Quatman's

                Since 1966, the little pub at the corner of Quatman and Montgomery Rd. in Norwood has been serving up one of the best burgers at some of the best prices around. With a total of 15 items on the menu (if you count the served only on Friday fish sandwich) and daily specials, including the cheeseburger special three days a week, it is easy to choose your meal, a tasty delight that won’t put even a small dent into your wallet.

                The owners have done the almost unthinkable; they have opened a new location in Mason at 224 West Main St.  And they’ve tried to do the equally unthinkable; make it identical to the old one. The original in Norwood has a homey décor of what it is, a neighborhood corner pub. With enough TVs for everyone to see the game from wherever they’re sitting, whether it’s a table or a booth (all have the same red and white checked table cloth).  The new location, though located in the heart of old Mason, doesn’t have the same feel, at least not yet. It’s more open and airy with the bar secluded behind a patrician.

                Still, both feature the same menu and service with the food served on the finest of China, paper plates. Literally the food comes on paper plates.

                Recently I had the opportunity to compare the two Quatmans. My friend Chuck Neal, a long time diner at the original, now lives in Mason and invited to me lunch. Then, the next day, Josh and I headed over to the original. I must say, it was quite a delicious couple of days.

Josh

            Quatmens in Norwood has been a great local burger joint for quite a long time, 40 years to be exact. I first experienced Quatmens when my father and I first got into the journey of going to all the car shows we could find, and get to. After my first experience with the amazing seating arrangement, steel chairs at simple tables, and the exquisite fine china, paper plates and drinks by the can, I was hooked for life. The simplicity of the restaurant is quickly outpaced by the great tasting food. The garden at Quatmens does not include lettuce and tomato, the one and only downside to eating there. Despite this the flavorful, juicy, and perfectly cooked meat makes that setback almost non-existent. Quatmens fries are exactly what they should be, a side to the meal. They are well fried and crispy, they don’t put salt on the fires so the customer can do that themselves. Also they help accent the delicious burger without coming close to overpowering it. Quatmens is a definite must have before one leaves Norwood; highly recommended and well worth the drive.

Mark

                Right up front I have to point out that no matter how hard they have tried, the burger I had at the original in Norwood location was better. Not that the Mason burger was bad but…. Well, let me explain.

                The true Quatman burger is thick and juicy and very tasty. Both were but the Mason burger was a little less juicy as though it had been cooked a little too long and caused it to be a little dried out. Now this is in comparison to the original Quatman burger. The one I had in Mason could stand up against just about any burger in the region. Still, the comparison has to hold and since I ate them on back to back days they were both fresh, as they say, in my memory.

They did offer up lettuce and tomato in Mason that they don’t have at Norwood, and it was crispy. They serve up the same soft bun and flavorful American cheese. They even have the same crispy thin shoestring fries. The fries in Mason, though, tasted just a little old.

Granted I ate at both establishments during lunch time but the Mason restaurant was on a beautiful Friday when a lot of people were out and enjoying the weather. The next day was raining hard and so the crowd at the Norwood location was down.

One thing to remember about Quatman’s is that every day they have a special. Most days it’s the burger but when we were at Mason it was the fish. I’m not sure if it was the crowd or fact that they were serving up a lot of fish but our service at the Mason restaurant was slower than at Norwood (I have always gotten fast service at the Norwood location). Still, we didn’t have to wait any longer than you would expect at a chain restaurant.

Perhaps it was all subconscious. I’ve been eating at the Norwood Quatman’s for years and just maybe I don’t want it to be as good. Or maybe it is the fact that the Mason kitchen, especially the grill, isn’t as old and broken in as the one in Norwood. Who knows? My friend Chuck has dined at both quite often and he swears that they are just the same. So too do a couple of the employees at the Norwood location. Another friend and Norwood resident, Amy Cribbs, has the opposite opinion. She and her family is self-proclaimed “anti-Mason.” To explain she said, “They got all fancy with lettuce and tomato!” Actually it doesn’t matter at which location you dine, any Quatman’s burger is going to be one of the best burgers you can eat.