Used to go the Chips II in Guilford years ago. We found ourselves in Clinton recently at the outlets and decided on Chips III for lunch. I was not impressed. Busy bar and fairly busy dining room. We were given bowl of popcorn while we looked over the menu. I felt like i had dropped right back to the late 80's with the decor and menu. We decided on sandwiches. I had the poultrygiest(according to menu it was brought back by popular demand) and my girlfriend tried the California wrap. Both came with chips. We were offered more, fresh popcorn while we waited. The popcorn has that industrial popcorn lube coating, salty and heavy. Food arrived in a decent amount of time.
 The food, however, was a disappointment. My sandwich came without a bottom bun and after serveral attempts to get get staff to acknowledge my problem, my food had grown cold. The waitress did bring it back with a bottom bun but it was the meal that sat for 10 minutes while we tried to get help. The chicken turned out to be dry and tasteless and after several bites i gave up. Also, i realized the bacon was also missing. My girlfriends wrap was also bland and to locate the avocado required serious digging. A word on the chips that came with the meal. Now, if I had a place named chips and we served chips with meals i would assure you I wouldn't supply industrial boxed wavy bland ones. I dont think it would be too much to have a house made chip.
 We definitely will not be back.
When we rolled up to this joint, after a lovely afternoon of shopping at the Outlets nearby, I was like, "Uhmmm....okay??" Â We walked through the bar to get the the host....and was like, "Well.....let's not make a snap decision.....but...I mean...really??"
We were greeted and sat immediately. Â The dining room looked like an Applebee's and a Red Lobster got together and made a baby shack. Â But my friend raved so much about this place that I tried to keep my bourgeois thoughts to myself.
And I'm VERY glad I did! Â Our server was lovely, and knowledgeable. Â The menu is extensive, and VERY well priced, especially for the portions! Â The buffalo shrimp appetizer (the best I have EVER had anywhere in my international travels) was fresh, breaded and fried perfectly, and GINORMOUS! Â This was MORE than huge enough to make an entire meal. Â I bought it for the table, and we barely dented half of this bad boy.
I got the special ravioli with a blue cheese cream. Â The flavors were all there. Â Lovely! Â The crab was splendid. Â Not a big fishy, and quite plentiful. Â The sauce was a little thin for my liking, but I was super filled up after these back-to-back seafood dishes.
My nieces mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, and fries were plentiful, and not the least bit greasy. Â My friend's salad was enormous, and she loved it.
My only qualms (besides the general ambiance....then again...my fault for thinking this would be an upscale pub) were that the booths were tight...and I always give leeway for this since I'm not the smallest guy. Â But this was tight even for my squirming niece. Â And I ordered an Arnie Palmer....and it was just the one you get in a gas station, pre-bottled. Â I assumed I'd be getting fresh, or at least in a glass. Â But she just popped down the refrigerated bottle.
Uhm...no.
Still, everything was so awesome, especially the prices, that I really can't give them less than a 4-star rating. Â I'll be back!
Over the years I have been to Chips probably a dozen times. However, I will probably not go out of my way to eat there again.
PROS: the Buffalo shrimp appetizer -- deep fried and pretty delicious
CON #1: their "Taco Salad" and the waitress who waited on us in the bar area at our last visit (1/6/13). The description of their Taco Salad mentioned it had: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, beans, ground meat, lettuce, etc... Now perhaps it is my fault for ordering "mexican" from a pub...but this was the worst salad I have ever ordered in my life...What I received was a taco shell bowl filled with sour cream, guacamole and refried beans...now I know the description mentioned those items but I certainly did not expect the bowl to be filled with 1.5 cups of each condiment...I dug for lettuce (of which there was but a few wilted pieces underneath the massive pile of condiments) and saw no ground beef...I'm not sure about other people who have eaten taco salads before but that was certainly not what I expected...
CON #2: The waitress who served us....I never usually send food back, but this "salad" I just could not eat so I told the waitress I would need to send it back because It wasn't what I was expecting...and she (the waitress) was so rude about it, I did not even want to leave her a tip (but we did leave 20% on a nearly $100 check anyway)...her response was "well, the menu lists all of these ingredients" (she huffed) -- yes dear, I know the menu listed the ingredients but it failed to mention that it was a condiment salad with a side of wilted lettuce if you could dig deep enough under the cream and guac to get it....
So anyway...I will likely not be back...not necessarily because of the "salad" but because of the waitress who was rude...I was a waitress once and there is no excuse for rude behavior...
Walked in bc its the only place open at 9pm. Had Ruben 10oz burger with sweet potato fries, while wifey had fried wontons and soup of the day.
Definitely a hand made patty as there were lots of irregularity. However the irregularity is what made it amazing, found myself going for the ends first. The fries were done perfectly, it had the perfect crispiness to sweetness ratio. The fried wontons were surprisingly delicious. It does appear oily, but very little oil came off after the tissue test.
The only thing that stopped a five star was the soup. It was warmish and bland.
Overall a great experience. Will definitely come back.
Hit or Miss!!! I've been a regular here for over two decades but as of the last couple of years there is a real problem with quality control in the kitchen. We eat here often because the place is very family friendly and the waitstaff is generally really good. This is the only place where I have had to send the food back twice in one sitting because the fish was undercooked. The nachos are one of their best appetizers when they are prepared right but too often they arrive charred and burned, I am astounded that there isn't better QC.
Review Source:I grew up with this place so I am probably a bit biased toward it. I have been here literally hundreds of times. The staff is very pleasant, and if you're a regular they will get to know you and your preferences. It can get very busy at times, so the service isn't always super speedy. Generally it is worth the wait.
Chips is a place to reliably get great American food. Their nachos are good, their burgers are great (and very large), and I'd highly recommend the buffalo chicken fingers and the clam chowder in the bread bowl. The latter is my favorite chowder in the area. I'm also a fan of their ceasar salads with steak, cajun chicken, or shrimp.
If you're in the mood for American food and near Chips, you won't be disappointed.
Whenever I'm in the mood for a GREAT salad, we're on our way up the road to Chips'! Â The dining room is separate from the bar and is very family friendly. Every time we've been there for dinner, it's very busy. It's obviously a local favorite. Food is reasonably priced, and we've always had wonderful service.
Review Source:There appears to be a wide divergence of opinions on this pub, but I was immediately impressed by the bar area.  We arrived at around 2PM and the dining area was more than  1/2 full which was a very good sign.  At first I thought I would order a hamburger, but my wife pointed out that each weighs 10 ounces which I find to be gross.  We finally decided to go with the Buffalo chicken Caesar salad which was fresh, spicy and delicious.  Even though the chicken was skinless, it turned out to be juicy.  My only complaint was my salad was way overdressed.  My wife did not suffer a similar fate.  Our niece ordered the daily tortellini special which was perfectly dressed in a tomato vodka sauce.  Overall we were more than happy with the food and service.
Review Source:I love the place, although the benches aren't padded and can get a little hard. Â They make great burgers and fries or wraps. Â Their apps are great.
The few downsides are that: Â sodas aren't free refills, food takes forever to come and that it takes a long time to get the attention of your waiter/waitress. Â
If you head there with some friends, don't mind sitting and chatting a while while you wait for your food/service, then I think it's a great place.
I came here for the first time in years the other day and it was full of middle aged people drinking and bitching about their lives. Waaaah. I swear I was the only one in there under the age of 30. Their food is nothing special, but it's not bad.
However I do enjoy the fact that they serve arnold palmer! Arnold Palmer with vodka is heavenly, especially in the summer!
Tried this place a few times. Each visit, I was hoping the last experience was just a fluke.
The food is quite honestly not that good and wayyy overpriced. The wings are teeny tiny and you'll be lucky to get a few bites out of one.
The atmosphere is okay and it looks as though they have a patio for when the warmer weather comes so it may be a nice place to stop for a drink. Service had always been very good but overall, Chip's is unfortunately just average..
Im not just giving Chips five stars because its my home town and because theyve been around basically since either I was born- or at least since I can remember. Nor am I giving them a great review because I know most of the staff- either from growing up with them or because they make sure they know you by the end of your first visit (resulting, locigally, in a second...third...fourth and so on).
Im giving Chips 5 stars because they are the ONLY PLACE in the tri-state area that has perfected buffalo shrimp. Ive searched all over manhattan and brooklyn as well as CT and Boston- and no one compares. I dream about this yummy little crustacians on a rgular basis. I rarely come to CT and leave without my little buddies. They are always served perfectly, and each time i order im asked if I want the small or large size and i hesitate but enevitably answer "small, please". And each time- I bring some home. Which, is stressfull, because its impossible to hide those suckers in the fridge.
Chips also has fantastic salads. Always fresh and recipes that you cant find anywhere else. Im a huge fan of the cornacopia salad. Their hmemade chilli and clam chowder are pure bliss and their daily tortileni specials are to die for.
The atmosphere is perfect- laid back , local and comfortable. Huge tvs for the sports fans and free popcorn upon entry. The bar is large enough ad comfy but theres no reason to skip the nicely sized tables around the bar either. Theres a separate dinning area for the kiddies/people who dont love the Red Socks- which is just as, if not more, cumfy.
Been going here since high school and love it! the waitstaff remembers your face and what you like to eat and if of age, your alcoholic beverage of choice! not many local places can say the same! Food is delicious - burgers are the best on the menu!!! Overall a great atmosphere for families or just for a friends night out!
Review Source:The quality of the food matches the dreary exterior appearance, yet the prices are scaled to the neighborhood's posh oceanfront real estate. And the service feels like a high school production of Midsummer Night's Dream - lots of smiles and giggles with a desperate, depressing and amateur effect.
Review Source:I've never liked Chips. I've been there at least a dozen times over the last ten years and I have just grown to despise the place.
For starters, you get a bowl of stale popcorn when you sit down... most places are content to give you warm baked bread, but the popcorn is there to make you thirsty. Which is great, because the refills are not free, and the glasses are small.
The menu itself is comprised of bar-quality food that is being served at an undeserving price. It's not worth your time unless this is the only place you can find to eat. Which in Clinton may very well be the case.
Would have given 3 stars, but the menu annoyed me. Here's why. It's trying to be cute by having an attitude. I've waited plenty of tables in my life, & the sassy comments on the front of the menu are what every waiter/waitress thinks to themselves. For example "If your kids play with the sugar packets and open them, we will charge you for them!" or "You will be charged for refills on your soda no matter how much you complain!"
Eat me. I didn't like waiting tables either. I don't go out to eat to be treated the way you want to treat me. I go out to eat to enjoy food in a friendly atmosphere.
We ordered burgers for lunch. The place was only about 10% full. My 2yo had mac n cheese that was literally Kraft out of the micro. Says that on the menu. Only they charge you 4 times as much. My wife had a honey mustard burger and I had the BBQ. Both ordered Medium. My wife's food was cold. Mine was fine. The waitress asked me if I wanted another diet soda so I said yes just to see. Yep, 2 more bucks on the bill. They suck. I can eat anything and I've had a sick feeling stomach since we ate there. First & Last time we'll go there.
Not
a place
for the
snooty
A great local restaurant with a menu that has slightly unusual creations that frequently change. Good fish and chips and scallops dishes and great burgers if that is what you are into. Staff is always friendly and attentive and the nice part is that they give you popcorn to munch on while you wait for the food. Nice bar area with several big screen TVs for watching sports.
No, this place isn't going to place a napkin on your lap or push in your chair. Â Simply a restaurant that has really good food in a very, very casual atmosphere. Â If you want to be pampered or if you want your arse kissed you better go somewhere else
FYI - The kitchen is open everyday until 11pm. This place is the best. They came to the rescue again on Sunday night when we had just gotten back from a long weekend get-away and were absolutely starving at about 9:30pm. Even the grocery stores in Clinton had closed but not good old Chips. We had an excellent dinner that involved Quesadillas, Clam Chowder and Chicken Cesar Salad.
AND . . . they just added a whole bunch of yummy stuff to their menu.
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