Fireside Grille makes the grade
This month, the Mystery Diner takes his friends to a local favorite, The Fireside Grille in Middleboro. We knew right away this place was popular because the parking lot was overflowing.
This is when I love to go out to eat. It's easy to get great service and a fantastic meal when it's slow. But when the place is jumping, the cream rises to the top. I do recommend getting there early on a busy night, because the waiting room out front can be very chilly. A little heat out there would have been nice. Luckily, we didn't have to wait very long, and the wait was worth it.
The Fireside Grille is located on 30 Bedford Street right off the Middleboro Rotary. The exterior is very inviting with a stone front and plenty of parking. Once inside, we sat in a spacious and very clean dining room highlighted by a large stone fireplace.
Restrooms are a big pet peeve of mine, and I was not disappointed. I can only hope that all the wait staff at the Fireside is as friendly and helpful as the waitress we had on this visit. She came through with flying colors on all of our special requests.
Now, for the most important part, the meal: We started out with a Fiesta Combo for Two. It was enough for four. Maybe two Patriots could have polished it off. Not only was it large, it was delicious.
The French onion and beef barley soups hit the spot, especially when the temperature outside was freezing. Next thing we knew, a couple loaves of bread were on the table with our salads. What's better than fresh bread? That's fresh bread with the Firesides' homemade honey butter. Now I am not a big butter fan, but this was a nice touch.
For dinner we had to try the "house choice" marinated steak tips. Not only were they full of flavor, but were grilled to perfection and topped with sautéed onions, peppers, and mushrooms. We also tried the seafood Newburg pie. Now the menu says it has scallops, lobster, shrimp and crabmeat.
I found the scallops and lobster, but when searching for the crab and shrimp it brought back memories of me at the beach. No luck. But I guess I got the best part anyway, and the sauce was full of flavor.
The surf and turf was very tasty. The steak was cooked just as requested but was a little tough. The baked scallops were fantastic. Last but not least were chicken, broccoli and ziti with an Alfredo sauce. The tasty sauce was a nice consistency and came with toasted garlic bread.
As if we not had enough to eat, we sampled some desserts. You can't go wrong with the fried ice cream or the cheesecake. The mile-high chocolate cake was just OK.
After the meal, we were as stuffed as the parking lot that night. I suggest that if you are going here for dinner, have a small lunch. What a great meal! The Fireside Grille gets a Mystery Diner A-! We hope our next stop will be as nice.
Remember, the Mystery Diner and his crew are out sampling the local dining spots. Who knows where we might be next.
What restaurant serves the best brunch in Boston?
One of my favorite places is Fireside Grille in Middleboro. It's right off the Middleboro rotary. They make their own honey butter which is amazing! They have everything you can think of, like fried chicken, fruit salad, fresh waffles, French toast, cinnamon buns, homefries, etc.
-Diana Swanwick, Randolph
The Fireside Grille
By Gale Forks
One early winter's eve my companion and I decided to treat ourselves to dinner, before plunging into the thick crowd of Christmas shoppers, so we traveled to the Fireside Grille in Middleboro which specializes in American and Mexican cuisine. We beat the dinner rush and were seated as soon as we arrived. Although seating was arranged for near a fireplace in the Kendall room it was agreed that we'd request a cozy alcove in the lounge next time. Imaginative decorations were scattered throughout and soft lighting lent beguiling warmth to the chilly evening.
We were splurging, so we started with a white chocolate raspberry truffle Martini and the Ultimate Margarita. The margarita came with a shot of Grand Marnier on the side, to be mixed before drinking. My companion delighted in the luxury and said it blended nicely with the Tequila. My martini came with a splash of ice cream and a sugared rim, it was simply divine and I thought surely this could double as a dessert. -Why there was even a peppermint stick coated in chocolate for stirring.
As we sipped our decadent drinks we were tempted to skip the mall altogether and spend the night in front of the crackling fire. But alas guilt set in and we declined a second round. Good thing because we were almost full after indulging in salad, accompanied by a hot loaf of bread and homemade honey butter.
The salad was just the way we like it- crisp and fresh. The house dressing was a light balsamic cranapple vinaigrette which was a bit too sweet for my palate, but my companion nibbled with relish. The house Italian was full bodied and flavorful.
The fiesta combo was a spicy combination of nachos covered with Monterey jack and cheddar cheese, bacon, and cheese potato skins and chicken tenders, served with salsa, sour cream and honey mustard.
We settled on the Fireside's famous prime rib and a pasta dish. When dinner arrived the rib was a bit too pink. -No problem for the waitress, she whisked it away and within minutes the rib was back on the table cooked to perfection. We appreciated that the vegetables returned piping hot too. The rib lived up to the restaurant's reputation. It was steeped in aujus, tender and tasty, complimented with a tangy horseradish sauce.
The grilled chicken and broccoli was served over penne pasta and almost too pretty to eat. The broccoli was crisp and bright green topped with a generous helping of Alfredo sauce. The penne was almost al dente, just right for us. The Alfredo was a mild light sauce that didn't overwhelm the vegetables and pasta.
Feeling festive we decided not to finish dinner. We wanted dessert. The waitress agreeably packaged our leftovers for reheating. There was enough meat left on the rib for a tasty steak and cheese sandwich the next day. The rib itself was destined for my terriers; they too shared the scrumptious meal.
Our dessert's consisted of cheesecake and Toll House cookie pie ala mode! I'm sorry to say we gobbled up both, and there weren't any extra to take home. The pie was chocolatey and sweet, right up my companion's alley. I devoured the cheese cake; the rich texture seemed to melt in my mouth.
The meal came to $65, with a $15 tip it still came in at a reasonable cost. The restaurant is easy to reach, just off the Middleboro rotary on Route 44 from Interstate 495. If you miss the sign, drive around again and take Route 18 to Lakeville. The restaurant will be on your right.
Rating (1 to 10, 10 Being Perfect):
Atmosphere 8
Cuisine 8
Service 9 Value 8
Cleanliness 10 TOTAL: 43