By: Joel Faretra – Feb. 2020
I had planned on checking out some Chinese food take out places in Methuen this month, but it seemed you had other plans for me.
The Miller’s Tavern opened up on January 9th, finally taking the place of the old Brickhouse Tavern at 105 Pleasant Valley St.
As soon as it opened, the questions came flying in so why not dedicate this month’s column to the newest restaurant in Methuen.
I made 3 visits over the first couple of weeks. The first visit was with the family for dinner, the second visit was just for drinks with some friends and the third visit was with our new mayor, Neil Perry for an appetizer and a drink.
Food-When I went with the family, we got the Bavarian pretzels and wings. The wings were ok, would have liked them a bit hotter for Buffalo. The pretzels were awesome! Still warm when delivered and the best we have had in a while.
My daughter got the cheese pizza. It was a bit undercooked as it seems it was cooked on 2 pizza pans. My wife got a burger and fries. She asked for it well done, and they made sure it was well done. They charged $2 for cheddar cheese which is a bit much in my book. I got the pulled pork mac and cheese and I was the lucky one out of the group as my meal was delicious. Loaded with jalapenos, plenty of pulled pork and breading on the top! Only was able to finish half but it reheated well for work the next day. They have an unlimited salad bar you can add to your meal that was very popular.
When the mayor and I went, we got the Irish Nachos. Huge plate that we couldn’t finish! They were cooked to perfection and the toppings were great. Highly recommend the nachos or pretzels if you are looking for an appetizer before your meal.
Drinks-There is a really good beer selection with 16 beers on tap with more choices in bottles and cans with many of them being from local breweries. They had a large mixed drink and specialty drink menu as well. We went out with friends for drinks on a Saturday night and it was great seeing the place was packed. We sat on the bar side, which has all the same furniture as Brickhouse had in the bar area. Patio was open but not really being used. Service was a bit slow, but it was busy. The had a sangria flight on the drink menu and the wife really enjoyed it! The flight came with 4 different flavors in 6 oz glasses.
Service- We knew going on the first night that it would be a crapshoot. I would say service improved with each visit. There were a lot of little things that will get ironed out as they get settled in. We didn’t get plates, silverware or napkins with the appetizers the first night and no straws in the sangria drinks or with the waters. The biggest issue was with the drink menu. All libations are listed at $8.95 but would come out charged differently on the bill. The manager was quick to remedy the situation when it was brought to his attention. By the time I went back the third time, the service was really improved with our waitress being very attentive and making sure we had what we needed (maybe I need to go out with the mayor more often).
If you are going out to eat, it is definitely worth a try. I would give an overall rating of 3.5 beards (out of 5) with the ability to re-score in the future after the staff and management iron out the kinks. I will absolutely be back to try out more of their menu. ◊