The Ground Round of Needham, MA

The Ground Round was once a powerhouse of a chain back in the 80's with over 300 locations. Over the years the chain nearly collapsed; now there remains less than 50 restaurants in the US. This restaurant is family owned, and beloved throughout Middlesex County. This particular Ground Round is my personal favorite restaurant, due to it's broad selection of menu items, comfortable atmosphere, affordable prices, quick service and GREAT food.

Let's start with the menu items- basically, whatever you're in the mood for, you'll find here. Their appetizers are simple, but delicious. Choose anything from Chinese pot stickers to mozzarella sticks and quesadilas! I always go with a bunch of $0.25 buffalo wings to start off.

As for beverages, if you want to beyond soft drinks, go with the Strawberry Banana smoothie or their fresh brewed iced tea. For the kids, they've got Oreo smoothies and Milk shakes.

Your entreé selection is even larger. Choose from soups, salads, seafood, tex-mex, steaks, burgers, chicken, ribs and sandwiches; with over 50 quality dishes, you will be upset you can only pick one. My personal recommendation, the sizzlin' triple fajitas. They give you a bunch of soft tortillas, a generous portion of shrimp, steak, and chicken, along with guacamole/sour cream, lettuce, salsa and cheese.

The desserts are heavenly. Definitely my favorite part of the menu; they are famous for their cinnamon dippers, with ice cream and chocolate dip on the side. Unlike other Ground Round chains, they also serve up a deep fried cheesecake that I can never resist.

The atmosphere is great. The waiters and waitresses are always well mannered and patient with you. The booths and tables are roomy and flat screen TV's surround you. This is a great place to spend time with your family while watching the Red Sox game in HD.

The prices are very fair; you won't find anything over $15 on the menu and they always have special deals for each day of the week. Whether it's kids eat free, $0.25 wings, or free dessert, there's a reason to eat out 7 days a week. The service in addition to being polite and patient, is very quick. If you are in a hurry, you can easily be in and out in under 40 minutes. But, believe me, you won't want to.

I would give this restaurant a definite 5/5, they have achieved as close to perfection as possible and have earned my patronage for life.