Shady Glen - A Local Culinary Treasure in Manchester, CT

If you haven't yet been to Shady Glen, I highly recommend it! Growing up in the area, this is a local treasure and I have so many fond memories here. The environment is so unique with the staff wearing the little white hats, the murals on the wall, and the charming feel of being in an old ice cream shoppe. I HIGHLY recommend their ice cream-- truly best ever! And if you haven't tried fried cheese at Shady Glen-- it's worth trying! When they make their cheeseburgers they put a special, crisped kind of cheese on top that is AMAZING and part of what makes Shady Glen legendary. I used to go and order just the cheese by itself -- to go with my ice cream of course. Shady Glen is the best!!!

Delicious food, excellent service, charming country ambiance, and amazing ice cream. A must-visit!

You can't beat the yummy burger with the unique, crunchy cheese! You can also upgrade to a platter, my husband did that and got onion rings and coleslaw as his sides. I stole some on my kid's French fries and they were crinkle cut, crisp on the outside and tender and fluffy on the inside. We had to wait a few minutes for seating, but it was worth it and we knew to expect it. It wasn't too loud when we were there, and we were able to get in and out fairly quickly to make it to see the Christmas lights a couple of towns away. I miss the relish trays of the past (pre-COVID), but still love a trip to Shady Glen when I need a great burger.

Shady Glen, is still some of the best food i love to eat, ever time in come to CT. The staff is great and the food and ice cream is delicious. The ambiance is old dining experience.

Cheeseburgers, french fries and a strawberry milkshake. Finish it off with a hot fudge sundae whipped cream and a cherry. Roll me out. Such a great place. Been eating their cheeseburgers since 1974! Luv Shady Glen

Wow, my review was severely overdue for an update. Although they closed the location Middle Turnpike West in Manchester a while back, the original location on Middle Turnpike East over near the Bolton line remains a cult classic staple in the region for simple burgers/cheeseburgers, diner type sandwiches, hotdogs, and of course delicious ice cream, shakes and sundaes. - Venue - The venue is classic 50/60's diner, from the tables and service areas, right down to the uniforms, limited menu, and cash only payment. Authentically. It's like a step back in time. Unlike how many similar restaurants would slather the walls with decor from that era, Shady Glen just lives it. - Service - Seating and service are usually quick, attentive and polite. The food is up quick too, but it's so basic that anything else would be hard to imagine. - Tips - Save room for ice cream. Seriously. Don't mess this up. They make it in house, and the flavors are delicious. If you screw it up, however, note that they have packed ice cream to go as well. If you're curious about the fried cheese, it comes on the cheeseburger, and there will be extra, so don't order the side of fried cheese if you're getting the cheeseburger and aren't sure if you'll like it or not. It's Cash only.

The time has come. I've known about the GREATEST OF ALL CHEESEBURGERS for decades and now I'm sharing it with you. The fact that the GOACH is served at a veritable time capsule of an establishment is a delightful by-product. The secret of the unparalleled cheeseburger are the crispy wings of cheese which envelop the burger and stick out the edge of the bulkie roll. The GOACH comes with no special sauce or salad ingredients. This is an unadulterated cheeseburger. This cheeseburger expert can't say enough about the wonders of said cheeseburger. Service is unparalleled, but I don't want to go into too much detail and spoil the surprise for those who haven't yet been there. Just know that if you haven't been treated to the Shady Glen way you are missing out. There's nothing fancy at this old fashioned "dairy bar" but it's clean and bright. No doubt many folks just go for the AMAZING ice cream (pumpkin chocolate chip a seasonal fav). You can eat outside at picnic tables too. There is oodles of parking in a lovely location. Whenever I get to Connecticut from the west coast I always go to Shady Glen.

I love nostalgic places like this, the atmosphere was awesome. The seating setup is fun with cool angles so everyone can be a served by a server behind the counter. The cheeseburger was ok, sort of felt like a gimmick. The cheese was good but the burger itself wasn't great and the bun was too bready. Fries good and onion rings above average. We had a strawberry shake and it was great. Also had a fresh coke. I wish the coke was sweeter probably not worth the $2.95 except for the fact that I am a sucker and loved watching them make it.

Absolutely one of the top five dining experiences of my life. The most amazing cafe you will ever visit. Words fail me. I really wish I had better command of the English language to do this place justice. Let's begin at the beginning. It has been open since sometime in the '40s and definitely has that vibe. Cooks on a griddle wearing paper hats and waitresses in classic diner outfits. The staff can magically navigate a maze of aisles behind the counter and access every booth and stool without ever leaving. The menus are posted on the wall and somewhat hard to navigate. They have a guy scooping ice cream at the front and you can get a delicious shake with your meal (although know that a shake will fill two glasses with some left over so two can definitely share). The fries are exactly what you would expect from an old-timey burger joint. Frozen crinkle cut fries that are cooked to perfection. I got a medium rare burger which was cooked to perfection - an amazing feat for a thin burger patty. And now for the true miracle. They overlap four pieces of cheese on the cheeseburger that spills out over the grill and creates an unbelievable, caramelized "cheese skirt". You can also just order the cheese grilled on the griddle without the burger, which is also amazing. Oh, how I wish I still lived close-by. Actually I don't. I would weigh 300 pounds.