The Tavern has multiple dining areas. You enter into the main dining room that
offers an array of four place tables and coordinated chairs that can easily be combined
to accommodate larger groups. The décor
features well placed highway signs for Historic California Rt. 66 and Rt. 122
in Cumberland which is actually Mendon Road.
A nice touch is two wall clocks are set to multiple time zones. A
private function room adjacent to the dining room is available to host
gatherings of up to 80 people. The
cathedral ceiling in the bar area features a multitude of sports media! Player jerseys from the Boston Bruins and other
teams are mounted high on the wall and team banners from the Boston Celtics, Red
Sox and Patriots are draped from the ceiling.
We chose the fourth dining area, a glassed-in lounge. The tables and chairs are identical to those
in the dining room and are a nice compliment to the fireplace and the potted
plants placed effectively on the shelf surrounding the area. A few team pennants for the Red Sox and
Patriots on the wall continue the sports themed décor. A very unique adjustable ceiling mounted sun
shade was in use creating a comfortable lighting level on this sunny June day.
Gray’s was pouring a nice combination of craft and macro
beers as well as ciders today. We chose Loose Cannon IPA from Heavy Seas
Beer out of Baltimore, MD. At 7.25 %
ABV, it is a triple hopped strong beer that does not overpower because of a blended
use of malt in the brewing process.
Golden in color, it possesses a floral and grapefruit aroma and a nice
creamy head. Seasonal Summer Ale
from Boston Beer Company, Boston, MA. is legendary at Sam Adams. The original recipe remained unchanged for
over two decades. It was modified this year adding pureed oranges, limes and lemons for a more rounded
citrus flavor without abandoning the original profile of the beer. At 5.3% ABV it remains an extremely drinkable
hot weather beer. Redbridge Gluten
free Beer is from Anheuser Busch located in St. Louis, MO. Beers qualify as gluten free by using Sorghum
Malt in the brewing process instead of barley based grains. This style is quite popular in South
Africa. Redbridge has a hoppy aroma
reminding you of an IPA, but surprises you with a sweet mouthfeel ending with a
hoppy finish. At 4.00% ABV it qualifies
as a session beer. Give it a try! In addition to beer
and wine, a full service bar is also available at Gray’s.
We enjoyed our beers
with the Tavern’s Buffalo Chicken Dip appetizer, a tasty baked blend of
chicken, cream cheese and hot sauce. It
paired very well with all of our beer selections.
In addition to their
wide selection of starters, the Tavern’s menu offers something for
everyone! Soups and Salads, Sandwiches,
Flat Bread Pizza, Quesadillas, a Vegetarian Menu, Steak, Chicken and Seafood
dishes, Pasta, Kids Meals and desserts.
There is also a late night menu served late hours Friday and Saturday
nights when Gray’s hosts live entertainment.
After considerable
thought, we decided on the Spicy Pastrami Reuben Sandwich served on rye
bread, cole slaw and Russian dressing which is a nice variation to a
traditional corned beef reuben. The Grilled Buffalo Bleu Burger served
on a generous bulky roll that easily contains this healthy sized sandwich. Adding buffalo sauce really amped up the
flavor and showed the creativity of the chef! We added our own level of creativity by
ordering the Classic Gray’s Burger and loading it up with the available
bacon, mushroom and cheese toppings. We chose fries with both burgers that were
crisp and deliciously seasoned. All of
our dishes were prepared perfectly to our orders.
Co-Owner Jay LaScola
stopped by our table to check how we were enjoying our lunch and stayed to chat
for a while. We asked about the origin
of the Tavern’s name. He represents the “J”
in the name; “Gray” comes from his business partner Gary Gray. Jay started in the restaurant business when
he was 15 years old. Before opening the Tavern in 2011, he was the executive
chef at several restaurants. He is proud that Gray’s staff is made up of many
family members (his Mom makes all the desserts!) and that customers are treated
as family as they enjoy Gray’s Traditional American Cuisine.
We couldn’t agree
more!
