Pamela K.
Yelp
First time coming to a Chip's Family Diner yesterday afternoon. Have always seen Chip's restaurants and their hallmark yellow signs around CT and had read many years of magazine "Best" lists and Chips was always mentioned, but had never been until now. It's a classic and traditional family diner-style restaurant, in similar vein to an IHOP or restaurant you'd find at a smaller, more casual hotel chain. Known for their pancakes but also serve lunch and dinner dishes as well.
Since I love sandwiches but rarely eat them due to dietary restrictions, I ordered a rueben sandwich with french fries, of course. It's grilled with sauerkraut, cheese and dressing, and one of those types of sandwiches that really hits the spot. The french fries were very crispy and soft on the inside, really tasty and served with a long very nice quarter pickle, perfect to brighten the sandwich a bit. The utensils are another matter, haha, and have definitely seen better days.
Even though this is a casual, diner-style place, all restaurants should take a cue from their service. Our waitress was so friendly, nice and also unassuming, check in with us a few times to make sure we were okay. The host when we first walked in was very friendly and offered to lower the window shade due to the bright sun (which we said no to but eventually I lowered the shade on my own). Just a very nice, pleasant atmosphere and welcoming environment.
Is the food good? Definitely. Is the decor dated? Maybe. How was the service? Excellent. We did come at a quieter time, around 1:30 pm, breakfast hours will probably be bustling.
*I just saw on their website that maybe a couple of locations had shut down (I remember it being a mini-chain) so this Fairfield location and an Orange/Milford location are still open.