I suppose I should come clean: My well of good will toward the Oak Barrel Tavern runs deep, filled entirely by fondness for Tweeds, the restaurant operating from that location for decades. My friends and I had become so accustomed to the old Tweeds that, forgiving its plentiful rough edges, it had become our go-to place for relaxed pub fare.

So it was with curiosity and optimism that we waited whilst new owners overhauled the Grove Street location. Shortly after the opening, I dined at the Oak Barrel Tavern with a group of friends. My order was unadventurous, perhaps a burger, and I left satisfied. Strangely though, what stood out was the option of plain or sweet potato tots.

However, the real excitement of that excursion was in exploring the total rebuild of the interior – an entirely new layout, bar and surprisingly sophisticated design that leans heavily upon wood trim, plush furniture and sleek surfaces. It’s the antithesis of Tweeds.

Fast-forward a couple months. Enough time should have passed to reasonably expect any opening jitters and snafus to have been smoothed over as routine operations took hold. That meant a more discerning visit was due, so I met a friend on a weeknight for dinner at the OBT.

Passing through the new entry area, furnished with accent pieces a cooper may have had a hand in crafting, we were immediately greeted and shown to a table in back, away from the lounge area. This location would prove ideal; like a wall of sound, the loud bustle of the bar clientele was always present and in view, but at this remove, it didn’t intrude on conversation.

I started with a glass of Goose Island IPA served in appropriate glassware. Then, we plunged into our appetizer selection. Finding one was wasn’t as easy as it usually is. OBT has many of the standard wings, tenders and nacho selections. Sugar Cane Shrimp sounded interesting. Then, our server stopped by and, mentioning the additional daily specials, grabbed us a list from an adjacent table.

My friend mentioned the Steak and Cheese Spring Rolls with some enthusiasm. And so it came to be. The spring rolls arrived served in a plastic basket lined with black-and-white checked waxed paper; five (adult) finger-length rolls diagonally cut into halves.

This impressive stack was nestled against a small steel cup of ketchup for dipping. The exterior of the rolls was crispy and pleasingly brittle, enclosing paper-thin sliced beef rolled in gooey cheese. We took some pleasure in dining upon them. But really, the appearance and flavor of these spring rolls was that of freezer-to-fryer products, akin to what you may have seen on a television commercial marketed as fast and hearty snacks for hoards of hungry teens. But it was the ketchup as a dipping sauce that most disappointed us.

The OBT’s entrées consist of selections of sandwiches, burgers and “main dishes.” As I contemplated the “mains,” I admit to balking at the idea of $18 fish and chips. (Is Worcester ready for that?) Yet, I wasn’t in the mood for meat. As if sensing my dilemma, our server returned and mentioned that there were entrée specials that evening. One of them, she tentatively reported, was Mahi. Interested, I asked for more details. After consultation with another employee, our server confirmed that it came grilled and topped with mango salsa. I placed my order. In contrast to that uncertainty, my friend encountered full-bore enthusiasm for his choice, the OBT Meatloaf. Our server gushed, “I don’t even like meatloaf, but I love this one! If you don’t like it, I’ll pay for it!”

And she was absolutely spot-on.

This boatload of meatloaf came in four thick slices, each grilled then glazed with Sriracha Bourbon sauce – sweet and spicy – and arrayed over a mound of mashed potatoes and topped with a few golden onion rings. Crunchy, fresh sautéed green beans dazzled with deep contrasting color and texture to a dish perfectly designed for the cooler months approaching.

Big portion. Big flavor. Good value.

The Mahi Mahi special enjoyed classic treatment: a cross-hatching of grill-lines and thin topping of mango-red onion salsa. The fish was portioned per Weight Watchers specs; a bit smaller than my iPhone 5S (in Badger case) and thick enough to survive grilling without drying out.

The star of this dish, in my opinion, was the delightful vegetable medley of summer squash and broccoli florets. They were perfectly sautéed with buttery freshness. In the other corner of the dish, a drift of rice scattered with parsley confetti was dry and uninteresting.

In total, our impressions of Oak Barrel Tavern were mixed. When you look for it via Google, it’s described as a “Woodsy gastropub with American tavern eats.” The kind of place I love. To truly get there will require a bit more cuisine creativity and dissemination of full menu details to all servers. There’s considerable new activity in Worcester dining – time’s a-wasting.

Oak Barrel Tavern • 229 Grove Street, Worcester, MA • (508) 755-8047 • oakbarreltavernworcester.com