Worcester

111 Chop House

Worcester's fanciest steakhouse. If you want to blow your budget, eat here.

Baba Restaurant and Sushi Bar

One of the city's most popular sushi spots. More expensive than most, but also very highly rated.

Bay State Shawarma & Grill

Super cheap falafel and shawarma restaurant. You can just get a sandwich, or order a full meal with sides. Either way, nothing on the menu is more than $10.

Belmont Vegetarian Restaurant

One of Worcester's most consistently loved restaurants. Don't let the seemingly sketchy location scare you away. If anything happens, the hospital is just down the street.

Belsito's

Tiny Italian deli serving cheap, but high quality subs in a quiet residential neighborhood. There's only a handful of tables and it is cash only, but certainly one of the better options for a cheap lunch.

Birch Tree Bread Company

Huge bakery in the Crompton Loomworks above Crompton Collective. Birch Tree proudly features their bread, available for sale as either whole loaves or featured in a variety of lunch sandwiches and breakfast toasts. The sandwiches feature locally procured ingredients as do their salads. Their menu also includes a breakfast sandwich of egg, sharp cheddar, and smoked ham from BT's Smokehouse in Sturbrdge all served on a fresh croissant. It is only available before 11AM or on Sundays. The coffee is from Acoustic Java, a local roaster. The bakery and seating area are huge, easily accommodating the crowds. There are a variety of seating options scattered around the factory floor, from booths to small tables to couches.

Bocado

Tapas and wine bar in a restored mill building. Bocado has an enormous, some might say overwhelming menu of mostly Spanish inspired options. In addition to tapas, you can get Paella to share with several people. Although Bocado is in a historic building, the interior is fairly modern and doesn't display much except for some exposed brick. This is a recurring issue in Worcester restaurants. Calling this a splurge is a bit deceiving since it's tapas. You can get a meal here for a completely reasonable amount of money, or break the bank.

Boynton Restaurant

Popular hangout near the WPI campus. The Boynton has a massive menu focused on typical pub food like burgers and wings, but they have Italian and seafood dishes as well. The beer list is one of the main attractions here, with over 40 mostly craft beers on tap. They have a dedicated tap for Maine Beer Co and a range of local and national craft brews.

Brew City Grill & Brew House

Brew City is a sports bar with slightly better food and 40 beers on tap. This is not really a fine dining experience or even a gastropub, but you can find reliable bar food at a reasonable price and wash it down with something other than Budweiser. The beer selection isn't particularly well curated, but with 40 options you should be able to find something to please everyone. The place can get pretty loud when its busy, but they are one of the few restaurants on Shrewsbury Street that has its own parking lot.

Coney Island Hot Dogs

Open W-M (best hot dogs, best sign) If you go to Coney Island, make sure you go into the bar. The bartender will get you your hot dogs and beer, letting you skip the line.

Crust Artisan Bakeshop

A small bakery owned by the same people as Worcester's famous Armsby Abbey. Limited, but well crafted selection. They do offer coffee to go, but no espresso drinks.

El Basha

Cheap Middle Eastern food, especially on the lunch menu. El Basha is a full service sit-down restaurant, but their lunch menu prices are often lower than many simple takeout places. The portion size for the sandwiches (actually pita wraps) are ridiculous, you could easily share one. There is a nice selection of salads and other appetizers to choose from.

Gibson Brother's Dairy

Gibby's

Ice cream stand owned by a local dairy farm. The ice cream is made with their own milk and there are plenty of flavors to choose from. Portion sizes are on the large side. Gibby's also carries soft serve. Cash only.

Major League Roast Beef

While it has a different name and website, Major League Roast Beef has the exact same menu (and probably same owner) as New England Roast Beef. If on the south end of the city and craving roast beef, you can come here instead of driving through Worcester.

Mare E Monti Trattoria

Italian restaurant on a residential side street that is rapidly gaining a following. The bar area is the first thing that greets you makes it seem like a nightclub. Don't worry, just continue past into the simple dining room. There is a nice range of entrees, depending upon how much money you'd like to spend.

Mezcal Tequila Cantina

Upmarket Mexican restaurant occupying the first floor of a downtown parking garage. Mezcal is a huge and undeniably popular restaurant, but it is a bit divisive. Some people love it while others would say it's not exactly authentic and a little too pricey. If what you want is a $10-15 burrito and a cocktail served in a classier than your typical cantina environment, Mezcal won't disappoint.

Napoli Deli

Napoli is a small deli on the east shore of Lake Quinsigamond that serves mostly Italian food. Think Italian subs, foccaccia sandwiches, eggplant parm, and arancini. The prices are very low and the portions are big. The interior is pretty simple, but has some tables where you can enjoy your food. They also serve breakfast.

New England Roast Beef

Great roast beef; however, their hours are more limited than many of Worcester's dining options. Supposedly, the roast beef sandwich was invented in Massachusetts. This may be an urban legend, but roast beef sandwiches are a local specialty and New England Roast Beef is the standard setter for the region. They have a pretty extensive menu, but the reason to come here is the beef. Get the biggest sandwich you think you can finish.

Nuovo

Upscale Italian restaurant. Sometimes has a piano player in the lounge.

Palma's Bakery

Small Italian deli and market serving a variety of sandwiches on home made bread.

Sol of Mexico

Barebones authentic Mexican cuisine. Very simple menu, but well executed. Also has a lime green tin ceiling

Sole Proprietor

Large and popular seafood restaurant, one of the city's fine dining standbys

The Armsby Abbey

Worcester's flagship farm-to-table restaurant is frequently chosen as the best restaurant in the city. The menu changes with the seasons and much of the meat and produce is sourced from New England. The interior is filled with dark wood and a large bar. The bar itself is a reason to come here as it has one of Worcester's best curated selections of beer and a respected cocktail selection.

VIA Italian Table

Worcester's biggest and probably fanciest Italian restaurant. Very close to Union Station.

Vintage Grille

Auto-themed bar and grill in an old auto repair shop near the top of Shrewbury St. Vintage Grille has an over-the-top spin on your typical bar food, with burgers and sandwiches piled with more toppings than might seem sensible. The restaurant isn't very big, but in the summer the garage doors retract making the entire space open air and an outdoor seating area pops up. The wall are decorated with old license plates and other car paraphernalia and you can enjoy your gigantic meal with a small selection of beer. It's not the best selection, but you can get local brews from Wormtown for less than they cost at the brewery down the street. Cocktails should be avoided as they are mostly pre-made mixes.

Volturno

Big Neapolitan pizza place in an old Buick dealership. Volturno can get a little spendy for pizza, but they also offer 2-for-1 pizzas on Monday and Tuesday. There is a nice patio and a decent selection of beer, wine, and cocktails.

Boulevard Diner

A favorite among college students, open 24 hours.

Miss Worcester Diner

300 Southbridge St

Corner Lunch

A famous DeRaffelle diner.

Jeans Place

It is popular for breakfast.

Mon-Sat 5:30AM-1:30PM, Sat 5:30AM-12:30PM, Sun 7AM-12:30PM.