Cafémantic - Willimantic

Really disappointed in recent dinner after being a vocal supporter of stone row before. poor communication between server and kitchen and lots of mistakes. Ticket gets lost but nothing is offered to make up for it; waitress forgets to tell us they are out of burgers. Huh? Seems like an odd item to be out of. Some food comes for one diner, nothing for anyone else for 5 minutes. Entrees come but one item is forgotten so we could see the chef visibly annoyed. Wine ordered for dinner arrives well after food arrives. Waitress was mostly absent and worked hard to avoid eye contact when we wanted some attention despite the restaurant only being half full. The food fortunately was very good. The duck with creamed leeks was the star. But I have to say that for a restaurant that claims to have a seasonal menu 60 of the menu was the same on our last two visits during different seasons and some items, like spinach artichoke dip, belong on a menu at Olive Garden not this one. While we got an apology from the waitress nothing was taken off the bill or offered as a comp. Management seemed no where to be found We took friends who had never been. I don't think they or we will be rushing back

This restaurant is so over hyped. I have only had good drinks here the food always disappointed me. Here are some items my husband I have tried why we found it underwhelming: Chicken wings: soooo tender perfectly cooked. I do wish it had a little more crunch to it, but that's not the issue. The flavor just was not there. It was like eating plain chicken wings seasoned with maybe salt and pepper...maybe. It was so saucy so a bit confusing Pork belly : again, so tender perfectly cooked but now opposite problem so salty! Like ocean water. The pickled onions cucumber slices complimented it nice though to cut the saltiness. Smash burger fingerling potatoes : very greasy. The bun was soggy beyond belief with grease. The potatoes were undercooked. We left this one plated with 2 bites removed. Duck : the leeks and mushroom was heavenly! I love duck. If it's on a menu, I 100% of the time will get it, so I'm very familiar with how it should taste. This dish I had to send back because the duck was sour/spoiled. I was very disappointed. Now we didn't send anything else back or complain because to each their own, they were edible. The duck though made me sick from the bites I did try. I really love the ambiance of stone row, and the bartenders know how to make cocktails best that I've ever had. We may go back but just to visit the bar for beverages. They also have a great selection of liquors, some I've never heard of but the bartenders are very knowledgeable about the products they carry. I'd really love to go back try their other items, including oysters, but I'm a bit turned off from the food now. If I do, I'll be sure to update this review. Overall drinks 10/10, food 3/10, presentation 10/10, atmosphere 10/10, comfort 7/10.

Absolutely delightful. I couldn't be more satisfied with our meal at Stone Row. We enjoyed several small plates, each of which was phenomenal. Our selection included the beets, baked mussels, fatty pork, and the day's special: split pea gnocchi. The gnocchi, hand made by the chef that day, was a standout. It was melt in your mouth delicious light yet satisfyingly filling, easily our favorite dish of the night. The seared scallops, served with a most delectable sauce, were another highlight. A definite 10/10. Drinks: highly recommend Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. Espressso martini was also very good and smooth. Service/atmosphere: Carly's exceptional sweetness and just right attentiveness added to our experience. My mom and I visited for a relaxing catch up, and the tranquil, inviting atmosphere of the place was just perfect

This place never disappoints. The dishes are very tasty, and creative. Local ingredients are used, so the freshness is always there. We sometimes just go for a cocktail and small plates or the charcuterie board. The cocktails are also very good. I always get the old fashioned, and my wife gets the manhattan.

Since it opened, I've watched Cafemantic straining beneath its assignment: be an elevated seasonal farm-to-table spot, but attract enough local diners to stay in operation. I swelled with pride when the New York Times noticed them. I came to love some of the weird disappearing menu items, the ironic repurposing of Willimantic's industrial aesthetic, even the tattooed true believer waiters who would lecture about how jerk chicken should really be prepared or the origins of an aperol spritz. But inevitably, Cafemantic, Stonerow, whatever, had to make peace with its environs. They had managed to impress the city folk, but we weren't in a city. So, the changes crept in. First they retreated from the small plates-only menu and I said nothing because I was not a hipster. Then they removed the fusion menu items and replaced them with steak and chicken, and I did not speak up because I did not vote for Bernie. The menu stopped changing all the time, as an unpopular rotating cast was changed into low-risk old-reliables. It became ordinary, but at what cost? What are we left with today? The Mumford and Sons aesthetic, but the old timey fan belt never seems to be running. A young waitstaff who are still gamely trying to buy into the restaurant's philosophy; earnest, even charismatic service, but not overtly attentive. (Yes! Ignore me! Make me feel like I'm in New York! A menu that loads on Dropbox, as if it were still changing every day. Wait is that ... a burger and fries on the dinner menu? Is that all people around here will tolerate for dinner? Sheesh. There are still hints of glory. The tarragon ranch roasted BBQ carrots last night were a standout (still tucked into a defiant small plates section of the menu , the Wellfleet oysters still fresh and briny, the cucumber salad delicate and intricate. The creme brûlée is a perfect ending to the night, and the cocktails are still every bit as well-made and spunky as they were when this circus came to town. I've been through a range of emotions with this place over the years: pride, disappointment, optimism, and now I'm at anxiety. Is this place going to make it? How much more compromise is needed before the dining room is full again? Don't change, Stone Row. Let them choke on your brilliance.