The Star Drive-In in Taunton Is Closing

A retro-style restaurant south of Boston is planning to shut down.

According to a Facebook post from the business, The Star Drive-In in Taunton is going to be closing its doors, with the note saying the following:

I have a Lease with South Coast Development until March of 2026. The same entity that purchased the property across the street and built the Storage Facility, also purchased The Star Drive-In property a few years ago when I had just signed another 5 year lease for The Star Drive-In with St.Ives. I will not get into the specifics of those issues, but many, within the city government and various departments know what has transpired over the last 4 years, they know what is going on and they have not offered any help or assistance even after my repeated pleas for help. Due to those issues, I have had to make the very difficult decision to close at the end of the terms of my lease-March 2026....I'm very proud of everything I’ve been able to accomplish and give back over the last 10 years. I am closing on my terms. I will do my best to find my next best thing.

Current owner Erica Madden took over the restaurant in 2016, which has been in operation since the mid-1960s; the dining spot has been known for its comfort food including clam chowder, burgers, hot dogs, tuna melts, chow mein sandwiches, pizza, calzones, lobster rolls, fish and chips, ice cream, and more.

The address for The Star Drive-In is 205 Myricks Street, East Taunton, MA, 02718. Its website can be found at https://thestardrivein.com/

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

---

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

---

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.)

Tiger Den Cafe at Taunton High School to Offer Bar Pizza

A student-run restaurant south of Boston is getting ready to serve one of the most popular regional foods in the area.

According to an article from 1420 WBSM, Tiger Den Cafe at Taunton High School is planning to start serving bar pizza for dine-in or takeout in the next week or so, with a Facebook post showing some of the test pizzas being made. The article confirms that the bar pizzas will be available to the public, and while a price has not been set, previous pizzas from the Tiger Den were $5.00. (Tiger Den is open from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM Wednesday through Friday.)

Bar pizza is an individual-sized pan pizza mainly found in cities and towns south of Boston (including in Taunton), though a handful of restaurants and bars north and west of the city as well as within the city itself offer it as well.

Taunton High School is located at 50 Williams Street, a short distance east of the downtown area.

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

---

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

---

Kinfolks Award Winning BBQ Is Opening in South Easton

It looks like a BBQ spot in Taunton will be joined by a second location just a bit closer to Boston.

According to a Facebook post from the place, Kinfolks Award Winning BBQ has found a space within the Highlands shopping plaza in South Easton, with the note saying that this will be a "complete rebuild," so it probably will not be open until at least the summer of 2020. Based on the offerings at the location on Route 44 in Taunton, the upcoming restaurant could feature such items as pulled pork, brisket, smoked and/or fried chicken, ribs, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, fried okra, hush puppies, and more.

An earlier article from PigTrip indicates that the owner of Kinfolks has won approximately 200 barbecue awards over the years.

The address for this upcoming barbecue spot in South Easton will be: Kinfolks Award Winning BBQ, 25 Robert Drive, South Easton, MA, 02375. The website for the location in Taunton can be found at https://www.kinfolksbbq.com/

Thanks to @JeremyKrantz for initially bringing this to our attention.

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

---

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

---

Benjamin's Restaurant in Taunton Demolished Today

A now-closed landmark restaurant has officially disappeared from the landscape after various proposals for the space--and plans to save the building itself--ended up failing.

According to an article in Wicked Local, Benjamin's restaurant in Taunton was demolished today after it was decided that all viable options for the Bay Street structure ran out. As reported here earlier, an unsuccessful attempt to auction the property took place last September, which was followed by a second auction in January of this year that focused on fixtures, furniture, kitchen equipment, and more. Around the time of the second auction, Mechanics Cooperative Bank filed an application for a demolition permit for the building in case a buyer was not found, then a proposal to replace it with new development was voted down by the city council last month and attempts over a period of at least six months to re-use the structure--possibly by having a new restaurant move in--failed as well.

Benjamin's first opened its doors in 1968 and became a dining destination for many as well as a popular spot for functions and events over the years; the place shut its doors in May of 2015 and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

The address for the Benjamin's property was 698 Bay Street, Taunton, MA, 02780.

[Earlier Articles]
City of Taunton to Hear Proposal to Replace Benjamin's with Residential Development
Auction for Benjamin's Fixtures, Equipment Being Held; Demolition Permit Application Submitted

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

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

---

Tweet

First Light Resort and Casino Breaks Ground in Taunton

What could be the first Las Vegas-style resort to come to Massachusetts has quietly broken ground.

CBS Boston is reporting that First Light Resort and Casino officially broke ground in Taunton today, with the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe being behind the complex. The article and the resort's website indicate that the facility is expected to include a casino, hotel, and a mixture of family-friendly and high-end restaurants, along with a retail center, entertainment venues, and more, and that it will be built on an industrial park near where Routes 24 and 140 meet (approximately 35 miles from downtown Boston). If all goes as planned, First Light could start opening in phases in 2017, according to CBS Boston.

Currently, only one other casino can be found in Massachusetts--a slot machine parlor and harness racing track in Plainville called Plainridge Park Casino. Other casinos in the works include Wynn Boston Harbor in Everett and MGM Springfield, neither of which will open until at least 2018, and another casino could open in Brockton as well, though it is only a proposal at this point in time.

The website for First Light Resort and Casino can be found at http://www.firstlightresort.com/

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

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

---

Tweet

City of Taunton to Hear Proposal to Replace Benjamin's with Residential Development

It looks like a now-closed landmark restaurant could become the site of a residential development, pending approval of a special permit.

The Taunton Daily Gazette is reporting that a proposal may be looked at in a city council hearing on Tuesday, April 5 that would turn the former Benjamin's site into a 23-unit multi-family residential development. This follows an unsuccessful September auction of the Bay Street property and a second auction in January that focused on fixtures, furniture, kitchen equipment, and more. At the time of the second auction, it was reported here that Mechanics Cooperative Bank filed an application for a demolition permit for the restaurant just in case a buyer was not found, with the sole remaining option possibly being to tear it down and replace it with new development.

[May 24 update: A new article in the Taunton Daily Gazette states that the city council has voted against plans to replace the former Benjamin's site with apartments, which means that the future of the property remains up in the air.]

Benjamin's, which first opened its doors in 1968, had been a landmark dining destination that featured mostly classic American items in a formal environment, along with space for events and functions. The restaurant shut down last May and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

The address for the Benjamin's property is 698 Bay Street, Taunton, MA, 02780.

[Earlier Articles]
Auction for Benjamin's Fixtures, Equipment Being Held; Demolition Permit Application Submitted
Auction of Benjamin's Restaurant in Taunton Unsuccessful
Benjamin's Restaurant in Taunton Has Closed

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

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

---

Tweet

Auction for Benjamin's Fixtures, Equipment Being Held; Demolition Permit Application Submitted

A few months ago, we reported that the auction of a now-closed landmark restaurant was unsuccessful, and we have now learned that a second auction is in the works for its "personal property," while the future of the building itself is now in question.

According to an article in the Taunton Daily Gazette, a new auction for Benjamin's restaurant will take place on January 14, with this one focusing on fixtures, furniture, kitchen equipment, and more rather than the actual building. The article mentions that Joseph Baptista, who is the president and chief executive of Mechanics Cooperative Bank has also filed an application for a demolition permit for the Bay Street property, just in case a buyer is not found and the only option left is to level it and possibly replace with with new development such as housing. (A September auction of the Benjamin's property was unsuccessful because none of the bids met the minimum amount set by the bank.)

[January 15 update: Wicked Local Mansfield states that the auction went through yesterday and that the Benjamin's building is now a "shell." Mechanics Cooperative Bank Senior Vice President Nancy E. Stokes indicates in the article that it will never be a restaurant again, while the article's headline says that the structure is now "likely" awaiting demolition.]

Benjamin's first opened in 1968, becoming a popular dining destination that offered a variety of classic American items in a formal environment as well as a space for various functions and events. The restaurant closed last May and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

The address for the Benjamin's property is 698 Bay Street, Taunton, MA, 02780.

[Earlier Articles]
Auction of Benjamin's Restaurant in Taunton Unsuccessful
Benjamin's Restaurant in Taunton Has Closed

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

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

---

Tweet

Auction of Benjamin's Restaurant in Taunton Unsuccessful

A now-closed landmark restaurant and function facility went up for auction this week without success, and now the bank that owns it needs to find a way to sell the property.

According to an article in Wicked Local Middleborough, an auction was held for Benjamin's restaurant in Taunton yesterday, but none of the bids met the minimum amount set by Mechanics Cooperative Bank; the post says that the auction lasted a total of five minutes with the highest bid on the Bay Street space being $750,000, and the auctioneer was overheard saying to the President and CEO of the bank, "Sorry it didn’t work out" as the auction ended. Now it appears that Mechanics Cooperative Bank will likely work with prospective buyers or they could possibly put it on the retail market in order to sell the 25,000-square-foot property that way, according to the article.

Benjamin's, which first opened in 1968, was a formal dining destination that offered a variety of classic American items. The restaurant shut down in May and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

The address for Benjamin's property is 698 Bay Street, Taunton, MA, 02780.

[Earlier Article]
Benjamin's Restaurant in Taunton Has Closed

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

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

---

Tweet

Benjamin's Restaurant in Taunton Has Closed

A landmark restaurant and function facility south of Boston has abruptly closed after being in business for nearly a half century.

According to an article in the Taunton Daily Gazette, Benjamin's restaurant in Taunton shut down over the weekend, letting both workers and diners (who had reservations) know at the last minute that it would no longer be in operation as of Sunday afternoon. The post says that the closure comes a couple of months after the Bay Street dining spot was put up for sale on the real estate market following a family conflict that included a lawsuit against the owner by the children of the now-deceased founder of the place (who was the present owner's husband).

Benjamin's, which first opened in 1968, was a formal dining destination that offered such classic American items as clams casino, veal marsala, boneless shortribs, baked stuffed lobster, sirloin and shrimp, sweet potato salmon, and prime rib.

It is not yet known what might become of the space vacated by Benjamin's.

[May 5 update: Wicked Local Taunton states that Benjamin's has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, with the plan being to liquidate its assets, pay its mortgage, and pay its debts to a number of different businesses. (At this point in time, it does not look like a public auction will be taking place.)]

[August 19 update: A new article from the Taunton Daily Gazette states that an auction will be taking place after all, with the entire Benjamin's property being auctioned off to the highest bidder on September 23 at 11:00 AM.]

The address for this now-closed restaurant in Taunton was: Benjamin's, 698 Bay Street, Taunton, MA, 02780.

Thanks to a reader for initially bringing this to our attention.

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

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

---

Tweet

Full-Service Sit-Down Restaurant Is Planned for Taunton High School

It looks like a new restaurant is on its way to a city south of Boston, and it will be housed in a rather unusual location.

The Dover Sherborn Press has posted an article from a Taunton Gazette Staff Reporter stating that a full-service sit-down restaurant will be built within Taunton High School, with the dining spot being staffed by culinary students and open to all during the school year. The article states that the eatery is going to become reality thanks to a grant that is coming from the Bristol County Savings Bank Charitable Foundation, with the dining spot possibly being ready by next year.

Taunton High School actually has an existing food place that is called the Tiger Tent Cafe; the spot has students serving food to diners and is located in an outdoor tent that is only open when the weather is warm, according to the article.

The address for Taunton High School (and the upcoming restaurant) is 50 Williams Street, Taunton, MA, 02780.

Tweet