Is there a “nice” restaurant in Storrs?

[Dove]

Cow Patty's. Great burgers.

 

[Husky25]

Does the Student Union still make a good Jalapeño Bacon Mac & Cheese? I don't recall them having it when I was there but I hear it was once worth getting expelled over.

Google Maps indicates that Chucks & Margaritas is still open and there is Red Rocks Cafe down on 44. However both probably require a car. I was unfamiliar with the bus routes in 1999, let alone now. In terms of walking distance from The Graduate, it doesn't look like there is a lot of options within the campus footprint.

This doesn't help the OP, as it is not within walking distance...plus it's closed...but when I was there in the late 90s, my parents always took me to Angelino's in Mansfield for a decent non-college meal, which is now the Fenton River Grill.

 

[alphasigko]

Spent one year in Eagleville as a kid. It was a tough little section of town. Especially those row of factory houses

Lived in the red house behind the red school on the NE Corner of Rte 32 and S Eagleville Rd from 1970 to May' 75

 

[Khal Drogo]

Take a look at the Lakeview restaurant in Coventry. Less than a 10 minute drive from The Graduate. They have a pretty good menu and

Lived in the red house behind the red school on the NE Corner of Rte 32 and S Eagleville Rd from 1970 to May' 75

Lived in the red house behind the red school on the NE Corner of Rte 32 and S Eagleville Rd from 1970 to May' 75

I don’t remember the house but do remember the ball field behind the school.

 

[alphasigko]

I don’t remember the house but do remember the ball field behind the school.

Yep... That was it... The house was hidden from view by trees...

 

[tdrink]

Thank the residents of Mansfield lol

Most residents were against the creation of the downtown, because they know the university botches everything that has the potential to improve the town.

 

[tdrink]

if this is a serious reply, it's not like UConn was just founded 20 years ago it's been there for over 100 years. What's the point of appeasing suburban families over students in a college town? That's simply policy failure.

appeasing both groups (and maybe university employees as well) would seem like the smart play, but based on results they didn’t even try. How is it even possible to create a downtown and end up with even fewer restaurants than when there was no town.

 

[Rocktheworld]

Most residents were against the creation of the downtown, because they know the university botches everything that has the potential to improve the town.

Yeah I remember how long that took

 

[Demo Square]

will someone please define what 'nice' means for the likes of me, cuz my standards for it begin and end at clean washroom and no recent reports of ptomaine poisoning.
other than that, i ain't concerned. i mean, we don't live in Mexico. u could get shot there as 'collateral damage.'
and that other poster mentioning 'if the gf has an issue, put her on a rocketship out?' tru dat.

In the 60's, the only dining (let alone "Fine") in Storrs were Ted's, Huskies, & Kathy John's. The Altnaveigh was indeed fine home country dining for the visiting parents down the road.

But Woody's converted bus, located in what is now the North Parking structure, was "fine" enough for us Northwest Zoners.

One late night, after playing hooky, Risk, & hitting the bong for days, we stumbled down to Woody's Bus & placed our orders at the window.

Woody took the orders, & we waited & waited, shaking in the 0 degree night air. And we waited, & waited some more..... After about 30 minutes, we finally knocked on Woody's window & asked him WTF were our orders.

Woody replied, "What Orders?" and, in the haze of our short-attention-span, we said, "Oh", & stumbled back up the stairs to Northwest's Rogers B - the sole "drug dorm" in a sea of violent drunks (often using lounge furniture to create huge bonfires in the quads up there).

Woody then quickly turned off his sign & bailed from the lot. We were so out of it that it took quite awhile til we finally asked each other - still hungry - what happened.

So Woody's was not so "fine" that night. He often used that ploy at NW. Usually his grinders & pizza's were fine enough for our late night munchies runs.

When we wanted some good food, we'ed pile into Alky Al's beat up Saab & race down 195 to the Willi Bowl. Ha! LOL at those hazy memories. But the food was pretty decent.

I went to 12 classes that semester. Got a 4.0 gpa.

Storrs has more choices now than ever out there amongst the quiet Eastern Connecticut Woods & Dairy Farms.

Of course, the ONLY reason for splurging on a fine restaurant back then was the parents visiting or for some chick who might "respond" to such largess coming her way.

So I completely agree with ClifSpliffy on that.

Sixty years since then & Storrs is still a work in progress with zero "fine food" restaurants. As it should be!

When I wanted fine food in Storrs, I'd talk some gf into hitching down to NYC for lunch at Nathans. Ha!

Father Demo

PS: What ever happened to Woody?

 

[geohusky]

Rapps

 

[storrsroars]

too funny - you should have seen it 40 years ago

There was a place in the mid-70s across 195 from South Campus/Von Der Mehden, which I think was called Campus Restaurant or something simple. Had lunch there one weekend with a friend. The main attraction was the bussers cart, with two levels of bins for collecting dirty dishes. And as the busser was walking from table to table, his dog, which was leashed to the cart, was busy cleaning the plates in the bottom bin.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

I provided the guy with helpful advice in an earlier post. The people telling him there's nothing likely go to campus rarely nor have they actually checked out the offerings in downtown Storrs. Nor did they closely read his OP to see what he was looking for

I work at UConn. Have for 20+ years.

Yes there are no "gourmet, hoity-toity overpriced restaurants" in Storrs center.

But the restaurants I recommended are "nice"...a very good meal, nothing extravagant, and within walking distance. Which seemed to be what he was asking for. But WTF do I know?

You know enough to not get bitchy and attach the "past-peak" label to the guy who gave the mic drop response in #2, approved of a complimentary comment at #4, then chose against hanging the 'Mission Accomplished' banner & closing the thread, and instead hung around to pop up a bit later and call you a .

 

[tentoes4rings]

Willington pizza is solid

Yes. Im excited to go to Willi Pie after the game.

 

[krinklecut]

What ever happened to Chuck and Augie's? That place was all class.

Never didn’t get diarrhea from Chuck and Augie’s but that’s the price you pay to enjoy the finer things

 

[Rashadsmask]

Take a look at the Lakeview restaurant in Coventry. Less than a 10 minute drive from The Graduate. They have a pretty good menu and it won’t be crowded. Nice view of the lake also.

I think this place is closed.

 

[husky8273]

Rapps

Red Rock Cafe where Rapps used to be is worthy, Red Rock Café - Storrs, CT (redrockcafe.net).

 

[Slick]

There hasn't been a decent restaurant in that area since Larry Ross had The Mansfield Depot Restaurant.

That place was good. Is Larry still alive??

 

[LIUCHusky]

I think this place is closed.

If it is, it just closed. I have been there very recently.

 

[LIUCHusky]

If it is, it just closed. I have been there very recently.

The Lakeview site says they will open at 11:30 Friday.

 

[BGesus4]

If the desired experience should include a jager bomb, it really opens up the options

 

[RowdyFan]

I always regretted not going there since Larry was an Ansonia HS classmate of mine.

I was his manager for a number of years. Great guy and mentor. I miss him.

 

[RowdyFan]

That place was good. Is Larry still alive??

As far as I know. After he sold the Depot, he went into real estate sales.

 

[boiwerebad]

Rightfully so, no one wants to live in and/or raise a family in a strictly college town. And if you do you’ll end up like Tyler Olander with more rings than Jim Boeheim.

Are there any legitimate jobs in the Storrs area that aren’t UConn-related?

All I know of is people who work (and now with remote work, used to work) in Hartford, and then live in a lower cost of living town around UConn. That entire part of the state doesn't have much going for it, in my 4 years at UConn only met maybe two people who were from the area, and fairly certain their families worked at UConn or something Hartford related.

 

[boiwerebad]

Red Rock Cafe where Rapps used to be is worthy, Red Rock Café - Storrs, CT (redrockcafe.net).

That place is pretty terrible. My friends and I went right before we graduated and the water tasted like it had copper (or blood) in it. Wings were abysmal compared to anywhere else on campus.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Rightfully so, no one wants to live in and/or raise a family in a strictly college town. And if you do you’ll end up like Tyler Olander with more rings than Jim Boeheim.

Are there any legitimate jobs in the Storrs area that aren’t UConn-related?

College towns are booming, especially with work from home being viable. Mansfield has utterly botched this going back many decades.

There are few places that are more appealing than a midsized college town with a larger than average number of bars, restaurants, live music offerings, plays, sporting events, etc. Mansfield just had and has no vision. It has wasted an opportunity and holds UConn back as well. A lot of UConn employees end up living farther away because Mansfield is so lame.

 

[CTBasketball]

College towns are booming, especially with work from home being viable. Mansfield has utterly botched this going back many decades.

There are few places that are more appealing than a midsized college town with a larger than average number of bars, restaurants, live music offerings, plays, sporting events, etc. Mansfield just had and has no vision. It has wasted an opportunity and holds UConn back as well. A lot of UConn employees end up living farther away because Mansfield is so lame.

Agree with this. And it’s the conclusion of this thread.

 

[Drew]

College towns are booming, especially with work from home being viable. Mansfield has utterly botched this going back many decades.

There are few places that are more appealing than a midsized college town with a larger than average number of bars, restaurants, live music offerings, plays, sporting events, etc. Mansfield just had and has no vision. It has wasted an opportunity and holds UConn back as well. A lot of UConn employees end up living farther away because Mansfield is so lame.

Athens GA is maybe the quintessential version of this. And something Storrs should aspire to be.

45 mins from Atlanta. AWESOME food/music scene. It’s more or less turned into a nice Atlanta suburb. In turn- it’s a huge boon for the university.

 

[HuskyHawk]

Athens GA is maybe the quintessential version of this. And something Storrs should aspire to be.

45 mins from Atlanta. AWESOME food/music scene. It’s more or less turned into a nice Atlanta suburb. In turn- it’s a huge boon for the university.

Athens, Lawrence KS, Boulder CO, Chapel Hill, NC there are a lot of examples. When I was at KU Lawrence was about 40-45k population. Now it's grown to 85k because so many grads just don't want to leave. Stellar music scene there too.

 

[HCCForever]

In the 60's, the only dining (let alone "Fine") in Storrs were Ted's, Huskies, & Kathy John's. The Altnaveigh was indeed fine home country dining for the visiting parents down the road.

But Woody's converted bus, located in what is now the North Parking structure, was "fine" enough for us Northwest Zoners.

One late night, after playing hooky, Risk, & hitting the bong for days, we stumbled down to Woody's Bus & placed our orders at the window.

Woody took the orders, & we waited & waited, shaking in the 0 degree night air. And we waited, & waited some more..... After about 30 minutes, we finally knocked on Woody's window & asked him WTF were our orders.

Woody replied, "What Orders?" and, in the haze of our short-attention-span, we said, "Oh", & stumbled back up the stairs to Northwest's Rogers B - the sole "drug dorm" in a sea of violent drunks (often using lounge furniture to create huge bonfires in the quads up there).

Woody then quickly turned off his sign & bailed from the lot. We were so out of it that it took quite awhile til we finally asked each other - still hungry - what happened.

So Woody's was not so "fine" that night. He often used that ploy at NW. Usually his grinders & pizza's were fine enough for our late night munchies runs.

When we wanted some good food, we'ed pile into Alky Al's beat up Saab & race down 195 to the Willi Bowl. Ha! LOL at those hazy memories. But the food was pretty decent.

I went to 12 classes that semester. Got a 4.0 gpa.

Storrs has more choices now than ever out there amongst the quiet Eastern Connecticut Woods & Dairy Farms.

Of course, the ONLY reason for splurging on a fine restaurant back then was the parents visiting or for some chick who might "respond" to such largess coming her way.

So I completely agree with ClifSpliffy on that.

Sixty years since then & Storrs is still a work in progress with zero "fine food" restaurants. As it should be!

When I wanted fine food in Storrs, I'd talk some gf into hitching down to NYC for lunch at Nathans. Ha!

Father Demo

PS: What ever happened to Woody?

Being at Wright B in the Northwest quad in the late 70's, we often took time out from our late night festivities to head down to Woody's. Fortunately, we always got our orders. For a change of pace on the weekend, we would go to Bonanza's in the ShopRite plaza on Route 32.

 

[MTHusky]

As far as I know. After he sold the Depot, he went into real estate sales.

Here is a link to his Real Estate business, https://lawrenceross.gotofourcorners.com/