Barbers Crossing Roadhouse

861 North Main Street, Leicester

(508) 892-7575

Bernard Whitmore

Warning: “This article contains graphic examples of nostalgia and may be triggering for individuals who have experienced periods of yearning for restaurants long departed.”

Barbers Crossing took its name from an area in Worcester-North where early Swedish immigrants founded the Norton Company. The original proprietors of Barbers Crossing, the restaurant, acknowledged that industrial heritage and were famous throughout the city for excellent dining at prices blue collar families could afford.

For nearly thirty years, Barbers was one of the city’s favorite restaurants. And then, abruptly, they closed. The site they occupied, near the eagle monument on West Boylston Street, sat empty for decades, a haunting reminder of what was lost and a glimmer of hope they might open again. Fortunately, before closing the Worcester location they exported their hospitality model to satellite locations in Sterling and Leicester.

These were the thoughts that swept over us as we approached Barbers Crossing Roadhouse in Leicester. Lured by stories of their prime rib dinners, we immediately felt welcomed by their unpretentious atmosphere of rough-hewn wood, post-and-beam details and relaxed neighborhood vibe.

This is a rambling place with several rooms radiating off a central bar decorated with a museum-quality collection of beer cans lined up on the walls. We were led to a bright airy room whose walls were paneled with large flat screen TV’s all tuned to the same sport channel. Pairs of screens were placed so close together it reminded me of how an insect’s compound eyes perceive the world.

Christina, our server, brough menus and attentively took our drink order. As I scanned the menu, the astonishingly broad scope of their offerings left me suspicious of how they could manage all those options-within-categories without sacrificing quality. What’s more, beyond their standard menu was another extensive list of Summer Specials from which we eventually selected our meals.

Any doubt or apprehension I harbored was soon cancelled by our Crab Cake appetizer. Two medium-sized cakes, evenly browned with crunchy exteriors, were served over a pool of creamy lobster sauce and topped with a fresh kiwi mango chutney. As I forked open my crabcake the topping of chopped fruit merged into the sauce, further enhancing it.

The real excitement, though, was the crab. These cakes were packed with pure crab meat and no discernable binder material. Long flakes of chunky crab meat forked apart, gorgeous to behold, with honest, delicate, crab flavor. After decades of sampling crab cakes nationwide, we agreed these exceeded all expectations!

Then, barely finished with our appetizer, entrées were served. My friend’s Market Price Prime Rib was the very picture of beefy perfection: a thick slab with a bloody red center and islands of juicy fat and a darkened exterior rubbed with salt and pepper all surrounded by rich juices. He raved about its flavor as he cracked open his steaming baked potato to fork in butter and sour cream.

That was central to the Barber’s formula – great steak and potatoes. Another of their specialties was seafood. Especially twin lobster, so delicious and such a great deal we’d happily wait in line for a table.

In honor of that tradition, I ordered their Lobster Roll special. A buttery-toasted hotdog bun was crammed with tender chunks of lobster lightly coated with mayonnaise shielded from the bread with crisp iceberg lettuce leaves. Before picking it up I lightened the lobster load by forking out chunks of sweet claw meat. It came with a dill pickle and a dish of creamy coleslaw. The menu stated five ounces of lobster meat; perhaps that was true, but I would have guessed significantly more.

For dessert we chose their White Chocolate Crème Brûlée. A generous-sized portion came in a deep custard bowl topped with a thick layer of burnt sugar we had to crack open with the back of our spoons. The muted flavor of the mildest white chocolate was easier to comprehend as silky custard cream, so delicious it vanished in a blur of spoonfuls.

So, yes, we were big fans of the original Barbers Crossing. All that’s left there now is a concrete slab and as they proceed to demolish the nearby factory buildings of the original Norton Company it’s comforting to know that Barbers in Leicester has built their own tradition of high-quality American cuisine with the same friendly atmosphere.

The best discovery of the night was that the present-day Barbers Crossing exceeds all those fond memories of the past.