Nice atmosphere, awful food and drinks. Fried calamari were overly battered with little to no texture. The calamari tasted certainly like it was previously frozen. If you get the baked haddock like I did, make sure to ask your server for lots of salt and pepper! Bland with overcooked and sooty asparagus. Mojito was tasteless and watered down. Overpriced for such poor quality. Glad I gave it a try, not coming back. Edit: I did not inform the server because I administered insulin for the meal. Type One Diabetes can be quite dangerous not eating after taking insulin. Also, during this pandemic, I wanted to remain grateful that I was able to go out and dine and not make a big fuss about it. read more

I drive by this restaurant daily to work and I keep on forgetting to stop by. Came here on a Sunday evening around 6 for dinner. It wasn't that busy, so we decided to have dinner outside on their patio. The decor was nice and the patio idea was perfect for the weather. When we sat down, our waiter didn't come until about 10 mins later. Mind you, it wasn't busy at all. There was only 4 other tables. After introducing himself and talking to us, he left and disappeared for another 10 mins. As we were waiting for our waiter to come back with our water, we noticed a gentlemen in a blue blazer (must be the manager?) walking to each table (4 tables minus us) and having a conversation with them. He never came by to our table the first time. We thought he was busy and had to go. When our waiter came back to grab our order, the gentlemen in the blue blazer, came back out and stopped by those other 4 tables and once again skipped us. At this time, it started to get busier. There was a family that had arrived and was sitting right next to us, once again, the gentlemen in the blue came out and went straight to them and had a convo. He was so loud that we can his conversations saying he is from Reading and stuff. Again, he skipped us. I had the turkey club. It was really good, especially with the cranberry jam in it. The food was good but the service was horrible. After our food had arrived, the waiter was never seen again until we had finished our meal. I don't know if I will return to this place due to bad service. read more

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Very well take care of establishment. Rich in history, family, and heritage. The food is delicious, the restaurant is beautiful, and the cocktail selection is not only extremely tasty but also made with high quality spirits! This place is a gem. We love coming here - it's very cozy and delicious! read more

Ordered take out on the phone and host asked if we wanted French fries with the Reuben and brisket sandwich. (They both come with fries). When we picked up the order and brought it home, neither came with fries. I called and host apologized saying she took the order but that we weren't charged for them. Remember - they came as part of the meal. I didn't want argue with her but they we were charged. Lesson learned- if ordering take out from Horseshoe Grill be sure to take the time to thoroughly review your order. I won't be back. read more

Great BBQ. If BBQ isn't your thing, there are plenty of other menu items to choose from. Friendly staff. Seating available outside, inside or at the bar. Television in the bar are for sporting events. read more

I've heard of small portions but this place has really disappointed me. I got the lobster mac and cheese for $17 and the presentation was horrific and there was little to nothing in there for lobster. Never will I go to Horseshoe in North Reading. read more

Horseshoe Grille - Disgrace for $17 lobster mac & cheese - Barbeque Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

Thank you Pat for your response and I am hopeful you will put some of my suggestions into action. I want to make it clear that no one ever came over to ask us how our meal was. I would have thought that you as the owner would have asked us since you did ask my husband if he wanted another beer but it was busy. If anyone had asked me how our meal was at any point I would have said something. You also could clearly see that I didn't eat them. I understand being busy and working hard and did not feel the need to add more commotions. I was already upset at the way the hostess had handled our seating and was honestly just trying to have a nice meal. I didn't feel like complaining at that point would have helped at all. I didn't want to eat something different and we just wanted to finish and leave. Thank you for addressing my review and I sincerely hope you can make some positive changes. read more

Horseshoe Grille - Barbeque Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

usually come here for work related events. food is overpriced for what it is and vegetarian options are extremely limited. the butternut squash flatbread is super super greasy while butternut squash noodles are decent but pretty boring. (are u sensing a theme with the butternut squash??) the cornbread is an interesting switch from your typical table side bread. i usually get the grapefruit and rose spritzer as a drink. the variety of drinks is good for large groups and the ambience in the private area is nice. service is good. good for large groups otherwise skip read more

Great atmosphere and Bar-B-Que. comfortable place for quiet meal or group seating after golf.

Having moved to Wilmington a few years ago we have been looking for "our spot" and tried out the Horseshoe Grille after reading some of the good reviews. Unfortunately for us this was just not a hit. Our food was meh (pulled chicken, ribs) and felt more like something you could get at an Applebee's than anything special. I'd say you can't go wrong eating here but it won't be anything to write home about. read more

Went for a casual dinner with a friend on a Friday. Alicia was INCREDIBLE!! She's hilarious, knowledgeable, and made us feel so welcome. She recommended the fall sangria which had apple cider and brandy in it - delicious! I got the panko breaded chicken which came with mashed potatoes and asparagus, which was also great. The lunch portion was still giant and a good price! My friend got the beer salad with steak tips, and the presentation was great. All over? The ambiance was friendly and comfortable without being too casual, and the products are high quality. I will definitely be back here soon, and I am dying to try some of their fun cocktails. 100% chance I will request Alicia as my server next time! read more

Ordered flat bread for takeout. It was hard and tasteless. Burnt and flavorless. Not recommended. We have eaten here often and have always been very satisfied with our meals. I know things are difficult right now, but the flatbreads weren't even worth eating. We ordered the Mediterranean flatbread read more

Had a great experience here last week. Martinis were excellent and the bartender Keith? I think was his name was on his game. Couple good apps and in and out. St Louis ribs are recommended!!!!!!!!!! read more

I had lunch with a friend today and the food was excellent. The BBQ plater was out of this world! I also had the Cobb salad as well which was yummy. We sat outside I'm their expanded patio area which was great. The manager also came over and was very pleasant. I highly recommend this place if your looking for good food and ambiance. read more

Best ribs in town, so they say. Corn bread is tasty too. Great restaurant with new area for outside dining or drinks. Beautiful bar area and fireplace. Great hometown feel. Great owners that do a lot for the town, which goes a long way. read more

Devyn was the best waitress I've ever had! Great service, and was so nice. Definitely will come back again! Thanks Devyn:) !

Outstanding restaurant..great service,great food. Pat lee the owner is a great guy who gives alot to the community. I've been going there for years and always have a great experience. read more

Been here a few times. Not bad. A bit pricey for what it is, (teens & twenties) but the food has always been good. Parking & dinning room always seems to be near full, but have always been able to find a spot & a seat. Food always seems fresh. Seems popular with the family crowd. Overall, not the type of place I would make a regular stop, but once in a while not bad. read more

We are NYC residents who found ourselves unexpectedly in the area due to a death in the family. We were here on NYE. The most notable part of our experience was the service. Amy was super friendly and genuine. She was excellent. Also, because it was our first time, we received a visit from the manager at the end of our meal with a small coupon for our next visit. That was a nice touch. Two big thumbs up for the French Onion soup, served with a few onion rings on top. It was delicious, if a little less beef brothy than what I'm used to. Entrées were OK. I had the baked stuffed Shrimp special which at $28 was overpriced. They should tell you the cost of specials if there's not a menu. The shrimp and also the turkey tips were a bit dried out and the shrimp stuffing a little bland. The sides were average. I would love it if the side of beets came with a little goat cheese. Our ice cream cake dessert was delicious and highly recommended! The portion is enormous. Overall, a solid experience in the suburbs and I'm sure we'd return. With two soups, two entrees, two drinks a piece, one dessert to share and tip, our bill was $115. Not horrible for a non chain restaurant on New Years... read more

Solid. If you're reading this, you're probably from the New England area, so you should be able to picture what the inside of a 99's looks like. Horseshoe Grill is a bit like that, but a little more upscale. Like a few other reviews have mentioned, the centerpiece is the fireplace in the middle of the dining area. The food itself is centered around the grille's BBQ offerings. Boasting of award-winning flavor, Horseshoe is pretty solid, but falls short of expectations a bit. The BBQ pulled pork is pretty good, and I'd certainly recommend the hot barbecue sauce, but it's not quite as award-winning as I'd hoped. Smokey and a bit sweet, it was a smaller portion than I'd expect, and the pork itself was just okay. On a side note though, the lunch sandwiches are reasonably priced at about $8 a piece, and the cole slaw is a better-than-average side dish. I'll probably be back for lunch again soon, and I think the brisket's next up on my list of BBQ-to-do. read more

I went here with my family and had the salmon with black rice and it tasted as if I was in heaven it was so good the salmon was crusted on the outside and moist on the inside and at first the black rice looks unappealing but when you taste it it's so amazing! And very fast service and very family friendly! Amazing job! read more

Horseshoe is a good local place that feels much more homey than the chain restaurant alternatives or other limited options in the area. It is definitely frequented by local residents and has a family owned feel to it. We are regulars who frequent this restaurant 2-3 times a month. I like the decor (particularly the fireplace during the cold winters. I am not a fan of barbecue (their specialty) but my husband regularly gets their pulled pork and raves about. He also loves their gringo chili with warm tortilla chips. I usually get a burger (one of the best around). I have also tried some of their entrees- chicken cordon bleu and grilled salmon. They were good with fresh vegetables and homemade mashed potatoes. My absolute favorite is their clam chowder which I can only seem to get on Friday nights (wish it was a regular menu item). We always love their cornbread and honey butter. If you can make it to dessert, they always have a great selection of dessert options. I have tried their unique brownie sundae on multiple occasions and loved it (don't try and eat it all by yourself). Definite comfort food! The service seems to have been recently cut back with servers responsible for holding down more tables. This can make your interactions with their waitstaff (which has always been hit or miss) infrequent and rushed. Overall, I still recommend Horseshoe as a local comfort food option. Their entrees can be a bit pricey but you will never walk out without feeling stuffed! read more

I visited the Horseshoe yesterday with some friends. My overall experience was good. The food was yummy. I do have to report being astonished to see on the menu an item called "Gringo Chili". While I understand they're saying this chili is mild, it does not preclude the fact that the word gringo is offensive. I think a renaming is in order. read more

My diet consists of a mostly Paleo smattering now. Meat, veggies, eggs, nuts. No dairy, no grain. Yes, cry for me if you must, but I guarantee my colon loves me more than yours. Just saying. Anywho, there's one day of the week that I long for, dream about, crave. Ah, yes, CHEAT DAY. Cheat Day is every Saturday. It's where I eat a good breakfast (eggs with veggies or meat) then I get to have whatever my little heart desires the rest of the day. For me this means I stuff my face with as much cheese and bread as I can stand. What's the most delectable thing that includes cheese and bread? Cheeseburger, EXXXXXXACTLY! I sprang for the Grill Burger on my cheat day. Eight ounces of juicy, meaty goodness with melted cheddar cheese and a heaping plate of fries. I enjoyed every single bite. The burger was a bit on the pricy side ($11), but delicious all the same. When you sit down you're brought fresh cornbread with butter (which is obviously yummy) and the ambiance of the place is nice. One thing I will point out is that you think a classy joint would have nice toilet paper, yeah? Well, you'd be wrong. The toilet paper here is just as thin as any McDonald's I've been to. In a nice place, have nice TP. Because of the TP, three stars. read more

I don't know what it is, but this place is ALWAYS empty. Like we're one of 4 parties in there empty. The place is HUGE. The food is actually really good and the service is usually spot on. The one downfall is there are ALWAYS dirty tables everywhere. Watching the guys/gals and take a trip with one glass and a fork at a time is painful. I don't like eating around dirty tables...even if all of the rest of them are empty. The lack of people in here does make me wonder though. We're somewhat new to the area and it makes me think that people know something we don't, which is unfortunate. read more

Loved this place! The people were friendly, the service was good, and the food was delicious! They make everything, including their salad dressings, in house. We found this place because we were looking for a restaurant at the midway point between us in Wakefield and our friends in Methuen. They let us sit for a leisurely dinner, gabbing over good food, good beer, and excellent corn bread with apple butter. The kicker that put it over the top was that the manager came over at the end of the meal and welcomed us to the restaurant because we told the waitress it was our first visit. He brought both couples a goody bag of cornbread, apple butter and their home-made BBQ sauce, along with a letter from the owner and a coupon for $5 off our next visit. Yes, please! We will definitely be back! read more

Having grown up in the area MANY years ago, I remember the Horseshoe as the "Horseshoe Lounge"...the scary looking dive bar we'd ride our bikes by on the way to the bowling alley to play Tron in their arcade (alas, the bowling alley is now gone). At some point after I moved away, it transformed into it's current incarnation...the "Horseshoe Grill". Wow, what a difference a few years can make! The Horseshoe is a great place for a good, comfort food meal. Their panko chicken and mashed potatoes is my favorite, although if you eat red meat, they have quite a few barbeque choices that look and smell delicious. Also good is the fact that they have a sizeable bar area with tall bar tables, where you can sit, enjoy a good burger and a beer...a great option if you're hungry and it's later at night than most other places are still serving food. These days, whenever I'm visiting Andover, I always find myself at "the Shoe" at least once, and enjoy it every time. read more

This is a tough one for me to critique cause I have a love/hate relationship with this place. This restaurant was rebuilt recently, the previous place was a DIVE...disgusting, smokey dive...so this new design/concept is really working for them... Cozy cabin feel. Family friendly. Quaint place for locals, nice bar area... Service in the restaurant has always been great for us BUT my biggest gripe with this place is their takeout/pickup service. We end up taking out from this place twice a year or so and they ALWAYS fuck it up. And if you have read my other reviews you may have read that my husband has an allergy and we have to be particular when we order for him..but the funny thing is at this place it's not so much that they screw up the request for the allergen as it is simple substitutions. i.e. mashed potatoes rather than fries I really love their chili, totally recommend it...both types (spicy and non). It's always tasty, seasoned real well, cheesy and scalliony goodness in a bowl... and served with tortillas, the way I love to eat chili! So this is the reason we basically go back for..and their buffalo chicken wraps. Those are really great too. But their takeout blows. My husband and I guestimated that our orders are incorrect 90% of the time. Granted we do call to tell them they screwed it up and they are always apologetic and the manager gives us instructions for our next order to be comped... which is nice and all but we have two big complaints about them..1- when we started going there a chix wrap was 6 and now they are 9..not a big deal for some, but 3 bucks in a year and a half is to me... 2-the incompetence with the takeout, worried that it may not be something simple getting screwed up...what if they totally ignore my husband's allergen? I recommend checking this place out because they have some items on the menu that are tasty like their buffalo chix wrap, chili and steak tip salad. But will it be your go to place for bar food? Maybe.. maybe not. good luck! read more

Sunday afternoon, we were shopping nearby when the inevitable question comes up "Where do we eat?". ~ Piccadilly Pub was right there - which has a loyal following, but I've never been impressed. ~ Pull out the ol' super-phone and use the Yelp App to see what's nearby... ~ This place! Sounds good - good reviews. Click on the "Directions to there" and off we go. ~ Nice looking place! New building. We liked the sign out front to which I was told "Looks like our kinda place". A good sign - literally! ~ It wasn't crowded but it was an off-hour. Like 3:00. Lunch? Dinner? Whatever you call it, it was GOOD. ~ Really liked the interior - the soft brown/yellow/red colors used throughout are really nice. A subtlely decorated place. This ain't no Chili's with garage-sale crap on the walls! ~ Waiter was wicked nice and talked to us for a bit. I learned this place has always been here, in some form or another, for, well, a LONG TIME. ~ We ordered, he brought us cornbread and honey-butter which was AWESOME! I loved that cornbread! Any place that actually puts thought into their bread, means they got it going on!!! ~ Here's the rundown: Chili: WICKED GOOD. Little slider plate: Very good - really liked that meatloaf one. The pulled pork one was my favorite - extremely good. Cheeseburger one was really good too! Brisket: Tasted great but a bit dry for my taste. Really that's the only negative. The ribs were VERY good. Their sauce is awesome and every order should come with a bowl of it so you can dip whatever in it while you eat!!! Rice pilaf- WICKED good. Quinoa salad - NICE CHOICE as you never see Quinoa on a menu anywhere around here - a cool salad that is a good summer choice. ~ After we were stuffed to the gills, the MANAGER came to talk to us! Asked how we found the place, etc. I talked to him for a bit. I am a big food / restuarant fan and love the study of it - menu items - history of places, etc. It was great talking to him and that really pushed it up a star for me. He gave us cornbread to take home (read my mind) and some of that honey-butter and some of their bbq sauce too! Also a letter from the owners - actually hand-signed letter saying thanks for coming, etc. AND A $5 coupon for our next visit, which we will DEFINITELY be using because we just found our new favorite local restaurant!!! ~ Nice place - nice waiters and hostess - nicely decorated - BIG menu - we liked EVERYTHING we tried - attentive staff and really just a gem. Glad we found it! You'll love it too!!!!! read more

Horseshoe Grille - Their chili - VERY GOOD!!! - Barbeque Near Me - North Reading, Massachusetts

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One word- overpriced. Average place, but waaay too much for the quality of the food. read more

Overpriced for below average bbq. Severely disappointed in the food quality. The ribs seemed to be pre packaged and bland at best. Definitely won't be back..... What a shame, used to be a great restaurant. Pat, I was there on Sunday. Quite honestly, the ribs were tasteless. No smokey flavor at all, and for $61 for 2 portion of ribs and an order for buffalo chicken wings, well I'm out. Thanks for the follow up. read more

Met a friend here for dinner and thought it was a nice casual place. Seemed more family oriented versus a place to bring a date. The restaurant was clean and everyone seemed very friendly. My friend and I were talking for quite a long time before we decided to order and our server didn't mind even though I knew we should have ordered sooner. I know my friend ordered one of the fish dishes and ate it all. I ordered the mac n cheese with the brisket which I thought was really good. The cheesy taste was just right and the mix in of the flavored brisket, good match. I only gave the 3 stars for this place because to be honest it was just mac n cheese and that's all I had to go on. If I could put 3 1/2 stars I would though. Never take my word though and give it a try yourself. read more

Horseshoe Grille is apparently a happening spot on Fri/Sat nights in North Reading. I tend to gravitate towards establishments closer to Boston, but when I discovered that this restaurant offered a gluten-free menu, I had to drag a few girlfriends here (and a fellow gf eater) to indulge in some comfort food. We made reservations, so we were promptly seated in the full dining room next to the fireplace, which was a great homey touch given the freezing weather. However, it was so unbelievably hot that we were glad it was shut off after a few minutes. I'm not sure what to make of the decor. I think it is a "Horses of the World" theme. Whatev, it's BBQ. My gf dining companion and I decided to split a bunch of options on the gluten-free menu, including the Cobb salad and a 1/2 rack of ribs with sides of quinoa salad and mashed potatoes. Overall, everything hit the spot, but I felt like the ribs were missing something....don't ribs usually have BBQ sauce? I don't know, either way, they were delicious and messy enough without sauce. Our other dining companions both got the pulled pork sandwich which, if my memory serves me correctly, were met with thumbs-up reviews. After dinner, we poked our heads in the bar area, but it didn't seem worth the extra dinero to grab a drink....plus some of my party wanted to get some DQ. Sadly, that was closed, but I'd definitely be back to Horseshoe Grille. read more

This place exceeded our expectations for a local neighborhood restaurant. They had a great gluten free menu with lots of options and their regular menu had a bunch of items that looked really good. The bar area was nice with huge tv's and there was a good drink selection as well. The waitress was friendly, but definitely got a little confused when taking an order for 4 people. I always feel so much better when waitresses write down orders onto a notepad. I don't even care if you are just writing about how much you hate your life, but just the simple act of writing something makes me feel better about my chances of you getting our orders correct. Once we straightened out the food situation all of the food ended up being quite good. I went with the meatloaf and it was very flavorful, but just as heavy as you imagined it would be based on the description. read more

Hard to believe this is the same Horseshoe Grille of days gone by. If you are of a certain age and grew up in the area you remember the Horseshoe as the drive bar extraordinaire. Wow, what a change. Go early on the weekends because the place is packed and with good reason. The food is an eclectic mix of options generally but not solely centered around barbecue. Steak tips with rice and asparagus were fabulous; perfectly done tips, moist rice and asparagus with a slight crunch. Appetizers are excellent although not overly generous. Everyone in our party of seven cleaned the plates so I suspect I was not the only happy camper. These guys pour a mean drink here. Martinis: perfect A+++. Desserts are incredible with one enough for a table of 7. The real gem here is the lost art of service. No snarling waitresses here. Staff are super efficient, friendly and knowledgeable. Hate to see a good drive bar disappear but if it has to be this is an awesome replacement. read more

My boss got the rueben and since he gets a rueben at every restaurant I am with him I asked him to rate it. He said it was great and he would order it again. I order the corn beef club special. I thought she said chicken club. It was good regardless. The coleslaw was on point as well. Give this place a try read more

After the remodeling, the food slipped a bit, but seems to be back. The space is very nicely done and the staff is always friendly. A tad over priced for what it is, but I keep going back. It is as good as a local BBQ place will get. read more

We have been to the Horseshoe Grille a few times now, and feel that is enough times to give a fair review. The decor is very nice inside with a fireplace right in the middle of the dining room. There are plenty of cozy booths, and tables around the fireplace. Bar is nice, too. That said... The first time we went, I got the Clam Chowder which was very good. Then I had the Southfork Steak, which was also very good, except I really didn't care for the Southfork sauce it comes with, and wished I had asked for any sauce to be on the side. The hubby got the Crusted Rib Eye which he liked. The second time we went I got the Haddock, which was just OK, not very exciting. My husband got the St Louis Ribs which he said were extremely over done by the sun and dried out!!! We thought we'd try it one more time, thinking maybe the second time was just a fluke. The third time I got the Sliced Sirloin. What I was imagining, and what I got were two different things. I ended up getting London Broil. All I can say is if I had known it was in fact London Broil, I would have never ordered it. The texture of the meat reminded me of pot roast only much fattier...bottom of the barrel! Yuk! Needless to say, I didn't eat very much of it. The hubby got a Lamb Shank which was a special. The Lamb Shank was so dried out it was horrible. So much for the third time. The service was fine, the décor fine, but the most important thing...the food was far from fine. read more

Amy at the bar was super friendly and engaging!! She told me about the rewards system ! We love that took 10% off our bill! Food was delicious and came out in a timely manner!!! Wished the outside patio was open but I guess it's only open in the evening? Thank you Amy !! read more

The Horseshoe is my favorite BBQ. I have been eating here for years and always leave feeling that I had great food at a great price with awesome service (Donna is a legend). Besides the awesome food, they always have at least one style if Harpoon available. Will he returning soon! Keep up the great work. Please don't ever change the nachos. read more