In The News
Disch’s Route 53 Tavern
An every-occasion restaurant’: Disch’s Tavern in Pembroke is a local favorite
Owner Paul Disch at Disch’s Route 53 Tavern in Pembroke Greg Derr/The Patriot Ledger
Even on a Monday afternoon, Disch’s Route 53 Tavern in Pembroke was filled with chatter, laughs and the clanking of dishes.
Diners sat at tables in the large main dining room. In the center is a bar known for its martinis with house-brewed espresso. To the right, another room is set with beige table cloths, small ceramic plates and crisp rolled-up cloth napkins. Americana-like music sets the mood.
For owner Paul Disch, 71, the restaurant, serving American-style food, represents pride, respect, passion and trust. When it opened in October 2015, it was Disch’s 16th restaurant opening.
“My dad always said, ‘It’s hard work, it’s commitment, it’s consistency and a little divine intervention doesn’t hurt,'” Disch said.
Before opening Disch’s Route 53 Tavern, Disch owned the Fairview Inn in Marshfield. When the Fairview closed, all 64 of his employees traveled with him on his new adventure. Disch’s Route 53 Tavern opened in the space occupied by the former Bobby Hackett’s Restaurant on Washington Street in Pembroke.
“I want the staff to feel like family, and I want the guests to feel like family and I want the guests to know that there’s no such thing as a perfect restaurant,” Disch said.
At Disch’s Route 53 Tavern, there is an emphasis on community and consistency. This trickles down to the fine details, ensuring that the dishes, glasses, cutlery, and linens all reflect the same brand, Disch said.
Steak Tips with asparagus and potato wedges at Disch’s Route 53 Tavern. Greg Derr/ThePatriot Ledger
With two chefs, the menu ranges from soups and salads to sandwiches and steak tips to signature dishes such as jambalaya. Past specials have included chicken pot pie and turkey dinner and there is always a burger of the day.
Disch said the much of the menu reflects the old Fairview Inn lineup, with all the food prepared “by recipe.”
“It’s kind of how I grew up in it. … All the restaurants I was involved in, we did that,” Disch said. “Every dressing, every sauce, everything is made to order.”
Running the restaurant is a family affair. Disch’s daughter Lauren Disch is the restaurant’s manager. In high school, she worked at The Fairview and remembers her friends in Duxbury would drive to Marshfield to pick her up just to grab some Buffalo chicken. That dish remains a favorite at Disch’s Route 53 Tavern.
“People go crazy over our Buffalo chicken. It’s insane,” Lauren Disch said.
Paul Disch said going out to eat can get expensive. For the budget-minded, there are pizza and burgers, including the Rodeo Burger with crispy onion strings, bacon and barbecue sauce. Disch’s Route 53 Tavern has a pizza oven, differentiating it from The Fairview.
The Rodeo Burger with cheddar cheese, bacon, barbecue sauce, crispy onion strings, lettuce, tomato on a potato roll,
“One of the things about Disch’s Tavern, it’s an every-occasion restaurant. You can come here and have a small Caesar salad and split a pizza,” Disch said. “You can do whatever you want, you have that option and it has the variety.”
The menu also includes grilled steak tips made from a shoulder tenderloin.
The same cut is used for the London broil and the Uncle Joe’s Blue Steak. For those who don’t indulge in red meat, the panko chicken pasta made with linguine and chicken breast coated in panko bread crumbs and served with herb Dijon sauce with diced tomatoes is a popular choice at the restaurant.
The menu is reprinted every two weeks to accommodate the fluctuating prices. Running a restaurant amid a pandemic has been a challenge, Disch said. He credits his loyal customers and employees with carrying them through the past two years.
“It’s the people and who they are and what they do and how they perform. That’s the value and the passion that they have, and the standards that they set,” Disch said. “That’s what makes it different, that’s what we’re all about here.”
If you go
What: Disch’s Route 53 Tavern
Where: 615 Washington St., Pembroke
When: 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Info: 781-826-2532, route53tavern.com
Reach Alyssa Fell at afell@patriotledger.com.