Home Style Meals?
Written: Jul 24 '00 (Updated Jul 25 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: not the worst
Cons: not the best
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| samadust's Full Review: Boston Market |
Boston Market, although a step above the average feed bag, is essentially a fast food version of a quality rotisserie grill.
I used to have a routine for Sunday nights that included Boston Market. The area that I lived in was not exactly a center of the culinary arts so I would have to settle for this corporate chicken shack. But even though I was settling, it wasn't that bad.
At my old job, I used to work until 6pm on Sunday. When I left work, I would begin the hour and a half train and bus ride home with plans of stopping at Boston Market, getting one side and a Turkey Pot Pie and walking the rest of the way home to watch the Simpsons at 8pm. Each Sunday I would do this having to rush in order to make it on time. Then I would sit in the livingroom and eat while watching t.v. It was a nice relaxing routine and it was great once everything came together.
Sometimes I would get there and the place would be packed to the rim with Sunday chicken eaters. The line would be long and I would be at the end, looking at the glass window at the counter where three Turkey Pot Pies would be sitting, hoping that they would still be there by the time I got to the front of the line. Sometimes the person before me would take the last one and I would either go home empty handed or wait half an hour for them to finish the next batch.
Once, I went and waited on the line and the person before me took the last pot pie. I told the supervisor about my routine and how important the pot pie was to completing the circle. I explained how, once I had my pot pie, the planets would re-align and Pluto would be allowed back into our Solar System. He was sympathetic and told me they would be ready in 10 minutes. I sat out front and waited. One of the employees came out to smoke a cigarette after about 30 minutes and said "Man!! Your still waiting".
I explained to him that I had gone in a few times to see if they were done and they kept telling me they weren't done yet. We ended up having a friendly conversation and he felt bad that I had to wait so long so when they finally were done, he gave it to me free. OK. I had missed the Simpsons, but a free pot pie made the wait seem bearable, plus the tilt of Earths axis had gone back to normal.
The only problem was, every single time I went back after that, he was there and he gave it to me for free. Every time. Of course this could be looked at as a good thing but it only made me feel uncomfortable. He would throw the food in a bag and only charge me for the side item. He was only trying to be friendly and make me like him but what he really was doing was making me feel uneasy. I would come to the counter, prepared to pay for my food and the cash register would flash $1.50 or something like that. First I felt that he would think I owe him because he was constantly giving me free food. Then I just felt uncomfortable for taking free food from a restaurant. I would go there on Sunday, not wanting to break my Sunday tradition, hoping that maybe he would take a day off or something. But sure enough, he would be there, behind the counter scooping up mashed potatoes and gravy.
He would smile and nod some clandestine nod as if we were in cahoots on some big free pot pie scandal. I would come to the front of the line and he would start putting my order together as if it was some sort of covert operation. Then he would run to the register and ring me up quickly before anyone saw what he was doing. I thought...
"Hey! Who said I didn't have enough money to pay for my food?! I never asked you to give me free food! Why are you sweating and acting like you're some sort of spy handing me a top secret package? Just charge me the regular price and lets skip the charade!"
.....But I couldn't say that right there in front of all of those people. Plus, free food is the best kind of food. Ultimately it made me stop going and I had to find another Sunday routine. Throwing rocks at cars on the highway got a little boring after a while though.
1 Star= Sloppier than the sloppiest slop house
2 Stars= Slightly better than the worst
3 Stars= Could be better but I'll give it to 'em
4 Stars= Good job, solid effort
5 Stars= Excellent
The Prices ***
The prices are definitely not the worst but they could be better. The portions are so small compared to a lot of local restaurants you can find in the city. They charge about a dollar more on most dishes than some other places do and the chicken is not very meaty. The average meal will cost about $6-$7 if you don't get anything to drink. This isn't very expensive but in comparison to the price/quality ratio of other places, it is a little over priced.
Atmosphere ***
Most of the Boston Markets are designed with stone grey, red and black. There are booths lining the walls and the counter is set up like that of a cafeteria. You point to the side items you want while some guy in the back mutilates the poor, defenseless carcass of a chicken. They slap the food into a black plastic plate with different sections carved into it and pass it down to the register.
Theres nothing wrong with this, it works effectively but it doesn't create any type of desirable atmosphere. There is a drink station along the wall with a lemonade fountain and sodas. There are usually large windows and hedges outside. Nothing special.
Food ***
The main course at Boston Market is the chicken. They also have meat loaf, sliced turkey, chicken carver sandwiches and pot pies (did I mention those already). Along with each main course you receive side dishes, one or two depending on which deal you choose.
The ever evolving side table includes mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, sweet potatoes, string beans, rice, macaroni and cheese, red potatoes and other "home cooked" types of food. I think that their menu is sort of a testament to the fact that when things are produced on such a large scale they lose some of their character and authenticity. Many other, smaller chicken shacks have the same format, sides and menu but the food is different and personalized because it is made by the hand of the people that run the place. Large food chains like Boston Market forfeit some of their distinctiveness by serving prepackaged and precooked foods. Although it is good it definitely doesn't retain the same flavor and notability that some smaller, more personal chicken shacks do.
They train their employees to be manual labor, wage slaves who are mechanically preparing the food from packages and written instructions. Although the food is good it definitely, in my opinion, doesn't reach its full potential when compared to other local joints.
My favorite dish though is the Pot Pie. It has a flaky crust that is very flavorful with chunks of chicken or turkey submerged in a creamy sauce with vegetables and potatoes. It isn't very filling but it is really good with a side item and a corn bread muffin. They are slightly overpriced but not bad at all.
Service ***
On commercials they always make this sort of place look so friendly, clean, courteous and inviting. But it is fast food so to arrive expecting anything more than the unncertainty of a fast food restaurant is ridiculous. You never know what your going to get. At a five star restaurant where the waiters make a lot of money it will be reflected in the service you receive. In a place like this where the servants are basically working for food and weekend change, you really can't expect any overwhelming amount of enthusiasm.
The Verdict ***
At its core this is just another example of mass produced, corporate controlled food manufacturing. The chicken is good yet fair in comparison to others. The sides are average at best and the entire format of the restaurant itself is nothing more than what is expected. If I lived away from the city where this was one of the only chicken places around I probably would praise Boston Market and give it five stars. But here in New York where there are so many rotisserie grills around, places like this have a habit of being lost in the competition.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
samadust
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Member: Douglas Flowe
Location: USA
Reviews written: 182
Trusted by: 94 members
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