VisitingNewEngland.com /Barrett's Alehouse West Bridgewater small business partnership - Local Small Business Stories
Barrett's Alehouse, a Special Destination Restaurant in West
Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Barrett's Alehouse in West Bridgewater. Photo source: Barrett's Alehouse.
Article by Eric Hurwitz. Article updated on 10/28/2017
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Upon first sight, Barrett's Alehouse in West Bridgewater,
Mass., appears to be the ideal place for wings, a burger, beer and
watching the game on one of the many televisions within comfortable, upbeat surroundings.
That first impression stands correct as Barrett's comes through with
all these offerings, and does a mighty fine job doing so. But to
end the conversation there would make about as much sense as, say, that
Chevy Chase movie scene in Vacation
when he admired the Grand Canyon in Colorado for about five seconds
before quickly moving on.
Like any special destination, Barrett's Alehouse deserves an extended stay and repeated visits to
appreciate its significant appeal as the 23,000 sq. ft. facility comes
across like a box set collection of greatest restaurant attributes.
Barrett's not only features a restaurant and three bars, but also an arcade, as well as four beautiful private function areas that accommodate both small and
large parties
including baptisms, birthdays, confirmations, corporate events, holiday
parties, anniversaries, graduations, baby showers, weddings and
receptions. The family-friendly arcade -- one of the
best in eastern
Massachusetts -- is exceptionally clean, bright and features more than
50 arcade games from retro games like skee-ball and air hockey to
modern
selections.
Game room and bar area at Barrett's Alehouse. Photo source: Barrett's Alehouse.
Air hockey at Barrett's Alehouse game room. Photo source: Barrett's Alehouse.
Painstakingly renovated
after the Charlie Horse restaurant closed in 2016, the lively
dining and bar areas feature a crisp, attractive, open space look with
high top tables, booths, sofas by a cozy fireplace, a
seasonal patio area and sports pictures on the wall. The high ceilings
and 530 seats make this large restaurant seem even bigger, but it
never overwhelms or dilutes the warm, relaxing comfortable dining
experience.
Fireplace and sofa chairs at Barrett's Alehouse. Photo source: Barrett's Alehouse.
The attention to detail in this spectacular restaurant seems to
virtually saturate every inch of space -- including the 33 tower draft
beer system where medallions light up instead of using tap handles.
About 90 percent of the beers are from Massachusetts.
Modern beer system at Barrett's Alehouse. Photo source: Barrett's Alehouse.
The staff is kind and attentive, and owner Mike Barrett has
remained humble throughout all his success. With 50 years of restaurant
experience, the managing partner Dave Barry is a dedicated restaurant
industry pro who left the Boston nightlife scene as a firm believer in
Barrett's Alehouse and its concept of pleasing all walks of life. With
additional locations in Bridgewater, Fall River, and North Attleboro, as well as the Fireside Grille in
Middleboro and Castaways
at Olde Scotland Links in Bridgewater, it is the West Bridgewater
location that has quickly become the "home base," and a completely
different experience than the Charlie Horse, according to Barry.
Main bar at Barrett's Alehouse. Photo source: Barrett's Alehouse.
"The only thing similar to The Charlie Horse is we have four walls that
stand up the restaurant," said Barry. "We are a big restaurant, but we
take on the passion of a small restaurant. Seventy five to 80 percent of our
food is from scratch."
Barrett's certainly meets the proverbial checklist of what it takes to
be a great lunch and dinner time restaurant -- and then some -- but the most critical
accomplishment comes down to the food. What could have become another
oversized, chain-like restaurant with mediocre offerings and those
unbearable ads where food gets tumbled and splashed in slow motion,
Barrett's, fortunately, took a much different, thoughtful food route.
For starters -- and this is sgnificant -- Barrett's has an experienced executive chef in Brian
Bulzachelli who is dedicated to putting tasty twists on familiar foods,
as well as showcasing seasonal specialties. Brian
grew up on Long Island, N.Y., in a close-knit family and his first
kitchen was
a 100 percent scratch Italian kitchen creating fresh pastas, butchered
meats, and fresh fish daily. This specific discipline stayed with
Brian his whole career including an education at The School Of
Culinary Arts in Lancaster, Penn. After
graduating with honors, Bulzachelli went on to work at several renowned
restaurants in southern New England. He has served an executive chef
at Siena at Federal Hill in Providence, R.I., Skipjacks in Foxborough,
Mass., McCormick and Schmick's at Faneuil Hall Boston and Providence,
and most recently as the culinary director for the Wellesley Restaurant
Group in Boston.
A shining example of a classic comfort foods variation is the burger: a
10 oz. chuck/short rib blend that goes far beyond the basic burger
taste. Substantial, mouthwatering and ultimately addictive, the burger
also tastes great accompanied with a Caesar salad.
Burger with a short rib/chuck blend and Caesar salad in the background. Photo: Eric Hurwitz.
Menus abound -- a food menu, cocktail and wine menu, beer menu, lounge
menu, patio cocktail menu and patio beer and wine menu -- so there's
definitely something for everyone. Steak tips, nachos, chili, pizza,
fish and chips, chicken pot pie and chicken broccoli share menu space
with selections like the Buddha Bowls: Spicy
Shrimp, Korean BBQ Steak and Chicken Noodle Stir Fry. The "Back Alley
Tacos" range from the familiar (fish, buffalo chicken) to creative
variations like the blackened tuna with yellow fin tuna, white rice,
pineapple pico de gallo and ginger soy sauce. For a hearty, slightly
different kind of salad, the lemon herb Mediterranean Salad is
a good choice with romaine, mesclun mix, lemon herb chicken,
cucumbers, grape tomatoes, onion, Kalamata olives, feta cheese and lemon
vinaigrette dressing.
Barrett's in West Bridgewater also offers entertainment, including
acoustic sessions on Sundays from 4-7 p.m. and country music with
DJ Mike Janedy on Thursday nights starting at 9 p.m. Barrett's also has
prioritized community involvement, most recently on Oct. 18th, when
Barrett's chefs went head to head in a local Battle of the Burgers
competition -- the winning burger was created by Chef Chris Benoit from
Barrett's Alehouse in North Attleboro.
The winning UpBeat Burger is a cross between a steak and cheese
sandwich and an all-American burger, and is now available at all
Barrett’s locations until December 13th. A portion of all proceeds will
benefit the Joe Andruzzi Foundation, a non-profit organization aiding
New England-based cancer patients.
"We are a huge supporter of the
local community," said Barry. "The schools, town hall, football,
baseball teams. That is a big priority for us."
Barrett's
ultimately offers food quality way beyond its restaurant genre and with
good value for the money. They also have, and can make any menu item
gluten-free. Additionally, they offer a "Kids Eat Free" all-day
promotion with the order of an adult meal at $14, or more.
"We are also are a family-friendly restaurant, and you see lots of
families coming here for the food, the game room, just for a family
night out," said Barry. "We cater to everyone."
It is nothing short of
amazing that Barrett's Alehouse has become a dining staple in West
Bridgewater in virtually no time flat. Those outside the metro Brockton
area, however, should consider stopping
by this dining out gem as it is conveniently located just off Route 24,
making it an ideal stop for those traveling to and from New England
vacation destinations like Cape Cod and Newport, R.I. Additionally,
Boston residents should also give Barrett's strong consideration being
only 30 miles away, and with free parking! This writer lives
40 minutes from Barrett's and would not hesitate to make it a "go-to"
restaurant. It's that good.
"I have been in the business over 20 years and worked in the
Boston restaurant nightlife scene," said Barry. "I am so happy to be
here. Mike Barrett has been in the business for over 50 years. He is
the face of the operation and is extremely talented. It is a great
place to work and people are really loving the West Bridgewater
restaurant for so many reasons."
Barrett's Alehouse is located at 674 West Center Street. West
Bridgewater, MA. Tel. 508-510-4204. Web site: www.barrettsalehouse/westbridgewater.
Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/BarrettsAlehouseWestBridgewater/
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Explore Massachusetts travel! Read
the Massachusetts
Town Greens book -- Discover New England's first travel
attractions:
town commons. Includes a chapter on nearby East Bridgewater!
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