The Roadhouse Experiment Has Ended…

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A little less than a year and a half into the process, the Roadhouse restaurant in Brookline, Massachusetts, has reportedly closed.
Run by the proprietors of the very successful Publick House just a few blocks down the street, this offspring failed to catch and suffered troubles almost from the beginning. From neighborhood squabbles over its custom built smoker to kitchen and menu upheavals, this ambitious project never seemed to grasp its own identity and failed to find a home among any particular audience. The food and service at times ranged from poor to quite good and the beer was usually top-notch. It’s massive space was usually half-empty and the spread out service structure gave it a slightly disjointed feel.

In its place, the owners plan to open a new establishment, to be called American Craft. There are few details so far to flush out this generalized concept but the folks over at BeerAdvocate have posted a press release about the change.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

AMERICAN CRAFT ARTISANAL FOOD & DRINK TO OPEN IN BROOKLINE

1700 Beacon St. in Brookline, MA
617.487.4290

(Brookline, MA) AMERICAN CRAFT, a full service restaurant and bar celebrating the best of artisanal American cuisine is set to open Monday, February 22nd. From farmer and brewer, to winemaker and distiller, we are proud to present homegrown talent. It starts with Chef Corey French who has creatively crafted a merican home cooked experience fusing both classic and contemporary recipes. Chef Corey brings with him a strong commitment and dedication to local products and ingredients and will source as many items as he can items being sourced from local Massachusetts farms. His fare is local, fresh and from scratch and includes dishes for everyone from the hearty appetite to vegan preference to our extensive family friendly children’s menu. The menu will feature a list of daily Blue Plate specials as well as an eclectic sampling of appetizers, sandwiches, and entrées plus a build-your-own burger platter (be that meat, turkey or vegetarian).

We have a loyalty to American excellence and have chosen to bring you the finest libations crafted domestically. We’ll offer 40 draught lines which will feature hand picked, small batch American breweries, a constantly rotating list of rare, vintage, and seasonal bottled craft beers, an extensive all American wine program, and more than 40 bottles of American distilled spirits.

American Craft is dedicated to going green. We’ll open with an aggressive recycling and composting program and are currently seeking out energy saving programs to become a front-runner in, ecofriendly dining operations in Brookline.

Come to enjoy the best America has to offer. Brought to you by the same folks that give you the Belgian Bier Bar experience, The Publick House, which lives close by.

We welcome you to American Craft.

A sample menu is also available here.

Oddly enough, the press release and sample menu have a sort of Lord Hobo vibe to them. I look forward to hearing more about the concept but wonder, following several previous costume changes, if this voluminous space can really support a generalized restaurant concept. The new establishment is expected to open in a week or two, following a quick renovation.

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