Ballast Kitchen & Bar
They say good things take time.
And when your family’s been in the restaurant business for generations, it’s more than just work- it’s life.
“It’s definitely in my blood for sure. My family started with a little neighborhood market. So I kind of grew up as a bar and grocery store kid, And grew up around the business. I really enjoy what I do and really being here for so many generations now is something that's special.”
And you’re in for something truly special at Ballast.
Set on the corner of Willard and Robertson just minutes off of 93 in Quincy, Ballast Kitchen and Bar is a casual spot owner Greg McDonald and his family created to compliment their many other eateries on the block.
“Quincy is our turf. We grew up here and we are a little bit of a local institution. This building is a group of different restaurants. Our pub is Darcy's Pub. And then in back, we have our Cafe at the Common Market. We have a fast casual food hall too. Ballast is our newest restaurant. It's a nod to our location, which is right in the backyard of the first railroad in the country. We named it Ballast because ballast is the foundation under the railroad.”
The building has been in the family for generations, combining old structural elements with modern touches.
“We tried to keep some of the old things that were here, like the beams and the opening to the second floor, but we also spent a lot of time and effort and thought and to really try to make it a little more upscale and modern.”
And the menu is the perfect combination of classic and creative.
“The menu is more of a gastropub type menu, where it's got everything that is a little more upscale, like a steak frites but you can also be pretty casual and have short rib tacos and a harvest green bowl.”
Choosing an appetizer at Ballast is almost impossible with so many tempting options. There’s the Sheet Pan Nachos- loaded up with all of the good stuff and tasty tacos stuffed with slow cooked short rib.
“They're shredded, they have a great cheese on them and a sweet sauce, and we have a crunchy slaw with it, and Fresnos and a little scallions. It's got a great combination of sweet and tangy. They’re a fan favorite here.”
And there ain’t no thing quite like Ballast’s chicken wings; slathered in a Bourbon Brown Sugar Sauce.
“They're jumbo size wings. We fry them, so they're crispy and then we toss them in a sweet molasses sauce. We wanted to do a little twist, something a little different. So we like that kind of sweet in that bourbony flavor as a dressing.”
Handhelds at Ballast include the Chicken Avocado; served on fluffy ciabatta with North Country Bacon, a creamy avocado spread, lots of cheese and a Fresno lime aioli. And then there’s the Ballast Burger- which immediately became a customer favorite.
“So people come through the door asking to have a Ballast Burger. We use a combination blend of skirt steak..short rib and Chuck. We cook it in an old style steakhouse broiler. We top it with an aged cheddar and with North Country bacon on a super soft brioche roll. So it just melts right in your mouth when you take a bite.”
Entrees at Ballast run the gamut with seafood options like the Chili Glazed Salmon served with stir-fried veggies and sticky rice cakes. And the Chowder House Scrod- laid over a creamy corn chowder.
“It's breaded in a combination of parmesan, herbs, light breading and paprika. It's broiled, and then it's served over a corn chowder on steroids. Some people just kind of put it all together. Some people, I noticed, they kind of eat the chowder separate, and then they pick away at the fish. It's up to you.”
There’s the prime skirt steak, topped with blue cheese butter and served with house shoe string fries…and the ultra comforting braised short ribs.
“The short rib is one of those great comfort food dishes. It's a great portion of short rib. We serve it over mashed with crispy onion strings on top, nice little gravy on it. It's super tender. So it just kind of falls apart right as you use your fork. A lot of people don't even use a knife.”
And for another one of Greg’s favorites, you’ve got to order the Split Roasted Chicken.
“We use a Giannone chicken. We take a green herb marinade under the skin, we slow roast the chicken, and then we finish it to get crispy on the outside. We serve it over mashed with haricot verts in a nice little pan gravy. It looks amazing on the plate, and people come in asking for.”
And once those people clean their plates, dessert is an absolute must, with options like their indulgent Flourless Chocolate Cake and the sweet and satisfying housemade bread pudding.
“It has big chunks of bread. It's got a caramel custard base, caramel topping with French vanilla ice cream. It seems to be more popular to be shared and we've also seen people just attack it by themselves.”
If you’re around on a Sunday, hit up Ballast’s brunch where you’ll find Crunchy French Toast; a sweet explosion of flavor topped with Vermont maple syrup, house made corned beef hash served alongside 2 perfectly executed eggs and the ultra indulgent “Potato Bake”.
“The potato bake is a lot. It's got gruyere cheese, Virginia baked ham. I’d suggest getting an egg on top. So when you crack into it, that kind of runs all over the potato bake. It's super delicious
And whether it’s Sunday brunch or any ol’ day of the week, Greg and his family will make you FEEL like family at Ballast.
