Young couple new to the city

Submitted by iconicnick3 t3_115sm4o in WorcesterMA

Hey guys! My girlfriend and I just moved to Worcester this week, and we're looking for some insider information on some activities and spots that would interest us. We just moved from a larger city down south, and were looking to get some suggestions on the following:

  • Night life. We enjoy cocktail lounges, live music, bar trivia, and breweries!
  • Restaurants. No specific preferences, but we wanna find a go-to Thai and sushi spot! -dog friendly trails and hikes -Anything fun events around the city in general

We're living near Grafton Hill for reference!

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onevox t1_j93eej7 wrote

for sushi definitely Sushi Miyazawa

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InnerRoll9882 t1_j96gna5 wrote

Just remember it is BYOB and make sure to get a reservation

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CybMercenary t1_j93n05b wrote

Dog trails:

Purgatory Chasm (specifically Charlie’s Loop). Ample parking, restrooms, great 20-30min easy hike.

Nick’s Woods, West Boylston trailhead of the Central Mass Rail Trail, Trout Brook, Moore state park

Restaurants:

Chashu is the best ramen, Greater Good for beer and Wednesday trivia; they just debuted a new menu from their new chef, it’s pretty good. Olo’s (across from GGood) is good pizza, so is Volturno for Neapolitan za. Lock50 for brunch.

The Treehouse Brewery is 25 mins and dog friendly. Arguably the best NEIPA on the planet (7 of the top 10 beers on Untapped are Treehouse). Seven Saws, Milk, Redemption Rock are all dog friendly.

Cafe Reyes for cuban breakfast, or Lou Roc’s for classic diner.

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latinomartino t1_j9a5gwo wrote

Amazing recs here. Just a note, volturnos does bogo on Monday and Tuesday. Takes the pizza from pricey, to a good deal.

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alpacabowlkehd t1_j93a03c wrote

Steel and wire, great cocktail lounge. Greater good or redemption rock for brewery. Kai mook in millbury has some of the best Thai in the area.

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imdebbyd t1_j93d37c wrote

free play bar arcade is fun!

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Alternative-Degree-4 t1_j93ko6s wrote

Shrewsbury st has a ton of great bars & restaurants

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Daughter_of_Deadlift t1_j94e4hk wrote

Everyone said that when I moved to Worcester. And yet...none of the places I like are on Shrewsbury St.

I like breweries on Shrewsbury St - Redemption Rock, Wormtown, and The Pint...that's about it.

OP, for Spanish tapas go to Bocado. For Mexican in Worcester, I prefer Pepes Taqueria near Tatnuck. Puerto Rican, go to Nuestra. I like Volturno for neopolitan pizza; Boomers for greek pizza. Hipster/American- Deadhorse Hill. The best breakfasts are at Alteas (I'm not a pancake/French toast guy. If you are, go to Miss Worcester). Sushi...ehh hot take but I dont love any of the sushi places in Worcester, including Baba. Still on the hunt for good sushi.

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bschav1 t1_j95ma2z wrote

Issue with Baba?

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boba79 t1_j95y45k wrote

Baba is junk sushi. Fish is good, tooooooo mannnnny sauces (look at sushi from Japan, almost all have no sauce, and if there is sauce, its lightly applied).

My go-to sushi place is Soho Worcester, good (not great) sushi at a fair price.

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bschav1 t1_j96gpuh wrote

I like Baba for exactly what it is. I generally prefer simply prepared Japanese sushi, but sometimes I want a chef to throw something different out there. I like the sauces, but agree they are a little heavy handed. That’s why I like Yama Zakura too.

Soho does look good and the prices are nice too! That’s in the old Friendly’s on Park right?

While we are in that part of town, have you been to Kisoro?

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boba79 t1_j9bntoc wrote

Yes, the old Friendly's. They have a two or three roll maki lunch special which is a good deal.

Havent been to Kisoro, sounds like I should try it?

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bschav1 t1_j9c9uxq wrote

I went to Soho today! Got the sushi and sashimi lunch. 6 assorted sashimi, 4 assorted sushi, Cali roll, $15. Great simple sushi lunch.

I asked about Kisoro because I haven’t been either. I was hoping for feedback.

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bschav1 t1_j96hblp wrote

Parkway Diner on Shrewsbury St makes a damn good breakfast, is relatively inexpensive and they have a full bar. Other than that and Via, I agree. There’s a lot of restaurants on Shrewsbury but they are mostly only ok.

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mneeb11887 t1_j94j22s wrote

My wife and I moved two years ago from Philadelphia, & we’re in Grafton hill. Love it. Get to downtown, shopping in Shrewsbury, lake park, and Shrewsbury Steet quick.

Trails in Grafton Hill:

  • Lake park and trails across steet are easily accessible.
  • Low-key there is a nice and maintained trail system behind the stop and shop on Grafton Steet (called Perkins Farm trail).
  • meadow brook is great, but no dogs allowed.

Gems in Grafton Hill:

  • Palma’s: best sandwiches in Worcester. Authentic joint.
  • Taco spot: vampiro tacos, it’s a dive but it slaps.
  • Gibson’s ice cream (summer only)
  • Cranberries - greasy spoon but lovely people
  • Rosalina’s & Mare e Monti: I think they’re meh, but I can’t not mention it in a Grafton hill post
  • Cosmo Club: great dive, friendly vibe. Always got a game on and a spot to sit
  • Vincent’s: place is the GOAT. Live music every night. Get the Meatball sandwich.

Non Grafton hill “best of” (as a Worcester outsider, a local will prob give a much different list):

  • Pasta Mani
  • Wooden Noodle (chashu is meh)
  • Life Garden Cafe (breakfast)
  • deadhorse hill (overpriced but it’s so good)
  • Chani’s Kosher Deli
  • BirchTree Bread Co
  • Fatima’s Cafe
  • Atlantis Raw Bar
  • Mint Vietnamese

Steel and wire for cocktails and music. Only legitimate option for music besides Vincent’s imo.

Breweries:

  • Redemption rock: to chill
  • Wormtown: quick bite, easy vibe, parking
  • Bay state: convenience
  • Treehouse: fun outing and elite selection
  • Greater good: IPA heaven (Pilsner drinker hell)

This city has a garbage Chinese and Sushi scene. I go cheap and portions which Yummy Steakhouse on Grafton gives you.

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SmartSherbet t1_j95r58c wrote

Agree with all this except the Chinese and sushi slams. There may not be a ton of good options for either, but Red Pepper for Chinese (specifically sichan dishes) and Miyazawa for sushi are about as good as you'll find outside Boston/NYC.

As for beer, Tree House makes fabulous beer and being so close to it is a perk of living here. Armsby Abbey has an exceptional tap list with rare and wonderful beers, but their prices for both food and drinks are outrageous. Redemption Rock always has a good variety of beer styles, unlike so many breweries that are IPA dominated, executes them all well, and is a very friendly, community oriented space.

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foredom t1_j96360a wrote

Surprised Mare E Monti isn’t on your Grafton Hill list. Also, Chashu Ramen downtown has pretty good sushi, but only on certain nights.

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katpadthai t1_j94swyf wrote

I moved to Worcester from Philly too, and can appreciate your list.

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flyingsquirrelsftw t1_j97xujg wrote

Redemption Rock brewer is super dog friendly. Penny Pinchers brewing in Millbury is a hidden gem!

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cmajka8 t1_j93sdhh wrote

Baba Sushi on Park Ave 👌🏼and Bocado for a fun Tapas Restaurant & wine bar

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ThickChickComedy t1_j956xc6 wrote

Welcome to the Woo. Since you are on Grafton St you NEED to try the taco spot. They have funny hours and aren't open late. Best in the city. Yong Shing in Auburn for sushi. I actually host events and am doing a Comedy Show there on March 1st. Check out Unity Radio 97.9 FM we post what's going on in the city. I air at 3PM on fridays.😉

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Winemom827 t1_j97cb8u wrote

Antonio’s pizza bar has trivia wed & Thursday!

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Trinimaninmass t1_j95jrrx wrote

Moved out of worcester last weekend, but a few of my favorites are:

Joyful way (African) on greenwood st Baba sushi (park ave) Chuan shabu (Korean bbq) Mings wok (Chinese) a bit far from you but on w boylston st

Pizza generally trash there

Dog trails , Boynton. It’s a medium level hike/ walk and I did it every morning with my dog and loved it. I kept it generally secretive because people were just leaving their dog droppings anywhere

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New-Vegetable-1274 t1_j987kbd wrote

Not into Sushi but I hear Kazan in Sturbridge is good, the address is Fiskdale but that's part of Sturbridge and it's on rt 20. That's 20 mins west of Worcester via the pike to rt 20 west. Da Lat for Vietnamese on Park Ave.

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guybehindawall t1_j9bsf2k wrote

I think you would like the Sundown on Green St.

For Thai I like Basil and Spice on Shrewsbury St. For sushi I like Miyazawa like everyone else but also have a soft spot for Oishi downtown. Chashu and Wooden Bar for ramen, they both kick ass.

Birch Tree Bread Company has the best pizza except on Mondays and Tuesdays when Volturno runs their BOGO deals in which case Volturno has the best pizza. If you want more takeout-grade pizza I like the thin crust pizzas at Roadrunner. Frankie's is also pretty good just never post about it anywhere.

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mellymellcaramel t1_j9jf59m wrote

If you’re in Grafton hill check out Quinsigamond state park. There’s an easy 1 mile loop walking path.

Also crow hill is local to Grafton hill for a near by hike

As for Thai, there’s so many you should try them all. We also have great Vietnamese restaurants here. Check out:

https://www.worcesterma.gov/parks/activities/nature-trails for trails

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latinomartino t1_j9a684w wrote

Hey op, for sushi I go to Kisoro. It’s nothing stellar or groundbreaking but it’s good. And the prices are great. And the teriyaki chicken over rice? Fantastic. I don’t like eating there but that’s usually where I order sushi.

Volturno’s is fantastic, only get pizza there Monday or Tuesday though.

Birch tree is good but pricey.

I live down the street from redemption rock. I actually don’t love all their beer which is sad. But the location does have great vibes and board games! Easy stuff like taboo and quelf, and more intense stuff like wingspan and Scythe.

For the best coffee, go to New Tradition. Yes there’s a barber shop right there and it’s an odd space but it’s fantastic. Best espresso I’ve had in Worcester AND they consistently do it well.

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jpm01609 t1_j93peue wrote

what's the point of going out if we're all going to die someday?

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