We visited one of the last remaining Boston Market locations in the country

• We got a lot of food for our money, but some menu items were much better than others.
• Overall, I think Boston Market is great for takeout, but the dine-in experience was underwhelming.

On a beautiful early October afternoon, my husband and I drove to Philadelphia to visit one of the last remaining Boston Market locations in the country.

In its heyday, the chain had 1,200 locations and was considered the center of the rotisserie-chicken craze. At one point, it was even owned by McDonald’s.

It exploded in popularity as a popular home-meal replacement with items like slow-roasted rotisserie chicken and sides like cornbread, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. The menu later grew to include turkey, meatloaf, ribs, wings, and chicken nuggets.

Now, it’s down to just a handful of locations in Texas and the Northeastern US. According to the company’s website, the remaining six locations also offer catering.

We were surprised to find that a Boston Market was still open near us.

The company was originally founded in 1985 as Boston Chicken in Newton, Massachusetts. Ten years later, it was renamed Boston Market to reflect its expanded menu offerings.

But over the years, Boston Market started closing many of its stores.

The chain’s decline can potentially be attributed to several factors, including lawsuits, poorly managed locations, the rise of excellent ready-to-eat options at grocery stores (hello, Whole Foods hot bar), and the chain’s ownership being tossed between parent companies and private equity. As of 2020, it’s owned by Engage Brands, LLC.

Business aside, my memories of the chain go back to high school, when it was one of the few restaurants I could walk to during breaks from my driver’s ed classes. However, I remember the hearty side dishes leaving me feeling sleepy for the remainder of the day.

My husband remembers Boston Market as a place his grandma loved and would request after Sunday church (the one day of the week she didn’t cook). He was never a huge fan, though, and said that if he’d been given the option as a kid, he’d have chosen fast food.

When we realized there was still a location open nearby, we decided to see for ourselves whether the once-booming chain was anything like we remembered.

From the outside, it seemed like the restaurant wanted to let customers know it was open.

We arrived at the stand-alone restaurant on busy Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia.

A big “we’re open” flag waved out front, a neon “open” sign glowed in the window, and a “now hiring” banner hung near the entryway. The restaurant seemed eager to let the public know it was still open and taking employment applications.

It had the same familiar, inviting logo and red-and-black facade that I remembered from my driver’s ed days. It looked a little dated, but in a charming way. Nowadays, many restaurants have the same clean, minimalist aesthetic (neutral tones and concrete floors), but Boston Market still feels straight out of the early 2000s.

There was ample parking, and only a few cars in the lot, including one idling out front while someone picked up their to-go order.

The inside looked clean and seasonally decorated, but a little sterile.

When we first walked in, we were the only customers there. What struck me was that the restaurant was completely silent: not even elevator music was playing.

Slowly but surely, though, a steady stream of people started arriving. It was mostly older people there with their families, enjoying a late-afternoon meal, with most customers picking up orders to go.

To the left of the display case, appetizing-looking slices of pie and individually wrapped brownies and cookies were piled up to grab as you paid.

There was plenty of seating in the dining room, but we didn’t feel compelled to linger.

The dining room looked spotless, if a bit sterile, with some low-top tables with two chairs each and a few high-top tables near the windows.

It looked almost exactly as I remembered: simple stock art on the walls, brown linoleum floors, and a feel similar to many other fast-food restaurants I’ve been to.

The restaurant felt a bit more inviting as more families filled it, but since there was no music, it was easy to overhear other people’s conversations. Based on this, we didn’t feel particularly inclined to stick around long.

The menu was a bit overwhelming.

The large menu was on an easy-to-read modern digital display behind the counter. However, I found it overwhelming, and there were far more options than I’d remembered, from rotisserie-style wings and meatloaf to sandwiches and baby-back ribs.

Although Boston Market is known for its “world-famous rotisserie chicken,” I wouldn’t know it from just looking at the menu. Instead of getting a prominent spot in the middle, the chicken options were split between the left and right sides, where it blended in with everything else.

We each ordered our own meals.

When we approached the counter, we were promptly greeted and asked for our order.

Since I’m a vegetarian, I chose three sides: mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes ($12.99). However, my husband tried the rotisserie chicken with sliced potatoes and green beans ($13.99).

We also got a piece of carrot cake ($4.49) for dessert, and our total came to $31.97 before tax.

Some of my side dishes were better than others.

When our food arrived, I was really impressed by the large portions — we could easily stretch our plates into two meals each. Everything also looked fresh, especially the sweet potatoes with marshmallows bubbling on top. I was excited to dig in.

The mashed potatoes were good, but not particularly memorable. I liked the smooth texture and taste, but I’ve had better versions with more of a sour cream and butter flavor.

The sweet potatoes were delicious and full of cinnamon and bits of gooey marshmallow. However, they were a bit too rich for my taste and felt more like a dessert than a side. A bite or two was enough for me.

I was pleasantly surprised that my meal also came with cornbread, which I always look forward to enjoying on Thanksgiving. It was good, but not great. I liked its hint of sweetness, but it was a bit overcooked and mealy, and it crumbled apart when I tried to cut it.

My husband wasn’t a fan of the rotisserie chicken.

As for my husband’s meal, I tried his side dishes. Although the sliced potatoes looked well-seasoned and roasted, I thought they tasted bland and I felt they were a bit hard, like they were undercooked.

The green beans were cooked well, and I loved the crunch, but again, the flavor just wasn’t there. I could taste butter and a bit of salt and pepper, but not much else.

Despite how good the rotisserie chicken looked and smelled when we walked in, my husband said the outside was greasy, and the inside was lacking flavor and dry. He said he’s had better rotisserie chicken from Costco.

The carrot cake really stole the show.

We went with the carrot cake, which was a highlight of our meal. The cream-cheese icing was light and fluffy, and almost had a whipped-cream texture.

The cake itself was moist and full of chunks of crunchy walnuts and pecans, which was an unexpected delight.

The meal was a good value, but I can see why so many Boston Market locations have closed.

Overall, the portion sizes were huge, and at about $32 for two plates of food and a dessert, we had dinner and leftovers the next day. That’s a great value, but I can also see why so many locations have closed.

The atmosphere was nothing to write home about, and in my opinion, it’s not a place that invites you to linger. If you’re looking for a quick, filling dinner, you can get better rotisserie chicken and similar sides at your local grocery store, so why make the extra stop?

I’d recommend picking it up for takeout, though. After all, Thanksgiving-style comfort food is meant to be enjoyed around a crowded table with the people you love or tucked up under a blanket with a good book or classic movie — not in a quiet, sterile dining room.

Business Insider reached out to Boston Market for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider

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