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Phantom Gourmet: Speedwell Tavern In Plymouth

PLYMOUTH - Jordan Chabot loves to tell a bad joke.

"So two peanuts walk into a bar. One was a salted."

"Horse walks into a bar. The bartender says why the long face?"

He won't be headlining a comedy club anytime soon, but you will find him working the room at The Speedwell Tavern in Plymouth. Named after the sister ship of the Mayflower, Speedwell is a super laid-back spot with a high-energy bar lined with flat screen TVs, and a casual dining room where you can kick back with some hot food and cold beers.

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In the back, you'll find a mural commemorating all of those classic bad bar jokes Jordan loves to tell.

"Everything you see in this mural here is a punchline. Some of them are not as G Rated, but kind of a great accent to the whole place."

While they do enjoy a bad joke from time to time, they also love creating the best comfort food on the South Shore.

"Overall, it's a pretty laid back menu," Jordan said. "It's come in, get a snack, get a burger, grab a nice craft beer, and just enjoy yourself."

Speedwell Tavern, Phantom Gourmet
Chicken Wings are the specialty at Speedwell Tavern (Image: Phantom Gourmet)

The specialty of the house is most definitely the chicken wings. You can get their addictive wings in 23 varieties of sauces and rubs, from the Sesame and Garlic, to Portuguese Mozambique, Sriracha, Salt & Vinegar, even a rub that tastes a lot like a classic brunch beverage, the Bloody Mary.

For a less messy way to get all of that Buffalo flavor, you can opt for the crispy Buffalo Chicken Eggrolls, or wrap your mouth around the Buffy the Chicken Slayer Sandwich.

Speedwell Tavern, Phantom Gourmet
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich at Speedwell Tavern (Image: Phantom Gourmet)

"It's our over-the-top buffalo chicken sandwich," Jordan explained. "It's a giant pounded out chicken breast, double battered, deep-fried, tossed in our Buffalo hot sauce, fried jalapenos, our homemade bleu cheese on a sesame bun with lettuce and tomato. It's a monster of a sandwich."

If burgers are more your thing, Speedwell has you covered with over-the-top specials, cooked perfectly on an open flame.

Depending upon the day, you can get concoctions like the Crunch Burger topped with crispy lattice chips, melted jack cheese, chipotle aioli and bacon. For even more texture, order the Egg Roll Burger.

Speedwell Tavern, Phantom Gourmet
Egg Roll Burger at Speedwell Tavern (Image: Phantom Gourmet)

"We took Wonton, we cut it into small strips, deep fry it, get it nice and crispy," Jordan said. "Toss it in a Chinese Five Spice. Put it on a burger with Swiss cheese, cabbage, shredded carrots and our sesame garlic sauce. A little bit of scallion on top. You're getting that whole Pu Pu Platter on a hamburger."

If you want a flame-grilled burger that tastes like victory, nothing hits the spot quite like The Brady Burger.

"For the Brady burger we need onion rings. It had four rings on it. Now it'd got five," Jordan said. "We douse them in our Gold Wing sauce and a little bit of bacon, because the only thing greater than Brady is probably bacon."

Since Jordan hails from Fall River, you can be sure there is plenty of Portuguese on the menu, from super fresh Shrimp Mozambique served over rice, to something known only as Vavo's Hangover Cure.

Speedwell Tavern, Phantom Gourmet
Vavo's Hangover Cure at Speedwell Tavern (Image: Phantom Gourmet)

"Vavo is Portuguese for grandmother," Jordan said, then listed the ingredients. "Some of our homemade chips doused in Mozambique sauce, with shrimp and chicken. It's just enough to get you over the hump, to take that hangover edge off."

Whether you come to cure your hangover, or to eventually end up with one, you'll find one happy owner along the way at The Speedwell Tavern.

"I enjoy myself when I'm at a restaurant," Jordan said. "It's great. You get to be social. You get to eat. You get to drink. What's better than that?"

You can find Speedwell Tavern at 47 Main Street in Plymouth, and online at speedwellplymouth.com.

Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.

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