Living on the South Shore for almost ten years now, one of my most memorable and reliable dining experiences has been at the Scarlet Oak Tavern in Hingham, Massachusetts. The tavern intrigued me since moving to the area, a colonial house with attached back building and barn. Even though located just off the busy Queen Anne’s Corner, Route 228 on the Hingham/Norwell town line, the homestead with its rustic look adorned at night by small white lights exudes coziness. Recently, I went back after a few years and the food and ambiance were as good as ever.
Winter and late fall is the perfect backdrop for the tavern. The building exudes colonial charm, from the large, creaking plank floorboards which slightly slant from the age of the house to the warmth of the blazing fireplace. The welcoming atmosphere and coziness abound before even sitting down.
When entering through the doors, the area directly on the right is the tavern. The tavern has a large bar that is popular with the after-work drink crowd. Scattered in this area are tables of different heights and shapes. The tavern menu is more focused on sandwiches and smaller dishes than the dining room. The specialty drinks are seasonally focused with selections like the Raspberry Fizz in the warmer months and the Apple Cider Martini in the colder ones. The sandwiches are far from run-of-the-mill, chicken sandwiches with a tasty dressing and fresh avocado, mouth-wateringly delicious BBQ brisket sliders so tender that chewing is an afterthought.
Steak Frites- my go-to dish
Although the main courses can be had at the tavern, the dining room is the main venue for dinner, both upstairs and down. The menu runs the gamut from fresh farm to table options including crispy pot pie, succulent plank salmon, a variety of steaks, and my personal favorite, the hangar steak. This steak is sliced into long, thin pieces and is incredibly tender, succulent, and delicious. It is served with Belgian-style frites; thin French fries dressed in rosemary truffle oil and a simple green arugula salad lightly invigorated with a house-made dressing.
Overall the Scarlet Oak Tavern dining experience is one of the finest on the South Shore. It is the location where I go to show guests what the region has to offer. It is a fantastic mix of colonial, cozy, fresh, and scrumptious.
Looking for more ideas to do in Hingham? Try Wompatuck State Park. Or check out my new book here which dedicates a whole chapter to the seacoast village.
