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Baked Meatloaf Dinner

Baked Meatloaf Dinner from Wexford House on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Baked Meatloaf Dinner from Wexford House on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

I drive by the Wexford House twice daily but have never been inside – nor have I known anyone who has been.  I was intrigued by this pick by a fellow Foodie and looked forward to the adventure.  When I walked in, the decor was what I expected – in need of some updating but clean and appealing to the target audience (which is slightly older than my usual crowd).  The waitress promptly brought me the pumpkin beer that I ordered (quite a steal at $3.50, I believe) and I looked over the menu. American comfort food and Middle Eastern favorites were the two main categories and I leaned more towards the former on this night.  Someone at the table mentioned meatloaf and I decided to go well outside of my usual ordering preferences and try the Baked Meatloaf Dinner.  The waitress gave it a strong recommendation when she told us her grandfather ordered it when he came into the restaurant.  When my plate came, I was not surprised to see a very generous portion as it just seemed like that kind of place.  I chose mashed potatoes and the mixed vegetables as my sides.  The meatloaf and potatoes were covered in a brown gravy which tasted jarred but it helped to add flavor to the meal.  The meatloaf was a bit dry and I would have preferred more moisture and less dependence on the gravy.  The mashed potatoes were obviously not from a box – chunky and delicious – while the vegetables (a mix of summer squash, zucchini and carrots) were probably the highlight of my meal as they were well seasoned and cooked to a perfect tender-crisp.

I did take home my leftovers and was happy to enjoy them for lunch the next day but this is probably not a meal I would order again. Several of the other dishes at the table looked tempting, especially the appetizer sampler platter with hummus and feta amongst other goodies. I would certainly come back for this dish and the very reasonably priced beers.

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Lamb Kabob

Lamb Kabob from Wexford House on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Lamb Kabob from Wexford House on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Wexford House has been a long standing Worcester dining establishment, yet I had never ventured in to try its varied menu. After stepping inside the restaurant I was greeted by a casual style bar/keno style environment. The restaurant, although tidy and well kept, seemed dated. The crowd was certainly skewed towards the older demographic.

After reviewing the mixed menu of American and Middle Eastern fare I decided to gravitate towards the Middle Eastern side of the menu. For starters, I chose the stuffed cabbage. Similar to stuffed grape leaves the stuffed cabbage appetizer was a large plate of meat and rice filled cabbage leaves. They were topped with a tomato based sauce and were perfectly cooked and seasoned.

As a main course, I ordered the lamb kabob and opted for a baked potato and beets with onions as my sides instead of rice (pictured above shows the rice and squash option as sides). The lamb kabob was a large kabob with marinated chunks of lamb and mixed vegetables. The kabob was well prepared and had a good taste to it, but was cooked a little more than the medium I had asked for. The potato and beets were a nice change from the usual rice that accompanies kabobs.

Overall, the atmosphere at Wexford House seems to be slightly in conflict with its varied menu. The menu seems to offer more than the dining atmosphere at Wexford House as the food variety and quality make it worth another trip to sample other parts of the menu. The Middle Eastern side of the menu definitely has good quality dishes worth trying.