85 Main

We went here for dinner this evening. We order chicken wings as a appetizer they we very yummy. Waiter was on point tonight. We order our dinner both items off the special menu. My man got a steak and I order thick cut pork chops. The food came to the table look amazing, unfortunately I cut into my thick cut pork chop it was completely raw. We sent it back to the kitchen, they brought the dish back out same piece of meat just cooked a little more I cut into the middle of the pork chop and yet still completely raw. The server tried to make it right by giving us a huge discount on our slip. But honest the manager or the owner should of address the situation and never once showed their face. We will give this restaurant one more try. Hopefully better outcomes.

On the evening of January 18, 2026, I went to this restaurant with two sisters to celebrate my sister’s birthday. We had a reservation at 6:30 PM. Due to snowy weather, we arrived at 6:55 PM, and we had already confirmed our arrival when the restaurant called us beforehand. Upon arrival, we were seated at a very small square table. There was another table next to us that was still occupied, so we accepted the seating. After ordering, once the food arrived, it became clear that the table was far too small to accommodate all the dishes. When the neighboring table became available, we asked our server if we could add that table so we could fit our food properly, and the server agreed. Everything seemed fine until around 7:50 PM, when our server came over and asked if we wanted to pack our food to go — in a very pushy manner. We felt rushed, especially considering we were there to celebrate a birthday and enjoy our evening. We paid by card and left a cash tip under the receipt. As we were leaving the restaurant, a woman (presumably a manager) chased us outside and asked how the service was. I honestly told her that the service felt poor because we were rushed, while the table next to us was not treated the same way. Her response was extremely unprofessional. She said, “The waitress only made $6 for one hour,” which made us feel blamed and uncomfortable. Our home is 30 minutes away, and we came with the intention of enjoying a special birthday dinner — not being pressured to leave. To make matters worse, she then told us never to come back to the restaurant again. I have never experienced such disrespectful and inappropriate behavior from management. This experience completely ruined what was supposed to be a special celebration. I would not recommend this place based on the service and the way customers are treated

Food was absolutely amazing and better yet, it was all free through the Amex Platinum Resy credit. The chicken wings were out of this world. Would go back just for those alone.

Fish and chips and sushi were delicious. Friendly staff. Lots of variety on the menu and a little of something for every palate.

Me and my sister went here the other day and it was a pretty nice experience. Our waitress was super nice and attentive. The vibe of inside was pretty nice and kinda relaxing. We got two rolls of sushi to share and they tasted pretty fresh. I ended up getting a special, the handmade spinach and garlic ravioli, which was pretty tasty. I’d definitely come back and try out some more dishes.

We had a large party who came from NH for dinner here (18) ahead of a show at the Loos and the entire staff was outstanding! Our server Kayla was so nice, attentive and at ease. A true professional! Everyone enjoyed their meals and drinks and the accommodations were perfect for a fun night all together! 85 Main is a gem! “Chefs kiss!”

Great place for a beer and some fresh oysters. Oysters were phenomenal quality. Kudos to chef James for having top quality ingredients in such a small town of Putnam. No wonder why they are so successful. The mignonette for the oysters was to die for.

This place is a hidden gem food wise. Apparently, it’s three restaurants connected so you can get sushi, which was very good. I just ate it before I had time to take a picture, but I got the spicy tuna roll with tuna on top. It was called the Red Dragon. Then for my entrée I got the seared pepper tuna with yams and Chinese eggplant. My goodness it was fantastic. The tuna was perfectly cooked and nice and peppery. The yams were almost caramelized. It was so good creaming just melted in your mouth. And the eggplant had a balsamic glaze on it that was to die for. The place itself could use some updates, but that doesn’t mean anything towards the food. The food is amazing and worth the trip. Well Done 85 Main Well Done.

Went here recently on a date and it was a good experience. Had the poke bowl which was delicious and super fresh! Great service. Nice atmosphere. Would recommend and will return.

The service was decent, the waitress friendly, but the food was far below par for what you paid. The $55 ribeye came out well done (we asked for Medium Rare), which is just crazy. And then the 8-piece Shrimp sushi had only 2 pieces with Shrimp on it? That doesn't make sense.The steamers were okay, but a little tasteless. The cocktails were good!

It's hard to imagine that a great sushi experience exists in a small town in Northeast Connecticut, but man, does it! The team at 85 Main - Chef Osaki, Chef Abel, and Chef Kat - deliver an incredible experience, especially if you are willing to give them the controls! Their preparations are creative and take you on a flavor journey! The fish is ultra fresh, and they are more than happy to explain what they have prepared! I am always amazed and I never order! They just know! And the sashimi oyster dish is perhaps one of the best things I've ever eaten!!!

So loud with a screaming kid about 5 next to our table! I gave parents a dirty look and they laughed and let their unruly child do as she wanted. There were no quiet spots in the restaurant. Of course who but inconsiderate parents would take a young child around five years old out to eat after 7 pm. Also, the food was too expensive and the beer prices were higher than most other restaurants. I had to go find our waitress to get my check since the waitress never returned after we finished our meal. We will never be back.

My 1st time stopping here, was on a road trip and found this nice part of town . We decided to sit outside but the tables were so rickety we couldn't put our drinks on them and I got frustrated and moved inside to the bar area. I ordered some raw clams and a Kobe beef sushi roll . My girlfriend ordered a hamburger. The guy there that makes the sushi is good, and quick , problem is the sushi just sits there for 15 to 20 minutes before the waitress pick it up . I watched my ( warm ) Kobe beef sit there for at least 15 minutes along with 6 other orders , with little bugs flying around . I found that to be a little disturbing, one the burger came out they just reached over and grabbed my now cold $20 Kobe sushi roll . There was sushi still sitting there when I finished that was there when I sat down . The oysters were good . Well shucked , I wanted some big ones , they were on the small size . My sushi roll was very uneventful. I was too hungry to send it back . I had a bite of the burger and it was the highlight of the $90 meal .

We stopped in for lunch after antiquing and ordered 4 different things off the menu. The fish and chips seemed to be the favorite and the side of sweet potato fries were a good addition. The burger was average and the wings were okay. I wasn't a fan of the blue cheese on the side, which is weird because I usually love it. It tasted like salad dressing from a bottle. The food took awhile to come but the server was nice. I think I may try something else next time I'm in the area for the price. Most dishes for lunch were $18-$20.

Steak tips with mushrooms and onions were lacking in mushrooms and garlic mashed potatoes were watery and tasteless. Grilled broccoli not so good. Drinks were ok. Service was good. Veal meatloaf dish was lacking gravy. None on the potatoes. Ambiance was good.

Always love the food. It is a bit pricey but I would still recommend. The fresh bread and oil is yummy. The service is usually great even on busy days. The atmosphere is cool especially on the bar side with the stars on the ceiling on or in the cellar with the wine if you wanted a more private space.

Would call it more 86'd Main! Been to this place several times due the lack of options for "nice" restaurants but the food here is NOT consistent out of maybe 8 times or more I been there only liked 2 dishes and liked them one time, then every time time after that progressively worst and worst really high prices for food that's Not good lacking flavor don't dare to order a burger which I tough was going to be a safe bet dry meat terrible bread and greasy cold fries Drinks are Mid at best too sweet. Deff have a better experience at Applebees they are consistent in their food at least!

I'm so happy I finally tried this place! In a local and every time I drive by this place it's packed! This was my first time and it was excellent. The waiter was very nice, the food was sooo flavorful and didn't take too long to come out and the atmosphere was nice! I will definitely be back!!

Brought my crew in for lunch, food was great, Madison took awesome care of us, guys were all smiles. Thank you.

After reading other reviews here and on other sites along with recommendations for people we came in contact with on our recent trip, we were quite disappointed. The hostess quickly sat us at a table in the walkway with my husbands chair being constantly run into by the same server. She wasn't friendly, and our server was the same. It was a crisp fall day and soup for lunch sounded perfect. Mr. B went with the clam chowder and I opted for their special of the day, carrot coconut bisque. The clam chowder was watery, lacked flavor and salt, but was filled with pieces of sand. My carrot coconut bisque was unique and I actually loved it. Given the opportunity, there are other spots around Putnam that are better and I wouldn't go back to 85 Main.

Everything was perfect here. The service, food and ambiance. Our server was great. Also, I left my purse and it was waiting for me with all my things when I returned. Thank you so much!

Wow has this place gone downhill. We used to go every week and stopped going when the quality of the food dropped. Fast forward a year, we decided to try it again. We were sat in a corner, around 50% capacity, and no one came over for at least 15 minutes. We were offered water, then waited another 10 minutes to finally enter our drink order. Drinks came out after another 10 minutes, in which the waitress spilled a drink on my wife. We ordered our food, waited around another 15-20 minutes and they brought out 3 of the 4 meals ordered. I waited another 10 minutes for my dish, even though it a cold, poke bowl and finally my wife went up to inquire. It was sitting on the counter all this time. The food sucks, service is even worse, yet people still go. I don't get it.

What a great spot in downtown. We went on a Tuesday night and we found easy parking and had no wait for a table, and our waiter Colin was super nice. They have a nice patio out front and the interior is open and full of warm colors. We both ordered from the specials menu. Hubby got a rib eye and mashed potatoes that was perfectly cooked and he loved the flavor. I got a pork chop that had a fruit compote on it that was the perfect compliment, fried brussel sprouts and mashed sweet potatoes were nice as the sides. Well didn't try anything from the raw bar or the sushi menu, but all the more reason to go back again. Highly recommend!!!

86 Main is the best restaurant in the Quiet Corner of northeast CT. You could put this restaurant in any big city and it would be fabulous. It's that good. Great seafood dishes and fantastic selection of specialty cocktails will make your meal a special occasion. The staff is knowledgeable and professional. A great selection of local oysters too!

Had reservations and they sit us under a leaking vent; which I had already sat in the wet seat. When asked to be moved we're told "it's been doing that all day". I asked again to be moved to a different table, was told there's none available except to sit outside. I asked to see the manager and was told she's busy. This is the second time we've experienced the worse customer service. Definitely don't recommend!

The food quality has gone way downhill in the past few years. We go maybe once a month it's gotten to the point where we have to send something back almost every time. I've order sushi multiple times that should have a light tempura coating, and the rolls end up being cooked through. It's not the same, and there are so many other options in Putnam now, that we can skip this one.

Food and service....awful. I think they may specialize in sushi only. I went for lunch with my husband....we ordered cokes....they tasted like root beer and coke. Then the chowder I ordered came.....it was a broth soup....the calamari came up next and it was over cooked. Then the main entree came out.....they called it a Maryland lump crab cake.... really sad and of course burnt on the outside and tasted like mustard on the inside.....not Maryland whatsoever. The shaved steak was riddled with grease and cheese and the bun was soaked. After waiting 15 minutes watching our waiter walk by about 10 times while we weren't eating he finally came by. He never asked us how our meals were just asked to take the dishes. My husband told him they should change the description of the crab cake because it's not Maryland style.....he's from Maryland and I told him Ot wouldn't be a place I would come to again. He apologized and then never said anything about taking a dish off the bill absolutely no on this one.....normally I will tell anyone try it for yourself.....as any of you have read my reviews.....good people.....SAVE YOUR MONEY!

The wife and I have had only the burgers yet..however the waitstaff actually asks you how you'd like them cooked. I'm a rare/ medium rare guy wife likes well done Both times they were done to perfection I had 18 buck a schucks excellent From. Appetizers to desert this place is perfect.

I will definitely be coming back here! Our server Becca was an excellent, tentative waiter! The food was positively superb; the portions were generous but still left room for a delightful dessert! The decoration was very thoughtful and put together adding to the lovely experience. If you are in Putnam I strongly recommend paying a visit to this fantastic establishment.

We just absolutely love this restaurant. The specials are always evolving (the Bolognese is to die for when they have it) and the menu is phenomenal... recently i had a special request due to diet restrictions and Chef Abel not only accommodate but knocked it outta the park... the maple-glazed scallops were decadent! #chefabel

Great menu. The food was delicious and so were the drinks. We sat outside and it was truly a great experience! The waiter was very nice and attentive. This was my third time there and I will be back again when I'm in the area.

I've been a loyal customer of 85 main for the last ten years or so. I recently picked up a sushi order on New Year's Eve and when I tell you the smell of rotten fish was so awful , I had to hold my breath while I paid for the order. When I arrived home, my wife said you smell like rotten fish. I thought it was just my clothes, nope, it was the salmon in the rolls and it was horrendous. Did not eat it. Then I received a gift card, so decided to go last night. Didn't go with the sushi, went with stuffed haddock for $38. It was about the size of a softball, came with a side of mixed greens. Ate 1/4 of it and tossed the rest. Needless to say, I will no longer give 85 Main my business. It's a shame, used to love the place. Now, it seems they are cutting corners with product choices and the prices are through the roof. I will be finding a new place to go.

Sat by myself in the bar-great food & great service! The tuna was perfectly seared & I really liked the cauliflower purée, though I probably should have asked for a spoon to scoop it up better

Nice menu great service. We ordered marinated steak tips with mushrooms and onions. fried calamari was lightly battered and broiled scallops with a sweet potato hash. Sat outside and enjoyed people watching.

Excellent food, drinks and atmosphere! We loved sitting at the bar, watching them shuck oysters, SO FAST. We can't wait to go back... so good

Awesome Service!!!! Awesome Food!!!!! Go!!!!!!! ..... Fries are Out of Bounds!!!! Had The Brisket Sandwich!!!! Outstanding!!!

This place was super busy on a Sunday at lunch in May. We ordered lobster rolls and dessert. Both were amazing. Highly recommend!

Yummy food and great service. The corn and clam fritters were great! Just an all around good meal.

This is was not our first visit to 85 Main and it won't be our last. We stopped by today for a late lunch before heading over to do some antique shopping. We were very happy we did. My wife had an excellent lump crab cake nestled in a house salad. The crab cake was lightly spicy and excellent. I had the pulled port wrap which came with what I consider the best sweet potato fries I have ever had. Kudos to the kitchen on these menu items. The restaurant was clean as always and the music choices were well suited for a calm and pleasant dinning experience. Although there is a great bar and a e really good wine list (I don't drink anymore) we didn't have any alcohol and we walked out spending less than $50 all told. 2 thumbs up.

Alright stop! Masticate and listen... Shawnzo's back w a brand new listing. Chowder! goes with a salad nicely. Rotating specials daily and nightly. Will they serve slop? Yo, that's a no. Everything seasoned well And they have to-go. To the chefs rocking steaks w/ great handle... Lights up your mouth w/ good sushi and chantrelles. Nice... food... baby (du du du du du du du) Perfectly cooked rice rice baby (dududdududu) All worth the price price baby. (dududdududu) Venda ravioli sometimes a spe-cial maybe (dudududu) I like this place, especially as mentioned above... The steaks... Ravioli... Sushi... Salads and chowder.

We took my mother here for her birthday, because she had heard about it from friends and was curious. I don't know what her friends told her, either they told her it was good and they are liars or have bad taste in restaurants, or they told my mother it was bad and she wanted to see just how bad. As soon as we entered we were greeted by a scent that can only be described as dried sea water. It's that smell that you encounter when you go on a rock walk along the shore, it's a bit briny and a bit rotten decaying plant and ocean life. That should have been warning enough, but we were hungry. The next warning sign was the lipstick on the water glasses, and none of us were wearing lipstick. Sidenote: I noticed someone else mentioned the same thing and I can help but wonder if there is a dishwasher problem at this place. Despite all these red flags we stayed, and good lord what a rip off. I won't tell you about everything that we ordered, but what did I will tell you about is the 8 dollar kids menu dumplings. My kids love dumplings and were excited about them being on the menu what they were not excited about were four burned dumplings being the entire order. Four dumplings does not feed a child. For what it's worth don't eat here.

Good food and atmosphere bring your wallet. Any time I'm going out for a great meal with the wife and friends that's one of our gotta go to places.

What a great experience! We had a wonderful server (Charity I think?) and great support staff. Food came quickly and was delicious! We shared a sushi maki for an appetizer, as good as I have had before. The Sam Adams battered fish was enjoyed by members of my party. The main menu AND the specials were so encompassing, the hardest part of the meal was making a choice! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!

Recently visited 85 with my wife and service dog. We were not seated because we had a service dog. I attempted to show our service dog credentials but a staff member ( young man who acted like the manager) did not care about the credentials. I may note that the establishment may have had only three tables filled. I was really surprised given the fact that we have always spent time at there sister establishment the Vanilla Bean with no issues for many years. 85 is now off our list of recommended establishments.

This was a great find! Met up with friends in Putnam and this was recommended by the coffee shop in town as a great spot for lunch and dinner. Staff was wonderful, friendly and timed everything perfectly! Burrata app was amazing, as was my butternut squash ravioli(have had this in other restaurants but this was over the top delicious!), 2 in our party had Swedish meatballs and the other a roast chicken dish and we all raved our was the best!!! Highly recommend!!!

Service was excellent! Ambience was OK. Lighting is a bit orange. Food was pretty good. Ordered a burger medium and was fully cooked and a little dry. Fish and chips was amazing.

Food was disappointing, yet again, but I am writing this to apologise to a very pleasant and efficient server...Morgan was our server and when she asked me how everything was I blurted out that it was terrible! I shouldn't have been so gruff and I apologize fo my behaviour. Bad food, great service!

Went here for dinner tonight and left happy and full. They made me a lovely blood orange mocktail. We were served house made gluten free rolls that were seasoned to perfection. My husband had a gluten free version of their bolognese and he thoroughly enjoyed it. Steak frites with spicy ketchup was what I got, but the ketchup wasn't needed bc the fries were so good without it! Crème brûlée with a house made whipped cream- amazing! I recommend putting in a reservation unless you plan on sitting in their huge bar with a unique starlight ceiling.

Went for drinks and dessert. Great afternoon. Sat at a high top in bar area. Great service and ambiance.

Girls night at 85 main! We had a blast. The food and cocktails were amazing. The service was great and put up with all of our shenanigans!

The cutest little restaurant in all of Putnam. The food is amazing! The service is awesome. The drinks are to die for! If you're looking for quality seafood this is the place to go! Dawn is our favorite bartender!

Food was stellar. Service was good and ambiance is nice. I had the steak tips which were very good and came with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled broccoli. My friend had the sushi. There were no complaints for either of us.

So much potential. The food is ok. Salad is a fork fight. Decent sushi, decent burgers, wee portions of salmon. Its an American v. Asian infusion sushi place in my best approximation. Probably trying to satisfy the protohipster need for sushi in this region, if you're not at Yamato. People typically get loud and sloppy on nights around the weekend. You can HEAR the next table's CONVO pretty clearly when they have a few drinks in them. Not bar or nightclub levels, but definitely not a quiet date-night or family spot at these times. There are 2 levels, and an outdoor patio for more clement New England evenings. The busboys (buspeople? Buskin? Busfolk? Busthey? Bussers? Bussin?) are ok, but the waitresses are touch and go imo. Be careful to not wear your vantablack outfit, and YMMV based on all kinds of factors. If you know, you know. If friends didn't find this place geographically convenient, i probably wouldn't pay this place a passing glance. I'd rather get a coffee and bite next door, or drive a little out of my way for sushi with the typical Asian experience. The search continues for a decent place to eat in the quiet corner...

Excellent food, very fast and attentive service, and an overall great atmosphere! If you're driving by, be sure to stop here for a bite!

The prices may be on the higher side, but the quality is good. The service tends to be a bit slow and may come across as uninviting. However, the food compensates for any shortcomings. It's consistently a good choice for grabbing a meal in the downtown Putnam area.

We are new to the area and we ended up walking by this place after visiting "First Friday" (festival in Putnam with street vendors, music, crafts for children) and decided to try it the next day for lunch. What drew us in was the ambiance and outdoor dining! I just didn't realize how small of an area it was- but it was perfectly fine. As the inside was gorgeous and there were accolades of awards they had won. We were greeted by a hostess who did not come off as too friendly so my assumption is she was nervous because she was helpful in helping us find a shady spot. Our waitress was super sweet and helpful and she helped me create the perfect sushi roll. My friend and I both ordered Strawberry Mule's which they created (not on the drink menu and they were delicious)! We ordered Edamame as an appetizer (steamed beans) and it took about 12 mins for them to come out. The salt was thrown on them sloppily so I had to even it out before eating. They were good & came out piping hot- but the wait was a little long. My friend and I ordered sushi while my boyfriend and his Dad ordered burgers and the wait was at least 45 minutes (for sushi & burgers)?!! I'm glad that I didn't have my son with me or he would be starving. The waitress was very sweet and apologized for the long wait. My sushi was amazing IMO. My boyfriend enjoyed his burger and sweet potato fries. So the food is definitely good but they don't carry pickles (bizarre if you sell burgers). So I think it definitely deserves 4-5 stars I just didn't like the wait and kitchen disorganization- our waitress was sweet/food was good/ambiance was nice so we would definitely be back.

Long time patron of 85 Main and went yesterday evening for dinner w my daughter. Sat outside, friendly and quick service. Ordered pork gyoza dumplings for appetizer and sushi entrees. The gyoza came out quickly and when we bit into them they were crispy on outside but cold and raw/pink mush on inside. Our server quickly took them back and had them remade. Second time they were a tad overcooked- rest of meal went very well. I was surprised when I got the bill that the gyoza was not comped. I was literally served raw pork which from a food safety standpoint is quite dangerous and they couldn't comp the $18 dumplings - I will say we didn't enjoy the second attempt at the gyoza because at that point we were inspecting each one before we ate it - I'm not sure I'll go back which is a shame because I've never had a bad experience but I was not impressed w the handling of this mistake. Eating out is expensive and people make mistakes but I think sometimes a business needs to go above when something like this happens but they treated it like my steak was medium rare instead of medium not like they served something that could potentially make us very sick.