Royal Roast Beef Stoneham

I had a hankering for pizza, so I headed out to Royal Roast Beef & Seafood in Stoneham to get some. I bought gift cards with my stimulus checks, and now was the time to use them.

The parking lot was just redone, and there is plenty of parking.

This is the Large Mac & Cheese Bacon. Pizza is half price on Tuesdays. Research shows that a large is the better bang for the buck. The large (16") has double the surface area compared to a small (10"). The bacon was entirely absent, not even a trace of it. This was pretty much a complete failure. The only pasta that was edible was in the center of the pizza. The rest was so dried out in the oven that it was like eating raw pasta out of the box. It was soo bad it went into the bin. I had an excellent M&C pizza at Kitty's, so I had high hopes for this one. 10/19/21

To top it off, when I tried to use my gift card, the balance was zero! After some discussion, the guy behind the counter, I suspect he was the manager, suggested that I contact the manager. I asked how I could do that. This went on for a while until he finally put my $100 back on a card.

Shrimp Scampi Pasta ($9.49) on Wednesdays, regularly $15.99. "Shrimp sautéed in olive oil and garlic in a white wine lemon sauce served over spaghetti." You have a choice of pasta, and I went with the penne. I got 5 shrimp, not sure if I would be happy with that for $16. The pasta was overcooked, but there was plenty of penne. The was plenty of scampi sauce. The half garlic bread lacked garlic, and it was stale. 11/24/21

Shrimp Box ($15.25 / $22.25). How many shrimp in a small box? 10. How many are in a large box? 20. Large box, of course. The shrimp was really good-sized and cooked perfectly with a very thin and light batter. Look at the size of them! The tartar sauce was outstandingly good. This was not mayo with some stuff thrown in. Here, it was stuff with mayo added. Delicious! 12/19/21

This is the Meat Lovers Pizza ($10.49) on half-price Tuesdays. "Pepperoni, sausage, ham, hamburger & bacon." Regular $19.25, and I don't think they call it half-price Tuesdays anymore, even if it's close. Plenty of toppings and cheese. The tomato sauce was pleasant, but the thickness of the crust was way too thick. Two slices are plenty for me, and the rest goes into the freezer. 1/18/22

Chicken Parmesan ($10.48 on Tuesdays). "Chicken cutlet with sauce, parmesan, mozzarella & Italian blend cheese". I didn't have high hopes for this but ended up actually liking it. The chicken was breaded nicely, and the tomato sauce was bright. 03/15/22 Almost Pi day!

Address: 475 Main St, Stoneham, MA 02180 Phone: (781) 438-7779

The first wealth is health.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Cracker Barrel Tewksbury

So shoot me, but I like Cracker Barrel and occasionally go to their Tewksbury location. The sound level can be a bit high when they are busy. They have a misnamed Saturday special and got me a free meal when I complained!

They have a big parking lot, and they need one!

This was taken on a Sunday at lunchtime. The place was packed, and I was promised a 15-minute wait, but it was probably half of that. I got lucky and was seated in the smaller dining room furthest away, so the notice wasn't a problem. Despite being packed, the service was quick.

Country Fried Pork Chops ($10.99) is the Saturday Special. "Starting at 11 AM, enjoy two crispy hand-breaded fried pork chops smothered in roasted pan gravy plus a choice of two Country Sides." The pork chops were crispy, but they weren't really pork chops, just pork loin. The chops had been tenderized until almost mushy. They weren't really smothered either despite being ordered with extra pan sauce. My waitress quickly brought out more gravy. My sides of Steak Fries and Hashbrown Casserole were both delicious. The service is always pleasant here. Going to the register to pay is a pain in the butt. I'm now paying at the table, using their app. One thing I can't figure out is how do they know that I already paid? 10/02/21

Weekday Lunch, Meatloaf ($7.49). "Our special recipe Meatloaf, served with mashed and a choice of a Country Side." Online prices are with tax included. I did ask corporate what the difference was between the lunch and the regular meatloaf. Size. The sides were normal-sized, but the meatloaf was just a thin slice. It doesn't come with gravy. Who serves meatloaf without sauce? Heathens! My waitress kindly gave me a side of it. The meatloaf was surprisingly tasty and also very tender. I liked it and will be back for the full-sized serving. I don't remember the mashed have the skins left in, but there they are. Adding the butter, salt, and pepper improved things a lot. Guess who really likes the Hashbrown Casserole? Paying at the table today did work. 11/04/21
On a later visit, I got to see the full-priced version, and it was just a slightly thicker slice of meatloaf. The sides seemed more generous. Pass.

There is nothing wrong with breakfast for lunch, is it? The Cracker Barrel's Country Boy Breakfast ($12.39). "Enjoy three farm fresh eggs, Fried Apples, Hashbrown Casserole and grits, plus a choice of Sirloin Steak, Sugar Cured or Country Ham. Comes with All the Fixin's." I had to ask what "all the Fixin's" was? "Includes Buttermilk Biscuits, Sawmill Gravy -plus- butter and the best Dickinson's preserves n' jam we could find." Butter and the Jam didn't make it. Hold the fried apples. The promised extra hashbrowns didn't show up either.

The eggs were cooked as ordered but lacked browning. The ham was salty, and I was OK with that, but it was also really dried out. The gravy was tasty but so thick that you could cut it with a knife. The biscuits were very crusty on the outside.

I have never had grits that I liked until I tried them at The Porch in Wakefield. This wasn't even close, never again. 12/01/21

Country Fried Shrimp ($11.69). "Our buttermilk breaded fried shrimp served with hushpuppies plus choice of two Country Sides." Nowhere does it say it comes with fries, so here is my order with fries and hashbrowns and fries. It's a good thing that I like their fries. Don't think I have had hush puppies before, but these were OK. I know where the name comes from. There was a good amount of shrimp, but unfortunately, the batter was so overcooked that they were rock hard. The shrimp was, much to my surprise, not overcooked. The dipping sauce was very pleasant. 12/29/21

Bacon n' Egg Hashbrown Casserole ($10.69). "A double portion of our signature Hashbrown Casserole, griddled and layered with Colby cheese, farm fresh scrambled eggs and hickory smoked bacon all topped off with fried onions, diced tomatoes and green onions. Served with Buttermilk Biscuits". The biscuits never materialized, nor did any form of bread. Everything else was present. I really liked the crispy onions on top; otherwise, it was just an OK dish. The serving was soo small that there were no leftovers, and I always have leftovers. 02/13/22

Double Meat Breakfast ($10.99 $11.29). "Three eggs with grits plus Thick-Sliced Bacon and Smoked Sausage Patties. Comes with All the Fixin's."

Since I wasn't too impressed by the breakfast offerings, I decided to skip the Double Meat Breakfast and instead go with the Southern Fried Chicken ($11.99). "Four pieces of bone-in fried chicken with honey, served with two Country Sides and Buttermilk Biscuit or Corn Muffins". There is no way to make any substitutions. The honey was absent; I didn't miss it. I had their excellent fries and Hashbrown Casserole as my sides. One wing, one leg, one thigh and a breast, all on the bone. Their batter is crisp and really well seasoned, almost peppery. Chicken is cooked perfectly. This is not a bad deal, all things considered. 03/13/22

Their Friday Fish Fry is an excellent deal, but the fish tend to be a bit dry and often sit in a pool of oil. Let me know if you have asked them to cook the fish less and if it worked? Or if you have had it in another location, with the fish cooked correctly.

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

Trust your gut. Forgive yourself. Be grateful.

-- Cheryl Strayed

Texas Roadhouse Methuen

After posting my Birthday write-up, somebody mentioned that you get a free app at Texas Roadhouse for your birthday. You also get a free app just for signing up (out of five choices), and for your birthday, you also have the option of a Sidekick of ribs.

I headed out to Texas Roadhouse in Methuen, which is, of course, on the wrong side of Rte28. They only serve lunch on Fri-Sun.

Here is the Sidekick of ribs mentioned above. This is the generic boiled ribs that are fall off the bone with pretty good BBQ sauce. This was precisely what I expected.

Pick two sides, and I'm not sure what a cup of Texas Red Chile is doing in the sides menu? This was a delicious chili with cheese and onions on top. Generally, I find that the chili is usually on the sweet side. This one I really liked, even if there were some gristly bits in there.

Grilled Pork Chops. "Fresh, hand-cut, boneless chops seasoned and served with Peppercorn sauce. Served with your choice of two sides. Single ($12.49) or Double portion ($15.49)". I guess I can't complain since they say boneless pork chops, which is accurate. $3 for an extra chop? Of course! I asked for them cooked pink, and they were perfectly cooked. Not sure who dreamed up the peppercorn sauce with the chops, but it was delicious. The baked potato was also excellent, extra butter of course. I have since learned that making them loaded for an extra buck is well worth it.

Then my alter ego went to the Danvers location and ordered exactly the same thing. The ribs were dry, the pork chops were overcooked and dry. The bacon in my loaded potato was carbonized. The extra butter never made it, and even the butter in the potato was absent. The chili was good. Oh, and we are out of the peppercorn sauce! They opened an hour ago. How is this possible?

Back to the Methuen location for another visit and Free Rattlesnake Bites this time. "Diced jalapenos and jack cheese, lightly fried and served with Cajun sauce for dipping". These were really enjoyable. A little bit of heat, a lot of cheese, and some crunch. New favorite. Not sure if they really needed the tasty dipping sauce. I must say that the staff here seems much happier than the crew in Danvers.

I wasn't really a fan of the famous bread with cinnamon butter, but I'm certainly a fan of the big bag of unshelled peanuts that you get. Here they ask if you want peanuts, in Danvers, you have to ask for them, and they didn't have the fancy bag either.

Interesting fact: Texas Roadhouse spends $20 MILLION a year on peanuts and bread.

Address: 424 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844 Phone: (978) 975-5588

I restore myself when I'm alone. A career is born in public — talent in privacy.

-- Marilyn Monroe

A Week of my Lunches Part Trois

The story continues with another week's lunches at places I really like. And one that I rarely visit 😋.

Monday is Indian for lunch, and I headed out to Little India Express in Lexington. They are located just over the Woburn border. One good thing about the pandemic is that I found small takeout only places like this that I would never have visited before.

Lunch Rice Plate ($10.95) served with half a Naan. Today's choices were Chicken Tikka Saag (medium) and Baingan Bhartha. The eggplant is phenomenal. There was soo much tandoori chicken that the next time I'll ask for less chicken so that I can get more saag. Excellent basmati rice with every grain separated. How good is this for the price? Easily two meals for me. They now have changed the lunch plate offering, and I have no idea how it works, and neither do they since they couldn't' explain it.

Tuesday's are for Mexican, so I headed out to Torito in Danvers. You still have to ask for the lunch menu at lunch. I had forgotten that you get a bean dip with your chips, so that was a pleasant surprise, even if the bean dip was just lukewarm.
Lunch CHILE COLORADO ($10.99). "Tender chunks of skirt steak simmered in Colorado sauce and served with rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, avocado, and warm tortillas". The beans were tasty, as was the rice. The Chile Colorado was just OK this time. The skirt steak was tender the last time, and there was plenty of excellent sauce.

As you can see, the sauce was primarily absent. It was still tasty. The promised avocado had morphed into guacamole served on top of the Pico de Gallo.

I usually have Chinese at least once a week. This visit on a Wednesday was my first dine-in at Taipei Tokyo in Arlington.

No lunch specials, but they have combo platters during lunch. "Combination Platter #18 (8.50) Curry Chicken" ordered extra spicy and extra sauce. Extra spicy actually works here. You can pick from five appetizers. I selected "Chicken Wings." The wing (singular) was crispy and juicy and very tasty. In fact, both items were excellent. The curry was sharp, and the chicken was tender. This is a proper version with only peppers and onions. No carrots were harmed in the making of this dish. I think I'll try the takeout again the next time. I believe that the takeout portion was way more generous than the dine-in.

They have an excellent online ordering system that I used during the takeout-only period, and the food was ready precisely at the pickup time, so it doesn't sit around for very long. There is also parking in the restaurant's back that I didn't know about.

Mount Vernon in Somerville has started to serve a Throwback Thursday menu with very attractive pricing.

I have enjoyed the Extra Thick Stuffed Porkchop ($7.99) on several Thursdays. You get two sides, and I have been going with double mashed, but I did fries and mashed this time. The mashed is usually pretty good, but it was unseasoned and watery today. The fries were the previously frozen variant, but they were cooked perfectly, lightly crisped, and fluffy inside. Of course, the pork chop (on the bone) was cooked pink as requested, so it was still juicy. The stuffing is really enjoyable, and there is a ton of it. Extra gravy, of course! I'm happy to see that they have retained their staff before the pandemic.

I had other plans for this Friday, but the weather was terrible, and I needed some comfort food. So I headed out to Brothers Deli in Wakefield, which I really like. Meatloaf ($13.75) with two sides. Well, one side since I always ask for double roast potatoes and, of course, extra gravy. 3 1/2 slices of a great meatloaf was tender and tasty. The sauce was OK but not as good as the pork gravy. So when I saunter up to the counter with my leftover box, without saying anything, I get an extra scoop of sauce on my leftovers.

Saturday. I was made aware that Markey's Lobster Pool had a Groupon available, and I quickly grabbed two. As a bonus, Groupon had 30% off that day. So I went to this website and thought, Great, I can get two Lobster Salads for my $30 Groupon. Well, when I got there, I could only get one! Unfortunately, they are unable to get the other website taken down. The fries were the previously frozen variant but were cooked OK. The slaw was fine. Leave the slaw until the end of the meal. The room temperated slaw was much improved. The lobster salad just had a hint of mayo. It was fresh and tasty, and it was a lot of lobster but only claw and knuckle. Putting my to-go serving on the scale yielded 16oz of lobster. This was certainly worth the $11.20 I paid. I got another one to go, despite the Groupon saying dine-in only. The regular price is $29.95. If you go during the summer, ask the lobster guys if they are selling bodies only. A great deal if you are willing to put in some work, lots of meat in there. As of 03/09/22, the deal is still available.

Sunday. The Wardhurst has started offering a Greek menu on Sundays in addition to their regular menu.

Roast Leg of Lamb ($22). "Slowly roasted and topped with a lamb sauce. Served with a choice of two sides". Mashed potatoes for the leftovers and Double Stuffed Potato Rounds (+$2.99) for now. The mashed is the real deal, even if it is occasionally bland and watery. Today it was perfect. The Potato Rounds are worth every extra cent. I would have liked the lamb cooked pink, but it was still tasty and tender. Extra sauce, of course! The standard bread and butter have now been replaced by an excellent flavored dipping oil. The service here is fantastic, and they retain their staff for a long time. I still recognize most of them from when I started lunching here.

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.

-- Rainer Maria Rilke