Community Corner
Local Business Spotlight: The Reserve Restaurant, Bar & Lounge
Bringing elevated comfort cuisine, craft cocktails, and refined atmosphere to a place where stories and new traditions are waiting to unfold
This Patch article is sponsored by The Reserve Restaurant, Bar & Lounge.
Local businesses are the heart of our communities. Patch had a chance to talk with Joe McCluskey, Owner of The Reserve Restaurant, Bar & Lounge.
Patch: Tell us a bit about your business:
Joe McCluskey: The Reserve Restaurant, Bar & Lounge opened in August 2025, in the former and beloved Widow Browns location. It's the second restaurant for our team — we've been running Rein Osteria in Danbury and New Fairfield for more than five years.
The Reserve is really an extension of everything we've built there: elevated cuisine, craft cocktails, and a warm, refined atmosphere. But it's also its own place. We wanted it to be somewhere new stories and new traditions could unfold, for the guests who've supported us for years and for people who are just discovering us for the first time.
And the timing couldn't be better: just shy of our first anniversary, The Reserve was honored with a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence — a recognition typically earned by restaurants with wine programs built over years, not months.
Patch: How long have you been doing business in town?
Joe McCluskey: The Reserve just celebrated our first year on the Danbury/Brookfield line this past August. So while The Reserve is newer, we're not new to the area — we've just been lucky enough to grow within it.
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Patch: What attracted you to the line of work you’re in, and how did you get started?
Joe McCluskey: Five years ago, we took over an existing restaurant, and we weren't sure what to expect — but this community showed up for us in a big way, and that support is what gave us the confidence to open The Reserve a year ago. Expanding wasn't really about chasing something new; it was about getting the chance to do what we love in a new space and with a new concept.
Patch: What's the most common piece of advice you give to customers?
Joe McCluskey: Treat people well, full stop — your staff and your guests both. If your team feels valued, that comes through in how they treat every person who walks through the door. It sounds simple, but it's the whole philosophy behind both restaurants.
Patch: What’s the most satisfying part of your job?
Joe McCluskey: The people, hands down. We have staff who have been with us since day one, which says a lot in an industry where turnover is the norm. Watching that same loyalty and sense of family take root at The Reserve, and watching new guests turn into regulars, that's what makes the long hours worth it.
Patch: How would you say your business distinguishes itself from the others?
Joe McCluskey: We put a lot into the details: the best staff we can find, the highest quality food and produce, desserts made in-house, and spaces people actually want to spend their time in. Winning a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence before we even turned one is a good marker of that — it tells you the standards weren't just for opening week. But more than that, Rein and The Reserve are both homegrown here. We're not passing through — we live in this community, and we're invested in it for the long run.
Patch: How can Patch readers learn more about your business?
Joe McCluskey: Visit us at dineatthereserve.com and follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
