Boulevard Diner

Delicious! Tonight was our first time dining at this restaurant, and it's safe to say we'll…read moredefinitely be back. Our party of 10 each ordered something different, and everyone loved their meal. Highly recommend!

Absolutely delicious. We shared Arancini, I had the mare e month (lobster topped fillet served…read morewith mushroom and spinach risotto) and had amazing pistachio mousse for dessert. Friends ordered the salmon and mushroom ravioli and both really enjoyed their meals. Service was prompt, friendly and attentive. Not much to look at from outside nestled in a tight residential neighborhood with limited street parking but complimentary valet service. Going inside of the restaurant ,however, the space is much more upscale and very nice. Prices were what I would expect for an upscale menu of this quality with most entrees between $25 and $40. I look forward to returning!

Dining room area

Garlic bread

See all

Perfection in a dirty martini

PASTA MANI

4.7(37 reviews)

0.8 mi

Hands down one of the best places to eat in Worcester. You need to call for a spot and must get on…read morecall to do so. Freshly made pasta, great wine selection. Sparse, rotating menu that varies weekly. I think I couldn't make this at home--a test for a place being worth the bill--so it's worth the price. It certainly felt authentically Italian. Service was great. It's a tight ship but they make it work. Ambiance was energetic being around the public market but the food is good enough that you can dress up. Wonderful date night/foodie spot. A few bar seats so definitely a partner or friend at max. Not a place to bring kids as it's dine in. Teenagers can walk around of course if you're having a couples night.

I usually take reviews of Italian restaurants very lightly in Massachusetts because if you use a…read morelarge restaurant review site to find suggested Italian restaurants in most cities, Buca de Beppo and Olive Garden usually make their filthy little way into the top 10, eroding all my trust in that site. (... and humanity) Case in point, most of the Italian dishes being reviewed by diners in cities like Worcester as 'very authentic' are fairly foreign to actual restaurants in Italy. There is TRUE Italian food and American Italian food (classic 'red sauce' joints) I will never besmirch a good classic red sauce joint like Dan Tanas, Rao's or even some of the Federal Hill joints. There is a place in the culinary pantheon for amazing spaghetti meatballs and veal parm ... however 'authentic Italian' they are not. What we got at Pasta Mani is TRUE Italian. In fact, we ate here not more than 2 weeks after coming back from Italy and I can honestly say that we enjoyed our meal here (from a taste perspective) more than many of the restaurants in Italy we ate at. (One with a Michelin star!) This chef's philosophy here is one embraced in Italy ... simple, fresh, cooked with care. The reason tourists go to Italy and geek out over the food is because we've grown up eating Italian food here which is good ... but not made with the same level of passion. Eating a dish of spaghetti carbonara in Italy vs. the US is like listening to the Beatles for the first time on vinyl, in mono! It's hard to find a chef with the knowledge and respect for the ingredients that are displayed here. The servers are knowledgeable about the menu. She was not afraid to make recommendations. She knew the dish's ingredients as well as the chef ... and she was as friendly as could be. The accompanying beer and wines matched the menu perfectly and also were mostly Italian. The menu offers not a lot of choices ... but there is something for everyone. It's not heavy on meat ... but nor are menus in Italy. Maybe a reason why folks over there are not often over 6 feet tall or 200 lbs. vs. many Americans whose 4 major food groups are bacon, burgers, chicken nuggets and occasionally lobster rolls. We had the octopus, which was done perfectly ... the flavors were spot on and the chef clearly knew taste profiles as well as technique. Watermelon and octopus! Who knew? He did. We had the peach pesto cavatelli pasta and the pasta Amatricana with pancetta. Both were amazing ... the favors combined so effortlessly but perfectly. Red pepper flakes, pine nuts, grease from the bacon, tomatoes. It was all just so ... great! All the pasta was perfectly homemade ... and available for purchase as takeaway. Before we knew it, we were regrettably too full for dessert. The chef came out of the kitchen, where 80's and punk music was blasting, and you could watch the cooking happen, to greet us. He had worked in some of Seattle's better Italian restaurants and apparently learned a thing or two. If he had said he worked in Napoli, Sorrento or Rome for many years, we'd have believed it! The only thing we weren't in love with was the actual 'food hall' setup which felt a bit industrial for our liking. But, it was oddly cool and comfortable in a Momofuku type of way. This chef and his team deserve a restaurant. 5 seats and a chef's table are too small for the talent level. This was one of the best Italian meals I've had outside Italy or NYC. In Worcester, near a ballpark ... go figure. We also noticed that everything in the 'restaurant' was spotlessly clean ... and I mean spotless! We'll be back for sure. Places like this that don't serve a fried brick of chicken smothered in cream sauce and melted cheese and call it Italian are few and far between in Central Massachusetts. A great vibe, a great staff, a great meal! If ya know ... ya know.

See all

Casa Castellano

5.0(2 reviews)

0.7 mi

Amazing restaurant, the chef hails directly from Florence and has extensive experience in cooking…read moreFlorentine cooking. His rabbit and wild boar pepperedelle are heavenly

An authentic Italian experience, briugh to Bloomberg NJ. Their selection of boar, rabbit and wines…read moreis exceptional. But ultimately, what truly won us iver is their world famous carbonara. And Garo is very friendly!

La Cucina Italiana

3.8(183 reviews)

2.9 mi

Eh... just a quick update. Got an order of penne and meatballs to go and it was better than…read moreexpected. The meatballs this time around tasted good lol. Adding a star.

Great Italian Menu Quality dishes…read moreService is excellent and the restaurants vibe is also nice and relaxing. Perfect place to grab a bite.

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

See all

Lemon blueberry cheesecake

Nuovo

3.9(280 reviews)

0.2 mi

The food here was really good, and we were lucky enough to get a table right by the window, which…read morewas perfect for people-watching and taking in all the activity outside. I also had a great cocktail that I really enjoyed. The only downside was our waitress. She wasn't rude, but she just didn't seem very friendly or personable, and it honestly left me wondering if I'd done something wrong. Service can really make a difference in the overall experience. Overall, I'd still recommend Nuovo. The food and location make it worth visiting. I'd say it has a bit more of an older, quieter crowd, so if that's your vibe, you'll probably really enjoy it.

We decided to go out for some pasta on a Saturday night in Worcester. There's a lot adjacent to…read morethe building and it was packed, but thankfully we found parking. We didn't have reservations and didn't have to wait to be seated. The restaurant decor was nice and lighting was more on the dimmer side. Our waiter was very friendly and quick. We had the Chicken Milanese with Italian sausage and the Steak with potatoes and broccoli. It was very good and plentiful enough to take leftovers.

Dark & Stormy

Carbonara

See all

Caprese Salad

Volturno

3.8(609 reviews)

0.2 mi

It had been a while since I came back to Shrewsbury Street in Worcester but here I was. It was…read morelunch and my son and I wanted pizza. I remember two of my children going to school out in Worcester and many visits to Volturno. Where else would I go in Worcester for pizza but here. We walk in to high ceilings, large windows and clean polished woodwork. Like a restaurant in a museum. The server Abby, was great. Attentive knowledgable and passionate about her restaurant. So- I wanted broccoli rabe and sausage sandwich. That was gone from the menu. Abby convinced me to try the Amatriciana pasta. It was amazing. Total shocker. It was as good as my favorite North End Spots. Why 5 stars- The excitement around the food creations. Quality and authentic Italy. The thing that caught me was the place still looked brand new. It wasn't a sign of a restaurant that had been there running out the course. This place was alive. I will be back.

once again! I never leave 2nd reviews... that's how good this place is!…read more this place is 10/10. food is fresh & delicious. love the ambiance, great service. we will be back!

Busy Tuesday Night!

Marg Pizza with Meatball and Mushroom

See all

Outdoor seating area

Vincent's

4.4(131 reviews)

0.4 mi

I probably never would have found this place on my own, but I'm really glad I tried it!…read more One of my bosses is originally from Worcester, and her daughter was heading home for the weekend, so my boss asked her to stop at Vincent's and grab us some meatball sandwiches for lunch. She had been talking about how amazing their meatball sandwiches were, and since meatball sandwiches are basically my favorite food, I obviously had to try them. Before this, I had never heard of Vincent's. We looked it up and realized it's not really a traditional restaurant. It's a bar that serves food, and apparently their meatball sandwiches are a big thing. Another coworker of mine who is also from Worcester explained that this is a place people go to for drinks and food, and that they have some specific rules when it comes to ordering the sandwiches. When we called, we were told that they do takeout, but you can't actually place a takeout order over the phone. You have to go in and order it. I thought that was a little unusual, but my coworker said that's their normal practice. There is also a three-sandwich limit per person. My bosses daughter went in to order five for the office, so thankfully she had someone with her and they were able to order three each. Apparently, the three-sandwich limit is posted on one of their Google pictures, so I guess if you know, you know. I do wish they had a website or something that clearly explained the takeout process and ordering limits, because if you've never been there, you wouldn't necessarily know any of this. Now for the important part...the sandwich! My bosses daughter had about a 30-35 minute drive back to us, so I honestly expected the sandwich to be pretty cold by the time I got it. It was wrapped in foil, and somehow it was STILL warm when I opened it. I was actually surprised. And let me tell you...this was probably one of the best meatball sandwiches I've ever had. It's definitely different from your typical meatball sub. The meatballs are flat, and instead of a regular torpedo/sub roll, it comes on this thick Italian bread. I honestly didn't know what to expect, but I LOVED it. The combination of the bread and the meatballs was so good that I'm pretty sure I'm going to want my meatball sandwiches this way from now on. I can only imagine how good it would have been if I had eaten it fresh at the bar instead of 35 minutes later. So yes, I completely understand why my boss recommended this place. If I'm ever back in the Worcester area, I will absolutely be stopping at Vincent's. Just make sure you know the ordering rules before you go!

Great people Great prices…read more Great food Great music On of my favorite places to listen to live musicians

Interior

Meatball sandwich

See all

Decor

La Scala

The food was good, the service is great! The pistachio cake that everyone raves about is no joke!…read moreThe restaurant itself is so cozy, really makes you feel like you're at home. My boyfriend also left his whole satchel there that contained his passport, wallet with credit cards and cash, etc. (all the important stuff) and when we came back for it, everything was still in there, untouched. We were so relieved and will forever be grateful for good people that still exist in this world. Thank you La Scala for such an all around great first experience here!

My wife and I went last Sunday and were seated right away. Our waitress arrived within minutes of…read morebeing seated and through the meal was friendly,helpful and engaging. Both of our entrees were excellent as well as the rolls. Unfortunately now a days eating out is expensive so if your going to pay a lot at least it should be excellent which this was. I want to add a note regarding rude customers. We last dined there about 18 months ago in the middle of winter on a Saturday night. The restaurant was packed as expected but we had reservations so no worry. Unfortunately there were 2 large tables (6-8 people) who had already eaten and paid their bill but wouldn't leave backing up the entrance out the door. To this day I regret not confronting them about their rudeness. Please go this restaurant is filled with people who care.

See all

Dino's Ristorante Italiano

3.5(195 reviews)

0.5 mi

Love me some Dino's. Love their meatballs, their chicken parm, their pizza is amazing as well. To…read morestart the free bruschetta always hits the spot. I could eat that and a couple meatballs and be a happy camper. Love the dim lighting, the old feel and the service is always great.

Alright. Updating my review because things are so different today…read more While they did cut out their included side salads years ago and portions aren't what they were 10 yrs ago, the food is solid and the service is above and beyond. It's back to being one of our favorites. Their entrees have not skyrocketed in price like other places - portions aren't what they used to be but still better than many other spots. And the food has a fresh, delicious taste. My perspective post-covid has definitely changed.

Sign on the main road near Dino's.

See all

Festive!!

Peppercorn's Grille & Tavern

3.8(423 reviews)

2.1 mi

if you want consistency and great service and excellent food come here place is great definitely…read moresuperior to most restaurants in worcester area

Met my friend from CT (I'm from NH) at Peppercorn's since Worcester is halfway between our houses…read more My daughter had recommended it since she had recently met friends here. Very nice restaurant next to Double Down Brewing Company ( the former site of Wormtown Brewing). Plenty of parking in their private lot. Lots of various types of seating-we chose a high top table in the tavern. Service was excellent-wish I knew the name of the gentlemen who was our server. We both had pints of beer. I had the Captain Crispy,which was just okay.My friend enjoyed the Talia. I was so happy that I picked the Beef Brisket Grilled Cheese sandwich. So very delicious. My friend had a burger and she ate the whole thing-enuf said! I will gladly return to enjoy more deliciousness at this fine restaurant. Highly recommended.

Chicken and brocc, side veg, fried cheesecake

See all

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

13 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Susan R.

6 years ago

Made an account JUST to leave this review. This was the most uncomfortable atmosphere I could walk into at 8am. Both the staff cooking and taking orders were loudly sharing their insensitive opinions on the border crisis along with others sitting at booths. The speech felt hateful and racist to be quiet honest. Will never ever come in here again. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but STAFF shouldn't be inciting and promoting HATE speech in an open environment. read more

Tina B.

Elite 24

101

301

4 years ago

We were looking for a "hole in the wall" place to eat before attending a concert at the DCU center. This place was great! Small but cozy and has a nice "old fashion" feel. The staff was super friendly and the food was awesome! Would recommend if you're in the area and you like diner food! read more

Therese M.

7 years ago

The customer here jostle for space so much so that even in an empty restaurant male customers try to block the doorway so that they can touch and grope you while you try to pass by. Avoid this place. Food is worthless, overpriced and the crowd sleazy. read more

frank b.

18 years ago

Ive been going to the boulevard for 40 years.Get the Italian sausage sandwich or the Italian breakfast.The sausage is made locally at john and Sons sausage store.Its the best in the city. read more

Kara D.

7 years ago

Disappointed with the food and the staff. No parking and they overcharge you on the credit card unless you keep an eye on them. Avoid the fries. Some of it was cooked days ago. read more

John P.

7 years ago

great place to eat , great people that work there, very good meals and prices also a great atmosphere, very relaxing, we will be going there again read more

Erica G.

15 years ago

Delicious homemade Italian & Americian Dishes,Great Service,Great Atmosphere! Open 24/7 There's No Place Finer Than The Boulevard Diner!!

Angela T.

7 years ago

If I could leave zero stars I would. Gross, dirty, bitchy young brats. Food sucked and was burned. Horrible!

Kelly K.

9 years ago

This is my favorite place to go , the food is amazing , the people are amazing overall great place

Thomas T.

1 year ago

I'm here at 4 AM on a Saturday morning. It is not open. What else can I say? It's not open.

Mike T.

17 years ago

Meatballs just like my italian grandma used to make. 'nuff said.

Arek G.

10 years ago

Place sucks. Never come here. The end.

Ketacha M.

13 years ago

Food was okay...

Boulevard Diner - diners - Updated October 2026

Browse Nearby

BEST of Worcester, Massachusetts Coffee near Boulevard Diner

BEST of Worcester, Massachusetts Breakfast near Boulevard Diner

BEST of Worcester, Massachusetts Restaurants near Boulevard Diner

BEST of Worcester, Massachusetts Things to Do near Boulevard Diner

BEST of Worcester, Massachusetts Desserts near Boulevard Diner

BEST of Worcester, Massachusetts Brunch near Boulevard Diner

BEST of Worcester, Massachusetts Parking near Boulevard Diner

BEST of Worcester, Massachusetts Cocktail Bars near Boulevard Diner

BEST of Worcester, Massachusetts Shopping near Boulevard Diner

BEST of Worcester, Massachusetts Thrift Stores near Boulevard Diner

Best of Worcester

Things to do in Worcester

Browse Brands

Brands by name

Browse Articles

Articles by date

People who viewed Boulevard Diner also viewed

Corner Lunch

3.8

(64 reviews)

Heavy but delicious, amazing breakfast options (lunch as well). Lots of sweet and savory options…read morewith additions/sides to your liking. They have an outstanding "$9 before 9am" menu deal for a lot of items- recommended if you wanna put that $3 towards the tip for the lovely waitresses/people who work there. Quiet, friendly, and smells amazing.

Place was terrible, food was terrible, waiters were terrible, ambiance was terrible, Place used…read moreto be a gem in worcester, $1.75 for one piece of Terrible homemade bread , service was terrible coffee was cold ,Place was cold food was greasy and sat like a rock in my stomach.Would not recommended this place no matter how hungry you are. One word terrible!

Dad's

4.3

(51 reviews)

This nondescript side of the road hole in the wall would be perfect for a visit from Triple D! The…read moreoutside looks deceiving as once you enter you'll feel right at home with the cozy decor and friendly people. The food is homemade and plentiful and the prices are well below the other places in the area. The best part of my visit was listening to the conversation and fun banter between the owners and the locals who also pulled me, a complete stranger, into the mix. Dad's is located just minutes away from the famous Tree House Brewery. I would be hard pressed to not stop here again for breakfast or lunch if I happen to be in the area again.

I went recently. I actually got French toast. It's definitely cash only. They take calls for take…read moreout too. The service is extremely nice and friendly. There is a small town atmosphere there too. It's really nice!

Pickle Barrel Delicatessen

4.0

(43 reviews)

Food and service great. Short wait for our meals. We go every weekend and know all the staff as we…read moreare "regulars". Highly recommend it.

First time we've been here. It was good…read more Service here is very good. The waitresses have been there a long time. They're very friendly. Always happy to help. My wife got the pancakes special. She tells me the pancakes are "the best she's ever had." Very fluffy and flavorful. I had the Pickle Barrel Omelette. It has sausage, feta, tomatoes, onions and peppers. Mine was average, at best. The home fries needed seasoning, badly. The omelette was good. Mainly carried by the feta. We did agree on the coffee: not favorably. It "delivered the goods," but it wasn't very good. It seemed watery.

Dinky's Blue Belle Diner

3.5

(124 reviews)

Great spot for breakfast. My son and I have been doing all of the Worcester area diners and…read morebreakfast spots for the past 3 weeks. We visited here on Wednesday, July8th and had a fantastic breakfast. I have to say that the way we were greeted set the tone for an awesome experience. Both women in the dining car were genuinely friendly and welcoming. I had the veggie omelet and instead of toast and potatoes I had a single blueberry pancake. Best pancake I've had anyplace for a very long time. The omelet was well made and perfectly seasoned with a perfect amount of cheese. My son had the meat lovers omelet and he too loved his meal. Great spot, given it a try.

This isn't my first time at Dinky's, and each visit has been a consistently good experience. The…read morestaff is always friendly, the fruit on the waffles is fresh and vibrant and the bathroom is clean (huge plus) there was no napkins in the machine only a hand dryer which my daughter dislikes loud noises so we left it with wet hands. The soap is also like a regular dial soap pump bottle which is decent but, could be updated to a touch less soap dispenser to be more sanitary , That said, I've had better waffles elsewhere, and I'm not a fan of the syrup -- it tastes a bit watered down and could use more sweetness. I ordered a hot chocolate and an apple juice. The hot chocolate was rich and had a great consistency -- definitely a highlight. The apple juice, however, was served warm, and I personally would have preferred it cold. Overall, Dinky's is a solid spot with a welcoming vibe. I've returned a few times and plan to keep it in my rotation.

Kenmore Diner

3.8

(67 reviews)

Great customer service, love the ambiance and delicious breakfast, my favorite is their over easy…read moreeggs. Must try.

For a small little place, it's really cute!…read more The homemade corned beef hash was amazing. The omelette was ssooooooo good! The pancakes were not the worst but not the best! I really loved the waitress as she was so sweet. For 6 of us, our bill was 140. So worth it.

Half Baked & Fully Roasted

3.4

(50 reviews)

My husband and I had a wonderful experience here! Portions were generous, Food was tasty, the…read moreservice was kind and friendly and the atmosphere was super welcoming. If we are ever back near Oxford, we will definitely stop in again!

This use to be such a good breakfast spot, the food was so delicious & flavorful, I guess there are…read morenew owners now and I am not sure how you screw up an omelette but my omelette today had no flavor at all nor did the home made cinnamon raisin toast. I guess it's time to find a new spot! Took an act of congress to get my coffee refilled! It was disappointing.

The Parkway

3.6

(59 reviews)

After we visited another landmark diner in Worcester a few weeks ago we decided to try The Parkway…read morediner on Shrewsbury Street, I've literally drove past this place hundreds and hundreds of times in my lifetime and I had never been here. We visited on a Monday morning around 10 am and I thought for sure I was going to a diner. Nope. There's a diner there, but you go in a door next to the diner, I could see the empty diner as I walked by (see picture), but you're pretty much going into a barroom that serves breakfast (see picture). There's a bar with seating around it and a bartender/server behind the counter and all the liquor on shelves. My first thought was it smells like someone has been smoking in here. We grabbed a high top and our server came over with menus and we ordered shortly afterwards. I ordered my usual eggs over easy, corn beef hash, home fries and wheat toast, my husband ordered as omelette and home fries. Our meals were meh, the home fries were dry af and the corn beef hash was un memorable. This is a pretty popular place and we were trying to figure out why? We decided it has to be that they serve alcohol. As we were leaving my husband mentioned the stank of cigarettes so I knew it wasn't only me who could smell it. I gave the stars for the service as I wouldn't go back.

You can't go wrong with the Parkway. It's an institution. The folks who didn't like it -- maybe you…read morewent to a different restaurant? Countless times I've been here in both the older diner part and the newer section. All of the food is solid, but their eggplant parm is pretty hard to beat anywhere, and I'm picky about that.

Altea's Eatery

4.4

(426 reviews)

The crepe was amazing. They had a nutella one that I really like and I asked for the cannoli cream…read morefilling from the other menu option and they made it happen. So if you're asking about service, they went above and beyond. As far as the environment, it was super spacious and tables were not cramped.

Stopping here was such a great experience! We happened to stop in on our way home from a trip up…read morenorth, and I'm so glad we did. The staff was extremely friendly and welcoming and that always makes the whole experience even more enjoyable. The food was some of the best we had on our entire vacation, and we found it on the way home of all places! I ordered the breakfast poutine, which I genuinely didn't know I was missing in my life until I tried it. My boyfriend got the buratta chicken sandwich from the specials list, and he said it was a 10/10. The vibe of the restaurant is really fun and welcoming, too. They have a great cocktail menu with options like espresso martinis and Bloody Marys, which Ive gotta come back and try. Such a great little spot if you're in the Worcester area. We'll absolutely be stopping back!

The Fix Burger Bar

3.9

(1.1k reviews)

A sports bar that serves up NFL replays from five years ago on a huge flat screen better have a…read moregreat kitchen. Luckily Fix Burger does. You basically buy the burger and then customize it according to your taste. Fast, friendly service and excellent fries that were far fresher then the half decade old clash between the Raiders and the Titans.

I was in town for work and was looking for a place in walking distance from my hotel. The front…read moredesk recommended The Fix Burger Bar. In looking at the menu I really could not decided because all the burgers sounded amazing! I ended up ordering the Phenomenal Burger which has bacon, smoked gouda, fried egg, frizzled onion, sweet chili ranch all on a brioche bun. I arrived about 20 minutes after ordering. I walked into the beautiful red brick building where The Fix is located. The restaurants overall ambiance was very welcoming- The staff just as nice! This is not just a 1 review kind of place- The Phenomenal burger was SO GOOD that I went back the next day and had The Stark Burger which had 2 (1/4 patties) with double pepper jack cheese, red onion, thinly sliced jalapeno, bacon, chipotle mayo on a brioche bun! The Stark was just as good (in different ways) as the Phenomenal Burger- both were cooked to perfection! I will absolutely be back- because there are a number of burgers I still need to try......If you are in Worcester, MA and in the mood for a burger- be sure to put The Fix Burger Bar on your "must try" places.

The Coffee Mug

3.6

(74 reviews)