by Alissa Skelton
The Crete News

Ben Haufle is your average small town man. He likes the slower pace of life, supporting local businesses and a good home-cooked meal.

So when Haufle decided to open a restaurant in Dorchester, he made sure to incorporate his small town values.

Ben’s Iron Grill, located at 708 Washington Ave., opened Memorial Day weekend 2009. Haufle and his business partner Sue Morris started planning and constructing the bar on Feb. 1, 2009. The previous owner of R Lounge gutted the building, leaving Haufle and Morris a fresh palate to work with.

The bar was built from locally cut wood and materials to give it a rustic appeal.

“That’s how we give back to the community,” Morris said. “We support the local businesses.”

The spacious restaurant is decorated with antique tools and pictures from the Dorchester Museum. Toward the back of the bar there is a Wii for everyone to play. Haufle said he wanted to make the restaurant family-oriented.

Ben’s Iron Grill prides itself on having home cooked meals. Food is freshly prepared and Haufle said that is what the customers love. The ribs and salad bar are the most popular menu items.

Jan Mehl from Crete likes to go to Ben’s Iron Grill solely for the salad bar. She said “it’s amazing.”

Haufle said what keeps him going are the compliments the community gives him about the grill.

“Sue and I put our entire life savings into this bar,” Haufle said. “It is a long-term investment and the compliments make it worth it.”

Haufle has owned Ben’s Iron Salvage, located on County Road 1400, for about 20 years. Morris worked at the iron yard as a crane driver.

The two met in junior high and have been dating for about 18 years. Morris has experience with the restaurant business and Haufle appreciates her expertise.

“We try to please customers by keeping prices down and have high quality food,” Morris said. “That’s what we are all about — customer satisfaction.”

The bar is open from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 11 a.m. until 1 a.m. on weekends.