"I am a frequent guest at Chama Grill and was disappointed to see them affected by the recent gas pipe issues in the Merrimack Valley. My wife and I decided to show our support and eat there the other night. We knew that there would be a lot of struggles re-opening the restaurant, especially with staff turnover. The hostess was clearly new to the restaurant and new to the job of hostessing , as she was being supervised by the owner. Our waitress was friendly, but apprehensive. She did not know a lot about the menu items, was slow to clear our appetizer plates, but overall not bad and something we were willing to tolerate as the business got itself upright again. There were at least 2 items they did not have on the menu (of course, the 2 items we were hoping for! . We had to wait for our wine since they apparently did not have it at the bar and needed to get it from the office . The wedge salad and mussels were very good, although I think the red sauce for the mussels and the dressing for the salad were too spicy hot. I love hot, spicy food but I think the heat overpowered the flavor of these two items and could be tempered down a little bit. My wife ordered the salmon and I ordered the shrimp fettuccine. My wife 's salmon was severely overcooked and was too dry to even contemplate eating. We sent it back, which meant I was eating alone for most of the dinner while we waited for my wife 's meal to arrive, which took another 15 minutes (not sure why it took so long to cook another piece of salmon . My fettuccine came in a large bowl and looked more like a congealed ball of starch. The lemon cream sauce was more of a thick paste than a creamy sauce. The pasta was way overcooked and continued to be cooked by the sauce, rendering it mushy and lifeless! The shrimp were also slightly overcooked and tough. I thought about sending mine back as well, but I was so hungry, decided to at least share this with my wife while we waited for her salmon. Considering the place had just re-opened and was relatively quiet on the day we went, we were really hoping for Chama Grill to shine! The staff were clearly apprehensive and trying to learn their roles. It would have been nice for the owner to stop by and talk with the diners, chat, and thank them for their support. Considering my wife had to wait another 15 minutes for her meal to be cooked, it would have been nice for the owner or staff to provide some form of service recovery (a complimentary cup of coffee or dessert . I think it will be a while before we head back to Chama Grill. I hope the owner can get things right, especially the food, otherwise I am afraid things will never be the same in what was a wonderful place to eat in North Andover."
