Love at first Bite Lexington

Love at first Bite Lexington opened earlier this year in Lexington Center. They already have a location in North Andover, Lots of Eats.

There is only metered parking, except where I park.

The inside is modern and bright with nice furniture.

I tried their Spicy Basil Fried Rice🌶️($11.00). "Stir-fried jasmine berry rice with ground chicken, onion, bell pepper, and fresh hot chili". Despite the menu stating chicken, the waitress asked if I wanted chicken or beef (+2). Of the promised "fresh hot chili" there was no trace. There was some dried chili and the dish was just mildly spicy. It was tasty with plenty of basil, some were still in clusters. You really want me to eat four leaves and the steam at once? The peppers and the onions were cooked nicely, but the chunks were too big to eat with the rice. The dish was also greasy. Their lunch prices are just slightly lower than their dinner prices. The service was pleasant, and they were really busy at lunch.

Address: 1710 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA 02420 Phone: (781) 862-5888

Tequila's Wakefield

Last time I had lunch at Tequila's Mexican Cantina in Wakefield the food was so terrible I didn't even blog about it, hoping that it was a one-off.

Plenty of parking. Don't park here unless you are visiting a business, they are vicious about towing.

The inside is nice. Not exactly busy at lunch today.

You get chips (warm) that were a bit stale. I really like the tomatillo salsa and the tomato one. Linen napkins with good quality silverware.

I ordered the same dish from the lunch menu as the last time, Pork Carnitas Tacos (10) that comes with rice and beans even if the menu fails to mention this. "Melted jack cheese, slow cooked pork, pico de gallo, escabeche red onions, queso fresco." It was two good-sized tacos with plenty of tender pork. The jack cheese was absent. I really like the thin soft corn tortillas. The rice was very good and seasoned nicely. The refried beans were also very good, tasty and they had a nice texture. The pork this time was cooked properly and was tender. Service was good.

Address: 979 Main St, Wakefield, MA 01880 Phone: (978) 710-5512

Madras Grill Chelmsford

I went to Madras Grill in Chelmsford a couple of years ago for their lunch buffet. Everything was well seasoned but all the dishes were cold. Time for another try.

They are located in a small plaza with plenty of parking.

The inside is nice and bright with good quality furniture.

You get fresh nan that was very light and good. You also get a crispy (empty) dosa.

First trip to the lunch buffet ($10.95). Starting at the top we have warm and fresh Tandoori chicken. Next are cold, old and dried out fish. The Egg Curry was at least lukewarm and very tasty. However, the egg was seriously overcooked with the dreaded green ring around the yolk. It had also been sitting out so long it had developed a second shell. The Potato Poriyal was cold. The Soy Bean Manjurian? was cold, old and dried out. Both of the two veg curries was cold. Best dish was the Tandoori chicken.

The eggs had skins that you could peel off. The Mutton Biryani was lukewarm and had bone fragments left in it.

The containers for scraps and the dirty dish was conveniently placed next to the dining room. It wasn't exactly service with a smile either.

Address 7 Summer Street, Unit 31, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone number (978) 330-5133

Popeyes Chelmsford

I have now seen too many pictures on IG to be able to ignore the Chicken Sandwich from Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, so I headed up to their location in Chelmsford.

The place was not clean. The soda machine was gross. There was no salt or pepper available. There were no trays available. The Chicken Sandwich ($3.99) was pretty good even if the sauce was applied very unevenly and there was only one pickle on top. It was crunchy and juicy. I have always liked their mashed with gravy ($2.29). The serving of the mash was very small. It was also like pulling teeth when ordering.
-Do you want the combo?
-No, just the sandwich.
- so you don't want the combo?
-No.
- I also want a side of mashed.
-So you want the combo?
-No.
- You don't want the drink?
-No.
All of this was conducted in English with a very heavy Indian accent. To top it off, they took the receipt back when I picked up my order, sans tray. Now I can't give feedback and get free food.

Cracker Barrel Tewksbury

I decided to give the Friday Fish Fry another chance at Cracker Barrel in Tewksbury. They now do Country Fried Chicken every day.

They have plenty of parking and are located just off Rte 495.

It's a big place with a country store upfront, and they weren't really busy today at lunch.

Here is the aforementioned Friday Fish Fry (10.99). "Starting at 11 AM, we serve four Cod fillets, hand-dipped in our own special batter and fried. We suggest enjoying them with Homestyle Fries and Cole Slaw". I have always been served the whole fish filet. I went with mashed potatoes and coleslaw. The mashed is made from real potatoes and benefitted from getting some butter mixed in. The fish was on the drier side, but the batter was excellent and well seasoned. My waiter asked if I wanted gravy with my mashed, and I ended up getting it on the side. With salt and lots of pepper, it was OK. Service was enjoyable, and my waiter wrote down my order and then repeated it back to me to make sure it was correct.

Address 1795 Andover St, Tewksbury, MA 01876 Phone number (978) 858-3717

Mexicali Danvers

Back to Mexicali Cantina Grill in Danvers to check out the Taco Tuesday offerings.

The Taco Tuesday deal is only available in the bar, so here I am. Turns out that the nice high-top I had is part of the bar even if I got waitress service.

With the purchase of an alcoholic beverage (Modelo Negra $5), you can get up to 5 basic Tacos for $1 each. Ground beef, shredded chicken or pork. I went with three soft tacos with pork. The pork turned out to be Chili Verde even if the sauce was way thinner than what was on the lunch plate. The pork was tender, and it was enough for lunch for me. The Street Tacos are also half price, and they looked more appealing. The warm chips and the tasty salsa are excellent. Service at the bar was pleasant. It's interesting that the basic Tacos aren't even listed on the menu.

Address: 29 Andover St Danvers, MA 01923 Phone: (978) 304-1860

Bickford’s Grille Woburn

My first visit to Bickford’s Grille in Woburn wasn't outstanding but good enough for me to try their weekend buffet.

Getting out from here going towards Woburn can be tricky, and I found it easier to hang a right and then use the traffic lights to get back towards home. Unless you want to muscle your way into the traffic.

Brunch ($12.99) are Saturdays and Sundays. I tried going on a Sunday at noon, but the line was out the door.

The "assorted pastries" had morphed into a Danish.

The eggs were moist, and the home-fries were red bliss potatoes that were mostly peeled. They were finely cut and cooked well. The bacon was sort of crispy. The kielbasa with peppers and onions was delightful, moist with slightly crunchy veggies. Grey Poupon? Nope, but French's it was. Service was friendly, and the staff is very polite.

Address: 325 Montvale Ave, Woburn, MA 01801 Phone: (781) 938-6068

Mooyah North Billerica

Mooyah Burgers, Fries and Shakes in North Billerica reopened recently under new management. I had an enjoyable visit earlier and was a bit sad when I heard that they had closed.

They are in Treble Cove Plaza where there is also a Market Basket. Plenty of parking, of course. Turns out it's was faster for me to take Rte 3 instead of the much-despised 3A.

The inside is nice and bright with booths along the wall. They use only fresh Certified Angus Beef, and their potato buns are baked daily in the store.

This is their signature MOOYAH Double Cheeseburger (7.99). "2 Fresh, Never-Frozen Certified Angus Beef® Patties, American Cheese, Lettuce, Tomato, MOOYAH Sauce, Non-GMO Potato Bun". Personal size Hand-Cut Idaho Fries (2.99) with Green Chile Queso (1.49). The fries were a bit dark, and some was a bit too crispy.

This is my favorite, The Double Diablo (9.99). "2 Fresh, Never-Frozen Certified Angus Beef® Patties, Pepper Jack, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Jalapeños, Cholula, Real Mayo, Non-GMO Potato Bun". The burger is still juicy despite being cooked all the way. The bacon was nice and crisp.

Last is The Indulgent BBQ (9.99). "2 Fresh, Never-Frozen Certified Angus Beef® Patties, Pepper Jack Cheese, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Fried Onion Strings, BBQ Sauce, Real Mayo, Non-GMO Potato Bun". I really liked the crispy onion strings, they added a bit of texture. I'm stoked about the addition of the Green Chile Queso even if it could have done with some more chiles. All the burgers were juicy and cooked well.

They just introduced the 10-minute lunch guarantee that promises that your order is ready for pickup 10 minutes after the order is placed. One of the new owners, Patrick was on site today, and he already owns three other locations. Of course, he's previously from the tech industry and decided to do something he likes.

I was invited as a media guest, but all opinions are my own.

Address: 199 Boston Rd Ste 8, North Billerica, MA 01862 Phone: 978-362-3658

Bertucci's Woburn

It has been aeons since I visited Bertucci's Brick Oven Pizza & Pasta in Woburn. I recently heard of the Monday half-price on everything with meatballs.

Plenty of parking in the private lot. It's easier to get out if you go behind the building to the traffic light.

The inside was well kept, and the open pizza kitchen is to the right.

You get warm and crusty bread that was bit dense with a very pleasant dipping sauce. Maybe some parmesan in the dipping sauce? Rolled up cheap silverware of course.

Soup or salad are included in lunch, and I went with the lentil soup. After adding salt and pepper, it was really tasty. If the spoon remains upright in the soup, it's a stew.

Lunch Spaghetti & Meatballs ($10.99). "Two handcrafted all-beef meatballs served over spaghetti with fresh pomodoro". I asked for the meat sauce instead of the pomodoro. The pasta was cooked al dente but was unsalted. The pomodoro on top of the meatballs was nice and bright. The meat sauce was mostly absent. The meatballs were dry and dense and needed seasoning. The service was pleasant. Been here, had the meatballs, done.

Address: 17 Commerce Way, Woburn, MA 01801 Phone: 781-933-1440

Sichuan Palace Chelmsford

I haven't been back to Sichuan Palace in Chelmsford in a long time since I now have closer restaurants for Sichuan Cuisine. They have a very good lunch menu with two duck dishes that is an excellent value for the money.

They are located in a strip mall with plenty of parking.

They have finally removed the 2x2 signs above table 4 and 5.

Today's dish was the Fish with Spicy Chili Sauce ($17 incl rice). There was plenty of fish resting on mostly beansprouts. This is very similar to a dish that Sichuan Gourmet does really well and their includes napa cabbage. This was marked as three peppers on the menu, and it might look fiercely hot, but it wasn't. It has some heat but lacked the depth of flavor. The smaller pieces of fish were borderline mushy. There was, however, plenty of fish. I tried to get the waitress to pack up the rice and give me a container for the fish, but this absolutely didn't work.

I had a very tasty lunch buffet at the nearby Madras Grill a long time ago despite everything on the buffet being cold, but I'll give them another chance soon.

Address: 7 Summer St #17-18, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone number: (978) 256-8545