The Outer Space

Great shows if you like indie rock. Saw some big names here and it wasn’t even crowded sometimes. That’s what happens when you get obscure but great artists in a small city like New Haven. If it was in NYC, forget it. You wouldn’t even be able to get in. You have a great owner and crowd. Great selection of wines and breweries. No hard liquor though. My favorite hang out. Just don’t tell everyone.

6 of us went there to have a few beers and get a bite to eat. To start with the waitress never came over to our table for at least 20 minutes. I went to the bar to ask if there was a waitress and the bartender said yes she will be over, again we waited for at least another 10 minutes and no waitress so my brother went up and ordered our drinks at the bar and the bartender said yes you can order your food through me also. The waitress finally appears and gives us menus another 15 minutes so instead of waiting I went to order the food with the bartender who then retracts that he can take our order (why we stayed I do not know). Finally the waitress takes our order, two cheeseburgers, jalapeño poppers and a buffalo chicken wrap with Cajun fries. The food was the absolute worst food I ever had at a bar, the burger was dried up and smelled like meatloaf and there was no cheese. The chicken wrap was frozen chicken with so much hot sauce it was inedible and the Cajun fries had no Cajun spice it tasted like it was just covered in cayenne pepper. I was so disappointed as this is close to my house and the music was good and they have a wide selection of beer on tap. If you just want beer and music this might be the place for you but I strongly suggest not eating there at all. It was not friendly either.

I only gave this one star because I think you have to. The customer service was awful. We came in and sat there for twenty minutes with no acknowledgement. So we went up to the bar to ask for a waitress and thy told us it’s be a few more minutes. After fifteen minutes passed still no one so we ordered drinks at the bar. Finally after 50 minutes of waiting a waitress comes up to take our food order. We had six people. One dinner came out first with nothing else and fifteen minutes later two more and so on. I mean I felt like I was literally in outer space. I will never go back to this bar and can honestly say it was the worst bar restaurant experience I’ve had to date

Had a blast playing there a couple of times. I think this particular venue is more ideal for a singer-​songwriter act, acoustic acts, unplugged, intimate, etc, maybe even some jazz and some classical ensembles without a piano. My only pet peeve is that the bar has a lot of talking, so during a performance, if you’re listening, it is quite annoying during the more quiet sections. But this is the nature of the business, and certainly not the owner’s fault (or even the patrons at the bar). It would be nice, though, if people would respect musicians more, and listen.
Bravo to Steve, and all of his helpers, for creating a little cultural gem in Hamden (of all places!). Thank you for all your hard work.
:-)

Dark, hidden within a corner. DEFINATELY would not recommend if it’s your first time going here.

Definitely a solid place. But some quirks. After a handful of visits spread over a handful of years, I’ll go with four stars.

Best bar in Hamden. If you like getting elbowed by snobby college kids while you eat/​drink then go to Mikro. If you want a positive experience while grabbing a pint or two, come here.

Just moved to the area and discovered this place, and i would admit, its AMAZING !!!
I have already been here a couple of time and have no complains with anything.
Keep up the great work

I really love this place to meet up with like minded friends with similar interests. If I had a choice between bars and parking in Hartford and this place, I’ll pick The Outer Space, always. Plenty of parking, cozy atmosphere, interesting drink selection, zero pressure to buy anything alcoholic, friendly staff who doesnt care that I’d rather order food and water etc. I also love getting a great vibe from the kind of patrons who frequent there. No obnoxious Jersey Shore types thank goodness!

I’ve been coming to the Outer Space since it opened, having grown up going to shows at The Space. Initially a craft beer bar and venue decorated and advertised as a 1920s style speakeasy, they did not serve food beyond pizza from a spot in East Haven. Someone posted a photo of the Hamden Restaurant Week prix fixe menu a couple days ago and everything sounded delicious, so I had to try it.
I made a reservation for myself and a friend and we were a little late, but they were still accommodating, which was a great start. We were shown to our table while a bluegrass band was playing — it was Honky Tonk Tuesday, a weekly occurrence here — and given our menus. We didn’t realize a beer or wine from a select list was included, so that was a nice surprise. We both knew what we wanted and ordered quickly; for an appetizer we each ordered the avocado tomato bruchetta which was delicious and clean, the avocado does a nice job of keeping everything on the bread. Next we headed to the bar for another round where Steve, owner and bar tender for the night, made great beer suggestions, giving us a good bitter from local brewery Firefly Hollow and a very strong Belgian strong.
The music continued while we waited for our main course which admittedly took a while. I have to admit, though, I tend to prefer slower service and a waitstaff that isn’t over bearing. We were having a great night and it’s nice to be able to digest your food before more food comes, but I understand not everyone feels like this (but you should). I should also add that this may have been an isolated incident as I have seen people eating there before with much faster service. I got the goat cheese stuffed peppercorn encrusted burger and my friend go the NY Strip steak. I didn’t even ask how the steak was because I was devouring my burger — it was delicious. My only qualm is that I wish there was more goat cheese — there is *always* room for more cheese.
Dessert came out much faster and we nursed it due to being full. I think this was my first root beer float, made with Not Your Father’s root beer, which if you’re not familiar with is an actual beer brewed to root beer perfection. The band was continuing on at this point after having taken a short break, and we left to go catch a movie.
Good food, great beer, great environment (still filled with old furniture, antiques and darkly stained wood everywhere). Though I already planned on coming back for years to come for shows, I’ll definitely be getting there early for food from now on.

It’s a great place to hang out listen to music and eat delicious food after a long day of work. They have ‘not your father’s root beer’ which is my favorite drink. I had two burgers and basket of fries very good. Worth to check out!

Don’t let anything deter you from coming inside and enjoying a really fantastic evening with friends or just by yourself. The craft beers are plenty and very tasty. The owner and his staff are the friendliest group I have come across in the northeast thus far and the music is live and REALLY good! I can’t wait to go back! I have definitely found a new after hours home to relax. Looking forward to my next visit!

This has become my go to bar. It’s really a diamond in the rough!
They have good food, and service. Always have a great selection of craft beer available (if you are feeling adventurous try and tackle their 30 in 30 challenge) One of my favorite things about this place is that it is not full bar, beer and wine only. So it’s a great place to avoid that «shot» crowd. Kick back and relax with a few cold beers in a quaint and normally fairly quiet atmosphere. They also have a great patio area for nice days.

These guys have a great selection of beer and plenty of great entertainment. Lots of rare beers, and although pricey, hard enough to get that it’s justifiable. The menu changes every day, sometimes more.
The food needs a lot of work. It’s certainly overpriced for the quality and the chef frequently makes mistakes on order. If they offered better food, without the constant mistakes, I’d probably give this place 5 stars.

Incredibly cool place. I came here from Unilocal and met a bunch of people.
3 music venues, great beer list, very cool place.
The first great bar I have found in Connecticut after moving from Portland, Maine.
All sorts of different nights too.
I wish it was closer than 25 minutes away. Great patio too.

This is a great little place for some amazing beers. I was out in this region for my buddy’s show at The Space, which is a small music venue just across from The Outer Space. We headed into this tiny little bar to find a very large and fantastic selection of craft brews. I unfortunately had to drive home, so I didn’t get to try everything I wanted listed on their magical brew board. It was a bit tight at times, but because it is a super cool place to hang out. If you like drinking beer and talking to your friends I highly recommend a stop here. Checking in is a bit difficult because it is in a spot hidden in Hamden that is also hidden from cell service.

Recent transplant from Austin, TX and it’s the closest we’ve found so far in the area to have a relaxed feel vibe a la Austin. Love the coziness of the venue, the friendliness of the bar tender and the range of craft beers. The love-​seat at front under chandelier are very comfortable– good ambiance. Also enjoyed the sweet potatoes with cajun seasoning– would be six stars if the cajun spice was amped up withTony Cherere’s seasoning (but being cajun, I’m totally biased). Looking forward to our next visit.

This place is great and it’s within walking distance (ok so maybe that part doesn’t help you). It does though, have an excellent rotating craft beer selection and live music pretty much every night. There is an outdoor area, some comfy seating, bar seating, as well as tables. Everyone there is very friendly and it’s a very comfortable place to just hang out regardless of the time of day/​evening. They get some surprisingly good bands there. They also have an expanding menu of solid food to soak up the excellent (and well-​priced) beer. I’m grateful to have this place nearby and there really isn’t any other place like it. Give it a shot.

My friend and I stopped to check out the Outer Space before hitting a show at the Space, which is right across the parking lot. We figured we’d have a beer or two and listen to whatever band is playing, ad I was curious to see what the Outer Space was all about.
After all was said and done, I definitely enjoyed the Outer Space. They have a large variety of beers, and a sweet «promotion» challenging you to drink 30 different beers in 30 days (I forget what you win, but completing the challenge is reward enough in my opinion).
When you walk in, you enter a room with the bar on one side, and a few couches and chairs on the other, near the bathrooms. Luckily for couch sitters, even on a hot day the bathroom smell stayed in the bathrooms, and the seating in that area was comfortable.
The stage is in the next room, with tables and chairs for the audience members. There is also a fairly large patio out the back. They often have bands playing many nights of the week, usually local bands.
I’m planning on coming back to the Outer Space (undecided on the 30 beers in 30 days but we will see!)

Selection of beer has improved. I haven’t been crazy about what they’ve had on tap the last couple times I’ve been there but Steve recommended me one of the best beers I’ve ever had, Sam Smith’s Organic Raspberry yummmm!
Banana bread beer rocks as well.
They have one of the best happy hours and great time for it (ends at 7) I hate the happy hours that end at 6, its always too early.
I went to a really awesome show Thursday night and even though it was drizzling they had a fire pit going out on the patio which was nice.
Once in awhile you come across a business that you just want to give your money to because they deserve it. The Outer Space is that business for me. I don’t mind paying $ 12 for a beer that is the equivalent of 2 beers anywhere else I would probably go crazy but its worth it. The owner is a great guy and I just wish the place was bigger, much to my parents dismay I would probably have our post-​wedding party here lol!
PS: Cash Only! There is a ATM inside that has a $ 2 charge.