Westport has a lot to offer, including a thriving culinary scene. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find in the area.
Bartaco
Located along Wilton Road, Bartaco offers tacos in a lively atmosphere overlooking a view of the Saugatuck River, with a family-friendly menu geared for quick bites and small plates.
As the owner told The New York Times – “We wanted a fresh take on a Mexican taqueria, but with a mix of flavors that are healthier than the usual taqueria.”
While there’s an abundance of tacos, the menu isn’t limited to them, with other dishes like rotisserie chicken, ceviche, pork posole, and an assortment of rice bowls being offered. The selection of drinks is a surprise, as it includes various cocktails like margaritas, caipirinhas, and more that go well with your hearty Mexican fare.
Shake Shack
Just off I-95, Exit 19 along Post Road East is Shake Shack, which has its roots in New York City. The Westport location is the first Shake Shack outlet in New England, with family-friendly interiors, casual wooden furniture, and outdoor seating, plus it’s dog-friendly too.
Specializing in shakes, burgers, and fries, the menu features all the Shack classics like the ShackBurger and Crinkle Cut Fries, as well as a selection of frozen treats that were specially created for the Westport location.
Spotted Horse Tavern
Located in the historic Federal-style Sherwood House along Church Lane that was built in 1808, the Spotted Horse Tavern’s menu features “organic, clean, distinctive flavors that find their way into each dish by way of unique ingredient combinations and thoughtful preparations.”
You’ll also find all kinds of comfort foods. Offerings include Pan-roasted Atlantic Salmon, Chicken Milanese, Black Truffle Burger, and their signature Spotted Horse Pasta with house-made Rigatoni. Diners will enjoy the rustic ambience of the restored home that lovingly salutes its Colonial past.
Terrain
Terrain features the farm-to-table dining concept, with most of their food sourced through local producers within a 50-mile radius. It’s also a combination restaurant and store, with most of the Westport location along Post Road East devoted to a home and garden retail area that sells furniture, decor, accessories, and plants.
Terrain’s charming interiors evoke a rustic café, complete with weathered furnishings, plants, and flowers, as well as an equally captivating menu, with bread served in terra cotta pots served with homemade lavender maple butter. There’s an abundance of salads and vegetables, with a diverse selection of main courses that include Farmers Market Gnocchi, Pan-seared Scallops, Roasted Pennsylvania Dutch Chicken, and their signature Terrain Burger.
Kawa Ni
The Taibe brothers’ take on an izakaya (a Japanese pub/tavern), Kawa Ni is for diners looking for something a little different. Located at 19 Bridge Square, right by the bridge on the Saugatuck River, this intimate, informal restaurant has been getting rave reviews since it opened in 2014 and has been dubbed “a gem” that’s “unique in its creativity” by The New York Times.
Enjoy an array of inventive small plates with Japanese and other Asian influences such as Peekytoe crab Rangoon, barbecued eel, chicken meatballs, smoked bone marrow, and pork rib confit. There are also several noodle dishes and don-buri (rice bowls), as well as desserts and an extensive drinks selection.
