T-Bones celebrates 25 years with new menu

It’s T-Bones 25th anniversary, and since it’s our own local, southern New Hampshire chain, we felt it was right to check out its 20 new menu items and all the fun stuff the restaurant is doing to celebrate.

It never fails. T-Bones, despite the economy or the weather or the time of year, is full with customers, and you have to figure that is a lot to celebrate.

The first T-Bones opened in Salem in 1984, with the Hudson location coming two years later. Now there are five restaurants in the state, as well as the company’s other eatery, Tex-Mex Cactus Jack’s.

For locals, T-Bones is Hudson’s version of Cheers. Everybody may not know the patrons’ names, but every patron knows T-Bones inside and out. Residents here have been chomping down the on the restaurant’s tried-and-true menu items like the Chicken Quesadilla appetizer ($8.99) and the iconic CBC – Chicken Bacon Cheddar Sandwich – with homemade potato chips ($9.99), which have been on the menu since the get-go.

They know they can go there any day of the week with a date or with the kids or grandma and grandpa, and everyone is going to get something they like, including a free piece of chocolate cake on your birthday.

And the community has benefited from its charitable presence. The chain has donated more than $1 million to local charities since it opened.

T-Bones decided to spend the whole year celebrating its anniversary by passing on all kinds of deals and specials to its customers. Every Monday and Tuesday, and school vacation weeks, kids eat free. How cool is that? If you turn 25 this year, you get 25 percent off your meal on your birthday and your table gets a free piece of chocolate cake on the 25th of the month. And there are cooking contests, too. To check out all the anniversary perks, go to www.tbonesis25.com.

But being restaurant critics and all, we decided to recognize the eatery’s birthday by checking out some of the 20 or so new items T-Bones has added to celebrate its silver anniversary.

There are five new appetizers. Once only a side, T-Bones has decided to make the hand battered jumbo onion rings into a full-blown starter for $4.99. It’s also added Fried Mozzarella ($5.99), Artichoke and Spinach Dip ($6.99), Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls ($7.99) and the two appetizers we ordered, Wing It! ($8.99) and “Bouch”etta Bread ($5.99).

The Wing It! is a dozen or so deep fried chicken wings made with your choice of up to two sauces, including buffalo, chipotle barbecue, maple citrus and Tiki style, with no sauce.

On our server’s recommendation, we went the Tiki route and were thrilled that we did. Just because these had no sauce did not mean the had no flavor. These were marinated in Asian spices and hot, crispy and not too greasy. They were served with carrots and celery sticks and a side of homemade ranch dressing. These were utterly satisfying and addicting.

The “Bouch”etta ($5.99) was just as good, if not better. Named for T-Bones owner, Tom Boucher, a bruschetta fan, this version of the rustic is made warm grilled sourdough bread, brushed with imported olive oil, topped with slices of fresh mozzarella, oven-roasted grape tomatoes, fresh basil, cracked black pepper and sea salt and then baked just a little. It was perfection. The thickly cut bread had a great smoky taste from the grill, which just switched on all the flavors of the sweet tomato, fresh basil and creamy mozzarella. We’ll go back for this again and again.

There are also a variety of creative new salads and sandwiches, as well as entrees, on the menu. On an earlier visit, Mrs. T for T really enjoyed her Asian Fusion Salad ($9.99), romaine lettuce and shredded cabbage tossed in a sesame dressing and finished with crunchy chow mein noodles, almonds, shredded carrot and crispy citrus-honey-glazed chicken. This makes for a meal that is light in the stomach but bright with fresh flavors.

The restaurant has also added Salmon Sliders ($8.99) and a New York “Garbage Plate” Burger ($9.99) to its burger menu, the latter made with two pieces of pan-seared meatloaf topped with fried potato wheels, coleslaw, buffalo sauce, red onion and melted American cheese, served on a grilled roll with homemade potato chips.

For our night out, Mr. T for T indulged in the new Baked Lobster Mac ’n’ Cheese ($14.99), homemade macaroni and cheese with a Parmesan Alfredo sauce and lots of lobster meat, served with fresh steamed broccoli. This might sound weird, but it was truly tasty – kind of like lobster Newburg with noodles. The broccoli was a nice touch of lightness in a hearty meal.

Mrs. T for T went in a different direction with the new Roasted Veggie Pizza ($9.99) on the Just Enough for Not Too Much portion of the menu, another of our efficient server’s suggestions. Made with a hearty multigrain crust, the pizza is topped with a very light, almost bechamel, sauce, with baby spinach, artichoke hearts, baby bellas, red onion and oven-roasted grape tomatoes topped with melted mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. This was the best veggie pizza we have ever tasted – loaded with fresh flavors and wonderful textures.

While we saw no “new” sign next to it, we were unfamiliar with the New Hampshire Made Belgian Waffle ($3.99) on the dessert menu, but it seemed to be the perfect cold weather confection – golden crispy Belgian waffles topped with French vanilla ice cream, real New Hampshire maple syrup, caramel sauce, cinnamon pecans and dried cranberries.

And did we mention that because it was a Tuesday night, Junior T for T ate his kid’s grilled cheese meal with a cookie and a choice of French fries or applesauce for free? That was a $4.99 savings, and it was like getting a present.

So if you’ve always been a T-Bones fan or if, unlikely as it seems, you’ve never walked in there, you might want to join the staff for the restaurant’s silver anniversary celebration. If a restaurant has kept its doors open and its tables full for 25 years, it must be doing something right.