Maggie's Farm in Middleton moved to their new location just up (down?) the road from their old location recently. I liked the old place even if it was small.
The Serenitee Group now operates 10 restaurants, including Taj (Indian) and Little Red Rooster (Fried Chicken takeout and delivery), both in Gloucester. The latest addition, Chancho's, a SoCal Mexican restaurant, is set to open in Maggie's old location soon. They will also be reopening Alchemy at MarketStreet in Lynnfield (Alchemy had been located in Gloucester until 2016).
All restaurants have a Sushi chef on staff, except Tai and Little Red Rooster. I think this is brilliant since it adds a very popular cuisine that a lot of people like. Nothing wrong with having a drink and a maki roll.
They are located in a newish plaza with a decent amount of parking. The outdoor patio is almost ready for prime time. The bad news is that there is now a chocolateria next door.
The nice mural on the wall is from the old place. Distance to the rest of the restaurants in the group is also on the wall, including Chancho's at 0.6 miles.
Sitting at a hightop in the bar is very nice, and you can see the whole restaurant.
I decided to splurge on the "Smoked St. Louis Ribs full rack served with hand cut fries & coleslaw" from the specials menu. The ribs were fall off the bone as expected since there was no pretense to be "real" BBQ. The meaty ribs were very tender, and the BBQ sauce was excellent. As usual, the fries are outstanding. The slaw lacked dressing, and whatever dressing there was needed more seasoning. Service is always impeccable here and very pleasant.
I decided to splurge on the "Smoked St. Louis Ribs full rack served with hand cut fries & coleslaw" from the specials menu. The ribs were fall off the bone as expected since there was no pretense to be "real" BBQ. The meaty ribs were very tender, and the BBQ sauce was excellent. As usual, the fries are outstanding. The slaw lacked dressing, and whatever dressing there was needed more seasoning. Service is always impeccable here and very pleasant.
I have never tried a fish dish from them, and the Baked Haddock ($25) sounded good. "Ritz cracker crumbs, green beans, mashed potatoes, lemon butter sauce". Extra sauce and upgraded to mashed with cheese and bacon (+2). The fish was cooked well, and the mashed is excellent. The beans were crunchy but could have been cleaned better. The liquid in the casserole was lemony and really tasty.
Lots of places call a dish like this stuffed, but since the crumbs are only on top, it isn't really stuffed, is it?
Lots of places call a dish like this stuffed, but since the crumbs are only on top, it isn't really stuffed, is it?
What's better than free food on your birthday? The Serenitee Group loads a free entree and dessert on your card, valid for the whole month of your birthday.
I picked the Seafood Casserole for my entree from the specials menu. "Haddock, scallops and shrimp served with broccoli and red potatoes". No problem changing the sides to spinach and mashed potatoes with cheese and bacon. On my last visit the mashed wasn't really up to scratch, but this time they were perfect. Light and loaded with cheese and bacon. The casserole had perfectly cooked sea scallops, shrimp and haddock. The sauce was very tasty, and I really enjoyed this. Growing up on frozen icky spinach, who would have thought that I would ever enjoy spinach? Well, this is as far as you can get from the frozen variety. Of course, an extra extra Dry Tanqueray Martini doesn't hurt the experience.
I picked the Seafood Casserole for my entree from the specials menu. "Haddock, scallops and shrimp served with broccoli and red potatoes". No problem changing the sides to spinach and mashed potatoes with cheese and bacon. On my last visit the mashed wasn't really up to scratch, but this time they were perfect. Light and loaded with cheese and bacon. The casserole had perfectly cooked sea scallops, shrimp and haddock. The sauce was very tasty, and I really enjoyed this. Growing up on frozen icky spinach, who would have thought that I would ever enjoy spinach? Well, this is as far as you can get from the frozen variety. Of course, an extra extra Dry Tanqueray Martini doesn't hurt the experience.
Bacon Wrapped Maggie’s Meatloaf ($20). "Broccoli, bacon-cheddar mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy". No problem getting the excellent spinach instead of broccoli. Extra gravy of course. I don't like mushrooms but decided to take chance, I could always pick them out. Turns out that the mushrooms were delicious. The humongous meatloaf was very good and tender. The mashed were again dry and a bit stodgy but with plenty of bacon and cheese. The Serenitee Group had loaded $10 on my card. They do that occasionally, so it pays off being part of their loyalty program.
They shortly thereafter loaded a free appetizer on the card, and since I have had my eyes on their nachos for a while, it was a good time to try them. Maggie’s Crazy Nachos ($14). "Tortilla chips, cheddar, monterey jack, black beans, corn, jalapeños, pico de gallo, sour cream, guacamole (add grilled chicken or pulled pork 6)". Hold the sour cream. Since I thought I should spend some money, I added the pulled pork. This was an excellent rendition of this classic dish. The cheese was soft and melted and was on all the chips. The cheese is there to add creaminess and not more crunch as when the cheese is crisped up. The chips were thin and fresh. Not sure what they have done to the pickled jalapeños, but they were very mild. I got a surprising amount of the pulled pork that was very tender. I never order pulled pork, so I'm not sure if it should be this sweet? When I got the check, there was no extra charge for the pulled pork! As an appetizer, this is good for four people.
Address: 189 S Main St, Middleton, MA 01949 Phone: (978) 539-8583
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