A True Hidden Gem of Connecticut: Woodbury’s Charcoal Chef

Don't you think the phrase "Hidden Gem" should be applied to something that appeals to everyone? Not a cave that most would be scared to enter, or a museum on a main street in Northern Connecticut. I believe that Woodbury has one of Connecticut's true hidden gems.

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Do it, search "Hidden Gems Connecticut". You'll get dozens of articles with catchy buzz-words in their titles like "Unique, Hidden" and "You Never Knew Existed". Then these content creators, who obviously live in Illinois, go on to list a museum that no one has wanted to willingly go to in the first place, or Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill. Rocky Hill is hidden?

The one place that has always felt like a hidden gem to me, tucked away in the beautiful middle of nowhere Connecticut, is Woodbury's Charcoal Chef. It stands out so much because charcoal. Take that modern chefs, they're unique by sticking to what's kept them in business since the 1950's. Who doesn't love a charcoal roasted burger? Cornish Game Hen on the menu? Plus the area that it's hidden away in has not changed one bit in my lifetime, and I'm 54 years old. It's so unique, in this ever-changing landscape of food options that we live in, to have a truly classic American restaurant still cook on charcoal, survive and thrive, since 1956?

Fairfield, New Haven, Hartford, and New London County residents, if you're thinking of exploring a hidden gem on a nice Saturday or Sunday drive with your kids, parents, or grandparents, go to Charcoal Chef. It's simple, tasty food that everyone will enjoy. Take Exit 15 off I-84 in Southbury. Head North on Main Street, keep going just past the point where you think you may have missed it, and you'll find your hidden gem at 670 Main St. N.