ORANGE — During its five years in business, The Boiler Bar & Grille at 245 Tully Road has served food as well as the community. When the Athol-Orange Elks Club closed last year, owner Dave Bardsley took on the reservations that had been unfulfilled and allowed use of the function room at no charge. Last Thanksgiving, he collaborated with the North Quabbin Community Coalition by cooking turkey and fixings for families in need. On Veteran’s Day, all veterans eat anything off the menu for free, and customers can buy them drink vouchers for two weeks prior to the event.
The restaurant has also become a site for fundraisers, including a comedy show and the semi-annual “Soup and Song” night held by the North Quabbin Citizen Advocacy. On Saturday there will be a Boiler Bar & Grille float in the River Rat parade in Athol.
Located about four miles from downtown Athol, the restored 1700s mill building overlooking Tully Mill Pond has a rustic interior with modern touches. The boiler sits in a room downstairs while Nana’s Country Store upstairs offers homemade food, groceries and gifts.
Executive chef Brandon Bruinsma, who started working at the restaurant in 2017, said he has seen a “nearly triple increase” in sales since his arrival and has upped its media presence. He has created two new “food challenges” for patrons, one with hot wings made with the fourth hottest pepper in the world, and the other involving a “massive” amount of food where a half sheet pan of smoked goods must be eaten within a time limit. In both challenges, winners receive a t-shirt and the meal for free. So far, four have tried the hot wings challenge and have come close to winning.
Growing up in central Massachusetts, Bruinsma’s career path followed that of his executive chef father, John Bruinsma, Jr. who owned Brandon’s Family Restaurant in Orange. Brandon started as a line cook at age 14 and at 22 he backpacked to Montana and lived where he “learned self-discipline” and focused on his career. He and a friend opened a restaurant called 14 North and after three years, Bruinsma moved to Boston to work as a sous chef for two years at Highland Kitchen in Somerville. His friend opened two more 14 North restaurants and is a three-time winner of Food Network competitions.
Bruinsma then worked for two years as an executive sous chef at Great Wolf Lodge in Fitchburg, but felt he was losing his creativity working for a corporation and contacted Bardsley who hired him. “I took things slowly at first,” Bruinsma said. “I wanted to focus on issues and consistency” as he had done for his other jobs. He is “huge” on plating, (food presentation), and creating new specials. “We are a ‘from scratch’ kitchen,” he said, “Everything is made in house. No microwaves.”
One of the popular items is the $5 burger on Wednesdays. He also likes to “shake things up” by doing things differently. “I would label us as a gastro-pub, American traditional with a flair.”
Also working in the kitchen are sous chef Chris Little, two line cooks and a dishwasher. Kim Bardsley Shaw oversees the “front of the house” and the servers.
For their contribution of helping to cook the Thanksgiving dinners, the restaurant received the Spotlight Award from the North Quabbin Community Coalition. It was also the first time Bruinsma’s father worked under him.
Bruinsma said Bardsley reached out to the new Athol Cinemas 8 for the now available dinner and a movie deal and has added Bri-Guy trivia on Thursday nights which uses smart phones with a downloaded app. Prime rib is available on Fridays and Saturdays and starting this month on Sundays, a brunch menu will be available from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., including a mimosa and bloody mary list. One dollar oysters are available daily from 4-6 p.m.
Bruinsma said they are also in talks with several breweries about getting their products on a consistent basis, and would like to set up a beer dinner twice a year and invite local brewers.
“Our big draw,” he said, “has been about the service and the food, which is our number one thing.”
Restaurant hours are: Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 a.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.