THE DERRYFIELD 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester 623-2880; derryfieldrestaurant.com Serving: Sunday-Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Thursday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Breakfast: Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon; Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cuisine: Casual American Dinner entrees $3.50-18.95 Scoring: Our Gourmet and The Dining Companion each grade a restaurant in six categories, for a combined total score of up to 100 points. Visit the Dining section of NewHampshire.com to read previous Our Gourmet reviews listed by town.

Our Gourmet: There are places you go to eat and there are places you go. And eat. The Derryfield is the latter kind of place and that’s not a bad thing. It’s likely that you’re eating there because you’ve gone to the adjacent course to golf, are enjoying the outdoor deck in the summer or have gone for the nightlife and decided to have dinner first, but whatever the case, you’re likely to get a fine — and reasonably priced meal.

The Dining Companion: I play a lot of golf and, not being well off, I play a lot at public courses. The food at their restaurants is not usually what they are known for. Derryfield has made a conscious effort to change that.

Ambiance: 8/10

OG: Clean and casual, the Derryfield is comfortable whether you’re just off the street or just off the course. There are both tables and booths and a large bar in the middle. While our recent trip there was in the dead of winter, summer dining on the deck is a real treat. 4.

TDC: The Derryfield is easy to get to and there’s plenty of parking . The dining area does a steady business year-round and in the evenings seems to be very busy if all the cars in their parking lot are any indication. 4

Appetizer: 16/20

OG: I had an opportunity to get one of my favorite dishes — sesame crusted ahi tuna — as part of the Tapas platter ($18.95). It was nicely grilled (that is to say rare) with a lovely slightly crunchy sesame coating. It’s served with a wasabi sauce and a great tangy cucumber salad that matched perfectly. 8

TDC: The Tapas platter gave us a little taste of a number of the appetizers. This platter consisted of ahi tuna, scallops wrapped in bacon, stuffed mushrooms, crab cake, grilled marinated shrimp with a savory cucumber salad. The ahi tuna was fresh and tasty, the scallops were wrapped in a nice maple glazed bacon giving a nice sweet smoky flavor, and the rest were nothing special, but the cuke salad was delicious and a nice change of pace. 8

Entrée: 16.5/20

OG: I was feeling carnivorous, so I went for the basic bacon bleu burger ($8.95). I added $2 and got it made with bison, which was lean and tasty — and cooked medium rare as ordered. The burger was topped with thick, flavorful slices of savory applewood bacon and a mild bleu cheese dressing, all on a toasted bun. A very satisfying meal. 8

TDC: I went with the diver scallop pasta ($15.95), large pan-seared scallops with roasted mushrooms and fresh tarragon white wine cream sauce on fresh pasta. The scallops were big, moist and well-cooked. The sauce was creamy with a slight hint of nutmeg, with a nice mushroom medley of portabello, crimini, shiitake and button mushrooms. OG tried it and we both agreed it exceeded our expectations. Tasty. 8.5

Dessert: 13.5

OG: I ordered the tiramisu ($5.95). It was a good-sized slice. The flavor was adequate, but what I call “industrial” — not homemade and not out of the ordinary. However, I was not disappointed as I didn’t expect a restaurant of this type to have a pastry chef on the premises. 7

TDC: I ordered the chocolate cake ($5.95). It was a large slice and quite dried out. I understand that deserts are an afterthought and not a focal point of some establishments, but if it’s on your menu, you must make sure it’s worthy of being there, and this wasn’t. 6.5

Service: 8/10

OG: The service was like the dessert: adequate, but not out of the ordinary. When I asked what they had for red wine, the waitress answered “Merlot.” In fact, once I got a wine menu, I discovered there were six or eight different varietals of reds. However, the food came as ordered and on time. 4

TDC: Our waitress was just finishing with a large table of 8 next to us, and seemed a little frazzled, but the food arrived hot and in a timely fashion. 4

Value: 18/20

OG: The Derryfield gets high marks for value. Those looking for a good, filling, affordable meal will find it here. The key is the variety. One can order anything from an inexpensive sandwich to an $18 steak. The servings are generous and presented well and the food is satisfying. A definite plus for those who want to eat out and not bust the budget. 9

TDC: The Derryfield will never be known as a top-level restaurant, but that’s not what it’s going for. The food is very good, the atmosphere comfortable and the prices definitely won’t break the bank. They always are running specials of the night also at very reasonable prices. 9.

Note: The Derryfield will serve Easter brunch in three seatings: 10-10:30 a.m.; 12-12:30 p.m.; and 2-2:30 p.m. Call the restaurant for more information.

Total: 80/100

Do you know where to find the best burgers around? If so, e-mail us at gourmet@unionleader.com. We’ll check out your suggestions and give you our picks for Best Burgers in a few weeks.