The name of the restaurant is 330 Bar & Grill. That is what the big sign says on the side of building that was once an American Legion at 330 Entrance Drive in New Haven.
Its website is and the cover page even has a subtitle dubbing it “New Haven’s Premiere BBQ Destination.”
That is all well and good, but it is the other sign on the side of the building that is also off to the side of that homepage that is the most important, and it should really take top billing.
For you see, 330 is run by Rita Tsuleff and her son, Matthew. Rita and her husband, Pete, started the Spaghetti Shop chain with her husband back in the °®¶¹app™80s, and who kept its Italian offerings °®¶¹app“ including simply the best garlic bread I have ever had going back to my youth when I frequented the Spaghetti Shop years ago °®¶¹app“ alive at Cocktails, which she ran for several years in Maplewood Plaza before selling it.
Now barbecue is the focus, and it is pretty good, but I remain focused on the Italian offerings because they were what made me love this new place.
The slightly sweet garlic bread can be had in many forms. It comes plain or with cheese, of course, and it is great that way. But what was even greater was the Piggy Bread. This version, which best melds the barbecue side of the menu with the old-school Italian °®¶¹app“ is topped with a four-cheese blend, 330°®¶¹app™s pulled pork, the restaurant°®¶¹app™s hot barbecue sauce and Giardiniera. The subtle sweetness of the bread tames the heat just enough and the super moist and tender pork is fabulous on it. It can be had without the legendary Chicago pickled veggie blend and could probably be had with sweet barbecue if you like because Rita does everything she can to make you happy, and she is seemingly always there watching over things.
And as a kid who grew up eating Stouffer°®¶¹app™s French Bread pizzas, I found an even better version of those in 330°®¶¹app™s Deluxe Bravo Bread. The bread is split open-faced and topped with basically the same ingredients of a typical deluxe pizza °®¶¹app“ meat sauce, cheese, Italian sausage, pepperoni, onions and green peppers. I added mushrooms to mine for good measure and it measured up very well. I might just have to order one of these with a Piggy Bread as an appetizer every time I visit from now on.
The pizza at 330 Bar & Grill is also respectable in the least, with the deep-dish easily being the best option. It has that crispy, caramelized thick edge and just the right amount of sauce to go with the generous toppings. The crust is a little too soft like bread instead of toasty and crisp, but that doesn°®¶¹app™t hold it back much at all.
I did not care for the sausage roll, however, as its outer crust was baked until too dark and a little acrid, and there was way too much dough for the filling. In another odd twist, the barbecue sauce is added to the inside with the red sauce, and there was not near enough of it, so I had to ask for more anyway. There is no need for it inside because that is just not the way it is supposed to be.
When it came to the offerings from the smoker, that pulled pork was the best. The only issue with it was that it was not offered in the form of a pizza, which was disappointing. There is a pulled pork roll °®¶¹app“ the Mr. Big °®¶¹app“ but I didn°®¶¹app™t want to go that route again.
That pork is, however, offered on a salad, which was a first for me. And probably the last. The salad has lettuce, cucumbers, green peppers, green olives, tomatoes, onions, croutons, the four-cheese pizza blend and Parmesan, and comes with a side of barbecue sauce. I guess the sauce was the dressing? It was just a weird creation that I really didn°®¶¹app™t need in my life. What I need in my life is a barbecue pizza.
I didn°®¶¹app™t find the Smoked Meatloaf on my Combination Dinner to be overly smoky, it was still the kind of meatloaf that will be calling me back because it was very moist and meaty. The sweet sauce is the way to go on it because it mimics the traditional ketchup sauce that covers a traditional meatloaf.
I had no issues with the ribs. They had that smoky essence I wanted, they were tender without falling apart and were pretty much a solid choice. The brisket, however, was a terrible choice. It was sliced way too thin and, therefore, dry and overcooked. The slices with the most fat were the only ones I could really eat, and even they were dry. There also was no detectable rub or seasoning, and there wasn°®¶¹app™t a sauce offered that could have saved them.
The side choices with the barbecue were hit or miss. The Corn Casserole was a hit. It was denser and less crumbly that regular corn bread, but I thought it would be moister and somewhat gooey. The flavor was just right, however, and given it is the only cornbread, so to speak, I will likely choose it every time I visit.
The slaw was just right °®¶¹app“ sweet and creamy °®¶¹app“ but the Spiced Baked Beans were not smoky at all and they were really small, which had me suspecting they were simply canned beans that had been doctored up a little. The Mac and Cheese was quite runny and could have been cheesier, but was still better than the beans.
If you want to know what the best side choice is, it°®¶¹app™s the garlic bread.
330 Bar & Grill is a homey little bar that isn°®¶¹app™t super fancy, but it sets the right mood with tempered light, and I was surprised at how quiet it was in the bar given there is a super noisy, bustling bingo hall on the other side of the wall from it.
It is also worth noting that the bar is family friendly, and the bar offerings also feature a throwback from the Tsuleffs°®¶¹app™ past. In addition to the garlic bread, I became a regular at Cocktails years ago because of a little booklet on every table there that my wife fell in love with. That booklet was the martini menu and featured over 100 variations from sweet to fruity to strong. That is how we knew the Tsuleffs had sold the place °®¶¹app“ when those menus disappeared from the tables.
During my first visit to 330, spotting those booklets on the table was what first made me realize who owned it. Yes, even I missed the second sign the first time.
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Restaurant: 330 Bar & Grill
Address: 330 Entrance Drive, New Haven
Phone: 749-2328
Hours: 3 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, 3 to 8 p.m. Sunday
Cuisine: Barbecue and Italian
Handicapped accessible: Yes
Alcohol: Full bar
Kid-friendly: Yes
Menu: Garlic bread ($3, $6 with cheese), Piggy Bread ($9.75), BBQ Salad ($10.75), Sausage Roll ($9.75), Bravo Bread ($9.75), Deep-dish pizza (one size, $11.50 plus $2 per topping), Pulled pork dinner ($17), Combination Dinner ($28 for two meats, $32 for three)
Rating breakdown: Food: 2 1/2 (3-star maximum); atmosphere: 1/2 (1 max.), service: 1 (1 max.)
Ryan DuVall is a restaurant critic for °®¶¹app. This review is based on two unannounced visits. °®¶¹app pays for all meals. Email DuVall at rduvall@jg.net or call at 461-8130.
