MBA Member of the Month – October 2008
Sadler's Ordinary Restaurant

Marlborough’s Sadler’s Ordinary, located on North Main Street in the Marlborough Barn complex, is a restaurant with a rich history and its own set of regulars.  “Our customer base is steady,” explains owner Kevin Haggerty.  “We know them all by name.”  Haggerty stepped in as owner and chef of Sadler’s fourteen years ago, working side by side with his wife of twenty-nine years, Nancy, whose dining room know-how has helped him tremendously.  The two met at the Blacksmith Tavern in Glastonbury, where Haggerty was working as a chef.

Jay Shea, the original owner of Sadler’s, built the restaurant to replicate an old country house, complete with hardwood floors and two fire places.  He learned that the original  Sadler’s Ordinary was built in the seventeenth century on the shores of Lake Terramuggus as a place for travelers along the route between Hartford and New London to stop for a meal and a rest.

Previously, the menu at Sadler’s consisted mainly of casual fair, with items such as hot dogs and hamburgers.  While Haggerty has maintained that feel, preparing plenty of comfort meals like chicken potpie (his most popular item on the menu), he also offers his customers a more gourmet experience.  Customers can enjoy grilled leg of lamb, Beef Wellington, one of eight designer salads, and a variety of fresh daily seafood specials.  All of this can be topped off with one of Sadler’s five daily home baked desserts.  Customers can also try something different and stop in for Sadler’s Sunday breakfast. 

For the last seven years, Sadler’s has been Zagat quality rated, and its local, farm-to-table ingredients keep customers coming back for more.  Despite the closing of the Marlborough Barn, Sadler’s will continue offering a high-quality dining experience for its customers, as it has for the past fourteen years.  Haggerty is enthusiastic about his upcoming plans to expand the restaurant, which will include an outside terrace.

When asked what he enjoys most about his work, Haggerty answers, “It’s all I’ve done since I was sixteen.  It’s in me.  I’m here at six every morning because I can’t wait to get here.” 

Right now, Sadler’s is in the middle of its yearly October Fest.  During this time, customers can try a variety of Bavarian fare and choose from six different kinds of German beers.  October Fest is Sadler’s busiest time of year.  Haggerty looks forward to seeing his regulars and always welcomes new faces, as well.  He invites those who haven’t yet come to Sadler’s to visit the restaurant’s website at www.eatatsadlers.com for more information.  Here, visitors can view the menu, get directions, make reservations and even find some recipes.      

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