Pica's Pub and Grill Methuen

Pica's Pub and Grill in Methuen opened in 1939 and is now run by Pappy's great-grandson, Shane. It was fully renovated about 4 years ago. I have seen tons of great reviews about this place.

There is parking in the plaza with some interesting spots available.

There is a long bar and hightops at the windows and the dining room. I got the hightop you can see in the picture and had to take my sweater off since the sun was really out today.

Appetizer Poutine ($12.00). "A canadian classic, real cheddar cheese curds and our house beef gravy melted over our crispy house fries". Only in America is an appetizer big enough for lunch. The fries were crispy, and the gravy was tasty, but the curds were not melted but stone cold. The ones on the bottom did melt. It was still a very tasty dish.

Grilled Reuben ($15.00). "Black pastrami smoked in house, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and 1000 Island dressing on marble rye." I discussed this with the owner, who insisted it was corned beef, and much confusion ensued. He was here during my lunch today and said that they buy corned beef brisket, and then put on a pastrami rub, and smoke that. It was tasty and tender, but it was also very thinly sliced and lacked texture. The meat could have been anything. The bread was fresh, and it was a large sandwich. The fries were delicious. Some extra dressing was quickly produced.

Brisket Shepherds Pie ($17.00). "Our version of one of the best comfort foods known to man... Slow house smoked brisket, onions, corn and our house mashed potatoes with shredded cheese broiled till golden brown and bubbling served with a side salad." Bubbling, it was not since there was no liquid present. The mash was real. The brisket was tender but had absolutely no smoke flavor and no seasoning, so it was bland. I tried it cold, and it then had a hint of smoke but warmed up, none. The best thing was the Caesar salad, which had a nice dressing with a few (hard) croutons.

I was going to try the Brisket Grilled Cheese, but I'll pass due to the bland brisket.

Their burgers got raves on FB, and the rumor is that they cook it to your liking. Unfortunately, that was not true. I ordered the burger medium rare, and it came out well done, apart from the right corner, so it's medium well on a good day. Still a failure. The patty was also dense, maybe overworked? It was also unseasoned. The fried egg was undercooked on top, so all the egg whites were snotty and runny. The bacon was cooked perfectly. The fries are excellent.

I was going to try the Cuban, but after reading the description, I'll pass. The only thing this thing has in common with an authentic Cuban is the pickle. "pulled pork, hot capicola, pickles and honey mustard on pressed sourdough."

Address: 10 Ayers Village Rd, Methuen, MA 01844 Phone: (978) 683-4353

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