The Smoke Shop BBQ Is Opening in Methuen

A local group of barbecue restaurants has been joined by a new location north of Boston that has soft-opened.

According to a post on its Facebook page, The Smoke Shop BBQ is now open in Methuen for pickup and delivery only (and with a limited menu), with its official opening taking place next week. The new Pelham Street location joins others in Boston's Fort Point, East Boston, Somerville's Assembly Row, and Harvard Square in Cambridge, and another outlet is on its way to Woburn as well at some point.

Chef/restaurateur Andy Husbands first started The Smoke Shop BBQ in 2016 with a location in Cambridge's Kendall Square.

The address for the new location of The Smoke Shop BBQ in Methuen is 151 Pelham Street, Methuen, MA, 01844. The website for all locations can be found at https://thesmokeshopbbq.com/

[January 16 update: According to its social media, the Smoke Shop BBQ in Methuen is now fully open for dinner service.]

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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The Smoke Shop BBQ to Close Locations in Kendall Square and North Station; Will Open New Outlets in Woburn, Methuen

Changes are coming to a local group of barbecue restaurants, including the closing of two locations and the opening of two others.

According to the Tables section of The Boston Globe, The Smoke Shop BBQ is shutting down outlets in Cambridge's Kendall Square on July 28 and at Hub Hall by North Station in Boston on July 29, while new locations will be coming to Woburn (as first mentioned in an earlier article here) and Methuen in the fall. Locations in Boston's Fort Point, East Boston, Somerville's Assembly Row, and Harvard Square in Cambridge will remain in operation.

The website for all locations of The Smoke Shop BBQ--which chef/restaurateur Andy Husbands first established in 2016 with the opening of its Kendall Square restaurant--can be found at https://thesmokeshopbbq.com/

[Earlier Article]
The Smoke Shop BBQ May Be Opening in the Former Applebee's Space in Woburn

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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KPOT to Open Locations in Dedham, Malden, and Methuen

A Korean restaurant chain with roots in New York City will be expanding to the local area, bringing at least three outlets to Eastern Massachusetts.

According to its website, KPOT is planning to open locations in Dedham, Malden, and Methuen, with the Dedham outlet opening at the Dedham Mall on Providence Highway, the Malden outlet opening in the former John Brewer's Tavern space on Highland Avenue, and the Methuen outlet opening at The Loop on Pleasant Valley Street. Based on the other locations, expect to see all-you-can-eat Korean hot pot and Korean BBQ at the upcoming restaurants.

KPOT first started out in the Flushing section of Queens in 2018; the website for the chain can be found at https://thekpot.com/

Thanks to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook page for initially bringing this to our attention.

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Outback Steakhouse in Methuen Has Closed

A chain of Australian-themed restaurants has closed another one of its locations in the local area, leaving only five outlets remaining inside (or near) the Route 495 belt in Massachusetts.

According to a source, Outback Steakhouse in Methuen is no longer in business, with a check on the company's website indicating that the Pelham Street location has indeed been removed from the locations section. Locations of the chain can still be found in Somerville, Randolph, Peabody, Lowell, and Bellingham, with other outlets having closed in Burlington, Framingham, Hanover, and Norwood over the past ten years or so.

The address for the now-closed Outback Steakhouse in Methuen was 145-147 Pelham Street, Methuen, MA, 01844. The website for the chain is at https://www.outback.com/

NOTE: Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is dealing with health issues and needs your help. Please donate at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

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[More restaurant openings/closings from the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Update: Locations of Not Your Average Joe's in Burlington, Methuen, and Randolph Reopen for Takeout; Arlington Location Closed for Good

[Ed note: This article was updated on May 25 to reflect the fact that three of the four locations have opened back up for takeout.]

A local chain of restaurants is temporarily shutting down five of its outlets, including four locations in the region.

According to a source, Not Your Average Joe's will be closing its restaurants in Arlington, Burlington, Methuen, and Randolph for the winter, with a post within The Arlington List Facebook group page indicating the Arlington location being one of five that will be doing so. Based on that post, it looks like the four outlets in the local area--along with another location in the Middle Atlantic states--hope to open sometime in April. It appears that other outlets locally, including in Acton, Norwell, Peabody, Waltham, Watertown and Westwood, will remain in operation, at least for now. (The chain confirms these closures on its website, with a note on each of the four locations saying that they "are temporarily closing our lower volume restaurants.")

The website for Not Your Average Joe's can be found at https://www.notyouraveragejoes.com/

[May 25 update: A message from the company indicates that the Burlington, Methuen, and Randolph locations of Not Your Average Joe's are now open for takeout, with indoor dining and patios remaining closed for now. And as mentioned earlier, the Arlington location has closed permanently.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Norm's White Horse in Methuen Has Closed

A decades-old restaurant and bar north of Boston that was known in part for a regional chicken dish has shut down.

According to a source, Norm's White Horse in Methuen is no longer in business, with a Facebook comment from owner Diane Frechette confirming that the Lowell Street dining spot has indeed closed. The restaurant, which overlooked the Merrimack River, featured classic American and regional fare including the "chicken barb," which is basically a pulled chicken sandwich (with the chicken being cooked in a pressure cooker) with shredded lettuce and mayo.

Norm's White Horse dates back to 1965, according to an old post from Merrimack Valley Magazine, though its roots come from Marggraf’s White Horse, which was located in the same space and apparently debuted sometime in the late 1930s or early 1940s.

The address for the now-closed Norm's White Horse was 510 Lowell Street, Methuen, MA, 01844.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Fuddruckers in Methuen Has Apparently Closed

It looks like a burger chain that was once headquartered in the Greater Boston location has closed one of its three Eastern Massachusetts locations.

According to a source, the Methuen outlet of Fuddruckers has shut down permanently, with a check within the locations section of the website seeming to confirm this, showing that it has been removed from the page. (A phone call placed to the Broadway Street eatery also indicates that the number has been disconnected.) With the closing of the Methuen location, Fuddruckers now has two locations remaining in the local area, with one in Reading and another in Saugus, and the only other location in New England can be found at Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut.

Fuddruckers is currently headquartered in Texas, but it once had its headquarters in Beverly and Danvers.

The address for the now-closed Fuddruckers in Methuen was 436 Broadway Street, Methuen, MA, 01844. The website for the chain can be found at https://www.fuddruckers.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Update: Prelude Restaurant in Methuen Closes, Being Replaced by Antonio's Kitchen

[Ed note: This article was updated on August 31 and October 4 to reflect the fact that a new restaurant has opened in the space.]

An upscale restaurant north of Boston that had a familiar face behind it has shut its doors.

According to a message received over the weekend, Prelude Restaurant in Methuen is no longer in business, and it looks like a new dining spot featuring pasta and seafood will be opening within the space, possibly in the next few days or so. One of the people behind the now-closed Prelude was Tom Grella, who was a contestant in season three of The Next Food Network Star which aired in 2007. (The show is known in part for helping launch the career of Guy Fieri.)

Prelude first opened in 2012, featuring mostly New American and Mediterranean fare such as spicy calamari, lobster fettuccine, osso buco pork shank, beef wellington, seafood casserole, and a boneless ribeye.

The address for Prelude Restaurant was 7 Ayers Village Road, Methuen, MA, 01844.

[August 31 update: According to the Facebook page for the spot, a new restaurant under different ownership has apparently opened in the Prelude space, and it looks like it is also called Prelude, at least for the time being.]

[October 4 update: A new Facebook post indicates that the restaurant is now called Antonio's Kitchen, and it looks like there is at least a partial focus on seafood.]

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Cedar Crest in North Andover to Close; Shadi's May Be Replacing It

A restaurant that moved to North Andover about a year ago after being in Lawrence for several decades is apparently going to be closing, and a Middle Eastern restaurant in Methuen that was destroyed in a fire a few months ago may be moving into the space.

According to the Eagle-Tribune, the Cedar Crest Restaurant on Chickering Road may be closing in early April, with Shadi's Restaurant looking to move in. The Cedar Crest opened in its current space in the winter of 2010 after moving out of Lawrence, where it had been since the 1930s. Shadi's had been in business in Methuen for nearly 20 years before being hit by a fire on Christmas Day in 2010, according to the Eagle-Tribune. The article also mentions that the now-vacant building where Shadi's used to be will be torn down.

The address for the soon-to-close Cedar Crest Restaurant (and the upcoming Shadi's) is 585 Chickering Road, North Andover, MA, 01845.

For more information on the closing of the Cedar Crest and the planned move into the space by Shadi's, please go to the Eagle-Tribune link below.

Landmark restaurant to be torn down

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Irish Cottage Restaurant and Pub Opening in Methuen

An Irish restaurant and pub will be opening in Methuen a bit later this fall. According to a job posting on the Craigslist site, the Irish Cottage Restaurant and Pub should be opening toward the end of October or early November in this small city near the New Hampshire border. The restaurant, which will be located near where Route 93 intersects with Routes 110 and 113, will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, according to the posting.

[January 5 update: Based on posts within the MethuenCommon website, it appears that the Irish Cottage is now open.]

The address for this upcoming dining and drinking spot north of Boston is: The Irish Cottage Restaurant and Pub, 1111 Riverside Drive, Methuen, MA, 01844. The Phone number is (978) 208-4347.

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The Boxwood Grill opens in Methuen

A new restaurant called the Boxwood Grill has opened within the clubhouse of the Merrimack Valley Golf Club in Methuen, MA. Located within a semi-private golf course on Howe Street near the New Hampshire line, the restaurant is open to the public for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

The Boxwood Grill features an outdoor deck overlooking the course, and has a menu that includes mostly American dishes such as burgers, steaks, and seafood, according to the golf course's Web site. A variety of wines will also be offered.

The address for this new restaurant in Methuen is: The Boxwood Grill, 210 Howe Street, Methuen, MA, 01844. The phone number is (978) 683-7771.