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A night in Framingham and Natick offers a lot of perks: endless shopping opportunities, a multi-screen movie theater… and restaurants galore. However, many of the restaurants are old favorites, with emphasis on old over favorites. Who isn’t a little tired of eating at Chili’s or Legal’s? We are, and so we decided to give a shot to the new chain in town, British Beer Company. Located on Route 9 right in front of Jordan’s Furniture, the Framingham British Beer Company is hard to miss with its bright yellow building and enormous sign. The restaurant boasts ample parking and even free valet, at least on the Saturday night that we visited. Inside, you’re likely to encounter a wait on popular nights. However, BBC does have call-ahead placement that actually works: we called about an hour before arriving and were seated at once.
The fare offered by BBC is more comprehensive and healthier than your typical pub menu, and there really is something for everyone. While the restaurant's beer menu is extensive, this Bostonist (who is not a beer drinker) was impressed that they had two ciders on tap that were not Magners or Woodchuck. While we didn’t catch its name, the raspberry cider we tried was fantastic and well worth the trip. At first glance the menu can be overwhelming. But once you get the hang of it, there are plenty of options for even the pickiest palette. From the appetizer column, we highly recommend the crispy panko encrusted green beans. These golden beauties are really a great way to make something healthy into a truly artery-clogging treat. The beans are crispy on the outside and tender, but not soggy, on the inside; that consistency remained to the last green bean. The beans come with a ranch dipping sauce that will have you scarfing them like fries, but BBC has done a good job of not overloading them with grease, leaving you with room for the main dish.
The standout in the dinner category was the Chicken and Leek Pasty Pie. This simple version of the British meat pie was flaky on the outside with a filling that was neither too chunky nor too shredded. The chicken and leek filling was lightly seasoned and complimented perfectly the texture and salty sweetness of the crust. Though this Bostonist was worried that the Pasty would not be enough food, the surprisingly good cheddar mashed potatoes and fresh veggies really rounded out the meal.
The atmosphere is really upbeat and friendly, and everyone seemed to be having a good time. The restaurant occupies a large space, making it a great place to head with a group of people, particularly considering the variety on the menu. We were able to accommodate happily a vegetarian, a gluten intolerant person, and someone who doesn’t eat red meat.
BBC’s prices are reasonable for the sizeable portions, and its alcohol prices pleasantly surprised this Bostonist. As an added bonus, the spacious bar offers weekly entertainment. This Bostonist will definitely be going back the next time she’s catching a movie in Framingham or Natick.
Their website gives information about all of their locations. Try one soon.
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looks soooooo tastyyyyy
Overall not a bad place to eat. Be prepared for crowds and often a very long wait on Fri/Sat nights. Most of the food on the menu is pretty good and the waiters/waitresses normally do a good job.
Unless The British Beer Company's Framingham beer menu is out of date (which is possible) there is only one cider on tap, Blackthorn Cider. The only raspberry drink they have on draft is Lindeman's Framboise Lambic, which is a beer in the Lambic style. So though you might not be a beer drinker, you happened to have one. Sounds like you enjoyed it too.
Unless The British Beer Company's Framingham beer menu is out of date (which is possible) there is only one cider on tap, Blackthorn Cider. The only raspberry drink they have on draft is Lindeman's Framboise Lambic, which is a beer in the Lambic style. So though you might not be a beer drinker, you happened to have one. Sounds like you enjoyed it too.
oops... multi-post by mistake.
The raspberry cider was very tasty (and yes, it is a second cider on tap).
I was surprised at how much food was on the pasty plate. It's cheaper than most of the other meals, but is just as large. Definitely a tasty and cheap option (not that I'm pushing Cheap Eats here or anything....)