Restaurant Review #6 - Chardonnay's

Restaurant: Chardonnay's
Address: 393 Taunton Ave, Seekonk, MA
Website: www.chardonnays.cc
Rating: A

Craving a little South Coast townie action? Ever had the desire to walk into a bar full of patrons who have at least 30 years on you? Even if you can't answer yes to either question, the happy hour specials alone are enough to convince you to check out Chardonnay's should you happen to be in area. Bored with our usual upscale happy hour haunt in Providence, Tash and I ventured to Seekonk, which is located just down the street from the East Providence office where we used to work.

Tash was a little late so the first thing I did was grab a bar stool and a Sam Adams draft ($3.75). Before I could even set my beer down I got into a minor altercation with a particularly fiesty 60 year old woman who tried to snag the bar stool I was saving for Tash (I love, love, LOVE Fall River people). After studying the happy hour menu as if I was preparing to take a midterm on it, I decided on the shrimp scampi pizza ($6.50); Tash got the grilled clams ($6).

The food knocked my socks off. I was expecting a greasy, soggy, Town Spa-style bar pizza - what I received was a gourmet grilled pizza, topped with garlic, olive oil, two types of cheese, and over a dozen shrimp. Tash's clams were presented in a specially designed clam rack and proved to be excellent as well. After washing it all down with another Sam Adams, I walked out of there happy, stuffed, and compelled to blog about my experience. The hit to my bank account for such an exciting Seekonk evening: less than $20.

Chardonny's may be a bit unsophisticated (shhh...don't tell the townies) but they've got the happy hour thing down pat. After a long day's work I want to catch up with good friends, eat good food, and have a few beers with as little drama as possible. After being spoiled by upscale Boston bars for a half decade, Chardonnay's reminds me why I enjoy happy hour so much in the first place.

Chardonnay's is located on Taunton Avenue (Route 44) in Seekonk, MA. Seekonk is in the middle of nowhere (read: an hour south of Boston) but if you happen to be in the area it's a dining experience you'll likely smile fondly upon everytime an image of the Braga Bridge pops into your head. Naturally, there's tons of glorious free parking.