rack & helens bar and grill

i absolutely love this place. it is a must visit if you're in the area. it has a large menue and everything i've had is great. the whiner grinder is still my favorite. there is a fairly descent beer selection as well. what really makes thisplacestand out is the atmosphere and service. it's just a little different than most places, you've really just got to go. every server i have ever had seams to be sincere and energetic. i have never had poor service. when they are busy and another server passes they ask if you need anything as well so you're never waiting on a drink.
lunches are slower and you can get in no problem. in the evening you may want to call and make reservations, especially for a larger group on the weekends.

greatplaceto eat in new haven if you're out that way. my friend had a birthday party here and they were very accommodating. food is great. love the drinks. my experiences have always been lovely. you can't go wrong!

not worth the price. used to be a little hole in the wall where you could get a good meal at a decent price. then they built a new, expandedplaceand went all upscale. that is fine, but they jacked up the prices to make the mortgage payments. i ordered a bacon cheeseburger with fries and a coke and it cost me over $12! the waiter explained that the bacon was extra, the cheese was extra, the tomatoes were extra..... this is bar food, not fine dining. wow! never went back.

no smoking. what a nice surprise when we walked into r&h today for lunch and found out it's now smoke free. we almost always like their food but hardly ever went because afterwards you come out smelling like an ashtray. people who were previously put off by the smoke should now give it another try. the menu and theplacein general still have it's minor quirks but the fact that it's now smoke free will make us add it back to the line up of restaurants.


-----12 sep, 2011-----

long time until i go back. my wife and i have eaten at rack and helen's several times and i'd like to share our observations. first this is the service. in all 3 times it was very good to excellent. prompt, polite, and helpful. it seems that everyone working in theplacemakes customer service
a priority and they do it well. the second item is the smoke. i hate smoke and they don't have a smoke free section, which is a drag. they do however have a very good air make-up system and it removes most of the smoke if it's not too busy. now the food. for appetizers we've had the mushrooms, cauliflower and the hot pepper cheese cubes. all we're pretty good and can almost be a meal by themselves. we've also had chicken club sandwich, pulled pork and their breaded tenderloin sandwich. again all were pretty good. this sunday 9/11 we stopped in for lunch. the wife ordered a pizza and i asked for a bbq cheddar burger. the pizza roll was pretty good.
however my burger was terrible. i didn't think it was possible to cook a patty until it was this dry and flavorless but somehow they did. in addition the bacon wasn't just "crisp" like the advertise, it was petrified. and the cheddar...instead of adding shredded cheese they threw on thick slices of the cheese and it didn't melt. yuck a waste of $7.50. they need to go to granite city to see how to do it right.
one other item that gets me is the fact you can't order a side of fries. you have to make it a platter for $3.00 more. i don't want a freakin' platter what i want a small side of fries. i've never seen anything like it. what happens if i'm watch the game and want a basket of fries to snack on, you can't get it. i cannot this of a single restaurant that does this. and to think we drove 60 mile round trip to eat here. it'll be awhile before i think i'll go back if ever.

good service and food. was told of thisplaceby a friend that lives nearby. very pleasantly surprised. got a sausage roll and it was delicious. the staff was very helpful and it was busy there. will return.

has it all!. this is the kind ofplacemissing in most towns. not a same chain restaurant or a creepy local greasy spoon. this is great the food is awesome. the service attentive and friendly. the atmosphere nice too. the smoking is not noticeable. keep it up rack & helen's!

love the food!!. thisplacewould be perfection if it wasn't for the smoke. absolutely the best service around. i have tried many items off of the menu and have never been disappointed...whiner grinder, chicken wings, burritos, enchiladas, sausage rolls, fried chicken, and burgers. (the sides are all very good too, i love the tator tots.)

a joke!. i ordered the special and they asked if i wanted the toppings... sure why not then asked i i wanted chicken or beef( so i picke chicken). go to pick up order in a terribly smoky bar, and charged 3 extra dollars for the toppings and chicken instead of beef, and for a tiny thing of sour cream. if i had been told i would be charge extra i wouldn't have ordered it. i think they have shady practices and will not be venturing there for a return. i was very displeased to have to inhale all the second hand smoke and there is little or no ventilation. definately would not recommend thisplaceto others.

great food and outstanding servers. we go at lunch to avoid the smoke and they have the best lunch servers in the area. food is always exceptionally good, always hot and fresh. service is the best in town, bar none!!! every bar needs to adopt their philosophy on waiting tables. you don't know who will take your order, bring your food or refill your drink. it just gets done in a friendly and efficient way. awesomeplaceto eat!

good food - consistently. negatives - (a) waaaaaaay over in new haven ;) , (b) the smoke, even though there are "smoke eaters" , at times can be overwhelming, and (c) quite crowded at times, leading to difficulties in finding seating and/or longer waits on the food delivery.

positives - (a) well, since they are that crowded, shows just how good they are!, (b) food is quite good, (c) service is always with a smile, (d) prices are reasonable, and (e) decor is enjoyable, pleasant wood surroundings, comfortable.

update - august 20, 2010 - two of my favorites continue to be the sausage rolls [add ham, bacon, and chicken to it to create a 'special'] and the pulled pork sandwich [the 1 pound version - yea, i love leftovers ;) ]. the chips and salsa, for aplacethat is not a mexican restaurant per se, are both quite tasty. and, you will not go thirsty here - example, today's lunch wait staff brought over 3 cherry cokes, each time a new one just as the previous one was not even 1/2 empty - the last one put into a go cup. good food, good service.