Last night I met one of my college girlfriends for an early dinner at John Brewer's Tavern. The restaurant is just a ten minute drive from my office, located on route 20, right on the border of Waltham and Watertown.
John Brewer's is a casual place with two sides - "the tavern" which is the bar side, and the dining room. Throughout both spaces the decor is classic, Americana kitsch. There are American flags of all varieties and other colonial artifacts adorning the walls.
Once we were seated we noticed the paper placemats on the table had old maps of the city of Waltham. It was actually pretty neat, as the placemats give facts about historical buildings and homes in the city.
We ordered two diet cokes which came in glass mason jars (which I love! Such a cute touch). We also ordered the spinach and artichoke dip to start. While the chips were a bit bland tasting, the dip was incredible. It was cream cheese based and packed with an even ratio of spinach and artichokes. I could have just eaten the dip with a spoon it was so good!
For dinner I ordered the veggie burger which came in an unusual presentation. The veggie patty (which was delicious) was served between two pieces of toasted multigrain bread with lettuce, tomato, sauteed onions, American cheese and ranch salad dressing. Its as close to a club sandwich as you can get as a vegetarian. I absolutely loved it! I also ordered a side of sweet potato fries which were thinly cut and had great flavor.
My dinner date ordered the chicken pesto panini and a side house salad. The salad came topped with all kinds of veggies and croutons and the sandwich was hot off the panini press and bursting with pesto flavor.
We were entirely too stuffed to even look at coffee or dessert.
If you're looking for a casual, inexpensive place to grab a great meal, John Brewer's is definitely the spot. Its no fuss and guaranteed to satisfy. John Brewer's also has a second location in Malden, MA.
