by Alice Bartram ·
Friday, April 4, 2025
The Bull Run in Shirley is another institution in our backyard. We’ve been there a few times over the years, most recently for Sunday brunch, and have always appreciated its New England ambiance, classic fare—and entertainment.
Our first experience at The Bull Run was about a year after we had moved to Harvard. We dropped the girls off at what was the Fall Fest and went for dinner, based on the recommendation of a neighbor. My husband ordered the turkey dinner, with all the fixings, which he enjoyed thoroughly. (He still talks about it!) I don’t remember what I ordered, but I do remember the experience of a very cozy old New England setting, with attentive service. Low-beamed ceilings, wide wooden plank flooring, fireplaces—all right out of Currier & Ives. According to The Bull Run website, tired and thirsty travelers have been stopping there along Shirley’s Great Road since 1740, and the inn was the first stop on the Boston-to-Albany stagecoach route in the 1800s.
A few years after our first visit, a production company was shooting one of those formulaic holiday movies and needed extras for some scenes shot at The Bull Run. One of my daughters and I signed up—it was a fun experience getting to see a little behind the scenes of a movie production. On a break, we walked around outside a bit, checking out the covered bridge, which my husband and I had somehow missed on our first visit. Again, oh so New England.
In between, I have always been amazed by the musical acts that make their way through the place: Livingston Taylor, Suzanne Vega, the somewhat local Melissa Ferrick, and more. As I write this, I realize that younger readers may be thinking, “Who?!” Suffice to say that the bands are likely to appeal mainly to those of a certain age. Bands and other entertainment have their own area and own menu, which is a subset of the dinner menu, focused on sandwiches and pizza.
When our younger daughter graduated from Bromfield, she chose The Bull Run for our celebratory dinner. We enjoyed classics such as chicken Parmesan, mac and cheese, and fish and chips. We noted that the menu highlighted their many New England sources, listing almost 40 New England-based vendors and others from the greater Northeast.
More recently, my family treated me to a birthday brunch at The Bull Run. We were seated almost exactly where we sat on our first visit (prompting another turkey dinner comment from my husband). We settled in and checked out the varied brunch menu, which offers plenty of choice, whether you are in the mood for something more breakfasty, with lots of egg options and several sweeter offerings, or closer to lunch, with burgers, sandwiches, and a few entrees, such as a breakfast quesadilla or fried chicken and waffles. One daughter and I settled on omelets (Mediterranean for her; Alpine for me), our other daughter went for the Benedict burger, and my husband chose the eggs Irish.
Our omelets were really big—the menu said they were made with three eggs, but we were sure more were used—and very cheesy. A sort of pillowy comfort food to start the day. The Mediterranean had spinach, tomatoes, feta, and peppers; the Alpine included mushrooms, ham, and Swiss cheese.
The Benedict burger—house blend burger topped with a fried egg, bacon, lettuce, and onion—was sort of a combo breakfast and lunch. It was served with a generous portion of hollandaise on the side. This was a touch my daughter appreciated. She really enjoyed her burger, noting it was perfectly cooked (medium). The bite I had was very flavorful.
Eggs Irish is a twist on the classic eggs Benedict, with corned beef hash instead of the typical ham. My husband loves hash generally and spoke highly of Bull Run’s house-made version.
Egg dishes are served with home fries and toast can be added to any order. My request for toast instead of home fries was easily accommodated. Sandwiches and burgers have a lot of side choices; my daughter went for the sweet potato fries.
We left fully satisfied and with a warm feeling of hospitality. A quick walk down to the covered bridge, and our visit was complete. If you are looking for a cozy New England dining experience with classic fare, check out The Bull Run.
Alice Bartram leaves much of the cooking to her husband, though has many Instagram-saved recipes that she’ll get to one day as, really, she finds eating out more fun than cooking.