The Establishment
I want to show an establishment with a unique atmosphere. An establishment with craveable food, good drinks, and just an overall fun vibe. And it’s named The Establishment.
The Establishment is located in North Chelmsford, and this place is impressive right from your first impression. It’s located inside of a beautiful old mill building that was built over a hundred years ago. The restaurant has over 200 seats, with lofty ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, exposed brick and wooden beams. Plus there’s a big bar and tons of TV’s, so it’s always packed with regulars. And the Establishment has been so popular, they recently added a second location in Medford as well. According to General Manager Leah Kennedy, it’s a big restaurant with an even bigger selection of tasty, made from scratch comfort food.
“Our large menu really sets us apart from other restaurants, because when you bring a big group of family or friends here, there will be something on the menu for everybody. So no matter if you have a picky eater or someone who really wants to try something that's different and out there, we have a little something for everybody. And our extensive alcohol menu too. We have lots of beer on tap. We have different specialty cocktails. So truly, there is something for everybody, and it's a very welcoming atmosphere that anyone can find someplace that they like.”
Let’s start with the appetizers at The Establishment, including one of my personal food obsessions: the Fried Ravioli. Crispy and seasoned on the outside, nice and fluffy inside, dipped into some marinara sauce, these toasted ravs are hitting all the right notes. The number one selling starter is the signature Bacon and Cheddar Potato Barrels with creamy housemade Boom Boom sauce.
“So the tater barrels, imagine a tater tot that has grown 10 sizes… bacon bits and cheddar cheese stuffed inside of them. It's warm and you have that regular crunchy of a tater tot, but the inside is very cheesy and bacony, so you get that savory feeling, and then the boom, boom sauce adds that little spice to it.”
Pizzas are very popular at The Establishment as well. These are thin, hand-stretched, New York style pizzas, but the crust can hold up to a lot of toppings, even on The Meat Lovers which has sausage, pepperoni, hamburger, and bacon… and yet somehow, there’s still very little flop. When it comes to the entrees, there are several New England comfort food classics. Including a traditional baked haddock, very light and flaky with the buttered bread crumbs on top, along with French fries, cole slaw, a little lemon to squeeze over the top. Or you could go for the Establishment Steak Tips. They’re big and meaty and tender, marinated all the way through, and they definitely have a big cult following. And it comes with a couple of sides, so you’re definitely not walking away hungry, that’s for sure. And then there’s the perfectly executed Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese.
“So the buffalo mac and cheese, it's grilled chicken with buffalo sauce in there, and then our pasta with our legendary cheese sauce in there. So it's very warm and cheesy. It’s comfort food, for sure. So if you're having a bad day, you just want a big bowl of mac and cheese. This is definitely what I would gravitate towards.”
On the sandwich side of things, check out the Pulled Pork sliders. You get three to an order, the pulled pork is tender, sweet, and smoky. They throw a little cole slaw on there as well. And it goes great with their puffy, golden onion rings. They make a nice Chicken Parmesan sub as well. Solid ratio of chicken to breading, sauce to cheese. All in a fresh roll, so it’s exactly what you’re looking for. And if you want to go the burger route, I would highly recommend the signature Cheese Curd Burger.
“It's our… famous burger patty you can cook to order. And then we have cheese curds, which are basically fried mozzarella sticks, mini version that are on top of the burger with cheese. And then we have a chipotle aioli… And it is a large, very large cheeseburger. It is mind blowingly good. And if you're a fan of cheese curds by itself, and you haven't tried one of our burgers, I would definitely say to try that. It will blow your mind.”
Dessert is mind-blowing here as well. Especially the Chocolate Molten Cake. I mean, how would you resist a warm dark chocolate cake, with a hot fudge center flowing like lava, served with ice cream and whipped cream. And it’s just another reason why The Establishment, is our kind of establishment.
“People should come to the Establishment restaurant, because it is the place to be. That's what we call ourselves. That is our catch phrase, and it lives up to that. We have something that you can drink, something you can eat, something to watch on TV, games to play, things to talk about and catch up with your family. This is just the absolute perfect place to be.”
