The New Towne Tavern and Treehouse arrives in Pembroke:
Does it live up to the infamy of its predecessor?

by Jack Taylor

Recently, the widely beloved Lucky Dawg on Little Sandy Pond was replaced by the Towne Tavern and Treehouse, the second location of the restaurant owned by David Berry. I’ve visited on multiple occasions, and I have to say, the food is nothing short of incredible.

On the first visit, my mom and I went and the environment was vibrant, the staff was outgoing and friendly, and above all else, the food exceeded my expectations. For an appetizer, we ordered the chicken fingers with the Asian sweet chili. The chicken was tender, crispy, and moist, and the chili was tangy and sweet. It was not as spicy as I would have hoped, but it was amazing nonetheless. I gave the appetizer experience a 9/10 because of the lack of spice, but it was great overall.

For my éntree, I ordered the blackened chicken tacos, and they were outstanding. The chicken was well-seasoned and crispy, and they had a sort of smoky flavor. The chipotle mayo they used was spicy and a nice creamy touch, and the salsa fresca gave the taco a nice freshness component that balanced the dish out really well. My mom got the steak tips and I did not have any, but she said they were “to die for.” The main dish was a 10/10 for me, it was so good.

On the second visit, I attended with my mom and nana, and we ended up getting the chicken fingers for the appetizer again because they were so good. This time, however, I ordered the chicken and waffles. The chicken, as usual, was fried to perfection and perfectly crispy and moist, and the sweet barbecue glaze on top was delicious. However, the waffles were infused with sugar, and I felt like that combined with the sweetness of the glaze made the sweetness too overwhelming. But, the chilis on top balanced it out well, giving it a spicy component. Overall, I rated it a 7/10, and I would most definitely order it again.

On our third go, my family and I sat on the lawn chairs behind the treehouse and faced the pond. It was an incredible view and a unique way to have dinner. With no surprises here, we ordered the chicken fingers once again, and they were delightful. Every time I went, I wanted to get something different, so this time I tried the southwest chicken wrap. You can probably tell by now that I love chicken. The wrap was nicely seasoned and refreshing because many ingredients were cold and fresh, and it was a very balanced dish. I also thought the ratio of the ingredients was well done, and the taste was phenomenal. The lawn chair setting only added to the experience, so I am giving the wrap an 8.5/10.

For our most recent visit, we went inside for the first time, and we saw that the menu was expanded fully. This time around (after ordering chicken fingers of course), I ordered the chef’s fried rice. I gave the fried egg on top to my dad because I do not like eggs, but other than that, the dish was great. It was salty and umami, while also having a sweet component. My only issue with it was that it was incredibly rich, and I could have definitely used a palette cleanser of some kind to balance it out. I am giving the fried rice a 7.5/10. It was good!

I would highly recommend the Towne Tavern and Treehouse to anyone in the Pembroke area, and I would give the restaurant as a whole an 8.5/10 after four visits. The environment was amazing, and the food was great, and in my opinion, it will never be as iconic as the Lucky Dawg, but it will be a pretty great replacement.