Rosco's — Restaurant in Chelmsford

My girlfriend and I decided to do a "Diner Crawl" last year and track where we go and rate the food and service that we get. Today we went to Rosco's in Chelmsford Center because we had seen it driving by but for some reason it never comes up in Google searches of "diners near us." Maybe I know why now.

We had breakfast there this morning and it started off pleasant enough. The restaurant is nice enough inside but we had no idea what was to come.

We usually order a veggie omelette for my girlfriend with seriously burnt dry raisin toast. She likes the crunch and flavor. I usually get a Greek omelette with normal raisin toast. The waitress brought over coffee while we waited and the first cup was bitter... maybe old. The second cup was better.

When the food arrived it looked really nice. Omelettes looked nice and generous and the home fries like I like them. But... my girlfriend's toast was not burnt as requested, her veggie omelette was raw inside, and her home fries were uncooked.

We called the waitress over and she returned the toast to the kitchen and then brought the same toast back saying that the chef wouldn't burn the toast. A second waitress came over when we discovered that the veggie omelette was raw and was about take it away leaving us with the impression that she thought that my girlfriend didn't want breakfast, which was wrong. We told her otherwise.

When her omelette came back it appeared not to be the same. Less veggies and my girlfriend said it tasted funny. When we looked at the toast, it was normally toasted and not burnt. The waitress said "it was the policy of the chef NOT to burn the toast!" We have reviewed 20 diners in the last year and have NEVER EVER been told that the chef wouldn't burn the toast because of HIS policy! Sure the waitresses at the other diners smiled or laughed but we got what we wanted.

As for my Greek Omelette, when I got towards the middle, mine was a little raw as well. I didn't finish my omelette either.

This makes me wonder if the chef EVER makes food the way his PAYING CUSTOMERS want their food! My guess is only if it suits him which is a really sad commentary and they should probably close up shop.

When the waitress came back with the check she didn't even ask us what was wrong with my girlfriend's omelette seeing that she didn't eat it beyond one bite. Maybe she knew it wouldn't matter as the chef wouldn't make it right.

If I could rate them a 0 I would, but we won't be going back. I'm not sure how they could be rated a 4.5 on Google... they deserve much less of a rating if this is how they normally operate. They really blew this first and only time visit. We are really disappointed as it looks like a really cute place driving by.

August 2022 3 years later and have never been back. Don't bother. Worst diner experience ever! It's too bad he spoiled our experience, and was too proud to make breakfast the way we wanted. We were not unreasonable over a piece of toast, and properly cooked omelets.

This is the longest review I've ever written.

Too many better places nearby to...

So Rosco's. I'm honestly conflicted here. I've been a few times now and unfortunately, I'm going to use the term "hit or miss" because I try to give a place a few chances before leaving a review. I think it's unfair to negatively judge a place after one visit(unless I have a truly bad experience like the staff is rude or there's something not-food in my food) because we all have bad days and I know there's been a few times that I'd have liked a second chance. Or third.

So I'll start with the food. The portions are very generous so if you're looking to leave with left overs this is a place for you. Not that the food is bad, but it's your generic breakfast which, to me is good, but you could really go to any diner to get it. On a scale, I'd give it a 7/10. There are a few different things you won't find elsewhere, but they weren't things that interest me, but you might! Give them a try and let me know.

Now the service. Out of 4 visits, twice everything was great. The staff was friendly and accommodating and our food came out hot and I told myself I will come back for this. I come back however many days later and I sit at the bar, wait 15 minutes and there is no one. Other patrons have their food and are eating and I'm sitting there confused so I got up and left. Cue next visit which is the next great visit just like the first. Cue last visit. Same as the second. No staff around and I'm waiting until a gentleman comes from the back, pours some coffee for other patrons, looks me dead in the eye(awkward smile ice breaker), says nothing, goes back to the kitchen and I don't see him or anyone else for another 15 so I got up and left.

Take it as you will, but I think Rosco's could be great if they can overcome their staffing issues because the food is good and fairly priced, especially due to the large portions. I'm sure I'll try again in the future because I'm always open to changing my reviews and upping that star count, but for now, I'm going to stick with the 3/5 leaning towards recommending it opposed to skipping it for...

Two Issues:

1. There is a handwritten cardboard sign at the door saying that prices will be one dollar higher than listed on the menu. That was unfortunate, but did not chase us away. The bigger problem was that the sign failed to mention that they no longer serve any of the lunch or dinner options from the menu. We found out about "breakfast only" after one of us had already chosen a dinner entree. This was not just disappointing, but also time consuming, which delayed our lunch.

2. They charged $1.50 for each ice water. This is well within their rights. That said, if you are going to charge customers for something that 99.9% of restaurants give away for free...it is only fair to tell customers about it up front. Instead, we found out when we got the bill. Later, at home I found that their menu does mention the charge for ice water if you don't order another beverage. They might argue that this makes it fair. But the trouble is, based on every other restaurant, we had no reason to look at the beverage portion of the menu.

This is not rocket science. The menu does not need to win a Pulitzer prize. The wait staff does not need to speak with Julliard elocution. Basic clear & concise communication is crucial for any business that works directly with the public at large. People who choose to spend their time and money at your restaurant deserve better.

We went there after seeing on-line that they were a nearby diner that had 4.2 stars. The 3 reviews that came up on the main screen were all positive. Now that we have been there, we wish we had first read more individual reviews. I'm hoping to remember this lesson next time (and the time after that).

We will not be returning. We do not recommend...