Town Tavern Arlington

Town Tavern in Arlington opened in mid '18. They are located just outside Arlington center. You can see the Phantom Gourmet visit on their website. I looked at their menu shortly after they opened, and didn't see any lunch menu, so they fell off my radar until now. The lunch menu is basically a dinner menu, but with smaller portions.

It's a big building and there only on-street parking, but at least the dreaded parking meters haven't made it this far.

As you enter there is the bar area with the front dining room.

The first dish that I had my eye on was the Shrimp Poppers (11). "Oven Roasted Shrimp and Cheese stuffed Shishito Peppers. Citrus Aioli". These were absolutely delicious. Tender shrimp with tasty peppers. Sometimes you get lucky and get a hot one, but not today.

Next was Joel’s Hummus (9). "With fried Cumin Pita Chips, EVOO, Zaatar, Paprika and Parsley". The hummus was super smooth and tasty, especially with all the add-ons. The chips were fresh.

Another treat was the Mass Ave Dumplings (11). "Tavern Blend Pork and roast Veggie Pot Stickers in a Bacon Dashi". The dumplings had really thin skin, and the filling was excellent. There was some Chorizo involved, and the dumpling had a bit of heat that slowly sneaked up on you. The bacon dashi broth is genius. Why don't more places serve the dumplings in broth? It keeps them warm, and an added bonus is a tasty broth. And they arrive steaming!

I had picked the Paneed Chicken (12) because the menu said that it was made with chicken thigh. "Boneless, pounded and lightly breaded Chicken Thigh in a Lemon Pan Gravy over Spaetzle tossed with grilled Kale and Smokey Bacon Bits". I actually had to look up panéed, and it just means coated in breadcrumbs and then fried in hot oil. This was the best-cooked chicken I have had in a long time. Tender and juicy with a nice coating. The Spaetzle had been slightly browned, and the whole dish was just awesome. I even liked the kale. I'll have this again. Here's a secret for you. Both the Chicken sandwich and the Chicken La Mesa uses thigh too. Now I have to go back for the Crunchy Chicken sandwich.

They have a Monthly Tavern Treat and Februarys was the Grilled Chicken Fajitas with Rice (10). "Pineapple Pico, Menonita Cheese, Avocado Creme and Cilantro". The tortillas were nicely grilled and the rice was basmati rice that was cooked perfectly with each grain separated. Why can I only get rice like this in Indian restaurants? The pico was tasty and it even had some finely diced jalapenos in there. The chicken was tender and juicy and again dark meat. This is available as a soup & sandwich at lunch. The soup is also a monthly special. The Monthly Tavern Treat is posted on their FB page. The kitchen did an awesome job of cooking the proteins.

The back dining area.

Want to have a private function? The Town Hall awaits. The owner, Bootsy, was hanging out with me and I really like his attitude towards food and service and even more that he uses dark meat for the chicken dishes. He also has a solid and varied background in the food industry. Their best seller is The Town Tavern Burger. Check out their website for the entertainment schedule.

Address: 201 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02474 Phone: (781) 859-5413

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