Box 63 American Bar & Grill

To be honest this place based solely on the food is worth about 3 stars. We had reservations for 1pm on Valentine’s Day and had to wait a bit longer than either of us would have liked in a cramped entry way. My girlfriend had some pretty bland nachos and I had the fried chicken and waffles which everyone on here raves about. It was good but nowhere near great. The chicken was good and crispy but the waffles were a little hard for my taste. Also the presentation was not great as there were smudges on my plate from it being handled and a small hair which I did not let deter me from eating the whole thing. Bottomless mimosas were a great call however because they were delicious and from what our waitress told us contained a good amount of champagne. The only reason I’m not giving this place 3 stars or fewer was the out of this world service we received from Jessica. Even though the place was packed she was incredibly attentive and our bottomless mimosas never got empty. Definitely would try brunch at a few other places in New Haven before coming back here but it’s definitely worth checking out for the $ 12 bottomless mimosas or bloody Mary’s

We came here this past Saturday after checking Unilocal for ideas where to eat dinner. We had the wings for an app, they were very good. We each had a burger and they were great. Cooked perfect. The only thing we didnt like was the fries. They were very thin and crispy. We ordered the bread pudding for dessert. The waitress brought out the ice cream sandwich instead. We didn’t want to complain and decided to stay with it and glad we did. It was amazingly great. Its two huge pieces of banana bread with vanilla ice cream topped with bananas and caramel sauce. I would go back there just for that. We also received 10%off for checking in on the Unilocal app.
Thank you for your response to my review. We are not in the area often but if we ever end up out there again we will definitely go back for dinner and dessert.

Tried Box63 for the first time with a few friends. We all loved it! First, their ambiance is just really laid back. Our waitress was incredibly sweet and personable. The sangria I had was delicious. and they have a great drink menu. The food is definitely many steps above typical bar food. Our group shared three apps; all delicious. I ordered the meatball salad and their meatballs are perhaps the best restaurant meatballs I’ve ever had.(and that’s comparing them to the dozens of Italian restaurants around new haven area). Can’t wait to go back!

Very mediocre food. The poutine was disappointing as was the meatloaf sandwich. Nice size portions and prices are reasonable and good service, but many other better options in the area

Box 63 is good if you don’t stray from their strong suits — burgers and southern favorites. I tried the shrimp and grits here for dinner once and it was delicious! Grits had a great buttery flavor and perfectly complemented the shrimp that was seasoned and cooked well. Another night, I tried their spaghetti and meatballs and was sorely disappointed. They used angel hair pasta which I don’t agree should ever be considered as «spaghetti» and their meatballs were entirely flavorless. Their cocktails are also very weak, though inexpensive so it’s a toss up.
If I returned, I would definitely stick to the southern dishes like Jambalaya and likely order beers instead of cocktails.

Last night my sister and our boyfriends stopped into this place for some drinks before dinner at Tarry Lodge. Walking in, there was a hostess who directed us to four seats by the bar. The bar tender was quick to serve us and was really friendly. I got house made sangria. It was stronger than I’m used too but it was so good! The bartender even checked in with me to see what I thought. I told him it was great! I also enjoyed the atmosphere of that bar.
We’re planning to go back soon for more drinks and maybe try some food!

Came here before hitting a show at Toad’s.
Condescending and or bored with life bouncer over scrutinizing our NJ driver’s licenses like he didn’t have anything better to do, allow me to clarify your role at the door, Step 1 is STFU with your corny wannabe tough guy comments, put license in license scanner, wait for little green light, allow guests entry without the impression that you bestowed upon us some grand privilege.
Walk over to the bar and we wait a solid 10 minutes before our drink order was taken, I easily counted 4 – 5 staff walk buy us, noticing we don’t have any drinks and continue about their business as if we sit at bars for the tvs.
After we finally got our drinks a group of local bros sat and the tard’ who walked by us 2 – 3 times tends to their order right away.
Besides the disheveled looking staff, the ambiance for a Thursday night 9pm was dead as a desert, not surprising and I sure as hell won’t be back.

Box 63 is an awesome place to go and enjoy a drink, apps, or an entire meal. They’re very accommodating and go above and beyond. I had reviewed a number of gift certificates in a raffle, but lost them. When I explained what happened, the owner was more than happy to help me and actually honor the gift certificates I no longer had. The food was delicious! If you’re thinking of going for the «oh no you didn’t» burger– do it! Makes for great pictures. Thank you, Box 63 for being great!

Box 63 has a comfortable atmosphere, with plenty of seating (bar and tables). It is located on the corner of Park & Elm, next door to Tarry Lodge. The staff is friendly. The french fries are delicious (and thin and shrimpy); there are a few different varieties. The wings are good, but nothing special, though the housemade «buffalo» sauce is interesting. The flatbreads are a little pricey for the portion size and topping generosity. I wish the tables had draft lifts on them. The cocktails vary in price dramatically (from fair to overpriced), and are creative, but could be larger serving sizes. This place is worth it with a LivingSocial deal, but otherwise there are other places to try in New Haven. To me, this place is better than comparable 3 star places on Unilocal and not as good as some 4 star places.

My experience with Box has been mixed bag. Their brunch is great. «Ugly American» always satisfies and their chicken & waffles are the perfect guilty treat. For some reason the ginger ale we ordered tasted too watery one morning (the soda fountain was probably having issues), but that just meant more of the bottomless mimosas. (Note: do get the bottomless mimosas, they’re worth it). Their dinners are nothing special, but their finger/​bar food is great.
Their nightlife, however, is hit or miss. It is something of a cultural hub for a specific type of student, those who want to enjoy night club life but also «look cool» while doing it. In shortest terms: the crowd differs from that of Toads. The police interfere not infrequently, due to the number of underage students trying to sneak in. The dance floor can be a very strange place. This, of course, isn’t completely within the control of the bar itself, but there were a few questionable moments.
I’ve had a few nights with a tight group of girlfriends where I’ve «danced the night away» as the adage goes. I also remember an evening where two women were trying to pole dance atop the upstairs seating, interfering with paying patrons who were trying to eat, and even accidentally hitting someone in the head. It took a while before anyone in Box did something about the situation. I also once tried to solicit help from the bouncer in removing an extremely intoxicated and scary looking guy who was hitting on people by telling them he «had no friends» but «could you come home with me tonight?» The strategy didn’t work. Given that he wasn’t removed I was able to see just how many times he failed. I will probably be going back to Box. Peer pressure is a powerful thing.

The variety of the cuisine is quite nice ranging from oldies but goldies Mac N Cheese through some southern favorites such as Shrimp and Grits (delicious) and Chicken and Waffles that definitely blows away Cracker Barrel.
The cocktails are inexpensive and delicious (try the daily $ 6 specials, you won’t regret it) while the beer selection is broad and well strategized.

Not a bad place to grab a bite in the downtown New Haven area. We ended up finding this place while walking around one evening when we were in the area. We stopped for a drink and a light bite. It was pretty quiet and one server was working the restaurant. Service was good and the timing was good. The food came out on time and was good. I had the chili, my wife went with a salad. As mentioned, both were good and the portions were generous! My only complaint was the server forgot to apply the Unilocal check-​in coupon.
We plan on coming back here for the full dinner experience in the future.

Burger challenge ROCKS!!!
It definitely wasn’t ez but tasted amazing!!!
Truly well thought out ingredients that all harmonize into a symphonic harmony of painful burger Bliss!!!
It hurt so good!!! Or 2 – 4 normal people can enjoy it.

Just average. This place can be hit or miss. I’ve been here to eat, drink, dance, and watch games.
Eating wise, their entrees are not the best and super meh, but their bar food is pretty good. I especially like the truffle fries. Drinking wise, their drinks are strong but super strange/​not the most tasty. Something is just not balanced. They are cheap though, which is a plus.
Dancing wise, the second floor is pretty popping on Friday and Saturday nights. The music is aite and it’s generally a good time. Nothing too earth shattering though. Just your basic dance floor with a bunch of people in their 20s doing their thing.
I most appreciate this place as a sports bar. Watching games here is especially fun-​the first floor gets absolutely packed and it’s a great time.
So overall some hits and misses = a solid 3 stars pretty much sums it up.

We were so impressed with this place that we brought our daughter and son in law the very next day! Lobster grilled cheese is heavenly! Hubby said it was one of the best burgers he’s had. Again, Dave didn’t disappoint, as our drinks were equally as awesome.
We came back for our third time, there was a large party outside. A little noisy but one of the staff came to check on us. Very considerate. Our bartender/​waiter (sorry, don’t remember his name) did not flinch when I asked for a special drink. He did his best to accommodate me and the drinks were great! Had calimari and a couple Brooklyn flats, both were super! Can’t wait to try more items on the menu!

I’ve only had their chicken fingers about 4 times lol so I can’t attest to how good the menu is. The chicken fingers are great! But I’ll say this the service is terrible.
They’re extremely slow with bringing out food or drinks & once I called ahead for food, got there and the food wasn’t even ready. Please fix your service staff. Other than that a pretty decent place to get American food.

Pretty cool spot. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich, which was tasty. As a southern traveler, I’m usually hesitant to order bbq — especially in northern states — but I was pleasantly surprised! This was a great take on pulled pork bbq and the accompanying fries were really good too. It seems like this is more of a dive bar than a traditional good food restaurant but I was not disappointed.
The service was great — I sat in the bar area and the waitress was really friendly and attentive. I would definitely come back — especially with a group of friends or co-​workers.

My boyfriend and I were casually walking around downtown New Haven one summer evening doing what we do best, discussing where to eat dinner. Now typically, these conversations normally end with me ignoring his suggestions and deciding on a local favorite. However when he suggested Box 63, I decided to give it a chance and obliged.
Box 63 was wonderful to us. Our server was very attentive and carefully listened to our requests. I went off the menu and ordered the mac and cheese with sausage. The server first confirmed with the kitchen that this dish could be made and returned to tell us how the cooks will be preparing it. Sounding fine with me, he went ahead and placed the order. It was delicious! The pasta was perfectly al dente and the cheese did not weigh it down either. The Andouille sausage was exactly what I wanted too.
My boyfriend ordered the Truffle Mac which had Swiss cheese and a truffle scented blend of roast forest mushrooms and scallions but felt that my version was a lot better and closer to what he was looking for. I highly recommend they consider keeping my customized meal on the menu (and naming it after me — but that’s another story).
I really have to give our server a shout out. Hate to say this but as soon as I sat down outside, I became a pretty demanding customer. The patio seating is beautiful but as the sun went down it quickly became chilly so I asked to move inside. We also asked for Arnold Palmer tea which isn’t on the menu but they were able to accommodate and then to top it all off, I made up my own meal. With all of these requests our server was very patient, understanding, and focused. He’s the best!
Nice to know that among New Haven’s fine dining establishments, there exists a fun divey place perfect for casual evenings and with excellent service. (Plus a Unilocal check-​in here will get you 10% off your check!)

After casually roaming around New Haven on a lovely summer afternoon, my friend and I settled on Box 63 for dinner.
We arrived in the early evening and asked for patio seating; fortunately one table was available outside. We were seated and began perusing the menu. We decided to share the Parmesan truffle fries as an appetizer, followed be our entrées, Cali-​Cobb
Salad and Truffle Mac & Cheese.
I had high hopes for the Parmesan truffle fries, but unfortunately the fries fell short. The truffle flavour was basically absent from the fries (and it wasn’t masked by the Parmesan, which was also unusually mild in flavour). No truffle shavings were on the fries, so I suspect truffle oil was (supposed to be) used. As someone who works with truffle oil frequently, I knew something was amiss. Nevertheless, the accompanied dipping sauce was absolutely fabulous. Next time, I will forgo the truffle fries and order regular French fries with the dipping sauce.
The entrées were better than the appetizer. My friend really enjoyed the Truffle Mac & Cheese, however I can’t speak to it. The Cali-​Cobb salad was pretty good, albeit the chicken was a bit dry.
Box 63’s patio seating was lovely; I’m glad we dined outside. Moreover, the service was good — our server was adequately attentive to our table.
Recommendations:
–Skip the truffle fries
–Dine outside on lovely summer evenings
Verdict
It was a good experience, but I’m not sure whether I’d return. If I do dine at Box 63 again, I will update my review if I am particularly impressed.

Came here with a group of 5 for brunch at 12:30pm on a Saturday. Took only 15 minutes to be seated.
Great for the bottomless brunch cocktail options. Harder to get refills on the bloody marys, so going for mimosas is suggested.
Food options were vast. Food itself was ok. Satisfied. You’re not coming here for the food, really. My Mellow Mushroom omelette was cooked fine, but the ingredients were uneven inside. The potatoes are a little over spiced and salty but good for brunch.