Cafe 56

Very quaint and cozy little restaurant right off the main drag. I went in and had the Americano breakfast and it did not disappoint. Would definitely go again and try out the lunch menu.

Recently moved to the area and randomly walked in here. Pleasantly surprised of how great and fresh the food is. Got the Cubans it was such a nice spin on the classic sandwich. Definitely will coming back when I have the chance.

Place was average. To expensive. $ 20 a sandwich and drink is way overpriced. It’s nice and quaint but the food was whatever.

Wonderful cozy atmosphere, yummy flavorful food, great coffee & very nice staff makes this little restaurant a gem in the heart of Middletown. 5-​Stars!

Hubby made an awesome find here. Vibe was quaint and comfy. The counter faced the open kitchen where we watched them make fresh chips and constructed the sandwiches with love. We grabbed a couple of stools at the counter where a guy was wolfing down a bowl of soup. He was friendly and recommended the soup, which he said he could have 10 bowls of! He was right! The Wisconsin beer soup had bits of sausage and some other goodness. I had a chicken salad sandwich on sourdough bread that was perfectly toasted. Hubby had the El Mexicano and said it was a really good sandwich (a real compliment for him). I missed the empanadas so ordered it to go. The chef was sweet and described them as a fusion of French and Argentinian. Drinks were self serve, so they could focus on taking our order and preparing our food. It was quick and easy. It felt like I was dropping in on my Tia for lunch. We’re definitely going back here again!

Café 56 is the real deal — down home comfort food elevated with vibrant taste. I eat at Café 56 frequently and every time I take the first bite of my food I experience an inner dialogue of exclamation about how fantastically delicious, flavorful, and balanced it tastes. Even a simple salad is made into a sensory experience by talented Chef Sabrina. I taste all kinds of fresh herbs and flavors in the food. I’ve had everything offered on the menu but I usually order off the specials, I’ve liked everything I’ve had, no complaints. Café 56 is far and above any other place to eat in central CT by miles.

Fantastic breakfast /​brunch in a cosy, casual environment. I look forward to coming here every time I’m in town and try to get a window booth when available. The Ranchero and the berry compote croissant French toast are morning favorites. The owner/​chef always delivers fast service and dishes made with delicious, high quality ingredients.
Breakfast all day on Saturday. Looking forward to trying lunch too!

I absolutely love this place! A dear friend, that I’ll be forever in debt to, introduced me to this wonderful hidden gem. The staff is absolutely courteous and friendly. I love the décor! It made me feel like I was in someone’s cozy kitchen awaiting a home cooked meal. I loved that your drinks are self serve. You can select water, soda and different teas from the fridge or hot tea and coffee. So let’s get down to the real reason you’re reading this, the food deets! I ordered the day’s special which was Empanadas– Jamaican beef. It was awesome! The crust was so flaky, tasty and fresh! The beef was seasoned to perfection and had just enough kick to it. It was served with a salad dressed in a delightful cilantro vinaigrette. I also had a regular green tea because I’m boring like that. I will definitely return with my eating pants. I’m dying to venture out and try everything on the menu!

Cafe56 is one of the very few places where excellent and high quality food meets great customer service and affordable prices. We normally come here for breakfast or brunch but their lunch menu is great as well. The owner is extremely passionate and knowledgable about food and it shows on your plate. This is truly one of my favorite places.

Too many great things to capture in this review. The Chef/​Owner Sabrina is so kind and clearly has an unparalleled passion for food. Growing up in Maine I love NEW ENGLAND Clam Chowder, so when I saw Rhode Island chowder I shied away. Sabrina promised it would be delicious, gave me a sample, and it was one of the best I’ve ever had, a must try. Then the Club sandwich had nothing but fresh ingredients. Her wait staff includes two sweet recent culinary grads. They were kind, talkative, and made eating there the highlight of my afternoon. I even ordered a slice of cake (only because it involved Chocolate Stout) and as you could guess it was delicious! Great food and even better people. The must breakfast/​lunch spot in Middletown!

I’ve eaten here 3 times and everything has been delicious! Their empanadas are amazing and the Baja tacandwich is so light on that amazing roll! Highly recommend! I also love the cozy and warm atmosphere of the café… only sad thing is that they are not open on Sunday’s!

See that? I hate giving the «big 5» because then it makes people want to read the review! And then I gotta skooch over and allow you mo’fo’s in here taking away all the good eats in the small seating area.
Sigh.
What can I say~ the owner/​chef/​wonder woman is an extraordinary love. Her vision of food is comforting and exciting for your taste buds all at once, and it’s just a really neat little joint to head to if you want something good to eat in Middletown that isn’t the typical (Esca, First and Last, Forbidden, Amici, La Boca)
Promise, I’ll skooch over, I will.

I’ve worked on Main Street for 22 years, and I’ve seen some good restaurants come and go. Every once in a while a total GEM surfaces, and I’ll pray that it is successful enough to endure. Sabrina: I’m hooked and your food is fabulous. Don’t go changing!

Having graduated from Wesleyan a number of years ago, I am so jealous that this place exists now for the Middletown community. The ambiance is incredible, the food is varied and delicious and the chef could not be nicer.
I highly suggest this as a destination when you come to town. Definitely ideal for a small group or lunch for two.

The food was fresh and all homemade. Excellent diversity. Service was great with a smile.

After hearing many good things about this place, I finally had the opportunity to experience it for myself. My husband and I went for lunch around 12:45 on a weekday and had no trouble getting a table (much to my relief). The next time that I went I showed up at 11:30 and again, no issues.
The space is really cozy and cute; there are quite a few tables as well as a counter with stools. I felt right at home immediately, especially since the staff was quick to greet us, give us menus and point out where we could get a water pitcher and glasses.
On both my visits I ordered salad, the first was a shrimp Yucateca special and the second was the Rio Grande with pork. Both were absolutely delicious! I loved the fresh ingredients and combination of flavors. The pork was incredibly tender and there was plenty of it. I would also be a terrible foodie if I forgot to mention that on my first visit I also tried the tomato quinoa soup. The texture was perfect and it wasn’t too salty or bland.
A couple added bonuses: the portion sizes are generous enough where I had leftovers both times (which I scarfed when I got back to the office… don’t judge me). Also, the chef is very friendly and comes out to make sure that everything is to the customers’ liking. I am excited to return and would love to try breakfast there sometime.

I hate to say this… But this is a five star gem! The reason I don’t want to say it is because others will come and It will get harder to get in. The owner and chef here can seat the feed feed 30 people simultaneously… No waiting… Fresh… Tasty… And in your plate!
Stretch… Check it out… Try her specials! You’re going to be surprised

A great little hole in the wall just off Main Street with excellent, organic food! Everything tasted SO fresh and so good. Prices were great too! The place had very good vibes and the service was friendly and welcoming. I’d absolutely go back here for lunch!

I was excited to check this place out but underwhelmed.
The good: the food was very fresh and good for the most part. We tried breakfast there
The bad: it’s small and cramped. The owner or manager was yelling at one of her cooks. Part of the kitchen is out in the open and it just made for an awkward experience. Service was just ok.
Overall: Id give it one more try but left there unimpressed.

Mark C and I were looking for someplace to grab lunch, so before we headed to a local sandwich chain, I decided to see if there were any interesting lunch spots in the area. So glad I did!
Located right off Main Street by the courthouse — Café 56 serves fresh and creative food that definately get the taste buds jumping. A small but very cozy restaurant it smells amazing when you first walk through the doors. Offering both lunch and breakfast options, you order from the menu or from the «Specials Board» (the day were went they had a crab hash special, pay and sit down. I recommend trying to score a seat at the counter so that you can watch Chef Sabrina masterfully create all the orders from her open air kitchen. Her skill and efficiency were a sight to see.
We both decided to try a «Tacandwich» which contains traditional taco ingredients served in a fresh and locally baked Portuguese roll. We were lucky as we scored the last two Portuguese rolls that they had for that day — Score! I had the El Mexicano which contained marinated chicken, fresh guacamole, special house sauce, salsa fresca and lettuce. Tender and juicy chicken overflowed from the roll and the special house sauce provided a nice little heat to each bite. The chicken was the star of this dish and was complemented, not over powered by the other components of the dish. It also came with a side of fresh chips that we saw prepared before our eyes.
I also saw that they had a lot of vegetarian and gluten free options available. Also check out their Facebook page for their daily breakfast and lunch specials.
Great hole in the wall spot that is serving up dishes anything from ordinary.
We were also told that they do a monthly BYOB dinner club on the first friday of each month. February theme is Chocolate and March’s theme is the spice trail. Something that I will keep in mind to try in the future.
Thanks to Chef Sabrina for making our possible mediocre lunch more memorable.