My kids are not worldly. To be fair they are only 3 and taking them places is a gamble in the best of times due to their unbridled energy. They loved Archie's when it was in the old location (now a Dunkin Donuts) in Shelburne. When it closed they couldn't understand the whole situation and felt really bad that Archie was sick. When the sign came up that Archie's would reopen in a new location just across the street they were pumped! To be fair my lady and I were enthused as well. Archie's had been a family friendly place that served delicious burgers at a reasonable price and without pretension. So how is the new spot? Well, Archie himself is just consulting in order to get a couple newbies up and running in the spirit of the original. We popped over last week after school at like 5pm on a Wednesday. Totally packed with a line to the door. Uh, no thank you. I was tooling around yesterday (MLK Day) around noon and looking for a place to take my kids solo where people might not mind how poorly they were behaving. Seriously, it was ugly for a bit in the morning. Hey, how about new Archie's? It was open and looked not as busy. We cruised in and it was perfect. There were a few families and some guys taking a break from work. We got in ordered and got a booth out of the way. The scene is similar and the space is really not much bigger than the old one, although the kitchen looks larger and that seems to be reflected in a more expansive menu. So how was the food? OK. The burger was a little smaller and a tad overcooked. The fries were crispy and good and the chips actually were fresher than they had been at the end of old Archie's run. There are a couple more local beers on tap which is nice. Prices were still reasonable. Overall it was a good experience and I am pretty happy to have them back. Can the new iteration reach the old one's lofty peak? Not sure but it remains one of the most reliable family joints in Shelburne so that holds some value.
BTW, we got done music class Sunday at 5pm and headed for some chow at Pho Hong in the North End of Burlington. pretty busy (at 5pm?!) and closing. Winter hours, they close at 5?! Who the f*** stays open all afternoon then closes just before dinner? Ok, f* it! We went over to Bluebird BBQ. Great place for kids. 1 hour wait. WTF?!?!?! At 5PM on a Sunday? The parking lot was only half full? Next stop, Tiny Thai. Line out the door. Shit, this was getty serious and the kids were getting impatient. Finally, Misery Loves Company. Boom! They had 3 kids of chicken which were all delicious, the fried chicken w/ honey butter was sick. $5 Heady Toppers and a DJ spinning at a reasonable volume? It was great. MLC does it again!
Oh yeah, GO PATS!!!
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