The music venue and bar formerly known as Bent Nails Bistro has left Montpelier for 970 Route 2 in Middlesex, across from Camp Meade, as previously reported in Seven Days’ On the Beat column. Co-owner and head cook Charis Churchill said she and her business partner, Aaron Ingham, hope to open next week as Bent Nails Roadhouse. The venue will still offer entertainment such as weekly trivia, karaoke, comedy shows and some live music, but it will be more restaurant-oriented and “embrace the food,” said Churchill, 56.
Bent Nails’ menu will resemble the comfort-food roster she served in Montpelier but with more choices for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. “Everything’s made from scratch, from our red sauce to the Thousand Island dressing,” Churchill said. “It’s quality but not fine dining.”
Ingham’s sculptures made from car parts decorate the exterior and interior of the roughly 35-seat restaurant. The stage features a vintage car hood, and Ingham crafted the tables from road signs.
At those tables, customers will be able to snack on spinach-artichoke dip served in a bread bowl or kielbasa bites with sauerkraut, followed by such entrées as gumbo, spaghetti and meatballs, and meatloaf with mushroom gravy. “We’re going to tackle the smash burger, too,” Churchill said.
The full bar will serve classics and house-created, car-themed cocktails, such as a Fernet-Branca and Campari combo called the Ferrari, plus hot toddies for Firepit Fridays.
This article appears in Nov 26 – Dec 2 2025.
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