If you were blindfolded, do you think you could tell the difference between a Chili's and an Appleby's and a Ruby Tuesday and a 99?

All have their reliable qualities and their mundane aspects and, in the end, I suppose it's the minutiae of one or another that might strike a chord and result in an individual's loyalty to a particular chain.

I wonder, though, if the free-standing Flanagan's Food & Drink in Groton is overlooked.

[naviga:font size="2"]FLANAGAN'S FOOD & DRINK445-6511[/naviga:font]

360 Rte. 12, Groton

445-6511

Cuisine: Wide variety of budget-friendly sandwiches, entrees and pub food typical of the whole gamut of chain fern bars - prepared with affection and pride.

Atmosphere: Very clean and casually pleasing. The bar and booths are comfortable and cozy, there are bowls of gratis popcorn to greet you, flat-screen televisions are tuned to news networks or sporting events, and there seems to be a reliable group of friendly regulars.

Service: Friendly, quickly efficient and, on second or third visit, familiar.

Prices: Appetizers, soups and salads $3.99 to $13.99; paninis, burgers and sandwiches $6.99 to $9.99; seafood, chicken and ethnic specialties $8.99 to $14.99; steak and ribs $11.99 to $19.99; desserts $5.99 and $6.99.

Credit cards: All majors.

Handicap access: Entrance from the west parking lot is very accessible; from the east side means a very narrow aisle or a step up to the bar area.

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Located inside the Best Western Olympic Inn not far from the Naval Submarine Base, Flanagan's is a pretty delicious little secret. Indeed, while on our visits, it's never been very crowded. At the same time, it seems to attract a loyal batch of local regulars.

The restaurant radiates outward from a step-up bar area shaped like a backwards L. Along the spine of the room, beyond the bar partition, is a series of two-top booths. At the base, the area expands into two larger dining areas.

The place is clean and attractive: wood strip wainscoting, granite-style laminate tables and comfy booths. Flat screen televisions hang throughout, and the sleek black bar proffers generous bowls of popcorn that are actually fresh.

There are plenty of appetizer or soup selections to start off. One caught my eye immediately: Key West shrimp skewers ($9.99) - 20 petite shrimp marinated in citrus, basil and thyme and grilled. In fact, there were 10 shrimp, but they were actually quite large and a truly pleasant experience. The citrus mellowed the spark of the spices and the crustaceans were delicately, perfectly grilled.

Another non-traditional dish was a Mushroom Brie with Madeira Wine soup ($4.99 cup, $5.99 bowl). It's creamy, but not overly thick and extremely flavorful with yummy brie and a distinctive hint of the Madeira. Plenty o' tender 'shrooms, too.

It's not often you see country-fried steak up here, but Flanagan's version ($11.99) of the southern staple is actually quite decent. You take a piece of round steak, hammer it into tender submission, coat it with batter and deep fry it. Then, ladle it gently in a pool of cream gravy. The exterior should be crunchy/crispy and you should be able to cut the meat with a fork.

Flanagan's fit the bill and, if a nice dose of pepper helped, that's fine. The accompanying mashed potatoes were real and offered chunks for contrast, while corn off the cob seemed chewy and possibly frozen. There was also a cloud-fluffy biscuit - bites of which worked with all of the other components in playful choreography.

My meat-eschewing wife chose eggplant parmesan ($12.99 and you can also have chicken or veal). Three good-sized slices of eggplant were served, lightly breaded and very tender, on a mound of linguini with marinara. There was so much eggplant, she barely touched the pasta, but it was certainly serviceable. It came with two pieces of savory toasted garlic focaccia.

Other dinner entrees include fajitas and quesadillas, pizza, seafood, chicken, and steaks. Oh - and General Tso's Chicken ($10.99). I really liked it. The dish reminded me of what a good cook might do at home intentionally anglicizing a recipe. Chunks of white meat chicken stir fried in the orangey Tso sauce, spiraled atop beautifully cooked brown rice. Typically you'd have the sauce covering the whole dish, but it seemed to be solely infused in the batter - which made it less of a dominant presence.

Of course, none of these places are worth a damn if they can't bring you a good cheeseburger, and Flanagan's does a nice job. I tried a bacon & bleu cheese burger ($8.99 with choice of sides). Served on a sesame seed bun, a half-pound patty cooked to prescription was topped with bleu cheese crumbles, which were in turn blanketed and sealed in by a melted slice of Swiss. Ha! Great fun. Other sandwich possibilities include pitas, gyros, wraps and a cheese steak.

Service throughout all my visits was quick and quietly friendly. There's a full bar, wine-by-the-glass, and a small but thirstily appropriate supply of tap beers. This is a good and perhaps underappreciated restaurant.

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