The other night on a whim, we decided to try Jamaica Plain’s newest eatery, Grass Fed, a burger bar. The folks who own Ten Tables and TT Bar a few doors away finally opened Grass Fed after months of planning, renovations, and waiting. As someone who doesn’t eat red meat, you might think it’s odd that I suggested the burger bar. My friends perhaps thought so as well. But, I knew from reviews and comments that they have options for everyone. They even strive to have their non-meat burgers be so good that the meat eaters will want to order them too (as mentioned in the Boston Magazine review.
It was less than an hour before closing on their first Friday night when we arrived. All the seats were taken (except for the high chairs) and there was a line to order. It seemed very promising. I was excited to try the chickpea burger, but unfortunately, they were out. A salad wasn’t going to cut it, so I thought I’d try the chicken burger, with a few modifications to the toppings. My order: chicken burger with lettuce, tomato, and sauteed mushrooms and a side of beet fries. Husband’s order: The Cali burger – grass-fed beef patty, avocado, onion, cheese and aioli. Our Canadian friend ordered poutine with mushrooms.
The verdict? Canadian liked the poutine, although felt it was very non-traditional. Husband loved his burger, ranking it in top 10 burgers of all-time list. I liked my burger and will definitely go back (especially to try the chickpea patty). I felt there is some room for improvement though – my burger came cut in half, which puzzled me. I prefer to eat my sandwiches whole, so this was a drawback for me. I expected a more gourmet lettuce and was faced with iceburg lettuce. I know this is a standard topping, and perhaps I misread the menu, but for some reason I thought it would be mesclun, Romaine or Leaf Lettuce. The beet fries were perhaps my favorite part. They were wonderfully beet-y, a generous thickness, crisp and perfectly cooked. They were a nice alternative to regular or sweet potato fries.
Other thoughts on the experience: The service was great, everyone was friendly and helpful and the food came out fairly quickly (especially given the crowds). They clearly spent a lot of time and thought on the decor and branding, the space is nice to be in, and the little touches like homemade condiments, letterpressed coasters and generous glass pitchers of water were not overlooked and all added to the experience. I wonder if they could add a few more tables or small standing tables in the middle? Their seems to be the space and the crowds to support this. One last thought, make sure you take care of any bathroom needs before coming here, as they do not have a customer bathroom.
Overall, this was a great experience and I’m excited to see another casual and late night eatery in our neighborhood.