A Welcoming Atmosphere and Hearty Portions are Hallmarks of Exeter’s Homestead Restaurant

Stepping into Homestead Restaurant for the first time feels like walking into the home of an extended family member whom you’d heard about, but had never met. With its wood-paneled walls and cloth floral curtains, the entire space radiates old-fashioned warmth, as if the place picked itself up from the days of frontiers and the Wild West, coated itself in homey amber, and walked forward through time and across the country to settle in Exeter. To the right, a great stone fireplace anchors a large dining room, and to the left, a merry crowd of regulars sip beers and laugh with the bartender. Walking in, my partner and I were two interlopers – but not for long.

Owner Georges Makhlouf rounded the bar and approached us, arms wide and smiling. He knew my name before I could greet him – as if I were one of his regulars – and he extended the same warm greeting to every new wayward soul who wandered in looking for good eats. We were ushered to a booth and given time to peruse the hefty menu. Makhlouf recommended the Surf and Turf and told us the burgers (“made with fresh meat, never frozen!”) are customer favorites.

We decided to embrace the homestyle vibes and order the classics: mozzarella sticks to start, followed by a cup of New England clam chowder and fish and chips (me), a parmesan peppercorn burger (my partner), washed down with a cranberry cosmopolitan and a Sam Adams Summer. As we waited for the “order up,” Makhlouf sat with us and shared the lore of Homestead. The restaurant was established over thirty years ago, and he took it over last March. Makhlouf used to be a regular in his University of Rhode Island days, and he has always seen Homestead as “a gem, a jewel in the middle of nowhere.” Variations of the word “home” kept cropping up in our discussion of the establishment, from the style of food to being on a first-name basis with the staff: “they know everybody, [and] everybody knows them,” Makhlouf said. Looking back at the bar, the TV theme song from Cheers started playing in my head.

The mozzarella sticks came out first – a whopping seven of them neatly stacked – and piping hot. The crispy, herb-coated breading gave way to delightfully melty, stringy cheese, and we were given enough marinara and ranch dressing to douse each bite with sauce. My cup of chowder quickly followed. Creamy, salty, and packed with potatoes, added bacon bits infused the base with a smoky finish.

The entrees arrived, portioned and served like a grandmother worried we were not

eating enough. The fish and chips came as a pyramid of three large fillets, completely covering the plate-full of thick-cut fries, almost overcrowding the dish of sweet and crunchy coleslaw. The fillets were incredibly flakey, and moist. The tang and zing of the tartar sauce was perfect; my meal could not have been more classic unless it came wrapped in newspaper. The parmesan peppercorn burger looked picture-perfect with sauce slathered across the bottom bun, topped by a thick, juicy, perfectly cooked patty. With lettuce, pickle, and more fries, this was the
epitome of “burger.”

Though dessert was on the menu, neither of us could think about another bite, and indeed, I brought my leftovers home for round two the next day. One would be wise to come hungry, stay a while, and definitely bring Tupperware.

 

Homestead Restaurant & Bar

750 South County Trail, Exeter

401-294-7810 • HomesteadExeter.com