Casual Eats curated by Mass Foodies

The Buffalo Jam burger from Brew City on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, MA

Brew City, down on the end of Shrewsbury Street, is part sports bar, part brew pub and part fine restaurant. Not only do they offer a really great selection of beer, but they have a great menu that stretches from basic pub favorites to seafood to steaks.

As an appetizer, I started with the meatballs. This was 4 fairly large handmade meatballs in a marinara sauce with garlic rubbed crostini. The meatballs were firm enough to hold shape but soft and tender. The marinara had a nice, slow cooked flavor that married with the flavor of the meatballs very nicely, creating a really great overall taste. The crostini (garlic bread) was crunchy and garliced nicely. Overall a fantastic appetizer.

For dinner, I went with one of the canned burgers, The Buffalo Jam. This is fresh ground buffalo, red onion jam and local goat cheese on a toasted brioche roll. The buffalo patty was good sized, delicious and cooked perfectly. The soft, creamy goat cheese and red onion jam combined to make a slightly sweet, slightly tart and very delicious counterpoint to the savory burger. Together, each bit was an explosion of flavor so good I didn’t want to put it down. It was served with basic french fries, though you can get any number of sides in place of the fries. Overall, this is one of the better burgers I’ve had anywhere.

Avocado Gouda Burger from O'Connor's on West Boylston Street in Worcester, MA

If you’ve never been to O’Connors, It’s a wonderful treat. Feels like you are walking into an Irish pub overseas with knick nacks on the wall and framed Irish sayings which make me laugh all the time. The selections of beer on tap is wonderful and if you like “Magners” cider, like my wife, they have it on tap as well!

The atmosphere is warm and inviting as well as the servers and owners. Making you feel at home right away. The location is deceptive on the size. They put us in a function room that I didn’t even know existed!

I love me a good burger. You might be asking yourself, “Why would he order a burger at a place that serves amazing European and Irish fare?” We’ll, I’ve been to O’Connor’s many times and it seemed to me that I would like to try a burger (not what I would typically get, but knowing that most of my Foodie Friends would be ordering the typical, I opted for something else). I love me a good burger and hoped I wouldn’t be disappointed.

I ordered it medium rare with all the fixin’s. The gouda was smoked and creamy. I was a little tentative on the red onion. Those typically are too strong for me and I can only take them in small doses. I was pleasantly surprised when they served it too me. It was properly cooked and a fair size. Not the largest burger, but not the smallest either. A well enough portioned size that included the fries that I was still able to eat some of a dessert passed around to me.

I have to admit that if I went back, I’d probably order either the Guinness pie, or the Shepard’s pie. Those are my “go to” orders when going to O’Connors. We have been many times and will continue to go. Many great things on the menu. I had been there only two days before and had the warm goat cheese, apple and beet salad. My goodness, that was wonderful!

All in all, O’Connors is a wonderful place to dine and enjoy a meal with your friends and family. A huge selection of meals, appetizers and drinks to choose from. We’ve never been disappointed and find it’s one of those places I like to bring my friends who visit from out of town for a great meal and long conversations.