Brickhouse offers slice of decency

Small+pizza+with+savory+bacon

Small pizza with savory bacon

Andrew Friel, Managing Editor

Brickhouse Pizza, not to be confused with Brickhouse Center pizza, is located at 67 Middlesex Street in North Chelmsford. The restaurant was opened in 1996 and named after the owner’s son’s nickname when he played football in high school.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, as a group a group of five, we noticed the area was a bit run down and off in a corner next to train tracks.

Entering the restaurant, there were only a few tables and a secluded back room that had a few tables as well. One long counter had several employees ready to take orders, as the location was busy on a Friday night. The ordering process was made worse by the lack of a menu board, and we were forced to take paper menus and stand awkwardly in the middle of the space to order our food. It also took a few minutes for everyone to order their food.

After placing our order in the rather chaotic setup, we sat down in the back room where a TV was located. Fortunately, we didn’t have to wait too long for our order, which consisted of side orders or french fries and chicken tenders, a chicken cordon bleu, a Thanksgiving sub, a small bacon pizza, and a steak bomb sub. These were delayed in their arrival due to differing times of when we each ordered our food.

Despite all the issues, we were surprised by the quality of the food served to us at this establishment. The chicken tender side was rather small for a side order, but had its own unique flavor that set it apart from other places like it. This unique flavor removed the need for seasonings to almost non existent. However, the side of French fries lacked in initial  flavor without seasoning, but had a great crunch that was extremely satisfying. This crispiness allowed us to see beyond the lack of flavor and enjoy that satisfying crunch that can be difficult to find at many establishments similar to Brickhouse.

The chicken cordon bleu was at a good temperature and the chicken was just as good as that of the side order. The chicken’s unique flavor and the quality ham made this a pleasing sandwich. While there was some initial concern regarding buying a sandwich like this from a location like Brickhouse, those fears were quelled upon the first bite into this meal.

The Thanksgiving sub, consisting of all the helpings such as cranberry sauce, and turkey from Thanksgiving dinner tables, was deemed inferior to the D’Angelo’s rendition. One note was that it was cold and did not need to be because of the ingredients within. However, this sandwich was still rated as high quality and would be ordered again.

The small bacon pizza contained great juicy bacon was a great size for the price paid. The cheese was quality and the crust was also crispy and delicious.

Lastly, the steak bomb sub had a few too many peppers to be the best possible, but was overall a quality sub due to the quality of the meat and bread. The size of this sandwich was also a plus, as it offered a satisfying amount of food that wasn’t too little for a teenage appetite, but at the same time was not an overwhelming amount of food to be consumed in one sitting.

With its somewhat unfavorable location and tough ordering process on busy nights, this place can seem like a tough choice considering its competition in Chelmsford and surrounding towns. However, if you live closer to it, this is a decent option for lunch and dinner on the weekends, but expect to wait in a line at the chaotic counter. The Ghostwriter would give this pizza joint a three out of five stars.

Brickhouse Pizza can be reached by phone at 978-251-0480 or on their website at brickhousechelmsford.com.