Located just an hour northeast of New York City, Danbury, CT, is home to over 80,000 residents. Danbury is located near Candlewood Lake, in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains.
The Still River flows right through the city. Over 80% of residents work in service-related industries such as trade, transportation, utility, business, hospitality, and local government. Danbury was voted as one of the top places to live in the United States in 2015.
Here is a list of the 20 best restaurants in Danbury, CT:
Castello Restaurant
$$$ | (203) 743-3828 | WEBSITE
Opened in 2007, Castello Restaurant serves fresh Italian food to Danbury residents. They offer appetizers such as fried calamari, shrimp cocktail, and tuna tartare.
If you are craving a light dinner, try one of their salads, such as their Insalata Castello or Insalata Tricolore. For an authentic Italian experience, try their Veal Marsala or Spaghetti Carbonara. Open for lunch Tuesday through Friday. Open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Le’s Kitchen
$$ | (203) 456-3312 | WEBSITE
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Le’s Kitchen serves fresh and authentic Vietnamese cuisine. Le’s Kitchen offers everything from various bubble teas to bowls of hot steaming pho.
But if you’re not a fan of pho, don’t fret. They also provide vermicelli bowls, pad thai, and various rice dishes. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Minas Carne & Deli
$ | (203) 797-9800 | WEBSITE
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Open for more than twenty years, Minas Carne & Deli serves authentic Brazilian barbecue. They serve their delicious meats flame-roasted in a charcoal barbeque pit.
Meals are served buffet-style and include a salad bar and a meat-only buffet. The cost is by the pound, so load up your plate accordingly. Minas is open for dinner daily.
Gisella’s Ristorante
$$ | (203) 456-6595 | WEBSITE
Gisella’s Ristorante has been serving the Danbury area since 2018. Their menu is quite extensive, with options ranging from grinders and wraps to seafood and pasta dishes.
Some menu highlights include Shrimp Marinara, Eggplant Milanese, Clams ala Palermo, and Linguine with Vodka Sauce. Open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.
Xay’s Kitchen Laos & Thai Cuisine
$$ | (203) 917-4633 | WEBSITE
Xay’s Kitchen has been serving Danbury residents the best Lao and Thai cuisine for years. Xay’s is a family-owned restaurant started by Xay, a Laotian mother.
You’ll find standard Thai dishes at Xay’s, like pad Thai, Thai fried rice, and beef satay.
The dinner menu is quite extensive, with options such as Pra Lard Prik (fried whole fish), Gang Kiew Wan (Green Curry), Mee Crob (crispy deep-fried rice noodles), and Yum Pla Muk (spicy octopus).
Also, try their mango with sticky rice or their deep-fried banana for a traditional dessert. Open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.
4 Seasons
$$ | (203) 826-7623 | WEBSITE
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4 Seasons had the unfortunate luck of opening in March 2020, a week before Covid hit the United States. After a four-month closure, 4 Seasons reopened, serving homemade pasta and delicious food.
In 2022, 4 Seasons was listed as one of Connecticut’s “The 25 Best New Restaurants”.
Menu items include a mixture of Italy, Spain, and France, so you’ll find things such as Calamari and Shrimp Espagnole, Chicken Venicia, and French Onion soup. Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Westside Deli & Pizza
$$ | (203) 744-6141 | WEBSITE
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Westside Deli & Pizza has been serving Danbury residents for years. They offer an assortment of breakfast items like omelets, french toast, pancakes, and egg dishes, but they also serve lunch.
As their name implies, they have both pizza offerings and deli sandwiches. You might want to look at their menu before you head there, though, as there are forty-two different sandwich specialties on their menu.
If you’d rather have pizza or pasta, there are plenty of options, such as Penne Alla Vodka Pizza, Everything Pizza, Pasta with Clam Sauce, and Vegetable Pizza Rolls. Open for breakfast and lunch Monday through Saturday.
Nardelli’s Grinder Shoppe
$ | (203) 743-5888 | WEBSITE
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Nardelli’s Grinder Shoppe in Danbury is one of fourteen locations in Connecticut. In business since 2010, Nardelli’s has won the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award multiple times.
Of course, the menu includes grinders, but it’s not limited to just that. You can find Soffrito, baked clams, yellowfin tuna salad, and red grain quinoa salad.
Don’t fill up on grinders and salads, though, as their dessert list is scrumptious. You can order a waffle-rolled cheesecake or a giant chocolate cannoli, among other decadent options. Open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner.
Pappadellas Restaurant
$$$ | (203) 743-6804 | WEBSITE
Pappadellas Restaurant has been serving Danbury residents for years. Pappadellas is known for their fresh and handmade pasta and freshly baked bread, but their menu goes above and beyond pasta.
You can find specialty Italian pizzas, fish, beef, veal, and chicken dishes. Specials may include Stuffed Wild Salmon, Broiled Swordfish, Rack of Veal, or Stuffed Chicken. Open for dinner only Tuesday through Sunday.
Barbarie’s Grill
$ | (203) 730-1599 | WEBSITE
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Barbarie’s Grill is located at the Danbury Fair Mall. They are a family-owned restaurant focusing on fresh ingredients with a Mediterranean-inspired space.
Barbarbie’s offers a four-course meal with your choice of entree- NY Strip, Beer Battered Cod, Ground Angus Chopped Steak, Rigatoni ala Vodka, or Chicken Parmesan.
However, you can also order off the regular menu. Items range from Sesame Tuna to a clam pizza.
With plenty of appetizers, like Crispy Brussel Sprouts, Steamed Clams, and Charred Octopus, you may not even be hungry for your entree. Open every day for lunch, happy hour, and dinner.
Barbarie’s Black Angus Grill
$$$ | (203) 826-7406 | WEBSITE
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Barbarie’s Black Angus Grill has been open since 2012, serving Danbury locals with five-star steaks without five-star pricing.
They are famous for their fantastic service, great food, and comfortable atmosphere. Menu items include a Porterhouse steak, Tomahawk steak for two, and a bacon-wrapped filet mignon.
While they’re known for their steaks, their seafood, pasta, and raw bar options are excellent choices as well. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Stanziato’s
$$ | (203) 885-1057 | WEBSITE
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Stanziato’s is known for serving wood-fired artisan-style pizzas, but their menu options go way beyond. They offer sandwiches (handhelds) on homemade buns, various salads made with fresh ingredients, burgers, and pasta.
Not only do they serve their pizza wood-fired, but their pasta dishes are also wood-fired. Pizza options include both red and white pies with toppings such as lobster, eggplant, and cremini mushrooms.
Entrees include Filet of Sole Piccata and Wood Fired Skirt Steak. Open for lunch and dinner daily.
Rosy Tomorrow’s
$$ | (203) 743-5845 | WEBSITE
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Rosy Tomorrow’s is a pub serving Danbury residents for over 40 years. They are family-owned, and the love and dedication show in their food.
Rosy’s offers delicious made-from-scratch items such as Fisherman’s Chowder, Lobster Bisque, and Crock of Chicken Pot Pie Soup.
They also offer self-proclaimed “huge” burgers, such as The Famous Garbage Burger and the Chipotle Avocado Burger. If you want more miniature sandwiches, you can also find Lobster and Filet Mignon Sliders.
However, their deliciousness doesn’t stop there, as they also offer Mustard Salmon with Cannellini Bean Ragu and Korean Beef Tacos. So, whatever your fancy, Rosy Tomorrow’s probably has it. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
John’s Pizza
$ | (203) 790-6919 | WEBSITE
John’s Pizza has been serving Danbury residents since 1992. They offer various New York-style pizza options; small, large, and Sicilian.
If you prefer a white pizza instead of a red, there is also a White Pizza (John’s Specialty) on the menu. While pizza is their specialty, they also offer grinders, pasta, stuffed calzones, and entrees. Open for lunch and dinner daily.
Kai’s Place
$ | (203) 778-8880 | WEBSITE
Kai’s Place is a local Chinese restaurant offering delicious Asian cuisine. You can find all of your standard Chinese appetizer options at Kai’s, including egg rolls, dumplings, edamame, and wonton soup.
They also offer a variety of Lo Mein, Chow Mein, Egg Foo Young, and fried rice options. If you prefer a Chef’s Specialty, try their Dragon & Phoenix, which includes hot and spicy shrimp on one side and General Tso’s chicken on the other.
Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday. Open for dinner only on Sunday. Closed Mondays.
Dolce Restaurant
$$ | (203) 744-9115 | WEBSITE
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Dolce Restaurant is an award-winning local Italian restaurant and wine bar. They offer everything from a jumbo shrimp cocktail and chilled oysters as appetizers.
Salads include Salmon with Arugula, Grilled Sirloin, and Grilled Shrimp. If you like pasta, there are many options, such as Mushroom Ravioli, Penne with Vodka sauce, and Linguine with Clams.
If you’d prefer a larger entree, they offer a Black Angus New York Sirloin, Sesame Crusted Tuna, and Veal Scallopini. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
TK’s American Cafe
$$ | (203) 730-1776 | WEBSITE
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TK’s American Cafe is a sports bar serving residents since 1990. They are most famous for their chicken wings, with a whopping seventy-five plus options for wing flavors.
Not only that, but you can order anywhere from five wings to one hundred wings at a time. While that might be their specialty, they also offer excellent pre-game options like nachos, fries, and salads.
They’ve got your back if you’re craving a burger or sandwich. Order an Ugly American burger if you like TK’s Ugly Sauce or a Chicken Philly. You can upgrade your sandwiches with a long list of toppings. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Widow Brown’s Cafe
$$ | (203) 743-7021 | WEBSITE
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Widow Brown’s Cafe is a casual restaurant serving American fare in Danbury. They have been open since 1977 in the middle of the Miracle Mile.
Widow Brown’s offers everything from Buffalo wings to a Vegetarian Beyond Burger and Homestyle Meatloaf.
If you’re looking for homemade comfort food, Widow Brown’s is the place to go. Open Tuesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.
Holiday Diner
$$ | (203) 748-9798 | WEBSITE
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Holiday Diner has been serving residents for over sixty years. It is the best place to go if you’re hungry.
They serve delectable waffles and pancakes such as a Churro Waffle, Oreo Pancakes, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Waffle. Other breakfast items include various Egg Benedict options and omelets.
If you’re there for lunch, you’ll find everything from wraps, quesadillas, sandwiches, burgers, grinders, salads, and entrees.
However, don’t fill up on your meal because they offer over ten milkshakes flavors, including the month’s milkshake. Open daily for breakfast and lunch. Open Monday through Saturday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
JK’s Restaurant
$ | (203) 743-4004 | WEBSITE
JK’s Restaurant is famous for its “Texas Hot Weiners,” but its extensive menu has something for everyone. The family-owned restaurant also offers burgers, sandwiches, grinders, and salads.
If you come to JK’s in the morning, you can have breakfast. They serve egg dishes, pastries, omelets, pancakes, french toast, oatmeal, and breakfast sandwiches.
JK’s Restaurant has been serving Danbury residents since 1924, almost 100 years. Open Monday through Saturday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Summary
Whether you’re a resident or just passing through, we hope you get to try one of the 20 best restaurants in Danbury.
