Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Central and Western MA

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Central and Western MA? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Baba Sushi Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (98)

$30 and under

Japanese

Worcester

About the restaurant

Baba Sushi Restaurant is an award winning sushi restaurant in Worcester. Not only does it serve up the most innovative and freshest sushi, consider the sushi making classes on Sundays if you’d like to learn how to make them at home. Baba Sushi Restaurant takes pride in offering a sophisticated atmosphere. The master chef and owner of Baba Sushi Restaurant was trained in China and enjoys pushing to bring more creativity and innovation to the art of sushi. The results are as entertaining to see as they are to consume. With sushi, starters, salads, soups, tori tori and entrees to choose from, every visit can be a new experience.

Top review

Jillvip

Dined on Sep 6, 2024

We had to wait a bit for our table, despite our reservation but it was ok. Food was excellent as always. Service was excellent as well. Can’t go wrong with Baba!

Villa Napoletana

4.8

4.8 (738)

$30 and under

Italian

East Longmeadow

About the restaurant

“The combination of exquisite food, superb service and excellent ambiance all create an experience you will never forget.” Since 1998, Villa Napoletana has offered the finest southern Italian cuisine, service and atmosphere to all who enjoy making memorable experiences. Villa Napoletana is committed to selecting only the freshest ingredients available. To us it is a constant culinary challenge to bring guests the finest Italian food that can be provided. We look forward to serving our guests with innovative specials!

Top review

Juan

Dined on Sep 6, 2024

The food was good, the only thing that hey could have made it better was if my bread bowl was not stale. The lobster was amazing.

Clintons Bar and Grille

4.8

4.8 (1845)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Clinton

About the restaurant

Clintons Bar and Grille offers a vibrant and casual atmosphere with details in our custom lighting, a fully stocked bar area with lounge seating, and a focus on guest satisfaction that provides a unique dining experience in the heart of Clinton.

The detailed contempoary American menu leaves plenty of options for any of our guests' palates ranging from the ever popular butternut squash raviolis to our deliciously tender filet. Come experience a little slice of the city on High Street.
Outdoor dining will be available weather permitting.
Kitchen closes one hour before closing.

Top review

Dan

Dined 1 day ago

First time and will definitely go back. Everything was DELICIOUS! Our Waitress, Melissa was very attentive.

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Popular dish

Chicken

Johnny's Tavern

4.7

4.7 (939)

$30 and under

American

Amherst

About the restaurant

Johnny’s Tavern in Amherst manages to provide a mixed ambiance of classy, laidback charm and décor. The dining room provides a nice atmosphere for a date night or a group of friends. Even a rather large group can sit comfortably in the expansive dining area. The bar features televisions where you can catch your favorite sporting events while dining on your food.

The food at Johnny’s Tavern is delicious and always well-prepared. Meals are cooked to order to ensure that diners with various dining preferences can all come in and enjoy a meal. If you are looking for some recommendations, you should try the truffle fries, brussels sprouts, burgers or the house made gnocchi. Stop in at Johnny’s Tavern to see what other amazing food options are available on the menu.

Top review

Davidvip

Dined on Aug 31, 2024

We always hit Johnny’s when in town and never had a bad experience. We will be back.

Specialty Bar and Grill

4.7

4.7 (164)

$31 to $50

American

Worcester

About the restaurant

INSPIRED BY DISHES FROM AROUND THE WORLD, WE PREPARE A MENU OF FRESH CUISINE, SAUTÉED AND GRILLED.

Top review

Beth

Dined on Aug 1, 2024

We had a great dinner here. The atmosphere was excellent, a bit noisy but not bad. The view is great, overlooking Mirror Lake. Service was friendly and very fast! The Brussels sprouts and Ruben sandwich were fantastic! They make their own pastrami and excellence shows. The only negative was the nachos: Most of the plate was chips, minimal toppings and the cheese sauce tasted like American Cheese and/or Velveeta. bleh. We sent it back. But that was the only negative among a bunch of positives. I highly recommend trying this place!

Dino's Ristorante

4.6

4.6 (127)

$30 and under

Italian

Worcester

About the restaurant

Dino's Restaurant is an authentic Italian restaurant located in Worcester, Massachusetts. Dino’s has been serving its customers the finest Northern and Southern Italian cuisine, as well as a variety of American foods, for over 40 years, with seafood as a specialty. In that time, Dino's serves cuisine from both the northern and southern regions of Italy, with seafood, steaks, veal, and pizzas being the specialties of the house.

At Dino’s, we believe that our customers deserve the best. With that in mind, we ensure that all of our entrées are cooked to order, using the freshest ingredients, which are visually pleasing to the eye as they are to the palette. We also offer business, social and holiday function facilities in The Café, our private function room, which includes a full service bar. Dino’s also provides catering and delivery services. It is our pleasure to serve you and let us give you a little taste of Italy!

Top review

Andrew

Dined 2 days ago

The environment is nice, server - Bailey did great job taking care of us. Food is great, the app - sampler was but over cooked but meals was made awesome. Dessert - limcello cake was delicious!

Black & White Grille

4.6

4.6 (665)

$30 and under

American

Worcester

About the restaurant

Welcome to the Black & White Grille & Pizzeria! We are family owned & operated, we pride ourselves on providing our customers with the best quality product and service as we would to our own families. Together with our staff, we devote our time to creating entrees that cater to all taste buds. We hope that you enjoy your time spent with us as you dine. Our goal is to make your experience one that will leave you coming back for more.

Top review

Justin

Dined on Sep 2, 2024

Food and service were outstanding. Super friendly servers! The place is always busy, so we expect to wait a little bit for things, no biggie. Overall, we like the place and will continue to go there.

Osaka Northampton

4.5

4.5 (169)

$30 and under

Sushi

Northampton

About the restaurant

OpenTable diners, if you would like to sit at our Hibachi table, please select a counter table and add a note to the restaurant when making your reservation. If you would like to reserve a regular table, please book a standard table. Osaka Japanese Sushi Restaurant and Steakhouse offers the best Asian Fusion and Hibachi Dining in Western Mass. If you would like to sit at our Hibachi tables, please select

Top review

Joyce

Dined on Aug 19, 2024

We love Osaka ❣️ it’s always Wonderful from start to finish. Our favorites are the tuna& yellow tail Shashimi & the grilled Chilean Sea Bass. 😋😋

The Neighborhood Tavern

4.5

4.5 (187)

$30 and under

American

Northborough

About the restaurant

Diverse menu, Craft Beer Selection, 33 Sports TV, Neighborhood Vibe, Saturday and Sunday Brunch. American Bar and Restaurant.

Top review

Naveenvip

Dined on Aug 28, 2024

Neibourhood gem with a large menu for food and plenty of choices for drink. Service was prompt and friendly.

Leo's Ristorante

4.4

4.4 (414)

$30 and under

Italian

Worcester

About the restaurant

Leo's Ristorante offers excellent Italian cuisine at inexpensive prices. The Turo family has been providing quality Italian cuisine for over 50 years. Our beautiful decor and comfortable dining room is a great start to a memorable dining experience. Come see for yourself.

Top review

Michaelvip

Dined on Aug 29, 2024

This was a special night out for my son and grandson, before he goes off to college. He asked for Italian- what better spot than Leo’s I thought? It was perfect, food, service and atmosphere.

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