I only had a couple of opportunities to visit, as Ordinary opened right around the time I finished my graduate  program.  However, I thought it was a great addition to the downtown bar scene. Â
The cocktails are a bit on the high side for New Haven but given the quality ingredients, I'm fine with that. Â I tried a couple of different options over my visits, all delicious. Â I also enjoyed their well-curated selection of craft beers. Â I believe they also have some small bites but I didn't have an opportunity to try those. Â
I love the interior, especially the long bar. Â I did find the place a bit overcrowded - I think people were pretty excited in the first few weeks after opening. Â So that's to be expected. Â
Despite the classy decor, I found Ordinary to be pretty chill. Â I showed up one night for a birthday event, still wearing my backpack. Â Another night, in the middle of moving, my husband and I dropped in for a couple of drinks after finding Prime too crowded. Â I was wearing a fleece and flip-flops and no one seemed to mind.
I just wish this place had opened a couple of years earlier so that I could enjoy it during my time in New Haven!
ok so i keep coming back and i keep encountering disasterous issues with this bar in downtown new haven, ct
ok so im all down with ur decor and ur concept but srsly service at the bar is atrocious. I brought 5 of my japanese associates to this establishment and it was V embarassing when we had to wait for 15 minutes before getting served. I thought my japanese comrades were going to kill me!!!!!!!!! noooooo i need to keep cordial relatons with my japanese associates, ordinary please help!!!!!
so the drinks are really good and everything, but how can the owner save his honor? I mean he was there, the owner was there, and he didn't even notice the scowling faces of my japanese associates b. I think he was playing a game on his phone while sino-carl s relations were going down the shitter and the bartender continually just forgot what he was doing while he was making drinks. Srsly the barback ended up taking most of the orders he is a legit young man, he will go far. Also service in the back is pretty good, no hatin.
I think this establishment was like a pet project that some dude dreamt up one night when he was high on coke. and its great he concept and everything but the execution is v unprofessional. I sorry ordinary but i went to Anchor bar after you and service was exceptional - my japanese contacts were saved and peace was restored, they scowls turned to smiles and we all got hammered with great honor.
Wednesday night, stopped in. Â VERY loud. Â Music and a couple groups of people that seemed to be on a tour. Â They left about half way through our time there. Â Music was fine.....good mix. Â From arrival to our first drink was about 12 minutes.....way too long, and the bartender that took the order did everything but make my drink! Â Come on, it wasn't THAT busy. Â The decor was fine except they've stripped everyhing off the walls making it even louder. Â I'd go back but only for a different atmosphere not because I feel drawn back....... it was too, well.....ordinary.
Review Source:we were strolling in New Haven and found this on Yelp. Â Very happy we went! Â you go here for the drinks and stay for the food. Â The drinks are not your normal bar drinks... Â very different but delicious combinations that feature the liquor not the mixers... Â Had an Old Fashioned that was out of this world.. Â also recommend the Sazerac! Â if you like bourbon or whiskey you will not be disappointed. Â Â The kitchen has extremely limited capabilities so the food menus was not extensive. Â we had the BBQ meat pie which was excellent but a touch overpriced at $9.00 Â Other than that, the service was awesome. Â Really enjoyed our time here and can't wait to come back!
Review Source:Ordinary was OUT OF THE ORDINARY!!! My friends and I had such a great time! Old fashion cocktails were spot on traditional and their original cocktails were delightful! Vittles were also nice...i had a dessert. Sorry for being so hazy but as it goes with alcohol, memories often are altered with each libation.
Review Source:The decor is definitely what makes this place. It definitely has the essence of its sister place, Caseus. This place reminds me of Game of Thrones mixed with some other medieval stuff. I came here to grab drinks. I got to see the same manager as I did at Caseus, awesome guy. They have a  small selection of beer but they had some good ones like Ginger Beer. That was tasty.
I need to come here for the full experience.
Stopped in here on Friday night for dessert and after-dinner drinks. Â I never saw Richters, but my husband was a regular, so we had different expectations going in. Â I was surprised it was so small, but it is beautiful and we appreciated that they preserved so much of the history. Â We actually got a table immediately. Â The chocolate raspberry tart was delicious, and hubs liked his whiskey, but my cocktail (viking funeral) was revolting. Â I had to move it away from me to avoid the smell. Â I realize I was probably overly adventurous in ordering it and it just wasn't up my alley, but I was disappointed. Â So for now I average it out to three stars. Â If I do better on my next visit I will up the rating.
Review Source:I want to start off by saying I was a regular at Richter's. Â It was one of the first places I went to when I turned 21 back in 1988. Â I knew then I found something special. Â The staff at Richter's always made me feel at home so I will never say anything negative. Â Richter's was my "Cheers" and it did hurt when they closed in 2011.
Ordinary is different. Â It is like when Sherman Potter replaced Henry Blake on MASH. Â In one particular episode Potter was trying to help Klinger ease into Radar's job. Â He had this to say "I don't mind telling you my first few days in his shadow were a mite uneasy. No one was jumping for joy over me. I was no Henry Blake. Never tried to be. That didn't make me any better or worse, just different. The point is, the folks here gave me the time to get comfortable and make this job Sherman Potter's. I guess I forgot that when you took over for Radar. What I'm trying to say is, you need the time to make this job Max Klinger's."
Richter's is gone but each time I go back now at 990 Chapel Street all the memories are still there. Â The place looks fantastic. Â It still has the old nostalgic feel. Â I'm glad they have the half yards which seem to be from 5:00 pm to 7:00 for happy hour. Â I've had one of their meat pies and to be honest I thought a little pricey for $9.00. Â It did not fill me up. Â The cheese plates are delicious and I think very reasonably priced. Â I am a big fan of the cheese plates.
It is evident the new tenants care a lot about the history of the building. Â I didn't care for the new name "Ordinary" at first until I read the history. Â The timeline is on their website or a visitor can see on the walls by the restrooms. Â Â
I think anyone visiting New Haven should checkout Ordinary just like they do with Louis' Lunch. Â It is something to see. Â They are still working out some kinks but it is a great place. Â I have to give 4 out of 5 stars. Â I have found the staff to be conscientiousness, especially Grace who knows my name and asks me how my week was. Â It is a page out of Richter's playbook.
From the guys who brought us Caseus (and the Cheese Truck!) bring us Ordinary! A great selection of drinks, beer, and food!
To start off with drinks. After going there a couple times, I've tried just about all of them. The BeeNees was very tasty. The Viking's Funeral was exceptional, a mezcal based drink tasting exactly as it sounds.
The food is very good for the limited menu they have. A great cheese selection and the meat pies are very yummy!
The service staff was also above the average level. They were very knowledgeful of the drinks and food options.
Urgh, just like at Caseus one of the waiters managed to immediately made me and my fiancee feel like we don't belong to their oh so exquisite clientelle by coming up to us when we were just looking around to say 'there's a line for the tables'. It's a two week old place, and a bar that is supposedly for ordinary people. How are we supposed to know there is a line or a seating area or anything like it in a normal bar in New Haven other than waiting in line etc. I still prefer Zinc.
Nothing really above average in other ways for New Haven. As for the chatcutterie, I just prefer going to the Caseus store and buying awesomeness in bulk, which I deeply recommend.
The cocktails are extra strong (I had three, and that left my head spinning), and the prices are quite reasonable for what you get. I wasn't particularly impressed by any of the drinks that I tried, though. I love manhattans, and their house manhattan is just okay.
The service was meh. Twice I had to stand at the bar for several minutes before the bartender would come over. This normally wouldn't bother me (because it's a bar, and those things happen) but more than once the bartender literally made eye contact with me, then walked away in order to continue a conversation with a patron. With that being said, this place is relatively new, so I'm sure they're working out the kinks. I'll give it another try, but it's not living up to my expectations thus far.
Great bar with a short menu, great ambience, and very tight space.
I think it helps to come with the right expectations--if you are looking for a great beer to go with your cheese plate, this is the place to go. Â On the other hand, there isn't enough food to have a real meal here. Â They serve pies which are delicious but tiny. Â Could be a good place to start out before you head out for dinner.
The place still feels a little like Richter's, small and warm, maybe even a little New Haven history creeping in...
Great drinks at reasonable prices; beautiful dark wood bar, warm atmosphere. Â The Ordinary is something New Haven has been missing. Glad it's here now. Minus one star though for the wooden sporks and, especially, the fast-food style paper baskets that the pies come in. Give us real forks and plates!
Review Source:I'm impressed to see that Ordinary has 6 reviews already for only being open for 9 days...some establishments are open for years and don't get that many reviews. Bravo fellow Yelpers!
I liked it, I really did. I stumbled upon a review for a new placed called Ordinary and as I was scrolling through the pictures realized it looked a lot like Richter's...which I never cared much for, thought it was grimy and divey. So...needless to say it was an excuse to go to dinner at Shake Shack RIGHT next door then have drinks at Ordinary.
We arrived around 730pm or so..., got two seats right at the bar, most of the bar seats were taken, as were the tables in the back room. The menu is small, but the bar is full so you can basically order whatever you want - the liquor is all unique and nothing I had ever heard of, good for a connoisseur; of which I am not. I started off with the Mayflower IPA($7) and my hubby the Dunkel ($). First observation - all beer is served in Tulip glasses (even if they're not aromatic and can be in a straight up pint glass). Later in the night I noticed some lighter beers were being served in Pilsner glasses...the idea grew on me! Next, we browsed the menu....food - cheese platter, meat platter, nuts, olives and meat pies. Decent selection. We ate already but of course had to indulge in a cheese plate. :-) Delish. We went with two cheese so we weren't too greedy, a Sheeps Cheese and a Goat, served with cool crackers (waiters terminology, not mine), these cool nuts that cleanse your palate between cheeses, a strawberry jam and this other gummy cracker bread thing. Just enough and only $8 for two, $5 for 1 and I believe $13 for 3? Don't quote me on that one. So, definitely reasonable. The meat pies were coming out all around us and smelled fab.
Back to the glass selection. They had bourbon glasses (don't know the official name, but the kind you get at a distillery tasting - short, small, tulip-like) which they obviously served Whiskey, Bourbon and Rye's in, then Champagne Coupe glasses which they servied basically all the specialty drinks and martini's in and basic old fashioned rocks glasses that served, you guessed it, Old Fashioned's and Gin n Tonics in...which brings me to my next topic...dun dun dun.. hubby moved to a Gin and Tonic after the beer and with the help of the bartender, decided on the Botanist Gin ($7)...which is a 2oz (I believe) pour over ice served with a whole bottle of Fentimans Tonic ($2)! Nice touch...but kind of forces you to order more gin...unless you want to hydrate with tonic! I moved to wine ($10) - nothing exciting to report., good wine though.
As the night grew, more and more people arrived (some left - due to lack of beer selection and food). WARNING: do not come here if you drink water -aka- Bud Light, Miller Lite, Coors Lite...shame on you!
Pros - see above ALSO....red wine, into a little carafe, then into my glass, they give a very, VERY good amount of wine for $7-$11/glass. Bonus points there.
Cons - I'm giving them some time to work out the kinks. Bartender's know how to make the drinks but they can't tell you the price of it without looking it up yet....they refer to the menu quite a bit still...I don't hate that, it's only been a few days. I mean, I know what I want to order, I came here to spend money, so that's a moot point for me. OK...one pet peeve I have at bars is when they 'tenders rely SO heavily on a Double Jigger! That drives me nuts, is it that they aren't comfortable making drinks themselves, or is it to keep a VERY close eye on alcohol use? I mean, even pouring a neat amount into the TINY whiskey glass - tacky. You should know how high to pour it. That is so distasteful - even for a new place.
Anyway, the pictures explain the decor, it's dark, warm and cozy. Intimate, with music, no TVs (thank goodness). We really enjoyed ourselves and will come back again to try the meat pies. :-) Â Although, with the prices as reasonable as they are and the menu so small, I'm nervous about how they're going to make rent. I did hear a bartender say the 'yards' are coming back!
And sorry, 3 stars because it's SO very new and has lots of room to grow. I do not think Ordinary deserves a 4, definitely not a 5-star review just yet.
My second time here, first time just a beer on opening day. Â The place looks great and doesn't smell of mold and bleach based cleaning products. Â A few minor decor pet peaves shiny brass hardware on the built ins and bathroom doors that don't match the interior. Â The bar is neat and minimal with careful selection to non run of the mill alcohols that being said they don't have standard quality bourbons and scotches or gins but that's ok because I don't drink cocktails in bars anyway. Â What was clear was that the bartenders were dedicated to making quality cocktails for the patrons that ordered them. Â There are 6 drafts down from about 18 from Richters, on the plus side the kegs are not stored in the vestibule and run through a jockey box. Â I had a short pour about 10 oz of an Ettaler Dunkel for $6 and a six pence pulled pork meat pie for $9. Â While a pleasant experience I can't really see coming here for these options and prices. Â I guess if you drink a beer and want to feel like you are in The Taft tap room then fine, but there are better food and beer options Yards away. Â My suggestion hire Richard back to work some magic in that tight kitchen with some novel dishes and lower the price of those pies by at least $ 2. Â In summary too contrived at the moment but I think with time Ordinary will hit stride, I'm not sure I'll be back at the present because of lack of beer options and pricing. Â They did play the Modern Lovers Astral Plane on my way out which is a big + in my eye.
Review Source:Ordinary is a new establishment just off the green in New Haven with a name that proved to be all too prophetic. Â Located in the old Richters, Ordinary has a stunningly beautiful decor that keeps a lot of the atmosphere of Richters, but swept up the cobwebs and modernized it a bit. Â Although the decor was very nice, it was definitely the best part of my experience there.
The main problem I found with this place is that it is not sure what exactly it wants to be, and it actually ends up becoming rather "ordinary" in the process. Â They do have craft beer, but a much smaller selection than most other good restaurants in New Haven. Â They do have some food, cheese, charcuterie, nuts and meat pies (which were delicious!), but don't serve meals. Â So, although we had a very bad waitress who didn't seem to know much about the beer she was serving, the crowd seemed VERY stuffy and they gave me WOODEN utensils, I didn't dislike my experience here. Â I just can't imagine why I would ever go back when everything that Ordinary does is done better somewhere else Downtown.
I agree with almost everything from the 3 previous reviews. Â And I LOVE Caseus. Â I also love craft beer. Â So I really want to give this 5 stars. Â I trust you can read the other reviews about the beauty of the building, etc. so I will not go into that further.
Pros: The cheese plate was Caseus quality. Â My group cleaned that plate. Â Also my friends who ordered the BBQ pork pie were quite happy. Â All of us were happy with our drinks and they were quite reasonably priced.
Cons: My bacon pie was just okay. Â Too much potato, too little bacon, would like sharper cheese. Â Also, the silverware is made out of wood. Â I'm all for environmentally friendly utensils and tableware, but I got a splinter from my spork. Â (I'm not even kidding. Â I ate with a wooden spork). Â And it is necessary to use the utensils because the pies are made in traditional British style instead of the more modern empanada-style that you can eat with your hands. Â I realize these are pretty minor complaints, but I 1) won't order the bacon pie again and 2) am really unhappy about needing a band-aid from going out to dinner. Â Not wanting to order a meal again is a big thing for me, because I have loved every meal I've had from Caseus.
So will I go to Ordinary again? Â Absolutely! Â But I still reserve my 5-star love for Caseus. Â That being said, if you go here, you will get a very good dinner and a very good drink for less than $30, which I cannot say for Caseus.
What do you get when you combine two brothers with a passion for cheese and quality cuisine, a man with a passion for craft beer, and a man with a passion for service and all of the above?? Â Oh just the best friggin bar in all of New Haven!! Â And I'm not saying that because I'm a bit biased (ahem, Yelp Duke of Caseus over here!), but because it's FACT and I know these guys set such high standards not just for themselves, but for all their patrons in which they make feel like family. Â
Ordinary isn't your run-of-the-mill watering hole, it's a classy establishment that will set new standards in a small city that I jokingly give the motto "New Haven: Where dreams go to die" due to the high turnover and numerous empty storefronts speckled throughout the downtown streets. Â Located right next to Shake Shack in the old Michter's space, there is a rich, storied history to this location and block in general. Â For you history lovers out there, check out the history link on their website which is also on display on the walls of the hallway to the bathrooms. Â Clearly the locals who run Ordinary love their city and its significance in history, and that love is what fuels the fire to make this place so awesome.
So they aren't officially opened yet (official opening in a week or so), but I went there last night as part of their soft opening period and had a fantastic time.  There's an overall old fashion, speakeasy décor and the ornate woodwork trimmings can be found throughout the bar.  A friend I was with said the interior was very similar to Michter's, which I didn't have the pleasure of experiencing, but the clean, dark brown wood décor suits the prohibition style drink making theme perfectly.  We sat in the back room with its walls lined with plush red leather couches, a scary gargoyle statue in the upper corner, and a sealed fireplace with a stuffed moose head.  Tim, owner and manager, gave me a little fun fact when I asked about the moose, which was shot in the early 1900s by the grandfather of the original Richter's founder.  I peeked in to the bar area and every seat was filled with jovial boozers conversing and being entertained by the mixologist talent behind the bar.  If it's filled late on a sleepy Sunday evening during their soft opening, I imagine it's going to be tough to snag a seat on a weekend when they are in full bloom.  Even the chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings were restored to keep the historical ambiance in tact.  They've done an excellent job at taking a snap shot of the 1920s and creating an environment where walking through the front doors time warps you to a place where life was less complicated.  You won't find a touchscreen DJ booth in this classy joint.
Currently there's a small list of 5 cocktails to choose from, the first two being whiskey based and right up my brown-liquids-loving alley. Â I ordered an Old Fashioned and Manhattan, both very reasonably priced and mixed very well. Â The Old Fashioned comes with muddled cherry and blood orange, and while I don't normally like any fruit muddled in my OFs this one was done well. Â I thoroughly enjoyed the brown/purple opaqueness and flavors of my drink. Â The Manhattan was a little light for my tastes, but overall it was a well-crafted cocktail and was served in this great old school era martini glass. Â My wife got the mezcal based drink with orange-flavored mixers and some bubbly, which we all found to be a bit dry for our tastes. Â They have a wide selection of craft beers, and I tried the New England 668, a 9% Belgian style ale, and a lager that I forget the name of. Â Served in a thin, tall glass, it was a very drinkable lager that I polished off with ease.
We also had the pleasure of sampling some charcuterie, cheese and two pies from the Six Pence Pie Co.  The prosciutto was excellent and well balanced, not too fatty or oily and had the perfect texture and chewiness that only comes from a expertly cured piece of pig.  The cheese was fantastic as well, gouda and a cow's milk comte.  No surprise at how good it was being that it's the Caseus guys here.  The pies really impressed me, being that I'm not much of a pie guy.  A flaky yet moist crust encapsulates the delicious ground beef and gravy filling.  Very savory and comforting.  My friends really liked the vegetarian Little Boy Blue pie (Spinach, Artichoke with Bleu Cheese Béchamel) as well.
Let me close with a quote from one of the owner's, which I found in an article. Â This really sums up what they're going for here and there's zero doubt this place will be a success and a long-standing establishment in the downtown New Haven bar scene.
"The aim is to be accessible," Jason said. He said he wants the bar to feel the same for a guy in jeans and a T-shirt, or a guy in a tuxedo--like an ordinary place.
I love that both of the historic Taft spaces have now been restored (the other being Roia in the ballroom). And both show much care and respect in their restoration.
This place has a great atmosphere and a feel that's unique to New Haven. It definitely has a bit of a LES/Williamsburg vibe - joining the ranks of Firehouse 12 and 116 Crown as another preferred hipster watering hole.
Prices are good, drink menu is interesting, beer choices are solid, service is good. Haven't tried the cheese/charcuterie/savory pies yet, but I trust it's all top quality coming from Mr. Cheese himself.
It gets 5 stars on appearance alone. The back room is especially awesome, a comfortable place to hang out and relax as the Richter's moose surveys his domain.
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