Everyone was pretty pumped when Oak Barrel Tavern first opened. We went at 5pm and the hostess asked us if we had a reservation…and when we said we didn’t, she proceeded to tell us it would be an hour wait!!! Yikes!

It has since died down a bit, and we have been there a few times. The food is middle of the road, prices are a lot better than the local and there is a little more variety. Personally I’d stick with the burgers, or something simple. The pretzels with beer mustard and and a beer cheese sauce were decent and my husband liked the fish tacos. The truffle mac and cheese tasted suspiciously similar to my son’s kid’s mac and cheese…

Service was so so. I think it’s hit or miss depending on how crowded it is. We sat outside and it took a lot longer than when we were inside and when we were a large party, they were basically clearing our plates before we even finished them. The bar is always hopping, as there are limited other choices in the area now.

Certainly kid friendly and there is plenty of parking in the attached lot.

Oak Barrel Tavern

528 A Boston Post Road, Sudbury, MA

http://www.oakbarreltavernworcester.com

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Not all my meals as a blogger are glamorous – too be very honest, most days my kids want to eat at Panera. I swear if I have to look at another grilled cheese this week I may scream. So I try and find other places for them to try. We had a special mom and daughter day so I took her out to Smashburger – she loves burgers these days. Not bad for being a chain (and not an every week kind of thing) – the bacon and swiss burger was totally edible. Of course we added on fries and I was pleasantly surprised as how much I liked the shakes – they are made with Häagen-Dazs ice cream. Join their rewards program to get a point for every dollar spent and when you get 100 points you get a $10 reward. Get a free side or shake with any purchase on your birthday as well.

Lunch is always a hard meal for me – whether it is for school or out at a restaurant. We sometimes get in the chicken fingers, grilled cheese, hot dog, macaroni rut. With school it is even harder as we aren’t allowed to send kids with fruit or veggies cut at home (allergy reasons). What do you do for your kids for lunch? I’d love to have some other new ideas.

Smashburger

1298 Worcester Street, Natick, MA

www.smashburger.com

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Just after Thanksgiving, when I couldn’t bear another turkey leftover anything, I headed over to Mission Hill to Beta Burger. I met up with owner Adrian Wong who gave me the lay of the land. They have seating upstairs with great lighting from the floor to ceiling window (a food blogger’s dream!). The parking can  be a little dicey here if you’re looking to run in and pick up a burger, but there is a whole block of 30 minute parking in front of the Roxbury Crossing T station on the next block. And if that’s still too much, don’t worry, they deliver. With prices starting at $5.50, you can treat yourself!

The burgers are cooked sous vide and finished off on the grill with a quick sear. The sous vide style allows the burger to lock in all the juices, making it a really flavorful patty. TV screens on the wall give you tons of options to customize your burger: beef or chicken patties, potato roll, wheat roll or a skinny bun (almost like those Pepperidge Farms sandwich thins), American or cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, jalapeño, relish and their “not so special sauce”. (I love the name, because so many places have special sauce which really just ends up being Russian dressing!) They even have premium toppings like caramelized onions, sauteed oyster mushrooms, coleslaw, and smoked bacon.

Of course I chose the potato bun with the beef patty, relish, bacon and cheddar cheese. Look at how pretty that looks!

Let’s talk fries. They are pretty delicious on their own, but if you want to kick it up a notch, Beta Burger offers seasoning packs in flavors like garlic parmesan, salt & vinegar, sour cream & onion, or Buffalo. Check out the video of us shaking up our fries here.

Is your mouth watering yet? Stop in to Beta Burger and see what I’m talking about!

Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to preview Beta Burger. My meal was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Beta Burger

1437 Tremont Street, Boston, MA

http://www.betaburger.co

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One night, while I was browsing my Instagram feed, I saw Hungry Tommy’s picture of WuBurger. When we were looking for a place to grab dinner a couple of nights later, we decided to check it out.

The restaurant is outfitted with retro booths and had plenty of seating.

In addition to burgers they have a variety of other sandwiches, such as a grilled cheese, a roast beef, a crispy fried chicken and a house roasted turkey. You can get a hamburger or a WUBurger, which comes topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and wusauce.

WUBurger has a variety of toppings that range from complimentary to $1 per topping:

Complimentary Toppings: Lettuce, Tomato, Raw Onion, Pickles, Relish, Ketchup, Mustard, Mayo, BBQ Sauce, WuSauce

Regular Toppings ($0.50): Grilled Onions, Grilled Mushrooms, Jalapeno, American Cheese, Cheddar Cheese, Swiss Cheese

Premium Toppings ($1.00): Applewood Smoked Bacon, Blue Cheese, Fried Egg, Crispy Fried Onions, Homemade Chili

I had a cheeseburger with swiss cheese and a fried egg on the potato roll (they also offer a sesame seed bun).  I really liked this burger and the egg was cooked perfectly, over easy, so the egg yolk broke and added some creamy goodness to the burger.

The sign out front says that they serve Mr. Charlie’s ice cream, which is really Richardson’s ice cream. Love it! I had the Tollhouse cookie ice cream with Reese’s Pieces. Waiting for them to get their new peanut butter warmer, because this girl loves her some peanut butter sauce on her ice cream!

How do you top your WUBurger?

WuBurger

880 Main Street, Woburn, MA

http://www.wuburger.com

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My new thing is tourist destinations in the off season. I was first introduced to Tavern on the Wharf at the Norwell Farms Farm to Fork dinner. I kept dreaming of the short rib dish that I had at the event, so Leah, Robin and I decided to head down to Plymouth and try them for lunch. We always go down Route 24 to the Cape, never go Route 3, so this was a nice change of pace. While the weather was chilly and threatened rain, we still had a great afternoon out! The restaurant is fairly new, less than 6 months old, and has a young chef at its helm. Chef Johnny Sheehan put together a diverse menu and has managed to execute every dish with precision. I was a bit surprised, as he is in his early 30’s, but he mentions that he has trained in Ken Origner’s kitchens, and it all make sense. It feels like they have found their stride and I can only imagine what it will be like here when summer comes around again!

The main dining room feels open and airy and has great views of the water. Apparently the previous restaurant was all booths. Tavern on the Wharf only kept 2 of them in the back, which was such a smart move. The tables give them a lot of flexibility with their layout – they can handle a large party from 6 or 18 in the main dining room.

Chef Sheehan put together a wonderful tasting menu for us, showcasing his creativity and the local seafood. We started off with the oysters that tasted like the sea. The oysters come from right off shore, so you know they are fresh!

Next up, a not on the menu item, but the Yellowfin Tuna was too good for chef to pass up having us taste. The sushi grade tuna melted in my mouth and had a super clean taste.

The Szechuan shrimp ($15) comes flavored with Szechuan peppercorn, chili flake, garlic and scallions. I loved the flavor and the little kick the dish had.

Next was the beef carpaccio ($16), sliced filet of beef (it was paper thin), served with black truffle vinaigrette, Greenway Farm herbs and crispy sunchokes.

The fried burrata ($10) came out next. I have never seen burrata served this way, it’s usually served fresh on a bed of tomatoes. Chef described this as the adult version of a mozzarella stick – a totally approachable way to introduce burrata. The cheese is breaded with a panko crust and served with cream, roasted tomato, olive oil and basil. The roasted tomato in the dish was inspired by an evening meal on the beach, where they threw the tomatoes directly onto the coals to get a wonderful smoke char taste. I loved this dish – such a great twist on a classic.

The tamarind bbq ribs ($12) were a hit. The St. Louis style ribs were served with crispy onions and Korean chili. Trying to be lady like, I went at this with a fork and a knife, but the meat was so tender it just fell off the bone (no knife needed). I loved the flavor, a little sweet and a little salty.

The Portside Biscay ($26) was a great dish, another twist on a classic. Lobster bisque covered the bottom of the plate and was topped with a seared scallop, shrimp, lump Jonah crab and a roasted potato. It was finished off with hand torn biscuit croutons. I started with the potato and fell in love, which only meant great things if I hadn’t even gotten to the seafood yet. The bisque by itself was a little salty for my taste (and I do love salty) but was less so when you had it with the seafood.

At this point, well probably 3 dishes ago, I was stuffed. I should have worn sweatpants. Chef brings out one last dish with a grin on his face (we are so stuffed but of course we want more!). We were well fed and ready for a nap! Last up is the rootbeer glazed short rib ($26) that comes with a sake infused onion puree, crispy and roasted new potato, a charred cippolini onion and bok choy. He has definitely saved the best for last. The short rib is so flavorful – this is the ultimate comfort dish.

In addition to their main dining room, they have a great back bar – a great place for a party! The artwork on the wall was done by a local artist and the room has great views of the water. Off of the bar area, there is an outdoor patio (seats 80) that they will be renovating for the summer (adding in a bar and accentuating the view). They are open 7 days a week from 11:30am – 1am and they offer live music at night. On Tuesdays they have Italian night that I am dying to go back and try. They offer discounted Italian dishes and a $10 bottle of Cabernet or Pinot Grigio with the purchase of 2 entrees.

After lunch the general manager took us on a tour of the restaurant. It’s not every day that you get to check out behind the scenes in the kitchen. This kitchen boasts a HUGE line, one of the biggest kitchens I have ever seen. Another cool feature is this wall where all the employees leave their handprint. To me, this shows what kind of restaurant this is, one that really invests in its employees. And you know what, it shows. Our server was great, really personable and appeared to really enjoy being here. I can’t encourage you enough to head over to Plymouth and try out Tavern on the Wharf – I know that I’ll be back soon – tell the bulgogi and the buttermilk fried chicken that I’m coming for them!

Disclaimer: I was invited to sample the new fall lunch menu. My meal was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Tavern on the Wharf

6 Town Wharf, Plymouth, MA

http://www.tavernonthewharf.com/

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Last weekend I headed down to Faneuil Hall to check out the new Oktoberfest Burger and Beer pairing at the Hard Rock Cafe.

The Boston location was established in July of 2007, in the heart of the Faneuil Hall area. The restaurant seats over 500 people and offers the “Cavern Club” as a live music and special events venue.

The restaurant is covered in music memorabilia and there are music videos playing all day long.

We started off our meal with the Tupelo chicken tenders. The chicken was hand breaded and lightly fried, served with a mustard and hickory bbq sauce.

We had the hickory smoked pulled chicken that was smothered in hickory bbq sauce and served on a toasted brioche bun. The sandwich came with a side of seasoned fries, citrus coleslaw and baked beans.

The Sam Adams OctoberFest Schnitzel burger is a lightly breaded pork schnitzel, topped with a Samuel Adams OctoberFest-infused beer cheese sauce,  smoked bacon, tangy sauerkraut, whole grain mustard and fresh arugula, served on a pretzel bun. It came with a side of seasoned fries and extra Samuel Adams OctoberFest-infused beer cheese sauce. Our server warned me that this burger was going to be difficult to eat – and she wasn’t kidding. I resorted to cutting it with a knife and eating it in pieces.

Check out the inside! The pretzel bun rocked and the pork was really light! It was a nice change of pace. Hurry in to the Hard Rock Cafe to try one of these burgers, they are only around until October 31st!

Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to sample the burger and beer pairing. My meal was provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Hard Rock Cafe

22-24 Clinton Street, Boston, MA

http://www.hardrock.com/cafes/boston/

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We arrived in the city late and needed a place to eat close to the hotel. We were tired and looking for something casual and decided on burger heaven.

They close on the early side, at 7:30pm. We were the only ones there.  There’s ample counter seating in the front of the restaurant and tables in the back. Large parties would be tough here and so would strollers. In addition to burgers you can get omelettes all day, soup, chili, a salad or a chicken sandwich. They have a variety of burgers including a classic beef burger, classic cheeseburger, chili burger, turkey burger, or a vegetable burger.

I ordered the classic cheeseburger with Swiss cheese ($9.95). It came out by itself on a plate and didn’t look very appetizing. The burger wasn’t great, it lacked  flavor and had a weird consistency.

The crispy onion rings ($6.95) were delicious. They were thick slices of onion, lightly battered. Service was so-so, I wouldn’t be in a rush to go back.

Burger Heaven

9 E 53rd Street, New York, NY

http://www.burgerheaven.com

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The interior is stark, harsh white light and not much in the way of decor – no matter, I was here for takeout.

They have a good selection of burgers and burger alternatives, as well as sides and shakes. While waiting in line I overheard multiple people wondering why they didn’t just have chocolate shakes…(apparently the godiva shake tastes like chocolate but there is no chocolate in it – according to the guy at the counter).

The first time I went, I ordered for me and a few friends, three burgers: 2 bacon cheeseburgers, 1 teriyaki burger, a side of fries, a side of onion rings and a raspberry shake. After being open for only 5 days, they told me they had run out of ice cream, so no shake. I went with the raspberry smoothie instead. When I got home and opened the bag, I realized that my fries were missing, so we all had to split the onion rings.

The raspberry shake  was delicious.

The second time I went back on a Friday night. They had ice cream today so I had a strawberry shake – which was bland, I would have been better off with another smoothie. I didn’t want another burger this week, so I went with the grilled cheese. The cheese was melted but the bread wasn’t toasted. Nothing like melted cheese on soft white bread.

I ordered the onion rings again because they were really good – but again, when I went home, there were no onion rings – instead two orders of sweet potato fries. The fries could have been good, but in the 5 minutes it took to drive home apparently they went soggy…

Overall the food was ok, totally hit or miss. I think they still need to work out the kinks. The lesson here is check your receipt to make sure they put in what you actually ordered and check your bag before you leave to make sure that you have everything you ordered. I sent Lee’s a Facebook message last week letting them know I was disappointed with the level of service…still waiting to hear back!

Lee’s Burger Place

1331 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA

See their Facebook page here

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The event started at 10pm and went ’til 1am. When I made reservations, they had over 100 people already booked. We arrived a few minutes before 10 and the place was packed.

Mark and his fiance joined us for dinner. I wasn’t sure that I was going to make it, dinner at 10pm is late for this girl – it was a school night after all.

The two burgers we didn’t try were: Oktoburger by Chris Coombs/Ryan Marcoux: House sauerkraut, monkey first mustard, smoked beef tongue pastrami ($10) and the Boston Chops Signature Late Night burger: Government cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon, caramelized onions, pickles, and secret BC sauce ($6). While they all sounded delicious, we were all basically on the same page.

The pop up started with a hot dog amuse bouche!

Even after grabbing drinks at the Gallows ahead of time, I decided to have a “pick me up boozy milkshake” with coffee ice cream, Jameson, Van Gogh vodka and chocolate liqueur ($8).

Pops Double Stack by Samuel Monsour: shaved vidalia’s, yellow mustard, NY state dog sauce, and homemade American cheese ($10) with a side of fries ($2). This burger had classic nostalgic flavors. A bit messy to eat, but oh so good.

Canadian Steakhouse by Richard Chudy: Montreal spiced onion ring “poutine” Canadian Club and maple gravy, fresh curds ($9). My personal favorite. Fresh curds, say no more. The burger was delicious, sweet and salty, and well seasoned. The bun stayed in tact until the last bite – which is pretty important for a good burger.

And instead of fries, I decided to grab the duck fat fingerlings with lardons from the regular Boston Chops menu($10). Love everything about this side dish.

The service was what your would expect for a busy Thursday evening. The music was loud, but I loved the old school jams they picked out to be the soundtrack for the night. Can’t wait to see what these guys think of next!

Boston Chops

1375 Washington Street, Boston, MA

https://bostonchops.com/

Make a reservation with Open Table

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