Restaurant Review - 25 On The Common (The Grafton Inn)

25 On The Common

The Grafton Inn

25 Grafton Common
Grafton, Massachusetts 01519-1521

(508) 839-5931

Years ago I made a wrong turn on Rt 495 and ended up living in Florida. It took me a year to find my way back to Massachusetts, and some great friends insisted I live in their Grafton home until settled. They lived a short walk from the Grafton Inn where some great traditional burgers could be found.

Fast forward, and the Grafton Inn has new owners (John and Laurie Pardee have owned the building since 2000, leasing it in 2007, and reassuming operations in 2009 when the operator failed due to the economy).  Westborough diners will remember the Pardees from the Crooked Putter (now Mulligans.)

Dropping in on Father’s Day with my kids, there was something nice about the Pardees being away for the weekend and their son acting as manager and bartender.

The Grafton Inn is a real operating Inn, with seven rooms, in continuous operation since 1805. Our waitress shared rumors of one of the rooms being haunted, although we’ve never seen any evidence of a haunting over several visits.

We entered the Inn from the parking lot, walking the length of the building to a host/hostess station. We had our pick of three areas. The bar (including bar seating and table seating) is a cozy space…a great place to catch a game or meet friends. The dining room, an uninspiring space we find a little austere. Or the outdoor patio. Having just hiked Purgatory Chasm as a family, we opted for the outdoor patio.

We were quickly seated and had beverages in our hands promptly.

The menu gave a wide variety of options, all traditional fare and variations on pub food.

We went with the special stuffed mushroom appetizer, and the following entrees:

• Fajita – chicken fajita, served with shredded cheese, peppers, onions diced tomatoes and sour cream with warm tortilla. Other than being surprised the entrée wasn’t served sizzling, this got good marks.
• Popcorn Shrimp and Fried Clams – all very tasty, although the fries serving as a bed were soggy.
• Teriyaki beef – a nice presentation didn’t obscure the overly fatty beef selection.
• Portabella Burger – grilled portabella mushroom (actually, two) served on a toasted bun with red pepper, spinach and feta cheese – a perfect summer burger.

The Grafton Inn may give the external appearance of being a stuffy place, and the restaurant is a quite comfortable affair. The restaurant excels at pub food…and the bar/patio are some of our favorite places to visit.

Hours                          

Tuesday            11:30am to 9pm

Wednesday       11:30am to 9pm

Thursday           11:30am to 9pm

Friday               11:30am to 10pm

Saturday           11:30am to 10pm

Sunday              Noon to 8pm

Monday             Closed

25 On The Common gets a GREEN LIGHT…go and enjoy.

About the RAG scale:

       Green Light – Go and enjoy

       Amber Light – Use caution

       Red Light – Save your time and money

The Author

Gary Kelley has lived in Westborough since 1994. His reviews are what he would tell friends, and are not an academic analysis. You can follow him @glkelley or www.garylkelley.com