New England dining reviews >>> Pre game and post game dining near Gillette Stadium

Dining near Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, for New England Patriots game day

by Eric H.

Red Wing restaurant, Walpole, MA (photo by Eric H.)

Your New England Patriots restaurant resource guide to the best pre game and post game dining. All restaurants mentioned below are within 15 minutes of the stadium:

Tom's Tavern, Wrentham, MA -- Looks like a biker bar on the outside, but seems more like a lively sports bar/restaurant on the inside. It's not unusual to see current and former New England Patriots eat here (we met Steve Groagan, Pete Brock and Steve Nelson one night), as well as some football players that once excelled on the high school varsity and junior varsity teams. The food is surprisingly terrific, especially the fresh seafood and Italian dishes. Service can range from good to disinterested, but that can be overlooked as the quality and quantity of the lunches and dinners can't be beat in this area. Although there's a drinking crowd here, families are always welcome in either the elongated bar or the dining room (which sometimes seems more like an ignored afterthought). Everyone seems to get along great here, except for the occasional waitress who acts like you're inconveniencing her. Tom's Tavern, 263 Shears Street, Wrentham, MA. Tel. (508) 384-8950

British Beer Company, Walpole, MA -- The only restaurant we know that might be louder than Gillette Stadium on game day. The pub fare is very good and the price is right. Somehow, the parts surpass the sum as perhaps the boisterous, happy, kitschy British integrated bar and restaurant atmosphere (validated by being located in Walpole, just 3,000 miles away from Britain) make for a perfect before or after dinner hangout, just a few miles from the stadium. By the way, this is the former location of the Beacon Restaurant, a personal favorite that specialized in great steaks, a sedate atmosphere and serving to people with an average age of 140. The British Beer Company, 85 Providence Highway, Walpole, MA. Tel. (508) 668-9909

Eagle Brook Saloon, Norfolk, MA -- We have no idea where Eagle Brook is (it's not on our map of Norfolk), but the restaurant does indeed look like a real saloon. The wide, circular staircase, the upstairs with private rooms, alcoves, balcony, and main dining area overlooking the downstairs, the very western looking bar with Waylon, Willie and David Allen Coe-looking people, and lots of old looking wood and rustic musings lend a charm that seems out of place in a town where the average cost of a home is in the mid-400s. The food is fabulous (prime rib, chili, rib eye steak, pasta) and sometimes healthy (big mixed greens salads, free range chicken sandwich, dinner or pizza), not to mention an incredibly wide variety of beers including the homemade blueberry ale. Roger McGuinn (formerly of the Byrds) and the menacing but laughable New Riders of the Purple Sage once played here many years ago, but the Eagle Brook Saloon is now a certified family-oriented restaurant where kids can color their drawings with crayons, and Dad can wear a cardigan sweater and a pocket protector without getting beat up. Eagle Brook Saloon, 258 Dedham St., Norfolk, MA.Tel. (508) 384-7312.

Tavern from the Tower Square, Plainville, MA --  Overlooking the pretty but foolishly-named Turnpike Lake, the Tavern from Tower Square's main draw is adding flair to basic dishes, many times with a expertly-made Bernaise sauce or some other creative creation that isn't often seen at suburban restaurants. With food in the $10-20 range, a Sunday morning brunch, and a spacious bar with wide screen televisions to complement the charming dining rooms, there's something for everyone at the Tavern from the Tower Square. The Tavern from Tower Square, 119 Washington St., Plainville, MA. Tel. (508) 699-7600

Piccadilly Pub, Foxboro, MA -- Sort of like the British Bar Company without the sonic roar, the British-themed Piccadilly Pub is smart enough to segregate the bar from the dining rooms. This allows families to eat their meals in peace, and bar people to drink in peace (mixed with occasional loudness). The plaid rugs, black and red tones, a well-trained staff and food standardized to well above average quality makes for a more logical choice than the British Beer Company on game day, unless you want a higher decibel count while eating and drinking. Picacadilly Pub, 25 Foxboro Blvd., Foxboro, MA. Tel. (508) 543-0535

Jimmy's Pub and Restaurant, Mansfield, MA -- It seems like everyone knows each other here, with people high-fiving each other, and asking how the family is doing right in front of the entire family they're asking about. The hometown feel blows away the corporate chain "neighborhood restaurant" (who try to hawk local authenticity in the form of something so fake and generic). Jimmy's, on the other hand, is a very real neighborhood restaurant, largely known and loved only in Mansfield. Known as the "best kept secret in Southeastern Massachusetts," Jimmy's is dark, comfortable, has a personable staff (young and old) and feels like you're in someone's large basement (lots of beer signs and wood paneling). In the kitchen, the chef and crew really know how to make a great American (steaks, chicken, seafood), Italian or Greek lunch or dinner (the Greek lasagna special is amazing), while at the bar, the bartenders pour drinks and make small talk with the best of them. Jimmy's Pub and Restaurant, 140 North Main St., Mansfield, MA. Tel. (508) 339-7167.

Red Wing Diner, Walpole, MA -- We question the cleanliness (the entrance door and bathroom were a little too sticky for our liking), but there's no denying the great food being served at this little red house with a very plain, formica-dominated inside. The fried clams, delicious pasta sauces, steak tips and pizza rank with the best of Boston, while the unpretentious atmosphere and "What can I serve you, honey?" friendliness of the waitresses make you feel right at home. A stone's throw from the Stadium, the Red Wing Diner is the perfect low-cost place to have a beer and tasty meal. The Red Wing Diner is expected to be renovated soon!  Red Wing Diner, Route 1 South Walpole, MA. Tel. (508) 668-0453

Finnegan's Wake, Walpole, MA. Harder to find than a well constructed part of the Big Dig, Finnegan's Wake is a true hidden gem located on a side street in downtown Walpole where you wouldn't expect a restaurant to be (on the other side of the wall is an auto repair shop). Cozily located downstairs this handsome restaurant and bar features amazing Irish cuisine and American favorites. Best bets are the Guiness beef pie, fish and chips, and roast turkey dinner. Finnegan's Wake, 1034 East St., Walpole, MA. Tel. (508) 668-1189