A busy, cozy spot with something for everyone
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Grumpy White's
211 Sea St., Quincy
617-770-2835
grumpywhites.com
Reservations not accepted; call ahead for larger parties
Handicapped accessible
Whenever I go to Grumpy White's in Quincy, I drive home plotting a return visit. Next time, I think, I'll bring my friend who craves barbecue, or my neighbor who likes huge portions at reasonable prices, or my parents who love roomy booths. That's the great thing about Grumpy White's; it has something for everyone.
On a rainy summer afternoon, the restaurant was plenty busy, filled with older folks, teenagers, families, and business people in suits. The dark-stained beadboard walls, red-leather booths, and tin ceiling provided a cozy place to talk, relax, and, of course, eat.
We started our meal with a generous portion of buffalo fingers ($7.50) that were cooked perfectly, slightly crunchy on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. The tangy, authentic sauce had us reaching for our water glasses between each bite and taking full advantage of the wonderfully chunky blue cheese dressing served with it. Buffalo fingers seem to be a specialty of the house; you can also get them on a sub sandwich ($8.50) or in a large garden salad ($10.95)
Another appetizer, though it could have been a meal itself, was Grumpy's clam chowder ($5). The thick, creamy, New England-style chowder was loaded with chopped clams and diced potatoes and was mildly seasoned, letting the flavor of the clams shine.
My kids observed that Grumpy White's has kids' drinks that you don't see every place. They loved their vanilla cola and raspberry cola ($2.75 with $1 refills) and got a big kick out of the IBC Root Beer, served in the bottle ($2.75).
At our server's suggestion, we tried the grill cheese burger ($7) a gooey, perfectly grilled grilled cheese on white bread with a 4-ounce beef patty slipped in between the cheese. Compared with the other offerings it was on the lighter side and reminded me of the delicious cheeseburgers you could get at the lunch counter at F.W. Woolworth's back in the day. The cheeseburger ($8) was perfectly cooked and served with a heaping side of fries that were crisp, not greasy, and served piping hot.
The half rack of ribs ($12) was cooked to perfection, with the pork falling off the bone. While tasty, I found the sauce rather mild and would have preferred both more barbecue sauce and more kick.
The chicken parmigiana ($12) was large, the thinly sliced chicken lightly breaded and not greasy. The red sauce was tangy and tasted of tomatoes. It was served with a generous side of pasta with the same red sauce.
The chicken fingers on the children's menu ($7) were enough for two and our friendly, helpful waitress advised us to let two kids share it - then didn't charge us the $3.50 for sharing entrees that is listed on the menu.
Though we were stuffed, we bravely ordered two desserts. My Big Fat Chocolate Cake ($7) was a multilayered chocolate orgy. It was served with whipped cream, but the consistency of the cake (a little dry) called out for a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which we could have added for $2.50. The apple crisp ($4.95) was warm, crunchy, and sweet, with the perfect balance of apples and crisp. It came with a scoop of vanilla.
There are a lot of reasons to return to Grumpy White's - we look forward to trying the turkey dinner, lobster salad roll, and bourbon steak tips that we were tempted by but didn't get around to on our first two visits. We will look forward to making our way through the menu - but it will be hard, if not impossible, to pass up the clam chowder, buffalo fingers, and grill cheese burger.
MARY DONIUS
