I recently found myself doing a lot of testing for work down in the Northwest Boston suburbs. Driving down there from NH generally, well, sucks, unless you can time things to avoid rush hour (which is actually the better part of three hours long). This means that I have to time things to arrive either before approximately 7am, or after 10am. For those times that I need to be someplace at 8am or 9am, that usually means getting down there early, and finding someplace interesting to get breakfast. In this case, the place was Vic’s Waffle House in Tewksbury, MA.
First of all, no, it’s not that Waffle House, that Southern bastion of waffles and hash browns scattered-and-smothered. For that institution (which I do really enjoy, actually), you’ve still got to head at least a little bit South: their Northeastern frontier has only expanded to approximately Scranton, PA. But, names aside, Vic’s is a nice place. The place is vaguely house shaped. And they have waffles. So “Vic’s Waffle House” isn’t a bad name. Vic’s has been around since 2002 (before that, it was “TD’s Waffle House”), but the restaurant has been in Tewksbury for quite a while. Inside, it’s your standard “Breakfast coffee shop” sort of vibe: the long counter, the many tables, lots of Formica, and all sorts of waitresses running about.
But they’ve got a very good menu. Obviously, they’ve got, well, waffles. But also waffles with fruit. Waffles with linguica. Waffles with kielbasa. The Elvis waffle with peanut butter and banana. Pecan waffles. Chocolate chip waffles. Fried chicken and waffles (always a classic!). The chocolate pig waffles (bacon and chocolate chips). And the one I ordered, the Dulce De Leche Waffle, with dulce de leche, strawberries, whipped Cream & walnuts. And a full breakfast menu as well, including omelets, eggs, pancakes, French toast, and the like.
As far as the waffle goes? This was a good waffle, a nice American “Belgian” waffle made with a nice, fluffy batter with a nice crisp to it, landing this one near the top of the waffle spectrum. The dulce de leche, strawberries, cream, and nuts made for a pleasant topping without being too excessive (while I like whipped cream on a waffle, it’s easy to get carried away and find yourself hunting for the waffle inside a mountain of cream). Overall, a very pleasant breakfast.
The outer suburbs have a lot of good breakfast options, but I’ll have to say, Vic’s Waffle House is one of my better finds, with a good menu, excellent waffles, and a pleasant staff. I hope to return soon.
