At one point this building was a Mobil Service Center – definitely dating back to pre-WWII years.  Near the top of the building is a early Mobil Pegasus.  Currently, about two thirds of the building is devoted to the restaurant.  Yes, this is directly on the Historic Route 20, a route that runs from Boston to Oregon, and sounds like something I’d like to drive some day, if I can find chicken/quail/cat sitters up for the lengthy task in my absence!  Or, perhaps Bjorn would care to join me – he’s the Man of the House, fuzzy cat as he might be!

Limited outdoor dining is available in more pleasant weather.  There is no sun shield from early morning sun, but as the day goes on, the building itself will block excess brightness.  Throughout the pandemic, real flatware – no junky plasticware – was served to all but (obviously) take-out customers.  On real plates, for which I commend them.

Breakfasts I have tried and liked – sorry, I don’t photograph everything! 

Cheese Grits with Shrimp,  Bacon. Tomato.  This Southern-inspired Breakfast item is both extremely filling and very, very good.  In fact, the only grits dish I’ve loved shy of my Old Kentucky Home’s grandmother’s grits.  (Which I did my best to re-create in an earlier post on this blog.)

Huevos Rancheros.  Corn tortillas, Andouille, cheddar, salsa, two eggs.  A nice but not overwhelming level of spice apparently comes from the Andouille and the salsa.  I recommend.

The breakfast sandwiches.  They have several good ones, but my favorites are the Smoked Salmon with egg, cream cheese and tomato.  Or the Florentine sandwich with spinach, tomato, egg, and Swiss cheese.  For the smoked salmon, I show a cross-section.  I like mine on rye toast.  But sourdough bread now appears to be an option.  (I’ll take that, too!)   The default eggs are over easy (which I prefer if I am eating on site as opposed to while on the road – the sloppiness factor!), but one can ask for them medium or hard cooked – or probably even scrambled, should you desire).

The Omelets.  (There are also “scramble” options, but I’m not as in favor of those – but I am EXTREMELY picky about my scrambled eggs and their texture… I need my large soft curds to be happy….  and nothing watery!)  At any rate, you can pick from a large variety of established omelets or create your own.  Usually andouille sausage is available. 

Oatmeal.  It’s the real stuff, and you can add a choice of fresh fruit into this.  You can get it with nuts or dried things (raisins).  And with honey (I prefer maple syrup to honey.)

Sometimes they have specials – I love it when they have their various eggs Benedict specials – Florentine or smoked salmon options are great!  Their Hollandaise is actually home made (thus, edible), with enough lemon in it to ante up the enjoyment.  Eggs Benedict is a dish not typically on their menu and appears as a very rare special.  .

I am not crazy about their home fries – if I remember, I ask not to have them, or to substitute with those (admittedly unhealthy but I like ’em anyway) tater tots.  (Note, they have discontinued the tater tots.)  The problem with the home fries is that they are bland and flavorless.  You can ask for onions to be cooked with them, but frankly, onions need to be added in advance of such preparation so that the flavor can meld with the spuds.

Breakfast choices also include pancakes, French toast, oatmeal with a bunch of additions, and… And the coffee is very good.   Maple syrup is a given (not that high fructose corn syrup stuff!)   Pancakes are served with the option of blueberry, strawberry, banana add-ins, chocolate chip or nut add-ins.  They also have Elvis-style pancakes, which would be exactly as you’d expect – and something I don’t conceive my ever ordering, even for the sake of any requests via this blog!  The French toast comes as a sandi with cheddar and ham inside – I like ham but I love sausage, so I switch the ham out for sausage.

They also cook up home made biscuits and some other breads.  Their menu item, Southern biscuits and sausage gravy, contains their homemade biscuits.  (I haven’t tried this yet.  I have to be seriously in the mood for that ratio of bread and that level of heaviness…)

Lunches – I am not often going to go for lunch, but…

My favorite is their vegetarian chili.  Absolutely perfect.  You can make it vegan by opting out of the optional cheese or sour cream toppings.

The BLT is great for take out on-the-road.

The steak sandwich (I have it on toasted rye or sourdough) is very good, although I have once run into a chewy piece.  But overall, a keeper.

The burger is very good, and I can have it on toast/grilled, instead of a bun.  I generally don’t like buns – Actually, I seriously dislike buns – the food to bread ratio doesn’t sit well with me.  But you can order just about whatever type of bread material they have that suits your fancy here.  The burger also works fine to eat on the road.  And I do have to clarify something – they actually home-bake the buns here!  This one truly tasted good! First time in my entire life I’ve actually LIKED a hamburger bun!

Staff are friendly, and they develop a rapport with regulars.  Bathrooms are clean.  Open six days a week from 7 am to 2 pm, but probably closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and occasionally they take other pre-announced days off.   Closed Tuesdays.  Early weekday mornings there may only be a cook and a waitperson there.  They also own another restaurant in town, Chester Common Table, open Wednesdays through Sundays in the evenings.  At some point I hope to be reviewing that one, too.

As with most diners, vegetarians will fare far better than vegans.  There is a vegetarian sausage option listed for breakfast – check to see if it is also vegan, should you need this.  That lunch time vegetarian chili is also vegan (just don’t ask for cheese or sour cream as a topping…)  I believe there’s a veggie burger patty option, too.  There are a number of lunch salads, which to be honest, I have yet to try.  Then again when I am there at lunchtime, I am usually on the road doing takeout, and salads are hard to eat while driving!

They usually have a good and varied selection of site-baked muffins, pastries, brownies (this one is gluten-free), and croissants.  While I avoid sweets at breakfast, I have taken some home to eat as dessert with dinner.

Carm’s Restaurant, 241 Route 20, Chester, MA, 01011 

Hours:  Wednesday through Monday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.  Closed Tuesdays.

Rating, 4.25 stars.