Connecticut’s boasts plenty of hoity-toity steakhouses but, except for the obvious low-end chains, offers little for the unpretentious steak lover.
Enter Matt Bellard, who noticed that his hometown of Wallingford lacked a good steakhouse and decided to open Brew & Steak Kings with some close friends. According to the website, Bellard wanted to create “a place where friends can celebrate or commiserate over a great beer and a phenomenal hand-cut steak. No fancy attire here…”
The joint is casual, its dining areas outfitted with wood floors and chairs and a blue color scheme. A female DJ was setting up in a large lounge, and the restaurant appeared about to expand into the adjacent space, with more music and trivia planned.
We started with a couple of drinks—a sophisticated French Martini ($7) and a mellow Cool Cucumber Crush ($9), lovely accompaniment to six big deep-fried oysters ($14) served on the half-shell with a ramekin of rémoulade sauce. A BSK salad ($12) with mixed greens, bacon, Gorgonzola, dried cranberries, candied walnuts and sliced almonds was a nice bridge to our main course.
There’s a more than adequate wine list ($24-$60; $6-$7), but an exceptional draft beer list ($3.50-$8 for 16-ounce pours). A beer flight accompanied our main course, during which the restaurant, open since last November, really justified its name. Our flights included five-ounce pours of Omnipollo Abrahadabra IPA, Allagash White, Outer Light Hoppy Beerday, Firestone Walker Easy Jack Summer Session IPA and Breckenridge 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout.
The beer-braised short rib ($18) was a formidable block of strongly marinated beef whose flavor we couldn’t get over. It came with nicely dressed carrot sticks and rather heavy mashed potatoes. Equally good was my perfectly seasoned and cooked 14-ounce New York strip ($27), which we ordered with steak fries and Brussels sprouts. (Next time I’m splurging on the 24-ounce bone-in rib-eye for $38.) We finished with a wonderful Nutella mousse ($8).
The clientele seems more blue-collar than white-collar, which speaks to the restaurant’s location, pricing and attitude. Anyone who comes to Brew & Steak Kings is apt to feel welcome.
BREW & STEAK KINGS, 600 N. Colony Road, Wallingford, is open Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m.; Friday through Saturday, 4 to 11 p.m.; and Sunday, 3 to 10 p.m.. 203-725-4005 and bskings.com.
