Wings, chopped cheese sandwich: Bearded Chicken restaurant serves up creative menu, funky vibes

SOMERSET — Family, funky farmhouse vibes, and wings — lots of wings.

You'll find all that and more at Somerset's newest eatery Bearded Chicken, which officially opened its doors today, Sept. 21, at 1160 GAR Highway, according to an announcement on its Facebook page.

After months of preparation, Eric Thomas, owner of the popular catering business-turned-restaurant, has finally reached the finish line.

The Swansea resident and chef said he's looking forward to unveiling all the unique and modern touches they've added to the space, a long-time town fixture that previously housed Chad's Chowderhouse.

"It's old-school farmhouse, but a modernized version of that," Thomas said.

While he doesn't want to give too much away, Thomas said they "did really cool, kind of funky things with it that we're really excited for people to see, especially locals who have seen the old Chad's."

All in the family

The Bearded Chicken operation is truly a family affair.

That brand-new sign out front featuring a plucky chicken with facial hair and shades beckoning hungry passersby to stop in was designed by Thomas’ wife Beth, who also handles their website and marketing.

Behind the counter it's a team effort — with Thomas' dad, daughter, nephew and family friends helping to keep the wheels turning smoothly — and the building remodel was a sibling project he and his brother Todd took on themselves.

"That's something we're really proud of," Thomas said. "We pretty much built this business from the ground up by ourselves. We didn't take on investors, we didn't take out major loans ... we started ground roots, word of mouth, and it spread over the years and got bigger and bigger."

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What started as a part-time gig born of Thomas' love of cooking has taken off, with more catering events each year. And now he hopes Bearded Chicken becomes a permanent fixture in town like its predecessor.

"Chad's was there for 20 years and that's kind of our plan," said Thomas, who's looking to honor that same tradition of a family-run eatery for a long time to come.

According to Thomas, a brick-and-mortar spot wasn't in his original plans — which included taking their fare on the road with a food truck — but the stars aligned this past winter when Chad's went up for sale, and he knew it was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

"That area of Somerset is really where we got our start as far as offering food to local people so it really worked out great that our building is right there, so many people already know us and it gives us a chance to bring in new customers," said Thomas, whose Bearded Chicken is a frequent flier at the town's Foodchella and Southcoast Open Air Market events.

For the time being, Bearded Chicken will be takeout only, but Thomas hopes to have his dining room renovated and ready to welcome customers in the next few months. Future plans also include an outdoor dining area by next summer.

"Right now, we really want to get open especially with football season coming for takeout, so that's kind of the goal right now. Phase Two sometime in the fall is when we'll start to get working on the dining room so we can have people eat-in," Thomas said.

What's on the menu

Since acquiring Bearded Chicken location in December, Thomas has had some time to dabble with the menu, which will feature fan favorites as well as some exciting new offerings.

On it you'll find Bearded mainstays like their wings and tenders with their scratch-made homemade sauces, selection of chicken sandwiches and creative egg rolls — everything from steak and cheese to chourico and pepper to shrimp Mozambique to sweet dessert filling.

"Our wings and our egg rolls have really been our main thing since the beginning," Thomas said.

But he'll also be shaking things up with some new Bearded Chicken staples, such as the Portuguese Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Described as "totally different from any grilled cheese you've found probably anywhere," their version is made with goat cheese and cacoila melted in between a Portuguese bolo muffin.

The Chopped Cheese Sandwich is not a familiar sight in these parts, but Thomas is looking forward to introducing SouthCoast foodies to it.

Originating in New York City bodegas, the Chopped Cheese Sandwich is like a smashburger and a steak and cheese all in one, according to Thomas. It's a chopped burger patty with caramelized onions, served on a hoagie roll with melted cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mayonnaise.

"We said instead of doing our own burger, let's bring it up another level, offer something that's a little bit different that's not offered around here right now," Thomas said.

With football season just around the corner, Thomas anticipates wings will be a top seller once doors open.

"I think that's going to be really big," he said.

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They've also revised their catering menu, which plays off their takeout offerings.

Want a sneak peek at other drool-worthy fare Bearded Chicken will be dishing out? Thomas launched a new website and takeout menu last month "to give people time to get excited about it and share it before opening."

While Thomas' goal is to keep the trailer going and continue to pop up at SouthCoast events, their focus right now is on the new building.

When can we stop in?

Hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with online ordering available, starting Sept. 21.

For a look at their menu, check out https://thebeardedchicken.com or visit their Facebook page for updates.

This article originally appeared on The Herald News: Caterer turned restaurateur opens Somerset's Bearded Chicken