Elbow Room Will Reopen Soon with Some Changes [UPDATED]

[Updated] 10:40 a.m.

The Elbow Room plans to reopen for dinner on Friday night, March 8, although renovations will not be fully completed, bar manager Rob Mazza said on Wednesday morning.

A grand reopening will likely be held St. Patrick's Day weekend, and full details will be forthcoming, he said.

Original Story

The windows of the Elbow Room were covered in brown paper on Sunday, and so were the windows of the Sidebar. The doors to the popular West Hartford eatery and the associated bar next door have been locked all week.

Patrons and passersby who did not notice the signs in the windows may have thought the business had closed, but the closing will be short-lived said bar manager Rob Mazza on Wednesday.

Mazza said that both the Elbow Room and the Sidebar closed after dinner Saturday night, and plan to reopen next week with a new look and some changes to the menu.

There will be some cosmetic changes to the restaurant, including the addition of a few new booths, Mazza said. The food will still focus on fresh ingredients, but the focus will change slightly to more pub style food, in a more affordable price range with nothing on the menu over $19.99.

The new menu hasn't been finalized, but "lobster mac and cheese will definitely be on the menu," Mazza said.

The Sidebar is undergoing a more drastic makeover – getting a brand new look as well as a new name.

"We're putting in a wooden bar, giving it a more homey, 'pubby' feel, not as much of a nightclub feel," said Mazza. The bar's name will change to the Tap Room, and will serve 50 varieties of draft beer.

Mazza said that the updates "needed to be done for a while."

"There's a lot of competition in the Center," he said.