Burtons Grill’s Burlington location sets itself apart

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When Burtons Grill opened in the newly renovated Middlesex Commons shopping center in December, it became the chain’s seventh location in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Virginia. However, rather than have the Burlington restaurant blend in as a mirror image of its counterparts, general manager Christopher Little said, the goal is to have it stand out.

The Peabody location, for example, makes homemade pizza and stromboli in a wood-fired oven. The Nashua site features a larger bar, with 32 seats. The Hingham restaurant is in the open-air Derby Street Shoppes. The elevated patio at the Burtons Grill in North Andover overlooks the Eaglewood Shops along Route 114.

In Burlington, three high-top booths, each with seating for eight, have a front-row view of the bustling kitchen. Little said the smaller size of the 210-seat restaurant also contributes to the intimate feeling at the location.

“When you’re perceived as part of a chain, you lose that local connection. Our goal is to endear ourselves with superior food, service, value, and community involvement,’’ said Little, noting that $1,500 was donated from the opening day’s food sales to a Burlington-based nonprofit, People Helping People Inc. “There’s more than one of us, but this is your Burtons Grill.’’

As our two-person party discovered on a recent Wednesday evening, Burtons can provide different experiences according to individual preferences. The ambience and menu alike reflect a concept that Little describes as “casual for the guest, but upscale for us.’’ Diners around us were enjoying everything from burgers and beer to steaks with a bottle of wine.

Our waiter certainly made us feel like we were enjoying fine dining, providing precise wine service and demonstrating confident knowledge of the menu in a friendly, unpretentious manner. We trusted his recommendations and were not disappointed.

Among the appetizers, the grilled stuffed zucchini ($9) is thin slices of zucchini grilled until slightly softened, rolled with herbed goat cheese, baked in a casserole dish with a chunky yet slightly sweet marinara sauce, and topped with Parmesan cheese that is browned to give the dish a little crunch. The snap of the zucchini, softness of the cheese, and chunks of tomato provided a pleasing trio of textures.