Finding a decent place to eat while driving on the highway is often a challenge. Recently, I met my mother for lunch in Danbury, Connecticut on a strip of road that one could find almost anywhere in the country running alongside an interstate. There were plenty of chain stores, gas stations and and I thought our choices for lunch would be between the local diner and a sub shop. Happily, I was wrong.
I am often leery of online reviews – you need to read them questioningly. This time a little research in advance proved rewarding. Yelp and TripAdvisor steered me to Mezón Tapas Bar & Restaurant, set back slightly from the hum of route 6 on one side and the roar of I-84 on the other. Inside there was music playing (which they very accommodating turned down when my mother asked them to) and plenty of space between tables. The restaurant is divided into 2 rooms, one with a bar and the other more of a dining room. Since it was lunch, we ate in the bar and watched it fill up quickly with locals. Our waitress was friendly and patient, explained the “Spanish/Latin/Caribbean fusion” menu, kept our water glasses full and even got the chef to write down the ingredients in a sauce Mom liked.
Everything we tried was delicious. From the yucca fries ($5) and grilled asparagus ($5) to the fish tacos (3/$14) and seafood stew($14) with sea bass and rice, the food was well seasoned and flavorful without being over salted, my main complaint with most restaurants. We didn’t order them but the sandwiches looked appealing and there were many tapas, salad and meat choices, as well. Prices were quite reasonable for lunch and portions were generous. If you are heading north to see the changing leaves, to ski or for any other reason, remember Mezón. I’m happy to know a tasty place to stop off the highway and you will be, too. And for those of you who live too far afield for this specific information to be of any use, remember to do a little research before getting in the car. You, too, may be rewarded with a surprisingly pleasant meal en route.
Mezón Tapas Bar and Restaurant
56 Mill Plain Road, Danbury, CT 203-748-0875
Excellent advice as always!