Fireside Restaurant

This place is a big-time dive bar- been coming here for over 10 years. What will surprise you is the food served here is tasty! I have not gotten one bad meal yet. The portions are hefty and the menu has great choices and then they have their daily specials which are extensive! I love it- the more choices the better!
The place is loud and sometime obnoxious and you will know exactly who the regulars are.
If you are in the area and want some good food- stop in and give it a try.

awesome food, especially wings, and a good staff

This place will surprise you!  We moved to Woodward Ave. last year after living in East Rock for several years.  We really missed being able to walk to bars/restaurants, so we decided to give the Fireside a shot, even though it looks a little scary from the outside.  But when you walk in, it's just a regular, neighborhood, welcoming sports bar!  Decent beer selection, nice waitresses, lots of big flat screens for watching games, and a diverse crowd where anyone can fit in and feel comfortable.  
But the biggest surprise is the food.  Seriously, their wings are some of the best I have ever had, and my fiancee is obsessed with wings so we have tried them all around the New Haven area.  These wings are easily in competition with Archie Moore's!  We've also tried their sandwiches and salads, which are way better than they really need to be considering most people probably just come here for beer and appetizers.  
So if you're looking for a place in this neighborhood... give the Fireside a try, you'll be pleasantly surprised!!