesto and it came with a side of fries for which I chose truffle.   The calamari came out first and was steaming and in a Chinese to go container box which made for a fun presentation. Unfortunately the calamari breading was a bit on the soggy side but at least it wasn't over cooked and I did appreciate the lemony flavor to it, the sun dried tomatoes and especially loved the spicy peppers accompanying it.  If it wasn't for the sogginess I bet I could have really loved this dish as a crispy texture would have only enhanced it for me.    Second for me was the salad which also came out steaming.  They certainly don't mess around getting the food from kitchen to table here!  It had nice chucks of bacon and crispy croutons.  With the bitterness of the greens and the vinaigrette (which I really enjoyed), I expected to be able to cut my egg and add the creaminess of the yolk. Sadly it was over hard though and so it didn't happen as I expected although I did still enjoy it in larger bites.  Up third was my entree and I was impressed with how it looked.  With the breading, the outside of the eggplant "burger" really did have the look of a burger and the cheese was nicely melted on it.  It tasted nicely too as the eggplant was cooked well and the sun dried tomato pesto gave a little flavor and wetness.  What I was impressed by was the bun which was toasted to the point that it held up nicely against the pesto and eggplant without being over toasted.  As for the fries, there were of the shoestring variety and I really enjoyed the cheese on top as well as the truffle flavor.  They were a bit soggy though and so were floppy and not crispy at all.
  
  The bottom line for me is that I would head back here again in the future.  Republic was really really close to getting 5 stars from me but they were just a little off the mark on each of my dishes.

• Danielle O.

  star star star star star_border 28 May 2026

  Good location, service, and ambience, which makes it a pick for date night or group dinners. Would recommend coming here for some appetizers and dessert, but there aren't a ton of dinner entree options (aside from the burgers) and the price of the food did not match its quality in our opinion. Best picks were the bacon wrapped dates, and the Thai wings. The Peruvian Chicken was very dry and the sauce was not flavorful, arugula was overused on both this dish and the steak tartare (which tasted very under seasoned). The baked Alaska was really yummy, but had more outer meringue than anything else (more chocolate cake and ice cream please!). Overall, there are a lot of other places in downtown Hartford that are less expensive with better food; you're definitely paying for the ambience here.