An old standby doesn't disappoint
Village Inn
544 Broadway Road (Route 113), Dracut
978-459-4114
Hours: Daily, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Major credit cards accepted
Handicap-accessible
Three function halls available, with capacity to accommodate up to 125 people
Dinner theater also offered. Current show: The Odd Couple. Tickets: $35 per person, price includes entertainment, dinner and dessert.
Loyal patrons of the Village Inn in Dracut are touting its charms, from the restaurant's friendly service to its fresh seafood and signature, slow-cooked prime rib -- arguably the best to be had north of Boston.
We stopped by on a Thursday evening to see if the restaurant lived up to the hype. I hadn't been to the Village Inn in years and was curious to find out whether the new owner had made improvements -- the restaurant changed hands last year.
After just a few minutes, we were seated at a booth in the main dining room. We were impressed by the décor. The tan walls are glazed, giving them an Old World charm that works well with the dark wood tables and comfy booths.
We took our time looking over the menu, which sports a range of grilled favorites -- steak, ribs, and chicken -- as well as several classic Italian dishes and a selection of seafood. The restaurant also offers a number of kids' meals from $4 to $7, including a classic burger and fries combo, linguine, and chicken fingers.
The casual atmosphere -- built in 1880, the inn was originally a farmhouse -- and variety of children's dishes make the Village Inn a good choice for families. Several couples with young children were seated nearby.
We started with two appetizers: scallops wrapped in bacon ($10) and a spinach artichoke and crab dip that was served with nachos and bread ($9). Both were very good, but the scallops earned raves. They were delectable, fresh, and firm. The bacon was tender, not crisp, and added a pleasant, salty zing to the plump scallops.
After we had devoured our appetizers, a few of us moved on to fresh-tossed salads (in lieu of soup, for $1.49). One of my dining companions ordered a garden salad, which offered the usual mix of greens, topped with cucumber slices, tomatoes, onions, and a smattering of shredded carrots and cheddar cheese.
Two of us chose Caesar salads, which were a bit short on croutons but boasted crisp Romaine lettuce tossed in the restaurant's own dressing and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. The creamy dressing made up for the missing croutons. My only regret was that our waitress didn't offer to garnish our salads with fresh black pepper.
We all chose entrees in the $13 to $17 range, which we thought was reasonable given the mammoth portions and bevy of sides that came with each dish -- coleslaw, choice of potato, and soup.
As the resident critic, I felt it my duty to order our dining group's most expensive entree, the baby back ribs. At $17, I thought they were a little pricey -- they were more expensive, even, than the inn's signature 16-ounce roasted prime rib au jus -- but they turned out to be well worth it. The baby back ribs were finger-licking good, drowned in a tangy sauce and grilled until the tender meat fell off the bone.
One of my companions, who usually goes for the prime rib, decided to try something different and went with the sirloin tips ($13). He was not disappointed. Cooked to order, the tips had been marinated in a blend of house seasonings and then grilled. The entree included a pound of meat, more than enough to satisfy his appetite and have enough left over for lunch the next day.
According to owner Chris Maraganis, the sirloin tips are the inn's second-best entree in sales, trailing only the prime rib, which is lightly seasoned and slow-cooked for 12 hours. Maraganis bought the Village Inn last year; in recent months, the restaurant has earned a reputation among locals for being a first-rate steakhouse.
The folks in my party who ordered the ribs and tips were more satisfied than those who chose seafood. One of my dining companions opted for the baked Atlantic haddock and scallops ($14); another chose the haddock stuffed with blue crab ($15). Both were impressed with the quality of the seafood and said their meals were up to par, but nothing extraordinary. (Maraganis later noted in a telephone interview that all of the seafood served at the Village Inn is delivered daily from Boston's docks).
For dessert, we decided to share a slice of carrot cake. Like the haddock, it was satisfying, but not exceptional. We regretted not choosing the restaurant's signature dessert, French silk pie. (Unfortunately, chocolate gives me heartburn, and I had to steer clear.) According to my dining companions, who often drop by the Village Inn for dinner, the gourmet classic is a chocolate lover's dream.
BRENDA J. BUOTE 
