12 Must-Visit Restaurants in Worcester, Mass.
Wondering where to eat in the Heart of the Commonwealth? We're smitten with a legendary gastropub, a standout sushi spot, and more.
A seafood spread at the Sole Proprietor. / Courtesy the Sole Proprietor
The so-called Heart of the Commonwealth has come a long way as a dining scene in recent years. From West African to Vietnamese cuisine, and from a nationally-noted beer bar to an under-the-radar food truck, here are the standout spots earning our love right now.
Last updated August 6, 2024.
Photo by Armsby Abbey via Yelp.
Armsby Abbey
Generally recognized as one of New England’s best beer bars, Armsby lives up to the well-earned rep with a draft list that, at any given moment, features regional treasures—even hard-to-find brews from Vermont’s fabled Hill Farmstead—alongside interesting imports and cult-favorite labels. Don’t let the beer goggles cloud your estimation of its also excellent gastropub fare, though, which more than rises to the occasion: Grazing-friendly boards of charcuterie, artisan cheeses, and other small snacks, as well as hearty helpings of seasonal offerings like pan-fried ricotta gnocchi that are made in-house and tossed with Tex-Mex toppings of smoky Piquillo pepper puree and sweet corn, plus mussels with grilled bread to soak up the tomato-garlic broth.
144 Main St., Worcester, 508-795-1012, armsbyabbey.com.
Baba Sushi
From the outside, it looks like a standalone residence plopped on Worcester’s busy Park Ave. Inside, though, the brick- and beam-accented space happens to house the city’s best sushi: super-fresh fluke, salmon, uni, yellowtail, eel, and more over rice or daikon radish, or tucked into specialty hand rolls. While you’re at it, check out spicy starters—such as shichimi pepper-encrusted tuna belly—and cool off with cocktails like the orange-, peach-, and red wine-spiked sake sangria. (By the way, Baba also has a location in nearby Sturbridge, as well as locations in Bolton and Bristol, Rhode Island.)
309 Park Ave., Worcester, 508-752-8822, babasushi.com.
Courtesy
Bocado Tapas Wine Bar
Small plates, big flavor: that’s the secret to the success of Bocado, which has expanded to Wellesley since first opening in Worcester in 2006. The chic tapas spot’s litany of little dishes pack a lot of punch, from the hot cherry pepper sauce that perks up the shrimp hamburguesas, to the fried calamari augmented with orange horseradish cream, to the pomegranate molasses and sundried tomato-olive salsa that dresses slow-roasted chicken. The paella, too, has pow—whether you opt for the saffron rice with chicken, slow-roasted pork in a charred onion and bacon broth, or any other combo. Meanwhile, monthly specials globetrot, from the southern chicken and waffles to pork belly smothered in Japanese barbeque sauce. And it all gets washed down with Spanish wines and pitchers of sangria, the latter in passion fruit, mango, peach, and more styles.
82 Winter St., Worcester, 508-797-1011, bocadotapasbar.com.
Fried chicken sandwich at B.T.’s Fried Chicken & Barbecue. / Photo by Scott Kearnan
B.T.’s Fried Chicken & BBQ
B.T.’s Smokehouse in Sturbridge is, without a doubt, one of the best places for barbecue in New England. Naturally, then, we had high hopes when it spawned a fried chicken-focused spinoff in Worcester in 2020—and sure enough, these birds blew us away with their crunchy, Nashville-hot breading that yields to juicy, tender meat. The Wormtown location still has some other ‘cue staples, too, including platters of pulled pork, beef brisket, and sides such as mac ‘n’ cheese, pecan pie, and “sexy grits.” Ooh-la-la.
318 Park Ave., Worcester, 774-530-6152, btschickenandbbq.com.
Dalat Restaurant
Aside from a gurgling fish tank, there’s not much to look at inside Dalat, a spare and frill-free standout for Vietnamese cuisine. Who cares, though? You’re not here for interior decor tips—you’re here to dive face-first into steaming bowls of delicious pho, curry, and fish soups, plates of silky vermicelli noodles with pork or shrimp, and snack on sizzling beef skewers. Watch for weekly specials, too, which might include seafood and a house-made fish cake swimming in a flavorful broth with udon noodles. It’s all offered at excellent prices for the portion, which means there’s one thing you’ll very much enjoy looking at: the bill.
425 Park Ave., Worcester, 508-753-6036, dalatrestaurant.wixsite.com/da-lat.
Photo by Deadhorse Hill via Yelp
Deadhorse Hill
Chef Jared Forman has quite a resume: Per Se, Gramercy Tavern, and Momofuku Ssäm are among the legendary NYC restaurants where he worked before opening Deadhorse Hill in Worcester in 2016. There, you’ll find Forman’s fine-dining prowess on full display, albeit in unfussy, farm-to-table trappings fit for a decadent Sunday brunch of suckling pig croquettes with saffron aioli, creamed herring on toast with salmon roe and pickled onions, and lobster Benedict.
281 Main St., Worcester, 774-420-7107, deadhorsehill.com.
Fatima’s Cafe
The breads are things of beauty at this East African restaurant. Take the chapatti, a crispy thin bread that you can pile with rice pilau and curry graced by chunks of okra. And the Somali anjero bread that’s part of the traditional East African dinner plate, which includes your choice of vegetable or meat curries. Use the spongy bread to soak up the flavorful sauce, with the lentil curry a particularly body-warming bite. Elsewhere, the Ethiopian anjero platter sees the large bread served with a smorgasbord of stews. Tear the bread with your hands, dip it into the stews, and absolutely lick your fingers afterwards. Less interactive eats include a handful of sandwiches (the hilib ido features flavorful lamb nestled in pita), and wash it all down with a house-brewed Kenyan chai with ground spices.
43 W Boylston St., Worcester, 508-762-9797, fatimascafe.com.
Mama Roux
Okay, it’s not a restaurant, it’s a food truck, but it’s absolutely worth tracking down. Right now, you can find Mama Roux often at petite Pint, a craft beer and cocktail spot with a sprawling whiskey list on Shrewsbury Street, and New Tradition Co., a coffee shop on Harris Court. But it is, without a doubt, one of the best places to eat in the area, thanks to Jonathan Demoga’s New Orleans-inspired eats: fried chicken sandwiches, boudin balls, jambalaya, stewed okra and tomatoes, and whatever else he fancies. We fancy it all.
508-277-3962, instagram.com/mamarouxtrailer.
Mare e Monti
With a name meaning “sea and mountains” in Italian, this longstanding brick-walled beauty offers entrees sourced from both fisheries and farms. Traditional Italian favorites include classic calamari tossed in a light butter sauce with cherry peppers for brightness, plus sautéed salmon with Roma tomatoes and broccoli swimming in vodka cream sauce-soaked pasta. On the non-fish dish side, if you usually order chicken parm, try the pollo amaretto instead, which sees chicken sautéed with the nutty liquor and served with gorgonzola, spring onion, and walnuts over pasta. Or, hey, why stick to one habitat? Get the surf and turf—a juicy filet mignon that’s topped with lobster and served on a spinach risotto that’s heavy on the parmesan. Just save room for the tiramisu.
19 Wall St., Worcester, 508-767-1800, mareemontitrattoria.com.
‘Olo Pizza
Wood oven-fired, Neapolitan-style pies are the name of the game at ‘Olo, from red sauce-slathered rounds topped with thick cups of pepperoni, roasted peppers, or local sausage, to white pizzas dressed up with spicy soppressata, Buffalo chicken, or sweet pickled peppers. Not in the mood for a slice? Try the oven-cooked chicken wings with a lemon pepper rub, fried Brussels sprouts with goat cheese pesto and a drizzle of hot honey, or Nutella- and mascarpone-filled zeppole.
40 Millbrook St., Worcester, 508-459-1959, olopizza.com.
Red Pepper
When it comes to people-pleasing Chinese takeout, Red Pepper stands head and shoulders above the rest. Why? Consider the sprawling Sichuan menu that covers all manner of noodles, rice, hot pot, moo shi, and more, plus some fiery pickled-pepper plates to alight your twisted tongue. It’s tough to nail so many dishes with such consistency, but Red Pepper pulls it off—and allows for BYOB, if you opt for eat-in service.
1083 Main St., Worcester, 774-243-6488, redpepper.awsmenu.com.
Courtesy the Sole Proprietor
The Sole Proprietor
The Sole has been a singular seafood favorite since the 1970s. If that doesn’t lure you in, surely Buster—dubbed by the restaurant as “the world’s largest inflatable crab”—will. Go ahead and try not to crack a smile as you saunter under the mammoth claws of the crustacean that’s perched over the front entrance. Then, whip out the claw-crackers for plates of whole-steamed king crab legs with drawn butter and French fries, or please your palate with some crab ravioli in a scampi sherry sauce. No need to get crabby, there’s more on the menu: blackened tuna nachos, sushi (the mango-sriracha drizzle brings sweet heat to the volcano roll with lobster, avocado, and eel), fish and chips, and braised short rib with potatoes au gratin. Or stay simple with the fresh-caught North Atlantic sole served with fingerling potatoes and roasted asparagus. Who will save your sole, indeed?
118 Highland St, Worcester, 508-798-3474, thesole.com.
