A Little Bit About a Lot of Things

While shopping at TJ Maxx and Home Goods in Bedford (yup, will travel for a good TJ Maxx…), we were working up an appetite. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Red Heat Tavern nearby as we were driving around. I had been to the Wilmington location and had a great experience, so I knew this would be a good choice. The restaurant is enormous so even though they had a decent lunch crowd, we didn’t feel like we were on top of other customers. I had my son with me, so we had to be at a family friendly place (bonus that they also have great food for adults).

I love their kid’s menu. Choose your meal: chicken fingers, hot dog and cheese in a tortilla, hamburger, grilled cheese, mac and cheese or a quesadilla (that definitely covers ALL the bases). Then you get a choice of three of the following sides: cucumbers, celery carrots and hummus, apple sauce, fruit kabob, French fries, onion strings, apple slices with peanut butter, tortilla chips, kettle potato chips, seasonal veggies or a frozen vanilla yogurt. I love that they have some healthy options in there (along side of the French fries). You can get one dipper: ranch, honey mustard, salsa, bbq sauce or sour cream. Top it all off with a drink: apple juice, cranberry, soda, chocolate milk or regular milk – all for $6.95.

We were there on a Monday, so it was create your own mac and cheese day (for me, not the kid). For $14.95 you start with cavatapi and their 5 cheese mac sauce (you can get gluten free rotini) and one of the following: fried chicken, pulled pork ,Kayem dog, chili, grilled mesquite chicken, or meatloaf. Mix in, or drizzle sauce on top: buffalo, chipotle bbq, honey bbq, ranch, blue cheese, brown bbq gravy, white gravy or beurre blanc. Mix in mesquite pepper and onions, smoked bacon, charred tomatoes, spinach, cherry pepper, fresh jalapeños, roasted red peppers, arugula or blue cheese crumbles. Top that all off with fried onion strings, fritos, fried egg or cornbread crumbs. Ummm…yes to everything!! I had mine with pulled pork and fritos and man, was it delicious. Trust me on the fritos part…

The roasted cauliflower side was tasty, made me feel not so bad about housing that mac and cheese (there was plenty to take home too). We also had the steakhouse salad (pictured above), $16.95, with coal fired beef steak tips, cut and marinated in house, applewood smoked bacon, Creole potato chips, roasted red peppers, grape tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers, house made croutons and a smoked blue cheese dressing. You can double your steak for $5.95 more. I love the steak tips here, and the wings here are not to be missed (boneless or bone in, mesquite marinated chicken wings made two ways: Buffalo style with smoked blue cheese dressing or sweet Thai style with sriracha aioli).

Red Heat Tavern Bedford

152 Great Road, Bedford, MA

http://redheattavern.com/

Tags: casual dining, family friendly, lunch, vegetarian