Burtons Grill: Bring on the Rangoons

If a restaurant is packed on a mid-week night, chances are that they are doing something well. On my recent visit to Burtons Grill in North Andover, we had a thirty minute wait at about 6:15pm. This was my first visit to this location and I was surprised at how busy it was on a Wednesday evening.

It is a casual place with a large bar area, an open kitchen and moderate sized dining room. There is a glass enclosed wine cellar just to the left of the entrance. It is the type of place for an after-work drink or to hang out with a group of friends. It is also a place for a casual lunch or dinner.

They have a full bar, with plenty of special cocktails including some seasonal ones. I had a delicious Blood Orange Margarita, which was not overly sweet. They did not skimp on the tequila though it was also not overly alcoholic. A nicely balanced and tasty drink.

Rather than select an entree, I chose to order a few appetizers and make my own three-course meal. This allowed me the chance to try a few different things off their menu.

The Buffalo Chicken Rangoons ($8.95) were amazing! They consist of grilled chicken, blue cheese and buffalo sauce in a wonton wrapper, fried and served with a ranch dipping sauce. The wontons were large, nicely crispy, and filled with plenty of spicy chicken and tangy cheese. They were about twice the size of the usual-sized wonton you might see. For the price, you also received a good number of these wontons and I highly recommend this dish.

The Risotto Fritters ($8.95) were also very good, mild italian sausage & imported provolone cheese surrounded by panko crusted risotto and deep fried, served with a zesty tomato sauce. The panko made for a light, crispy coating and the interior was creamy and tangy. The Pan Seared Scallops ($13.95) over fresh creamed corn with applewood smoked bacon, red peppers and a touch of jalapeno were also delicious. The very tender scallops were seared perfectly. The creamy corn mix was also tasty, with a nice blend of flavors. I was not disappointed with any of the appetizers.

For dessert, one of their seasonal specials, was Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches ($6.95), vanilla bean ice cream stuffed between gingerbread sandwiches and served with a pumpkin spice caramel sauce. A decadent and scrumptious dessert with a nicely spiced gingerbread. Some gingerbread can go overboard with the spices, but this one was well balanced, moist and delicious. The caramel sauce added some nice flavors to the sandwich and it went over very well with my dining companions.

Service was very good, despite the restaurant being very busy. Overall, I was very pleased with my meal, a nice variety of tasty foods. I will return soon to check out more of their menu, as well as their Sunday brunch. I recommend that you visit there too.

Please remember that there are five locations of Burtons Grill, including in Boston, Hingham, South Windsor (CT) and Virginia Beach (VA). Plus, they currently have a new Small Plates Special.

Burtons Grill
145 Turnpike Street
North Andover, MA
Phone: 978-688-5600