Fare is up to par in Littleton
Chip Shots Grill
and Sports Pub
245 Ayer Road, Littleton
978-772-0072
Hours: Monday to Friday, 11:30 a.m.-midnight; Saturday, noon-midnight; Sunday, noon-10 p.m.
Major credit cards accepted
Dinner reservations accepted
For golfing enthusiasts, this is indeed the 19th hole.
Adjacent to the bar and dining area, there are two golf simulators featuring images of some of the best courses around the world, including Pebble Beach in California and St. Andrews in Scotland.
For non-duffers, this is a pleasant venue offering plentiful servings of good old American fare: chicken, beef, and seafood, all reasonably priced. The top-priced entrée, served on Friday and Saturday nights, is a 14-ounce prime rib special ($21).
Shannon Beauregard and her husband, Daniel, both of Acton, and partner Eric Jacobson of Northborough opened Chip Shots in March 2006. It was formerly a family restaurant without the golfing lure.
Their venture originally was viewed as one that would "revolve solely around golf," Shannon Beauregard said. But, she said, dining was added to the business plan in an effort to attract a diverse customer base: individuals, families, businesspeople.
And so far, the plan is working, she said, adding that golf simulation is an appealing appetizer. On weeknights, some two dozen individuals participate in three golf leagues. Each pays a fee of $28 an hour, compared with $32 an hour for those not in a league, Beauregard said. All golfers are encouraged to bring their own clubs, she said.
We arrived on a busy St. Patrick's Day night, when revelry and March Madness appeared to be top priorities. Large, flat-screen television consoles ringed the small dining area so that everyone could keep an eye on the college basketball action.
Fortunately, we had made a reservation and were escorted promptly to a booth at the appointed hour by an engaging manager. A party mood was already in full swing; as a result, the noise level was higher than we would have liked. But that was to be expected, given the holiday, so we went with the flow.
Because we had seen the very ample entrees served to people around us, we decided to share an appetizer, a spinach-and-artichoke dip ($6). Other popular appetizers, judging from other diners' choices, were buffalo wings and chicken tenders, each priced at $7.
The dip was good and spicy, as advertised, and more than we could eat. "Let's take home about half of the dip," my daughter said. Which turned out to be an excellent suggestion because of what was to follow -- especially the desserts.
We didn't have to spend much time poring over the menu because two entrées were certainties on this special night: a traditional corned beef and cabbage, potatoes, and carrots meal ($11) and a 10-ounce prime rib ($17), served with mashed potatoes and a garden salad. My son-in-law opted for what is always a favorite on chilly evenings: shepherd's pie ($10), featuring ground beef, mashed potatoes, corn, and gravy.
Other entrées ranged from fettuccine alfredo ($11), to baked ziti ($11, or $3 more if chicken or hamburger is added), shrimp scampi ($15) with pasta and diced tomatoes, and chicken picatta ($13), a concoction of chicken tenders, tomatoes, onions, capers, and mushrooms, served on a bed of pasta with a lemon wine sauce .
Because this was such a busy night, with waitresses scurrying around to take care of a full house, we had to wait a bit for our entrées.
The wait, however, was worth it, for the most part. Only the corned beef plate, piled high with beef, cabbage, potatoes, and carrots, was subpar. Although tasty, the beef was tough and the cabbage not thoroughly cooked.
The shepherd's pie and prime rib were cooked to perfection: succulent and tasty, with portions sufficient for two people.
That's why we went easy on the desserts, selecting two Chip Shots' specials to share: apple crisp ($4), topped with whipped cream, and a super-duper brownie sundae ($4), consisting of homemade brownies, two scoops of vanilla ice cream, raspberry sauce, and whipped cream. Need we say that we could eat only half of each selection?
For this particular evening's outing, we marked our scorecard with an 8 out of a possible 10.
DAVIS BUSHNELL 
