Shady Glen - Manchester, CT

Although this fine old dairy bar has a menu of sandwiches and hot meals and is justly famous for its homemade ice cream, its way with cheeseburgers is nothing short of spectacular. Three or four slices of cheese extend far beyond the edges of the burger as it cooks, so the cheese melts directly onto the surface of the grill, turning chewy and crisp. The hamburger with its soft cheese on top and its halo of textured cheese all around is hefted onto a bun to become one memorable sandwich!

93% Approval Rating (49 votes)

Overall: Worth planning a day around

Must Eats

Frozen Pudding Ice Cream ($3.00)

cheeseburger ($5.00)

Grape-Nut Ice Cream ($3.00)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream ($3.00)

Milk Shake ($5.00)

ice cream ($3.00)

Hot Fudge Sauce ($3.00)

Vanilla Ice Cream ($3.00)

Written Reviews

Michael Stern

"“What’s good to eat?” we ask the uniformed waitress when she steps to our booth. “You are at Shady Glen,” she responds like a schoolteacher addressing especially slow students. “At Shady Glen, you must have cheeseburgers!” Amen to that good advice. Although ..." [Read More].

siegmunp

April 03, 2008

"I had my first Shady Glen cheeseburger recently and I have been salivating for another one ever since. I knew what I was in store for after I looked it up on the Internet, but no one can taste on the Internet; it was just delightful! Heart-healthy, no; but the best ..." [Read More].

Logbooks

7/25/2009 - Michael Stern, $10
7/28/2002 - Michael Stern, $6

Map & Directions

840 Middle Tpk E, Manchester, CT
860-649-4245

Hours & Policies

Seasons:	Open Year Round
Meals Served:	Breakfast, Lunch
Operational Hours:	Always Call Ahead!
Credit Cards Accepted:	No
Alcohol Served:	No
Outdoor Seating:	No
Reservations Accepted:	No
Delivery Available:	No
Takeout Counters:	Yes

"Here is a close-up view of the most amazing cheeseburger we've ever met. "
Michael Stern

"Don't try this at home ... unless you have a WELL seasoned griddle, or unless you like the smell of burning cheese."
Michael Stern

"Truly spectacular!"
KitschKat

"Four slices are carefully arranged atop every cheeseburger on the grill "
Michael Stern

"Only available in February, this flavor is filled with big juicy cherries and chocolate chips. Mmmm...marvelous!"
KitschKat

"This is a lone cheeseburger, but of course Shady Glen also serves burgers with French fries and cole slaw. "
Michael Stern

"Shady Glen has a wide variety of flavors; they are in the freezer display as you enter the restaurant. "
doggydaddy

"A very unique cheeseburger, with batter-dipped onion rings and a very good chocolate malt."
doggydaddy

"A classic dairy bar, located in Connecticut cow country"
Michael Stern

"Shady Glen's spectacular cheeseburger was invented by Bernice Reig in 1950. Their restaurant was surrounded by dairy farms ... which it still is. "
Michael Stern

"While this little masterpiece lacked the lovely symmetry we have seen on cheeseburgers during past visits to Shady Glen, it supplied all the chewy, gooey, greasy goodness we have come to expect."
Michael Stern