Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Central and Western MA

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes 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!

Dewey's Jazz Lounge

4.9

4.9 (274)

$30 and under

American

West Springfield

About the restaurant

Located at 232 Worthington Street, Dewey's Jazz Lounge is in the heart of Springfield's up and coming dining district.

Dewey’s Jazz Lounge was created from a true love of music, passion for exceptional food, and a desire to unite community members.

Our goal is to provide a comfortable and energetic space to dine with friends and family. Our menus include elegant southern style American dishes, craft cocktails, along with hand selected wine, spirits & beers.

We host talented musicians and bands from all over New England every weekend, and even on occasional weekdays. Our space is equipped with professional sound equipment to ensure the best listening experience for our guests.

We look forward to seeing you!

Top review

Jodi

Dined on Apr 19, 2025

I am so sad Dewey’s is closing this week. They have been my favorite jazz restaurant to go to the last few years, and they will be sorely missed. If you get the chance to go before they close on the 23rd, do it!

Lattitude (West Springfield, Massachusetts)

4.8

4.8 (1801)

$30 and under

Global, International

West Springfield

About the restaurant

Chef/Owner Jeffrey Daigneau “wanted to share his craft with the community he grew up in, treating them to a new level of dining experience – the "Lattitude experience.” He wanted to highlight freshness and the use of local seasonal products create some unique fresh cuisine for guests. With a farm to table concept flowing from the pages of his menus by way of grilled beef tenderloin with white sweet potato puree, pan seared Diver scallops and his famous fried brussels and much, much more, Chef Daigneau has brought back the excitement of dining out. He strives to cover all of his guests’ favorite tastes to invite emotion and inspiration during their dining experience! Thank you for stopping by. The Lattitude team and Chef Daigneau always look forward to having you as their guests. Cheers!

Top review

Diane

Dined 7 days ago

Great food, great service and love the atmosphere!

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Popular dish

Fried Brussel Sprouts

B Napoli

4.8

4.8 (2007)

$30 and under

Contemporary Italian

West Springfield

About the restaurant

bNapoli Italian is a contemporary Italian restaurant serving authentic cuisine from the Naples region of Italy using only top quality ingredients. Reservations are highly recommended as they are booking for indoor as well as outdoor dining on their 28 seat enclosed patio.

BNapoli is known for their professional yet approachable service, beautifully created from scratch menu and inventive balanced cocktails. They offer an eclectic 100 label variety of new and old world wine focused mainly on North America and Italy from a glass enclosed temperature controlled wine room. Their cocktail menu is culinary based and guest focused offering creative seasonal takes on timeless classics and they also offer six draft lines featuring local breweries as well as a small curated selection of bottles.

Top review

MaureenVIP

Dined on Jun 25, 2025

The food and service were and always is outstanding! we think this is the best in the area.

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Chashu Ramen + Izakaya

4.8

4.8 (637)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Worcester

About the restaurant

Chashu Ramen + Izakaya is bringing fire to Worcester. The latest collaboration between Worcester’s own Son Vo of Kaizen and Pho Sure, Chashu brings Japanese inspired fare to downtown Worcester. Power lunches, happy hours, and sophisticated nightcaps are about to be redefined.

Top review

Heidi

Dined on Jun 13, 2025

Been there 4 times and always consistently good!! Food great and atmosphere pleasant

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Popular dish

chicken leg

Popular dish

fried chicken bao bao

Popular dish

salmon

Johnny's Tavern

4.7

4.7 (1073)

$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

JudyVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Jeff was our server, who successfully balanced our party of 2 while attending to a party of 13 and his other tables with kindness and professionalism. A busy night with UMass orientation did not significantly slow down the kitchen nor did it impact the excellent quality of the food that we so appreciate. It was also a night where the entire team helped each other, which is a clear sign of how they have each other’s backs. Well done!

The Mercantile

4.6

4.6 (1023)

$30 and under

American

Worcester

About the restaurant

Serving up New American Tavern Cuisine in our two-floor full-service restaurant and bar, equipped with two 50-seat bars, world-inspired snacks and entrees, brick pizza oven, private event space, and an open rooftop patio that offers views of downtown Worcester and City Square. Located next to the DCU Center and minutes from Polar Park, we’re a natural choice pre and post-game.

*Due to limited patio seating, we do not take reservations for our patio. Please note the patio request in your reservation, or ask upon arrival, and we will do our best to accommodate.

**The rooftop is open Wednesday-Friday 4 PM - close. Saturday & Sunday 12 PM - close.

***Public parking is available at The Mercantile Center Garage with direct access to the restaurant on Level 3A.

Top review

Judy

Dined on Jun 24, 2025

Our food was very good, our server was very attentive and we were very pleased with our experience. I would recommend Mercantile for great dining in a pleasant setting.

Ruth's Chris Steak House - Worcester

4.6

4.6 (715)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Worcester

About the restaurant

Ruth's Chris Steak House in Worcester serves the finest USDA Prime beef available, broiled at 1,800° and served on 500° plates, so your steak stays hot, juicy and delicious from first bite to last. Enjoy our New Orleans-inspired appetizers, USDA Prime steaks, fresh seafood, signature side dishes and homemade desserts. All this while you enjoy our warm, inviting atmosphere and Ruth’s Chris’ genuine hospitality. So, whether you’re a regular or have just been wondering what all the buzz is about, Ruth's Chris is the perfect excuse to enjoy the perfect night out. Dinner is served nightly, reservations are suggested, and private dining and offsite catering may be arranged.

Top review

Margaret

Dined on Jun 25, 2025

The special wine tasting event was spectacular! Per usual, the chef created a remarkable pairing with the wine- in this case, sparkling wine by Moët and Chandon. The service, food and knowledgeable presenter made this a great date night!

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Experience

$55 3-Course Menu

Experience

Moët & Chandon TasteMaker Dinner

The Rail Trail Flatbread Co. - Milford

4.6

4.6 (387)

$30 and under

Pizza Bar

Milford

About the restaurant

The Rail Trail Flatbread Co., celebrated its grand opening on 12/12/23, marking not only a milestone in Milford's downtown revitalization but also a nod to the original Hudson location's success. Built in a meticulously renovated former bank that features a spacious restaurant and bar, outdoor patio, and upstairs events space, creating a warm, inviting atmosphere.

The Milford location reflects a two-and-a-half-year renovation effort, preserving historical elements like the century-old clock, vault door, and exposed brick walls. The open dining layout encourages interaction, adorned with family photos for a homey feel.

Though famous for flatbreads, Rail Trail boasts diverse offerings, each component is made in-house. Notable flatbreads include "Fig & Walnut" and "Mexican Street Corn," alongside the popular "Primo Pepperoni." Appetizers like "Hot Tots" and "Sesame Cauliflower" showcase Rail Trail's culinary creativity.

Top review

Jack

Dined on Jun 22, 2025

Brunch just as fabulous as dinner. A bit quieter, but we were there at a weird 1:30 hour. No complaints!

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Experience

Kids Eat Free - 4th of July Weekend

The Neighborhood Tavern

4.4

4.4 (223)

$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. Our restaurant is designed to be a high-spirited entertainment destination for people of all ages. With a focus on creating a lively atmosphere, we offer an extensive beer list featuring close to 50 draught options alongside a modern and elevated pub fare menu. Whether you're here for lunch, dinner, after-work cocktails, or a special event, Tap Neighborhood Tavern provides a comfortable and enjoyable dining experience. We are thrilled to join the dynamic Northborough community and look forward to welcoming you to our new home!

Top review

Lori

Dined 2 days ago

We dine here maybe once a month or so because we can walk to it. This time I had the roast beef sandwich from the Specials menu and it wad delicious! I had this once before, or something similar, back in the winter and I loved it too. Please put this permanently on the menu. And the tots are the best I ever had. I order them every time because I can't get tots like this anywhere else. They are so crisp and flavorful. My spouse had the Chicken Pesto Sandwich, another favorite of mine and he loved it. Our server Breanna was friendly, fun, and just the right amount of attentiveness.

Osaka Northampton

4.3

4.3 (195)

$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

Richie

Dined on Jun 19, 2025

The Hibachi grill experience for larger groups was so much fun! Really appreciate the chef’s and server’s attentiveness and style (I really liked the red squeeze bottle shots!). This made our experience catching up with friends before our wedding so enjoyable! Oh and the scallops and sushi were fantastic!!

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