Trackside Bars, Hotels, and Restaurants in New England

I checked in to what was Bainbridge's in Chelmsford, which has closed abruptly in 2009...apparently in 2010 the space was taken over by the original owners of The European in the North End, and opened as "Aprile's European Restaurant". I believe it still has views of the tracks.

http://aprileseuropeanrestaurant.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I've been to Aprile's a couple of times now, very good food!

The European was THE place in the North End during my misspent ute.

Hello all. A longtime lurker, 1st post.
Regarding Bernie's Dining Depot in Chicopee, my family & I ate there occasionally when we lived in Chicopee. Good food & reasonable prices. They were known for their prime rib. The conductor's cut was enough to satisfy a hungry lumberjack - huge portion!
Although it's not near an active line, it wasn't too far from the Westover branch. They do have railroad related items on display along with pictures & information about the passenger car and how it was moved. The company that moved the passenger car is the same company that moved the Chester, MA depot from the south side to the north side of the B & A.

Plate C wrote:Haven't looked in here before even though it seems right up my alley. Not endorsing the food of any of these but here are a few more:
...
Brattleboro, VT Whetstone Station On NECR
http://www.whetstonestation.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Allow me to endorse both the food and the beer at Whetstone Station. Ate lunch there on Saturday. The place is sandwiched between the tracks and the river on Bridge Street-- for non-railfans (such as my wife) there's a spectacular view of both the river and Wantastiquet Mountain on the New Hampshire side. There's a rooftop beer garden that likely has prime train-watching views: didn't go up there of course since it was 17 and windy.

So, how's the food? My wife and I take random rides to Keene a few times a year, what's another 30 minutes to Brattleboro for lunch.

b&m 1566 wrote:So, how's the food? My wife and I take random rides to Keene a few times a year, what's another 30 minutes to Brattleboro for lunch.

I thought the burger was top notch, and my wife enjoyed the salad. Fries were good, too. Definitely a thumbs-up.

Hmm. They are now 50/50 with me and some fellow travelers. First time I went to WS the beer was great as was the food, had even ordered something that I rarely if ever order. Last time I went, beer was so-so and the food left a lot to be desired.

The food has been hit or miss for my wife & I too. The menu changes from time to time and they have dropped some dishes my wife really enjoyed. The burgers have been consistently good & that's just fine with me. As far as beer, their guest beer selection always seems to have something good. I'd recommended asking for a sample of their own brew before ordering a pint just to be sure whatever they're brewing suits your taste.
The deck is great during the summer, but the last time we were up there the menu was limited as opposed to downstairs where it was the full menu.
Maybe someday there will be more frequent train service that will allow someone from MA do do a day trip to a VT stop. I have had my wife drop my son & I off at the Northampton station, then drive up there where we have a bite & drive back home. Can't play that card too often though

The beer garden is nice and the beer is good. I was there last October, the heaters were helpful. It was disappointing that instead of having the garden overlook the tracks (mostly) the main view is the river and mountainside.

/Maybe most of the patrons don't share my opinion on that..

While trying to get to White River Junction, I pass through Rutland. I was reviewing this thread and one place was mentioned but would not come up in a google search. So I street viewed the area and found CJ's Suds on the east side of Rt7 sitting along a single track. From street view, it appears to be a track in use as it is shiny. It has a patio but you'll have to stand up to watch a train go by. Latest review is from facebook this February. Anybody aware of this place? https://www.facebook.com/cjssudssouthru ... 8892222289" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A historical note in regards to White River Jct. Sometime in the summer of 1995 I checked out the town. There was a restaurant right next to the track. I remember eating while a tank train was going by. The restaurant thumped along with the train. The name of it was The Polka Dot at the corner of N Main and S main. Right near the station and locomotive display.

Last summer [2016] while visiting family in Saratoga, NY [horse racing event] I drove up to WRJ to check out a tourist trap antique shop. It was the weekend when the thunderstorms came through and knocked out power to much of the area. I was really disappointed that the shops were closed. HUGE collection of signals of all kinds. Anyways, I had planned on eating at The Polka Dot but was saddened that it was out of business. Ended up eating at Big Fatty's BBQ further down Main St. bigfattybbq.com You could possible see some rail service but you'd have to lean over the deck and be lucky.

There is/was a more formal restaurant in the freight house next door to Big Fatty's. The name is Elixir. https://www.opentable.com/elixir?ref=1068" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I don't think there is a patio/deck but hopefully their are windows facing the track.

Hope to be in the area again this summer as a second attempt to get to the antique shop.

SST wrote:While trying to get to White River Junction, I pass through Rutland. I was reviewing this thread and one place was mentioned but would not come up in a google search. So I street viewed the area and found CJ's Suds on the east side of Rt7 sitting along a single track. From street view, it appears to be a track in use as it is shiny. It has a patio but you'll have to stand up to watch a train go by. Latest review is from facebook this February. Anybody aware of this place? https://www.facebook.com/cjssudssouthru ... 8892222289" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

CJ's is a local bar, the "patio" is the smoking porch. Not a place for a relaxing bite and stimulating conversation. It is next to the Bellows Falls Sub, and depending on where you stand on the deck, you can look west down Park St towards the grade crossing where the B+R Sub crosses.

The Phoenix Bar and Grill in Shirley, MA is a decent spot. Beer, good food - all situated right on the Fitchburg in Shirley, MA, both MBTA and PAS action. The have a weekly fish fry which is excellent. Don't know the night, but highly recommended.

http://places.singleplatform.com/the-ph ... ref=google" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ridgefielder wrote: Somewhat related to this thread-- back in 2011 I mentioned the Berkshire Steel Rail Pale Ale at the Little Pub in Branchville (also still going strong, btw). I know nothing about this brewery other than they make good beer and are in Western Mass. However, in going to their website, it sure seems someone there knows his trains-- in addition to Steel Rail, their offerings include Gold Spike Kolsch and Hoosac Tunnel Amber Ale (with a locomotive emerging from the East Portal on the label.)

Berkshire's original brewery and their main offices are on Railroad St in South Deerfield, with the eponymous railroad being the MassDOT/PAS (ex. B&M) Connecticut River Line. As far as I know, the railroad related imagery is strictly a tribute to their original location.