Worcester

Ralph's Chadwick Square Diner

Legendary rock nightclub. Entertainment every night. It is on an unpaved drive behind an old factory building north of downtown. Look for the big neon "Ralph's" sign. There is actually a diner car here. Inside you can get a burger, hot dog, or chili. Emphatically not a craft beer bar. $2 Gansett drafts are the mainstay here. The main bar area is filled with ridiculous decorations, including a coffin.

4PM-2AM everyday

Bay State Brewery & Taproom

Craft brewery conveniently located inside a hockey rink. They have ample indoor seating and a food menu.

Bean Counter Coffee Bar & Bakery

Lombardi Bakery Service

Worcester's most popular coffee shop on bustling Highland St. Very close to WPI's campus. Also a good spot for baked goods.

Breen's Cafe

Comfortable neighborhood pub with a small food menu and a few beers on tap. The crowd is mostly regulars, but it's a welcoming place. Drinks are cheap and strong. This is a good place to sit with friends and contemplate the Schlitz-holding leprechaun painted on the ceiling.

Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company

Craft brewery focused on brewing imperial strength beers (8% ABV and above) that is known for its IPAs. Pulp and Pulp Daddy are the most famous varieties. The taproom also serves a small food menu.

Hotel Vernon

Kelly Square. $1 drafts (Gansett, Bush, Pabst), pool, darts. A backroom decorated to look like the inside of a ship (the Ship Room). It is beneath a "rooms by the week" hotel. Had a speakeasy in the basement during the Prohibition, still partially intact. Hotel Vernon is considered by some to be a dive bar, but is also one of the most eclectic places to have a drink in the city. The bar attracts college students, townies, aging hipsters, white collar office workers, and people from the rural areas surrounding the city.

NU Cafe

Large cafe with tons of coffee and smoothie options down the street from Worcester State University. Also serves a few draft beers and wine. There is a light food menu (salads, sandwiches) as well. NU hosts a series of monthly science lectures and occasional live music.

The Armsby Abbey

Frequently wins the award for Worcester's best bar. Big and always changing selection of craft beer from all over the world. Armsby Abbey and its sister bar Dive Bar are the only places to regularly carry Hill Farmstead beers on tap in the entire state. That, combined with Armsby's ever-changing line up of American craft beers and Belgian ales make it a destination for beer lovers. Armsby also has a large cocktail program with a frequently changing lineup and very knowledgeable bar tenders. It is decidedly not cheap, but is a bargain for visitors from larger cities.

The Dive Bar

Not actually a dive bar, despite the name and appearance from the outside and lack of signage. Inside you will find a dark, intimate atmosphere with a well curated selection of mostly American craft beer. The narrow, dingy interior is partially a relic of its previous incarnation as a dive bar, but is decorated with diving paraphernalia (get it?) There is an enormous back porch lined with hop trellises/drink shelves to enjoy in the warmer months. From the porch, you can enjoy the huge mural decorating the back of the building and a view of downtown Worcester's skyline peeking out from behind the elevated railroad tracks. Cash only, does not serve food, but there's usually a food cart parked out front.

Vincent's

Where else can you get meatball subs and $2 Gansetts served by shirt and tie wearing bar staff? Vincent's has only been around since 1997, but it certainly feels much older. The inside is dark and dingy and the walls are covered with taxidermy. They usually have live music at night and it's always free. The beer selection is pretty terrible, but they have strong cocktails and fussing about the drinks quality is missing the point. Vincent's does serve food. Your options consist of a meatball or sausage sandwich, ziti with meatball or sausage, wachusett potato chips, or a "cheese plate" which consists of a sleeve of saltines and a bunch of cheddar. In the summer, take advantage of the back yard which includes a wooden shack with a porch to sit on, a covered patio, and a fairly well manicured lawn. Vincent's is in a residential area across the street from a large and possibly abandoned warehouse so although it might seem like you've gotten lost, you have actually found one of Worcester's hidden treasures.

Wachusett Brew Yard

Worcester outpost of Central Massachusetts' original craft brewery. This location is primarily a taproom with outdoor seating spilling onto the sidewalk in warmer months, but they do have a pilot brewing system on site. Almost always has beers that aren't sold anywhere other than at one of Wachusett's locations. Does not serve food, but you can bring your own from any of the multiple vendors in the public market.

Wormtown Brewery

2014 Grand National Champion at the U.S. Open Beer Championship. Wormtown just moved to a bigger space with a dedicated taproom on Worcester's restaurant row. They don't serve food, but there are dozens of restaurants right up the street, including two in the same building. The tap room is bright an airy and the back wall is lined with huge windows so you can see into the brewery. Samples, full pours, and growlers are available. There is also an outdoor seating area with tables and a few couches for the warmer months. Wormtown is known for their aggressively hoppy IPAs, especially their flagship Be Hoppy and the over 8% alcohol Hopulence Double IPA.

Double Down Brewing Company

455 Park Ave B