Bernie Whitmore

Burtons Grill & Bar of Shrewsbury
193 Boston Turnpike, Shrewsbury
(508) 925-7774
burtonsgrill.com/location/shrewsbury

As part of the development project that arose from the demise of Spag’s, there’s been plenty of buzz regarding Burtons, most of it in the form of favorable comparisons to area steakhouses. Steeped in all that, I’d come to expect them to be an upper-middle ranged steakhouse.

When I finally met a friend for dinner at Burtons, what I soon discovered was a diverse menu containing plenty of non-beef surprises served in a casual setting. Actually, I suspect Burtons would be capable of morphing into whatever your occasion requires: informal meetings with friends, special celebrations, post-business meetings, or jacket and tie dinners.

The dining room is split into sections supportive of that diversity, and the menu sections range from ‘Sandwiches’ containing burgers and tacos; through a wide choice of ‘Entrees’ firmly entrenched in the tradition of American Cuisine, to ‘From the Grill’ steaks and seafood. Plus, there are gluten-free options and specialized Vegetarian and Paleo menus. Nobody need walk away hungry.

Kat was our server for the evening and was in her first week of Burtons employment. She was poised and professional – assuredly ready with solid recommendations. I started with a glass of Smuttynose Robust Porter which was a bit paler than I expected, but that was okay since its diminished power enabled it to play a supportive role in my food selections – never overwhelming.

Scanning the appetizer list, we arrived at the same choice: General Tso’s Cauliflower. Visual reaction: huge portion! This mound of sticky-coated florets was dusted with black and white sesame seeds and chopped green onions and served with a flared cup of ginger aioli for dipping.

On first sampling, it was clearly a winner. The cauliflower was still firm, dredged in rice flour and fried deep golden brown, and then coated in a Thai chili sauce containing plenty of tiny flecks of red pepper. My feelings toward General Tso’s takeout has never been enthusiastic. Now, I understand why: it’s supposed to be made with cauliflower, not chicken!

Perhaps I’d pre-programmed myself for beef that evening, because when it came entrée decision time, I opted away from my first choice of Crab Cakes and chose, instead, Short Ribs. Burtons’ chef plated up two large cubes of tender rib meat bathed in a rich wine sauce and topped with a gremolata of chopped herbs featuring fresh horseradish for a flash of flavor contrast. The plate also featured what must have been a full head of broccoli florets sautéed deep emerald green to an ideal level of perfection.

Burtons’ short ribs required no knife; it was a breeze to pry away strips of meat using just the ends of my fork. The braising process had concentrated their beefy flavors, intensifying them with glistening fat that keep the meat moist and tender. Quite often, short ribs present as something more akin to ‘molten meat’; at Burtons they’d long since separated from the bones but maintained their structure. They came with a mound of mashed red bliss potatoes; buttery, and judging from their surface sheen, a swirling or two of sour cream.

My friend chose Burtons’ dry rubbed New York Strip Steak served with broccoli and requested a substitute for the baked potato: green beans. I took favorable interest in how the kitchen had aligned the beans with military discipline.

His tasting notes, laced with superlatives: “Thick, juicy, a perfect char on the outside, medium rare inside, great flavor enhanced by the bone marrow butter grilled right into it. String beans? Perfect: nice flavor, crunchy and buttery.”

Though I’ve sworn off most carbo-confections, I maintain an exception for chocolate. That gave me the wiggle room to order a portion of Burtons’ Chocolate Cake. Thank goodness for that! They serve it as an upright tower of dark chocolate layers separated by dense fudginess. The entire fortress of cake was drenched in chocolatey fudge sauce that pooled up on the plate and merged with a scarlet swirling of raspberry purée. Yeah, I totally savored it and took home half of the large portion for more choco-pleasure the next day.

I enjoyed Burtons. Despite the suburban strip mall setting, once you’re in there they have all you need for an enjoyable night out.