We visited one of the last remaining Boston Market locations in the country

We visited one of the last remaining Boston Market locations in the country. Haley Paskalides My husband and I dined at one of the last remaining Boston Market locations in the country. We got a lot of food for our money, but some menu items were much better than others. Overall, I think Boston Market is great for takeout, but the dine-in experience was underwhelming. On a beautiful early October afternoon, my husband and I drove to Philadelphia to visit one of the last remaining Boston Market locations in the country. In its heyday, the chain had 1,200 locations and was considered the center of the rotisserie-chicken craze. At one point, it was even owned by McDonald's. It exploded in popularity as a popular home-meal replacement with items like slow-roasted rotisserie chicken and sides like cornbread, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. The menu later grew to include turkey, meatloaf, ribs, wings, and chicken nuggets. Now, it's down to just a handful of locations in Texas and the Northeastern US. According to the company's website, the remaining six locations also offer catering. We were surprised to find that a Boston Market was still open near us. Haley Paskalides The company was originally founded in 1985 as Boston Chicken in Newton, Massachusetts. Ten years later, it was renamed Boston Market to reflect its expanded menu offerings. But over the years, Boston Market started closing many of its stores. The chain's decline can potentially be attributed to several factors, including lawsuits, poorly managed locations, the rise of excellent ready-to-eat options at grocery stores (hello, Whole Foods hot bar), and the chain's ownership being tossed between parent companies and private equity. As of 2020, it's owned by Engage Brands, LLC. Business aside, my memories of the chain go back to high school, when it was one of the few restaurants I could walk to during breaks from my driver's ed classes. However, I remember the hearty side dishes leaving me feeling sleepy for the remainder of the day. My husband remembers Boston Market as a place his grandma loved and would request after Sunday church (the one day of the week she didn't cook). He was never a huge fan, though, and said that if he'd been given the option as a kid, he'd have chosen fast food. When we realized there was still a location open nearby, we decided to see for ourselves whether the once-booming chain was anything like we remembered. From the outside, it seemed like the restaurant wanted to let customers know it was open. Haley Paskalides We arrived at the stand-alone restaurant on busy Roosevelt Boulevard in Philadelphia. A big "we're open" flag waved out front, a neon "open" sign glowed in the window, and a "now hiring" banner hung near the entryway. The restaurant seemed eager to let the public know it was still open and taking employment applications. It had the same familiar, inviting logo and red-and-black facade that I remembered from my driver's ed days. It looked a little dated, but in a charming way. Nowadays, many restaurants have the same clean, minimalist aesthetic (neutral tones and concrete floors), but Boston Market still feels straight out of the early 2000s. There was ample parking, and only a few cars in the lot, including one idling out front while someone picked up their to-go order. The inside looked clean and seasonally decorated, but a little sterile. Haley Paskalides We arrived at around 4 p.m. on Columbus Day. The location looked spotless and was decorated for fall with cute, homey decorations like straw pumpkins and festive signs. When we first walked in, we were the only customers there. What struck me was that the restaurant was completely silent: not even elevator music was playing. Slowly but surely, though, a steady stream of people started arriving. It was mostly older people there with their families, enjoying a late-afternoon meal, with most customers picking up orders to go. Behind the counter, a few glistening personal pot pies were lined up, with the sides on hot plates and cornbread neatly arranged in metal tins. The smell of rotisserie chicken was overpowering in a good way, and when we peered into the back of the restaurant, we could see them glistening as they cooked. To the left of the display case, appetizing-looking slices of pie and individually wrapped brownies and cookies were piled up to grab as you paid. There was plenty of seating in the dining room, but we didn't feel compelled to linger. Haley Paskalides The dining room looked spotless, if a bit sterile, with some low-top tables with two chairs each and a few high-top tables near the windows. It looked almost exactly as I remembered: simple stock art on the walls, brown linoleum floors, and a feel similar to many other fast-food restaurants I've been to. The restaurant felt a bit more inviting as more families filled it, but since there was no music, it was easy to overhear other people's conversations. Based on this, we did