Food: Boston Market

You've probably heard about "jumping the shark," but in my family, we also apply the concept to restaurants and restaurant chains. That is, when a new place to eat opens, it typically starts out very strong, but then, as the realities (and operating costs) of running an eatery take their toll, the quality of the food diminishes. Boston Market, a fairly large fast-casual chain that sells rotisserie chicken and other related dishes, is one good example.

The time Boston Market jumped the shark was when it switched its name from "Boston Chicken" to "Boston Market." Hitherto, it had only supplied chicken; unfortunately, the menu expanded to encompass turkey, meatloaf, and all sorts of crap. Coupled with the problems experienced by Kenny Rogers Roasters, good fast-casual chicken dropped off the face of the map.

I ate at a local Boston Market recently, just to see if anything had changed. The chicken was decent, with a sweet roasted skin. It was a smidge dry but certainly serviceable. The sides were a bit overbuttered, but okay in all other respects. The food still didn't catch my palette like "Boston Chicken" had in the early '90s (we used to go there quite often). Still, the price was okay ($7 for a half-chicken, two sides, and a roll), so it's worth a look if you feel like chicken.

2/4 stars