M3 - a Different Type of Southern in Davis Square

There always seems to be trends in new restaurant openings in Boston.  Recent years have seen a bunch of Mexican spots popping up, but the ones I'm most excited for are the Southern-inspired locations.  Having been to many of these, including Tupelo and Sweet Cheeks, when our friends G and J wanted to check out M3 (aka, Meat n' Three) with food hailing from Nashville, who was I to say no?

Beer Can Hen - How Cool?!

Located off of Davis Square, we arrived at around 7:30 on a weekday night and were fortunate to be sat straight away.  With an eclectic mix of decor dominated by chalk board walls with the specials of the day and other helpful info (like directions to the bathroom and the wait list) it's a fun but relaxed vibe.

The Wait & The Rules

Specials

Most in our group stuck with beer because M3 has an extensive list of delicious beers to tempt.  I, however, went with the Hard Apple Cider special.  The perfect hot drink to help welcome the cold weather, this had a great taste that could get dangerous - the drink tastes just like apple cider with only a small twist!

Hard Apple Cider

J is a very adventurous eater (he is the one who introduced me to the questionable preserved egg).  So when he saw frog's legs on the menu, he threw it out there as a table order.  Having never tried them, I was game - when in Rome, right?  The frogs' legs were served with a buttermilk and cornmeal crust and red harissa dipping sauce.  I know everyone says this about anything out of the ordinary, but these really did taste like a chicken wing, only a bit smaller and, in this case, a bit more tender.  I'm definitely happy I tried this!

Frog's Legs

For our main courses, rather than getting a variety of appetizers and house specialties we decided to go with the traditional entrees.  With each entree you get your choice of three "fixin's," a ton of food for less than $18!  Below, are the brussel sprouts, lime garlic chili fries and a biscuit topped with apple butter.  The fries had a great spice to them and the brussel sprouts were tender and delicious (I have fully converted!).  The biscuit was only OK - not my favorite  With so many other fixin's to choose from, this would not be part of my next order.

Fixin's!

Nick got the Country Fried Steak made with grass-fed beef and topped with a saw mill gravy.  This was a HUGE plate of food!  The steak was cooked well and the batter was tasty.  When he ordered, Nick thought it was going to come with a thick, white gravy.  This brown pan gravy was still plenty tasty, though he thought it might be better suited for a turkey.  This was still a great, filling dish though!

Country Fried Steak

J and I both got the Beer Can Hen.  After seeing it served to a different table, I could not resist!  Cooked and served right over an open Porkslap beer can and topped with a slab of honey butter.  This chicken was moist and delicious.  The presentation alone made it worth it, but the taste matched the expectations.  I got about half way and had to toss in the towel because I was so full.  This is a definite order!

Beer Can Hen

We totally enjoyed our meal at M3.  A fun and inventive menu at a great price point makes it an easy place to visit time and again.  I would highly recommend checking out M3.  I am already looking for at a date for brunch; the reviews look promising!